Taylorâ€™s entire world shrank as Meko whispered and groaned words out as if he was talking through the pain. Every word sent a stab into his heart and deflated his lungs just a little bit more. This kid did everything for him? Why? What on earth had he ever done to deserve such loyalty? None of this made any sense; all he had done was taken a terrified kid out of a bad situation. He hadnâ€™t done anything else to make him deserving of such love. Hell, he had failed to save Meko when he needed him most.<br/><br/>He swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat as he gripped Mekoâ€™s arm tighter. â€œCome on kid, itâ€™s alright. You can pull through all of it. Itâ€™s not real. I swear.â€ There was much more emotion laced through those words than he had originally intended to let out. He knew in the back of his mind that he was letting far too much show with Xander so close. It surprised him a little that he really didnâ€™t care if Xander saw the soft side of him, all he cared about was pulling Meko out of the torment he was going through.<br/><br/>Xander peered through the rearview mirror once again to catch sight of the nauseating duo in the back seat. He couldnâ€™t believe that a Rochester was that much of a mush. Sure, some men were mushy types of people but Rochesterâ€™s werenâ€™t supposed to be. As far back as he could remember Trenton telling him every Rochester man had served in war. They were battle hardened and weary creatures not soap opera worthy girls.<br/><br/>Taylor allowed a small smile slip onto his lips when Mekoâ€™s eyes fluttered and opened to look at him. â€œYeah, itâ€™s all just ghost pains.â€ He agreed with his warrior and didnâ€™t even try to fight off the hand that grasped onto his shirt and anchored him in his current spot. Taylor had just started to relax and rest back in his seat, his hand still firm on Mekoâ€™s arm. He knew right now Meko needed an anchor and the only thing Taylor had was himself.<br/><br/>Xander opened his mouth to shoot a snarky comment back to the duo but immediately shut up when the next few words fell out of the boyâ€™s mouth. They sounded far too familiar for his liking so again he turned his attention to the song and started tapping along with the beat. Heâ€™d do just about anything to stop focusing in on those words, those stupid little annoying words. Fuck. It was too late.<br/><br/>Taylorâ€™s throat clogged again when Meko started talking once more. His green eyes peered deep into the weary blue ones of his exhausted charge. The soft desperate pleas cracked his heart almost as much as remembering his father. â€œYou donâ€™t have to be strong anymore.â€ He agreed and wiped a tear or two off Mekoâ€™s face before catching himself. â€œIâ€™ve got your six now. You can be a kid now, for as long as you need.â€ No child should have to go through what this boy had.<br/><br/>It was almost simultaneously that Taylor and Xander looked up and met each otherâ€™s eyes through the mirror. They were almost like family. Meko would have no way of knowing how much those words stung both men. They would never be able to be family, not after everything that has happened between the two of them. It would take nothing short of God himself putting effort into it. â€œWeird dream.â€ Xander spoke, his voice gruff with what he hoped came off as anger. â€œIâ€™d let his ass drop.â€ Taylor responded as he looked away from the mirror and down at the kid in his lap.<br/><br/>Would he really let Xander drop? Did he catch the fat ass because of his usefulness or was it for a reason far deeper than that? Questions like these had only started to occur when this little brat had showed up in Taylorâ€™s life. A fond smile tugged at the very corners of his lips before he squashed it. He might be a brat but he was Taylorâ€™s brat. Emotion and questions be damned.