Today a cop named Specs, one Race faintly remembers, arrived to talk about the case. His case.

Apparently the missing girl had the same situation as him, cops watching her and everything. It lasted a whole year before she was finally taken.

Race felt his whole body sink, was this going to last a year?

They're talking about adding more cops, and bringing him to a safe house in another state.

A whole other state, they wanted to move him from his home.

He'd never really left New York, Jack had briefly gone to Santé Fe before immediately missing home and returning. But Race had stayed with Crutchie, who also never really left New York.

What was he gonna do without Crutchie? And his homemade cookies that had just enough butter and sugar so it warmed up your tongue and then melted onto it.

He'd have to quit his job, leave Albert. They'd probably replace him by then. Who's he gonna complain about costumers with if Albert isn't there. More importantly who's gonna come over because he had a nightmare at 2 am.

Won't ever see Spot again, the first boy who ever told Race he wasn't alone.

Won't ever see Miss Medda again, the first women who made Race feel less alone.

He'll probably get kicked off the dance team, if he hasn't been already. The first group he's ever been apart of, with Elmer, Romeo, and Buttons.

He'll never see Oscar again, which is only disappointing in the fact he was planning on keying his car.

Well, Jack wasn't too happy when he found that message to Albert on one of the safety routines. Smacked him upside the head and told him not to be stupid.

And Jack, who he will see again but is basically taking him from his family, along with Davey.

Davey who once told him that it wasn't normal to be in constant pain after finding Race high and delusional while dating Oscar.

Man he really wanted to key that bastards car.

He didn't wanna take anyone away from their lives, hell he didn't want to leave his life. It was getting serious, too serious for him. He'd unlike Jack and Crutchie always preferred to face reality head on, accept it then so you didn't have to feel the pain later.

He's never wanted to run for reality as much as now.

His fingers twitched along his sides, he looked up to Specs who was explaining the plans.

They wanted to move him tomorrow.

How was he going to say goodbye to everyone, it was already 3 pm and the plane ride is tomorrow at 6 am.

Jack was going to get married in a month.

He was going to be the maid of honor while Crutchie was the best man.

Per Katherine's request, he'd basically cried along with Jack who was a bit sour at loosing Race on his side.

She'd whispered to him later that she tried to snatch up Crutchie too but Jack demanded that he got at least one of his brothers on his side.

When Race had asked her why she didn't want one of her friends to be her maid of honor she'd told him that she's never seen someone so brave and wanted to start off her marriage next to her little brother, not some friend who wouldn't be there in a year.

He had cried then and he wanted to cry now.

Race rubbed at his blotchy reddening face.

"I'm going to go inside," he whispered, no one turned to him. Which was better, he didn't want to be rejected of his request.

He quietly creeped to the house, hoping he hadn't run out of tissues. Maybe he could splash some water on his face and the redness would go away.

As he got closer he noticed the lights were off, which was weird because he was the last one out and he certainly didn't turn off any of the lights.

Frowning Race grabbed the door knob and softly pushed it open, the old rusty door complained to him while opening

He reached over in the dark and flipped the switch on. The house exploded with light.

He looked around, something was... off.

He couldn't quite put his tongue on it.

He stepped in and started to close the door behind him slowly, he really did hate the creak that it made. Maybe he could get it fixed while he was away.

As he shut the door, the tips of fingers came into view, he gasped and stepped back.

Fingers wrapped around the door slowly and slammed it shut, Race screamed with surprise and scrambled backwards, grabbing for his knife. But his shirt was over it and his fingers were starting to shake too bad to grasp at it.

The figure hastily walked towards him but smiled at him, soft like an old friend.

"Shh," the man calmed, "don't scream it's okay."

Race screamed again, tears were starting to fall down his face, it was getting harder and harder to breath as his breaths quickened and became more and more panicked.

His head was starting to feel light, like he couldn't get the air into his lungs to power his brain. He felt high again in the worst possible way at the worst possible time.

Then Race made possibly the worst mistake of his life, he tripped on his own damn feet, his clunky converse getting in the way, and fell to the ground.

He desperately tried to scramble back, but the figure just slipped next to him, and calmly brushed his fingers through his hair like Jack used to do when he was scared.

"Shh," he calmed, reaching behind him to grab a small cloth that Race dreaded the sight of. "It's okay."

"Help!" Race screamed, before the man frowned and shoved the chloroform over his mouth.

He heaved with dry breathing, trying desperately to stay awake, but he was already drowsy and he think he hit his head when he tripped.

The man continued almost petting him softly. The front door started to rattle, like someone was trying to get in.

Race once again desperately wished they would.

He was doing a lot of desperate wishing lately.

It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open, like they were physically being pushed down. His own energy depleted along with it, his limbs slowly relaxing.

He really didn't want to sleep, but he did anyway.

-

Jack desperately wished that he saw Race leave the group, too caught up in the mechanics of moving his life to another state. He was a bit disappointed about the wedding, but he didn't mind. He couldn't mind, not when that was Race in danger.

He may be his brother but he and Crutchie were the ones to raise that boy.

He didn't hear the first scream, mid sentence, too caught up in his own thoughts.

But he heard the second scream, he'd know that scream anywhere.

He turned around, looking for Race, feeling his heart stop when he didn't see him. He looked through the window, the window no one ever opened, and saw Race fall to the ground.

He screamed again.

Jack took off like a rocket, slamming into the door, the horrible door creaked on its hinges but didn't unlock. They'd changed all the locks. All of the stupid perfect rusty locks Jack desperately wished they never changed.

Davey joined by his side battering the door down, Specs too. It creaked on his hinges, cracks splitting though. Jack grunted and rallied them together to hit it again.

The top hinge flew off.

They backed up and rammed into it again, the door breaking open, with splits and cracks through it.

Jack leaped over it running inside, met with a sickening silence that gurgled his heart beat, Jack let out a soft cry while Davey and Specs went on their radio calling for help.

On the floor was a note.

His hands shook like Race's when he got nervous, finally understanding the tremor. He reached down and read it.

Thank you for the boy

-his secret admirer

Jack grabbed at his hair and tugged as hard as he could, screaming. He ran over and swiped a vase off the kitchen.

Race was gone, and there was nothing Jack could do about it.

But damn him if he didn't try.