Debbie had decided that the safest place for her and Emmett to hide out would be at her bother Vic's. He lived in a tiny two-up, two-down in Pittsburgh just big enough for two people and now, two guests. Rodney hadn't exactly been pleased to see his partner's criminal sister and a 'friend' appear at the door on Christmas day but almost three months down the line he'd sort of become used to Debbie's loudmouth and Emmett's incessant whining about his arm, in spite of the fact the wound had been almost fully healed for a while now. He'd got used to watching the News with particular interest in the Justin Taylor kidnapping story, where they were still speculating on the whereabouts of the now infamous Brian Kinney. The way they went on, you'd have thought Brian had gone on a killing spree of puppies, babies and all other things in the world that were cute. And then had come the day of the first arrest.

They'd been eating dinner at the dining table with a small tv on in the background. Vic had whipped up some complicated, delicious Italian dish with a secret recipe his and Debbie's grandmother had left them. The food was amazing, the wine was amazing, the conversation was amazing and then the news reporter had ruined everything.

"Pittsburgh PD have made their first arrest concerning the Justin Taylor investigation this morning." Immediately the mood around the table was solemn as they all turned to look at the screen. There were no pictures, no names, no nothing. Just a reporter standing outside the Pittsburgh police station explaining that at this time the Police weren't giving any other information.

"Who do you think it is?" Emmett asked, though in his mind there was only one person it could be. Ted would never get caught he was too smart, too ahead of the police. Brian too, knew his way around, he wasn't stupid enough to go anywhere where the police could get him; even with the kid slowing him down Emmett knew Brian had a lot of people who owed him, a lot of people who could hide him. So that left … Michael. Yeah, he was smart enough usually but without Brian to look out for him? Would he actually be able to survive? Well, it seemed not. It was obvious everyone at the table thought the same thing but nobody would say it, not until they were certain.

"It's probably none of them," Vic said positively. "They've probably picked up some guy just to make them look like they're actually getting somewhere after their botched job at the house."

"This just in," the reported interrupted. "Chief Stockwell has confirmed that the man they arrested is one of the four main members of The OUTlaws.

"Oh my god," Emmett whispered. "Poor Michael."

"You don't know it's him!" Debbie almost shouted, her words gravely as she tried not to cry because of course it was him. Of course it was her son. Ted just wouldn't be caught and Brian was with Justin so they'd have been talking about how they'd managed to find the kid alive after all.

The reporter went on to explain how the mystery OUTlaw had been found hiding above Buzzy's comic bookstore and the whole table just watched in disbelief. Everything pointed to Michael although it would be another week and a half before the police finally confirmed that the man arrested was 'Michael Charles Novotny', the OUTlaws driver and Brian Kinney's right hand man.

The house was more than subdued, it was silent. Debbie could barely get off the sofa. She blamed herself. This was the life she had raised her son to live. She'd always thought he'd be okay. That he been smart enough for fifteen years to keep himself out of trouble and now just a few days on the run and he'd been caught. What had happened?

But of course she knew what had happened? The only reason Michael had stayed out of prison was because he'd had a guardian angel to watch over him but now his guardian angel was watching over someone else, someone blonde and cute and Michael had been left to fight the world alone. He was under prepared and under equipped and now he was behind bars. She'd kill that Brian Kinney next time she saw him. How dare he abandon her son like that!

::

The time went on and Debbie still couldn't forgive Brian for her son's arrest. It had been three months but they were still trying to decide on what to charge Michael with. The news hadn't mentioned the case for a while. In fact the news channels were just being put on out of habit and not because anybody actually expected to hear anything else about the Taylor murder but of course, tragic things always happen when you least expect them. Emmett was trying out magenta on his toe nails, he was barely paying any attention at all to the television and then the words he'd feared most were spoken by the news anchor.

"Breaking News. The second arrest connected with the Justin Taylor murder was made just a few moments ago at a Mexican Restaurant in central Pittsburgh."

Emmett's head shot up as he watched the anchor carefully relaying the information that was being fed into her ear piece.

"The police are saying they were given a good lead by a witness who led them straight to the hideout. Police are yet to confirm which of the OUTlaws have been arrested, though the suspicions are that this was the hiding place of Brian Kinney. More on that story as it develops."

"Deb!" Emmett yelled immediately, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Deb, did you hear that?"

There was a flurry off footsteps coming down the stairs and the woman stopped at his side. "It's Brian isn't it?" She whispered. "I heard it upstairs on the radio. They've arrested Brian."

"But how the hell did they find him?" Emmett frowned. "It's been months, they can't have anymore leads not unless…." His eyebrows raised as he considered it. It wasn't completely implausible. Michael had been really, really angry when Brian had chosen to leave with Justin. He'd been mad enough to kill … but to turn his friend over to the police? It would certainly save him a few long hard years in prison. Maybe he could have….

"Put that right out of your head," Debbie warned as though reading the man's mind. "I know my son and he couldn't do that to anybody. Least of all Brian."

Emmett nodded quickly. "You're right," he said hurriedly. "Of course, you're right. He's just not like that." But Debbie hadn't seen the way Michael had been acting when they were hiding out at the house. Emmett thought he'd certainly become the kind of person who could do that to his supposed best friend.

He shuddered and turned his attention back to the screen and listened patiently but it wasn't until late that evening that anymore information was given.

::

"Emmett, honey," Debbie called from the table. "Come and eat something."

"It's okay," he replied, sitting on the sofa. "I'm just going to watch the news to see if they've got anything new." He chuckled a little sadly. "You know, I always used to moan at Teddy for watching this all the time. Now look at me, I'm glued to the screen."

"The main news tonight," the man behind the desk began. "The leader of the infamous gang The OUTlaws, Brian Kinney, was found early this afternoon by the Pittsburgh Police Department hiding out above a Mexican Restaurant. He has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of Justin Taylor, the eighteen year old high school student who went missing earlier this year."

"Murder," Emmett whispered. "How the fuck can they be charging him with murder? Justin must have been there!"

"Maybe, he got the kid out before the cops arrived," Vic suggested from the table.

"And not himself?" Emmett was almost in tears. "No. Something doesn't add up. Why aren't they celebrating Justin's return? What the fuck has happened?"

"Well, if you're quiet," Debbie scolded as she dished up the food, "maybe we could find out."

"Police say that Brian Kinney was in possession of numerous weapons, including, eight different types of handgun and a baseball bat, which he used to assault several police officers on his arrest."

"He was sitting on a shitload of guns and he used a baseball bat?" Debbie frowned, putting down the dinner and walking over to stand behind Emmett, so she could watch the screen too. "This doesn't sound right at all."

"And since when does Brian carry a baseball bat anyway," Emmett added. "He hates all forms of physical exercise that don't lead to getting laid."

"Shhh," Debbie hushed him sharply as the anchorman warned, "some people may find these following images disturbing."

Suddenly, footage of Brian being dragged from the restaurant was on the screen. He was wearing a white wife-beater that was covered in bright streaks of blood but it was obvious he wasn't bleeding, so where the hell had all that come from? He was struggling like a wild man, desperately fighting to get back to the restaurant. His hair was plastered to his head, he looked crazy, frenetic and absolutely furious. And he was yelling desperately; "get him to the hospital you sick BLEEP. He needs to go to the BLEEP hospital!" Then he seemed to notice the camera and was suddenly forcing his way towards it. He looked straight into the lens. "Justin's alive!" He yelled. "But these BLEEP BLEEP are gonna let him die. They're trying to cover up their own BLEEP. He's alive!" And then Brian just seemed to collapse to the ground. He slumped forward heavily out of the camera view to reveal a policeman with a taser gun behind him.

"Shit!" Emmett whispered, as the image of Brian's limp body being lifted off the tarmac and as good as thrown into the back of the police van was streamed into the room.

The picture returned to the anchors in the studio. "It was thought Brian Kinney was high at the time of his arrest and was hallucinating images of the murdered teenager."

"It's strange what guilt can do to you, Dianne," the male anchor commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Absolutely," the female agreed. "Horrible scenes there."

"That's funny," Debbie scorned as the news team moved on to the next story. "He looked stone cold sober to me."

"So what's happened?" Emmett whispered, barely able to speak. "Where's Justin?"

Emmett's cell phone ring tone had always been loud and happy, like him. But when it went off at that moment, it couldn't have been more out of place. The clap-along tune made both him and Deb jump and he apologized as he pulled it out of his pocket and checked the name on the screen; Ted. He frowned. They'd always agreed that if the time came when they had to use the emergency cars there'd be no phone calls and no communication afterwards. He was cautious that this could be a trick but he answered anyway … besides, if the police had managed to catch Brian, it would only be a matter of time before they found him anyway.

"H-hello."

"Em?" Oh thank god. It was Ted's voice.

"Yeah."

"Did you see the news?"

"Yeah, Brian's been arrested. But why are you calling me? You didn't call when Michael was arrested."

"Because when Michael was arrested, that's all it was. But this isn't the same. There's no way the police could have found Brian without some inside help as it were and I looked up that restaurant. It belonged to a guy I used to know called Marvin Young. And there's no way he would ever turn Brian in."

"So what are you saying?" Emmett asked, his throat felt dry and nervous.

"Behind Brian," Ted said slowly, his voice heavy and sad, "when he hits the floor after being shot by the taser, you can see him."

"Who!" Emmett virtually cried, earning such a strange look from Debbie that he had to put the phone on to loudspeaker so she could hear too.

"Michael," Ted almost whispered. "Right as Brian falls down, Michael's there, standing behind him, no handcuffs, no nothing. He led them to Brian."

"I don't believe you," Debbie shouted immediately. "He wouldn't even know where he Brian was hiding."

"Of course he knew. Same way Brian probably knew Michael would go to Buzzy's. They know each other inside out. Anyway, I can't think of any other way that the cops could have found Brian. But that's not the main thing…" Ted continued. He was frantic in his speech, almost unorganized, which was completely unheard of for Ted.

"So what is?" Emmett asked.

"The kid," Ted said solemnly. "I've looked at every single photo, every bit of footage, everything of Brian's arrest and I haven't seen Justin once."

"Well we just assumed he'd escaped earlier. Maybe Brian had…"

"No," Ted cut him off immediately. "Didn't you see Brian when he left that place? He was covered in blood."

"So?" Emmett asked his head was hurting from trying to keep up.

"Whose blood do you think that was Emmett?"

Emmett felt like he'd had the very breath knocked out him. He could barely breathe let alone speak. No! Not Justin! Not after everything that happened. He couldn't actually be … dead. Of course not. He'd probably escaped just like he'd first thought. Maybe even stole the corvette and left. Yeah, that was it. He'd run away. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be… He just couldn't. How would it have happened?

"But how?" Debbie said quietly, beginning to voice all of Emmett's internal worries. "Brian would never have hurt him. And wouldn't the police have…."

"The police want him dead," Ted interrupted bluntly. "They're trying to cover up some kind of scandal involving that guy they found in the dumpster. They're using Justin as a way of making all the controversy and difficult-to-answer questions disappear. Brian was trying to tell us that in the video. He was trying to tell everyone. Justin was still in that room bleeding, if Brian's shirt is anything to go by, but the police had no intention of taking him to the hospital."

"Oh my god," Debbie gasped, crossing herself immediately. Whenever things got really bad, she always found herself reverting back to her days as a good little catholic girl.

"Look, we have to go and find out," Ted said firmly. "Are you at Vic's place?"

"Y-yeah," Emmett stammered.

"Okay, I'm on the road. I'll be there in about five minutes."

"But what about the cops?" Deb asked.

"What about them?" Ted asked. "They don't care about us. They just needed Brian. They're gonna pin absolutely fucking everything on him. He'll confess because it'll be easier and he'll say he was working alone because that what he does."

"For a selfish son of a bitch, he's pretty fucking selfless," Debbie agreed quietly.

"The police aren't even looking for us anymore. But we have to go and find Justin," he paused solemnly. "Even if it's only so we can give him a funeral."

::

78 was the number of cinder blocks in the wall with the window. 6 was the number of bars at the window. 142 was the number of cinder blocks in the wall on the left of the cell. 143 was the number of cinder blocks in the wall on the right of the cell. 56 was the number of cinder blocks in the wall with the door. And that was all there was … that and the dark depths of black depression where he spent most of his time. He felt like shit. He looked like shit. He was barely eating, barely breathing, barely living. He couldn't believe it … after everything. Everything that he and Michael had gone through together had just been destroyed in one simple betrayal. And then there was Justin, the person he'd finally felt safe enough with to tell about his family, his past and now it had been snatched from him in the cruellest way. He groaned. His stomach hurt. His head hurt. His chest hurt. He felt empty and dead inside. He almost wished he was dead at least then the pain would be gone and the numbness could be perpetual.

"Are you coming?" A voice broke through his endless heartache.

"On one of those rare occasions when I'm in a room with a twink, no," Brian deadpanned. He was laying curled on his side facing one of the 142 cinder blocks on the left wall. He allowed his eyes to dart from one blackened mark to another, each one demonstrating what a shithole this place was but he preferred these marks to his own orange get-up or the smell of piss reminding each of the prisoners that they were less than people.

Jay seemed confused for a second or two before concluding, "that's disgusting."

Brian snorted a little humourlessly but he didn't make any attempt to get up.

"Oh come on," Jay groaned. "You never know, someone might write you."

"I've been here one day," Brian pointed out. "And it won't matter. No one will write to me because unlike you, my mom doesn't love me unconditionally," he turned over to look at his younger cellmate with his stupid spiky hair and his earring and numerous tattoos. "In fact, she doesn't love me at all."

"Is it because you're a faggot?" The kid nodded knowingly.

Brian glared at the younger man who was grinning widely back. "Fuck off," Brian snapped, which caused the younger man's grin to get so wide, there was barely room for it on his face.

"I'll bring back any letters for you."

"I won't hold my breath."

"Or do," Jay grinned. "My new cellmate might not be a boring, butt-fucking, piece of shit like you." And he disappeared before Brian had any chance to reply. Brian had found himself wondering if living in this tiny room with Jayden there giving him jip since the second he arrived was what it would have been like to grow up with a younger brother.

Although Jay was always having a go and always niggling and taunting him, it was pretty light-hearted and friendly and, quite frankly, the kid was right, he was being boring but wouldn't anyone be if he'd lost the love of his life? Not that Brian told Jay that that was the reason for his agonizing grief and Jayden just put it down to innate misery.

The kid arrived a little while later with a letter.

"Surely your mom can't have anything else to say," Brian groaned. "I saw the letter you had from her yesterday, it was six pages long"

"She writes everyday," the kid shrugged.

"Day's aren't that interesting in Altoona, are they?"

"More interesting than in here," Jayden pointed out and Brian had to concede the kid had a point. "See," he continued, sitting on the floor and skimming through the first few lines, "Uncle Albert's getting a new prosthetic leg."

"I take it all back. Altoona is an interesting place," Brian mocked.

"Well can you name me anything more interesting that's happened to anyone in this wing?"

"No," Brian sighed, wishing he hadn't started this conversation.

"No," Jayden repeated. "But that's partly because you don't ever leave the fucking cell."

"I like it here," Brian lied.

"Don't bullshit me," Jayden chuckled. "You're fucking miserable and it ain't even only coz you're in prison. It's more than that. You're really, fucking miserable. I mean Christ … who died?"

Brian was silent. He felt sick. He felt like crying. He felt like dunking Jay's head in the filthy fucking toilet, or maybe using it to break through the walls and escape but he didn't do any of these things, he just rolled onto his left and looked at the wall sighing sorrowfully.

"Shit," he heard Jayden breathe from the floor behind him. "Sorry man. I didn't mean to… I'll shut up."

"Good," Brian muttered, though the word was broken and weak. A tear began to roll down his face and he was powerless to stop it and he was even less able to stop the next one. He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them tight to him and just stared. He allowed his mind to go blank but soon the thoughts began to creep back in. He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye. He hadn't had a chance to mourn him. Justin had just … gone. And the world had continued to turn and people had continued to live, in fact no one would ever know what had happened to Justin. They may never even find him. He'd just lie, forgotten and abandoned in a horrid attic room above an old Mexican restaurant.

The tears continued to fall. It was over … his world and everything he'd known was completely destroyed. He didn't want to think about it. He never wanted to think about it again. But the worst part was, he'd been put in a place where the only thing to do was think.