Alright everyone. If you haven't read "Say What You Mean", you need to backtrack and read that first. Otherwise, you will not understand what is going on in this story.

I hope you all read this with an open mind. It will be a little different than its predecessor, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own TSL. I own officer James Peters.

Chapter 1

I'm a mess, I guess

"Zack!" Cody screamed.

Zack ripped his eyes away from Felix and turned to face his brother. Cody was staring at his hands. To Zack's horror, Cody was starting to fade away. Cody looked up at Zack, completely helpless.

"NO! Cody, wait!" he screamed as the tears fell. He thrashed around desperately, trying to throw his body toward the cage, but he still could not move. Zack held his hand out to his brother. "Cody, please!" he wailed, as Cody also held out a hand.

"Zack..." he heard Cody whisper, just as he faded out of sight. Zack began to hyperventilate.

"NO! Cody! Wait! Come back!" Zack began to sob, as Felix howled with laughter behind him.

Zack opened his eyes and looked around, panting. He sat up slowly and noticed he was on the floor, with his blanket twisted around his legs. Wiping beads of sweat off his forehead, Zack looked over toward his brother's bed, where Cody was sleeping soundly. He let out a relieved sigh and stood up, throwing his blanket onto his bed.

"It was just a dream, Zack, get over it," Zack mumbled, sitting on the edge of his bed and watching his brother's chest rise and fall. He looked at the clock next to Cody's bed, which read 3 o'clock a.m.

"Oh man," he groaned. Walking to the bathroom, Zack turned on the light and leaned against the bathroom counter, looking at his disheveled reflection in the mirror.

"You gotta snap out of it, Buddy. It's been over a week since he got out of the hospital...Cody's fine," he said into the mirror. He stared hard at himself, noticing the creases in his forehead. He tried to relax his face, but the creases were still there, mocking him.

"Stupid," Zack whispered, wiping his hand over his forehead. He splashed some warm water on his face, then turned the light off and walked back to his room. Stopping short of his own bed, Zack looked at Cody again. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind," he thought to himself before climbing into Cody's bed, careful not to wake him. Wrapping his arms around his sleeping twin, as he had done every night since Cody came home, Zack felt a little safer and drifted off to sleep.

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Cody awoke the next morning and looked to his right. There was Zack, sound asleep, holding onto his arm. Shaking his head, Cody lightly patted his brother's shoulder and sat up after slipping out of Zack's grasp. Grabbing his crutches, he walked out into the living room and saw his mother and father sitting at the table. Kurt looked up from his coffee and smiled.

"Hey, buddy, how you feeling?" Kurt asked. Carey turned around and jumped out of her chair.

"Do you need any help, honey?" she asked, rushing over to him.

Cody was punching a pillow in his mind.

"Mom, really, I'm ok. You don't have to jump out of your skin every time I come into the room, ok?" he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know I get a little carried away," Carey said, kissing him back. She walked into the kitchen and took a box of waffles out of the freezer. "I've got blueberry, your favorite," she said, shaking the box happily.

"Thanks, mom," Cody said, sitting down next to his father and leaning his crutches against the back of his chair.

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Zack woke up and stretched his arms, looking over to his side. "Cody?" he asked hoarsely. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and saw that he was the only one in the room. Panicking, he jumped out of the bed, his breathing quickening, and burst into the living room.

"Cody!" he yelled, looking around frantically.

"Zack, over here."

Zack turned his head to the table and took a deep breath. There was Cody, his mouth full of blueberry waffle.

"You ok?" Cody asked, swallowing his mouthful.

"Yeah...sorry," Zack said, placing a hand on the couch to keep himself steady. Letting out a long breath, he walked over and sat at the table, next to his brother.

"You sure you're ok, buddy?" Kurt asked Zack, looking worried.

"Yeah...I was just having a bad dream," Zack said with a fake smile. His mother walked over and placed a plate of waffles in front of him.

"You're still having nightmares, honey?" Carey asked with a voice full of concern. Zack twisted his face in annoyance as he drowned his waffles in syrup.

"It's nothing, mom. I'm okay, I promise," he said, taking a huge bite so he wouldn't have to talk anymore. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Carey walked swiftly over, opening it to reveal officer James Peters.

"Hi, James," Carey said, giving the officer a hug.

"How are you, Carey?" James asked as Carey shrugged her shoulders.

"Better today, thanks," she replied. James came in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey, James!" Zack said excitedly, getting up to high five the officer.

"What's up, bud?" James said happily. Then he looked at Cody.

"Feeling better today, Cody?" he asked, walking over and shaking Cody's hand. Cody smiled and nodded his head. James turned to Kurt, who stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"James," Kurt said, holding out a hand, which James took.

"Kurt. That was really great of Mr. Moseby to let you stay in a suite here for a while," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, it was," Kurt said tersely. Zack glanced at his father uneasily.

"So, what brings you by? Any new developments in Cody's case?" Kurt added, sitting down and getting back to his coffee.

"Well actually, I have some Red Sox tickets, and I thought the boys would want to join me," James said excitedly. Zack's face lit up.

"Serious?" he asked loudly. He and Cody looked at each other with huge smiles.

"I don't know if Cody's ready for something that rough yet," Kurt said, glancing at Carey. Cody began to protest.

"But I'm just gonna be sitting there! Please? Mom?" he said in a hurried voice.

"Kurt, I'm sure they would be fine. James will take good care of them," Carey said, putting the waffles back into the freezer. Cody clapped his hands together.

Zack stole a look at his father again and noticed him balling his fist under the table.

"Well, you're their mother," he said, averting his eyes to the morning paper.

"Great, why don't you boys get ready?" James said, handing Cody his crutches.

Zack walked behind his brother to their bedroom. Stealing one last, confused look at his father, he shut the door and began getting ready for the game.

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Well, there you have it. Chapter 1. I hope you liked it, and I hope you review to let me know what you think!