First dapple in the Last of Us franchise. Just a quick little oneshot thrown together late at night. Hopefully I got the characters right. If so, another oneshot, possibly multi-chap, will be on the way.

Please review and thank you Naughty Dog for releasing such an awesome game!

Also, the song used is "Don't Let Us Get Sick" by Warren Zevon.

.:Don't Let Us Get Sick:.

It had only been a few days since they made it back to Tommy's. Joel was still busy basking in the fact that they had made it through. He wasn't usually a man to believe in miracles, but in this case, he damn near may be. He really believed that the only reason he had come this far was because of her. When he had first accepted this job, he had no idea it would come to this. He really hadn't had much faith in the Fireflies to begin with and turns out in the end his lack of faith was well established. But still, how dare they think that killing her in exchange for a vaccine was justice? Ellie wasn't some pawn. Not to him. Not after all she had done for him.

She had opened his eyes after being blinded by grief since Sarah's death. She had brought him out the hole he had lived his life in for the past twenty years and she had saved his life. In more ways than one. If she hadn't been there in Colorado for him, he knows he wouldn't have made it. She fought for him, she cared for him and she even put herself in harm's way to keep him out of it.

What was that line from that comic of hers? Endure and survive?

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose. That winter; he knew that winter would be engraved in Ellie's memory for a long time to come. What had she gone through while he had been out? What had really happened before he found her over David? He knew she hadn't told him everything, although he had picked up pieces over the few days spent here.

She had nightmares almost every night. Sometimes she'd wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes she'd mumble in her sleep. One night he heard her murmuring about "tiny pieces" and he was positive she wasn't talking about any kind of food. He would always act like he was asleep, but he knew she came to him after those nightmares. Knew she curled up next to him like he was her protective blanket. She would always fall back asleep, and when Joel would open his eyes later to look, a scene of serenity was present on her face. He wouldn't allow himself to touch, wouldn't allow himself to whisper to her in her sleep; those actions were still reserved only for Sarah. Some nights though, he came awfully close.

On a certain level, she reminded him a lot of Sarah. So they were a few years apart in age. Sure, Ellie was more aggressive and mature, but she had a side to her that he knew she hid. He had only caught parts of it that night with Henry and Sam, but he heard Ellie say that she was afraid of ending up alone. Joel had realized then why she had seemed to grow so attached to him. It was only after they made it to Tommy's that he recognized how much he had grown on her. It was then he knew how much she needed him. With that, the ice that had encompassed his heart began to melt.

This girl had grown on him, in more ways than Joel ever thought possible. He didn't know if her affection for him was purely out of admiration and as a sort of father-figure, or if it stretched to a girly first crush and he wasn't too keen on finding out. He didn't know where his affections were either. Was she a friend? Or was he mistakenly turning her into Sarah?

Joel huffed and turned over on his cot. He was about to finally close his eyes when he heard Ellie shout from across the room.

"Joel!"

He was at her side in a flash.

"What?" he asked and she flung her arms around him. "Another nightmare?"

He felt her nod into his shoulder as she sniffled.

"He had me, Joel," she whispered, and he knew she meant David. "I couldn't get away this time. He had me and he had you, and…"

"Sshhh, it's okay now. You ain't there anymore. You're here. With me and with Tommy and with Maria. We got you and you're safe," he said.

"No," he heard her say as she pulled away. "He had you, Joel. On the table."

"Oh." He gulped, knowing well what she meant.

"He made me watch while he…" She trailed off as she began to whimper.

"Oh, baby girl," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms again.

They sat in their embrace for a few minutes, while Ellie dried her eyes. Eventually, she pulled back and looked at Joel.

"You know," she started, and Joel knew she was going to try and lighten the situation somehow. "You never did sing for me. Have I earned it yet?"

Joel actually cracked a smile at that.

"Yes," he said. "I think you have."

Ellie smiled and lay back down on the bed. Joel placed himself at the end of it by her head.

"But just this once," he stated.

Ellie frowned. "Oh, come on!" She sat up. "How about every time I have a nightmare?"

Joel rolled his eyes. "Knowing you, you'd start having them all the time just to hear me sing."

"Hey," Ellie shrugged. "I might not even like your singing. You may cause more nightmares!"

"Not funny."

"Baby."

Joel scowled. "Do you want me to sing or not?"

"Fine, I'll be quiet," Ellie scoffed, laying back down.

Joel cleared his throat before looking back to Ellie.

"And no makin' fun of me for this, you hear? I ain't done this in a while."

"No promises."

Joel only huffed in response.

He was silent for a long moment to where Ellie was about to start complaining, when she heard him humming softly, as if trying to get the melody back into his head.

Soon enough, he started.

"Don't let us get sick, don't let us get old. Don't let us get stupid, alright?"

"Heh, appropriate," Ellie mumbled.

"Shush. Just make us be brave and make us play nice, and let us be together tonight."

He felt Ellie reach for his hand. He let her take it and even squeezed her hand back.

"The sky was on fire when I walked to the mill to take up the slack in the line. I thought of my friends and the troubles they've had, to keep me from thinking of mine."

As he started to sing the chorus again, he watched Ellie close her eyes, a smile on her face.

"Don't stop," she mumbled. "It's good."

"The moon has a face, and it smiles on the lake, and causes the ripples in time. I'm lucky to be here with someone I like, who maketh my spirit to shine."

He looked down at Ellie, and pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Don't let us get sick, don't let us get old. Don't let us get stupid, alright? Just make us be brave, and make us play nice, and let us be together tonight."

There was a moment of silence.

"Is that it?" Ellie eventually asked.

"I'm afraid," Joel replied. "You feel like you can get some sleep now?"

Ellie yawned. "I think so."

"Good."

Joel grunted as he stood up. He was about to make to go back to his own cot when Ellie grabbed his arm.

"Joel?"

"Hmm?" he grunted.

"I promise I won't let you get sick."

He smiled. "I hope not."

Ellie smiled back before releasing his hand and closing her eyes.

As Joel lay back down on his cot and shut his eyes, an image of Sarah flashed in his mind's eye. She was laying in his bed with him and he was singing to her while stroking her hair. And it was only then that he realized he was singing the same song.