⚠️ If you haven't read I Was Shooting For The Moon, I Hit Two Stars, read this at your own risk but know that it is full of spoilers.

The Epilogue is set almost a year after the last chapter.

* * *

(Liam's POV - Sun. 5 July 2015)

"Baby, wake up..." Mhh that voice...

Alright, so we are on vacation. Amazing vacation I should say since for the first time in my life, I have left the American continent to fly to the Old Europe, and I am finally offered the opportunity to visit Paris, the city I have always wanted to see. Needless to say that I am not disappointed! I just loved everything we visited, from the Eiffel Tower to the very interesting Louvres and Orsay Museum to the impressive Eiffel Tower; from the beautiful strolls along the Seine to the very pleasant walk in St Germain Des Prés; and even if I was never too interested in churches and cathedrals in general, I have to admit that Notre Dame and the Sacré Coeur are majestic edifices. And the food... Joshua has taken me to the best restaurants of the Capital, where we got to taste the finest dishes and the most succulent wines.

"Baby, come on, open those eyes..."

Now, as I was saying, we are on vacation. Doesn't this mean that you are allowed to sleep in a little, or at least to your heart's content? I agree that it is better to enjoy full days to visit more and more places, enjoy some time together, eat at the best restaurants and just stroll in the streets of the capital; you get more time if you wake up at a decent hour than at noon, and I am fine with that. Except that last night we didn't sleep until one in the morning and that right now, my body feels like it could get more sleep and that we are still not anywhere close to eight o'clock. Evidence lays in the fact that the sun is not beaming through the windows and my closed eyelids. So why the hell would I wake up? It is not like we have to go to the office or the gym, right? For crying out loud, this is our last day in France before we take the plane again tomorrow and I claim for a bit of laziness. Though, that weight on my back, those hands fondling my sides, and those lips tickling my shoulder... Maybe he just wants some sex. Again. That man is always freaking horny!

"Liam... Don't make me pull you out of bed myself..."

Ugh!!!!! And he is impossible!! I should know better after almost two years knowing the man; of which one full year living with him 24/7. It is not like I just met him! No! I have had time to practice and experience a whole range of his character traits in all this time; from his stubbornness to his manipulative self; from his domineering habits to his authoritative commands; from his excessive overprotection to his extreme care; from his intense adoration to his endless affection; from his overbearing sexiness to his profound love. I could go on and on, but that would be pointless and this is already quite enough. Joshua is a bit of all that and this is also why I love him.

"Last warning, Baby. You have one minute to wake up or be sure to find yourself under a cold spray of water."

Mmmh... That serious and commanding tone... I could almost chuckle if it weren't for the fact that I really wonder why I should wake up so early. That wouldn't be the first time he wakes me up in the middle of the night because Mr. Horny is horny, right! Oh, he wouldn't do that on a week night of course, not if I am not going to have enough hours of sleep, but on a week-end or a vacation... Not that I complain, though; on the contrary, I am usually very compliant. Two years ago, I was a very shy and perfectly innocent young man, fresh out of school and still a virgin at nearly twenty-one; and then I met my first Boss; first boyfriend; first Dominant; first lover; and hopefully one day first - and only - husband.

"Five."

Husband... That would be awesome! Joshua took his time admitting his feelings for me, but once that was done, after seven months in complete denial, he wanted everything to go really fast. My collaring was pretty similar to an engagement, and then he wanted me to move in with him, which happened only two months later. He wanted me to go back to school as well and pay for my fees.

"Four"

All of that happened very quickly, and then there was no more progression. I was almost expecting a wedding proposal around Christmas time or maybe on Valentine's day. I have been waiting for this to happen for so many weeks and months now that I am ready to take charge - for once - and propose to him myself. After all, who said that a Sub couldn't propose to his Dom? Nobody, right?

"Three"

I am actually more than ready to propose to Joshua. I haven't bought wedding rings, but who cares? The intention counts more than the jewel itself and this is something I can buy later on. I sincerely hoped that he would take the first step on this matter and that this trip to Paris was a pretext for a proposal but it still hasn't happened and I have given myself a deadline before we leave Paris.

"Two"

Tonight is the deadline. Tonight is when I will propose to him, even if I have to use some rubber bands or whatever I may find to imitate the rings; and I will do this. I can buy some rings later on, but I can't miss the opportunity of proposing while we are in Paris.

"Ooooone..."

"Yes, yes, I'm awake!!" I groan, flipping on my back to face him, and as I open my eyes, I realize that it is dark in the room indeed, despite the moonlight filtering through the large windows. "Why are you waking me up so early?" I whine, wrapping my arms around his torso and trying to pull him down, but it is like trying to move a two hundred pound rock!

"Remember I promised you a sunrise in Paris," he replies with a smile, folding his elbows to lean down and kiss the tip of my nose. Oh yes! The Sunrise! That was one of my requests when we planned our trip. Ugh... I make a mental note to scold my parents for suggesting me something like this. "The sky is perfectly clear and this is the last morning we can do this. The weather forecast is not great for tomorrow, so..." Joshua lingers in that sensual voice that I can never resist, but what I notice is that his teeth entrap his lower lip; Joshua never does that!! This is what I do... either when I have done something bad or when I want to seduce him into getting something I really want. That's so damn sexy on him though, that I feel myself harden already.

"Alright, let's go then!" I cheer, reaching for his face and leaning up to kiss him. If I continue staring at him, I will never get out of bed and now that I am awake, I want to see this sunrise.

Joshua gives me a bright smile and we both get up to dress in comfortable jeans and tee-shirts. In the elevator that takes us to the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel, he readjusts the collar of my light jersey jumper and knots the sleeves of his around his neck. Being barely 5:15 in the morning, the beautiful marble lobby is empty but the Receptionist doesn't seem surprised to see us and even confirms that our car is already waiting outside, causing me to look up at Joshua questioningly. He just smiles and grabs my hand, leading me to one of those beautiful sedan cars we have been using throughout the week for our transfers from one visiting site to another. The same  Chauffeur, who looks as stern as Tony used to be, opens the backseat door for us and Joshua pushes me in first before he joins me.

"So you had planned this?" I ask, snuggling to his side.

"Like all the rest of the week," he chuckles.

"What if I hadn't woken up?"

"Trust me you would have..." he replies, kissing the top of my head. Well, I don't have much doubt about that!

"Where are we going by the way?" I ask after a few minutes.

"The Sacré Coeur."

"Oh but we've been there already!" I reply, remembering the beautiful 19th century basilica that we visited on our second day in Paris.

The huge church is situated at the summit of the Butte Montmartre, which is one of the most beautiful areas of Paris, with rather narrow cobbled streets and plenty of little shops for tourists. I really enjoyed the moment we spent there; it was pretty crowded, so Joshua would never let go of my hand, and we were just another couple among so many others. The driver drops us off on the side of the Sacré Coeur and Joshua immediately leads me to the square in front of the edifice, which is obviously empty at that time of day, and we stop by the top of the stairs that lead down to the city centre. Being at the top of some kind of hillock, the spot offers a beautiful view over the city from above and when I look to the East, I see the first glimmers of light showing on the horizon.

Joshua wraps his arms around my shoulders and rests his chin on top of my head as he stands behind me, and we just remain silent as the orange sun slowly appears in the far distance behind buildings and trees; no words are needed in this special moment. To other people, we may look like two idiots staring at a sunrise, but I suddenly feel emotional at the breathtaking view. Or maybe is it due to the way Josh is holding me and tightening his muscles around my shoulders. Paris is slowly waking up as the minutes pass and the sun rises higher, revealing more and more of its round shape and shedding its rays over the City of Love. I wish this moment would last longer, because I am feeling good and complete with my man's warmth in my back, but Josh suddenly disentangles his arms, running his hands down my arms, and for a second, I am scared that he is feeling faint or whatever because I feel him crouch down to the ground.

"Liam..." he whispers, and I have never heard my name being pronounced with such emotion. As I turn around, I find him with a knee on the ground, looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes that are filled with expectation and love. I can't help gasping when his hands reach for mine because I understand that the moment I have been waiting for might have finally come. "Baby... You know I'm not very talented for fluffy speeches, and however much I have prepared for this moment, I know I will certainly use different words, so..." Oh my God!! This is really happening!! Oh please!!! Just say it!!! "The past two years have been the best of my life. Little did I know when your shy self popped in my meeting room that I was meeting the man who was about to turn my emotionless and organized life upside down, but I will never thank you enough for making me the man I have become. I think that... now is the time to take a step further in our relationship. There are no words no express the feelings I have for you... You have no idea of all the emotions you bring up within me whenever I look at you... whenever I feel you... whenever I hear you... You have become my everything and I really want us to build our future together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want to see all the future sunrises in your eyes. I... I love you, Liam. I love you like nobody else will ever be able to love..."

Despite my determination to keep my emotions under control, tears have started pooling in my eyes and I don't think I will be able to hold them back for very long. The cold-hearted Joshua I knew in the beginning totally disappeared after our short separation last year, and he has certainly changed over the past year, turning into the lover I have wanted to share my life with and never holding back on expressing his feelings for me; but this... the emotion in his voice, the setting, the situation... they just amplify the fervor and passion of his words tenfold, and I suddenly feel overwhelmed by such strong feelings. Joshua lets go of my left hand and fumbles inside the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a little box that he opens with his thumb and presents to me. There are two ring bands of the same white gold as my collar; just pure and simple.

"Liam Reed... Will you marry me?"

Too late for the tears...

Oh damn! I think that Joshua just proposed to me!

* * *

"Liam Reed... Will you marry me?" I eventually breathe out, fighting the lump in my throat and the tears that prickle my eyes. I feel a bit of apprehension at Liam's reaction. For now, he just looks frozen, staring down at me with his mouth gaping open, and if it weren't for the tears running down his cheeks, I would wonder if my words didn't change him into a statue. What if he declines my proposal? No, I cannot consider such an option.

The last two years have sincerely been the best of my life, with a preference for the last one. Between the continuous expansion of the company's activity and Liam's busy schedule with college and work, it has been a difficult year in terms of building up our relationship, but all the same, it has been a fantastic year, full of surprises and happiness. At least, I got to have my boy at home every night when I wasn't travelling, and having him by my side, safe and protected, is the most important thing to me.

Therefore, proposing to him was the natural continuation after I had finally admitted my feelings for him, after having him moved in with me, and by the end of last summer, I was ready to do it. I was ready to take that step, but I wasn't sure he was. Around last fall, I briefly considered taking the next step at Christmas, but I clearly wanted to do it in Paris and it would have been difficult to arrange a trip to France before he was done with his first year of studies. So, doing this after the first year finals became my New Year resolution for 2015 and here, I just kept to it.

"Yes... yes, I will!!" Liam finally answers, beaming and grinning through his tears. With a thankful smile, I let go of his other hand and my shaking fingers take the smallest band to pass it around the ring finger of his right hand, relieved to see that it fits perfectly well.

"Thank you, Baby... thank you so much... I love you..." I say as I rise to my feet and lean down to kiss his lips, cupping his face. Liam reaches for my wrists as I deepen our kiss and after a long moment of swirling our tongues with passion and tenderness, with the rising sun as our only witness, his fingers slowly move up to take the little box stuck between the palm of my hand and his cheek.

"I love you too... so much..." he says with emotion when we slightly pull apart. With a chuckle, I watch him struggle a bit to reopen the box and when he finally retrieves the second ring band, a warm smile spreads on his face as I let him pass the ring around my finger.

"Now I can also claim you as mine..." he whispers, wrapping his arms around my neck with the mischievous glint that I have gotten to love to see in his eyes.

"I was always yours, Baby," I reply with a chuckle. Shaking my head, I circle my arms around his waist and lift him up for another kiss, helping him to wrap his legs around my waist. This next kiss is far more heated than the previous; our passion blooms as I tighten my hold around him and as his fingers weave through my hair; and soon enough, I feel myself harden at the contact of his swollen crotch. "What about we go back to the hotel? I feel terribly horny right now..." I pant against his lips.

"What about we lock ourselves in our room and make love all day?" he breathes out.

"What about Versailles?" I ask with a chuckle, since we were supposed to visit the castle this afternoon.

"I don't think Louis the 16th will mind if we visit him another time... Unless we can have sex on his bed?" he suggests, licking my lips. This boy is sure getting bolder with time.

"I'd rather we don't end up in jail... Not that I would mind trying another type of French hotel, but I'm afraid they'd make us sleep in separate bedrooms..." I argue.

"Oh yeah... That would be too bad... We're too young to sleep separately! Plus, I've gotten used to your snoring, I would miss..."

"I don't snore!" I exclaim, pinching his butt.

"Ouch! Of course you do! Not like a tractor, though... more like a... more like..."

"Shut up! Or I will have to spank you..."

"Ugh... I wouldn't be against that... A full week in lover-mode has been enough... I miss our playroom... Masterrrrrrr," he replies languorously and if he doesn't stop that little game, I might as well end up taking here against the fence.

"You're impossible, Baby! Well, we can plan that for tomorrow evening when we get back home, but for now... I really want to make love to you."

With that said, I put him back down on his feet and we hurry back to the car. I ignore the Chauffeur's eye-roll when I pull up the privacy window, and don't really care about what he may think of what is happening behind his back as he drives us to the hotel. And it surely gets hot with Liam straddling me while we make out on the back seat, and we certainly look a bit disheveled when we eventually get out of the car. I still give the guy a large tip and then lead Liam to the elevators; we barely make it to our room that we are already undressing each other, gradually tumbling toward the bathroom.

I start showering while Liam stops by the restrooms and he soon joins me under the spray of water where we resume our make-out session, lathering each other's body with soap. Between kisses and caresses, I gently prepare him, using my fingers and trying to make him relax, but the little minx quickly turns needy and doesn't hesitate to show it off with moans and blunt moves. We eventually walk out of the spacious shower and without even bothering to wipe us dry, we quickly end up on the bed, me hovering over him and keeping enough distance for our erections to barely touch. I tease him a little with more kisses all over his neck, slowly reaching down for the erected bud of his left nipple that I nibble and suck on before I take care of the other one.

"Nghh Josh... enough... ngh.. I need you inside..." Liam begs, trying to pull me up, until I finally comply.

"Do you?" I whisper in his ear once I have moved back up, allowing my weeping cock to rub on his thigh.

"Ngh Josh... please..." he whines and for a moment, I shower his closed eyes with more light kisses. "Please... Now..."

"Is someone ordering me?" I ask with a chuckle as I hump his leg. His lustful eyes open widely and I laugh at his attempt at scowling. "Your wish is my command, Baby," I add, kneeling between his folded legs and grabbing the bottle of lube from the bedside table.

I pour a large amount of the cold substance that I rub between my hands and direct the right one to Liam's entrance, quickly slipping two fingers inside of him. I reach for my cock with the other hand, never breaking eye contact with Liam. That's until he closes his eyes again and slightly lifts his butt to offer me a better access, his fingers clenching on the bed sheets. His hips move in rhythm with my thrusts and I am soon able to add a third finger. When I deem him stretched enough, I retrieve my fingers and lean back over him, resting on my elbows and sliding my hands beneath his shoulder blades. As I probe his entrance with the tip of my cock, I kiss him very softly, nibbling and licking his luscious lips while he runs his fingers through my hair.

We haven't had any BDSM sex at all this week - meaning we haven't used any accessories - and like he admitted earlier, I also miss it, but right now, I just want to make love to him and soothe his needs with tenderness. I ease myself into his warm channel, very slowly, giving him the time to adjust, and he barely hisses as the ring of his muscles engulfs every inch of my length. Our love making is slow and gentle, gradually building our pleasure. We often change positions, rolling one way or the other on the large bed; one moment I have Liam riding me, the next I am back above him, but our moves are all filled with care and tenderness. The room is filled with our moans and groans, and those only intensify when we eventually climax, me buried deep inside of him as he sits on me, and him all over my chest as I stroke his erection.

We cuddle in silence for a long moment afterwards. Liam has snuggled to my side and his even breathing makes me believe that he has fallen asleep, but he suddenly props up on his elbows, looking down at me with a smile.

"When are we getting married?" he asks in a whisper.

"I don't know... Depends on how big..."

"Not too big, please!! I'd like something rather simple..."

"We don't have that much family, and we don't have many very close friends, so it can't be very big anyway. And if you want something simple, we'll do something simple. And in that case, it could be by the end of the summer..." I reply suavely.

"Oh my God!!! I need to tell my parents!!!"

"Hmm... Yeah... I doubt they would appreciate if you don't," I chuckle. "But we have time, Baby. There's no hurry and it could also be next summer; or spring. It's really up to you!"

"Fall sounds good too..." he replies dreamily, his finger teasing the bud of my nipple and sending jolts of electricity to my groin. "Then we could escape to the chalet and enjoy a full week of sex in front of the fire place and..."

"Look who's horny now..." I tease him, flipping us over and getting a little revenge on his earlobe.

And as we start another round, I realize that I was right choosing our last day to propose to Liam. My little minx has become some kind of horny - but cute - little beast and it seems like our engagement might amplify our already intense libido. It would have been a shame to be in Paris and spend the whole week in our hotel room, right? Although...

* * *

Despite the extreme comfort of the first class of Air France, its beautiful and modern setting and the efficiency and dedication of the crew, the nine and a half hour flight back has been rather long. Liam spent most of the time sleeping, enjoying the comfortable and large seat that turns into a bed while I decided to start checking on emails and other stuff from work. Tomorrow we will all be back in the office and I have a huge backlog of emails and reports to read. I am not particularly stressed about that though. I have recently appointed Allan as a full-time second in command, and even if he still manages his former team for the moment while we look for a replacement as Chief Operations Officer, he already has almost full power on decisions within the company. Once we have recruited the new COO, it will allow me to delegate quite a few important things to him, but he has already had my trust for years so things shouldn't change that much, except that it will be official and that it will lighten his load as far as the direct projects are concerned.

So this quiet time on the plane offered me the opportunity to already sort about half of my emails, and I spent the rest of the time watching Liam sleep. Poor boy was exhausted after our last - almost sleepless - night at the hotel in Paris. We eventually spent the entire Sunday between the bed and the bathroom, mostly talking and dreaming about our future; we had food delivered to the suite at regular intervals but we didn't go out at all; and we spent most of the night reveling in sexual pleasures of many sorts. Our flight departing from Charles de Gaulle Airport at noon, we had to pack up in the morning and leave the hotel at eight, so I was glad that Liam could recover on the plane. I might make him take another day off tomorrow if I still find him too tired. Anyway, since the 4th of July was on last Saturday, I gave Monday off to the company employees so the activity should be slow enough on Tuesday. It is only mid-afternoon when we land so we still have the entire afternoon to rest and recover.

Flying in First Class has its perks and we are quickly out of the plane, meeting the porter at baggage claim before we have to go and meet Tony. This week in Paris has been fantastic and I thought that nothing would be able to deteriorate our bright and playful mood. Nothing apart from Tony's absence where we were supposed to meet. Nothing apart from seeing Jeff instead of Tony. Even if he was sick, Tony would have been here, and I don't like the unsettling feeling I get as we walk toward his assistant head while I switch my phone back on.

"Good morning, Mr. Pierce and Mr. Reed," Jeff says with a tense voice.

"Hi Jeff. Where's Tony? Has anything happened?" I ask as my phone slowly connects and updates with various notifications.

"Tony is fine, Sir, but he must have left you a voice mail with an explanation. Something about one of your friends being in trouble..." he awkwardly replies, increasing the discomfort I feel.

"Let's move on then," I reply sternly, trying to reassure Liam with an arm around his shoulders. As we walk toward the car, I check my voice mail and quickly pick the ones I am interested in.

Aaron: "Josh... Argh fuck, you're probably still on the plane... Shit! Gonna call Tony... Call me back!"

Tony: "Joshua, I'm sending you Jeff to pick you up. Something urgent has come up here. Call Aaron when you land."

Aaron: "Josh, I spoke with Tony, but please call me back as soon as you land. We've got a problem here."

To say how much I hate this little phrase would be an understatement and it doesn't forebode anything good. What the fuck is going on again? I hope nothing wrong happened at the club with Aaron, though this wouldn't be logical since it is closed on Mondays. Whatever it is, I don't like their strained voices and I ignore Liam's little pleas beside me to understand what is going and hastily lead him to the car, saying that I don't know anything yet. As soon as we are settled on the back seat, I dial Aaron's number and he answers on the second try, just as Jeff pulls out of the airport.

"Thank God, you're back," Aaron breathes out when he finally picks up the call.

"What happened, Ron?"

"It's Noah... Noah has disappeared... I'm on my way to your place. I'll tell you more about it in a few minutes..." Aaron briefly says before he hangs up.

Cold shudders immediately run through my whole body, bringing goose bumps on my skin despite the heat outside as we get in the car. Noah is Camden's recent Submissive and boyfriend. My friend was never one to get involved in a relationship before; I never saw him with a boyfriend when we were younger as he would rather go for one-night fucks; he never had a Submissive under contract either after he joined the lifestyle. But earlier this year, although he had resolved to keep his celibacy and free Dom state for another year, he met this guy Noah and against all expectations, he found himself completely tied and bound to the very young man. Noah has been like a tornado in Camden's life over the past few months, and not only Cam's life. Ours too. His past has touched the most sensible cords within our bodies and minds, and I just can't consider anything happening to him.

"Josh... Josh!!!!" Liam squeals beneath me. I feel like my stomach is about to eject all its contents at the sight of Liam's distress and I understand that I absolutely need to recover my self-control as soon as possible. I can't allow myself to display my deep worry for Noah to Liam. These two have tied such bonds in the last two months and I am concerned about how this is going to sit with him. "Josh!! What happened?" Liam insists, squeezing my hand and I pull him closer to my side to give him the best support.

"I don't really know yet, Baby. Aaron only said that... Noah has disappeared," I say softly and apologetically, being grateful for Jeff to have rolled up the privacy window earlier.

"Whaaaat?" Liam squeaks, immediately tensing in my hold and pulling away from me to look into my eyes. I just loathe the worry and pain I see in his eyes, as much as I hate being the one announcing such news.

"I'm sorry, Baby. This is all I know for now."

"No... Not again..." he whispers as he pulls back into my chest and I can't help wondering if he is thinking about Jeremy, or Alex, Mark's second boyfriend. Because yes, Mark and Shannon have extended their relationship with a second Submissive, and I have to say that this little guy was the source of many worries as well a couple of months ago when he decided to run for new horizons. However, contrary to Jeremy, he was found safe and sound, and believe me if I say that Mark is holding a tight leash on his two boys now. I wish I could say this much about Jeremy. Despite the ongoing investigation and the constant watch out, we still have no clue as to where he could be. Gary hasn't lost hope and this is probably what keeps him sane enough. He drowns himself into work and spends all his free time looking for his missing boyfriend. We have lunch together every so often, but he never set a foot back at the club after that and prefers to avoid Liam, both because he doesn't want to remind Liam of his missing friend and because seeing Liam would be too painful for him too. In the meantime, Jeremy remains a total mystery that I hope we will get to light at some point.

Aaron meets us at home only a few minutes after we have arrived and briefly exposes the situation. Unfortunately, there is not much he can tell us about Noah's disappearance, which is another mystery because there is no clear evidence indicating that he was abducted or had an accident or simply ran away. For now, his major concern is that Camden completely went off the rails with the cops, to the point he was put under arrest and taken to the Police Station. We have known Cam for long enough to know how things can quickly get out of control and I immediately get in touch with my lawyers so that one of them can go and help us on this matter. For the next three hours, I try to comfort and soothe Liam while Aaron and I keep in touch with Tony. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much at his disposal for now apart from what he got from a previous investigation on the young Noah and he has decided to meet the lawyer at the station to get more information about the circumstances.

Around six in the evening, which is about the time when Mark, Shannon and Alex should be landing back from their short trip to New York, Aaron and I take turn trying to reach him over the phone. I eventually get to speak with him and about half an hour later, the three of them meet us at our place. The reunion between Liam and his Sub friends is obviously emotional, while Aaron, Mark and I just tense at the thought that we are once again about to face another difficult period in our lives. I think that dozens of unpleasant thoughts are running through our heads, and I almost startle when Liam suddenly clears his throat, breaking the deafening silence that followed the brief explanation that Aaron and I gave. Of course it catches everybody's attention and when I look in his direction, he is staring intensely at Mark and I understand that he is about to take the last step of full honesty toward his best friend.

* * *

(Liam's POV)

When Joshua and I left Paris this morning, I wasn't anywhere close to think that the day would end up so dramatically and so painfully. For crying out loud, I just had the best vacation I ever had in my life; I loved Paris; I spent a wonderful week in the City of Love with my boyfriend and he even proposed to me; I am going to become Mr. Liam Pierce!! Never had I dreamt that my life could be any better than this and this is all thanks to the man I love.

Aside from this, I was also eager to reunite with all our friends. Of course, that wouldn't be the same night, but I would certainly be able to speak with Shan and Alex in the evening once they'd be back from their trip with Mark to New York. Damn! Mark and Shannon really found themselves well... Who would have thought that these two and their eccentric tastes for threesomes would lead them to add a third party in their life only after two months being together? Certainly not me, but I would never complain. Alex is so sweet and he certainly tames Shan's fervor to get into trouble.

And then, there is Noah, my Baby Brother as I like to think of him; Camden's Sub - although he is far more than a Submissive to the bear... Noah is the personification of cuteness and it honestly didn't take us all very long to completely fall for the young man. His difficult past certainly touched us in the beginning, but as he opened more and more, he revealed a character that one can only adore. Weirdly enough, it feels like he has a bit of the three of us; Alex's cuteness; Shan's outspokenness; and my mischievousness when I seek for voluntary problems with Josh. He is slowly transforming the cold Dominant that we always knew as Camden and this is only for the better.

So, learning about his disappearance almost as soon as we got out of the plane has been really hard; not knowing the exact circumstances in which it happened is even worse, and I can only feel for Camden who must be going out of his head at the moment. This has not only brought me back two months ago when Alex remained missing for two weeks while he was hiding in his home town, causing Mark to worry like hell until he got him back; but also over a year ago when my best Sub friend of the moment disappeared. I still often think of him, wondering whether he really left on his own accord or if he was forced to. Even if Gary seems to be a bit better now, I know from Joshua that he will never get over it and I sincerely hope that Camden is not about to face anything similar.

And then, there was me. Of course, I only disappeared for half a day; of course, Joshua only had to bear with my disappearance for barely a couple of hours; but I have a clear idea of what he went through at that time and it was hell. All this and the fact that I simply adore Noah as much as if he was my real brother is torturing me and I sincerely don't know how I am going to go through this experience. It brings back too many things and I know that I will need Shannon and Alex to share my worries and fears until we find Noah. Unfortunately, this cannot go without revealing the last few things I never told Shannon and although I know that this is not going to be a pleasant conversation - and maybe not the best time - I still decide to unveil the last secrets to Shan and Alex.

"What is it, Bunny?" Shannon asks softly as the three of us settle down on the couch in the family room while our men and Aaron remained in the living-room to discuss other matters. They obviously know what I am about to tell my two friends, and Joshua certainly doesn't need another reminder of those events, at least not the ones that concerned me. "What do you mean with something similar happened to you? When the hell did you ever disappear??"

"Hmm... This is certainly not the best of times to bring up such things, but I feel like... I need to tell you now," I reply, blushing a little.

"When did that happen?" Shan asks again.

"About a year ago... you know... when you were working in South Illinois..."

"A year ago?? Are you kidding me, Li? Why didn't you ever tell me? And what happened?" he blurts out with wide opened eyes.

"Wait, please let me explain... At that time, it was one of the first times you had such a serious job; with a nice pay check... and I didn't want you to worry... and..." I pause and raise my hands to make him shut up when I see that he is about to interrupt me again. "Please let me finish... I won't go into details but to make it short, it happened that I overheard some conversations I shouldn't have at work and decided to investigate on my own. I stupidly followed two suspicious guys and got caught red-handed. They knocked me out and took me to an abandoned warehouse and..."

"And...?" Alex whispers.

"And... they actually planned to get rid of me and also tried to... abuse me..." I eventually stutter.

"What the fuck???" Shannon shouts, rising to his feet and beginning to pace in the room.

"Shan... calm down..." Alex whispers shyly.

"How am I supposed to calm down after this! This is all fucked up!"

"Shan..." I try again.

"No Shan, Li!!! How could... How could you keep this from me?" Shannon bursts out. "I thought I was your friend back then! How could you not tell me? And don't even try the I didn't want you to worry! You could have told me when I came back! You could have told me when I found out about the club! That's really not fair!! I thought you had a bit more trust in me!!!" he shouts as tears fill his eyes, reacting exactly as I thought he would. Well, I can't blame him for being angry at me; I would have certainly reacted the same way.

"Shan, not much happened in the end because Josh quickly found me and..." I croak apologetically, feeling tears running down my cheeks.

"I don't give a fuck, Liam!! You should have told me! That's not the kind of things you keep from a friend! Much less from your supposedly best friend!!!" he accuses as Mark, Josh and Aaron appear by the corridor.

"Shannon, you calm down!" Mark growls, bringing my friend's attention to him and this doesn't smell good. At all. Shan's eyes are throwing daggers at his lover as realization hits him.

"You knew!" he spits bitterly at Mark. "You fucking knew and you never told me!!!"

"Calm down, Babe," Mark tries to soothe him, tentatively reaching for him while Joshua comes to sit beside me. I feel some kind of panic filling me. I don't want them to argue... This was all my fault.

"I don't want to calm down!" Shan shouts again, disentangling from his hold and bumping into Aaron who had moved to stand behind him. Oh my God... He seems to have entered some kind of trance and I just don't know how to stop that. "You fucking knew and you never said a word about it! Is that the so-called promise you made? Were you talking about Liam when you told us about the tracker in the collar? I don't even know why I'm asking! Of course you were! How could you do that knowing that you were talking about my best friend!!? You're really a bas..."

"Stooop!!" I scream, finally getting Shan's attention before it's too late. "I made Mark promise he wouldn't tell you... I'm sorry, Shan... It's my entire fault..."

"You're not any better! I guess Alex didn't know either, but the rest of you... you're just..."

SMACK!!!

The slap wasn't that hard, but it was unexpected. Especially coming from Aaron. And it did the trick. Shannon reaches a hand to cover the cheek that just got a taste of Aaron's hand, gaping in surprise at the tall Dominant - and coincidentally his employer now. I think everyone is gaping actually. A huge silence has fallen over the room and Aaron is the one breaking it.

"You and I are going to talk," Aaron orders firmly, grabbing a stunned Shannon by the arm and leading him out of the room.

"I'm so sorry, Mark..." I breathe out sheepishly. "I didn't think about the reaction he would have toward you..."

"Don't worry, Liam. He will get over it," Mark softly replies.

"Mark... What is Aaron going to do with Shan...?" Alex asks warily, as Mark sits down and pulls him against his side.

"Don't worry, Baby. They're just going to talk. Aaron has a talent... for calming people down."

"Are you okay?" Joshua then asks me and I barely nod in answer. "Hey," he says softly, pulling me over his lap and tightening his hold around me. "Don't worry, he will get over it."

"I hope so... I'm just sorry for his reaction. He shouldn't be angry at Mark..."

"Liam, stop beating yourself up about that," Mark interferes. "It was important for him to know at last. And you'll know not to hide anything from him from now on."

"Definitely! And I wanted to tell him about... Jeremy too..." I add.

"Who's Jeremy?" Alex asks shyly.

"That's... another long story, Baby..." Mark replies, wincing at the memory. He is right, though. It's another long story... too long a story actually. One of which we would like to know the end.

* * *

(Joshua's POV)

Liam and I watch the guys leave and we head back inside the house. I tell him to go and relax in the family room while I finish cleaning up the dining-room and the kitchen, but he eventually opts for the backyard terrace, saying he would like a bit of fresh air.

I don't know what Aaron told Shannon but once the young man had calmed down, he came back sheepishly and threw himself at Liam, and the boys both hugged and apologized for a long moment. I believe Shannon was still a bit bitter - mostly to Mark - but I guess I would have been more than bitter in his place. However, I think that Liam has learned his lesson regarding honesty in friendship this time.

Although none of us felt hungry, we still prepared something quick to eat and over the dinner, we mentioned Jeremy. This time, Shannon kept his self-control and Liam was able to explain how the missing boy had mentored him in the Submissive role. We didn't spend too much time on the subject though as it was making Liam a bit uncomfortable. The only call we received was from Tony saying that the lawyer was negotiating Camden's liberation.

In the end, none of us evoked the past week's trips to France or New York or engagement or whatever other news because we were definitely not in the mood for that, and these can wait for a little while longer. After dinner was over, we agreed that we would all keep each other posted about any incoming news; poor little Alex was dropping off and Mark took this as his cue to leave. On his side, Aaron decided that he would try and go to the Police Station to see how things were going on since the club was closed tonight.

Once I am done with cleaning, I go out to meet Liam on the terrace. He is lying on the garden swing and for a second, I think he is sleeping, but when I get closer, I see that his eyes are open, staring into emptiness. I lift his head and rest it back over my lap once I have sat down. For a long moment, we remain silent, and I just weave my fingers through his hair while my other hand is slipped between his. We both seem to be lost in our respective thoughts.

The sky is dark but clear of clouds and the stars and the moon are shedding their soft light on us. If only they could provide us with answers to all our questions! What a sad end of vacation... Hopefully Tony will be able to tell us more about what happened later on but I have a feeling that we are in for another period of stress. Thinking about it, each of us seems to be bound to experience some kind of hardship with our Sub boyfriends; me with Liam; Mark with Alex - how funny is it that our little troublemaker of Shannon actually turns out to be the less troublesome? And now Cam with Noah. Sometimes I wonder if this is what holds Aaron from involving himself into a serious relationship; like... he has had more than his shares of problems already and fears to face new ones if he were to meet someone. And yet, he would definitely deserve his share of happiness at last. As much as we all do and I really hope that Noah will soon be back to Give that happiness to Cam.

"Josh?" Liam calls softly, making me gladly return to the here and now. I can't let myself fall into dark thoughts when I am holding the most beautiful angel; it doesn't mean forgetting about the ongoing events; it's just about taking comfort in what I have.

"Hmm?"

"I love you..." he whispers, before he shifts and move to straddle my thighs, like on a certain terrible afternoon over a year ago. It's not really the best time to remember such painful memories though, because exactly as I was saying, Liam is my comfort. He is what brightens all my days and as long as I have him by my side, there shall always be a happy part in me.

"I love you too, Baby," I reply, pulling him into my chest so that he can rest his head over my shoulder.

"Do you think we will ever have kids?" he then blurts out of the blue, making me chuckle. Well, I don't tense like I did on that awful afternoon because I was prepared for such a question. Kids would be the logical continuation after our wedding - and God knows how often Liz teases us discreetly with that, saying she can't wait to play the grandmother!

"I don't know yet, Baby, but I guess so... we still have time," I reply, kissing his forehead.

"You'll be thirty in a few months..."

"And you're only twenty-two... Are you in such a hurry?" I ask but he only shrugs his shoulders in answer so I gently pull him away and cup his face to look deep into his clear blue eyes. "We're young, Baby... we can enjoy another few years on our own; at least until you're done with your studies, don't you think?" I ask softly and he gives me a happy smile in return.

"So you're not against the idea of having kids?" he then asks cheerfully.

"Of course not!" I chuckle. "Why would I be?"

"I don't know... I was scared you might not want us to have any..." he replies sheepishly.

"Well, I do want some. I actually would give you anything you want, Baby..."

"Really?"

"Yes, truly and honestly. I love you, Liam."

And as I lean forward and seal our lips together, I vow to the astronomical body above us that, should this man here ask me for the moon, I would give it to him.

~ T h e       e N d ~

Published on 16 Jan 2017

I thought I was never going to make it.. sorry for the long wait, but here you have the epilogue! It's not half as good as I wanted but that's what it is! It might be long, but as Camden would say, long doesn't count if it's not thick... (and now I wonder where all your perv minds are headed...)

Quick note: the picture above is a Google street view screenshot of the spot where Joshua proposed to Liam, with a view toward the East of Paris.