Kevin ran from room to room, feeling disgusted at the state Steve lived in. He was deeply regretting allowing Connor to stay. He'd wanted to let Connor make his own decisions and come to understand that he needed to leave by himself.

Now he realised he should have just rushed in and wrapped his arms around Connor, pull him away from the pain and the hurt, covering him with love. But it was too late, and now Connor was hurt.

He couldn't help but blame himself.

"Kevin!"

He was breathing heavily, his mind clouding over, he almost missed Chris's shout. He ran back to the hallway where Chris was still standing, looking up at the stairs.

"What is it?

"Steve, he disappeared."

"Connor!" Kevin yelled as loud as he could. But the house replied with silence.

"Maybe he's not here."

"He has to be." Kevin thought back to that name 'Steve Blade' in capitals on Connor's hospital form. How could he have let it happen? How could anyone have let this happen?

He caught his breath and turned to Chris who just stared back at him, unable to think of anything to say or do.

"Connor!" Kevin tried again, but there was less strength behind his voice this time. They were silent for a moment before their heads whipped upwards simultaneously at the muffled sound above.

Then Kevin was running up the stairs two at a time, colliding with the wall at the top in his haste, pushing himself to his feet and sprinting down the corridor.

Steve looked up instantly as the door opened.

"Don't move or I'll kill him." He didn't have to raise his voice or even put much intonation into it. It was obvious he was being serious. He had one arm round Connor's chest the other still holding the knife up to his throat.

Kevin slowly raised his hands and willed Connor to look at him. He couldn't tell if he'd fainted or if it was just the after effects of the drugs but Connor was limp in Steve's arms, his eyes closed. He said a silent prayer in the hopes that they hadn't been too late.

"You don't have to do this Steve."

"Give me one reason why not."

Kevin took a step forward and instantly Steve pressed the knife closer into Connor's neck. Connor opened his eyes and looked directly at Kevin, struggling to breathe steady.

"Kevin please…" His voice was so faint, Kevin barely heard him.

"Steve! You can't!"

Steve kept his focus on Kevin. "One more step and I won't even count to three."

"You don't have the guts." Kevin was trying hard to keep his voice steady, his heart beating fast in his chest as a million ideas of what to do ran through his head.

"Try me."

"Kevin I can't…" Connor was struggling to speak through the choking pressure Steve was putting on his throat. His lethargy from the drugs didn't help either. "You can fix this, just leave…"

"Look he's actually making some sense." Steve laughed hollowly and Connor winced at the sound. "Get out."

"I'm not leaving without Connor."

"He doesn't want you. He wants me. Don't you McKinley?"

Kevin was sure that if the knife pressed any harder it would break the skin. Connor gasped in pain and let out a small whimper.

"See?"

"Leave him alone Steve."

"If I can't have him no one can."

"Leave him alone, please."

"He loves me."

"No one could love you."

Suddenly Steve let go of his grip and Connor crumpled to the floor in front of him at the loss of support. Kevin made a move to help him up but Steve pointed the knife towards him preventing him from moving any further.

"Ask him."

"What?" Kevin was suspicious, wary of Steve's every move.

"Ask him who he loves."

Kevin looked between Steve and Connor, unmoving on the floor, he didn't have the strength to even raise his head.

"Connor…?" Kevin asked as gently as he could. Connor looked up with effort and met his eyes. "Who do you love?"

There was a long pause as Connor looked desperately into Kevin's face, wanting so badly to say the name of the man in front of him but knowing that the man behind had all the control.

"Steve," He said finally his voice breaking. "I…I love Steve. I love him."

Kevin shook his head slowly as he saw Connor's eyes fill with tears. Steve just stood their smirking. He grabbed Connor by the shoulder and lifted him off the floor moving his knife back to its previous position.

"You can leave now."

Kevin was speechless, his mouth parted slightly.

"Leave." Steve repeated in a firmer tone. Connor caught Kevin's eyes and they stared for a long moment, but Kevin didn't know what to do. His feet were almost about to betray him, beginning to angle themselves towards the door.

Suddenly Kevin was pushed sideways by the force of something shooting past him. Chris who had been just a few paces behind had launched himself at Steve. Steve didn't have time to react before his was on the floor, Chris on top of him, an unrelenting fist raised above his head. He punched Steve squarely in the face.

Connor was leaning against the wall for support, watching in shock as Chris raised his fist again. There was so much anger behind his eyes that he'd never seen emerge before.

Steve had dropped the knife in his surprise and it had skidded across the floor. His hands were now to his face trying to protect it from the stream of blows Chris was landing there.

Kevin had been standing still, staring at the scene, before he remembered how to move his legs. He went over to Connor and put an arm under his, helping him to his feet and supporting him on his shoulders.

"Come on," He said, holding tight to Connor's waist to stop him falling. Steve was preoccupied with Chris but as soon as he saw Kevin touch Connor he somehow found the strength to push him off and was struggling to his feet.

His eyes darted to the floor and he took a step forward reaching for the knife but before he could get there Connor had put his foot on it.

"Don't do this to me." Steve looked squarely into Connor's eyes and Connor looked back, not a single line of pity etched on his face. "I need you. I can't live without you."

"I can," Connor said weakly. He'd never seen Steve beg before. It made him feel uncomfortable and it made him not want to trust anything behind those eyes.

"I'll kill myself if you leave."

"Fine."

Steve opened his mouth to retaliate but no words came.

"You said you loved me."

Kevin held tighter to Connor, holding him close into him. He was looking at Steve the whole time, watching his every move and twitch, trying to read what was truly there.

"You said the same."

"And it was true." There was more than desperation in Steve's voice and Connor was starting to believe it.

"I think you used to love me and I used to love you. That was a long time ago. You don't love me anymore, and you don't need me, you just want me. But I don't belong to anyone and you can't have me anymore."

"What about him?" Steve nodded towards Kevin who had inched around putting himself between the two of them as protection. Then he turned round to Chris who was cradling his bruised knuckles. "And him?"

"I don't know."

"Then love me!" Steve was becoming hysterical, his voice growing rough as his throat tightened. Connor had never seen him cry before, but a few tears had escaped and were mixing with the blood running from his nose which looked broken.

"I'm sorry."

There was a long pause. Connor could feel the heaviness lighten slightly in his chest. The words he was saying were words he should have said a long time ago to Steve. He finally had the courage, and it might have had something to do with the arm round his shoulders.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen once he walked out that door, limping and clutching to one man he loved followed closely behind by another and leaving behind a third. But he knew that once he was outside of this house and these memories he'd be able to think clearly again. So he took a deep breath and said what he had to.

"I'm going to leave now Steve, and if you truly love me, you'll let me go."