New story, I know. I should be working on my other ones, like my Percy Jackson/Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx crossover but I just couldn't stop myself from writing this. The idea came to me in a dream and I can't get it out of my head so I have to write about it.

The situation for this story is partially true so I thought it would make a good twist. The boys backgrounds are just off the top of my head though. Sorry if this chapter gets a little boring in the beginning but I kinda needed to set a background for James. Kendall's, Carlos' and Logan's backgrounds will be explained throughout the story. I do not have anything against James' real parents, this is only a story and I apologize for anyone who gets offended but this is slight AU.

One more note, flashbacks will be in the point of view of the person having the flashback. For this chapter, James will be having some flashbacks.

Hope you enjoy this.

Love.

X-X

James Diamond walked through the hallways of Palm Woods, sighing to himself. His best friends, Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia and Logan Mitchell, were down by the pool, hitting on some girls. Kendall's little sister, Katie, was off somewhere with her mom and that left James all by himself.

James usually would be down with his friends but today, he just needed time to reflect on some things that had happened since they got to the Palm Woods and before, when they were still in Minnesota. So many things had changed.

For one, James had been adopted by Mrs Knight, Kendall's mom, because otherwise he would have been sent to some orphanage somewhere and they'd never hear from him again. His real parents, Ben, his dad, and Riley, his mom, weren't model parents. James couldn't count the scars that were left behind, emotionally and physically.

Both has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for child abuse and an extra year for resisting police custody when James was 6 and Kendall was 5. Kendall was too young at the time to remember that James was his adopted brother, not just a best friend that had to stay with them because his parents had left town without him.

James also remember his old friend, Kalina Jones, who stuck by him through thick and thin his whole life. She was the only one, aside from Mrs Knight, who knew about James' abusive past. But then, when Kendall, Logan and Carlos wanted to go to Hollywood to be a singing group with James, he couldn't deny it was something he wanted. They'd all auditioned for the head of their record label and he really only liked Kendall but Kendall wouldn't settle for just him going.

So here they all were, 7 months later, just finishing up their first CD. Only, they needed one more song. A duet. The record company won't let them get by without it.

James has been assigned by his band mates to find a girl to do the duet with. He just couldn't find the right one.

If only Kalina were here, James thought, She always had the most beautiful voice when she would sing.

James figured that might have been one of the reasons that Kalina hadn't talked to him since he left. She was probably mad about him going to Hollywood when it had been her dream since forever.

Looking at the bracelet on his left wrist, James remembered when it was given to him. It had a black band that went around his wrist twice and a small heart dangling down, shining up at James. Kalina gave it to him the day he left, telling him she believed in him. He didn't understand why she wouldn't answer his calls or emails since he arrived but he knew just how much a Jones could hold a grudge.

Sighing again, James walked back to the apartment he shared with his best friends, Kendall's mom and sister, to think about everything leading up to where he was now. Since they were all minors, Mrs Knight had volunteered to keep an eye on them instead of some stupid company head or something.

Stretching out on the couch, James closed his eyes and remembered his father's last threat.

X-X

The whole community had turned up at James' parents trial. They had all heard him scream at one point or another since he was born. His neighbours, the Millers, were the ones who called the cops on his mom and dad. He had so much to be thankful for and he intended to repay them, when he could figure out how.

Mrs Knight sat beside him, for moral support, while Kendall sat on the other side of her. James was six at the time. Kendall was five. Katie hadn't been born yet and Mr Knight hadn't left yet. It was a happy time for their family and the beginning of a very long thrilling, adventure ride for James.

"Ben and Riley Diamond, you have been charged with child abuse and resisting police custody. How do you plead?" Judge Morris began the trial. He glared down at the two parents. He hated child abusers but he knew he couldn't let his feelings interfere and this had to be a fair trial, which it would be.

The lawyer James' parents had hired was crude and snippy but very high priced and had a great success rate. But James had the better lawyer.

"My clients plead not guilty, Your Honor," The lawyer said in his whining voice. He sat back in his chair with a smug smile on his face, like he knew the outcome of the trial already.

Most of the trial was a blur to James, witness' going up and down from the stand and from both sides until it was time for James himself to get up.

"The defendant calls James Diamond to the stand," The lawyer spat out James' name, like it was his fault for there even being a trial. James started to shake in his seat and it wasn't until Mrs Knight agreed to stand beside him that he even stood up. The defendant's lawyer tried to object but the judge overruled him, saying that James was allowed to have an adult with him seeing as he was a minor.

The lawyer sat back, grumbling to himself.

"Mr Diamond, is it true that you love your parents?" The lawyer asked, pleased when James hesitantly nodded. "Then, why would you bring them to court if you love them?"

Mrs Knight got an angry look on her face and opened her mouth to lash out at the lawyer but James spoke up before she could, stuttering his words out of fear. "I-I love my p-parents but they d-don't love me. They wouldn't h-have a-abused me otherwise."

The lawyer was surprised that James knew how a real parent should act. He thought maybe he could get his clients off by telling the kid that it was a normal part of parenthood but the kid was just too smart. Suddenly, a smirk crossed his lips as he thought of an idea. "Mr Diamond, you're only six years old, correct?" His smirk grew at James nod. "Since you're so young, are you sure you haven't been imagining all of this?"

James' lawyer would have shouted, "Objection!" and Mrs Knight looked as though she would run over and hit the man, had James' not spoken. "You think that because I'm so little that I would make up a story about my parents hitting me. You think they did nothing wrong," James accused the lawyer, narrowing his eyes at him.

The lawyer shook under his stare. He wasn't very comfortable with the kid's strength.

James pulled his sleeve up higher, since it was resting on his elbow. As the material moved upward, everyone in the court room saw the five inch, deep scar that curled slightly around his arm. The scar wasn't a light pink like most, but a dark brown, like it hadn't been there long. "Those parents I have gave me this on my birthday, two months ago. Why would I lie about something when the evidence is right on my body?" James' spoke calmly but harshly to the lawyer, glaring at him with hatred in his eyes.

The lawyer was looking at the scar, feeling sick to his stomach about the people he was representing.

Ben and Riley were looking at the scar too but not out of disgust. Their eyes showed their satisfaction.

The lawyer mumbled the end of his questioning and sat down, taking a large gulp of water.

James' lawyer then proceeded to ask James some questions, although James was a little more willing to answer these.

"Mr Diamond, how long have the defendants been harming you?" James' lawyer asked softly. He knew that James was still frightened because of his parents less than 10 feet away and that stupid lawyer of theirs didn't make it any better. James' lawyer also knew he had to phrase his questions right or he might get objected.

"Since I can remember, my parents have always hit me. They used to tell me it was what normal parents did but then, when I met Mrs Knight and my friend, Kendall, a year ago, I knew it wasn't a normal thing with parents. I started fighting back and running but they'd just do worse things. The scar on my arm as an example," James replied to his lawyer, being nothing but honest.

James' lawyer started another question. "Mr Diamond, did the defendants have any reason for this, other than it was normal in a family?"

James looked down, some tears lining his eyes. "My mom always told me I was a stupid little kid, that I deserved it. My dad wouldn't give a reason for it. He just abused me for fun."

James looked up at his dad, tears falling over his eyelids. Ben glared at him, a new level of hatred sparking in his eyes. Something glinted in the light and James felt his eyes widen as he realised his father had brought a knife to the court room. James shrunk back into his seat, his eyes never leaving his father's knife.

A guard at the door noticed the kid's frightened look and stare and followed it. His eyes widened also when he noticed the knife in the man's hands. He motioned to the other guards and they all began to swarm around the man.

The judge gave a confused look to the head of the guards but he shook his head and pointed to the man sitting with his wife. When he was the knife, the judge barked, "Why would you bring a weapon into a court room? That has no place here!"

Ben Diamond shot up from his seat, jumping over the table and sprinting over to his son, knife in hand and a malicious look in his eyes.

James screamed.

Somehow, a few guards had managed to catch up to him and restrain him but not before he threw the knife, barely missing James' head. Ben glared at his son, like he should never have existed.

James shrunk back further.

Ben laughed manically. "I may be going now, James, but I won't be gone forever and you can't hide from me!"

With some struggle, the guards took Ben out of the court room, his wife being made to follow. But she too said something to James, something that hurt more than his father's threat. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." She then turned her head and stalked out of the room.

James sat in the same chair, crying silently. He didn't know anything that was going on around him. Only when he found himself in his bed the next morning did he really noticed how long he had been zoned out.

Mrs Knight had been really supportive of James after that but James wouldn't speak after his parents trial. Not until the Knights moved to a different house, not long after he was adopted, that he spoke again and although he didn't speak much, Mrs Knight was glad for the progress.

Little did she know that James would be her rock when her husband left her, Kendall and her three-year-old daughter Katie without any reason.

They never talked much about Mr Knight from then on.

X-X

Sighing to himself for the umpteenth time, James became aware of the silent tears falling down his face. He missed his parents, even if they weren't the best, they still were his mom and dad.

But then James remembered. July 19th was coming up. His birthday. James lifted up his shirt sleeve to see his scar, the same one his parents gave him on his birthday. Carlos and Logan didn't know about his past and Kendall didn't remember so he made it so they wouldn't see it by wearing shirts with sleeves long enough to cover it all.

This year was the tenth aniversary of his parents jail sentence. They could get out now if they had good behaviour but James had heard from the judge who had been present at his trial that his parents has murdered someone in prison so their sentence was extended by 20 years.

James shuddered when he thought of his father's threat again. Would his father really make good on his promise?

Yes, yes he would.

Little did James know, he was about to be proved right.