Disclaimer - I don't own ZOMBIES or any of the characters involved. Copyright to Walt Disney Studios. Names of BG zombies are mine, characters themselves aren't.

Well, last week was a wild ride, wasn't it? Back to regular-sized chapters now

Christmas fics are coming starting tomorrow, with a mix of canon and BG characters~

Chapter 7

Two months. He lasted two months in counselling. Two months before he completely gave up. He had already been showing up late and walking out of sessions, but now he was done. Roz, as usual, was there to be his voice of reason, since clearly he didn't have one of his own anymore.

"He's not gonna be happy, Zeph."

"He hasn't been happy for a long time."

"You know what I mean. About quitting counselling."

He glanced at her and looked down, ashamed, "Roz, he doesn't know I was in counselling."

"What? You didn't tell him?"

"Hell, I didn't even tell him about the fight!"

"And I guess that means he thinks you're still on the team, too?" she asked and he pretended not to hear, "Didn't he want to hear about all that?"

Zephyr groaned in frustration and threw his arms up, "It's not like he understands anything about it! He only cares about it 'cause I care about it! I can tell him anything, he won't know the difference and he won't ask questions."

Roz stood with her mouth hanging open. It took her a while to find the words to say, "So you're just making things up to tell him and you think you'll be fine? He won't know the difference, how can you even say that? He's your boyfriend, you love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do, that's why I don't want to tell him! I don't want to hurt him anymore. If he found out I was fighting over him..."

"So you're just gonna play him like that? You're lying to him, Zephyr. You're keeping something serious from him. I'm pretty sure you haven't kept a single secret from Al for as long as you've been a couple. And when you were friends, the only secret you kept was that you liked him," she gave him a hard stare, "Don't start now. You're already on thin ice."

He kept walking past her, not listening when she shouted at him to stop, but her words burrowed deep in his mind and stayed there. He already felt guilty enough, why did she have to add to it?

– TATTOOED MISTAKES –

SIX MONTHS AGO - SEPTEMBER

For the first time, Keira felt uncomfortable sitting with the rest of the cheer squad in the cafeteria. She felt so out of place. Roz was with Zephyr and Zach, distracted with trying to comfort Zephyr as best they could. Her heart went out to him. She knew him well enough by now to know how important Alonzo was to him. He was practically Zephyr's whole world, and he had been for years. It couldn't be easy to be torn apart out of nowhere and be told they couldn't see each other, at least not until visiting hours were open. Still, if she went to join them, she'd feel wrong there, as well. She couldn't understand what all of this meant to the zombies. She was human. She had no idea what it was like. She had no idea what they could be experiencing because of this, or what Al could be experiencing in containment.

The whole room was buzzing with gossip and rumours. Everyone had heard by now that a zombie had killed and eaten a human, but far too many of them didn't have the full story. Keira, however, was close to the situation. Uncomfortably close. And it was weighing on her.

"Zed!" Addison's voice called from nearby – the next table over – and Keira looked up as Zed, Eliza and Bonzo joined her and Bree. Addison and Bree both hugged their boyfriends tightly as soon as they were close enough and Keira felt a twinge of jealousy, but she kept watching. They wouldn't have seen each other in the past week, like she hadn't seen Roz. And she suspected they might not have been able to talk much, either.

"What is going on?" Addison asked, "I tried asking my dad but he said everything's classified! He won't even tell me who did it!"

Zed let out a small sigh and looked away, as did Eliza, while Bonzo held onto Bree, his face blank and his chin resting on top of her head. After a short silence, Zed finally spoke.

"It was Al."

"Al?" Bree suddenly sat up, accidently jerking Bonzo away, "Alonzo Morgan?"

Keira bit her lip at the reminder. Yes. Alonzo Morgan. Her friend.

Bonzo's eyes dropped to his lap and Bree reached out to squeeze his hand in comfort. All of BFZ were close friends with Bonzo and he was obviously finding it hard to process.

With the boys both struggling to say anything, Eliza went on to explain, "That human came into Zombie Town wanting to get rid of us. As in, kill us," they could see the pain on her face, "Alonzo and Zephyr were still out. Alone."

Addison was shocked, "And he got Alonzo?"

"He got Zephyr," Zed found his voice again, though it was low and melancholy, "And Al panicked. He froze up, he couldn't do anything and he..." Keira felt herself tense up as his voice faded to a whisper.

Eliza took a deep breath, "He took off his Z-band," she was shaking now, but more from anger than anything else, and her eyes were glazed over, "That drakska drove him to taking off his Z-band just to save his boyfriend," she turned to meet Addison's eyes, then Bree's, and they saw her fear, "We could be dead right now if it hadn't been for Al. But the patrol decided he needed to be locked up, and half of Zombie Town is convinced he deserves it."

Bree leaned into Bonzo's chest, looking heartbroken for Alonzo, and all of the zombies, and Addison's head fell into her hands.

"I-I don't know what to say..."

Keira stopped listening then and tried to block out the noise of chatter around her. It was all about Alonzo. All of it.

She didn't want to think about but the following week, she got a call from Zephyr.

"Hey, Keira? I'm really sorry I have to ask this but... could you give me a ride? To zombie containment? Riz won't let me out of the house unless I'm with a human and I need to see Al."

Don't get involved, a voice in her head told her, Make some excuse.

"Sure. I'll be at the barrier in 10."

Sooner or later, she would give in, but for now she'd pretend she could keep this going.

– TATTOOED MISTAKES –

Zephyr, for the first time in half a year, was excited for the day ahead. Alonzo had been transferred to lower security which meant that 1. his Z-band was back to its normal setting and was no longer shocking him and 2. he could finally see him, face-to-face, nothing in the way of them being together. Other than a time limit, of course. The car ride was quiet, even a little awkward, but he barely even noticed how Keira's eyes never strayed from the road once, or how Roz would glance at her, concerned, every now and then, and ask if she was alright, only to get a short "I'm fine" in response. Zach, sitting next to Zephyr, could tell something was up but he didn't want to be the one to point it out.

Upon arriving, they were led to a bigger visiting room, with tables and chairs instead of the cold windows and phones. Alonzo must have been the only one currently in low-security because the place was empty, other than a guard standing by a door at the back of the room, which Zephyr refused to take his eyes off of. He wasn't going to just sit down and wait. Roz and Zach stood just behind him.

When the door opened and Alonzo was escorted into the room, all three of them tackled him in a hug and he staggered back, laughing ever so slightly. When Roz and Zach stepped back again, Zephyr was left clinging to him and Alonzo nuzzled into his cheek. They lifted their heads at the same time and looked at each other for a second or two, then suddenly they were kissing – their first kiss since before the arrest. Their friends cheered while the guard turned away, though there was small smile on her face. It soon grew more heated, more desperate, as Zephyr's hand went to the back of Al's neck to pull him impossibly closer and deepen the kiss. Neither of them even heard the guard's awkward cough. Roz had to pull them apart, throwing them both a teasing smirk while Zach shook his head affectionately.

"Save it, guys, you've got company."

Al let out a short, shaky laugh and licked his lips, making Zephyr feel light, but in an instant he teared up and wrapped his arms around Zephyr again, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. Zephyr rubbed his back and murmured in his ear soothingly. Once Al had calmed down enough, Zephyr let him go and Zach surged forward to hug him next, then Roz.

They moved to a table to talk, mostly about how Alonzo was doing now that he had been transferred, but the conversation soon turned to Seabrook, and school. They all avoided bringing up how pale Al still looked, and how he might have been even thinner than the last time he saw him. He had insisted when Zephyr first brought it up that he was fine, it was just being in containment wearing him down a bit. Hopefully that would improve now that he was in better conditions.

Zephyr kept steering the subject away from football, shooting subtle pleading looks at Roz whenever they tried to steer it back. They would just roll their eyes and let it go but in the end, they nudged Zephyr's arm while Al was distracted with something Zach was telling him.

"You have to tell him the truth," they hissed, "He's bound to find out at some time and that will not end well."

"So I just make sure he never finds out."

"Zephyr."

He tried to avoid looking at their glaring face but he knew they weren't going to stop. But he was still set on keeping the fight and everything a secret. He wasn't about to ruin this moment they had together by upsetting him, or making him feel guilty.

"Guys...?" he interrupted Zach and they all turned to look at him. He hesitated, "... Can I talk to Al alone for a minute...?"

Roz glanced from him to Al and back again, then looked at Zach and nodded towards the door. A guard opened it as they approached, keeping an eye on Alonzo like he could make a run for it at any minute, but of course, he didn't. Right before they left, Roz caught Zephyr's eye and mouthed 'Tell him'. He just waved her off vaguely. She could believe what she wanted to believe. The door shut behind them and Zephyr turned to Al, who suddenly looked tired.

"... It's not getting any easier, Zephyr."

Zephyr tried to stay optimistic in front of Al. He didn't want to let on that there was anything else wrong, "It'll be better when you're home."

"Being back at home won't change the fact that I'm a murderer."

Zephyr winced, "It's not murder, it's mansla-"

"Like 'manslaughter' sounds any better!" Al interrupted, throwing his arms up in exasperation, even pushing his chair back to get up and walk a few feet away. Zephyr followed him.

"You never meant to kill the guy."

"I knew what I was doing when I took my Z-band off," he reminded him, "I knew it was dangerous."

"You were terrified. You had no other choice."

We've been over this...

"I could've called someone. Or, I dunno, faked going full zombie to scare him off, anything would have been better than actually losing my band!"

"You couldn't even speak. How were you supposed to do anything else?" Al didn't respond and Zephyr gently took his hand, "It's in the past."

We can't change it.

"Yeah, and in the present, I'm a convict."

"Alonzo," Zephyr suddenly took Al's face in his hands, "I have missed you so much. It's been half a year of only ever talking to you through that zraghan window and we're actually together now so can we not fight? Let's just forget it for now."

Al let out a long breath and nodded, "Alright," he hugged him again and kissed his cheek, whispering into his ear, "I've missed you too, Zeph..."

"Al?"

He pulled back, "Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Zephyr bit his lip. Standing there in Alonzo's arms, looking up into his eyes with nothing separating them, felt so surreal now. But this was it. He could touch him and kiss him again. He could hear him clearly without that stupid phone. That fact alone made him feel like crying. He tried to wipe away the tears before they could fall but they were coming fast. He took a breath, his voice already shaking before he even spoke.

"I'm sorry you ever had to come here. I'm sorry you ever felt like you deserved it. I don't care what you say, you don't deserve all of this. I just wish you could come home."

His voice cracked and Al's heart shattered. He enveloped Zephyr in another hug and let him cry into his chest, kissing the top of his head and curling his fingers in his hair, "Just a little longer, garzi'ka..."