A/N: This chapter is from Addison's POV again. Holy Spirit, the voices are still there. Zed's in this chapter too, and he's got some pretty painful scars but they're not focused on too deeply. A lot of emotional talk and what not here.

Starlight623 (for chapter 8): I intended to make people very sad, which I'm usually bad at doing but glad it got across.

(for chapter 9): it took everything in me to extend this fight past chapter 8. I mean, look at those puppy eyes!

Lya Carvalho: this chapter, as well as 8 and 9, have been written for like a week. But they all needed to be edited which I was way to lazy to do by myself (thank Angelina, she's the best). I mostly wait longer periods to extend the anxiety, keep you on your toes.

LoveShipper: adding in insecurities and expanding Addison's character like that was like a whole new dynamic that I didn't think I was ready to do, as a writer. Hopefully it came across well and you (all of you) got the idea I was trying to convey.

Chapter 10 Summary: Addison tríes, she really does, to stay angry at Zed. But he's been missing for a week and the conversation with her dad left her uneasy. Its two miles between the school and his house, and she can't think of any actual reason for running there, unexplained and unannounced, other than loving him and caring for him.

Addison was at her locker Friday morning, replacing her art supplies with her books for the next few classes, when Daniel Bregola from the football team approached her with two of his other teammates, whose names Addison didn't care to know, flanking him. "Addison!"

She plaster on a pleasant smile, turning to the three upperclassmen. "Yes?"

"Where's your boyfriend?" Tomas demanded.

"Zed?"

They all nodded. "He made a deal with us. He said that if we won last night we'd get a party, with Antonio's Pizza and cheerleaders. And he's not here."

"Why would I know where Zed is?"

"You two are practically attached at the hip," Daniel stated.

Addison shook her head. These guys weren't her friends, or acquaintances, but she'd figured Zed would've at least told them by now. It had been practically two weeks since the Zombie Mash. She didn't care, though. It wasn't her job to share with people she didn't talk—people she didn't even enjoy associating with—her personal life. She wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. "I have to get to class," she said.

Using her small stature to her advantage, she squeezed past them, heading off to English (where she'd see Bree and Eliza).

So Zed wasn't in school Friday. It didn't affect Addison, not at all. They were broken up. He had lied to her, he lied about a lot of things. She didn't concern herself with what he did and what happened in his life. Plus, lots of people didn't show up on Friday.

And besides, it meant she got to sit with her friends in lunch. And none of them seemed to be concerned with Zed's whereabouts, so why should she?

In the back of her head, a small voice told her, 'Because you love him, and when you love somebody you get worried when they disappear.'

"Shut up," she hissed at herself. She glanced up, seeing that either no one noticed or everyone chose to ignore what she has said.

She didn't need Zed. Sure, he had been a major impact on her life. But Addison was fourteen! She wasn't 'ready' for a serious relationship, according to her Aunt Janet. And her and Zed, they could never make it work. They lived two completely different lives.

Zed wasn't at school on Monday either. Or Tuesday. Elections had come and went; Addison's mother was re-elected. But who expected otherwise, anyway? And even though lots of people didn't particularly agree with her sudden kindness to Zombies, they definitely didn't agree with anything the other candidate believed. It was kind of funny, really, seeing Seabrook have to settle.

Wednesday came and, no surprise, Zed wasn't there. It was beginning to concern her, actually. Not because she loved him and was constantly worried about him even though he had significantly pissed her off, but because no one seemed concerned he hadn't shown up for four days. She was genuinely concerned about him, in the same way she'd be concerned if Bree or Eliza or someone else hadn't shown up for four days.

When Thursday morning came and Zed wasn't walking in with his friends, Addison decided that, against all her better judgement, she needed to find out where he was. As a friend, of course.

"Hey Eliza, have you seen Zed?"

Eliza shook her head at that. "We don't typically worry about what Zed does until at least a week. He's a tall and strong guy, he can handle himself."

Bonzo said something in Zombie, Addison only catching a reference to Zoey and school. When she looked at Eliza for an explanation, the Zombie explained, "Zed's probably just sick or something, 'cause we see Zoey going to school in the morning."

"Zombies get sick?" Addison didn't mean to come off as rude. She knows that Zombies can get sick, she's witnessed Zed get sick before. It just slipped out.

Eliza and Bonzo didn't really seemed fazed by it though. "We're still just like you, Addison."

"De gozed gaza," Bonzo said, laughing with Eliza.

Addison didn't wait for a translation. She went inside of the school, already heading off to her first period ten minutes early.

"Addison!"

Addison stopped on the grand staircase, turning just as Taylor ran up to her.

It was Friday now, still no Zed and still no concern from his friends. Addison had even taken the liberty of texting a simple 'Hi' to him the night before. It was the middle of the day, and there was still no answer.

"What's up?" Addison asked.

Taylor's short curls were all ruffled and his face was red, like he'd just come from running. Well, he did. "I know you guys broke up and whatever, but do you have any idea where Zed is? He hasn't come to school—or practice—all week and I've got some very angry football players after me."

"I dunno," Addison stated with a sigh. "Eliza says that he's probably sick."

"He was fine last Thursday," Taylor stated. "How are you not worried?"

'What if he was attacked again?'

The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. "I'm thinking of checking Zombie Containment," Taylor went on. "Maybe he didn't make it home early enough and he's been there for curfew violations?"

"For a week?"

"I don't know how things work in the law offices," Taylor said in exasperation. "It's just, something's not right about this, Addison. Zed isn't one to not show up without explanation. And according to Coach, no one's called in sick for him."

'And most at-home sickness don't take a week to shag.'

"I-I gotta go," she told him. "The bell's gonna ring soon."

Addison turned to continue up the stairs. "But Addison—" Taylor said, his voice loud with worry. Addison turned back, looking at him. She kept her expression blank, attempting to not give away any signs of worry. "I have a bad feeling about this, like someone's withholding information or something."

"I have to go," Addison repeated.

She didn't turn back when he called her name again. There were more important things to worry about, like her English essay.

It's hard to concentrate on English with the lingering thought of her boyfriend—her ex-boyfriend—lying dead in an alley somewhere, where there'd be no investigation or justice for his death because he's a Zombie and because, believe it or not, Seabrook is still trying to erase the outbreak from their history.

'Zed isn't dead, he's probably just sick.' she told herself.

People don't get sick for that long Addison. You know that. When Raina was sick for more than four days she had to go to the emergency room.

Bet Eliza and Bonzo aren't telling you what really happened because you were a major dick to him.

You broke up with him for no reason.

Did you see his face? He was so heartbroken. He probably killed himself, like you should've done a long time ago.

If you were dead, them maybe he wouldn't be.

Addison stood up, interrupting the explanation of the essay and drawing the attention of pretty much everyone in the class, including Eliza and Bree next to her. "Mr. Quigley can I go to the bathroom?" Addison asked.

He agreed—hopefully at least, she didn't really wait for his answer before rushing out of the room. Addison waited until she was a good distance from the classrooms to pull out her phone, dialing her Dad. He answered on the fourth ring, around the same time she was walking into the bathroom.

"Addison shouldn't you be in school?" he asked upon answer.

"I have to ask you something," she stated. "It's like, your job to know what Zombies do and to protect them and humans, right?"

"You know this," he said. "You called me during school to ask that?"

Addison chose to ignore that. "What happens when Zombies get sick? Is there a doctor they go to or something?"

"All Zombie Affairs happen in Zombie Containment."

"Can you do me a favor, then? Can you…can you check if Zed is there? Is that in your power, at least?"

Dale sighed, probably shaking his head where he was. Addison heard the telltale sign of him typing, grinning to herself. After a minute of muttering, her dad answered her. "Zed's last visit to Zombie Containment was in October. His last doctor's visit was in March."

After a second, he inhaled sharply. "Great god," he muttered. "That is not good."

"What? What's wrong?" Addison demanded.

"Addy I can't disclose that kind of confidential information!"

"Dad! You can't just say something like that and expect me not to ask!" she whined. "What's not good?"

"It's a violation of the code of conduct."

"Is he missing? Is he dying? Is he dead?" He didn't reply, sending her thoughts into overdrive. Hundreds of scenarios ran through her head, so much so she couldn't even really see them. "Oh my god Zed's dead," she cried out.

"He's not…he's not dead," her dad said, then muttering, "not yet at least."

Addison hung up the phone before he could say anything else. She didn't know what she was really doing, going through the motions as she shoved her phone back in her pocket, walking quickly out of the bathroom and back to class. The look on Bree and Eliza's faces when she walked in tells her that she's not fine in the slightest. Addison grabbed her bag from the ground, exiting the classroom as quickly as she had walked in.

She vaguely registered Mr. Quigley calling after her, Bree and Eliza actually coming out of the room to see where she's going. She started to run, sprinting down the halfway to the main entrance, outside in a matter of seconds. It's a split second decision, pulling the straps of her bag over both her shoulders before running again, heading toward Zombietown.

At nine in the morning, everyone in Seabrook is either at work, at school, or deep inside their homes. Addison passed through the human neighborhoods fairly quickly. The cold air bites at her lungs as she ran, the mid-November weather not in favor of most exercises, especially not running almost two miles from school to Zombietown.

The gates of Zombietown are wide open; Zed's house was only two blocks from the gates, not too far from the old Seabrook Power Plant.

It'd probably look strange to anyone passing by: a white-haired human in a bright red jacket and blue jeans running through Zombietown in the middle of the morning.

She knocked on the front door first, waiting for three minutes before resulting to other measures. 'Zed's window has a view of the front street,' she thought.

Addison picked up a pebble in his front yard, taking a few steps back to aim at his window before throwing it. If he's in there asleep, it'll surely wake him up and not break the glass at the same time. The pebble bounced off the glass with no avail, though she doesn't expect just one to wake him up. He's a heavy sleeper and he hates mornings; he's incredibly grumpy when he first wakes up too.

"Six. Six should be a good number," she muttered to herself.

Addison paused between each throw, counting backwards from forty before the next one. By the fourth pebble, she'd resigned herself to giving up, going to retrace the walk from his house to school and see if she finds anything along the way that might clue her to where he is.

'Two more,' she told herself.

The fifth pebble hit the window, the THWACK louder than the other four. From the opened window, Zed called down, "Stop it!" his voice raw and strained, like he had lost his voice. Addison looked up, seeing Zed leaning out the window. She couldn't see much of his face in the shadow from his room, though she was pretty sure he was scowling.

"Why are you throwing rocks at my window?"

"You wouldn't answer the door!" she called back.

"I was sleeping," he stated. "Why aren't you at school?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Zed didn't reply to that. "Can you come down here so we can…so we can talk?"

It seemed like Zed wanted to say something else, though he just sighed. "Give me a minute."

"Can I have some water too?"

"Wow," Addison breathed out, "you look like hell."

Zed gave her a weak smile, passing her a water bottle. Zed looked worse than worse for wear; he looked worse than a zombie. His eyes were red and puffy, surrounded by darker circles than usual; he had several unsightly bruises running along the left side of his head, from his temple down to his neck. He wasn't wearing a shirt, revealing bruises and cuts all along his torso, the dark veins that stretched around his left arm had spread through his upper torso, up his neck, and down his right arm.

"I could say the same about you," Zed told her, gesturing to her flushed face and now messy ponytail. "How'd you get here, anyway?"

"I ran."

Zed blinked at her, tilting his head at her slightly. "You ran here? From school?"

Addison nodded, taking a long drink from her water bottle.

"That's two miles, Addison."

Addison shrugged. "I…Can I come in? To explain?"

"Yeah," Zed said, stepping aside to let her in.

Addison walked over to his couch, turning to watch him limp over slowly. They both sat down, an awkward space between them. "So is there any reason you ran two miles to my house?" Zed asked.

"I, uh, I was worried," Addison stated. "I mean, you haven't been to school in a week, and Eliza said you were sick. And it got me thinking that if you're sick for that long, you'd probably go to a doctor. So I called my dad, to see if he could find anything useful. And then…then he was like 'oh, this isn't good' and refused to tell me anything else and I just—now I'm here."

"Now you're here," Zed agreed.

"Are—are you okay, Zed?"

Zed shook his head, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I don't wanna talk about this right now, Addy—Addison, I mean."

"How'd you lose your voice?"

Zed shook his head again. "I just wanna go back to sleep," he told her. "You woke me up, and I can't fall asleep at night, and I can't stay asleep most times either because I wake up screaming or in pain or crying because I can't stop dreaming of you and it hurts so much." Zed sniffed, wiping away the few tears that had slipped from his eyes.

Addison scooted closer to him, resting a hand on his knee. Honestly, she didn't know what she was doing or why she was there. She had broken up with him, and now here she was, in his house comforting him because he missed her.

Zed opened his eyes, gazing at her through the tears. "Why are you here, Addison? So you could make me feel even worse about myself? If you haven't noticed, I'm already miserable."

Addison leaned up and pressed her lips to his hard, catching him by surprise. It lasted less than a minute though, both of them pulling back at about the same time.

Addison's eyes drifted to the bruise on his face. "What happened?" When Zed didn't say anything, Addison went on. "Someone beat you up, didn't they?" He gave her a short nod, glancing down at the ground. "Is that why you haven't been at school all week?"

"I couldn't walk until yesterday," Zed told her. "My… my Z-Band is unstable. It doesn't stay on for more than two hours, tops."

Addison sighed slowly, leaning against his chest. "Why didn't you want to tell me? Why—why did you lie?"

"I was afraid you'd do something like this," Zed admitted.

"What does that mean? You were afraid I'd care?"

"Addison, you ran two miles here, because you were worried about me," Zed stated. "I don't…when you get upset, I get upset. When you cry, I cry. I didn't want you to be upset because of me, I—I don't want you to have to go through all of this, just because of me."

Addison laughed sadly. "You lying to me, will make me worry even more."

"I wouldn't say it's lying," Zed said. "More like, withholding information. I do it with Zoey."

"Zoey's the one who told me, Zed."

Zed nodded in understanding. "She told me that," he said. "I—I don't tell Zoey for reasons you won't understand, but I hope you can understand why I didn't want to tell you."

Addison leaned against his chest, pressing her ear against his heart. Zed grimaced but didn't protest. "You should…you should go back to school. It's not safe here, with me."

"Zed…"

"You deserve someone better than me, Addison." Addison glanced up, feeling Zed's tears fall on her forehead. "I'm a monster, I—I hurt you, and I make you worry and stress. You should be with a human, who won't cause trouble, who—"

Addison leaned up, kissing him again. "I don't want anyone but you," she muttered against his lips. She held his face in her hands, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Zed pulled back from her. His eyes scanned over her face, still shining with tears. "Why?" he rasped out. "Why are you sorry?"

"I was unfair to you," she told him in a whisper. "You deserve better than me."

Zed shook his head. "You—you're perfect, you deserve someone perfect."

Addison swung a leg over his legs, straddling his waist. "You're perfect."

In the next minute, everything went to hell. One minute she was kissing Zed, one of his hands cradling her jaw and the other tangled in her hair. Then the next, his nails were digging into her scalp, his teeth biting hard into the flesh of her lips, hard enough to draw blood. With sudden realization, her eyes flew open and she jerked out of his grasp, splitting her lips open and falling against his coffee table.

In the seconds since he had started kissing her he'd gone from regular Zed to full Zombie—black, bulging veins running across all his exposed skin.

"Zed?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear.

His eyes opened slowly, his neutral expression changing to a malicious snarl, a low growl emitting from his throat. Addison scurried off the table, moving around to put some distance between the two of them.

He advanced, his eyes—once bright and excited—were dark and dead and wild, like he was, well, a Zombie. Addison stumbled back, tripping over a ball or a shoe or something. With a sickening twist in her gut she realized she was alone, where no one knew where she was, with a wild Zombie in his own home.

'Not a wild zombie,' she told herself. 'He's Zed. He's your boyfriend. He loves you.'

Zed doesn't love you. All you've done is accuse him and ruin his life. You deserve to die at the hands of a Zombie.

"Shut up shut up shut up," she muttered to herself.

Something was definitely wrong with his Z-Band. He'd been there with her the whole time, and they had been updated not too long ago. She took deep breaths, her eyes searching his face, waiting for him to pounce. She had no idea how to get him back to normal—back to Zed. The first time he had gone full Zombie he'd banged his band again on the hardwood gym floor. And the last time, Gus had shown up and shocked him back to reality.

This time there was no Gus, no electricity and nowhere to smash the band into. It was just her, cowering on the ground at the mercy of a zombie.

Zed surged forward, wrapping his hands around her neck. He gripped her neck hard enough to bruise her windpipes, making her gasp out a breath.

"Zed!" she gasped out. She struggled to draw in another breath, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. "I-I love you, Zed. I love you so much and—" she squeaked in surprise and pain, feeling his grip tightened around her neck, "and I'm sorry about everything."

His grip faltered; Addison took in a deep, shaky breath, opening her eyes. Zed was still a full zombie, swollen veins crawling up his neck and his eyes sunken even deeper than usual in his head. He peeled his hand from her throat fully, muttering something in zombie tongue.

Addison reached up, interlinking their fingers. "You won't hurt me?"

"Zunkah," he mumbled in a gruff voice, his gaze falling to the ground.

"No, you're not a monster," she said to him. "Not to me, Zed."

He dragged his gaze up slowly; his eyes, still dark and unlively, were swimming with lingering hope and sadness and love all at once. "I love you, Zed," she whispered again. He groaned in Zombie, leaning down and kissing her again.

Kissing a full Zombie—whether he was already her boyfriend and she'd kissed him countless times before—was like a whole new experience. It was different then before, rough and filled with passion, like his whole world began and ended with her lips.

He squeezed their interlocked hands like his life depended on it, just off the cusp of it being bone crushing. He pulled his lips back, pressing his forehead against hers. She took a second to catch her breath, then opened her eyes slowly to look at him. Somehow, Zed looked normal again, more human and more like himself. He had tears streaming down his face, his eyes pinched closed. His mouth was moving; he was muttering something she couldn't understand.

He reached up with his other hand, gently tracing his thumb across the bite on her lip. "I'm sorry," he choked out quietly. His hand dropped from her face. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said. She reached up with her free hand, swiping her thumb across his cheek. "I love you, Zed."

Zed ducked his head down, nuzzling his cheek by her hair. "Gar garziga," he mumbled.

Addison smiled a little, pressing her forehead against his again, saying, "Gar garziga."

His expression was pinched together, laggard pants escaping his mouth. "You're okay, Zed," she assured him, squeezing his hand. "We're okay."