A/N: So this takes place about halfway through Season 3, about when Rigo got hurt, though he's now recovered, ahem *still alive!* though he's now recovered and Jackson and Vic are still together, and the whole thing with Emmett never happened so no Emmett, not at all, sorry.…so it has been several months since Lurking took place.

And the reason why I decided to write this and have Travis essentially become depressed again is because he has had it rough this season and really needs a hug….he's lost what, all of his patients so far? The night of the blizzard was one thing, not to mention the fact him and Vic barely talk to one another anymore…. *sigh* Travis doesn't deserve this pain….

As for Jace coming back being too predictable…? Maybe. But I couldn't help myself.

Anyways, if you haven't read Lurking, you definitely need to read it first, and this one is definitely going to be more involved with darker themes and graphics.

So if you don't like themes of violence, depression, abuse, guns and etc. then don't read. But I assume we're all adults here so just know what to expect.

Well, I think that's all, cause I know you just want to get right into reading, so yeah, enjoy, favorite and leave a little comment/review of what you think, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks guys, happy reading.

"There you go, Milo." Travis set down Milo's breakfast, the little Jack Russell Terrier giving a yip as he wagged his tail, already beginning to eat.

Travis smiled softly down at him, letting out a sigh, his expression soon turning to sadness, feeling the discomforting sense of loneliness overwhelm him again, knowing it all too well.

He had been having a rough time lately, with work and all, but worse with his friends, as it seemed like they were all drifting further and further apart.

Hell, Vic barely even talked to him anymore, not after hooking up with Jackson. Not that Travis was mad at her for that, he was glad she had found someone, but it was still uneasy that she had moved on after Ripley so quickly, barely giving her any time to grieve, if she was really "grieving" at all.

Having lost a spouse also, Travis could not understand her for this, knowing there was no way he could have ever moved on from Michael that fast; it was nearly two years before he started dating again and hell, it nearly going on three now, he still wasn't over him.

But it wasn't just Vic who had drifted apart; Maya is Captain now, his boss, so it wasn't easy to call her everyone's friend anymore; Dean is a father, Warren, who was not really around much to begin with, what with having a family and all, is now handling his new role with the PRT; Andy is just….different, after losing Ryan and her chance to be Captain, not to mention the whole thing with her dad; and Jack, who Travis is the closest to after Vic, him and Rigo are still trying to work things out, so Travis rarely even got to talk to him anymore.

So at the moment, Travis really didn't have anybody, not to talk with, hang out with, they were all just busy with their own things now. And because of it, Travis had began to feel sad again.

It was only recent so he didn't think it was depression again, but with all the loneliness and sad feelings he had been experiencing lately, it sure felt like enough to be depressed.

Travis blamed himself for it more than his friends really; he had been doing so well, after finally managing to recover what happened with Jace and Zack, he hadn't felt like this in a long while.

But now, it was starting to come back and he felt awful for letting himself get to this point. Not wanting to be as sad as he was before, (he could not go through all that again) he was trying to reach out and spend time with his friends so he wouldn't feel so alone, but they always seemed to be busy now, always doing something else.

So Travis just stayed home most of the time now, with Milo, which was hard because he never really liked being alone and now, it seemed to be all that ever did. Work helped, when he did get to see them all, but it didn't help when all their patients were dying and Maya and Andy bickered while Rigo and Jack fought.

So Travis just dealt with it all anyways, work and being alone; after all, it's not like he could blame his friends (though his depressive thoughts would tell him it was because they didn't want to hang out with him) so the only one he really blamed was himself, hating himself for being so unlikeable his friends didn't want to be around him, yet feeling disappointed in himself for getting to the point of being this lonely.

Travis sat down as he watched Milo eat, sighing, lost in thought. He'd be leaving for work soon and he was trying to prepare himself for the day, mentally.

He had been thinking about it all morning, how he would try and ask Vic or Jack if they could hang out, though he already presumed they'd say no. But not wanting to become so sad again, he told himself he should at least try, wanting to reach out for their help, at least hopeful that they'd take it.

Watching Milo a little longer, he finally stood, saying goodbye and going to the door, sighing again, something that he did when he felt so depressed, it just happens, even if he doesn't realize it.

So with that, Travis braced himself as he got into his car and drove to work, praying that the next 24 hours wouldn't be so unfortunate for once.

Travis pursed his lips as he made his way over to Vic as she hopped out of the aid car, everyone just having back from a call, one that hadn't gone so well but wasn't a complete disaster. Thankfully, their shift was nearly over.

"Hey Vic, would you like to hang out tonight?" He gave her a friendly, casual smile, walking alongside her when she began walking quickly, her seeming to have a spring in her step as she nearly bounced as she walked, energized.

"Oh, Trav, I'd love to, but Jackson and I, we're celebrating tonight." Vic just smiled, almost seeming distracted, as if she were thinking about him already.

Travis felt his shoulders slump as his smile disappeared, walking behind her now as he followed, admittedly disappointed, hanging his head a little.

"Oh. Th-That's great. What are you guys celebrating?" He asked in a quieter voice, at least trying to make a conversation, knowing he should talk to her more while he could.

"Just, being together really." Vic let out a laugh, still walking quickly towards the showers, seeming eager to shower and get out of there. "You know, we both work crazy shifts and the time we get to be together is so special that it deserves to be celebrated, so cheers to that, right?"

"Of course." Travis fake smiled at her as she went to her locker, her just grabbing her things, not seeming to pay him much mind. "I-I hope you have a good time." Travis just stated, looking at the floor.

He told himself he should say more, to be able to keep talking to her. "Hey Vic, I-"

"Sorry Trav," She interrupted, spinning around with her arms full of shampoo and shower goods. "Gotta shower, I got places to be and people to see." She sing-songed and turned to give him a wink before disappearing into the showers.

"Right." Travis said quietly as he lowered his head and rubbed at his arm a little sadly, trying not to look too disappointed.

He then went to take his own shower and remembering he still had the chance to ask Jack to hang out, he quickly caught up with him after getting changed.

"Jack, hey," He was with Rigo, them spending a lot of time with each other, as they were told that's how they should make up, by hopefully rubbing off well enough on each other to become friends.

"Jack, you uh, free tonight?" Travis glanced between them, offering a grin.

"Oh, sorry, Trav, Rigo and I, we gotta keep beating around the bushes, if you know what I mean,"

Rigo snorted at that, muttering something, looking unamused.

"But hey, you're welcome to join us if you'd like. It'll spare me the suffering actually…" Jack invited kindly with a grin, appearing genuine, though Travis just frowned.

"No no, it's alright," He just grinned and shook his head, taking a step back. "You guys have your whole thing going on, I don't wanna get in the way of that, it's cool…."

"Wouldn't say we have a thing…." Rigo again muttered.

"You sure? We don't mind, really, at least I don't." Jack shrugged and again Travis just shrugged it off with a grin.

"No, go ahead, go have fun, I-i'll just do somethin' else tonight, no problem."

"Well alright, then. See ya later, buddy." Jack nodded kindly to him with a grin, Travis watching as they turned to leave.

"You do realize you make it sound like we're dating when you talk like that…." Rigo huffed to him under his breath as they walked out.

"Well, we do spend a lot of time together now so it kinda seems like we are." Jack said jokingly with a fake smirk.

"You say that again and I will crack your nose til blood's flowing out of you like a river." Rigo growled but Travis didn't hear the rest of the conversation or if it turned into a fight or not because they had already walked out, Travis glancing around to see he was alone again.

He sighed when he realized it, just grabbing his stuff to leave, to just go right home again, frowning.

I should just stop asking, he told himself. They're never going to say yes. You're depressed now, they can't help you, just deal with it….

He sighed as he pulled up to his house, lying his head on the steering wheel, slumping over it as he frowned, trying not to let himself get upset to the point where he would start crying, taking in a deep breath.

He got out and eyed the clouds amongst the setting sun, it nearly evening, Travis just heading inside, ready to make dinner. (I know their shift ends in the morning, but for the sake of this fic, it's near the evening.)

He opened the door and headed inside, expecting to see Milo come running to his feet instantly, it striking him odd when he didn't.

"Milo, I'm home!" He called, frowning as he looked around, expecting to see Milo come running around from one of the corners of the nearby rooms but he never appeared, Travis quickly sensing something was wrong.

Milo was always right there to greet him, no matter what.

"Milo?" He called again, setting his keys down on the kitchen counter, continuing to look around as he removed his jacket. "Milo!"

Starting to get worried, he frowned and began poking his head into the closest rooms, though as he was looking, not finding his dog, Travis was starting to get the feeling something was off, like eerily off, as if there were another presence in the house.

Worried, starting to grow a little panicked, Travis prepared himself in case some burglar jumped out of nowhere, or a dognapper popped up from the kitchen, Travis just hoping Milo was alright, heading towards his bedroom where he figured that's where he had to be, as that's where they spent a lot of their time together there.

He quickly opened the door, poking his head inside. "Milo?"

"Uhh nope, just me. So glad you came to check up on me though, you must have really missed me. Well I sure missed you!" Jace replied from where he lay comfortingly in Travis's bed, smiling at him with a sort of narrowed expression, as if he were amused.

Travis let out a shriek as he jumped back, his back hitting the wall as his hand went over his heart in shock, staring at Jace with eyes as wide as saucers, frightened, no horrified. "J-Jace! I-I-I-y-you…." He stuttered in fear, Jace just chuckling at him from the bed.

"Wow, you're just speechless to see me! Well I gotta say, I am glad to see you again, too! I nearly forgot how cute you were, it's like you got even hotter! Just look at you!" Jace beamed as he eyed him up and down, appearing lovestruck, Travis continuing to stutter in fear though he didn't run, feeling as if he was unable to, still backed up against the wall like a cornered animal.

"H-How-How did you get here? You-You were in jail….."

"Ah, yes, was, was in jail," Jace nodded with a grin, seeming to be enjoying himself. He was dressed in nice clothing and he looked about the same as before, though his smile and eyes were different, as if they had changed, or rather, hardened.

"Yeah, no, I busted outta that place and you know what? It is so much easier when you have such a strong motive. Hell, I was ready to get outta there and come back here since day one."

Travis trembled, his fearful eyes still on him, unable to believe that this was happening, terrified to the point where he felt like he could start crying, wondering if Jace were there to kill him, if he would shoot him or strangle him right then and there.

"Wh-What do you w-want? And-And where's Milo?"

Jace just continued to smirk, starting to sit up as he picked at his fingernail. "I think you know what I want, Travis, it's pretty obvious….as for your dog…" His voice trailed off and he slowly pointed a finger towards the doors of the closet, where Travis guessed he must have trapped Milo inside.

Travis's expression quickly turned into anger, shaking his head as he started backing out of the room, ready to call the police. "You son of a b****…." He started, turning to make a run for it, not realizing Jace was already starting to come after him.

He made it out to the kitchen before Jace suddenly slammed his body into him, making him scream as he fell to the ground, immediately wriggling underneath him. "No! No, get away from me!"

He kicked wildly and managed to scramble free, running for the door, Jace letting out a huff as he too got to his feet, Travis just managing to get the front door open before he knocked into him again, both of them falling through the open door onto the porch.

Travis cried out in fear and again squirmed to get back up right away, Jace quickly getting to his feet and grabbing him by the back of his jacket, picking him up and shoving him back inside, despite Travis's whimpering and frightened cries.

He closed the door and hurried over when Travis tried to run off again, grabbing him quickly, an arm wrapping around his throat, trying to hold him still.

"Hey, slow down there," He grinned at Travis's attempts at struggling, moving his lips closer to Travis's ear as he talked in a sly voice. "There's nothing to be afraid of…."

Travis was of course terrified and though he struggled, Jace kept a firm grip on him and knowing he couldn't defeat Jace himself anyways, he began to cry out for help, thinking of his friends, praying they'd somehow appear to save him.

"Help, help! Somebody help me, please! Help!" He cried out as loud as he could mid-struggle, nearly on the brink of tears, Jace quickly huffing angrily, eyes widening.

"No no….no you don't!" He adjusted his grip and covered Travis's mouth with his hand, muffling his cries, laughing into his ear afterwards, pleased with himself.

But Travis continued to thrash and managed to elbow him right in the stomach, Jace yelping and accidentally letting go of him, Travis giving him a rough shove which knocked him to the floor, making him swear when he looked up to see Travis running around the corner to the bathroom.

Travis slammed the door shut and locked it, quickly leaning himself up against it as he whimpered in fear, shaking badly, panting as he took out his phone.

He wasn't sure if he should call the cops or Jack but Jack had helped him take care of Jace before, he'd prolly be able to help him better than any cop could. Plus Jack seemed to be the only one he could think of.

His fingers trembled as he struggled to scroll through his contacts, frantically going to the J's. "Come on, come on…!" He muttered, his voice desperate, just a whimper.

Suddenly he felt impact on the other side of the door, making him yelp, quickly stepping away and looking around his bathroom to try to find something to defend himself with, half-forgetting about the phone in his hand.

Travis didn't see anything that screamed weapon to him, unless he just wanted to throw random objects at Jace, which may be his only option, scrambling to grab at his hand soap and toothpaste, crying out when the door suddenly slammed open and Jace burst through, holding his shoulder as he grinned.

Trapped, unable to go anywhere further, he quickly threw the items he had snatched at him but a toothbrush, toothpaste and a bottle of soap couldn't do much to save him, bouncing off of Jace's chest uselessly, Jace hardly noticing, glaring as he came over to him.

"No, please, please don't do this, Jace, please!" Travis begged as he backed up as far as he could go before the arms wrapped around him with a growl, one around his chest, the other over his mouth, Travis letting out a sob, trying to struggle as Jace began dragging him out of there.

"Come on, now, just cooperate!" He huffed and Travis just cried out as he jerked, suddenly realizing he was still holding his phone in his hand, that he could still call Jack, even though he knew he was still with Rigo.

Wide-eyed, he tried to hold it up and dial but Jace was dragging him into the bedroom roughly so that Travis could barely hold it still, Jace taking him over to his bed where he threw him down, making Travis scream.

He quickly tried to get back up but Jace moved quickly and climbed ontop of him, covering his mouth with a hand again firmly, keeping him pinned as he hovered nose to nose above him.

Travis shook his head no frantically and screamed as Jace lay atop of him, nearly crying, afraid of what Jace was going to do him, still trying to squirm and struggle, just wishing he could push the call button on his phone to call Jack.

"Mmmph! Mmm mmm!"

"Hey, shhh, shhh, hush up, Travis, shush!" Jace huffed at him, eyebrows furrowed, taking his hand off of Travis's mouth to grab his face with both hands firmly as he gazed down at him. "Shh, it's alright, it's okay!"

Travis shook his head no and tried to move his head away instantly, crying now, trying to hold up his phone. "I'm calling Jack!" He practically sobbed out, still unable to get away, completely frightened, praying Jack could come and save him.

Jace's expression quickly morphed into anger, his eyes narrowing. "Jack?" A look of jealousy washed over him. "Why the hell would you call him?! You can't call Jack!" He all but snarled, remembering how much he hated Travis's friend, him being one of the reasons he had went to jail, that and he plain just didn't like him.

Travis only continued to cry, still trying to struggle, though it was getting less gradual, what with Jace right on top of him. "Jack, I want Jack, let me call him!"

A growl instantly escaped Jace's lips, leaning closer into Travis's face, looking furious. "Rrrah, the last time we saw each other was at the trial and now when I come back after all this time, the first thing you can think of is that bastard Jack?! I don't think so!"

He snarled and wrestled with Travis's flailing arm, snatching the phone from his hands and ripping it out of his grip, he turned and chucked it across the room with a furious yell, where it landed in the corner.

Travis whimpered out, startled, realizing he no longer had a chance at escape. "N-No! No!

An angrily panting Jace quickly turned his attention back to him, covering his mouth again. "Hmmph. Now, just listen to me…."

But Travis, both angry and terrified all at once, decided he couldn't just let Jace do whatever he wanted to him, knowing he had to at least try to fight, managing to lift his arm and punch Jace square in the face, and hard.

It felt so good to hit him, nearly as good as when he hit Jeremy Heffington, so that when Jace staggered over and Travis managed to break free, he nearly smiled, feeling pride swell in his chest as he hopped off the bed and made a dash for the door.

Jace snarled and leapt after him, managing to snag him by the ankle, moving quickly to get ontop of him again as Travis fell.

Squirming on his belly, as Jace crawled on him, Travis whimpered and tried his best to kick but Jace's arms went around him and picked him up, spinning around to get him back over to the bed, throwing him down face-first, still keeping a firm grip on him, holding his arms behind his back.

"Jace, let go of me! Let go!" Travis shouted, trying to get back to his feet, jerking, lifting his head up the best he could.

Jace was muttering angrily to himself and reached over to the nearby nightstand, opening one of the drawers to pull out some rope he must have placed there previously, quickly beginning to tie up Travis's hands, huffing when Travis still tried to get to his feet.

"Didn't have to do this, babe, but you've forced me too."

Travis winced and sniffled at the tight rope, knowing that if he got all tied up, there'd be no way he could escape and Jace would surely get his way, trying to get to his feet desperately until Jace moved on to his ankles, after getting his wrists tied tightly together.

He squeaked and let out a sort of cry as his head landed back into his blankets, not sure of what he could do now, assuming the worst, sniffling.

Jace of course quickly finished tying up his ankles as well, standing when he was done and pulling Travis to his feet, he picked him up and laid him down on the bed again, though this time, he wouldn't be able to struggle nearly as much.

Travis shook his head no as he watched Jace crawl back ontop of him, trying to pull at the rope around his wrists but he was lying ontop of them, which was highly uncomfortable, so the struggling didn't last long.

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "Please, just go away!" He cried out as he tried to move his head away and Jace seemed to falter as he leaned close again, eyeing the tears that fell.

"Hey, don't cry, don't cry…." He frowned at him and reached for his face gently, Travis quickly crying out, thinking he was going to be hit.

Jace grabbed the sides of his faces firmly but without hurting him, his eyes wide with concern as he frowned, moving his thumb smoothly over Travis's cheek. "It's okay, you're okay…"

But Travis, frightened by the touch, not liking it, let out a loud cry, trembling. "No! No! Y-You're supposed to be in jail! You can't be here, I-mmmph!"

Jace's hand cupped over his mouth again, his expression suddenly changing. "Hey, that's enough. Now this is not the warm welcome I anticipated, Travis. Yes, I'm not in jail anymore, but I'm here with you."

The index finger of his opposite hand traced over Travis's jawline smoothly, then moving on to brush through his hair, Travis flinching and shaking noticeably, his whimpering protests muffled.

"God I forgot how cute you were." Jace breathed out, seeming to admire him. "Oh how I missed your freckles, every single one of them….

"The last time I saw you, we were in that damn courthouse and I had to stand there and watch you tell everyone what I had done, that you didn't love me, that my love for you didn't even f***ing matter." Jace sneered angrily, Travis's eyebrows furrowed up at him, him gulping.

"You didn't love me even though you knew I loved you and yet you still threw in jail, you clever a**hole. You knew I loved you and you still didn't love me back!" He shouted and Travis started to protest, eyes wide.

"Mmm mmm-"

"Shut up!" Jace pressed his hand harder over his mouth. "Well guess what, because you didn't love me, because you tossed me, handed me over into a damn cell, damn straight I came back, you don't just get to be off the hook. I LOVE YOU! Remember?"

Wide-eyed, the hand slowly slid off of Travis's mouth, who gulped, staring Jace in the eye fearfully, holding his breath. "S-So-So what are you going to do? Hur-Hurt me?"

"Oh ho ho ho," Jace laughed, smirking as he remained sitting atop Travis's stomach, smiling down at him, suddenly appearing smug. "Of course I am…! If you won't love me, then I can make you love me." He laughed as he proclaimed, as if he had been planning how he was going to say this for quite some time now, which was probably the case, considering he had been in jail for months now.

Travis trembled, admittedly freaked out, trying to mind his words carefully, trying to avoid getting hurt at all costs. "B-B-But if you loved me, like you say you do anyways, h-how can you hurt me?"

Jace shook his head. "Oh silly, I'm not going to hurt you….no, I couldn't, not again after last time. That's why I hired somebody to do it for me instead."

Travis blinked, frowning up at him. "You-You hired someone? Wh-who?" Just the thought made him feel sick.

"Does it matter?" Jace scoffed, smirking down at him. "He'll be here tomorrow. Either way, I'm back, baby. So you're stuck with me." He smiled widely, looking all but pleased.

Travis continued to frown, at least glad he wasn't getting hit, for now. "W-Well Jace, you-you should know, I still don't love you. And if you think I'm going to, you-you're wrong." He tried to put on a brave face but it faltered when Jace just laughed.

"You're so cute. But trust me, Travis, you hurt me, and now, I'm going to hurt you back and trust me, you are going to love me."

Travis almost scowled at him, thinking. "Th-That won't happen. If anything, Jack will stop you again."

"Jack?!" The angered look of jealousy flashed across Jace's face again and he snarled, raising his fist to punch Travis, who flinched and gasped.

Jace's fist quickly stopped mid-air as he saw the look of fear on Travis's face, gasping himself as he felt guilt rise in his chest, feeling bad for scaring and nearly hurting him, lowering his fist.

He was quiet a minute, almost apologizing before he just snorted, looking away with narrow eyes as he spoke. "Jack won't be able to help you and he certainly isn't going to find out about me."

"What, I'm just supposed to keep this a secret again? Without telling anyone? We'll see about that." Travis huffed with a sneer and Jace's eyes snapped back to gaze at him, narrowed.

"I thought your friends weren't supposed to care about you, remember?"

"That was what Zack said, and besides, they…." Travis's voice faded off as he suddenly thought of his friends, remembering how no one had been wanting to hang out with him lately, that he's lonely and sad, suddenly realizing he very well might not be able to tell anybody about this, even if he did want to.

He frowned, the look in his eyes suddenly going sad. "I-I guess they care about me…." There was a pause. "Sometimes."

Jace quickly saw the sad look and his eyebrows rose, as if he were alarmed, watching Travis closely, unsure of what to say at first.

"You didn't have to tie me up though. This is still considered hurting me, you know." Travis said lowly and Jace perked up, beginning to smile.

"Aw, this isn't hurting you. This is just fun…." His hand starting sliding under Travis's shirt slyly, flinching when the firefighter below him yelped.

"D-Don't touch me!"

Jace faltered a little when he saw how scared Travis looked, able to feel his trembling body underneath his hand, but instead of taking it away he just snorted softly.

"Travis, I love you….you know I said I wouldn't hurt you, I'm just-" But as his hand started trailing across Travis's stomach again smoothly, Travis's whimpers only got louder and he shook his head no frantically, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. Jace saw he was crying and frowned, though it was more of a scowl, looking disappointed as he took his hand away.

"Fine. I guess you need some time to relax anyways. And I can make you dinner. But you do realize I'm here and there's no way of getting rid of me." He offered a small smirk and leaned down to kiss Travis on the cheek, who quickly sucked in a scared breath with a squeak, doing his best to flinch away.

Though he felt bad that Travis was so scared, Jace just sat up straighter and chuckled quietly, knowing Travis would cooperate after he got too tired and exhausted, that he wasn't much of a fighter to begin with, too kind and reliant on others for that.

Besides, there was no way he could try and fight back after what had happened the first time. No, he knew Travis wouldn't have much fight in him after long, and then he would love him back, what Jace had been waiting for for a very long time.

Travis was watching Jace sit up and shift, knowing he was going to be getting up, frowning at him as he began to speak. "W-Wait," Jace looked up immediately, watching carefully.

"C-Can you at least let Milo out? F-For me…."

Eyebrows raised, Jace seemed to hesitate but as he looked at Travis's wide eyes and frown, the sad look making his heart ache, he knew he couldn't say no to him. He nodded and got up, Travis watching him go to the closet.

Milo bounced out when the doors opened, barking and spinning, snapping his teeth at Jace's ankles, growling, following close when Jace went back over to the bed, yapping but Jace just ignored him.

He headed back over to Travis and hovered over him but stopped when Milo bit his pant leg and thrashed his head, growling.

Jace looked down and swore quietly, Travis frowning, not wanting Milo to get kicked or hurt. "Milo, no. No!"

Milo lifted his head and stopped growling, letting go of Jace's jeans, whining softly, wandering away but not straying too far from the bed, tail wagging slowly.

Jace turned back to Travis and before Travis realized what he was doing, Jace was trying to get a gag in his mouth, immediately frightening him.

"No, no!" He gasped and turned his head as far away as he could, Jace frowning as he reached to move Travis's chin, forcing his face back towards him.

"Come on, baby…"

Travis whimpered and kept his mouth shut as Jace pressed the cloth to his lips, thrashing his head around, not letting him, Jace quickly getting frustrated.

"Oh come on…" He turned Travis's chin again and when he still couldn't get him gagged, Jace quickly began to get rough. "God******!" He shouted and roughly grabbed at Travis's face and forcibly managed to shove the cloth into his mouth, who quickly let out a cry of defeat and stopped moving his head around, letting him.

Jace glared and got it tied around his head, Travis sniffling quietly, Jace just huffing, giving Travis's head a shove as he stood up straight again, sneering.

Travis eyed him with big eyes as he now bit down tightly, his whimpers muffled, watching him fearfully, thinking if Jace really loved him like he said he did, he would not be doing this to him, this absolutely was not love at all.

Jace was only momentarily angry with Travis as he marched out of the room and closed the door, just upset that Travis still wouldn't accept him, even when he knew he loved him.

As Jace left, Travis eyed the door with wide eyes for a moment, quickly beginning to shift as he lay there, moving his head and face against the blankets, trying to move enough to get the gag out of his mouth.

Moving his cheek back and forth, he quickly managed to spit it out where it fell around his neck, Travis huffing as he sat up, attempting to pull at the rope around his wrists, wishing he were untied.

"Milo….Milo!" He whispered loudly, still struggling, glad when he saw Milo come back over to his side of the bed.

"Milo, get daddy the phone. See the phone over there? Go get it!" He half-smiled down at his dog as he nodded towards his phone in the corner, hoping Milo would understand.

Luckily, Milo was pretty smart and he cocked his head, looking over towards the corner of the room and then back to Travis, cocking his head with a sort of whine.

"Go on Milo, go get it. Go get daddy the phone." Travis urged, hoping this would work, just wanting Jack to show up and take care of Jace already for him.

Milo seemed to understand and he let out a soft yip, trotting over to the phone where he picked it up with his teeth, coming back over.

"Yes!" Travis grinned, proud of him, waiting as Milo hopped onto the footrest that was placed there just for him to get onto the bed, coming over where Travis reached out with a hand, taking it, grinning in relief. "Good boy, Milo, good boy!"

Just one problem: Travis's hands were tied behind his back and he couldn't see the buttons.

"Ah d*****," He quickly frowned, trying to move them so that he could at least see his screen, carefully trying to hold the phone correctly and push the right buttons, which was hard.

Luckily his contact list was still up from when he had last had it, Jack's number right there, he just had to be able to press it and hit call.

Sitting up, his legs hanging over the side of the bed despite his tied ankles, Travis struggled as he hoped he was pushing the right things, huffing under his breath to himself as his fingers fumbled over the buttons on the screen.

Suddenly the door opened and there was Jace. "Hey Travis, do you want ribeye for dinner or—"

Travis yelped when he saw him come in and acting on instinct, threw himself back down so Jace couldn't see the phone in his hands, lying half-sprawled across the bed, looking caught in the act, which Jace recognized when he looked over, instantly knowing something was up.

"What in the world is going on here…?" He mused aloud with suspicion, starting to come over crossly, Travis's finger behind his back pressing on the screen quickly, finally managing to hit a call button, though he wasn't sure if he pressed the right contact or not.

Luckily, it was Jack's and the phone quickly started to dial.

By now Jace had came over and he quickly spotted the phone in his hands, eyes widening as anger surged through him, quickly throwing himself down next to Travis, one hand scrambling to get the phone out of his hands, the other scrambling to get over Travis's mouth.

"No Jace, no, Ja-mmmm mmmph!"

"Sh**!" Jace swore as he muffled Travis's cries, who began to scream now, crying, Jace yanking the phone out of his hands, fingers shaking, frightened Jack would pick up.

Quickly he reached to push end call, swearing to himself, throwing the phone across the room again, exhaling a deep breath, furious.

Travis was crying and trying to get away from Jace's hand over his mouth, who only snarled and sat him up roughly, pressing his back up against his chest and holding him there, beginning to shout into his ear. "What the hell was that, huh?! What sh** are you trying to pull?!"

Tears ran down Travis's cheeks, who shook everywhere, horribly frightened of him. "Mmm mmm!" Jace's hand was still cupped over his mouth, scaring him further, flinching when Jace shouted again, his grip rough on him.

"You think you can just f*** with me, Travis?! Huh?! Calling Jack, that's the last straw!"

Jace was furious and angrily, he grabbed the cloth hanging around Travis's neck, forcibly gagging him with it again. "Come on…no more tricks for you, let's go."

He got off the bed and before the frightened, crying Travis could react, Jace had grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder.

Quickly he cried out in alarm but Jace just ignored him, angrily marching out of the bedroom, successfully managing to close the door before Milo could come out, trapping him inside, Jace continuing to carry Travis to the kitchen, plopping him down into a chair with a huff when they got there.

Travis muffled out words and fearful whimpers but they went unheard as Jace only grabbed more rope and tied him up further to the chair, yanking the knots tightly.

Jace was muttering angry things under his breath, making Travis sniffle as he heard him, hanging his head a little, still shaking everywhere.

"There, now I get to keep an eye on you and now you'll just have to watch me cook, front row seat." Jace huffed with a sneer from behind him, stomping off back to the cupboards and fridge, glancing back with one angry look.

Travis was frowning deeply as he remained shrunk back in the chair, sniffling quietly, trying not to cry, just wishing he could've called Jack, just wanting Jace to be gone, frightened of him so much, not to mention what he had done to him before.

To think just hours ago, everything was normal, well as normal as it could be despite all his friends hardly being there for him, but now, everything was all screwed up, for the second time in his life now. God, why did all the horrible things have to happen to him?

Travis tried to struggle against the ropes but they were tight, hurting him, yet he continued to try, just wanting a chance out of this.

But as time passed and he was still stuck in that lousy chair, he began to feel hopeless, weakened, and a tad heartbroken.

He was thinking of his friends, thinking of what their reactions would be when he would tell them, thinking of how they could save him.

But how could they save him when they wouldn't be there for him in the first place? What if he told them and none of them bothered to say anything, didn't bother to help?

"Sorry Travis, I can't, I have other, more important things to do."

"Travis, I can't, I have plans with Jackson tonight."

"Travis, I've got my own problems, deal with yours on your own."

What if he didn't even tell them at all, would they even notice something was wrong? They didn't last time.

Perhaps it would be better not to tell them at all, then he wouldn't be so saddened when he would get rejected.

But he wanted to tell them, he wanted to think of them as his friends, but at this point, maybe it'd be better to just go through this alone, after all, he had been feeling alone for so long, before with Zack and Jace and now, just with Jace, maybe he could just be alone a little longer.

He hung his head, eyes downcast with a sad look, trying to process his thoughts, frowning deeply, sniffling quietly, just wishing anything but this was happening, still pulling at his wrists, though weakly.

Jace, who had been cooking this whole time, finished with the vegetables, the food cooking in the oven, taking the time to come over to him, grinning.

"That's it, Travis, keep struggling so you'll tire yourself out." He spoke slyly as he came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his neck, leaning close towards Travis's ear, who just flinched. "That way it'll be much more easier for me to keep you close to me without you fighting."

He kissed Travis's cheek gently, Travis just remaining still, continuing to look sad. Jace was finally able to notice, recognizing it through his posture.

"Hey….hey, what's wrong?" He questioned softly, being genuine, but it wasn't like Travis could answer anyway.

"If this is you being sad over me coming back, I'm sorry, Travis, this is just the way it is. And honestly, I thought you would've been more excited to see me." He grinned a little and eyed him, arms still upon Travis's shoulders and chest.

Frowning, Travis just ignored him, keeping quiet.

Upon not receiving any reaction, Jace grinned a little and moved his face closer to kiss Travis's cheek again, Travis moving his head away with a sort of whimper, sounding frustrated.

Jace frowned a little, reminding himself to be patient, knowing Travis would learn to accept his love for him eventually, or at least, that's what he thought.

"Hey…." He just said softly, trying to grin. "It's alright….you'll warm up to me eventually." He chirped and just gave Travis's hair a soft ruffle, getting up to go finish his cooking, Travis watching him go over with a frown.

He thought about the first time Jace and Zack had invaded his house and used his kitchen and made their own food as if they owned the place, thinking about how much it had frightened him to have them there, but now it almost seemed natural, like he was used to it by now. Hanging his head, Travis just frowned sadly, shaking his head, again wondering how this could be happening to him.

Not long after, Jace finished cooking and he came back over with the food happily, looking pleased. He set out all the food and took out Travis's gag, smiling at him, Travis just keeping quiet, not looking at him.

"Hope you're hungry, I made it all with love." Jace gave a little nervous chuckle as he eyed him, dishing up Travis's plate for him.

"Please don't tell me you're going to feed me again…" Travis barely looked up as he drawled lowly, eyes a little narrowed at him, knowing he'd feel humiliated if Jace did so.

Jace gave a smirk, eyeing him. "Heh, well, I have to otherwise I'd have to untie you and frankly, I think if I did, you would just try to run off again."

"I won't try and run off," Travis quickly said, though even he knew that was a lie, looking at Jace expectantly, who just shook his head no.

"Sorry Trav, no can do. 'Sides, consider this as being more bonding time between us."

"Oh great." Travis rolled his eyes with a scowl, making Jace shoot him a look.

"Ah, you'll warm up to it." He cut up Travis's steak and held it out on the fork for him, Travis just merely looking at it, keeping his head turned away.

"Oh come on," Jace smiled at him, waiting. "I know you're hungry."

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Travis suddenly said with almost watery eyes, Jace's smile falling.

"Baby, don't make this-"

"Don't call me baby," Travis turned his head to glare, scowling. "I am not your baby, I don't love you." He huffed as he looked Jace straight in the eye, who was trying to remain calm.

"Just shut up and eat." He said after a minute, still holding the fork out for him, Travis continuing not to take it.

But the food did smell so good and he was hungry. He just didn't want to give Jace the satisfaction again.

"Travis, just eat it, alright?" Jace huffed when he still hadn't moved, Travis almost sighing as he shook his head, reluctantly taking the bite but refusing to look at him, feeling humiliated.

Jace of course was pleased and smiled widely, taking a bite himself as he continued to feed him. "There, ain't so bad now is it?"

Travis just scowled and didn't say anything as he continued to eat, but Jace started asking him questions, trying to make small talk. "So, how have you been this whole time? Didn't seem to worried about yourself when you sent me away." He huffed a little shortly, brow raised.

Travis eyed his plate, not answering, continuing to frown, not wanting to talk to him at all.

Jace just went along with it, continuing to grin. "Your friends, how have they all been? Ooh, how's Vic?"

At that, Travis's head snapped up to glare at him, quickly getting defensive. "Don't ask about her, don't you even think about her…" He nearly growled, Jace just chuckling, a sly smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair.

"I was just asking. I jus' wanna make sure you're okay."

Travis's gaze downcast as he turned away, quiet a minute. "They're not really my friends…" He mumbled, Jace unable to hear, sitting up, eyebrows raising.

"What?"

"I said they're not really my friends." Travis said louder, shooting him a look. "At least not anymore." He looked a little sad and Jace's expression changed.

"Oh. Well why-why not? Did somethin' happen?"

Travis just huffed, as if it were a laugh. "Everything happened." Was all he said and Jace just nodded slowly, holding out the fork again to feed him, his eyes watching him closely.

He could recognize something was off about Travis, something different, as if he had changed, the thought starting to grow worry for him in his stomach, just wanting Travis to be alright, not wanting him hurt or upset in any way. He couldn't bear to let the love of his life suffer, not if he could help it.

"Well uh, I'm sorry, I guess. I know they mean a lot to you." He said quietly, trying to be polite. "But hey, at least this way, you and I will be able to get along better without any of them getting in the way, right?" He smiled, but Travis only frowned, letting out a sigh, looking sad.

"Right."

Jace frowned at him, but just kept feeding him, deciding not to ask him any more questions, at least not until later.

As soon as supper had been eaten and Jace had put all of the dishes in the sink, Travis was brought to the bedroom, where he obviously protested.

"Let go of me!" He frowned and tried to pull away as Jace pushed him to the bed and laid him down, Travis quickly sitting up in an attempt to get away, Jace just grabbing him by the legs, tying his ankles back together again.

Travis kicked wildly, hating this. "Stop it! Stop!"

Jace grunted as he struggled to keep him still to get the ropes tied. "Gah, you stop it! It's not like you can get away anyways, not while I'm standing right here." He huffed and Travis almost growled, knowing he was right, stopping his frantic struggling because he was tired.

He breathed heavily, watching Jace go to the other side of the bed, who began to take off his shirt.

"Whoa, whoa," Travis's eyes went wide, panic immediately surging through him. "Jace, you can't-d-don't-"

"Relax," Jace just grinned and started to climb in next to him, Travis quickly trying to move away but Jace wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close to his bare chest. "I'm not going to do anything."

"N-No! Let go of me, let go!" Travis cried out, trembling now, afraid Jace was going to hurt him or take advantage of him in some way, trying to pull at the rope around his wrists, kicking.

"Hey, hey," Jace kept him close, leaning his face close to Travis's cheek, keeping his arms wrapped around him lightly but enough to keep him against his chest. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to cuddle."

But Travis was still scared nor did he believe him, continuing to squirm and whimper, nearly beginning to cry. "N-No, no, please let me go, please…."

"You're okay, Travis, you're okay…." Jace grinned and just held still, trying to show him he meant him no harm, offering him a soft kiss on his cheek, making Travis cry out.

"N-No! Jack, Jack, I want Jack!" He called out, beginning to cry, still trying to get away from Jace as much as possible. "Jack can help me!"

Jace's eyes widened and then narrowed, his grip on Travis tightening a little. "Hey, what is it with you and Jack, huh? Is there something going on between you two?" He demanded with a growl, Travis's eyes going wide as his eyebrows furrowed.

"What, no! Of course not! Jack isn't even g-"

"Then why do you keep talking bout him helping you when I told you I wasn't even going to hurt you in the first place?" He hissed, his hands pressing down on Travis's chest as he held him, Travis continuing to shake, stammering.

"Be-Because Jack can stop you, he can help me, I-I know he can…."

"But the question is would he want to?" Jace huffed, making Travis frown some more.

"What?"

"I'm saying why would Jack want to help you? You-"

"Oh no, don't you start with that too….please no," Travis whimpered with a sniffle, shaking his head no, his emotions all over the place, making him feel like he was having a breakdown, wishing he could be with someone else more than ever, it not helping that Jace's hands were still on him to keep him still.

"Look, all I'm saying is is that I don't wanna hear Jack's name again, I want you to just shut up about him, and all your other friends too, how bout?" Jace snorted with a sneer, Travis sniffling again.

"Pl-Please, just lemme go….I-I can't go through this again, Jace," He tried to plead, still shaking with fear but Jace just leaned his head close again, nuzzling him.

"Hey, hey, you're alright, honey, just calm down, I've got you."

Travis flinched and tried his best to move away, quickly whimpering as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, just wishing Jace would get away from him.

"Please….no," But Jace didn't stop, only continuing to nuzzle the side of his face affectionately, his hands starting to slide down to sneak under Travis's shirt as well, Travis gasping as he cried. "No, no!"

"You're okay, I'm not going to hurt you, remember? It's alright." Jace spoke to him calmly and gently, his hands sliding up from Travis's stomach to his chest, his touch smooth and affectionate, just wanting Travis to calm down and relax, but Travis only began to scream.

"Don't touch me! Stop it!" He tried to struggle but he was already tired and Jace held onto him anyways, Travis unable to get anywhere or more around, making him cry even more.

Jace shushed him, his hands still running over his bare chest smoothly, surprisingly calm despite all of Travis's struggling, just glad he was able to hold Travis this close to him, to hold him as if he were his own. "It's okay, I just want to cuddle with you, babe, I'm not going to do anything. Now come on, you're just tiring yourself out...just relax…"

Travis was indeed getting too tired and as he sat there and cried, attempting to get away and pull free, flinching from Jace's hands on him, struggling for what felt like forever, eventually he just stopped, reluctantly going still as he continued to sob.

Jace had been waiting patiently, his hands running smoothly over Travis's skin over and over again, up and down, side to side, smiling at him when he finally went still. "There you go, now you just relax. I told you I wasn't going to hurt you….I love you…!"

Breathing heavily through his sniffles, frowning deeply as he flinched at the hands, squeaking, Travis huffed. "Y-Yeah? Well I don't love you….! I don't love you so just get your hands off of me!"

Jace frowned, his hands stopping a minute. "Well that's not any way to speak to me. You should know that, Travis."

Tears running down his cheeks, Travis just shook his head no. "Just stop, please, stop…."

"Me? Stop? No, no no no, actually, I think I want you to stop, Travis…" Jace shook his head, taking one of his arms out of Travis's shirt to reach for his pocket. "All I want to do is cuddle with my boyfriend and you can't even let me enjoy it."

Travis quickly frowned at the term, still crying. "I-I am not your boyfr-" But Jace suddenly pressed a cloth to his mouth, making him cry out as he managed to gag him, stuffing the first one in, adding a second one to tie around his head.

He shook his head around and whimpered out, crying, quickly frightened again, but Jace didn't react, except for giving him a kiss to the cheek.

He smiled when Travis just cried out at the kiss. "Much better. As much as I love hearing your beautiful voice, I love seeing you gagged just as much, my dear." He smiled widely and grabbed softly at Travis's chin, admiring him.

Crying, Travis muffled something out, trying to struggle again, Jace just chuckling at him. "Oh, I just love you so much….now, how about we watch some tv, huh? You just fall asleep whenever you'd like, i'll be right here when you wake up in the morning."

He reached over and grabbed the remote, turning the Tv on, Travis glancing up with a frown, crying when Jace's arms went around him again, hands going up to his chest.

"It's a big day tomorrow, baby, just think about that. I love you." He smiled at him, Travis only crying, Jace leaning down to kiss him again, keeping him close affectionately. "I love you so much." He whispered and Travis just trembled, sniffling, wishing there were some way he could get out of this, some way he could get free.

For the second time in his life he was trapped and with very little chances at escape, Travis just continued to sit there and cry, unable to do anything as Jace's hands roamed across him as they pleased, Travis hating the feeling, remembering what it used to be like when him and Zack would touch him, how much Zack groped him and enjoyed doing It too.

Eventually however, unable to sit there and cry forever, Travis did fall asleep, though whether or not it was before or after Jace had fallen asleep too he did not know, but he was exhausted so the sleep quickly enveloped him as he lay propped up against Jace's bare chest, whose arms still clung around him, hands resting upon his skin, just above where the heart would be.