Rebirth - 8. Chapter 8: Bite

"Okay!" Mr. Braden clapped his hands together to get everyones attention as they gathered with their partners at the main area. "Now, I know most of you have heard rumors that this trip is a survival course...well, that's just something I've told for years to get the funding. You know I like all of my students and I think they deserve a fun trip. So truth be told, this trip is all about fun and leisure, a big, fat, do what you want, vacation!"

Worth closed his eyes. "Oh no...now I'll have to spend this entire trip with them." He mumbled.

Aries looked over at him.

"However! Because I worked so hard on my partnering system!" Mr. Braden went on. "However you normally group, you are required to stick with your partner, so group sizes will be doubled, there is nothing wrong with opening up your horizons to different people and getting to know different things. With that one single rule in order, have at it!" He clapped his hands.

"This...will be a nightmare." Aries said, just as Jay popped up behind him.

"We're screwed, you know that?" Jay grinned.

"Well, it's not like we're being monitored, they'll probably ditch us." Aries said, although he knew that would be to Worth's displeasure. Already Nash, Boyd, and Matt were heading over, their partners following behind them.

"So!" Nash grinned. "How are we spending this party?"

"Just an FYI..." Jay walked around Aries. "Anything bad you do, I'll tell Sage all about it, consider me the reporter!"

Nash looked at Jay and laughed. "That history assignment is over, tell her whatever you want, you little clown of a gay boy..."

Aries stared at Nash. "So...you don't have a crush on her, at all? You seemed pretty chummy that day I ran out of gym."

"So I can't be nice to a girl without liking her? What is it? The 60's?" Nash's eyes widened. "A guy can't even speak to a girl without wanting to be her boyfriend...like, oh my god!" He said in a mocking tone.

Jay rolled his eyes. "I wish you'd be in one school play so I could tell you to break a leg and hoped it happened, because football is the only thing that will ever get you into college."

Nash looked at Jay. "Maybe so, but one of us could get into school with sport or grade." He looked over at Worth. "You want to tell me why you're so quiet?"

"Nash, we went through this." Matt looked at him.

"No, you went through it, made up your own mind. Boyd and I made up ours." Nash looked at Matt. "Do you really want to argue the two of us?"

Matt sighed and looked towards the ground.

"What I thought." Nash looked up at Worth. "By the way, where is your camp site? Sucks you aren't neighboring with us, certainly you would of caught him after his...stunt."

Worth stared at Nash and crossed his arms. "What is your point?"

"Well, I'm just wondering, I mean, maybe Matt's right and you are trying so hard to have such a nice and clean record...but then I wonder, will you ever look back and regret that you didn't have a little more fun, like the rest of us?" Nash asked.

"My parents have a lot of expectations, I want them to be proud of me, life comes with regrets no matter what you do. Why fight that?" Worth shook his head.

"But, why not fight it when you can? I mean, I know if I could stop a regret, I sure would. I mean, look at you, you're going to look back at your high school years and...all you're going to remember is being the quiet, hard working, good student, who never did anything. Keep your mouth shut and your shoulders high, like a good soldier." Nash said, his tone becoming more mocking the further he went on.

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" Worth asked.

"Did you at least do anything mean to him? Especially after he pulled that stunt. I'd of gave him a good punch, at least."

"You would? He kicked your ass last time." Worth said to Nash, dropping his arms to his sides. "Why don't you ask Boyd and Matt why they don't speak up? Because they sure shut their mouth after you got your ass kicked back into the lockers."

Nash frowned and looked off to the side. "Minor miscalculation, but you...had the perfect opportunity. Catch him in the night." He looked at Worth. "Asleep, unprepared for you...So why didn't you do anything to him?"

"Ugh!" Aries brought his hands up and into his hair. "How about I just kick your ass into the lake?! Because I'm awake and prepared right now!" He stepped between Nash and Worth.

Jay grinned. "Opened your big mouth, Nash." He shook his head. "I think everyone is a little bored with your drama."

Nash glared at Aries. "You want to try? We're in big open area...and acrobatics can only do you so much good."

Aries stared at Nash. "I'm walking away." He turned around and grabbed Jay by the hand, tugging him along, Jay's partner following after them.

"Teacher can't watch all of us." Nash looked at Worth. "Going to be a good choir boy...or break a rule, one little time?"

Worth stared at Nash, feeling trapped and suffocated, knowing that going with Aries would only feed to his suspicions. "Lets go."

Aries looked back, seeing Worth taking off with the guys. A sigh escaped, knowing he had to feel awful. He looked over at Jay. "So...this...pretty much sucks."

Jay looked at his partner who was pretty much drawn into his phone. "Yeah, at least we get service out here, surprisingly. I think there just might be a tower somewhere."

"If I knew that, I would have brought my laptop and went on live feed, it would probably go dead as soon as I was done, but at least I would of enjoyed it while I had it." Aries looked off in the direction that Worth went off in, suddenly realizing what it must of felt like for Shane to be with Adam.

"That's assuming there was WiFi too." Jay grinned. "You can only be so lucky." He looked off towards the lake. "So...what is it with you and Worth?"

"Huh?" Aries looked at Jay. "Who said there was anything?"

"Because I know you so well." Jay grinned.

"Well, unknow that part, please." He frowned and looked down.

"Selectively forgetting, whatever you say." Jay reached into his bag and pulled out a rubber bouncy ball. "Want one? I brought two." He went to bounce it. "Blah, doesn't bounce so well on this ground." He looked at Aries. "They glow in the dark, green, it's awesome."

"Give it to me." Aries asked, holding his hand out for Jay to give him the other rubber glow in the dark ball.

It was later on in the evening time and it was getting dark when Aries heard several footsteps brushing through the woods, and then voices.

"Wow, so what happened? You have to chase him out here and then got lost? Or did you just...choose to camp off trail? Either way...one of you was gutsy enough to do it." Nash grinned, his arm hanging over Worth's shoulders, Boyd and Matt following behind them.

"One of you didn't want to be found." Boyd chimed in, if for nothing else but to be in Nash's good graces.

Matt looked up at Boyd and then over at Nash and shook his head, still thinking this whole thing was stupid. He wasn't entirely sure why Worth and Aries were set up in secret, given Aries pulled that stunt of running off with the tent, he still held onto the belief that Worth simply wanted to keep a clean record.

"Nash, could you just drop it? If I was hiding anything, I wouldn't have shown you where it was." Worth said.

Aries' eyes narrowed, knowing Worth had probably tried to get away and they wouldn't let him, leading to this resulting outcome, at first he felt fear, he felt as if he were being violated, or trespassed upon, it was the worst feeling, then it began to boil into a rage, building inside of him, maybe it was Shane, he wasn't sure. He just knew it was there. He quietly reached for his bag and opened it, looking for anything in there that he could use.

"Think Aries is in there? I didn't see him with Jay earlier." Nash grinned and turned around. "This is perfect...out of sight, we can gang up on him." He looked at Worth. "Give you the first blow."

Worth stared at Nash, not making a move to respond, not even flinching, yet in his mind, he just hoped Aries wasn't there.

Aries continued to quietly shuffle through his bag and then he felt the silver steel baton that he had packed in case a snake or some other wild animal approached him. He pulled it out, it wasn't in baton form, rather it was two steel rods attached together by a chain, but the steel rods could be screwed together to form a baton. He decided to use it as it was.

Nash approached the tent and bent down, lowering to level with the door and he grabbed the zipper and yanked it down, not seeing Aries inside, he leaned in and peered into the other room, where there was a side door, it was also zipped up. "He's not here." Nash said, pulling back out.

Worth sighed in relief.

Aries kneeled outside the side door of the second room of the tent and then slowly let go of one of the steel bars and shot around, standing up as he swung the bar around and lashed Nash on the back with it.

Nash screamed in pain and rolled over onto his back. "What the fuck?!"

Aries ran forward, swinging the bar around and then brought it down, attempting to hit Nash in the face with it, only Nash rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. "The mother fuckers trying to kill me!"

Worth's eyes widened and he took several steps back, wondering if Aries perceived this as a betrayal, in all honesty, it was not, they insisted on joining him to get his bottle of water, a lame excuse to try to get out of their company.

Nash was kicked in the chest by Aries and then he swung the steel bar around and slapped him across the face with it, busting his lip, causing blood to fly, he then brought it around and slapped him across the opposite side of his face. Nash screamed in pain and fell to his knees. "Help!" He cried out.

Aries heard sounds of footsteps coming towards him and he quickly screwed the two bars together and spun around, ramming the end of the steel baton into Boyd's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, then he jumped up, grabbing his shoulders and flipping over him as he doubled over. When he landed, he turned and slammed the baton into the back of his knees, sending Boyd falling to his knees.

"Aries, stop." Worth said. "Don't do this!"

He looked up when Worth called out to him, feeling the murderous rage drain from him and his eyes widened when he realized what Shane's emotions almost drove him to do.

"You're fucking insane!" Nash pushed himself to stand up, staring at Aries as if he were a psycho.

Boyd groaned in pain as Matt and Nash moved to help him up, throwing his arms over their shoulders. "Worth, if I were you...I'd get the fuck out of here before he decides to bash your head in while you sleep." Nash spit blood out onto the ground. "Unless of course...for whatever reason, he wouldn't do that to you..." The trio headed off through the woods.

Worth shook his head and stepped forward and he reached out and took the baton from Aries grasp and tossed it to the ground.

He looked down, his arms fell to his sides after the baton was taken from him, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Where did you get it?" Worth asked.

"Sometimes...fans get me stuff, cool presents...I brought it...in case we saw a snake or...something." He looked up at Worth. "I...wanted to kill them."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Aries and pulled him close.

"It was Shane..." He closed his eyes. "Our day was ruined...and then I knew, you tried to come back to me...and they wouldn't let you go...and you had no choice but to bring them here...and the rage built...within seconds....our time was going to be ruined."

"I shouldn't of shown them, I should of pretended to get lost, I don't know what I was thinking." Worth sighed, rubbing the back of Aries' head. "I just couldn't shake them, they insisted on going with me everywhere." He looked down. "Shane got angry...because they were going to ruin our night...like Shane's night with Adam, when he was supposed to come and see him sing, right? Am I understanding right?"

"Maybe." Aries looked up at him. "I have a feeling they won't be messing with me or my friends anymore." He looked off towards the pond. "They might not mess with you either."

"I kind of have a feeling...they just disowned me." Worth said. "Just sounded really final when they left. It was like...a last piece of advice."

"Maybe." Aries slowly pulled back, shaking his head. "I'll probably be arrested for assault now...or something." He looked down. "It's ruined."

"Not if they can't find us."

"What do you suggest we do? Pick up our things...and pick up the tent without taking it apart and moving it?" Aries slowly shook his head. "Might as well head down to the parking area and wait for the cops..."

"Just wait..." Worth grinned.

Matt came out of the woods with Mr. Braden and two officers. "This is their camp sight, this was where it happened."

"One second." Mr. Braden walked over to the tent and unzipped it and looked inside, searching both rooms. "The tent is empty." He said, getting up and he turned towards the officers. "They must of took off into the woods.

"The stick thing he used was laying right there." Matt pointed towards the ground, noting that the baton was now gone.

The two officers nodded. "Well, Mr. Braden, when you do find him, bring him down to the parking area before you call us or bring him to the station, we tend to not like going up into the trails." One officers said, offering a pleasant but all too fake smile.

Worth sat on the small ledge of a shallow cave, soaked and naked with his arms around Aries, watching the two officers, the teacher, and Matt, through the blurriness of the waterfall that fell before them. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he saw them head back into the woods. "Give it about another minute, make sure they are gone."

"This is a band-aid." Aries said, turning towards Worth. "And I still feel horrible."

"Stop." He looked at Aries and ran his hands down his chest and then trailed kisses along his shoulder and up his neck. "In just a minute....we'll be inside that tent, making passionate love, the kind that will make us both quake like never before."

Aries grinned. "Well, when you do things like that and...say things like that, kind of hard to feel guilty." He rolled his eyes. "Even though I already know karma is going to deliver punishment to me for my awful act." He opened his eyes. "In a way...it's like...even though I'm going to get in trouble either way, it's like knowing ahead of time, means I should know better than to...betray Ian."

Worth softly rubbed Aries shoulders. "We're supposed to forget the rest of the world tonight, remember? You promised me, no matter what."

"I did." Aries slowly nodded and sighed. "It's been over a minute."

"Right." Worth moved around Aries and slipped into the water, turning around, he wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him forward and spun them around and through the waterfall as it fell upon them and soaked them on their way through. He guided Aries to the edge of the shallow pond and climbed out.

Aries laughed as he was pulled off the ledge and spun through the waterfall and then he followed after Worth, taking his hand and climbing out of the pond, looking to see if the coast was clear as he followed him and dived to his knees, crawling into the tent, turning to zip it up, he then gasped as Worth yanked him back and lightly tossed him onto his back and leaned over him.

"You look so beautiful wet." Worth smiled. "I would love to take showers with you...every night." He reached up and ran his fingers through Aries' soaked blonde hair. "It never stops being beautiful, that...and those blue eyes...and flawless skin..." He ran his hand down his side and then along his thigh. "So smooth...and soft."

Aries stared up at Worth, almost hypnotized by his voice and the way that he spoke, the things that he said, Worth's intense adoration caused an intense adoration within him. He leaned up and kissed him deeply, wrapping his arms around his neck, pulling him close as his back arched and his hips rose up and he lightly grinded against Worth.

Worth's eyes drifted shut as he fell into that heated kiss and drove his hips forward, eagerly pressing himself against Aries, wanting to be wrapped by the warmth of his insides. His hand drifted up and he tightly gripped his thigh and he grinded and pushed further against him, causing Aries' lower body to roll up until finally he felt himself break through as his cock pushed forth and he slowly pushed until he felt himself all the way inside, a moan pushing forth against Aries' lips, muffled by the kiss.

Aries gasped in a second where their lips parted and then meshed together again in heated passion, feeling Worth as he pushed inside, it caused his hands to tighten into fists and he clung tighter to him, pulling him closer. His hips shifted and writhed about beneath Worth, grinding himself against his stomach and all the while, shifting around him before he felt Worth slowly pull back and then push forward again in a rough and firm thrust, enough that a smacking sound could be heard.

Worth broke the kiss and he looked down at Aries with a lustful gaze and he started to pick up the pace, fast and rough as he reached down, his hands curling onto Aries shoulders, pinning him down against the floor of the tent as he leaned forward, his face resting beside Aries, cheek to cheek as he started to cry out in pleasure.

Aries looked up at Worth and then he shut his eyes when he lowered down and their bodies pressed together and he wrapped his arms tightly around him, one hand moved up and clung onto some of the hair on the back of Worth's head, as short as it was, he clung to whatever he could as Worth went right into fucking him like a virgin teen gone wild, though he imagined if he had been gay and in the closet, he must have been a virgin.

Heavy breaths began to fill the tent as he fucked Aries hard and deep, his hips jerking and thrusting, hitting him in all kinds of directions, the tightness around him only increasing his pleasure. It wouldn't be long for him, this was his first time after all. "Oh my god! I...I...Oh!" Worth leaned down and lightly bit the flesh of Aries' chest, right at the edge where his chest curved to his side, near his under arm. His teeth bit down harder, drawing blood before his jaw slacked up and he groaned and began releasing inside of him.

Aries shut his eyes tight, holding onto Worth for all he could and the sensation of Worth's stomach rubbing and grinding against his cock so fast finally drove him into release as he began to shoot, releasing in a mess that landed on his chest and abdomen and mostly in a mess between their stomach's as he lifted his hips and pressed himself as hard as he could against Worth during the release. He then felt the bite and cried out in pain and clawed at his back as he felt Worth release inside of him.

"Wow..." Worth rolled over and fell onto his back. "No...wonder people love it so much..."

Aries looked down at the bite mark and his fingers touched near it. "Damn..."

Worth looked over at Aries and then saw the bite mark, realizing what he had done. "Oh! I'm sorry...I didn't mean to, it was just...so intense..."

Aries shook his head. "It's okay...just means I have something to hide, well, at least I'll be in jail."

"Don't talk about jail." Worth laid back.

Aries looked over at him. "All the things you said, did you mean them? Because...now you just sound like a virgin that finally got..."

Worth looked at Aries. "What? No!" He pushed himself up on an elbow. "Aries...no. I meant all that I said. I'm sorry, I guess I see why it sounds like that. It's just...a...wow experience...It felt...amazing."

Aries looked at him and then looked down. "Sorry, I guess I have to let you express yourself."

"It's going to kill me if you go to jail...or if things with Ian get fucked up because I was so fucking stupid that I fucking bit you like an animal because it felt so good. If he bails you out, which I am sure he will, and he sees that before it heals..." Worth frowned. "I swear I didn't mean it."

Aries looked up at Worth. "It'll be fine...I'll make sure he doesn't see it." He ran his fingers over the bite mark and grinned. "It's a little twisted...but the fact that you went all animalistic on me...kind of a turn on."

Worth grinned. "Okay, well...if this...ever happens again, just let me know if you want me to fuck your brains out like it's the first time and then bite the hell out of you." He joked. "I'm half kidding and then...kinda half serious. I don't know how I'll...turn my feelings off, I gave up my friends...and the entire life I knew for this. I don't mean to make you feel guilty, they weren't my friends if they couldn't accept me, I just...don't know where I go from here. I don't know...if I can be around you and not...hurt..if I can't have you."

Aries looked up at Worth. "Sage said the same thing. She crushed on me since 6th grade and...freshmen year, when she finally got the courage to tell me, the very day, we both had big news to share, she insisted I go first. That was the day I came out to her...so it kinda canceled her big news out. I only found that out recently, then her online boyfriend moved to town and she seems happier, but she was going to destroy our friendship because she couldn't stand being around me...and not being able to have me."

"Wow, that really sucks, the irony, then the longing, I know exactly how that feels." Worth looked down. "It's why it's not as simple as...just coming to hang out with you guys...because I don't know if I can handle being near you...and resisting the fact that I want you. So..I don't know what the rest of my senior year will be like." He smiled. "At least my whole life will change and tumble upside down after graduating and going to college anyway, right?"

"True." Aries smiled.

"Ian!" Amber screamed as she stormed through the kitchen from the laundry room. "Ian!"

"Amber?! Chill!" He walked in from the living room. "What? Did we get anthrax in the mail? Discover arsenic in your blood test?"

Ian looked at the phone and his laugh faded. "Did you?!" He forced seriousness.

"No, stupid!" Amber stuck her arm out. "Take the phone and see!"

Ian grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

Aries sighed. "I'm in jail....charged for assault with a deadly weapon."

"What?!" Ian screamed.

"Now who's freaking out?" Amber's eyebrows lifted.

"How the hell..." Ian looked at Amber.

"I beat Nash and Boyd with a baton." Aries said.

"A baton? Where did you even get a baton?! Why did you have it?" Ian asked, not believing this.

"One of my fans on StreamUp sent it to me, they do that sometimes...and I took it to bash a snake if I saw one." Aries sighed. "Can you just come to the jail? We should really talk in person, there is so much more to the story."

"What is your bail?" Ian asked.

"Bail hearing is tomorrow...so, I don't even know, maybe the judge won't make it mega expensive, since everyone is under the belief that I'm a broken trailer trash teen that lives with Keith and Kristy. I'm wondering if they are going to try to pull something, they likely were notified." Aries frowned, looking down the hall.

"I swear...and you asked me not to treat you like a child, maybe I would if you stopped acting like one."

Aries looked down, tears streaming down his face. "Ian...you don't know the whole story..."

"Well, I'm coming there to find out." Ian hung up the phone. "I have to go and find out what happened, we get to find out Aries' bail tomorrow."

Amber frowned. "Don't even think of using any of our assets for the bond, all of that's tied up in our divorce, honey." She propped her hand against the bar and slightly leaned to the side. "Just because I've been civil doesn't mean I'm cleaning up after...anyones...mess."

Ian stared at Amber. "Keep that in mind if you ever get arrested." He turned around and walked out of the front door.

"I'm not dumb enough." Amber turned around. "Anna! Are you ready for lunch?!" She walked off into the kitchen and started gathering supplies to make a sandwich that she usually cut up into tiny squares for her.

Ian walked down the walk way and pulled his keys out of his pocket and climbed into his car, shaking his head. "The hell did you do..." He mumbled and cranked up the car, throwing the gear into reverse and he backed out of the drive way and then floored it down the street.

He was in a hurry to get to the jail at the police station and it was just a short drive and he pulled in at the parking lot and parked towards the middle of the parking lot, not wanting to hear any sort of complaints.

Ian headed inside the police station and stopped at the desk where a Secretary in police uniform was working. "I need to see Aries Donovan, he is being held here, right?"

The woman looked up at Ian and nodded. "He is in one of our temporary cells downstairs, though he is due for transfer to the court house accommodations soon." She pressed a button. "Just go through that door and there will be a guard to the right, go through the metal detector and he will point you the right way from there."

"Thanks." Ian said, quickly heading through the door and down the hall where he saw the guarding officer and he emptied his pockets in the basket and stepped through the metal detector. Determined that none of his items were of harm, he was allowed to retrieve them from the basket and return them to his pockets.

"Just through that door and down a short flight of steps to the right. He's the only one here at the moment, so you have the rare luxury of a private visitation, for the moment." The guard nodded.

Ian went through the door and followed the guards directions, it was a short hall of cells, six at the most, there might have been more, but six was all he saw. His eyes shot to Aries who was in the first one. "I'm here." He walked over.

"Finally." Aries got off the bed and walked over, grabbing onto the bars. "Got any cigarettes, they stripped me of everything, literally." He looked down at the suit that the jail made him put on.

"I don't smoke, you know that." Ian said. "So where is this...more to the story?"

"It was Shane." He said in a lowered tone. "He created this rage.." He stared at Ian with nothing but seriousness. "A murderous rage. If someone hadn't of been there to stop me, I would of killed them, I wanted to kill them, Shane wanted to, he wanted them dead."

Ian's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"To the point that if I get out of here, I think at least I need a major exorcism."

"What if it doesn't work like that? What if they are just like our DNA? Like part of a spiritual DNA? What if we can't get rid of them?"

Aries head tilted to the side. "Then the best bet is...keeping me away from any and every jock there is." He brought his head up right. "Speaking of that, because Nash and Boyd took out restraining orders on me, if I do get out, I have to change schools. Either I have to go to Vintage High School...or go to a school out of town, like Fairfield High, to which I opt on doing the that, if not just quitting altogether, because at least I'll know someone there. I have a friend, Riley...and he lives there."

"Quit? Why would you quit?" Ian asked.

"Not like I'm going to college anyway, and even if some how I came up with the money to do that, I might just waste it away. Not taking a punch at you, but that's kinda what you did to yours." He shrugged.

Ian mocked a grin briefly. "Thanks, really, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Well, Ivan pulled off getting the Study Hall teacher fired, I think. He backwards pick pocketed a pocket knife into his pocket and then stunted a shove into the class room and elaborated a story and tricked him into yanking his pockets out and the weapon fell onto the floor." Aries grinned. "Pretty convincing, don't know how it turned out. I guess it doesn't really matter, aside from you getting that job, but I won't be there."

Ian held onto the bars and his head simply fell forward. "Oh my God...just...I don't have any words..."

"Just check it out, see if he got fired, tell them you heard what happened. If he has...go for it, just be subtle about it." Aries took a deep breath and frowned. "I hate life..." He looked at Ian. "It's messed up...and I'm not sure if it's me or Shane...but I feel rather suicidal, if you look at it though, he's the one that attempted and succeeded."

Ian looked up. "Aries...you dug this hole...and now you probably feel like you're in a dark place, I tried so hard to keep you from self destructing, that's what your impulses do if you don't control them, and you have no control, I found that out...and I tried so hard...all you had to do was come to me."

"Kinda hard when Shane feels so much so strongly." Aries shook his head. "How much can you remember of Shane? You have no idea how much he fucking feels...for all your memories, he makes sure I get made up for it in everything that he fucking feels." He stared at Ian with the widest eyes.

"So I get the memories, you get the feelings." Ian nodded.

"Seems to be how it's working. I've had only two flashbacks since this whole thing began...but feelings, I've had them like a wildfire..." Aries turned his back to the bars and slid to the floor in a fetal position and started to shake, quietly beginning to cry. "He won't stop...I want him out of me!"

Ian lowered down and reached through the bars and took Aries' hand. "We'll figure it out, right now...we just need to get you out of this."

"Maybe I'm safer here, at least I won't risk going to jail for killing someone, I'll already be in jail." He looked at Ian. "He's lost his mind...and I don't understand why."

"We'll try the exorcism...first thing, when I get you out of here." He looked down, gently squeezing Aries' hand. "And pray to God that it works. He's the damaged soul, the one that was hurt, the one that was scarred by the trauma...Adam's at peace, we have to make Shane do the same."

"Adam is not in Heaven, he's still in you...he's just not crazy and insane." Aries held onto Ian's hand.

"We don't know that, I haven't felt an influence that I've been able to differentiate as being his or separate from my own for the longest time now. He could of gone on, he was the one that wanted us to be together, in the next life, now we are."

Aries shook his head. "Well, that's not enough for Shane."

"Just rest...and I'll be at your bail hearing tomorrow." Ian said.

"Likely won't have enough to get me out. Is Amber being a bitch about it?"

"She said...I can't put any assets up for bond, nothing that would be tied up in the divorce settlements."

Aries quietly snorted. "Figures, I doubt you will be able to come up with enough."

Ian frowned. "We'll see." He stood up and then slowly headed out, hating what Aries was going through and even more, hating that he didn't know how to stop it.

"Ian..." Aries called out.

"What?" He turned around.

"If push comes to shove...I'll give you my password...go on StreamUp...tell them the situation..." Aries looked down. "Maybe enough people will care to raise bail money."

"Maybe." Ian nodded and then continued on his way out.

Aries walked down the hall with the guard and sat down at a small table where a phone was. He looked up at the guard. "Can I have some privacy, please? Or do you think I'm planning an assassination?"

The guard grinned. "Funny." He walked about half way down the hall and looked over a clip board that he was holding.

"Jerk." He picked up the phone and started dialing a number.

Riley grabbed his phone. "Hello?"

"Do you wish to accept a collect call from Aries Donovan?" A woman asked.

Riley made a face. "Uh...sure." He didn't know how this would affect his cell phone plan, he figured they would probably bill him extra. "Aries?"

"Sorry...but I'm kinda in jail." He laughed. "Funny, right?"

"No...not really. What did you do?" He asked.

Aries sighed. "Well, I kinda beat two guys up with a baton, got charged with assault with a deadly weapon and my bond is thirty thousand dollars..."

Riley's eyes widened. "Why? Where did you get..."

"Someone from my show sent me the baton, it was gift, we were on a school camping trip and I brought it to beat down some snakes and...well, a couple of guys pissed me off...so I beat them down instead." Aries looked down. "You're not going to like this..."

"I already don't like this...it all sucks." Riley frowned.

"You said your dad could make me a lot of money, right? I said I never would, that I'd never want to. Well, at this point...I'm pretty damn desperate..."

"No...Aries, no..." Riley shook his head. "You'll ruin yourself, I don't want you to do that. You don't ever want to meet him anyway. The one good thing you got going for you is that he doesn't know where you are."

He took a deep breath. "I'm kind of tired of people telling me what to do, it's my life and...I have to do what I got to do to save it. And by the way, I already met him, he Skyped me through your account."

"He Skyped..." Riley trailed off. "That's what he was doing, he waited until I logged on and then he dragged me off and locked me in the basement."

Aries made a face. "He locked you in the basement?"

"Yeah, he did it so he could get on my Skype and contact you, of course...he let me out when he was done, obviously." Riley rubbed his forehead. "You don't know him...and he's especially...well, I wouldn't say he's obsessed with you...but he likes you...incredibly."

"Then he would be willing to pay thirty thousand for me?" Aries asked.

"I hate this...and I hate that you're asking me to do this." Riley walked out into the living room. "Byron." He called out.

Byron took a sip of his beer and looked away from the television. "The fuck you want?"

Aries listened to them.

"It's your lucky day if you're willing to spend thirty grand." Riley frowned, his eyes lowered.

"Thirty grand?" Byron started laughing. "On what?"

"Laugh it up." Riley mumbled. "On Aries...if you want him, you got to bail him out of jail...and it's thirty grand. Want to talk to him? He's on the phone."

Byron continued to laugh and he reached his hand out. "Give it here."

Riley handed the phone over and looked away.

"Aries...we speak again." Byron grinned.

"That we do..." Aries frowned. "So, am I worth bailing out of jail...and if so, what exactly would I be doing in return?"

"Simple, you'd be earning me my money back, as my hired model...for the erotic, the explicit, the X rated, all of it..." Byron said. "Can't be shy in this business. You'd work for me until I brought in thirty grand from the date of bailing you out. Which, would you prefer tonight, or in the morning?"

Aries grew quiet, hearing the man, remembering the way he looked, and everything he was saying now. He started to wonder if he could truly go through with it. "And...this is a vocal agreement?"

"I'll just say this much, you better stick to your word, I dabble in many dark territories." Byron answered.

Riley looked at his dad, hating him even more for this.

"I just...I'm not sure." Aries said.

"You're scared, I can understand that." Byron sighed. "I don't mean to make it sound scary, really it's not. It's nothing I'm sure you haven't done before."

"You jack ass!" Riley screamed at him. "How would you know what he has or hasn't done?"

"Shut up! This is a business call!" Byron screamed back.

Aries cringed, hearing Riley and Byron go back and forth.

"I'm sorry..." Byron said, trying to take on the kindest and softest tone. "I want to help you, and I want to make you as comfortable as possible. I take care...of my babies."

Riley rolled his eyes. "Really took care of me, your real baby." He mumbled.

Byron waved a hand at Riley, wanting to tell him to shut up. "So, what do you say? We'll meet and just hang out, get a feel for everything. I can tour guide you, show you some of the sets, there doesn't have to be a rush, everything can be real pleasant. Actually, even a family dinner, since you are a personal friend to my son."

Aries sat there, entirely creeped out, yet he was desperate for the bail money. He honestly didn't know what to do, then his mind drifted to Ian, thinking about what he said about his impulses, just at the moment he wanted to tell this man yes, get bailed out, and then figure it out from there.

His thoughts then drifted to Keith and how he had wanted that man to hurt him, and how guilty he felt now for what he had done, for what he had wanted to do, and how much of a punishment this would be for him. He was quiet for what seemed like the longest time before he said anything. "Okay, I'll do it." He said, closing his eyes.

Byron grinned. "So...where are you? I can bail you out tonight, bring you here, I'm sure Riley wouldn't mind a friend spending the night, if you're down for that."

Riley sighed and closed his eyes, his hands moved up to cover his face, Aries had sealed a deal with a devil.

"Napa County Court House, in the jail." He said.

"Thirty minute drive. We'll be there." Byron hung up and tossed the phone across the couch. "Like candy from a baby."

"You're a fucking bastard, using his situation against him." Riley snatched his phone up from the couch.

"You brought me the phone, what makes you any better?" Byron asked.

"He kept insisting...and now he said yes to you...and I hate every bit of it." Riley squeezed his phone in anger and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Well, you'll get over it." Byron stood up. "Come on, want to see your friend, right? We got a drive." He headed towards the door. "And hey...I might do ya a favor and set you in a video with him...if you can be nice to me for one whole day!" He laughed, walking outside.

Riley grabbed his jacket. "Like I'd ever be in a video...or ever take advantage of him like that. I'd be a jerk to you every second for twenty four hours first." He shook his head and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.

A faint buzz sound was heard and then the door opened as Aries walked out into the main lobby of the court house and Byron finally got to see the blonde teen he came to adore, from the moment he saw him, for the first time, now in person.

"Aries." Byron grinned. "It's so great to see you, I feel like we should share first meeting pleasantries all over again."

Aries looked up at the man, who he had, at first came to find scary, yet for some reason, the man's appearance didn't quite frighten him anymore, he felt a little on edge. "Hi..."

Riley watched Aries, he looked like just a kid being lead into a horrible mouse trap.

"Well, the truck is outside, shall we go?" Byron asked.

Aries slowly nodded and he glanced at Riley, who he knew wasn't happy about this at all. He walked by them and pushed the door open and headed down the steps, stopping once he reached the bottom, feeling pain in one of his shoulders from being so tense.

"My trucks right there." Byron said. "Just climb in." He walked around to the drivers side. "Let Aries be in the middle." He smiled.

Riley reached out and took Aries hand and then slowly walked towards the truck and opened the passenger door. Aries climbed into the single cab first, sliding into the middle and then Riley climbed in and pulled the door shut.

"Okay, there is a new rule I kind of failed to tell you about." Byron pulled out and onto the street from where he was parked along the sidewalk. "I had to use my house and a bail bondsman. How would it look if I showed up with a brief case full of money? A little mafia, right?" He laughed. "So...you have to stay with us until your trial, I have to make sure that you show up."

Aries stared out at the road. "Oh...well, that one will sure be easy to explain." He looked down and pulled out his phone. "Let me just call Ian and...spin a little lie..."

Byron laughed. "I love that...your way with words."

"You're a jerk." Riley looked at his dad.

"It's okay...I just need you both to be quiet." Aries dialed Ian's phone number and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Aries! How do you have your phone?" Ian answered.

"I'm with Gemini...and the band bailed me out. They had money...that they saved from all their concerts, it was supposed to be to rent out a studio...but, you know, anything to help me." Aries looked around.

"Okay, so is he bringing you here?" Ian asked.

"Not exactly, he thinks that Nash and Boyd will try to get me in trouble, come to where I am and accuse me of breaking the restraining order, get me sent back to jail, so I am going to stay with him...until the trial. Just...chill and let things blow over." Aries breathed heavily.

"You sound nervous. I'll come to you."

"You can't come." Aries shook his head. "Gem knows you, and I most definitely know you...but the band mates get edgy about sharing their address, they don't want fans to find it and harass them. It shouldn't be too long, just give it some time and chill, okay?"

"Aries, they're not even famous, they're indie..."

"Well, they like to think they are, plus...with me and my live stream and all, they've gotten around. Please? It's not like we're going to die."

"Fine, I love you." Ian said.

"Love you too." Aries hung up and then turned his phone off. "It's settled."

Byron grinned. "Gemini, so there's another?"

"My older brother...you really wouldn't be interested, in fact...he would kick your ass if he knew, and I doubt he'd care about your threats, blind anger, you know how that is." Aries said.

"Too bad, still wouldn't mind seeing a picture." Byron shrugged, driving on.