Hiding From the Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Shake it Up, but I also don't own "Malevolence"

A/N: That's right this is a genre I'm delving into that I've not done in a while. I'm making an actor-connection between the appearance of R. Brandon Johnson as the star of the horror film Malevolence. Only, implementing a couple twists here and there. In this, Gary has been on witness protection for 14 years after convince a police officer to help him fake his death after being hunted down by a killer. He watches his child being raised by another family, not to know who her father is. All is going well until the killer from the past returns and begins to use Shake it Up as a means to find him. He has two choices, run like a coward once again, or protect those he cares about.

A/N: Oh, and this won't be all Gary's perspective, Cece will play a main and as such have her own perspective as well. This story won't be a horror, but just know this story was called "hunted" for a reason. The past catches up with you at some point in your life, and everyone is going to realize this: Gary, Georgia, etc etc. You don't have to watch the movie Malevolence (I'll basically be explaining it within the story) but it'd be good if you did anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 (Thunderstorms)

Gary woke screaming as lightning lit up the room and thunder cracked against the dark sky. A cold sweat overtook him and he threw off the blankets, feeling as though he were on fire. Fourteen years, he could never get the face of that man out of his head, fourteen years and he never could forget the bloodshed he'd seen. That woman from before, was she still alive? Her daughter? That sweet child that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, was she doing well after all these years? Were they haunted by the nightmares?

Remembering the scar along the side of the man's face was something that sent shivers of fear down his spine. He burst from his bed and into his bathroom, leaning over the toilet and gagging as the image of his girlfriend's blood drenched body stabbed his mind. Sure, he hated her. That woman was pure evil, but she never deserved to be killed by that madman. It didn't help that her body had been placed under that giant skeleton like some sort of sacrifice.

It was early 1999, his name was Julian Sanders, and his girlfriend was a buxom, fiery brunette named Marylin. They had an eighteen month old child at the time, a baby girl who he loved with all his heart. The problem was they didn't have much money at the time, and Marylin was starting to show her aggressive devilish personality more. With her brother Max, and a friend of Max's named Kurt, they opted to rob a bank for money, forcing Gary to take part in the bank robbery. Essentially, he had no choice.

Kurt and Max selected an old abandoned house as a hideout area, but something went drastically wrong. After the robbery, Gary was freaking out and all he wanted to do was return the money and go back to his daughter. Max had been shot and died in the car, and Kurt had managed to reach the house while kidnapping a woman and her daughter along the way. Samantha and Courtney Harrison.

When Gary and Marylin reached the house, they were trying to wait for Kurt and at least figure out what was going on, but Kurt was gone as was Courtney. Samantha was tied up in the house and would not stop screaming, which only made Marylin continue to scream and threaten the poor woman.

Then it happened, Martin Bristol was his name. Gary didn't know at the time that the man was some messed up kid that wound up watching his mother killed and would go to repeat the murders. Bristol still roamed the grounds, deciding to kill whomever trespassed, and currently, all of them had been trespassing.

What would come to pass would be several long grueling hours before they would discover Kurt's mangled body. Confused, frightened, and scared, Gary and Marylin fought over what was next to do. She wanted to kill the woman, he did not. Eventually he started to leave, but decided to return after feeling guilty over the fight, only to find Marylin murdered in cold blood. Samantha had been thrown into a closet. He untied her and they went out to search for her daughter.

What they found was her daughter alive and trapped in some other closet, but now they were being terrorized by the man who killed both Kurt and Marylin. Fighting to protect the mother and daughter, Gary tried his best to fend off the violent perpetrator, even tearing off the bag he was using to shield his face.

Gary tore the bag from the man's face and what he saw would be forever engrained into his memory. The face of a man with a hideous scar across his cheek, one that would likely need heavy makeup to cover up. He threw the man off and started running for the front door, but there he was met with a police officer aiming a gun at him.

"Please, there's a murderer in there!" He cried, begging the police officer to help him. "I saw his face!" The officer asked if he was one of the band of robbers and he confirmed with tears in his eyes. "Please, I was forced by my girlfriend and her brother. The money's in there, I don't want it. I just want to get home. They said they'd kill our daughter if I didn't…please…"

Hearing the sound of footsteps inside, Gary let out a whimper. A gunshot rang out and he felt a sudden pop in his chest. Collapsing to his knees, he clutched his chest and peered down before falling.

When he awoke, he was in the police station with several officers surrounding him. "Are you all right?" A woman asked him. She had long blonde hair and a gentle face, in her arms she was holding his baby girl. Tearfully, he reached up and started trembling, praying to hold his child. The blonde gave him a smile and handed him the child, whom he clutched gently in his arms. "You were shot with a rubber bullet, Julian. Your girlfriend was found inside the house…but so were the notes belonging to the man who was after you. His name was Martin Bristol…we believe he's still at large."

"N-No…No that can't be…" He clenched his eyes shut, whimpering once more as Martin's face came back into his mind. "You don't think…please…what's going to happen to me? To my daughter?"

"I'll keep your child close, no need to worry about that. Unfortunately you're going to have to go through our witness program, sir…" He gasped out and looked down at his child. His daughter gazed up with a joyful smile and reached her tiny hand out. His heart was racing inside as fear and turmoil tortured him. "Don't worry, you'll be close. I will be your handler." He lifted his head up, grimacing and pressing his lips together.

"What's that mean?"

"It means I'm in charge. We're going to have to move you to Chicago, give you a new name. You can do whatever you like as a career, however consider this probationary as well. You admitted to being a part of that bank robbery…but while you were under duress, and then terrorized as you were…the details are a bit sketchy right now."

"I see…I'm still being granted a new life?"

"Yes. You are. The reason for Chicago is I am stationed there in Chicago. That is where most people I oversee go. You are no different. From now on, your name is no longer Julian, it will be Gary Wilde."

"What about my daughter? Why can't I have her?"

"Because you have no money, no means of supporting her right now. So unfortunately, she will not be under your care…The witness protection program will also make it hard for her to grow up knowing you as her father…"

Adrenaline surged through him as he quickly gazed down at his daughter, fearful as his heart began to break. "No! Please! You can't-" This was the girl he loved, the single most important part of his life. "Without my child, I…"

"You won't be without her. A day will come when she'll be with you again, I promise you. Until then, you will always be close by." Wasn't this torturous enough? The officer may as well have shot him with a real bullet if nothing else! He couldn't stand this! If it weren't for the fact that his daughter was here, and he were surrounded by officers, he would let his rage get the better of him. He wasn't a rage-filled person, however. He gazed sorely at his daughter, who seemed to pick up on his emotions and frowned at him. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. It was either this, or a prison sentence for robbery." He winced, understanding what had to be done. There was no alternative. The baby's eyebrows meshed together and Gary rocked her back and forth.

"Don't cry…" He leaned down and gently kissed his child's forehead. "Daddy will always love you…No matter what…I will always love you."

Now, in present day, his daughter still didn't know his name. She'd grown to be a beautiful woman, though a bit dense. She had her mother's stubbornness, but thankfully, his compassion while also his self-centered values, which was a bit distressing for him.

Gary's eyes shot open and he slowly looked over his shoulder, dreading what was behind him. The darkness was an empty void, filled with only air. As silent and empty as it was, there was always a chance that Martin Bristol was out there, stalking him from the shadows, ready to strike.

Why had he become a television show host? He didn't quite know, it was something he thought he could do, and after all these years, maybe he thought Bristol wasn't around anymore. However, he had to leave that job, as much as he hated to. The emotions were too much for him.

First, his daughter had auditioned for Shake it Up, and he actually let her on. Second, he received a major death threat from some 'phantom' that was after him, then Rocky and Cece just had to do a performance and try to weed out whoever it was. This actually terrified him into thinking the death threat had come from Bristol himself! Only, it was just the stupid janitor. He was both relieved, but fearful after this, and began fearing for his life if he continued the show. He continued on until the fire broke out and he could no longer take it. Fearing that it was a sign from Martin Bristol, Gary just had to quit. He had to leave. It was a nightmare that never seemed to end.

"Got to turn on the lights," Gary muttered, flipping on the bathroom light. The yellow glow burst through the darkness, stabbing it and brightening some of the outer areas. Scanning the outside room with his eyes, he took a relieved sigh and made a shaky step outside, not hesitating to flip on the bedroom light.

"What would Marylin say if she were here right now?" He shuddered at her image. He never dated again after her, but not because he still had feelings for her. No, he got over her long ago. He didn't date because he didn't trust relationships. She was abusive, controlling, manipulative, and just emotionally draining.

He scoffed, turning his eyes towards the landline on the end table beside his bed. "Screw all that, she wanted to kill someone." He was afraid of getting into a relationship with a woman who would be just the same. He had a friend who told him otherwise, but he still wasn't sure how he could trust women.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he ran his hands over his face multiple times before turning his gaze to the silver framed photo on the end table beside the phone and in front of the lamp. His lips curled into a smile as he picked up the picture and gazed at his daughter.

"Even if you don't realize it…I still love you after all these years…and I'm glad you're safe. If nothing else." There were so many things he wished to talk to her about, so many things he wanted to say to her, but he respected his boundaries. For some reason, his handler never told the young girl, but maybe it was for her protection. "They never found Martin Bristol, after all. He could still be out there, and knowing me…could throw you in danger…" Tears welled up in his eyes as he fell back onto the bed and let his arms fall out to the sides, still clutching the picture frame.

Sleep wasn't coming to him, not now. All he could do was stare aimlessly at the fan up ahead. Would his daughter be ashamed? If she knew him? Would she be terrified, knowing he'd robbed a bank, albeit under duress at the time? Would she hate him, for never telling her? He didn't know, and perhaps he never would find out.

"Prison sentence, or having you never know me? I think this is the prison sentence…but would you have even known me in the alternative? Did I make the right choice…maybe, as long as you're safe."

Don't worry, the identity of his daughter will not be a secret. In fact, you may already know who it is (and if you read the author notes at the top you'll probably get it), next chapter will open with her perspective.