These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

27.

"Hey...Taylor. Taylor, wake up." 

I groaned into the pillow and opened one bleary eye, "Nick? S'going on?"

"We're getting ready to dock," he whispered, "You've slept late babe." 

"Why didn't you wake me?" I huffed, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands as I sat up. 

"You just looked so cute," he smiled, running a hand through my hair, "Oh. Before I forget..."

I watched as he pulled something out of his pocket, letting out a happy gasp when I realised it was my necklace, "Where did you get it?" 

"Alicia," he said, quietly, crawling behind me on the bed, "Hair." 

I quickly pulled my hair away from my neck, letting him put the piece of jewellery on, "I can't believe she got it back for me! My neck felt naked without it." 

I leant back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me, head resting on my shoulder. 

"This is where things get better," he mumbled, "Okay? We're going to be safe. No more running." 

"I hope so," I mumbled, "Come on. We'd better get ready to go." 

He nodded and watched as I got up from the bed, moving so he was sitting up against the headboard, "I'll just wait here for you."

"You're not watching me change, Nick!" 

"I am," he smirked, getting comfortable, "I know you won't throw me out." 

Rolling my eyes, I pulled the shirt I was wearing over my head, feeling myself getting red with his intense stare but I ignored him, dancing out of his way when he reached for me and went into the bathroom, "Get ready to go, Nick." 

**

The sun was hot as we made our way down up a hill to what looked like a church. Getting onto land was a little bit harder than we had thought it would be. 

There was a fight, with guns and Luis sadly ended up dead but we got there and I couldn't tell you how relieved I was to not be on that damn boat anymore. 

"What did he say to you?" I asked, looking up at Nick as we walked, "Luis?" 

"He was asking for his mom." he muttered, "He was the ticket into the safe space. I don't know if we'll get in." 

"You said that Strand knows someone. Thomas Abigail? He's the one the boat belongs to, right?" I said, lowering my voice when Strand looked over his shoulder at us, "I mean, if that guy is still there...then we'll stand a chance." 

"Yeah," he murmured, looking up ahead, "Hopefully." 

"Thomas?" 

I jumped when Strand started yelling, instinctively moving closer to Nick and I quickly looked around the deserted area, licking my lips when I heard the sounds of the infected approaching. 

"Nick," I whispered, tugging the arm of his shirt, "Nick."

"I hear them," he soothed and he quickly handed me a crowbar from the boat, "You can do this, right? You got this?" 

"I do," I nodded, gripping the metal in my hands, "I've got it." 

He gave me a confident smile and called out to the others that we were in danger. 

As one of them came towards me, I let out a shaky breath before swinging the crowbar, sticking it right through the head. 

Considering that we hadn't fought anything this big since the plane crash, we were doing well. It was as if we were a well oiled machine and although it took me a couple of swings, I got used to the weight of it, leading to a very efficient way of dealing with the dead. 

"Chris!" I heard Alicia yell, "Chris help her!" 

Turning around, I saw that Madison was practically surrounded by infected and he, well he was just standing watching her. So after killing one of them close to me, I ran towards them, ignoring Nick as he called my name.

I pushed Chris out of the way and stabbed one of them through the head, making Maddie look up at me and I would have helped her up if there weren't any more around. 

"Taylor!" Alicia yelled and I turned, just in time for one of them to run into the end of my crowbar. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Alicia demanded, shoving Chris when they were all dead, "Why didn't you help her? She was going to die!" 

I grabbed her arm when Chris didn't react and she shoved him again, "Alicia, stop!" 

"What is going on?" Travis asked, moving over to us, "Chris?" 

"He didn't help her!" Alicia yelled, "She could have died!" 

"Alicia," I murmured, pulling her away slightly, "Alicia, stop." 

She glared at Chris, breathing heavily as she finally moved away, "He didn't help her. He...he wasn't going to help her." 

"You don't know that," I whispered, looking over at the younger boy, "Maybe he just froze." 

"Oh don't tell me you believe that bullshit!" she hissed, shaking her head, "He wants her dead." 

"Alicia-" I tried again but she walked away, making her way over to her mom and I ran my hands through my hair, pulling my hair up into a ponytail before looking over at Nick, who looked to be in a daze.

"Nick?" I whispered, kneeling down in front of him and I looked to his side and saw that there was a little girl who had been infected, "Are you okay?" 

He shook his head and rest it against my chest, "I can't do this." 

Frowning, I ran my hands through his hair and kissed his forehead, looking up when Maddie called our names. 

She was standing by a pickup truck, Alicia currently climbing into the back whereas Travis and Chris were getting into the cab. 

"Come on!" 

Nick shook his head, keeping his face hidden and I made him look at me, "We're almost there, Nick. We're almost safe." 

A couple of minutes silence passed before he got up, keeping his hand in mine as we made our way towards the truck. 

"Is he okay?" Madison asked, catching my arm before I climb onto the bed and I looked over at her son, letting out a small sigh. 

"I don't know."