The town had an annual celebration that they celebrated each year in the beginning of winter. The weather is chilly and not yet cold enough to be outside to run for the charity. Usually the event is being held by the townsfolk's creating awareness and this year their awareness is on children's cancer. Something both Joanna and George held greatly in their hearts. The money they raised for charity would be donated to the children's oncology ward in the hospital for their treatment.

Henry woke up early that morning reaching for his journal that he had for four years by his bedside. George had gave him a couple since his first journal had no more pages for him to write. This is his third journal that he had written for Alex since the fourth years he had been away from him.

He admitted it's hard sometimes when the grief flooded into his chest when he remembered the life he had back in New York. Sometimes those griefs interpreted into words in his journal that carries a lot of emotions from his heart.

Especially when he woke, dreaming about him. About his eyes, his smile, his dimples when he tries to hide his smile from Henry, it brought a lot of feelings back into his chest.

But the dream he had last night was not the usual soft, melancholy type of dream he had for years. It was different, unusual that made him jolted from his own sleep, sweating and hearts pounding in his chest.

He wrote everything down on the papers, pouring his heart out like he was telling Alex all about it. The dreams scared him so much, his hands shook and he could barely hold the pen he had in his grip.

In his dream, he was standing in the familiar endless golden fields when he saw Alex, standing by the edge of the cliff. His back was facing Henry and as he stepped closer, he felt Alex is getting farther and farther away from him.

He kept yelling out his name but his voice is muffled and there is no sound except the hollowed wind between them before Alex turned around to face Henry. Eyes filled with tears that cascading down his cheek. Alex looks different to him. His hair is longer, more curls hanging on the tip and he had chiseled beard over his jaw.

He looks older, more mature but his eyes carries a lot of pain, betrayal.

"Alex?" Henry remembers calling out his name and he smiled. That smile Henry had longed for years now. Henry wanted to keep their distance closer but the more he ran, the further he got and finally he stopped, hearts pounding.

"Be careful Henry. You'll fall." He finally spoke that made absolute no sense in this situation since he was the one that was standing by the edge.

Out of nowhere, Henry heard the sound of crying child in a distant and as he flipped his head around to see, it was completely empty and the shrill cry made his heart pound faster, sending chills down his spine. He had to cup his palm to cover his ear to muffle the noise that sent terror into his heart.

"Don't get yourself hurt." Alex voice whispered into his mind again without moving his lips and Henry could barely register when he finally let himself falls over the edge with arms spread wide.

But each time his dream finished with him jolting awake, hands reaching for Alex and he would woke up, confused and terrified.

It has been three nights he had the same dream that made his entire body felt exhausted and drained from the lack of sleep. Somehow he felt like his usual self back then, the one that never rested and always on the edge. It took him four years with help of George and Joanna and the therapist to finally deal with his trauma and be able to sleep at night and yet nothing changes. One nightmare and he is back as whom he was four years ago.

Henry sighed, rubbing the side of his temple, feeling the headache returned as he pushed the blanket off from his legs.

The room had changed since the last four years he had been living in. Colin's bed had changed into a queen size instead the single boy type bed frame. George insisted Henry should decorated the room as much as he wanted and he did, leaving a small details of Colin in the room for them to remember him.

On the wall he had painted with George, the color of forest green with hint of moss painted on the wall with words painted in cursive across the wall.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all - Oscar Wilde.

It was Colin's favorite quote and somehow Henry's best quote to hold on to life. Each day he woke up, he would read the sentence and grateful he had another day to breathe.

Henry walked along the hallway heading towards the kitchen when he heard clanking of pans and plates as he get closer. He smiled when he heard both Joanna and George already up and awake at crack of dawn preparing breakfast.

"Morning." He called, catching their heads turned to face him with smile when they saw Henry walked in, hair in a messy disarray, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. "Morning yourself sleepyhead. Come here and crack these eggs for me." George told him and set the eggs on the counter for Henry to help. It was deliberate but also a physical therapy for Henry's wrist. In years, Henry had managed to finally reduced the stiffness but from time to time, his wrist will caught up and he wont be able to lift anything until it passed.

"Morning darling." Joanna whispered in Henry's ear as he wrapped his arms around her for their morning hugs, some of the routine they had in this home for the past years. She pressed a small kiss on the side of his cheek before brushing her thumb over his cheek.

"Are you okay?" She asks, noticed the tired gaze but Henry nodded back at her with a weak smile. "Yeah."

Henry stood by George's side, by the counter, he was whisking the batter for the waffles while Henry grabbed the eggs and cracked on the side of the bowl with one hand. The egg falls into the bowl with no shells left behind that made George smiled.

"You're getting good at this." He says as Henry cracked another.

"Thanks to you." He says tossing the shells into the trash can before cracking another. It took him about four years to deal with his pain through physical therapy. The reason why he still had struggled in dealing with the pain is due to his frail body. George had a theory that due to his captivity those years, his body lack of ability to heal the same way as others. To his words, Henry's body density is equivalent to a toddler child.

He was on the third eggs, tapping it over the rim when he felt it. The tension, the incoming pull that made him regretted in risking himself for the impending pain. But he knew its coming either way and each time it did, it felt worst than before.

"Christ. Argh!" Henry cursed, grabbing his wrist in pain and lightly massaged the stiffed muscles over his forearm.

"Let me see." George stop whisking and set the bowl on the counter before he grabbed Henry's wrist. Frustration clearly filled his eyes and Henry slammed his fist down on the counter causing the bowls to rattle.

"Easy. Easy. Breathe. Look at me." George told him, cupping his chin to face him but kept his hands over Henry's face. Henry raised his eyes that now filled with tears staring deeply into his eyes before taking a breath through his nose.

"Remember the exercise Hen. Breathe out." He says and Henry exhaled longly before taking another breath. His tears falls on his cheek but George quickly wiped it dry with his thumb. "Better?" He asks and Henry stares in his eyes, before slowly nodded.

"Wanna tell me what's bothering you lately?" He asks noticed the long stares coming from him but Henry shook his head back silently tearing his gaze away.

"Nothing." He whispered pulling himself away to grab the napkin to clean his mess before Joanna stopped him. "Sit down Henry. I'll do it." She says and wiped the eggs off the floor while Henry climbed the high chair facing them across the counter by the stove.

He buried his face into his palms trying to calm himself down from snapping earlier. He noticed when he had lack of sleep, he's easily snapped these days. But he is grateful that Joanna and George didn't pressed him for more questions and continues to cook breakfast while Joanna handed him a mug of hot tea into his palm.

"Are you running this year?" She asks abruptly that made Henry shot his gaze back at them. He knew that she is trying to change the atmosphere by diverting the conversation and he's glad she did. "Uhm- I don't think so. I'll be at the stand with you." He says, sipping his tea and felt the warmth spread through his chest.

"What? Why? You said you'd join them and Hayden this year." George protest, hands still pressed over the waffle maker as it sizzles.

"I don't feel well. I'm tired." Henry says with a lowered gaze, setting the mug down over the saucer and felt silence falls in between them.

"Should we book an appointment then?" George asks but Henry shook his head at him with a assuring smile. "No need. I'll be fine. Plus Joanna gonna need help with the booth." He says pointing at her. She smiled back, nodding at Henry as an agreement.

"We're gonna make cupcakes, some pies, oh! They asks if you can make your brownies again Henry." She asks and Henry smirked, "May I ask who is that someone Jo?"

"George." Joanna didn't even hesitate to throw her husband under the bus while George snapped his head so swiftly at her. "I did not!" He defends. "It was Hayden." He adds and the smile disappears from Henry's face.

"He told me he is going to dedicate his run for you this year." Joanna teased but Henry only half smiled at her.

"That's- uh that's nice of him. But the run is for the kids, not me." He noticed how Hayden had been doing a lot of dedication towards Henry lately and although it felt nice, it still felt awkward someone is dedicating something for him.

"Henry." Joanna called, circling around the counter to stand by his side. Her arm raised over Henry's shoulder brushing her fingers over the fabric of his wooly shirt.

"Its been four years. Maybe its time for you to move on. Find new love interest. Start dating, meet new people." She whispered and noticed Henry had not lift his gaze from his cup between his palm.

"Its hard when you had such great love in your past. I can't easily moved on from him. He was the one. The only one." Henry whispered and his mind circled around the dream he had of Alex.

"What if he had moved on from you?" George asks and Henry exhaled another breath tiredly. "That's his choice. I told him too and I expect him too. I never ask him to stop and waited for me." Henry replied, voice softly breaking.

"Then why are you?" Joanna asks.

"I'm not. Its just- my heart is not ready yet." He says, finally lifting his gaze towards her standing on his side. She nodded, rubbing his shoulders and understood him completely.

"Well no matter what, we respect your decision." George says placing the waffles on the plate for him and a jar of maple syrup next to it. Henry thanked him, spreading the syrup over the hot waffles before taking a bite.

The day moves on like usual for them. Henry helped Joanna at the cafe, filling the pastries in place before he headed to George's clinic after lunch.

Sandy, his favorite golden retriever is coming in today and he had steal some treats for her. He had secretly baking dog cookies and placed it into a ziplock back and hides it inside his coat pocket. Each time he met with dogs on the street, he would fed them the cookies that they happens to love.

As per the owner, Sandy had not been eating well and Henry felt like the old girl is reaching her days of chasing squirrels is finally over.

George had a beagle in his arm when Henry walked in and smiled as soon as he saw him. "Did you have it?" He asks and Henry nodded, pulling out the cookies in his hand and immediately all the dogs stood trying to get to him.

"Easy now." George stern voice made them obeyed, acknowledging who is the alpha in the group when Henry noticed the beagle in his arm looks rather sickly and refused to take his treat.

"You offended me lil one. No one declined my cookies." He says putting the treats over his nose that he barely lick. The cookie had been him and George's secret as he baked himself without Joanna knowing. Usually he made it after his last batch of the day before he cleaned the oven and it has been going on for years now.

"They found him by the alley, I think he must been chased by coyotes." George says handing Henry the beagle and he carried him with such affection. His eyes met with Henry, leaning to lick his face that made Henry smiled.

"Aw Henry, why do you have to be gay?" One of the customer, a lady in a pink blouse with her small Schitzu on her lap coos over Henry's affection towards the small wounded dog in his arms. They had grown rather fondly of him, towards these past years Henry had been living with George and Joanna, he never shows any sign of interest towards anyone in town, men or women. But it never stopped them to flirt with him.

Especially Hayden.

Hayden had been persistent coming back to him, winning his hearts trying to make amends for almost breaking his arms and since then, they had been friends but George knew he wanted more except Henry never shows him he wanted more than being friends.

"There is not enough women in the world that would make Henry straight Lonnie." George defends pushing Henry towards the back but he could hear them still chattering about him. Henry chose to ignore them and headed straight into the holding caged room, passing by the staff lounge where Anne and Lucy was sitting.

"Hey Henry." They both greeted him and Henry smiled, "Hey guys. I'm just gonna put this one on the back." He says walking towards the hallway passing another two doors before he reached the caged room. He sat the beagle down into the crate and he whined, refused to be in cage.

"I know you hated it, but you need to stay in there until you get better alright?" Henry whispered, hooking him up with the fluids in his arms before shutting the crate close. The bowl of food and water still untouched and Henry felt his heart broke.

"You have to make it." He whispered, slipping his index finger through the slit cage wire and the beagle licked his finger.

Working in the clinic had opened a new perspective for Henry about life he had. He found his calling in helping others that shared the same level of anxiety as he does in these animals. He was once a caged animal too, treated like no human should and he understood well enough for them.

He walked back out to the front counter when he spotted Sandy by George's side. His fingers brushing over the side of her ears when she scent Henry coming in. Her head snapped towards the side and immediately rushed towards Henry almost knocking him off the ground when she jumped.

"I miss you too!" She practically smothered Henry with her huge figure while Henry rubs his fingers all over her neck and her belly. She loves it when Henry rubs her belly.

"How are you old gal? I heard someone is sick. It doesn't seem like you are." Henry says smiling at the owner, an older gentleman that probably a decade older than George. His name is Mr Wilkinson but everyone in town called him Peter. Sandy was actually his wife's dog that he rescued years ago but sadly she passed away few months ago from a stroke.

"Old Sandy here probably missed you. Just had to get her here so you can make her eat." He says smiling at Henry still crouching on the floor with Sandy between his legs.

"I think she missed Marianne." Henry says and the moment he mentioned her name, Sandy peaked her ears.

"We both are." Peter replied, eyes lowered and George offered him to enjoy a cup of coffee at Joanna's cafe while they took care of Sandy. "Henry take her at the back, I'll be right with you." George told him and Henry nodded, pulling Sandy by her leash.

The treatment room is two doors down passing the staff break room and the storage room when Henry bought her. He opened the door of the room and taps the small steps for her to climb. Henry watched as she carefully placed her paw over the small steps trying to push herself over the table.

"You can do it girl." He encouraged her but at the end, Henry had to help her eventually and she immediately laid over her stomach, resting her chin by the edge waiting for Henry.

He grabbed the cookies he had earlier and starts feeding her while waiting for George to come in and examined her. She ate it within seconds that made Henry smiled. "Good girl." Henry whispered when suddenly he felt a soft brushed of wind over the back of his neck that made his hair stood.

That familiar coldness surged through him that he hadn't felt in years that made his entire body shook. His fingers holding on to the cookie starts to tremble and Sandy perked her head up towards something behind Henry.

"Henry."

He shot up, head snapped towards the sound of the whispered by the corner when he saw a glimpse of shadows, right by the dark corner of the supplies that made him gasped. He stumbled over the steps and falls on his back when his eyes caught at the shadow still by the corner.

Henry could feel his chest tightened in each breath. His hand immediately clenched around his chest while panting in his breaths. The sound of his name being called lingering in his ear covered with the sound of Sandy barking aggressively at the corner.

She climbed down the table, stood before Henry like she was protecting him from whatever that is on the corner, barking her hearts out repeatedly.

The shadow disappeared when the door burst opened with George came in frantic, catching Sandy barking at the empty corner with Henry having full blown panic attack on the floor.

"Henry!" He immediately crouched before him, grabbing Henry by his head to keep his eyes focused on him.

"Henry look at me. Look at me. You're okay. You hear me? Breathe Hen, slowly." George tries to calm him down but Henry seems unable to control his own body and his eyes still fixed over the corner. His whole ams shaking with his fingers trembling as he dug into George's forearm. His eyes kept glancing over behind George's shoulder at the corner.

"Christ Henry. Look at me. Look at me!" He tried to pull Henry's gaze back to him but despite his attempts, Henry eyes fixed over the corner. "Why? Why?" Henry kept mumbling under his breaths, lips pale from the shock and George could feel his fear rattling through him.

"Ignored it. You hear me? They aren't threats to you. You are a lot stronger than they are." George stated, keeping his hands firmed over Henry's cheek. "Just breathe." He advised, watching Henry took a breath and exhaled through his flared nostrils.

Eventually he managed to calm Henry down and it terrifies him to see him like this.

It took Henry a while, finally catching his breath in a slow pace with his face extremely covered in exhaustion, his legs sprawled on the floor with his back leaned against the table. Sandy refused to remove herself from Henry's lap, breathing in the same pace.

"What did you see Hen?" George asks after a moment of silence. Henry's eyes are swollen at this point, lips dry from the shock but thanks to Lonnie quick act to clear the room and gave them privacy, no one gets to see what happened. They closed the clinic early seeing the only patient's left is only Sandy and George had everyone leave early for the day leaving only him and Henry at the clinic alone with Sandy.

"I don't- know." He says, his body completely exhausted at this point to even speak.

"Don't hide it Henry. You know you can trust me." George pressed.

"I don't understand it myself either. I lost my gift because I chose to stay. Why now?" Henry mumbles, adding more confusion into the conversation.

"What is it Henry?" He asks and Henry gulped his throat down. "The shadows. They were with me when I was at Broadmoor until I died." The word snapped George from his worried and replaced with more terror in his heart.

"When did you- I mean- how did- " he seems couldn't formed words in his own mouth but Henry is not at the state to explain himself right now. George eyed his movement, adjusting himself on the floor with a grimaced over his face. He swallowed his throat dryly despite the water he was given earlier.

"I don't want to talk about this. Please." Henry begged, eyes low over Sandy's head with his hands scratching the side of her ear. She whined, looking up at Henry almost as if she was making sure he's alright and soon after Henry nodded at her, she laid back on his lap.

"For what its worth, I believe you." George says that made Henry shifts his gaze towards him. "Cause Sandy saw it too. She was barking at something for no reason and that's how I know you needed me." George explained and Henry nodded, wiping the tears with his knuckles. "Can we go home?" He asks and George was already set his mind at it.

"I'll closed up. We have to bring Sandy together. Do you wanna walk or should I get the car ready?" He asks as he stood up and hold up his hands for him. Henry grabbed his hand, pushing himself from the floor and felt pain surged through his body. "I think I walk." Henry says but George wasn't convinced.

"You're sure?" He asks, eyebrows raised at him still holding Henry by his arm. He nodded weakly, pulling Sandy by her collar before they both exited the room.

.

After George locked the door, they both walked along the pavement towards Joanna's cafe with Sandy leading the way by her leash. Henry was quiet before he finally spoke with a hoarse voice.

"Can I ask you a favor?" He asks as George followed his pace walking along the stone pavement. "Anything." He replied without glancing next to him.

"Don't tell Joanna about this. She's gonna freaked out." Henry could feel him smirking next to him with his head bowed and hands in his pants pockets.

"You'd think I'm an idiot? She would tear my head off. This stay between us." He says that made Henry smiled.

They both walked into Joanna's cafe, spotted Peter by the window enjoying his cup of coffee when they walked in. Sandy immediately went to him after Henry let go of her leash and he smiled. "Ready to go home?" He whispered and Sandy barked at him.

"Thank you folks." Peter told them and pulling out his wallet for the coffee and Sandy's treatment but Joanna already marching her way towards him.

"Peter don't you dare. Put back those wallet and go home." She said sharply grabbing the empty coffee cup with a smile on her face. "You are too kind. All of you." Henry smiled, nodding at him before waving him goodbye.

Henry loves how both Joanna and George never bothered collecting payment from someone like Peter since they knew how much he's struggling with his retirement and losing his wife. Their business is never about gaining money but rather helping others.

"Henry? Are you alright?" Joanna spotted Henry standing by George's side looking rather pale and sickly. His lips are paler than usual and Joanna, out of all people could spot Henry that easily.

"Yeah. Why?" He lied but Joanna is not easily to be lied too.

"Care to explain?" She asks George that was standing by Henry side with his hand in his pocket. "I don't know what you meant by that. I'm gonna go get the car." He says holding out his palm for the car keys. Joanna shot him a look but sighed defeatedly when he was being completely oblivious about it.

She handed him the key and he immediately rushed out of the cafe to go wait in the car while Henry helped her closed the shop.

As she locked the door, Henry spotted Hayden walking along the pavement headed towards him with that usual smile he had each time he saw him. Henry wanted nothing more than to go home and rest from the exhaustion he had today. But running away now might seem rude and Joanna noticed the uneasiness in him.

"Just breathe. I'll wait in the car." She whispered in his ear, tapping his shoulder before headed towards the car.

"Hey handsome." Hayden called and went for a hug that Henry still felt awkward letting another man do that to him. His stiff posture might have alerted him that made him pulled away from hugging Henry. "What's up?" Henry asks.

"I heard you are not running tomorrow. Wanna explained why?" He asks, voice a little concerned and Henry hated having to explain himself to others.

"Don't feel like it. I'll be at the fair, selling cupcakes and pies. I'm making my brownies this year." Henry says grinning at him. Hayden contemplates, eyebrows furrowed before smiling back at him.

"I'll be seeing you after then. Save me a piece." Hayden winked with a coy smile and Henry nodded turning on his heels to leave but Hayden caught his wrist that made Henry flinched and snapped his wrist back aggressively. "Sorry." He says apologetically but Henry already felt rage burning through his chest.

"I don't like people touching me like that." He says and Hayden raised his palm surrendering with a smirk on his face.

"Its been four years Henry. I think you should already know by now that I am interested in you." He says as he stepped closer but Henry stepped back creating more distance. "Yes, I know Hayden. But like I told you, I'm not ready." He says, eyes searching for George's car but failed.

"I'm a very patience man Henry. I can wait but the more you pushed me away, the more I am attracted to you. I don't give up easily." He says and Henry felt fear running through his mind. Hayden had been persistent lately in asking him for a date and Henry thought after one date, he would leave him alone but he pushed for another.

"Hayden I told you, I'm complicated. You don't want to be with a guy like me." Henry says trying to make him understand but Hayden persistency is what makes him annoyed.

"I don't mind complicated Henry. I like you and I want to be with you. Which is why I want to run tomorrow for you. Maybe after, you and I can hangout, I don't know maybe a dinner or something." He explained and Henry felt his heart races as he tried to escape this conversation entirely.

"Maybe, we'll see." Henry says trying to avoid him best that he could. But he could see it made him happier to hear it and wanted to press more but thanks to George honking his car at them, he stopped pushing Henry.

"Henry! Get in the car right now!" George's voice was cold, eyes fixed on Hayden shielding Henry from leaving but eventually let him go. "You're not fifteen you know. He's not in control of your life." He snide behind him as Henry rushed towards the car. He stopped, glancing back at Hayden with a furrowed brows and fury in his eyes.

"He's the closest thing I had to a father. He can control me however he wants if it meant protecting me. You can't respect that than don't bother impressing me." Henry snapped, eyes blazing in anger and saw the look on Hayden's face dropped immediately after what he said. He tried to apologize but Henry couldn't be bothered to listen and climbed into the car instantly.

"Thank you." Henry says after he shuts the car door closed and George nodded. "What does he want?" Joanna asks, turning her head over her shoulder.

"He want to tell me he would run tomorrow for me. Later he wanted to go out for dinner." Henry said briefly after pulling his seatbelts on and catches George's eyes were on him from the mirror.

"That's nice." She says but George scoffed made her confused.

"I don't like it. The boy couldn't take a hint." George says turning on the steering wheel of their truck. "What? Come on! The boy fights for what he wants." Joanna defends and Henry noticed George eyebrows furrowed through the mirror.

"There is a difference between chasing what you want and forcing it to happen. Henry already said no, he should take a hint." George argue but Joanna was quick to dismiss his point. "So you're saying that you fighting for my hand in marriage is not the same as him asking Henry out? I recall someone was being rather persistent too."

Henry caught her smirking at George but he was already shaking his head at her. "You are different story my love. I would crossed the ocean of time for you." George says grabbing her hand from her lap and pressed a kiss over her knuckles.

"Classic. Bram Stoker knew about yearning and temptation more than Hayden knew about reading the room." Henry cuts in between while still gazing the outside window.

"Does he even read at all Henry?" George asks still had his finger clasped between hers. "Only the back of the granola bar to count calories." Henry snide that made the rest of them burst into laughter that includes Henry.

"Look Henry." Joanna starts, catching Henry's eyes from the rearview mirror.

"Maybe don't pull the string too long. Someday he might get board and let go." She says.

"I would rather him let go than pulled the string in a tighter leash and kept using it like I'm a puppet and he is my master Joanna." Henry words made both Joanna and George glanced over at each other. But neither of them says anything else except letting the silence grew inside the car until they reached home.

"What do you want for dinner sweetheart?" Joanna asks and Henry sighed, rubbing his temple that's growing more pain since he got home.

"I think I'm gonna skip dinner tonight. I'm exhausted." He says glancing at George setting the coats into the closet. "I can make your favorite. Meatloaf?" She asks pulling Henry by his shirt that made him twirled back around to face her.

"I'm not hungry." He says, pressing a kiss over her cheek before he walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind.

Joanna turned to face her husband whom now stepping into the living room. "Alright, spill. What the hell happened?" She asks, voice stern and caught him off guard.

"What are you talking about?" He asks, pretended to be clueless.

"Henry was not himself since he got back from your clinic. What happened? Did he say anything?" She asks and after all these years, she could never be wrong when it it comes to reading Henry's mood. But he can't exactly tell her what happened today, no one can explained what happened.

"I don't know what you're talking about woman. He's probably sad. There's a beagle in the clinic, got hurt and now fighting for its life. Maybe that's it." He diverted knowing Henry loves for the animals would make perfect sense. Joanna hummed, her face finally softened by his words.

"Maybe. You'd think the beagle can make it?" She asks and George shrugged.

"We'll see." George says simply and headed towards their bedroom followed by Joanna to change for dinner.

.

"Henry hasn't been sleeping. Did you noticed?" She silently asks during dinner without Henry's presence. They checked on him before dinner thinking he might be awake but he's not, instead he is sprawled on the bed with a book in his hand.

George hummed, taking his bite slower. "Three days." He pulled up his fingers to sign three and Joanna frowned. "So you were awake. You bastard! How could you not tell me?" She slapped his arms that made George confused, "I thought you knew! You heard him as much as I did." He defends.

"The nightmare's back." She adds and he hummed again chewing into his food.

"Can you stop eating for a while! This is serious. We need to make an appointment with Sarah. He needs to go back to therapy." Joanna suggest that made George groaned.

"Talk to him first before you book him another therapy. You know he hated talking about it and he hated that you do things behind his back." George warned her and Joanna finally retorts back into her seat.

The rest of the night was silent. Joanna and George retired from their reading and headed back into their room not without checking on Henry before bed. Henry is still asleep, but now on his side. But the silence never actually last longer than they thought.

Around three in the morning, they heard it. The same noise they heard each night but tonight, its louder. More urgent and made George and her jumped from the bed and rushed towards Henry's bedroom.

"Henry!" George called as soon as he barged into the room and found him trashing on the bed. His whole body is soaked in sweats, eyes tightly shuts creating crinkled around the corner and his jaw clenched so hard, they thought he was having a seizure.

"Henry? Hey, hey. It's okay." George immediately rushed to his side to hold him down from trashing around under the blanket that's now pushed over his legs.

"Alex. Please. Please. Don't go. Don't leave." He muttered over and over still not fully awake.

"Henry you need to wake up sweetheart. Opened your eyes." Joanna whispered next to him on the opposite side, brushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead.

"Alex. Please. Please don't leave me." He muttered again that made Joanna and George exchanged glances. Eventually Henry jolted, screaming at the top of his lungs for Alex's name as he reached his arms out like he was catching him.

He finally woken up from his nightmare, with both George and Joanna by his side that made him broke down in tears. Joanna let him falls into her shoulder, shuddering in broken sobs, clutching her small body closed to his as he wept.

.

Henry couldn't get that dream out of his mind. It was the same one repeating over and over and Alex's voice still echoing in his mind.

"Don't trust 'em."

"Here." Joanna handed him a glass of warm chamomile tea into his shaky hands. The tea almost spilled over his hand but Joanna was quick to help him. The cup rattles over the saucer as Henry took a sip.

"Henry you need to tell us. If you keep it bottling up like this, you're gonna explode." George tries to reason as he laid back against the pillow. His throat bobbed up and down as he stares into the space before him.

"I don't know what's going on with me. And I'm scared." Henry says, voice whimpering with his lips trembled.

"We are right here Hen. You have nothing to be scared off." Joanna reassured him, softly placed her palm over Henry's shaky hands.

"I keep dreaming about him. Despite all the people, why him? Why Alex? He was warning me. He was telling me not to trust them. I don't know who's them. I don't know whether Alex is safe or not." He starts rambling finally letting tear falls on his cheek.

"You were scared of Alex's warning?" Joanna asks silently but Henry shook his head at her. He glanced to his side, tears filling his reddened eyes before he told her.

"I'm scared that he's the one whose not safe." He stared into her eyes, although dark but he could see the dark shades of her brown deepened. Her hands clutching tighter over Henry's shaking one, easing the terror with her motherly touch.

They couldn't possibly say anything else that would comfort Henry at this point. They don't know how much closer Henry felt to Alex after all these years through his dreams and it scares him. They sat by his bed, finger clinking into each other on each side, letting Henry lay in that bed that brought a lot of memories of hands holding in the dark once upon a time ago.

Colin never knew how much their lives changed after he died but they didn't expect that the resemblance he shares with Henry and the fact that they could relived the moments they had with their son with Henry. They took this moment as an opportunity to heal their hearts by loving others. So they stayed by his side, watching him slowly falls back asleep no matter how much he fought to stay awake. But they stayed not for that reason, they stayed so Henry would feel safe in case he had another nightmare.

But thankfully he didn't.

The next morning they all woke up, surprisingly to find Henry already up in the kitchen, baking. They were shocked by his energy and his focused on making the batches ready for the run this afternoon. It's Sunday morning and they would usually sleep in cause they wont have to go for work. But due to the marathon event, Joanna planned to wake up early so she could help Henry with the baked. But she was too late.

"Morning." Joanna called, surprised to see Henry is already placing lots of fresh cupcakes over the counter and two pies on the side with three trays of brownies fresh from the oven. They wonder how the smell or the sound of Henry's making the batch didn't wake them up. But yet again, they were staying up pretty late last night.

"Morning." Henry says lowly, eyes still focused, layering the chocolate over the top before sprinkling some mashed pistachio over the top. His wrist is all taped up under the wrist braced to help controlling his movements and from pain.

"I need your help frosting the cupcakes. My wrist is sore right now." Henry says without looking up from cleaning the smudge white chocolate on the edge.

"Henry?" George called, eyes carefully studying his demeanor as he stepped closer. "Do you want to talk about last night?" He asks and Henry sighed, exhaling his breath before dumping the tray into the sink to clean.

"I would appreciate it if we never brought up last night." Henry warned them, hands still scrubbing the tray roughly before George pulled him away from the sink.

"We have to talk about it. You are barely sleeping Henry." He tried to reason pulling Henry towards the seat and sat himself down next to him.

"How about we go back to therapy? Talk to Sarah?" Joanna suggested that made Henry sighed. He was quiet for a second before he eventually nodded. "After this week." Henry told her and she smiled, cupping her palm over Henry's cheek.

"So proud of you darling." She whispered pressing her lips over the side of Henry's temple. They didn't argue over the fact that Henry didn't declined or protest the idea of going back to therapy which means the situation is that bad for him.

George made breakfast while Joanna finished up making the cupcakes frosting that consist of chocolate, red velvet and creamy vanilla. Henry caught George steals one cupcakes into his mouth before he got ready. He decides since Henry is not running this year, he gave up that idea to go on a run with Hayden and decides to volunteer for medic.

He knows that he is a vet but he was a doctor before and he still practice simple injuries whenever he can so he volunteered to help at the medic booth while Joanna and Henry sells their bakes at the fair which is located at the end of the race right in the middle of the town. They would blocked the streets so no car would be able to enter or passes for the runners. Perks of being a small town, no cars would passed by much.

By eight, they already left the house, trays of bake goods safely secured in the back of the truck, tied to a corner with a foldable wagon for them to carry it into town since they couldn't park their car by the booth.

George parked the truck at the parking lot after dropping off Henry and Joanna while they ready to prepare their booth for the townsfolk.

Henry glad that his booth got the best crowd that bought their sell goods. The money is for the charity that made Henry felt even happier when they spare him with more tips and no changed back.

The run ended around one in the afternoon being the last runner approached back to town. Luckily no one was injured this years and from far, he could see Hayden and George walking side by side with a runner medal wrapped around his neck. George doesn't seems to be happy walking next to him that made Henry frowned.

"He's here to apologize." George says before Henry could say anything and Hayden look rather apologetic at the moment but Henry rolled his eyes at him with a smile. Hayden took that as a clue that he was forgiven although Henry didn't say anything.

"I won." He says happily, wrapping his arms around Henry's waist and out of nowhere, pressing a kiss over Henry's cheek. "For you baby." He says handed Henry his medal that he took shyly trying to avoid the customer's eyes cooing over the fact that Hayden just kissed him in front of the crowd.

"Okay Romeo, back off. I want my pie!" George pulled Hayden harshly away from Henry and separated them with his large body. Henry thanked him gratefully tossing the medal into the basket before he went back to the customers.

Hayden stick around with them, enjoying the slice of pecan pie made by Henry, later handed a fifty dollars bill for Henry and told him to keep the rest. Henry thanked him, smiling sincerely although deep down he felt awkward by his sweet gesture.

The booth caught a lot of attention and one of the ladies told Joanna that they loved the pies and the brownies. She told them it was all Henry and couldn't take credit for what he did. Some of them slipped their business cards for Henry to book for his service but he mentioned that his service is quite limited due to his old injury.

Henry watched as the crowd filled their bucket of tips and reaching their goals for the charity. They all looks so happy to see Henry with both Joanna and George, teasing each other to no end especially when George told them a funny story about certain golden retriever back in his clinic that made Henry laughs.

But good moments never lasted with Henry and he knew it was too good to be true. He couldn't be bothered by the crowd around but something in between those crowds made his heart pounded. The certain familiar scent caught his senses that made his breath hitched and his heart stammering. His palm immediately crossed over his chest, lightly brushes over the fabric of his deep dark purple shirts to ease his heart from pounding.

"Henry?" George noticed the silent stare and the rapid breathing when he pulled Henry from the crowd and settled him down on a chair before handing him a bottle of water.

"Drink." He instructed pushing the bottle over his lips when Henry finally snapped out of his thoughts. "Sorry." He muttered, handing him back the bottle.

"Do I need to take you to a hospital to check Hen?" He asks as he crouched down by his knees. Henry shook his head at him, eyebrows still furrowed. "N-No. Its just- I thought I smell something." He says hiding the fact that he was too familiar with that scent only he can't prove whether he is right.

"What? Sweat and grease?" George asks that made Henry chuckled softly.

"No. No not that. Uhm- nothing. Just forget about it. I'm probably just tired." He says as he stood and headed back to the booth helping Joanna dealing with yet another customers. Hayden finally had taken his interest in a different booth, thankfully leaving Henry alone.

The crowd began to dissipate and their table began to hollow from the finished item and left out only few cupcakes and few slices of brownies that Joanna had it packed readily for anyone to buy.

Henry was packing the stuff into their wagon when a small voice calls his attention. "Sir."

One girl approached their booth that caught Henry's attention. She was wearing a pink ruffles dress with small yellow flowers over the lower skirt. Her blonde hair is tight into a high bun with a pink ribbon wrapped into a bow. But it wasn't the pink bow or the dress that caught his attention. But rather her blonde hair had pink streaks in between from dye.

"Hi sweetheart. I love your hair." Henry compliments her that made her giggled.

"He told me you would love the hair. He said it looked like Pez." Henry's face falls when she mentioned that name that made his breath caught in his throat. Her fingers twirled around the tip of her hair while Henry's eyes searched around the crowd looking for clues.

"His sweetie. What do you want?" Joanna came by his side when she saw him talking to the girl but Henry stood frozen staring at the crowd, ignoring her orders.

"A guy gave me this to give it to you guys and said I can have anything. Can I have the cupcakes. The red one?" She asks and Joanna took the folded paper from her hand. She flipped the paper opened to reveal a check that contains too much zero in one line.

"Oh dear." She cupped her mouth with her palm that caught George's attention. "What?" George asks and saw the number written over the paper with smiled formed over their lips. "Who gave this to you?" Henry asks as he read the cheque with unfamiliar signature that disproven his theory. He couldn't recognize the signature nor there isn't any name written except it was for the children charity.

"He said its a secret Santa." She took the cupcakes from Joanna's hand. "It's October." Henry says with a stern voice but the girl shrugged before running away from him.

"Henry? What's wrong?" Joanna asks when she caught him spiraling, heads searching through the crowds for something or rather someone. "Henry, stopped. You'e spiraling." George grabbed him by his shoulder stopping him from falling when his breathing became heavier. "Someone here knows about me. I- I want to go home."

That was the only thing needed for George to hear and nodded before grabbing the rest of the stuffs and placed it inside the wagon. Joanna didn't question either and decides to gave out the remaining pastries left to the passerby.

"I need to hand the money to the event coordinator." Joanna says and George nodded as they climbed into the truck with Henry at the back seat, shaking.

Joanna apologized for the sudden abrupt of their departure and claimed Henry is not well and they need to head home as soon as possible. They felt sorry but didn't questioned anything else when Joanna handed them the cheque that was given by a complete stranger that made them jumped in happiness.

"Finally we can get the ECMO machine!" One of the coordinator is a hospital ICU nurse that had gone through the budget. They needed the charity to buy more devices in helping these children to survive and one of it being an ECMO machine. She left her in her excitement and was glad they helped since their booth seems to reach their goal but she needs to head home immediately for Henry's sake.

The ride back home was intense and they kept checking on Henry at the back seat but he only kept his gaze towards the window biting the dry skin on his lower lips. Something that he did when he was nervous.

The minute the car came into a halt, Henry literally jumped out and ran straight inside. Joanna and George couldn't be bothered by the stuffs inside the trunk when they too rushed to follow Henry inside.

They caught Henry by the living room, sitting on the couch with his hands buried into his hair. His knees bounced repeatedly on the floor with his chest panting in his breaths.

"Henry I don't understand. What do you mean someone knew you?" Joanna asks taking her seat next to him on the couch while George stood before them, separated by the large coffee table between them.

"That girl said, a guy told her that I would love her hair because I used to have a friend that shares the same hair as her." He says slowly, trying to breathe through his words. His hands are lowered over his laps but his knees still bounced heavily on the floor.

"Well maybe they both knew each other. Your friend and that guy." George explained that made Henry lifted his gaze sharply at him.

"Unless the guy is grim reaper, they can't be. Because he is dead." Henry's words struck them both in shock and Joanna glanced over her husband with that worried gaze. They wanted to press for more questions but they knew its useless in Henry's progress and Sarah often said to let him opened up instead of forcing the words out of him.

They all sat by the dining table once he finally calmed down. Henry holding the cup of steaming hot tea in his hand while George had a glass of whiskey in his. They're glad that Henry didn't drink and refused to cloud his mind with alcohol.

"His name is Pez, short for Percy." Henry starts staring at the bubbles twirling around his drinks. He promised both of them an explanation and they deserved it, after everything.

"He called me Hazza. We went to Eton together, that's how we met. But after graduation he had to go back to Australia for their family business." Henry caught George gasped when he mentioned Eton. "You went to Eton?" He asks and Henry nodded.

"All my family are. My dad, my brother, I think my grandad as well. They didn't talk much about him." He continued that made George poured himself another drink. "So you're family is like old money rich?" He asks and Henry sighed.

"Money that my brother spent for my confinement and illegal activities making me an experiment for their pleasure." Henry stated that made George pressed his lips tight, regretting his words. "Pez was the one that helped me escaped. He bribed one of the janitor to give me a note and leave the door opened for me to run. He waited by the riverbanks as I swam to him." Henry memories of that night still fresh in his mind. The coldness he felt, the fear for getting caught, the hunger from them keeping him starved so he won't run but his spirit and determination that made him go forth for his escaped.

He didn't remember how many times he wanted to quit and let himself sunk at the bottom of that river. But the thought of Pez waiting for him made him pushed himself forward.

"Pez gave me new identity, passport and visa for my new life." Henry's voice starting to break. His throat bobbed with trembling lips. "He was there when my parents died. He was there to help me escaped." Henry continues, voice breaking.

"But I was not there when he died." Henry burst into tears, feeling Joanna's soft comforting hands rubbing his back. "I never get to thank him for everything he did." He sobbed, eyes lowered with tears falling over his lap.

"What happened to him?" She asks.

"My brother found out about me escaping and knew exactly who helped me. So he hunt him down and killed him." Tears breaking from Henry's eyes, flowing through his cheek as he stares into his mug.

"The last thing he'd ever said to me was- maybe in a different life Hen. Where it was better for me, happier, and he get to see me smile again. I never thought it would be the last time I saw him. I never should have broke out from there, I never should have escaped or Percy would still be alive." Henry broke down, breaking into sobs as he cried harder into his palm.

"Henry we talked about this. It is never your fault. Those people that helped you are the reason why God led you to us. To heal others that couldn't." George quoted Henry's therapist when they had a session together to let Henry embrace his reason of living.

"But then who is this person and how does he knows about Percy?" Henry asks, wiping the tears off with his sleeves.

"Maybe its not a threat, its genuine person who knows about you and Percy." Joanna tries to explain. But before Henry could say anything else, George's phone buzzed from his pocket. He sighed, pulled the phone out and answered.

"Yep. Shit. I forgot. I'll be right there." George says before ending the call that caught Henry and Joanna's attention.

"What is it?" Henry asks and George began to gather his things, coat, keys into his pocket. "I uh- I promised the Robertson to have a look at their calf. He said it might stepped on a nail or something, he's limping." He says and Henry was ready to follow him. "No. Henry. Stay. You need to rest. After today I don't think you should go anywhere alone. Just until we find out who is that person." He suggested and Henry nodded.

Joanna couldn't agree more and watched as her husband walked out of their home with Henry still hunching over the dining table next to her.

"You barely eats anything. Want me to make you something? Toast perhaps?" She asks knowing Henry won't bother to eat much. He shook his head lightly, thanking her before excusing himself to his bedroom.

Joanna watched as Henry walked out of the dining room, taking his steps slowly as he walked into his bedroom and the door clicked shut after entered. Once again the house fell silence again and Joanna is left alone with her thoughts.

.

"Shaan I'm telling you its a sign. Maybe I shouldn't be here." Alex drove out of the airport headed towards a town on a map that they had discussed about the possibility of Henry being there.

"You gave up already?" Shaan's voice echoed through the speaker as Alex tries to navigate the drive. His eyes searching through the sign so he won't miss his exit - again.

"Well the airline lost my luggage, the car rental had nothing else other than this cheap ass Honda for me. Barely even had gas in it! And I lost my exit, AGAIN!" He yelled out of frustration that later he heard Shaan's chuckling on the other side.

"Maybe you should focus on driving rather than yelling." Zahra interrupts and later a soft giggled followed behind her voice.

"Ellie stay out of this. Or I won't bring you back your present." Alex says with a smirk that later a rustling sound breaks through the speaker.

"I'm sowwy uncle Awex." Her apologies wasn't exactly sincere when she tries to be cute but it made Alex's day by hearing her voice. "Opened you camera. Let me pulled over." He says and pulled over the side and grabbed the phone when he saw her.

Hairs curls in a mess practically falling over her face. Her face is covered with stickers and when he looked, so does Shaan behind her.

"What you doing Elle?" He asks and she giggle again.

"We're making daddy pwetty." She said without focusing on him.

"I can see that. Really pretty." He says smirking into the camera that earned him a glared from Shaan.

"Alex?" Zahra called, grabbing the phone and this time only her face focused on the screen. "What Zar?" He asks tiredly rubbing the side of his neck that now sore from the flights. He swore he would never fly commercially anymore and make used of his private jet however frequent he wanted too.

"Don't give up. There's a reason why you're on this quest. Bring him home alright?" She smile at the camera and Alex stares at the road ahead.

"What if he doesn't want to Zar? What if he found someone, maybe he's already falling for someone else." Alex tries not to think so hard about Henry with another person. The idea of someone had him instead of Alex made his heart breaks in pieces.

"We don't know yet. Keep holding on to the hope. I'm rooting for you both." Zahra encouraged him that made him smiled. He nodded exhaling another breath before he spoke again. "Alright. Wish me luck. I need to go. I needs the maps. I'll talk to you soon. Bye ya'll, bye Elle. Blew me a kiss." Alex told her and she did but then went back to painting Shaan's eyes with her fake makeup set that he bought for her.

He smiled as the call ended and the picture of him and Elle wrapped in each other's arms with her smiling at the camera from getting tickled. He smiled and wonder in between those photos would someday be him and Henry holding Elle or perhaps a kid they both would adopt.

He shook those thoughts and immediately pulled back into the road and headed straight to the town called Forest Town.

The ride took him almost half an hour but he needed to stop for gas so it took him about forty minutes driving under speed limit with little than usual traffic compared to New York. The minute he arrived, the town began to make sense to him if ever he wanted to retire and stay somewhere quieter, lesser people, this would be perfect.

But the moment he got into tow, the road was closed and there is people walking around in the middle of the streets with banners and same colored shirt. "What the fuck?" He cursed, couldn't get through the town like he hoped.

Alex decides to park his car and walked into the town himself. He questioned his choice in wearing his designer shoes while the ground is wet. He had his white undershirt with a grayish sweater on top. His black pants covers right at his ankle revealing his Oxford leather shoes. His outfit screams money while the townsfolk's just stares down at him for dressing such way while they are practically in flannel or puffer jackets and knitted sweaters.

"Excuse me." Alex stopped one of the townsfolk's that was walking into the heavy crowd wearing a bip over her stomach and knew immediately she is participating in a race.

"What is going on here? How do I pass through?" He asks and the girl gave him a look, eyeing him up and down as he waits.

"Uh, you must not be from around here aren't ya?" She asks and Alex smiled, forcefully.

"We are having a charity marathon for raising money for the cancer children at the hospital. If you are not running, please help and donate at the fair. Its right through this road at the finished line." She pointed at the crowd walking towards a large banner.

"You didn't answer me. How do I get through?" He asks and she was getting annoyed by his questions. "In case you haven't noticed, this event will take place until late this evening. So you're stuck here buddy." She says before disappearing into the crowd leaving Alex stood there clueless.

"What are the odds you are here Hen?" He whispered as he walked further into the crowd and enjoyed each of their booths.

Few of them sells honey made from their own hives, some fresh goat milk from their own farm. Scented soap and candles made by their own. Alex figures that this small town earned mostly from their own earning, home made.

He smiled at the florist selling flowers, variety of them that caught his eyes. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a hundred dollar bill and surprise caught her face.

"Thank you sir. Which one would you like?" She asks eagerly at him.

"Just give it to someone special to you." He says with a winked that made her melt. She kept repeating thank you to him from the back and Alex smiled when a smallest token of kindness made her day.

He walked further into the town street, surveying stuffs that they sell to raise money and Alex had given out money from his pocket like it was papers. Until he turned one corner towards the food booths and spotted him. Their booth had a large crowds, right by the end of the street when Alex saw him.

He stood about a few meters away from him, watching him entertaining the old women that came to his booth, wearing that deep shades of purple top that brought his pale skin even lighter. His hair is different, combed neatly on the side with a stray falls on his forehead but that blonde hair still like he used to remember. Alex still remembers running his fingers through those strands and the scent of it caused his breath hitched.

Alex had let out his hair a little longer but before he came here, he had it cut a little just so he won't need to tie it up but his hair came out shaggy and curls at the end. His beard are trimmed, leaving chiseled on the skin compared to his youth where he would have it shaven clean. He wonders if Henry would like his new looks or would he finds it annoying about how scruffy his jaw would feel when they hug or kiss.

Would they kiss? Does he wanted to kiss him again? Does he allowed to kiss him? The words spiraling inside his mind when he realized Henry was approached by two guy. An older gentleman but sharp looking with a younger one, almost his age, eagerly smiling towards him.

The minute they got closer and talked Alex watched as he wrapped his arms around Henry, before pressing a kiss over his cheek. Henry didn't push him away, didn't rejected him and instead, he smiled.

That made everything inside Alex crashing down like a Berlin Wall. His heart pounding in his chest and he never thought he would feel this type of pain in his entire life. He thought losing Henry or getting shot would be painful, but this, this is worst.

Worst of it all is that he saw how happy Henry was standing in that booth surrounded by those people. The couple besides him seems lovely and one of them said something that made Henry smiled that gummy smile he missed so fucking much.

He didn't realized a tear started to build in his eyes as he pulled away from the crowd trying his best not to watch Henry although his body felt rigid and insisting to march towards him and dragged his ass home. But he was too late.

He pulled out his phone as he stepped into the alley, making sure no one is around when he called the first number.

Zahra picked up within two ring with that usual tone she always carries in her voice.

"What?" She asks.

"This is a mistake." Alex sobs cupping his brows before he heard rustling.

"You found him." She says and Alex nodded even though he knows Zahra couldn't see him.

"He met someone. Looks like a happy couple to me." He says, laughing at the irony of this when he knew for a fact that its a chance.

"Maybe they're only friends. Asks around. Don't give up just yet." She hinted, but Alex already shaking his head denying her suggestions.

"He looks happy Zar. Happier than I had known him. I don't want to ruin that." His voice breaks and silence from the other end before she sighed.

"Are you sure you want to give up. You come all the way, maybe you just talk and see. Maybe he still loves you and you guys could still have a chance." Zahra tried to reason with him but Alex stares at the crowd walking passed him ignoring him.

"I don't want to be a complication in his life Zar. He deserves this. He needed this. I don't want to make things hard for him." He explained and Zahra clicked her tongue at him.

"Alex Claremont-Diaz." She called his name with that tone he disliked meant that he is in trouble each time she called him in his full name.

"You don't quit. You'd never quit. Don't tell me you giving up just because he had ONE kiss from a guy? Or the fact that he looks happy? Don't you deserve happiness too? You didn't quit when June went missing for a decade and I didn't see you ditch your plan when people told you she died. You don't give me that bullshit saying Henry deserves better. You are too and for now, it may looks bad but if you didn't chase your man, you don't come back to New York and whined to me and Shaan about it. Nor my daughter and pretended to be sad when you had a chance to make a difference."

"You hear me?!" She yelled through the speaker and Alex had to pull away for a second before he answered her. "Yeah. I hear you. Thank you Zar." He replied and heard rustling behind but before he could asks, she ended the call rather swiftly saying something that Elle did a mess and she needs to clean up.

Alex took a breath, inhaling the cold crisp air before exhaling with his eyes closed and thought that he would have have to make a decision whether or not to stay but the moment he went back to the booth, Henry wasn't there and disappointment hits him.

But minutes later he saw him, walking back to the booth, skin pale that made him look like he was still sickly after all these years and hoped he was alright.

Alex didn't realized he was still standing at that corner for hours, staring at Henry when an idea hits him. Maybe he won't make an appearance just yet, maybe a hint that would make their reunion a lot more epic than just showed up in front of him.

He spotted a girl, walking alone probably around eleven or twelve years before he stopped her. She was wearing a theme pink for the day and smiled when he saw the streaked of pink in her hair.

"Hey little girl. Can I ask a favor?" He asks and she stopped to turn immediately.

"I need you to give this to that desserts booth there. You see that guy in purple shirt." He pointed at Henry and she smiled, nodding back.

Its a charity event and it made sense if he donated something. But when he opened his wallet, the dollar bills is not enough for him to donate a large amount due to his generous act earlier and grabbed a fifty dollar bill before he pulled out his cheque book that he carried everywhere.

Its a habit of him to carry it whenever he saw some small business that needed help, he would spend his never ending wealth for small favors like this.

He written the amount that he would think suffice before his hand stopped over the signature. Henry would recognized his signature and immediately knows it was him. So he signed it, a different ways just so Henry won't be able to recognize it but still valid for the cheque to be cleared.

"Here. Give this to that guy in purple, only to him. No one else." He warned her and she looked up before handed her the fifty bucks that made her smile. "Tell him that I knew he would love your hair. Because he has a friend, his name is Pez that has the same hair like this." Alex says and hoped she would get all of that.

"Pez as in the candy?" She asks shoving the fifty into her pocket. Alex smiled nodding, "Yeah, just like the candy." He watched as she hopped her way towards the booth and gave Henry the folded paper before his face dropped. His eyes searched the crowd and Alex had to hide behind the corner so he won't spot him but smirked at the fact he got under his skin.

He could see it bothers him cause he knows how much Pez meant to Henry. He remembers every details about his death when Henry told him his bastard of a brother had him killed. He never met Percy but Alex found a photo of him, a philanthropist based in Australia with that wild crazy pink hair that made Alex understood him.

He was the light in Henry's life when he needed him and losing Pez shattered Henry in pieces. He never wanted to see that in him but he needed to make his appearance so Henry would appreciate it more when he saw him.

He watched as the couple around him starts packing their stuffs and walked away from the booth and wonder if he went too far. Henry seems sick from what he did and regretted his plan immediately.

"Oh God don't let me messed this up. Please." He whispered but knew it was too good to be true. He wanted to chase them but they were good at being discreet and immediately disappeared into nowhere Alex could find.

Alex walked over the empty booth and wondered if he went too far when someone interrupts him from his thought. "Would you like a strawberry sir?" A girl asks holding out a cup of strawberry for Alex that made him smile.

"I'll buy the strawberry if you would tell me what happened to this booth?" He asks, pointing at the empty abandoned booth next the her.

"Oh the Harrington? They left. I think Henry is not feeling very well." She says taking the money from Alex's hand. "So you know them?" He asks.

"The Harrington? My whole life. They had a son once. Died pretty young. I was a senior when he died. I didn't think he even finished high school." The girl explained that made Alex's heart swell with emotion. "And Henry?" He asks.

"He came to town four years ago, been living with them since. They said he's a family friend but I think Henry is like their son now. He helped them heal more than the rest of us could help. Especially Joanna." She elaborates further and Alex wonders if she ever going to stop spilling other's secrets.

"Joanna?" Alex asks.

"Joanna and George Harrington. They sort of like Henry's parents right now. I think Henry had some issues when he came to town, something about his past. I don't know much but Henry is a nice guy and he made them happy again." The girl finished telling her story and Alex smiled grew. It was nice to know that someone else finds Henry's special traits despite being repeatedly abused by his kindness.

"Do you know where they lived? I like to pay some respects for their son." Alex lied but she paused for a bit to handle another customer.

"Uhm- they lived a bit far than most town owners here. I don't think I should share that information but you are welcome to see them here. George own a pet clinic and Joanna has a book cafe just right at the corner." She pointed at the streets where their store located not far from each other.

"Thank you." Alex says, putting another fifty dollars into the jar for her tip and she thanked him before he walked away.

Alex decides to walk around further before he decides to go for a drive. He didn't realized he was driving through a long road when the car starts making a sputtering sound and suddenly, out of no reason, his engine dies.

"What the hell?" He asks, swerving the car to the side of the road before turning on the hazard lights on. The car is fully dead now and doesn't matter how many times he tries to start, it won't budge.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" He yelled, slamming on the steering wheel before pulling out his phone.

"Yo. What's up?" Cash's voice sounded in rush and he could hear the sound of fake toy piano in the background. "Can we talk?" He asks and Cash was yelling at his son for a second before he returned.

"Yep. What is it?" He asks and Alex couldn't hide the smirk on his face.

"Regretting his birthday present already?" He asks and Cash groaned.

"I'm at the edge right now. Whoever thinks that this is not annoying, he is definitely tone deaf cause I can't get that ringing out of my ear." Cash explained, tired clearly stated in his voice.

"Do you know anything about fixing car?" Alex asks that made Cash wondered. "I do but I need to be there to know what's going on. Why didn't your driver just call someone? They get your car towed and fixed." He says assuming that he might be in New York.

"I'm not in New York." He stated that made him gasped.

"What? Where are you?" He asks.

"Portland." Cash gasped again. "What the hell are you doing in Portland?" He asks.

"I will tell you later. I need to sort this out first before I froze my tits off. Talk to you later. Say hi to Cassie for me." He says before ended the call ignoring Cash wanting to ask further questions.

He tried looking for the number for him to call a tow from his phone when his battery alarmed him that he had one percent left for him to charge and within seconds later, his phone screen died.

"Perfect!" He says almost throwing his phone into the empty field surrounded him. There was practically empty road with endless fields around him with no source of living around him to call for help. So he sat by the side, risking his expensive clothes to get dirty while the cold wind began to send chills down his spine. The sky is darker now which means its going to be dark waiting out here and Alex hoped someone would eventually passed by this road soon.

Just in time, he heard a truck from a mile away and immediately stood, arms flailing to grab the drivers attention. "Thank God." He muttered when the truck slowed down next to him and Alex felt something familiar about him.

"What happened?" The guy asks after he stopped and saw Alex's car in parked on the side of the road. "I don't have any idea. I need help. My phone is dead and I can't called for a tow." The guy might have seen his teeth chattering that made him sighed.

"Get in. I'll drove you to my house, you can charge your phone and called for a tow from there." He says offering Alex a ride but he didn't felt safe riding with a stranger in the middle of nowhere.

"I was thinking maybe I could borrow your phone instead and I can wait here till the tow comes." Alex offered but the guy snorted back at him.

"Son. By the time the tow came in to drag your ass back to town, your leather shoes would have turned into glass. Get in, its going to get colder. My wife made dinner." He stated and Alex smiled, appreciatively at his offer. He grabbed his stuffs from the car, tuning off the key and since the airline lost his luggage, he had no other bags to carry before sliding into the truck.

"George." He handed his palm for Alex as soon as he climbed into his truck. Alex contemplates, the possibility of him being the same George he might knew related to Henry and whether or not this is a good idea to go home with him.

"Uhm- Alex." He says and he could see the look on his face dropped immediately at the mention of his name.

The whole ride back to his home is completely silent and he could see that George wanted to ask him more question but chose not too, same goes with him. So the whole ride they both sat in silence, contemplating in each other's mind.

The ride was almost twenty minutes long and Alex was glad when they finally arrived, the sun just sets and his house was the only thing that lit up among the darkness.

"Come in. I'll introduce you to the rest of the family." He says walking ahead of him and Alex had to stop to admire the house. It was single house surrounded by nothing but tall trees, a far end corner had a small shed made up of wood.

"Come on." He says pushing the door opened and Alex still standing by the car admiring the small house.

"I'll be right behind you." He says walking into the house with his whole body shaking in anxiety. He tried to hide his trembling fingers and kept telling himself, it's not them. Henry is not here, he won't be here. This is a different family.

.

"Hey honey." Joanna greeted him as soon as George walked in as she prepared dinner over the table. "We might need to prepare another plate. We have a guest." He says putting the coat in the closet wondering why the boy still outside.

"Oh. Who?" She asks setting another plate when George realized Henry is not around. "Where's Henry?" He asks and just in time, the guy walked in, wearing that shy smile over his face that made Joanna stunt.

"Oh my. Who might you be?" She asks and the boy smiles awkwardly at her. But before he could introduced himself, Henry walked in with a messy hair and caught George standing between Joanna hiding someone behind him.

"What's up?" Henry asks when they stared at him and George finally moves away from shielding the guy behind him with his height that made Henry felt his stomach being gutted in a hundred different ways.

His breath hitched, throat tightened at the image of a person that he hasn't seen in four years looking exactly like in his dream. The spitting image, clear as days and he felt like he walked into his nightmare.

"Alex?" He whispered that caught both Joanna and George's attention.

"Wait what?" They both asks simultaneously glancing between them both.

"Hi Hen." The guy's voice was small, almost as if he was afraid to even speak but their eyes never left each other.

They watched as Henry's eyes rolled back before they could even process what happened, he falls right there between them but the guy is ready to catch him.

"Henry!" Joanna screamed his name as he fell unconscious into the guy's arms.

A/N: Fucking finally.