the purge // n.h. (au)

nine

A/N: Aye, babies! Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile, I've been pretty busy with life and other things because of Christmas and such, but I finally have the next chapter here for y'all. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and all the votes I got on the last chapter; you're amazing. (: I hope you all love this chapter, and keep doing what you do! 

Julissa

"Julissa, move away from that boy right now," he said slowly and demandingly, the gun in his hands still pointed directly behind me at Niall.

I took a breath and shook my head, feeling a sudden sense of courage. "No, dad. I'm not letting you let him get killed for no reason, all because those freaks want to go on and kill innocent people! There has to be another way to solve this problem!"

My father clenched his jaw and I knew he was becoming furious, using all he had to not lash out on his own daughter. I know that the reason why he's acting like this right now is because of the event and how all of a sudden our lives were in danger. We've never been in this situation during the Purge before, as our security equipment always worked and no one dared to try and take out their revenge on our family. This was a whole new position.

Niall grabbed my hand from behind me, the sudden gesture sending shockwaves that I had never felt before shooting up my arm. They weren't bad ones though; they made me feel stronger- more alive even. Why did I only feel like this when it was Niall who touches me?

"Julissa..just listen to him," he whispered, what sounded like defeat clear in his tone.

I turned around, not caring that my father still had a gun pointed our way, and looked into Niall's sad ocean eyes. I squeezed his hand in mine, "No, Niall. I'm not letting anything happen to you. Why can't you just understand that?"

He smiled sadly at me and glanced down at our hands before moving his gaze back up to my own. "You know why. If we can't figure out something else, and they get in here and kill you..I'm not going to let you lose your life when I could've prevented it by losing mine."

I nearly burst out into tears at his meaningful words. It seems like he actually cares a lot about me, and it's hard to see that he cares about my life more than his. He's the first person to say something so deep like that to me. Yet another reason that I can't let him die.

A tear slipped down my cheek, and he brought his thumb up and wiped it away.

"Why do you care about me so much?" I asked, barely a whisper, my eyes searching his facial expression for the answer to my questions.

"Just move out of the way so that I can give them what they want, Jules," he sighed, ignoring me as he let go of my hand and tried to step around me.

I moved in front of him again, blocking him from my dad again. "No, I'm not giving them what they want."

"Move away from him right now, Julissa, or I will shoot him," my father spoke up, reminding us that he was standing just a few feet away. "And don't think I can't, because I can easily get his leg or foot, even with you in front of him."

"I'm not moving, so just shut up! What is wrong with you, dad? This isn't you! We don't shoot people, and we especially don't help psycho's murder the innocent! This is so fucking wrong!" I exploded, unable to hold in my emotions and thoughts any longer. "Everything is wrong! I'm not letting Niall give up on his life just so that we can get off easy! I care about him, dad, just like I cared about Tyler! And I'm not letting another person that I care about die tonight!"

Tears were helplessly running down my cheeks by the end of my breakout, and I was on the floor and soon had a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind in a comforting hug. I didn't have to look to know it was Niall. I sobbed and fell back into him, letting all of it out while he whispered reassuring things in my ear and held me tight.

The entire time my father just stood where he was, mouth open in shock. My vision was so blurry from the water that I didn't realize right away when he set the gun down on the ground and walked over to us.

Niall tensed up as he reached our side, kneeling down so that his elderly face was at level with mine. He gave me a hurt look and tried to touch my shoulder, but as he touched me I flinched away and further into Niall's body. I'm not going to lie; I was scared of him at the moment. He was about to shoot someone right in front of my very own eyes. How could I not be?

"You're completely right, hun. This isn't us, and I'm sorry," he apologized, his eyes beginning to water. "I'm just not used to this type of stuff happening, and I don't know what to do. I'm just trying to protect my family."

I sniffled and looked up at him with puffy and red irises, "You need to protect Niall too, dad. I can't let him get hurt either."

He exhaled, "I know, I know." He glanced at Niall warily. "I..I'm sorry for my actions. I was thinking of my family first, but since my daughter seems to care about you a little too much it looks like I have to think of you as well."

Niall gave him a cold look like he didn't really believe what he was telling him, but didn't add anything. "Alright. Thank you, sir."