This story is SUCH a keeper.

Chapter 2:

Carey was driving numbly, while Zack sat in the front seat next to her. They were going to pick Cody up from the police station. It turned out that somebody had seen two guys abusing a teenager, and called the police. The police had gone into the two guys' house and rescued the scared looking teen. They recognized Cody from the Have you seen this child? ad, since Carey had tried one last time the year before—before they had said good-bye to Cody of course. The men had just kidnapped him "for fun," as they answered when the police interrogated them. They had "just thought it would be interesting to kidnap a kid."

For the last three years, they had hurt Cody—taking out their anger on him. They had abused him. Zack had tried to bite back the horror, but he felt tears coming to his eyes. Here he was on top of the world while his twin had been hurting. Hurting, hurting, all along.

Zack's heart was hammering in his chest. He was going to see his brother. He was going to see his brother. He was going to see his brother. This thought kept on running through his mind, over and over—new questions popping up.

Is he going to be mad that we couldn't find him? Is he going to hate me? Is he going to be scared?

One thing Zack knew for sure. Cody was going to be scared.

xxx

Zack and Carey reached the station, where they were led into a small room. On the chair sat a scared looking teen. Zack almost didn't recognize him. Cody was skinny. Very skinny. His cheekbones were hollowed, and his eyes had a lifeless look, making him look like he hadn't eaten for a week. Which he probably hadn't, Zack reminded himself. His hair was average length, but that was because the police had cut his hair before calling Carey and Zack. Cody looked nervous, his eyes darting around.

Next to Zack, Carey let out something that sounded like a cry of joy. "CODY!" she yelled, running to her sun and hugging him.

Cody flinched as if expecting her to slap him. He didn't hug her back, but stood rigidly like a plank of wood.

Carey kissed his cheek, and pulled his face to hers. "Are you ok, honey?"

Cody's eyes didn't meet hers, but stayed on the floor. He didn't answer her.

The pain on Carey's face was obvious, but she didn't want to show her disappointment. She tried to busy herself with something else, going over to the policemen to find out exactly what had happened.

The police had taken him to get a checkup with the doctor, so he was ok now physically, though perhaps a bit week. However, it was emotionally that they were worried about. Cody hadn't responded to anybody for the last few hours they had had him there, and he couldn't keep eye contact. He constantly flinched, and the only thing he had said to them was "I'm sorry," if he did anything that he believed was wrong. The men who had kidnapped him had hurt him mentally and physically. He had scars on his back from when they hit him with belts, and his state of mind was truly disturbing. However, the interrogator hadn't been able to get anything out of Cody about how they had treated him and what they had done to him. The men were going to jail of course, for a very long time. The police warned Carey that it would take awhile for him to get back to normal, but if they showed him love and compassion, he could get better. But they warned Carey only to talk to Cody like he was still a young child, and not the adolescent that he was.

Zack went over to Cody, who was now curled up in the fetal position, his eyes still focused on the ground.

"Hi Cody," Zack said, trying to fight the emotion from showing in his voice.

Cody didn't answer, but kept his eyes down.

"It's me, Zack. Your brother," Zack told him. "You remember, right?"

He sat down on the chair next to Cody. Cody inched away, and Zack tried not to show the pain he was feeling.

"I've missed you Cody," Zack said cautiously, placing one hand on Cody's shoulder in what he believed to be a comforting manner.

Cody jerked away, and then his eyes filled with tears. He still couldn't look at his brother. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I made you hurt. It's my fault."

"Nothing is your fault," Zack said, turning to face Cody, whose eyes immediately darted down. "You didn't do anything, Cody. They did it to you."

Cody let out a small whimper, and turned away. "I'm a bad boy," he said quietly. "I deserved it."

"No you're not," Zack tried to convince him. If it had been someone else, he would have thought it was funny. But this was Cody. This was his brother. This was his twin. He was hurting and he didn't deserve to. And when Cody hurt, Zack hurt inside too. "Nobody deserves that to happen to them. Nobody, especially you."

Cody didn't answer.

Zack tried another approach. "We're fifteen now, huh brother?"

Cody nodded, eyes looking anywhere but at Zack.

"Well, I'm a sophomore this year," Zack said. "And I'm captain of the basketball team—and MVP too, Cody," he said in a quiet soothing voice. "I get A's now, Cody. I get A's. I'm not lazy anymore. I," his voice broke off. "I did it for you, you know."

Cody was staring off somewhere into the distance. Zack hoped he was listening though.

"And remember Tapeworm, Cody? Tapeworm and Max? Well Tapeworm and Max are going out now. Oh and Cody, I took Maddie to the Winter Formal. Isn't that something? And London's the same. Maddie has another job now—she has two. Mr. Mosebey is still there. Esteban and Muriel are still at the Tipton. They're still at home. We're going to take you home, Cody, isn't that right? We're going to take you home. What, Cody?"

Cody was shaking his head.

Carey came in and looked concerned. "Why can't… we're going to take you home Cody. Why can't we take you home?"

Cody looked up in her eyes, and suddenly, as if remembering, he drew his gaze away. But not before Carey could see the shiny tears matting his eyelashes together.

"I don't have a home anymore," he said sadly.

xxx

After a whole lot of coaxing, Carey and Zack managed to get Cody into the car. Zack climbed into the back seat with him.

Zack suddenly remembered something. He reached into a bag he had brought and pulled out a soft, light blue blanket. "Cody, I brought you Blankie."

He handed it to his brother, hoping for some sort of response, but Cody just pulled it tight around him, as if Blankie could protect him from all the mixed emotions he was feeling.

Carey drove up to the Tipton, and Cody followed them out of the car and through the revolving doors. They had just gotten in, and there was a scream of "SURPRISE!"

Mr. Mosebey crawled out from behind a chair, looking extremely proud of himself. London was there, with her usual pompous look, and even Maddie was there, taking time off from her second job. Esteban and Muriel were there, both with wide grins on their faces, and on a chair sat Tapeworm with Max in his lap.

"Welcome back Cody!" they cried, but then a hush filled the room.

Cody was shaking, looking worriedly around, still trying not to meet anybody in the eyes. He wrapped Blankie tighter around him still, and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Zack felt his heart wrench in pain. Cody didn't have to be sorry about anything.

Carey was looking around at all their shocked friends, and she mouthed, "Thank you."

Zack helped Cody over to the elevator, half dragging him, because Cody seemed to be in a different world again. He numbly led Cody to their suite and opened the door. "Welcome home, Cody."

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