Everything the officer had said after that had become somewhat of a blur to Vince. He'd just sat cross legged in a chair, fidgeting impatiently. Later, what the policeman was saying about too little evidence to prosecute would become very important but at this moment he couldn't care less. He felt like all Christmas' and birthday's had come at once and he knew he was going to get the greatest gift he could ever ask for.

They were sat in the taxi, flying down the road well over the speed limit (because Vince had offered to quadruple the fair if the driver managed to get them to the hospital in half the time), when he first realised the significance of what the policeman had said.

"So…" Alice shrieked, "That bitch is going to walk free?"

"Looks like it." grumbled Helen "There is no justice in this world."

"How?! How can they let her get away with it."

"They say it's her word against Howard's."

"But what about the notes!?"

"They can't prove they're connected to her."

"It's ridiculous!"

"She wont get away with it." Vince promised threateningly from the front seat. "I've got connections and money. I'll get the best lawyers, detectives… whatever we need. She's going to be banged up. I don't care if it costs me every penny I have."

"Aye, well. Let's not think about now though, eh?" Jim piped up for the first time. "A few minutes and we'll be seeing Howard again."

Vince nodded and stared nervously out of the window. Jim was right, a few minutes until he'd be seeing Howard again, but the question was, would Howard want to see him?

--

Vince peered cautiously through the glass pane in the door to Howard's private hospital room. He didn't know if it was nerves or excitement or a mixture of both but his stomach did ferocious somersaults and a lump rose in his throat.

Howard was sat up in the bed wearing a white, slightly too small hospital gown. He was generally looking pretty angry and frustrated. He was fine. There was nothing wrong with him. Charlotte may have kept him locked in a room but she'd given him lots of food and drink and he'd lived quite comfortably, considering. She'd come into the room late every afternoon so that they could spend an evening sipping Baileys or she'd sit and paint watercolours of him, which was a new hobby of hers apparently. She's kissed him, or at least tried too but despite the fact she was the captor, Howard was still a lot bigger and a lot stronger than she was but she'd never hurt him. Not once, after all, she loved him. Despite all Howard's protests and explanations, the doctors wouldn't let him leave, thinking he needed rest. What they didn't understand was that what he needed was Vince.

He'd been watching News 24 all afternoon (because it was the only channel they'd given him) and every five minutes the rock stars face would pop up on TV, then they'd be a clip of Vince pushing Chad away after Chad had tried to kiss him in the club, followed by pictures and video of Vince looking pale and far too thin. The news reporter was saying, "And that was the incident that started it all. The disappearance of Vince's partner Howard Moon. Now, after months of heartbreak and torment, Moon has been found and brought to this hospital, which you can see behind me. Now, we just saw Noir go in about five minutes ago, but we're not allowed to follow them at the moment."

'What?' thought Howard, 'Vince is here.' With that, he caught sight of him, in the window and his heart skipped a beat, well, several as Vince stepped tentatively through the door.

He looked gorgeous; distressed and beautiful. Vince was the kind of person who could turn bawling your eyes out into a beauty contest. Even under the migraine-inducing hospital lights, Howard thought he looked amazing. The lights didn't credit him with the slightly grey tinge they gave everyone else. No, he was the vision of imperfect perfection. Then, their eyes truly met, forcing the younger man to dry his tears and give a feeble half wave. The older man smiled weakly and said, "Hi."

"Hi." Vince repeated. No sooner had the word left his lips, his face screwed up slowly and he burst into tears.

"Hey," soothed Howard, getting up awkwardly from the bed and wrapping his arms around the rock stars shoulders, "what's wrong?"

"N-nothing." the younger man sniffed, nestling into Howard's chest and feeling the older man bury his face into his long hair, "These are happy tears."

They just stood for a while, holding each other. Neither wanting to let go. Eventually, Vince manoeuvred himself so he was looking at Howard, their noses almost touching. A lone tear rolled down the younger man's cheek and Howard mindlessly kissed it away, tucking Vince's hair behind his ear. Vince gave a watery smile and whispered, "Kiss me."

Howard didn't need telling twice and he placed a sweet kiss on his boyfriend's lips. The kiss was slow and full of emotion, pain, distress, love. A kiss that said 'I'm sorry' and 'I forgive you', a kiss that…

"Ahem!" Helen cleared her throat loudly from the doorway. The two men jumped apart and looked up in the direction of the sound.

"Mum." exclaimed Howard, his face draining of all colour. "W-what are you…? I mean, why? I mean…" he glanced nervously at Vince and gabbled, "It's not what it looks like."

Vince gazed up at him looking totally bemused. "Not what it looks like?" he laughed. "What were you doing? Checking my mouth for fillings."

"Shut up!" he hissed, turning redder and redder. "And what are you doing here you bitch?!" he turned to face Alice.

"Howard, Howard." Vince called, touching the older man's face gently and turning him so they were facing each other. "Howard, calm down, it's fine. Alice is sorry, you can see that, can't you?" Howard glanced at his tearful sister and nodded silently. "And your parents, they accept you now. They were amazing to me, whilst you were… you know."

"Really?" Howard asked looking at his dad, who wore an expression of definite pride and then at his mother, who wore an expression of faked pride. 'At least she's trying' he thought.

"Yes, son." beamed Jim. "You're mother and I have realised that we can't stop you from doing what you want and we want to be part of your life, despite your choices."Howard smiled, "Thanks dad.". Everyone turned to look expectantly at Helen.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't you have something to say." hissed Jim.

"Oh, yeah. You're in love with… him. I get it, I accept you. It's… fine."

"You don't look so sure about that, mum?" Howard said uneasily.

"No, I am sure. You're my son and I love you, despite everything. And anyway, Vince is a lovely boy."

"It's been a long time since I've been called that." giggled Vince. "Gorgeous, yes. Sex god, course."

"Vince." warned Howard under his breath. "Too much information in front of my parents."

"Sorry." he grinned.

"Come here." smiled Howard, resuming the kiss from before with equal emotion and added passion, causing Helen to hide behind her hands.

"What are you doing? I thought you were okay with it now." said Jim.

"I am," insisted Helen a little too loudly, "but I don't need it shoved down my throat." she looked up, just as Vince moved his tongue expertly into Howard's mouths. "I wish I'd used a different turn of phrase now. And why does Vince feel the need to blurt out private information?"

Jim laughed and then said, "If you think this is bad you should have heard him earlier. God knows what he nearly told me."

"Oh yeah," Alice chimed in, "He's got a horrible habit of telling you about their private business. When he lived with me for a bit, he used to just blurt it out for no apparent reason."

"I can hear you, you know." Vince said, pushing Howard away and scowling at the Moon's.

"Hey," Howard moaned, as he connected with Vince's cheek. "Hey, come back." Eventually, he found Vince's mouth again and between kisses he sighed, "Anyway, it's true."

"What"-kiss-"is?" Vince asked.

"You do have a habit of saying things a totally inappropriate moment."

Vince pushed him away.

"If you're still banging on about that time when you decided it would be sexy to do it in the pool and then I remembered that we'd left the oven on." Howard went a furious shade of red and suddenly became very interested in his shoes. Vince looked over to where Howard's family were stood, they too were looking at the floor. "This is another one of those moments, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah." Howard said, smiling despite just shrugged and said, "The worst thing about it was it put you right off your stride and we nearly drowned."

Howard laughed as the memories, quite literally, came flooding back to him and suddenly he was laughing and crying all at once. All the pent up emotion being released at once.

He dragged the rock star into a big hug, kissing him on the top of the head.

"I love you Vince Noir."

"I love you too Howard."

I think maybe two more chapters because I really think we need a wedding now? Anyone else?

Anyway, this is officially my longest story ever… woooo! What a land breaking record mark! Lol. =]

(Also, as a sort of heads up: I was watching Edward Scissor Hands over Christmas and had an idea for a AU fic. about a reclusive (Howard) and an outcast (Vince), bit of magic/ bit of love/ bit of fairy tale good luck… was wondering what you all thought…)
Merci for reading!!!

Sisi…xx