Disclaimer: Still don't own any part of BTR.

A/N: Well the end is more difficult to get to than I thought it would be. It's coming soon. Also hoping to get my BTR NaNoWriMo fic good and started for posting this weekend. Last class nearly kicked my butt. The class that just started will not be easy either. Business Information Systems, yeah wish me luck! Oh and check out my business on facebook, it's THRefashions.

Also, this chapter totally ran away with me, but the characters are happy, so...yeah.

The first conscious thoughts to float through Kendall Knight's head were that the fabric surrounding him was scratchy and he was cold. A shiver work its way through his body at the thought. Pain shot through his side, causing him to wince and groan out. A warm hand tightened around his as his mind climbed out of the black hole he'd been in. He tried to remember what had happened after Adam had shoved the knife into his side, but could barely pull pieces of the events together. Deciding he had to be in a hospital, Kendall let out a long breath and pried his slightly dried eyes open.

A white tiled ceiling greeted him. Blinking at the pin point dots of black, Kendall turned his head to take in more of the room. All of the walls were white. Angling his head to look down his body, he noticed the thin blanket covering him from chest to feet was also stark white.

"You're awake," a soft, familiar, tired voice said, as the warmth surrounding his hand gave it another squeeze.

"Carlos?" he asked in near disbelief. He blinked, holding his eyes closed long enough to count to five, to make sure the vision of his younger brother didn't disappear when his eyes were shut.

"I'm really here," Carlos said, giving his hand another squeeze to prove how real he was.

"Where's Adam? Did he do all this?"

"Who's Adam? The dude who stabbed you?" Kendall gave a small bow of his head in answer. "He's gone. When Penny's dad let me near you….you were already….I thought we were gonna lose you, dude."

Kendall frowned at the pained tone to Carlos' voice. He hated that his friend was there beside his bed. He hated not knowing if this was real or something Adam had done. Or worse yet if the man who'd bought him had not only him, but Carlos as well.

"I'm sorry," he forced out of his dry throat.

Carlos took a shaky breath and squeezed his best friend's hand before he spoke. "It's not your fault, Kendall. It's that asshole who took you's fault."

"Is this real?" Kendall suddenly asked, changing the subject and taking Carlos by surprise. "This isn't a trick, is it? You didn't get kidnapped too, did you?"

"Whoa! Kendall," Carlos said quickly, placing his free hand on the other teen's shoulder gently pushing his shoulders down to the gurney. "Slow down. Take a breath." Slowly, Kendall's breathing regulated and returned to a more steady rhythm. "Yes, this is real. This is an MI6 medical facility. Soon as the doctor says you're ready to travel we're leaving for a hospital near our hotel. Everyone'll meet us there."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Carlos smiled as Kendall smiled lightly and relaxed against the flat mattress. "Let me get you something to drink." Carlos carefully withdrew his hands from his longtime friend to grab a bottle of water from the table next to the bed. Twisting the cap, Carlos poured a small amount into a plastic cup. "Are you going to be all right?" He asked handing Kendall the cup.

Mulling over the implications and possible answers to the question, Kendall took the plastic cup from Carlos' hands. Doing his best to not gulp the small amount of cool liquid in the cup, Kendall drank the water.

"Yeah," he said at last, handing the cup back to Carlos. "I think I will be."

Carlos busied himself with adding more water to the cup, for once uncertain of what to say or how to act around one of his best childhood friends.

"Are you, you know, gonna be all right?" Kendall asked as the silence became too much, once again taking the newly filled cup from Carlos.

"I dunno," he answered honestly.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Kendall finished off the water, handed the cup back to Carlos and sank into the thin mattress and pillow.

"Kendall," Carlos breathed out, "are you sure you're up for talking like this? I mean…"

"Carlos," Kendall said sharply, getting the younger teen's attention. "There won't be a better time. Once we get to the hospital, Mom'll practically smother me with attention and affection. James and Logan will turn blue asking us both all kinds of questions about what happened and if we're okay. Even Gustavo and Katie'll ask a ton of questions and want to make sure we're all right. There won't be any time to think, let alone talk to each other without extra ears."

"All right," Carlos said in a breath. "I've never been so scared. When we realized you were missing…I was scared we'd never get you back. And then when Penny showed up, it was like there was a possibility that we would. But then her father showed up. He said that we had one chance to get you back or you'd be sold and gone forever. Then we found you. Logan and James wanted to come. To be there when the Lane's got you back…but Simon forced them back to the hotel to keep everyone else updated. I got to live a bit of my spy dream and tag along.

"I really wish I hadn't. I love you like the older brother I wish I had, but, Kendall, I never want to see that again. There was so much blood…"

"Hey," Kendall said softly, pulling Carlos' hand gently to get his attention. "It wasn't your fault. It is what it is, all right?" Carlos gave a weak nod. "For what it's worth I wish you hadn't had to see that either."

"That man, Adam?" Kendall nodded, waiting for Carlos' question. "He didn't….you know…do…"

"No!" Kendall said sharply, startling the younger teen. "No, he took some pictures I'd rather he didn't, but nothing for the skin magazines. Just what he deemed innocent and sexy enough…his words, not mine. I think he used them when he auctioned me off."

"Other than to sell you, did he tell you why he took you?"

"To make more money than selling whatever device was in my back pack. He was greedy. He got away, didn't he?"

Carlos nodded, not really sure how to answer the question. "He used you."

"I know," Kendall agreed softly, more than aware that Adam had stabbed him to escape. Valuable as he had been to the ex-spy, he was also expendable. "Do you think he'll come back? I cost him a payday."

"I dunno, man," Carlos said, fear creeping into his voice. "I hope he doesn't."

"Do you think that they'll catch him?"

"I'm sure they will," he said resolutely. After all the newly former spy had put the Lane's through there was no way they were going to let the man get away with kidnapping, human trafficking, treason, and going rogue.

"Don't tell anyone else, Carlos, but I'm afraid," Kendall said, suddenly finding the weave of the threads in the thin sheet covering him more interesting than the look on best friend's face at his confession. "I'm scared that Adam'll come back to ….I don't know…finish me off…or collect on whoever bought me. Either way I'm afraid that he'll succeed in taking me away from you guys again."

"I won't let that happen," Carlos said firmly, hand squeezing Kendall's again.