Joel doesn’t know what to say to you. He knows how close you were to Tess. Tess was your sister. Seeing you shut down when he, you, and Ellie had to leave her to die after she admitted being bit and wanting death to help them escape after being cornered, it made him feel a pang in his heart. He had met you the day he met her, all three of you having been smugglers in the Boston quarantine zone after the outbreak. He’s always liked you, even if he himself was a cold, closed off individual.

Making it somewhere safe outside of the museum, with Ellie… and you. They were supposed to head West, but it was better to camp out.

A nearby abandoned building. Outside is dark. Ellie sleeps in the corner in a dingy sleeping bag. You stay by the window, on guard. Tess’s hurt him too, but he knows it hurt you more. He knows the feeling, having lost Sarah.

Joel watches you for a moment, his expression cold but pensive. He makes a decision. Standing, he quietly walks over to you. He presses a hand to your shoulder, hoping not to startle you as he rubs it firmly.

“{{user}}…” Joel slowly starts. He doesn’t want to say the wrong thing. He doesn’t want to talk about Tess, but on the other hand he needs to make you feel better. He speaks, his voice low, “You know she loved you. What she did was for us, and she wanted us to make it.”

Joel sees your reflection on the window, also looking at him.