Disclaimer: I own the dog.

A/N: Okay, this is the last chapter, and it certainly didn't go the way I had expected it to. I hope you all enjoy it.

Johnny threw the door to the guest room open, lavender eyes focused on Bryan's broad back. "Of all the god damned fucking things you've done, this is perhaps the biggest, and stupidest thing you've ever done! I can't believe you never told him about Kai. Never mind the fact that he knows you never would have seen him in a romantic light. Kuznetsov, I ought to kill you now for hurting him."

With a vicious tug he pulled the other man around and punched him, signet ring tearing open the Russian's pale skin. Bryan smirked at the Scotsman as he wiped blood from his split lip. "And you have every right too. I have no problem with it. Hell, it might actually make him feel better."

The redhead growled in frustration as he fought back the urge to hit the bigger man again. "You. Are. A. Bastard. Killing you wouldn't make him feel better, although it would do the world for me. Do you know why he had you bring Tala, Rei, Kai and Li here? Or why he's planning this huge party?

Bryan shook his head and started doing up the closures on his robe, the chill of the room finally catching up with him. "No. I've gotten so used to his parties that to me it was just another one to make nice with his acquaintances."

Johnny sighed as he tugged at his hair. "I would have thought you would have been smarter, being raised in the Abbey and all that. It was a coming out party. He was going to tell everyone about you two and announce that if anything was to happen to him you would inherit all of the Jurgen holdings. Everyone important in his life, and the press was going to be there. He was willing to do all of that and possibly ruin his life so he wouldn't have to hide his love for you."

The Russian stared at the other man, silver eyes wide with shock. "Are you serious?" He was so surprised that his accent deepened. "Why?"

The Scotsman smiled at the shock on his friend's face. "Because he loves you and is tired of hiding. He may seem kind of emotionally withdrawn, but he hates hiding who he is. Which is why sometimes his pride gets the best of him. Bryan, please go talk to him. I don't want either of you to do anything stupid. I don't think any of us could handle losing you two. As much as I hate to say it, you're as much a part of mine, Oliver and Enrique's lives as Robert is. Don't screw this up anymore then you already have."

Bryan smiled wanly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Skirt-Boy. Let me go put on some real clothes and then I'll talk to him." He frowned slightly. "Assuming he doesn't throw anything sharp and pointy at me."

Johnny smirked and smoothed the pleats in his kilt. "Anytime. And it's a kilt. I'm sure I could get you one with Robert's family crest. He'd probably appreciate it."

"I'm sure he would." The lavender haired man stalked out of the room, feeling better.

Oliver dashed into the room and jumped into his lover's arm, legs going around the Scotsman's waist. "How'd it go?"

Johnny slid his hands down the Frenchman's back and cupped his thighs as he pressed a kiss to his partner's forehead. "I lost my temper and hit him, but I think things will be okay. He's going to go talk to Robert and we can only hope nothing else blows up before they get everything straightened out." He kissed the smaller man on the tip of the nose. "Well, as much as anything with us is straight."

The green haired man giggled. "Very true. Let's go down to the kitchen and see about some food. I was so worried about Robert that I completely forgot to eat." The two men headed downstairs, talking and laughing quietly.

Bryan was buttoning his shirt up when Tala and Kai slipped into the room, both of them giving him disapproving looks. "What? I didn't mean to say anything like that."

Tala plopped down on the bed, blue eyes slightly angry. "We realize that, but I thought we had solved your problem of thinking before you open your big mouth."

"Tal, do me a huge favor and shut the fuck up. I've already had Rei give me that look, plus Johnny decided to break my nose and then lecture me. I've had enough of everyone telling me that I fucked up. I know I did and I regret it. After I get everything straightened out I don't ever want to hear about his incident again."

Kai smiled slightly. "Face it Bry. Not going to happen. Someone will always be here to remind you of this incident." He moved to stand in front of the lavender haired Russian and cupped the other man's face, thumbs stroking over his sharp cheekbones. "We still love you."

Bryan smiled at the younger man, silver eyes misty. "I know, but you'll keep giving me shit."

The redhead smiled brightly and bounced on the bed. "True, true. Besides, we have to keep your ego from getting too big."

The slate haired Russian nodded. "Can't have too many people with big egos. But I do love you Bry." He leaned forward and kissed the other Russian, a chaste, ghostly touch, an affirmation of their feelings.

"Falke, Johnny ment-" The German paused in the doorway, red eyes widening in shock at the sight of Kai and Bryan. The two Russians broke apart and Bryan moved to Robert and rested his hands on his mate's shoulders, forcing the older man to look at him

"Robert, it wasn't anything. Kai and-" He stopped when Robert shrugged his hands from his shoulders, eyes deadly cold.

"Well, I can see that there was truth to what you said last night. I can see that I'm not wanted here." When his partner grabbed his arm he turned his icy glaze on the Russian. "Unhand me. I want you out of here."

Bryan's hand slid from the shorter man's arm, his stress causing his accent to deepen to the point where it had been when he was younger. "Robert, don't do this. This whole thing has been one huge misunderstanding."

The German laughed the sound short and pain filled as he shot a dark look at Kai. "It has been. Six years of a huge misunderstanding." He left the room and by the time Bryan managed to shake off his shock the older man was gone.

"FUCK! I cannot believe this is happening." Bryan bent down and slipped his boots on before dashing out of the room to hunt down his wayward mate. When he reached the foyer Gustav was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking smug. "Where's Robert?"

The older man smirked. "I'm not telling you. You've made his life miserable and I'm not going to help you find him. He deserves so much better then you."

The Russian grabbed the man by the lapels and pulled him up until his toes were barely touching the ground, silver eyes burning with a feral light. "If anything happens to him, because you're being a petty little bastard, I'm going to come back here and kill you. He's your lord, and you swore to protect him. Tell me where he went."

Gustav sighed and finally gave in. "He had his riding gloves and crop. I can only assume he was planning on taking Alaron out. He might still be out in the stables."

Bryan dropped the old man and sprinted out of the castle and across the courtyard to the stables. The door of the stall that usually held Robert's gelding was open and straw was trailing out over the aisle floor, proof that the German had taken off.

He yanked open the door of his own horse's stall, causing the black animal to jerk in surprise. Dodging a hoof he grabbed the animals halter and managed to calm the animal enough to get it saddled. He swung into the saddle and kicked the animal into motion; ignoring the fact that he almost ran the Stable master in the process.

The Russian clattered across the courtyard and out a small gate in the west wall, all the time thanking his mate for making him take riding lessons. Once he was clear of the courtyard he leaned low over the animal's neck and headed across the western fields to the small waterfall that was nestled against the mountains that ran through Robert's lands. The noble usually went out to the waterfall when he needed to think and Bryan had no doubt that was where his partner had headed.

Several small stone walls crisscrossed the land between the castle and the waterfall and Bryan's horse neatly cleared them all, carrying him further from his home. Nearly three quarters of the way to the waterfall the Russian caught sight of his lover's gelding in the dip of the land, standing over a dark figure stretched out on the ground.

He jerked his horse to a stop at the bottom of the dip so suddenly that his horse bucked, protesting his treatment. Bryan jumped from the animal's back and ran to where his lover was stretched out on the ground, looking paler then usual. "Fuck!" He dropped to his knees next to the noble, fingers going to his mate's neck to find a pulse.

Instead his fingers found a slight bump, signifying a broken bone. Over his years at the Abbey he'd experience more broken bones then he cared to think about. The Russian slid his fingers higher up the noble's neck, vainly searching for a pulse.

He stroked his thumb along Robert's cheek, feeling a wave of cold anger sweep through him. It was his fault his mate was dead. If he'd gone straight to Robert after Johnny had beaten some sense into him none of this would have happened. Never mind the fact he'd let Kai kiss him. At that time he'd hadn't thought anything of it because those kinds of touches between he and Kai had become common place after he'd admitted to the other Russian how he felt. They were a confirmation of their platonic affection for each other.

"I'm sorry Robert. I'm such a bastard. I should have told you about Kai and everything that happened with him after we first got together. I was so worried about losing you that it never crossed my mind that telling you would be for the best." Bryan drew a knife from the pocket of his pants, a habit he'd picked up at the Abbey. He flicked the blade open, admiring the sharp blade.

The knife had been a birthday present from his mate several years ago. It had an ebony handle and was etched with a silver falcon on the handle. He'd carried it every day since he'd received it. He shrugged his jacket off and set the razor sharp blade against the inside of his arm, right on his wrist and pressed down, smiling slightly when crimson blood welled up from the cut, staining his pale skin.

With careful slowness he dragged the blade up the length of his arm, ignoring the pain. After the Abbey this pain was nothing. He moved the blade to his other arm and repeated the process. Bryan wiped the blade off on his pants and put the knife back in his pocket. When he started feeling lightheaded from blood loss he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his mate's still warm lips. "Love you Robert."

He carefully stretched out next to the other man, one hand resting on the German's chest as he drifted into unconsciousness.

When nearly two hours had passed and neither Bryan nor Robert had returned Johnny started to worry. He, Oliver, Enrique, Tala, Rei, Kai and Li had been in the sitting room since Bryan had gone after Robert, all of the men to worried to talk.

"Fuck it. I'm going out to look for them." Johnny got to his feet, tired of waiting.

Oliver got up and grabbed his lover's arm, purple eyes worried. "How? You have no idea where they went."

The three Europeans all glanced at each other, eyes lighting up. "The waterfall!"

Johnny looked at the foursome who were sitting on the couch, staring at the other three men like they had grown extra heads. "Can any of you ride?"

Kai slid out from under Li. "I can. Why?"

Enrique slipped his jacket on. "Because the only way to get to the waterfall is by horse. If we want to find them before dark we have to go now."

Tala and Rei moved to get up but Kai stopped them. "I realize you two are worried but you have to stay here. I know neither of you can ride and you'll slow us down."

Johnny grabbed Oliver's chin and kissed him hard, free hand running through his lover's hair. "Stay here with them. We'll be back as soon as possible."

Oliver hugged his partner tight, face buried in his chest. "Just find them Johnny. I have a horrible feeling that something is wrong."

"I will."

The three men strode from the room. It wasn't until they were half way to the stable that Kai realized that Johnny was still wearing his kilt. "Can you actually ride in that thing?"

The Scotsman nodded, amethyst eyes serious. "Yes, but it's not all that comfortable. However, I don't want to take the time to change into pants." In the stable the three quickly saddled their respective mounts before heading out to the wilderness to find their missing friends.

Oliver was sitting on the stairs outside when he heard a horse come clattering back into the courtyard in the dark. He jumped up and raced to the stables to find Enrique dismounting, blue eyes red rimmed. "'Rique, what happened?"

The Italian sighed softly as he handed the reins of his horse to the Stable Master who had appeared. He pulled the Frenchman against his side and kissed him on the forehead. "We found them. From what we could discern Alaron didn't quite make the jump over the fence and Robert fell and broke his neck. Bryan found him and slit his wrists. They didn't even get a chance to get things straightened out. Kai and Johnny are staying out there to keep the scavengers away. I came back to call the helicopter pilot. Why don't you go in and tell the others what happened but keep them out of the way. I don't think Kai and Johnny want to deal with any hysterics right now."

Oliver slipped out of his friend's arms and went back into the castle, steps slow. He wasn't relishing telling the others about Bryan and Robert. Somehow he had the feeling that more then a couple lives were going to end this night.