"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" A voice that had been slowly growing louder and less muffled rang clear now as the door at the end of the hallway swung open and people approached the cell the Crown Prince and his love were being held in. Janus slowly came to stand, his hand coming away from Remus's sweat-soaked hair. "Put me down! Take me back!" The voice shouted.

"Jan?" Remus asked as he sat up in the cot, he tried to stand and walk towards Janus but nearly fell, barely catching himself and leaning heavily on the wall with a small whine.

Janus didn't even glance back as he glared through the bars towards the small approaching group that finally stopped in front of them. "Janus dear boy," the leader said with a smirk. Two guards stood behind him, the body of a kid swung over one of their shoulders as they struggled to get free.

"Put me down! Let me go!" The kid shouted as they punched at kicked at the guard, pink wings with a blue hue sprouting from his back and flapping wildly.

Janus glanced at the kid, already beginning to recognize him. That was Ryker, Remy's little brother. "What are you doing?" Janus growled.

The man tapped a cane on the ground and the second guard stepped forward to unlock the door. Janus stepped backward, he knew what the consequences would be if he didn't. "This boy," the man began as he gestured to Ryker, "claims to know you and your brother. He has made some very serious claims these past few days about what you and your brother were going to do to us."

The man holding Ryker brought him down to the ground and roughly shoved him into the cell. Ryker fell to the ground with a grunt and Janus pulled him to his feet before pushing him behind him and towards Remus who placed a hand on the kid's shoulder. "We figured that since he's so close to your family maybe we'd allow him to pay a visit, maybe you could show him how compliant you're being."

The man smiled as he turned away and headed back down the hall, the guards following behind him. Janus glared as he watched them leave before turning to Remus and Ryker. "Are you hurt?" He asked

Ryker shook his head, "No, Prince Janus you have to-"

"Remus, sit down," Janus interrupted as he approached the two. Remus slowly lowered himself back onto the cot but didn't lay down as he had been doing before.

"Crown Prince Janus, you have to do something. They're-"

"What did you tell them?"

"What?" Ryker asked, suddenly becoming more aware of the anger in the prince's voice.

"What did you tell them?" Janus repeated

"I-I told them that you and Prince Virgil are really close to my older brother." Ryker said, he looked to the ground as a glare settled in his eyes "and I said that you're not gonna let them get away with this. And that you and Virgil and Remy are gonna come and save us. And that if they hurt my family then-"

"Don't do it again"

"I-I don't understand"

Janus turned to Ryker, looking harshly at the boy and making him step back in fear, "then let me make it clear to you. You are not to use your brother's relationship with Virgil and me to make threats"

"It was to protect my family-"

"I don't care. You're not the only person in danger here Ryker."

"They were gonna hurt, Raja!"

"You are not to use your brother's relationship with my brother and I to your advantage again." Janus repeated harshly "That is an order from your prince, is that clear? Do you understand"

Ryker looked at Janus, tears appearing at the corner of his eyes and fear danced in his eyes along with anger, "No... I don't"

Janus stood taller again and turned away from the boy, "than that makes you an idiot"

"Janus-" Remus said, "calm down. He's just a kid."

"My sister was in danger. I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. I thought someone like you would understand that-"

Janus turned swiftly back to Ryker and grabbed hold of the boy's shirt, pulling him forward, "You didn't keep your family safe, Ryker," Janus told him, "You put them in more danger. They'll use you all against me now, don't you get it? Turn around Ryker, look at Remus, they did that because I love him and because I didn't listen. They'll kill him if I don't listen. They'll kill all of you if I don't listen." Janus glared at the boy who was glancing between both princes with fear, he let him go, "We'll tell them you lied, we'll tell them Remy and my family had a falling out weeks ago and you were lying to save yourself. Anything else is only more dangerous, understand?"

Ryker nodded quickly, "S-so you're not gonna save us?" Ryker asked.

Janus shook his head softly, "I've tried Ryker, but I can't lose any of you. Not Remus, or your family, or any of the citizens, and they know this. They use it against me.... all we can do is wait for help to come, and not make anybody mad."

"W-what if-if they don't believe you? That we're not friends anymore?"

Janus looked back at Ryker, this time with a smile on his face, "Ryker, you know they call me Deceit for a reason, don't you?"

"Okay, yeah, that's it," Roman said as he watched Virgil slowly strum the strings of the Ukulele, "Now the next verse, so that'll look like-" Roman took the instrument back for a moment to demonstrate before handing it back and watching as Virgil repeated it back to him, "Yeah! That's it! Now put it with the others." Virgil smiled as he strummed at the strings and carefully put it together, it was a little bit slower than it would normally be but neither of them seemed to care. "Yeah! Great job! Now you know how to play like, half of a song. You're on your way to becoming a bard"

'Can I show Patton?' Virgil asked excitedly as he bounced forward, moving the ukulele under his arm to sign.

"Sure! Patton will love it!" Roman watched as Virgil hurried to catch up with Patton and show him the first half of the song they had been rehearsing while they walked. Virgil of course wouldn't sing the words that went with the song, but he seemed perfectly happy just playing the chords.

Roman looked slightly behind him where Logan was glaring down at a book as if it had just ruined his favorite meal or something, "Hey Logic," Roman said, laughing to himself at having called Logan by his new trait name, "What's going on? You look pretty mad at that book, did somebody write something factually incorrect again?"

Logan looked up at him, directing the glare towards him for a moment before shaking his head again and speeding up, his horse following behind him. Roman frowned as he sped up to catch again, his and Virgil's horse catching up, "Logan, seriously, is something wrong?"

"No, everything is perfectly fine," Logan lied harshly.

Roman rolled his eyes before suddenly grabbing Logan's book from his free hand and hiding it behind his back before Logan could grab it back, "Talk Nerd," Roman commanded, "Or your book becomes kindling for tonight's fire"

Logan sighed, "It's nothing, I'm just being dramatic, give it back now Roman." Logan reached for his book but Roman took a step back.

"You? Dramatic? Your biggest reaction is an eyebrow raise," Roman said with a frown, "Come on, spit it out and you can have your book back."

"Roman, give it back before I jinx you."

Roman shook his head, letting go of the horses' reigns and trusting them not to go too far as he put a hand on Logan and prevented him from getting any closer, "Logan, please," Roman asked, "It didn't break the rules right? So whatever it is it's fine."

Logan stopped before standing up tall and straightening his robes, he looked behind him and caught sight of Virgil and Patton giving them glances. "You're flirting with him," Logan muttered, his face red in embarrassment as he said it.

"I flirt with everyone Logan."

Logan rolled his eyes, "Yes, but this time it's real. It's not just you trying to please another politician and their child. You actually like him."

Roman shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't think it would bother you, I wasn't trying to get him to like me. I was just being myself."

"You taught him to play the Ukulele, you're breaking the rules, Roman."

Roman frowned, "I teach lots of my friends to play the Ukulele. Patton knows three songs now. I tried to teach you too but you said the Ukulele is illogical."

"Yes, because why would anyone want to play a tiny guitar!?"

"It's not a-" Roman stopped himself, "I wasn't trying to woo him, Logan. I promise. We have the rules for a reason." Logan nodded with understanding, seeming to have cooled down. Roman smiled as he handed his book back, "But you know it's not like you're not allowed to flirt with him."

Logan took his book back, "Flirting is beyond my understanding," he muttered as he opened his book.

"Why? You're just telling someone you like them without actually telling them. In like, a joking way. Ya know?"

The other shook his head as he returned to reading, "No, I don't. I don't know how to flirt. You know this already."

"Logan with how big of a nerd you are I really can't keep up with what you do or do not know," Roman said with a sigh, "Here, I'll show you. Watch this," Logan looked up from his book, pushing his glasses further up his face to watch the spectacle that was about to occur. "Hey, Virgil!" He called to the other two and watched them turn toward him, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Cause you're my fallen angel."

"That's stupid," Logan mumbled to him.

Roman laughed slightly at the comment while Virgil handed Roman's Ukulele to Patton, 'No, but I scraped my knee coming up from hell' Virgil replied, Patton, translating for him though replacing the word 'Hell' with 'Heck".

"That must be why you're so hot," Roman said without sparing a beat.

Virgil frowned and signed something neither could understand to Patton who shrugged in response. Virgil turned back to them, 'Did you fall from heaven?'

"Maybe I did."

'That explains what happened to your face.'

Logan and Patton both laughed at Virgil response while Roman just rolled his eyes and took the horses reigns again, continuing forward, "That was a very nice demonstration indeed Roman," Logan told him as he opened his book again, "Very amusing, thank you"

"Well if you think it's so easy when you try it," Roman said, crossing his arms in front of him.

"No."

"Why not? Scared?"

"No, I'm just not stupid enough to repeat your mistakes," Logan replied with a grin.

Remus was shaking with emotion as he sat alone in the cell. Ryker had been taken from the cell the day before, though not before picking another fight with the guards. And Janus was... Janus was screaming in pain, still refusing to cooperate and join the villains. He was just a few doors down, a few doors down and Remus couldn't do anything to help him. A few doors down and Remus couldn't protect him or stop them or take the beating for him. A few doors down and all he could do, whether he wanted to or not, was sit there and listen to the love of his life scream.

It had been twenty-four days. Twenty-four days since Remus had burst into Virgil's room and helped him escape the castle. Twenty-four days since Remus had decided against running away with Virgil and had instead gone back for Janus only for them to both get captured. Twenty-four days since Remus had heard Janus scream as they were forced to watch his father die. Twenty-four days since Remus had first been used against Janus, his love choosing his life over their own. Twenty-four days since Remus watched his new home and family fall to destruction.

Remus couldn't even tell what he was feeling anymore. Too much had happened in too little time and he was sure he was on the brink of collapse. He was feeling scared because Janus was getting hurt, because he had been hurt and because these people had been the ones to order the assassination on him. He was feeling angry for much the same reasons, and because these people had done terrible things to his home. He was feeling sad because a man who treated him like another son and who never did a thing to hurt him, even when they might have been 'enemies', was dead and because Virgil was missing. He felt guilty because he wanted to help Janus and anybody else they were hurting. And the worst of it...

...the intrusive thoughts.

He wasn't getting much sleep because of, everything, and his intrusive thoughts were so much worse than normal. Janus was dealing with them as best he could but it had come to a point where Remus could no longer filter himself around the guards and they got angry whenever he said something they didn't like. And whenever they got angry they tended to get violent, which never ended well for either of them.

Remus winced when the door at the end of the hall opened and the sound of footsteps followed, he hadn't even noticed Janus's screaming had stopped, to lost in his own mind and thoughts to have heard. Remus jumped up to his feet and bounced on his toes as he waited for the guards to open the cell door and let Janus in, he already knew he wasn't allowed to approach until the door was closed but it was so hard to wait.

As soon as it was Remus all but flew forward to hold Janus, ignoring how the guards laughed and made comments. Remus opened his mouth to speak but before he could get even a syllable out Janus captured his lips with a kiss and didn't pull away until the guards became uncomfortable and left.

"I'm sorry," Janus muttered as he closed his eyes and sunk down, leaning his body against Remus's chest, "I know you don't like me doing that without warning, I just couldn't risk them doing something if you said anything. I'm sorry"

"We could sew my lips shut, could you imagine all the blood? I already know sign language, Virgie and I could be twins." Remus said, ignoring how Janus was unknowingly hurting him.

Janus shook his head, "No, I need your voice in my life, it's too beautiful to lose."

"Tired Jannie?" Remus whispered as he carefully placed his hand against the side of Janus's face, the scales looked more irritated than normal. He wondered what they did to him, what they did to his Janus. But he didn't dare ask, he didn't want Janus reliving that.

Janus hummed, "No, I'm fine."

Remus paused for a moment, then shook his head, "You're lying. Stop using your magic, you won't heal if you keep using your magic."

"Need to protect you," Janus mumbled.

"Janus," Remus scolded lightly, "You don't need to use your magic to protect me. And you don't need to lie about something you need either."

"I don't?"

Remus rested his chin on Janus's head, "Not when you're with me you don't."

"Then yes," Janus said with a hum, "Sleep... sleep sounds good."

Remus smiled, "Okay, shall I carry you to bed like I used to do?" Remus offered with a smile, already beginning to move to do so when Janus suddenly stopped him.

"No!" He shouted, hands tightening their hold on Remus's jacket and moving his body so Remus would have a hard time picking him up. "No... no, don't pick me up. Not right now... let's just... can we just sleep here?"

Remus was too scared to say no. Janus wouldn't have done that without a reason, there needed to be a reason for him to not want to be picked up, so he didn't say no. "Yeah, yeah we can sleep here."

Janus relaxed and released Remus's shirt from such a tight hold, "Lean back..." he said softly. Remus did as he was told, slowly leaning back and laying down on the hard cement and not minding one bit as Janus made himself comfortable. His boyfriend was careful to immediately avoid any part of his body that made Remus react with pain when touched, but in the end both were comfortable and neither was in any pain, "You're soft, you're my pillow now."

"You're warm, you're my blanket," Remus replied, placing his arms around Janus's waist. Janus smiled as his eyes closed, so much in his body hurt. They had used magic on him, no actual weapons or anything, just magic, and it hurt so fucking much. "Hey, Jannie?" Remus asked.

"Hmmm?"

"Have-" Remus hesitated, Janus never really minded hearing Remus's strange thoughts. He used to think they were weird, as did Virgil, but now Janus had different reactions to them. Sometimes he would find them interesting, and ponder it with him, other times he would play along, other times he'd lie, and if Janus could tell it was a thought that really bothered him he would try and distract Remus from it, but he had never told Remus to not share them, "Have you ever imagined killing your brother?"

"Of course I have," Janus replied without missing a beat.

Remus paused, "Really?" he asked, genuinely unsure if Janus was lying to him or not.

Janus nodded, "Mhmm, course I've never actually acted on it. He's a pest but he's my pest. Besides, when he's not joining you on your suicide missions he's keeping you from them and it is comforting that there will always be a fifty percent chance I won't be saving you on my own." Remus laughed lightly at that, "... love you, Remus"

"I love you too Jan."