#fcnd

"Well, whatever happens from now on, I can at least die happy," her kidnapper joked. "I was worried I'd never get this dance with you."

She becomes the new Sheriff of Hope County.

After the car accident she wakes up among the flames, rescues Whitehorse's hat and his badge from the ashes since that's all she can do for him. She then runs off to the ruined dockside bunker on Dutch's island where she meets up with other survivors. Pratt is still in Jacob's bunker due to other events of my au that I don't have time to explain here. The lake protects them from the flames and the bunker protects them from the immediate fallout.

She isn't without her injuries, of course. But once she's patched up enough to move safely she and the others hop from bunker to bunker on their way to Holland Valley. Once they make it to Rae Rae's Pumpkin Farm, Joey shacks up with Mary May, Boomer, and Ryan - Rae Rae's young son who is mentioned in notes you can find on the property.

In New Dawn we find out through notes that May May managed to survive the bombs but eventually "died of a broken heart." Rebuilding was just too heavy a burden for her after everything the cult took from her and she gave up. But now she has her Joey back, and Joey encourages her to be strong.

When they finally emerge a few years before the peggies - mostly due to dwindling resources and a desire to help their neighbors - Joey is scarred but strong, and she rallies a new militia to Fall's End's defense as they rebuild. Under normal circumstances Joey would have ran for sheriff following Earl's retirement, but everyone fighting at her side would have voted for her anyway.

She deputizes her militiamen with badges from the old sheriff's office and they protect the town while Kim Rye and Mary May oversee the rebuilding efforts. It really helps when they're able to get the Lumber Mill up and running again.

The Spread Eagle is the first building to be rebuilt in town. Call it nostalgia. They expand its walls to include the cornerstore and refurbish the second floor to act as an inn. Joey proposes to Mary when construction is complete and that beautiful new building is their venue.

When the Security Captain comes to town with Thomas Rush, Fall's End isn't this sad ghost of itself Frankensteined from shipping containers. Highwaymen don't stalk the streets. It's different, sure, but the Sheriff and her Deputies made sure that no one else was going to take it from them ever again.

Other Notes Under the Cut: