These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

29.

i'm baaaaaaaaaack

**

Nick's fingertips trailed up my arm, making me shiver and move closer to him, "Stop it." 

He chuckled and began playing with my hair instead, knowing that I loved it when he did so. "Hey," he mumbled and I looked up at him, chin resting on his chest, "We could live here, y'know. With Celia and her family. We're going to be safe here." 

"I guess," I shrugged, leaning up to kiss his jaw, "But Nick, we don't really know these people." 

"Celia's nice." he muttered, pecking my lips, "She can take care of us." 

I hummed, moving so I was on my back and he followed, bracing his hands on either side of my head, "Do me a favour." 

He nodded, running his nose along my neck, "Anything." 

"Don't talk about Celia when we're practically naked." I giggled pulling him down to me. 

"Agreed," he whispered, attaching his lips to mine in one fluid motion. I ran my hands up the expanse of his back as he swiped his tongue across my lower lip, my fingernails digging into his skin when he nipped at me. 

"Ow," 

"Sorry," he mumbled, kissing me again but froze when there was a gunshot from somewhere else in the house.

"Was that...?" I began, grabbing the blanket to pull over myself as he climbed off of me, "Nick, was that a gunshot?"

"I think so," he nodded, grabbing his pants from the floor, "I'm gonna go see." 

"Wait for me," I whispered, getting up from the bed to grab his shirt, "I'm coming too." 

He waited patiently for me to pull that and my jeans on before taking my hand. Out in the hallway, we could see others making their way to where the commotion must have been coming from. 

Nick looked over his shoulder at me when we heard Celia yelling, screaming even and entering into another bedroom, we could see that Strand was holding a gun and Thomas, Celia's son, was dead. 

"Holy shit," I whispered, resting my head against Nick's shoulder as she smacked Strand across the face, "What is going on?" 

"That's enough," Maddie said gently, taking her hand to stop her striking again and Celia turned on her. 

"Why are you here?" the woman choked, "Who are you?"

"His friend."

Celia scoffed, "You are his fool. And so was my son." 

As she went to leave the room, Nick touched her arm, "Celia, I'm so sorry."

"I have to bury him," Strand said quietly, looking at Maddie as she tried to comfort him, "I have to." 

"You don't deserve to bury him." the older woman stated. 

"It's what he wanted." 

"What he wanted?" she demanded, "What he wanted was what you promised! This man. My beautiful, stupid son, wanted you!"

Strand turned to look at her, "He is not your son." 

Nick moved forward as she went to go for him again, "Hey, Celia. Hey. He didn't mean that. He didn't." 

"Stay out of it." 

"They need some time," he said, nodding when she looked at him, "Please." 

She scoffed and looked back at Victor, "You're going to let this boy do your begging? Fine. Now Thomas can get everything you have to offer. An empty hole. Some dirt. You have one day. The sun comes down, I want you gone. All of you." 

Nick looked over his shoulder at me and I could tell that he was angry. At who? I didn't know but I followed him as he left the room.

It wasn't going to be an easy night for any of us. 

**

The next morning, everyone was on edge and Alicia, Nick and I were sitting watching Strand dig Thomas' grave when Maddie approached us. 

"Pack whatever supplies we can carry. Food, water. Anything you can get your hands on without drawing attention to yourself. And we need the truck to get back to the boat. Did any of you see where he put the keys?" 

"I'm not going back to the boat," Alicia said quietly and I nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, no. Me neither. Screw that." 

"We don't have a choice." Maddie hissed then looked at Nick, "Did you see where Strand put the keys? That sun sets, they'll force us off the land." 

"Mom," Nick tried but she interrupted him. 

"No. These people are not our friends. Get it through your heads. Both of you. This place, is dangerous. That woman. She's dangerous." 

"She's just upset, Maddie." I said quietly.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "And besides, I can talk to her."

Maddie leant down so she was in his eyeline, "You stay away from Celia. All of you. Do you understand? Travis is coming over that hill with Chris and when he does, that's when we go."

"Are we even sure we want Chris back?" Alicia muttered as she walked away, "After last night, I wouldn't care if we just left him." 

I gave her arm a gentle squeeze as both Nick and I got up to go inside. 

Last night, after everything seemed to have calmed down, Nick had informed me of what Celia had told him. How she had told him that the dead have always walked among us. The only difference now, was that we were seeing them. 

Yesterday, when we first arrived, I remember Strand telling her that Luis was one of the infected and instead of looking upset, she had just smiled and told him that he'd "Find his way back."

"What're you thinking about?" Nick asked when we got upstairs. The two of us deciding that we should pack our things back up since we were going to be gone at sundown. 

"Luis," I murmured, sitting down on the bed, "And what you said last night." 

"What about it?" 

"What if we brought him back?" I said quietly, "We could go out, cover ourselves in blood, they won't touch us. We go back to the boat and get him. Bring him back to her." 

He sat down beside me, a small smile on his face, "You're serious, aren't you?" 

"We can't go back to the boat, Nick." I said, shaking my head. 

He stood up again and took off his jacket, throwing it down on the bed before he leant down to kiss me, "Then let's go, Beautiful."