It's just us, now.

Fourteen

Days into the Apocalypse : 15

As the sun was beginning it's descent in the sky and when the sky was growing more orange was when they arrived back at the apartment. Jon was practically stumbling by the time they made it up the staircases and entered Uni's apartment. They had a run in with a pack of zombies on the way, prolonging their trip, but they somehow made it back in one piece.

"That went better than expected, in all honesty."Dashlie sighed as she collapsed backwards onto the couch.

"No kidding."Dick snorted, he turned to Don, "C'mon, love, let's get you cleaned up. Your hair is like a rat's nest and I won't let you sleep in your makeup."

Don groaned. Malachi laughed from where he was being carried in his arms. Don stopped complaining for a moment to say, "Oh, shit, Malachi. We haven't told the others who you are yet, kid."

"Oh. Uh."Malachi began to stammer, looking around the room as everyone's attention was suddenly drawn to him, "I'm Malachi, b-but everyone at the circus called me Oracle. Jon's, um, he's the one who found me and took care of me at the circus before he left."

"Jon told me about you!"Nick says in realization, "He would call you every week to check up on you! He never really told me much except that you were his little brother."

Malachi grinned and nodded in agreement as Don set him down onto the ground, "Yeah, we told everyone that who asked about me during shows at the circus! And after a while we just kept saying it!"

"Well, I could have said that I was your dad, but that's what Damian would have to be when people got nosy."Jon laughed.

"Don't try to change the subject by using an adorable child as your distraction."Dick chided as he tugged at Don's sleeve, "You still have to get cleaned up."

"Both of you."Ashlie chimes in, shooting a pointed look at Jon.

Jon stuck a tongue out at her childishly, "Whatever....Nick, can you, uh?"

He gestured vaguely towards Malachi. Nick nodded, "You got it. Hey, Malachi, let's go find something to set up a place for you to sleep, alright? Maybe a little snack from the kitchen, too."

Malachi smiled at the thought of anything sweet, nodding along as he followed Nick into the kitchen, "Um, yeah, okay!"

"I'll get the blankets."Uni announced as he hurried over to the closet door in the hallway to pull out a collection of blankets, no doubt planning another one of their sleepovers to get through the night after the hectic past few days they'd experienced.

If Jon looked closely enough, he could see how Uni's, and most likely Duni's as well, pupils had grown more round and filled out their eyes more, leaving little white space left. As he passed by the kitchen, Uni's eyes gave a slight glow when the light hit them, such as when a dog's eyes would. His ears were beginning to shape out as well, as where Duni had already fully shaped into fur covered flops and had thick fur growing up his neck towards his face.

Jon, after his brief observation, followed Don, Dick, and surprisingly Davis towards the bathroom. As Don and Jon got to work on wiping off the makeup from their faces, Davis leaned against the doorway as Dick got the first aid kit.

"You look like crap. Mostly Jon, though."Davis noted, "What exactly happened over there?"

"That Ringmaster just kept fuckin' attacking him."Don huffed, wiping his face clean as Dick pulled a brush through his knotted hair, "We just mostly stayed in a camper the whole time, except for when the guy called Jon out for a 'meeting' and when we went to the big tent."

"And the kid? Did the Ringmaster ever..."Davis asked, lowering his voice as he had trailed off from his question.

Jon answered with a grimace, "No, at least, I hope not. I never left Malachi alone with the Ringmaster when I was there, and then I think Damon and the triplets watched out for him after I ran away."

Davis just nodded before continuing to say, "You hurt anywhere else?"

"Caught me in the stomach earlier, but other than that he stuck with hitting me in my beautiful face."Jon answered while holding a hand to his face in a dramatic manner. After a moment he dropped his hand and applied the bruise cream to his now make-up free face.

"Ow!"Don complained, shooting a glance back at Dick who was pulling the brush through his hair, "Can you calm down back there? Geez."

"Not my fault your hair is a mess."Dick retorted with a snort of laughter.

"Well, I guess we're having another 'sleepover' here now that you're both back."Davis shrugged, standing up off the doorway, "I'm sure you both need sleep, so we'll keep things quiet."

As Davis wandered off back towards the living room, Jon turned to Don and Dick, "I'm gonna go change into some pajamas. Are you, uh, alright Don?"

"I'm fine."Don reassures, he then dryly added, "Let's just try not to get kidnapped again. That sucked."

"No kidding, bud."And, with that, Jon left to head into Uni's bedroom where the closet that now had six individual baskets for what clothes they had for themselves, and what they found themselves sharing. Some time after the whole Apocalypse started and they figured that they would be staying as a group, they swiftly converted the apartment into a living space fit for all six of them.

Once Jon left, Don sighed.

Dick took notice and asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah."Don reassured halfheartedly, "It's just that the Ringmaster said some stuff to Jon that I want to ask about, but I don't wanna freak him out by prying."

"...you mean that whole thing about being a lab rat for some scientists?"Dick asked rhetorically, grimacing, "I think we all heard that, and I doubt we're the only two that are...concerned, to say the least."

"He was only at that place when he was, what, ten or somethin'? Who knows where he was before that..."Don sighed.

"I'm sure it'll come up."Dick reassures. He then put the brush down and shrugged, "Well, that's as tame as your hair will ever be. Let's get change and get to bed before I fall over in exhaustion."

"Don't expect me to catch you if you do."Don jokes.

"Wouldn't expect you to with your puny ass arms."Dick retorted, nudging him in the ribs before ducking away from a weak slap to the shoulder, "Whatever, you know it's true, babe."

Don grumbled to himself but didn't argue further.

Once everyone got to the living room and settled into different spots to sleep for the night, they didn't take any time to talk, to bring up the many questions some of them may have had, and instead slept as peacefully as they could with the growls of the undead outside their windows.

Note : I have been feeling rather burnt out lately, so I apologize for how later chapters will be posted later than I usually do and will take longer for me to write.