Paternal Bonds Shattered

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

A/N: I have named this chapter the same as the first chapter of the original PATERNAL BONDS. This means we've entered familiar waters. Let's do this.

Chapter 29 (The Mute Child)

Not quite four years later, everybody had reached their breaking point. Jeremy had been severely penalized for what he'd done to Adam and had spent a year in captivity in one of the cells Hector had in his basement. They had to move the little girl in with someone else who worked for Victor, it was the only way to keep her safe from Jeremy. She didn't understand it, and Sam wasn't happy about it, but it was the only way.

Jonah had made several attempts to contact Carly, seeing as how she'd become such a big star that maybe she could do something. Even though Henry finally became the police chief, he'd forgotten that Seattle was no longer corrupt. He still didn't trust the police force, and they were moving slowly in Sam's case. Nobody had found Adam's body, either. Sam was finally starting to give up the hope that she would ever be found, that she would ever be saved. Even Valerie was at the end of her rope. Thank god she was still able to communicate with Rachel on a daily basis, but it broke her heart every time the girl asked her "Mommy, when are you coming home?"

Hector was starting to get careless, but he still moved about frequently and blindfolded those with him. However, he was leaving trails. Victor wasn't pleased, he did not want anyone getting caught for this. Freddie had become rich, and Hector attributed it to himself. Jeremy wasn't even aware that Freddie moved to a location near where he dumped Adam's body, it was like he was led there for some reason. Ever since the young boy's death, strange things had been happening, such as Jeremy and Hector's carelessness, for example. Even Nevel was showing a desire to get out of there.

In Jeremy's revenge, he caused Hector to become drunk once again, and then taped him abusing Sam one last time. Nevel had perfect access to this camera and to the computers. For some odd reason, Hector started allowing internet access. Every now and then, one of the villains would start hearing a voice in their head that sounded like that of a little child, of Adam. When this happened, it had a different effect on everybody. Nevel knew of a site that Freddie's close friend, Jake helped to run. It was a porn site.

"What would happen if I posted this video," Nevel said quietly as he placed the camera in his desk drawer. He would think on it for a few days. He knew surely it would mean being found. If they were found out, then wouldn't that mean they'd be out of this? He wanted so much to be where his mother was, but he had a feeling that if he didn't redeem himself, he'd be going elsewhere.

Elsewhere, Jonah had finally met up with Carly and Freddie at the same time. He'd given them the radio watches he used to talk to Valerie. They were skeptical when he told them that it was indeed Hector who had Sam. They didn't want to believe that her father would be so evil. When they heard Valerie's voice over the radio, their eyes were wet with tears. Nearly ten years, and even hearing her voice would make their hearts jump.

Jonah had the hardest time getting close to Carly, it would have been easier to go to Freddie, but he'd been too scared to do that. He didn't know Ms. Briggs was Carly's bodyguard, and he thought then it might have been easier to get to Carly through her as well. His reason for not coming forward sooner, he had a little girl and two families to take care of. It was an unfortunate circumstance, but true. "I want my girl back, my daughter wants her mother back, and her family wants her back," Jonah said with narrow eyes. Freddie and Carly nodded their heads and sighed softly.

"We need to think of something," Carly said while narrowing her eyes. She was going to come up with a plan to find Sam now. This had gone on far too long.

"Now that my dad's finally police chief, we can get started," Freddie said while rubbing his chin. He knew he'd need to fill his maid and butler in if they actually did anything at all. Nothing was pressing matters though, and Freddie didn't know where to find Hector, if he really even was the perp. "I have a meeting with Hector in a couple weeks, I may question him then."

"I'm telling you, it is him!" Jonah said while banging his fist into his palm. "Jeremy, Gibby and Nevel are there too!"

"We'll see, okay? We'll see what happens…I am still not one hundred percent sure. I need something more to go on before we can suspect him completely. I mean up till now, he's been a fairly decent guy."

"He's pure evil," Jonah replied flatly. "He's about as evil as your ratings of Carly's movies."

"Hey, I don't rate them that badly."

Two weeks later, Jeremy had enough of Sam's sniveling. She was always going on and on about her daughter, well he wasn't afraid to get rid of another kid. He grinned as he drove down the street to the place where the little girl was being held. He reveled in delight at how Sam might take the news of her daughter's death. He stopped in front of the house and entered, seeing an old man rocking in his chair and the little girl reading a book. She was so afraid, and so quiet. She never spoke, never.

The old man lifted his head and the girl's eyes widened as Jeremy pointed his gun towards the man. She screamed as Jeremy fired a shot into the elder's head and grabbed her by the arm. "It's time for you to take your punishment too." She shouted as Jonah started pulling her to his car. "Don't give me a hard time, bitch."

He threw her into his car and began driving off. Suddenly he heard that voice in his head again, Adam. Adam was telling the girl it'd be okay, he was also pressing a maid in a store somewhere a ways off to leave quickly, and he urged Jeremy to the same location that he'd passed away at. "You're going to enjoy where I'll be taking you, kid. Same place that other kid died."

Soon, Jeremy stopped his car at the exact location he left Adam. He exited the vehicle and pulled the little girl from the car. She whimpered and curled up on the road, clutching her legs to her chest. "You're never going to see your mommy again, nor will you ever see the light of day after this." The girl shook and buried her head into her knees as Jeremy entered his car and circled around, driving off at full speed. He didn't care if he was penalized after this, hell Hector probably wouldn't give a damn anymore.

In his blind rage, he didn't see a car coming his way. The woman driving it yelled and swerved out of his way to avoid a collision. He laughed and flipped her off. She was a young woman in her twenties, she seemed to be caring. He didn't think about the possibility that she might find the small girl on the side of the road, and he didn't care.

The little girl sat in a ball about ten miles away and looked up as the woman's car approached her. Like a deer in the headlights, she froze. The woman screamed and stopped the car, then quickly exited it. It was Freddie's maid, Tina. "Oh my god, a girl in the road, please tell me I didn't hit her. Mr. Benson would be so angry if he knew I struck a child!" Tina ran to the front and sighed with relief when she saw the girl was safe from harm. "What are you doing out here?"

"…" The girl didn't want to talk, she didn't want to trust anybody anymore. But from what she'd seen, women weren't bad. Valerie was nice, her mom was nice, all women she met were nice, so maybe this one was too. Tina was starting to realize this girl wasn't talking, and when she asked if the girl could talk, the girl nodded. Tina continued asking all sorts of questions about her parents, her family, why she was on the road, and in all honesty, the young child wasn't even sure how to answer half of them.

"Then let me take you home, my boss will gladly provide shelter." The girl slowly nodded her head, knowing anywhere was better than where she was at right now. Besides, she felt as if she had someone watching her, protecting her. She really would be safe with Tina. She took the maid's hand and let her walk her to the car. Maybe soon, someone would find her mom.

It's Angie! And the question of who it was that dropped her off is finally answered. Because until I wrote this chapter, not even I knew who it was...heh heh. Wait till you discover who it was that put up the video without permission, and why.