"They said he should be coming around here soon," Parker said, sipping on his coke.

"It's been a couple of days," I said, taking a bite of my breakfast sandwich. "He should start feeling a bit more energized."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Parker said, leaning back in his seat. "I have no idea where to go from here."

"You'll need to find a rehab program," I said, meeting his eyes.

"I'm not shipping him off somewhere."

"Rehab doesn't just exist in London. There are local clinics."

"I've got a meeting with Social Services tomorrow," Parker said, his eyes filled with worry. "They're going to want to know my plans going forward."

"Tell them you're researching different rehab programs," I encouraged. "That you're looking into ways to help Lee."

He was silent.

"And then, you know, actually do it before the meeting. That would be a good thing too."

Parker nodded, standing up. "Ready to head back?"

I nodded, finishing off my breakfast sandwich before throwing away my trash.

Parker wrapped his hand around mine as we headed up to Lee's room, and I could tell that he was nervous.

"It's okay," I reminded him. "We'll get through this."

Lee was awake when he stepped into the room. He sitting up and staring out of the window next to his hospital bed.

His eyes flickered over to us.

"Hey," Parker said, with a smile. "We didn't expect you to be awake."

Lee remained silent.

"How're you feeling?" Parker continued.

"I'm sorry," Lee said, quietly.

Parker let go of my hand, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around Lee's shoulders. He kissed the top of Lee's head, saying something too low for me to hear.

My eyes glanced down to the gauze wrapped around Lee's arms. Blood was seeping through on the right arm.

I had to look away, my stomach clenching.

"Are you going to take me home?" Lee asked Parker, once Parker released him.

"I'll see what I can do," Parker promised, his voice hoarse. "But I can't promise anything right now though."

Lee nodded, his eyes drifting back to the window.

Parker came back over to me, squeezing my hand. "I'm going to go and find a doctor."

"Okay," I agreed, with a nod.

He kissed my cheek before leaving the hospital room.

I took a seat in one of the chairs in the room, pulling my knees up to my chin.

"Does he hate me?" Lee asked, looking over at me.

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Parker, does Parker hate me?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "His love for you is boundless."

Lee nodded before going back to staring out of the window.

~*~

"Okay, here's one," Emmett said, leaning back in his chair. "Emailing you the link."

"Where's this one?" Parker asked him.

"Peace River."

He nodded, opening up the link in his email.

"I mean, lucky for you it's almost summer," I said, as I opened up another rehabilitation center's webpage. "And rehab programs are 28 days."

"Why 28 days?" Parker asked.

"Because that's all insurance will cover," Emmett informed him. "28 days and you're cured."

"So your parents paid out of pocket?" Parker asked me.

I nodded.

"Jesus," he muttered. He leaned away from his laptop, massaging his temples.

"Why don't you go lie down?" I suggested. "We'll see what we can find."

"It's fine," he promised, his eyes closed.

"You're not going to get much done with a migraine," I said, taking his hand in mine. "Go get some shut eye, and Emmett and I will keep looking."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and resting his forehead in the palms of his hands. "I'm just going to finish this up first."

I didn't argue it any further, squeezing his hand before returning to my current rehab webpage.

Parker didn't move from that position for the following five minutes, his eyes closed as he tried to let the migraine pass.

Not that it was going to. He needed to get some rest.

A doctor in a white coat stepped into the area. "Mr. Adams?"

Parker looked over at him, standing up.

"Parker Adams?" the doctor repeated, looking him up and down.

"Yeah, that's me," Parker said, his voice deep and hoarse.

"Um, right this way."

Emmett tried to bite back a smile as Parker followed the doctor.

"What?" I asked Emmett.

"He wasn't expecting an 18-year old as Lee's guardian," Emmett explained, closing out of his current webpage.

"Well most people don't."

"I honestly think that Peace River is going to be your best bet," Emmett said, leaning back in his seat.

"But that's not the 28-day rehab program," I pointed out.

"No, but they will work with both Lee and Parker in order to keep Lee stabilized, and they do it in the home which I think is better than trying to send Lee somewhere."

I nodded in agreement, pulling up the website on my own computer.

"How'd your tournament go?" I asked Emmett.

"Well I was only there Friday," he pointed out. "But we won."

"What did your coach say when you told him you had to leave?"

"He wasn't happy at first, until I explained part of the situation to him. Then he was more than lenient." Emmett leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I've known Lee half of his life. I love that kid like he's my own brother."

I reached over and squeezed Emmett's bicep.

"And I'd just talked to him Wednesday night," Emmett continued.

I didn't know that.

"You did?"

He nodded. "I mean, I could tell that he wasn't himself. But that's Lee, he's up and he's down."

"This isn't your fault," I said, shaking my head.

"I just wish that I would've said something to him, you know? Maybe if I'd just-"

"You can't do that to yourself," I interrupted. "This isn't your fault, this isn't Parker's fault, and you can't reminisce on every conversation you've had with Lee to try and find blame. Lee was in a dark place, and now he just needs to know that we're all there for him as a strong, united front."

Emmett nodded in agreement, straightening up in his seat.

"Let's go get some Starbucks," I suggested. "Because I don't know about you, but I could really use a pick-me-up."

~*~

"Where's Parker?" Emmett asked me, as we entered Lee's empty hospital room.

Lee was awake, so it was strange that Parker wouldn't be in here with him.

"We brought you Starbucks," I informed Lee, handing him his Vanilla Mocha.

Lee accepted it in silence.

Not that that was anything new. Lee hasn't said much lately.

"Have you seen Parker?" Emmett asked Lee.

"He was in here with Dr. Graham earlier," Lee said, quietly. "But not since."

"I'll go look," I said, leaving Emmett to be with Lee.

Emmett probably needed some alone time with him anyways.

I walked down the hall to the common area.

Parker was stretched out a couple of plush seats, asleep.

There were a couple of other people in here, but it was clear that they were trying to stay clear of Parker and give him his distance.

I kneeled down next to Parker, kissing his temple. "Babe," I whispered. "Come lie down in Lee's room."

He blinked awake, his eyes bleary.

"Give these people some space," I said, with a laugh. "Come lie down on the cot in Lee's room?"

Parker let out a soft groan, pushing himself vertical. "I was waiting for you," he explained. "Not sure when I fell asleep."

"Come on," I said, tugging him out of the common area.

There was a mother in there with a small child, and she shot us a sympathetic smile.

She had no idea.

Parker leaned against the wall outside of Lee's room, his eyes closed.

"Do you want me to run to the drugstore?" I asked him.

"It's just this migraine," he explained, quietly. "I'll be fine."

I opened Lee's hospital room door and led Parker inside.

"Pull the cot down," I said to Emmett, as I dug through the cupboard for the flat, lumpy pillow the hospital offered.

But it was better than nothing.

Lee looked away from Parker as he lied down, and he was asleep within minutes.

"Should we get some Excedrin Migraine or something?" I asked Emmett.

"Parker usually keeps some in his car," Emmett said. "Once he gets up I'll locate his keys and go check."

I took a seat in one of the plush chairs, leaning back with a small sigh.

I could easily take a nap right here.

That's when I noticed that Lee was sitting criss-cross in his bed, gripping his Starbucks cup with two hands in silence.

Not that the silence was anything new, but his tense position sent off some red alarms.

I looked over at Emmett, who was looking down at his phone.

"I've got to take this," Emmett said, standing up while still looking down at his phone. "I'll be right back."

I nodded and Emmett walked out of the room, pressing his phone to his ear.

I wasn't sure if I should say something to Lee, or just let him be. This was Parker's territory, not mine.

But I didn't want to leave him to suffer in silence.

"You like Vanilla Mocha right?" I asked Lee, pulling my right knee up to my chin. "Emmett said that was your order."

Lee looked over at me.

"If you hate it I'll happily drink it for you."

He looked down at his drink, releasing the death grip he currently had on it.

"What time is Parker's meeting with Social Services tomorrow?" Lee asked me, quietly.

So that's what Dr. Graham and Parker talked to Lee about.

Though I'm thoroughly surprised they told Lee about the Social Services meeting tomorrow, but not the one a few weeks ago.

"11," I said.

Lee didn't say anything else, but I could tell that he was still upset.

"What's really bothering you?" I asked him.

He looked over at me in surprise.

I just raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for his answer.

Lee let out a sigh, shaking his head. "All of this is my fault."

"It's not your fault."

He just rolled his eyes.

"Parker loves you," I reminded Lee. "And he's not going to go down without a fight. So don't let your head hang already."

"He should just let me go," Lee informed me. "It would be easier."

"Easier for who?"

"For Parker."

"Do you really think that?" I scooted to the edge of my seat, making direct eye contact with Lee. "Do you think that Parker's life would be better without you?"

"Everybody's life would be better without me."

It was hard for me to blink my tears back, to keep my composure. All I wanted to do was squish Lee up into a tight hug and squeeze all of the pain and suffering out of him.

"When Parker was 18 and was told that he had to take legal guardianship of you, what did he say?"

Lee shrugged.

Okay, I expected Lee to know that. I don't know either.

"He didn't hesitate," I bullshitted.

But the next part I knew for a fact.

"Because he loves you. And even though he knew there would be rough patches, and it wasn't going to be easy, but life without you was never an option."

Lee looked away from me.

"And nothing's changed now."

Silence.

"When Parker had to send you to school in Miami, he came to see you every weekend," I pointed out. "And he was there every time you called. Every month he spends hours on the phone with the insurance company for you, making sure that you have everything you need. He's always put you before him, and he always will. Because that's what you do when you love someone."

Lee closed his eyes, a tear trickling down his cheek.

"So don't doubt it for a moment Lee," I said, quietly. "Parker knows this won't be easy. But he's willing to go to the ends of the Earth for you."

~*~

"How'd it go?" I asked Parker, as he came back into the main area of the hospital after his meeting with Social Services.

Parker nodded towards the elevator, and I nodded.

The two of us headed up towards Lee's floor, the only two in the elevator.

Parker sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "They're taking me to court."

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"They want to take Lee from me," Parker said, looking over at me with tears bright in his eyes. "I have to go to court."

I wrapped my arms around him, keeping my own tears at bay.

They couldn't do this. Lee needed a stable environment with someone he loved and trusted, not to be ripped out of his home at his time of need.

"I don't know what I'm going to tell him," Parker continued, pulling away and wiping his tears as the elevator doors opened.

"The truth."

Parker didn't answer as we headed towards Lee's room, stopping outside in the hallway.

"He deserves that," I added.

Parker took a minute to compose himself out here in the hallway before opening Lee's hospital room door.

Lee was half-asleep, but he struggled to sit up when Parker walked in.

"It's okay bud," Parker said, giving Lee a slight shake of his head.

"What did they say?" Lee asked.

Parker looked over at me, and I gave him a slight nod.

"It's not looking so good," Parker said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Lee was still for a few moments.

"I'm sorry," Parker continued. "I'm going to do everything in my power to fix this."

"It's my fault," Lee said, quietly.

"Nobody is at fault here," Parker said, with a shake of his head. "Shit happens."

"It would've been easier if the suicide had fucking worked," Lee muttered.

Parker was quick to cross the hospital room before I could reach out to stop him.

"I never want to hear you say that," Parker ordered, crouching down next to Lee's hospital bed.

Lee didn't answer.

"I fucking love you," Parker continued. "And it would not be easier if you committed suicide."

I had to look away, tears in my eyes.

"And I will fight for you," Parker said, his voice thick. "Because I'll be damned if I let any government official take you from me."

*************************************************************************************************************

So what did you guys think about Lee starting to come back around? What about Emmett leaving his tournament for Parker & Lee? Did that surprise you at all? And then Lee & Emily's little heart-to-heart moment? And the ending, of course, with Social Services decision to take Parker to court?

The picture off to the right was submitted by Angel92701. Check it out! -->

So I'm pretty confident this book is going to be finished by the deadline. I've been staying up past midnight and waking up in the wee hours of the morning just so that I can dedicate some time to finish this book, and I think we're going to get there.

Teaser: Parker heads to court with Emily by his side. And when things aren't looking so good, an unexpected hero steps up.