3:46 am

Seth sighed as he bounced Rhys on his hip, his face reddened from crying so hard. His little legs kicking wildly. This was the third nightmare Seth had witnessed and each time he felt his heart break all over again. Dean had been the one to point out to Seth what they were the first time.

"Nightmares man" Dean mumbled the toddlers' cries echoing through out his mind. They were so desperate so terrified and Dean knew Rhys was reliving something horrible from the last places he was.

"Your okay baby daddies got you" He murmured brushing the hair from his tiny face as he wailed loudly his little eyes squeezed shut. Wrapping the blanket tighter around him Seth paced through room back and forth. They had landed earlier in the night and Seth had his meeting with the social worker that morning. Less then 7 hours away to be exact he groaned and Seth knew from experience these fits could last hours. Fumbling his way to the kitchen through the darkness Seth pulled open the fridge grabbing a bottle of formula tossing it into the boiling water he had turned on. The seconds ticked by slowly with him rocking his son back and forth humming softly. His cries were still strong but his little fists clutched into his daddy's hair. Seth could feel the desperation through his tiny fingers, he was terrified of being left; being abandoned.

"There we go my boy" Seth soothed pressing bottle to his lips, Rhys eagerly took it still hiccupping slightly as he drank it. His little body still shaking Seth held him close rocking him watching the tension slowly ease out. "I'll keep you safe, no one will ever hurt you" He whispered softly "Hey champ, you're stronger then me but I will always keep you safe. I love you so much" Walking back to his bedroom a soft moan escaped the baby's lips as he released the bottle and buried his face into his dad's strong chest. Seth's shoulders sagged with relief as Rhys slipped into sleep dropping the bottle onto the nightstand. Pulling the toddler tight against his chest and wrapped the blanket around them allowing sleep to take over.

"So there's diapers, wipes, clothes, toys, his blanket, uh diaper cream, his hat uuhhmm" Seth mumbled rummaging through the backpack as Holly and Bob watched on with amusement "I don't think he'll need anything else. Ah shit I forgot his puffs" Seth groaned glancing at his watch "Seth! I raised you and your brother I think I can handle my grandson for a few hours. Now give him here" Seth hugged Rhys against his chest he didn't want to let him go, to find out the horrible things he'd suffered while Seth wasn't there to protect him. "I know you don't want to go baby but it's something that has to be done" Holly murmured brushing her fingers through the hair in Seth's face. "He's safe here with us" Bob clapped Seth on the back "Come on son give your mother the baby" Pressing his lips to Rhys's forehead he murmured an "I love you" before passing him off to his mom and reaching for the door. "I'll see you guys later, bye champ"

Seth leaned his head against the leather headrest of the Jeep staring at the building across the street. Social Services. He groaned fingers thumping against the steering wheel, his phone buzzed against his leg. Flicking the screen to life he read the texting smirking and glancing around the parking lot.

Get your ass out of the car Rollins – Dean

Shoving his phone back into his pocket Seth shoved his hands into his hoody pocket and headed across the street. The place was brightly lit but the walls were off white and everything smelled sterile. "I'm Seth Rollins I have an appointment with Mrs. Clarke" The receptionist an older lady smiled and gestured to an office around the corner where a woman mid 30s with dark hair and thin framed glasses sat behind a large desk. "You must be Seth" She smiled motioning for him to sit across from her. "Yeah that's me" He laughed nervously this whole place gave him the creeps. "No need to be nervous Seth, I'm here to answer any of your questions and to help Rhys out in any way possible"

"I just" Seth croaked swallowing his nerves "I just want to know what happened to my son. He has these terrible night terrors and I know he's reliving something but I don't know what or how to help him." Mrs. Clarkes expression softened listening to Seth. "Well I have his case files and all the reports done on any abuse he suffered that we know of. Mr. Rollins are you sure you want to see this?" His mind screamed no but Seth knew he had to do nodding he watched as she flipped open the file folder. The first image made Seth's stomach churn it was Rhys no more then a few months old his face slightly sunken and his clothes dirty. Little blue bruises around his wrists and spotting his tiny legs "We removed him from his mothers' care due to neglect; for example, lack of feedings, diaper changes things like that" She studied Seth's face flipping to the next page three image; Rhys looked to be a few months older he was in a foster home this time. His cheeks were red and his tiny eyes swollen blue and purple littering his tiny body. Seth turned his head away rubbing his hands through his hair desperately trying to control his temper.

"These next images are from us placing him back in his mothers' care" Seth lifted his head anger and disbelief flashing in his dark brown eyes "She passed all the courses tested clean we thought she was better" She admitted softly flipping the page, the pictures made Seth gag his stomach flipped so hard. Rhys was a year in these pictures his tiny face black and blue and a large gash above his eye. His body more covered in bruises and medical tape wrapped around his tiny torso "Broken ribs" She explained softly flipping to the last and final page. The void look in his little boys' eyes in the picture made his blood cool, he was roughed up just like in the other photos but his eyes hurt the most. Like he'd given up on any kind of love and excepted his fate. "That was taken just shortly before we found and notified you"

"I can't fucking believe this could happen to him. Why was he given back? She couldn't care for him!" He snapped leaning his head back trying to calm his temper. Mrs. Clarke sighed she agreed with him 100% but there was nothing to be done. The government had its regulations. "I can't change the past Mr. Rollins but I can provide every single resource in my power to help your son."

"That's not good enough, someone should have been there to stop this!" He yelled slamming his fists onto the desk. "I should have been there" He croaked slumping into his chair.

"You didn't know he existed, you can't possibly blame yourself for this. You have him now and I bet he's already improving, isn't he?" She said softly. Seth looked up at met her concerned gaze and felt himself calm, it wasn't her fault and she was right Rhys improved every day. They chatted about Rhys, options for his treatment, and tips to help with his night terrors. He even tried to convince the social worker to give him the name of his mother but she had shot him down several times. Seth drove to his moms' house oddly calm for all the things he'd just seen. He hated what had been done to his son and his body begged to find those responsible and beat them within an inch of their lives but he knew that was wrong. The resources that he could use to help Rhys, knowing all that he did he felt for the first time he could help his son.

Tossing the front door open Seth raced into the living room lifting Rhys from his step dads' arms. "Hey champ" He grinned swinging him into the air laughing as he babbled happily gripping at his baseball cap. "Daddy missed you so much, did you miss me huh?" Holly watched as her son snuggled and talked to the toddler, a bright smile on his face but his eyes were off; almost guilty. "How did it go?" She asked running her fingers through Rhys's soft brown hair.

"I'm not going to lie; his past was awful and those pictures are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. But for the first time I feel like I can help him through it all you know? I can change his life mom" He sighed squeezing the toddler against his chest "Anything for my baby boy"

Next chapter Seth goes on a daaaate ;)