"Hey, you mind if I come in?" Joel asked when Ellie opened the door.

She looked at him for a long second. "Do you need something?" she asked.

"Uh… no. I just thought I'd come by and see how you were doing. It felt like you were avoiding me since-"

"I'm fine," Ellie replied, cutting across his words.

"That's… that's good to hear. I would've come by sooner, but there was just a lot to do," he said.

"It's fine. We've all got something to do in our lives."

He nodded slowly at the jab. "We do." The two stood there in silence. "Oh, I got this for you," Joel suddenly remembered, holding out a box.

"What's this?" Ellie asked, taking it.

"It's cookies. I baked them myself. Reckon you'd like it."

"Well, thanks. It's getting late now and I have a repair early morning. Can we talk later?"

"Right. Of course. Don't want you to wake up late for that. Maria's sending me to New Town tomorrow, so I'll be out for a few days."

"Sure."

"Okay. Goodnight," Joel said, sighing. He had barely stepped off the porch when he spoke again. "Ellie, wait." He watched as she paused with the door closed halfway. "I have something I need to say. I know you're angry at me. And I'm okay with that. I had to make a decision and I made one. But you also have to know that the Fireflies weren't doing right by you."

Ellie didn't reply, instead, averting his eyes from his.

"They didn't give you a chance to make a choice," Joel pressed on. "It wasn't theirs to make, Ellie. It was yours. It didn't even seem like they knew what they were doing."

"And you knew what you were? It was your decision?"

"I wasn't going to let an innocent girl die," Joel said. "If somehow, I was given a second chance to make that decision, I'd still stop them from killing you."

"Well, then, it seems like only one of us is capable of making better decisions."

"Ellie, there was no guarantee of a cure!"

"They could have tried at least!" Ellie yelled.

Joel shook his head. "No, those weren't odds I was going to gamble you away on."

"Gamble, yeah," she scoffed. "So, now what? I'm just supposed to live with the fact that more people have died and will continue to die because of me?"

"We don't know that."

"And why didn't you just tell me the truth back then? Why would you fucking lie about everything?"

Joel hesitated. "Because I was afraid of losing you," he confessed. "I was afraid that you wouldn't understand."

"Great then. I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to be doing, Joel. Every time I see an infected, it feels like I'm to blame." She took a few deep breaths, composing herself. "I don't think I can have this conversation right now."

"Okay, I understand. We can talk when I get back," he said, but all he got in response was the click of the door shutting on him.

Ellie woke up in a cold sweat. She could feel the dampness of the bed sheet and the pillow. She stared into the darkness as her eyes slowly adjusted. It was still night outside but the light from the street crept across the bottom of her bed, the yellow mingling with the blue cloth. She pulled out the pillow from under her head and tossed it to the side.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep again. She lay there for some time, resorting to even counting sheep, but it seemed to be in vain. Sleep was elusive that night. Finally, exasperated, she opened her eyes and let her mind wander. Even though the house was warmer than the outside, she couldn't help but feel a chill.

After a while, her hand travelled to the clock by her bedside. It was just before sunrise. Ellie kicked off the blanket and sat up in the bed. It was the perfect time for her to leave for New Town without alerting Tommy and Maria, as well as travel in the first rays of the day without worrying about the infected in the dark. It would, hopefully, be easy to get past the guards at the gates as well. She didn't know what she was going to do about Dina though. Ellie really liked her, and her coming along wouldn't be safe if things didn't go as planned.

As she stood up, she could feel her hands shaking slightly. Quickly grasping her bottle and taking a few sips, she tried to bury the pit in her stomach. She opened the cupboard above the small stove in her kitchen. She'd stored several cans of food in there that she'd take when she'd go for repairs or when she felt like eating at home. Pulling several of them from the shelves and straight into her bag, she then packed her weapons, slinging her bow around her. Out of her table's drawer, she picked up enough ammunition to hopefully last her the trip. There was no telling how many times she'd have to use her weapons, but she could also scavenge some, if the need arose.

She slid in a small pocket knife along a holder she'd sewed into the inner waistline of the back of her jeans. It was a trick Tommy had taught her that would be useful if ever she was captured. No one would check for a knife in such a place, and definitely not for something as small, yet lethal. At first, she had been apprehensive that it would end up poking her, but it turned out to be something she now did every time there could be danger.

Pulling on her jacket, she took a quick stock of her house to make sure she had everything she needed. Bracing herself to step into the cold, she opened the door.

"Dina?" For the second time that week, Ellie found the girl standing at her door.

"You really think I didn't know what you were planning?" Dina asked. She was completely packed like Ellie was, weapons and all.

"I… I didn't want to leave without you," Ellie replied, embarrassed. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Early morning romance, I see, but seriously Ellie, will you stop worrying? Nothing's going to happen. We'll go find Joel and bring him home, okay? I need you to promise me that we're going to do this together."

Ellie conceded. "Okay, fine. Sorry."

"No more of this lone wolf thing that you think is a good idea, alright? And here. I made something for you last night. Hold out your hand."

She did as she was instructed. Dina tied a bracelet around her wrist.

"It's a Hamsa bracelet," Dina explained. "It's supposed to protect you from harm and watch over you. It's like the symbol of the hand of God. My mom taught me to make them when I was a kid."

"Thanks, Dina," Ellie said, looking it over. She suddenly realised she wasn't feeling jittery anymore.

They began walking towards the stables. The sun had just reared its head through the clouds, casting a faint orange glow over the white path. It was that warmth that broke through the relentless chill that made Ellie instinctively reach for Dina's hand. For a moment, Ellie felt comforted.

"What was your plan to get out of the gates?" Dina asked when they were nearly there.

"I was just going to improvise and say I had to get to an outpost, and pray nobody would ask questions."

"The group should have changed by now and as far as I remember, Alex doesn't ask too many questions. So, I think we should be good on that front."

Ellie suddenly cursed under her breath as they rounded the street and the stables came into view. They could see Maria walk out of the wooden structure, stand still for a second as she recognised the two girls, and make a beeline for them. Ellie wasn't prepared to have this conversation.

"Maria-" she began as the woman reached them.

"Tommy left in the middle of the night," Maria interrupted her. "I just found out." She looked on the verge of panicking.

"Where? Did he say anything?" Dina asked, caught as off guard as Ellie.

Maria handed them the paper she was clutching in her hand. It was a note from Tommy addressed to her. "I found this on the table when I woke up."

Maria, it read, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was doing this but I can't rest until I find Joel. I can't lose him a second time. He'd do the same for any of us if we were missing. Make sure Ellie and Dina stay in Jackson. They shouldn't be out there in the danger. Stay safe at home until I get back. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you once I'm back, but I have to do this. I love you, Tommy.

"Maria, I-I'm sorry," Ellie sympathised. "I didn't know Tommy was going to do this."

"You couldn't have. Tommy's always been like this when it comes to family. I don't blame him, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared." She rubbed her face. "What are you two doing here this early?"

"We… were going to look for Joel."

Maria nodded. "I'm not going to stop you then, because I know you've made up your minds. If I do it now, you'll just find another way. But I can't give you two horses. You can take either of yours." She paused. "Please, find my husband before he does something stupid."

"I promise we'll get him back," Ellie said.

The two watched as a visibly disturbed Maria left the two of them standing outside the stable enclosure.

"Goddamnit it, Tommy," Ellie swore. "Now I feel fucking terrible about Maria."

"Yeah, I've never seen her like that," Dina said. "If we leave right now, we might be able to catch up with him somewhere on the way."

They entered the stables and a few minutes later, rode out of the gates on Chucky with Ellie at the reins.

"You sure you know the way?" Dina asked.

"I haven't been there, but I remember Joel once told me about it. It's goes right past Outpost 8, and then I think it's just a straight road after that. There's not too many paths to get lost on anyway."

"Well, looks like we're relying on you to get us there."

"We'll figure it out." Ellie stroked Chucky's mane a few times. "We can stop at the outpost for the night."

"I think that's the best call. It should be safe in the basement," Dina said. "We'll have to make sure there are no more of those people there."

"We'll be careful." She was silent for a few seconds. "Hey, do you think I crossed a line yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, with Tommy and Maria. I think I got really angry and said some hurtful things. I didn't mean them, because I know the two of them aren't my enemies or anything. I just felt frustrated."

"If I'm being honest," Dina started, "it did feel like you got a little impulsive. I haven't seen you like that a lot, but I get where your frustration came from, and I think Maria and Tommy did, too. I guess it's natural for you to be worried about Joel."

"Yeah… maybe."

"It's cute how worked up you can get some times."

"Hey, I can be very casual as well," Ellie said coolly.

"I dare you to, Ellie."

"How does that place look?" Ellie asked, jerking her head at a house.

It was nearing sundown. They had spent the first night at the outpost. The weather had worsened through that day and they'd been forced to take shelter, waiting for it to pass. The delay caused them to travel after the daylight had died away. Thankfully, they didn't find too many infected, and neither did they find any more of the attackers.

The second day had also been uneventful. The only exciting thing they saw were a few elks that made a break for the trees as soon as they spotted the travelers. When evening approached, Ellie and Dina had begun looking for places to stay the night.

The house Ellie saw was one of a few, however, it appeared to be the most intact. The small cluster was down a small descent to the side of the path. It was a fairly modest looking place.

The two quickly cleared out any infected in the area. A clicker almost caught them off guard, but before it could get to Ellie, Dina drove her blade straight into its head. The house didn't have a garage, so Ellie tethered Chucky in the living room before claiming one of the bedrooms as theirs.

"You okay?" Dina asked Ellie as she lit a candle on the table.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Let's eat and we can get some rest then."

"Um… I'm actually not hungry right now. You can eat without me. I think I'm just going to sleep."

"Alright. Ellie?" Dina called, making Ellie turn towards her. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Look around," Joel said. "There's a lot of CDs here. See what you like and you can take them back."

Ellie looked around. There were shelves full of music. She wandered about the store, reading the names and bagging a few.

"Hey, there's more stuff here," he said. There was a pause. "Shit, it's under a lock. Ellie, see if you can find a key for it. It should be somewhere around."

Ellie hunted for a bit, then made her way over to the counter. In one of the drawers, she found a drawing. It seemed like something a child would make. The colors on it had faded with time.

"Never mind, I got it open," Joel called out.

Then she noticed the door. It was right past the table.

She headed towards it, pushing down the door handle. It wouldn't budge. She gave it a push with her shoulder and it gave way instantly.

It was a corridor. The first thing she noticed was the large fungal growth on the wall. Spores flew from it. Then, her eyes fell upon the two figures wedged into the reddish abomination. But something was off.

With a gasp, Ellie realised that it was two kids, judging from their size. She took a step back and suddenly, the infected kids moved, breaking away from the wall. Their heads disfigured from the cordyceps growth; they made a clicking sound before lunging at her.

She tripped over her feet in her haste to back away. None of her instincts seemed to take over as they did when she encountered infected.

"Ellie? Ellie!" Joel yelled racing to her.

She kicked one of them away, holding the other at bay with her forearm across its throat. It was so close to her face. All Ellie could think about that moment was whether the two kids were still alive in their bodies.

"Ellie, no!"

Ellie screamed as she woke up. Her chest heaved as the room came into focus, and she realised Dina was next to her. In her disturbed sleep, she had clutched Dina's hand so hard that her nails drew blood.

"Fuck, I'm sorry!" she apologized, letting it go.

"Don't worry about it," Dina replied, pressing down on the bleeding. "Nightmare?"

Ellie nodded, feeling her heart race.

"It's alright, breathe. It's not real, okay? You're safe here." Dina pulled out her napkin, wiping off the bloody marks.

"I know," Ellie said. "God, it was bad."

"What was it?"

"Just this thing that happened to Joel and me some time ago. It's been bothering me ever since."

Dina nodded. "Did something happen between you and Joel?"

"Why?"

"It seems like it. I haven't seen you with him over the last few weeks and that rarely ever happens. You two talk a lot normally. And you've been really… not you at times lately. I've never seen you before like that. So, did he do something?"

Ellie chuckled softly at the way Dina read her. "Yeah. He lied to me about something big. Like life-changing big."

"Woah. What conspiracy have you two gotten tangled up in?"

"It's nothing like that. He just… did something that involved me without asking me and I don't know what to do about it."

"If he had asked you, do you think you would have made the same decision that he did?" Dina asked.

"I… I don't know honestly."

"You know, sometimes we all do things. Sometimes they're bad and sometimes they're good. But if I know one thing about you and Joel- he'd never do anything that would harm you."

"Everyone keeps saying that! But what if he harms others by not harming me?" Ellie asked.

"We do things to keep people we love safe. And if that hurt others, then that's the price you pay."

"I don't know, Dina. Joel thinks he made the only choice that was right. I'm not so sure. Things might have been different too, otherwise."

"They might have. You might not have been here too," Dina said. "Or even in Jackson."

"I definitely wouldn't," Ellie murmured.

"I think you should talk it out with him and see what he has to say. Then you can make up your mind on whether he did the right thing."

"Yeah. Maybe I'll do that."

"Good. Now, come on. Try to sleep. We've got another day of riding."