𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 ━ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧

rescue misson

R E S C U E M I S S I O N

The two girls sit in Ellie's cabin, Iris was pacing around the room as Ellie sat on the bed facing away from her, her head was held low as flashes of memories run through her head.

The raven-haired woman sighs heavily as she sits down by the young girl and places a comforting hand on her back, "you know this isn't your fault. Right?" Ellie glances up at her as her green eyes become teary, "how is it not?"

"There was nothing else you could done, you tried your best okay? And that's all I could ever ask of you." Ellie breaks eyes contact to hide the tears running down her face, however she lays her head on Iris's shoulder and the girls sit in silence until there's a knock at the door.

The older woman stands up, "I'll get it." She opens the door and Tommy is standing at the other side with a tub of food in his hands, the bruises on his face were prominent as they were still fresh, he looked tired as he greets, "hey." She sends him a small, sad smile, "hey."

He motions to the couch in the corner, "can I sit down, please?" Iris widens the door, "yeah." Ellie stands up from her spot and sits beside Tommy as Iris sits on her coffee table. He says down the container, "Maria wants to make sure you two are eating."

Ellie doesn't look at him as she says, "she can't stop us." Tommy nods his head, "to have the guys that we would need... to do this smart... we'd be leaving Jackson vulnerable." Both girls look at him in shock as he avoids looking at them, "So they just get to get away with this? They get to keep Joel and do God knows what to him?" Iris asks.

"Nobody wants that." Tommy replies, "yeah, but that's what's happening." Ellie argues back, "what if we get hit by hunters again?" He hits back, "is the you talking or is this her?" The redhead questions as Tommy tries, "it's a valid point."

"If it were you, me or Ellie, Joel would be halfway to Seattle already." Iris says as Tommy tries to deny her claims, "No he wouldn't." Both girls scoff at him as the older woman stands up from the table, "he absolutely fucking would be-" but the man intervenes, "we don't know for certain that they're from Seattle."

Ellie looks at him in disbelief as she recalls, "Washington liberation front. That's what you said was on those patches." Tommy shakes his head, "what if they stole those jackets?" Ellie stands up as she stands beside her mother figure, who had returned to pacing around the room, "what if the WLF moved?" He continues.

"What are you doing?" Ellie exclaims, Tommy stares at the girls silently, "you know what? We're leaving tomorrow, and if you want to come with us, that's great. But we're getting Joel back with or without you." Iris states firmly as she tries to hold back her own tears, Tommy tries to reason with them, "you have no idea what you're walking into. You don't know how large that group is, how armed-"

She interrupts him, "I don't care. You can't talk us outta this." Tommy sighs as a plan forms in his head, he stands up, "give me a day to talk to Maria. Okay? Gotta be some folks she can spare."

"And if she won't budge?" Ellie asks, Tommy replies, "well, I'll figure something out." He walks towards them, "one day. Please." The girls exchange a look and silently agree, "fine." Ellie says.

Tommy pulls them both into a tight hug for short moment, "okay... okay." He walks out, leaving them alone to their thoughts.

《 * ° • ° * 》

Iris didn't go home that night, she stayed in Joel's house and prepared for the coming days. During that time, she didn't sleep, she didn't eat, she spent most of her time devising a plan on how to get Joel back to her.

It was early in the morning when she got up from leather couch and made her way up the stairs for the first time. She hadn't been his bedroom since they spent the night together, she avoided it as she refused to break down, as she knew that as soon as she step foot in there, memories would flood back and would take her away from the task at hand.

The stairs creaked under her weight and she walks through the open door into his bedroom, in front of her was two photos, she picked the one on the far right, it showed herself, Joel and Ellie in stables, they brushed Ellie's horse, Shimmer, as they smiled at the camera, the image is enough for her eyes to sting as she recalls the day.

She quickly places it back down on the mantle and picks up the other frame, it held of a picture of Joel and a small blonde girl, he had his arms around her with a boyish grin and the girl held a trophy in glee. She recognises the blonde as Joel's late daughter, Sarah, he had told her about her before, he looked much younger in happier then.

She puts it beside the other picture and moves over to Joel's unmade bed, she sat on his side of the bed and look at the bedside table. His reading glasses and a book on astronomy lay at the front, while at the back was another photo frame. This one held a picture of her and Joel, she picks it up to examine it and realises it was the night of the campfire.

In the photo, Joel and Iris sit on a log as the flames of the fire was in front of them, her knees were pulled up to her chest as Joel's arm wrapped around her and fell onto the other side of her. She was lent in closer to his chest as she spotted the camera opposite them. A beaming grin was on her face as Joel look down at her nervously, but when he saw the happiness on her face he couldn't help but break into a warm smile. The moment was captured and Joel kept it close to him since then.

She breathes shakily as she gazes at Joel happy face, "I hope you're okay." She holds the frame close to her chest as she hears footprints approach the door, "hey." Ellie greets as she plays with her fingers. "You ready to go?" She asks, Iris clears her throat and stands up determined, "yeah. Let's go get him."

Ellie nods firmly as Dina calls from downstairs, "Ellie! Can you guys come down here?" Ellie shouts back, "everything okay?" Dina replies, "yeah, just... come on down."

The two girls look at each other confused before they stroll out of Joel's room and downstairs, they see Maria in the dining room with Dina holding a note, they stop at the table as Maria begins to read, "Maria, I'm headed to Seattle. I wish I could let it go but I can't. I have to get my brother back. Ellie and Iris are gonna try and come after me but stop them. Take their guns. Lock up the horses. Maybe lock them up. Buy me some time so I can end this. Love you always, Tommy." She closes the letter and leans on the table, "he's gonna get himself killed

"He should've taken us with him. You should've given us a group to go after those fuckers." Ellie declares, "wish I could." Maria snapped, "what, so you're just gonna lock us?" Iris asked in disbelief. "I prefer that you stay-" the blonde begins, "that's not gonna fucking happen." Iris growls, "I prefer that you stay, but I know you better." She continues.

She looks at Dina, "you going with them?" The girl crosses her arms and replies, "yeah." Maria pushes off the table, not breaking eye contact with the girls, "So you're just gonna sneak outta here?"

"Yeah." Ellie says simply, "on foot?" She asks, "yeah." Ellie says again. Maria returns to leaning on the table as she reveals, "I told the stable to let you out with your horses. Grab some ammo too."

The three girls look at her in shock that the blonde had given in so easily, "thank you, Maria." Dina says as Maria replies, "just, uh, do me a favour and bring my dumbass husband home in one peice, please." Iris nods sincerely, "I promise."

"Alright then. Get going, you're... you're losing light." She walks out of the house and leaves the trio in silence.