Maxwell: Alright, I know I said I was just revising and this was going to be the second chapter but…okay, run-on sentence…but this is the new first chapter! I hope it turned out better than the other first, plus, it's more…interesting…

Spiffy Info:

Pairings: Nothing here yet.

Warnings: The new first chapter! And…that's it for now? (Shrug)

Music: HIM© Dark Light© I don't know why, but I LOVE that song!

Saying: (Yeah…I need one so…yeah.)

About this chapter: The new first chapter! And now we have Collin who only-…never mind!

Just for the record: This is FICTIONAL. If it really happened, do you think, I, would have access to such information? Hell no. No one would even think of giving me a glance. So no, this isn't real. If you are offended by what is to happen…please go. I hate being told not to write what I don't know… And the characters/settings/plot/etc. are mine. Amazing isn't it?

Collar Me Café

-Curiosity killed the kid-

"Travis," a harsh whisper broke sweet silence. "Travis, get up!"

The one known as Travis groaned tiredly, burying him face into the pillow.

"Travis!"

"What?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with a balled up fist. "Collin, it's three in the morning…"

"We need to go," Collin whispered, pulling his clothes on. "Hurry up!"

"Go? Go where?" The younger boy made no effort to get out of bed; instead he pulled the comforter tightly around his small form. "Lay back down, we'll go later."

"No, we'll go now!" he snapped. "Hurry up!"

"Why are you whispering?" Travis asked his voice louder than he thought.

Collin jumped onto the bed, clamping his hand over the youths' mouth, but he was too late. "Whose there?" An unfamiliar, and quite unexpected, voice asked. "Son-of-a-bitch, I'll shoot ya!"

"Collin!" Travis automatically panicked.

"Get up!" The older of the two grabbed the smaller around his wrist, dragging his clad form out from the sheets. "Come on!"

"But-!" Travis protested. "My clothes!"

"It's too late for that!" A gun shot rang out causing both boys' to drop to the ground. "Go out the window!"

"What about you!?"

"Damn it, Travis!" Collin yanked the boy towards the window. He stuck his head out from the second story drop, it wasn't that high. "Go!" When Travis didn't move, Collin picked him up, dropping him into the bushes bellow.

The rose bushes.

"Ow!" Travis called. "Ow, ow!" He was silenced by another gun shot that rang out, followed by a body falling into the bushes next to him. "Collin?" He asked. "Collin?!"

"…fuck," was the response he got. "That smarts…"

"Collin!" the boy almost yipped like a dog.

Another gun shot, the bullet burned a hole in the ground, right in between Collin's legs. "The next one won't miss!" the owner shouted. He began to reload his gun.

Without a moment's hesitation, Collin scrambled to his feet, grabbing Travis by his thorn-bitten arm, dragging him across the driveway despite his bare feet. The boy was soon crying out, having thorns stuck in his skin. They didn't have time for this!

Squatting down he turned his back to the smaller. "Hop on," he ordered. Travis nodded as he crawled onto the strong back, his arms wrapping around Collin's neck tightly. He slipped his arms under the boys' bottom, hoisting him higher on his back and once again took off.

"We'll stop here," Collin panted out. "Let me get those thorns out first…" He plucked away the sharp stems, tossing the off to the side. "Go ahead, get off."

Travis again nodded, sliding of the others back. He sat down on the cool grass, looking up at his companion who fell back into the grass, his chest rising heavily. Travis crawled up next to him to examine his face. His eyes were closed, beads of sweat running from his temple back into his hair line. His lips were moist and full, now parted as the breaths passed through. His body was tensed up; aching from the running he'd done in the last twenty minutes.

Travis just stared, not saying a word. He was hoping the boy would get annoyed like he usually did and say something, but he didn't. "Collin?" Travis whispered. "…Collin?"

"What?" his throat was dry, his voice cracking from lack of moisture.

"I-I'm sorry…" Amber eyes shifted to the ground, tears moistening them. "I should've listened, when you said to get up, but I didn't. I'm-I'm sorry."

Collin opened his blue eyes, brushing his overly grown bangs away. "Hey," he reached over, his fingers pinching at the bare skin. "Come here," he felt the skin goose-bump. "You're going to catch a cold and how will you get better?"

Travis pulled his arm away, crossing them over his chest. "I-I'll just die of pneumonia and then," he sniffed, wiping the discharge away with the back of his hand. "You can just go back to how you were b-before I showed up."

"And be bored off my ass?" Collin smiled. "I like having you around. Don't cry…I told you we would be okay for a few days and I was wrong." He got on his knees, crawling over to the boy as he removed his jacket. He draped it over the youths thin shoulders. "Come on; don't cry…" he wrapped his arms around the small form, pulling it into his lap. "Shh…it's okay, come on."

It wasn't before long the younger had cried himself to sleep. He had curled himself into Collin, resting his face in his neck, his tears soaking his shirt. His fingers gripped the cloth tightly as if he'd die if he ever let go.

Maybe he would. But not now, not yet.

His features were adorned with a frown which Collin couldn't help but chuckle at. He wrapped strong, lean arms around the near weightless form to embrace it warmly. He nestled against the boy warming his cool body with warm body heat. He closed his eyes, letting himself catch up in sleep as well. Never know when you'll need to be up and running again.

"Collin, I'm hungry." Travis finally broke down to admit after two hours of endless walking. "Do we have enough money for something?"

Collin counted the cash they had scrambled up; it came to ten dollars and thirty eight cents. That was enough to buy them a few things but, they really should save some. "I'll buy you something sweet okay, you need the energy."

Travis simply nodded. Whatever Collin said went, and now he understood what that meant. "Thank you Collin," he whispered to his companion.

The elder ruffled the youths' hair as he looked for a small convenient shop. He couldn't see one, not in this area. They'd probably have to walk another hour or so before they came upon one. Collin looked over at Travis who was currently being entertained by a small beetle in the road.

"I guess I could carry him for a little longer," he whispered to himself. "He's not the slightest bit heavy, then when we get there…" he nibbled on his nail for a moment, letting his thoughts process. "Okay Travis, let's go."

Travis looked up, running over to his companion again. "Where are we going?" he asked, placing himself on Collin's back.

"To the next city," he replied. "It's going to be another hour or so…take a nap."

"But I'm not tired…" Travis whispered.

"Fine, but don't bother me."

An hour or so, he'd said. Okay, an hour of so was at seven this morning, so at five at night…try ten hours ago! By the time they'd gotten there, they were both exhausted. Travis was burning under the jackets fabric, making him nauseous. Every so often he felt his eyes rolling back in his head, his arms began to loosen on Collin's neck as they slipped away but he was rudely awakened with a pinch to the bottom.

"We're almost there," Collin said for the twentieth time that afternoon. "About ten more minutes."

"I'm hungry…" Travis mumbled. "And tired."

"I told you to nap didn't I?" Collin asked. "You never listen."

Travis fell silent, not wanting to fight at this exact moment. "But, if I fell asleep, we may not have made that money."

That was true. Along the way, Travis kept finding loose change along the road and at their 'pit stops' he found himself being coddled by women of all ages who took pity on the boy. "How sad for such a young child to be on the road like this," they would say before handing him between five-fifteen dollars.

Collin laughed at the thought now. Young child, yeah right! Despite his small posture and childish looks, Travis was a fourteen soon to be fifteen year old young man! But who were they to correct these worried women? Let them think what they will, as long as they contribute.

"Are we there yet?" So spoke the devil. "I really gotta pee now."

"We'll make one last pit stop then," Collin let the boy slide off his back again. "Go do it over there in those bushes."

Travis walked into the brush. He shed the jacket, draping it on a tree branch before relieving himself onto the earth. He closed his eyes, his head resting back as he finished up. His eyes were aching, tired and sore, probably blood shot…but he didn't have a right to complain. Collin had been doing all the work that day, just like any other day.

"Collin," he whispered quietly.

"I'm ready to go," the said man spoke. "So quit holding yourself and let's get a move on."

"So, where are we staying?" Travis asked. "They're all pretty cheap so…"

"I don't know…I mean in the end we'll be still be extremely short on cash." Collin began biting his nails again, a nasty habit. "Would it kill you to sleep outside again?"

Yes. "No," Travis lied. "I think I'll be okay outside…again."

"Sorry," Collin said. "I'll try to pick pocket some more cash tomorrow, after we eat."

Travis winced. He hated that term, pick pocketing. Yes, another nasty habit Collin had, but it was useful in their time of need. Again he nodded, just tired of being on the streets, tired of running from town to town, he was just tired of it all.

The two slipped into an alleyway. Just as they started making themselves comfortable they found themselves being confronted by two young men. Collin was quickly in defense, ready to take anything they threw his way but the two men simply told him not to worry, they were just two helpful citizens willing to give a hand.

"You two aren't from around here, huh?" asked the younger, more handsome of the two.

He had black hair which he kept in a choppy fashion. He wore the fashion that may be considered 'punk,' with tattered black Converse©, ripped jeans, and a cut off shirt with The Ramones© on worn over a long sleeved fish net top.

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, exposing a metal ring. "We could put you guys up for the night," he shrugged. "Won't cost you anything."

"What do you want then?" Collin asked his tone strong and demanding. "Nobody does something for nothing."

"Honest!" the young man told him. "We're just here to help our fellow man!"

"Come on," Travis pleaded. "I'm tired and maybe…maybe they'll have food!" His eyes were wide, as if he'd cry from rejection. "Collin…"

"We'll see about that," Collin murmured as he stood, taking Travis by the hand. "So, where is this place?" he asked.

Both men smirked. "Right this way," the older, burly man said as he opened a side door, ushering them inside. The room was dark, and a bit stuffy. "We'll be right with you," the man said again.

Travis felt Collin's hand slip away for a moment and he automatically froze. "Collin?" he asked. He received no response. "Collin?" Again no response. He was about to take a step when a hand grabbed his, causing him to jump in the air. "Collin, jeez, you scared me."

"Are you scared now?" a voice asked. It wasn't Collin.

"Y-yes," he tried to pull his hand away. "As a matter of fact…"

The room suddenly lit up with a dim light. He was now looking into the eyes of the young man who'd brought them inside. His lips were twisted up in a sadistic smile, his eyes glinting with an insane amusement.

"You should be," he whispered, turning Travis just in time to see Collin get shot in the back of his head, his body falling to the floor. "Oops."

"Collin!" Travis screamed. His eyes instantly burned with tears as he made a reach for the elder. "Collin!"

Before he could take one step away from the man who'd released him, he was knocked upside the head, blacking out instantly. His body never made contact with the ground though. The older man grabbed him, tossing his lifeless body over his shoulder with ease. The two looked at the body that lay on the ground.

"What are you gonna do with him?" the hefty man asked. "Jonathan?"

"Don't worry about it," Jonathan told him. "You just get an ice pack on his head before it bruises."

With a nod the other man left. Leaving Jonathan alone in the room with Collin's body. He knelt next to it, brushing away the overgrown bangs. "These really don't suit you," he whispered. He looked at the pool of blood that had formed next to the body. Taking two fingers he took some into his mouth. "Hm…" he stood again, brushing his hands off on his pants. "Don't worry; we'll take care of him. But," he smirked. "You already knew that didn't you?"

-Curiosity killed the kid-

Maxwell: How was it? I think this is much better than the crap I originally posted! (Sorry Oki3Doki3!) And what about killing Collin off like that? Twisted? Ah, but I had such a plot twist near the end…I almost gave it away right at the beginning but I thought…suffer. XD Okay, I hope this is okay…I actually want to work on it now! Ah well…review. Oh, and this wasn't proof read so...oops.