Hi, all my fellow slash-loving Rushers out there! I REALLY REALLY hope you enjoy this fic! I've been working on it off-and-on for NINE MONTHS, and I've finally finished it! I've worked super-hard on it, and I'm SO proud of how it turned out! :D PLEASE R&R! :D

Big Time Bashing

After a long day of rehearsals and being kept late in the studio by Gustavo long after James and Carlos went home, Kendall and Logan were relieved when their tyrant of a producer said they could go home. On their way out, Kendall got a glance at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was well past 10:00 at night. Rolling his eyes at the late time, he draped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders as the two of them walked out of the studio. When they stepped out the back door, the cool night air felt like heaven on their overheated skin. After crossing the street, the two of them walked for a couple minutes without saying a word before Kendall broke the silence.

"So….you excited for the prom tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Oh, you know I am. I'm especially excited because we're going together." Logan answered.

"Mm. I can't wait to slow-dance with you in a huge room full of people, and not give a damn what anyone thinks." Kendall said, giving the smart boy's shoulder an encouraging squeeze.

The two of them had been going out together for the better part of eight months now, and that whole time they had dreamed of going to the prom together. They had been open with everyone from the beginning, and they didn't care what anyone thought about them; they loved each other, and that's all that mattered. Thankfully, all their friends and family accepted them for who they were, and they supported them one-hundred percent.

The pair proceeded a little further down the sidewalk until Kendall made an abrupt halt, which Logan wasn't expecting and he was jerked back slightly from Kendall's arm being wrapped around his shoulders.

"What's wrong, babe?" he asked.

"I forgot my hoodie back in the studio!" the blonde boy groaned.

"Why don't you just get it tomorrow morning when we go back for rehearsal?" Logan said.

"No, if I forget it again, my mom will have a fit. She's the one who got me that hoodie in the first place." Kendall explained, "You wanna come with me?"

"Na, I think I'll wait here. If both of us go back, Gustavo might make us rehearse for another hour." Logan answered.

Kendall giggled at this.

"I'll be back in a minute." he said, giving his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back down the street.

When Kendall disappeared around the corner, Logan suddenly found himself all alone in the night. He didn't have a sense of fear, though, because the street was well-lit, and he knew Kendall would be back any minute. Deciding not to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, he stepped over to lean his back against a nearby building, stuffing his hands in his pockets while he waited for his boyfriend to return. He stood there for only a couple minutes when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Initially, he thought it was Kendall, but upon turning his head, he saw three men dressed all in dark clothing approaching him. Normally, Logan wouldn't have given them a second thought, but they just had a menacing look about them that put him on edge…

When Kendall returned to Rocque Records, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Gustavo had retreated to his office already, so the blonde boy easily slipped in, grabbed his hoodie, and slipped out without being seen. He slipped into the grey hoodie as he exited the studio for the second time that night, and walked at a faster pace back to where he'd left Logan. As he approached the spot where they'd stopped, he instantly sensed that something wasn't right. He knew this was the right spot, but Logan was nowhere in sight. He swept his eyes up and down both sides of the street. No Logan.

"Logan?" he called out.

No answer. He called out again, this time a little louder, but still no answer. He was about to call out a third time when a bloodcurdling yell echoed from behind him. Quickly turning on his heel toward the alleyway behind him where the yell seemed to originate from, he caught sight of someone running out from behind the building on the right. The figure was clearly frantic and distressed as it ran up the alley toward him, and was quickly pursued by three other dark figures. As the first figure drew closer, Kendall's heart froze when he saw that it was Logan. But what disturbed Kendall more than seeing his boyfriend running frantically toward him, being chased by three unknown figures was the fact that one side of brunette boy's face was streaked with blood.

Everything happened so fast, Kendall didn't have time to react before one of the dark figures hurled a rock toward Logan, hitting him square in the back of the head. Logan cried out, and dropped to the ground. He had barely made it halfway up the alleyway from his assailants. In a split second, the men were on him, continuing the brutal assault they'd started moments before.

Kendall couldn't believe what he was seeing: his boyfriend was being beaten by three strangers right in front of him for no reason! Quickly shaking off the initial shock of the situation, Kendall rushed forward to defend Logan, who was helpless on the ground.

"HEY! GET THE HELL OFF HIM!" he yelled as he charged the dark figures, succeeding in knocking one of them to the ground.

Then, he turned to another one of the men, and jerked him away from Logan by the back of his shirt. He barely had time to deliver the first punch before he was grabbed from behind by a strong arm being wrapped around his neck. Within a matter of seconds, his windpipe was cut off, but he kept fighting. He had to protect his Logie!

While Kendall struggled for air, the guy he'd just punched regained his footing, and strode angrily over to them. He quickly delivered a hard punch directly to Kendall's face, successfully splitting his lip. The suffocating blonde boy growled in both pain and anger, and spit his mouthful of blood in the face of the man that had punched him before launching his lower body up to kick him out of the way. As the man fell back against the wall, Kendall felt the arm around his neck loosen slightly, giving him just enough room to jerk out of the assailant's grasp. He didn't have time to enjoy the rush of air that entered his lungs before he had to turn around to sucker punch the guy in the face. As he, too, fell to the ground, Kendall's heart froze at the pain-filled cries echoing from behind him. He dreaded turning around, but he knew he had to.

Anger and shock flared inside him at what he saw when he turned around. The last remaining man that he hadn't beaten up was still attacking Logan, but instead of using his feet and fists, he was using a two-by-four.

Kendall's feet started moving almost before his mind could process what was happening. He felt like he was running a hundred miles an hour, but he couldn't seem to get there fast enough. He ignored the pain in his shoulder when he collided with the man beating his boyfriend. Once the man was down, he kicked the board out of his hand, and just started waling on him.

"DON'T YOU LAY ANOTHER HAND ON HIM!" he yelled as he punched the man repeatedly.

A moment later, Kendall was knocked over by a punch to the side of his head.

"Come on, man, let's get the hell outta here!" one of the men said as he and the other assailant helped their accomplice up.

With that, the three of them ran off into the night, leaving the two boys hurt in the alley.

Kendall moaned in pain as he sat up, however, he didn't pause to check himself for injuries. His heart and mind racing with worry, he scrambled over to where Logan lay motionless a few feet away. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he quickly but carefully turned Logan over onto his back. Kendall's heart broke when a weak, pain-filled moan escaped his boyfriend's lips and he tried to bring his hands up to shield himself from what he thought was another attack.

"Logie-baby, it's me." he whispered as he took one of Logan's hands in his own.

"K-Kendall?" Logan whimpered, weakly peeping his eyes open.

"Yeah, baby, I'm here. Those guys are gone. Y-you're gonna be okay. I'm gonna c-call for help." Kendall stammered in his frantic state.

Trying to calm himself down enough not to have a heart attack, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

"Come on, come on." he whispered impatiently while he waited for someone to answer.

"911. What is your emergency?" a woman's voice came on the line after the phone rang twice.

"Please, you gotta help me! M-my boyfriend's been attacked! He's hurt really bad! W-we need an ambulance quick!" Kendall explained frantically.

"Okay, sir, calm down. Where are you? What is the address of your location?" the operator asked.

"Uhhh….I-I don't know the address, but we're a couple streets south of Rocque Records." Kendall answered.

"Okay, just stay on the line with me. I'm tracing your call, and we'll get an ambulance out to you as soon as we can. What is the nature of your boyfriend's injuries?" the operator said.

"I don't know. He's bleeding pretty bad, and h-he seems to be having trouble breathing." Kendall explained, "These three guys beat him up, and one of them hit him w-with a board several times."

"Okay, listen carefully. Keep him as still as you can in case he has a spinal injury, and try to keep him calm so he can breathe easier." the operator told him.

"O-okay." Kendall stammered into the phone before turning his attention back to Logan, "Come on, Logie, you gotta calm down, okay? Everything's gonna be alright. Just breathe for me, baby."

Logan squeezed Kendall's hand both in pain and to let him know that he'd heard him, and a grimace marred his face as he tried to take deep breaths. Words couldn't describe how scared Logan was right now. One moment, he was standing there waiting for Kendall, and the next, he was being attacked by three strangers who were yelling 'Get the fag'. Sharp, stabbing pain racked his entire body, and the simple act of taking a breath was agony. He could feel his warm blood soaking into his clothes, and what wasn't absorbed by the fabric felt as if it were pooling under his back.

"Sir, are you still there?" Kendall heard the operator say through the phone, which had inadvertently drifted a couple inches away from his ear.

"Y-yeah, I'm still here. What is it?" Kendall answered anxiously.

"I've traced your call, and an ambulance as been dispatched to your location. They should be there in just a few minutes. I'll stay on the line with you until they get there." the operator explained.

"O-okay. Thank you. God, I'm so scared! Th-those guys just came out of nowhere and beat him up for no reason!" Kendall rambled on while he watched Logan seem to fight with unconsciousness.

"Just calm down, sir. Everything is going to be okay once the ambulance gets there." the operator comforted, "Your boyfriend sounds like a lucky guy to have someone that's so worried about him when he's hurt."

"Thanks." Kendall giggled softly, "I l-love him so much, and…..I don't think I could make it if I l-lost him."

"You're not going to loose him. The ambulance isn't that far away now." the operator kindly said.

Kendall sniffled softly, and shifted his attention back to Logan, who's eyelids were beginning to droop. He could tell that the smaller boy was fighting to stay awake.

"Come on, baby, stay with me. The ambulance is coming, and they're gonna take you to the hospital, and they'll get you all fixed up. You're gonna be okay." Kendall whispered, giving his boyfriend's hand a gentle squeeze.

All Logan could do was muster a weak moan to let Kendall know that he had heard him. Well, he had barely heard him; Kendall's words sounded distorted like they were being spoken through a foot of water. But suddenly, there was a faint new sound in the background…..could it be the scream of a siren?

"You hear that, Logie? The ambulance is here!" Kendall rejoiced.

"Did I hear you right? Is the ambulance there, sir?" the operator asked.

"Yeah, um, I've gotta go flag them down before they drive by." Kendall said, glancing over his shoulder toward the end of the alley.

"Alright, I'm going to let you off the line now. I'm glad I could help." the operator said.

"Okay. Bye. And thanks!" Kendall said as the squeal of the siren grew louder.

With that, the two of them hung up, and Kendall scrambled to his feet and sprinted to the end of the alley. He swept his eyes up and down the street, his heart leaping for joy when he saw a red-and-blue flash to his right almost at the end of the street. As soon as he spotted the flashing light, he began jumping up and down and waving his arms wildly to get their attention. The ambulance quickly grew closer, and finally came to a stop on the side of the street right next to where Kendall stood. Almost before it came to a complete stop, three paramedics poured out of the back of it, two of them carrying an orange back-board between them, and the other holding a large black duffle bag of medical supplies.

"He-he's right down here." Kendall said, pointing down the alley toward Logan.

Without missing a beat, the paramedics rushed down the alley, Kendall not two steps behind them. As soon as they reached the bleeding brunette boy, the paramedics set to work at assessing his injuries and prepping him for the ride to the hospital. Kendall stood back to give them room, but his eyes never once left his boyfriend's blood-streaked face. He wanted so much to just reach out and scoop up Logan, and hold him and make all his hurts go away.

Working quickly, the paramedics had Logan all prepped for the trip to the hospital within a couple minutes. It sent a pang of agony straight to Kendall's heart when he saw Logan strapped to that orange backboard with a brace around his neck and an oxygen mask covering part of his face. When the paramedics lifted Logan up between them and started carrying him back to the ambulance, Kendall stayed right behind them, and he climbed into the back of the ambulance right along with them. He wasn't about to be separated from his Logan at a time like this!

While two of the paramedics tended to Logan, the third one handed Kendall a wad of gauze to hold against his split lip. The bleeding had subsided for the most part, but the blonde boy was still grateful to be able to wipe the red liquid off his face. For the entire ride to the hospital, Kendall was even more worried than he had been before because Logan hadn't made a sound since the paramedics arrived…..not even a small peep of pain. They didn't have him hooked up to a heart monitor, so he had no idea if his boyfriend was even still alive. He tried to keep that thought out of his mind because the last thing either of them needed was for him to loose it right now. Never before in Kendall's life did he remember ever praying this hard. He didn't know how he would go on if he lost Logan. The smart boy was the love of his life. He was his life.

About five minutes later, the ambulance reached the hospital, and quickly pulled around to the emergency entrance. The paramedics wasted no time in opening the back doors of the ambulance, carefully removing the gurney from the back, and wheeling Logan through the automatic doors into the Emergency Room. Kendall ran directly behind them. They made it about halfway across the first part of the emergency department before one of the paramedics turned around and stopped Kendall from running any further.

"You have to wait out here, sir." he instructed.

"No, please, you've gotta let me stay with him!" Kendall pleaded.

"I'm sorry, sir; friends and family aren't allowed back while the patient is being treated." the paramedic explained, "A doctor will be out to inform you as soon as possible."

Before Kendall could argue further, the paramedic turned and rushed through the door on the opposite side of the room. Kendall suddenly found himself alone, confused, and scared out of his mind. (Well, technically he wasn't alone because there were two or three nurses behind the large, wrap-around desk to his left, but he felt alone.) For several seconds, he just stood there staring at the door the paramedic had gone through moments before.

"Sir? Are you alright?" a softer voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" he breathed, turning to the nurse that had spoken to him.

"Are you alright? Is there anything we can do for you?" the nurse asked.

"N-no. I'm um…..I'm just gonna wait in here." Kendall answered quietly as he turned to walk into the nearby empty waiting room.

Dragging his feet slightly, he sluggishly made his way over to the nearest empty chair to sit down. He was completely silent as he stared at the floor, and rubbed his hands solemnly across his thighs. How could all this have happened? How could a peaceful evening of walking home to relax after a long day of rehearsals turn into a night in the hospital, worrying if the love of his life would survive a random, senseless beating?

The blonde boy sat there for a few minutes more before the thought suddenly crossed his mind that he needed to call his mom and James and Carlos; everyone was probably worried sick about them by now. Wiping a few stray tears from his eyes, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone, and dialed his mom's number. The phone rang three or four times before Mrs. Knight answered.

"Hello?" came his mom's familiar voice.

"Hey, mom, it's me." he said.

"Kendall? Where have you and Logan been? Do you realize it's almost eleven o'clock? Gustavo hasn't kept you in the studio this long, has he? If he has, I'm gonna come straight down there and give him a piece of my mind." Mrs. Knight ranted on, clearly upset.

"Mom…..something happened. These three guys attacked Logan, and we're at the hospital. He's um….he's hurt pretty bad. I think you guys need to come down here." Kendall explained.

"Logan was what?" Mrs. Knight asked in a shocked tone.

"H-he was attacked, mom." Kendall answered, fighting back more tears, "I'll explain everything later, just please come over here. We're in the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital."

"O-okay. You just sit tight, sweetie, and we'll be there in a few minutes." Mrs. Knight quickly said before hanging up the phone.

"Bye." Kendall whispered into the dead line before hanging up his own phone.

He felt slightly relieved that he wasn't going to have to sit in this waiting room half the night alone. However, the relief didn't last long because his thoughts instantly went back to Logan. What part of the hospital was the brunette boy in right now? Was he still unconscious or was he awake and feeling everything: the intense pain of his injuries plus whatever poking and prodding the doctors were subjecting him to? Why had this happened? Why would someone want to hurt his Logie? The brunette boy was so sweet and caring and kind; he had never done anything to deserve this.

These and many other thoughts ran through Kendall's mind while he waited for his mom and band mates to get there. About fifteen minutes later, he heard the automatic doors down the hall open, and a few sets of footsteps hurried in. He could hear lots of muffled chatter amongst whoever came in, but he couldn't make out any of the voices. When the voices drew closer and he heard one speak up over the rest, he knew it was his mom. Quickly getting up from his chair, he stepped out of the waiting room and was met by the sight of his mom, James, and Carlos standing there, still mumbling amongst themselves.

"Oh, sweetie, there you are!" Mrs. Knight exclaimed when she saw her son standing a few feet away.

Kendall halfheartedly smiled as his mom scurried over and pulled him into a hug.

"I hate myself for this, but I completely forgot to ask if you were okay when you called. Are you okay?" Mrs. Knight asked, holding Kendall at arms-length.

"I'm fine." the blonde boy answered.

"What about this?" Mrs. Knight asked as she carefully inspected the cut on Kendall's lower lip.

"It's nothing. Really. I'm fine." Kendall reassured her.

"How's Logan?" James interjected anxiously.

"I don't know. They took him back a little while ago, and I haven't heard anything since." Kendall explained.

"Oh, dear. Well, come sit down and tell us exactly what happened." Mrs. Knight said, ushering Kendall back into the waiting room.

Kendall sighed inwardly at the thought of explaining everything once again.

After almost an hour of telling and re-telling the story of what happened and answering Mrs. Knight's endless string of questions, Kendall was so relieved when a doctor in a blue scrub outfit walked through the door to interrupt them.

"Are you the family of Logan Mitchell?" the dark-haired man asked.

"Yes, how is he?" Mrs. Knight instantly answered, not caring about any technicalities about them not being blood-related; they were as much of a family as anyone in the world.

"Well," the doctor said as he stepped over and took a seat a couple feet in front of them, "He does have some pretty substantial injuries and he's going to be in the hospital for at least a week, but he's going to be okay. He doesn't require any surgery."

Everyone breathed an audible sigh of relief, and Kendall almost felt like crying right there. His Logie was going to be okay!

"Um, what exactly are his injuries?" Mrs. Knight asked on the edge of her seat.

"He has two fractured ribs, a broken wrist, a lot of bruising, a possible concussion, and quite a few small puncture wounds all over his body." the doctor explained.

"Puncture wounds? Where would those come from?" Mrs. Knight asked, looking back and forth between the doctor and Kendall.

"I'm not totally sure. Did the assailants have a weapon like a small knife or an ice pick?" the doctor asked.

"No….but one of them did hit him with a board several times. Oh, God, it must have had a nail in it." Kendall answered, briefly burying his face in his hands.

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'll be sure to give him a round of antibiotics to ward off infection. In any case, he doesn't have any internal bleeding, and he should be fine as soon as his broken bones heal." the doctor explained.

"Can we go see him? Please?" Kendall asked.

"Yes, of course, just as soon as we get him in a room. The nurses are still cleaning him up, so it should be anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour. I'll come get you as soon as we have him in a room." the doctor said as he stood up.

" 'kay. Th-thank you." Kendall said softly, sounding as if he were focusing partly on something else.

The doctor offered them a polite smile before turning and leaving the room.

"What's the matter, dear?" Mrs. Knight asked as she rubbed a hand across her son's back.

"Why didn't I stop that guy from hitting him with that board? Can you imagine how much that must've hurt?" Kendall said, staring blankly at the floor.

"Now, sweetie, none of this was your fault. There wasn't anything you could've done. Logan's going to be okay, and it's because you were there to save him." Mrs. Knight said soothingly.

Kendall sighed, "I guess you're right."

With that, Mrs. Knight placed a comforting kiss to the side of Kendall's head, and lightly patted between his shoulders.

About forty-five minutes later, the same doctor as before returned, and poked his head inside the door.

"We have him resting comfortably in a room, if you would like to come see him now." he said.

Everyone instantly stood up, and scuttled toward the door.

"Please follow me." the doctor said.

The kindly doctor lead them down a series of white hallways to an elevator, up a couple of floors, down another series of hallways, across a glass-enclosed cross-walk, and finally to a noticeably quieter and slightly dimmer-lit part of the hospital. As far as they had to walk, Kendall briefly guessed that it took only a couple minutes for the nurses to finish cleaning up Logan, then the rest of that forty-five minutes was spent trying to find his assigned room.

"He's right in here." the doctor said, stopping outside a room with the numbers 405 on the door, "We gave him some pain medication, so he'll probably be out of it and sleepy for a while. If you need anything, just buzz the nurses' station, and I'll be making my rounds every couple of hours. Oh, and it's the hospital's rules that only one person can stay with him during his stay here. All of you can visit during the day, but only one person can stay overnight."

"We understand. Thank you, doctor." Mrs. Knight said.

With that, the doctor turned and walked off down the hall, disappearing around the first corner he came to. Mrs. Knight then turned to Kendall.

"You can go in and see him first, sweetie. We'll wait out here." she said.

Kendall nodded, and tried to mentally prepare himself to see Logan laying in the hospital for the first time. He just kept trying to remind himself that the brunette boy was going to be okay. Stepping forward, he carefully pushed the door open, and entered the room as quietly as he could. The only light in the nice-sized room was a couple of small recessed lights above the bed, which held the small, pale form of Logan.

Kendall's heart broke when he saw the condition his boyfriend was in. His skin was several shades paler than what it usually was(almost as white as the sheets he was laying on), his left hand and wrist was wrapped in a cast, an IV was attached to his right hand, and the lower portion of his body(from his mid-torso, down) was covered with a white sheet and a soft-blue blanket. A dark bruise on his cheek and a cut across the side of his forehead stood out starkly against his pale skin. His eyes were shut, so Kendall didn't know if he was unconscious or asleep. The only sound in the room was the soft, steady beeping of the heart monitor next to the bed.

Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Kendall quietly stepped over to the side of the bed, and slowly reached down to slide his hand into Logan's uninjured one.

"Logie-baby, can you hear me?" he asked in a hushed voice as he stroked the backs of Logan's fingers with his thumb.

He received no answer. Remembering what the doctor said about Logan being under the influence of pain medication, Kendall decided not to try and wake him again. He did, however, have something he needed to get off his chest.

"Logan….I don't know if you can hear me right now, but…..I'm so sorry. This whole thing was my fault. If I hadn't forgot my stupid hoodie, none of this would have happened, and you wouldn't be laying in the hospital the night before the prom. I'm so sorry, baby." Kendall explained shakily, sounding as if he were on the verge of more tears, "Can you ever forgive me?"

For several seconds, there was nothing but silence in the room, but that all changed when Kendall felt a slight pressure around his hand; Logan was responding to him! As soon as Kendall felt the tiny squeeze, his eyes darted to his boyfriend's face, and his heart leapt for joy when he saw him stirring slightly. His lips pursed briefly, his nose scrunched up, and his brow furrowed; he appeared to be struggling a great deal to open his tired eyes.

Kendall released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when Logan finally opened his eyes. At first, the brunette boy blindly glanced around the room as if trying to figure out where he was. When he finally focused on Kendall's face, a weak little smile tugged at the sides of his lips.

"Hey." he simply whispered.

"Hey. H-how you feeling?" Kendall asked, smiling a little through the tears that had yet to fall but were still forming in his eyes.

"I'm okay, I guess." Logan answered, "I heard what you said just now about this being your fault…..it's not. I don't blame you for anything."

"You don't?" Kendall asked, his spirits lifted just the tiniest bit.

"Of course I don't. I'm glad you were there. You saved me." Logan answered, giving his boyfriend's hand a comforting squeeze.

This brought a smile to Kendall's face, which then caused Logan to do the same.

"I love you." the blonde boy murmured.

"I love you, too." Logan said softly.

Even through the bruises and abrasions, Kendall could still see that familiar sparkle in Logan's eyes, and the brunette boy was still the most beautiful person in the world to him. Almost on instinct, Kendall leaned in closer and kissed Logan softly on the lips. Neither of them made a move to deepen the kiss as they usually did, but they still felt plenty of passion behind it. Right before they pulled away, Logan brought his uninjured hand up to cradle Kendall's cheek. Almost the instant their lips disconnected, there was a light knock at the door.

"Come in." Kendall called as he straightened, and wiped a couple stray tears from his eyes.

The door then opened, and Mrs. Knight, James, and Carlos stepped inside.

"Hey, sweetie. How you doing?" Mrs. Knight asked as she stepped over to stand next to Kendall.

"I'm okay. Kinda groggy, but okay." Logan answered, "How long have you guys been here?"

"A couple hours, I think." Mrs. Knight answered.

"Dude, when we come back to visit tomorrow, can we sign your cast?" Carlos interjected as soon as he noticed the cast covering Logan's left hand and wrist.

Kendall briefly stared daggers at the raven-haired boy for being so enthusiastic at a time like this, but his gaze softened when he heard Logan giggle.

"Sure. Be sure to bring your colored markers so it looks cool." he answered, reaching across so he and Carlos could do their usual friendly knuckle-touch.

"Okay boys, we need to get going; Logan needs to rest." Mrs. Knight said, "We'll be back tomorrow."

James and Carlos both nodded, and James reached out to pat Logan lightly on the shoulder.

"Hope you feel better soon, bud." he said with his usual attractive smile.

"Thanks. Bye, guys." Logan said as James and Carlos walked around the foot of the bed.

"Bye, boys. Call us if you need anything." Mrs. Knight said, giving Kendall a brief hug before heading out the door with James and Carlos.

"You're not going with them?" Logan asked once the door clicked shut.

For a second, Kendall just stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Do you honestly think I would leave you laying in the hospital for a week all by yourself?" he said.

"Well, I knew you would probably come to visit and stay all day, but I didn't know you would stay at night." Logan answered, "I mean, you don't even have a change of clothes or anything."

"First off, there's no way I would go home and leave you here hurt and all by yourself. And second off, my mom will bring me some clothes and stuff when they come to visit tomorrow." Kendall explained.

Logan smiled at this. He was so glad he didn't have to stay here alone; Kendall was the best as keeping someone company, and there wasn't anyone else he would rather have stay with him.

"So….you wanna watch TV or something? I'll probably fall asleep in the middle of a show, but you can still watch it if you want." Logan said after a short period of silence.

"You sure it won't disturb you?" the blonde boy asked.

"Na. If I can sleep through James and Carlos having a video game battle in the middle of the night, a little TV isn't gonna bother me." Logan answered.

Kendall smiled, and reached over to pick up the TV remote from the bedside table. He clicked the TV, which was attached to the wall near the ceiling like they always were in hospital rooms, on and flipped through a few boring channels before finally finding that Pawn Stars was on. He knew Logan liked the show because he found all the historical and vintage items to be interesting.

"You wanna watch this?" he asked.

"Whatever you wanna watch is fine." Logan answered.

"So, that would be a 'yes'?" Kendall said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah." Logan giggled.

With that, Kendall set the remote back down on the bedside table, and took a seat on the plush couch a couple feet away from the side of the bed next to he door. He sat at the end nearest to the door so he had a clear view of Logan's face, just in case the brunette boy was showing any sign of distress or discomfort, he could take care of it quickly.

After several minutes of watching Pawn Stars, Kendall quickly grew bored with the show. The only thing that piqued his interest was when a lady brought in an old coin bank shaped like a cartoon-like Ringo Starr. Letting his eyes wander around the room, he spotted a small stack of magazines on the dresser across the room. He was half-hoping to find a hockey magazine amongst them, but when he got up to comb through them, he found that they were all magazines like what his mom would read(such as, Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Better Homes and Gardens). For lack of anything else to do, he picked up the Better Homes and Gardens, and made his way back over to the couch.

He flipped through the magazine a few times, finding only boring decorating tips and several disgusting-looking recipes. He was right in the middle of reading an article entitled 'Organizing the Teen Bedroom' when he heard a soft, barely-audible snoring sound coming from a couple feet away. Glancing up from the magazine, Kendall instantly saw that Logan was fast asleep. A small smile tugged at the blonde boy's lips when he saw how peaceful Logan looked; the medication the doctors gave him had obviously lulled him into a deep, pain-free sleep, which was something Logan more than deserved after his traumatic evening. Setting the magazine aside, Kendall got up from the couch, and stepped over to the side of the hospital bed his boyfriend rested in.

"Sweet dreams, baby." he whispered as he leaned over to place a light kiss to Logan's bruised cheek.

The next morning, Kendall was slowly awakened by the sound of light footsteps walking around the room, and the slightly hushed voices of two people talking. He sleepily opened his eyes, and was met by the sight of a nurse in a red scrub outfit standing on the far side of Logan's bed, and the two of them were lightly chatting with each other. The softer tones in their voice indicated that they were probably trying not to wake him up.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead." he heard the nurse say when she momentarily glanced up from her clipboard.

Logan quickly looked over, and smiled when he saw that Kendall was finally awake, considering that it was 10:00 in the morning. He didn't mind the blonde boy sleeping late, though; both of them had had a trying and hectic evening the day before, and they both needed some rest. After stretching out his tense muscles, Kendall got up from the couch he'd slept on, and stepped over to his boyfriend's bedside.

"How you feeling this morning, babe?" he asked as he reached out to lightly rub Logan's shoulder.

"I'm still pretty sore, but I'm okay." the brunette boy answered.

"Hm. You look like you're getting your color back." Kendall observed.

"Oh, yes; his vitals are very good this morning." the nurse said as she set her clipboard down on the small rolling table next to the bed, "But, here comes the part of my visit you might not like….I've gotta change your bandages and disinfect your puncture wounds."

Kendall's eyes shot to Logan's face when he heard that. There was an obvious look of dread on the brunette boy's face, and his heart went out to him.

"It's okay. I'm right here." he said softly, sliding his hand into Logan's as the nurse turned to retrieve the necessary medical supplies from the small bureau next to the bed.

After the nurse neatly laid out the medical supplies on the small rolling table next to the bed, she pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, and pulled the blankets down so they were just covering Logan's lower half, then did the same with the light-blue hospital gown Logan was wearing. She was especially careful with this step, making sure she didn't bump or jostle Logan's bandaged left hand. Kendall felt a slight sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw that his boyfriend's chest and torso were swathed in bandages. He dreaded the thought of seeing what lay beneath.

The nurse then took a pair of small scissors, and carefully cut through the bandages. When she pulled back the thick layer of white material, Kendall's heart wrenched, and he had to close his eyes briefly at the sight before him. Logan's once flawless skin was marred with dark bruises and numerous small, red puncture wounds. He couldn't imagine how painful that must be.

"Now, this is gonna sting a little." the nurse warned as she soaked a large square of gauze with a clear liquid.

The moment the damp gauze came into contact with the first puncture wound, Logan hissed loudly, and his loose grip on Kendall's hand tightened considerably. Kendall furrowed his brow in sympathy, and stroked the back of Logan's hand in a comforting manner. He hated to see his boyfriend in pain, but if his wounds weren't cleaned, they could become infected, and cause him even more pain.

Once the nurse finished cleaning the numerous puncture wounds on Logan's torso, she instructed him to lean forward so she could repeat the process with the ones dotted across his back. The simple act of sitting up and leaning over caused the brunette boy more pain from his broken ribs than the cleaning of his wounds had caused.

"It's okay. It'll be over in just a little bit." Kendall whispered softly when Logan squeezed his hand even harder, and whimpered pitifully.

Anger flared inside Kendall when the nurses seemed to just be taking her merry time cleaning the wounds on Logan's back while he sat there in obvious intense pain, and she was doing nothing to help it. He just wanted snatch that wad of gauze out of her hand, and chuck it across the room, then crawl into Logan's hospital bed, and cuddle him all day and all night. However, he was soon broken out of his thoughts when the nurse announced, "There, all done. You did great, sweetie."

"I don't feel great." Logan moaned, sniffling softly.

"Well, just let me get these fresh bandages on, and then you can relax." the nurse said as she set aside the damp wad of gauze, and picked up a fresh roll of bandages.

She quickly but carefully wrapped a nice layer of the white material around Logan's torso, adamantly apologizing when she accidentally bumped one of the brunette boy's broken ribs.

"Okay, you can lay back now." she said after securing the bandages with surgical tape.

Logan heaved a sigh of relief as he slowly leaned back against the angled bed. Kendall helped him back into the top portion of his hospital gown while the nurse disposed of the used medical supplies.

"Alrighty. I'll be back to check on you later. Remember to get plenty of fluids, and don't try to move around too much." the nurse said as she picked up her clipboard, and walked out of the room.

"Well, I guess I've got this to look forward to every day until I get better." Logan commented tiredly, referring to the painful process of getting his wounds cleaned.

"It'll be okay. I'll be right here beside you the whole time." Kendall comforted, leaning over to give his boyfriend an affectionate kiss on the forehead.

Later on that afternoon after lunch, Mrs. Knight, Katie, James, and Carlos all paid them a visit. Mrs. Knight brought a duffel bag of clothes and hockey magazines for Kendall, as well as a few books from Logan's collection for the brunette boy to occupy himself with. Of course, she asked a million questions about how Logan was doing, if the doctor had informed them of anything new, and if either of them needed anything else from home. While Kendall tried to calm his mother's incessant questions, James, Carlos, and Katie preoccupied themselves with signing and drawing small doodles on the cast covering Logan's left hand. However, the four of them stayed only about half an hour before Mrs. Knight announced that they needed to leave so Logan could get his rest. After everyone left, Kendall could tell that Logan's mood was brightened after having been visited by their close-knit little family.

But unfortunately, that didn't last very long because not an hour later, there was another knock at the door, this one rather unexpected.

"Come in." Kendall called from his seat on the couch.

The door opened, and two men wearing suits stepped in. One of the men was Caucasian with dark hair; and the other was African-American, slightly older-looking, and bald.

"Is this Logan Mitchell's room?" one of them asked.

"Yeah. I don't mean to sound rude, but….who are you?" Logan answered cautiously.

"I'm Detective Woodruff, and this is my partner Detective Mason. We're from the Hate Crimes Unit, and we'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened last night." the dark-haired man answered.

"How'd you know about that?" Logan asked in a small voice that sounded both shy and embarrassed.

Kendall instantly picked up on this, and he quickly got up off the couch to stand by his boyfriend's side in case he needed him.

"The hospital called us." Detective Woodruff answered, "Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

"N-no, it's fine." Logan said.

The two detectives walked over and stood on the side of the bed opposite Kendall, both of them taking out their notepads and pens.

"Now, why don't you start by telling us about the events leading up to the incident." Detective Woodruff said.

"Well, the two of us were walking home from our recording studio, and Kendall forgot his hoodie, so he went back to get it. I stayed there to wait for him, and just a few minutes later, these guys just showed up out of nowhere and they dragged me into the ally and just started beating me up." Logan explained.

"Did you see any of their faces?" Detective Woodruff asked while making a note in the small notepad in his hand.

"No. It was dark, and everything happened so fast." Logan answered.

"Have you noticed anyone following you or paying any unusual attention to you lately?" Detective Mason asked.

"I don't think so. Have you, Kendall?" Logan said, turning briefly toward the blonde boy standing next to him.

"Me, neither." he answered, mentally kicking himself for not paying more attention to their surroundings.

"Okay, and did any of them say anything during the attack?" Detective Woodruff asked.

"They were saying things like, 'Get the fag', and 'Die, faggot'." Logan answered, briefly casting his eyes to the floor as he recalled the painful events.

"How many attackers were there?" Detective Mason asked.

"Three." Logan said, raising his eyebrows when the two detectives exchanged glances as if they both knew something that he and Kendall didn't.

"I think we have a pretty good idea of who did this." Detective Woodruff said as he flipped his notepad closed, "In the past month, there have been five other attacks on gay men in the area, all by three attackers that the victims can't identify. They've even put one of their victims into a coma."

At the word 'coma', a small almost inaudible gasp escaped Logan's lips, and the room fell silent for a moment. Kendall reached down to slide his hand into Logan's as he thought about what could have happened to the boy he loved more than anything.

"We realize this news may come as a shock, and we understand that you're scared, but I promise we're gonna do everything we can to find who did this. We have several promising leads. They're not gonna get away with it." Detective Mason explained.

"Thank you." Logan said, offering a grateful smile.

"Hey, um, aren't you two in Big Time Rush?" Detective Mason asked as he put away his notepad.

"Yeah, we are. Why?" Kendall answered.

"Oh, my daughter loves you guys. She has both of your albums, and her room is wallpapered with your posters." Detective Mason explained, "I don't mean to sound rude considering the circumstances, but….would you mind if I got your autographs for her?"

"Sure, that's fine; we love our fans." Logan answered.

"Oh, thank you, thank you. My daughter is going to love this." Detective Mason said happily as he took out his notepad, and opened it to an empty page.

Kendall and Logan both signed their names, all the while humorously imagining what a fit of squeals and hugs awaited Detective Mason when he got home. When they finished signing their names, Detective Mason and Detective Woodruff exchanged polite good-byes with them before turning to leave.

"Well, they seemed nice, didn't they?" Kendall commented as the door clicked shut.

"Yeah. I'm glad there are cops like them out there that actually care when there's a gay bashing." Logan answered.

The rest of the day was occupied by the two boys swapping and reading their books and magazines to pass the time. For lunch, Kendall walked down to the cafeteria and got them each a cheeseburger and fries after Logan found the hospital's regular lunch to be rather bland and unappetizing. Kendall sat on the edge of Logan's bed with one leg up on the mattress, and the two of them had a mini-date over lunch. Both of them found it funny when Logan took the first bite of his burger, and the slice of tomato shot out the back to land in his lap. He quickly put the tomato back in its place so he could enjoy his lunch.

As the evening progressed, things grew increasingly quieter between them. Kendall thought this was somewhat odd, considering how talkative the brunette boy usually was. He tried to brush it off as Logan just being tired, but when he seemed uninterested in the books he usually found so fascinating, Kendall knew something wasn't right. When the blonde boy stepped out of the bathroom after having relieved himself, he noticed that Logan had his head turned to the side and was peering out the window with a disheartened look on his face.

"You okay?" Kendall asked as he stepped up to the foot of the bed.

"Yeah, I guess so." Logan answered in a half-hearted tone, not taking his eyes off the window.

"What's wrong? Come on, baby, talk to me." Kendall coaxed gently as he seated himself on the side of the bed.

A soft sigh escaped Logan's lips as he shifted his gaze to the ceiling for a few seconds before answering.

"Tonight's the prom, and you're missing it all because of me. I'm so sorry." he explained.

Kendall immediately raised his eyebrows.

"Is that what's wrong?" he asked.

Logan nodded, furrowing his brow in confusion when Kendall didn't sound more sympathetic as he expected he would.

"Baby, no. I wouldn't want to be at the prom if I couldn't be with you." Kendall said, offering his boyfriend a reassuring smile.

"You would?" Logan asked in a small voice.

"Yes. I would rather be here with you, than at the prom without you." Kendall promised as he reached a hand out to gently rub Logan's thigh.

The brunette boy's lips curved into a small smile and he cast his eyes downward.

"That's….that's probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever told me." he said softly.

Scooting further up the bed, Kendall leaned closer and planted a lingering kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"I love you." Logan whispered.

"I love you, too. And we can go to the prom together next year." Kendall replied with an affectionate smile.

In the coming weeks, the police were able to track down and catch the guys responsible for the vicious gay bashings. The trial was quick, and all three of them were convicted of six counts each of attempted murder. Their guilt was rather easy for the detectives to prove, considering that the guys bragged about their cruel deeds on a well-known hate website. Words couldn't describe the wave of relief that flooded through Kendall and Logan when Detectives Mason and Woodruff called them to let them know of the conviction. It gave them both great satisfaction to know that the monsters who attacked Logan were going to rot in prison for a very long time.

Logan tried not to let the incident bother him too much so he could put it behind him and get on with his life. His wounds and his broken bones would heal, and his small scars would fade, but he would always remember the night he was savagely beaten solely because of who he was.

For a couple of weeks after he came home, Logan was plagued by nightmares of reliving the attack, but they soon faded as well, and he was able to get back to his usual cheerful, energetic self. Kendall was so proud of him for this; he had been direly afraid that the incident would scar or traumatize Logan and that he might never be the same.

About six weeks after Logan was released from the hospital, he received an unexpected surprise. It all started one afternoon when Kendall poked his head into their room where the brunette boy was sitting on the bed, reading a book on quantum physics, and informed him that Mama Knight was sending him out to run some errands for her. Logan smiled and told him bye, thinking nothing more of it for one or two more hours….until James and Carlos entered the room unexpectedly. Both boys had their arms hidden behind their backs, and they were sporting wide smiles as if they were up to something. Carlos was not-so-successfully trying to contain his enthusiasm by bouncing lightly on his toes.

"Whatever it is, leave me out of it." Logan said, thinking that his band mates were about to try and lure him into another one of their harebrained plans.

"I'm afraid we can't do that." Carlos replied.

"Why not?" Logan asked, beginning to get suspicious.

"We can't tell you." James answered.

"Why?" Logan asked once again.

"Because it would ruin the surprise." Carlos answered.

"What surprise?" Logan asked as he stuck a bookmark in his quantum physics book, and closed it with a solid thud of the pages.

"Just put this on, and follow us to the park." James replied, bringing one arm out from behind his back.

In the pretty boy's hand was a simple black garment bag like one that someone would store a suit or a tuxedo in. Logan stared questioningly at the garment bag, apprehensive to get involved in something that James and Carlos cooked up all on their own.

"Just trust us." Carlos urged when Logan didn't budge.

"I'm probably gonna regret this, but fine." the brunette boy said, finally getting up off the bed.

He took the garment bag from James, and upon opening it, he found a nicely tailored suit and a pair of black Converse with white laces inside. He quickly changed into it, and found that it fit perfectly. Once he finished adjusting his tie just right, James and Carlos led him downstairs and through the lobby.

"Wait, we almost forgot- put this on." James abruptly said just after they walked out the door.

He reached into his back pocket, and took out one of his numerous colorful bandanas. By the way it was folded, it was obviously meant to be a blindfold.

"There is no way I'm letting you guys blindfold me. You remember what happened the last time at camp with the water balloons?" Logan argued.

"Oh, come on! We promise nothing bad is gonna happen." Carlos insisted.

Logan didn't even have time to respond before James twirled him around, and secured the bandana over his eyes.

"I can't believe I'm going along with this." the brunette boy grumbled as his two friends led him haphazardly to the park.

A coupled minutes later, he felt the ground change from asphalt to grass under his feet.

"Okay, you can take the blindfold off now." James informed as he and Carlos stepped back from where Logan stood.

Reaching up, Logan removed the bandana, expecting to find himself in the middle of some stupid scenario that James and Carlos had thought up. But instead, he was taken aback by what he saw. All the trees surrounding this side of the park were draped in clear Christmas lights that seemed to sparkle in the dim of the late afternoon, the narrow trunks of the trees had been wrapped in a criss-cross fashion with various colors of tulle fabric; and on the nearest table, there was a simple but elegant place setting for two, complete with a small centerpiece made from wildflowers. In the middle of everything stood Kendall, wearing a suit very similar to Logan's.

"What's all this?" the brunette boy asked as he took in every wondrous detail.

"It's your prom." Kendall answered, walking over to where his boyfriend stood a few feet away, "Those homophobes aren't going to rob you of one of the most important nights of your life. You're the most amazing guy in the world, and you deserve the prom of your dreams."

For a few seconds, Logan was speechless; this was so unexpected and so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. No one had ever done anything like this for him before.

"Kendall….I don't know what to say." he said softly when he finally found his voice again.

"Say you'll dance with me." Kendall answered.

As if on cue, soft guitar music started playing from somewhere behind them. Glancing over his shoulder, Logan spotted Guitar Dude standing a few feet away next to James and Carlos.

"I would love to." he said, turning back to Kendall.

The blonde boy took one of his hands, and led him to the middle of the clearing. He then wrapped his free arm around Logan's waist, and the two of them started to slow dance to the soft, romantic music playing behind them. A content smile graced Logan features as he rested his head on Kendall's shoulder. He didn't care that anyone was watching them; nothing could possibly spoil this most special of evenings.

"You look really nice tonight." Kendall said in a soft tone so only they could hear.

"Thanks." the smart boy answered, unable to stop the slight blush that flourished across his cheeks, "So do you. That suit makes you look all hot and spiffy."

"Oh, so when I'm not wearing a suit, I'm not hot?" Kendall teased.

"Now, you know that's not what I meant." Logan retorted, giving the blonde boy a playful slap on the shoulder.

After a few more minutes of slow dancing and passing softly-spoken compliments and sweet nothings back and forth, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Pausing their dance, they were met by the unexpected and somewhat amusing sight of Carlos standing there, assuming the posture of a fancy waiter: standing up straight, having one arm bent in front of him with a white napkin draped over it, and his other arm tucked behind his back.

"If I might interrupt, I would like to inform you that dinner is served." he said with a rather posh-sounding accent.

"After you." Kendall smoothly gestured toward the table with the place settings.

Grinning from ear to ear with anticipation, Logan stepped over to the table where James was pouring fruit punch into two petite champagne glasses with the two-liter bottle tipped over his own napkin-covered forearm, just like a waiter in a fancy restaurant would pour wine.

"Good evening, sirs." the pretty boy greeted in the same posh accent as Kendall and Logan sat down opposite each other, "Our special this evening is steak with mac-n-cheese and a side of peas and carrots. I suggest you choose that because it's all that's available."

"That sounds great." Logan answered, trying with all his might to hold back a giggle.

Without missing a beat, Carlos removed two plates containing the 'special for the evening' from a thermal cooler hidden behind the nearest tree, and carefully placed them in front of his band mates sitting at the table.

"Enjoy your dinner, sirs, and if you need anything, just call us." he said before he and James walked away.

"Well, whataya think so far?" Kendall asked when they were out of earshot.

"This is just….wow! You really planned all this by yourself?" the brunette boy answered.

"Well, I planned it, but James and Carlos and my mom helped out a lot. You have no idea how much sneaking around we had to do to make sure you didn't find out." Kendall explained, bringing a crooked grin to his boyfriend's face.

"This is, like, the most amazing night of my life." he said, "It's so special. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me; you deserve every bit of it." Kendall replied as he picked up the champagne glass of fruit punch in front of him, "To the most amazing boyfriend ever."

Logan's smile widened as he picked up his own champagne glass, "Right back at you."

With a soft clink of their glasses, they each took a small sip before beginning their delicious dinner. This was more special and intimate than any traditional prom could have been. It was proof that happy endings do happen.

A/N: Well, there it is! I really hope you enjoyed it! *super duper snuggly panda huggles to all who did* :D PLEASE REVIEW! :D:D:D:D