Justin's POV

My head was in a whirl. My mother started banging at the loft door just a few minutes after Brian left. Not long after that, Debbie arrived with Michael in tow, followed closely by Ted and Emmett. My mother, Debbie, and Emmett were crying and rubbing various parts of me, apparently, to console me, and Ted and Michael were trying to avoid my eyes, but occasionally shot me pitying glances. Daphne was watching the scene uncomfortably, not sure what to do.

I was about to lose it.

My mother moaned, "If only…"

I snapped. "If only what?"

Daphne started to say something, probably planning to extract my mother's foot from her mouth, when we heard the clang of metal on metal.

Then Brian walked in, Ben and Carl trailing behind him.

Michael stared at his best friend and boyfriend, a jealous look on his face. I laughed inwardly as I wondered who he was jealous of.

Suddenly, my mother threw herself at Brian and started pounding on his chest, screaming, "No good has come from Justin meeting you! Only sorrow and pain! How could you let this happen?"

Debbie, Michael, Emmett, and Ted wore astonished expressions, but did not move to intervene.

Ben, however, did. He quickly pulled her off Brian and into his arms, rubbing her back as he held her.

After a couple of minutes, my mother stepped out of Ben's arms and wheeled around, shooting daggers at Brian. "No more! I helped you get Justin back, but I shouldn't have. At least, with Ethan, he was safe!"

Brian's eyes flashed, growing black with rage.

Carl interjected, "Mrs. Taylor, Ethan was involved."

My mother paled. "What?"

Everyone seemed shocked. No one was more shocked than I had been.

Brian hissed bitterly, "That's right. The nice young man who was more age appropriate for your son. Who everyone thought was charming and sweet. Better for him."

Brian paused and then asked, a defensive and confused look on his face, "And what did you mean when you said you helped me get Justin back?"

She retorted, "I told him what you should have told him a year ago…about your visiting the hospital after the bashing."

She pointed at Brian accusingly, "If you'd told him how you felt before, he never would have run to Ethan in the first place!"

Looking defeated, Brian breathed, "You're right."

Oh hell no!

I shouted, "Hold on! Brian is no more to blame for Ethan and Hobbs raping me than for the bashing!"

Everyone started whispering at that, Hobbs's name on their lips. Well, everyone except Carl. He stepped away from the group and pulled out his cell phone to call someone.

"He's also not to blame for me 'running to Ethan.' I was the one who stopped listening to my instincts where Brian was concerned. I was the one who stopped being able to read him. Who started thinking that flowers and pretty words were more meaningful than the thousand little ways Brian showed me his love every day!"

My voice barely above a whisper, I continued, "About Ethan and Hobbs…if you are so hot to blame someone, blame me! I was the one who taunted Hobbs on Liberty Avenue, and I was the one who went to Ethan's apartment that night. I believed his bullshit. Put myself in danger."

My eyes lost focus as memories flashed through my mind. Memories of me leaving Brian at the Rage party jumbled with memories of Ethan fucking me, his fetid breath in my face as he told me I was his now, that I would be forever. Then, I was kissing Brian desperately the night of the bowling competition. Hating myself for what I'd done, wanting Brian to erase it all. Suddenly, Hobbs was behind me, pounding into me. Then I was lying on the loft floor, rejected. Brian had sensed the filth on me, my guilt, and no longer desired me.

To no one in particular, I whispered, "After all that, I don't know how Brian can love me."

Held hostage by my memories, I hadn't seen Brian slowly making his way toward me. I felt him before I saw him, his warm hand in mine, his warm breath whispering, "I love you, Angel" in my ear.

I relaxed visibly and sighed. Master. I couldn't help but smile at him softly.

Brian's POV

I ignored everyone but Justin as I held his eyes with mine and led him into the bedroom, sliding the door closed.

We sat on the bed. I cupped his cheeks and smiled softly. "Angel, you're mine. All mine. Aren't you?"

Justin looked confused for a minute and opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. Finally, he replied, "Yes, Master."

"You're so beautiful and special to me."

"I…" Justin started to speak, but, then, stopped. Instead, he just looked at me hopefully.

I kissed his lips gently.

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday? About my feelings for you?"

He smiled brightly, but said a bit shyly, "You…you said that you loved me."

"Yes. I told you that I've loved you since the day I met you. Didn't I, Angel?"

Justin blushed. "Yes."

"Do you trust me, Angel? You know I'd never lie to you, don't you?"

"Yes, I trust you completely, and I know you wouldn't lie to me."

"Okay. So believe me when I say that I would never stop loving you because someone hurt you."

My voice husky, I continued, "Christ, I could never stop loving you, no matter what. Not even if I wanted to. You and I have been connected since the night we met, and nothing could sever that connection."

Justin looked unsure. "Even if…"

I cut him off, stating firmly, "Nothing could ever break that connection. Whatever happened that night, I'll still love you and want you in my life. I'll still want only you."

"But…"

"No buts. Nothing that happened to you could make me love you less. Bad things happen to strong people all the time. What Ethan and Hobbs did to you couldn't have been prevented. You are not to blame. You were drugged and beaten until you blacked out. And don't bother saying that your going to Ethan's had anything to do with it. You went because you're a good person, and, if you hadn't gone, Ethan would have attacked you somewhere else."

I pulled Justin into my arms and held him tight.

He whispered, "You really still love me? Still want me?"

I smiled into his neck and replied softly, "Always, Angel. Always."

Suddenly, Carl called through the door. "Brian…Justin, get out here. We're finally bringing Ethan in."

My head shot up. "The judge finally granted the search warrant?"

I took Justin's hand and led him out to the living room. I continued to hold his hand as Carl spoke.

"Yes. His high-placed connection couldn't protect him forever. The cops who conducted the search found evidence there connecting him to the abandoned house…and…"

He lowered his voice and continued, "and…the DNA results came back on the semen. He's a match for one of the samples. I also put a rush on Justin's HIV test. I have a friend at the hospital."

Justin and I both held our breath, and Justin held my hand tighter.

Carl smiled. "According to the standard test, you're in the clear."

I pulled Justin into my arms and hugged him tight, both of us smiling like fools.

"Of course, it takes time for antibodies to become measurable. Normally, you'd need to get tested again in a month and then in six months. But my friend says that there is a way to know much faster, a nucleic acid based test. It's expensive, but if you take it and pass, you can be almost absolutely sure that you're negative. If you go to the hospital in a week, she'll retest you with that one."

Justin responded brightly, "Sure. Thanks so much, Carl!"

"No thanks needed, kid. But I do need you to come down to the station. It sounds like more of your memory has come back. I'll need you to make a supplementary statement."

Justin nodded.

"I also want you to look at some mug shots. Brian…"

He paused.

"Brian told me about the Sap's party."

Justin's eyes flashed in anger.

But when Carl explained, "He only told me when I asked who might want to hurt you," the anger faded, and he nodded.

"Anyway, assuming you can ID any of them, I want to bring them in for questioning. They may not have been involved in the rape, but we found a drug in your system that neither Ethan nor Hobbs could have gotten on his own. But Saperstein, or his friends, they could have, easily."

Justin's voice barely rose above a whisper at first but gained strength when he squeezed my hand. He answered, "Okay. Let's go."

As we headed to the door, I asked Daphne, "Could you hold down the fort for me? We're going to the police station."

Concern evident in her voice, Daphne asked, "What's up?"

"Ethan's been brought in. Justin needs to tell the cops what he remembered."

She nodded, deep in thought.

Justin smiled bright and whispered in her ear, "The first test came back negative."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. She hugged him tight, and they both bounced up and down a few times.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Then I started pulling Justin out the door and said, "We'll call if there's any news."

Ben approached hesitantly. "Are you going to the station?"

I nodded.

"Can I come with?" He seemed worried.

I looked at him intensely, my eyes clouding over as I remembered the breakdown I'd had earlier.

I set my jaw in determination. I needed to support Justin. I couldn't fall apart again. I would never admit it, but I was relieved that Ben wanted to accompany us. If I did fall apart again, Ben would be there…to…to what? I don't know, but his very presence calmed me.

I threw him a quick nod, and we were out the door. As it slid shut, I heard Michael ask in annoyance, "Where are they going? Why is Ben with them?"