Disclaimer: I do not own Drake and Josh, or criminal minds.

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Zack pulled into the hospital parking lot, fists clenched around the stering wheel. He wasn't happy, He'd all ready been having a rough week, tonight was suppossed to be his escape, a bit of relief. He was seething with anger. That little whore had fought back, that's not what whores did. He'd never felt so insulted!

He parked his car, pulling the keys out of the ignition he lightly touched the bloody gash in his side. It hurt, and he knew that stiches were needed. Collecting himself, he entered the front doors, faking a limp and approaching the counter. Obviously, he couldn't tell them the truth about the stab wound, so, he'd pretend he'd been mugged. It was simple, and would allow for him to get the medical attention he needed without too many questions.

"I've been stabbed." He gasped, holding onto his side. "I think I need stiches."

The entire experience annoyed him. The nurse didnt think he was hurt enough, so he had to wait with the other people expecting medical attention. He despised every one of them. All poor, sniveling under class whiners. If he'd dared go to his own doctor, he could have been home by now!

By the time he was finally in his own room, having his wound attended to he was frustrated and harboring rage.

"Do you want to file a police report?" the doctor asked, inspecting the wound.

"No." he snapped, cringing as the doctor touched the wound with his gloved hand. "Just patch it up."

The doctor ignored Zack's rudeness and prepped the needle to numb the area around the wound. He put it in, ignoring Zack's curses as he injected the fluid. "I'll begin the stiches in just a few minutes." he said, handing Zack a clean white tee-shirt.

Zack jerked the tee-shirt out of the doctor's hands, rolling his eyes at it before discarding his own, nicer shirt.

"We'll send your shirt to the police, they may be able to identify your attacker if his DNA is on it." One of the shorter nurses said.

Zack wasn't actually listening to her. "Whatever." he scoffed as he turned his attention to his numbing wound. He just wanted to get out of the place.

he watched as the doctor pulled the needle through his flesh, closing the wound. He'd have his revenge, and he'd have his prize.

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The morning light was dim as it shone thorugh their little window. The clouds were heavy in the sky and rain was sure to come with them. The boys were woken, and lead to the bathroom for their morning routine. They showered and groomed themselves as they normally did, having little to say. A lot had happened last night and they were all still thinking about it.

Drake stared at himself for long minutes that morning, seeing the changes that had slowly overtaken his body. He was so pale now, like he he hadn't seen the sun in ages. truth be told, since coming here he'd been aloud outside only twice. He couldn't remember what it was like to just go out, to feel the sun on his skin. He'd taken that feeling for granted in his old life, only in this life did he appreciate what it had been like.

He'd always been thin, but now, well, he was sure the girls at school would have killed to be so tiny. he could see the outline of his ribs, could feel them trying to break free with every breath. He was covered in bruises from last night, where they'd hit him, where they'd pressed down on him to keep him still.

He hated his reflection, and everything that it said about the creature he'd become. It's story was an aweful one. A nightmare that dreams would shutter from. He'd never hated himself, not really, but now...

His eyes fell upon the gash in his side, and for a brief moment, he felt satisfied. At least that once, he'd faught back, for just a few secounds he'd been in control. He'd payed dearly for it, but at least he had tried. He touched the wound, watching as is tore and bled.

"It'll get infected." zane said, stepping forward and placing his hand over it. "You need to bandage it up, I can help."

Drake shook his head. "I can do it this time.' he said softly as he took the limited medical supplies they had and dressed the wound. It was going to leave a hell of a scar.

Brendon was waiting for them when they stepped out for breakfest. he stood before them, perfectly compossed, watching them as they carefully went to their plates. Though they wanted nothing more that to eat, they waited, watching him as he looked down upon them.. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"I've news for you." he said, his voice hard. "You're all going to be sold. I have been very displeased with the lot of you, and, I will not tolerate the negativity you've brought to my home, and my buisness."

Ash scoffed, glaring at brendon. He didnt care about being punished anymore. He'd imagined what belonging to a singular person would be like, he understood the hell they were looking at.

"Something to say, Ash?" brendon said, stepping forward. "I've had more trouble with you over the last few years then any other I've brought in."

"That'll happen when you kidnap someone and force them into prostitution." Ash snapped. "We are people."

"You were people." brendon corrected him, controlling his anger. "And as long as your still here, you will remember your manners."

Angry, Ash stood from his chair, white knukled fists on the table. "We're still people, sir." he spit. "We didnt just stop being human because you wanted us too. Damien didnt stop feeling just because you put a collar on him and let your friends play with him!"

Brendon stormed forward, smacking Ash across the face with his full strength.

Ash felt the blood dripping from his lip. tasted it on his tongue. He let the flavor set in before spitting it back at Brendon, hitting his expensive shirt. "I'm not afraid of you." Ash said, voice dangerous. "I may not have the strength to take you down, but, all of this will crumble, and when your perfect little world falls apart, I'll be there, laughing as you cling to its broken pieces."

Brendon stared at him with hate filled eyes and snapped his fingers. Ash didnt try to fight back as Brent and Richard grabbed him and forced him against the wall. He didnt plead as the back of his shirt was cut open so that he would feel the full force of the lashes when brendon hit him.

He didnt cry out as the strikes fell, instead, he laughed. He wanted brendon to see, to hear his failure. He didnt care how much it hurt, how badly he wanted to scream. When he looked back on this moment, he wanted to know that he'd held the power. He may have been recieving the lashes, but, he was also dealing them out. He'd lost too much, and he refused to lose anymore.

"Put them all to work in the graveyard." Brendon snapped, the sweat dripping over his face. "Without breakfest." He moved toward the basement stairs, the whip still clenched in his hands. "You all need time to reflect and the lives you've had here, on what your loosing when your new masters come to collect you. Stare into the nameless reminders of those who died, and see the futures you've brought upon yourselves."

Ash turned his hardened eyes toward brendon, glarring despite the pain. "Our futures will have more meaning then yours."

Brent hit him, knocking him onto the floor. "get them ouside." He ordered, grabbing ash by the back of the neck and forcing him to hit feet.

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They sat under the dying sunlight as the clouds swallowed its rays, breathing in the scents of comeing rain. Chained as they were, they were free. Outside those suffocating walls, they were human again. They sat together in the grass around Damien's stone, knowing it only because it had not been there before. They let their fingers run across the rough concrete, felt the skin scrape against it.

The grass waved against their bare feet as the wind bellowed softly across the yard, yawning as the oncoming storm awakened. They had little to say as they each said their silent words to their fallen friend. Taking strength from the heavy stone that marked his grave, from the earth that kept it standing. Though his body was gone, the person he'd been was still there with them. Those pills could push his face from their minds, but they would never kill his memory.

"Sorry i made you guys miss breakfest." Ash finally spoke, breaking their silence.

"It's okay." Drake said, breathing in the air. "are you okay?"

Ash took a moment before answering. "Yeah," he said, streching and feeling the cuts groan in protest. "When i look back on today, I'm going to remember strength. Finally really standing up to them. Like you did last night with Zack. I dont want my last days to be spent cowering." He smiled softly, falling back into the grass and letting it move against his skin.

Ash closed his eyes, remembering as best he could. he'd forgotten his family, the friends he'd used to have. But Damien, he would always remeber. Zane and Drake too. They were like brothers in this place, they stood and bled together. No matter what happened, he would hold on to their memories, because, they were all he had.

Drake leaned back into the grass, letting it caress his hurting skin. He didnt care that it made him ichy, that it was cold. He wanted this moment to last, this brief time when they were all together, as carefree as their situation would allow. Right now they were breathing, and for the most part, they were okay. They had each other. He didnt know what the comeing days held for them, and honestly, he was afraid. But here beside the stones of those who had fallen, in the arms of the willow tree, he felt safe. It was a feeling he never wanted to lose.

"What do you think will happen to us?" Zane asked, resting his head against Damien's stone.

Ash sighed, he'd all ready thought about this. "We'll be seperated. Sold off to whichever pervert is willing to spend the most. After that..." He rolled over, hiding his tears in the ground. "it'll be like one of Brendon's party nights, every night."

Drake pushed himself up, wrapping his sore arms around his knees. "I'm afriad." he whispered, the wind taking his words away.

Ash and Zane moved toward him, sitting beside him. They knew what he was feeling, because they felt it too. Once they were gone from this place, they'd be alone. The will to fight would be beaten out of them, and, after that, reflecting on their time together would be all they had.

"Just hold on to what we have now." Ash said, looking at damien's stone. he would have had the perfect words, but his words were gone now. "In the end, we'll all be together."

"Together forever." Zane smiled. "United by hardship and blood. We've held out this long because we weren't alone through it. We've sacrificed ourselves to defend each other, and when its all over, when the evil has been brought to an end, we'll stand togerher."

"Laughing as it crumbles." Ash said.

"Side by side, we'll be there. Not running away anymore." Drake added, breathing deeply.

They felt those first drops of rain on their pale skin and shivered, though not from the cold. They let those sprinkled dropletts fall over them, let it wash away their fear for the future. All that mattered was now, the friendship that kept them going. They may never go home, but, within each other, they'd made a new home. They laughed as the rain soaked through their clothes, as the others marched in agrivation across the yard in thin ponchos to collect them.

They took a final look at Damien's stone, seeing their reflections in the raindrops resting upon it. Deep within themselves they saw Him, living on through them. they wouldn't let him die, not completly. They smiled in the dark faces of their abusers, in the face of fate as they were unchained from the tree and dragged across the lawn. They had each other, through all of it, and that was all that mattered. The thunder roared behind them, giving strength to their laughter as they were forced in from the storm.

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Reid was sitting alone at his desk, looking over everything they had on the missing california boys case. He knew that if he just looked hard enough, he'd find something. Ever since the case had started, he'd been remembering everything that had happened to him. He knew what men like Sanders were like, and he was determined to find them, to save them.

Their captors were only human, and humans made mistakes. They just had to find them and trace them back to the monsters who had those kids. he didnt care how long it took.

He'd never really found closure for what had happened to him, never finished getting over it. Maybe, it was because he was meant to find these kids, to save them from a darkness that he'd known. if he could do that, then, maybe he would be okay. He'd finally be able to put his own memories, his demons, to rest.

he was ready to stop for the night when Garcia burst into the bullpen, her eyes shaking as she hurried to his side. "They found something!" She smiled tirdly. "A man went to the hospital in Santa Clarita claiming to have been mugged, they took his shirt, it had blood on it."

"So?" reid asked, not knowing where she was going with this. He was tired.

"So, genius," She teased. "The blood on his shirt, matched one of the missing boys from California. We have a lead!" She exclaimed.

She knew what this case meant to Reid, and she'd been looking through the missing person reports for the last few weeks, trying to find anything she could. They had something now, and she knew that niether of them would be stopped from finally seeing this through.

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A/N: This isnt one of my longer chapters, but, for me at least, it was a powerful one. The cemetary seen meant alot to me while writing it, and, I hope it sticks out to all of you.