the purge // n.h. (au)

eight

A/N: Due to how I left you guys somewhat hanging, I decided to update a little bit quicker than usual for you guys. (: Keep on commenting, voting, sharing, and fan me if you haven't yet! I hope you all like this chapter; it's not the best I've written but hopefully it'll do..it's also a tad shorter than other chapters (by two or three paragraphs) , but that just means a faster update.(; I love you all. x

Niall

I sat in the tiny space of protection for what seemed like hours, the minutes dragging on as I let myself drift off in my thoughts. My body was aching, I was being searched for by Julissa's family, and Axel and his group wanted to kill me. This definitely wasn't the best night I've had in awhile.

I ran my hands over my sweaty face and unlocked my phone, looking at the screen to see what time it was. 10:00. That's it. I still have like nine more hours left until they call the event off. This is fucking wonderful.

"Niall?"

My head shot up immediately at the familiar sound of her sweet voice. Julissa. Why was she down in the basement, and how did she know I was down here?

"Niall, are you in here?" she asked quietly, her voice coming closer as she walked towards the direction of my hiding spot.

My first thought was to run over to her and tell her that I was okay, but decided against it when I thought of the possibilty that her father was with her. Who knows? For all I know, it could be a trap to capture me and throw me outside so that their lives wouldn't be risked. But then again, I just don't think Julissa would do something like that, even if I've only known her for two hours tops.

I held my breath as her footsteps stopped to a halt just outside of the closet door, waiting for her to slide it open and find me hiding.

Just as I said that she did, my blue eyes meeting her watery hazel ones.

Relief shone through her eyes as soon as she saw me, her arms pulled me out of the tiny space and wrapping me into a hug.

I was shocked at first, the sudden gesture from her taking me by surprise. When she first met me she didn't want anything to do with me, and now she was happy to see me alive. I registered what was happening and snaked my arms around her waist, hugging her back tightly against my body. She was shaking.

"Thank god you're alright, Niall. My father was looking for you, and he was going to take you outside so that those people could m-murder you," she choked out, burying her face in my neck.

I rubbed her back and squeezed her gently, reassuring her that I was okay and trying to get her to relax. "Sh, Jules, calm down. I'm right here. I'm fine. I'm not dying tonight.."

That seemed to lull her a little, but she still trembled in my grasp. My heart broke at the sight of her so hurt and afraid. She definitely didn't look like the strong Julissa that I had seen a couple hours ago. Now, she seemed like an entirely different person, almost. Everything that was happening really had started getting to her.

She nodded into my shirt, breathing deeply. "You're right..I'm sorry. I just..now that I know you better, I know that you're innocent and so sweet and in no way deserve to be hurt tonight. And I...I care about you. And I- you know what, I'm just glad that I found you before my dad did."

I smiled weakly and sighed, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I am too..I am too."

Julissa

"What should we do? My dad isn't going to listen to me if I tell him that there's another way to solve our problem, and I'm not going to let you die," I told him, looking straight into his eyes.

"I know, you're not. I'm not going to let you die either. And we'll figure something out, I promise you."

I still find it hard to believe that I nearly hated Niall a few hours ago, and now I already am willing to do anything I can to protect him. I don't know what it is about him. I don't know if it's that he's just way too kind to be killed during an event like this, or even if it's the fact that he reminds me of Tyler. All that is certain is that I care for him, a lot, already.

We were beginning to talk of a plan that might work when Niall suddenly froze, his mouth forming into an 'o' while some color left his cheeks.

What happened to cause him to do that?

"Julissa, I don't think we have time to think of a plan," Niall mumbled, his eyes locked on something or someone behind me.

My heart started to race as I forced myself to slowly turn around, the curiousity of what he was looking at getting the best of me.

I almost peed my pants when I seen who it was, standing only a couple feet away from the two of us with a gun pointed towards Niall.

"Dad?"