Q

Ares' POV

Once Thomas takes my hand, I pull him into my arm, bracing myself as he stumbles. I try to ignore the flaming anger in my chest with how weak he looks. How scared he is.

Though his legs are brittle, I don't hesitate to hold his body close to mine, not ready to let him out of my arms after two months of looking for him. His small arms hesitantly circle my neck, but I don't mind, needing the contact. I turn my head to give Silas a glare, trying to figure out what to do with him but my heart falls from my chest when I see that he's gone.

I whip my head from side to side in fear, knowing that of Silas got away, even if he doesn't come for us again, someone will be hurt.

"Where did he go?" Thomas asks when when he leans over to see who I'm looking for. His body tenses in fear and I can feel his mind begin to spiral at the fact that there's a puddle of blood on the floor and no body to go with it. I turn our bodies so that he can't see the empty space anymore and instead touch his face to bring his pale eyes up to mine.

"Hey. It's okay. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I mean that." I tell him, brows furrowed, knowing exactly how far I'll go to make sure my kitten never leaves my arms against his will again.

His heart rate slows down a bit and he relaxes further into my arms but his eyes look more sad than before when we looks over his shoulder. I follow his gaze and see a thin, broken looking Ben curled into himself, even in sleep his body is shaking and flinching in fear.

"What's going to happen to him?" Thomas asks me, clearly worried about the Vampire. And I don't understand why.

      "Why? He brought you here." I answer him, not needing any other reason to hate the small man that always rubbed me the wrong way.

      "He met him on the way to our monthly. He's been through five months of what I went through. He did things to him I hope I never learn about. He did all he could to protect the one he loved and Silas took every advantage of that." Thomas tells me, his voice still scratchy from misuse. I look back at Ben that's laying on the concrete floor and I try my best to let go of the resentment I've held on to for so long. Because my kitten is right. If he's been under Silas' thumb for months, there's no telling what he had to endure. I would never wish that on anyone.

Before I can respond, I hear foot steps coming towards the door and I'm quick to turn my body around and force Thomas behind me, cursing myself when I see I left my bat upstairs. I prepare myself to have to fight off Silas' men but relax when I see it's only my boys coming down the stairs.

"Oh thank fuck." Mace says, breathing a heavy sigh of relief when he sees Thomas, throwing himself against the wall to slide down in exhaustion.

Q just grins and sits down on the stairs while Zay stares at Thomas with eyes full of sympathy. I feel my lover shaking against me and I understand that the new men in the room are making him nervous. I turn my back to the boys to show my trust towards them and tilt his face up to look at me.

"Hey. These are my friends. They helped me look for you this whole time. They're just relieved I found you okay?" I tell him and he hesitantly nods, though he steps forward to push his body closer against mine, and I let him, needing the physical assurance that I have him back as well.

"Ares, we gotta go. More could be showing up and the ones upstairs might wake up soon." Q tells me from behind and I nod to them, though I don't turn around.

"Zay, leave us your car. You guys go ahead. You can come get it tomorrow. Let me get these two out of here." I say and though they don't say anything, I can feel their understanding as they stand up and they make their way back up the  stairs loudly. Once their gone, Thomas relaxes once more and looks up at me with a wobbly smile and teary eyes.

"I want to go home." He tells me, his voice thick and I nod my head, loving the sound of bringing him home to my arms and letting him rest there as long as we need. Forever if I had it my way.

"We are." I tell him and nod my head towards Ben over his shoulder. "We aren't going to leave him here. We're going to take him with us." I tell him and he gives me a relived smile and a nod but I'm not done. "I have to carry him so I won't be able to hold you." I tell him reluctantly and I try to fight the panic off of having to let him go in the same place that he's been abandoned this whole time.

I expect him to get upset or tense up but he nods in understanding and let's me go, though it's as reluctant as my hold on him. He steps to the side and allows me to go to Ben but before I do, I take off my jacket and hand it to my lover. I keep my eyes raised to his so I see the way his face pales and his cheeks flare up in shame. As much as I want to address whatever thoughts are flashing through his head, Q was right when he said we needed to get out of here.

     Thomas wraps the garment around his waist and I walk towards Ben, crouching down behind him to scoop him into my arms slowly. I have him in a princess hold when he wakes up, and the panic is instant even if his eyes aren't all the way open as he begins to squirm.

     Before I can give any assurance, it's Thomas that speaks up, coming over to us as I straighten my body out. "It's just Ares. He's saving us, just like I promised." He tells the terrified man in my arms and once the words leave him mouth, Ben relaxes completely in my arms and is back to sleep in seconds. I look up to give Thomas a grateful smile before I turn and make my way towards the stairs.

     Our steps are loud as we ascend the creaking stairs and I smile when we exit the basement and see that someone picked up my bat. As I go to walk down the hallway, I damn near stumble in pure joy and relief when I feel Thomas' fingers slip into the belt loop behind my back.

      With tears in my eyes and a puffed out chest, I lead the way through the room and through all the bodies laying across the floor with various injuries. The Faerie side of me is itching to heal as many people as I can, but every other part of my soul and body wants this place to fucking burn.

       We make our way through the front door that is still thrown open and down the sidewalk to Zay's car that's parked across the street. I walk to the back door and my sweet kitten comes to open the door for me so I can slip Ben into the seat softly, securing one of the seatbelts around his waist.

        Making sure his legs are tucked in securely, I close the door after him and walk Thomas over to his door as well, holding it open as he slides in. I get into the car myself and smile when I see the key in the ignition, knowing I had forgotten something but glad Zay remembered.

        I turn the car on and throw it in drive before pulling out of the space in front of the random house. As we leave the street and turn down Sin Avenue, I watch as a bunch of black cars arrive, turning to no doubt be reinforcements to an already gone leader and unconscious men.

       I keep my eye on the review mirror for anyone following but once I see that they aren't coming after us, I relax a little letting my right hand fall from the steering wheel to land on Thomas' leg but I pause.

     I don't even know what he's been through and with that, I don't know how he'll respond to random touches and the thoughts that race through my head make me sick with the realization of my baby never being the same because some sick bastard took everything from him.

     Just as I'm about to pull my hand back from the middle where it hovered, Thomas' hand find mine, intertwining our fingers together and the action makes tears mist my eyes.

       The ride back to his apartment is quiet, the loud silence an excuse to enjoy being together again before we have to talk and ruin the delicate balance that we've found ourselves in. As much as I know I need to know what happened to my kitten as this time, I can't help but to wish that I never had to find out and that he could forget. But this isn't some fairy tale where we can wish the evil away. And with that, I will do everything in my power to take on any weight, pain or fear from Thomas' shoulders and put it on my own if it means that one day he will be okay.

     We get to the apartment in fifteen minutes, pulling into the parking lot and I breath east when I see that his friends aren't here waiting for him.

      I'm not quiet sure what to do with that situation and I'm glad I don't have to decide on the spot.

      I open my door and step out before I get the back door open to grab a still sleeping Ben into my arms, closing the back with my hip. Thomas is already waiting for me on the sidewalk as I lead us into the building. The sounds of others having sex no longer phases me after living here for so long and we pass through the ourself hallway to get to the staircase in the right.

      Once we get to his apartment door, I cringe a bit in the inside knowing I haven't been keeping up with anything cleaning wise since we left. He grabs the keys from my hand and unlocks the door before we all step in, making sure it closes behind us tightly.

     I carry Ben to the couch in the living room, putting a throw blanket over his thin sickly body before stepping back. Thomas looks down at him with heart broken eyes before I grab his hand and tug him in the direction of our room, needing to lay with him in my arms to ground myself to now.

    So that I don't have to keep reminding myself that this is real. That Thomas is here and he's safe once more in my arms.

     He finally give in to my tugging and begins to follow me down the hallway as the sun begins to set outside and the only thing I have think as I lead him through our home is:

       I'll never let you go again.

~~~~~~~~~~
This is so heart breaking but so healing I love it so much. Can you guys believe this is chapter 56? It's really coming to an end soon. By the end of this week, Enchanted will be no more. But if I get to write uninterrupted, tomorrow might be the goodbye for Zack and Thomas.

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QOTD: What do you gts to?