This chapter gets real emotional at the end, so instead of ruining the mood with an author's note I'm not going to put one. I'd put all that info in here, but I don't really wanna ruin it… I know! I'll tell you guys the stuff in your review replies, so…REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ALL MY SECRETS!!! ;)

Peace,

CFD

P.S. Those giant paragraphs down there at the bottom? Yeah, you have to read ALL OF THEM if you want to actually get something from this chapter. Yes, I know, I'm being terribly mean, but I'm alright with that. Enjoy!


Magnus

"Magnus," Adam whined when I slipped from his grasp.

His fingers curled, searching for me, but found no purchase. I reached over, brushing my fingertips over his freckled hand.

"I'm here, darling. But you need to sleep. We're leaving early in the morning, and you're still sick," I hushed him.

He looked at me, his ice blue eyes pleading, and then looked down, his long lashes brushing against his cheek. I held still as he slid closer to me, laying his head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his back under his T-shirt. He shivered when I scratched his back with my nails.

"Magnus?" He murmured, his lips moving against my bare shoulder.

"What, baby?" I asked him, kissing his head.

"I love you."

I smiled, nuzzling against his soft hair, and purred, "I love you too."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam

Jackson carried Joanna into the smaller of the two houses we now owned in LA. She was asleep, having spent most of the night before awake with a cold. She sniffled in her sleep, snuggling closer to Jackson. He smiled, kissing her forehead and shifting her more comfortably. He took her upstairs, laying her in one of the beds already set up. He stayed up there with her, lying down next to her. I smiled when I felt warm arms wrap around my waist.

"Zay," I sighed, touching his hands that were laced together on my stomach.

"Hmm," He hummed, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"You always have to be touching me, don't you?" I teased him.

"Mm-hm," he hummed, nuzzling against my neck.

I laughed and swiveled in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You haven't danced in a while. I bet you're itching to," Xavier joked, tickling my side.

I laughed, pulling from his arms.

"I am!" I whined. "So bad."

He laughed, folding his long legs to sit on the floor. "Go 'head."

I grinned, and though I knew I didn't have to stretched down to touch my toes. Xavier watched me, his arms wrapped around his legs. Though I had no reason to dance, it felt good to move freely again after being cooped up in the car for almost three days. I leaned down to put my face level with Xavier's, my right leg bent back towards my head, my hand holding my foot, and he laughed, leaning up to kiss me. I pulled my leg down, and then kicked it out, hooking it over Xavier's shoulder. He laughed harder, throwing his head back, and nuzzled against my thigh. I removed my leg and pulled him up to stand. I hooked my leg around his hip, pulling him flush against me.

He laughed nervously, his cheeks turning pink, and ducked his head. His glasses slipped down his nose, and I smiled, pushing them back up gently.

"Darling, look at me," I prodded him, and he looked up at me.

I smiled encouragingly at him, but his cheeks just pooled with more blood. I rolled my eyes, tensing my muscles in my leg to pull him closer.

"You'd be a great dancer if you tried," I whispered, kissing the shell of his ear.

"I'm too uncoordinated," he mumbled, his voice soft and shy.

He didn't take compliments very well, but God knows I keep trying to make him realize how amazing he was. I sighed, and pulled away from him. His fingers curled as his hand dropped to his sides, not wanting to let go of me.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Why, sweetheart?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist again.

"I never let you compliment you, and it makes you angry," he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck and tucking his head against his shoulder.

"No," I crooned. "You could never make me angry. I just wish you didn't have such difficulty with yourself, but I know you can't help it. I know what you're struggling with."

His face heated up, and I brushed my lips over his cheekbone. He ground his teeth together, blinking several times, and unable to keep it together, a tear slipped down his cheek. He reached up, swiping it away, and held my face in his hands. He ground his teeth harder against a sob, but it still came out more like a hiccup. He crushed his lips to mine, and I stood still until his lips softened. I spread my fingers out on his back, and kissed him back carefully. Xavier hesitantly slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I froze momentarily. He'd never initiated a kiss like this, too intimidated and scared to do so without me prompting him. I didn't care that he needed a few nudges even as far along in our relationship as we were. He deserved to be able to take his time in a relationship, and I gave him as much room as he needed to grow in a working relationship like we had.

Tears flowed freely down his cheeks while we kissed, and I inclined my head at a different angle to deepen the kiss further. We gasped for a breath without breaking our locked lips totally at the same time. He sobbed softly into the kiss, and I softened my lips a little more, being even gentler with my hold on him. I needed this kiss to comfort him and tell him everything would turn out fine. He finally pulled away, gasping for a successful breath. He buried his face in my neck, and I held him, rubbing his back. I knew he'd been hiding things from me when he started being more shy with me. He was never that shy around me. He was the one to sometimes get me into bed by being upfront about it. That hadn't happened in a long time. His arms wound around my waist and gripped my back, his nails digging into the skin through my shirt. I kissed his head, continuing to rub his back to try and comfort him some without speaking.

There was no furniture in the house yet; it was coming tomorrow. I had no place to sit with him without going upstairs. He wouldn't be able to make it up stairs right now. I pulled away only slightly, so he wouldn't feel as if I was leaving because he was crying. Though I hated so much to see him cry, I lifted his head and looked at his teary brown eyes. I wrapped one arm around his waist, leading him into the kitchen where I knew there were chairs and a table. When I settled him in a chair, I took his glasses off, and left his side for only a moment to search for a drink. Knowing we would be coming down here, someone in the family had come down, setting up some beds and putting a small amount of groceries in the kitchen. Xavier's hand shook as he took the water bottle from me, and I bit my lip, making a sympathetic noise in the back of my throat. He pushed his hair away from his face and sucked in a harsh breath. I sat down across from him, laying my hand on his knee. He let out a quiet sob, and held onto my hand.

Though Travis and Ian, Magnus and Adam, and Joanna and Jackson knew about Xavier's hardships, they didn't know all the details and fully understand. Though Joanna probably understood more than anything about the repeated abuse, she didn't know everything. I knew everything; Carlisle knew everything. Very few people in Xavier's life knew absolutely everything. Danny knew everything, and so did Tom. There were things that didn't need to be shared with the rest of Xavier's family; they were safer not knowing the things I knew. Xavier, looking at his lap, sniffled and his lips trembled as he tried to speak. I hushed him with a gentle, "Shh," and he quieted, looking up at me.

"I'm… sorry," he sobbed.

I shook my head, reaching over to wipe the tears off his cheek. More replaced them, but it was worth a try. His lower lip trembled so hard and I knew that was a sign he was going to cry more. He pushed away from the table, wanting to stand, but without his glasses, lack coordination, and him crying caused him to collapse. I shot out of my chair, catching him somewhat before he collided with the hard tiled floor, and eased us both down. I leaned against a cabinet and held him on my lap. He clung to my T-shirt, sobbing into my chest, and soaking the fabric with his tears. The night I met him for the first time, I'd recognized him from my painting class and writer's class. He was one of the best painters and writers in my classes and I'd always been slightly envious but I also wanted to know him better than just the guy across the room with adorable glasses. When I finally met him I was ecstatic that I actually got to spend time with him. I'd been too intimidated to ask him to hang out since I didn't know if he was gay and because he seemed so closed and reserved. I now know why he was so reserved.

Meeting his family was a whole different thing. I didn't know everything about his past, but I knew enough to understand why I got a lot of, "Treat him right," from his family. After I got Xavier through a rough depression, his family saw me as a light at the end of the tunnel. I was the best thing since sliced bread (excuse the bad joke) and they wanted to keep me around for Zay. I would stay, just as long as Xavier wanted me.

I kissed Xavier's head as his sobs quieted to hiccups, and he only shook from the chill of the house. His face was wet with tears and sweat, and I pulled my now soaked T-shirt off, wiping his forehead and cheeks off with it. He pulled away slightly, ashamed to have broken down like that in front of me. I soothed him, cupping his chin in my hand and looking him in the eye. I told him that he was allowed to cry, and that I would always be there for him when he did. His chocolate-colored eyes flickered anxiously across my face, searching for any sign that I was lying to him. He found none. I pulled him more comfortably onto my lap, and his legs settled on either side of mine. His head ducked down, his cheeks flaming, and I knew it was because we were in an open space where someone could find us. I ran my fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up in places with sweat.

I stroked his jaw, and he inclined his head towards my hand, nuzzling against it. I smiled gently, and cupped my hands around his cheeks. He closed his eyes, bloodshot and irritated, and I placed a soft, soothing kiss on each eyelid before kissing his forehead, nose, each cheek, and then finally his bruised, full lips. He winced only slightly, but my lips were only there for a split second. I pulled back, and he whimpered in protest. I told him that he needed to sleep, but he shook his head. His voice barely worked, but he rasped out that sleep wouldn't come tonight. I knew he was right, but said that lying down wouldn't hurt. He looked down at his lap, not saying anything else. I helped him stand, and gave him his glasses. I walked with him upstairs, watching his every careful step, and when we got to the other room that was set up I flipped on the light.

This room was painted a sultry red; the most romantic color I'd ever seen. There was a balcony just big enough for a chaise lounge to sit on and still have room for another person to stand. The view was amazing. The lights of LA panned out below us and I could see the Hollywood sign out in the distance. The city was still awake even at this late hour of night, and I could hear cars revving and sirens wailing. Xavier slipped from my grasp, going over to his bag that sat on the floor. He rustled around in it before pulling out a T-shirt. He stripped from his jeans and T-shirt, replacing the wrinkled shirt with a clean, fresh one. He crawled into the bed, clutching a pillow to his chest and curling up. I watched him for a moment. He still had on his glasses which meant he wasn't planning on sleeping any time soon. If he laid down without his glasses, that meant he was going asleep immediately. He watched the city out the sliding glass door, and I watched his eyelids become increasingly heavy. Even when I shed my jeans and T-shirt, lying down next to him, he didn't move to curl up to me like he normally did. The sheets were cool and felt good from the humid air outside. The fan filled the room with a white noise, and it was calming.

Xavier's back rose and fell with his even breathing, and I knew he was asleep. I slipped out of the bed, walking over to stand in front of him. I leaned down, taking his glasses off and ruffling his bangs to kiss his forehead. I turned off the light, and slid back into bed behind him. I laid on my side, facing his back, and traced soothing patterns on his back. He murmured something in his sleep, but I didn't think anything of it. He sometimes murmured in his sleep, but it was rare. I would sometimes catch my name, but nothing more than that. At least I knew he dreamt of me. That was enough to make me giddy.

I couldn't hear anything from Joanna or Jackson, so I assumed they were sleeping soundly. In the morning, Xavier would be fine, and they would know nothing. It would kill Xavier for Joanna to see or hear about him crying. He acted tough and brave for her, knowing she would never be able to be that. It was hard enough for him to cry in front of me, since he knew how much it killed me to see him hurting so badly. I tried my hardest to keep him happy and content and keep his crying to a minimum and his breakdowns few and far between. This didn't always happen, and some days he'd wake up surly and depressed. These were the days my patience wore thin with him. I always had to remind myself that he needed me and that I couldn't turn my back on him just because he was irritable that one day. Hell, the next day he could be the sweetest thing and nuzzle up to me when he woke up. Those days that I had a hard time putting up with him, he would often not leave his room. So I'd sit with him in his room, letting him sulk and sleep the day away while I caught up on homework or read. I was one of the only ones who would do this. Danny would often be there to replace me; picking the lock to Xavier's room if it was locked just to be sure he didn't do anything he'd later regret. But it was only us. Though his family loved him, they figured he was exaggerating his problems. When in reality he had horrible depression because of what happened to him. He didn't exaggerate or play up anything. Only Danny and I knew that.

My ears perked when Zay shifted, stretching his long legs out and murmuring my name. His fingers curled into the soft feather pillow he held, and I smiled. He could be a pain sometimes, but mostly he just needed comfort and guidance. I hope that I gave him what he needed and helped him along in his difficult life. I figured that I was doing just fine since he always recovered from his times when he just needed to cry. He was the only person that I could see cry over and over and it still kill me on the inside every time. He was connected so deeply to me, that I could almost feel his pain. I wondered if that was the same with him. I decided that I didn't care right now, and just hoped that his dreams were more forgiving than reality.