Down a Rabbit Hole We Go

Disclaimer: I do not own the OC or any of the characters.

XXXXX

Chapter 5

Sandy sat in the staff breakroom at the Chino Juvenile Detention Center with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand and an ice pack pressed to his cheek courtesy of Joe Whatley. His Friday night had started with a typical Newport charity event and then had gone down a rabbit hole, so to speak. He could never have imagined when Caleb grabbed his arm and dragged him to his car how this night would unfold. Caleb's so-called charity case and Sandy's so- called client turned out to be Caleb's son, Kirsten's brother, and Sandy's brother -in- law. The kid was Seth's uncle, although Seth was around 2 months older than Ryan. This by default meant that he was conceived while Rose Nichol was still alive and married to Caleb. From what Sandy had gathered during the night's events, not only had Caleb hidden the kid away in Chino, but he'd left him with a derelict mother and her abusive boyfriend.

Once the myriad of bruises on the kid were discovered, the police questioned Ryan about his injuries. After some prompting from Caleb, the kid admitted that his mother's live in boyfriend of around a year, AJ, had beaten him on more than one occasion within the last week and those episodes were not the first. When the officer asked if AJ was drinking or doing drugs when he lost control, Ryan had given a mirthless chuckle and said that AJ wasn't out of control, that he knew exactly what he was doing. He commented that AJ did his best "work" when he was sober and then drank or got high afterward to celebrate. Sandy thought he would be sick, while Caleb became so red faced with anger that he looked like he might stroke out any minute.

In the end, an arrest warrant was initiated for AJ for assault and battery, child abuse, and anything else the officers could possibly add to the charges. Social services were also called, much to Cal's dismay. They determined that Dawn Atwood would be investigated, and that Ryan could not go back to her home for now. They also wanted proof that Ryan was Caleb's son, which he produced in the form of a DNA test that Caleb had his personal lawyer fax over after making sure that the detention center's fax line was secure. Sandy knew the social worker, Jill Haggerty, that was assigned the case and knew she was fair, but a stickler for detail. While Jill spoke with Caleb and Ryan, trying to determine if Caleb could provide a safe environment for the boy, Sandy had taken advantage of what little hospitality Joe Whatley could offer.

Sandy looked at his watch. It was 3:00 AM, too late to call Kirsten. He hoped she wasn't worrying. He looked up as Jill lightly knocked on the doorframe to the breakroom.

"Jill, what's the verdict?" Sandy asked.

"I've approved for Ryan to go home with Mr. Nichol for now, Sandy. We'll have to do a follow up visit later in the week and I'd recommend that Mr. Nichol go ahead and file for custody if he wants to make it permanent. Sounds like the kid's mom is a real piece of work. But despite the bizarre circumstances, Ryan and Mr. Nichol seem to have a fairly good relationship. Ryan tells me that they spend at least one weekend a month together and most holidays," Jill explained.

"Really? Kirsten always thought Cal didn't do holidays with the family anymore because it reminded him of his late wife. His daughter Hailey thought he was visiting a lady friend with all his trips out of town. We never imagined this." Sandy mused. "Well, I guess if everything's wrapped up, I'd better find Cal so I don't miss my ride back to Newport. Thanks, Jill."

XXXX

It was 3:45 AM before Sandy, Caleb, and Ryan were finally ready to leave the detention facility. Caleb and Ryan looked as exhausted as Sandy felt. As they headed toward the door, Joe Whatley called out to Sandy to let him know that despite not knowing where to find Dawn Atwood, Chino PD knew AJ Howard well and had picked him up at one of the local bars. Dawn Atwood was with him and had been taken along to the station for questioning. Ryan perked up at the news that AJ had been picked up, but frowned upon hearing that Dawn had been taken in as well. He turned to Caleb saying, "We should go by the house while AJ's locked up. I can get my bags."

"Ryan, there's nothing in your travel bag that we can't go out and get for you tomorrow." Caleb countered, knowing that Ryan usually travelled light when they travelled.

"Not that bag, Ca..Dad. I have a bag that I keep important things in ..." Ryan hesitated until Caleb raised an eyebrow. "It's hidden and I want to get it while AJ and my mom aren't there."

"Alright son," Cal relented, realizing that the kid had a point. If they could avoid Dawn and especially AJ while getting Ryan's things, that would be great. Caleb would be happy if he never saw Dawn Atwood again.

"Do you think they'll arrest my Mom?" Ryan asked quietly and Sandy realized after a moment that the boy was looking at him for an answer.

"I don't know for sure, Ryan, but I doubt they'll hold her." Sandy answered and noted that despite what the kid had been through while under his mother's care, he looked relieved.

XXXXXXXX

Sandy studied what he could see of the dilapidated house they had parked in front of. The yard was overgrown. The paint was peeling and there was an old beat up Pontiac under a sagging carport. Although he knew his help wasn't needed, his curiosity got the best of him and he followed Ryan and Caleb up the porch. He almost ran into Caleb as he stopped suddenly just inside the living room while Ryan headed into one of the back rooms saying he'd just be a few minutes and mumbling something about being sorry about the mess. The room they were in was a combination living/dining room with a ratty looking couch and an old recliner on one side and a warn dining table on the other. Sandy noted two overturned chairs by the table, one with a broken leg. A vinyl tablecloth was hanging half on and half off the table. Sandy wondered if the chaotic scene was left in the wake of one of the beatings Ryan had suffered at the hands of AJ. Scanning the living room area, he noticed an almost empty bottle of Jack and an overturned tumbler, cigarette butts in an old ashtray, and an uncapped needle on an empty syringe lying on the coffee table. He noticed Caleb looking at the coffee table as well, before the man turned to him.

"I had no idea it was this bad, Sandy," Caleb said quietly. "Ryan is always waiting on the porch or at his friend, Teresa's, next door when I pick him up. I've been dropping him off without coming in. If I had known this…. I never would have left him here."

Sandy had no words of comfort for the man. He shook his head in disgust more than sympathy.

After around 15 minutes Ryan came back in the room with a small duffle bag and a backpack in one hand and a medium sized duffle bag hanging from the other shoulder. Caleb recognized the two smaller bags, but not the larger one. Ryan looked around the living room once, before heading toward the door with Caleb and Sandy following.

Just as Ryan was reaching for the doorknob, the door jerked open and a disheveled Dawn Atwood burst through it. Ryan jumped and backed up into Caleb, who put a steading hand on his shoulder.

"Unbelievable! What kind of family I got, huh? What did I do to deserve this family, huh?" Dawn screeched. "I can't do this anymore. I want you out of my house, Ryan! It's bad enough that I gotta find out that you and Trey got arrested for stealing a car, but I get dragged down to the police station and AJ gets arrested and for what? Because you can't just do as your told and not push AJ over the edge. What did I do to deserve this?"

"You let that druggy loser move in and take advantage of you. That's what you did, Mom!" Ryan snapped back.

Before Caleb or Ryan could react, Dawn slapped Ryan across the face.

"Don't you talk to me like that!" Dawn yelled but sputtered to a stop when Caleb pulled Ryan back beside him and stepped up to face Dawn.

"I've never hit a woman before," Caleb seethed, "but so help me, if you ever lay another hand on him…"

Dawn looked like she was just processing that Caleb Nichol was standing in her living room. "What are you doing here?" she ground out.

"I'm taking my son home to Newport." Caleb retorted. "And after what I've seen tonight, you'll be lucky if you ever see him again."

Dawn looked from Caleb to Ryan. "You're going with him? You're just gonna walk out and leave me? I'm the one that raised you when he wouldn't even acknowledge you as his son."

"The police couldn't find you all night, Mom. And you just told me to get out. What do you want me to do, live on the street?" Ryan asked.

Dawn huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Fine! You go with him. I don't need any of this. But just you know….when he's too embarrassed to claim you or he get's tired of you and puts you out. Don't come crawling back to me because I'm done. If you go with him, I don't ever want to see you again."

A look of hurt and then resignation crossed Ryan's face before he simply said, "Bye, Mom," and moved around Dawn and through the front door without looking back.