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For as long as Tommy could remember, Joel was there. At just seven years old he took on the title of big brother and ran with it. He did everything for Tommy that their father should have; taught him how to ride a bike, how to play baseball and football, helped him with his homework, and always made sure the kid had enough to eat. As they grew into teenagers the help turned into paying for his baseball cleats, talking to his principal anytime there was an issue (which was often), and picking him up drunk at 2:00 am from a random teenagers house party. Joel was the closest thing to a father that Tommy ever had. No matter what he did, Tommy could count on Joel to be there for him.
And then Sarah came.
The first time Tommy saw his brother cry was when Joel was 19 and Sarah was born. He didn't cry when he found out Mandy was pregnant. He panicked, oh did he panic, but he didn't cry; at least not in front of Tommy. But when his big brother walked into the waiting room in that blue scrub gown and hat with bloodshot eyes and tears trailing down his cheeks as he choked out 'it's a girl.', Tommy knew he was no longer just his brother.
Sarah became the center of Joel's world, and Tommy loved watching every moment of it. Everything Joel did, he did for Sarah. He looked at her like she was the sun of his atmosphere. She was the oxygen he needed to breathe. Meanwhile, Tommy took on the role of Cool Uncle Tommy like it was what he was born to be. Like he couldn't imagine being anything else. He was the third person to ever hold baby Sarah, after Joel and Mandy of course, in that stuffy hospital room. Joel was already snapping at him to support her head as Tommy stared down in awe at the tiny baby swaddled in pink. "Thank god, she looks nothing like you." Tommy had joked.
After Sarah was born Joel didn't cry again. He didn't cry when Mandy left them, leaving nothing but a post-it note with I'm sorry scribbled across it. He didn't cry when they lost Sarah in the mall when she was four, only to find her less than three minutes later, one hand clasped with a security guards and a ballon in the other. He didn't cry when she got appendicitis and had to go into surgery to have it removed. He only cried on the night of his 32nd birthday, as he clutched Sarah's cold, bloody, lifeless body to his chest as he sat slumped on the wet ground in a field off a Texas highway.
Joel didn't cry after that. He didn't smile either, or laugh, or anything. He didn't live. He existed, moving from one place to another on autopilot without a single emotion behind his eyes. And Tommy knew that it wasn't just his niece who died that night in the field, but his older brother, too. His only family. The one who picked him up when he fell and defended him to the ends of earth. He left his heart and soul in the arms of his dead daughter and never recovered.
But Tommy stayed.
He stayed when Joel brought the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger. Stayed when his brother beat a man to death for the first time. Stayed when he beat a man to death for the first time. And he stayed as that number grew and grew and grew. But Joel was never there. Not really. So, Tommy left with Marlene, the Fireflies, and what little hope for a better future he still had. He couldn't handle the life they were living anymore. Not when he felt like he was living through it alone.
He didn't think he'd ever see his brother again, and as much as that gutted him he tried to make peace with it. Tried to tell himself one day Joel would smile again, when he was back with Sarah. Hell, for all Tommy knew he was already there. Most nights he fell asleep to thoughts of his brother holding his niece in his arms again, only there was no blood covering her purple shirt and no dirt covering Joel's skin; they were together, clean, and happy. Tommy kept that picture in his mind and accepted the idea that he'd never see his brother again.
Until he heard that deep, familiar voice bellowing his name. "Tommy!"
It was a blur, Tommy scrambling down from the scaffolding he was standing on and tripping over his own feet before he was in his big brothers arms, a laugh escaping his mouth as tears welled in both their eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Joel looked at him in disbelief, a smile on his face- the first one Tommy's seen in 20 years- as he gestured around them. "I'm here to save you." Tommy laughed, shaking his head as he pulled his brother in for another hug.
And then he saw her. His eyes glanced around, looking for someone else the girl could be with. But they only landed back on Joel. His brows furrowed and he looked back to the girl on the horse- who was now glaring at him. Well, He thought to himself, this is new.
Tommy couldn't stop staring. He knew that he should stop, but the kid - Ellie - was like a feral alley-cat, shoveling as much food as she could into her mouth in between hisses and scratches at anyone who got too close or stared for too long. She was a spit-fire, that much was obvious from the first time she opened her mouth. She was funny, though. Tommy'd give her that.
"She's just cargo." Joel had said in the bar later on as he filled Tommy in on their journey so far.
Bullshit. Tommy thought. He'd seen the way Joel moved around the kid- like there was a magnetic pull keeping them around each other at all times. And he definitely didn't miss the way his brother looked at her. Like he finally had a purpose again, one he lost when Sarah died. So he was hardly surprised when tears that refused to fall filled his brothers eyes as he talked about Tess and Sam and Henry and all the ways that he failed Ellie. The things she'd seen, the life she took. Joel held onto the guilt of all of it. He let it swallow him whole and convince himself that he was no good for her. That he'd only get her killed. And he couldn't let that happen again. "I need you to take her." Joel had asked, pleaded.
Tommy sighed, shook his head, and fought back his own tears as he said no. He had a baby of his own coming, a family. But Joel was family, too. And he left his big brother once already, he didn't want to do it again. At the end of the day his own words came back to him, you keep going for family. So he'd do this for Joel. He'd take the kid, make the cure, and then come back to his family.
The next morning when he walked into the bright pink striped room and met Ellie's eyes, he could see the disappointment. It wasn't the Miller she was hoping for. He didn't blame her, and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the angry little girl in front of him. But he knew his brother, better than just about anyone else he'd guess. So he wasn't exactly surprised when they got to the stables that morning and Joel was there waiting. He was relieved, but not surprised. Because even bigger than his stubbornness were his paternal instincts. And man did Ellie seem to bring those out.
So Tommy stayed, and watched as his brother walked away this time, until he and Ellie were nothing but dots on the horizon. And he prayed to whoever was listening that he'd see his brother again.
Months passed, and the Winter snow melted into Spring, and Spring turned into Summer with no sign of his brother or Ellie. He knew Maria was worried, her belly was growing everyday with the upcoming arrival of their baby and the last thing he wanted to do was add onto her stress. But with everyday he didn't see his brother, he started to see that same vision he used to see when he went to sleep, of Joel and Sarah. Yet again he came to terms with the idea of never seeing his brother again. And then came the call over the radio. "We've got a car approaching, male driver. Looks like someone's in the backseat, too." And Tommy knew, more certain than anything he'd known before, that they fucking made it.
He'd never run faster in his life, as he shoved past the good people of Jackson and let his feet carry him faster than he knew he was capable of to the front gates- getting there right as they creaked open. The force of his body hitting Joel's nearly sent them both to the ground, but Joel only chuckled and held Tommy tighter in his arms. "Hey, baby brother." Joel said, his voice thick with emotion.
"Goddammit Joel, I thought you were dead." Tommy admitted, a relieved laugh falling off his lips immediately after.
"Nearly was a few times." Tommy pulled back at that, his brows furrowed as he scanned over Joel, who only patted his shoulder and shook his head. "I'm fine now. Don't you worry about me. You uh, reckon we'd be able to come in?"
Tommy's head flew towards the car at the word 'we'. Just barely, through the dirty, cracked windshield, he saw Ellie; curled up in a ball in the backseat under what he assumed was Joel's coat. "Of course." Tommy nodded quickly. "Yeah, shit. I'm sorry, come on."
Joel nodded, opening the back door and pulling out a small cooler that he handed off to Tommy. "Carry that, will ya?"
Tommy nodded, not verbally responding as he watched his brother’s movements. Joel was silent, not uttering a single word as he gently, more gently than Tommy'd ever seen, moved his arms underneath Ellie before pulling her into his chest. Tommy's mouth fell open in a silent gasp as he caught site of Ellie outside of the car in the daylight. Joel's coat had fallen off of her, revealing the too-big scrubs she had on. She was already skinny the last time he'd seen her, but now she was practically just bones. Hell Tommy could literally see her bones. Her pale skin was practically ashen and what he could see of her thin arms were covered in bruises. "Jesus." Tommy muttered.
Joel looked at his brother as he cradled Ellie in his arms, just like he held Sarah when she was just a baby. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to, but Tommy still heard him loud and clear. We're not okay, but we'll be alright now.
"We kept the house ready for ya." Tommy said, as he gently laid Joel's coat back over Ellie, before walking through the gates side by side with his brother.
Joel looked surprised, but grateful none-the-less. "Ya did?"
"Of course." Tommy may have forced himself to accept an outcome where his brother didn't make it, but that didn't mean he didn't still hold out hope.
"Thank you, Tommy." Tommy only smiled and nodded, leading his brother past the curious eyes of the few Jackson residents who were out and not in the Dining Hall for breakfast, and towards his street, where that little blue house sat directly across from his.
He held the door open for Joel and followed behind him up the stairs incase he needed help. He pushed open the door to the bright pink bedroom, remembering the last time he'd walked in to collect Ellie those months ago. "I'm gonna get her settled. Mind waiting downstairs? Reckon we got a lot to catch up on."
"You're damn right about that." Tommy agreed. "Take all the time you need, I'm not going anywhere."
Joel nodded and Tommy saw himself out, pausing in the hallway after he pulled the door until it was just cracked and watched as Joel gently- so gently- lowered Ellie to the bed before dropping to his knees beside her. Tommy could hear them cracking from where he stood and had to hold back the snicker that threatened to leave his mouth. He stopped though, when Joel lifted a hand and stroked Ellie's cheek with the back of his finger. "Hey, baby girl. You with me? We're in Jackson, baby. We made it." He whispered.
The scene before him became blurry as tears filled Tommy's eyes. He never thought he'd hear his brother say those words again, but man did it feel good to hear. Ellie stirred, a whimper leaving her mouth as she curled in on herself. Joel immediately shushed her, leaning down to plant a kiss to her hairline. Tommy took that moment to make his way down the stairs; it was one thing watching his brother, but Ellie didn't know him. And from what he remembered from the ferocious kid, he'd guess she wouldn't want him seeing her so vulnerable. It wasn't his moment to witness, anyway. That was just for her and Joel.
Only about fifteen minutes passed before Joel was making his way down the stairs and into the living room, where Tommy had been pacing. Without the adrenaline and excitement he was able to really look at his brother. "You look like shit."
Joel snorted. "You would to if you'd been-" Joel cut himself off. Tommy knew he meant no harm by his words, but the memory of trying to pass Ellie off onto him clearly still didn't sit well with Joel.
"What happened out there?" Joel sighed, moving a few feet before letting his body collapse onto the old couch. Tommy followed suit, sitting on the recliner as close to his brother as he could. It didn't matter how old Tommy got, he'd always adore his brother just as much as he did when he was six years old, especially now that he could see he was actually his brother again. Not just a shell of what once was. So sue him if he wanted- no, needed- to be close to him.
Joel finally opened his mouth and retold their journey. And once the words started they didn't stop. Tommy listened, his palm over his mouth as he took in the horrors his brother and Ellie faced. The bust of a hospital in Colorado, the raiders, Joel nearly dying, Silver Lake, and finally the hospital in Salt Lake City. There was a lot Joel left out, mostly on account of Ellie and not wanting to tell something that was only hers to tell. Tommy understood, but the realization that the horrors Joel told were only part of it was hard to accept.
By the time Joel finished tears were streaming down his face and Tommy had moved and was holding his brother in his arms.
This was the third time he'd seen his brother cry. “I failed her, Tommy."
Tommy tightened his grip on his brother. “Enough of that now. You didn't fail that little girl, Joel. You saved her. You saved her, brother."
“No." Joel denied. "She saved me.
They destroyed her, Tommy. First that town and-." Tommy closed his eyes as Joel tightened his fists. "And then those damn Fireflies. She wasn't a person anymore, Tommy. My little girl wasn't a person." Tommy nearly gasped. My little girl. God hearing those words twenty years later did something to him he couldn't quite explain. "They just took and took and took until she had nothing left to give, and then they tried to take some more. And for what? For a chance? A-a possibility of a cure for a world that chewed her up and spit her out?" Joel shook his head. "They were ready to kill her. It ain't fair, Tommy." Joel cried harder, until he didn't have any tears left.
Tommy only let go when Joel shifted and pulled away, running a shaking hand down his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have- I shouldn't have lost it like that."
Tommy could've smacked his brother upside the head. "Don't you dare apologize to me. Not for that- never for that, Joel. You took care of me my whole life, let me take care of you now."
Joel grinned. "Reckon you about have a kid of your own to take care of. Or did-"
Tommy shook his head and grinned. "Not yet, still got some more cookin' to do."
"I'm happy for you, Tom. I know last time- last time I didn't-" Joel struggled to find the words to say. "Well." He sighed. "I'm sorry for that. But I'm real happy for you. I can't wait to meet the kid."
Tears filled Tommy eyes again and he sniffed, brushing them away. "Thank you. I uh, I needed to hear that. And I'm real excited to meet Ellie again, get to know her better. Maybe get a chance to be Cool Uncle Tommy again." Tommy held his breath once the words left his mouth, mentally crossing his fingers that he didn't just push Joel too far. But instead of a cold glare or even a punch in the face, he only got a smile and small chuckle.
"Lord help me now, you two together is going to be a nightmare." Tommy could only laugh, his cheeks aching from the size of the smile that filled his face. God, I can't wait.
Tommy had seen Joel nearly every day since his and Ellie's return. He'd bring the duo food every morning, afternoon, and evening. During the times Ellie was still sleeping (which was the majority of the time), Tommy would stick around and chat with his brother. Whether it was about upcoming patrols, drama with the council, or simply catching up on the time they'd missed together, they covered it all.
It was nearly two weeks before Tommy finally saw Ellie. He knocked on the door, bag of food in hand, and after a few minutes of nothing he pushed open the door, per Joel's request. He could hear the shower running in the bathroom upstairs as he set off to put the food on the counter in the kitchen, but stopped short when he caught sight of two eyes glaring up at him from where they peaked out from under a pile of blankets. "Oh!" Tommy startled, nearly jumping out of his skin. "Sorry 'bout that, ma'am. I didn't see ya there."
Ellie didn't respond, only continued to glare at Tommy as if she could be any sort of threat to the middle aged man.
Tommy held up the bag in his hands. "Brought you two some food, I was just gonna leave it for ya'll in the kitchen."
Again, Ellie didn't respond. Tommy kept the smile on his face as he lowered his head slightly. "I reckon you and I are due for a proper meetin'. I know things were a bit tense last time, but I sure would like to get to know you better."
"Why?"
Tommy's eyes widened ever so slightly at the sound of her voice for the first time. It was harsh- hard and short- but he could still hear the slight shake in it. “You're family." He said simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. And to him it was.
"You're Joel's family. Not mine." Ellie tried to correct him.
Tommy blinked, a flash of sorrow filling his eyes. "You're Joel's family too, kiddo. And that makes ya mine as well."
Ellie's glare intensified, if that were even possible. "I'm not your family."
The shower upstairs had long since shut off and heavy feet sounded on the stairs before Joel was emerging. His hair was dripping wet still as he ran a towel over it and his clothes looked damp in certain spots, like he threw them on before fully drying off. Tommy realized with a mix of sadness and admiration that he probably did- not wanting to leave Ellie alone for longer than needed.
"Well hey there, brother. Thought I heard your voice." Joel greeted as he moved to sit on the couch next to Ellie. Instantly she was shoving herself as far into his side as she could, her arms wrapping around him as he matched her movements and held her close- running a soothing hand through her hair.
Tommy couldn't help but stare at the two in awe. It looked so effortless, like it was instinct for Joel to take on the role of dad when it came to this little spit-fire of a girl in his arms. Like his universe shifted again and she became the center, a new magnet drawing him close.
Tommy smiled, but it dropped when his soft eyes met Ellie's hard ones- still glaring at him. Almost as if she thought if she glared hard enough it'd make him disappear. "Well, I won't stay. Just wanted to drop this by." Tommy set the bag of breakfast food on the coffee table, as an idea popped into his head. "Maria and I were thinking about having dinner in tonight, we'd sure love it if you two joined us."
Ellie frowned, turning to look up at Joel who's face held a smile. "That sounds great."
Dinner was not great. Tommy took pride in the steak and potatoes he prepared, his specialty if you asked him. Even so, Ellie refused to eat, or even speak for that matter. It was a harsh difference to the girl who sat with them in the dining hall all those months ago, and it unnerved Tommy. Joel's chair was scooted as close to Ellie's as they comfortably could. He'd nudge her on occasion, gesturing to the food on her plate as he made a point to show her the food on his own as he picked it up and placed it in his mouth. As if he were showing her it was okay.
Tommy's mind flashed back to what Joel had told him about Silver Lake. They were cannibals, Tommy. They ate their own and told Ellie they were gonna eat her too.
Tommy realized, with a sickening feeling in his stomach, that Joel was showing Ellie it was safe to eat. Ellie wasn't eating because she was afraid he'd served her people.
"S'cuse me a moment." Tommy said, smiling politely as he pushed back from the table before hastily making his way down the hallway and into the bathroom. He flicked on the sink and dropped to the ground, heaving into the toilet as tears filled his eyes. "God dammit."
Tommy saw Ellie more and more after that. It started with dinners at Tommy and Maria's, where Ellie wouldn't speak unless spoken to and only picked at her plate. Then her and Joel would make appearances with them at the dining hall on some nights. Most nights though, Tommy saw Ellie as he was dropping off food for her and Joel. It wasn't until Maria put her foot down and shared the news that Joel had been given more time than most got, and he needed to start on patrols and contributing to the community, that Tommy spent time with Ellie alone.
Joel didn't like leaving her alone, and claimed she didn't like it either. It only took Tommy two minutes to realize it wasn't the alone that bothered Ellie, it was the lack of Joel.
All of his attempts at winning her over were in vain. She wanted nothing to do with the space books he brought her (even though Joel specifically told him she loved space) and she rolled her eyes when he tried making puns (which Joel told him were her favorite things). No matter what he did, Ellie only glared harder and moved further away from him.
It wasn't this hard for him with Sarah. Although with Sarah, he'd known her since she was a baby. He spent nearly every day with that girl. He watched her grow and as humble as he was, he knew he was her second favorite person in the world. He didn't have to try with Sarah. But Ellie? This was an entirely different ball game and Tommy didn't know how to play.
"This place fucking sucks." Ellie had said one day while she 'helped' Tommy paint the baby's nursery.
"Should we have gone with a different color?" Tommy joked, gesturing towards the light yellow walls.
"Not the room. Jackson." Ellie corrected with an eye roll.
Tommy hummed. "What makes you say that?"
Ellie sighed dramatically, her still-too-thin shoulders sagging. "Well let's see, there's the stupid fucking walls trapping us in, the stupid fucking kids and their stupid fucking problems, the stupid fucking-" Tommy's laughter cut her off. Her ponytail flew as she turned so quickly it nearly gave Tommy sympathy-whiplash and glared at him. "The stupid fucking neighbors who never leave you alone." She finished, her tone as harsh as her glare.
“I take it I'm the stupid fucking neighbor?" Tommy guessed, a teasing smile on his lips. Before he could blink the paint brush in Ellie's hand was hitting him in the face and her footsteps were stomping away.
"You know that kid of yours is a tough cookie to crack." Tommy had told Joel one night in Joel's kitchen. Ellie hadn't been feeling well, so while she went up to bed Tommy helped Joel clean up.
"What do you mean?" Joel chuckled.
"C'mon, Joel. Your kid hates me." Your kid.
”What?" Joel asked incredulously. "What makes you say that?"
"The girl barely speaks two words to me, and when she does it's insults. The only times she even looks at me she's glaring." Tommy rambled. "I just, I'm a bit out of practice, I guess. Thought I was ready to be Cool Uncle Tommy, again. Didn't remember it being this hard."
Joel was quiet for a minute, before he placed a hand on his brothers shoulder. "I don't think it's that you ain't ready to be Cool Uncle Tommy, it's- Ellie- she don't know how to be a kid, let alone a niece. Just give her some time."
I can do that. Tommy thought to himself.
Tommy could not do that. It was torture. He was born to be Cool Uncle Tommy; it was in his blood, it was who he was. He taught Sarah curse words and promised not to tell her dad when he'd have to pick her up when she got drunk at high school parties (although he never got the chance to see that one through). He is Cool Uncle Tommy, and he'd teach Ellie she had as much of a place with him as she did with Joel.
"I want to take her out." He'd told Joel one night as they sat on his front porch after Ellie had gone to bed.
"Huh?"
"Your little terror- Ellie." Tommy clarified.
"I want to take her out of Jackson." Joel's face shifted, and Tommy was quick to make his case. "Just for a couple of hours. There's a lake nearby and we go fishin' there a lot. Thought I could take her while you're on patrol Thursday. She mentioned to me not liking being stuck in these damn walls and I- I think this could be good for her, Joel."
To Tommy's surprise, Joel wasn't too hard to convince. He fought him on it, with his famous I don't know, Tommy and never ending list of what-ifs.
But Tommy didn't give up. "You were ready to have me take her, brother. You trusted me enough then, you know damn sure you can trust me now."
In the end, it was Ellie who needed the most convincing. Tommy wasn't around for the initial conversation, but by the time Thursday rolled around and her and Joel emerged in the stables, it was pretty clear he'd all but dragged her.
"Well howdy, ma'am!" Tommy greeted, smiling brightly at the scowling teenager in front of him. "You ready to do some fishin'?"
Ellie rolled her eyes. "Ready to get this over with." She grumbled, hiking her backpack up higher on her shoulders as she sulked away towards the horses.
Joel offered Tommy a sheepish grin and shrugged. "Why don't we all ride out together?”
"I thought you were supposed to shut the fuck up when you fished." Ellie had said after yet another failed attempt at making her laugh.
Tommy shrugged, the smile on his face still shining bright. "Yeah, I suppose you're right about that. We never really did come fishin' for the silence, though."
Ellie was quiet for a minute, before peaking at Tommy from the corner of her eye. "We?"
Gotcha. Tommy smirked. "Joel and me. When we were kids most boys would go fishin' with their Pops. But Joel and I, well, our old man wasn't really ‘round a whole lot growin' up. Reckon Joel had to step up to the plate and take on that role."
Ellie hummed, tossing her line back out unenthusiastically.
"We always did more talkin' than fishin', though. S'how we'd know when something was buggin' the other, when we wanted to go fishin'."
"So why'd you bring me here?" Ellie asked.
Tommy chuckled. "Like I said the other day, little lady. You and I got a lot to talk about."
Ellie's brows furrowed. "No. We don't."
Tommy's lips turned down, before he was forcing another smile. "I wanna get to know ya, kid. Is that really the worst thing?"
Ellie huffed, tossing the fishing pole down next to her. "Just stop. I can see what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work, okay? I didn't come here to talk to you or bond or whatever the fuck bullshit you threw at Joel. I came to make him happy, but he's not here. So you can drop the act, because I'm not falling for your shit."
Tommy's eyes widened, his hands coming up in mock surrender. "What in the world are you talking about?"
Just as Ellie opened her mouth to respond the sound of a branch snapping to their left filled the silence, making both their heads swivel in response. No sooner than Tommy caught site of the unknown man approaching did he have Ellie shoved behind him, gun already drawn and pointed at the threat. "Don't come any closer." He said, his voice low and deadly. Gone was the happy-go-lucky man Ellie had been talking to only moments before, in his place was a man with his eyes on a threat- and Ellie knew he would do whatever he had to do to eliminate said threat.
The man stopped, his dirty hands lifting up near his head as a grin broke out across his face, revealing yellow teeth. "Easy, I mean no harm. Been awhile since we came across any folks. 'Specially a girl." He said, the same smile on his face as his bloodshot eyes danced from Tommy and down to Ellie. "Hey there, girly."
Tommy stiffened more than he already was, his shoulders broadening and his torso shifting ever so slightly so he was completely covering Ellie as he felt her hand come up and grip onto his jacket. "You're okay, darlin'." He comforted, his voice nothing more than a gentle murmur meant only for her ears. "That's enough. You don't talk to her, you don't even look at her. Got it? Now you got about five seconds to turn around and get back to where you came from before I put a bullet in your brain."
"Easy." The man repeated, his arms still up as his grin only grew. "We just wanna trade. Got some drugs. Make you feel real good. And in exchange, she can make us feel real goo-"
The deafening pop of a bullet cut the man off, his lifeless body thumping to the ground only a second later.
Tommy turned to see Ellie staring wide eyed at the man he'd just killed. Blood was already pooling from the bullet-hole in his skull as Tommy bent his knees to get eye-level with Ellie. "Ellie? Darlin', are you alright?" He asked, his hands hovering over her shoulders with a want to comfort her but a fear of scaring her even more than he imagined she was.
Ellie's brows furrowed as she met Tommy's eyes. "He said we."
Before Tommy could respond foot steps were pounding against the ground behind him, arms wrapping around his torso before his body was lifted and slammed into the ground.
"Tommy!" He heard Ellie cry out as he struggled to get his bearings. Once he did, he saw red.
How did he not catch that? Between the Military, being a Raider, and the Fireflies, he was good at seeing the big picture, at reading between the lines. He caught onto things that other people didn’t. So how in the hell did his fourteen year old nei- how did Ellie catch the use of the word ‘we’ while he didn’t? While he was solely focused on the keeping the girl who had become his brother’s world safe behind him, he missed one simple word and now her life was on the line. He wouldn’t fail again. He wouldn’t bury the remainder of his brother’s heart and soul in the arms of another little girl. He wouldn’t lose another niece.
Two more men had entered the clearing. Tommy had no clue if there were more, all he knew was that while one had targeted him, another had targeted Ellie.
Her screams were the only thing he could hear past the blood pumping in his ears. It had been easy for Tommy to leave behind the cold-blooded killer he’d turned into in the early years of the Outbreak. It was even easier to turn back into that same killer when he saw Ellie thrashing in dirty, unknown arms.
He easily blocked the hit that came from the man who was targeting him, sending his own punch flying and hitting him where he wanted. One punch, two punches, and the man was down. Not dead, not yet. But down long enough for Tommy to focus on what he needed to.
Ellie.
“Get the fuck off of me!” She screamed, her arms flailing out and scratching the man’s face so hard slices of skin stuck under her nails and left blood in their wake.
“Ah! Fuckin’ bitch!”
The sound of a backhand against her cheek and a yelp was the last thing Tommy heard before he was tackling the man into the ground and landing punch after punch to his face. He didn’t stop when the man pleaded. Didn’t stop when the man quit fighting back. Didn’t stop when his knuckles split open and he couldn’t see the features on his face past the blood and pulp.
He didn’t stop until Ellie screamed his name.
“Uncle Tommy!”
At once Tommy’s head swiveled, expecting to see Ellie on the ground under another man. Instead, she was staring at him with an emotion he couldn’t quite decipher. Something like wonder in her eyes. “I think he’s dead, dude.”
Tommy’s chest heaved with ragged breaths as he looked down at the dead man under him before sitting back on his heels and pulling himself to shaking feet. Ellie had picked up his fallen gun and was holding it slightly in front of her for him to take. With a slight limp he crossed the remaining feet to her, took the gun, and fired two shots into the man who had tried to take him down. “I think he’s dead, too.” Ellie said behind him.
Tommy looked at Ellie, who hadn’t moved from her spot. Her hair was disheveled, falling from the elastic band she always had it pulled back in, her clothes were wrinkled and covered in dirt, and the entirety of her small cheek was a red and splotchy from a too-big handprint. His eyes met hers, expecting to see fear in them. After all, he just murdered three men. But there was no fear. “Are you okay?” He finally asked.
“I’m fine. He didn’t- he didn’t hurt me.” Ellie said, her voice shaking slightly. Her shoulders were pushed back, her spine straight, as she tried coming off like the events didn’t affect her in anyway.
Tommy saw straight through it. “I’m so sorry, Ellie-Girl.”
Ellie’s eyebrow shot up, the scar more prominent. “Why are you sorry?”
“I should’ve seen that coming. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. And I’m real sorry for scaring you.”
Ellie scoffed. “Scare me? Dude, I traveled across the country with Joel. Trust me, not the first time I’ve seen a Miller kill someone. Wouldn’t have even be the first time I killed someone.” Tommy winced. “I’m just confused why you did all that.”
“What do you mean?”
Ellie narrowed her eyes, as if she were trying to figure out some secret agenda he had. “The guy said he wanted to trade. You could’ve let him take me, then I’d be out of your way. Why didn’t you?”
Tommy gaped like he’d been punched in the gut. He felt like he had. “Ellie, I would never do that.” He said with an intensity that he could tell Ellie wasn’t expecting. God what has this kid gone through to make her feel like that? To make her think he’d rather trade her off like she wasn’t worth a damn thing? “Ellie, I need you to listen to me and listen good, okay? You are my family. You saved my brother, Ellie. Joel was- he was a shell when I left him in that QZ. He didn’t have a purpose or a will to live anymore. You changed that, Ellie. You gave him purpose, you gave him life, darlin’. I will never be able to repay you for that, for bringing my brother back. I am so happy to have my brother back, Ellie. But that does not mean I am trying to take him from you. He is yours and you are his, do you understand me? I am so sorry that you’ve been thinking I’d rather you de- gone.”
The emotions that swam through Ellie’s eyes nearly gave Tommy whiplash as he kneeled in front of the girl. “I don’t trust you.” Ellie finally said, a forced bite to her words that he could tell was meant to hurt him. “You’re Joel’s family. His real one. We keep going for family. That’s what Joel said. He came here for you, asshole. He dragged me along because you were supposed to tell him where to dump me. And you could still him; tell him to dump me so he can focus on his real family. Then you’d have everything. You’d have Joel and Maria and your baby and your stupid fucking town and I’d-“ Ellie swallowed thickly and sniffled her nose in a pathetic attempt to keep her tears at bay. “I’d have nothing. I’d have no one, again.”
“Ellie.” Tommy said her name like he was mourning. “Ellie, I am not trying to take Joel from you, darlin’. And even if I was, your old man wouldn’t pick me. He’d pick you in a heartbeat, every damn time. I need you to know that.”
Ellie looked at him like she was pained. “I don’t trust you.” She said again. “I don’t- I can’t trust you. You run this town, you’re like fucking in charge of everyone. You could- you could do whatever you wanted and everyone would be on your side. No one would believe me. You could ruin me, Tommy. I don’t trust you.”
Jesus Christ. “This world sure has done a number on you, huh?”
Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m not, darlin’.” Tommy denied. “I just mean, it’s pretty clear you’ve been through some shit. You’re speaking from experience. I know you don’t trust me, and I get it. I do. But I know you trust Joel, and he trusts me. He wouldn’t have let you come out here if he didn’t. I know that don’t count for everything, but I’m hopin’ it can count for something. And in the meantime I’m gonna do whatever I can to earn your trust, okay?”
Ellie studied him for another minute before nodding her head. “Yeah, okay.”
Tommy grinned, nodding back at her. “Okay. What’dya say we get on back. Reckon the ruckus scared away any fish, anyhow.”
“I thought we didn’t go fishin’ for the fish.” Ellie teased.
Tommy smiled bright. “Touché, munchkin.”
“What do we do about them?” Ellie asked, gesturing toward the three dead bodies. Shit.
“You don’t worry about that. I’ll get a patrol group out here to take care of them. Hopefully figure out where they came from, too. Let’s just get you on home now.”
They were approaching the gates to Jackson when something clicked in Tommy’s head. “Did you call me Uncle Tommy earlier?”
Ellie bit her lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tommy smiled. “Huh, ‘cause I coulda swore I heard someone call out Uncle Tommy.”
“You’re insane, you old fucker. Absolutely senile.”
Tommy grinned, bigger than he had in a long time as he looked at Ellie with nothing less than awe and adoration. “Whatever you say, darlin’.”