Previously on "The Otherworlders": Patrick and Farid approach the warehouse where they believe Aidan is being held. They're searching for a way in. After numerous failed attempts to reach a bank of windows sitting high on a wall, Patrick tells Farid that once he shifts into bear form, to climb up on his back and try and climb in. He does and he's successful. 

After letting Patrick in through a side door, the boys search for Aidan in the dimly lit warehouse and eventually find him in a makeshift office with two Wolf Shifters guarding him.

Farid assures Patrick that they can take down the Shifters and suggests using and ancient Vampyr ability to stun people, making them black out and forget the prior 20-30 minutes. Patrick is skeptical, but Farid suggests if they use the element of surprise, they can make it work.

**********

Before Patrick can say another word, Farid turns and grabs onto the support beam behind them. Silently and effortlessly, he scales up its entire length, moving with such speed, agility, and preternatural grace, it's as if he popped out of the womb a world-class gymnast.

Captivated, Patrick watches as Farid -- like an acrobat on a tightrope -- tiptoes his way along the rafters to a beam in the center of the room.

It's the ideal vantage point because it allows him to see the entire warehouse space as well as the office door.

Farid crouches low and leans back, blending into the shadows to avoid detection. And then, he nods to Patrick, indicating that it's time for him to do his thing.

Patrick returns Farid's nod, his face set with determination. He sucks in a breath and whispers, "Here goes nothing," as he braces himself for the change. He summons his power and feels his body shifting, his bones cracking and snapping back into place, his muscles bulging, and fur sprouting out all over his body. And within seconds, he's in grizzly bear form -- eight feet of sheer might and muscle.

Once the transformation is complete, Patrick lumbers towards the closed office door, each thud of his paws kicking up swirls of dust from the floor. And with an angry roar, he rises onto his hind legs, leans forward, and hits the door with both paws, creating a heavy thudding sound that reverberates throughout the mostly empty space.

Then he backs up and waits.

Within seconds, Serik throws open the door and rushes out of the office, looking first to his left, then to his right, and then straight forward where he's shocked to see an eight-foot grizzly bear standing before him.

Realizing that he and Tabul are going to need backup, Serik stumbles backwards and instinctively reaches for his walkie-talkie. But before he can push the call button, Patrick reaches out, and with a low roar, swats the walkie-talkie out of Serik's hand.

Serik sneers back at him and then immediately shifts into his wolf form.

Slinking forward, he snarls -- his teeth bared and ready to tear into Patrick's flesh.

And in response, Patrick backs up slowly, but not because he's scared, but because he's luring Serik out into the middle of the warehouse floor so Farid can execute his plan.

Serik crouches low and sizes Patrick up before he leaps through the air and lands squarely on Patrick's chest. Leaning in he snarls, baring his teeth and ready to tear into Patrick's flesh.

Clinging to Patrick's fur, Serik snaps his powerful jaws, going in for the throat. But he misses, and with his teeth gnashing air, he manages only to knock Patrick backwards into a pile of cardboard boxes and wooden crates.

Patrick pushes himself up, paws firmly back on the concrete. Annoyed, he lets out an earth-shattering roar before swiping at Serik again. This time, his paw connects with Serik himself, sending him skittering twelve feet across the floor.

All the noise from the scuffle brings Tabul out of the office, but before Tabul can shift into his wolf form to help Serik, there's a blur of motion from the rafters as Farid drops down hard on Tabul, toppling him to the ground.

They immediately begin wrestling -- Tabul getting the upper hand by using his size to roll Farid over and pin him to the floor.

Within seconds, he's got his hands wrapped tightly around Farid's neck and he begins to choke him... hard.

Clutching onto Tabul's arms, Farid gasps desperately for air, his arms flailing wildly as he struggles to breathe. But just as he's about to lose consciousness, he manages to slip his hand through Tabul's arms, reach up, and latch on to Tabul's throat -- his fingers digging into the tendons of Tabul's neck.

Tabul's head flops back, the whites of his eyes now showing. And in less than a minute, he passes out, collapsing on top of Farid.

With a grunt, Farid shoves Tabul's limp body off of him, and then rolls over and gets up onto his feet.

He looks over to see Patrick, who's now got Serik pinned to the floor and watches as Patrick lifts his big bear paw and presses it down on Serik's muzzle, holding him still and cutting off his air just long enough for Serik to pass out too.

Panting harshly, Farid walks over to a tower of wooden pallets hiding Patrick as he shifts back into human form and quickly get dressed.

With both Shifters now neutralized, Farid and Patrick nod at each other and heads towards the warehouse office to set Aidan free.

*****

Inside the office, Farid wrestles with the zip ties restraining Aidan's hands behind his back while Patrick stands before Aidan frowning.

Letting out a tired, yet highly relieved breath, Patrick reaches out and gently cups Aidan's chin, turning his face to expose the welt still evident on his cheek from the slap Serik had given him.

A low growl rumbles in Patrick's throat at the sight of it. "What did they do to you?"

Aidan puts a brave face on, swallowing the fear he's been feeling for the past hour. "Ah, it's nothin'." He laughs unconvincingly as he gently pulls his chin from Patrick's grasp, "They tried to get me to release some evil demon spirit of theirs from this statue," he scoffs. "They're off their nuts if they think they could get me to do something like that! And you know what? I didn't give in an inch... not an inch."

Patrick cracks a smile and places a firm hand on Aidan's shoulder. "I'd expect nothing less."

Aidan beams back at him, proud to be doing his part for the team.

Meanwhile, Farid huffs in frustration at the stubbornness of the zip ties. He rifles through a desk looking for scissors when he suddenly remembers he's already got what he needs.

He lifts up his leg and slips out a small knife concealed in a narrow sheath inside his leather boot. With the knife, he cuts the ties.

Aidan stands, relieved, and rubs his tender wrists. "So, where's Maximus?"

"Uh... we left him to guard the car," Farid informs him. "Actually, he's the one who led us to you."

Aidan's smile widens. "That sounds about right. That's my Maximus." He beams.

As the boys exit the office, they head down the hallway and turn a corner only to bump into Stephen.

Stephen stops dead in his tracks, his face scrunching up in confusion as he tries to figure out how the hell Aidan got himself free. Then his gaze slides to Patrick and his eyes go wide. He sucks in a sharp breath. "Patrick?" he says.

"Stephen..." Patrick whispers.

Frozen, they stare at each other for a long moment. But when Patrick takes a cautious step forward, reaching out for him, Stephen recoils.

The look on Patrick's face is heartbreaking.

Aidan and Farid exchange confused glances. Aidan silently mouths to Farid, "What the--?" but Farid just shrugs in response.

"You're alive," Patrick says quietly, his voice cracking with emotion. "You're safe. You're okay."

"Patrick," Stephen replies, in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Um...Patrick?" Aidan pipes up. "Do you know this guy? This is the dude who interrogated me."

"Did he hurt you?" Farid asks Aidan, concerned.

"No, no. He didn't hit me or anything like that," Aidan admits.

"Hey, guys," Patrick says without turning around and without tearing his gaze from Stephen. "Why don't you head out to the car, huh? I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"But Patrick," Aidan takes a step closer. "Who is this--"

"Aidan!" Patrick snaps. Then he stops himself. His head drops as he closes his eyes, struggling for a sense of control. "Just go to the car...," his voice is softer this time, "...please."

Farid tugs at Aidan's arm to lead him out of the cavernous space, leaving Patrick and his former boyfriend alone.

For a moment, the whirring of the air conditioner is the only sound slicing through the aching silence stretching between them. And then...

"How?" Patrick asks. "I mean, what? What are you doing here? How did you get mixed up in this mess?"

Feeling defensive Stephen retorts, "Well, I could ask you the same thing!"

Patrick grits his teeth in response. "Answer the question, Stephen," he insists.

Stephen averts his gaze, sucking in a heavy breath. "After your father kicked me out of the tribe," he says, "I had to live on the streets." He looks up, meeting Patrick's gaze, craving the undeniable connection between them. "It was rough, really rough. I was scared and I was alone."

Patrick reaches for Stephen again, but Stephen takes another step back.

"But then I met Minuk," Stephen continues, wrapping his arms around himself, as if to keep out the cold world he'd encountered. "And he was the one who introduced me to The Resistance--" he explains.

Offended, Patrick rolls his eyes and scoffs. "The Resistance, really? Are you serious? Minuk and those two clowns are a part of The Resistance?!"

"Yes! They are!" Stephen crosses his arms over his chest, "And they took me in when no one else would."

Patrick shakes his head in disbelief, then he looks at Stephen, hard. "Why didn't you call me, text me, something to let me know that you were okay."

"Okay?!" Now it's Stephen's turn to be offended. "Patrick, you have no idea what it's like out there on the streets for someone like me, what I had to go through! Everyone wanted something from me, or..." His voice cracks, "...wanted to do something to me. There are so many predators out there, so many..." His voice is almost a whisper, "...the street is no place for a Rogue."

Patrick stares at Stephen, astonished. He'd had no idea what Stephen had been going through all this time, what he had to endure with no home, no family, no tribe to keep him safe. Hearing about it is too much.

In two strides, Patrick is cocooning Stephen in his arms, holding onto him so tightly, as if for dear life, as if trying to protect him from the cruel world outside. "Gods...I've missed you," he professes in a whisper as he buries his nose in Stephen's hair and breathes him in. "I've missed you so much..."

A whimper escapes Stephen as he burrows his face into the crook of his lover's neck. He scrunches Patrick's jacket tightly and hugs him back, hugs him so hard it's as if he'd finally found a life preserver in an all-consuming storm.

They stand there, still as statues, afraid of letting go, until... Patrick bends his head to kiss Stephen on the lips and on a sharp exhale, Stephen pushes him away. "You need to get out of here," he says.

He wipes a tear from his cheek with the heel of his clenched fist and takes a few steps back to put some distance between them. Straightening his glasses, he clears his throat. "When I heard the commotion, I called in backup. Several members of The Resistance are on their way over; they'll be here any minute."

Patrick responds, his voice hoarse. "Stephen, what are you doing? What are you doing with these..." he searches for the right word, "...terrorists?"

"They're not terrorists!" Stephen protests. "They believe integration -- of any kind -- is dangerous and they're doing what's necessary to save our kind. You just don't see that because you're blinded by this stupid experiment of yours!"

"What experiment?" Patrick asks. "The Academy?" He laughs bitterly. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Stephen begins to pace. "How could you do it?" he asks. "How could you work with Enchanteds? And Vampyrs. Really? Vampyrs?!"

"They're good people," Patrick retorts. "You just don't--"

Stephen cuts in, "Don't what? Don't understand? Just who do you think you're saving?"

Hurt, Patrick asks, "What do you mean?"

"You couldn't save me, so you thought you'd what? Save the world?" Stephen alleges.

Patrick loses it. He strides forward and gets right up in Stephen's face. "That's not fair!" He points at him accusingly. "I tried! I tried to protect you," he throws his hands up. "For so long, I intervened, I threatened, I lied... I did whatever it took to try and find you, to try and get to you." His voice is raw. "When my father sent me to take his place at the annual clan meeting, I didn't know what he was planning to do." He grabs Stephen by the shoulders, forcing his lover to look him in the eyes, see the depth of his sincerity. "You have to believe me... please."

When he gets no response, he lets Stephen go and takes a step back.

"Look, I should have seen it, but I didn't. My father had been making gestures, overtures, that I thought meant he'd finally accepted who I was, who we were. I thought it was safe for me to go. But when I got back, you were gone."

Stephen begins to shake his head . "It wasn't the beating, you know... the worst part of all of this. That was bad, really bad, but I knew I could survive it. The worst part was the humiliation of being Cast Out. Your father had me Cast Out, Patrick. That meant that I'd not only brought shame to my family and the tribe, but there was no way in hell we would ever be together again."

"That's not true!" Patrick counters. "I would have fought for us. I would have found a way."

Stephen shakes his head woefully, touched but also saddened by the futility of Patrick's words. "You can't fight a Casting Out. All that would have done is condemned you as well. The entire tribe would have turned against you. You would have wrecked your future; you would have wrecked your chances of ever making the Elders' Council—"

"I don't give a fuck about the Elders' Council!" Patrick cries. "You know that! That's my father's ambition, not mine!"

"Shhh... shhh... I know," Stephen reassures him, and falling into an all too familiar pattern, he raises his hands and cups Patrick's face in an effort to calm him down. "I know, trust me, I know. But every other aspect of your life would have been ruined, and all because of me." He let's Patrick go and turns away. "I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't let you make that sacrifice, so that's why I left. That's why I ditched my phone and never called you back, or returned your texts, or let anyone from the tribe know where I'd gone."

"Come with me," Patrick pleads.

"What?" Stephen looks up at him, taken aback.

"To the Academy," Patrick answers. "Come stay with me at the Academy and when my time is up there, we'll--"

"We'll what, Patrick?" Stephen interrupts.

"We'll go somewhere. I don't know..."

"No, I would never do that to you," Stephen says. "I'd never let you go rogue and break completely from the tribe."

"But--" Patrick starts, and Stephen cuts him off, "No. Look...you've got about five minutes before the other guys from the team arrive and things get really, really ugly."

Patrick looks like he wants to push back, but Stephen knows him too well. "You can't put your friends in jeopardy, Patrick," he says. "You have to go."

Patrick knows he's right, and after a moment's hesitation, starts to back away. "I'll come back for you. I'll find you again."

He's almost out the door when he looks at Stephen with such longing, it's as if he's drowning in his own heartache.

"This is not the end." He draws in a fragile breath, "This is not the end. Do you hear me?" Pained, Patrick tears his gaze from the only person he's ever loved: heart, body, and soul. "I won't let it be."

--- END OF EPISODE 3 ---

A/N - Well, that's it! That's all the chapters in episode three! I hope you enjoyed it!

What Stephen and Patrick have to go through just breaks my heart. 💔😢💔

Well, I'm going to take a week off to get some rest, but during that break (next weekend), I hope to publish the start of an F.A.Q. to answer some of the weightier questions you all have asked that I haven't been able to get to.

And you won't want to miss the start of Episode 4 which starts right after my break. That is one of my favorite episodes, that I've lovingly dubbed:

"Girls' Trip!" ʕ￫ᴥ￩　ʔ

I bet you can guess who'll be assigned to that one. It's such a fun and revealing episode, I can't wait for you to dive in!

I'll talk to y'all soon and if you have any comments or questions, please drop them here or DM me.

Love having you all along for the ride!

~ Paula ❤️