A/N: Thanks so much for the review! Here we go... the aftermath. Please enjoy!

[Aftermath]

"Benji, hey, Benji."

Carefully, Ethan touched the younger man's shoulder which caused him to wake up, startled by the sudden touch, turning his head left and right in fear. A chocked scream escaped his throat but he immediately fell silent when Ethan pulled him into a hug and calmly whispered into his left ear.

"Everything's okay, it's me, Benji. Everything's fine."

Instantly, the tension left the Brit's body and Ethan carefully let him go, sat down on the bed, right next to him.

Six months had passed since Lane had kidnapped them. Since he had hurt and tortured Benji in front of Ethan's eyes. Since Benji's eyes had lost its sight forever. Ethan still felt sick, remembering everything. He knew that Lane was dead - Brandt had shot him. And still... he seemed to be here after all this time. Ethan always had to think of him. Everytime he looked into Benji's milky cloudy eyes. Everytime he watched Benji trying to find something in their apartment on his own. Everytime he heard Benji cursing quietly... and everytime he watched him tossing and turning during his panic attacks every night.

Lane might be gone... but not forgotten.

"Ethan", Benji's silent voice reached his ear. It was still trembling, had completely lost its typical jokingly undertone which Ethan had loved so much. It hurt to see Benji so exhausted... and broken. He missed their time joking around, their dangerous missions which still always had been quite carefree thanks to Benji's gags. What would he give to return to one of these days?

"Sorry for scaring you. I..."

Ethan hesitated. Actually he wanted to tell Benji that he would soon go on a mission but now he was uncertain about it. He couldn't leave Benji alone. Of course he had learnt to cope with his blindness and partial deafness. In addition a housemaid came over every time Ethan had to leave but... it wasn't the same. When he wasn't near Benji he always felt like he couldn't protect him properly. And he hated that feeling of helplessness.

"When will you leave?"

Benji seemed to be able to read his mind and Ethan sighed. Of course... the blond knew him better than anyone else. He could feel when something wasn't right.

"Noon."

Six hours left. Six hours until he had to leave Benji on his own once again. Six hours until he returned into the danger of his job, hoping to return safely. Ethan could literally feel the minutes running out. There wasn't enough time.

"What time is it?"

Benji's voice brought him back to reality and he looked out of the window, saw the sun rising slowly. With the loss of his eyesight Benji had lost his feeling of time too. It was Ethan, who had moved to Benji's place right after their time in hospital, who created a rhythm of day and night that he needed so much.

"6 a.m."

Ethan recognized Benji moving to the side while hearing these words and he saw a soft smile forming on his lips.

"So six hours left", Benji mumbled and Ethan took off his shoes and used the now free space to lie down, putting one arm around Benji.

"Have you called Elaine yet?"

Benji was hard to understand because he buried his face in Ethan's pullover but the agent was still able to identify his words. He knew Benji by heart, would probably understand him even if he spoke more quietly.

"Yeah. Even though she was slightly surprised once again that my boss sends me on a business trip so suddenly", Ethan answered while stroking through Benji's hair softly.

"One day she'll find out about you being an agent."

"About us being agents", Ethan corrected him. It still felt like a stab in the heart to hear Benji excluding himself.

An emotionless laughter escaped Benji's mouth.

"Only that I'm of no use anymore for the IMF. I'm a..."

"You're a great technician!", Ethan interrupted him before he could use a self-discriminating word. He hated the moments Benji bawled himself out.

"Who else would Luther ask for help if he has a question?"

Benji shrugged.

"I don't know. Let's assume that Luther needs help - which is quite hypothetical - then he'd probably call someone at the laboratory to talk to an expert."

Ethan suppressed a sigh.

"Well... Luther doesn't trust anyone apart from our team. And he gets out of practice slowly and sometimes forgets some technical instructions so my statement isn't that hypothetical at all."

The smile on Benji's lips seemed to be honest this time.

"Don't let Luther hear that."

Ethan chuckled softly before replying: "Well, you don't have to tell him."

They stayed silent for a while, just lying there. Ethan listened to Benji's calm breathing, pulled him closer to his chest. The thought of going on a mission without the other man hurt but he knew that Agent Benjamin Dunn would never return to the field again. His injuries and the consequences were too much of an impairment.

Ethan swallowed when he felt Benji's shoulders starting to tremble. A soft sob escaped the Brit. A bitter, heartbreaking sob.

"Shhh", Ethan tried to calm him, stroking the blond hair again and again. He felt tears filling his eyes too.

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm sorry I failed."

For a moment Ethan's eyes grew wide in shock then he squeezed them shut in desperate manner, pulling Benji even closer.

"Don't say that. Please. You did nothing wrong. It... it was my fault. Lane was right... I should have killed him, then none of this would have happened."

Someone once told Ethan that accusations didn't help overcoming the past. That they didn't help to move on. He knew that it was probably true. And still... he couldn't stand Benji blaming himself for it. Hadn't he suffered enough? Why did he punish himself with this blame?

"Lane. He's... dead, isn't he?"

Ethan nodded, knowing that Benji was able to feel his head's movement.

"Sometimes... I can still hear his voice. And then I think that... that he's still alive and that he'll find us and..."

Benji couldn't finish his sentence. Instead he swallowed hard.

"He's dead, Benji. He won't come back again. You're safe."

"Then what about the other Apostles? What if one of them will find us?"

Ethan let go of Benji, placed the Brit's face between his hands, lay his forehead against his.

"We'll find them. We will find them all. Starting with today's mission. I won't stop until I find them all."

With these words he wiped away the tears on Benji's cheeks. The sobbing slowly stopped, the frightened breathing calming down. Ethan pressed a soft kiss on his forehead before putting his arms around Benji once again.

"I promise."

And Ethan would keep that promise. It'd be his new mission. And no matter how impossible it seemed... he would accomplish it!