Sorry for the delay.

This chapter is longer then I epected, but I'm happy with the results. Hope you like where this is going. Thank you for all your great reviews, it makes me want to write faster.

The Search – Chapter 12

Friends Amongst Enemies

Two weeks had gone by since Holden and Noah first landed on the island. According to Max they had a lot of reconnaissance to do before they could actually go in and try to get Luke and

Lily. Noah found this very frustrating, all he wanted was to kick the front door open and find Luke, but he knew that Max was right, they couldn't just 'storm the gates.' Even though he

hated it he did as he was told.

The first week they met with Max's contacts on the island. They were people who did not like the Grimaldi's and what they stood for. According to the contacts the Grimaldi family has

been in control of the island for centuries. They have always been linked with organized crime, and they ruled the island as if they were Kings. Though the Grimaldi brought money and

power, they also brought violence and fear. The Grimaldi shipping line had been known for smuggling. Whether it was guns or drugs, the shipping line made huge profits from these illegal

activities. And in recent years the island has been a haven for drug runners and the villagers are in constant fear for their children's safety. The people that were helping them had jobs in

the Grimaldi compound and could give them updates on what was happening to Luke and Lily. According to their main informant Antonio a man about 45 who worked in the kitchens Luke

and Lily were in separate wings of the mansion. He told them that he would do his best to find someone who was willing to help them, but that he had to be careful as to who to trust.

Noah sat through these meetings and just listened, hoping for any bit of information that would tell him how Luke was doing, yet always being disappointed. It wasn't until the Monday of

the following week when they actually got some news. Antonio had become friends with a young maid. She was assigned to Lily's room and had in some instances spoken with her. They

were usually very short conversations, but it gave them hope. According to Maria, Lily was kept locked in her room at all times. She informed them that during the first few weeks of

captivity Lily made it very difficult for anyone to come into her room. She would throw things and try to get out of her room whichever way she could, which included pushing a maid down

and running out the door. Unfortunately she was stopped by one of the guards, though she did put up quite a fight. This news made Holden smile. He knew what kind of spitfire Lily was

when she was angry. She was a force to be reckoned with when she was not angry, but piss her off and suffer the consequences. Maria told Antonio of how Lily refused to eat until she

saw her son and that that was when Signor Grimaldi went to her room. Antonio looked at Holden, his eyes sad, "according to Maria, she could hear Lily yelling at Signor Grimaldi for a short

while, and then it became silent. She said that she flirts with the guard so he lets her get away with more then he should, so she went to the door and opened it enough to peek in." Antonio

looked away from Holden, knowing this next piece of information would hurt him, "she saw the Signor grab Lily by the arms and force her against the wall."

"According to Maria, Signor Grimaldi forced himself onto Lily. She said she saw him kissing her, while she was trying to push him away." Antonio looked up as the noise of a chair falling caught

his attention. Holden had stood up so fast the chair he was sitting on slammed to the ground. His face was contorted in anger and anguish, as he listened to Antonio's story. Antonio

watched as the silent boy that always sat beside him stood up and grabbed Holden by the arms, turning him to face him. For the first time in 2 weeks Antonio heard the boy speak,

"Holden, I know what you're thinking, I'm thinking it too, but we can't just rush in there, it would only serve to give Damian time to take Lily and Luke away again." The boy was speaking softly

to the older man, he was trying his best to keep Holden from rushing into the streets and getting into the first car he could find. "Holden, please, we've trusted Max this far, we can't risk

everything we've worked so hard for. I know you have known Damian for a lot longer than I have, but I really don't believe he would rape Lily. In his mind he loves her, and he knows that doing

something that despicable would only make her hate him more." The boy whose name Antonio learned was Noah, brought Holden's body to himself and held him as his body shook with

anger and tears. He turned to Antonio, "did Maria say anything else?" Antonio, still a little surprised by the fact that this 'boy' had all of a sudden turned into a man, took a little while to

answer. Max saw the surprise in Antonio's face and smiled, he knew there was more to Noah Mayer then meets the eye.

Antonio cleared his throat and composed himself then looked up at Noah, "she said that she saw him grab Lily by the arms and drag her to the bed."Antonio watched as Holden pulled away

from Noah, he watched as the older man walked to the far side of the room and suddenly put his hand through the rotting wood that was the wall. He watched as the young man rushed

to his side and pulled his hand out of the hole he had made. Antonio could see blood on the hand and knew that the Holden must have injured his hand pretty badly. Even though the old

house they were hiding in was rotting away around them, punching the wall would still cause some damage to anyone's hand. Again, Antonio watched as the younger man began to talk

the older man out of running to the mansion, "Holden, damn, you can't do this…. do you hear me. You can't hurt yourself like this, what good is it going to do to Luke and Lily if you can't even

open your hand." He had wrapped Holden's hand with a strip of cloth he found in the kit they had brought with them.

Noah, watched as the strong force that is Holden Snyder began to fall apart in front of him. He always depended on Holden to be the strong one of the two, but at this moment he

couldn't even imagine what the man he saw as a father was going through. Lily was as much a mother to him as he ever had, and the thought of Damian doing something like that to her,

made him feel like he had been kicked in the stomach. It was hard for him to breathe at the moment, but he knew that Holden needed him right now. He looked over at Antonio and

silently asked him to continue with a nod of his head. "Maria…had to walk away when the guard told her she had been there too long, but she said that a few minutes after she walked away,

Signor Grimaldi had walked out of the room. Then she heard Lily screaming." Antonio looked at the two men and hoped that his next words would comfort them, "she said it wasn't enough

time for him to have…. done what she thought he was going to do, and that the screams were ones of anguish. She said it sounded like a woman who had lost someone precious to them." Noah

and Holden both looked at him with the same questioning look. Antonio looked at them and sighed, "Maria knows that scream, because she screamed that way when her child was run down

in the street by a speeding car. She held her child in her arms as she died, and screamed until they had to sedate her in order to get her to let go of her baby, who was only six years old." Noah

and Holden could see the tears forming in Antonio's eyes. He looked at them, "the men in the car were criminals who worked for Grimaldi Shipping; they were never arrested." He bowed his

head, "Maria told me her story when she said that she would help me, it is a story I've heard before, a story that I myself have lived through. Though in my case, it was my wife who had gone

down to the market to get some milk for our daughter when she was attacked by four men. When they were finished with her, they left her in an alley to die." The tears were now flowing freely,

"she wished often that they had killed her, up until the day that she took her own life."Noah moved towards Antonio, he kneeled in front of him, tears flowing from his eyes he said, "they…

were…. Grimaldi workers, weren't they?" All Antonio could do was nod, he lifted his face and looked into the eyes of this man he thought a boy, "do you see why we are willing to do anything

to help you? We want Grimaldi to pay for what that family has cost us." Noah, seeing the hate in Antonio's eyes worried that perhaps they would see Luke as their enemy too. "Antonio, you

do know that even though Luke is Damian's biological son, he is no more a Grimaldi then I am?" Antonio nodded and spoke softly, "we know that your Luke is nothing like the Grimaldi's or we

would not be helping you. Do not worry…Noah is it," Noah nodded, "we will help you get them both out of his clutches." Noah looked at the man then stood up, "thank you; and we'll do what we

can to help you get Damian Grimaldi off your Isalnd."

Grimaldi Mansion: same time

Luke hated where he was at the moment, but he had no choice if he wanted to see his mother today. An orderly had come into his room, he was a huge man, muscle bound, like you

would see in a body building contest. Luke wasn't sure what the man was there for, and for a minute he was scared. That was until Damian walked in right behind the man, a smile on his

face, "Luciano, this is Felipo, he will be helping you today." Luke couldn't help and look at Damian with a confused look on his face, "how is he going to help…." Luke's words froze in his throat

as the door opened again and a nurse pushed in a wheelchair. He started shaking his head, his eyes full of dread, "nonononononono…..I won't…I won't sit in that thing." His body began

to tremble and tears were flowing freely down his face, as he looked at Damian, begging him with tearful eyes to take it away. Damian walked over to his son, his hands outstretched as if

trying to calm a wild animal, "Luciano, please, you have to sit in the chair son. I promise it won't be for long." Luke could feel the fear being replaced by anger as he stared at the chair then

back to the man who was supposed to be his father, "NO! I WILL NOT SIT IN THAT THING.. I WILL NEVER SIT IN ONE AGAIN…"he yelled, but as he said it he knew that it was

somehow right, but he also knew that according to Damian those memories weren't real. Luke didn't care though, he knew that they felt real, and he didn't want to relive them while he

was awake.

Damian put his hand on his son's cheek and brought Luke out of his reverie. Luke looked up at him, still breathing hard and trying to control his tears, then moved his head and looked

back down at his hands. "Son, I know you don't want this, but this is the only way that I can take you to see your mother." Luke's head shot up instantly, gasping as the words sunk in.

"You're going to take me to see mom? Really Damian, this isn't some sort of trick to get me into that chair?" Damian smiled down at his son, "no, Luciano…this is no trick. I want you to visit your

mother, maybe hearing your voice will help her come back to us like you did." Luke took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, "o…okay...I'll sit in the chair, but only because I want to see my

mother, then I'm going to get out of it and never get into that thing again…understand." Damian nodded; he turned and motioned for the orderly to come to Luke's bed.

Luke hated the feeling of helplessness. The orderly went to Luke's bedside and lowered the railing on one side. He put one thick arm under Luke's legs and the other behind his back. He

lifted Luke off the bed as if he didn't weigh a thing. There was no real effort in lifting Luke, and the thought of what this man could do scared him a little. Why would a man built like a

bodyguard be an orderly, Luke wondered? His thoughts though were interrupted when he felt himself being lowered onto the wheelchair, and it took all his self control not to try and

throw himself out of it. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he placed them on the arm rests, so he closed his eyes and pictured the one thing that could calm him instantly, a pair

of smiling blue eyes. Luke thought this would help him breathe again, but found it just brought a lump to his throat, which he forcibly swallowed down.

Damian had come behind Luke's chair and began pushing it. This was the first time in Luke had been out of his room. He watched as Damian wheeled him down a long white corridor

towards and elevator. He was confused as to why his mother wasn't in the same place as him, "Damian? I don't understand, why isn't mom in the same area as I was?" He could hear

Damian sigh from behind him, "Luciano, you were showing signs of waking up, so we had to move you where the doctors could monitor your progress." Luke could tell Damian wasn't telling him

something, "what about my mother? Is she improving at all?" Luke felt the chair stop right in front of the doors of the elevator, he heard Damian come around and kneel in front of him,

"son…I'm sorry to say that she has not improved much since the shooting. Unfortunately, your mother is still in a coma, but I still hold out hope that she too will recover, and we can be a family

again." He placed his hand on Luke's cheek and smiled up at him.

When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Luke was surprised to find that he was in a house and not a hospital. Hearing Luke gasp, Damian knew what his son was

thinking, "Luciano, I had that part of the house turned into a private hospital, in hopes that one day they would be able to find a way to help you and your mother. This part of the mansion is

where you were before, and where your mother is now. I wanted to make your stay here as comfortable as possible."Luke turned his head and looked up at Damian, he was beginning to feel

affection for this man who had taken such love and devotion in caring for him and his mother. He could have simply put them in a private hospital. He shook his head as he tried to

remember that Damian had hurt him too many times for him to just forget. No matter what he's done for them now, Luke still wasn't fully certain if he trusted him. He would have to keep

reminding himself of this, so he didn't fall into Damian Griamldi's charm.

He was pushed down another hallway, this one though full of paintings on the walls. The house was full of beautiful furniture and Luke was sure very expensive artwork. But what really

took Luke's breath away was a fairly big painting on a wall next to the room they were going to. It was a painting of Damian with Lily and Luke as a child. Luke knew he had never posed

for this and could only conclude that Damian had had it painted after the kidnapping incident in Malta. He could tell this because in the painting Luke looked to be about 12 or 13 and by

then he had officially become a Snyder. They reached the room and the door was opened. As Damian wheeled Luke into the room Luke couldn't help but be amazed at how warm and

inviting the room seemed to be. Luke looked around and then out of the corner of his eye he caught something that made his blood run cold. On a very lavish queen sized bed laid his

mother, her auburn hair cascading over the pillows where her head was laid. Her skin seemed so pale and her hands were clasped on her stomach. Luke could feel the sensation of tears

beginning to build up, and though he tried to control his emotions, he was powerless against the sight that sent shockwaves through his system. She looked like she was just asleep,

"Damian….can..can you please take me closer?" Damian wheeled Luke right beside her bed, "I'll leave you alone to talk, son…don't worry I'm sure your voice will help." Luke looked up at

Damian and gave him and gave him a thankful smile.

Luke reached over and took Lily's left hand in his hands, "mom….oh God…..mom please open your eyes….please. I need you mom…I need you to tell me that this isn't real, that the life I dream

about isn't just a dream." He lowered his head, bringing his forehead down to touch his mother's hand. Luke cried silent tears as he held her hand close to him. He leaned closer to her, as

close as the chair would let him and put his head on the bed by her arm, he whispered the words that had been running through his head since he first woke up and saw Damian over

him, "Mom, please you have to wake up…we have to get out of here together…I'm not leaving without you, so just….wake…up." Those words seemed to drag Luke back into his head. A voice he

knew too well was talking to him, and he was trying desperately to climb out of the darkness he was in to get to that voice.

"come on Luke, can't get us all fired up and then check out on us…. anyways there's no way I'm moving into an apartment without you. So….you know….WAKE UP, before Mr. Reese sues us."

Luke climbed out of the darkness towards the light that was Noah's voice. He struggled to open his eyes, but manages. He turned what seemed like a very heavy head towards the voice that had led him back, and could feel the warmth of the hand of the person he loved more than anything in this world. His throat felt so very dry but he managed to croak out the only word that comes to him, "hey…"

He can see Noah smiling and can hear a sigh of relief in his voice as he answers Luke, laughing at the ridiculousness of the greeting, "hey…yourself…"

In his minds' eye, Luke can see another hospital room, not too much unlike the one he woke up in recently. He knows his head is lying on the bed next to his mother's comatose form, but

he can't seem to stop being dragged back into this 'dream,' 'memory,' whatever it is, Luke wants more.

Luke can see his parents' look of relief as the doctor informs him that he needs rest and observation for the next 48 hrs. He watches as his mother reaches over and puts her hands on his head, almost as if to verify that he was okay and actually there in front of her, "I'm so proud of you…" her hand moving to cup his face.

Luke smiles, "well the feelings mutual.." He watches as she leans down and places a couple of kisses on his forehead, it brings back memories of his childhood, "love you too mom." Luke watches as his father leans in after his mother walks away, he knows how hard Holden tries to hold back his fear, but he can see it in his eyes, "I don't want to take this away from you, I just want you to be safe, if anything ever happened to you I could never forgive myself." Luke knows that his father wouldn't want a sappy moment, so he makes light of the situation, "well, if anything does it's not going to happen here…" then he leans back onto his pillows, watching his beautiful boyfriend walk towards his bed, probably the sexiest thing he's ever seen, "and, um…I'll keep the momentum going." Luke smiles, "I knew I could count on you…" he watches his beautiful self-conscious boyfriend as he lightly traces Luke's arm with his hand, "I can't promise to inspire the masses like you and your mom do…." If only this man knew how wonderful he really was, and how much he inspired Luke, "well….you inspire me….everyday." He watched as Noah's face changed from one full of doubt to something full of love and passion as he took Luke's chin in his hand and raised it so Luke's lips would meet with his, for a soft and passionate couple of kisses, that if Luke hadn't just been hit by a car would have turned into something a little more.

Luke sat up quickly in his chair. He was still holding Lily's hand but felt like all the air had been let out of the room. He looked over at his mother and could feel the anguish of not being

able to talk to her wash over him, "no..no.. I won't let myself feel lost. I will get better…and mom, I'm going to get us both out of here." He whispered these words to his mother, vowing to

himself that he would do whatever he could to find out if these dreams are real or as Damian put it, 'a figment of your unconscious mind, trying to heal itself, the only way it knows

how.'

As Luke sat with his mother a young maid walked in. She walked around the bed and began to straighten Lily's sheets, even though Luke knew that they didn't need any attention. He

smiled at her and she smiled back. She looked nervous as she came around to Luke's side, "Signor Grimaldi, would you like a cover for your legs?" Luke winced at the use of the title, "my

name is not Grimaldi, signorina it's Snyder, or you can just call me Luke." The young maid smiled again then went to retrieve something from one of wardrobe in the room. She brought him a

small blanket to throw over his legs. As she made a show of actually tucking the blanket around his legs, Luke wasn't sure what to make of it. The maid looked up at Luke then back at the

door, she whispered quickly "signor….Luke…do not trust what they tell you. Your mama gave me something for you." Luke was confused, what was this girl doing. She reached into her apron

and pulled out a piece of paper, she quickly tucked it between Luke's thigh and the chair, under the sheet that covered his legs, "please…Luke…do not let them find this." With that she

stood walked away quickly, just as Damian entered the room. The maid went on to collect the soiled laundry then rushed out the door. Luke knew that he had to figure out what the maid

was talking about, and until then he would keep the note hidden. He looked over at Damian and in the most convincing voice he could do he said the words he knew Damian wanted to

hear, "father…can you please get me some tissue from the bathroom. I think I've cried enough. There will be no more tears." He watched as Damian beamed at his use of the title 'father.' "But

of course son….we will get through this." As Damian walked into the bathroom Luke took the note and tucked it into the waistband of his pajama bottoms.

Damian had decided that Luke needed to stay in the east wing, where he was closer to the therapy room that had been set up for him. The room he was given was spacious and was

decorated much like his room back in Oakdale was. After the 'hulk,' as Luke began to think of the orderly, placed him on his bed Luke yawned and told Damian he was tired and was

going to take a little nap, "of course, Luciano, you must be warn-out from today's events." After Damian left Luke quickly pulled out the paper the maid had given him. To his surprise it was a

letter and it was in his mother's handwriting. Luke's hands started to shake as he read the first line.

Luke, baby if you're reading this then you've come to my room and seen me lying unconscious in my bed. Please, Luke, listen carefully. I am not in a coma and whatever story Damian has told you is a lie. He kidnapped us, baby, and I'm so sorry that I can't be there for you while you struggle with this news. Luke, Damian took us away from all we loved a little over two weeks ago. The last time I saw you, he had you hooked up to machines and they were doing something to your memory. I swear, I tried to fight him. I tried to free you, but he was too strong, and they drugged me. Luke you can't let Damian know that you are on to him. Maria (the maid who gave you this) put herself at great risk so that you will get this letter. Oh, my darling, how I wish that I could see you when you come visit me. But I do have a plan on how we can communicate. I will leave you a note hidden in my bedside table. I will tape it under the top drawer, that way if anyone opens it they won't see it.

Maria has given me some very good news today. Your father and a young man are working with some of the locals to get us out of here. I can only assume that young man to be our Noah. I can't write anymore I know that Damian will be here soon and I can't let him catch me. Promise me Luke that if you get a chance you will escape. Don't worry about me, he won't hurt me. I love you so much, baby. Remember that you are strong just like your father. Don't give up hope.

Love Always

Mom

Luke couldn't stop his hands from shaking even more than before. This time though he was shaking from anger. The tears flowing down his face were tears of rage and hatred. Hatred for

the man who had betrayed him so many times, he'd lost count. 'Noah, Noah was coming for him;' God how he hoped that was true. Luke knew he had no choice but to play along with

Damian's game, but he knew now how much strength it would take not to reach out and strangle Damian with his bare hands. This was just the beginning, tomorrow things were going to

change and Damian won't know what hit him. Luke would get the use of his legs back, and he will be reunited with his father and Noah, even if it meant sending Damian to prison for the

rest of his life for all the horrible things he's done to them. Luke knew that he was in for a fight, but he was more than ready.

Please tell me what you think.

**next chapter: Luke works hard to recover, using his anger to help fuel his therapy sessions.

**Noah and Holden get to communicate with Lily and Luke.