ᖭི༏ᖫྀ 🌿🏹

━ CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE ...
' through the valley, part. 2 '
TW ; a lot of tears & blood (abby) !

    WALKING INTO A SHOP THAT HAD DRUG PLANTS EVERYWHERE INSIDE, WASN'T SOMETHING SHE EXPECTED TO SEE IN THE YEAR THEY WERE IN. To be fair, she didn't expect it at all since no one hardly travels the way their patrol route was on, normally the group would turn back before it. She couldn't complain though, as it was much warmer than outside.

      (Y/N) rubbed her gloved hands together to bring more warmth to them, and blew into her palms slightly also. Her eyes scanned over the 7-Eleven, that was once full of bright colours and food, not replaced with dust, dirt and weed, literally everywhere.

    Ellie would love this place, she thought to herself with a nose scrunch, not liking the musty smell it had inside. She rubbed the bottom of her nose, trying not to sneeze as she walked through the alse where the counter was.

     "There's no way you kept this from me for this long." She spoke in an exclaim at Jesse, her coming up to stand near an empty shelf, but grimaced at the weed covering it, "This shit is so nasty, I don't get the love for it."

     He laughed amused hearing her comment, him being bent down near the fire stove to switch it on and get it burning to warm the place up, "It's not everyday you see a 7-Eleven full of weed, right?" He stated, opening up the creaky door to the fireplace.

       She made a face at his back when it was turned to her, and it disappeared into a straight one as he glanced at her, "How'd you know about this place?" She asked curiously, tugging the hoodie off of her head now to reveal her long locks and fringe under the beanie, "And the fact you never told me about this?"

      "Eugene. He was my first patrol partner before you." He revealed in a calm voice, her face dropping at the name being spoken. He picked up the lighter from inside the metal, and tried to flick it on as he explained to her, "One day, he showed it to me, said he found it a year earlier when he was on a solo patrol. Swore me to secrecy, that's why I couldn't spill. He said Maria wouldn't be supportive of his farming."

      She hummed lowly listening to what he said, her eyes scanning over the now heating up room, as they stop at a necklace sitting on a metal bench. She trails over to it, and gently picks it up in her gloved palm. Her stomach churns seeing the firefly symbol on it, and Eugene's name on the back, causing some memories to flash in her mind from before.

      Jesse noticed she went quiet all of a sudden, and didn't question why she had, until she opened her mouth to speak. She rubbed her thumb over the Firefly symbol, a reminder of who she use to be and where she use to be, "Eugene was a Firefly?" She asked softly, her voice barely escaping from her lips.

     "Yup. Just early on, though." He answered, shutting the door to the fireplace closed as the fire was now started, and he locked the hatches shut, "Quit back in 2010."

     (Y/N) furrowed her brows confused, and wrapped the necklace chain around her wrist, feeling the cool metal against her revealed skin, "What? How come he did that?" She questioned, turning around to walk back to where Jesse was instead of standing near the table.

     "He said he was tired of killing people." He replies standing up from his squatting position with a grunt, and slipped off his bag from his shoulders, "I think he was in Vietnam." He also added, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace sighing.

      She followed his lead by sitting in the other chair, and placed her bag beside her leg, along with her long bow gently. She didn't answer, as she felt sick to her stomach knowing what happened to Eugene, and continued to look at the necklace in her hands sadly.

     Jesse rubbed his gloveless hands together, trying to warm them up like she did prior with hers, before breaking the silence between them, "That was a raw deal. Joel having to put him down." He murmured thickly, and she glanced at him ashamed, "Fuckin' shame. Guy makes it through a war, end up going out like that. What are you gonna do? Couldn't be saved."

      Her shoulders went stiffer at the last comments, and swallowed the lump in her throat harshly. She knew very well what could of be done, but it never was done and for that it was her fault alone. The grip on the necklace got tighter, and she breathed out shakily, knowingly, "Yeah, I know."

     Time went by sitting inside the safe and warm building. Her thoughts were everywhere and she couldn't just stay on one thing. Her mind was moving faster then she could keep up with. First it was about her immunity, and then about how guilty she felt about Eugene's death, and then it was back to her sister, Dina and Joel. Wondering how they were doing out in the snowstorm.

     But her mind then went on one singular person, and all the things that were left unsaid between them. Last night was only the start of what needed to be unpacked, and not many words were expressed, only touches and caresses. His name kept repeating in her mind like a martorn. Joel, Joel, Joel, Joel--

      However that wasn't just in her mind, it was outside in the real world also. She shook her head to push away the thoughts, and her attention was grabbed when Jesse's radio suddenly went off, alerting the two who were laying down on the makeshift beds inside the market.

     Both of them sat up wondering what was being said, and Jesse grabbed the radio to press down on the side of it, "Repeat." He spoke into the speaker, only hearing it crack and the static to get louder since the reception wasn't the best where they were camping out.

     "Copper Mine, do you copy?" The same female's voice over the radio from before was heard, the tone sounding more frantic and serious compared to before which made (Y/N) more on alert then she was before.

     Jesse rolled his shoulders to wake himself up a bit, as he was nearly falling asleep from laying down prior to getting up and answering, "This is Jesse, you're barely there. Amy?"

      Her voice crackled through the radio, and what she said made the older Williams sister's eyes go wide, "Jesse, have you seen Joel, Ellie or Dina?" She first questioned, making the two in the room share a look, "Have you heard from Joel, Ellie or Dina?"

      "No we haven't, why?"

     "They haven't checked in. Are you near Copper Mine?" As Amy revealed the news to the two, (Y/N) was moving faster before Jesse could say anything. Amy wasn't answering, so it made the older woman grab her bag and bow, slinging them over her shoulders, wanting to go find them herself to check if they were all alright.

     She was running out of the door first, not even bothered to place her hoodie back up to keep her warm, as all that mattered was to find the three most important people to her, who sounded like they were in trouble or lost in the storm.

     "Stay close, (Y/N)!" Jesse yelled over the loud winds, him grabbing her arm to run with her towards where the horses were kept safe and warm. He did this so neither of them would trip through the snow, as it was getting thicker and harder to walk through without help.

    Together they ventured back to the garage, finally arriving there through the harsh winds, and Jesse let go of her arm so he could open the slider door for them to walk underneath. He pushed it up, and she ran in under first.

     She didn't waste anytime, and straight away grabbed Bambi by his reins to direct him to her. He greeted her with a nose bump into her stomach, and she caressed it back, before placing her foot in the buckle and swinged herself over the saddle swiftly.

     "The route's an oval around the mine." He was telling her, the both of them getting their horses ready to venture back out into the harsh snowstorm coming down to find the missing trio, "We gotta split up and come at it from both sides. Northwest and northeast. Meet up in the middle."

     Her fingers gripped her coat's hoodie to pull it down, already feeling her cheeks burning from the coldness of the wind, "I'll take northeast then. How much time do you think we have?" She asked loudly, trying to be heard over the howling wind that projected what she was currently feeling.

     "If the wind holds steady, maybe 20 minutes." Jesse answered her, pulling himself up onto his horse now as they stopped before the garage door to talk, "You gotta get to the mine by then, (Y/N), whether you find them or not." His voice grew serious, not wanting to lose another friend of his.

      She nodded her head strongly, and gripped the reins of Bambi tighter in her gloved hands, "Yeah, the same goes for you to, Jesse." Her voice was just as firm, one final look being shared between them before she whistles at her Bambi and the two of them go galloping off into the opposite direction of Jesse.

     The snow was falling harder now—sharp, fast flakes slicing through the air sideways as the wind howled louder with each passing minute.

The sky was a dull gray blanket above, stretching endlessly, suffocating, as if pressing the mountains and trees further into silence. (Y/N) gritted her teeth and leaned forward in her saddle, trying to shield her face from the biting cold as Bambi's hooves trudged through the deepening snow.

    She was soaked to the bone. Her thick coat was stiff with frost around the collar, her gloves stiffening with cold despite her breath heating the inside.

Every breath she took stung her lungs, every inhale slicing down her throat like glass. But she didn't stop—not for a second. Not when her fingers started to go numb. Not when her cheeks burned red from wind and cold.

       She had to find them. Dina. Ellie. Joel.

     (Y/N) was alone, galloping across the blinding white plain with nothing but her bow, pistol, and desperation to keep her going, "C'mon, boy." She muttered to Bambi, gently patting the mare's side, "Just a little longer."

     The snowstorm only worsened. Wind slammed through the trees like a freight train, shaking branches and sending loose snow tumbling in thick clouds.

(Y/N) had to squint through the flurry, her vision narrowing to just a few feet ahead at a time. The world was muffled, quiet in a way that felt wrong. She didn't like it—this kind of silence never meant anything good.

    She rode for what felt like an eternity, the cold cutting through her layers like knives, until she caught sight of something through the haze—tracks. Hoof prints. At least two horses. Barely visible in the now-thick snow, but there.

    Her pulse jumped, "Yes," she breathed, pulling the reins gently to slow Bambi and get a better look. She leaned down, fingers brushing over one of the prints. Fresh. A little softened by the snowfall, but not enough to be older than half an hour.

     Her eyes followed the tracks—headed northeast, toward a narrow ravine lined with pine trees and a hill that lead up to the lodge, one that was never touched.

It was a path not often taken on patrols, but it offered shelter from the wind. She urged Bambi forward with a nudge, "Hang on," She whispered, "Please be up there..."

      She rode cautiously now, arrow nocked and ready, eyes flicking back and forth. Every rustle of a branch had her reaching for the hilt of her blade. The trees groaned in the wind, snow falling in heavy plops from the limbs above. She moved deeper up the hill, where the wind died down just slightly—enough to hear the faint echo of something else.

     Once she reached the top of the hill, she spotted three familiar horses tied to some of the broken fence that was placed near the lodge. One of them she knew was Shimmer, and her instincts kicked in to move faster, which she hurried Bambi to where they were.

     The horses neighed upon seeing her familiar figure, and she hoped down as she pulled Bambi to a stop. She cooed at the horses, giving them each a nose rub before she tied her horse to the metal gate also, promising she would be back with the others as soon as she can.

     She left her bag strapped to Bambi's saddle, and took out her arrows to wrap them around her shoulders, gun still in her leg holster in case. The lodge was in front of her, and it seemed bigger in person then it did form a distance. Her nerves were on edge, but nothing could go wrong... right?

     As quiet as she could be, (Y/N) opened the door to the lodge with her free hand, as her other one had her bow loaded with arrows just in case. She closed the door behind her, now making the howling wind go silent as she entered the warmer building.

     It seemed the lodge was still under construction even prior to the apocalypse, from all the stuff she sees laying around. All the windows were glazed over, giving her no idea what was inside nor who was. All she knew was that her beloved, and her girls were somewhere in the lodge.

     However, she did hear a thump from upstairs, causing her eyes to flicker up to it. She also pulled down her beanie and hoodie, letting her (H/C) locks free to warm herself up a bit more. The beanie was in her bag safe, that being something she didn't want to lose.

      She was more on edge then ever upon stumbling across the stairs leading more into the lodge, and swallowed the lump in her throat to calm herself down. If she didn't, she was going to have a panic attack, and that was something she couldn't offered if the other three were in trouble.

      The sound of a muffled scream from a female was suddenly heard, causing her stomach to churn even more uneased by the situation. She tightened her grip on her bow, making sure it was strong enough and pulled back far enough to shot it at anyone unwanted.

     A plastic drape was placed over one where a door was meant to be, and she pushed through it, still quietly, until she ended up at the closed door where the voices were heard louder, but still muffled for her to hear who it was.

     Her hands were shaking as she reached out to grip the handle, pushing back any fears or nerves she had. She goes to twist the door open slowly, peeking her head through.

What she saw inside made her instantly regret everything that has ever happened leading up to that moment.

     First, she saw there was a group of unknown people inside the top room, and then her eyes darted over to Dina, who was knocked unconscious on the floor.

What she saw next made her sick to her stomach. Ellie was laying in a pool of her own blood, coming from wounds she couldn't see, and she was also seemed to be knocked out.

        But, Joel. Oh god, Joel--

      She could barely tell it was him from the amount of blood, and wounds on his face. He was laying helplessly, motionless on the ground like the rest of the trio.

His leg seemed to be shot from the bandaged around it, and there bent over him, was the female she heard screaming, punching his face -- anywhere she could aim, over and over again.

      And when the female went to try and hit another punch, that's when (Y/N) acted.

She quickly shot her arrows in the direction of where Joel was getting beaten to death, and the arrows just missed the girl as she moved in time, but one grazed her cheek, enough to draw blood. It was enough to stop the punches.

     Before (Y/N) could yell, or do anything else, someone was grabbing her arms in a rough hold, stopping her from shooting anymore. She tried to throw a punch but was shoved to the ground by the male, her bow and arrows getting freed from her hands as she did so.

     She made another move by grabbing her gun from her leg holster, and shot the male who shoved her in the foot, making him howl out in pain. She went to shot at him again from the ground yelling, but another two people came at her from either side and grabbed her in a choke hold, cutting the woman's airway off.

     The one with a necklace slammed her onto the ground, knee being placed on her back to stop her from moving. (Y/N) heaved out some air from the sudden attack, one that she wasn't ready for, and tried to grab the gun beside her, but someone stomped on her hand making her cry out in pain, and kick away her weapons from her reach.

     "Get the fuck off--!" She tried to fight back against the holds on her, two people pulling her arms back to bend them in an uncomfortable position to stop her from attacking anyone else, and she kicked her legs also trying to break free, "Let go of me--"

     She continued to wiggle around and use her body to fight back against the hold, but with her hand throbbing in pain, and her arms bent back, she couldn't do much. She was easily overpowered, something that she hated to feel most in the world.

     The person pushing their knee into her back got harder, causing (Y/N)'s cheek to squish into the cool wooden floor, giving her a view of the love of her life, who looked like he was barely holding on.

   "Joel! Ellie!" She cried for them, wanting to get a response, but received nothing from her sister making her thrash around more.

     However, Joel had heard her. Had seen her from the moment he heard her cry his name out desperately.

He had just enough strength enough for her, and he was going to use it, for the one person he loved most in the world. The love of his life, the one he wished he got more time with, the one whom he saw a bright future with, even now on the brink of death.

     His fingers twitched on the floor at her call,  and his eyes fluttered open, just enough for her to see those dark eyes she fell in love with. It gave her hope, the hope she needed, and her gazes widens seeing it, "Joel, please. Joel, get up!"

     Abby, the one who was beating him had completely stopped now to watch the scene confused, wondering who the woman was to the male she wanted to kill for killing her father.

It seemed he meant a lot to her, and Abby felt bad for a split second, but that was gone remembering what Joel did. Remembering who he did it for, who was currently screaming and crying for him.

     Tears started spilling from her eyes in salty waves, making it harder for her to see Joel's already beaten up face, "Joel, you have to get up! Joel, fucking get up!" She yelled out again through a pitiful cry, still moving around to break free but whimpered in pain when one of the attackers dug their boot onto her rib cage, causing the movements to stop momentarily.

     Owen, who had enough of the blood shed walked up to Abby, and grabbed her arm, trying to ignore how her knuckles were covered in Joel's blood, "End it. We've had enough, Abby. Either do it, or let his wounds end it."

     (Y/N)'s tear filled eyes flickered to Abby, who was breathing heavily and began to walk back to Joel, causing the Williams girl to thrash around on the floor even with bruised ribs.

"Joel! Get up, fucking get up!" She yelled in fear, sobbing more as she was just as helpless as him, "Joel! Please, why are you doing this?!"

     Hearing her desperate cry for him, something that he never wanted to ever hear coming from her, he tried his hardest to lift his head up from the floor. It made a sticky sound from how much blood was covering the wood below him, which made her sick to her stomach hearing it.

     Hope entered her heart once more at him trying for her, and her bottom lip trembles at how weakened he looked, something that hurts her more than it hurt him to see.

   "Joel, please, I'm here. I'm here, now." Her voice broke halfway through, and another sob flew from her lips noticing him trying to move his mouth to speak, "Get up, Joel. Please, move!"

     The view to him was blocked off by Abby's legs suddenly, and (Y/N) saw that she was going for the broken in half golf club again, the same one that split in half from how hard Abby was beating up Joel. Her eyes widen in horror realising what was about to happen, and now rage began to fuel her emotions.

    That woman. The one who'd done this. The one with hatred in her eyes so raw and wild it didn't look human anymore. She bent down and picked up the blood-soaked golf club, her grip tightening around the handle as she stepped toward him again.

    "No—NO!" (Y/N) thrashed beneath the hands holding her down,  "Don't you fucking touch him!" Her voice was broken, torn from her throat, a jagged wail of desperation and fury that made the people pinning her down flinch.

The kind of scream that didn't sound human. The kind that only came from heartbreak so vicious it threatened to tear the soul apart.

    "If you touch him again," She spat, her voice hoarse and laced with venom, as the tears still rolled down her cheeks, "there won't be a single place in this world you can fucking hide. I swear to you—I will hunt down every last one of you. I will watch you beg for the kind of mercy none of you deserve. You'll all fucking die by my hands, I swear."

     Her words sent a ripple of unease through the room. Jordan, one of the ones holding her down, shifted nervously. Even Mel, standing in the back, looked away. Only Abby remained unmoved.

    But Owen's eyes darted toward (Y/N), then to Abby, "Abby..." He said lowly, cautious, unsure, "Maybe that's enough. He's not getting back up, I mean look at him."

    Abby stared down at Joel's broken figure, breathing hard through her nose. Her jaw clenched, but her grip on the club loosened just slightly.

     (Y/N) didn't stop. Couldn't stop, "Look at him!" She screamed, it sounding raw and vicious, "Look at what you've done! He's not even fighting anymore—you got what you came for! If you take it any further, you're not avenging anything—you're just a fucking coward hiding behind vengeance! I'm begging you, stop!"

        Abby lifted the club again high above her head, but she hesitated because suddenly—

     Joel groaned. It was barely a sound, a twitch of his fingers, a movement of his head. But it was there. Still alive, even barely. Still fighting.

   "I'm gonna kill you! You're all gonna fucking die!" (Y/N) surged up with another raged cry, but the weight on her back was too strong. She couldn't move, couldn't save him, and it was killing her, "Please stop!" And then—

               Clatter.

     The club fell from Abby's hand, hitting the floor with a heavy thud that echoed like a gunshot through the room. Abby stared at Joel with disgust, her chest heaving. "He's already dead," She hissed, voice shaking. "His wounds will do it for me soon enough."

    Tears streamed down (Y/N)'s face, sobs breaking free once more that shook her entire body. Her wrists burned, and her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest, "Please, stop.." she whispered, voice cracking, "Please..."

     Abby turned to leave. One by one, they all moved to follow—silent, grim, backs tense as if her rage still lingered like a curse in the air. Manny was the last. He paused beside her, sneering, and before she could react, his boot slammed hard into her side.

           Crack.

     The pain was blinding. A scream tore from her lungs as she crumpled on her side, arms still pinned, vision going white. Her breath hitched—short and panicked—as fire bloomed in her ribs. And then—

     Silence. Everyone was gone. She laid there, curled in agony, blinking back tears as her eyes locked onto Joel's broken form across the room, and then to Ellie's unmoving one, "J—Joel, E—Ellie." She croaked out painfully, her face full of tears and blood that matched Joel's.

    A single tear traced the curve of his bloodied face, and his eyes fluttered—barely open, barely there. Then they shut.

     "No, no—Joel! Joel!" (Y/N) screamed sobbed, dragging herself forward with what strength she had left. Her ribs screamed with every breath, every inch she crawled through the blood-streaked wood floor, as she forced herself to move, inch by inch, toward the broken body of the man she loved.

      She clawed her way over to him, her hands slipping in the mess of crimson beneath him. Her side screamed with each motion—she was certain something inside her was fractured, possibly broken. But it didn't matter.

             None of that mattered.

     She reached for him, hands trembling violently, and grasped his fingers in hers—cold and bruised, but this time he didn't squeeze back.

Her sobs broke loose more as she cradled his hand to her cheek, the one carrying his watch, clinging to him like an anchor in a storm that had shattered her entire world, "Stay with me," She whispered brokenly, "Please don't go. Please—don't leave me."

     With a strength born of desperation, she moved him carefully and pulled him against her chest. His weight was heavy—too heavy,—and his body limp. Her arms trembled as she wrapped them around him, securing him against her despite the unbearable pain shooting up her side.

    His head slumped against her shoulder, and she rocked gently back and forth, trying to bring comfort, even if only to herself, "Please..." She choked through her little cries, "Please, baby... you're okay... you're gonna be okay."

    But he wasn't. He was cold, and still, and breathing so faintly she had to hold her own breath to hear his. He was close to death than she ever thought.

     Tears blurred her vision until she couldn't see anything but him, until everything else in the room faded out—except for one thing. Ellie.

     Her sister lay not far away, face smeared with blood, a long gash painting a horrible streak across her temple. She was unconscious, unmoving, and for a moment, (Y/N) felt her heart stop.

    "No—Ellie," She gasped, panicked, twisting her body painfully to see her better. But then—there. A flutter of breath, slow and shallow, her chest rising and falling ever so faintly. She was alive. But barely, the older one didn't know for now long however.

     (Y/N) let out a sob of both relief and devastation, her eyes darting between the two of them. Her world was falling apart right in front of her and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

     Her sobs deepened, louder now, broken and unrestrained as they echoed around the empty room. The kind of sound that didn't belong to someone who was just sad—it belonged to someone who had lost everything.

     She tightened her hold on Joel, his cheek against hers, her blood mixing with his, her temple resting against his as she whispered over and over again, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Each breath hurt, each word a stab in her chest.

    "I should've been here sooner," She whispered with a harsh sob, "I should've—God, I should've never let you come out here alone..." And then her voice cracked entirely, no longer words but wailing—anguished, agonized, lost.

    She screamed his name, screamed for Jesse, screamed for anyone to come, for someone to save them.

    "JESSE, JESSE, HELP US!" She cried out into the silence, the snowstorm raging outside the building, swallowing her voice. She curled herself tighter around Joel's broken form, shaking violently from the cold and the grief.

     "I love you," She whispered suddenly, her voice fragile and soft, and aching, "Joel, I love you so fucking much. I should've told you... I should've said it sooner... I was so scared, but—God—I love you."

     She leaned down, her forehead resting gently against his, not caring how bloodied her face would be afterward. Her warm hand found his cold one on his chest, lacing their fingers together, holding him like it was the only thing keeping her breathing.

      Her tears dropped down onto his battered cheeks, dripping through the cuts, washing over the bruises in trembling silence, "Please, my love," She wept horribly through blabbers and tears, "Please open your eyes. I'm right here—I'm right here, Joel. Open your eyes. Just—just look at me, please—"

      But there was no response. Only the distant howl of the wind, and the trembling beat of what was left of her heart shattering into pieces.

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❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4892
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
soooo.... how we feeling guys?? i know im not doing good after writing this chapter and editing it thats for sure, like i really love hurting myself by writing this so sad like damn. i love angst but not when it comes to my fav characters like it breaks me each time to do that 💔💔

no one attack me pls pls pls just trust what i have in mind for this fic. i know it may seem pretty bad rn but have some trust in me (if you read my avatar the way of water book you'll know i stay true to my word) 

anywayss you all know the drill, vote,
comment, ect as it does help me to stay motivated <33💋