Family Values

Prologue

Two Years ago

Tyler Simms had heard the saying you cant choice your family only twice in his life time, the first time had been by his father who had spat it at him, his voice filled with hate. The second time had been by his brothers, the sons of Ipswich, it had been full of concern, and sorrow, soft spoken, so different from the hatred that had come out of his fathers mouth, something in which he would only ever hear coming from them.

Each of the sons had been born into their own world of pain, and things had only gotten worse and weirder when they had each turned 13 and gained their powers. It really started with Reid, whose mother left him the day of his 13th birthday. It had left him alone with his father who had been so close to the brink of death he was forced to care for himself. Caleb's father was so far gone that he didn't even recognise his own son on his 16th birthday. His mother had turned to drink, numbing the pain in her life and everything else as well. Pogue had lost his parents when he was young, his mother dying in car accident, leaving Pogue fighting for his life, and his father had died not long after, giving into the addiction

From the moment the sons had been born, they had all been born into their share of weird, and pain, Reid's mother had left when he was 13, and he had been left with a father who was so close to the brink of destruction, he was left to care for himself. Caleb's father was to far gone for him to even recognise his own son when he had visited him on his 16 birthday, and his mother had turned to drink, numbing the pain and anything else in her life. Pogue had lost his parents young, his mother had died in a car crash and he had been the only survivor, and his father had given into the addiction not long after. And Tyler, Tyler had been born into a family whose parents couldn't bare to be in the same room as each other with out it turning into a fight, his mother had turned to drink when she had found out his father had cheated on her several times, and his father had turned to his work, coming home late, not even denying the lipstick stains on his collar, they all had to deal with shit in their life time.

For Tyler it was so much more then the lose of a parent, or the fights, so many times he had wished he could just switch lives with one of his brothers, and forget the pain that his own life caused him. At first he didn't even no what was going on, punishment after all was a life for a child, if you were bad then you were punished, every child was the same, he knew that, but soon the punishments became more often, and he began to question why he was being punished when he wasn't doing anything bad, at least not in his eyes. Another thing he had noticed was the punishments never happened when his parents were in the house together, and soon his father became his protector, because if his father was home then his mother couldn't punish him. But soon he stopped believing that to, because his father was hardly ever home, and his mom was almost always drunk.

At first the bruises had been hard for him to cover up, and his friends had asked questions, he always just shrugged his shoulders and told them he was accident prone and he fell down a lot, all kids were the same after all, they were always covered in bruises, they were boys and they were used to climbing trees and scrapping knees, his brothers had never questioned, it was just boys being boys. When he turned 13 it had become much easier for him to hide the bruises, his mom had stopped being so careful and would recklessly hit out at him often hitting him in the face, and with him starting swim the bruises on his body would be on show for all the world to see, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hide the truth any more, and he couldn't bare the pity on his brothers face when they found the truth. It was simple really every time he got a bruise in a place he couldn't hide then he would just use to hide the bruises, it became a common occurrence that even he started to believe everything was normal.

He had been 15 when his brothers had first gotten a clue on what really went behind close doors at the Simms manor, it had been early hours of the morning, and Tyler was lying on top of his bed to tired to move, his mother had a huge fight with his father, causing his dad to storm of into the night, and Tyler to deal with his very drunk and pissed of mother. Reid never had been one for doors and had snuck straight into his room through the window, dropping to the floor with silent thud. Tyler had been shocked from his place on the bed, his body shooting up from the softens of his mattress, hissing in pain as his skin stretched across his muscles.

He had eyed the blonde in front of him with shock and shame, he knew his left eye was bruised, and his lip busted, the blood dried on the side of his face, he had a couple of bruises forming on his chest where his mom had repeatedly kicked him in the chest.

"Ill kill him, I swear to god, where the fuck is he?" Reid had fumed, his eyes raking over his brothers naked torso.

Tyler shook his head pushing himself from the bed so he was standing in front of Reid, he sighed, turning away from him, he had promised himself he would never allow his friends to see him like this, least of al Reid, out of them al Reid, was the bad ass of the group, the one person that Tyler had looked up to.

"It isn't him" Tyler's voice was low and pain filled, clogged with the force of holding down the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. Walking back over to the bed, he collapsed onto the edge, his head falling into his hands momentarily, composing himself he looked up at Reid, who had yet to move from the window. His eyes held worry and anger as he stared down at him, he wasn't good with things like this, he was action, not feelings, his best friend needed something more then what he was used to giving. Shaking his head he looked around the room trying to find away that he could escape.

"Who?" He questioned finally deciding that he couldn't leave him here in this state, taking in a breath to calm his own rapid heart beat and walked calmly over to his friend, seating himself down at the side of him.

Tyler shifted his gaze from the floor and turned his crystal blue eyes onto his blonde haired friend, he forced his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down hard, how could he admit to his friend who was the only really behind his abuse, the sons already thought of him as the baby of the group the one person that they had to protect, how could they admit to them that he couldn't even protect himself from his own mother, that he coward in fear every time she raised her voice, or flinched every time she raised a hand around him, expecting her to hit him. Sighing he felt blood seep into his mouth, tracing his tongue across the cut he nodded his head.

"Promise me you wont tell the others" Tyler stated his eyes pleading with his friend at the side of him. Reid lifted his head, looking at the look in Tyler's eyes, he didn't like the idea of keeping something from his friends, but if it meant Tyler opening up to him then it was something he was going to have to live with.

"You got it man" Tyler nodded his head thankful for his honesty, looking down at his hands he played with the ring on his left hand, all the sons had received it the day they received their powers.

"My mom, but it isn't her fault Reid, she punishes me for being bad"

Reid furrowed his brow, anger seething through his veins, he wasn't sure what he was more angry about, the fact that his mom was abusing him, or the fact that she had caused him to have such a low self esteem that he actually thought what she was doing was ok, that he actually deserved what she was doing.

"Tyler this isn't your fault, its your moms ok, you don't deserve this" Tyler looked up at him, and Reid shook his head, he looked so much younger then his 15 years, he was so tiny and afraid, hunched up on his bed, he had almost redrawn himself into his body.

Tyler sighed nodding his head slowly, he still hurt, his ribs beginning to ache once more, but he wasn't about to show that in front of Reid, not now he had told him his deepest secret, their was only so much weakness he could show, and he had just over stepped that mark.

"Why did you never tell us, we could have helped, we've got your back Ty, always have" Reid said cracking a smirk, he was uncomfortable with the entire situation and he was so desperately trying to lighten it, not just for his sake but for Tyler's as well, he could see it in his eyes he hated telling him.

"Because I didn't want you guys to think I was weak" Reid snapped his head up shaking it in anger, and pain.

"We would never think your weak Ty" Tyler smiled, but it never reached his eyes and lowered his gaze once more.

"Why not I do"