Series description: Many things were surely fucked up in the year 2038, but no-one ever told anyone how all of it went down. What happened before a group of people left for Seattle to handle personal matters? Why did one girl refuse to leave all of it be? And why there were so many dead in the end?
Part summary: Every year, there is a horde of infected coming through the areas near the Jackson settlement. And just like every year, Tommy Miller is about to handle the situatiion.
A/N:If’d play the YouTube playlist, you will notice a really strong shift in the tones. We’re not in the honeymoon phase anymore, babies.
Warning:Infected, Tommy being a brother-in-law you wish for and our favorite golf player appearing for the first time.
Joel kept you awake until almost four a.m., but you were more than okay with it, especially when he moaned your name into the crook of your neck while having you tangled all over himself with you having your fingers entwined with his.
But that was why you were so grumpy when something woke you up in the morning. It was roughly six o'clock, the sky was still dark and cloudy. But it woke you up nonetheless since Joel was still in a deep coma at the time, snoring into the pillow, having his arm lazily thrown over your belly.
When you realized someone’s knocking on the house’s door, you lazily got up and went to answer it - after putting in Joel’s briefs and the shirt he wore yesterday. The air outside was cold and it hit you as soon as you opened up. It was Tommy, looking away.
“Hey, Joel, there’s this thing I want to talk to you about… Oh, shit.” - Only the last sentence belonged to you. He rose his eyebrows and watched you. Your hair was a mess, your eyes were sleepy and according to your clothes, it wasn’t too hard to figure out what was the last activity you and Joel were doing. - “Is he here?” - Tommy got out with serious trouble, almost choking on those words.
“He’s sleeping. He went to bed God knows when after talking to Ellie. Wanna come in, have a coffee, and tell me what’s going on? Or it’s a private matter?” - You asked politely, stepping aside so he could come in. Tommy smiled at you, nervously stepping inside, taking his jacket off.
“Coffee always sounds good. Won’t he be angry with me after you’ll touch his stash?” - Joel’s brother asked with a quiet laugh, his joking persona was slowly coming back. With a smirk, you turned your head at Tommy when you lightened up the fire under the kettle. - “I know my ways with him, Tommy. He will be angry a bit, but trust me, he’ll calm down rather quickly.” - You said confidently, preparing a herb tea for yourself.
“You two were a hell of a surprise yesterday, I tell you that, girl. I still can’t quite believe that you two can be a thing” - Tommy said quietly, shifting onto a more serious tone. You were a young girl, at least a lot younger than his brother, and Joel was his family - it was natural for Tommy to be curious about what was happening between the two of you. Not in detail, of course, but it could be expected that many people will have a lot of questions. He didn’t want either of you seeing hurt when the things wouldn’t work out as you anticipated.
“I’m not believing it after a few months of it happening, so, don’t worry. You just need to process all of it, it comes with time.” - Was you tired-sounding answer, yawning, and stretching your back in the process. That made Tommy lean his elbow into the back of his chair, smiling unbelievably.
“A few months? From that he’d told me, I thought this is a few weeks old, not even that. My brother still has it.” - That comment made you turn away at the man sitting at the table. Tommy chuckled, accepting the mug from you. Oh, the coffee was smelling good. It was like a dream coming true.
“He still has what? Something I missed?” - You smiled back, sitting to the table as well to drink your morning tea without having to rush somewhere.
“The manly charm comin’ out of him. Before the outbreak, he was this thirty-something-year-old man with the hot Texas accent and he had a daughter of whom he was takin’ care of. That made chicks goin’ for him like crazy, but, he never asked one to dance with him.” - Tommy sighed when reminiscing about the old times. - “I think he’s takin’ it seriously with you, so have patience with that ol’ jackass, will you, girl? He won’t admit it, but he’d hurt back anyone who would dare to hurt you. He’s the… Protector, when he loves someone.”
“Yeah, I saw that getting out of hand a lot when he tried to help Ellie. But seems they’re slowly finding the way back to each other, which makes me happy.” - You admitted back, having Tommy smile. He was Ellie’s uncle just as he was Joel’s younger brother. He knew that Ellie was immune too. He knew Fireflies were after her back in the day. And to see their small family far apart after they took refuge in Jackson was devastating for Tommy. Especially when that was the reason why Joel became a lonely old man… Until a few months back, as you told.
“How’s he doin’? He all good?” - Tommy asked, wondering how it came that he didn’t hear the door. Joel was one of the most paranoid people he knew - which came hand in hand with being a light sleeper. Your eyes shot wide for a second, but you couldn’t tell him you’ve been fucking until not even whole two hours ago.
“He had some nightmares, so today, he’s staying in bed no matter what happens.” - You told Tommy in a firm voice, making him understand that not even his ass will get Joel out of the bed that day. Yet the younger Miller bit how bottom lip, making you realized that something has fucked up.
“Well, there are some infected we saw in the norths perimeter and I need someone to go there with me, Y/N. I would very much need Joel by my side if you won’t mind.” - Tommy told you with a serious face. He was sorry to bring that family idyll to the ground for that moment, but that was just how it was. He couldn’t go there on his own.
“Well, would I be enough?” - You asked seriously. - “Listen, I don’t have the best feeling about sending him off when he’d be tired and stuff. He’s one tough guy and I know that, but two hours of sleep are a bitch. I’m not bad at this either, I got much better since last summer. Joel taught me how to shoot from bow and gun, remember?” - You asked, standing up. Joel wasn’t going and that was the end of discussion. But you could go with Tommy, you could do just as much as Joel would. Yeah, it was probably a good idea, since you seemed pretty decent at the moment. You slept a good few hours more than your old man.
“So that’s where this started? Jesus, that’s… Last September. Wow.” - Tommy wondered, drinking the rest of the coffee quickly so you’d have a chance to make something with yourself before you’d venture out behind the gates. The only thing he got as a response to his remark was a grin you hid into your palm. - “See you at the gates in thirty, then.” - He patted your shoulder, put his jacket on, and left the house.
You were quite quick with taking some clothes on, making your hair, and preparing things for your backpack, like your knife, quiver with arrows and the hunting bow, and your polo automatic gun in the last place. As a talisman, you put on Joel’s blue shirt, but you pulled the lower hem into your trousers, buttoning it up under your chin. When you were leaving, you put your stuff next to the bed, nuzzling to his back after that.
Joel softly hummed when your palms smoothed his chest and when he got a kiss on the cheek. - “What’s happenin’? How much is it?” - He asked, catching your palm to hold you in place.
“Its early, big guy, I just wanted to nuzzle you before I leave.” - You whispered back, smiling at the sight of half-asleep Joel. The last comment wasn’t making too much sense, so he furrowed at that.
“Where you’re goin’?” - He whispered, looking at the clock on the nightstand. Jesus, he wasn’t sleeping for too long and he knew he will fall asleep as soon as you leave.
“A patrol with Tommy. Some infected were reported on the north, so well be taking a look at what’s that about.” - That made him open up his eyes, looking at you. - “Oh no, don’t you dare. You went to sleep at four, you’re not fucking going anywhere, Miller. You taught me how to defend myself and that’s what I’m planning on doing, are we clear?” - You told him with an unbelievable. It was beautiful to know that all he wants is to keep you safe. And that was what you were about to do. In the end, he sighed and nodded. It wasn’t making him happy at all, but you were tight. He wasn’t physically ready for a patrol at the moment.
“Just be safe and come back, ’kay?” - Joel hummed, kissing your knuckles before leaning his forehead to yours for a small moment. You nodded with a gentle smile, pulling the blanket up again. - “And you should talk to Ellie when she gets back from the patrol, yeah? You’ll tell me how that went. Love you.” - You whispered, kissing his forehead before you got up from the bed, preparing your stuff from the ground, and left.
He didn’t tell you back, but you saw that smile creeping up to his sleepy face after hearing those words. Before exiting the house, you picked up your gloves and your beanie from the drawer next to the main door and pulled it on. Why was this March so damn cold? You had no idea, but it was snowing again and as far as it looked, it wasn’t going anywhere in the nearest few hours.
Your walk through the sleepy Jackson was quite refreshing, making you fully wake up. You loved Jackson very much and especially when everyone was still asleep. As Tommy promised, he was already waiting at the gates for you, getting you some sandwiches.
“Who’s that from?” - You asked with a surprised face. When you inhaled the smell of them, your stomach churned hungrily. These were with meat from Seth, the old ballsack. And it was smelling delicious.
“It’s a little sorry for yesterday from that old drunk. Joel was meant to get them, yet I think you can use Seth’s apology too.” - Tommy answered with a smirk, leading you to the stables so you could pick your horses. These weren’t exactly anyone’s, they belonged to Jackson, but you had your horse for more than three years at that point.
“How much times did Seth already apologized, Tommy? This wasn’t a one-night occasion and it’ll come again. We both know it, especially with Ellie being as stubborn as she is.” - You smiled at Sadie, petting her neck gently. She was your beloved girl, saving your ass many times. Tommy was leading his horse next to him just like you did.
“That’s some truth right ’ere, Y/N. No wonder Joel likes you when you’re so smart and he’s a dumbass.” - He said, leading the horse to the opening gates. Your eyes rolled on their own.
“If I will have to listen to these jokes whole fucking day, you better shut up, Miller.” - You grinned before swinging on Sadie’s back, petting her neck again. Tommy’s laugh was the last thing you heard when you were leaving from Jackson, seconds before putting on the hunting mode.
The journey to the location itself wasn’t enjoyable at all - the snow kept on falling and there was a blizzard incoming, making you sped up to get to the location. You left the horses far away from the place where the sightings were reported. - “Another year, another horde, what can I say?” - Tommy asked you when you got off the horseback to travel to the town on your own feet. You nodded at that, being extremely aware of every single thing happening around you at the time.
For some time, when you entered the town, it seemed abandoned. There was only the wind howling through the empty houses and rampaged store buildings, the snow was covering almost everything. It took you almost half an hour to encounter the first infected. Both of you crouched, looking at the being from a rooftop.
“There’s another one.” - Tommy pointed to make you turn around. Without waiting for too long, you took out an arrow and held your breath, going directly for the runner’s head. Tommy, in the meanwhile, picked up a glass bottle and prepared to throw it in the opposite direction. You had to see how many of them are there to think about the tactic and about what you’ll do, to even think if you’ll be able to do it on your own. You nodded at Tommy, letting out a long breath while releasing the string from your finger, looking at the arrow hit the bullseye.
Not even seconds after that, Tommy threw the bottle into a wall, luring more of them out while you still crouched there so these fucks won’t see you. There wasn’t that many of them, yet it could be because they divided into groups to roam around the town. You sat there for a while, letting Tommy take this group with his sniping rifle before continuing your journey through the city.
“You’re much more enjoyable than my brother.” - Tommy said all of a sudden when you stopped in a barricaded shop to look for the last remnants of supplies. At that statement, you chuckled, shaking your head. - “Is that so?”
“Yeah, he’s making fun of me all the time, you know? Gets repetitive after some time. Got somethin’ there?” - He asked when he saw you bowing down to pick up something. It was a piece of cloth, yet you could use it as a bandage once you’ll laundry it and use disinfection on it.
“Would love to hear how someone can make fun of Tommy the Man.” - You chuckled back, walking back to Tommy. There wasn’t much in the stores anymore, it was a miracle to have some good find in there. - “Kinda tempting to see, dude.”
“Hold your horses with the flirtation, girl. Joel would kill me.” - Tommy grinned back, stepping outside again. When the cold air hit your face, you had to close your eyes. There were these small pieces of ice in the air, hitting you at a full cadence. The blizzard was getting closer and closer while the temper was going lower and lower. - “Fuck, this is bad. We either need to take some cover or move our asses to get this place clean.”
With that, you were going through the town, shooting on a sight. You and Tommy were quite a good team - while you could kill the fucks silently, Tommy was clever enough to divert their attention somehow. Sometimes you were quiet, sometimes you lost your nerve and just pulled the damned gun out. But you knew that Tommy has your back just as he knew you had his the whole time.
That was until you entered the old warehouse complex. All of a sudden, hordes of infected were coming to you from every direction, making the fence fall. Tommy pushed you behind his back, pulling out the rifle to search for the cause of it. And it was a woman infer the fence, trying to crawl through, certainly being fucked without you. So after you nodded at Tommy, you ran to her to help her on her feet while he started to liquidate some of the infected.
“You good?” - You asked her, looking at her pulling her gun as well. She nodded at you, looking at the horde. - “Tommy, there’s too many of them, we need to get inside and get the fuck out of here. We can clear this place out later, come on!” - You yelled at your almost a brother-in-law, already running between the walls of the warehouse, trying to search for some door.
He yelled at you that you’re right and turned on his heels to follow you, having that mysterious woman in his back. It was to kill or to be killed, so you took many turns before seeing some door. Both you and Tommy tried to break in while the woman was shooting into the group coming after you. It took you almost four attempts before the door flew open and you pulled the woman in as Tommy closed the door and made sure its barricaded enough.
“Here, did somethin’ happened to you?” - The man got on back his knees, looking at you. You shook your head and laid down with your eyes closed to catch a breath. He was worried that you might have hit something, but you seemed to be all right. The woman was looking at both of you with an unfriendly look. Well, it could be friendly, you didn’t know her in the end.
“And who the hell are you, hm?” - Tommy walked to her, offering her a palm to pick her up. She stood up and wiped the sweat off her face.
“Thanks for all of that, by the way. My name’s Abby. And you two are…?” - The woman looked at both of you, leaning her palms to her thighs, trying to replenish at least a bit of energy. It didn’t matter who she was or what was she doing there - you were in this together and it was a matter of life and death.
“I’m Tommy and this is Y/N, we’re from a city nearby.” - He answered briefly, helping you stand up. - “It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that we have to get away from here. We have horses not too far from ’ere, but I’m scared that there’s a lot of ’em now. They must’ve heard the gunshots.” - With that, you nodded, getting up on your knees again. While Tommy and Abby were reloading their guns, you picked up a pipe from the ground. It looked solid enough for you.
“You sure you won’t be using a gun?” - Abby asked when you played around with the piece of metal, searching for some way out of the building. You gave her an unsure look, letting Tommy talk for you. - “Trust me, this one is more usable in hand-to-hand combat with a pipe rather than with a gun. She cant aim up close for shit.”
“Well, how about me kicking your ass, brother-in-law?” - “Isn’t too early for callin’ me that?” - The man pointed out, having you nodding that indeed, he has a point. That was when you found the door and where it began to be painfully obvious, that infected were in there way before you. Abby caught the doors handle, looking at the two of you. Tommy took in a deep breath, shaking the nervosity off, telling her to open up.
You wouldn’t be spotted as fast if the infected, some runners and a few clickers to be specific, were calm. But after hearing all there gunshots and groups of the horde moving in the city, it was obvious that there was some prey inside the building. And even the quietest creaking of the door made them turn around almost immediately.
“That crate, get it under the window, we’ll cover your back.” - Abby nodded at you, seeing you already pulling out the knife. There was a group of fifteen infected, which wasn’t that much, yet it wasn’t a little as well. While the tall woman started firing with the face of a true soldier, the first sounds of cold metal rang through the room as you swung the pipe into the first infected’s face. It made him fall to the ground, having Abby immediately pinning it to the ground while she put a bullet inside its head.
She was a survivor as much as you and Tommy were, yet you were kind of spoiled by the luxury of having a working town. If she was alone, maybe you could offer her to move in, or at least replenish your supplies before she goes on with her journey. In the middle of Tommy moving the crate, you were grateful that you picked up the pipe because you wouldn’t be able to defend a single fuck without it. - “Move it! We’re kinda getting cornered here!” - A loud yell came out of your lips, looking at the next group of infected making their way to you.
“I’m doin’ my best, kiddo. Hold on for a minute!” - An answer came out of the corner of the room, Tommy nodding at you. You sent Abby a quick look - but she motioned you to stay away, lighting something up. In the next second, the woman threw something into the center of the group, making their bodies fly around in shreds. That was just fucking cool, yet you fully realized that another infected had to hear the fucking boom.
“Come on, girls, suit yourself! Take Abby to the horses!” - The man shouted, firing the first bullet from his snipe rifle. You pulled the woman by her arm, taking her to the crate. She, without waiting, boosted you and you helped her up and she then helped Tommy get there as well. As soon as you jumped out of the window, you realized how bad the weather got. You couldn’t see a meter in front of you. The air was so cold it made your nose numb and your lips completely dry. But you couldn’t wait, so you as soon as you saw Abby follow you around, you ran in the direction where you thought your horses were.
You ran for your life. That evening, you haven’t stopped for a single second. As soon as you saw Sadie, you jumped on her back, helping Abby there as well. - “We won’t make it Jackson in this, Tommy!”
“There’s this house where I and my friends reside, for now, I’ll point out the way, yeah?” - Abby asked. Well, it wasn’t the greatest idea since it was just a group of strangers, but what could you do in the middle of that fucking blizzard? And you had to move since even if the infected lost your trail for a second, you knew they will find it soon enough again. That was why you listened to the stranger’s direction while you made Sadie ran like a fucking racing horse.
You never felt safer than when you have seen the gates of the house and people with guns standing behind it. As soon as you both rode in, the strange people have closed the gate, setting the infected on fire. You finally had some time to rest, so you took a deep breath before you jumped off of the horseback.
There was a revelation for a second, undeniably, but soon, you noticed something. These people were soldiers, a survivor group, maybe someone religious or something like that. They were looking dangerous, without a doubt. And groups of soldiers don’t travel around the country just for the sights, no, they were most likely looking for someone. You tried to send Tommy some kind of signal when you gave Sadie to some short-haired woman, yet he was already chatting with some Hispanic man. And when Abby took her jacket off, your eyes widened. She was fucking buffed. She would strangle someone like you in a matter of seconds.
“Hey, how you’re feeling? Any kind of shock?” - The short-haired woman caught up with you. She was almost too gentle to travel with the rest, so, she had some specialization. Drugs, maybe?
“Yea, I’m fine. It was just a close call. Your friend should be glad we found her.” - You answered the woman, having her nodding in answer. That was when you arrived in the houses living room - the fire was burning and the french door were half-covered in the snow. The weather was terrible out there.
At that moment, you noticed everyone looking at the both of you while Abby argued with another man from the group. - “What the fuck were you thinking? Did you see the weather?” - The man gritted through his teeth. Something was going off in the room. The atmosphere was shifting somehow and you couldn’t tell what was making you more nervous - the atmosphere or the stares of all the people?
“I tried to look for that fucker, Owen. I wanted to find him, but the infected had surprised me before I even got to the power plant.” - She sighed back, massaging the back of her neck. - “But these two told me they’re from the nearby town, right?”
“Yea, I’m Tommy and this is Y/N. Were from Jackson down there. When the weather settles down, you should come with us and replenish your supplies before takin’ off.” - Your brother-in-law leaned his elbow into the counter, smiling at Abby. But she stood in front of you. With your breath held in, you sent a quick look to Tommy to finally tell him that you’re not feeling comfortable in there. You’d rather get lost on Sadie in the woods, having to find your way back to Jackson on your own.
“Do you know a man named Joel Miller by any chance?” - Abby looked you deep in your eyes. Tommy’s jaws were more appering as obvious when he stood up and tried not to clench them too much. You didn’t even tremble, your eyes weren’t looking all around the place, you weren’t heavy breathing. Her stare was meant to scare you, but two could play this little psychology game.
“No, never heard of that man.” - And that answer would be almost believable if your breath wouldn’t hitch in the end. At that, Abby smiled and a smile slowly turned into loud laughter. Jesus, you saved a fucking psychopath, didn’t you? Without shadowing a thing, her elbow hugged your throat tightly, starting to choke you when she picked you off the ground. Your palms were trying to make her hand go away, you were kicking all around, trying to free yourself. But it didn’t make Abby do shit.
The man tried to free you, yet as soon as he stepped forward, two other soldiers caught his arms, making him kneel on the wooden floor. If he’d move an inch, he’d most likely get both his shoulders luxated. You could barely breathe, yet you couldn’t be afraid about passing out just yet. Abby wouldn’t let you get outta that so easily.
“I don’t know if do you know him, but your little friend does.” - Abby told Tommy and pointed her head at a chair nearby. The woman practically threw you on it, then kneeled in front of your brother-in-law to look him in the eyes. - “And you’ll watch her scream until you’ll tell me where he is. Or until he comes for you. And if he doesn’t and if you won’t tell me… Hey, we don’t wanna kill you. But we will.”
I was today years old when I found out that the Last of Us versions of the songs are officially on Spotify. I cried, I’m weak when I hear Joel singing Future days.
Ellie Williams from The Last of Us video game franchise, aka my favorite bow-and-arrow-slinging, bloater-killing, immune-to-bites-but-not-to-cute-girls murder baby gay
