"Lightning? hey you okay?" Red ask, opening the door.

"c-can I stay with you until Doc gets home?" he mumbles, looking at the ground.

"yeah of course. you hungry?" Red asks.

"not really. m'head kinda hurts." Lightning mumbles. Red frowns a little, realizing theres some blood dripping onto the floor.

"Lightning are you bleeding?" Red ask. he sighs softly and looks up at Red. his left eye is swollen and black, bruised to the point he probably can't see. his nose is dripping blood and his lip his busted. "geez, who hit you?" Red ask, gently pulling him inside.

"no one." he mumbles. Red frowns and grabs him, setting him on the counter. the younger squirms a little but stays put.

"let me get you an ice pack." Red murmurs, turning to the freezer quickly.

"I don't need one, can I just curl up on your couch? I could really use a nap. I'm sooo tired." Lightning whines softly.

"the couch? are you serious?" Red ask. "come on you can lay in my bed." Red murmurs. he grabs Lightning and carries him off to the bedroom. he lays on the bed with him, texting Doc that Lightning was with him and Doc could just leave him there for the night. Red looks down at the younger man cuddled to his side. "gonna tell me what happened?" Red ask.

"just a blast from the past. I'm okay." Lightning mumbles, burying his face into Reds side. "m'I gonna be in yours and Macks way?" Lightning ask.

"no. we don't really cuddle or anything." Red murmurs. "Mack sweats a lot in his sleep and I squirm." Red chuckles.

"so do I but Doc an I still curl up together. hell I've curled up with you, you're better than Mack." Lightning mumbles. Red pulls him closer.

"okay. just get some sleep." he murmurs. Lightning yawns against him and curls up. Red falls asleep, holding the younger.

Mack stretches walking in.

"Red, I'm back." Mack calls quietly, in case he's sleeping. when he gets no answer, he grabs his food from the microwave, scarfs it down, and heads for the bedroom. Red is snoring on his back with Lightning curled up to his side snoring with Reds arm tucked around him protectively. Mack yawns and shrugs, laying down on his stomach. he throws an arm over his boss and boyfriend, putting Lightning in the middle. Red shifts a little, turning his head towards Mack slightly.

"Mack?" he mumbles.

"mmhmm." Mack confirms. "sup with the boss?" Mack asks.

"someone beat him up, an Doc was out of town. he ask to sleep on the couch and I told him to just lay with me." Red says. Mack mumbles, smiling slightly as Red lays his hand over the hand Macks thrown over his stomach. "hope you don't mind. I just told Doc to leave him here for the night." Red mumbles.

"nah." Mack mumbles softly, intertwining his and Reds fingers. Red yawns and lets himself fall back to sleep.

Doc lets Lightning stay with the two over night, but comes bright and early in the morning to get him to come home. he needs time with Bolt. he walks straight into Reds house.

"hey you guys here?" Doc calls.

"bedroom." Mack mumbles. Doc heads for the bedroom. Red is staring at the ceiling, Lightning curled up against his side snoring, and Mack is playing on his phone.

"hey thanks for keeping him. he tell you how he got that black eye?" Doc asks, walking over.

"no he refused to tell me." Red mumbles. Doc nods slightly, gently grabbing Lightnings leg and pulling him down the bed. he groans lowly, hugging Reds leg.

"he wake up a bunch?" Doc ask, pulling the youngers arms from Reds leg.

"no. slept through the night." Red smiles. Doc nods slightly, scooping up the younger man. immediately Lightning shifts.

"hmm?" he mumbles.

"its me kid." Doc murmurs softly. Lightning nuzzles his neck and yawns.

"hi Doc." Lightning mumbles.

"hey kid. wanna tell me who hurt you?" Doc ask.

"no." he mumbles. Doc frowns, nodding at Red and Mack, before heading out.

"talk to me here kid. I was only gone a few hours. what happened?" Doc ask. Lightning curls up some.

"nothing... just one of Chicks old crew mates." Lightning mumbled.

"try again kid. those guys are still in jail." Doc says, carrying him into the house. "you scared of someone? you know things-" Doc starts.

"things only get better when you help." Lightning mumbles as Doc sets him on the couch. Doc smiles at him slightly, kneeling in front of him.

"thats right. so come on, talk to me." he smiles, reaching up gently. he cups the youngers bruised cheek gently, watching him wince. "let me get you an ice pack and a wet rag, you can think about it." Doc says, heading for the kitchen. Lightning watches him go and sighs.

"hey buddy." Lightning smiles slightly as Bolt walks over and rests his head against him. he looks back up when Doc kneels back down in front of him. he gently takes the wet rag and cleans the dry blood from his face.

"so, you going to talk to me here?" Doc ask. Lightning sighed slightly.

"well... remember how as one last 'fuck you' Chick kinda revealed my whole past to the whole world?" Lightning ask.

"yeah, god yes. that was an awful six weeks. Montgomery McLiar was plastered on news papers for weeks, why?" Doc ask.

"well, my dad found out." Lightning sighed softly. Docs gaze snapped up to him, his eyes narrowing.

"your dad did this?" Doc snapped.

"no... well... sort of? one of his friends did. I was just going for a walk and he came out of no where, I was just outside of town so no one saw it." Lightning sighs. Doc frowns a little and hands him the ice pack.

"okay. well, we'll take care of it." Doc assures gently.

"I don't want another Chick repeat. m'tired of running Hud." Lightning mumbles, dropping his face into Docs shoulder. Doc holds him carefully.

"I know. no more running. I've seen you protect yourself when it comes down to it. maybe its time you start carrying my pistol again?" Doc ask. for the first 3 months after Chick, Lightning had carried Docs pistol on him without a second thought. he wasn't jumpy with it or scared of it anymore. he didn't randomly pull it on anyone, only pulled it if he was actually in danger.

"I dunno. I don't really wanna just carry your gun around." Lightning mumbles.

"well, then maybe it's time I give you your birthday present." Doc says standing up.

"its not my birthday?" Lightning says questioningly. "my birthdays next month." Lightning says. Doc shrugs and brings a box over to him.

"well, then you can call Smokey next month and thank him for this. it came in the mail a few days ago. he wants you to have this." Doc says, handing him the box. Lightning opens it carefully and there laying in the box is a gun.

"i-its a gun." Lightning said.

"380 ACP CCW Glock 42." Doc says, pulling the little card from it to show Lightning. "and its yours." Doc murmurs. its mostly black but the handle is a dark red/maroon.

"I-I don't have a carrying permit. remember? thats why I stopped carrying yours." Lightning frowns. he'd almost gotten into some serious trouble carrying that without a permit.

"Sheriffs getting you one." Doc assures. "I want you to start carrying this. got it?" Doc ask. Lightning nods.

"yeah got it." Lightning mumbles.

"even around town. I want you to carry this as religiously as you carried mine for those few weeks. everywhere even to the track. we'll keep it in the Hornet like we did before and you get it back after the race." Doc murmurs. Lightning nods.

"okay." he agrees, reaching over to scratch Bolts head. "but only if Bolt gets free reign of the house. none of that 'no dogs on the couch' crap." Lightning says.

"free reign of everything except the bathroom. I don't want him drinking from the toilet." Doc says.

"deal." Lightning smiles slightly, kissing him. Doc pulls him close and holds him.

"be sure you thank Smokey for that." Doc murmurs. Lightning looks down at the gun.

"its kinda pretty." Lightning says. Doc snorts a little taking it from him. he pops the clip out.