Hello! I'm alive guys. We're halfway to the end now so I hope this story can be finished up by the end of the year!
As always please enjoy and leave any grammar corrections or thoughts and opinions in the comments!
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"False alarm," Maria called as Tommy shut the gate behind them. "They're friendlies."
Catherine looked around as Maria explained to them why they were on guard. Marie looked up at the watchtowers, making Catherine look at them. Two people were on either one and they were both eyeing them. Good to know I'm not the only one on guard. She thought before she turned her attention back to the group and continued following.
She overheard Tommy telling Joel that they had electricity while Ellie talked to Maria. Looking at Marie, she caught her still looking at the ones in the watchtowers.
"It's alright." She whispered to her. "They're just doing their job."
"No way." Ellie gasped, getting her attention. "You guys have horses?"
"We got a whole lot of them." Tommy explained with a chuckle.
A man by a generator called Tommy over for help, causing him to leave them. They approached the horses, Ellie staring at them in awe "Can I-?"
"Yeah, of course." Maria smiled at her before approaching one of the horses.
Catherine put Marie down before she slowly approached the horse, causing Maria to turn her attention to the younger one. "What's your name?"
"Marie." She signed, earning a confused look from Maria.
"Her name's Marie, and that's Catherine." Joel introduced as he gestured to the two.
"Have you guys ever ridden before?" Maria asked as Ellie petted the horse, Marie staring up at it from beside her in awe.
"I actually have." Ellie said, continuing to pet it.
Joel raised an eyebrow at the response. "When have you ever rode a horse?"
"Winston, this soldier back in the zone. He gave me lessons." Ellie responded before picking Marie up so that she could pet the horse.
"Ya know," Maria stated as she watched them. "If you want we can take him riding later."
Marie's eyes lit up as she looked over at Maria as Ellie responded. "That'd be awesome."
"I'm sure Marie would like that, but she's never ridden before." Catherine said as she looked at Maria, crossing her arms as she spoke.
"She can ride with me, I don't mind." Ellie offered, her attention not leaving the horse.
The group continued being shown around until they made it to one of the main rooms where they'd be eating. Maria's walkie went off, a man's voice coming through saying they were ready to start it back up if she wanted to see it. She turned to Tommy as if asking him to do it and he shrugged before saying he'd do it. Joel offered to go with before telling Ellie to get some food in her, making them chuckle.
Catherine stayed with them to help set up, allowing Tommy and Joel some time by themselves. Who knew how long it'd been since they last saw each other, they needed time to catch up. Maria kept side eyeing Catherine, as if wanting to ask something but not wanting to pry.
"Ellie, can you set the table?" Maria asked as she handed her some plates.
"Sure, come on Marie." She said before the two took the plates and began setting them out.
"So, how do you know Joel?" Maria asked as she began looking through the cans.
"He came across my hideout while on a run." Catherine explained as she watched the two set the table and laugh at each other.
"You have a hideout?" Maria raised an eyebrow while she glanced at her. "Do you have a group then?"
Catherine shook her head. "No group, just me and Marie. Has been for a while."
"Hmm." She hummed softly as she thought about something before she continued. "Is she...?"
"Deaf?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Maria. "No, and she's not mute either."
This information confused Maria, making her fully look at Catherine with her eyebrows furrowed. "Did she never learn to talk then or something?"
Letting out a sigh, Catherine shook her head before looking back at Marie. "She never really got the chance. Her parents thought they were doing what was best for her when she was a baby," a scowl filled her face before she continued. "They cut her tongue out thinking it'd help her survive."
Maria's eyes widened as she covered her mouth. "Oh god."
"I met her when she was 3, so it's not like I could stop them." Catherine said, as her eyes narrowed at the memory before she sighed and shook her head. "You do what you have to in order to protect who you love though."
The two are quiet for a few moments as Maria processes the new information before she speaks again, her tone curious. "Are you her older sister?"
"No, we were just a part of the same settlement." She stated simply as she watched Marie duck beneath Ellie's hand swing with a smile as the two rough housed.
"What happened to it?" Maria asked as she looked over at her.
"Someone came back from a supply run bitten and didn't say anything."
After a few more moments of silence the plates were set up and the two kids came back over to them, Marie giggling while Ellie playfully shoved her. "Alright, what do you want us to do now?"
"Now, you two get to wait till it's done." Maria smiled, though it doesn't show in her eyes.
Finding out what had happened to Marie still on her mind.
The two women worked on making the food while the kids continued rough housing. Once it was completed, they all sat down making sure to leave some for Joel and Tommy. When they sat down at the table to eat, Maria told them about how her and Tommy met before mentioning some of the things she did before the outbreak. At one point she slipped up and mentioned Joel's daughter, confusing Ellie. "Who's Sarah?"
Maria stopped, her eyes filling with surprise and confusion as she realized he'd never mentioned her before. "That's Joel's daughter. Has he never talked about her before?"
Ellie shook her head as Marie looked at her confused. "Joel has a kid?"
Maria looked at her confused before turning to Catherine for a translation. "Ah, she's confused. We never knew he had one."
"What happened to her? Did she get bitten?" Ellie asked as she stared at Maria with interest. "No backing out now." Maria sighed as she rubbed her hands against her legs. "No, she didn't die from being bit. From what Tommy told me she was shot by a soldier when the outbreak first happened. They weren't allowing anyone to leave and the three of them had gotten into a car accident, so Joel was trying to get her to a hospital."
"So they shot her?" Ellie asked as she looked at her confused. "Why couldn't they just take her to the hospital?" "Well, they didn't know how it spread." Maria explained calmly.
"So they just shot her?" Ellie asked with an eyebrow raised, her tone irritated. "No questions asked."
Maria nodded her head. "That's how Tommy put it."
The four sat in silence for a while while they processed what they had been told. Joel had a kid that was shot by people that were supposed to protect them? That's messed up. Catherine thought as she took a bite of her food. The four sat in silence for a few moments as they ate when the sound of an alarm blaring got their attention, making them all jump before they looked around to find the source.
"What's that?" Ellie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We're under attack, come on." Maria said, quickly standing up and moving towards a door to lock it.
"Infected?" Ellie asked with wide eyes as she stood up.
"No," Maria shook her head. "Raiders."
Maria led them to a smaller room in the corner, having Ellie and Marie hide in there while her and Catherine moved things to block the door. Ellie had tried arguing but when Marie grabbed her arm she stopped. After blocking the door and locking it, Catherine made sure her rifle had ammo before finding a spot out of sight so that the raiders couldn't see her while Maria did the same.
Raiders tried bursting through the door a few times, however were killed before they could get in. At one point, one of them managed to break the door open however was immediately met with a bullet in their skull. Looking around, Catherine tried blocking the door again but was stopped when a group rushed in. Diving under one of the tables, Maria and her quickly started taking them out. Gunshots echoed around the room as the two groups shot at each other in attempts to take the other out.
At one point, Maria and Catherine retreated to the room with Ellie and Marie. They saved their bullets for if any of them got too close. After a few very stressful minutes Tommy and Joel showed up, taking out the raiders before checking on them. Joel was quick to approach Ellie and looked her over as he made sure she was okay while Tommy checked on Maria. Ellie excitedly told Joel how it went as he tried to get her to slow down and answer his questions, while Catherine checked on Marie to make sure no stray bullets had hit her.
"I'm okay." Marie signed as she looked around excitedly.
"Thank god." Catherine said as she finished looking her over.
A sigh caught her attention, making her look over and noticing a look on Tommy's face as he talked to his wife. "I need to talk to you."
Within an hour the group was making their way outside to get their stuff together while they prepared to leave, Tommy taking Maria off to the side so that they could talk in private. Their discussion turned into a heated argument, getting Ellie's attention as she looked at Joel. "What's that all about?"
Joel didn't respond as he looked at her, his arms moving as he tried to articulate what he wanted to say before he sighed and looked back at his brother.
"Does it have anything to do with me?" Ellie asked as she moved to stand in front of him, trying to get Joel to look at her.
Marie looked between them, standing next to Catherine as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Joel?"
"We'll talk about it later." Joel said, his voice sad as he tried to dismiss her questions.
"Did he tell you where the lab is?" Ellie asked as she moved to stand in front of him so that they were eye to eye.
"We'll talk about it later." Joel stated sternly.
"Later." Ellie said with a scoff as she rolled her eyes, walking away. "Right."
Marie ran after her, grabbing her hand and getting her attention while Catherine stood in front of Joel with an eyebrow raised. "Really?"
He rolled his eyes at her before looking over as Maria began walking towards him. "Here we go."
"You." She said as she pointed accusingly at him. "If anything. Anything at all happens to him, it's on you."
She walked away after she had finished the sentence, earning a sigh from Joel as Tommy looked at him from where he stood. "She's thankful you know."
"Yeah I know." Joel said with a sigh.
"I'll take that girl of your's to the fireflies." Tommy said as he gestured with his head to the direction Ellie went. "You don't have to worry about it."
"What?" Catherine said as she looked between them, her eyes wide.
"It's best this way." Joel said as he moved from where he stood to be closer to Tommy.
"Best for who?" She asked in disbelief. "Why?"
"Some good will come of it." Tommy said as he looked at her, attempting to defend his brother.
"Says who?" She glared at him before she turned back to Joel. "You can't seriously-"
"Stop it." Joel said as he looked at her. "You can go ahead and take Marie back home, neither of you should've been dragged into this."
"No! Joel you can't be serious." She stared at him, her arms spread out. In the corner of her eye she watched Tommy walk away while talking into his walkie.
"Catherine-" Joel started, his voice crack catching her attention as she realized why he'd made this decision.
"Joel," Catherine says as her eyes soften and her voice lowers. "She's not going to-"
"That girl of yours is gone," Tommy said as he jogged back over to them, interrupting her. "She took one of our horses and ran off."
"Damn it- Which way?" Joel asked, quickly heading towards the gate.
"Did she take Marie with her?" Catherine asked, a tinge of panic in her voice as she quickly followed.
"I'd assume so." Joel responded as they made it to the door. "Stay here in case they come back."
"What no-" A look from Joel shuts her up, clenching her jaw in irritation before she sighed.
"We'll be back once we find them."
She watched them take off out of the gates and out of sight. Come on Ellie, you're smarter than this. She thought as she crossed her arms and waited by the gate.