"M...attie...Mattie..."

Mattie was feeling unusually...light and warm. It was like being wrapped by the coziest sheets ever. He didn't know where he was, but he knew whose voice it was that called him.

"O-Oli?" he asked. He tried looking for Oli's face, but couldn't find the boy. Come to think of it, everything around him was white.

"Mattie, you're awake!"

It was Dash's voice this time. Mattie looked around, but he still couldn't see anyone. He was starting to feel scared and felt his chest pounding gently. He sobbed softly and tried wiping the few tears that started to fall. However, he couldn't move his arms.

"Dashu?" he pleaded. He needed his big brother right now.

"Mattie," Oli whispered. "We're here. We won't leave you."

Mattie looked to his right and was met by Oli's beautiful smile. The older boy's face seemed angelic. He felt his pounding heart relax a little as he returned Oli's smile with his own.

"You're not alone. I'm always with you," Dash said as he ran his fingers through Mattie's soft curls. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the little boy's forehead.

"Where...am I?" Mattie asked. And why can't he move his arms?

"Mattie, I have something for you," Oli said, guiding Mattie's face to look at him. "Close your eyes."

Mattie felt hesitant, but Oli's voice managed to soothe him completely. He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. Then, he felt something warm on his cheeks and something even warmer on his...lips.

The pounding in his heart came back, but it wasn't painful this time. It was overly relaxing and actually made him smile even as he was being kissed by Oli. He wanted to pull the older boy more into him, but he still can't move his arms. And, it dawned on him that he can't even move the lower half of his body.

Oli drew back from him and kissed his nose before finally smiling so sadly at him. He was starting to feel scared again, but before he could ask anything, Dash pulled him up into a tight embrace. He even felt his brother sob over his shoulder.

"Dashu?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Mattie...I...I..."

Just then, he heard loud footsteps nearby and the room around him began losing its colour – if white could actually become colourless. No. Instead, it turned into a different hue. Shadows crept up the walls and covered the ceiling. And the whole room looked as if it was caving in on him.

"You're not alone, Mattie. We won't leave you," It was Oli whispering into his ear.

Right when Dash held him tighter, he immediately knew that something was amiss. Oli's hand on his back felt cold. In fact, it was only then that he realized he wasn't wearing any shirt. Those bare hands on his flesh just made him shiver and flinch, but Dash's embrace refused to let him move.

"I...we love you so much," Dash whispered and kissed his cheek. That's when he felt certain that everything felt wrong around him. He knew Dash's kisses to be warm and gentle, but the last one on his cheek were cold and even...lustful.

"Oli? Dashu?" His voice was weak, but he knew he had to ask for his two big brothers.

The footsteps had stopped. He knew that that person was beside him. And he knew that Oli and Dash weren't even close to him. He felt cold all of sudden. And he knew exactly where he felt the coldest – down there.

"Hey buddy." He knew this voice, but didn't dare to put a name to it. He felt his chin held and lifted for him to look deep into clouded eyes.

~*~*~*~

"But Dad!"

"Oliver." Alex's voice was stern. "You and Dash will stay here until I say so."

"Mattie needs us!" Oli argued. He was defiantly standing in front of his dad in their living room. Dash was quietly seated on the couch behind him.

"He needs you to be here when we get him home," Alex told him. He was kneeling in front of his son, holding firmly on Oli's shoulders. He stared into Oli's eyes and briefly glanced toward Dash. "Oliver, please..."

Oli relaxed and looked at Dash. The boy had his head down and had been really quiet since Mattie went missing. He sighed and sat beside Dash, carefully placing his hand on the boy's shoulders.

"Dash..."

"I've called the police and they're already searching for Mattie," Alex said. Then, he sat on a chair facing the boys. "Oli, I need to speak with you. Alone."

Oli understood the urgency in his dad's words. And he knew exactly what his dad had in mind. "I'm not leaving Dash here."

"Very well," Alex said. He knew that Oli can't be easily convinced otherwise. "I needed to speak with Dash as well."

Oli moved closer to Dash as he grasped the boy's hand in his, but Dash didn't respond. Somehow, he knew that a `silent' Dash wasn't calm and collected. Instead, he felt the uneasiness and fear even from just the simple touch of their hands.

"I'm not trying to be a lawyer in front of you," began Alex. "I'm doing my best to be a father to both of you. Oliver, buddy, I know you're smart enough to understand the situation."

Oli nodded, but refused to mirror his dad's eyes.

"I know someone from the office that told me some very important things." Alex's gaze turned to Dash as he said, "Dash, I'm sorry if I have to be straightforward about this, but you need to trust me. My son clearly loves you so much and I want to be there for you, too."

Trust. Dash heard what Alex said. However, he didn't feel like giving anyone his trust again. He was even starting to doubt whether he did the right thing or not when he let Oli slip past those wired fences around him. What if he hadn't given Oli the chance to relive the friendship they once had? He wouldn't be here beside Oli and he wouldn't be having this talk. He would've been back at their house drying himself after taking a shower while Mattie was waiting for him on their bed, smiling at him and finally, hugging him as he sat beside the little boy.

"You're living with you uncle, aren't you?" Alex asked. "Your dad's brother."

Oli immediately glanced at his dad, his eyes looking worried and fearful.

"Yes," Dash whispered.

"You lost your parents when you were nine years old. Mattie was six."

"Dad," Oli interrupted. His dad clearly knew a lot of things.

Alex's eyes on Dash weren't unforgiving or even the least bit cold. He knew he had to be stern and not just beat `round the bush too much. He needed some answers. And no, he wasn't even trying to be a lawyer with his approach. In the court room, he was fiercer and so much more unforgiving. But with two fearful boys in front him, he knew that he had to tone down a bit. Still, he knew how to choose the words he said.

"What did they say to you," Alex said, his voice softer than before. "...about your parents?"

"Dad, please..."

"No, Oli. Let's hear what Dash has to say."

This was what Dash hated the most when talking to an adult. They only wanted to hear what he has to say. Straight down to business. They didn't even bother with how he felt, not that he would show any emotions to them in the first place.

"They died in an accident," Dash said flatly, seeing Oli's apologetic eyes on him.

Alex didn't respond. Frankly, he expected that answer. It wasn't easy to make a child trust anyone. The same thing even happened to most of his clients. When they weren't ready to tell their side of the story, they'd either lie or pretend to not know anything at all and just keep quiet. He sighed and stood up, patted Oli's shoulder and proceeded toward the kitchen. His wife was leaning against the doorway, listening in on their conversation earlier.

"Alex," Dianne said as she placed her hand on Alex's shoulder.

"It's okay, hun," Alex said, "he only needs to trust Oli...for now."

Dianne nodded and went to the two boys. Instead of sitting beside her son, she sat beside Dash and carefully placed her hand on his knee.

"Dash, sweetheart," she said, "I'm so sorry about Mattie. I shouldn't have let him play outside on his own."

Dash was far too upset to accept anyone's apology. He didn't need any of those. Even with Oli almost hugging him, he didn't feel comforted.

"Oli, why don't you go to your room and I'll just bring you something to eat later," she said.

So Oli led Dash to his room and sat both of them on his mattress. He never let go of Dash's hand and Dash didn't seem to mind nor did he return the tender squeeze every now and then.

"Dash?"

"Remember that time," began Dash, his eyes downcast. "...when you stayed by my side the whole day when Mattie ran a high fever...we were both trying to cheer him up."

"I...Dash..."

"Or when we chased those losers who tore Mattie's stuffed lion. Or even that time when we pooled all those treats we got from Halloween and gave it to him. Or...or..."

"I...I'm trying," Oli said.

"He needs us, Oli." Dash finally looked at Oli, albeit, fiercely.

"What do you think we should do?" Oli asked.

"We need to find him.

"But, we don't know where to look! And it'll be safer for you to stay here."

`Safer for me,' Dash thought. It wasn't always his safety that mattered to him. It was Mattie's. He didn't care how much he'd go through just to keep his little brother out of harm's way.

"If you won't help me..."

"NO, Dash! I want to help you, but we can't do anything right now. My dad's right, we should be here when Mattie gets home," Oli argued.

Home? Was this Dash and Mattie's home now? Oli made it sound like that. Still, Dash knew that he won't feel at home anywhere without Mattie by his side.

"If you're not helpi..."

It wasn't the most logical thing to do given their situation. It was, in fact, near desperate to be sharing a deep and passionate kiss. However, sensing just how scared Dash was, Oli knew that he did the right thing. The truest of emotions can be drawn out by fear. And he wanted so much to take away all that anxiety, doubt and even anger from Dash.

It was only then that Dash realized how soft the mattress was against his back. He was being totally submissive to Oli whose pounding chest was on top of his. Absentmindedly, he snaked his arms `round Oli's waist and pulled the boy more into him, nibbling hard and sucking the best that he could. He felt his body shake a little. Was he crying? Or was he trembling `coz of how Oli slowly got on top of him, their crotches rubbing together and Oli's knees tightly straddling and rocking his hips. It was only during these intimate moments with Oli that he became selfish; that he mostly just thought of himself; that he somehow let Mattie slip past his mind.

~*~*~*~

Somewhere, deep in the night, Mattie's muffled voice echoed inside a terribly dark room. There was no one out there that could hear him; no one to take him some place safe.

He was crying real hard. It wasn't only the physical pain that tore him apart, but also the hurt he felt deep in his heart. He finally knew what it was like to live his brother's life. All those sacrifices, torture and sadness that Dash hid when he smiled at him. It became hard to believe that Dash could still be so gentle, patient and sweet knowing all the hardships he had to go through.

Those cold hands that ran over his body made him wish that he was dead. Maybe then, Dash wouldn't have to feel any more pain. His brother wouldn't be burdened to protect someone as helpless as him.

If he was gone, Dash wouldn't have to worry anymore. He would be so happy to finally see Dash smile all day long and not cry anymore. His big brother would have Oli to make him happy. That was all he needed.

"Dashu..." he mumbled weakly, feeling the last bits of his consciousness leave him. Soon, the night won't be the only thing that would be so dark. With the light stolen from his clouded eyes, it won't even take long to succumb to a much darker world. Would it still be painful there?

~*~*~*~

"I...I won't hurt you, Dash. I promise," Oli whispered to him, brushing those soft lips against his ears.

He even felt the hotness of Oli's breath on his cheek as the other boy left three kisses before finally meeting his trembling lips. Oli's hand on his other cheek felt warm...so tender. He wasn't moving, except for his heart that pounded hard as Oli's tongue met his; their lips locking; noses touching; and eyes closing. He was under Oli's spell...but not for long.

With one turn of his body, he lifted Oli to his side and placed himself on top of the other boy. It felt like a total repetition of what happened by that lake. It was his time to trail kisses, to be gentle and to be as patient as his throbbing erection allowed him.

He held Oli's right hand beside the boy's head, softly against the mattress. His other arm felt the few strands of sunshine on it. He leaned in for a kiss as slow as it was almost dramatic. It was more like a dream where as you closed the distance between someone, everything changed around you. The soft mattress became one of those fluffy clouds as you began to feel yourself float. Then, as you leaned in much closer and finally feeling those shy lips on your own, the cloud disappears and you fall, but you don't ever dare to wake up.

"Mmph..." Oli moaned in his mouth as he felt a hand caress his cheek.

"You..." he said, briefly breaking their kiss. "...I know you won't"

Oli smiled at him and gently tugged at his shirt's collar, the tip of their noses making contact. Oli told him, "Make...make love with me, Dashi"

He didn't mind the pet name. In fact, it brought back all those wonderful memories from his childhood. However, out of all those precious moments, one stood out as the most special. It was a night just like this. Him on top of Oli. Oli on top of him. They were wrestling, like all other silly boys did. Then, when Oli finally ended on top of him, he heard almost the exact same words he was hearing right now.

"...make," Oli giggled. "...laugh...Dashi"

He cherished that moment, `coz he felt sure that it was the first time Oli made him blush. And later that same night, they shared something extremely innocent, but had somehow sealed their lives...hopefully, forever.

Right now, he knew that his face was totally flushed from how Oli uttered his name – sounding so needy, so hopeful and happy.

"Do you know," he began, "how many kisses we've had?"

Oli giggled and shook his head. "Tell me?"

"First kiss," he said, "we were wrestling on my bed and we fell hard on the floor. You hit your nose on my elbow, I think and started crying. Then my...mom and your mom rushed in. You were new to the neighbourhood, but had already wanted to spend the night at our house."

"The first night?" Oli asked and he nodded. "...and the kiss?"

"My mom thought I hit you and you really cried hard," he said. "So...uhm...I kinda kissed your nose to make you stop crying..."

"That's not our first kiss," Oli said.

"It wasn't s'posed to be our first kiss," he said. "But you just had to move your head and the next thing I knew, we were kissing and there was a bright flash in the room."

"My mom took that picture?"

"It was my mom and you know what she said?"

"What?"

"They're gonna be the best of friends," he said.

Oli smiled sweetly at him before placing a light and quick kiss on the tip of his nose. "You totally wanted to kiss me!"

"Your nose, not your lips!" he argued.

"Well, the second kiss?" Oli asked.

"That was..." he paused.

"Well?"

"The first time we..." He blushed and mumbled, "...took a bath together."

"You felt so happy that you kissed me?" Oli asked, grinning widely, stroking his curls.

"No, stupid," he said which earned him the sight of Oli's pink tongue poking at him. "You kissed me."

"I did? Why?"

`Coz we were naked on my bed and you were straddling me,' he thought. Then, said, "Coz you felt like it!"

"Cool," Oli whispered. "Like how I feel now."

He received another kiss, but this time on his lips...although quite timidly. It was shy, yes, much like how it was back then...under that warm blanket with their naked bodies pressed together.

"Was there a third kiss?"

"Even more," he said. "You really couldn't get enough of me back then."

Oli smiled at him and pulled him in for their umpteenth kiss since that first one they had, captured in a photograph. He felt Oli's hand `round his neck while another hand crept under his shirt.

He nibbled on Oli's lips, almost pulling it out with his teeth. Ever since that first kiss they shared, they've grown to know what it was like to move on instinct; to have their tongues lick each other's lips and teeth before toppling over each other. Then, there was that eventual sucking while they made lots of sloppy noises and hushed moans.

He broke their kiss again with his eyes still clouded. Oli looked at him pleadingly and he understood what was coming next. He placed both his hands on the hem of Oli's shirt and he received another shy smile. Then, he pushed – not pulled – Oli's shirt up, running his hands over smooth skin. He even felt Oli let out a breath and shiver under his touch.

However, he didn't remove Oli's shirt completely. Instead, he only allowed himself access to that smooth chest and nipples. He leaned in once more, placing a light and rather long lasting kiss near Oli's collar bone while his right hand traced Oli's sides, down to the waist and stopped only on the hem of Oli's shorts, right at the centre, almost brushing against the clothed hard member. It was time to pull, not push.

He sat back up and gently tugged at Oli's shorts. He blushed seeing Oli's lustful gaze as the boy bit into his own lips. Then, he blushed even more when he realized Oli wasn't wearing any underwear. A throbbing member eagerly greeted him and he could only smile so affectionately. As swiftly and gently as he could, he pulled the rest of the fabric down Oli's thighs, finally revealing that beautiful curve on Oli's dick, crowned by a barely visible patch of hair and made even more beautiful with that loose nuts under it. This wasn't the same boy he knew back when they were six years old, and he only realized it now.

"You like to look at me like this," Oli said. "...don't you?"

"Can't get enough," he said, smiling before leaning in to kiss the tip of Oli's dick.

He pulled the foreskin back and revealed the pinkish head, licking it from under and over the pee slit. He felt something sticky and he immediately knew Oli was leaking. He guessed that Oli only started to cum maybe a few or couple months back. It wasn't really that white yet and from what he tasted last night, it wasn't even that much.

Then he felt something on his head, like two small hands grabbing at his hair, but not that hard to make him think so much about it. He felt himself pushed farther down that he could almost kiss the ball sac without ever intending to. And the intoxicating smell of a boy invaded him. Sticky, sweaty and even a bit fresh from the shower. He loved it. To show just how much he did, he ran his tongue up Oli's length, his eyes closed, and his nose brushing along the slight curves as he felt himself shiver lightly from breathing in the most amazing scent that was Oli.

Reaching the raw head once more, he noticed Oli's dick change a little. Was Oli starting to limp? It still felt so hard in between his lips, but it felt small all of a sudden. He still didn't mind. He just wanted to have it all to himself.

Then those pair of hands on his hair grabbed tighter and that's when he felt the shiver coming from Oli. But he kept on going. He must've made Oli feel really good as he began to swallow the boy's member halfway through.

"M-make me...feel good," he heard Oli mumble. "...please."

He didn't care if he was a smiling idiot with a hard member in his mouth. He wanted Oli to know just how much he loved the boy. Snaking his hands right under Oli's thighs and placing it right against both sides of his face, he pushed Oli's legs apart so he could get more access. However, Oli's smooth skin felt unusually softer and his thighs felt...smaller.

"Da...Dashu."

That's when he instantly withdrew; his heart pounding so hard and so painfully. His eyes widened and the blush on his cheeks receded, replaced by the ghostly shade of realization.

"Please, Dashu..." Mattie was crying in front of him. His little brother whom he loved so much looked so miserable, scared and helpless under him, naked and pale. That was when his heart stopped.

~*~*~*~

"Yes, thank you, officer." Alex put down his phone and looked at his wife sadly.

"What did he say?" Dianne asked.

"They're still looking for him," he replied.

"Is something wrong?"

"I want both Oliver and Dash in school today. They'll be safe there and I'll inform their teachers..." Alex paused. "I'm going to need a social worker, after all."

Dianne almost gasped, but she didn't. Instead, she just breathed out, shifted close to her husband and said, "I'll have breakfast ready. Should I wake them up?"

"They've got each other," Alex said. "...and I'm sure they need some more time alone."

~*~*~*~

Oli woke up to a trembling Dash wrapped in his embrace. The boy was sweating cold, mumbling incoherently and even had a few tears running down his cheeks. This time, more than ever, he wanted to have woken up to Dash's snoring.

"Dash...Dash!" He sat up and shook the boy.

"Mmm...mat...Mattie," Dash murmured.

"Wake up, please..." he begged, pulling Dash to him and just holding him there.

Then the trembling subsided, the mumbles turned to whispers and the cold sweat against his bare skin warmed up.

"Oli?" Dash whispered.

"I'm here. I won't leave you."

"When...when did I fall asleep?" Dash asked. He looked at Oli and noticed the boy's lack of shirt. He didn't need to look under the blanket to even guess if Oli was wearing any underwear. "When did I fall asleep?!"

"Dash...you...I'm sorry," Oli said, "I didn't stop you...you were..."

"Mattie needs us and I just slept here!"

"We don't even know where he is!" Oli argued.

"They don't know," Dash said. "...I'm going to find out."

Dash quickly pushed himself off the mattress and was somehow glad that he still had his clothes on. He reached for his bag and looked for something to change into.

"Dash, listen..."

Then, a knock on Oli's bedroom door interrupted their argument.

"Oli, sweety?" It was his mom. "...breakfast is ready. I'll be dropping you off at school."

"'kay mom!" Oli answered. Then, he turned to Dash and said, "Dash, we'll find Mattie, okay? I know what to do."

That got Dash's attention. "What?"

"We'll pretend to go to school," Oli said, his voice hushed. "...then we'll go look for Mattie."

Dash was silently contemplating Oli's proposal. It sounded reasonable and if Oli's parents thought they were at school, then they wouldn't be looking for them as they search for Mattie's whereabouts. Now, for his other proble.

"...wanna...take a shower..." Dash started, blushing. "...with me?"

~*~*~*~

Awkward was an understatement. Uneasy? Not even close. Well, any old word that could probably describe Oli sitting in between Dash and Gabe would do.

"Oli," his mom began. "I want you and Dash to stay in school until I pick you up in the afternoon, okay?"

Oli nodded and absentmindedly shifted closer to Dash. He almost had his hand brush with Dash's `til he caught a glimpse of Gabe leering at him.

"I'll keep a close eye on Oli," Gabe told Dianne, smiling sweetly at her reflection on the rear-view mirror. He was still unaware of Oli's and Dash's predicament concerning Mattie, but he didn't need any more reason to keep an eye on Oli. He was planning on doing the same anyway.

Oli shot him a warning look, but Gabe just shrugged at him.

"Dash," Gabe said as he looked over to Dash. "...I can call you Dash, right? Oli wanted to introduce you to us and I'm really glad to meet you."

Dash didn't respond or even look toward Gabe. He wasn't being rude. And Oli didn't even tell him to ignore Gabe. He was just too preoccupied, thinking of ways to locate his little brother. It helped, somehow, that he felt sure that Mattie was alive and waiting for him.

And so, silence took over the rest of the ride. However, when they could very well see the playground near their school ahead, Gabe spoke up.

"Oli, aren't we s'posed to meet Anthony here?"

Oli looked at him questioningly, but immediately understood what Gabe was saying. He knew how to read the boy's dark eyes which, right now, was telling him to get out of the car unless he wanted something bad to happen when they get past the entrance to their school. Still, he didn't feel threatened, but he knew when to play by Gabe's rules, especially now when it involved Dash.

"Mom, just drop us off by the playground. Anthony's waiting for us there," Oli said.

"I need to see you off..."

"S'okay mom. School's just two blocks away. We can walk to there."

"And we'll still make it on time," Gabe said.

Though Dianne felt somewhat unsure, she dropped Oli and his friends at the playground and just parked long enough to see the boys head toward the swing set while she scanned the surrounding for any suspicious person. After a few minutes and seeing the boys stopping by the swing set, she drove off to work.

"So," Gabe said, "I see you had a sleepover, right Oli? Was it only Dash you invited?"

"It's none of your business who I want to spend the night with," Oli answered.

"I thought you wanted us to be friends with Dash, but why are you so uptight this morning?"

Oli was about to answer when Dash cut him off, "C'mon, Oli. We need to get going."

"Dash," Gabe said, approaching the boy. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gabriel, Oli's best friend. You can call me Gabe. All of my buddies call me that."

"I don't need any more friends," Dash told him, refusing the handshake offered him.

"'course you don't," Gabe said, smiling. "Who needs friends when you clearly have someone more than that."

Dash looked at him confused before turning to Oli. He said, "What the fuck did you tell him?"

"Nothing!" Oli said. He shot Gabe a warning look, but Gabe just smirked.

There were lots of other kids walking down the sidewalk and Gabe almost wanted to shout the truth for everyone to hear. Still, he kept his voice low just to stick to his plan.

"Don't worry. I don't need Oli telling me anything to figure something quite obvious anyway," Gabe said.

"Gabe!"

"Listen, Gabriel. I don't need any more friends and I don't know what you're talking `bout," Dash said. "I don't even care."

"So it's not a big deal if everyone knows you two are boyfriends, right?" Gabe asked.

"We're not boyfriends!" Oli told him, keeping his voice low.

"Oh yeah? Dash, is that true?" Gabe asked.

"I don't have to answer to you," Dash said, grabbing Oli's hand as he started leading them both toward the road.

"Not to me," Gabe said. "...to everyone else in school, maybe. And I don't think those other kids will treat you as nice as I do."

"Fuck off!" Oli yelled at him, stopping Dash and himself in their tracks.

"I can't just stand and watch you get taken away," Gabe said, keeping his voice in control.

"Looks like you're the one after Oli," Dash pointed out. "...so it's you that should be worried when I tell those other kids that you're gay."

"It's not me that they're gonna see holding hands," Gabe said, crossing both arms over his chest to look more intimidating.

"We're not holding hands," Oli said, absentmindedly gripping on Dash's hand tighter.

Dash immediately realized that they were holding hands and wanted to let go at that instant. However, Oli just held on to him and didn't have the intention to let go.

"Look," Gabe said, "I'm only trying to help you, `kay? I don't want those other kids beating the hell out of you. Oli's my best friend and I don't want him getting hurt..."

"We're not friends anymore. I told you that already!" Oli argued.

"Just because Dash's your boyfriend doesn't mean we're not friends anymore," Gabe said. "And...I want Dash to know that you're not his..."

"So you want him? It's you who's desperate for him?" Dash said.

"You don't know me, Dash," Gabe said. "You don't know anything about what I want."

"I know that I don't want you as my friend anymore," Oli said.

"'course not. You have a boyfriend already and I can't be of any more use to you, can I?"

"Just leave us alone Gabe," Oli told him. "So what if we're boyfriends or not? It's none of your business. And I'll make sure that you won't be telling anyone else."

"I don't need to tell them anything," Gabe said. "I'm not the one holding another boy's hand here...clinging desperately to him."

"C'mon Oli," Dash said, returning Oli's tight grip. "We don't have time for this."

So Dash led Oli toward the sidewalk and just before anyone else saw them holding hands, they both let go. Just before they went out of earshot, Gabe shouted to them.

"Be careful, both of you! And don't forget to have fun."

When Oli and Dash disappeared from his sight, Gabe walked off toward a nearby bush and gestured for someone to come out.

"You got it?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah," Anthony answered, stepping out of his hiding place.

"All of it?"

"Yep. Both of them holding hands," Anthony said, handing his phone to Gabe.

Gabe replayed the video Anthony took and his smile grew wicked. He returned it to Anthony and said, "Good. Everyone will know in no time."

"Are you sure about this? I mean, Oli's our friend. I don't want him getting hurt."

"He won't," Gabe said, looking toward the sidewalk where a few more kids can be seen walking. In fact, he just saw one of those big kids intentionally bumping another kid, a bunch of books and a pair of glasses falling. "As for Dash..."

~*~*~*~

"Hey, buddy," he heard a rough voice say. "Wake up."

Mattie still felt painful, cold and beaten. His head hurt and so did his wrists and ankles. He tried moving, but soon found out that it was useless. Opening his eyes slowly, he noticed the little amount of light that shone through the window on the wall far to his left. He smelled cigarettes, something stale and...

"I'll give you a bath, okay?" the man said. It was his uncle, no doubt. However, the voice didn't sound sweet anymore. It was more like emotionless, distant and hollow.

He felt cold hands on his wrists and immediately realized he was tied up to something. Glancing down to his body, he felt tears running down his cheeks once more at the sight of what he had been through since last night.

"U-uncle?" he mumbled miserably. "...W-why?"

"Why what, buddy?" Dan asked, successfully untying Mattie's wrists.

"I...I'm..."

"Sshhh," Dan said, rubbing his cheek and stroking his hair. "Everything's gonna be okay. You're safe with me. We'll find a new home, only you and me."

"I...I don't want to...I want Dashu," he said.

"Dash left you. He ran off and he's not coming back. He abandoned you, Mattie," Dan told him, running his cold hands over his chest.

"No...no! You're lying!" he shouted, but he could barely tell if it was still his own voice. He sounded weak...too weak.

"I'd never lie to you, buddy," Dan said, "...I only want what's best for you."

"No...no..."

"Your big brother is the one lying to you," Dan told him. "...you think your mom and dad died in an accident?"

Mattie looked up at his uncle, resisting how he flinched at the man's hand going over his belly and slowly farther down. His own arms felt weak to even stop those unforgiving hands.

"He lied. They didn't die. Not your dad, anyway."

"Wh-what...?"

"Your dad killed your mom. They had a big fight one night and he ended up shooting her. He's not a hero, Mattie. He's a murderer," Dan said, his own voice cold and precise.

"No...you're lying...no..."

"You think I'm lying? You think all this time that the ashes we scattered long ago were your parents'?" Dan asked, his hand above the little boy's... "Dash did a good job burning that wood."

"You're lying!" He suddenly found the little bit of strength in him and managed to turn his body away from his uncle, but not completely out of reach as his ankles were still tied.

"Your dad's a murderer. He killed your mom," Dan repeated. `...even killed me,' he thought.

"He abandoned you and didn't even want to see you. He doesn't even love you, but don't worry, buddy. Uncle's here and I'll love you no matter what. You can do anything you want, be anyone you want...I'll still love you..." Dan added.

"I hate you! You're lying! I hate you, I hate you, I ha..."

"Sshhh," Dan's other hand shut him up. "I promise, everything will be better from now on. We'll start over. New school, new friends...And you'll always have me."

He almost bit his uncle's hand, but his lips were pressed hard to even open a little bit. So, he cried silently, his sobs rocking his chest almost violently and he felt the light slowly being taken from him once more.

"I'll give you a bath, okay? Don't ever think of fighting back or I'll tie you up again, understood?"

He nodded. He no longer had the strength to argue. He felt helpless, defeated and utterly hopeless. He didn't want to believe what his uncle told him, but he was already starting to believe that...Dash won't come and save him in time. He'd be gone...they'd be off to somewhere far away and all he could do was cry as his uncle ran a damp washcloth over his wounded body.

`O-Oli,' he thought...prayed. If there was one thing left to have faith in, it was Oli's beautiful smile, honest words and undying persistence. Maybe, just maybe, he would still have his saviour.

~*~*~*~

It seemed Oli and Dash became an expert of using stealth mode. The duo, after having passed the school, went straight to Dash's house. At Oli's insistence and reasonable idea, Dash agreed to search for something that might lead them to Mattie.

They had to sneak into the house using the backdoor after seeing some people in uniform right outside the front door. Dash felt certain that his...life had just got intruded, but he didn't think more of it than he thought of saving Mattie. His secret was a small price to pay if he could just get his little brother back. When they got to the room he shared with Mattie, he could only hope that Oli wouldn't judge him.

"Dash..." Oli mumbled, looking around the room. The whole house itself was clean and kept in order. There were no trash lying around and no misplaced furniture or anything that might give away the darkness that filled the place. Even the two brothers' bedroom looked tidy and well-suited for a boy. Except a few things scattered on the floor.

"Don't say anything," Dash said, walking toward the bed.

So Oli kept his mouth shut. Despite seeing some...disturbing stuff, he knew that he didn't have the right to ask what they were used for. Handcuffs, zip ties, some torn up cloths and lots of other things. He glanced toward Dash and understood the magnitude of pain that the boy had gone through. It seemed a miracle that Dash didn't break down from all those years of torment.

"We were lying here," began Dash. "...only the other day. And now, I can't...I don't even know where he is."

"We'll find him, don't worry," Oli said, sitting beside Dash. "Is there anything here that can tell us where your uncle's holding him?"

"I don't know, maybe," Dash answered.

Then, he got up and searched their drawers for anything...anything at all. Mattie's shirts, shorts, socks, undies, and...and a drawing on a piece of paper. He took it and studied it for a few seconds before an idea came to him.

"Oli," he said, "I think I know where Mattie is."

"Where?" Oli eagerly asked, making his way toward Dash.

"He drew this when he was seven," Dash said, letting Oli take a look.

"That's...a forest?" Oli asked.

"Our...dad used to take us on a lot of camping trips. You came with us every time. We had a cabin back then," Dash said.

"'Y'know where that is?" Oli asked. "...and are you sure your uncle's taken him there?"

"Not sure," Dash said, "...but, our uncle took us camping several times, too. He...he was..."

Dash paused, remembering the uncle he once had when they were younger, before he even hated the man. Their uncle was always so cool to be around, letting them explore as far as their feet took them and not once scolding them if they came back to the cabin with lots of scrapes and cuts. They went fishing, swimming and even rock climbing. The man was a nature enthusiast, which soon rubbed off on Mattie. When Mattie was old enough to go camping, the three boys had lots more fun with the man they once thought was their friend. When their mom died and their dad went to prison, the best uncle brought him his nightmare. He didn't even know what changed the man, but he couldn't do anything to stop the abuse. It didn't take long for him to hate his uncle and made himself Mattie's protector...how a big brother should be.

"Our old cabin is somewhere in the woods near our old neighbourhood. It's in the next town," Dash said.

"We need to tell my dad." Oli took out his phone, but before he could make a call, Dash stopped him.

"We don't need them, Oli," Dash said. "If we go now, we can get there..."

"Dash, it's the next town!" Oli argued. "Unless you can think of a way to get there faster than my dad's car, I'm calling him."

Dash thought for a moment before finally letting Oli make the call. He stared at the drawing once more and thought hard...prayed hard that Mattie would be safe. After all he's gone through, he felt sure that no god ever heard him. However, for Mattie's sake, his doubts left him and he just hoped that someone up above was listening. If not god, maybe their mom.

"Dad?" Oli said, "We know where Mattie is..."

~*~*~*~

"Don't you just love the woods, little buddy?" Dan asked, holding Mattie's shoulder firmly as they stood outside the cabin. "Fresh air, no one else around, just you and me...like old times, remember? Still, I didn't get to teach you how to swim, did I? Nor did your dad. Wanna know one more secret?"

Mattie's gaze was cast downward and he didn't even want to hear any more of his uncle's `secrets'. He'd learned a lot already just from last night. Even while he was wearing a jacket, the man's hand on his shoulders still made him shiver. His damp shorts didn't help in warming his aching body. And he felt certain that if someone passed them by, the blood stain at the back of his shorts would easily be seen.

"Your daddy never loved you enough. You were so small back then. Always the last one to get picked, can't seem to stop crying, didn't have lots of friends except for your brother and that other kid..." Dan said. "Dash was always the better son. He just took you camping with him `coz Dash wanted you to come...No one loved you, Mattie..."

"You're lying..." Mattie mumbled.

Dan knelt down in front of the boy and brushed Mattie's curls before holding his chin gently, but Mattie refused to mirror his eyes. He smiled and hugged the boy.

"Your dad and mom were fighting that night. They were fighting `coz of you, buddy," Dan said as he withdrew from the hug. Mattie instantly looked at him and he just rubbed the boy's cheek.

He added, "Your dad got mad `coz he found out that you're not his son."

Mattie was trembling yet again and he felt himself begin to sob.

"He didn't want to believe that it was true. He tried convincing himself that you were his son, but your mom just had to confess the whole truth. He was devastated, got drunk and..." Dan paused. "...I guess he did love you...but no more than I do. No more than your real dad."