Disclaimers: I don't own Saw or any of the characters.

Other: Spring break! Yay! Here's chapter eight. I hope you enjoy it. Reviews would be lovely, thank you.

Lawrence watched Adam, who blinked and swallowed. Something flashed through the boy's eyes…Fear? Why was he afraid? Adam fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, licking his lips, looking everywhere except at Lawrence. The silence was so tense that Lawrence didn't even want to move.

"Now would be a lovely time to say something, Adam," Lawrence said, his voice shaking a little. But Adam didn't say anything. He simply stood there silently, staring at the floor.

"Sorry. The pizza's going to be here shortly, and Diana's hungry," Lawrence said, brushing his palm across Adam's cheek. Adam nodded, taking Lawrence's hand and pressing a kiss against his wrist. He then walked off without saying anything. Which Lawrence had been expecting.

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"And then, Princess Rainbow-Heart got on her unicorn named Stella, and they flew away! And the prince slayed the dragon, too! He saved the day, and married the princess, and they lived happily ever after. It was the best movie ever!" Diana shouted, waving her hands enthusiastically in the air. She choked briefly on her pizza, and Adam patted her back roughly until her coughing fit ended.

"I'm glad you liked the movie, Diana, but you can't talk while you're eating. Also, keep your voice down. We're right next to you. No need to shout," Lawrence said, amused by his daughter's cheerfulness. Diana grinned up at Adam. Her eyebrows crinkled, and she studied Adam's bruise.

"What happened to your eye, Adam?" she asked, taking a huge bite from her pizza. Without thinking, Adam said,

"Oh, my neighbor's bratty kid threw a baseball at me, and it hit me in the eye."

Diana swallowed her pizza.

"What a meanie," Diana commented sympathetically. Lawrence stared at Adam. It was then that Adam realized he'd forgotten the lie he'd told Lawrence. What had he told Lawrence? Something about a guy and a box.

"What did you just say?" Lawrence asked. Adam swallowed, licking sauce from the corner of his mouth.

"Er, that is…" Adam mumbled, struggling to remember. Lawrence sat back in his chair.

"You lied to me. And it was such a pathetic lie that you can't even remember what it was," he said. Adam's hands lowered and he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

"I wasn't lying. I just…I mean, Diana's….She's a kid, and…"

Lawrence cut him off sharply.

"Just stop it," he snapped. Adam lowered his head, staring dully at his half-eaten pizza. He'd lied to Lawrence. Diana watched her father with huge eyes. Her hand covered his.

"Daddy, why are you mad at Adam?" she asked in a small voice.

"Because he lied, and I don't like being lied to," he said coldly. Diana frowned, climbing into her father's lap. She buried her head against his chest.

"But you said that learning forgiveness is very kind," she said, obviously upset that her two favorite men were not happy with each other.

"Yes. When someone apologizes, then you should forgive them," Lawrence replied, staring directly at Adam. Adam slammed his fist against the table. Diana jumped, startled.

"What're you, my fucking mother?" he shouted. "I don't have to tell you anything!"

Lawrence stood up abruptly, holding Diana.

"Watch your language, Adam," he said, anger printed clearly on his face, lowering his daughter to the floor.

"Then mind your own business, Lawrence," Adam snapped. Lawrence scowled.

"Mind my own business? Is it so wrong for me to be concerned when my…my friend comes home with a terrible black eye and a cut along his face?" the doctor exclaimed loudly. He remembered at the last minute to say 'friend' instead of 'lover', because of Diana's presence and the fact that they were technically not lovers.

"Yes! I have my life, and you have yours! I don't attack you with questions every time you come home," Adam yelled.

"That's because you don't have to! I don't hide anything from you," Lawrence said. Adam's hands were trembling.

"Maybe I don't want you to know everything about me!" Adam shouted. Lawrence let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well why not?" Lawrence asked impatiently.

"Maybe because my life sucks compared to your fucking perfect one. Maybe I'm ashamed about my life. Maybe I like my privacy," he yelled, his eyes glistening with tears. Lawrence didn't know what to say to that. Adam never spoke about anything personal, and Lawrence guessed that it was because life had not served the boy well.

"And you think you'd be better off hiding things from me? How does that make anything easier or better? Do you think I'd judge you?" Lawrence exclaimed. Adam abruptly left the apartment. The front door slammed loudly behind him, and Diana flinched. There were tears in the little girl's eyes as she stared at the door with her father.

"Daddy?" she whispered, her voice so tentative and faint that Lawrence almost didn't hear her. He looked down, every ounce of energy drained from him.

"Yes, pumpkin?" he asked. A few tears trickled down Diana's cheeks.

"I don't want you and Adam to hate each other," she said. Lawrence scooped her up, hugging her tightly to his chest. He shook his head, carrying her to the bathroom.

"We don't hate each other. People argue sometimes," he assured her. He helped undress his daughter, turning the shower on for her.

"You and mommy yelled all the time, and now you hate each other," Diana said, climbing carefully into the shower. Lawrence sat down on the closed toilet and sighed, staring at the wall.

"I don't hate mommy. Diana…Just don't think about it, okay? Everything's going to be fine," he replied wearily. He rubbed at his temples and Diana took the hint. She finished her shower in silence, brushed her teeth, and dressed into her pajamas. When she was done, Lawrence tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead.

"Daddy," she suddenly called. He paused in the doorway, glancing back.

"Why was Adam sad?" she asked. Lawrence blinked, confused.

"He was angry, not sad," he said. Diana shook her head.

"But he was crying," she insisted. Lawrence kneaded his knuckles into his forehead.

"Goodnight, Diana," he said, leaving the room. He sat down on the couch with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. Diana had a point. There had been tears in his eyes. And Lawrence knew for a fact that Adam didn't cry when he was angry. Something had been triggered in Adam's mind, stirring up emotions. He glanced out the window. It was very dark outside, too cloudy for the light of the stars and moon to shine.

Adam was out there somewhere.

Lawrence went into Diana's bedroom twenty minutes later and pulled her out of bed gently. She was fast asleep, so he made sure to be very careful and quiet as he carried her out of the apartment. Once they reached the van, Lawrence slid his daughter onto the backseat. Diana stirred, but didn't wake up. He quickly started the car and drove off. He had to find Adam. He wouldn't let the boy walk alone in the dark.

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Lawrence drove for about fifteen minutes before finding Adam. The kid was walking slowly along the pavement, his arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Lawrence pulled over, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and got out of the car. He made sure to lock it before running towards Adam. Adam quickly glanced over his shoulder, hearing Lawrence. When he saw him, he turned back around and broke into a run.

This will be easy. He can't run from me. He's a small guy who's done drugs and has smoked for who knows how long. I'm a healthy person. He won't make it ten feet, Lawrence thought, running after him. Boy, was he wrong. That kid could run. He ran as if the devil were clawing at his heels. Lawrence couldn't keep up. In a moment, Adam had run so fast that he was now out of sight. He'd rounded a corner, as well.

Lawrence knew the city very well, though. So did Adam, who knew it even better than Lawrence. But Adam was in a fit of panic and wasn't thinking about where to run. Lawrence sprinted down a few alleys, racing around corners, and ended up smashing into Adam. The smaller man fell over, but was up like a bolt of lightning. Before Lawrence could register the fact that Adam had even gotten up, Adam punched him in the face.

Pain exploded in his head, and warm blood gushed from his nose.

"Shit! Shit! Oh, fuck, Lawrence I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean to punch you. It's just that I freaked…I didn't know who bumped into me…And I…" Adam's voice trailed off, his hands pressed tightly to his face, his eyes wide with horror and shock. Lawrence wiped the blood from his face.

"Why did you run from me?" Lawrence asked, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a wad of tissues and pressed it to his throbbing nose. The kid was a whole lot stronger than he looked. Lawrence considered himself lucky that his nose hadn't been broken.

"Because…I don't want you to hate me," Adam replied. He slid down the brick wall of a closed thrift shop and sat down, hugging his knees tightly to his chest. He gazed morosely at the street.

"Why would I hate you? I could never hate you," Lawrence said, standing in front of him. He wasn't sure what to do. If he sat down beside him, Adam might pull away. So he remained standing. Adam shrugged slightly. He wasn't even breathing that hard, despite having run so long and fast. It was obvious that Adam wasn't going to answer him.

"Jesus Christ, Adam. Why don't you ever tell me anything? Why don't you answer any of my questions? I just want to help you. I want you to trust me. I want to know everything about you," Lawrence said, exasperated. Adam ducked his head in between his knees, remaining silent. It was driving Lawrence absolutely crazy. He couldn't stand this silent treatment. He knelt down in front of Adam, who immediately tensed up, and leaned forward, grabbing the boy's shoulders.

"Adam, please talk to me," Lawrence begged quietly. Adam finally raised his head. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears again, and it broke Lawrence's heart.

"I don't deserve you, Lawrence! Why do you keep coming back? I just punched you in the face! I lied to you, I ran from you, I fucking stalked you last year. Is there something wrong with you? Why would you want someone like me? I don't want you to know anything about me," Adam yelled. His voice, cracked with emotion, echoed in the empty street. A few tears escaped his eyes and trickled down his face. Lawrence brushed them away, and Adam glowered at him.

"Because I love you," Lawrence said simply. Adam drove his fist into the concrete pavement, throwing his head back.

"Why?" he snarled. Lawrence rolled his eyes.

"Does there have to be a reason for everything? Adam, you are one of the cutest men I've ever met, and although you constantly act like an immature, obnoxious, angry child, I know that you're hiding a beautiful personality down there. I've seen you hold doors open for people. You're great with Diana, you cared about me in that bathroom, you actually cried for me, you saved my life, and you make me feel loved every time you smile at me. I think you need to control your actions more. But I have a feeling that you are a very broken man, and not just from the bathroom. I think somebody has hurt you deeply. I want to help you. I love you and care for you, and I will always be here for you. I will chase you down in the dead of the night, because I know you're scared of the dark. I want you to sleep in my bed so that you won't wake up alone after having a nightmare. I want you to know that you can tell me anything and my opinion of you won't change. Adam, I can't describe perfectly why I love you. I just do," Lawrence told him.

Thanks for reading! Please review! :)