They walked hand in hand through the morning chill, following the well manicured path of Emma's lower garden. It was reasonably mild for late winter and although there were no flowers, the green plants stood firm and proud against the winter sunshine.

Nicholas had had them up since dawn. Waking up in a strange place, he had been momentarily spooked and Luke was made to bolt down the passage, following his screams.

"Hey baby? What's the matter?" The child had sniffed several times at him from underneath the comforter, swallowing sobs, his eyes swollen and red from fear. Luke sat beside him on the bed and hugged him close. "We're at the farm, remember? We're sleeping right next door, okay? So if you wake up you can come and find us. Nobody will hurt you here. Okay baby?"

Nicholas nodded, his mood already much improved, "I'm hungry!"

Luke laughed! The boy's appetite was always astounding.

"Well!" he said, "I can already smell Grandma Emma's oatmeal porridge cooking downstairs! Let's get dressed and then after breakfast maybe Noah will come with us for a walk. What do you say?"

"Yeah!"

Now, bellies full, the three of them strolled in step and in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Nicholas broke his hold on Luke's hand to skip up ahead periodically hopping on a log or large stone and jumping off with a cry of "Wee!"

Luke could hear the whisper of Noah's jeans beside him, feel the humid warmth of his body and smell the musky scent of him… That scent that made Luke want to drag him from his thoughts onto the grass, un-belt him and pull the clinging shirt from his body, so that he could press his own chest to his and lie half-naked with him amongst the flowerbeds.

If Nicholas wasn't around he might have done.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Noah, suddenly forcing Luke back to the present.

His eyes met Noah's with a crooked smile.

Noah's laugh was deep and masculine, "You know you have IT written all over your face right now?"

Luke grasped Noah tight and he breathed in deep then pressed himself hard into him. Laughing suddenly, purely from sheer happiness, he leaned up and kissed Noah thoroughly, his hands carefully exploring the outlines of Noah's rear, snugly confined in denim. He squeezed gently, making Noah squirm against him.

The air rapidly became charged. Electric, like summer lightening.

"You'd better watch what you're doing to me Snyder!" Noah mumbled; their mouths still glued together, "It might be a while before Nicky's comfortable enough with your family for us to slip away."

Luke let out a groan of disappointment and disentangled himself from Noah's body. "Urg! You know I love that kid but this is a killer!"

Noah smiled at him, "Yeah! Reminds me of the days when we had to follow Emma's rules! Remember?"

"This is SO much worse!"

"Really? Why's that?"

Luke took both of Noah's hands in his, kissed the top of them and locked his gaze, "Because now I really know what I'm missing!"

Noah gave him a soft smile that melted his heart.

"Lookit!" Nicholas suddenly interrupted from below, "I found this river!" and he gestured at the bendy stream behind him with pride.

"That's great!" Noah agreed as Luke slipped both his arms around his waist and rested his head on his chest. "Just be careful okay, those stones can be slippery!"

They watched, entangled in each other's arms, as Nicholas crossed the stepping stones with concentration, hopping from one to another across the shallow waters of the stream. Standing on a particularly mossy one, his foot slipped and landed with a loud splash into the stream. He looked up at them all doe eyed, lifted a finger to his lips and yelped, "Oops!"

"Good thing we put the gumboots on him!" Noah laughed and enjoyed the vibration of Luke's body as he laughed along with him.

"Those rocks can be tricky little buggers if you don't watch your step son!" Holden stood on the other side of the stream, a saddle hooked over his arm.

Nicky stared at him with his usual look of uncertainty but there was something about the older man that seemed to spark his interest. He turned to Luke and Noah and pointed towards Holden.

"What is it Nicky?" Noah asked, but he knew the child wouldn't speak with Holden around.

Nicholas pointed again, crinkling his forehead as he returned to glance at Holden.

"Is it this?" Holden asked, lifting the saddle slightly. "It's for Admiral. I was just about to take him for his morning exercise. Would you like to come?"

Seeing his perplexed expression Noah said, "Admiral's a horse sweetheart. Do you want to go and see him? There are lots of other horses too?"

Nicholas made his shy way back towards them, hopping from stone to stone and landing on the soft muddy bank. He looked back and forth between Holden and the two men and finally he nodded. But he didn't make a move to approach Holden.

Noah smiled in that sweet way that made Luke's stomach flutter, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Nicholas beamed wide and nodded with excitement.

"Coming?" Noah asked, turning to Luke.

"I need to call Gareth, but you go, I'll see you back at the house in an hour or two."

"Okay." Noah kissed his check then half ran down the slopping bank to join Nicholas. "Let's go kid!"

Luke watched contented, hands in his pockets, as Nicholas and Noah made their way over the stream and joined Holden on his way to the barn. The child turned briefly and waved and Luke returned the gesture, his heart beating hard with the love he felt for them.

...

He licked the salt from his thumb, knocked back the shot, and squeezed the lemon quickly between his teeth, sucking in the juices. He stared back into the crowd of people in the club but it wasn't working. He could still hear the whispered breath, the beloved words and he could still see the gentle smile and dark hair as images flashed through his mind in time to the strobe lighting on the dance floor.

"Stop!" he pleaded to his own brain through clenched teeth, his drink fuelled body swaying, making his stomach burn. Turning back to the barman he shouted over the music, pointing at the empty shot glass, "ANOTHER!"

"ARE YOU SURE?" The guy yelled back, "THAT'LL BE YOUR EIGHTH ONE!"

"ANOTHER!" He shouted firmly.

"OKAY! ONE MORE! THEN I'M CUTTING YOU OFF!"

"Whatever!" he muttered to himself and then slipped on the stool, catching his elbows on the ends of the bar and using them to pull himself up again. His feet felt like rubber. He shook his head and slapped some cash on the counter before swallowing the next shot, not bothering with the salt and lemon this time.

Knowing his time was up… at this bar at least… he made his way through the thick and hot crowd of dancing bodies, heading for the exit. However on the way he felt two firm hands wrap around his waist and a man's hardness rub up against his thigh from behind. The man, whoever he was, began to gyrate their hips together in time to the music. He closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall back into the chest behind him. The music drifted through his consciousness and he started to forget, he could feel himself on the edge of the oblivion for which he was so desperately seeking, so close and then… the man behind him took hold of his chin and tried to move his head around for a kiss.

"NOOOO!" He flung himself loose and turned to punch the guy squarely in his jaw!

The man, holding his swollen face in one hand looked at him in shock, "What the fuck man? What the hell was that for?"

Then two men were pulling him backwards through the throng of amazed onlookers and out into the street.

"Don't come back until you've sobered up!" One of them warned, while the other took up residence, arms folded, in the doorway.

"FINE!" he screamed at them. What did he care anyway! He made his stumbled path down the side alley, but the further he got form the crowd and the music the more the memories started to inch their way back in.

"ARRRHHHGGG!" He punched the brick wall hard. "SHIT!" He screamed at the pain, hugging his injured hand against his stomach. He fell forward and leant with the top of his head against the wall. Then he threw up. He was vaguely aware of the blood but it was good. Maybe it would kill him!

He felt another memory attack coming on. He needed to find Troy right way.

"TROY!" he yelled. Where they hell was he? Didn't they come together? He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember anything except the thing he wanted to forget… the damn past!

That face, that smile, that touch, that voice…

"TROY!" he roared again, making the young couple passing him in the alley scuttle for their lives.

"I'm over here…" He squinted up the alleyway and spotted Troy leaning up against the wall under a lamppost, smoking a cigarette in that elegant manor he'd learned from years growing up amongst the elite classes.

He collapsed into the guy, ripping the cigarette from his fingers and throwing it away somewhere behind him before fumbling awkwardly at the guy's jeans.

"Here?" Troy asked astounded.

He was beyond caring where they did it. He forced his knee up between Troy's legs making his urgency clear and Troy flung him forward, so that his cheek kissed the rough brick of the adjoining building. He heard Troy's zipper open and closed his eyes, waiting for him to take over. The flashes were still there but they were receding, they would momentarily be replaced by pure lust. It was a temporary fix, he knew from experience, but he couldn't suffer anymore and the alcohol wasn't working.

"Come on!" He urged, "Hurry up!"

He was just helping Troy to undo his belt when he heard a well known authoritative female voice he both loved and feared.

"Do you mind telling me just what is going on here?"

As Troy instantly backed away from him with fright, he was left with the blurred vision of her before him. His head bobbed at her and he let it fall back against the brick to help steady it. His legs gave out and he slumped to the floor, back up against the wall, eyes closed.

...

"Yes okay." Luke spoke into his phone and lifted his head as Lucinda entered the kitchen door. He mouthed hello and she smiled at him as he continued his conversation. "I can't thank you enough! That's brilliant news, really! So, we'll sort everything out when I get back from Oakdale?"

Lucinda removed her coat and, struggling to find a free hook by the door, opted for a kitchen chair to hang it on instead.

"Oh he's fine. Great actually! He's really chatty and he keeps us on our toes… listen Gareth, I must go… yes… yes I will… thanks again! I know I've said it before, but you really are the best! Okay, bye."

As he hung up he immediately stood up from his chair to kiss Lucinda on her cheek, "Morning Grandmother."

"Morning darling. I hope I didn't just interrupt an important phone call?"

"Oh no, we were done talking anyway. That was Gareth Buckley, the lawyer I told you about last night. He's found a buyer for Grimaldi Shipping!"

"That's wonderful darling." Then she frowned. "Now are you sure this is what you really want to do?"

"Yes! I for one can't wait to get as far away from the Grimaldi's as possible!"

"Oh well, I can't say I don't blame you my boy! After everything you went through with that Di Alberto lot! Thank goodness Damian finally decided to do the right thing for a change!"

Luke looked suddenly subdued and sullen.

Lucinda patted his shoulder, "I see he still gets to you, doesn't he?"

Luke shrugged, "He's my father. I guess he always will." Then suddenly brightening up he stated, "Anyway, you're up early!"

"Early? More like I never went to bed!"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been up half the night worried to death about you and your young man and this child!" She sat down warily on a kitchen chair.

Luke and Noah had laid down the entire series of events to Lilly, Holden, Lucinda and Emma the night before, as soon as Nicholas was asleep upstairs. Luke's parents were at first furious at them, as well as at Lucinda, for not letting them know the danger they were both in. But finally, after they calmed down, they were just relieved that their two boys were safe and sound and that the threat had passed.

Now Luke sighed at Lucinda, "Grandmother, I know it must seem sudden…"

"Sudden!" she interrupted, "Luke! God knows the two of you love each other, but you have also broken up on more than a few occasions!"

Luke sat to join her at the table, "You're worried we'll break up?"

"This is a CHILD Luke! Not a puppy!"

"I know that!" Her slight tone of condescension annoyed Luke.

"You and Noah have only been back together for a few months… I just… I just want to make sure you understand the magnitude of what you're undertaking."

"Grandmother," Luke's tone was stern, at least as stern as he would ever dare to use on her, "I appreciate that you care and I understand your concerns. But you're acting like this isn't something we've discussed or thought about. We know what it means to look after a child. Hell I've been around small children for most of my adult life, what with Faith, Natalie and now Ethan! I know how hard it is sometimes. But, please believe me when I say this… Noah and I are together for good. It's… it's different this time."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

She eyed him knowingly, "So you're completely honest with each other?"

"Yes of course! What are you getting at?"

"So he knows then does he? He knows about last year? You told him?"

Luke deflated instantly and flopped back in the chair. He stared at his hands for a few minutes and then said softly, "You think I should?"

"Luke, if it was just you and Noah, I'd tell you do to what feels right. But now, with the child? Yes. Yes I think you should tell him."

Luke was contemplative for some time.

"What is it darling?" she asked softly, "Do you think he won't understand?"

"No… no… that's not it. I KNOW he'll understand." He seemed suddenly like the small boy she remembered from years ago.

"Then?" she questioned.

He took a deep breath and looked up at her with his dark puppy eyes, "I just don't want him to think less of me…"

She stretched over the table and gripped his hand in hers, squeezing hard, "Oh honey! Honey! If he loves you like I know he does, then he never could! He never could sweetheart."

She watched as a single tear dropped down his beautiful cheek.

...

Troy sat dejected on a bench in Old Town, leaning forward on his knees as he watched the revellers pass him by unnoticed. He watched as they laughed together, enjoying the usual Saturday night bar crawls. It had always seemed to him that the world was so much happier than he. It had always seemed that way, every since he could remember.

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath.

He had waited more than a week for contact! Damn that woman! Damn her for showing up and stealing his precious moment away! Now he didn't know how long he'd have to wait to see HIM again.

...

Do you like The LA Series? Please let me know if you do... Thanks :-)