Zoe's POV
By the time we got to the hospital Nicole was well into labour and we could hear her screams from down the hall. Liam held onto my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
"You ready to see her?" He asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be" I sighed and we walked down the corridor towards Nicole's hospital room.
Liam knocked on the door and Niall opened it. Liam gave Niall and big smile and they exchanged a hug.
Niall then turned to me and I gave him a proud smile which caused him to wrap his arms tightly around me. I rubbed his back and could literally feel his nerves radiating off of him. I mean his child was about to be born, I couldn't really blame him.
Niall and Liam went outside, probably to talk about what Niall had done to himself while Nicole was away. And this left me alone with Nicole.
"Hey" I said awkwardly, still very mad at her.
"Zoe?" She asked.
"Yeah?"
"Zoe...I'm sorry...for leaving like that. It wasn't planned. I never wanted to leave unexpectedly. I never meant to use Niall..."
"Do you know how much you hurt him?" I asked, tears threatening to spill from my eyes as I remembered what Niall had put himself through.
"As much as it hurt me to leave" she sighed.
"If it hurt so much? Why...why do it?" I asked, tears flowing down my cheeks and not stopping.
I wasn't just talking about her leaving. It was about Niall. And his scars. She knew what he had done, she had found out.
"Zoe...sometimes...you feel like you have no choice, like there is no other way out. You feel like you deserve pain, and no one else is doing it for you, so you do it yourself" she whispered the last part.
We then just sat in silence while I thought about what she said. I still couldn't forget what she did. But maybe I could give her a chance? If she did it again though, she was never going to hurt my big brother again.
Suddenly she gasped in pain and clutched at her stomach, starting to breath heavily. I stood up quickly and looked around for the button to call the doctor. Nicole's screams made me even more hasty and I finally found it, pressing it multiple times.
The doctors were in the room in less than a minute and I was hurried out by one of the nurses.
As I stepped out the door I noticed Niall and Liam walking up the corridor. Both of them were smiling and laughing which meant that the conversation had obviously gone well.
"Zo?" Niall asked when he saw me. "I thought you were staying with Nicole?"
"I was, but then she started screaming and the doctors told me to leave the room. I think the baby is well on its way" I said and noticed the fear flood his eyes.
"Niall it's going to be fine" Liam put an arm around Niall's shoulders.
"But the baby's really early" Niall bit his fingernail nervously. "What happens if she doesn't make it? What happens if either of them don't make it?"
"Dude, would you chill your tits?" Louis's voice made us all turn our heads towards him.
He came striding up the hallway, hand in hand with Eleanor. When he approached us he looked at me and smirked.
"And here we have the rebel child" he chuckled and I was relieved that he wasn't mad at me.
"Louis, I'm so glad you're not-"
"Oh no, I'm still mad" he said, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tightly. "I just can't be bothered to be angry right now. And I don't want to ruin Niall's big moment" he added after a look from Niall.
"Well, I guess that's good?" I asked in confusion.
"I don't even know" Louis shook his head and everyone laughed. "Plus you're already going to get enough wrath from Harry so..."
"Is he still that mad?" I asked worriedly.
"I don't know babe, try not to worry about it though. You've got us right?"
"Right" I said and smiled though on the inside I could feel my heart sinking with sadness.
We stood around chatting for a while though there was still no sign of the doctors coming out of Nicole's room. But I can remember being told in health class that labour could last for hours and hours so I wasn't to worried yet. Niall was though, he had pretty much bitten off all his nails.
"Zoe" Liam's voice made me look up at him.
He nodded up the hallway and I looked in that direction only to see Harry walking up it. He was smiling at the boys and completely ignoring me.
"Congrats Nialler" he chuckled and engulfed Niall in a hug.
"Thanks mate" Niall said, sending me a nervous glance after pulling away from the hug.
We stood around as a group and the boys talked about what they had done since the last time they saw eachother. With all of them moving house it had been hard to keep in contact.
But the whole time Harry didn't look at me or make any effort to talk to me.
"Look, you two need to talk" Liam said finally.
"Why?" Harry challenged.
"Harry, she's your sister" Liam sighed.
The way Harry was going I was expecting him to say something like 'well she's not really my sister is she, she's just adopted'. But he didn't, he just stayed quiet.
"Fine, but we'll do it alone thanks" he said and looked at me for the first time. "Let's go outside, where there's no audience to watch.
He walked down the corridor and I followed behind him. I didn't know wether he wanted me to walk next to him or not, so I just kept slightly behind. As his little sister I really shouldn't have been questioning this, but it just shows you how people's actions can really effect how you think.
There was a still a small amount of light outside seeing as it was summer but the sun could be seen setting on the horizon. Harry strolled over to a bench and sat at one end, motioning me to sit on the other end.
"Why did you do it?" He asked as soon as I had sat down.
"Because I needed some freedom, you boys are always there and I can't do anything without you giving your permission. I just wanted to be a teenager for once" I explained.
"It wasn't really the way to do it though Zoe was it?" He said and I could sense the anger boiling inside of him.
He also used my full name instead of just Zo. This had always been one of the tell tale signs that the boys were mad.
"I'm sorry" I said and looked at my hands.
"It doesn't really cut it Zoe"
I had had enough. It wasn't just me who had done something wrong. Harry was the one who said he didn't care if I went, and that if I went I might as well not come back.
"But what you said really hurt me Harry" I swallowed the lump in my throat, I wasn't going to cry anymore. "It really hurt me. I just asked the question, and you lashed out. You know we could have talked it out calmly but you were determined to be mad and shout at me"
I paused for a moment but he didn't say anything, just looked down at his shoes.
"You said you didn't care Harry, what brother says that kind of thing? And you said not to come back...and that made me question, did you really want me anymore? Are you getting bored of the whole adoption thing? Are you worried that I'm going to get in the way if you want to start your own family?"
Harry still didn't answer me and I sighed, looking out onto the street.
Harry sniffed and I looked back towards him. He had his hand up to his face and was using his thumb and finger to wipe the tears from his eyes.
"Harry..." I said, but stopped myself from comforting him. He needed to explain himself.
"I do care Zo, I really do care about you. That's why I said it, the thing about not coming back" his voice cracked.
"What?" I asked in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense"
"I'm scared that one day, you're going to go away. One day you'll go away and you won't come back. And I suppose I was worried that that day was then, stupid really, considering your age. But it was just sat in my mind the entire time, and it came out"
"Why would I go away and not come back?" I asked.
"Because maybe you'd think that the boys and I are too overprotective..." He looked up, obviously trying to think of some more.
"Can't think of anymore can you?" I smirked. "That's because I'll always come back Harry, always. However much you may not want me to I would"
He chuckled half heartedly.
"And yes I think you're too overprotect, but I only have love you because of that. It shows that you care for me and don't want anything to happen to me"
"We really do" Harry nodded and finally looked up at me. "I'm so sorry Zo, I know you couldn't forgive me for something like this"
"I'm so sorry as well. I shouldn't have run away and gone to Greece without your permission. And I can forgive you, I just really don't want it to happen again"
"It won't, and I promise that if another situation like this happens then we will sit down and talk rationally about it, instead of me going crazy at you"
"Sounds good" I held out my hand. "Friends?"
Harry chuckled and ignored my hand. Instead he wrapped his arms around me in a big bear hug. A big smile appeared on my face as I hugged him back.
"You'll always be my baby sister Zo, always" his voice was muffled against my shoulder.
We stayed outside for a while until we remembered that Niall's wife was giving birth so hurried back inside before we missed anything.
When we reached Nicole's room it was obvious that Nicole was still in labour and when it became quieter I could hear her screaming.
Niall was pacing up and down the hallway and breathing heavily. Liam sat there watching his friend with a worried expression on his face.
I sat next to Liam and Harry sat on the other side of me.
"You good?" Liam asked nervously.
"Yeah, we're just fine" I nodded. "Niall's not though"
Liam chuckled and the three of us watched Niall to make sure he didn't suddenly start hyperventilating.
Three hours later and the doctors finally walked out of Nicole's room. I had fallen asleep with my head in Harry's lap, Liam had fallen against me and the three of us were jolted awake by the doctors voice.
"Niall Horan?" He asked and Niall practically jumped on him.
"Yes?" He asked. "Is she okay? Is the baby okay? Oh god she's not is she? Did something go wrong?"
"Niall stop attacking the doctor and let him explain" Louis said.
"You have a very beautiful, healthy daughter Mr Horan" the doctors held in a laugh as Niall finally stopped his nervous actions and smiled.
"Can I see her?" Niall asked.
"Of course" the doctor nodded his head into the room which his colleagues were walking out of. "Just give me a call if you require any further assistance"
Niall nodded his head and quickly walked into the room.
The rest of us waited outside patiently while Niall met his daughter. Maybe this little girl could give Niall a reason to be happy, a reason to not fall back into depression.
Half an hour later the door creaked open and Niall walked out with a little pink bundle in his arms. Niall looked up at us and smiled.
"Guys, meet Maya" he said and we walked over to them, careful not to crowd Mays to much.
She really was a small baby but she had been born early, it wasn't a surprise. You could see a mix of Niall and Nicole's features in her face.
"She's so cute" I said and Niall looked at me.
"Do you want to hold her?" He asked.
"What? Oh, um...are you sure?" I asked nervously.
"Of course Zo, I trust you" Niall said softly. "Put your arms out babe"
I did as he instructed and he laid Maya carefully into my arms. I made sure to support her head with my elbow and held her safely but not so tight that she would be uncomfortable.
Maya opened her eyes and blinked up at me.
"Hey" I whispered, swaying gently, desperate for her to not start crying.
"Let me get a picture of the two of you" Niall said and pointed over to the chair. "Why don't you sit there?"
I nodded and walked carefully over to the chair before slowly sitting down on it. I made sure Maya was comfortable and then looked up at Niall who had his phone out.
"Just carry on looking at her Zo" Niall smiled and I looked back down at Maya.
He took the picture and I looked back up to see him show Liam.
"Favourite picture ever" he said quietly to Liam who smiled and nodded.
"I'm so proud of you mate" Liam patted Niall on the back. "Now come on Zo let us see Maya as well"
I chuckled and Liam walked over to me. I passed Maya to him and he held her gently in his arms, taking her over to the other boys.
Niall went back to see Nicole while Maya was safely in the hands of Liam and Harry.
"Babe, go and say your goodbyes to Niall and Nicole yeah? You're tired and we'll see them tomorrow" Liam said and I nodded tiredly.
"Liam, do you think Zoe could come and stay at my house tonight?" Harry asked, putting an arm around my shoulders when I walked over to them.
"Yeah of course" Liam nodded.
"Thanks" Harry said gratefully.
"We'll see you tomorrow then?" Louis asked, coming over with Eleanor.
"Yeah why don't we all meet at my place?" Harry offered and we nodded.
"I'll talk to Niall, Nicole should be out of the hospital anyway" Liam said.
I said goodbye to everyone before leaving the hospital with Harry. I was finally not nervous anymore. All was good in the Horan/Tomlinson/Payne/Styles/Malik household. Well I'm pretty sure Zayn didn't even know that I had run away and gone to Greece, but that wasn't really a bad thing.
I wondered when he was going to come home.
A/N- okay guys so I finally updated. Quite a long chapter, hope it wasn't to boring! Did you like it?
Did you think Harry's reaction was good?
What do you think about Niall's child being born?
Favourite moment?
Favourite character?