WHAT IF

CHAPTER ONE

"Hey, where are you, Babe?" Charlie's tone carried a note of anxiety. He suspected Babe had ventured off to find who Tony's enigma was.

"Charlie, I've figured out who Tony's enigma is. It's Pete."

"No, it's not Pete. It's..." Before Charlie could finish his sentence, Babe abruptly ended the call. Charlie attempted to dial back immediately, but the phone was switched off. He sensed something was not right; Babe wasn't alone wherever he was. Determined to find him, Charlie realized he didn't know Babe's whereabouts. He reached out to Alan in hopes of getting some clue, but even Alan was clueless. Thus, the two of them decided to go look for him together.

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"What...?" Babe's gaze snapped to Way as he snatched the phone from his hand while he was still conversing with Charlie. He observed as Way powered off the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"Babe..." Way's voice began, surprising Babe with its depth. It was a side of Way he hadn't encountered before, leaving him taken aback.

"You know Father wants what's best for us, right?" Way's hand rested on Babe's shoulder.

"Way..."

"Shh... everything will be fine." Way pressed a finger to Babe's lips, silencing him. Babe found himself rooted in place, unable to articulate a single word. It was as if his mind had suddenly ceased functioning, leaving him unable to think clearly.

Sensing Babe's compliance, Way guided him to the couch and seated him, like one would guide a child.

"Babe, I'm sorry I have to handle it this way. This will ensure Tony won't bother us anymore," Way explained softly, tracing his finger along Babe's jawline. Amidst the chaos, Babe remained unable to speak or move, feeling utterly powerless. He wanted to intervene, to stop whatever Way was planning, but he found himself too feeble to act.

"I was prepared to wait until you realized how I feel about you, but I knew that wouldn't happen ever since Charlie entered your life. If he hadn't shown up, we could have been happy together, and none of this would be happening." He proceeded to get closer to babe's face.

"I'm not going to hurt you so don't worry." The enigma started kissing babe along his jawline before getting to his lips. The man under tried so hard to shake his face but his efforts were fruitless. He felt disgusted with what his trusted friend was doing to him, and also felt disgusted in himself because he could not help himself out of the situation. He could only stiffen his lips.

Way seeing that he could not kiss babe, decided to move to the next step to get this over with. So he moved to his neck tracing it with kisses as he unbuttoned his shirt to make it easier for him.

He kissed along his collarbone, down to the chest and when he reached his abdomen, he stopped and stared and it caressing softly with his fingers.

"I can already imagine how you would look like carrying my baby in here." Babe, already helpless, could only close his eyes and let a tear roll down his cheek. He already surrendered to his fate, he didn't want to pay attention to what Way was doing anymore. The only thing that was running into his mind was Charlie, how bad he wanted to cry to Charlie for help, how bad he wants his boyfriend to hug him right now and tell him that all this is just a nightmare but... he did not tell Charlie where he was, and if Charlie was looking for him right now he wont find him because Charlie probably doesn't know this place. Can the ground just open and swallow him alive? That's What he wished for, he felt Way move to the next step and could only furrow his eyebrows.

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The car screeched to a halt outside Tony's residence, the occupants swiftly exiting without even waiting for the vehicle to fully stop. The guards stationed at the door tensed, ready to spring into action against the unexpected intruders, but recognizing Charlie, they stepped aside to allow him entry. Aware of Charlie's status as one of Tony's sons, they permitted him and his friend to pass without interference. Charlie's singular focus was on Tony as he hurried through the hallway, his mind consumed with thoughts of Babe and the potential danger he might be in due to Tony's involvement.

Suddenly, Charlie found himself pulled into a secluded corner, prompting Alan to react defensively until he recognized Pete and saw him motioning for discretion. Pete ensured the coast was clear before speaking in hushed tones.

"Charlie, there's something I need to tell you," Pete began, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Babe was here."

"Was? Where is he now?" Charlie's anxiety was palpable as he awaited Pete's explanation of Babe's confrontation regarding Tony's enigma.

"But before I could tell him, he received a call from Way and immediately left. I couldn't follow because Tony called me in," Pete explained.

"What? So that means he's with Way now," Alan interjected.

"And i heard tony talking on phone telling him about something that he needs to finish tonight. "

"I need to go," Charlie declared urgently, knowing Babe could be in danger at the hands of Tony's enigma.

"Wait," Pete said, producing a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Here's the address." Alan quickly glanced at it and nodded to Charlie as they departed. The location was only ten minutes away from Tony's residence, but to Charlie, every passing moment was fraught with worry . It had already been 20 minutes since they began the search. He feared what Way might do to Babe in the time they'd been separated, but he was resolved not to leave Way alone if he dared to harm Babe.

Arriving at the hotel, the two hurried to the reception desk, Alan taking the lead in conversation as Charlie's mind raced with concern.

"Excuse me, miss. We're looking for someone named Way," Alan addressed the receptionist calmly.

"May I ask who you are to him?" the lady inquired after consulting the computer.

"His friend. And could you tell us if a guy named Babe came here to see him?" Alan inquired before the lady could start asking too many questions. The receptionist checked the records and confirmed Alan's query.

"In fact he gentleman just left like a minute ago," she added. Alan looked at Charlie, who was busy pacing around in the background, then asked if they could proceed upstairs. The receptionist granted their request, and they wasted no time in heading to Way's room.

Upon reaching the room indicated by the receptionist, Charlie constantly rang the doorbell. Eventually, Way, still on a phone call, wearing a bathrobe with damp hair indicating a recent shower, opened the door.

Charlie's sole thought upon seeing Way's face was to unleash his fury, and he promptly acted on it, delivering a forceful punch that knocked the phone from Way's hand, forgotten as it clattered to the floor. Without allowing Way a moment to react, Charlie continued his assault, raining down more blows upon him as they both ended up on the ground.

"What did you do to Babe?!" Charlie demanded, his anger boiling over. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes blazing with fury.

Struggling to speak through the blood in his mouth from the impact of the punches, Way managed to utter, "Char... It was Tony... I did not... mean to..."

"You didn't mean to what?!" Charlie's voice echoed with rage, heedless of any potential eavesdroppers.

"Please, let me explain..."

"What's there to explain? Tell me where he is right now!" Charlie's tone brooked no chance of negotiation.

"I don't know, he... just left without saying anything." As Charlie continued his confrontation with Way, Alan began searching the room. He discovered Babe's phone on the table and his coat discarded on the floor.

Alan swiftly retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed a number, speaking briefly before ending the call. He then approached Charlie, holding Babe's belongings that he had discovered.

"Charlie, don't escalate this any further. I just contacted the police; they're on their way," Alan announced firmly, forcefully pulling Charlie away from the bloodied figure on the floor.

"Alan, Babe..." Charlie ran a hand through his hair, struggling to compose himself. "He's out there, alone in the cold... I couldn't help him... what do I....?"

"I'll go look for him," before he could stop Charlie, he dashed out the door, determined to find Babe. Alan remained behind, awaiting the arrival of the police to deal with Way.

-----------was studying for my finals when this popped in my head-----