The Pariah

"There's always a choice." ---Unknown

Sam limped over to Nick's bed and sat on it, his face was full of thoughtfulness as if a thousand thoughts were running through his brain. He leaned back on the wall to give him more support as he looked over to Nick with those half lidded eyes. Those were the eyes that convinced Nick to let Sam kiss him the first time. They were also the eyes of exhaustion. Exhaustion and Nick were very good friends, especially after a day of getting the shit kicked out of you. Sam seemed to know that all too well, and Nick couldn't help but feel that most of this was his fault.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked Sam who blinked at him. "You knew both of them well."

Sam snorted as he sat up and opened his eyes a little wider. "You forget, I have been through two of these cycles before." Sam explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't get attached because I know eventually they will be taken away. The pattern is always the same, yet you received the alarm information this time, usually it's me who gets it. Well, it's always me, no one has ever stayed behind before but me."

All respect Nick had just gotten for Blake went out the window. He was fed that information. Nick didn't know what was promised to him, but he was a son of a bitch. "I'm a break in the pattern." Nick said looking up at Sam. "Why?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "I have no idea, maybe Barbatos wants someone to actually take the bait. I took it once," Sam spoke candidly as Nick walked over to him and sat beside him. "I almost got out too, but I didn't get Liam in time. We were in seperate parts of the underground. Carter ended up tackling me to the ground right outside of Liam's room and then dragged me into one of his father's rooms. He beat me so much I started to internally bleed." Sam said cringing at the memory. "The sick part was his father was watching the whole exchange, it was another test."

Nick shook his head, this was so sick. This was all types of wrong. He could not trust a thing any of these people say, because it was most likely be some type of test. Was anything here real? Was Sam real? Or, was Sam another test? Did Sam kiss him because he was told to or did he kiss him because he actually wanted to?

Nick shook his head, he needed to stop thinking about the damn kiss. He needed to think about how to get out of here alive and how to get Mia out alive. He now knew the information Blake fed him was true, but it was rigged. Barbatos wanted him to take it so he could watch him get the shit kicked out of him or watch the hope drain away from his face. Nick wasn't really sure at this point, what mattered though that he had to help Sammy, Liam, and his sister. His main priority was Mia, but now his view of the world was changed. Maybe he could trust others, at least, he hoped so. He hoped this wasn't another damn test.

"Well, like you said, things are different this time." Nick spoke as he glanced at the other boy who was watching him with his big brown eyes filled with exhaustion. "We're going to get out of here Sammy, somehow we will. I have a talent for getting away with things I really shouldn't. It drives Mia bonkers."

Sam shook his head in amusement as if he knew something Nick didn't. "You are more optimistic than I am, Nick." Sam said, glancing at the boy he had just kissed a couple of hours before. "Or crazy, I don't know. But this place, this is all I've got. I gave up on leaving here a long time ago."

Nick shook his head, they wouldn't just lie down and take it. Nick was so tired and in a way, he wanted to just flop on the floor and break down so he would be done. He was so damn tired, that giving up was almost becoming too enticing as an option. It would just be so easy to throw in the towel, but he was too much of an asshole to let Carter and these shit heads win.

He made a commitment to his sister, he promised he would protect her and take care of her. He promised he would get her out of here and if that meant staying alive long enough to see this through, then fine. He would keep fighting for her until she was safe and she was far away from here.