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The rain was done pouring, but still it felt as if some kind of heavenly body was against them. Riley was driving, speeding really, through the winding roads to the secluded area of forest that Isaac had taken his boyfriend. Matt and Alex were in the car too, shouting to slow down, everyone talking a mile a minute. The fox who was in control of the vehicle still had his non-lethal weapon, but he truly wondered when push came to shove if he'd be able to hold himself back from ripping that lion's throat out. It hadn't taken too long to work out their location, he was only able to get a rough estimate of the area, but due to the nature of the placement there was only one section the two could likely be. Riley just hoped desperately that Isaac hadn't hurt Lars yet. The trees flew past the windscreen in a blur, light from the headlight high beams glistening and reflecting off the water leftover from the earlier rain. It reminded the driver how dearly he wanted to just wash his hands clean of this whole family, to be done with them. The father was taken care of, the cowardly lion wouldn't dare try anything while Riley had that ledger, but Isaac was under no such order of blackmail.

Lars sat in silence on the wet grass, the seat of his pants soaked through. He shivered in the cold, despite his warm fur. There was river nearby to the clearing, and the breeze was picking the cold up and bringing it over to them. Isaac didn't say anything for five minutes, just staring blankly at Lars, which in all honesty the tiger found far more terrifying than any anti-gay diatribe he'd heard before. He didn't try to speak, just let the lion think, as commanded. He knew that his life was entirely in the young psychopath's paws. He could try to run, sure, but Isaac had a gun. He'd surely just shoot him down as he fled. Lars briefly considered the option of trying to overpower the boy, but he was sitting just too far away to leap on by surprise, and would likely suffer a similar option as fleeing. It seemed impossible for Riley to ever find him, they were somewhere so remote, so isolated and seemingly random that the fox would probably spend all night searching futilely. Isaac would make one of two choices, either the lion would allow his better side to flourish, and release Lars back to freedom...or he'd give in to that no doubt toxic and zealous voice his father had taught him, and kill Lars right there. The tiger shuddered at the thought, trying to repress his tears.

"What's your favourite colour?" Asked Isaac, completely unprovoked. The gun was held loosely in a paw and resting in his lap.

"What?" Asked Lars, utterly confused and tilting his head slightly.

"Do you have a favourite colour?" Asked Isaac again.

"Oh, uh...Blue."

"Mine is red."

"Um...okay." Said Lars, wondering if Isaac had completely lost his mind. Was the boy so broken he didn't even realise what was happening?

"I know it's a strange question. I dunno." Said the lion, shrugging morosely.

"You don't have to do this Isaac." Said Lars, leaning forwards, meeting the lion's eyes. The lion looked at him sadly.

"I don't think there's any other choice. You don't understand, none of you understand. You live your entire life by a principle, you believe that God...an all powerful being who loves you, knows you, believes in you, built the world a certain way. And then, you're told that there are all these...these terrible furs out there who deliberately go against that! It's awful, and disgusting." He said, tears forming in his own eyes.

"It's not though, Riley and I are the same as Matt and his girlfriend...we're just both male. It doesn't change anything." Pleaded the tiger.

"It changes everything." Growled Isaac. "You don't know, you have no idea, how evil you look. How wrong it is. Life is so beautiful, Lars, there's just...so much beauty in the world. Everything is here for us, everything, why can't you just be normal?" Isaac almost begged.

"I am normal Isaac." Replied Lars quietly. "I tried, I really tried. After I first met Riley I was...miserable. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me...I just...I dunno. But this is just...how it is, y'know?" He said, trying to explain. Isaac just shook his head.

"No, I really don't. I don't understand why you would do this to yourself, do you realise what's going to happen to you? Do you understand that when you die, you're going to hell?"

"Isaac, I don't...."

"I don't care. Do you know how horrible it is? When I was in school, they made us all read Dante's Inferno. I was eleven years old and it gave me nightmares for years. But it taught me the truth, I could understand, evil is everywhere, and all it does is try to suck you in." Isaac said, tears slowly pooling in his eyes, dripping out drop by drop.

"I just wasn't raised like you were."

"Yeah, obviously."

"I'm sorry." Said Lars, hanging his head, unsure what it was Isaac even wanted from him. He wanted to explain, he wanted to help the lion understand that it wasn't as evil as he thought...but Lars had no idea how close to the edge his captor was.

"Do you know how hated I am for my view?" Isaac said softly. Lars had to fight the urge to scoff, amazed that the statement was phrased that way. Isaac thought himself some kind of victim, because of what he chose to believe in.

"What do you mean?" Was all Lars said, despite what his brain was telling him. His fear overrode it all, freezing him up and allowing his mouth only to communicate the safe options.

"People like me, people that think your chosen lifestyle is...wrong, and foul.... we're vilified. Rejected. I have to hide my belief because I know if anybody knew they'd never even speak to me."

"Maybe you do understand then." Said Lars quietly, despite himself.

"What do you mean?" Asked Isaac, he sounded sincere, so the tiger sucked in a short breath and tried to answer as diplomatically as he could, thinking about each word before committing it to speech.

"Well. I mean, gay people are afraid to do the same thing. There are some places where we can go to jail just for...being ourselves. Do you...get how scary that can be? There are people out there, who want to kill me. There are people that would murder me for...what? Don't you think that's insane? Your own father...put me and Riley into the hospital because we...attended a rally of his. It can be terrifying Isaac, and what you're doing....it's the same as what those people do to you."

"No, no it's not the same." Insisted the lion.

"It is." Countered Lars. Isaac jumped to his feet, pointing the gun at Lars.

"IT'S NOT!" He screamed, tears flowing from his eyes in earnest now. Lars recoiled, his heart jumping in his chest, paws up in surrender.

"Please! Please don't...Please Isaac, please." Begged Lars, regretting already what he said. Isaac began pacing back and forth, running a paw absentmindedly through the fur on his head.

"FUCK! You don't get it. I just want everything to be NORMAL! Is that so bad?" He shouted into the night. Lars didn't move, frozen to the spot, his heart about to jump out of his chest. His mouth was completely dry, his tongue sticking to the bottom of his jaw.

"Please sit back down." He mumbled.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, okay?" Hissed Isaac. "My father is a great fur, do you know how much it hurts him? Knowing there are furs like you out here, going to hell just because you want to put your dick into Riley's ass!" He continued, Lars wincing with each word, hyperventilating. "You're filthy, and disgusting. But he still just wants to help you, he wants to save you, and teach you. But you just....you just spit in his face. Again, and again. You hate us, and we just want to help!" He shouted.

"We don't hate you Isaac." Lars lied, in his shaky voice.

"You make me seem like a monster, because I want men and women to be together. Is that so bad? What's so awful and terrible about just having a wife? Why'd you have to go and fucking do _this_Lars?" He continued, still pacing, occasionally pointing the gun in the furs direction.

"I love him." Said Lars, squeezing his eyes shut, crying.

"Please don't say that, please don't say that." Muttered Isaac, walking over and falling to his knees in front of the tiger. "I like you, please, please just let me save you. You deserve it, you don't love Riley, really, you only think you do. It's not true."

"It's not?" Lars said, just trying to appease the erratic lion.

"No. No. Please, are you listening? Are you willing to just...listen to me Lars? Please? To open your eyes and listen to God?" Isaac carried that specific tone that is familiar to any serious drug addict. It was the voice of need. That hungry, haunting call to get the next fix. It was that kind of need which pushed addicts into robbing their grandmothers, hurting their friends and knocking over stores. It was that kind of attitude that made a lung cancer patient light up a cigarette. It made good people do terrible things, like kick and threaten a happy couple, just because they were both male.

"What do you have to say to me?" Said Lars, always watching where Isaac pointed the gun.

"Listen, please I'm praying for you Lars. I'm praying deeply for you, please let me save you, I have to." Lars just nodded; Isaac closed his eyes shut and bowed his head, placing a paw upon Lars's forehead. "Please oh mighty Lord, please God, forgive the transgressions of this brave soul. He's willing to repent the sins of his ways and live a pure and clean life. Please, please save him, I know it isn't too late Lord. Okay, Lars, listen to me, you need to repeat after me okay? Say what I say. Oh God." Lars took a moment, swallowed the dryness in his mouth and rasping out the words.

"Oh God."

"Oh my heavenly father, hallowed be thy name. Please bless me, and release me the weight of my most heathen crimes." Isaac cried dramatically, rocking slightly back and forth.

"Oh my heavenly God." Said Lars.

"Heavenly father." Corrected Isaac.

"Oh. Heavenly father, hallowed be thy name...please bless me, and release me the....the weight...." He struggled to remember the words.

"The weight of my most heathen crimes." Prompted Isaac.

"The weight of my most heathen crimes."

"Good Lars, you're doing really well. Okay, now say this: I pledge my life, and my eternal soul to your servitude, I live and breathe for you my Lord." Said Isaac, still rocking, his eyes shut tight. Lars swallowed again anxiously.

"I pledge my life, and my eternal soul to your servitude, I live and breathe for you my Lord." Repeated Lars.

"OH MY FATHER!" Screamed Isaac, snapping his head back and quite literally and dramatically shouting at the heavens. "BLESS THIS HOLY SOUL! WASH HIM PURE OF HIS FILTH, FOR HE KNOWETH NOT WHAT HE DOES!" He shouted, Lars just remained still, wide eyed, shocked at the deep rooted extension of Isaac's religiously motivated insanity. "LARS!" Shouted Isaac, grasping the sides of the tiger's head with his own paws, holding their faces together so they were almost touching.

"What?" Said Lars, frightened. He'd never witnessed this kind of extremity before.

"Say it with me. I love you, oh father." Said Isaac.

"I love you oh father." Blurted Lars quickly.

"Louder than that! Come on Lars! I love you, oh Father!" Yelled Isaac, as the rain began to pick up again, the tiny pinpricks of cold water dotting the tops of their heads and shoulders. Isaac shook Lars's head a little, staring him straight in the eyes.

"I love you, oh Father!" Yelled Isaac unenthusiastically.

"LOUDER THAN THAT! SCREAM FOR ME LARS! SHOUT IT SO THAT GOD, WAY UP IN THE HEAVENS HIGH CAN HEAR YOU! I LOVE YOU! OH MY FATHER!" Isaac began laughing maniacally, as Lars began sobbing with fear.

"I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! PLEASE! I LOVE YOU OH FATHER! OH MY FATHER! FATHER! I LOVE YOU MY FATHER! I LOVE YOU PLEASE MY FATHER OH GOD!" Howled Lars, screaming straight into Isaac's face, inwardly begging him to stop the madness and let it just end. The lion thankfully released Lars's head, letting himself fall back into the re-wetted grass, Lars himself collapsing in a heap, helplessly sobbing. They lay there like that for a moment, just letting the adrenaline seep away. Eventually Isaac climbed to his feet, and tucked the gun away in his belt. Lars looked up at him from the ground, unsure what was going to happen next. He was surprised when the lion extended a paw, which Lars took, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. Isaac embraced him, hugging tightly.

"I'm so glad you're safe." He whispered. Then with one arm around his shoulder, the two walked over to the river.

"What are you doing now?" Asked Lars, still terrified.

"Just follow my lead, okay? Kneel down with me, next to the water." Isaac patted the grass, and Lars obeyed. Then the lion scooped up a handful of freezing water with two paws, splashing it onto his face. Lars watched, then afterwards mimicked the actions he'd just seen. The water was icy, but somehow refreshing. He allowed himself to stand when Isaac did, foolishly thinking the lion was planning to let him leave alive.

Isaac pulled out the weapon, sliding the rail back and racking the gun, prepping it for fire. He stepped back and pointed it straight at Lars face.

"I'm so glad you're safe. Close your eyes, it'll be done soon." He said peacefully, right before Lars fell to his knees. The tiger shut his eyes in blind fright, holding his paws over his face in a ridiculous attempt to shield himself from the danger.

"Please don't shoot me!" He blurted, beginning to sob again. Isaac did not say anything. "Please, I don't want to die, please don't shoot me Isaac, please." He begged. When he looked through his paws again, Isaac was still pointing the gun down at him, but he had his head cocked, looking somewhat confused.

"What are you doing? I thought you accepted....what are you doing?" He said, sounding genuinely mystified.

"Don't shoot me Isaac. Please, I can't....I can't die. I just..."

"So you still think you're in love with Riley then?" Asked Isaac, his voice much more sombre and serious now.

"I do. Oh god, I'm so sorry, but I love him so much, please don't kill me." He said, paws held up.

"You lied to me. You lied to me to try and save yourself. All you did was prove that my father has always been right about your kind, you're unable to lead a clean life. Everything you say is filth, and you deserve this. You should be dead Lars." At that moment, the two were suddenly awash with light, the sound of a car lightly sliding in the gravel could be heard. A door was slammed and Lars heard running.

"Isaac I swear to god if you've fucking hurt him!" Riley screamed, running over. The lion turned and aimed the gun straight at the fox, who froze in his tracks. He raised his paws, looking over anxiously at Lars.

"I'm okay." He called out, relieved to see the fox standing there.

"I'm glad." Replied the fox, still not moving.

"SHUT UP!" Screamed Isaac at him, his paw that held the gun quivering. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU RILEY!"

"Please, don't." Said Lars.

"BE QUIET LARS!" Shouted Isaac, his eyes wide with fury now. Lars could hear someone else from the car scrambling around, doors being slammed and voices speaking in hushed tones. Isaac took a slight step backwards, pointing the gun at Lars, then Riley, before going back to Lars, and then up at Riley.

"ISAAC!" Shouted Alex, from the cars. "I JUST CALLED THE POLICE! THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY NOW!" He yelled, holding Isaac's phone into the air. Lars saw Riley mouth the word 'fuck', before stepping forwards, just an inch closer to the lion.

"You heard him kid. They're gunning for you. Two deaths will look really bad, they know who it was...but you could just give me the gun. It'd end here. Right here. Right now." Riley extended a paw, holding it out in anticipation of being handed the weapon.

"No." Said Isaac, shaking his head. "No. No, fuck you. Fuck you Riley, I'm not gonna do what you tell me to anymore. I'm gonna fucking kill you!" He walked forwards and pressed the gun straight against Riley's forehead. The fox had a sharp intake of breath, his paws going right back up. Lars didn't say anything, he just leapt to his feet, uncharacteristically spear-tackling the lion. Isaac cried out in protest, instinctually squeezing the trigger of his gun, the bullet slamming harmlessly into the earth. The two fell over, the gun careening off into the darkened grass. The two landed hard on the ground, grappling one another and trying to get the upper hand. Lars just growled, pressing his forearm against Isaac's throat. The lion delivered two punches to the tiger's side, causing him to tumble over sideways. Isaac rolled onto him, putting his two paws, and all his weight onto Lars's neck.

"FUCK!" He shouted, spit flying out of his snarling mouth and straight onto Lars's coughing and spluttering face. Riley just stepped over and punched Isaac in the side of the head. The lion screamed out in pain, falling over the side of his own. Riley stepped over Lars, ignoring him for the moment. He put a knee onto the lion's chest, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. He punched him across the face, bruising his knuckles and the zealots face.

"No, no!" Cried Isaac, but Riley just punched him again, this time blood being drawn from his split lip. "Stop!" He whimpered, before Riley punched him again. The words devolved into simple groans and grunts, as the fox kept punching and swearing. Lars climbed to his feet, going over and putting a hand on Riley's shoulder.

"Riley, stop." He said, panting. Riley shook him off, hitting Isaac one more time. The lion had long since given up trying to fight, just lying limply defeated. Riley stood up, and silently walked off into the dark. He bent down and picked up the gun that had carelessly flown over during the struggle. He walked back over the writhing figure of Isaac, pointing the weapon down at his head.

"Please." Mewled the lion.

"Riley, don't. Please. Don't do that." Pleaded Lars, he saw his boyfriend's face contort, screwing up as he wrestled with the idea. His paw began shaking uncontrollably. "You don't wanna do that, please." Said Lars again. The fox looked up his boyfriend, meeting his gaze. His paw was still trembling, and his eyes were wide with shock. He looked down at the beaten and cowering Isaac again, grimacing.

"Fuck." Spat Riley, turning and throwing the gun into the ink black night, allowing Lars to breathe a sigh of release. They stood like that for a moment, before coming together in an embrace. They just hugged, rocking back and forth.

"Thank you." Whispered Lars.

"I love you." Said Riley. "I'm so glad you're alive." He said, squeezing the tiger even harder.

"Me too." Replied Lars. Isaac seemed to pass out, and the four of them just sat around quietly for the next ten minutes until the police cars arrived. Isaac and Riley did their best to explain, only including what they thought was truly necessary. As far as the police were concerned, the night began when Lars opened the door. The police called an ambulance, handcuffed Isaac, and had him taken to a hospital.

Lars and Riley tried to put the horrific night simply out of their mind. They didn't say much to each other, there wasn't any need, both just appreciating the others presence. Riley would later explain what had happened inside the Reverend's house to Lars, walking him through how he'd found him. Before any of that however, they returned to Riley's home, locking all the doors and windows and falling into bed together. They didn't wake up until well into the afternoon the next day.

THE END