Hi guys! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know how annoying it is when an author gets close to the end of a story then buggers off so I'm not even going to make my excuses though I do have them ahaha! Anyway, here it is, at last, the final part! Enjoy guys!

forestgimp（＾∇＾）

Chapter 10: The Funeral

A week before Derek's death.

Behind the houses of the dam sits a meadow filled with wild flowers and tall grass. It is so beautiful there and the air is crisp with smell of summer and light. Ellie likes to sit there often, it is peacful. She sat in a patch of shorter grass, her hair billowing in the breeze, the sun blazing down on her. It warmed her all over and she sighed happily.

Her thoughts kept returning to Joel, what was he doing now she wondered. Was he still upset with her? She hoped not. Birds chirped contently from the trees and Ellie turned to the brow of the hill as she heard running footsteps and panting breaths. It was Derek. She knew it was because a coldness crawled up her spine and her legs went heavy and numb. "Ellie!" He called out as he saw her and smiled happily but Ellie did not feel his joy.

Derek was before her before she could make a move and slumping down to sit with her in the grass he grabbed her hand. Derek clutched it to his chest and grimaced slightly as she tried to pull away. "What's wrong my love?" His eyes were darker than usual, his mouth tighter. "You look sad. Why are you out here all alone?"

Ellie searched her mind for a reason he would approve of but came up with nothing. Plastering on her best smile she tightened her grip on his hand. "Nothing, I'm just thinking you know," She laughed lightly but it came out as nervous. He watched her like a lion would watch a wounded deer. It was terrifying to think what he would do next. What would set him off this time? Ellie suddenly wished with all her heart for Joel, to be in his arms once more and feel safe and secure for once.

"I want to show you something today," Derek spoke softly, circling her wrist with his finger before entwining their fingers tightly. "Come with me," He dragged her to her feet but Ellie tried to stay seated.
"I don't want to go, Derek," Ellie protested but he ignored her.
"Nonsense, you're going to love it," He chuckled almost darkly before continuing to pull her up to her feet and succeeding.

Ellie tried to get her hand free but Derek turned to face her then. He was so close to her she could see the individual flecks of light in his eyes. "Derek..." She whimpered. He just shook his head slowly and smiled that awful smile, his grip on her wrist tightened painfully and she felt tears nipping at her eyes. "Derek, stop! Please!" The sky darkened over head as clouds gathered over head like this situation wasn't ironic enough.

"Ellie," Derek spoke slowly, "Come with me now," though there was no spoken threat it lay there beneath his words like poison.

The two teens left town quietly in a whirl of silent movement and Derek dragged Ellie up through the woods. Before long they reached a ruined town where he seemed to wander aimlessly for a long time. "Did I ever tell you about my life before I came to your town?" He smiled and his eyes squinted up at the darkening sky above them. The clouds above them seemed to fill in the sky white and grey, they were holding back a heavy shower of afternoon rain. Ellie shook her head at his question and looked over her shoulder at the path they'd come by. If she ran now she might make it. Derek turned back from staring at the sky to face her, his expression warped into fury. "No, no, no you didn't," She answered quickly not meeting his eyes.

"I lived with my mother and my older sister in a house not far from here. Right up here actually," Derek smiled fondly then taking Ellie's hand and all thoughts of escape with it he pulled her towards a house at the end of the street. Ellie entered after Derek and her heart pounded loudly as she stared down into a great gorge in the floor. Ellie screamed loudly and lurched away. "Oh my fuck. Jesus Christ!" Ellie backed away out of the house and caught her foot on the uneven floor. Losing her balance she fell to the floor and Derek appeared from behind the side of the door. "Oh, how silly of you," He laughed comically like they were having a picnic at the park and Ellie had slipped on some wet grass. She stared at him in horror as he approached her slowly and expecting him to put his hand out to her but he didn't. He just watched her sit on the ground before him.

"Raiders came one day," he said with a soft smile on his face.
"What?! What are you fucking talking about you crazy psycho!?" She didn't mean to lose her temper but she was so afraid. She wanted to go home and see Joel. It was getting dark now and soon Infected would be wandering the woods, the smell of her flesh attracting them.
"Here," Derek said, "Where I lived with my family, they came one day and they took our food." He rubbed the peeling paint on the side of the door frame and looking back at her he examined her slowly as if she was a slab of raw meat.

"My mother was upstairs, mending clothes. I was only seven years old playing with my toys in the next room," He looked across the road at the houses opposite, barren and decaying. "My sister saw them first... She was out in the field pulling vegetables." Derek turned back into the house and laughed manically. "They raped her in the dirt outside the house, we could hear her screaming for hours. My mother ran out screaming, they shot her in the leg... I couldn't stop crying."

Ellie got to her feet unsteadily as Derek had his back turned and backed away wearily. But Derek swiveled to face her frowning. "Where are you going?! I still need to show you something," He rushed to collect her hands in his then backed into the house. He side stepped them both round the gorge and leapt up the stairs giggling manically to himself. "It's so wonderful, you're going to love it Ellie,"

They stood in a hallway, flanked on either side by doors up to the end of the hallway. Derek rushed to one and gripped the handle with excitement radiating from his whole body. "You see, the raiders didn't kill me." Derek laughed, "They raised me to be one of them, abused my mother and sister before forcing me to slit their throats on my sixteenth's birthday," Derek threw his head back laughing and Ellie felt her fear building to a climax. "I was so upset," He kept laughing, "I just had to stop it, to fix things, take the guilt away," He turned into the edge of the door and whispered something, "I killed them all Ellie... Just murdered them while they slept like they were dogs."

He opened the door with a fluid swing and Ellie peered into what was once three rooms built next to one another but the walls had been knocked down into nothing, stripped bare while the floor was littered with mattresses and blankets. Ellie's mouth fell open and her eyes watered as the smell hit her. Decay and rot.

Bodies were piled everywhere. Men and women with their throats gaping wide, mouths open. Eyes cloudy and blue. The bodies were surrounded by a wave of flies and several looked like they'd been eaten in parts by animals. "Derek." Ellie muttered as vomit threatened to burst forth.

"That's not the best part," Derek hugged her tight against him and leaning into her ear to whisper in her ear, "There's a spare bed, we can be together here. Share our first time here where it all began," His eyes were sparkling with a craziness Ellie had only seen in her nightmares. He pulled her towards a dirty, stained mattress and sat down, "Take off your clothes Ellie, let me see you," He rubbed her hips in either hand but Ellie felt even sicker than before. She breathed out through her mouth as sweat beaded on her head. Then tears slipped from her eyes, "What's wrong baby?" Derek asked, concern covering his face.

"I'm just so... so... so happy," She smiled then covering her face with her hands began to sob thick, snotty tears. She screamed into her hands to mute Derek's soothing words before pulling away from him. She left the room right there and then and racing down the stairs she jumped over the gorge and out into the yard. Derek's voice echoing down the stairs, "You wanted to do it the other night!". She was half way down the yard when she threw up. Then gasping, she threw up again until she was just retching. Tears continued to stream from her eyes before she eventually slumped to her knees and sobbed into her hands, "Joel... Joel."

A week after Derek's death

Rain fell in fat drops, pounding the ground as the townspeople slipped slowly from the church, dressed in black, umbrellas popping up like flowers in spring. Joel stood near the half wall of the graveyard, turning over an old coin in his hand he had found on the wall. The bells rang once, twice, three times before silence filled the air. Joel could see them carrying the roughly-made wooden coffin out towards the empty ground. Empty coffin for empty ground, how fitting he thought.

He sighed loudly, droplets of water slipping from his hair and face onto his suit and hands. He'd dressed in black out of respect but didn't go to the funeral. He wanted to, but perhaps not for the same reasons everyone else did, also he couldn't face a real funeral. Not after everything that'd happened. The sound of slapping foot falls against the wet ground was heard behind him and Joel turned to see Andy coming up quickly. "Why are you here Joel?!" He asked in anger, gripping the front of Joel's white shirt. "You know this is horseshit, closure for those who don't want to believe the truth." Andy laughed sarcastically then when Joel didn't respond to his reaction, let go of his shirt.

"He was still a human being Andy," Joel turned back to watch the last of the funeral goers leave the church. "In times gone by we used to treat people like him, remember that Andy?" Joel squinted as he saw a women bend down to pick something up off the ground. Her purse perhaps?

"Times change Joel," Andy said in a heated town, "Derek was sick, he could have killed Ellie, Joel," It was a hard-hitting truth but still a truth. Yet Joel still felt sad for Derek, to be so hopelessly lost to nothing but his own destruction. "He was sick. Exactly, sick in the head but still just unwell, an ill human being who needed help. I just want to do that right thing, Andy... To be a better man, a man who doesn't act like a violent brute, for Ellie." Joel placed the old coin back on the wall where he'd found it. How long had it been there he wondered.

"The right thing is being at home with your wife," Andy cried out through the now growing heavier rain.
"She's not my wife, Andy!" Joel yelled back before pushing the man back a step. "She'll never be my wife," he then laughed like it was so funny to be in such emotional pain.
"She loves you though, Joel," Andy muttered it under his breath then looked over at the people leaving the graveyard now.

"Go home Andy," Joel said sadly then watched as the people passed by him solemnly, talking amongst themselves.
Andy watched too but his face was filled with hatred and disappointment, "You saved the love of your life, Joel. That's something I never managed to do. Jesus, if I was you I'd be on my knees thanking God for this chance you have," Andy looked up at the sky and chuckled before blinking away tears, "I'd go home and kiss her and hold her and not ever let her go," then, having said his piece. Andy turned and left quietly, his hands deep in his pockets. Joel sighed and looked up at the sky, copying Andy's actions, "I am thankful, really I am." He then pushed off from the wall and walked home in the rain.

By the time he got home the rain was still falling thick and fast but it didn't matter so much as he stepped into the dark house and passed into the kitchen. He was hungry and needed a beer. Stripping off his jacket then his shirt he walked into the kitchen and halted when he laid eyes on Ellie. She stood with her back to him in a tight t-shirt and pink, lace panties. Her hair was getting so long, almost to her ass, her figure still as slender with its gentle curves that dripped with seduction.

"Ellie," Joel said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. His shirt was half undone and droplets of water slipped down his toned chest, dampening the sprinkle of dark hair on his chest. She turned to face him in surprise, "Hi." She said after a moment, still holding a pan of bacon and eggs. "Do you want something to eat?" She smiled happily before placing the pan back on the cooker.

"Yes please, actually," He grinned at her, "Did you just get up?" He stripped off his shirt, his confidence renewed as he watched her lean up to get some plates from the shelves and expose her perky ass in the process. He wanted her. He wanted to love her and touch her.

"Yes," Ellie said after a second, her eye darting up from his bare chest to her cooking. "Did you go to the funeral today?" Her voice was tight and guarded. But Joel had already told her he was going to go and didn't wish to hide it from her.
"I guess not technically, I stood outside and paid my respects that way," Joel laughed a little then realized it might be too soon for such light conversation.
"How fucking morbid," Ellie smiled to herself, "Fitting I suppose," She moved some of the eggs and bacon onto two plates and placed one in front of Joel at the kitchen island. He leaned over the stool and started to munch away. "What do you mean?" He asked but she was quiet.

They ate in silence until the meal was finished then placing their plates in the sink Ellie looked through the window. Joel stood away from her and just watched her, the beauty in every line of her body stirred feelings of complete submission to this women who stood before him. Then slowly, as if he might frighten her, he walked up behind her and stood a single breath away. His hands lingering at his sides. Leaning into her a little, he let the smell of sunshine and woods from her skin wash over him like he was finally home, at last. Holding himself close enough to her that she'd feel the heat of his body, his desire, he ghosted his hands over her shoulders.

She sighed slowly as if a weight had been taken from her shoulders then Joel placed a single hand on either of her shoulders, letting the heat of his hands seep through the cotton of her t-shirt. "You are stronger than me Ellie... I had to go," He whispered then bowed his face to kiss the top of her head. The kiss barely lasted a second, just a touch of his lips against her soft hair. However she turned to face him with her eyes wide and standing up on her tip-toes placed her lips against his like they were having a conversation of movement.

The kiss was sweet and warm, comforting like a hot meal on a cold winter's day. Joel let his hands slip to her waist to clutch her against him before slipping them down to cup her ass while her hands moved up to circle his neck. Their kiss turned urgent and wild as Ellie pushed her tongue into his mouth, he cautiously opened his mouth and returned the movement of tongue. Joel was startled by the sudden intamcy though and stumbled back a step as she did it causing them to fall against the breakfast island.

After a second though he grew comfortable with her closeness, biting and nibbling at her lower lip when she retreated to breath. They were panting and grabbing at one another but Ellie seemed to want to take things further as her hands wandered to his pants. Joel felt a shard of ice slip down his back as the weight of his next decision landed on him, pulling away unsure he stared at her for answers. Her eyes were bright shining emeralds, alive with green fire that burned brighter than an exploding sun. That was desire, Joel knew that. He'd seen that spark of life, long ago but he still knew it.

"Joel please, I need this," Ellie pleaded with him, her arms still wrapped tightly around his neck and convulising as he tried to release himself.
"Did-Did you and Derek...?" He let his question fade away while he shook his head free of the hurtful image that filled his mind. Meanwhile the lust cloud that polluted his thoughts lingered dangerously tempting him to ignore his own reason.
"Would it matter if we had?" She asked quietly, tears building in her eyes like just the memory of Derek was enough to push her to some dark place.
Joel thought for a second then decided as if he knew the answer all along. Smiling he shook his head, "No, it wouldn't," then cupping her ass again he lifted her up onto his hips. His erection was straining in his pants and though he wanted to free it and take her here on the kitchen floor - he had other plans in mind.

Taking her to his bedroom he lay her down on the bed though she sat up just as quickly and kissed him eagerly, "Fuck me," She muttered but he just smiled into her neck, panting against her. She was so keen to please him, to get what he wanted. This wasn't the point of this for him, for anyone he thought, it was meant to be enjoyed. Kissing her neck, he licked and sucked his way down to the build of her breasts. She whined and pushed against him, wanting friction but he still denied her.

First, drawing circles on her wrists he made his way up, stroking the soft underside of her arms he slowly got her to lift her arms up into the air. Pulling off her t-shirt he sat between her open legs and looked down on her. Burning green eyes half-lidded with lust, lips wet and open. Her chest heaved and the movements caused her breasts to move slightly in a way that made Joel's erection harder to deny. He bent down and slowly ran his tongue along the cleft of her left breast then the right. She moaned and ran her fingers into his hair tugging eagerly. "Joel, please," He laughed and blew on her erect nipple then taking it into his mouth he sucked on it lightly causing her to groan. Then he repeated the process on the right breast.

He nibbled the nipple of her right breast while still massaging her left. Her legs convulsing around his waist and he knew she would be ready for him soon. Moving slowly down her body, he kissed his way to the waistline of her panties and gently took them into his mouth just to tease her. Kissing her hips he removed them slowly letting his fingertips linger along the soft, pale flesh of her tighs. Throwing them off to the side, he retarted back into the space between her legs and ran a single finger down the slit between her lips. Wetness came away on his fingers and he was very glad he'd done this to her all of a sudden. Reddish curls sprung from the lips of her warmth and Joel held her sex in his hand as he leaned back up to suck on her nipple once last time. Glancing up at her face, Ellie had her head thrown back in bliss but eventually the burn of his stare effected her and looking down they met eyes. She blushed sweetly and tried to bring her legs together in embarrassment. "What?!" She asked, eyes darting around the room but not focusing on Joel's face. He shrugged though and smiled, then leaning up a little further kissed her just once.

Finally, he did what he'd been waiting to do, holding himself back to do. He crawled off the bed so he was eye level with her sex and leaned forward back into it. Ellie sat up in alarm but when she saw what he was about to do her head dropped back onto the bed and she began to laugh, "Oh God, are you actually going to-" Joel pulled her legs apart further and holding her open with his thumb and forefinger he placed his mouth against her opening. She cried out happily and her hands tightened into fists around the bedding, "Jesus, Joel!"

Slowly, he circled her opening with his tongue, he couldn't name the taste of her he thought that perhaps it was just love and her but it was more than that. It was like that feeling when you taste strawberries and cream for the first time, it was so amazing and lovely that he knew he'd never tire of it. Pulling away slightly he kissed a line along the inside of her thigh and bit down slightly, just enough to make a mark. Then holding her open again, took her bulging clitoris into his mouth. Sucking on it made Ellie moan while licking it tenderly caused her to shudder. Continuing to do so he pushed a single finger into her tight, warmth making her winch a little but pressing the width of his hot tongue against her clitoris loosened her slightly

After leisurely licking the length of her sex and circling her clitoris with his tongue till it was thick and fat between her lips he inserted another finger. "Oh Joel, slowly," Ellie tried to close her legs around him but he kissed her thigh and held them apart. Hushing her he said, "Don't worry sweetheart," Pushing his two fingers in and out slowly he built up a slow pace. Ellie moaned as Joel massaged her clitoris at the same time until she had soaked the bedding and his fingers. Eventually he stood up and removed his fingers. She lay there, limp and sweating as he removed his pants then his boxers thus releasing his solid length. Kneeling down between her legs Ellie's eyes went wide and she backed away a little, "Holy fuck! Look how big you are," Her naked body looked vulnerable as she sat up a little, pink nipples still hard. "Um... Thanks?" He looked down at his own penis and felt suddenly self conscious. Pre-come slithered sluggish from the tip and he suddenly noted that he didn't have any protection. "Ellie, I don't have anything..." She looked confused for a moment then eyes going even wider, she understood.

"Oh, oh okay," Ellie sat up onto her knees, "Neither do I... Not any big enough anyway," She chuckled a little as they sat awkwardly facing one another.
"Do you still want to-?" Joel asked, eyebrows raised as Ellie peered down at his cock like it was an ice-cream dessert. Lying back down onto her back, she opened her legs wide and touched her own breasts. Joel smiled and bending down between her legs, kissed his way up from her stomach to her neck then her lips.

They kissed passionately for several minutes then taking his own length into his hand he guided it to her warm, wet entrance. He pulled away for a second to watch her face as he held her hip in his hand to keep her still then without wish to hurt her pushed himself inside her. She cried out a little then gritted her teeth. "Sorry Ellie, this will only hurt for a second," He stroked her hair back from her face then thrust deeper into her tight heat. She was so wet and warm like hot silk. Joel groaned loudly before gripping both her hips and thrusting deeper inside until half his length was inside her. Tears slipped from her eyes but she didn't complain, just continued to let her legs fall open. Kissing her neck and tugging the nipples of either breast Joel thrust hard and fast until the final inches of his length were inside her.

Straining against the pressure of her around him he paused for a moment to regain his bearings while she did the same. It'd been far too long since he'd done this and he was far too out of practise to go to town on her right now. Ellie was whining a little and pulled away he looked at her and smiled a little, "Are you okay, baby?" He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and though her eyes were closed still she nodded. "Want me to keep going?" He asked wearily, pulling away more to see the damage between her legs but there was no blood as far as he could see. She lay still for a moment then nodded once.

Grabbing her hips again in either hand he began to slowly pump himself in and out of her. She was silent at first but began to moan a little and pant then louder and louder. Until she was crying out for him to go faster or deeper or harder. He could laugh out loud at the obscurity of it all but it would probably ruin the moment.

Reaching down to massage her breasts in either hands he went at a faster pace and as her voice built in a climax of screams he grabbed her hips again and reaching down held her ass apart in reach hand as he took her as he had in all his fantasies. His orgasm was so very close and she cried for him to go faster and that she was so close he knew he wanted to come with her.

The muscles around him began to squeeze around him like a vice and as the last of the blood in his body seemed to circulate to only one part of him he thrust as hard and deep as he could until he felt his testicles tighten almost painfully. Ellie began to scream in joy before yelling, "I'm going to come," then as if it was his undoing Joel ripped himself out of her in the last second and relased himself over her naked body. Pearly, white ribbons of semen pumped from his throbbing cock onto her abdonmen and onto her breasts while her sex continued to drip onto the bed from where he'd exited her in a rush. He tugged on himself a final few times just to make sure he was all done but the orgasm had rocked his entire body and core.

Ellie laughed a little and touched the sticky substance on her before saying, "Ew, really Joel?" Before he collasped down onto the bed next to her, they lay in silence for a second breathing hard. Joel's eyes went wide as he stared at the ceiling then flashing his eyes at her asked nervously, "Are you okay- I mean, was that okay? For you I mean?" He felt so ridiculous being nervous about this but well... He had just fucked his young companion.

She turned to him and smiled, "Yes, it was okay."
"Right..." He nodded to himself then thinking turned back to her, "Okay?! " Frowning to himself. Ellie laughed loudly and held her stomach as the laughter shook her,
"Okay, Joel, it was more than okay. It was great," Still laughing to herself.
Joel smiled and folding his hands behind his head felt the waves of masculine smugness roll over him.
"You called my name," She said softly before snugging into the side of his chest. He wrapped an arm around her before looking down in confusion. "When you came, you called my name," She giggled a little again and Joel just rolled his eyes. "And by the way... Derek and I, we never... you know- did it," She wouldn't look at him but when her eyes dragged up from her knotted hands to face he knew she was telling the truth through her green eyes, clear and endless like an ocean.

Six months after Derek's death.

The dead are forgotten in these times, it is sad but it is true. The town has already forgotten the warmth and love they believed Derek brought to their lives. They do not remember his smile without prompt or his lost words without reminder. They do not remember the monster that wandered among them.

Joel and Ellie did not remain silent about their relationship after that first night together. They told Tommy, then Marie and before long the whole town knew. Some were upset, very upset, and refused to accept the two being together. But others assumed it was already happening from the beginning or weren't too bothered to start with. It was forgotten about after long because like everything, it isn't important.

In the late summer Joel purposed to Ellie, under a cover of stars and endless nights he promised to love, protect and care for her until she needed him no longer. Ellie said yes and the whole town attended their end of summer wedding. They married beneath an old oak tree near the church with autmn colours surrounding them like rivers of red, yellow and orange. It was so beautiful. Andy was the best man and held the ring Joel made himself out of wedge of silver he'd found in the woods, carved roughly with their itinals and polished to a shining sparkle. Ellie picked a girl from her school friends to be her maid of honour and the two girls worked for weeks on making Ellie the perfect wedding dress. The savaged the lands around the town looking for good white fabric, lace and silk despite Ellie not being the virgin-bride that should wear white. Marital life suited the couple. They were happy, they'd always been happy together.

One morning, Mrs Ellie Miller attended the local doctor and spoke in quiet whispers before returning home to prepare her husband's evening meal. When he came home hours later they sat and ate before going to the evening film viewing at the local hall. But afterwards, as they walked home together. Ellie leaned into her husband's ear and whispered with a smile on her face, "You're going to be a father," Joel's face split into an anxious but disbelieving smile then grabbing her around the waist he spun her round cried out in happiness, covering his face against her sweater to hide the few tears of happiness that fell from his eyes he thanked God. He was finally home.

Thanks for your patience guys!