A/N: Not really any Ellis in this oneshot, sorry to anyone who was looking forward to that. Hope you enjoy anyway C:
Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead. It belongs to Valve.
Track #3: Well On Your Way
God, how long had it been? How long since the sudden spread of the Infection? How long since they'd been brought to safety—to that fleet of military cargo ships that functioned as some sort of half-shelter half-prison? How long since he'd seen humanity? How long since he'd run away from his ex-wife and son the moment things seemed to get just a little too difficult?
It felt like an eternity.
Well I have kissed the stars and the police cars
And that little voice I choose to accept
And now I have turned around
And I have walked away
Nick wondered if Andrea and Ben were still alive out there somewhere. Were they even thinking about him? At all? He laughed slightly. They probably thought he was dead. Probably thought he was a goddamn zombie—walking but long gone. The four of them had gone through so much and almost lost their sanity trying to get out of that hell. But they made it. Shit, if Andrea saw him, standing, still alive… she'd probably be crying. Yeah, he could see that. Happy or sad or angry, she loved to cry.
Now I have kissed the ground
And I've been forced to run
And I've been limited
Thinking away
The grin that had developed on the gambler's face slowly faded as the rays of a midday sun blinded him, making him grimace and squint. Survivors were being led off the ship in rows, the fleet having finally been given permission to let the Infection-free people off onto safe land. They were somewhere on the west coast of Oregon. That was all the CEDA members on the ship had revealed. Vaguely, he remembered them saying something about family members being informed of their arrival, but he hadn't found that important. No one—definitely not Andrea and Ben—would be coming to see him.
He stepped onto the dock in a pair of sneaker's that weren't his, other attire including a pair of worn-out jeans and a black long-sleeve sweater. His three companions—Ellis, Rochelle, and Coach—were right behind him. Luckily they hadn't been separated in the chaos. It was strange, really, that they'd stayed together for so long. They seemed to follow Nick if he walked off despite his selfish attitude, and when they didn't he'd end up following them. It was a weird, unspoken bond. They weren't friends. Not family, either. But there was something that kept them together—like all the shit they'd gone through had brought them closer to each other than any words or actions could.
And yet within seconds of finding solid ground, they were off, looking for loved ones, assuming that they all had someone to look for. But Nick was alone. He stood there, looking blank and misplaced in the groups of laughing people walking hand-in-hand around him.
The conman sighed, looking up into the cloudless sky as if he'd find the answer to what he should do somewhere up in the heavens. Should he just stand there? Wait for the other three to come back and listen to the ramblings of relatives that he didn't have? Or should he leave? Settle for being alone? He shook his head and reached a hand into the pocket of his jeans. He did what he always did when faced with a conflict.
He smoked.
The cigarette—the last one from the pack that CEDA had provided him—hung from his lips as he took out a lighter. He flicked it a couple times, but there was no spark. A sigh of frustration escaped through his parted lips, and without even thinking he bit down on the cigarette. He cursed at himself and spat the substance onto the pavement, the lighter following suite. Now there really was nothing.
Shit, he could feel it. The tears building up. He ground his teeth and placed a palm over his eyes to stifle them. He'd come all this way, and for what? For life to spit in his face? For the world to tell him that karma was back to bite him in the ass harder than it had during that goddamn apocalypse? For reality to finally come crashing down? His jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching his teeth.
If only he could see Andrea and Ben. Just once. Just once…
"Daddy!"
Holy shit, what?
Nick removed his hand from his face to turn and look at the source of the voice, but before he'd even managed to glance down, something wrapped itself around his leg. The only thing he could see when he finally tipped his head downwards was combed, inch-long auburn hair with some stray strands that threatened to make the styled do a tousled mess. And when that kid looked up to meet his gaze, his heart melted away.
The biggest brightest smile he'd ever seen played on the boy's lips, one of his front teeth missing, making that grin so much more innocent and happy. And those eyes… oh those eyes. They were the exact same shade of green-gold as his own.
"Ben… Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me," Nick breathed, bending down to hug his son despite his angry words. Ben hugged him just as eagerly, trying to squeeze him to death with his little arms. God, how he'd missed that. Those simple little gestures of affection that only a child could give so freely and yet every single one was true. Every single gesture they made—whether it be a smile or a hug or giving you a piece of garbage shaped vaguely like a flower or a heart—was full of love.
"Hey! No swearing! You owe me a dollar!" Ben whined. He moved away from his father and held his hand out palm up, sticking his lower lip out in a pout. Nick laughed.
"You got me, kid," he grinned. The conman stood to get the hand-me-down wallet from his pocket. Before he could, though, he saw her.
Andrea.
She stood about ten feet away, arms crossed over her dark green blouse, just watching them… then her hand came up to wipe her face.
Jesus Christ, she was actually crying. Again. All the time. Nick felt his feet trying to move away. Run away like he did before because he just didn't want to deal with the crying. Didn't know how to deal with it. But he felt Ben tugging at his pant leg, keeping his from running. Anchoring his resolve.
And I have turned around
And I have learned to face
Every day
Nick walked towards her, Ben still gripping his leg as he moved. She seemed surprised by this because she blinked and looked away. Her strawberry blonde hair obscured her face. Even with that guard he could see the redness of her eyes. The conman shook his head and reached out to her once he was close enough, two fingers resting under her chin. He pushed her face up, forcing her to gaze at him.
She looked so… broken. Just like she had when he'd left. Ruffled hair, chestnut brown eyes surrounded by obscuring tears, biting her lip to hold back her sobs. He smiled just a little. It was so…
Familiar.
"Andrea." The name rolled off his tongue as though he'd said it just yesterday. She flinched slightly against his touch. "What's wrong?" In that moment, Andrea stopped biting her lip. But she didn't frown. She didn't sob. She didn't scream or get angry. None of those. Through her swollen eyes and running tears, she smiled.
"Y-Your suit is gone."
He laughed at her sarcasm, moving closer and embracing her as she finally let out a few sobs. "Two years, Nick," she cried, "it's been two years since you left…"
"Two years…?" Nick sighed into her hair, left arm falling away from her to put a gentle hand on Ben's back.
"It felt like more."
A few minutes later they were joined by Ellis, the notorious Keith in tow. Rochelle followed with who looked like her sister. Then there was Coach, a howling football team surrounding him to the point of suffocation. And they talked, and they laughed, and they shared… as if none of that shit had happened. As if they'd always been like this. Always been family.
How long had it been since Nick had been saved? How long since he'd felt free? How long since he didn't know what feeling alone felt like?
It felt like an eternity.
Well you know that you're well on your way
At this point it's safe to say hey hey
You're well on your way
A/N: Guuuh. Honestly I don't really like how this turned out. I feel like I made Nick out of character. Sorry if it seems that way x-x
The reason I made 'Andrea' cry a lot is because one of Nick's lines when a Witch is nearby is "I think I hear my ex-wife...", implying, well, that she cries a lot. Haha.
Despite the oneshots being totally unrelated/in an alternate universe (Wait, did I mention that before? Er...), Andrea will be making an appearance in the next chapter. Blame the next song. If you listen to it, you'll understand. Hopefully. xD
Track #4: Ten Feet Tall