Fic: Search Everywhere (For A Happy Ending) 2 of 3

[pandorablu]

"Daaaaaaavid. David David David." David smiled as he saw Allison running down the street calling his name. Allison was unlike any girl David knew. She wasn't prissy like most of the other girls her age that David knew, and she liked hanging out with David and Danny more than the other girls in the neighborhood.

Allison even went to school every day unlike David's own sisters who only went one or two days a week. Allison had told her once that it was because her adopted brothers Kris and Adam thought it was silly that just because she was a girl she was supposed to stay at home and learn all about those "girly things" as Allison put it. They wanted Allison to have the same opportunity everyone else did, so she went to school everyday.

David smiled as he was finally attacked by an armful of red hair and bright smile. "What's got you so happy?"

"Nothing." She smiled as she settled back onto the street and took David's hand.

"Liar."

Allison shrugged. "It's a nice day out, I'm going out to dinner with two of my favorite boys tonight, life is good for once." She said as the two started walking down the street. "So where were you going before I saw you?"

"The bakery. Mama asked me to pick up a couple loaves of bread and some pastries for breakfast."

"Aw, you're such a good son." Allison smiled cheekily as she nudged David in the shoulder. David felt the tips of his ears go red.

The two of them walked in silence for a few moments, making a game of avoiding some of the mud puddles from the previous night's rainstorm. "Hey Alli?" David asked, sidestepping another puddle.

"Yeah Dave?"

"What do you think of David Cook?" David had gone to the Idol a half dozen times since that first night, and it was getting harder and harder for him to keep quiet. He had thought it over backwards and forwards since then, and he wanted to bring someone he knew in on his secret. And David figured Allison was the most open minded of everyone.

He didn't expect Allison to stop in the middle of the street. "Cook? How do you know Cook?"

David turned around so he was facing Allison. "How do you know Cook?" He hadn't heard anyone outside of the speakeasy call David Cook by his last name, something that Cook had told him he only allowed his friends to call him by. Most everybody else was too scared.

Allison looked to both sides before she grasped David's hand and walked across the street to the alley. Stopping in the shadow, she turned back so she was facing David. "No one else can know about this Dave. I mean nobody, not even Danny."

David had never seen Allison so serious before. "Promise." He nodded his head.

Allison took a deep breath. "Kris and Adam work with Cook. I can't tell you what? Cause they would get sooooooo mad if I told you, but trust me they've known each other a while."

"A while?" David parroted. He was surprised that Allison had been keeping that from her for as long as she had. Allison didn't keep anything secret. Ever.

Allison nodded. "Cook's dangerous, but he's a nice guy. Really really nice. As long as you don't get on his bad side." Allison bit her lip.

David couldn't help but agree with that one. Images of Cook walking out of the hallway that lead to the basement of the club ran through David's mind, and one time he could remember Cook yelling to "Just get it done, I don't care how. Break his legs if you have to."

Yeah Cook definitely had a bad side that you didn't want to cross.

Allison took David's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Why are you asking?" She tilted her head to the side.

David rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Everybody knows I've been distracted over the last few weeks… but um, it's not because of school or Miss Brooke's scholarship, or anything like that…"

"Dave… why didn't you tell me sooner you were going to the Idol?" Everyone thought that just because Allison was bubbly she wasn't smart. But she was smarter than almost any girl David had ever met.

"At first it wasn't anything!" He defended. "I was just going there to see what it was… but I don't think it's just that anymore. I really like going there. Cook, Carly, Mike, Kristy Lee, Jason even Matt… they keep on asking me to play too. Did you know that? I don't think they're going to take no for an answer anymore." He couldn't help the smile that curled the corners of his lips. Two night ago before leaving for the night, Cook had joked that next time David walked in they were going to tie him to the piano bench and not let him leave until he played for them.

Allison looked at David for one long uncomfortable minute… or at least it was uncomfortable for David. "Okay, that's it." Allison seemed to have come to some sort of decision.

"What?" David asked, clueless.

"David, would you be my boyfriend?"

*****

Allison told David that she wasn't going to try and stop David from going to the Idol. She wouldn't tell him why, she said that was something David was going to have to figure out for himself, but she was going to make it easier for him to sneak out.

Everyone thought they would make a cute couple anyway, she'd told him, so why not let everyone think it was true.

David tried to protest, say it wasn't fair to her if he was a fake boyfriend, but Allison was having none of that. She wanted David to have someone safe to talk to, and she had appointed herself as that someone.

The only thing she had asked David was to be careful. She liked Cook well enough, but that didn't mean she didn't think what Cook did wasn't dangerous. It sounded to David like she spoke from experience, but Allison had made him promise not to ask what Kris and Adam did that meant they worked with Cook so much, and he always kept a promise.

It was with a skip in his step that he walked to the Idol that night. It was the first time David was supposed to be staying over at Allison's for the night, and after giving Allison a quick kiss on the cheek, the two had parted ways; Allison going back to her house and David walking off to the Idol.

David knocked twice in quick succession on the back door to the Idol, using the code Cook had given him to enter the speakeasy through the door only employees and members of the Cook's inner circle used.

"You're early." Matt said as he opened the door.

"Hey Matt, can I play tonight?" David didn't even realize the words were out of his mouth until he heard them from his own ears. He covered his mouth and stopped in the hall, not believing what he had just said. But David was in an oddly good mood and decided then and there to just go with whatever happened tonight.

Matt stopped in his tracks. "You want to play Arch?"

David blushed, but nodded anyway. "Could I maybe… do Carly's set tonight?"

"When Cook hears this he's going to go nuts." The smile Matt had on his face could rival the Cheshire Cat's. David could feel the blush all the way down to his toes. He grabbed Matt's wrist. "Don't tell him yet. I want it to be a surprise."

"Ooh, you're being really brave tonight." Matt smiled. "I like."

Matt and David walked to the dressing room. Opening the door, David only saw Kristy Lee and Syesha inside. "Hi."

"Hey Archie." Kristy Lee and Syesha gave David hugs.

"Hey Kristy, can you go get Carly?" Matt asked. Kristy Lee raised her eyebrow. "Archie's gonna do Carly's set tonight and she needs to know."

Both girls were beaming as Kristy Lee left to go find Carly. "You sure?" Syesha asked. David nodded.

For the next few minutes Matt and David went over the cues and keys for Carly's set. When Carly finally walked in she gave David a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Cook isn't going to know what hit him." She smiled before her and David went over her set one time together.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye to David, Ryan was calling Carly to the stage. "What… Archie?" He paused when he saw Carly with her arm around David. "Is Matt okay? Why are you going on instead of him?"

"Relax Ryan." Carly soothed. "Matt's fine. Archie just feels like playing for us tonight instead. Isn't that right Archie?" David nodded.

Ryan smiled. "It's a good thing Cook's already in the audience. Just hope he doesn't get pulled away this time." The spotlight on stage turned on. "That's my cue."

David couldn't stop the butterflies in his stomach as he heard Ryan say, "We have a special treat for you tonight. Playing piano for Carly we have a special guest. Give a warm round of applause to David Archuleta." Carly kept her arm around David as the two of them walked out together to cheers from the audience. Carly gave David's shoulders a squeeze before they separated to start the set.

David rested his hands of the keys for a moment, taking a deep breath before starting the notes for "Apple Blossom Time". The first few notes were tentative, David had never played for any kind of audience before, let alone one this big, but once he got used to the ivory keys under his touch the notes flowed out of him and he let the music take over. David was almost surprised when he heard Carly come in he had gotten so lost in the introduction.

Carly fit into David's playing so seamlessly it was like they had been doing this for years and not for the first time. Carly even smiled and started adding extra runs and lines to the chorus. David smirked and changed the key on her for "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Carly laughed, the sound clear and loud as it rose above the crowd.

When the last notes of "Deep in My Heart" resonated through the speakeasy, David almost couldn't believe it was over. He wanted to keep going, maybe all night if he could.

Carly walked over to the piano bench. "Come on big cheese. It's time to get off the stage for the next set." She ruffled David's hair.

David had barely gotten off the stage when he was attacked with hugs and well wishes. Matt wanted him to do the entire show for the rest of the night, but David realized his hands were shaking so badly he'd probably mess it up somewhere along the line.

Mike and Cook were waiting in the dressing room when Carly and David were finally able to make their way back. Mike stood up and gave Carly a hug and a kiss. Ruffling David's hair, he said, "You didn't tell us you were that good Arch. Christ, if we knew you played like that we would have demanded you go on stage when you first got here."

David blushed. "Glad you… liked it so much."

"Liked it? My girl has never sounded better, and I have you to thank for that." Mike smiled as he nudged David in the shoulder.

Cook had been oddly silent the whole time, to the point where David was honestly scared of what he was going to say. Did he like it? Hate it? Was he going to tell David to get out and never see him again? David didn't know what he'd do if it was the last option.

"Um… Cook?" David walked over to where Cook was still sitting. "What… did you think?"

Cook stood up.

"What are you doing Cook?" Cook took David's face in his hands.

"This." David didn't think your brain could just stop working for a second. But when Cook leaned in and kissed him, all he could remember was white noise and the warmth of Cook's lips on his own.

Cook finally ended the kiss, and David remembered that he had to breathe. Cook kept his forehead against David's, stroking his arm while David got his breath back. "…Wow." David breathed against Cook's lips.

Cook smiled. "Yeah."

"So I guess you liked it?" David asked as he heard Mike and Carly's hoots of approval in the background.

Cook laughed. "Yeah Arch, I liked it. Loved it in fact."

David smiled. "Good."

"I say this calls for a celebratory drink. Several in fact." Mike smirked.

Cook put his arm around David's shoulders and David snuggled into his side. "I think that's an excellent idea."

Walking back into the main section of the speakeasy, David caught Chikeze giving him a smile and a laugh as Mike yelled "Whiskey for everyone!" and got a rousing cheer. Next to him, Cook's body shook in silent laughter.

"What's so funny?" David whispered into Cook's ear.

Cook leaned down. "Mike will find any excuse to serve out a free round."

David shrugged. "Mike's just happy." He shuffled into their usual booth as one of the waitresses set down four glasses of the house whiskey. David pushed the glass away from him.

"Aw Arch, tonight is a night to celebrate. Have a sip at least." Mike said, a whine in his voice.

David eyed the glass. He was already doing a lot of firsts tonight so one more couldn't hurt right? David lightly grasped the glass and brought it in front of him. He eyed it for a moment before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip.

It burned like fire and tasted like old socks as it went down his throat. David crossed his eyes and shoved the glass away from him.

"Guess Archie doesn't like whiskey." Cook smiled as he gave David a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Um, no?" David bit his lip. "It tastes like old socks or something."

Carly, Mike and Cook all laughed. "Let's get you a coke Arch." Carly said, mirth in her voice as she flagged down the waitress.

David lost all track of time that night, which seemed to happen almost every night he was at the Idol. Before he knew it, it was the end of the night and Chikeze was giving last call to the few remaining patrons left.

"You haven't left yet." Cook whispered into David's ear, giving him a kiss on the side of the neck. Carly and Mike had left a few minutes ago, both of them wishing David and Cook good night with a smile.

David shook his head. "Don't have anywhere else to be tonight."

"Is that why you decided to go on stage?" Cook asked.

David thought about it for a second. He'd felt freer than he had in a long time by finally having someone he could confide in. So maybe that was what made it so easy for him to finally decide to step onto the stage. "Maybe?" The corner of David's mouth upturned into a smile.

"Well we can't waste a night like tonight can we?" Cook asked rhetorically as he pulled David out of the booth.

"Night boss." Chikeze smiled as Cook lead David out of the speakeasy.

David dug his heels in a little bit. "But what about…"

"Chikeze and Luke are okay for the next few hours." David could see the mirth in Cook's eyes. "Now come on."

Neither of them noticed the man wearing a black suit trailing after them.

*****

Ace Young loved what he did. Being one of the right hand men for Justin Guarini meant he had the ear of one of the most powerful gang leaders in downtown Manhattan. And Justin let him and Daughtry do what they wanted on the streets, which always brought a smile to Ace's face.

All Guarini asked was that they stayed loyal to him until the bitter end.

Which Ace was happy to do. Even thought David Cook had become the thorn in their side that just didn't seem to go away.

Cook had moved into Hell's Kitchen like he owned the place, and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to fall in love with him instantly. Ace hated people that came in and acted like your best friend when all they really wanted to do was stab you in the back and hang you up by your toes. And David Cook seemed like exactly that kind of person to Ace.

So when Chris walked into the mansion with Kimberly Caldwell, Cook's latest ex, Ace couldn't believe it. And when Kim started spilling every detail that she could remember about Cook's latest operations, it felt like a gift that Ace hadn't even asked for was thrown right into his lap.

The icing on the cake was when Kimberly mentioned the new boy in Cook's inner circle.

David Archuleta. It didn't take long to figure out the name of kid, not when Archuleta was downright terrible at hiding the path he took almost every other night from Cook's speakeasy to his own home atop the store that bore his father's name.

Chris wanted to strike back almost as soon as they realized where Archuleta lived. But Justin had a weird sort of smile on his face as he had forbidden the two of them from any kind of retaliation until the moment was right.

"I want Cook to feel pain. And is there any other pain than when your lover turns your back on you?" He had said cryptically.

Ace didn't know what Justin meant at the time, but watching Cook escort Archuleta down the streets of Hell's Kitchen with his hands all over the boy, Ace finally realized it.

What better way to kill your enemy than by having their lover do it for you.

*****

David didn't think there was any better feeling in the world than how he was feeling that morning. He had played the night before and everyone kept on stopping at the table to tell him how good he had been and if he was ever playing again. It was a good thing Cook's arm had been around him the whole night otherwise he probably would have had girls fighting to kiss him on top of it all.

Cook… even though they hadn't done anything except kissing, David couldn't imagine anything better. They had fallen asleep together on Cook's bed and the only reason David had left was because he had to get to school. Cook didn't want to disrupt David's routine that much yet, especially since everything was so new.

"I see you had a nice time last night." Allison had a smile on her face as she sat waiting outside the school for David.

David lifted up Allison in a hug. "Such a good time. Thank you Alli." He gave Allison an extra squeeze.

"Give your fake girlfriend a kiss." She smiled as she tapped her cheek.

David was all too happy to give Allison a kiss on the cheek. Grasping her hand he said, "You know I played last night? First time in front of… anyone really." David's smile was blinding. "It was amazing. I don't think I could imagine doing anything else."

Allison smiled. "At least you figured something out."

David turned to Allison. "I figured out more than that." He gave Allison's hand a squeeze. "Is that why you said you'd do this for me?"

Allison blushed so her cheeks were light pink. "Maybe."

"Some guy is going to be very lucky to have you Alli." David smiled gently.

"Yeah if Kris or Adam don't kill him first." Allison laughed.

David nudged her shoulder. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

Allison arched her eyebrow. "Did I forget to mention that Kris and Adam know how to hide dead bodies? It's part of their job. So yeah…. any potential boyfriends are going to have a little bit of a problem on their hands."

David raised both of his eyebrows in response. "Is that what they do?"

Allison pulled on a lock of her bright red hair. "Maybe? But you didn't hear that from me."

"My lips are sealed." The late bell ringing cut off their conversation for now.

"David! I'd like to talk to you before lunch." Miss Brooke smiled when she saw David and Allison walk into class.

"Okay Miss Brooke." David blushed as he slid into his seat and saw the smirk Danny was giving him.

"Now that, you're going to have to tell me more about." Danny smirked as he tilted his head towards Allison.

"No he doesn't." Allison smiled.

"Yeah Danny, shut up." David hissed as Miss Brooke started her lessons for the day.

Danny just held up his hands as he turned back towards the board.

David tried taking notes that morning, but he knew it was useless. Between thinking about Cook and whatever Miss Brooke wanted to tell him, he was in no state to pay attention.

So it was with a sense of relief that he heard the lunch bell ring. "I'll talk to you in a little bit?" Allison said softly, gripping David's hand. David nodded.

Miss Brooke was putting away her notes for the morning class when David approached her desk. "David, I'd like you to read this." She smiled softly as she handed David a piece of paper.

David started to read, "Dear Mr. Archuleta, it is with great pleasure that I am writing to let you know… that you have been accepted into Julliard's… fall program of the arts… on full scholarship…" His vision was becoming blurry so David stopped reading.

"You got in David. You got the scholarship." Miss Brooke had a wide smile on her face.

"I… I got the scholarship? I got the scholarship!" David's smile was beaming as Miss Brooke gave him a hug.

"So have you made your decision yet David?" Miss Brooke asked him.

David stared at the paper that had his future all laid on in front of him if only he would take it. And then he remembered the night before. Being on that stage and playing the piano. "Yeah, I think I finally have."

*****

"So then Anna tells me that Peter has been staring at me for the last two months." Claudia smiled.

"Peter is a fine young man." David heard his mama say, but he wasn't really paying attention. Ever since he had gotten home he had been trying to find the right way to tell his parents that he had gotten the scholarship.

"David, isn't that wonderful?" Lupe asked her son.

David blinked. "Oh yeah, that's great."

"Oh Davey, what's wrong with you? You've been preoccupied all night and you haven't even touched your dinner." Lupe tisked.

David rubbed the back of his neck. "I have something to tell you."

"Oh?" Jeff asked as he took a bite of chicken.

"That, um, scholarship with Julliard that Miss Brooke put me in for?" David started nervously.

Jeff set his fork down. "Yes." He said slowly. "But David, I thought you were going to let that go."

"I got in. Full scholarship. I can start in the fall." David said in a rush.

David heard his sisters squeal in joy, his brother go "That's swell" and heard his mother say, "David that's wonderful!" but all David really saw was the grim line of his father's mouth.

"Papa?"

"Children, please go to your rooms." Jeff spoke slowly to make sure he was completely understood.

David gulped as he took his untouched dinner roll and scrambled with the rest of his siblings. David laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, ripping up the roll and putting pieces in his mouth. He heard bits of his parents' conversation, and none of it sounded good on his father's side.

"Papa'll come around Dave, you'll see. He has to." David heard his brother mumble before he finally went to sleep.

It seemed like hours later when he heard a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" David saw his mother's head peak through the crack in the doorway.

"Sure mama." David said as he sat up on his bed.

Lupe gathered her skirts before sitting on her son's bed. "David, why didn't you tell me you had gotten the scholarship before your father had finished minding the store?"

David honestly didn't know. His mind had been full of everything else that he just didn't think of it. "Sorry mama." David said, his cheeks stained pink with blush.

"Well your father wasn't happy about it. But I think I got him to at least calm down." Lupe said softly. "He just wants the best for you David, you know that right?"

David nodded. "I do, but Julliard is something I really want to do. I'm good at it mama." He implored.

Lupe cupped her son's cheek. She had never seen her son defiant about anything except for his love of music. Lupe kissed her son's forehead. "Your papa will come around David, just give him a little bit of time."

"I hope so mama." Moisture collected at the corner of David's eyes, "I really do."

Because David didn't know what he'd do if his father told him no.

*****

"He just thinks I'd be throwing my life away." David sighed into Cook's chest the next night. It was a Friday night, which meant that he and Cook could stay in bed all night and into the next morning if they wanted to. When David had told Cook that he had gotten into Julliard, Cook had been ecstatic. But Cook had cut his celebration short when he saw that David still seemed a little bit miserable.

Which lead to the two of them on Cook's couch and David telling Cook the whole story about his father's reluctance about Julliard from the start.

"Has your father ever heard you play? He'd have to change his tune if he heard what you did with Carls." Cook said, playing with the hairs at the base of David's scalp.

"He's heard me maybe once? My papa thinks it's more important to put your head down and work. I just… can't do that." David bit his lip.

"You need to tell him that Archie." Cook gave the top of David's head a kiss.

"But what if… what if he gets even madder at me and kick… kicks me out?" David stumbled over his words.

"That's what you've got us for now." Cook smiled. "I'm sure we can find somewhere for you to stay if your father kicks you out."

"Yeah, I can stay with Allison. Or Carly." David smiled back.

Cook gave David a Look. "Were you just teasing me? Did my Archie actual learn how to tease?"

"No?" David continued to smile.

"And now he's trying to be sarcastic." Cook ruffled David's hair. "I guess I really am a bad influence." He smirked.

David laughed as he snuggled further into Cook. "Absolutely."

The two of them were silent for a few moments, enjoying each other's company. Cook rubbing his fingertips along David's sides and David tapping out random bits of music on Cook's chest.

After a while David broke the comfortable silence, "Cook?"

"Yeah Arch?"

David lifted his head and looked at Cook. "Can I… ask you something?"

Cook nodded his head so David continued. "Um, what happened to Carrie?"

Cook stopped stroking David's side. "Sit up." He said as the two of them resituated themselves on the couch. "Remind me I owe Mike a fiver."

"What?" David was puzzled. He'd been wondering how to ask Cook about Carrie for a while, but of all the things he imagined Cook saying, he didn't think he would say that.

Cook shook his head. "It's fine Archie. Mike was sure that eventually you'd ask me about her, and I bet him a fiver that you wouldn't. That's all."

"Oh, um, okay?" David asked, uncertain.

"It's okay Arch." Cook smiled. "Carrie was one of those girls that was a total knockout. Funny, sweet, smart as a whip too. She was the only one that ever beat Andy at five card stud. And trust me when I tell you that is very hard to do." Cook let out a short laugh. "We practically grew up together."

Cook paused for a moment and David waited for him to continue. "Carrie kissed me first. Just walked right up, kissed me on the cheek, and said, 'I'm your girlfriend now.' Stupid Neal couldn't stop laughing. We were… 16?" Cook had a sad smile on his face. "I didn't know what hit me."

Cook took a deep breath. "We were together so long and knew each other so well I honestly didn't know what I'd do without her. So I asked her to marry me." Cook bit his lip. "Then everything went pear shaped in Boston… Adam died… and pops told me that he was thinking of expanding his territory. He'd been eyeing New York for a while, and he wanted me to run it. Neal's too… hot headed, and Drew's too much of a baby. With Adam gone…"

"Who's Adam?" David gripped Cook's hand.

"He's… was… my older brother. He was sick... and when he died I didn't handle it well. The dead bodies I left in Southie can attest to that one." Cook barked out a laugh. "Carrie was the only thing that talked me down."

David grasped Cook's hand before Cook continued. "After pop made sure everything was in place he moved back up to Boston, and I was officially in charge. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. If I didn't have Mike, Carly and Carrie I would have really messed up." Cook let out a sigh.

"I wanted it to work out with Guarini. Find some kind of way to coexist, leave him to his business and me to mine… but Guarini only wanted me out. Mike was trying to convince me that the only way to get through to Guarini was through killing. But I thought that maybe, just maybe, we didn't have to start on the wrong foot. I was an idiot." He spat.

"Carrie had gone out to the bakery to sample some of the cakes that we could have for our wedding. But when she didn't come back… I started to get worried. Did I mention that Carrie was lethal with a knife? She had her knife out and could draw blood before you could even blink. So when she wanted to go alone to the bakery I didn't think twice about it. My girl could defend herself." Cook smirked.

"But then Luke comes running in to our first office saying something about Carrie and dead… Mike and I found her where we ended up building the stage. Stabbed with one of the same knives Guarini likes to use. I actually went up to Guarini point blank and asked him if he had done it. The bastard told me to my face, 'I'm glad the whore is dead. But I didn't do it.' Calling my Carrie… a whore… The only reason I didn't kill him on the spot was Carly telling me it would be a bad idea. I took the territory instead." Cook sighed. "So that's it. I'm here, he's there, and we're going to keep on killing each other until one of us cracks. You sure you still want this?" He looked into David's eyes.

David cupped Cook's cheek. "Don't have anywhere else to be." He came in and gave Cook a chaste kiss on the lips.

Cook didn't know what he had done to deserve Archie, didn't think there was anything he could have possibly done, but he was dammed glad he had him now.

And he wasn't letting go.

*****

"There's just no way around it. Not telling your parents is going to turn out bad. Maybe… maybe you could just tell your mama?" Allison said as the two of them were walking back to David's home the next morning.

"Maybe? Let me think about it Alli?" David bit his lip. David felt like what was happening to him was too perfect. He was going to be able to go to the college he wanted to. He had a boyfriend… a boyfriend that loved him unconditionally. David didn't see himself ever having a girlfriend let alone a boyfriend, and while it was scary as hell, he found he didn't mind it so much.

Everything felt to David like it was falling into place, strange as it was, and he didn't want to move too fast too quickly.

Telling his parents just seemed like it was tempting fate.

"Okay Dave, if you don't want to, I won't push it yet." Allison smiled softly as they stopped in front of David's doorstop. She was about to kiss David on the cheek when she stopped. "Hey Dave…"

"Yeah Alli?"

Allison nodded her head towards the door that lead up to the home. "That isn't always open is it?"

David turned and saw the front door open a crack. "No?" David bit his lip as the two walked up and David nudged the door open.

The stairway was in ruins. The few pictures his papa had hung on the walls were smashed and broken on the floor. The wallpaper was torn in spots and completely off in others. Allison took David's hand before the two slowly walked up the stairwell.

The front door upstairs creaked as David slowly opened it. Someone had torn into the couch and the feathers were gently fluttering all around the destroyed room. Davd could see into the kitchen and he saw the plates and his mama's good china smashed on the floor. "Alli, call Cook."

Allison nodded as she lifted her skirts and walked over to the old rotary phone in the kitchen. It didn't always work, but David was hoping it did just this once.

David made his way towards the bedrooms, hoping that the pit in his stomach was just nerves and not what he thought it was.

He felt like throwing up when he opened the door to his parents' room. His sisters were huddled together in one corner, their throats slashed. Daniel… someone had gorged out his brother's eyes and shot him in the chest. And his parents, his parents had been shot, their bodies crumpled oddly to the side of the door, as if they had been collateral damage after someone had forced the door open. Claudia… where was Claudia? David ran to his older sister's room, hoping she wasn't there, that she had been spared somehow.

His hopes were dashed when he saw her laying face down on her bed, shot in the back.

"David? I called and I think I got through… David!" Allison exclaimed when she saw David hunched over himself out in the hallway. "What happened?"

"I can't… you're going to have to see for yourself Alli… cause I… I can't…" David stuttered.

Allison walked past David and looked into Claudia's room. "Oh David." She exclaimed, covering her mouth.

She collapsed next to David against the wall. "Is everyone else…"

David rested his head on Allison's shoulder. "They're dead. Everybody's dead." Tears started to fall out of the corners of his eyes.

Time seemed to stand still waiting for Cook to show. Finally David heard Cook frantically yell, "Archie! Arch where are you?"

"Down here Cook!" Allison yelled. They heard someone move things out of the way and then Cook was there at the mouth of the hallway. David and Allison scrambled up and David ran towards the other man, slamming into his chest and wrapping him in a hug.

"Allison, what are you doing here?" Cook asked as David hid his face in Cook's chest.

"I'm his fake girlfriend remember?" Allison smiled.

"Do you think you could…" Cook didn't want to ask outright, not with David there.

"Consider it done." Allison kissed David on the head before walking out.

"Cook…" Mike didn't want to interrupt, but they didn't have a lot of time. Cook nodded his head in the direction of the bedrooms. Mike gently slipped past and went to go take stock of the carnage.

"They'redead…deaddeaddead." David mumbled into Cook's chest.

"What was that babe?" Cook asked.

David suddenly pushed himself away from Cook and walked into the living room. He wrapped his arms around his waste as he yelled, "They're DEAD! Because of you!"

"It was Young and Daughtry. I recognize their handiwork anywhere." Mike said softly as he watched Cook watch David try to console himself.

Cook unholstered his gun, and held it out butt first, a bewildered Mike wondering what the heck he was doing. "Here, take it." David stared at the gun before tentatively taking it in his grasp. "Go ahead Arch. Shoot me if you think it'll bring your family back. I'm the one who brought you into this life, brought this down on you. I wasn't the one to pull the trigger, but it might as well have been me. So go ahead… SHOOT ME!" Cook screamed, stepping closer to David, the gun barrel pressing into his chest. He didn't think that David would shoot him, David just didn't seem like that kind of person. But Cook didn't know what David needed in that moment, and this seemed like the best alternative.

"I… I can't… I…"

"Let me help you." Cook whispered as he encircled David's hands on the gun. "It's okay Archie, I understand."

"Cook-" Cook could hear the warning in Mike's tone, but this wasn't something up for argument.

"I've got this Mike. Why don't you go get Luke, I think we'll need more hands on deck. Get Carly too." Cook's eyes followed Mike as he walked out the door. "There you go Arch, nobody around to see you do it. If you're going to do it now would be the best time, don't you think?" Cook smiled softly, knowing that he had called David's bluff.

There was a long silence between the two men, the gun heavy between them. Cook watched the tears that continued to fall from David's eyes, "I don't know what to do. I…"

"It's okay babe." Moisture started gathering in Cook's own eyes. "That's what I'm here for." Cook mentally sighed when David collapsed back against him and Cook was able to reholster his gun.

As he cuddled David close, Cook idly wondered if Young and Daughtry knew they had just signed their own death warrants.

*****

The sun had barely broken over the city skyline, dark blues and purples giving way to oranges and yellows when Cook felt like he could leave David without the younger man falling apart. He had held his lover in his arms, cradling Archie slowly back and forth in one of the only rooms in David's house that wasn't destroyed by Young and Daughtry, when Johns came back with Carly and Luke. Allison came back moments later with Adam and Kris.

Carly and Allison immediately took David from Cook's arms, surrounding him, while Cook talked over the best way to handle the situation with Mike, Luke, Adam and Kris. Kris and Adam prided themselves on never taking sides… but when they did the other didn't stand a chance. They knew how to hide the bodies after all.

Cook knew that the only place he would feel safe keeping Archie was one of the safe houses. There was no question, and no one felt the need to argue with him either. So after Kris and Adam walked through Archie's house and took stock of what they needed to do, Carly took Archie through the house and let him collect whatever belongings he wanted to. Archie had two satchels filled with everything from clothes to family photos by the time he was done.

Allison decided to stay and help Kris and Adam so it was only the five of them as they rushed across town in the twilight hours and set Archie up in one of the safe houses that were on the outreaches of Cook's territory. Cook figured that the safest place for Archie wasn't right next to him but tucked away and protected.

Archie was having none of that though. He wanted to stay with Cook, stay with the one thing that made sense to him in the middle of everything.

Not only that, but Archie didn't want to be kept out of whatever Cook had planned, even though Cook hadn't thought that far ahead yet. First thing they had to do was find the two enforcers. But when that happened, Archie wanted to be there, and Cook was having none of that. Call Cook crazy but he didn't want Archie getting his hands dirty in the whole sordid mess. Young and Daughtry were going to pay for what they'd done, but Cook wanted Archie to stay out of it… stay innocent.

"You know you're insane right? There's no way Archie is staying out. We'd all move heaven and earth for that kid. You know that." Mike said as the two of them finally made it back to the Idol.

"You're supposed to listen to me. I'm the boss." Cook said, Mike holding the door open for him as the two slipped through. They nodded to Chikeze as the bartender made his way out. His job was done for the night and he had a dame waiting for him at home.

"And I do listen to you… most of the time." Mike smirked. Short of Carly, Mike was the only one in the organization who was allowed to get away with disagreeing with Cook. A fact he took advantage of as often and as many times as he could.

"Why I put up with you I still don't know." Cook sighed.

"Cause I shoot faster than you do?" Mike still had the smirk on his face as he opened the door that lead into the speakeasy proper.

"That has to be it." Cook let out a short bark of a laugh.

"You know Archie's fine right? He's safe with Luke and Carly." Mike said softly.

Cook paused. "Yeah." He sighed.

Jason, Matt, Kristy Lee, Michael, and even Ryan, who normally stayed out of the more dirtier aspects of running the speakeasy, were sitting at a table in the far corner. Kris was waiting as well, which told Cook that the job was done even before Kris opened his mouth.

Kris tilted up his fedora from his slouched position in the booth when Cook and Mike approached the table. Looking up at Cook he said, "Adam is doing the finishing touches right now." He yawned, stretching out like a cat and arching his back. Cook was still surprised that Kris was one of the craftiest people he'd met in Hell's Kitchen, yet he acted like he couldn't care less about what happened around him at all. "He also wanted me to tell you something… well we both wanted to."

Cook braced his hands on the table. "Yeah?"

"Take Guarini down once and for all. Alli didn't calm down for two hours after you left with Archie, and that just won't do." Kris said coldly. "You don't mess with our girl and get away with it."

"Well first we have to find Young and Daughtry. Get rid of the help and it's easier to get rid of him." Mike said from his position across from Kris at the table.

Kris looked straight at Mike then Cook. "They went to ground. Ground so deep neither Adam nor I could figure out where, and we tried."

"Damn it." Cook cursed.

Kris raised his eyebrow. "You didn't let me finish though."

"Yes?"

"Besides Guarini there's one other person who knows where they are. And he's alot easier to find." Kris smiled evilly. "Elliot Yamin."

"Who the hell is that?" Jason asked.

Kris turned to the table. "Yamin isn't with the Guarini family, never wanted to be, but he did grow up with Young and Daughtry. Their families practically lived on top of each other when they were kids. You get Yamin to talk and finding the other two will be easy."

Cook smiled. "And you know where Yamin is don't you?"

Kris shared Cook's smile. "Why yes Cook, I do."

*****

Elliot Yamin hadn't made it out of Hell's Kitchen, but he'd come pretty close. He was part of the troupe of singers that did regular performances at Carnegie Hall, entertaining crowds nightly. He lived in a small sublet that was close to the music hall, and Kris told Cook it was just a matter of sitting in wait for Yamin to come back, since Kris knew that Yamin had decided to do his own hiding if there was no way to find Young and Daughtry.

Cook placed two of his men on the address at all hours, Michael and Jason taking the first, and longest, shift. Michael and Jason came back empty handed, which pissed the Aussie off to no end. Cook knew it wasn't going to be that easy though.

But when Matt and Luke came back escorting a practically hog-tied Yamin into his office only three hours into their shift, Cook was wondering if maybe he was wrong.

Yamin was already sporting a black eye and a split lip, but Michael gave him one more good punch to the gut that had Yamin folding in half before Cook said, "Toss him in the basement. We'll figure out what to do with him later."

Matt had a smile on his face as he pushed Yamin back out, the other man stumbling and knocking his side into the door jamb as they left.

Mike turned to Cook once the three were gone. "I thought you wanted to move this along."

"Let him sit. If we start in on him now he won't tell us anything. Take him away from everything with no food, little water and only his thoughts to keep him company..." Cook shrugged.

"He caves that much easier." Mike smiled, knowing the game Cook wanted to play.

"Exactly." Cook shrugged into his jacket. "I'm going to go see Archie." That Michael had control until he got back went unsaid between the two.

"Give Carly a kiss for me." Michael smiled.

"I'll see if Carly can come give you a kiss herself." Cook rolled his eyes before closing the door.

*****

Cook knocked three times twice in quick succession on the door to the safe house. Jason opened the door, holstering his gun with the other hand.

"How is he?" Cook asked as he slipped through the door.

"Arch was sleeping when I got here. Carly got him up for a little while so he would eat something, but with him being cooped up in here cut off from everything he's starting to get restless."

Cook sighed. "Well he can't go home, and staying at the club is too dangerous."

"What about with Allison?" David said, interrupting from his place framed in the bedroom's doorway. Cook could see Carly over David's shoulder, a sad look on her face. David was bundled up in what had to be one of his dad's old sweaters since it engulfed his small frame. His face was blotchy and red, his hands were tucked into his armpits, but his eyes were a clear, hard brown.

Cook walked over and surrounded David in his arms. David snuffled into his neck. "I don't know…"

Carly put her hand on Cook's shoulder. "It makes sense. If Kris and Adam are on our side with this one, then that's almost safer than being here. You know that."

Cook was silent for a minute before turning to Carly. "Go ask them."

Carly had grabbed her shawl already. "I'll be back." She gave David a kiss on the head before stepping out the door.

Cook took David's hand and led him towards the couch. "Sit down." He tugged on David's hand as the younger man fell into his lap on the couch. David sat sideways, so his feet were hanging over the arm of the couch and Cook started rubbing his fingertips up and down David's thigh.

"Did you find them yet?" David bit his lip.

"No, but we're close."

"How close is close?" David asked.

"Kris gave us the one person besides Guarini who knows where they are. Practically gift wrapped him for us." Cook gave David a kiss on the forehead.

"Good. They all need to pay." David said.

Cook rested his forehead against David's. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The look in David's eyes didn't scare him since he'd seen that look in his own eyes more than once. After Carrie. After Adam. He just thought that maybe with David he was going to get a chance to start over.

"Yes. I can hear you thinking, so just stop." David said forcefully. "I'm 18, not an idiot. Alli told me this might happen." He gave Cook a quick kiss. "I did it anyway. At some point you just have to admit that the world does not revolve just around you."

Cook gave David another kiss. "What did I do to deserve you."

"When you figure it out let me know." David smiled. "I'd be rich."

"There's that cocky David I was missing."

David was the one to initiate the kiss this time. "Well it's because of you anyway, so I hope you're happy." He said as he moved so he was straddling Cook instead of across him.

Cook smiled as he continued to kiss David. "Couldn't be happier." He said inbetween kisses.

David stopped kissing for a moment, going back to resting his forehead against Cook. "Come to bed with me."

Cook closed his eyes. There was nothing more he wanted to do in that moment. "That's… not a good idea. Your family just died, you're not right in the head." Cook couldn't believe he was trying to talk himself out of going to bed with David. "It's not that I don't want to, because after the last few days, I'd be lying. But trust me when I say this is not you talking."

David's lips curled into a small smile. "Trust me when I tell you that I know what I'm doing."

"Okay then." Cook lifted the two of them off the couch, David wrapping his legs around Cook as he led the two of them to the small bedroom.

*****

Cook made his way back to the speakeasy a few hours later, well rested and refreshed. David was relocated to Kris and Adam's, the pair promising to look after David as if he was their own.

The night was young and he had a man to torture and two killers to find.

The smile on his face turned confused when he saw who was sitting down at one of the tables in the speakeasy that wasn't set to open for a few hours yet.

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time baby brother?" The smile on his stepbrother's face was more cocky than heartfelt.

"Neal, what the…"

Michael appeared from his position where he had been crouched behind the bar, four shot glasses and the one of the few bottles of actual whiskey they had in his hands. Cook turned to him. "Did you do this?"

Michael raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I called your psycho stepbrother down from Boston. Told him to bring Andy down too." He said sarcastically as he placed the glasses and the bottle on the table.

Neal raised his scared eyebrow and took the whiskey, twisting the cap off. "Psycho?"

"In the best possible way." Michael cracked.

"Won't hold that against you then." Neal said as he poured shots for them all.

"Which means he will." Andy smiled as he took one of the glasses Neal poured and knocked back the shot.

"Of course." Michael raised his glass and knocked back his own shot.

"So if it wasn't Michael…" Cook trailed off.

"Lambert called." Neal had already taken his first shot and was pouring his second. "Figured if you were going to take down a whole crime family you might need some help. Pop agreed." He knocked back his second shot. "So what are we doing first?"

Cook smiled. He was struck with an idea. "You brought your knives right?"

Neal's returning smile was downright scary. "Of course I did."

Cook poured himself another shot. "Then I have the perfect use for them."

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