The Walking Dead (One Direction)

Chapter 40

Harry's POV:

Julia doesn't stop crying and I don't how to make her better. I don't know what to say to comfort her so I just hold her close to give her something to hold on to.

Our great escape was supposed to be a good thing, but as we’re back in our faithful cars I don’t feel the slightest bit happy. Things couldn’t have gone worse and we’re now left with broken hearts and one less friend.

No one says anything for hours as Jason drives us as far away from New York City he can possibly go. The only sound to break the palpable silence is Julia’s quiet sobs and gasps for air.

She stays perched on my lap and I keep my arms wrapped around her. It kind of worries me a little that she didn’t return my declaration of love earlier, but she never tries to pull away from my embrace and I take that as a good sign.

In the end Jason pulls over by the side of the road and exits the vehicle. I look out the window to find him gathering the rest of the guys from the Dodge and the Impala. Nick, Niall and Liam climb out of the car to join the huddle, but Julia and I stay where we are. We can listen through the open window.

“What now?” Jason says and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Where are we gonna go?”

“I have no fucking idea,” JD says grimly.

I can see Nick shuffling his feet off to the side. His eyes have a pained expression, but I still haven’t seen him cry over the loss of his best friend. I wonder what’s running through his mind at the moment.

“Should we go back to looking for a cure?” Liam ponders.

Niall shakes his head. “I’m sick and tired of looking for a cure. It’s just another downer after the other to travel from place to place without finding anything.”

A silent mutter of agreement reverberates through the group.

“I’m going to leave,” Nick suddenly says and everyone turns to him. Julia tenses in my arms.

“What?” Zayn says, his eyebrows arching. He reaches into his pocket to collect a cigarette and a lighter.

“I’m going to leave,” Nick repeats hollowly. He rubs his eyes and exhales deeply before he continues. “Before I met you guys I traveled with only Alex and Dean. They’re both gone. It pains me too much to stay without them.”

“What, so you’re just gonna leave us?” Louis snaps. “What the fuck are you going to do alone?”

“I’m gonna go on a killing spree,” Nick explains and reaches for his sawed-off shotgun. “I’m gonna do what Dean and I always wanted to do: to systematically kill zombies.”

I’m surprised when Julia suddenly speaks up. She doesn’t move and her voice is completely emotionless. “It’s suicide.”

Nick looks at her through the window and his pained features soften for a second. Julia isn’t looking at him and misses the change in his expression. I suspect that she is the only other person in this group Nick loves as much as he loved Alex and Dean.

“I know,” he says softly and takes a step closer to the open car window. He doesn’t close the distance completely and his moves are hesitant. “I know, but it’s what I want.”

“Come on, man,” Jason interjects. “We don’t need to lose more people at the moment. We are already mourning, don’t give us another dead body.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Nick mutters. He’s unable to meet anyone in the eyes. “I don’t know how to stay any longer. The only thing I want to do now is to slay the creatures responsible for all the pain and loss we’ve experienced. I can’t ask you to do that with me, because it’s suicide. So I’ll do it alone.”