Chapter 2:
It was a good three hours before the man of the house made his return. The boy of brown locks was still relaxed in a peaceful sleep. A creak of a door woke Crow up from his daze and with a jolt of his body he whipped his head around to see Ramone walking in.
"Did I startle you?" "Ha-ha very funny" Rolling his eyes and turning his attention back to the snoozing youth. "Find anything?" Rustle of fabric came from the kitchen area. "Yeah, I found a few pieces, I also went and picked him out a bed. Grabbed a few more groceries while I was out too." "Cool." Seemingly uninterested. "Should we wake him up now?" Ramone was in the kitchen, beginning the sandwich making process. "Yeah. He could probably use another good meal, not that he ate much the first time. Parents probably didn't feed him to often, poor kid's way to thin." The boy's small frame did give away his starvation.
Crow began nudging the boy's shoulder talking softly in his ear. "Seto, time to wake up." A whiny groan told Crow that the child was not ready to wake up. "C'mon Seto. Time to get up and eat something." Nothing. "Geez this kid is stubborn!" Ramone laughed at Crow's frustration, putting down the half finished sandwiches. "Let me try." Walking over and kneeling down next to Crow he placed a hand on the shoulder belonging to the sleepy boy. "Seto. Are you hungry? I have some food ready for you." The child still choosing sleep over food refused to get up. "All right then." Wrapping his arms around the boy and slowly picking him up, letting him lean his head on his shoulder. Unhappy about having to wake his sleep deprived body up, he allowed a second whiny groan out. "Crow, finish the sandwiches." Obeying without any objection, the teen went and did what he was told before setting the sandwhiches at the table.
Meanwhile Ramone kept trying to pry the boy from his deep slumber. He sat down next to Crow at the table. Sitting down at the chair, the boy placed on his lap, head still resting against Ramone's strong shoulder. Tickling his cheek, trying new techniques in forcing him to wake up. This one seemed to be working, Seto would shoo his hand away, so he did it again. Two more times of shooing the annoyance away and the child opened his eyes. "That's better." Ramone smiled at the still half asleep child. 'Hnnph." Ramone picked up the meat and cheese combination, and placed it in front of Seto's face. Continuing a stubborn streak he turned his head away from the food offered, a sort of protest to let him sleep more. "Nope, time to wake up. If I allowed you to continue to sleep now you wouldn't sleep at all tonight." A moaning gurgle sounded, clutching his stomach as if that would make it quiet down.
Turning again to face the object held out in front of him, looking at it curiously. A quick glance over to Crow who was just finishing his lunch. Placing his eyes back to his sandwich and cautiously reaching out for the food he craved for, wrapping tiny fingers around the squishy bread. Snatching it back to him like a mousetrap as though the offer would dissolve within seconds. Carefully gnawing a small portion of the food stack before releasing it into his belly. Was not long before the child fully devoured his lunch.
"Don't you feel better now?" A large smile sent towards the child, only to be given a mixture of fear and worry back. All Seto has ever known was his parents beating, yelling, and neglecting his health. It was hard for him to comprehend the love and compassion being shown to him by the two who so kindly taken him in. A loud harsh cough interrupted his thoughts, a few more coughs followed lead. "Crow get a glass of water." Rubbing the child's back, and watching him closely as the relentless coughing fit dissolved itself, all that was left were some hard breathes. The clink of glass touching the table meant the water was ready for consumption. Ramone held it to the boy's lips, not giving him the option to refuse the drink. He did not remove the glass until all the liquid was sent down his throat. A squeaky whine was let out. "Think I should make you a doctor's appointment." Crow laughed "Good luck getting him to cooperate with that." This time it was Ramone's turn to roll his eyes at his mischievous foster son's remark. "Shut up."
Slipping his way out of Ramone's arms he took a few steps backwards from them. One hand clenched in front of his chest, with the other hand he placed his pointer finger knuckle in his mouth. Both males turned in their chairs to face the unstable adolescence. "What's the matter honey?" Taking another step back as a high, strange squeak seemed to be the sounding call for the waterworks to begin. A certain black haired boy stood up from his spot at the table and walked to the weeping boy. "Talk to me kiddo." Lifting his face to stare straight into his light violet eyes. "Nnn!" The frightened child reduced his speech to only squeaks and groans now. Taking another step backwards to avoid the gaze of the older teen. Stepping back, applying pressure, his knee gave out on him. Crashing to the ground with a thud and another whimper. Ramone rushed to his side. Crow strategically placed himself behind the boy wrapping his arms around the front of the boy. Pinning his arms back did not stop the child's squirms. Ramone grabbed the limb that gave out on him, trying check the boy's leg for any sign of a previous injury. "Think I'll make that appointment now. We'll have to talk him through this and hopefully we can get him settled down a bit before tomorrow." Standing back up and walking towards the telephone.
As Ramone talked to the receptionist on the other end, Crow tried speaking to the boy still tightly wound in his arms on the floor. "Can you tell me anything else about yourself? Like.. when's your birthday?" Leaning his head back on Crow's shoulder, still sobbing heavily. Unsteady breathes flowed through the hurting boy. "..W-why-y..." Opening his eyes, turning his head to face his holder. "Huh?" A puzzled look on face. "What do you mean, why?" Seto was almost afraid to ask the real question playing on his mind, but found the courage to do so anyway. "Why hav-vent-t... yo-us.. hur-rt-t m-me?" Broken up words and the immense tear flow told just how scared the boy still was. Gasping and enlarged eyes, shock broke through into the deepest pit of his gut and lodged itself there. Stomach churning and making him want to throw up, his heart shattered like glass. "Why would we?" The boy was half yelling "I told you you'd be safe here!" "B-but.. I-" "I don't even want to hear whatever excuse you're going to come up with. No one deserves to be treated like that. For any reason." The dead serious look on his face frightened the boy, but at the same time he felt an odd sense of warmth course through his body. Unfamiliar with this feeling, unsure of what to think about it or what the label for it is. Crow unpinned the arms of the boy, and wrapped his back under the child's, circling around his chest, still not leaving his embrace on the child.
"Thank you." Clicking the phone back down to the receiver he walked back to the boys on the floor. "Well, We'll be picking up some papers tomorrow at the courthouse and then heading over to the doctor's. Whats been going on in here?" Smiling, trying to keep his frantic new child in good spirits. Seto hugged his knees and hid his face the best he could with Crow still around him. Judging by the appearance of Crow's face Ramone knew something was up. "Crow? You going to tell me anything?" Crow knew how Ramone would react when he told him Seto's fears. Ramone always had something comforting in store though. Gathering his own words together, while trying to keep his lunch down, he finally spoke. "H-he asked why... we haven't hurt him yet." Ramone took in a sharp intake of breath. "Oh, honey." He stole Seto from Crow's hug and cuddled with the teary child. "We won't hurt you. I promise. We're going to help you feel safe, give you a nice home with people who love you." Kissing the top of his head before the child responded. "I-I don-n't understa-and." Choking out between sniffles. "Where's mom-mmy a-and dad?"
"Seto, do you even know what happened to your parents?" "What d-do you m-mean?" Ramone took a quick glance over to Crow, the teen appeared to have a saddened expression. Looking at the floor until he felt the eyes of his caretaker fall on him. "Do you... know what it means to be arrested?" Shaking his head. The boy was not familiar with most things in the world. His parents rarely took him away from the house, and if they did he was stowed in the trunk of that old red car. The world never knowing of his short existence. Whenever his parents had company over at their house he was thrown in the cellar or bound to his room. They kept their son hidden from society, their excuse to Seto was 'to protect him.'
"They're going to jail hun." "Jail?" "Yeah, it's where people are taken when they've done something bad." Seto thought for a minute. "Like the cellar?" Looking up at Ramone with concern on his face. The comparison had left the other two speechless. Seeing the boy becoming uncomfortable with their silence, Ramone quickly said something to disrupt it. "Yeah..." Seto seemed to understand that answer. "Does that mean I'll never see them again?" Stroking a hand through the boy's hair he answered. "Depends on how long they are sentenced there for. Do you understand why they were put there?" The confusion painted across his face took the place of words. "They were put there for hurting you honey." Realizing what that meant to his little world, he panicked. Struggling to release the grip of the older man. "No! They're going to be ad at me when they get out!" Water raining down from his eyes, he stood up. One arm still trapped by the man's grasp. "Seto! Calm down" Ramone stood up and wound his arms around the boy again. Wanting him to listen to what he was going to say. "They won't hurt you anymore, I promise!" Taking his chin in one of his hands he faced the boy, and rubbed one of his cheeks. "We won't allow your parents to harm you anymore."
Seto had mixed feelings about this. On one hand his parents and the life he lived was all he knew. A sense of familiarity, he was accustomed to what made his parents upset and how to avoid certain circumstances. Knowing what he could or could not do. At the same time, these were the people who've beaten him, choked, starved, neglected, bound, and locked in the cellar. Chilled blood swam through his veins when a third hand was placed on his shoulder. "Just give us a chance. We'll show you that what were sayin' is true." Wrenching himself from Ramone he threw himself onto Crow. The force knocked them back to the floor where Seto continued to hide his face into Crow's purple shirt, soaking it with tears.
A short time had passed. Seto was settling down again. "How about you take Seto outside and show him the yard? Maybe play a game? I'm going to get some supper ready." Picking his unofficial little brother up from the floor walking him out the patio doors and onto the small deck. Ramone could easily watch the two from his spot in the kitchen. A large window placed in front of the stove shown him the yard.
Slapping of bare skin touching down on wood sounded alongside singing birds and the rustling of the wind blowing through tall trees and shapely bushes. An invisible force flowed through the long brown hair. Crow still holding onto his hand, tried leading him down the stairs and into the yard. Hesitantly he followed with slow footsteps. Grass now folding beneath his feet , Seto looked up to see more flower beds in the back. Caught staring at them Crow took him over to get a closer view of the garden spectacles. Layers of petals among vibrant colors of pinks, reds, whites, purples, intricately detailed, to plain, varying from short, tall, mini, huge. Seto reached out and felt the soft petals, a small smile finally unveiled from his lips.
A swoosh of the large glass sliding doors caused both boys to jump. Seto rushed and hid behind Crow, who was now facing the direction of the noise. Securely placing his face into the teens back, and grasping on to him with fingers like a vice. Two men walked out, Ramone, and a man in a navy blue uniform, completed by a belt with an array of pockets and tools.
"Seto, this man here wants to talk to you." Crow recognized this officer as the same one from earlier in the day. With a laugh he joked, "You can talk to him only if you can pry him off my back, but I don't think I could make that happen even if I wanted to!" Ramone enjoyed the humor and chuckled, walking to Seto's side. Gliding one hand up and down his back gently talking to the frightened boy. "This man wants to talk to you hun. He's here to help." The blue clad male stood next to Ramone. "Hey there Seto. My name is Eli Forlo. Will you talk to me?" Seto's cheek pressed into Crow's back, looking away from the two men. Ramone moved to face the boy. "C'm ere." Attempting to pick the child up again, hitting a snag when he refused to let go of Crow. "Wait." Crow leaned forward, so the child's feet were hovering over the grass, Seto yelped. Grabbing around his knees and pulling them forward. Small hands moving to wrap around the boy's neck, muscles stiffening. "Piggy back ride." The smile was a victorious one. The two men laughed at the clever idea of the teen. Stepping towards the wooden deck, sitting the child on top of it. "Ok, now give me your hands." Clasping one of the tiny hands, he ducked under and twirled around. Adjusting the already placed arm, and giving up the second to the innocence.
Ramone and Crow sat on either side of the boy, and officer Forlo stood near Ramone on the grass. "Can you talk to me about your parents Seto?" With huge eyes he shook his head fiercely. "Nnn!" "I need you to tell me Seto. The more you tell me, the longer I can keep your parent's away from you." "Thats a bit of a touchy subject yet. I think he's still confused a bit on all this yet." Ramone warned his friend, now knowing that he should be more cautious in what he says. "Sorry, I hadn't realized." "He hasn't said much of anything to us, but he did compare a jail to a cellar. He must have been locked in their cellar when he was 'in trouble'." Forming quotations around the last piece, Seto dug his face farther into Crow's clean fabric at the mention of his cellar. Officer Eli continued to ask Seto more questions than he got answers for.
"Seto? Will you... talk to... me.. about this?" Getting a puzzled look, contemplating on whether he should give in and tell them, or spare everyone from the gruesome details. Whispering into Crow's ear, "You'll just tell everyone anyway." Mouth slightly agape. "Why don't you want us to know?" "I don't want to talk about it." Finding no better excuse for his reasoning that is what he went with. It was the truth though, he always did his best to avoid thinking about his past grievances.
Crow tried taking a new approach. "Do you want to stay with us?" Taking a long pause, he did, but at the same time was not sure. Uncertainty creped into his mind. Of course, staying with the people he barely knew was better than being left in the streets, or worse yet, trapped in a dark cellar, so he nodded his head slowly, starring at the boy with a concentrated expression. "Good." Grinning at the answer he was desperate to hear. "Remember how I said no one deserved to be treated the way your parents have treated you?" Seto gave another small nod, not exchanging his expression or viewing. The two adults stared intently at the boys. Watching in amazement as Crow was making some progress in prying the kid open and getting him to talk.
"You don't speak, they get away with what they've done, and they'll only do it again." "W-hat happens to people in.. j-jail?" Officer Eli offered to take this question, choosing his words carefully. "They will be living under the same roof as other people who have done bad things. They won't be able to leave for a while." Eli's explanation was quite vague and left Seto confused. Ramone took a stab at explaining this time. "They will have a small cell to sleep in, a small square room with a toilet and a bunk bed. They get time out of their cells too. But a lot of their freedom is taken away. People kind of like officer Eli here makes sure they behave themselves. Not to the extreme that your parents did though." Appearing to understand better, Seto was next to say something. "B-but I don't want to..." "Seto, I know this is probably really scary for you, but trust me, I wouldn't ask you to talk about this if it weren't for your best interest." The father in Ramone shown through brightly, he began running his hand up and down the back of the brown haired child, as tears flew from his violet eyes.
"Let's start with a simpler question, have your parents done this to you your whole life, or for just part of it?" Officer Eli was successful in his back tracking attempt. "... Always..." His pitch just above a whisper, blank expression just watching the grass sway in the wind. "Do both your parent's hit you? Mom and dad?" "...Yes..." Ramone wiped the tears from the weeping eyes. "It's ok honey. You're ok." Kissing the top of his head. "Have they locked you in the cellar before?" A nod. "How many times?" "I...don't know.. a lot..." After each question the police man wrote down what was asked, and the answer. Also having a hidden recorder copying down the entire conversation. "More than once a week?" "Yeah..." "How often did they feed you?" "At least once a day... unless... I was... really bad... then less than that... " "Can you tell me anything else they've done to you?" Switching his view to Crow's face, who gave him a caring smile. "You can say it. I'll be right here by your side." Tightening the grip on his hand, he gave in, turning his attention back to the grass.
"They hit me...a lot... everyday... S-sometimes.. they had a knife... they also.. locked me in my room before... and if I was really bad they'd throw me in the cellar... they... kept me there.. for a few days before..." Starting to choke on his own words, his tears quickened pace. Recollecting all the pain his parents caused for their only son. Struggling to say more he tried to continue on. "Mama.. held my head under.. water.. in the bathtub b-bef-fore... a f-few t-times-s..." Breathing heavily, the other three listening closely. "T-they'd... tie my han-nd-ds..." Motioning to one of his wrists "A-and... m-my" Pausing, pointing to his lips. "Th-they-y... k-kept... me in... either... b-bedr-room-m... o-or c-..ce-llar.. whe-n peop-ple v-visi-ted... they... th-they.. t-told me... i-t w-was-s t-to...p-prot-tec-ct … m-me... f-from-m b-bad..." His breathing became loud, gasping for air as though the words were wrapping around his neck, strangling him. Pressing the child into him, and hugging him tightly, sliding one hand to the pack of his head, and his chin rested at the top of the brown hair.
Nearly in tears himself, Ramone tried to keep himself composed. "Shhh... you're safe now." Rocking slightly, and kissing his forehead. "You don't have to say anymore sweetie." "Seto, thank you for your cooperation. I'll make sure you get some justice." The only sound coming from Seto where the attempts to swallow enough air to fill his lungs, but to no avail. Eli mouthed 'I'm sorry for causing trouble for yous' towards Ramone. Who only smiled and mouthed 'it's ok' back to him. "I'm heading out, see ya Crow." Roughing his hair as he walked past, Crow swung and missed him by just inches, trying hard not to show his smile.
Soon after the officer left, the child, still frantic, clung to Ramone. Loud banging came from the front door, causing another squeal from Seto. "Crow, go catch that." Crow ran off in the direction of the banging, while Ramone picked the devastated child up and followed. The black haired teen was at the door, talking. Ramone rushed up to Crow their next door neighbor came into view. "Hello Ramone. Is this the new child I've been hearing about." Chuckling "Word gets around fast don't it?" "Well, it is a small town." Giggling at her comment, she continued on "Oh, I made the three of you some dinner too." Motioning to the covered tray sitting in Crow's arms. "Thought you'd have your hands full, and I can see I was right." Pointing to the child still cradled in his arms, she tugged Seto's sleeve playfully, digging his face into Ramone's strong shoulder. Laughing at the joke Ramone replied. "Thank you so much, we really appreciate it. And you know that one there will have that gone by tonight." Another loud chuckle came out. "Hey!" A few more minutes of casual talking between the three occurred before parting ways.
After their scrumptious supper generously donated to them by their neighbor, the trio retired to the couch. Ramone snuggling with the child who was still out of sorts. Talking gingerly to him about tomorrow's routine. First they would head out for the courthouse, where papers for Seto's legal adoptions would be held. After that they would head over to the doctor's office, and check for both internal and external injuries to the youth. Silence over took the room until a second wave of coughs came through the boy. Crow rushed to get him another glass of water poured while Ramone rubbed his back and tried instructing him on how to cope with the coughing.
Returning with water in hand, releasing it to Ramone who had Seto drink it all gone. Loud gasps turned into softer ones as the coughing relinquished. "What do you think that's all about?" Crow wondered at the second random coughing attack that day. "Well, seeing as how he still smells like cigarette smoke after scrubbing him down real good, I'm going to guess second hand smoke." "hmm..."
Nearly nine at night now, both children half asleep after their long day. Crow headed off into his own room, and Ramone took Seto into his. "You're bed won't be here until tomorrow, so you can take my bed for tonight." Placing the boy on his bed and wrapping a thick blanket around his shivering shoulders. "And I'll sleep on the floor." Throwing a pillow down, marking his spot. A usual stubbornness played over the boy, he left the soft mattress in favor of a corner. He was more accustomed to this anyway. In his bedroom laid a crib, untouched for years, unusable for a boy of his age and height. The cellar had no comfortable bedding for him to lay in either. "Nope, you're going to sleep in a nice, comfy bed tonight." Carrying the child, and placing him back on the bed, only for the child to return back into his corner. Letting out a small laugh. "What a kid." At that Crow walked in. "I figured you'd be having troubles with the kid." Chuckling at his playful banter, stepping towards the child on the floor. "Ha-ha, very funny." For the third time he set the child on the bed, Crow came and sat by them. All three now snuggled together on the sleeping centre. All drifting off into a land of slumber. Thus ending the first day of Seto's new life.
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Forgot the author's notes the first chapter...
My disclaimer is that I don't own Fragile dreams, or the characters from Fragile Dreams.
Sorry if this is kind of slow, it should pick up the pace in the next couple chapters anyway. Still don't have all figured out if it wasn't obvious enough.
I'd also like to say thank you to my two reviewers, even if fanfiction isn't letting them show up xp