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Niall assessed the freaked out looks on the faces of the park occupants and nodded flimsy assurances at them. "Harry, Louis, go to the car," he ordered and Louis nodded his understanding, but Harry immediately barked, "No way. I can help."

Niall didn't look back at him, only said, "Louis," and knew they'd make it to the car.

Louis put hands on Harry's shoulders and soothed him with, "You don't want to be around when he's like this."

"I've never seen him like this," Harry admitted and leaned into Louis's touch.

"He's changed a lot since I left him. Liam means a lot to him, apparently." He tugged on Harry's shoulder more firmly. "We have to go to the car."

"We should be over there-"

Louis turned him forcefully to face him and looked up into Harry's concerned green eyes. "There's nothing we can do over there. If you want to help, then do what Niall said and go to the car with me."

Harry relented, letting Louis lead him back across the park with a hand on the small of his back. "We're never going to be the same, are we?"

Louis sighed, his head too heavy to hold up as he walked. "No, I don't think so."





Niall approached his best friend carefully, making sure to speak slowly as not to spook him. "Hey, Z. Talk to me."

Zayn was pacing, red in the face and panting hard. "He's fucking gone! That son of a bitch took him from me again and I don't even know why Liam's doing this!"

"I know it sucks, but we're not done yet," Niall reassured.

The dark-haired Master spun around, fast enough to make Niall flinch back. "We were happy," Zayn murmured, sounding stunned. "We were finally happy." The smile that spread across his face was sad and didn't reach his teary eyes.

"I know."

"I was thinking on the way up here." Zayn melted to the ground suddenly, a heap of broken man. "I gave him everything." He shrugged helplessly. "I paired him. I gave him a home, a place to belong." He swallowed hard around a lump in his throat. "There's only one thing I can't give him."

Niall was walking closer with cautious steps, and when Zayn didn't lash out again, he sat in front of his friend and asked, "What's that?"

Zayn just closed his eyes and shook his head. When he looked back up at Niall, tears were falling down his cheeks. "A family."





Harry was technically in the back seat, but most of his body was in the front of the car as he leaned between the two front seats to watch as Niall sat down in front of Zayn. "He seems calmer," he remarked. Louis only hummed from where he was sitting back in his seat and looking out the window at the city he'd once known. Harry huffed at his lack of response and rambled back into his seat to assess him. "What's wrong?"

Louis tilted his lips up in a wry smirk, no joy in it. "You mean besides being the reason we're here, Liam's gone, and Zayn is losing his mind?"

Harry scooted closer and wrapped a large hand around Louis's inner thigh, letting the warmth of it seep into his skin. "This isn't your fault."

The blue-eyed slave finally turned away from the window and leveled Harry with hard eyes. "I'm not saying that to be pious or whatever. We all know why Liam left."

Harry shook his head in disagreement. "Zayn already proved to Liam that he's the one. No offense, but you're ours and everyone knows it."

Louis scoffed a laugh at that. "So, it just so happened that Liam booked his first ticket out of town right after I showed up despite snagging a Master that would literally die for him?"

Harry shuffled just that little bit closer and rested his forehead against Louis's temple. "You didn't do this. Whatever reason Liam has for being here, for doing this, it's really good. He wouldn't hurt Zayn like this unless he felt like he had to."

Louis leaned into Harry, soaking up his confidence and comfort. "I don't really care what the reason is. We're taking him home."

"Agreed," Harry whispered against Louis's cheek before kissing him sweetly.

The air in the car shifted as the front passenger door opened. Niall climbed in, only slightly shell-shocked, and turned around to take in his slaves. "You okay?" They both nodded.

Zayn was making his was more sluggishly across the park towards the car. His hands were still shaking, but he'd stopped crying at least. He'd just stepped off the grass and onto the sidewalk by the car when a hand slapped against his chest, stopping him. Zayn looked down first, at the hand, and saw it holding a piece of paper against him. Then, he looked up at a well-dressed woman with big blue eyes.

"Take it," she demanded calmly.

He did, looking down to pull the piece of paper into his hand. He focused on the weight of it in his palm, unfolding it and trying to hold it steady.

He's here.

2304 S. Cordial

Come have a look.

Zayn just stared dumbly at the piece of paper for what could've been forever, before gripping it in his fist, the paper making a satisfying crunch under the pressure. When he looked up the woman was already twenty paces down the sidewalk and nearly out of sight. He stomped to the car in a second and ripped open the door.

"What was that?" Niall asked.

Zayn just tossed the paper at him and started the car wordlessly. Niall read it over, then seemed to read it over a few more times.

"We don't know what this means, Zayn." The passengers all tilted suddenly as Zayn ripped out of the parking spot and took off towards downtown. "This could be a trick! Zayn, you're not thinking clearly."

"It doesn't matter. If he's there, so am I."

Harry reached into Niall's lap and took the piece of paper, showing Louis as they both read it. "What did the lady say?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Zayn clipped.

"Then how do you even know if this is for real?"

Zayn pressed the gas harder to speed through a light. Niall sent a concerned glance towards the back seat and Louis whispered for Harry to put his seat belt on. "I don't care. This has Marcus written all over it. Either Liam is there or he is- either way, I'm there, too."

Niall reached over to put a calming hand on Zayn's arm, but the other Master shrugged it away. "Then we're there, too," he offered, to which Zayn only nodded, not taking his eyes off the road.