Next chapter here! To that one review who's pen name escapes me at the moment: DO NOT PUNCH SMALL CHILDREN! IT'S FROWNED UPON AND IT MAKES ME SAD!

I own nothing but the plot line and a few OCs. The Almighty Larson owns the rest.

Arthur sat completely still, refusing to look anywhere other than his hands as Baker read through the file. Ed was glaring at the nervous man. It was dead silent. Baker soon finished the file and closed the folder. She then sighed and looked at Arthur. Outside the room, the bohemians waited in anticipation for something to happen.

"You and your wife are Connor's aunt and uncle?" she asked. Arthur gave a small nod. "Does he know that?"

"Of course he doesn't," Ed chimed in, folding his arms. "They kidnapped and brainwashed him." He placed his hands on the table and leaned toward Arthur. "You didn't think it was fair that you had to suffer so much abuse, so you brought someone else into your home to take some of it, didn't you?"

"That's not true," Arthur said quietly. "I saved his life."

"By taking him away from his mother?"

"You don't understand . . ."

"Then explain it to me!" The volume of Ed's voice caused Arthur to jump. "How were you saving him by taking him away from the one person who could have shown him any love in this world? Why would anybody do that to a child?"

"I-"

"I don't want to hear another word out of you unless it's an explanation," Ed interrupted. Arthur shifted in his seat and remained silent. "Nothing to say? Fine then." Ed snatched the folder off of the table and headed toward the open door.

"She would have killed him," Arthur said, causing Ed to stop in his tracks. He turned to face Arthur, who was looking up at him. The detective closed the door and walked back over to the table.

"What does that mean?" Baker asked. Arthur looked to her and said nothing. "Mr. Gibson, this may be the only chance you have to tell your side of the story."

"If I hadn't come up with the idea of taking Connor, Anna would have killed him," Arthur said. Ed and Baker gave him an expecting look. "Carrie left her home in Louisiana and came to our home in Vermont to get away from her husband. He was a drunk and when he drank, he was horrible to her. She brought Connor with her and I could just see the jealousy in Anna's eyes every time she looked at the two of them."

"Did she try to hurt Connor at all while he and his mother were staying with you?" Ed asked.

"I don't know." Arthur's attention went to the table. "Her jealousy eventually got the best of her and she snuck into the room Carrie and Connor were in . . . with my gun. She was going to shoot Connor while he was sleeping . . . he was only two-years-old."

"And you stopped her?" Baker guessed.

"Carrie actually woke up and pleaded with her. I think she felt her presence in the room."

"Did your wife say anything?"

"She said, 'If I can't have a baby, you shouldn't be able to.'"

"She was willing to kill her nephew just because she didn't have a child of her own?" Arthur nodded. "How exactly did you save his life?"

"I told Anna that it was the perfect opportunity to have a child . . . that if we took Connor, we could raise him as our own. Thankfully, she agreed with me."

"What happened to Carrie?"

"Anna gave her two days to pack her things and leave. She only left for the sake of her son. Anna knew she would go to the police, so she tipped them off about Carrie's condition and then said we had to leave Vermont."

"What condition?" Ed asked.

"Carrie is a paranoid schizophrenic and she went off her medication when she was pregnant with Connor."

"That's why the police dismissed her case," Baker stated.

"Well, Mr. Gibson, your story is consistent with what Carrie told the police," Ed said. "Do you happen to know where she is now?"

"She's still in Vermont," Arthur replied. "She's been living at Lavender Meadows Mental Hospital ever since the police turned her away." There was a knock on the door. Ed and Arthur watched Baker as she walked to the door and opened it. Angel was on the other side.

"Connor's in Vermont right now," she said. She had a shocked expression on her face.

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked her. She walked into the room.

"Collins and I were going to let Connor stay with us for a while. When Collins called to tell me he was on his way home the night he disappeared, he said Connor wanted to spend spring break at his safe house in Vermont like he does every year."

"Where in Vermont?" Baker asked.

"I have no idea." Angel and the two detectives turned their attention to Arthur, who had a confused look on his face.

"Mr. Gibson, do you know where Connor's safe house is?" Ed asked.

"I didn't even know he had one," Arthur replied. "He always told us he was going out of town with friends. Well . . . I suppose I did suspect he was lying."

"Why?"

"Connor doesn't have friends. He keeps to himself most of the time."

"Maybe that's why you didn't know he had a house in Vermont. He kept it to himself."

"Connor had to be one of the last people to see Collins before he disappeared," Angel stated. She thought for a moment. "The person on the tape . . ."

"The one who was driving Mr. Gibson's car?" Baker asked, causing Arthur's eyes to widen.

"No, the one who ran. Do you think that could have been Connor? I mean, Mr. Gibson basically said that he's . . . in love with Collins. He could have witnessed the car hitting him and rushed to save him."

"My car?" Arthur said. "Someone hit Connor's professor with my car?"

"Yes, and it was caught on tape," Baker replied. Arthur put his head in his hands.

"Oh my God . . . I didn't think she was serious . . ."

"She as in your wife?" Ed asked. Arthur nodded. "Did she tell you she was going to do something?" Arthur looked up.

"Like I just said, Connor keeps to himself most of the time. I became concerned, so I went through his room to figure out what he did when he was alone. I found two notebooks. One was filled with love poems and the other was filled with his fantasies, all about Professor Collins. I made the mistake of showing them to Anna and now she thinks he's to blame for Connor's homosexuality. She believes that by getting rid of him, she'll 'cure' Connor."

"Homosexuality is not an illness," Angel stated angrily.

"She doesn't think it's an illness. She thinks the devil is possessing Connor's body."

"So, she's a religious nut on a mission to kill a college professor just because her nephew is fond of him?" Baker asked. Arthur simply nodded. "Connor probably knows what she's trying to do."

"If that was him on the tape, then he had to be the one who took Collins, but not to hurt him," Angel said. "He's trying to keep him safe."

"We find the kid, we find our missing professor."

"How the hell do we do that?" Ed asked. "All we know is that he's in Vermont." The detectives and Angel were silent, all thinking of possible ways to track Connor down. Arthur was still in shock that his wife had actually gone through with her murderous scheme. He suddenly gasped.

"She knows Connor ruined her plan," Arthur said, breaking the silence. The three others looked to him. "Before my wife left again, she was in Connor's room looking for something. When she found it, she practically ran down the stairs. She was mumbling something I didn't quite catch right as she was slamming the front door. She's trying to find him and if she does . . . oh God . . ."

"Do you know what she was looking for?" Angel asked.

"No. She had a piece of paper in her hand when she was leaving. That's all I know."

"Would you be willing to give us permission to search Connor's room?" Ed asked.

"If it will help save him and his professor, then by all means do it."

Collins rubbed his eyes as he opened them. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. He was certain he was still on the couch. The first sight he saw after taking his hands away from his eyes was Connor. He gasped and put a hand over his heart. The boy was standing over him. He seemed to be glaring at him.

"Connor, you scared the hell out of me," he said. "How long have you been standing there?" He received no answer. Only the same glare. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Silence. "Hello? Connor?"

"My name is not Connor," the boy told him. "It's Albert." Collins' eyes widened and he slowly sat upright on the couch. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound would come out. "You remember me, don't you? The last time we had a conversation was after that . . . incident with those students. You called me Connor then, too."

"Your name . . . is Connor." Without warning, Connor grabbed Collins' injured arm and squeezed it. The professor let out a cry of pain.

"My name is Albert. Connor isn't here right now. Do you understand that?" The boy tightened his grip.

"Please, you're hurting me . . ."

"Do you understand?" Collins nodded and Connor's grip grew stronger. "Say it. Say you understand."

"I . . . I understand." His arm was released and he hugged it to his body, forcing himself not to cry. He looked up at Connor. There was something different about the eighteen-year-old. His eyes were angry, his voice was slightly deeper, he seemed more violent. It was almost as if he was someone else.

"Why are you here?" Connor asked. Collins dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Connor brought me here," he replied. "Do you know where he is?"

"I sent him away."

"Why?"

"I don't trust you. You want to hurt him."

"No, I don't. I don't want to hurt him."

"Then why did you scold me for protecting him?"

"I . . . I never-"

"You told me I was wrong for attacking that guy," Connor interrupted. "Connor has gone through so much and those students treating him like shit was the last thing he needed. I was protecting him and you told me not to do it again. Why?" Collins was at a loss for words. Connor opened the small drawer on the coffee table.

"What are you doing?" Collins asked. The boy said nothing as took his pistol out of the drawer. He put it to Collins' head. The professor's heart sank. "Don't . . . please, don't . . ."

"You're just like everyone else," Connor said. "All you want to do is hurt Connor. Well, it ends now."

"Albert . . . I don't want to hurt him." Connor put his finger on the trigger and Collins closed his eyes. "Wait . . . just let me talk to Connor. Let me apologize to him."

"You won't mean it."

"I will. I will mean it. Let me talk to him. Please . . . I want to tell him I'm sorry." Connor hesitated before bringing the gun to his side. Collins opened his eyes.

"If you try to hurt him, you'll have to deal with me," the boy warned.

He placed the pistol back in the drawer and left the room. Collins' heart was beating faster than it had been after he was attacked by the animal in the woods. He couldn't bring himself to move. He just sat there, waiting. Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Professor?" Collins' eyes snapped open at the sound of Connor's voice. He watched his student walk toward him. His kind eyes had returned.

"Connor . . . is that you?" Collins asked. Connor raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Who else would it be?" Collins stared at the boy in fear. "Are you all right? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Connor . . ." The professor couldn't say anything more.

"I think you're just tired. Let's get you back to your room, okay?"

Collins could do nothing except nod.

If that confused anyone, feel free to ask questions. Predictions are encouraged.

Review please.