"What!"

Mary and Ezra exclaimed in cohesive unison, staring at Louis who's sitting at the edge of the couch with his face buried in his hands. Mary blinked with her mouth agape, trying to process what Louis had just told them while Ezra gawked at him in utter disbelief.

"Please tell me this is one of your ghoulish jokes?" Mary mumbled slowly in a complete daze.

Louis jerked his head up, staring at her with the most torn look she had ever seen. "Why would I make up such a sick joke about MJ being kidnapped by Horan?" He said, and Mary's eyes widen further.

She took a huge breath as if winded and ran a nervous hand through her hair, pacing back and forth to control her anxiety. She paused and rubbed her face before flaring her angry gaze at Louis with her fists clenched to her sides. "How could you be so stupid and take him out in public!" She exclaimed furiously.

Louis flinched at her unexpected outburst and heaved a sigh. "How was I to know Horan's gang were following me. I even dressed him up in one of your red wigs so no one would recognize him"

Mary snorted at the absurdity of his explanation.

"You do realize they didn't kidnap him because he's the missing baby but because they think he belongs to one of us, and now they're fucking going to use him as leverage!" She said harshly.

Louis emitted another sigh, tugging his hair and slump back on the couch.

"Zayn is going to kill you," Ezra said, matter-of-factly.

Louis cast a glare at him and in return, Ezra shrugged and spoke. "From all indications, it looks like they wanted us to know they were watching us. That's why they parked across the street for you to see the car, but you ignored the obvious signs and went ahead and took MJ out of the house, and since they want to hold an advantage over us, they took him"

"Exactly!" Mary chimed in. "Which car thief in their right mind would see such an expensive car parked across their street and he ignores it and .....

"I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS FUCKING STUPID OKAY!" Louis yelled out in frustration, silencing them.

"Every time I close my eyes I see the kid's face, and knowing Horan has him because of my negligence is fucking torturing me! No need to rub more salts to my wounds"

You could feel the guilt and remorse hanging heavy in his voice.

Mary let out a sigh, plopping down onto the couch beside him as an odd sort of silence enveloped between them while Ezra leans against the wall in his thoughts. Suddenly, they heard the familiar sound of the front door opening and closing, then they exchanged worried glances as Zayn's shoe clacks on the floor, strutting towards them.

Louis gulped nervously when Zayn walked into the living room with a wide grin tugging his lips. "Guess what?" He said excitedly, seemingly not to feel the heavy tension in the room.

"I met the curly at the beach today, his name is Harry" He beamed with smiles, dropping the shopping bags on the couch opposite Mary and Louis.

"He's so perfect and-and you know the saying Your smile lights up my world?"

Mary, Louis, and Ezra nodded their heads as if on autopilot with neutral expressions.

"Yeah, he's the perfect description of that. His eyes, the way he blushed, fuck he's so adorable. We spoke for a while and I took him home. I think he has a boyfriend but that's not going to deter me from pursuing him. Guys, I think he's the one, like for real and I think I'm in lo... No, no, no I don't think I'm in love. I am in love with him"

He took a breather for a second, realizing he'd just bombarded them with his rant, and his declaration of love. He looked at them, excepting them to crack up laughing and Mary snorting afterward, giving him the, Oh Please look while Louis and Ezra will be rolling on the floor still laughing their asses off.

But none of them reacted the way he was expecting.

His brows raised, staring at them bewildered. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I am in love" He repeated the last words he had said earlier, wondering if they hear him or not.

The trio exchanged glances then Mary's lips spread into a strained smile. "Ooh, congratulations then" She mumbled.

"Yeah, congratulations. We're happy for you" Ezra and Louis said afterward, each forcing a smile as well.

Zayn eyed them suspiciously, finally registering the indefinable tension in the room. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?" He asked with a frown, then Ezra and Mary averted their gaze to Louis as if telling Zayn that Louis is the one supposed to be answering that question.

Zayn's eyes went straight to Louis who swallowed nervously and slowly stood up, moving behind the couch, putting some distance between Zayn and him. His gaze flits around the room, never settling on Zayn as if he was calculating what he was about to say and how to say it. He rakes a hand through his messy hair and lets out a deep breath before speaking.

"So-so...um let's say hypothetically we....

"We?" Mary interrupted him, raising her voice in astonishment while Ezra snorted in derision.

Louis glance at them pleadingly, for them to play along but Mary narrowed her eyes at him with a deadly glare before averting her gaze to Zayn with an indifferent look and blurted out. "What he meant to say is, what if hypothetically he stupidly goes out with the baby and Horan kidnaps the kid. what will you do?"

Louis's eyes widen after Mary snitched on him then slowly he turned his gaze to Zayn who was staring motionlessly at him.

"Before I answer that question, where is MJ?" Zayn asked.

Louis chuckled nervously and moved to stand behind Mary using her as a shield. Upon seeing this, Mary moved from her sitting position and stood next to Ezra, leaving Louis exposed.

Zayn took a deep breath, looking at Louis, and drew a little nearer. "Where's MJ?" He repeated calmly but you could feel the rising anger in his tone.

"He-he um is sleeping" Louis said, stumbling over his words but Zayn had known him since they were kids, and just by watching his body language, he could tell Louis is lying.

"I'm gonna repeat one more time, where's MJ?" He asked again, tensed up but exhibiting no trace of his discomposure.

"Horan took him" Louis said in a rush.

Zayn's heart stopped beating for a second and every drop of blood drained instantly from his face. He looked at Louis like he's the only one in the room wondering if this is his idea of a sick joke.

"What do you mean Horan took him?" He questioned, his pulse racing.

"This is a joke, right? One of your stupid jokes to scare me. If it is, then it's not funny" He gritted his teeth.

Louis stared at Zayn with overwhelming guilt. "It's the truth" He said with a dejected look and he could tell Zayn is getting angry by the way his hands were shaking, regardless he continued talking.

"I-I took him out cause Sarah wanted to meet up for a serious talk at the coffee shop near her workplace but-but I swear to God I disguised MJ with makeup and wig so no one would recognize him. Sarah and Nam discovered that I'm seeing both of them, and-and they got angry, and threw stuff on me. I left MJ in the care of one of the waitresses so-so I could clean up a bit before coming home and when I came back from the restroom, he was gone. The waitress gave me a note just like the one Mary got earlier that they have taken him"

Zayn's breathing became shallow, somehow he was still waiting for them to start laughing and tell him it's all a joke, but from their expressions, it's no joke at all.

"I'm sorry" Louis added, emotions thick in his voice.

Zayn screwed his eyes shut and clenched his fingers in a fist, then suddenly, they heard the landline at the corner of the room ringing, and they all whirled their eyes to the telephone with a frown. They exchanged confused glances, wondering whom might be calling because even though they have a landline in the house, they've never used it. They only communicate through their iPhones.

The ringing continued until it stopped and began ringing again.

"I think it's him" Mary uttered nervously, glancing at the others.

Zayn crossed the room in quick strides to the phone and grasp the handset, putting it up against his ear, waiting for the person on the line to speak.

Hello Malik, I hope now you have a more reason to show up at our meeting tonight The voice said with a whiff of smugness.

Zayn's jaw clenched and anger unlike anything he had ever felt in his entire life flooded his veins. "You sick son of a bitch, how could you stoop so low and kidnap a baby!" He exclaimed, veins popping on his forehead.

The voice chuckles softly. That's funny. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black

Zayn clenched his fist furiously, irritation surging up inside him then all of a sudden, he heard MJ crying in the background, and his heart began pounding frantically as if he was having a panic attack.

"What are you doing to him? What the fuck are you doing to him!" He screeched.

Relax, he's just throwing a tantrum.

Zayn raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, his head was spinning and threatening to explode as MJ's cries grew louder and louder. He groaned, slamming his fist down onto the table so hard that the telephone jumped.

"Listen to me Horan, if you hurt him if I even see a small scratch on his skin I swear to God. I will end your pathetic life. YOU HEAR ME, I WILL FUCKING END YOU!"

Save the energy tonight Malik, you will need it

Horan's voice boom at end of the phone with a sinister chuckle and the call ended.

Zayn picked up the telephone smashing it against the wall as he breathed heavily, almost as if he would burst.

The room was totally silent then Louis spoke. "Zayn I ....

But Zayn held up his hand to silence him. "Don't" He muttered angrily, tears gathering in the corner of his eye, then he went out of the room, slamming the door behind him, startling everyone even though they expected it.

An awkward silence fell over the group afterward, until Ezra broke it. "Wow, I have never seen him like this before" He said with an astonished look.

"Yeah, just imagine what he would have done if we had told him that MJ might be his" Louis added.

"Let's hope tonight goes well and we get the kid back here safely" Mary sighed.

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😬

I hope you like it.

Sorry for the long wait. I have been extremely busy.

Thoughts on the Chapter.

Thoughts on Zayn

Thoughts on Horan

Thoughts on Louis

Thoughts on Mary and Ezra.

Predictions for the next chapter.

Thanks for reading, stay safe ❤️