Disclaimer – If you recognize it, then I don't own it.

*Notes – I hope you enjoy! There's a few chapters left, then an epilogue; thanks to all of you that have been sticking with me!

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Noah blinked once, sluggishly, the only motion he could force from his body. When the blink did nothing, he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them, this would all go away. Instead, red flashes played behind his eyelids – red as in blood, red as in death. Death. Dead.

Eyes flying open, Noah dropped to his knees on the stone floor, not even having it within him to wince as his knees smashed against the concrete floor. He crawled over to the person on the floor, crimson blood soaking through fabric and pooling on the ground, morbid color in this lifeless room.

"No," he whispered, eyes travelling over still limbs, hearing only gurgling in his chest as he struggled for breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered, one hand reaching in front of him tentatively, touching air, not skin.

"It's not your fault," a voice whispered behind him, and Noah turned to see brown eyes shining at him, full lips trembling. One hand was resting on his shoulder, and Noah forced himself upright so he could look straight into those eyes.

"Luke," Noah breathed, glancing over at the paramedics working frantically on Damian, all the while knowing it was a lost cause. "Luke," he repeated before pulling him into his arms, trembling so hard that Luke was shaking, too.

"Shh," Noah heard Luke whisper in his ear, "you're safe. We're safe. It's okay, Noah." The reassurances continued until Noah pulled back, all chalky pale skin and wide, young eyes.

"It is my fault, Luke!" Noah yelled, unaware of the eyes that were suddenly following him. "He's going to die because of me, and… and…" Noah's sentence faded out as his eyes morphed into blue fire, cold and yet hotter then anyone could bear to touch.

"Noah?" Luke asked, refusing to admit that the beginnings of fear were thrumming through him. Not of Noah, but of what Noah was going to do. His face was utterly expressionless, except for the hint of something in his eyes. "Noah?" Luke repeated, stepping forwards, only to have Noah step away.

"This is his fault," Noah whispered, turning on his heel and scanning the room, zeroing in on a shock of grey hair. Winston was standing in the corner of the room, two officers on either side of him, and a gun pointed steadily at his chest. Despite everything, he looked as arrogant as he always was, even pleased.

Noah was hardly aware of the steps he took, was hardly aware of the widening of his fathers eyes as he swung his arm back. The sudden pain that throbbed through his arm as his fist smashed into Winston's face was a shock back into reality.

Blood was pouring from Winston's nose, clearly broken, but that self assured smirk never faded. Staring at his father, Noah realized that he felt no joy as he watched his father bleed from a wound that he made. Instead, his stomach rolled, and he turned his back to Winston before he could read his expression.

Damian. The name was cold water dousing his brain, and Noah looked over to see Damian lying still on the floor, his eyes fluttering as he tried to stay conscious. There was an impossible amount of blood on the floor. He's not going to make it. Noah pushed the thought back as soon as it entered his mind, but he couldn't erase the imprint it had made.

Luke was kneeling by Damian, his hand on top of his fathers. Even though Noah knew that there was no lost love from Luke to Damian, his boyfriend's eyes were filled with tears, poised and ready to fall.

Noah carefully wrapped an arm around Luke, revelling in his warmth as Luke leaned into him. His eyes were locked on Damian, who had opened one eye in a half lidded gaze, his light blue eyes clouded and pained.

"Damian," Noah heard Luke whisper, and saw the muscles in Luke's arm tense as he gripped Damian's hand tighter. "I didn't know this would happen…" Noah watched helplessly, afraid to speak, afraid to move.

Damian smiled, the tips of his lips turning the slightest hint upwards, before he mouthed four words. Closing his eyes, he took in one last rattling breath before his chest went still.

"No, no no no no no," Luke murmured, laying on hand on Damian's cheek. "Damian, please don't die," he whispered, his voice catching. "I never got to tell you that I, I know you weren't here to hurt me, and I didn't want you to die, and don't die!" Luke hovered anxiously, as if he expected Damian to jump back up, smile and laugh. But he didn't.

Luke took a deep breath, pressing the heel of his hands to his eyes and sitting there before turning to Noah. He held Noah's gaze for a long moment before collapsing into his arms, sobbing.

Noah simply held him, not talking, just breathing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Luke was still clutching Damian's hand, his knuckles turning white from his grip.

Noah had no idea how long they kneeled there. Time was measured only with the steady throbbing in his head, increasing in intensity with every second that passed. People moved around them, but Noah took no notice; all of his attention was on the broken soul in his arms.

Someone, a woman, tried to make Luke let go of Damian's hand. He snapped, and something in his eyes convinced the woman to leave Luke alone, just for another moment.

Noah's concentration was shattered when he heard a woman's piercing scream, and saw a brunette running towards Damian before dropping to her knees. A man was following her, a man with light brown hair and eyes that scanned the room frantically before locking in on Luke and Noah. Lily and Holden, Noah thought, unaware of the pulse of relief that floated through him. We're safe.

With that, Noah released Luke from his embrace before fainting dead away on the cold stone floor.

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Flashing lights. He was strapped down, and he could feel the slightest jostles of his bed.A stretcher.Voices floated above him, medical terms and concerned cries of his name blending into one indiscernible mess. Cool wind brushed his cheeks, and with thoughts of his first time horseback riding at the farm on his mind, he allowed the tide to pull him back under.

The bed was soft, his pillow warm. He cracked an eye open, only to shut it as glaring white pierced into his brain. He tried to roll over, but stopped as a sharp wave of agony pulsed through his head. He knew something was off, that something was wrong; it was tickling the back of his head, begging him to listen to it, and to think.

He pushed it away, shutting his eyes and falling back into a listless sleep. It could wait. It could all wait. A foggy, muffled voice whispered, "Noah, stay with me stay with me stay with me stay with me…" in his ear. He wanted to assure that voice that he was okay, that he was just a little sleepy and needed a moment to rest, but he couldn't. All he could do was shut his eyes and fall downwards into soothing blackness.

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"Noah, please wake up. The doctors said that this is normal, that after everything it's normal to sleep this long, but please wake up. I need you, Noah. Please."

Noah moaned, trying to tell the voice that he was okay, that he was coming back. The same words had been murmured in his ear for what seemed like eternity, and he wanted desperately to reply.

"Noah?" the voice asked, hope riding out the despair in its tone. "Noah, Noah baby, come on. It's me, it's Luke, wake up baby, wake up. I know that was you, please please please, baby, I need you. Come back to me. Please."

He wasn't sure if it was being called baby, or the begging, that forced him to crack his eyes open. His vision was immediately filled with soft brown eyes, filled with tears. The sight seemed familiar, as if he'd recently seen the same thing, but grasping the memory was like trying to hold onto water; the harder he gripped, the quicker it slid away.

"Noah," Luke breathed, a tear sliding down his cheek and onto Noah's pillow. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, okay?" Luke's teasing tone was lost to the sob that tore from his throat. Noah tried to reply, but his throat was so dry that he could only make a faint noise. Blushing at his incoherency, he pointed at his throat in excuse.

"Oh, you're thirsty!" Luke said too loudly, a cover for his tears, and Noah repressed the urge to wince away from the noise. "Here," Luke said, quieter, passing Noah a small paper cup of water. He held the cup to Noah's lips and cradled his head with his hand, supporting it as Noah drank.

His throat soothed, Noah whispered Luke's name. A heart-stopping smile broke out across Luke's face; even so, there was a tinge of sadness to it, something Noah desperately wanted to remember. Damian, Noah remembered with sudden clarity, it has to do with Damian.

Before he could ask, the door creaked open, and Holden entered the room. Glancing around, Noah realised that Lily was asleep on a chair in the room, her neck angled awkwardly to the side in her slumber.

Noah's eyes flicked back to Holden as he realized that the man was directly in front of him. He tried to smile, but was pretty sure that it came out as a grimace instead.

"Noah," Holden whispered, one hand running through Noah's hair before resting on his shoulder. "Don't you ever, ever, ever run off like that again. I don't think any of us could take that scare again!" Holden's teasing tone fell as flat as Luke's had, and sadness lingered instead.

"Sorry," Noah replied, eyes angling downwards as a flush spread through his cheeks. "I didn't think… I mean, I didn't realize…"

"Noah, it's okay," Holden soothed, his hand squeezing lightly on Noah's shoulder. "Just promise you'll never do it again, okay?" Noah nodded his head once in response, and Holden smiled before walking over to Lily and reaching out.

"Don't wake her up!" Noah said, raising his voice as loud as it would go – which, admittedly, wasn't that loud. When Holden looked at him curiously, he ducked his head. "She just looks tired… I'm sure she wants to sleep."

"Noah," Holden said, an unidentifiable expression on his face, "she'd want us to wake her up. Hell, she'd kill me if I didn't." With that, Holden gently shook Lily's shoulder, watching as she blearily opened her eyes. A moment passed, and then she jumped out of her chair, asking Holden questions rapid fire.

"Shh, Lily, he's awake," Holden said, jerking his head in Noah's direction. He opened his mouth to say more, but Lily was already at Noah's side, bloodshot and reddened eyes tearing up yet again.

Noah, thank god you're alright," Lily said before she kissed his forehead. Her hair brushed his nose, and Noah breathed in her familiar scent, wanting to cherish this moment; having a mother fuss over him.

Looking into Lily's warm eyes, Noah croaked out, "What happened?" A confused expression flitted across his face as Lily's face crumpled, her eyes overfilling with tears. Holden immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her into his chest.

Turning his head to the left, he saw Luke's eyes shining and an indent in his cheek, as if he was biting the inside of it. "What happened?" Noah repeated, grabbing Luke's hand as he asked the question and running his thumb back and forth.

"What do you remember?" Luke asked, eyes scanning Noah's face. "Do you remember anything?" After glancing over at Lily and Holden one last time, Noah screwed his eyes up in concentration, thinking back.

"I remember…" he began, eyes still shut. "I remember my father… I went to see my father, right?" Opening his eyes, Noah saw Luke nod absently once in agreement. "And then… then you showed up." Noah felt his brow draw in confusion, trying to put the pieces together. "I was dizzy, really dizzy," he remembered absentmindedly, before something snapped into place, so hard that he was ricocheting in the aftermath. "Damian." Looking up, Luke's face showed Noah that what he remembered was the truth. "Is he..."

Luke made some low noise of affirmation, and Noah felt his throat tighten in response. He hadn't known Damian, not truly, but the brief time he'd spent with him as they drove to Winston had proven to him that despite everything, he loved his son; anyone that loved Luke had to have some good in them.

Low sobbing echoed through the room, and Noah realized that Lily was crying, her cries muffled in Holden's shirt. Damian was her ex-husband, Noah remembered, she must still care for him, to some degree.

"I'm sorry, Luke," Noah said before falling silent; unsure of what else to say. "If I'd known…"

Luke turned and looked at Noah for a long moment before leaning in and kissing him. Noah pulled back after a quick moment, feeling awkward with Lily and Holden in the same room. He barely had time to register the fact that they were leaving, Lily still sobbing, when Luke pulled Noah's face back up to meet his.

Noah ignored the steady throbbing the position caused his head, choosing to kiss Luke back instead. The kiss started out harsh, tongue and teeth and tears mixing together, clinking off one another, but quickly turned softer, sweeter. Noah reached up and allowed one hand to sift through Luke's hair, ignoring the dirt strung within it.

When Luke pulled back, panting heavily, Noah reached a weary arm up and wiped a tear track away from his face. He left his hand on Luke's cheek, his palm tingling where Luke leaned his face into it.

"Lay with me," Noah said before he even thought about it. He scooted over, patting the area on the bed beside him. Luke stared at him for another long moment before crawling in beside him and cuddling his side. The room on the bed was cramped, but Noah wouldn't give it up for the world.

He dropped a careful kiss into Luke's hair before whispering, "What am I doing here?" The question caused Luke to look up in confusion, so Noah elaborated, "I mean, what am I doing in a hospital? Why can't I remember what happened after Damian…"

"Oh my god! I forgot to tell you!" Luke bolted upright, causing the bed to shake on its wheels. "Shit, sorry," Luke said when Noah winced, the familiar pounding in his head being joined with a sudden ache in his abdomen.

"It's fine," Noah replied absently, looking back up at Luke. "What am I doing here?" he repeated, needing to know.

"You have a concussion," Luke said, looking at a spot on the pillow over Noah's shoulder. "When my parents came in… you just fainted." Luke's gaze moved from the pillow to Noah's face, travelling over every inch of skin. "God, Noah, you just… I thought you were…"

"I'm not," Noah reassured, bringing Luke's hand to rest over his heart. The move seemed clichéd, but the moment he did it, he saw a little bit of relief enter Luke's expression. "I'm here, and I'm okay." Noah's heart beat steadily under Luke's palm, a testament to that fact.

"I love you," Luke said helplessly, as if there was nothing else to say. He leaned forwards again, kissing Noah's lips with a vulnerability that ached
throughout Noah. Noah shut his eyes, just resting his lips on Luke's, breathing in his scent.

When Luke pulled back, Noah felt his eyelids sliding shut despite himself. "Luke…" he heard himself say, almost out of his own volition, "why does my stomach hurt?" Luke whispered a reply, something about ribs and fractures, but Noah didn't hear it, lost to the intoxicating lull of sleep.

*

*

Luke kissed Noah's forehead before quietly rolling off of the bed and making his way to the door. He glanced back, fighting the urge telling him to stay beside Noah and never let him leave again. Before he could loose his urge, Luke opened the door and stepped into the hallway, letting it click shut behind him.

He glanced down the hallway, unsurprised when he saw his parents standing side-by-side, talking to a doctor dressed in green scrubs. Luke made his way to them, stopping a couple of feet away.

"Luke!" Lily yelled before giving him a bone crushing hug; seemingly the hundredth of that day. She'd been a hysterical, crying mess after Noah had fallen unconscious, screaming and demanding to be with him. Holden had held her back, insisting that she had to let the doctors do their job, although one look in his eyes showed that he was barely resisting the same impulses.

Luke shivered, remembering his own confusion as the paramedics tried to take Noah away, demanding to know what was going on. He'd threatened one doctor – a blush rose to his cheeks as he thought back – to no avail. But Noah was alright. That's all that matters.

"I'm okay mom," Luke said, reluctantly pulling back from her embrace. Despite his words, being in his mother's arms felt good. It felt like he was young again, back when his parents could fix anything… or so he thought. Now he had to deal with reality, the real world; sometimes he wished his parents were the almighty gods he thought they had been in his youth.

"Are you talking about Noah?" Luke asked abruptly, already knowing the answer. "What are you saying?"

Holden answered, one hand resting on Luke's shoulder. "We were just talking about when he can be discharged," he said, his face serious. "The doctors want to keep him overnight for observation, but he can leave tomorrow as long as he promises to take it easy."

"He won't be able to move," Luke chuckled, unable to help himself. "Grandma Emma won't let him move a muscle, Faith and Natalie will be babying him until he wants to scream, and I sure as hell won't let him do anything." Holden smiled as he imagined ever-polite Noah being coddled to death on their living room couch.

The doctor cleared his throat, and relayed some quick instructions to Holden, Lily and Luke before nodding and departing. As soon as he was gone, Luke led his parents over to the waiting room and sat them down on the chairs. He desperately wanted to go back to Noah, but there were some things he had to take care of first.

"Mom, Dad?" he said once their attention was solely on him. "I was wondering… how did you know where we were?" The question was one that had been nagging at him as soon as they'd gotten Noah to the hospital. He'd meant to ask them earlier, but with everything that had been going on… there hadn't been time.

Lily laughed, and Luke looked up in surprise. "Oh honey," she said, her tone lighter than it had been all day, "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet!" Luke tensed, and Lily quickly rubbed his knee in a soothing effort.

"Remember what happened the last time you were kidnapped?" Lily asked, and Luke had to stifle his surprise at the words. The last time you were kidnapped. How many people got to say that about themselves?

"Yeah," Luke replied, escaping his musings.

"Well, your cell phones have a GPS option on them," Lily explained, looking almost bashful. "Your father and I… we decided it would be best to get them on all of our cell phones. Yours, Noah's, Faith's, his and mine." One look at Holden showed that Lily was speaking the truth; he was nodding with her, looking gravely into Luke's eyes.

"We never had them activated," Lily explained quickly, "we just had the software installed on your phones so we could find you in case of an emergency. It's not like we've been following you around or anything."

"How did you get it on Noah's phone?" Luke asked, "I mean, wouldn't he have to know?"

"We asked him if we could," Holden answered for Lily, "and he didn't mind. We just wanted you guys to be safe, in case…" In case this happened.

"Oh," Luke replied, waiting for anger or injustice to well up within him at being kept in the dark, or for having his privacy violated. He waited, and… nothing. His parents had been right, and they'd saved Noah's life because of it. How could he be mad? "Thanks," he added, seeing both his parents eyes widen in surprise.

"You don't ever have to thank us," Lily said, reaching up and cupping Luke's cheek. Luke smiled in response before pulling both of his parents to him in a hug. God, I'm so lucky, he realized, my family's here, and Noah's father is… wait, where is he?

"Winston's in jail, right?" Luke asked as soon as they pulled away. Lily's jaw clenched at the name, and Holden's eyes darkened until a steely blue-grey was all that was left.

"Mmhmm, the bastard's where he belongs," he growled, and for once Lily didn't admonish him for his language. "Why?"

"I just, I needed to know," Luke said in way of response, and Holden left it at that. "How's Dallas?" he asked, before adding, "and the rest of the family? What do they know? Who all knows?"

"Whoa, easy there Luke," Holden teased, the steel in his eyes slowly melting away. "Dallas is fine; he's at the station right now, dealing with him." Holden's change in tone left no doubt in Luke's mind that 'him' was synonymous with Winston. "Only Faith, Mama and Jack know what's happened… well, maybe Janet, if he's told her what's going on," Holden added. "Faith's at Lucinda's now; she fought tooth and nail to come, but we wanted to make sure Noah was alright, first. Do you think he'd mind if she visited?"

"Are you kidding me?" Luke asked, laughing slightly. "He loves her to death." To death. Luke's laugh faded as he realized how close they'd both come to death that night. A million scenarios had ran through his head, a million different ways that the night could've ended; Winston firing that gun instead of taunting them, never finding Noah, Noah dying, Damian dying, Damian dead… it swirled in his head until he couldn't take it.

"Luke," Holden said, shaking his shoulder. "Luke, you okay?" Luke blinked back his teary eyes, running a hand at the back of his neck.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he reassured, knowing that his dad wouldn't buy it for a second. "I'm just tired." The excuse was laughable, but Holden let it slide, patting Luke's shoulder once more before turning to Lily and kissing her forehead.

"We'll go get Faith and Natalie from your grandmother, and bring them here," Lily said, looking like she wanted nothing more than to stay at the hospital with Luke. "We'll be back within an hour. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, mom. It's fine, go!" Luke said, teasing lightly. He hugged her (again) before watching them walk out the door. Heading back to Noah's room, Luke forced all thoughts of what had happened to the back of his mind, knowing that he didn't have time to dwell on it now.

Opening the door, he saw Noah sleeping on his back, elbow crooked and one hand over his head on the top of his pillow. His lean form showed through the blankets, and Luke could see where his leg was bent. Just like it always is.

Silently walking over, Luke crawled back into bed with him, smiling as Noah curled towards him. He kissed his cheek before resting his head on Noah's shoulder, allowing himself to fall into a hazy sleep.

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