Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the characters of Left 4 Dead 1 or2, these characters are owned by Valve Corporation. I only own the rights to my own characters that I have merged into this story. Thank you.

Chapter 12

A death in the family

They made it back alive at least, which was saying something with the amount of things they were carrying at this point. No further incidents with walkers made that a breeze, however it was now the facing the living people that was causing the bottom of Nick's stomach to fall out. How were they going to take him bringing home their dead son? Should he have just left the damn kid back there? Fuck he didn't think this through long enough.

He stared at the door slowly panicking his thoughts as Ellis went in front of him to open it. Nick took a deep breath before heading towards the home. He could hear Ma and Pa inside with Coach, they were further in laughing. The sound of the door opening however silenced the laughter, and Sam came running to great them. Thankfully Ellis was able to stop here before Nick was in sight with Phil. "Heya why don't you take these and go get your pa?" He said before handing her a couple bags of food. She nodded and ran to the kitchen to grab her father. The fact that Ellis and Nick weren't willing to leave the front room must have startled Pa as he came running in a panic. "What's wrong?" He looked from Ellis to Nick before stopping. "Where's the others?" Nick slowly looked down before stepping in the room with Phil still on his back.

He slowly lowered down before trying his carefullest to let the body hit the floor. The soft thud seemed to echo through the house like the sound of a hammer, sentencing the two males to death. "What have you don" Pa whispered as he slowly walked towards the dead body. "Rochelle was protecting him while we went to get food... We came running when we heard gun fire but it was too late." Nick said looking for Ellis for backup. Ellis stared at him, not sure why they had to lie, but looked to Pa who watched him like a hawk. "They're both dead pa." He finally managed out before starting to shake. It was slowly starting to hit him. He watched his friend die... by a kid he'd been trying to help in this sick world. Pa looked at Ellis once more before letting out a small gargled cry as he fell to his knees. "I shouldn let him go!" He gasped for air as he let out a cry. Ma came running into the room at that point, followed by Coach who kept a hand on Sam just in case.

Ma went running to Pa's side before she saw the body of her dead child. "No." She whispered before falling to her knees as well, she slowly crawled over to hold his hand before lifting him up and hugging him tight. The two grieving parents held their child tight against themselves as they cried. Coach kept hold of Sam who started to weep. He leaned down and hugged her tight as she watched her parents cry.

Nick watched in silence before placing a hand on Ellis's shoulder. The brunette looked at him under the brim of that aggravating hat. Nick pushed the brim up a bit on Ellis's forehead before looking at the parents once more. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more." He muttered before he lowered himself down to rest on the back of his heels. He watched them sob before swallowing hard. "He's not fully dead." He finally managed. Pa looked up slowly at Nick before back at his son. There was no bullet wound in the head, his son would be coming back to them soon. "You makin me do this? What I ever do to deserve this from yeah?" He growled looking at Nick slowly who instantly waved his hands. "No, no, no, I was not going to force you to do that. I just... " He just what? What did he want to do? He frowned slowly before signing softly. "I didn't want you to see him worse then he already was." He muttered before pushing hair back from his forehead. Pa looked at his son again before looking at his wife. "You're right ther Nick. I apologize." He looked at Nick slowly before pushing his son's hair back to get a better look at his face. "We'll take him back to tha shed and take care of it when the time comes."

Nick nodded before standing. "Coach help me." Pa said looking back at the larger man. "Ma go help Sammy." Ma nodded wiping her face clear before going to her daughters side. Coach helped Pa Carry Phil to the shed out back, when the time came Coach agreed to help if Pa couldn't. After locking the back door once more Pa and Coach stood in the kitchen with the others. "Rochelle... where's she?" Coach asked looking at Nick who sighed softly looking off. "Back at the school."

"We gotta go get her."

Ellis nodded before looking at Nick who shook his head slowly. "No." Pa and Ma looked at Nick confused by what was happening. "Come on man, just cuz you hated her don't mean she aint allowed no final rest." Coach growled slamming his hand on the kitchen counter.

"That is not why I don't want to go get her!" Nick growled back facing Coach full on now, his hands in fists by his sides. "You don't want to see her Coach." Ellis set a hand on Nick's shoulder who continued to glare at the other man. "Between the Walkers trying to kill you at every second, and the fact that she is almost beyond recognizable, you don't want to get her right now!"

Ma slammed her hand down now, and the room fell silent. "Our only boy is dead." She slowly started. "He was a good boy and he liked all of yeah equally, but Rochelle treated him the best." She brushed a hand against her skirt trying to force her tears back. "You'll go get her, so that Phil can share his final resting place." With that, the conversation was done.

How was Nick going to explain the ax mark to Rochelle's chest? After that lie no one was going to believe it was caused by a zombie. For fucks sake they were going to think Nick did it at this point. He couldn't do this anymore, this con had gone on too long and he needed to get out. Nick nodded slowly to Ma before leaving the room heading towards the room he'd been staying in. Ellis signed staying behind. He watched the man whom had finally told him he loved him leave in a huff, and worried for his sanity. "Nick lied." Ellis finally whispered knowing that Nick was out of ear shot. Ma cleared her throat so that Ellis would turn around and look at her. "About what sweetie?" Ellis gulped before grabbing a chair and sitting down. "Pa, Ma... You've been so awfully kind... but your son aint been the same." Pa huffed. "Don't you be speakin ill of me dead boy."

Ellis looked at Coach before at Ma. "Ma... You saw it. You told me yeah did." Pa stopped, his clenched fist slowly unclenched as he looked at his loving wife. "What?" Ma let out a sob before nodding slowly. "Pa... Phil tried to kill that city slick boy. Oh... Pa... he shot Nick and I aint got the heart to tell yea at the time." The confession of what she'd witnessed... and then Ellis's confession of what truly happened, left the room in silence. Pa didn't know what to say, but he did know why Nick did say what he did. He collapsed in a heap. His own boy had been trying to kill these nice folks because he was twisted... what had gotten him that way? "Someone needs to tell Nick." Coach mumbled feeling horrible about how he'd gotten at him. Ellis stood. "I will." And with that he left.

Nick grumbled as he paced the room. He'd have to sneak out to hid Rochelle's body well. They'd believe their kid was some saint and never had to deal with the shit he had really caused, from there he'd make a run for it. Better they hated him then the kid. Yeah, yeah that'd work. Nick flopped on the bed. It'd be dangerous to leave at night but that'd be the only safe time to not get caught. "Uuuuuggggh." Nick groaned rubbing his face. What the fuck was wrong with him? The hell did he care if this family knew that their son was a horrible creature who never should have lived past the age of five?! He groaned again before sitting up. He'd gotten soft, far from the proud man he used to be. This was becoming pathetic.

There was a rapping at the bedroom door then the creek of the door opening. Ellis walked across the room to the bed slowly before going to sit beside Nick. There was a long period of silence, and only the sound of breathing filled the air. Finally Ellis coughed before taking off his hat, ruffling his hair. "They know."

Nick stopped breathing. His eyes got wide before he looked at Ellis to see if he was telling the truth. "What?!" He jumped to his feet. "Why?"

"They need'd to know man." Ellis said looking at Nick before standing himself. "They can't think their son was some kinda hero! He killed Rochelle! I wasn't gonna let you cover his death for some kinda noble shit!" Nick took shaky breaths, he'd never seen Ellis so truly mad over something. "You were settin them up for failure when they saw here... Unless them Zombies tore her up somethin so bad there's nothin left... there's was gonna be confusion when they saw it." He looked at Nick before looking at the bed. "Then they'd think you done it cuz of how much Phil and you fought."

Nick signed, he knew that, but he'd hoped they wouldn't.

There was silence in the room as both men looked away from the other. "Pa's going out back to kill Phil." Ellis finally whispered. Nick gave a small nod as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Then one nightmare will be over." Nick looked up at that. "I thought you didn't believe me." Nick whispered finally, watching Ellis for a tale that he was just pulling this out of his ass like some of his Keith stories. Ellis sighed his shoulders drooping. "I mean... like..." He was a loss for words before he finally rubbed his face with his left hand. "I knew but I didn't yeah know?" He looked at Nick as he pushed bangs back. "Like... he acted all funny round me compared to you. I kept thinkin maybe he had a crush on you and yeah were gonna stay here and shit when you were done with me."

Well that was a surprise. "Because we fought?" Nick said slowly, still watching for that tell. "I mean... you treated me the same way for a year." No tell, no bull, Ellis was telling the truth. The idiot really did think the kid had a crush on Nick, and that Nick was going to- "You idiot." Nick couldn't help but grin. Stupid shit like this was something he needed... something that would keep him from thinking about the horror that was this day. Nick slowly stepped closer before grabbing the other by his shirt. "You're such a fucking idiot."

"Hey!" Ellis's protest was silenced as Nick kissed him. He kissed back his hands going to Nick's shoulders. Nick broke the kiss slowly so that he could plant small kisses along his jaw. "I hated him, and he hated me, all over the same reason." Nick murmured as his fingers slowly danced under Ellis's shirt, pulling it up under his pants. "W-what?" Ellis blushed as he pushed to the touches. "You."

Ellis gasped as Nick kissed him again, pulling him hard against his chest.

In the backyard a gun shot echoed.

End of Chapter 12.

A.N.

Next chapter will start a new fun story line.

Ain't that great?

Good night for now 3 ~Citizen Kaine's Live Gaming.