AN: Well, why hello there everyone. I want to thank all of you for clicking on this story and thank those who chose to read my previous two as well. This is the third installment of the Their Purpose series. I am going to experiment a bit in terms of my writing style... but I don't want to make it drastically different from the other two and thus make this feel like it doesn't belong. However, I am trying to improve as a writer, so I've got to at least give some things a shot, right? I went back to edit and clean up some of my previous chapters from parts one and two and... well - I felt a tad embarrassed to say the least. I really am an inexperienced writer, so I really appreciate those who've given me positive feedback (it always makes me smile and feel good) and those who've given me negative, but constructive feedback (always makes me better). I'm so happy from the number of positive reviews I received in part two, especially after the last few chapters, all of them meant a lot to me. I tried to personally respond to what I could, and I'm sorry if I didn't get back to some of you. But again, thank you everyone! The support from each and every one of you is much appreciated. Anyway, I finally made up my mind about writing a third one and I've decided I will indeed do it. As such, I bring you this, Their Purpose 3.

This picks up a month after the ending of Their Purpose 2. I have the general idea and premise in mind for this story in terms of where I want to take it. There will be some darker themes I will be exploring in this one compared to the other two, just an F.Y.I. Like in my first two, the bond between Ellie and Joel, which is now stronger than ever (read my second story for some more context if you wish) will obviously be a major part of the story. The deep, emotional, co-dependent relationship and attachment (almost to an unhealthy point) between the two will primarily be the driving force here. I just love these two characters, and their father/daughter bond which formed during the game really touched me, so like my first two, that will be the root cause for many things that will happen here. Enough of my pointless rambling - let's go!

Again, I do not take credit for any of the characters from The Last of Us as they are the property of Naughty Dog.

"Hhhhuuuhhhhh!"

Ellie shoots straight up from her pillow, gasping for air, panting and covered in sweat. A warm breeze trickles through the window, rustling the curtains as it gusts into the room. She can feel it lightly kiss her perspiring skin.

Oh god - oh fuck - oh fuck... it was just a dream - calm down Ellie - you're okay - everything's fine... wait - it's November... why is it warm? Why is it so warm!? It's not supposed to be warm - it's supposed to be cold and... oh god - these aren't my sheets - these aren't my fucking sheets - mine are white not red - no, no, no - this isn't right.

Her adrenal glands go to work as she begins to panic, her heart pounds away in her chest. She frantically brings both hands to her face, anxiously touching her cheeks, nose and mouth as her brain tries to comprehend the current situation, making every effort to determine if this is real. She can feel the dampness of her bangs across her forehead, a product of her panicked sweating. Her nerves can't resist any longer. Total and complete, unabated fear consumes her and she begins hyperventilating as her eyes dart around the room.

Oh no - no, no, no - where am I? This isn't right - this isn't fucking right - this isn't my room. Wait - Joel! Where - where is he!? Where's Joel! Joel - please, please I need you! Please still be here - don't leave me - oh fuck, fuck, fuck - no, no, no - he left me didn't he - I know he did. He fucking left me - oh god - he never loved me - he never fucking loved me - he never did... No! No, no! But he promised he would never leave me - he promised - he fucking promised! He told me he loved me - I know he does! Where is he - oh god Joel - please I need you!

"Joel!" she yells as she sits up in her bed.

There is nothing, no response, not a single sound echos throughout the house. The only thing she can hear is the furious pounding of her heart behind her rib cage and the flapping of the curtains in the soft breeze rushing through the window.

Ohhhhh fuck - fucking god no - he's really gone... no he can't be!

"Joel!" she stammers even louder than before.

Again, no response. Nothing. She is utterly, horrifically, and dreadfully, alone.

She squeals and lets out a terrified peep as she scrambles backwards, pressing her back against the headboard and bringing her knees to her chest. She wraps her arms around her legs and clenches her eyes shut, imploring herself to wake up from what she's sure is simply another dream.

Her eyes snap open, only for her to painfully realize she is still here, nowhere else.

She begins punching herself in the leg, trying to force her mind to reel itself back to reality and wake up from this nightmare. Her jabs are light and slow at first, but quickly turn to violent swings as her fists of stone rapidly thud into her thighs, hoping the harder she hits the sooner she will wake.

Wake up - wake up - wake up. Fucking wake up!

It is no use.

Her arms and knuckles are sore and she is out of energy, completely spent. Her chest convulsively expands and contracts as her short, rapid breaths increase in frequency due to her panicked state. She can feel the heat of her breath against her knees through her over-sized sweat pants, so hot it's as if she's spewing fire straight from her lungs. She bites onto the sleeve of her flannel, his flannel. She always sleeps in it, ever since she finally migrated to her own room. Its scent, his scent, is always soothing and gives her peace. She hopes it will wake her, rescuing her from her night terror.

It doesn't.

Her mind makes one, last, desperate attempt to assure her that everything will be okay.

He has to be here - I know he is - he loves me - he would never leave me - he promised - I know he's here!

"Joel! Joel! Joel! Dad! Daddy!" she screams.

Nothing.

Silence. Denial. Rejection. Abandonment.

Her eyes begin to water and she can feel an onslaught of tears quickly approaching.

Fuck, fuck, fuck - ohhhh god no - he did leave - he's really gone - oh god he's fucking gone - he fucking left me - I'm alone - no, no, no - why would he leave me - what did I do - why did he leave me like this - oh god no!

She presses her forehead against her wrist and begins to weep. Tears drip from her eyelids onto her shirt as she simply curls into a tiny ball and cries. Suddenly, a sound, from down the hallway in what she thinks is Joel's bedroom, catches her attention. Her crying immediately ceases and her head perks up as she strains to listen for the mysterious noise once more. She hears it again and her eyes widen. It is quiet, but just loud enough for her to know its origin is from the room down the hall. Despite quivering and shaking in fear, it lures her out of bed. She slowly places her feet on the floor and wraps her arms around her elbows. Her lips tremble in terror and her eyes continue to water in despair as she sheepishly leaves her bedroom.

While tiptoeing down the hallway, the ambient temperature plummets, falling to below freezing and she begins to shiver. Her breaths remain quick and shallow and she can see them leave her lips into the brisk, cold air. The closer she gets, the colder it gets. Goosebumps rise on the entire surface of her skin and the sharp, freezing air stings the insides of her lungs. Each step she takes across the old and stained hardwood floor causes the ominous sound to get louder and louder, more distinct.

Shink - shink - shink - shink.

What the fuck is - oh no... oh god please no - I know that sound - oh fuck, fuck, fuck - don't let it be - it can't be - it can't be - he's dead - I fucking killed him - that motherfucker - he's dead - he can't come back - he can't fucking come back! No! No!

Her brain urges her to silently pass by the room then sprint for her life downstairs and out the front door, but she can't. Her heart wills her otherwise, as if an invisible force is now wrapped around her waist, pulling her towards the doorway. She has to see for herself. She's beyond the point of no return and quietly pushes the door open. It slowly swivels to the left, creaking every inch of the way and exposing the gruesome scene that taints the room.

Lying before her is Joel, sprawled out on his bed facing the ceiling. His eyes are empty, void of life and his limbs are dismembered, grotesquely sitting in a pile on the floor. Standing on each side are two figures, one male, one female. They both turn around and acknowledge Ellie's unwelcome presence. Michelle and David, with their eyes gouged from their sockets, simply stare and slowly walk towards her, cleavers in their hands.

No! No! No! Fucking god no! Oh god please - oh no - he's gone forever - he's fucking gone forever and now I'm alone with... with them - I'm so alone - forever - he's gone - I'll never see him again - I'll never be in his arms again - oh god - no, no, no - Joel please come back! I need you! I fucking need you! Please!

Her breathing intensifies even more. She can barely get out each breath, feeling as if she's suffocating. Her throat clenches shut, and as the two people who terrify her the most creep closer and closer, she stands there, paralyzed in fear, unable to move. She's shivering from the freezing cold, her arms squeeze tighter around her elbows as she tries to encase herself in a protective space.

It's of no use.

She can feel her bones cracking, to the point of shattering to bits from the biting cold and terror that fills her. Her level of panic increases and her heart is on the verge of bursting from her chest.

"No! Joel! Get up! Fucking get up! Don't leave me! You promised you'd never leave me - you fucking promised! Please don't go! Get up! Please!" she stammers and screams in a terrified frenzy.

His limp body gives no response as his mouth lies agape, blood and drool dripping down his chin.

"It's alright Ellie - everything's gonna be just fine," David whispers as he reaches for her arm.

She can't move. She won't move. She refuses to move. She simply stares at Joel's corpse as tears run down her cheeks. David's sickly touch afflicts the skin on her arm. In an instant, she can feel her cells under the surface dying and withering away. The sight of Joel's lifeless body eliminates all of her will to live, to keep David away, to fight.

Her purpose is gone.

With an empty gaze towards Joel's body, she mindlessly reaches for David's wrist and rips it forward, plunging his cleaver into her stomach. It hurts, but also doesn't at the same time. She crumbles to her knees as blood pours from her torso, keeping her eyes locked onto her father's body as she collapses to the floor.

Soon, she will be with him. Soon, she won't be alone.

"Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!" Joel shouted as he tried to pull Ellie from her nightmare.

She was violently flailing her limbs, twisting and turning her head as she screamed and thrashed about. He tried to carefully grab her head, hoping it would keep her from writhing around in mental anguish and thus wake her up. It was no use. Nothing he did worked. Her dream state had a death grip on her conscience, refusing to let her mind go.

"Christ sake girl - wake up! C'mon Ellie it's just a dream! You're just dreamin' honey wake up! Ellie!" he implored once more as he tried to gently corral her convulsing, little body.

Finally, her eyelids fluttered open. Her pupils were dilated to the size of the moon in the night sky and he watched her eyeballs dance in their sockets as she frantically tried to reel herself back to reality. A wet, flap of hair stuck to her cheek from the profuse amount of sweat that was escaping from her pores. Her diaphragm repeatedly shot up and down in a violent manner as she gasped for air through her panicked and panted breaths.

Her eyes locked in on his. Like always, he was her anchor, her rock and foundation. And his paternal gaze, which towered above her, immediately eased away the panic that previously had a viscous hold on her mind and body.

"Ellie - honey - look, look - it's me - it's just me. You're okay - just a dream - just a dream," he soothed as he gently held her skinny, little forearms.

Her lips trembled and she let out a whimper as her eyes began to water, thus yanking on his heart. He'd only ever seen her this terrified once before, and that was last winter.

"Oh no - baby - c'mere sweetie - c'mere - I've gotcha," he said, concern and care palpable in his voice.

After letting out a scared, little peep of fright, signifying her yearning for his comfort, he slid both hands behind her back and pulled her to his chest, resting her chin on his shoulder. She nuzzled into his neck and clutched her arms around him as she let out a horrific sob. He caressed the back of her head and gently pressed an arm against her back, feeling her tiny, bony shoulder blades beneath it. After engulfing her in his embrace, he kissed her on the cheek and simply let her cry in his arms as he tried to calm her.

"Shh baby - it's okay - it's okay. It's okay now."

Minutes went by and no matter how much he tried to soothe her, she wouldn't stop crying. Each time he thought it was over, another round of heart wrenching sobs were emitted from her little, quivering frame. He felt her pressing her nose harder into his neck as she tried to get as close to him as possible.

"Honey - it's okay - I'm here - shh," he said, this time with more desperation.

He tried to gently lift her away so he could see her face, but she only tightened her grasp around him, refusing to let him peel her off.

Goddammit Joel she's fallin' to pieces in your arms - do somethin' - fix it - fuckin' fix it!

Instead, he squeezed her tighter and pressed his lips into her hair as he closed his eyes. He began rubbing her shoulders and gently rocked back and forth while softly singing, hoping it would eventually calm her down.

She closed her eyes, concentrated on his voice and simply tried to sync her breathing with his. She could feel the deep, reverberations of his chest vibrate against hers while he serenaded her. It was a relaxing sensation and slowly but surely, her crying finally waned to muffled whimpers and sniffles.

He let out a deep breath and kissed her once again on the cheek.

"That's it - there she is - there's my baby girl - that's it - shh - it's okay - we're fine - I'm here," he calmly soothed.

Finally, she opened her lips and spoke.

"You - you died... I saw you - you were dead and - and you were gone... forever. It felt like... it felt like I was dying and I... I actually wanted to - I wanted to fucking die." She could barely force the words through her trembling lips.

Joel's eyes widened in shock from the short, but dark description of her nightmare. Though he felt exactly the same way about her, it was unknown to him that she thought along the same lines. The extreme level of co-dependence between them was higher than it ever had been. Especially now that they'd confessed how much they meant to one another. The statement he made a month ago, the morning after they finally said the three words they wanted to hear for so long, was undeniably true.

Wherever I go, you go. Wherever you go, I go.

He felt a lump form in his throat as he tried to voice his response. The thought of her small self lying dead on the floor sent a shiver down his spine. Losing her forever, to him, was the worst possible thought imaginable, even worse than his own death.

"Baby - I'm here - I'm still here an' I ain't leavin' ya - I ain't dead - see baby girl? Look - see?" he said, while finally able to gently lift her head from his shoulder.

He slowly moved his large, callused hand in front of her mouth and gently rested a finger on her lips.

"Go on - see for yourself - bite my hand - I'm still here - this is real - I'm really here," he said with a smile and a lighter tone in his voice.

It managed to pull a short, tiny, muffled laugh out of her and she gently latched her little teeth onto the side of his hand.

"See sweetie? I'm real - this one ain't a dream - I'm here an' I'll always be here - no matter what."

He felt a tear drip from her lips onto his hand as she maintained the grasp of her light and playful bite.

Her nightmares were becoming all too common and were increasing in intensity. Ever since she migrated out of his room three weeks ago and thus forcing her to sleep alone, her brain refused to give her a peaceful night's sleep. Deep, dark circles were forming under her eyes as restful, uninterrupted sleep was becoming foreign and rare at best. However, she refused to give in. She would only return back to his room if it was on his accord. Though, secretly, she prayed he would mention it, giving her the opportunity to pounce on his suggestion without a second thought.

He started to slowly pull away, hoping she was now calm enough to fall back asleep on her own.

"You okay now? Think ya can get back to sleep?"

The grasp of her teeth on his hand loosened as she gave way to a slight frown and looked him in the eyes. The endearing look tugged on his heart, just as her little hand tugged on his sleeve, begging him to bring her with him.

You won't make her feel bad if you just fuckin' say it - Christ - you know she wants to come with you - she needs you like you need her. Look at how goddamn exhausted she is - poor thing hasn't had a good night's sleep in weeks - just scoop her up and take her with you.

"Alright baby - c'mere sweetie - here we go," he said as he reached both hands beneath her armpits to lift her up.

Her frown inverted and she let out a sniffle as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"You - you don't mind?" she sheepishly asked before he picked her up.

Mind? Hell - 'course I don't mind - I sleep better with you at my side anyway.

"Ya serious? You know I don't mind - reckon I sleep best when my baby girl's next to me anyway," he responded with a wink and a smirk.

His response sent a tickle of warmth through her nerves and her smile widened. She reached out both hands, eager to latch onto his shirt.

He lifted her up and placed her chin on the back of his shoulder while holding her by the bottom of her thighs as her calves and feet dangled just below his waist, like a parent would hold a small child. He gently held the back of her head, keeping a forearm pressed against her shoulder blades to keep her propped up and cuddled against him.

She wrapped both arms around his neck, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling him envelop her little frame. The tension in her body finally eased away, knowing she would now be snuggled with him for the duration of the night, giving her, and frankly him, the necessary comfort for a much needed, restful sleep.

Jesus - you're still so goddamn small - weigh nothin' - I stopped carryin' Sarah like this once she turned ten. Somethin' has to be wrong - you ain't growin' like I thought... that's it - I'm takin' ya to the H.C tomorrow - make sure everything's alright. It's gotta be your immunity - or... somethin' - it has to be.

After carefully peeling the comforter back, he gently laid her in the bed and pulled it over her. He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead then softly and tenderly ran his knuckles across her cheek.

"I'll be right back okay?" he whispered as he began to pull away.

She let out a nervous squeak and wrapped a hand around his fingers as her desire to cling to his side, no matter what, fully exposed itself.

Holy shit - nightmare really messed her up - ain't seen her like this since... Michelle.

The thought of that woman caused him to grit his teeth in anger, but he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to frighten her.

"Shh - it's okay, it's okay - I'm just goin' to the bathroom - I'll be right back - I promise," he quietly reassured, leaning back down and gently brushing her hair.

As he walked into the hallway, she anxiously watched his every step. Even though she knew he was returning soon and would only be gone for a minute at most, dread and panic crept into her mind and her heart started to race once again. She nervously scanned the dark room that encased her, and her imagination began to run amok. She felt as if Michelle or David lurked in her blind spots, waiting to jump out and attack her, or worse, attack him when he came back. Their presence in her dream seemed to linger in the air, keeping her on constant edge until his calming aura returned.

She lifted her head from the pillow and propped herself up on her elbows. "Joel!?" she nervously shouted, hoping to hear him immediately respond.

"Yep! I'm here - I'm still here - I'm comin' - I'm comin'!" he bellowed from the bathroom.

His voice chased away the adrenaline that was trickling into her veins.

He lightly jogged back to the bedroom and immediately felt her eyes lock onto him as he came through the doorway. He watched her anxiously slide and scoot her way over to his side of the mattress then reach her small hand into the air, begging for him to come join her. As he hastily eased himself into the sheets and shifted towards her, she let out another nervous peep as she clambered to get close to him.

"Shh - shh - I'm here baby - it's okay, it's okay - I'm here - you've got me here for good sweetie - I'm here," he soothed as he leaned over to pull her into his arms and brush the sweaty, lock of hair behind her ear.

Within seconds, she wiggled up against him and laid her head on his chest then stretched an arm over him, resting her hand on his neck. He wrapped his arm, which lay beneath her, up and around her back and placed his hand over her shoulder then felt her nuzzle into his shirt. He tightened his grasp and pulled her in closer then kissed her hair, causing her to let out a relaxing, deep breath as her mouth gave way to a smile. Feeling him tenderly hold her tight triggered the familiar sensation of butterflies in her stomach and she could finally, for the first time in weeks, have a peaceful sleep.

Their presence and warmth brought each other comfort and solace, like they always had. She was safe. He was safe.

Why the hell do we even bother tryin' to sleep apart? Reckon neither of us can get a good rest when we do - the hell we tryin' to prove?

She gently rubbed her cheek on his shirt, tickling the side of his face with the tip of her pony tail, causing him to smile and lightly laugh.

"What?" she softly asked.

"Your hair - ticklin' me again."

She let out a muffled snicker.

"Thing has a mind of its own - but it's just trying to be friendly - I promise," she slowly but playfully mumbled in her tired and exhausted tone.

"That a fact?" he said as he tilted his head to look down at her.

"Mmhmm," she responded with a slight nod of the head, sliding her cheek up and down against his shirt.

She could feel him squeeze his arm around her even tighter after her response, causing her to affectionately curl her fingers around the collar of his shirt.

"Man - you always were a good pillow... I... I missed this - I always sleep better here," she quietly muttered after another tension releasing exhale, letting her vulnerability show.

He let out a deep breath of his own then finally responded. "Reckon I did too... I did too."

A quiet lull fell between them and they simply listened to each other's breathing and the autumn wind outside while Joel gently stroked her hair. Just before the weight of their eyelids overtook them, he showered her with one last demonstration of paternal affection.

"My. Little. Baby," he softly cooed as he pressed his lips to her hair, giving her a kiss after each word.

Her nightmare immediately faded to the back of her mind and her muscles completely gave into the warm combination of his embrace and the comforter. She was snuggled in her favorite place, the safest place, and she felt as if nothing could harm her here, absolutely nothing. Just as she always thought, as long as he was by her side, no dream, no demon, no tragedy was too daunting to overcome. The two of them could conquer the worst of the worst, together.

But the closer and closer she got to him and the more emotionally attached they became to each other, the more afraid she was of losing him. The more she loved him and the more he loved her, the more petrified she became of the thought of him being gone, and thus, ending up alone. At this point, the thought of losing the other terrified both of them to the core, more so than it ever had. They needed each other, like they always did. The chains of co-dependence which had them bound and wrapped up with one another were so strong, that if they were to suddenly ever snap and break, both of them would simply acquiesce to the sorrow of the other's absence and profusely bleed out until they were dead.

"Sleep tight baby girl - I love you," he whispered.

Those last three words caused a massive grin to stretch across her lips. They chased away all lingering fear and doubt leftover from her nightmare. He would always love her, forever, no matter what.

They were loved. They weren't alone.

They were safe and in their home. For now.