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kiwixlime · 3 years ago

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Finders Keepers - Chapter Five

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it! I feel so bad when I don’t answer replies, but sideblogs kinda suck when it comes to interaction. However, I can always answer asks if you have any questions! This isn’t a very exciting update, but it helps build the plot. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Masterlist

About a week after Bay and Jesse’s patrol incident, their lives were starting to go back to normal, or whatever. Both of them were on their way to healing with lots of rest, per doctor’s orders, and Bay hasn’t encountered any more bad dreams, at least not ones that sent her into a spiral with the urgency to sit in the playground in the middle of the night.

As far as injuries go, Jesse suffered a sprain, some bruising, and a few surface wounds. Bay, on the other hand, only had her minor leg wound and some cuts and scrapes. They were both doing much better, all things considered. But now it was time to get out and get back to it. Rest and relaxation are all well and good, but Bay and Jesse are both very active people.

That’s why today Bay is hosting some target practice for a few of the teens in Jackson. She promised Jesse a while ago that she’d give him extra lessons the next time she had a free day. So when he and Ellie approached her with the idea of gathering a few more kids, she couldn’t say no.

On the street where her house sits is an empty lot with a large, grassy yard. They haven’t built a house on it yet, so some of the Jackson residents use it for training, like fighting or self-defense. Others use it for practice, mostly with silent weapons. Then there are a few who like to sign it out for parties or events when the weather is right. Luckily for Bay, she spoke to Maria early on and was able to sign it out for her newly formed archery class.

So that’s where she’s been for the last hour, standing in this field with four very excited teenagers and one nervous one. Tommy was kind enough to set up the practice area for her, putting up some handmade targets, gathering extra bows and arrows for each of the kids. He even offered to stay and help, though it was unnecessary.

Bay never considered herself a teacher, but for some reason, these kids respect her. And she’s the one they want to learn from. It’s flattering and confusing all at once, but she accepts the challenge. It’s certainly different from training the usual adults.

“Jesse, nice stance. Ellie, nice stance.” She walks behind the row of teens, carefully assessing their posture and the way they position their legs and feet. After going over the general rules of practice -- pay attention, don’t accidentally kill someone -- she got right down to it. “Dina, excellent, perfect form,” Bay says with a smile.

The last two teenagers in the group, Cat and Danny, are struggling with their footing more than the others. Bay notices and excuses herself, letting the other three kids get comfortable with their positions. “Hey, Cat,” Bay whispers with a smile as she walks up to her. She nudges her bow a bit and encourages the younger girl to loosen up. “You’re just holding some tension in your legs,” she notes. “I know it sucks, but see how Dina is standing? Just copy that. And breathe, okay? You’re learning. That’s what these lessons are for.”

Cat groans and changes her stance the way Bay instructs, stealing quick glances at Dina. The other girl is practically perfect, precise. “Like this?” She asks Bay, eyes nervous with uncertainty as she tries to copy what Dina is doing.

“Good, much better.” Bay nods. “See, you’re a fast learner,” she compliments. And Cat smiles, feeling proud.

At the very end of the line is Danny. He’s about the same age as Ellie, much quieter than her, though. His family is relatively new to Jackson. So Cat decided to reach out and invite him to join the teen practice group. From what Bay noticed, he wasn’t jumping at the idea, but he tagged along and she’s doing everything in her power to help the kid.

“Danny?” She asks once she finishes helping Cat. She moves to his side and nods to where Cat stands. “Did you hear what I said to her?” She asks him and he nods in response, lips drawn in a straight line. “Okay, try that. Remember, foot alignment and toe position should be identical. So just focus and don’t worry about not getting it at first.”

“Okay,” Danny mumbles unenthusiastically. He thinks about what Bay said and moves his body to imitate Cat’s, but his knees won’t stop wobbling. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath.

Bay smiles softly. She’s not used to working with kids like Danny. Most of the people she helps in training are eager to learn. She doesn’t have the best patience in the world, especially this world, but she’s trying. She knows it’s not easy and for someone new, it can be extremely scary. “It’s okay. Watch me,” she says and then proceeds to move into a solid foundation.

Danny watches carefully and copies Bay’s exact movements. He’s still a little awkward, but it’s mostly there. And Bay is thrilled. “Is this right?” He asks bluntly.

“Close enough,” she grins, giving the boy a weak high five. “Nice job, Danny.”

He scoffs, but she keeps up her smile, heading back towards the rest of the group. She gathers them around, putting herself in the center so they can all see and hear her. “Next up we’ll talk about how to use your elbows,” she chirps.

Jesse and Ellie immediately get to work, with Dina not far behind. They attempt to guess what Bay will say next and Cat waits and watches the star students before she makes an attempt. Danny just sighs, reluctantly giving it a go.

“Rotate your elbow straight when you draw the bow and release the arrow,” Bay says and picks up her own bow to show by example. “When you do this, you’re setting your body up for proper alignment. That’s going to make your shot nice and strong.”

The teenagers listen, attempting to do the same with their own bows. Bay walks around, watching and nodding, making some comments here and there. She watches as Jesse nails it on the first try. Really, this kid doesn’t even need any practice. He’s practically a pro already.

After a few attempts, Ellie and Dina go to help Danny, who is struggling again. Bay watches them with a smile on her face. At this moment there’s no fighting; there’s no rivalry. Ellie and Dina are being a team, but Danny’s blushing and he’s mumbling something unintelligible.

Bay continues on, talking about anchor points and hook positioning and she’s really getting into it. She’s even using the technical terms that she picked up back in Pittsburgh. It’s going well, really well, that is until a voice pipes up in annoyance.

Danny.

“Do you have to be so professional about it?” He asks, voice dripping with disgust and irritation. “Seriously, we’ll be fighting, it’ll be messy. We’re not gonna be at some kind of fucking range trying to score the most points. It’s luck.” He rolls his eyes and kicks at the grass beneath his feet. He’s clearly frustrated with the events on the day so far and he’s not afraid to hide his true feelings. However, the rest of the teens are taken aback.

“Hey!” Jesse snaps angrily, stepping out of his place in line. “Don’t disrespect Bay like that,” he warns, ready to deck Danny.

“It’s okay, Jesse,” Bay insists, cutting him off quickly. The last thing she needs is a fight on her watch. She gives Jesse a friendly pat on the back and pushes him back. She slowly walks over to Danny, not missing the way he squirms under her obviously fake smile. “Look, Danny, I know you’re new here, but you’re not new to this world.” She states, impatiently. “I’m not the person I am today because of luck. I didn’t make it here because of luck. I fought my way out. And I worked my ass off to be the best. And I am the best. That’s why you’re here. So yes, we will be getting all “professional.” Because if you work hard and you practice hard, this shit will become second nature to you. And that just might mean the difference between life and death.”

Her smile falls as she stomps away angrily. She picks her bow up from the ground, puts her legs and feet into position. She straightens her elbow, hooks her fingers around the arrow and pulls it back to just under her chin. She narrows her eyes, breathes out slowly, and lets the arrow fly. The group watches as it cuts through the air sharply, barreling into the bullseye.

“Fuck,” Ellie whispers.

“See that?” Bay asks, walking back to where Danny stands. He frowns as she stops right in front of him. “That was all technical, kid.” She shoves the bow into his arms, making him stumble back a bit. “Your turn,” she demands. He gulps and looks to the other four teenagers who only shrug. “Do it,” Bay demands and Danny sighs, taking the bow from her.

--*--

“Well, I think that’s enough for the day,” Bay says after Danny takes his final shot. It’s better than the ones he took before, but it’s still weak. She really put him through the ringer. She did it for all the kids, but Danny is the only one who struggled. He just couldn’t get it right.

Danny groans and drops the bow to the ground, not saying goodbye as he literally runs off of the lot. Bay rolls her eyes and goes to pick up the mess he left when a pair of boots step into her line of sight. She blinks curiously a few times before standing straight.

“Joel,” she says.

“Damn, girl,” he chuckles, confirming his presence. “You trainin’ these kids or sendin’ them off to war?”

“Don’t start,” Bay moans. Exhausted, she drops to the grassy floor, letting her back settle against the ground, resting her head gently down onto the grass, eyes gazing up to the bright blue sky above. She lets out a sigh. “It’s so hard,” she says. “It’s amazing how I have no problems training adults, or you know, taking out bloaters, but teaching a bunch of teenagers something for a few hours takes the life out of me.”

“Well, I’m impressed,” Joel says with a smile. Boldly, he copies her position, planting himself on the ground next to her. He doesn’t lay back the whole way, keeping himself propped up by his elbows.

“Don’t be,” Bay grunts. “I think I made that Danny kid cry.”

Joel can’t stop himself from letting out a deep laugh. Bay smiles to herself. She likes that laugh. “How’s Ellie doin’?” He asks her, curious about how his girl is holding up in what seems to be an intense course.

“She’s great,” Bay admits. “She’s a fast learner. You’d be proud.” She’s honest when she speaks. Ellie’s giving Jesse a run for his money.

“She’s a tough kid,” Joel says. There’s a hint of sadness in his voice, like the reasons Ellie is so tough are things kids shouldn’t have to go through. He doesn’t elaborate though. “Been through a lot.”

“Yeah,” Bay says quietly. She understands. She can tell the girl is strong, resilient. But it’s not her place to ask, so she doesn’t.

Joel clears his throat and sits up, crossing his legs beneath him. He keeps his eyes fixed on Bay, still lying there staring up at the sky. “What are you up to now?”

“Well,” she breathes out with a half-hearted laugh. “I’m so fucking hungry, but the diner is like,” she waves her hand weakly, “so far over there.” She turns to Joel and pouts and for some reason, that makes his stomach flip with an unexpected feeling.

Choosing to ignore the twisting in his gut, he laughs and then forces himself to stand up. He reaches two hands down and motions for her to move. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go.”

Bay cannot hide the blush that spans across her entire face at the nickname. She’s sure it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just Joel’s southern charm, but it’s been a long time since she’s been called anything so sweet, she kind of likes the way it sounds. Putting on a front, she groans dramatically and let’s Joel pull her to her feet.

“You sure you don’t wanna carry me?” She pouts, pushing her bottom lip out almost comically. His eyes drop to her mouth on instinct. He feels like a creep staring at her so intensely.

“No,” Joel shakes his head, breaking from his trance, and releases her hands from his grip. He misses the warmth of her immediately, her soft hands against his rough ones. He plays it cool, though, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Let’s, uh, let’s go,” he says.

The walk to the Tipsy Bison is mostly silent, but it’s not awkward. Bay talks a little about her lesson with the kids, the incident with Danny, and Joel tells her that he could never have the patience, or temper, for something like that. It’s easy conversation, effortless, something that’s not easy for Bay these days.

When they arrive, Joel holds the door open for her, once again showing off that southern charm. She smiles at him, mumbling a quiet thank you as she enters. It’s busy, but it’s probably a late afternoon rush after some patrols return for the day.

At one table, Tommy and Maria sit with Eugene and Bonnie and a few other patrol groups Bay recognizes.

The group of teens, her students, sit in the corner, laughing and chatting loudly. She notices Danny isn’t with them, but she’s not surprised. She’s pretty sure she’ll never see that kid again. Jesse says something and the four of them look in Bay's direction. They smile and wave enthusiastically, calling her over to sit with them.

She glances at Joel, a weak smile on her lips. She really wants to sit with the adults right now. But damn if she’s not flattered. Joel gives her a knowing nod and she gently squeezes his arm as a goodbye, making her way through the diner to the kids table.

“Bay!” They all cheer, Ellie grabbing her hand and dragging her down to the seat next to her. “That was so fucking fun!” She says in regards to the archery lesson.

“Yeah, I’m really glad you said something to Danny,” Jesse interjects. “I woulda knocked him out cold.”

Bay chuckles and shakes her head. “I’m a big girl, Jess, you don’t have to be a knight in shining armor.”

“Why not?” He jokes.

“Yeah,” Dina agrees. “He looks good in the role.”

“Oh,” Bay says with a knowing smirk. Her eyes study the two of them, their close proximity in the booth, the way Dina’s hand playfully slaps his arm, the blush that colors Jesse’s cheeks. It’s sweet, she thinks. Innocent. Finding love in the apocalypse is hard.

Then she turns to Ellie and Cat, who seem to have a similar vibe going on. Suddenly, she feels like a fifth wheel. But it doesn’t bother her at all.

From across the room, Joel watches. He watches how the teenagers fawn over Bay, the adoration in their eyes as she speaks. Guess he’s not the only one who thinks she’s really something. He takes a sip of the drink Tommy slid over to him and sighs.

Tommy notices, following Joel’s eyes and grinning. “She’s fitting right in,” he says, referring to Ellie. Joel can only nod in agreement. Yes, Ellie. That’s who he should be focused on.

“She really is,” Joel says, happily.

“And so are you,” Tommy adds.

This makes Joel laugh. “Appreciate it little brother.”

“I’m serious, Joel,” Tommy says. “You’ve really proven yourself around here. Lotta people look up to you. Lotta people been askin’ me about you.”

“Oh, yeah?” He asks in disbelief. “They can keep askin’. I haven’t told anyone about Ellie, I ain’t plannin’ on it either.” He warns, though he knows Tommy would never say anything. Neither would Maria.

“Hey,” Tommy raises his hands in defense. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he says. “I’m not even talkin’ about that, Joel. I’m talkin’ about you. They wanna know your story. They wanna know your deal.”

“My deal?” Joel questions.

Nodding, Tommy leans in closer to his brother. “Maria and I have this friend,” he begins quietly, like he’s got some frivolous secret. “She’s, uh, well, she’s been askin’ us about you recently. Now, I haven’t said anything, figured I’d come to talk to you first, but she’s a real nice lady, Joel.”

At Tommy’s admission, Joel’s head perks up. He raises an eyebrow, sensing what Tommy is about to say. He doesn’t immediately reject the idea, his curiosity getting the better of him. And he can’t help himself from letting his eyes flick over to Bay for a second.

“Go on then,” Joel says. “Gimme your pitch.”

“My pitch,” Tommy scoffs. “You’re a real piece of work,” he chuckles. “Maybe Esther doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Esther? Who the hell is Esther? Joel can’t lie to himself. His heart sinks a little when he hears Tommy mention the unfamiliar name. “Who?” He asks.

“Her name’s Esther,” Tommy says. “She’s a good woman. Maria and I really like her, think she’d be good for you. She’s funny, Joel, good sense of humor…I think you’d really like her. And by the way she keeps askin’ about you, seems obvious what she’s interested in.”

Joel sighs, thinking about his next words carefully. He understands Tommy has good intentions. He tried this before the world ended, back when he still had Sarah…He always thought Joel needed to get back out there and any woman that seemed like his type was pushed in his direction. But Joel wasn’t ready…he isn’t ready. Maybe.

“Look, Tommy,” he begins, but his younger brother cuts him off.

“Joel,” Tommy insists. “Just give her a chance…one date.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good time,” Joel fires back, a little irritated at his brother’s pushing. “Ellie and I are still gettin’ settled. There’s still a lot goin’ on there and I have more important things to focus on than some little romance.”

He scoffs and quickly glances at Bay who happens to be staring back at him. She gives him a smile that sends warmth through his body. Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she laughs at something Ellie says.

No, Joel thinks, it’s not a good time…Not a good time for Esther.

#kiwi fics #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x oc #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us fanfic

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