When Our Frames Collide

by CarolinaBlue

Sequel to "Sins of the Father"- Noah wrestles with his past while Luke deals with his future. Some secrets that were never meant to be discovered come to light...

15. Chapter 15

When Our Frames Collide

By Carolina Blue

Today's chapter brought to you by the song "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (of course). Now, of course I love the original, and there are some great covers out there, but since my allegiance is with North Carolina, I have to support the Anoop Desai version of the song too!

In this chapter: the Skywalkers break up with their Vaders

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN – YOU WITH THE SAD EYES

"Okay, here we are," Holden announced quietly, and rather unnecessarily. Luke lifted his head from where it had been resting on Noah's shoulder and glanced out the window. The farm. Home.

They had driven almost straight from Fort Gordon back to Oakdale, stopping only for food and quick breaks. Their first stop back in Oakdale had been the police station so Jack could get his car. He had mentioned he'd probably go over to Carly's for awhile (to see the kids, he had said, though they all knew better), which meant the farmhouse would be empty and quiet.

Well, almost. The engine wasn't even off when the door to the porch opened with a bang, Lily and the kids eagerly waiting for them. Luke smiled, giving Noah's hand one last squeeze before hopping out of the car. He made it around to the other side in time to see Noah helping Emma out as well, and his smile widened even more when Lily practically yanked Noah towards her and hugged him tightly.

Luke exchanged a relieved look with Holden as Noah hugged her back, it almost looking like the two of them were clinging to each other for a moment. Then Lily finally let go, kissing him briefly on the cheek and moving over to Luke. As he hugged his mom, he watched Faith and then Natalie hug Noah too. He wasn't sure if Noah ever even opened his eyes, just welcomed in the affection from whatever direction it came from.

"I'm glad you're back," Lily whispered, kissing his cheek as well. Luke smiled and hugged her again, giving into the assurance that they had finally made it home.

"Noah!" Ethan was the last to get to him, and the most exuberant. He latched onto Noah's leg, wrapping his arms around the knee and holding on, grinning up at him widely.

"Hey buddy," Noah bent down slightly, slinging an arm briefly around his little shoulders. "I missed you."

"Sweetie, be careful of Noah's leg," Emma warned softly, her arms around the girls.

Ethan started to frown, sad and confused, but Noah shook his head. "It's okay," he stage-whispered, as though telling Ethan a secret.

Ethan's face lit up, and he put a loud, smacking kiss on Noah's denim-covered knee. "Better?" he asked expectantly, looking up again.

Luke could tell Noah was a little startled by the gesture, but he hid it behind a watery smile. "Much better," he replied.

Ethan looked very satisfied as he tugged on Noah's leg. "Come see! Come see what we did!"

From beside Luke, Lily hurriedly wiped her eyes and stepped forward, one hand still on Luke's arm. "We've got some dinner all ready for our weary travelers, don't we guys?" She guided Luke and Noah (with Ethan still holding on) up to the porch, then paused to give Holden a quick kiss hello.

Natalie took over as guide then. "We cooked everything!" she explained, grabbing Luke's hand and leading them into the house. "And we decorated too!"

Luke didn't know whether to laugh or cry when they finally made it into the kitchen. An Emma-worthy supper was laid out on the table, which was surrounded by balloons and paper streamers and a hand-made Welcome Home! sign taped to the wall. "Wow, this looks great!" he said brightly, giving Natalie a hug and ruffling her hair.

She giggled. "I picked the flowers," she pointed to a vase on the table filled with dandelions and wildflowers. "Like last time. Remember, Noah?"

For a second something flashed in Noah's eyes, and Luke struggled to figure out what. But then he remembered two months ago, when Noah had come home and given him a bouquet of flowers from the playground, and told him all excitedly how Natalie had made a bouquet for him to give Luke... and one for Krista. "Yeah, NatBug. I remember. I love them," he answered softly.

Luke shook himself out of those thoughts, bringing his arm up to wrap around Noah for a moment, shaking him out of them too. "They're beautiful, Nat. Let's get started on this feast, okay?"

By this time everyone else was in the kitchen too, and Luke was beyond grateful that they immediately got down to the business of eating. No one made a big fuss or speech, and Emma's prayer for grace was short and simple. Hopefully they could sense as well as he could that Noah wasn't ready to deal with much 'welcome home' attention.

Ever since opening up in the backyard in Fort Gordon, Noah had been pretty quiet, sort of passive and listless, as though saying all that had taken everything out of him. He would speak when spoken to, offer up smiles and sometimes even laugh... but just like in North Carolina, Luke was afraid it was just an act. Not that Noah was purposefully deceiving all of them, more that Noah was hoping that by pretending to be okay, he would be. Deceiving himself.

But luckily, he was surrounded by Snyders. They knew better. Luke had to think, judging from the glances and silent conversations between his parents and grandmother, that they got it. They knew Noah was having a hard time, but they also knew not to acknowledge it just yet. And the kids were just so happy to have everyone back, they chatted about everything and anything, keeping them all entertained. Luke was content to keep quiet for once too, just making sure he always had a hand on or near his boyfriend.

After the food was gone and dishes cleared, Luke was about to reach for Noah, make excuses for them to go back to the apartment, but the family had other plans. Ethan and Natalie grabbed them again, this time dragging them into the den, where Faith was setting up the DVD player. "What's all this?" Luke asked.

"Well," Faith smiled, looking happier and more relaxed than Luke could remember her being all this year, "We know it's not Friday Night Dinner, but we haven't gotten a movie night with you two in a long time. So," she smirked a little. "Guys and Dolls. You owe us."

Luke wasn't sure whether to agree or protest, so he hung back, looking to Noah. After a moment of silence, "Well, we can't have that hanging over our heads, I guess," Noah spoke, glancing at him with a tentative smile.

Luke felt himself smile wide in return. "I guess not," he let Natalie pull him over to the sofa, keeping his arm out across the back of it so when Noah sat down next to him he could drape it around his shoulders. Oh-so-subtle.

But not completely subtle, apparently, because Natalie plopped down on the other side of Luke and grabbed his free arm, draping it over her own shoulders. He had to fight against laughing, even more so when Faith got comfortable in the empty space by Noah and Ethan climbed up into Noah's lap, with his feet and Power Rangers sneakers propped up on Luke's thigh. They were surrounded. And maybe, after another glance at Noah's face, it was exactly perfect.

Ethan was practically asleep by the time Sky and Sarah made their trip to Cuba, and Lily- probably going off some Mom Radar- ducked her head in a few minutes later. "Okay baby, let me take you up to bed..." She leaned over from behind the couch, reaching to pick up Ethan.

"No," Ethan grumbled, obstinate. His little hands fisted into both Noah's and Luke's t-shirts, and he laid his head down determinedly against Noah's chest. "Staying with Luke and Noah."

"Honey, I think maybe they don't-" Lily reached for him again.

"No." Everyone was surprised when the protest didn't come from Ethan this time, but from Noah. He blushed a little, but kept his arm around Ethan, maybe even tightened his grip. "It's okay. He- he can stay if he wants."

Luke kept his hand on Noah's shoulder and looked up at his mom, half-pleading with his eyes. Luckily, Lily caught it and understood. She beamed at all of them, letting her hand linger in Noah's hair for a moment. "Sure, sweetie. In the meantime then, I'm going to get together some leftovers from dinner for you two to take back to the apartment tonight."

"I'll help you," Luke volunteered, pausing to kiss Noah's forehead quickly. "Someone made me watch this movie about a thousand times already anyway," he said before Noah could comment. Noah rolled his eyes but kept quiet, pulling Ethan in just a little closer. Luke smirked, picking Natalie up and dropping her back down where he had been sitting, so she was leaning in close to Noah. "Save my seat for me, Nat," he ordered solemnly. She nodded back just as seriously.

Once they were both in the kitchen, Lily wrapped Luke up in another fierce hug. "He's going to be okay," she whispered.

He nodded into her shoulder. "He's home," he said in response. "Right now, that's all that matters."

"How bad do you think this is?" she asked, pulling back enough to look him in the face.

He hesitated. "I don't know. There's no way of- of measuring this, Mom, it's not going to be like last year. This is different. Back at Fort Gordon, he... well, we-"

"Your father told me," she broke in quietly, understanding. "That you found the gravesite and that Noah..." she trailed off sadly.

"I think he's feeling about a thousand different things at one time. Not just about his- about the Colonel, and not just about the Millers. But," he sighed, "about who he is and who he thinks he's supposed to be." He shook his head heavily. "I can't even imagine what it must feel like. I hate that I don't know how to help him."

"Oh, honey," Lily rubbed his arms comfortingly. "You are helping him, I know it." She lowered her voice. "I'm so proud of both of you. And I love both of you, you know that, right?" Her voice got a little anxious. "You know this whole family is behind you and Noah."

"Of course, Mom, why wouldn't I think that?" Luke frowned, concerned.

The screen door creaked open and shut, and then Holden appeared in the kitchen, wiping his hands on a rag. He caught the looks on their faces and immediately came closer. "What's going on?"

Lily sighed, glanced for a moment back at the den where the music of Guys and Dolls could faintly be heard, Faith and Natalie attempting to sing along. "The Millers did show up here. Almost a week ago. Before the proxy was lifted."

"Th-they did?" Luke stuttered, fighting the urge to look around as though they might still be here.

She nodded, looking at both him and Holden. "It was just... some of the things they said didn't make any sense. They were acting like we had been lying to them, like-"

"Like we were the enemy," Luke finished for her, remembering some of the things Noah had told him. "They wanted Noah to believe that too. He was all confused because they seemed to think we never tried to contact him in the hospital. And they thought we had some sort of hold over him, that he didn't know any better, and we didn't care about him."

"What?" Lily gasped a little, her hold tightening on Luke's arm.

Holden rubbed a hand over his jaw line, thinking hard. "There are a lot of lies and misunderstandings going on around here. Too many."

Luke hated that he agreed. "Something else has to be going on," he told his parents. "I just wish I knew what."

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Luke awoke with a start, another dream just out of his grasp, leaving behind only the sense of fear and loss. Noah. He'd had another dream about Noah. He reached over, wanting that feeling of a warm body against his, but there was nothing. Luke twisted around, only to find he was alone in the bed.

He would've panicked, but Noah had done this a couple times in North Carolina too. Luke knew where to find him. He eased out of bed, throwing on some pajama pants and a sweatshirt as the cool air from the open window hit him. That reminded him to grab a blanket too, just in case, and then he made his way out to the front door of the apartment.

He found Noah just outside, sitting on the walkway that led to their door. One leg stretched out in front of him, the other bent up to his chest with his chin resting down on it. Just sitting.

Luke didn't say a word, only took a seat next to him and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders to cover the thin t-shirt Noah was wearing. He sat cross-legged so his knee barely brushed against Noah's leg, let his hand trail up Noah's back to rest at the back of his head. He looked out past the courtyard and parking lot, down the road to where a left turn meant Old Town and a right turn meant the farm. Just sitting, too.

After a little while longer, maybe half an hour (which hey, Luke was proud- he didn't say a word that whole time), the early-morning chill started to seep through his clothes and his brain. He scratched his fingers lightly in Noah's hair, then stood slowly, holding his hand out. Noah looked up at him with a sheepish smile and grabbed the hand, letting Luke pull him to his feet.

They walked back into the apartment, Noah pulling the blanket off from around his shoulders and folding it neatly, dropping it onto the back of the couch. Luke stood nearby, debating on whether or not to drag him back to bed for more sleep or head into the kitchen to make coffee. It was 5am, a dreaded in-between time. He had no idea.

His thoughts distracted him, and it wasn't until Noah sat down at their 'dining room' table that he realized Noah had moved at all. (It was a dining room table with quotation marks, because it was actually in their living room. They only really used it when they had company, otherwise they stuck to the small two-person table in their kitchen.) He took a few steps closer, though he faltered the second he saw what was on the table in front of Noah.

The boxes. God, he had never taken them back to the farm for storage. The damn boxes of the Colonel's and Charlene's. Luke took a few steps closer, unsure if there was anything he could do or say right now. These boxes were-

Noah made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a sob, and suddenly threw one of the boxes across the room. Photos and papers and little Army medals fluttered in the space between. Luke flinched, more at the sudden movement than anything else. He took another step forward, but Noah wasn't done. He turned to the other box, pulling out the little Noah figurine and the Ark, and smashed them to the floor. A baby pacifier joined it, thrown into the wreckage of wood and plastic that once had been his baby toys.

No, Luke reminded himself, not his baby toys. They had belonged to the other Noah Mayer. He tried to ignore the ache in his heart, watching as Noah brought more photos and papers out of the other box, held them in his shaking hands.

Another moment of silence and stillness, and Luke was just about to speak up and say... something, when Noah made another sound Luke hoped he'd never hear again and started ripping them up. The baby photos, the letters, all of them. Ripping them to shreds.

It took a second for Luke to react, but then he hurried forward, saying his name softly and grabbing Noah's hands in his. For a moment Noah tried to fight it and pull away, but Luke held on tightly. They were both breathing hard, almost gasping, which was weird considering they were barely moving.

Noah shook his head hard, biting his lower lip and trembling. Finally his hands relaxed, dropping the torn pieces of paper from his grasp. He dropped soon after, going to the floor, back against the wall. His eyes were shut tight, his whole body collapsed inward.

Luke crouched down in front of him, eyes wide, hands hovering as though unsure what to do or where to touch. He put a hand on the floor to keep his balance, and his fingers came into contact with one shredded piece of paper. Idly, he picked it up, looked at it, and was startled to recognize the words.

It was one of Charlene's letters to Noah. In fact, it was the same letter Noah had read at the farm when he first got this stupid box, three years ago. Luke couldn't believe he remembered the words, but here it was. Well, part of it, anyway.

...the courage to believe in yourself, and to make your own choices. You should have grown up with a mother and a father who wouldn't judge you and would always understand. I'm sorry you'll never have that, Noah. I'm sorry I...

That was all that was left of the damn woman's letter. Had she even written it to this Noah? Or had her real son been in mind when she sent it? Suddenly he really, really hated her. Almost as much as he ever hated the Colonel. She left Noah, left him with the monster that had kidnapped him. She never told anyone. And then she had the audacity to write this, like this would be enough of an apology? Her letter was right, Noah would never have a mother and father who would understand him. And that was partly her fault. How could she-

Luke crumbled the paper up into his fist, trying to keep from yelling or crying. He tossed the scrap away and turned back to Noah. And was shocked to see he was crying. Slow, silent tears trailed down Noah's face, even as he tried to wipe them away clumsily.

He realized at a moment like this that words probably wouldn't help anyway. He sat down all the way on the floor, sliding around so he was next to Noah. He sat still for a minute, giving Noah the time to know he was there, then debated what to do next. He wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in his arms for the next eighty years or so.

But Noah surprised him. Just as he went to reach out to him, Noah opened his eyes briefly, turned, and wrapped his arms around Luke. Luke smiled sadly, letting himself get pulled into Noah's body for a tight hug. He twisted enough for Noah to bury his face in Luke's shoulder, and brought an arm up rest to against one of Noah's.

Before he knew it, tears were running down his face. Angry, pained, helpless tears. And from the way his sweatshirt was soaking at the shoulder, he knew Noah was the same way. He leaned his head down, pressing his forehead into Noah's hair, and tried to breathe deep.

Noah's arms tightened around him, and for a minute Luke couldn't tell who was comforting who. Though it went against a lot of instincts to do so, Luke kept still and quiet. Noah needed to get this out. Maybe they both did.

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Jack pulled his car into the driveway with a relieved sigh, greatly looking forward to his weekend off. He had worked a shift every day since getting back from North Carolina, and between that and dealing with whatever was going on between him and Carly... he could use the break.

Speaking of 'could use a break,' he thought to himself as he pulled up beside Noah's truck. He was a little surprised; he hadn't seen Noah or Luke since the day they all got back. He had heard from Holden that the boys were pretty much holed up in their apartment day and night, only coming out for dinner when Lily demanded it.

He couldn't really blame them. They'd been forced apart for a month after a near death experience and the huge news bombshell of Noah's childhood. If it had been him, he would have wanted to hide from the world for awhile too, especially if it meant just being around the person he loved.

He climbed out of the car just as Noah was stepping out from the porch. "Hey kid," he called out, smiling wide.

Noah looked startled to see him at first but flashed a smile. "Hey Jack."

Jack tried to analyze his voice in two seconds before Noah would notice. He sounded tired, a little drained, but not as subdued as Jack would've expected. Definitely not as lifeless as he had sounded in North Carolina and the drive back. He felt some hope stirring in him, and came to a quick decision. "You busy right now?"

Noah looked at him, confused, but shook his head. "Just dropping off some of Emma's dishes."

He had to laugh. "Let me guess, she gave you two enough meals to last till Labor Day."

Noah smiled again. "I'm kinda more surprised she didn't insist we stay here for a few, well, forevers," he admitted.

"I'm sure she wanted to," Jack said, reaching back into his car and pulling out a plastic bag. "Now come on, there's something I want to show you." He headed out past the barn, towards the pond.

Noah followed without question, though he did eye the bag curiously. "What's that?"

Jack grinned. "Something I picked up at the store today. Figured the next time you came by the farm you could use it." Noah still looked confused, which just made Jack smile wider. He settled down on the banks by the pond, gesturing for Noah to do the same. "I was out here the other day with Sage and saw something I think you'll like." He pulled a loaf of bread out of the bag and handed it over to Noah.

He took it, and after a moment of realization, he smiled and looked out a little eagerly towards the water. Sure enough, less than a minute later, a group of about a dozen ducks swam closer to them, feathers ruffling. Noah broke off a few pieces of bread and tossed it towards them and then, like no time had passed, they were up on the grass and toddling towards Noah. "They came back," he murmured, seemingly without meaning to.

Jack's chest tightened a little at the slight tone of wonder and disbelief in Noah's voice. Some things would probably never really change, he reminded himself. Life always had a funny way of making some stuff just a part of who you were. "Of course they did," he said steadily. "Like they'd give up the chance to be spoiled and overfed for another summer."

He felt another knot of worry in him ease as Noah smiled and settled a little more comfortably on the ground. And he smiled himself when Noah handed over a couple slices of bread to him. Just like last year.

They sat for a few moments, offering up bits of bread to the ducks, when Jack finally broke the silence. "You know I'm going to ask, so I might as well get it over with. How are you doing, Noah?"

Noah was quiet for a few moments, gathering the right words to speak. "I don't know. Better, I guess. Each day gets better. Especially since..."

"Since what?" Jack prompted when Noah trailed off.

He shrugged, looking almost pained. "The other night I, uh, I kinda flipped out. Threw stuff, broke some things, and-"

"What stuff and things?" Jack asked quietly, hoping the concern he was feeling was disguised enough that Noah wouldn't feel ashamed.

"I had a box from each of them," Noah answered. "The Colonel and Charlene. Personal effects and photos, letters..." Another shrug. "They were right there, and- and I didn't want them anymore. They shouldn't have been mine anyway, so I tried to get rid of them."

Jack kept the frown off his face. "That's the only thing that got hurt, right?"

Noah looked at him with wide, almost panicked eyes. "I'd never hurt Luke like that, Jack. Never. He was there, and he stopped me from ripping up more pictures, but I-"

"Noah, God no," Jack moved in closer. He kept his voice and gaze firm. "I didn't mean that. I swear I didn't. I would never accuse you of... that's not you." He gripped Noah's arm, willing him to believe that. "I know that's not you. I just want to make sure you didn't hurt yourself. Or anything else in that apartment you two worked so hard to furnish."

Noah didn't really smile at the joke, tossing out the last of the bread. "I got so mad. At them, at the Millers, at... I don't know, God or whoever controls all this. I hated them all. I didn't want to have anything of theirs or their son's. I wanted it all gone."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with feeling that way," Jack commented quietly. "Being angry at everything that's happened? I think I would be too."

He shook his head. "I got so mad," he repeated. "And I broke all that stuff, and it actually made me feel better. Taking my anger out on something that didn't deserve it, made me feel better." His face twisted a little in self-loathing. "I used to see him do the same thing all the time."

"No." Jack moved so he was crouched down in front of Noah now. "Not the same thing. You were hurt, okay? And you were letting it out in a way that wouldn't hurt anyone else. That's so far away from what the Colonel would've done." Noah stared at him silently for a moment. Jack was surprised when he didn't argue, even more surprised when he nodded shortly. Relieved, he settled back down on the grass next to Noah.

"I am feeling better," Noah said, looking down at his sneakers, fingers playing idly with the laces. "Every day. I promise I am."

"Good," Jack smiled again. "And hey, this is a pretty damn unusual situation, understand? So I say there's no wrong or right way to react. You can do whatever you want to get yourself feeling better, and it's okay. Don't worry about that."

Noah's smile appeared once more, looking up to watch the ducks hop back into the pond and start circling around it, quacking and splashing through the ashy-film that covered parts of the water. "That's good to know, I guess."

"It is," Jack agreed. "And what's even better to know is that we're going to be with you a hundred percent on this. No matter what. You have all these crazy, meddling Snyders for support. Got it?"

"I got it," Noah replied assuredly. "I know." Quieter, "That's something I'm never going to be worried about."

Hearing him say that meant there was one less thing Jack was worried about too.

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Luke took a deep breath, steadying himself, putting up what he secretly referred to as his 'Lucinda Walsh Armor' before knocking on the door in front of him. He opened it without waiting for an answer. "Damian?" He ducked his head inside.

Damian was sitting at his desk, frowning down at some papers, but he looked up with surprise when Luke entered his office. "Luke. I wasn't expecting to see you back at work for another week or so..." he trailed off when he saw Luke's casual clothing. His brow furrowed, he gestured for Luke to come closer and take a seat.

"I'm not here to work," Luke confirmed, sitting down across from him. "I'm here to quit."

It had been a long time since he'd seen Damian so shocked. "I- I'm sorry? You want to quit?"

"I am quitting," Luke corrected calmly. "We can call it my two weeks notice if you want, but let's be honest. I haven't been working according to regulations in months, so me walking out today and never coming back won't change much."

Damian sat back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. "Can I ask why?"

He fought the urge to shrug, wanting to appear as collected and determined as possible. "This isn't right for me. This isn't what I want to do. With everything that's happened recently, I've... I can't predict what's going to happen in the future, so I want to spend the time I have doing what's best for me. This isn't it."

"And what is?" Damian's voice was still so quiet and calm.

"I don't know yet," Luke answered honestly. "But I want to be able to find out. And right now, especially, I want to spend time with my family. And Noah."

Something shifted in Damian's eyes at that. "Of course." It wasn't an accommodating, understanding 'of course.' The words came out resigned, almost bitter.

"Okay, what?" Luke asked, wanting to get this over with.

Damian took a deep breath, his tone coming out as annoyingly compassionate. "Son, I've tried not to get involved in this, but don't you think it's dangerous to make all your life about someone else?"

"Excuse me?" Luke had to keep from springing out of his chair. "First of all, that's not what I'm doing. Second, no, Damian, I don't. I don't think it's dangerous to love someone and make them a part of your life. I don't think my relationship with Noah is dangerous or, as a matter of fact, any of your business."

"I just worry about you, Luke," Damian's voice took on that extra-oily edge. Like a salesman. Like Luke was just an ignorant mark for his scam. "You've been doing so well here and really building towards a great future. I'd hate to see you bogged down by unnecessary distractions."

Distractions. Luke suddenly flashed back to a conversation they'd had in New York. When Luke had been worried about missing Noah's phone calls. "You think he's a distraction?" When Noah's calls had mysteriously disappeared from his phone. "You do, don't you. In New York, you didn't want me thinking about Noah at all."

Damian's face gave nothing away. "You were there to work, Luciano. Not answer at his beck and call."

"My name isn't Luciano," Luke managed to keep his tone civil. He narrowed his eyes, hands clenching into fists. ""Did you delete his calls? My phone was missing, you miraculously found it. None of Noah's or Casey's calls showed up. Did you have something to do with that?"

Damian was silent for a moment, enough time for Luke to know his answer. "I was keeping your focus on the job, where it should've been. And everything worked out fi-"

"Everything worked out fine?" Luke cut him off. "Where have you been the last two months?"

"I've been on your side," he answered smoothly. "I've been looking out for you, unlike everyone else."

"No," Luke wanted to hit something. Someone. "You haven't been on my side, you've been on your own. Noah was going through something horrible, and I wasn't there for him. When I missed his calls..." he took a breath before continuing. "You turned me into someone who isn't there for the people he loves. I should have been there with him, he-"

And now Damian was interrupting him. "Luke, you belong with your family. And Noah belongs with his. Yes, things got out of hand, but-"

"He doesn't belong with them, how could you say that? After how they treated him, how they..." Luke shook his head. Another thought, unbidden, entered his brain. He hated that, on some level, he could understand and follow Damian's line of logic. "Damian. Did you get the Millers that lawyer? Did you help them take Noah away?"

"Luke." He was going to find some way around it.

"Was it your idea?" he hated that his voice got smaller, disbelieving. "Did you tell them to take Noah away from me?"

Damian didn't even flinch. "Everything I did was in your best interest."

He had to stand up now, put some space between him and this man. "You know, Colonel Mayer used to say the same thing," he spat out. "He even said that after he almost killed me. I- I should have known. I should have known you'd do something like this. It just proves it, doesn't it?"

"Proves what?" Damian's eyes were narrowed now, calculating and careful.

Luke glared at him. "Proves that not only could you never be an honest man- yeah," he nodded at Damian's surprised look. "I know about the bribes. Port Authority? Daniel Thrace? I know all about it. And I know it was your fault that I was nearly killed last month, that Jade and Noah were almost killed."

"Luke-"

"I'm not done," he spoke through gritted teeth. "It proves that not only could you never be a decent man, but you could never be a decent father. You only care about what makes me into the person you want. So you know what? You're going to have to find someone else to play your boy-king. You and I are done. I quit this. I quit everything about you."

Damian was standing now too, and Luke made sure to put more space between them. Not out of fear, but out of necessity. "Luke, you're my son. We can't just-"

"We can and we will," Luke shook his head. "How many times have we had this conversation, Damian? This is the last time. No more chances, no more 'turning over a new leaf' or any of that. You've ruined it. You've ruined any chance of us, and if I ever see in you anywhere near me or the people I love..."

"You can't just cut all ties with me," Damian persisted.

"Yes I can," Luke grew more and more assured. "You want to take my inheritance away? Fine. I really don't need it. I'll find other ways to keep the foundation going. I'm fine getting rid of every single reminder of you. You're just DNA, Damian. But I'm no more your son than Noah is Winston Mayer's, got it?"

"No," Damian came forward in a rush then, grabbing Luke by both arms. "You can't do this. You're my son, Luke. Like it or not, there's Grimaldi in you. In your blood. You can't just cut that out of your life and ignore it."

"I'm not ignoring it," Luke didn't pull away just yet. "I'm choosing to rise above it. I want to be better than that, and better than you."

"You'll regret this, son," Damian's grip tightened. "Some day in the future, you're going to want to know about your history and your family. You shut me out now, and you'll never get that back. I'm a part of who you are, Luke."

Luke took a deep breath, then shoved Damian away from him. "Yeah, you're the part of me I'm constantly going to be fighting against. I'm not taking the easy way out anymore, not like you. My last name is never going to be Grimaldi, okay? It's Snyder. And I won't ever regret that. If I let you continue to be a part of my life, and someone else gets hurts again? That's what I'll regret. Like I do now."

"So that's that, then?" Damian stared him down. "No talk of someday down the road? No hope of forgiveness?"

He shrugged carefully. "You don't care that you did something wrong. I can tell. You only care that you got caught. You don't care that you wrecked my cousin's car and nearly ruined Noah's life." He laughed a little. "I'm not even sure if you really care about me. Not if you really think this is in my 'best interests.' So yeah. That's that."

"But, son..." Damian shook his head, taking a step forward again.

Luke didn't care. He opened the door to the office, turning back at the last second to glare at his biological father. "You want this in the easiest possible terms? Here it is- when Noah and I get married, at whatever time in the future, don't expect an invitation. My father's going to be there, and it's not you."

And with that, he shut the door on Damian. Luke had always been a little ashamed looking back on his life and all the things he'd never followed through on, but quitting this time? It had never felt so satisfying.

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"Luke left his job at Grimaldi Shipping," Noah finally spoke up. He had been sitting still and quiet for a few minutes, and he knew it was up to him to get the ball rolling here.

"Really?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "What brought that about?"

Noah pursed his lips, wondering how much he should say. He knew he could trust Marcus with anything (and wow, when had that fully happened?), but this was also about respecting Luke's privacy. "He found out some stuff about Damian, stuff he didn't want to be associated with."

Marcus smiled knowingly. "You don't have to go into detail, it's okay. What's Luke going to do now?"

"I don't know. I don't know if he knows yet. I mean, besides keep me out of trouble?" He smiled a little. "But I'm sure he'll figure it out."

"And what about you?" Marcus settled back in his chair. "What are you going to do now?"

Noah frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The semester's halfway over, are you going to go back to school now or wait till the summer or fall? And what about Java?"

Noah looked downward, biting at his lip. "I, um, I don't know. I don't know yet. I mean, I don't want to put off school, I could still make up what I've missed and graduate on time, but..."

"Why do you feel so uncomfortable with that, Noah?" Marcus went right for the heart of the matter. Noah could never figure out how he did that, how he saw through what people were saying to what they were actually thinking.

"I- it feels weird going back to what my life was in January." Which seemed like a lifetime ago. "Now that I know it's not really mine."

"Do you think this is the life Noah Mayer would be leading regardless of who he is?" Marcus asked quietly.

"I don't know," Noah mumbled, not sure he wanted to get into those thoughts again.

"Want to know what I think?" Marcus smiled when Noah nodded. "I think you've been through a lot in your life, and you've worked so hard to get where you are now. It'd be a shame to stop that now."

Noah really wanted to believe that, he wished he could. "But I stole that kid's life. Shouldn't I be trying to do something important or good with it?"

Marcus regarded him seriously. "Noah, what happened to him has nothing to do with you."

"I know," Noah said lamely.

"Then why are you laying the blame on yourself? Why say you 'stole' his life? If you look at it logically, his life was forced onto you. You were not an active participant in what happened to that child," Marcus said it so firmly, Noah knew better than to argue.

He let those words sift through the layers of his brain, hoping they'd stick. "Logically, yeah, I guess," he finally said. "But then why do I feel so guilty about this?"

Marcus took a very slow breath, the cue Noah recognized as his way of not sighing. "Because that's how you've always dealt with things. In a way, we've made some progress there. When we first started meeting, you would've been trying to find a way to punish yourself for everything. Wall yourself up and pull away from everyone." He smiled. "You're not doing that anymore."

"You make it sound like I should be proud of all this," Noah murmured, feeling his face flush.

He chuckled. "For better or worse, you've earned this. All you've done and worked for, you've earned whatever good things come your way. And that includes exploring your passion as a filmmaker, that includes you being gay and being with Luke and Luke's family."

He tilted his head, uncertain and feeling stupid for being uncertain. "That's not, I don't know, disrespecting the memory...?"

"No, I don't think it is," the man answered steadily. "I think you living the life you've worked so hard for, and finding joy in it despite everything... I think that honors Noah Mayer very well."

Noah looked down at his hands again, trying to process it, make it real. Make it true.

"Do you think you could ever forgive the Colonel for what's happened?" Marcus asked.

He felt his jaw clench tightly, enough for it to ache. "I still haven't forgiven him for the stuff I already knew he did. How can I forgive him for this too? Why should I?" He could feel his heart starting to race, and took a few slow breaths to keep calm.

"Do you think you could forgive the Millers?" His voice was gentler this time. Noah appreciated that, though he'd never admit it.

Instead he stretched a little in his chair, keeping his eyes purposefully on his shoes. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure I've at least forgiven them for... being them, I guess."

"But?" Marcus prompted.

"But," Noah echoed. "I don't know how I could ever be close to them or, or feel safe around them. Maybe Krista, maybe. But how do I trust them now? How can I think of them as my family? I just... I'm never going to have what the Snyders have together. I know it now. But I blame the Colonel for that more than Eric and Autumn."

"Is that what upsets you the most?" he asked. "Not getting a family out of this? Or finding they don't measure up to the family you've been with for three years? Let's face it Noah, the Snyders have been your default- your only- view of what a family is."

Noah was quiet for a moment. Part of him had been expecting Marcus to get them to this point. But he still didn't know how to say what he was feeling. "I- I don't know. I'm scared, I think. That this was a sign."

"A sign of what?"

He shrugged. "That I'm just not meant to belong to other people. I never measure up to what they want. I mean," he finally looked up at Marcus, willing him to understand. "I was never good enough for the Colonel. And now this? I couldn't be Noah for the Mayers or Andrew for the Millers. So what am I supposed to think?" He gave a little laugh. "God, I sound pathetic, don't I?"

"No," came the immediate answer. "No, I don't think you sound pathetic. But you know what? Instead of worrying about trying to something for someone else, just be you for you. That's something we've always had to work on too, isn't it? Not judging yourself by other people's expectations?"

Noah nodded, conceding that. "Okay, then what do I do to get them out of my head?"

Marcus smiled, and Noah could see there was a little bit of triumph in it. He wasn't exactly sure why, but it made him feel better anyway, like he had finally solved an impossible math problem in front of the teacher. "You have to start by taking yourself back from those people who tried to control you."

He frowned, confusion taking over once again. "I don't understand."

"You said after you tore through those boxes, something in you felt better. There was a release, right? But those were just letter and photographs and the like. They were small, material things and so it's only a small, material reprieve from the pain." He focused determinedly on Noah. "If you want true closure, you have to confront the real things and not the photographs."

Noah mulled this over in his head. God, it would be amazing to finally be free of his father. No, not his father. The Colonel, he reminded himself. (Now he knew how Luke felt, having to distinguish between Holden and Damian.) And the idea of that relief overpowered the terror of being in the same room as Winston Mayer again. He was nodding even before he looked back at Marcus. "How do I start?"

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The knock at the door startled Holden out of his uneasy thoughts, and he stood with a grimace. Readying himself just in case, as every instinct he had told him that this was going to be who he thought it was. He opened the door, smirking a little at the startled look on the other man's face. "What do you want?"

Damian recovered quickly, settling into a schooled, calm expression. "Where's Luke? I need to speak with him. And what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Holden answered the second question first, leaning against the doorframe, not letting Damian fully into the apartment. "I figured you'd show up and try to inflict more damage."

"Where is he?" Damian asked again.

Holden glared. "With Noah. It's Thursday night, isn't it? They went out to enjoy a movie night with their friends. Who are all pretty much lucky to be alive, no thanks to you."

Damian shook his head. "I don't know what you've heard, but I'm not-"

"Leave, Damian," Holden interrupted. "And not just the boys' apartment. Leave town. Now. Do yourself a favor and get out before we come after you."

"What are you talking about?"

Holden took a step forward, lowering the pitch of his voice. "I know neither of them are really, truly my biological sons. But I love them more than any other father on this earth has proven to, and I don't want you anywhere near them." He fought not to ball his hands into fists. The last thing he needed was for this to turn into a fist fight. "You know we did some digging, right? Lucinda, Bob, even Dusty Donovan lent a hand."

"Digging?" Damian echoed derisively.

"We know what you did," Holden kept at it. "Not just the bribes at Port Authority that caused a lot of this mess. We also know you bribed the doctors at Noah's hospital in Georgia to keep the proxy in place." There was a flash of realization on Damian's face, pretty much confirming it. Holden had to look away for a second. "What did you tell them- the Millers- to make them turn on everyone? I know you did something."

Damian smiled. Actually smiled. It was almost enough for Holden to reconsider his reluctance to throw a punch. "Does the date December 4, 2008 ring a bell?"

Holden searched through his memory quickly, not wanting to give Damian control of the conversation. "No. Why?"

"On that day, Noah Mayer was admitted to Oakdale Memorial's Emergency Room," Damian was still smiling.

Holden hid his flinch at the last second. Noah was in the hospital? No, they would have known. They would have been there. Hell, Luke would have thrown a fit... And then Holden realized. That was after the student election crap. Noah had moved back to the dorms, he and Luke were broken up. They had been so concerned with Snyder drama at that time, Lucinda's illness, Luke's erratic behavior... Noah had just disappeared off the radar until Christmas.

He hid the burst of regret and self-recrimination at that (God, had they all really forgotten about Noah like that?) and turned back to Damian, hiding his reaction. "Where are you going with this?"

Damian gave an oh-so-casual shrug of one shoulder. "I managed to get my hands on the medical and legal records from that incident. He was mugged in Old Town one night after closing at Java. He wasn't hurt badly at all, minor cuts and bruises, but he was taken to the hospital to get checked out. And no one in your supposedly perfect, sanctimonious family was there. None of you showed up or made a fuss or offered to pay his bill or any other fit you go through when someone's in trouble."

Holden stared, dumbfounded. This couldn't be real. "What does this have to do with the Millers?"

"Very little," Damian replied. "I simply showed them the records, gave them the facts. They came to their own conclusions."

He was still staring, but it was more in anger now. "You manipulated them, didn't you? Made them think we had abandoned Noah because he and Luke were broken up. Anything to make us look bad."

"I did no such thing. I showed them proof, Holden. Showed them that Noah had never had a real family, especially not the ones who claimed to love him, but only when it was convenient for them." Damian raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't Noah deserve to have a real family of his own and be with them?"

"Too bad they didn't turn out to act like a real family," Holden snapped. "How can you live with yourself? Knowing what you did to him, and knowing what Luke went through because of it? And getting the Millers to think that we-"

"What, letting them believe the Snyder family wasn't the most magical, perfect people in town? Before this, they thought you all had pretty much adopted their son and kept him safe. They didn't know all the trouble and hurt he had been through. I merely told them the truth. I'm sorry if I lifted that veil away, but maybe they deserved to know."

"The truth?" he took a step forward. "You misled them on purpose, just to get Noah away from Luke. And why? Noah wasn't any threat to you. He was the only one who supported Luke working for you. He convinced Luke to give you a chance last year. Why would you do this to him?"

"It's not about Noah, Holden," Damian lectured patiently. "It's about Luke. Luke was never going to come into his own with Noah there. He would never be able to live to his full potential with that dragging him down."

"That?" Holden spat out. "You hypocritical bastard, you keep preaching about the value of family in Luke's life, then you try to separate him from one of the most important-"

"Really? Luke is only twenty-one years old. Am I really supposed to believe that this boy will be all that important in the grand scheme of things?" Damian snorted.

Holden couldn't keep himself in check any longer. He grabbed Damian by the lapels of his jacket and shoved him back until he slammed into the brick wall across from the front door. "You say Luke is 'only' twenty-one, yet you're trying to set up his entire life. And furthermore, that boy has proven time and time again that he cares more about Luke's future than you do."

Damian tried to push back but Holden tightened his grip on the jacket, keeping him in place. "I don't believe that."

Holden shook his head. "I don't know if you still have a problem with him being gay, and I don't care. They love each other, Damian. Trying to send one of them to a different state isn't going to change that. And no matter what, Noah is a part of our family now. You try to push him away from Luke, and we're all going to pull him right back."

"I can't believe this," Damian's glare was getting stronger, though he still hadn't broken Holden's grip on his jacket. "I can't believe you would let Luke just throw his opportunities away to fawn over-"

"How old were you when you first fell in love?" Holden cut him off. When Damian didn't answer, he shoved him lightly again. "You really don't get it, do you? You really don't care. You didn't just hurt Noah and Luke, you hurt the Millers too. You twisted them into something they're not," he stared, starting to realize the damage Damian had really done. "You made them hurt their own child."

"I was just looking out for my-"

Oh hell no, Holden wasn't about to hear Damian refer to Luke as his son, never again. "Well, you're not going to, not anymore. I'll say it again- leave town. Now. Don't ever show your face again, or I swear I'll find a way to tear you down to nothing."

"I'd like to see you tr-"

"Damian."

Both men turned, Holden finally letting go, when Lily appeared from out of the apartment as well. She marched right up to Damian, and he smiled peaceably. "Listen, cara, I-"

She slapped him. Hard. "How dare you," she hissed, angry tears starting to form. "These aren't your lives to control, to lord over. Luke and I, we don't belong to you. Noah isn't something you can just toy with." She took a deep, shuddering breath, the tears starting to fall. "I don't want you near my son anymore, Damian. Just go away."

Damian's hand was on his cheek where Lily had struck him. He stared at both of them for a moment and then, without another word, turned and walked away, his strides getting quicker and longer with each step.

Holden watched him go, waiting until the footsteps faded and the sound of a car starting and pulling away could be heard. Then he looked back to his wife. She was crying silently, shaking the hand that had slapped Damian. "Lily," he pulled her close, holding her to him. Stroking her hair, he tried to calm her down. "He's gone, he's gone..."

Hopefully for good.

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It was in the three seconds between the door opening and Winston Mayer appearing that Noah wondered if he had made the right decision to do this alone. Nearly all of them- Holden, Lily, Casey, Jack, Dr. Weston, Luke most of all- had wanted to come into the prison with him. But Noah had politely declined. He wanted to prove, more to himself than anyone else, that he was strong enough to face him on his own.

And as the door opened, and the sound of shuffling, rattling footsteps drew closer, Noah almost regretted it. He actually truly wanted someone to hold his hand right now. Luke preferably, of course, but anyone would do. Something to remind him that he was on the right side of the upcoming argument. That he wasn't hated, that he was enough.

But then the second the Colonel was there in the doorway, Noah took it all back. Seeing his former father, swathed in orange, chained at the wrists and the ankles, his face hard and lined with so much age and anger it was actually shocking... Noah was glad no one else was here. Was subjected to this.

He made sure to keep his own gaze steady, matching Winston's. He watched calmly as Winston was led over to the table and chained securely to it. The guards bustled around them, but Noah kept his eyes fixed forward. Winston did the same.

After the guards backed away, one staying by the door as the other stepped just outside, Noah studied the man in front of him more closely. He looked older. Every time Noah saw him now, he could see how everything dark inside Winston was starting to show on his face. There more lines in the skin, more gray in the hair. And, curious enough, a fading bruise on his jaw.

"You have twenty minutes, young man," the guard reminded him as he took his position.

Noah's eyes never left Winston's face. "This won't take that long."

Winston quirked one eyebrow. "Really? No heart-to-heart talks in store?" He was as cold, biting, dismissive as ever.

Funny thing was, Noah didn't feel it punch him in his gut the way it used to. It hurt, sure, but more because he could remember the countless times the Colonel had hurt him this way in the past, not because he actually cared how the man thought about him now. This is what we call 'progress,' he could almost hear Dr. Weston say.

"No point," he finally answered. "And there's no need for you to talk at all. I don't need to hear anything you'd probably say."

The Colonel studied him, maybe (hopefully) a little wary now. Definitely more confused. "So why are you here, Noah?"

He half-smiled, no joy in the expression. "To release you. From fatherhood." He pulled a piece of paper out of his messenger bag, put it on the table in front of Winston. "Had some help from a lawyer, got this drawn up and approved yesterday by a judge. Guess what, Colonel? You're no longer Noah Mayer's father."

"What does that mean?" Winston snapped, not bothering to look down at the paper.

Noah shrugged, taking the document back. "Your son, Noah? The kid who died twenty years ago? He's been officially declared as deceased. No longer exists. And your son Noah, the one you tormented and punished and scarred for life? He just erased you from his life legally. You owe me nothing, I owe you nothing. No more ties. The whole damn Mayer line dies with you. It's a nice thought."

"You can't-"

"Yes I can," Noah cut him off calmly. "I did. You no longer have any son at all. He's dead. He died a long time ago. Me? I've never been your son. I've got proof now. You're not my father. And once I walk out that door in... what, ten minutes?" he looked over to the guard. The guard nodded, and Noah turned back to Winston. "In ten minutes, you're never going to see or hear from me again. Ever."

"Noah, I'm your-"

"Not anymore," Noah wasn't about to let him get any control in the conversation. "You're nothing now. You're a bad dream and everything I'm working to leave behind. You're not a part of me anymore." He decided ten minutes was too far away, and he was done now. "And now I'm leaving you with nothing. Thanks for the memories, Colonel." He gave a sardonic, short salute and stood up, walking away from him.

The guard at the door looked like he was hiding a smile as he let Noah out of the room. The other guard, waiting outside, gave him an almost approving nod, which lent Noah the courage to ask, "The bruise on his face. How did he get it?"

The guard shrugged. "Last week. The guy who visited him started arguing with him, then all of a sudden we had to pull them apart. That's all I know."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Noah figured this was the last time he'd ever see these men and this place, but he wasn't feeling all that nostalgic. He went quickly to the check-in desk, turning over his visitor's badge and signing out. And that's when he saw it on the sheet- the name of the person who had visited Winston last week.

Justin Miller.

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Luke eyed the driveway for the six hundredth time, then looked back down at the notebook in front of him. He tapped his pen against the open page, eyeing the empty lines with equal parts excitement and frustration. Ah, the joys of being a writer, he told himself. He couldn't help but grin- it had been a long time since he'd told himself that phrase.

"Trying to distract yourself?" his grandmother startled him, coming out onto the patio from the living room.

"Yep!" he answered in an overly-cheery voice.

"And is it working?" Lucinda smiled.

"Nope!" he used the same tone.

She gave her haughty chuckle, taking the seat next to his. "They'll be home soon, and everything will be fine. Marcus would call if something were to happen. And Jack is there too. Noah's fine, darling."

"But he didn't want anyone to go into the room with him. Marcus and Jack are waiting outside. If the Colonel tries to-"

"He's imprisoned, Luke," she interrupted gently. "Guards and chains and bars, he can't do anything. Noah knows what he's doing. He wants to do this alone to prove he can. And to spare of all us."

"I know," he said softly. "And I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

She laughed again, then made a pointed glance down at his notebook. "Writing again?"

Luke shrugged, a little self-conscious. "Thinking about it. Something Marcus said, back while Noah was in Georgia. He kinda... I don't know, reminded me why I used to write in the first place. I figured it couldn't hurt to get back into it now."

She nodded, smiling warmly. "And what about the rest of your time? Now that Damian is out of your life?"

He fiddled with his pen, tapping it on the paper again. "Actually, I'm thinking of getting back into writing for real. Maybe do some editorial stuff for the foundation? I'm going to be concentrating pretty hard on that for awhile."

"Do you have a particular crusade in mind, or just in general?" she asked, reaching out to still the tapping of his pen.

He looked down, smiling a little. "I want to start a campaign for gay rights in hospital and medical issues. The state of Illinois doesn't recognize same sex partners for medical proxy or for priority in visitation rights. I want to change that. I should have been able to be there for Noah after the accident, and I don't want anyone else to go through that."

Lucinda's smile softened, and she moved her hand from his pen to his arm, squeezing. "Sounds like a fight worth having."

He relaxed a little, grateful. "I figured I could put my writing to good use with this. Maybe draw up some articles, some open letters, some op-eds, anything to get the word out."

"Well," Lucinda waved her hand in the air grandly. "If this writing takes off and you need an outlet, come see me, darling. The Intruder could always use another decent writer on staff. Even if it's just for the editorial section."

"Oh yeah," Luke laughed, shaking his head. "Imagine me, working for you and Emily Stewart. That's a personality explosion waiting to happen."

She joined in. "Heaven help us if all three of us disagree on something. We'd never get any work done."

"Hunter would have a breakdown," he added. They both continued to laugh at the absurdity of the idea... until they weren't. Luke exchanged a glance with his grandmother, the possibilities of that suddenly not sounding so bad. He snuck another look out to the driveway- still nothing- and then turned back to Lucinda. "Um, actually, Grandmother..."

She nodded decisively, smile still in place. "Let's talk."

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Luke let himself into the apartment quietly, making as little noise as possible. He could hear the clanging of pots and dishes in the kitchen, and the music on the radio- Motown, he recognized- told him Noah was in a good cooking mood.

Excitement bubbled up in him, and he was pretty sure he had a giddy grin on his face. Noah had been doing so well- amazingly well- the last few days. Really, ever since that night he tore through the boxes. Every day he got closer and closer back to his true self. Luke could look at him now and see sweet, shy, dorky, goofy Noah Mayer. The darkness and sadness and pain that always tried to take him down... it never would. Luke was sure of it.

He stood in the doorway to the kitchen now, leaning against the molding, watching as Noah chopped or stirred or did some cooking thing (Luke never got into the specifics of cooking) in front of the stove. He was intent on the task, his head nodding along to the Temptations unconsciously.

He watched as Noah leaned that long, beautiful body across the counter a little more, picking up a plate full of chopped... things (Luke had no idea what) and used a knife to slide them into a pan. Noah dropped the plate into the sink and then stretched his arms over his head, obviously having been cooking for awhile now.

And yeah, that was pretty much it for Luke. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms tight around Noah's waist from behind before Noah could lower his arms, hugging him close. "Well hello lover."

Noah jumped a little, startled, before relaxing back into Luke's hold, turning his head to the side to steal a kiss. "Hi," he smiled, letting his lips linger against Luke's for a moment, then turning back to the stove. "How was the meeting at the Intruder?"

He kissed the back of Noah's neck, semi-hoping to distract him while he was cooking. "Not bad, surprisingly enough. I think this might work out. What are you making?"

Noah squirmed just a little as Luke continued to amuse himself with kisses. "Shrimp teriyaki and stir fry. And Emma sent over an apple pie."

Luke stayed where he was, resting his chin on Noah's shoulder now so he could watch him work. "Wow, what's the occasion?" He smiled when Noah leaned back even more, the two of them almost, almost swaying together to the song on the radio.

Noah shrugged, twisting again to surprise Luke with a kiss of his own to the side of Luke's face. "Valentine's Day."

"Baby, it's March," Luke spoke slowly, confused.

"I know," Noah turned down the heat on the stove, mixing together vegetables and shrimp. "But I wasn't here in February. And... and we didn't get to celebrate. I want to. For you."

Okay, maybe just maybe he melted at that. "Noah," Luke reached out to take the utensils out of his hands, setting them aside and then turning Noah around to face him. "I love that you planned this, and I love you, but I don't want you to feel like you have anything to, I don't know, make up for or whatever." He framed Noah's face with his hands, smiling wide. "Not to get all cheesy, but after everything that's happened, it feels like every day is Valentine's Day. Okay?"

Noah rolled his eyes, though a grin that matched Luke's was on his face. "You failed, Snyder. That was pretty cheesy." He leaned in and kissed him before Luke could get out a comeback. "And I want to do this, got it? After everything, and all that stuff with Damian, and how... how amazing you've been with me. I want to do this for you."

"You had to go through that 'Damian stuff' too," Luke quietly reminded him, one hand sliding down from Noah's face to his chest, rubbing gently.

Noah laid his hand on top of Luke's, squeezing. "All the more reason to celebrate something now. And hey, I get to prove how wrong he was about me, right?" He smiled at Luke, eyes adoring. "And how wrong he was about you." He waved away Luke's next attempt at a protest. "I want to do this, Luke. It's my turn. We're partners, remember?"

Luke studied him for a second more, then moved in to lightly kiss the underside of Noah's chin. "You hold my hand, I hold yours," he echoed Noah's words from that backyard in Georgia.

Instead of going melancholy, Noah chuckled, chest vibrating against Luke's hand. "That's starting to sound like 'you jump, I jump.' Which probably isn't the story or couple we want to base our own-"

"Shut up, nerd," Luke cut him off, poking him in the side and kissing him roughly, pinning Noah against the counter. One of Noah's hands came up to cradle his face, but Luke felt like being a little more daring. He slid both hands down to Noah's hips, working them both under his t-shirt and grasped warm skin instead. His fingers squeezed as his tongue licked its way past Noah's lips.

"Luke," Noah half-moaned. "Dinner. Food. I... food. Pie," he managed to say whenever his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied.

"Mmmhmmm," Luke replied, better words in mind. "Sex. Bed. Naked. Now."

"'kay," Noah didn't really need much convincing. Without separating, they started making their way out of the kitchen. They had just made it past the doorjamb into the hall, shirts untucked and half-unbuttoned... when there was a knock at the door.

"No," Luke groaned. "No. Damn it, just, no. I will murder whoever that is. No."

Noah laughed roughly, his forehead dropping to meet Luke's. "It could be-"

"I know," Luke sighed. "An emergency, or family, or something important." But damn it, didn't the universe realize that sex with Noah was pretty important too?

Noah kissed his temple, taking a step away. "Family is something important," he smiled, heading towards the door.

Luke followed, re-buttoning the top buttons of his shirt just in case. "With the Snyders? Family is something dramatic. Important isn't necessarily..." he trailed off as Noah opened the door. Both of them stood there, silent and unable to move. Staring in shock.

"Um," Krista gave an awkward, tentative wave. "Hi. Can we talk?"

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TO BE CONTINUED!

Coming Up:

Last Chapter!

-Krista wants to make amends

-Noah uses an unlikely ally to confront one last foe

-Casey and Hunter come to an understanding

-Luke has an interesting solution for Noah