halloweentown!!! (halloweenish) wrote in politico,
@ 2009-12-10 02:30:00

Entry tags:

reagan, liam, adam, parker, elijah, shay (and a sleeping murphy)

It had been a pretty long day for Reagan. He was hoping to have Liam home by dinner, but that clearly wasn't going to happen, and he wasn't about to ask and pry as to why. Liam's job was tricky, something that Reagan had been aware of right from the start, and he didn't question or push. He was infinitely patient and supportive, actually, and mostly he was just in awe of the things Liam put himself out there to do. He helped a lot of people, and Reagan thought that the man was simply amazing. He loved him for many things, and the fact that Liam could be so selfless about his job was one of them.

So after running a few errands, he came home and pulled into the garage. He left the garage door open because he wanted to take the garbage bin out and put it by the curb after he'd unloaded the back of his Ford Explorer. He'd gotten a bunch of new canvas, as well as some new paints, and some of the canvas was rather large. He carried everything inside the house through the garage door, and then he wheeled the trash bin all the way out to the curb before he went back into the garage. He pushed the button to close the garage, and then he headed inside of the house to arm the security system. He'd never had one in New York, but given Liam's job, the man was pretty adamant about having one.

With a heavy sigh, Reagan shed his coat and scarf, and as he rummaged around in the fridge he called Liam on his cell phone just so he could talk to him for a little bit before he either went to bed or painted for a while. He knew that Liam was on some sort of a stakeout, but when it came to details, he knew nothing else. He wasn't even sure if the man would answer or not.

With two of them on the job, Liam went ahead and answered. He needed to hear Reagan's voice. "Sorry about earlier. We received a bit of a threat on some members of the team and now they're under protective custody. We're just worried about tonight so things should be back to normal tomorrow." He sounded confident.

Little did either of them know, Adam March had slipped inside undetected while the garage door had been open. Knowing the man's routine certainly helped and the alarm would do no good since he was already inside. Anticipation roared through him as he sat in wait for just the right time to strike.

Whenever Liam answered the phone like that, without a greeting, and went straight into a sort of speech - Reagan could tell that he was stressed despite how calm the man sounded. He got a few things out to make a sandwich as he cradled the phone in between his shoulder and ear, his neck a little strained.

"Okay," he said once Liam was done talking. "I just got home. I'm going to eat something and take a shower, then get some sleep I think. I have to be up early because Melinda is coming by to get a few pieces from the studio downstairs." Liam had turned the basement into Reagan's art space, which made it a lot easier for them to spend time together, because Liam's job was so demanding. They didn't need Reagan's to be, too. "You're being careful, right?" he asked after a pause, unable to keep himself from worrying sometimes.

Just listening to Reagan's voice was calming and he afforded himself a moment of shutting his eyes to imagine Reagan making a sandwich. He wished he was there. One of the things he loved doing was cooking with him, even if it could get a little messy sometimes. "I'll be careful," he promised. The idea of not going home to him was devestating and a large part of his drive not to go barging in, doing stupid things.

Adam could hear Reagan's voice and was infinitely amused that he was talking to Liam. The man wouldn't be able to thwart him this time. The prize would be his, the one he'd been waiting for for so long. He had to wring his hands together to prevent himself from just bursting forth and taking Reagan right that moment.

Reagan lifted his thumb up to his mouth to lick off some mustard as he listened to Liam's promise, and he smiled softly to himself. He knew that he couldn't control the things that happened to Liam out in the field, and even Liam couldn't, but he let himself be assured anyway.

"When you get home in the morning, we can make breakfast, okay?" he said as he put everything away and grabbed a bottle of water. He picked his plate up and headed out of the kitchen and towards the living room. "I love you."

After he ate, he was just going to hop in the shower and crawl into bed. It was hard sleeping so many nights without Liam there, but it always made the nights that the man was home that much more special.

"I love you too," Liam said and clicked the phone shut, going back to paying attention to the building.

When Reagan went to take a shower, Adam went downstairs to the studio. He wanted to surround himself with all of Reagan's work, the place where he created the things Adam loved so much. He let his fingers slide over the canvas and a shiver ran down his spine. When he heard the water shut off, he listened for the footsteps into the bedroom and he got his kit ready, opening up the syringe he would use to inject the sedative.

After Reagan had taken his shower and slipped into his pajamas, he brushed his teeth and went to crawl into bed. Spooky meowed and hopped up to settle down with him, the little white kitten from two years ago no longer so little. Reagan smiled faintly and reached over to scratch behind the cat's ears.

"Well, you're not Liam, but l suppose you'll do," he mumbled with a yawn before he closed his eyes.

It was almost funny when Reagan commented that the cat wasn't Liam. For a split second, Adam feared that he'd been seen. But he was pretty sure 'you'll do' wouldn't have been Reagan's reaction.

Slipping through the shadows, he crept up next to Reagan's bed and just watched him for a few moments. Since he was the one who got away, he'd set him up on a pedestal, glorifying him in his mind as the great white whale to his Ahab. The cat looked at him and meowed plaintively, knowing something was up. Adam couldn't resist putting his hand on Reagan's arm and stirring him. "I've been waiting for this for so long, Reagan; you have no idea."

Reagan relaxed and hooked an arm around one of Liam's pillows. He liked that they smelled like the other man, and when Liam couldn't be there, they were the second best thing. It didn't take very long for him to start to doze since he'd been running around all day, and even though he heard Spooky meow he paid no attention. When he felt Adam's hand on his arm, he almost thought that it was Liam because time had all ready started to slip away from him, but the voice didn't match. He opened his eyes and rolled over abruptly, furrowing his brow as he looked up at the other man's face. It took half a second for him to reach for the lamp so that he could try and hit Adam with it, his body all ready on defense. He had no idea who this man was, and he didn't want to find out.

Well prepared for a maneuver like that, Adam managed to block Reagan's arm. Sometimes he wished that he didn't have to use the sedative, but he didn't want them to fight so it was necessary. Sliding the needle under Reagan's skin, he pressed the plunger and unloaded the medicine into him. This would make him how he dreamed Reagan should be, pretty and passive and willing.

The sedative wouldn't take long to work and Adam took the liberty of holding Reagan down so that he wouldn't get up and hurt himself. "Don't worry about a thing, Reagan," he spoke softly, liking to use the man's name because it made everything sound so much more personal. "I'm going to take you someplace where your talent can be appreciated."

Reagan still struggled, and he managed to bump the nighstand table so that he lamp he'd been trying to get fell to the floor. He could hear it break, and everything felt so surreal. As the drug started to take effect, his movements grew more and more sluggish. The thrashing had scared Spooky, so the cat had jumped off of the bed and was meowing loudly. Reagan was sure that this had to be some sort of a dream. There was no way that this sort of thing was actually happening to him.

"It's too bad that Liam can't be here to protect you. I guess he doesn't think you're very talented. I sent him a nice note warning him to appreciate what he had, telling him that he was surrounded by talented people. But he chose to protect the two little sprites on his team rather than you. See? You'll be better off with me. I'm the one who deserves you."

He'd since gained more control of himself and didn't need to take them right then and there. He had remained successful because he only took one a year and he was quick about it, efficient. But still, he couldn't help but run his hands up underneath Reagan's pajamas, smoothing skin to skin as he sighed against the man's neck. "I'm going to love you so much."

Reagan swallowed hard and lifted a hand to try and push Adam back, but his movements were slow, and instead of pushing the man away all he could do was just rest his hand against Adam's chest and try.

"Don't..." he said softly, and his eyes were growing heavy. He felt sleepy, but he was doing absolutely everything that he could to fight off the feeling. He was terrified that if he fell asleep, he might not have a chance of getting away at all.

"Don't?" His fingers turned inward, digging his nails into Reagan's skin. "You're going to learn not to say that." A thin line of anger stabbed through his voice before it dissipated into calm again. Moving his mouth closer to Reagan, Adam seemed to breathe in his air before laying a kiss down. The act was reverent, like one might kiss a holy relic, with awe and respect.

Standing upright when he was certain Reagan wasn't going anywhere, he started to pack his clothes in the suitcase he'd brought. He did this quickly, not bothering to fold anything because they needed to get going. When he was finished with that, he scooped Reagan up and packed him outside where he'd parked his innocent looking van a little ways away. No one was out at this hour to see him load Reagan into the back and hurry inside again to get his painting supplies and his clothes.

Reagan was trying his hardest to fight off the sedative. Adam hadn't injected enough to overwhelm him, but it was definitely enough to keep him from doing much else other than lay there on the bed as he tried desperately to stay awake. His eyes felt so heavy, though. The next time he opened them he was in the van, and he had no idea as to how much time had passed.

"Liam..." he groaned softly as he opened his eyes.

"You're really going to have to stop with that name. You're not going to see Liam again. I have no intention of losing twice to him." Because that's what had happened before when Reagan had first met Liam. It had been impossible, at the time, to enact his plan for taking Reagan, but he was better now and it was about revenge as much as it was about having Reagan.

He loaded the man's things into the passenger seat, leaving Reagan in the backseat, lying down on the longest row of seats. Their destination was about forty minutes away.

Twice? It was still hard for Reagan to really focus, and the man's words were confusing. He lifted a hand to block out the light from a street lamp because it was hurting his eyes and he tried to sit up.

"Who are you?" he muttered. "Am I dreaming?"

He could see his and Liam's house outside the van window, but only for a moment before his head dropped back down against the seat cushion.

"Yes, you're dreaming. Just go to sleep and you'll wake up safe and sound." Where that would be, Adam didn't think Reagan needed to know at the moment.

The drive to the farm seemed to fly by. Adam turned on some music and reveled in the fact that he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do. This year was successful and he could plan for the next. When they arrived at his plot of land, he was hardly worried about being caught now. No one ever came this far up from the main road and his little house was very easy to miss. Everything else was underground, extended from his basement. He took Reagan inside first, carrying him quickly before the drug finally wore off. Down the stairs he went and put him in one of the rooms. It was rather nicely furnished save for the lack of privacy the reinforced chain link fence provided. Parker looked up to see the new arrival, feeling as sick as he always did when Adam brought home another, especially because he knew yet another year had passed.

Elijah had learned the different sounds over the past few years, and he could always tell when Adam was carrying a new person into their midst rather than just coming down to take one of them away for a night of private time. Sitting up, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and blinked as he furrowed his brow. Sometimes he was thankful that he couldn't see Adam's face, it gave him hope that if he ever did get away, he wouldn't have to remember it.

"Parker," he said softly as he reached out to hook his fingers around the wires of the chain link fence. "Did he bring someone else?"

Parker had been alone for an entire year before Adam had brought Elijah, and then for a year it had just been he and Parker. Elijah had grown fairly attached to the other boy for obvious reasons. Parker was his eyes, his friend, and his comfort.

The lighting in this place was dim. The nice furniture couldn't make up for the dank, dark place. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Parker peered hard into the hazy space. When the light flicked on, he had to squint, turning away from the single flickering bulb that Adam had turned on to get Reagan settled in. Even though the man was right next door, Parker wasn't afraid to speak to Elijah. When Adam had a new toy, he was unwaveringly focused.

"Yeah," he said as he stood up and went to Elijah's side of his cell. Slipping his own fingers through the fence, he brushed against Elijah's to offer that contact. When he'd been out in the real world, he'd been so inside of himself that it was impossible to show much compassion to other people. He'd always been a bit selfish. But now that he was in this place, it felt safer to try and comfort other people. Strange, the things one learned in such horrific situations. "He's still pretty out of it. You know, I don't think Adam can even hear us when he's with the new ones." He said it loud enough for the man to hear and he didn't respond in the least.

Hearing that the answer was yes, Elijah couldn't help but frown. Another year had gone by, then. He hated that he had no real concept of time. Days and nights all bled into one another and meant nothing, especially since he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt the sun on his skin.

"I wonder if he has a family," he mumbled softly as he felt Parker's fingers slip the fence to brush against his own. Elijah hadn't had anybody, and for that, he was partly thankful. Nobody to miss, nothing to regret, not like all of the others.

Instantly, his mind went to Callaway and even after five years, the thought of their parting still stung bitterly. The man had probably long since given up; Parker could imagine him with someone else, thinking that he'd simply run away. But after all this time, he'd learned to shove those thoughts firmly away.

"We'll ask him when we have the chance. He's really tall," Parker noted. "I wonder what he does." Parker had gotten to the stage where he didn't believe he would ever be freed and so he took pleasure where he could. Learning about the new guys was always a welcome refresher from the monotony, even if it meant another person had been put into his own private hell.

Elijah tugged his lower lip into his mouth, holding it captive between his teeth as he listened to Parker's voice. Shay and Lindsey were probably asleep because he didn't hear either of them talking, though really they didn't like to talk when Adam was around so it was hard to tell.

When Adam left, Reagan was starting to come around more, and he was obviously confused. He still couldn't move his body as much as he wanted to, the sedative had made him feel heavy and strange. He lifted a hand up to shield his eyes from the light, and the light glinted off his wedding band as he tried to sit up. The air was dank, and he coughed a little bit as he grabbed onto the fence for some support and managed to sit up somewhat.

"Where am I?" he called outloud, not realizing there were others there with him.

Parker quelled the fleeting desire to be cruel to this person. While being in this place had certainly helped him to find compassion for other people, it had also affected him in numerous negative ways as well. But he never liked to think that Adam's sadism was wearing off on him, so he called out to the other kindly. "We don't quite know but there are four others in the same boat as you. We've come here about a year apart, though there was one year in there that nobody came. We thought he'd stopped." But no such luck.

"I'm sorry. I'm overwhelming you. I'm Parker. The man who brought you here is Adam--or that's what he wants us to call him."

It was overwhelming, yes, but Reagan was doing his best to stay calm and to take in all that was being said to him. He remembered being taken, and he was aware of the fact that he was being held captive somewhere. He hadn't bargained for there to be others, too, and certainly not for five years. For some reason, Parker's words seemed familiar, but Reagan couldn't place why.

"Parker," he repeated as he tried to clear his head. "I'm Reagan."

Elijah was a bit fascinated. He'd been a mess when he'd come around, and so had Murphy and Shay in their own way. But Reagan seemed calm. Well, maybe not calm, but he seemed to be taking everything in. It was strange.

"Does he ever take us upstairs?" Reagan asked after a moment, after he was done looking around, and his attention finally swayed in Parker's direction.

"Sometimes," Elijah answered, finding the question odd. "He'll take you up a lot at first, because you're new. Why?"

"I need to find something... of mine..." Reagan muttered to himself as he started to look around. Adam had packed some of his things, he vaguely remembered that, but he didn't see any of it just yet.

To Elijah, he thought that Reagan was still just out of it and confused. The man's words were strange, and they made no sense. He didn't realize that Reagan was trying to figure out something to leave somewhere upstairs in case Liam came to the house. He had no doubt that Liam would find him somehow, he just wanted to leave a clue if he could.

He watched Reagan carefully, scrutinizing the way he was handling this. He remembered comforting Elijah, as if going through it all again himself. That had been a very difficult few weeks. "Something specific? He only packs your clothes and the reason he took you. What do you do?" Parker had taken to guessing and he'd pegged Reagan as a photographer like Shay.

Staying close to Elijah, Reagan liked to feel someone other than Adam close to him. It was comforting to know that the boy was there because that year alone had been almost unbearable.

Elijah let his fingers curl around Parker's as much as possible while he listened to the sound of his friend's voice and waited for a response from Reagan. He'd expected to hear panic, or sobbing, but instead Reagan seemed so... Together. At least on the outside, he did.

"I'm an artist," Reagan answered as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He still felt too woozy to get up, so he stayed put for now. "A painter..." His clothes and art supplies weren't small enough to leave some place upstairs, Adam would notice them, and Reagan frowned as his heart started to sink. "What's everyone's names?"

"I'm Elijah," Elijah answered. "And there's Shay and Murphy, too."

"I'm Parker. He's been talking about a painter for awhile, longer than just a year." Adam talked to him more than he did the others. In a very weird way they were almost friends by this time. It sickened Parker, but he'd done what he could to survive.

"He's going to be spending a lot of time with you--just do what he says and he won't hurt you too much. I fought and I was sorry."

Now Adam's words about how he had been waiting, and how he wasn't going to lose to Liam again made sense to Reagan. He lifted a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose with one of his knuckles. He felt sick inside, but he didn't want to give in to the feeling. He was trying to think of all the things that Liam had told him about these types of situations. Maybe he could use the information somehow.

"I'm married," he said softly. "My husband's Unit Chief of the Behavorial Analysis, for the FBI. He finds people like Adam..."

Something about that gave Parker a painful jolt of hope. Painful because he'd learned to fear hope after five years of disappointment after disappointment. He'd resolved to die here someday.

"The FBI?" he said after a long stunned silence. He glanced back at Elijah, knowing he'd heard that and wondering what he thought. Surely they would start looking for them now and if Reagan was found, then maybe the rest of them--he stopped himself. It was stupid to hope, stupid and hurtful in the long run. Pulling his fingers away from the fence, he went to sit on his bed, upset that he'd let himself even think of the possibility of seeing Callaway again. "How on earth would he find someone like Adam? He's eluded people for years and who knows if there were people before me."

Reagan closed his eyes as he leaned forward and pressed his face into his hands. He wished more than anything he would have fought back harder, that he would have done something differently but it had all happened so fast.

"His team build profiles of criminals through victimology, they study the victims of crimes and they build a profile and..." he paused, really wondering for the first time how Liam did what he did. Sure, he knew the general idea of it all, but now it seemed so much more complex. "They've found lots of people. And lots of criminals. He's working on a missing persons case now, four missing men over the past five years..." Liam never gave him details. Never any names, and never anything that would compromise the cases, but he sometimes gave a sliver of information to help him understand why he was so stressed. Of course Reagan didn't realize he was speaking of the four men he was currently being held captive with, not until he'd said the words, and he couldn't help but wonder if the press conference had brought Adam's attention to Liam. And now him. He paused to look over at Parker. "There's four of you? How long have you all been here?"

Parker frowned, knowing where Reagan was going with this. He wanted to tell him to shut up, that it wasn't even possible and they'd all be there forever. It was almost as if his brain was secretly terrified of being found, even if this was a living hell. "Five years, as far as I can tell with what each new captive tells me." Time had become relative to the comings and goings of Adam and the other victims; there was no morning in that basement, no hours, no weeks, just Adam.

He scooted back so that his body was leaned against the only actual wall in his cell. Hooking his knees up to his chest, he felt himself physically closing up.

Elijah had been completely silent the whole time, his fingers remaining curled around the wiring of the fence. Like Parker, he felt a glimmer of hope that he desperately wanted to cling to, but was afraid to. He bit down on his lower lip before he let his fingers slip away from the fence and he went back to sit on his bed, putting him beside Shay's cell. He couldn't help but wonder if Shay and Murphy were listening, too.

When Reagan heard Parker confirm five years, it gave him a bit of hope that this was the case that Liam was working on, but at the same time it made his stomach sink. Five years was such a long time, and the idea that this might be the rest of his life was numbing. He didn't want to feel the terror because it was too overwhelming.

He wet his lips and kept his gaze on Parker, because in the dim light, he was the one he could see the most of. Liam had gone to interview someone the day before in connection with the case, and he wondered if one of the four men in the cell were from the town.

"Liam - my husband - he went to Lewiston the day before yesterday to interview someone in connection with the case," he said after a moment as he wet his lips. "Are any of you from Lewiston?"

When Elijah heard that, he turned his head back in Reagan's direction and blinked a few times, wishing that he could see Parker's face right then because he knew that Parker was from Lewiston. His heart jumped in his throat and he scooted the edge of his bed and let a leg dangle off of it.

"They really might be looking for us?" he said softly outloud, and the words sounded strange. He hadn't ever dared to say anything like that for the past three years, after the first year he'd just given up on the notion of it.

"Stop it!" Parker yelled, his voice cutting through the stillness of the basement. Immediately, he quieted himself, digging his fingers through his hair once before looking up at Reagan and speaking in a harsh, but quiet, tone. "You get everyone's hopes up and then what? Five years later you're right where I'm at now, that's what." If he could kill Reagan's hopes now it would be better for him, Parker knew it.

Shay stirred in the cell next to Elijah, standing up finally to get a better view of the newcomer. Parker's outburst had shaken him completely from sleep. "What's going on?" he asked Elijah.

Reagan went silent at Parker's request. It was obvious that no matter what hope he tried to offer up wasn't going to be recieved well, and he could understand that. Five years was a long time for Parker. A year was a long time, but five? Reagan couldn't even imagine it. He hadn't even been there for a day yet and he was feeling despair unlike any he'd ever felt before. He moved to lay back down and he just closed his eyes as he went back to trying to think of helpful things Liam had told him in the past about people like Adam.

When Elijah heard the bed in Shay's cell rustle, he turned his attention over to it. He didn't get up from his bed, but he did reach out to grab a hold of the fence.

"There's a new one," he said softly, "His name is Reagan and he's married to an FBI agent who might be working on finding us all."

Shay was the newest and the idea of not being the most recent addition created an intense despair to rise up in his chest. There was something about that one year marker that hit him hard and he pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and nose, suppressing the urge to break down when he heard the news. Plus, that meant yet another person had been taken, another person going through what he'd been going through. He felt sick.

"Oh," was all he said at first, acclimating to the news. But when he really started to think about it, he felt an undiscovered well of joy in it. "Wait, an FBI agent? He's married to one?" Shay's voice started to pick up with the rush of adrenaline that caused in him. "That fucker's really stepped in it this time. There's no way they'll just fucking give up looking for us now." He felt like his heart would burst with the swell of hope he felt.

Reagan wanted to say more helpful things, but he couldn't. He felt like if he tried to speak, he'd just start sobbing, and he didn't want to do that. He kept his eyes closed and wondered what it was going to be like if he was never found. While a part of him believed in Liam completely, he couldn't get the fact out of his head that Parker had been here for five.

"He said he's married to the Unit Chief of some Behavorial Analysis Unit thing," Elijah said softly as he moved to lay back down, but he remained facing the side of his cell that was connected to Shay's, and he kept a hold of the fence with his hand. "I don't really know what that means. He said something about profiling and victimology," he added quietly.

Out of all of the other captives, Shay was the only one that Elijah really wondered about. What he really looked like, because touching his face through fence wiring wasn't the same as seeing. He knew that Shay was beautiful, and not only because Adam had taken him, but because he could just feel it. The two had grown very close, and though Elijah hadn't ever said so, he knew that he loved Shay. It was strange to develop feelings like that for someone in such a strained environment.

It hurt the most when Adam took Elijah upstairs. Only a few months into it and Shay was feeling as if he'd fly into a rage of jealousy each time he knew that Adam was with Elijah. "That means we're practically out of here already! You know the drill, police stop looking after awhile--but that guy's never going to stop looking and he has access to all sorts of shit." Shay was getting more and more excited, not caring that Parker had said it wasn't going to matter. "I can't wait to start taking pictures that I want again. Can I photograph you, 'Lijah?"

Elijah wanted to be hopeful, but after four years it was so hard. He could understand Parker's outburst completely. He moved to sit up before he got to his feet and went over to the space of fence that he heard Shay's voice coming from so that he could hook his fingers against the wiring.

"If you want to," he said softly. "I wish you could do it now," he added, but he was sure that Adam would never allow it. If he knew how close he and Shay really were, Elijah wasn't sure what the man would do.

"He's made me use Parker as a model before. Maybe he's going down the line." He didn't want to know what the man did with the photos, and the idea of taking photos of Elijah for Adam was a little disturbing to him. He was quiet for a moment, thinking. "What was it like for you when Murphy came?" He wanted to prepare himself for how things might change.

Elijah was silent for a moment as he thought about the question, and he let out a soft sigh as he leaned his head against the fence. He felt impossibly sad, the faint flicker of hope had been snuffed out at the idea of another year.

"He'll spend the first month with him, he'll leave us all alone," he said softly. "On Christmas he'll do what he did last year and spend time with all of us. But for the first few months he'll focus on Reagan, like he did with you."

Shay felt immediately terrible for the swell of joy that surged through him at the notion he wouldn't be dealing with Adam for awhile. "A month break sounds amazing and by that time we'll probably be free." He just wished Reagan wouldn't have to go through what he'd been through. He scooted closer to the fence and rested his head where Elijah's was. "Would you ever move to Jersey? Maybe we could go somewhere together..."

Elijah smiled when he felt the brush of Shay's forehead against his own, and he nodded his head. He was indulging himself, allowing himself to wonder what it would be like to have a life with Shay outside of the awful place they were in even though he didn't really think that it was possible.

"Maybe I can ask Adam if I can stay in your cell, like he let's me stay in Parker's sometimes..." he said softly.

That notion frightened him a little, but he was ready to try. He was afraid that Adam would pick up on their connection if he hadn't already. Not knowing how the man would react was terrifying. "Do you think he'd let us?" He didn't want to start relying on Adam for favors or feel gratitude to him.

"I don't know, maybe," Elijah said as he worried his bottom lip a little bit. He lifted a hand and let his finger slip through the fence so that the tip of it could gently trail along the outline of Shay's lips. "When I asked to spend time with Parker, he didn't mind it, so I don't see why he would mind if I asked to spend time with you."

Maybe it was because there touch was so restricted, but even the slightest brush from Elijah was so intense for him. His warm breath ghosted out over Elijah's fingers. "I want to kiss you without metal between us," he whispered. He tried to curl closer to the chainlink, but it only felt colder.

Hearing Shay speak those words broke Elijah's heart. More than anything, more than even being free, he wanted that, too. It was strange to want something so much, especially something that seemed so small.

"Me too," he said softly, "I wish I could see your face."

"It's not so fabulous," he laughed a little. Shay had never been one to wallow in sadness and at only a year, his spirits were still pretty high. Sometimes it upset Parker, how chipper Shay could be, but the man refused to change. "Has he ever--I mean has he ever taken two at the same time?" He meant for sex, and even asking the question made him uncomfortable.

"I bet you it is," Elijah countered with a soft smile. "I bet it's more fabulous than mine," he added as his fingertips moved to graze against Shay's jaw. He hated that there was wire between them. The smile faded, though, at the next question, and Elijah drew his hand back. "He's taken Parker and I, yes," he said after a moment. "And Murphy and Parker. It's always with Parker. It's been a while since he's don that, though."

"It's because I don't fight so much," Parker piped up bitterly, just saying what he thought Elijah was thinking. "Do you know I even held Elijah down the first time?" It had been for his own good, but it still haunted him. Parker had been broken and far too easily in his own opinion. But without Callaway nothing really mattered anyway and this hell was just as good as any other.

Shay winced a little at the words and he didn't respond, angry at the image of Parker helping Adam rape the boy he adored so much.

While Elijah didn't blame Parker for what he'd done, the words obviously stung and he bit down on his lower lip as his eyes welled up with tears. It wasn't often that he got upset with Parker, but now was one of those times, and he turned away from Shay so that he was facing Parker's direction.

"We promised we weren't ever going to talk about that," he said quietly before he went to go crawl back into his bed. He was so upset he'd nearly run into the dresser in his cell, something he'd never do normally because he knew the place like the back of his hand.

Parker did his best to steel himself against those words and he offered a shrug that he was glad Elijah couldn't see. He'd shut himself off emotionally for the moment, but as soon as that wore off, he'd be asking for forgiveness. It was a survival instinct he'd had all his life, to shut himself down, but it had developed into an art in this place.

With his narrow fingers pinched, Shay tried to force his hand through the chain link, but to no avail. After a moment of trying, he let out a frustrated cry and slammed his hand against the fence, rattling it. "If I'm ever dead inside like you, Parker, I'll find a way to kill myself in here, I swear." Parker didn't respond.

Hearing Shay say those words did absolutely nothing to help Elijah calm down, and if anything they made him feel ten times worse. Imagining Shay dead was awful, and he made his way to the only solid wall in his little cell. The only privacy any of them had was a tiny bathroom with a toilet, a small shower, and a tiny sink. It made Elijah wonder how much money Adam had, what he did, if he came from money, because the basement had to have costed a lot of money. He wondered who had built it for him, and why they hadn't questioned any of the oddities. The fence, of course, Adam had probably put up himself.

Closing himself into the small bathroom, he broke down and started to cry. Even though he was physically hidden from everyone else, though, he could still be heard.

Reagan was awake, but had remained silent the entire time. He was trying to remember the man's name who Liam had gone to see in Lewiston. The man was a writer, Reagan remembered Liam saying that. He remembered the phonecall about Liam saying he had to drive to Lewiston to speak with a writer, and he'd said his name, but it was something Reagan hadn't thought he'd ever need to remember. Now he desperate for it. He knew the name had been a bit odd, and he was frustrated he couldn't remember. When Elijah started to cry, it came to him, though, and he sat back up.

"Callaway Martin," he said outloud, "That's who Liam went to talk to."

The situation was causing Parker to go farther inside of himself, shutting off every emotional valve he could think to find. He hated to hear Elijah cry and know that he'd caused it. He was a bad person, that's what was playing over and over again in his head. Closing his eyes, he made every effort to blip himself out of existence, but when Reagan said that name, Parker's eyes flew open and they were instantly glass, coated with emotion. He'd tried so hard to forget the way that name sounded, cutting it from his brain as one might a tumor, throwing it away because it was too painful.

"That was my boyfriend," Parker said, voice reedy and barely there.

Shay was getting angry, pacing back and forth in his small cell. Listening to Elijah cry tore his heart out and he knew he shouldn't have said that, but Parker could get on his nerves faster than any other person--even Adam it seemed.

Reagan couldn't help but feel flooded with hope, and a look of utter relief came across his face. So Liam was on the right track, he was lookin into these cases. Now Reagan knew that they'd be found. It was just a question of when. He had to be strong until then, and though he wasn't sure how to do that just yet, he'd figure it out.

Getting up, he went over to the fence that seperated his cell from Parker's, and he hooked his slender fingers around the cold metal. He could see the emotion of Parker's face, and it broke his heart. Hearing it in his voice broke his heart even more. Five years without Liam would have been torture to Reagan, and he couldn't imagine how Parker was feeling.

"On the way back home, Liam called me. He couldn't really tell me much because it's a case that he's working, but he did say that Callaway's devotion was unwavered," he said softly. It had been the only thing that Liam had said, actually, but it was so sad and heartwarming at once that Reagan remembered it specifically.

He heard footsteps then, and he paused, looking back towards the door. Everyone was silent now, save for Elijah's sobs which could still be heard.

Parker's tears fell silently down his cheeks. He had a great deal of practice crying quietly and what Reagan had said had broken through the walls he'd put up to protect himself, leaving him suddenly raw with despair and missing. Callaway's memory burst back into his mind as fresh as ever and he swore he could still smell the man on his skin if he tried hard enough.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Adam came down with Reagan's clothes, lugging the suitcase awkwardly. "You're awake, I see," he said brightly as if he were some friendly innkeeper.

When the door opened up, Reagan turned his attention towards the stairs and watched as Adam brought the suitcase down. He was silent and he didn't offer any sort of response back to the man, instead allowing Elijah's quiet crying to be the only thing audible in the dank basement. He had absolutely nothing to say to Adam. Yelling would be pointless, and surely only get himself into trouble. Crying and begging would get him nowhere, he was sure that Parker and the others had done their share of that in the past. So he just stood there and stared at Adam with a fierce hatred in his eyes that he hoped the man could feel.

Adam stared back, struck by the ferocity in Reagan. There was nothing in his face but admiration and love for this individual who hated him so much. But Adam was positive that Reagan would come around eventually.

When he was able to concentrate on something other than Reagan, he noticed that Elijah was crying. "What happened?" he asked, glancing down the line of cells in search of an answer. Parker said nothing, looking guilty. "What happened, Parker. Are you crying too?" That was rare--he hadn't seen Parker cry in years.

"Nothing," Parker said, steeling himself once more. "Nothing happened except that I said something mean to Elijah because he was getting on my nerves. He--" Parker had learned how to manipulate Adam over the years. "He was talking about being cold at night and he asked if he could sleep in my cell and I said no, that he should bother Shay with it."

Adam glanced down the line at Shay who refused to look at the man. "Would that bother you, Shay?" he asked and Shay shook his head. "Then he can sleep in your cell tonight, I suppose." He glanced back at Reagan. "You've shaken things up with just your presence, it seems. Don't worry, the new one always causes some turmoil; it's not your fault."

Reagan couldn't help but wish he knew all of the things that Liam knew right then. There was no doubt that Liam would know how to handle this situation a million times better, and Reagan wished that he could remember all of the things that his husband had told him.

It baffled him that Adam could stand there and be so calm, and act as if what he was doing was absolutely normal when it was anything but. It angered Reagan, and a million things popped in his head that he wanted to shout at the man but he refrained. He was going to go as long as he possibly could without saying a damn word to the man. He had to wonder if anyone had ever done that. Had everyone else just cried, and begged, and screamed? Reagan was not going to do that, he refused. He wasn't going to give Adam anything.

After a moment, Elijah finally came out of the bathroo, his eyes puffy and his face red. He didn't realize Adam was there, and he just went to go sit down on his bed as he wiped at his nose with some kleenex.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	halloweenish 2009-12-16 12:45 am UTC (link)
	Elijah smiled faintly when he felt Shay's hand ghost across the side of his cheek, and when the other boy's thumb pressed against his lower lip Elijah pushed a soft kiss against the pad of it. "Do you really think that we'll be found?" he asked after a moment, "Would you really want me to move to Jersey with you?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2009-12-16 01:29 am UTC (link)

"I know we will. Even if it takes awhile, we can't be down here forever. Everyone makes mistakes. Adam will make one and we'll get free. Or Reagan's husband will find us." He spoke with such exuberant confidence that it was impossible not to believe him. "And yes, I want you to move to Jersey with me. Or anywhere. My mom would love us to live there, I'm sure, but we can go anyplace we want." Anyplace that would make Elijah happy.

	halloweenish 2009-12-16 04:26 am UTC (link)
	"I don't wanna be good," Elijah whispered back, "We're always good." And he was tired of it, even if it was easier. Safer. Better for all of them if they all were good. He closed his eyes when Shay kissed him again, and he bit down on the boy's lower lip to give it a tug as a soft noise escaped him. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	impotentwaffle 2009-12-16 06:07 am UTC (link)
	Those words stole the wind out of his lungs. He didn't have a chance to respond before Elijah was nibbling at his lip and he whimpered. He didn't need to be told twice; they could be bad just for tonight. Easily, his hand slunk around to Elijah's backside and pressed against it, making their hips collide more firmly together. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	halloweenish 2009-12-16 08:29 am UTC (link)
	Elijah smiled softly, very much enjoying each and every one of those sounds. When Shay dipped his head in for a kiss, Elijah kissed him back as his fingers wrapped around the boy's cock to give it a stroke. His heart was hammering away inside of his chest as he found himself getting quickly aroused, and he worked his hand a bit faster. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	halloweenish 2009-12-17 04:22 am UTC (link)
	"I want to feel you," Elijah murmured back as his lips coasted up along Shay's jaw to press against his earlobe. He parted his lips and let the tip of his tongue flick out against it, and then he bit down gently as he rocked his hips against Shay's hand. "Please..." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	halloweenish 2009-12-18 06:43 am UTC (link)
	"I do," Elijah said, and he nodded his head as he kissed Shay's chest again with a happy sigh. "I do love you." And it felt safe, for once. Even if the situation they were in was less than desirable, at least there was something good out of it. At least there was Shay. "Do you think your Mom would like me?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	impotentwaffle 2009-12-18 07:24 am UTC (link)
	He did not like talking in the hypothetical, especially about something like that. "She will like you," Shay corrected, making sure to put the emphasis on 'will.' He couldn't imagine the woman not liking someone whom he adored so much. That was a happy thought, the moment he could introduce them. He believed with his whole heart that it would happen soon. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)