Preview Chapter One for a fic I'm working on.

Nat belongs to c2ndy2c1d

Rave belongs to KiraKurry

Jourdon belongs to me

Summer haze and stolen kisses, a peaceful wonderful time that just never seemed to end. Of course with Rave's perpetual anger and Nat's constant teasing, it was never dull. While other things happened, should Kevin or Edd or anyone else for that matter need something to do, they'd just listen for the shouting and follow it. If anything, Nathan was a persistent bastard.

But... all good things come to an end.

Breaking news!

Recent string of kidnappings claims another victim. A local, James Cute, stolen from the very streets!

The man hunt lasted for months, Kevin and Nat searching around in every free instance they had in some hope of returning the lost teenager home. The only thing to lead them on was a black van sighted by the only person near Rave at the time, Jourdon Kaide, who had tried to make a dash for him, but was down the block when she saw the van drive off with him. Police questioned everyone from the witness to his friends parents. Nothing. No one found a single trace of the male.

Eight months later a body was recovered. Mangled and almost completely unrecognisable, the similarities in size and age allowed the police to deem the case a homicide.

The town of Peach Creek quieted, but no one forgot.

~.~.~

Ten years later

"Sir, sir put the gun down." Police had been called to a hostage situation at a local bakery of all places. The man with the gun had a record of instability and was likely in another fit rather than seeking to harm someone. Incoherent babbling left the man and finally, Kevin Barr told them all to put their weapons down as he headed in to the epicentre. When things like this happened and nothing was resolved, he figured the best course of action would be to just go in himself and try to talk reason, or at least calm the man down.

Eddward Vincent, star reporter for the city's most important news broadcasters, had his camera men focus in on Kevin walking into the bakery.

Kevin put his weapon on the floor and put his hands in the air. "Hey now... hey, can we talk?" He tried, the gunman seemed tense but curious and lowered his weapon. "That's better... alright... now everyone's scared, see? Why don't we just let them leave? No one gets hurt." The thought seemed to rile the man some, he swung the gun around like an infant with little control over his arms, only making loud noises, no words.

"H-hey! Hey, it's okay. We don't want anyone to get hurt, is it okay if they leave? I'll stay here if you want, and they can go." Kevin suggested, carefully ushering people up one by one and watching to make sure that the man wouldn't start firing. Once the place had been cleared, he convinced the man to let go of the gun and walk out with him. The story became one of Kevin Barr's greatest successes.

After such a day, Kevin left the station with Nat next to him, chatting and groaning about the day.

"It wasn't all that bad. Edd was there." Nat grinned.

Kevin just rolled his eyes. "Here we go... Nat, he was just doing his job. It's not in any way an advance."

"A guy can dream, can't he?" The two laughed together.

"A dream's all you're gonna get!"

"Well then my dreams are coming true, here comes the little cutie now."

Edd was coming, rather quickly at that, but it didn't seem like he was headed for them, rather, he was running away from someone. A man in black, pointing a gun at him and shouting after him. The sight was enough to put both officers into a wary state, drawing their weapons.

"Edd! Get behind us!" Kevin barked, the lanky boy quickly obeyed, taking refuge behind his old friends.

The man finally caught up, still brandishing his weapon and refusing to reveal his face. "Officer's, that boy has stolen from me." His voice was low, gruff, familiar, but neither male could place it.

"Did he?" Nat raised a brow, Kevin glancing back at Edd to see the pleading look he wore.

"It's important! I h-had to take it! It's regarding a past case that-"

"Lies, all lies, I was walking back from having a few pictures developed and this boy came along and snatched them from my hands. They're my personal belongings, I merely desire to have them back." The man seemed to shrug the whole thing off.

"Did you take them?" Kevin frowned.

"W-well yes but..." Edd handed one of the photo's up and gave it to Kevin.

"Oh fuck... Nat... you're gonna want to see this." Kevin was nearly breathless, stunned and a terrified heat filling him.

"What's- holy shit! That's-!" Nat turned to the man, cocking the gun. "Alright where-" But the man had taken off when he realised things were only going down hill.

"I know it's theft..." Edd began. "But I was behind him to get photos developed and I saw it and... I just had to grab them and bring them to you... it's incredible."

The pictures in question had a bunch of people sitting around, none of them looked happy, some looked malnourished, in fact almost all of them did. Right in the middle of the picture sat the most familiar face... One they hadn't seen in over ten years. The familiar, brooding gaze of James Rave Cute now seemed empty and void of life, ten years of captivity, of people believing him to be dead. Though no one's shock and confusion matched Nat's. It burned in him, not only anger but desire to see his lost friend again.

"Edd, what store was this developed at?"