Forgive me for taking so long to update. Life kept getting in the way and I hated previous chapters I had done.

Just a warning, the next few chapters will have some swearing, abuse and supernatural themes. Suprise suprise.
Thanks for reading guys
xXx

…

And sometimes I feel like
I'm only one
No wonder why I've become
So dum
..

Ben Speaks

'I'm agent Josh Conner and this is my partner, agent Lucy Simone.'
The woman in the door way looked Claire and myself up and down, ignoring our badges as she turned and walked back into her kitchen. The slap I received on my arm stung and I tried to hide my chuckle of pain as I looked down at Claire.
'Why did you have to use that name?' she hissed before stepping inside, too much like John Conner… just another person that doesn't like the terminator.

Shrugging my shoulders, I stepped into the house carefully, shutting the door quietly behind me. Claire was already in the kitchen, speaking with Julie Hearson, and I should have been doing the same thing, but Claire could handle herself.

The house was sparse, tatty old wallpaper slowly peeling itself away from the walls and not a lot of furniture covered the stained carpet. There were no pictures on the walls, no family pictures or framed paintings; just a poster of a heavy metal band in one room and a dragon coiling around a naked lady on the other.
Not really my cup of tea.

Oh what you were expecting me to be the type of guy that had centrefold pictures all over his wall along with his favourite bands and video games?
Well I can tell you something.
My mother took them all down.
I guess I snapped out of it a long time ago.

The faint sound of a video game pulled me from my thoughts and I paused my exit from the, what I believe would be the lounge room. The two lounges were empty, why anyone would sit in them I am not sure and the small television was off, showing m distant reflection. Only I wasn't the only one in it.
Nestled into the beanbag was a young boy.
I have to be honest, I was half expecting a rough kid with a Mohawk or a rat tail with a nasty attitude and I would have to have Claire save my ass again, but he wasn't.

Short black hair was trimmed well back from his young face and he sat so still, not a sound came from his except the small electronic device he held in his hands. All his focus seemed to be on the game; Plants vs Zombies. It made me smile, I remember when I used to have a ps2, sometimes you could never get me off the thing.
'Cool game isn't it?'
The boy didn't lift his head and I rubbed my lips together as I crouched down beside him, trying to find some way to grab his attention.

I was the same for a while; I can't remember why but I was just sad and you could not get my head up from a comic or homework or games.
Some said it was because I was in shock from the car accident, but I do not remember it very well. Then again, they say that's because of the accident also.
'Don't be surprised or worried if you have nightmares about it for a little while, for children your age it is normal.'
But I didn't, and that I think is what worries me the most.
Every time I tried to think of it, tried to remember some little part of it, it was like a locked door that would not open no matter what.

I could remember the crash, I was sitting in the front seat with mum and then it just happened. My head slammed into the dash and my mother was stabbed with a piece of metal. Next thing I know we are at a hospital, cold and I remember not wanting to leave my mother's side; I was going to lose her and it scared me. Yet, she healed quickly and I remember being grateful for that, but something was missing.
Someone or something and it was starting to drive me mad.

'She's always like that.'
Tucking my suit jacket behind my arms I looked back to the young boy, who was still focused on his game. I grinned as I watched him, zombies advancing onto the roof as the plants popped out sunlight and potatoes exploded.
'That's ridiculous, plants could never beat zombies.'

Snapping out of it again, I listened as Julie began to yell and scream, Claire's voice strangely soothing.
'We need to be out there looking for the bastard! That fucking prick probably just left us for some hooker from town!'
'Mrs Hearson, please calm yourself. There is a strong possibility that he is in serious trouble or dead.'
'Serves him right! He'll be dead if I find him!'

The young boy just sighed and continued with his game.
'What's your name kid?' I asked, trying to sound older and more mature than what I probably was. I had seen kids living in fractured families and dysfunctional homes, I was one of them but I had never met one.
'Who wants to know?
I grinned and pulled out my badge, flipping it open before he took it from my hands, quickly yet it wasn't a snatch, just eager curiosity. With his game in one hand he studied my badge with an intense glare before he languidly handed it back with a tip of his wrist.
'Coby.'

Tucking the fake ID back into my pocket I grinned again as he resumed playing, fingers and thumbs moving across the screen with well-practiced movements.
'Josh.'
'I saw that.'
I chuckled slightly, Coby pausing his game again to smile at me.
'Sounds like John Conner.'
Coby smiled a bright smile that made me shudder at the thought of what he had to put up with in a home like this one. Julie was still yelling but at least now it didn't have as much swearing and cursing. Coby sighed heavily for a, I think he was ten, ten year old.
'My dad's dead isn't he?'
As he spoke, the zombie wave advanced down the chimney, resulting in his brains being eaten.

I swallowed hard as he looked at me, his eyes hard as though he could take the answer. How was I going to tell him? Straight out with the facts; monsters were real and he had more than likely been eaten by one or sugar coat it and say that he was just missing and I would find him? Did he still have nightmares about the evil things under his bed or was he old enough to know that his father was probably the monster in his life? I reckon he did, an observant little man that had very little emotion about asking if his father was dead; who asked that right away?

I couldn't know, but what I did know was that I had no idea how old a child should be before you tell them the truth. I always wished my mother told me that truth about me; who my father was, why he wasn't around, why we constantly kept moving, where did the monsters come from?
Yeah, I was fourteen when I realized they were real and look how well I turned out.
So no, I couldn't tell this kid. Sugar coat it was.

'I don't know Coby, but we'll do our best to bring him back-'
'You don't have t.'
I raised an eyebrow as he looked away, his finger hovering over the new game button.
'Why would you say that?' I asked, trying my best to be a serious agent but I had to keep with the soft curiosity that this kid was opening up to. Coby shrugged, leaning back in his bean bag as casually as though it were an ant that had been squashed; why should he care?
'I've always wanted him to go. But he will be ok won't he?'
I nodded my head slowly, not wanting to say that out loud. More than likely he was dead.
Whatever this thing was, it didn't seem to like leaving too many bits behind.

'Coby, can you remember when you saw him last? Anything that can helps us find your dad?'
Again he shrugged, sitting up straighter and playing his game.
'They had an argument.'
'Can you remember what about?'
'Stacey.'
I pulled out my notepad, writing the name down to try and look official and things like that; I used to be impressed by such things when I was a kid .
'Do you know Stacey?'
He shook his head and continued with his game, sniffing and blinking like he was about to cry and the memory. I knew that feeling.
'He left, he was mad and tried to hurt mum.' He looked back up at me, eyes now heavy with a sadness that he couldn't hide.

Gently I reached out, not failing to notice his small flinch before I patted him on the back.
'You'll be safe. Trust me, everything will turn out alright.'
He nodded softly and we both turned our attention to Claire and Julie as they stood in the door frame.
Claire had a look of exhausted rage all over her while Julie went from tears to anger like a snap of a twig.

'How dare you talk to my son without me in the room! How dare you, who do you think you are?'
'Mrs Hearson, there is no need to turn this into-' but like she would listen to me. She began her charge at me, Coby leaping from his beanbag with a loud rustle but again Claire save me.
'Julie, I will not warn you again. Agent Conner is still following within the guidelines.' She stepped in front of her, arms out to stop her advancing, perhaps to slap me.
Saved me from handling her anyway.

I took the second breather to scribble my number down onto a bit of paper, handing it to Coby as I twisted around to look at his transparent face. How many times had she charged at him like that, with no one to stand between?
'Hey, hang in there. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.' I whispered as Julie screeched. Coby focused on me with a hopeful look as he took the piece of paper.
'Promise?'
It made me nervous, would I be able to keep that promise?
'Promise.'

Coby smile and it was only as he reached to grab his game and run off to his room, probably to escape the wrath of his mother that I noticed dark bruises.
They were dark, old by probably a week. As he ran from the room, his ale legs were blemished with dark purple and light green. I frowned and Claire shared a concerned glance with me before we turned to Julie who had returned suddenly to her cool non caring self.
'What? He's a clumsy little shit.'

I was so ready to pull my badge out again and shove it in her face, make her stop hurting her child or I would take him away to someone who would care, but I couldn't. After all, my name wasn't really Josh Conner. I simply turned and saw myself to the door, Claire giving her a brisk thank you and a warning that we may be returning.

Pulling my tie loose to breathe a little easier, I leant on my car and watched as Claire caught up with me.
Was it sad to admit that as she moved quickly towards me, it was all I could see? I instantly forgot that we were on a case, that a small boy was being mistreated by his own family and that I swore to stop doing this… it all just jumped out the window and plummeted to its death. Golden hair bounced freely around her pale face and her hips swayed gently as her legs effortlessly carried her towards me. I had no idea what to compare her with, was there anything else out there like her? So frail and stunning yet could kill me so easily if she ever knew I was thinking of her like this.

Bright blue eyes met with mine after she shook the last of her hair free and instantly that placid face formed one of curious confusion.
'Ben?'
I blinked a few times as she opened the door, leaning casually as she watched me. God only knew what she was thinking of me.
'Yeah?'
A long slender eyebrow rose and a small grin hooked the corner of her mouth.
'You look like you just realised you left the iron on at home.'

She chuckled slightly and sat in her seat, shutting the door softly as she reviewed her notes.
Whoa, when was that her seat?
Sitting down also, I paused before leaving when I turned my eyes back to the house, thinking of Coby.
'I know how you feel. That's where I wish I was with the law.' Claire murmured softly and I just nodded, taking a deep breath and looking down at my single worded notes.
Stacey.

'What did you get?' I asked, not missing the displeasing way Claire screwed up her face.
'Seems that Mr Hearson was never really faithful; constantly out with women, never had a stable job… kind of guy that even I would like to knock off.'
I shook my head to hide my grin as it tied in well with Stacey.
'Did she mention anything about a Stacey? Kid said they were arguing about her the last time they were together.'
This time Claire shook her head.

'Julie informed me, as you may have heard, that he ungrateful prick of a husband came home from work for a minute to grab money and then left. No words shared, but a punch or two.'
I bit my lower lip, thinking of who punched who but more importantly what would lead to his disappearance that would lead us here?

'Well I have a feeling that Stacey has got a lot to do with this.'
'Follow your gut often?'
I started the engine and was going to give Claire a nervous smile but then, why would I not trust my gut? This could be a trick question; Claire figuring me out but if we were going to do this, be partners, there had to be no secrets between us.
'Of course.'
I gave her a cheeky grin before shifting gears and heading off.

Speaking of gut feelings, something was wrong.
I don't know how to explain it but every time I was in the car with Claire beside me, whenever I had a second to think about us working together, something was very wrong.

..
I get more and more strange
I'm going insane I'm building it up
Just to break it down
…

Let me know what you think, there is always room for improvement.
I promise that the next chapter will be up a hell of a lot quicker than this, I promise!

Silver-Kirin
xXx