The chapter after this will be the last. :) Happy Holidays.

So here he was again, in the suffocating, dimly lit chapel that, despite its size, gave him claustrophobia. Shutting his eyes and folding his hands, Dallas tried to think of the positive; a single trip to church was a small price to pay for forgiveness - Mrs. Cade's forgiveness, anyway. Because while Johnny had been quicker to let things slide, his mother had been determined to make sure that altogether, Dallas stopped repeating the pattern of running away. Ironic that church, of all things, would be considered a punishment.

Yet it was befitting. Being here reminded Dally of his last visit, where he had spilled his most sacred feelings to a stranger; the meeting he'd had with the creepy man in the parking lot, whose odd familiarity gave him the chills.

And the mistakes he'd made that had driven him there in the first place.

Nervously and anxious from thinking these things, he exchanged glances with Johnny, who smiled fondly back.

Thank you, the brunette mouthed. He was referring to his return, to agreeing to this trip, to just everything. In return, Dally smiled back crookedly.

Suddenly, the priest spoke in a commanding voice and made a grand gesture to his audience; everyone stood up. Hesitating, Dally followed suit.

It was a demanding and befitting punishment.

Throughout the service, he found himself glancing warily at Mrs. Cade, looking for some sign of forgiveness, resentment... anything. But to his dismay, she kept a poker face. And maybe it was just him, but every time she smiled at him, it seemed less reassuring so much as... bitter? Sarcastic?

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie.

"Dally, you look a little pale... Do you need a break? To go outside, maybe?"

Was she testing him? He was feeling pretty suffocated - and you should never look a gift horse in the mouth...

He stood up and whispered, "I'll be right back."

He faltered just before stepping out of the pew. For good measure, he added, "I promise."

Half the service turned to watch as he exited the chapel, but only two pairs of eyes burned through him.

-

Outside, Dallas staggered along the side of the building. Jeez, maybe it wasn't just nerves; he really did feel like dirt.

He took several gulps of fresh air and curled up on the ground with his head on his knees.

Holy shit, he thought, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. I wonder if I'll be able to get up and go back inside? Speaking of which, would he even be able to stand up, period?

He decided to try, and managed to slowly force himself upright. Might as well tell the Cades he felt like shit. Maybe Mrs. Cade'd take pity on him and they'd go home.

Dally was about to brave going back inside when a noise caught his attention. Out of curiosity, he found himself scaling the wall, careful of his sick stomach, all the while moving towards what sounded like... metal on metal? It was faint even as he got closer.

He came across the culprit and felt his blood run cold.

The figure looked up, assessed Dally, and smiled. His teeth were yellowed by tobacco.

"Hey, son," his father said, smirking. "What brings you here?"

The teenager felt his jaw tighten. "I could ask you the same fucking question, old man."

His father shrugged. Dallas noted the cigarette in his teeth, as well as a lighter - a possible source of the noise.

"I never figured you to be so devout," his father sneered. "And as for why I'm here..."

He flipped the lighter on.

"I'm not taking you back, per say. I'm just speaking up for what belongs to me."

Before Dally could stop him, he held the lighter up to the wood, the flame catching almost instantly.

Without thinking, the blonde surged forward and punched this man he barely knew.

"Dammit!"

He was stopped in an attempt to stomp out the fire by a left hook to the jaw, administered by his father.

No no no no NO-!

His father staggered to his feet, watching amusedly as his son tried to smother his rapidly growing mess. He let loose a bark of a laugh, loud and crazy.

"You better move quick, boy," he cackled, "Or that kid you like so much..."

Dally's thoughts suddenly zeroed in on this instance of detail.

Johnny.Without a moment of hesitation, he left his father, running for the entrance. His father's laughter did not die away with every inch he moved away; in fact, it seemed to grow louder.

-

His stomach had been long forgotten as he burst through the double doors panting.

"Fire!"

The service came to a halt as the proof - a wall of flame licking at the backmost corner of the church - punctuated his warning.

There was instant pandemonium. People leapt from their pews and rushed out the door, ignoring the priest's begging to stay calm. Dally tried to move against the crowd, but the force of the flow sent him back outside.

His eyes searched the crowd, darting from side to side rapidly. The chaos was beginning to make him nauseous again when suddenly a familiar voice cried out to him.

"Dally!"

Mrs. Cade pushed through the throng of panicked people. Seeing her made him feel relieved - until he realized that Johnny was not with her.

He gripped her by the upper arms, steeling himself just short of shaking her. "Where is he?!"

She shook her head, eyes darting wildly. "I don't... I thought he followed you... I haven't seen him since you left..." She made direct eye contact with him then, her eyes large with horror. "Dally, we... we have to find him!"

She was smaller than him and trembling; she looked nothing like her usual self. Dally's mind tried to rationalize out its panic, to figure out the next best course of action.

He came to a decision. "Don't worry," he uttered. "I'll find him."

"Dally, wait-!"

But he chose instead to ignore her, breaking out into a sprint.

There was a blur of flame and screams from outside as he searched throughout his line of vision. Johnny couldn't have gotten far, could he? How places were there to even hide in this place?

He was dodging a falling hunk of flame - most likely a ceiling tile - when it came to him: the church basement. The Children's Liturgy, which Johnny had told him about on the ride over, was meeting today.

He ran, searching for the door to the cellar.

Come on, he pleaded with himself. Come ON!

Suddenly a door from the back burst open, an older man and a group of children filing out.

"Run - for the doors, quickly!"

Dallas grabbed the man in a hostile manner by the front of the shirt.

"Where is he?" he snarled. The man seemed to shrink in his grip as the delinquent in Dally took control. "Where's Johnny?!"

The man shook himself out of his stupor. "He... he's helping one of the children..."

Dally released him, running for the door when another beam fell, splintering in flames, in front of him.

"Take him!" Johnny's familiar voice hollered over the roar, and Dally found a child being shoved into his arms.

The blonde stumbled back, stupefied.

"Johnny-!"

The priest took the little boy out of Dally's grip. "Be safe," he begged, and he was gone, leaving Dally free to pursue Johnny.

"It's okay!" he hollered, hearing the patter of frightened feet as they exited the church. "I'm coming!"

He kicked a piece of smoldering lumber out of the way, grateful for the lack of flame engulfing it as he reached inside the narrow doorway for Johnny's hand.

The brunette smiled at him, coming forth, when a third beam fell from the ceiling and devoured Dally's sight of him.

-

Minor cuts and bruises. An unrelated stomach virus. Minor burns. You'll most likely be alright, but we're keeping you overnight just to be sure...Dally shook his head, ridding himself of the muddled thoughts of yesterday. Yesterday, when he had gotten out alive and well. Yesterday, when he'd had the chance to make everything right.

You have no idea how lucky you are.

And when he'd blown it.

He buried his face in his hands. Johnny hadn't woken up since Dally had saved him. And if this kept up...

Well, he thought dully. I guess Mrs. Cade won't want me staying with her without Johnny around.

She had forgiven him. She had bawled her eyes out, she had yelled at him for running in, but she had also said that if he hadn't gone in to save him, Johnny might be dead now.

Dally couldn't help but think how it was him who'd made Johnny pause long enough to smile - and for the beam to break free and crush him.

Just as he was about to succumb to the newest wave of terror, a sudden burst of familiar griping invaded the hospital hallway.

"Jeez, Bryon, cut me a break! I was just-"

"Oh, yeah, Pony. Just so you know, if I die, you can't have any of my things. You hear me? Nothing."

"Bryon, come on, it's not that bad..."

But it was. The taller boy's hand was swathed in a makeshift casing of paper towels, and still Dallas could see the enormous spot of red that drenched it.

"What the hell happened?"

Pony's head snapped up, his hands stilling on Bryon's. "Dally..."

It seemed Mrs. Cade had delivered the news. As the redhead struggled to regain his mental footing, Bryon spoke.

"I was trying to help Pony make lunch-"

He snapped to attention, again. "You mean inserting yourself in the way-"

"-and he stabbed my hand because he's a spiteful, bitter harpy."

"Once again, you were in my way! Dally, sympathize with me! I was chopping vegetables, and I went to put the knife beside the cutting board-"

"With the blade facing down? Oh, please."

"-And this dumbass had his hand in the way!"

The couple continued to squabble even as a nurse led Bryon away, and Dally was left to wonder whether they'd done all that just to cheer him up.

Naw - they weren't that sharp.

With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and leaned on a clean, white wall. Shit like this always had to happen to him.