Chapter Sixteen

As the world around them started to go dark and cold, and Rudy was regretting rushing out without a jacket as the small but cold wind breezed through him. More than that, he regretted rushing out in such a panic that Miles thought to follow him, also without a jacket. Miles walked beside Rudy, trying to mask his whole-body shiver which made Rudy feel guilty and horrible. He knew it was probably worse for the smaller boy, just because of the heavy, hideous and thick woolen jumpers he was always sporting whereas Rudy usually went about wearing his trusty denim jacket that didn't really keep the cold out in the first place, still, anything was better than the bright red, thin polo shirt they were both walking about in.

Anyway, as the sun set Rudy found his panic attack was all for nothing as his phone started to buzz again in his pocket. He took it out, thinking it was Rosie calling for the umpteenth time that day asking if he had found Legolas, as if he wouldn't call her as soon as he did.

But it wasn't Rosie's ridiculous selfie she demanded she took for her own ID that took up Rudy's screen when he went to answer, it was blank and a number resided at the bottom.

An unknown number.

Rudy could have pierced through his screen with his thumb he answered so fast.

It was an old woman on the other end, her voice soft and throaty. She was laughing about a small dog that had been running about her garden most of the day, trampling her asters and keeping her grandchildren busy. Rudy laughed with her but it was pained and humourless that anything else.Miles even threw him a concerned look as he all but crumbled onto a near park bench and took his hand up to his eyes as he sank down in relief, he could even hear barks in the background as the woman's voice turned just as concern as Miles' touch as he now sat beside him and held his arm. Miles gestured to the phone to let him take it. Rudy obliged and just sighed into himself as he handed it over.

He listened tiredly to Miles speak, at him smiling a little and rocking forward and then back again as he gave a polite laugh and thanking her as he took out a pen from his pocket and yanked Rudy's hand over and wrote something in messy handwriting while he nodded and spoke the words "uh huh" every two seconds with the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear.

"So we'll see you soon, Trudy," he finally said." Thanks again, goodbye."

He handed Rudy's phone back without a word. Rudy couldn't help but think that this boy was amazing as he watched Miles run over to some old guy and ask him something. The man nodded and pointed in a direction they had already walked from and then made a left with his hand and other gestures.

"C'mon, their house is only half an hour away from here." Miles was grinning, a face of complete relief for Rudy." You should really phone Rosie and put her out of her misery."

Rudy did and Rosie just cried even harder, telling him that she'd go back to the apartment and wait for him there.

Going towards the house Miles prattled on about the latest read, and then all the others that he hadn't been able to talk to Rudy about in the past few weeks. He even remembered what Rudy had been reading before everything became a mess. Rudy flushed shamefully as he admitted he hadn't gotten anywhere with it and was still in the same place as he was where Miles and him had left off.

Miles didn't judge him at all. Of course he wouldn't.

Still didn't help the fact that Rudy felt as if he was small, inferior to Miles. Miles looked as if he had it all together, even after he had told Rudy about his mother it still came down to the fact that Miles didn' let it tie him down.

With Rudy he had left school, not being able to deal with it anymore after his parents were gone. He had left school and tried nothing else. He said he wouldn't because he wanted to support Rosie but even then that was a lie. He just didn't feel like he wanted to do anything ever again, or that he shouldn't do anything. Shouldn't continue living a life worth living if his parents weren't here to see it.

But now, that sounded stupid even in his own head. As he looked at Miles he saw the hope and wonder he had seen earlier. He could move on, he could continue to live his life, he just had to want it.

Legolas got to him before the two boys even spotted the number on the small rows of houses. The white thing, now covered in mud and grass stains came bounding out of a garden and bashed right into Rudy's legs. Without hesitating, Rudy scooped him up, a habit and the thing licked his nose as if everything was fine. As if he hadn't ran away and been missing for most of the day, a whole day where anything could have happened to him and Rudy could have never found out about it.

"You stupid mutt," he said softly to the wriggling pile of dirt who was still licking his face and wagging his tail like no tomorrow. Rudy held him in close, hugging into him while Legolas snuggling into his shirt then up to pop his head out to look at Miles who patted him gently and earned himself a lick.

"So you must be Miles," a friendly old voice said, belong to an old woman with short, grey hair and a paper-thin smile and kind brown eyes, two children hiding behind her. She was looking at Rudy who had lifted his head slightly at her voice and ducked down again as he noticed he was tearing up and looked away.

The woman laughed, Rudy suspected she saw them anyway.

"Actually, that would be me," Miles said, a little shyly. "This big ol' teddy bear here is Rudy, Legolas' owner. He's been in a right state today about him."

"I can see why, he's a spirited wee thing. Ruined my flowers but no matter."

Rudy and Miles both introduced themselves properly to the woman Rudy now knew was named Trudy, forgetting Miles had mentioned it earlier. She even managed to pry her grandchildren out of the garden where they were hiding from the two boys. Once they got over their timid nature they let the two have it. Accusing them of taking away Legolas that they had named "Bob" and that they were horrible people.

Startled, Rudy could just blink at them as they glared at him with such hatred, big, fat tears pooling at their eyes at the same time and snot hanging out their noses.

Trudy apologised, looking slightly amused as she hugged her grandchildren who then started crying. Rudy stared at the two, wondering if he was supposed to do something to just stop them from crying or not. Miles tugged at Rudy, indicating that it was their chance to escape before the two got ideas of attack to claim what they thought had been their's, now snuggling into the crook of Rudy's arm and ignoring the two children that had probably had taken care of him all day. He didn't seem to give a damn. Rudy feared he was rubbing off on him.

"Thank you..." Rudy finally said to the woman, meaning it more than he had ever had to in his life.

As the two boys turned to walk down the street the children started to wail, calling for Bob and choking on their sobs. Rudy winced as it echoed down the street with them, as if the whole world was falling down on the two children all for one selfish dog. Glancing back he noticed the two were now hanigng onto their grandmother, crying their little hearts out while she tried to calm them down.

He went to look away again but ended up trailing his eyes back to the children and he sighed.

He jogged back, ignoring Miles' voice that asked him what was wrong.

He kept Legolas cupped in his hand and close to his chest until he reached the two kids who stopped crying as soon as he was near, snot dangling dangerously and faces stained with salt water.

They sniffed at him curiously as he bent down to their level.

"I... i'll come back. I'll come back to visit sometimes- with Legolas- uh, Bob. If you want. I mean, if that's alright with your granny." He looked to Trudy who smiled down fondly at him, nodding. "I'm going to take Lego- Bob... home now but he'll be back. You'll see him again, okay?" Right at that moment Legolas barked, leaning over Rudy's arm, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out.

The two children were sniffing a lot now, their faces hilariously pulled right down as if they were trying to force the tears away. They both nodded and reluctantly said their goodbyes to Legolas, petting his head. Rudy smiled brightly at the two, seeing their own smiles blooming on their faces before he got up to run back to Miles, waving behind him as he went. He noticed, happily, tow of them, including their gran were doing the same.

"You..." Miles spluttered at him, eyes blown wide, as Rudy approached.

"What?" he said, wiggling his finger at Legolas who pawed at it, trying to bite him.

"Nothing," he muttered."absolutely freaking nothing."

~*~

When he got home Rosie was obviously ready waiting as she ran out the living looking worse than she had this morning when he left her, her hair every where and her face stained with tears.

"Oh god, where is he? I'm so sorry Rudy, I was really stupid." She went pick Legolas up who snapped at her and she dropped them a little but still hovering. She gave out a sound of humoured relief."Glad to see nothing has changed through this ordeal, stupid dog."

Rudy had long since said goodbye to Miles, thanking him and letting Miles scratch Legolas' head, telling him to never run off again or Rudy was sure to have a heart attack and that maybe he wouldn't be there to save his hopeless owner again. Rudy had smiled at Miles who smiled back, catching his eye as he lifted his head and they had stared at each other until Miles blinked and coughed and looked away until his bus came.

They were okay now, that's all that mattered.

"Oh, Rudy..." Rosie hiccuped, fat tears falling down her face." I thought- I thought... and today I just..."

Rudy engulfed her in a hug, his face buried in her hair with Legolas between them. For a minute, she stood frozen until she gave out a sob and clutched onto her brother in a way she hadn't done in five years and it wasn't long until Rudy let out a few tears himself. They didn't let go until Legolas whined loudly and wriggled out between the two, making both the Sampson siblings laugh watery laughs.

He knew then, that they were going to be okay too.

A/N: sorry this is later than expected but it was giving me problems. I'm hoping to get up the next chapter tuesday as planned but also I'm starting art classes the next day so I might be a little busy preparing for them.

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