Everyone stayed at Zed's house for about another hour that night, brainstorming ideas and discussing more of what Eliza and Wyatt had already been doing, and how the zombies and wolves felt like with and without Moonstones and Z-bands. They devised a plan that they were all excited to try out that weekend if Zed was feeling up to it. Everyone agreed that with his and Addison's past experiences, he should be the main test subject.

When Zevon got home from work he was happy to see Zed healthy and happy again, he greeted everyone else and invited them all to stay for dinner, but everyone but Addison politely declined and soon left to go to their own homes for the night.

Addison was happy to stay for dinner and everyone had a great time, able to forget all the stress of the last few days. When they were done eating, Addison called her dad to pick her up, and soon left after one more goodbye hug and kiss from Zed on the front porch.

When she got home she started working on the missed homework her friends had delivered but checked in with Zed over texts to make sure he was still feeling fine. Every time he answered he was good and playing with Puppy and Zoey with a smile. If she could stay with him forever until they get rid of the Z-bands for good would be fine by her. She knew she couldn't even mention their plan to her parents until after they had real proof that it would work. They would probably lock all of them up in Containment if they knew what they were planning.

Zed and Addison of course talked before she went to bed.

"So Zoey finally let you get some rest?"

"Yep, she's so happy I'm back, I never want to scare her like that again."

"I know, that's why we're doing this."

"Do you really think it can work?"

"I know it can, for you at least, I know you aren't just a mindless m-word Zed. Yesterday and today just proved it even more. The real question is whether it will work for everyone. I hope it does."

"Yeah, I know Zoey's next Z-band check is in a little over a month, and I would do this just to make sure she never has to go through that again. And never what happened to me and Mom."

"I know, I don't want that to happen to anyone ever again either, least of all you, Zoey, Zevon, Eliza, or Bonzo. I know this can be our next step Zed. And like Eliza said if you think about it, it does make a lot of sense, the Moonstone created both Zombies and wolves, and the wolves went wild, but then got sick without moonstone necklaces, and zombies never got necklaces, I really think this will work. No, I know it will. The sooner you get your Z-band off for good, the better."

"I promise Addie I'm still fine." Zed tried to reassure her.

"OK, are you going to school tomorrow?"

"No, Pops said I should wait one more day, and that's just to make absolutely sure I'm not actually sick. But Friday I'll be at school I promise."

"OK, I'll miss you, but I'll take the best notes ever I promise. What will you be doing tomorrow?"

"Hopefully tackling the mountain of homework I have right now unless I end up sleeping all day again, not that that would be bad, I just have so much stuff to do."

"OK, I promise I'll visit after school then, my parents both put their foot down about me missing two days in a row."

"That sounds great, I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"I love you Zed."

"I love you Addison."

The next day passed slowly for everyone. Zed worked on his homework but was bored out of his mind with no one to talk to, and he was supposed to stay inside, doctor's, Pops', and Addison's orders.

Addison was mostly back to her normal cheery self, she missed not seeing Zed at school, but they texted between her classes and she took notes and gathered them from his classes she wasn't in from the rest of their friends.

Everyone else was still fired up and thinking about their plans this weekend, none more so than Eliza. After last night she had started a second notebook to contain all her notes, theories, and experiments so far. She was so ready to ditch her Z-band at the first opportunity but she knew they had to do this right. Both for everyone's safety and to create a lasting change for all of zombiekind.

Zed finally returned to school on Friday, all his friends, teammates, teachers, and coaches were excited to see him back again. Just like in Zombietown, most people didn't know anything close to the whole story, but it seemed more people than just Addison had been missing his quick wit and charming smile. He really felt perfectly fine again, and even Addison wasn't so worried anymore.

Finally the day everyone had been waiting for had arrived. Eliza had vetoed going back to the light garden with everyone, so instead, they all hiked out to the middle of the Forbidden Forest where they had plenty of room and wouldn't be interrupted. Willa and Wyatt had explained their plan to their parents so the rest of the werewolves other than Wayde knew to avoid the area for the day. Wayde insisted on joining the mission when Wynter told him about it. He wasn't as familiar with the rest of the group, but they could all count him as a friend. He and Wynter planned to just observe and be the emergency muscle or medics if anything went wrong.

"OK Eliza, what do we do, you're the boss." Zed asked as they finally made it to their destination, deep in the forest, tall trees stretching off in the distance as far as they could see, Zed was pretty sure if they didn't have the wolves with them, he'd have no clue how to get back home.

"Well, first give me a few minutes, I need to hack your Z-band." Eliza pulled out her laptop and began to rapidly type with swift, confident keystrokes.

"Hey, are you nervous?" Addison asked him.

"A little, I know I won't hurt you, but I don't want to hurt anyone else either." Zed confessed.

"Don't worry, we'll all be fine, we all trust you. You didn't do anything bad when you saved the Moonstone." Addison reminded him, hugging him tightly.

"That was because I knew I what I had to do to save you, and again that was full zombie me, plus I know Eliza is eventually going to separate us because that's the whole point of this experiment."

"Don't worry I know you're going to do great."

"And done!" Eliza announced, she then pulled out her phone." OK then, Bree you can take the controls, just press this button to turn his Z-band on and off."

"Alright, got it." Bree smiled nervously.

"Zed, you and Addison go sit by those rocks, we'll start slow, with Addison staying with you for a while and seeing how you respond to the rest of us. Oh and sorry Bree, with Addison being special, you'll have to be our test human."

"Don't worry Eliza, I understand and I know nothing is going to go wrong."

"Wyatt, you'll be taking notes, and so will I. Willa, Wayde, and Wynter, you guys just hang back for now, but you'll get a chance to help in a while. Bonzo, you'll probably be our first test interaction since Zed won't have any possible reason to fight you. Is everyone clear? Any questions?"

"Nope. Let's go Eliza." Zed called out.

"OK then. Bree turn his band off."

"On it." Bree said, pressing the button, from where she was standing about fifty feet away with the rest of the wolves. Eliza and Wyatt were standing a little closer but were still giving Zed plenty of space.

Zed tightened his grip slightly on Addison's hand as he heard his Z-band crackle for a few seconds and then shut down. The soothing feeling of the electromagnetic pulses disappeared and he could feel the wall dividing his brain slowly disappearing. He glanced down and could see his necklace flash green for only a moment, he noticed a new rush of energy, it wasn't like the normal pulses his Z-band always gave him, this was different, but in a good way. Since he wasn't distracted by his stress and sickness like at Containment, he noticed the subtle differences. The Z-band's pulses were almost like a warm jacket or blanket, making him feel calm on the surface, but right now Zed felt perfectly warm and peaceful from his very core.

He could hear the zombie side in his brain, and he was thinking the exact same thoughts. That this felt good, he was with Addison, and he was happy, that was all he needed.

"How are you feeling Zed?" Addison asked him.

"Great, the greatest I ever felt ever. I don't know why, but I feel like me but better than ever." Zed smiled back brightly into her beautiful, blue eyes. As blue as the sky, he could just stare at them all day.

"OK, Zed?" Eliza called out, and Zed turned to her. Now that his attention was no longer solely on Addison he could hear everyone's heartbeats, some of them a little nervous or excited, but all of them calm. There was no danger here.

"Do you feel hungry or angry or anything?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine. Eliza, when you did this before, doesn't this just feel right?"

"Yeah, it did." Eliza smiled. "OK first up, test one, Bonzo walk up to Zed and have a conversation for a few minutes, Addison you stay with him for now."

"OKZ." Bonzo slowly walked up to him and waved. "Grallo Zedski."

"Grallo Bonzka." Zed greeted.

"Hoz Ezcuela yezterday?"

"Ez Grrood, evaryonez feliz zee argh mi, I grat mi tarrea turrned inz, I had lotz grrr timez finiz evary thin."

"Grood, ez Trrak?"

"Ez great, Ryanzka y Rilezka worried mi, buz corer argh hundrards. Thar beat mi az uzualargy." Zed laughed. "Hoz Trrak arg gru?"

"Grood yesterday, trabjarr onz dizcuz maz. Longr dayr butz grood."

"Thaz good."

"Zed, can you speak English again by chance? And Addison, does he look more full-zom than usual?" Eliza called out from further away.

"Gra, I mean argh I carnz hablarr grr English. I can speak English, I'm cool, everything's fine." It took Zed a few seconds to switch his brain back over to English, but it was fine, and once he made the conscious decision to speak English again he had no problems.

"No, he looks just the same as always." Addison called out. "Just as handsome." She whispered in his ear. Making him growl in delight at her.

"When Bonzo's speaking zombie it's just easier to speak zombie back, even though it then takes me a moment to get back into English."

"And you felt fine with Bonzo being near Addison?"

"Yeah, I know Bonzo isn't going to hurt her. No problems there."

"Alright, Bonzo come back. Willa do you want to go next? Just go up to Zed again, make some conversation."

"You got it Eliza." Willa marched up confidently, taking Bonzo's place in front of Zed. "Hey Zed." She waved.

"Hi Willa." Zed responded back, he could feel his zombie flare-up slightly, he hadn't worried at all about Bonzo, because he was a zombie, but he felt instinctively slightly more wary of Willa, of course, he knew that she was a werewolf, and his Zombie knew that too, so his guard level was slightly raised, but he still felt confident that he was in control. He did take the suggestion to hold Addison's hand a bit tighter but that was it.

"So Zed, do you feel the call to the wild?"

"I wouldn't say that more like I'm finally who I'm supposed to be I think."

"Yeah, that's how we feel too when we use our powers when we're our true werewolf selves, just like I know this is making you your true zombie self."

"Yeah, I agree. So, tell me again how you feel without your necklace?"

"The main thing is that we feel cut off from our powers, and some of our wolf instincts. Like when we run at track we're fine, but after a few hours we'll start to feel sick and lightheaded without them."

"And then when you put it on, you feel like you again right?"

"Exactly. And that's how you feel?"

"Yeah, like the Z-band is just a cheap knock-off, putting me in a cage, this necklace is allowing both sides of me to be free at the same time for the first time ever. I can't thank you enough for giving them to us."

"Of course Zed, you all earned them, you're part of our pack, our family now. And if we find this works, I promise every zombie in Seabrook will be able to get one. My parents already gave their blessing for our plan as long as we're confident it will work and still keep everyone safe."

"Awesome." Zed could feel himself relaxing the more he kept talking to Willa, his zombie was soon as perfectly fine with her as he had been with Bonzo.

After a few more minutes. Eliza checked with him again, asking her own questions, and told Bree to switch places with Willa.

Zed could feel Bree's slight nervousness, but he tried to block it out and focus on Addison's steady heartbeat that hadn't wavered for a moment since they started. Even when Bree was standing right in front of him, he didn't feel any hunger. He still felt calm and in control. His zombie side noticed she was human, and besides Addison's, her heartbeat had always been the most noticeable to him, but he felt no need or desire to eat. The Zed side of him knew he wasn't hungry and that was enough to tame the zombie within.

After talking with Bree for several minutes. Eliza again asked him a few more questions and then told Willa, who was now holding her phone to turn his Z-band back on.

Zed shuddered as his Z-band let out its initial pulses, and he felt the wall divide his brain again. "OMZ, that feels horrible now!" He gasped.

"What is it Zed?" Addison asked, worriedly.

"Like seriously, having the moonstone do everything felt so amazing, the Z-band will never feel good again." Zed loudly declared.

Eliza nodded her head, jotting down some final notes, "Yeah, I felt like that too, and thankfully everything seems to be working so far."

"So what next Eliza?" Wyatt asked.

"Well, now we'll get to the hard part, seeing what Zed does if Addison isn't with him."

Zed and Addison both squeezed the other's hand tighter instinctively. "I'm sorry I can't stay here with you."

"I know, but I know we need to do this to make sure it will actually work in the real world."

"I know it will because you are going to keep being a super zombie, you were you the whole time, and I know you won't hurt any of our friends, or anyone else."

"Zed, do you feel drained of energy like you always were after going zombie at the football games?" Eliza asked.

"No, not really, well, maybe a little hungry, but that's it. And not for any of you I promise."

"OK, but you should grab some food now before we start again, for this, we really don't want a hungry zombie."

"OK." Zed walked over to Addison's backpack she had brought, which was filled with granola bars. He grabbed a few and started chomping down on them.

"Well, it's possible that his necklace's energy is refueling him, so he can be more zombie without feeling drained and starving." Wyatt suggested. "But not that he looked more zombie at all on the surface at least, plus he wasn't moving around that much, just sitting there with Addison."

"I know, we'll get there eventually." Eliza nodded along, still scribbling down her notes. "So Zed are you ready?"

"Yeah, I guess, I don't want to do this, but I know we have to."

"OK, Wynter and Wayde, you take Addison at least half a mile away, we don't want Zed to be able to hear her heartbeat or anything for this next test."

"Wow Eliza, that doesn't sound creepy at all." Zed joked.

Eliza just continued on, ignoring him for the moment. "We need to see what he does on his own. Howl when you get there, and Wyatt or Willa will howl to either let you know we're done and everything's great, or if you need to get Addison back here fast because it's an emergency."

"You got it Eliza," Wynter nodded, "we'll keep our ears open. You ready Addison?"

Zed and Addison had wrapped each other in a tight hug. "I know you can do this. I love you Zed. Gar Gar Gaza."

"I love you too Addie, I already know I'm gonna hate this so much, but I'll get through it until I can see you again. Gar Gar Gaza."

"Don't be scared just remember why we're doing this, you aren't a monster and this will prove it to the entire world, so no zombie will ever be called a monster ever again."

"I know Addie, thank you. Come back soon." Zed leaned down and captured her lips for a few drawn-out moments. "Gar Gar Gaza. He whispered one more time, his breath softly brushing her lips."

"Gar Gar Gaza Zed." Addison said back.

They finally let each other go. Addison followed Wynter and Wayde away into the forest, with Zed's eyes watching her every move until he couldn't see her through the trees anymore.

"Alright Eliza, let's get this over with." Zed sighed and sat back down on the same rocks as before.

"OK everyone, we'll basically do the same thing as last time, we'll start with Bonzo, then Willa, and then Bree, still just talking to him for now. Zed, you try to stay seated in the rocks but it's fine if you feel like you need to move around or whatever, do what you need to do stay in control."

"Got it Eliza."

"Bree, press the button." Eliza ordered.

Zed once again felt his zombie awaken in him again as his Z-band turned off and his moonstone glowed green for a few moments. He felt their minds connect for a few moments as he listened to the heartbeats in his vicinity, two werewolves, two zombies, and one human, he didn't feel hungry, he just knew where and who all of them were immediately.

But then he noticed the heartbeat that was missing, and he started to panic. Where was she? Where was Addison? He could smell her, he knew she was here before, but she disappeared, had the others done something to her? He had to find her.

"Hold on. Stay calm." Zed spoke aloud, he could see the veins darkening on his arms and his breaths were growing slightly ragged. He did his best to remember what they were doing and tried to explain to his other side that he knew Addison was safe, and she was with his other friends, and he was with friends, there was nothing to fear. He was safe, and Addison was safe.

"Zed? You doing OK?" Eliza asked nervously.

"Where's Addiska?" He snarled, but he immediately calmed down again. "Sorry, it's, this is a lot harder without Addison here. But I got it. Look, I know why we're here and what we're doing, but just explain everything again. I'm getting a little worked up. But I'm not hungry or anything I promise, I'm just worried about Addison."

"OK Zed, remember, we're testing to see if you can function you normally do using a moonstone instead of a Z-band, you already did an awesome job." Eliza explained everything slowly as if she was trying to explain something complicated on her computer to Zoey. "Right now we're seeing how you do without Addison with you, but she's just taking a walk in the woods and she'll be back here in a little bit."

Zed took a few steps, about to follow the direction he remembered Addison walking away before he stopped himself. "No I'm cool, everything's fine, I'm with my friends and Addison is safe." He made himself turn around and sit on the rock again. "Don't worry guys I promise I'm good, but let's get this over with as soon as possible." He started tapping his foot against the ground in impatience.

"Bonzo, you're up again."

"OKZ. Grallo Zedski." Bonzo calmly walked up to Zed with a smile on his face once again.

"Grallo Bonzka." Zed felt totally fine talking with Bonzo, but still part of him still wanted to chase after Addison until he found her again and the other half was reminding himself that they were both in no danger at all.

"Hoz Zoey benz?"

"Zoeyz grood lazt fer dayrs. We playared maz carn Puppy arg pracizcarr greerleadar movez. Yezterday she zid her firrrst backglip, she waz grr feliz ar sorrrprendizo. Zoey hablarred Pops to zee it, and I rrrecorrded it for Addiska. Addiska!" He shouted into the woods, calling out for his beloved.

"Zedski, Addiska ez zafe." Bonzo reminded him again.

"Rright. Grr, I conozco. Addiska ez zafe." Zed nodded, relaxing again,

"Zo, Backglip Imprezzive?"

"Armazingr! She zid it gusta zinco maz timez. She nailed arh zigra. Futarr greer captarn Zoey!" Zed returned to his excitement over Zoey quickly.

"Zounds grreat Zedski."

"Gru worrking on anyzin?"

"Gra, rright now I'm dibujarr pictarr oz old power plan."

"Rreally? Agh wan zee it when finized."

"Totarrly Zedski." Bonzo promised him.

"OK, Bonzo, I think that's good, Zed, how are you feeling?" Eliza interrupted them.

"Still fine, still worried about Addison, even though I know I have no reason to worry."

"I guess we should have expected that but fine, that's why we have three of us here, but if you're good we'll keep working on you, OK?"

"Yeah, I'm still me."

"Willa, do you want to go up?"

"Gladly." Willa nodded, and once again slowly approached Zed, taking Bonzo's place. They had another easy conversation, this time Willa tried quizzing him over what she and the others had taught him about werewolves, and he passed with mostly flying colors, it seemed that Zed's brain was working on full capacity even without his Z-band, after a few minutes though, it was time for the moment of truth, and the moment everyone was secretly nervous for. How would Zed react to a human without Addison with him?

Bree took Willa's place somewhat nervously, and Zed could tell, he could also tell Bonzo especially, but everyone was now carefully watching his every move. The sound of their heartbeats got louder in his head.

"Hi Zed." Bree glanced around nervously as she waved.

"Hey Bree. Don't worry you guys, I promise I don't feel hungry at all, but I can tell you're all nervous and that's making me a little nervous."

"OK, everyone relax, we all know we can trust Zed. I know I'll be fine." Bree tried to act confident as everyone else tried to calm their own nerves and all took a few steps back.

"Zed, would it help if we talk about Addison?"

"Oh yeah, of course, she's the greatest person in the entire world." Zed smiled.

"You don't say, although I have to agree, she's my best friend too. So while she's gone for the moment, do you have anything special planned coming up?"

"No, not really, right now we're both just focused on finishing the school year and track and stuff, although I want to do something to make up for scaring her so much when I was sick this week."

"Zed that wasn't your fault, and you're already doing something to make sure Addison and the rest of us never have to feel like that again."

"I know, but when have ever let logic and reason stop me when it comes to Addison? If I could give her the world, I would, just to see her smile."

"I don't doubt that at all Zed." Bree smiled back.

"She's so, perfect. She's Addison, she deserves everything she wants and needs."

"OK, so anything specific going on?"

"I was thinking about having a date night somewhere, maybe another picnic in the light garden, she always loves that." Zed smiled.

"Yeah, Bonzo and I love going there too, I know Addison loves what you two did for us even more than I do."

"I remember that first zombie mash and I found her with Zoey in the light garden, she was so beautiful." Zed sighed, lost in the memories, a far away look in his eyes as he went back in time to that night.

"OK, note, Zed without a Z-band is even more lovestruck over Addison than usual." Eliza whispered as she watched them interact. "As long as it's not anger or fear, it shouldn't be too much of a problem if our emotions are higher elevated as long as we can control them right?"

"For us when we use our powers, our emotions go full throttle too," Wyatt whispered back. "We're taught to use our powers and how to control them, so if we do this, there will probably have to be some sort of training process for all of you."

"I guess that makes sense. Hey Zed, you still good?" Eliza called out louder to him and Bree.

"And then I was right about to- What? Everything's good Eliza." Zed glanced up from his conversation with Bree.

"Alright then, I'll just turn your Z-band back on for now," Eliza tapped the button on her phone "and Willa, you howl for Addison and the others."

"On it. Awooo!"

From far off in the distance two other howls answered back.

"They're about a half-mile north," Willa reported, "they'll be back in a few minutes."

"Not soon enough for me." Zed got up and started running in the direction Willa pointed.

"Um, Eliza, is his band working?" Wyatt asked, his eyes following Zed's retreating form. "Should we be following him just in case?"

"His band's working fine, that's just normal Addison-obsessed Zed talking." Eliza rolled her eyes.

Addison, Wyatt, and Wayde were walking back to where they left the rest of their friends. She had enjoyed her time getting to know them better, but all Addison could think about was worrying about Zed. She trusted him not to even think about hurting their friends, but she knew he was probably absolutely miserable being away from her without his Z-band on.

They were about halfway back when Wynter and Wayde both stiffened.

"What is it?" Addison asked.

"Something big, loud, and fast is coming this way. I'm pretty sure I know who it is, but his breathing doesn't sound ragged or anything." Wynter reported.

Addison smiled, of course he wanted to see her as soon as possible just as much as she did. "Well, don't worry, it's Zed. And if something was wrong Willa would have howled."

"Addison!" He yelled from a distance. Her heart rose in delight hearing his voice again.

"Zed! Over here!" Addison shouted back.

Moments later Zed crashed through a couple of bushes, surrounded Addison in a hug, and lifted her in the air while spinning her around in a circle. "Addison! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Zed." Addison smiled up at him after he set her down, taking the chance to snake her arms around his torso, so they could hold each other tight. "Are you ok? How did it go without me?"

"Better than I could have expected, it was just like before, I didn't feel hungry or angry or anything, I never for once thought about Bree being food. I was super worried about you and had to fight against the urge to come find you, but that was it."

"I knew you would Zed, and don't worry, I know the more we practice the better you'll be."

"Yay, more practices to go to." Zed complained sarcastically. "You were literally all I could think about."

"I was the exact same way. I'm glad you're back here with me. Do you know what Eliza has planned next?"

"No, but I think I've spent enough time away from you for one day. You won't go anywhere again right?"

"Not if you need me. I'll always be with you Zed. Always."

"Always." Zed leaned down and met her for a soft, tender kiss.

"So, are we headed back now? I mean you two are adorable but I'm pretty sure we still have things to do today." Wynter burst their happy little bubble. Just like always whenever they were together they were in their own world separate from everyone else.

"Oh yeah, we better get going." Zed said sheepishly, grabbing onto Addison's hand as they walked back to where the rest of their friends were waiting.