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Author's Chapter Notes:

Okay, I'm finally posting this monster. First off, for those who missed the notes I made on the Facebook message boards, (either because you aren't part of the board, or the site doesn't have one), I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. This particular POV has always been difficult for me to write from the beginning as I just find the characters thoughts repugnant; but then to write over seven thousand words from that POV is...I don't have the words. I had to take frequent breaks in order to get this out because I honestly felt ill to my stomach due to some of the stalkers thoughts. So, as always, a warning for a repugnant person being an unfeeling, repugnant person. And once again, please forgive me for the delay.


 

April 4 (Part One)

He scowled and muttered under his breath as he watched the frenetic activity around the house while his beloved and his two male sidekicks laughed and joked around through the telescoping lens of his camera. From what little he'd gathered, they were packing the car for his beloved's and the bastard's impromptu trip to New York due to the reappearance of that Novotny scum; and he was pissed about it. Leave it to that whiney, sniveling, little weasel to unwittingly fuck up his plans even further; like he didn't have enough to worry about with Blaine missing and that bitch demanding yet more money.

Something really needed to be done about him and the other two; and fast before his bumbling, and their continued meddling, couldn't interfere with all of his carefully laid plans. Not that the bitch knew of his true plans; she just thought he was a fan that wanted to emulate the great Justin Taylor and it amused her to get what he needed. 'For a nominal and fair price,' of course. If she only knew.

Although, he couldn't see her being too heartbroken if he managed to pull everything off. She, along with the weasel, had been trying to oust his beloved from the bastard's life from the moment that he'd stepped foot into it, the jealous bitch. She couldn't shut up about how Justin was slowly taking over her spot and she was not happy about it in the least. It had taken every ounce of his restraint to not slap the bitch silly for the things that she said about his beloved. If anyone was a gold-digging hack, it was her.

But he'd persevered and managed to bit his tongue, nodding and humming sympathetically in all the right places; and all the while he'd internally rolling his eyes because she'd shown him her etchings once and she didn't have even a quarter of his beloved's talent. It was a means to an end. She was close enough to his object of affection and could get into places he couldn't. And it had worked perfectly.

He'd paid for her services; she'd managed to get what he needed before his beloved interrupted, and then sent them on so that everything would be in place when the time came. Except, she was now threatening to tell his beloved about the pictures and his perceived stealing if he didn't cough up another payment for her silence. And truthfully, he would love to silence her permanently if for no other reason than her mere existence annoyed him, but he had to be careful about it. He'd already drawn enough attention to himself with his rash actions at the loft.

Not that he remembered a good deal of it. Once he'd seen the picture of his beloved and the bastard leaning against the wall, he'd seen red and he didn't remember much after that; he'd come to several miles away, sleeping in some dingy motel that rented by the hour. But he'd heard through the grapevine that the loft had been destroyed, and all signs led to him as the culprit given he'd been in there just before it happened.

That had been irritating. He had only meant to leave a note, warning Kinney away from his beloved after watching the way he'd reeling his beloved blond back into his web. It was supposed to be a quick in and out job with nothing but the note left behind. But then he'd seen that painting of his beloved, naked and curled around that asshole, and he'd lost it, grabbing the painting and then…it was a blank.

Shaking his head to clear it from the gathering rage the memory produced, he inhaled sharply and turned his mind back to his current predicament. What to do with the whiney weasel and the backstabbing bitch? They needed to be neutralized before they had the chance to completely derail his plans; he couldn't afford anymore setbacks.

The backstabbing bitch should be easy to deal with; all he had to do was work with what he had. He wondered just how well she'd survive Kinney's wrath if evidence of their little business deal surfaced to just the right person. She was already persona non grata due to her avaricious actions with the art critic. Add this little bit frosting to the cake and she'd be in a whole lot of trouble and have much more important issues worry about – like staying out of prison – to that she'd soon forget her little blackmail scheme.

The whiny weasel though; he was tougher to deal with as he was like a fucking cockroach – he just wouldn't die no matter what was thrown his way. He'd thought that he'd gotten through the little asshole when he'd beat the shit out of him and left him broken and bruised after he'd placed his beloved in the hospital. He'd been certain he'd seen the writing on the wall when Kinney banished him from his life.

But the little insect just had to come scurrying back just as his plans were reaching fruition, sending his beloved and his ever present protector running for a different state. This needed to be nipped in the bud before everything was destroyed; but the question was how to go about it. If Kinney banishing him from his life and all but telling him that he should stay in the Seattle since he wasn't welcome, he didn't know what would get through that concrete slab that was his skull.

So, it was obvious that threats wouldn't work on him; that was only likely to send him scurrying to bosom of his family – what was left of it – whining for them to fix the problem, rather than have him running back to where he belonged.

But, perhaps a minor accident that hindered his movement could work; it couldn't be too egregious, even if the world would be a better place without his incessant whining. And it couldn't happen here. If he were too injured, he'd have to stay here and would again be a thorn in his side as he tried to interfere with their relationship; and while he was all for him trying to break his beloved and the bastard apart, he knew that it wouldn't work. Kinney was on to him and it would just make the overprotective bastard that much more vigilant in keeping his beloved away from aggravating situations.

That wouldn't work out in his favor.

But a small accident while he was back in Seattle, one that led to a minor hospitalization; and afterwards, would leave him on crutches or in a chair and unable get back and forth so easily…that wouldn't be remiss and could be very beneficial to his plans.

He smiled coldly, his heart racing and body tingling with anticipation at the thought; God, how he'd wanted to end that nuisance years ago, when he'd seen the way he treated his beloved. It was better than the annoying, little insect would've deserved; miraculously he'd managed to restrain himself and let him dig his own grave, as he did it so well.

Well, that was something to think of after this weekend; for now he needed to find out just what the plans were and he knew that his beloved's sidekicks were nosy enough to pry the information out of him. Hopefully with some idea of where they would be his plans would not all be for naught. Tuning back into the conversation, he only had to wait a few minutes before the Queen turned a sly look his beloved's way.

"So, Mr. Taylor-Kinney," Emmett said, a teasing smile spreading across his lips. "Any big plans while you and Big Bad are traipsing around New York?"

"Traipsing?" his beloved laughed and rubbed his belly a bit ruefully; and he couldn't help hissing at the thought of Kinney laying claim to his beauty and the child he bore before he could claim them. "There will be no traipsing for me. I can barely get through a simple shopping trip without getting exhausted these days. There is no way I'd ever survive one of Brian's power shops. That's why he has Liam, thank God."

"So, no plans at all?" Blake asked, handing his infant son off to his beloved; he was fairly certain that the child's name Lou or Duke or something like that.

"Well, obviously, we'll be spending time with Daphne, Liam and Kian while we're there," Justin said as he lifted the baby to his shoulder and began to sway back and forth. "I know that we plan to have dinner at theirs on Friday night; and if I know Daph, she'll be trying all night to get us to spend the night."

"Of course she will," Emmett snorted as he lifted a bag into the SUV. "I don't even know why you bothered with having them get the loft ready for your arrival; you know she's going to do her best to keep you there. She misses you as much as you miss her."

He fumed hearing that; yet another interfering bitch that should have been put in her place a long time ago. He remembered Daphne very well; the best friend that had made his life a living hell on the times he'd interacted with her. She'd always taken great delight in pointing out to those who had hoped to win his beloved's heart that they never stood a chance; had gleefully espoused that no one could compete with the bastard as he had stolen Justin's heart the night they met.

Thankfully she resided in New York and couldn't interfere like the others had; it was the only reason she hadn't been dealt with before now.

"We got it ready because I want at least one night alone with my husband," Justin said, garnering his attention once more; and he couldn't help sneering at the thought of that asshole touching his beloved. He grit his teeth and it took everything he had not to march over there and claim his love. Soon. "And well, I love Daph; but having her and Kian sleeping just down the haul is not conducive to my sex life."

"I'm surprised you still want to have sex at this point," Blake admitted as he dug though the diaper bag sitting on the seat of the SUV and passed a pacifier to Justin. "I know that once I reached my seventh month, I didn't want to be touched most of the time."

"Please," Emmett smirked, tossing another bag into the back of the SUV; Justin stuck his tongue out at the other man. "Baby and Big Bad not wanting to have sex? That would be one of the signs of the coming apocalypse."

"Point," Blake tittered, grabbing a small carry-on at his feet and storing it into the backseat of the SUV and then hung a garment bag on the hook in the back.

"Well, we have slowed down since the bump has gotten bigger," Justin admitted with a mournful sigh, once again patting his stomach.

"So, what; only once a day?" Emmett drawled, arching a single brow and snickering as Justin flipped him off for his temerity; and then he yelped when the latter swatted him firmly on the arm.

"You make it sound like we're sex fiends," Justin huffed and rolled his eyes, still maintaining his gentle rocking motion in an effort to put the baby to sleep.

"You are," Blake smirked, nimbly dodging out of the way when Justin reached out to swat him as well. "Seriously, Justin; most couples don't have sex three times a day."

"Can I help it that I have a high sex drive and a sexy husband with an equally high sex drive?" Justin asked in a haughty tone, but he could see he was teasing by the sparkle in his eyes; he sighed and zoomed in on his beloved's face, quickly snapping a picture to capture the look on his face. And then he snapped two more before zooming out a bit.

"You are well matched," Emmett hummed, closing the hatch on the SUV. "I'll give you that; I just don't see how you can sit with as much sex as you two have."

"Well, there isn't always penetration," Justin smirked, laughing when Emmett and Blake rolled their eyes and made a face. "God no; I'd never survive it if that were the case. But there are other ways to pleasure one another that doesn't include that. And we have always been very creative and adventurous."

"Point," Emmett admitted, leaning against the SUV with his arms crossed over his chest while Blake slowly repacked the baby's diaper bag.

"Plus, I think Brian is up to something," Justin hummed, shifting the baby over onto his other shoulder as he walked towards Blake's car. "He was very insistent on staying at the loft on Saturday night; so, who am I to interfere with his scheming?"

"Really?" Emmett said as he pushed off the SUV and made his way over to the other car. "Well, you'll have to tell us all about it when you get back."


After that, the conversation degenerated into guesses as too what the asshole was planning for that Saturday; each wilder than the last, leaving them all laughing uproariously as Justin tried to soothe baby back into sleep. His heart ached as he watched his beloved coo and sing to the baby, his face bright with love and tenderness as he gazed into that little face.

He zoomed in again and snapped a few photos for his new wall, still pissed that he had abandon his other one in favor of a quick getaway when the police had arrived. Luckily, he had already been in transport between that place and his new one when he'd found the place blocked off and surrounded by the bumbling idiots.

But soon it wouldn't be an issue as his beloved would be with him and there was no way that they could trace hi new place to him, even if they did find out his identity. The new place wasn't in his name, but that of his step-mother. And hadn't that been a sweet thing for her to do? Leaving him the keys and the use of the place before she'd taken off with dear old dad's business partner? And thus, ensuring that he'd had his freedom from the ever-present noose around his neck while he'd been living in his father's home?

She must have really loved sticking it to the old man.

Crouching down, he quickly packed up his camera and slung the bag over his shoulder, quickly and quietly making his way through the woods, easily blending in with the foliage as he'd been taught to do when his father had taken him hunting. At least he had been good for one thing. And thirty minutes later he entered his step-mother's house, hidden deep in the wood and serendipitously located within easy reach of his beloved; and very likely forgotten about by most of her former neighbors.

… … … … …


Everything was falling apart around him.

He paced the length of the living room in his new home; the one that had once been his step-mother's, the one that he'd hoped would one day soon be his and Justin's, but nothing had gone right in the past few weeks. How could he have been so foolish? How did he not notice that he'd dropped that as he was making his way through the woods? He was usually so cognizant of his surroundings, not wanting one to find evidence of his dialing walks to keep an eye on his beloved until he could safely house him.

And now, that could all be ruined due to a single mistake on his part.

Fuck!

If they found it…there was no way to hide his presence any longer; he'd be completely and utterly fucking screwed as they would know in an instant that he was closer to them than they thought. And that would be a fucking travesty.

Sucking in a harsh breath, he fisted his hands into his hair and yanked, trying to quell the icy rise of panic welling inside of him; this was not how it was supposed to go. He couldn't believe that he had made such a beginners mistake by accidentally leaving that behind; not only giving away his favorite observation spot, but also, depending on where he'd dropped it, the location of his hideaway.

But he had.

And now the woods were going to be swarming with security, making it that much more difficult for him to get close to his beloved. Fucking Kinney! This was his fault! If he hadn't gotten between him and Justin at such a pivotal time, he would be the one with his arms around the beautiful blond, and it would be his child that Justin was carrying. It always came back to that asshole in the end. He, and the spell that he'd cast over his beloved, was the single cause of everything wrong in his life.

He really needed to get that fucker out of his and Justin's life.

Whipping around, he picked up the nearest thing and hurled it against wall, a small, satisfied smile sliding over his lips as it shattered into several pieces on impact. Staring, unseeingly, at the broken object near the wall and recalled the painting in the loft, shredded to ribbons, and the frame lying broken on the ground, utterly broken and destroyed; just as he hoped Kinney would be one day.

He rolled his neck to release some tension and then sighed; he'd needed that.

Inhaling deeply, he shook his head clear it and then resumed his frantic pacing, trying to figure out what he could do to rectify the situation; or at least what he could do that he hadn't already tried, like backtracking into the woods to find the missing item. Sadly, he had barely gotten into the woods when he heard voices echoing through out it, and he hadn't wanted to chance the discovery of his little nook. So, he'd quickly retreated and hoped that it hadn't been discovered until he could get out there and look around; but he wasn't holding out much hope.

With the way things had been going for the past month or two, he had a bad feeling that time was running out for him; which is why he needed to act fast.

How had this happened?

He'd planned everything so meticulously once he had finally broken free of his jailer, a.k.a his father; it should have jelled the way it did when he first conceived of the plan all those months ago when he'd first .heard of the bastard desecrating his beloved.

 

He shut the door and made sure that it was locked, and then quickly jogged down the stairs on the side of the house, leading from the apartment above the garage to the side-yard gate, and consequently, the entrance to his place. He had been living there for a year now, ecstatic that he was so close to Liberty Avenue and all the places that his beloved frequented on an almost daily basis. That he'd fund the little house had been an accident and felt a bit like serendipity; like it was meant to be.

He had been walking through the neighborhood, on the way to his bus stop after having spent the day watching his love give a class at the GLC when he'd stumbled onto Mary; or Marion as she'd introduced herself then. He'd seen her struggling with a large, heavy box and had quickly made his way over to help her; and once they'd gotten to talking, she'd mentioned wanting to rent out the bachelor's apartment over the garage. And since he desperately wanted to get out from under his father's thumb, he'd mentioned that he was looking for a place and three weeks later, he'd moved in.

It let him be central to all of the main places that his beloved was often spotted with the exception of the house in West Virginia. And he liked it that way.

Walking over to the gate, he paused as he caught a small strand of conversation coming from the front yard. Carefully unlatching the gate so that it wouldn't make any sound, he opened it a crack and found Mary and her niece or granddaughter or whatever, talking about Justin and Brian as they weeded the flower beds. He strained his ears to figure out what they were saying, but could only catch the odd word or two.

Pulling the gate open, he stepped out with a smile, waving to and greeting the two women as he walked over to them. They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before he dove into the topic that had caught his attention.

"So, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he said, forcing a flush onto his cheeks as he smiled at Mary. "But I couldn't help overhearing you mention a Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor as I was opening the gate; and I wondered if everything was okay. It's just that, I knew Justin back in the day and have been wanting to get back in touch with him, but I've been hesitant to approach him as we didn't leave things well."

"Oh, Justin," Mary gushed, smiling widely as she dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand. "I doubt you'd have to worry. He's such a sweet, lovely boy; and he and his partner make such a beautiful couple."

"Yeah, he was always very nice when I knew him," he said, just barely holding back a grimace of disgust at the latter part of Mary's comment. "So, if you don't mind my asking; how do you know Justin? It's just; I've never seen him visit here…?"

"Oh, you wouldn't have either," Mary prattled on, working through her flower beds as her granddaughter huffed and got up to empty her bucket of weeds into the compost pile. "I met him through his husband, Brian Kinney. Although, I suppose it's Taylor-Kinney these days. I've worked for Mr. Brian for years, and was quite surprised when he suddenly had this cute as a button blonde living with him; but I also couldn't have been happier for it as, although they had a rocky start, I've never seen two people more in love. I was so happy when the two of them finally stopped playing around and finally got married. They complement each so well and I truly believe that they are soul mates."

"Yeah, I suppose," he murmured, his stomach curdling at the thought of the asshole being Justin's soul mate; if anyone was meant to be with the beautiful blond, it was him. Not that he said that out loud; he didn't want Mary to take offense and stop talking. Still, he couldn't help getting in at least one shot on the asshole. "I always heard that Brian was fucking around on him."

"Oh no," Mary huffed, shaking her head vehemently. "They may have had an open relationship in the beginning; but once Justin returned from New York for their wedding, they stopped that immediately. They're so devoted to each other. And then when I heard that the sweet boy was pregnant; well, I couldn't be happier for them. They will make such beautiful babies."

And that made him pause, ice dripping down his spine and chilling his blood as he stared at the older woman's back. She was blissfully unaware that she'd just shattered his world, but based on the smirk on her granddaughter's or niece's or whatever the fuck she was face, she had some inkling as to his feelings. He clenched his hands at his side and gritted his teeth, decidedly sick to his stomach at the announcement.

"Pregnant?" he managed to choke out between clenched teeth, utterly surprised that his voice sounded so even to his ears when he was ready hurl.

"Oh, yes," Mary prattled blithely onwards as she dumped out her bucket of weeds. "I was cleaning the other day when they came to the loft to celebrate and they couldn't wait to share the news; they were beyond ecstatic. But it is all hush-hush for the moment as they told me they wouldn't be announcing it to their friends and family until Christmas. I can't wait to see them. Such beautiful babies they'd make."

He had remain silent, swallowing the bile in the back of his throat, as he didn't trust himself not to say something cold and hateful about the idea of his beloved swollen with another man's child; especially that man. But he didn't have time to dwell on it; especially with Mary watching him oddly. He shook his head and smiled charmingly at her, dismissing any concerns with a wave of his hand.

"So you do the cleaning for them?" he asked, the beginnings of an idea germinating in his head as she nodded and went back to her work.

"Oh, yes," Mary chattered on, prepping the beds for winter. "I've been with Brian for years; I've cleaned for him since he bought the loft. Such a rapscallion he was at that age; but oh-so-charming so he got away with it. I was so happy when Justin came into his life and set that scamp on his ear. That sweet boy had his number from the beginning; and the strength and the wherewithal to hold on over the years as Brian bucked and fought the pull between them. I was so happy when Justin came home from New York and finally put that scamp out of his misery by marrying him."

"Hmmmm…" he hummed absently, his stomach in knots as he tried to deal with the reality of Justin's pregnancy. He had been too late. That asshole was never going to let him go now. Well, he'd see about that. "I'm surprised that you still clean the loft; I heard they were living in West Virginia these days."

"That is true," Mary nodded as she began to put her tools away. "I only go there every other Thursday to dust and make sure everything is kept up, unless they call the service or me to let me know that they have used the loft and it needs a cleaning."

"Oh, well," he murmured, desperate to get out of there and see his beloved; he needed to set things right before it was too late for them both. "That makes sense; like I said, sorry to eavesdrop. I just overheard Justin's name and couldn't help myself. We knew each other years ago, but weren't able to keep touch due to circumstances beyond my control. And I'd love the chance to reconnect though; I suppose I'll see if I can track him down at Woody's or Babylon."

"I doubt you'll find him there these days," Mary laughed; and then she mimed a pregnant belly with her hand when he shot her a puzzled look.

"Right, the pregnancy," he said, internally grimacing at the unneeded reminder; already things were changing and taking his beloved away from him. That was unacceptable.

"Your best bet would be the diner," Mary offered up with a smile as she headed for her front door. "The boys tend to eat there quite often with their friends. That or at the café down the street are favorite haunts."

"Thanks for the heads up," he said with a tight smile, already turning in that direction; he had to talk to Justin. This couldn't be happening; why would Justin betray him in such a manner? "I should probably get going. Work."

"Of course," Mary said waving as she entered the house. "See you later, dear."

 

It was in that moment that he knew the reason why he was there; he was meant to save his beloved from himself before Justin could fall even deeper under Kinney's spell. He needed to rescue him the man he loved and protect him from the likes of Kinney and others of his ilk before the dragged his beauty down with them. It was why he'd survived the accident and why found his beloved again all these years later.

And he had been so close to accomplishing it; it had been in his grasp despite the art show set back. But even that, he now understood had been necessary so he had the chance to finish the home he'd built for his beloved. It just needed that one last pièce de résistance to make his home complete and luckily, in a fit of pique, that petty bitch had been more than happy to provide him with that last link.

And now, because people were getting a little squeamish or greedy or due to his own fucking incompetence, discovery was breathing down his neck and he couldn't allow that to happen. He was so close to obtaining his heart's desire, only to have it swept away because his backstabbing lover; and all because he'd had gotten a little angry when the man had had the effrontery to question his motives and actions.

What did he know about true love; he was just jealous that he would never aspire to the perfection that was Justin and tried to part them. And did he ever let him know that that would never happen so long as he drew breath, and made sure he understood it. Sadly, all the details were a bit fuzzy as he'd blacked out; all he knew was that it had sent the backstabbing bastard on the run, leaving a cheap imitation in his place.

 

He headed to the residential hotel on his typical Saturday night, convinced that he'd made his wishes and expectations clear to the little asshole who'd had the nerve to question him and his desires. Blaine had known what he'd planned to do and had agreed to everything, eager to be the one to mend Kinney's heart when Justin eventually left him for greener pastures. And now he'd had the effrontery to chastise him for not knowing about the pregnancy from the beginning? He thought not.

Besides, what did the pregnancy mean in the end? It was a parasite, siphoning off of his beloved and tying him to that bastard. So what if something happened to the child? It wasn't as if he weren't perfectly capable of filling that hole with a child of their own.

But when he'd said that, the overly-sensitive, sentimental sap had looked at him with horror, and then had the sheer gall to tell him that he was having no part of murder. And he's snapped and had to lay down the law. After all, you can't murder a parasite; it was, by its own definition, a being that fed on its host, deriving nutrients at its host's expense.

And he was saving his beloved from that fate; why couldn't Blaine see that?

Striding down the hall of the residential motel, he arrived at his intended destination and pounded on the door, certain that Blaine would've finally come to his senses and accepted that this was the right path. Humming under his breath, he frowned when Blaine didn't answer the door immediately. He raised his hand to knock once more, but halted when he heard the door knob rattling, and then stared in confusion as a short, bottle-blond with dark brown roots and gray eyes answered the door.

"Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, staring incomprehensively at the stranger in the door way who was in no way, shape or form Blaine. And then he became angry, wondering why the fuck Blaine would have someone over on his day!

"Uh…Jake?" the stranger said, his brow pinching as he peered out the door with no little amount of bewilderment.

"Jake?" He pursed his lips into a thin, white line as his eyes raked over the intruder; he would have to nip this in the bud and fast. There was no way in hell that he would allow Blaine to treat him this way. "What the fuck are you doing here? Where is Blaine?"

"Who's Blaine?" Jake asked, still staring at him in confusion.

"Blaine," he stated slowly, as if her were talking to a child; so Blaine didn't even warn this guy that he might show. Pathetic. "The guy that lives here with his sister, Addy?"

"I don't know who or what you're talking about," Jake shrugged and shook his head, completely unconcerned by his appearance. "But I'm guessing that those were the previous tenants. I just moved in here today when the vacancy came up. I was living in the motel down the road when I overheard that the room became available."

And then the insolent asshole shrugged for a second time and made to shut the door in his face. The unbelievable nerve of this guy! Like he actually believed that Blaine wasn't in there, cowering like the wuss that he was and letting this guy be his mouthpiece. Well, fuck that; it was time to bring his foolish, little blond cohort back into line, staring with removing this pathetic –looking asshole from his life.

"You're lying!" he hissed, sticking his foot into the door before it could shut and shoving it open, making the other man stumble backwards, allowing him to push his way in. "Where is Blaine, you little asshole!? Is he cleaning up after fucking you? Or perhaps he was a good little bottom boy and you fucked him instead!?"

"Look, dude," Jake huffed, skittering nervously out of his way. "I don't know who you're talking about; there is no one in the room, but me. But, I'm sure if you go to the office they could tell you if this Blaine guy has left or just switched rooms or what."

He sneered at the sniveling runt; a cold smile sliding over his face at how utterly easy it had been to cow his cohort's so-called protector. Jake squirmed and backed slowly towards the door with a panicked look on his face; he relished the fear lurking in his eyes and stalked him slowly, showing him just who was in charge here.

And that's when he noticed it.

He halted mid-step and spun in a slow circle, taking in the room at large as an icy sense of dread washed over him – everything looked different. The pull out couch was made up, instead being made up for fucking, the other bed in the room was rumpled, but there was no pink and purple sheets or fluffy, accent pillow piled in a mound on the floor to show that a young girl shared the room. The knick knacks and books and computer and other odds and ends that had made the room look lived in were missing. In fact, it was cold, stark and bare of all hints of habitation outside the few articles of clothing hanging up in the closet, and none were familiar.

And then inside him snapped; he took a step back, reeling at the evidence in front of him, yet couldn't help shaking his head vehemently in denial. No, no, no, no, no! This wasn't happening! There was no way that his beloved would disappear on him! Justin would not do this to him again. He wouldn't leave him again! He wouldn't! this was all a lie! A lie perpetrated Kinney and enacted by this pathetic waste of space in front of him.

He spun on this so-called Jake, his chest heaving as he struggled to breath, and his hands trembling as he struggled to hold onto the rein of his temper. He knew that if he exploded now, he'd never find his love and save him from Kinney's thrall.

"You get Justin out here right now!" he demanded, pointing at the insignificant twink that was likely placed there in order to fool him; but just because he was blonde, didn't mean that he could ever replace his beloved! No one could replace Justin! "I will not have him interacting with the likes of you and that devil spawn Kinney!"

"Justin?" Jake scrambled out of reach once more and quickly headed for the door, staring at him as if he'd developed another head. But he wasn't fooled by the act; this insignificant being knew where his beloved was and he'd get it out of him yet. "Who is Justin? I thought you were looking for Blaine?"

Narrowing his eyes, he stalked towards the fake-blond, with his gray eyes; as if he'd ever believe that this imposter was Justin. Kinney was slipping if he thought he'd be fooled by these games. And then the panicked twink flicked his eyes over to the bathroom door for a split second and he smiled coldly. So, that's where this fraud had stashed his beloved. He spun on his heel and headed over to the door, calling for his beloved, and worrying when he didn't answer.

"Justin!" He tried the door, but it was sticking; so he pounded on it instead. "Justin! Are you in there!? Please, talk to me baby; let me know you're okay!"

"Look, asshole," Jake spat, walking towards him a couple of steps, his eyes narrowed and lips compressed. "I told you that this Blaine or Justin guy isn't here!"

"Justin!" He called again, wriggling the door knob until it finally gave; he crowed triumphantly, barged into the small room and then paused, staring at the empty room in confusion. He had been so sure that was where the asshole had stashed him. And then it struck him; it had been a trick! Likely to give Kinney the opportunity to spirit his beloved away and hide him. He spun on his heel and stalked out of the bathroom. "Where is he!? Where is my Justin you asshole!? If you've done anything to him…"

"He's not here!" Wanna-be-twink hissed, his eyes widening as he stalked towards him. Ready to wring his neck for parting him of from his beloved; he stumbled backwards, once more making his way to the door and potential escape; but not this time. He wasn't letting the little bastard get away with this. "If you don't get the fuck out of here now; I'll call the fucking cops, you fucking psycho!"

And then he saw red; because who was this little twerp to threaten him!? He advanced on him, his vision hazing, graying around the edges, as a slow, burning poison rushed, through his veins, scorching him from the inside out as he grabbed the interloper by the shirt, lifted him slowly off of his feet and flung him against the wall.

After that, everything went black.

When he finally came to, he was standing over a blonde, bloody and crumpled form, lying face down on the floor in front of Justin's apartment. He shook, his knees going weak as he stared at the crumpled form and raised hands, an anguished cry echoing through the hall as blood coated his gloved hands. And then he lowered then and stumbled towards the blond, remorse filling him as he reached out one hand.

"Justin?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice thick with tears, and his heart thundering in his ears as his hand hovered over the fallen blonde's shoulder. "Baby, are you okay?"

And then he heard the rattling of a door. Surging to his feet, he cast one last look over at the crumpled blonde, a relieved part of him noting the dark roots that said this couldn't be his beloved, and then he ran down the hall and quickly made his way down the stairs as a male voice filled the hall behind him.

"What the hell is going on out here? Sir? Sir!? Are you okay, sir1? Hey, Jerry, call an ambulance; the new guy has been assaulted."

Part of him wanted to go back and protest the words; to tell them that it has been the blonde's own fault for getting between him and Justin. But he knew that if he did, the police would just lock him up and throw away the key as Kinney had an in with them due to his father in all, but name. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if this had been Kinney's plan all along. No way was he going to fall for that trap.


He stood in the middle of his living room; keening at the loss of his love, at the being so viciously torn from his side once again, just when he'd almost had him within his grasp. He wrapped his arms around his middle and stared at all the loving details he'd added to show Justin that he only wanted what was best for him. That he only wanted to love and worship him like he deserved to be loved and worshiped.

Oh, he knew that Justin would fight it at first; after all, he was still under Kinney's thrall. But he knew, given time and space; that he'd grow to love their little home in the woods, sheltered and secluded from the world. A place safe from those that wished to harm and separate them, a place where he could work out the poison that was Kinney's love and come to realize that they were meant to be. And eventually he'd stop mourning the loss of the parasite, especially when he filled his beloved's womb with children of their own.

It was best this way; no need for reminders of Kinney's unhealthy influence in his life.

He walked over toward the door, and headed to the nursery, intent on it being up and ready when he finally rescued his beloved; and the he halted and let out a startled cry. He walked towards the wall and was saddened to see that the delicate cradle that he had been working on earlier in the day was now lying on the floor, shattered in several pieces. He picked it up and studied it, relieved to see that it wasn't irreparable.

"I'll fix it," he muttered under his breath. "I'll fix it all."

 

Chapter End Notes:

FYI: This is unedited and not beta'd; so forgive me for my mistakes. I just couldn't deal with this chapter anymore. I hope to have it looked over by tomorrow and will re-post the cleaned up version then. I just wanted to get this out asap due to the long delay between chapters.

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