A/N: Last chapter! Hooray! I post this days before my final exam, since I still have time. Enjoy! :)

CHAPTER SIX

"You're a complete liar, Stevenson." Scotty walked around Archibald's seat.

"What makes you think like that?" Archibald asked, hands smoothing his unruly ebony hair.

"You told Lilly you last saw Carter and his son the day before he died. But Dorothy said you were there, when Augustin was hospitalized."

"She told you that?"

"And I heard Augustin said something about you two meeting sometimes. He came earlier this morning; just sayin'."

Archibald's face showed true surprise. "He came? Thank goodness!"

"But nothing about that now, Stevenson," Scotty interrupted. He pulled out a picture of the knife Dorothy had given them. "The same initials between both of you make us wonder whose knife this was. Augustin has admitted this was his, but he didn't remember using it."

His eyes showed true honesty when he said, "No, he didn't."

"Did you use it?"

Archibald blinked, and Scotty saw the honesty had gone with the wind. Like most cornered people, Archibald didn't answer directly. "You know, Detective, I just wanted to be a hero. Augustin was the only one who saw me as one. I wanted to save the day."

"Stop telling me bullshit!" Scotty snarled, glaring at him. "Augustin saw you in that alley!"

Archibald paled, but his steely gaze didn't waver. "About bloody time you knew that, Detective."

Scotty kept silent.

He leaned back against his seat and sighed. "I want to set him free, away from his past. He's been hiding like a prey, you know. Married and has a family under a fake ID. The only way I can think about doing it is opening this case once again. Saw Detective Rush in there and I knew I had to give it a shot. My dear daddy hit me all the time as well, Detective, and I told you… I wanted to be a hero."

"And being a hero, Detective," said Archibald as he rolled his eyes, "meant getting rid of those scumbags."

Archibald was worried. He had rushed into Augustin's house only to see his crying mother. Archibald wanted to resent her for not being there for her son, but he didn't have much time. He had asked her where Augustin was, and she had shrugged between her crying.

Augustin had told him Dorothy, his mother, was home. He also had told him Mr. Carter had hurt her and it had enraged Augustin. He had a bad feeling something would happen, and as much Archibald hated to admit, he trusted his feelings more than anything in this world. He knew where Augustin and/or Mr. Carter probably were.

The Card.

It was getting dark, and Archibald was still running. He was running past a small alley when he heard a pained yell inside it. His head snapped toward the source of voice.

"Augustin," he whispered to himself. "Damn it!"

He rushed into the alley, and saw something he least expected. His rage flared and he shouted as he saw his friend slumped on the concrete floor, passed out.

"YOU WON'T TOUCH HIM ANYMORE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Mr. Carter snapped his head toward Archibald. A small smirk crossed his face. "Well, hello there," he sneered. "What are you doing here, Mr. Stevenson? Back to your seat!"

Archibald didn't even smile at his usual joke. "You killed him, Mr. Carter."

Mr. Carter glanced at the unconscious Augustin and spat. "I'll be overjoyed if that happens, Stevenson."

Archibald couldn't hold his anger anymore. He gripped Mr. Carter's collar and banged him against the wall. He was stronger than him, but rage gave Archibald more energy.

"He's… my… friend!"

"You… dare… to… befriend… that… scum?" Mr. Carter panted, his beer scented breath strong.

Archibald nodded at him, his eyes wild. He took a deep breath. "I know how that feels, Mr. Carter! Augustin and I are alike, you know. We are abused by scumbags like you, who call themselves decent citizens! But you're nothing more than a scum!"

Mr. Carter pushed him away. "You dare to insult me, your teacher?"

"I'm just giving you a piece of my mind!" Archibald shouted.

Mr. Carter bent down and took something near Augustin's battered body. His body suddenly moved and Archibald was slammed against the wall, a knife was placed near his throat. Augustin's knife. He had once told Archibald about that.

"You say something else about me and…"

Archibald quickly kicked him in the groin and grabbed the knife out of his grip. His hand was bleeding from the blade, but he didn't care. He launched himself towards his teacher, the knife tight in his grip.

"You're not hurting him anymore," he hissed before stabbing the knife into his teacher's body.

Mr. Carter screamed in pain. Archibald didn't care, his rage was too much; he couldn't get enough. His vision blurred and he could only see his father. He stabbed the knife again, this time it connected with Mr. Carter's chest.

"You're supposed to die!" Stab!

"You're a piece of shit who abuse kids and pretend nothing's happening!" Stab!

"Shut up!" Stab!

"You know how it feels to be beaten, huh?" Stab!

It happened so fast.

When Archibald's rage had faded, he was greeted by total silence. He looked down, and was stunned at what he had done. He hurriedly folded the knife and pocketed it.

"Mr. Carter? Mr. Carter? MR. CARTER?"

Archibald screamed himself hoarse and walked away from the dead body. He almost ran away when he saw another body.

"Augustin! Augustin, you there, man?" he shook his friend's body.

Archibald was more than relieved when he heard Augustin's small groan. "C'mon, let's get those things treated," he said as he carried his friend to the nearest hospital.

Scotty walked out of the interrogation room, Archibald Stevenson in front of him with his hands handcuffed. The ebony-haired man looked around, but he didn't see someone he was looking for in the crowded room. He looked down and continued to walk.

Meanwhile, in the Stevenson's residence, Bill opened a small photo album. He saw the photo of Trent and him, after fishing. He smirked as the face of a younger him flashed. He flipped another page and saw him, Trent, and Augustin, as a small boy. He took the photo and saw the writing behind it: 'Hate that Boy' and some other letters he couldn't read. He, back into his middle-aged self, sneered bitterly at Trent's writing before throwing the photo to the lit fireplace.

Agnes Whitman was frowning at a middle-aged man who was flirting with her. She rolled her eyes, trying to show him she wasn't interested. She swished her blonde hair and her younger self was sneering at him. Suddenly a card was shoved into her vision and she looked up, coming back into her real age. Scotty was smirking at her, holding another card with his two fingers. She smiled at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Detective Nick Vera carried the case box, with the name 'CARTER, T.' marked on the side and the word 'CLOSED' marked on the lid, through the storage room. Miller came and opened the box before putting Augustin's folded knife inside. She stared at Vera as he set it away with the other boxes on the shelves.

A week after his arrest, Archibald Stevenson was given permission to reunite properly with Augustin, his best friend. They met in a small park, and Augustin was carrying his daughter, a huge smile on his face. He gave her to his wife and gave Archibald a one-armed hug, something both of them had been so afraid of since they were abused. Someone walked past them and their younger selves were visible. Archibald patted Augustin's back and Augustin merely nodded at him. No words were needed. They shared a hug again, and the flashbacks were gone, and Archibald bade farewell to the small family before he went off with Lilly.

Dorothy Carter looked around the hall. She was in a child abuse seminar, and she was looking forward for the speaker. Someone walked past her and her younger face flashed, as she stared proudly at her son who was starting to talk on the stage. She looked at someone who sat next to her and saw Trent's hard face, staring directly at his adopted son. Suddenly he looked back at her and nodded, a small smile Dorothy always loved crossed his face. Dorothy smiled back, and she was back into her older self. Trent nodded at her once again before he stood and walked out the door, fading away in the process.

FIN.

So? What do you think? I hope this is decent enough as a first time. Now I gotta go, final exams are waiting. I hope I can post a thank you note afterwards. ^^

~seer