Babe and Charlie sit in front of the car staring up at the stars. This is one of Babe's favorite places and Charlie loves it too. This is where Babe first asked him to be his boyfriend.
Charlie leans his head against the other alpha's shoulder and says, "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"Things are going to get even more dangerous now." Babe says. "Since we found out about Tony's plans with Way, he will be desperate."
"I'll protect you." Charlie says.
Babe sits up straight and says, "You know that isn't what I mean. You have a knack for turning big things into small things."
Charlie says, "No matter what you say, in the end I won't leave you."
"Tony doesn't know yet that you have my powers," Babe says, "You could still get away, go somewhere safe."
Charlie looks a little hurt at this suggestion, "I have looked for you all my life and now I just want to stay by your side. You want me to leave you? I won't do it."
Babe reaches out a hand and strokes his cheek, "Stubborn boy, you might regret it someday."
"That day will never come," Charlie says. Babe smiles and pulls Charlie closer so he can kiss him.
Charlie's phone beeps with a message, he starts to ignore it but that is Jeff's tone. "I've had another vision, everyone is in danger, we need to talk."
Charlie studies the message then looks at Babe with large, frightened eyes. He hasn't told Babe about Jeff's visions yet, the one with the crashed car and now this one. "We need to meet with P'Pakin." Charlie says, "All of us." He tells Babe everything about the first vision and that Jeff's message just now says they are all in danger.
Before Babe can call Rain or P'Phayu to arrange a meeting, his phone rings. It's Rain, the omega tells Babe that Tony's man, Gun came after them tonight, but they are safe now. He says they are all meeting at P'Pakin's house.
"I was just about to call you," Babe says. "There's something else, we'll talk when we get there. Jeff and Charlie will need to explain what's going on. It has to do with Jeff's power."
Rain sees the way P'Babe is glaring at Charlie and thinks it's the way P'Phayu glared at him when he put himself in danger by following Gun that day. The two truly are brothers.
"What's happened?" Rain asks when everyone is settled in his Pa's living room.
Jeff tells them about both his visions, the first one where he had seen a race car crash and couldn't tell if the person was alive. The car had been Babe's but he thinks the person driving had been Charlie. The second vision was at Tony's house, and everyone had been hurt or dead. Jeff couldn't tell for sure.
Now Rain knows why Babe is angry. Charlie had obviously known about the first vision but hadn't told Babe about it, even though he was in danger.
"Have you gotten anything from Way?" P'Phayu asks P'Chai.
"He won't talk," P'Chai says, "He is asking to see Babe."
"No," Charlie and Rain say at the same time.
"I could talk to him." Khun Pete says.
"You have to touch him to use your powers," Rain says, "What if he tries to use his powers on you."
"I will go with him and take some of the guards," P'Chai says. "To make sure that doesn't happen.
"So what now?" P'Phayu asks.
P'Babe says. "I know one way to prevent Jeff's first vision from coming true, and if we can prevent one, we can prevent both."
"Oh, how?" Charlie asks. Rain is wondering that as well.
"We withdraw X-hunters for the season." P'Babe says.
Everyone stares at him, P'Pai even says, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Babe?"
P'Babe shrugs, "It's only one season and we are behind in points anyway."
Suddenly Rain understands. P'Babe loves racing, until recently Rain would have said more than anything. However, it seems like something else, or rather someone else, has become more important to him.
Rain receives a message and looks down at his phone, "Jeff in your vision it was us at Tony's house, right? You said people were hurt or dead. Did you see P'Kim anywhere in your visions?"
"No it was just P'Babe, you, P'Phayu, P'Charlie, Uncle Alan and myself." Jeff says. "Why?"
"Because P'Kim has just been found. My Pa's men are bringing him here now." Rain says.
The room where Way is being kept is equipped with a high-quality camera. Rain watches from his laptop as Khun Pete enters. Way only glances up then says, "I won't talk to anyone but Babe." He looks worse for wear from the last time Rain had seen him. Dirty and unkept with his hair falling in his eyes. There are no visible bruises on him but Rain knows that his Pa's men has ways of torture that doesn't leave marks.
Khun Pete sits down across from Way and says, "Babe isn't coming."
Way slumps in his seat. "I need to talk to him. I need to tell him that I...I'm sorry for the way things turned out."
"Tell me," Khun Pete says. He hasn't touched Way yet, apparently, he is keeping his powers for a last resort.
Way looks at him for a minute then says, "I grew up in Tony's house, I owe him everything."
Khun Pete says, "I know he paid for your business and your condo."
"It's more than that, I had nothing before I met Tony. People were terrified of me because of my powers." Way says, "Even my own family."
Khun Pete nods in understanding, even Rain feels a little bad for Way. Although he will never forgive him for what he did to P'Babe.
"So Tony sent you to seduce Babe, and if the two of you had children together, he was going to sell those children to the highest bidder. Your Children. That's not someone who cares for you. That's someone that wants to use you to make a profit." Khun Pete says.
Way pales, then drops his head into his hands. "I never wanted any of this. I just wanted..."
"Someone to care about you." Khun Pete finishes for him. "Tony is a master manipulator, he used your own feelings against you. Way you have a choice. You don't have to be what he made you into, you can be so much more. Help us stop him."
Way stares at him for a long time, then nods as if coming to a decision. "There is a big auction coming up next Friday night. Tony has over extended himself and needs to raise funds quickly. He had intended to sell Babe at this auction if things didn't work out on my end. Then Babe lost his powers in the accident. Jeff is his next target."
Now Khun Pete takes Way's hand, he pauses as if listening to something then says, "Thank you, Way. I will speak to P'Pakin on your behalf."
Back in the living room, Khun Pete says, "He was telling the truth, I could read that much from him."
P'Chai comes in escorting P'Kim. The man looks like he has been through hell, much worse than Way even. He is covered in bruises and there is a thin cut on his neck like someone held a knife there. His lips are cracked and bleeding as if he is dehydrated.
Rain immediately calls his dad to ask Graf to call in the doctor they use.
P'Kim sits down, and someone gets him some water, which he takes gratefully.
"What happened to you?" P'Charlie asks.
"I accidentally found out about Tony's human trafficking operation." P'Kim says, his voice hoarse. "I tried to get information that I could take to the police but Kenta caught me."
"Did you find out anything?" P'Phayu asks him.
P'Kim says, "Only that he keeps his records there at his house. He is smart enough that the computer he uses for his illegal business isn't connected to any sort of outside server. The only way to get the information is from the computer directly. There was a business front that he used to launder the money he made from his sales."
"It's been shut down." P'Babe says. "They shredded all the records."
"They were probably worried I had passed on the information before I was caught." P'Kim says
Graf comes in with the doctor and Rain's Pa follows behind. "I'll show you to a room where you can look over Kim." Graf says to the doctor.
Rain fills his Pa in on everything they have found out so far.
"We need to infiltrate that auction." P'Phayu says. "And we need that laptop."
"I can secure invitations to the auction." P'Pakin says. "I will contact some of my people to act as buyers. People Tony doesn't know I have connections with."
"While everyone is distracted with the auction, that could be the time to try to get copies of Tony's records. Taking them to the police is useless, we need to leak them to the news sites and social media sites." P'Chai says. "We can destroy Tony once and for all and make sure no one is able to take over his operation."
"Pa can send in his men, there is no need for any of the people in Jeff's vision to go anywhere near Tony's house." Rain says. "We'll sit this one out."
Charlie and Babe are shown to a room that they can use while here.
"I'm sorry." Charlie says again.
Babe takes a deep breath, "You didn't tell me about Jeff's visions, and you were going to race anyway knowing it could cost you your life."
"I wanted to protect you." Charlie says.
Babe explodes, "Protect me? Charlie if I had lost you it would have killed me! Don't you understand my feelings for you at all?"
"I just thought..." Charlie starts.
"You just thought that you weren't important." Babe suddenly realizes. They have all been affected by the way that Tony raised them. Charlie was the one who Tony never realized his potential so to him Charlie was someone who wasn't important. Charlie is so willing to sacrifice himself for everyone else he doesn't realize how important he is to Babe.
"Charlie, I love you, haven't you realized that yet?" Babe says. "If you care for me at all, you won't take chances with your life again."
"I do care." Charlie says, "I think I have loved you from the beginning. I thought at first I just wanted to stop Tony and protect everyone involved."
"From now on we'll do this together, okay? No more trying to do things on your own." Babe says.
"Together," Charlie agrees.
Sky fusses over P'Pai insisting that he rest after the meeting. He even asks the doctor to take a look at him after he finishes with P'Kim.
"I'm fine," P'Pai says. He is laying on the bed and to Sky he looks too pale.
Sky frowns and lays a hand on his forehead. It's cool to the touch but Sky still says, "Stay here, I will get you some tea."
He starts to walk away, P'Pai grabs him by the arm. "Sky, I'm fine. I don't need tea or medicine, there is only one thing I need."
"What?" Sky asks, "I'll get it for you."
P'Pai smiles and says, "You, I need you. Will you sit and talk to me for a while? It's my condition if you want me to rest."
"Do you want to know about Gun?" Sky asks.
"Do you want to talk about it?" P'Pai asks.
Sky shakes his head, "Not really."
"Then we can talk about something else. Tell me about you, what do you like besides architecture and me?" P'Pai asks.
"Who says I like you?" Sky says quickly but it's just instinct. He does like the alpha, he knows that now.
P'Pai starts to get up and Sky pushes him back down, he leans over and gives him a quick kiss. "Fine, I like you. More than like. Happy now?"
"More than you can ever know." P'Pai says.
Sky sighs, then says, "Flowers."
"What?" P'Pai asks.
"I like flowers, especially sunflowers, and I like plants." Sky says.
P'Pai smiles, "When all this is over I will take you to my house and show you my mom's gardens. She is going to adore you."
Sky looks at him startled. "You want me to meet your family?"
"Of course, they will have to meet my boyfriend." P'Pai says.
Sky opens his mouth, then closes it. He feels as if his brain has just stopped working.