George is sick on Friday so the boys have to postpone their sleepover, which is fine, if one of them gets sick they don't leave them out and always wait until they are better before they have the sleepover. Louis has a big soccer game Saturday so he doesn't mind, he just hopes George feels better.

He gets his soccer gear ready before he's walking to the kitchen for dinner, the boys are all home and sitting around the table.

"Hiya kiddo, how was your day?" Edward asks

He and Andy, Harry and Scott have been at work all day.

"Okay" Louis smiles

"Just okay?" Andy asks jokingly

"Yeah, Drew was busy, so I didn't do much" Louis says shrugging

"I'm sorry Lou, I had some paperwork to catch up on" Drew says as Louis sits down between Harry and Scott, them kissing him hello.

"Don't say sorry, it's fine I don't mind at all" Louis says

Louis phone then rings and he sees it's Noah, he looks at the phone and to the boys worriedly, like he will be in trouble for having his phone at the table.

"It's okay, you can get it darling" Harry smiles

Louis smiles back and gets up to answer

"He stills thinks we're going to yell at him for the smallest things" Drew says when Louis is out of earshot

"Yeah, but he's come so far with trusting us and I would like to think even if we did get upset with him, he would feel safe not threatened" Andy says

"I think Troy showing up at school has sent him backwards a little" Harry says

"Has he said something?" Edward asks worriedly

"No but he's had a few nightmares, hasn't woken up and doesn't mention it in the morning, but we've noticed" Scott says

"Maybe we should call Kim?" Drew says

The boys don't get a chance to reply to Drew before Louis is coming back in.

"Um, Noah wants to go get ice cream after dinner, can I maybe go?" Louis asks his eyes sparkling with excitement

The boys are worried about Troy but Charlie and Joey have assured them that theres been no sign of him in the last few days and the boys want Louis to be able to see his friends, especially since Troy kept him isolated for so many years, to scared to even make friends or talk to other people

The boys look to each other and then to Louis

"What time are you meeting and where?" Andy asks

"Just the square, and in about 30 minutes" Louis says

"How long for?" Drew asks

"Just an hour" Louis says

"Okay, we will drop you and pick you up" Harry says with authority

"Noah can drive me home" Louis says

The boys look to each other

"I mean, if that's okay, I didn't mean to say that I didn't want you to pick me up or that I don't appreciate it or anything, I just meant so you didn't have to and he's driving anyway..I'm sorry" Louis say instantly upset

"Calm down sweetheart, just breathe, we never thought you meant that at all. Noah can drive you home that's fine" Scott says reassuringly

Louis calms his breathing and nods still a little unsure

"Come here darling, have some dinner first okay, then we will drive you and Noah can drop you home" Harry says as he opens his arms for Louis

Louis makes his way instantly to Harry and slips on his lap comfortably. Harry kisses him on the head with a smile and Louis leans in. He loves Harry's safe arms

"Lou, we also need to chat about your game tomorrow. Can Noah pick you up at all? We are all working the Saturday shift" Edward says

The boys all work the whole weekend once every two months, it's not often and Louis doesn't mind at all. It just means they won't make his game like usual.

"Oh, sure, I'll ask him tonight. If not I'll just catch the bus" Louis says

Noah is a year older than Louis and has his licence, with everything Louis has been through he hasn't gotten around to getting his learner license or anything.

"Well let us know and don't forget to keep in touch all day okay" Scott says protectively

Louis nods. He stomachs a few mouthfuls of dinner, he goes to get ready and then he Harry and Scott leave the apartment. In the car Harry turns to Louis and gives him a 20 pound note

"I don't think ice cream will cost that much and I have some leftover money from school" Louis says as he makes no move to take the money

"Please just take it Lou, even just in case of an emergency" Scott says

Louis sighs but takes the money, he will give it back to Harry when he gets home.

"Okay, now call us if you need us to come get you okay" Harry says as they pull up and wave to Noah who's waiting for Louis out the front

"I will" Louis says smiling

"And don't wander from the shop okay" Scott says and Louis nods

"See you soon baby, have fun" Harry smiles

Louis smiles back and gets out of the car, he hugs Noah hello and they walk into the shop as Harry and Scott drive off. They love seeing Louis so happy, he's just so adorable they can't get enough of him.

Noah and Louis grab some ice cream and sit at the back of the shop. They catch up and chat about school and the game in the morning. Louis just feels so free, he can't remember a time when he has been able to have friends and not have to hide things from them. Not have to worry about being at home before his dad, or worrying about making his dad angry, he just feels so happy.

An hour later Louis and Noah decide to leave and Louis texts the boys group chat that he and Noah are leaving and he will be home soon. As they are leaving the shop to head to Noah's car though, Louis looks up and sees his dad staring back at him from across the street. He's following him.

He stops in his tracks and Noah looks at Louis and follows his eyesight, he too sees his dad leaning up against the light pole smirking at Louis

"Lou, call the police now" Noah says quickly.

Louis looks to Noah and nods, coming out of his daze

"I'm going to go get the car, stay here where people can see you. I'll call Harry and Scott okay" Noah reassures before he makes a run for his car around the corner

Louis nods, thankful for Noah and him taking control. Louis pulls out his phone and dials Charlie's number

"Louis? Where are you kid?" Charlie asks straight away

"The ice-cream shop, in the square, he's just staring at me Charlie" Louis says panicked

"We're 3 minutes out Lou, is he still there?" Charlie asks

"Yeah, he's across the road, shit....he's walking towards me" Louis says terrified

"Stay on the phone with me Louis" Charlie says

There aren't too many people in the ice-cream shop and no one really sees as Louis dad grabs Louis arm and pulls him into the alley next to it, he pushes Louis against the wall harshly, Louis is in shock, he drops his phone and he can hear Charlie calling his name, as his dad stands on the phone crushing it

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you this time. Just know I'm watching you Louis, and you're going to pay for what you did to me. I told you never to snitch and you're going to pay for it" Troy snarls

He pushes Louis harshly into the brick wall and then leaves, he slinks off into the night just as two cop cars, and Noah pull around the corner

Charlie and Joey are straight out and see Louis exiting the alley.

"Lou, bud are you okay? Jesus"Joey says as he reaches Louis first and hugs him close.

Louis falls into his safe arms, thankful they got here fast

"What happened" they ask as Noah comes over worriedly too

"He just dragged me to the alley, told me he's watching me and that I'll pay for snitching" Louis says upset

"Did he hurt you" Charlie asks

"Not really, he broke my phone" Louis replies

Charlie and Joey nod as the other squad car of uniforms make their way back to the square after trying to find Troy

"No luck, he's gone" one of them says

Charlie and the others sigh.

"Come on, let's get you home kiddo" Joey says

"Sorry Noah"  Louis says upset

"It's fine Lou, don't stress, I'll see you in the morning, I'll pick you up around 7" Noah says

"Thank you!" Louis replies as they hug goodnight

"Anytime" Noah says, he says goodbye to Charlie and Joey and gets in his car, Louis is placed in the back of Charlie and Joeys squad car. They have a few words with their squad before they are getting into the car and driving Louis home.

"You okay?" Joey asks

Louis just shrugs

"We won't let him hurt you again Lou" Charlie reassures

"I trust you, I just don't trust him" Louis says

The boys see how scared Louis is and they just hope they can catch Troy before he tries anything

When Charlie and Joey escort Louis back to the   penthouse, as expected everyone is on edge and slightly panicking

"Baby, are you okay?" Scott asks worriedly as he is first to Louis, Louis is engulfed and he grips Scott so tightly and just buries his head in his neck

"It's okay darling, we've got you, it's all okay now" Scott says

Harry comes up behind Louis and kisses his head, and hugs Louis from behind.

"We're here now Lou, you're safe" Harry says

Louis appreciates them and their words so much. He never wants to let Scott and Harry go

The boys talk to Charlie and Joey and Louis tunes them out. Scott ends up picking Louis up and he and Harry take him back to their room. They slowly undress him and shower with him, just holding him close like they know he needs.

They put Louis to bed and when he's fast asleep after lots of kisses and cuddles and sweet words. Harry and Scott leave him and head out to the boys

"He okay?" Drew asks worriedly

"Yeah, zonked out, didn't say much" Harry says

"Maybe we shouldn't go to work tomorrow" Edward says

"We can't call in now, it would be a nightmare" Andy says

"Scott and I can try to fill out shifts when we get in, we will do the morning and try to make it to grab him from soccer" Harry says

"Good idea" Drew says

"We're  worried about him being alone" Harry says 

"He's safe here, we just have to make sure someone is with him when he leaves the house, dad won't go near him if one of us is there" Edward says.

The boys nod and call it a night, Harry and Scott slide into bed next to Louis, making sure he's okay and they hold him all night.