Lost Love {TLOU} [Joel X OC]

Alternate Path

"She's left me, Tommy." He states.

Joel grips the bedsheets from anger. He had let his grief also destroy his marriage and now, he might as well have lost everything.

"Naomi's gone for good."

***
20 years later, Winter

Sharp knocks at the door makes the woman grab her crossbow and she unlocks the multiple bolts going down the side.

A young teenage girl greets her and the aimed crossbow lowers. The teenager was in a panicked state, her eyes watery from crying and she breathes heavily.

"Please... he said you could help us." She begs, looking up at the woman.

"First of all, my name's Ni, what's yours kid? Who said I could help? What's happening?"

"I'm Ellie and - and..." she trails off, deciding to just grab Naomi by the arm and pull her outside.

"Woah, kid. I'm gonna need you -" she stops as she sees Joel lying on the back of a horse, slumped over and his eyes closed.

Her weapon clatters to the floor. "Joel! Joel!" She shouts, running over and pulling the man off the horse. He falls to the floor and she goes to her knees, turning him on his back.

"This is not how I thought today would go." Naomi groans, standing up and grabbing his arm.

With the help of Ellie, the pairing haul him into the house. Joel awakens slightly, grumbling as he drags his feet across the floor. Naomi lets him lean on Ellie as she pushes the papers and stock off the table.

"Here, lie him here." She orders, gently pushing him on top. "What the fuck happened?" She whispers.

"He fell off a balcony and onto a nail." Ellie answers, catching her breath back.

Naomi pulls up his shirt, grimacing at the wound he had sustained. Ellie watches her delicate movements as she grabs a syringe.

"Shit... shit, shit, shit!" She exclaims.

"What is it?" Ellie questions, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"This isn't enough." Naomi murmurs, sticking the syringe into him and he grunts from it, grabbing her arm and he tries to study her face. His head falls back and he goes limp, allowing the woman to take a step back and stare at the people in her house.

"Now you better tell me what the fuck is going on." She states, directing her attention to the young girl.

***

Joel's head twists to the side and he gets a sideways, hazy vision of the woman sat in a chair. Her legs were across the arms, her boots caked in dirt. In winter clothing, she had her jacket zipped up and her head was resting on her hand.

He looks over her face. Her rose-tinted cheeks and parted lips. Her eyes were closed but he knew the darkness behind them that he had stared into multiple times.

Joel groans in pain, his hand grabbing his stomach and the woman awakens in an instant, her legs swinging so she was sat properly.

"Ni..." he breathes.

"Hey, it's okay. You're okay." She whispers, coming to his side and brushing back his hair.

"Where's Ellie?" He croaks out.

"I sent her out to get some food."

They don't say anything else and Naomi goes over to the kitchen, placing tins away as he groggily sits up.