Kindred Spirits

by Musal

AU: Creed Diskenth, a lonely teen who never had anyone's love. Train Heartnet, a teen who always loses those he loves. What happens when like souls meet by chance? CreedxTrain

22. A Voice

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or any of its characters

---

Train opened and closed his eyes again, hoping that would fix the problem. It didn't, he still only saw total darkness. He tried rubbing his eyes, but still nothing. The cat put his hands out in front of him and grasped at the air, feeling nothing but emptiness. Then, he took a careful step forward. Seeing his foot made contact with something solid, he took another step, praying that maybe if he moved the darkness would go away. After taking several more steps and still seeing only darkness, he stopped and looked around.

"Hello? Anyone there?" He shouted, putting both hands on either side of his face to make his voice louder. Again, nothing. He wasn't sure why, but his body felt like lead.

Then, he heard a voice. His ears perked and his heart raced, recognizing who it belonged to. The cat ran in the directions of the sound as fast as he could, keeping his hands out in front of him so as not to bump into anything. Every motion he made felt like he was moving through water, which made running quite difficult.

"Creed!" He shouted, hoping his partner would hear him.

A quiet whisper was his only reply. "Train? Train, I love you."

Train ran faster in the direction of the voice, his legs trembling under the heavy weight of the air. "Creed? Where are you?!" He knew that he was calling to Creed, but the cat didn't hear anything come out.

Again the voice said his name, but was still nothing more than a whisper. "I love you, Train."

The golden man turned, thinking he might have been going in the wrong direction and that's why Creed's voice didn't get any louder. He tried to call the silver man again. "Creed, I can't find you. It's too dark!"

Again he knew he said the words, but it's as if the heavy air stopped his voice from exiting his lips.

"Train…" The volume of Creed's voice still did not change as Train turned once again and ran in a different direction. "My cat… My love… Please come back to me..."

Train felt himself getting tired. The darkness did not relent no matter what he did and he could not find Creed. He tried to call his roommate again, but still nothing came out of his mouth. The cat was starting to panic now and felt like if he didn't find Creed he would be lost forever.

"I love you…"

Creed's voice echoed in the empty room one more time before Train fell on his knees in exhaustion. His muscles ached and his lungs were burning and he couldn't run anymore. The thickness of the air weighed him down too much and his body couldn't keep up anymore. He tried to call Creed again, but nothing came out. Train fell to his hands and slammed his fist on the ground, this anger gesture's sound also being absorbed by the crevasse of the room.

As Train kneeled on the ground, he felt a tear fall from his eye. Then, a flash of light and he looked up to see Creed standing there. He was wearing their school uniform, holding a lot of books and smiling awkwardly at Train, just like when they first started hanging out. Train reached out to him, but the image disappeared.

He saw another light out of the corner of his eye and he turned his head to see another image of Creed. This time he was wearing a hospital gown and hooked to a machine. Again, he smiled at Train, the same loving look in his eyes that scared Train away so many times. This time, however, the cat did not look away. He smiled back and again tried to reach out to him, only to have the vision vanish once more when he touched it.

Another flash to his other side showed an image of Creed wearing a tux, the same tux they both wore to Sven and Eve's wedding. Train appeared in his arms and the two of them danced to the same song as that night. The cat tried to say his partner's name again, but nothing came out. While he could hear the music swell romantically throughout the abyss, his voice was halted each time he tried to acknowledge Creed.

The image of both of them evaporated as Creed's voice came from right in front of him. The silver man was kneeling on the ground in front of him, gripping his chin gently, caressing his cheek and smiling passionately. Train smiled back and leaned into his partner's hand. Creed leaned forward and pressed his lips against Train's lovingly, but before the golden man could respond, the silver man's figure disappeared again, leaving Train grasping at empty, dark air.

His arm fell on the ground limply, another tear staining his cheek as he rested his head on the cold, black floor. Train called Creed again, but found his voice was still gone. He was ready to give up and allow the void to take him.

"Train."

This was a new voice, but still one that he recognized. Train turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw Saya standing behind him. She was wearing her trademark kimono and grinning happily at the forlorn cat. The golden man took a big breath of air and cleared his throat, hearing that his voice was back. However, when he tried to call Creed again, his voice was silenced.

Confused, he touched his throat and gave his female friend a confused look. Her kind smile never faded as she kneeled next to Train, holding her hand out for him to take.

"It's okay, Train. Creed is fine. But, he can't hear you."

Train blinked at the girl and took her hand, allowing the woman to help him stand. "Why?"

Saya patted Train's shoulder. "I think you know why…"

The cat blinked at her, his vision slightly blurred as her brightness harshly contrasted the darkness of the room. He thought for a second at what she said until he remembered what happened.

"I was shot." Saya nodded, but didn't speak, so Train continued. "I'm… In the hospital?"

Again, she nodded, but did not speak. He was quiet for a second and remembered what happened next. "Did I…?"

The girl smiled sadly, giving Train the answer to the question he didn't need to ask. Train was silent again as he thought, then remembered the last thing he said to Creed. His heart raced and he gave his friend a panicked look. "Creed… Did he?"

"He didn't hear you, no." Saya answered, knowing what the cat was going to say before he said it. She frowned when she saw the golden man sigh and run his fingers through his hair. "Is it true?"

Train blinked at her again. "I…" His voice was a whisper now, not knowing how to answer the young woman before him. "I… Why are you here?"

Saya laughed at him, knowing he was trying to avoid the question. "I've always kind of been your conscious, haven't I? I'm here to help."

"Help with what?" Train asked, his voice shaking as he spoke.

Another smile from the girl. "I think you know."

The cat was again avoiding the issue at hand and asked another question. "Why can't I talk to Creed, but I can talk to you?"

Saya sighed in annoyance. "Again, I think you know why. Stop changing the subject and answer the question: Is it true?"

Train stared at her, now understanding he wasn't actually looking at her or even talking to her. This was a conversation he was having with himself, but his brain decided to give him someone more responsible to talk to.

Still not getting an answer, Saya slapped him on the back of the head, making the cat yell out and clutch himself angrily.

"What was that for?!" He yelled as he rubbed his hair.

"Because you're so stupid! What do you think is going to happen if you admit it? Are you going to catch on fire? Are you going to die? I don't think that's something you should be scared of anymore!"

Her angry words echoed in the dark room and Train let them sink in. After a moment, he shook his head and responded. "No. I'm not scared of what will happen to me. I'm scared of what will happen to him…"

She squeezed his shoulder tightly, giving him an understanding smile. "I know… I just needed to hear you say that. But…" Saya put her hands on either side of his face so he wouldn't look away when she spoke. "How does it feel now knowing he doesn't know?"

He gazed at her teal eyes, his burning with salty tears. "It… Sucks…"

Saya nodded and patted his cheek. "It does, doesn't it? So, how do you think it would feel reversed? What if you were in Creed's spot right now? Crying over his body, knowing he couldn't hear anything you said? Knowing that he might never hear it because you were too stubborn to say it?"

Train growled and pushed her hand away. "What does it matter if I say it or not?"

Saya put her hands on her hips. "I think I just used that logic against you earlier. What does it matter if you do say it? And don't say he'll disappear or something will happen to him. Not everyone you love will go away."

Train was quiet again and did not meet her eyes as he spoke. "...You did."

She watched him, knowing what he was thinking already and able to come out victorious every time. "Did you really love me, or did you just care a lot about me?"

He thought about her words and nodded. "I… Did love you… But not how I love-"

Train stopped himself from finishing that sentence, realizing how easy it was for him to almost say it. He looked at Saya who smiled and punched his chin playfully. "Why not try it out? It's just us."

He wouldn't look at her again, knowing if he did he would give in. "They're just words…"

"Those words are powerful enough to bring down empires, destroy people, decimate cities and countries. Those words have created the most beautiful works of art and caused the downfall of the most influential figures. They can forge wondrous, unbroken bonds between people… Or they can shatter an innocent, delicate man…"

Train didn't need her to say who she was talking about to know. He sighed deeply, feeling a warmth in his chest he had been running from for too long. The golden man did not look at her when he spoke, but he smiled to himself wistfully.

"I love Creed."

Saya's voice dropped a few octaves, matching the very man he spoke about. "Why don't you say it to me."

Train's eyes rose to crystal blue ones. He had spent what seemed like hours searching for him and now he was standing right in front of him, smiling how he always did. This time, Train did not feel like running at all. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his waist tightly and pulled him closer, happy to see he was not disappearing this time. Creed returned the embrace and wrapped his arms around Train's neck, his eyes shining with hope and adoration.

Train smiled, now knowing exactly how to return the look as his partner's eyes this time.

"I love you, Creed."

He watched as the silver man in his arms smiled, and Train pressed his lips against Creed. Train pulled back and ran his fingers through Creed's hair, relieved that he could actually feel the man in his arms.

"I love you…" He said it again, kissing the man one more time before darkness took over again.

---

Creed heard a deafening, sustained beep in his ears as he watched the doctors move around his cat. He stepped out to find someone to help him love, but came back and saw Train was dead. The heart monitor's screen was showing a straight line across it and Creed heard a long beep accompanying it. That was the same beep he had stuck in his head, unable to hear anything else over it.

He was shoved out of the way by a medical team and they immediately began working on his partner. However, Creed could not move. His whole world crumbled away from him as he watched Train's lifeless body laying on the bed. His cat's arm fell down the side of the bed, dangling needlessly as his golden eyes pried into Creed's soul. The golden orbs Creed loved so dearly were inert and dull, the carefree, playful nature of his cat gone and replaced with nothingness. As long as he lived, Creed knew he would never be rid of that sight. The sight of his beloved's dead eyes were forever ingrained in his brain.

His hearing suddenly came back when the heart monitor's sound changed from that atrocious, continuous beep to a sequence of beeps, signaling his beloved had returned to them. Creed collapsed against the doorway and took a big breath of air, now realizing he had stopped breathing when he found Train dead.

The silver man tried to approach his love, but was stopped by a nurse. She gave him a calm look, but it did nothing to help his state of mine. While the machines told his ears his beloved was back, his eyes needed to see it for themselves. The nurse said something Creed did not hear and he pushed her aside, running to grab his love's hand quickly.

No one stopped him as he leaned over Train, running his fingers through his hair earnestly, hoping to see his eyes open again.

"Train? Train, are you there? Did you come back to me?!" Creed's words were frantic and fast, needing to hear his love's voice to sooth his heart and soul.

Train did not respond physically or vocally. His heart monitor and slight movement of his chest showed Creed that while he was alive, he was not conscious. The silver man felt a hand squeeze his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"He's alive, Mr. Diskence, but… He's slipped into a coma. While he's stable now, we're going to have to monitor him closely and hope that he wakes up. Right now, it's all up to him."

Creed only heard the important parts of what he said. He knew Train was alive and knew they had to wait. There wasn't anything they could do except keep him comfortable. Creed pressed his forehead against Train's and wept openly, not caring what anyone else in the room thought.

The doctor walked towards the door and spoke to someone, but Creed did not hear it. As the room cleared a nurse stayed behind to rub the silver man's back reassuringly, but Creed barely felt it. She soon realized her efforts were in vain and left the room, closing the door behind her quietly and allowing the man his privacy. There was no reaching him right now and nothing they could do for Train at the moment.

For Creed, it didn't matter if he was alone or not. Even if someone entered the room, he wouldn't notice. All he cared about was his cat. All he could see or hear was his cat. If the building caught on fire or lightning struck next to him, he wouldn't notice. The rest of the world fell away as he stared at his beloved and cried loudly.

"Train?" He said as he placed one of his hands on his love's cheek, his forehead still rested on top of Train's. "Train, I love you."

With every word he said, a part of his body went numb. It was as if he was subconsciously beginning to check out. Neither his body nor his mind could handle seeing Train like this.

Still, he held on to hope. He hoped that maybe if he spoke to his cat, he would hear him and wake up. "I love you, Train."

Still nothing, and Creed felt him lose another part of his body, no longer able to feel anything from the waist down.

He let his head fall next to Train's head, sobbing into his shoulder as his hand caressed his partner's cheek. "Train…"

His voice shook with a violent sob as he pressed his face further into the unconscious man as emptiness creeped up his spine and to his chest.

"My cat… My love…" He used his other hand to squeeze Train's firmly. "Please come back to me…"

Creed lifted his head and stared at his cat's face again, trying to will his golden love's eyes open with his gaze. It didn't work and Creed sobbed again, throwing himself on top of Train as his heart shattered to pieces, barely feeling the pain as the numbness moved around his back and to his chest.

"I love you…"

With his last bit of strength, he sat up again and ran his fingers through Train's hair. The oxygen mask was covering Train's lips, so he pressed his pale ones against the plastic gently, praying his cat would feel them through the device. As he did this, he felt his arms go weak, no longer able to caress the man he loved so much.

He pulled away and collapsed back on Train. His eyes went dim and his face grew emotionless. Unable to process these intense feelings anymore, Creed allowed the numbness to take him.

It had been two and a half weeks since Train slipped into a coma. Two and a half weeks Creed hadn't heard his beloved's voice, seen his beloved's eyes, or held his beloved in his arms. Unlike when Creed was in the hospital, Train was too unstable for the silver man to really be anywhere near him let alone climb in the bed with him. He had to content himself with a chair pulled as close to his cat's bed as possible and an occasional hand squeeze or light kiss.

It's back to Train being so close yet so far…

His eyes gazed longingly at his love, holding his hand and caressing it gently.

I should never have left him...

Creed had managed to find a way to blame himself. He thought if he never left the room, maybe Train wouldn't have almost died and slipped into a coma. The numbness that had taken over had not gone away. Creed learned to deal with it at this point. It had become a part of his everyday life. He barely ate and when he did, it was the nurses forcing him to, yet the food had no taste. The silver man was pretty much eating enough to keep himself alive, just in case Train woke up.

But if he doesn't wake up…

Creed tried not to think about that, but at the same time, that's all he could think about. There was a moment where he was able to gather his senses together enough to email his professors and explain the situation to them. They were understanding and told Creed they would send him any make up work once this was all over. However, Creed couldn't help but think if it mattered if Train didn't wake up.

What's the point? What's the point of any of this if he doesn't wake up? What do I do if he doesn't wake up…

The silver man ran that scenario through his head a million times and he couldn't find the answer. His life was so intertwined with Train's he didn't even know what it would look like without him anymore. Even before their lives became one Creed had revolved his whole world around his cat. Before they became an item, Creed knew he couldn't live without Train, but now that he actually had the golden man…

… I'm pretty sure I'll just disappear without him. It's not even that I can't live without him… I don't think I could physically exist without him.

Creed began to feel himself vanish at the thought. However, since he was still numb, he had to look at his hands to make sure he was still there. Seeing that his body was still palpably present, he took hold of Train's hand again, unable to even feel the warmth of his love.

He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Creed had shed all the tears that were humanly possible. The silver man was sure the only water left in his body was there to keep him alive. His eyes were no longer blue, they had turned a bright shade of red and the bags under them were big enough to hold an entire family's luggage. The amount of sleep he had accumulated wasn't enough for a single night's sleep let alone two and a half weeks. Creed wasn't even sure how he could tell the passing of time anymore. Every day bled into the next. The sun and moon had no meaning to him.

Looking at his cat, he squeezed his hand tighter, hoping he would feel something, anything. He hoped Train would return his gesture and bring the life back into him, or that his squeezing would bring life back to his beloved. They were both floating through nothingness, desperately looking for each other.

"Train… Can you hear me?"

The doctors told him that talking might help wake him up. They said if he heard a familiar voice, it might trigger something in the cat's brain and bring him back. That was all Creed needed to hear to talk endlessly to his beloved. He would do anything to get Train back and if that something was talking to his cat as if he could hear him, he would talk until his throat was sore. The silver student found himself reminiscing about their relationship and he spoke of the past as if there wasn't going to be a future.

Creed smiled at a memory. Or at least he thought he was smiling. He wasn't able to feel his lips.

"Train… Do you remember that time you fell asleep in Kenta's class and he threw a book at you?" The silver man tried to laugh, but again did not feel the motion. "I was so mad at the time I nearly threw it back at him."

He looked at Train's face, hoping to see some form of recognition. An eye twitch, a finger flick, anything to show him his cat was still in there and could hear him.

He sighed sadly, realizing his reactions at that time were stupid. The injury would have been nothing compared to now. "Looking back… It feels like it was so long ago… and so silly compared to now..."

The silver man felt embarrassed for himself. If he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn't have gotten so upset. Seeing his beloved did not react, Creed tried another story.

"What about when you found out you had to learn to drive to become a police officer? I read you the manual every night because you were so worried about failing the written portion."

Creed traced his love's fingers with his own, imagining they were gripping a steering wheel tightly. "And the first time you got behind the wheel of a car… Your face was so white I thought you were going to pass out. And the whole time you were just worried about getting into an accident and hurting me."

He stopped his memory, now thinking about how his cat's job was the reason Train was in the hospital. It was such a cute memory, how could it feel so tainted now?

This memory triggered another one. One that hopefully wouldn't become sour due to the current state of his beloved. "Or how about that time you got off at the wrong stop and nearly missed school? You texted me in such a panic I thought you had been in an accident and left scho-"

He stopped that story as well. Seeing his cat lying in a hospital bed made it seem inappropriate. "-That seems so insignificant now…"

Creed thought for a minute, trying to find a happier memory to replace this one. His mind wandered until he found one. "How about when that dog followed you home? You gave him some food and he wouldn't leave you alone. He followed you to our apartment every day for a week!"

Again, he smiled, not sure if he was actually moving his lips. "I told you he was just like me. Hopelessly devoted to an adorable cat that didn't know what to do with him…" Creed ran a hand through his beloved's hair. "But, eventually we figured it out and found him a home. Just like you did with me… You brought my home out of pity, but kept me out of lo-"

Creed felt a sharp pain in his heart before he finished the last sentence, realizing Train hadn't ever actually said those words.

Will… Will I ever get to hear them from my beloved?

He traced his hand down Train's cheek, caressing his soft skin lovingly, trying to concentrate on his cat to forget the pain in his heart. He didn't understand why that was the only place he could still feel something.

"You eventually took me home with you, and our lives merged together in a beautiful bond."

He settled on this thought, seeing that it hurt less than the truth. Creed knew Train cared about him deeply and would do anything to make him happy, but those three words seemed to be out of his cat's reach. It was painful, but he still wouldn't have changed anything about their lives.

Creed brought his beloved's hand to his lips and kissed it gently, unaware if he actually hit his mark due to his emotional paralysis. He watched his cat a little longer, rubbing his hair and face fondly, wishing they could go back to their apartment as if this had never happened.

As he watched his cat, another memory came to him. One that he decided to lose himself in as he retold it to Train. "Do you remember when we first moved in together? Not the very first time, but when we moved into our current apartment after my housing scholarship ended?"

"Train, be careful! Why do you need to carry so many at once?!"

Creed was eyeing his cat worriedly as the golden man walked up the stairs carrying three large boxes. "Why don't you use the elevator?"

Train shrugged his shoulders behind the tall boxes. "It's only two flights of stairs. Besides, I can move faster than a machine. Plus, this is making up for not being able to train today."

Creed sighed and approached his love as he walked up to the door of their new apartment. They needed to move out of their old apartment rather quickly and find a new one close enough to Creed's campus and Train's job. They were lucky to find one on such short notice that met their requirements and had affordable rent.

"That's not an excuse to get yourself hurt." Creed said as he took a box from Train. He nearly dropped it when he first picked it up, not realizing how heavy it actually was. "Train?! Are you seriously carrying three of these?!"

Train nodded and put the other boxes down in the middle of the floor. He took a big breath and stretched his arms, turning on his heels to head out to get some more. Creed watched his love go and smiled. He looked around their new apartment which was currently filled with boxes holding their lives. The silver man sighed blissfully, knowing that soon they would be filling these empty rooms with their hearts.

Creed hugged himself happily as he walked around the apartment, imagining what it would look like once they were settled in. It wasn't big, but as long as he had Train, he would live in a box on the street. When he got to the bedroom, he stopped and stared at the bed. He smiled and approached it, letting his mind wander to less innocent thoughts of his cat. While they still hadn't gone all the way, they had done enough to make Creed unbelievably satisfied.

He was too lost in his daydream to hear Train walk in the room, put down a box, and hit him with a pillow he had retrieved from said box. Creed was close enough to the bed that he fell on it. The silver man turned around quickly and was greeted by a grinning cat armed with a pillow.

Creed was lost in his cheeky smile and didn't notice his cat was hitting him again with a pillow. The silver man sputtered when the soft weapon made contact with his face.

"Train! No fair! I'm armless!" Creed said as he tried to crawl away on the vacant bed.

He made it about halfway before Train grabbed his feet and pulled him back so they were both in the center. The golden man wrapped his legs around Creed's waist, smiling cheekily as he smacked the silver man with his fluffy battle-axe.

His cat laughed evilly. "Then consider this revenge!"

Creed blocked his face and laughed with his love. "Revenge for what?"

Train stopped and blinked at his partner. "Huh… I don't actually know. But I'm sure you did something that warrants it!"

To emphasize his point, he hit Creed again as the silver man laughed wildly at his cat. After a few more attacks, Creed was able to grab the pillow and yank it away. Train wasn't ready for it, so he lost his weapon quickly and tried to scramble away. In his desperation, Creed was able to get the upper hand and grab his beloved's arm and flip him over so he was now stadling Train's waist.

Just as Creed was about to hit him, Train gave him puppy dog eyes, which melted the silver man's heart and he couldn't continue his actions. He dropped the pillow to the side and made a move to kiss his beloved, but Train had other plans. The cat grabbed the pillow again and pulled Creed next to him. Train hit him in the side of the head when the silver student fell, earning a yelp from his roommate and a happy giggle.

"I concede! I concede! What do you want from me?" Creed made a time out motion with his hand as Train stopped attacking him.

The cat thought about that for a minute, then put the pillow on the bed, using it as it had been intended. "How about a break? I just brought in the last of the boxes and I'm beat."

Creed smiled and nodded, curling up next to his cat. "I think that can be arranged."

Train returned his smile and pulled Creed against his chest. The silver man sighed gleefully and snuggled as close as he could. He nuzzled his face deep into his love's shoulder, taking in a deep breath to fill his senses with his beloved. Creed looked up at Train and caressed his cheek lovingly, watching as his partner leaned into the gesture and smiled.

"You're sweaty, Train." Creed commented, but that didn't stop him from continuing his adoring motion, using his thumb to massage his supple skin delicately.

Train shrugged his shoulders and ran his fingers up Creed's shirt and against his skin, tickling his muscles gently. "Then why are you getting your fingers all slimy with it?"

Creed giggled and kissed his neck. "Because I don't care."

"Then shut up." Train said as he ran his other hand through Creed's hair. He kissed his partner's silver locks lightly, then rested his cheek on top of his head.

The silver student let out a happy squee and cuddled further into his love. He wrapped his arms around Train's shoulders, gripping him tightly, basking in the glory of his love's warmth. When Train kissed his head again, Creed's smile widened and he held his love a little longer.

After a few minutes, Train stopped and pulled Creed's face to his own. They stared into each other's eyes for a blissful second, allowing themselves to get lost for a moment as Creed moved forward and pressed his lips against Train's. The cat returned the gesture and held his roommate closer, sliding his hands further up his partner's shirt as Creed moved his hands from Train's shoulders to his hair, tangling his fingers in his beloved's chocolate locks.

They broke apart a few times, only to embrace the same way again immediately after. Creed was in heaven with each kiss, still trying to convince himself this was real. He was still expecting to wake up at any moment.

Once they split for the last time, Creed kept his hands on the back of Train's head so their lips still touched when he spoke. He smiled, his lips moving at his cat's as he did so. "I can't believe this is real… Can you pinch me?"

When Train did he yelped quietly and frowned at his cat. Train smiled and Creed's heart flew, instantly forgetting what he was upset about. "You said to do it."

Creed kissed him again gently, then nuzzled his nose with his own lovingly. "I love you…"

Train didn't respond to that, but he did give him a quick kiss, hoping that would be enough. It was and Creed returned the motion, making it last longer than his cat originally intended.

"This is everything I've wanted for so long… So many of my dreams have come true. I didn't think I ever deserved to be this happy…" Creed's voice was a little sad as he spoke, knowing there was still a part of him that thought this would all end any day now.

He felt his love's hand ran through his hair again, then against his cheek. "I can't say I'm not surprised either. I didn't expect to ever get this close to anyone. Nor did I think I deserved to be happy either…"

Creed purred into his cat's hand and kissed it. He looked back into his golden eyes, allowing himself to disappear in their exquisite chasm. "I guess we just needed to find each other to learn what happiness felt like." He kissed Train again. "And to learn maybe we deserved it…"

Again, he suppressed the feeling that this would all fall apart soon and got lost in the moment. Creed wouldn't allow his inner-saboteur to win this time. He was with his cat in their new home and he wouldn't let anything ruin that. However, a bit of his subconscious still came out as he clung a little tighter to Train.

"Train… Please don't lose me."

His cat's response was to tighten his hold on Creed as well, then kissed him on the head one more time. Feeling that was enough of an answer the silver man smiled and sighed blissfully. He shut his eyes and caressed his cat, thinking of their future and letting himself fall into the daydream.

Creed was sprung rudely from his memory when Train's phone vibrated loudly on the floor. The medical staff gave him all of his cat's belongings the night he was brought to hospital. Creed dropped his love's clothes to the ground and left them there. He totally forgot about them until now as they moved slightly against the hard floor.

Dully, the silver student dug into his beloved's pocket and pulled out his phone. He groaned at the name and slapped himself on the head, still not feeling anything as he did so. Creed answered it and tried to sound at least a little positive, but knew he was failing miserably.

"Sven?" He said monotone, his numbness clearly being heard through his voice.

"Creed? What's wrong? Where's Train? I've been trying to reach him for a few days now and he hasn't answered. We were worried." His voice spoke volumes of concern which made Creed feel guilty.

"Sven… I'm so sorry I didn't reach out to you sooner. Train…" He looked at his cat forlornly, not sure if he could say the words out loud to another person. "Train… He… He was shot four times… H-he's…" His choice cracked with a sob, taking a deep breath before he finished his sentence. "He's… In a coma…"

Silence rained on the other end and Creed heard Sven walking into another room, probably getting a certain blonde haired beauty. He heard a few whispers, then Sven's voice again. "Creed, you're on speaker phone. Eve is here."

The girl's voice spoke quietly, as if talking any louder would injury Creed. "Creed? Are you okay?"

Creed growled a little at her question. "Why does that matter?"

He heard the girl sigh and try a different approach. "Was he shot on duty?"

"No. He was suspended. He was shot by a cop." Creed didn't feel like elaborating. Sustaining this much of a conversation took too much energy and he was already tired.

His two friends asked a few more questions that Creed did not hear. He was trying to go back to the moment he and Train shared so long ago in their apartment, and that was impossible as long as he was on the phone. The silver man sighed languidly and put them on speaker as well.

"Listen, if you want to come see him I'm texting you the hospital we're at along with visiting hours. I'm here all the time, so you can text me to let me know when you want to come."

He heard the couple say a few more things, but didn't care and hung up. Creed really couldn't concentrate any longer to keep the conversation going. They had all the information they needed and if the two really wanted to see Train, they could now do so.

I know I should have told them sooner, but again, what does it matter?

He looked at Train and let out another loud sob, not feeling his chest convulse at the movement.

Nothing matters… Without Train, nothing matters.

To Creed, this was true. Without his cat, the air felt suffocating, food tasted bitter… Water was sour and colors were dull. The stars in the sky did not twinkle at all and clouds were all the shape of his cat. His stomach hurt all the time, yet he couldn't eat. His skin was dry and his heart was hollow. Creed felt like his entire soul was carved out and tossed aside like yesterday's trash.

He tried to cry to alleviate the numbness, but nothing came out. However, like the rest of the world, it didn't matter. His feelings didn't matter, his thoughts didn't matter, his tears didn't matter. Nothing mattered because nothing would bring his cat back to him.

"Train… Please wake up…" He caressed his cat again one more time, then fell against his chest, careful to avoid his wounds as he did so.

Creed's eyes closed as his body fell asleep, dreaming of his love and the life they shared together.

---

"Creed? Creed, are you okay?"

The silver man jolted up again his cat, blinking out the fogginess from his eyes. He looked out the window and noticed the sun had set. Glancing at the clock, he looked back at Train, as if falling asleep for four hours would have been the miracle cure to wake his beloved up. Creed sighed sadly and fell back against Train, his eyes turning to see who had woken him up.

"Oh… Hey, Sven… Eve…"

The married couple was standing behind him, looking down at him wretchedly. Creed did not care as he clutched at his cat unknowingly, as if the tighter he held on the more hope there was of Train opening his eyes. He didn't say anything else and turned his gaze back to his beloved, once more praying he could open his eyes just by staring at him wistfully.

Sven and Eve shared a look then turned back to their silver friend. Creed was a mess. He looked like he hadn't showered in days. His hair was a mess, his clothes were wrinkled and dirty, his skin pale and lifeless. The law student's eyes had turned from an elegant shade of blue to a dull red, signaling he had not been sleeping well and when he was awake he was most likely crying.

Eve walked to the other side of Train's bed to get a better look at her feline friend. The girl frowned sadly and patted his head with her hand. "How… Long has he been out?"

Creed barely heard what she was saying and wouldn't look at her. "Two and a half weeks."

Eve was thrown off by both the emotionless tone Creed used and the length of time. As a medical student, she knew the long term effects being in a coma could be. However, there was always the chance he woke up perfectly fine. Or… He could never wake up, or be in this state for years.

She chose not to tell Creed any of this. He was smart so he most likely already knew and reminding him would only make matters worse. "Creed… What happened?"

Her silver friend did not answer. She watched him for a few minutes as Sven sighed and moved next to him, placing a kind hand on his shoulder. "Silver Dollar, we're here to help. You need to talk to us."

Creed did not feel Sven's hand on his shoulder therefore he did not react. He didn't answer Eve's question, but he did respond. "There's nothing you can do… Nothing I can do..." The silver student reached up and cupped Train's chin sadly. "I can't feel anything…"

The last words Creed did not mean to say out loud and hadn't even really heard himself say them. He also did not notice the look his friends shared as Eve continued petting the comatose cat. They allowed a bit of silence as they watched Creed, until Eve decided to try again.

"Creed… What happened?" Her voice was quiet as she asked her question again, hoping to not set off her silver friend again. It seemed like everything gave him a bad reaction right now, so she needed to be careful.

"He was shot. I thought I told you that." Again they were both thrown off by how monotone, yet harsh he was. Either he couldn't hear himself or he didn't care. Judging by his current physical state, it was probably a combination of both.

Eve sighed again and stepped away from Train. She was looking for his chart somewhere to see if she could figure out on her own what happened. Sven watched as his wife searched the room and pulled up a chair next to Creed, hoping there was something he could say to get his friend out of this funk.

"Creed, I know there's nothing we can do to help Train, but we can help you." Sven's voice was calm and sympathetic, his hand remaining on Creed's shoulder which he gave a slight squeeze. His friend still had no reaction which made him frown.

Creed's eyes never left his beloved, not wanting to miss a second in case Train woke up. "I don't matter… Nothing matters…"

Sven watched as Creed let out a quiet sob then looked over at his wife. She had found the cat's chart and judging by the look on her face, Train's situation wasn't very good. Eve glanced at Train, then Creed, then let her eyes settle on Sven, confirming with her look what her husband had already read on her face. She placed the chart down and went back to her position next to Train, resuming her previous gestures. A small tear fell from her eye, which did not make Sven feel any better about the whole situation.

He tried to talk to Creed again, this time avoiding the subject of Train comatose state since Eve could just tell him later. "He's going to be okay, Creed. This is Train we're talking about. He always bounces back."

"He has no control over this situation, Sven." His voice was still deadpan, something the green haired man thought he was just going to have to accept.

Eve tried this time, thinking maybe he would respond better to her. After all these years, she was still seen as the 'Little Princess' of the group. "Patients come out of comas all the time. You can't just give up hope. Train wouldn't want that."

Creed actually managed a scoff this time, but still did not look at Eve as he spoke. If Train woke up, he wanted to see it. "How could you possibly know what he wants? He can't say or do anything."

Again, Sven and Eve shared a look and sighed. The green haired man leaned back in his chair, choosing to give Creed some space since clearly his words didn't do anything to help the man. The room was quiet for a while, no one knowing what to say. The silence was broken as Creed's phone rang. It was the only thing that seemed to get any reaction out of the silver man. He answered it quickly, but still kept his eyes on Train.

"Ms. Arks? Do you have an update?" His voice was will detached from emotions, but at least he didn't sound as harsh this time.

"Yes. But first, how is Train?" Sephiria's voice sounded concerned, which was a change of pace for the serious woman.

Creed ran his fingers through his love's hair as he answered the lawyer. "The same."

It seemed like the law student wasn't capable of speaking more than a few words at a time, so Sephiria answered his question. "I was able to get a temporary restraining order against Officer Edo. However, it was Officer Clark that shot him, and it's harder to get one against him because they are both claiming it was some kind of self defense. They won't elaborate right now, but I'll get it out of them. I got both Mr. and Mrs. Goto's statement since they saw everything, but considering it's the word of two police officers versus a man with a record and his wife, I don't know see much hope in getting one against Clark."

Creed figured that much, but even though Clark had shot Train, it was Edo he was more concerned about. "Why is it only temporary?"

Sephiria sighed tiredly. "Because Mr. Heartnet is unconscious and can't sign any legal documents. I was only able to get this much because I'm his attorney and was able to pull some strings."

The silver man paused and thought for a second. "Can't I sign it on his behalf?"

"No." Sephiria answered as if she was ready for the question. "Because your relationship with Train is not legally binding, you can't make calls for him. He also does not have a will that states you can make decisions for him, so there isn't really much you can do."

Creed let his head fall on Train's chest, his other hand gripping his love's shoulder tightly. "So you're saying because we aren't married and Train has no other legal documents putting me in charge of his decisions, I'm useless."

Another sigh from the woman. "I didn't say you were useless, Creed. If you'd like, I can have a marriage certificate ready for him to sign if he wakes up that you can both sign in case he falls under again. It would be quicker than a will, but I can work on that as well."

Creed watched Train's face for a little. This wasn't how he wanted to do it, but it sounded like there wasn't much of a choice at this point. He also wanted to stop talking about a will, so he agreed to whatever the woman said. "Yes. Please have both prepared."

He didn't know if Train would agree to sign a marriage certificate, but it was worth a shot just in case he woke up. That way Creed would at least be able to do something to help. To make decisions on his cat's behalf.

"I'll have that ready for you as soon as possible." Creed heard her write something down, most likely a note to herself to do that later. "I do have good news…"

She waited to see if Creed would respond. Upon hearing he didn't, she continued. "We got the tape of Edo attacking Train in the locker room. The angle was perfect, we could see everything. It was very obviously an unwanted attack from Edo that Train fought hard to get away from. Added to that, we found Edo's DNA from the rape kit. There were particles under his nails and on his clothes and other parts of his body. With all this, we might not even need his testimony for court."

Creed was silent. He knew this was good news, but he didn't like hearing about the attack. Even though he wasn't there, Train had repeated in such detail so many times what happened to so many different people and the silver man felt like he was there. Creed found himself playing the moments over and over again, as if he didn't want his beloved to be alone in his suffering.

Sephiria sighed again when Creed didn't acknowledge her statement. "Edo and Clark have also been suspended from the force until this whole thing is sorted out. While Train's suspension ended a few weeks ago, I was able to get them to place him on medical leave, so he will still be getting paid while he is out of commission."

"Suspended? That's it? Even after you pulled the video that's the best we could get?" His voice was harsh again, but the woman was not affected by this. She had dealt with far worse.

"Going after police officers is very difficult, I'm sure you know this. That fact that I was able to get them both removed from the force even temporarily is a huge deal. You need to see the positive side if we're going to get anywhere in this case."

Creed didn't respond again, just stared at his beloved morosely. They both remained silent as they got lost in their own thoughts. Creed couldn't stop praying his cat would wake up at any moment and Sephiria was trying to think about her next words carefully.

"We have a court date set."

The silver man blinked at the phone. "What? How?" He didn't understand how she was able to get that when Train was still comatose.

"We have enough evidence and witnesses to move forward without Train for now. While it would be great to have Train wake up and make a statement, we can get around that because of his current state. We got Mr. and Mrs. Goto to agree to testify against Edo and Clark about that night. There's also one more person we can get on the stand…"

She stopped and let Creed take in all that information, giving the man a moment to ask any questions he might have. Seeing he said nothing, she continued her statement. "Creed… Train told you everything that happened in that precinct. He told you everything that happened that day when he was attacked in the locker room. If you can tell Train's story, that could help our case against Clark shooting him while Edo watched."

Creed watched his cat, thinking about the woman's words. He glanced around the room to see Sven and Eve's reaction. Eve had stepped out of the room and Sven was watching him closely. He could tell the green man heard their entire conversation. He tried to give Creed an encouraging smile, but it did not affect the silver man how he had hoped. Nothing affected Creed the same way anymore.

"Sephiria… I would do anything to help Train. But right now, his number one priority is to wake up. I can't leave him. He'll need to see me when that happens." His eyes glistened with tears a little, surprised that he was still capable of forming any. "I would move mountains if that meant he would come back to me. I would throw myself off a clif if it meant he would open his eyes for even a minute, but I can't leave him. This entire case won't matter if he doesn't wake up…"

Sephiria let out a long sorrowful sigh. "Please… Think about it. I need to go. I'll call you again soon."

She hung up the phone and Creed left his arm fall on top of Train. Sven squeezed his shoulder again, but the silver man still did not feel it. "Creed... Are you sure that was a good idea? I think you know this the best way to help Train. He's not going anywhere and it doesn't do anyone any good to have you sit here and wait for him to wake up."

Creed responded in a quiet whisper. "You don't understand…"

"I know I don't, Creed. But you know it's true. If Train's lawyer has found a way for you to lock up the people that did this to him, I think you should do it. I think that's what Train would want." Sven's voice was stern, but kind. He wanted to let his friend know that he cared, but also that he meant business.

Creed didn't respond again and Sven sighed. He didn't know what more he could say to get through Creed's skull. If the silver man wouldn't even look at them, what good was trying to talk to him?

"Maybe if you won't listen to us, you'll listen to her." Eve walked back into the room with her phone facing out. Apparently she had stepped out to video chat someone that might be able to get through to Creed.

Saya frowned at the room, able to see Train laying on the bed and Creed laying on top of him. "Creed…" Her voice was sad and small, not sure what she could say, but knowing she had to say something.

Eve stepped into the room and approached Creed. The silver man did not take the phone from her, and she sighed and moved Sven out of the chair so she could sit next to him. "Creed… Come on… It's Saya. She wants to talk to you."

Creed didn't turn around. "I don't want to talk to her."

Saya felt a stab of pain when Creed said that. It was the first time in years she actually felt some anger directed at her from the man. Despite his reaction to her presence, she tried again.

"Creed, Eve told me everything and I heard the last of what Sven said. Why don't you want to tell Train's story?"

The silver never looked at her, barely even registering she was on the phone. To him, it was as if all of them were quiet voices in his head that he acknowledged every so often. They didn't matter, only Train mattered. "Because it doesn't matter if Train doesn't wake up…"

"And what if he does?" Saya's voice took on a bit of a harsher tone as she spoke. "Train would want you to be his voice. You're the only one that can. You know Train would do anything to see these people locked up. Train wou-"

"-You don't know what Train would want!" Creed's voice was loud and he finally turned to address the group. The look in his eyes startled everyone. They had never seen such heated fury coming from the man and it was frightening. "None of you know! Not even me! We can never know because Train isn't with us!"

His voice cracked and he turned back to his beloved, sobbing violently as he fell back on his cat's chest. "Train can't speak… Train can't move… He probably doesn't even know we're in the room right now. And even if he does wake up, he might not be the same… He's been in a coma long enough that he might have forgotten everything. He might have forgotten…"

Me…

Creed finished the thought in his head, unable to speak that possibility out loud. He grasped Train's hospital gown tightly, his dehydrated eyes somehow finding a way to create more liquid. The room fell silent except for Creed's whimpers. Even though he did not finish his sentence, the rest of them knew what he was going to say.

"Creed… Train won't forget you." Saya's voice turned compassionate again. "He would never forget you. He never could forget you…"

"You don't know that… No one can say that…" Creed stayed on Train's chest, trying to feel his beloved's body desperately.

"Creed…" Saya's voice trailed off, thinking carefully of what she could say to comfort the man. "I know he wouldn't-he couldn't-forget you…"

"What do you know about Train?" His voice turned cold again and his tears stopped. The silver man did not turn to look at her as he spoke, but she could tell that look was back in his eyes. "You left him…"

The way he said it was more of an accusation than a fact. Yes, Saya did move, but it wasn't in the way Creed was saying. However, they knew correcting him would only make things worse. After a few minutes, Eve walked out of the room with her phone, taking Saya with her. Sven watched Creed for a few more minutes, then stepped out after his wife and friend. It seemed like Creed would be better off being alone right now, and he wanted to find out more information about what happened to Train from Eve. Chances were she also spoke to some doctors while she was gone, so this was the best time to learn more about his feline friend.

Creed didn't notice when they left. He pretty much didn't know they were ever there in the first place. His eyes were still stained with tears as he caressed his love's cheek again. "Don't worry, Love… I'll never leave you. Even if you never wake up, I'll stay here forever. I won't leave you alone…"

"Mommy, is that Train?"

The silver man did not recognize the voice so he actually turned to check it out. His red eyes were greeted with a little boy holding a toy robot in one hand, grabbing a pregnant woman's arm with his other. The woman nodded and smiled sadly at Creed, then stepped into the room tentatively.

"I'm… So sorry for interrupting your time with him… But Tak really wanted to see him. I tried to explain he was in no condition to have visitors right now, but my son is stubborn. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

Creed stared at them, trying to place a name with the woman he knew was important to Train's situation. "Trish, is it?" He asked quietly.

She nodded and approached him while Tak walked over to Train. "Yes. I assume you're Creed? Train's boyfriend?"

The silver man looked at the hand she was offering and took it limply. After one second, he let go and turned back to Train. However, he was now distracted by the little boy with a toy. Tak stood on the other side of Train's bed, looking at him strangely as he clutched the robot tightly in his arm.

Tak did not notice Creed's stare. He was too concerned about Train. "I… I picked a name for my robot…"

Train didn't respond. The only sound in the room was that of the heart monitor beeping quietly. Eve and Sven had returned as well, but they stayed at the door and watched. This was the first time they saw Creed look at something other than Train without an angry glare. Neither of them knew who this boy was, but he seemed to be getting a different reaction out of Creed.

Tak swallowed and held the robot up to Train, as if he could take it. "His name is Train. I called him that because he's strong and brave like you." He paused and let out a quiet sob, his arms shaking a little as he held the toy between him and Train. "You… saved my daddy… Thanks to you, my daddy is safe and home. And he comes home every day to play with me. He couldn't do that if it wasn't for you."

Creed heard Trish let out a sob as well. She sighed shakily to regain her composure, but the silver man could tell that was hard for her to do.

"You're… a hero. You're my hero." Tak paused again, then placed the robot in Train's arms. "Since you protected my daddy, I want him to protect you." He nodded proudly at his toy, smiling as he watched the unconscious cat's arm rest against the plastic toy. "My mommy said you might not wake up, but I know that's not true. You're the strongest person I know. I know you'll wake up and when you do, the Robot Train will be here to protect you."

Tak took a deep breath and walked away. He saw Creed was staring at him so he approached the silver man, who was blinking at him in confusion. "Are you Train's wife?"

Creed stared at him for a few more seconds before he smiled and giggled a little. Sven and Eve looked at each other briefly, shocked to see their friend react at all, let alone laugh.

The silver man messed with the child's hair a little. "Yes. Yes I am." He remembered Train telling him that story and remembered saying it was pretty much true. While it may not be legally legitimate right now, the idea of it was technically accurate.

Tak put his hand out for Creed to shake. "I'm Tak. It's nice to meet you."

Creed took his hand and shook it much more firmly than he did his mother. He could actually feel himself smiling right now. "Train… Told me you like to read…"

The boy's eyes lit up and he pulled out a book from a small backpack he was carrying. "Yes! I'm reading this one right now. Can I read a little to you?"

Creed glanced at his mother who nodded, tears clearly present in her eyes. Tak beamed at them both and crawled into the silver man's lap, not bothering to ask for permission. He opened the book and looked at Train, then Creed.

"I'm gonna read loud enough that he can hear me too, okay?"

Creed nodded. "Okay… I think he would like that…"

As Tak read, Sven and Eve smiled. The green haired man leaned against the door with the blonde in his arms. Trish sat in another chair and watched her son reach a man who everyone thought was lost. Other than the beeping of the monitor and the boy's narrative voice, the room was silent. Creed watched the boy read and his cat sleep, finally feeling something return to him. He was able to feel his face once again, and he knew he was smiling.

"The end!" Tak said as he shut the book loudly. He looked up at Creed for feedback and saw him smiling. The boy smiled in return and jumped off his lap. "I know it's sad, but he'll wake up. We need him to protect us all. He wouldn't leave us like this!"

Tak approached his mother and put his hand out for her to take. She took it and looked at Creed. "When he wakes up, be sure to give us a call. Train has our number."

Creed nodded, remembering the night she called Train to come help. "You'll be the first people I call."

The woman smiled and left the room, Tak waving goodbye as their footsteps echoed down the hallway. Sven and Eve stayed at the door for a minute more, waiting for Creed to do something. The silver man watched his beloved during this time, beginning to feel his arms and legs again, now realizing how sore and dirty he was. He watched Train's shut eyes for a minute more, before he stood and kissed his cat on the forehead and turned towards the door.

"Sven, Eve? Can you watch Train for a minute? I need to call Sephiria back." He frowned and sniffed the air, scowling when he discovered he smelled terrible. "Actually, make that several minutes. I need to shower."

Creed passed his friends as he pulled out his phone and dial Sephiria's number. He didn't bother to wait for their response, knowing they were going to do as he asked without question. The silver man felt a bit of strength return to him, and he wanted to take advantage of it.

As he walked down the hallway he heard the phone click on the other end.

"Creed?" Sephiria's voice was confused, seeing as she had just gotten off the phone with him.

"Ms. Arks, when is the court date? I'm going to tell Train's story."

I'm going to be my cat's voice until his comes back.

---

Creed frowned as he adjusted his tie in the mirror. He was currently standing in a bathroom at the courthouse, getting ready for his turn on the stand. It was really hard leaving his cat, but he felt better knowing Sven and Eve would be there in case he woke up. They were staying in a hotel nearby while Creed went to trial. Eve was able to get her professors to agree to let her complete work online and Sven was able to get a leave of absence from work. While Creed really wanted to stay by his beloved in case he woke up, he knew that this was the best thing for him.

I'm going to be Train's voice, but I still won't break my promise to him. I won't leave him. I'll be back as soon as this is over.

Everyone was telling him this is what Train would have wanted but he didn't hear them. For whatever reason, when he saw that little boy look at Train in admiration, call the cat his hero, and give him a toy robot to protect him, it spoke volumes to Creed. It was a reminder of who Train was and why he did what he did. It also reminded Creed of himself when he was a kid.

This was the kick the silver man needed to get his ass in gear and actually do something about his love's situation. It was hard knowing it had been another week since Train was conscious, but Creed couldn't think about that now. He went over what his testimony to Sephiria would be every day since he told her he would do it. He was currently going over it again in the mirror.

That's not the part I'm worried about. I'm worried about the cross examination…

Being in law school, he knew how difficult those conversations could get. He couldn't imagine what kind of lawyer the police force had hired. They probably had better resources than Train and Creed, so he was preparing for the worst. He was just happy Sephiria was fighting for them pro-bono again. It seemed the two young men had wormed their way into her heart. She definitely had a soft spot for them.

It also helps that Charlotte has our back. She probably had a helping hand in all this.

It also helped that Creed was top in his class at law school and was able to give Sephiria some ideas for her tactics. While they were discussing how today was going to go, Creed was able to pry into the rest of the trial to see what her approach was. She had a good plan, but the gifted man was able to give her a few ideas. He could tell she was very impressed by his knowledge and actually found herself talking to him about a few other cases she was having trouble with. It was nice to get his mind off of his situation for a bit, and Sephiria was shocked at how good he was. She even noted how surprised she was that he was just in law school and not a full fledged lawyer. The silver man needed to hear that. After everything that happened recently, he needed that boost of confidence to help get him through today.

Creed took a deep breath and gripped his wrist tightly. There was a piece of fabric wrapped around his pale skin and the silver man fingered it lightly. Train made him get rid of that bandage he used to wear years ago, claiming it was weird and he didn't need it anymore. Creed smiled at the memory, knowing it was a sweet way of his love telling him that he finally had Train. He and his cat had come a long way since he first received that grace from Train, and now that he had gotten more than he ever imagined from his love, it wasn't hard to let go.

However, today was going to be a hard day. To get him through it, he needed something from his cat. Neither of them owned any jewelry or any other kind of momentos, so Creed had to improvise with a piece of Train's clothing. He didn't know what else to do, so he took one of his beloved's old shirts and ripped a piece off to wrap around his wrist. It didn't matter if Train was mad or not. Creed didn't even think he'd notice it was gone and now the silver man had something he could touch that would remind him of why he was doing this.

There was a knock at the door that brought Creed's attention from his reflection to the room next to him. Whoever it was didn't wait for an answer and popped their head in. The bailiff saw the silver student and addressed him "You're up. Are you ready?"

Creed took a big breath in and pushed the butterflies he felt in his stomach aside. He turned and nodded at the man. "I'm ready."

He followed him into the hallway and to the courtroom. The trial was already under way. Creed was the last witness to be called. Creed thought it was fitting. He was sitting in for Train anyway, it felt right to have him go last.

As he stepped in he saw Dante taking his seat next to his wife and son. The family smiled thoughtfully at him, a gesture he returned then quickly put away. He needed to make sure Edo and Clark knew he meant business. He wasn't going to get distracted by anything today.

He could feel the men's eyes on him, trying to read Creed's thoughts as he passed them and took his spot on the stand. As he was sweared in, he glanced at the men for only a minute, giving them a devious smile that was too fast for anyone to notice. However, he knew the officers did, because they both glared at him for a second, then changed their expression back to professional ones, hoping no one had seen that exchange.

Creed sat down and crossed his legs gracefully, placing both his hands on his knee and looked at Sephiria. He fingered the fabric on his wrist quickly as the woman approached. Her face was all business and Creed didn't expect anything less from her.

"Mr. Diskence, can you please state your name for the court." It wasn't a question.

"Creed Diskence." He responded firmly, his eyes staying locked on to the woman. He knew that was the best thing to do. If he allowed his gaze to dart around the room, the defense could possibly claim someone was telling him what to say. Since he would be retelling a story he wasn't actually there for, Creed needed to be as careful as possible.

Sephiria nodded. "And would you please state your relationship to Train Heartnet."

He smiled. "He's my spouse." Creed decided to use this word because it sounded a bit more professional and personally than just 'boyfriend'. As much as he loved calling himself that, he wanted to make themselves sound more official than that.

"Mr. Diskence, how would you describe Mr. Heartnet's relationship with Officer Edo and Officer Clark?" Sephiria paced the room a little, looking at Creed as she did so.

Creed's smile turned to a frown. "Very toxic. They often called Train derogatory terms that were aimed directly at our relationship with each other."

"Could you give us an example of words they would use?"

He took a quick breath and fingered the fabric on his wrist again. "Pansy. Pussy. Queer." He paused at the last one, it being the hardest one to repeat without boiling over. "Fag."

There were a few mumbles in the audience, but nothing serious. It was a hard word for anyone to hear, let alone be called at work.

Sephiria nodded. "I see. And, what were Train's reactions to being called these awful words?"

"Train took it in stride. We were both used to being bullied in high school, so he has thick skin. He didn't normally let things like that get to him, but combined with the disrespect he felt from the rest of the precinct, it made his life unbearable there." Creed frowned sadly at the thought. He carefully chose not to mention how concerned he was about his cat's mental health, but he was sure the defendant would bring it up.

"Could you please elaborate on what you mean? Disrespect from the rest of the precinct?" Sephiria stopped her pacing in front of the jury, her back facing Creed as she asked the question.

"No one ever believed him because he showed sympathy towards perps that were brought in. They all believed his emotions were misplaced and anyone who was locked up didn't deserve to be given such kindness…" His voice trailed off at the thought, remembering all the terrible stories he heard from his cat and how no one ever did anything to help him.

"And what are some examples of his kindness?" Sephiria turned around to face Creed when she said this.

The silver man nodded. "Dante Goto. From what my understanding is, he was brought in for stealing bread and Officer Edo beat him to the point where Mr. Goto broke a thumb and had a black eye. Then, once he was locked up, he was refused his phone call and basic amenities such as water, food, and warmth."

The opposite lawyer stood. "Objection, relevance?"

Sephiria spoke to the judge. "This is to show Mr. Heartnet's character and what his life in that station was. Mr. Goto's story is also what led to this trial. Everything Mr. Diskence has been confirmed by Captain Kanon."

The judge nodded and brushed her hand in the air. "Overruled. Continue, Ms. Arks."

The woman nodded as the other lawyer sat next to a disgruntled Edo and Clark. "Mr. Diskence, what did Mr. Hearnet do that everyone else in the station thought was unwarranted kindness?"

"Train fed him and gave him water. He also allowed him his phone call and provided him with a pillow and blanket."

Sephiria looked at him curiously. "That doesn't sound so bad to me."

Creed shrugged his shoulders. "That was the kind of behavior that got him in trouble with his captain and made everyone else look down on him. He said they all told him he made them look bad." He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying they did that just fine on their own. Now was not the time to be a smartass.

"Before we get to the night in question, I would like to ask you a few questions about that day Train encountered Edo in the locker room at the station. Is that okay?"

"Objection!" The voice came from Edo's lawyer again. "That is a separate trial we are already mitigating with Ms. Arks. It has nothing to do with the charges at hand."

"Again, your honor, this is to establish what my client's relationship with Officer Edo was. This was a violent attack instigated by one of the defendants and will show the danger he poses to society."

The judge thought about it for a second, then nodded to Sephiria. "I'll allow it. But please keep in mind any charges for that case cannot be brought into this trial. Is that understood, Ms. Arks?"

Sephiria nodded and turned to Creed. "Mr. Diskence, I know this is hard… But could you please share with us what happened to Train that day?"

Creed took a big breath and gripped his wrist tightly. He closed his eyes for a second and imagined his cat's cheeky smile, giving him the strength he needed to retell the story. The silver student was able to do so with great detail. Train had told him every second of that night and had retold it over and over again to so many other people and to Creed so he would get used to having to repeat it in front of a jury. Creed repeated it every day in his head, unable to shake the image. When he was done, the courtroom was quiet except for a coughing man in the back.

Sephiria smiled and nodded at Creed. "Thank you for sharing his story. Now, for the night in question."

The next line of questioning was pretty straight forward. She asked about Dante and that night Train received the call. She asked what his condition in the hospital was and what happened to put him there. Everything was covered and Creed answered every question as he had prepared. He never lied or even stretched the truth. Creed didn't voice his personal opinions once, knowing that would only get him into trouble.

When they were done, Sephiria smiled at Creed and took her spot behind her desk. There was a chair next to her that was empty and Creed knew it was meant for his beloved. He felt his heart sink at that thought, but didn't allow himself to become too depressed as the defense approached to ask their questions.

"Mr. Diskence, you said you were Train's spouse, correct?" The man was tall and thin, face clean shaved with well styled hair. His eyes were dark and prying, Creed had to suppress a squirm under the man's gaze.

He sat a bit taller in his seat and gingerly fignered his wrist again for strength. "Yes. We've been together for about four years now."

"Are you married?" Creed shook his head sadly. "Is it true you carried feelings for Mr. Heartnet far longer than four years?"

Creed blinked at the man, then looked at the judge. "Wh-what?"

Sephiria stood. "Objection, relevance?"

"If Ms. Arks can establish an absent man's character, then I can establish that of his supposed spouse's."

A moment of silence as Creed looked at him strangely, then the judge nodded. "Overruled. Mr. Diskence, please answer the question."

Creed looked the man in the eyes and nodded. "Yes." He didn't elaborate. That wasn't part of the question.

The lawyer nodded knowingly. "Since Mr. Hearnet is currently comatosed, how can we verify what your relationship really is with him? How do we know the true status of this partnership? Withdrawn!" The lawyer shouted before Sephiria could object again.

Creed eyed him wearily. He knew what he was doing and it wasn't going to work. It didn't matter if he withdrew the statement, the idea that Creed was just Train's stalker was now planted in the jury's head. It was up to him to discredit it.

"If you did your research properly, you would find that Train and I have been living together for the past five years." Creed kept his eye on the pacing man, trying to let him know he wouldn't win.

The lawyer nodded. "That's correct. Immediately after you were released from the hospital after you received a very similar attack as Mr. Heartnet. That's quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

Creed held back a growl and kept his face calm. He chose not to answer that question, seeing as it was really just bait to get him mad. This man had clearly done research on Creed, so all he could do was control himself and not give the lawyer what he wanted.

The man smirked and walked away from Creed, turning to face Sephiria, his back pointing at the silver man. "Mr. Diskence, you mentioned you and Mr. Heartnet were bullied a lot in high school. Is that true?"

Creed nodded and the man continued as if he could hear the gesture. "What were you called back then?"

The silver man stayed silent for a second, then looked at the judge. She gestured for him to answer, so he did. "Freak, mostly. Psycho was used heavily in the mix as well."

"Those are pretty harsh words. How would you say you reacted to that?"

Creed stared at him, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "I controlled myself for the most part. Train was always there to defend me."

"So, did you always rely on Mr. Heartnet to protect you? Is that how your feelings for him developed?" He turned to face Creed, still smirking as he asked his questions.

Creed narrowed his eyes, beginning to see what was happening. "Not always. And any time Train defended me it was his choice. He defended a lot of people in school."

"Right, so you really weren't that important to him?" He smiled when he saw a bit of anger flare in Creed's eyes, but the silver man was able to push it aside very quickly.

He walked away from Creed and to the desk his clients were at. Creed couldn't help but notice the happy grins on their faces. "Is it true that you were once suspended for reacting violently towards another student?" The lawyer flipped through a couple pages of his notes, then asked his next question as he turned to the man at the stand. "You shoved a trash can on another student's head?"

Creed sighed quietly, making sure he controlled the volume of his voice as he spoke. "Yes."

"And from what I see here…" He flipped through a few more pages, lifted his binder and approached Creed again. "It looks like that happened only after they drew a very crude picture of Mr. Heartnet, correct?"

Another sigh. "Yes."

"So, what you're telling me is you have extreme reactions when something involves Mr. Heartnet? How are we to believe anything you say when this could just be another severe emotional outburst by an unstable man concerning the man he is obsessed with?"

"Objection!" Sephiria shouted this time, slamming her first on the table. "What does any of this have to do with my client being shot?"

"Your honor, if you let me continue, it will make sense soon."

The judge nodded and gestured for him to proceed. "Mr. Diskence, would you consider yourself to be a jealous man?"

Creed blinked again, then shook his head. "No…"

The lawyer turned to him. "Are you sure? I've spoken to several of your former classmates who had witnessed you reacted violently towards someone who showed romantic interest in Mr. Heartnet. This has included using words such as-" He flipped through his notebook again. "-Witch, and roughly pulling women away from Mr. Heartnet. Is that true?"

Who the hell has he been talking to?!

Creed didn't say anything, but nodded his head. The man smiled. "Interesting… And, where were you the night in question?"

"At home…" Creed controlled his voice, but still couldn't help but feel this was going to go south real fast.

"Was there anyone there to confirm that? You said Mr. Heartnet had left to address an issue with the Goto family and I believe it is just the two of you in that apartment?"

Creed nodded again. "I was by myself."

"I see…" He paced the room again, giving Creed a minute to stew in his own thoughts before continuing his questioning. "Mr. Diskence, how do you think you'd react if Mr. Heartnet tried to end your relationship to be with someone else?"

Creed gaped at the man, his mouth closing and shutting a few times, not sure how to respond. He gave himself a minute to think, then answered. "Train is his own person. I would never hold him hostage in an unwanted relationship." His heart broke at the thought, but he reminded himself it wasn't true and Train was still his.

"Mr. Diskence, I'm going to get right to the point. Is it true that on the night in question, Mr. Heartnet came home to tell you he was in love with Officer Edo and wanted to leave you for him?"

Creed stared at him in disbelief. "WHAT?!" He yelled, no longer able to control his emotions.

The lawyer continued and stood in front of Creed, looking him directly in the eyes. "That day in the locker room was Officer Edo's and Mr. Heartnet's first sexual encounter that sparked the beginning of their relationship. When you found out about it, you forced Mr. Heartnet to call his lawyer and tell him he was sexually assaulted because you couldn't accept the truth. You put him through the pain of a rape kit because you couldn't accept that his heart belonged to another. Then, the night Mr. Heartnet went to see Edo at the Goto's house, you followed him and caused a scene, resulting in the tragic shooting of the comatosed officer."

"OBJECTION!" Sephiria shouted as she slammed the table again. "There is no evidence of Mr. Diskence being at the scene and Mr. Heartnet called me before he even spoke to Mr. Diskence that day!"

"But did he call about the supposed assault, or about the release of Mr. Goto?"

Sephiria scowled at him, but did not respond. He smiled.

"That's what I thought. Only after he made contact with Mr. Diskence did he call to address the supposed attack by Officer Edo. The fact is, Mr. Heart and Officer Edo had started a relationship without the knowledge of Mr. Diskence and when he found out, he lost his cool like he has in the past and reacted rashly. Officer Clark got caught up in the mess while he was trying to do a standard drug search." He turned back to Creed, seeing that the man at the stand was getting close to falling off the edge. All he needed to do was push one more time an Creed would reveal his true colors.

"You've loved Mr. Heartnet your entire life and he never gave you a second glance. He gave in out of pity when you were hospitalized from a similar attack. That attack caused you to make up this story in your head because you couldn't deal with the fact that the man you loved your whole life didn't love you back. Is that true?"

Sephiria stared at him, then looked at Creed. Creed's hair had fallen in front of his face, shadowing his eyes menacingly. The courtroom was quiet as the silver man sat there, unable to speak, unable to register anything the lawyer had just said to him. He knew it wasn't true, but at the same time, Train had never told him that he loved him. While he could never let the man in front of him know that, it hurt that some of the things he said were ghosts that haunted Creed's dreams. He always believed deep down that Train didn't love him and was only with me out of pity.

He glanced up and through his silver locks at Edo. The officer was leaning forward on his hands, smirking deviously. In that moment, Creed knew what was happening. Edo was trying to convince everyone that he was actually in a relationship with Train so he could get the restraining order dropped. Once that happened, he'd be free to enter the hospital room with the comatosed cat and do whatever he pleased. It sickened Creed to his stomach and he wouldn't let that happen.

A thought occurred to him and he pulled out a phone, opening a folder entitled, "My Partner" with a heart next to it. Creed clicked a picture and showed it to the lawyer. It was a picture of him and Train, the cat jumping on Creed's back and smiling happily at the camera. He swiped his finger to another picture of them sleeping on a couch in a hotel lobby. His finger moved again and this time it was them dancing at Sven and Eve's wedding. One more time and it was Train holding Creed bridal style, the silver man blushing wildly and Train smiling that cheeky smile he loved so dearly.

The lawyer frowned at Creed, then pushed the phone away. "Of course you would have pictures of Mr. Heartnet on your phone. I fail to see the point you're making."

Creed went to the home screen of the phone, showing him it was a picture of himself sleeping peacefully with smiley faces and firework emojis drawn around it. "If I'm so obsessed, why wouldn't I have a picture of Train as my background?" He pulled up a video, then put it on the stand in front of him. "This is Train's phone."

The video that began to play was one that was taken at Sven and Eve's wedding. The couple hired a videographer for the reception, and the camera man loved Train and Creed's relationship so much, they recorded their entire dance. Creed leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest.

"If Train was so miserable with me, why would I be the background picture on his phone? Why would the only photo album on his phone be labeled, 'My Partner' and filled with pictures of me?" He leaned forward held the phone closer to the man in front of him. "Why would he look at me like that, if he was in love with someone else?"

The lawyer rolled his eyes and pushed the phone away again. "You've had all the time in the world to set up his phone however you wanted. Beside that, I believe these photos are marked from several years ago. The past does not represent the present."

Creed stopped the video and flipped through again,checking the dates on each picture until he found a video he had been looking for. He hit play again and put it back on the stand. This video happened the day before Train was attacked by Edo, and the date in the corner showed him that. Train had snuck up on him while he was sleeping, and decided to record the entire encounter.

The movie showed his cat jumping on him while he slept and started tickling him. Creed was seen blocking the blows and laughing, trying to get away from his cat but unable to. It then showed Train holding the phone over the both of them, pulling a breathless Creed onto his chest and kissing the top of his head. The silver man tried to get Train to turn the recording off and covered his face in embarrassment, but his cat was stronger and wouldn't let that happen. Train then pulled Creed closer and kissed him on the lips, still recording as he did this. His cat smiled as Creed stared at him lovingly.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Silver Dollar…"

Creed said the words in his head as Train said them on the recording. It ended with Train kissing him tightly on the lips, followed by another laugh.

"What happened next was not suitable for young viewers, so he stopped recording." Creed allowed himself an evil smirk when he said that. "I'd also like to note this was during his suspension time when he was extremely depressed. If this is what our relationship looks like when he's sad, imagine what it's like when he's happy."

Creed smiled proudly at the lawyer's face, knowing he got him. "Check the date, this was the day before Officer Edo attacked him. How about we compare this video to the one between Train and the officer consummating their relationship as you've claimed it was?"

The courtroom was silent. While the jury couldn't see the video from where they were sitting, they were able to hear it. The judge, however, saw everything. She looked at Sephiria over her glasses and spoke directly to her. "Ms. Arks, is this part of your evidence?"

Sephiria shook her head. "No. That's just quick thinking on the behalf of my client's spouse." She smiled at Creed, who returned the gesture as he leaned back in his chair again. "However, if the defense wants to define two relationships Mr. Heartnet is incapable of confirming or denying, then I would like to submit his phone as evidence. I will get every video and pictured pulled for the jury to see. On top of that, I would like to submit the video of Officer Edo and Train's encounter in the locker room."

The defense attorney was about to object, but Sephiria stopped him. "Your honor, Mr. Mako has already put the idea of a possible relationship between his client and mine in the jury's mind. He also has questioned the validity of Mr. Heartnet's and Mr. Diskence's partnership, so without the ability of my client to confirm or deny anything, we now should have the right to prove or disprove his claims."

The judge nodded and turned to Mako. "She's right. You opened the door, Mr. Mako. The only way to close it is to prove your case." She banged her gavel and folded her arms. "We are adjourned until tomorrow. Ms. Arks, please come prepared with your new evidence by then."

---

Creed ran into Train's hospital room, disregarding Eve and Sven's cries for him to slow down as he approached his cat happily. He grabbed Train's hand and kissed it repeatedly, smiling triumphantly as he addressed his love.

"I did it, Train! I told your story! You should have seen Edo's face!"

Sven chuckled behind Creed and gave him a hardy smack on the back. "Good job, Silver Dollar. We knew you could do it."

"Tell us what happened!" Eve said eagerly, pulling up a chair at the foot of Train's bed to hear Creed better.

Creed rubbed Train's hand, his eyes remaining on his beloved as he spoke to his friends in the room. "Has Train shown any signs of waking up?"

Sven sighed. "No…"

Eve frowned and held up a book. "I read to him. I was hoping maybe if he heard me reading a book, he'd get mad and wake up to tell me to stop. No such luck."

They prepared themselves for Creed's depressed response, but were surprised when he turned to face them and smiled. "Thank you for staying with him. I know he'll come back soon…"

He traced his cat's face lovingly and sighed. He leaned forward and kissed his forehead, then looked at the toy robot that was still in his arm. Creed made sure it never moved since Tak had made him promise to keep him there. He wasn't about to break a promise to a little kid.

"Mr. Diskence, if you plan on running next time, I would appreciate some warning."

The group turned their eyes to Sephiria, who was trying to catch her breath without letting the younger people in the room know. Creed smiled apologetically at her, then returned his attention to Train, brushing his hair with his fingers, caressing his cheek fondly as he smiled warmly at his beloved.

Seeing Creed wasn't going to introduce her, she rolled her eyes and introduced herself. "I assume you are Mr. and Mrs. Vollfied?"

Sven stood and took the hand that she offered. "Yes, you can call me Sven. This is my wife, Eve. I assume you are Train's lawyer? Ms. Arks?"

The woman nodded and Eve stood and bowed politely. Sephiria nodded in return. "I assume Creed has told you why I'm here?"

They both shook their heads and looked at Creed, who was too distracted by Train to pay attention to anything that was happening. Sephiria sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm not surprised I guess… I need both of your statements about Creed and Train's relationship. I may even ask for you to testify in front of a jury."

Sven blinked at her, unable to speak so Eve spoke for him. "What does their relationship have to do with Train being shot?"

Sephiria addressed the young woman. "The defense is trying to say Train and Creed's relationship is not legitimate and that Train was actually starting a relationship with Officer Edo. Furthermore, they are claiming that Creed, in a jealous rage, escalated the events of the night he was shot and is actually the one at fault for his current state."

She paused to let them take it all in, then continued. "Since Train is not able to confirm either relationship as true and there are no legal documents stating one way or the other, I'm going to gather any pictures or videos that show the sincerity in their relationship and speak to anyone that can testify it is real."

She looked at Creed sadly. "Creed… It might not be a good idea for you to be here with Train. At least not until tomorrow when this is all settled."

Creed brushed her words aside and kept his eyes on Train. "Nothing is going to keep me from Train. If he wakes up, I want to be there."

Eve spoke to the tall blonde. "If that's the case, why is Creed so happy? That sounds like terrible news to me."

Sephiria smiled at her question. "Because your friend is very smart. He was able to turn the whole thing around on the defense. They weren't expecting him to have Train's phone full of pictures of them and a video from just before the attack that pretty much confirmed the truth."

Sven spoke now, wanting to clarify one more thing. "That wasn't enough to convince them?"

She brushed his words aside. "I'm not concerned about convincing them of the truth. Train's phone was submitted as evidence. The judge gave us a day to gather what we need." She stopped speaking and addressed Sven. "Mr. Vollfied, can I speak to you first?"

He jumped a little when she addressed him, but stood nonetheless and followed her from the room. They were gone for a while, and when she returned, she took Eve for questioning. Creed was only half aware of when they entered and exited the room. He was keeping his eyes on Train. Since he was gone for so long, he wanted to make sure not to miss a minute of his cat, just in case he woke up. The silver man even had papers ready for him to sign, trying not to think about what it would mean if his beloved didn't want to sign them.

When Sephiria came back in the room with Eve, she wrote down a few things in her notebook, then turned to Creed. "Creed, do you have a list of people I can call that can confirm your relationship status with Train? Preferably those who know you well and you and Train speak to on a regular basis?"

Creed nodded and kissed his cat one more time on the head, before taking his phone out and listing off names. "Saya Minatsuki, definitely. Also Rinslet Walker and Jenos Hazard. Let's see…"

He stopped at a name and thought for a second, then nodded and smiled to himself. "Charden Flamberg and Kyoko Kirisaki."

Sven and Eve looked at each other, then at Creed. "Creed… Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eve questioned wearily.

Sephiria gave the young blonde the same worried look. "Why wouldn't it be okay to talk to them?"

"She's concerned about Kyoko, not Charden. Kyoko has had a crush on Train since high school and has never liked that we've been together." He turned to his young friend and smiled. "I think if we can get someone like Kyoko on the record verifying our relationship, we'll be golden. If you wanna talk about someone who's obsessed with Train, she's your girl."

The lawyer stared at Creed for a minute. "Is she… unstable? Or is she one of the women they mentioned today you had to take off Train? Do we need to worry about the defense tearing her apart?"

Creed shook his head. "No. Unless you want to call her to the stand to testify, I don't see why they would want to call her. She's actually a bit too truthful about her life. If anything, the defense calling her to confirm my partnership with Train will hurt them. She'll never shut up about how upset she is about it and it'd do more damage than good to their case. I don't think she'd ever even mention any encounters I've had with her. Mr. Mako must have heard those stories from someone else. She did it in front of the entire school, so there are hundreds of people he could have spoken to. Kyoko was never exactly gentle with Train. It was all defensive on our part."

Sephiria thought about this for a minute then looked at Sven and Eve. They nodded in agreement which made the lawyer nod as well. "That makes sense. I don't know if I'll need to call more than Sven and Eve, anyway. I'll still give everyone on your list a call right now."

She nodded to everyone in the room, but before she left, he spoke to Creed one more time. "Creed, when did you say your graduation was?"

He tilted his head a bit in confusion at her. "About another year. Why?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "No reason. Keep an eye on your partner. And remember to get him to sign those papers if he wakes up. That'll make everything much easier."

When she left, Creed stared after her for a few more minutes before asking his friends a question. He continued caressing his beloved as he spoke, but looked at the married couple.

"Are you sure you'll both be okay testifying? It was pretty brutal today…"

Sven sat down heavily and waved a hand at Creed. "Of course we will. We'll do anything to help you guys out."

Eve nodded in agreement and sat on her husband's lap. "These scumbags should be locked up, not armed on the streets with a power complex."

Creed smiled gratefully at them. "Thank you…"

"Nevermind that, tell us what happened today! Ms. Arks said you turned the defense on its head?" Sven sounded excited, like he was about to watch a news report on a high stakes case.

Creed smiled at his friends' eager faces. Still holding Train's hand, he recounted the day's events, not sparing any details. He was very proud of himself and decided to allow himself his moment of triumph. As he told the story, he glanced at his cat every so often, hoping his love could hear him as well. He squeezed his partner's hand tightly, allowing the strength of their relationship to race through his body.

It's all for you, my love. I'll keep fighting until they are put away for good.