AN/ Hi everyone. I am really really sorry for the long wait. I feel like I've been letting you guys down, big time... I honestly have no better excuse than this; I've been busy and the chapter took a lot of time to write. It turned out to be SUPER long and I've been debating with myself whether I should shorten it or not. I was thinking about deleting some parts, but I couldn't decide which parts to skip and then I figured that you probably wouldn't mind reading it all... At least I hope you won't...so it's all there...

I also want to say that I think you guys are amazing. All your reviews is what really makes me a better writer. Thank you so much.

OK I think I'm done now... Only got one more thing to say; Enjoy the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kickin' it.

Chapter 30

Returning Home

Kim's pov

Being too shocked by everything that was taking place, I was unable to do anything more than watch with a mixture of confusion and horror as Jack climbed on top of the vicious man, before forcing his fists down his skull.

I blinked, just to be sure that I wasn't dreaming. Last time I'd checked Jack had been an emotional wreck, lying helplessly on the floor inside…. About that... How did he get free?

Throwing a glance back at the cabin I spotted Austin, who seemed to have frozen just like I had. Realizing that he must've helped Jack, I felt guilty for ever doubting him. The tall teen noticed me staring at him and met my gaze. As if locking eyes with me was all he needed to come out of his trance he quickly made it over to me and helped me to my feet.

He was about to say something when Mark suddenly let out a scream. A scream for help I think.

"DAD!" Whipping our heads around at his exclamation, we watched with confusion. Had he really called for his dad? "He's hurting me!" He continued, sounding utterly afraid. His cries worried me a little. Was his dad around here somewhere? In that case we would have another problem to deal with, as if things weren't bad enough already…

Mark's sudden change of behaviour seemed to have surprised Jack too, as his fists stopped mid-air. Mumbling something under his breath he lowered his arms slowly, never letting his eyes off the man beneath him. Mark struggled to get to his feet and Jack didn't do anything to stop him. Instead he slid off him and sat on the ground, still lost in his thoughts.

The tall man got up and brushed off his clothes but neither I nor Jack paid much attention to him as we were too busy locking eyes with each other. It only lasted a couple of seconds though and before anyone was able to react Mark aimed a punch at Jack's head.

"Jack!" I screamed, but I was too late. Mark's fist collided with Jack's face, knocking him to the ground. Feeling as if my heart just got cut in half I started towards the boy I loved more than anything in this world, dreading the worst. He was already so beaten up that I feared that he wouldn't be able to take more.

"Stay where you are!" Mark commanded, holding up his hand in a gesture for me to stop. It worked. Taking one look into the green eyes, I knew that I'd do best to obey. Mark smirked, obviously satisfied with how things were working out. "See, I told you he was stupid and easily fooled…" He mocked and if Jack hadn't been lying so defenceless at his feet, I would have come up with some sort of comment about Jack not being stupid. But in our current situation I knew better than to do that. Instead I shot a glance at Jack, who had tilted his head so that he would be able to look back at me. His brown eyes held so much pain and fear that I could barely stand it and I instinctively started to approach him again.

"One more step and he'll pay." Mark warned, making me stop once more. "Now go back to your friend." He nodded towards Austin. I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. All I could think about was how bad I wanted Jack to be alright again. I wanted to hold him and make all his sufferings go away. I wanted to make him smile again.

For a moment I considered to just run up to him, ignoring Mark's demands. But before I could do anything Mark sent a kick to Jack's stomach. The impact caused Jack curl up into a fetal position while letting out a moan of pain.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, on the verge of tears now. After just one look at Jack's face I had known that he'd been beaten and abused, but to see it actually happening was something completely different. It was the worst thing that I'd ever witnessed and it tore my heart apart. I never want to see anything like that ever again.

"Now back off or…." Mark said, lifting his leg to kick him again.

"Don't!" I screamed, my heart skipping a beat. "I'll back off, just don't hurt him. Please." I managed to say as I slowly backed towards Austin, never taking my eyes off of them.

"That's better…" Mark smiled as he, to my relief, put his leg back down.

My mind was racing, desperately trying to come up with something that could save Jack. I looked at the unmoving form that was my best friend. He was lying very still. Too still…

"Jack?" I called his name, trying to hide my worries. A sickening feeling filled my gut when he didn't respond nor react. "Jack, please say something." The lump in my throat made it hard to get the words out and still not seeing any signs of him being alive, caused the tears to fill my eyes and I fought hard to hold them back. "Jack?"

Mark looked down at his victim, obviously also noticing the disturbing lack of movements from Jack's part as he nudged him with his foot. Still not getting any reaction he bent down over him. I prayed that Jack wouldn't be dead. If he'd turned out to be, I don't know what I'd do…

Just when I thought that he really was gone Jack literally burst into life, gripping Mark's arms and pulled him down towards himself as he lifted the rest of the man's body over his own, using his legs. Mark flipped over Jack and landed on his back. Confusion flashed across the green eyes and before he was able to react, Jack had already launched himself at him, throwing a well-aimed punch to his temple, knocking him out cold.

After taking a very brief moment to just let it all sink in I practically ran up to Jack who was sitting next to the lifeless body. He turned his head. Never taking his eyes off of me, he attempted to stand up. I was only a few steps away from him when his legs crumbled down beneath him. Taking a leap forward I managed to catch him before he'd hit the ground. He was heavy though. Quickly realizing that I wouldn't be able to hold both him and myself up, I carefully let us sink towards the ground.

"It's ok Jack." I said, gently rubbing his back. "I've got you."

"You're real…" Jack whimpered, burying himself into my chest. "Oh my God you're really here." He clutched my sweater for all he was worth and started to sob uncontrollably. I'd seen him sad and even tearing up a couple of times before all of this happened, but he never really cries, at least not when other people are around. That's why I'd been so scared and worried when I first saw him in the basement a few days ago. But back then he'd cried more softly and composed and he'd been utterly upset. Now he cried like a baby –literally- not caring if anyone saw or heard him for that matter. His sobs were loud, piercing my soul and his whole body was shaking. He was devastated.

"You're not dead…" He choked out.

"Of course, I'm not dead." I said as cheerful as I could, hoping that my words would calm him and cheer him up, if only just a little. "I promised you I wouldn't die, didn't I?"

Much to my surprise and worry he started to weep even more. Hyperventilating he whimpered and whined hysterically as his tears fell down on my chest and I seriously thought that he would soon pass out from lack of oxygen. I was scared. Scared that I'd lost my best friend. Scared that he'd been too deeply hurt to be able to heal again. A tear escaped my eye at the helpless feeling of not knowing what to do to help him through this.

"It's ok. It's over." I soothed and tightened my arms around him, wanting to give him a sense of safety. He immediately winced, reminding me that he was still in physical pain.

"Sorry." I apologized releasing my grip, which caused Jack to cling to me even tighter.

"Don't let go." He whimpered through his sobs.

"Don't worry. I won't let go." I said hugging him tighter again, while resting my head on top of his. His shoulders were rising and falling along the uneven rhythm of him crying. "I'm not gonna leave you. I promise, and you should know by now that I keep my promises."

Before I could think or stop myself I placed a kiss on the top of his head. Slowly I could feel him relax against me and it didn't feel like he was gonna choke on his own sobs any longer.

"Is he dead?" A familiar voice came from behind me. It took me a moment to recall who the voice belonged to. I'd been so occupied with Jack that I had forgotten about Austin and Mark who was still lying next to us. Figuring Austin must've meant Mark, since Jack made it pretty clear that he was still alive through all the noises he made. I threw a quick glance at the man, mentally scolding myself for not having checked on him already. What if he'd woken up and attacked us while we were sitting here?

"No, he's still breathing." I stated, watching with mixed emotions his chest rising and falling. I was in a way relieved that Jack hadn't killed him. Jack wasn't a murderer and I wanted him to stay that way, but knowing that the body next to us was very much like a ticking bomb that could go of any second made me very uneasy.

"Hm…" Austin said thinking, before nodding towards the boy cradled in my arms. "How's he?" The afro-american looked scared and confused, obviously shocked over this whole situation. Jack's behaviour was really disturbing to watch for both of us. I didn't blame Jack though, instead the longer he kept crying the stronger my feeling of wanting to be there for him grew. I wanted to give him everything that I had and more. I wanted to protect him and comfort him. I wanted to make him the happiest person on earth and I would dedicate my life to accomplish that.

I looked down at Jack while carefully caressing his cheek, catching a few tears on their way down while doing so.

"Jack?" He turned his head up and looked at me through watery eyes, tears still steadily leaving them. His face was red and gleamed with the salty moisture. The cut on his lip had started to bleed again along with his nose, probably from the last hit he took to the face. His lips quivered slightly as he let small sounds escape from them. I couldn't help but gasp a little, causing Jack to break the eye contact and turn his head to its previous position. I stopped him though, sliding my hand that had been resting on his cheek to under his chin, tilting his head backwards.

"You're bleeding." I said, concern filling my voice. "Maybe we should go inside and clean you up."

"No" Jack protested immediately and hid his head in the crook of my neck, his whole body tensed. "I can't…"

"It's ok. You don't have to…" I said quickly not wanting him to get even more upset. Using the hand I had touched his face with, I started to stroke the back of his head. Austin probably felt awkward watching us and he was smart enough to realize that we needed our space. He quickly turned his attention towards Mark. Kneeling beside the man he checked for his pulse before going through his pockets. I didn't know what he was doing nor did I care. All I could think about was the heartbroken brunette seeking comfort in my embrace.

"How do you feel, Jack?" I wondered, dreading the answer.

"Hurt." He said weakly, into my shoulder. Just hearing him say that was enough for me to wanting to cry and I struggled to keep it together. The Jack I knew would never admit he was hurt no matter how obvious it was. The fact that he did now only proved how deeply scarred he must be. I squeezed him comforting.

"I know you're hurt." I said softly, trying to keep my voice from cracking. "But could you be a little more specific? Where does it hurt?"

"My arms…and my face…" He said quietly, before inhaling a shaky breath. "Those are probably the worst…" I was about to ask him more when Austin suddenly spoke.

"Look what I found." Turning my attention towards him, my eyes quickly landed on the small key he held in his hand. Before I could comprehend what it was for Austin was already reaching down to Jack who cringed, obviously startled by his actions.

"It's ok Jack." I said, reassuringly rubbing his shoulder.

"Here…" Austin mumbled as Jack allowed him to come close enough to be able to unlock the handcuffs that were trapping his hands. Jack who was still resting his head against me watched him carefully as he removed them.

"Thank you." He said weakly, looking at Austin. Austin gave him a smile before Jack let go of my sweater and snaked his arms around me, holding me tightly. I was surprised at how strong he was even in this state.

Austin made it over to Mark again and started to push on his side. I looked at him curiously over Jack's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I wondered as I saw Austin pushing the man over onto his stomach.

"I'm just making sure that he won't bother us any more..." He answered, pulling Marks arms behind his back and securing them with the handcuffs Jack had been wearing. "Just in case he wakes up…" He mumbled before adjusting the body into a lateral recumbent position. I was actually pretty impressed by his ability to think and act the way he did under the circumstances. I was way too emotional to think let alone do anything more than holding on to Jack.

"I'll be right back." Austin said, standing up and headed for the cabin. I didn't ask what he was up to, fully trusting him, besides I was too occupied with Jack. His body was still shaking and that worried me.

"Jack… everything's gonna be okay. I promise…" I whispered, rocking him slightly. "We're gonna go home and he's never gonna hurt you again." He didn't respond but he seemed to calm down. I kept mumbling comforting things to him until his sobs finally came to an end. His arms that had been locked around me started to loosen; telling me that he'd begun to relax.

"Kim?" His voice still trembled slightly as he spoke into my hair.

"Mmm...?" I pulled away just a little to be able to look at him. He tensed again, probably worried that I would let go and his grip prevented me from getting much distance. However I managed to lean away from him just enough to meet his eyes. I felt a blush spreading across my cheeks, our faces so close to each other that our foreheads almost touched and I could feel his warm breath brushing against my skin. The position would've been awkward just a week ago and I wondered if Jack would be comfortable with this. Strangely enough it didn't seem to bug him and he didn't do any attempts to move. Not that I minded neither him nor the butterflies he always seemed to know how to stir to life inside me…

"I…" He started. "I've…I…" When it didn't seem like he was going to be able to say what was on his mind anytime soon I cupped his cheek with one of my hands and he immediately leaned into it, closing his eyes, just like he'd done back in the basement. The tingling feeling inside me increased as he showed me how much he really enjoyed my touch.

I started to rhythmically stroke his cheek with my thumb, slowly leaning forward until our foreheads met. He kept his eyes closed and his arms were still wrapped around me. I could feel his hand moving in small circles across my back, following the same slow and even rhythm of my thumb. I closed my eyes too, letting myself soak in the fact that he was alive and we were finally together again. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. There was no need. His touch told me everything I needed to know. The thought about telling him how I felt for him crossed my mind. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, how much I cared for him. I wanted to tell him that I loved him. But I didn't seem to be able to gather enough courage say it.

"Thank you" He whispered barely audible, after a moment of silence. Even though his voice was faint I'd never experienced anyone being more sincere. His gratefulness was projected from every part of his being. You hear people all the time saying that they're doing whatever they're doing, whether it's working with kids, treating ill or helping in any other way, they're doing it because it's so rewarding and they get so much back. I thought I knew what they meant by that and I thought I'd experienced it before. Wrong. It turned out that I hadn't got a clue of just how rewarding it could be. Not until that experience on the forest floor, that morning. I'd just shown Jack a little care, a little love, not merely enough considering what he'd deserved and yet he was already giving back tenfold. I don't know how he did it but all the emotions he was sending over to me, moved me deeply and I felt if possible even more affection for him. If it hadn't been for the door to the cabin suddenly opening, revealing Austin I probably would have kissed him right then and there. The sound that the door made seemed to have startled Jack and he quickly returned to his previous position, hiding his face in my hair. I gave him a gentle squeeze to tell him that everything was alright, while looking at Austin who was on his way over to us, carrying a few blankets under his arm and balancing a tray with a glass of juice and the plate that had been placed on the floor next to Jack earlier in his hands.

"Here…give him this." He said when he'd reached us, giving me the glass. "I've called 911. They're already on their way." He explained as he unfolded the three blankets, placing two over Jack who tensed but didn't say or do anything. "We just gotta make sure that he stays warm…" Austin was back to mumbling as he swiftly but carefully tucked him in. Again I was surprised by how focused Austin seemed to be and I was glad that he was there. I don't know how far I would have come or what I would've done if I'd been alone.

"Jack?" I patted his head and held up the glass filled with juice to him. He turned, facing it but didn't make any attempt to grab it, not wanting to let go of me. I brought the glass a little closer to him and he responded by leaning forward and placing his lips against it. Carefully I tilted it and let him drink. Meanwhile Austin was checking up on Mark. He'd placed the last blanket over the inanimate body before placing his hands on different parts of the man's face and throat. I watched him curiously until he looked up, meeting my gaze.

"Mum's a nurse." He answered the question I had written all over my face with a shrug and stood up. "She taught me a thing or two…"

Being too caught up with watching Austin I had stopped my hand from tilting the glass and Jack was unable to drink the rest of it. Growing impatient, he finally let go of me with one of his hands and grabbed the glass, guiding it to his mouth again. His grip was pretty weak though and I kept holding on to the glass just in case.

"I'll be back soon." Austin said and headed back inside, leaving me once again alone with Jack… and Mark. Jack finished both his drink and his meal very quickly, making me wonder how long it'd been since he'd eaten. There just didn't seem to be an end to the cruelties he'd been suffering.

The teen in my embrace started to move and I loosened my arms letting him adjust into a more comfortable position until he was half lying, half sitting with his right shoulder and head resting against me. His left arm was snaked around my waist while the other was lying resting over my lap. I pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and pressed his body slightly against me. Closing his eyes he snuggled his face into my chest. He seemed tired and his relaxed body, which thank God had stopped shaking, felt heavy.

It didn't take long until Austin came back outside. This time he was carrying a bucket with water and a plastic bag. Putting the items down next to us, he squatted and brought out the rag that'd been floating in the bucket. The sound of the water pouring from it when he squeezed it caused Jack's eyes to open. The brunette immediately pushed himself against me forcefully and I had to brace myself to keep us from falling over. His hand placed on my waist clutched my sweeter as he worriedly watched Austin.

"It's ok Jack." The sound of my voice made him freeze.

"Here, you should probably do it…" Austin said, handing me the damp rag. I brought it carefully to Jack's face in an attempt to clean it from all the blood and dirt that was covering larger parts of it. Jack cringed and tried to move away, hiding his face into my chest. His actions hurt a little. Didn't he trust me?

"Jack." I said, leaning my head down so that my mouth was close to his ear. "I would never ever hurt you."

"I know…" He whimpered. "It's just that…" I could tell he was close to tears and I quickly let go of the rag and hugged him.

"Please don't cry." I was surprised and worried about his reaction and it wasn't until later that I found out what kind of memories it'd brought back to him. "Tell me what's wrong." Austin and I exchanged worried glances before looking at Jack who still refused to look up. "Jack? Please tell us. What are you so afraid of? I was just going to clean you up." I continued to speak while stroking his head. "Jack, just look at me, please. I'm sorry if I scared you and I swear I won't do anything that you don't want me to. Okay?"

Slowly he turned his head, revealing his troubled expression. He'd managed to keep it together, but only just and I knew that it wouldn't take much for him to lose it.

Carefully I brought the rag back up to him, but not to his face, instead I held it in a position so that he could easily reach it.

"You want to do it yourself?" I asked. He pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering from me to the rag and back again.

"No…" He shook his head slightly. "You do it…"

"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to do something that would upset him again. He gave me a nod and I carefully started to wipe the blood off his face. I could feel his whole body tensing at first, but when he realized that nothing was going to hurt him he closed his eyes and relaxed. It actually looked as if he enjoyed it. Once it was done Austin helped me to apply an antiseptic cream that he'd found inside, to the cut on Jack's lower lip and to his wrists as well.

Neither of us said anything for quite some time. We just sat there enjoying the warm sun as we waited for help to arrive. Jack seemed to have fallen asleep against me. Not wanting to stir him in his sleep I'd kept as still as I could, which had caused a few parts of my body to go numb. I couldn't care less though.

Suddenly a low groan was heard from the man lying next to us. Austin gave me a worried glance, before looking at his watch.

"They should be here any minute." He said. I knew that he hoped as much as I did that help would come before Mark woke up, but of course we did have no such luck.

The previously so lifeless body started to move under the blanket covering it. The movements were small at first but soon increased. Austin got up on his feet and towered above the man, ready to act if needed.

"…I know…I know Tess…" Mark mumbled quietly. "…what has he done?...I didn't….no Tess…" I looked confused at Austin who just shrugged. The things Mark was mumbling made no sense, but then again he'd just started to wake up from being hit in the head…and he wasn't exactly sane before the blow either...

"…I don't…The boy…the boy…" Mark went quiet for a moment, still keeping his eyes closed. I held my breath, watching him. Maybe he'd passed out again…

"JACK!" He suddenly exclaimed. The boy who'd been peacefully asleep in my arms jerked awake. Curling up, he pressed himself against me. Mark opened his eyes and looked around, confusion written all over his face. It didn't take long until he found what he was looking for though and he soon fixed his eyes on the brunette. Jack cringed under his gaze and I locked my arms protectively around him. There's no way I would ever let Mark hurt him again.

"Jack…" He started, his deep voice a little hoarse. "What are you doing out here? You should be inside…" Jack didn't answer him, but I could feel the boy tensing. Mark moved, probably trying to get up when he noticed that his hands were secured behind his back. I could see a quick flash of panic in the green eyes as he struggled to get free. I debated with myself if I should let go of Jack and make sure that Mark wouldn't get away, but I couldn't bring myself to release my hold of my friend. Austin looked as if he was about to jump the man when Mark abruptly stopped moving and lay still on the ground, turning his gaze to Jack again.

"Jack" Mark said in a very friendly tone. "Why don't you help me get these off and we can all go back inside? Your friends can come too." Jack just shook his head. "I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving." When he still didn't get any response from the boy his tone got firmer. "Jack. Get these things. Off. Me. Now."

"No" Jack whimpered.

"I'm warning you; if you don't get these off and go back inside this instance I will send Alan on you!" The threat made me and Austin exchange confused glances. Was Alan Mark's father, who he'd called for earlier? No matter who Alan was, the threat had an effect on Jack, who instantly hid his face and started shaking. This got me really mad. I'd finally calmed Jack down and now Mark had to upset him again.

"Hey, why don't you shut it?!" I spat. "You're not allowed to talk to him."

"Says who?" Mark snorted.

"Says I!" I hissed, shooting daggers at him. He looked a little taken aback for a moment or two until something flickered in his eyes and a smirk grew on his face.

"You kids think you've outsmarted us…" He chuckled, looking at the trembling boy. "I'm surprised Jack. I thought that we'd established the importance of listening to Mark…" He shifted a little, making Jack winch. "Jack. Do as you're told and your friends will not be harmed." I rolled my eyes at his silly threat. He was actually pretty harmless where he lay handcuffed on the ground. However Jack was clearly intimidated by him.

"Please…" Jack pleaded and tried to sit up straight. Afraid that he intended to obey Mark, I quickly pulled him towards me again.

"Don't listen to him Jack. He's just trying to scare you." I said. "He can't do anything to hurt us."

"This is ridiculous…" Mark muttered clearly annoyed of the situation. "Don't say I didn't warn ya…" He growled and hoisted himself up into a sitting position. He'd moved fast and with such determination that it actually scared me a little, not to mention how much it scared Jack, who'd jumped against me with such force that he almost knocked us over. Mark never let his green eyes off his terrified prey, as he was about to get to his feet. But before he could Austin threw himself at him tackling him to the ground again.

The man struggled to get free from under the teen and just when I was wondering how much longer Austin would be able to hold him down, the sound of sirens blasted through the forest. I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me as the first police car came into view. Mark's previously so smug expression turned into one out of fear and he panicked. There was no way that Austin would let him get away though. Several vehicles arrived, even a helicopter soared above the tree tops and before we knew it the whole place was filled with police officers and paramedics.

I instantly recognized Mr Graham among them. In fact he was the first one to get to Mark.

"You?!" Mark spat. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I think you know…"Mr Graham said as he and a partner of his pulled Mark to his feet.

"Get your hands off me!" Mark snarled, pulling back. The chief inspector ignored him and with bitterness in his voice he said;

"I always knew it would end like this Mark."

I watched with a confused expression as Mark was led away to one of the police cars. It sounded as if Mr Graham and Mark had met before, which is kind of strange considering that Mr Graham had been acting as if he didn't know who Mark was back at the hospital. And Mark hadn't really been known to the police before all of this…or had he?

I was brought back from my thoughts as Jack shifted nervously in my embrace.

He was obviously uncomfortable with all the noises and people running around and he clung to me as if his life depended on it. Of course he along with Mark was the centre of everyone's attention, which didn't make it any better. People were throwing questions to all of us and so much happened at once that I had a hard time comprehending what was going on.

Jack didn't answer many of their questions with more than just a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Some questions he didn't answer at all. Not that I was much better at providing neither the police nor the paramedics with any valuable information. Yet again I must give Austin extra credit for being cool and sharp enough to be able to put words on what had happened. He was currently standing by one of the police cars talking with the officers, occasionally gesturing towards the cabin or to us.

Meanwhile I and two paramedics struggled to talk Jack into letting go of me so that they could bring him with them. The whole time they were checking him over, while trying to get him to tell them how he felt, so that they could start getting a picture of his condition. It was hard though. Jack wasn't exactly cooperative and after twenty minutes of trying to convince him that there was nothing to worry about without much luck, their patients began to run out. One of the paramedics placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, gently pulling him backwards and away from me. I too leaned back a little, increasing the gap between us. The feeling of slipping away from each other caused Jack to panic though and he practically threw himself at me again, wrapping his arms around me and held on as tight as he possibly could.

"Please don't let them take me." He spoke into my shoulder, his voice cracking at the end.

"It's ok. They're not gone hurt you." I reassured, feeling like I'd let him down when I'd helped them to force him away from me. "They're gonna take you to the hospital."

"But I'm fine." He whimpered, looking at me through watery eyes. "I just need to go home." I placed my hands on either side of his face holding it in place, while looking into his brown polls. "Please"

It pained me not to be able to grant his wish. But I knew that he needed medical care and he had to go to the hospital, for his own good.

"Jack, you're not fine." I said softly. He knew what I was getting to and he frowned.

"Please…" He pleaded again, his lips trembling. Looking into his eyes at that moment and knowing that what you're about to say next was the opposite of what he wanted to hear, was heartbreaking. I sighed.

"Jack, you need to go. They're gonna help you." He closed his eyes, causing the tears to spill over while contorting his whole face into a grimace of hurt. "They're gonna make the pain go away, so you can go home again." I said, trying to stop the sobs that I knew was on their way. My words didn't help though and he started to cry. He was still resting his head in my hands and I used my thumbs to wipe his tears away.

"Why…?" He swallowed. "Why can't I go home now?"

"Because we don't know what kind of injures you have." A female paramedic answered. The sound of her voice caused Jack to break away from my hold and hide his face in my shoulder again.

"I wanna go home with you Kim." He said quietly. The fact that I seemed to be so important to him made me feel all fuzzy inside and to tell you the truth there was nothing that I wanted more than to take him home with me.

"Jack it's critical that you get to a hospital as soon as possible." The woman said again. "You're friend can come too."

"You hear that Jack?" I said, looking down at him. "I'll be coming with you." Knowing that I wasn't going to leave him seemed to have a positive effect on him and after taking a moment to calm down, he finally agreed to get in the ambulance. He still refused to let go of me though so placing him on a stretcher was out of the question. Instead he insisted on walking up to the ambulance, of course with me closely by his side, supporting him. Even though I wasn't family everyone seemed to agree that it would be best if I rode in the ambulance with him, to keep the stress level to a minimum. Not that we had much of a choice. I couldn't get more than a few inches away from him before he would start to freak out.

Well inside the vehicle they were able to give him some sedatives and he agreed to lie down on the stretcher. The drugs made him drowsy and it looked as if he was fighting to stay awake. I took his hand and he immediately grabbed a hold of it.

I felt calm and relieved knowing that it was all over. Mark was captured and would hopefully be locked in prison for a very long time. Jack was saved and both me and Austin had made it without getting ourselves harmed or killed. The whole rescue mission had turned out to be a great success and now we could go back to living our lives again.

I squeezed Jack's hand while caressing his cheek with my other hand, looking into his half opened eyes.

"Everything will be alright." I whispered.

I sat on one of the hard chairs, nervously fiddling around with my bracelet. It's been over two hours since they'd disappeared down the hallway with Jack. I threw a glance in the direction in case they'd decided to reappear. Seeing nothing that could indicate on them coming back, I turned to look at my hands again, today's scenario playing over and over again inside my head. I occasionally tried to think of something else, but without much luck.

The doctors had given me a check-up even though I had clearly stated that I was okay. I had actually been a little annoyed that they would waste time on me when there were other patients that needed them more. Jack for instance. They'd soon realized though that I'd been telling the truth when they couldn't find anything out of order and I'd been good to go.

Austin had, to my annoyance, been worried and called my mother while I was seeing the doctor, which had caused her to more or less freak out and it'd taken me a while to reassure her that everything was fine with me. I understood her worries though, when she heard that her daughter who was supposed to be in school had gone to search up the man who tried to kill her…

She was at the moment sitting next to me, reading a magazine, although I could tell that she wasn't really interested in the articles.

She had arrived at the hospital about half an hour after we had, along with Jack's parents and the rest of the warriors. When they spotted me and Austin in the waiting room they had practically jumped us with questions. We had done our best to answer them and I think they all had a pretty good picture about what happened, although we left out quite a lot of details, not wanting to worry them too much. I'll probably tell them later though, once every one has gotten over the shock. Shock… that's probably the best word to describe what we were all going through. I looked around. No one had said anything for the last fifteen minutes and everybody seemed to have spaced out, lost in their own thoughts. I didn't mind the silence in the room though. In fact I welcomed it as it let me focus on Jack. A small wave of guilt hit me. I'd promised Jack that I would be with him really soon before he was taken away. Problem was that time was ticking and I was afraid that he would start to worry about me not returning to him.

Thinking about how he'd clung to me earlier made my stomach flip for two completely different reasons. One; it almost made me feel sick knowing that he must've gone through truly horrible things to act like that and two; he had wanted to be close to me, holding on to me with such determination that the paramedics and I had almost to use force to get him to let go...

Sure we'd always been close and he had been the centre of my world for the past two years, but I'd never really thought that I meant that much to him. All the emotions he'd showed me as we'd sat in the forest had been overwhelming. His hug had been to most heart-warming and sincere that I had ever been lucky to receive and I realized in that moment that I probably was as important to him as he was to me and there was a possibility of him even loving me. The newly gained knowledge made me all warm inside.

We'd shared the tenderest moment I'd ever experienced with anyone and to be apart from him now was if possible even more painful than before.

I turned to my mother.

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom." I told her quietly, getting up from my chair. She gave me a nod and a weak smile, before returning to her magazine. I could feel the rest of the gang looking at me with interest and I avoided looking back at them, making clear that I rather not be talking to anyone of them at the moment.

Hurrying down the corridor I turned the first corner to the left and headed for the door with a big WC sign on it.

When I was done and about to head back out again I caught a tired and strangely looking blond staring at me through the mirror on the wall. She looked strange because she was supposed to look like me and yet she didn't. Her hair was a mess, there were dark circles under her eyes and the front of her shirt was covered with blood stains.

I quickly combed my fingers through my hair, untangling it slightly in an attempt to make me look like me again. When it didn't work I splattered my face with water as if I could wash away the surface and reveal the real me hiding under it. Even though it wasn't much of a use to help me with my look, the cool water was refreshing and I didn't feel as tired anymore.

After drying off my face I unlocked the door to head back. But I barely made it out before a couple of deep brown eyes met mine, startling me.

"You ok?" Austin asked.

"Yeah…" I answered quietly, suddenly remembering the traumatic morning and a weird expression covered my face. Austin noticed, quickly stepping towards me and wrapt his arms around me. I'm sure he meant well, but I felt a bit uncomfortable knowing that the hug most probably was something more than just a friendship hug to him and I pulled away.

I looked at him awkwardly. He'd seemed to have frozen, trying not to show the emotions that was going on inside of him, but I could tell that he'd been hurt by my rejection.

"It's Jack…" He trailed off, looking past me as if he was trying to find the right thing to say, but was obviously unable to. I sighed, breaking the awkward silence.

"Look Austin, you're a great guy and any girl should be lucky to have you…" Placing my hand on my chest for emphasis, I searched his eyes with mine. "Honestly, and I feel privileged to have you as a friend." He gave me a weak smile.

"But nothing more than a friend though…" He muttered quietly, looking down, causing me to feel bad.

"I'm sorry…" I said barely louder than a whisper as if speaking too loud would make my words hurt him even more. "…but my heart belongs to Jack. It always has…" He still kept his gaze on the floor as I delivered the final blow. "I love him, Austin…" It was the first time that I'd admitted my feelings for Jack for anyone and it maybe seems strange that it happened to be Austin, who I hadn't known for more than a week and a half to be the first one to know, but I felt that it wasn't fair to deny the truth for neither of us any longer. I took a deep breath before continuing. "I love him…and I just realized that he might feel the same for me. And even if he doesn't, I wanna be there for him as a friend, in the same way that I hope you'll be there for me…" I looked at him hopefully. He was quiet for a moment before smiling at me.

"You know I'll always be there for you." He reassured before turning serious. "I just hope Jack realizes how lucky he is… If he ever tries to do anything to you I swear I'll…"

"I'm sure you will." I said cutting him off while teasingly nudging him. He let out a small chuckle before straightening out his face again.

"Kim I'm serious." He said.

"I know…" I smiled. "But I don't think that you will ever have to worry about that." He shrugged.

"You never can be too sure." His eyes were a little brighter and he didn't feel as down as just minutes earlier, which made me feel better. I met his gaze and I became suddenly filled with gratefulness.

"Thanks" I said receiving a questioning look from Austin.

"For what?"

"Everything. If it hadn't been for you I hadn't been able to get to the cabin, or make it back alive for that matter…and Jack would still be stuck there…"

"I didn't really do that much." He shrugged. "You're the heroine…"

"That's not true. You helped a lot."

"Maybe…" He chuckled a little, shaking his head as if he came to think of something.

"What?" I asked.

"When I left home to visit my aunt and her family, I could never dream of anything like this happening…" He smiled at me. "It was a pretty big adventure though. An adventure that I'll never forget." I returned his smile as we walked back to join the rest of the gang.

The first thing I noticed when I got back was that Jack's parents were missing. Rudy obviously noticed my confusion.

"They're with Jack." He explained. "The doctor said that they could go visit."

"What?!" I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed in them. "Why didn't you guys tell me we could go see him?"

"Because we can't." He answered. "Jack's not feeling well enough to meet us all. The doctor said that it would probably be too stressful for him."

"Oh…" I muttered letting my gaze fall, before slumping down in the chair again. "Did the doctor say anything about his condition?"

"Yes. They had to reopen several small wounds on his right arm and remove two shot that were apparently the same ammunition that they found in you." Rudy said as I automatically traced the wound on my side with my fingers, suddenly very aware of it. "They also had to stitch a pretty large gash on his elbow. And he has two fractured ribs and he has suffered a minor concussion. He'll be fine though. None of the injuries are permanent and the risks of something going wrong throughout the healing process are almost equal to none. He will make a full recovery…" I felt relieved hearing that. "Apparently he was also dehydrated…" I just nodded, letting it all sink in.

"Look Kim, the doctor said that we might not be able to see him at all today. And I've gotta run some errands and the guys has some things to do…" He continued. "We'll be coming back in a few hours…"

I just nodded, not really listening, frustrated over the fact that I couldn't go see Jack. Refusing to look up, I heard Rudy along with the rest of the warriors leaving.

I don't know how long I sat in silence before I felt a hand on top of my own.

"You look tired, sweetie." My mum said. "Maybe we should take a break too. We could go eat somewhere…" I looked at her as if she was nuts. "I promise I'll drive you back here afterwards." She quickly added.

"I'm not hungry." I muttered. As on cue my stomach had to betray me and growl. Mum raised an eyebrow at me in an 'I told you so' kind of way. "I'm not leaving. At least not until I know for sure that I can't go and see him."

"Okay honey, if that's what you want." Mum mumbled, returning to her magazine.

The minutes were dragging by painfully slow and I was on the verge of falling asleep when I heard my name being called. Startled I focused my eyes on Mr Brewer that had returned. His eyes were red and I could tell he'd been crying, which caused an unsettling knot in my stomach to form.

"He wants to see you, Kim." He said, giving me a weak smile. Wasting no time, I sprinted from my chair and followed Mr Brewer to the room Jack had been placed in.

"He's pretty drowsy…but otherwise he seems okay…" He explained right before opening the door. I gave him a nod, letting him lead me to the light blue curtains that surrounded Jack's bed.

Jack was lying perfectly still, looking as if he was sleeping. His mum was sitting by his left side holding his hand. She greeted us with a smile, revealing her tear streaked face. I smiled back before walking up on Jack's right side, the opposite from her, to have a closer look at him. Noticing my presence Jack opened his eyes.

"Kim…?" He breathed. I didn't feel completely comfortable with his parents around. It felt like I'd interrupted something, like a rude intruder stomping into their family reunion. I was also afraid that I would accidentally do something that would make them figure out my feelings for him. The feelings that I'd worked so hard to hide from everybody during such a long time.

If I'd been alone with him, I would probably have climbed up in the bed and lay down next to him, holding him close. I would have wiped the tear that just left his eye away and I would have told him that I loved him and I would always be there for him...

That's what I wanted to do, but I couldn't do that with other people around, especially his parents. Instead I took his hand, answering him.

"I'm here, Jack." As if that was what he needed to hear, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes again, falling into a slumber. If it hadn't been for the machines he was connected to that kept on beeping rhythmically, telling us everything was in order, I would have been worried that he'd died. That's how still he was.

We were standing by his side in silence for quite some time, waiting for him to wake up again. Unfortunately a nurse came and motioned for us that the visiting time was over before he did.

Mrs Brewer stood up and gave Jack a kiss on his forehead, before getting ready to leave. I wished that I could do the same, but I would never dare to. Not with them still in the room. Instead I gave his hand a gentle squeeze, taking one last look at his bruised but still beautiful face before I reluctantly let go and left the room.

I had to force my feet from not running as we made it down the corridor, occasionally passing a nurse who we greeted with a nod. The day had seemed unusually long and the school had been a real pain. Not being able to think about anything else than this moment I had constantly looked at the clock, counting the minutes. At one point it seemed as if the school day would never end. But of course it eventually had and the time had finally come to pick up Jack from the hospital.

It was Thursday. Three days had passed since we had found Jack in the cabin and of course I'd been visiting him every single day, spending as much time as possible with him. He hadn't been quite himself though as they'd kept him on pretty heavy drugs to keep the pain and the angst to a minimum. Most of the time I had been watching him sleep and when he occasionally did wake up he'd mostly slurred or been too tired to keep a conversation going. But I had talked to him none the less, believing that it would help him. That it would make him feel safe.

I hadn't been the only one visiting him. The rest of the warriors and Jack's parents had been spending a lot of time there too, which hopefully had resulted in Jack not feeling too lonely.

Jack's parents had asked me if I wanted to come with them to pick him up, since they believed that Jack would appreciate having me around. I had of course been more than willing to come. So here I was, closely following Mr and Mrs Brewer down the hallway, towards the room Jack had been placed in. Turning the last corner Mr Brewer stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into him. I peeked around him, noticing a teenage boy sitting in a chair. He was looking down at his hands, his wavy brown hair falling forward and covering his eyes from us. On the floor next to him lay his black duffel bag, with all his belongings he'd used during his stay here. He was wearing a long sleeved sweeter that he'd made sure was covering his whole arm all the way down to his hands, hiding whatever was left of his scars and bruises.

Noticing our presence he looked up, revealing his pale face with green yellow bruises across his left cheekbone and his still slightly swollen lip. His mouth formed into what looked like a smile. At least that's what I think it was. It was forced though and it didn't reach his eyes.

"Jack, sweetheart…" Mrs Brewer said, breaking the silence. She approached her son who stood up and with a fluid motion she wrapt her arms around him. He instantly answered by hugging back. "You ready to go home?" She asked, pulling away.

"Yeah…" He said and picked up his bag.

"Well, let's go then…" Mr Brewer said, probably wanting to get out of the hospital as quick as possible. I didn't blame him. The feeling in the room was really awkward and the sooner this moment was over the better.

Jack's eyes landed on me as he was about to start walking.

"Hi Jack." I smiled expecting him to be happy to see me and hopefully give me a hug. Much to my disappointment he didn't say or do anything though. "Your parents let me come…" I trailed of, a bit uncomfortable about him staring at me. Not that I minded him looking at me, it was the fact that his expression was totally unreadable to me, that I didn't like. His face was just…blank.

"You coming?" Jack's dad asked, noticing us lingering. I quickly turned around and started walking. In the corner of my eye I could see Jack walking next to me, never taking his eyes off of me.

Jack kept on acting really weird the whole ride back home. The tension was even worse in the car then it'd been back at the hospital. Jack's parents tried to get him to say something by occasionally giving him a question. He didn't answer them with more then a quiet 'yes' or 'no', keeping his gaze on the buildings passing outside the window. I glanced over at him. His face was motionless and his eyes looked like black empty holes. This Jack scared me and to be honest I was pretty disappointed and frustrated by his attitude. I leaned forward so that the man behind the wheel would hear me better.

"You can just drop me off by the post office. I'll walk from there." I said. I didn't live that far from it and they wouldn't have to take a detour to drive me home, which suited me perfectly. Earlier today I had pictured this moment to be wonderful and I'd planned to spend my afternoon at his place. But right now I felt like a burden to him as if he didn't want me there. And the least I could do was to get rid of that burden for him…

"Can't you stay?" The question caught me off guard and it took me a moment to realize that it was Jack who'd spoken. Mr and Mrs Brewer seemed just as surprised and none of us was able to answer him. He looked at me worriedly. "Do you have anything else you have to do?" I stared at him. This was the longest sentence he'd said the entire day.

"No" I answered.

"Mum, dad…? You guys wouldn't mind Kim coming with us, right?"

"Of course not, honey." Mrs Brewer said, smiling at the fact that her son was talking again.

"If it's ok with Kim."

Jack turned to me, looking at me hopefully. Too lost in my own thoughts I was unable to provide them with an answer right away. Jack did want me to stay.

"Please…" He mouthed, bringing me back.

"I would love to come with you." I smiled, watching Jack's worried expression disappear. He still didn't smile though; instead he sighed and leaned back against his seat.

Once at their house the heavy silence was back. I've been here countless of times and I knew this family almost as good as my own, but I couldn't help but feel like a stranger intruding.

Jack had excused himself almost immediately after we'd entered the front door and hurried off to the bathroom on the second floor. Mr Brewer had gone outside again, to do whatever he was doing out in the garage, leaving me and Mrs Brewer alone in the kitchen. I helped her preparing dinner, boiling up water for the potatoes. She threw a glance at the clock on the wall.

"He's sure been gone for a while now…"

"I'll go check on him." I said, quickly seeing my chance of being able to talk to him alone. Not waiting for an answer, I hurried upstairs.

The bathroom door was slightly open and I started to get a little worried.

"Jack?" There was no answer, so I reach for the door. I hesitated. I didn't want to walk in on him if he was using the toilet. That would be really embarrassing. Nor did I want to find him lying lifelessly on the floor. I knew the chances were slim but I still feared it. "Jack?" Still no answer.

Ok here goes… I pushed the door opened, just to find the room…empty? Panicking slightly I looked around the bathroom as if I would find him hiding behind the toilet bowl or something.

Walking back outside I quickly gathered myself. There was no need to stress out. He must be here somewhere.

The first and most logical place that popped up in my head was his bedroom. I practically ran to it and was about to open the door, when the sign with the text 'knock or else…' written on it caught my eye. Normally I would just ignore it, but I felt that now, more than ever I needed to respect his privacy. I knocked cautiously on the wooden door, waiting for permission to enter.

"Jack?" When I didn't receive an answer I knocked a little harder. "Jack, are you there?" Losing my patience I opened the door and peeked inside. To my relief I spotted him standing by a full size mirror that was placed on his closet. I frowned, taking in the sight. He had taken off the long sleeved sweater, leaving him in a T-shirt that revealed most of his bandaged arms. With one hand he was holding the front of his shirt up, exposing his tummy and most of his chest, while lightly tracing his fingertips over the cuts and bruises that were covering him. Even though I had expected him to have injuries like that I hadn't really seen them before and the sight kind of shocked me. He didn't seem to notice me or he just ignored me, too caught up with examining himself. I hesitantly approached him.

"Jack?" He let his hand fall down by his side, while still holding up the shirt with his other, keeping his eyes fixed on his reflection. I took the hand in both of mine, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Jack, are you ok?" My touch seemed to bring him out of his trance and he turned his head towards me. He seemed to think about his answer for a moment, letting his shirt down again. Not knowing what to say he shrugged barely noticeable, averting his gaze to the floor.

I studied him in silence, trying to read what was going on inside of him. The traces from all the abuse he'd been suffering, still very visible across his face, made my heart sting a little. Even if he tried not to show anything, keeping his face as blank as possible he still looked so broken.

"Is there anything you need?" I asked, hoping that he would give me a clue to what to do to help him. "Is there anything I can do?" He looked at me again. His deep brown orbs told me everything. He needed comfort. Feeling as if it was the only right thing to do, I gently pulled him in for a hug. He instantly wrapt his arms around me and pressed me against his warm body. Enjoying the closeness I closed my eyes and tightened my hold of him. I don't know how long we stayed like that nor did I care. All I knew was that I wouldn't be the one to let go first. I would be holding on to him and be there for him, giving him as much as he needed. I would wait until he would be ready…

That was it. Fluff, fluff, fluff... haha I hope it was worth the wait anyway...

Next chapter will be the last one of this story... can't believe it's ending. I promise it will be up very soon.

A lot of you have wondered what the sequel to this story will be called. It will be called 'Memories and Lies' and the first chapter will be up shortly after the final chapter of this story.

See y'all on the next chappie:) and please review.

/MJ