Same warnings as the previous chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Cisco called the police knowing that he would be punished, but his face hurt really badly, and his Mama always told him to call someone if he was in pain. Usually he would call Dante, or his mother, but Cisco was in a new place, with new people. Dante was staying somewhere else, and his Mama wasn't there. She wasーshe wasー

Cisco sobbed, curling in on himself and hiding the old phone he used to call 9-1-1, trying to block the memories of Mama from resurfacing and protecting himself at the same time.

His foster father, who said his name was Jerry (but Cisco thought he was lying), had come into the basement not five minutes before, and walked out of an adjoining room holding a metal pole, his face flushed in anger.

"Who were you talking to?" he growled, raising the pole, his grip tightening. Cisco flinched back.

"Myーmyself. I was talking to myself."

Jerry laughed, but it was not humorous. Cisco shivered.

"You should stop doing that, it's bad for your health."

Cisco looked at his shoes in shame, and tried not to look at the hidden phone by his feet.

"Do you understand?" Jerry suddenly yelled, and Cisco jumped.

"IーIー"

"Speak up!"

Jerry, Cisco assumed, had had enough of Cisco's attitude (but the child didn't actually know what he did wrong), and brought the pole down on Cisco's side harshly, making the boy cry out in pain.

"No, stop, I heard you! Please!" Cisco screamed, but the pole came down harder.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" Jerry responded, his smelly breath making Cisco more nauseous than he already was. Jerry swung again, and kicked Cisco with his hard boots.

After what felt like a million more swift hits and kicks, Cisco's head began to feel fuzzy, and the world seemed to tilt from where he laid, Jerry's body flickering in and out of his vision.

Cisco heard a loud noise come from above, and footsteps, but knew that it was a dream. It had to be. Because no one was coming to help him. Not Dante. Not Mama. Not even the police.

Sure, he called 9-1-1, but why would the police bother to help him? They were the ones that brought him to this home in the first place. They were the ones that left him to die.

But maybe that was best. Because then he would be able to see his Mama once again.

Cisco closed his eyes, and ignored the noise around him.

Joe ran up to the boy and let his fellow policemen cuff up Jerry Hadwin, the man they found beating the poor boy unconscious. One glance at his face and Joe recognized the kid as Cisco, and he tried not to panic. No no no no the kid had gone through too much already, and now this?

He put his fingers on Cisco's throat, searching for a pulse. There was one, but it was slow. The poor kid was covered in bruises, some already turning dark purple and black, and he was thin. Too thin for a kid his age. His eyes had dark circles under them, and red swelling was seen on his cheek.

"Hey, kid, you gotta open your eyes for me, okay, Cisco?" Cisco didn't respond, but his body curled in on itself slightly.

Medics swarmed around the boy, and quickly made Joe get out of the way.

"He's definitely got broken ribs." One said, gently feeling his chest. She pressed her hand near his mouth, something Joe didn't even think of, and gestured to another medic.

"Get me some oxygen, he isn't breathing!"

"We need to get him to the hospital right away!" Another said, and Joe backed away further, feeling guilt and worry sprout up in his stomach.

"Detective West, we need to go." A police officer said, gently pulling him away from the small boy. "There's a robbery we need to deal with, the medics have this situation handled."

Joe nodded and followed him out, wanting to forget about how he let the kid get hurt again.

The robbery was simple, a juvenile trying to steal cash out of a grocery store. It was dealt with quickly, and Joe returned to the station, his heart heavy.

It was the police's job to help people. He thought that Cisco was safe, but that wasn't true. He had been taken to a 'safe home' which wasn't safe at all. Joe thought that one of the worst things he'd seen was the poor boy hiding in the cabinet, but seeing Cisco unconscious and covered in injuries took the cake without a doubt. How could Joe have let this happen?

"Chyre!" Joe called, alerting his partner of his presence. Fred sighed and took a drink of coffee.

"What's up, West? Something wrong?"

"We got a 9-1-1 call tonight. From Cisco."

Fred's face took on a look of confusion.

"Who?"

Joe sighed, realizing that it was strange to remember victims names after over a month. But he guessed that Cisco Ramon's situation was bad enough that it stuck with Joe. Or maybe Joe felt connected to the boy somehow. No matter why Joe remembered the young kid, it appeared that Fred didn't.

"Cisco Ramon. He was the kid whose father killed himself and his wife, leaving Cisco in the cabinet?"

"Oh, right, that kid. He called 9-1-1? What was wrong?"

Joe sat down heavily. "His foster father is an alcoholic and hit him. A lot. When we got there….Fred, I don't know if the kid is going to make it, he's really badly hurt. The man was ruthless, the kid wasn't even breathing."

Fred looked shocked. "What? I was sure he was sent to a good home."

"Well he wasn't!" Joe snapped, and quickly placed his head in his hands, realizing that he lost his temper.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so upset. We were supposed to protect him."

Fred gripped Joe's shoulder. "It's okay, I get that you're mad. We, no, I, should've done better. I should've looked into the family's history when Child Services found him a home."

Joe looked up. "It's not your fault. May I ask why he didn't go live with his grandmother, though?"

"She refused to take him in. And there are no other surviving family members, so he'll have to go to another foster home after he recovers."

"Hopefully a better one."

Glancing at the clock, the detective frowned. "I have to head home, Barry and Iris must be waiting for me. They've probably already ordered the pizza for our movie night tonight."

Fred laughed, some of the tension leaving the room. "You have some good kids."

"Yea." Joe said with a smile. "I do."

Joe was pleasantly surprised to see his home completely spotless when he arrived, Barry and Iris standing at the door, both trying to suppress giggles.

"Wow, the house is clean, my kids are waiting for me to get home…" Joe started, hanging his coat. "I wonder what's going on?"

Barry smiled, and grabbed Joe's hand, leading him to the living room.

"We have a surprise for you!"

"A surprise?" Joe asked, and Iris gripped his other hand.

"Come on!"

Joe smiled when he saw not just pizza, but a pile of brownies on the coffee table, and the movie all ready to go.

"You guys made brownies?" Joe asked, and Iris nodded.

"But," Barry said, grabbing the plate and holding it up to Joe. "We had some help from the neighbor!"

Joe laughed, knowing that the neighbor they were referring to was an older lady who loved spoiling the two of them.

"That's great, these look amazing!" He took a bite, and was surprised to find that it tasted quite good.

"Barry did most of the work, but I ordered the pizza!" Iris said victoriously, and Joe wrapped her in a hug.

"You did great, baby girl. Both of you did incredible, I'm proud of you."

Barry sat down, bringing the pile of brownies with him. "We noticed you were sad and wanted to cheer you up."

Joe's smile faltered.

"Yea, Dad, it's a bit obvious something is bothering you" Iris said solemnly, and Joe sighed.

"There's just something going on at the station, but it will be fine. I promise."

The two began to smile once again, and Joe couldn't help but imagine Cisco enjoying life with them, but pushed the thought away. There was no way he could adopt Cisco, it was enough work for him to take in Barry, he couldn't possibly handle another kid who would need therapy.

Joe tried to tell himself this, but felt guilt suffocate him once again. He had to do more. He had to make sure that Cisco was safe. He may not adopt him, no, he definitely wouldn't do that, but he had to make the kid feel happy.

Cisco had never smiled in all of the time Joe knew him, and Joe wanted to change that.

That night, Joe tucked Barry into bed, and the young boy looked up at him with bright eyes.

"Joe?" he asked, and the older man smiled, sitting down on the bed.

"Yes, Barry?"

"Can you tell us what's going on? With your job?"

"I wish I could, but I don't think that now is the best time."

"Please?" Barry used the puppy dog eyes he used very rarely, but Joe wouldn't break.

"Why do you want to know so bad?"

"Because I want to help." Barry responded, and Joe's heart melted. How Barry could have been through so much pain and still be this caring was beyond Joe's understanding.

"Barry, that's very kind. Thank you."

"So, can I help?"

Joe glanced around the room, thinking. Could Barry help Cisco without knowing the situation?

Well, Cisco was a kid, so maybe he would like some of the things that Barry had. Cisco had to recover in the hospital, so he might want books or something, right? To keep himself busy?

"Actually, could I borrow some of your books? It would help a lot."

Barry's face brightened, and he jumped out of bed, running to his bookshelf.

He removed a couple of his books, most of which Joe knew were his favourites, and handed it to the older man.

"Take these."

"But, Barry, these are your favourites. Do you really want to let me take these?"

Barry nodded.

"If they are my favourites, whoever is going to read them will like them too."

Joe laughed, looking at the books that Barry gave him. Space, Science, and some Dinosaur books. All of which were covered in nice pictures and interesting information.

"I'll take them, thank you."

Barry smiled and plopped back into bed.

"Anytime! And if you need anything else, I'll happily help out!"

Joe wrapped him in a hug.

"You're a good kid. Now get some rest, okay?"

Barry's head fell on his pillow, and Joe got up, turning off the lights. He glanced at the books once again, and hoped that Cisco would enjoy them as much as Barry did.

Joe had a day off the next day, so he let himself into the Central City Hospital. After finding the room where Cisco was recovering, a nurse exited the room, a bit shocked that someone was there.

"Are you looking for a room, sir?"

Joe smiled. "Actually, I'm here to see Cisco. I was a police officer at the scene where he was hurt last night."

She nodded in understanding. "You can see him, if you want, he just woke up from a nap."

"How is he doing?"

"Fine. In pain, but it's expected. He had a couple of broken ribs, a bruised lung, and many small cuts and bruises. A minor concussion too, so he can't watch any TV. He may find it hard to concentrate as well."

"How is he doing emotionally?"

"He's very upset, but he's trying to stay strong. He's also really jumpy around strangers, and doesn't want anyone touching him. A therapist came in earlier today, but it appeared that it didn't help him at all, the session only made him more upset." She glanced back at the door.

"I'm not a psychiatrist, but he needs to recover in a safe space, and I don't think therapy will help at all until he has a good home."

Joe nodded. "I agree. We're going to try and find a kind family to take him in."

"Good." She opened the door for the man, and Joe stepped in, putting a smile on his face.

Cisco laid in the hospital bed, a too-big medical shirt on his thin body. An IV was hooked up to his arm, and he glanced at Joe with curiosity.

"Hey, kid. Remember me?"

Cisco nodded, and Joe made his way to the bed, sitting on a nearby chair.

"How are you feeling?"

Cisco cast his eyes to the bedsheets, not looking Joe in the eyes.

"Fine."

Joe tried to place his hand on Cisco's shoulder, but he flinched away.

"Cisco, I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

"That's what they said, when they took me to Jerry." Cisco mumbled, and Joe's heart broke.

"I'm sorry that they were wrong, but they never wanted to hurt you intentionally."

Cisco sniffed, and Joe realized that he was holding back tears.

"But he did hurt me. And I'm so sore!"

"I know. I may not be able to take the pain away, but I can promise you that Jerry is never going to hurt you again."

Cisco picked at the sheets, "Never?"

"Never. You're safe now."

Cisco visibly relaxed a bit, and lightly touched a bruise on his arm.

Joe placed a hand on Cisco's shoulder, thankful that the boy didn't flinch away, and hoped that Cisco was beginning to trust him.

"How can I help you, Cisco?"

His small body began to shake with sobs. "I want Mama. I want to go home."

Joe knew what to do, often Barry would ask for his parents when he was upset, even still, over one year after his mother's murder.

"What did your Mama do when you were upset?"

"Sheーshe would give me a hug and let me cry as much as I wanted." Cisco stated, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Papa didn't like it, but that's what she would do."

"Cisco, I'm not your mom, but can I give you a hug? You don't have to try and be strong around me, I want to help you. As long as I'm here you can do whatever you want."

Cisco nodded, and Joe leaned over and wrapped him in a hug. Cisco didn't move, but eventually he let the tears he tried to hide flow freely, and he buried himself into Joe's shoulder, wrapping his small arms around the older man's body. Joe rubbed his back comfortingly, and held onto the small boy until Cisco pulled away himself, his eyes red from all of the crying.

Cisco looked into Joe's eyes, the tears still visible, but looked at the older man with a little bit of trust, and hope. Joe held onto his shoulder, not wanting to make the boy feel alone.

"Do you need anything else?"

"We...we played a game when we met." He said softly after a moment, and Joe leaned closer to hear him.

He gave a small smile when he heard those words, remembering that he used a game to get Cisco out of the cabinet. "We did. And I promised you that you could tell me to do anything and I would."

"Couldーcould you promise to never hurt me?"

Joe knew at that moment how badly Cisco had been hurt. He was terrified to fully trust people, and needed a promise to feel safe. Joe would do anything in his power to make this kid trust him completely. He had to.

"Kid, I promise with every breath in my body, I will never hurt you. You can trust me."

The boy gave him a small smile, and Joe's heart overflowed with joy. He was smiling. It was a small one, sure, but Joe felt a swell of pride that the kid managed to become a bit happier despite everything that happened to him.

"Thank you."

Joe smiled, " Anytime, Cisco. I brought some books for you, do you want to read them?"

Cisco tentatively looked at the bag that Joe had brought with him, and Joe took the books out, showing Cisco the covers.

"These are my son's books, but he wants you to borrow them."

Cisco cocked his head and pointed to the space one. Joe handed it to him, and Cisco brightened, opening the book with eagerness.

Joe gave a small laugh, and got up.

"I'm going to go get some coffee, but I'll be back soon."

Cisco nodded, but kept his eyes trained on the book, not paying attention to the older man as he left.

Ten minutes later, Joe walked back into the room, and frowned when he saw Cisco stare at the book in confusion and pain.

"The words are a bit blurry." Cisco stated, and Joe bit his lip, remembering that the poor boy had a small concussion.

"Do you want me to read it to you?"

"Yes, please." Cisco said hesitantly, and Joe nodded, giving him a warm smile.

Joe gently took the book from Cisco's grasp and began to read, pretending to focus on the book, but in reality was watching Cisco from the corner of his eye.

The boy nestled himself into the bed, and looked at the ceiling, a small smile on his face, as if he were imagining the stars Joe was reading about right above him. Which, Joe knew, were above him.

Cisco's breathing calmed down, and he was obviously trying to stay awake. Eventually, Cisco's eyes fluttered closed, and Joe smiled, setting the book down when it was clear that the kid was fast asleep.

It was at that moment that Joe saw Cisco not as a random kid that needed him, but as his son.

I'm hoping to update by Thursday or Friday. How are you guys liking it so far? Do you have a favourite scene yet? I personally love all of the interactions with Joe and Cisco, and young Barry is just too cute!