This is a backstory/AU written about Peter and Jenna as mother/son.

Warning- Physical Abuse

Too hard to breathe

Jenna decided to come home early that day on a whim. She'd received a short text from her twelve year old son with the simple words 'I love you Mom' It wasn't unlike Peter to text her however the randomness of this one text, the fact that it wasn't a question or telling her something such as where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do concerned her. What mother should be concerned at her child telling her they loved her? Probably none. But there was just something different. something wrong. Jenna approached her boss and told him of her worry for the boy and he allowed her to go home. Jenna had been working evening shifts at a local diner in town to pull in some extra money for their family. Her husband worked for a big business doing sales calls and that job had never been quite stable. But things seemed to work out. Things seemed to be happy.

Jenna drove home and stepped out of the car, still dressed in her work uniform. She smiled when she noticed her husband's car was home. They hardly got to see each other anymore due to their conflicting work schedules. Maybe they could actually have a nice family dinner for the first time in a long time. That's when she heard the shouting. Both her husband and her son yelling back and forth. She hurried towards the front door and yanked it open just in time to see her her husband backhand their son across the face with all of his strength and send the young boy crashing to the floor.

Her heart seemed to stop in her chest as panic rushed through her veins. "Garrett?" Jenna rushed inside as he gripped Peter by the arm and yanked him up.

"Won't do a damn thing I tell him to." Garrett snarled at Jenna before hitting the boy yet again

"Garrett stop!" Jenna pulled Peter from his arms and wrapped her arms around him. "Stop. What are you doing? This isn't how you should handle things!"

She felt her son's trembling arms wrap around her.

"Jenna. Don't protect him. He deserves this." Garrett's eyes scanned her form

"No. He doesn't." Jenna glared at him "Just leave him alone."

"Don't Protect him!" Garrett took a step closer

"He doesn't deserve this!"

"The little brat deserves more than that! He should be glad I'm merciful!"

"Leave him alone or get out of my house!" Jenna finally shrieked.

There was pain, hot pain. Jenna reeled back as Garrett's hand connected with her face. She was bent over now, separated from her son who quickly scrambled behind her once more. Jenna put a hand to her face and felt the blood coming from her nose.

"I told you not to protect him." He snarled. "And don't you dare tell me what to do you useless bitch." He gripped Jenna by the hair and forced her to look at him before he hit her again.

Jenna fell back when he released her, crumbling to the floor. She couldn't believe it. How long had this been going on? it didn't just HAPPEN.

Her angry husband walked out the front door and slammed it shut, shattering the glass. She heard him curse and cringed. There was the sound of an engine starting and a car driving away. Then silence fell over the room.

"Mommy?" Her son's voice called from the world around her. Jenna looked up to see her son's face, his little cheek starting to swell.

Jenna pulled him into her arms and shushed him quietly "It's okay. I've got you." She promised

He started trembling as he curled into her embrace "Mom-"

"I'll protect you." She kissed his hair "I promise."

"Mom what do we do?" He asked in a broken voice.

"I don't know. I don't know but we'll figure it out, okay?"

He nodded slowly "Okay…"

She held him close and took a few deep breaths herself before standing "Come on, Peter." Jenna started towards his room "Pack a bag we're leaving."

"But mom-?"

"Peter." Jenna gave him a look and then went to pack her own bag in the bedroom.

As she packed she tried to think over the signs. What had she missed? how had she not seen this coming? She swallowed thickly and continued to pack. Maybe it would all blow over. Maybe it was a dream… she hoped it was a dream. She'd wake up and it would be happy. After about an hour of packing- because Jenna's brain seemed to slow enormously when panicking- she headed back to Peter's room to find him sitting on the bed and looking at a picture.

"Hey…" she said quietly "What's that?"

"It's us…" He said quietly "That day you took me to the zoo last year. That was my favorite day all year."

Jenna sighed and moved over to hug him "Oh Peter… I-"

She heard the front door angrily thrown open and the sound of a bottle smashing to the ground. Jenna quickly pulled Peter into the closet with her and slid the door shut.

The boy clung to her tightly as the sound of footsteps pounded down the hallway. The door to the bedroom creaked open and Jenna did her best to keep quiet.

"A bag?" Garrett's voice questioned "So. You're going to leave." He chuckled darkly "Nice try."

Jenna watched through the cracks in the door as a bottle of alcohol crashed to Peter's bedroom floor as well.

"You're not leaving without me." Garrett's voice continued. "We all… go… together… cause we're a family." He moved back out into the hallway and Jenna heard more bottles crashing on the floor.

"Peter, wait here a moment." Jenna instructed quietly as she moved from the closet. She followed after Garrett quietly. He slipped into the room and Jenna thought she was in the clear. She was going to go back for Peter when she was suddenly gripped by Garrett's hands again and yanked into their bedroom

"You can't leave!" He yelled at her before shoving her into the wall

"Garrett stop!" Jenna whimpered

He looked her over and then kissed her roughly "You love me." He growled, "You've always loved me." He kissed her neck.

She pushed him away with all of her strength "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

And then she was on the floor again, head spinning.

"Burn in hell." He said roughly before dropping a lighter into the alcohol nearby.

Garrett laughed darkly as Jenna forced herself up. She rushed to the other room and threw open the closet, unaware of the gash on her forehead.

"Mom?" He stared at her in horror

"Peter run!" The flames were spreading quickly, the alcohol thrown about was only aiding in its progression.

Jenna grabbed his bag and hurried him towards the front door.

"Run all you want!" Garrett called "I'll always find you."

Jenna shook her head as they broke through the front door, Peter coughing intensely.

"Come on baby get in the car." Jenna instructed as she unlocked her small car.

Peter climbed in on the passenger side as Jenna threw his bag in the back seat.

"Mom what about your things?" He asked

"We don't have time."

"But-"

"It doesn't matter!"

The front door flew open again and the angry man rushed towards the car. Jenna hopped in and threw it in reverse before speeding off down the street, heart pounding in her chest.

Hours later they were stopped outside of a small town, both of them sitting in the car eating some gas station snacks in silence. Jenna had cleaned off her forehead and covered it with some bandaids from her purse. So Peter wouldn't be worried, she'd bought a hat and slipped it onto her head to cover up the bandages. Her eyes were fixed on the young boy as he slowly munched on some crackers.

Jenna reached across and touched his cheek gently, there were bruises just beginning to show. She had to hold back a wave of emotions "Peter... How long has this been going on?"

He looked up at her and then back down at his hands. He shrugged his shoulders "Since-" He clenched his jaw and bit his lip hard "Since you got that job... You haven't been home-"

Jenna felt her heart tug and she set her own snack aside, "I am so sorry baby..."

The boy shook his head but said nothing. He slowly moved over and crawled into her lap. He may have been twelve but in that moment he looked so small.

"I've got you baby." Jenna wrapped her arms around him and silently vowed to protect him. Forever. No one would hurt her boy again. It would be the two of them forever. No one would separate them. And they would never look back.

Soon they were both asleep, cold, lost, but safe and together.