Hi friends! Back with new chapter! Thank you so much to my AWESOME readers. It means a lot guys! Hope you guys like this one too! Sorry for any mistakes!

Warning for child abuse and minor character dead.

Enjoy :-)))

Barry brows narrowed. He coudn't understand what the older boy meant "What...What did you do?"

Stephen again answered in sign language "My name is Stephen"

Barry shook his head "I don't know what you are trying to tell me" he backed up against the wall behind him when he saw the older boy come close to him. Barry thought he was going to get hit.

Stephen slowed his movements and held his both hands up in air. Barry saw him moving his hand on his mouth and then shaking his head twice

Realization hit Barry at once. Stephen coudn't talk. He was mute "You...you can't talk?" Stephen shook his head with sadness and signed something. Barry bit his lip "I am sorry but I don't understand what you are saying"

Stephen got up and ran out of the room. He came back after a minute with a paper and pen. He quickly scribbled on it and showed it to Barry

"My name is Stephen. I am mute. Eat food"

Barry read the note and felt sorry for the boy "Were you kidnapped too?"

Stephen ducked his head down. He was about to write when Kurtis entered into the room "Stephen! What are you doing here?" he eyed at the plate full of sandwiches "What is this huh? I told you give only two slice of bread and half glass of milk...Why don't you ever listen to me?" Kurtis slapped the older boy who fell on the floor beside Barry

"Hey! Don't hit him!" yelled Barry. Kurtis gritted his teeth and pulled Barry by his hair who gasped in pain "Don't you ever raise your voice against me! I am your master. You will do exactly as I say"

Barry was shaking with fear "Please let me go...I want to go home...please"

Kurtis gave a tight slap on Barry's face with his free hand "You are mine! You will work for me...if you don't listen then I will start killing the boys outside...do you want me to do that?"

Barry shook his head vigorously. He started crying "No...please don't kill anyone...no"

Kurtis held the teen's jaw tightly with his broad palm "Say yes or no!"

"Y...Ye..Yes"

Kurtis added more pressure on his jaw that would surely leave bruises "I need to hear loud and clear...Yes or No?"

"Yes!...Yes..I will work for you...Yes" Barry closed his eyes crying, feeling helpless. Kurtis harshly let go of him and pulled Stephen from the floor "Next time you try to disobey me...you will pay the price. Now take half of the bread back and no milk for him!"

When Kurtis left Barry saw Stephen was crying silently "I am sorry Stephen. Because of me he hit you" Stephen smiled at Barry and took half of the bread from the plate and picked the glass. He then walked out of the room. With each bite Barry took a new tear fell from his eyes.

On the fourth day Barry was taught how to work. They were told to sell small white packets in private hotel rooms. At first he didn't know what was in those packets until Stephen told him they were drugs. Barry didn't want to sell drugs but he had no choice. He knew if there was any argument from his side, a innocent life would be taken. That was Kurtis's game. He threatened the kids with the others lives. The man very well knew how to manipulate the fragile and scared minds of the kids.

Stephen use to cook food for all the kids in the warehouse. His job was to make sure no one ever escaped. Barry noticed many of kids who were brought before him talked in sign language. Stephen had taught most of the kids because he wanted to communicate with them freely. He was very friendly towards all the kids and always made their favourite dishes.

It was after one week Barry came to know that Stephen was Kurtis's son. Barry had gone in a hotel to sell drugs and did a mistake by trying to make a call from the room when the man had gone to collect money from his suitcase. Barry didn't even had a chance to dial the first digit when he was caught red handed.

That night Barry was badly beaten by Kurtis. He was kicked repeatedly at his stomach and got busted lip along with hand shaped marks on his face "This will be your first and last mistake" growled Kurtis "Next time I am going to kill Sam( a boy younger than Barry) if you ever try to pull this kind of stunts"

"I ...am sorry...please...sorry...I will not do it again... sorry" Barry curled himself on the floor

Kurtis gave one last kick and huffed "Useless creature" he stormed out of the room

As soon as Kurtis was out Stephen ran into the room towards the badly injured boy. He helped Barry get up from the floor and laid him on a small cot. The older boy then cleaned the blood from Barry's face and lips. Barry wimpered in pain. Stephen slowly ran his hand on Barry's hair providing some comfort. He then took a pen and paper and wrote a line handing it to teen

"I am sorry...my father is really a bad man"

Barry's eyes widened. Kurtis was his father "Your father?"

Stephen nodded

Barry coudn't believe how can a father be so cruel to his own son. During this week he saw how Kurtis treated his son no different than the other kids. He felt sad that he didn't get the love of a father the way he did. Joe had proven himself as the best father. He always loved him and took care of him even though they weren't blood related.

Stephen had written something while Barry was in deep thoughts. The paper was given to him which read

"I don't like to work with my father. But I don't have the guts to face him...I am scared he will punish or kill other kids in this house...so I try my best to make them feel like home...I know this is not their home but atleast the kids smile when I make their favourite dishes...do you want eat something...I will cook for you"

Barry eyes were wet with tears. He felt proud of the older boy. Even with his inability to speak he tries to bring smile on others face "You are very strong Stephen"

Stephen smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. He took the paper and was about to write when Barry stopped him "No...don't write...teach me your language...I want to learn"

Stephen again smiled nodding. He slowly moved his hands and did some actions "Not today...you rest...will teach you tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" Barry understood little

Stephen nodded and signed "Tomorrow"

Barry smiled closing his eyes, sleep claiming him immediately. Stephen looked at the now sleeping boy. He didn't why but he felt this unknown connection towards the boy. He had taken care of many kids before but Barry was different. He was shy and naive, always did what he was told, cared for the young boys in the house and sometimes helped him in the kitchen. The boy had a golden heart. Stephen covered Barry with a blanket and stayed with him for the night.

At the end of second month Barry had learned sign language. He and Stephen had become quite close friends but the teen still missed his home. He wanted to see his family again. There were days when Barry use to wake up in the middle of the night and cry for hours till morning.

It was in the sixth month when for first time Barry had witnessed a murder. Kurtis had caught a boy who tried escaping and in return a young boy named Sam was shot in head right in front of every kid in the house. Barry and the other boys cried in fear. Non of the boys could sleep that night. It was after two days he was so depressed that the boy decided to take his own life. Stephen had been the one who found Barry in the bathroom with his wrist bleeding from the cuts.

Thankfully the cuts weren't made deep and Stephen knew basic first aid so he quickly wrapped the boy's wrist. When Barry was awake Stephen had yelled at him with his actions being loud and clear "I don't want to lose a brother"

Barry hugged Stephen and cried until he fell asleep. The older boy was the only light in his life that was surrounded by darkness. From that day on the two close friends became brothers.

Stephen and Barry started spending more time together. There was a time when Barry made a mistake and Stephen took the blame on himself and suffer his father's beatings. He always protected him like a older brother. Together they took care of the kids who were younger than them. The older boy always use to get worried whenever Barry was send to sell the drugs and always greeted him with a smile when he entered in the house safe.

PRESENT

Barry sniffed "He looked exactly like you Ollie...just like your younger self" he gave a watery laugh

Oliver smiled at the boy beside him "I am glad you had someone to care and protect you kiddo"

Barry looked at him when Oliver said the word 'kiddo'. He wasn't a kid anymore but it felt so nice to hear.

"Sorry...it's just... I have gotten use to call you that" Oliver apologized thinking Barry didn't like being called a kid

Barry shook his head and gave a smile "No..it's okay" he then continued "You know.. .whenever Kurtis use to get drunk...he use to beat the boys...Stephen and I tried to stop him but that made him even more angry and he ..he used his belt on our backs.."

Cisco gritted his teeth "That bastard!"

Joe and Caitlin were shocked hearing Barry's story. Never in their wildest dreams they would have thought the boy had suffered so much "I am going to make sure he pays for his crimes...I promise you Barr" the father assured his son

"How...what happened... I mean how did he die?" Caitlin asked Barry in her soft voice. Oliver instantly noticed his friend go stiff beside him. He knew the hard part was yet to come.

Barry's eyes roamed over each person in the room and then his head ducked down. He had to tell them the truth. He had to tell them he was a coward. He had to tell them Stephen died because of him.

Fresh bout of tears rolled down on his cheeks "It..It was at the end of eleventh month when one morning..."

Sorry for abrupt ending but the chapter got long and I wanted to show Stephen's dead in single chapter! Next one is going to be hard to write...let's see if I am able to pull it off! Please leave a review if you liked this chapter :-)))