Fraser was the first to hear the news about Tristan and Jed. Carl had come to his office building for a meeting with Bruce, and let slip that his wife had set them up. It seemed like things were already in motion between them, and it would only be a matter of time until word reached Caleb. Fraser felt it best that he break it to him gently; in a private space where the least damage could be done.

Arriving at his brother's apartment, he was happy to find him safe at home, rather than staking out the harbor office. Caleb answered the door, let Fraser inside, and went back to take a seat at his desk. A moment passed and Fraser saw something surprising. 

Caleb was smiling.

He walked a little closer, curious what could have had such an effect on his perennially miserable brother. Then he saw the live feed of the harbor office. Tristan was drinking a coffee while he worked, and casually stretching his neck between sips. Caleb was glued to the screen.

"In about twenty minutes he'll stretch his arms and shake his head" said Caleb, "That's when the caffeine kicks in."

"Caleb... you can't do this..."

Caleb put his head to his hands, what had he done so wrong this time?

"I'm nowhere near him" he said, "You told me not to follow him. I'm not. He doesn't even know that I'm watching. You told me to keep my distance for now, and as unbearable as it's been, I've complied. What more do you want me to do, Fraser? This is all I have!"

Fraser didn't know where to begin.

"You need to let this go, Caleb. What you're doing, it isn't healthy. Besides..." all he could do was rip the band-aid off, "he's already seeing someone."

Caleb couldn't believe him. He had done everything he was supposed to. What was all his suffering worth if he couldn't have Tristan?

"Who?"

Fraser didn't answer him.

"Who?! Who is trying to take him away from me? I won't let them. I won't let them do this. I can't... Fraser... I can't breathe."

Once he'd finished panicking, Fraser found a grocery bag on the kitchen counter and had Caleb breathe into it. Tears were streaming down his brother's face as he struggled to catch his breath.

"We're going to the hospital" he said, pulling Caleb outside to the car.

On their way, Caleb seemed to find a moment of clarity. It resulted in a moment of sheer and utter madness. As Fraser was driving him to the emergency room, Caleb reached across and tried to turn the car around. He had no time to waste, he needed to be with Tristan immediately. Their vehicle spun out of control, and collided with a tree in the central reservation.

They made it to the hospital eventually, carried there in the back of an ambulance.

It was fortunate their injuries were minor, but it solidified Fraser's resolve that his brother needed serious help. When Caleb awoke from the sedative the nurse had been forced to give him, another figure was standing by his bed.

"Mom..?"

Mrs Black had learned early on that her son didn't play nicely with the other children. She'd often been forced to drop her plans and come to collect him from playdates and birthday parties; apologizing to the other parents as their children wailed about the awful things he's said and done. Fraser had been such a sweet and sociable boy, but Caleb had never seemed to connect with the concept that it was good to have a friend.

When Fraser had told her that Caleb had a crush on someone, she'd been delighted. But since discovering how destructive his behavior had become, she'd booked her flight to Cabi and arrived just in time for news of their car accident to reach her when she landed.

"Darling... whatever's happened to you?"

Caleb's computer and phone were confiscated, and his bank cards withheld. As he cried for Tristan, his mother's heart broke for him. But there was no other choice, he'd become a danger to himself and others. An apartment was found for them in Modesh, and with Mrs Black taking care of him at home, he was admitted to the outpatient care of Dr Sharab's psychiatric hospital.

On the day they were due to leave, Caleb was given one final opportunity to say goodbye to Tristan. Without that, there was no guarantee they would have gotten him onto the plane.

The sun was blazing down, and the shining windows of the tall modern buildings were reflecting their dazzling rays in all directions. Tristan had forgotten his sunglasses, shielding his eyes as he waited in the heat for his ride to arrive. 

Caleb watched him from the shade.

The light was so blinding that Tristan failed to notice the delivery bike speeding along the road. He was about to step out into the street and look for the taxi when it zoomed past and nearly hit him. Caleb almost felt his heart explode, and yet all that happened was Tristan lost his balance and fell to the curb.

A hand reached down to help him up.

"Thank you" said Tristan to the strange silhouette.

In that second, Caleb didn't want to let go.

The car horn honked as Jed pulled up beside them in the taxi. Tristan broke free and slipped into the backseat, leaving Caleb with only the memory of how soft his hand had been.

As the taxi sped away, Caleb crumbled.

"Let's go to the airport, Darling" said his mom, leading him back to where Fraser was waiting in the car, "Things will be better soon."

The first month in Modesh was the hardest. Caleb was diligent about attending his appointments with Dr Sharab, but Mrs Black was struggling. At first he wouldn't eat. He would beg to be allowed his computer, trying to bargain that he would promise to eat something if he could just see Tristan through the screen. When times were toughest, there was a photo of Tristan that was used to calm him.

Seeing improvement took time and effort.

Fraser was kept up to date on his brother's progress, but washed his hands of news regarding Tristan and his boyfriend. It was better to forget the whole sordid mess.

The only time his name came up, was long after everything that happened; when Caleb had recovered enough to start working again, and Mrs Black had returned home.

"Ray, the transfer list for the new Modesh office" said Bruce, handing over the tablet outlining the chosen candidates.

"Have Modesh seen this?" asked Fraser, thinking what the news would do to his brother.

"Not yet, we wanted to run it by you before sending it over, in case there's any essential staff you need to remain at the Cabi branch."

"Tristan Scott" said Fraser without a second thought, "Strike his name from the list. He should stay here."

With the crisis averted, he thought little of it again. Not even realizing when Tristan handed in his notice to follow Jed and the others to Modesh. As far as he was concerned, he was still safely out of sight at the harbor office

Caleb looked over the finalized list of names and couldn't find the only one he was looking for. He tempered his disappointment with another visit to the gym. When he worked out, he would close his eyes and picture Tristan running not far from him on the treadmill. As much as he had worked hard on conquering his destructive obsession, Tristan was never far from his thoughts.

It was only when the visas were being processed for the transfers that he saw Tristan's name attached to Jed's application. The documents were all there; passports, bank statements... it was so easy to make a simple change before signing off on them. It wasn't that he had any intent towards breaking Tristan's relationship with Jed, it's just that he couldn't stand to see their names together.

The visas were in Modeshi anyway. It's not like they'd realize... that Tristan was arriving as Caleb's dependent. 

Caleb told himself it would be better for Tristan, that if something were to happen, he'd easily be the first to arrive and take care of things. With everything being handled through Caffray, Caleb had the perfect opportunity to take back what should have been his.

On the day they arrived, Caleb didn't hyperventilate. He remembered his breathing exercises, he remembered to ground himself... it was clear that he was better now. Seeing Tristan at the airport was bittersweet. As happy as he was to see him again, he was forced to watch him alongside another. 

Once he was sure they'd made it to their hotel without a hitch, Caleb did the sensible thing and went home. He may have told himself it was because he'd changed... but the truth was that he couldn't bear to stay and picture them there together.

He was careful not to go too far. It couldn't be like last time; Fraser and his mother would only take him away again if he let the creeping obsession return to its former heights. He contented himself with watching from afar and on limited occasions. Tristan was no longer an addiction, he was enjoyed carefully, and in moderation. When he started working at the little foreign supermarket, Caleb joined the gym across the road. 

For the hours that Tristan worked, Caleb would work out. Watching through the mirrored glass windows of the second-floor space. His favorite time of the day was when Tristan would set up outside as he listened to music. He was reminded of the day they almost met. The day he first made him smile.

Since opening the offices in Modesh, Caleb had taken a step back. Bruce was more than capable of handling things day-to-day, and so the president was able to involve himself as much or as little as he wanted to. The only thing he'd been firm on as of late, was rejecting Jed's promotion to sales manager. It wasn't wholly motivated by his personal dislike of him; he'd also factored in that the higher Jed climbed in Caffray's ranks, the more likely it was that he'd be forced to meet him. 

The longer he could deny his existence, the less likely he was to do something stupid. Dr Sharab would have been proud of him; had Caleb disclosed any of what was happening.

By the time Caleb learned that Jed and Carl were transferring back to the Cabi branch, it was too late. Bruce had mentioned it in passing, remembering that Caleb had been instrumental in selecting another candidate for the sales manager position.

"It seems the guy you turned down didn't want to stay in Modesh any longer. He flew out to Cabi this afternoon. Maybe Ray will give him more of a chance..."

But what about Tristan..? 

Caleb had failed to consider that they would leave. He would never forgive himself for being so short-sighted; willing even, to get on his knees and beg Jed to stay if it meant that Tristan could remain. Things were not making sense. Hadn't he watched Tristan at the store all day? Why would they be flying out separately..?

"You're sure he left today?" Caleb clarified.

"Hm... yeah I think so" said Bruce, "Carl took the same flight. They're pretty good friends from what I've heard. Carl was the one that recommended him for the promotion."

Caleb needed to know what was going on. He drove to the apartment where Jed had been living with Tristan, the home they'd shared that he'd so desperately avoided. Outside their door was a suitcase... a note...

Caleb carried Tristan's things down to his car and threw them into the trunk. He would think about how to deal with that scumbag later; for now he had to find Tristan. He looked everywhere he could, called everyone he could think of, and yet still there was no sign of him. When he found out he was in the hospital with a broken arm and a head wound, he almost booked a flight to Cabi, planning to make Jed pay by his own hands.

"The patient is currently suffering memory loss" the doctor told him, "He cannot even remember his name. It may be a long and difficult recovery ahead."

The longer the better. He had no choice but to help him, to care for him; who else was there in the world beside himself that would do more? Pushing aside the rational voices in his head, Caleb decided that this was his chance to do the unthinkable.

"However long it takes, Dr Perinna, I will stand by my husband until the day he remembers."