Hey everyone. Well that last chapter shocked people didn't it? 'Sticks out tongue and grins evilly'. I've had a rotten last couple of days so be nice to me! Lol!

Shoutouts - Girlie G: Lol. Thanks. Jnr Cpl Scarlett: Ha ha! That one made me laugh! And thanks for the 'happy examing', although to be honest they've gone right out of my head! nikki-browneyes: Cheers! Will do my best! garnetred: Thanks. Here's your update. CamFan4Ever: I find that hard to believe lol. I can't make any promises either, you'll have to read on to find out! eliseredding: Lol! Glad you enjoyed it. Ukume: Naughty naughty you'll get caughty! Glad to know my story is more important that school lol! Crimson-Ranger: Pft! You're impossible! music nimf: No Phil wasn't incinerated lol. Though that could have been good... No, you'll find out why not this chapter! RayvnOwl: Yes yes. Evil it is!

Big thanks to everyone. Love all the feeback. And now... on with the story!

Aftermath

Hunter stood staring at the body of his stepfather, all the remaining colour drained from his face. It had all happened so fast. The clouds outside had disappeared as quickly as they had appeared and an eerie silence had descended.

Blake got shakily to his feet, pushing away Shane's helping hands, and went over to his brother. "Hunter?" he said, putting a hand tentivly on his shoulder.

"It's over," Hunter whispered, his legs collapsing beneath him. The strain of controlling and then releasing all that power had sapped all his strength, and mentally he was shattered.

Shane bent over Phil, then straightened up. "We need to call an ambulance."

"What?" Blake looked at him as if he was crazy.

"He's dead Blake, and Hunter killed him. I'm not saying that's a bad thing but it's against the law. Hunter's in serious trouble, unless you let me handle this."

"Why? What do you know about this sort of thing?" Blake asked.

"My dad's a lawyer and my mum's a doctor. Trust me, I can sort this out."

Blake nodded and Shane went and called an ambulance. It arrived very quickly, followed closely by a police car.

"Did you call the police as well?" Blake asked. Hunter was still out of it, staring at nothing.

Shane shook his head, "I didn't bro but your neighbours might have. You were making one hell of a noise."

The paramedics arrived and Phil was officially pronounced dead. A policeman talked for a few minutes with one of the medics before going over to the three boys.

"Who was he?" he asked.

"He was Phil Robinson, Hunter's stepfather." Shane answered.

The policeman shot a glance at where Blake was speaking softly to his brother, trying to reassure him. "Maybe you could tell me what happened here Mr, uh…"

"Clark," Shane replied. "Hunter's stepfather came over trying to get Hunter to move back home. Hunter refused and there was a fight. Then Phil just collapsed."

"Just like that?" the policeman asked sceptically.

"Yes," Shane said, looking him straight in the eye, "Just like that."

"Well I need to have a word with Mr. Robinson to hear his version of events…"

"Bradley," Blake looked up at the policeman. "His last name's Bradley; he's my adopted brother. He hasn't been called Robinson for years."

The policeman paused. There was clearly more to this than he had first thought. "I'll be right back."

He returned ten minutes later with an elder, plain-clothed man who was clearly an Inspector.

"The dead man's name is Phil Robinson?" he asked Shane.

"Yes sir."

"He had a step-son called Hunter?"

Again Shane nodded to confirm it.

The Inspector glanced at Hunter and a strange expression crossed his face. "He's grown up."

"Sir?" the first policeman asked, puzzled.

"About eight years ago I worked on a child abuse case in Mariner Bay. It was the worst thing I'd ever seen in my life. The parents were sent down and the boy adopted. I never knew what happened to him until today." He smiled, "I don't think there's any need to pursue this case any further. The paramedics say Mr. Robinson died of a heart attack, nothing suspicious. Right now Mr. Bradley is in shock and I recommend he sees the medics to get checked over." Then, so quietly Shane and Blake weren't quite sure if they really had heard him, he muttered, "The man was evil; he deserved everything he got."

Hunter looked up at that, recognition dawning on his face. The Inspector nodded at him and left.

"Come on," Shane said, together with Blake helping Hunter to his feet. "Let's get you seen to."

Still in a shocked daze, Hunter allowed himself to be led downstairs to where the ambulance was waiting.

xxx

Hunter was sitting on the steps at the back of the ambulance after being patched up when Phil's body was brought down on a stretcher. A woman ran forward crying – Maggie.

Hunter's heart lurched as he saw his mother in tears over the death of a man who had treated him so cruelly.

A paramedic and a policeman were trying to talk to her, but she ignored them and made her way over to Hunter. He stood shakily as she reached him.

"What did you do to him?" she yelled through her tears before he could speak.

"Nothing, I did nothing," Hunter said, shrinking back from the fury in his mother's eyes.

"You killed him," she shrieked. "Murderer. You should be arrested…"

"Mrs. Robinson, your husband died of a heart attack," the paramedic tried to calm her.

"He was healthy before he came here," Maggie sobbed, "That boy did something to him."

Even though he knew that was true, Hunter was still shocked that his mother would think something like that about him, "Mum…"

There was a resounding 'crack' as Maggie slapped Hunter across the face. "Don't ever call me that again," she hissed. "I have no son – he is dead." With those words she dissolved into floods of tears and was helped into the ambulance with her husband's body. It drove away, leaving Hunter standing there, numb. Blake put his arm around his brother's shoulders and led him back inside. Both were stunned by what, and how quickly, things had happened. Phil was gone for good, but was that going to make things any better?