Chapter Eighty-Four

John launched to his feet, tackling the drug lord to the ground, trusting Dominic to have his back against his aunt and uncle. He pinned the man to the pavement with his knees on his shoulders, his hands fumbling with the gun that he had dropped. He pointed the barrel at the drug lord's head, his hands unusually steady for the fear that was coursing through his veins.

"John!" Claire's voice cried over the buzz of the sirens and helicopter flying around them.

John didn't look at her, instead keeping his eyes trained on the man who'd tried to buy him. He flinched as hands wrapped around his shoulders, his finger closing around the trigger and sending a bullet into the concrete only inches from the drug lord's head. Someone ripped the pistol from his hand, tossing it away from them as they pulled John away from the criminals. "Shh… it's okay Johnny. You're okay." Thomas forced John's face toward his shoulder, holding the teen as he shook against his chest. "You're not hurt, are you?" He pulled John away from him, looking his body over for any new wounds. He sighed in relief as he realized that the only new injuries John had were a few little scrapes from the pavement on his elbows and a small cut on his knee that he'd gotten while on stage. "What happened?"

John pointed to his throat, trying to tell his father-figure that he still couldn't speak.

Thomas looked up as a man that looked identical to John's father and uncle walked up, holding John tighter as his muscles tightened with fear. "John, this is Asher…" He looked over as the cops finished cuffing Juanita and Rueben, noticing how Asher had a look of pure hate on his face, his eyes going just as black as John's did when he was angry. "He's your uncle."

John shook his head, breaking out of Thomas's hold and running to Clarissa. He wrapped his arms around her, letting his fear show as she held him. "Shh… it's okay, Pumpkin." She rubbed his back, watching as Asher marched up to his brother and sister in-law.

Dominic shied away from the new family member, stepping closer to Chris Clark as he watched the man.

Asher glared at his brother, balling his fist and letting it fly into his face. "That, is for kidnapping my nephews." He threw another punch, breaking Rueben's nose with a sickening crunch. "That one, is for Jacob telling me they were dead." He turned back to see the horror in John and Dominic's faces, instantly regretting what he'd done. "Boys…" He stepped toward them, stopping after the first move when they shrunk away from him. "I guess there's some explaining to do…"

John found Claire's hand, lacing his fingers with hers, as he backed farther away from the newcomer.

Claire looked at his eyes, noticing the yellow tint in the brown that always showed his fear. She squeezed his hand, trying to let him know that despite Asher being his father's long-lost brother, that he was safe. "John..." She touched his face, noticing that he was starting to slip into a memory of what had happened to him as a child. "John, stay with me." She brushed his hair behind his ear, letting her fingers trace back down his jawline. "He's safe."

John tightened his grip on her hand as Asher walked toward them, stumbling backwards as the image of his father marching toward him with a bicycle chain in his hand flashed through his mind.

Andy caught John as he fell, holding the larger teen in place as he struggled to get away. "John, John." He held John's back to his chest, happy that John's strength hadn't returned in full force yet. "He's okay. He's not like your old man."

John reached for Dominic, his voice barely making a squeak as he tried to call for his cousin.

Dominic, wasn't much help though, as he was being held in the same position by Chris and Vernon. "Get the fuck off of me!" He kicked out as Asher came closer, trying to get away from the men holding him. "He's gonna hurt me!"

John gave a panicked series of sounds, still trying to use his blown vocal chords, as he pushed back against Andy's chest, twisting and kicking to try and get away. "N-o." He managed, the single word being broken into two sounds as his voice cracked halfway through.

Amelia buried her face into her brother's shoulder, listening to Dominic's screams to get away from the man who'd helped to find them. She could hear John's boots on the ground, knowing that he was trying just as hard to get away from the new man. "Why're they so scared?" She asked, looking up as John's boots stopped scraping on the pavement.

John's chest heaved as Andy forced his friend to the ground, stepping back as John's body emptied itself of any food he'd had in his stomach. "John, settle down. He's not gonna hurt you." Andy rested a hand on John's back, wrinkling his nose at the smell of vomit.

Brian shook his head, rubbing his hand over Amelia's little, pink, leather jacket that John had insisted they get her. "They're just remembering some bad things that happened to them." He closed his eyes as John wretched again, knowing that he had to be in pain from the strain on his ribs and vocal chords.

John heaved again, tears falling from his eyes as his pain radiated through his body.

Asher knelt beside his nephew, gently laying a hand on his back. "Johnathan?"

John jumped, trying to get away from the man, vomit dripping down his chin. "N-o." He croaked, letting Claire wipe his face with a tissue.

Claire brushed her fingers through his hair, kissing his temple as he trembled against her. "John, he's okay. He's safe."

Asher nodded, holding his hand out to his nephew. "I promise I won't hurt you."

John shrunk back, the muscles in his body starting to tighten and twitch. He grabbed Claire's hands trying to tell her what was wrong.

Clarissa pulled Asher back, knowing that John was dangerously close to a seizure. "I think it's best if we let them relax for a while." She watched as John's body seemed to relax slightly, giving a little sigh of relief at the averted seizure. "John has had issues with seizures over the last few months, and I think his nerves are a little too close to one to risk anymore reminders of his father." She looked up at Asher, her pain clear in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Asher. It's just, John is still so fragile… and I don't want to risk him being in the hospital again."

Asher nodded, looking at his nephews as they shook in the arms of their loved ones. "I guess I just got carried away… seventeen years, I thought they were dead… and now that I know their alive…" He breathed a broken laugh, shaking his head as he looked at his shoes. "It's like the world went from a dark pit, to a brightly lit room." He flexed his bruised knuckles, rubbing his brother's blood from his fist. "I've never thrown a punch in my life, and the first time I do I scare my nephews half-to-death."

Clarissa looked at the boys, nodding as John reached for her like a small child. "I think you should go home, we'll call you in the morning if they're doing well enough to see you."

Asher nodded, his heart breaking at the fear in their eyes. "I hope they're okay." He looked over at John, taking in the puddle of rejected food a few feet from him. "I never meant to scare them."

Clarissa rubbed his arm, stepping toward John as he started struggling to get to her. "I know. They've just been through a lot, and it's a big shock to see their fathers' faces on another man."

Asher started toward his car, waving a farewell at the family. "Give me a call." He shouted, closing the door as his limo driver took off for his home. "I never thought I would see those boys." He hung his head in his hands, letting a few tears run down his face at the thought of what he'd done. "I should have taken them when I had the chance." He remembered watching Beverly and Juanita throw back shots of vodka like it was nothing, they're pregnant bellies swollen enough to make their shirts stretched out enough to rip at any moment. He remembered the night Dominic had been born, how they'd been told he probably wouldn't live to be a year old. It'd been that night, six months before John was born, that Asher had packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles. "I'm such a fucking dick."