Paternal Bonds Shattered

Disclaimer: Do I need to say it? I don't own iCarly

A/N: This is the chapter we discover the mystery behind Sam's firstborn in PB

Chapter 28 (A Brother's Resolve)

Two years would pass before anything of significance happened for anybody. At twenty two, Freddie and Carly would be finishing their undergraduate years and Carly was already starting to see her name in lights. Jeremy, Gibby, and Nevel did all they could to actually be decent fathers for their sons, but it had become increasingly harder to have family lives while with Hector. Hector started putting Sam in basic padded rooms, keeping her separate from her daughter, who had no name. Sam had named her, but nobody ever called the little girl by that name.

Sam would sit in her cell, listening to her daughter's cries from the next room. The girl wanted her mother, but never got the opportunity to be with her but on rare occasions. It was Jeremy that finally pulled Adam from Sylvia, now the older brother stayed with his little sister in her cell, protecting her any way he could. He was five years old now, and he desperately missed Derek and Rachel. Valerie would often tell him, along with Sam, how Rachel and Derek were adjusting with Jonah. They were happy as could be.

Amy Puckett actually got to see her grandson, no one was sure how it happened, but Jonah found a way to bring Derek to her. She had started taking care of him. Rachel brought joy to Valerie's family, giving them comfort and hope wherever needed. That was the middle name she had been given, 'Hope'. She was her mother's hero, her father's pride and joy. As far as Valerie went, she was growing tired of being under Hector, tired of being afraid of Jeremy, and tired of never seeing her family and not seeing her little baby grow up.

"Tell me more mommy," the little girl said as she sat on the cold floor in the cell next to her mother's. Sam was telling her stories of iCarly and of Freddie, the only man she still loved, if he knew she was still alive. Adam smiled as he lay on the floor, kicking his feet into the air.

"He would hold me so tenderly," Sam mused as she held her arms and closed her eyes, smiling subtly. She was afraid of a man's touch now, any man. If she ever saw Freddie again, it would take a long time before she could let him touch her in any intimate way. "I loved him, I still do."

"Where is he now, mommy?" Sam bit her lip and moved her eyes towards the ground. She wished she could know, she really did want to know. God how she yearned for his embrace.

"I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know." Suddenly the basement door was heard and Sam closed her eyes. She knew what was coming, she could hear his footsteps. The one that seemed to hate her the most out of everybody. She'd become accustomed to how she was treated, so much so that she did not cry anymore. Her cell door opened violently and Jeremy stepped in. "Hello Jeremy…" He looked pissed off about something, what had Gibby done this time. She smirked tauntingly and tilted her head. Though, the fire that used to be in her eyes was long gone. "Did Valerie piss you off again and Gibby defend her…again?"

"Shut up," Jeremy muttered as he slammed the door shut. Adam frowned as he pulled his little sister into the corner and held her, he knew what was coming. His baby sis didn't know too much, but she did know that bad people hurt her mom. Jeremy's eyes drifted to the small rectangular window separating the two cells. "I don't know why Hector even wants them alive. He doesn't like the girl, and he definitely doesn't like the boy. If I had my way…"

"You would do nothing!" Sam spat at him and quickly rose, she may be broken but when it came to her children, she still defended them no matter what. Jeremy raised his eyebrow at the defiance and growled, he hated when she or Valerie acted in such ways. He backhanded her and she shouted out in pain. Her daughter's eyes widened as she cuddled close to her brother.

"How dare you think you can backtalk me!"

"I would sooner kill you myself than let you touch my children." Jeremy laughed and crossed his arms. He would like to see Sam try and kill him.

"I'm sorry, was that a threat? You're in no position to threaten…" Jeremy grabbed her shoulders tightly and slammed her into the wall. She yelled in pain as he clenched his fist and hit her in the chest. "You see, I can destroy you in an instant, just like your pathetic little children."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I do it, because I can. I deserve it!" Suddenly a shrill scream rang through the air, the daughter was crying. Jeremy growled and walked over to the wall, pounding it with his fist. "Quiet in there! Now!" Sam panted lightly, her chest heaving and her eyes glaring at Jeremy. The daughter continued screaming. "You don't want me coming in there!"

"You won't hurt them…" Jeremy looked back in time to see Sam rush him and hit him in the face. He shouted as he fell to the ground. He held his hand over his nose and slowly rose. Pulling his hand away, he saw blood. Sam's eyes widened as he stared at the blood, she had broken his nose.

"Y-You…bitch! You bitch! You're going to pay for this!" He grabbed Sam and threw her to the ground. She whimpered as he started kicking her several times. She screamed in pain as her daughter continued to cry. Finally reaching the peak of his frustration, he left her cell and slammed the door of the two children open. Sam lay on the ground, unable to move. She was halfway into unconsciousness. Adam slowly rose and stepped in front of his sister, puffing his chest out. "Give me the girl."

"No," Adam responded, protecting his little sister. Jeremy growled violently and stepped forward. Adam wasn't moving. He was blocking any access to his sister, who was curled up in the corner. "I won't let you hurt her."

"You have no choice, give me the girl. I'm not asking you, I am ordering you, and children should obey their elders."

"No! Mommy says children obey their elders when they deserve to be obeyed. You're mean, you hurt mommy, you don't deserve anything, and I'm not letting you hurt my sister!" Jeremy growled, his anger and rage increasing even more. Adam narrowed his eyes and closed his fists as his sister closed her eyes fearfully. "I am not letting you near her."

"If you don't, then you will take her punishment. Do you really want that?" Sam moaned from her room, trying to call out to her children, but she couldn't say anything. Jeremy had beaten her far too badly. She struggled to push herself up, spilling blood from her mouth.

"Again, I am not letting you hurt my sister." Jeremy blinked, his eyes fully open. He was stunned at this boy's resolve. He sighed and crossed his arms, smiling softly.

"Fine…I'm impressed, but that doesn't make the punishment any less. I won't inflict anything on your sister."

"Thank you." Jeremy narrowed his eyes evilly as Sam's adrenaline continued to try and spike up. She ignored her wounds and stood up, staggering and limping to her door. She started slamming into it with her shoulder, trying to open the door.

"You'll do just nicely." Adam yelped as Jeremy grabbed his arm and jerked him over. The girl's eyes widened as she watched her brother being pulled from the cell. The door slammed shut and Sam called out for her son. "Ignore her." Adam didn't speak, he didn't cry, he was willing to sacrifice anything for his sister. Though at just five years of age, he didn't understand perfectly what that meant. All he knew was he was defending her. When the basement door slammed shut, Sam slid to the floor, her eyes wide and her face pale. She'd lost her son, she knew it. He was gone.

Jeremy led the boy to the living room and threw him against the wall. Adam grunted and held his shoulder, biting his lip as the tears broke his eyes. Jeremy was the only one in the house, everyone else was gone. Nevel wanted to be with his girlfriend so badly that Hector had no choice but to let him go. Hector was in Arkansas, picking up a manuscript sent to one of his workers, Amelia Rann. Gibby and Valerie were out on their daily breaks. In the two years, they had moved a little closer to Seattle, but just near the outskirts.

"You should have let your sister suffer the penalty."

"No, she didn't do anything!" Jeremy hated when people back-talked him, especially children. Hell, he never wanted to be a father himself, which was probably why he never cared for his own son.

"You know, I never did care for you. You're the spawn of Satan, anyway. I'm going to take care of you once and for all." Adam swallowed hard as Jeremy grabbed him and pulled him out the door. He threw Adam into his car, then got in and locked the doors. Screaming, Adam slammed his hands on the window while Jeremy nonchalantly started up the car and sped off. "This is what you get, boy."

"Let me go!"

"Oh I plan on it. Now sit down and shut up!" Adam quieted and sat down, his mind wandering to the possibilities of what would have happened to his brother if Valerie and Gibby hadn't saved him. He watched out the window and frowned, Jeremy was driving into an area with no residents, no civilization to be heard of. What was going to happen to him out here?

"What are you doing, evil man?"

"Getting rid of you…" Jeremy parked his car somewhere on a desolate, unknown road and exited. He opened the door and Adam started trying to move to the other side. He shouted out as Jeremy grabbed his ankle and pulled him from the car. He grabbed Adam's neck and tightened his grip, glaring angrily into the boy's eyes. "This is what you wanted, remember? Don't worry, maybe your sister will join you here one day."

"You're a mean man." Jeremy roared and threw Adam on the ground. Adam yelled out and grabbed his leg, he landed pretty hard on it. What was it that caused this transformation in Jeremy? Nobody was sure exactly the reason behind his insanity. "What man would hurt a child…"

"Shut up. Nobody cares about you. You were never loved, do you know that? Here's a secret for you…" Jeremy leaned forward and Adam stared at him with fear. "Your mother was raped by her own father and then impregnated by him. Do you know what that means? It means she was attacked by him, abused, and forced to give birth to you."

"What…" Tears formed in Adam's eyes as Jeremy smirked evilly, he was going to crush this kid in so many ways, like he had not been able to do with the other children.

"That's right, you gave your mother nine months of pain that she never even wanted."

"Mommy didn't want me?"

"No, and neither did your father, or is that grandfather? He did something that no man should ever do to his daughter, he shattered those paternal bonds. Now you're out here on the curb, and what did your mom do to protect you? Nothing."

"No! You lie! Mommy did love me, she did want me!"

"Well where's your mommy now, kid?" Adam bowed his head as Jeremy started to climb into his car. He'd had enough fun now. He started up the car and sped off, leaving Adam in tears.

"Mommy did want me..." Adam slowly crawled off the street, realizing that he couldn't walk since his leg hurt too much. He tried not to sob, but couldn't help it. At least, maybe, his sister was safe. He wasn't bleeding, he couldn't walk, nobody seemed to drive on this road, so what was going to happen to him now? He crawled too far and started slipping down a hill, losing his grasp and hitting a few rocks. His body landed at the bottom of the hill, halfway in a creek.

Moaning, he stared up at the clouds in the sky. They were so beautiful, the sky was perfect. He smiled softly and wiped his eyes. His limbs were in too much pain, but the scene he was seeing was too beautiful for him to take any notice to the pain or to his own hunger. Maybe he would just lay there as the darkness grew, maybe he would remember this last image of beauty before he died. "I'll look after you, sister…always…you, Derek and Rachel. Nothing will happen to you." He closed his eyes and his head fell to the side.

Soon, his soul would leave his body. At the same time his soul left his body, Hector, Valerie, Nevel, and Gibby all got the thoughts and deep feelings that they must return home as soon as possible. When his soul left his body, Derek was having nightmares and panic attacks, feeling his brother's life slipping away, and Amy suddenly walked into the room and took him in an embrace. Adam's soul smiled upon him. Rachel was attending her kindergarten class and Adam watched over her, sending some students over to play with her so she wouldn't be alone. And when his soul left his body, something went wrong with that basement door. Try as he might, Jeremy could not open it. He would keep trying until Gibby, the first to arrive, made it home. And Gibby had no problem opening the basement door.

A tearful chapter, Jeremy is truly a monster. You can't help but to admire Adam, though. He protected his sister, protected his mother, even though it cost him his life. Adam will always be remembered, and always will he be missed.