Hey, hey, my Lovelies!
Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter! It's all very much appreciated!
Beta: None at the moment.
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I only play.
Without further ado ... Enjoy!
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Chapter Fifty
Help Me
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09:45 am
June 26th
2027
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"Benjamin Robert Black, if you don't hurry up this second, we're going to be late!" Seth hollered up the stairs whilst glancing down at his watch.
What was that kid doing?! He thought to himself, shaking his head as he decided to just see for himself.
"Okay, Papa, I'll be right down!" Benny shouted back, his voice muffled as if he was talking through multiple walls.
Seth thrust open his eldest son's bedroom door and noticed instantly that the kid himself wasn't in the room. Frowning in confusion, he left the bedroom and checked the bathroom right next door. Benny wasn't in there either. Then there was a crash somewhere on the other side of the floor, in … Seth and Jacob's room. Seth made his way down the hallway, his curiosity piqued as he pushed open his bedroom door.
"Benny, you in here?" he called out softly.
There was suddenly another clatter coming from the bathroom and a muffled 'shit' right after. Seth cocked an eyebrow and walked over, leaning on the bathroom door frame as he slowly nudged the door open. His brow raised in surprise at what he saw – Benny fumbling around with his father's shaving razors and shaving gel. He hadn't used them, from what Seth could tell, but it was certainly what had had the tween's attention before he was interrupted.
"Papa!" Benny shrieked as soon as he noticed the man standing in the doorway. He instantly dropped the razors and shaving gel in shock and embarrassment, his blush descending down his neck with its intensity and pure mortification flooding his chest.
Seth was torn between curiosity, amusement and concern. "Benny … what are you doing?" he asked calmly, keeping any one of the emotions to seep into his voice as to not alarm his young son.
"Wha– Um, I … Uh … Papa, I'm just … looking," Benny blustered, biting his lip worriedly.
Seth smiled then, approaching the flustered boy. He crouched down and picked up the two items from the floor. He wiggled both of them in front of Benny's face expectantly, accompanied by the identical look. Benny blushed even deeper, ducking his head and gaze to the floor. Putting the two items on the bathroom counter, Seth lifted a free hand to Benny's chin, lifting his gaze to meet his.
"You wanna talk about whatever is bothering you?" the older man suggested softly.
"I … no, no, it's not important," Benny muttered.
"I think so. Come on, this is me you're talking to. You can tell me anything, ask me anything … Why were you looking at the shaving stuff?" Seth asked.
"I was … just … curious," Benny admitted with a stutter, his shoulders sinking in defeat. If Benny really wanted to drop the subject, he knew his Papa would too without hesitation, but Benny kinda didn't want to drop it. "I saw you and Dad do it a couple times and … Tia mentioned something the other day and …"
"What did Tia say?" Seth asked patiently.
"Oh, um … just that she hoped I was going to shave when I needed to because she hates the look and feel of facial hair ... thinks it's gross and she has sensitive skin ... you know when we, um ... kiss and stuff ..." he stuttered out, his blush mostly certainly halfway down his back by now.
Seth supressed a smirk at that; this wasn't the time or the place for that.
Benny continued, "Anyway, it made me think, you know? Was it a hint? Do I need to shave? To start thinking about it now?" Benny asked worriedly, touching his own face self-consciously.
Seth smiled and ran the back of his fingers across Benny's cheek. "Well, not from what I can tell, no. Do you think so?"
"I don't know …"
"Benny, you don't need to start shaving. Believe me, you'll know," Seth assured him with a smile. "I promise when I think it's time, I'll talk you through it, or your Dad will if you want."
Benny visibly relaxed and smiled gratefully. "Yeah? You will?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Okay ...Thanks."
"Now, are we going to get this day started, or what? You have a hair appointment in … oh, three minutes," Seth informed him, springing them both into action.
Benny grabbed everything he needed from his room before they both went out to the garage and into Seth's car. It never ceased to feel weird whenever he got into this car without the twins, who had both spent last night at their Grandma and Grandpa's house. His mother had entertained Monkey for the night. The only one of their children who had stayed at home last night was Benny, and he'd spent the whole night in his room, so it was like Jacob and Seth had the house to themselves for once.
It had been pure bliss.
Jacob left to go to work early this morning, leaving a cold bed for Seth to wake up to. He'd pay for that later, Seth resolved. Seth and Benny had the whole day to themselves, father-son bonding time as it were, and both were looking forward to it. First, Benny had a hair appointment as his mop was becoming unruly, and then they were hitting a newly opened museum that the young tween had begged his father's to go to.
After Benny's new, dapper hair cut and their educational morning, they would eat dinner at Black Law's restaurant with Jacob. They had a whole afternoon planned for shopping. The birth of Bella and Paul's baby was imminent and then there wasn't a member of the family that didn't need something.
Seth thought back to what he'd discovered this morning and kept glancing over at his eldest son, who was staring out the window and no doubt thinking about his girlfriend … and shaving. It always astounded Seth whenever he saw how fast his little boy was growing up. He had a girlfriend, was thinking about shaving, his voice was breaking at most inconvenient times and Seth had noticed the tween change his bed sheets at least three times this week.
Puberty and hormones had struck, ladies and gentlemen … and boy, was it with a vengeance. The kid must have grown at least four inches in the last few weeks and, though it even made Seth cringe whenever he thought about it, Benny was spending more time in the shower in the mornings.
Seth wished that it would stop, or at least slow way, way down. He wasn't ready for Benny to grow up. A flash from when they first met – the eyes of a six year old boy staring at him critically as he wondered and decided whether he could allow Seth into his small family's life. Benny had been so wary of him in the beginning, so protective of his father and little brother, but there was rarely a day that passed by when Benny didn't hug Seth at least a dozen times. There wasn't an hour that went by where Benny didn't show just how much he loved and appreciated Seth in his life.
And not a moment went by where Seth didn't return that love and appreciation, not just to Benny but to Jacob, Monkey and his babies as well.
The morning passed without a hitch. Not only did they manage to visit the new museum but also the art gallery Jacob had purchased that painting for Seth from. The painting itself had arrived this past Tuesday, just as Darryl had said, and it was no hanging in their family room. Seth smiled every time he saw the piece; he loved it beyond reason.
He was excited to see the man himself at the art gallery when they visited again; they talked about past and current artworks that Darryl was working on whilst Benny drooled over the masterpieces hung around the room.
"You know, I spotted you talking quietly to Jacob last time we were here," Seth commented with mild accusation, cocking an eyebrow in Darryl's direction.
Darryl smiled slyly and shrugged. "What can I say? We had a lot to talk about," he replied.
"Okay, now I'm worried. Should I be worried?"
"Nah. There's nothing to worry about. Jacob was just discussing some business with me, that's all."
"Hmm … what kind of business?"
"Business that can only benefit you. Now stop asking me questions about that; I don't want to ruin anything."
Seth held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine! I'll zip my trap," he laughed.
Half an hour later, Benny was finally finished drooling (after some coaxing from his Papa, of course) and they left the art gallery to meet Jacob at the restaurant. Benny blushed deeply as he watched his fathers greet each other enthusiastically, drawing the attention of some of the other patrons with their fiery kiss.
"Dad, Papa, seriously! Could you get any more embarrassing?" Benny huffed as he sat at the table that always seemed to be reserved for the Black family. It was in the back, very private and very intimate.
Seth and Jacob broke apart with identical chuckles as they peered down at their son before taking their seats.
"We could, if you wanted us to give it a try," Jacob offered with a smirk.
Benny rolled his eyes like the typical teenager he was close to becoming. "No, thank you. I don't think I can handle any more embarrassment today."
Jacob cocked an eyebrow at this and Seth reassured him with, "Oh, I'll tell you later. We wouldn't want to bring it back up here and embarrass our shy little boy."
"God, papa, I'm twelve years old, thirteen next year! I'm hardly a little boy."
"You'll always be my little boy, even when you're fifty and feeding your father and I blended dinners through a straw."
That brought a laugh out of the young man, though both Seth and Jacob could tell how much Seth's comment had pleased him, judging by the soft smile spreading over his lips.
The trio shared a lighthearted lunch, laughing and joking at parts while discussing serious topics at others. They touched on school and how Benny was feeling as he was inbound his last year at junior high. It seemed like with every school year that he passed, his thirst for knowledge and learning grew and grew, more and more. He was barely in his eighth grade and he was already wishing it away, constantly stating that he couldn't wait for high school. That's where the real learning started, according to him.
They were just finishing their dessert when Benny asked, "Hey, Dad? You know it's you guys' anniversary, or one of them anyway, at New Years?"
"Yes," Jacob answered with a chuckle.
"Were you ... maybe thinking of taking Papa away somewhere?"
"Why'd you ask?"
"No reason. I was just wondering."
"Well, no, I wasn't planning on it. I was saving taking a trip for our wedding anniversary," Jacob finally answered his initial question.
"Oh ..."
"Why, Benny?" Seth asked in amusement. It was clear that the tween had something on his mind.
"Well ... I kinda hoped that you guys would."
"Trying to get rid of us? Not planning a secret house party, are you?" Jacob teased with a smirk.
Benny blustered and shook his head, "No! As if! Demetri would be more likely to do that ... once he's older, I guess ... No, I was just hoping you guys would go for your anniversary trip at New Years so when summer came around ... Well, maybe we could've taken a family vacation, or something. Like together."
In response to his fathers' thoughtful and amused looks, he continued with, "I mean, it'd be fine if we didn't. I was just thinking that we didn't do anything like that this year because of the twins being born and everything and you guys didn't even go away for your honeymoon, not really."
"What's brought all this on?"
"Well, Demmy and I were just talking about it the other day. We ... want to go on vacation next year; somewhere hot."
"Well, Son, your request has been heard, don't worry. Your Papa and I will talk about it later on, I promise. Tell Demetri not to worry about it either, okay?"
Benny beamed. "Alright. Thanks, Dad."
"No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work," Jacob announced as he rose to his feet and lifted Seth with him. He leaned down and they shared another heated kiss, much to Benny's dismay. Jacob pulled away and tapped Seth's bum as he murmured, "Go, before I drag you up to my office with me."
Seth giggled and bit his lip as Benny groaned and quickly got to his feet. "I'll wait in the car. Keys?" he begged his Papa, who was snickering as he tossed the jingling keys towards his mortified little boy. Once he was gone, Seth turned back to Jacob with a smirk.
"We do torture him so," he laughed.
"Nah, he complains and whines about it, acts like it disgusts him, but I'm willing to bet my entire inheritance and say he'd be completely confused and concerned, asking if we were alright if he didn't see stuff like that."
Seth laughed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed before leaning up to give his husband one last kiss. "I best get going before he sulks for the whole afternoon. Don't be late home, will you?"
"I'll try, Love. We have a few more meetings to get through today. I'll be home, maybe, around six-thirty. Too late?"
"Nope. I'll have dinner done between six-thirty and seven. Hurry home."
"I'll try. I love you."
"Love you too."
Seth made his way back out the restaurant and watched Benny sitting in the car, bopping his head along with the radio as he mouthed some of the words. He was in a completely different world and jumped as Seth opened his car door. He blushed and Seth didn't say a word as he started the car and drove towards the mall.
They spent a good two hours walking around and looking through different stores. Seth purchased all the items of clothing that he, Jacob and Monkey needed, whilst he gave Benny his own money to choose his own clothes. That put a smile on the kid's face and Seth was pleased when he didn't blow it all in one store either.
They argued a little about what to get Bella and Paul's baby. Standing in Babies 'R' Us, they bickered back and forth about getting clothes or teddies or somthing that would benefit them more, like a baby bouncer or an electronic swinger.
Seth ended up giving Benny his own cash once again so that he could get whatever the hell he wanted for his 'cousin'. Seth settled on the electronic swinger, knowing Bella would see it as a godsend. God knows Seth did with Xavier.
Benny decided on a teddy bear and some clothing essentials. As Bella was to find out, she'll never have enough baby onesies, mittens or pacifiers. The latter two seemed to have the knack of disappearing into thin air, gone without a trace.
Once their shopping at the mall was done, they decided they might as well get the grocery shopping done while they were out. Seth went on into Wegmens supermarket while Benny retrieved a cart. Seth had a sneaky feeling that they might need another, especially as he was shopping with a growing teenaged boy who ate like a bottomless dumpster.
Sorry in advance, Bank Account, Seth thought to himself wryly.
As soon as Benny had caught up to his Papa, there were already several items in the cart. All the tween offered was an innocent smile, knowing full well that his Papa wouldn't begrudge him anything, especially food. Though admittedly, one item already in the cart was a CD he'd been after for a while. He'd hidden it beneath a bag of cheetos.
Seth had sent Benny off with the cart to pick up the ice cream treats while he picked out some apples, bananas and oranges from the produce aisle. A crash and a short, sharp cry was what caught his attention as he felt out some plums. He looked up and saw that Benny has crashed into someone else's cart. With a roll of his eyes, he quickly dropped the plums and went to go diffuse the situation.
The car Benny had crashed into had one of those baby seat addons and there was a baby now older than a few months rest inside, his eyes wide open. He must have been the one to cry out in shock at the jolt of the impact. That baby's father was fussing over him, cooing and paying no attention to Benny, who had long since stopped apologizing and was now blatantly staring at the bulky guy he'd collided with.
"Benny, you okay? Sir, I'm so sorry for this. Is your baby alright?" Seth asked as he wound an arm around Benny's shoulder.
The man looked up.
Seth's mouth dropped open in shock, though Benny's didn't. He'd already figured out who the man was. The man's eyes widened when he too realized who he was staring at.
"Seth Black?"
"Sam ... Sam Uley ..."
This was Sam Uley? Seth couldn't believe it. He couldn't reconcile the man from his memory, from his dad's funeral, with the man before him now. The man from his memories was strong, stubborn and handsome beyond belief. He stood with his back straight, never cowered away from eye contact and would have probably chewed Benny out for having crashed into him.
Not this Sam. No, the Sam before him now didn't stand with a proud, ridged back; he avoided eye contact even now as Seth peered into his sunken, dark-rimmed eyes. Even through the multiple layers of clothing, Seth could tell how gaunt and thin the man was, see how pale and how ill his pallor was.
What happened to Sam Uley?
Everyone seemed to freeze at the same time, though Benny's eyes flicked back and forth up and down the aisle as if in search of Brady. He was nowhere to be seen. Benny relaxed somewhat and his confusion regarding Sam came to the forefront.
"Sam, what-?"
"I'm sorry, I have to go," Sam spluttered, taking hold of his cart and making to run for its, but Seth stopped him.
"Sam, what's happened to you? Are you okay? Do you need help?"
"I'm fine, Seth. Mind your own business," Sam replied without his usual biting tone. Instead, it was timid and subdued.
"Sam, you look ill. Really ill ... Is that ...?" Seth trailed off as he eyed the blackened bruise peeking out from the collar of Sam's shirt.
Dread settled in the pit of Seth's stomach as his thoughts ran wild with scenarios as to where the bruise came from and whether there were more like it. Was he mugged? Did ... Brady do this?
Sam's eyes widened when he realised what had Seth's attention and he quickly zipped his jacket up as far as it would go. He then grabbed his cart and swiftly turned to stride away from Seth and Benny, never looking back. Seth stood frozen, his mind still wreaking havoc.
"Papa, is he okay? I mean, I know he caused a lot of trouble and stuff but ... he looked kinda in trouble himself, didn't he?" Benny commented with mild worry.
"I'm ... sure he's okay ... He's just different from last we saw him," Seth deflected. Honestly, he felt a little frazzled from the encounter. He'd never seen Sam so ... vulnerable. He just didn't seem like the type either. "Um ... we should finish up here and get going. Your grandparents will be bringing your brothers and sister home soon."
Benny didn't say anything else about what just happened and nodded in agreement, steering the cart towards their last destination and then the checkout. The drive home was quiet also, mostly because Seth was once again lost in his own mind. He wondered what Jacob would make of the situation, but then realised he probably wouldn't care. Sam was the man who destroyed his marriage after all. Seth wasn't sure there'd be any love lost between them if he was in Jacob's shoes.
Thoughts of Sam plagued him more over the next few days than Seth was willing to admit. There was just something about him, the way he held himself and of course, that bruise he saw. He could be completely wrong, but Seth got the same impression did. He couldn't help but interpret Sam's whole demeanor as a cry for help.
But would that help be wanted? That thought was the only thing holding him back from calling someone,though he told Jacob about bumping into him. The older man's response was to shrug and say, 'He's made his bed; let him lie in it.' Seth thought it was slightly harsh on him but could still understand that he would still hold some resentment towards the man who destroyed his marriage, even if that marriage was always destined for failure.
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08:15 am
3rd July
2027
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The next time Seth saw Sam wasn't even a week later at the private medical practice all his children had been frequenting since they became part of the Black family. Sam and his son was already sat in the waiting room when Seth walked in with Xavier, who had developed a pretty bad cough a couple days before. The other man had yet to see Seth, which gave the youth the advantage of cataloging the newer, darker and less obstructed bruises around his neck and around his left eye, as well as the way he cradled his arm a little to his chest as if it were in pain.
Seth signed Xavier in for his appointment electronically on the touch screen before taking a seat not too far from the seemingly lonely and bruised father. Seth kept his direct attention averted elsewhere but shot covert glances towards the other man out the corner of his eye.
The reason why Sam had yet to realize he was being watched was that his little boy was wailing like a banshee. Even the staff were throwing the pair sympathetic glances as the man attempted to comfort and soothe his baby, who in fact couldn't possibly be older than a couple of months.
Similar age as my babies. That could easily be Xavier in such a state with the way he was feeling, Seth thought to himself, causing his sympathy to be replaced by empathy.
He knew the feeling of helplessness when his babies, any of them, were sick. Sam looked absolutely miserable on top of his obviously hurt state. Seth's heart really went out to the guy.
Sam looked up in that moment and his gaze met Seth's. The latter expected to see a scowl or sneer of some sort, but instead was given a very familiar helpless smile. He returned it with one of commiseration.
On a whim, Seth held Xavier closer to him before rising from his chair, seating himself instead in the one opposite Sam and his son. Sam glanced at him curiously but also in slight apprehension and fear.
This certainly wasn't the same man I'd encountered before, Seth determined.
When he opened his mouth to speak, he spoke about the one common ground they had between them in that moment - their baby sons.
"How old is he?" Seth asked quietly.
Sam hesitated a moment before replying, "Two months next Saturday."
Seth smiled. He was younger than Xavier, who turned three months tomorrow. He then asked, "His name?"
"Daniel. Daniel Mackenzie," Sam supplied with no hesitation this time, a small smile ghosting across his face as he spoke about his baby.
Seth smiled. "He's beautiful," he murmured.
"Thank you. He's my sunshine," Sam chuckled fondly before looking at Xavier. "I'm sure Jacob's delighted to have another son ..."
As soon as Jacob's name escaped his lips, Seth could see the sheer shame and remorse that clouded Sam's face. Clearing his throat, he lowered his eyes back to Daniel and said no more.
Ignoring Sam's discomfort for now, Seth replied, "He is; we both are. He's Xavier. He has a twin sister, Anna."
"We almost adopted a little girl, but I fell in love with Daniel. I had to bring him home," Sam divulged, still looking a little discouraged and a whole lot helpless as he rocked his wailing son. "Shh, Danny, you're okay. You're okay, buddy."
Seth's heart broke at the sight, and especially when Daniel's wails picked up double time. He was sure that he even saw the nurses flinch out the corner of his eye. He tentatively shuffled forward, checking that Xavier was alright before giving Sam his full attention.
"Would you like me to try? I mean, I've picked up a few tricks from Demetri. He was still a little young, and then with the twins ... it's up to you," he offered, hoping he wasn't overstepping some kind of boundary. They weren't exactly friends.
Sam looked a little relieved at the offer of help and tentatively nodded as he shifted forward in his chair also. Carefully, Seth lifted the wailing baby from his father's arms and cradled him to his own chest, rocking and swaying lightly as he wiped away the wetness from his tiny, chubby cheeks.
"Why have you brought him in? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but ..."
"He won't take his milk. Up all night most nights. Screaming for most of it," Sam listed with a deep sigh, his eyes sorrowfully watching his son.
"Do you burp him after feeding? Before all this started, I mean?"
Sam nodded. "Yes ... for the most part."
I cocked an eyebrow at him. "For the most part?"
"Brady is ... demanding sometimes. He likes things done there and then when he asks for something. I'm ashamed to admit it, but ... sometimes I forget. Oh God, I'm a terrible father. What were we thinking?!" he suddenly despaired, burying his face in his hands as he hunched over and wept.
Seth had a feeling this was the accumulation of the past few days, or weeks, or however long ago things between Sam and Brady started to get messed up. The thought of failing his baby was Sam's proverbial 'last straw'. Sitting there, watching the usually strong man weep into his hands while rocking his two-month-old son, Seth had never felt a stronger urge to help someone.
God knows, Sam needed help.
To give the larger man a moment to recompose himself, Seth turned his attention back to the distressed baby in his arms. Very carefully, he manoeuvred him so that he was laid on his tummy over Seth's lap, his tiny head cradled in Seth's large hand. The youth started to softly tap away at Daniel's back, hoping the pressure from lying on his tummy would help dislodge the trapped wind.
Daniel's wails eased off for a while, probably due to the strangeness of his positioning and the steady tapping on his back, but his whimpers soon picked back up again as the brief distraction wore off. At least he wasn't wailing though, which gave Seth hope that he was helping.
Realising his son was no longer crying, Sam looked up without making an effort to hide his tearstained face. He looked so relieved.
Seth smiled at him softly. "He could just have severe trapped wind. It gives them real bad stomach ache, and so they won't eat. It's been known to keep Xavier up too. If you can't get any wind up right after their feed, sometimes it is better to wait 30 minutes or something like that, and try different positions, like this one."
Sam nodded, absorbing every word like it was liquid gold whilst watching his son. "He stopped crying ... I'm sorry, it just ... I haven't heard much else from him over the last couple days."
"I'm sure that was hard ... I hate it when the twins get too distressed."
Sam nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud, forceful belch. Instead, the ragged man laughed and grinned fondly at his son. Seth beamed triumphantly but continued to tap the baby's back. He was sure there would be more.
"Now, he should feel loads better," the youth guessed. "Some babies are tighter with their wind than others, takes them longer."
His statement was punctuated by another small belch, and there were several more between then and when Sam and Daniel were called in by the doctor. The ragged man carefully reclaimed his son and waited for seth to stand.
"Thank you, Seth. I know ... I know that I ... Well, I ... I'm sorry," he stuttered, barely able to meet Seth's steady gaze. "I know I'm apologising to the wrong man, or at least I know Jacob deserves a bigger apology than this one, but I'm truly sorry for the interference and pain I've brought Jacob and his sons. I was young and naive and nothing like I am now. I regret all my part in Jacob and Brady's past."
"Sam, I'm not going to say it's all okay, because I can't speak for Jacob, but I can see things have changed for you. I can see that you have changed," Seth replied. "I'll be blunt, Sam, I'm pretty concerned about you. You look like you haven't slept or eaten in days and ..."
With a deep sigh, Seth's eyes trailed meaningfully to the bruise that was visible at Sam's left eye. Sam looked down in shame.
"Things are ... different ... between Brady and I. They aren't what they used to be," he muttered quietly.
Seth stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on the large man's bicep. "I can help you. I want to help you. The past doesn't matter, Sam; what matters in the 'right now', and right now you need some serious help. Not only are you at risk, but Daniel as well."
Sam bit his lip and shook his head. "Brady would never hurt Daniel. He ... He may ... To me, but ... Never Daniel."
Seth nodded in understanding, though he didn't quite know what to say ... Brady just pretty much admitted the fact that Brady was hurting him. Maybe not in so many words, but it was there in his broken speech and Seth could certainly set it on his face.
"I still want to help you and Daniel, Sam ... Neither of you deserve to live in an environment like that. Please, let me help you."
Sam smiled shakily and to Seth's dismay, shook his head. "No, we're okay, I'm okay ... Things will go back to normal soon, you'll see. Brady will work through whatever is plaguing him and ... he'll stop, everything will be fine, I know it."
It sounded more like Sam was trying to convince himself, rather than Seth, because his voice trailed off quieter and quieter as if he was speaking to himself, nodding in forced agreement to what he was saying. Sam's expression told Seth very clearly that he was having a hard time with his weak pep talk.
But what could Seth do? He couldn't force his help on someone who didn't want it, no matter how much he wanted to do it or how much they needed it. He couldn't force Sam to leave Brady, to uproot his son, if he wasn't willing. Perhaps there was more to Sam's reluctance to accept help; perhaps he felt he couldn't leave; perhaps Brady had made it impossible for him to.
Either way, Seth couldn't do anything more today other than to offer his future help ... He pulled out his business card from his pocket and handed it to Sam. "Please, please, call me if you need anything. Anything, Sam. No matter what time it is. If- When he does this again, call me and I'll help you. He won't stop, Sam ... men like Brady never change their habits. Please keep that in mind and call me. Please?"
Sam didn't say anything, but Seth sighed in relief as the older man pocketed the card inside his jacket with a shaky smile. He then looked down at his son and the smile suddenly sat easier on his face.
"He's asleep," Sam informed the younger man, awe saturating his voice. "You're good at this ... fatherhood, I mean."
"I've had practice with the boys and then the twins. It'll come to you in time, Sam, we don't know all this stuff off the bat. Most of it is trial and error, or memorising their traits and tendencies. You'll get it, I promise you that."
Sam nodded. "Thank you, I hope you're right ..." he murmured hopefully.
At that moment, a nurse came out of both consultation rooms, each of them calling for Sam or Seth to come in. The two men smiled at each other and silently shook hands between them. Seth gave the older man one last imploring look as he handed over Daniel to his father, before leading his own son towards the nurse.
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12:45 pm
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A few hours after he got home, the appointment with the doctor resulting in absolutely nothing as Xavier was still too young for even children's' cough medicine and paracetamol, Seth made sure to tell his husband of his encounter with Sam.
He walked casually around the kitchen, phone trapped between his ear and shoulder as he tested the temperature of Anna's milk whilst chatting away at Jacob, who was on his lunch break.
"...Yeah, but Baby, he looked an absolute mess. I can't help but want to help him. He looked so helpless and lost," he sighed.
"Seth, I understand your need to help Sam, really I do, but he's brought this on himself," Jacob replied before taking a huge bite of his deli sandwich.
Seth scowled. "I don't care what he's done or what you deem worthy enough for being beaten for, but he does not deserve this, Jacob. No one deserves to be beaten, especially not by someone who claims to love him. For God's sake, he has a two month old baby to care for; how can he do that when he's hobbling about?"
Earlier, as they were walking to their respective consultation rooms, Seth noticed the slight limp Sam had in his left left. It made Seth sick to his stomach, knowing Brady was the cause. It made him hate the scum even more. Of course, Sam disappeared into the doctors office and nothing was said about it, but the memory replayed in Seth's head every chance it got.
Jacob sighed deeply. "Seth, Baby, without proof, there isn't anyway we can prove it was Brady. We know it has to be him, but that's not going to stand in a court of law. The only way to get him put behind bars is to have Sam leave his ass and press charges, to testify in a court of law with pictures of his injuries and statements as solid proof. Even then, there's no telling whether Brady has any of the judges under payroll, even then he might not go down."
"Surely you have more sway with the judges than Brady Fuller does. You're the one with the reputation, not him."
"You're right, I do have sway with most of them, but money talks, Love."
"So we just offer whatever judge he pays off more," Seth suggested.
Jacob chuckled. "No chance, Love, I do things by the book. You know me."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Seth agreed with a smile. "As straight laced as they come, baby."
"You better remember that," Jacob said with a chuckle before sighing again, "Seth, I know you mean well, but you need to tread carefully, okay? If Brady catches you hovering around Sam, you'd probably make things worse for him at home. Just ... let me look into it, call a few connections at Eclipse Law."
Seth nodded to himself, despite the fact that Jacob couldn't see. He was too distracted with the thought that he almost accepted his internship with Eclipse Law all those years ago ... No wonder Jacob damn near flipped his shit when he told him which Firms had offered besides Black Law.
"Baby? Seth, are you still there?"
He shook himself from his reverie. "Sorry, yeah, I'm here, just thinking ... Okay, Jacob, you're right. I'll try to take a step back and let you find out what you can, but I swear to God, if I see Sam again and he has more extensive injuries, or God forbid, see any markings on that baby boy, I'm calling the police on that scum."
Jacob smiled as Seth's protective mode came to the forefront. Seems he wasn't just like that over his babies. "I will be with you one hundred percent if it gets to that, okay? Just let me look into it," he repeated.
"Alright," Seth sighed, glancing into the living room as he heard Anna start to whimper. "Listen, I gotta go feed our Princess. Be home for dinner? Six-thirty?"
"Hopefully sooner if I can get away, but no later than six-thirty, I promise. How's our boy, by the way?"
"He's slept since we got home from the doctor, who didn't help at all mind you. He just said if it persists, take him to A&E."
Jacob nodded to himself and said, "Alright, Love, I'll see you later tonight. I love you."
"Love you too, see ya."
They both hung up with a deep sigh. Both for entirely different reasons. Seth couldn't help but rub his chest as the heaviness in his heart worsened. He truly felt for Sam. Then his anger flared as he thought of the scum that was Brady Fuller. He really was a piece of work.
Jacob couldn't shake the feeling that the Sam situation wasn't going away anytime soon; In fact, he foresaw the matter getting worse, especially if Brady caught wind of Seth sniffing around. He was a slimy motherfucker.
Seth had just stepped over the threshold of the kitchen when the phone rang once again. Thinking it was Jacob ringing back because he forgot to tell him something, he rushed over and picked it up with a "Hey baby, forget something?"
But he was only greeted by deep, angry breathing and was stunned by the voice on the other end as he it growled, "Stay the fuck away from him if you know what's best for you. Sam is none of your fucking business."
Rage bubbled through Seth's veins like molten hot iron. He opened his mouth to retort, but he was cut off by the dull, continuous dead tone of the phone instead. He pulled it away from his ear and scowled at the handset, almost not believing the nerve the man. He slammed the phone back in its cradle, silently cursing Brady Fuller to the depths of hell.
Seth's rage soon calmed again once he saw his Princess on her play blanket on the living room floor. Rona was laid near her, but not too close, keeping an ever watchful eye on the little lady of the family. Rex was off somewhere chewing up his toys, Seth knew. He swore that those dogs copied the personalities and behaviours of their owners. Benny was protective and Demetri couldn't keep anything safe and in working order for too long.
Once Seth had gotten the twins settled for their afternoon nap, he grabbed a cup of coffee and made his way to Jacob's office to work on some research Emmett had asked him to do in his spare time for a case. He logged into the computer and pulled up his emails, only to be distracted by an entirely different email from Claire.
The smile on his face was instant. Claire had recently moved to Washington, her love for Quil compelling her to follow him back after his last trip. He knew for a fact that Quil had been planning to propose for a while now and Seth wondered whether that would be the topic of her email.
Surely enough, he was greeted by an excited essay, riddled with capital letters, an abundance of exclamation marks and overused smiley and shock emoticon faces. He was so happy for them, they had fallen hard for each other and he knew for a fact that Quil treated her like a princess. She would have a happy life in rainy Washington State.
He replied quickly to her email and then sent one to Quil, saying that it was about time he'd bucked up his ideas and made an honest woman out of his adopted little sister. Once he'd done that, he got back to work for the afternoon. He only needed to tend to Xavier once in the two hours he was working and Anna woke up when Demetri the Bull-In-A-China-Shop arrived home from school.
"Papa, Johnny's mom drove us home, can he stay for tea? Please? Pretty please?!" the boy himself shouted as he burst through the office door.
Seth chuckled, looking up from the computer to see both boys standing there with hopeful expressions, both breathing slightly heavily as if they'd run straight from his mother's car.
"Sure, Monkey, I don't see why not. It'll be great to have you over. Johnny. Just be wary of Xavier, he's sick, and I don't want to send you home with a bad cough, okay?" he stipulated as he closed down the computer and follow the boys out the office, locking it behind him.
"Thank you, Papa!"
"Thank you, Mr Black!"
Seth smiled. "You're welcome. Just don't make too much mess up there!" he called after them as they ran upstairs to Dem's room.
Meanwhile, he made his way to the front door and out to Johnny's mom. "Hey, Bridget."
"Hey Seth, is it okay if he stays?"
"Sure, no problem. X has a bad cough though."
"Oh, that's not a problem, my other half has man flu anyhow," she dismissed with a chuckle.
"What time do you want him back?"
"Oh, I'll come pick him up around seven-thirty?"
Seth nodded in agreement and they said their goodbyes before Seth made his way back into the house. He shook his head as he could hear the boys upstairs even from the front door. He swiftly made his way to the twins' room, knowing neither would have slept through that racket.
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21:30/09:30 pm
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Seth wringed his hands anxiously once again, peering through the window out into the darkening yard. Jacob wasn't home yet, and he hadn't called. Benny and Demetri had long since made themselves scarce, knowing full well that their Papa would be giving their Dad an earful once he eventually got home.
They weren't too far off.
Seth was going to throttle his husband for not calling. Neither him nor Emmett were answering their phones, cell or office. Even Marcus and William were unreachable, both their cells going straight to voicemail. After ringing Didyme and Sarah, he knew that their man had called their wives either. If the case were the same for Emmett, Seth didn't envy his return home to Rosalie.
The four mens' silences made Seth wonder though; had something happened at work? Was there an accident? Surely one of them would have called if any of them were hurt?
Seth's mindless wanderings only made him more anxious and he started to pace up and down the front hallway, glancing at the door every time he came close to it. It must have been close to his thousandth circuit when the front door finally swung open and an exhausted Jacob came trudging in, briefcase hanging from his hand as he slammed the door shut again.
It was obvious to Seth that the man was in a mind of his own, not having noticed seth there just a few feet away. Seth wondered whether Jacob even realised he was late home. Something must have gone wrong at work. He opened his mouth to greet his husband, only to have his name shouted back at him in beckoning. He chuckled, causing Jacob's head to snap towards him in surprise.
"No need to shout, Lover, I'm right here," Seth replied dryly.
For a moment, the chaotic evening at work left Jacob's mind as he gazed confusedly at his husband and asked, "Why are you just standing in the hallway?"
Seth cocked an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the clock on the wall, drawing Jacob's gaze there as well. The older man's eyes widened before he cringed, peering back at Seth with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Seth ..."
"I know!" Seth halted him with a hand in the air. "I figured something had gone wrong at work, but it would have been nice to have had a phone call at least, even from one of the assistants or interns, you know?"
At the reminder of work, Jacob's expression flooded with rage and ... excitement? Seth couldn't figure out how someone could feel that sort of combination, but it was clear as day on his husband's face.
"We caught the bastard!" Jacob suddenly shouted, throwing his coat over the stand as he gazed intensely back at Seth.
The youth instantly knew who he meant. "The thief? You caught him, you know who it is?" he spluttered in shock and surprise.
Jacob shrugged. "Well, no, we didn't catch who it was, but we caught the fucker in the act. Alistair received a phone call from the bank around six-fifteen, as I was getting ready to leave, saying someone was trying to make a withdrawal. A big one."
"How big?"
"150 million."
"Holy fuck ..."
"Yes. I know. Idiot. Simon at the bank knew for a fact that it was unusual for me to make a withdrawal for that much. Price tags like that I'd just have transferred. He also knew it was unusual for there to be any activity like that past two in the afternoon, so he called Alistair. The account that was trying to make the withdrawal was the same Frederick account from all those times before."
"Oh my God ... So what happens now?"
"The bank is trying to trace back the account, try and get more information from the offshore provider. If they can't get it by themselves, they might have to have a warrant drawn up. I can sort that out in the morning with Judge Morgan, just so we have one ready. It was a huge mistake on this guys' part tonight, but we are closer than ever to catching who this scum is."
"I think we both suspect the same person."
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Of course we do, but we need proof to have him sent down. Gerald and Alistair are on the case, keeping me informed as well as Dad. We meet in the morning to go over everything in detail."
"God, Jacob, I'm so happy this is nearing its end. He needs to be caught," Seth sighed in relief, stepping into Jacob's arms as they opened for him. He wrapped his arms around the older man's waist, inhaling his rich, musky scent. he closed his eyes and revelled in the strong, tall, hard body pressed against his.
"I am as well, Baby, I am as well. For tonight, I need to relax. Today has been the longest day to date; I just want to sit back with my family and maybe watch a movie?"
"Monkey is asleep, Benny might be interested though ..." Seth agreed. "The twins are asleep for the night too."
"Sounds good. I'll just go give them all a kiss and get Benny.. You choose the movie and get some popcorn?"
"I saved you some dinner."
"I know Baby, but I'm too keyed up to eat anything huge or heavy right now. Popcorn will do for now, Baby."
Seth nodded in easy acceptance but silently noted to make Jacob eat before they went to bed. He made up the popcorn and grabbed a soda and some beers, setting them on the coffee table in the living room.
Jacob and Benny just walked into the living room when Seth's cellphone started ringing in the kitchen. Benny ran in and grabbed it for his Papa, quickly running it back to the older man, who smiled in thanks as he answered the phone.
"Hello, Seth spe-"
"Help me ..."
Seth froze in confusion and surprise. He quickly glanced at the ID on his phone, but the number was withheld.
Seth answered with a "Hello?" but jolted in shock and fright when a hoarse, bone-chilling voice choked out, "Help ... me ... please, help me Seth ..."
Seth felt his blood run cold within his veins. There was something about that voice ... He'd heard it before, he was sure of it. Not to mention, whoever it was on the phone, they knew his name. He tried to identify who the voice belonged to, but it sounded muffled.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Please Seth ... Daniel ... he won't stop crying ... B, he ... he got mad ... pushed over his bassinet ... I ... I didn't mean to ... I-I lashed out ... at B ... H-h-he ... He's going to k-kill me, Seth, I know it ..."
"Oh my God ... Sam, is that you?" Seth gasped, the realisation of who it was coming to him as soon as Daniel's name registered. 'B' ... Brady!
Jacob and Benny were watching Seth avidly now, both frowning in confusion and worry as they watched the panic take over Seth.
"Sam, where are you? Where's Daniel? I'm coming to get you!"
"Seth ... Shit!"
In the background, Seth could hear a loud pounding and someone growling out Sam's name, calling him all the names under the sun. He recognised Brady's voice anywhere; it was like pure poison. There was a huge crash and Sam's panicked breathing and spluttering as he begged, pleaded for Brady to leave him alone, to leave Daniel alone.
All Seth heard was a loud smash, like a mirror shattering, before the line went dead.
"SAM!"
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Thanks so much for reading guys! Let me know what you think and what you think might happen next!
Love MrsWolfPack x
