AN: Hey guys, I know it's been a while, but here you go...The next part in the story.
When Joey and Craig got to the house Angie ran straight into his arms. Craig picked her up and held her tight. Right now, he never wanted to let her go.
"I missed you Craig!" She giggled into his shoulder.
"I missed you to Ang. More than you know."
Emma walked up to them. "Hey Craig are you alright?"
He nodded. "I'm fine."
"Thanks for watching Ang, Emma." Joey said.
"Oh, no problem. I've gotta go though. Mom's holding dinner for me."
Emma grabbed her book bag off the chair and headed for the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school Craig. By Joey."
"See ya later Emma," Joey said. "And thanks again."
Emma nodded and left the house.
Joey sighed and turned back to Craig. He was still hugging Angela.
"Ang baby why don't you go in your room and play for a while. I need to talk to Craig."
She lifted her head of Craig's shoulder causing her curls to bounce around her angelic face. She put her lip out and pouted. It was heartwrenching to Joey.
"None of that. You can play with Craig when we're done talking."
Angela sighed heavily. A little overdramatically. "Ok."
Craig set her down and she walked up the stairs to her room. Once Angie was out of earshot Joey turned to Craig.
"What in the HELL were you thinking?" Joey yelled.
Craig's jaw dropped. He knew Joey would be upset, but he didn't think he would out and out yell at him.
"Joey I..."
Joey put up a hand to stop him and Craig shut his mouth. Joey sighed.
"I don't mean to yell," he said more calmly. "But you scared me, Craig. You willingly got into that mans car, knowing how he is."
"I.. I thought I owed it to him. I mean he's my father. He said that the courts had given him permission to see me again."
"You don't owe him anything, Craig. Not a damn thing. If anything HE owes YOU! He hit you, he abused you! Why would you think you owed him anything?" Joey asked astonished.
Craig wrapped his arms around himself, hugging tightly. "Sometimes I think I made him do it. I never did what he asked me. He told me to stay away from you and Angela, but I couldn't!" His voice was becoming desperate. "Especially Ang! I mean Joey I love her more than anything in this world! Everything he told me not to do, I did!"
Joey took a step towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Craig nothing you did, NOTHING, gave him the right to hurt you the way he did. NOTHING, do you understand?"
Craig looked up to Joey with tear filled eyes.
"Then why did he do it?"
Joey sighed heavily. "Your dad has a problem Craig. It's not something he meant to do, but it's not something he can control. He needs help and the courts are seeing to it that he gets that help."
Craig pulled away from him and turned around. "That's why mom left."
"What are you talking about?"
"N..nothing. Nevermind."
"Craig.."
"Joey please, don't push this." Craig said, his voice cracking. He still refused to turn around and look at his step father.
Joey truly wanted to know what Craig was talking about. He hadn't expected him to bring his mother into the converstation. That was actually the furthest thing from his mind. Still, he didn't want to push him. It might make things worse.
"All right. Just promise me you will not go with your father again without talking to me first."
Craig nodded. "I promise. I'm going to go lay down for a while. I'm kind of tired after everything."
"Go ahead. I'll check on you later." Joey felt strange talking to Craig's back, but he decided to let it be. The kid had been through a lot today. He didn't need to be hassled anymore.
Craig half walked, half ran up the stairs. Joey stood there until he heard the bedroom door close. He wanted to know what Craig was talking about. He didn't push the issue tonight, but tomorrow was another day and he would find out what the kid was talking about.
~~End
I'll get the next part up ASAP for now please review
When Joey and Craig got to the house Angie ran straight into his arms. Craig picked her up and held her tight. Right now, he never wanted to let her go.
"I missed you Craig!" She giggled into his shoulder.
"I missed you to Ang. More than you know."
Emma walked up to them. "Hey Craig are you alright?"
He nodded. "I'm fine."
"Thanks for watching Ang, Emma." Joey said.
"Oh, no problem. I've gotta go though. Mom's holding dinner for me."
Emma grabbed her book bag off the chair and headed for the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school Craig. By Joey."
"See ya later Emma," Joey said. "And thanks again."
Emma nodded and left the house.
Joey sighed and turned back to Craig. He was still hugging Angela.
"Ang baby why don't you go in your room and play for a while. I need to talk to Craig."
She lifted her head of Craig's shoulder causing her curls to bounce around her angelic face. She put her lip out and pouted. It was heartwrenching to Joey.
"None of that. You can play with Craig when we're done talking."
Angela sighed heavily. A little overdramatically. "Ok."
Craig set her down and she walked up the stairs to her room. Once Angie was out of earshot Joey turned to Craig.
"What in the HELL were you thinking?" Joey yelled.
Craig's jaw dropped. He knew Joey would be upset, but he didn't think he would out and out yell at him.
"Joey I..."
Joey put up a hand to stop him and Craig shut his mouth. Joey sighed.
"I don't mean to yell," he said more calmly. "But you scared me, Craig. You willingly got into that mans car, knowing how he is."
"I.. I thought I owed it to him. I mean he's my father. He said that the courts had given him permission to see me again."
"You don't owe him anything, Craig. Not a damn thing. If anything HE owes YOU! He hit you, he abused you! Why would you think you owed him anything?" Joey asked astonished.
Craig wrapped his arms around himself, hugging tightly. "Sometimes I think I made him do it. I never did what he asked me. He told me to stay away from you and Angela, but I couldn't!" His voice was becoming desperate. "Especially Ang! I mean Joey I love her more than anything in this world! Everything he told me not to do, I did!"
Joey took a step towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Craig nothing you did, NOTHING, gave him the right to hurt you the way he did. NOTHING, do you understand?"
Craig looked up to Joey with tear filled eyes.
"Then why did he do it?"
Joey sighed heavily. "Your dad has a problem Craig. It's not something he meant to do, but it's not something he can control. He needs help and the courts are seeing to it that he gets that help."
Craig pulled away from him and turned around. "That's why mom left."
"What are you talking about?"
"N..nothing. Nevermind."
"Craig.."
"Joey please, don't push this." Craig said, his voice cracking. He still refused to turn around and look at his step father.
Joey truly wanted to know what Craig was talking about. He hadn't expected him to bring his mother into the converstation. That was actually the furthest thing from his mind. Still, he didn't want to push him. It might make things worse.
"All right. Just promise me you will not go with your father again without talking to me first."
Craig nodded. "I promise. I'm going to go lay down for a while. I'm kind of tired after everything."
"Go ahead. I'll check on you later." Joey felt strange talking to Craig's back, but he decided to let it be. The kid had been through a lot today. He didn't need to be hassled anymore.
Craig half walked, half ran up the stairs. Joey stood there until he heard the bedroom door close. He wanted to know what Craig was talking about. He didn't push the issue tonight, but tomorrow was another day and he would find out what the kid was talking about.
~~End
I'll get the next part up ASAP for now please review
