CHAPTER 2: THE FORGOTTEN SON

Boston, Massachusetts, 10:45 AM

Retired staff sergeant Linus Van Pelt was finally getting up. He had a rough sleep after being woken by the late-night call from his estranged mother about Lucy's death. He had never forgiven his parents for neglecting him and Rerun growing up and never putting a stop to Lucy's abuse. When Linus finally turned 18, he left home and joined the army. Over the years Linus had risen in the ranks, eventually becoming a staff sergeant. While overseas in Syria, Linus was wounded in his leg badly. He had to have his leg amputated as a result. He was airlifted back to Sparkyville, so he could recuperate at home. When he returned home and was in the hospital, he never received a visit from his family at all (Rerun was doing time in prison at the time, so he couldn't visit). The only people who came to see Linus when he got home was the Browns, including Charlie Brown, who had flown in from California just to see if his best friend was all right. Old friends who were still in town even paid him a visit, bit no one from his family at all.

Linus eventually received a prosthetic leg and started rehab, so he could learn to walk with it. It was at rehab where he met the love of his life, Audrey, who was a nurse at the hospital. And with time and dedication, he would walk on his own again with the prosthetic leg. He even started getting closer to Audrey and going out on dates. It was after a while when he popped the question and asked for her hand in marriage. Charlie Brown, of course, served as his best man. Unfortunately, other than Rerun who was out on parole after serving his time, nobody from his family even showed up for his wedding. When Linus asked his mother why no one had showed up, she told him that they were setting Lucy up with a new apartment, the same one where she eventually killed herself. That was the final straw for Linus as he finally told them unless one of them dies or is in an accident, not to call him ever again.

Linus first put on his camouflage-colored prosthetic leg, then went to hit the shower. Afterward, he sat down for breakfast that was cooked by Audrey, who was now expecting their first child anytime soon. They planned to ask Charlie to be their kid's godfather after the child was born. Audrey noticed her husband's cranky demeanor.

"What are you thinking about, Linus?" she asked. "You're not nervous about the baby, are you?"

"Well, I am a little nervous," Linus replied. "But that's not why I'm in a mood."

"Would it have to do with the call you received last night?"

"I was hoping it didn't wake you. My mother called."

"Uh oh. What happened?"

"It's Lucy. She's finally kicked the bucket."

"Oh my god! How did it happen?"

"I don't know or care. I didn't even stay on the phone long enough to find out. I didn't want to deal with her, especially that time of night."

"Linus, I know she upset you plenty of times, but you should at least find out how your sister passed away. Not to mention you need to hash out the problems with your parents."

"Audrey, my parents were clueless, at best. At worse, they were negligent. They don't give a shit about me or Rerun. Well, at least dad showed a little concern about us, but mom, she couldn't be bothered because Lucy needed her. And I think dad got dragged in only because mom needed him to help her help Lucy. I think dad was on our side, at least a little. Still no excuse for leaving us with a psychopath for a sister that used us as her personal punching bag. I actually remember the last time Lucy physically assaulted me…"

Thirteen Years Earlier…

A 16-year-old Linus was in the kitchen eating breakfast before going to school. Everything was peaceful until his sister Lucy entered the kitchen. She was still larger than Linus, but Linus was now taller than she was. Lucy had gained a substantial amount of weight, tipping the scales at 280 pounds. As she got older, her attitude and crabbiness had gotten worse than when they were young kids. Linus didn't worry too much about himself as he did his younger brother Rerun. Lucy and Rerun were close as kids, but now she was abusing him even worse than she did Linus. However, Linus started fighting back as of recently.

"Did you eat all of the Frosted Flakes?!" she demanded from her little brother.

"What's it to you, Lucy?" Linus retorted.

"You know I love Frosted Flakes!" she reasoned.

"Last week it was Cheerios," said Linus, not even batting an eye.

"I CHANGED MY MIND!" she hollered. Linus was by this time used to Lucy's outburst that he didn't even fly out of his seat whenever she shouted. "Now what about the fucking Frosted fucking Flakes?!"

"Goddammit, Lucy!" he said, patience now gone. "We all ate the damn cereal! Mom, dad, me, Rerun, we ALL ate it! What are you going to do? Beat up all of us?! There's still some Cheerios left. EAT that!"

"BUT I FUCKING WANTED FROSTED FLAKES!" Lucy shrieked. Then she slammed Linus's face into his bowl of cereal hard that it broke the bowl. "Enjoy your breakfast now, shithead!"

Linus finally had enough. He grabbed his sister hair and slammed her against the wall. Linus had taken to lifting weights and exercising just because of her and so he could hold his own against her.

"Listen to me, you psycho bitch!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "THAT will be the last time you lay a fucking finger on me! The next time you hit me, punch me, or even do what you just did to me, I will fucking kill you! I swear to Christ! I! Will! KILL! YOU! YOU FUCKING PSYCHOTIC TWAT!" And he shoved her to the ground.

"You can't rough up a woman!" she retorted.

"Who the hell said you were a woman?!" he countered as he headed for his car to go to school.

Back to the present

"I'm not proud of that at all," said a remorseful Linus, finishing his flashback. "Even with her, I am not proud of what I did that day. But she never laid a finger on me again after that. I even told her later that if she harmed Rerun again, I'd do even worse than if it was me. Usually I don't lay a hand on a female, but after years of abuse and nothing happening from our parents, I finally had enough of her shit."

"I totally understand, Linus," said Audrey, comforting him. "You were driven to your breaking point with her. Let's face it. Lucy was a miserable woman. Her bad mood was her good mood. It's a miracle you dealt with it THAT long."

"As bad as it was for me, Rerun had it worse," said a sad Linus. "He started doing drugs and going out after dark to get away from her. I patiently waited until I was 18, then I split without looking back. I moved in with Charlie Brown for a while when he was still in college. I enrolled in the army soon afterwards."

"Well I, for one, know you are a great human being, Linus," said Audrey, hugging him. "I never would have married you if that wasn't the case." Linus started to feel better. Then the couple heard a knock on the door. Audrey went to answer it. It was Rerun. He had also moved to Boston to be closer to Linus and Audrey. Rerun was skinny and scruffy-looking. His hair was longer and even thicker. He sported a goatee now and had tattoos all over his arms. He was the youngest Van Pelt sibling, but due to his years of substance abuse and hard living, he looked even older than his older brother.

"Rerun, come on in," said Audrey. Rerun walked in. "Linus is in the kitchen eating breakfast. You're welcome to join us."

"Thanks, Audrey," said Rerun with a smile. He walked in and joined his older brother. "Hey, bro."

"Hey, Rerun," greeted Linus. "Grab a plate and dig in." And Rerun got himself a plate and served himself some scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, with a glass of milk. He sat down and joined Linus and Audrey.

"So, when are you due, Audrey?" Rerun asked.

"Any day now," she replied.

"Rerun, mom had called earlier this morning," said Linus.

'Really? What did mommy dearest want this time?"

"Lucy's dead."

"REALLY?! You're not yanking my leg or anything, are you?"

"Nope. Our, and I say this ironically, sweet and loving sister is no longer with us."

"Any idea how she died?"

"Nope, and I didn't leave mom on the phone long enough to find out, as she was still making excuses for her, even in death. She even said she tried to kill you over the last Oreo once."

"Bullshit! Lucy tormented me just as bad as she did you. Still, I'd like to find out how she died."

"Maybe. But for right now I want to enjoy this breakfast my wife had made." And the three of them ate breakfast and talked about other things.

NEXT CHAPTER: ON TO THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE