Chapter Text
Wildlife Apocalypse AU where Joel and Gem were driving away together, as far as they could from whatever danger they'd left, and they run out of gas at the bottom of the hill where this abandoned barn sits
Gem takes over the barn because she needs some space to actually live, and she did set up a room for Joel. But he never uses it
He lives in his car, unable to leave it. Because if he leaves, it means the life they left behind is truly gone, and there's nothing left but this apocalyptic hellscape
Gem started a farm. There were seeds in the barn, added to the stores she’d been keeping in her supplies. If not an optimist, she’d always been one to plan ahead. Meanwhile Joel scavenged: figured out what’s nearby, set traps and learned what animals are edible, journeyed a little further from the car each day.
They noticed the smoke first: consistent spires that could only be from a human fire. Assuming it's from raiders, they hid and only made their own fires at night, but after a couple days they concluded the smoke beacons were staying in the same place.
There’s some neighbors within easy walking distance. Turns out their little valley was the perfect midpoint between absolute wilderness and the hell of the cities. A strange, radioactive forest on the outskirts marked one boundary, and the abandoned gas station on the road leading to the closest city was the other. Both were once occupied.
“Should we trust anyone all the way out here?” Joel asked that night. “They’re probably not friendly towards two more mouths to feed.”
Gem frowned. “Given this barn was abandoned, despite the fertile land, the others must have enough resources already. I think we’re okay.”
“Yeah…” He crossed his arms. “What if they’re pirates? Or serial killers?”
“Then they’ll get us in our sleep anyway. Come on, we’ll need more food to get through before the first harvest.”
And so they decide to try.
First they met with their closest neighbors: a sprawling farm encircling three silos at the center. Occupied by a trio of bickering “Tuff Guys” who maintain a unified front for all of two minutes before devolving into snide comments and slap fights. It was jarring after the cold, vicious survivors they’ve met on the road, but Joel took it in stride. Gem didn’t even have to sneak away and steal grain, as Etho offered them rations after Joel beat BDubs at cards (and teased him mercilessly.)
Apparently they were on a camping trip nearby when the apocalypse hit, and found the ranch abandoned. The ranch had an extensive electricity generator system they’d hooked up to the surrounding settlements in exchange for help and resources. Through the months, they’d fought a couple mutations, but never another human. They were spared the same trauma everyone else got. Joel would be jealous if he wasn’t so grateful.
Tango told them to avoid the main ridge, as it was a conflict zone between “The Spanners” and “The Bamboozlers.” Apparently they weren’t very nice folk. Etho and BDubs nod sagely. Afterward, on the walk back to the barn, Gem broke the silence.
“They totally did something to wrong the Spanners, right?”
“Oh definitely.” Joel went quiet for a moment. “Do you think they’re dangerous?”
Gem paused. “They haven’t lost anyone important yet. It makes them soft.” Then, she smiled. “I’m glad, honestly. We could help them.”
Joel stopped walking. “Us first, Gem, you know that.”
She stopped too, looking back at him. Finally, she huffed. “Yeah, yeah. We’re family. Us against the world.”
They started walking again. Three steps in, Gem lunged over and ruffled his hair. “Hey-!”
“You totally had fun.”
He stuck his tongue out at her. And, later, he dug out his old deck of cards from the glovebox, ready to bring it next time.
Next was Ren and Martyn. Who, not 12 hours after the Tuff Guys meeting, actually visited the barn before Gem and Joel could trek up to their logging camp. Joel was passed out in the backseat when Martyn knocked on the car window, and he nearly broke the glass swinging his bat at him. Gem ended up negotiating a peace treaty with Ren as their partners sniped over their heads.
Martyn wore raider clothes, distinctive in their bullet holes and bloodstains, but insisted it’s just a facade for protection. Ren talked too eloquently as if hiding something: a distraction for his partner to use. They were a pair of scam artists -- or worse. Yet, something kept them in the valley, limiting how much damage they could do. For now.
With that in mind, Gem offered an allium seed, one of the last in her stores. There weren't a lot of flowers left in the world anymore. To plant it was to set down roots: to leave would be giving up the future. It was an earnest gift, a play at emotion, and it worked. Martyn and Ren understood the implications, had a whispered conversation, and then relaxed. We’re gonna stay here. You will too.
Joel kept sleeping in the car. He strung a line of cans around the wheels, meant to serve an early alarm, but really just annoyed them both during the daytime. When it fell off, he didn't replace it.
They met the Spanners Farm next. While they argued slightly less than the Tuff Guys, their farm was horribly unfortified, and it took Gem and Joel knocking for multiple minutes on the unlocked door before Grian answered it. “Yellow?”
Gem was about to say something, until Skizz and Mumbo appeared behind Grian, so tall they nearly took up the entire door frame. All three were still in their pajamas. It was 11 am. Gem closed her mouth.
Despite that original impression, the Spanners were lovely, inviting them into the rustic living room for coffee. While they had… drama with other neighbors - Skizz turned red when they mentioned Tango, squeezing the life out of a pillow - they were very willing to tell them about the area. Original residents of the valley, Grian and his coworker BigB worked somewhere in the now abandoned forest. Once things started going wrong, Grian moved in with his best friend Mumbo for safety. Skizz stumbled in a few weeks later, split from his team and desperate, so they took him in.
“BigB lives at the monitoring station on the edge of the forest.” Grian’s smile slanted. “He worked in wildlife science before everything, so he knows how to keep the mutations from wandering down here.”
“That’s… really dangerous.” Gem perched on the edge of the couch, trying not to disappear between the cushions. “And I know most of you haven’t seen what the cities are like now, but you need to be more cautious.”
Skizz kneaded his fingers. “I know, Gemmy, but we’re sandwiched between the forest, Bamboozlers, and Tuff Guys.” He shrugged. “And raiders don’t bother with the valley since there’s so few of us.”
“I’m not sure how you made it here to begin with.” Grian added sharply. “This area isn’t up to date on many maps.”
“We picked a direction and drove.” Joel bites out. “Anywhere was better than there. Do we need to keep going, or…?”
“No, you can stay!” Mumbo chirped. His fingers were stained with dirt and graphite: papers covered in writing crowded his side of the living room. “We could always use more help with the farm around here, um, since Grian goes out scavenging. Not that you’re obligated, or anything, but we have supplies that you don’t…”
They left the farm with a job to help as a farmhand every now and then. Well, Gem does. Joel left with a glare at Grian and slamming the front door. The hostility went both ways. But it was late when they got back to the barn, so she didn't push him on it.
Across the river sat an old rural school building turned compound. BDubs called it “The G’s place,” Grian called it “a replacement home,” and Martyn called it “Trouble.”
When they approached the gate, an alarm bell started ringing. Within moments, two people came out to meet them. A third overlooked them from the belltower, rifle aimed at their heads. Gem and Joel argued back and forth with them, attempting peace, but the G’s were thoroughly convinced that they were cannibal raiders. Things escalated.
“You’ve put the valley on edge. Give it a couple weeks.” The man, Impulse, said. “If nothing burns down, we’ll trust you.”
“We don’t have weeks to get to know you.” Joel spat. “We’re low on supplies. And your friends might be burning our barn as we speak.”
“They’re not.”
Gem and Joel ducked in unison, heads snapping towards the bell tower. A third person stood at the top, leaning against a support beam, rifle in hand. He gestured behind them with the barrel.
“If it was on fire, we’d see the smoke.”
“Thanks.” Joel snapped. “I guess there’s no rush to leave, then.” Gem took a step towards the gate, eyes trained on Impulse and Cleo. They glared back.
“We have no obligation to feed you.” The sniper tilted his head. “Don’t make this into a fight. It draws strays.”
“We can ask the others. They’ll vouch for us.” Gem murmured in a low tone. Joel grit his teeth. “Would you rather get shot now or later?”
Joel scowled up at the sniper. He reminded him of all the uppity Safezone soldiers that wouldn’t even toss a couple crumbs to beggars. Reluctantly, he took a step back. Suddenly, the sniper straightened, aiming his rifle and barking an order.
“Wait--!”
“Gem…?”
Someone was behind them. Joel swung around, fingers closing around his bat as Gem reached for her axe. A tall, cloaked, bloody woman loomed at the gate. On the ground next to her lay a deer carcass, tied at the feet, dropped in her shock. Quickly, she pushed her hood down. Gem gasped.
“Pearl?!”
“Gem!”
And suddenly she was wrapped in the first hug from someone other than Joel that she’d had in half a year. He stepped away from them, hand still on his weapon. The G’s yelled at each other confusedly. Pearl squeezed her closer, ran her fingers through her hair, and Gem clawed at her shoulders, and she started crying a little, and it was too much.
“I thought--I saw you die--how are you…”
“I didn’t! I’m alive. I’m here.”
The standoff ended pretty quickly after that. With Pearl vouching, they’re invited in, and finally explain themselves. While the rifleman -- Scott -- kept a healthy distance, Cleo and Impulse relaxed, even serving some soup. Soup! Canned before the apocalypse! Practically a gourmet meal at this point.
“We’ve been friends for ages,” Gem explained, curled up in the same armchair as Pearl. Without the bloody cloak, she seemed warmer, happier. Though that might just be the smile. “But a few weeks into the first wave, we got separated.”
“That was about when we met, right?” Cleo pointed their spoon at Pearl. “No wonder you were so closed off.”
Pearl shrugged. “We were on opposite sides of a horde. It’s a miracle even one of us survived, let alone two.”
“I didn’t join up with Gem until the second wave,” Joel muttered into his can. Louder, to the group, “How long did it take you four to find your way here?”
“Cleo and I were together when things first hit.” Scott leaned back against the fireplace, skin stained orange from the firelight. “Fled the city as fast as we could. Was it two weeks?"
"'Sounds right," Cleo agreed. "Impulse is pretty new though. Almost two months ago...?"
“Six weeks,” Impulse corrected. “That's when you saved me from the gas station. After that I had to join up.”
“Gas station?” Joel raised an eyebrow. “We scouted that place out. It’s completely infested.”
“That’s how we got stranded here,” Gem added. “We thought there would be gas, but everything’s looted. And there’s only farms and a few buildings left standing.”
“The station was our original base,” Scott nearly growled. “But it was contested territory. Their fighting drew too much attention. Now the station belongs to no-one.”
And on the conversation went. They offer leftover supplies, fully kitting out Gem and Joel for the next month. The G’s help was almost aggressive, proving a point that goes over their head. Pearl thanks Scott exuberantly with thinly veiled discomfort. But they’re not one to pass up a gift, especially in the middle of nowhere wasteland.
Back at the barn, Gem and Joel had a fight.
“We can’t just trust everyone! Today we had a gun pointed straight at our heads!” Joel grabbed at his hair, twisting it into knots. “And the other groups were off too! These people are dangerous.”
“It would help if you weren’t provoking them.”
“I wasn’t--!” Joel took a deep breath. “Just… Don’t forget what we left behind.”
“What we left?!” Gem narrowed her eyes. “If you didn’t trust them, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
“Because you had us walk straight into their homes and sit down for dinner!” He started pacing. “I wasn’t gonna ruin that and make them think we just robbed them! Or worse.”
“Joel!” She grabbed his wrist, tugging him off balance. “Why are you acting like this?”
“I…” He tore his hand away. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
They were still outside, standing on the dirt between the car and the barn. Darkness pressed in on all sides, pushing against the glowing fairy lights they’d strung up along the perimeter. Somewhere, a wolf howled.
“Oh, I know what this is about.” Gem crossed her arms, venom dripping from her words. “Pearl.”
Joel scowled. “I know you’re not gonna leave me for her. I’m not a child-” Gem scoffed.
“Just because things are going well for me doesn’t mean you can ruin it with your-” She waved a hand. “Paranoia.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” He was quieter. A warning.
“Maybe that there’s a reason you’re sleeping out here every night instead of letting things go.”
Joel hissed, “You have no idea what it’s like.” And spun around, storming to the car door. As he got inside, he added, ”Fuck you.” And slammed the door.
Neither of them slept well that night.
They still set out the next morning for their final meeting. The Bamboozlers lived atop a ridge overlooking the valley. Unlike the other farms and compounds, theirs was a cross between a tourist destination and an overgrown warehouse. Three magnificent bird statues crowned the entrance gate, where two cheerful men walked out to greet them.
If Martyn and Ren were con artists, these two were full on serial liars. While their words weren’t very effective, Jimmy tried to pickpocket Joel while he was standing two feet away from Gem! They were one more bad trade offer away from storming off when the third arrived. Joel stopped shouting mid sentence, jaw slack.
“Joel…?” Asked a small, pale woman, work clothes hanging limply off her frame. Scar quickly stepped in front of her, blocking their view, scrambling for a distraction. Joel easily shoved past him and ran.
“Lizzie!” He scooped her up in his arms, and she hugged him back fiercely. She started laughing, and after a moment he joined in, twirling her about. The other three watched in confusion and amazement. Eventually, Joel set her down, looping his hands around her waist.
“Are you… real?” He asked, voice shaking. Lizzie grinned, mischievous and delighted all at once, and kissed him. Dazedly, he stared at her in wonder. “How?” And started to cry.
They, too, were separated. Betrayed by their safezone, Lizzie and Jimmy were left to die as the rest dragged Joel away. Miraculously, they survived, fighting the whole way to the valley where Scar - owner of the local tourist trap - took them in. Now they fought tooth and nail to keep their chunk of land.
The Bamboozlers had a circle of lawn chairs out front. There they sat for hours: sharing and catching up and loving. Eventually, Gem herded the boys away to tour the base, letting Joel and Lizzie have their moment.
Among other things, Lizzie gifted him a beautiful golden heart necklace: a glowing orange gemstone encased in the center. Proudly, he wore it over his shirt, showing it off. Every now and then, he fidgeted with the cord. It reminded him that she was real.
Gem learned that Jimmy didn’t like Joel. He glared at him over Lizzie’s head, and insisted they couldn’t trust a stranger so easily. Maybe he was a strange mutation masquerading as Joel! Scar was more accepting, although in a subdued, grieving sort of way. A man who wanted to believe in miracles.
They didn’t leave until sunset. Gem and Joel had to get back to the barn that night: protect it and their supplies from any predators and passing raiders. And it wasn’t fair to Jimmy and Scar to host them so soon.
Reluctantly, Joel and Lizzie parted. She wilted as he stepped away, color draining from her cheeks. The whole way down the mountain, Joel walked backwards waving and blowing her kisses, until they vanished behind the trees. He also deflated, and Gem patted his shoulder.
“She’s still there. I promise.” Joel stared up the path for a little longer. Took a wobbly breath. And turned and started walking.
As they set foot past the fairy lights, Gem twisted her fingers into knots. Abruptly, she burst out.
“I’m sorry.”
Joel smiled. “Thank you.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “And… It wasn’t cool to be so cranky. Maybe you were right. At least a little bit.”
“Yeah.” Gem shrugged. Tentatively, she met his eyes. “Your wife is nice. Worth getting hung up over.”
He laughed. It was true, and came from his belly instead of his throat. Visibly, she relaxed. “Right?” Quieter, reverently, he murmured, “Lizzie’s… incredible.”
Gem snorted. They reached the barn, preparing to turn in for the night. He dropped his stuff in the backseat, and turned around to say goodnight. Gem was looking down, eyebrows drawn together, troubled. He waited patiently.
“I know you’re not really moved in…” She nodded at the barn. Suddenly, Joel realized how much sleeping in the car must hurt her, how it looks like a rejection. “And the G’s have space for one more, so I could--”
Two footsteps later, he wrapped her in a hug. “I won’t leave you, Gem. We’re just down the road from Lizzie. And Pearl, I guess.” A squeeze. “But you and I? We’re family.”
Gem took a deep breath. “Well, I’m sure their teams need some time to get to know us before we can just move in. And I want to stay here until the harvest.” She squeezed back. “We can decide then.”
So, they visited every day, working for their portions of food and building relationships too. Being so close, they can spend mornings at the barn and days with everyone else. Gem helped Mumbo with labor, and he taught her some of the more advanced technology and machines. Joel joined up to help renovate the Bamboozlers’ place, helping Lizzie with her garden on the side. The G’s were more closed off, but slowly warmed up as Gem kept visiting and grabbing Pearl for things: going from being only allowed minutes in the base to hours. Joel still slept in the car, but moved more things into the barn. They carry their weapons for infected animals instead of people.
Five weeks in, and the other foot drops.
Gem was with the Bamboozlers when it happened, helping haul wood down the ridge. It’s the last load of the day, sunset painting everything pink and orange. Jimmy spotted it first: dropping his share and jabbing a finger towards the sky.
“FIRE!”
By the time Gem got there, Joel had already arrived, as did the rest of the valley. They gathered around in a loose semicircle in the front. The top of the Spanners’ silo was blown out, the fire inside releasing smoke high enough to stain the clouds. Out front, Grian wailed, clawing desperately at Skizz who refused to let him out of a grapple.
Out of the blaze stumbled a charred, ashen form. It kept falling to the ground and wobbling back up, only to collapse a few steps later. Flakes of putrid ash fell off from each impact. It brought a deformed arm up and wiped what used to be its face, revealing the skull beneath. Two burning blue eyes - cut through with orange - stared unblinkingly out, inky blood tears cutting along the frayed upper lip.
“Oh my god.” Lizzie held a hand to her mouth in horror. Across from her, Martyn doubled over gagging.
“No… Mumbo.” Impulse whispered, horrified. Gem’s hands found her axe. Mumbo and her were colleagues by now, friends even. She’d spent hours beside him in the fields. Now he’d died and been replaced by a monster. Nobody deserved a fate like that. She made eye contact with Joel, who nodded. They both moved in closer.
Grian stopped fighting against Skizz, falling back into his arms and sobbing. As Gem stepped closer, she noted the scratches and wounds and burns covering both of them.
“He was so fast.” Skizz says, still in shock. “And he wouldn’t stop. We had to….” He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the mutant, still crawling towards them.
“I understand.” Joel crouched down next to the pair, resting a hand on Skizz’s shoulder. In his other hand he held his bat. “They don’t die easy.”
Gem drew her axe, moving in front of them. Grian bursted into fresh grief at that, crying out, “No! Mumbo please!”
“He’s not human anymore, G.” Scar warned, voice trembling. “You gotta let him go.”
The figure hissed long and shrill, vocal chords shredded by the infection and burnt to a crisp. BDubs swore, tearing at his hair until Etho pulled his hands away. Finally, Grian’s face set. “Please...”
Joel stood, following closely behind Gem as they stalked towards the monstrosity. It started scrambling to its deformed feet to attack, but Joel brought his bat down, crushing its head back into the dirt. Another hiss choked out of its throat, and Gem coldly raised her axe.
“I’m sorry.”
The head severed, it slowly shriveled up and stopped moving. Caustic blood and fluid spilled into the ground: it would be a while before the soil was safe again. Joel and Gem gave it a few more whacks and chops for safety, each blow bringing a fresh cry from Grian, and stepped back.
Scott broke the silence. “How did this happen?” He glanced around, issuing a silent challenge.
“He’d been taking too many trips to the forest, searching for something.” BigB stammered.
“You let him go anyway?” Cleo barked.
BigB wilted. “I told him—I tried to warn him—”
Cleo kept going. “And I guess now we’ll never know why!”
The circle went silent again, save for the crackling of the burning silo. Nobody moved to save it. Eventually, Grian slowly extracted himself from Skizz’s bear hug, standing on wobbly legs. He stared at the decaying corpse.
“He-he was mindless.” Grian choked out. “Just standing in the living room, head looking down at his notes. I thought he fell asleep standing up.”
“Until he lunged at us.” Skizz pressed his hands to his forehead. “Still in his work clothes, boots on and everything.”
“Work-?” Tango wrinkled his nose. “If he turned out in the fields, why would he go back in the house?”
“Someone let him in.”
Martyn was the one who said it. He glared at every single one of them. “Lure Mumbo inside and leave him there as a trap for the Spanners. This was an attempted murder.”
Immediately, the circle burst into arguing. Who would do that, how, what could they gain from one less neighbor? Accusations were flung at newcomers and residents alike: old grudges, current conflict, wanting the valley all to themselves. Before them, the farm burned, casting terrifying shadows over everyone, painting everything a sickly orange. Gem met Joel’s eyes.
The life they left behind had returned to them: the loved ones and the tragic betrayals. And they were out of gas: they couldn’t run this time. Joel grabbed her hand, and Gem nods. Us against the world.
Family.