Jethro Cane was hiding. His so called 'parents' just returned from their little excursion outside their hotel room and they didn't return happy. Something had happened out there and he didn't really want to know what.

So that is how he ended up hiding in the bathroom cabinet. It was annoying how the drains were stabbing into his sides, but he wasn't looking a gifted horse in the mouth. The worst part was that he forgot his phone and games out in the living room. Now he was sitting in a dark, dirty cabinet with no way to entertain himself until his 'parents' went to sleep.

With a silent sigh he resigned himself to hours of silence, but life just loves throwing curveballs at him. He heard a sudden slam from the only bedroom and feet stomping their way around the house. He could hear curses and things being flung open and shut. His 'mother' was telling his 'father' where to look and yelling at him. His 'father' was yelling back at her, but their argument remained on the same topic.

Him.

Jethro tried to make himself look even smaller then he already was. He held his breath as he heard their yelling and stomping feet getting closer and closer each passing minute. He toyed with the idea of making it look like he was using the bathroom so they didn't think he was hiding from them.

Then again, he never tried that before because he wanted them to know how much he hated them. He wanted them to look into his eyes as they hurt him and, hopefully, feel regret or guilt for their actions. He doesn't know if any of this has any effect on them but he didn't care. He would rather hide and get a worse beating then try to conform and get lighter ones.

Jethro's heart was beating a mile a minute at this point. They were outside the bathroom door now. "I don't know where he could be!" Biff yelled aggravated at their lack of progress. Val huffed in annoyance. "It isn't like he was able to leave the hotel room. He is somewhere around here. Keep looking!" she ordered in a high shrill tone. The teen wanted to hiss at the sound of her voice, but he kept quiet. Her voice hurts. Biff slammed open the bathroom door. "Not here," he grumbled.

Only one set of footsteps walked away.

A lighter, but more deadly, pair walked into the bathroom. They stopped right in front of the sink. Jethro closed his eyes, but knew it was only a matter of seconds before his 'mother' opened the cabinet and found him.

"Jethro, honestly. Hiding in a cabinet. That is a new low even for you," her voice darkened and had an undertone of a threat. That didn't stop Jethro from being completely silent and ignoring her though.

"You will come out this instant. You might be able to fool Biff, but you can't fool me," Val said in an unpleasantly soothing way. Jethro cringed as she tried to sound like a mother should when dealing with scared children. There were just three things wrong with that.

One, he wasn't a child. He never got the chance to be one.

Two, his 'mother' was the farthest thing from soothing. Seeing her trying to be something she's not made Jethro's skin crawl in revulsion.

And finally, three, his 'mother' was also the farthest thing Jethro would ever consider to be a mother. She was hypocritical, nasty, abusive, annoying, and so many other things. He knew lies when he saw one.

Val huffed in annoyance. "Biff!" she yelled, getting her husband to come back into the bathroom. "He isn't here?" Biff said questioningly. Jethro could practically hear the sneer Val was giving her husband. "He is in the cabinet," she answered. Jethro could hear them shuffling around and threw a silent prayer to any deity that would listen.

Suddenly, his dark, safe place was forced into the light and he felt a rough hand grab his arm. He was dragged out of the cabinet too quickly for him to grab onto anything to save him from his fate. He blinked a few times to adjust to the lighting but that was the only grace they allowed him.

As soon as his eyes had adjusted he felt a sharp kick to his stomach. He groaned as he was allowed to collapse onto the floor.

"Now tell me why you were hiding from us," Val asked in a sickly sweet tone. Jethro glared up at his 'parents'. Val frowned and crossed her arms. "Biff, darling, he isn't answering," Val said in a forced sad tone. Jethro rolled his eyes when he felt a hand touch his hair. He was yanked up. It was painful but he refused to make a sound. Didn't want them to know that it hurt after all. No need for them to get excited.

"Answer your mother," Biff said darkly. The larger man threw his sons head at the wall which he ricocheted off. He couldn't help the small groan as he felt a splitting headache start because of it. Jethro remained painfully silent while continuing to glare at them with his icy blue eyes. Val glared back and sneered in disgust. "After all we do for you this is how you repay us?" she questioned. Jethro held back a snort at that. 'All you've done for me is teach me how to lie,' he thought. And that was true. After all, he had to find a convincing way to lie to people about his bruises and occasional broken bone.

"Biff, teach our boy boy manners if you will. But not too hard, we are all going on a tour around Midnight tomorrow," she ordered. With a poisonous smile she left the room. Biff cracked his knuckles as he looked down at his son. "Now son," he said with a small grin.

"This is going to hurt me more then it hurts you."