The Second To Die

Reunited :Chapter 26

"How do you deal with it?" I asked, staring blankly at the floor. None of us had moved for the last hour, none of us sure of what to say. They were all coming, and the blood bath would begin. I looked up from the floor, meeting Audrey and Emma's haunted eyes. "How do you handle the guilt?" The question lingered above our heads, sounding more like a silent plea. 

"I don't know." Emma answered quietly. "I don't think I really do. I think-" She sighed. "It all just hits me at some point." She whispered. My gaze drifted back to the floor as I pulled my knees in, feeling another rush of tears coming. 

"I'm tired of people I love dying." I sobbed, quickly covering my mouth with my hand. Audrey leaned forward, placing her hand on my knee. 

"No one is going to die today." She said gently, rubbing soft circles with her thumb. 

"You can't promise that." I said. "No one can. He'll kill whomever he pleases, when he pleases." Sucking in a deep breath, I stood to my feet, my stomach uneasy. "We're dragging them into this and it won't end well." Just then, a pounding on the door had us all jolting, Emma even going so far as to raise the gun she had taken from the deputy's body. 

"If he tries to break in, you-" Audrey began, until a voice cut her off. 

"Emma? It's me, Kieran! Noah and Brooke are headed up, open up!" Kieran called through the door. A sigh of relief sounded from all of us as Emma put the gun back into the waistband of her jeans, Audrey rushing forward to open the door. Sure enough, Kieran stood with a small smile on his face. He opened the door wider, looking back and ushering to who I could only assume was Noah and Brooke, both quickly appearing.

"Noah." Audrey and I both breathed. He smiled softly, rushing forward and wrapping us both in a hug. I closed my eyes, breathing in his scent, wanting nothing more than to be alone with him right now. He placed a quick kiss on my forehead before pulling away. 

"Are you alright?" He asked, while Brooke examined Emma beside us. I gave a quick nod, although, my eyes definitely gave me away. Brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, he placed another quick kiss on my forehead. 

"Everything's going to be alright." I gave him a small nod before looking to Kieran. Walking forward, I gave him a quick hug. 

"Thank you for earlier." I said. His arms came around me, giving me a small squeeze before he let go. 

"Anytime." He replied. I gave him one last smile before turning around, nearly crying at the sight of Brooke. Her gaze was on me and, I wasn't sure what it meant. 

"I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to see right now but, I want you to know that I'm so-" She quickly threw her arms around me, pulling me in as tightly as she could. 

"Don't. It wasn't your fault." She scolded lightly. "You didn't cause this." Her voice filled with reassurance and I nearly stumbled down. They weren't blaming me. They weren't mad and, they were all here. With me. My family. Pulling away, she looked back to Emma and Audrey. 

"Let's get you guys cleaned up?" She suggested. I shook my head. 

"I'll stay out here, with what's about to happen, I'm not sure it's going to matter whether I look my best or not." I replied. She gave me a small bob of her head before taking Audrey and Emma into the back, leaving Noah, Kieran and I. 

"I wish you guys hadn't come." I said, letting Noah pull me into his side. "But, I also can't deny that I'm relieved as well. Just seeing you guys, fine and, very much alive, I can't complain too much." I said. Kieran chuckled. 

"Your boyfriend here gave us all a bit of a scare but, he definitely pulled through." Noah let go of me, only to make an over-the-top and, very much exaggerated superhero pose. 

"What can I say? I must be superhuman." Rolling my eyes, I punched him lightly on the arm, sighing to myself. 

"Even faced with death, he can't help but crack a joke." 

I felt it then. Everything, in this moment. Just sitting here, laughing with Kieran and Noah, knowing my friends were just in the other room, safe and sound, I knew I needed to protect this. That this, this was worth protecting. 

"I'm going to go use the bathroom real quick, I'll be right back." Kieran said. He made his way to go however, he paused. "If I'm not back in five minutes come check." He added, before heading off to the bathroom. 

"And then there were two." Noah said with a nervous chuckle. Rolling my eyes, I turned to him, leaning closer and kissing him gently. 

"Is that such a bad thing?" I asked. His eyes were still closed as he smiled. 

"No, not even a little." He mumbled, puckering his lips again. I giggled, pecking them quickly before wrapping my arms around his waist, setting my head on his chest. 

"I'm glad you're alright." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around me tightly. 

"I'm sure you're more than glad, they told me about your vengeance spree." My face went red as I pulled back, looking up to him, only to see his gentle smile. "Don't worry, I thought it was kind of hot. The way you went full Punisher mode when you thought I was dead. At least, if I do meet an untimely demise, I can count on you avenge me." I scoffed, pushing away. 

"I was heartbroken, thinking you were dead but, does that bother you? Nope. Instead, dear old Noah is sitting here making movie references and joking about his 'untimely demise'." I teased. He reached forward, trying to pull me back to his arms. 

"Whatever, I'm just saying that, I can always count on you to keep me safe." He said. I giggled, letting him pull me back. As I leaned in to kiss him once more however, Kieran came back, a small smile on his face. 

"What's so funny?" I asked him. He chuckled. 

"Nothing, I can just hear you two all the way from down the hall." He replied, just as the girls came out. 

"It's time, we need to gear up." Emma said. Beside her, Audrey pushed through, rushing up to one of the glass cases containing some of the movie props. 

"You know half of those are fake right?" Noah asked as I stepped away from him, headed over to another glass cabinet, containing a small hatchet.

"Yeah, well the other half are real." She replied, taking a metal hook before looking over to me. "I don't have a key to that one so, we'll have to-" Before she finished, I took the flannel off my waste, wrapping it around my elbow before throwing my force against the glass, shattering it. Letting the flannel dropped, I chuckled lightly to myself as Noah clapped. 

"Hell yeah, that's my girlfriend!" He cheered on. I grabbed the hatchet, looking at it carefully. Protect my family. Protect them and damn the consequences. Picking it up, I turned around, lowering the hatchet to my side. 

"He comes in, I'll kill him. No one try to stop me, for your own sake." No one argued against me. 

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