I have yet another chapter done. I was sad myself when I wrote most of it so it will probably show but otherwise, it's another chilling detail of Martin's home life as I percieve it. Enjoy.

Chaper 7: In Need Of A Hero

The house was more like a mansion in the middle of a vast field filled with wild flowers and had a lake beside it. Infact, it looked perfect to a strangers eye, but for Martin it was far from perfect. It was like a mask that hid the families true nature. Sure, between Diana and himself, things were fine. The arugeing was just there way that they showed that they cared. Now Martin and his father, that was a far different story and had a far less better ending. It wasn't some fairy tale where everything was okay, and it wasn't like tv where the people made up and got back together.

There were times when Martin wished he could have a good father son relashionship with his father, but his father's anger and resentment toward his own ideals seemed to keep them back. That's why Martin remained quiet and hidden in the corner of the room while his father talked about his digs and used words Martin couldn't hope to comprehend. He was smart, sure, but not as smart as Diana, who seemed to understand what her father was talking about. She was a lively part of the conversations but as much as he understood that this is where she belonged, he knew he didn't belong and would usually leave the room to go some place and play a video game or research something paranormal. After his father would usually yell at him for leaving the room and ground him to his room for the night, angry at his son for humilating him in front of his peers again.

Martin's memory served as a painful outlet and let him see some of the more painful ordeals. His memory, in fact, traveled to one rather quickly.

Flashback

Martin had left the room but not before trying to talk to his father. He made his way over to him and touched his shoulder lightly. "Dad...may I please-"

"Not now Martin. I'm busy and you've just interupted me." Diana was at the buffet table, eating a few carrot sticks off her plate so she didn't notice her brother when his face turned down. Martin decided to leave the room but overheard one of his father's university friends talking about him. He hung back, in ear shot.

"Honestly, that boy of yours really should get some manners. I mean, look at his hair, it's so unruely and un-kept. At least he looked decent tonight, I fear the humiliation it would have caused you if he wore that horrible red suit again. It may not have been formal but...ugh! There is no hope for that boy. Send millitary school they'll get him ship shape. That's what I did with my boy, right to military school at the age of seven." Gerad Mystery nodded.

"I've been considering that myself. I don't know what to do with him. He's 14 years old and still acts like he's ten." The 14 year old Martin closed his eyes, stopping the flow of tears and turned it into a angry stare. Diana, in her purple dress watched him but she wasn't sure what to do. "He devotes himself to all things unrational and unexplained. I like this idea but he comes up with the most...what word would be good here, riddiculous ideas to explain things." Martin left the room, and Gerad noticed but would deal with it later.

Martin walked to his room, slammed the door and turned his video game system on. Martin changed into his pajamas around ten that night and watched the sky. He turned and faced the door when it opened. He saw his father standing there, watching him. He looked angry at Martin.

"Why did you leave? You just made me look bad in front of some of my closet friends." Martin looked away from his fater. "I'm disappointed in you. I don't want to hear a peep from this room for a least three days. You're grounded until then." Gerad Mystery then went about taking away all his video games, books, and other items that would keep his son busy. "Dinner will be brought to you. You have truely disappointed me tonight Martin."

"What about tucking me in?" Martin always enjoyed that from his father, but when his father looked at him coldly he knew he wouldn't be getting even a goodnight."

"You're old enough. You know how to do it yourself." His bedroom door was slammed shut leaving him feeling cold inside. He didn't even bother to cover himself up as he looked out the window. The door opened again but he didn't bother looking at who came in.

"Martin..." He looked up at the sound of Diana's voice. Her hair was pulled up in cute but neat pony tails at either side of her head and she was wearing a yellow night shirt with long sleeves and yellow pants with cats decorating and the bottom of them. "Are you okay?" Martin looked away and shivered but didn't bother covering himself up. "Martin..." Diana watched him worridly. He would slip into these little moments where he would ignore the people around him. He would catatonic from time to time, whenever his father had yelled at him. This was another catatonic moment.

End Flash back

Martin watched as they wheeled him up the ramp that had been built there to host a party for people to ride around in wheel chairs. It wasn't the best theme that his dad had come up, but he didn't say anything and just sat in the corner, watching everyone mingle. He felt it was an insult to joke about people who were in that predicament and refused to sit in one, prefering to stand. Diana had also refused but she didn't get into trouble for it. Martin had was wheeled toward his room, where Diana and M.O.M helped the teen pack.

"So, how does it feel to be back in this place. Looks as good as it ever did." Martin didn't respond, "Doesn't it look so perfect?" Diana gazed out the balcony in Martin's room. Diana smiled and let the cool breeze blow through her hair. "Martin..."

"Not everything is as perfect as it looks," Martin replied and was unresponsive after that. Diana and M.O.M tried to bring up subjects that would intrest him but it seemed that he had once again gone into a catatonic state of mind and wouldn't be out of it for a while. Each time these happened the time frame between going into one and getting out of one grew longer and longer. Martin hadn't had a moment like that in at least two years, but then again Martin chose to spend his summers at Torrington. Diana chose to stay with him for those two years and clearly saw the hurt when they had told their father.

Paranormal activity kept them busy for the most part during the summer, leaving them little to do in social activities. Their summers were generally fun though as they spent most of their time swimming, hiking and just hanging out with Java. Diana came back from her trip from memory central and watched her brother. He just sat there and his eyes had dulled again.

"Martin, lay down and get some sleep. Okay?" Martin nodded and lay down with his sisters help. He drifted into an unconscious state, his light breathing indicating that he was asleep. Diana looked at M.O.M and left the room. The raven haired woman shut the door before turned Diana around to face her. "It's not fair!" Diana all but screamed, "He's supposed to be happy..."

"I know he is." M.O.M replied, "We'll just have to help him with it. Let's try to make this as much fun for him as we can." Diana nodded, "Get some sleep yourself. You look like you haven't slept a wink for a week."

"I haven't, I've been surviving on coffee. Oh and dad says that your room is next to mine, so you might want to follow me. I hope you brought clothes other then centre uniforms."

"Of course." M.O.M replied and followed Diana. Diana entered her room once she showed M.O.M to hers and sank down on the bed and cried. She cried tears of pain for her brother and for her father and for how she felt it was her fault Martin had been shot. Her tears died down an hour later and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. She sat up twenty-four hours later with a scream. Her cheeks were wet from crying. She remembered her dream and how Martin had died from the gunshot wound. She held her hands close to her chest as it pounded angrily against it. Diana jumped when she heard a knock at her door. "Who is it?"

"M.O.M."

"Come in." Diana watched the door open. She was slightly surprised when she saw M.O.M in a long sleeved light green shirt and red pants. Her hair was held back with a red headband and she had on what looked like black shoes. "You look..."

"Good."

"Thinking more on the lines of different, but yeah, you look nice as well." M.O.M smiled and pulled Diana to her feet and threw her a pair of fresh clothes. "I better get dressed. Breakfast almost ready?"

"Yes. I was going to pick up Martin after I came to get you."

"Are you possesed again?"

"No...why?"

"You're WAY too happy." M.O.M laughed and went to leave Diana's room.

"Well, this is like a vacation to me and as of yet, you've never seen me on vacation." Diana nodded in agreement, "But don't worry, I'll be my old moody self when Martin is better and destroying my office again." M.O.M said this in a light hearted manor so it wasn't implied that she didn't like it. "Truth is, I've come to expect it but it doesn't make me less angry when he drops something."

"Yeah well...I wish we had that Martin back." Diana looked down at the clothes in her hand. "I suppose that he's been hiding this for a long time though, and he's done a pretty good job of it." She smiled faintly, "But I'll get dressed now then we can go get Martin." Diana closed the door and changed into one of her new outfits, which consisted of a pale yellow t-shirt with a darker yellow long sleeved shirt under it and a pair of red jeans that fit snuggly against Diana. She slipped on her sneakers and walked out of her room.

"Martin! Get up this instant!" Diana knew that voice and ran toward Martin's room. His father was standing there, yelling at his son to get up. Diana knew he had gone catatonic again. It seemed to be a regular occurance at this point.

"Uh dad...I'll get him up. Go get some breakfast," she pushed her father out of the room and allowed M.O.M to enter. "I wonder how long he's been laying there like that." Martin was staring at the wall, not responding to anyone. Diana shook him lightly and he seemed to finally come out of his own little world. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah actually," Martin replied, "I wonder what's for breakfast?"

"I had no idea your family was so well off Martin."

"Yeah, well...my dad won a pretty big sum of money from where he works and he bought this place as a summer house." Martin replied and, with help, took the crutches and stood up. He walked over to his draws and pulled out one of his newer outfits as well. It was blue t-shirt, red baggy pants and an over coat that was white. He walked into the bathroom and ran the water, taking a shower quickly before putting his clothes on. Martin was not the Martin that he used to be, that much was clear. He decided not to gel his hair today and let it hang down, his bangs covering his eyes lightly.

When he stepped out of the bathroom Diana and M.O.M gasped. He looked so different with out his hair gelled up. Instead, his hair fell to his neck and high lighted his face quite nicely. Martin walked past them toward the dinning room. He nearly collasped three quatres of the way there but luckily M.O.M was there to catch him and helped him back into the wheel chair.

Diana opened the dinning room door and pushed Martin in. They werent sure what to expect at this point and would take it one day at time. After all, baby steps were better then nothing.