"I know my first name is Damon.."
"Damon? Do you have any idea what your last name was?" he asks me gently.
"No. I don't remember much about my family. He took me when I was around six. I.. I don't remember exactly, " I tell him, my eyes welling with moisture.
He squeezes my arm again. "It's okay son. Somehow we'll find out where your real parents are. Do you remember anything about your life before?"
"I had a little brother. His name was Stefan. I don't remember anymore," I utter in frustration while at the same time I feel the familiar burn in my eyes. I turn away from him for a moment so I can collect myself.
"Damon, I want you to think really hard. Can you tell me anything about the day you were taken from your real family?"
"Come on Damon. Let's take Stefan for a walk. We'll go to the park so you can play for awhile," my mother tells me. Once she helps me zip up my jacket, she puts Stefan in the stroller. "Are you ready to go, Damon?"
"Yes mommy. I'm ready. Can we go over to that park that has the fort?"
"Sure baby. You like that one don't you?"
"It's so much fun playing on the fort. I love climbing on that rope ladder too. Do you think Stefan will play with me when he's old enough?"
"He'll love to play with you when he's bigger. Let's go now," she says, opening the door. I walk beside her as she pushes the stroller down the sidewalk. Soon enough we arrive at the park. I run over to the swings, jumping on.
"Push me, mommy," I beg. She's smiling as she walks over to me. She sets Stefan's stroller to the side of the swing set and starts pushing me. "Wee mommy, I'm way up high," I squeal, excitedly.
Dropping my head into my hands, I try to remember that day. Turning my head to the side, I make eye contact with Detective Williams again. "What if my real parents don't want me anymore? I've been with the Parkers for almost as long as I can remember," I ask, my voice crackling with fear. Again, I see nothing but empathy in his eyes.
"Danny, I mean Damon, I don't know who your real parents are but there is no doubt in my mind that they'll be overjoyed to know that you're alive."
Turning away, I try to discreetly wipe the tears that are beginning to form in the corners of my eyes. "I wish I remembered. I don't even know my parents real names. All I know is that I'm Damon," I tell him, unable to keep my tears at bay any longer. After Detective Williams gives me a few moments to compose myself, he asks again what I remember about that day.
"Mommy, I have to go potty," I announce, holding myself.
"Okay sweetie, come on," she says to me, smiling. She pushes Stefan's stroller with one hand while holding onto my hand with the other. We walk into the lady's room hand in hand, she directs me into a stall. When I get done, I go to wash my hands. "Mommy?" I call.
"We'll be right out Damon. Wait for mommy."
Unable to hold back, I look up at the detective. "It's my own fault. I didn't wait for her. I walked out of the bathroom to hide. You know hide and seek? I don't remember much after that. The next thing I knew I was in a stranger's car with the lady telling me she was my new momma."
"Why didn't you come to us sooner?" he asks me pointedly.
"I don't know. They told me that my real parents didn't want me anymore. They're all I've known for the last however many years."
"I understand Damon. You need to tell me who they are. Kidnapping is a federal offense. With you and Michael gone, what's to stop them from taking some other poor child, bringing devastation to another family?"
"I know," I whisper, turning away. I almost start to hyperventilate when he continues to press me to tell them who my 'parents' are. I'm sixteen years old, I shouldn't be crying but no matter how abusive they were to me sometimes, they're still my parents.
"Damon, please?" he coerces gently.
Sucking in a deep shuddering breath, I turn my bloodshot eyes to his, whispering, "Kai and Jo Parker. They're the ones who took me."
"Thank you Damon. I promise you that I won't rest until I find your real family. Will you stay here till I get back?"
Emotionally laid bare, I just nod. After watching him walk out of his office, I stand up because I just can't sit still anymore. Inhaling sharply, I start to pace in his office, luckily it's big enough to afford me the ability to do so. Again, I'm left to watch the minutes tick by as I wait for Detective Williams to come back. Dropping back down into a chair, I shudder to think what my future will be now.
Does my family still live in the same town? I mean, what if they moved away? What if the police never find them? Are they even still alive? Tightening my lips, I shake my head back and forth. Will they even want me back? Maybe they had more kids, ones that were meant to replace me? I don't know, my mind is a chaotic shamble, imagining all sorts of scenarios with them not wanting me anymore.
I'm standing at the door waiting for someone to answer. I take a deep breath when I see her standing there. Her expression hardened. "Mom?"
"Who are you? I'm not your mother," she sneers at me.
"It's me Damon," I tell her, tears leaking from my eyes, my voice barely a whisper.
"Damon? You can't be Damon. He disappeared ten years ago. Our Damon died. We moved on from him a long time ago," she says callously then slams the door in my face.
"Damon?" I startle when I feel Detective Williams's hand on my shoulder.
"I don't know why I came here today. They probably think I'm dead. What if they don't want me to open up all their old wounds?" I mutter, turning away from him and feeling sorry for myself.
"Damon, you know why you came here today. It doesn't take an Einstein to see that your life with the Parker's wasn't all sunshine and roses. If it had been, I don't believe you would've been so adamant about saving Michael. You're a hero to that boy. He's always going to be grateful that it was your home that he was taken to. Another ready made brother might not have been so courageous. Thank you for saving him Damon. I sincerely wish there would've been someone who could've saved you," he tells me, squeezing my knee.
After staring at him for a few seconds, I nod then turn away. "How are you going to find my family? I don't remember my last name."
"How old are you now?"
"Sixteen."
"We're going to go through the missing children reports from a decade ago. We can computer age your six year old self to see if it matches the young man I'm staring at right now. I promise you that we'll find your family. The memories you do have of them, are they happy ones?"
Once again turning to face him, "Yes."
"It's late, Damon. Come on, you're going to come home with me tonight. I don't want you to have to go to foster care. I know you're sixteen but you're not legally an adult yet. Tomorrow, I'll bring you back here. We'll roll up our sleeves and we'll find your parents. You have my word."
"Okay," I reply, standing up. "Um.. can I say goodbye to Michael?"
"Absolutely Damon. Come," he says gesturing for me to follow. He leads me into another office. After knocking on the door the two of us walk in.
"Danny?" Michael yells then runs to me, wrapping his little arms around my waist.
I give him a hug back then stoop down to his level. "Hey buddy. I wanted to say goodbye. Detective Williams said your parents will be here soon to take you home. But guess what? He's going to help me to find my real mom and dad too."
"You have a real mom and dad?"
"I do."
"Thank you for helping me, Danny."
"My real name is Damon," I tell him, forcing a smile on my face. "What kind of guy would I be if I hadn't?"
"Danny, I mean Damon, do you think we can see each other again sometime?" he asks with all the naivety of a child his age.
Pulling him in for a hug, I whisper next to his ear, "I hope so Michael. I really do." After releasing him, I stand up. "I have to go now. Goodbye Michael," I tell say to him as Detective Williams leads me out of the door. My eyes never leave his as the door closes behind us.
Detective Williams:
"Mr. Parker, in what town and in what state did you kidnap Damon from? You're in a lot of trouble. Kidnapping is a federal offense as you're well aware. You can help reunite him with his real family."
"My wife and I are his real family," he says defiantly.
"I'm going to ask you again. Where is Damon from? If you care about him as you claim, you'll help us reunite him with his family."
"His name is Danny. I don't know any Damon's," he replies angrily.
Standing up, I realize it's hopeless trying to get any information out of him. "Alright Mr. Parker. Since you have no desire to be helpful, perhaps you wife will be more cooperative."
"You keep my wife out of this."
"Your wife is being interrogated as we speak. She's a party to this crime too. The two of you will be going to jail for a good long time."
"I want to speak to a lawyer," he says, the bluster leaving his voice.
Nodding, I knock on the door. When the officer on the other side opens it up, I take one more look at Mr. Parker, shake my head in disgust then walk out of the room.
"So Rob, was Mrs. Parker anymore cooperative than Mr. Parker?" I ask when Detective James steps into my office.
"She claims not to know anything. Her story is that Damon is her child, that he was born to her."
Shaking my head in frustration, "We both know that isn't true."
"Nothing out of Mr. Parker?"
"No, he wasn't talking. He's meeting with an attorney right now. Hopefully he'll get him to cooperate. I mean, I promised this kid I'd find his family for him," I utter in frustration.
"Where is he?"
"I took him home with me last night because I didn't want him to have to go to foster care. He's incredibly traumatized and I just felt he didn't need all that hustle and bustle. He's used to being alone. I just don't want him to take off you know."
Rob nods, taking a seat.
"Unless we find his family, he's all alone in the world now. I feel bad for the kid. It was incredibly courageous for him to come to us. I don't want to let him down."
"We'll find them...," he starts to say when we hear a knock on the door.
"Come in," I say aloud. "Hi Mac. What are you doing here?"
"I was assigned to Mr. Parker. He's ready to talk."
"Just how did you manage that?"
"I told him that unless he cooperates, he may spend the rest of his natural life in prison."
Standing up, I extend my hand to shake it. "Thank you, Mac. I really want to find the kid's family."
"Let's go talk to him then," Mac says, gesturing for me to follow.
Damon:
I find myself sitting in Detective William's car as we're driving down the highway. Unable to hold still, my foot is thrumming against the carpeted floor. Butterflies are fluttering all over my gut and my clammy hands are knotted and twisting together.
"Damon, it's going to be okay. As I told you, I've already talked to them. As expected, they were shocked to know that you're still alive. Your brother is now fourteen and you also have a younger sister."
"A sister?"
He pats my knee, turning at me to smile quickly before turning his attention back to the highway. "Yes, a sister. Her name is Caroline. She's five."
"Wow," I exhale.
"They're so excited to see you again," he says, trying to reassure me.
"I'm scared Chris, you know. I've been trying to remember my mom's voice and I can't," I utter softly, closing my eyes tightly as I try to keep the tears at bay.
"I know you are. You have my phone number. Feel free to call me anytime and for anything Damon. Even if you just need to vent. I'm sure you know that there will be ups and downs. They are your family and they love you. Please just give them a chance."
Exhaling sharply, I turn to look at him again. "I will and thanks Chris. I appreciate everything that you've done for me..." I utter my voice trailing as he points to a house. "That's my house?"
"Yes," he says, pulling into the driveway.
Although I feel near panic, I close my eyes and take a deep shuddering breath.
"You can do this Damon."
Nodding, I unbuckle my seatbelt and the two of us step out of the car. After giving Chris a long stare, he gestures for me to follow as we walk slowly towards the front door...
Can you imagine how scared Damon must be?
It was a hell busy night at work. I thought I'd give you another chapter. I will update this once more this weekend then it'll settle into a weekly update schedule like my other two stories. Thank you Eva for all your encouragement and advice. Thank you, all of you for your interest in the story. I'm thrilled with the reception so far. It is completely written now and it's a long story. Much more to come. I have to be at the hospital again by 7pm so I'm going to bed now. My eyelids are getting really, really heavvvvvy. Have a wonderful day and please do hit that review button...
