Paul is fighting his way to consciousness. Through the fog he hears sounds, beeping, people talking. His eyes snap open. There are three men in the room he doesn't recognize and a nurse. "Mostly superficial injuries and some sprains." She says. "How is that possible? You saw what …." One of the men starts to say before breaking off and stepping over to the bed when he see's Paul staring at them. "Hey there." He says reaching for Paul's arm. Another one asks. "How are you feeling?" He cuts off at the look of fear that comes over Paul's face. "Who are you?!" Paul yells jerking away from the dark haired man in the leather jacket. Icy terror like he has never known clenching at his spine. "What have you done to me?" He asks looking down at himself. "Paul it's OK Isaac and Kyle are…" Another of the men starts to say. "Get away from me!" Paul yells looking around frantically. His heart starts slamming away and his breathing becomes fast and shallow as the heart monitor starts shrieking.. "Guys let's give him a minute…...Now!" The nurse says quickly ushering the men out of the room. "Paul?" One of the men says as he's pulled from the room. Paul is on the floor in an instant ripping the monitoring wires and IV away. "Paul stop!" the nurse says grabbing Paul trying to calm him. "You've lost too much blood.". He backhands her forcefully causing her to stumble back and crash to the floor eyes wide with shock. Paul grabs the bed and heaves shoving and wedging it between the door and a built in cabinet.. "Mom?! Mom! Mom!" Someone shouts as several hands immediately begin pounding on the door. He rips open the wardrobe and grabs his clothes. The nurse struggles to her feet. "Paul wait it's me Melissa!" She says grabbing for him. "Get off me." Paul whimpers in fear shoving her across the room crashing into the bed. The radio on the table next to the bed smashes through the window and seconds later his bare feet are in the grass as he runs away from the hospital as fast as he can move.
The honk of a car horn startles him as he's racing across the street looking over his shoulder. He rolls over the hood of the car as it bumps him. He lands on his side but driven by fear and adrenaline he's back up in no time and racing towards the alley across the street. Trying several doors he finds one that is unlocked and hurries inside. He locks the door behind him taking precious seconds to get dressed before he's rushing through the kitchen of a restaurant. The staff yells as he runs by and moments later he's out the front door. He crosses another road and pauses by the town square fountain gasping for breath when he sees a familiar face. "Jeff?" Paul asks rushing up to the man. "Hey Paul." Jeff says. His brief smile immediately replaced with a frown. "What's wrong you look like hell." "Jeff you have to help me they are after me!" Paul says looking around urgently. "Who?" Jeff says grabbing Paul's arms to calm him. 'I don't know..I..I..I woke up in a hospital and there were these men there. I…I…think they are responsible I don't know but they are chasing me please help!" Jeff's frown turns to a determined thin line. "Come on." He says and turns races away Paul's hand held firmly in his. Moments later they are at Jeff's car, and older 90's era BMW. "Get in the back and stay down, the window tint will keep anyone from seeing you."' He opens the back door and hurries Paul inside closing the door and scanning the people around him before he gets in the front seat. As he is pulling out of the parking lot Stiles, Derek, and Scott rush towards where he was parked. "It's gone." Derek says. "His scent ends here." "What the hell was that about?" Stiles demands rounding on Derek and Scott like they would have the answer. "Isaac and Kyle are going to freak out when they wake up." Scott says. "I'm calling Danny."
"You OK back there? Jeff asks tilting the mirror down after several minutes of silence. "Anyone following us?" Paul asks. "Not that I'm able to tell. Paul if someone is chasing you we need to go to the Police." Jeff says signaling to turn towards the Police station. "No!" Paul says. "I just need to figure out what's going on. Then I'll go." "Are you sure?" Jeff asks slowing and moving into the left turn lane. "You're kind of freaking me out Paul." "I just need a few hours to catch my breath. Do you have someplace we can go? Please?" Paul pleads. Jeff looks out the window at the police department a moment before canceling his turn signal and accelerating back out of the turn lane and heading out of town. "I'm going to take you to my place." Jeff sees Paul sag with relief from where he's sitting on the floor. Minutes later Jeff is turning onto a heavily wooded street lined with stately old homes. "Keep your head down. I have some really nosy neighbors." Jeff says with a chuckle. "If anyone see's you the whole neighborhood will know within an hour." As if right on cue an older woman comes around a tall shrubbery and waves at Jeff as he slowly motors past. He returns the wave with a fake smile plastered on his face. "I'm going to pull in the garage no one will know you're here." Jeff says as he turns the car bumps gently over the curb of the driveway. Seconds later the car is in darkness as he enters the garage and the door closes behind them. Jeff shuts the car off and gets out. He opens the back door and smiles down at Paul. Garage door is down come on." He holds his hand out and helps Paul from his uncomfortable spot on the floor. "Feels like high school all over again." Jeff says with a laugh. "Sneaking boys in the house. Although now there are no parents." He says opening the door and gesturing for Paul to enter. Paul looks around the older but high end custom kitchen.
"Wait!" Jeff says before pulling Paul gently back in the garage. "Windows." He says moving past Paul into the kitchen. He closes the blinds and then gestures for him to come in. Paul advances closing the door behind him. "Just a second." Jeff says rushing out of the room. Paul can hear some rustling and a few moments later Jeff comes back. "OK." He says before leading Paul out of the large kitchen into a cozy nearly completely dark living room. Its full of dark warm wood and large heavy leather furniture. "Have a seat, thirsty?" Jeff says gesturing towards the couch and turning a few lamps on. "Water please." Paul says sinking down on the soft comfortable cushion with a sigh. Jeff steps over to a small wet bar and pulls a bottle of water out of the mini fridge. "Nice place." Paul says looking around the room. "Thanks my mother left it to me." Jeff says taking a seat on the couch next to Paul handing him his water. "Mom and Dad divorced when I was a kid. Dad was…..pleasant but…emotionally distant. So no real relationship there. Mom struggled to accept my 'lifestyle choice' but eventually came around. When she got sick we spent a lot of time together. It was nice. It made up for the fights and tension between them when I was a kid, and the distance between us after she caught me blowing Jason Turner in the garage when I was 14. I'm an only child so she left me everything.
That was her car, she taught me how to drive in it. It was my last really happy memory before she became ill. So when she…left I sold my old piece of junk Mustang and became the only student at Beacon Hills High to have a BMW and my own home.." "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Paul says turning sympathetic eyes towards Jeff. "It's OK it's been quite a while now. She held on until my 18th birthday. It was important to her that I not end up with my Dad or in foster care. "It seems like a lot to take care of." Paul says looking around the room. "Well thankfully it's paid off. Dad was, well is a successful attorney. He came from money so he was wealthy even before he started his own practice. Paying off this house was part of the divorce settlement. Plus she had a pretty good stock portfolio. I'm not wealthy in the usual sense. However there is enough income from various sources to keep this place going, keep my 21 year old BMW on the road and fund a nice vacation once in a while. It's enough I suppose that wouldn't have to work. I'd have to live pretty simply but it would be boring and would erode the savings. I enjoy the work that I do, the money I make is pretty good. Plus I get to meet cute boys like you. I've managed to hold on to the bulk of the money so if all goes well I'm retired by 40."
"I'm probably a little old to be a boy." Paul says with a snort. "And I'm 15 years away from 40." Jeff says with a laugh before turning serious.. "Ok so the pleasant crap is out of the way. Care to tell me what hell is going on?" Jeff says reaching over and patting Paul on the leg. Paul stares at the floor a moment. "I….I was driving…Or…" Paul closes his eyes. "Riding? I was riding in a car." "Do you remember where you were going or who you were with?" Jeff asks. Paul shakes his head slowly eyes still closed. "The next thing I know I'm in the hospital and….." Paul gasps when he sees Derek, Scott and Stiles again his mind clamping down in fear. "Paul? Hey Paul!" Jeff says quickly reaching for Paul's trembling hands. "Hey." He says again. Paul's eyes open and he slowly calms down. "Everything is so fucked up." Paul says practically leaping to his feet. "Paul. I'm going to ask you something and I want you to answer me honestly. I promise I won't do anything but I need to know. Did your boyfriend do this?" "Boyfriend? What?" Paul says looking at Jeff in confusion. "I don't have a boyfriend. I just got to town a few days ago." "What? Paul, you have lived here nearly two years!" Jeff says standing in alarm. "We need to get you to the hospital." "No!" Paul says backing away from Jeff, a trapped scared look on his face. "They will find me!" Jeff holds up his hands. "Paul it's OK. I'm sorry." Paul starts looking at what he assumes is the front door to the house. "Paul please don't leave." Jeff says positioning himself between Paul and the door. Paul's eyes narrow and he shifts his weight preparing for a fight. "And please don't hit me either. Fuck Paul I'm worried about you I'm not a kidnapper." Paul relaxes slightly. "Put yourself in my place. Someone you care about comes running up to you saying that he's been in the hospital and he's being chased by 'people'. Then you find out they've lost two years of memory. What would you do?" Paul sighs and relaxes. "Exactly what you're doing. Look I'm sorry I'll just go." Paul says and gestures towards the door. "Paul if you leave I'm worried what will happen to you. If there are people after you, then you're safer here."
Paul exhales heavily. "Do you mind if I take a shower. I just…. Jeff everything is so foggy. It doesn't make sense. I know you. I have known you a long time..but….. I swear I….just….got here…" Paul shakes his head. "Come on. Let's get you in the shower, feel like pizza?" Paul nods his head and follows Jeff upstairs. "This is my old room." Jeff says as way of explaining all the teenage posters and items in the room. "The bathroom is through there. Crap the towels haven't been changed in a long time. They probably smell. Go on and I'll bring you a towel and some clothes. What's wrong.?" Paul jerks to a halt when he see's himself in the mirror. "Fuck!" He exclaims when he sees his clothes are torn and spotted with blood in places. "No you begin to see why I'm just a little bit worried about you." Jeff says "But I'm not.." Paul starts rubbing his hand over a particularly large blood stain on his side. He pulls his shirt off and looks in the mirror. Aside from a few minor bruises his torso is uninjured. "What happened to your bruises?" Jeff asks stepping close and running his fingers down Paul's side. "Bruises?" Paul asks turning to look at him. "The other night we saw each other at Victor Bravo's. You were covered in bruises there is almost no sign of them now." Jeff runs his hand down Paul's side and across his abdomen trailing his fingers across his friend's abs. "Does this hurt any?" Jeff asks pressing in a few spots.
Paul shakes his head and pulls away slightly. "Tickles a little." He says with a soft chuckle. Jeff clears his throat dropping his hand. "Well take your time in the shower. I'll go get you towels and something to wear." Jeff leaves the room. Paul looks around at the contents of the dusty room before stepping into the bathroom. He starts the shower stripping down as he waits for the water to warm up. He's about to remove the unusual necklace but stops. He examines the pendant. Somehow feeling comforted by its presence he decides to leave it on. Opening the glass door he steps in the shower and begins to clean up.