(A/N: OH EM GEEEE!!!! A NEW chapter of Never My Love? It's been wayyy too long and we're not really sure if any of our original readers are still here, but it's time to give this story an ending, don't you think? Expect the unexpected.... =D )

Thanks to GleeBaby, SarahCullenO'Shea, VanessaWolfe303, broken-pixie, ivamp3, ..Twilight., , Lady Airashii Mentsu 67, Hear that? It's rain., RawSugarX23, Ianosheaismine for all of your reviews.

Chapter Nine

(Sunny's POV)

"Hurry! They're going to catch us if we don't run faster!" I screamed, almost out of breath. We had been running for the past five minutes trying to find another place to hide. We had tried dozens of doors along the way trying to find something that was unlocked, but to no avail.

"Sunny, look out!"

I looked to my left to see what she was talking about. It was one of the creepiest zombies I'd seen yet, though it kind of looked like Maggie so I could understand why it would seem creepy. With the decayed Maggie running alongside next to me, I inched for my bat.

With another look at her face, I could see that her eyes were bulging out of her head and drooling at the mouth with the blood of her last prey. The smile she wore was a wicked one as she started hissing, getting closer and closer as she let out a strangled cry. Dragging the half eaten arm behind her as she ran, she suddenly whipped it up to her mouth and took a huge bite, spewing a massive chunk of human flesh at me. I screamed.

With the look of horror still on my face, I could feel the bile rise up in my throat. I just couldn't look away at my attacker as she swallowed what she could in her mouth. She caught my eye and smiled, the flesh and blood still evident between her teeth, she let out a half deranged laugh. It would seem that if she had known what was going on, she would think that we were racing one another because the look she gave me was challenging.

Struggling to keep up and ignore my dry mouth, I quickly pulled my arm up into the air the best I could under the circumstances and went for the kill. Before I could thoroughly execute my plan, she suddenly ran smack dab into a pole. I slowed my pace to turn and see what was left of my pursuer. Leaning on my knees to control the slight virtigo, I lifted my head to see that she was down on the ground. I chuckled. Seeing her nose on the side of her face and her leg bent, I quickly turned back around to keep running. You can't ever be sure that they wouldn't get right back up and attack. Being the mindless killers that they are, you should know by now that in this world you're never safe.

I looked over my shoulder in my haste to make sure Melanie was right behind me, but she had stopped next to the body.

"Melanie! Let's go, we don't have time for this!"

She pulled out her gun and pointed it downwards, but turned to look at me before shooting. "Rule number four, remember? Double tap." Then she pulled the trigger.

*

I sat up right away. Was that gunshot in my dream? It must have been. Why else would I have heard it? Oh, and that dream, why can't I get these zombies out of my head? During the raid we just came from, Melanie had forced me to watch some movie with dead people in it. I'm sure it was supposed to be a comedy, but it only terrified me. And now it seems that it will haunt my dreams. As much I try to avoid it, the zombies just keep coming back.

I started to rearrange the blankets that had come off my body during my dream to try to go back asleep, but stopped in the middle of doing so.

"Where did it come from?!" A female voice said outside my room. It appeared to me that she was engaged in a hurried conversation with someone close by. I couldn't really make out what the other person had said due to his ragged whispering. The only thing that I could grab on to between the muffled voice and the woman's, was the sheer panic they both seem to possess.

I immediately shoved the covers off my body as my door abruptly opened to the shadowed person standing just outside my room. My body tensed at the thought of someone coming to harm me in any way, but as I looked up to see who my assailant was, I soon discovered it was only Melanie.

The look on her face didn't soothe me whatsoever. I knew that something horrible was going on just by the voices I heard speaking a moment ago, but this just confirmed the worst. Melanie ever rarely let anything get to her, and as I studied her face, I noticed the unshed tears she was holding back from whatever has got her on edge.

She quickly stepped inside, rushing to the bed I have yet to climb out of.

"Wh-what's going on?" I stammered, my eyes widening as she grabbed me by the elbow, roughly hauling me up to my feet. I tried to shake her grasp on me, but she wouldn't budge. She pinned my with a harsh stare, silently telling me to stop what I was trying to do.

She pulled me closer to her, loosening her grip as placed my hand on hers. "There was a gunshot from somewhere within these caves"

"Are you certain you heard wha-"

She pierced her eyes on mine. "I know what I heard. It was definitely a gunshot...I'm just not sure of where it came from yet." I barely caught that last part as she whispered it more to herself than me.

Dread began to consume me as I thought of all the possibilities of who could have been shot. But my main concern centered around the one man who wasn't in bed with me like he should have been. My head was hurting from all that was happening.

I bit my lip, trying not to cry over my assumption. When I finally spoke, the voice that I thought was mine was someone else's completely. "When did it...no, I know when," Suddenly remembering the dream I had. It wasn't just in my head, the gunshot I heard had been real. "...Is Kyle okay?"

"Last time I checked." Jeb said as he walked into the room. Sensing my unease, he quickly added, "Now there's no need for chaos, we have no idea what's going on. Everyone still seems to be sleeping so we need to round a few people up to deal with the matter. It could have come from anywhere in the caves, you know how sounds travel through these rocky walls at night." He had his hands in the air motioning for us all to stay calm. A few more people had wandered into my room as he was speaking.

I didn't care what he had to say.

I quickly grabbed my shoes and hurriedly slipped them on."I need to make sure Kyle is all right." I shuffled my way through the people. Jeb placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from leaving the room. "Please...you need to understand. Jeb, he can't walk like the rest of us do, I need to know that he's okay...for myself." I pleaded with him, tears spilling over my eyes onto my cheeks. "What if he was injured even more? He has no way to protect himself or fight anyone off with his foot still hurt...I don't know what I will do if I lose him." No, I couldn't think about anything like that. He had to be okay and I was going to make sure of it.

I didn't bother waiting for an answer, he wasn't going to give me one. I shrugged my shoulder away pushed past him.

"Now Sunny wait. There is no reason to believe that anyone has been injur- Sunny!" I didn't care what Jeb had to say. I needed to make sure for myself that Kyle was not hurt. I pushed my way through the small crowd that had been formed, not caring who I ran into along the way. I heard voices yelling after me as I entered the hallway, making a left turn for Kyle.

The hallway was still dark but I had come this way so many times before that I knew exactly where I was going. My heart was pounding as I covered the distance to his temporary room. The closer I came to the room, the clearer the figure became that stood in the entryway. My eyes adjusted to the height and stance of the person. As I took a tentative step closer, I noticed something in his hand. I immediately froze as I recognized what it was...

A gun.

(Ian's POV)

No.

No.

NO!

I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything for that matter but stare. Kyle was speaking to me, not sure of whether he should get up and hobble to me, or stay where he was. His voice started to get louder, but none of it was registering in my brain. I could feel this heaviness, weighing me down. The object in my hand was making it incredibly hard not to collapse right now. It felt as though it was dragging me to hell for what I just did, and I all wanted to do was drop it and run, but I couldn't.

I had thought I shot Kyle, but I didn't.

I shot... The heaviness was getting worse and fell to my knees. What had I done? She couldn't be dead...could she?

I shook my head furiously.

No. She can't be dead. I-I didn't mean to shoot her. It was dark, I know, but it couldn't have been her, I aimed for Kyle... Right?

Right?

But yet, as I look towards the bed that had once been shared as something beautiful, was now soaked in the blood of the woman I so desperately loved.

My body started to shake as the smell of her blood filled my nose. Her blood. Or was it Kyle's? No, it had to be hers. Kyle was clearly unhurt while.. I couldn't hear her voice. Her sweet, velvety alluring voice of hers. I don't think I will ever have the chance to hear it again... Never will she say my name and tell me she loved me.

Kyle was full out screaming obscenities towards me now.

I looked to his face, showing him all the remorse and guilt I felt.

I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to be this way, I silently begged him. You have to know I didn't mean to shoot...my Wanderer.

(Melanie's POV)

I didn't know if I should go after Sunny or not, she was too small to protect herself, if there even was anyone that she needed to protect herself from. I tucked a piece of hair behind my hair and looked out into the hallway. There was no one in sight so I shut the door. As soon as I did, I heard another gunshot. The only thing different about it this time was it was followed by a scream. A woman's scream. Oh no...

Sunny.

I struggled to find my voice."J-Jeb what should we do?" I asked, making my way over to Jared and grabbing his hand as soon as I was close enough. He was the only thing making me the least bit stable right now.

We were all still standing in Sunny's room, motionless with fear. We had no idea where someone would have found a gun, let alone anyone who would need the use of one, especially this late at night.

"We should do a room check, make sure everyone is accounted for." Doc said, as if he was reading my mind.

"What if it's an intruder?" A small voice from somewhere to my right asked.

"What if there's more than one?" Another voice piped up.

If there was an intruder then we were sitting ducks.

We had no weapons and no way to protect ourselves. There were too many people in the caves to round up and if we tried, we'd risk the chance of being shot ourselves. We need a weapon. Shit. My room is just across the hall and down a little ways, if I could just make it there I could make us all feel a little safer.

I squeezed Jared's hand to get his attention. He leaned his head toward me as I whispered my plan to him. His eyes flashed to the door. Before I could even finish telling what I would do, he was shaking his head. "No, you stay here. I'll go," Jared said, kissing me roughly on the cheek.

I was still arguing my point when Jared spoke, addressing everyone.

"Jeb, you know, I have a gun in my room that I can get. " Jared said matter-of-fact. As soon as the words came out of his mouth I felt the eyes of everyone in the room turn to him and then slide over to me. Shit. You stupid dumbass Jared. You don't announce that you idiot!

"Why don't we have a gun?" Someone complained.

Shit.

"Is that safe?"

Shit!

"Go get it then!"

Thank God! Someone has their head screwed on right. There wasn't going to be an ambush like the one I was waiting for.

Jared pulled my hand. "Alright, you can come." He said looking around the room full of angry faces. "I don't want you in here with them." I think he understood what he did wrong now. I slapped him across the face.

"What was that for?" He said, rubbing it.

"For being a dumbass, you dumbass!" I shoved him at the shoulder.

"Now, now. Everyone just calm down. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with me. My house, my rules. Ye hear?"

They looked away from Jared and I, crowding around Jeb.

As everyone started talking over one another, the room soon developed into full panic mode. Jeb had opened up an opportunity for us to escape the room without anyone noticing.

I stumbled a bit as Jared pulled me to our exit, a little too harsh might I add. I'd get him back for that later, I can't be playing these games with him.

Moving aside the makeshift door, he quickly slid outside. I let go of Jared's hand so he could move it back quietly. I backed up slowly making sure no one was going to follow us and grabbed for his hand once again, running down the dimly lit hall to our room.

The silence in the caves was overwhelming. It didn't make much sense considering what was going on, but it almost felt peaceful. The only sound was slight echo we heard of our feet hitting ground.

And then, as we were about to turn the corner, I bumped into something.

"Oh!" I let out a small sigh of relief and my hand went up to my throat "Wanda, you scared the hell out of me!"

She smiled and took off her headphones, "Sorry, Mel. Didn't mean to. Hey, what are you guys doing up so late?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "And why do you look like you just saw a ghost?" She let out a shaky laugh.

"Didn't you hear the gunshots?" I asked in disbelief.

The look of alarm took the laughter right out of her eyes.

"What?" Her eye brows shot up.

And then she was silent.

(Wanda's POV)

Melanie just about dragged me to her room. What did she mean there were gunshots?

Had Jeb shot somebody? I mean, I didn't actually think he would ever do it. He always said he would if someone crossed the line, but to actually do it?

No....

"Wanda?" Mel shook me as she leaned down to face me.

"A-a gunshot?" I asked, skeptical.

Jared walked over to the other side of the room, rummaging through his clothes. "Yeah, there were two. It only happened maybe five minutes ago." He said over his shoulder, glancing at Mel with a worried look on his face before he began searching the room once again.

I set the box I had in my hands down on their bed and waited for Jared to find whatever he was looking for. I took a seat and rolled the earphones around the CD player that was in my pocket.

Melanie soon sat down next to me.

"They're all gathering in Sunny's and Kyle's room." She said, mulling over her own words.

"Are you sure everyone's in there? Even Kyle?" I knew my voice sounded panicked. I could even feel my own heart beat out of my chest awaiting her answer.

"Kyle wasn't there." She got up and walked over to Jared as she answered. "I'm sure he's fine though... he can protect himself, but we'll go check as soon as we find this gun. Hurry up Jared, we can't afford to wait much longer." She said as fear was gripping me. Not everyone was in the room..

She started saying something to him under her breath, tugging at his sleeve.

"Wait, when did you guys get back?" They both whipped back around to me.

Jared looked up from me with confusion clearly evident in his voice. "About an hour ago. Didn't Ian come find you?"

I wasn't sure if I had heard him right... they couldn't have gotten home from the raid an hour ago. Ian would have come and found me for sure.

Oh...Oh no. No no-no, no...

Did he say an hour ago? If it were true and Ian did come looking for me I would have been in our room with Kyle... but we weren't doing anything... were we? Think Wanda, think! But even if we weren't, would Ian have thought we were? This can't be good. Ian had a temper and we weren't exactly on the best of terms when he left... he would be angry to find me in our room with his brother in it. But angry enough to get a gun?

No. Not Ian.. Not my Ian.

I had to find him.

Author's Note:

(Cherry: It's been a long time, I know. Be happy that I got karmuh to do this! :)

(Karmuh: Psh this was all Cherry! I had the basis for the chapter, but she made it 100 times better. =)