So, this story is nearing the end, I think. There's probably only 1 or 2 more chapters left. Thank you to all who have followed, given a favourite or reviewed. Writing this would be pointless if there was no one to share it with. I debated heavily about this chapter. I settled on this. I hope it's not a disappointment. There is sexual content but I just don't write smut very well so it's only slight. The rest is implied.

Max didn't know how they'd managed to do it, maybe it was in the air, or maybe they had all secretly seen it coming and none of them was as brave as Nathan to say it. She didn't know, but they had managed to get them to come with them, to find somewhere safe. The only problem was there was only one safe place that she knew of.

She didn't know how long they had left, or even if there was time, but she left Warren and Victoria to go and gather as many of the boys from the dorms as they could, whilst her and Nathan ran off to get changed. She peeled the grimy clothes from her body. How long had she been wearing them for? She had just changed her underwear and was about to throw on a pair of jeans when she heard a knock on the door. She grabbed a towel to cover the rest of her body as she answered it.

"Nathan?" She asked. His clothes were fresh. He even wore a different jacket. All of the cuts and bruises on his face seemed to glare at her now that his skin was clean. They stood out obtrusively.

His eyes stared at her, lingering over her mouth "I didn't want to leave you on your own" He mumbled, looking into the carpet. He couldn't tell her that he couldn't bear to be away from her. That every moment he'd been in his room changing sent a shiver of panic down his spine, because she gave him hope and without her he felt empty. He daren't tell her any of that.

"Come in" she pulled him in, closing the door behind him. He stood nervously behind it, trying to look anywhere but at her. His hair was slicked back again now, but a small wisp fell over his face when he looked down. Without thinking she reached out and brushed it away. His eyes darted up at her touch. She left her hand there, by the side of his temple for just a second longer than she needed to. He reached up with his arm and placed his hand over hers, holding her hand up by his face and she felt something urgent within her. She reached up and pressed her lips against his. They were so soft and gentle. She felt his body relax, melting into hers. Their mouths opened and she let her tongue dance with his. His breathing lowered and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her still.

She stepped away slowly, staring up at him. "Do you want me to stop?" She asked him. Max knew his heart still longed for Rachel. She didn't really know what this was between them. She just knew she didn't want the world to end without having felt what it was like to love somebody. When the gun had been pressed against her head. She had wished that she had taken the chance before. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

He shook his head at her silently.

"I don't want to feel insignificant" She whispered, letting the towel fall out of her hands.

His gaze wandered over her body. "You're not" He told her, stepping forward and holding her face in his hands, he pressed his lips against hers.

She felt the heat come off of him in waves as she wrapped her arms around his back, squeezing his shoulders.

His hand reached up and held her neck softly. An urgent moan escaped him as she pushed her body against his.

She slid her hands down, and inside his jacket, slipping it off and letting it fall to the floor. She broke away from kissing him and stared up as she unbuttoned his shirt, his eyes fixated on her, his hand running through her hair.

She pushed his shirt down over his shoulders and watched the rise and fall of his chest. She placed a hand over his heart, then reached up and kissed him again. It was only then that he dared move to touch her, his feather light fingers trailing down her arm.

She let her hands slip down and unbutton his jeans, pushing them down before pushing him backwards onto her bed.

He lay below her and she stopped to look at him. His face looked so peaceful now. She sat above him, and unclasped her bra, dropping it softly onto the ground. She thought she should feel self-conscious, but she didn't. She lifted his hand up to touch her breast before bending down to kiss him again. Was he too scared to touch her?

"I need to know what it feels like to be loved" She told him honestly and his eyes understood her as he rolled himself on top of her and she lost herself in him.

It was then that she finally knew what he meant when he said he'd known her for forever.


"You swear you didn't know about this before?" She asked him jokingly, craning her neck round to stare up at him. Max's head rested on his chest, letting the rhythm of his breathing lull her as they lay on the bed. She didn't want to leave this moment behind. She thought about what a blessing that must be. To be able to live the same precious moment again and again. A blessing, and a curse.

His arm lay across her front. "No" he whispered, his eyes far away and distant.

"Nathan… are you okay?" she turned her body around to face him.

"Yeah, I just…" he began, looking guiltily at her, he began to rub his fingers together.

"You love Rachel" She whispered and his eyes betrayed him as they flickered at her and away again. Like he'd been caught out.

"Nathan, it's okay."

He lifted himself up, so he could look directly at her "I don't want to hurt anybody" His eyes looked pained. "I can't hurt anybody again. I can't hurt you" his hand swept her hair behind her ear, his thumb stopping to rest at her chin.

"You haven't. It's okay. Honestly." She placed her hand next to his on her face, squeezing it tightly.

"Whatever this is… it doesn't change what she means to you. You're allowed to still love her. You don't need to feel guilty" She wiped the tear from his eye.

"This wasn't…" he began, struggling to find the right words

"I know" She cut in quickly, because she did. She knew this meant more than sex. Whatever it was.

"I could not face the end of the world a virgin" she said cheerily, trying to lighten the mood and failing. Apparently bringing up the impending apocalypse was not funny. Go figure.

She rose from the bed, picking up a clean t shirt. "… and Nathan…"

She turned to face him "Thank you"

His face flushed red. She hadn't had him pinned as the type to get embarrassed about this sort of thing. He gave her a warm, embarrassed smile. "Shut the fuck up and get dressed Caulfield" His harsh words held no anger in them as he rose from the bed.

They changed quickly.

"You sure pick your timing" he carried on, pulling up his jeans "It's not like we haven't got a shit load of people waiting on us or anything" he reminded her.

"I know. I haven't really thought much about what we do next Nathan. I mean, we both know where we have to go, but…" she began

"I know" he cut her off, his voice serious again. "But we've got no other options." He pulled his jacket back on, running a hand through his hair.

"What if he is there?" Max asked him.

"Then I'll deal with it" He told her, an edge to his voice as he pushed open the bedroom door.

She sighed, sprinting off behind him. That's what she had been afraid of.

The wind in the courtyard had picked up, and it was difficult to walk forward now without stumbling from the pressure of it.

"There you are! Max! Where have you been?" Warren shouted at her, some of his words getting lost in the wind, concern in his voice.

Max's eyes looked everywhere but at Nathan. She daren't look at him.

"Just changing, you know what girls are like" She said, quickening her pace, rather than slowing down to greet him. She was cringing even as she said it. When had she ever referred to herself as one of the 'girls'? Could she be any more obvious?

Warren looked between them as they walked ahead, his eyes hardening in suspicion, but he said nothing.

"I sent the others on ahead, using the location you gave me" He told her.

"Thank you Warren, seriously, I owe you one"

"Sure. Listen, my car's round the corner, but we should hurry, things are starting to get crazy out here" as he spoke, a tree branch on the other side of the courtyard suddenly snapped from the pressure of the wind, and swooped across, crashing through a dorm window.

She wondered if she and Nathan had waiting any longer, whether they would be underneath it.

A flash of blue streaked the sky above them, followed by bellowing thunder. It seemed to shake the ground beneath them. Max stared down at it in awe.

"Let's go!" Warren yelled at her, leading the way.

As they rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks, his face sending shivers down her spine.

"Nathan. There you are" He said, his voice horrifyingly slick and smooth amongst the chaos.

Nathan's eyes froze in terror at Sean Prescott standing in front of them.