Chapter Twenty

Jace's POV

You know that feeling of being betrayed by the one you truly trust with all your being? When someone makes a promise to you and they break it? That's how I'm feeling at this very moment. The moment I had heard Tyler tell the others what was going on my blood froze in my veins and my heart skipped a few beats. She had promised to take care of both Jasper and I, but look what she ended up doing. She tried to kill herself in her dorm bathroom. How wrong can that get? It's she suppose to take care of us? What about her brother's? Was she really going to leave us behind.

Why the hell am I getting angry for anyway? I didn't care what she did…Did I? I mean, she took care of Jasper and I. And tried to give us the love we need to survive this un-dead world. Ugh, what has she done to me? I looked around me to see the other just lost in their thoughts and I couldn't stand here and wait for her to get better. I needed some air and I wasn't going to get it in this crowded hallway.

I willed my body to move past her friends and the room door, where she was in unconscious. "Where are you going?" Tyler said looking at me with worried eyes.

I looked back with a blank expression "Air," was all I said and continued my walk speeding up my pace not wanting to be here another minute. I went back from where we had come from trying to get away from them. I wanted time to think…think about why I was feeling like this. Like I cared about what happens to her. She did kill my father, but she also took me in. Ugh, why? Why is this happening? I tried so hard not to get attached to her, but my inner Pandora box has opened up when I heard she tried to kill herself. My emotions and feelings where unleashed crushing my young mind with its taunting telling me I was being selfish the whole time. For not appreciating everything she had done and sacrificed for us.

The moment I stepped out into the open, I took a deep breath filling my lungs with air and excelling the air back out. It had a hint of decaying flesh in it, but it wasn't strong enough to make my gag just enough to make me wrinkle my nose. I walked towards the forest that was just a couple of feet away from me. I knew I didn't have to feel scared about getting eaten, but there was a killer on the loose. Jeez, I've been up close and personal with the Walkers without being scared, but when it came to serial killers I was a little frighten…Oh, the irony.

The leaves crunched under my foot every time I stepped on them and the sound would echo around me making it have this weird creepy feeling. My thoughts went back to Kayla making me groan mentally. I couldn't stop my feelings and emotions that were released from that damn box inside my head. I loved her with a passion, but not romantically. No. I loved her like a mother just like Jasper. I stopped on my tracks tilting my head back to look up at the cloudless light blue sky with a few tree branches in the way, but it only made it that much beautiful.

"I'm so stubborn," I said at the sky not expecting a reply.

"You finally admitted to yourself," Jasper's voice come from behind me making me jump almost three feet in the air.

I turned around to be met by his brown-green eyes "You scared the hell out of me," I told him and turned back around continuing my walk.

Jasper fell into step with me not saying anything for a very long time. The silence and the fresh scent of the campus forest filled us with a nice feel, if you ignore the decaying, rotting flesh of the Walker's. I knew Jasper was older than me, but he still looked young for his age. He looked like he was around eleven or twelve instead of being thirteen.

"How you feeling?" he asked me breaking the silence and making me look at him from the corner of my eye. He looked grim and depressed. It was obvious what the cause of it was, but he was wise for someone as young as him. That much I could tell, but nothing else other than the love he had for Kayla and being able to read people very well.

I sighed deeply and looked back in front of me "I feel angry about it," I answered him not having to explain what I meant, because he knew exactly what I was taking about. He knew without me having to tell him.

His chuckle echoed around us like a soft tone playing from a music box "You have to understand, Jace," he told me in a soft voice that I kind of knew as his wise voice.

I frown slightly "Understand what?" I asked him not understanding what he meant, because I was either being stubborn or just freaking slow.

"The reason why she did what she did," he said making me stop in my tracks. In the distance, I could the fence that was built to keep the Walker's out. It wasn't that far from where we stood just a couple of feet away, if I were to speed-walked I would probably reach it in three minutes.

I shook my head "She didn't have to try and kill herself. She made a promise to us, Jazz," I told him. I knew I was being stubborn, but I couldn't help it. She was going to leave us behind like we didn't matter to her. It wasn't fair. Who would have taken care of two young kids? Tyler and Dean would have had an emotional breakdown, because they would have lost another family member. Caleb and Sam would be a horrible mess, since they both love her. Ciara would be trying to comfort Tyler, while Mark would be sulking somewhere. I don't know about James though.

Jasper sigh "She did. How would you feel if you saw your father die in a vision, and then try to save him only to fail? She blames herself for his death, plus the stress of having killed two human beings didn't help either," he said in his wise voice. How can he be so calm, when it was obvious that what she had done had hurt him to? Man, his good at getting me to think about things.

I frowned again "What's your point?" I asked him my voice sounding weak.

Jasper was silent for a moment looking up at the sky, and then back at me his brown-green eyes seem to blaze with understanding and determination. "Everything that had happened to her came rushing into her unstable mind making her snap, which ended up with her trying to kill herself in the process. She has killed many people for seven to eight months, plus she killed two humans. And now, the murder of her father, she couldn't take it," he explain to me. I finally understood what that determination was about. He wasn't going to let her do it again, because he was going to be there for her. I knew that everyone was going to be there for her until the very end. And I'd be damned if I was in the picture.

I remembered the conversation Jasper and I had on the bus "Remember that question you had asked me in the bus?" I asked him looking at him straight in his eyes. Shock crossed his features, but it was soon replaced by understanding again.

"What will you do know?" he asked me the question again knowing I had the answer he already knew, but wanting to hear it coming from my mouth.

I straighten myself "I'm going to be there for her. No more running away from my feelings like a coward. I'm going to face them and embrace them. I love her like a mother," I told him and a smile spread on his lips brightening his features. I loved her as a mother, but that didn't mean I was going to call her 'mom' and Jasper knew that.

His eye shined brightly "About time," was all he said with a huge smile on his face clearly pleased with my answer. I was going to say something, but a loud cling sound echoed towards us from the fence up ahead. Jasper and I looked at each for a moment before following the cling sound. It sounded like someone was cutting the fence. Jasper and I speed-walked towards the fence wanting to find out who was dumb enough to try and kill her. If those things outside came in here, we be dead. We slowed down to a walk, when we neared the fence hiding behind a regular size bush that gave us a good view of the fence.

There standing in front of the fence was a man clipping at the fence with some kind of tool. From this distance, I could see he was actually making an entrance. It was as if he didn't know of the things that were out there waiting for entrance and end all our lives.

I didn't think I just reacted to the fear of having the Walkers in this haven that we were in "What the hell do you think you are doing?" I said jumping out from the bush Jasper and I were hiding in. The man turned around faster than I had thought and felt some kind of pain in my chest. I stared wide-eyed at the man to notice he was holding a gun in his trembling hand. I fell to my knees trying to breath, but the air wouldn't reach my lungs.

"Jace," I faintly heard Jasper call my name. It sounded so far away almost tunnel-like far away. I could hardly feel being held in someone's arms rocking me back and forth. I didn't know my eyes were closed until I heard Jasper's voice "Jace, open your eyes," Jasper whimpered.

It took effort, but I managed to slightly open my eyes to look at him. Jasper was holding me in his lap crying silently. I open my mouth to say, but I ended up choking and tasting my own blood in my mouth. It was metallic and slightly salty in my tongue. I could feel myself leaving and my heart slowing its pace. I closed my eyes to what would be the end of me in a world filled with the undead.

Kayla's POV

The coldness surrounded me with all the darkness around me. It bathes my body with its cold touch filling my mind and my very core. Images of what I almost did came rushing back to me filling me with guilt and regret knowing that I was going to leave behind the people I cared about. My precious brothers and those sweet boys I promised to protect. A promise I almost broke with my recklessness and one I will keep this time around. Ciara and Caleb, their smiling face filled my thoughts. Sam, showing me his true smile for the first time that day when I had reached them, after leaving behind a whole bunch of Walkers hungering for my flesh. The memories of my families and friends filled my mind and my heart warming me.

"Mom, wake up, please," the desperate voice of Jasper filled my mind. I tried opening my eyes to ease his desperation, but my body was weak from the blood loss. I tried again and with some effort I finally managed to eyes my eyes. My sight was blurry, but with eyes blink I took it went away to see the tear stain face of Jasper.

I bolted up right "What's the matter?" I asked him, but he didn't have to tell me something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones that something or someone I cared about was dead.

Jasper jumped in my arms wrapping his arms around my midsection "Mom, Jace was…" his cries muffling his words. I held him close to my body as I possibly could without taking out the needle in my arm that I had just noticed lead to a blood bag. I had the need to look to my right, but as I did my blood ran cold. There, in the bed next to mine, laid the lifeless body of Jace. The boy I promised his father I would protect that I was take him with me to this place and protect him, but here he was now his skin deathly pale and his lips deathly blue with his eyes closed.

I screamed making Jasper jump away from me in time, because I had jumped out of the bed I was on and the IV fell from the pull. I lunched myself at the bed taking Jace lifeless body into my arms cradling him as if he were a baby. He was just a boy barely twelve year old. Who could have done this to him?

"It was a man," Jasper said standing next to me. My arm that had the needle was hurting from the sudden pull, but I just ripped the thing right out of my arm not caring if I spilled a little of my blood. I already wanted blood. I wanted the blood of the person that murdered my father and that now murdered Jace, who was like a son to me like Jasper is.

I looked at Jasper "Tell me who this man was," I sneered making Jasper flinch slightly, but he looked at me with the same loathing I was feeling for that man.

Jasper looked at Jace face "We were in the woods talking about what he was going to do. He had finally had an answer. We heard something on the fence and it turns out if was a man cutting the fence making an entrance for the Walkers. I guess Jace just reacted and confronted the man without thinking, but we didn't know. We didn't know he had a gun with him. He shot Jace in the chest," Jasper said clenching his fist.

"There was so much blood coming from his chest. I didn't know what to do. He died in my arms and I just cried. I carried him back and the nurse took out the bullet from his chest and here he is now," he whispered the last part looking in so much pain and sorrow that it broke my heart. Just then my grandma's voice echoed in my mind, you can bring you father back to life, but you only have one chance. Her warning rang clear in my thought, as if she was a part of them.

The door opened "What was the scream?" Tyler asked entering the room with a menacing aura around him ready for a fight. He looked around the room before his eyes landed on mine. He looked at me with just care and fear that it almost tore my soul to know that I had caused him that fear. The fear of losing another loved one.

I felt my lips tremble "I'm sorry, Ty," I whimpered holding Jace body closer to mine.

His eyes soften "I know," he said gently. "Guys, get in here," he called and the others just started to come in one-by-one. Dean came in first followed by Caleb, Ciara, Sam, Mark, and James. They were my family and my friends.

Ciara smiled brightly "You're awake," she said.

I gave her a small smile "Yeah," I said.

Jasper grasp my arm making me look at him "What are you going to do?" he asked me in a serious tone of voice. How is it that he always knew when I was going to do something? He impresses me more and more.

I looked deep into his brown-green eyes "I'm going to chose," I told him.

"Chose? Chose, what?" Tyler asked.

I looked at every single face in the room "I'm going to chose which one to bring back from the dead," I told them and laid Jace body back on the bed. I heard the gasp in our group.

"Is it possible?" Dean asked taking a step towards me.

I locked eyes with him "Granny said I could do it, but I only have one chance. One try to bring only one of them back from the dead, but which one I don't know," I confessed looking back to Jace, so young so full of life. I thought of my father, how he gave us all what we wanted to have us happy and all the things he had seen. His life was already done to raise all three of us and he did a pretty great job at it. I mean, look how Dean, Tyler and I turned out? But, Jace is a different story. He just started living life smiling and having fun even if I was the one to kill his father. He was just a boy trying to survive. He hasn't even seen anything yet.

I loved them both, but I could only bring one. How? I don't know, but when the moment comes I will. Dad had seen everything and raised three children. Jace had barely even seen the world. I knew my choice was done. I had already choice and if I couldn't have him I knew that he would always be in my heart and watching us from above.

I stared at Jace's lifeless body and willed my powers to come to me to fill me with its warmth and care. I placed one of my hands over his heart and the other one on his head concentrating on sending part of my life inside of him. I knew I was shortening my life span, but I was taking a risk to bring him back. His body was engulfed in my glow in my life. I dug my fingers into his chest sending wave after wave of tiny sparks through my finger tips to start his heart.

Jace heart was still no beat there was only silence. The sweat started to fall into my eyes blinding me, but I paid it no mind. Jace was what mattered. He had to be brought back. I was started to lose hope that my abilities were far too weak to bring him back from the dead, but then I felt it a pulse and his heart beating against my fingers hard and strong. I smiled and concentrated on closing the chest wound the fatal wound that had taken his life.

Jace eyes snapped open and he took a breath that causes him to cough. I slowly started to pull back not wanting to mess up what I had done. The glow that engulfed his body started to dim as if his body was absorbing it, but I knew that his body was absorbing my life span the life that I had given him back by sacrificing a part of my life. When his body had absorbed the glow, I took back my hands and stumbled backwards into arms that I knew so well.

Tyler wrapped his arms around me keeping me steady "Are you out of your mind?" he said picking me and placing me back on the bed. I could have protested, but I need rest after that little exchange. My soul needed to rest to get accustom to what had just happened.

I smile lightly "I did it," I whispered tiredly.

Tyler looked at me with a soft expression "You did, but came with a cost," he whispered back and kissed my forehead. "Sleep, Sky," was the last thing I heard when I lost the battle and let sleep take over me.

Jasper's POV

She did it! She brought Jace from the dead. I didn't know I was possible, but she did though it came with a cost. I could tell it cost her greatly by the ghostly pale skin she now had and that glow carried something far more important than just blood. It carried her life. She had given part of her life shortening her life span by probably half a decade. I stared at Jace. His breaths were even looking around himself taking everything in.

"Jace," I said his name softly afraid that I was just hallucinating. I mean, having him die in my arms was bad enough. It was a horrible experience feeling helpless, while holding your dying brother.

Jace looked at me "I saw him," he told him softly.

"Saw who?" Ciara asked him.

Jace looked at all of us a smile on his face "My dad. He told me it wasn't my time. She brought me back didn't she?" he said directing that question to all of us.

We all nodded. We were all shocked, mesmerized even, that she had brought someone back from the dead and their not even a Walker. Jace turned to look at a sleeping Kayla with a concern look on his face.

"He also told me that we are going to be attacked and she's going to be taken," he said.

Dean and Tyler looked at him with narrowed eyes "Taken by whom?" they asked at the same time.

Jace shook his head "He didn't tell me, but we have to be ready," he said.

"It because of him isn't it? He cut the fence and made a free-pass to those Walkers," I sneered thinking back to the man that had shot him in the chest had caused him his death. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one that killed Lance. I tensed at the thought of that. What if he was the killer? I mean, he did have a gun on him and is crazy enough to cut the fence to let those things in and eat us.

Tyler nodded "We'll keep watch, but we can't go alone. If there are going to be Walkers roaming around soon, we need to be in teams," he said.

Caleb nodded "Yeah, groups of three for now. Kayla is still out cold, so we got no choice," he said.

James frowned "Jace can't go out yet. Kayla just brought him back. He needs to rest," he said.

Ciara nodded in agreement "Groups of two is better," she said.

I frowned "But then I wouldn't be able to go," I said standing up.

Tyler grasped my shoulder "You won't come, Jazz. If anything happened to you Kayla would have my head and would go crazy. You know how she reacted to Jace and we can't have that," he said.

I sigh. He was right. If I get hurt, Kayla won't have a straight head. She won't be able to concentrate long enough to save anyone. We need her. She's our leader and without her leadership we would be dead. I just hope that when the attack happens, Sky would be awake and ready to fight the undead and try to save as many lives as possible. After that, we are going to have to think of some where else to go, but that thought will be for later for now we just need to survive this madness.