Hey y'all! So, I realized that we're never really given a whole lot of backstory on Griff. So... I decided to do it! Then my brain went off on this crazy brainstorming tangent and, well... here we are! I hope y'all like it! This chapter is kinda shorter than I planned but I feel like it set up the story pretty well! Hope y'all enjoy! (set post Dreams Come True)

The Grizzly cabin was quiet as night stole over the camp. Besides the occasional mutter from Xander, no one made a sound. But not all were asleep. Griff sat at the window, his legs drawn up to his chest. He smiled as he listened to crickets and cicadas harmonize under the window. He rested his head against the cool glass and sighed in content. He looked over at his bunkmates and his smile widened; he'd never had such close friends. Ravi and Xander had basically become his big brothers while Jorge had turned from an annoyance to a very close friend. Griff's head jerked around as the bushes rustled outside. He frowned and peered into the darkness. He screamed as a face appeared in front of him. His father. Alan Jones burst through the window, lunging at his son and wrapping his huge hands around Griff's neck. He could hear his mother laughing and cursing at him in the background. Her foot connected with his side and he cried out in pain. This wasn't happening! How had they found him? Social Services had promised they wouldn't! He had to escape! Where was Xander? Why wasn't he helping him? Where was Ravi? Why wasn't anyone helping him?! Alan Jones pulled back a fist and slammed it into Griff's ribs. He gasped for breath and writhed under his father's grip. The hand still around his neck squeezed tighter and he found that he couldn't breathe. He was fading...

Griff woke with a start, jackknifing out of his bed, "Xander! Ravi!" he screamed, gasping in panic and landing hard on the floor.

Someone shot up, running over to him, "Griff?! What is wrong?" an accented voice questioned, it sounded concerned.

Griff flinched away as a hand came to rest on his arm, "don't touch me," he snapped, crawling backwards into a corner in fear, "don't touch me!"

"Griff," his big brother's voice joined the accented one, "it's just me and Ravi."

"Ravi and I," the Indian accented voice automatically corrected.

"Really, Ravi," Griff could hear Xander's eye roll at the CIT, "we have got to work on your timing skills."

The familiar banter pulled Griff out of his head and he timidly opened his eyes, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of his brother and friend in front of him.

"Xander, Ravi," he gasped in relief, sinking into their arms, "oh thank God," he sighed, genuinely thanking God that his nightmare had not been a reality. His father's furious expression was still etched into his memories.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked in concern, hugging his adopted little brother.

Griff shook his head and buried his face in Xander's chest, "I'm okay," he gasped out, "I'm... I'm okay..." and he was... mostly. He was relieved his nightmare hadn't been real, but they always took so much out of him. He was always exhausted after them. he was also irritated with himself, he should have been over all that by now. He was 14 for crying out loud! He hadn't seen his father since he was 8. He should be over it by now!

"Griff," Ravi's gentle voice was accompanied by a soft hand at his back, "Griff, you need to tell us what's wrong."

"Nothing," Griff shook his head, "nothing. I just had a bad dream is all. I'm fine."

Xander's arms wrapped tightly and comfortingly around him, "you can tell us what's wrong, Griff. We won't judge you."

"Is Jorge awake?" Griff asked, not wanting to expose his friend to anything to bad.

He felt Xander shake his head, so he sighed, they might as well know, "my parents weren't the nicest people in the world, okay. Sometimes... I would get in their way or do something wrong and they would get... physical. They'd just rough me up a little is all, no biggie. I'm fine, really."

He felt Ravi's hand tighten slightly, "Griff..."

"Look," the boy snapped pulling away from Xander and glaring at them both, "It's fine. They left anyways. I don't want pity or anything, I just... Sometimes I have nightmares, alright, and I just figured... ya know, you're the counselors so you should probably know."

Ravi and Zander exchanged worried glances before nodding. Xander squeezed his shoulders before nodding to Ravi, ruffling Griff's hair. Griff watched him step outside, hoping he hadn't just messed up. He figured that Xander would tell Gerald and then... another adoption fallen through the cracks. Just conveniently after his nightmares were discovered. As always. Then would come another home. Another potentially violent family. Maybe cigars or beatings, possibly a belt or dark closet. You never knew with foster-

"Talk to me, Griff," Ravi broke through his silent downward spiral, "I can see your mind going down the dark paths."

"I just screwed up, didn't I?" he asked Ravi quietly, keeping one eye on the door that Xander had just disappeared out of, "I'm gonna have to leave again."

"Of course not, Griff," Ravi assured him gently, not removing his hand from Griff's arm, "he loves you very much and is merely worried for you. Nightmares are not an easy thing to overcome."

Griff glanced curiously at him, "sounds like you have experience."

Ravi shuddered, acquiescing to the kid's unspoken question, "orphanages in India is are not something you ever want to experience, trust me."

Griff shivered in sympathy, "trust me, there are some foster homes I've been in that could probably compete," he crossed his arms protectively across his torso, "life's not a bed of roses in the system."

"In any system," Ravi agreed, turning towards the door as Xander came back in.

Griff braced himself for the inevitable. Now that he'd processed what he'd been told, Xander would insist that he had to leave. That he wasn't prepared to help him or that he wasn't equipped correctly. Or that he hadn't had the proper training. Or-

"I thought you'd like to know," Xander unwittingly interrupted his thoughts, setting down his flashlight on the side-table next to a snoring Jorge, "the only person out there is Gladys. And she's more likely to trip over you than hurt you."

Shock elicited a lopsided, grateful smile from Griff, "thanks Xander," to his brother, coming back inside might not have meant much. But to Griff... the fact that he'd willingly come back... It meant the world. He realized he must seem sappy and decided that he couldn't have that. He cleared his throat and deflected away from the sappiness, "logically, I know he's not out there but..."

"Hearing someone confirm it is comforting?" Ravi finished, a small, knowing smile gracing his lips, "Luke used to do the same thing for me, although when asked he would deny it completely. Apparently it doesn't fit in with his 'reputation' and 'image'."

The three laughed quietly and grinned when Jorge shifted in his sleep, muttering something about pineapples and sweaty socks. Griff leaned up against Xander, grateful for the support system he'd found at camp. In the foster and group homes, he'd usually either get sent away or yelled at for having nightmares. Something about being difficult or the family being 'unprepared' was usually the excuse. Sleep crept in again as he was smashed between his two counselors on the small twin bed. He sighed in satisfaction and curled into the warmth, although he would definitely deny any snuggling later on. He smiled as sleep took over and he allowed himself to slip away, content in the knowledge that he had some semblance of security with Ravi and Xander.

***Line Break***

The man grinned maliciously as he spotted the young boy's face. It was on some promotional picture for a camp. Camp Kiki-something. His smile widened as he found the address of said camp on the website. The smile disappeared as he saw the young man with his arm around the boy; claiming him. They wore matching shirts that said Grizzly on the front. The man scrolled through the pictures and his scowl deepened as in each picture with the boy, he was at the young man's side. He looked at the picture descriptions and growled unintelligibly. Grizzly Cabin Counselor Xander McCormick playing volleyball with adopted brother and cabin-member Griff (formerly Jones) McCormick. The two met through camp and became fast friends, eventually leading to the McCormick's adoption of young Griff.

The man snarled as he threw the computer off the desk, watching in satisfaction as the screen cracked over the young man, Xander's, face. He growled and stalked over to his apartment door, grabbing his keys. The boy was his and only his! No one else could have him! The child belonged to HIM! Not to anyone else. Griff was HIS SON!

The man smiled as he climbed into his car, pulling up the website on his phone and copying the address into his GPS. He started up his car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"I'm coming to get you, boy," he promised the air, "you belong to me."

And there we have it! Chapter 1! If y'all liked it, leave a review and tell what y'all thought! I love hearing suggestions and constrictive criticism from my readers so, review away! Y'all can even PM me if you want with any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms. Love y'all!

-storyspinner16