Greya's POV...

"Alec!"

I quickly cover my mouth and look back to make sure Lox is still sleeping on the couch.

"Liam," I whisper instead.

As soon as he drops his book bag I lunge at him, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him like I've wanted to do all day with Lox.

Liam hugs me equally as hard in return.

"Greya, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry we had to leave you that night, wondering what happened... I can't imagine what you've been through," he says to me.

We break from hugging and I wipe my eyes. Of course I'm crying again.

"What I've been through! What about you and B? I mean Lox!" I'm trying to stay quiet so Lox doesn't hear us.

"Let's go outside to talk," he suggests, checking on his brother one more time before we head out the door.

We both sit on the front steps. "What if he hears us or comes out hear?" I'm still whispering.

Liam chuckles to himself. "Don't worry I can hear him a mile away, he isn't very light on his feet these days."

He has a sense of humor about the whole ordeal, I guess. Maybe it's his way of coping. Me on the other hand would like to bawl my eyes out watching Loxley struggle.

"The Collins' explained what happened, you don't have to retell the story Alec. How are you though? You've been dealing with this all alone!"

"Yeah, I'm ok I guess. The past few years have been hard, mostly for Lox." It's still weird hearing him call Becker, Lox.

I grab his hand in mine and give it a squeeze. "You're not alone anymore. You're back with all of us and we're all going to help from now on."

"That's what I was hoping when the Collins helped us get into UCLA. I was worried though how you'd react when you found out or when you saw him," he motions back towards the house.

"I thought I'd finally fallen off the deep end when he showed up to my first class," we both chuckle this time.

"There's so much I need to tell you Grey, so much Loxley's been through and still going through. He doesn't remember anything and I've kept it that way because I want him to be happy. He doesn't need to know his life was more of a mess before this or that Jack abused him, and our mother left us. Yeah, he needs a lot of physical help but he's happier not knowing about his past."

"He must ask you about his life, what do you tell him?"

"I lie mostly. I know it's wrong in a way but I basically tell him we had a normal and boring life. I tell him our father left us when I was a baby and we haven't seen him since. He thinks our mother raised us on her own and we went to school and played sports like any normal family."

"And he thinks he was in a car accident that night?" I ask to reconfirm.

Liam nods. "He was in a coma for awhile. He almost didn't make it. When he opened his eyes he was scared and confused. We realized he had no clue who mom and I were. Mom couldn't handle the guilt I think. She blamed herself for him being shot. She barely visited him in the hospital. I was there everyday with him. I told him I was his brother and since I was always there, he learned to trust and believe me."

Tears are forming in his eyes as he relives the story. I squeeze his hand again, encouraging him to keep going.

"He suffered a stroke early on after waking from the coma. He couldn't speak yet, he'd only move his right arm and was constantly touching the surgical scar on his head, basically asking me what happened to him. The agent in charge of our protective custody, our mom, and I came up with the story of how he was driving home from practice one night and was hit by a drunk driver head on. We've kept with that story to protect him, protect us. I know his father's in prison now, but he has connections and he can never know about us so it's important that everyone forgets we were Alec and Becker and call us Loxley and Liam from now on."

I hug him again as he wipes his tears. "I'm planning on telling Chase and Fynn tonight and the rest of the gang this weekend. I don't want Chase meeting either of you until I know he's comfortable calling you both by your new names."

"Thanks Grey. I was nervous he'd recognize us somehow at your game last night. I pretended I was sick to get Loxley out of there. How is Chase? I miss the little guy."

"He's not so little anymore. He's a teenager now. And he's really missed you. Took it hard when he lost you but that kid has bounced back quicker than the rest of us. I hope he takes the news ok tonight because he's doing so well now."

We pause in silence, reflecting on everything. This new Liam has become a remarkable young man. He's sacrificed his old life to take care of and protect his brother. If that isn't the definition of love, I don't know what is.

"What happened to your mother?" I can't believe that woman left them again, especially when they need the help.

"I don't know," he shrugs and looks down at his feet. "She was always paranoid. She lived so many years in hiding, coming back and being a mother was too difficult for her. She believed it was her fault her son was shot and couldn't handle watching him learn how to talk, and eat, sit up on his own. She watched me feed him and dress him and help him use the bathroom, never once offering to help. Once that asshole was caught and put in jail, mom thought it a good time to give up on us again. I turned 18, so I no longer needed a guardian." He shrugs again like it's no big deal.

"I'm so sorry she left you."

"Honestly, it's better this way. She wasn't around when I was growing up, so I didn't really miss having her as a mother. And the two years she was in hiding with us, she wasn't a mother at all. Lox thinks she left because of his injury though, so it's been hard trying to convince him otherwise."

My insides are crumbling with remorse & sadness. I never should've let Becker go home that night. I should've fought harder to help protect him. I'm never letting that happen again. Those two will never be alone again and even if Lox will only be my friend, so be it. I'll be whatever he needs me to be because there's no way I'm losing him a second time.

"Thanks for taking care of him today. I know that must be hard to do with him not remembering you. He needs you Grey, please don't give up on him. I know he has a lot of deficits but inside he's the same Becker you loved." He surprises me thinking I wouldn't still love him because of his disabilities. I can kinda see why since their mother couldn't handle them. I'm not a shallow person like she is though.

"I've always loved him even when I thought he died, and I still love him. Yes, it's hard right now to be around him knowing he doesn't remember me, but I'm not going to give up on him or you. You're part of us, always."

He leans over and hugs me again.

"Please tell me more about his TBI and his stroke, so I know how to help him."

"Hmm," he hums to himself.

"I'm not sure how to explain it all. His neurologists can't explain his recovery most of the time either. They say the brain is complicated and every brain injury is different, and everyone recovers in different ways. On top of the bullet injuring his brain, the stroke affected the left side of his body the most. It took over a year for him to stand on his own again and then another six months after learning how to walk again. Sometimes he has a setback for no apparent reason and his leg forgets how to work, and other days we call them good days, he can walk around without a crutch or cane. His left arm causes him a lot of trouble. The doctor calls them muscle contractures and his arm and fist lock up on him. He doesn't have a lot of strength in that arm either so he can't use two crutches to help him walk better because that one arm can't support his weight. There's so much!"

He pauses to think about everything.

"Seizures. He has those too. He's on medication for those, but when he's stressed or overwhelmed, he seems to have them more often and it takes him a few days to recover when he has a long one. Also, his right side of his body is much stronger although he shakes a lot, and the doctor says that's because his brain is trying to connect with the rest of his body. Everything takes time, that's all the doctors tell us."

Wow, how does he make it through the day like that? That's my B! Always so brave and strong and resilient. It's what makes me love him so much.

"What about therapy? Does he still have PT?" I ask more so I know his weekly schedule better.

"PT, OT and Speech used to be every day. He only has them once a week now because they say he's peaked and insurance won't pay for more.  I don't believe he's peaked, so we have a bunch of exercise equipment in his room, and I basically help him with his exercises here. He still has a significant stutter and has exercises for that too. I've noticed he has less of a stutter when he's relaxed and were just hanging out at home. He's embarrassed by his voice so he doesn't use it as much as he should be to make it get any better."

This is a lot of information to absorb. I'm glad I know the extent of what he goes through daily, I can go home and do more research on how to maybe make things better for him, I hope.

"On the plus side, he's fully continent now and can shower on his own most of the time," he chuckles at my surprised expression.

"Thanks for telling me all that. I need to be getting going. Chase will be waiting for me to pick him up and then I have practice. Give Lox my cell number and you keep it too. Text or call me anytime, I mean it!"

"Thanks Grey. Here's mine and Lox's number too." He types the numbers into my phone.

We both stand and embrace one more time.

"You've done an incredible job with all this and taking care of your brother. I'm sure he's very proud of you. I know I am." He smiles at me, appreciating the complement I gave him.

"I hope it goes well with Chase tonight. I can't wait to see him again!"

"Me too Liam, me too."