Yeah... I know the last chapter was sad T_T I'm so sorry! But you know, this isn't exactly a happy story with what it's based around :/

REPLIES:

annomynous: Well sorry, I did warn you that this wasn't going to be a happy story cx

R5Lover: Yeah.. I don't think your going to like what happens next.

RikeLoverforlife: Will you do me a favour? Please? FUCK OFF. If you don't like the fact that people are dying in this R5 story then go find another one! You can't fucking expect me to NOT kill any of the characters when I write a story about the Twin Towers. Like wtf. I'm sure if anyone else wrote a story based off 9/11 with R5 in it they'd kill at least some of them off like I did. SO fuck off. Leave. Don't come back. Go write your own story with a happy ending if you want.. JUST. LEAVE.

Anyway...

Chapter 7

Time: 10:23 a.m.

Rocky searched around in Ratliff's car what he was looking for. He knew it was pointless going back to look for a ring when there's a 50/50 chance he could die if the North Tower collapsed, but Rocky was almost certain he was going to make it out alive. Key word = Almost. He wasn't even sure if he was going to make it out the car and if Maia would ever know that Rocky was going propose, hopefully Ratliff would tell Maia that. If not.. Then he'll do what dead people do best - haunt.

Rocky began to search through the shelf in Ratliff's car for the ring and he was struggling to find it. At last he found it right at the back of the shelf, as he went to go grab it he heard the building make a noise. Rocky looked up even though he was staring at the ceiling of the roof, he shook his head and grabbed the ring incase that was a sign the Tower was about to collapse. What Rocky didn't realise was that his foot was the only thing keeping the door of Ratliff's car open, it was already open when Ratliff was crushed under the rubble. Rocky couldn't take the car keys out of the engine because the keys were crushed into the engine after some rubble had fell onto the car and crushed bits of it, unfortunately the window where the steering wheel was being one of them.

Finally, Rocky got the box the ring was in and took it out. He then opened it to double check the ring was still in there. He opened it up and the ring sat in there shining he sighed with relief, but as he went to go close it he accidentally dropped the box out of his hand and onto the floor of the car. "Shit.." Rocky murmured. He bent down, taking his foot away from the door which cause the door of the car to slam shut. Rocky picked up the ring and put it in his pocket and tried to open the door. It wouldn't. He tried again. Still wouldn't.

"Oh no.." Rocky said as he started to barge at it with his hand, kick, punch and slap it. Still wouldn't open.

It had been a couple of minutes since Ross had gone back into the North Tower and instead of doing the right thing and leaving to go get help for Ratliff and themselves, because god knows what they were inhaling from the cloud of dust that was still casting over them, they stayed and waited incase Ross got out along with Rocky. But something told them they weren't going to get out so they didn't know why they were waiting. Yet, they decided to stay because Josh was just standing there watching in the direction Ross had ran off.

All of them had made a little conversation with Josh after Ross left, only small. Josh didn't seem like a very talkative person when Ross wasn't around him. It's what it seemed like anyway. Riker let go of Ratliff and let Maia and Laura both hold onto him so he would stand up straight, they weren't going to let him sit on the floor because of the dust that was setting itself down on the floor and that would probably get into the cuts onto his leg and cause infection.

Once Riker made sure Laura and Maia had hold of him, he walked over to Josh and knelt in front of him and took hold of his little hands. "Hey, Josh is it?" Riker asked. Josh nodded "He will be back, Ross.. I know he will." Josh nodded again. "How did you two meet?" Riker asked.

"He savwed me.. I was in the tower on my own." Josh said. He still hadn't put a smile on his face, ever since Ross left it kind of faded into more of a depressed face. Which kind of told everyone there how close Ross and Josh must of got whilst being with each other.

Riker nodded, he took his hands away from Josh when he felt something sticking to his hands. He flipped his hands over and looked at them. Blood. Riker knows it definitely wasn't from him, he then looked up to Josh "Josh... are you bleeding?" Riker asked as he flipped over his hands and looked to see blood on them. Josh shook his head. "Then.. How did you get blood on your hands?" He asked confused.

"I coughed and when I wiped my mowth, thwaht's where the bwood came fwom." Josh told him.

"So.. you coughed up blood?" Riker asked. Josh nodded as he began to cough again and Riker could see the blood coming out of his mouth. "Shit!" Riker looked over to the other three "Guys! Pass me something quick! He's coughing up blood!" Riker yelled at them panicked. Maia let go of Ratliff before running over to Riker and giving him a piece of cloth she had in her pocket, luckily it was clean. Laura was struggling to hold Ratliff so she helped him sit on the floor and he made sure his jeans were on tight right his hurt leg so nothing got up them, Laura went round to Riker and Maia to see what was up with Josh.

Riker wiped Josh's mouth and took the blood away from him. "There we go.." Riker said, even though he kind of knew it wasn't the end of it. "Are you okay now?" Riker asked. Josh shook his head. "Why not?" Riker asked "is it cause Ross had gone back into the tower?" He asked again, Josh shook his head again. "Then what is it?" Riker asked.

He soon got his answer when Josh collapsed and Riker had to catch him before he hit the floor.

Ross ran back down into the car park and ran through until he got to Ratliff's car where Rocky was, he saw Rocky inside of the car sat on the front seat as best as he could. He ran over to the car and looked at Rocky through the window "What are you doing?" Ross asked as he saw Rocky just sat in the car seat with a depressed face. "Get out Rocky." Ross said. Rocky shook his head. "Rocky please get out.." Rocky shook his head. Ross looked up as he heard part of the building crack. "Rocky c'mon.."

Then all of a sudden, Ross felt it shake a little bit. His eyes widened as he recognised that shake.

It was the same shake Ross felt before the South Tower collapsed.

"Rocky! Get the FUCK out of that car... NOW!" Ross demanded as he began to pull at the door, realising it was locked and wouldn't open. "Rocky, open the door! Please! It's going to collapse! I know what shake that was! It wasn't a nice one! And your not going to like the outcome in a few minutes or seconds time!"

Rocky looked out the car window to Ross and frowned "If I could get out, you know I would.." Rocky said, which made Ross cock his head and look at him confused. "The car door won't open.. I tried everything... Nothing worked. You might as well just leave me and go be with everyone else and the kid."

Ross shook his head "No, not without you."

Rocky just laughed before looking away. He then sighed and looked over to Ross "For your brother's last wish... please?" Rocky asked, with sad yet happy eyes. Ross shook his head, not disobeying what Rocky wanted.. but because he was finding it hard to follow. "Ross.. go on. I can die happy knowing everyone's safe, alive and okay.. I know my baby has a mother I know who will take good care of her with the support of my two brothers and friends.. Right?" Ross nodded "please Ross... I'm happy. I'd rather die happy than sad. Just go."

"F-fine.." Ross croaked out. He put his hand up to the window but dropped it before he turned round and slowly walked off. He turned round and looked at Rocky for one last time "I love you bro." Ross said as he was a certain distance away from the car.

"What?" Rocky asked as he couldn't hear him.

"I said I love you."

"What?!" Rocky asked louder "sorry.. I can't hear anything your saying."

"I said I love you." Ross said a little bit louder.

"WHAT?!"

"I said goodbye!" Ross shouted more quicker and agitated. Rocky nodded before giving Ross a little wave. And that's when Ross felt the beginning to shake violently, Ross then turned around and took off quickly on his feet towards the ramp of the car park as the building began to shake more and more, which meant the North Tower was collapsing.

For a second, Ross didn't think he was going to make it out of the car park in time before the dust hit the floor and the building collapsed. But he did. He ran out of the building into the outdoors and once he was at least 10 or so metres away from the North Tower, he jumped onto the floor and took cover as the dust passed quickly over him so he didn't end up swallowing any of it. As he heard the Tower fall and collapse as well as the screams of people around the streets and the sound of the dust going over him and other people who were on the floor, he felt an emotion of sadness and happiness.

Sadness because he just lost another one of his siblings, happiness because now he could keep that promise to Josh about him staying with him. At least Ross got a happy ending at the end of today at least. Not entirely a happy ending seen as though he lost Rydel and Rocky today to the falling of the Twin Towers, but at least he has Josh, Riker, Laura, Maia and Ratliff. At least.

Ross let another few minutes pass before slowly looking up to see if the dust had slowed down passing over him. It did. He put his hands onto the floor before getting himself up, realising how much he was covered in the dust. Ross looked around at the people who were getting up from the floor or still ducked before walking down the street to make his way back to Riker and everyone on the street they were on.

For a moment Ross thought he had forgotten what street they were on, he had already forgot about most things in his life today. He knows he saw Rydel this morning but he can't even picture how she looks like anymore, he can only imagine how Rocky looks all crushed and dead under the rubble of the North Tower. Man, why did Ross have to leave him behind?

He slowed down his running into jogging as he was approaching the street he knew everyone was on. Ross walked down the street once they came into sight he smiled when he saw them all, only to let it fade into confusion as he saw everyone laid on the floor surrounding something apart from Ratliff who was sat to the side of everyone. Ross looked over to Ratliff to see if he could read what was going on.

Ratliff was watching as Riker, Maia and Laura were trying to help Josh. He'd finally stopped coughing up blood, but the problem was that after he stopped coughing blood the North Tower collapsed and it made everything worse for Josh as everything managed to find a way into his lungs. Riker had even done his best to cover up Josh without crushing him as the dust went over them. Right now he was slowly dying as Ratliff could tell. The three were just yelling at each other for things to do. Ratliff just sighed and looked away from them all as he couldn't bare the sight anymore, instead he just looked down the street when Ross caught his eye as he slowly walked up the street.

Ratliff threw Ross a sympathetic sad look as Ross looked over in confusion. Almost immediately when Ross saw Ratliff give him the look, he knew what was going on as the only person that wasn't there standing or kneeling was Josh. "No.." Ross whispered to himself. Ross found himself running up the street and next thing he knew, he got in between Riker and Laura who were knelt on the floor and looked at Josh who was on the floor laying in Riker's arms "What happened?!" Ross asked, taking Josh away from Riker's arms and into his own.

Riker sat back as Ross took him from his arms "I don't know," Riker said "he coughed up blood, tried to hide it, coughed it up again, he stopped, the North Tower collapsed and I think it made it worse.." Riker said as he watched Ross.

Ross looked down at Josh into his arms, he saw Josh's eyes were slowly shutting, so he gently tapped Josh's face "Josh... Josh.. stay with me," Ross said as he felt a lump in his throat "it's Ross..."

Josh slowly opened up his eyes again, it was blurry his vision but it soon came back and he saw Ross above him looking down on him and holding him. He smiled weakly at him "Ross.. Ywou came bwack.." Josh said weakly, his voice cracking.

Ross nodded "I did," Ross's voice cracked as he said those words "how are you feeling?" he asked.

Josh coughed hard and violently, a little blood came out the side of his mouth but Ross wiped it off with the sleeve of his jacket and wiped the rest off his mouth. "It..." Josh coughed "hwurts.."

"What..? What hurts?" Ross asked, as he was going to try help him as much as he can. He made two promises too Josh. 1. He could come stay with him and be happy. 2. He would keep Josh alive.

Josh lifted up his hand and put it to his chest as he was finding it difficult to speak "My chwest."

Ross looked up to Riker, Laura, Maia and Ratliff to see if they knew what it could be. Everyone shrugged and shook their heads but Laura. She just sat there letting a tear fall down her face as she watched, knowing exactly what it was. "Laura.. what is it?" Ross asked "please tell me so I can help him."

Laura shook her head "you can't help him," Laura said with tears running down her face "when you guys were running through the Tower for the amount of time he was alone he was obviously breathing in and inhaling the smoke from the fire from where you were which was getting into his lungs and chest, then when he got out here he must of done the same but with the dust which caused him a chest infection.. Then when the North Tower collapsed.. It made it worse."

"Then we'll get him a doctor." Ross said about to pick him up and being desperate. "No!" Riker said, stopping him "you can't., You won't get him to the nearest doctor in time to help him... I'm so sorry Ross.."

Ross shook his head as tears rolled down his face, he felt his heart hurting by just what everyone was saying to him about Josh. They'd come too far now for Ross to just let him die like this, there had to be something he could do to help him. He made him two god damn promises he promised he would keep and now it looks like he's breaking them both. "No, there has to be something I can do to help him!" Ross pleaded.

Riker rubbed Ross's back gently "I'm sorry.." Riker said.

Ross shut his eyes as tears escaped out if them and rolled down his cheeks and off them very quickly. He then looked down at Josh and stroked his face as he was barely alive still "I'm so sorry.." Ross said as it came out more of a whisper through his tears "I didn't... I didn't mean for any of this to happen.."

"It okay."

Ross nodded as he stroked his head. Josh let out a small cough "Do ywou want ywour neckwace bwack?" Josh asked as he put his hand on the whistle necklace Ross had given him before he ran into the tower.

Ross shook his head putting his hand onto Josh's hand that was in the whistle, stopping him from trying to take it off. "No, no," Ross said "you keep it.."

"Ywou kweep mine two."

Ross let out a small laugh which only made more tears fall down from his face. He tried to calm himself down a little bit so he could speak more clear to him "I'm so sorry I have to break them two promises I made you," He said making him cry even more which he didn't think was even possible "some superhero I am to you huh? Because I'm not one if I'm going to let you di- down... by breaking them promises."

"Shhh.." Josh said, making Ross quiet "ywour the bwest supwerhewo I ever mwet and known." Ross could of sworn that Josh's mission was to make Ross cry so much that he died with Josh because of dehydration. "Don't cwy," Josh said "nowthing bad is gowing to happwen... is thwere?" Josh asked, a little bit confused. He wasn't sure what was going on. All he knew was that he was in pain and everyone seemed to be upset.

Ross shook his head as the tears picked up there pace falling down his cheeks, he had to keep Josh happy didn't he. "N-no," Ross said "nothing bad is going to happen.."

"Thwen why are ywou cwying?"

Ross sniffled and wiped his eyes, even though it didn't stop the tears "B-because.. Your.. Your in pain.. a-and.. I don't like it when people I care about are in pain..." Ross said, half lying. Of course he was upset that Josh was in pain, but he was more sad and broken about the fact he was in pain and dying in his arms.

Josh smiled up at Ross, it was sweet that Ross was so caring about him because Josh felt the same way about Ross. As he went to go say something, he didn't. He was cut off by the pain in his chest.. Josh winced before coughing again, but more violently "Ross... mwake the pwain go away... it hwurts.."

Ross started to shake a little bit as tears came out of his eyes, he shut his eyes before re-opening them and looking over to Riker who was sat beside Ross with tears in his own eyes. Riker just nodded at Ross, which told him 'it's time' and Ross just turned his head slowly to Josh. He wiped Josh's face where there were bits of dust "Just..." Ross paused as he really couldn't string the sentence together.

"Just go to sleep." Ross said, shaking his head and voice breaking "that'll... that'll make the pain.. go away." He sniffled.

Josh nodded "Will ywou be thwere when I wake up?" Josh asked. He hoped Ross would be there, seen as though his Mom and Dad had gone missing. At least that's what Josh thinks and remembers. He wasn't quite sure he remembered what had happened to them.

Ross shook his head and turned his head to Riker "I can't do this..." Ross said to Riker. Riker just rubbed his arm in sympathy as he let a tear down his face himself "You have too.." Riker said "your the only one of us he knows."

Ross turned his head back down to Josh and ruffled his hair like he did back in the Tower and before he left him before to go back in. He took a deep breath "No, I'm not.." Ross said "and I'm very, very sorry I won't be..." Ross said, finding it hard to say as he felt like shaking and breaking down in tears "that was the promise I had to break... Unfortunately.. You can't.. come live with me..."

"Why not? Dwid I do somethwing bwad?" Josh asked with a sad face.

"Oh no, no, no," Ross said shaking his head "you did nothing.. Nothing at all. You've been a good boy. An amazing boy.." Ross continued "and your don't deserve any of this.." Ross whispered, which luckily Josh didn't hear.

"Thwen.. Why can't I cwome?"

"B-b-because,." Ross said as he couldn't hold his tears back any more he was just letting them go down his face at a million miles per hour for Josh to see and he didn't go "C-cause.. Y-your going t-to a better place... and.. Where that is... I c-can't go.. I'm not allowed to.. Not yet anyway." He said as he felt a harsh pain his own chest and heart as he said those words.

"Will ywou evwer be thwere?"

"Some day," Ross said before taking a deep breath "I can promise you more than anything in the whole entire world that I will be there one day and I will come find you and be with you. I promise that.." Ross didn't even bother to wipe the new set/wave of tears that were coming.

"Thwen.. who will be there?" Josh asked.

"My brother Rocky will be," Ross said "and my sister Rydel.. They'll take good care of you. I promise." He continued on explaining as his voice went higher at "promise".

Josh smiled "I can't wait to... meet them." Josh said between coughs.

Ross nodded "I could wait..." Ross whispered to himself.

"Bwut.. Can't I stway hwere a bwit longer..?" Josh asked.

Ross shook his head "I wish," Ross's voice cracked "but... I don't want you to be in pain any longer.. S-so... g-g-go to s-s-sleep.."

Josh nodded "I'll see thwere some day Ross.."

"I know," Ross said "Now get some sleep.. You want that pain to go away now right,don't you?" Ross asked. Josh nodded before he shut his eyes and slowly settled down in Ross's eyes and began to drift off to sleep. At least what he thought was sleep.

As Josh shut his eyes, Ratliff looked away and wiped his own eyes. That was the most heartbreaking thing he had ever had to witness. He never wants to see a kid OR Ross go through that type of pain again. Ratliff could see pretty clearly how much it was hurting him and that hurt Ratliff. He wiped his eyes to prevent any tears. Laura got up from the floor and walked about a metre away so she didn't have to watch any more, her heart couldn't take it anymore. Maia was the same, she had to turn around and shut her eyes whilst letting her hand fall onto her stomach where her future kid was. She hoped and prayed that when her child grew up nothing this horrible would happen to him or her. Riker stayed where he was, he had a feeling Ross would need someone there to hold him in a few seconds or minutes.

Ross stayed where he was looking down at Josh as he shut his eyes and went to "sleep", that's when he began to full on cry with no stopping because he knew Josh probably couldn't hear him right now. He looked down to Josh's chest as it got slower and slower at rising up and down. He watched it and couldn't take his eyes off it until finally it looked like it had stopped. Ross let his fingers go to Josh's neck and find his pulse. Ross started to shake as he started crying hard.

There was no pulse. "H-h-h-h-h-he's g-g-gone.." Ross blubbered out.

Riker nodded and wrapped his arms around Ross even though he was still holding Josh's dead body "I know, Ross... I know.." Riker said as he tried to comfort him "I know.."

Tuesday 11th September 2001, was officially the worst day in history for Ross's life.

I hate myself right now. I deserve the tears I am crying don't I? Yup. Wow.

""Just go to sleep." Ross said, shaking his head and voice breaking "that'll... that'll make the pain.. go away."" is officially the SADDEST line I have EVER written. OMFG. If you want to come and hunt me down for this.. I don't blame you.

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