A/N: After the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Five Months Previously

"What would you boys like to eat?"

Zack and Cody exchanged looks. "Mac' and Cheese!" they said in sync.

Carrey smiled and shook her head slowly. "Why do I even ask?"
"You never know, mom," Cody said grinning. "One of these days-,"

"-We pay want something different-,"

"-Like, say, pizza-,"

"-Or spaghetti-,"

"-But tonight we want Mac' and Cheese."

Carrey smiled again and set the three spoons on the table.

Present Day

Cody called 911.

The ambulances came but there was no one to revive and even though the paramedics tried the heart unwilling does not choose to beat. The police officer sat down with the twins, asked them questions, gave Zack a Kleenex, drove them home.

Mr. Moseby led the police and the boys up, though his expression was one of shock and he moved almost unwillingly. Carrey answered the door and all the color drained out of her face as Cody numbly told her what had happened.

Through it all Zack remained silent. His face was white and his blue eyes had lost their bright luster, a faded gray the only tribute left to the color that had been. There were tears shimmering in them but none of them fell, though he was shaking so hard the officer expressed concern that something was medically wrong.

It had been a suicide, and the policeman seemed to need no further explanation and with a tip of his hat he left the suite.

Left the little family alone.

Carrey wrapped her arms around her oldest son and rocked him slowly back and forth as he leaned his face into her shoulder. Cody sat back and chewed on his bottom lip, watching the scene.

"I didn't know he was going to-I didn't-I didn't-," Zack's voice hitched between sobs and he hiccupped miserably.

"Shhh, baby, I know, honey, I know you didn't know…" His mother held him tightly, whispering nonsense words into his blonde hair for comfort.

"He was-was going to shoot-," Zack inhaled sharply, voice quavering dangerously. "-Shoot C-Cody or m-me but he didn't and now he's dead."

"I know, baby, I know,"

"He's dead, mom," Zack pulled away and looked at her with wide eyes. His breathing was ragged and labored but he didn't seem to care enough to notice. "He's dead…" he backed away from his mother on the couch and slowly slid off, hands gripping objects for support as he slowly inched his way into his room.

"Zack-?" Cody started, half rising from his seat.

"It killed him," Zack whispered, eyes glazed over, giving him the look of a crazy man. "And now it's gonna k-kill me," the last few words were spoken beneath a soft sob and the shaken teenager turned and ran into his room, closing the door.

Carrey and Cody looked at it numbly for a few moments before the mother turned to her younger son with a sort of terrified confusion on her face.

"What does he mean?" she asked, voice shaking and tears glittering in her eyes. "What does he mean by that?"

Cody slowly inhaled and then blew out his breath. "I-," he started, then swallowed thickly and looked at his intertwined hands in his lap. "I don't think I'm the right one to tell you that, mom," his gaze was apologetic when he looked up.

"What have I done?" Carrey moaned softly, burying her face in her hands. "If I'd just listened to him more than-,"

"-No, mom, don't," Cody made his way to her and wrapped her arms around his mother. "It's not your fault, okay? Zack's-," he paused, hesitating. "-He's made some mistakes and tonight he was fixing them, mom, he was fixing them."

"What mistakes?" Carrey looked up at the twin in alarm and Cody looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "What mistakes, Cody? Tell me!"

"No," Cody shook his head, undaunted. "Let-just let Zack tell you, mom, okay? I think-I think he needs to, you know? I just think he needs to."

Carrey sniffed, clutching her son to her chest. What was going on with her boys?

A few hours passed.

Zack was playing his new guitar. The music calmed him, soothed him. Opened the closet to check for invisible demons and rid the nighttime ghosts with flashlight beams of security and familiarity. He remembered he had a guitar lesson in a few days and that thought wrapped around his heart like a fleece blanket in a cold snowy cabin.

It was this thought, this knowledge that gave him the courage to finally open the door and walk outside.

His mother was in the kitchen making something that smelled like macaroni and cheese. His favorite. Cody sat reading in an armchair, brow creased in concentration, left hand curled around a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

The clock read eleven fifteen.

Zack took a deep breath.

"Mom," he croaked. "I have something to tell you."

To Be Continued

A/N: Sheesh. So much emotion, yeah?

I'm very sorry I didn't get this up until today; I was hopelessly delayed. THANKS SO MUCH for the reviews! You all rock and as an FYI I'll be continuing this story for a few more chapters and, thanks to some help from Suspension, I'll be posting a sequel expanding on the storyline. Thanks a bunch to anyone who offered suggestions, I really appreciate your input!

Next chapter is a long one and will be out soon!

Please review!