Who We Are Chapter 8

SNAP

Wringing his wrists, Charlie slowly worked the tape off before he was able to grip the tape enough to unwind it from his wrists and drop it on the ground, not wasting time with his still tied legs, Charlie carefully jumped to the window, latching on to the bars with all his strength.

Looking out, Charlie saw his cellphone laying there within easy reach.

One hand tightening on the bars, Charlie reached with one hand and snagged his cell phone before he drew it inside, then he let go of the bars and dropped to the ground.

Flipping it open, Charlie speed dialed his brother's number before placing the phone up to his ear.

Even before the first ring had finished, Don heard the crackle of someone picking up before the welcome, "Eppes," sounded.

"Don!" Charlie whispered, remembering to keep his voice down so Simon wouldn't hear him.

"Charlie!" Don exclaimed, "Where are you?"

"I'm uh…at Simon Denton's house. Don…he's the guy! He's the guy that took me away from mom and dad!" Charlie whispered, feeling tears threatening to roll down his cheeks any minute.

"Alright Charlie, just calm down. We're already rolling; we'll be there in ten minutes. Just hang on buddy." Don said calmly, trying to relay that calmness over the phone line.

Swallowing, Charlie nodded his head before he looked towards the stairs.

Hearing someone, Charlie fearfully shut his phone before sticking it in a small crack in the wall, and then he sunk to the floor in fear as the door opened and Simon came down with a baseball bat in hand.

"Well, well, well, ET's phonin' home, huh?" Simon said ruthlessly as he raised his bat, holding it poised over his head before bringing it crashing down on Charlie's exposed chest.

Charlie cried out, immediately curling in to the fetal position as another blow hit his shoulder.

"No one makes ANY phone call unless I say so!" Simon yelled, bringing the bat crashing down on Charlie's leg, immediately breaking it, causing Charlie to yell out in obvious pain, but that yell only seemed to spur Simon on.

"You were always the loose end, the unwanted toy that had to be disposed of, and now I have to do it again!" Simon continued on.

Charlie listened to this man…this crazy man rant on and on about the Michaels and the Eppes and how neither one of them really wanted him, but Charlie knew better, he knew that each one of them, in their own way, loved him…or at least one of them did, and one of them still does.

The blows had been raining down for so long that Charlie was getting used to them and the red, hot, fiery pain and numbness that came with them, so it was a surprise to him when they abruptly stopped.

Opening his blood covered eyes, Charlie dimly looked out to see Simon on his knees, hands behind his head as David handcuffed him, while Don was walking over to him.

Seeing his baby brother lying all bloodied and broken on the floor made Don's blood boil, and for once, he would have been glad to shoot Simon Denton, but Don knew that Charlie's care came first, so, as gently as he could, Don knelt down and tried to stop the flow of blood coming from Charlie's head.

"Don." Charlie weakly whispered, as a bloody grin crossed his face.

"Yeah, I'm here buddy, I'm here…we got em', Charlie…we got both of them." Don said softly.

Hearing that, Charlie closed his eyes and finally passed out.

(A/N: Short chapter, I know, but at least it's a start. Sorry everyone for leaving this one for so long, had a muse block, not to mention work and school, but now that the block is gone and the school is now finished, I can hopefully have more time for this.)