Restore (Sequel to Purge: Larry au)

Chapter 16

TW: death, violence

A few weeks later

Louis sighs as he packs up his bag. It had been a long day at work. He hadn't been able to focus practically at all. Every time he tried, his mind would wander off to different places; some of them good, and some of them dark. 

He hasn't been able to sleep well all week. Each night, he either rests fitfully, half-drunk and drugged on cigarettes for a dreamless sleep, or he's awoken in the middle of the night by nightmares and vivid memories of the war. 

All he wants to do now is get home to Harry and Darcy. He quickly walks out of the building and climbs into his car. Driving home, he has to stop suddenly a few times, due to his lack of focus even while on the road. There were a few close calls where he nearly hit the cars in front of him, but he manages to make it home without incident. 

He walks into the house quietly, dropping his back by the door and taking his shoes off. He can hear his husband and daughter in the kitchen, probably making dinner. He decides he needs to rest a bit before he goes to see them, so he trudges upstairs and into his room. He's asleep the second he flops down on the bed.

-------

"Tell me where the base is," the admiral snarls. "Tell me where it is and I'll bring you your baby alive. Refuse and I kill you, your boyfriend, and your precious little Darcy, along with the rest of your friends when I find the base myself. You'll buy them maybe a month at most."

Louis shakes his head, gasping. He doesn't want to be here again. He doesn't want to see the admiral threaten Harry and Darcy again. He doesn't want this again. Why do these memories keep coming back?

"I'm not going to tell you where it is," he hears himself say, but his voice is weak. He's terrified and he knows he's not good at hiding it.

"If you don't, Tomlinson," the admiral sneers, "I'll kill you and your whole family. Or better yet, maybe I'll keep you alive..."

He flicks his wrist once and suddenly five troopers converge on Harry, who's standing beside him. They kick his pistols our of his hands and throw him to the ground, and he cries out in pain when his knees hit the floor. The troopers grab him and drag him in front of the general, holding his arms behind his back. The admiral kicks him in the stomach and he doubles over in pain.

Louis calls out for him, terrified they'll hurt him. Harry stares up at him with wide, frightened green eyes. 

"Now, as I was saying, Tomlinson," the admiral snarls, "maybe I'll keep you alive. If you don't tell me where the base is, I'll kill him," he kicks Harry in the chest again, "and make you watch. And when I'm done with Styles, I'll go find your baby myself, and I'll bring her back to you. I might even let you hold her for a bit, but then I'll kill her too. You can watch that as well."

Louis trembles. He doesn't want that. He wants Harry and Darcy to be safe. He doesn't want to see them die. He's seen too many families witness each others' deaths at the camp; he knows how painful that is. He can't do that. He can let Harry and Darcy die.

"You can't kill her if you don't know where the base is," Louis says, trying to reassure himself. 

"We both know I'll eventually find it," the admiral says. The troopers around him turn Harry so that he's facing Louis. 

The admiral yanks Harry's hair, forcing him to look up at meet Louis's eyes. He pulls a gun out and presses it against Harry's temple, readying it to fire. 

Harry's frightened green eyes meet Louis's tear filled blue ones. Louis shakes his head. He can't watch this again. He can't see this again. He needs to wake up. He needs to get out of this memory.