Life Inc.

“Harry, I’m not sure I can do this,” Louis confessed quietly. The key was poised on the edge of the lock, some imaginary force preventing him from pushing it in and unlocking the door to the Amersham Health Centre, which turned out to be one of Life Incorporated’s infamous maternity centres. If Louis was ever going to find answers, it was probably going to be in one of these.

“It’s okay Lou, I’m right here. I’ll look after you. This is your chance, don’t let it slip.” Harry let his hand hover over Louis’ shoulder, but he had come to realize that Louis still wasn’t entirely comfortable with contact yet and that it could still freak him out a little. Louis would tense under his touch at first, only relaxing after a little while. He had noticed it every time their skin had met so far.

“I know, it’s just...I’ve been waiting eight years for this, then suddenly everything was happening so quickly, what with you and then the operatives and now we’re here and I might be about to find out where I came from and I’m not sure if I’ve had enough time to prepare for this.” Harry let his hand curl slowly around the outside of Louis’ as it gripped the key, guiding it forward and round until the lock clicked. Louis leant back into Harry, breathing deeply.

“You can do this, Lou. I have faith in you. You’re stronger than you think.”

“What if I’m weaker than you think?” Louis whispered. Harry sighed and released Louis’ hand, no longer caring about any issues the older boy had with touch. Instead, he wrapped both arms around Louis’ shoulders and held him close to him.

“Stop it,” Harry murmured into Louis’ ear, the smaller melting into the embrace. “Look at how strong you are. You’ve saved my life so many times and you’ve lasted so long on your own and you’ve kept us alive against all the odds. You’re amazing, okay?” Louis didn’t reply, and Harry was fine with that. He was battling with his feelings, his demons and how damn good it felt to be in Harry’s arms after so long of being in love with him.

He knew that Harry would never reciprocate the intense love he felt, but it was clear that he at least cared for Louis a little bit, and that was what made Louis reach out and push the door open. He didn’t see Harry’s wide smile, but, just for a second, he felt Harry nuzzle at his neck, and he thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

“If you were born in Doncaster, what are we doing in a maternity centre just outside London?” Harry asked in a whisper as they parted and stepped into the dark lobby and closed the door behind them. Louis internally got himself under control, resuming his older, protective role.

“I think it has something more to do with this Dr Howard than the place. We should look around, see what we can find.”

“Wanna spilt up or stay together?”

“It would be faster to spilt, just...stay close?”

“Always,” Harry smiled, fingers lightly brushing the back of Louis’ hand, bringing a smile to the smaller boy’s own lips.

“We need to find what this code unlocks,” Louis murmured, a little uncomfortable at how dark and quiet it was.

“Let’s get started then,” Harry grinned, pulling out the torches they had grabbed from the last house and handing one to Louis, ducking behind the receptionist’s desk. Louis chuckled and set about on his own search.

An hour later they met again in the waiting room. Harry collapsed back into one of the sofas and Louis sat next to him, burying his head in his hands until Harry pulled him close and he could rest his head on Harry’s chest again, feeling his steady, comforting heartbeat.

“What did you find?” Louis asked in the same quiet voice they had been using since they got there.

“I got into the computer system, it was just a record of all the births and chips done here. You weren’t in there. It looks like this place was only operational for about two years. Shut down about three months ago. All procedures were conducted by one Dr Howard. No clues as to why it shut down. Did you find anything?"

"Just the wards and the rooms which they chip the newborns in. It was kind of horrible really. The only place I didn't get round to checking was down that corridor," Louis told him, pointing to it. Harry nodded for a second then gently rubbed Louis' arm. He knew the older boy was uncomfortable with contact, but he found himself seeking it more and more.

"Come on then, I'm done so let's check it out together." They both stood and Harry led the way down the eerie corridor, Louis following close behind. There were a number of doors to maternity wards and their connected chipping rooms, but it wasn't until they reached the end of the corridor that they encountered their first door that required a code.

"Dr Howard," Harry read from the sign on the door. "This must be his office. Ready?" Louis nodded, one hand seeking and gripping Harry's, the other finding the scrap of paper in his pocket that had the code. He punched in the digits firmly and after a tense second, the small led light flickered from red to green and the door slid open with a hiss.

Harry and Louis looked at each other, their eyes meeting, their hands still wrapped around each other. 'Thank you' Louis mouthed and Harry merely smiled.

Together, they stepped into the large office, hands reluctantly drawing apart as they began their individual searches. Harry began to search through filing cabinets and boards of research as Louis rounded a corner to search there.

He nearly cried out when his eyes adjusted to the new darkness and he saw the figure curled up on a mattress. The face wasn’t one he recognized, but it tugged uncomfortably deep in the pit of his stomach and he got the feeling he had found the man he was looking for.

"Dr Howard?" Louis asked tentatively, crouching down.

"I've been expecting you. Just do it fast please." The man stirred and groaned, stretching out and taking deep, shaky breaths.

"Do what fast?" Louis asked, confused. Old grey eyes snapped opened and stared piercingly into Louis'.

"Louis? Is that you?"
"Yeah, I'm Louis. Who are you?" Louis felt numb, he was barely even able to process that this strange man could see him.

"Oh my boy, my dear boy, you found me. You still don't remember anything, do you?"

"No. I only just got the box open, I was hoping you could tell me."

"I'm the reason you're not chipped Louis. You were the first of a project of mine to bring down the company. I'm running out of time son, the company are coming to kill me. I will explain the basics but it is vital that you go and find the others. When you were born, I hid you away and told the company you died during the procedure and then I set about raising you, admittedly selfishly."

"So why did you abandon me?" Louis asked in a hoarse whisper. He was faced with a man who was as good as his father, who had created his demons and caused him years of hell.

"Oh Louis, I am truly sorry. It was a necessary evil. I wouldn't have done it if didn't think you would be able to look after yourself and you have no idea how proud I am of you. You will always be like a son to me and I only wish that you could remember our time together. Now you must go, find the others, take down Life Inc and then everything will be worth it." Dr Howard's hand reached out to grip Louis' and it took all his willpower to not yank it away.

"Who are the others?" He asked quietly, wishing that Harry would come and save him.

"The ones who came after you. The location of their base is hidden in the lock box over there," the doctor told him, gesturing. "Please tell them that I love them, love all of you and that I'm proud of them all."

"I will," Louis nodded sincerely. He had a feeling that he had vague recollections of this man. Memories that were hidden in thick fog very far away, but memories that were there all the same.

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and Louis nearly jumped out of his skin, heart racing. Harry grimaced and crouched down by Louis, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to comfort him and as a way of apology. Dr Howard's eyes grew wide as he took in the stranger comforting the boy - now man - he considered his son.

"It's okay," Louis reassured him. "This is Harry, he malfunctioned a few weeks ago and we've been looking after each other since. He's the reason I'm here." In more ways than one, but Louis figured that neither of them needed to know that.

"Can you trust him?"

"With my life, a hundred times over. Listen, if the company's coming to kill you then let us get you out, keep you safe."

"I'm sorry Louis, it doesn't work that way. This needs to happen."

"No. I just found you again, don't you fucking dare abandon me again, you can't do that."

"Watch your language," Dr Howard warned with a teasing smile but Louis jerked his hand away, automatically seeking contact with Harry's hand, which the younger boy happily gave.

"You left me alone! I was ten years old! Not even that, you took me away from my family! You cursed me and now you're going to fucking leave me again?!" Louis was shouting now, years of fury and resentment rising up. Harry held tightly onto Louis' hand, stroking comforting circles onto the soft skin on the back of his hand with his thumb. Dr Howard, to his credit, looked as ashamed as humanly possible and crushed that he had caused Louis so much pain.

"Louis, I don't have a choice, I'm sorry son."

"No. You're not doing this, you're coming with us." Suddenly, the doctor turned his attention to Harry, grey eyes now piercing green ones, flitting briefly down to their joined hands.

"You look after him?"

"I do my best. He's saved my life my times than I can count though."

"You take him away from here and you take him to the others and you keep him safe, you hear me?"

"Yes," Harry nodded after a second. Louis turned to him, stunned.

"Harry, no," he breathed, eyes tearing up. He knew this man, he knew this man had been a father to him, he couldn't just let him die.

"The operatives will be here soon. The loction is in the lock box on the wall. Get it and get out."

"I will." Harry stood, pulling Louis up with him and holding the smaller boy tight against him, despite his struggles.

"Harry, let me go! Don't do this, don't you dare! You know how much I need this! Please let me go, let me save him!" Louis had tears running down his cheeks now and it was breaking Harry's heart to have to pull him away. He made it to the small box and punched in the code, pulling it open and maintaining a tight grip around Louis' waist throughout his continuing protests and fights to get away. They only stopped when they heard a noise from outside the office door.

"They're here. Go, now. Out the window. Take care of my son, boy, make sure you deserve him." Louis appeared to have gone numb again, silent tears still falling as he stared in horror at Dr Howard. This made it easy for Harry's finger to curl around the piece of paper in the mini-safe and for him to get Louis over to and through the large window. Harry silently praised any existing deity that the office was on the ground floor.

The second Harry closed the window behind them and got Louis to duck down out of sight, they heard the office door crash open. Louis clung tightly onto Harry, muffling his sobs in his chest for the third time, finding comfort in the now familiar embrace.

After a few minutes of mumbled talking from inside the office, Louis' quiet crying and their steady breathing, a piercing gunshot rang through the night. Louis' breath hitched and his grip on Harry tightened.

"I never said thank you for looking after me while he did," he mumbled.

"I know, love, I'm sorry. But we nearly have all the answers, we're so close. And he said that there are others, which means you're not alone. We have to move though Lou, we don't know if these guys can see us and we need to track down this place. Are you okay to run?"

"I think so," Louis nodded shakily.

"I am so sorry Louis, they would have killed us if we'd stayed or tried to help. Forgive me?" Harry asked quietly, gently wiping away Louis' tears with his thumb.

"Always," Louis smiled sadly. Harry let their fingers intertwine as they began to run through the night, away from the health centre and into the unknown.