Patrolling the streets of London just as the sun sets is not how I wanted to spend my fucking evening.

Sam, Heidi, Jordan and Myles are all with me, every single one of us battering Callum with bloody curse words until he finally gave us our weapons to help us find the idiotic girls. He's adamant that they will be fine out on their own. 

It only made me wonder whether he's ever really seen the true horrors of this world.

It was Isla who came to find me in my room, telling me that she noticed Emilia and Anna leaving the building with my sister only five hours earlier. I cursed my stubborn, stupid wife before hauling my T-Shirt over my head and hammering on the doors of the others, surprised to find Heidi in Myles' room.

Now, we parade around the dilapidated Trafalgar Square, only four Slayers killed by us so far, but not an Emilia, Poppy, Bridget or Anna in sight.

"Should we split up?" Heidi suggests, her gun raised in front of her. I shake my head.

"We have no idea what London is truly like," I remind her. "We're more likely to stay alive by sticking together."

"Agreed," Jordan mutters, an angry expression on his face. I point across the square at the road beyond.

"Let's head down there," I suggest. Heidi nods, beginning to walk towards it with Sam and Myles, leaving Jordan and I a few steps behind. "What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Nothing," Jordan quickly retorts and I raise an eyebrow before scoffing.

"Do you think I was fucking born yesterday?" I argue. "I've known you for years."

"It's nothing, Zac."

"Are you thinking of Claudia?" I ask in a slightly softer tone. His jaw tenses at the mention of his dead wife.

"Always," he mutters. I turn back to the street, gun raised as we walk through the eerily quiet place. "It's just..." Jordan trails off. I stop, turning to face him. "We couldn't save her. Claudia."

I lower my head, desperately trying to hide my tortured expression. It's something I think about on a daily basis; how little any of us could do to help her.

"Zac, it's fine." Jordan slaps my shoulder. "But every single time our group is split up, I can't help but worry. It's almost like paranoia, clawing its way through my stomach." He shrugs. "We couldn't save Claudia when she was right in front of us. How can we help anyone we aren't with?"

I exhale, nodding in understanding at his words. "I know," I reply huskily. "I... I struggle letting Emilia out of my sight."

"Understandable," he replies in a quiet voice.

"But we can't forget Bridget," I remind him. "That girl is so damn strong. She fucking survived without us."

"She did." Jordan smiles.

A sudden giggling from the street we've just left captures my attention and I focus my scowl back at the darkening end of the alleyway. "Get Heidi and the others back here," I hiss quietly at Jordan. He nods, swiftly disappearing the other way as I step backwards. The chuckling gets louder and I grimace, praying to God that it isn't silly Emilia and her girl band making a fucking beacon of noise.

As soon as I step into the street, my eyes zero in on all the girls, stumbling all over the place as they walk away from me.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I snap, every single one of them freezing. "Where the hell are you off to?"

Emilia slowly turns towards me, a wide-eyed, innocent look on her face as she meets my gaze. "We were just on our way back to the warehouse," she says quietly and I glare.

"You found them?" Heidi exclaims as she leaves the alleyway, grinning at the sight of the girls in front of us.

"Thank God," Sam mutters from behind her. Bridget suddenly lets go of Emilia, turning to the side and vomiting over the side of the road. Emilia giggles before grabbing the blonde's hair and holding it back.

"Let it all out, girl," Anna exclaims, crossing her arms and stumbling slightly. "I told you! Bridget has always been a lightweight."

"Hold on," I practically yell, stepping forward as Poppy and the girl I don't recognise turn to look at me with fear in their eyes. "You're all fucking drunk?"

Emilia doesn't dare look away from me, but Poppy and her friend's eyes return to the ground. Heidi instantly moves to help Emilia as Jordan makes a beeline for the stumbling Anna.

"Whoops!" Anna laughs, falling straight onto her ass before Jordan can get to her. "Busted!" She giggles.

*~*~*

I sit at the desk the next morning, pouring over the map that Callum gave us of the wall. It's more incomplete than the one we had in the North, and I'm struggling to understand the markings on every section. Kieran's absence is more obvious now than ever before.

I've had to step away from the paper four times this morning, picturing Kieran laughing at my frustration. He would always look at these things for a maximum of a minute before telling us what we need to know. 

I don't know why I'm even bothering.

A sudden stir from the bed captures my attention, and I turn to look over at the groaning Emilia as she props herself up on her elbows. Her hair is a mess, her eyes squinting as they glance around the room.

"Hello," she says, her voice husky. I take the immature approach and turn away, looking back at the map and concentrating on the strange pentagon shaped section by the East wall.

"Zac?"

I continue to ignore her, my ears picking up on her footsteps as she pads around the side of the bed.

"Please don't ignore me."

"I'm busy, Emilia," I snap but she ignores me, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry," she murmurs and I tense, the thought of her deceptive behaviour filling my mind. "I shouldn't have gone without telling you."

"Damn fucking right," I retort, not turning to look at her. "In fact, you shouldn't have gone at all."

"Poppy and Lola know London-"

"That makes it okay then?" I argue, slamming the pencil down on the desk.

"Of course not-"

"You don't get it!" I rise from the chair, glaring at her. She steps back, shock in her eyes. "How would you feel if it was the other way around?"

"I know-"

"No, you don't," I snap. "Or else you wouldn't have fucking done it!"

"Zac! I didn't even stop to think about it," she tells me, pleading in her tone. "Lola is Rayden's sister. I had to tell her what happened and then... it escalated and we decided to go out with Poppy to forget it all."

I falter slightly at the revelation, knowing how difficult it can be when old wounds are ripped open.

"That doesn't make it okay," I tell her and she nods, her head dropping.

"I truly am so sorry."

"I was so fucking scared, Emilia," I tell her and she bites her lip, closing her eyes and looking away from me. "Don't you understand that?"

"I do," she answers, opening her water filled eyes. "I really, really do. I didn't stop to think, it was wrong of me."

I turn away, settling back in the seat and looking at the damn paper. I hear a quietened sniffle coming from the girl as she turns back to the bed, clearly trying to hide her sobs as she makes a beeline for the duvet.

"Fuck it," I exclaim, standing back up and turning to face her. I step around the bed, extending my arm and grabbing onto hers, hauling her in for a hug. "Stop guilt tripping me," I murmur, lifting my hand and running it down her cheek to wipe away the tears.

"I'm not," she mumbles, trying to bury her face in my chest. "What you're saying is true. I know it is."

"Yeah," I agree quietly. "But you needed some space."

"It wasn't the right way to go about it," Emilia answers, pushing herself away from my chest and peering up at me. Her bright blue eyes are full of unshed water. She's clearly trying to hold herself together.

"No," I tell her. "But you're safe."

"It was reckless-"

"Then don't do it again," I cut her off. "Promise me, you won't put me through that shit again."

"I promise," she whispers and I smile before wiping at her cheek once more. She leans into my touch and I inhale deeply, the sheer sight of her emotions testing my own to the brink. It's a contradiction of everything, seeing her upset. I want to lecture her, yell until I'm blue in the face for being so idiotic. But she's been through so much, a butterfly who's lost her wings, and what good can you do - except care for them?

And fucking hell do I want to care for her.

"Emilia," I whisper, lifting her gently by the chin and forcing her eyes to mine. She's searching for answers, wondering whether she's in trouble or whether I truly don't mind that she risked her life last night.

I care. But my anger is so broken by her that I don't have the energy to let her know how she made me feel.

There's more important things in the world than living in anger and hate. Emilia made me see that, she enlightened me in more ways than one.

I'm furious at her for threatening her own existence. I'm terrified that she nearly left me once more. I'm panicked by how frayed the rope that binds our worlds together has become. 

And the only way I can show her is by lowering my lips to hers and gently pressing them together. They're soft and supple, just like always. They never disappoint, stirring my fucking insides every damn time.

It's a lit match stick thrown onto alcohol. It's lightning hitting the water I'm in. It's a pin coming out of the grenade.

Yet in so many ways, it isn't. It's heroin. It's cocaine. It's a cigarette.

My very own fucking addiction that sparks up my world and causes my mind to explode into nothing but Emilia fucking Hastings.

She parts her lips and I let my tongue glide against hers, soft yet demanding. She knows me too well, seeming surprised by the softness, but I don't let her move away, gliding my hand around her back and shaking my head.

I haul her closer to me, her entire body pressed against every inch of mine. Emilia's hands sweep around my back, tickling the skin with her light fingertips. I shiver with excitement before claiming her mouth fully with my own and dominating the kiss like I always do. 

Our soft moment has passed, our kiss leaving me a frenzied fucking mess. I want to show her what she does to me, how she nearly ruined my hardened attitude by simply being herself.

Emilia grips onto the hem of my T-Shirt, hauling it up and over my head before letting her eyes scan my torso. Her eyes have turned hungry, they're begging for more. The sight of her biting her gorgeous pink lips is the breaking point.

I launch towards her, shoving her against the bed and kissing her in a wild, animalistic frenzy. Removing her top, I gently lay her back on the bed and cover her with my body as she smiles up at me.

I'm not done with her. Not for a long while.

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Eeeeek... I hope this was a good chapter! I really struggled with this one. Plus, I've had no time to edit, so apologies for any mistakes or bits that don't make sense.

#TEAMZAMILIA

Lots of love to you all 💚