Hello everyone and I would just like to say, welcome back! I haven't done something for this fanfiction in a long time, and as I was rereading it yesterday, I figured I would add one last thing for you guys to read. This chapter is based on the conversation that started it all (holidays), as the title goes. Hope you enjoy this last installment!

The Conversation that Started it All

Ellie wasn't quite sure how to ask Joel what was on her mind. The question kept persisting, but the words wouldn't come to her when she did try to ask. It wasn't like she couldn't speak her mind (she did often enough); it was just that this particular subject wasn't something she had asked before.

So, instead of annoying Joel with her questions, she kept herself busy by observing her surroundings. They were currently walking through a forest, the leaves bright green and rays of light filtering through them. The ground was fairly solid beneath her feet, not muddy like some of the other places she had been.

It was a refreshing sort of change, almost as if everything was a new start. She smiled at a small rabbit that peeked out at her from the buses.

"Hey there little guy," she whispered, causing the rabbit to disappear in fright back into the bushes. At least she hoped it was her talking that caused it to disappear, and not something else.

Joel had glanced back at her to see what had caused her to talk, but once he realized that she was in no immediate danger, his attention was on the route ahead. In a way, she almost felt like a burden, wishing that she could do more.

Why won't he let me help? The question frustrated her, but as Joel always said "the past is the past" so she tried not to dwell on it too much.

"Hey Joel?" she started out hesitantly, not knowing quite how to phrase her question. It seemed quite strange and unimportant in the world they lived in, but it was bothering her so much that she knew she had to ask.

"Hmm?" was Joel's reply, letting her know that he was listening. She hesitated again, wondering what his reply would be.

It can't be worse than anything else he's said to me.

"What were holidays like twenty years ago?" she finally mustered up the strength to ask the question, but her gaze was still on the ground.

Normally, she found that she would be staring at Joel's footprints that were left in the mud, but since there was no mud, she found herself staring at the dust that was kicked up from the solid ground. The particles floated in the air for a few moments before dissipating, reminding her of the Cordyceps spores that she had so often breathed in.

Both kind of have a musty smell to them, she thought, her gaze traveling to Joel's face. His brow was furrowed, giving the impression that he was deep in thought. She wondered if the question had sent him back in time through his memories; he sort of had that look like back at the capitol building while staring at his broken watch.

"That's…" Joel had started to say, but trailed off. Ellie had figured out that in the short time she had been with him, he was not one with words, which combated her need to say what was on her mind. It sort of made things complicated.

"I know that there were different holidays, but what were they for?" she tried to give him more of a direct question, knowing that he might have an easier time answering if she did.

"Ellie…" Joel's voice held that tone that was a mix between a warning and extreme exhaustion. She knew the tone, but she wasn't going to let him get away with butting her question out of the way.

"I know 'the past is the past, so don't dwell on it'. You've said it a million times. Could just explain for once?" she asked, getting a bit fed up. Joel never talked unless he felt like talking, and she wasn't one to just sit around and say nothing all day.

Once again, they're path wasn't like a straight, yellow brick road with neon signs saying "To the Fireflies". It was more of a bumpy, gray brick road with too many forks in it. They're relationship sort of felt like that.

"Holidays were…" Joel had started to explain again, but cut off; he then continued with the look she gave him, "celebrations for a special point, whether that be a point in the year or in someone's life."

"Like birthdays were to celebrate you turning one year older than your already extremely old age," she joked, but then realized that she might have ruined her chance of him explaining, especially with the look he was giving her, "sorry, shouldn't have said that. Continue on."

Joel shook his head, whether in irritation or slight amusement she wasn't sure, but he continued nonetheless.

"Yes, birthdays were one of those celebrations, but there were also many others. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were the celebrations for a new year beginning."

"Seems pretty self-explanatory," she added her two sense, but then let him continue again.

"Valentine's Day was celebrating with someone you loved," Joel didn't seem too happy about going into that one, so she decided she would try and delve further.

"Did you have anyone you loved?" she asked, increasing her pace to catch up to him a bit. By the look he was giving her, she figured she wouldn't get an answer.

"We aren't exploring my personal life. What was the first rule?" he asked, making her sigh as she repeated it on instinct.

"'Keep your past to yourself'," she repeated in an annoyed voice while trying to mimic how Joel had said it. The mimicking would have normally made her laugh, but she didn't feel in the mood right then.

"Right," he answered, surprising her when he continued, "There was also the Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas, and many others."

"I've been to a Halloween store before," she stated with a smile, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. Her pace slowed when she didn't see his demeanor change a bit; that was, until she remembered a holiday Marlene had told her about a while ago.

"What about Father's and Mother's day?" she asked, her question making him stop walking. She stared up at him, seeing that same look in his eyes again. Her question was definitely sending him back in memory lane.

"Those were days when you would show appreciation to your parents," he answered, but then continued to walk. She wondered why the explanation was so sort, making her not realize that she was falling behind. She quickly caught up to him, despite near tripping on a spare tree root.

"What did people do to show their appreciation?" she wondered if her questions were becoming too annoying. Normally Joel would tell her, but she was starting to get a feel for how far she could push the envelope.

"Make cards, buy gifts, that sort of stuff," Joel's weary mumble made her stop, knowing that she was getting to his breaking point. Instead, she saw something in the distance that made her stop.

"Hey Joel, look!" she shouted, pointing at what had caught her attention with a smile. Joel followed her gaze, and her smile widened when she felt a plan forming in her mind.

Standing in front of them was an old shack, the bark rotting along the outside of the windows and the roof surprisingly fully intact. To anyone else, it would have looked like just a shack, but to Ellie, it was where her idea would come alive.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to look," Joel muttered, not seeing the expression on Ellie's face as they walked towards the shack, unbeknownst of what was next to come.

Now, I know it's been a long time since I did any work on this story (and I know I said that the second chapter was probably the last one), but reading back over this fanfiction, I didn't feel as if it were complete without something else. The idea for this chapter kept bothering me (sort of like how the question of holidays kept bothering Ellie) and I knew that I had to do at least one more chapter for a sort of closure. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

-AnimeWolfGirl9