Chapter 2: The Incident.
Sebastian's POV (eleven years old)
Our Tap dancing class ended early one afternoon. I was hanging around with my best friend Claire. She lives just across the block from my house. Then Claire's older brother came around the corner laughing with his friends.
"Hey Allen!" Tony Woodward said. "Your brother is a freak."
"What are you talking about, you barely know my brother." I said.
"Well, he was bad mouthing us after we started to beat up little Johnny."
"Why are you beating up Johnny?" I demanded "He didn't do anything to you."
"Well, he wasn't cool."
"And you are?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I glared at the taller boy who tried to size me up. "Now what did you do to my brother?"
"I may have beat him up a little." He said offhandedly. "Do you one some of your own."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"And why is that?"
"Unless you want Madam Andrews that you cheated in that last Math test."
"What are you a tattle tale."
"No." I said calmly. "But a few bruises and scrapes would cause some questions. I could perhaps slip that someone wanted me to help him cheat in a few exams. And perhaps get said person held back a few more years."
"What if I beat you up until you can't even talk, much less dance. Little ballerina."
"Then you do have a death wish." I said I stepped closer to the head bully and glared at him. "So unless you want to spend the rest of your short childhood in the slammer. I suggest you leave me and my brother alone."
"And how do you think you can do that?"
"I have connections that you don't know about." I said with a smirk and crossed arms. "So unless you and your little clique wants to spend the rest of your life in juvie. I suggest you leave me and my brother alone."
"Come on, guys." Tony said calling his friends away. Claire waved goodbye as her brother started to pull her away.
"Oh, and boys." I called causing some of them to turn. "I just want you to know, that wasn't a threat. It was a promise."
I snarled at the group who started to walk away. When I knew they wouldn't turn their back, I ran straight home.
"Barry!" I called opening the door. I found him with mom in the middle of the living room, mom was cleaning some of the dried blood and putting ice on bruises. I quickly went over to him and looked at the bruises on his face. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He said. "Tony his friends beat me up again."
"Don't worry, I'm here. I'm sorry I wasn't there." I said grabbing my brother in a hug. He groaned in pain from the tight hug. I loosened my hold but I didn't let him go.
"Don't blame yourself for this, Seb." Mom said. "I am glad you are both looking after each other. But you can't always be at each other's side. But you can always be there way you need him the most. That is what counts."
"I know." I said with a smile.
Dad came into the house. "I'm home."
"Barry got into a fight today." mom said and looked at the two of us. "And he won."
"Really?" dad asked. "Wait a go slugger."
Mom looked at him sternly and dad's expression changed. "Oh and uh, no more fighting."
They shared a kiss. Then me and Barry looked at each other and at our parents. Despite our crappy school lives, we were living a very normal and happy life.
That was until that one night…
Mom was checking on Barry's bruises while I was looking at them from my bed.
"Ouch."
"Your bruise is already healing." Mom said.
"It still hurts though."
"Not for much longer."
"Don't worry, Barry." I chimed in sleepily. "After it heals up, you can be your charming self again. Maybe enough to charm Iris."
Barry chuckled at me while mom just shook her head with a smile on her face. She tucks Barry in like she did with me and kisses him on the forehead.
"I'll keep the light on for you." Mom said.
"Were you ever afraid of the dark?" Barry asked.
Mom thought for a moment. "If I turn off this light now, would you be scared?"
Barry shook his head.
"That's because I'm here with you. See you're not afraid of the dark, Barry." Mom said. "You're afraid of being alone in the dark. And that goes away when you realize something. You're never really alone."
"Yeah," I said. "Cus you have me just across the room."
Mom and Barry chuckled. Dad came in.
"Bed time." He said.
"I'm thirsty." Barry said teasingly.
"And I need to go to the bathroom." I said getting off the bed. Causing both my parents and my brother to laugh. I did my business in the bathroom and went back into the room. I hugged my parents good night and went back to my bed.
"You can turn off the lights." Barry said looking at me with a smile. I smiled back at him.
Mom and dad smiled at the both of us and they closed the lights.
I was about to enter the land of nod when I felt the bed dip. I scooted over the side as Barry lay beside me. I opened one eye and see him staring back at me.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said. "Tony didn't bother me today. And Iris told me that Claire said you said something to them to back off?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because, I'm your big brother." I said wrapping my arm around him.
"By two minutes."
"Either way, I would do anything I can to make sure you're safe." I said. "Now go to sleep."
"I love you, Bas."
"Love you too, Bear."
~()~
I could hear Barry screaming for mom. I woke up and sat on my bed. I looked around. The aquarium's water was floating and Barry was still screaming downstairs in distress.
I quickly went down the stairs only to find Barry sweeped away.
"Barry!" I ran down the last flight of stairs. Dad was trying to fight this vibrating man in a yellow suit. He fell unconscious. And I stood there in fright.
The vibrating man stood in front of my mom as she screamed. The man in a yellow suit stabbed her in the heart.
The man in the yellow suit sped past the hallway and out of the house I leaned back to the wall. And I held my head in my hands.
"This can't be happening." I turned back into the scene. A man in a red suit was talking to mom.
"Get off her!" I exclaimed I tried to push him off and I got to my mom. Her eyes were glassy. She was gone.
"No." I cried. Tears were flowing down my face. The man in the red suit held my shoulders. I was suddenly in his arms. I could feel him crying too.
I looked up. The man didn't have a mask like the one in yellow. But it looked like his mask was pulled back. His eyes were puffy, but were a familiar color. I don't know why, but I knew I could trust him. Like I knew him.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am the Flash." He whispered.I was in his armsand was crying on his chest. "It's going to be alright, Sebby."
I don't know how he knew my name, but the grief was too much. I cried myself to sleep in his arms. Hoping it was all a dream.
~()~
I woke up with sirens.
I prayed it was all a dream. But I ran down the stairs, but the cops were pulling my dad out the door with handcuffs.
"Dad!"
"Don't go into the living room, Sebastian!" he exclaimed. "Don't worry about me!"
"Dad!" I exclaimed I followed the cops. "What's going on!"
"Dad!" I heard Barry exclaim. He entered the house. "What is going on, Sebby?"
"I don't know." I said honestly. We headed towards the living room where a tarp was covering a body. The events of what happened came rushing back. My mom's glassy eyes and her face pale. Just like the face of the person who was under the tarp that Barry had moved.
"Mom." He cried. "Mom!"
I was beside him holding my brother in my arms and we both cried. I could hear Joe grab us both from our mom's body. He held us both as we cried our grief. But I could never tell Barry what I saw, I could never tell him that I was there as I watched our mom get murdered.
~()~
Joe took us both into his home after our father was announced guilty. They didn't believe us. Either of us. I was there. I watched that vibrating yellow suited man stab my mother.
I was walking down the stairs when I overheard Joe and his partner Fred Chyre talking.
"I don't know about this Fred." Joe said. "I don't want to separate the twins. But I also don't know how I'll be able to handle three kids."
"Joe what happened to them was traumatic." Fred said. "Now more than ever they need someone to take care of them. To be a stable part of their life."
"I know." Joe said. "But I know that Henry and Nora wouldn't want the two boys to separate. Leaving them in foster care would really separate the two. Especially if we let the court handle the two."
I couldn't listen anymore. I started to climb the stairs and head to the room I share with Barry. Barry was out with Iris doing …well I really don't know what they're usually doing. I took out my old slightly beaten down superman wallet. It didn't hold any money. But inserted in one of the pockets was a calling card.
Alexander Smythe
Westernville, Ohio.
I don't want to leave Barry, I can't. But Joe can't keep us both here. And I know that Barry can't leave Iris behind. Especially after all this. I can see how Barry looks at Iris. He cant's just leave her. It'll break him. If we both end up in foster care, we'd both be separated. Unsure if we would even see each other.
I wiped the tears off my eyes. I have to be brave. I have to do this. For Barry.
I put on a brave face and went down the stairs.
I stood at the foot of the staircase and the two detectives stopped talking.
"Uh, Barry or Sebastian?" Fred asked.
"Seb." I said. "Joe, I need to talk to you."
"About what."
"I want to see my dad."
"Sebastian, I brought you and Barry to see your dad the other day, you know the reason why I can't let you do that." Joe said. "Henry told you himself."
"Just… please." I said drained. "Just this one last time, I won't bother you about this again. I promise."
Fred looked at Joe and shrugged.
"Alright." Joe relented taking his keys off the counter. "Let's go."
~()~
I asked Joe to wait outside the little room where people let visitors visit inmates. And when my dad came in, he was surprised to see me.
"Seb, what are you doing here." he asked. "And what are you doing here alone? Did you run away from Joe. Please tell me your…"
"Dad." I said solemnly. As he seated across me.
"How did you get here?"
"Joe brought me." I said. "I needed to talk to you."
"Tell me what, Bazzy?"
I smiled at the old nickname. Then I explained the situation. After everything he was silent.
"Seb, I didn't want this to happen to you. To either of you." He said honestly. "You shouldn't be worrying about this. You're eleven. You shouldn't be carrying all this weight on your shoulders."
"I know." I said. "But I am keeping a promise I made you and mom. I am keeping Barry safe."
I silently slide the calling card to him.
"I called Uncle Alex while you were in trial." I admitted. "He wanted to help. And he offered to help anyway he could."
"I don't understand."
I smiled sadly at him. "Central City is his home. Our home. but Barry… he has Iris. He has something stable here in Central City. If we take that away…"
"What are you saying?"
"Uncle Alex lives in Ohio." I said. "And he has a very unstable job where he travels to so much. I can't subject Barry to that."
"Seb, you don't have to keep thinking about Barry, you need to think of yourself for once. This is a big decistion."
"I want Barry to live with Joe." I said. "Joe can't take care of both of us. At least this way, Barry can still see you, and he could live a more or less normal life."
"And you?"
"Uncle Alex's wife always wanted to adopt." I said. "He offered to find me a home if things don't work out."
Dad looked at me seriously.
"I don't want you to do this." He said honestly. Then looking at me in the eye. "But it looks like you've already made up your mind."
I just gave him a small sheepish smile. He motioned for me to come over to his side.
He wrapped me in a hug.
"I love you, Sebastian." He said. "Don't ever forget that.
"I love you too, Daddy." I said my head resting on the crook of his neck. "I'll be okay. I promise."
~()~
I had already finished calling Uncle Alex making the arrangements when Barry found out.
"Bas?" he asked. "Please tell me it's not true."
Barry stood at the doorway looking at me sadly.
"Come here." I said sitting down on the bed. I grabbed my brother in a hug.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I have to."
"Why?" he asked. "We can both stay here with Joe he said so, we don't have to…"
"Barry, it's for the best." I said. "Joe can't take care of all three of us. And you and I both know we don't want to cause that much trouble to Joe."
Barry looked down. "I didn't think of that."
"Barry." I lifted his chin and looked at him in the eyes. "We're going to be okay. It's not like I'm gone. I'm still going to be here. Remember what mom said."
"We are never truly alone." he said with a small smile.
"Yeah." I said. "Barry, it doesn't matter where you and I are, you are always going to be my baby brother. And I am always going to be looking after you."
Barry launched himself at me in a hug again. "I just wish this didn't have to happen."
"I know, Barry." I said patting him at the back. "I wished that too."
The day came when I was to leave Central City. Uncle Alex finished some last minute papers back here in Central City and we were now headed to Ohio. We were at the airport with Joe, Iris and Barry.
"We're going to miss you around, Seb." Joe said. "Remember if you need anything…"
"I'll call." I reassured.
Suddenly I was hugged by a fluffy haired girl.
"I know we weren't all that close." Iris whispered into my ear. "But I'm going to miss you around the house. I've grown rather fond of the snarky Barry around the house."
I smiled cheekily at her. "We can always do our little talks on the phone."
"I'll look forward to that." She said. I was then face to face with my brother.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too." I said. hugging him tight. "Don't ever stop fighting for what's right."
"And you make sure you don't lose sight of who you are."
"I have to go." I said. I was about to enter through the gate where Uncle Alex was patiently waiting. I looked back at the three.
I was about to go through the gate when I stopped and ran back to my brother for one last hug.
"I love you Barry." I whispered into his ear. "Don't forget that."
"I won't" he reassured.
I then turned back and walked through the gate. Alone and not knowing where I'm headed to. But as long as my brother is fine, I know I will be.
Oookay after three fourths of a tissue roll and about- five hours and a headache I finished this :P
I couldn't stop crying while I wrote this. But I really wanted to write it. It's a bit fluffy and perhaps a bit OOC. But hey if this happened to me. I'd probably do something similar.
…So…
Please review :) so I know I wasn't the only one who cried at this…maybe…hopefully…hehe
