A/N: Have any of you gone through such a hectic and stressful week that you realize, sometime in the middle of the night (you are awake because you suffer chronic insomnia) that it is actually Friday when you could have sworn it was only Wednesday? Yeah. I did. And I apologize becuase this week has been reallycrazy. And I just found out I have to make an emergency out of town trip. Not fun.

Here is the last chapter to this story. Thank you so much for sticking with me this far. The next part of this story will hopefully be up soon. But rest assured, I plan on finishing this series before August. :) Thanks to all you guys who read and muchas thanks to all those who reviewed.

Chapter Six

"So I'm assuming," Mac said as he corned him outside Pete's bar one night, "You aren't going to fight anymore?"

Tony's fingers played with Lee's leash as he squared up to Mac – who, Tony suddenly noticed, was much smaller and shorter than him. Tony had never noticed that before.

"No," Tony said quietly. "Not anymore."

Mac smiled then, that feral smile that Tony hated, and stepped forward.

"You sure that's a wise decision Deuce?" Mac said with that smile on his face, though his tone of voice held a whole different connotation entirely.

Tony played with Lee's red leash some more and rolled his shoulders, "Yes."

Mac made that "awh-shucks" noise and gestured to someone who had been in the car with him.

Two people got out, and though only one of them was physically bigger than Tony, having bats and a concealed gun made them much more powerful than Tony could ever be at the moment.

"Well," Mac said, stepping over slightly to give the two other guys some room, "I think me and my friends here think you should…reconsider."

Lee, who liked almost every creature that lived on the green earth, surprisingly took a step back and let out a small growl.

Mac laughed at the dog and reached down and drew out a gun of his own.

Knowing that he could do nothing to stop what was about to happen, Tony stepped in front of Lee hoping to save his six month old dog who still had a lot of growing and living left to do.

Both dog and humans jumped when the sound of a shotgun being loaded was heard.

Tony turned, taking his eyes off his almost attackers, and was greeted by the sight of Pete aiming his shot gun at Mac and his buddies.

"Now I now you ain't the smartest bunch," Pete drawled out, spitting out a bit of chewing tobacco as he stared them down. Sliding the pump on the shotgun, Pete adjusted his aim once more before spitting again, "But I don't see a ballpark 'round here."

Pete had always been a man of few words and Tony knew that Pete was going to let the 12-guage shotgun do the rest of the talking for him.

Mac scowled and for a few seconds Tony held his breath, his fingers turning white from the grip he had on Lee's collar.

Please…

Finally, Mac smiled again before turning to Tony.

"Be seeing you around, Deuce," he tapped Tony on the check before walking back to the car, his slow measured walk showing everyone that he didn't really care that Pete still had a loaded shotgun aimed at his back.

Tony didn't move from his position until all three men were back in their car and around the corner.

Then, Tony let himself kneel on the floor before promptly throwing up.

"Hey," Tony heard Pete switch the safety on before he bent down and laid a hand on Tony's shoulder, "You okay, kid?"

Tony spit one last time, being careful to keep Lee away from the mess, before nodding and turning to face Pete.

"Thank you," Tony whispered. He meant it with all his heart. As long as Tony remembered, which wasn't very long he admitted, no one had stood up for him that way. And Pete had done it and Tony knew if he hadn't…

Lee, who let out a whine, nosed his way into Tony's lap, his tail hitting Tony's leg as it wagged.

"I'm alright boy," Tony rubbed Lee's ear before petting the spot right between his eyes, "Pete here made sure of that."

Tony turned to Pete and accepted Pete's hand up, "Really, Pete, I mean, you didn't-"

Pete scowled slightly, but Tony could still see that mirth in his eyes, "Was nothing. I've faced worse in 'Nam. Now, get inside before anyone sees me with this. We need to talk."

Tony smiled and followed Pete inside, Lee keeping pace with him the whole way.

Tony knew, as much as he knew anything, that staying around this place wasn't going to work.

He didn't know anyone here and no matter where he went, no where felt like home.

Tony hadn't stayed long in the first place he had been at, and by the time he figured that he should know where he was, it didn't really matter much.

Tony didn't even know where he was headed so knowing where he'd come from…

Well, it didn't matter much either.

At first, Tony had walked everywhere. It had given him something to do and as he walked, Tony tried to piece the pieces of himself, the small pieces he could find, together.

It wasn't much and Tony knew it was never enough but he got by.

Walking helped and thinking helped and it was times like those, walking along the street to a rhythm only he heard, that Tony could pretend everything was okay.

"I'm going to have to leave," Tony said quietly, slowly drinking ginger ale to ease his queasy stomach.

The look in Mac's eyes…he knew that Mac wouldn't leave him alone. Not now that he had been "shown up" by Pete. By leaving, Tony was costing Mac alot of money. And Mac hated losing money.

But for the first time ever, Tony found himself not wanting to say goodbye.

"I'd reckon that's true," Pete nodded, spitting out into his dip cup, "Been meaning to talk to you about that."

Tony nodded and waited for the other shoe that he'd been waiting to drop since the moment Pete had invited him to stay.

Pete was going to ask him to leave.

It was just the way things went.

Tony dreamed of a big house. A mansion really.

It had tons of room and hallways and even though it was huge, Tony never got lost in his dream.

He knew where he was going, even if Tony didn't really know, and he would race along the hallways and corridors and push past doors and all the while, Tony could feel himself laughing.

But he rarely laughed for long because soon, parts of the house would start disappearing and without the pieces Tony started getting lost.

And the more lost he got, the sadder he became.

Till a man appeared, twice Tony's size with a voice that reminded Tony of thunder, and lifted him up and out.

Then Tony could only watch as the last pieces of the house disappeared completely and Tony was left alone.

"I'll be out of your hair by tonight," Tony decided to do this quick, like ripping off a band-aid, "I don't have a lot and if you want you can keep Lee," Tony's voice cracked slightly on that last part but Tony pushed onward because this was life and he had been stupid to think it could ever be different, "I mean, I don't know when I'll get another job but Lee will be happy and safe with you and that way Mac and those guys won't hurt either of you or bug you-"

Suddenly, Tony felt the pain receptors light up on the back up his head, effectively silencing him.

"Kid," Pete smirked, after he had promptly head slapped Tony so he would shut up, "Sometimes, you talk too damn much."

Tony opened and closed his mouth, imitating a drowning fish perfectly, before swallowing, "What?"

"Well," Pete said shrugging his shoulder, "I got a call a few days ago. From my brother down in Texas."

Suddenly, Tony understood. He wasn't going to be doing the leaving this time.

Someone else was.

Tony shifted his weight, hoping to find a more comfortable spot on the floor. Shifting once more before giving up, Tony sighed and closed his eyes, letting the movement of the train car underneath lull him to sleep.

Next stop was hours away and Tony knew that if he slept he might miss it.

But then it really didn't matter. Baltimore hadn't felt like home. And more than likely, Ohio wouldn't either.

So he let the rubble of the train car wheels and the movement of the train beacon him to sleep.

He had no where special to be anyway.

A part of Tony felt relieved that it wasn't him doing the leaving. At least this way, he didn't share all the blame.

"-been asking for some help. Figured I head down there till his treatments were done and I was meaning to ask if you'd come with me," Pete finished, looking at Tony sideways.

"What?" Tony said again, not understand those last few words.

Did Pete just say…

"I want you to come with me," Pete smiled now at Tony's wide-eyed expression.

In the span of only a couple of minutes, Tony had felt his heart in his throat - when Mac had lifted that gun - to only fall in his stomach when Pete told him he was leaving.

But now…

Now Tony didn't know exactly where his heart was at the moment.

But he could only guess it was somewhere in the upper atmosphere.

"Okay," Tony said, knowing that Pete didn't need anything more.

"Alright," Pete nodded before turning back to write something in the tax book he kept behind the counter.

Alright, Tony thought.

It wasn't the best and it wasn't the worst but it was alright.

Compared to where he started and where he was now, Tony was alright.

And that was something that he could work with.

A/N2: First little story done! Was it confusing: A bit. But then, I tried to write it from Tony's perspective. But then, wouldn't you be confused if you woke up in the forest with no memory of how you got there and who you were?

Once agian, I'll make a note in this story when the next one is up so all those who have this on alert will see it. Next story (as soon as I have enough time to send it to my beta and receive it back) will be up soon. I hope.