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Wow...This was a long one nine pages lol...anyway, it gets even better from here so I hope you enjoy :)

The Love they Shared Part 3

October 7, 2010

As the bedside alarm made another loud *click* and started to signal Frank that the morning had indeed arrived. When Frank woke this morning; he had such a bright and powerful feeling in the pit of his stomach like he could scale the tallest mountain if he chose to do so. His body, however, was saying the exact opposite.

"Ohhhh! Man, every muscle in my body hurts so bad!" Frank mumbled out loud.

As he stretched his sore body and fumbled out of bed, he thought about how today was going to progress...

"What is up his sleeves? What plan could he possibly have to make John leave me alone without him kicking my teeth in?"

As he prepared like he did every day, he was fretting more and more about what would happen today and the possible consequences of his actions. This could either work or screw him over. Before he even realized it he was at school, approaching his homeroom. Frank sat down where he normally sat in the small dimly lit classroom and waited until he saw Aaron, wearing a tight Black T-shirt with the word Chiodos scrawled across it in blue ink. He was also wearing plain stone washed jeans and his red shoes with purple and black checkered laces. He gave a nod of acknowledgment to Frank that made his heart melt a little. "It wasn't all a dream, he really knows I exist."

When AP Biology rolled around, Frank had his chance to be able to ask about what Aaron had in mind for later that day. Frank leaned over and whispered to his ear, "Aaron, what exactly do you have planned for later today any way?" Frank felt a little awkward for asking. Aaron gave him a quieting look and replied, "I have something in the back of my car, I'll explain to you at lunch." With that he turned around and focused on his work. Something looked off with Aaron when he said that, it was very subtle but still just...off. Before he could think about it something else came into his mind. Aaron had lunch with him?! "He must have kept to himself and I didn't even notice him!" Frank thought to himself. "Maybe he saw me, but I didn't see him." With that thought concluded, Frank went back to learning about how the Sodium/Potassium pump works.

When lunch rolled around, Frank took his normal seat with his friends and unpacked his food. As he began to eat, he decided it would be best to tell CJ and Chelsea about the soon to arrive new member of their table.

"Um guys, you got a minute?" Chelsea and CJ both looked up and simultaneously said "Yeah what's up?" followed by a quick giggle in response to the unplanned unison.

"You know that new kid, Aaron?" He said in a shaky voice as CJ raised an eyebrow.

"What about him?" CJ asked.

"Um he's going to be sitting with us today...he's going to help me with my John problem so..."

CJ and Chelsea knew that John had been bullying Frank, but they never knew what he was really doing to him. CJ was shocked and confused, but had to ask the question, "How do you know that new kid and why do you need his help with John?" Chelsea looked at her friend, as equally worried as her boyfriend was, and Frank knew the only way to explain what was going on was to show them. He slowly lifted up his charcoal black v-neck and exposed just the front part of his chest. There was a disgusted gasp that came from both CJ and Chelsea as they looked at his skin. Frank looked down at it too, and it was a bitter reminder of yesterday. He had blotches of purple and yellow-green all around his ribs up to his nipples. His skin was a completely different color than his arms and legs thanks to the bruising and discoloration.

Knowing the imagery had been effective he slowly lowered his shirt and mumbled, "I'm wearing make-up at the moment to cover up the bruising on my face." Both his friends took in what they saw quietly before CJ spoke.

"And John did all that to you!? And you didn't say anything!? To anyone!?" He went from calm to fuming. Frank just looked away and muttered, "If I tell anyone, he'll make me wish I was dead." CJ sat there shocked and appalled by what he just heard. He sat there with his fists clenched and growling.

Franks ears perked up when he saw Aaron calmly calking over to the table, his lunch in hand. He sat quietly next Frank directly across from Chelsea. While his friends just stared, Frank greeted him with a pleasant "Hey Aaron!" "Hey," He replied quietly. Frank thought a minute and then said, "These are my friends, CJ and Chelsea. You guys, this is Aaron." Chelsea smiled a pleasant "nice to meet you" and CJ gave a quiet hand shake. Now came the real business. "Aaron?" Aaron looked over at him. "What did you have in mind; I mean what is your plan for this John problem of mine?" Aaron gave a sly smile and replied, "I'm glad you asked." He put down his food and turned face to face with Frank. "I'm going to need you to get John alone, out back behind the school, I have some "Black mail" that were going to use against him." Frank looked confused, but he trusted Aaron and nodded in agreement. CJ on the other paw had just met him and did not trust him like Frank did.

"Where the hell did you get the blackmail from this fast, you just moved here!"

"It's none of your concern!" Aaron snarled at the German Shepherd. CJ sat taken back by that last comment.

"Do you think you can do that Frank?" He continued.

Frank thought a minute, but he too now had a plan in mind and agreed.

"No problem Aaron,"he said with a grin.

With that said the bell rang and Frank got up, said "Goodbye" to everyone and scooted off to his next class.

As Aaron was about to leave CJ grabbed his arm from across the table and pulled him close staring dead locked into his bright green/yellow eyes. CJ spoke in a low threatening tone.

"I don't know who the hell you are or why you're helping Frank out but I don't like it," He was growling at Aaron who looked at him unfazed almost like he wasn't listening. "You've been here a day and a half and are already helping someone you barely know. I think that's plain weird. As his long time friend, I want you to stay the hell away from him. You understand? I don't know what your up to, but I don't like it." Now Aaron was pissed, his calm smirk went into a deep frown even as he twisted the Shepherd's arm side ways and slid his hand around his neck. Chelsea sat there stunned as they were the only three left in the Café at the time. Aaron spoke in the same low tone CJ had just used on him,only a bit more convincing. He put some pressure on his twisted arm, making him grunt in discomfort.

"Shut the hell up and listen here, I've known Frank for little less than 14 hours and already I'm doing more for him than you probably have done in the whole time you've known him!" He put even more pressure on the arm making CJ gasp in pain as he continued to talk, "I barely even know the kid but I feel I owe him something, something you couldn't understand unless you were in his situation. From where I'm standing, you're no better than the rest of these assholes at this school. If you were really his friends," Now looking at Chelsea too, "...You would have found out about his problem and done something by now!" He released his grip from CJ's arm and throat, grabbed his bag and stormed off towards the stairwell to his next class. CJ just sat stunned on the floor holding his arm and throat. As he looked up towards his girlfriend for a response about what just happened, he got one. She just sat sobbing face down in her paws.

Gym rolled around too soon for Frank and he knew that he would have to commence stage one of his plan in the locker room. He went into the locker room, but instead of approaching the back row he went to the row on the other side of it, John's row. He saw John talking to his friend and he approached him, swallowing his fear in the process. He tapped John on the shoulder to get his attention. He whirled around, surprised, but instantly that surprise turned into a smug smile.

"What do you want punching bag?" Frank had already come up with an idea in his head and thanked his father for giving him a smart brain.

"Can we talk...alone?" John looked confused but still snapped his fingers and had his friend finish up in a different isle. John turned suddenly towards Frank with hate in his eyes and barked, "What do you want?"

As calm as possible Frank recited what he had practiced since lunch earlier that day.

"Just so that you can trust me to keep my mouth shut, I want to get you a pack of cigarettes," Frank hoped that John's brain was not as perceptive as his, because this was the best he could come up with on short notice. To Frank's surprise, John looked confused...but still intrigued.

"What kind?"

Frank looked over to the locker to see a pair of pants with Marlboro 100's sticking out the side, his observation had saved him.

"A carton of Marlboro 100's sound nice?" The bulldog's eyes lit up.

"Ok, behind the school in the smoking spot after the last bell, meet me there. Maybe you're of use after all," With that said John pushed him out of the way and went to class. Frank couldn't believe his luck; he walked over to the pants and lifted the carton. It only had about five smokes in it...

"Damn..." He said to himself, "This won't stall him for long, as soon as he opens the pack he'll kick my ass. I hope Aaron knows what he's doing." With that Frank went off to class.

In class, he found Aaron waiting around by the corner. Frank approached him with caution.

"Hey Aaron, I have a distraction planned, but you have about five minutes tops to get what you need from your car and get back behind the school. Can you do it?" Aaron looked at him with a positive smile and said, "I'll be there in five." That was the end of their speaking for the rest of the class. As soon as school was out, Frank left through the pool entrance like he did last time, but this time he paced himself. He slowly walked around the back of the building and into the small woods that surrounded the back of the school. Frank didn't want to get there too fast, he took his time and when he arrived John was waiting.

"Quit taking you time and get your ass over here!" He barked and Frank quickened his pace.

"Give me the damn box" He extended a long muscular arm and opened his paw, expecting what he was promised.

Frank knew he had to stall him for as long as he could. He knew Aaron was going to use black mail, but how it would stop John from kicking their asses was a different story.

Frank cleared his throat and spoke in a respectful tone.

"John, what I give you here is going to be something of a peac..." John snatched the box from his hands and Frank new to back up immediately incase he had to make a run for it.

"Yeah, yeah peace and don't hurt me stuff I got ya, hey what the hell? This box is half empty!?" Frank just muttered one word, that's all he could get out before the dog came full force at him and pinned him to a tree.

"Fuck..."

John had Frank by the neck up against the tree and he was furious.

"What the hell is this? It looks like you just found this pack somewhere! You think you can just give me this shit and walk away!?"

"Look I'm sorry, but I'm not 18! I can't buy cigarettes, so that's the best I could do." It was a convincing lie but that would not work in this instance.

"Looks like I going to have to teach you another lesson," He had the sadistic grin on his face again. Franks heart was now racing a mile a minute; he had no idea what to do so he did the one thing he knew best. He begged for his life.

"Please, I-I'm sorry really, I mean I can steal a pack for you tomorrow if you like?"

Frank knew he was doomed to another beating.

"Sorry, there won't be another chance for you. I hope you don't enjoy your pretty face too much hahaha!" He raised his fist and pulled it back. Frank closed his eyes and waited for the pain, but it didn't come. Instead came a low gruff tenor voice,

"Hope you don't either..."

"Who the fuc-" KRAK!

Frank heard a quiet swooshing noise as something went very fast past his face. He opened his eyes and for a split second saw a long black wooden baseball bat fly upward like a golf club and connect into the dead center of John's jaw smashing his chin to nothing. John stumbled backward and fell on his rump. Frank dropped against the tree and watched in shock as a figure in a black hoodie brought the bat down against the bulldogs left knee which was followed by a bone breaking crack and a cry of pain. The figure had a hood that zipped over his face like a mask. There was a red pentagram spray painted on the zip up face and on the shoulders too. Then there was a red bleeding eye spray painted across the chest. He was wearing black jeans and black combat boots and black felt gloves. He spun the bat over his head and came down just as hard against the right knee hitting it dead center and causing it to bend at an unnatural angle and break. John screamed bloody agony but the bat connected with his chest and caused him to cough blood and curl up in fetal position. The hooded figure brought the bat down on the dead center of the back of John's left paw instantly breaking it. He then brought the bat down across Johns back rapidly until he was clearly bleeding through his shirt. The figure crouched and got close to John's bleeding face. In a low dark voice the hooded figure spoke,

"If you ever lay a paw on this boy, or any other person within this school, I will find you and I WILL kill you." John looked up and had nothing but intense fear in his eyes, crying and looking more and more traumatized by the minute. The figure then reached into John's pocket and in a gloved hand pulled out his wallet. He took the cash and threw the wallet deep into the woods. Before he could turn around John choked out a few words,

"W-w-who t-the h-h-h-hell are y-you!?" He screamed the last part in what Frank believed to be a mixture of pain and fear.

The figure turned around and walked over to John and looked straight down at him. He had a dark laugh as he spoke,

"Ha, who am I? I'm nothing, I was never here. He was never here (Pointing toward Frank). You came out here for a smoke," He pointed at the pack of cigarettes, "...and you were mugged by the fuckin' Tooth Fairy." He concluded his sentence by kicking John square in the head and putting him out cold. His combat boot making a nice thud smashing John's head.

Frank was in complete shock about the events that had just unfolded in front of him. His nemesis was laying on his back mangled and a hooded figure just saved him. Before he could finish taking in what happened the hooded figure grabbed him by the arm and shouted "Let's go!" he pulled Frank up to his feet and dragged him to the far end of the soccer field on the other side of the school. Under a nearby tree was a very shiny gold Ford Focus. Franks heart sank, "No...it's not..." The figure pulled open the passenger side door and threw Frank in. He then slid over the hood of the car Dukes of Hazard-style and hopped into the driver seat. Before Frank could say anything, the figure started the car and floored it. He sped across the field into adjacent woods and came to a clearing on a nearby back woods road. He stopped the car and looked directly at Frank. Frank froze and stared into the eyes in the mask. They were a bright greenish yellow with black rings on the outside.

"Aaron?"

Aaron un-zipped the face hood and pushed his hair behind his ears. He looked a little scared, more scared than Frank was at this point. They just stared at each other for half a minute before Frank broke the silence.

"Aaron, what the hell did you just do?"

"I don't know...I blacked out when I saw you pinned to the wall..."

Frank looked horrified but knew this was not the place to talk.

"Look, we need to talk now, but not here. Drive out of this clearing and make a left. I'll lead the way."

Without questioning where he was going, Aaron put the car in drive and followed the directions given.

When they arrived Aaron was stunned. The view was beautiful where they were parked. They were on the edge of a large cliff overlooking the city. A large sign next to the edge of the cliff read "Summer Peak Lookout". Now Frank turned to Aaron and it was his turn to ask the questions.

"Ok. Now tell me what the hell was that all about. I want to know everything and I mean EVERYTHING. The bat, the clothes, and who you really are Aaron!"

At that moment tears formed in the crevices of the lions eyes. He tried to hold them back, but his strength had given out and he wept into his paws. Frank had no idea what to do, so he did what he would have wanted if it were him that was crying. He leaned over across the arm rest and pulled the lion into a tight hug. Frank could feel himself blushing but he really didn't care, he just wanted answers.

With the hug, the lion looked up, wiped off the tears and took a few deep breaths.

"Ok, let me start with who I am." The lion smiled at Frank who could not help but smile back.

"My name is Aaron William Davidson, and I was born..."

"Ok ok, we don't to go that far back," Frank interrupted. "I just want to know where you moved from and more about you..." He gave him a friendly poke in the chest.

"Alright, I moved here from the inner city of Philadelphia. I live with my mother, my father died when I was 4 and my mother works as a credit and collections manager. She got the promotion a year ago and saved up enough to get us a place up in Northpoint Village." He paused for breath and continued. "You know the type of music I enjoy and I do play drums. I just like to take things chill in life and I want to go to college for physics." He held a sustained pause. "Alright now you..." He looked straight at Frank. Frank shrugged,

"Not much from me was born over in Philly as well, but we moved out here when I was two. My dad develops engineering software and my mom is a cardio vascular radiologist."

"What the hell is that?" Frank chuckled at his response.

"She puts stints into blocked arteries. It's an out patient procedure."

"Any way, you know what music I like and I also play the guitar." They both shared a laugh about how similar their lives were and how they could both play instruments. Then the tone got serious again.

"I guess you want to know about what happened today, huh?" Frank nodded slowly.

"When ever I have a problem I write it down in a journal. I don't really have anyone to talk to, but it's like the same thing. It always makes me feel better after I get my thoughts down on that page." Aaron smiled at him and took a breath.

"Ok, see the bat?" He pointed to the bat at Frank's feet. "Pick it up." Frank slowly reached down and picked up the bat. It was a black, solid, wooden bat still sticky with John's blood.

"Look at the side of the hitting part," Frank examined the area he was told to look and he saw what Aaron was talking about. Someone had taken a knife and carved the name Benson into the side of the bat.

"Who's Benson?" Frank asked with curious intent.

Aaron looked down towards the city and his gloved hands clenched the steering wheel tight. Through gritted teeth he spoke.

"Benson was the start of all this..." He took another deep breath."Benson was a kid at my old school. He was similar in build to John but he was a cougar with short spiky black hair and cold, unfeeling amber eyes. He... he used to treat me like John treated you," Frank had a look of shock on his face. He couldn't believe that this strong, brave lion was once like him. "Benson used to torture me on a regular basis. He beat on me, humiliated me...the works. The worst part was my mom used to work double shifts so she was never home so the only thing I could do was suck it up and prepare for the next day of torture."

Frank sat quite, knowing exactly how he felt.

"Well one day Benson was waiting for me after school like John except he had other plans..." Aaron's whole body was shaking, so Frank put his hand on his shoulder and signaled him to go on.

"Well...he took me into the alley behind our school and at first he just slapped me around. But then he...he started to feel me up and he felt down my pants and squeezed my member. He said he loved how my name rolled off his tongue as he spoke it. He started to jerk me off and... and he made me do the same, with my mouth..." He was on the verge of having a complete breakdown, but he kept strong and continued. Frank was sitting quietly, not able to look Aaron in the face.

"I went home that night and something happened...deep inside me, all I wanted to do was make him hurt. Make him hurt so bad he would never stop hurting. I went into my garage and found my old black baseball bat and with a kitchen knife carved his make into it. I was going to make him feel that pain. I wanted to see how he felt...haha...how I felt when I was going to beat his name into his flesh. I grabbed my black gloves and my hoodie and went to work. I made them look as scary as I could, with the devil signs and all that stuff to freak him out." Aaron was shaking and had a somewhat skittish laughter in his voice. "I waited patiently that day and when he left school I followed him home like I was his shadow. Right on top of him without him noticing that I was even there. I followed him to his house and then...and then..." he choked out the last part. "I struck him in the back of the legs. I blacked out. When I came back to reality, I was standing up stairs and I had raided the house like a burglar. When I walked downstairs, he was a crumpled heap on the bottom step," Aaron started to cry again. "I ran out of the house and never looked back. I found out later he was alive, but he was in a coma. He died later that week from his injuries." There was a long and quiet silence in the car as Aaron recovered a bit from his traumatic regression. He broke the silence again.

"I...those blackouts were only the start of my problems. When ever someone makes me feel threatened in someway, it's like another person takes control of my body and does horrible things and says horrible things to that person."

Frank was crying at this point, openly, but he looked up at his friend with compassionate eyes.

"Maybe you should get some professional help on this."

"Are you kidding me!?" Aaron hissed. "I killed someone! Not to mention I hurt countless others." Frank looked scared but Aaron continued.

"Another bully came up in my school, named Ryan, tall gorilla. Same situation, bullying me for the fun of it. I talked some smack to him and he pulls a knife on me outside. I blacked out and when I woke up, his face was all slashed up! This thing takes control of me and uses me for its pleasure." He sighed. "I used to trust it at first. It called it's self nothing and it always seemed to want to hurt others to protect me so I was O.K. with that because not too many people messed with me anymore. Someone would mess with me and he would scare the shit out of them." Now he looked terrified again. "But it got worse; soon it started to want to hurt people because it liked to see them suffer, like their pain made him stronger. That's why I don't talk to people, because I'm afraid if I get to close to them I might hurt them. Even your friends today, CJ grabbed me and next thing I know I'm walking out of the Café and your friend is holding his arm and the other one is crying in her hands! I can't take this anymore! If I go to a shrink, they'll lock me up in an insane asylum. This is why I am too afraid of feeling emotions from others. Maybe I should just kill myself and make the pain go away forever..."

"NO!!" Frank was in full tears now. "Don't you ever say that again you hear me!? What you need is a friend, some one who shows you kindness even when you feel hate is the answer. You're turning away what you really want, to be cared about by someone. When you give up what you want, you letting it win. I can help you feel kindness and compassion again. I swear to you that as you have done for me I shall do upon you and I will protect you, even if it is from yourself. You are my friend now and I care about you and you happiness!" As he said it Frank wrapped his arms around the lion and rested his head on his shoulder. Aaron just sat there but was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling he never felt before. He embraced that new feeling and wrapped his arms around Husky as was being done to him. They had found what they needed within each other, someone to care for them. They released the hug and Frank spoke softly,

"Remember, if you ever need to talk, I'll be were you need me." Frank pointed at his phone and gave a chuckle. Just then, a sly smile appeared on Aaron's muzzle,

"Are you blushing Frank?" Frank felt the red in his cheeks and quickly turned away form Aaron now blushing even more. "No...I-it's just hot in here." Frank lied with an embarrassed smile that told otherwise.

"Then let's just turn on the radio and watch the sunset. I'll drive you home later." Aaron reached for the radio knob and turned it on and set it to radio 104.5.

"Good song..." Frank mumbled, when he heard the catchy beat of Young Blood from The Naked and Famous. As they sat and listened to the radio, they watched the golden orange sun set behind the backdrop of the city. The peaceful silence was broken by one sentence.

"Frank...thank you so much for being my friend..." Frank just took in the words and his heart filled with something he had not felt in a long time, happiness.

"No, thank YOU for being my savior today. That makes you a great friend Aaron." With those last words, the sun set behind the sky line and the gold Ford Focus started up and made its way back towards Frank's house, with driver and passenger smiling the whole way.

But Frank had a thought; just a little dirty thought that slipped into his mind, just for a second. That second was all he needed to embrace the idea. "Maybe...just maybe we can be a bit closer than friends..." He thought to himself with a small smirk on his face...