Saving: Protecting: One Direction *UNDER MASSIVE EDITING*

TEN

TEN

JACK

My footsteps echoed eerily off the pavement, bouncing off the surrounding buildings and resounding unevenly in my ears. My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps through chapped lips. Wouldn't you think that at eleven o'clock on a Friday night that the streets of London would be crowded with partygoers? Of wide-eyed tourists? Wouldn't you think I'd be dodging around drunk college kids, looking desperately for a shock of curly hair or a familiar tattoo, trying to find two of the idiots that had slipped from my careful watch?

Once again, the rage built up in my stomach, stopping the uneven breaths for a few seconds. I had turned away for a matter of minutes, minutes, and those two bimbos had gone and slipped through my watchful eye. If they weren't dead already, they would be by the time I caught up to them.

"I'm going to get something to drink, do you guys want anything?" Harry suddenly said, drawing every eye to him as he stood from the couch and stretching his arms above his head. "Grab me a beer, mate," Zayn said, and the others added their orders. "And for the pretty lady?" Harry half joked at me, making sure to stand right in front of me and the TV, so all my attention was on him. "Water's fine," I said, ignoring his cheekiness.

"Aw c'mon Jack, we didn't waste a half-hour convincing you to come out of your room and hang out with us, just so you could be boring and drink water. Live a litte," Harry pouted, sea green eyes full of mischief. "I don't drink," I mumbled, an iciness beginning to seep into my voice. He shrugged, beginning to walk away, but the set of his jaw revealed that he didn't quite believe me. "If you say so," he murmured, before walking around the darkened living room to make his way to the kitchen. "I'll help," Liam jumped up just as quickly and suddenly as Harry did, and ran out to follow the curly-haired boy.

Usually behavior like that would have sent up a little red flag in my mind. But maybe it was the fatigue, or the fact that we were all currently watching my favorite movie in a dark and cozy living room, that I didn't become suspicious. I'd expected them to come back quickly, seeing as it was close to what Harry had deemed, 'the most amazing scene in any movie. Ever.' But they weren't back in five minutes, or even ten. Harry's favorite scene came and passed, and it was then that a little yellow flag started to go off.

"I'm going to go check on them, make sure they didn't blow anything up," I announced, standing up and following the familiar path to the kitchen. "If something's on fire, don't try to put it out. It'll probably just make it worse," Niall called after me.

Walking into the kitchen, I was braced to see food splattered all over the walls and everything in disarray, but everything was still spotless. In fact, the two boys weren't even in there. Now the little red flag was going off. "Hey guys," I called, jogging back into the living room. The three other boys' heads swiveled towards me, faces turned blue from the light of the TV. "Liam and Harry didn't come back out here, did they?"

"No, we haven't seen them, why?" Louis answered at once. I shrugged, trying to conceal my growing panic. "They weren't in the kitchen...do you think they went up to bed or something?" Despite my nonchalance, the boys all shared a look that didn't do anything to calm the fear in my chest. "We'll help you look," Louis said, and paused the movie. For the next fifteen minutes, the four of us practically turned the house upside down looking for them. They weren't asleep, they weren't in the backyard or any of the bathrooms. There was no sign of them in the attic or the basement, in closets or under beds.

"Jack, the door's unlocked!" Zayn's voice echoed up the stairs. I froze, staring at the dusty underside of Louis's bed for a heartbeat, before practically throwing myself out of the messy room and down the staircase. My mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to think of all the places they could have gone, whether or not they were safe, and how the hell they had managed to get past me.

I pushed past Zayn, Louis and Niall to quickly inspect the door. There was an incredibly tight security system that had been installed on it. The only way to get out was with a pin, that only I knew. Somehow, those two boys had managed to get past without sounding the alarm.

"Stay here. Keep all the doors and windows locked. Keep all the lights turned off or as dim as possible. DO NOT answer the door for anybody but me. Understand?" The orders flew out of my mouth as I struggled to pull on my running shoes.

"If I don't contact you in a half hour, call the police." Not waiting to see if they agreed, I turned around and ran out the door.

So that was how I was, currently, running around London in a pair of my brother's old basketball shorts and a tank top, looking for two of the most sought-after boys in the world. I checked every club I passed, going straight up to the bouncer with what I knew was a maniac gleam in my eye, flashing my badge and demanding to know whether or not they there. After more of a half hour of searching, practically screaming at random citizens, and going through every club on this part of the city, I'd almost accepted defeat.

With a soft moan I sat down on the curb. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I had called and texted them both. Needless to say, they hadn't answered. How could I have let this happen? They were supposed to be my responsibility, my job. And I had let them escape. For all I knew, they could be dead.

The thought barely crossed my mind and I was on my feet, running with a new vigor. I'd run the whole night if I had to, as long as I found them. There were parts of the city that I had never been to before, and several times I nearly got lost, but I kept running. No club or shop went unnoticed, no park unchecked. Only when I was beginning to feel hopeless again, did I finally catch a break.

"Jack! Psst! Jack!" A hiss sounded from by me, and my feet glued themselves to the sidewalk. "Jack! Up here!" Liam's unmistakable voice whispered, and with a sinking heart, I lifted my head. There, sitting ten feet up on some random person's roof, sat Harry and Liam. A string of obscenities flew out of my mouth as I ran as close to them as I could get. "What are you two doing up there?" I snarled, anger flaring. But as furious as I was with them, I couldn't help the rush of relief that hit me. They were safe...as safe as they could be, ten feet up on a roof.

"Oh you know, just hanging around," Harry replied sarcastically, swinging his feet back and forth. I glowered up at him, words hissing out of almost-closed lips. "You'll cut the bullshit right now if you know what's good for you, Styles."

"Originally, we were going to a club, but a few fans saw us, chased us, and somehow we ended up here," Liam quickly intervened, cutting Harry off before he could give another snarky reply. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, torn between laughing in hysterics and cussing them out. So I decided on a simple, "Well the fans are gone, so get down from there!"

There was a slight pause in which Harry and Liam shared a nervous look. "I dunno if we can," Liam said, sounding sort of embarrassed. "We got up here by climbing on top of a truck...and now the truck's gone..." Why me? Why was it always me?

"Alright," I groaned, rubbing my hands up and down my face, "Lean over the edge as much as possible, I'll catch you." Harry and Liam visibly sized up my body, then shared doubtful glances. "Don't make me come up there," I growled, not at all joking.

Liam looked unhappy about it, but turned to lay on his chest, from his ribcage down hanging off the roof. I was just tall enough to grab securely at his waist. "Let go," I grunted, and a moment later, Liam was safely on the ground, still in my grip.

"Help me get Harry down," I grumbled, releasing Liam and turning back to the boy on the roof. Harry didn't complain, didn't make one cheeky comment as he dropped down into mine and Liam's arms. I was almost positive that Harry hung on for me three seconds too long, which just heightened my growing irritation. "We are going home," I began, in a deadly calm sort of voice, looking each of them in the eye. "You are not going to wander off. You are not going to leave my line of vision until you are safely in your rooms. You are not going to leave your rooms tonight."

With that, I grabbed each of their hands in my own, and turned on my heel and stalked back down the moonlit street.