After You (Ellie Williams)

XI

The walk back to the theater was quiet. Not one of those comfortable quiet moment's either. Ellie clearly had been drowning in guilt for what she had done. Was it all worth it? All the fighting. It didn't matter. She had already gotten this far it was too late to stop. They both knew that this would be a bloody mess.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Quinn was her rock. She was all she had. She gently took the girl shirt off revealing all her scars and bruises. She was half naked in front of the girl but it didn't matter to either of them. All that mattered was taking care of her.

Ellie winces as Quinn cleans her wounds. "Sorry." She whispers.

"I'm sorry I should've been there." Quinn laid her arm on the girls shoulder and Ellie holds her hand tightly. Quinn looks at the brunettes bruise covered hands and she helps her put her shirt back on.

"She's in a aquarium." Ellie says pulling on the girls arm. Quinn follows her lead and bends down to her height.

"I'm gonna make sure none of these people hurt you." Ellie looked deep into Quinn's eyes and cupped her cheeks. The brunette slightly leaned in and Quinn expected their lips to connect. Ellie's head dropped on her shoulder instead and Quinn comforted her like she usually did.

"I'm so tired Quinn."

"Come on. Come lay down." Quinn pulled the girl up and walked her to one of the couches in the theater.

"Aren't you going to rest?"

"You go ahead." Quinn smiled softly. She waited patiently for the girl to fall asleep. When she did she stood up from the couch she sat in.

"I'm sorry Ellie." Quinn whispered before picking up her bag. Quinn took a piece of paper and wrote on it.

"I'll be back. Don't come after me."

Quinn quietly exited the theater and set off.

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"Okay the Aquarium." The girl started to walk. She looked at her map and nodded. "This has to be it."

When Ellie mentioned the aquarium she knew exactly which one she had been talking about. Of course it was there. Why didn't she think about that. Mel wouldn't shut up about it when she first started seeing Owen. How he had cleared up the whole place just for her. How he set a room for them to spend romantic nights in. She remembered fake gagging just to tease Mel whenever she spoke of their 'romantic hideout'.

On her way to the Aquarium she bumped into a few scars. They were a persistent little group. Hostile to anybody who wasn't them.

"Dammit when does it end." Quinn wiped the blood from her knife against her pants and continued. The pathway wasn't easy, her body was soaked from having to swim here and there.

"There we go. You better be in here." Quinn muttered as she made her way inside. It was selfish of her to take matter into her own hands but Ellie was hanging by the thread. When she found her in that hospital she looked so disconnected from reality. Her hands shaking, She hated the way her eyes looked up at her so tired before falling asleep. She was slowly losing herself and Quinn wasn't gonna allow her to.

Quinn observed all the little things in the Aquarium Mel had told her about. After a while of looking around she finally heard muffled voices. She immediately recognized them and pulled out her gun. The couple argued about going after Abby. Quinn stood there waiting for them to notice her. Mel was the first to turn around. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

"Surprised to see me?" Quinn stepped forward and took notice of Owen's hand slowly inching towards his back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. One wrong move and she's fucking dead."

"She's pregnant for god sake!" Owen argued with her as if she deserved sympathy.

"And?" Quinn's brows connected in a 'I don't give a fuck manner'

"Where's Abby?"

"Why are you doing this?" Quinn's face contours into shock and she laughs. "Are you seriously asking me that question?"

"Quinn please. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did."

"Shut the fuck up Mel, just answer the damn question." Mel looked back towards Owen who shook his head.

"Tell me where she is and I'll leave. I'll forget about all the bullshit your little group put me trough. You wont ever see me again. We can also keep the fact that I'm alive secret from Isaac."

"Mel don't you dare." Owen threatened and Quinn pointed her gun at him and rolled her eyes "Man do you ever shut up? Who made you fucking leader anyways?"

"Mel." Owen took a step forward and Quinn clicked her tongue. "Take one more step and you'll lose your legs. Now here. Circle on the map where she went."

Quinn took out the map they had been using and tossed it on the ground along with a pen.

"Jesus. You guys have been following us this whole time." Mel looks at the numbered bases. She looks at the girl holding a gun at her in shock.

"I should've let Jordan kill you when I had a chance." Owen spits out.

"Yeah maybe he would be Alive today if you had the balls to genuinely call the shots." Quinn's smirk sets the man off and he makes a run for her. He nearly tackles her down before she presses the trigger on her gun.

"Owen!" Mel yells loudly watching the man she loved drop on the floor. Both the women look at each other. One waiting for the other to make a move. For a split second Quinn looked at her pregnant stomach. Second guessing her actions but when she went deep in her memory and remembered what their group did to her and her mother she lost it.

She didn't care about being moral. Not when the woman before her tried to convince her to comply and be someone sick project. In the blink of an eye before she could even be attacked she shot. Her chest rising up and down her breaths unsteady.

"Oh my god what did I do what did I do?" Quinn paces back and forth.

"Quinn..." Mel reached out for her. "I'm sorry."

At that moment she knew those words would haunt her for the rest of the life she had left on earth. The pain in her heart weighed her down and at the end of the day she had done nothing but slow Ellie down. She didn't know where Abby was and she had just killed a pregnant woman. She'd been so worried about Ellie's well being she didn't realize she'd been holding back herself. So much anger, so much hatred.

Quinn dropped on the floor as she watched the pool of blood slowly inch towards her. Before it could touch her she quickly stood up.

Quinn weeps softly and she stays there for a second before someone touches her shoulder.

"Back up!" She yells before pointing her gun.

"Whoa there!" Quinn's shoulders drop in exhaustion when she meets Tommy's eyes.

"We've we've been looking all over for you." She lets out in shaky breaths. "W-we're staying in this theater. I left Ellie. She was sleeping. I-"

"Let's get out of here before someone comes looking for these two okay?" Tommy speaks in an almost fatherly tone.

"Mmhmm." Quinn wipes her nose and slowly starts to walk. She looks back one more time at the mess she caused before fully exiting the aquarium.