A/N: So I decided to add one more chapter, just to get the store real ended. Riley's fate still needs to be written, at least that's how my fingers feel.

Thank you for all the support I have received.

I do not own "The Last of Us".

Option Two

"Give me one more," Riley demanded, staring at the black sky.

Ellie was leaning against her chest, turning to book to all directions while squinting. "Can't see," she admitted, and the moment after, Riley had switched on her flashlight. "Thank you," she said lightly and chose the joke on the page that she liked the best. "Hear it goes… Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now."

The chest trembled with laughter, but all Ellie managed was a hollow smile as she pieced together the word alright. Were they alright? Would it be alright?

It seemed alright for the moment, actually. But the black sky seemed to drag her into the nothingness and only Riley's arms kept her where she was.

Her jaw was shaking slightly as she asked, "You want another one?"

Riley felt warm. Ellie realized it with dread; a small whimper escaped her throat as she understood what it meant.

"What?" her friend asked, tilting her head to look down at her.

"Nothing," Ellie answered quickly, trying not to drop the book with her shaking fingers. Her throat had been cleared so many times that it had started to hurt. "I really wanted a camouflage shirt, but I couldn't find one."

Silence.

"Wow… Is it just me or are those getting more and more lame?" Riley asked her.

"Definitely lame."

"Perhaps you are reading them wrong."

"Wha-?" Ellie threw up her hands; the book landed in her lap. "How can you read wrong? There doesn't exactly come instructions with this book!"

Riley's finger crawled over her body, searching for the book. "You are supposed to make the joke funny. Look." The fingers found the book and held it up; Riley's eyes read it over Ellie's shoulder. "My friend broke her finger today – but the other hand she was completely fine."

The corners of her lip were raised just a bit; immediately Riley's hand started tickling her stomach. "Told you so!"

When they both bodies relaxed again, Riley quietly asked, "Ellie?"

"What? Another one?"

"Of course, stupid – but I wasn't going to ask for that."

"Then what?"

"Do you feel warm?"

The stars were growing on the sky. "Riley?"

Too many seconds passed before she received an answer. "What?" Her voice sounded like she had just woken up. Ellie closed her eyes in despair; she was far from able to sleep.

"I'm scared."

"Ellie-"

"I meant it before," she said quietly. "I don't want to die – and I don't want to turn."

Riley's thick voice answered. "I'm scared too. And losing my mind hurts more than expected, but –"

"-there's nothing to do," she finished for her. Her finger nails were digging into her palms. "But I don't want to lose you; death or lost mind or whatever."

"You ain't gonna lose me. We'll still be together. We can go scare some soldiers while moaning like freaks. We'll hunt together – I'll share with you if you're too slow."

"That's a disturbing thought."

"I mean it."

"I don't want to be like them," she sighed, feeling cold.

Riley was sweating. "If it gets rid of the headache, it can't be that bad."

In the morning, none of them could deny the truth.

Riley spoke it with heavy, slow words. "You aren't turning."

"'course I am!" Ellie protested, showing her arm where the blood now had dried. "Look! That's a bite, Riley!"

"You're not sick."

"It'll come, it's just – it's just coming slowly. People turn when they get bitten, and I am not different."

Riley was looking tired, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her friend's eyes. "But you don't."

"I am! It makes no sense if-"

"Look at me." Riley gestured to her own body; the pale face, sweaty skin, tired eyes. "Then you."

"I… I feel fine," she admitted, her voice shaking. "But, I don't understand… Makes no sense! I mean, why? Why me?" The last word came out as a sigh.

Riley gave her a sad smile. "I always said you were special, didn't I?"

Ellie sat down again, grabbing her head. "No sense," she kept muttering.

After some time, Riley had the courage to say, "I was wrong. 'bout the options." Ellie looked at her, expecting her to explain. "Look, we aren't going to lose our minds together. Why? Because you're crazily lucky, as always. But…" She sighed, trying to remain calm. "I am, Ellie."

Ellie sniffed, understanding what she meant. The dirt had been washed off her cheek by the many tears she had shed that night when she thought Riley could not hear her cry. "Back to option one, I guess."

Riley had closed her eyes, breathing in through her nose. "No. Ellie, this-" She pointed at the her friend's bite with a weak hand, "is amazing. It's unreal, but, we got to believe it. I am going to turn, Ellie, and I can hurt you."

For a moment, the girls just stared at each other. Ellie's breathing slowed down. "No."

"You know this is the last thing I want-"

"You fucking kidding me?!" Ellie's outburst silenced her. "You just told me that we fight to be together! Now you want me to-?" She could not finish her sentence, but rushed away from her friend. Turning her back to her, she cried silently. "You can't just do that! That's, that's-"

"Cruel? Unfair?" Riley suggested softly. There were tears in her eyes, but Ellie did not see them. "That's the world, Ellie."

"I'll… I'll do it to myself afterwards. Together, like you said-"

"Ellie. I'm infected – you're not. And trust me, you're too precious to waste a bullet on."

Ellie crossed her arms. "I won't do it."

"I ask you nicely-"

"Why?!" Ellie spun around to face her. "Why should I live? What's the reason for trying to survive?! What should I fight for when you're gone?! Huh?!" Her angry voice was broken with heavy sobs.

For the first time, tears streamed from Riley's dark eyes. "You'll fight to survive because you don't turn. You're the hope, Ellie! Do you have any ideas of how long they've been searching for a cure? Ever since this hell started! And you – this is the first hope. Don't waste it."

Ellie's body seemed to crumble to the ground. "I can't," she hissed.

"I'll die because I love you. You'll fight because you love me. It's a fair deal. You can't waste a miracle, Eillie." Taking in a deep breath, she wiped away the tears with a weak hand. "I'll have to go, but I don't want my last memories to be of you like. I want a smile, Ellie, so tell me one last damn bad joke." When Ellie did not react, she pushed further. "Grant a dying girl her wish."

"You want a joke?" Ellie spoke staring at her with empty eyes. "Fine! You know what's a joke?! That happy, peaceful, perfect world you kept dreaming about! The one were good things happen – and stay that way. That's the fucking joke!" She turned her back to her, unable to look at her friend.

"I want that world. And you dreamed of it too. And we'll get it – I'll be there soon and I'll wait for you. I tried to be poetic before and obviously failed, but – you just don't crush the beacon of hope. That's you, Ellie, as cheesy as we are."

"Fuck it," Ellie whispered, tears falling to the floor.

She heard Riley talk from behind her, "You can survive out there, Ellie. Find Marlene and she'll know just what to do. All you need to do it to get to her. You take my gun, and you'll be a badass survivor. Like Angel Knives, you know-"

"Just stop it. Please," Ellie whispered. "We were in this together! Don't back out now. Don't make me feel better when we already agreed how it should end."

"I'm sorry, Ellie. Just promise me that you'll keep fighting. For the cure. For me." Another sigh. "My gun… There's a bullet for every jerk that tries to hurt you. Any idiot, any infected, but not you. Don't kill the hope." There was a pause. "And we will be together, you know. 'cause you're my girl."

"Riley…" Ellie turned around, finally brave enough to face her. But what she saw frightened her more than any infected that she had ever seen. "Riley!"

Somehow, the infected girl had managed to move herself towards the edge of the broken window, and was now clutching a metal pole to remain standing. "This is option three, Ellie, and it's the only option. I'm sorry for being wrong."

Then she let go before Ellie could reach her. And Riley fell, because in this world she had no wings, even though she was everything for her Ellie.

And Ellie cursed the world for letting it happen.

"RILEY!"