Daniel was having a normal day. Well… as normal as it could get for a homeless teenager on the streets of downtown San Diego. He woke up early as he normally did, as the sun was just starting to crest the horizon. He slowly crawled from under the ancient and ratty old blanket that had provided him comfort since his childhood, and he folded it lovingly and placed it in his duffel bag. He sighed deeply as he stretched, feeling his back crack and letting out a relieved sigh at the release of tension.
He turned back to his box. It was just that. A box. It was a rather large box, mind you. He did have standards after all. He was NOT going to stuff himself into any tiny old box. No... That would be absolutely ridiculous. No, this was a box that had once contained a refrigerator, and he was thankful that he at least had a small amount of shelter. Sure, he had to steal it out of somebody's morning garbage, but it was bigger than a normal box. It may be just a box, but it was HIS box.
Nobody bothered his box.
They used to try, but not anymore. After they found out that Daniel's crooked wooden cane was good for something besides assisting with his limping gait, they tended to avoid his alley like a plague-infected dungeon.
"Huh, it's like I own property now." Daniel once joked to himself, after a solid week of no disturbances.
In the early days, scroungers and swine would creep around, waiting for a chance to pilfer his prized possessions. He didn't have much. All he had were his ratty clothes, a notebook full of his poetry and music, and his most prized possession.
A Fender Precision Bass Guitar. Four strings of rock and roll that Daniel held close to his heart and took care of with more care than he did even himself. It was a gift from the one person Daniel missed above all else. The one person who Daniel still thought of constantly. Daniel still remembered the crooked grin on the boy's face when Daniel opened the box containing the bass guitar, and hugging the boy tightly as he explained that he had saved up his allowance for five and a half months to get it for him for his birthday.
It was the last birthday gift Daniel ever received from his beloved little brother.
Daniel had run way two months later.
He was only fifteen at the time. His little brother was only ten and a half years old.
That was three years ago, and Daniel hadn't seen him since.
Daniel shook his head sadly to clear his mind of the thoughts that haunted him, and he reached down and caressed the guitar case. He undid the latches and opened it, ghosting his fingers over the still shining polished wood surface that was still painted a shining indigo-ish blue. He pulled the bass out of the case and put the strap around him. Gently he strummed, the low faint notes the strings produced without an amplifier soothing him. He started strumming a melody, one that he'd written himself, and words immediately formed in his mind that could go with the melody.
Young boy crying,
Sitting on the ground.
Cowering in the dark.
He's lost, sad and alone,
His heart hidden in a place
Where no hope can be found.
A light shines down,
Bathing the alley in light.
Then the light is gone
Revealing a man in white.
The Jesus of the Back Alley arrives
Jesus of the Back Alley
Offers him a hand.
He lifts him to his feet,
Helping him to stand.
He says, "My dear child,"
"Why do you cry?"
The boy meets his gaze,
And releases a sad sigh.
"I have no home."
Comes the boy's sad reply.
"My family doesn't love me."
He sighs and looks to the sky.
"I pray day in and day out,
But sometimes I wonder
What it's all even about.
Why bother when none cares?
"They were supposed to love me."
The boy sobbed sadly,
"I can't help who I was born to be.
Now, I'm alone and nobody cares."
"Ah but child, I care."
Comes the soft swift reply,
"For the tears of a lost child,
Are what this old man can't bear."
"Take my hand,
And you shall see
A kingdom of gold.
A safe place for you,
Where you can live
With no fear.
A safe place for you,
Where you can run wild.
A place where you can play,
And act like a child."
The boy looks weary,
As he wipes his teary eyes.
He doesn't trust easily,
For he feels that's unwise.
"Why should I trust you?"
The boy asked softly,
"How do I know you'll do
What you promising to?"
"I've never lied.
I swear it to you."
Jesus said,
"Have faith my child,
And that's all you need."
Light consumed them.
When they opened their eyes,
They stood in a kingdom
High above the skies.
The boy laughed,
As he took in its beauty.
"We've arrived, my child.
For you, I've done my duty."
The child ran
Laughing as he played.
Jesus smiled,
At the child he saved.
"You've done well,
My dearest son.
Giving a home
To the little one."
Jesus turned and smiled,
His father smiling back.
"Here, the boy will find
The love that he lacks."
Daniel smiled softly, and reached for his notebook. He hurriedly scribbled down the words, glad to have finally came up with something new. It had been a week since he'd been able to find the right words. When he was finished recording his newest entry, he hid the notebook in his box and replaced his bass in its case.
His stomach growled.
"Time to find some food." Daniel thought to himself.
It was routine for him. He would wake up; play his bass for a bit, try to write, and then he would go to the soup kitchens. He would get some food there, and then he would leave. He couldn't take the looks of pity that he received from the people who ran the place.
He sat under a pier and ate his lunch for the day. In the distance, he could see a school with children milling around.
"Anchor Beach Charter School." Daniel recognized, "I wonder if my brother still goes there."
He hurried to finish his lunch. He tried to avoid going near the school, because every time he did, he felt the urge to go nearer, to try to catch a glimpse of his brother. To try talk to him, to hug him…
He shook his head, clearing his mind.
"No." He told himself silently, "He's better off without you. He wouldn't even recognize you now."
The day took a turn for the worse just as he was heading back to his alley for the day, looking forward to writing a little bit more. He looked at his old watch, and it said it was 6:30 pm.
He was about a block away from his alley, passing another alley when he heard it.
Screaming. Sobbing.
It was a child, pleading for help.
Daniel turned and bolted down the alley, coming to stop moments later.
One of the scroungers that used to try to take Daniel's stuff had a boy pressed up against the wall with a knife at the boy's throat. Daniel reacted on instinct. He lunged forward, bringing his cane up and swinging it as hard as he could at the back of the man's head. It impacted with a dull thunk, and the man collapsed in a heap. Daniel kneeled and grabbed the knife before grabbing the man's arms, dragging him away from the boy before returning to check that the child was alright.
The boy was older than he'd thought. Maybe fourteen years old. He was tall, had brown hair and brown eyes, and he was shaking.
"Do you *COUGHCOUGHCOUGH- Throat clears* d-do you h-have a p-phone?" Daniel asked, speaking aloud for the first time in years, "S-So I can c-call the c-cops?"
Shakily, the boy produced an iPhone and handed it to Daniel, who immediately dialed 911.
"911. What is your emergency?" The voice on the other end asked.
"I… *cough* I just stopped an assault. I need the police." I said shakily into the phone.
"Ask for Stef." The boy croaked as he slid down the wall into a sitting position, "Officer Stefanie Adams Foster. Tell her it's Jude."
"The kid said to send an Officer Stefanie Adams Foster." Daniel continued, "Said to tell her his name is Jude."
"What is your location?"
Daniel gave her their location, and with the assurance that help was on the way he hung up the phone and handed it back to the boy, who he now knew was named Jude.
"You alright?" Daniel asked the shaking boy, "What happened?"
"I was on my way home." Jude said shakily, "My curfew isn't until eight. He grabbed me as I walked past the alley. Told me to give him all my money. I told him I didn't have any, and he said he'd take something else from me instead."
Ten seconds later, the sound of approaching sirens was heard. I helped Jude back to his feet as a police car thundered into the alley, and screeched to a halt. A blonde woman in uniform leapt from the car, followed by her partner who went to immediately secure the unconscious man several feet further down the alley. As soon as the blonde woman saw Jude, she ran to him, enfolding him in her arms. She pulled out a cell phone, and dialed. Ten minutes later, another car arrived, and from it leapt a black woman with long bushy curly brown hair who Daniel immediately recognized as the vice principal of his little brother's school. She ushered Jude to the car, and he climbed into the back seat.
Then they approached Daniel.
"My name is Stef." The blonde female officer said gently, "This is my wife, Lena. What exactly happened?"
"I was wondering down the street." Daniel answered cautiously, his voice cracked and frayed from disuse, "I heard screaming. Pleading. I checked it out, just in time to stop that psychotic bastard from impaling the boy with a big ass knife. I fought him, knocked him out, and called the police."
"I noticed that you are limping." Stef pointed out, "Do you need medical attention?"
"Nah. It's an old hockey injury." Daniel assured them, "S'what I carry the cane for. The cane came in handy. Turns out that hitting somebody in the back of the head with it renders them unconscious. Who knew?"
"Well, sir. I owe you one for that." The officer said kindly, "The boy you saved is my son, Jude. That's why my wife is here at all. I'm going to need to ask your name."
"D-Daniel. Daniel Stevens." Daniel answered nervously.
Lena stiffened at the last name, and she and Stef shared a look. Daniel shot them a questioning look of his own.
"Sorry. It's just our family has had an interesting history with people who have that last name." Stef answered.
"Yeah. I know the feeling." Daniel answered, "I don't talk to the rest of my family. Kind of why I'm out here living on the streets."
"Why? What happened?" Stef asked.
"Dad was an asshole. We couldn't live together." Daniel answered, "So I ran away. Lived on the streets ever since."
"How old are you?" Stef asked.
"What's the date?" Daniel asked.
"October 12th." Lena offered.
"…Huh. Eighteen years old, three months." Daniel responded, "Hard to keep track of birthdays nowadays."
Stef and Lena looked at each other and then back to Daniel.
"Do you have a place you can stay?" Lena asked.
"I have my box." Daniel said softly, "It's in an alley a block over."
"That's unacceptable." Stef said with a hint of finality in her voice, "You're coming home with us."
"W-Wait, what?" Daniel croaked.
"You saved our son's life." Lena said kindly, "The least we can do is give you a place to say until you can get back on your feet."
Danny looked at her, searching for anything that proved that she was being disingenuous.
"I-I don't have any money I could pay you for rent…" Daniel started to argue.
"We're not asking for any." Stef asked as she led me to a waiting car, in the back seat of which sat Jude, who was watching them carefully, "We'll go collect whatever belongings you have stashed in your box, and then we're going home."
"T-Thank you." Daniel said as he got into the car next to Jude.
"Think nothing of it." Stef said, waving of his thanks.
She drove a block away, allowing Daniel to collect what belongings he had stashed away. He approached the rear of the car, placing his notebook and beloved bass guitar in the trunk with loving care.
Daniel turned to look at Jude, and the two observed each other for a second. Jude took in Daniel's long, filthy matted hair and thick overgrown scraggly facial hair. The thing that struck him the most was the hazel eyes that observed him carefully. It reminded Jude so much of…
Jude shook his head to clear the thoughts away. That was over. It was no use dwelling on it any longer. It would only give him a headache. Jude returned his gaze to Daniel, this time taking in his filthy clothing. The battered long coat, the disgustingly filthy t-shirt beneath it, the hole ridden soiled blue jeans, and the lack of shoes or socks.
They arrived at the Adams Foster house soon after. Jude helped Daniel carry his meager possessions inside and up to his room. He dug through a dresser on the other side of the room, and handed Daniel a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Minutes later, Jude handed him a couple of towels and a bathrobe.
"Figured you could use a shower." Jude answered Daniel's questioning glance, "And probably a shave, too."
Daniel offered him a grin and nod. Stepping under the warm water felt like heaven to Daniel. It had been months since he was clean last. He shampooed his shoulder length hair, brushing the knots out of it, and shampooed it again. He stayed under the water until its temperature started to get cold, at which point he turned the water off. He reached for the towels and dried himself off, and then stepped out of the shower. He stepped up to the sink and wiped away the condensation from the mirror, looking at his reflection for the first time in years. He gasped at his reflection.
"Christ. Kid's right, I do need a shave." I admitted.
So, he did just that. Afterwards, he slid into the clothes he'd been given and stared at his reflection again.
"Huh. So that's what's under there." Daniel joked to himself.
Jude, Stef, and Lena were in the living room waiting for him when he came back downstairs.
"You look better." Jude commented softly.
"I feel better too." Daniel agreed with a small smile.
"Thank you." Jude said quietly, "You saved my life tonight."
"You don't have to thank me." Daniel said kindly.
"You're staying with us?" Jude asked.
"I guess so." Daniel said uncomfortably, "If that's okay with you…?"
"Yeah, it's fine with me. My name's Jude. Jude Adams Foster." Jude said, offering his hand for Daniel to shake.
Daniel reached out and shook his hand kindly.
"Daniel. Daniel Stevens." Daniel offered, releasing Jude's hand a moment later and turning to stare out the window at the street outside.
He missed Jude's eyes widening and his jaw dropping. Stef however did not miss the look.
"Jude, sweetie, what's wrong?" She asked.
"Is it possible they're related?" Jude wondered to himself.
"Are you an orphan?" Jude asked Daniel.
"No. Estranged from my family." Daniel answered, "Ran away when I was fifteen. I've been living on the streets ever since."
"Are you related to somebody named Adam? Or Connor?" Jude asked carefully.
Daniel scowled deeply, as if the mere mention of the names was a grievous wound dealt to him.
"Yes. Regrettably." He answered with a growl, "Well. For the former, anyway. I doubt Connie would even recognize me now. It's been three and a half years."
Stef's eyes widened.
"Who are they to you?" She asked.
"Adam's my father." Daniel answered, "Connie's my little brother. Why do you ask?"
Jude stared at Daniel in shock.
"Adam and Connor… I knew them." Jude answered, "He… Connor was my boyfriend."
Daniel's eyes widened to match Jude's.
"Well, now I know what they meant about having a history with people with the last name Stevens." Daniel thought to himself blankly.
"Is he okay?" Danny whimpered, knowing very well his father's opinion on homosexuality.
"He lives with his mom now. Up in Los Angeles." Jude answered.
Daniel stumbled back and collapsed into a chair.
"Did dad hurt him?" Daniel asked shakily.
"No. He came around in the end, but it was too late to stop Connor from leaving." Jude explained gently.
"Can you get him over here?" Daniel asked slowly.
"Who, Adam?" Jude asked.
Daniel nodded. Jude looked at his Moms, and Lena nodded, leaving to make the call.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the front door and Jude moved to answer it.
"Hello, Jude."
Daniel stiffened when he heard his father's voice.
"Mr. Stevens." Jude returned, moving aside to allow him into the house.
His back was turned, but he looked exactly the same as Daniel remembered him to look.
"I was surprised to get Lena's call." Adam said politely, "She said there was something I needed to see?"
"Not something… someone." Jude said, and pointed directly at Daniel.
Adam turned around, and his look of confusion melted into one of sheer shock and overwhelming guilt and relief. He took a shaky step forward.
"D-Danny?" He whispered.
Daniel looked into his father's eyes for the first time in years. In those eyes, he no longer saw the same man he had once ran away from home to escape. He saw the man who he had once called Daddy, who he was closer to than anybody else in the world.
"H-Hi, D-Dad." Daniel croaked.
Adam's face crumbled and he strode forward. Daniel tensed and closed his eyes, waiting for the hit to land.
What he felt instead was a pair of arms grabbing him and pulling him into a tearful embrace.