I'm so sorry this is sooo short but I've had a…*bleep* week and I was trying to write more for it but I need it up tonight so I'm saving the part I haven't finished for Chapter 3.

In order to make up for this, I will be updating with Chapter 3 on Friday, Christmas Eve.

Thank you to all my reviewers of Chapter 1: lelann37, Ectofralamazoo, gottalovealoser, HellzCrusader, Paradox-Imagination, fierynightangel, ZombieSmasher, Lily Zen, mcat, Live4StarWars, MauMauKa, and LaylaBinx

~JP

Pain radiated up and down Jensen's entire body as his back hit the wall. His lover stood in front of him poised as if ready to destroy anyone who dared take a step closer to him. Cougar's body was tightly coiled with tension and a growling noise was rumbling loudly from his chest.

Clay attempted a step closer to his men but quickly stopped when Cougar growled louder and repositioned his weapon to aim for Clay's head.

Jensen inhaled sharply as he watched his lover get their leader in his sight. He couldn't believe this was happening. And he certainly didn't understand why. What the hell was the significance of some stupid feather? Cougar had been fine until he saw that damn feather. Jensen turned his head to glare at the feather as if he were trying to get it to explain.

Jensen returned his focus onto Cougar as his lover had moved so that he now had his gun trained on Roque, who had taken a step forward as Cougar was concentrating on Clay. The growling increased even more and became louder. Jensen would have smirked at Cougar's obvious acknowledgement that Roque was a bigger threat than Clay but he was too worried about Cougar's behavior to do such a thing.

"Cougar?" Jensen hesitantly tried to get the sniper's attention onto him.

The only response from Cougar that even remotely resembled acknowledgement that he had heard Jensen was for his growling to pause momentarily-and then restart even louder as Pooch took a slight step back.

Pooch was hoping that if Cougar saw that he was retreating, then Cougar wouldn't feel the need to shoot him. He heard Cougar's growling increase slightly in volume and then calm as the sniper did notice that Pooch was in fact backing up.

Pooch cleared the doorway and moved swiftly to the closet hidden beneath the stairs. It blended in so well with the rest of the wall that the men had decided to stash all their weapons and other important items there while they were away from the safe house. That way they wouldn't have to answer any unwanted questions if anyone were to ever come knocking. Highly improbable where they were staying, but still, better to be cautious than stupid. A precaution vindicated by today's events.

Pooch tore through the closet as quickly and as quietly as he could until he found what he was looking for. He breathed a sigh of relief as he latched onto it and high-tailed it out the front door.

Cougar let Pooch go, so far out of his right mind that he didn't even realize that Pooch would never retreat and leave any of them behind. But he had other things to worry about and therefore, didn't care if Pooch retreating didn't make any sense at all. Right now, all Cougar had to do was keep his lover safe.

Need to protect Jake. Need to protect Jake. Need to protect Jake.

That was the mantra running through Cougar's mind when Clay attempted another step forward and Cougar shot above his head as a warning.

Clay's eyes widened as, he would later swear that, he felt the bullet part his hair and enter the wall in the hallway.

Roque shouted something unintelligible at Cougar. Cougar swung his weapon back towards Roque's head and was about to shoot when he felt something pierce his neck. He reached up and pulled out the dart. Then he looked to the window and Pooch was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.