Eh, I already had this written so why not update it right?

I've just finished watching the TCA's too! & I'm SO happy 5SOS won an award! YAY! :)


Disclaimer: I do not own R5, The Vamps or 5 Seconds Of Summer, all rights go to Hollywood, Mercury/Island & Capitol Records!


Chapter 28
The Epoch

"Luke... Luke? Luke!"

Luke's eyes fluttered open where he found himself staring at a plain white ceiling. He blinked a couple times before looking to his left where he saw Rocky's empty bed in Rocky, Ashton and his dorm. The reason Rocky wasn't here was because he was on guard night duty and wouldn't be back till the early hours of the morning. He turned his attention to the door and saw it was shut. Luke felt his arm wrapped around someone or something, so he looked down and saw Ashton looking up at him slightly concerned.

Wait, Ashton?

Ashton shook Luke again until he opened his eyes "Luke, thank god. What's wrong?" he asked.

Luke blinked a couple more times and stared at Ashton like he was shocked to see him, but he didn't know why. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand "W-what?" Luke asked.

Ashton shrugged "I don't know, you woke me up. You were saying my name over and over again... what's wrong?" he asked.

Luke felt like he had been smacked in the face with something he had no clue about as soon as Ashton said that. He felt so confused right now. He shrugged "I don't... I don't know... I was... you died. I got..." Luke let his hand fall to his stomach for some reason, rubbing it like he was in pain. "Where's Brad? And Ross?" Luke asked.

Ashton sighed "Alright, Luke. Relax. It was just a nightmare. Ross and Brad are fine, they're asleep across the hall in their dorm. Nobody's dead. We're all alive. Jesus, it's not the end of the world. We don't have zombies taking over and chasing us down for our guts." He said, laying back down and snuggling back into Luke.

"Zombies..?" Luke furrowed his brow in confusement. He had never felt so much confusement in his life before now and he had a rush of happiness and excitement building up in his body by just seeing Ashton. Almost like he hadn't seen Ashton for years because all he wanted to do was hug him tightly and never let go. You know that feeling?

It was so strange. Luke has never felt this confused before in his entire life.

Ashton nodded "Yes, I said zombies. Now go back to sleep, Luke. We have to be up in a couple of hours and rearrange the armory. You know that's going to take forever to do." he sighed and shut his eyes. If Luke wasn't going back to sleep, Ashton was.

Luke nodded "O-okay..." he said, this time wrapping both his arms around Ashton and holding him tightly.

What the hell had gotten into him? It was just a nightmare.

Wasn't it?

With Ross & Ellington

"Oh my god..." Ellington said, looking around in amazement at the room. It was huge. Massive. Unimaginably huge. With metal control panels and god knows whatever else is used to make this Epoch work. He turned to Ross, with a look on his face that told him he didn't know how to feel "Oh my god..." was all Ellington could say.

Ross smirked at Ellington's reaction. He had never been in here before either, only glimpses through the doors when it opened. But Will knew about it and showed them photographs of the entire room, along with telling them how it worked for a joke just in case anything happens and they were the only hope left of using it. If only he knew that joke would soon come true.

Ross breathed heavily as he walked up the steps, rubbing his arm. Ellington looked at him and saw how he was struggling walking up small steps, and he was starting to sweat too "Are you okay?" Ellington asked, slightly concerned.

Ross nodded "Yeah. Just er... all that running... kinda takes it out of you, you know?" he got to the top and started walking around it, looking at all the buttons and switches that had to be set correctly along with the big red one that set it off "right... lets erm... get this show on the road, right?" he said. Ellington nodded and walked round to him. Ross stood up straight after leaning over one of the control panels and turned to Ellington, putting his hands on his shoulders and patting them "I erm... I need you to um... yeah..."

Ellington have him a confused look "Go on..."

Ross blinked a couple times and wiped his forehead "I said I need you to go round there, to that panel in the middle and turn every switch 90 degrees to the right except for the one in the left hand corner at the bottom, that needs to go left, can er... you do that?" he asked.

Ellington nodded, going round to the panel Ross said "Seems easy enough, this one?" Ellington asked, Ross nodded "alright then. I can do it." he said as he started turning all the switches. There was about fifteen of them at the most, so surely it wouldn't take too long and in 10 minutes time they would be back where they were supposed to be.

Ross went onto the panel that was opposite Ellington and looked at it, seeing buttons that didn't really look relevant or that they contributed to anything important. Though there was, what looked like, a cable sticking out and looked like it needed to be plugged into somewhere which was something he didn't remember Will telling him about. He picked it up and saw it rolled out, being an endless wire. "Do you think it plugs into the wall?" Ross asked, lifting it up and showing Ellington the end of it.

Ellington finished doing what he was doing on his panel and looked at Ross and shrugged "I don't know. I didn't even know this thing existed. But you can try I guess."

Ross nodded, turning round to find the nearest socket. He jumped down the steps and ran over to the wall where there was one there and he plugged it in, turning it on at the wall where a sudden spark came from the machine and it suddenly came to life, setting itself right and started making a rumbling noise. Ellington had jumped back from the spark in case it hit him and Ross threw his hands over his head. Ellington took a deep breath "Is that it? Is it working now?" Ellington asked.

Ross didn't get up from the floor, he felt too tired too move or do anything. He nodded "Yeah... just er... need to set a date and then we can go home."

Ellington smiled in relief, feeling like he was going to cry. He'd been waiting for this for so long to finally get his old life back along with Tristan and Connor. "Are you gonna do it then?" He asked, walking to the top of the steps where Ross was. Ross looked like he was gonna pass out. "Dude, are you alright?" Ellington asked getting concerned.

Ross slowly got up from the floor, stumbling slightly, and he made his way over to the steps "Yeah... fine... I erm... gotta do this."

Ellington grabbed hold of Ross as he was one hundred per cent sure he was about to collapse at that moment. He looked him dead in the eyes and down to his arm that Ross was trying to hide behind his back. "Ross... what's wrong with your arm?" He asked, quietly and his voice cracking as he hoped like hell it wasn't what he thought it was.

Ross slowly brought his arm from round his back which revealed to have a bandage wrapped tightly round it. Ellington grabbed his arm gently and unwrapped the bandage to have a look at the injury he hadn't noticed before and his breath got caught in his throat when he saw it wasn't a gash or a scratch. It was a bite. A very harsh bite. "Oh god... w-when did this happen?" Ellington asked, lowering his arm.

"The night we found Brad," Ross said, lowering his arm and wrapping the bandage back round the wound again as best as he could "when I went to go have a pee as I said to Rocky, there was a zombie where I went too and I didn't have time to react and it came at me. I held my arm out to defend myself and it bit me. I fell to floor holding onto my arm and I thought that was the end of me but the zombie ran off. I only managed to hide it because I had my hoodie with me. When you were all asleep that's when I wrapped it up so none of you would notice. I mean, we already had Brad to worry about after being scratched, you didn't need me too. Besides," Ross said, making his way slowly and weakly past Ellington and over to the Epoch "we're here. We're at the end now. It doesn't... matter."

Ellington watched as he weakly walked around, and he nodded "Yes it does matter. Because you look like you could give in at any moment right now."

"All I've got to do is set a date and press the big red button. That won't take 5 minutes. I've still got a little bit of strength left in me." Ross dragged himself round the machine until he got to the panel with the date setter on it.

He went to go set it but he felt his vision go funny and he shook his head and he groaned, feeling pain. Ellington felt panic raise up inside of him so he walked over to Ross "Right, what date?" Ellington asked, looking down at the setter "I'll type it in for you." he said as he didn't quite trust Ross at this moment.

Ross rubbed his head, stepping back a little bit "I need to sit down." he said, walking over to the steps and sitting down on them where he had left his backpack, Ellington left the pistol and the other gun they had with them.

Ross needed a bit of time to bring himself back together and be more focused so he could do this without any problems. He had gotten this far, he wasn't about to give in and die now. They were practically at the end. He and Ellington.

It was just a shame Ellington wasn't going to remember any of this.

Ross took a deep breath and grabbed the pistol off the floor, putting it into his pocket. He stood up and turned to face Ellington, with a small smile "Thank you for helping me set this all up," Ross said, Ellington nodded "but er... this is it. I don't... I don't need you here anymore. You can leave. I can do the rest myself without you."

Ellington stared at Ross blankly, not being sure if he had heard correctly of what Ross just said "What?" he asked as Ross got up and started walking round the machine again "we've come this far, Ross. We've got the machine... we're here... we've basically saved everyone... all we need is a date and to press that big red button. And you expect me to turn around and leave you to it?" he asked.

Ross sighed "Basically, yeah."

"Why?"

"Because. I don't want you to remember any of this."

Ellington scoffed "And what if I do want to remember any of this?" He asked, making Ross fall silent "I haven't wasted these past 8 or 9 days with you for nothing! When I first met you I admit I had a lot of hope for this and you making things go back to how they use to! I still do! All that time I thought I would get to see everything go back to normal. Not forget about everything I've been through in this apocalypse and the past few days."

"You don't understand," Ross said, starting to become frustrated slightly "yes, we can both remember everything that's happened this past year and a half if we stay in this room or if we stay alive in this room, if one of us dies in this room we won't remember. Or if we die anyway we won't remember. Or if one of us isn't even in the room, we won't remember. But if we stay alive in this room as the Epoch does it's thing, we'll remember. We'll be the only ones who will ever be able to remember the apocalypse. Nobody else. Just us two. It'll drive you insane. I know its going to drive me insane but I have a feeling I'll be able to only just cope. But not you. You'll probably crack up and go insane and be sent to some nut asylum. I don't want that happening to you! But if you leave this room now and don't watch what happens, you won't remember and everything will be perfectly fine in your life. You can get on with what you wanted to get on with before the apocalypse happened. But if you truly want to remember any of this ever happening... then you will remember. I doubt that will happen. So leave. Save yourself and leave."

"Well tough shit because I'm staying!"

Ross sighed in frustration and hit the nearest pole next to him. "Ellington, I am not going to do this until you leave this room and get out of here."

Ellington folded his arms, not letting Ross do this to him and everyone else "Fine. I'll just wait till your zombie bite either kills you or turns you into a zombie and I'll do it myself," he said, receiving a glare from Ross "c'mon. All I want to do is help. At least if I remember you won't be alone. I mean it'll be pretty lonely for you."

"I don't care, I don't want to see you suffer!"

"Suffer from what?!" Ellington asked, raising his voice "remembering what were the best nine days of my life? I know it sounds crazy saying that, but it's true. I've never known fun or people like you, Rocky and Rydel during this apocalypse. Every single day this past year and a half every day used to drag by, but these past few days have gone fast as hell. Even when Rydel died. I mean, imagine having the best day of your life so far taken away from you. You wouldn't would you?" he asked, Ross shook his head "when you do this machine, you have the opportunity to go re-live your life over and correct all your wrongs you did in that time between then and the apocalypse happening. I won't. Rydel won't. Riker won't. Rocky won't. Luke won't. Brad won't. Ashton won't. I mean, you even get the opportunity to dodge Ashton's death. That's the only good thing that's going to come out of this for him. A longer life. All thanks to you because you know what's going to happen to him. Then there we go, as long as Ashton's saved everything's happy and perfect in your life but not mine. I'm still going to get ran over and get left to die if I don't remember this. So is that what you want? You want me not to remember and leave me to die on the side of the road? So unless you can make that not happen for me, Ross, I'm not leaving."

Ross sighed, shutting his eyes as he let what Ellington said sink into his head. He didn't have anything to say or add onto that. He just didn't want Ellington to remember any of this. Ross knows that if Ellington remembers he would probably let slip about remembering an apocalypse nobody else remembers or knows about and he'll be seen as the crazy one and end up in a mental hospital.

Ross shook his head "You can't stay. You'll be tortured with this for the rest of your life."

Ellington felt so angry inside at how Ross wasn't listening to him one bit. There wasn't even any point in arguing with Ross any further. "Fine then," Ellington said "You want me to leave so I don't remember?" Ellington asked.

Ross started putting his hand into his pocket "I just don't want you to suffer..."

Ellington nodded "Fine then. But the only way that is going to happen is if I die in this room right here, right now. And we both know that's not going to happen."

"I know," Ross said, swallowing hard as he felt like crying again. He looked over to Ellington and frowned "I'm so sorry for this."

Ellington wanted to say 'it's okay' because he thought he was talking about how Ross wouldn't let him remember.. but he could tell by the look on his face it was something much more than that. It was for something else. That scared him. Ellington gave him a nervous look.

Ellington didn't even get a word in to ask Ross why he was sorry. But he got his answer for why Ross was sorry seconds later.

BANG.

BANG.

Ross started shaking as he held the gun aiming at Ellington and he pulled the trigger twice. He can't believe he just shot the one person who stuck with him till the end. Ellington held onto where Ross shot him in the chest, feeling unbearable pain but not letting out any scream what so ever. He held onto the railing and tried to stay standing up, but he couldn't.

Ross dropped the gun on the floor and walked over to Ellington, grabbing hold of him "I'm sorry..." Ross said, letting a tear fall down his face.

Ellington could feel his breathing slowing down as Ross walked towards him and grabbed hold of him before he could fall to the floor. He tried to keep as much oxygen as he could "So much for you not being able to shoot someone who doesn't deserve it." Ellington said quickly and harshly, running out of breath. Referring to how earlier when Ross couldn't shoot Brad because he didn't deserve it.

Ross nodded "I know... I'm sorry." Ross wrapped his arms around Ellington and hugged him, sinking to the floor with him too and held him as he bled to death from the wound and slowly died. Ross waited a couple of minutes before looking at Ellington to see if he was still alive or had died. His eyes were shut and his chest had stopped rising and falling. He felt his pulse where there was a tiny beat there. And he waited until it was completely gone.

Ross breathed deeply and pushed Ellington off him gently, lying him on the floor and looking down at the blood that was all over him as well as Ellington. That was when the guilt hit him for killing someone who really didn't deserve it. All Ellington wanted to do was remember the apocalypse with him so Ross wasn't alone, but Ross wouldn't take it because he didn't want Ellington suffer.

Ellington's a crazy person, as Ross has learnt the past nine days, anyway. So him accidentally letting slip to people he knew about a zombie apocalypse wouldn't have been a surprise and they would have ignored it.

Oh, god. Why did he just do that for?

That was everybody dead.

Ashton.

Will.

Rydel.

Riker.

Rocky.

Luke.

Brad.

Now Ellington.

Ross knew for a fact that if he didn't speed things up quickly now he would be next because his zombie bite would become too infected and would kill him. Or he'd turn into one. It was bad enough he was starting to feel light headed again and sick again, like he could pass out. He felt himself sweating.

Ross dragged himself as quickly as he could over to the panel with the date setter and took a deep breath, feeling himself becoming short of it. He slammed down on the panel as quick as he could December 2012. why? Because that was 3 months before Ashton died and it was also the month where you had the opportunity to pull your name off going to Afghanistan.

Also because it gave him enough time to do something else he now decided he wanted to do for everyone. AKA Ellington, Riker and Rydel.

Ross saved the date into the Epoch and now all he had to do was pull and press the big red button and everything would reset back to normal.

He walked round to the other side of the machine and as he got to it, something happened where his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. Ross tried to get himself up off the floor but he couldn't stand up properly, he had to stay sat down but his arm wasn't long enough to reach the button. "Oh my god, come on!" Ross said in frustration, trying to reach it from where he was on the floor.

Eventually he gave up and sat against the railing, breathing heavily as he could slowly feel his eye lids becoming heavier and heavier. He'd came all this way to try save everyone and failed. Because here he was. Dying on the floor from a zombie bite he should have told someone about.

Why was he so stupid?

Though he deserved it for killing Ellington when there was no need. Talk about karma.

Ross turned his head to where Ellington laid dead on the floor, seeing the gun sat half way between them both and an idea came to his mind. It just depended on whether or not Ross would have enough energy to do it. He shuffled across the floor until he was in arms reach of the gun.

He got hold of it and sat back up straight, looking at the large button that needed to be pressed. Everything depended on that button and if Ross had enough energy to throw the gun at it and try hit it. He lifted his hand up with the gun in it and tried to aim as best as he could for the centre of the button.

But again, his vision started to fail him and he felt his body beginning to shut down completely.

And all he could do was throw the gun and hope for the best it hit the button. Because as soon as Ross threw the gun and it was out of his hands, everything went black for him and he was out like a light.

He had to hope like hell that the next time he woke up was back in his bed in his and Brad's dorm.


Ross started moving around and moving his eyes, but hadn't opened them. He was stirring. Either he was about to find himself on the floor in the room with Epoch machine or he was somewhere else. He was hoping somewhere else.

Suddenly he jolted awake and started breathing heavily. He sat up and looked around, taking in his surroundings where he saw a door, a desk and found himself sat in a bed. Ross turned to his left where he saw Brad laid in his bed in their dorm at the base. That was when the biggest smile appeared on his face, mainly because he was happy and he was very relieved.

He did it. He hit the button and made everything turn back to normal.

Ross let out a small quiet laugh of relief which soon turned into a big one and he flopped himself back down on his bed. He saved everyone.

Brad groaned when he heard Ross laugh from behind him. He turned around where he found him laid back down with the biggest smile on his face. Brad scowled at him from his bed "Ross... what the hell are you doing?" He asked, tiredly.

Ross turned his head and sat up looking at Brad, who didn't look too happy at the fact he had been woken up during the night. Or morning. He doesn't know, but the sun looked like it was coming up when he looked out the window. "Brad! Oh my god, Br—hey," He said, stopping himself as he seemed way too happy and excited to see him alive again "um... what year is this..?" He asked, trying to figure out where abouts he was.

Brad stared at Ross blankly, blinking a few times as he didn't know if Ross had overdosed on drugs or had fallen out of bed and hit his head "December... 2012... 12th to be exact..."

Ross nodded "Right, okay, what happened yesterday?" He asked.

Brad sighed "Have you hit your head or something?" He asked, slightly confused. He shook his head "Um... nothing much. Did our jobs... Rocky stabbed himself chasing Luke with a pair of scissors threatening to cut Luke's quiff off. And erm... Will told us we can take our names off the list for us going to Afghanistan in March if we want. Is that it for dumb questions with Ross Lynch? Can I go back to sleep now?"

Ross sighed with relief and smiled "So... that's all that happened..? No apocalypse... no zombies... no anything."

Brad furrowed his brow, not being quite sure whether to take Ross seriously right now "No... why-why would there be zombies?" Brad asked, confused. He shook his head "No, but I was having a nice dream about an apocalypse. Though... I say nice... I think I might have killed Luke in it." he looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, not being sure if that's what happened in his dream or not.

Ross gasped "Luke! Where is he? And Ashton!"

Brad groaned "Go to sleep before I break your neck. They're across the hall in their room. Asleep! Which is something I want to be." he said, turning over to ignore Ross as best as he could.

Ross sighed with relief and laid back, feeling happier and more content than ever.

Though he did have one small problem left.

He needed to save Ashton.


Yeah... so 2 chapters left of this story now :)

Thanks for reading! :)

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