Fic: Hold on to me (While the ground shakes), [14/15]
Title: ‘Hold on to me (While the ground shakes)’ (14/15)
Author: JM
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, past other/Jensen, Michael/Tom, Jeff/Samantha, mentions of Erica/Allison, Denny/Izzie, George/Meredith, Derek/Meredith.
Rating: NC-17 overall
Characters: They’re quite a lot, so I’ll put them behind a cut for the sake of your f-lists.
Main: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Kripke, Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Weatherly, Nathan Petrelli (Heroes), Josh Holloway, Chris Kane.
Secondary: Chase McDonald (LA Heat) Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Samantha Smith, Don Eppes (Numb3rs), Megan Reeves (Numb3rs), Colby Granger (Numb3rs).
Guest stars: Alona Tal, August Brooks (LA Heat), Annette O’Toole, Chad Michael Murray, Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs), David Sinclair (Numb3rs), Meredith Grey (Grey’s Anatomy), George O'Malley (Grey’s Anatomy), Addison Montgomery-Shepard (Grey’s Anatomy), Derek Shepard (Grey’s Anatomy), Denny Duquette (Grey’s Anatomy), Izzie Stevens (Grey’s Anatomy), Christina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy), Alex Karev (Grey’s Anatomy)
Mentions of: Josh Charles, Dan Rydell (Sports Night), Sandy McCoy, Steve Carlson, Kate Austen (Lost)
Category: Slash
Word count: 60,000 total
Warnings: AU, angst, slash, language (sometimes), amnesiac!Jensen, mention of non-con, murder and violence.
Disclaimer: Again, for the sake of your f-lists, here's the lj-cut.
Jared and Jensen aren’t mine ç_ç they belong to each other themselves. So does every other real person and/or every fictional character I mentioned here. Well, except Josh Charles, who belongs to my dear Fae and if you say otherwise she’s gonna cut your hands and feed them to her goldfish. (Yeah, I’m obviously kidding, we own nothing. ;_____;)
Numb3rs belongs to Cheryl Heuton and Nicholas Falacci, Grey’s Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes, Heroes belongs to Tim Kring, LA Heat belongs to whoever its creator is, Sports Night belongs to Aaron Sorkin and Lost belongs to JJ Abrams.I really don’t mean to offend anyone and nothing of what I wrote in this story is to be considered real, it’s all fiction.
Author’s Notes: Okay, so…first thing. You don't need to know the shows I put in this story, so don't worry about that. I know it sounds crazy to mix up real people and fictional characters. But trust me, I had a hell of a lot of fun writing this, and if you give it a chance, maybe you’ll enjoy reading it! ^_-
As ever, feel free to report any mistake. Constructive criticism is welcome, feedback makes me happy!
A special thanks to
nejem for her precious support!!
Beta: My beloved and wonderful and irreplaceable and amazing
faechan .
Summary: “After a car accident Jensen wakes up with a gap of four years in his memory, and the way everyone around him acts makes him understand something horrible happened in that period. While Jensen tries to get his life back together, Jared leaves his family home in San Antonio, trying to find his own way, and he ends up working in a place he’d never imagined.
But things are not as simple as they appear and they’ll find out their lives are linked, in more ways than they think.” - First story in the Threads!Verse
Crossposted
[ Chapter 1 - ‘Awakenings and new towns’ ]
[ Chapter 2 - ‘New starts and old fairytales’ ]
[ Chapter 3 - 'Therapy sessions and a goodbye party' ]
[ Chapter 4 - 'Teardrops and new friendships' ]
[ Chapter 5 - 'Bad ideas and unexpected offers' ]
[ Chapter 6 - 'Sketchbooks and domestic bliss' ]
[ Chapter 7 - 'Breakfasts and car crashes' ]
[ Chapter 8 - 'Small steps and birthday presents' ]
[ Chapter 9 - 'Dances and old scars' ]
[ Chapter 10 - 'Threats and old affairs' ]
[ Chapter 11 - 'FBI agents and shower declarations' ]
[ Chapter 12 - ‘Fathers and bad news’ ]
[ Chapter 13 - ‘Psycho-men and diner appointments’ ]
Chapter 14 - ‘Kidnaps and personal revenges’
“What do you mean, there’s no one in the diner?” Jensen looked at the agent with a mix of fear and rage.
“No one saw them go out and they’re not in the diner.” Megan repeated, a concerned look on her face.
“Then find them!” Jensen almost yelled, then turned and tried to calm down. No, he didn’t need to panic, he needed to hear Jared’s voice. “He took them, didn’t he?”
Megan’s look said more than words and Jensen paced towards the door, then back in the living room, conflicted. What was he supposed to do? He had to do something, he couldn’t simply stand there and wait.
“They took Jeff’s car, we’re gonna try and track them.” Megan explained, looking at him.
Jensen didn’t listen to them, he went to the window and looked down, biting on his lower lip. The door behind them opened and Colby came in, talking on the phone.
“There’s another person who went in and didn’t come out.” Colby informed. “Male, in his thirties, 6’, blond, slightly long hair.”
“Josh.” Jensen muttered, surprised. “Damn!”
“Who’s Josh?” Megan asked, reaching Jensen.
“Jared said he used to come to the diner almost everyday, I saw him just a couple of times.”
“You think you can recognize him from a picture?”
“Definitely.”
Megan walked out of the apartment quickly as Colby put his phone in his pocket.
“We need to get you in a safer place.”
“I’m not goin’ anywhere until we find them.” Jensen looked at the agent, trying to hide his fear.
~~
“Where are we going?” Jeff asked, daring to look in the rear view mirror.
“Drive.” Josh said, his gun pointed at the boy sitting next to him in the backseat. “And shut up.”
For long minutes nothing happened and Jared thought the FBI was probably on their trail already. Josh had taken their phones and shut them off and Jared hoped with all his heart the car had some sort of GPS thing.
“Turn right on the next one.”
Jared looked around and frowned when he recognized the road.
“Stop here.”
The car stopped right in front of an average building, and Jared spotted immediately the red Crimson neon sign.
“Get out of the car.”
They headed for the main entrance and Josh looked around before locking the door behind him.
“Sit there and don’t move.” Josh said, pointing at a table with his gun.
“Where’s Allison?” Jared looked around, worried about the fact that the place seemed deserted.
“She’s fine. They’re all fine.” Josh replied, looking at Jared. “They’re in the backstage, and I’m gonna let them go as soon as this thing’s over.”
Jared felt even worse. He wondered how many people Josh was referring to, then he realized the last part. When that thing was over, which meant when he and Jensen were dead.
“Now shut up.” Josh took Jared’s phone from his pocket and turned it on, dialing a number quickly. “I’m done with part A.” He closed the phone without letting who was on the other end the time to reply.
He reopened it immediately, skimming through the numbers until he saw the one he wanted.
He kept his gun pointed at the two of them as he sat down at the counter, resting his back against it.
~
Jensen looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, slashing cold water on his face. That crazy son of a bitch had Jared and Jeff, how could he even think about running?
Images of handcuffs and evil smirks came back to his mind and he fought them. He hadn’t told Jared about them, he hadn’t told him about the night Nathan raped him, but a few memories had come back the night after they had had their little talk about sex.
When he’d waken up Jared was calling him and shaking his shoulder and Jensen had told it was just another nightmare. He didn’t like to lie to Jared, but he didn’t want to put more pressure on him.
Moves, details, his face, his words, not much, just a few flashes, but they were clear in Jensen’s mind. He cursed himself for thinking about it again as a shiver ran down his spine. He had to focus on Jared, now, he couldn’t allow himself to freak out about that.
Jensen’s phone vibrated and he quickly took it out of his pocket, glad he hadn’t turned on the sound. He saw Jared’s numbers and replied quickly.
“If you say a single word to the FBI agent standing right there, your pretty boyfriend will have a very unpleasant meeting with a bullet.”
“You son of a bitch…” Jensen muttered through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”
“You.” Josh simply replied, his voice not showing any sign of amusement. “The Crimson. Do I need to specify that if anyone of FBI follows you, I’ll kill your friends right in front of you?”
Without answering Jensen closed his phone and sighed. He had to get out without Colby noticing it, and it wasn’t going to be easy.
Colby knocked on the door and Jensen jumped, worried.
“You okay?” The agent asked as Jensen opened the door.
“Yeah, I…I just needed to clear my head.” Jensen looked at him, trying to think a way to get out.
Colby nodded, not totally convinced, and walked towards the kitchen, taking out his phone. Maybe Jensen didn’t need a complex plan after all. Slowly he grabbed his car’s keys from the coffee table, careful not to make a noise.
He walked to the window, looking down at the street. His car was parked right in front of the building, and the flight was easy from there. He heard the noise of the fridge door and bit on his lip. Slowly he walked to the kitchen door and closed it with a quick move, locking it with the key.
“What the…Jensen! Open the damn door!” Colby shouted, and Jensen flied to the apartment door, running as fast as he could before Colby could give the alarm.
~~
“Why are you doing this?” Jared asked, looking at the man. “Money?”
“That’s not any of your business.” Josh replied harshly, not looking at him.
“What kind of man, does this sick thing you call job for money?” Jared continued, unable to let it go. Josh surely hadn’t looked like the dangerous mercenary the FBI talked about when he’d come to the diner.
“Shut up! You don’t know anything about me.” Josh looked at him this time, and the bare rage in his eyes left Jared speechless. “Listen, Jared, I like you. I really do. So don’t force me to do something I’d regret.”
Jared was about to reply but the door of the club opened and Josh raised his gun, gesturing them to keep silent. As soon as the figure came into view Jared stood.
“Sit down.” He ordered to the boy, then turned to the new guest. “You’re fast.”
Jensen didn’t reply immediately, he turned to look at Jared with a look of relief on his face. Then he turned to Josh. “I’m here, let them go.”
“That’s not the plan.” Josh said with a casual tone, then sat back down at the counter. “Give me your phone and sit with them.”
Jensen did as he was told and sat next to Jared, turning to look at him. “Thank God you’re okay.” He whispered, and Jared pulled him in a hug.
“You okay, Jensen?” Jeff asked, his voice low and cautious, Jensen nodded without breaking the embrace.
“Really sweet.” Josh commented, raising an eyebrow, but somehow his comment didn’t sound as sarcastic as he had meant it to. He looked at his watch and stood. “Get up.”
He took out Jared’s phone and quickly dialed a number. “We’re leaving.” It was all he said before turning it off, then took two pair of handcuffs from this pocket. “You two, put these on.” He ordered, throwing them in Jared and Jensen’s direction.
Jensen looked at them and closed his eyes as he felt his stomach curl. Without a word he put them on and took a shaky breath before opening his eyes.
“Let’s go.” Josh ordered, gesturing them to walk towards the back door.
In the small lane there was a blue van and Josh gestured Jensen and Jared to get in the rear, and closed the door once they got inside. Quickly he made Jeff climb in the driver seat as he got in to the passenger one.
“Drive within limit and don’t do anything stupid.”
~
“Jen…Jen, are you okay?” Jared asked, hurrying towards his boyfriend as soon as the door closed. Jensen looked pale and shaken.
“The handcuffs.” Jensen muttered, looking straight ahead. The van was started and it moved.
“What about them?” Jared looked at Jensen hands in the dim light that came from the obscured widows. “They’re hurting you?”
“I…no, it’s…” Jensen looked up suddenly, shaking his head. “Forget it.”
“No. You’re white as a sheet, what’s wrong?” Jared tried to make eye contact, and when he managed to he saw Jensen arch his eyebrows. “Yeah, well, apart from the kidnapping part, what else is wrong?”
“It’s not important right now. We have to think of a way to get out.”
“We’ll think about it.” Jared said, locking his gaze with Jensen’s. “After you tell me what’s wrong. What’s with the handcuffs?”
Jensen looked away and tugged at the offending metal around his wrist as more flashes came back to his mind.
“You cheeky little bitch…I’m gonna teach you what’s your place.”
“Oh God, not now.” Jensen muttered, shaking his head to get Nathan’s voice out of his head. Why in the bloody hell it had to happen right when he was being kidnapped by a psychotic son of a bitch who wanted to kill them?
“What?” Jared asked, reaching to touch Jensen’s cheek with his hand. “Jen, talk to me.”
“He tied me down.” Jensen’s whisper was low and Jared almost missed it.
“Who?”
“Nathan.” Jensen didn’t look up from his hands and he twisted the handcuffs once again. “When I hit him and tried to run he tied me down.”
Jared felt a huge knot forming in his throat as he realized what those words meant. Jensen remembered.
“He kept me tied up all night, I couldn’t get away from him, I…” Jensen closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. “I thought it wasn’t gonna end, I thought I’d die before it ended.”
“Oh God.” Jared wanted desperately to hug him, but the handcuffs were preventing them from moving freely. “Jensen…Jen, look at me.”
“I…I can’t.” Jensen whispered, closing his eyes.
“Yes, you can.” Jared’s voice was resolute but soft. Jensen was getting too caught up in those memories, he was surrendering to them, and Jared didn’t know how to stop it. He held out his hand and touched Jensen’s shoulder, but the boy jerked away. “Jen, look at me…”
Jensen kept his eyes closed and his breath quickened. “I…I was bleeding…and my…my wrists…I…I won’t leave you, just…stop, please…”
“He’s not here, Jensen, Nathan’s not here, he’s not gonna hurt you anymore.” Jared whispered, and felt he was losing the boy. He couldn’t allow Jensen to get back to that night, not even in his head, he couldn’t let him go like that. “Hey, Jen…it’s me, babe, it’s okay, it’s me, Jare.”
Jensen didn’t say anything and Jared could see his shoulders where shaking, but this time Jensen didn’t jerk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Jen, look at me.” This time Jared’s voice was more resolute and Jensen’s eyes snapped open. He looked around slowly, his eyes filled with tears. “Hey, babe, it’s me, see? I’m Jare, I’m here.”
Relief filled Jensen’s eyes and looked away, trying to calm down. “I’m sorry, I…I freaked out.” A couple of tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them quickly, trying to get his breath under control. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you to…to find out. Not like this.”
“Hey, it’s okay, I should have guessed that night, the nightmare.” Jared brought his hand up and caressed Jensen’s cheek. “It’s okay now.”
Jensen nodded slowly, and leaned against Jared, resting his head on the boy’s chest and trying to calm down.
“Once we get out of this thing we’ll talk to Eric, okay?” Jared asked, placing a kiss on Jensen’s temple.
“Thanks for not saying ‘if’.” Jensen whispered as his heart rate started to get back to normality.
~~
When the door of the van opened the boys quickly got out, looking around. They were in what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
“This guy saw too many spy movies.” Jeff muttered under his breath.
“Do you ever shut up?” Josh asked with an exasperated sigh.
“Bite me.” Jeff replied, showing a sarcastic smile.
Josh shook his head and threw him a pair of handcuffs. “Hang yourself, or put them on, you choose.”
Jensen watched the exchange with a frown, and if he hadn’t been so damn scared he would have found it amusing. Jared let out a chuckle, but Josh’s angry glance made him shut up.
“Now, I want the three of you to listen carefully.” Josh gestured them to sit near the wall, next to a few piles of empty boxes. “You’re gonna stay here and you’re gonna keep quiet. Don’t move, don’t talk, and you might make it out of here alive.”
“What…I thought you had to kill us.”
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead by now.” Josh replied looking around, then at Jared. “ You’re just baits. He wouldn’t meet me if I didn’t have you.”
“What do you mean?” Jensen’s frown deepened, all that story wasn’t making any sense.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Do as I told you and I’ll make all that’s in my power to get you out of here alive.”
The noise of one of the door being opened drew his attention, and the group shut up.
“You got them all and one extra. I’m impressed.” Weatherly said with a smug grin, not looking at Josh but at the three of them. “Why are they still breathing? I thought the deal was clear about it. I want them dead.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not gonna happen.” Josh raised his gun and aimed at Michael’s chest. “Drop your gun.”
“You don’t think I’m that stupid, right?” Weatherly asked, drawing his gun from under his jacket and pointing it at Josh. “Let’s see who’s faster.”
“Drop it.” Josh repeated, his voice filled with rage and hatred. “I’m not gonna say it again.” He cocked his gun, now aiming at Weatherly’s head.
The other man hesitated, then raised his hands, putting the gun on the floor.
“Step back.” Josh ordered, not moving.
“I guess the deal is broken.” Michael said with a chuckle, stepping away from his gun. “I never heard that a man like Josh Charles would break a deal.”
“That’ll teach you not to trust someone you never saw.” Josh retrieved the other gun. “I killed Josh Charles six months ago. I got his identity, I got the tattoo. But I gotta say, it’s been tough to find him ‘cause he’d already shifted to his new identity.” He chuckled, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
“Why did you keep the old one, then?” Weatherly asked, apparently amused by the conversation.
“‘Cause he told me you had tried to contact him as Josh Charles, and I wanted you to find me.” Josh explained, gesturing him to sit on an old chair near the van. “What kind of name is Dan Rydell, anyway?” His smile disappeared as he walked closer to Weatherly. “Besides, Josh’s my name.”
“Very interesting.” Michael said, raising an eyebrow. “And all this because…?”
“Does the name Kate Austen say anything to you?” Michael’s smug grin faded and he looked surprised. “Exactly, the same Kate Austen you got killed an year ago.”
“You’re Josh Holloway!” Weatherly shook his head, amused. “That’s what you brought me here for? Revenge?” Michael laughed and Josh shot him in the leg, causing his laughter to turn into a yell.
“She was my wife, and she was innocent.” Josh said, rage coloring his face as he walked towards Michael. “She was only twenty-five, you son of a bitch, and her only fault was to be a overzealous journalist.” He threw Michael’s gun behind him and brought the now free hand to the man’s hair, pulling it and forcing him to look up. “She was innocent.” He pointed the gun to Michael’s forehead but the man reacted and threw himself at Josh, causing them to fall and the gunshot to hit the ceiling.
As they struggled on the floor Jeff moved quickly, trying to reach the abandoned gun. Jensen and Jared stood, walking quickly to the van to retrieve their phones and call the FBI.
“Freeze! Both of you.” Jeff shouted, aiming to the men on the floor. “Stood. Slowly.”
Josh raised his hands and stood, but Weatherly quickly turned and shot in Jeff’s direction. The man fell and Weatherly pointed the gun at Josh.
“Jeff!” Jared yelled as he rushed to check on Jeff.
“Don’t move.” He ordered as he stood, hissing as the wound on his leg bled copiously. “You, away from him.” He walked towards Jeff and saw the man lie unconscious on the floor. He kicked away the gun and turned to look at the others. “Ackles, away from the van.”
Jensen raised his hands and reached Jared. “You son of a bitch… I swear I…”
“You what? You’re gonna kill me?” Weatherly asked, his smug grin trying to come back despite the pain. “Trust me, I’m not the one who’s gonna die.” He aimed at Josh and shot, hitting him in the chest and watching him fall on the floor. “Who’s next?”
Jared didn’t let him the time to do anything, he jumped him quickly, making him withdraw. His hand went for the gun, and another shot hit the ceiling. They kept struggling and Jensen rushed to help, his hands tugging at the gun.
Weatherly managed to kick Jensen away, and lowered his arms, pulling the gun from Jared’s hands and firing a shot. Jared withdrew, bringing his hands to his abdomen, seeing them stained with blood.
“Jared!” Jensen reached him as the boy fell down on his knees. He supported him with his bounded arms and leaned towards his face. “Jared…oh God, Jared!”
“Don’t worry, you’re gonna follow him pretty soon.” Weatherly said, aiming the gun to Jensen’s head.
Before Michael could pull the trigger Jensen heard another gunshot, and Weatherly fell, a hole in his forehead. Jensen turned and saw Jeff throw the gun away and bring the hand to his injured shoulder, letting out a growl of pain. Jensen looked back to the boy in his arms and felt tears threatening to fall.
“Jared! Jare, stay with me!” Jensen tried to keep him awake as he saw Jeff stand and reach the van, looking for the phone. “Jare, please, don’t…don’t close your eyes, talk to me!”
“Jen, I…fuck, it hurts!” Jared growled, trying to move.
“Don’t move, stay down, Jeff’s calling for help.” Jensen reassured him, slowly lowering him. “You’re gonna be fine, Jare.”
“You okay, babe?” Jared asked, looking up at him with a wince.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Jensen caressed his hair with his bounded hands.
“You’re okay.” Jared whispered with a weak smile, his eyes closing slowly.
“No, no, no, no! Jared, stay with me!” Jensen called him, leaning down and bringing his hands to the wound, trying to stop the blood. Why hadn’t he thought about that before? “Jared! You…you can’t leave me…please, Jare, hold on…” Jensen said, tears falling from his eyes.
Jared raised his hands and caressed Jensen’s cheek. “I love you, Jen.”
“I love you too, Jare, I love you so fuckin’ much…” Jensen replied, leaning towards him. Jared’s arms fell down as his eyes closed and Jensen buried his face in the boy’s chest. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare to die, Jare…don’t you dare…”
~~
A/N: So yeah, I’ll definitely run to some isolated place in some forgotten corner of the planet.
Meantime…well, I’d like to hear what you think about this. LOL I’ll manage to find a laptop and bring it with me so I’ll be able to keep in contact. *nods*
I’m definitely talking too much, I guess I had too much RedBull today. LOL
See you soon,JM
Author: JM
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, past other/Jensen, Michael/Tom, Jeff/Samantha, mentions of Erica/Allison, Denny/Izzie, George/Meredith, Derek/Meredith.
Rating: NC-17 overall
Characters: They’re quite a lot, so I’ll put them behind a cut for the sake of your f-lists.
Main: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Kripke, Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Weatherly, Nathan Petrelli (Heroes), Josh Holloway, Chris Kane.
Secondary: Chase McDonald (LA Heat) Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Samantha Smith, Don Eppes (Numb3rs), Megan Reeves (Numb3rs), Colby Granger (Numb3rs).
Guest stars: Alona Tal, August Brooks (LA Heat), Annette O’Toole, Chad Michael Murray, Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs), David Sinclair (Numb3rs), Meredith Grey (Grey’s Anatomy), George O'Malley (Grey’s Anatomy), Addison Montgomery-Shepard (Grey’s Anatomy), Derek Shepard (Grey’s Anatomy), Denny Duquette (Grey’s Anatomy), Izzie Stevens (Grey’s Anatomy), Christina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy), Alex Karev (Grey’s Anatomy)
Mentions of: Josh Charles, Dan Rydell (Sports Night), Sandy McCoy, Steve Carlson, Kate Austen (Lost)
Category: Slash
Word count: 60,000 total
Warnings: AU, angst, slash, language (sometimes), amnesiac!Jensen, mention of non-con, murder and violence.
Disclaimer: Again, for the sake of your f-lists, here's the lj-cut.
Jared and Jensen aren’t mine ç_ç they belong to each other themselves. So does every other real person and/or every fictional character I mentioned here. Well, except Josh Charles, who belongs to my dear Fae and if you say otherwise she’s gonna cut your hands and feed them to her goldfish. (Yeah, I’m obviously kidding, we own nothing. ;_____;)
Numb3rs belongs to Cheryl Heuton and Nicholas Falacci, Grey’s Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes, Heroes belongs to Tim Kring, LA Heat belongs to whoever its creator is, Sports Night belongs to Aaron Sorkin and Lost belongs to JJ Abrams.I really don’t mean to offend anyone and nothing of what I wrote in this story is to be considered real, it’s all fiction.
Author’s Notes: Okay, so…first thing. You don't need to know the shows I put in this story, so don't worry about that. I know it sounds crazy to mix up real people and fictional characters. But trust me, I had a hell of a lot of fun writing this, and if you give it a chance, maybe you’ll enjoy reading it! ^_-
As ever, feel free to report any mistake. Constructive criticism is welcome, feedback makes me happy!
A special thanks to
nejem for her precious support!!
Beta: My beloved and wonderful and irreplaceable and amazing
faechan .
Summary: “After a car accident Jensen wakes up with a gap of four years in his memory, and the way everyone around him acts makes him understand something horrible happened in that period. While Jensen tries to get his life back together, Jared leaves his family home in San Antonio, trying to find his own way, and he ends up working in a place he’d never imagined.
But things are not as simple as they appear and they’ll find out their lives are linked, in more ways than they think.” - First story in the Threads!Verse
Crossposted
[ Chapter 1 - ‘Awakenings and new towns’ ]
[ Chapter 2 - ‘New starts and old fairytales’ ]
[ Chapter 3 - 'Therapy sessions and a goodbye party' ]
[ Chapter 4 - 'Teardrops and new friendships' ]
[ Chapter 5 - 'Bad ideas and unexpected offers' ]
[ Chapter 6 - 'Sketchbooks and domestic bliss' ]
[ Chapter 7 - 'Breakfasts and car crashes' ]
[ Chapter 8 - 'Small steps and birthday presents' ]
[ Chapter 9 - 'Dances and old scars' ]
[ Chapter 10 - 'Threats and old affairs' ]
[ Chapter 11 - 'FBI agents and shower declarations' ]
[ Chapter 12 - ‘Fathers and bad news’ ]
[ Chapter 13 - ‘Psycho-men and diner appointments’ ]
Chapter 14 - ‘Kidnaps and personal revenges’
“What do you mean, there’s no one in the diner?” Jensen looked at the agent with a mix of fear and rage.
“No one saw them go out and they’re not in the diner.” Megan repeated, a concerned look on her face.
“Then find them!” Jensen almost yelled, then turned and tried to calm down. No, he didn’t need to panic, he needed to hear Jared’s voice. “He took them, didn’t he?”
Megan’s look said more than words and Jensen paced towards the door, then back in the living room, conflicted. What was he supposed to do? He had to do something, he couldn’t simply stand there and wait.
“They took Jeff’s car, we’re gonna try and track them.” Megan explained, looking at him.
Jensen didn’t listen to them, he went to the window and looked down, biting on his lower lip. The door behind them opened and Colby came in, talking on the phone.
“There’s another person who went in and didn’t come out.” Colby informed. “Male, in his thirties, 6’, blond, slightly long hair.”
“Josh.” Jensen muttered, surprised. “Damn!”
“Who’s Josh?” Megan asked, reaching Jensen.
“Jared said he used to come to the diner almost everyday, I saw him just a couple of times.”
“You think you can recognize him from a picture?”
“Definitely.”
Megan walked out of the apartment quickly as Colby put his phone in his pocket.
“We need to get you in a safer place.”
“I’m not goin’ anywhere until we find them.” Jensen looked at the agent, trying to hide his fear.
~~
“Where are we going?” Jeff asked, daring to look in the rear view mirror.
“Drive.” Josh said, his gun pointed at the boy sitting next to him in the backseat. “And shut up.”
For long minutes nothing happened and Jared thought the FBI was probably on their trail already. Josh had taken their phones and shut them off and Jared hoped with all his heart the car had some sort of GPS thing.
“Turn right on the next one.”
Jared looked around and frowned when he recognized the road.
“Stop here.”
The car stopped right in front of an average building, and Jared spotted immediately the red Crimson neon sign.
“Get out of the car.”
They headed for the main entrance and Josh looked around before locking the door behind him.
“Sit there and don’t move.” Josh said, pointing at a table with his gun.
“Where’s Allison?” Jared looked around, worried about the fact that the place seemed deserted.
“She’s fine. They’re all fine.” Josh replied, looking at Jared. “They’re in the backstage, and I’m gonna let them go as soon as this thing’s over.”
Jared felt even worse. He wondered how many people Josh was referring to, then he realized the last part. When that thing was over, which meant when he and Jensen were dead.
“Now shut up.” Josh took Jared’s phone from his pocket and turned it on, dialing a number quickly. “I’m done with part A.” He closed the phone without letting who was on the other end the time to reply.
He reopened it immediately, skimming through the numbers until he saw the one he wanted.
He kept his gun pointed at the two of them as he sat down at the counter, resting his back against it.
~
Jensen looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, slashing cold water on his face. That crazy son of a bitch had Jared and Jeff, how could he even think about running?
Images of handcuffs and evil smirks came back to his mind and he fought them. He hadn’t told Jared about them, he hadn’t told him about the night Nathan raped him, but a few memories had come back the night after they had had their little talk about sex.
When he’d waken up Jared was calling him and shaking his shoulder and Jensen had told it was just another nightmare. He didn’t like to lie to Jared, but he didn’t want to put more pressure on him.
Moves, details, his face, his words, not much, just a few flashes, but they were clear in Jensen’s mind. He cursed himself for thinking about it again as a shiver ran down his spine. He had to focus on Jared, now, he couldn’t allow himself to freak out about that.
Jensen’s phone vibrated and he quickly took it out of his pocket, glad he hadn’t turned on the sound. He saw Jared’s numbers and replied quickly.
“If you say a single word to the FBI agent standing right there, your pretty boyfriend will have a very unpleasant meeting with a bullet.”
“You son of a bitch…” Jensen muttered through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”
“You.” Josh simply replied, his voice not showing any sign of amusement. “The Crimson. Do I need to specify that if anyone of FBI follows you, I’ll kill your friends right in front of you?”
Without answering Jensen closed his phone and sighed. He had to get out without Colby noticing it, and it wasn’t going to be easy.
Colby knocked on the door and Jensen jumped, worried.
“You okay?” The agent asked as Jensen opened the door.
“Yeah, I…I just needed to clear my head.” Jensen looked at him, trying to think a way to get out.
Colby nodded, not totally convinced, and walked towards the kitchen, taking out his phone. Maybe Jensen didn’t need a complex plan after all. Slowly he grabbed his car’s keys from the coffee table, careful not to make a noise.
He walked to the window, looking down at the street. His car was parked right in front of the building, and the flight was easy from there. He heard the noise of the fridge door and bit on his lip. Slowly he walked to the kitchen door and closed it with a quick move, locking it with the key.
“What the…Jensen! Open the damn door!” Colby shouted, and Jensen flied to the apartment door, running as fast as he could before Colby could give the alarm.
~~
“Why are you doing this?” Jared asked, looking at the man. “Money?”
“That’s not any of your business.” Josh replied harshly, not looking at him.
“What kind of man, does this sick thing you call job for money?” Jared continued, unable to let it go. Josh surely hadn’t looked like the dangerous mercenary the FBI talked about when he’d come to the diner.
“Shut up! You don’t know anything about me.” Josh looked at him this time, and the bare rage in his eyes left Jared speechless. “Listen, Jared, I like you. I really do. So don’t force me to do something I’d regret.”
Jared was about to reply but the door of the club opened and Josh raised his gun, gesturing them to keep silent. As soon as the figure came into view Jared stood.
“Sit down.” He ordered to the boy, then turned to the new guest. “You’re fast.”
Jensen didn’t reply immediately, he turned to look at Jared with a look of relief on his face. Then he turned to Josh. “I’m here, let them go.”
“That’s not the plan.” Josh said with a casual tone, then sat back down at the counter. “Give me your phone and sit with them.”
Jensen did as he was told and sat next to Jared, turning to look at him. “Thank God you’re okay.” He whispered, and Jared pulled him in a hug.
“You okay, Jensen?” Jeff asked, his voice low and cautious, Jensen nodded without breaking the embrace.
“Really sweet.” Josh commented, raising an eyebrow, but somehow his comment didn’t sound as sarcastic as he had meant it to. He looked at his watch and stood. “Get up.”
He took out Jared’s phone and quickly dialed a number. “We’re leaving.” It was all he said before turning it off, then took two pair of handcuffs from this pocket. “You two, put these on.” He ordered, throwing them in Jared and Jensen’s direction.
Jensen looked at them and closed his eyes as he felt his stomach curl. Without a word he put them on and took a shaky breath before opening his eyes.
“Let’s go.” Josh ordered, gesturing them to walk towards the back door.
In the small lane there was a blue van and Josh gestured Jensen and Jared to get in the rear, and closed the door once they got inside. Quickly he made Jeff climb in the driver seat as he got in to the passenger one.
“Drive within limit and don’t do anything stupid.”
~
“Jen…Jen, are you okay?” Jared asked, hurrying towards his boyfriend as soon as the door closed. Jensen looked pale and shaken.
“The handcuffs.” Jensen muttered, looking straight ahead. The van was started and it moved.
“What about them?” Jared looked at Jensen hands in the dim light that came from the obscured widows. “They’re hurting you?”
“I…no, it’s…” Jensen looked up suddenly, shaking his head. “Forget it.”
“No. You’re white as a sheet, what’s wrong?” Jared tried to make eye contact, and when he managed to he saw Jensen arch his eyebrows. “Yeah, well, apart from the kidnapping part, what else is wrong?”
“It’s not important right now. We have to think of a way to get out.”
“We’ll think about it.” Jared said, locking his gaze with Jensen’s. “After you tell me what’s wrong. What’s with the handcuffs?”
Jensen looked away and tugged at the offending metal around his wrist as more flashes came back to his mind.
“You cheeky little bitch…I’m gonna teach you what’s your place.”
“Oh God, not now.” Jensen muttered, shaking his head to get Nathan’s voice out of his head. Why in the bloody hell it had to happen right when he was being kidnapped by a psychotic son of a bitch who wanted to kill them?
“What?” Jared asked, reaching to touch Jensen’s cheek with his hand. “Jen, talk to me.”
“He tied me down.” Jensen’s whisper was low and Jared almost missed it.
“Who?”
“Nathan.” Jensen didn’t look up from his hands and he twisted the handcuffs once again. “When I hit him and tried to run he tied me down.”
Jared felt a huge knot forming in his throat as he realized what those words meant. Jensen remembered.
“He kept me tied up all night, I couldn’t get away from him, I…” Jensen closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. “I thought it wasn’t gonna end, I thought I’d die before it ended.”
“Oh God.” Jared wanted desperately to hug him, but the handcuffs were preventing them from moving freely. “Jensen…Jen, look at me.”
“I…I can’t.” Jensen whispered, closing his eyes.
“Yes, you can.” Jared’s voice was resolute but soft. Jensen was getting too caught up in those memories, he was surrendering to them, and Jared didn’t know how to stop it. He held out his hand and touched Jensen’s shoulder, but the boy jerked away. “Jen, look at me…”
Jensen kept his eyes closed and his breath quickened. “I…I was bleeding…and my…my wrists…I…I won’t leave you, just…stop, please…”
“He’s not here, Jensen, Nathan’s not here, he’s not gonna hurt you anymore.” Jared whispered, and felt he was losing the boy. He couldn’t allow Jensen to get back to that night, not even in his head, he couldn’t let him go like that. “Hey, Jen…it’s me, babe, it’s okay, it’s me, Jare.”
Jensen didn’t say anything and Jared could see his shoulders where shaking, but this time Jensen didn’t jerk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Jen, look at me.” This time Jared’s voice was more resolute and Jensen’s eyes snapped open. He looked around slowly, his eyes filled with tears. “Hey, babe, it’s me, see? I’m Jare, I’m here.”
Relief filled Jensen’s eyes and looked away, trying to calm down. “I’m sorry, I…I freaked out.” A couple of tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them quickly, trying to get his breath under control. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you to…to find out. Not like this.”
“Hey, it’s okay, I should have guessed that night, the nightmare.” Jared brought his hand up and caressed Jensen’s cheek. “It’s okay now.”
Jensen nodded slowly, and leaned against Jared, resting his head on the boy’s chest and trying to calm down.
“Once we get out of this thing we’ll talk to Eric, okay?” Jared asked, placing a kiss on Jensen’s temple.
“Thanks for not saying ‘if’.” Jensen whispered as his heart rate started to get back to normality.
~~
When the door of the van opened the boys quickly got out, looking around. They were in what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
“This guy saw too many spy movies.” Jeff muttered under his breath.
“Do you ever shut up?” Josh asked with an exasperated sigh.
“Bite me.” Jeff replied, showing a sarcastic smile.
Josh shook his head and threw him a pair of handcuffs. “Hang yourself, or put them on, you choose.”
Jensen watched the exchange with a frown, and if he hadn’t been so damn scared he would have found it amusing. Jared let out a chuckle, but Josh’s angry glance made him shut up.
“Now, I want the three of you to listen carefully.” Josh gestured them to sit near the wall, next to a few piles of empty boxes. “You’re gonna stay here and you’re gonna keep quiet. Don’t move, don’t talk, and you might make it out of here alive.”
“What…I thought you had to kill us.”
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead by now.” Josh replied looking around, then at Jared. “ You’re just baits. He wouldn’t meet me if I didn’t have you.”
“What do you mean?” Jensen’s frown deepened, all that story wasn’t making any sense.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Do as I told you and I’ll make all that’s in my power to get you out of here alive.”
The noise of one of the door being opened drew his attention, and the group shut up.
“You got them all and one extra. I’m impressed.” Weatherly said with a smug grin, not looking at Josh but at the three of them. “Why are they still breathing? I thought the deal was clear about it. I want them dead.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not gonna happen.” Josh raised his gun and aimed at Michael’s chest. “Drop your gun.”
“You don’t think I’m that stupid, right?” Weatherly asked, drawing his gun from under his jacket and pointing it at Josh. “Let’s see who’s faster.”
“Drop it.” Josh repeated, his voice filled with rage and hatred. “I’m not gonna say it again.” He cocked his gun, now aiming at Weatherly’s head.
The other man hesitated, then raised his hands, putting the gun on the floor.
“Step back.” Josh ordered, not moving.
“I guess the deal is broken.” Michael said with a chuckle, stepping away from his gun. “I never heard that a man like Josh Charles would break a deal.”
“That’ll teach you not to trust someone you never saw.” Josh retrieved the other gun. “I killed Josh Charles six months ago. I got his identity, I got the tattoo. But I gotta say, it’s been tough to find him ‘cause he’d already shifted to his new identity.” He chuckled, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
“Why did you keep the old one, then?” Weatherly asked, apparently amused by the conversation.
“‘Cause he told me you had tried to contact him as Josh Charles, and I wanted you to find me.” Josh explained, gesturing him to sit on an old chair near the van. “What kind of name is Dan Rydell, anyway?” His smile disappeared as he walked closer to Weatherly. “Besides, Josh’s my name.”
“Very interesting.” Michael said, raising an eyebrow. “And all this because…?”
“Does the name Kate Austen say anything to you?” Michael’s smug grin faded and he looked surprised. “Exactly, the same Kate Austen you got killed an year ago.”
“You’re Josh Holloway!” Weatherly shook his head, amused. “That’s what you brought me here for? Revenge?” Michael laughed and Josh shot him in the leg, causing his laughter to turn into a yell.
“She was my wife, and she was innocent.” Josh said, rage coloring his face as he walked towards Michael. “She was only twenty-five, you son of a bitch, and her only fault was to be a overzealous journalist.” He threw Michael’s gun behind him and brought the now free hand to the man’s hair, pulling it and forcing him to look up. “She was innocent.” He pointed the gun to Michael’s forehead but the man reacted and threw himself at Josh, causing them to fall and the gunshot to hit the ceiling.
As they struggled on the floor Jeff moved quickly, trying to reach the abandoned gun. Jensen and Jared stood, walking quickly to the van to retrieve their phones and call the FBI.
“Freeze! Both of you.” Jeff shouted, aiming to the men on the floor. “Stood. Slowly.”
Josh raised his hands and stood, but Weatherly quickly turned and shot in Jeff’s direction. The man fell and Weatherly pointed the gun at Josh.
“Jeff!” Jared yelled as he rushed to check on Jeff.
“Don’t move.” He ordered as he stood, hissing as the wound on his leg bled copiously. “You, away from him.” He walked towards Jeff and saw the man lie unconscious on the floor. He kicked away the gun and turned to look at the others. “Ackles, away from the van.”
Jensen raised his hands and reached Jared. “You son of a bitch… I swear I…”
“You what? You’re gonna kill me?” Weatherly asked, his smug grin trying to come back despite the pain. “Trust me, I’m not the one who’s gonna die.” He aimed at Josh and shot, hitting him in the chest and watching him fall on the floor. “Who’s next?”
Jared didn’t let him the time to do anything, he jumped him quickly, making him withdraw. His hand went for the gun, and another shot hit the ceiling. They kept struggling and Jensen rushed to help, his hands tugging at the gun.
Weatherly managed to kick Jensen away, and lowered his arms, pulling the gun from Jared’s hands and firing a shot. Jared withdrew, bringing his hands to his abdomen, seeing them stained with blood.
“Jared!” Jensen reached him as the boy fell down on his knees. He supported him with his bounded arms and leaned towards his face. “Jared…oh God, Jared!”
“Don’t worry, you’re gonna follow him pretty soon.” Weatherly said, aiming the gun to Jensen’s head.
Before Michael could pull the trigger Jensen heard another gunshot, and Weatherly fell, a hole in his forehead. Jensen turned and saw Jeff throw the gun away and bring the hand to his injured shoulder, letting out a growl of pain. Jensen looked back to the boy in his arms and felt tears threatening to fall.
“Jared! Jare, stay with me!” Jensen tried to keep him awake as he saw Jeff stand and reach the van, looking for the phone. “Jare, please, don’t…don’t close your eyes, talk to me!”
“Jen, I…fuck, it hurts!” Jared growled, trying to move.
“Don’t move, stay down, Jeff’s calling for help.” Jensen reassured him, slowly lowering him. “You’re gonna be fine, Jare.”
“You okay, babe?” Jared asked, looking up at him with a wince.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Jensen caressed his hair with his bounded hands.
“You’re okay.” Jared whispered with a weak smile, his eyes closing slowly.
“No, no, no, no! Jared, stay with me!” Jensen called him, leaning down and bringing his hands to the wound, trying to stop the blood. Why hadn’t he thought about that before? “Jared! You…you can’t leave me…please, Jare, hold on…” Jensen said, tears falling from his eyes.
Jared raised his hands and caressed Jensen’s cheek. “I love you, Jen.”
“I love you too, Jare, I love you so fuckin’ much…” Jensen replied, leaning towards him. Jared’s arms fell down as his eyes closed and Jensen buried his face in the boy’s chest. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare to die, Jare…don’t you dare…”
~~
A/N: So yeah, I’ll definitely run to some isolated place in some forgotten corner of the planet.
Meantime…well, I’d like to hear what you think about this. LOL I’ll manage to find a laptop and bring it with me so I’ll be able to keep in contact. *nods*
I’m definitely talking too much, I guess I had too much RedBull today. LOL
See you soon,JM