Tasha sat on the couch in the hotel room, anxiously waiting for the men to return. It had been a few weeks since they had gone to the prison, and just the night prior Tasha received a message from Rafe's phone saying that they should be back soon. The truth was Tasha hadn't left the hotel very much in their absence. They all tried to convince her to enjoy the sights, but how could she when she didn't know if they were all okay?

She breathed out a sigh of relief when the door opened, and through it toppled Rafe and Nate who both looked horrible. Tasha immediately ran to Rafe, pulling him into a tight embrace. He held her close, pressing open mouthed kisses to the skin on her shoulders, his heart fluttering at how tight she was holding him. He knew how upset she would be when she learned about Sam...

After a moment Tasha pulled back, glancing behind Rafe to Nate who was sulking by the now closed door. "Nate? What is it? Wait, where's Sam? He didn't go to the bar already, did he?"

He looked at her, his eyes stormy as he saw the hopeful glint in her eyes. "Sam... he..."

"Where is he?" Tasha asked Nate before looking to Rafe who had a frown on his face. "Guys... where's Sam?"

There was a cold silence as Rafe put his hand on her shoulder, his green eyes staring into hers. He looked apologetic and Tasha knew then it wasn't good. The words felt like they were a whole world away as Rafe explained to Tasha what happened. She shook her head, tears in her eyes as she stared up at her lover. "No.... Sam can't — he can't be..."

Tasha immediately walked over to Nate, pulling him into a tight embrace. After a few moments in her arms, Nathan let out a sob, digging his fingers into her back as if she was the only thing holding him together. "Shh, Nate. I got you." She rubbed his back, tears in her eyes. She fought them, instead focussing on her other best friend.

"I couldn't — I couldn't save him, Tash!" Nathan cried into her shoulder as she gently caressed the back of his head. "I tried! I—"

"Shh, Nate. Don't you blame yourself. There's nothing you could've done."

"He's gone! Sam... Sam's —"

"Shh." Tasha cooed softly as she pulled him to the bed, holding him close as he continued to sob into her. "I'm here, Nathan. I got you."

••

Tasha let out a small breath of relief a few hours later when Nathan had finally fallen asleep. She had ended up getting him to lay back in the bed after holding him in a standing position for a long while, but before she could move from his side he held her in place. "Please don't go, Tasha."

"Hey, don't worry, Natie. I'm not going anywhere." She smiled down at him, caressing his cheek softly before laying on her side towards him. She hated seeing him like this, so vulnerable and heartbroken. She remembered when her parents died and he was there for her. Sam too...

Eventually, Nathan had rested his head against her shoulder while she continued to caress his head and back. Rafe was sitting at the other end of the room, on the phone trying to find them the quickest flight to Scotland. He would look over at the way Tasha held Nathan, and jealousy would swell in his chest every so often until he remembered that Sam meant a lot to her and she was grieving too.

Once he saw Nathan was asleep, Rafe slowly made his way over to her. He rested his hands on her arm and waist, caressing her slowly. "You should get some rest too."

"I'm alright." Tasha replied quietly, trying her best not to wake Nate as she pulled out of his embrace, turning to face Rafe. He had a cut on his lip and a bruise on his cheek.

"Tash—"

Instead of protesting more, she interlocked her fingers with his, giving Nathan one final check to make sure he was fast asleep before pulling Rafe towards the bathroom. Once inside she shut the door, taking a deep breath as she tried to keep her walls from crumbling. Rafe opened his mouth to speak but the look on her face made him instantly close his mouth, instead choosing to watch her as she ran cool water onto a wash cloth.

"What happened to you?" She asked softly as she brought the rag up to the cut on his lip, gently dabbing at the wound.

"They didn't like us very much."

"I mean, you have the tendency to be a jack ass." She teased, smirking slightly.

"Oh really?" Rafe chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately. "I think it was because I was the smallest white guy there."

"Nate looks pretty beat up."

"Yeah, he may have picked a fight with a guy with a few more friends than he bargained for."

"That sounds like Nate..."

Rafe grabbed the cloth from Tasha's hand, setting it down onto the bathroom sink before holding her face in his hands. "I missed you."

There were tears in Tasha's eyes as she gazed up at him. She flung her arms around his neck, pulling his body as tightly against hers as humanly possible. "I love you so much, Rafe!"

Rafe rubbed her back soothingly, pressing soft kisses to her forehead. "I love you, Tasha..." He slowly pulled back so he could look at her face. Tears were falling, and he gently used his thumb to wipe them away. "I'm sorry."

Tasha shook her head, sniffling as she tried to fight the tears. "I'm fine."

"Tash—"

"I can't... I —" She held onto his shirt for dear life, tears streaming down her face now. "If I lost you — "

"I'm here." Rafe kissed her. "I'm here, Tash, and I'm not going anywhere."

•••

A/N: Please comment as it keeps me motivated to keep writing