A/N: It took me a year or two to realize Nathaniel isn't anorexic, he's orthorexic. The more you know!

Chapter 28: Flying Machine

Trent didn't have time to book a flight. After saying bye to his horse and his mom, grabbing his shopping bags from his room and tossing one of his old college outfits into one, he drove to the nearest hangar and hotwired a plane. He was a reasonably good pilot and managed to make the flight in less time than a commercial plane, but it still took a good couple of hours.

That Rebecca didn't say anything when Trent hotwired a plane, and they all took off in it, said how much she was actually 'out' of it and a little worried about Nathaniel she was. She, herself, wasn't thinking straight either and she looked out her window as they flew back to West Covina. So many thoughts ran through her head that she couldn't focus on just one.

She really hoped Nathaniel was alright, but she was still flying high from her anxiety as well and it made her feel all out of body for the duration of the flight as she tried to turn her feelings inward. She could feel that both Cat and Trent worried about Nathaniel, so she tried not to think about anything else, but it was hard.

When they landed in Trent's personal hangar in Los Angeles, he and Rebecca got in his car and drove to Nathaniel's home, carefully avoiding CHP.

Trent still had a key. He let himself in and rushed to the bathroom, where Nathaniel had passed out in the tub. Rebecca didn't think it weird or odd at the moment that Trent had a key to Nathaniel's place but her heart stopped at seeing her friend in his tub, passed out cold. Trent immediately pulled the plug and checked for signs of life. Nathaniel was fine, just sleeping.

"You've got to stop doing this to me," Trent muttered without thinking. Nothing prepared Rebecca for how Trent reacted: He stripped down to his underwear, lifted Nathaniel out of the tub and placed him in his lap, then turned on the tap and gently sponge bathed Nathaniel until he started to stir.

"Stop making me think you've gone and drowned, you insensitive oaf," Trent grumbled at him. Rebecca felt herself stiffen a bit. When had this happened before? If this wasn't the first time? Her mind flew off again as she tried to make sense of all these things, but she wisely said nothing. Not yet. Time for that would come later.

xoxo

Nathaniel stirred. Someone was touching him— bathing him— and talking to him. Scolding him. He blinked awake.

He was lying in Trent's lap. He was nude, while Trent was clad only in his skivvies. Under different circumstances, this would have been exciting.

"I can wash myself," Nathaniel grumbled back.

"Empirical data would suggest otherwise," Trent snarked at him. "Nathaniel, this is the second time I've come into a bathroom to find you passed out in the tub. Why do you do this to yourself? And not just that! The casual overdosing, mixing drugs and alcohol—okay, granted, that one was my fault, but still—throwing yourself into random encounters, that phone call earlier! I thought we agreed that you weren't going to try to kill yourself?"

"What do you care?" Nathaniel meant to snap but it came out languid. Why did Trent act like he cared about him, when he had made it clear he was choosing a girl over him?

"Of course I care about you, you idiot!" Was Trent crying? Why would he be crying? What was Nathaniel to him?

"Don't you scoff at me," Trent continued to scold. "You're my friend, and you're Rebecca's friend and her ex, and you're dating my sister, and we ALL care about you! Stop trying to destroy yourself! Where is your determination? You think I tried to kill myself every time I was turned down?!"

"… You want me to blackmail you?" Nathaniel asked. Trent grimaced at him.

"You know what I mean! Actually, maybe you don't! Let me spell it out for you. I. Don't. Want. You. To. Die."

Nathaniel scoffed again. "Give me one good reason that isn't your fiancée or your sister," he challenged.

Trent looked reflexively at Rebecca. He licked his lips nervously.

"We are not having this discussion right now," he hissed in Nathaniel's ear. "If you do one more self-destructive thing, I'm calling 911 and having you put on a 72-hour suicide watch. The only reason I'm not doing it now is because I want the meeting tomorrow to go smoothly."

He hoisted Nathaniel up and carried him to his room, set him on his bed, and dried him off with one of his decorative blankets. Nathaniel let him. He brooded silently, but he couldn't resist nuzzling into Trent's gentle touch when Trent dried his hair. Trent's tenderness just made Nathaniel's heart break even harder.

By the time Trent got Nathaniel into his room and in bed, She was basically operating on neutral, following them both like some sort of robot. She didn't make sense of what was going on, till she heard Trent's voice and only then did her eyes meet his.

Trent sighed. "Please," he urged in a soft voice. "Stop this. You're not going to endear Rebecca to you by acting like this, and you're actually going to get me into trouble because I have to drop everything and tend to you instead of focusing on her. You know she went and got me back my pet horse today?"

Nathaniel sniffled. "Rebecca is terrified of horses."

"Exactly. I should be having thank-you sex with her right now, and instead I had to steal a plane to come here and make sure you weren't on another bender!"

Nathaniel wiped his face. "You stole a plane for me?" he asked, his voice awestruck.

"That's not the point," Trent snapped irritably. This idiot man always knew how to get under his skin!

"Yes, it is…" Nathaniel sounded hopeful, too hopeful. "Trent, you really—"

"Trent is really not in the mood for Nathaniel's mood swings," Trent interrupted bluntly. He went to rummage in Nathaniel's closet until he found a sleeping bag, and several guest pillows and blankets. He arranged them all as comfortably as possible.

"Rebecca," he called. "I'm so sorry, but we're sleeping in here tonight. Do you want the bed or the nest?"

xoxo

Cat had watched the whole scene unfold and felt terrible. She knew how Nate felt about Trent, but this made no sense at all. People didn't just do a complete about-face about someone they hated that fast, but she wasn't going to say anything.

While Trent took care of Nate, Cat went to go find and prepare a small meal for them all. Rebecca at least had to eat something as Cat could tell she was still in shock from her experience and was trying to hide it. She understood how they all felt, but didn't mean she agreed with them all. Still, someone had to keep a clear head.

Once the meal was done, she went back into the bedroom and heard Trent's question. "I'll sleep in the bed with Nate. You two take the nest." The way she replied and gave Trent a look, said she would not be refused. And her eyes flit to Rebecca, who still looked lost. "Food's on the table, you both should eat something. You especially."

Walking over to where Nate lay, she sat by him and rubbed his back gently. "Nate? Babe? Things are going to be ok. We are all here for you, but you got to try and relax a bit, ok? I won't leave you, you are safe now."

Food sounded good to Rebecca right now as she couldn't really focus on anything. Part of her wanted Nathaniel to be alright, but another part of her was still mad at him and having him like a lovesick puppy made her even angrier at him, but she tried not to show it. Nodding, she went to go make herself a plate and leave Cat and Trent to it, for now. Too many questions ran through her mind and she just couldn't focus on anything, so she kept out of the way, for now.

Trent nodded his assent to Catherine's idea. "Good," he said. He needed to tend to Rebecca too tonight, anyway.

As he started to stand to go eat, Nathaniel grabbed his arm.

"Please," he said. "Don't leave me."

Trent smoothed Nathaniel's hair. "You're not alone," he said gently. "Catherine is here with you. Did you take anything tonight?"

Nathaniel shook his head.

"Why didn't you get out of the tub when you started getting tired?"

Nathaniel stared listlessly at him.

Trent sighed. "I'm going to get us some food, then I'll sit with you for a bit, okay?" He got up and went into the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted Rebecca. "I'm doing my best to keep him grounded and stable. I'm sorry, I know this isn't what we had planned for tonight. He didn't take anything, at least." Trent plated a few sandwiches. "How are you doing, my love?"

Sitting at the table, listlessly nibbling on a sandwich, Rebecca didn't even hear Trent come in till his voice broke through her fuzzy mind. Lifting her eyes to his, he could see she had questions, that she was confused and lost, but didn't voice anything that was on her mind yet. To do so would only add to their current frustration and that wouldn't help anything or anyone. "I'm fine," she replied robotically. "I do hope Nathaniel's okay. Good that he didn't take anything." She really did hope Nathaniel would be alright. He was still her friend even if she was angry at him.

She wasn't fine, Trent knew it, but she would be. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Everything will be okay," he said, stroking her hair.

Rebecca wrapped her arms around Trent's embrace, taking comfort from him for a moment as she tried to settle her mind. She would be fine, Nathaniel would be fine, They all would be fine.

xoxo

Catherine snuggled up against Nate and held him to her, rubbing his back as she cuddled him from behind. "Things will be alright, Nate. We are all here and you aren't alone." She rained soft little kisses over his head and neck, trying to comfort him. "I am so sorry you feel this way, Nate. But know that I still think the world of you. You have made me incredibly happy in the short time we have been together, and remember, you still have to take me to Rome." She giggled and looked over his shoulder at him from where she cuddled him.

"We are in this together, now, Nate. I will always be with you, no matter what….promise…."

Nathaniel stiffened, then relaxed, as Cat held him. "I'm such a fucking idiot," he groaned. "I don't deserve you. I promised I wouldn't do anything stupid and yet, all I do is stupid things. I don't even know why I like him so much. I should hate him after what he did to me. But I don't. I can't stop thi…" He trailed off, aware that he was being a little bit insensitive to the woman beside him. She was right, he had promised to take her to Rome. He had promised Trent he would take better care of himself. "You all must be so disappointed in me."

"We are." Trent had come back from the kitchen. He set the plate on the bed in front of Nathaniel and sat down next to him. "But that doesn't mean we stop caring. You need to stop punishing yourself for things you can't control, and start investing in the things you can, like the promises you've made to all of us."

Rebecca sighed and grabbed herself a plate and grabbed Cat a plate as well. She brought it to set it beside Cat where she was trying to comfort Nate. "Just because we are mad, doesn't mean we don't like you, though, Nate. Things happen, and you can't explain it, but that doesn't mean you can't keep your promises to us." She basically mimicked Trent's words with her own as she took a seat by the bed in the nest Trent had made. She wasn't cold or insensitive by any means, but she wasn't firing on all cylinders either.

Cat smiled at Rebecca and took the sandwich with a nod of thanks, sitting up just enough to eat. "Come on, babe. You got to eat something. I bet you haven't had anything since yesterday. I cook really good, even if it is just a sandwich." She leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You got a big meeting tomorrow and you have got to be on top of your game, babe. Let's eat first, then we can all talk or whatever."

Nathaniel looked from Trent to Rebecca and then back to Cat. And George was sleeping in the other room. All these people were here for him, out of concern, not condemning him for being imperfect.

He took a cucumber sandwich off the plate Trent had brought in and bit into it. Truthfully, he hadn't eaten, and had been on the verge of passing out before he had called Trent. The sandwich was so good he almost crammed the rest of it into his mouth.

"Guys…" he said when he had finished his sandwich. "Thank you. I know I've been a fool. Rebecca, I'm sorry to you especially. I know it looks like I'm trying to steal your fiancée, but that's not…. I miss you. I also really like you, Cat, but Rebecca, I miss being 'us'. What you and Trent have is so rare and beautiful that I was jealous of both of you, for having each other. Cat, you mean a lot to me, too. I don't think I've ever met anyone— well, not any woman like you before. I know I've been acting erratic lately, and it means a lot that you haven't turned your backs on me. But I… really don't know what to do with myself."

Rebecca tilted her head back to look at Nathaniel, and managed a smile for him. So he did mean it when he apologized to her earlier? That was nice to know. "It's alright Nathaniel. I know you mean it this time, now that we are actually here, seeing each other, and I get it." She took a bite of her sandwich and smiled faintly. "I miss you too, and we are always going to be friends, even if we disagree at times. Just because we fight doesn't mean that I stopped caring. It's one thing all of us in here now have to remember. People argue, people disagree, but if we are sincere to each other, then things will be fine. For example, me and Paula fight a lot too. She doesn't always agree with my choices, nor I with hers, and sometimes we go whole weeks of not talking to each other, but that doesn't mean we stopped loving each other. She's my friend, same as you."

Cat smiled faintly and ruffled her boyfriend's hair gently. "Nate, you are by far the best thing that has ever happened to me and I know you are working some things out, but know that I am always here for you." She paused and nuzzled him gently. "Just…take some time, Nate. We don't have to rush into anything right now, ya know? Remember, the beach and horses first, and then Rome." She giggled and smiled over at him, at Trent, and Rebecca. "Slow and easy, we will figure this all out, together."

Nathaniel nodded. He turned to Trent. "I'm sorry about earlier," he mumbled. "I know we're supposed to be friends… you're so damn tempting, though. Hey… What is it with you and water, though?"

Trent grimaced. "I almost drowned as a kid," he said. "My parents were fighting about something, and I was in the pool. Since then… I only spot washed in the shower until Rebecca started helping me get used to regular showering."

"So, when Rebecca was out of town…"

"She is my comfort person. I did try calling Bash— my other friend, my lawyer, you met him at the hearing— but he was busy."

Hearing that Trent hadn't intentionally called him over to tease him that day both gratified and disappointed Nathaniel. He decided to be frank. "I don't know what it is. I just get so dizzy after… thinking about you, like that, and I ended up passing out. Then and now."

Trent blushed deep red. "Listen… If you need to do that, fine. But eat something first, and for God's sake, stop doing it in front of me, so to speak."

"Then sleep with me," Nathaniel blurted out without thinking. "Just once. Please."

Trent averted his eyes with an embarrassed sort of chortle. "We both know I can't, and that it wouldn't be 'just once'. How many times did you swear you'd stop sleeping with her" —He gestured to Rebecca— "when you were dating Mona?"

Nathaniel's face flamed. Trent really did know everything. "Point taken," he muttered.

Now that everyone was being honest, it lessened Rebecca's anger and resentment in a weird way. She had wanted to know what Trent had meant when he had said that this wasn't the first time, and now she knew. That it wasn't done on purpose with the sole fact of cheating or teasing Nathaniel, she could try to make amends with that. Couldn't she? She allowed a small flare of anger tremble up her spine, but only for an instant before it disappeared. She had to allow herself to feel her emotions, or it wouldn't do anyone any good to hang onto it.

She managed to breathe a few moments, before looking at everyone involved. Hearing Trent turn Nathaniel down did make her breathe easier and focus on what was being said. She stole a look at Cat who was either nonchalant about all this or really good at looking like it. How could she be so…calm? Hearing what Nathaniel said to her own brother, when she sat right there? She didn't get it. But she wasn't going to vocalize it.

She did blush at Trent's words though, knowing their shared past hadn't been a very good one. Even more when it hurt someone else. More than one someone, if truth be told. But when she and Trent had gotten together, finally, they had promised that all that bad stuff was in the past and that was how she tried to keep it. But if it helped make a point, she would sit there and listen.

Cat nudged Nate. "You have to eat more, Nate. You promised…me, all of us actually that you would. I get it, you want to eat healthy, but there is more to eating than just small samples of food. I can help you if you want…Trent's not the only one in this family who can cook," she teased and winked at her brother. "But really, eat, relax. We are here for the night, and you aren't alone." She smiled and leaned back against the bed, reaching out to lightly play with Nate's hair. She knew it was hard, trying to figure out your emotions and feelings, and she would wait. Nate, to her, was worth it.

"I try to only eat healthy," he said. "Plant-based, whole, unprocessed foods. Occasionally chicken and sometimes fries… But I don't want to let myself go. Actually…" He ran a hand up Trent's bicep. "I wish I had muscles like yours."

Trent smiled and cupped his hand over Nathaniel's. "You need to eat to fuel up for the kinds of exercise I do," he said. "Take care of yourself. You promised. I won't let it go so easily if you break that promise again. Everyone in this house cares about you, if not loves you. So please…. Don't do this to us again. When you hurt yourself, you hurt us."

Nathaniel looked down in shame. He wanted to apologize again, but it would just sound hollow. He finished his sandwich and gently pushed the empty plate away. Trent placed it on the bedside table.

"I know you can't sleep with me, but…can you sleep next to me? Please?"

Trent shook his head.

Once everyone was done with their food, Rebecca went to clean up a bit. It gave her something to focus on and to help calm her a bit. She was still riding high from her own anxiety but she knew now wasn't the time.

Trent went to the closet, picked out two sets of pajamas and underpants, and handed Nathaniel one. He himself took off his own underpants, which had gotten wet when he had sponge bathed Nathaniel, and changed clothes shamelessly in front of the others. After a moment's hesitation, Nathaniel did the same.

Nathaniel's shirt was a bit tight on Trent, just enough to really show off his hunky body. Nathaniel's lips parted as he gazed adoringly at Trent. "You can keep that," he said faintly. "It looks so good on you."

Rebecca returned to the room just in time to see the men change. She had to agree with Nathaniel, cause that shirt did look good on Trent.

Trent smiled his thanks and dramatically pulled back the covers. "Get in," he commanded. "I'll tuck you in. But to be clear, no, I'm not going to sleep in the bed with you tonight. You have someone to cuddle with, and so do I."

Nathaniel did as he was told. He let Trent tuck him in. Then Trent cuddled into the nest he had made for himself and Rebecca, and opened his arms to her. She snuggled right up against him, cuddled just under his chin as she wrapped her arms around him as well. Nathaniel turned his back with a slight huff and cuddled up to Cat.

As Trent stroked Rebecca's hair, he whispered, "I hope you know that I have no intention of cheating on you. I trusted Nathaniel to help keep me safe when you were gone. That's all that was. It didn't seem like a big deal, so I didn't mention it. He sat outside the tub while I showered, and then I let him use the shower while I was delivering Paula's family their food. But he did pass out in the shower, so when I came home…. It was a little like this. I took him out, dried him off, and put him to bed in my bed, except I lent him some of my clothes instead of borrowing his. Nothing happened between us."

A small smile crossed Rebecca's face as she nuzzled him gently. "I know, love. It's all good. I trust and love you, Trent. That's all that matters to me. How we feel about each other." She yawned and kissed him before settling down in his arms as sleep slowly took her.

Trent smiled into Rebecca's hair and rubbed her back. He wanted to tell her again how grateful he was to her for getting Paly back and how hard he knew it must have been for her, but she seemed sleepy, so he just nestled happily against her, continued to hold her tight and stroke her hair, until he, too, fell asleep.

Cat wrapped her arms around Nate and cuddled him close. "I am so glad you are alright, Nate," she whispered as she played with the ends of his hair. "When I heard that we had to leave, I was so worried." She kissed his cheek and pulled him closer. "You mean so much to me. I hope you know that, and I want to make sure every day that you know how special you are…how much I am really growing to care for you…" She managed a small smile for him as she too started to fade into dreams, wrapped up together.

Nathaniel smiled tenderly at Cat. He cared for her, too. She was so ephemeral, so fae, so winsome. He drifted off to sleep, still troubled, but less so now.