(this is a bit of a long AN, but in order to understand my position and this story to the best of your ability, please read it all.)
Hey, guys. This is my first Big Time Rush story. I've had it pretty much written in my head for months now, but I didn't get around to typing it up until now. That's partially because I wanted to release it on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks (that obviously didn't happen, I didn't finish typing it until today). I'm not gonna lie, I became pretty emotional while writing this. Thinking about what happened on 9/11 ten years ago always gets me upset, but it also comforts me to think of the way that our country united to overcome what happened.
A little bit about the story:
-There will be about 9 chapters in this fic. Normally, I would format a story like this (in which most of the events take place in a single day) as a long one shot. But in order to best illustrate the perspectives of all of the characters, I have broken it up. Because of this, some of the events in the story will be featured in multiple chapters, time frames will overlap, and it may seem a bit repetitive. But I hope that the different characters' viewpoints will be enough to hold your interest.
-This story is in a bit of an AU. If somebody who didn't know anything about BTR were to read it, it would still make perfect sense, and I think they would still be able to appreciate it; though, fans will undoubtedly get more out of it. The guys are about 27 years old.
Title: September (until further notice, I'm trying to think of something better)
Setting: September 11, 2001. Most events take place in New York City, but small parts are centered in Los Angeles.
Warning: I don't want to give away too many details of this story, but I will say that it portrays experiences and events very similar to what some directly affected by 9/11 went through. I'm aware that 9/11/01 is a very sensitive topic for many people (myself included), and there are some events in this story that may be upsetting to some people. I feel that this is something I need to share for that reason, but please know that I'm not intentionally trying to upset anyone.
Oh, also, each chapter will be written in the perspective of a different character. They'll all be in the third person POV.
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or its characters. I only own the storyline.
*I dedicate this story to the memory of all who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Rest in peace, and may God bless their families and our nation.*
Carlos' POV
Carlos Garcia opened his eyes as his alarm clock sent the sounds of "Big Time Rush" bouncing off the walls. He rolled over and groaned, opening one eye a fraction of an inch to take a peek at the clock; it read 8:55 AM. Carlos knew that in order to be up and out of bed at his planned time, he had to set his alarm for five minutes before that time. This allowed him enough time to relax as he shook off the stupor that sleep set over him. He sat up, squinting as he tried to adjust to the sunlight that came pouring in through his window. He sat for a moment in silence, and then he sighed and forced himself to get out of bed and to begin his day.
Carlos walked out of his bedroom and down the short hallway to the main living area of his apartment. He made straight for the kitchen, not feeling quite awake yet and wanting some coffee. If his friends were there, they would have immediately tried to discourage him from getting some: Carlos had a very high level of energy naturally, and he rarely needed the extra kick that coffee gave him. However, Carlos' friends were not there. James was in LA, modeling for Cuda, and both Kendall and Logan were at their own apartments in the city, or at work. So Carlos, smirking to himself, put on a pot of coffee and got out a mug.
While his coffee was brewing, he turned to the living room to look out at the New York City skyline. The view from his apartment was spectacular, for directly across from his kitchen was a couch and a TV, and behind the TV there was a large glass window. The window displayed a large portion of the city, and being that Carlos' apartment was located on the fifteenth floor of his building, he could see over the lower buildings and take in the skyscrapers. He enjoyed looking at the city each morning before leaving for work, taking in its beauty.
Today, however, Carlos received a shock when he looked out the window. He hurried across the room for a better look at the city, to see whether his eyes were playing tricks on him. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
There was a column of black smoke rising from the World Trade Center. One of the Twin Towers was aflame and there appeared to be a gaping hole in its side. Carlos' jaw dropped as he stared at the tower, trying to determine which one it was. Was it the North? He thought it was. He couldn't really think straight due to the shock, however. He probably would have sat, unmoving, and watched the tower burn for hours if his cell phone hadn't rang just then. He fumbled for it and saw that it was James calling him. He answered quickly, "Hello?"
"Carlos? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" James asked.
"Ye- what, the Twin Towers?" Carlos asked a small part of him surprised that James knew what was going on. "It's on the news already?" He crossed the room, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on.
"Of course it's on the news," James stated, "How often does a plane fly into the World Trade Center?"
Carlos dropped the remote in surprise. "A- a plane?"
"Yeah, dude, where have you been?" James sounded shocked that Carlos had been unaware of this information.
Carlos grabbed the remote and flipped to the news station. There was the World Trade Center, one of its towers burning. The headline on the screen read: "Plane crashes into World Trade Center North Tower". Carlos was baffled. How on earth had he slept through a plane crash?
"Man, when did this happen?" Carlos asked James, walking back over to the window for a better view.
"They're saying it was, like, fifteen minutes ago," James told him, "But I've only been watching for about five."
"How did this happen, though?" Carlos asked, awestruck. "I mean, why the hell would a plane be flying so low in the first place? How could it lose control that badly?"
"I don't know-"
Carlos suddenly gasped. "Oh my God, James, Kendall's in there!" Carlos' hand shot to his head, and he dug his fingers into his scalp as he began to panic. Kendall worked for Bank of America, and his office was located on the eighty-first floor of the North Tower. Carlos leaned on the window to support himself. "Oh my God, oh my God, I can't believe this, oh my God…"
"God, I know, that's why I called you…" James sounded fearful for the first time. "And Logan…"
Carlos felt as though his heart stopped. "Oh my God, Logan, I didn't even think of Logan!" Logan, who had never had the means to go to medical school, had instead decided to become a firefighter, still driven by the desire to help people. He worked for the Fire Department of New York, and he had gone into work early that morning.
"He's probably on duty," James said. "I can even hear the sirens through the TV…"
Carlos could hear the sirens loud and clear. They seemed to be just outside his window. He looked down to the street below him, and sure enough, he saw two fire engines tearing down the street toward the World Trade Center, which was less than a mile away from Carlos' apartment. As he looked back up to watch the tower, something caught his eye. That something looked vaguely like a plane, and it was rocketing straight at the World Trade Center.
"Oh my-" Before Carlos could even finish his sentence, the plane had crashed head-on into the South Tower.
Carlos couldn't restrain himself from yelling. "Oh my God! Oh, God!"
"What?" James asked frantically.
"Don't you see? The second tower, the plane-" But just then, Carlos heard James gasp.
"Oh my God," his friend exclaimed, "Oh my God, are you kidding me? Oh my God…"
"James, this isn't an accident," Carlos said, voice shaking, "This isn't an accident, we're being attacked, I can't believe this…"
"God, who would do this?" James muttered.
"I don't know," Carlos said, "But, James… Kendall and Logan… I'm freaking out…"
"I know, so am I… we have to call them. Call them and see if we can get hold of them so we can at least have some idea…"
"Yeah," Carlos agreed with James quickly, "Yeah, and call each other as soon as we're done."
"Okay," James said, and the two hung up.
Carlos quickly pressed the number "3", Kendall's speed dial, on his phone, and hit "send". He waited impatiently as it rang, and he felt a pang in his heart when Kendall's voicemail recording played: "Hey, it's Kendall, I'm not available, but leave your name and number and I'll get back to you. Peace." Carlos hung up and dialed again, now more nervous than before. Once again, he got Kendall's voicemail. Panicking more and more with each failed attempt to reach his friend, he finally left a voicemail the sixth time that Kendall didn't answer his phone. "Kendall, it's Carlos," he began, "It's…" He quickly checked the time, "9:06, and I'm at my apartment watching what's going on, and I'm just really worried about you right now." Carlos swallowed, trying not to lose control of his emotions. "I hope you're alright, and if there's any possible way for you to call me, just… please, call me if you get this message. But take care of yourself above all… okay? Try to stay safe… I love you, man. Bye." And he hung up.
Taking a deep breath, he punched the "2"- Logan's speed dial- on his dial pad and hit "send". His anxiety was threatening to overwhelm him at this point. If Logan didn't pick up, he didn't know what he would do.
On the fourth ring, just as Carlos was about to hang up in frenzy, he heard a voice: "Hello?"
"Oh my god, Logan!" Carlos cried in relief, "Oh, thank God, thank God, I—I thought—I was so worried—are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Logan reassured his friend.
"Where are you?" Carlos asked.
"I'm about three blocks away," Logan said. He had to raise his voice over the noise of the sirens and emergency vehicles rushing past him. "My whole station got here about twenty minutes ago, and a lot of them were sent into the building."
Carlos's chest tightened. "But… but you haven't—I mean, do you know if you're going to be sent up there?"
"I don't know," Logan said, sounding unsure. "Right now, they have me directing evacuations, but with the number of people who are stuck up there… they'll need as many of us as possible."
"Logan," Carlos said tensely, "Promise me that if you go up there, you'll be careful. I—if anything happened—" Carlos couldn't bring himself to continue.
"Carlos," Logan lowered his voice, "This is what I'm trained for, you know that. I promise that I'll be careful, and I promise that nothing is going to happen to me. Okay?"
Carlos drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," he said, only slightly reassured.
"But…" Logan paused momentarily before saying, "Carlos, I'm worried about Kendall."
Carlos felt another pang in his heart as he replied, "So am I. I called him six times and he never answered."
"You, too?" Logan asked. "I couldn't get him, either."
"You haven't seen him, have you?" Carlos asked anxiously.
Logan sighed. "No… even if he has gotten out, there are so many people running around here that it'd be almost impossible to spot him. But his office is on the eighty-first floor… I can't see a way that he could've made it down this fast. And I think he'd have answered our calls if he'd gotten out…"
Carlos knew that Logan was right, but he still desperately wanted to find some way of learning of Kendall's whereabouts.
He suddenly heard muffled voices coming from Logan's end. After a brief pause, Logan spoke clearly into the phone. "I—I gotta go, Carlos. They're sending me in."
Carlos wanted to plead with Logan not to go into the towers, beg him not to risk his life, but instead he said, "O—okay… Logan… I—just be careful, okay? I…" Carlos drew in a shaky breath, "I love you."
Carlos heard Logan breathe in sharply. "I love you, too, Carlos," came the reply, and after a short silence, "I'll be okay. Bye." Then the line went dead.
Carlos hung up and stared at his phone for a long moment. He couldn't help but repeat Logan's words in his head: "I'll be okay," and "nothing is going to happen to me". How could Logan possibly know that for sure? This was no ordinary fire—the towers were so tall and there were so many people trapped. Anything could happen, even to the most experienced fireman. It was for this reason that Carlos could not stop himself from worrying about Logan; his only comfort was that he had talked to him, heard his voice, and learned that he was okay for the time being. But this was a small comfort, for he knew that from that point forth, Logan's safety would be anything but certain.
Carlos was jolted from his thoughts as he realized that James was likely frantically awaiting a phone call from Carlos, and so he punched the "4" on his phone and hit "send".
"I tried Kendall, like, ten times, and he never picked up!" James did, indeed, sound frantic. "And Logan's not answering, either!"
"I got Logan!" Carlos said quickly.
"What?" James exclaimed, "You did? Oh, thank God. Is he alright? What'd he say?"
"He said that his station got there twenty minutes ago," Carlos told him, "And he said that he's worried about Kendall, he tried calling him, too, but he didn't get an answer. And Logan's fine… at least, he was."
There was a very pregnant pause. "What do you mean, he was?"
Carlos sighed heavily. "He… he just got sent up into one of the towers."
"What?"
"I was on the phone with him when his chief gave him the orders… James, now they're both in there. I mean, what if… what if something happens? What if—"
"No," James said, voice shaking, "No, I can't think about that, please, let's not talk about 'what if's, okay?"
Carlos nodded. It would be impossible for either of them not to worry about their friends, but they could avoid talking about it. "Okay," Carlos agreed, and after that, the two were silent for a while. They did not hang up their phones; they simply sat watching the World Trade Center burn, James, on his television, and Carlos, out his window. Neither could find the words to describe how shocking this was or how they felt, though they didn't need to. It was enough to know that, through the silence, the other was on the other line, feeling the same sense of helplessness and fear and uncertainty.
Carlos was unsure how long they were quiet for, but when James broke the silence, it seemed as if they had never stopped talking. "Oh—oh my gosh—"
"What?" Carlos asked, craning his neck for a better view of the towers.
"Are you seeing this?" James asked, sounding calm, and yet very frightened.
"No, what's going on?" Carlos couldn't understand how James could be seeing something that Carlos couldn't.
"Go… go watch through your TV."
Carlos glanced out his window once more, and then returned to the TV. The news broadcasters were talking about how "frightening" and "terrible" something was, and the burning towers continued to be the focus of the cameras.
"What?" Carlos asked again, still not seeing what James was seeing.
"There…" James seemed to be struggling to find words that adequately described what was going on. After a short delay in speech, James finally said, quietly, "People are jumping, Carlos."
Carlos didn't know what to say. He simply sat, jaw hanging open, and stared at the TV screen, not sure if he wanted to learn for himself if this was true or not. For a few minutes, he couldn't see anything—just the towers continuing to smolder. But then he saw them: tiny figures, nothing more than dark specks, falling along the sides of the towers. They almost appeared to be flying, and if one didn't realize what these specks were, they could have been mistaken for birds knocked off their course. But Carlos knew better—he knew that these specks were people, people who had been forced to make a decision that no one should ever have to make. These people were employees of tenants in the Twin Towers, yes; but they were also mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and friends. Friends, he realized with a heart-wrenching jolt, who very well could be his. He felt his throat constrict, and he put his head in his hands, trying to rid those sorts of thoughts from his mind.
No, he thought, running a hand through his hair, No, they wouldn't, either of them… they're too strong, they wouldn't resort to that… would they? No! They're gonna make it out… they're gonna be fine… they're gonna make it out… Carlos repeated these words to himself over and over, as if he believed that by repeating them, he could make them come true.
"Carlos?" James asked softly, "You there?"
"Yeah," Carlos said, voice shaking horribly, "Yeah, I—I just can't believe this…"
"Me, either… it's horrible…"
Suddenly, the towers disappeared from Carlos' TV screen. "What the…?" Carlos leaned forward, wanting to know why they would possibly cease reporting from the World Trade Center.
The reporter began speaking again. "Breaking news from Washington, D.C., a hijacked plane has just struck the west wall of the Pentagon, causing large fires and killing at least one hundred people inside the building. This crash is suspected to be linked directly to the attacks on the World Trade Center earlier this morning, and measures are being taken to ready for the further threat of terrorists. A nation-wide ground stop has been ordered, and the White House and Capitol building are expected to begin evacuations as soon as possible. Now, back to New York City."
Carlos simply sat in awe, for that was all he found himself capable of at that point. Another attack… how could this be happening? Where would disaster strike next? Carlos very suddenly felt exposed and insecure, and the thought of further attack was extremely unsettling.
It was as if James could read Carlos' thoughts, because he said, "I can't believe this… what next? When do they call it quits?"
"When they've killed as many of us as possible," Carlos replied almost automatically. "They're trying to make us fall apart at the seams by hitting us where it hurts the most…"
It seemed as if James didn't know how to respond to these words, because he didn't say anything. This lead to another elongated silence, which lasted for longer than the first. The boys watched the news, which Carlos figured out was about four or five seconds slower than real-time, as if under some sort of trance. Carlos felt consumed by a feeling of numbing shock, which was consistently being penetrated by his increasing worry for Kendall and Logan. He tried to convince himself that they would be okay, but he just couldn't manage it. He couldn't prevent disturbing or terrifying thoughts from making their way to the front of his mind. He hated not knowing if his friends were safe. It was driving him insane. He felt that he would almost rather have them hurt, and know about it, than be in the dark. His fear of the unknown was too great. Anything at all could have been happening to Logan or Kendall right at that moment—and that was a thought that terrified Carlos to no end. He desperately wanted to get a call from Kendall or Logan; he didn't care what they said, he just wanted to know if they were safe. He didn't think that either would call, though—Logan was on duty, and Kendall hadn't answered any of their calls—but that didn't stop him from hoping.
Carlos decided that he was far too anxious and far too jittery to sit and watch the news, so he got up and crossed to the window, phone still plastered to his ear even though neither he nor James had spoken in about twenty minutes. At the very moment that he looked up at the World Trade Center, he heard a low and distant rumbling. Confused for a moment as to where it was coming from, Carlos gazed around quickly before realization hit him.
He looked back to the burning towers and gasped. He abruptly felt as though a pair of invisible hands was crushing his lungs, leaving him gasping for breath and sending his body into a total state of shock as he watched the top of the South Tower appear to start sinking. Puffy, gray, clouds of dust began to fill the place of the smoke as the South Tower collapsed on itself. Within seconds, the South Tower disappeared from view, the enormous clouds of dust replacing it.
So, there's the first chapter. I know it's late, and I know it's long, but I hope you liked it. I'm excited to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, because that's when I think the story really begins. Reviews would be much appreciated!