-(The Cause)-

The day of reckoning for Joseph Parker had come. He brushed his blonde hair at least three times and brushed his teeth more than necessarily, and he put on the best clothes he had packed, a pair of nice black jeans and a blue t-shirt that was loose an exposed part of his chest. After all, a boy like Joseph Parker always brought a nice pair of clothes with him anywhere 'just incase'.

Only, Seph had not expected to run into that whom he did when he stepped out of his bedroom. A woman with dark Mediterranean tanned skin was standing next to Dimitri, speaking rather vehemently at him in Macedonian. Dimitri still held himself in a dismissive manner, but when he tried to step away she merely seemed to look angrier.

Dr. Joy was trying her best to speak to the woman, that Seph caught being referred to as both Mrs. Jasli and Aleksandria, respectively. The translator seemed to have trouble keeping up with the two, and so Aleksandria Jasli turned on the translator and Dr. Joy alike with rampant fast words. The most Joseph found himself understanding out of the whole thing was the constant use of swear words.

Dimitri managed to slip away in all the commotion and decided to go through the closest door to him, Seph's. Joseph followed him back into the room, and that was the time that Dimitri broke down into tears. Seph, startled at the wave of emotion from the shelled boy, pulled his arms around Dimitri and held him. Dimitri let forth a pitiful moan and began to mutter in his native tongue, and Joseph was at a complete loss for what to do.

He awkwardly let his hand rise to run through Dimitri's hair, wondering to himself if Aleksandria Jasli came by often. He knew inwardly the answer was no, and he didn't understand why she had shown up when she did. The yells died from outside the room and the translator entered the room with his head down. He looked as exhausted and drained as Joseph felt on the inside.

The translator delivered a message to Dimitri in that same language and then Dimitri looked up to stare at me, muttering something before he turned his head to eye the translator seriously. It was then that a bunch of words were passed between the two. I heard my name mentioned, and the translator gave an awkward expression before putting his beady, exhausted eyes to the floor.

"Mr. Jasli has asked that I share something with you," he said, shaking his head from side to side as if he couldn't believe he was speaking to Joseph. A tinge of pink covered his cheeks and he took a deep breath. "Dimitri says 'I don't want you have to leave. That's why you're dressed up, isn't it? Well, I have to leave to. Mama has come to take me away. She said she couldn't do it earlier because she was still married to my father, but they were getting a divorce. He can't boss her around anymore. He says he's only felt comfortable speaking to you, even if you don't understand him all the time. He also says he ... feels for you." The translator then stopped and walked out of the room. Though Joseph felt there was more to what Dimitri had actually said, he didn't need the translator to say it. He didn't want to hear it.

Joseph and Dimitri were being separated. It had been inevitable from the beginning, they just hadn't expect it to come about them so soon. A week is hardly a second in a human's personal interpretation of time, and yet a second can do so much to change a person.

A second, after all, was all it took for the tears to begin pouring down Joseph's cheeks. He curled his arms around Dimitri and clung as both of them cried. A dam had been broken with their hearts in a second, and they were shattered further than before the boys had ever taken their first steps into Elmhurst's Mental.

Aleksandria walked into the room with her eyes flashing. Joseph noticed the fact that her dark eyes were the source of Dimitri's, but, though he adored every aspect of Dimitri, he despised the fire in her eyes. Her face, beautiful to most, disgusted him as her lips contorted. She rambled to the translator constantly and the more she spoke the tighter Dimitri's hold was. Seph hated Aleksandria, because he wasn't sure who else to hate.

Dr. Laura Joy was immediately onslaughted with words from the translator as soon as she entered the room. Seph didn't want to know what Aleksandria had been saying, but he didn't have a choice. "Dimitri needs to come home. He's fifteen now, Dr. Joy, and he needs to learn about life all a man needs to do is work. We're going back to our vineyard in Macedonia. My husband would not let me take him before, but I can now, and I will."

Laura Joy's eyes claimed that she was at wit's end. Dr. Joy couldn't keep Dimitri, because Dimitri wasn't old enough to stay of his own accord. Inwardly, she was swearing at Aleksandria but she kept a calm expression on her face. "Miss Aleksandria, please don't make this harder than it has to be. Dimitri has an advanced case of social anxiety disorder, borderline agoraphobia as well. You can't just take him from safety."

"He'll be plenty safe with me," Aleksandria blared through the translator. "I am his mother! I love him more than anyone in this world and I am doing what is best for him! He won't become another suicide to your name!" She turned to glare at Joseph as she held out her arms. "Dimitri!" Dimitri didn't budge. "Dimitri Jovan Jasli VIII!" Dimitri didn't move.

Aleksandria walked over to Dimitri and put a hand on his shoulder. Dimitri released Seph and kissed her cheek. Aleksandria kissed him on his eyelids before spinning around to glare daggers at Dr. Joy. "Dimitri comes with his mother," she spoke through the translator again. "We brought him to America for doctors, the 'best' doctors, but you have failed, Dr. Laura Joy. He needs to learn about his family duties now. He'll be perfectly safe with me."

Dr. Joy inwardly swore again. She was losing another one of her children without helping them, and what for? So Dimitri could learn his eight generation 'familial duty'? "Aleksandria, please reconsider," she pleaded softly. Even Seph recognized the helplessness in her voice.

Joseph decided then and there that if he couldn't have Dimitri, she couldn't either.

-(The Effect)-

Joseph grabbed Dimitri and kissed him, hard. Dimitri looked startled, and his mother looked furious. When Aleksandria went to pull Dimitri away, Dimitri clung. Dimitri understood, in fact he more than understood. Dimitri went along with Seph.

The Macedonian's fingers curled into the waistline of Seph's pants as his other hand cradled Seph's cheek. Dimitri kissed back harder, and Aleksandria fell silent. It was Dr. Laura Joy who broke this kiss, but neither of the boys seemed to mind.

Dr. Laura Joy put her arm about Aleksandria's shoulders and pulled her from the room. A moment later the shocked translator followed. When they were alone, Dimitri kissed Seph's jaw in a thank you. Joseph smiled at Dimitri and put a hand on his cheek.

Dr. Joy returned alone and turned to Joseph. "You still have to leave today, Seph. That was unfair of you." Dr. Joy held no tone of reprimand in her voice. It was then that the realization to Seph that for him that day could be the last day he'd ever see Dimitri. Joseph commenced to cry again.

The now calm looking Dr. Joy put a sympathetic hand on Joseph's shoulder and shook her head. "Calm down, Joseph. If you aren't ready to leave you don't have to."

"I'm ready to leave," Seph mumbled, hating himself for knowing he could never truly give his heart to everyone at Elmhurst's. He had too many bad memories for that. He had come at the wrong time, and he wasn't ready to give his heart yet. He couldn't get help from Elmhurst's mental.

Joseph thought about how me just might end up like Stanley'd said, but Seph didn't think he'd be worse. He'd be broken hearted, but he'd already decided to himself that he wouldn't drink anymore. He couldn't handle the withdrawal symptoms as it was, he didn't intend on having worse repercussions if he ever did land himself back in a hospital.

The doctor told Seph that he could take the next hour to say his good-byes, but then he had his last appointment with her before his mother would be arriving. She left the room, and Seph clung to Dimitri. Joseph thought about Dr. Laura Joy's diagnosis for Dimitri, but he didn't want to believe what she said.

Dimitri wiped Seph's eyes, and they kissed again.

It might of been the last hour they'd be together, and they spent it clinging to one another.

Three years later, when Dimitri reached the age eighteen, he signed himself out of Elmhurst's mental, and into Joseph's arms.

Maybe, just maybe, Elmhurst's helped Joseph Parker more than he ever thought it did.

-(The End)-

A/N: Welp, there she goes. Another piece finished, and another to begin (amongst those I need to work on).

I'm surprised this story even got to being finished. Yikes it gave me a run for my money!

Well, I hope you've all enjoyed it. I'd do individual review responses, but I'm really, really, really not up to it!