Skidding into the driveway, Blaine threw Mark's truck into park. Throwing the truck door open, Blaine ran towards the house and felt his heart drop clear to his toes as he reached the open doorway. Stepping into the house his spirits plummeted even further as he looked around the trashed living room. The couch where Mark had been sitting was now pushed across the room. Not seeing Mark anywhere he hurriedly looked through the rest of the house. Neither Levi nor Mark were in any of the bedrooms. Heading into the kitchen Blaine tripped over something and looked down to see a leg lying across the doorway. Blaine hurried into the room and fell to his knees beside an unconscious Mark.

"Mark? Buddy? C'mon Mark," Blaine said, sliding over and taking Mark's head into his lap. He heaved a sigh of relief when Mark started to stir softly.

"Blaine?" Mark's voice said softly.

"Yeah buddy, I'm here. Mark, where's Levi?"

"He's gone. Christian came," Mark said brokenly, unable to put full sentences together. "Knocked out. Christian took Levi. Couldn't stop him."

"Christian has Levi," Blaine said in a whisper, trying to make himself believe those words and trying to expel the fear that took over his entire body. He did not know what Christian hoped to gain by taking Levi, but Blaine was sure as hell going to find out. Moving out from under Mark, Blaine stood up and walked over to the phone. Picking it up he held it to his phone and was not really all that surprised when there was no dial tone. Cussing, Blaine hurried out the front door and made his way across the lawn to where Mark's truck sat, the engine still running and the door standing wide open. Reaching in, he grabbed his cell phone off of the seat and quickly dialed 911 as he headed back into the house where he had left Mark.

When the dispatcher answered, Blaine quickly explained the situation and hung up despite being told to wait on the line until the police arrived. Walking into the bathroom, Blaine grabbed a washcloth and wet it before making his way back into the kitchen and placing the cool cloth against Mark's forehead. He felt so useless just sitting there, but he had no idea what to do. He wanted to go after Levi, but he couldn't very well leave Mark alone either. He was finally beginning to realize the truth of why he had walked out when he had. Sure, he had wanted to protect Levi, but the main reason he had run was that he wanted to protect himself. He felt so selfish when he thought of it that way, but he knew that it was the truth. He only hoped that Levi would forgive him, but first he had to find out where Christian had taken him and do whatever it took to get Levi back home.

Blaine was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his cell phone ringing. Looking around he tried to remember where he had set his phone after calling the police. Following the sound of the ringing, Blaine found his phone sitting on the sink in the bathroom. Grabbing the phone, Blaine only spared a glance at the caller ID before quickly hitting the talk button.

"Where is he," Blaine said quickly.

"You mean you don't know?" Christian's voice came through the phone.

"You better not have hurt him," Blaine growled, his free hand forming a fist.

"Now why would you think I would do something like that?" Christian asked sarcastically.

"Where did you take him Christian?"

"Why the hell would I tell you that? You think you're going to be able to save him Blaine? You could never save anything, you should already know that."

"I swear Christian, if you hurt him," Blaine started, only to be interrupted.

"You'll do what?" Christian growled. "You'll hurt me? You could never hurt me Blaine, you know that. When you figure it out, come and find us, we'll be waiting for you. At least I will be, not sure about your newest little fuck toy."

"God damn you Christian," Blaine started only to be answered by silence. Pulling the phone away from his ear, Blaine looked at the display and threw the phone across the room, watching as it shattered against the wall. Christian had hung up on him, again.

The sound of sirens broke the still silence of the morning and Blaine hurried to the front door to let the paramedics in. He was still having a hard time grasping the concept that the night's events were not just a horrible nightmare. He wished that he could just wake up and have Levi curled up next to him, the way he'd woken up for the past couple of weeks.

The police arrived at the small house shortly after the paramedics and Blaine stood off to the side and watched them look over his best friend. The cops had asked him what had happened at the house, and Blaine hated that he could not tell them, because the truth was, other than the few words that Mark has uttered, he had no clue exactly what had happened. After announcing that Mark would be fine, the paramedics packed up their stuff and hurried out the door in response to a call that had come in about a car accident.

After the paramedics were gone, Blaine helped Mark to his feet and led him over to one of the cushioned kitchen chairs. After making sure his friend was as comfortable as possible, Blaine walked over and leaned against the counter, watching the scene unfold in front of him.

"Mr. Branson, I'm Officer Harris, can you tell me what happened here tonight?"

"Well, I don't remember a whole lot," Mark answered shakily. Despite his basically clean bill of health, Mark was still visibly shook up and Blaine could tell that he was not looking forward to the officer's questions.

"Anything that you can tell us would be a big help right now," Officer Harris told him, shooting a glance over to the other officer who had already introduced herself to Blaine as Officer Redding.

"Well, Blaine had left about twenty minutes before. His ex, Christian, had been by my house and had broken my kitchen window. When I came over here to make sure Blaine and Levi were alright, I found the tires on all their vehicles slashed."

"How can you be sure that you know who it was?" Officer Redding said softly, shooting a glare at Blaine. Blaine knew that look, and he hated the shivers that went up his spine. Officer Redding clearly didn't like the fact that Blaine had been in a relationship with another man.

"It was just a gut feeling at first," Mark answered, his voice quivering. "After I came over here though, Blaine found a note on the windshield of Levi's truck."

"And where is this note?" Officer Harris asked.

"It was on the living room table, I'm not sure if it's still there or not."

Without waiting to hear anything else, Blaine walked out of the kitchen and went into the living room. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found the note that Christian had left. During the altercation it had found its way underneath the couch. Walking back into the kitchen, Blaine quickly handed the note to the man before taking up his stance at the counter.

"How many people have handled this note?" The officer asked Blaine and Mark.

"Me, Mark, and Levi," Blaine answered.

"Well, we'll check it for fingerprints, but there is a good chance that we won't find any. The perp could have worn gloves, plus, with the three of you having handled it, any prints that were there could have been tampered with. Have you had any other problems with the man in question?"

Taking that as his cue, Blaine spoke up, telling the officers the details of when his truck windows had been bashed in. He was somewhat relieved when it was Officer Harris that continued to ask the questions because Blaine wasn't sure he liked the gleam that seemed to enter the woman officer's eyes. He told them about calling the police for his windows and about the restraining order that he had started the proceedings for.

"Have you had any contact with this man, this Christian *last name*?"

"He called my cell phone tonight, after he took Levi," Blaine answered.

"Could I see your phone?" Officer Harris asked.

"Yeah, but you're not going to find anything in it," Blaine said as he walked over and picked up the pieces from the floor. "I kind of threw it against the wall."

"So, you have violent tendencies," Officer Redding spoke up. "Was Mr. *Christian's last name* ever a target of your anger?"

"If you're asking me if I ever hit him, then the answer is no," Blaine said defensively.

"I don't think that's what Officer Redding meant," Harris said quickly, shooting a silencing look at his partner. "We're just trying to get all of the facts straight so that we can find Mr. Turner quicker."

"I'm sorry, but hearing that my ex had just kidnapped my boyfriend didn't put me in the best of moods."

"Mr. Riley, where were you when all of this was happening?" Harris asked.

"I was about ten miles away and had just turned around to come back. After what Christian had done earlier, I was afraid that the longer I stayed here the more danger Levi was in, so I left. I called Christian and he told me how wrong I was. After I headed back I called to tell Levi to make sure the doors were locked and to make sure he was okay and that was when Christian showed up. I remember, because I very distinctly remember him referring to Levi as my new 'fuck toy'," Blaine said, spitting the words through clenched teeth.

"So you weren't here when he was taken?"

"No."

"Then how do you know that it was your ex that took him?"

"Mark told me when I got here that Christian had Levi."

"But, he was knocked out, so there's no way that he would know that Mr. *Christian's last name* actually took your current boyfriend," Redding said scornfully.

"Officer Redding," Harris said sharply, motioning with his head towards the door. Holding her head high, his partner walked through the kitchen and out the front door, followed closely by Officer Harris. Within moments Harris was back.

"I'm sorry gentlemen; we're going to have to wait for another officer to arrive on the scene. I already radioed in and they will be here shortly," he said before walking back outside.

"What the hell is that all about?" Mark said after the officer was gone.

"From the looks that I've gotten and the comments that have been made, I think we have one homophobic officer on our hands," Blaine said, hating that his sexuality made it so that he was treated like less than a human being. He was grateful though that Officer Harris had recognized what was going on and had taken action to set things right.

Blaine was not sure how long he and Mark waited for the other officer to get there and he was impatient. He knew that the longer everything took the less chance he had in finding out where Christian had taken Levi. Just as Officer Harris came in with the new officer, Blaine was startled by a phone ringing. Realizing that it was the house phone he ran into the living room and grabbed the cordless off of its cradle.

"Hello?"

"Blaine?" The voice answered weakly.

"Levi? Babe? Is that you?" Blaine exclaimed, almost dropping the phone.

"Yeah, it's me. Can you come and get me?"

"Of course I'll come and get you. Where are you? Levi? Are you okay?" Blaine said, the panic in his voice moving over the line.

"I'm fine, or I will be, just come get me Blaine, please?"

"Sure, just tell me where you are. Where's Christian?" Blaine asked, knowing that there was no way that Levi would be able to call him if Christian was anywhere near, unless it was some kind of a trap that Christian had set up.

"I'm not sure, he took off."

"K babe, just tell me where you are and I'll come and get you."

Blaine listened closely as Levi explained where he was. He didn't know how he'd managed to get away from Christian, but he was so grateful that Levi was okay that he wasn't going to ask any more questions at the moment. Hanging up the phone he turned to the two officers.

"I have to go," Blaine said, turning and walking out the front door.

"Was that Mr. Turner?"

"Yeah, he's at a small café a couple of towns over."

"Well sir, we have to go with you, you can either ride in the back of the squad car or we can follow you," Officer Harris said.

"Then follow me, but hurry the hell up," Blaine said, suddenly realizing that he couldn't leave Mark at the house by himself. He still had no idea about how Levi had gotten away from Christian, but he was not going to take the chance that Christian would come back and find Mark alone in the house. Heading back into the kitchen, Blaine helped his friend to his feet and led him out of the house. After helping him into the truck, Blaine climbed up into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. The relief that he felt flooding his body making him spin the wheels of the truck as he headed towards the café and his life.

Levi slumped in one of the corner booths of the small café as he waited for Blaine to pull up. He wasn't sure where Christian was at the moment and he was scared spit-less that he was going to show up looking for him. Levi had never been so happy to be in a car wreck as he had been that morning. Glancing back out the window, Levi felt his heart start pounding in his chest when he seen Mark's truck pull into the parking lot, followed by a police cruiser. He hadn't been sure at first if Blaine would come, after the things that had been said at the house, but he had known that he had to believe that Blaine loved him as much as he loved him.

Levi slowly climbed out of his seat as he saw Blaine step out from the driver's side and make his way quickly towards the café's entrance. He hadn't made it more than a few steps when Blaine was suddenly before him wrapping his arms around Levi and holding him close. As much as those strong arms hurt right now, Levi didn't want to be anywhere else. He didn't know how long they stood there holding each other, and he didn't care about the looks that were being shot at them, he was just happy to be back in the safety of Blaine's arms.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked softly, pulling back enough to see Levi's face.

"I'll be fine, just a little beat up," Levi whispered, his voice cracking as he tried to hold the tears back. He hated crying, but he felt so much relief at just having Blaine there with him that it was almost impossible not to let the tears flow down his face.

"We need to go have to checked out babe," Blaine said, refusing to completely release Levi from his arms as the two cops that had followed him made their way into the café.

"Mr. Riley," Officer Harris said, placing a hand on Blaine's arm. "We need to get Mr. Turner to the hospital to have him checked over."

"I know," Blaine whispered.

"After that we'll have to get his statement on what happened."

"I understand that too," Blaine growled. He wasn't upset at the cops, he knew that they were just trying to do their job, but he had been so afraid of losing Levi that he had a hard time believing that he was back in his arms, safe and sound. Lowering his lips to Levi's, Blaine kissed him, letting out all of the pent up fear that he had held inside of him. Blaine forgot for a moment where he was, but when he remembered, he realized he didn't care. He loved Levi and he didn't care who all saw it.

"You came," Levi whispered as he pulled back and buried his head against Blaine's chest.

"Of course I came."

"I didn't know..." Levi started to answer, only to be interrupted.

"Levi," Blaine said, pulling back and tilting Levi's head up so that he could look into his eyes. "I'm sorry for the things I said earlier, I was just so afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Levi asked, his voice small.

"Afraid of losing you, of being alone. I ran in the hopes that if I was gone, Christian would leave you alone."

"He's not gone from our lives yet Blaine; he's still out there, somewhere." Levi said, trying to figure out how to voice his fears that when Christian turned up again Blaine would run again.

"I know that Levi," Blaine said softly, still refusing to release Levi from his arms. "Whatever he has to throw at us, this time, we'll face it together. I won't let him chase me away from you again Levi. Maybe if I had been there you and Mark wouldn't have been..." Blaine said, his voice trailing off.

"Oh my god! How is Mark? Is he okay? Is he..." Levi trailed off, unable to continue the thought.

"He's okay, the paramedics checked him out at the house. He'll be a bit sore for a while, but he's going to be fine. He's out in the truck right now," Blaine answered.

"No, he's not," said a voice from behind Blaine.

"Mark!" Levi exclaimed, stepping around Blaine and pulling the other man into a hug.

"You okay?" Mark asked softly, trying not to wince as Levi's arms pressed against his bruised body. He knew he hadn't succeeded when Levi pulled away, a guilty look on his face.

"I'm sorry Mark. I didn't realize," Levi said softly.

"No worries, I'm just glad to see that you are okay. You are okay, right?"

"Yeah, a little shaken up, and a bit sore from the accident, but..."

"Accident?!" Blaine exclaimed. "What accident?"

"That's how I managed to get away. There was something in the road and Christian swerved to miss it and rolled the car. He was knocked out and I ran."

"Excuse me," Officer Harris said, stepping up to where Mark, Levi, and Blaine stood. Turning his attention to Levi, he said, "You said something about an accident?"

"Yeah, something was in the road and Christian swerved to miss it. He must have pulled the wheel too far because the car hit the ditch and rolled."

"Was he driving a two door, powder blue, hatchback?" Officer Harris asked.

"Yeah."

"The accident we passed a mile or so down the road," Harris said to his partner.

"I'll go out to the car and radio in, see if they can connect us to the officers on scene. Find out if they have the suspect in custody."

All the talk of an accident got Blaine thinking back to the accident that he had passed. As selfish as it sounded, he hadn't given any thought to who had been in that accident. Now knowing that Levi had been in that car made his gut twist, Levi was the one in that accident. He had known before that he had almost lost Levi, but the reality of it was that he had almost lost him not once, but twice. Blaine's knees suddenly gave out beneath him and he suddenly found himself on the floor, his face buried in his hands as he gave way to the tears that had threatened ever since he had walked out of Levi's front door that morning.

"Blaine? Babe?" Levi started, kneeling next to Blaine and pulling him into his arms. He hated to see him hurting and now, even more than before, wished that he could find someway to rid their lives of the threat that was Christian. Levi felt his own tears roll down his face as Blaine buried against him, the tears flowing freely as he sobbed against his chest.

Levi didn't know what to do for Blaine and so he just sat there and held him as he let the emotions of the day flow out of him. Levi was aware that they were drawing a crowd but he was past the point of caring. Blaine needed him, and whoever didn't like it could just go to hell. When the sobs quieted, Levi pulled gently away and helped Blaine to his feet, keeping one arm wrapped around him, holding Blaine to his side.

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered, his voice choked.

"No need to be sorry babe," Levi answered softly. They were interrupted as the second officer walked back up.

"I talked to the officer's on the scene of that wreck and apparently the victims fled the scene. They've searched the area, but they haven't found the victims. I let them know that one of the victim's was here and that the reason that they fled the scene was because they had been kidnapped by the operator of the vehicle. They asked that we wait here so that they can come and question Mr. Turner as to what exactly happened to cause the accident."

No one noticed the man sitting in a corner booth on the other side of the small café.

Christian sat fuming as he glared across the room at the group of people surrounding Blaine. He had been lucky to get into the café unnoticed. He had watched from outside, trying to figure out if there was any way to get Blaine's newest fuck toy out of the café and had seen all chance of that disappear with Blaine's arrival, followed closely by the police. He had wandered around the building until he found a side entrance and slipped in. Now he sat in a corner booth, as far away as he could, and watched the scene unfold before him. He felt only a small measure of glee as he watched Blaine sink to his knees on the floor.

"That's it ya little bastard, you always were a weak one," Christian muttered under his breath. "You think it's over, but the fun is just beginning," Christian said softly, already planning on how he could get to Blaine next. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, more than likely the cops would keep a close eye on Levi's house, but it wouldn't be the first time that he had outdone the stupid fucking cops.

"Can I get you anything else," the waitress said as she walked up to his table.

"No, I'm fine," Christian said, wanting her to leave in case she drew anyone's attention towards him.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" The blonde asked, popping her gum as she placed one hand on her hip, cocking her hips invitingly.

The stupid blonde, oblivious to Christian's mood, was really starting to get on his nerves. The popping gum was aggravating his headache, and she was blocking his view of what was going on across the room.

"Actually, there is something you could do for me," Christian said, his voice icy.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, maybe you could go get some Tylenol for me, your constant prattling is giving me this major headache," Christian said, his face contorting into a sneer.

"You didn't have to be such an asshole," the waitress said, her voice drawing the attention of one of the officers across the room.

Christian cringed as what he had least wanted to happen happened. After a few minutes Christian realized that he couldn't stay in the café any longer. After the waitresses little outburst, the cop had been keeping an eye on him. Throwing enough money on the table to cover his soda, Christian stood up and acted as though he was going to the bathroom, quickly slipping out the same door that he had come in through.