freakykat | NaNo Fic: What Is Undone (ATWT, Luke/Noah, AU)

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Title: What Is Undone
Rating: R
Chapter: Part Six
Pairing: Luke/Noah
Summary: Sometimes love is your only chance.
Disclaimer: Sadly I don’t own any of the boys I like to play with. All rights for the characters go to P&G, ATWT, JP, CG, etc.
Beta: The phenomenal and wonderful

mactwck. Thank you!
W/C: 8850
Warnings: Attitudes that will piss you off, some violence, definite cursing...a little cracky which begins here.
Author’s Note: More crackiness and stuff. I've decide to try to post every other day so the fic is up before I hit Rock the Soap! So hey! Bonus! Enjoy! And feedback is yearned, loved and appreciated.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Part Six

“I still don’t understand what you think you are going to accomplish with this.” Damian struggled against the ropes, tightening them as he did.

Henry sat on a chair to his right, eating an apple, calmly watching him. “You know that makes it worse, right? Just saying.” He looked over a Jade, sitting on the bed, flipping through a random magazine she had found. “Did you want the other apple?”

She glanced up, shaking her head before turning another page. “Nope. Not hungry. Thanks.”

“This is absurd!” Damian moaned. His wrists were becoming raw from the constant rubbing of rope on them. “I will be missed and someone will come looking for me.”

Henry nodded, licking his fingers clean, sighing. “Well, of course they will.”

“But by then, you’ll be back in Oakdale, so you know, it won’t matter.”

Damian glared at her, anger balling in his chest. He should have recognized her but the club had been dark and she had been accommodating. If he had looked at her closely, maybe if he had consumed less alcohol, it would have made a difference. As it was, he could not believe how she had pulled one over on him.

Henry shook his head, pointing at him with the small knife he had used to cut his fruit. “Course, if you just tell us now where Luke is, we can avoid all the unpleasantness that awaits you in fair Oakdale.”

Jade stared at Damian, waiting for what, he was not sure. He was not going to tell them anything. He was not even sure where Luke was. “My son is where they can help him.” It took him by surprise when Jade jumped from the bed to stand in front of him. She kicked at his chair, hitting him in the shin.

“What is wrong with you?” Jade clenched hands at her side, glaring at Damian. “Luke’s one the best people that I know. Nothing about him needs to change. Especially not to suit you.” She grabbed her jacket, turning to Henry as she walked out of the room. “I’m calling Holden.”

The silence that followed the slamming of the door was long and thick until Henry couldn’t take it anymore.

“You’re a real bastard, Damian, do you know that?”

Damien stared at the wall. "Believe me, I know."

*

Luke tightened his grip on Rodney’s shoulders, wincing as every bounce, every move, reverberated through him. He kept his gaze behind them, willing Noah to appear. He had said he would be right behind them. He had promised. Nothing but darkness enveloped them and Luke pressed harder into Rodney.

He wanted Noah.

It seemed like forever when they burst through the trees and stopped smack into the middle of a road. Evie and Marc turned in a circle for a long moment, looking all around them, then at each other. “Holy shit.”

They had made it.

Somewhere down the road, ten feet, or so, there was a large van. They started towards it, Marc and Evie trying the door and finding it open, they waited for Luke and Rodney. Helping Luke into the van, Marc flashed him a quick, worried smile. “He’ll be okay.”

It was a lie. They all knew it was.

Rodney tapped Luke’s shoulder, and when Luke turned to look up at him, he found keys dangling in front of his face. Luke blinked, shaking his head, shivering in the cold from everything. “What is this, Rodney?”

“I’m going back for him. If we don’t show up in half an hour, you drive away.”

“No, I won’t leave without him. Without either of you.” Luke shook his head adamantly, looking at all around him. “He wouldn’t leave me behind.”

Rodney leaned down, touching Luke’s head gently. “I know how you feel about him. If he has to sacrifice himself, someone needs to go. Someone has to make it worthwhile.”

It was the most any of them had heard Rodney say, his earnest eyes pausing to look at each one of them. “Half an hour. Then, you go.” It was the last thing he said, and then he was gone, disappearing into the woods again. They could hear the rustle of branches as he sped past them. Luke rubbed his hands over his face, taking deep breaths, muttering an old prayer his Grandma Emma had taught him. Without the extra weight that Luke represented, Rodney could make better time.

He glanced up at the night sky littered with twinkling stars and it was hope he wanted to feel. Just a bit of happiness that they had made it out, even if every minute they stayed made it harder to escape at all.

But it was Noah…

Luke wasn’t sure how, but when he saw him again, after yelling at him for as long as it made Luke feel better, he would make him tell him every detail.

He closed his eyes.

Noah had to be all right.

*

This was the dumbest thing he had ever done in his life. Noah had blended into the crowd gathered around the back of the still flaming house. He heard Kreeger screaming commands at the other staff in an attempt to put out the fire. If he could avoid any actual authorities, it would be for the best. Other staff was starting to gather the rest of the members, moving them down to the front where they could be monitored.

Noah inched his way to the side door, slipping through unnoticed, and breaking into a run. The doors to the main hallway were in front of him and he pushed them open, smoke filling his lungs immediately. He kneeled to the floor, crawling his way along until his hands touched the first step of the main stairs. He took a deep breath while still crouched on the floor before standing and running up the stairs. He stumbled over a few steps, scraping his ankle in the process. Ignoring that, he made his way to his room, back onto his hands and knees, feeling his way to the board by his bed.

It was almost impossible to see anything in the hallway but his room was almost virtually smoke free. He still crawled on the floor, the gray cloud outside making it harder to see inside. He had done this so many times, in the darkness of night, that his fingers remembered their way. He lifted the board, reaching in and gripping papers, pulling out and diving back in. He felt for the cold, circular shape of the CD that they had gotten from Kreeger’s office.

“Are you looking for something?”

The voice made his freeze and turning to look over his shoulder he saw Ryan standing near the door. Standing there, holding in his hand what Noah was looking for, the burned information that Rodney had managed to get. “Ryan.”

“What you’re doing is wrong. They’re just trying to help.”

Noah stood up, keeping his eyes on what once was his friend, and when he spoke, his voice trembled slightly. “Ryan, they didn’t help. They took away who you are.”

“That’s not true. I feel complete for the first time. I’m not afraid now. I’m not alone. Noah, this is how it should be.”

Noah shook his head, gripping on the folder in his hands, the only thing he had left of his friend. “No. It isn’t.”

In the blink of an eye, he ran for Ryan, knocking him down and grabbing for the CD before it fell away. When he had it in his hands, he scrambled away, kicking at Ryan’s hands and standing into a run. He slipped on the floor, trying for a hold somewhere and not finding one, he rolled down the stairs. Something cracked on his way, and Noah screamed out, stopping in a heap at the bottom. He crawled a few feet, standing up, crying in pain before forcing his feet to move.

He didn’t think about anything but making it back out the door. Ryan was screaming his name and suddenly there were more than one pair of footsteps behind him. The doors opened when he pushed his shoulder into them, and the shaft of light coming through the side door guided him.

One hand was holding what he had managed to save from his room, the other one holding his aching side. The pain caused him to stumble and he fell again on the ground, trying to get his feet under him proved impossible. They would catch up to him and it would be over. He stopped moving, letting the pain overwhelm him.

At least Luke, and the rest, were safe. He had managed to do that right.

Suddenly there were arms around him, pulling him to his feet, balancing and forcing Noah to take a step forward. He knew it was Rodney. He wouldn’t leave him behind. Shaking his head at Noah, Rodney dragged him along and then noise started whizzing past them. Noah’s eyes widened, heat just passed his ear, and he glanced over at Rodney. “Jesus. Are they -?”

“Shooting at us. Yes.”

Noah needed very little motivation after that, pulling away to run on his own, every step throbbing up his side. He forged ahead blindly, going by instinct, turning when he heard Rodney turn. Their breathing harsh and loud in the stillness. Behind them, faint but there, was the rumbling of braches and echoes of movement.

Halfway to where he knew they were supposed to be, Rodney stumbled, rolling over and to a stop. Noah knelt down next to him, turning his friend over to find a large red stain on his shirt. Pressing down on the wound, Noah felt the warmth bleed into his hand. “Rodney.”

“Go.”

“I’m not leaving you here. You’ll die.”

Rodney’s hand gripped Noah’s shirt, pulling him forward as he did. “It’s okay. I did it. I got you out. Now, you need to tell them.”

Noah shook his head, tears gathering in his eyes. “I can’t let you die, too.”

Soft brush on Noah’s cheek and then Rodney pulled his hand away to rifle in his pocket, handing Noah an envelope. “This is going to help. Keep out of view for a little while. There is a number in there if you need help. Do what you have to do, Noah.”

It almost sounded like something his father would say.

Be a man, Noah. Grow up, Noah. Do what you need to, Noah.

“I can’t.”

“Noah, you’re stronger than you think. Go. Save them all.” Rodney pushed Noah with the little strength he had left, making him crawl back a few feet. “He needs you and you need him. “ Rodney didn’t need to explain or clarify. The rustling was becoming louder and if he waited any longer, they would find them both. He met Rodney’s eyes again. “Go.”

Noah reached for his friend’s hand squeezing before letting go and running. He didn’t look back once, didn’t glance at Rodney. If he did, he would never keep going. He could see the opening to the road, and when he burst through, he just kept running.

They had to get out. Now.

*

Luke paced back and forth in front of the van, watching Evie and Marc through the windshield as they spoke quietly to each other. They had gone inside the car ten minutes after Rodney had gone for Noah. Luke knew they were trying to make a plan in case they didn’t make it back. He took a deep, shaking breath in and rubbed his hands over his arms.

They would make it back. Luke had to believe that.

He couldn’t live with it, if something happened to Noah. After he had come back for him, he had rescued him, and had ruined whatever plan they had for him.

He didn’t have details, not yet, but from the looks Evie and Marc gave each other, he knew that this whole running and escaping plan wasn’t supposed to happen. They had been forced into it.

Luke’s eyes roamed the trees lining both ends of the road. Somewhere in there, he knew Noah was on his way. He wouldn’t leave him like this. Not with all these things he was feeling. He had to believe that he would come back.

To him.

If he didn’t, if something happened to Noah…

The thought halted him in his step, and he held one hand to his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart. It hurt too much to think. He couldn’t… Noah would be fine. He would come back to him - to them.

Evie’s voice behind was soft but firm. “It’s been half an hour, Luke. We have to go.”

He glanced at her for one long second, shaking his head. “No.”

Marc joined them, his own eyes a little glassy and wet. “Luke, we love him too, you know. He’s our friend.”

Luke wasn’t going to hear it.

He wasn’t leaving without Noah. Period.

“But we made a promise,” Evie continued Marc’s sentence, reaching to hold on to Luke’s arm. “We promised him we would make sure you got out. Safe. That we would get you home.”

Home. That was all he wanted. His parents, his sisters and brother, his family, they waited for him there.

Noah’s face, smiling at him, flashed across his mind, and his stomach dropped at the thought of not seeing it again. He shook his head, pulling away from Evie. “I’m not leaving without Noah.”

The frustrated noise from Marc made Luke turn his head, and when his friend stalked to him, standing in front of Luke, he understood what it was taking them to ask this of him. It was something they were asking of themselves. Leaving Noah behind hurt them, too.

“He’s our friend, Luke. He was the one person who cared enough to try to help. Maybe, at first, it was out of some misguided need to save us. When he believed all that shit. Regardless when I got here, Noah was the first person to actually listen and not judge. When things changed, we helped each other stay who we were. We’re family. Leaving him is like leaving -”

“- a part of yourself behind.” Luke finished for him. When he looked straight into Marc’s eyes, his voice caught as he spoke. “What if - what if you can’t leave without that part, Marc?”

His friend took a step away, looking straight at Luke’s face, and with the trace of a smile, eyes wide with just a bit of wonder. “You’re in love with Noah.”

“Get in the van! Now!”

Luke stepped out from the front of the van, seeing Noah running toward him, and his first instinct was to go to him. When he reached Noah’s side, he threw his arms around him, and for one second, Noah held him back. “We have to go, Luke.”

Not needing any more instruction, Luke pulled away, turning back to the van, with Noah behind him. When they reached it, Evie had already started the engine and they dove into the back. Marc held Noah’s eyes, looking to the side and back at him, waiting.

Noah shook his head. “Let’s go.”

Marc didn’t ask, sliding the van door closed before climbing into the passenger side and grabbing onto the overhead bar, as Evie rammed the car into drive and screeched down the deserted road.

It was silent in the car for a few minutes, all eyes on the mirrors or behind them. As soon as they were far enough, Luke turned to Noah, asking quietly. “Rodney?”
Noah turned to look at him, eyes searching Luke’s, one hand coming up to brush Luke’s hair away from his face. Luke closed his eyes at the touch, hearing the sadness in Noah’s voice.

“Rodney didn’t make it.”

Luke saw the pain in Noah’s eyes and without thinking, he leaned forward, wrapping arms around his neck and pulling him forward on the seat. “I’m sorry.”

Noah hesitated, his own arms wrapping around Luke’s slowly. “He did it to save us.”

Luke nodded into his shoulder, nose brushing over the skin on Noah’s neck. It took all Noah had not to let out a whimper when Luke’s lips pressed into his skin, leaving a moist spot there. He tightens his hold, breathing in the scent of Luke and pushing away all thoughts except that he was alive. They had all made it out.

Whatever came now, Noah could handle.

*

Jack slammed the interrogation door closed, scowled at the man sitting inside, and threw a folder of notes, pictures and papers onto the table. “Do you see this?” He pulled it open, and shoved the family picture of Luke and his sisters at Damien. “This is what Luke loves the most in his life. His family.” Another picture of Lily and Luke flew at Damian. “You claim to love your son and Lily. Why the hell would you do this to them?”

Damian smirked up at Jack, arms crossing across his chest, raising one eyebrow. “I don’t have anything to say to you, Snyder. I don’t have anything to say without an attorney.”

They stood staring at one another for a long moment; the only sound was the muffled cacophony of sound that emerged from the other room. It took Jack a few minutes to get his temper in check. They had Damian and it was only a matter of time before he broke.

Jack nodded, not saying anymore as he walked out.

Damian closed his eyes, leaning his head down on the table and taking a deep breath. He needed to stall as long as he could until Charles could find his son. It had been over a month, and he had been using every resource at his disposal to find Luke. He regretted every day what he had done. It was his fault, and therefore it was his responsibility to find him.

He heard the door open once more, not caring what Jack had to say, he didn’t bother looking up from where he had laid on his head. He spoke firmly even though he knew it would do no good. “I told you I have idea what you want from me, Jack.”

“Hello, Damian.”

His head snapped up, eyes widening at Lily, who stood at the door, one hand clinging to Jack’s arm, dark circles under her eyes. Eyes that were staring at him with anger and hate.

“Lily.” He stood up; reliving that ever-present love, he had for her, filling him. “I didn’t know - thank god, you’re okay.” He wanted to touch her, assure himself that she was real, and this wasn’t some invention his brain was coming up with. If he had not hired Kreeger, then she wouldn’t have been hurt. It was that simple.

She took a step closer to him, her eyes never straying from his own and the closer she got; the more he believed it was true. He could feel that connection that always had. Then, she was standing in front of him. “Lily.”

The loud sound of the slap echoed in the room and beyond. Damian took a step back, more in shock than anything else. “Lily…”

“Where is he? Where is my son?” Her voice calm, cold, and trained as if she let it lose control, it would all crumble. However, he knew her still. She was close to breaking. He reached out, grimacing when she slapped his hand away hard. “Don’t touch me. Where is my son?”

“I was trying to help him like we planned, Lily.”

She pushed him, grabbing for skin and hair, anything that would hurt. He blocked her punches and smacks, felt her screaming crack something inside him. He was hurting her as much as he was hurting anyone else. “Lily.”

“You bastard! You used his guilt, didn’t you? You made him feel responsible for what happened.” Limp in Holden’s arms, she sobbed into her husband’s shoulder, muttering a litany of regrets and hatred. In an attempt to steer her away, Holden gripped her waist, turning her to the door. She broke free, coming to stand inches from Damian. “Tell me where my son is or I swear to you, Damian, I will make the rest of your life so miserable, you’ll be begging me to kill you.”

It wasn’t an idle threat, not coming from Lily, and Damian kept his eyes on hers. They could have been beautiful, the three of them, but he had screwed up and he had lost them.

“I don’t know, Lily.”

The answer seemed to deflate her and she crumpled in front of him. Jack held him back as Holden took Lily into his arms. Damian’s head fell forward, jealousy and guilt overwhelming him. “I didn’t know, Lily. I didn’t realize.”

Jack gripped his arm and Damian turned to look up at him. “I don’t know where he is.” Trying to reach Lily, he turned around to look at her. “I swear, I don’t know. I’ll find him, Lily.”

Jack spoke quickly. “You can start doing that by telling us what the hell exactly happened and where was the last place you saw Luke.”

Lily’s eyes on his, Damian nodded, wanting only to find Luke and bring him back to Lily. “Okay. I’ll take you there.”

*

They traveled for a few hours in one direction, keeping to the back road and watching for any sign that they had been followed, or that someone was looking for them. The few times a car did pass by, Luke would tense next to Noah, and Noah would automatically put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing his thumb on the material of shirt.

No one had really spoken yet, too tired and scared to know what to say, or in Noah’s case, to have anything to say. After a while, Marc’s head lolled to the side and quiet snores could be heard coming from his seat. Noah couldn’t blame him.

Luke shifted at his side, his own eyes drooping slowly, but he kept fighting it, afraid if he slept, they would miss something. Noah understood that since it was the reason he wasn’t willing to give in to sleep, no matter how much he needed it. Evie seemed to be the only one that awake enough still to continue to drive.

She reached for the radio, scanning the channels again, trying to find any news on the fire at the camp or about them. Noah knew she had a good reason to be afraid, that somehow this would end up with them in trouble. Nothing seemed to have come of it, yet. Kreeger had to be on a rampage at this point. Especially, if Ryan had mentioned the disc Noah had.

Glancing to the floor of the car, where he had deposited the papers and disc in his haste to get into the car and away, he reached down, checking to make sure there was no real damage. He sorted through the papers, muddy and strained, but still legible. He tried to make sense of them. Most were scientific notations of sorts others were numbers and names. Rodney had managed to grab a few account ledger sheets, and Noah assumed they had shady dealings in them even if he couldn’t understand. The disc was the most important. That was what Rodney had told him, when he had handed it over. It had videos of Kreeger’s activities, enough to sink him and the damn camp, extending even to Echo Lake’s tamer version.

Rodney had wanted more solid evidence still, something that would prove Kreeger’s murder of David. He had found the disc a few days ago and that had been their cue that it was time. He had gathered Marc, Evie, and Luke to let them in on it, when all hell had broken loose.
Closing his eyes, Noah leaned his head back against the seat, wishing his stomach would stop hurting him. If he made sudden movements, it felt like ground glass shredded his side, and he was sure that wasn’t good. He knew that he needed to get that looked at but there was no time. When they reached some place safe, he would figure that out. Until then, he managed to bite back on the moan that wanted to escape. Opening his eyes, he found Luke was staring at him, only inches from his side and he blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

Luke narrowed his eyes, hands beginning to move under Noah’s shirt, making him jump and scoot out of reach. “What are you doing?”

“You’re hurt.”

Noah’s eyes widened because when had Luke become psychic. Really. “I’m fine.”

“You’re lying to me.”

“Luke.”

“You are.” He reached up to smooth the wrinkles in Noah’s forehead, fingers tracing worry marks and pained lines. “I can see you’re hurting.” He smoothed a hand down Noah’s hair, finding his neck and kneading. “Tell me the truth.”

The touch would break him.

His whole life had been spent with someone who loathed the idea of showing comfort, of showing love. Noah had hungered, thirsted, and wanted so badly to have it. It was like a flood of need and want bursting free every time Luke touched him.

That hand sent ripples of pleasure and comfort radiating down Noah’s spine. His head turned slowly to find Luke’s face next to his, just a few inches away, eyes warm and caring, and he knew he was lost. “It’ll be okay.” The doubt reflected in Luke’s face made his heart hurt, and he reached his hand up to touch one cheek, tracing a line down and over Luke’s chin, pinching it between his forefinger and thumb. He gave Luke a smile, watched his eyes darken, and received a smile in return. “It’s not so bad. Hurts a little.” That was a flat out lie but he didn’t want to worry Luke. “I can handle it.”

Noah had no clue whether Luke believed him or had simply decided that it wouldn’t be worth the fight right then, but he only nodded, sighing warm breath on Noah’ s skin. “Okay. For now.” He leaned his head on Noah’s shoulder, tucking it under his chin, and wrapping a hand around Noah’s waist, brushing the tender spot with his arm. Noah tried to stifle the sound of pain that came with that, tried not to move or speak when Luke settled in.

It felt too good to have Luke that close and Noah was damned if he would make him stop touching him.

After a few moments, Luke sighed, and spoke softly. “Rodney was David’s brother, wasn’t he?”

His Luke wasn’t just a pretty face.

Noah wanted to smile because no one else had figured that out, especially not Kreeger. He had been too excited to have an ex-military man, even one that had been dishonorably discharged, in his company, always willing to believe the stereotypes he had grown up with, Noah assumed. He knew a little of Kreeger’s background, mostly thanks to Rodney. His family was sick. That had been the only way Noah could describe it.

He looked over at Luke, whose head titled slightly to meet his stare. Noah nuzzled Luke’s head, and sighed his answer in it. “Yes, he was David’s brother.”

Luke nodded. “That was why he was so different. He was there to help.”

“He was trying to. He felt responsible about David.”

“Like you do.”

Noah said nothing, stared out through the glass of the front windshield, and watched the yellow line in the middle of the road disappear under their path. The pain was starting to overwhelm all his senses, but Luke sitting this close, next to him, kept him anchored to the moment. His mind gave him problems. His heart wanted to touch Luke, to hold him, take in his scent, and be there with him. His mind, screamed at him still. That old sense of wrong trying to win out.

The voice sounded distinctly like his father and Noah shut it off.

He brought his arm up, ignoring the flames that shot down his side, and over Luke’s shoulder. His heart leaping at the small sigh Luke made as he closed the distance between them, snuggling into Noah’s chest. He wasn’t going to answer but then he found that he did.

“Some.”

Luke snorted just a little and Noah did smile then. “Okay. Maybe a lot.”

“You never talk about him.”

“Nothing to talk about. He trusted me. I got him killed.”

Luke tried to pull away, but was held in place by a surprisingly strong hold. He took the hint, knowing Noah wasn’t ready to deal with it. When he was, when he wanted to talk, Luke would be there.

*

Kreeger raged through the yard, screaming orders at the staff, watching his work, his life in flames. They had to call the fire department or it would all be lost. Cars pulled up to the driveway and he heard his name called, turned to see Matthew running toward him. That wasn’t what he needed.

“Not now.’

“Don’t give me that, Ross.” Matthew grabbed his arm, dragging him away to a less crowded spot, his hands pointing at the house. “How the hell did you let that happen?”

Kreeger swallowed the rage inside, the need to grab the other man by the collar and squeeze, until there was no air left in his lungs. He stepped closer, making the good father take a few steps back. “Don’t start with me, Matthew. Make yourself useful or get out of the fucking way.” He took some sick pleasure in watching as the white pallor came into Matt’s face. “Just remember this, Father. If I go down, you go down.”

He turned on his heels, watching as the fire trucks began their drive in. Paul was next to him, looking like someone had killed his dog in front of him. “Sir.”

“What?”

“They got away.”

Kreeger looked up at the night sky. “I see.”

“They have proof.”

The rush of water from the hoses filled the air with residual moisture and Kreeger watched as the flames began to die down. They would want to look into the fire, search the house for information, and all his work would have been in vain. “Paul, I want you to find them. Take care of it.”

Paul hesitated for one second too long and Kreeger saw the humanity that still resided in his eyes. Rodney would do it. “Call Rodney.”

Ryan stepped forward, looking braver than Kreeger had ever seen him. “He was in on it, sir. He was working with Mayer. They set the house on fire and took off.” He stepped closer, pulling out of his pocket a pair of dog tags. “We found Rodney dead but Noah got away.”

“And Rodney’s body?”

“We left it in the woods. The animals will take care of it.”

Kreeger tried to breathe, felt the night closing in on him, mind reeling with how he had missed any of that. Mayer wasn’t smarter than he was. “Why would Rodney do that?”

“It appears you didn’t know him as well as you assumed, sir.”

“Paul mentioned proof.”

Ryan nodded. “Mayer had been collecting papers from the lab, discs, account information, keeping a log of everything here. It’s fairly extensive, sir.”

“He got away with it. He’ll take it to the press.”

“Not right away. They’ll want to lay low. We still have time to stop them.” Ryan shrugged, and Kreeger looked into his eyes, saw nothing there, no remorse, no pain, and no emotions. It wasn’t too late for this work. It was here, with Ryan.

Kreeger pulled him away; looking back to make sure Paul had stayed behind. He was watching them but remained standing where he was. “I want you to find them. Take care of them. Do you understand, Ryan? They can’t give that information they have to anyone that would help them...” He stared at Ryan, his hands holding on the boy’s shoulders. “When you find them, you call me. I want to watch.”

Ryan nodded, leaving Kreeger’s side immediately and walking toward the driveway, he grabbed Paul on the way, and Kreeger watched as he made him get into one of the vans.

They drove off into the night.

Ryan would take care of it and Kreeger would be there to watch Mayer pay for crossing him.

*

Jack and Holden walked into yet another seedy bar. They had lost count how many. This one was twenty miles from the border of Montana. All eyes fell on them as they walked toward the long wooden bar. “Have you seen this kid around here?”

The bartender took the picture from Jack, looking for just one second before handing it back. “Sorry.”

Holden took a deep breath. “Try again.”

Another quick glance and they were given another negative answer. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen him.”

Someone at the bar spoke up, wobbling toward them and pointing to the door. “Get the hell out of here, man. You’ll bring them down on Ralph again.”

“George! Shut the hell up!”

Jack turned to the bartender, Ralph, and pulled out his badge. “This is a police investigation. If you know anything about this kid -”

“I don’t anything about that kid.”

There was a pause and Ralph closed his eyes, sighing. “There were a couple of kids in here a few years back. They were scared and running. They had wanted to use the phone, the next thing I know some guys came in and took them away.” He shrugged but his eyes looked haunted. “I assumed they had been in trouble.” He rubbed one had over his face before finishing his sentence. “Couple of days later, one the guys came back in, basically threatened to have me closed down for letting minors in, said that if I kept my mouth shut nothing would happen.”

Jack glanced at Holden, pulling out another photo he was carrying. “Is this the guy?”

Ralph glanced at the picture, hesitating before nodding. “That’s him.”

Holden headed to the door, hearing Jack advice Ralph to call if he remembered anything else or saw Kreeger again. When he joined Holden outside, he patted his cousin on the back. “We’re close, Holden.”

“I know. I hope it’s in time.”

*

Parker knocked on Faith’s bedroom door, waiting for permission and when her soft voice drifted out to him, he opened the door slowly, sticking his head around it. “Hey, it’s me.”

She smiled large and bright at him but her eyes seemed dull and unhappy. “Hey, Parker. What’s going on?”

He wasn’t sure how to say what he had to. His hesitation seemed to worry her and Faith moved to the door, pulling him inside. “Are you ok, Parker?”

“No, I’m not.”

He had had a nightmare, probably one of the worst of his life and it had involved Luke. He turned to Faith, knowing he couldn’t bring himself to tell her that. That he had seen her brother, broken and bleeding, in some dark, dirty factory somewhere. It would possibly send her into a panic.

He had to tell someone about it or he would go crazy.

“I had a dream.”

Faith sat on her bed, sympathetic look in her eyes. She knew about his dreams, how they tended to come true, that no one believed him when he tried to warn them. He watched her from the door and knew he couldn’t lie. “It was about Luke.”

Her eyes widened and she stood up. “What about him?”

“He’s in trouble and we need someone to help him.”

*

They didn’t stop until the morning light started peeking over the horizon. The pain was now constant and causing Noah trouble breathing. He didn’t tell anyone about it. As soon as they were somewhere safe, he would tell them. Marc pointed out they were running out of gas and that maybe both the van, and their bodies, could use a refuel. Evie nodded, finding a rest stop with a diner and gas station a few miles up the road.

They still had no real clue where the hell they were and regrouping was their best option in that moment. Stepping out of the van, straightening his body up made Noah stumble forward, and Luke’s hands steadied him. “Sorry.” He sent him a smile and watched Luke’s face brighten.

“It’s okay. Your legs are probably still a little scared. I don’t blame them. If the person that owned me was stupid enough to go back into a raging fire, I’d be against them, too.”

Evie’s hand covered her mouth, stifling her laugh, but Marc just let it out into the morning. Noah felt it bubble up his chest but held it back. He wasn’t going to dignify that. He had done what had been needed. Even if it had been stupid, careless, and all around insane.

Luke was smiling at him though and that was all mattered now. “Let’s get in there.”

It seemed like a typical trucker diner, not that any of them knew what a typical trucker diner was supposed to look like, but that was Luke had said so they went with it.

Their server, Rosie, gave them a wary, motherly look at first, but when each of them used the terms “Ma’am,” “Thank you,” and “Please,” she seemed to take to them, bringing extra helpings of bacon and pancakes, when they had finished theirs in record time. Everyone except Noah was starving but he forced at least most of his food down, past the pain, and prayed it would stay there. He knew he needed the energy and he knew Luke was watching him closely.

His ankle still hurt but compared to the rest of him, that was actually pleasant. He limped a little, but since they hopefully wouldn’t have to make anymore quick escapes, he should be fine for a few days until it healed. He glanced up when there was a sudden silence at the table, finding three pairs of eyes staring at him. They were waiting for him to tell them what they were going to do.

He had been expecting that.

“We’re going to finish eating, then we’ll head to the nearest bus depot, which according to the signs I saw on the way in, is only about twenty miles from here.”

Luke nodded, taking a bite of the apple pie Rosie had given them with their meal. It wasn’t anything, compared to his Grandma Emma, but it was still good. “Ditching the car seems like a smart idea. I mean, they’ll be looking for it. So what do we do when we get to the depot? I mean, obviously, we take a bus but where are we going?”

Noah stared at them, wiping his mouth carefully with the napkin, taking his time with the response. They were not going to like it at all but it was the best option. “We’re going to get on separate buses.”

The sudden outburst wasn’t surprising, because Noah knew as soon as he had thought of it, that they would hate. The truth was they had no other choice. If they stuck together, it would be easier to find them. He watched Evie and Marc gesture with their forks, shaking their heads, saying things about sticking together and being a team.

It was Luke’s silence that got Noah’s attention, and after they had run out of steam, Luke spoke quietly. “I think Noah is right. We need to separate. They’ll be looking for all four of us.” He pointed at Evie and Marc with his fork. “We head somewhere familiar but not known for you, somewhere big, where you can get lost until Noah does what he has to do.”

Noah nodded, throat tightening at the thought he would have to say good-bye to them. That he would have to come to terms with the fact that he might never see Luke again. “That’s a good idea, Luke.”

The blond glanced at him, smiling softly as he said, “Thanks. I figure Marc and Evie go in one direction. You and I can head in a separate one.”

Noah opened his mouth to protest because there was no way in hell he was going to put Luke in that position. “I don’t think so. You ‘re going home. End of story.”

The glare he received was scathing, and Noah realized that all that passion he had seen in Luke before, wasn’t anywhere near the kind he seemed to carry inside. “Well, Noah, it’s a good thing I don’t follow orders, isn’t it?”

*

They were a few miles from the depot and Luke still had not spoken to Noah, no matter how much reason he threw at him that this wasn’t a good idea. That he needed to go home. That this was Noah’s fight and not his. Luke had simply looked out of the window, at the rain that had started to fall, splattering in fat drops on it.

Noah’s temper was being tested and eventually he had muttered a “Damn it, Luke” before trading seats with Marc.

They pulled into the almost empty bus depot parking lot, each taking a direction to look in, making sure they had not been found. It seemed unreal that it had only been a few hours since everything had happened. Reaching for all the papers, Noah slipped them into the manila folder he had found in the glove compartment. Their group trotted through the mud and up to the stairwell that led to the depot’s entrance. Tiny and square, the names of cities blinked on the lit up menu board behind the desk. One agent stood there, reading a magazine, barely glancing in their direction.

Once inside, Luke realized, as far as he knew, they had no money. It had not occurred to him even at the diner. Noah had paid, though. He turned to watch him pull some money from the white envelope that had been inside the van’s glove compartment, along with the manila one that Noah was using to carry all the papers and the disc.

The wad of money was impressive and Luke’s mouth dropped open a little. Noah glanced at him, mouth quirky up at one end. “Rodney was prepared.” He handed Luke the two envelopes, heading to a chair and counting out the money. When they were in four equal piles, he handed each of them one, pocketing his back inside the envelope.

“That should be enough to keep each of us in motel rooms and food for a couple of weeks. Don’t stay in one spot too long. Two days at the most. Try to choose less populated areas, nothing too fancy. Somewhere they won’t ask questions. But within easy access of transportation.” Noah waited for each of their nods and turned to the large menu board.

The options were not the best, seeing as they were somewhere outside Azure, which was the smallest town in the world, according to Tim at the diner. The only two destinations that seemed the smartest were Chicago and New York. Luke knew that Evie was from New Jersey. “I think it would be good if at least one of each of us was close to home.” Evie smiled at him, winking his way, and pulling Marc toward the desk.

“New York it is.”

Luke turned to Noah, wanting to touch him when he brought scared eyes to meet his, but he resisted. He knew it was going to take all he had to keep Noah from leaving him for his own good. They needed to stick together until this was over. He needed someone’s help. Luke had decided that would be him whether Noah agreed with it or not.

“So that leaves you and me and Chicago.”

Noah said nothing for a long while, staring at the tile on the floor, and Luke wondered if maybe he had wanted to go somewhere closer to his home. He glanced back up at the board. There were not many more major cities to go to from there. There was Los Angeles but that was in the opposite direction he needed to move. He was sure that wasn’t anywhere near Noah’s home. Military brat that he was, he had grown up, as Evie had once told him, at different bases all over the country.
“Did you want to go home?”

Noah’s head jerked up, blinking at Luke a few times before shaking his head. “No way.” He sighed, leaning slightly to his left, holding to his chest the manila folder with all the information he wanted to turn over to the authorities.

“Then Chicago is okay?”

Noah sighed, turning to look at him, and then nodding his head. “Chicago, it is.” He moved forward to the desk and Luke handed him his pile of money. Noah glanced down at it and back up at Luke. “It’s yours.”

Luke shook his head, placing the pile in Noah’s hand, holding it for a fraction longer than expected and squeezing tightly. “No. It’s ours.”

*

Holden didn’t know how or why he had found the house. Some ingrained instinct of a parent. Maybe the smell of the fire had made them look. When they found Pioneer House in Montana, it was half a house, pitted out and unlivable. The groups of kids in huddles around it made his heart race. Luke could be one of them.

They had followed some directions here after talking to one of the neighbors who had identified Kreeger’s picture and mentioned he ran a youth group home for troubled kids.

It had not been difficult since they knew where to look.

Jack walked toward one of the police officers near the entrance. He was interviewing a few of the kids. Holden stayed where he was, eyes roaming over the crowd, looking for any familiar sign of his son. There wasn’thing. He moved through them now, listening to any kind of voice that he recognized.

There was no one there that looked like Luke. He started to one small group, which seemed more detached then the rest when he heard Jack call his name. He ran over to him, seeing the disappointed look on his face.

“He isn’t here.”

“It doesn’t look like it. They did a count of the groups and kids. Luke isn’t one of them.” Jack glanced around, trying to figure out their next move. “Maybe there’s a different home.”

“Two different group homes in a town whose population is less than three hundred?”

Jack nodded, waving away the thought. “Right. Well, it’s possible that we missed a clue or something.”

“Excuse me?”

They both turned to take to a look at the gentle voice that interrupted them. It belonged to a young girl, no more than fourteen years old. “I think I heard you were looking for Luke. Snyder?”

Holden rushed forward, forcing his hands to stay at his side, even when they itched to grab this girl, this possible connection to his son. “We are. I’m his father.”

She gave him a strange look then pausing to glance behind her, she leaned and spoke quietly. “The rumor is that he and Noah ran off during the fire. They think they might have started it. Not that I blame them 'cause I heard that something bad was about to happen to him.”

“Noah? Who’s Noah?”

The girl rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Noah was one of us. Actually, he was more than that. From what is going around, they say he was trying to help Luke escape all along.”

Before they could ask anything else, she took off, disappearing into a crowd when a large bus pulled up. Holden read the sign on the side stating that the bus belonged to Echo Lake. He watched as each kid was passed through the front of the line and into the bus. None of them was Luke.

Luke had managed to get out before the fire. He had been trying to leave this place, and had run away with another boy: Noah.

Jack came up behind him, one hand on his shoulder. “Looks like the kid’s name is Noah Mayer. And from what I got, he’s had a tough time here this year.”

“Year?” Holden turned around, his face shocked. “What kind of parent would put their kid in here at all, let alone for one year?”

Jack looked down at his notes.

“A parent named Colonel Winston Mayer.”

Part Seven

###

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

salianne.livejournal.com

whew - i'm a little less freaked out - they got away....but good lord - what's next??? this is an amazing adventure you have us on!

From:

like a skyscraper

NaNo Fic: What Is Undone (ATWT, Luke/Noah, AU) - Part Six

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