TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2017

Lewis and Michael were both asleep when they were wheeled into the same room for protection. Whether it was pain medication, anesthesia, or physical and emotional exhaustion, once asleep, neither boy was going to wake until morning. Of course, when you are in the hospital, waking up in the morning happens with the 5:00 am rounds by the nurse. Neither boy was fully awake, but after the nurse left, neither could fall back to sleep.

Lewis felt very awkward being forced into close proximity with Michael under these circumstances. Why had they put the two of them in a room together? He was trapped with his discomfort and found no way to escape it. He tried to think of other things to take is mind off his predicament, but he only ended up making a mental list of all the reasons Michael should hate his guts.

• I bullied Michael.
• I injured his ribs.
• I know some of his past.
• I have seen the video.
• I made the screen shot and left copies around the school.
• I put the things in motion that led to him getting shot yesterday.

With a sigh, Lewis tried to sink deeper into the bed so Michael wouldn't have to look at him. He was embarrassed by, no, ashamed of his past behavior and he didn't want to face the boy he hurt so badly. The boy he almost got killed.

"Thank you."

Lewis wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a voice. Michael? He was so in his head that he wasn't sure he heard anything or if Michael was even awake. He lifted his head and peered at the other bed in the room.

Michael tried to wet his mouth and swallow so he could be heard better. "Thank you."

Lewis blushed in embarrassment. After everything he'd done to Michael, Michael was thanking him.

"Why are you thanking me?" asked Lewis, perplexed by the boy's gesture.

"They told me you rescued me from the wrecked van," whispered Michael. He found a cup of water and took a sip through the straw. The water was room temperature, but it did the trick. "If you hadn't carried me to be rescued, you wouldn't have torn your feet up or been as badly sunburned. You did that for me and I'm grateful. Thank you." Lewis could see tears on Michael's face.

Lewis looked away, not wanting Michael to see him cry, but there was no stopping the tears. He was still filled with emotions from the day before and it didn't take much to send him over the edge.

Lewis turned back to Michael. Through his tears, Lewis choked out, "Why? Why are you thanking ME? I'm the reason you are in here. I've been a royal shit to you since you moved here. I've bullied you. I've hurt you. I'm the one that distributed that picture. I'm the one that got us kidnapped. You got shot saving me! You saved my fucking life! I should be thanking you, not you thanking me."

Michael was silent. He took the cup and sipped the water again. "You said they made you do it. How?"

Lewis blushed again. At this point, there was really no reason to have secrets from each other. He knew way more about Michael than he ever wanted to know. Some he learned from the videos, some he learned from Sarah, or whatever her real name was. But then, he couldn't be sure what was true and what wasn't. So much of what Sarah said had been a lie. The FBI agents that came to his house were a lie. What else? Then again, if even part of what he learned about Michael was true, he was certain Michael would be embarrassed that he knew. So, in full transparency, Lewis told Michael the story about how me met Sarah online, how she became his friend and confidant, and got him to do sexual things in a private video chat room.

"But it wasn't just a video chat," explained Lewis. "She recorded it all and they were going to sell the videos online like they sell yours. Uh, I'm sorry. Did you know they sold the videos online?"

"Yeah. And they used it as advertising too. It's how they found men who would pay to have sex with me. It's called sex trafficking. Yesterday they kidnapped us because they had buyers for us. We were going to be sold as sex slaves to someone outside the United States. If we didn't get away yesterday, we would have never made it home again." Michael explained what he could remember Brian telling him the night before, but most of it was pretty hazy. He had to piece a lot of it together from other things he knew about things in his past.

Lewis was mortified. No one had explained that to him. He knew he was in danger but had no idea what laid in store for him if he didn't get away. He never imagined a future like Michael described.

"Thank you," said Lewis. "I was chained to that rail. There was no way I was going anywhere. If you hadn't played it smart and hit that guy with the crowbar, I would never have gotten away. I mean, you could have tried to make a run for it and left me there anytime the van stopped, but you didn't. You stayed to protect and save me." Tears started flowing down Lewis face again. This time the tear came because he was so ashamed of how he'd treated Michael in the past.

"Lewis," said Michael, trying to get the boy's attention. He repeated himself until the older boy got control of his emotions and turned to face him.

"There are two lessons that were hard for me to learn, but Lars drilled them into my head, and they are true. First, we're kids. We can't take responsibility for the things adults do. Sarah leading you on, making you do things on camera, recording them and blackmailing you. That's on the adults, not you. You're a kid. They are adults. It's their responsibility to protect us and it is their fault if they harm us."

Lewis nodded his head. It made sense, but it didn't make him feel better. Maybe it wasn't meant to. Despite placing the blame on the adults for what they did, there was still plenty that he was still responsible for, especially the bulling.

"What's the second thing?" asked Lewis.

"You need to talk about what happened to lessen the guilt and shame. Talking to me is a great first step, but you should talk to Lars and eventually your father." Michael told Lewis about his journey through therapy with Lars and the evening he told his story to his friends and trusted adults.

The more Lewis learned about Michael, the more he admired the younger boy. What he'd been through in his short life, what he'd accomplished, and how he's had to fight the odds to keep his life from going to shit.

"You know," said Lewis, "I've been a total dick to you and you're laying here, shot saving my life, and you are worried about me and what those bastards did to me. You are fucking incredible."

Lewis continued, "I want you to know that I'm not that person. I mean, I'm not that person anymore."

Michael was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Have you noticed I've stayed away from you the last few weeks?" asked Lewis.

"Yeah, I guess," said Michael. Michael didn't want to tell Lewis that the older boy wasn't even on his radar unless he was being a dick.

"Well, I got to thinking about the type of person I've been, and the type of person my mother would have wanted me to be." Lewis continued to tell the story of his mother's death and how he lost the one and only true friend he'd ever had, Christian. He related how his father moved him to East Harbor without telling him they were moving or giving him a chance to say goodbye to his friend. He also told about how he'd been reevaluating his life, trying in school, taking care of his business at home and just trying to be a better person -- trying to be the best Lewis he could be.

"I understand how you feel about Christian," confessed Michael. "Right before the shit hit the fan back home, they sent my best friend, my older brother Matthew, to live with our grandparents. I haven't been allowed to see or talk to him since. It's been over a year." Lewis could see the pain and hurt in Michael's eyes and knew the boy completely understood how he felt about Christian. He missed his friend as much today as he did the day he arrived in East Harbor.

"This probably sounds really stupid," said Lewis, "but I haven't had any real friends since Christian. I know it's my fault -- I was angry at the world because my mom died and my dad was being a butthead. So, if you could like, forgive me for all the shit I've done to you, could we be friends?"

Michael gave the boy a half-smile. "Forgiven." This conversation had Michael worn out. After a huge yawn, he added, "Yeah, we're friends."

When Lewis turned to thank Michael again, the boy was already asleep.

Lewis, on the other hand, was wide awake. He felt excited to be alive, he had a friend -- a friend that he could be proud of and a friend to which his mom would have given her approval. More importantly, someone with similar life experiences that he could talk to and find understanding and comradery.

Soon it was 7:00 am and visiting hours began. Brian, Lars and the boys were escorted by the MPs assigned to guard the boys. They entered the room quietly and were greeted by Lewis. "Hi guys!" he whispered. His chipper and friendly nature surprised everyone in the room. There were suspicious of the newly reformed bully.

Lukas knew Lewis better than the others, except Michael. He walked over to the bed so he wouldn't wake Michael. "Hi Lewis," whispered Lukas. "Thank you for saving Michael yesterday." He gave a half smile because he didn't understand much about what happened the day before or what happened after the kidnapping. He just knew that Lewis carried Michael in an attempt to get help and that's all he needed to know. "You know, if Michael's cool with it, you should come over and hang out some time after school." Lukas said it before he realized what he was saying and immediately regretted it.

"Really?" said Lewis is complete shock. "You really mean it? That would be great! I don't think Michael will mind, we're friends now."

Lukas wondered what surprised him more: Lewis being excited about hanging out with them after school, or Lewis saying he and Michael were now friends. Either way, a happy, smiling Lewis was a creepy experience. 'Did they kidnap Lewis and leave an alien imposter in his place?' thought Lukas.

The others in the room heard the conversation and Brian approached the bed. "Good morning, Lewis. I don't know if these guys have heard the whole story about what happened after they abducted you and Michael yesterday. We were so focused on Michael's wellbeing I never had the opportunity to fill them in. Maybe you and Michael can do that later."

"Yeah, he was pretty incredible yesterday," said Lewis with a grin. "I'm so glad we are friends now and I'm really sorry that I was such as assho..., I mean dickh..., I mean... well, you know what I mean." Lewis' fumbling for words around the adults sparked giggles from the other boys.

Lars placed his hand on Michael's arm and rubbed it gently. The boys slowly woke up and smiled when he saw it was Lars, Brian and his friends, Lukas, Simon and Gavin.

"Hi," Michael squeaked out, still groggy and worn out.

"Michael, I'm sorry to wake you, but we have something we need to talk to you about and we didn't think it was fair to you to wait until later," said Lars.

Michael's eyes darted from face to face trying to gauge the severity of the conversation. His first thought was one of his friends had been kidnapped. 'Scott? Curtis? Trajan? No, they wouldn't have approached me this way -- this has to do with me. Did more images or videos get left around the school?' He continued to survey their faces to get a bead on what happened.

"Do you mind if Lewis is part of this discussion? We can find privacy if you'd like," offered Lars.

"No, Lewis can stay," said Michael. "We're friends now."

With a bit of conversation and moving of furniture, they pulled Lewis' bed over close to Michael's to make the conversation a bit more intimate. Lewis sat up on the edge of his bed and was joined by Brian, Gavin, and Simon. Lars and Zach sat on the edge of Michael's bed, and Lukas laid down on the bed beside Michael. Michael tried to roll over onto his right side so he could face everyone, but his wounded left shoulder would have nothing of that.

"No, don't try to move Michael," said Lars, taking Michael's right hand in his. He was already tearing up. Michael knew this was serious and he looked from face to face again. When he looked at Lewis, the red-head looked worried too, and this had nothing to do with him.

"Wait," said Michael, "didn't my mom come with you?"

"After we got home last night," Lars began, "your mother went home to get an overnight bag. We had all agreed to stay at our house last night. The FBI agents watching our homes last night believed your mother was staying at her home last night, they didn't know she was supposed to come back to our house. That's why they weren't suspicious when a pizza delivery guy showed up. They realized too late that it was an assassin sent looking for you. They shot the man and he is in custody."

Michael was white as a sheet, which wasn't saying much after being shot and in surgery less than 24 hours before. He was also shaking in fear.

"They also sent an assassin to Mossyrock looking for Matthew."

Michael's eyes opened wide in shock. "Why did they want Matthew?"

"To get back at your dad," said Lars. "Once law enforcement found out he was the man in the mask yesterday, he was arrested. When he found out you were abducted, he turned on his accomplices and told the FBI everything that he knew. The FBI was able to take down most of the bad guys, but their leader and some of his men got away."

"They were mad at your father for telling on them, so they decided they were going to kill you and your brother. That's why they sent assassins to both your homes."

This was the first time Lewis heard any of this -- about Michael's dad being the man in the picture, about Bruce Grant being arrested and ratting out the other men, their wanting revenge, and other details. Again, his understanding of the danger he was in became even more real and more treacherous. He too would have been white as a sheet if it weren't for his sunburn.

"What happened?" asked Lewis, quickly realizing he said that out loud. "Oh, sorry."

"Well, the police in Mossyrock did a welfare check on your grandparents' home. The assassin killed both of your grandparents and Matthew is missing. The good news is, if you can call it good news, he's been missing since yesterday morning, so the FBI suspects he wasn't home when the assassin showed up."

Tears welled up in Michael's eyes. He'd already jumped to the conclusion but needed Lars to say it.

"And my mom?"

Lars looked away trying to compose himself but it was no use. Looking Michael in the eyes, he said, "She died on the way to the hospital." The look on Michael's face broke Lars' heart. It was a look that would be seared into his memory the rest of his life.

"Will I have to go live with my dad?" Michael was trembling with fear at the thought.

"No," said Lars. "Your father is going to prison for a long time for what he did to you, and his part in the sex trafficking ring."

Lewis felt sick and his heart ached for his friend. Looking around the room, everyone seemed to feel the same way. Lukas laid there beside Michael with his forehead against Michael's temple, crying to himself. Simon had his arm around Gavin's shoulder as Detective Parker stroked his son's hair. All three cried quietly, just like Lewis. Lewis made an assessment of the situation: Michael's mother and grandparents were dead, though he didn't know about the other set of grandparents, his brother was missing, and his father was going to prison. 'Talk about someone's family going to shit,' appraised Lewis.

"What will happen to me?" ask Michael.

"Well, remember that paperwork that was drawn up before your mom went to Arizona?" reminded Lars.

Michael nodded.

"Those paper put you in my custody," said Lars. "You'll be living with us."

Michael nodded again. He croaked out a weak, "thank you," before sobbing. If he could, Michael would have rolled away from everyone so they couldn't see him cry. That wasn't an option, so he suffered the embarrassment by laying there crying in front of everyone.

Lars asked, "Would you like some privacy Michael?"

Michael nodded and cried a bit harder. Then he opened his eyes and reached his hand out to Gavin.

Lukas understood. He gave Michael a kiss on the cheek and got up so Gavin could take his place on the bed. Gavin laid on his left side and gently hugged Michael tight and kissed the side of his face, "I've got you, sweetness. I've got you."

Seeing the touching, loving relationship between the two boys, Lewis was almost jealous. He realized he spent so much time judging and dissing the other kids, particularly the gay boys, that he never really saw them. He asked to have his bed moved back to his side of the room to give them some space.

Lewis laid back down as the other found chairs or stepped into the hallway to gather themselves. When he found the words that eluded him, he leaned up on his left elbow. "I'm here for you too, Michael. Whatever you need, just ask."

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Simon, Lukas and Gavin got little sleep Monday night after the events of the day. The drama at school, Michael's kidnapping, being with Michael at the hospital and then a shootout on their doorstep. After Brian told them what happened to Megan and how close they'd come to having the gunman on their front steps, no one wanted to go to bed. They sat up with Lars and Zach and talked around the kitchen table. They eventually migrated to the family room and put a movie on. While they decided on the movie, Lars left a message on the school's attendance voice mail letting them know the boys were not going to be at school on Tuesday. Even if they did get sleep, they would want to be by Michael's side and Lars didn't think there was any natural force that could prevent that. But what really weighed on his mind was the strategy the FBI put into place to protect Michael and Lewis. In his opinion, it hadn't worked to this point and he had trouble feeling Michael was safe this night.

Lars made popcorn then carried the snack and an arm full of sodas into the family room. Lukas hit play and they munched and watched a movie. Though no one was in the mood to laugh or enjoy the movie, at least it wasn't a subject matter that made them feel worse. Zach made certain of that. When Lars joined Zach on the sectional, the younger man did his best to comfort the boys' father and help him relax. Zach had seen how trying the day had been for Lars, and now with the shooting, Lars looked devastated.

Worming his arm between the cushion and Lars' waist, Zach whispered in his ear, "You don't have to carry this on your own, I'm here for you."

Lars turned to his younger lover, "I know you are. I couldn't do this without you. I love you, Zach."

Zach's heart fluttered. Though he's said it Lars a few times over the last couple weeks, the sentiment hadn't been reciprocated. Zach wasn't concerned about that. Lars had expressed how closed he feared his heart was because of Jan and how much he was focused on raising the boys. He certainly didn't expect Lars to say it tonight. Perhaps it was the realization that it can all be gone in a flash. Perhaps it was simply something Lars had been wanting to say. Whatever the reason, Zach couldn't be happier. He'd never gotten into a serious relationship with the guys he'd dated in the past. This, what he had with Lars, had developed slowly and was deeper and stronger than he could imagine ever feeling for another person. And for Lars to use the "L" word, he knew the feeling was mutual.

With about 15 minutes left in the movie, Lars' phone rang and he saw it was Brian. He stepped out of the room and all eyes followed him. They all knew what the call was about and waited on pins and needles to find out how Megan was. After a minute, Lukas followed his father.

"Okay," said Lars and hung up the phone.

Lukas walked up to his father and threw his arms around the tall, slender man. "Michael is really my brother now, isn't he?"

"Yes," said Lars. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, then wrapped his own arms around his pride and joy. "Yes Jitterbug, Michael is going to be your real lil'bro." Lukas' heart broke for his friend. He burst into tears and sobbed, burying his face into his dad's chest.

Simon, Gavin, and Zach heard the exchange. Zach was perplexed by the idea of Michael becoming Lukas' "real lil'bro." But he also realized that he didn't feel like it had been his business to delve into the intricacies of Lars' relationship with Michael. All he cared about was being there for his man, he'll learn more about the situation when the time comes that he needs to know.

Simon and Gavin were both devastated -- not for themselves, but for their young friend. Simon knew the heartbreak of losing a parent, and in one year, Michael lost both parents, two grandparents and possibly his brother.

Gavin grabbed a pillow and squeezed it tightly, sobbing and rocking himself. He was furious with his father for letting this happen and felt the need to be with Michael right at this moment. Simon knew how Gavin felt because on the way home, Gavin had ranted about how pissed he was at his father and how he felt he was letting Michael down by not being at his side. Since that conversation, three members of Michael's family had been gunned down and a fourth was missing. Simon scooted over and embraced his friend.

"You are right where you need to be right now," soothed Simon. "They gave Michael medication so he's asleep and won't wake up until tomorrow. Until then, cry, be angry, and be pissed off so tomorrow, you can be strong for Michael."

Gavin nodded his head and leaned over onto Gavin's shoulder and let loose. The boys fell asleep crying and comforting each other while Zach played a second movie and held onto Lars. On their way to bed, Zach covered up the boys and gave them each a kiss on the head.

In the morning, everyone dreaded the inevitable. They had to tell Michael what happened overnight.

Lars was still thinking back to the question his son asked that morning. "Dad," asked the sleepy blonde eighth grader, "how do you tell your best friend his mom is dead?"

"I thought Simon was your best friend?" replied Lars.

As almost any teen would, Lukas looked at him like he'd just bitten the head off a bat. "No," Lukas explained with a hint of attitude about explaining something that should be general knowledge, "Simon is my boyfriend, Michael is my BFF."

"Well, now he is your lil' bro and you have a vacancy you can fill with someone else," teased Lars.

"Nah, Michael can be both."

"Good to hear that." Lars smiled at his son's response. "But don't worry, I'll be the one to tell him. You just be there for him like a big brother would." Then he corrected himself, "Like a big brother and a best friend."

Arriving at the hospital, everyone felt the weight of the moment bear down on them. Until they arrived, it was just something they dreaded in the future. The air seemed thick and the walls seemed stark and cold. Lars' wished he could break the news in a better environment, something more comforting and familiar. But Michael deserved to know.

Simon and Gavin could both see how troubled Lukas was by the situation and after having their own conversation, they knew it was better for Lukas to be with Michael when he learned the news of his mother. That way Lukas could feel like he was helping Michael. They also expected Michael to want to spend time with Gavin after he found out.

That is exactly how things went down. Lukas was happy to have been the one with Michael when he found out and he acquiesced his position to Gavin when Michael reached for his older boyfriend. Lukas tried to play the role of best friend and big brother, but he was too empathetic. When Gavin took over holding Michael, Lukas went right to Simon's arms and broke down. He felt Michael's heartbreak as if it was his own and needed Simon as much as Michael needed Gavin right at that moment.

Brian felt out of place. After a brief moment with Lars to offer his and Abby's support, he headed to the office to see what he could do to make things safe for the boys to go home.

Zach ushered Simon and Lukas to the hallway and eventually to the cafeteria to get the boys something to drink and a change of environment.

Lars took a seat in a chair in the corner of the room. When he heard Lewis' sincere offer to be there to help Michael any way he could, Lars was surprised. Everything he'd known about Lewis over the last few years seemed to be turned on its head. He made a mental note to reach out to the Rear Admiral again about counseling.

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"Michael," came a whisper. He felt someone holding his hand and tried to open his eyes. Shortly after crying himself to sleep, a nurse han come in with his scheduled pain medication and injected it into his IV. His mouth was dry again and his backed ached.

"Mom?" whispered Michael as he tried to get his voice. He opened his eyes to see Abby, Gavin's mother, and everything came flooding back.

"It's time for lunch, honey," she said, trying to look strong and happy to see the boy.

Michael had become very attached to Abby and burst out crying as soon as he realized who was there. She cried with the boy and hugged him the best she could without hurting his left arm. When she came close, Michael clutched her as if his life depended on it.

"I love you, sweetie," said Abby. "I got you. I've got you, honey." She tried to soothe the boy knowing she could never replace Megan, but she also knew she and Michael had a special connection.

When Michael calmed down, she raised the head of the bed and pulled up the overbed table with a tray arranged with some of Michael's favorite foods -- well, hospital kitchen versions of Michael's favorite foods, if that counts. Lars had taken the initiative to order the boy's lunch since he cried and slept through breakfast and hadn't order anything for lunch or dinner.

Michael looked at the plate of mac and cheese, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, sweet potato fries, broccoli, peaches and two kinds of fruit juice. Lars knew he ordered way more than Michael would be able to eat, but he hoped the boy would at least find something edible with this assortment. Looking around, Michael found this to be a surreal experience. A half dozen people were around the room with a look of hope and excitement that he would eat something, like he was a baby on the cusp of using a spoon for the first time to feed himself. They watched in vane as Michael only played with his food, eventually pushing the table away and lowering the head of his bed. Unable to roll over onto his injured shoulder to face the wall, he settled rolling onto his good side and pulling the blankets up to his nose.

Lewis watched with deep sadness. Michael's friends and the adults in his life each spent time trying to cheer him up, to talk, to eat, to at least drink his juice. Michael ignored them. Michael had prevailed, relatively intact, from all the abuse and bullying thrown at him over the years. Today, however, Lewis feared that the boy he knew and envied, and bullied, was crushed and gone forever. Michael was his new friend, a friend that could understand his own losses and struggles. Lewis hopped that one day they could have serious talks, have fun times together, and really become good friends -- he really wanted to have a friend like he once had with Christian. What Lewis couldn't figure out was how to be that kind of friend to Michael right now.

Around dinner time, Rear Admiral Fuerst returned to the hospital after being instructed to spend the day at work to put up appearances. He was surprised by the number of people in the room, but quickly made his way to Lewis bed and gave his son a huge hug, bringing a smile to his son's face.

Abby broke the silence. "Brian, why don't you take the boys home to get some dinner. Lars and I will stay here with Michael."

"That's a good idea, honey," responded Brian. He'd been in and out of the hospital as he attended to his duties on the police force and support of the FBI closing in the final individuals that would pose a threat to Michael's safety. "Do either of you want me to bring you anything?"

Brian jotted down instructions and then led the boys to his SUV. "Mr. Parker," asked Lukas, "can we swing by our house? I want to pick up some things for Michael."

"Sure, buddy. That's a great idea."

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A worn piece of paper was pulled from the pocket of a pair of Levi's. It was worn to the point the creases from the folds were beginning to tear. The address inside read "697 Maple". He knew that's what was written there. He'd memorized it the moment he wrote it down, but he had to check again to be absolutely certain.

In the grand scheme of things, the map distance from the bus station to his destination wasn't that far, but once he started walking, he realized that it would take him nearly two hours to walk it. Excited, he alternated jogging and walking to he could get there faster.

'This is a really nice town,' thought Matthew as he turned off Main and up Maple. Reaching the Mallway, he felt a thrill when he saw the majestic middle and high school buildings.

'This is where I'm going to go to school now.' The thought brought a smile to his face. He'd concluded that once he got to his mother's he'd just move in and could send for his stuff. It never occurred to him that his mother would be required by law to call his father or grandparents to report where he is, or that his mother didn't even have the legal right to enroll him in school. When the street numbers reached the 500s, he couldn't wait any longer. He started running, tears falling too fast for the breeze rushing across his face to dry them.

A house with crime scene tape caught his attention. It seemed so odd to see in such a nice, peaceful neighborhood. He slowed to check the house numbers. The slowed even more when he realized the house numbers were counting down to the yellow two-story he noticed earlier.

The military surplus canvas duffle bag on his shoulder dropped to the ground has he stared up the walkway to the front door. Tape guarded the doorway, daring someone to break the seal and enter the house. Plastic yellow tape with the words 'Crime Scene Do Not Cross' was wrapped from column to column around the front porch. Resting on the porch steps were flowers and lit candles.

When he remembered, Matthew forced himself to take a breath. He was confused, his brain unable to process what this scene could possibly mean. At some point, he couldn't tell you how long he stood there, his brain finally engaged and panic ensued. He fidgeted, eyes darting around, fingers fumbling on the zipper of his jacket and his entire body started to tremble. He started to become light headed as he began to hyperventilate. In a strange town with the only two people he knew were... Were what?

"Matthew!?" came a voice of surprise and recognition.

Matthew turned to see the rear door of a black GMC Acadia open and a skinny blonde kid flying over and slamming into his chest. The tight embrace was quite a surprise. Then the boy released him and their eyes met.

"You're Matthew Grant, right?" asked the boy.

"Yeah, how did..."

The boy grabbed his hand. "Com'on, we'll take you to see Michael."

Matthew grabbed his bag and they were off.

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Lars turned to see who burst into the hospital room door. "Wow, you guys weren't gone long. Did you stop by the house and get the things I asked for?"

"Oh no, we got something better," said Lukas, bearly able to contain himself as he made his way to his friend's, his little brother's bed. "Michael, I have a surprise for you!" Lukas pointed to the door.

Michael tried to ignore Lukas, but the blonde persisted. "Michael! Look!!"

Rolling his eyes, Michael pulled the blankets down and lifted his head enough to see the door. A figured appeared.

"Matthew?" Michael really couldn't believe his eyes. For a moment, he wondered if the pain medications were making him see things.

"Michael!" Lukas stepped out of the way so he wouldn't be smooshed between the brothers. "Oh my god, Michael. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Everything. I should have been here to protect you. I'm so sorry." Despite the pain, Michael sat up and threw his good arm around Matthew and his older brother hugged him tightly, careful not to bump his injured arm. Both boys sobbed in joy and in sadness.

"So, Lukas wouldn't tell me what happened. He said you'd have to tell me," said Matthew, wiping his face and anxious to find out what's going on and who all the adults were.

Lars stepped up and placed his hand on the teen's shoulder. "Hi Matthew, it's nice to finally meet you. Michael has told me so much about you."

Matthew looked at the tall, slender blonde. His relationship to this bunch was obvious. "You must be Lukas' father." They shook hands. Lars admired the firm handshake and the confidence the teen exuded. Matthew sat on the edge of the bed and put his arm around his little brother. "Well, I'm back and no one is splitting me and Michael up again. If anyone wants to mess with Michael, they have to come through me."

"Really?!?!" asked Michael, almost squealing in excitement. "You're going to stay and live with me?"

Lars raised an eyebrow when he heard this news. He motioned for Brian to step out in the hallway as Michael, for the first time, told the story of what happened the day before with Lewis filling in his parts of the story.

"Brian, Matthew doesn't know about Megan and no one down here has any legal right to allow him to stay," Lars explained as he texted his friend Stephen, asking him to come to the hospital.

"I was thinking about that on the way back to the hospital," said Brian. "First, can Matthew stay with you so he can be with Michael?"

"Yes," replied Lars without hesitation. "Michael and Matthew need to be together."

"Then I'm going to hold Matthew for questioning in the sex trafficking case. He can be a key witness and this order will prevent him from being sent back to family. I'll have him placed in your custody," explained Brian.

"You WERE thinking about that," smiled Lars. "I've texted my family attorney. Matthew doesn't know about his father or grandparents either. Custody of Matthew may be up in the air with how the family treated Michael's abuse and the family situation. They may disown Matthew as well."

"Are you going to try to get custody of Michael and Matthew?" Brian asked with a hint of surprise.

"Well, I need to check with Stephen, but I believe with the paperwork we have in place, I am already Michael's permanent, legal guardian," Lars informed his friend. "So, if Michael is part of my family now, how can I not adopt Matthew, too?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Brian. "Let's get back in there."

The two men entered the room and Zach gave Lars and look that said, 'What's up?'

Michael and Lewis told their story to a rapt audience. Hearing the events from the boys that experienced it instead of from an officer reading the police report was much more entertaining for everyone. Michael's excitement to have his brother by his side for the first time in over a year permeated his storytelling. He was more animated and talkative than any of the boys had ever seen him.

The youngest boy was the center of attention. He explained to everyone how he dropped the blanket over the crowbar to disguise so he could pick it up unnoticed. Then, with one hand, he demonstrated how he used it to hit the man in the head and got shot. Then he turned the story over to Lewis. Michael got to hear Lewis' accounting of the events that happened after he was unconscious.

Questions, answers, and congratulations were shared as everyone smiled and laughed. It really was an amazing story. But the room became silent when he addressed the question that had been on his mind since he met Lukas.

"When's mom going to get here?"

Matthew looked around the room, wondering why everyone got quiet. Turning back to Michael, he saw the sadness in his little brother's eyes as his lower lip quivered. Michael reached for Matthew with his good arm and the boys embraced.

"What's wrong Michael?" asked Matthew.

In a voice barely audible, Michael whispered, "They killed her."

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The door shut as Lukas stepped out of the guest bedroom, leaving Matthew to settle in. The teen gazed around the nondescript room. It was warm and comfortable, but as many guest rooms, it seemed only a step above a hotel room. He half expected to see a pen and stationary on the small desk and a room service menu by the older model TV perched on the chest of drawers. Instead, he saw Michael's sketch pad and art supplies.

Matthew didn't realize how tired he was until they headed back the Dr. Meijer's house. He'd traveled over 30 hours on the bus and then a couple hours of walking before ending up at the hospital to visit his little brother for the first time in over a year. Between the travel, the excitement of seeing Michael and the crushing emotions of learning about his mother, father and grandparents, Matthew was wiped out.

Understanding that he was going to be staying here for at least a few weeks while the investigation and trial over the kidnapping and sex trafficking were settled, Matthew took some time to unpack before heading across the hall to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare for bed.

The shower's spray cascaded over his brown hair. Since being relegated to living in Middle-of-Nowhere, Washington, Matthew had let his hair grow out a bit. Now reaching his collar and the bangs needed to be flipped out of his eyes, the longer length made the natural waves in his hair more obvious. Where Michael took after their mother, Matthew resembled their father, right down to his brown eyes with flecks of gold.

The hot water felt so good -- relieving the stress of travel and tragedy. Though Lars encouraged him to get a good night's sleep before they would discuss details the next day, he'd picked up bits and pieces listening to everyone talking.

He smirked when he thought about what his father would think of the situation. Not only had Michael come out and found acceptance and support, he had an older boyfriend and lived with (at least part-time as far as Matthew understood) his friends who are a gay couple, and his friend's father who is also gay and has a boyfriend. Matthew couldn't help but wonder where he was going to end up. If he had it his way, he would be wherever Michael was. Matthew recalled the information he found on the GIS site noting that Michael was the owner of the house down the street -- not their mother.

'Oh yeah,' thought Matthew, remembering his family situation.

"Ah, fuck!" he hissed. It occurred to him that he and Michael would have to plan their mother's funeral. His brain ran through all the question he had, including things like how he is going to get money to pay for it all.

'I'll have to ask dad... shit!' He remembered his dad was in custody and it seems like a forgone conclusion that he'll be going to prison. He did consider that his aunt and uncle could handle his grandparents' house and stuff. He wasn't worried about the few things he left there -- he didn't leave anything he cared about and he wasn't even going to bother to contact anyone to get any of it back.

Matthew shook off the negativity and thought about the new people he'd met. 'Gavin seems like a pretty nice guy and his parents are nice tool. Michael really adores them, and they love him so it's all good in my book,' thought Matthew. 'But Gavin seems too old for Michael to be dating. Gavin's almost my...' That's when Matthew suspected that Michael's interest in older, more mature boys might have had a lot to do with his first sexual experiences being with an older, more mature boy -- Matthew himself. Even alone in the shower, Matthew blushed with that realization.

Lukas and Simon were pretty cool and he could definitely see the connection Lukas and Michael had. If he hadn't met Simon and Gavin, Matthew would have put money on Michael and Lukas being a couple. But after seeing Lukas with Simon, it was obvious how much, and how deeply, their relationship ran. The relationship between those two boys resembled an adult married couple more than two adolescents.

Lewis seems like a nice kid too and his dad, the Rear Admiral, seemed more laid back and funny than he'd expected a military leader to be. It was odd that Gavin, Simon and Lukas seemed to ignore the red-headed boy most of the time. Lewis really seems devoted to Michael -- almost like hero worship.

Lars and Zach seem like good people. Zach was pretty quiet and deferred to Lars much of the time. Matthew couldn't figure out if it was because the younger man was passive and let Dr. Meijer make all the decisions, or if they were really just boyfriends and not partners or husbands or whatever, yet.

Matthew turned off the water and finished up in the bathroom. He was glad Lukas told him the bathroom was all his so he didn't have to worry about anyone waiting on him. He dried off, brushed his teeth and headed back to the guestroom with a towel around his waist, carrying the clothes he'd worn the last two days.

Putting the clothes on top of his duffle and hanging the towel up to dry, Matthew crawled into bed naked. So much was unknown and undecided. There were so many things he needed to work out in his head. As much as he wanted to start planning his future, his body decided otherwise. In mid-thought, Matthew dropped off to sleep.

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Lewis spent the evening ignoring the TV and thinking about how life was going to be different. His father was a new man and he was now friends with the boys he once despised. He was actually happy.

The red-head looked over at his new friend. Michael was once again in a fitful sleep. The boy had gone to sleep right after everyone left for the evening but wasn't getting much rest.

Lewis wasn't surprised, Michael had only moved to East Harbor three months ago and the changes and drama in the boy's life would have anyone's head spinning. These thoughts made Lewis want to apologize to Michael again for being a shitty part of those three months, but he wasn't about to wake him to make amends.

Drifting off to sleep, he heard Michael begin to cry in his sleep. Lewis felt helpless and considered his options for helping his friend. Pulling the blanket off his bed, he padded gently around Michael's bed, careful not to hurt his sore feet. He climbed onto the bed behind Michael. Lewis covered himself in his blanket and put his arm around Michael, hugging the boy as he slept. Lewis felt Michael's body relax and the crying stopped just as Lewis drifted off to sleep.