"sure." he mumbles.

"you were the first person to see my scars. I showed them to you when I was angry... but you didn't say anything about them. you didn't seem horrified, you didn't say a think about them. you were more upset at the fact I got told when I was done racing, I didn't quit. no one in the town had even seen my scars and then you come along and you're angry for me. mad at the world that fucked me over, never said a word about them. never stared at them, and suddenly, I didn't care who saw them." Doc murmured. Lightning looked confused.

"why not?" he ask. Doc flashed him a small smile.

"because I was already falling for you and if the person I was falling in love with didn't care about my back, didn't say they were ugly or awful, didn't stare at them with pity, then why should I care what anyone else thought?" Doc ask. Lightnings cheeks flushed slightly and held the older man tighter.

"yours were an accident. mine were attempted murder." Lightning mumbles, burying his face in Docs neck. Doc holds him, pulling him close, assuring him that the scars aren't ugly, they're part of him and every part of him is gorgeous.

Docs not sure how things escalated from there. not sure how the younger was suddenly underneath him begging and moaning. he's not sure how he let this happen when they're both not in the right mental state at the moment for it. he's not sure who started the sex, him or the younger, but he's sure it doesn't matter. not when desperate hands are raking over each others bodies achingly. just two men in love with their bodies grinding against each other. Doc going further than he knows he should. fucking the younger into the mattress so hard, like his back isn't going to be aching in the morning from it. it's over almost as soon as it starts. Doc ends up on his back panting, aching, with the younger man sound asleep cuddled against him, head on his chest. Doc tries desperately to keep his eyes open, just long enough to enjoy this. bask in the after glow, but he's so tired he lets his eyes slip closed.

Doc shifts as he wakes up to a loud knocking on the door. he winces slightly, his back aching just like he knew it would. he kissed the youngers head, pulling on some sweat pants. the scent of sex long gone from the room. he walks over to the door and knocks on the other side.

"Hud." Smokey said. Doc unlocked the door and opened it.

"c'mon in." Doc murmurs. Smokey slips his way in and locks the door. he casts a glance over at the bed, where Lightning is still sound asleep, fast first in the mattress, snoring. there were fresh scratches on his back, but Smokey didn't comment on those. what two grown men did in their hotel room together was none of his business, besides, he'd known about the two since they got together, Hud had sent him a letter and told him everything. he was proud of the younger man. "you take care of that guy?" Doc ask. Smokey nodded.

"yeah. he won't bother you guys again." Smokey assured.

"didn't have any worries he would. never pull a gun in Cotter Pin." Doc chuckled. Smokey smirked.

"how's the kid? he was pretty messed up last night after that gun went off." Smokey frowned looking over at Lightning again.

"he's always hated guns. terrified of them. watching Sheriff get shot twice before shooting his shooter twice... he's absolutely terrified of them now." Doc murmured, looking over at his lover. "he had an anxiety attack most of the way back here. I did manage to clam him down just before we got here." Doc added. Smokey chuckled slightly, motioning to the youngers back.

"yeah calmed him down real good." Smokey grinned. Doc rolled his eyes at him then followed his gaze to the younger with a sigh.

"I'm not even sure how that happened last night, but I'm not going to worry about it. he's sleeping and as long as he stays that way for a while, its fine." Doc murmured. he shook his head. "he's terrified. I brought him all this way to keep him safe and dirt bag shows up in Thomasville in Cotter Pin." Doc sighed, giving the younger man a sad look.

"Hud, you're looking a little old there." Smokey smiled slightly.

"feeling old, and tired." Doc muttered. "kid won't leave my side unless Red and Mack are with him." he added.

"who?" Smokey ask. Doc nodded to himself, grabbing his hotel room key.

"friends, across the hall." Doc said, leading the way back to the door. Smokey followed him to the door across the hall. Doc knocks loudly. "Red! Mack!" Doc calls. its quiet a moment, before Mack answers the door, blinking tiredly and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Doc?" Mack ask.

"this is Smokey. Smokey, thats Mack. kids driver and body guard." Doc said. Smokey shakes his hand. Red blinks as he walks over. he's wearing an old fire fighter tank top and some boxers as he walks over. "thats Red." Doc said. Red pulled away from Smokey when he offered his hand to shake it.

"he's not going to shake your hand. he's shy." Mack mumbled.

"oh are they...?" Smokey ask, eye brow raised and looking at Doc curiously.

"I thought so but, Macks dating the town lawyer Sally." Doc said. Mack looks at him before his face lights up bright red and he laughs, nervously.

"oh wait, you thought.... me and Red? n-no way. heh, I'm straight and he's asexual." Mack snorts. Smokey looks confused.

"he doesn't do sex Smokey." Doc mutters. Red flushes and he steps away, looking nervous.

"its okay Red." Mack assures, gently patting the others shoulder. "where's the boss?" Mack ask, watching Red wonder back to bed.

"asleep, scared to death across the hall." Doc said.

"what happened?" Mack ask. Red poked his head back around to look at them.

"our tail caught up to us at Cotter Pin." Doc said.

"no worries, he won't bother the boy anymore." Smokey said. Doc can hear the younger man calling for him quietly.

"stay here." Doc murmured. he went back over to his and Lightnings room, opening the door. he handed the card to Smokey before going inside. Lightnings sitting up in bed, pale and sweaty, terrified. the blanket pooled around his waist. Doc shuts the door behind him, walking over to the bed and gently taking the youngers face in his hands. he's trembling and tearful. "kid what happened?" Doc ask. he just shakes his head and latches onto Doc, sobbing. this whole thing taking a toll on his mental state. he couldn't hold back anymore. Doc held him tightly, pulling him into his lap and holding him. he'd put his boxers before Doc had come in. he was trembling and clinging to the older. he's sobbing into the older mans bare chest and Doc isn't sure what to do. "hey, Monty baby, talk to me please." Doc murmurs, squeezing him gently. "things only get better when you let me help." Doc added softly. Lightning held him tightly, nails digging into the olders back, leaving deep scratches and nail indents in his back.

"I-I...." Lightning trembled. "n-nightmares... g-gun sho-shot-shots." Lightning managed to whimper out. Doc holds him tightly, kissing his forehead gently, pulling him close. he let the younger buried his face into Docs chest, sobbing. "D-Doc..." he whimpered softly. Doc holds him gently.

"shhhh kid. it's okay. I got you." Doc soothes gently. "its just a nightmare Monty. it's okay." Doc murmurs.

"its not a nightmare! it's real!" Lightning cried into his chest.

"shhh. just shhh." Doc murmurs. "you were completely safe, you're always safe with me." Doc murmurs.

"he tried to shoot me!" Lightning shouted.

"and the bullet would've had to make it through Smoke and me before it ever got to you." Doc murmurs. "you know that. you know that baby. I'd never let anything happen to you like that." Doc adds. he holds him tightly, kissing the youngers head gently, rubbing his thumb over the mans cheek gently. he only remove his lips from the younger when their door opened. Lightning tenses up, digging his nails harder into Docs back, tearful face still buried in the older mans chest, leaving tears all over the man.

"hey, he okay?" Smokey ask, looking at them.

"no. I thought bringing him here would keep him safe and he has a gun shoved in his face in Cotter Pin." Doc muttered.

"what?" Red growled lowly.

"holy shit he talks." Smokey said softly. Doc explains to the other two carefully about what happened in the bar. he doesn't let go of Lightning the entire time he's explaining, not even as the younger mans trembling finally stops and he's simply just curled up in Docs lap.

"Junior shot and we got out." Doc said, holding Lightning slightly tighter. "I thought bringing him here was going to keep him safe..." Doc sighed. Lightning clenched his eyes shut, staying curled up as tight as he could against Docs chest, silently sitting in his lap. he sniffled softly, holding tightly, finger nails digging into some of Docs old scars. Doc winced slightly, but didn't move to take his hands off. he reached up and ran his hand through Lightnings hair gently. this was already too much PDA to be showing in front of three other people, especially when one of them is his old crew chief.

"you four can come stay with me." Smokey said. "guns in every room of the house, I'm so far out no one would guess you're there. I've got enough room for all of you, plus my house is under the garage." Smokey added.

"no. we won't put you in danger like that." Doc said.

"whats more important? my safety or his?" Smokey ask, motioning to Lightning. the younger whines quietly and curls up.

"neither. they're both important." Doc said.

"Hud, if that bastard actually finds his way into my house, we got issues. you've been in there. you know you can't just accidently find your way into my house." Smokey said. Doc bit his lip. "I've got four bedrooms Hud. your friends and your boy will be safe, plus the straight one doesn't have to share a room with the one who doesn't like sex." Smokey said.

"Red and Mack." Lightning snapped from the safety of Docs arms. Doc rubs his thumb over the youngers cheek soothingly.

"right. everyone would be safe Hud." Smokey murmurs. "plus your rentals will be parked in my garage, covered in tarps. no one will be able to see them." Smokey added. Doc looked at Red and Mack. Mack nodded at Doc, Red was staring at Lightning.

"okay. okay. you're right." Doc murmurs. "lets go." he says. Lightning dug his nails into Docs back and curls up more.

"you two sit there, or get dressed at least, we'll take the stuff down to the cars." Mack said.

"thanks." Doc muttered. "start in your room." Doc said. they nodded and headed back over to their room. Doc watched the door close behind them, before looking down at his young lover. "you have to get up now kid. lets get up and get dressed. we'll be with Smokey. no where safer in the world." Doc assures. Lightning holds tighter, so Doc sighs. he moves over to the end of the bed, holding him tightly with one arm while leaning over to get them some clothes. "you don't have to wear a shirt, but you have to wear some pants." Doc says, holding the younger mans pants out to him. Lightnings face is still buried in Docs chest, but he grabs the pants and squirms from Docs hold. Doc grabs himself some clothes, pulling on some pants. he reached for the button up he'd laid on the bed, his favorite it was a dark blue with 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet' on the back in red and yellow letters, but it was gone. his eyes flickered over to his young lover. the shirt is unbuttoned and baggy on him. the sleeves are too long and it makes Doc crack a smile as he grabs another shirt and pulls it on.