(Mark's POV - Fri. 8 May 2015)

"Alex...?"

My heart is thumping in my chest like it never has.

I have craved to see this name display on my phone for the past two weeks and I can hardly believe I just saw it before I picked the call.

At fucking last!

I had prepared myself for this moment, but the surprise hits me and my voice is barely a whisper. As I peek at Shannon, I realize that he's in no better state, his mouth gaping open and he seems to have a hard time breathing properly – and this time, it's not because of his blocked nose! However, what catches my attention are the sobs echoing in the phone.

"Alex...? Is it you, Baby?"

More sobs. Fuck! The worst scenarios form in my head from here. Is he aching? Has he been hurt?

"Alex, talk to me. Where are you? Are you okay?" I insist, trying to hide the panic in my voice.

"I- I'm... I'm so sorry..." he mumbles.

"Baby, it's not what I want to hear for now. Tell me that you're okay... I need to know where you are so I can come and pick you up," I reply firmly, quickly recovering my self-control.

More sobs again. Shit! I'm afraid he might hang up and he needs reassurance. I can't afford to scare him any further.

"Baby, I love you. Everything will be alright, don't worry. Just tell me where you are exactly," I say in my softest voice, only getting further whimpers. "Alex, are you hurt? Has something happened?"

"I... They... I'm scared they'll find me..." he eventually stutters.

"Who are you talking about, Baby? Has anyone tried to hurt you?" I ask, feeling rage course through my veins already while Shannon's eyes open widely and fear covers his face.

"Guys on the campus... I'm so scared... And... and... and... I'm so sorry," he replies, his voice breaking as I hear shuffling in the background.

"Alex, don't you dare hang up!" I exclaim. "Now tell me what happened!"

"Nothing really... I used a shower at one of the gyms on the campus... and the football team... arrived and thought they could... they could..." he stammers, and horrible images of a gang bang form in my head. "I escaped when their coach showed up... but... I had to meet them again tonight... and they chased me... I escaped again, but... I'm so scared they'll find me and I can't run anymore... I'm so tired... and so cold..."

The next second, I have disentangled from Shannon and stood up. It's not the best time to panic, so I regain my composure and quickly define all priorities.

"Baby, listen. I know you are in Champaign or Urbana, and you know it's a three-hour drive from Chicago, but I'll be with you as shortly as I can. Meanwhile, I need you to stay safe and I have an idea for that, but I need you to tell me where you are exactly," I say while rushing to our bedroom, with Shannon in my tracks.

"Why would you do that... I don't deserve you..." he mumbles in a barely audible voice, fueling my anger furthermore.

"Bullshit, Alex!" I yell, immediately regretting my tone because what he needs is comfort. "What you don't deserve is the situation you're in at the moment, Baby. Shannon and I love you so much and we want you back home..." I add more softly, glancing at Shannon who has followed me inside the walk-in closet.

"I love you, Pumpkin..." he sobs, leaning toward the phone and enhancing further whimpers from Alex. "Please tell Mark where you are..."

"Come on, Alex, let me know where you are..." I insist as I finish lacing my All Star shoes.

"I'm... at the cemetery... Mount Hope Cemetery, hiding behind my parents' tombstone," he eventually whispers and I allow myself a sigh of relief.

"Good. Stay hidden, Baby. I'll be in my car in five minutes. I just have to make another quick call and I'll call you back right after," I say while I grab two sweatshirts and a blanket from the shelves, only getting a little squeal in answer. "Alex! Promise you won't go away!"

"Promise..."

"I love you, Baby. I'll be with you shortly," I say before I hang up.

As I walk out of the closet, I find a fully-dressed Shannon waiting for me.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, Babe?" I ask, taking the two small bottles of water he fetched.

"What!? Did you think I was going to wait at home?" he snorts.

"You're sick and you need rest!"

"There's no way I'm staying here while you go and pick up Alex!"

Yeah, I can understand his eagerness to see our boy again, and although it would be more reasonable for him to stay here and sleep, it's just pointless to fight against a stubborn Shannon in this situation and would only result in wasting more time.

"Fine, let's hurry up then," I sigh.

I know I won't get any service on my phone in the elevator and the underground parking lot, so I wait until we have settled in the car and connect it to the Bluetooth. It's a quarter past nine when I pull out of the building and turn right, following the navigation system's instructions. It says we should be with Alex before midnight – a bit earlier hopefully. On our way to the car, I recounted the conversation I had with Alex to Shannon and he is now chewing his lower lip, his knees gathered to his chest with his arms wrapped around them.

I see that I have a missed call from Tony and it reminds me that I need to speak with him before I call Alex back, so I ask the Apple virtual assistant to dial his number.

"Hey, Mark! Thanks for returning my call," he says with a mix of eagerness and worry in his voice. "Jeff is 99% sure he saw Alex about an hour ago, in Urbana."

"Tony, I just spoke with Alex. He's in Champaign and I'm already on my way there, but I need Jeff's help. Alex is at Mount Hope Cemetery, hiding from a bunch of bad guys. Could Jeff go there and watch over him until I arrive?"

"So, he's at the cemetery?"

"Yes, near his parents' grave."

"Jeff has been roaming the campus for the past hour, looking for him. I'll call him now and get back to you in a minute!"

As the call ends, I briefly glance at Shannon who is staring through the windshield, still nervously munching on his lips. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do to soothe his anxiety for now, so I only reach for his arm and squeeze it gently for comfort.

"Jeff is on his way to the cemetery and should be there in less than five minutes," Tony says when he calls back a couple of minutes later. "I asked him to remain discreet and watch over your boy from a distance. He'll know what to do if there's another issue with those guys."

"So, he saw them?"

"Yeah," Tony grunts. "He was searching bushes on one of the campus parks when his attention was caught by a young man running. He immediately recognized Alex, but there were four or five guys chasing him. By the way, congratulations on your boy! Apparently, he's a fast runner. Anyway, Jeff tried to interfere among the group of guys to stop them and he managed to catch one who accused your boy of ogling them in their showers this morning. Sadly, while doing that, Jeff lost sight on your boy."

"Alex is a good runner indeed, and thank Jeff for his help."

"No problem, I'm glad Alex called you in the end."

"Yeah. I'm not sure about what pushed him to call, whether he was too scared of these guys or if he was really ready, but he did, and I told him I was on my way."

"Well, all is good then. Drive safe, Mark, Jeff will watch over him."

"Thanks a lot, Tony. Your help has been much appreciated," I reply gratefully.

"No worries, Kiddo. You know I'm always here to help," Tony asserts in his fatherly tone. "Good luck with the boy and we can talk later. Will you call Joshua, or would you like me to do it?"

"I told Alex I'd call him back, so it would be nice if you could call Josh..."

"I'll do that!"

As soon as I have hung up with Tony, I call back Alex and rest a comforting hand on Shannon's thigh. He has been listening to the conversation with that old bear of Tony and he seems to have relaxed a bit.

"Yes...?" Alex croaks.

"Hey, Baby. We're two-and-a-half hours away now. How are you feeling?" I ask very gently.

"Okay..." he whispers, certainly trying to contain the fear in his voice and I can hear his teeth chattering.

"You're safe now. Someone is going to watch over you until we get there, and he'll protect you if anyone approaches, but he won't bother you..."

"What!? Who? Where?"

"Alex, I said not to worry!" I remind him firmly. "His name is Jeff and he has ginger hair, but you probably won't see him. He's some sort of bodyguard and investigator who works for Joshua, and he's been looking for you over the past few days in Champaign."

"You... You sent someone to look for me?" he asks, obviously surprised.

"Did you think we were going to let you disappear and not react?" I ask with heavy sarcasm. "I'll tell you more later, but yes, some people have been looking for you. We've been missing you so much..."

"Is... Is... Is Shan... with you?" he stutters through new sobs.

"I'm here, Pumpkin..." Shan chirps in as tears roll down his face. "I've missed you so much..."

"I've missed you too... Both of you... And I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, Baby, let's not discuss this now. We love you and it's all that matters," I reassure him. "Would you like to stay on the phone until we arrive?"

"I wish, but my battery will die before then..."

"Then save some of it in case you need it and feel free to call out to Jeff as he won't be far. We'll reach you before midnight anyway. How does that sound?"

"Good... I'll do that."

After Alex has hung up, I squeeze Shannon's hand within mine and pick up speed as we reach I-57. Since Alex is safe, I set the regulator just above the speed limit; I certainly don't need to get pulled over by the cops for extreme speed and as much as I'm yearning to see Alex and hold him in my arms, there's no use taking further risks. I can't help worrying about the conditions in which we're going to find Alex, though. Two weeks are not that long, but I hope his already-frail frame won't have been affected too badly. It shouldn't be too much of a problem because Shannon and I will be around to take care of him. He will need a lot of rest, I guess.

One of my concerns is how I should deal with Alex now and I wonder which of the two struggling voices inside my I head I should listen to. My inner Lover thinks that Alex will mostly need love, affection and tenderness. Well, he will certainly need these! He spent two weeks on his own and without anyone to talk to. Two weeks in his own tortured head and his last words bode a lot of fear and doubt. Reassurance should help him recover his self-confidence, but I hope he hasn't lost faith in our relationship.

Damn! We had gotten so far working on his lack of trust, but he had to throw it all away and that angers me, because time and time again I have drilled how important communication is. He just had to confide in me! I gather it's not always easy to express fears and feelings, but I really thought I had made it clear.

My inner Dom says I should take him over my lap and unleash the spanking of his life on his cute little butt after a long lecture. Fuck! I can't remember ever suffering as much as I did during the past two weeks! I thought I was going to turn crazy from all this sadness and worry. My chest has been aching with a dull pain and my mind has been tortured with the worst scenarios. Not even my morning run was able to soothe me the slightest bit. And I'm not mentioning how dreadful it's been to see Shannon suffer as much as I did and feeling helpless about it!

This boy needs a severe punishment, Mark!

That Dom should shut up! Alex may deserve a punishment, but what he needs above all is to recover, and to be loved and cared for!

I always knew Alex's main weakness was to speak about himself and express his feelings and I'm not sure physical discipline would help here. However, I won't let him get away with it this time, I need to find ways to make him communicate. If need be, I'll make him see a therapist. Whichever way, he needs to let out his emotions and especially those which led to such a drastic situation. I won't let it happen again next year, so he will have to speak.

Meanwhile, he's not the only one who will need to recover from the past two weeks. It will take time before I entirely trust him again. Unfortunately, I can't watch over him 24/7 and it'll be hard to leave him alone in the beginning. How long will I go out fearing I might not find him home when I get back? How will I ever trust him not to run away after the next argument or if he faces new issues?

A good spanking with the paddle would drill the message...

Ugh, shut up! Communication on both sides should do!

Either way, it's impossible. I'll never be a hundred percent sure Alex won't ever run away again, and this is killing me. I'd never be able to deal with such a situation again. Not knowing where he was, wondering if he was safe... This is just too hard. If either Shannon or Alex ever decided to break our relationship, I guess I could understand and in any case, I would have to let him go and accept it, but certainly not in these conditions. Not without a clear explanation. Not without keeping in touch and being sure he's okay.

It might be time you follow Joshua's advice... Add trackers to their collars... And once locked, hide the keys.

Well, the boys always wear their collars since they can easily pass off as random necklaces, so convincing them to keep them at all times, without a possibility to remove them unless they ask for the key, shouldn't be a problem. The tracker might be a different story. However, I don't want anything similar to happen again, so I'll have to find the right arguments and make them accept it.

It's just half past eleven when we reach Champaign, so it didn't take as long as I thought. Shannon hasn't uttered a word since we hung up with Alex and I often wondered if he had fallen asleep, but he was just staring in emptiness all the time, lost in his own thoughts. As the car slows down upon entering the city though, he straightens in his seat and begins to look around.

"Are we there?" he asks, breathing heavily.

"Almost there, Babe. Just a few more minutes. Can you send a text to Alex and let him know we're arriving?"

Shannon pulls out his phone and out of the corner of my eye, I see him type a few words very quickly. I also notice all the smileys he sent recently and that never got any answer. Poor Babe really had a hard time too.

"Alex says there's a parking lot on the other side of the cemetery and that he'll meet us there..." he says a few seconds later.

I drive around the huge cemetery until I reach said parking lot, which is empty except a black Sedan, and stop the Dodge Ram across several spots. My heart has been beating faster and faster knowing we were getting closer to our Alex with every second, so I take a deep breath before we both step out of the car and meet at the front. The night is pretty cold and windy, so I adjust Shannon's hood to make sure his cold doesn't get worse and just as I lift my head, I catch sight of a small shape coming out of the bushes at the entrance, about a yard from where I parked.

Of course, I can't see the guy's features in the darkness, but I know this is Alex and tears start prickling my eyes as he takes a stumbling step forward.

"Please get the sweatshirts in the car," I instruct to Shannon before I run toward my faltering boy.

As I get closer, I can only register a few details that pinch my heart. A light stubble that doesn't hide his sunken cheeks and he looks as if he is about to pass out. His eyes bear dark circles, but a little brightness sparkles in them as I reach him and I can't express how grateful I feel when he slams against my chest and wraps his frail arms around my waist. Fighting my own emotions, I hug him even tighter, one arm around his shoulders and my other hand pressing his head to my chest.

Except for his quiet weeping, there are no words to disrupt the silence, until Shannon joins us and crashes against Alex. I retrieve my arm from Alex's back and use it to pull Shannon in, hugging both my boys at the same time. This is such relief. He is safe. He's back in my arms, squeezed between my body and Shannon's, and I won't ever let him go away again. Him or Shannon. I love them too much and as a few tears escape my eyes, I swear I'll always take the greatest care of these boys.

Exactly! This is what they need! Love and affection!

While Shannon is stuck on rehashing endless I love you's, Alex seems to have forgotten anything but I'm so sorry. On my side, I'm just trying to soothe them with gentle caresses and words of comfort. I could stand there forever hugging both my boys, but it's getting really late and cold. Shannon is sick, Alex is shivering like a leaf.

"Let's go, Boys, we'll have more time at home," I say as I disentangle from their hold and briefly peck their lips before I grab Alex's bag. "Alex, put on another sweatshirt, and you, Shan, use the other one."

"But I'm..." my sick little creep tries to protest.

"Do as I say!" I insist firmly and then lead them back to the car.

A tall man with ginger hair is lingering there, a warm smile on his face, making Alex gasp when he sees him. I have rarely met him in the past, but I know that Tony's number 2 is a great guy.

"Good evening, Jeff," I greet him as we shake hands.

"Good evening, Mr. Murray. I'm glad to see it ends well," he replies warmly.

"Thank you. Thank you very much for all your help."

"You're most welcome. I already informed Tony you'd arrived, and he said he'd talk to you in the coming days. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thanks. I guess we can all drive back home now."

"Yeah, I think I've done enough sightseeing in the area," he chuckles as he looks teasingly at Alex. "Good luck, young man," he then adds with a wink before he wishes us a safe drive to Chicago and leaves toward the Sedan.

I lead my boys to the back of the car and let them both sit on the long seat, then tuck the blanket around them. Alex quickly shifts to lie on the couch, resting his head over Shannon's lap, and as he closes his eyes, I can't help a genuine smile of happiness when Shan begins to rub some warmth through the blanket. His face has finally recovered peaceful features and I couldn't be any happier about it.

The ride home is very quiet. Alex has fallen asleep and each time I glance at the rearview mirror, I can see Shan lovingly caressing his face with a blissful smile. This is such a beautiful sight...

I'm a bit worried about what I am going to find exactly beneath all these layers of clothes when I undress Alex because his cheeks already look hollower than they were two weeks ago.

He can't have lost that much weight, Mark... He'll get it back quickly when he returns to a healthy diet... the Dom in me snorts and he's probably right.

The huge relief I felt earlier has unveiled the exhaustion my body has been suffering from and I'm driving much more slowly on our way back to Chicago. The heat is on full blast to warm up Alex, so it doesn't help my brain to stay awake, but I really strive to remain cautious and it's almost half past three when we eventually reach home. Alex is sound asleep, so exactly like I did a few months ago, I carry him up to our apartment. However, unlike that time after his first visit to the Black Diamond, I settle him in our bedroom instead of the guestroom.

Shannon takes his shoes off while I remove the blanket and one of the hoodies. Tucked between us and underneath the comforter, he should be warm enough. Once Alex is set, both Shannon and I quietly step into the bathroom for our respective evening routines.

"How are you feeling, Babe?" I ask once we have brushed our teeth and changed into pajama pants.

"Relieved and happy!" he cheers through a whisper, grinning wildly.

I can only chuckle at his tamed eagerness and pull him into a hug.

"I already knew that. I was talking about your cold."

"Oh... It's getting better, I guess!"

And just to prove him wrong, a new coughing fit seizes him and his face turns so red I could definitely nickname him Pumpkin too. Or Tomato.

"Yeah, right... Let's feed you with more meds..." I smirk once he has calmed down.

After he has taken his pills, I hug him once more in my arms and rest my chin over his head.

"I love you, Babe," I say and his arms tighten around my waist.

"I love you too... and I'm sorry I've been so useless lately..." he whispers with a voice full of such remorse that I slightly pull back to look down at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know... the sex and all..." he replies shyly with a deep blush.

"Babe, you haven't been useless! I understood you weren't in the mood for sex with Alex being away and I've never blamed you for that. I wasn't really in the mood either, you know..."

"But last week... when we tried... I thought..." he argues hesitantly.

"I did want it at that moment, like you also wanted it in the beginning, but seeing you so sad turned me off, like thinking about Alex had turned you off too," I explain. "Sexual intercourse goes with two... or three... or even more. But when it's only two, if one party doesn't want it, well, the other can feel it and cannot want it either. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do, but I'm sorry for turning down your libido all the same."

"Nah, don't worry," I chuckle, bringing his head back against my chest. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up!" I add while the beginning of an erection awakes in my pants.

"Jeez... I guess I'll be limping for the next few weeks..." he replies playfully.

We both laugh at that and silently head back to the bedroom. Alex hasn't moved an inch from the center of the bed, still lying on his back. Shannon immediately slips on his right side and once I have dropped a quick text to my friends to let them know we got back home alright with Alex, I lie down on his other side. As softly as I can, I roll our little blonde on his side to hold him closer and Shannon snuggles against his back for a sandwich cuddle. It's not long before we all drift to a peaceful sleep.

It's still dark when I wake up again, feeling Alex shuffling within my hold. At first, I'm afraid he's having another nightmare, but he is actually awake and trying to sit up.

"What's the matter, Baby?" I ask as he is crawling down the bed.

"Restroom..." he grumbles, making me chuckle.

Well, I guess it's better than wetting the bed, so I let him go and when he returns a few minutes later, he lies back down and snuggles between Shannon and me. I just wrap my arms around him and sigh with content, so glad to have him back with us.

"Mark...?"

"Hmm..."

"I'm s..."

"You already said that, Baby, stop apologizing..."

"Will you forgive me?" he asks, his voice filled with worry.

"Of course, I will! I love you, Baby."

"I love you too... and Shannon too... Neither of you ever left my thoughts..."

"Neither did you ever leave our thoughts. Sleep now, you need rest."

"Good night..."

"Good night, Baby."

"Mark...?" he calls again a minute later.

"Hmm...?" I grunt.

"Will you punish me?" he asks with a small voice, though I can hear hope in his tone.

"Sleep, Alex," I command, because it's not a time to have such a conversation.

"But will you punish me?"

See? He's asking for it!!!

Oh, come on!! He's just tired!

"Depends on what you call punish, but there'll certainly be a lot of talking, Baby," I reply, feeling him tense within my arms, which obviously reminds me that the promise for a long conversation was what prompted his departure two weeks ago – or at least part of. "Baby, I just need you to understand that talking is necessary, but we'll go at your pace until you can trust me enough. Just don't worry about that for now and sleep, because I swear you don't want to hear me sing you a lullaby..."

Alex giggles but he eventually closes his eyes and less than a minute later, I can hear his breathing reach a regular rhythm.

See? This boy needs affection and that's how you'll get him to talk!

A good spanking would help too!

No, communication is key!

And physical punishments drill the message!

As my inner Dom and inner Lover resume their argument where they left it, I grunt and facepalm both of them because I fucking need sleep as well! This fight can wait for a few more hours, especially now that I'm holding both my beautiful boys in my arms.

Published on 13 June 2016