Hey ho! :) Thanks again for reading my story and all your nice reviews. You're the BEST!
So, just as a sidenote: You'll stumble across a song in this chapter, "Nothing Left" by Oraine. Please check him out on Youtube, he's a really cool guy and his music is great. And no, he didn't ask me to advertise his music in this story or whatever, I just thought "Nothing Left" really fit the situation in which I used it. And now... Enjoy! :)

When Worlds Crumble

Is this really home?

Logan watched LA slowly disappear under a ceiling of clouds. He couldn't quite believe yet that he really was on his way back to Minnesota, his old home, leaving everything behind. Now that he actually was right there on the plane it seemed too drastic, too rushed to be true. But a voice in the back of his mind reassured him that this was really happening and even congratulated him for finally doing it. He didn't know why, but for some reason this voice had a bitter tone to it.

Logan rested his back against his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in. A heavy sigh escaped him as thoughts of today started invading his mind once more.

Getting on the plane had been harder than he imagined. He had been so sure that leaving was the only possibility he had left, but at the same time it felt so wrong. Even now he couldn't completely shake the feeling that all of this was nothing but a huge mistake. With every mile that separated him from his friends he felt like he left piece after piece of his shattered heart behind until there was only dull numbness left in his chest.

Logan tried not to think about Kendall, James or Carlos, he really did, but he just couldn't stop himself. All of this was too confusing at the moment to let it go like that. It was the way his brain worked. He always needed to sort all of the information and thoughts he got before he could even consider doing something else. And now was no exception. The logical part of his mind already drilled him with questions, tying to comprehend the scene that took place not so long ago at the airport. Why had his friends come to see him? Did Mrs Knight make them go or did they do it on their own accord? What had Carlos wanted to tell him? Were they already back in the apartment? Who would do the dishes now that he wasn't there anymore? And most importantly: What did they think of him for leaving them?

Somehow Logan couldn't shake the feeling that he had just destroyed the deepest friendship he ever had. Did they hate him for letting them down? Maybe. Would they ever understand why exactly he had to go? Maybe. Were they glad he was gone and didn't even want to think about him ever again? Maybe. Maybe maybe maybe.

Logan groaned in frustration. He hated such questions. There were too many possibilities, too much uncertainty. He liked questions you could answer with yes or no. That was part of the reason why he loved science and mathematics so much. These were dimensions of numbers and formulas without emotions or confusions, where nothing distracted you from what was important. You had a situation, a problem, a certain way to solve it and a definite conclusion. It was comforting to know for sure what would happen under what condition.

Life wasn't like that at all. It was abstract. Confusing. Arbitrary. Life was an everlasting riddle men had yet to solve and Logan doubted it would ever be understood by anyone, at least not in the human era. And normally he had absolutely no problem with that even though the idea of a riddle that could never be solved made him slightly frustrated. But right now he would give everything he had (though that wasn't much) to know where his future led him.

Logan gave up on trying to understand his situation for now and searched his left pocket for his iPod. Hopefully some music would distract him from the previous events. Music had always been his safe haven. It offered him the comfort and security that he had lacked in the last few months. As soon as his headphones were in his ears he pressed play on a random song and leaned back in his seat. He had decided to get some sleep while his flight lasted. The piano melody flooded so soothingly into his ears that Logan felt his eyes drift slowly shut. What was this song called again? He knew it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the title. His eyes shot open again when he immediately recognized it the second Oraine started singing.

You said you would be there for me
and if anything happened
you would wipe my tears away.
You would be there till the end.

Logan wanted to turn it off, but he just sat frozen on his spot while he listened to the lyrics.

Holding my back, tanking care of me.
Trying to put a smile upon my face.

A lump formed in Logan's throat and grew bigger with each second. He had told them that he loved them countless times. That they were his best friends. When they were younger they had all made a promise to stay together forever and now... he broke it. Just like that. Who would be there to be the brain of the group? To be the voice of reason? To take care of them when they were sick? He couldn't give this job, that had been his since forever, to somebody else just because he couldn't handle his own life. They needed him and he let them down. God, how selfish was he? The song continued softly playing in his ears, every line cutting deep into his heart and filling him with unbearable guilt.

This is what you did, this is what you did.
You put my heart on fire.
Fire, fire, fire that burned me down till nothing left.
Nothing left to say, nothing left to do.
And I can't find my way back to you.

What if his friends had to suffer in any way because he left them? What if they missed him? They didn't deserve to be caused any pain. Not by him. After all it wasn't their fault that he was so unlovable, quite the contrary. Logan was lucky that he had them in his life for so long. When he looked back at it it was a miracle that they had even stuck to him all this time. And what did Logan do? He threw it all away instead of appreciating their friendship like he should! And to think he called himself the smart one...

I think it's time for me to pack my bag and leave.
Close the door.
I ain't not coming back no more.
I gotta go, I gotta leave.
I gotta say goodbye, cause there ain't no you and me.
Baby bye, bye, bye, bye.

Would they have left if any of them had been in his place? No. Surely not. They would've just stayed composed and bore it until everything was back to normal again. Or they would've taken medicine to their own hands and fixed it. Or spoken up. Each of his friends was strong enough to handle problems like this. He was not.

When the last note of the song faded away in Logan's ears he felt like he resurfaced from deep down under the sea and could finally breathe again. He ripped the headphones out of his ears abruptly and threw his iPod into his bag, suddenly sick of music.

What if something happened to his friends because he wasn't there? Logan tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling in frustration.

Stupid. He thought angrily to himself. You have to stop thinking like that. Kendall, Carlos and James treated you badly and you just took the consequences.

You're being dramatic and you know it, another part of his mind piped up. This is ridiculous. You can't be without your friends.

Yes you can. They probably don't even miss you. Why do you think they didn't say a word at the airport, huh? They could've at least apologized after everything they've done to you.

They screamed for you to come back!

They never heard you screaming for them when you were alone!

They will be devastated!

No they won't. And even if the nearly non-existent possibility of this actually being true should occur... So what? Who cares? They deserve it. You made the right decision when you left them.

No! You need to go back and be there for them.

Ha! Just the same way they were there for you, huh?

You owe them, they-

"Just stop it!", Logan hissed out loud, grabbing at his hair in exasperation. This inner conflict didn't help him at all. The guy in the seat next to him turned his head and shot him a funny look upon hearing his small outburst. Logan just shook his head slightly in response, telling him 'I'm sorry' and 'it's nothing' at the same time. The guy shrugged and turned his head in the other direction. Soon Logan could hear quiet snoring signalling that his fellow over there had fallen asleep. Lucky bastard.

Logan lay back in his seat, just staring into space because by now he had accepted that it was pointless to try and get some sleep. He knew he wouldn't. And that gave him just enough time to think everything through thoroughly. Again. He groaned quietly and closed his eyes for what felt like the millionth time today. The whole conversation that just took place inside his head didn't give him any kind of conclusion. By the way, should he worry about a schizophrenic disorder? Probably not. At least he hoped so.

The first voice was right though. He wouldn't change his mind anymore now. He was done. It was totally reasonable for him to do what he did. He had made the right decision.

The rest of the flight was quiet, on the outside as well as on the inside. Most of the other passengers were sleeping by now and those who were awake spoke in hushed voices. Logan just lay there, so tired and worn out from the day that he couldn't understand why the hell he didn't just pass out into sleep already.

~BTR~BTR~BTR~BTR~BTR~

The cold air hit Logan with full force as soon as he got out of the plane. Maybe wearing just a thin shirt on the flight wasn't the best idea he ever had, but he had other things than the weather in Minnesota on his mind back then. Logan was still trembling when he stood at the baggage claim and waited for his duffel bag. He sighed while rubbing his arms. It was gonna take some time until his body accustomed to the Minnesota air again. The hot LA sun was one of the things he would miss the most now that he was back here. He looked around. The familiar airport was something he had never expected to see again when he left to become famous. It felt kind of strange to stand here, even more without his friends by his side. He had thought that he'd feel like he was at home again, but now... it seemed to be quite the contrary.

After he got all his belongings together Logan stepped out into the open again, this time wearing a black sweater he found deep down in his bag. He didn't want to get sick after all. The next hour was a bit of a blur to him. He remembered grabbing something to eat along the way while calling for a taxi. Before he knew it he stood in the part of town he had called his home ever since he could remember.

Logan walked slowly along the pavement, but hesitated when he saw the entry to his street in the distance. The place where he'd grown up.

How would his mother react to seeing him again? Logan wondered if she waited for him by now. Suddenly he remembered the text he sent her at the airport in LA. Had she answered him? He pulled his phone out of his duffel bag and checked for any messages while starting to walk again.

Nothing.

But he had six unanswered calls. Logan's heart dropped when he read the caller IDs. The first one was from Kendall. Second was James. Carlos. Kendall again. Mrs Knight. And... his face lit up when the name 'Mum' appeared on his screen. So she knew he was here. Perfect.

Logan decided to call her and say that he would be home in a few minutes. He dialled in her number and waited for her to pick up. Which she did after the first ring.

"Logan?" She sounded oddly distressed and relieved at the same time. Logan couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"Yeah, hi mum." He turned left and already saw his house just a few hundred metres away. It was one of the first in this street.

"Where are you?" Now her voice became urgent. This strange behaviour confused Logan to no end.

"I'll be home in a sec, I can see our house. Can't wait to be home again." He heard her take in a sharp breath and suddenly felt a bit scared for her. "Mom, what's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence before she started talking really fast again. "Logan, listen. You need to get away from here now."

He stood right in front of his old house, about to ring the doorbell, but stopped when he heard her say that.

"What? Why?"

"Please, just... go! I'll explain it later." She sounded even more desperate than before.

Logan felt annoyance and even more worry rise inside of him. He had enough of this theatre.

"Mom. Tell me what's going on. Now!"

He heard her sigh sadly before she spoke again. It were only four little words she said, but they were enough to make Logan's blood turn to ice within seconds.

No! His mind screamed at him. She's lying. It can't be... he can't...

Logan felt dizzy and the world seemed to start spinning faster and faster around him as her words sunk in and swirled through his mind like a swarm of wasps pricking his thoughts repeatedly with painful stabs. There seemed no other thing left in his brain than the utter shock. Only four little words.

"He is here again."

Logan paled white as a sheet and had to fight against the bile rising up in his throat when the urge to flee finally got the better of him. He stumbled backwards against the wooden gate that led out of the garden and onto the street. He needed to get out of here, before...

Slam.

Logan had barely made it out on the pavement again before the door to his home flew open and banged against the wall with a loud thud. In the doorway stood the man that Logan had only hoped to never see again. The man who had made his life a living hell full of punishment, tears and heartbreak.

"Hello Logan." His voice was sharp as a knife, just like Logan remembered it. It seemed to rip through his heart and soul, reopening wounds that had been made so many years ago. Some may have thought they were already forgotten, but they would never be as long as Logan lived. Because they were a part of him. He was marked forever and unknown to everyone else the man right in front of him had made sure that Logan would never forget that.

Said boy stood still now and turned slowly around towards his tormentor, knowing from past experiences that running from this man only ended in failure. He looked up into those eyes that pierced him with a hateful, loathing gaze. Logan knew these eyes better than anybody else's. Because they were his own.

"Hello, father."

To Be Continued...

...Uhm... I guess you weren't expecting that. Well, I have to say that I wasn't either. All of this extra drama just kinda happened while I wrote :) So yeah... I realized that I always seem to end my chapters with cliffhangers, but I can't help it, it's too much fun ;)
I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know yet where exactly I'm gonna take Logan's way from here, so... it might take a little longer to write. Please don't kill me O.O
See ya'll (hopefully) soon :D