Title: Stolen
Author: br33_br33/Sparkylovesfire
Pairing: Logan/Julian. Future!fic, Daddy!Logan and Daddy!Julian.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 4,223
Summary: Logan Wright is having the worst day of his life. The lady at the Starbucks messed up his coffee ordered, his coworker Ted was a complete jerk, he was pulled over for speeding on the way to pick up his son, AND the kids at Felix's school have been teasing him for thing he can't control. But he can overlook all of that, because that's just the typical bad day for Logan Wright. What makes today the worst?
He just watched his five-year-old son get taken away by some psycho in a mask.
Author's Note: Hi! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Dalton, Logan, Julian, or Ethan and Evan Brightman. They belong to the lovely Miss CP Coulter. Little Logan and Felix are mine, though as well as the random police officers, teachers, and Ted.
"Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared."~Eddie Rickenbacker
Outside, rain falls in heavy drops, making loud plopping noises against the window pane. Inside, Felix curls up into a little ball on a bed of randomly assorted pillows, cold even beneath the blanket the man who calls himself Adam gave to him.
They drove for what felt like hours, but probably wasn't longer than half an hour to forty-five minutes, before arriving at a two story, run-down looking house. Felix had fallen asleep somehow, waking only when Adam opened the door and tried to pick him up.
"Don't touch me!" Felix screamed, kicking as hard as he could. Adam looked angry, but he didn't say anything about it, just instructed Felix to get out of the car. Then he led Felix inside. It was just as broken inside as outside, wallpaper tattered and peeling away. It had a musty scent to it, like when Felix and Logan help Grandpa John sort through his attic.
"I'll be back in a little while," Adam said before he left. "I'll bring you dinner." Only once he was gone did Felix let himself really cry. He tried the handle to the door several times, to no avail, and even if the window worked, the room is on the second floor. He'd probably break his legs trying to jump down.
Felix wipes his eyes and peeks out the window for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. It'll be getting dark soon. Daddy Logan must be worried sick—Felix can see him now, pacing back and forth, blond hair coming undone from his gel and sticking every which way. Oh, he's probably blaming himself for this.
It's not your fault, Daddy. Felix's chest tightens, thinking about Daddy Logan upset and hurt. I bet he's called Daddy Julian. He'll be on his way home soon.
Good. Daddy Julian will make sure Daddy Logan knows it's not his fault. No matter what happens.
He tries not to think about what might happen. It scares him, thinking about what Adam's thinking about doing. Adam absolutely hates Daddy Logan. He made that clear when they were driving ("How anyone allowed him to become a father is beyond me. I mean, he can't even take care of one kid, and they let him have two? Ridiculous." "He's an idiot, you know that? I don't know what your Daddy Julian sees in him. He's an atrocity as a parent. I bet Julian will leave him the moment he finds out what he let happen to you—which is good, because Julian deserves so much better. And so do you, Felix."). Felix sat silently through the berating of Daddy Logan, though he wanted nothing more than to jump up and scream, "My daddies are the best daddies in the world! Both of them!"
Felix jumps when the door opens, and Adam pokes his head into the room. Upon seeing Felix, a smile breaks across his face.
"I was afraid you might have fallen asleep again," Adam explains, opening the door the rest of the way. In his hands he has a tray with what looks like a grilled cheese sandwich on it, a bowl of tomato soup, and small bottle of water. Against his will, Felix's stomach growls. It's been a while since he last ate. "I didn't want to disturb you if you were."
Yes, because Felix is supposed to somehow sleep when it's so cold and the room smells like moldy cheese.
Felix doesn't say anything, just shrugs his shoulders and stares out the window some more.
"Oh, don't be like that," Adam admonishes. He sits down on the pillows next to Felix, offering the tray to him. "Here. Eat."
"'m not hungry," Felix lies.
"Felix, honey, I know that's not true," Adam says. "The last thing you had was that Chinese food earlier today. You must be starving." Felix sighs because Adam's right, he is really, really hungry, and takes the plate and water.
"Thank you," Felix says on reflex. He tears off a bit of the grilled cheese and dips it into the tomato soup, like Daddy Logan always does, before nibbling on it. It's actually really yummy.
Adam beams at him. "You're welcome. I had Richard make it. He's really good in the kitchen. Made the soup from scratch."
"Richard?"
"Yeah, he's a friend of mine. Maybe you'll get to meet him. He's really shy and doesn't like to talk to people, but I bet he'd love you."
"Oh," Felix says between bites.
"He's a cool guy. He doesn't get out much, but he can cook as well as any chef. His mom taught him when he was younger, before she died in a car accident." Felix feels bad for Richard. He can't imagine what life would be like without one of his parents.
Now I have to live without both of them. The tears he thought he cried out before come back, even stronger and hotter than before.
"Felix? Is there something wrong with the soup?" Adam asks worriedly, checking the bowl. When he finds nothing amiss he adds, "Why are you crying?"
"I miss my daddies," Felix says honestly. "Why can't I go home?"
"Felix, sweetie," Adam says with forced patience. "You'll get to go home. Once it's safe, we'll be leaving. I have this nice little country home in Indiana you're going to love. It isn't much right now, since it hasn't been tended to in a while, but we'll be able to fix it up and make it home. You'll love it. You can have any animals you want, and there's a huge backyard you'll be able to play in. I'll even help you build a tree house if you want!" Adam continues rattling off his plans for their new home, ignoring how completely terrified Felix looks.
Indiana? That's…really far away. If Adam takes him that far away, how's he ever supposed to find his way back home? He'll have to live with Adam for the rest of his life. He'll never see anyone he knows ever again.
He won't get to finger-paint with Alexander. Or let Elizabeth pick out his outfits because he has such a terrible taste in clothing (according to her). Or go over to Uncle Ethan and Evan's and watch movies in their in-home theater while throwing popcorn into Darren's curls to see if it gets lost in there. Or let Grandpa John take him to the bookstore the next time he visits like he promised he would. Logan won't ever crawl into his bed late at night to protect him from the bad dreams. He and Daddy Julian won't be able to plan Logan's birthday party like they're supposed to.
Daddy Logan will never read him Goodnight Moon again.
Felix decides then that he has to escape. It doesn't matter if he has to jump out the window and break a limb, or yank at the door until his arm pops out of its socket. He has to get away. He'll never see home again if he doesn't.
The easiest way to do that, though, is as plain as the nose on his face. Felix doesn't know why he didn't see it before.
He has to earn Adam's trust.
"That sounds nice, doesn't it, Felix?" Felix stifles the cringe at his name, because Adam's still saying it in that weird way he did in the car. But he nods his head vigorously.
"It sounds very nice," Felix says, hoping his voice doesn't sound too false. "I'm excited to see it."
"I'm excited for you to see it. You'll fall in love with it just like I did. And Richard will, of course, be there to help out. So will a few of my other friends. They're all really nice. Well, Ted can be a bit of a jerk when he wants to be, but I'll make sure to put him in his place if he's mean to you."
"Tell me about the house some more," Felix says, feigning an excitement that could rival Adam's. "What does it look like? What color is it? Does it have a second floor? What's my bedroom going to be like?"
"Easy there, 'Lix," Adam laughs. Felix wants to yell at him that he has no right to call him that, because Daddy Logan gave him that nickname, but he simply puts on a smile. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I have a few things I need to take care of."
"You're leaving me here alone?" Felix asks sadly, though inside he's actually thrilled.
"Of course not! Richard will be here. And Ted'll probably stop by for a little bit," Adam ruffles his hair. "But before I go, could you do something for me?"
"What?" Felix asks.
"You like to sing, right?" Adam asks him with a wolfish smile. His demeanor has shifted slightly. He's watching Felix like a predator does its prey.
"Yes," Felix barely whispers. Adam's grin scares him even more now.
"You should sing for me then," Adam says, stroking the hair out of Felix's face. "I bet you sound just like your daddy." Felix nods his head slightly. He does sound like Daddy Julian. At least, that's what everyone tells him.
"But I don't know what to sing," Felix tells him.
"Pick your favorite song," Adam says simply, pecking Felix's forehead. Felix has to resist the urge to jerk back. "I'll love anything you sing."
"Okay," Felix says. He thinks about it for a moment, and then he opens his mouth, and the words of his favorite song start spilling out.
Adam's smile grows.
"You're perfect, you know that?"
John Wright sits in his study with his reading glasses perched at the tip of his nose and several papers scattered in front of him, attempting to get some work done but failing miserably. Ever since Logan called and told him all that had transpired, he hasn't been able to focus on anything. His eyes keep straying back to a picture frame at the end of his desk. The photo smiling back at him is different from the one of the two boys mounted on the wall in their living room; in this one, Little Logan is only four, Felix is one, and they're playing on the floor in the playroom of their house. Little Logan is showing Felix how to play with his favorite (and most expensive) matchbox car, the one John bought him for his fourth birthday. It's a picture Julian snapped of them, and John thinks Logan sent it to him as a way of saying, "See? He is Little Logan's brother. Whether you believe it or not."
Felix is so small in the picture. He's always been tiny, especially when standing next to his older brother. John remembers the first time he met Felix.
"Here he is," Little Logan said proudly, standing in front of the crib in the soft blue bedroom. There were giraffes, elephants, lions, tigers, all kinds of animals lining the edges of the room on a slightly darker shade of blue border. "Felix Antoine."
"John, look at him," Michelle cooed. "He's even cuter than the pictures made him out to be."
It was true. The baby in the crib was adorable. His soft brown eyes were wide and watching them all closely, and he had a fairly big smile for someone so small. To be honest, he was probably one of the cutest babies John had ever seen.
"But he's not my grandson," John made the mistake of saying out loud. Michelle sent him a horrified look.
"John!"
"What do you mean, Grandpa?" Little Logan asked, confused.
"He isn't my grandson—"
"Get. Out." John turned around to see Logan standing in the doorway, face bright red with fury and fists clenched at his sides.
"Logan," John sighed. The only reason he'd been allowed in here was because he promised to refrain from saying such things. "Michelle, take Little Logan and leave." Michelle grabbed the small blond boy's hand, all the while Little Logan was saying, "What does Grandpa mean that Felix isn't his grandson?"
"Logan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that while Little Logan was around—"
"You shouldn't be saying it at all. Because if Felix isn't your grandson, then Little Logan must not be either. And I guess I'm not your son."
"Logan, you know that's not true."
"Just get out. Get out of my son's room, get out of my house," Logan said, with even more anger and hatred. "I will not allow you to come in here and disrespect any part of my family." John knew he wasn't going to make Logan understand. How could that child in the crib, who looks nothing like him, be his grandson? How was he supposed to shower him with affection and dote on him when he didn't even have a speck of John in him?
"I'm sorry for offending you," John said, defeated. If he were younger, he would have fought back with his son, made him see his point. But he was too old now. Age had softened him, made him less confrontational and hot-headed. It'd done something similar to Logan, but not by as much. Not yet.
"Go." Inside the crib, Felix began to cry. Probably from all the harsh words and tension in the air. Babies are attuned to those kinds of things. Logan scooped the small child out of the bed as quickly as he started crying.
"Hush," he murmured. His voice was soft and gentle, a surprising contrast from just a few moments prior. "It's okay. Daddy Logan's got you, Felix. I've got you." John decided to make his departure then, before Logan's anger could return.
"Goodbye, Logan," John said, walking briskly out the door. He allowed one more glance back, to see Felix had stopped crying and was giggling at the faces Logan made for him. His tiny fingers brushed against Logan's chin, where stubble was growing in, and he trilled again, especially when Logan bent down and rubbed it against his cheek.
Logan had accepted Felix as his son with ease. Little Logan knew Felix as his brother. Michelle was already calling him their second grandson. They all saw him as part of their family.
So why couldn't he?
John runs his fingers over the edge of the silver ornate frame. He's been trying lately, to get to know Felix better. He knows he's a bright boy, smarter than even Little Logan had been at his age. He likes playing his violin and drawing with that Van Kamp-Anderson boy. He loves Disney movies and reading any book he can get his hands on. He's very shy at first, but once you get him talking it's hard to get him to stop. His favorite kind of ice cream is Reese's, though he doesn't eat it a lot because he knows how badly Logan and Little Logan are allergic to it.
"I feel really mean when I eat it in front of them," Felix had explained on the phone once. "It's not fair that they can't eat it, so usually I just get chocolate."
The boy is selfless, that's for damn sure. John doesn't know how, since all Felix really has to do is ask and whatever he wants could be placed right in front of him. He has the other three members of his house wrapped around his little finger. But he hardly ever abuses that control.
John thinks in a past life Felix might have been Gandhi or MLK or someone like that. It makes sense. But that theory might just be the old age talking.
He looks out the window and sees Michelle tending to the flowers in the garden. She only does that when she's worried. Otherwise, they have hired gardeners who take care of everything for them. But after he broke the news to her, she's been in even more of a state than he has.
"Was there a ransom note? Does he want money? Logan knows we'll give that man whatever he wants, right?"
"He hasn't asked for anything yet, but Logan knows all he has to do is say the word, and he'll have whatever he needs from us."
Logan would never do that though. He doesn't like relying on John for anything, not now that he has the ability to do it himself. It's his masculine pride, the one he got from John.
The door to the study swings open, and Little Logan strolls in, brash and bold and unafraid to interrupt John while he works. He's the exact opposite of Felix, in nearly every way.
"Logan," John says with a smile quirking at his lips. "It's very rude to walk into a room without knocking."
"I know," Logan says, hopping up onto the red velvet chair and locking eyes with John.
"Did you want something?"
"Why did Daddy Logan call earlier? Has something happened?" Logan asks.
"Nothing's going on, Logan. You really shouldn't worry so much."
"Grandpa John, you're lying. There's something wrong. I could tell by Daddy Logan's voice. Now what's going on?" Little Logan stares up at his grandfather with narrow eyes. It sometimes scares John, how much those eyes resemble his son's. They even have some of the contempt, though it's nowhere near as severe or as spiteful as Logan's had been.
"Nothing's going on," John repeats. "Your father was just checking in on you."
"Then why didn't you let him talk to me? Why'd you take it off speakerphone?"
"Logan, it's nothing you should worry about."
"Grandpa." John sighs. If they don't watch him carefully, he's going to have Logan's temper. "Something's going on. I know it. Tell me what. Is it Daddy Logan?"
John just watches his grandson for a second. "Daddy Logan is fine."
"What about Daddy Julian? Did he get hurt while filming in Peru?"
"Daddy Julian is all right too. Just calm down." Logan's face whitens, his fist clenching at his side and his green eyes go impossibly wide.
"It's Felix, isn't it? What's wrong with Felix?"
"Logan—relax—"
"Something's wrong with my baby brother and you want me to relax?" Logan snaps. "What happened?"
No sense in hiding it now. "Someone…someone took Felix." Logan inhales sharply, as if that had been what he was afraid.
Logan doesn't hesitate to say, "I want to go home."
"Daddy Logan wants you to stay here."
"Maybe I didn't say it properly. I am going home. And it's up to you whether you take me, or I find some way there myself."
"You're eight years old. How on Earth are you going to get all the way there by yourself?"
"Watch. Me." Their eyes lock, and John can see the fire and passion of his son's youth burning in the eyes of this child before him. Only his intentions are of a noble, caring nature, a protective instinct it took Logan years to gear towards someone other than himself. It's a look that tells John he's fighting a losing battle.
"All right. Get your things."
The moon is high in the sky, and Felix's fingernails are bloody, torn, and stinging from trying to force the window open. But after hours of working, it's paid off. He's managed to unstick the window and pop out the screen.
Luck seems to be on his side tonight, too, because right beneath the window is the roof of some smaller building. Maybe a garage or shed. Whatever it is, Felix's plan involves jumping down onto it and then hoping it's close enough to the ground that he won't hurt himself too badly jumping from there. It's still really high, higher than anything he's ever jumped from, even the one time he jumped off the top of the jungle gym at the park down the street from where he lives. So yeah, he's a little scared.
But he just pictures how relieved Daddy Logan will look once he makes it home, and it makes him braver. He's still afraid, but being courageous doesn't mean not being scared. It means doing what you have to, even if you're scared.
After waiting a few moments by the door to check for footsteps, Felix rushes over to the window and slides it open. It's his one shot. Better make it count.
He climbs up, peeking over the edge. Dropping down will probably hurt his ankles a little bit, so at least he can prepare for that. He hopes he doesn't miss the roof. Because hitting the ground from this height would hurt. A lot.
"And where do you think you're going?" a gruff voices calls from behind him. Felix wheels around to see a shadow standing in the door way, light spilling in around him.
"Adam?" he squeaks.
"Nah. Adam's still gone. For a little while," the man explains, strolling forward. He grabs Felix's wrist and jerks him away from the window.
"Are you Richard?"
"Nope," the man smiles, and it reminds Felix of a shark. All sharp, pointed teeth, twisted up into a terrible smirk. "My name's Ted. Hasn't Adam told you about me?"
"A little bit," Felix whispers.
"Of course," Ted sighs. "Adam probably had a whole hoopla to say about Richard, and maybe one little warning about me. See, he's always doting on Richard. Only reason that idiot likes Adam."
"You don't like Richard?" Felix asks. Mostly, he's looking for a way to divert Ted's attention from his botched escape attempt.
"On the contrary," Ted says. "I like Richard a lot. Especially before Adam decided to come into the picture. But now, they're always buddy-buddy together. It's disgusting."
"I'm sorry," Felix says.
Ted waves his hand dismissively. "It's nothing to be sorry about. People like Adam come and go, but Richard and I are always here. He'll be back on my side before too long." Ted's grin comes back, glinting in the moonlight. It makes a shiver run through Felix. "Now, Adam told me to keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't do anything stupid. Adam said you wouldn't even think about escaping after talking to you. You weren't trying to escape, were you?"
"N-no," Felix stammers. "I was just getting some fresh air. It…it smells funny in here."
"Oh, good," Ted says, petting Felix's hair. "Because if you were, I was going to have to punish you. And you wouldn't want that, now would you?"
"No, sir," Felix says.
"Sir…" Ted repeats. "I like that. You're a good kid. Now, look. Adam told me not to scare you too much, but if he gets in trouble for nabbing you, we're all going to get it. So here's how it's going to work." Ted bends down and grabs Felix's collar, pulling him close. "You will not try to get away. You will sit here and wait for Adam to come back, we will leave for Indiana, and you will enjoy your new home. You'll never see anyone from that damned family of yours again, because we're going to be your family."
"Yes, sir," Felix says, trembling.
Ted's smirk grows larger, like it'll split his face in half and cause all the terrible, terrible things he wants to say to crawl out. "And when you're a little older, and Adam's finally out of the picture, you'll be my boy. Mine and Richard's. And I'll get to do all the wonderful things Adam says I can't do right now."
"All yours," Felix breathes, terrified at what that means.
"I knew Adam chose a good boy," Ted says, running a hand down Felix's face. At this point, Felix is too scared to fend him off. "Pretty too. Those eyes…" Ted doesn't say more, but walks over to the window and slams it shut. The bang that echoes through the room makes Felix jump. Ted locks it.
"No more trying to get away, okay?" Ted says. "Because I'll be in the kitchen watching, listening. And if I catch you again, I won't be so nice. Adam's orders be damned."
"What will you do?" Felix asks, though he immediately regrets it.
Ted smiles more, all teeth and malice. "You're a smart kid, from what Adam's told me. Use your imagination."
It's probably more terrifying than actually telling him, because Felix's mind begins to run wild with terrible images, some from the deepest corners of his nightmares. Felix sucks his bottom lip into his mouth to stop from crying out.
"Goodbye, Felix," Ted says, ruffling his hair in an almost adoring manner. "I hope to see you again soon."
"Bye," Felix says, anxious for this man to leave. Felix would rather spend hours locked up with Adam than another minute with Ted. The door slams shut behind Ted, and Felix lets out the breath he barely knew he'd been holding. He flops down onto his makeshift bed, face buried into a pillow.
"Now how am I going to get out of here?" he asks himself, voice barely a whisper.
You're not, a gravelly voice that sounds eerily like Ted tells him. Felix can even see his shark grin sparkling in the dark as the words settle into him.
The tears come silently, running down his face in hot streaks.
"I'm never going to get home…"
Nope. Sorry, kid.
The voice doesn't sound sorry at all.