A/N: More beeps

Warning: Character Death, Suicide, Breakups - generally unhappy feelings.


"Have you seen CS2 today?" DPS asked over dinner the next night.

Frowning, each of them shook their heads, and RL stood up. "I'll check on her."

"You sure?" DYS asked and he nodded, leaving the table quickly.

It was ten minutes before RL bolted down the stairs, eyes wide.

"Call an ambulance. Now!"

"The sickness?" CS' eyes welled up.

"They can't do anything for her." RYS reminded him sadly, but he shook his head.

"Get an ambulance. Now."

DPS frowned, pulling out his phone and dialling the hospital. "What's wrong…?"

"She's…" he held up his hand – it was an empty bottle of sleeping tablets. "It was in her hand…and it's empty."

RYS' eyes widened, and DYS' eyes closed sadly.

Ten minutes later, the ambulances arrived and tried to revive her – but it was no use.

She was dead.

^.^

"There's seven of us left." CS muttered a few days after her funeral.

"Seven of twelve. Almost half of us are gone." RYS mused.

"Guys, shh." DPS said softly, stroking DYS' hair as he cried.

"CS2 had it right." RL muttered. "Offing herself before she had to deal with the…sickness…or anymore heartache."

"Guys." DPS warned them.

"I'm sick of this." RYS muttered.

"Stop dwelling." DPS half-shouted.

They had all jumped at his voice, and he let out a sigh.

"Someone call CDS…see what's happening with LG."

RYS pulled out her phone, punching in CDS' number before silently waiting.

With a frown, she hung up.

"His phone's been disconnected…"

DYS let out another sob, and DPS paled. "Shit."

CS' hand ran through her hair. "What does that even mean?"

"It means LG's dead." RL whispered. "He's…he's either contracted it himself, or he's done the same thing CS2's done. But…it doesn't look like we'll be contacting him any time soon."

"Five then." RYS whispered.

"What if he isn't dead?" DYS suddenly asked. "What if he's in the hospital – and he had to turn his phone off?"

"DYS…" RYS said gently as DPS stroked his hand. "CDS…he's not the type to follow rules. And you know that."

"We need to assume the worst."

^.^

It had been two months since NS first contracted the disease.

In two months, seven of them were gone. Wiped out so quickly by a freak disease.

In two months, RL had become a shell of the man he used to be – drained completely of emotion. He slumped around the house, occasionally tidying but mostly just doing nothing.

RYS and CS were quiet – not sickness quiet, but just quiet - RYS was having trouble getting over RS, not to mention her other friends.

They'd realised it wasn't contagious when RL still hadn't gotten sick – he'd spent every minute with RS once he got sick. It was in their blood – and they were still waiting.

The morning, a month after RS had died, DPS woke up with a weird feeling in his stomach.

"Shit…" he whispered,

DYS was immediately up beside him, groggily wiping at his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Uhh…" He swallowed hard. "I…I think I'm sick."

DYS froze, tears pooling in his eyes. "As in…?"

DPS nodded slowly and DYS clung to him, shaking his head. "No…please. It's not. It's just…maybe you're hungry?"

DPS shook his head. "It's nothing like I've ever felt before. It's…weird."

"Shut up." He whispered. "Shut up. It's not weird…you're fine."

DPS' eyes closed and his arms curled around DYS gently, kissing his forehead.

"I'm staying with you." He whispered. "I don't care if we lock ourselves up. I'm not leaving you."

"You can't…"

"I am. And you can't stop me."

"I can." DPS whispered.

DYS faltered, nestling into DPS. "Will you?"

DPS let out a small breath. "Only if you want me to."

"I don't want you to. I don't care if you hit me. I don't care if you…if you break up with me right there. I'm not leaving you. I love you."

DPS just nodded, tears streaming down his face as he held DYS closer.

"When…when are you going to tell them?"

"Later." DPS whispered. "This morning is just about us…"

^.^

Around midday, DPS and DYS emerged from the bedroom, showered and clasping hands.

"What's going on?" RYS asked softly.

"I'm sick. And DYS is refusing to leave me." DPS stated plainly, and CS and RL's eyes widened.

"You're awfully calm for someone who'll turn into a monster in a few days." RL said softly, and DPS shrugged.

"I've…come to terms, I guess. I believe in the afterlife. I'll be back." He said softly, and RL raised an eyebrow.

DYS squeezed his hand gently, and RYS pulled DPS into a hug.

"This sucks." She whispered as CS moved in to hug him as well.

"Yeah." Was all DPS said.

RL shook his hand and he nodded at them all, patting DYS' hair comfortingly as he started to tear up.

"It's been a pleasure knowing you all." DPS said softly, tears welling in his eyes. "Thanks guys."

They gave him a wave – it all seemed so surreal – how they could just say goodbye so easily.

But it was easy now. It was the three or four days that he would spend as a monster – when they could hear his cries and how upset he was – that were the hardest. Knowing that he wasn't going to die in the next twenty-four hours was easier to cope with.

Hand in hand, DPS and DYS entered the basement, and they heard the lock click behind them. It was fully furnished – a toilet, shower, towels, sinks, a low stocked fridge and two beds.

It was then that DPS broke down.

"I don't want this." He whispered. "I don't. I don't want to die. I don't want to leave you…oh my god."

DYS cried with him, hugging him tightly.

"I don't want you to have to go it alone. But god, please don't kill yourself. Please. You might even survive…" he sobbed. "I'm sorry…"

DYS stared into his eyes, welling with tears. "You're apologising for dying?" he half-chuckled, half-sobbed. "You're an idiot."

"I'm also a dying idiot, if you hadn't realised." DPS said softly, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend.

"Yeah…but that doesn't matter right now." DYS reassured him, pulling him close. "All that matters now is us."