Love Conquers All
by Flaming Matt
Chapter 6
October 2015
"He tried to kiss me and grope me as well." Jarred then states in a sad tone, before looking down at the ground and could barely hide his smile after feeling the other boys hand on his knee and knew that he was buying into everything he was saying, although the confusing thoughts he was feeling earlier had also returned and he had to concentrate hard to ignore them.
"He did?" Peter quickly asks in a concerned and surprised tone, his friend hadn't lied to him yet and if this Alex kid touched him as well, then he really did know how he was feeling right now.
"It's how I eventually knew that you were telling the truth Peter, but I didn't do anything, I just pushed him away and punched him, but that was it and by the time I thought about you..." Jarred then begins to answer, before trailing off with a slightly over the top sigh. "Look Peter, that's enough for today okay, let's just have some fun and hopefully you will remember more yourself tomorrow and even if you don't, we can talk tomorrow night some more." He then states in a kind and caring tone, although he was only stopping so that the other boy would think about what he had said all night and hopefully making it change anything he remembered doing with Alex into something negative.
"Okay, I guess we can eat and drink something, I'm hungry and well we can play cards as well, but not strip poker, I don't like games like that Jarred." Peter then states in response and despite wanting to know more, well everything really, he could sense that his friend was struggling to talk about what happened and after all he had done for him, he didn't want to upset him by making him talk about it all at once.
"Sounds good to me, but I promise to tell you everything eventually Peter, it's just hard to do it all in one go." Jarred then says in a soft and gentle tone, before giving the other boy a friendly smile.
"I know." Peter responds with a friendly smile of his own and despite knowing his friend was a prick, well he had said it enough himself, he was hoping that they would be closer friends after all of this was over.
The Next Day
"Fuck!" Mitch states in an angry tone, after he ends the call and he just couldn't believe it.
"What's happened?" Erica quickly asks in a concerned tone, after walking into the room and while she knew it was work related and likely to be about Peter's case, she wanted to make sure, before she brought it up, just in case it wasn't.
"It's Simon." Mitch responds in a frustrated tone, he just couldn't believe it and he knew that this would slow down their investigation.
"I'm not psychic Mitch, you're going to have to give me a bit more than that." Erica then states in a serious tone and while a comment like that might have been amusing any other time, she knew this was serious and she didn't want to tease him when he was clearly under stress.
"You were right about him delivering to the house, but we can't question him because he's gone away on holiday and so far his phone has been switched off." Mitch then explains in a frustrated and stressed out tone, he was so sure this was the breakthrough that he needed and for his old friend to have gone away on holiday, just made him feel like everything was against him and his team.
"They've left messages though right, so he will get back to you once he gets those." Erica decides to point out and could see that she was at least right about the messages by the look on her boyfriends face. "What?" She then asks in a curious tone, after hearing him sighing and knew that something else was wrong.
"He won't get any messages on his phone, it costs to much for calls and texts, so he will only turn his phone on if it's an emergency and his parents haven't got back to the team about the hotel details yet, so we will have to wait for that before we can leave a message with them." Mitch responds with a small smile and while he was stressed out, just knowing he had his girlfriend to support him, was enough to keep him from letting it get to him as much as it would have done without her.
"Damn, but where does this leave you?" Erica then asks in a disappointed tone. "I mean with everything else, just because you can't get in contact with Simon, you can still look into the other things we talked about." She then adds in a more positive tone, after realising that he wasn't quite sure what she was talking about.
"Oh right, well I'm convinced that it is someone the boys knew and I still don't think they were adults, but they have to be older than the boys I think." Mitch responds in a slightly unsure tone, it just didn't make any sense for it to be some random adults with no criminal record suddenly attacking and kidnapping a boy, so he figured it had to be someone around his age or a bit younger.
"Did the neighbours see anyone?" Erica then decides to ask and while it was obvious someone would have talked to the neighbours, she didn't think it would hurt to ask about it herself.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, some people walking past, some driving and a couple of groups of kids, just the normal activity Erica and none of them mentioned Simon or anything to do with a takeaway, so there isn't much to go on from the neighbours." Mitch answers honestly, before sighing again and he really couldn't believe they were near enough back to square one again.
"Well you have today off Mitch, so why not go home and spend some time with the boys or your dad and Sarah, just to take your mind of the case." Erica then decides to suggest with a loving smile and while she would prefer to spend the day with him, she had to go to work and she really didn't like the idea of him being alone.
"I wish you didn't have to go to work today." Mitch then says with a sigh, before quickly pulling his girlfriend into his arms and kissing her for a few moments.
"Not all of us have understanding bosses who give us days off Mitch." Erica then responds with a small grin, after their kiss ends and despite now being tempted to call in sick, she knew that he would never let her and she was starting to think that he needed to go home and maybe just relax in the pool.
"I love you so much, you know that right?" Mitch then states in a sincere tone, before leaning in for a couple of quick but tender kisses.
"I love you too, now go call your dad and see who is home, while I go and get changed and ready for work." Erica then says with a warm smile, she really did love him and despite these past few days being hard, she was pleased to see him pulling himself together and knew that he would be okay.
"Okay." Mitch responds with a loving smile, before giving her one last tender kiss and then reluctantly letting her go.
"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Ben asks his fiancé in a caring tone and while he understood what he was doing, he still wanted to make sure he wouldn't regret it.
"Yeah, I mean I want to see Wesley and well you know, but Alex doesn't have anyone and you heard what Carter said Ben, he needs you and Tobias, because you know what he is going through and it just makes sense that I go to see Alex and come on, in Wesley's place, would you want to be crowded around by too many people, because I know what that feels like Ben and it's not nice." Matt answers honestly, as he points out that it just makes sense for him to go see their other friend and smiles when he sees his fiancé nodding is head in agreement.
"I know, but you need to come see him later, he may not want to be crowded around, but he will want to see you and you know better than anyone that I'm right about that." Ben then states in a serious tone and while he didn't like bringing this up, he knew that his boyfriend would understand how important it was for their friend for them to all visit him.
"I know and I already asked Mum to drop me off at Wesley's after she picks me up from Alex's later." Matt responds with a smile, before feeling himself being kissed and quickly returns it.
"Do you have to rub each others bums like that when you kiss?" Tobias asks in a teasing tone, as he walks into the living room and sees his two brothers groping each other, his mum had sent him in to tell them to hurry up and he couldn't help but smile at catching them like this.
"Coming from the boy who told Ashleigh that he needed a poo yesterday?" Ben quickly retorts with a grin, which widens when he sees the look on his brothers face.
"Smelly Head!" Tobias retorts shyly, before grinning a little bit. "Mum said to hurry up though." He then says in a happy tone, sure it was embarrassing, but he wasn't that bothered and he knew his brother was just messing around.
"You sure you're okay to see Wesley though?" Matt then decides to ask his brother with a warm smile, he was sure that he could handle it, but he still wanted to make sure he wanted to go there.
"It's a little scary, but Wesley can't be as bad as you when you freak out Matt." Tobias quickly responds with a little grin and despite knowing it was a little mean, he wanted to show his brother that he was fine with going.
"Hey!" Matt quickly responds in a surprised tone, although he can't quite manage to stop himself from smirking a little bit.
"And he probably won't try to strangle you either Tobias." Ben then decides to say, after seeing his fiancé trying not to smirk at their brothers comment and couldn't resist joining in the teasing.
"Hey!" Matt quickly protests with a shake of the head, before pouting at both his brother and fiancé.
"You're so cute when you pout." Ben then says in a sweet tone, before stepping closer to his fiancé again and pulling his head in for a tender kiss.
"And you owe me a blow job later for that comment." Matt then whispers in his fiancé's ear, before stepping back with a grin.
"We have to go though, Mum's waiting in the car." Tobias then says in a serious tone and while he was enjoying their little bit of banter, he knew that they had to hurry up and he didn't want his mum to come in a tell them off, especially after she had sent him in her to hurry his brothers up.
"Fine, but no more jokes, well not about that kind of stuff." Matt then decides to say, before winking at his fiancé, just to let him know that he was still expecting the blow job later for what he said.
"Come on or I will tell Mum that you were naked." Tobias then states with a big grin, before quickly making his way out of the room and the house.
"He wouldn't." Ben then says in a slightly bemused tone, before feeling his arm being pulled.
"He fucking would, the little shit." Matt responds in an amused tone, as he pulls his fiancé towards the door, he knew their brother was only teasing them, but he was also fully aware that he would do it if he wanted to and knew that they needed to hurry up.
"He fucking would as well." Ben then states with a little chuckle, after they stop so that his fiancé could get his cane, before quickly locking the front door behind them and walking towards the car, where they can see their brother grinning at them.
"Please don't Wesley, they'll be here soon and you promised." Carter states in a pleading tone, after seeing his boyfriend walking back into the bedroom looking furious and it didn't take a genius to work out that his parents must have tried talking to him again and made a complete mess of it.
"They think I'm overreacting Carter... FUCKING OVERREACTING... MY BROTHER GETS MURDERED AND THEY THINK I'M OVER FUCKING REACTING!" Wesley shouts in response and doesn't even try to hide how angry he was, he just couldn't believe how they could be so calm and pretend everything was all right and he actually felt himself beginning to hate them.
"They what?" Carter responds in an angry and disgusted tone, he was prepared to calm his boyfriend down and tell him that his parents were only trying to help him, but he couldn't believe they would ever tell their son that he was overreacting, that was just sick and he wanted his boyfriend to know that he was on his side.
"Wait, you aren't taking their side?" Wesley quickly asks in a surprised tone, he was still angry and devastated by his parents insensitivity, but his boyfriend seemingly agreeing with him had shocked him enough to let it distract him from his growing hatred towards them.
"Their side? Fuck off Wesley, firstly, I will always be on your side and secondly, they should be ashamed of themselves." Carter states in a serious but warm tone, as he reaches over and pulls his boyfriend between his legs. "We can go to my house if you want and call Ben and Tobias to tell them to meet us there." He then offers in a calm tone, despite being furious with his boyfriends parents, because for a nurse and a psychologist, they had a lot to learn about comforting people, especially their own son in his opinion.
"You really would do that for me, wouldn't you?" Wesley then asks in a soft tone, he was still angry with his parents, but once again his boyfriend was making his heart melt and as he looks down into his eyes, he couldn't help but lose himself in his violet eyes and even though he often didn't notice them, every once in a while they would catch his attention and he always struggled to look away from how beautiful they were.
"Always Wesley, you're my world and even though I will smack you over the back of the head or elbow you in the ribs when you do something moronic, I will always love you and I will always be on your side, I promise." Carter answers from the heart, as he continues to look into his boyfriends eyes, before feeling himself slowly being pushed on to his back, with his boyfriend laying on top of him.
"I want to stay, but I don't want to speak to my parents again Carter, well not today anyway." Wesley then says in a sad tone, before sniffling a few times. "Carter, I know you're mad at them as well, but please don't... well don't er... can you just pretend you're okay with them if they try and talk to you, just for today, for me, please?" He then asks in a soft and pleading tone, he didn't want his boyfriend to be to nice for their benefit, but he didn't want them to send his boyfriend home or for them to try and talk to him, so he needed his boyfriend to pretend for him and not shout at them.
"Only because you asked me and promised to try and let Ben and Tobias help you." Carter responds with a loving smile, before using his hand to bring his boyfriends head close enough to his own to give him a loving kiss.
"I'll try, but if even if I get mad or say something horrible, at least they will both know... well you know." Wesley then says with a smile, which widens a little bit when he feels his boyfriend responding and despite being on top of him like this, he wasn't expecting him to get hard and even though he was hurting in so many ways inside, he was glad to let his boyfriend distract him.
"I know." Carter responds, before blushing slightly after feeling himself getting hard and could tell that his boyfriend could feel it. "We haven't got time, so get off and get changed." He then says in a slightly amused tone, after thinking about what their friends would say if hey walked in on them like this.
"Get changed?" Wesley couldn't help but ask in a confused tone, after reluctantly getting off his boyfriend and looking down at himself.
"There's going to be four of us in here and it's already a little hot, so get some shorts and a tank top or something, because you're going to be boiling in those if you don't change." Carter responds with a smile, which was more to do with somehow calming his boyfriend down, than the look on his face right now, he was really worried that he would have to call their friends to stop them coming over, especially since he was almost as angry at his boyfriends parents as he was, so he was definitely feeling happier than he was a few minutes ago.
"Any excuse to see me naked." Wesley then teases, before slowly stripping out of his clothes.
"Damn right and when we go to sleep later, you're going to know how much I love you, especially your bum." Carter quickly retorts with a grin, before giggling when he sees his boyfriend stumble a little and almost fall over. "So sexy." He then says in a more serious tone, after seeing his boyfriend bending down to remove his briefs, giving him a great view of him bum and even a sneak peak at his hole.
"You're such a pervert." Wesley then states with a shake of the head, before looking back across to his boyfriend. "And I thought you were meant to be getting rid of that? They will be here soon and you're going down to bring them up here." He then says with a little smirk, before turning towards his wardrobe and picking out some lighter clothes to wear.
"Fuck." Carter then states, after realising that he had only made himself harder and as he looks down, he can see another problem. "Oh for fuck sake." He then says out loud and despite being proud of himself for being able to cum, he was definitely not enjoying the fact that he seemed to be producing more and more pre cum as the weeks passed.
"Wow, you make way more of that than I do Carter." Wesley then says in an impressed tone, after looking up to see what his boyfriend was annoyed about and could see the wet spot on his shorts and despite finding it amusing, he also knew that his boyfriend wasn't exactly happy about this part of his development.
"I wish I didn't make any at all." Carter then half mumbles in response, before sighing and getting up to change his shorts and briefs.
"I like it and we don't have to use as much lube now either." Wesley then decides to point out, after getting dressed and walking to sit on the edge of his bed, while his boyfriend removes his shorts and briefs, before waling over to the chest of draws.
"Well er... well okay, it's not all bad, but it's embarrassing when I'm out and I have to be careful to not wear a colour that shows wet spots." Carter responds in a slightly embarrassed tone, he just felt a little stupid talking about this, even if it was with his boyfriend.
"At least it only happens when you're fantasising about me." Wesley quickly responds with a grin, before frowning and tensing up, as his mum calls up to him and although he is happy that his friends are here, he couldn't help but feel his anger returning, especially when he hears his mum calling him sweetie and almost shouts out in anger, before feeling himself being cuddled and even though it doesn't calm him down completely, it was enough for him to not do something he would regret.
"I'll go get them, just try to calm down a little." Carter says in a soothing tone, before standing back up. "I'm now coming down Mary." He then calls out to his boyfriends mum, before quickly pulling his boyfriends face up by his chin and kissing him for a few moments.
"I love you Beautiful." Wesley then says in a loving tone and a smile to match it.
"I love you too." Carter responds from the heart, before heading out of the room and down to their friends, after giving him another loving kiss.
"Matt?" Alex states in a strained and surprised tone, his jaw was a lot better now but he still found it hard to talk properly.
"Hey Alex, how's the jaw?" Matt asks in a friendly tone, before limping over to his friends bed and sitting himself down on the edge.
"It still hurts Matt, but what are you doing here?" Alex asks in response, before wincing a little bit and gently rubs his jaw.
"Because we're friends and I want to help." Matt responds in a sincere tone, as he looks over to his friend and gives him a friendly smile.
"How can you help?" Alex asks in a harsher tone than he intended and while he appreciated his friend being here, he didn't see how it could help him.
"I used to think the same thing when people tried to be there for me and I guess I can't really make anything better, but looking back Alex, having people being there and showing that they cared, well that did help and I want to do the same for you." Matt answers honestly, as he tries his best to put into words how he felt about his own experience.
"I just miss him Matt, where is he?" Alex then asks in a vulnerable tone, as tears start to roll down his face and while his dad had told him about what they think happened, he just didn't understand it at all.
"Mitch will find him Alex, they have a whole team working on it and even though you don't really know him, Mitch is amazing and he will get Peter back, I promise." Matt responds in a soft and reassuring tone, before reaching over and giving his friends leg a gentle rub.
"But why did they take him? Why not me, why couldn't they have taken me instead Matt?" Alex then asks in an almost desperate tone and while he knew he was being unfair on his friend by asking him these questions, he needed to tell someone how he was feeling and while his dad had tried his best, he knew he wouldn't be honest with him and he was hoping his friend would.
"Ben and I think that it was personal and it was someone who knew you both and knew that you were home alone." Matt states in a slightly nervous tone, after deciding to just be honest with his friend and not try and patronize him, he knew from his own experiences, that being told everything will be okay and you will be fine, got old fast and he didn't want to make his friend feel like that.
"What?" Alex quickly asks in a surprised tone, he wasn't sure what to expect from his friend and despite hoping he would be honest, he wasn't expecting him to actually talk about this seriously and despite not quite managing to smile, he did feel himself feeling a little better.
"I don't know what you know Alex, but I'm guessing it isn't much, but they think that there was at least two people, maybe three and because they couldn't find the fingerprints that were left, in the database, they think that it could be teenagers, you know like Mitch's age, maybe a little younger." Matt responds with a small smile and while it wasn't a subject to be happy about, he was just glad that his friend seemed to have calmed down a little bit and knew that his decision to take this approach was working.
"But why would anyone want to kidnap Peter? Why not take me as well?" Alex then asks in response and while he knew that he didn't know the answer, he was hoping he knew something else and that it could help him understand what happened and why.
"They don't know Alex, but they have a few ideas and Mitch is trying to get in touch with his friend Simon, because he might know who did it, but he is on holiday and they can't get in contact with him yet, but they will." Matt again answers honestly and while he knew that it might not lead to anything, he thought it would help his friend cope and give him some hope.
"Simon?" Alex quickly asks in a confused tone and while the name rang a bell, he couldn't quite remember why.
"Oh right, well Ben and I were talking about why you would answer the door to anyone Alex, so we thought about why we would do it and knew we would answer the door if we ordered a takeaway and Mitch told us that you did order one and his friend Simon was the guy who delivered it." Matt then explains with a smile, while still gently rubbing his friends leg and while he wasn't sure if he would appreciate the contact at first, he could tell that he didn't mind and he wasn't going to stop unless he was told to.
"Oh right, he has delivered to our house loads of times." Alex then says in a thoughtful tone. "Wait, are you saying he took Peter?" He then asks in a surprised tone and while it would mean they might find Peter if he did, he just couldn't see the older boy doing it, he had delivered to their house for almost a year and it didn't make much sense. "Are you okay?" He then asks in a curious and slightly worried tone, after seeing his friend rubbing his head and grimacing a little bit.
"Yeah, just a headache, I get them sometimes and it's okay." Matt answers after a few moments and although he wasn't lying, he was getting quite a few headaches recently and he was thinking about asking his mum to take him to the hospital if they didn't go away soon.
"Oh okay, if you're sure." Alex then says in a slightly suspicious tone, although he quickly remembers what they were talking about and is just about to ask his friend to carry on telling him about his idea, when he starts talking again himself.
"I'm sure, but anyway, Ben and I thought it could be the delivery driver, but even before we knew it was Simon, we figured that it would be stupid for him to do it, because his work place would just confirm he went to the house at that time and he would be the prime suspect." Matt answers with a sympathetic look, after brushing off his friends concern for him, before thinking about it a little more. "And Erica said that about twenty minutes before they got to your house, she saw him in his car driving the other way and towards the takeaway place and when Mitch looked into it, Simon made several deliveries and he wouldn't have even had time to do anything like kidnap someone." He then adds, after deciding to explain as much as possible to his friend, so that he wouldn't get his hopes up too much.
"Oh okay, but I didn't answer the door Matt, it was Peter." Alex then says after realising that his friend had said that he had answered the door and while he couldn't see how that was important, he felt like he should say something and maybe it would help.
"Oh..." Matt responds in a surprised tone, before trailing off for a few moments. "Would he have answered the door to someone without knowing who it was?" He then asks in a careful tone, he knew that he was helping his friend by being honest with him, but he was also aware that he could break down and get upset if he said the wrong thing and that's the last thing he wanted to do.
"No, I've been round his when we've had takeaway and even with his parents home, he always checks before opening the door." Alex answers with a sad smile. "He would know who Simon is though." He then adds, after thinking about it a little more, before rubbing his jaw and groaning a little bit.
"We can talk about this in a little while Alex, but you need to rest a little, have you got any painkillers up here?" Matt then quickly asks in a caring tone, after seeing his friend in pain and despite knowing he would want to carry on talking, he knew from his own experience that it would be better for him to not talk for a little while and as they had a few hours together, he knew that they had plenty of time to carry on talking about it.
"Yeah." Alex responds in a slightly mumbled tone, as he points over to his bedside table and while he wanted to carry on talking, he knew he needed to rest and not get carried away.
"If you promise not to talk, I will tell you everything else I know, but it's not much Alex, but you deserve to know and I know how it feels when people try and hide things from you." Matt then says in an understanding tone, before passing his friend a couple of pills and a glass of water.
"Thanks." Alex only just manages to say after taking the pills and while he was doubtful of his friend being able to help him earlier, he was now glad that he had come to visit him and shifts a little bit on his bed to get comfortable, before listening to his friend explaining what he knew about the investigation to find his boyfriend.
"What are you doing here?" Jarred asks in a hushed but angry tone, after seeing who was walking over towards him.
"We shouldn't have done it Jarred, we need to take him home or something." Barry states in a scared and nervous tone, he had no idea why he had gone along with the plan and while he thought he could handle it, he was having second thoughts and after his best friend had told him about the investigation into Peter's kidnapping, he was even more nervous and scared that they would be caught.
"Oh fuck off Barry, if you go chicken on me now, then you will be hated by everyone and end up in some juvenile detention place and you know it." Jarred responds coldly, although he kind of half expected this to happen and had thought of ways to deal with it, he was still annoyed that he was doing this so soon and should have known he was too weak to be a part of this, but he needed someone at the time and he was the only choice he had.
"I didn't do..." Barry then quickly begins to say in a scared tone, before just as quickly being interrupted.
"Didn't do anything? Fuck off Barry, the only reason we got the faggot, was because you knocked on the door and he thought you were friends, so don't try and pretend that you didn't do anything." Jarred states in a serious and pissed off tone, he just couldn't believe how weak the boy was and despite being angry, he knew that he could easily scare him into not doing anything stupid.
"I will deny it, they will believe..." Barry then tries to responds in a confident tone, but quickly falls to his knees holding his stomach, after being punched hard.
"If I go down, then so will you and who do you think Ryan is going to side with Barry?" Jarred asks in a taunting tone. "And when Peter gets his memory back, just who is he going to say he let into the house, because he never saw me or Ryan, you let us in the back door and I knocked him out before he even knew we were there, remember." He then adds with a smirk, before deciding to kick him hard in the stomach and couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic the boy looked.
"Stop, please, you win, please." Barry then starts to beg, before crying as he feels himself being kicked repeatedly. "Please, you win, I won't tell anyone, please." He then manages to plead again, before feeling the other boy lifting his head up to face him.
"You listen to me good Barry, you're my bitch now and that means you do what I say, when I say and you're going to ditch your old friends and that pussy Patrick, from now on you're with me and Ryan and you will do whatever we want you to do, you got that." Jarred states in a calm and firm tone, before spitting into the other boys face and while he had never had any intention of actually being his friend or having him hang around with him after all this was over anyway, he was happy to get the boy to ruin his other friendships and end up on his own and friendless.
"Okay, I promise, just please let me go, please." Barry quickly responds in a pleading tone, after feeling the other boys foot pressing into his balls and despite wanting to be strong, he was at his mercy and knew that he was paying the price for being such an idiot.
"Get the fuck out of my sight Barry and just because you're such a pussy, you can walk home in your underwear and I swear to god, if you don't strip off within thirty seconds, I will strip you naked and take you clothes Barry, so get moving and if you do it fast enough, I might give you permission to put your clothes on before you get to the main road." Jarred then tells the boy in a firm and serious tone, while smirking at how pathetic he was and while he would have no idea how far the boy would go in just his underwear, he got the feeling that he might go all the way home like it, he really did think that he would be that pathetic.
"Please don't Jarred, I was just scared, please don't make me." Barry then quickly pleads, but even as he says the words, he begins to strip off his clothes.
"Hurry up or you will lose your underwear as well and I will take pictures of you Barry, so the choice is yours." Jarred responds coldly and again just couldn't believe how weak the other boy was, if it was him he would either fight back or make a run for it, he certainly wouldn't strip and walk home in his underwear.
"Ha! Superman briefs, really Barry? What are you five or something?" Jarred then asks in an amused tone, after seeing the boy wearing what looked like little kids underwear and couldn't help but laugh at him.
"Can I go please." Barry then asks in a mortified and upset tone, he had come here expecting to clear his conscious and get the other boy to see sense, but now he was humiliated and he knew the chances of getting home without being seen in just his underwear were practically zero.
"So pathetic, but you can go and you can put your clothes back on once you get to the main road, but if you do it before, I will know and you won't like what happens Barry, so don't test me." Jarred states in response and couldn't believe how good this felt, this was why he loved bullying people, he just loved the power and rush it gave him and looking at the other boy now, he was reconsidering having him around, well in private anyway, it was obvious he could make him do anything he wanted and he definitely enjoyed humiliating him.
"Okay." Barry responds in a devastated and mortified tone, before picking up his clothes and walking away from the other boy and towards the main road.
"So pathetic." Jarred then says in a quiet tone to himself, before turning the other way and heading back towards the shed and the other boy, which made him smile even more because he knew that in only a couple of days, he had pretty much turned him against Alex and knew by the time he was finished, he would both hate and be scared of him.
"How's he really doing Carter?" Ben asks in a concerned tone, he had been surprised by how his other friend had been acting and while he knew he was putting on a front, he didn't know how big a front it was.
"He's a mess and his parents are making it worse." Carter answers honestly, as he starts making the sandwiches, while glancing over to his friend, who was making them all some drinks.
"His parents?" Ben asks in a surprised tone and while he knew his friends parents were different to his own dad and Sarah, he wasn't sure how they could make things worse.
"For people in their kind of work, they're really bad at comforting someone Ben, they told Wesley that he was overreacting earlier and he was so mad, I've never seen him that mad before Ben, not even when Jarred and his friends beat me up." Carter decides to answer honestly and while he could have lied or bent the truth a little, he needed help with his boyfriend and knew that if anyone knew how to do that, it would be his friend.
"Oh fuck, they really said that?" Ben quickly asks in a stunned tone, he just couldn't believe they could do that and could feel the anger rise inside himself.
"Yeah, but..." Carter then begins to say, before trailing off for a few moments. "Look, it doesn't mean er... well I mean it doesn't justify what they said Ben, but they lost a son and maybe they aren't dealing with it very well either, I mean it must be tough, right." He then finishes saying in a slightly hesitant tone, he was really angry with his boyfriends parents and had wanted to confront them, but he promised not to and as he thought about it, he was starting to feel sorry for them both, to lose a child must be hard, but for them to be murdered must be devastating, although it still doesn't give them a right to take it out on their other son.
"Oh shit, I mean you're right Carter, but he's twelve years old and they should know better than to take it out on him, I mean he's a psychologist and she is a nurse and should just know better." Ben then says in a calm tone, he was still angry and he wanted to tell his friends parents what they were doing, but he did understand his friends point and it had to be hard for them as well and probably worse.
"I know, but I think having Tobias with him is helping, Tobias lost everyone and he got through it and er... well I'm just glad he came, I wasn't sure if you and Matt would let him." Carter then says in a slightly happier tone, he loved all their friends, especially Matt and Ben, but Tobias was just someone special to him and his boyfriend and he could see how much more relaxed his boyfriend seemed to be with their friend with him.
"We weren't really sure if he should come, but we're his brothers, not his parents Carter and my dad and Sarah told us that they wanted us all to give him more freedom and to let him start making his own decisions and well er... well we asked him if he wanted to come and trust me Carter, there was no way anything was going to stop him and I'm not joking, I doubt even a date with Lily would have stopped him coming." Ben responds honestly and while he might be wrong about his brother turning down a date with his girlfriend to come here, he would have been surprised if he didn't.
"Wanna make a bet?" Carter then asks in a cheeky tone and while he was still worried about everything and how his boyfriend was coping, he wanted to try and have a little fun and just thought of a great idea.
"Maybe." Ben answers in a slightly cautious tone, he knew his friend was probably trying to just have a little fun to distract himself, but he was still a little worried about him as well as his other friend, he knew how hard it was to be in his position and he knew he had to keep an eye on him.
"Loser has to spend the rest of the day naked and hard, well until Wesley's parents come home anyway, deal?." Carter then states in a slightly devious tone and purposely avoids telling his friend what the bet actually was until after he agreed to it.
"Fuck it, deal." Ben quickly responds with a shake of the head, after deciding to just do his bit to help his friends, even if it meant he ended up naked. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this?" He then asks in a slightly pensive tone, after seeing the look on his friends face and knew that he had probably just walked straight into a trap.
"Because you're going to lose." Carter quickly retorts in a teasing tone and couldn't help but enjoy these few moments of fun, even if he knows that it won't last.
"I don't even know what the bet is." Ben then states and couldn't help but shake his head a little and knew that he was an idiot for accepting the deal without even knowing what it was.
"Well if we walk in and Tobias is either naked or just in his briefs, then I win and if he is still dressed, then you win." Carter then says with a grin, after deciding to not tease his friend too much and when he sees his expression, he knew he made the right choice, because it was priceless.
"Oh fucking hell, I might as well strip now." Ben responds in an amused tone and couldn't help but shake his head a little.
"It's a little funny how embarrassed he gets about things, but at the same time, he loves getting naked." Carter then states in with a grin, before slowly leading his friend to the stairs.
"Matt and I got caught by his mum skinny dipping earlier and then my dad came home and they made us get out of the pool and stand in front of them." Ben then decides to admit to his friend, although he quickly started to wonder why he would tell him that and knew that he had just set himself up to be mocked.
"Oh man, no way." Carter states in response, before frowning a little bit as he thinks about his boyfriend.
"What's wrong?" Ben then quickly asks in a confused tone, he could tell that his friend had found it funny, but now that he was frowning, he wasn't sure what was going on.
"Nothing, but er... can you like wait and er... well can you tell me when we're with Wesley, he could do with something to distract him Ben." Carter responds in a almost pleading tone and Ben couldn't help but feel bad for his friend, he knew what it was like to have to support someone you love when they were hurting and how hard it was, so he was determined to do whatever he could to help him as much as possible.
"Sure, but er... well, how are you really doing Carter and don't lie, I know what it's like and I tried to pretend that I was okay and it's not worth lying, trust me." Ben then decides to ask in a sincere and caring tone, before stepping closer to his friend, but just as he is about to give him a warm cuddle, he realises that they both had their hands full and instead gives him a reassuring smile.
"I'm being strong Ben, but it's really hard and well I don't know how you did all you did, I mean I knew it must have been tough for you, but being around Wesley is hard, especially the things he says when he is angry and upset, so it must have been like a hundred times harder for you." Carter decides to say in response, while giving his friend a sympathetic smile and even though he knew he was sort of avoiding his friends question, he genuinely wanted him to know that he admired him for what he had been through.
"You can talk to me anytime you want Carter, just give me a call or come round and I will listen, you need someone to talk to Carter and I want it to be me." Ben then offers with a warm smile and although a part of him wanted to correct his friend and tell him that it was more like a million times worse for him, he knew how insensitive that would have sounded and he wanted to help his friend, not piss him off by trying to make his problems seem less serious.
"I will, I promise Ben, but let's go up now, because I can't wait to see you naked with a boner." Carter then states with a grin, before quickly turning around and heading up the stairs.
"Fucking hell, I'm never going to bet or make deals ever again." Ben then half mumbles as he follows his friend up the stairs and quickly starts to grin, after hearing his friend giggling and was happy to at least have given him a few minutes of distraction.
"So it really wasn't Greg?" Sarah asks in a calm tone, although inside she was feeling a little scared and confused by the whole thing.
"No, I looked into it, just in case he had the time to call you while he was in the park Sarah, it wasn't him and while we aren't close friends, I know he only works in the male wing and not the female wing of the prison." Mitch responds with a half smile and while he knew that it should be reassuring, he knew that it was actually the complete opposite.
"And Maggie is alive and hasn't been attacked, Gordon confirmed that." Mike then says in a frustrated tone and while they had already been over this before, the new information about Greg and Maggie was just making the whole thing even more confusing and frustrating.
"But the box had my maiden name and there aren't many people who know that name, it's not something that comes up in conversation and I've only lived here a couple of years, so who would even know something like that." Sarah then says in a tired tone and while she wanted to believe that it was some sort of sick prank, she just couldn't let her guard down and was determined to figure this whole thing out.
"I have an idea and I want to speak with Greg about it, but it needs to wait Sarah, I just need..." Mitch then begins to say, before being interrupted by his dad.
"It's okay Mitch, we know that Jim's funeral is important to you and to us as well and we understand that." Mike quickly states in a comforting tone and despite wanting to know what his eldest son had in mind, he needed to let him know that they understood that he had enough to do right now already.
"And you need to concentrate on Peter's investigation Mitch, we all want him to be found and we can deal with whoever is behind the box and phone call afterwards." Sarah then decides to say in a warm tone and even though a part of her wanted them to find out who was behind the box and phone call, she knew that they had to be patient and whoever was behind it, didn't seem to be in a hurry to do anything and if anything seemed to be more concerned with them being quiet, than actually doing something to them.
"I know and I will, but I still want to tell you what I was thinking and just hear me out okay." Mitch then states in a firm tone and while he appreciated what they were saying, he needed to get this off his chest and also find out if Sarah could help him out a little as well.
"Okay." Mike responds in a slightly reluctant tone, he really did want to know what his eldest son was thinking, but he was also serious about him not taking on too much as well.
"From what Greg told me, David was not popular, especially after Matt confronted him during our visit, but before that, he did have some friends and he had a cell mate, so it's possible that he talked to this cell mate or his friends and while this sounds like one of those crappy crime drama plot lines, it is possible that either his cell mate or one of those friends could be behind the box and the phone call, but I need to talk to Greg about it seriously first." Mitch then says in a serious tone and while he had another idea, it was even less plausible than this idea and he didn't want to say anything that might make them worry even more and decided to just go with this idea for now.
"I guess they make those kind of films and shows for a reason." Sarah then says in a quiet tone and although she still thought it was something bigger than even they could imagine, she also thought that the young man had a point and it was a lot more plausible than her own fears and a lot less terrifying.
"Thank you Mitch." Mike then decides to say and while it was just an idea and needed to be looked into, he could tell that it had at least eased Sarah's fears a little bit and he was grateful of that.
"I know that it's a long shot and unlikely, but I honestly think that it's just some sick and pathetic loser, who is just trying to get a kick out of scaring you." Mitch then states in a serious tone and while he knew that it could be something bigger and more sinister, he just didn't believe that, if it was, then surely they wouldn't be messing around with stupid boxes and hoax phone calls, that are easily proved to be fake.
"I hope so." Mike responds in a more confident tone than he was feeling inside.
"How is Erica doing?" Sarah then asks with a smile, after deciding to change the subject and hopefully get everyone's mind of the other things for a little while.
"She's doing pretty well." Mitch quickly responds with a genuine smile, before just as quickly realising from her expression, that she was purposely changing the subject and decided to go into a little more detail with his response.
"What?" Matt couldn't help but ask in a curious tone, he had told his friend everything he knew and was expecting him to be angry or something, but he wasn't expecting him to be in deep thought and couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
"Peter never called out." Alex answers in a distracted tone, before going back to thinking over what his friend had just told him and he just got the feeling that he knew something, even if it wasn't massive, he just knew that it might be able to help find his boyfriend somehow.
"Maybe he didn't get a chance to." Matt then responds in a sympathetic tone and while he didn't want to dismiss anything his friend said, he didn't want him to get upset and start blaming himself or something like that.
"No Matt, when I came down, he was in the kitchen and behind the counter, so there is no way he wouldn't have had a chance to call out and it would have had to have been someone he knew and trusted, to even open the door in the first place." Alex then quickly states in a serious tone, he knew it wasn't much, but it was something and he hoped that with his friends help, maybe it could give the police something else to go on.
"Okay, so it's someone he knew and let in, they then went into the kitchen and that's when whoever it was attacked him and then you, after you came down." Matt responds in a thoughtful tone and while he wasn't sure how important it was, he could see that it meant something to his friend and he wanted to at least hear him out and let him get it off his chest.
"Why would they wait until he went in the kitchen though Matt? I mean why risk him calling out for help and not just knock him out straight away?" Alex quickly asks in a mixture of confusion and curiosity and despite noticing the uncertainty on his friends face, he wasn't dismissing him outright and appreciated him not trying to patronize him.
"Well it was your house, maybe he was just trying to make sure you weren't downstairs first." Matt answers with a shrug of the shoulders and even though he wanted to help his friend, he just wasn't sure what he was trying to tell him.
"Maybe, but come on Matt, if the guy or guys knew I was there, why risk having to deal with both me and Peter at the same time, sure Peter isn't exactly big, but with two of us and the fact you said Mitch thought it was teenagers, why risk that and not just knock Peter out straight away?" Alex then asks and despite what they were talking about, he couldn't help but smile when he sees his friend thinking and knew that he was starting to take what he was saying more seriously.
"It was one person at the door." Matt the states in a shocked tone and even though he knew he was probably jumping to conclusions, he wanted to see what his friend thought and could see him thinking it over.
"And you said that Erica found the back door open and everyone assumed that it was because they went out that way." Alex then states as he starts to piece together what he was thinking earlier and again, while it might not solve the case, he thought that it was important and the fact his friend seemed to think so, just made him take it even more seriously.
"So Peter let the guy in, probably offered him like a drink or something and as he was doing that, they unlocked the back door and let their friend or friends in and then knocked Peter out and then you." Matt then states, before staring at his friend open mouthed and knew that this was important.
"They were our age." Alex then states in a stunned tone, before sitting up straighter and rubbing him jaw a little bit.
"What?" Matt quickly asks in a surprised tone, he wasn't expecting him to say that and wasn't sure what to make of it at all.
"Peter wouldn't let someone older in and offer them a drink and food without calling out to me or something Matt and it's even less likely if it were someone older..." Alex begins to answer, before pausing and rubbing his jaw again, he hadn't talked this much since he woke up and he knew that he needed to rest again.
"I think I know where you're going with this, so just say yes or no for a while Alex." Matt quickly states in a firm tone, after seeing that his friend needed to stop talking for a while.
"Fine." Alex responds in a frustrated tone and while he wanted to carry on explaining what he was thinking, he knew that he needed to rest for a while and was just hoping his friend wasn't going to be too far off from what he was going to say.
"So he wouldn't let an older guy he knew in the house, even if you knew him as well, without calling out to you, but if it was a friend our own age and er... well..." Matt then begins to say, before trailing off for a few moments as he tries to figure out the right words. "But if it was a friend, who was hurt or looked er... well like they needed help, he would probably let them in and get them a drink before calling out for you right?" He then asks as he really thinks about what his friend had said so far and wanted to know if he was on the right tracks.
"Yes!" Alex quickly answers in an excited tone, before wincing a little and holding his jaw again.
"Peter doesn't have many friends who he would trust enough to do that though Alex." Matt then states in a slightly disappointed tone, after thinking about how limited Peter's circle of friends was. "I mean you take out, Jordan, me, Ben, Carter, Wesley and Tobias and that only leaves a few others and they're our friends as well and no way would any of them hurt Peter." He then says in a frustrated and disappointed tone, he actually thought they were on to something, but there was no way one of their friends could have done something like that.
"Damn." Alex responds in a disheartened tone, he really thought they were on to something, but his friend was right and none of his friends were capable of doing something like this. "My friends!" He then states in a almost excited tone, before wincing a little and despite it hurting, he wasn't going to let it stop him from talking, not until he at least finished this conversation.
"Your friends are us though Alex, we have the same friends." Matt responds in a mixture of confusion and concern, the last thing he wanted to do was get his friend to get over emotional and he was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake by being so honest and open with him about the investigation.
"No Matt, I mean my old friends, like Jarred, he's always hated Peter and he's pissed off big time with me." Alex quickly states with a small grin, which quickly fades a little as he thinks about what he had just said and already knew what his friend was going to say and knew that he was right.
"Jarred's a prick and worse Alex, but there is no way Peter would open the door to him, let alone invite him in and not even call out for you." Matt states in a sympathetic tone and while he wanted to find Peter and he wanted to help make his friend feel better, he didn't want to let him get his hopes up and despite hating Jarred himself, he was just a kid and no one would take them seriously.
"But er... fuck..." Alex then tries to respond, before trailing off in disappointment. "Wait! It could still be Jarred, I mean we already said that the guy Peter let in was someone he trusted and they let someone else in the house, so why couldn't it be Jarred who was let in? And you said that the finger prints they found weren't on the police database and a kids wouldn't be and you also said the footprints they found, were small, but they assumed it was a partial print, what if it was small, because it was a kids footprint?" He then states in an excited tone and while his jaw was really starting to ache now and he was struggling to speak properly, he was happy to see by his friends expression, that he was taking him seriously again and actually thinking over his words.
"I'll tell Mitch about the footprints and fingerprints Alex, but you can't just accuse Jarred, I mean I know he's a prick and all, but he's just a kid and Mitch can't go around arresting kids, especially without real proof." Matt answers in a reluctant tone and when he sees his friends face drop, he feels even worse for shooting down his idea. "Plus, we still don't have a clue who Peter let into the house Alex, even if we're right about them being our age, who would he trust enough to let in your house, I mean who else does he hang around with?" He then states in an even more reluctant tone and while he hated himself a little for saying these things, he knew that he had to be honest with his friend and stop him from building his hopes up too much.
"No one who would know Jarred, I mean like you said, his friends are your... friends..." Alex responds in a frustrated tone at first, before thinking about something and he couldn't help but clench his fists in anger.
"Why did you say it like that?" Matt then quickly asks in a curious tone and even though his friend had answered his question how he thought he would, the way he sounded at the end was strange and he could see him clenching his fists and again wondered if he should have told his friend about the investigation, especially on his own like this.
"Oh er... nothing, my jaw just hurts, I need to..." Alex quickly starts to respond, before just as quickly being interrupted by his friend.
"Don't do that Alex, I didn't have to tell you any of this, but I'm your friend and you deserved to know, so you should be honest with me." Matt states in a firm tone and while it wasn't exactly how he wanted to say it, he could tell that his friend got his point and he could see him thinking it over in his head.
"You won't like it and I know I can't prove it." Alex then says in a reluctant tone and while he was so sure a few moments ago, he was now starting to think he was grasping at straws and just trying to blame someone for everything.
"You can trust me, I promise Alex." Matt then says in a reassuring tone and while he couldn't think of a reason he could possibly not like his friends theory, he wanted to hear what it was and see if it would actually help Mitch find Peter.
"I've seen Barry talking to Jarred a couple of times at school recently and I'm sure I saw them together the other weekend at the park with one of Jarred's new friends." Alex then says in a quiet tone and while the idea of Barry being involved had infuriated him, he knew that they could be completely wrong about Jarred being involved at all and that it was even someone their own age, so he was a little worried that he was going to upset his friend, by accusing one of his friends.
"Why would Barry ever talk to Jarred? We all hate him and he just wouldn't Alex." Matt quickly states in a less than convincing tone and while he didn't think Barry would ever be friends with someone like Jarred, he also knew that his friend wouldn't lie about seeing him with Jarred and talking to him, which just left him feeling confused.
"I don't know, but it didn't look like they were like just hanging out, they were talking and er... fuck Matt, it might be a load of shit and we could be way off, but Peter would know and trust Barry, well enough to let him in and help him out." Alex then says in a slightly reluctant tone, because although he wanted to find his boyfriend more than anything, he also remembered his friends words about how the police can't just go an arrest a kid, not without any evidence and him seeing Jarred and Barry talking together a couple of times, wasn't even remotely close to being considered evidence.
"He wouldn't though, he hates bullying and he..." Matt then begins to say, before looking at his friend in surprise as he interrupts him.
"I know, but just er... look just keep an eye on him or ask Patrick if he's seen Barry with Jarred, I mean don't be obvious or anything, just see Matt." Alex states in an almost pleading tone. "I know it's probably nothing Matt, but it can't hurt to find out and then if Mitch thinks it's a load of rubbish, then it doesn't matter and at least we tried." He then adds in a slightly more composed tone and while he would be upset and scared for his boyfriend if this didn't help find him, he would have at least tried to do something and without being able to go out looking for him himself, this at least made him feel useful.
"I will, I promise Alex, but still, why would Barry want to talk to Jarred, it doesn't make any sense and even if he did want to be friends with him, he would never kidnap someone, especially one of his friends." Matt then states in response and while he would talk to his friends and fiancé about this before talking with Mitch, he just couldn't see how his friend could do something like that.
"Fuck, this is so fucked up Matt, I mean if we're even right, then it's totally fucked up, I mean I've known Jarred my whole life and he's an arsehole and scum, but we're twelve years old, what kind of twelve year old kidnaps another kid, it just doesn't make any sense." Alex then states in a frustrated and angry tone, before wincing and holding his jaw and knew that he needed to stop talking and rest again.
"I know, I mean sure, Jarred would beat Peter up and yeah, he would totally do that, but kidnapping, that's serious, like go to prison serious right? And even Jarred isn't that stupid to risk going to prison." Matt then says in a thoughtful tone, it really didn't make any sense and even though he would still talk to the others about it and see what Mitch thought, he just didn't believe it himself.
"I know, but it can't hurt to ask." Alex then says in a slightly dejected tone, before rubbing his jaw again. "Can we just like watch a film or something, my jaw hurts and I need to stop talking for a while." He then suggests with a forced smile and while he wouldn't have actually minded having a little nap, he didn't want his friend to go, especially since he had actually decided to come and visit him and he wanted to at least show his appreciation for that.
"Sure and I know it might not help find Peter, but I'm glad I told you about the investigation and even if we're wrong about Jarred and Barry being involved, the other stuff is good and I think it will help Mitch and his team." Matt then decides to say in a sincere tone and despite being able to tell that his friend was in pain, he couldn't help but return the smile he was giving him, before holding his head, as it starts to throb a little bit again.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex quickly asks in a concerned tone, after seeing his friend holding his head again and while he was in pain himself, he was still worried for him, because it wasn't the first time he had seen him do it since he came round and wanted to make sure he was okay.
"Yeah, trust me Alex, I've had worse and it will go away." Matt responds with a slightly forced smile, before closing his eyes for a few seconds to compose himself.
"Maybe you should have a couple of painkillers or something." Alex then decides to suggest and even though his jaw was hurting and he had his own issues right now, he was still aware of everything his friend had been through and he was genuinely worried about him.
"Good idea, just give me a few seconds and we can watch whatever film you want." Matt responds with a grin, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out some of his painkillers.
"You can pick the film." Alex then says in a more relaxed tone, he was still upset and scared for his boyfriend, but at least his friend seemed okay now and he had also helped him a lot with his concern for his boyfriend and actually felt like he had done something now and could focus on getting better and actually being able to go out and look for him himself.
"Okay." Matt responds and quickly gets up after taking two painkillers and walks over to his friends TV to see what films his friend to choose from.
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