Hold Me Down (Peterick) ➳ Book 3

Twelve

Brendon was starting to understand why Dallon had sent Milo with Gabe and Taylor.

They were wandering around with barely enough food to stop the loud growls of their stomachs and barely enough stamina to keep going. There was no direction, no purpose. Maybe Patrick was the smart one.

"We need a plan," Joe said as the group settled down for the night. "We can't keep wandering around like this."

"I agree," Dallon muttered, holding Brendon close.

For people like Brendon, the ones who were still human, there was the immediate desire to ban with any human they could find and fight with them. However, that wasn't an option. From what they knew the humans had picked their sides long ago and weren't going to be easily persuaded.

"Maybe Patrick had it right," Brendon said after a long moment.

Everyone looked at him in confusion. It was common knowledge that Brendon hadn't said anything wonderful about Patrick since he'd left, but to hear Brendon admit Patrick was right was something they'd never expect.

"What makes you say that, Bren?" Dallon asked cautiously.

"This has been something brewing in the background. Everyone's claimed their sides whether they knew what was happening or not. We're stuck in the middle, and whatever we do is going to tip the scale. Patrick knew it. We all did, but he was the first to act."

"So what are you suggesting?" Joe questioned.

"We pick our side," Dallon answered.

Brendon nodded.

The atmosphere in the room shifted. Wary glances were exchanged, eye contact never lasting longer than a few seconds. No one spoke, too afraid of retaliation if their choice was against the majority.

Finally Joe spoke up. "I trust Patrick."

"Me too," Andy said.

Dallon nodded in a silent agreement, leaving Brendon as the last to reply.

"Let's go then."

*

Ryan didn't make it. All of the technology in the world couldn't save him, and with the Killjoys dispersed over the state they couldn't even attempt to change him.

Patrick couldn't help but think Brendon was lucky. Though he was sure at one point Brendon had liked Ryan to some degree, it had probably passed in exchange for Dallon.

"Do you think he's okay?" Tyler asked Patrick for the millionth time, shaking him out of his thoughts.

No one had been given permission to see Josh since he'd been taken back to surgery, something that had happened hours ago. Patrick know they were done, the nurse had told them that much.

Tyler was getting more anxious as the minutes passed, and Patrick just wanted to sleep.

"C'mon," Patrick said, pulling Tyler to his feet.

Silently, Tyler followed as Patrick guided him towards the infirmary. He was determined to get Tyler in there, and he'd be damn if anyone stopped him.

The hallway went silent as the double doors slammed open. Everyone froze at the sight of their usually happy queen marching in with a not so pleasant expression on his face.

"We're here to see Josh Dun. And we won't take no for an answer," he added.

The head nurse was quick to meet them, and guide them to Josh's room. She spewed out a thousand or so apologies in the short time it took them to reach the room, and Patrick didn't even stop her. He nodded a thanks, however, and followed after Tyler, smiling at the sight of Tyler trapping Josh in a tight embrace.

"Don't do that to me ever again," Tyler demanded, attempting to give Josh a stern look.

"I won't," Josh promised.

Patrick left them to it and went to find Pete, apologizing to the head nurse on his way out.

*

Kellin had a thing for kids, something Taylor was completely grateful for. He and Alan spent hours on end dotting over Milo and Astoria, leaving Taylor to catch up on her sleep. And more often than not she found Gabe curling up next to her.

"Do you think we'll be okay here?" she asked Gabe one night as the two laid side by side in the dark.

"The minute we're not I'll get us out of here."

"You better, Mr. Saporta," she said in a joking tone.

"I promise."

Even when Taylor was with Joy's father she never felt anything quite like this. Some cities had done couple pairings to try and eliminate the complications that lead to infant deaths, something Taylor had been part of. Needless to say it hadn't worked, and then moment the funeral was over Taylor never saw the man again.

But Gabe was waking up feelings Taylor hadn't felt since she was a teenager. Feelings she had only dreamed about feeling we're coming alive, leaving her cautious but wanting to pursue them.

They reached for each other just as one of the babies cried.

Taylor groaned and pulled away, but Gabe pulled her closer. "Kellin's got it," he muttered in her ear. Faintly she could hear Kellin singing in the room over, soothing the baby.

"We really need to let him sleep," she said.

"He'd do it anyway."

And it was true.

In the room down the hall, Alan sat up waiting for Kellin to get back. Vic was taking inventory of the bunker since he couldn't sleep, leaving Alan all alone. He figured Kellin would be a while, so he sunk deeper into the pile of pillows on the second bed and tried to sleep.

The door creaked open a few minutes later, just as Alan was drifting off. He felt the bed shift beneath him, but the arm around his waist wasn't Kellin's.

"Wha?" he mumbled as he tried to pull himself from sleep.

He was trying to figure out if he was dreaming or not. The word wasn't completely in focus, neither was the face of the man pulling him closer.

"Sh," Austin replied as he shifted in bed. "Just sleep."

Without thinking twice, Alan nodded. And never in his life had Alan slept as soundly as he did that night.