Guys! I am so incredibly sorry! It's taken me so long to get this chapter right! I was having a lot of trouble with it because I'm preparing to set up for the next huge plot point, if that makes sense. But I do hope you guys like this chapter as much as you liked the last one! Since the last chapter, I've gotten 23 reviews... GUYS! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! 23!!!! You guys are my light! Thank you for loving this story!

Guest: Aww! I'm sorry I made you eel dead inside. I hope I somewhat make up for it here ;). Thank you so much!

Les Phansie: I know. Jack goes through so much. Thank you so much for reviewing!

Guest: "THIS WAS BOMB"... you make me smile so much. Thank you! I really try hard to stay true to the characters! I spent so much time getting to know them by writing so many different stories with them so thank you so much!

bexlynne: Oh my gosh your review made me so happy! Yes! I crafted the last chapter so carefully. I needed all those elements to shine through. Jack's fierce need to protect his brothers, Race and Crutchie knowing the routine and Davey making it clear how different their lives are. I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you so much, friend! Off to Neverland!

doubleenvelope: You rock! Thank you so much! It makes me so happy when people say my stories were good enough to re-read! Thank you so much! Your reviews mean the world to me!

FuriedNight: I know. Davey needs to do something. Thank you so much for your review!

elliebell grieve: Thank you so much! That means so much to me!

selizabethharrisburg: Thank you so so much! This made me so happy to read! I try so very hard to get all of their reactions right. I will keep in mind the "falling" that you mentioned. It's coming. It might take another chapter or two to get there, but I promise it's coming. Thank you so much!

ZoeNighshade: I am so sorry about all of the cliff hangers. That's how I motivate myself to write more. I love cliffhangers. They leave room for imagination. Thank you so much for your review!

Fanz4life: Oh! I love that idea! I'm gonna work on it soon, I promise! I have a few ideas. I've read a lot of soulmate AU's but I've never written one, so this will be new and exciting. Thank you so much for the suggestion! And for constantly reviewing all of my stories! Your opinion means so much to me!

WhaleTale47: You make my day! I really hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for reviewing!

livelearnlovesing: Aww Thank you! You should sit down and write. I would love to read anything you wrote. I bet it would be absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much!

queenlmno: I know... I'm sorry. Hang in there, hon. Eventually it'll get better.

unofficialfansie: I am so sorry for getting you so worked up. But thank you so much for the review! It means so much!

StoneyT456: I am so sorry for making you wait so long to find this story only to be cliffhangered. But I should say that cliffhangers are kind of my thing. I love them. Thank you so much for all the kind words! Crutchie will start to get his soon enough, I promise. Thank you so so much!

thelonglostmaraduer: Thank you so much for reading this story! Yeah, happiness clearly isn't my thing. I gotta work on that. Thank you so much for all your kind words! Don't dis your writing! I bet it's fantastic. Do you write much? I would love to read them. (Yes. It is safe to assume that)Thank you so much!

Guest: We will definitely be seeing more of that Race in the future. I can guarantee. Thank you so much! (You're perfect ;))

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Crutchielover: I will definitely add more Crutchie whump in the future. I promise! Thank you so much for the review!

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Guys... that is so many reviews. I love replying to them because I read every one of them and they all put a smile on my face! Please continue to give me feedback! I love you guys!

Crutchie watched the world rush by. It seemed to be moving too quickly for anyone but him. For him, time dragged on. For him the world might as well be frozen in place. Everything was silent. The boy was vaguely aware of strong arms around him. He could feel the steady beat of a heart against his head and he knew he was tucked in tightly to someone's chest.

The entire world was white. Everything was blinding and painfully white. It was meant to symbolize clean. It was meant to bring light to the dark universe around them. All it did was make the kid feel sick. All it did was remind him where he was and why he was there.

The boy was sure it had been hours. Having not looked up at the clock that ticked on in the silence once from the moment they got there, he had no proof. But he knew it had been far too long since they'd arrived. Far too long sitting without a sound or a voice reassuring him. All he had was the arms around him and the head that rested on top of his own. Occasionally, he would feel a loving kiss on the top of his hair. He wasn't sure who it was meant to reassure. But all he could do was melt underneath it.

Crutchie didn't dare move from the hold he was in. His knees were pulled up tightly to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He sat in a ball underneath his brother who held him tightly, protecting him from everyone else around them. And there were so many people around them.

There was a girl that Jack had introduced him to. Katherine, Crutchie reminded himself. If Jack had told him her name, it was worth remembering. She was pacing back and forth in the middle of the closed waiting room. It was making the boy nervous. He squirmed a bit, feeling the embrace around him tighten, attempting to make him feel safer. Then there was Davey. He seemed to be everywhere lately. He was always hanging around. It wasn't something any of them were used to. And he brought that kid with him, too. His little brother.

Crutchie sniffled and leaned further into the safe, strong arms around him when he looked around at the others he'd been trying to forget were in the room. Race's teacher was sitting beside them. Beside Race. The boy with the crutch could feel his big brother tense every few moments when the man would move. He'd heard the older boy's terrified whimper before they'd come for Jack. Kloppman. That was his name. The one that was onto Race and his secrets. The one who probably had noticed the bruise that was almost completely faded on the boy's cheek. And the ones still clearly around his pale neck, not so well hidden anymore underneath an old sweatshirt.

Then, sitting right next to Crutchie, the man that had made it all happen. The boy could feel the hand on his shoulder. And he remembered why he was trying to detach himself from the white, slow world around him.

It was a sick act. One that they boys must have come much to accustom to. Crutchie pushed himself further into Race's chest with a small choked sob, momentarily breaking the tense silence of the room. His older brother wrapped his arms around him tighter, bravely and casually brushing off their guardians hand, kept there to portray an image of worry and concern. Crutchie wasn't able to see the man chance a glare at Race. But he could practically feel the fire shooting from his evil eyes. Then he felt Race bury his face in his hair. He could feel the shaky breaths coming out of the older boy's nose, softly rattling his soft blond hair.

"I've got ya, kid..." The whisper was like the wind. It was barely heard. But Crutchie nodded into his brother's chest and allowed the tears to silently travel down his innocent face.

"I just want him ta be okay..." Another kiss was ghosted across his head before the familiar weight returned, meaning Race had rest there again. But he still felt incomplete under the familiar weight. Something was missing and only one person could account for it.

The door opened so quietly and neither boy was brave enough to look up. But someone was running into the room followed by another person. Both of them dropped down right in front of the two terrified brothers and they made them both relax, immensely.

"Medda!"

"May!"

Miss Medda was in tears. She brought a shaky hand up to Crutchie's cheek and the brother's protective embrace loosened just slightly. Enough for Crutchie to lean into the hand and let them wipe the tears away. And May had stood up, worriedly checking over every visible inch of Race as the boy began to cry even more. It was as if May knew that Jack must've gotten into a fight protecting him. To get him out of something. And he was right.

"What happened, boys?" The man's voice was breathy and tired, like he'd been running. "Snyder told me about the call your teacher gave him, but I had to wait until work got off. I'm so sorry, guys. I came as fast as I could-"

He was cut off by something that shocked everyone in that room. Race had stood up, knowing Crutchie was in Medda's care, the woman having had taken him into his arms and gently sweeping him away from Snyder with a quick glare that no one seemed to catch. Everyone froze when they watched the boy throw his arms around the man. Kloppman had to bite his lip to keep his mouth from dropping open. May didn't even flinch. He looked as if he was used to the contact from the kid.

Crutchie watched from Medda's arms as his brother sobbed onto the man. It was a rare sight indeed. May just held him tight and ran hands through his hair for a moment until Race pulled away, frantically wiping at his tears. Everyone was staring with shock clear on their features. And he didn't like it. Crutchie knew that well enough. His brother scowled at every one of them before May pushed him down into a chair on the opposite side of Kloppman, rather than the one that Crutchie now occupied with Medda sitting in his old seat as well.

Race sat silently as May brushed away his tears. He checked him over again and Race only sniffled, trying to stop the tears as his face became blank. May didn't try and talk to him. He only kneeled down in front of him, caring for him like he was his own child, and occasionally stealing a glance over at Crutchie, who was sobbing in Medda's embrace.

"What happened, babies?" Her voice was soft and worried. She was terrified.

Crutchie sniffled before more tears started falling. "W-we... we was at school... an-an'..." The boy tried desperately to steady his voice. It wasn't working. "Someone pushed 'im... h-he just passed out..." Crutchie lost it. The moment played over and over again in his head. It hurt. He sobbed fully onto Medda's shoulder and allowed Kloppman to take over.

"Mr. Kelly collapsed with a fever," he explained, calmly, hearing Race sniffle behind him as he turned to face the woman. "Some students came to get me when they saw it happen because I was one of the closest teachers who had any medical experience." Medda nodded, urging him to continue. "I got there and he was bleeding. So I lifted up his shirt and found that someone had already tried to wrap him up. It looked like he'd been whipped pretty badly."

Katherine winced when she's heard it again. She'd been there. She'd seen the wounds. But when said out loud, it made her heart drop. She may be young, but she was not stupid. The flinching, the terrified looks, the way they had to hold each other. It all pointed to a word that Katherine hated to think about. And her eyes wandered to the man that a woman was now shielding Crutchie from. The one that Race had been desperate to shield him from as well.

Abuse. It was all she could think. Plain and simple. But she knew she couldn't just say anything. She needed the story first. The girl didn't like jumping to conclusions. But she couldn't keep her mind from going back to every move these boys had made since she'd met them. Every word, every single thing they did pointed right to it. And she wasn't about to let them alone anytime soon. Oh no. She would figure this out. She had to figure this out.

"Race, will ya please breathe?" Davey's voice sounded odd. His throat was tight as if he was holding back. He was. He was biting at his lip and his cheek in attempts to not let it slip out of his mouth. The screams and the loud bangs echoed in his mind and he flinched again at the thought. But if Jack wasn't here to get Race to take a proper breath, he'd be damned if he didn't.

May looked down at the boy who in fact was barely breathing, trying to hold back his sobs. "Bud..." he curled his finger under the kid's chin, only for him to turn away and try to blink away tears. "Hey, kid... what happened? Did you try and take care of it yourself?"

Race didn't answer. He just wrapped his arms around his waist and collapsed on himself, sobbing along with his brother, May's hands on his knees. "What happened, Higgins? Talk to me."

"I..." Race looked around the room. His eyes locked with Crutchie who was terrified. Then he looked at Medda who gave him a teary look. She didn't know what to say and Race didn't blame her. They'd put up this charade for too long. But when he saw Snyder he completely broke. "I'm so sorry! I-I tried ta tell him we should call someone but he said no!"

The chief rubbed away the tears streaming down the boy's face. "What happened, Race?"

"He was mugged." Crutchie didn't move as he said it. He just closed his eyes and leaned into Medda as he did. "He knew someone was followin' us and he told us ta run. So Race forced me on his back and we took off. Jack... Jack could barely walk when he came home..."

Race's blue eyes were wide. His kid brother had taken too many lessons from his older one, he decided. A boy who once used to be so innocently honest could now lie like nothing and ease his way through the complete tale he'd told them. "I-I patched him up best I could..." Race said, his eyes on Crutchie till the end of the sentence when he turned back to May. "But he didn't want no one ta know..."

May sighed and looked to Snyder, giving him a look that clearly asked him how he didn't know about this. The other man only shrugged.

"Is Jack gonna be okay?" That voice was so young and innocent. And Davey sighed when he heard it, holding his brother closer.

"Of course he is, Les. He's tough. He'll be fine." He looked around. Those words were not only meant to assure the boy in his lap, but to attempt to calm the whole room down. For a moment, it worked. Everyone seemed to slow down and breathe. Katherine stopped pacing for a moment and Kloppman stopped the tapping against his thigh. Even the two brothers' sobs seemed to slow a bit. And then the door opened.

"Jack Kelly?"

Katherine stepped back as one of the men- Snyder- stood up tall and walked up to the young woman who looked more than exhausted. "I'm his guardian." She looked back at the two boys who her friend had introduced as his brothers. They both sat up and looked at the nurse, wide-eyed, hoping to hear some good news.

"He's stable." Race felt relieved tears leaving his eyes at those words. His brother was okay. It would all be okay. "He was having trouble breathing at one point and we thought he might stop altogether." Race moved his hands up to his hair. At the time, he didn't know why May grabbed them. Tremors were running through them unlike anything he'd experienced before. Jack almost died. So he let the chief hold his hands in his own and he let the tears freely fall down his face. "Other than that, everything went smoothly."

Crutchie let out a shaky breath. He glanced over at Race who was trying to get ahold of himself. But he was okay. Jack was okay. So he could breath. "His fever was not caused by an infection. It must've been exhaustion and stress. But he's fine. And awake." Crutchie felt Medda squeeze him tighter for a moment and he sniffled. Just as he might've said something, the nurse continued. "He's been asking for his brothers."

Race let out a humorless laugh before he was standing, not caring that he was ripping his hands away from May or stumbling to the door. But a hand caught his wrist and he turned to be met with dark, cold eyes.

"Wait a minute," Snyder began, clearly trying to keep the two boys from leaving. But why, not many people knew. "I'm his guardian. Shouldn't I be going in first?"

Kloppman watched as his student tensed in the grip. He saw the boy tug at it, trying to get free. He saw the panicked tears in the kid's eyes as he looked over to his little brother who was completely frozen in place. And he didn't buy their story. Not one bit.

Race frantically looked around as the man pulled him back to him. He saw Crutchie sit up and grab his crutch and he looked around for anyone to get him out of the hold he was now in. The man held him in a way that might look affectionate to the outside world. But all Race could tell was that there was an arm around his throat. And he couldn't move. His eyes traveled around the room and caught Davey's.

Davey could see the fear and helplessness all trapped inside a little boy who didn't deserve it. He gave the kid a sorry look before his eyes shot up to Katherine who was staring at the scene with such a look of understanding and anger that David wasn't sure she wouldn't blab out every thought running through her head in that moment.

"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse responded. "He practically demanded I don't let anyone in there until he can see his brothers."

Crutchie stood and limped over to his brother, carefully tugging him out of the man's careless embrace. He felt the older boy shaking when he placed an arm around his shoulders and gently hung on him. Something that reminded them both of the boy they so desperately wanted to see right at that moment.

"I don't get a say in my own son's-" Race flinched at the use of the word. He didn't even notice until Crutchie looked up at him with a sad look in his eyes and then the blue eyed boy glanced around and hoped to God no one had seen it. And then his eyes landed on the girl by the door. It was at that moment he knew he'd been caught. He knew they'd been caught. Because after the entire display of the past few days, she would have to be an idiot not to have figured it out. And if Jack liked her enough to continue to speak to her, she was no idiot.

"Snyder, sit down. Let them see him. You'll get to be in there soon enough." May stood and gently guided the guardian back to a chair.

Crutchie couldn't explain how much he wished they could shut that man out of the room for good. He wrapped an arm around his brother's waist when he could feel the other boy begin to shake even more, a mix of terror and anger filling him up too much to handle. "I gotcha, Race... we's okay..." Race only tensed more. "Please, Race... you ain't Spot... please don't lash out..."

Race blinked at the quiet pleas. His body started to relax. He tried desperately to stay in one place. If his brother was begging him not to lash out, he needed to stay put. So he turned his head and pressed a kiss to the younger boy's hairline.

"Tell him we'll see him in a little bit." Crutchie barely nodded at Medda's words before he was forcing Race to follow the nurse out the room.

The brothers walked in silence. Though they weren't going a far distance, it seemed like years before they made it to their brother's room. The nurse stopped them outside of it. And Race felt himself hug his brother closer on instinct. "Don't be too loud, please. He's gonna be a little out of it. We had to put him on some pain medication." With that, the nurse pushed the door open.

Crutchie gave Race a look and Race pressed one more kiss to his head before his grip loosened and he gently pushed his baby brother into the room. Then he slowly followed the kid as he limped over to the bed on the far side of the room, passing another sleeping patient in the room. There was no way that their brother would be put in a private room. But they both continued to walk to the window on the very other end of the room. That was when they saw him.

Jack was laying on his side. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. To anyone who didn't know him, they'd assume he was asleep. To his brothers, he was shutting out the world as to not fall deeply into a panic because he was in a room, without anyone he knew or trusted beside him. He was trying to forget where he was and why he was there. So Crutchie carefully sat down on the bed next to the older boy and ran a hand through his hair. And those forest green eyes opened up real slow. Crutchie felt like he could breathe again.

"Jack..."

Race dropped down into the chair next to the bed. His legs were shaking too much to continue supporting him. He sat silently, watching Crutchie grab at their brother's hand before he began pressing soft kisses to the seventeen-year-olds head.

"Hi fellas..." Jack's voice was rough and tired. But he gave his baby brother's hand a squeeze allowed his lips to curl into a sad smile.

Crutchie sniffled. "That's all you's got ta say for yourself, Jack?" He wiped at his eyes, wildly with his free hand. "You scared the hell outta us!"

Jack's small smile vanished. He was silent for a moment. He held his brother's hand tightly. It was all he could do. "I's so sorry, boys..." his voice broke and long awaited tears fell down his cheeks. "I thought I could make it through the day..."

Race gave out a bitter laugh. He felt an immediate wave of guilt hit him as Jack's eyes found his blue ones. "You thought you could make it, like that?" The younger boy shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Why do have ta be such an idiot, Jack?" His voice shook with so much emotion.

In that moment, Jack could see the ocean in Race's bright blue eyes. They were filled to the brim with so many tears it was no wonder why they were suddenly falling down the kid's pale cheeks. "Racer-"

"You can't keep protectin' me like this!" Race all but screamed. He wanted to. He wanted to scream and yell and punch something because there were so many emotions built up in him that he couldn't even begin to understand or deal with. "I know this ain't the first time ya had ta come ta the hospital. Hell, even me an' Crutchie have to sometimes. But you coulda died, Jack!" Those words broke him. After that he was a completely sobbing mess who couldn't form a sentence anymore.

"I would do it again, Race."

"Why?!"

"Because I can't watch it any more!" Jack admitted finally, hissing as he moved only slightly. And Crutchie held him in place. "I can't, Racer... I can't watch you two get hurt. Not when I can stop it."

Race shook his head. "But I can't lose you, Kelly..."

Crutchie leaned over to wrap his big brother up in a hug, seeing as Jack clearly couldn't. Race sobbed onto his shoulder. "It's my fault! I'm so sorry..."

Jack watched for a moment, his heart breaking as he longed to wrap both of his kids up in his arms and just let them cry. "Hey!" he called, not caring that his voice broke. "This is not your fault, kid." Race peeked up at him and stood up, Crutchie's arms still wrapped around him.

Crutchie grabbed onto his brother's hair as he stood tall. Then he felt Race's tight grip begin to loosen and he reluctantly let go. "Stop blamin' yourself fer everythin'..." the smallest boy tried. "Why can't we just blame Snyda' and be done with it."

Race sniffled and leaned down to press a kiss to Jack's forehead. "This wouldn't a' happened if I's wasn't illiterate... and I didn't almost start a fight in the middle a' class..."

"This wouldn't a' happened if the Spider wasn't an asshole. This wouldn't a' happened if Snyder didn't do it. This ain't your fault." It was clear in the boy's eyes that he didn't believe it, but Jack just kept talking. "I'm okay. This ain't your fault. None of it."

Race didn't respond. Only grabbed onto Jack's hand, trying to reassure himself that it was all really okay. "What is someone starts asking questions?"

Those words struck fear into every boy's heart. Questions. They didn't like them, that was clear enough. No one answered. And all the boys could do was sit in agonizing silence as they held onto each other for dear life.

David wasn't sure what to expect when the only girl in the room ordered him to speak with her out in the hallway. But he carefully set his brother down on the chair next to him and gave a wary look over to the man called Snyder before he walked out, trusting that his brother was safe with everyone else in that room. And he walked out into the hall to find Katherine pacing back and forth again. She hadn't stood still in hours.

"Katherine," he greeted, plainly. He leaned on the wall waiting for her to reply.

"David." She looked nervous. Davey seemed to know the look she had on her face all too well. And it made him nervous too. "How well do you know them?"

David shrugged. "Well enough. What's it to ya?"

She stopped, turning to him with a new wave of fresh determination in her eyes. "I've got questions. And you've got answers, I know it." Davey stuttered for a moment, before she continued. "Those boys are in trouble and I'm not letting you leave until I know what's going on." Her eyes practically bore into him in a desperate sort of way. She had to figure this out, else it would drive her absolutely mad. "Spill."

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm sorry for such a long wait for a chapter that was pretty short, but it took me a long time to figure it out. I promise things will start to pick back up soon, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter where things were way more mellow than they have been in a while.

As always, thank you so much for reading! Please make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change, or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, kids!