The room was dark and warm in the small apartment in the rougher end of downtown. Rhys lay quietly in his crib pulling his stuff moose around the mattress watching what little sunlight peeked through the curtains shimmer off it's plastic eyes. He could hear the adults talking in the room next to his, his tummy twisted with hunger coaxing a soft whine from his lips. He hiccupped trying to hold in his cries, he knew how angry mommy got when he made noise. The bad man would hurt him if he was too loud. His stomach twisted again pain lashing through his little body forcing a wail from little lips. The door slammed against the wall as his mom charged toward him, eyes glazed from her latest hit she stumbled to the crib. Reaching down she roughly pulled Rhys from his crib gripping his little face roughly between her fingers. "Shut up shut up shut up, Jesus kid do you want him to kill us?" She hissed forcing the bottle between his little lips. It was barely half full Rhys downing it quickly still whimpering from hunger.
Rolling her eyes, she practically dropped the infant back in his crib, "You've had enough that shit aint cheap, now be quiet before he comes in here" Just as quickly as she came in she left again slamming the door leaving the little boy whimpering in his crib. Being left just barely satisfied wasn't new to Rhys though, in fact it was pretty common. Two hours ticked by before his little diaper became painfully uncomfortable and Rhys began to scream inside his crib. His little fists balled up at his sides he sobbed begging his mommy to come and make it better.
"For fuck sakes shut him up" He heard the man snap as his mom came roaring into the room. Snagging him from the crib she roughly dropped him onto the change table cleaning him off without being gentle. He was bleeding from the rash and sobbing in pain when the man came barging through the door ripping him from the change table just in his diaper. His hands wrapped tightly around Rhys's little wrists as he slammed him down onto the mattress. "Enough shut up!" He snapped at the sobbing toddler smacking his hand against his little thigh, making Rhys wail loudly in pain.
Rhys's little eyes snapped open as he screamed loudly, panic shaking his little body as he woke from his nightmare. "Daddy I need my daddy" Rhys thought his chest shaking with sobs. Dean lunged from the bed as Renee held her hand to her mouth in shock. "Shit hey Rhys buddy it's okay" Dean whispered panicked as the toddler screamed in fear his little body shaking in his arms as he rocked him back and forth. "He had a nightmare" Renee croaked tears forming in her eyes watching the fear rocking the little boy. Dean nodded bouncing him on his hip his blood cool as he glanced at the wide brown eyes that were flooded with tears. "It's okay kid they wont hurt you ever again" He murmured his entire body aching to find the fuckers and beat them within an inch. Rhys screamed loudly begging for his daddy, when he noticed him not in the room. He needed his daddy, he made all the badness go away. He loved his Uncle Dean but daddy was magic, he kept the monsters at bay.
Dean snagged his phone from the side table, tapping Seth's name and praying silently for him to answer. Seth had gone to do a radio interview with Roman and was supposed to be back soon. He had put Rhys to bed before he left him with Dean and Renee who had opted for babysitting over doing the interview. "Hello?" Seth muttered in the phone glaring at the back of the sound guys head, if he didn't hurt this the fuck up. "Seth man are you almost done?" Dean hissed into the phone and in the background Seth could hear Rhys screaming his heart out. "Like 75% is that Rhys?" The hair on the back of his neck straight up "He had a nightmare man and it must have been one hell of a dark one because he is freaking out. I can't calm him and he wont even go to Nae" Seth hissed rubbing his hand over his face listening to his little boy sob on the other end knowing the only person who would calm him was his daddy. "I'll rush this fucker up and be there as soon as I can. Hold him tight okay Dean?" Guilt flooded through him as Rhys let out a broken sob and he heard Dean promise the toddler that he was safe. "You got it man, hurry up though okay?"
Roman and Seth managed to hurry the pace and finished the interview in 20 minutes. Piling into the car and racing to the hotel Seth gripped at the door handle as Roman flew through traffic. "It's been almost 3 weeks I thought he was through with them" Seth sighed leaning his head against the headrest. "He's probably so scared and looking for me…. shit" he shook his head trying to clear his eyes so Roman wouldn't see. They parked the car and Seth ran through the lobby and into the elevator Roman right behind him, when he got to the room he tossed the door open his heart breaking. Rhys was shaking almost violently in Dean's arms his face blood red and his cries were full out screams of fear. Dean sagged with relief as he handed the toddler to Seth dropping to the bed to pull Renee into his arms. Her silent tears wetting his neck, her heart ached for the little guy.
"Hey champ your okay daddies' here now it was just a dream" He hushed wrapping Rhys tight against his chest, but the screams didn't ease up. Rhys clutched his shirt eyes squeezed shut refusing to open them up his little legs thrashing wildly. "Come on champ look at daddy it's me I'm here" Seth begged. Roman cleared his throat tugging on the bottom of his own shirt, reminding Seth what the therapist had said. Manoeuvering around Rhys, Seth tugged his shirt off and held the toddler against him rocking back and forth as Rhys pressed his face into his skin his little eyes finally snapping open. A sob left his lips as his big brown eyes finally met Seth's, his little face pressing into the safety of his dad's neck. "I'm here baby boy" He whispered holding him tight as the screams faded into whimpers that shook his little chest. "You're safe"
"That was so hard to watch" Renee mumbled still tucked into Dean's arms. Roman nodded from his spot on the other side of the bed as all three adults watched Seth rock the toddler his little body relaxing in the safety of his arms. "Makes me pissed just thinking how bad those memories got to be to frighten him so bad" Roman growled his eyes fixed on Rhys as he let out a soft moan when Seth pressed his lips to his forehead. If someone ever touched JoJo, he shook his head clear. Couldn't think like that.
"I don't know how you do it man" Dean mumbled still wrapped around Renee "Just watching him for that little bit made me so fucking angry at those people I could kill. Who the fuck tortures a little baby to the point that he has such vivid damn nightmares" He snarled. Seth didn't answer though; he was to wrapped up in the brown eyes that looked up at him. Rhys was laid in his arms his little body finally relaxed now that he knew he was with his daddy. He knew he was safe. "I got you champ, daddies always got you." He whispered as Rhys's eyes fought to stay open. "Dean…. Nae I'm so sorry you had to deal with that" Seth murmured tossing his shirt over his shoulders, Rhys snuggled into his arms. "Don't even brotha just wished I could have calmed him for ya. We'll see ya tomorrow"
Seth said goodnight to his shield members and Renee before heading up to his room. Walking the hallway, he felt a small hand brush across his lower back before a flash of pink appeared at his side. "What's up Sethie" Sasha grinned nudging him with her elbow, he smirked back at her adjusting Rhys so he could wrap an arm around her waist. "S'up Banks" Sasha gazed at his face for a few seconds before brushing her hand across his cheek, "Everything okay?"
"Rhys had a really bad nightmare while I was gone and he freaked out. Dean couldn't calm him down and when I got there" Seth swallowed "It was awful Sasha; he wouldn't look at me he was so deep in fear" Brushing her fingers over Rhys's forehead she watched the toddler sleep peacefully in Seth's arms. No trace of fear to bad had on his little face.
"I'm sorry Seth" She whispered bringing her finger to grip his chin, she could see the agony behind his brown eyes and she wished she could take it away. "Anything I can do?" Seth's eyes flashed before he shook his head no, "Come on tell me" Sighing Seth shifted Rhys, he didn't want her to get the wrong impression but he really didn't want to be alone.
"Come to my room with me?"
A/N Dun Dun Duuuun
;)