Disclaimers: I don't own Saw or any of the characters.
Other: This is the longest chapter I've written so far for this fanfic. But it's worth reading, in my opinion. A lot happens, and it's probably the best and one of my favorites so far. :) I didn't have anyone read it before I posted it, so hopefully it's satisfactory to everyone. ALSO: Please REVIEW this chapter! I don't care if you're never going to read another chapter of this story and this was your last one. (Well, actually, I would care, but, still. xD) I worked SO hard on this chapter and spent quite a bit of time and thought on it. So I would absolutely LOVE REVIEWS. Let me know what you think about it. It means a lot and it's very encouraging. Make my day. :D I promise you'll like this chapter...So show your appreciation. XD
I dedicate this chapter to my ~darling. She knows who she is. 3
And I wish I would've sent it to her before publishing this, because I am already freaking out wondering if this chapter was good enough to publish. (She's sort of my beta.)
Thank you for reading this far. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it. :)
The smell of sticky cotton candy, roasting peanuts, hamburgers, pretzels, and other foods wafted through the air. There was a strong enough breeze to carry the mouth-watering scents. It was a hot day; the sun was shining viciously, making the people wandering around the fair glad that there was a breeze.
"It's so bright outside," Adam complained, his eyes squinted.
"I told you to bring sunglasses," Lawrence said. He took Diana's hand and led her past the fair games, ignoring her plead. The games were expensive with cheap prizes and it was hard to win. He wasn't going to waste their time. They'd paid twenty dollars each for a paper armband, which would allow them to go on all the rides.
"Sunglasses don't flatter me," Adam grumbled. Lawrence rolled his eyes. He knew that Adam was secretly bubbling with excitement. The boy loved fairs.
"Which ride should we go on first?" Lawrence asked Diana. She looked around wildly, her pigtails whipping at either side of her head. She wore a blue checkered sundress with huge yellow sunflowers printed on it, and a pair of white sneakers. On her face was a pair of sparkly yellow sunglasses.
"That one!" she yelled over the noise of people talking, music blasting, and chefs shouting their advertisements for food. Lawrence and Adam both looked over at a ride called 'Orbit'. It was a large metal ride that connected to six white boxes. The boxes could seat four people, and at the moment the ride was still. Children, teenagers, and adults were walking through the 'exit' gate.
"Alright," Lawrence agreed. They got in line. It was a short line, so they were able to hop into a box easily without wait. Adam sat beside Diana, and Lawrence sat in front of them. Lawrence saw that Diana was nervous. Her eyes were wide, and she couldn't sit still. She would look around at the people, squirm in her seat, play with the seatbelt, and heave huge sighs.
Adam, meanwhile, was slumped in his seat, his elbow on the edge of the box, his head rested against his fist. He was as calm and cool as a cucumber.
"Don't worry, Diana. It's just a ride. Adam's next to you, and I'm beside you. You're as safe as can be," Lawrence assured, reaching over and giving her hand a squeeze. She smiled brightly at him, and the man who controlled the ride walked over. He closed their little door and locked it, then leaned over and pulled their safety bars down. There were no lap-belts. The bar for Adam and Diana's seat was very shaky and unstable. Doubt and worry crossed Adam's face, and pure terror flashed across Diana's as the music began blaring.
The ride lifted into the air. It went a lot higher than they thought it would. It suddenly flipped over so that Diana and Adam were nearly lying on their backs in the seat. Immediately, they both started panicking, while Lawrence sat calmly in the seat.
"Oh my fucking God, oh fuck, oh fuck," Adam yelled, gripping his bar tightly. Diana started crying a little.
"Adam, watch your language and calm down, you're scaring Diana," Lawrence ordered as their boxes began whipping around.
"I'm going to fall out! I'm going to fall out!" Adam shouted. And, indeed, it looked like he was about to slide right out of the seat. Diana was hunched over with her arms wrapped entirely around the bar. Lawrence leaned over and grabbed Adam's knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"No, you're not. It only feels like you are," Lawrence said, though he wasn't completely sure. Either way, he sat back and enjoyed the ride. It was fast with sudden drops, and even stopped to abruptly fly backwards a few times. It gave Lawrence a rush of adrenaline, and he grinned at Adam, who looked like he'd kill someone just to get off the ride.
After an exhilarating two and a half minutes, the ride came to an end, and the trio got off the ride. Diana immediately began chattering about how the ride had been scary at first, but then came to enjoy it, and really wanted to go on again.
"Maybe later; let's try out the other rides," Lawrence said. He looked over at Adam, smirking.
"You're afraid of suspended heights?" he asked. Adam glared at him, and stormed over to a crazy, wild looking ride. It was a very tall, metal machine. All along the metal bar were about twenty cages with enough room to fit two people in each cage. It was extremely fast, and flipped the cages upside down constantly. Lawrence was a little nervous, and Diana wasn't tall enough.
"You go ahead. Diana's too short, anyway," Lawrence said, trying to talk his way out of going on the ride. Adam put his hands on his hips, giving Lawrence a smug look.
"What, is the doctor scared?" he asked challengingly. Lawrence rolled his eyes.
"No, I'm not afraid of a stupid ride," he replied.
"Then go on with me. I can't go on alone, because I refuse to sit with a random stranger," Adam said. Lawrence looked over to find Diana talking cheerfully to a little girl she went to school with. The girl was begging Diana to go on 'The Dancing Bears' with her.
"Diana, go ahead and go on 'The Dancing Bears'. I'll ride with Adam on this. I'll wait for you at the exit of your ride. Don't walk off with anyone, and don't talk to strangers," Lawrence said. He glanced over at 'The Dancing Bears'. The line was long enough that Lawrence knew he and Adam would be off the ride just as Diana and her friend got on theirs. Diana nodded and ran off with the chubby blonde girl.
"Let's get this over with," Lawrence sighed. The line was short, and after watching two turns nervously, Adam was leading him to their cage. Adam clambered onto the seat, and Lawrence gracefully got into his. They were facing each other. The worker came over and pulled their lap bars down before slamming their cage door shut and locking it from the outside.
"You don't like heights; I don't like loops," Lawrence said, noticing Adam's smirk. Adam relaxed against the seat as the ride began moving up at a slow pace; it wasn't actually starting, the man was just moving the other cages down to load in more riders. Lawrence's palms were starting to grow sweaty. It wasn't that he was afraid of rides. He just didn't believe that fair rides were safe or stable. How could they be? They were taken apart in one day only to be dragged somewhere else to be quickly thrown back together.
But Adam looked completely excited. There was a grin on his pale face, and he was staring at Lawrence with a merry sparkle in his eyes. Seeing him so happy calmed Lawrence down, and he was able to return the smile. And then the ride jolted violently to a stop.
"Ah! Scrumptious fudge nuggets!" Lawrence yelped. Adam blinked, startled by his sudden outburst. Then, an amused grin spread slowly across his face.
"What the hell did you just say?" Adam asked, stifling a laugh. Lawrence blushed, unable to hide his grin.
"Sorry – Diana says it a lot, and I guess it sort of popped out of my subconscious," he explained, embarrassed. Adam laughed. He laughed so hard that he doubled over, gasping for breath, and soon Lawrence was laughing too. Adam had a wonderful laugh. It was so loud, cheerful, and absolutely contagious. He wanted to make Adam laugh again. It spread joyous warmth throughout his body, and if there had been room, he would've pulled the thin man into a hug.
The ride went well, despite Lawrence's occasional yelps of shock as the entire cage flipped over. It was a fast ride and not very enjoyable, in Lawrence's opinion. Apparently Adam thought it was fun – he whooped and grinned the entire time. While Adam took pleasure from the ride like most people would have, Lawrence only gained a headache.
When it was over, Lawrence and Adam walked through the exit gate and searched for Diana. She and her friend were just getting onto the ride, so the two men made their way over to the kiddie ride.
"What ride should we go on next, after Diana gets off the 'Dancing Bears'?" Lawrence asked Adam as they stood with the other waiting parents. Adam, smiling, looked around.
"What would I like to ride? Why, I'd love to ride you...Lawrence!" he exclaimed. Lawrence rolled his eyes.
"Adam, don't be perverted in public, especially around children…It's embarrassing," Lawrence chided. Adam grabbed Lawrence's arm and spun the older, stronger man around. He pointed towards one of the portable bathrooms. An elderly woman was laying face-down on the grass, her fingers and feet twitching. A child stood beside her, looking terrified and asking her if she was alright.
"Adam, wait here for Diana!" Lawrence yelled, running over. He nearly tripped over a thick black wire in the process, but luckily he only stumbled a little and continued running. By now, a crowd was forming, and people were shouting random things. He knelt down beside the woman, and a bald man grabbed Lawrence's shoulder roughly, to pull him away.
"I'm a doctor, don't touch me!" Lawrence snapped, shoving the man's hand away.
"Everyone, get out of the way; give some space. The man's a doctor," the bald man roared. Immediately, the people backed away about five feet. Lawrence gently rolled the woman over and felt for a pulse. He didn't feel one. Lawrence leaned over the women and began CPR, closing his eyes in concentration.
He wasn't a paramedic, and had only gone over CPR maybe three times in his life. All three times were quick and vague, but he did remember an interesting and extremely helpful fact. When doing CPR, you can perform it correctly if you do it to the beat of 'Staying Alive' or 'Another One Bites the Dust'. Of course, you obviously don't have to think of the songs; if you're a professional and know how to do it easily, then that's good. But Lawrence wasn't perfectly skilled. He was an oncologist, a surgeon, and his memory on learned CPR was vague.
Whether you're a brother
or whether you're a mother
you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin
and everybody shakin'
and were stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.
Lyrics of the song flooded into his mind, and he gratefully used it as the memory of the beat took over his arms, allowing him to be correct as he pumped his fists against her chest, right over her heart. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and sweat streamed down his back and chest. CPR wasn't as easy as it looked in the movies. It was hard, exhausting work. In the morning, he'd be very sore. He had to be careful not to break her ribs, which he'd do if necessary.
His eyes opened and he glanced upward. Adam was standing about six feet away, his hands on Diana's shoulders. He watched anxiously with mild curiosity and interest. Diana looked a little worried. His focus immediately returned to the woman.
"Did anyone call for the paramedics?" he asked, watching the woman's face. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open and she made a snort-sounding breath. A paramedic sprinted over and knelt down by the woman's side, grabbing her wrist.
"You've got a pulse. Very jumpy, but it's better than no pulse at all. She'll make it," the paramedic told Lawrence, who finally stopped. He sat there wearily, letting his arms and shoulders relax. Two other paramedics raced over with a stretcher, which they slid the woman onto.
"Thank…you," the old woman wheezed, looking at Lawrence with a faint smile. Lawrence returned the smile.
"Please don't talk for right now, ma'am," a paramedic said. They took her away to an ambulance, and within a minute, a wailing siren was heard.
There was a silence, and then the large crowd that had gathered burst into applause. The bald man and a younger man helped Lawrence up, clapping his back a few times. He made his way over to Adam and Diana.
Adam looked stunned and awe-stricken. His eyes were wide and full of…pride.
"Lawrence…that…that was fucking amazing; it was like watching a movie! You saved that woman's life," Adam exclaimed. Diana hugged her father, burying her head against his waist.
"Yay, Daddy!" she squealed. The crowd had moved onto their own business, continuing on with their lives. Lawrence grinned at Adam, and before he could even blink, Adam had his lips crushed against Lawrence's. It was a rough, quick kiss. After all, they were in public and surrounded by children. But the kiss said it all. Adam was proud and excited. When Adam pulled away after a mere two seconds, Lawrence stared at him, dazed and grinning.
"I'm going to go get you guys some cotton candy, alright?" Lawrence said, wiping sweat from his face with a throbbing, aching arm. Both Adam and Diana cheered, so he walked away, joining the line.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Adam, I want to go to the haunted house!" Diana cried, pointing at a fun house decorated with spooky, dark Halloween decorations. Adam licked his lips, tasting Lawrence's salty sweat, and cringed. It would be dark in there; very dark. But Diana was looking up at him with those huge, innocent, adorable eyes. He looked over at Lawrence. The line was really long. He wouldn't be back for another fifteen minutes or so. He glanced back down at Diana, running his fingers through his already unruly hair.
"Fine," he gave in, fear biting at his mind. But he just couldn't say no to the little girl, who whooped excitedly and grabbed his hand. She led him quickly to the 'fun house', which had no line; people just entered. Diana ran him up the metal ramp and into the fun house. As Adam predicted, it was pitch-black…And extremely cold. They had cold air bursting into their faces. Now he wasn't just afraid, as they ventured deeper into the house, hearing moaning and chains rattling. He was terrified, on the verge of panic.
Diana suddenly released Adam's hand and dashed off, giggling wildly.
"Diana, come back!" Adam screamed, his voice borderline hysterical. "Don't…Don't leave me!"
But the little girl disappeared, leaving Adam alone in the freezing, dark room. He heard footsteps…not little girl footsteps, but slow, heavy footsteps. His breathing hitched, and he began backing into a corner, eyes widening, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body. A man jumped out at him with a roaring chainsaw, and Adam swung out, punching him in the face, hard. The man shouted out in pain and shock, falling over, and Adam leaped over his crumpled body, racing blindly into the darkness, beginning to hyperventilate.
Finally, lost, confused, and panicking, Adam sank into a corner, curling into a tight ball. Tears trickled down his pale cheeks, and he hyperventilated, looking around wildly like a terrified rabbit.
Chains
Lawrence's chains…
rattled loudly. Crazy laughter
Jigsaw's crazy, mocking laughter…
echoed throughout the fun house. Not an ounce of light
Of course there was no light; he was locked in the bathroom, there was only darkness…
shone in the place. He could hear screaming
his own pained, pleading screams
from around the corners…or wherever they were coming from. Adam squeezed his eyes shut, feeling lightheaded from hyperventilating, which he was still doing. Cold fear gripped painfully tight at his stomach and heart.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Here's your cotton candy, sweet heart," Lawrence said, smiling, handing the bag of cotton candy to Diana. There were two big clouds of pink cotton candy and two big clouds of blue cotton candy in the bag. He didn't even want to think about how unhealthy this was. Diana thanked him cheerfully and took her bag, immediately opening it and stuffing a piece of fluffy pink candy into her mouth. It melted quickly, and pure bliss was clear on her face.
He glanced around, noticing the absence of the young man.
"Where'd Adam go? Why'd he leave you here by yourself?" he asked. Diana shrugged, her mouth stuffed with the fluffy sugar. She waited for it to melt on her tongue, and then swallowed.
"I dunno, Daddy. I guess he's still in the haunted house. I think I got out before him," she replied, licking her sticky fingers. He frowned.
"Honey, don't lick your fingers; they're dirty from touching rides and things all day," he said absently, staring at the haunted house. There were no windows to see inside. There was only one way in, and the windowless door was shut. The only exit's door was shut as well, and there was nobody standing on the ramp. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Diana, I'm going to go find him, alright? I want you to sit right there on that exit ramp of the haunted house. Don't move, don't talk to strangers, don't walk away with anyone, and don't accept things from anyone. If anyone tries to touch you or scare you, scream at the top of your lungs, alright?" he said, quickly leading her to the exit ramp where Adam should've been by now. Diana nodded and sat down, continuing to eat her cotton candy.
When he walked into the haunted house through the entrance door, he knew immediately that Adam would not be okay. It was so dark that Lawrence couldn't see his hand in front of his own face, and it was cold enough to send goose bumps spreading across his arms and neck. The hair on his arms rose, and he began walking, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
He'd walked for about two minutes, ignoring the people who jumped out at him, the sounds of chains, moans, and laughter, before he heard Adam's hyperventilating. Lawrence quickly knelt down in front of him. He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, shining the light on the boy. He was as pale as a corpse, his eyes screwed shut. He was shaking uncontrollably, and his body was slick with sweat.
"Adam," Lawrence said softly, brushing his hand across Adam's sweaty cheek. The boy flinched violently with a sob, and his eyes flashed open. When he saw it was Lawrence, he practically melted into Lawrence's arms. Lawrence scooped him up and carried him through the haunted house bridal style. Within moments, Lawrence had found the exit, and he lowered Adam to the metal ramp, where the boy buried his face into his knees and sobbed, his body still quaking.
"Diana, why would you make him go inside?" Lawrence asked, unable to feel a little angry and upset with her. Diana looked over at Adam, concern shining in her eyes. She looked back up at her father, slowly standing up.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said, sounding genuine. Lawrence sighed, sitting down beside Adam. He rubbed his back comfortingly until he calmed down.
"I'm sorry, Adam," Diana said sadly, wrapping her arms around Adam's neck. Adam raised his head eventually and shook it.
"Don't be, it's okay, I'm…I'm alright," he said, his voice uneven and husky. He stood up, and Lawrence put his arm around Adam's waist.
They went on the Ferris Wheel next. Lawrence didn't talk about the haunted house, and neither did Adam or Diana. Father and daughter knew that Adam wouldn't want to talk about; that he'd be humiliated. Along the way, Diana decided she would sit this one out; she was feeling nauseas from the heat and candy. So Adam and Lawrence went on alone. It was a two-seater ride, anyway.
Lawrence had forgotten about Adam's fear of heights. So when the boy started fidgeting nervously when they approached the top, Lawrence apologized quickly.
"Oh, Adam, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that you're afraid of heights," Lawrence said. Adam ignored his apology and merely stared out at the lake and trees. It was gorgeous from this height. The wind was blowing at the perfect strength, letting them smell the different types of frying, grilling, cooking food down below. The lake sparkled almost blindingly bright, and the many trees swayed gently in the wind.
It was relaxing; Lawrence could've stayed up this high all day. People crowded the fair like ants at a picnic, and they looked just as small from this high up. He could see Diana sitting on a curb staring at the road. He could hear bells ringing loudly from the game stations, and the sounds of people shrieking with joy on the various rides.
"I feel so…stupid. I'm afraid of almost everything. It's embarrassing…no, humiliating. I don't mean to be such a burden. I…I hate it so much," Adam mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Lawrence looked over at him.
"Adam, don't. You aren't stupid. You're traumatized. Anyone who would've been in your situation – "
"Don't even feed me that bullshit. You're totally fine, and you were locked in that fucking room, too!" Adam snapped.
"Not for two more days," Lawrence pointed out. Adam said nothing, so Lawrence continued with what he'd been saying before he'd been interrupted.
"Anyone who would've been in your situation would be just how you are now, Adam. It's only obvious that you would be afraid of the dark. You were locked in complete darkness for two days with a bullet wound in your shoulder, a psycho mocking you from inside and outside of the room, and you were alone. Nightmares, night terrors, and panic attacks are common symptoms that people suffer after a traumatizing event like that. Not only did you go through with the bathroom incident, but you had been shot, kidnapped, drugged, and you have had an awful childhood. I'm shocked that you aren't completely insane, to be honest," Lawrence said calmly and evenly, careful to make sure his voice didn't sound teasing or chiding.
Adam had nothing to say. Or maybe there was just nothing he wanted to say. He leaned against Lawrence, who immediately put a strong arm around him, holding him close. Together, they silently watched the sunset as the Ferris Wheel slowly began rising higher.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
For the rest of the night, Adam, Lawrence, and Diana enjoyed every ride they could go on. There were no more shocking or upsetting events; only fun, excitement, and laughs. They dined on giant pretzels, 'elephant – ears', funnel cake, hotdogs, smoothies, and chips until they were stuffed. Diana ended up throwing up her smoothie after stumbling off of an exhilarating, spinning ride. But that didn't end their evening. They rode on every ride, and even stayed to watch the ten o' clock firework show. Diana sat on Adam's shoulders; Lawrence was too sore. And to Lawrence's pleasure and surprise, Adam held Lawrence's hand.
They left the fair when it closed at eleven o' clock. Exhausted, sunburned, and hyped up from their time at the fair, the three of them showered quickly when they got home, changed into pajamas, and enjoyed a movie together. Lawrence lay across the couch with Adam pressed against his chest. Diana was asleep sprawled across his back, her head resting on his neck. He inhaled the sweet smell of Adam's mint and fig scented shampoo. It sounded like a strange combination, but it was very calming and refreshing. His arm wrapped tightly around the boy's waist, holding him closer to his body. Adam didn't mind; he happily soaked up the doctor's body heat.
"I had a lot of fun today," Lawrence murmured.
"We all did," Adam replied, his eyes barely able to stay open. His finger pressed against the power button of the remote, and the television shut off. He let the remote fall from his hand; it hit the carpet softly with a quiet thud.
"I'm glad. That was the whole point of going," Lawrence said. There was a long, comfortable silence. He was about to drift off to sleep when Adam's quiet voice broke the silence.
"Lawrence?" he asked. Lawrence could feel Adam fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He knew the kid was going to say something important, emotional, or serious.
"Yes?" Lawrence asked, his sleepy eyes opening once more.
"Remember when you told me you loved me…in the kitchen…that one time?" Adam asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His voice rumbled against Lawrence's chest.
"Of course," Lawrence replied. Adam hesitated.
"Do you still love me?" he asked. Lawrence smiled.
"I do…I always will," the doctor said affectionately. Adam's head turned so that he was looking at Lawrence. He was blushing.
"Lawrence, I love you, too," he whispered. A little bit of fear flashed across his face, but it was gone within a second.
"Why do you look afraid?" Lawrence asked, leaning his face closer. He could smell Adam's minty breath.
"I…I don't want to lose you," the boy admitted sadly. Lawrence captured Adam's lips with his own. He kissed him tenderly at first, then deepened the kiss. It was slow and passionate, expressing love and promise. Adam's hand found the back of Lawrence's neck, and he slid his fingers through the soft blonde hair. His lips parted, and Adam's tongue swept across Lawrence's lower lip before entering his mouth. Adam tasted of mint, but there was a sweet hint of the beer Adam had drunk before brushing his teeth.
Lawrence eventually removed his mouth from Adam's, allowing them both to fill their lungs with air. He pressed a kiss against the hollow of Adam's neck, his tongue tracing Adam's collarbone, making the young man let out a quiet moan, tilting his head back further.
"You will never lose me. I will never let you go. You are mine, and I am yours, and that's how it will stay," Lawrence promised, his voice dripping with affection. Adam opened his eyes. They were shining with tears. But not of fear or sadness.
"I love you, Lawrence…So much," Adam whispered. Lawrence smiled, pressing a kiss to Adam's lips once more.
"And I love you," Lawrence replied. He watched Adam's eyes close, listened to him take a deep, shaky breath, and eventually closed his own eyes.
Lying here on this couch, holding him so close and securely, feeling such love and affection…It was everything he'd ever wanted and more. Adam was his. And he was Adam's. That was enough to make his heart swell with overwhelming happiness and fill his body with warmth. He held Adam closer and felt the boy shift comfortably against his warm, firm chest. He was asleep, and soon Lawrence was, too.
Would you like some smut? Then REVIEW...please? :) The next chapter will definitely include it...if you review. Muahaha. xD Just kidding...It will, no matter what. It must be appalling...A story of eleven chapters and no sex so far. Chapter 12 seems very promising in my mind. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! :D I know that I only wish I had made Adam a lot funnier in this chapter...Unfortunately, no ideas came to mind. So the next chapter will definitely have a ton of humor and possibly smut. ;D Goodnight!