Heaven

A/N: This is just a one-shot idea I had after seeing Ellie talk to Sam about what happens to people when they die. Hope you enjoy! I do not own "The Last of Us."

Ellie had seen some very disturbing things in her lifetime, but the deaths of Henry and Sam was definitely the worst. She couldn't imagine how it must have felt to shoot your own brother—the one who you were supposed to protect. And Sam: Now she understood why he asked her about heaven the night before. He knew that he was infected, and that he knew it was only a matter of time until he died as well. Joel seemed unfazed by the whole affair, which wasn't surprising. The man had lived in a world like this for quite some time, he'd probably seen everything. He wanted to leave after the deaths of Henry and Sam, but Ellie insisted that they stay and give them a proper burial first. After much coaxing, Joel reluctantly agreed.

They found a spot in the woods, not too far from the radio tower. Using the shovel he found in a hut nearby, Joel dug a shallow grave for Henry and Sam. Ellie couldn't help but shed a tear as she watched Joel place their bodies into the ground, and cover them with dirt. What a tragic end, she thought. They didn't deserve this. Nobody did.

After Joel finished packing the dirt down on both graves, he stepped back and looked at his handiwork.

"It's nothing special, but it'll do," he said. "Let's go."

"Wait" Ellie said, grabbing a hold of his arm.

"What?"

"Shouldn't we say something?"

Joel sighed. He wanted to move on, and put this unfortunate event in the past, but he was too tired to argue with Ellie.

He turned around and took a few steps towards both graves.

"Henry, Sam, I didn't you two very well, but I did appreciate your company for a while. You were both good people. I'm sorry it had to end this way."

After he was finished, Ellie came forward and gave a few words of her own.

"Henry, Sam, I am so, so sorry that this happened to you. You didn't deserve this, especially you, Sam. As much as I miss you, I hope that wherever you are; you're together, and you're happy."

"Alright. Let's go, Ellie," Joel said, already walking away.

"Joel?"

Joel stopped, and turned around, looking annoyed. "What now, Ellie?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What do you think happens to people when they die?"

Joel was quiet for a moment; wondering how to best respond to Ellie's question. In the years since the outbreak he had long abandoned his faith in God or any divine presence. As far as he was concerned, there was no God. If there was, he wouldn't have let the world be destroyed like this. But at the same time, a part of him was unsure.

"Well, I really don't know, Ellie. That's been a mystery for quite some time. Some people believe in that their spirits go on to heaven, and join up with the Lord. Others don't think there's any afterlife at all. When you die, that's it. It's over. There is no new beginning."

"For the most part, I don't believe in it either. Seeing such horrible things happen every day. What kind of God allows that to happen to the people he created?" Ellie asked.

"Like I said, it's a mystery. Now come on let's go."

"Coming," Ellie said, sadly.

She took one last look at the shallow graves of Henry and Sam; reminiscing on their short time together.

"I hope wherever you are, you're happy," she whispered.

A/N: This is just an idea I had, and I thought I'd share. I'll probably write more one-shots like this in the future. If you liked what you read, please leave a review. I'd love to hear what you think.