Three Little Bears

Chay woke to the sound of a door slamming followed by hurried footsteps. He was about to go investigate the noise when he heard another set of footsteps and then shouting. It took him a second to realise that Pete was yelling at someone. If Pet was here instead of Macau it only meant that something had happened to Macau. The boy got out of bed walking slowly to the door. He couldn't make out what the other person was saying because they weren't shouting as loudly as Pete, "He is a child, Vegas! Not to mention your brother!"

What does that mean? What happened? What did Vegas do? Chay had his hand on the door handle which now felt a lot colder than usual as he listened in on the conversation. He was about to open the door when he heard Vegas speak, "I'm not the one who brought him into this Khan was," his words had a bitterness to them that make Chay's skin crawl.

He couldn't see the man but he didn't need to know that he was probably glaring at Pete, "Besides, this was the only way to get him out. They were going to kill him!"

"And they almost did! You know damn well that wasn't the only way to get him out, you only allowed shit to go down the way it did because you wanted it to go down like that!" Pete yelled back, "You're sick, you're actually fucking insane and you should stay the hell away from Macau!"

Vegas began to chuckle and Chay had heard enough. None of it made sense. None of it should have made sense, "See that's the thing, I'm his only legal guardian Pete. I am his brother, not you. So where do you get off telling me what I can and cannot do with my brother?"

"Do not..." Pete spat back, "Do you even know what that boy went through when we all thought you were going to die? Do you know what he had to endure because of you and your father? Do you fucking know how many nights I spent up with him because he couldn't fucking sleep when you were halfway to hell? Do you even care about that poor boy because from where I'm standing it doesn't look like it or is this yet another one of your twisted learning experiences?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now."

Chay stood frozen in his spot behind the door. One of the men on the other side of the door, probably Vegas was walking towards the bedroom. They were going to find him either way so he took a breath and braced himself before stepping out of the room. He rubbed his eyes while he pretended to yawn. If they thought he was sleeping he'd probably be in less trouble, right? Vegas wouldn't actually do anything to him with Pete there, right? Vegas stopped in his tracks staring at the small boy while Pete turned around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. Why the hell is Chay here he thought to himself. Chay looked between the two men in the dimly lit room, "Oh," he said dropping his eyes to his feet.

"Chay why are you..." Pete asked.

"Macau said he would be out for a bit and I was waiting for him," he said more to Vegas than Pete.

"Right, Chay I need you to pack Macau an overnight bag with pyjamas and toiletries and whatever you think he'd want to have with him right now. I'm going to need you to also pack a few of your things and I'll take you to Macau okay?" Pete said walking up to Chay putting himself between the boy and Vegas.

Chay nodded and scurried back into Macau's bedroom. The boy's feet went jelly the second the door closed behind him. The tension in the kitchen was nothing if not suffocating. He'd never seen Vegas and Pete like that. They were always goofing around and affectionate with each other but right now he could feel both their hostility aimed at each other. Only Vegas looked like he'd actually kill Pete if he wanted to.

The boy sat a moment longer on the floor behind the door before switching the lights on and walking over to the closet. He packed a few of his clothes into a duffel bag along with Macau's pyjamas and a few sweatpants and graphic tees. He then headed to the bathroom where he packed both their toiletry bags before returning to the room. He heard the front door slam shut as he put the toiletries away. He looked around the room trying to see anything Macau would pack if he had to run and had less than ten minutes to pack.

Chay stared at the two stuffed animals on the boy's side table. Ice Bear was Macau's and they had joint custody over Grizz while PanPan was in Chay's room. They'd bought the bears on their last day in Japan when Chay suddenly spotted them at the airport. They'd almost missed their flight but he really wanted them and he knew his brother wouldn't scold him with Khun around so he ran into the gift store with Macau following and they emerged with the three bears. He sniffed and wiped away the tears streaming down his face before zipping up the duffel bag. He found a backpack and put Grizz into it while hugging Ice Bear to his chest. That's how Pete found him. The older man took the duffel bag and silently held out his hand for Chay. They stopped at Chay's apartment for his to get his bear before walking out.

The parking lot was flooded with a bunch of the major family bodyguards. If Macau was badly hurt and Vegas had something to do with it, surely that meant he'd declared war on the whole family right? Pete led Chay to one of the cars discarding his own. The guards bowed slightly as Chay walked passed them towards the allocated car. The two men slid into the back before two bodyguards climbed into the front. Two cars and two motorcycles drove out before them followed by the rest of the cars. The boy wanted to ask questions but he knew nobody would give him the answers he was looking for. Macau said whatever Porsche was doing in Japan could have very easily gone south which was why they had an insane number of bodyguards but the welcoming party that came for Chay was bigger than it should have been considering he was one person.

Chay looked over to Pete who looked tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and he didn't have the calming hopeful glint he usually had in his eyes. He was just staring unblinkingly at the road while his eyes darted around like he was trying to do a hard maths problem in his head. "P'Pete what's going on? Where are we going?" Chay asked.

Pete looked at him forcing himself to smile, "We're going to the compound."

"You said you were taking me to Macau."

"I am," he said choking up before looking out of the window away from Chay.

That's all Pete could say really. Macau was at the compound with his cousins and uncle. Everything else he couldn't tell Chay. His brother would decide what to tell the boy and what not to tell him not that he'd have the words for it if he could tell him. Pete closed his eyes leaning his head back. He didn't know his own fate considering his relationship with the driving force behind all this but he didn't care what happened to him here on out. All that mattered was that Macau was safe and away from his brother. Chay would also be okay if he stayed with the major family.

When they arrived at the compound they were welcome by P'Chan and some of Khun Korn's guards. They opened the door for the boy without a word, only silently bowing in acknowledgement of his presence. Chay was led into the house by the Korn's head bodyguard while Pete stayed in the car. The boy looked back before disappearing into a hall to see Pete being patted down. He looked up at P'Chan who was expressionless, "Is P'Pete going to be okay?"

"Depends," was all the man said before leading the boy into an elevator.

They walked into a meeting room a couple of floors up where everyone was gathered. Chay could hear their shouting when he got out of the elevator but it died out when he walked into the room. They all seemed to have been in the middle of a disagreement judging by the atmosphere and the fact that Porsche was standing looking out of the window with his back to the room. Chay didn't care that all the heads of the most prominent mafia family in the country were all angry about something. He didn't care that nobody would meet his eyes, not even Tankhun when the boy looked at him. Khun Korn was about to speak when Chay finally asked, "Where is Macau?"

Normally Porsche would have scolded him for being rude by not greeting Khun Korn first but he didn't care or have the energy to do that. They also didn't want to upset Chay any further as they'd all learned that he was worse than all of them combined when he was angry or irritated. Kim got out of his seat and walked passed Chay not meeting the boy's eyes, "I'll take you to him."

Chay waied to the room very briefly not really caring if anyone responded before walking out after Kim. Porchay didn't know what to expect when he walked through the door but a full-blown hospital wing was not it. There were a few injured guards getting their injuries checked as they went along the brightly lit halls. It was eerily quiet as they went. Kim led them to a room in the very back that required fingerprint recognition to get in. The older man stood to the side gesturing for Chay to open the door. The boy raised a brow at him so he explained, "Only you have security clearance. Other than the doctor only you can get in."

Chay blinked at him not really understanding what he was saying but he stepped forward and scanned his thumb either way. The door beeped before opening slightly. He probably should have asked how they got his fingerprint for the door but he was trying to fight the churning in his gut. Why on earth was Macau in a room that his family couldn't access and why was he the only person with clearance? He looked up to Kim almost as if to ask if he could just go in, "I'll wait out here," he said.

Chay nodded and walked in. There were three big arches that rained sanitiser on him as he walked through the hall. The were only two rooms in this hall. One was dark and empty apart from a bed while the other was dimly lit and had all sorts of machines that were beeping next to the bed. Chay's heart dropped when he looked at the person on the bed. He was very badly bruised and swollen in the face. There was a huge oxygen tank next to the bed along with a big bulky thing Chay had never seen. He felt himself grow dizzy as he stood looking at Macau and then breathing became difficult and he was sinking to his feet. The burning sensation in his gut grew and the boy retched but there was nothing to let out. He hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before and was it already two am.

His tears didn't stop and he didn't try to stop them from falling. Macau was alive, that much he knew but how alive was he if he couldn't breathe without help? Chay sat on the cold floor crying. His whole world seemed to tip as he sat there not knowing what to do with himself. Did Vegas really do that to Macau? If he did then why would he do that to his own brother? The boy's mind was racing so much that his head began to hurt. He didn't know how long he sat there or when he finally stopped crying or even when he passed out. He opened his eyes hoping that it was all just a twisted bad dream until he heard the steady beeping of the machines. It wasn't a dream. Macau was really hurt.

The boy stood up and looked into the room again. There was nothing he could do, that much he knew. He was the most helpless person in that building at the moment but he had his faith so he sent out a prayer to the universe. "Let Macau be okay," he whispered looking at the boy on the bed.

He walked out of the hall to find Kim still waiting for him outside the door. The older man offered him a bottle of water which Chay downed almost immediately. Kim looked at Chay's haggard form for a second before rising to his feet, "Your brother is waiting for you. He'll explain everything."

Porsche was sitting at Chay's study desk with his head in his hands. When he heard the door open he looked up and shot out of his seat rushing to where Chay was standing at the door. Kim nodded slightly before walking away and leaving the brothers alone. Chay couldn't stand upright any longer. He'd cried himself to the point of not wanting to feel or do anything. That included standing, walking, breathing or listening to anything anyone had to say. Porsche just held the boy watching as he blinked a couple of times before finally looking at him and then his eyes rolled back and his feet gave out. Porsche carried the boy over to his bed, tucking him in. Chay felt cold and he was a lot paler than usual. Porsche knew that nothing and nobody could pull the boy out of this one so for the very first time in a long time, he felt truly useless as much as he felt helpless.

The boy woke up a little after three with an IV attached to his arm. He looked around the room with his head feeling very light and his vision dancing. Porsche was sitting on the couch at the foot of the boy's bed with his head bowed, "Hia?" Chay croaked sitting up.

Porsche almost jumped at the boy's voice rushing over to his side, "Hey, how are you doing?" he asked smoothing the boy's hair down.

He looked a lot less pale than he did earlier but he still looked very sickly. The doctor could only give him so many nutrients through the IV and that could also only do so much, "I'm okay," the boy said taking in his brother's worn appearance, "You look how I feel though," the boy added smiling small.

Porsche smiled at the small comment looking down at himself. He had showered and changed but surely nothing could have washed the physical evidence of his mental state. He looked back at Chay who was now just staring at the wall, "Are you hungry?" Porsche asked.

"Did Vegas really do that?"

Porsche froze for a second. Chay wasn't supposed to know that, they'd all agreed not to tell him unless Porsche told him. The boy noticed the confusion on his brother's face, "I overheard him and P'Pete yesterday when P'Pete went to get Macau's stuff."

"Right," Porsche looked at his hands before looking back at his brother, "What else do you know?"

"Nothing. I just happened to hear P'Pete yelling about how it was twisted that Vegas did that to his brother."

"Chay, you see...the thing is, Khun Khan did some really messed up things before he died. He pulled both Vegas and Macau into some very shady circles and it kinda stuck even after he died. Macau, he..." he stopped trying to find the words, "He got hooked up with a couple of dealers and he couldn't leave because Khan had some debt that he carried over. He worked for them for a while until he walked away a couple of months ago," Porsche stopped and looked at his brother who was looking at him blankly, "You're not surprised?"

"What does Nam have to do with Vegas hurting Macau?" the boy asked urging his brother to continue.

"How do you know who Nam is?"

"I've met him a couple of times but hia what does he have to do with Vegas?"

Porsche chose to set his anger aside as he continued. He would later have Chay answer all his questions but first, he had to get this out of the way, "After Khun Khan died Vegas refused to let the major family help him but Kinn sent Pete money for Macau and nobody really paid much attention to Vegas. He continued the suicide he and his father had started over a year ago. Vegas is working with the Yakuza and the Italian mafia or rather he has a high rank in the Italian mafia and the Yakuza is basically his muscle. He knew about Macau dealing but he ignored it until he decided he wanted out. His plan for to make Macau stay and probably work his way up the ranks but your stupid boyfriend didn't yield and now he's half dead. Pete found out too late but he let me and Kinn know and went to go find Macau but it was too late as you've seen."

Chay stared at the wall letting it all sink in. How could anyone do that to their family? His hate for his cousins and uncle Chay could understand but hurting his brother like that was beyond malevolent. Chay felt his tears roll down his cheeks. This time he cried for Macau. The boy had to be the strongest person Chay knew. Although he spent a lot of time brooding when he was alone, he was a gentle soul who cared deeply for his brother and this was what he got for it. Chay looked at his brother who was already looking at him with tears in his eyes, "Where is Vegas now?"

"In his home. We can't get to him though, if we go after Vegas we'll be declaring war on the Yakuza and the Italians. We can't afford to do that without proper planning or firepower."

"What about P'Pete? Is he a prisoner now?"

"No, he's just...Khun Korn doesn't believe that Pete was really clueless in all this so he's being questioned."

"Why would he do that? Hia you know he wouldn't do anything to hurt Macau and you know it," Chay said, sobbing.

It wasn't right that Pete was being punished for Vegas's wrongdoings, "You can't allow this to happen hia."

Porsche looked away from Chay. He knew the boy was right. Pete loved Macau more than anything so there's no way he knew what was happening and just allowed it to continue. Everyone knew it too but Khun Korn was a paranoid old man who refused to see reason. Nobody could make him see reason right now so until he decided to look passed his paranoia, there was nothing they could do for Pete. Porsche wiped away Chay's tears before standing up from the bed, "I'll have someone bring you something to eat. Get some rest after you eat."

Chay ate his food when one of his bodyguards brought it up. He took a shower and got dressed before heading down to the hospital wing of the compound. Nobody said anything to him, they only bowed as he walked along the hallways until he got to the private wing. Macau still looked the same. He was still unmoving. He was still all bruised. He was still hooked onto a bunch of machines. Chay just stood watching him for a while. He was about to walk away when the steady beeping of one of the machines hooked to Macau turned violent. Chay looked back at the boy to find him having a seizure or something and then there were a couple of people nurses and then a doctor and Chay was being pulled out of the hall.