This chapter might actually be shorter than most, and probably not the best of them. Truth is, I struggled with the AUs for a while, and then got a new laptop. This whole chapter was lost in the file transfer. I've tried to recreate it as best I can, but a lot was cut out. Also, I made the decision to pretty much cut out most of the UEC part of the game, because I doubt much different would happen.

Hope this chapter isn't too much of a let down. I'll make sure the next chapter compensates for it.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Why So Grumpy, Mr. Grouch?

For the third time in twenty minutes, his stomach rumbled. He was seriously regretting wasting that bag of fruit pieces. No doubt the idiots that locked them in there had no intention of coming back. He didn't want to say anything, but he seriously needed to take a piss. Going in front of a lady wasn't a line he was going to cross. He did have some gentleman tendencies. Not many, but some of them were there.

"I got a theory," said Becky, standing up. She stepped over him. "You said they were morons, right?"

"I did," Joel replied with a nod.

Becky placed her hand on the door handle, closed her eyes to concentrate. No sounds at all of approaching humans or infected. She turned the door handle down, and let go as it swung outwards. Now they both felt like morons. How could they have spent all night in a janitor's closet, and not considered that their "jailers" hadn't even bothered to lock the door?

After grabbing their rucksacks, they dashed out before anyone was even aware they were gone. First stop for Joel was to take a leak in the nearest toilet. Damn, he seriously needed that. He walked out the door, and didn't see Becky at all. The dark littered locker lined corridor was empty. So silent, if a pin dropped he would certainly hear it.

Where is she? Joel thought to himself.

There were no gunshots, or even any signs of a scuffle.

He moved down the corridor, his hand hovering over the holster at his belt. Ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

"Becky," he whispered.

"Joel?" she called back. Her voice came from a nearby classroom. "Joel? Where are you? I've been waiting forever."

Joel hurried to the classroom her voice came to. "Uh…" He almost jumped at the sight of a skeleton wearing Becky's blue shirt.

The frame was still attached. It stood behind a work station, leaning one elbow on the surface. It's open jawbone on its hand. The other arm rested flat. For a brief moment, he feared Becky was dead. How the hell would he explain this to Josh or Annalisa? Or even Ellie? Then the logic part of his brain screamed at him that even if she died, she wouldn't be just bones and so well posed, in the short time they were apart.

"Becky," Joel growled, in an irritable tone.

Becky popped up from behind the desk. Her bandaged arm was fully visible because the black top she wore underneath lacked sleeves. They were ripped off at some point. An amused look on her face, she said, "What? I said I've been waiting forever!" Her eyes widened momentarily after the final word. She slipped the shirt off the skeleton and put it back on. There was no time to fasten buttons.

Noises of two approaching men echoed down the corridor. Becky ducked back down behind the desk. Joel had nowhere else to hide but a locker right next to the door. He ducked inside and waited. Two men walked in. One quite old, and another young. Both of them approached the very desk Becky hid behind. For a moment Joel's heart skipped a beat. Fuck! Would they find her?!

His fears were unnecessary. They stopped near it, with the backs to it.

"Found them yet?" asked the young one. He was a hand talker, meaning he gestured with his hands as he talked. Not sign language. At least none Joel was aware of. He wanted to laugh, but had to stop himself. The skeleton mimicked his arm movements, through rods. "They got to be here somewhere." He stopped, and looked to the skeleton that had stopped.

"We'll keep on looking," said the old guy, his gaze focused on the door.

The skeleton nodded along with the young guy.

Both men looked to the still skeleton. Stood there confused for a few moments, scratched their respective heads, and hurried off out the classroom. Joel waited a few minutes until the sounds of their footsteps had gone. He emerged from the locker, and had to laugh.

"Alright, that was funny," he admitted.

Becky rose from behind the desk, smiling.

"Just fucking die!" Tess shouted, unloading two bullets into some guy who had charged through the door. She was filled with a combination of rage and fear.

Joel lay impaled on thick wiring, almost bleeding to death, and she had to trust the kid could pull him free without killing him. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Tess abandoned her post, hurrying to Joel. She shoved Ellie away, muttered something about watching the door. The words came out of her mouth, but she didn't even really process that she had said them.

"You aren't going to leave me like this, Texas," Tess told him.

Joel tried to laugh, but that hurt too much. He zoned out again. Sounds of bullets being shot brought him back. One hard pull, and Tess wrenched him free. He felt so frail and weak, that dying seemed the only way. He slumped against her frame, forcing her to bare his weight on her shoulder. She draped his arm across both her shoulders, supported him as they stumbled together through the door.

"Ellie, go ahead. I got this," said Tess.

Bill and Ellie made an odd pair walking down the dump of a street. He was big and fat and held a grudge, she was small and petite and semi-knew how to laugh and have fun. Well, she used to. Not so much these days. They stopped near a rotted out truck.

"Oh yeah, Bill, I have something for you," said Ellie, slipping off her backpack. She rummaged around in it for a slip of paper. She offered it to him. "I made this with you in mind."

"Really?" said Bill, taking the paper. He looked touch that someone had given a shit about him enough to actually make something. That look didn't last long. He read the message and opened it.

Ellie's heart sank. He made no visible indication of his feelings on it. His beady eyes staring at the page. Bill lowered it and stared at her. His mouth firmly shut.

What could she do? Laugh? Cry? Beg for forgiveness? Act like it was the wrong paper?

Bill grabbed her by the arm. "We have to make a detour."

"You're really going to walk down the corridor with that thing?" asked Joel, eyebrow raised at the thought.

"As you see," Becky replied. She walked side by side, hand in hand, pulling the skeleton along. Good thing the frame had wheels or getting it around would be a real bitch. Becky did insist on bringing it along.

"Why do you even need it?" Joel asked.

"A skeleton can come in handy you know. It isn't real bones. Josh can use it to practice and demonstrate wrapping bandages on. Anna really shouldn't be expected to play test patient as often as she does."

Something lay on the ground ahead. Too big to be random garbage, not alive enough to be infected. As they moved closer, they saw the bodies of the men who were just in the classroom. Both had a stab wound to the throat. Becky and Joel looked to one another. Whatever killed them must still be nearby. They turned around and jogged in the opposite direction. Reluctantly Becky had to surrender the skeleton, the wheels were making so much noise the killer could easily find them.

At the end of the corridor in the opposite direction, Joel ducked down behind a desk. Becky chose a pile of crates as her hiding spot. Something groaned in the room right behind them. Both doors were shut, but that usually didn't make much of a difference. It was a low deep "Urr…" Then heavy breaths. The doors burst open revealing a bloater. Whatever was ahead was much more favorable than this. No words needed. The both of them stood up and run, weaving around boxes, chairs, Skelly—who Becky grabbed the hand off, heck the bloater had already sensed them. What harm could the wheels of a skeleton do? Hastily, she unhooked it from the frame and carried the plastic bones with her.

Joel reached the door at the end before her, yelled for her to hurry up. The moment Becky was inside, he toppled a nearby book case in a bid to stall the bloater. They turned, and dashed up some stairs. He had never known a bloater to climb stairs before. At least, he'd never seen it with his own eyes. Therefore, it was safe to assume they might be safe.

All the classroom doors were blocked off, except for the last one. Each pain of glass had shattered out, all the furniture gone. Vines had grown in, and created a leafy carpet along the ground.

"You and that damn skeleton!" Joel said, angrily.

"I couldn't leave it for the bloater to smash. I was going to come back later to get it," Becky fired back. "Excuse me Mr. Grumpy, for saving myself the bother of having to find another." She sat the skeleton down, propping its back against the wall.

They were completely unaware of a gun pointed right at them.

More hunters kept on coming. One had already pinned them in a classroom, where Tess had to shoot him while Ellie distracted him. Then they managed to get Joel up on his feet. He swayed so much, Tess had to support him. Without even thinking, she shot some guy trying to steal one of the horses.

"You ride with Joel on Callus," said Tess, helping Joel up onto the horse's back.

"Are you sure you can ride on your own?" Ellie replied.

"I'll be fine. I know enough. You don't know if you can't do something unless you try. Joel needs you right now." Ellie had taught her well.

They mounted the horses and rode off, hoping to put the university far behind them. Joel felt light headed, his whole body started to sway. Anticipating this, Tess urged her horse closer to Callus, and caught him. Cradling him in his arms.

"Joel… not like this…" said Tess, on the verge of tears.

"Thanks Bill," said Ellie, resisting the temptation to throw up.

Bill climbed down off Lincoln's only working photocopy machine. He pulled up his pants, collected the paper from the tray and passed it to her. Ass picture for an ass picture. Seemed fair. Ellie did take something from this; next time you send someone an ass picture, don't be surprised if you get one back.

She followed over the paper and stowed it away in her backpack. Perhaps she will wait until after they leave Lincoln to dispose of it. "Are we going to go looking for Joel and Becky now?"

Bill nodded.