Fourteen

"What do you mean by that, Bray?" Roman asked. "Do you know something?"

He mentally kicked himself for asking that. Obviously Bray knew what was going on. Or else he wouldn't have told Roman to be prepared.

Bray shook his head. "Not here. We can't talk here."

"So where?"

"Can you drive us somewhere else?"

"Sure. Did you have any place where?"

"The swamp."

Roman nodded and asked his old classmate to get in the car with him.

Bray had brought him before several times to the swamp when they were seniors in high school, where they had chatted about how Dean had rejected him in the beginning, how at that point in time Dean appeared to be stringing him along refusing to break up with his then boyfriend, Corey Graves.

"Alright Bray," Roman said when they arrived at the swamp about fifteen minutes later. "What's going on? What happened that night in Phil's house? I mean one minute you guys are on his side and the next minutes you're helping my family. Not that I don't appreciate it."

"We were betrayed, Roman."

"Well I know that."

"Luke saw something that night."

"What did he see?"

"Just before Phil decided to reveal himself to you, he excused himself to go to another room in the house. The door was slightly ajar and one could see Phil talking to someone… there were… whispers. Luke saw that, saw the silhouette. Someone else was in the house that night, Roman. Someone that didn't turn up for that battle."

Roman clenched his fists. "Do you have any suspects?"

Bray shook his head. "I've said too much."

"Did Luke described the silhouette?"

"Roman, please. Listen to me: you need to be wary of your surroundings. It's not going to be as easy as you think."

He sort of guessed that. But he needed to know more. "Mark mentioned that they wanted Dean… that he may join them. But I don't understand-"

"Of course they'll want Dean, Roman! He sacrificed himself for you. He's the reason why you're safe. If they ever get him, it only means disaster for you and the rest of us. Do you know why you're even back here? It's not a coincidence. Your blood has Leakee's flowing through it. The bloodline, Roman. That's what it all comes down to. Forget everything they've told you. This shit is as deep as they come." Suddenly Bray grabbed his hand. "You must protect Dean and he must protect you."

"But how? Bray, I have no idea how to! I'm not sure what to look for!"

"Find Vince. And if you can't-"

Suddenly there was a shrill cry from the woods which made both men turn their heads towards their direction.

"Run, Roman!" Bray instructed.

Roman was not about to leave Bray alone. "No! Bray-"

"Run!" When he hesitated, Bray shoved him. "Go, Roman! Don't look back!"

The cold water made his aroused member lose it swell. Not that Dean was against jerking off but hey, he longed for Roman.

Might as well have the guy bang him into oblivion.

Suddenly he felt his mark started to burn. Roman being in danger. What the hell? How could he be in danger in a mart-

Dean rushed out of the bathroom and quickly changed into his discarded clothes. Damn it! Roman took the car. He'd have to take a taxi-

Fingers searching for his boyfriend's name on his call log, he pressed the green button before opening the front door. "Roman!"

"Dean!" Roman replied. "Don't leave the house. Stay inside!"

"But you're in danger! I felt it! Surely you can't expect me to-"

"Stay inside, Dean. That's an order."

Fuck! "Damn it, Roman!"

"I'm on my way home!"

Dean shut the door close and sat down. Now what? Roman seemed to know what was wrong. Seemed like he was in a hurry too. Maybe he saw something. There was no telling with this town when he thought about it.

About ten minutes later, Roman was back, face in anguish. "Dean!"

The auburn haired man jumped to his feet. "Babe, what's going on? You were being so vague…"

"Grab an overnight bag. Throw in three days worth of clothes just in case. We're going to see Vince."

"But Vince is just a twenty minute ride from here-"

"Do it, Dean."

The tone in which his boyfriend had chosen to use left him no room for arguments. Dean immediately set out to do as instructed. When Roman came into the room, the bag was packed with the important document ziplock bag. "Is this how it's going to be for us, Roman? Always on the run?"

"I can't say for certain. Come on. Let's go!"

There was slight tension as they made their way over to Vince's. Dean didn't like it. Something happened when Roman went to the mart. "What did you-"

"Not what but who," Roman said as he drove the car. "I happened to run into Bray. Dean, Phil wasn't the only one behind that battle; Luke saw Phil talking to someone in that house."

"What did he look like?"

"Bray never told me."

"Maybe we should look for Luke? I know that Bray told me that Luke works at an offshore rig."

"So we're supposed to find this rig?"

"Bray mentioned that he returns back every Saturday night and leaves the next night; I only know so much. Maybe we ought to find the Wyatts' home. Who knows if he'll be there?"

Roman was quiet for a moment. "Yeah okay. After visiting Vince, alright?"

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Bray implied that this whole thing runs deeper than what we know. Dean, we need to stick together. These assholes are capable of-"

Roman had been glancing at him and on the road but a blue truck heading for them took them both off guard. "Roman, look out!"

Roman's eyes widened. "Shit!"

His boyfriend tried to steer away to avoid a collision but it was too late. The car seemed to be flipping over and over. What-

ZONK!

Everything went black after that.

Light shone brightly.

Roman squinted. It was irritating the hell out of him. He needed to get out of-

"He's coming about!" a voice boomed. "Roman? Roman? You okay there, man?"

"Uce!"

Sounded like Jey.

But where was Dean's … Dean! His eyes flew open and he found Uncle Afa with a hand on his forehead. "Relax, Roman," his uncle consoled. "You're safe."

"Dean…" Roman whimpered. A part of him felt missing. "I can't feel him…"

"Dean was with you?" his father asked. "He wasn't there when we reached!"

"What?!" Roman tried to sit up but a few of his family members held him down. "No!" The Samoan man tried to move but to no avail.

"Roman, we have to heal you first! Stop resisting."

Roman stared at the ceiling. Something had happened to Dean. Their connection was gone and it was tearing him apart on the inside.

When the last chant had been said, Roman was helped up. "I need to find Dean! I can't feel him. He's probably hurt and in the forest or something!"

"But we only found you and your bag," Jimmy said. "We didn't see Dean!"

"Wait. How did you know where I was?"

"Because I found you and called them."

Roman looked up to find Bray bandaged heavily near his ribs. "Bray! What the-"

"They have Dean, Roman. Those outcasts have Dean."

"No! Where is he? Is he safe?!"

"I don't know," Bray admitted. "I only got a glimpse of them when they attacked me in the woods: four men and a woman. I've never seen them in Lakeview before."

Roman kicked the bedside table of his old room in anger. Dean was gone and now he had no idea where he was supposed to find him. Not even his mark was burning. Hang on, Dean, hang on. I'm coming to find you.

And he would. If he knew what to do next. Think, Roman. Think. He stood up as the idea formed in his head. "First I'm going to see Vince. Bray, I need to know where I can find Luke. It's imperative that I do."

"He'll be home tonight. You can meet him there-" Bray said before Afu interrupted.

"Woah, woah, woah. Why should we listen to you again?" Afu demanded.

"Afu!" Uncle Afa chastised him. "Bray and his family have helped us in that battle. I think you need to get your priorities straight."

"Bray, you're with me!" Roman brushed past them, bounding down the stairs. "I need a car!"

"Yo, Uce!" Jey interjected, following close behind with Bray. "I'm coming with you!"

Jimmy joined his twin brother. "Me too! I ain't missing this."

"Fine! Let's go!" Roman roared. They were losing minutes and seconds.

Jey insisted on driving, not wanting to take chances on another accident. As they drove out while the elders stayed behind, Roman kept hoping that Dean would reach out to him. The mark was supposed to burn if they were looking for one another.

There was the worst possibility to consider but he didn't want to go there.

"Have faith, Roman," Bray comforted him. "They won't do anything to him yet."

"I can't feel him, Bray. So many things could be wrong." What was the last thing he had said to Dean? Did he even said he loved him?

"Love is the most powerful force on this earth. We can do this," Bray continued just as they reached Vince's house.

The retired butcher's caretaker nodded at them, opening the door. "Is it just the four of you?" the brunette asked.

Jimmy glared at him. "What's it to you, soccer mum?"

"Hey!" the caretaker countered. "I asked a serious question."

"Yeah it's just the four of us," Roman confirmed.

"Follow me." The caretaker opened the door of the first room on their left where Vince was sitting down on an armchair, eyes closed with a breathing tube in his nose. "Vince. Roman is here to see you," the caretaker softly informed.

Roman could see Vince trying to open his eyes. "Ro… Ro… Roman," the old man called him. "Roman."

Roman knelt down beside him. "Vince."

Vince slowly peeled his eyes open. "They… took him… didn't they?"

"Yeah."

"Don't wo-wor-worry. AJ will be h-here to g-guide you."

"What happens now?" Jey asked.

"Now," AJ the caretaker chirped, "Now they come for Roman. Dean is just a hostage. They need Roman's blood so they'll try to negotiate."

"And then raise the Higher Power again?" Jimmy stated. "And how do we stop him if he has the bloodline running through him? Dean sacrificing himself again?"

"Also the anniversary of the original battle - when this land was nothing - is nearing. They have been waiting for this day for a while."

"Can you fe-feel him, Ro… Roman?" Vince asked.

"No. Not even a slight burn."

"AJ…"

AJ nodded. "There's some plausible reasons. It could be because Dean is still out or well… you know."

Roman did know; didn't want to think about it in the slightest. "But how can I find him?"

"They'll call you. But are you prepared-"

"I don't care if they want my blood. I just want Dean in my arms again."

"No one answered my question." Jimmy was annoyed. "How do we stop the Higher Power when he rises? Dean has to sacrifice again?"

"Possibly," AJ conceded. "We don't know for sure. This has never happened twice before."

"There was someone else in the house that night," Bray spoke up. "Phil had support."

AJ looked at Vince who was staring at the ceiling. "What you were offered, Bray, I am positive that this person was offered the same too. I do have a theory that Vince is slowly coming about to."

"Which is?" Roman pressed.

"It was an inside job."

"The moon's purple." Jey sipped his black coffee as they sat outside on the porch of Bray's house. "How odd."

Bray came close behind him. "It's nearing."

"An inside job?!" Jimmy reflected, aghast. "What the hell is this?"

Roman didn't have a clue. An inside job meant that not everyone in the brotherhood was as innocent as Dean or him had thought.

Dean.

The Samoan warrior longed to see him so badly. Roman didn't know how long he could take without a call from these so called outcasts. "You were right, Bray," he said. "This is much deeper than we had thought."

"But who would betray Dean?" Jey wondered. "These men were supposed to protect him so he could do his job, weren't they?"

"But they were lured with promises of power, no doubt."

"Still no feeling, Roman?" Bray asked, offering him a cup of hot apple cider.

Roman accepted that cup with thanks before answering, "No. Not a bit."

"Should be worth noting that full resurrection takes a week even when you give them your blood."

"They're not even doing it the way Mark had said. They knew how to attack us from the get go. They drove us from New York to here. They knew that violence was not even necessary. All that talk about Dean leaving me or even joining them was just that… talk. They knew that there was nothing I wouldn't do for Dean."

The sound of the door fence opened and Luke Harper walked in with a greasy tank and dirty jeans. "I didn't know we were having a party."

Roman nodded slightly to him in greeting. "Hi Luke."

"Roman. You look like you've been through hell."

"I think I have."

Bray cleared his throat. "Luke, Roman has questions about that battle."

The sound of crickets were their only background noise. The air had gotten colder then too, Roman noted. The other Wyatt family member nodded. "Of course. Let's go inside, gentlemen."

In the privacy of Bray's living room, Luke leaned against the stool Bray had brought out after Roman and his cousins filled him in on Dean's disappearance..

"So what did you see, Luke?" Roman asked.

"I saw the silhouette of a man with a hat talking to him," Luke recalled. "Phil was nodding to whatever this man was saying and there was some motions of hand gestures… finger pointing. I didn't get up close enough to hear who the person was but Phil looked angry when he came out."

Bray nodded. "Who was missing that night in the battle?" he quizzed Roman.

"The brotherhood if you want to call them that," Roman answered. "Afu too."

"Right. Horrible job of protecting Dean."

"But there was one man who was overprotecting him the entire time during our high school senior year."

Jey looked at Roman, arms crossed. "Who?"

"Our ex English teacher, Mr William Regal."

A/N I hope you liked this chapter. I have been getting hateful anons so I deleted some guest comments in my hurtful state. I apologise as it's been a rough week for me dealing with a loved one in the ICU of the hospital. (I wrote this story on my mobile). It doesn't take much to be kind to someone. Doesn't cost a thing actually. A huge thank you to those who read this story.