Healing All Wounds

By Carolina Blue

A/N: Another Author's note, same as the first. A little bit louder and a little bit worse. (AKA: disclaimer, etc are the same stuff you've read before.)

Last chapter, I mean it this time! I realized I had to do one more chapter, because there was one more person that I remembered needed to interact with Noah and Luke to bring some closure to this incident. Enjoy!

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"The court is now in session, the Honorable Robert Frasor presiding. Please rise."

The entire courtroom stood as the judge entered. Luke kept his hand at Noah's elbow to help him up, more out of habit and personal preference than actual necessity. In the two days since he'd been released from the hospital, Noah's health had improved greatly. If it weren't for the giant bandage, the winces when his left arm was stretched, and the fact that he still tired easily, you wouldn't know that Noah was even injured. Noah teasingly attributed it to the Snyder family constantly spoiling him, but Luke thought there was more than a grain of truth to that. Between Holden and Lily always checking up on him- making sure he took his meds and was careful of his arm- Emma pestering him to eat by bringing over feasts of his favorite food (though he would insist anything Emma cooked was his favorite), Jade and Casey setting up Casey's Wii system in the Snyder family room so Noah could play a video game one-handed, and the younger kids giving him handmade get-well-soon cards (they hadn't been allowed to visit him at the hospital, and once Faith had insisted she'd only give her card to Noah in person, Natalie and Ethan had quickly decided the same), Noah was well taken care of.

And then there was Luke himself. After the talk they'd had in his room the other night, both boys had an unspoken agreement to go to each other if they were feeling upset or down. Luke had developed some innate sixth sense as to when Noah was having a nightmare and was always able to wake him out of it, though he was happy to note that the bad dreams were fewer and far between since their talk. And Noah had discovered a great way to bring Luke out of a funk if he started to feel sad or guilty about the kidnapping incident again. He'd kick him. Just lightly in the shin, not hard, just enough to startle him out of his thoughts. Then Luke would get indignant, and the expression on his face would make Noah grin, which made Luke grin, and that made Noah have to kiss him. Then Jade or one of the girls would threaten to throw up. And by that point Luke would completely forget about being sad. He had to admit, it was a pretty devious and surprisingly effective plot from his straightforward, boy scout of a boyfriend.

Luke was brought out of his mental rambling and back to the present as the courtroom of people sat down again, he and Noah instinctively clasping hands. A door off to the left of the courtroom opened, and then there they were. Two cops led Zac and Zoe to their places at the defendants' table. They were both handcuffed, and while Luke was perversely hoping the handcuffs were cinched too tightly, Noah was wondering at how different, how young and normal the two looked in state-issued jumpsuits, no piercings or make-up to hide behind. It freaked him out more than a little bit.

As if he knew he was being studied, Zac looked up and locked eyes with Noah. For a second, Noah was frozen. Despite the change in appearance, Zac's eyes were the same- cold, calculating, slightly wild. Noah was about to look away, but then he noticed something else he hadn't seen in Zac before. Fear. Zac was afraid. He was no longer in control, and he might be going to prison for a long time- something that, if Noah remembered correctly from one of their previous conversations, Zac really didn't want to do. Suddenly Noah just felt so sad for him, for the both of them. Their lives were pretty much over. Not that Noah didn't believe they needed to face the consequences of their actions, but he truly wished they hadn't gone so far and brought this on themselves. Zac must have seen the pity on Noah's face, because his own expression hardened into a glare, and then he leaned over to whisper something to Zoe.

Luke saw Zac glare at Noah, and it took everything in him not to rush at the guy and beat him senseless. When both Zac and Zoe looked at them, Luke felt nothing but contempt. They didn't even look sorry for what they had done.

Luke obviously wasn't the only one who noticed the attention. He felt Holden next to him shift just a little bit closer to him, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily- on the other side of Noah- put her hand on Noah's forearm reassuringly. They were almost literally surrounded by support, now that Luke thought about it. Behind them sat Jade, Alison, Casey, and Margo, all ready to testify if need be. And while he couldn't see them, he knew Damian, Lisa, and Lucinda were sitting somewhere nearby as well.

When Zac and Zoe finally sat down and turned to face the judge, Luke breathed an internal sigh of relief, loosening his grip on Noah's hand. Noah's gaze slid over to him, and when Luke asked with his eyes if he was okay, Noah smiled a little and squeezed his hand again. I'm fine. You? Luke nodded in response.

The trial began with the listing of the charges, and hearing them all together like that made Luke realize just how crazy this whole ordeal had been. Conspiracy, assault, kidnapping and extortion, larceny, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted manslaughter, attempted aggravated assault, not to mention Zac murdering an on-duty police officer… Good God, he and Noah really were lucky nothing worse had happened to them. He snuck a glance to his left, saw his mother shaking her head in wonder at that long list, her hand still on Noah's arm.

Noah was oblivious to Luke's scrutiny, watching and listening to the proceedings intently. Luke wondered if there was a part of Noah that was studying this as a courtroom drama in his head. 'Genre research,' he would explain to Luke in that half film-snob, half please-don't-make-fun-of-me tone he always got when he knew Luke was going to tease him about his love of movies. Secretly, Luke loved that Noah was so geeky about filmmaking and was proud of him for it, and- if he was completely honest with himself- he was also slightly jealous that Noah had found his passion and knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. The only things in his life that Luke was sure of were his love for his family (and it's not like they're the most stable thing in the world) and Noah. Other than that…

Luke found himself wondering if this whole experience was supposed to get him to take stock of his life and then go after what he wanted. Well, it hadn't. Really, all he wanted right now was for Noah to get better so the two of them could… be together. It wasn't like waiting to have sex was a new concept for them, but now that they could have sex- were having sex- and there was an actual physical barrier blocking them, it was beyond frustrating. But he also knew he would refuse in a heart beat, even if Noah wanted to anytime anywhere. He was not going to be the person responsible for hurting Noah's arm more than it already was. Luke was being a good boyfriend. And it sucked.

Luke was once again interrupted from his thoughts, this time by the judge's next question- "How do the defendants plea?"

Luke could feel Noah take a deep breath, and they held tighter to each other's hands. This was it. If Zac and Zoe pled not guilty, there was a good chance that he and Noah- and everyone else- would have to testify. And yeah, they may have been able to put the experience behind them, but it didn't mean they wanted to retell that damn story. Again. In front of a room full of people. Luke put his free hand on top of their joined ones. Next to him, his dad stretched an arm out to lie across the back of Luke's seat, hand resting casually on Luke's shoulder. Luke found himself echoing Noah's deep breath as the public defender stood. The man paused for a moment, and Luke was almost positive that he did it on purpose just to torture them.

"Guilty, Your Honor."

The second those words registered in Noah's brain, he physically deflated, letting out the breath he'd been holding, bowing his head, his eyes closing in relief. Thank God. He so didn't want to testify, didn't want to hear Luke's testimony, or Ali's or Damian's or anyone else's. And definitely not Zac or Zoe's.

"Very well," the judge responded. "In accordance with state and police evidence already submitted, the motion by the prosecutor to waive civil testimony is granted. The court is now in recess until sentencing tomorrow." An audible sigh of relief went through the courtroom, as everyone realized that the worst of it was now over. Noah felt Casey clap him on the back jovially. Lily smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Noah couldn't help but raise his head and smile back, so grateful for the way she had been taking care of him the last few days.

Noah was turning back to Luke just as Zac and Zoe were led back out of the room, back to their holding cells. Noah made the mistake of glancing their way, just as they looked in his direction. He purposefully avoided making eye contact with Zac- he couldn't do that again- but the look he saw in Zoe's eyes was somehow worse. Suddenly she just looked like some lost, terrified little girl. Someone who had lost everything and everyone in her life. It felt like a punch to Noah's stomach, and for the life of him Noah couldn't figure out why it upset him so much. They had nearly killed him and Luke; they deserved whatever punishment would be given. So why…? And then Luke's hand was on his shoulder, his concerned eyes capturing Noah's, and the thoughts Noah had been trying to chase then completely left his brain. He smiled at Luke, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. Tomorrow. This would all be over, tomorrow.

But that night Noah couldn't get Zac and Zoe's faces out his head. He lay in bed on his right side, Luke resting against his back. He could tell by the casual set of Luke's arm around his waist and the slow, even breaths brushing against his neck that Luke was deeply asleep. But Noah couldn't, despite the pull of the painkillers he had taken not long ago. His mind just wouldn't let him rest, flashing to the image of a scared ten-year-old girl with no family to take care of her. An orphan. Of Zac, finally realizing that he had lost more than the games he had been playing with people. Of the two of them stripped of their defenses, being taken away, knowing they were finished. God, if only Noah had been able to convince Zac to turn himself in that day! A lot of this could have been avoided. If someone had just taken the time to get through to them… No. Why did Noah care so much? Get a grip, Mayer. They knew what they were doing. No one forced them to kidnap you, shoot you, leave you bleeding and delirious in a storage locker. Stop being such a bleeding heart and toughen the hell up. Noah wrestled with these thoughts for what felt like hours- though his sense of time was still off, he had to admit- and finally fell into an uneasy sleep, clutching Luke's hand like the life support it was.

The sentencing was set for the afternoon, so Noah's physical therapy session was scheduled in the morning. He arrived a little early and pushed himself hard, hoping to keep his mind off Zac and Zoe and all the thoughts that had kept his sleep restless last night. He was unaware of the clock and his own body, and he responded to the therapist's directions silently, mindlessly rotating and stretching his arm back and forth with the exercises.

He was actually startled when the door opened and Luke stepped in, ready to take him home. A whole hour had passed? Noah was suddenly aware of the deep ache in his arm, the entire limb turning into jelly when he tried to change shirts. His weakness would have bugged him more if he weren't so distracted by Luke grinning at him, brown eyes brazenly looking him up and down, lingering on his sweaty, bare arms and chest. Noah was sure he was blushing; he always did whenever Luke was obvious in checking him out, especially in public. "Cut it out," he mumbled bashfully, as he knew Luke was about to open his mouth and say something suggestive.

Luke just smiled wider, lovingly, and planted a sweet kiss on Noah's lips. "I was just going to say that I must have the hottest boyfriend in Oakdale. What's wrong with that?" Noah shook his head, smiling back, grumpiness forgotten for the moment. Luke could always do that to him, make him melt just by saying the silliest thing imaginable. He let Luke zip up his sweatshirt for him and lead him by the hand out of the hospital and to the car. The ride home was quiet, as the weariness and bone-deep ache from his PT session started to sink into Noah's body. He leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, closing his eyes. "You alright?" Luke snuck a glance his way, trying unsuccessfully to keep one eye on the road and one eye on his boyfriend. Noah just hummed an affirmative, nodding a little with his eyes still closed. Luke reminded himself of how exhausting PT sessions could be and decided to let Noah be, turning down the volume on the radio and driving the rest of the way in silence.

The only thing Noah could think about when they got back to the house was taking a shower. A long, hot shower to wash away the sweat and pain and tiredness covering him. Anything to not think about the hearing later. The more he thought about it, the more the sentencing made him nervous, unsettled, and he didn't know why. Thankfully, the shower did help, as did the sight of Luke dressed in a suit and waiting for him on the bed, armed with fresh bandages, clean clothes, and a bottle of pills. He was officially off the antibiotics as of today, and the only meds he had to take now were the painkillers. Luke had that wanton grin on his face again, and so Noah blushed again, gripping the towel around his waist a little tighter.

Luke couldn't help but shake his head at Noah's sense of modesty, especially considering he'd already seen everything of Noah. Several times. "C'mere, you," he gestured with his head for Noah to come over to the bed. "We've got to get that bandage changed and some drugs in you before the hearing." He watched, unabashed, as Noah dropped the towel and pulled on boxers and pants. Hey, if they couldn't have sex Luke was going take anything he could get, even a free show. He laughed inwardly, knowing Noah would be mortified (but probably also agree) if he knew what Luke was thinking.

The thought of the hearing caused Noah to forget about the sexual tension in the room for a moment. An idea struck Noah just as he sat down next to Luke on the bed. "Luke?"

"Hmm?" Luke slid in close to Noah and took the towel from him, ruffling it lightly through his boyfriend's still damp hair before tossing it aside.

"I'm not going to go." It all became clear to Noah and saying it out loud, making that decision, allowed him to breathe so much easier.

"What? You're not going?" Luke was confused, studying Noah even as he redressed the wound on his arm the way the nurses had shown him at the hospital. He handed Noah a pain pill, grimacing yet again as Noah dry-swallowed it, and then as one they scooted back until they were both sitting against the headboard. "Are you feeling okay?"

Noah pulled a pillow into his lap and played with the tag on it. "I feel fine, I just… I'm just done with it. With them. I don't want to see them again, I don't want to think about them anymore." Luke ran his hand up Noah's bare shoulder to the back of his neck, squeezing gently. "I've gotten my closure, I know they're going to be punished. I don't… I can't-"

"Hey, Noah, it's okay," he interrupted softly. He kissed the side of Noah's face in what he hoped was an understanding gesture. "It's fine, really." A few more seconds pause, and then Luke had to ask, "You don't mind if I go, do you? I think I need-"

"Of course, yeah," Noah quickly responded. "I don't want to stop you from- I don't want you to feel like you have to drop everything in your life because of me."

And then Luke was back to grinning because, honestly, how cute was his boyfriend? He kissed him again. "You are my life, Noah Mayer. And I like it that way." Noah smiled a little finally, and leaned over to kiss him this time. "I'll go get my closure, make sure those two are put away for a long, long time. You stay here and get some rest and maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to celebrate later. Sound good?" Another kiss. No matter how many, Luke enjoyed each and every kiss he shared with Noah.

"Sounds great," he answered simply, trying not to show how excited Luke's tone- and plan for the night- made him. He leaned in for another kiss when Holden's voice called up to them, interrupting.

Luke sighed, a little aggravated, and looked Noah over. "You want to stay up here, or hang out downstairs?"

"Downstairs," Noah said immediately. Another slightly shy smile. "It doesn't feel right being in here without you." Realistically, Luke knew he couldn't literally melt at that. But damn if he didn't feel like he was. God, if it weren't for the getting-shot-part, Luke wished they could be like this all the time. And then he remembered the apartment. Their apartment. Soon, soon, soon.

Holden and Lily were gathering their jackets by the door when Luke and Noah entered the family room. Holden raised his eyes at Noah's clothes- jeans and a plaid button up- and looked back and forth between them. "Noah? You not coming?"

Noah looked away, a little uncomfortable. He suddenly wondered how him not going would look to everyone else. Was he being stupid? A coward? "Um, yeah. I don't really feel like seeing them again." He shrugged one shoulder, feeling Luke's hand on his back comfortingly. "Is that okay? If I stay here?"

"Oh, Noah, of course it is." Lily looked at him with such understanding in her eyes that Noah almost hugged her right then and there, almost even said yes when she then asked if he wanted her to stay with him. Man, where had she been when he was growing up? Noah smiled instead, happily putting up with her steady stream of questions. No, she should go with Luke. Yes, he'll be fine, probably just sleep anyway. No, he doesn't need anything. Yes, he'll be awake in time for dinner with the family. Lily looked him over one more time before smiling, giving him a brief hug, and following Holden out.

Luke led him over to the couch, waited for him to sit down, and then held his face in both hands, kissing him softly. "I'll keep my cell on vibrate, okay? Call me if you need anything."

"Okay," Noah couldn't help but grin, the Snyders were acting like they were leaving an invalid home alone for a week. "I think I can manage for a few hours." He tugged playfully on Luke's tie.

Luke laughed a little, knowing they were being a little overprotective (okay, crazy) of Noah. "Just don't burn the house down, Mayer."

"Damn, there goes my afternoon," he shot back somewhat sleepily, settling down even more into the soft leather cushions. His eyes were already closing when Luke kissed him again, and he never heard the door shut as Luke slipped out after his parents.

And then he awoke with a start, gasping from a nightmare he couldn't even really remember. He stood up too fast and had to reach out for the back of the sofa to steady himself. He was shaking, why was he shaking? A look at the clock told him that about an hour had passed. He had no idea when Luke would be back, but he wished to God it were right now. Noah raked his fingers through his hair, trying to comb out the tangles and the craziness in his head. He needed to do something, anything. He needed to get a hold of himself. Deciding fresh air might be a good idea, he padded barefoot out onto the porch, sitting down on one of the wicker chairs, folding his long legs up into the seat with him. He sat there for a few minutes, staring at nothing, trying to remember the fragments of his dream, when a soft and lilting voice interrupted him. "Hello, Noah."

He looked up, startled. "Mr. Grimaldi." He had been told awhile ago to call him Damian, but whenever Noah was nervous he reverted back to his old military-taught habit- treat your elders with the utmost respect. He still found himself calling Holden and Lily Mr. and Mrs. Snyder every once in awhile.

He started to stand, but Damian waved him back. "May I join you?"

"S-sure," Noah stuttered, watching a bit apprehensively as Luke's biological father took the seat next to him. He almost jumped when Damian's eyes fixed on him. His eyes looked like Luke's, and Noah wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"How are you feeling? You look much better than the last time I saw you," Damian added with a small smile.

Noah gave a smiled a little in return. "I'm doing a lot better, thanks. The Snyders are taking care of me." As soon as he said it, he wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. Would Damian be offended that he thought of Holden and Lily as Luke's parents, he thought of Luke as a Snyder and not a Grimaldi?

Oblivious to Noah's internal worry, Damian simply nodded and smiled again. "I'm sure they are. I'd expect nothing less."

Noah was at a loss for what kind of small talk he was supposed to make, so instead he blurted out the question that was really on his mind. "How come you're not at the hearing?"

Damian took a moment to study the young man next to him, the slight shadows in and under his eyes, before answering. "I know those two are going to be punished. That's enough for me. I got my justice yesterday when they said they were guilty. I didn't feel the need to prolong it any further." Noah was shocked to hear his own thoughts come out of Damian, of all people. "And to be honest, I wasn't sure how welcome I'd be today."

"Why not?" Noah frowned. "You have just as much right to- they stabbed you."

"And now they will pay for that. And my son is free and unhurt, so it's fine with me. I'm sure Luke and Holden and Lily don't need me there. I was just stopping by now to see if it was over yet, how things went." He looked over again. "Why aren't you there, Noah?"

Noah shrugged his good shoulder awkwardly. "Same reasons, I guess. I don't want to deal with it anymore." He dropped his head, unable to meet those eyes that looked way too much like Luke's. "I can't look at her anymore."

"Her?"

"Zoe. Or Gia, or whatever her name is." Noah suppressed a shudder, telling himself he was taking all of this way too seriously.

"Why? From what I understand, it was the other one who did the most injustice to you-"

"No, not because of that," Noah interrupted quickly, wondering in the back of his mind just how much Damian knew about what Zac and Zoe had done. Part of him wouldn't be surprised of this guy new everything. He was like an International Man of Mystery or something. "It's just, with Zoe, I…" Noah shook his head, trying to gather and process all the thoughts crowding his brain. The uneasiness he'd felt since yesterday, the dream he'd just had… "She lost her mom when she was really young, and didn't know her father. She had to grow up so alone, with such a- a messed up view of the world. If she had just had someone be there for her, maybe none of this would have happened." He suddenly realized Damian had no idea where this was going in his head. He offered up a weak half-smile to the man. "It's just… there's a lot I can relate to with that. With her. And it scares me." How come I didn't end up like that? What if I still could?

"Noah, I can't imagine any scenario where you would be like either of those two. They acted without conscience, on purely selfish reasons. Now, as I've said before, I haven't known you that for that long, but even in that time I can tell that you are a man of very high character."

Noah was pretty sure he was bright red. He definitely felt like his face was burning. He hated when his insecurities came out like this, when people felt the need to reassure him. "You don't-"

"Son, I never say anything unless I mean it," Damian was smiling again.

He couldn't begin to describe how weird it was to hear his boyfriend's estranged biological father call him 'son.' But a part of Noah had to admit that it felt good hearing it. No one had called him that in a long time.

They fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes when Noah looked up suddenly, remembering. "I never got a chance to thank you for… for everything. For finding us and stopping them from…" Noah bit his lower lip. "If you hadn't come in when you did…"

Damian held up a hand, breaking Noah's nervous rambling. "You and Luciano getting through this safely is thanks enough. And don't sell yourself short, son. If you hadn't fought off Gia, her companion might have shot me outside that locker. And Luke-"

"I wouldn't have let her hurt Luke," Noah had to cut in, had to insist.

Damian's smile grew wider and, also a bit surprisingly, warmer. "I have no doubt of that, Noah. I want you to know, despite my history, despite what Luke and Holden might still believe, I only want what's best for my son." He chuckled. "And I think a blind man could see that includes you."

Noah sat in absolute shock for a moment. He'd never heard his relationship with Luke described like that before, certainly not from someone like Damian Grimaldi. "Thank you." Then, a little suspicious, "But if you want to convince Luke of that, you'll have to do it on your own."

"I know," Damian was resolute in his reply.

"I have to be on his side," Noah was just as firm.

"I understand," he assured the young man. "Your place is with my son, where you should be."

Noah nodded, satisfied. "Thank you," he said again, quietly, drawing his legs back up close to him.

Another beat of silence, and then Damian spoke again. "I never got a chance to thank you either. You saved my life and the life of my son's. That's not something I'm likely to forget. If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'll be happy to help." A card appeared in Damian's hand as if out of nowhere, and Noah was so tempted to laugh at that; it was straight out of a movie. But what from the last week or two hadn't been straight out of some movie or another? He did appreciate the gesture, and so he took the card with a polite smile, sliding it into the pocket of his jeans. Damian nodded, satisfied, and briefly clasped his hand on Noah's uninjured shoulder.

And that was how Luke found them. "Damian?" He resisted the urge to rush forward, put himself between Noah and his bio-dad. He felt his parents come up to stand next to him, wondered how much self-control Holden was using too.

"Luciano, hello. Holden, Lily," Damian nodded to them, standing up smoothly and moving forward to greet them. Noah also stood, though definitely not as smoothly. "The hearing went well?"

"Life sentences for the both of them," Lily answered.

Luke moved past Damian to his boyfriend, immediately putting an arm around his waist and hugging him close. Noah obliged, one arm going around Luke's shoulders. "Really?" he asked softly, wanting the confirmation.

Luke smiled, nodded. "They're going away, for good." Noah smiled too, satisfaction shining in his eyes. They kissed lightly, relieved. He noticed Damian watching them and was tempting to glare at him, challenge him. Or just full-on make out with Noah in front of him. But he figured none of those options was the smart one right now- and he had promised to give Damian more of a chance- so instead he pulled Noah towards the house. See? Maybe Noah's level-headedness is rubbing off. "Come on, it's cold out here. Let's get inside and get dinner started. You haven't eaten yet, have you? And why aren't you wearing a coat? Do you want to get sick again?"

Noah chuckled but decided against teasing Luke in front of his parents. All three of them. Maybe it would be best just to let Luke get this mothering thing out of his system. He leaned into Luke's embrace a little bit more than he actually needed to and allowed his boyfriend lead him inside. But he paused at the doorway, forcing Luke to stop so he could turn back for a second. "Damian." The man was watching them, and he focused on Noah's face. "Thank you, for…" he drifted off, unsure of how to describe what had just happened.

But Damian understood, and he smiled and nodded in return. "Of course, Noah. And the same to you. I'm glad you're feeling better."

And Noah realized he was feeling better. He nodded again, and then he and Luke left the parents to talk out on the porch. Once the door shut and Luke threw off his own jacket, he held tightly to Noah again, arms snaking around his waist. "What was that about? What did he want, are you okay?"

Noah raised his good arm, hand going up to Luke's cheek in the hopes of stopping his rambling. "It's fine, okay? He didn't want to go to the hearing either, was just checking in. We talked for a little bit, that's it." Luke still looked a little doubtful, so Noah pushed on, hoping to distract him. "The hearing really was okay? You're okay?"

Luke couldn't help but laugh, and he turned his head to kiss the palm that was still resting against his cheek. "We have got to stop having conversations that revolve around us asking each other if we're okay." Noah thought for a second, conceding that with a nod of his head. Luke leaned forward, pressing his lips to Noah's. "But yes, I'm fine. I'm with you now, and that crap is over."

He was leaning back again, but Noah wouldn't let him, holding onto Luke's tie and keeping him close. "Good," he whispered, his lips still brushing against Luke's. He could still hear the Snyders and Damian talking on the porch, and he mentally calculated how much time he and Luke had left alone. He not-so-subtly began moving the both of them back towards the stairs. "So just what was your plan for celebrating?"

Luke looked at him, a full-out grin shining on his face. They both had the same thought: Dinner can wait. "Let me show you," he whispered into Noah's ear. Neither could say who grabbed who- maybe they grabbed each other- but in no time they were out of the family room and heading upstairs. After the week from hell, they both needed this- the chance to show how much they loved each other, had missed each other, and a chance to finally, completely, heal their wounds together.

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THE END

Yay! It's over now, officially.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Nightwater'sunknowngirl, Nukeluvr318, loveSoapDrama, FelineMimiDavis74, Girlie G, ForeverBossy26, curlyhead12, Didde, x0-chanelle-0x, and limea delta.

Thanks to everyone who read, favorited, etc. etc.

My next story (also Noah-centered, I love that boy!) is coming up almost immediately- I should be posting within the next day or two. Hope you enjoy!