A/N - Sorry! It's been a busy few days. My cousin was in town from overseas for the holidays, so I had absolutely no computer time until today. Thanks for your patience.
Chapter 5 – There's Something About Jack
We are now in a bedroom. Grace is crying. Carrick has his arms around her comforting her.
"Why now? Can we do this? I don't know how we're going to do this!"
"I know it's probably not the best time, but you can't predict when these opportunities come up. Do you want to say no? We can always say no."
Grace shakes her head. "No. We wanted this. I guess it was meant to be. Besides, I think it's a little late to back out now. It wouldn't be fair. I just... I'm terrified I won't be able to make it all work out."
"We're doing the best we can. And we'll just keep doing that. It's really all we can do."
"I don't think it's enough." Grace's brow furrows.
"It'll be a challenge, that's for sure. But we've already come so far. Jack's really come out of his shell in the past year. He's so clever, and he can be really sweet and charming."
Grace smiles through the tears. "True. Remember when he first said, 'I love you'? It melted my heart." She wipes at her face with her sleeve. "But it's been so hard on Elliot too. He's just so naturally sweet, and Jack can sometimes be so cruel with him. He's not usually a fighter, but since Jack has come along..." She shakes her head. "They've influenced each other. In good ways and in bad ways." Grace pauses. "Cary, can I tell you something terrible?"
Carrick gives her a questioning look.
"I can't believe I'm saying this." She swallows and whispers. "Some days I wonder if we made a mistake adopting Jack. What kind of mother thinks that?"
"Grace, he can certainly be a handful, to put it mildly. Some days he's an outright terror. We knew going in that raising him wouldn't be easy. You're not a bad mother, Gracie. Anyone else in our shoes would think the same thing. I've thought the same thing many times this past year."
Grace sighs. "It's like he just doesn't care sometimes. He knows his actions are hurtful, but he doesn't give a damn if it doesn't benefit him somehow." Carrick nods in agreement. "I was hoping the therapists and psychiatrists here would have other answers than the ones in Detroit, but it's the same thing. So many guesses; ADHD, bipolar, conduct disorder, autism, antisocial personality disorder, callous-unemotional temperament... nothing quite fits. I'm hoping Dr. Singh can give us some enlightenment. He's the pre-eminent expert in child and youth psychology on the West Coast. He studied under Dr. Robert Hare and Dr. Steve Hart, so he's got more experience and background in conduct disorders and psychopathy than the other therapists we've seen."
"Do you think it's as severe as psychopathy? Is that even possible for a boy his age?"
Grace shrugs. "I really don't know. I hope it's not that extreme, but if it is, I hope we get some answers for how to better shape his behaviour."
"Dr. Morgan in Detroit said he seemed to be getting better."
"Yes, and he seemed better some days, but keep in mind Dr. Morgan only saw Jack one hour a week. I think Jack told him what he wanted to hear and manipulated him like the others. Do you know what I found in his backpack?"
Carrick shook his head.
"My angel figurine that went missing."
"I thought Elliot took it?"
"I thought so too, but apparently not."
"Did you ask him about it?"
"I did. He laughed. And then he said he loved me and was sorry. I asked if he was sorry he took it or sorry he got caught."
"And?"
"He just shrugged. I grounded him. I told him he couldn't go on that school field trip to the science centre. He called me a bitch and started trashing his room. I told him 'I was not expecting you to hurt my feelings by calling me that' and he stopped and very calmly said: 'Well, I guess your expectations exceeded reality again, Mother.'"
"Jesus."
"It was so cold and calculating, Cary. It was like flipping a switch, as if he could turn the charm on and off. I don't know how else to explain it."
"He needs more severe punishments."
"Remember that time you spanked him, though?"
Carrick closed his eyes and blanched. "I'd rather not."
"That didn't seem to do him much good either. It's as if punishments don't affect him. I try to reward the good behaviour, but some days those moments are few and far between."
"So what do we do? He keeps getting into fights at school. He's constantly picking on Elliot, and I'm pretty sure he does the same to other kids in his class. We can't just give him back."
"No. No, I made a promise to love him no matter what. You know what background he came from. I can't just let him go back into the system. We owe it to him to give him the love he didn't have as a little one. I just can't abandon him like that."
"But Gracie, what if there's a foster-family that can help him more than we can?"
"Grace cocked an eyebrow. "I think we're better equipped to get him help than a foster family. No." She said resolutely, "I'm not giving up on him. He can be a handful, but I am not going to abandon him like his birth mother."
Carrick sighed. "Consider it as a last resort, then?"
Grace's eyes fill with tears again before she finally answers quietly, "Very last resort."
Carrick glances at his watch. "We'd better get going. Is the sitter here yet?"
Grace dabs her eyes and attempts to regain her composure. "She should be here any minute now."
Carrick cradles Grace's face in his hands, gazing into her eyes for a moment. "I love you Grace. You have the biggest heart out of anyone I know. We can survive this." He kisses her tenderly.
"Are we crazy for even considering what we're doing?"
"Stark raving mad." Carrick smirks. "But we'll make it work. This opportunity has presented itself because we're needed. Someone needs us."
Grace nods as the doorbell rings.
"Okay, time to go." Carrick says with a smile.
. . .
The sitter is reading at the kitchen table while Jack and Elliot watch He-Man in the adjacent family room.
"I used to love that show." Muses Christian. "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Elliot and I watched it faithfully after school every day. We didn't always get along, but that had to be one of the only things we agreed on. We would argue, though, about who would be He-Man when we played make-believe. Because he was blonde, and older, Elliot usually ended up with that honour. But sometimes, when he was feeling generous, he would let me be He-Man, and he would be Battle-Cat and let me ride around on his back." Christian smiles at the memory while watching the younger version of his brother.
"Hey Smelliot, can't you sit any farther away? Your reek is making my eyes water."
Elliot rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Jack."
"Seriously. You know nobody likes you, right? I figured it's because you're a loser, but now I think it's because you smell like a dead dog's ass." He then chimes, "Smelliot! Smelliot! Baby's got a smelly butt!"
Elliot scowls. "I don't smell and you know it. You're such an asshole, Jack!"
"Ooh! Baby's got a potty mouth!"
"I'm not a baby. I'm older than you by five months!"
"Oh right! I keep forgetting because I see you crying all the time."
Elliot folds his arms across his chest in a feeble attempt to block out Jack's invective.
"That's probably why Mom and Dad are looking to give you back to the orphanage. They like me best, you know.
"They are not. Besides, you're the screw-up. They're always going to all those doctors' appointments and stuff with you."
Smirking, Jack brushes off the notion. "I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to replace you. They don't love you." He moves in closer and says in a quiet, conspiratorial whisper, "They were pretty pissed off that you stole that figurine mom loves."
"I didn't steal anything! I don't know why she thought I had." Elliot studies Jack's impassive face and narrows his eyes. "You told them I took it, didn't you?"
Jack adopts an affronted expression. "What? Why would I do that?"
"Because you're an asshole who is always trying to mess things up for me. I don't know why, though."
"Because I hate you." Jack replies, simply and without hesitation.
Elliot cannot hide his wounded expression. "Why?"
Jack shrugs, then laughs and says, "Why not!" adding, mockingly, "Maybe because you're a smelly cry-baby."
Furious, and goaded past his limit, Elliot launches himself at Jack, fists flailing.
Jack swings back. They are soon a tangle of eight-year-old fury, fists and feet making random contact with heads and torsos as they thrash about knocking into the furniture.
The babysitter rushes in. "Boys! Quit it!"
Elliot is screaming, "I hate you! I wish they never adopted you!"
"Elliot Trevelyan Grey and Jack Trevelyan Grey! Stop that, RIGHT NOW!" Carrick's voice booms from the doorway and both boys freeze immediately. "Elliot, I don't ever want to hear you say that again!"
"But – "
"And Jack, do not provoke your brother. You two are constantly at each others' throats and I'm sick of it. Things are going to be really different around here, and you two need to start behaving or there will be consequences. It's not just you two now."
With that, Grace walked in carrying a dark-haired infant wrapped in a pink blanket.
"We got the call this morning that a baby was suddenly available for adoption. This little one's parents were killed in a car accident, and there was no one else that could take her in. We couldn't say no. So you're both going to need to start behaving yourselves a lot more, because you now have a new baby sister in your lives. Your mother and I need to spend time taking care of her too." Carrick's face softens. "This is Mia."
Elliot's contrite look is replaced by one of awe as he looks upon his new sibling. "She's so little!"
Christian is quiet beside me, an expression matching his brother's is upon his face. He smiles, reflecting, "I'd forgotten how tiny she was. She was the first person that I loved instantly, and felt protective over."
Jack eyes the sleeping bundle impassively.
"I know this is sudden. We were only just talking about it a few weeks ago, but this opportunity came up sooner than we expected and we didn't want to pass it up. We have always wanted a daughter in our family too."
Elliot looks worried for a moment, recalling Jack's earlier comment about a replacement.
"I thought we already had one." Muttered Jack, eyeing Elliot with a wry grin.
"Jack, stop goading your brother." Carrick admonished.
"Boys," Grace says gently. "Clean up this mess and get ready for dinner. Marguerite?"
The sitter looked up from making gurgling noises at Mia. "Yes ma'am?"
"Thank you for watching the boys while we picked up the baby."
"Any time, Mrs. Grey."
The adults turn and leave the room. Jack takes one last shot, bumping Elliot's shoulder menacingly as he walked past him.
"Hey!" Elliot cried out in protest.
Carrick shot a warning look at Elliot.
"But dad – "
"Enough. Clean up this room. Now!"
"Yes sir." Without another word to their parents or each other, the boys began to work on straightening up what their scuffle had knocked askew.
"Elliot is right. Jack is an asshole!" Christian remarks. "Elliot was always a bit of a buffoon as my older brother. He was an ass at times, but nothing like this."
I nod. "Elliot endures this intimidation for years. We'll see what that's done to him. But first, we've got a bit more background to catch up on." I drop my umbrella and once again give it a spin. Christian looks at me curiously as the spinning slows.
"Why do I get the feeling things are going to get worse as we go on."
I say nothing. It's time to start bringing out the big guns.
