The one thing that keeps me sane...

DISCLAIMER : My story...my characters...no taking them or you will WILL deal with my wrath.

LINZ & CYNLIE : LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU BOTH!!! Omgoodness love you! I realize my cliffhangers are mean...and you will both probably hate me after this chapter cause of certain events...however! I have plans...hehe...plans.

ONWARDS ----->

Ben ran into Laraine’s house and froze seeing Laraine’s mom and police officers in the living room. He walked over and Carol slowly stood. They both stood there a moment before Carol hugged Ben close and began to sob. Ben was shaking with fear as he wrapped his arms around Carol and held her close.

“Where is he?” Ben asked her, barely wanting to hear the answer.

Carol sobbed more. “We...don’t know.” she looked up at Ben. “Someone took him Benjamin.”

Bringing his hand up Ben covered his mouth in shock. “I...I was on the phone with him...I heard him yell and glass break...I just thought something fell...”

“The police are working on it now.” Carol pulled away and wiped her tears from her face. “Would you like someone to drink? I’m making tea.”

Ben nodded, barely able to talk. “Yeah, sure.”

The two walked into the kitchen and Carol poured Ben a cup of tea. She handed it to him and poured her own before sitting down at the table with him. “Benjamin I know you think I hate you.” Ben went to protest but Carol held her hand up. “I want you to know that I never hated you. It’s just that, Lain started changing when he met you and all of your other friends and I didn’t want him to change. I realize now that Laraine would have changed whether I liked it or not and blaming you is no way to deal with it. I had just gotten so used to how things had been with Robert still here that...once he died...things changed.”

For a moment Ben just kind of stared at his tea. “I understand...how things change I mean. I understand not wanting things to happen and looking for anyone and everyone to blame it on.” he was silent a moment. “I knew Lain a year before I asked him out. If I can tell you the truth...I tried to make him hate me.”

Carol looked up at him shocked, though Ben was still staring at the table. “You tried to get him to hate you?”

He nodded. “I knew someone like him would never deserve me no matter how much I liked him. I also knew we were becoming really good friends and I didn’t want that to happen. I tried everything I could without being completely mean to him but...your son is just way to nice for his own good.” He took a drink of the tea, face twisting a little at the heat. “I finally broke down at the next dance, the winter one or whatever, and kissed him. Things led from there.”

“If you don’t mind me asking...” Carol started. “Have you and Laraine...slept together?”

“No.” Ben answered. “We haven’t. Lain isn’t ready to sleep with anyone yet but...truth is I don’t think I am ready to sleep with him yet. I know you don’t know much about my past but from what I have been through I know not to rush things.”
Carol reached over and set a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Ben they are going to find him.”

The front door burst open and the next thing Ben and Carol knew Cathy and Ryan were in the kitchen. Carol had of course met Cathy since Laraine had known her for a long time but she had not met Ryan since Laraine and Ryan had only recently met and Ryan had not been over at all.

“Carol!” Cathy ran over and hugged her. “What is going on? Have they found anything?”

“Not yet.” Carol told her. “They are still examining the room.” she looked over at Ryan. “Hello, I’m Carol.”

Ryan nodded softly. “Ryan. What...what happened? Cathy just told me something bad happened with Lain.”

Carol stood. “I’ll get you all some tea.” she grabbed two more cups. “Lain...was kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?” Ryan asked and sat by Ben. “By...by who?”

“We don’t know.” Carol answered. “The police are on it now.” she handed Cathy and Ryan tea. “They found a piece of torn clothing on the window and are analyzing it.”

“Ben?” Ryan asked a little worried at how Ben was just sitting there. “You look pale.”

Ben looked over at Ryan and smiled softly. “I told him I’d protect him and look what happened. I told him no one would get him as long as I was here.” Ben’s phone began to vibrate and he grabbed it. “I don’t know this number.” he muttered and answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Benjamin...” came Laraine’s small voice, shaking and choked from crying.

“Lain...” Ben muttered and everyone’s attention went strait to him. “Lain where are you?”

Laraine sobbed into the phone. “Please...help me Benjamin...please...”

Ben began to get choked up. “Lain please tell me where you are.”

“I don’t know...” Laraine sobbed. “Benjamin it’s cold...and it’s so dark...please...help me.”

“Laraine!” Ben yelled as the phone turned off. He dropped the phone on the table and tears ran down his face. “Oh god...”

Carol set her hands on Ben’s shoulders. “Benjamin tell me right now what he said. Tell me!”

Ben tried to steady his breathing. “Just to help him...for find him.” he wiped his eyes. “I didn’t hear anything else. He didn’t know where he was.”

All of them sat down then. “Why?” Cathy said through her tears. “I don’t understand who would want to kidnap him. Laraine doesn’t have enemies. If he did he’d tell us.”

Michael walked into the room and smiled at Carol. They knew each other since their mom’s had been friends at church but they didn’t know each other that well. “Hey.” he pulled Ryan up and sat down before pulling Ryan into his lap. “Heard anything?”

“He called.” Ryan told him, leaning his head against Michael’s shoulder. “But we still don’t know anything.”

“But...you have the number of where he called from right?” Michael asked and they all looked over at him. “Cause then you can find that phone, where it came from.”

“I’m borrowing your phone.” Carol told Ben and ran from the room.

Michael reached over and set a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “They’re gonna find him Ben. Don’t doubt it.”

Ben nodded. “I know they’ll find him.” he shook his head a little. “I’m just afraid of how they’ll find him.”

Cathy took a drink of her tea. “I feel so helpless. I want to do something but I know I’d only be getting in the way.”

“The police can handle it.” Ryan muttered. “They’ll find him and everything will be okay. We just need to believe that.”

“Believing it wont make it happen.” Ben said and stood. He walked out the back door and stood there on the patio. He looked up at the sky and let his breath escape into the air in a puff of fog. “Please...keep him safe...please.”

The door opened and closed behind Ben but he didn’t move. “Ben?” Michael asked. “I can talk to people. You know there are people I can call if you want me to. I would be more than happy-”

“Michael don’t.” Ben turned back to him. “This is bad enough without any of them involved. I don’t want to open old wounds with this.”

“And do you not want him found?” Michael asked. “Do you really think the police can do half as good a job as the people we know?” Ben looked away from him. “Police take precautions Ben. Police analyze things and don’t just jump in. Everyone we know wouldn’t mind risking it.”

Ben’s hands clenched. “Of course I want him found.” he turned sharply back to Michael. “If I could I would be out there looking for him now myself! Michael we both know what those people and what they do! I do not trust one of them with his life!”

They stood there a moment, neither moving or talking. “Ben I just want to help. You know that.”

“I know I just...” Ben sat on the bench. “I don’t know what to do. Hearing him...he was so scared and I couldn’t do anything.” breathing deeply Ben tried to calm himself. “What would you do if it were Ryan?”

Michael walked over and sat by Ben. “Ryan?” he sighed. “I’d want the police to handle it also.”

“Hey you two.” they both looked up to see Ryan at the door. “Come inside it’s cold. Your not going to be any help sitting out here by yourselves.”

The two stood and they all went inside again. The police had finally left and Ben disappeared up the stares so he could go to Laraine’s room. Quietly he opened the door and looked around. Usually when he had been in Laraine’s room it had been with Laraine. So full of life and energy. Now...now it was different. Less life, less happiness.

Closing the door behind himself Ben walked over and sat on the bed looking around. Memories were flooding his mind. He could see Laraine’s smiling face laughing at something Ben had done, or Laraine curled against him as they watched a scary movie. The many times they had just sat in there and simply kissed. The room itself smelt of Laraine and Ben grabbed one of the pillows. He closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet scent.

“Oh god...” he muttered.

Later that night, Carol had allowed all of them the stay in her living room, Ben woke to his cell vibrating in his pocket. He opened the phone and saw it was a text message. He looked at the clock and groaned seeing it was three in the morning before sitting up and letting his vision come back a moment.

“Okay...” Ben muttered and opened the phone. His eyes widened reading what he read. “Want him back? Come to the high school gym in fifteen minutes...alone.” he looked around at all his friends and then picked himself up off the floor.

Quickly and quietly Ben grabbed his coat and slipped his shoes on. For a moment he thought about waking Michael or something, that way someone knew where he was going. He changed his mine, however, because he figured that would only complicate things. With that decided he left the house and headed down the street.

Who was it? That was what Ben wanted to know. He wanted to know who had kidnapped Laraine and why. He really didn’t understand why someone would have kidnapped him. The only person that Ben knew Laraine had a problem with was that Kyle guy but Ben also knew that Kyle was way to afraid of him to ever try anything with Laraine.

The gym door was open when Ben walked up and he hesitated a moment before going inside. He slowly stepped into the dark room and looked around. He couldn’t see anything. He tried the light switch but the power had been cut. Using the little light he had Ben made it past the bleachers and onto the main floor. He nearly lost it seeing Laraine sitting on a chair near the far wall. He was tied to the chair and his head was lowered, a gag visible in his mouth.

Ben ran over to the boy and got on his knees. “Laraine.” he said as he frantically undid the gag, trying to wake the boy up. “Baby talk to me.” Laraine groaned and Ben kissed him softly. “That’s it baby, wake up.”

“Benjamin?” Laraine asked shocked as he opened his eyes and tears immediately began to fall. “Benjamin you have to get out of here...”

“Not without you babe.” Ben told him and started working on his feet.

“Benjamin look out!” Laraine screamed.

Ben turned around just in time to have a punch land square to his face. He fell onto the floor and shook his head a little before getting up on his feet to look at the person. The guy was in a black mask so Ben could not see his face at all, besides his eyes and mouth.

“Who are you?” Ben asked him. “Why did you do this?”

The man chuckled before leaping at Ben again. They fell to the floor fighting and the man pulled out a knife. Ben held the man’s wrist trying to keep the knife away from him. He turned his head and grimaced as the man licked the side of his face. “You still taste as sweet.”

Ben kneed the guy off him and wiped his face off. “You skin bastard who are you?”

He was greeted with another sadistic laugh and then the guy lunged at him again. “Ben!” Laraine screamed as the guy came close enough to cutting Ben that he got his jacket. “Stop it! Please stop!”

“Get off!” Ben yelled and punched the guy down. “Take off the damn mask now!” the guy slowly pushed himself to his knees. “I said take off the damn mask you coward!”

“Don’t you recognize me Ben?” the man asked and stood. “I remember you perfectly well Benjamin.”

Ben was about to say something but the doors to the gym burst open. They both turned to see police fill the gym. Ben patted his pockets before realizing that he had left his phone on the floor of Carol’s house. “Nobody move!” they yelled. Ben turned to the man but he took off towards the back door. Police followed him and Ben ran over to Laraine.

“Baby did he hurt you?” Ben asked him as he undid the nots to the ropes. “I want you to tell me right now if he did anything to you.”

Laraine was sobbing as he shook his head. “N...no.”

Finally the roped came undone and Ben caught Laraine as the boy fell into his arms. “Oh god Lain. I was so worried about you. God I was so scared. Are you sure that you are okay? He didn’t do anything to you?”

Laraine lifted his head and looked up at Ben with a small smile. “I’m sure...Ben.” he snuggled back into Ben’s chest. “I’m cold...can we go home now?”

“Yeah babe.” Ben stood them and then took off his jacket to wrap it around Laraine. “Lets get you home honey.”

They entered the house and Carol was immediately hugging her son. Ben went and sat down on the couch where Michael was holding Ryan, who was crying on his shoulder. “You okay Ben?” Michael asked to the cut in Ben’s shirt.

“Yeah.” Ben showed him. “Didn’t get me.”

Laraine walked over to Ben and Ben pulled him down to hold him close. Carol was in the kitchen making hot chocolate to warm them up in a heartbeat. Cathy went to the phone to call Jess and tell her everything. Michael nudged Ryan a little and the two left the room to allow Ben and Laraine some privacy.

Softly Ben leaned down and kissed Laraine. Their mouths immediately began to warm and they held each other close. Ben set their foreheads together and kept his eyes closed. “I love you.”

That made Laraine open his eyes and he sat there a moment before kissing Ben, wrapping his arms around his neck to hug him close. “I love you too Benjamin.”

They looked at each other a moment before their mouths met in a heated kiss. “Hot chocolate coming.” Carol said and the two pulled apart. “Here you are. I’ll set the other’s on the coffee table because I am off to bed. You all should get some sleep also, especially you Laraine.”

“Thank you mom.” Laraine gave her a smile and drank his.

“Yeah, thank you.” Ben agreed. Once they had drank their hot chocolate Ben kissed Laraine and gave him a smile. “You should go to bed sugah.”

Laraine snuggled into Ben. “Come sleep with me Ben? Please?”

Though Ben knew Laraine’s mom would probably throw a royal fit about it he nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

They made their way up to Laraine’s room and got into bed. Ben pulled Laraine to him, holding him close and never intending to let him go again. Laraine snuggled into Ben and sighed into the warmth he got from his boyfriend. They lay like that for a while. Just enjoying being near each other and having the other there before Laraine finally drifted to sleep.

Ben lay there looking down at Laraine. He had been so afraid when Laraine had been gone. So afraid of what was happening to him and wishing that he had been taken instead of Laraine. God only knew what could have happened to Laraine if that had been drawn out anymore. He didn’t want to think about it.

“What?” Carol screamed and all of them sort of woke up hearing it so they could listen. “What do you mean he got away?”

Immediately Ben felt Laraine curl into him more and he kissed the top of Laraine’s head. “I wont let him get you.” Ben whispered. “I swear on my life he will not touch you.”

Laraine lifted his head and they kissed softly. “I love you Benjamin.” he whispered.

“I love you.” Ben muttered and kissed Laraine. It felt so wonderful. Ben knew he loved this boy. Knew that he never wanted to be without him and it felt so wonderful. What had happened had shown Ben just how much he really did care for Laraine and how much he would be crushed if anything ever happened to him. “I love you so much.”

They began to kiss harder and Laraine moaned as Ben’s tongue slid into his mouth. Ben ran his hand down Laraine’s side and went to slide it up Laraine’s shirt but Laraine stopped him. “Ben...everyone is still here.” Ben nodded and took his hand from Laraine. “Lets get some sleep.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't kill me! I realize that not telling you who was behind the mask and letting him get away was probably something that was not good on my part...but now you know that something else bad will happen later on in the story...you just don't know when or who it will be...
Please don't kill me...
~Kay