A Helping Hand (Joel x Pregnant Reader)

Chapter 6

Joel looked up and down at the woman. Her blue eyes and blonde hair are unmistakable though it had nearly three decades since he has seen this woman. The only thing that changed about her is the speckled strands of grey hair throughout her head and wrinkles that collected themselves on her face. "Oh my God... Joel..." The woman says in a long exhale. She brings him into an embrace. Tommy and Joel lock eyes with shock evident on their faces. Joel felt his heart skip a beat but not in the good way. It was more of the painful, heart ripping out of his chest kind of feeling. He wanted to get away from her as fast as he could. He didn't hug her back he stood stiff as she looked up at him. "Where have you been all this time?" She asks pulling away. Joel is still stood there dumbfounded. His high school sweetheart, his ex-wife, the mother of his deceased child is standing in front of him when he was sure she was dead. Tommy walks between the two. "I think we should get ya settled in right Claire?" Tommy asks "Bu-" "Lets go..." He says as he guides Claire away from Joel.

Joel didn't know what to feel. He felt tears well in his eyes as he turned away and began his trek home. All he could think of was Sarah. Sarah was the spitting image of her mother and seeing Claire opened up old wounds. He remembers everything he wished he forget. Meeting Claire, their pregnancy, their marriage, their divorce, ...Sarah's death. It all hurt to much. All he wanted to do is go home and lock himself in his room. He wanted to hide away until she left but Tommy said something about "settling in." 'What does that mean?' He thinks to himself. 'Is she staying?' Before he knew it he was on the steps of his porch. He can hear laughing from inside the home. He pauses outside  the screen door and just listens for a moment. He hears your soothing voice and he sighs as he walks in. He tries his best to be quiet and just listen. He wants to live in this moment before he ultimately ruins it. He wants to have a moment of peace before everything goes to shit.

"Joel?" You call out to him as Ellie helps you up and walks out of the room. You walk up to him with a smile but it falls when you see his face. "What is it baby? You look like you have seen a ghost..." You say taking both his hands in yours. He looks down at your joined hands and positions them to where he can caress your knuckles with his thumb. "Joel? What is it?" You say releasing his hand and cupping his cheek. He only leans into your touch before pulling away and walking up the stairs. You were about to follow him when there was a knock on the door. You walk over to the screen door to see Tommy on the other side. "Tommy, hey." You say opening it to him and he steps inside. "Where's Joel?" He asks immediately. "He went upstairs just now. He seems really upset." You say sadly and Tommy looks at you in pity. "What is it Tommy?" You ask placing a hand on his forearm gripping it as you fear the worst. "It ain't my place to tell (Y/N)... But I will say he uh... He got a blast from the past." You only nod "I should go tal-" "No. Not right now (Y/N)." Tommy says cutting you off. "He needs time to process this." You nod "Oh... Okay" You say dropping your hand from his arm. Tommy nods and walks up the stairs. You go and sit yourself on the couch and sigh. You place you hand on your belly and rub it trying to sooth the life inside of you. "Everything will be okay." You say with a hum. You decide to get up and sit on the bottom step of the stairs and begin looking through boxes.

 

Joel is sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. His heart is pounding because he knows he will have to see her again. He hates that he brushed you off but he can't face his past right now. He hasn't told you much of his past life before the apocalypse only that he had a daughter. He has so much to love about you and one of them is hoe caring and considerate you are. You are very patient and never pressure him to talk about anything unless it was about him taking care of himself. He just wants to go down stairs and lay in your arms and feel his baby kick... Wait... His baby? Does he consider that life inside of you his? Would you be okay with that? Is it to soon to ask? I mean he has already asked you to move in with him and you haven't been together a week. Is he moving to fast? Are you uncomfortable and he isn't seeing it? His thoughts are interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. When he looks up he sees Tommy walking in. Joel sighs and looks up at him with tears in his eyes. Tommy walks over and sits next to him. "Joel?" He asks and Joel just leans his head in his hands again. "Jo-" "I thought she was dead." Joel says bitterly. "She was suppose to be dead... Tommy I don't want her to ask ab-" Tommy brings Joel into an embrace and Joel sobs. "She isn't stayin' long... She is from another settlement she just needs to stay for a week to gather the supplies they need for a trade..." Tommy says and Joel pulls away trying to compose himself. 

"I need to hate her Tommy..." Tommy stays silent to let him vent. Joel stands up and begins to pace. "She left me and Sarah... She left I have to hate her for that." He says before pacing to the window and looking out. "She wasn't suppose to come back into ou- My life." He says breathing heavy.  "I have (Y/N) now. I need to worry about her right now..." Tommy sighs and stands up. "You know I gotta ask... Do you still have feelings for Claire?" Tommy asks. Joel sighs and turns to him. "She was my highschool sweetheart Tommy... A part of me will always love her but I'm not in love with her..." Joel says crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at his broken watch. "I stopped loving her the moment she left us." Tommy nods and is satisfied with the answer. "She is going to ask the question Joel... I hope you are prepared for that." Joel nods. "I... I know I can't avoid this but... I need a little time can you maybe keep her off my back and away from here?" He asks and Tommy nods. "I think it is best you talk to (Y/N) as well... She deserves to know that Claire is here and who she is." Joel looks like he is going to deny what Tommy is saying but Tommy quickly cuts him off. "She is bound to run into her Joel... You need to talk to (Y/N)... Soon." Tommy says and Joel looks away. Joel nods and follows Tommy out of the bedroom and to the stairs. He sees you at the bottom and his heart seems to be beating faster then ever. You look happy going through the boxes of your old home. He wants to get onto you for sitting on the steps and not relaxing, He can do that later. Tonight he is going to talk to you and hope he doesn't ruin what he has with you. He is going to tell you about Claire, He is going to tell you about Sarah, He is going to tell you his feeling and how he feels toward the life inside of you. He is going to hope that you want him after this because like you said: "I feel like I can't breath without you"