Paternal Bonds Shattered

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

A/N:

Chapter 45 (Closure)

"Daddy!" Rachel ran over to Jonah and hugged him. He smiled cheerfully, noting that she was in high spirits. She was often happy after spending time with Derek, but this was the happiest she'd ever been. It struck him curious as he looked up to Derek, who smiled happily at him.

"How was your day, Rachel?" Valerie walked up to them and rubbed her chin. The look on Rachel's face was very familiar to her. If she didn't know any better, she'd say something big just happened between the two of them. Rachel saw her mom's inquisitive stare and started to blush, she knew very well her mother was analyzing her time out with Derek. Jonah raised his eyebrow as Valerie slowly smiled at her daughter. Rachel smiled back at her and faced her mom.

"Valerie sweetheart, you're practically glowing." This made her blush harder as she gave her mother a tight hug. All Valerie's sisters began to surround her, wanting to see Rachel's face. Something made this girl extremely happy, and they wanted to know what. Derek sighed and looked up to his father, who was smirking at him. Angie and Sam were talking to each other, probably about what Rachel and Derek must have been doing. "Is there something you would like to tell me, dear?" He would have hoped to have waited before announcing the start of their relationship, but it appeared that would not be the case. Even his father seemed to see right through him. Rachel looked at him, as though asking if she could announce it. He smiled and nodded his head. He really felt like climbing to the roof of his house and shouting out to the world that he and Rachel were finally together. Rachel took a deep breath and came out with it.

"Derek and I are finally together!" Jonah lifted his eyebrows up and Valerie gasped for joy as she hugged her daughter.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy for you, sweetie!" She grinned as she heard Veronica say it was about damn time. Victoria cheered and Vixen simply smiled at them. Derek stepped forward and took Rachel's hand in his, moving his eyes over to Jonah, who looked far too serious. He wasn't displeased, he was extremely happy for the two, but he still wanted them to be very careful. Jonah lips moved upwards a bit as he placed his hand on Derek's shoulder, holding his stern gaze.

"Son, you know she's been through a lot, she's had it rough." He nodded as Rachel's eyes drifted over. She felt her heart lifting up, her father never accepted any guy that liked her. Hell, Hank was her best friend, never thought of her as more than that, and Jonah still watched even him. Even though he was dating Lilly. "You know to treat her right, and I trust you will. Don't ever hurt her, because you know if you do, you may have to deal with her aunts and her mother…" Jonah looked to the women as they all nodded their heads briskly, though they didn't appear as stern as he was. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he moved his gaze back to Derek, who continued to stand at attention. He wasn't going to interrupt, speak out, or do anything that might upset this man. He always had the utmost respect for Mr. Brown. "Now I know you're Freddie's boy, but that doesn't change the fact that if you were to ever do anything to hurt my daughter, to break her heart, it isn't her mother or her aunts you'll have to worry about."

"Sir, I'll never do anything to break her heart. She's an angel, she deserves to be treated as such."

"Yes she does." Jonah closed his eyes and lowered his hand from Derek's shoulder, standing straight up and looking to his daughter. She wasn't sure what to make of this, it was amazing that Jonah was so open about their relationship. At least, it seemed that way. She knew this was going to be about as good as it gets as far as his initial acceptance. "I know you'll treat her right, Derek. You Benson men aren't bad guys at all. I'm proud that my daughter's able to find her heart in your eyes, and vice versa."

"Thank you. I will treat her right."

"I know you will. Now, we have to get going, before we're all late…" Jonah stepped next to his daughter and smiled as he gave her a hug and kissed her forehead. "I'm happy for you, Rachel."

"Thank you Daddy!" Derek smiled, though he was resisting an incredible urge to collapse to the floor. He was exhausted because, honestly, he expected a lot scarier things to come from Jonah in that instant. He moved over to Freddie, who smiled at his son.

"Dad, I think Rachel's dad accepted me." Freddie laughed and pat his son's shoulder. He knew Jonah was appearing strict and firm, but it wasn't hard to see that inside, Jonah was more than thrilled about this.

"Yeah well, that may be the best you're going to get, son." Derek thought on this for a second, looked to Jonah, then shrugged.

"Eh, works for me." After a few minutes, everyone started getting into separate cars. Derek sat in the backseat with Angie in their family car and started driving off. Angie tapped him on the shoulder and smiled.

"Hey bro, guess what!"

"What?"

"Johnny, Cara and I are going to start some online thing like Mom and Dad had!" Derek raised his eyebrows as the parents looked at each other, slightly nervous. They weren't too sure if they liked the idea. "It's going to be fun! Johnny gets to be the camera man."

"Well it sounds like it'll be fun." It was a new thing for her, an exciting thing. The support of her family meant the world to her. "Just be careful, okay? I mean, who knows what could happen in something like that."

"Well mom and dad ended up fine and Carly became an actress." She knew a lot more was at stake for them, though. Cara's real mother was Carly, she knew this, but nobody else really did. If something like that got out, it would be very problematic. Johnny's dad was a secretive man, hell he even suspected his dad may be involved in criminal organizations. It was strange where they got their wealth from. As for her, she was well known too, but not in any good ways. "I don't think there's anything to worry about, honestly."

"Me either, but you know, you can never be too careful." Derek looked into the rearview mirror and saw Jonah's car behind them. He was driving with Valerie riding shotgun, in the backseat was Rachel and Olivia. Behind them was Vanessa driving her SUV, Kent in front passenger. Veronica and her husband were in the seat behind them, and behind them was Vixen with her husband. Behind Vanessa was Vincent, driving a van with Viola, Michael, and Ryan. "This is going to be a hell of an ending to this day." Angie's face softened and she nodded her head. To see her grandfather executed, it was going to be hard, but again it was closure. "Zeke and Todd are going to be there. Their fathers are working tonight." Sam frowned and looked back, she knew how he felt about not wanting them to know about his past. This could be hard on him.

"Will you tell them?"

"I have to. No choice now, and they deserve to know…they're my closest friends, I'm going to have to trust them with this."

"We're all here for you, honey."

"Thanks Mom."

Once everyone arrived at the execution site and everyone was situated, they wheeled Hector into the room and set him in front of the screen. Rachel sat next to Derek and saw him looking away to the right, she glanced over to see what he was looking at, and there were his two best friends watching him with confusion on their faces. They were both concerned and wondering why he was here for this man's execution. Then they thought about who the man was that was being executed, he was the one that had his mother hostage for a long time. Rachel squeezed Derek's hand and whispered to him. "See, now you see they should know."

"Yeah, I know…" The minister began reading scriptures as Hector met everyone's eyes. Seeing him still made Sam incredibly sick, but she was coping. In the last seven years, at least he seemed more like a normal father than anything, at least in actions. Everyone stared seriously as the executioner prepared the vials. Hector was given the chance to speak to those in the room.

"I don't have much to say, other than I pray each of you are at least living happily. Sam, Valerie, I am proud of who you two have become and the families that you have raised. When I was released nineteen years ago, I had not planned on doing the things I did. I planned on being a father, but I was shaken and destroyed by someone with an eviler intention. I did things that were unforgiveable. In these last seven years, I thank you…for giving me that chance, even though we have never been in the same area again. You are my daughter, Sam, and you will always be my daughter." Sam's breath hitched and she brought her hand to her left eye. Freddie placed his hand on her free hand and squeezed it for comfort. "Valerie, I am grateful for you, for who you have become I am happy that you, like Sam, are having a great life. To your family, I say my sincerest apologies, nothing I can say can erase that pain…To Angie, and to Derek, and even you, Rachel. I am sorry that I have put you through a hell that no child deserves to go through." Derek's face tightened and his friends looked at him with more concern. What hell had he gone through? "I only hope that today, tonight, this night gives all of you some sort of closure…To my wife…" Amy couldn't bring herself to look at him, she just couldn't. He destroyed everything she had been, he tore her daughter away, she perhaps wanted this day to come more than anyone else in that room. "I wish my evil ways never happened, and then they wouldn't have clouded the sincere love I felt for you, and for our child." Amy gasped and her eyes darted to him as tears stung them. "Goodbye." He looked to his executioner and nodded his head, he was ready.

Everyone held their breaths as his bed lowered and he closed his eyes. He wanted to know if this would be painful. He didn't feel it when the man stuck the needle into his arm. He did, however, feel the cool liquid run into his veins like water. His eyelids twitched as his body began to relax. It was almost like water, cleansing him. He didn't know where he was going to go, to be honest. He knew he didn't deserve heaven and was possibly sure he'd be on his way to hell. If he went to hell, he'd be okay with that.

The families watched as the medical examiner checked his pulse and looked to the clock, signaling the time of death. Everyone breathed out and watched in a somber silence. They all felt the closure gripping at them. Rachel put her hands to her eyes and leaned onto Derek's shoulder, crying. Not because she was mourning Hector, but because the feeling of closure was so powerful and overwhelming.

Slowly, everybody began to move around and stand. Zeke and Todd made their way over to Derek, who was busy talking to Rachel, Angie, and Freddie. They wanted to catch him before he ran off. He saw them coming and looked to Rachel. Freddie and Angie went on to other things while Rachel took Derek's hand in hers. "Okay Derek, are you ready?" She breathed out softly and he nodded his hands. His friends stepped in front of him and folded their arms over, their eyes reflected the concern and confusion in their hearts.

"Hey man." Zeke smiled sadly and Derek motioned for them to follow him to the chairs. They all moved to the chairs and took their seats. "I didn't know you knew that guy personally."

"Yeah, I never like to talk about it." Zeke looked to Todd who merely shrugged his shoulders. They were on the football team as well, so they definitely had a good muscular build. Zeke had spiked blonde hair while Todd had feathery brown hair that covered the tops of his ears.

"Well, you know…we're your friends, so if you ever do."

"I know." Rachel rolled her eyes and looked to the side, they were being really vague about the whole thing. It didn't have to be awkward. They probably just needed a bit of an icebreaker. She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

"So, Derek, you going to let them know that you and I are finally a couple?" Derek's eyes flashed wide for a minute and his two friends grinned slyly at him.

"Seriously dude! Finally?" Zeke laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "Dude, we've been telling you for how long now that you needed to ask her out?" He chuckled nervously and Todd laughed.

"Dude, I swear I saw someone trying to ask her to that junior prom a while back." Derek raised his eyebrow and Rachel blushed. It was just some guy who was really into her, he gave up after a while. "She kept turning him down because she was 'waiting' on someone. So what finally kicked you into gear, man?"

"Uh…" She, of course, felt very proud of herself. She felt like it was her dropping hints to him that made him finally ask her out. "Being sixteen, she was finally ready to date, and her father won't kill me." Zeke crossed his arms and smirked.

"That you know of."

"Yeah, well, I've known her long enough and…she's kind of worked her charms on me. We've been through a lot together." Derek smiled and placed his arm around Rachel's waist. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be with."

"So we're happy for you. I guess your life's turning around?"

"Yeah."

"We know you don't like to talk about it, and we don't like to ask, but we're kind of interested-" Derek lifted his hand up and closed his eyes. Zeke quieted and Todd leaned back in his chair.

"Hector Puckett took my mother away when she was sixteen. Rachel's mom was forced to join with these men, with this one guy who basically pulled the strings. Rachel was born in captivity, as was I…" Zeke and Todd swallowed and nodded, feeling the anxiety rise a bit inside them. So far, it sounded horrible. How could anybody do something like this? "Mom was sexually assaulted and I was conceived, along with my twin brother…"

Todd raised his eyebrow in surprise and tried to think about any siblings Derek had. "Your twin?" Then he remembered, when they were nine, the media reported finding the remains of a child belonging to Sam. His heart sank as Derek's body tensed up. "Dude, I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay…There was a time I wished it had been me, I would have these nightmares all the time, but it's gotten better. I realize now, I guess everything happens for a reason. If not for Adam, my little sister would be dead." Zeke and Todd gasped and looked towards the door, they saw Angie talking with her friends who had made it. She must have been born in captivity as well. "Rachel and I were just three when this one guy, Jeremy…he hated mom and Mrs. Brown…he tried to kill us. Rachel's mom took us to her dad, but couldn't stay because it wasn't safe…so we spent the next six years of our life in fear that we would never see our mothers again."

"But they're safe now," Zeke stated calmly. "Your mom, her mom, you guys, your little sister…you're all safe, and that's what is important." Derek nodded his head as Rachel squeezed his hand. He was trembling, but it was very difficult to notice. Opening up like this was hard as hell, he wouldn't even be able to do it if Rachel wasn't right there. She was practically a saint to him. "Why didn't you ever tell us, man? We could have been there if you ever needed someone to talk to…" Todd agreed and Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Because I…you two were my best friends, and I thought if you knew I…had issues like that." Zeke and Todd rolled their eyes and stared at Derek seriously, causing him to start feeling a bit nervous.

"Dude stop. The key word in there is that we are your best friends. You think we'd just stop being friends with you because you had a problematic past?" Todd narrowed his eyes and spoke up as well, his voice was filled with some irritation, annoyance, but kindness as well.

"We've all got bad stuff that's happened to us, granted, probably not as bad as you. Either way, that's what friends are for, there to lift you up when you need something. It hurts that you wouldn't trust us, though we can sort of see why you might not…"

"I know, guys…" He looked down, guilt rising up in his heart. He honestly felt sick, and wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Rachel squeezed his hand again and he looked at her, smiling a bit. He looked up and sighed. "I suppose I've always just had to be stronger, didn't like to have to feel like I needed to lean on anyone." Zeke clasped his hands together in between his knees and nodded.

"Yeah, I can understand that. But you know, it doesn't make you stronger to bottle things up, it makes you stronger to have friends who can lift you up when you're down. That's what makes you stronger. Now, what do you say we all go down to that arcade and kick ass?" Zeke and Todd smiled at their friend and stood from their seats. Derek laughed and stood.

"Okay fine, anything to clear my mind, I suppose." Rachel looked at the friends and wiped her eye, she had a tear coming out. She was so proud of him for trusting his friends and so happy that they were supportive of him. It was something he really needed, and she could see that. Now, maybe even he could finish his healing. He didn't need to go it alone, he didn't need to carry the world upon his shoulders, and she didn't love him any less for allowing himself to open up. If anything, she loved him more. The boys made it to the door and Derek turned to see Rachel still in a bit of a trance, staring at him with a wide grin. "Hey Rachel, you coming?" She shook her head and quickly stood up.

"Yeah! Sorry about that!" She ran next to him as Zeke and Todd laughed and pat him on the back. He felt really good, as though the ton of bricks weighing him down were gone. Now he could breathe, he could move freely. It didn't get much better than this.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, review this one and the next which I'm posting up tonight because it's getting closer to the end. Chapter 48 will be the last.