A/N: TW: police + suicide/genocide + guns

"Gabriel, I'm going with the police to the gate. Beezy is going with you. What do I need to know?" Anthony asked.

Gabriel panted, "They're probably already exiting. If you go in you'll see something you don't want to see. Also they're going to be on lock down. The password to everything is one-five-four-six. That should be it."

Anthony nodded and ran off to the truck. He went with police to the gates.

"We can't get it!" one officer shouted, "They're on heavy lock down! We'll need-"

Anthony interrupted him by shouting, "The code is one-five-four-six!"

That code was entered and the gates opened. The cars and Anthony in the single truck drove in. They went to the church as quickly as they could.

»»-----♡-----««

Azira watched more people die. He could hear loud noises from outside of the church.

"Hurry people! Hurry!" Gabriel's father shouted.

Tears ran down Azira's cheeks. He didn't want to die, but his time was coming. He knew it wouldn't be long until he was another dead body in a white tunic.

There was a heavy pounding on the door. People with guns knocked it down.

Gabriel's father took off running through another door. He knew all the secret places in the church; the hidden doors, the rooms in the walls, the lock down offices. News of him running was radioed over. Anthony was brought down into the church basement. That's where he locked eyes with Azira.

"Anthony!" Azira shouted. He was feeling dizzy. Perhaps he didn't need honey and cyanide to die. Maybe his injuries were enough. Maybe.

Anthony shouted, "Hold on, Azira! I'm going to come for you! Hold on!"

"I can't!"

"Have faith! People are coming to help you! I promise!"

Anthony continued running. He went through doors. He went down halls. That was until he pushed a bookshelf out of the way. That bookshelf was the door to a secret room. Inside was Gabriel's father with a knife.

Anthony ran at him and tackled him. He grabbed the knife and held it up.

"Don't do it Anthony!" he shouted as he tried to punch Anthony.

Anthony didn't plan on stabbing him. That was illegal.

The moment Anthony was pushed off and a gun was reached for, there was no hesitation. Anthony stabbed him in the hand.

"Damn!"

Anthony pulled the knife out and stabbed him in the shoulder.

"You hurt my boyfriend! You hurt Azira! You hurt me! You won't get away with it!"

Anthony was shot in the arm. He immediately felt it go numb.

The next thing Anthony knew Gabriel's father was on the floor. Police were standing at the door.

Anthony stood up and ran to Azira. Paramedics were laying him on a stretcher.

"Give him space, kid," one said. Anthony shouted, "Azira! Azira Phale!"

Azira weakly shouted, "Anthony!"

Anthony cried, "I'm sorry! I love you!"

He pushed past the paramedics to see Azira.

"Anthony, if I don't make it through this, just always remember I loved you!"

Azira was then carried away.

Anthony sat on the stage and cried. He looked around the room. He saw dead siblings. He saw his parents, also dead.

In the corner a girl was crying. Her hair was a distinct shade of ginger.

Anthony hopped off the stage and ran to her.

"Emmie! Emmie!"

The girl looked up and ran to Anthony. He hugged him as tight as a six year old could.

"Anfney!"

Anthony smiled and whispered, "It's alright. I've got you. You're safe now."

Emmie pointed and said, "Mommy and Daddy went to Heaven."

"I know... I know."

"Are we going to go too?"

Anthony said, "Not yet. Not for a long time. You don't have to worry about a thing."

"Why's your arm all funny?"

Anthony looked down at his arm and said, "It's like it's telling a joke. I have to go see a special doctor to have it fixed. You're going to come too."

Emmie nodded and walked out of the church with him. There was a helicopter outside. Azira was being loaded into it.

"You said you loved Azira," Emmie said, "And that's why you left, right?"

Anthony said, "Something like that."

"Azira said he loves you too but he didn't leave."

"I know. Well now everyone is leaving. Outside of here me and Azira are allowed to love each other, and that isn't a bad thing. Some people think it's a bad thing, but I can promise you it's not."

"What if Azira goes to Hell because of his badness?"

"He won't. He's good."

"What if he goes to Heaven?"

"Then I'll miss him. I'm not even completely sure if there's a Heaven though."

"Why not?"

Anthony shrugged and said, "I'll tell you when you're older. It's not something you need to worry about now."

"'Kay then."

A police officer ran up to Anthony. She said, "You got shot."

Anthony responded, "I believe I did."

"You need to go to the hospital."

"I need to stay with my sister."

Emmie grabbed onto Anthony's shirt.

The police officer said, "We can take her. Find a case worker. Find her care."

Anthony said, "I've got foster parents. Find them. They'll care for her."

"Alright then," the police officer said.

Anthony whispered to Emmie, "You're going to go for a ride in this nice lady's car. You have to be brave for me. Everything will be alright."

The officer grabbed Emmie's hand and walked away with her. Anthony was then brought to an ambulance.

He left the church.

Thursday

Anthony woke up in a hospital bed. Spit was running down his face. He started to reach to wipe it away, but his arm was in a cast.

"Huh?"

Beezy said, "Look who's awake and shaking. Good morning Anthony."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Well you passed out in the ambulance yesterday around nine. It's ten o'clock now. So it's been a good long while."

Anthony said, "I feel funny."

"They've pumped you full of drugs. I don't blame you."

Anthony wiped his mouth with his other hand.

"How's Azira?"

Beezy sighed, "I thought you'd ask. I don't think you want to hear the answer. I spoke with him. He wanted me to tell you something."

Anthony asked, "What did he say?"

"He told me- oh I shouldn't tell you now. You just woke up."

"Did he say he loves me?"

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. He said-"

"He said what?"

"He said!"

"Ngh. Tell me already!"

"He said tell you that he's in room 505."

Anthony sat up and asked, "He's alive?"

"Yeah he's alive, thanks to yours truly. He had a blood transfusion. He's O negative. Luckily I'm also O negative. "

Anthony got out of bed and said, "I want to go see him."

Beezy said, "Sit down. You aren't allowed to go yet. Not until the doctor says so."

"But it's just my arm!"

"You're hooked up to an IV dumbass."

"Ngh."

Beezy said, "You'll be able to see him later. Chill."

Later

Anthony walked into Azira's room.

"Uh... Hey... A-are you awake?"

Azira said, "I am, Anthony. Come in. Sit."

Anthony sat on the edge of Azira's bed. He looked at him softly.

"So... That happened," Anthony sighed.

Azira grabbed Anthony's hand and said, "I know it did. You saved me."

Anthony said, "I didn't save you."

"I would have let go if you hadn't said anything. I kept fighting because you told me to and you said you'd come back. I had to push to see that. You know people can die if they loose hope."

Anthony said, "I know that."

Azira asked, "So, are you going to show me those book houses?"

"I will once you get out of here."

Azira asked, "How many books are in there?"

Anthony responded, "Hundreds. Thousands in some."

"Sounds wonderful!- Oh do people use wonderful as a way to describe things?"

Anthony smiled and said, "They do, but I'd like to teach you a new word. Grand. It means the same thing as wonderful, but in a more sophisticated way."

"Grand things. Show me the grand things of the world, Anthony Crowley."

Anthony nodded and said, "I will. I promise I will."

"Also once I get out of here go on a date with me, please. We're both sinners now. Might as well enjoy it."

Anthony smiled and said, "Of course I will, Azira, just as long as you don't beat yourself up over being a sinner. Right here, right now, it doesn't really matter. You're also going to get help, so you learn the actual truth about everything, and not what you've heard your entire life. If you need help, I'll show you the way."

Azira blushed and asked, "Is it improper to kiss you right now?"

Anthony blushed too and said, "I don't think so."

Azira leaned in and softly whispered, "Kiss me then."

Anthony did just the so. He caressed Azira's cheek. It was soft, yet powerful.

It was also disturbed by one of Azira's older sisters, Lillian, walking in.

"Azira Phale!"

He pulled away and said, "Wait a moment."

He then kissed Anthony again.

"Okay, enough Anthony."

Lillian asked, "Are you done?"

Azira said, "I believe so. Mmm maybe one more."

He then pecked Anthony on the lips one more time.

Anthony laughed softly.

Lillian sighed, "Okay, enough or I'm making him leave."

Azira said, "We're finished."

Lillian said, "Alright, so you're moving to Maryland with me after the court cases. That's a legal thing. Mom and Dad are dead."

Azira sighed, "Well I knew they would be."

"Ella, Oridon, Davient, and Grace aren't."

Azira sighed, "They probably hate me."

"They're being deprogramed. They won't hate you after."

Azira said, "At least they aren't required to live with you."

Lillian sighed, "You're seventeen. There's only a year until you're eighteen. Then you'll be able to move back down here and make out with your boyfriend all you want."

Azira said, "I want to see him at least once a month."

"Wait is that Crowley?"

Azira said, "It's the one and only Anthony Crowley."

Anthony said, "Your sister is so much older now."

Lillian said, "He doesn't have puffy freckle cheeks anymore. Azira I think you got lucky. He's a keeper."

Azira laughed and Anthony blushed.

"We'll see about letting you visit him. We'll just have to see."

Azira laid his head on Anthony's shoulder and said, "If you don't I'm taking him with us."

Anthony kissed Azira's forehead and said, "Kidnapping is illegal."

"Oh. Never would have known."

"I have school anyways," Anthony said, "Which I should have been at school. Decided to skip with Beezy yesterday."

Lillian said, "That's a good thing because the public school around here was on lock down yesterday."

"Oh I was supposed to be killed yesterday."

They all laughed. Things seemed much better. Azira was finally tasting life on the outside for the first time.