Hi! Yes, I'm still alive. Please don't kill me! My boyfriend and I moved in together, there was a con and then school started again so I went back to work, but this chapter is finally here.


Zed pulled up to Addison's house and parked in her usual spot in the driveway. They walked up to the house. When Addison brushed imaginary lint from her skirt from the umpteenth time in the last five minutes, Zed's fingers found hers and pulled the girl closer. The gesture earned him a nervous yet genuine smile. She rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds.

"Ready?" Zed asked once they stood in front of the door."

Addison tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry.

"Ready as can be."

Zed squeezed Addison's hand tightly and opened the door. Always the gentleman, he stood aside to let her in first, following closely behind her. He almost bumped into her when she stopped in her tracks. Her face was completely blank as she stared ahead. Zed was glad for the wall keeping them hidden from the noise and people obviously gathered in the other room.

"Addie?" Zed whispered in her ear, placing his hands on her hips.
"I'm okay. I'm just so pissed at my mom. Who knows what she's going to come up with next?"
"Hey, we're fine. She didn't break us up." Zed rubbed a hand up and down her arm in a soothing manner.

Addison whirled around to face him. She bit down on her lip.

"But what if she had?"
"I like to think we would have found our way back to each other."

Zed's smile loosened the knot in her chest. It was a comforting thought; that no matter what, they would always belong together. They were mated. Fate might have ensured their paths cross but at the end of the day, they chose each other. Addison raised herself to her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss on Zed's lips.

"You're right. And whatever she says, you're my mate."

Zed growled. A low and seductive sound that promised sinful things to come. He wondered if hearing her use that term would ever stop awaking this primal desire in him. He hoped not. Addison's body shivered against him, telling him just how his zombie side affected her. Zed wanted nothing more than to whisk her away to bed, but they had obligations to fulfill.

"Later." His word was a promise she would make sure he'd keep. "Don't worry, I can handle whatever your mother throws at us."
"It doesn't mean you should."
"Nothing I haven't heard before, Addie. Anyways, I'm here to be your buffer remember?"

Addison snorted. That Tuesday in class seemed so far away now. Things were different now. She didn't want to endure her family's nit-picking, but she didn't want Zed to be subjected to it either.

"Zed…"
"You say the word and we're leaving."
"Only if you promise to tell me if you need to leave too."
"We're doing this together," he assured her.
"Alright, let's go before they find us hiding here."

Addison dropped their coats on the hooks by the door. Her mother was sure to complain—they were there for aesthetic purposes rather than functionality—but she couldn't bring herself to care. If things turned out worse than she expected, she wanted them to be able to make a quick exit.

They stepped into the living room where everything was fine. For about 20 seconds when people finally noticed their arrival. Addison tensed, her hand automatically reaching for Zed's. He laced their fingers together, squeezing them gently in reassurance. He knew they made an odd couple. Even wearing high heels, he was easily towering over Addison. His grey skin and green hair contrasted with her creamy skin and white locks, the marked differences only highlighting the fact that he was a zombie. At least his clothes were comfortable, Zed thought. He had offered to wear a Seabrook approved pink on pink suit for the night, but Addison had vehemently refused. If they were going to do this, they wouldn't be hiding. He was wearing a dark green suit whose fabric seemed to shine under the lights. Even if his appearance had left any doubt about what he was, the patches, lapels, and accessories screamed zombie fashion.

The sudden silence had brought more people from the kitchen, Addison's parents amongst them. Despite expecting such a reaction, Addison couldn't help being hurt when her mother visibly sighed and shook her head in disappointment. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes.

Dale sent a disbelieving look at his wife before walking to the couple. His arms wrapped around his only child, holding her tighter than usual. Couldn't Missy see the way Addison glowed around Zed? He released his daughter to turn to her boyfriend—well his son-in-law really after last night. The young man was holding out his hand for a polite handshake, but Dale ignored him, pulling him in a quick manly hug. The grateful looks on both their faces more than made up for the audible gasp behind him.

"I'm glad to see you two, but didn't we say 5?" Dale's voice was playful and held no annoyance.
"Thanks, dad! It's a long story," Addison sighed. Zed stiffened by her side. "I'll fill you in later, alright?"

Dale studied both of them. He hadn't been appointed Chief of Z-Patrol for nothing; there was something there, more than just a long story. In fact, were he a gambler, he'd have said it was quite a short story. Still, he decided to leave well enough alone.

"Come on, let's get this over with." Addison finally said.

She made her way through the living room to her mother, leaving Zed and Dale to follow behind while ignoring the rest of her family. She could only deal with one of them at a time.

"Merry Christmas, mom."
"Merry Christmas, dear." Missy looked over her daughter's shoulder with a frozen smile. "Zed, what a surprise! I didn't think we'd see you tonight."

Zed translated that as "What the hell? Why didn't you do what I ordered you to do?" It was strangely satisfying.

"Anything to make Addison happy, you know," he said, using her own words against her. "Anyways, Merry Christmas, Mayor Wells."
"I suppose so. Merry Christmas, Zed."
"Why thank you! This is a lovely party, by the way."

Missy hummed but didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to Addison and started pulling at invisible lint on her sleeve.

"Stop it, mom!" Addison hissed, pushing her hand away.

Mother and daughter stared at each other until a shrieky voice came from the kitchen doorway.

"Addison, darling!"

Addison winced, recognizing her aunt's voice; bracing herself just in time to be wrapped up in an awkward hug. She patted her aunt on the back before extricating herself from her hold. She took a step back, but the older woman followed, her hand fussing with Addison's hair.

"It's good to see you. But that hair, darling. Such a horrendous colour."
"I quite like it actually, Aunt Margaret."
"Well, there's no account for taste, I supposed," the woman said with pursed lips.

Zed took a step forward with a glare, his chest hitting Addison's back as he loomed protectively over her. A quiet growl rose in his throat, but Addie's hand closed around his wrist, calm washing over him at her warm touch. Still, he looped his left arm around her waist, purposely letting his Z-band peek out of his sleeve. Addison's aunt looked down at his arm before finally deigning to make eye contact with him.

"Aunt Margaret, this is my boyfriend, Zed."
"Oh!"
"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Zed extended his hand out for the woman to shake.
"Yes…" She didn't take his hand, watching him with disdain. "Addison dear, I thought you and Warner had patched things up."
"Margaret!" Dale blurted, his eyes widening at his sister-in-law.
"Rude." Zed whispered in Addison's ear, making her snort.

Addison's mother and aunt glanced at her, and she hid her smile behind her hand. With Zed at her back, a solid and loving rock, Addison didn't feel as small as usual.

"Oh no, Aunt Margaret! Warner is old news. Who gave you such a ludicrous idea?"

Her aunt's eyes betrayed her as she chanced a glimpse at her sister. Addison had to pinch her lips to keep in her laughter. Her family not only prided themselves on being perfect but on knowing everything. If you asked her, it just meant they were gossips. Margaret's fingers started tapping the side of her glass, a clear sign of the sting her words had caused. Addison excused herself Zed to grab a drink. The kitchen was blissfully empty, and Addison leaned on the counter, her hands covering her face. Zed walked to her, standing toe to toe with her. One hand came to rest on the counter while the other one pulled Addison's own hands away from her face. She looked up at him, her face discomfited. Zed tucked a snowy curl behind her ear.

"It's okay, Addie," he promised, resting his forehead against hers.
"I can't believe she just said that to your face."

Addison shook her head.

"I was expecting worse."

The matter-of-fact way the words were spoken made Addison want to break stuff or maybe set something of fire—which probably wasn't the best idea with a zombie around. Instead, she lost herself in Zed for a minute: taking in his scent, one hand settling over the hidden bite mark on his skin while the other played with the small hair at the nape of his neck. Zed stood still, enjoying the way his presence lightened her worries. At peace in their own little bubble, neither of them heard the footsteps entering the kitchen.

"Get off my granddaughter, bitter!"

The screaming startled both of them. The words didn't properly register in Zed's brain, his instincts taking over as his zombie perceived a threat against his mate. He felt the blood rush through his head and knew without a doubt that the first hints of the change were becoming apparent.

"Shit!"

Before Addison knew it, she'd pushed Zed off of her and placed herself between him and her grandfather. Her grandfather who somehow got his hands on a knife.

"Grandpa, stop!"
"Addison, that's a zombie! Get away from him"
"What? No! Put that knife down!"

Behind her, Zed growled. Addison whirled around. She grabbed Zed's face in her hands, locking her eyes with his. Fear was evident in them, but she knew it wasn't for his own safety.

"Addison!" her grandfather barked.
"Not now."

She didn't bother looking at him, her sole focus was on Zed. She tugged at his hand, bringing it to her neck, pushing the tip of his fingers past the collar of her dress to press against her mark.

"He's not going to hurt me and I'm not going to let him hurt you. Everything is fine!"
"Addiska."

Zed's eyes were clearing up and Addison breathed out in relief. With that taken care of, she faced her grandfather who was still standing right inside the doorway. She took a split second to thank every deity she could think of, that the commotion hadn't attracted more family members. Her grandfather seemed far enough not to have noticed the signs of Zed's little outburst, simply panicking over him being a zombie. Squeezing her boyfriend's hand before moving away from him, she slowly approached the old man.

"Grandpa, I need you to give me the knife."
"Addison, there's a rogue zombie."
"No there's not."
"You can't tell me that's not a zombie behind you," he argued, waving the knife around.
"He is a zombie. But he's not rogue."
"It's in the kitchen."
"He's my boyfriend."
"What?"

Her grandfather lowered the knife, and Addison jumped on the opportunity to take the knife away from his limp grip. Instead of dropping it back on the table, she carefully placed it at the bottom of the sink. Her boyfriend seemed to be back to normal, so she pulled Zed by the hand, returning to her grandfather.

"Grandpa, this is Zed. He's my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you, sir." Zed held his hand out.
"MISSY!"

Zed winced, taking a step back and Addison rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, the scream had alerted both of her parents who ran into the kitchen.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Missy asked, sending an icy stare to her daughter.
"Addison is delusional. There's a zombie in your kitchen … and she thinks it's her boyfriend."
"Da —"
"Zed is her boyfriend," Dale interrupted his wife calmly.
"Boyfriend? But … zombies are dangerous," the old man sputtered.
"Yes, dad. I –," Missy started.
"Actually — " Zed objected, "the crime rate in Zombietown is practically 0. There's been a few instances of shoplifting, but most crime in our side of town has been committed by humans."
"How dare you —"
"As a matter of fact Missy, Zed is right. Zombietown's crime rate is even lower than Seabrook's."

Missy huffed at her husband interjection, obviously miffed about the way the conversation was going. Her father looked at his son-in-law in confusion before turning back to his granddaughter.

"A zombie bit off my ear, Addison."
"That was before the Z-bands grandpa. Nowadays, zombies are more likely to talk your ear off."

Her grandfather stared at her, and Addison felt all of five years old. She swallowed tightly and ducked her head, avoiding his gaze.

"Mark my words, child. One day, that thing is going to bite you."

That got a snort out of Zed, making Addison blush bright red. Dale rubbed the bridge of his nose, thankful he hadn't been drinking or he might have spit it out. His father-in-law wasn't wrong per say … but they were already past that point. Still, his wife's father seemed oblivious to their reactions as he kept ranting. Dale pulled at his tie knot and ushered the old man out of the kitchen. If they never talked about Zed biting his daughter again, it would still be too soon for his taste.

Addison was thankful her father was running interference, leading her mother and grandfather away from the both of them. She opened her mouth to apologize when the latter turned back to Addison and, as serious as can be, asked:

"What kind of name is Zed, anyway."

Addison froze, but Zed found the entire thing hilarious, hiding his face in her hair. The door hadn't completely closed before they both dissolved into laughter. Zed pressed a kiss to Addison's lips, their noses bumping clumsily.

"Grandpa is right, you know."

Zed groaned and Addison rolled her eyes.

"What kind of name is Zed anyway?" Bucky asked from where he leaned against the doorway.
"You're one to talk! I know what Bucky stands for, you idiot. You're literally Buchanan Buchanan the fourth," Addison chided her cousin.
"It's a proud family tradition … unlike some," he huffed, straightening his tie.
"My great-grandfather was named Zedekiah."

Addison looked up at her boyfriend. She hadn't known that. The man would have been born before the power plant incident took place. It was nice to learn that Zed still had those roots, that family history. She beamed at him happily, lacing her fingers through his when he smiled back nervously.

Bucky tut in disbelief. He may not have liked zombies, but even he had to admit that Addison and the guy were cute … disgustingly so, but cute nonetheless. He resisted the urge to stomp his feet. His cousin wasn't their family's image of perfection, yet everything always seemed to work out for her. If he himself hadn't been perfect, it might have been infuriating.

"Sure, whatever…"
"Did you need anything, Bucky?" Zed asked pointedly.
"You can't hide in the kitchen forever, you know." Bucky locked eyes with Addison. "Uncle Bryce and Aunt Helen are asking for you. You barely acknowledged any of us. How … rude of you."
"Fine ! We'll be out in a sec."
"Please make an effort to be presentable," Bucky demanded.

Addison wanted nothing more than to smack him over the head, but she refrained and took a deep breath instead. Family shouldn't be so terrifying. Zed squeezed her hand, his silent support filling her with the confidence needed to face the pack of wolves waiting in the living room.

AZAZAZ

Addison had introduced Zed to more family members. While cold, none of them had been outwardly nasty and he allowed himself to count it as a win. Especially since they were too busy glaring at him from afar to pay attention to Addison. She mingled with her relatives, making polite conversation and he stayed close, resting his hand on her waist or at the small of her back to remind her she wasn't alone this year.

Dinner was served in a dining room Zed didn't know existed. The table was set to impress, looking like it belonged on the cover of a magazine. The perfect gentleman, he pulled out Addison's chair for her. She smirked at him, and he just knew that if they hadn't been surrounded by her family she would have rolled her eyes at him. However, the gesture seemed to win him points from an aunt or two; both of them looking expectantly at their husbands.

Serving plates were set down on the table. Even in Seabrook, it turned a bit chaotic as people reached for the food. Having the advantage of long arms, Zed reached for the plates, offering it to Addison first before helping himself. They started eating and for about twenty minutes, Zed thought they might get through dinner unscathed. He was wrong.

"Addison, dear."
"Yes, aunt Margaret?"
"Mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes casserole."

Zed frowned. What could it possibly be to her what Addison ate? He looked around, but no one seemed to think anything of it.

"Yes?"

Addison's voice was small and uncertain. Zed hated it.

"Really, dear? Is that wise?"

Addison's cheek flushed with embarrassment, and she ducked her head. Under the table, Zed moved his hand to her knee. He felt her body tensed at his touch, her eyes stubbornly staring at her plate. Margaret didn't wait for Addison to answer, she continued.

"Lord knows why, but they're already overlooking this white atrocity … you don't want to give them an excuse to kick you off the team, now. I mean, your uniform was already tight at Thanksgiving."

Zed's mouth fell open. She couldn't be serious, could she? Addison looked positively delicious in her cheer uniform. He should know because he'd been distracted on numerous occasions by Addison in that sinfully fitted pink uniform. And if he had let himself fantasize about slowly peeling it off her body inch by inch… well that was no one's business but his own.

"Getting dumped is no reason for a young woman to let herself go, I always say," her aunt Helen added.

Addison winced and hunched her shoulders, putting down her fork on the side of her plate. Zed tightened his grip on his own fork, breathing in deeply. He ignored the roaring at the back of his mind, his zombie incensed that his mate would be treated this way. He was demanding bloodshed and while Zed did, in fact, feel like tearing every limb off her aunts' bodies, he knew better. He reached over to the breadbasket and picked out a dinner roll which he dropped on her plate.

"We've been working out a lot and I know for a fact that you need more carbs and more proteins."

Addison finally looked at him. Her eyes were shining with gratitude. And amusement; they both knew exactly what their latest workouts had entailed. Still she mostly felt lucky to have him on her side. Just because she knew her family was wrong about her appearance, about her weight, didn't mean that she wasn't self-conscious about it. She knew better than to obsess over it—college had done her some good—but it left a crack in her self-esteem, nonetheless. She managed a small smile for Zed and Addison could have sworn she saw him physically relax at the gesture. That's when she noticed the silence.

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Around the table, her family was staring at Zed. He didn't seem to register the scrutiny he was under; Zed's focus was solely on her. He didn't care about what any of them thought., he only cared about her well-being. Which was more than any of Addison's relatives could say. In the last twenty years of her life, no one had ever dared contradict her mother or her aunts when they scolded her.

Well, screw them, because she wasn't alone anymore; she had Zed: her boyfriend, her mate, someone who loved her for all she was, not for what she should be. Addison picked up her fork and went back to eating. As taken aback as they were, neither her mother nor her aunts said a word. They couldn't risk making a scene—even when it was family—but Addison knew there'd be a lecture in her near future.

Her mother's tight lips set the tone. Everyone followed suit and soon the sound of polite conversation and cutlery on plates filled the dining room. Tension was perceptible, so thick in the air that you could taste it. Yet good manners dictate that they'd disregard it; so ignore it they did.

Zed squeezed Addison's knee once more before turning back to his own plate. Throughout dinner, he kept an eye out for any relative looking even remotely the wrong way at his mate. He stared them down every time, relentless and unrepentant.

AZAZAZ

By the time they were done dinner, Zed was more than ready to grab Addison, walk out and never come back. But Addison hadn't said she wanted to leave yet, and he needed to trust that she'd tell him. Whether he liked it or not, all he could do for now was wait and stand up for her when he could.

They had settled back in the living room after eating and had been making small talk. Or listening to small talk, really. Zed was aware of how stiff he was, but Addison was nothing but graceful. She hummed and nodded in all the right places, keeping her relatives going without ever saying anything substantial herself. For a fleeting moment, Zed thought they might end the night without any more incidents.

He should have known better.

AZAZAZ

When the doorbell rang, Addison didn't think anything of it. While it was odd to have visitors on Christmas Eve, it wasn't entirely unheard of, and carollers weren't uncommon in Seabrook. She gladly escaped conversation with her father's cousin—a large man who talked just this side of too loudly and was obsessed with his lawn—and headed for the door. Her smile dropped as she took one look at the visitor, slamming the door shut. She secured the lock with a resounding thud.

She spun on her heels to find all eyes on her. Even Zed looked startled at her behaviour, raising an eyebrow at her in question. Addison fought a blush, paying no heed to him nor everybody else and walking back to the cousin to ask him about his grass.

The doorbell was heard again. Voices paused, most guests glancing at Addison who maintained an oblivious air before resuming their own conversations. A third ring echoed through the hushed exchanges, quickly followed by a fourth. Whoever was at the door was growing agitated.

Missy—visibly tired of waiting after her daughter—finally stood to open the door. Zed didn't miss the way Addison straightened in her chair, her back ramrod straight, tension in the usually soft line of her shoulders. He rested a hand on her shoulder, pleased when she minutely leaned into his touch. His inner zombie settled, Zed fixed his attention back on the mayor. His eyes narrowed at the man next to her.

Addison was resolutely ignoring the events unfolding at the door; she wouldn't give her mother the opportunity to complain about her making a scene, but she wouldn't welcome him either. She could barely hear anything over the sound of her blood rushing in her ears, but she carried on, trying to appear calm and composed. It wasn't until she felt Zed's touch that the fog cleared. The now familiar coolness of his skin seeped through the thin material of her dress, reminding her once more that she wasn't alone. She knew the exact moment Zed identified him, his fingers curling into her shoulder. His Z-band was pressed against her body and there was no denying the low buzz caused by a sudden influx of electromagnetic pulses. She brought her own hand up to cover his fingers. Zed's eyes instantly came back to her, studying her face. She cocked her head to the side, and he sighed. Addison knew he would stay calm and be the bigger man.

"Addison, darling!" Missy was all smiles as she walked towards them with her guest. "Look who's here. Isn't this a pleasant surprise?"
"Pleasant isn't the word I had in mind," Addison said, locking her eyes on her mother. She'd stood up, years of etiquette classes winning over her desire to ignore him.

The man sputtered but Missy placed a hand on his elbow.

"You are right, dear. This is a wonderful surprise. We're really glad to have you for dessert, Warner."

Zed clenched his teeth. Wonderful wasn't the word he'd use. Terrible horrible, awful … now those he could have gotten behind.

"Warner."

Zed acknowledged the other man's presence, not that Warner offered him the same courtesy. Instead, he sneered at him before turning to Addison with a slimy smile.

"Addison. You look —" Warner's eyes flickered to her hair. "Dazzling. Here those are for you."

He handed Addison a bouquet of pink roses. She had been so set on ignoring the man that she hadn't noticed the flowers before. The roses were beautiful, the perfect Seabrook shade of pink even in December. Three months ago, she would have swooned at his gift, craving every little morsel of attention. She wasn't the same girl anymore. Addison could tell this was a desperate attempt to get her back. She'd always thought she was the lucky one in their relationship when in reality he was the one who needed her, needed the standing that came with her parents.

"That's nice of you, Warner. But I'm more blood red than Seabrook pink these days."

Zed felt the warmth of pride and love in his chest. The tightening in his throat loosened when Addison rejected Warner's gift. At the back of his mind, his zombie purred happily. It was a good thing they'd mated the night before, because Zed didn't think he would have been able to hide his zombie bleeding out. Offering a gift to a zombie's potential in the middle of courtship was a big no-no. Chances were that Zed's zombie would have tried to lash out. His zombie didn't seem to mind now, finding the gift rather amusing now that he knew Addison felt the same way and that she was theirs. Hearing her quip about red did brighten his day, however, a subtle reminder that she chose a zombie over Warner.

"Addison!" Missy hissed. "Don't be rude."

Addison stared at Warner without blinking, not making a single movement to take the bouquet away from him. Warner shuffled his feet, looking from the mayor to Addison, uncertain of what to do next. Addison's mother finally took the roses away from him, mumbling something about putting them in water for her daughter. She left the three of them standing there in silence. Zed took a step closer to his mate, almost close enough for his chest to touch her back. Addison smiled at him softly over her shoulder, her fingers finding his own before interlacing them together. Warner made a sound of disgust.

"Can we help you?" Zed asked politely.
"This is it, Addison? This is what your fairytale looks like? I mean this is what every little girl dream of, isn't it? A girl and a corpse."

Zed bit down on his lips to keep himself from growling at Warner. He wouldn't let him reduce him to the growling zombie stereotype … no matter what his instincts screamed at him.

"Maybe there isn't any story with a girl and a zombie," Addison admitted, her voice perfectly steady, even though anger was flowing through her veins, "but there's plenty about cheerleaders and football stars. And you know what, this is exactly what my fairytale looks like. Zed loves me for who I am, and he cares about my happiness … which is more than I can say for you."
"He's a fucking zombie!"

Warner's frustration had gotten the best of him, his clipped tone easily heard over all the noise of the living room. His outburst caught everyone's attention. Looking like the cat that got the cream, Bucky edged closer, but his aunt had other plans. Missy shoved the bouquet in his chest, hurrying over the trio. She wasn't fast enough as Dale made his way through the room in a few brisk strides.

"Warner. We weren't expecting you. I'm not sure this is the right time or the right place. Maybe you should go home, son."

Addison's father spoke with a steel voice; his icy calm proving exactly why he'd been named the chief of Z-Patrol. His wife clicking heels showed up just as he finished talking.

"Nonsense, Dale. Warner is welcome to stay, of course. I'm the one who invited him."

Dale raised both eyebrows at his wife. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Things were worse than he had thought; his usually very sensible wife was behaving irrationally. He had to calm things down before they got out of hand.

"Let's not cause a scene then," Dale warned, staring Warner down.
"Nonsense! Warner is a perfectly well-mannered gentleman."

Zed didn't miss the implication behind her words, but decided to ignore it, clinging to Addison's fingers when she looked like she was going to interject something.

"Best behaviours all around," Zed promised.
"That's not saying much coming from someone like you," Warner huffed.
"I was not the one making a scene."

Warner took an aggressive step towards Zed, only to be halted by Dale's hand on his chest.

"Well-mannered gentleman indeed," Addison said with an eye roll.
"Really, Addison? This never happened before. This isn't Warner's fault," her mother chided her.
"You can't be saying it's Zed's fault!"
"Well, he's the only monster here."

Dale hid his eyes with his hand, narrowly keeping himself from throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. So much for getting things under control. The evening was about to get ugly.

"He is NOT a monster, mom. He's a zombie."
"Addison. There's no need for yelling."
"Yelling? You don't want me to actually yell, mother."
"This is what I mean. Look at your behaviour, Addison. He's changing you."

Both mother and daughter's voiced were getting louder. Relatives and guests were staring but neither of them seemed to notice. Margaret opened her mouth to speak but Dale's glare kept her mouth shut.

"And you think it's wrong."
"Of course it is!"
"Why? Because I'm not your little pawn anymore?"
"Don't be foolish, Addison! I just want you to have a great life."
"What about my happiness?"
"You're twenty; you don't know what you really want."
"Is that why you try to convince Zed to break up with me?"

The question took Missy aback. She glanced sideways at Zed; she had never considered the possibility he'd tell Addison. Maybe that had been a mistake. All the same, she refused to let it frazzle her.

"Is it so wrong for a mother to want to protect her only child?"
"You're not doing it for me; you're doing it for you. Because you can't handle not being Seabrook perfect."
"Now, that's unfair, young lady," Addison's grandfather intervened.
"Butt out, grandpa!" Addie replied, not bothering to look at him before she went back to her mother. "My entire life, this family has expected me to be perfect. Well, mom, I've decided I've had enough of that."
"I know it's been a hard few weeks, darling. There's no need for this teenage rebellion. Be serious for a minute, he's a zombie. You and Warner were the perfect couple."
"No, we weren't."
"Of course we were," Warner objected. "Everyone agrees. I can give you everything you could ever wish for."
"As long as I play the part of the little trophy wife?" Addison glowered at him.
"Ad—"
"I'm not interested." Addison turned to her mom. "We never were the perfect couple, we just looked like it."
"Addison, darling."
"Babe, come on."

Addison bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to throw so many things in his face, she really did; but with every word, she was boxing herself in a corner. She couldn't see any way to bring this argument to a peaceful ending. She chanced a look at Zed. He stood by her side, his presence a solid wall of comfort reminding her that she wasn't alone. Zed was there if she needed him, but this was her show. If she wanted to make a scene, he wouldn't blink, wouldn't scold her as if she were a small child, the way her mother and Warner always did.

"Don't call me babe. I always hated that."
"Alright," Warner said, a little miffed. "This doesn't mean we weren't great for each other."
"What do you like about me?"
"Really?"
"Well that answers that, doesn't it?"
"Come on Addison. You're loyal, nice, beautiful…"

"That's all you could come up with?" Addison scoffed at his uninspired answer. "But you're right, I am loyal … which is more than I can say about you."
"Addison…"
"Do I really want to ask how many girls you slept with while we were together?"
"They were mistakes, I promise."
"It doesn't matter anymore, Warner."
"You're absolutely right! We're moving on. I can forgive you too."
"Forgive me? What the hell for?"
"You lied about your hair. And you know…"

Warner jerked his chin in Zed's direction.

"Zed?"
"You broke up with me to date a zombie, Addison. That's all my fraternity has been talking about. My girl dating a brain eater. Do you know how humiliating that is?"
"Humiliating? Well, I got news for you. One. I didn't break up with you to date Zed. Those are unrelated events. Two. Not your girl. Three. I don't care about some frat boys."

Warner and Addison stared down at each other. After what seemed like hours but was probably seconds, Warner relented.

"Look Addison, I didn't come here for us to fight."
"Why are you here, Warner?" Addison sighed, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion.
"To apologize and I ask you something."

Zed snorted softly behind Addison. It was glaringly obvious that the jerk couldn't comprehend what an apology was.

"You could start by saying the words, Warner."

Addison put her hands on her hips. She was tired of fighting; she just wanted this night to end. She'd be the bigger man if she needed to.

"I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
"About that thing I wanted to ask…"

Warner patted his pockets awkwardly. Fishing something out of one of them, he looked at Addison with the most serious expression she had ever seen. Oh no, she thought as he went down on one knee.

"Addison Wells, will you marry me?"

"Are you completely insane!" Addison screamed.

Behind her, Zed's zombie was bleeding out. The skin around his eyes was darkening at a rapid pace while a low and steady growl was coming from his throat. His arms sneaked around Addison's waist, bringing her to his chest.

"Is that a no?" Warner asked.
"Of course that's a no! I'm never going to marry you!"
"Why not?" Warner got to his feet, positively fuming.
"Are you fucking serious?"
"But your mother said — "

Addison and her father both inhaled sharply. Dale grabbed the closest glass and downed the contents. What had Missy been thinking? She was in for the shock of her life. So much for breaking it down slowly to her. Addison caressed the soft skin of Zed's wrist, gently breaking out of his grasp to face her mother.

"What the hell did you say to Warner?"
"Well, I thought you'd come back to your senses by now. And the boy was supposed to break up with you."
"You thought I'd say yes to Warner's proposal because Zed left me."
"Addi—"
"Stop."
"No. You have to stop, Addison. You're jeopardizing your future. What will everyone think? And that zombie is undead. It's not like you two can have kids. It's biology. Do you really want to end up old and all alone?"

Both of them were yelling and people weren't even trying to pretend not to be listening anymore. Next to Missy, Warner was still snickering about the biology comment, making it hard for Addison to resist the urge to kick him again.

"This is my life, mom! I'm not you, I don't care what people think."
"A-"
"You're right, we don't know if we're biologically compatible; maybe we'll have kids and maybe we won't. One thing I do know is that I won't end up alone." She turned her head to glare at her ex-boyfriend with a syrupy smile. Words could wound too. "Oh and Warner? Let me tell you that figuring out if we're compatible that way … that's not a weekly chore. It's more like a daily reward."

Warner turned bright red, his expression distorted by a mask of anger.

"You're actually letting him fuck you!"
"I thought we went over that last night," Addison said dryly.
"Well, you're frigid and a prude so I didn't think you were actually doing it."
"He's just that much better at it than you."

Warner raised his hand to strike Addison, but he never made contact. Zed had moved between them, catching Warner's wrist in a vicious grip. He tried to escape, but Zed pressed down, making the other man whimper in pain. One look at her mate was enough for Addison to ascertain that he was completely zombied out. Gasps erupted around the room, but people seemed enthralled by the scene, like a car crash you just can't help but watch happen.

"My Addiska!" Zed roared.

"Dale! Do something." Missy snapped before turning to her daughter.

Her husband didn't as much as twitched, not that she noticed. He loved his wife, but she needed a good dose of reality.

"Look at him, Addison! He's dangerous! He's a monster!"
"He was protecting me!"
"He's out of control!"
"He's zombied out, but he's in control. Look at his Z-band. It's green!"
"Then it's malfunctioning. Get away from him. He'll hurt you."
"Zo!" Zed protested.

He'd never hurt his mate. Zed released Warner's wrist and pushed him away. He moved back behind Addison, wrapping himself around her.

"See we're fine! Even zombied out, he's never hurt me."
"It's happened before," Missy whispered at the realization.
"Yes. And I'm still fine," Addison pleaded with her mom.
"Dale, arrest him."
"Mom! NO!"
"Missy —"
"He's zombied out. Has been before around our daughter."
"Dad, don't!"

Addison eyes were filling up with tears. Zed hugged her close, glaring defiantly at her mother. He didn't care about what she thought, she wasn't taking his mate away. They'd have to pry him off of Addison. Dale took in Addison's heartbroken expression, Zed's rebellious demeanour and sighed.

"I can't, Missy."
"It's against all zombie regulations! And in any case, a malfunctioning Z-band is an automatic check-up in containment."
"It's not malfunctioning, Missy."
"What are you—No!"
"Missy, you need to calm down," Dale tried to reason with his wife.
"It can't be! It's assault!"

Missy was screeching, muttering unintelligibly. Guests were still gawking, but the general consensus was that they were safe … regardless of the zombied out zombie in the room.

"ENOUGH!" Addison yelled. "I love Zed, mom. I chose him. This was my decision."

She tried to step forward, but strong arms pulled her back.

"It's okay, Zed."
"Addiska."
"I'm just showing it to her, okay."

Zed reluctantly released her, and Addison moved forward. She pulled at the neckline of her dress.

"I'm his mate and he's mine."
"He bit you!"
"He did," Addison chuckled wetly. "I even asked him to do it."
"Dale! Do something!"
"Zombie regulations, Missy. They're mated. I can't arrest him if he zombied out to defend his mate."
"I can't believe it!"

Missy tried to grab Addison to pull her away, but Zed was quicker.

"You're not a zombie, Addison. We can fix this."
"There's nothing to fix, mom."
"You can't be with a zombie, I won't allow it."
"I'm twenty, mom. You can't disagree all you want, but you can't do anything about it."
"As long as you're living under my roof I can. I don't want him in this house. Period."
"Very well."

Addison's throat seemed impossibly tight, and her eyes itched with tears as she turned her back to her mother. She ignored her mother's screeching, ignored Bucky calling her name and her aunts crying. She tuned out all of it and walked upstairs.

Startled by Addison's sudden calm, it took a few beats for Zed to follow. By the time he'd made it to the last step, Addison was pulling two suitcases behind her. He took them without a word, his zombie strength handy at the moment. It took less than a minute, not enough for anyone to truly understand what was going on. As she put on her coat, Addison didn't dare to look back. She didn't want to see any of them. She was done with it all. She was too emotional; if she faced them, she might backtrack or she might make it worse.

"I'll be staying with the Necrodopolis until the end of break. You know where to find me."

Addison was proud of her steady tone, dissimulating her inner turmoil. Trusting Zed to follow with her things, she walked out of her childhood home before anyone could notice her shaking hands. Zed was right behind her, unlocking the car and throwing her suitcases on the back seat. She stood by her car, looking resolutely at her feet. He carefully placed a hand on her cheek, pulling her chin up to examine her. Addison didn't fight him. She stared at him with teary eyes. He was still her same old Zed, just not as much a zombie as he was mere minutes ago.

"Addie?" He didn't really know what he was asking her.
"Just take me home, Zed."
"I can do that."

He held her door open while she climbed in and drove them back to Zombietown, helpless as Addison cried the entire ride.


Ok so I actually thought about ending at the proposal, but I figured I'd made you guys wait long enough already.

I wrote almost half of this yesterday when I finally got some down time because I really wanted to post it soon. Edited it today but there's more than likely mistakes left anyway.

A lot happened in this chapter and I want to know what you thought? I really struggled with parts of it and having so many characters present at once. Please review and let me know how I did !