Chapter Text
The valley is still covered in pockets of frost where the sun has yet to grace it with its rays. Crocus and other early spring flowers push up from the earth to mix with the green of the grass, just starting to come back to life after the long winter. The air feels crisp on Joel’s skin, and he cups his hands together in front of his mouth to blow in them, trying to bring back some of the warmth. He should just pull his gloves out of his pockets and put them on, but something about the spring air feels rejuvenating, and Joel wants to soak up as much of it as he can before it turns again. The weather this early in the year is still so fickle it’s worth enjoying the good days as much as you can because you don’t know when the next one will be. He hears Tommy grunt and turns to him where he’s laid out on the ground next to him.
“Joel, I got someone. Can’t tell if it's infected or not, they’re stumblin’, but it could be for other reasons,” Tommy says, his rifle braced against a log, eye to the scope.
“Let me take a look,” Joel asks, motioning for the gun. Tommy hands it over, and Joel scoots down so he can get a good look through the scope. He sees a figure almost immediately right out in the open. Tommy’s right; they’re stumbling, but the movement is all wrong for infected. Joel has seen enough of them to know what they look like, and this ain’t it. He could be wrong, but it looks like a human, and they look like they’re in bad shape. “I think it’s a person. Let's get closer, see if we can get a better look.”
Tommy nods, and they gather their gear and climb onto their horses. Old Beardy shifts under his weight, and he calms him with a gentle hand to his neck and a muttered ‘woah there, boy,’ and he settles his rifle on his back. They keep to the wooded area as long as they can, and once they’ve moved close enough, Tommy brings his gun up again and takes another peek. “Yup, it looks like a person, alright. Let's do a quick sweep of the perimeter just to make sure this ain’t a trap and then go get ‘em.”
They clear the area both on horseback and further out with their rifles but find no one else. So they pull their bandanas up and ride out to go get them. They get close, and Joel can see that he’s filthy, covered head to toe in mud. His beard is long and ragged, hair disheveled and crusted with filth. He’s skinny in the way of someone who hasn’t seen a regular meal in a long time, and his eyes are vacant and bleary. On closer inspection, Joel can see that his face is lined with wrinkles. He’s gotta be in his 80s or older. How he got out this far on his own is a miracle, there are no settlements close by that Joel is aware of.
“Halt!” Tommy calls, reining Justified in and pulling up his rifle. The man stumbles in surprise, like he didn’t even hear them coming, and falls to his hands and knees. He looks up from the ground, his eyes searching, and finds them on their horses. “Are you infected?” Tommy asks.
The man shakes his head and raises his trembling hands, “No” his voice is cracked and rough, as if he hasn’t spoken in days.
“What are ya doin’ out here?” Tommy questions, his rifle pointed at his head.
The man coughs, clearing his throat, then answers in a thick southern drawl. “I was tryin’ to find a settlement I heard of, got caught in a mudslide, lost my horse and gear.” he looks around, his gaze losing focus, his hands wavering downward. If Joel had to guess, he’d say he has a concussion based on his confusion. “I think it was a day or two ago. I’m not sure. I slept a while back, but I’m not sure when, it’s fuzzy.”
Joel looks to Tommy and signs *needs help, back Jackson* raising his brows in question. Tommy nods and signs back *not far, he ride, I walk* Joel takes a second to look at the man again and can see how he’s swaying on his knees, and he nods to Tommy.
“Okay, we have a settlement nearby. We’ll take you and get ya some help.” Tommy calls, and the man nods slowly. “I’m gettin’ off my horse, and I’m gonna check ya over for weapons and bites, then you’re gonna ride my horse, and I’m gonna walk it back.” The man nods again, trying to get back to his feet, but he’s unsuccessful and slumps back down to his knees. Tommy quickly twists his rifle around to his back and swings off his horse. Joel keeps his rifle pointed at the man’s head as Tommy does a thorough check for weapons and then helps the man stand. He motions for the man to strip his coat off. He’s shrugging it off his shoulders when he winces and has to stop. Tommy steps forward with a mumbled, ‘That’s okay, let me help.’ The man looks hesitant for a moment, grimaces, and then nods his head sharply. Tommy leans in and gently pulls it the rest of the way off. The man has to brace himself for a moment on his knees from the pain before Tommy can finish checking him over for infection. There are no visible bites, but he’s got bruising consistent with a fall. From how he’s moving, when Tommy helps him get his coat back on, Joel thinks he may have pulled something in his shoulder.
“He’s clean,” Tommy says to Joel. Tommy pulls down his bandana, gently pats the man on his good shoulder, smiles brightly, and says, “Let's get you up on this here horse.”
He manages to get up on the horse mostly on his own, only needing a little help from Tommy. He settles, and Joel swings his rifle to his back and nods to Tommy, who grabs the horse's reins and starts making their way back to town.
“So what’s your name?” Tommy asks when they’re fully on their way.
“Javi,” the man grunts as he grips white-knuckled to the pommel of the saddle, his eyes half closed and his teeth gritted in discomfort. He most likely has other injuries they can’t see yet, which wouldn’t be surprising if he were in a mudslide, like he said.
Tommy snorts a surprised laugh and says, “That’s funny,” looking to Joel but not elaborating. Joel huffs and shares a laugh with Tommy. It’s not necessarily a common name, but it’s still common enough for a man of Javi’s age that Joel is not completely surprised. Javi doesn’t seem bothered by Tommy and Joel’s response, too busy at the moment trying to keep himself upright in the saddle.
“Well, Javi, it’s nice to meet ya. We should be able to get you all set to rights and get some food inside you, too.” Tommy looks ahead toward Jackson as it appears over the next hill they climb, “There she is, home sweet home.”
Javi looks up, and his eyes widen. He gives a low whistle and seems to gain a bit more energy at the prospect of someplace warm and safe waiting for them. “Now ain’t that a sight. Don’t think I’ve seen someplace like that in a long time.” He pauses and looks to both Tommy and Joel. If he wasn’t so caked in mud, Joel thinks he might be coloring with embarrassment, “I really appreciate ya comin’ to my aid. I woulda died if you boys hadn’t come along.”
“It’s no big deal. We gotta help each other in this world.” Tommy waves away his thanks with a pshaw and says, “Now, let’s get you inside.”
Javi huffs lightly and turns back to look at Jackson glowing in the late afternoon sun, his face slack with exhaustion. Tommy clicks to Justified, and they point their noses homeward.
—
They’re in the clinic, Javi having been cleared by Moody, the infection dog on duty, and Tommy helps him get settled on the cot. They called for a doctor to get him checked out and for someone from the council to go over Jackson's rules.
“Thank ya so much for your help,” Javi says and shrugs off his coat with a hiss of pain and a grunt. “I, uh, never asked, but why’d you laugh when I told you my name back there?”
“Oh, it’s nothin’. It’s just that was our daddy’s name, too. Just surprised to hear it, is all,” Tommy says. He moves back and points to the corner of the room, “Got a sink over here if you want to at least clean off your hands and face. We got a shower in the clinic, too. Once the doc clears ya, we can get you some clean clothes, and you can get washed.”
“That’s mighty kind of you,” Javi says as he walks over to the sink, rolls up his sleeves, and asks over his shoulder, “So you two are brothers?”
“Yup,” Tommy responds, gesturing to Joel as he places a towel next to the sink. Javi’s rubbing his face, water, and soup lathered in his hands, and he makes a sound of acknowledgment. He finishes cleaning the parts of himself he can get to and turns to them, wiping his face with the towel. His face now clean, Joel can see him more clearly without the mud caked into every wrinkle and crease in his skin. Joel would guess he’s closer to his 70s than his 80s. He’s still got lines etched by time across his brow and around his eyes, but they aren’t as deep set as they had looked. His eyes are bright, golden brown, and his skin is dark from long days in the sun. He places the towel on the edge of the sink and returns to the cot, lowering himself with a pained groan.
“Where are you two from? Your accent sounds familiar.” Javi asks, rubbing his hands along the sheets of the cot nervously. His age spot covered forearms are corded with muscle, showing he’s a man used to hard labor.
“Texas,” Tommy says, leaning against the wall next to Joel. “Austin, to be exact, though since the outbreak, we’ve been all over,” Javi huffs a surprised sound and looks at the two of them, his brows drawn together.
“That’s interestin’. I’m from Austin, too, born and raised. Though, like you, I’ve been all over since the world went to shit. What part?” He asks, “Maybe we were neighbors,” he laughs, and Tommy chuckles with him.
“Travis County,” Joel says, the first time that he’s spoken since they met. A sense of unease is starting to tingle along his spine. Something about Javi’s face, even covered with weeks' worth of hair growth, seems familiar to him, and he’s trying to plumb the depths of his memories for where he might remember him from.
“Shit, ya don’t say. I lived there for a time back in the 70s, roundabout,” he muses, rolling his shoulders and wincing a little as he does. His eyes seem to stare off for a moment like he’s looking into the past, and when he comes back to himself, he asks Tommy, “What are you boy’s names? Maybe I remember ya.”
“Oh, sorry, I never did introduce myself. Name’s Tommy, and this here is my brother Joel,” Tommy says, gesturing to himself and then to Joel.
“Joel… Tommy…” Joel watches as Javi suddenly pales, and his hands grip the edge of the bed hard, the sheets wrinkling around his fingers. His eyes widen as he looks over to Tommy and then over to Joel. “What’s your last name?”
Joel suddenly feels the tension rising in the room. He stands up, his hand going to his gun on his hip. Tommy shifts, and his brows come together as his hand shifts down to his sidearm as well.
“Why ya askin'?” Tommy’s voice has gone from congenial to calculating, and Joel can see a little of the man he used to be in Boston. The two of them have done some terrible things in their time, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they somehow wronged someone this man knew and loved. The likeliness of it is slim, but you never know in this world. It’s in their best interest to be cautious.
“Is it by any chance Miller?” Javi asks, his voice tight, his face unreadable. Joel’s proud of how Tommy manages not to react to his words. He slides up further on the wall, his stance changing to one where he can react quickly if he needs to.
“I asked you a question. I think it’s time you answered.” Tommy drawls, his voice low and commanding. “If not, I’m gonna have to ask ya to leave.”
Javi takes a breath, and his hands come away from the bed, he raises them in front of himself, his eyes softening, “I mean no harm, I swear to ya. It’s just… I had two boys back before the outbreak.” His voice cracks, and he has to swallow to clear it. “Their names were Joel and Tomás Miller.”
Tommy’s body tenses and his face goes blank, his eyes filling with shock. Joel looks back to Javi, and the feeling of familiarity he had earlier clicks. His nose, the shape of his jaw clear even though his beard, memories spark in the far recess of his brain, and Joel has to hold back a gasp. He remembers those dark brown eyes in a much younger face, cold and empty, as he’d turned and walked out the door. Joel remembers his mother's tears as she begged him to stay, a bruise already blooming under her eye, Tommy clinging to her, crying as well, big fat drops rolling down his cheeks. Joel remembers the feeling of his fists curling at his sides, praying that his father wouldn't come back this time, thankful when the weeks passed, and he hadn’t.
“Your sons, what was their mother’s name?” Joel asks, his voice sharp and cold as steel. Was this another way that Joel would be tested? Would the universe be so cruel as to bring back into his life now the man that had brought him so much pain when he had just finally started to find peace?
“She was born Verónica Balmaceda, but I used to call her Cari… in our better times,” Javi says, his hands still up, feeling the tension still high in the room.
“Jesus Christ, it can’t be,” Tommy says as he slumps against the wall, his arms going around himself and his hands slipping under his armpits. He holds himself tightly as his eyes lock on Javi’s face. “How is this fuckin’ possible?”
“You still do that? You used to do that when you were little, too. I remember.” Javi says, looking at Tommy against the wall, who immediately pulls out of the position, his body tight like a bowstring.
“I can’t… I ain’t doin’ this,” Tommy spits, his voice high and strained. He makes a cutting motion with the side of his hand and looks to Joel, desperation written across his face, “I’m sorry I can’t stay in here.”
“Go, Tommy, it’s okay. I’ll handle it,” Joel says, his own voice strained. Tommy spins and strides out of the room, the door banging against the wall before closing behind him. Joel flinches but doesn’t take his eyes off the man on the cot. Javi, Javier Miller. His father.
“How the hell are you two here?” Javi says, his hands falling back to rest on his knees.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Joel comments. He grabs a chair from against the wall and falls into it, his body suddenly aching. The adrenaline that is flooding his system flows away as the tension in the room slips away with Tommy’s exit. “We haven’t seen you in almost 50 years, never imagined we would again, to be honest.” Joel brings his fingers to the bridge of his nose and pinches it, feeling a headache building up behind his eyes.
“That’s somethin’ your mama used to…” Javi starts to say, but Joel cuts him off with a hissed breath,
“Don’t you talk about her,” His voice is like a whip cracking across the room, “You got no right, even sayin’ her name, leavin’ her like you did, you got no right.” Feelings that Joel had long since thought buried come bubbling to the surface, and he has to grip the arms of the chair lest he gets up and plants his fist in this man's face.
Javi senses the shift in Joel and smartly stays quiet.
Joel very much wants to go after Tommy and talk to him about what’s going on, but he can’t. He’s trapped her with this ghost of their past until the doctor comes and clears him, and someone else can take over. He sighs and tries to fall back into the role he has played here at Jackson in the past.
“Once you get cleared by the doc, one of the members of the council will come talk to you about how it works here in Jackson. I’ll stay until they arrive then I’ll take my leave.” Joel says, his tone flat, his eyes on the ground near Javi’s feet.
“Joel… I wanna talk to you about what happened.” Javi says hesitantly. Joel shakes his head and looks up at him, his eyes hard.
“No, not now. I can’t. I-I need to talk to Tommy, and you need to get seen to and get settled in. Maybe… after, I don’t know. Maybe.” Joel looks back down to the floor and thank god the door opens. He’s praying it's the doctor, but his face falls when he realizes it’s not. It’s Maria, heavily pregnant with her and Tommy’s second child.
She sees Joel out of the corner of her eye and turns to him. Something about the way he looks or the atmosphere in the room must alert her that there’s a problem, and she steps closer to Joel.
“Where’s Tommy?” She questions her hands coming to rest on her stomach.
“He had to leave.” Joel can see Maria’s sudden unease, and he’s quick to reassure her, “He’s fine. It’s just complicated. I can explain once the doc gets here. So, are you the one the council sent as the representative?”
Maria nods, “Yes, Meaghan had to deal with an issue at the greenhouses. Tess is still out on her patrol, and Jack has the kids today. So it’s me.” She turns to Javi on the cot and walks forward, her hand outstretched. “Hello, my name's Maria Miller. I’m a member of the council here in Jackson, and on behalf of everyone, I would like to welcome you.”
Javi stands up, his hand a little unsteady when he reaches out to shake hers. “You said, Miller. Did I hear that right?” He asks, his eyes cutting to her middle and then to Joel. She notices and smiles.
“Yes, that’s right, Joel’s my brother-in-law, Tommy’s my husband.” Her hand falls back down to rest on her abdomen, and Javi smiles at seeing it.
“Well, Maria, It’s mighty nice to meet ya, ma’am. Real happy you folks found me when ya did. I don’t know how much longer I would have survived out there.” He looks to Joel, his eyes questioning, and Joel shrugs. No use in hiding it. She’s gonna find out soon enough. “And uh, the name’s Javier Miller.”
Maria’s hand goes to her mouth in surprise, and her eyes go round. Joel knows Tommy has talked to Maria about their father and has most likely told her his name. She turns to Joel, and the look on his face must tell it all. “This is why Tommy left.” Joel nods, and she backs up a step and then another towards the door, “Joel, are you… can you stay?”
“Yeah, I got it, go find him.” Joel stands up, and Maria casts one last glance in Javi’s direction, then flees out the door to hopefully find Tommy. Joel watches her go, a sigh leaving his lips. Maria will find him, she knows where he might have gone. Joel wishes he didn’t have to stay here, but at least someone can go be with Tommy.
“So she’s Tommy’s wife? And they got a kid comin’.” Joel looks back to where Javi is looking after where Maria just walked out. His eyes are wet, the wrinkles deep set around the edges.
“I ain’t talkin’ to you about that. That’s for Tommy to say if he wants to.” Joel’s fingers twitch as he tries to ignore the tremor he sees in Javi’s face at his words.
Finally, the door opens, and Dr. Samual, nurse in tow, gives Joel the reprieve he needs.
“Doc, I need to go see to Tommy. Can you send someone to come get me when you’re done here?” Joel feels the pull of the open door, and he doesn’t know what to do if the doctor says he needs him to stay.
“That’s fine, Joel, you go ahead. I’ll send someone when we’re finished.” The doctor looks at his clipboard, his mind already on his next task. Joel thanks him, and with one last look at Javi on the cot, body slumped forward, eyes downcast, hands limp in his lap as if he’s ready to fall apart, Joel escapes out the door.