Previously:
They played games until half 8 when they finally sat down and settled for a Disney movie, While Jim made something to eat, at 9 Rick was falling to sleep, half way though the film Katie went to wake him up but Jim stopped her.
"He's tired let him sleep"
Katie nodded and went back to watch the film.
At ten Katie was nodding off too so, Jim took Rick in his arms and took him up, Katie shuffling behind him up the stairs, he tucked Rick and Katie in and went back downstairs.
Now:
He's wakes up to screams in the middle of the night, instantly getting up and tripping over the bed covers that come with him, out and down the hall turning on lights as he goes to Katie's room opening the door thinking something has happened.
But then he sees Rick shaking & sweating in the corner of the bed, good thing it was up against a wall because he would be on the floor, He is mumbling something, he still seems to be asleep, Katie was sat up the bed with a bewiled look and a bed head hair with fresh tears in her eyes red rimed with a hand stoking though his hair.
Jim came in slowly not sure what to do in this situation, his heart going out to both of them, He sits on the bed back to Rick body twisted, he places a hand on his shoulder Rick jumps at the extra contact and folds in to himself making a human ball still shaking but not waking, Jim keeps his hand there and shakes his shoulder a bit.
Rick didn't even open his eyes before he sat up abruptly looking around with wide scared eyes, and backed up in to the corner in a fetal position head down cowering.
"No please no dad... please no!" He chanted repeatedly.
"Daddy, what's wrong with him?" Whispers Katie
"Bad dream, Hey Rick, come on its Jim" He puts an arm out again.
Rick flinches away from his hand again, but Jim doesn't pull back instead puts his hand back on his shoulder, thinking it's for the best to be firm, but it only causes Rick to cry out in pain, before he finishes his scream Katie lunges forward and pulls him into a hug which muffles his later cry's, Jim removes his hand from the embrace and sits back to watch.
Ricks cry's eventually turns in to sniffles into hiccups and bring his arms up and around Katie.
"All okay now Rick?"
He nods 'yes' "Sorry"
"That's okay you two get some sleep now yeah?"
"Yeah" they answer in unison, he waits for them to move down the bed before tucking them back in and placing a kiss on Katie's forehead before walking to the door looking back to make sure there comfortable, turning off the light and making his way down the hall back to bed shutting off the lights on the way.
He chuckles when he sees Johanna spread across the 2 sides of the bed, know idea how she slept through it.
Jim wakes early in the morning leaving a kiss on his wife's head, he heads down to make breakfast.
Katie and Rick join him later, coming sleepily around the corner and perching on stools, Jim pushes their breakfast over to them and they fall in to easy convocation.
Johanna came to join them later looking very hang over Jim laughed at the rugged image of his wife she winced at the sound but smiled and kissed Katie on the head. Jim pulled out some bacon and eggs from the oven that was cooked earlier and kept warm, he slid it across the counter to where she sat she smiled thankfully at him then eat while the they chatted.
At one, Martha still hadn't come over so they decided to make their way over to hers, the kids run ahead while Jim and Johanna walks hand in hand behind.
When they knocked on the door happy to see that it was locked, Martha opened the door.
"Hey" She answered but had a faraway look but still smiled. The kids run past playing some role play game.
"Hey, when you didn't come over at 1 we got worried so we came over instead everything okay?"
"Ummm…. No, not really"
Jim took his cue to leave as Martha moved to the side to let them in, him he went to find the kids. Johanna walked Martha to the kitchen and sat her down on a stool around the kitchen island taking one opposite her.
"Okay so what's happening?"
"How was Rick last night? Sorry time just went fast" Johanna sighs.
"He had one nightmare I slept though it but Jim went, he freaked out a little but he calmed down when Katie pulled him in to a hug, he was fine the rest of the night" Recounting a little bit of what her husband told her.
Martha nodded she pulled an envelope to herself that was on the corner of the counter before pushing it over to Johanna
"Roy, was here Rick's case has gone cold they haven't had a lead in well, since Christmas" She says with a sigh.
Johanna picks up the envelope and pulls out some baby pictures, smiling at the goofy baby who was smiling at the camera.
"These Rick?"
"Yeah" She says with a smile
"Cute, so what happened?"
"huh…. A lot, Rick was the making of a one night stand"
"So, that wasn't his biological father?"
"Oh, he is DNA confirmed they tracked down Shannon, his mother's parents. They said that they wanted nothing to do with her when she was pregnant out of marriage but she didn't want to get rid of the baby so they disowned her"
Johanna squeezed her hand, knowing some of the past with her own parents.
"When Rick was one, she met him again in the bar they got drunk and had another one night stand but she stayed this time and told him about Rick, he wasn't pleased but he met him couple of mouths in he moved in with them, then they got married well not really it didn't really count they were drunk and left Rick with a baby sitter and went to vaegus got married, which didn't count apparently but they stayed together.
When Rick was two he stared to get, possessive and didn't let her meet friends or go out, started getting rougher with both of them.
Before Rick was 4, he locked them in the house when he left in the days, there would be no food left in the house, Shannon started having sicotic brakes and was taking it out on Rick"
They both had tears in their eyes, as Martha recounted what Roy had told her from their investigation. Johanna squeezed her hand again not knowing what to say.
"Social services were called a couple of time's but he used to hide them and he claimed to lived alone, blamed the TV for being up to high. What am I going to say to him, that his mother's killer will never be caught? He loves her like she did no wrong.
She used to cut him then when he complained she would cut herself then blame him for what she done to herself, then she would clean them up and say sorry to him, I couldn't live like that he's a scared little boy how could a mother do that to her child, even if she did go insane"
"People will always be a mystery to us all"
"Have you talked to him yet? I Roy said something about him might have witnessed something happening to his mom"
"No, I was waiting for the right time"
"I'll do it I think it would be better, if I could get him to listen to me, maybe I could explain and maybe he will open up to me, he's told me most things but he's still holding back"
Later that evening
While lay were sitting on the couch in their pyjamas watching TV, Martha turned it off and tucked a leg under her so she was facing Rick, who was looking at her with an expression she couldn't read, a hint of confusion and something else.
"Rick, I need to tell you something's, important thing but first I want you to talk to me okay, I know that it's been bothering you…. What you saw a couple of weeks ago," When he put his head down she carried on "I want you to know that I wasn't hurting and that you will understand it when your older"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
He put his head down and said quietly.
"My mom she…He…. Hurt…"
After a long silence, she understood and moved to hug him bringing him on to her lap, He wrapped his arms around her neck like clinging for life.
"What your da…Colin did was wrong it was against your mom's wishes which should always be consensual to each party, the abuse that was done to the both of you was unexplainable and he deserved everything that happened to him and what he did to you, you should never blame yourself for what happened it was never your fault I know he told you over and over again it was your fault but it never was and I'm going to tell you over and over again until you know it is not your fault for what happed"
"Thank you" He mumbles into her shoulder.
"Any more questions?"
He shakes his head no, But Martha knows better.
"Sure?"
"Umm…. What was you doing?" He asks taking his head off her shoulder to consider her eyes.
"Oh umm…. When two people like each other…. They make a physical connection like a…. Like I'm hugging you right now that's our connection with two adults that connection changes, well when your older you'll understand a bit better, But the connection is shown in many ways, what you saw was that different connection, like me hugging you or Katie hugging you is special but in our own way, with me and Jake it was different…... Do you understand?"
"Does it hurt? Because it hurt mom"
"Well umm... Sometimes it really depends if you like it or not, you should always listen to the other person while thinking about making that special adult connection"
He nods while taking the remote and turning on the TV.
"I had a visit from Montgomery today" This got his attention "They are umm…. Closing your moms case" At his confused look she tries to explain "They haven't had anything to go on for a while to find who sent your mom to …heaven, they have other people they need to help so, they are leaving the case for a while, it can be opened back up if they have a lead later"
"Okay" I guess at the age of 8, justice doesn't mean a lot.
Martha just left it there.
"So how did it go?" Asks Johanna the next day
"Yeah it went okay, Hard to explain but I think he understood. How's Katie doing at school"
"Huh, she couldn't wait to go in today to see Lanie and the boys, she wanted to know when Rick can go with her to school"
"Ah well, next week he is starting, our visit is secluded for Friday"
"Oh, she will love that, you going to try that visit with young Javier again"
"I don't know, it'll have to be done before he goes to school"
"Maybe he could come over after school tomorrow" After Martha's nod she added "I'll talk to his mom after school today, maybe we should invite Lanie and Ryan as well?"
"Yeah okay, I think he would like that"
The following day after the school day Rick and Martha made their way up to the Beckett's to meet with Lanie and the boys.
When they arrived.
"Hey, Rick remember if you need me at any point I'll be in the kitchen with Johanna, Jim will be watching you, Okay"
He nods back, While Martha knocks on the door still watching Rick as he nods, he looks determined.
When the door opens, she sees 4 sets of eyes looking up at her then Rick, before Katie grab's Rick by the hand pulling him in to the door, Lanie and Ryan give him a hug before Katie continuing to pull him down the corridor almost bumping in to Johanna on the way. Who laughed at their eagerness to get to the living room.
She welcomed Martha in, as they made their way into the kitchen they popped their head into the Living room they were sitting in a circle laughing about something, Jim was sitting on the coach watching.
At 8 Jim ushers, them out of the house and in to the car to take them home stopping off at McDonalds so the parents don't need to make them something this late.
School introduction
"Hello I'm principle John Harris, you must be Martha and Richard Rodgers" At their nod he carries on, making his way through the school telling them the classes telling them a little about the class and teachers.
"This will be your class with Mrs Cherry, she's very nice, I understand you know some pupils in this class already"
"Yeah the Kathrine Beckett clan" Martha said with a laugh.
"Ah, yeah they really are something" He chuckles. He carries on with his tour until they come back to his office "Okay I have some files for us go to over and for you to sign, take a seat" When they are both seated he carries on "Okay, so there's a Zoo trip on the 14th of next month by then Rick you should of settled in and maybe he would like to go to the zoo with Kathrine, Lanie and the boys with the rest of the class, if that would be okay with you Miss Rodgers?"
"Oh, Martha please, Miss Rodgers makes me feel old, and I'm sure Rick would love that" Looking at Rick for confirmation, he looks between the two adults and finally sets eyes on Martha and nods "Okay great where do I sign" John passes the paper over for her to sign and goes though some school rules with Rick.
I'm really sorry about the long intervals, i'm getting stuck on things to write because most of my ideas are for there teenagers
-Gemma:D