A Family's Bond

Chapter 8

"D-did, was, did he just," Liam's standing with his arms crossed, he shakes his head bringing his fingers to tap his chin in deeper thought, "What is this," Niall groans rising as well, "Zayn what exactly happened? He left, we know, but in the phone call-"

"Did he break up with you?" Liam finally asks sounding shocked the words even left his mouth, "W-what about Louis?! Kinda selfish-" Before the man could go further with his ranting insults, Niall places a hand on his chest hardening his look, "Why don't you go to the car? Take Louis and Kyle with you." Zayn wipes his eyes tiredly, "No, you don't have to take Lou. I can handle it." Both Liam and Niall have concern in their eyes as they watch their friend sit his cell phone on the coffee table, "He wouldn't tell me where he was,"

"Well Z, you're a cop." Niall reminds, "He might not remember you completely, but he knows your job." Zayn feels the need to be snarky, "His job was raising his fucking kid." Liam takes that as his chance, "Zayn you can't wish him home if you're going to be this angry when he calls." Meeting his chocolate eyes, "I'm not angry he called Lee, I'm angry he left in the first place. I'm angry I lied."

"Hey, one day he'll see that you did it for him." Niall assures squeezing Zayn's shoulder, the man shakes his head sighing, "No, right now he thinks I did it to or against him." Grabbing his and Liam's coat, Niall kisses Zayn's cheek, "Harry's lied and kept secrets, you know this."

"Why bring that up?"

"His amnesia gave him a clean slate with himself, finding out that he ruined something so big in his life would scare anyone into flight mode." Niall explains hoping to keep the subject on lighter terms, "So what do I do?"

"If and when he calls again, tell him something good he did in his past. Something that may or may not involve you."

When the Payne-Horan's left, Zayn walked down the hall to stand in Louis' doorway listening to him play in his own world. When his presence was acknowledged Louis beckoned him over by offering a toy, "Sure bud," Kneeling on the floor Zayn ruffles Louis' hair letting his son resume including Zayn's green power ranger several times. 

"Why not play with the blue one, Bubba?" Zayn asks reaching to grab it when Louis stops him, "'Dat's Papa's." Louis whispers tears gathering in his eyes, sobs starting, "Bubba," Zayn soothes bringing him to his lap on the floor, "Hey, he'll be home soon." 

What was left of the day leaked away as Louis stayed in Zayn's arms watching movies and eating a bowl of popcorn. It was during the movie Lion King that Zayn's phone buzzed catching the hybrids attention, not the snoring Daddy.

Untangling himself from Zayn's wrap, Louis grabs it seeing the screen say "H." Who was H? Pressing the green button, Louis feels his legs go weak and he hurriedly hits Zayn's leg to wake him. 

"Hello? Zayn? Zayn I need you," 

Dropping the phone with cries, Louis crawls into Zayn's lap not fully understanding a phone call. Zayn's jolts awake soothing his son's cries, "What happened bud? Lou Daddy's here, hey, calm down." Ignoring the discarded phone on the floor he takes Louis to his room laying him on the bed, "It's really late, Daddy missed bedtime didn't he?" Sliding his pacifier between Louis' lip, the cries soothed themselves as Louis was tucked in with plenty of kisses. 

Leaving the door ajar, Zayn heads to the living room again beginning to clean up. Turning the TV off, Zayn grabs the bowl of popcorn after folding the blankets. Turning off the light, Zayn sees the black room. He used to help Harry clean the living room after late movie nights like this. "Please come home Harry,"  Zayn says into the room as a thought, dumping the bowl out Zayn heads to his bathroom to brush his teeth before bed.

Staying on the line, Harry doesn't bother wiping his eyes. Letting the tears soak his shirt, "Please come home Harry."  He didn't even know why he thought he needed Zayn in the first place. The Papa didn't mean to make Louis cry, He assumed hearing his Papa's voice was too much for him. An idea that only made Harry feel worse. 

Gathering his senses, Harry pressed the red button heading to the bathroom. Staring in the mirror, he sighed rubbing hands down his face. He didn't deserve to do this. Runaway, What was he eighteen again? No, he had a family. Grabbing his duffel bag, Harry throws all the clothes and shoes in together at once. He was going home. 

Zayn was just about in bed when he remembered he left his phone downstairs, sneaking down the steps to get it. Turning on the living room light, he searching everywhere on the coffee table, getting to his knees Zayn sees it going to grab it when he hears footsteps behind him, "Daddy?" Looking for his son, Zayn coos setting his phone once again on the table turning to scoop Louis up kissing his forehead, "What're you doing up Bubba?"

"S-sleep 'wif you." 

Whilst the Daddy agreed and turned off the living room light again, he didn't even check his phone that now had three missed calls. All from H.

>So Harry is coming home, yay! Lots of Love, ~Emma :)