Patrol

"Okay. We'll see you back at Jackson. Be safe."

"You got it Tommy. Better go now before you both are stuck in the storm."

Joel looked at Ellie one last time before he sighed and nodded.

"Be safe kiddo." Ellie nodded with a small smile. She watched as Tommy and Joel rode off. She kept her eyes on them up until she couldn't see them anymore. She thought maybe she could invite Joel later. Watch a movie hopefully. She nodded to herself and figured she'd do just that.

If she was going to try. She had to make actual effort to let the man who was like her dad back in. Maybe she could tell him more about how she feels for Dina.

Dina did say she wanted to talk after their shift on patrol. They were going to meet at her place. So Ellie was more than nervous about that. She wasn't going to lie, she could be a bit oblivious when it comes to flirting and relationships. But now that Dina kissed her. It was like she was seeing Dina in a whole new light.

The look they shared before riding out of Jackson had to mean something. It just had to. The way she smiled at her.

"Alright come on. Let's check around the resort and then head to the watch tower. Think we can do all this before the blizzard hits."

"Pfft of course." Jesse chuckled leading the way.

"Well come on then."

*

She was just finished clearing one of the rooms when she heard the shouts.

"Ellie! Come here." Jesse whispered but kinda of yelled. She hurried towards him hearing screams getting louder. A few shots ringing closer but it sounded closer. The two teenagers moved quickly going out side seeing the fence tilting and a huge horde of infected pushing up on it. But what they also saw was a woman trying to fight of a runner.

Clearly losing. Jesse was the one to act quick. Shooting the runner in the head and helping woman up.

"We gotta move."

"Jesse come on this way." Ellie directed as she ran up ahead. If they waited too long they were going to be surrounded. She knew that much. She knew she had find a way out for herself and Jesse. Also the woman. Her running coming to a stop when she saw runners up ahead. She quickly dug into her bag, pulling out the molotov, lighting it and throwing it. She turned to her right pushing up against the door, only a small gap opening.

"This way, fucking hurry."

The three worked together to shut the door and run into the lobby of the resort.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. Thanks."

"I'm Jesse this is my friend Ellie."

"Abby."

"Jesse. That door ain't gonna hold."

"Okay you stick with Ellie. Alright stick close."

"Jesse. Let's go." Ellie hoped on her horse helping the woman up. She didn't trust this woman one bit. When she suggested that they should go to where her and some friends were camped out. She got a horrible feeling. She had to stay on alert. More than usual. Cause why the fuck was she all the way out here by herself.

As they rode into the blizzard. The girl Abby, shot back when some of the infected got too close.

"Jesse!" It happened so quickly. She watched as Jesse fell off a cliff with his horse. Not a far drop but still enough to scare the crap outta of her.

"Fuck! Go Ellie! I'll find another way!" She heard him shout as he had no other choice but to run the other way as some of the horde of the infected separated from the one chasing her.

She knew she couldn't go after him. Not without getting killed. Leaving her alone with this stranger and most like leading herself to her own doom. She moved fast seeing the gates to the mansion opening, then closing quickly after. She felt the woman behind her get off. She counted how many they were four women including Abby, and four men. Too many.

Ellie slid off Shimmer as one of the men who had his hair in a bun shut the garage. She patted shimmers head, taking out of the carrots out of her bag. feeding it to the horse.

"Good girl shimmer."

Ellie clutched the straps of her bag as she walked out of the garage. When she was hit upside the head.

Ellie knew. Damn it, she knew.

These people couldn't be trusted.

*

"We have to make this quick Abby."

"I know Owen."

"What if that guy she was with comes here."

"He won't. The blizzard is hard to see through. He'd end up getting lost or killed. We have time."

"Then fucking wake this puta."

"We need answers. She has them."

The green eyed girl felt a hard hand connecting with her cheek. Causing her bite down on her tongue. She opened her eyes and saw a guy in a hat looking down at her with a smug look on his face.

"Wake up. We got some questions."

"Fuck you."

This only earned her another punch followed by a few more. He didn't stop. He even threw in some kicks. He showed no signs of stopping until he was stopped by a voice.

Ellie groaned in pain when he finally was stopped. She went from sitting on her ass to laying on her side. Blood coming out of the side of her mouth and nose. She was grabbed by her arm and was sat up roughly. Her wrists were tied behind her.

"I'm looking for someone. Someone by the name Joel."

Even if she was, she sure as hell wasn't going to say anything now. Not when these crazy assholes were looking for Joel. Could be a different Joel but she wasn't going to take any chances.

So Ellie didn't say anything only spat spit and blood into the woman's face. This only angered her even more. The blonde woman clenched her jaw taking out a knife. She didn't even wait before the knife was stabbed into Ellie's upper leg.

The young girl  let out cry a of pain. The cry only getting louder when the blonde would move the knife.

"Talk." The woman demanded but Ellie wasn't going to. No. She'd die before telling this woman anything about Joel. Even if it wasn't her Joel this woman was talking about.

"Listen here b-Abby we got a problem."

"Listen to this."

"Home base come in. This is patrol three. Anyone come in. This is patrol three we have an emergency. My partner won't answer, think it's a code green. Repeat code green."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

*

"Did he say code green?" Dina asked her partner, Jim. She knew exactly what code green was. Code Green-if one the patrol partners or both has been taken, and is most likely being tortured for intel on Jackson. It wouldn't be the first time that it's happened, she knew exactly who was calling in. It was Jesse which meant.

Ellie.

Dina felt her heart in her throat. Her palms shaking as she quickly picked up the walkie talkie. The fear that ran through her body was...was terrifying. The fear of losing Ellie. The girl she was deeply in love with. No. No she couldn't lose her.

"Patrol three, are you sure."

"If I wasn't, why wouldn't they answer."

"Patrol three this is  home base, all patrols report to safe house uphill. Over and out."

"Dina come on kid. We gotta go. this could be bad. Don't worry we will get your girl back. Now let's move." Never has Dina moved so quickly. She knew they had to move fast. If they didn't it could be too late.

*

"Jesse where are they?" Joel pointed down on the map. With hell to the blizzard. He'd crawl through hell to get his baby girl back.

Joel and Tommy were only a few minutes away from Jackson when they heard the panicked voice of Jesse practically yelling through the radio. Once the words code green were heard through the radio. Joel nor Tommy thought twice. They turned their horses around and rode back in the direction they come from.

"Here the mansion not far from the resort."

"Let's change the station on the radio. They could be listening." Said Dina. She was too welling to kill any one who got in the way of getting her girl back.

"Okay let's move. We can use the blizzard as cover. But stick close together. There could be a lot of them. We also need to make them think we aren't coming."

The nine of them moved in quick pace.

*

"Patrols report back to home base over and out."

"Ha looks like they ain't coming for ya." Ellie was barely keeping awake. The gun shot wound and knife wound, not to mention the amount of blood coming out of her face wounds, she was losing a lot of blood.

The man in the cap twisted the knife, receiving a weak cry of pain. The wicked smile on face was too blurry for Ellie to make out.

"Talk."

"Fuck...you."

"Abby she isn't cracking might as well kill her."

"Fuck. I'll make her fucking talk-Abby. She won't budge. You're torturing her for a man named Joel. Could be the wrong Joel for all we know. You're doing this to a girl that had nothing to do with it. What makes you better than him."

"Shut the fuck up Owen."

"No you listen Abby. We have to go. This. It's over-Man shut up. We have unfinished bus-Shut the fuck Jordan. You're acting all tough and shit but let me remind you, you're beating on girl that's tied up. Doesn't make you a man. Makes you a bitch."

"We gotta end it Abby."

"You can leave Owen. No one is stopping you."

"Fine. I'm leaving. Mel?"

"Let's go."

Ellie watched the man leave. Followed by the short haired woman. Her vision was blurry. She could barley see from one eye. She felt like the room was spinning, like if she took another blow to the head, she was sure she'd pass out.

"Fuck."

*

She turned her gaze away from the guy wearing the cap to the big window. Her eyebrows furrowed, she could have sworn that she saw an outline of someone who looked like Dina.

Ellie closed her eyes, she felt like this was going to be her end. She was losing too much blood. She knew that much. It hurt to move. Every movement shooting sharp pains through out her body.

She barely registered the yelling coming from upstairs. Followed by a few gun shots. The sound of loud footsteps getting closer.

"Oh my god! Ellie! Joel! Joel get down here!"

Dina's hands shook as she cut off the restraints tying Ellie's wrists together. Cautiously turning the taller girl on her back. She noticed the knife sticking out of the taller girl's left leg. Right above the knee. Noticing the amount of blood that covered the grey hoodie. And the amount of blood on the wounded girl's face. It was too much blood.

She lifted the hoodie noticing the  bullet wound on the lower stomach area.

"Jesus."

"She-She won't make the trip back to Jackson. I-I need alcohol, rags, pain meds. Hurry Joel."

Dina's hands shook as she worked on helping Ellie. She needed to do this. She had to make sure Ellie came out of this alive.

Ellie just had to survive.

*

They couldn't move Ellie until she was stabilized. Dina nor Joel left the auburn haired girl's side. Jesse, Jim and the others went back to Jackson after clearing up the bodies. Jesse and Tommy were only gone for few hours before they came back with meds, food, water and a change of clothes.

They had to move her to a bed. One of the beds in the house. She couldn't stay on the cold floor any longer.

It's been four days since, that day. Ellie was still asleep. Yet to wake up.

Dina was sat on the side of the bed with one of Ellie's hands in hers. Her head resting right next to her as she dozed off. Joel was outside the room, making something for him and Dina to eat. Even though they both didn't have the appetite. They knew Ellie wouldn't be too happy if she knew they weren't taking themselves.

"D-Dina?"

At the sound of the horsed voice Dina was quick to snap up from her sleep looking at the girl laying on the bed. When her brown eyes met those hypnotizing green eyes. She broke into tears. Crying out of relief. Cause as much as she wants to doubt it, the thought of Ellie never waking up did in fact cross her mind more than once.

"Oh Ellie." Was all that she could muster up as she cried into the hand she held. Holding it like if it were her life line.

"'Mere." Ellie tugged gently on the hand Dina held. Dina moved to lay next to Ellie being careful to not hurt the green eyed girl.

"You fucking scared me." Dina whispered gently kissing the girls bruised cheek. The bruises and cuts on the taller girls face were still very much noticeable.

"Sorry, didn't mean to." A weak response. Dina looked back at the green eyes, one of the those were still little shut due to the bruising and swelling. But Dina was sure Ellie could still see out of it. "We still gotta talk."

"Later. When you're better okay." The injured girl nodded offering the brown eyed a girl a small smile.

"Where's Joel?"

"Making something to eat. I'll go tell him you're awake. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Okay I'll be right back." With a kiss on the cheek Dina got up and left. Leaving a flushed injured girl laying on the bed.

*

"They were looking for a Joel. Heard them say that he was in Jackson. Seemed desperate to find him." Ellie spoke after they finished eating. She was sat up, no longer laying down. Dina was sat next to her, Dina was helping her eat. Not that she minded.

"Me?"

"Not sure. Just said that his name was Joel. Could have been you. What happened to them?"

"We killed them." Dina spoke, she remembered how she killed the man in a baseball cap. When she saw his bruised and bloodied knuckles, she knew that he was the one doing the torturing. When she saw this, she saw red. Anger coursed through her body. Hitting him in the face with a pipe she found with so much force. She remembered how he fell and how he spat out blood with some teeth. She didn't let him speak before she shot him. Along with a woman who tired to come to his aid.

"All eight?"

"Eight? We only got six."

"There was two more. Heard him say that he was leaving. Didn't want to be part of them fucking me up anymore."

"Should we go after them?" Asked Dina looking worriedly at Joel and then Ellie.

"I don't think so. He didn't want to part of it. He wanted to leave before they beat me up. I don't think they'd come back. Joel?"

"We'll need to be more careful when on patrol."

"Okay."

*

Dina had her arm wrapped around Ellie's waist as they made their way back to Ellie's home. Ellie was strong enough to finally go back to Jackson. Maria and Tommy waiting by the gate as Dina, Joel, and Jesse rode into Jackson. Ellie holding on to Dina's waist behind her. Dina rode gently all the way to Jackson making sure not to hurt Ellie in any way.

"Fuck. It feels like I've been walking for miles." Said the injured girl, she walked trying not to put too much wait on her bad leg.

"We're almost there babe. Just few more steps."

"Okay." Dina didn't have to look at Ellie's face to know that the taller girl was blushing. With a smirk she carefully opened the door gate that lead to the back yard. Opening the door the Ellie's small home. Joel followed not far behind with Esther.

Ellie sat on the couch, her leg propped up on the small coffee table. Dina making sure that she wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest

"Alright kiddo if you need anything just holler alright." Said Joel as Esther put down the food she made for Ellie. Ellie nodded and smiled as she waved goodbye to the the couple. Once they were finally alone Dina sat next to Ellie.

"So how about that talk D?"

**