Author's Notes: Thanks to my friend keeping me up into the wee hours of the morning, I finished this one, too. Have fun! I'll be spending most of the day with my mom, so I'll update ASAP after we've had quality time.

Chapter 10

"Justice In Waiting"

Two Years Earlier

Leon combed quickly through his short brown hair, then threw on his jacket over his white shirt, and he was off. He didn't look like a foster agent, but they never said anything about fashion imposing on the job. Thus far, nobody had complained about his favorite leather jacket with the white fur lining, so he assumed his sense in clothes wasn't terrible.

He checked his folder of papers in the car, looking at his schedule. He was supposed to check in on Riku today. This one was a routine visit, unlike the common "hellos" and "I'm just dropping in for lunch" sort of things he did with Tidus. Tidus, he was different. Leon enjoyed Tidus; he was a nice kid. Riku, however, Leon could sometimes do without. A bit too rebellious for his tastes. Had been a major headache when he was staying at the agency.

There were two reasons why he did not have any visits other than business ones with Riku. One, Riku wasn't especially favored to him. Two, he was concerned it would invoke some sort of wrath in his new foster father.

Leon tried not to grasp the steering wheel too tightly as he drove to Bastion County, thinking about Ansem. Ansem Atercor…he was a man that was making it very hard for Leon to stay steady with his job. Ansem had been fostering children from the Lindblum Orphanage and Fostering Agency for years, but something just didn't sit right with Leon. Most parents wouldn't come back to the same agency twice when fostering a child. If it were any other way, Leon remained unaware of it. So years ago—when Leon was twenty-three and had begun working for Lindblum—Ansem returned a little ten-year-old girl to them, then came back for an eleven-year-old boy, and Leon felt a pang of concern.

First, because Ansem continuously consulted their agency for several years. Second, because all of the children always had the same excuse for coming back. "Mister Ansem is a very nice man," they always said, "But I don't get along with the neighbors well." Leon didn't like hearing the repetition; it was always said with a tone he could almost pinpoint as trauma. Fear. They were scared of Ansem. What was he doing to them?

It made Leon so angry!

He had tried time and again to make some of Ansem's past charges speak to him, but whenever he mentioned it, they only reiterated themselves. The same worn-out excuse from all of them. Some tried to deviate, but Leon wasn't fooled. Something very wrong was going on within the confines of Ansem's house. He just needed to find out what. His protective tendencies towards the little ones wanted Leon to just barge into Ansem's house and tear it apart until he found the source of such terrors, or to refuse Ansem the right to foster children from the Lindblum Agency. He just wanted to cut that bastard off from his little supply and punch him in the face. How dare he hurt these children, especially so young!

But if he did that, Leon would lose his job. And he much preferred to keep it.

Thus he was torn. He wanted to either remain helping the children as best as possible, and pray Ansem didn't take another, or he wanted to maul him for the atrocities Leon was certain he was doing. Surely, it was no mere coincidence that all these children always came back so horrified when they were returning from Ansem. None of the other children from the other parents were ever like that. Only with Ansem. There had to be something he was doing. Leon was beginning to suspect (and this increased his anger tenfold) that the sick bastard was a pedophile. For months he wrestled with the thought, and then finally he believed it. What else could it be?

Thus, when Ansem picked Riku out from the bunch, Leon fought with himself for several minutes before he finally sighed and silently handed over Riku's papers. Signing him over to a life of rape and terror. Leon went home that night and put a new dent in his kitchen wall.

When he drove up to Ansem's house on Twilight Terrace, Leon steeled himself as he got out of the car and knocked. When Ansem answered the door, smiling and staring at him with deceiving hazel eyes, Leon only nodded curtly.

"Ah, Leon. Today is the day, I suppose?"

"That's what I have written," Leon grunted.

"Well, I won't keep you, then. Come on in." Ansem stepped aside, and Leon moved swiftly past him. Look as smug as you'd like, Leon thought, One of these days I'm going to catch you.

"Riku's been very good. He's quite a pleasant young boy."

Leon shuddered when his brain picked up on the double entendre, and he tried desperately to ignore it, gripping his folder until his fingers and knuckles were white.

"Hmm," was his reply.

"Although, he did get into a fight with someone at school the other day. He's learned his lesson, though. I made sure of that."

More tight gripping of his folder.

"He was grounded for it."

Leon almost wanted to whirl around and stare at Ansem in horror—God only knows what being grounded meant in this home. But he resisted the urge and just looked around the house, mostly trying to look for any signs of abuse, anything sexual that might have been used to hurt Riku. Any plain evidence. But Ansem was a clean old fucker, and his house looked as abuse-free as any normal family home.

"Is there some reason why you're searching my house, Leon?" Ansem asked.

"I'm not searching. Just observing." Leon said indifferently. "Your house is nice."

Ansem smiled. "Thank you. I try to clean up often."

I'm sure, Leon hissed in his mind. Wouldn't want evidence of your sick fantasies showing up, would we?

"So where is Riku right now?"

"He's upstairs," Ansem smiled and pointed to the stairs, "I'm surprised you couldn't tell with his music blaring out the speakers."

Leon paused and listened. Indeed, he could hear music quite clearly. Wasn't that Metallica playing?

"May I go see him?"

"Of course. That's the reason you came, isn't it?"

Again a noncommittal grunt from the brunet before he headed up the stairs. Ansem followed him, and Leon wished he would just go downstairs and wait. Hadn't the bastard violated Riku enough?

When they reached the top of the steps and got to Riku's room, the noise was almost deafening. Leon tried knocking. "Riku?" he shouted. "Riku, it's Leon."

For a while, the blaring Metallica songs continued, before it was cut off. Finally. Ansem smiled at Leon. "He's such a nice boy." He repeated.

"Hmm," grunted Leon. The doorknob turned and the door itself opened up. Looking up at him, wearing not much else besides an oversized t-shirt and jeans, was Riku Lockheart. His eyes were a little distant, glazed, and his face was emotionless. Leon wasn't normally a sap and he didn't often show his emotions, but he felt his heart get crushed in his chest. Riku looked so submissive. It wasn't the same. He'd been different before Ansem had taken him. This was so unnatural.

"Hey." Riku mumbled.

"Good afternoon, Riku." Leon leaned down a bit. "May I come in and talk?"

Riku looked at Ansem, almost like he needed his permission. Leon frowned. Was he going to get another rehearsed discussion? He hated those so much. They never gave him any information!

Ansem nodded his head, and Riku turned aside for Leon to walk in, which he did. "Sure," Riku said quietly, shutting the door behind them. Leon went over and sat on Riku's bed. It seemed like it would barely fit the boy.

Riku walked over and joined him, his hands folded in his lap, his listless eyes turned down under short locks of silver hair that were an inch above his shoulders. When Riku didn't engage the conversation, Leon supposed he would have to.

"So, how are things going between you and Ansem?"

Riku stared at his fingers. "Things are going well," he said, his tone without emotion. Leon tilted his head.

"Do you like it here?"

"I love it here."

"You're not having any problems?"

Riku fidgeted a little. "Not at all." Still the same uncaring tone. Still the same blank eyes. Leon was getting a little frustrated.

"How is school? Ansem told me you got into a fight with one of the kids."

Riku fell silent for a while. "…He started it," was what he mumbled. Then his fingers began to creep over to Leon's folder.

Leon blinked, not sure what to do. He glanced from Riku's hand to Riku himself, and Riku glanced up at him with pleading eyes. "Please keep talking," said his lips, but the sound was mute.

"Er…" Leon faltered only a moment. "From what it sounds like, you were the one who started up the whole scuffle."

Riku's fingers took the pen from Leon's hands that he was holding and he turned, suddenly advancing on Leon in a way the brunet hadn't expected. "I didn't start it. He punched me, and I punched back, that's all." He faced Leon now, leaning him back a little, and all Leon could do was just to follow along in surprise as Riku uncapped the pen.

"And besides that…nothing?"

Riku slowly lifted Leon's t-shirt, and Leon turned a little red. He wasn't expecting Riku to do something like this, but he was certain the boy wasn't going to molest him. Instead, as it turned out, he began to write something on his stomach.

"Not a thing."

Leon was quiet for a while. "…I see," he murmured. "Um…well…" it was hard to talk, because his stomach tickled. "If you need anything, you know you can always call me."

"I doubt I'll have to," Riku dismissed, making a clear period-mark on Leon's skin. Riku leaned over and gave Leon's stomach a silent kiss, his tongue flitting into the brunet's navel. Leon pushed him away then and quickly tugged his shirt down, standing up and brushing himself off. What had he written? He couldn't read it, even looking down when Riku was writing it.

"Then I suppose we're done here. Well, that was short."

"Our talks are always short."

Leon nodded absently and Riku opened the door for him. Now Leon knew why Riku had done that writing so discreetly. Ansem was staring him right in the face when the door opened up.

Good Lord, is there no end to his stalking intrusion?

"So that's all for today." Ansem stated.

Leon shifted. "I suppose so," he grunted. "Call me if anything comes up. I'll be glad to help."

"We'll keep that in mind," Ansem told him. "You have a nice day, Leon."

"Yeah, have a nice day." Riku echoed. Leon frowned, but he just nodded to the two of them and left.

As he drove home, he grumbled in frustration. Well, that had been uneventful! Nothing new, no information at all. Except…unless Riku had written something on his stomach?

When Leon got home, he lifted up his shirt and stared at it, frowning. It wasn't legible. He couldn't read it! What was the point in writing a message that he couldn't read? He gave Riku credit for effort, but surely he was't stupid. How could he write all of the letters backwards?

Then it clicked.

Wait a minute…!

Leon rushed into his bathroom and pulled off his jacket and shirt, staring at himself in the mirror. There it was! The message reflected legibly in the mirror! You're not bad, Riku!

He didn't like what was written there, though.

PLEASE HELP ME.

That's it? That's ALL?

This didn't help him one bit!

Once again disgruntled, Leon kicked his clothes into a corner of the bathroom and went to sulk in front of the computer. Messages for help were no solid evidence. They were heresay. He needed more than that. Riku wasn't giving it to him.

I want to help you, Riku, please know that I do, he prayed silently, But I can't do anything when you're feeding me crumbs! I need the whole loaf of bread!

Leon just sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Riku, please, give me something solid. I need something to go off of.

Present Day

Leon stared at the computer screen blankly.

RiddlezindaMiddlez: did u get the info u needed to help that kid?

He'd told his friend about it a while ago. It had bugged him that much. He shook his head and exhaled deeply, takking away on the keyboard.

GrieversKeepers: no.

RiddlezindaMiddlez: thats too bad, I'm sorry.

GrieversKeepers: he's living on a wing and a prayer…

GrieversKeepers: …

GrieversKeepers: or a prayer at least

RiddlezindaMiddlez: it sux that you can't do anything.

Leon knew that. He knew that very, very well.