Dereck's Pov:

I felt a splash of cold and wet and jerked up in response. My head was throbbing and my mind felt foggy and sluggish.

It took me a second to register that Mitch and Jared were standing by my bed staring anxiously at me, the rooms little trash cans dangling from each of their hands. I turned to my left and saw Vin with tears in his eyes watching me like I'd just grown another f*ckin head.

I turned back to my two best friends and glared. "That is so not sanitary. If I get some weird disease I'll lick both of your faces and give that shit to you." I growled dropping back onto the bed.

Jared and Mitch sat down on the other side of me. "Did you take anything? Do we need to call the hospital to have your stomach pumped? If you tried to kill yourself-" Mitch interrupted Jared's concerned questioning.

"I'll kick your f*ckin ass! How could you be so god damn stupid and selfish?" He hissed.

Before I could say anything in my defense Vin spoke up. "He didn't take anything. Can you guys give us a minute please?"

Mitch snorted. "Why? It's not like waiting outside is gonna give you much privacy."

"Then go to the damn vending machine and get him a something to eat and drink." Vin snapped back.

Jared grabbed Mitch's arm and began dragging him out. "Get him dressed so his body temp will raise and level out." He called as he walked out of sight.

Vin moved to hug me but I shrugged off his hold and gingerly stood up. He moved to assist me but a raised my hand in warning.

I walked slowly to the closet and grabbed some clothes out of the bag I had the concierge buy for me the other day.

I dropped the towel and dressed mechanically. "Sorry you guys got worried. I didn't mean to add anymore stress to everyone with all that's going on. Go home Vin and take care of Sams." I said quietly praying my voice didn't break.

He was here now because he was worried but not because he wanted me back. All that crap he spouted in the bathroom was because he was freaking out that I was at deaths door or something equally dramatic.

I wasn't. I'm fine. Heartbroken and exhausted but living so I guess that qualifies as fine.

I felt his arms slip around me from behind and even though I tried to shrug him off his tight grip didn't waver. Instead it tightened and pulled me closer, not a centimeter of space between us.

"I swear I didn't mean any of that. Please come home Dare. I.. it's not home without you. Just an empty house that holds all my best memories. Even with everyone there it's empty without you..... I'm so sorry baby. I know it's unfair to ask but I need you home with me. I... I..can't...My life isn't a life without you in it. I can make it through a lot of things but losing you will kill me. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I lashed out at you and it was wrong and uncalled for and I swear I'll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you." He pleaded.

I sighed and leaned my head back against his shoulder. "But it was all true. If I hadn't bought those spa day tickets she would have been back in the south of France instead of here where your... Where Peter could hurt her. I basically killed her, just like I basically killed mom and dad. If I hadn't joked with dad he wouldn't have turned around to smart back at me and the wreck wouldn't have happened."

He spun me around and slapped me, crushed me in a hug and then took my breath away in a soul stealing heart wrenching tender kiss. He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

"Listen to me and listen damn good Dereck Eugene Smith. You're parents accident was just that. An accident and you were no way at fault. Even if you were joking with your dad. He was a grown ass man and had been driving for the better part of 25 years. He knew the rules of the road. You can't blame yourself baby. Him and your mom just missed you so much and wanted to pack as many good memories into the short time they had with you. And I told you when you got the spa day tickets that it was a great idea and it was. I told you that I loved that you were trying to help the girls get closer. Baby they were open ended and could have been used anytime. She chose to stay because she wanted more time with everyone. It doesn't matter the when or why she was here. Peter would have just found another way. I swear NONE OF THAT WAS YOUR FAULT! You have no idea how lucky we all are to have you in our lives. You're like the sun and we all gravitate and revolve around you. For your warmth, brightness and goodness."

He pulled me to him in another hug and my eyes widened. I pushed back. "What the hell Vin?!?" I yelled. "What did you do to my god damn door?"

He smirked a little and shrugged. "Which one?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vincent's Pov:

After I'd said everything I could see a bit of the old spark coming back into his eyes. I pulled him back into a hug because I couldn't believe I'd done that. I'd made him truly believe that bullshit because I was freaking out and lashed out unthinking at him.

He pushed me back and I felt my knees go weak. Please. He has to forgive me. Without Dare there is no me. Before I could break down he was yelling and I'd never been so happy in my life. He was back and he was bitching at me and even given the shitty circumstances I was happy.

"What the hell Vin?!? What did you do to my god damn door?"

I had my Dare back. I smirked and shrugged knowing it would piss him off more and that fire in his eyes would blaze. So much better then the blank emotionless look he had when I got here.

"Which one?" I asked innocently.

"Which one? Wha-" He'd turned and looked at the bathroom door. "Are you freakin kidding me? Why the hell did you break down two doors in my suite? What the hell were you thinking?" He yelled.

I pulled him to me and grinned. "That I wanted my man back and nothing was gonna stand in my way." I cooed and his blush made my heart flutter. A feeling I've missed so much these last three days. It felt so much longer.

"You think that was smooth don't you? Well... it was a little. But still, they're never gonna let me stay here again!" He whined.

I kissed his cheek at the corner of his mouth and spoke seriously once more. "I was worried about you and it doesn't matter cause you're coming home with me and you're never gonna need to stay at another hotel because I will never be so stupid again. I swear on everything that I will never say or do anything to hurt you again. You're my world Dereck and without you I can't.. I couldn't bare to ruin us. I love you baby and I'll never stop loving or needing you."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a proper kiss. It ended too quickly because our idiot best friends were clapping. We pulled away to see Mitch and Jared wiping fake tears away.

"That was so damn sweet! It's just like a soap opera." Mitch cooed.

Jared nodded. "I was so freakin awesome. It was like when Bella and Edward got back together after he left her cause he was worried about her-"

I rolled my eyes. "Are you guys sure you're not gay? Cause yeah my gay-dar just lit up to the max."

Dare smirked "Jared isn't gay he's just Mitch-sexual." He teased.

Jared and Mitch both blushed and flipped us off. "So anyway we told the front desk that we'd been trying to get hold of Dereck and were worried so we broke the door and that he was just taking a shower listening to his Ipod which is why he didn't hear when we call out for him and had to break down the bathroom door. Long story short, management has politely asked us to leave and will be mailing you the bill for repairs. So let's go." Mitch said turning to walk out.

Jared laughed. "More like management demanded us out of here in the next ten minutes or the cops are gonna get a call so beat your feet cause I happen to like my squeaky clean record."

Dare nodded tiredly and grabbed a shopping bag. His feet were dragging and he looked beat. I wrapped my arms around him and lifted him bridal style and carried him to the elevator the guys were holding for us.

He snuggled into me and sighed.

"Baby are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital or-" He placed his hand over my mouth and breathed deeply. His warm breath tickled my neck and I fought back a shiver.

"Just really tired. I haven't slept." He whispered.

Guilt ate at me and I knew, it was my fault. Between the nightmares about the accident and the shitty things I said I'd be surprised if he slept more then a few hours the entire time he was here.

"Just relax Dare, I've got you." I whispered.

He was already asleep and we haven't even hit the lobby floor yet. Oh well I didn't mind carrying him out. It was the least I could do. I tossed the keys to Mitch and climbed into the backseat of my truck cradling Dare to my chest.

"You're lucky he's so forgiving. If you had completely broke him I would have had to break your face and I don't know how our friendship would have survived that." Mitch said softly.

"Mitch relax, we know Vincent didn't mean whatever he said. We knew they'd work it out. Don't give him a hard time. It's normal to lose it when you lose someone you love." Jared said just as quietly.

I looked at Jared. "Nothing excuses what I said and I'll regret it forever. But I would have let Mitch break my face if Dare hadn't forgiven me. It wouldn't have mattered, nothing would have. Losing Dare would be the one thing that I couldn't bounce back from, ever."

We pulled into my driveway and I grimaced. The stupid media was still camped all over the damn yard and street.

"F*ck, they're gonna wake him up, or worse print pictures and some bullshit story about him in the papers. You know how he is about that kinda stuff. He's only cool being the center of attention when it's because I'm being... goofy." I hissed.

I was about to shake him awake so he could walk between me and the guys but Mitch and Jared grinned.

"Already thought about it and gotcha covered my man. Just gotta call Ariel and let her know we're here and to put her plan into motion. Give us about a minute and then you can probably make it to the front door with no problems." Mitch said as Jared smirked even bigger and nodded like a bobble head.

They texted Ariel and jumped out of the truck. Oh my gooodddd they are not.... I shook my head. Of course they are, they said it was Ariel's plan after all.

Jared and Mitch stripped down to absolutely nothing and strutted through the group of reporters and photographers. On their chest in black permanent marker it said.

"Ask me about my wiener and I'll slip it between your buns!"

On their back it said. "F*ck off! Give these people some privacy to grieve you blood sucking gutter rats!"

I silently opened my door and walked as quickly as I could around the edge of the media and towards my front door. It was left slightly open so I pushed through and laid Dare down on the couch before going back out and whistling so the morons I called friends could come inside before the cops got called.

My eyes widened at Ariel. She was butt ass naked and across her chest it said. "Enjoy jail! Photographing and video taping naked minors is considered child porn!"

On her Stomach she'd written. "I'm only 16 bitches!!"

On her ass she'd written "Don't drop the soap. They don't like pedos in prison"

All in blood red lipstick.

My whistle caught everyone's attention and the guys and Ariel sauntered back through the crowd and into the house. For once the gang of 'news reporters' were quiet. All of them staring shell shocked. I shrugged and flipped them off before slamming the door in their faces.

I turned around and rolled my eyes because they were giggling like retards. I crossed my arms and pinched the bridge of my nose. "You do realise that as soon as they figure out none of you are legally minors they'll print those pictures in the paper."

Ariel shrugged. "They'll have to blur out all the naughty bits plus everywhere shit was written. You can't print vulgar language in the paper. Besides it worked didn't it. We got our boy back in here without him being in the paper under some stupid headline like you drugged him and kidnapped him or whatever those assholes would have come up with."

"Plus come on that was Epic. I wanna join a nudist colony." She giggled and smirked. "I wonder if I could talk Sammy into joining with me."

Mitch and Jared laughed and high fived.

I shook my head and went over to pick Dare up. "I'm gonna go lay down with him. Unless the house is on fire don't bother us until tomorrow."

Jared and Mitch smirked and bumped fist. "Best part about fighting is the make up sex!" They cheered together.

I rolled my eyes. "Does he look like he's in any condition for a round of the freaky deaky?"

Ariel walked over and kissed his forehead. "Feel better soon my favorite little fairy." She cooed.

She looked at me and her eyes narrowed. "You're damn well lucky you brought him back or you'd have had me and you're PMSing sister kicking your dumb ass. Now don't you dare come out of that room tomorrow until we've heard Dereck scream your name at least three times. A make up orgasm for every day my baby bird was away from the nest." She said then thumped my forehead.

"I'm glad y'all worked it out Vinny. We need that sweet boy in our lives. He's the glue that holds us all together. He's got all the good in him that most of us lack. Plus it'd be unnatural for y'all not to be... Dare and Vin ya know."

"I know. I'd be lost without Dare. He's my everything, always has been, always will be. Now shut up and go make the guys some sammiches." I joked to lighten her mood.