You're Never Alone

Chapter 28

Word Count: 1518

A week later, everything is set is place and to say the least, Dan is anxious. He wants to save everyone including Jack but to do that, he has to go back to his father who is for sure going to torture him again. PJ, Joe, and Adrian planned out that Dan is going to leave in four days to go back to the palace. Dan already found Jack an apartment that the rebels used that he can stay in so he can be safe. Phil still has no clue and honestly, Dan is glad that he doesn't have to hurt Phil to his face.

    The plan is that Dan is going to go back to his father long enough to gain a bit of his trust back as he plans an intricate plan with PJ and a few other rebels to kill the king. He has to reports back to the rebels once a week so that way the plan can be secret enough that the king can't find out again and leave.

    Dan and a handful of rebels including Phil eat breakfast at one of the tables in the corner the morning before Dan has to leave. They all act normal so that Phil doesn't find out that everyone he's sitting with knows about a plan that could potentially kill Dan. Dan's stomach is fluttering as he laughs at a dumb joke from PJ. Adrian can sense his brother's unease so he shoots him a sideways look telling Dan to relax.

    "So what's the plan for today?" Phil says and everyone at the table goes quiet so Dan quickly chimes in.

    "Same thing we've been doing everyday." Dan chuckles to make his answer seem normal and Phil smiles at Dan, thankfully not catching on to any of the dead giveaways from them.

    A little while later, Adrian, PJ, Joe, Louise, Dan, and Phil are playing cards on the floor, laughing their asses off as PJ continuously loses. Dan lays down his hand as he wins again and PJ throws down his cards in a playful fit of rage.

    "How?!" he yells and Dan laughs as Phil lays on his back, laughing so hard tears are rolling down the side of his face. Louise shoves Dan as he laughs at PJ's red face. They all know what is inevitably going to happen tonight but for now, they all make the most of whatever time they have left together.

They all play until dinner rolls around but even then, they're all still laughing and telling stories of when they were young. Everything seems so perfect that for a little while, Dan forgets that he has to leave Phil. At one point when Phil looks over at Dan, he notices an anxious look consume Dan's face but it's so quickly gone that Phil wonders if he imagined it.

When everyone starts to get tired, people in their group begin to go to their rooms and "go to bed". Everyone in their group except Phil is going to help Dan get out of the bunker at two in the morning when everyone will surely be sound asleep. Dan and Phil are eventually the only ones left together and Dan gets an idea.

    "Come with me," he says to Phil and Phil looks up at him in confusion as Dan pulls Phil up with him by his hand. Dan leads Phil down to a room he found last week when he needed a place to peacefully think and opens the door. What's inside makes Phil gasp.

    A black grand piano sits in the center of the big room as guitars, violins, and basically any instrument you can think sits on shelves on the walls and in glass cases around the room. Dan sits on the piano stool as Phil hops up onto the big area of the piano above the strings, letting his legs dangle off the edge.

    Dan places his fingertips onto the keys breathing shakily. Phil unfortunately hears and gives Dan an odd look.

    "What's wrong?" he asks Dan but Dan shakes his head and smiles up at Phil before beginning to play so that Phil will stop asking.

    "Don't you know I'm no good for you, I've learned to lose you, can't afford to," he starts softly as he chokes out his breaths. Dan continues singing beautifully as his heart cracks beneath his finger tips. "Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own. I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that. I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that."

    As he continues to play and sing, the words become harder to say out loud being too true in this moment. "Don't you know too much already. I'll only hurt you if you let me," he begins to cry as the lyrics hit his heart like a baseball bat against glass. "But nothing is better sometimes. Once we've both said our goodbyes. Let's just let it go. Let me let you go." The song slows down and Dan sings the rest as knives tear through him. "Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own. I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that. I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that..."

    And as the last notes ring out into the silent room, Dan just stares at his shaking fingertips and Phil looks at Dan with slow tears falling down his face in shock at the feeling behind those words. Everything suddenly comes rushing into Dan's mind and his chest heaves as he begins to sob. As he turns to the side and pulls his legs up to his chest, Phil hops off the piano and comes around to Dan. He wraps Dan in a hug and Dan straddles the bench as Phil sits criss cross in front of him, holding the broken prince in his arms.

    They sit there for a couple minutes as Dan lets out all the emotions consuming him. When he finally finishes, Phil picks up Dan bridal style and goes to their room. They lay in bed together with Dan cuddling with Phil for their last moments together.

    Phil falls asleep in Dan's arms and when the clock in their room hits two, Dan reluctantly but carefully untangles their limbs. He puts on new clothes and writes a note to Phil.

    I will come back soon. Don't come looking for me. Leaving is the only way I can keep you safe. Even though I'm gone right now, I will love you always and forever. You're never alone, remember that

-Dan

    He lays the note on the other bed and takes off his necklace, placing it under the note for Phil. He puts on shoes and throws on his hoodie as he grabs his phone. Dan goes to leave but looks over at Phil for a moment as he places his hand on the doorknob. He sighs before leaning over and kissing Phil on the lips softly. He doesn't look back as he walks out of their room and goes to Adrian's room.

    Everyone who knows about the plan waits for him in the room. Dan hugs Louise first.

    "Take care of him," he whispers in her ear and she nods as they pull away. He hugs Joe next. "Don't let Phil fall." Joe also nods as they pull away not yet knowing the full weight of Dan's words. Dan hugs PJ next with a chuckle. "Keep Phil safe until I come back," he says and PJ smiles as they pull apart. Dan turns to his brother and they hug so tightly that they can't even breathe. "I love you, Adrian," Dan whispers and Adrian replies that he loves Dan too before they pull away.

    Dan leaves the room with PJ, waving goodbye to everyone in the room as he shuts the door. The two silently make their way to the big metal door with the wheel on it. PJ opens it and they walk through a series of tunnels before coming to a door that leads them up some stairs to a different door. PJ opens it to reveal the secret door in one of the warehouses near the edge of the city.

    Dan steps through the door but PJ doesn't follow and Dan knows that he has to go the rest of the way alone. He turns back and hugs PJ again quickly.

    "PJ," he says as they seperate. "Please take care of Phil for me. I need him if I'm going to make it through this."

    "I will, Dan," PJ replies and Dan nods as he sighs and turns away. He hears the door close and he glances back to see the very faint outline of the secret door in the wall.

    He takes a deep breath before exiting the warehouse and getting into one of the cars parked outside. Dan drives through the city back to the hell he used to call home and leaving behind the people he now calls family.

I promise this isn't the end!