"And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you."

T H E L I G H T from the room disappeared just as quickly as it came, any semblance of warmth going with it. Falcon slid back down the wall, his head falling into the open palms of his hands.

He hated to think what torment Freya was feeling. He had promised her he'd never leave her and he had broken that promise because of his own desperation. He'd left her and he didn't even know if he could ever go back.

It seemed like hours that he sat there, eyes closed, cursing himself for his own stupidity over and over again. Perhaps it had been because the door began opening again, effectively pulling Falcon out of his spiral of self-hatred.

His eyes stung from the sudden intrusion of light, but he held firm. His brother stepped down from the doorway, walking slowly as he sighed before seating himself on the last step. It was quiet for a moment; Falcon refused to look up from the ground and Kace waited for his stubborn brother to say something.

Finally, Kace broke the silence, giving up on waiting for something that obviously wasn't going to happen.

"Have you had a good, long think yet?" He asked Falcon. "Ready to make the right decision and join your family?"

Only then did Falcon move his gaze onto his brother, glaring daggers into his smiling face.

"You're not my fucking family," He growled.

Kace gave a disappointed sigh, his eyes moving to glance around the room before settling on his hands in front of him.

"You're not thinking clearly," He mumbled, almost to himself. "There's nothing, no one else out there for you. Why don't you just come back?"

Falcon rolled his eyes, not gracing his older brother with an answer. It was best he kept his mouth shut about Freya. The less he knew, the better.

"We care about you, Falcon," Kace continued talking. "You're the baby of the family. We need you kiddo-"

Falcon snapped, his body trembling.

"Stop it," He yelled. "Stop fucking talking as if we were one big happy family! We're not friends, we're not family. I didn't come back because this place-you people are fucked up."

Kace frowned, his eyes narrowing at his little brother's outburst.

"You never had any complaints before," He stated.

Falcon gave a short laugh, his eyes searching the ceiling without a reason before they focused back on his brother.

"That was before you screwed me over," Falcon gritted. "Before you took advantage of me worshipping the fucking ground you walked on. Family don't betray each other, so you're no family of mine."

Kace's eyes widened slightly with realisation before he forced his posture to relax, giving Falcon a relieved smile.

"That's all this is about?" He chuckled. "I told you, that wasn't-"

"Don't lie to me," Falcon snapped. "Don't you dare fucking lie to me. You know what you did. You made a fucking fourteen-year-old do your dirty work for you, knowing I'd never say no just so you could avoid the jail time."

Kace's smile wavered but stayed as he spoke.

"Come on, little brother," He let out a sheepish chuckle. "I would have gotten almost life in prison, you only got five years. You knew the risk."

"I knew the risk?" Falcon thrust an angry finger into his own chest as he got up from his position on the ground. "I was fourteen-fucking-years-old! I didn't know shit. You were the one who was supposed to take care of me. You were the adult. You deserve the fucking life sentence."

Kace stood up abruptly, his smile gone as he glared down at his brother.

"Who would have taken care of you if I had been the one to get caught, huh?" He growled. "You would've been left without a home. You think you would have survived living with dad at that age? He would have beaten you into submission every fucking chance he got. I saved you."

"And look where that got me," Falcon said evenly. "Criminal record and all. You didn't save me. You ruined my fucking life."

Falcon's eyes stung with the promise of tears as his thoughts drifted back to that perfect life. It wasn't just a fantasy; it was impossible. He couldn't marry Freya. Freya needed someone stable; someone able to get a fucking job. With his record, no one would even think about employing him. He'd never be able to provide for her. Just another crushed dream to add to his ever-growing pile.

Kace's eyes turned to slits as suspicion clouded his thoughts.

"What could I have possibly ruined for you?" He questioned harshly. "I gave you a home. A safe home; one where you would be cared for. You don't have any life outside of us."

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to be involved with your life of crime?" Falcon threw his arms open before letting them drop to his sides, moving as he spoke. "That maybe I would want to get a job one day? A house? My own life?"

Kace scoffed, crossing his arms as he stared down at his brother disbelievingly.

"And do what?" He asked. "Play house? Have a little wife and a dozen kids? Why the hell would you want that?"

Falcon couldn't stop the words that flew out his mouth.

"Maybe because I found someone who makes me want those things," He rubbed a hand through his hair and over his face before turning away slightly as his brother's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Found someone?" Kace's voice was quieter now. "So that's what this is about. That's why you won't come back. You found some bitch who's got you tied down and now-now you want nothing to do with the people who have cared for you your entire life."

Falcon's jaw gritted as his fists flew out, begging to connect to his older brother's face. Falcon stopped midair, flexing them before clenching again and pulling them to his sides.

"Don't call her that," Tremors swept through Falcon's body from the effort of holding himself back. "Don't ever call her that. You never really cared about me."

"Fucking hell," Kace dug the heel of his palms into his eyes in frustration. "I stop keeping tabs on you for a few fucking weeks and you go and get yourself pussy-whipped. Are you fucking serious?"

He growled in irritation, harshly pressing his palms to his temple as he glared at Falcon. Falcon folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the wall.

"Best god damn decision I ever made," He spat.

"Who the fuck is she?" Kace demanded, fists clenched.

Falcon would have laughed at the image of his brother fuming if only his girl's safety wasn't on the line.

"I'm not telling you shit," Falcon said forcefully.

"I'll find out who she fucking is," Kace snarled. "I'll dick her down real fucking good. See if that doesn't open your eyes about joining us."

Falcon couldn't hold back this time, his fist swinging towards Kace's face before he could even register that he had done it. Kace clumsily caught it midair, scowling at him.

"You're gonna have to try better than that, brother," He gritted. "Don't fucking forget who taught you how to fight."

Falcon growled, twisting his hand out of his brother's hold before aiming for his stomach. Kace took the hit, doubling over as his abdomen spasmed, hot pain filled his stomach. He gasped, the air knocked out of him for a moment before glaring up at his brother.

A fist came for Falcon's face before he had a chance to block it. Defending himself had always been his weakness.

Falcon's mind blacked out for a moment, only returning when his head met the hard cement floor beneath them. He saw stars for a moment, a mirage of dancing black and white spots clouding his vision before he blinked them away.

He could taste blood, stinging pain erupting in his mouth as he realised he had bit his tongue when the punch had landed. He looked up at Kace who stood in front of him, chest heaving.

"This wouldn't have happened if you would just stop being so god damn fucking stubborn," He growled.

Falcon flipped himself over and onto his back.

"Never gonna happen," He said as his breath began evening out. "Especially when you keep me locked up like a dog."

Kace's jaw clenched as he let out a calming breath. He worked his jaw as his mind churned through his options before seeming to come to a decision.

"Fine," He spat, grabbing the collar of Falcon's shirt and hauling him up. "Let's go reunite you with the fucking family."

~🎀~

Freya couldn't sleep. Another day had passed and nothing had turned up. Falcon was well and truly lost.

Her father had, surprisingly, kept his promise to her. Ever since their argument, Freya had lost count of the number of phone calls he had made to a variety of different people, asking for help or possible information on Falcon Anders' absence. She was more than grateful towards him.

Her step-mother, however, she was not grateful for. She had attempted to bring in her beloved Quincy, the horrid cat, into Freya's room for 'comforting' purposes. Freya now had a new scratch adorning the back of her hand and her father had promptly ordered for her step-mother to remove the cat. Her step-mother went with it, not knowing how to comfort Freya on her own.

Kendra had forced Freya to down a smoothie, but Freya hadn't been able to handle anything more. Any kind of weight in her stomach made her feel sicker than she already felt. Kendra didn't push it.

Freya had had another crying spell in the early hours of the evening and now her eyes were left red and swollen and her heart ached every time she thought of Falcon. She hoped to God he was safe. Even if he never came back to her, as long as he was safe, she could survive. But she had no way of knowing that, and that was what terrified her the most.

Kendra had told her earlier that Penn had called her father, wanting to know why Freya hadn't picked up her phone. Freya had had the guilty thought that perhaps he had something to do with Falcon's disappearance, but she banished it as soon as it came. Penn may not have particularly liked Falcon for whatever reason, but he wasn't evil.

Her father had filled Penn in on what had happened. Of course, Kendra hadn't been able to hear his reply to her father's words, but she had told Freya that it seemed to have been satisfactory as her father had nodded along to Penn's words.

Freya turned in her bed again, her arm had fallen asleep on one side. She screwed her eyes closed, her hands clutching her bunny as her chest burned, trying desperately to fall asleep. It proved useless as her eyes began hurting until she opened them again. She changed positions, not bothering to close her eyes this time as she stared into the pitch black darkness.

As most sounds did late at night, the harsh buzzing of her phone had her body jolting in shock and she picked it up from her nightstand where Kendra had left it to charge earlier that night.

She squinted at the bright screen, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the harsh lighting. A text message from an unknown number appeared in her notifications and with slight hesitance, she clicked on it.

Unknown: 637 ldrs crk

Unknown: Brng plc

Freya's brow furrowed in confusion, her brain unable to make any sense of the scrambled words. She glanced at the time; quarter past eleven. She knew Kendra would still be awake.

Freya scrambled out of her bed, phone in hand as she carefully opened her bedroom door and quietly tiptoed down the hall. She made it to Kendra's door without much noise and turned the handle, peeping her head around the corner.

Kendra was in her bed, her lamp on next to her as she sat with a book in hand, glasses perched on her nose. She looked up at the slight noise of the door and took the glasses off to see Freya better.

"Do you need something, sweetheart?" Kendra asked as the girl crept further into the room.

Freya wordlessly held out her phone, the screen still showing the last two texts she had received from the unknown number. Kendra pulled back from the screen a little, focusing on the words.

"That sounds like a place," She mumbled to herself. "Ldrs crk, leaders creek. Oh, Leader's Creek road. I know that road."

Freya sat on the edge of the bed, blessing Kendra for her sharp mind.

"What does the other one say?" She asked, trying not to sound as impatient as she felt.

"Bring," Her voice grew unintelligible as she muttered things before sucking in a sharp breath. "Bring police. It says bring police."

Freya's eyes widened as she quickly connected the dots.

"Falcon," She almost whimpered.

Kendra motioned for Freya to get off the bed and she followed soon after, stuffing her feet into a pair of slippers by her bed and tightening the robe she wore around her waist.

"Come on," She ushered Freya out the door. "Quickly. We have to show your father."

The texts had to be from Falcon. Freya hoped they were. It meant he was safe for the time being; that he was alright. Now all they had to do was find him, and they knew where to look. She just prayed he was brought back to her. Whole and uninjured.