Theresa "Tess" Servopoulos

Tess isn't even sure why it has to come to these screaming matches sometimes.

As usual, Joel puts his head down and keeps out of it –– at least until things have gone past the point of no return, anyhow. Otherwise, they usually work it out. Tess is sure they're barreling towards that point now, with Ellie's face flushed red with anger and body language tense. Tess is no better herself, all sharp angles and a gradually rising voice.

"When I tell you to do something," Tess snaps, "I don't want to see you stomping your feet and throwing a god damn fit about it. Just do it and I won't have to fucking nag you!"

"Well maybe if you didn't nag, you'd see that I DO get my chores done," Ellie snarls back. She's defensive, on the other side of the kitchen island counter like she's afraid Tess will come at her the same way she grapples with Joel during their arguments. Truth be told, Tess wouldn't –– Joel's a big guy, he can handle it –– but sometimes she entertains the thought that Ellie believing it might scare the kid into toeing the line a bit better.

"The dog doesn't wait for you to put down your damn comic book! That's why I nag! Because when you take your sweet time, the dog does his business wherever he wants. And I'm serious, Ellie," Tess warns, "Next time I find shit on the living room floor, so help me god, the dog is going to spend the rest of his life in the back yard."

Ellie makes a noise of protest, halfway between a noise of utter frustration and a "what?!"

"You can't do that!" she objects. "That's totally fucking unfair, and it's cruel!"

Tess throws her hands up in the air, done with this argument and not even willing to entertain whether it's cruel to keep a dog outside. Joel built the dog a damn luxury dog house, didn't he?

"Then take the god damn dog out and it won't be a problem!"

"I DO take the dog out!"

This is where Tess gets fed up and rounds the counter at an almost predatory pace. Ellie moves like she intends to keep her distance but then changes her mind, coming back to meet Tess head on, hands up to shove. Instead, Tess is moving past her, right across the living room. Ellie follows fast.

She sees where Tess is going.

Tess finds the dog laying in the front hall, and grabs him by the collar none-too-gently. Ellie is hot on Tess's heels, immediately reaching to grab Tess's arm and stop her, but Tess holds on tight. The pup starts tugging immediately with chorus of whimpers.

"Let go of me, Ellie," Tess hisses at the same time that Ellie yells at her a furious "Don't touch my dog!!"

That is where Joel steps in.

"HEY," he bellows, striding right in to seize Ellie by the collar of her shirt and Tess by the forearm. The two split immediately, both indignant. "And for god's sake, Tess, let go of the dog."

Tess does so, grudgingly, and the dog scampers off with his tail between his legs, but she also pulls her arm from Joel's grasp. She moves away with a cool anger, while Joel moves both hands to Ellie, holding her back from going after Tess again.

"She hates my dog!" Ellie snaps, and she doesn't stop pulling at Joel until he moves himself in front of her completely. Even then, she gives him a halfhearted shove, looking up at him. "She's persecuting him to get back at me!"

Joel looks at Tess over his shoulder, and she scowls, hands on her hips.

"The kid needs to learn to look after the dog, Joel," Tess says, erring diplomatic. "And we made a deal––"

"I do look after him!" Ellie interjects.

"––she only gets the dog if she looks after it!"

"I DO," Ellie interjects again.

Joel lets them go back and forth a second longer before he has to bellow "ENOUGH!" again. He raises a hand to Tess and keeps the other on Ellie, who has suddenly grabbed onto his forearm like she intends to use him as a weapon against Tess.

"Ellie, go to your room," Joel says, sternly.

Ellie immediately looks betrayed. "What?!"

"Go," he repeats, "Take the dog. I'll talk to Tess and then I'll be right there, alright?"

Pausing for a moment, Ellie looks up at Joel doubtfully before heaving an irritated sigh and marching off in the dog's direction. Both Tess and Joel watch her coax the poor thing out from under the dining room table, scoop it up in just-barely-big-enough arms and carry the dog away with her. Tess turns to go, too, letting herself out the front door to the porch as Joel heaves a sigh of his own. When Ellie's door slams on the other side of the house, he follows Tess out, screen door banging behind him.

"We agreed that she could have the dog if she took care of it," Tess says, back in a dangerous calm. "Don't you dare tell me I'm wrong."

Joel shakes his head and sighs. While she paces, he chooses to sit in his favourite chair, the wicker back creaking as he settles into it.

"You're not wrong," Joel says, "but she's a teenager. They're just like that sometimes. Don't you tell me you had all your priorities sorted out at that age."

Tess frowns, finding a place to lean comfortably against the porch railing, and she folds her arms. Sometimes she forgets that Joel has been an adult his entire life: raising Tommy, raising Sarah, hell, he even worked Tess herself through her early adult years.

"I didn't have a dog shitting on the rug because of it."

"It's a goddamn rug, Tess," Joel says, pointedly.

Tess rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, it's petty," she says, "but it still pisses me off. It's not a crime to want something nice to fucking stay nice for once, Joel. I'd like something to be proud of, even if it's just a clean house."

Joel shakes his head, and Tess knows he can't disagree. Still, he has his argument: "She's figuring it out, Tess. Fuck, it's nice to let her make mistakes that aren't life and death, even if it means a little bit of shit on the rug."

Tess raises her eyebrows. Joel holds up a hand in self defense.

"Alright, so maybe it's a big shit on the rug," he says, "That doesn't matter. What I'm sayin' Tess is that you've gotta give the kid a break. She'll figure it out."

Arms folded still, Tess stares Joel down until she's sure that there's no flexibility here. When there's none, she sighs.

"Fine," she says. "But if she doesn't get her act together, that's it."

Joel nods, and they share a moment of silence before Tess lets a smirk curl on her lips.

"Christ, you're such a dad to her."







It takes until that evening for Tess to swallow her pride and try to make amends.

When she knocks and then opens Ellie's door, Ellie's eyes narrow at her from across the room. The kid is stretched out on her bed, dog faithfully curled up beside her, and there's a comic book spread across her chest. She isn't reading it.

"Dinner's going to be ready in five minutes," Tess says, softer than usual. "You gonna come or should I just leave it on the counter?"

Ellie seems to relish how the silence grates on Tess for a moment and then concedes: "I'm coming. I'm not eating your leftovers."

Tess can't help but roll her eyes.

Ellie sits up. Tess watches the dog's ears twitch, rotating like little periscopes in her own direction. Ellie reaches to stroke the dog's head.

"Look, I'm sorry I grabbed your dog."

"Yeah? How about everything else?" Ellie replies.

"That too," Tess admits.

"Say it outright then."

Tess leans against the doorframe, one hand on her hip.

"Alright," she concedes. "I'm sorry for threatening to banish the dog."

"And the nagging?"

Tess frowns. She may not be Ellie's mother, but she's certainly been made responsible, hasn't she? Tess shakes her head.

"I nag because I want you to get shit done," Tess says. "It's not personal, El. I nag Joel too. That's just who I am. I like things in order."

"Well, I don't have to tolerate it like he does," Ellie says.

Tess shrugs. Fine. Both fall silent, and Ellie's resolve seems to crumble just a little as the silence wears on. Tess hovers in the doorway still, as if Ellie could make a better case and she needed to wait for it.

Ellie just keeps stroking the dog's head. In the background, the kitchen timer goes off. Tess gives the kitchen a glance over her shoulder. It'll be fine for a few more minutes, she decides.

"Hey," Ellie says, suddenly.

"Yeah?"

Ellie pauses. Then, finally:

"Do you hate me? You act like it sometimes."

That gets a bare smile out of Tess, perhaps inappropriately. She can't help it, it just comes to her as naturally as her bossiness. Its just such an alien question to her, people caring what she thinks about them. There's no time for that stuff in her business.

"Nah, kid, I don't hate you."

Ellie hesitates, but she nods.

"Look, I even really like you," Tess continues. "It's been nice having you around. You're really good to Joel, and I like having the company. You just get on my nerves sometimes, alright? The same way Joel does, the same way he gets on yours and I get on his and all that shit. We're all difficult people. It's nothing personal."

That gets a crack of a smile out of Ellie, who gives an amused huff under her breath and looks down at her lap.

"Yeah, I get that."

Tess's smile grows. Just a bit.

"Alright. We're good, then?"

"We're good," Ellie replies, sliding off the bed to her feet. "So what's for dinner?"

"I made your favourite," Tess says. "Or your favourite according to Joel, anyway."

Ellie gives a weird smile, her face scrunching up. It's half entertained, half poking fun.

"Wow, you definitely thought I wouldn't accept your apology."

Tess reaches to ruffle Ellie's hair as she approaches, mussing up her bangs and sending her ponytail askew.

"Yeah, yeah, you little shit."

Ellie grins and slips by Tess and out of her reach, the dog hot on her heels, bounding towards the dinner table.

Tess barely stifles a chuckle as she follows.