Dwayne sighed in his sleep, unconsciously relaxing as his mind chose another memory from the Rowan library to think about.

*4 years ago** He made such a forlorn figure walking down the street in the rain. And an oblivious one who had yet to notice the car tailing him. Dwayne saw him disappear in to an alley for a moment. He parked the car and struggled to reach the alley quickly but the homeless man wasted minutes. Finally he got to his destination to see another man come out, fixing his pants. He stepped in, the close buildings sheltering him from some of the rain. "Rowan?" he called and a dismal figure appeared. "What are you doing here?" he asked, scared, looking for cops. "Do you need a place to spend the night?" "What?" "Do_you_need_a_place_to_spend_the_night?" "What would I have to do?" "Nothing." "Your couch?" "You guessed it." "Fine." 2 hours later Rowan slept under the afghan Dwayne's mother had knit him ages ago. Rowan had agreed to return to JuV on the condition he's be put back on the foster kid circuit. But once again, refused to tell Dwayne why. Dwayne watched him sleep, and fought the urge to brush the boy's bangs off his face. The boy. Strange how he never thought of him that way. But he was just a boy. Sure, a boy with masochistic tendencies but just a kid. Just a kid.

*1 year ago* Dwayne sat on the edge of the bunk, next to Rowan who had his head buried in his hands. "Why?" Dwayne started but not able to finish. Part of him was glad Rowan was in jail; he couldn't run again for another 2 days and maybe, just maybe, this would break through Rowan's shell. Crumble it and make him owe up, talk, let some of it all out. Dwayne thought back to the hospital room where he had looked in on Joey. That kid, he looked, he looked trashed. His face and torso busted. What had happened? Then he realized Rowan was talking. "-bad?" "What?" "How badly is the guy trashed?" "Broke his nose, his arm, ribs, popped blood vessels in his eye, fractured his jaw-" "OK. I get the point. And the school says." "You're expelled." "Go figure" "Why? Why would you do this? This wasn't a fight, Rowan. It was assault. You could go to jail for assault." Silence. "You ran from the cops." Still silent. "You had a friggin knife! Say something!" "Wot?" The Irish accent came out and Rowan sounded scared and angry. "Wot you want me t' say? I don't know! I don't know anything!" "Calm down. You scared?" "If I was?" "I wouldn't blame you." "You should- everyone already does."

*Now*

"Dwayne! Wake up! Kat just called! Rowan, he, he-" "He what?!" "He woke up!" "He's still in the hospital room?" "No! He left! We have to go now! Peter and Sophie are waiting! C'mon!" The phone rang as they passed Peter's office. "Hold on Auggie- I'll go get it." "But Rowan!" "It might be him!" "Hurry!" Dwayne rushed to pick up the phone, praying it was Rowan. "'Lo?" he rushed out. The Irish accent was there but it wasn't Rowan. "Um, this is Jasper Gallagher. May I speak to Dwayne?" "Meet me at the hospital." Dwayne slammed down the phone and ran to the car that waited.