First off, I would like to apologize if made Dave and Dirk sound OOC in the past couple of chapters. I am so so sorry, I was not meaning to. Sometimes when I write, I have a bad tendency to forget about the character's character. So please, please forgive me if I made them sound OOC.

Anyway,

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Thank you, thank you, thank tou so much to everyone who favorited and subscribed to this story and thank you so much to everyone who took the time out of their day to post a review for this story. You guys just seriously, do not know how much it means to me!

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Chapter 14: Control

He was so angry at his bro right now he could scream. Dave furiously stormed back into his room, slamming the door behind him, and threw himself onto his bed. He reached for the nearest pillow he could get ahold of and screamed into the hapless cushion until he was red in the face.

'I can't believe him!' Dave angrily ranted in his head, 'First he signs over custody and NOW he acts all concerned about whether or not I'm okay! Why does he care?! It's not like he gives a damn about me anyway! Well screw him! I could careless if I were saw that man again for as long I live!'

After a few minutes of ranting and screaming, Dave eventually calms down and slowly sits up on his bed. He picks up the pillow that he just got through screaming bloody murder in, and holds it close to his chest. As bad as he hated to admit it, he really needed a hug right now. Even cool kids needed a hug every now and then, right? He desperately needed that reassuring, human contact that would let him know that everything was gonna be alright and work out for the better.

'But oh well, I guess the pillow would have to do.'

And as equally as bad as he hated to admit it, he wished it was his bro giving him a hug.

Derrick just laughed as he leaned back in his chair his study. He couldn't believe how extremely well everything was going. It was so easy, almost too easy. He had turned one brother against the other; to the point where younger hates the sound of his elder sibling's voice. And he had his own little personal money maker at his disposal. Those pictures Derrick had taken of Dave were going to catch him a small fortune by the end of the week.

Especially the ones he had sent Dirk.

"Oh man," Derrick throws his head back in laughter. "I wish I could see the look on his face when he opens up those gems! Maybe it'll give him a heart attack," Derrick said with far less sarcasm than usual.

Derrick looked up at the clock as he finished uploading the pictures to his 'exclusive website'.

"I need to go get David for dinner. Can't have him keeling over now that we are just getting started. Must make sure his body is getting everything it needs," Derrick said, walking out and locking the door to his study behind him.

'Especially to keep up that fine, slender physique of his,' Derrick's mind purred as he made his way to his son's room.

"David?" Derrick knocked on his door before entering, "Son, it's time for dinner."

Dave was still sitting on his bed, his head still buried in the pillow he made himself hoarse in.

"I'm not hungry," Dave mumbled.

"What's that David? I couldn't catch that?" Derrick said.

"I said I'm not hungry," Dave barked, shooting his head up from the pillow.

If Derrick hadn't had been so composed, he would have slapped Dave across the face right then.

Instead, Derrick took a stiff breath, and calmly said, "Now David. Come on now, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry right now Dad!" Dave angrily retorted.

Derrick was beginning to lose his patience. He approached Dave and pulled him up off the bed by his arm.

"Come now David, you're a growing boy and you need to..."

"Derrick if Dave says he's not hungry then he's not hungry," Claudia said, standing in the doorway.

Derrick shoots Claudia a 'mind your own business' look.

"Claudia, David is a young, growing boy. He may not be hungry now, but he will be ," Derrick sternly said.

"That may be Derrick; but if Dave is not hungry, then he is not going to eat. He will eat when he is ready to eat. You can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink," Claudia said firmly.

Derrick didn't say anything when he realized Claudia was right.

"Very well then. David when you get hungry in the middle of the night, don't say I didn't try to tell you," with that, Derrick exited the room, steaming in defeat.

"Are you okay, Dave," Claudia walked over to Dave, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter?"

Dave just shrugged, "I'm just not hungry."

Even with his shades on, Claudia could see right through him. "David, honey what is the matter?"

"I don't know, I got to talk with my bro for the first time since he gave me up. And, I don't know. He, he just sounded..."

"Sad? Distressed?" Claudia finished.

"Yeah," Dave said, "But I don't understand something. Why would he sound sad or distressed when he just gave me up like that?"

"Well, sweetie, it's because your bro loves you and still cares about you. And it sounds like to me that he misses you a whole lot," Claudia gently said.

Dave just stood there for a few moments, thinking, before saying anything else.

'Maybe, Bro still does care about me. But if he did, then why did he give me up? Everything is just so confusing...'

"Dave? Sweetie are you okay?" Claudia looked down, concerned, at Dave.

"Claudia, can I have a hug? I feel like I really need one right now," Dave said looking up.

Claudia just smiled and wrapped her arms around the boy, "You sure can sweet heart."

Dave felt a small smile creep up on his face as he lightly returned the hug.

"There, feel better now?" Claudia happily said.

Dave slightly smirked. "Eh, it's not a 'Bro Hug', but I supposed it will have to do," Dave lightly retorted.

"Oh it wasn't now?" Claudia laughed, "Well how about noogie then."

Claudia didn't give Dave time to respond, she quickly put Dave in a light head lock and gave him a few swipes up and down his scalp.

Dave let his cool kid persona slip for a moment and had a good laugh trying to get out of Claudia's grip.

"That's more like it," Dave smirked once he escaped from Claudia's grip; before putting his stone wall poker face back on.

"Good," Claudia lightly chuckled.

"Say Dave, when you get hungry, go down to the kitchen and get you something to eat okay? I'll probably still be up." Claudia told Dave before she exited the room.

"Okay," Dave said plopping down on his couch, trying to find a good movie to watch in the mean time.

At 12:30 in the morning, Dave was starving and decided to take Claudia up on her offer. He quietly tiptoed down to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. He dug in the huge stainless steel refrigerator until he found what he was looking for. Turkey, ham, roast beef, cheese, and mayonnaise. And hidden in the back, he hit the jackpot, a full bottle of apple juice.

"Oh hell yeah! I hope Claudia doesn't mind, but I'm gone drink this whole thing," Dave unscrewed the cap and took a few swigs.

"Don't worry Dave, I don't mind," Claudia suddenly said, causing Dave to spew the liquid he already had in his mouth all over himself and the front of the fridge.

"Holy crap Claudia, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry," Claudia laughed a bit, "And don't worry about the mess, the maids will clean it up in the morning."

"Good," Dave said wiping his mouth.

Dave made him a turkey, ham, roast beef, and cheese sandwich and sat down with Claudia in the breakfast nook. It was late and the two were both tired so they didn't talk much, they just carried on light conversation here and there. When Dave finished his sandwich and what was left of his apple juice, he wished Claudia good night and quietly made his way off towards bed.

It had been a long day and he was ready to get some sleep.

'Maybe tomorrow won't be as, eventful,' Dave thought as he put his beloved shades on the nightstand and climbed into bed.

In a few short seconds after he laid his head on his pillow, he was out.

6:30 in the morning, and Dave Strider had to pee like a racehorse, due to last night's apple juice binge. He throughs his arm over to the nightstand to grab ahold of his beloved shades, when to his horror, he discovers an empty space where he laid his shades the night before. His shades were gone.

"Oh nononononono, where are they?! They gotta be around here somewhere?! I couldn't have lost them!" Dave said trying not to have a mini meltdown. His shades were his life. Arguably his greatest possession, aside from his turntables, maybe. They were the very fiber of his being; his mask to the outside world. Nobody saw him without his shades!

Dave immediately jumped out of bed, and searched everywhere around the room. Everywhere, he left no stone unturned. After virtually tearing the room apart, he still couldn't find any sign of his sunglasses. It was like they just disappeared. Or...

"Looking for these?"

Dave whips his head around and sees his father standing in the doorway, holding Dave's beloved babies in his hand.

Dave immediately rushes towards Derrick and tries to reach for them. But to no avail, Derrick holds them high above his head.

"Dad this isn't funny! Give them back!"

"I'm sorry David, I'm afraid I can't let you keep wearing these. Your eyes are too pretty to be hidden behind sunglasses," Derrick said, almost mocking him.

Oh that does it! You can tell him what to wear, you can tell him what to eat! But you mess with his shades and it's on! Dave Strider has had enough and he wants some answers!

"Alright Dad, that does it!" Dave puts his foot down, "I demand to know what is your problem! Why do you always tell me what to wear or what and when to eat?! Give me back my sunglasses! Why are you trying to control me all the time!" Dave screamed furiously at his father, unknowing or uncaring of what the consequences would be.

Derrick too had had enough, enough of Dave's 'disobedience'. He decides not to hold back any longer and reminds Dave of who is in control. He raises an arm back and slaps Dave across the face. Not hard enough to send him to the floor, but hard enough where it sends him a clear message. 'Do what I say, or face the consequences'.

Derrick grabs ahold of Dave's shirt and pulls him close to where they are just millimeters apart.

"Now you listen to me!" Derrick said in a low growled, "You are under my roof and you are under my rules. I am in control here! You do what I say, when I say it! If I say you are not to do something, you do not do it! Understand!"

Shades or no shades, there was no hiding the fear in Dave's eyes.

Shocked and terrified of his father's actions, Dave can only say in a quivering voice, "Y-y-yes s-s-sir!"

"Good," Derrick smirks as he leans down and kisses Dave on the forehead, "I only done it because I love you."

"Now, go get washed up. Breakfast is in an hour," Derrick chirped happily as he handed Dave the day's clothes, like absolutely nothing had happened.

Dave didn't know what he was more of, confused or terrified. He just stood there in shock, eyes still wide open, as his father left the room.

Claudia stood outside the door in horror of what she just witnessed. Never in her wildest dream could she have ever image Derrick laying a hand on his own son.

"Good morning Claudia," Derrick greeted as he made his way out of Dave's room. He spoke like everything that just happened 5 minutes ago never happened.

Appalled by Derrick's actions, she rushed into Dave's room to check on him.

"Oh my God! Dave honey are you alright?!" Claudia immediately rushed to him and wraps her arms around him.

Dave's face remains unreadable, but his eyes say it all. He was shocked and now scared of his father. Scared of what Derrick might do next if he doesn't obey him.

"Yeah, I'm, I'm okay," Dave quietly says, still trying to wrap his mind around what all just happened.

"Are you sure?" Claudia asked, her voice beaming in concern.

"Yes ma'am. I'm, I'm gonna go take a shower now," Dave breaks himself out of Claudia's grasp and makes his way towards the bathroom.

When she hears the water in the shower run, Claudia immediately rushes off to confront Derrick.

"Derrick!" Claudia yells as she catches up with him down the fall way.

"Ah, Claudia dear! How are you this fine morning?" Derrick asked cheerfully.

"Stop bull shitting Derrick, what the hell was that back there?!" Claudia was fuming at Derrick.

Derrick's smile began to fade. "If it's all the same to you my dear, my I suggest that you stick your nose somewhere else and mind your own business. What I do with my son and how I discipline him is none of your concern." Derrick then turned and started walking away from Claudia.

"The hell it isn't any of my concern! You turn around and talk to me face to face like a man," Claudia reached out and grabbed ahold of his arm to keep him from walking off.

An action to which Derrick responded by slapping Claudia across the face as well.

Appalled and down right pissed off by Derrick's actions, Claudia puts her foot down. "Derrick Strider! You get out of my house and don't you ever come back!" Claudia growled at Derrick.

Derrick just looked at her she was crazy and laughed.

"What the hell is so funny?! Get your sorry ass out of here before I have you arrested for assault!" Claudia warned.

"Oh Claudia, why would you want to through a poor helpless boy out onto the street?" Derrick laughed, he always had a knack for twisting people's words.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You see my dear, if I go, so will David. I am the boy's biological father, if I go, so does he."

"You aren't taking that baby anywhere! I won't let you!"

"Oh really, I would like to see you try," Derrick gave Claudia a sickening look.

"Claudia do you remember what happened to the last person that stood in my way? I do believe no one ever heard from them again, they just seemed to disappear, into thin air almost. You wouldn't want that to happen again now would you?"

Claudia's eyes widened, "You, you wouldn't."

"Oh Claudia, I am more than capable of making it happen again. Just remember my dear, if you stand in my way, I can make you disappear just like all the others."

Claudia didn't know what to do; if she kicked Derrick out, it would most like mean certain death for both her and Dave. If she didn't kick Derrick out, Derrick's abuse would most likely continue and spiral out of control. But, if she let him stay, then at least she could protect Dave. And to her that's all that mattered.

"Fine, have it your way. However, if I see you lay another hand on Dave. I will kill you myself," Claudia warned.

Derrick just laughed her off, and walked as he carried about his business.

Claudia may have been terrified of what Derrick may do to her. But she was even more afraid of what he would do to Dave if she wasn't around. For Dave's sake, and Dave's sake only, she kept her mouth shut; and made a vow to protect Dave anyway she can.