Chapter Seven (back to DAN'S POV)

My eyes fluttered open, awaken by a knock at the door. It wasn't the code. Wait.. what happened last night? My mind was buzzing with confusion. Was that all a crazy dream? Where was Phil?
Another loud knock, this time more of a bang. Whoever it was didn't wait for me to answer. It was thrown open, Phil walking in.
"Phil!" I shouted, a smile splitting onto my face. I didn't know where he had been, or what happened, but Phil was with me know. I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. He didn't hug back, instead shoving me hard, making me fall to the ground. My smile faded.
"Get off me." He spat. My heart felt as if it had been shattered into a million pieces, floating in a sea of confusion.
"Phil.. what do you-?" I stopped talking abrutly when Chris walked in, his eyes glinting in a malicious way. The two of them stepped into my underground 'hut' followed by a random, red coated guard.
I was still on the floor so Chris squated down to me becoming eye level, just like he had last night. "I told you this would happen." He whispered sharply in my ear. Standing back up, he shouted "Bring 'em in!" In came another guard accompanied with Carrie, Dean, Finn, and Louis following him, all tied.
"Guys.. what is going on?" My voice cracking slightly at the sight of them. They were all bruised with a look of defeat on their face.
"You sold us out" Carrie spat at me.
"No.. no I- you know I would never."
Everything was so confusing. Had Phil actually betrayed me? I had trusted him. Was it all an act, like Chris had told me? I tried sorting it all out in my mind, my thoughts being interrupted by a fat man entering. He had a white cape on that seemed to barely fit his plump body him.
"Why hello Daniel!" He said, with a wide grin, acting much to cheery. He held out his hand, lifting me off the floor. "We've never met, but Philip has told me a lot about you." I looked over to Phil. His eyes weren't the beautiful shade of romantic blue they always were, more like an unforgiving and depressed black.
"Who-?" I started, but the overweight man cut in.
"I'm the cheif." He smiled, which didn't have that beautiful, caring glow to it like Phil's. His smile was toothy and shady. He extended his hand out to me, expecting me to shake it. This was the cheif? He looked nothing like stories had pertrade him as. I didn't know what to do. "Not much of a socialist?" The cheif said as he withdrew his round hand. I was still speechless. Everything was wrong. What was happening?
"So you seem to be Phil's 'special lover'?" He said mockingly, looking me up and down. I suddenly felt self-conscious, his eyes darting over my scar and bruise littered arms, and messy hair.
"I.." No words wouldn't come out. The cheif shook his head at me.
"Since you are, we'd better give these two some 'alone' time." He smirked, turning to Chris and the other two guards. "Get these four back to the castel." he gestured towards Carrie and the rest.
"No! You.. you can't." The words stumbled out.
He laughed, nodding at Chris, and everyone left except for me, the cheif, and Phil. Looking at Phil, the cheif muttered, "You know what to do with him." Phil nodded, staying emotionless and the cheif left my tree.
"Phil.." I stepped closer to him. He didn't back away, or swing at me, he just stood there, like he was a living corpse. "Phil." I said again. He didn't even act like he heard me, just kept starring off into the distance, not even blinking. "Please." I whispered. "Please wake up." I brushed my fingers across his head, moving some fringe. I leaned in and kissed his lips. I didn't know why I did, but it felt like the only thing that could make everything better. His lips were strangly cold, but warmed up at my touch. His eyes became a slighter blue. "Please. Phil. What happened last night? And what are Chris and the cheif talking about? And why did Carrie think I sold her out? AND WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE!?" It was coming out in tears this time. Everything rushing out. I collapsed onto the floor, a sobbing mess. I felt a hand reach onto my shoulder. Phil was there, his eyes that perfect shade of blue. He smiled at me, as I threw my arms around him again, tackling him into a tight hug.
"Dan." He whispered into my ear.
"Phil." I retreated from the hug. "What's going on?"
"I don't really know. Last night Chris came and- oh I'm so glad you're still alive!"
"Yeah me too. I was pretty roughed up, but that doesn't matter. Where were you? I woke up, and you weren't there, but Chris was, and I thought that he had-" I couldn't continue.
"No Dan, it's alright. Chris had some guards take me back, and the cheif.. he used this terrible potion on me. It was so awful. My brain wouldn't listen to me- I felt.. useless. He was contolling me, and it was just awful. It felt like I was frozen inside, not even a really human being.. just a puppet." He looked down to the ground. I gave him another hug, stroking his raven hair.
"It'll be ok." I consoled. "How did the potion effect wear off of you?"
"I don't even understand any of it. I just felt everything melt when.. when you kissed me." He smiled, and so did I.
"Dan" He breathed after a pause. "I want to stay here with you forever.. but the cheif will be looking for me if I don't come back with you. I was.. supposed to take you back to the castel.. and-" He glanced up at me, his eyes on the verge of overflowing with tears. "I don't ever want to go back to that horrible place. Can we just.. leave?"
"Leave? As in run away? Wouldn't that be great Phil? I would love nothing more that too escape this horrid place, and live freely, with you at my side, birthmarks and all." I was crying now too. "But Phil, remember what I said? 'Sometimes, things are broken. We can either choose to complain about it, or attempt to glue it back together'." He grinned. "Let's go and glue it back together." I leaned in, connecting our lips, feeling his tears, and his hand slither up my back, sending a relaxing shiver down my spine.
"You always know what to say." He smiled.

I found myself walking in front of Phil to the castle. My hand were tied behind my back, and there was a knife on me as well. Everytime it would move the slightest, grazing across my skin, Phil would whisper sorry, his voice usually cracking and I would just nodd. The two of us had come up with a plan. A plan that could either save all the Atovas and end this terrible tyrant, or get us all killed.
Phil had, reluctantly, used the rope the cheif had given him on my wrists. He was near tears when he did it, but I kept telling him it was ok. That it was all for the plan.
"You have to seem confident." I had said, "Or he won't believe it all. Be believable."
"I don't think I can.."
"I think you can. Just throw in some ruthless words."
"But I promised I would never hurt you." He had squeaked. I remembered looking in his eyes, seeing the fear welled up in the tears.
"I know, but I won't be offended. I know you love me." I giggled.
He smiled as he agreed.

"We're almost to the gates." Phil whispered in my ear, snapping out of my daydream.
"Right. Remember what I said." I could feel his heart beating.. or was that mine? It didn't matter. We just had to trick every guard, along with Chris, and the cheif, and carry on our plan wth hundred of Hiouses roaming around.. shouldn't be too hard.
The two of us arrived at the big stone walls, the entrance of which was a massivly intimidating black gate. A guard stood in front, a bored expression on his face.
"Names?" He muttered, glancing at Phil's lightning bolt scarred shoulder.
"Philip." He replied confidently. The guard didn't move, or show any sign of recognition. "Lester." Phil continued.
The guard's eyes fell onto me, so I put my head down, trying to look as defeated as possible.
"And..?" He said.
"Daniel Howell." I was surpirsed by the ring of hate I heard in his voice. If I actully didn't know better, I'd think he really did despise me.
The guard's face lit up, obviously knowing about the cheif's current plan.
"Finally got 'em?" He smirked as he opened up the gates. Phil didn't reply.
"Good job." I whispered once we were out of this guard's hearing range.
"I try." He grinned.
"Hey, don't get me giggling."
"Sorry."
We kept walking through the castle, getting some strange looks from passing Hious men.
"Why do they keep looking at us weirdly? Don't you have captured Atova's in here all the time?"
"No. They're usually taken down to the uh.. cells."
I had never asked him about what happens when the Atova's are taken here, I guess my mind would much rather ignore that fact than know about it.
"Then where are we going?"
"Shh.. to much talking will be suspicious."
I agreed.
Phil led me through various corridoors, until we made it into a small, dark room with a gold door inside. He turned me around, and gazed into my eyes, simultaniously putting his arms around my neck, leaning in. The kiss sent butterflies, soaring through my stomach, and I savored every moment, afraid it would be the last. He pulled away.
"I love you so much." I whispered.
"I love you too." I think he was choking up.
"No no, don't cry." I dabbed his cheeks with my thumb removing some stray tears. "You can do this. We can do this."
"Right." He hugged me again, and pecked another kiss onto my lips. "This is it." He breathed heavily.
"This is it." I repeated.