A Deep Abyss
Svenne14
Summary:
One month has passed since the wolfbrothers left their home lair. Sean's doing his best to make it to their grandparents. However, he's in denial about his own problems...
Notes:
Inspired by The Wild Ones by Pavan336
READ FIRST!
It is STRONGLY recommended that you read part 1 of this series before reading this one. Part 1 is called "Running Away".
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Chapter 1: Under Control
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Once upon a time… In a wild… wild world… there were two wolf brothers, living in their home lair with their papa wolf. Their big, bad, papa wolf… did horrible things to the oldest wolf. He hurt him, every day. The oldest wolf decided that the time had come for them to run away from their lair. They tried to run, but everything went terribly wrong…
Their papa wolf caught them, and hurt the little cub. It would be the last thing he ever did. The little cub turned into a super-wolf, killing their papa in cold blood. He felt no remorse…
The oldest wolf felt so lost, he believed his little cub was gone forever. He tried to end his own life, leaving the little cub to survive on his own…
But the little cub saved him, by turning into a super-wolf, once again…
They eventually found a peaceful orchard and were able to eat in peace. Then, the little cub was locked away, by a vulture. He had preyed on other cubs before him and had only bad intentions. The older wolf got inside to save his little cub…
But it was too late…
The little cub had killed again. They ran. From one hell to another…
The wolfbrothers were trapped, by a hunter called Brody. A very sick hunter…
The little cub lost a finger on his paw…
But Brody the hunter lost his life…
And the oldest wolf, he lost his dignity…
Because now, he's balancing dangerously close to an edge he won't ever make it out of…
If he falls…
Portland, Oregon — one month later…
The last month hasn't been easy. Sean still hasn't told his little brother about his plan. He plans to find their mother. He dreads the moment that he has to tell him. For now, Daniel believes that they're just going to their grandparents. It's been hell, but at least they made it to Oregon. However, their problems just seem to keep getting bigger and bigger.
The whole mess with Brody had been a massive trauma for them both. Most of all Daniel. Sean could still hear him sometimes, in the middle of the night, crying while squeezing the small stump of his missing finger. He felt so powerless. Sean had one thing on his mind before they ran away from home. Daniel deserves a better life, and he would help him get it. Thing is, so far it hasn't exactly gone according to plan.
Not only were they both injured and most likely in need of medical attention, but now, all of their money was gone as well.
Sean had it under control, he felt like he did. But then again, that's what they all say, is it not?
"Fuck you, Brody, even if you're dead," Sean whispers to himself every time he opens the bottle of pills. At first, it had seemed so harmless. Just a couple of these babies at night to help Sean get his mind off things. Daniel never even noticed. However, a few pills before sleep quickly became more than that…
In the morning to wake up easier.
At lunch, to forget how hungry he was.
From there, things just escalated. And then it happened, the moment Sean had feared without realizing it himself. He was out of drugs. He had to find more, even if he recently yelled at Daniel for spending a dollar on a Chock-O-Crisp. Sean had spent every cent on drugs, meaning the wolfbrothers were officially broke. Daniel had no clue. Deep down, Sean knows how badly he's fucking up right now. However, like any addict, the one thing he won't do is admit he's got a problem. Instead, he sits here. And where exactly is here?
The streets. It's been their home now for a couple of weeks. The streets in Portland. It's cold, unfriendly, scary, and just not a pleasant environment in general. Especially for a nine-year-old. But they had no other choice. Sean just hoped that it was a temporary thing until they got to their grandparents.
Claire and Stephen Reynolds. That's literally everything Sean knows about them, along with the fact that they live in Beaver Creek. He's never met them, or even seen a picture of them. What if they just send them away? Or worse, call the cops? At this point, cops might not be that bad-
"Hey, Sean?" Sean's pulled out of his dark spiral of thought.
"Huh? Yeah, Enano? What's up?" He tries so hard to keep a smile on his face when he talks to his younger brother. But it's gotten a lot harder lately.
"I- uh… how long to Beaver Creek, Sean?" He could tell that Daniel wanted to ask him something else. But these days, he just doesn't have the strength to play brother of the year.
"Maybe a day's walk, Enano." To be honest, Sean's got absolutely no clue.
"Are grandma and grandpa nice, Sean?" A month ago, Sean would have done anything for Daniel to be this excited for something. Now, he would do anything for him to just be… quiet.
"I don't know, Daniel." He responds with a dead tone in his voice. He had become a lot more distant lately. Distant, and angry. But it didn't have anything to do with the drugs, no. It's… something else.
"Will they have a Playbox?" They've been homeless for over a month, and are sitting in a back alley. Yet, Daniel still talks about his precious Playbox. Sean envies him sometimes.
"I. Don't. Know." Sean sounds a lot more tense. Daniel, however, doesn't seem to notice.
"Oh, oh, how about this, do you think-" Something snaps in Sean's head. It happened more and more often.
"FUCKING HELL, Daniel! Can you please, shut the fuck up, for one fucking second? I'm trying to fucking think here, ok?!" As he saw Daniel sitting towards him, Sean knew he fucked up. Daniel looked at him as tears were pouring down his face. Simultaneously, he clutched the remains of his finger.
"Shit. I'm so sorry, Daniel. I shouldn't have said that-" No. he shouldn't.
"Go to hell, Sean." He's gone face-to-face many times with Pouty-Daniel. But this felt different, somehow. Daniel didn't sound like he was angry or disappointed. He sounded… worried. Something's going on.
"You're my brother, Daniel. I can tell, you want to ask me something. What is it? It's ok, I won't be upset." Daniel looked at him, apparently considering his options.
"Promise?" Daniel nearly whispers to him.
"I do, Enano. You can talk to me, I swear." Now, what the hell is going on?
"You- You've changed, Sean. Ever since we got away from that place, you've been… different." Shit. So he has noticed. Not good.
"Uh, what- what do you mean, Daniel?" Smooth, Sean. Real smooth. Daniel looks at him with a pair of eyes, so filled with love and concern it makes Sean want to scream.
"You know what I mean, big brother." Fuck.
"Uh, no, Daniel. I don't think I do. I'm sorry." Sean tried his best, but it's obvious that Daniel didn't buy into his lies.
"Ok, Sean." Daniel's voice sounds sad, sadder than Sean's ever heard him. But his face, not to mention his eyes, tells a different story.
Fear.
Concern.
Love.
"I tried, Sean. Just remember that." God. That hurt Sean so fucking much to hear.
"Daniel, wait-" Shit! Why can't he ever think things through?
"Yes, Sean?" Daniel's never paid this much attention to him. At least not in any serious way. He really must be worried. Sean wants to tell him everything. How close he is to becoming a full-on junkie. He wants to beg his little brother for help, even if he knows Daniel can't give him any. He wants to take that fucking pill bottle and throw it away, down to the deepest depths of hell where it belongs. Most of all, he wants to say he's sorry. Sean wants to say how sorry he is for everything, and just cry his heart out.
That's what he wants to do.
"Nothing. It was nothing, Enano. Go to sleep now. Big day tomorrow, right?" Daniel doesn't answer him but lays down on the cardboard sign he's been using to beg for money.
"Lone Mexican wolf in need of $$$" Daniel's sign reads. Sean hated, truly hated, seeing his little brother beg for money on the streets. But there's no point denying it. Sean begging for money, using whatever sign he'd like, wouldn't work. He's covered in scars, misses more than a few teeth, and he's a borderline junkie.
So they had Daniel beg…
A sweet nine-year-old boy, homeless or not, was like a damn magnet for money. No matter how insane it was, Sean would always find it hilarious how easily manipulated people truly are. Instead of calling social services, they gave him money. Instead of asking him where his parents were, they gave him money. Too bad really, considering how all that money did was fueling Sean's addiction even more.
Speaking of which…
Sean lays down next to his brother. He knew Daniel was awake, but he needs to- NO! He doesn't need to, he wants to. Yeah, that's right. It helps him, makes him feel better. The day it doesn't help any longer, he'll quit. Simple as that.
Sean digs around in his pockets, taking out the bottle of pills. He could hear Daniel sigh quietly next to him, but he ignored it. Five pills should do it for tonight. As he puts the bottle back inside his pocket, he can hear Daniel sobbing silently. Sean puts his hand on his little brother's shoulder. Daniel, however, instantly pulls away.
"Don't. Touch. Me." Daniel's voice failed him as he spoke. The sadness broke it completely. Meanwhile, Sean Eduardo Diaz says nothing. Instead, he's enjoying his drug-fueled trip to a place, only he knows. Only when he's completely out of it, Daniel turns around, facing his older brother.
His best friend.
His idol.
His savior and bodyguard.
His moral compass, for fuck's sake!
Daniel carefully places his right palm on Sean's forehead. All of his four fingers are covered in Sean's sweat. His face in tears.
"Please, Sean. Be ok. I know you're still in there. Don't turn to… him. Please, Sean. Just- just be… you, big brother. Just be you." Two young wolves slept on the streets. One of them fell asleep with a smile on his face. No worries, no tears, and no fears.
But the other…
The other wolf, the little cub, never fell asleep. He couldn't. And even if he could, he didn't want to. He was too afraid. The little cub was afraid that if he were to fall asleep, he would be the only wolf to wake up the next morning. He stayed up the entire night, keeping an eye on his older brother, as he howled at the moon in sorrow and despair.
Would things ever get better for the wolfbrothers?
Notes:
This served as Sean's introduction to episode two. The next chapter will be Daniel's POV.
I did my best with the "Once upon a time..." recap. I would really like some comments on that one since I'm not sure about the results. So like always, I enjoy comments.
Enjoy!
K.S.
Chapter 2: Falling Down
Summary:
Sean promised him everything would be better once they'd run away from home. However, Daniel wonders if that's really the case...
Notes:
As always, read tags!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Somewhere in Portland, Oregon…
Everything sucked now. Daniel's life wasn't exactly great in Seattle, but at least they had a house there. Say whatever he wants about his dead father, but at least he kept a roof over their heads. Well, technically Sean used to do that.
Sean used to do that…
Then everything went to shit. The horrors he's been put through ever since leaving Seattle. The gas station creep locking him inside his own little Fritzl-basement. Brody the serial killer cutting off his finger. Daniel bites his tongue hard. His finger would sometimes hurt, what little was left of it at least. It never properly healed. But that's not even the worst part, no. it's not even close. The worst part is Sean.
His brother.
Sean believes he doesn't see it, hear it, notice it. But Sean's wrong, very wrong. Daniel may be only nine years old, but kids tend to see more than people give them credit for. However, it wasn't that hard to notice it. Sean acted just like some of those sleazy people their father sometimes did odd jobs for. During the day, Sean would become more and more agitated, screaming at Daniel for no apparent reason. Sometimes, he looked so pale, Daniel thought he would pass out. But he never did.
Then there were the nights.
Sean thought he was being so quiet, so discreet. But Daniel always heard, because Daniel never slept. Not anymore. He doesn't want to face Hank or Brody in his nightmares. He's better off staying awake. At least he would be if he didn't have to listen to Sean's hallucinations hour after hour. Daniel had once heard his father say that the reason he drank was that "I need it to be fucking happy!"
He didn't know why Sean decided to take drugs, but he did know one thing. It didn't make him happier. At first, perhaps. But after a few minutes, it always went downhill. One way or the other. The few times Daniel slept, he would wake up to Sean screaming, either in tears or in fear.
"I'm sorry, dad! Please don't hurt me, please!"
"No! Please don't leave me, mommy! Don't leave me here!" Daniel hated what this shit did to his brother. He wanted to just take those pills and throw them away.
So he did it.
However, Sean just got more. How he managed to do so, Daniel could not understand. Until Sean told him he needed to beg for money. Then, it all made sense. It explained why they had been eating less and less over the last few days. Sean used their money to buy drugs. Daniel didn't know how to react. Except…
"But- But Sean, I don't wanna beg for money. I don't wanna beg for anything." Daniel says with a sad tone. He doesn't even have to fake it these days when he wants to sound sad.
"I know, Enano. But we've got no other choice. Here, take this." Sean hands him a piece of cardboard that he reluctantly accepts.
"I still got a few pencils in my backpack, Daniel. Use a lot of colors, alright? Write something- something cute, ok? Something childish." Daniel's heart hurts so much, he can't even cry. But Sean? He's smiling. Sean's fucking smiling as he's about to use his nine-year-old little brother to make drug money. Daniel says nothing, but he takes out a black pencil from the backpack and writes:
"Need money 4 food pls!" Before showing it to Sean he quickly wipes a tear away.
"No, Daniel. What the hell, man? I said something cute! Nobody's gonna care about that shit, you're not even trying, dude." Sean was right about one thing. He wasn't even trying. And now, because of it, he felt hurt. Daniel takes the sign from Sean and writes on the other side.
"Help my little bro get me $ for drugs!" Daniel looked at Sean with eyes of both disappointment and worry. And for just a millisecond, he could see it in his older brother's eyes.
Fear.
However, it only lasted for a millisecond. Then, Sean ripped the sign from his hands and threw it into a fire next to them.
"Do you think this is funny, Daniel? I'm doing my best here, ok? I didn't want this to happen, I really didn't. But we got no other choice, Enano." Sean might have been calm, however, Daniel could see a certain spark in his eyes. An eerily familiar spark, from a common acquaintance of theirs.
Esteban Diaz, their father. And that scared him.
"Lone Mexican wolf in need of $$$" Became the final writing on the sign. Written in all kinds of bright colors, some letters being upside-down, while others being mirrored. Every day he sat there, trying to hide every inch of his face and head inside his arms. He felt so ashamed. He wished the ground would just open up, swallow him whole so his misery would be over.
People walked past him, nobody cared. Not a single soul cared about the small Mexican boy, begging for money on the streets. They gave him money, sure. But if Daniel were to be asked, it wasn't worth it. The shame was just unbearable. Some people looked at him in disgust, some, with pity.
Pity.
Yeah, they feel sorry for him. They all do. Just not sorry enough to help him. Daniel's got no idea what their plan is. They're obviously not going to stay with their grandparents forever. They never even met them. Daniel actually thought they were dead. Who knows, maybe they are? Then what will they do? He's noticed how Sean's talking a lot more about Karen. Daniel hopes that she's got nothing to do with their plans. That traitor can rot in hell where she belongs.
Daniel could hear other kids laughing in the distance, and he couldn't help but look up. He saw a family. Mom, dad, two sons about the same age as he and Sean. The kids laughed while engaging in a snowball fight. The parents walk slowly behind them, holding each other's hands. He would do anything for a life like that.
"Hey, kid. You- you wanna earn some quick money?" A middle-aged man had walked up to Daniel, dressed in a black hoodie, covering most of his face. Daniel sighed.
"What…?" He asked tiredly, already knowing the answer. Is this his life now?
"Just… follow me to that alley over there, ok?" Yes. This is his life now. However, that doesn't mean he's about to make money doing… that. Instead, he squeezes his fist as he looks the man in the eyes.
"Go. Away. Now." Daniel focused his powers.
Right. That's a thing now.
Ever since they began living on the streets, Daniel had to find a way to avoid losing his mind. Turned out that his new ability had been just what he needed. He would spend hours just waving his hand in different ways, hoping that something would happen. Eventually, it did. He cracked the code. Daniel felt so proud of himself. It was his biggest achievement in life so far. And Sean didn't care.
Because Sean was high.
But it didn't stop Daniel from training it. Now, he's reached a point where he's able to do very subtle and precise things with his powers. This elderly man was about to find out exactly what that was.
"No, kid. Come on. A hundred bucks, you know you want 'em." Daniel began to apply pressure to the man's ribs, slowly bending them inwards.
"AAAH- what- what the fuck?!" He screamed in pain as Daniel just kept looking at him. It took a few seconds, but eventually, Daniel could see it in his eyes. He knew that Daniel somehow was the cause of his pain. Daniel immediately let go of his hold and said one simple word.
"Run." And he ran. Faster than anyone Daniel's ever seen before. Daniel felt like he didn't understand the world anymore. He's got superpowers, for reasons he doesn't even know. He's used them to kill and torture, ruining their lives in the process. But he's also saved Sean's life using the very same powers. And now, just a few seconds ago, he hurt someone on purpose using his powers. The actions might be very different, but they all have one thing in common.
They all make Daniel Felipe Diaz feel miserable.
Hurt and harm, or help and heal, it doesn't matter. He feels like shit anyway. How is he supposed to know what's right and wrong when every option makes him feel bad? He feels so helpless.
"Hey, Enano." Sean's back. Usually, the sight of his older brother would make him smile. Now, it makes him want to scream.
"Hey." Daniel barely looks at him.
"So, did you get us any cash, bro?" He hates this. He hates everything about this.
"A little." He shows Sean the small amount of money people have given him, and Sean proceeds to put it in his own pockets. Yeah, because why in the world would Daniel get to keep his hard-earned money?
"I hate you, Sean." Daniel freezes. Shit. Did he say that out loud?!
"What's that? You say anything, Daniel?" Lucky for him, Sean didn't hear it. No, he doesn't hate Sean. On the contrary, he loves Sean more than anyone, or anything else in the entire world. But he hates the person Sean's changed into. So much.
"Nothing, Sean. It's just… stupid." He tried to hide the sadness in his voice. It didn't go very well. He could feel Sean's arm around him, pulling him towards him.
"Come here, Enano, come here. We're gonna be fine, you hear me? We're gonna be just fine. I swear it." Sometimes, when Daniel would hit rock-bottom, Sean would be there for him. Just like he always used to be. This was no exception. The young wolf screamed into his brother's chest. Little did Sean know, he was the main reason Daniel screamed. They sat like that for a long time, until Daniel had calmed down.
"We should have never run away from home, Sean." Daniel hates to say it, but he knows it to be true. Even the hell-hole of Esteban Diaz was better than this.
"Don't say that, Daniel. Don't you ever say that. I know things haven't been easy, but anything's better than… him. Anything." He could hear the pain in Sean's voice. Not that he could blame him. Daniel reluctantly accepted his defeat with a heavy sigh.
"Come on, man. Let's go eat something." Yay. What delicious food might there be today? Could it possibly be-
"Ok, Enano. Here's your ravioli." Daniel would never have guessed. He hates this thick, gross mess. How someone can consider this food, he will never understand.
"Thanks, Sean." Another deep sigh. They don't even have spoons. And it's way too thick to just "drink it" directly from the can, meaning he'll have to eat with his hands. Yay…
Five messy minutes later, and dinner-time is over. Daniel's still hungry. As in starving. He's so hungry his stomach hurts. But he had no other choice but to stay hungry. Sean told him, it was time for bed. They had a long walk tomorrow. To their grandparents. At least if things work out, which they never do for some fucking reason.
As Daniel lies on the thin cardboard sign he used to beg, he's thinking. He's thinking about a warm bed, a hot shower, food, water, all that shit. They had it in Seattle. He had it in Seattle. He could have it again. All he needs to do is go to the closest police station and tell them his name. Then it's foster care for him. But at least they'll have heat, along with a damn bed. Daniel's dark thoughts of betrayal are cut off as he hears a rattling sound. Sean's digging out the pill bottle again. Great. Daniel sighed heavily. He could hear Sean taking several pills, and then putting the bottle back inside his pocket.
It all became too much.
Daniel started sobbing quietly. He bites his tongue, so hard he can taste blood, to make as little sound as possible. Then he felt that familiar hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away immediately.
"Don't. Touch. Me." He didn't want comfort from Drug-Sean, he wants comfort from Sean-Sean. His big brother. No one else.
But now, his big brother's already out cold. Far away in a bright, colorful land. Daniel turns over to look at him. He lays his palm on Sean's forehead.
"Please, Sean. Be ok. I know you're still in there. Don't turn to… him. Please, Sean. Just- just be… you, big brother. Just be you." Like most nights, Daniel didn't sleep. He stayed awake the entire night, watching over his older brother. Never for a second giving in to the temptation that was sleep.
Like most nights.
This night…
… would be a dangerous exception to that rule.
When Daniel woke up it was daytime, with the sun shining bright in the sky. It didn't seem right. Sean had told him to get up early in the morning to prepare for the walk to Beaver Creek. He probably just overslept.
"Hmm, Sean? Are you awake, bro?" Daniel loves the first five minutes of every morning. It's that small amount of time you have before your brain remembers you're fucked up life. Nobody responds to him.
"Sean? Are you there? And- man, what is that smell-" He knew that smell. Everybody does.
Vomit.
Daniel, now fully awake, jumped up, begging to be wrong.
But he wasn't wrong.
Of all the terrible things he's been through in his very short life, this would be the one that lasted. This would be the one to truly burn itself into his retina, making sure he would never forget it.
Right next to him was Sean, his big brother. His face was pale, eyes closed, and his mouth had both vomit and foam around it. He wasn't moving or breathing. For a good ten seconds, Daniel just stood there, unable to move, unable to think. Is he-
Dead?
"NOOO! Sean, please! Don't do this to me, please don't!" Daniel collapses next to his brother, proceeding to punch his chest in despair. The drugs killed his big brother. The drugs killed Sean. Now, Daniel might as well kill himself. Just to get it over with.
"Why, Sean? Why?! I love you… YOU ASSHOLE! Don't leave me here!" Daniel cries, but now, nobody's here to comfort him. Nobody's here to wrap their arms around him in that special way, so he always feels safe. As a last, desperate attempt, Daniel crawls down on the ground next to Sean. He takes his brother's lifeless arm and places it over himself. It didn't help. Not one fucking bit.
"Help me, Sean. Help me, somebody. Please, help me." A young lone wolf howls silently for help. But it's pointless. There's no one coming. He's all alone now.
End of the road…
Notes:
Ok, now we got an introduction for Daniel as well. That means that it's time for the story to "progress" a bit more. It'll be interesting to write Beaver Creek, especially their interactions with Chris. Considering that they both have abusive, alcoholic dads.
Like always, I enjoy reading comments and replying to all of them.
Enjoy!
K.S.
Chapter 3: Waking Up
Summary:
Sean had overdosed, leaving his brother to cry over his dead body. And now, the life of Sean Diaz is slowly fading away...
Notes:
As always:
T. A. G. S.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sean Diaz was surrounded by complete, never-ending darkness. Only in the far distance, could he see a bright light. Was this a dream? Probably. But it felt so strange.
Felt.
It probably wasn't the best use of words here, because Sean felt nothing. He felt no fear, no joy, no worry, no nothing. Nor did he feel any pain from the countless beatings he's taken from his father over the years. All of that, gone. Sean couldn't feel his legs, arms, or any other part of his body. He tried to close his eyes and open them, yet all he could see was a dark tunnel with a bright light at the end.
Something in the back of his head told him he had to move towards the light if he didn't want to spend an eternity in complete darkness. Sean moved for the light, or at least he tried to. He couldn't move an inch. His body wouldn't let him. Then, he heard it. A voice. The voice of a young boy, screaming his name, over and over again. Sean didn't recognize the boy's voice. However, it sounded so familiar, yet, like a complete stranger.
"NOOO! Sean, please! Don't do this to me, please don't!" Do what? And who are you? Sean could do nothing but watch as the light at the end of the tunnel began to fade away. The darkness now began to swallow him whole.
Then he felt something. He actually felt something. A small hand lifted his arm and placed it on top of a shoulder that felt equally small.
"Please, big brother. Don't go…" The same boy whispered silently, almost begging him.
Big brother?!
A young boy?!
DON'T GO?!
Daniel!
"Enano!" That is what Sean's trying to say as he wakes up from his near-death experience. However, all he manages to do is cough. But at least he got his brother's attention.
"Sean?! SEAN?! You're- you're alive! Oh my god, you're alive, Sean. You're alive, big brother." Daniel launches himself at Sean, wrapping his arms around him. He doesn't give a damn about the fact that his brother's covered in vomit.
"D- Dan- Daniel?" Sean could barely talk. He was alive but weak. Daniel grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes.
"It's ok, Sean. I'm here. Daniel's here. I'm gonna take care of you. You're gonna be fine, Sean. I promise." As Sean looked into the eyes of his little brother, reality began to set in. He had overdosed, almost killing himself in the process. He almost left Daniel behind again. All he ever does is fuck things up. Realizing this, Sean begins to cry.
"S- sorry, Enano. Sorry." He wants to say more, so much more. But he can't. He can barely speak.
"Try not to talk, Sean. You need to rest. I'll take care of you. We can talk… later." There's no point denying it. Daniel still felt hurt by Sean's actions. Very hurt. Sean had a choice to make. Daniel or drugs. He chose the latter of those two. Daniel would like nothing more than to just scream at his face. Tell him what a pathetic human being he truly is for going down the same road as their father. But the time for that is not now. Right now, he needs to help his brother to recover.
And make him realize that he's got a problem.
Two days later…
Sean had slowly made his recovery, with Daniel helping him every step of the way. It wasn't like he's never done similar things before when their father had beaten Sean so badly, he couldn't walk for days. Daniel had to clean him up, feed him, give him water. In a way, he was used to it. Still, this time it felt different. It felt so much worse. Every time Sean tried to talk to him, Daniel just told him to rest. He wasn't sure how to feel. Angry, sad, disappointed, abandoned, scared? Perhaps all of those at once?
During the day, Daniel would take care of his older, drug-addicted brother, while avoiding any deeper conversations. He didn't even hug Sean, he wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. At night, however, things were different. Sean, exhausted as he was, would fall asleep first. When he did, Daniel would place his arm over Sean's chest, just so he could feel his brother breathing. Just to know that he was alive. Still, it didn't make sleep any easier. Daniel was terrified of Sean being dead in the morning. Luckily, that didn't happen. Now, Sean's healthy enough for them to move on towards Beaver Creek. But there's still that thing.
The elephant in the room.
They both feel it.
But neither wish to speak of it. Sean, being the oldest, and the one that fucked up, knows he's got to do it. Before it's too late. Or else Daniel might never forgive him.
"Daniel, can you come here for a sec?" Sean motions for his little brother to sit down next to him by the fire. Daniel sits down, sighing deeply. He knows what's about to come.
"I fucked up, Daniel. I took you for granted, I put you in danger, I humiliated you for… drug money. Getting high was more important to me than you. Was." Daniel listens in silence, doing his best to hold his tears back.
"But not anymore. Never again, Daniel. You're my little brother, my Enano. You're the most important person in my life. I'm done taking that stuff. And I swear, nothing like this will ever happen again. I promise." Tears are now pouring down Daniel's face, but he's still silent.
"And I just want to say that… I'm sorry. So very, very sorry, Daniel. I know it's not enough. But I don't know what else to say, or do-" Daniel turns to Sean, interrupting him.
"Do you still have that bottle, Sean?" Shit. Sean hasn't even thought about that. He opens his pockets, taking out the bottle of pills. A bottle, filled with poison. A poison that almost took his life. Technically speaking, it probably did, even if it was just for a short while.
"Yes. I- I kinda forgot about it. Here." Sean tries to hand it over to Daniel, who immediately rejects it. Instead, he points at what lies in front of them as he stands up.
"There, Sean. The fire. Throw it to hell, where it belongs." Sean stands up, joining his brother by the fire, pill bottle in his hand.
"Go on, Sean. Do it." Daniel encourages him. Sean could feel his hands shaking. This is his last bottle. Throw it away, and he's out. Forever. The choice should be an easy one. Throw it, let it burn, and walk away.
So why then, is it so hard?
Why does he have that voice, whispering to him "Keep it! Keep it! Just in case." Fuck! This is so much harder than it's got any right to be.
"I'm not turning into my father," Sean says with a firm but calm tone as he throws it into the fire. As soon as he did, Sean could feel a pair of arms wrapping themselves tightly around his waist. Also, he could hear crying. So much crying.
"I- I can't believe I almost lost you again, Sean. Please, never go away." Daniel said between his sobs.
"I'm so sorry, Enano." God, if that kid only knew how sorry he truly was.
"I know… asshole." And there it was. A slightly sarcastic comment from Daniel, indicating that things are back to normal. Or at least they're on the right track.
"Ok, ok. You'll get that one for free, Enano. I guess I kinda deserve it. Now, are you ready to get going?" Daniel says nothing, but looks at him and gives Sean his hand.
"Let's go to our grandparents, Daniel." Sean took his brother's hand, and the wolfbrothers began the walk towards Beaver Creek.
The next day…
It took them exactly a day to reach Beaver Creek, just as expected. Maybe, just maybe, things were taking a turn for the better? Maybe. However, this one day hasn't exactly been a joyride. Walking non-stop for twenty-four hours through the blizzard of the fucking century would have had most people begging to be put out of their misery.
But not the wolfbrothers.
The fact that they had no clothes appropriate for this kind of weather would have made anyone quit.
But not the wolfbrothers.
Almost succumbing to starvation and dehydration would cause most regular people to collapse in a snow-pile.
But not the wolfbrothers.
They refused to give up, and now they're here. Beaver Creek. The question is… now what? Neither brother has a clue where exactly their grandparents live in Beaver Creek. Sure, it doesn't seem to be a very large place. But they can't just go door-to-door. Can they?
"Sean, I'm freezing, and I'm tired. Are we there soon?" He could barely hear his little brother over the damn blizzard. They need to get inside soon, or things are going to get worse.
"Hold on, Enano. I'll figure something out." Not an easy thing to do when you're just as exhausted as he is. That, and you're suffering from withdrawal syndrome. Life's just wonderful, isn't it?
It comes and goes, sure. But right now, it really fucking comes, and it ain't showing any signs of going. Sean's head hurts, his entire body's shaking, he feels so damn sick, and the list goes on. Sean Diaz needs to rest. Now!
"Daniel, I think we need to ask someone for directions." He didn't like it, but there's no point denying the fact that he's lost.
"How? There's nobody out here, Sean?" Damn. The kid made a good point. Too good. The residents of Beaver Creek were smart enough to stay the fuck inside. That leaves them with plan B. well, more like plan Z.
"Ok, Enano. We're gonna have to knock on someone's door. Try to look… normal, ok?" Great choice of words, Sean. Tell your already fragile little brother to look normal. Retard. Sean looks around for a house. The one closest to them still has lights on. At least someone's awake. The wolfbrothers move towards the house.
The neighborhood they're in seems to be a rich one. Every house has two floors and is in perfect conditioning like they were built yesterday. Then there's the house that they have chosen to knock on and ask for help. It's small. So small it might as well have been a shed to the house next door. And boy was it rundown. The paint was falling off, almost every window was cracked, and Sean swore he could even smell a hint of mold. He got a bad feeling.
A very bad feeling.
"Daniel, stop-" Too late. Daniel's already ringing the doorbell with all four fingers on his right hand. Both brothers stood there in silence, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, muffled voices could be heard inside. One grown-up man, and one young child. When the male voice starts to sound angrier, Sean becomes worried. They made a mistake coming here. Maybe they should go? Maybe they should just-
Sean's thoughts come to an abrupt end by a sound. A sound he recognizes more than he cares to admit.
The sound of an empty beer bottle thrown into a wall at full force. Shit! SHIT! This had been a huge mistake. They have to go, NOW GOD-DAMN IT! But before Sean can act on this, the door slowly opens.
It felt like looking into a mirror.
A mirror, taking him seven years back in time.
Opening the door, was a young boy, about the same age as Daniel. To most people, he probably looked just like any other boy. However, Sean isn't most people. He recognized the signs. So many of them, if not all. The young boy wore a tank top, exposing his bruised arms and wrists, which he desperately tried, and failed to hide. Sean could also see scars on his arms, old and new. They looked like… cuts? Self-inflicted or someone else, Sean does not know. All he knows is that this child, just like he once did, struggles to keep his mask intact.
Sean knows the situation this child is in. It's horrible. There's no greater hell on earth. Every time somebody knocked on their door, Sean wanted to tell that random stranger everything, in hopes of them taking him and Daniel away from Seattle. He never did. He's not sure why. Was it because of fear, perhaps? Either way, this boy most likely thinks the same thing.
"Please, sir. Take me away from my drunk, abusive father and this hell-hole." Sean imagines that's what goes through this boy's mind. And he wants to. He wants to take him away from this awful place, hug him, tell him he's safe, tell him it's not his fault. In short, Sean wants to save him.
But he can't. He knows he can't do shit, and it fucking sucks. But his little brother comes before everyone else. Sorry kid, for real.
"H- Hi, I'm Chris. Who are you?" The young boy, now introduced as "Chris" asks. Sean could hear how unsteady his voice was. Poor bastard.
"Hi, Chris. I'm Sean, and this is my brother, Daniel." He would've expected Daniel to smile and greet him happily, considering this is the first person his age they've met since leaving Seattle. However, Daniel neither said, nor did anything. That look on his face though told Sean all he needed to know.
Daniel figured it out as well.
"Oh. Nice to meet you two. So… what- what do you want this late?" Chris asks them as he nervously looks over his shoulder. Sean could hear someone groaning inside the house. Yep. That's drunk alright. He could almost smell the beer from here.
"We're just looking for some friends of ours, the Reynolds. You know them?" Sean really hopes he does. He's not sure he can take any more knocking on doors.
"What?! Yeah, I do. It's the house next door." Chris points to one of the most beautiful, expensive-looking houses Sean's ever seen in his life. Ok, they got a location. Time to leave.
"Thanks, kid, see you around." Sean tried to sound cheerful. He wanted to walk away before his mind truly caught up with him.
"Bye, guys…" Oh, for fuck's sake! Why can't life ever be fair to him? He could hear it so well. The sadness, the fear, and most of all, the loneliness in Chris's words. Sean thought back to when Daniel was still a baby. Sean had no one to talk to about the things happening at home. Later, however, he always had his brother. Just to have someone that knows can do a lot sometimes. He can't just leave this kid.
"Hey, Chris. Come here for a sec." Sean whispers as he puts a finger over his mouth, indicating for Chris to be silent. While he does appear to be mighty confused, Chris does as he's told. Sad as it is, Sean knew he would. He probably believes Sean's going to beat his ass if he talks back.
"Listen, Chris…" Sean got down on one knee, looking right into Chris's eyes. Any other person would have said that they were blue. Sean, however, would've said they were just… empty. Devoid of life.
"I want you to really listen to what I'm about to say, Chris. Can you do that?" Chris nods, still in massive confusion. Sean carefully puts his palms on his shoulders and takes a deep breath. This felt harder than he anticipated. He didn't see Chris in front of him, he just saw himself. Fuck.
"I know what you're going through, Chris. Don't give up. One way or the other, things will get better for you. Trust me." Chris froze, seemingly contemplating his options. Then, after about five seconds, it hit him.
It all hit him.
Chris wrapped his arms around Sean, crying heavily. Just as Sean predicted, he's mastered the art of crying silently to avoid any further… incidents.
"Shh, it's gonna be ok, buddy. It's gonna be ok." Bullshit. It's a lie and he knows it. He's got no clue what's going to happen to this kid. But he knows a thing or two about his situation. The kid needs all hope he can get.
"Help me. Please, Sean. Help me. I can't take it anymore. Help me." Chris whimpered in his ear. Shit. He wants to help him. So badly. In the corner of his eyes, he sees Daniel. His younger brother gestures towards him something one could interpret as "The fuck you waiting for? Help him!"
But he can't.
"I'm sorry, Chris. There's- There's nothing I can do." Bullshit. You're a coward. Sean the coward gently pushes Chris away. They. Really. Need. To. Go.
"No, no, no, no, no. Please, don't." Fuck this hurt. Daniel cried as well but said nothing.
"I'm sorry, Chris." As genuinely sorry as he might be, it's hard to make it sound believable when sending a child back to that house of horrors.
"CHRIS! Why the FUCK'S the door still open? Where the fuck are you? Come here, you little shit! Get the fuck inside, NOW!" Holy shit, does he feel uncomfortable now? He gives Chris one last look.
"Be careful, Chris. And remember, it's not your fault." Sean tried to produce a smile, but he failed miserably. Chris in turn, gave him a look Sean would never forget. It told him "You're evil, bad, and no better than him." Right now, Sean pretty much felt the same way too.
"Fuck you, Sean. I'll never forget this. Never." Chris's words, full of venom as he slowly walks back inside, closing the door behind him. Immediately, Daniel grabbed his hand.
"Sean! He- He- Chris-" He's so upset, he can't even speak.
"I know, Daniel. I know. But I couldn't. Not without putting us both at risk. But it doesn't mean I didn't want to." As they hear loud screaming from inside the house, Sean decides it's time to get the fuck out of here.
Two minutes later, they stand on the porch of their grandparent's house. They're still alive, at least. The mailbox confirmed that much.
"Are we ready, Enano?" Sean wished he had an older brother to ask him the same thing. He would've said no, and his big brother would do it for him.
"Yeah, I think so, Sean." Daniel's nervous, but also excited.
"Let's do it, then." Sean rings the doorbell. It's pitch black on the inside. Typical old people always go to sleep at eight o'clock. While they're waiting, Sean looks around. He looks at the houses, the expensive houses. Then he looks at Daniel, and lastly, at his reflection in the window. Are they welcome here? This is a rich neighborhood. And the wolfbrothers? Well…
Not only do they smell like shit, piss, blood, sweat, tears, and vomit, literally. They've worn the same clothes for a month, and haven't taken a shower in just as long. But that's just the start. Daniel's missing about three-quarters of his right middle finger, something which never healed properly. And Sean, holy shit, where to begin with that one?
Sean's suffering from severe withdrawal syndrome, being a recent sober drug addict. He's missing three teeth, and his right middle finger's got a huge scar after he once tried to cut it off to save Daniel from their father. Plus, all the countless scars, all over his body, old and new. Sean Eduardo Diaz isn't exactly in mint condition. How will they fit in here? Two dirty, beat-up, wanted Mexican kids?
Well, the light just turned on, so they're about to find out. The door opens, and behind it stands an elderly woman. This must be Claire. Grandma.
"Uh, yes? What is it? It's the middle of the night. And can't you people read? I don't want any beggars coming to my door." Great. Five seconds in and she's already annoyed. New personal best, Sean.
"I- uh-" Claire Reynolds does not take kindly to being awakened in the middle of the night. The fact that Sean's completely oblivious about what to say doesn't make things better.
"What's wrong with you, boy? Can't you speak?" Ok, she's just being a bitch now. Thankfully, Daniel steps in, playing the lost adorable grandson role to perfection.
"Are you Claire?" Daniel asks her. Sean knows that tone, it's something he only uses whenever he wants something from you. Claire, however, doesn't know that. Her entire demeanor changed into something much more friendly.
"Oh. Yes, little one. I'm Claire. Who are you?" At first, Sean almost hated Claire for how she acted. Now, seeing how she was towards Daniel, his views changed. It's a grandmother.
"I'm Daniel. This is my big brother-"
"Sean." Claire beat him to it. Now, she stood there with a hand over her wide-open mouth, and tears starting to pour from her eyes. Sean took the opportunity, putting an arm around his little brother.
"Hi, grandma." He tried to sound happy but was so close to a nervous breakdown, it sounded more like a cry for help. Honestly, it was.
"Get inside, both of you. Quick, before someone sees you." Claire orders them inside as she wipes tears from her eyes. Coming inside, it was like a whole other world. Two poor kids from Seattle in this house? Talk about feeling out of place. But right now, that didn't matter. Sean and Daniel, both saw the same things immediately. Felt them too. Heat, walls that kept the fucking wind out, a roof doing the same. Running water, and holy shit, hot water! And last, but certainly not least, food. Oh, and they have a grandmother now. So, that's probably a good thing as well.
Maybe…
… Just, maybe.
Things were taking a turn for the better…?
Notes:
I feel pleased with this chapter, even if it had a bit of a time jump. I just wanted to move on to Beaver Creek. Sean's near-death experience is something I'm really pleased with. Also, their interactions with Chris. I just felt that both Sean and Daniel would've realized his situation immediately, and would've wanted to help him. Still, they know that they can't. At least not yet...
Chris still has an important role to play, no worries.
Like always, I like reading comments.
Enjoy!
K. S.
Chapter 4: The Comeback
Summary:
The wolfbrothers are now at the home of their grandparents. However, the past might come back to haunt them. In more ways than one...
Notes:
Tags, although no new tags for this chapter.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Later that night…
Claire had said that "the talk" could wait until tomorrow. Sean wasn't about to argue on that one. Immediately afterward, grandma Claire Reynolds began to cook food for them. Yes, actual food, in the middle of the night. It only took about ten minutes for that pasta to boil. But damn, those ten minutes had been the longest in his life. He was so damn hungry. Sean and his brother spent about an hour, doing nothing else but eating. They had almost forgotten what real food tasted like. Afterward, they're handed a towel each, along with a bottle of soap. Finally, a god-damn shower.
However, when Sean saw himself in the bathroom mirror, he froze. He just couldn't stop staring. Is this really how he looks?
There was a reason for Sean always wearing a hoodie. The long sleeves were good for covering up any injuries his dad had given him. The reason Sean never went swimming was somewhat similar. If he did, people would see. People would see, and people would ask questions. Back in Seattle, he always avoided mirrors. This is the first time in years he's really seen himself.
And boy does he look like shit…
His nose is all crooked and generally messed up, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Sean could see how one of his ribs are misplaced after not healing properly. Kicking a kid while he's down. Brave of you, Esteban. But the worst part is all the small scars, covering most of his upper body. Sean couldn't count them even if he wanted to. He could, however, remember how he got them. Almost every single one of them.
A round burn mark near his collar bone. He was about eleven, it was a Friday. Dad had been smoking inside the house and got pissed at Sean because he, meaning his dad, didn't like smoking. So he burned him with a cigarette.
One arm hanging far lower than the other. Daniel had supposedly told everyone at school the truth. Or tried to, but got laughed at instead. When dad found out, he went after him. Not Sean. Daniel. Sean had been standing between the pair as a protective barrier for his younger brother. It kind of worked. At least for Daniel. For Sean? Well, Esteban threw him down the stairs to the basement. Every step Sean landed on had been nothing but pure concrete. Then, when he hit the concrete floor, he could hear a loud "snap". Thanks, dad… asshole.
"Damn, Sean. You look like hell. But that's because you've been in hell. You were born in it, formed by it. You didn't see the world until you were almost a man, and only then do you realize how fucked up it really is." Sean speaks to his mirror image before entering the shower.
It turned out a shower could do miracles. After cleaning a month's worth of dirt from their bodies, the wolfbrothers are now heading for sleep. In an actual bed. A small bed they have to share, but a bed nonetheless. Claire had helped Daniel and cleaned his finger. Apparently, she used to be a nurse. Thank god for that. The remains of Daniel's finger now looked a lot better, instead of that purplish tone. Sean should feel relaxed, he should feel safe, perhaps even loved. But he doesn't feel any of those things. Right now, he only feels one thing.
His addiction.
Just one, teeny-tiny little trip wouldn't count as a relapse now, wouldn't it? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it doesn't matter. He threw away all of his pills. As for this house, it doesn't have anything except your basic old-people medication. So he might as well forget it.
"Hey, Sean?" Sean thought Daniel had fallen asleep. He just sounded so calm, so safe.
"Yeah, Enano? What's up?" Sean's glad to have something to get his mind off of things.
"Are we gonna live here now?" For a while, perhaps. But not permanently. Cops would find them for sure.
"Maybe for a while, Daniel. I think we could use a break now. You know- Christmas and all that stuff." Saying it, he could see Daniel's face light up. The kid probably wasn't even aware of what month it was. Christmas, however, always cheered him up.
"I'd like that, Sean. That would be great." Ok, there's more to it than that.
"I know you want to say something more, Daniel. Just tell me, man. It's ok." He could see how his younger brother hesitated. Then, he whispered.
"Sean. Where's Stephen? Where's our grandpa?" Fuck, does Sean feel like an idiot now? He'd been so caught up, he didn't even notice how their grandfather isn't around. Claire didn't mention him either. He didn't like where this was going.
"Wow, Enano. That's a good question. I- I don't know. I'll ask Claire tomorrow." He wasn't comfortable calling her grandma. It felt so weird. Daniel, on the other hand, had no problem with it. Strange, considering how much he despises their daughter.
"Ok, Sean. Thanks. Goodnight, big brother." Sean feels like he should warn Daniel that he might not like what he hears tomorrow. At least then he'll be prepared. But he's so happy now, so peaceful. He feels safe here. Sean just wants his little brother to have one night without any horrors.
"Sleep tight, little cub." He gives Daniel a pat on the shoulder before quickly drifting away himself.
The next day…
Sean began to slowly awake in the guest bedroom of the Reynolds household. He opens his eyes and feels a massive wave of panic set in. luckily, it only lasts for a second or two. After that, Sean's brain caught up with him, letting him remember where he was, and how he got here. Sean looks over to his side, and there, still asleep, lies his brother. He looks at the clock next to the bed. It's been almost twelve hours since they went to bed. They should both be getting up now.
But they're not…
A real bed for the first time in over a month. Sean's going to savor every moment. He lies there for a good hour, perhaps more. Then, he could hear movement on his left side.
"Mmm? Morning, Sean." His barely conscious brother greets him. And if Sean knows his little brother, which he does, it means that-
Yep. Time to get the fuck up.
The morning routine of Daniel Felipe Diaz consisted of waking up, sounding like a teenager with a hangover while doing so. Then, he would do "snow-angels" or "bed-angels" as he called them. He would always push Sean out of the bed, one step at a time. So the time to get up was now.
"Morning, Enano. See you downstairs, ok?" Sean didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he went downstairs.
Walking into the kitchen, Sean realized that living here… might actually be a thing. Fried eggs, crispy bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice. The only time orange juice had entered the Diaz household was when their dad would mix it with vodka- NO! Don't think about that now. Just, don't.
"Good morning, Claire." Sean greeted his grandmother. It still felt strange, having a grandmother.
"Oh, good morning, Sean. Sit down, I made you breakfast." Yeah, that's putting it mildly. Since he can't think of any decent answer, Sean settles for eating.
"Hi, grandma!" Sean froze as he saw his little brother come running down the stairs. Running, not from fear, but because he was bursting with joy. Screaming, not out of fear, but because he was happy. Safe. Sean quickly wiped a lone tear with his thumb.
After their breakfast had been eaten, the wolfbrothers remain seated at the table. They both know it's time. Now they'll have to explain all of this. Claire sits down facing them both. She's clearly nervous but tries to keep a friendly look on her face.
"So, I'm very glad to see you two. Not to mention the fact that you're alive and relatively unharmed." She placed her hand on Daniel's right one. Ok, so far, so good.
"But…" There it is! Ok, Sean. Stay calm. Stay the FUCK calm. He can feel the panic coming.
"The police came to me a few weeks ago. They told me-" Claire paused, considering her words.
"They told me, you're wanted for the murder of your father, Sean. Is that… true?" He can't breathe. His vision's cloudy. Shit.
"No." A barely audible answer, from a teenager on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Sean. I- I didn't meet your father too many times. But I met him enough times to know that he's… not good. But that doesn't make it right, Sean. He loved you, and your brother. He didn't deserve to die-" What the fuck?! What the actual fucking fuck!? She doesn't believe him. Claire thinks he killed him, and yet, she's got no idea of what's been going on inside that house.
FUCK. THIS.
"He didn't fucking love us, Claire. He- he was a monster. A fucking monster. He hurt me. All the time. Every. Single. Day." Sean realized something. This was the first time he's told a complete outsider about his father's house of horrors. Sure, he told Lyla when they ran away, but that's Lyla. And even if this is his grandmother, he barely knows her.
"Sean Diaz! You do not speak of your father like that, ever again. Do you understand me?" FUCK. YOU. Sean snapped. He tried telling her about the abuse, and she didn't believe him. So, there's only one thing he can do if he wants to convince her.
Show her.
"You still don't believe me? Try to repeat those words after you've seen this…" That he managed to stay calm was something of a miracle. Sean stood up and proceeded to take off his shirt.
"Sean, what in god's name are you-" She went silent. Claire Reynolds now saw the scarred body of her sixteen-year-old grandson. Already, tears were starting to pour. But Sean's not finished yet, no.
"You see this?" Sean points to his very misplaced rib.
"He punched me in the face and kicked me when I was on the ground. How old was I? I was ten, Claire. TEN! Why did he do it? I still don't know. Maybe he was just bored?" Claire's unable to form any kind of answer. She sits silently in a state of near-shock.
"And this? It's kinda hard to miss, isn't it?" Sean points to a wound on his stomach about the size of a baseball. Here, the memory was more painful than the wound itself had been.
"I was late home from school, so dad- Esteban- threw me from the top of the stairs. It hurt. A lot. But I had gotten used to it by then. I sorta… knew how to land, I guess. Except for this time, I cut myself on something. Nothing bad. But it got infected. Badly." He could feel Daniel grabbing his hand. Yeah, buddy. Me too.
"Do you know- Do you know how it feels, telling your five-year-old little brother that he needs to cauterize my wound? And do you know how it feels, when he begins to cry because he doesn't want to? Still, you know you'll have to force him. Or else you're dead. And if you're dead, he's dead." It was difficult to tell now, who cried the most.
"You just don't know… the hell we've been put through, Claire. I- I had to get us out of there. I had to get Daniel out of there. But I didn't kill him." As he finished speaking, it felt like a button had been pressed. Everything hit Sean at once. After putting his shirt back on, he sat down next to his brother.
And he cried.
He cried for his and Daniel's lost childhood, their missing mother, all of his physical pains and aches, he cried for fucking everything. He just couldn't hold it back anymore. However, he could feel a small pair of arms wrapping themselves around him.
"Shh, it's ok, Sean. We're gonna be fine, remember? There's nothing we can't do, as long as we're together, right? And we're doing great, Sean. You're doing great, big brother." Sean's not entirely convinced about that. Hell, he's not even sure Daniel is. Still, his brother being a good person in all of his pain and misery, feels a bit uplifting.
"Thanks, Enano." Sean hugs his brother and looks at Claire. Her face is completely red with tears. Tears and anger.
"I knew that man wasn't right. I knew it, but I never expected something like this. I'm so sorry." Sean can tell that she truly is.
"It's ok, Claire. You- you didn't know. Nobody did." Claire remains silent, obviously waiting for him to explain what happened when they ran away. However, Sean wants to know one thing first. This, one little question, at the back of his head.
"Can I ask you something, Claire?" He tried to take note of her reaction. She wasn't surprised, nor shocked. Sean's not sure if that's good or bad.
"Yes, Sean, of course." She tries to smile, but the memory of Sean's recent horror story seems to be too fresh.
"Our grandfather, Stephen? Where is he?" Sean more or less knows the answer already. This time, he was the one to grab Daniel's hand. Then, he realized how Claire had gone silent. Her facial expression had changed, meaning Sean had hit a major nerve. The look on her face told more than one story. Anger, disappointment, shock, mourning, and failure.
"Oh, Sean, Daniel. I'm so sorry. My poor Stephen. It's been seven years since he… left us." Daniel began sobbing silently as Sean put his arm around him. Meanwhile, Claire's eyes were all over the place. Almost like she's looking for someone or something. Maybe Sean's just over-analyzing shit again?
"I- I don't really want to talk about this, Sean. Too many memories." Sean felt that there's probably something about this she's not telling him. But the change of topic wasn't exactly a request, more of an order. So for the next two hours, Sean tells Claire everything. Leaving out only Daniel's powers, Daniel killing people, and Sean's struggle with addiction. They had to take several breaks, due to Sean crying. Daniel, however, stood tall all the way through. He even filled in on the story, since certain parts are a bit blurry to Sean, because of drugs.
"Well, I guess that's it. I'm not proud of everything. But we did what we needed to do, to survive." A long, awkward silence settled inside the house. Sean could hear his heartbeat, his little brother's breaths, and he could almost hear how the cogwheels in Claire's head were turning. The wolfbrothers didn't make a sound, too afraid to say anything that might be the final straw that kicks them out on the streets again.
"Sean, Daniel…" This is it, then.
"From now on, you two are going to stay here, with me." Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. They can stay? It's like an early Christmas present.
"YES! Thank you, grandma! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Daniel had jumped up, full of joy, and hugged his grandmother.
"Oh, dear. It's nothing, Daniel. I couldn't live with myself if I let my grandchildren live on the streets." She now gave them a more genuine smile. It was time for Sean to give his thanks. He stood up, walked over to Claire, and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you… grandma." Yeah, he's probably gonna stick with calling her Claire. It still didn't feel right. But that didn't matter in the slightest. Because right now, Sean knew one thing.
This Christmas will be spent inside a house with someone who loves them and cares for them. And by god, does she feed them? The last Christmas? Daniel had tried to put one small Santa in the window of the living room, just to have some Christmas feeling at home. Their father didn't approve, because why would he? A beer bottle had been thrown in Daniel's direction, missing him by mere inches. Sean had spent the rest of that day, comforting his crying little brother.
Compare these two…
… And the difference is obvious.
They ran away because they wanted a better life. Now they have it. That can only mean one thing.
They did it.
Notes:
This became sort of the "in the middle" chapter of this episode. The last chapter had a lot of stuff happen, and the next chapter will as well.
Sean's line when he looks himself in the mirror is a remade quote from Bane in The Dark Knight Rises.
You think darkness is your ally.
But you merely adopted the dark.
I was born in it.
Formed by it.
I didn't see the light until I was already a man.
And by then it was nothing to me but blinding.
It just kinda happened, lol.
Stephen's dead for two reasons.
1. He honestly doesn't contribute much to the story, other than being "grandpa".
2. Let's just call it "means to an end"...
Remember, I like comments and will answer everyone.
Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Life Is Christmas
Summary:
It's Christmas Eve! Already, it's the best Christmas ever. However, a pair of unexpected guests might create a slight discomfort for the Diaz brothers...
Notes:
This chapter jumps a bit back and forth between Sean and Daniel.
God jul, på lördag fyller jag trettio år! SKÅL!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Christmas Eve…
Daniel had lost count on how many days they've been here. Ten, twenty, a hundred, he didn't care. Right now, he felt wonderful, safe. Right now, Daniel Diaz felt normal. Ironically, it felt weird to be normal. But it was nice for a change. Wake up every day to the smell of either fried bacon, hot chocolate, or gingerbread. Walking downstairs every morning, Daniel could swear that at least one new Christmas ornament had been placed somewhere. He loved every second of it.
The only thing bugging him was the fact that she used to live here. Karen. The traitor. And even worse, Claire, his loving grandma, is the mother of that witch. He tried not to think about it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. Also, he really did not want to think about that poor kid next door. Chris. Daniel didn't even want to look at the house, afraid that he would witness something. So, he does whatever he can to keep his mind on other things.
More important things…
Right now, more important equals cinnamon buns. Neither of them has ever tasted homemade cinnamon buns before. Fucking hell, did it taste good, or what? Claire had made so many of them, that Sean and Daniel dared each other to eat as many as possible. Sean admitted defeat after twelve. Daniel? Right now, seventeen and counting. That's like, half his weight. Best Christmas ever.
"Sean, Daniel? Could you come here for a second?" Oh, come on. Daniel can barely move, he's full of cinnamon. Why would she want him to move from this couch?
"Uhhh, just… give me a minute, grandma." Damn. Maybe seventeen is a number to stop at? The wolfbrothers join their grandmother inside the kitchen.
"I'm afraid I forgot to tell you boys something," Claire says with a sad look on her face.
"Ok, what's that?" Sean asked her. Daniel didn't think much of it.
"We won't be eating alone tonight, I'm afraid." Daniel felt an invisible hand, slapping him across the face. Fuck! It's not Karen, is it? No, it can't be. Then again, he doesn't know if they kept in contact with each other.
"Who- Who's coming, grandma?" Did he even want to know? Claire looked at him, before sighing deeply.
"Oh, I sometimes help our poor neighbors, Charles and Chris. They don't have much money, and they've been through a lot of… difficult times." WHAT?! Sure, it's not Karen, but this is just as bad. That freak of a father next door, along with his terrified kid? Why would she invite him here?
"What kind of difficulties, Claire?" Daniel could hear how tense his older brother was.
"It's such a shame. He used to be so nice, so kind. But he's never been the same. Not since his mother died." Claire looked like she's about to cry. Meanwhile, both Sean and Daniel look at each other in confusion.
"Charles Eriksen's a good man. His son, however, is not. Chris is a troubled child. Always getting in fights at school, always acting out. I feel sorry for Charles, I really do. He tries so hard." Acting on impulse, Daniel grabbed his older brother's hand. He's not sure if it's for his sake or Sean's. Fucking hell. She doesn't know. Just like in Seattle, nobody knows.
"Claire." Sean's voice trembles. He tries to sound both calm and serious.
"I think you're wrong about them. Both of them." Sean didn't know what he was saying. He just pissed her off.
"Sean, don't. It's Christmas. Besides, I already know the truth. Chris Eriksen's a bad influence on everyone around him. Hopefully, you can be a good influence on him, Daniel." So, is this the part he tells her about all the people he's killed? Or does that come after dinner? Yeah, probably.
"I- I think so, I guess." Either way, it would be nice to spend time with someone his own age for a change.
"Good, Daniel. Very good. Now, let's all just-" Claire gets interrupted by the doorbell.
"Oh, that must be them. Sean, could you get that?" Great. Just… great. It's a good thing Sean's used to wearing a mask. He easily puts on his most sleazy happy-face before opening the door.
"Hello, Merry Christmas. You must be the Eriksen's, welcome in!" That's what Sean had planned to say, in the most cheesy tone possible. However, the sight behind that door made him drop his smile and with it, his script. So he just stands there silent, blocking the door frame like a moron. He just couldn't stop staring. Once again, it felt like he was looking into a mirror. A mirror taking him back in time.
Ringing the doorbell was Charles Eriksen. Sean had to give him an "A" for effort, but after all those years, he always saw the signs. No matter how subtle they might be. The way Charles's hands are shaking from withdrawal. At least he's not drunk now, got to count for something. He could see the dark bags under his eyes. Yeah, those aren't because he's having trouble sleeping. The second-worst thing was his knuckles. Slightly swollen, and a bit bruised. Sean could feel a shiver, going all the way from his neck, down to his feet.
"Hi there. You must be Sean? I'm Charles. Nice to meet you." And of course, he's got the ability to sound like the nicest man in the universe. Just like dad. But that cheap suit won't save him from Sean. He knows what that man is. Charles tries to shake Sean's hand. He doesn't want to. But he's got no choice. He takes his hand, squeezing it as hard as he possibly can, watching as Charles grimaces.
"Yeah, hi. I'm Sean." If looks could kill, Charles Eriksen would be dead thousand times over.
"Hey, that's- quite the handshake you've got there, Sean." Charles is either too dumb or too hungover to get the hint. He enters the house, meaning Sean now sees the worst thing.
And it was bad.
Behind his father, came Chris. His face had a black eye, the kid's limping slightly, and- fuck. Sean could swear that he had at least one more front tooth the last time they spoke. Chris recognized him immediately and didn't bother to greet him. Sean carefully closed the door, with both of them being outside, alone. Then, he knelt.
"Chris. I- I am so sorry. I- I just-" He should've known better. No amount of "I'm sorry" is enough here.
"You did this to me. Why? Why did you do this to me, Sean? What did I do wrong?" God, this hurt so fucking much to hear.
"It's not your fault, Chris." Stay calm, Sean. You got this.
"I know it's not my fault. It's yours." Shit. He's right. He's fucking right.
"I'm sorry, Chris. Just, try to stick with us, as much as you possibly can. I'll protect you. Just like I protect Daniel." Yeah, and how well did that go, Sean? No! Bad thought! Go away!
"Really? Do- Do you mean it?" Oh, how Sean recognized that look. The look of a person that has lost hope so many times, that he purposely tries to avoid showing signs of hope. Yet he still does, always. Sean always did, and Sean always got let down. And every time, Sean felt slightly more dead inside.
"Chris, look at me." Sean takes the risk of putting his hand on Chris's shoulder.
"I promise you, Chris. As long as I'm around, nobody will hurt you." Chris showed a tendency towards a smile. Always a start.
"Thanks, Sean," Chris says before walking inside. What the fuck are you doing, Sean? Protecting Daniel is hard enough. You can't protect this kid too.
But damn it, he'll try.
On the way in, Sean nodded to his brother. Both of them know the meaning behind it.
"You take care of Chris, Enano. I'm gonna keep this asshole busy." They didn't know what to do, just that they had to separate Chris from his father. Sean plays happy family dinner, waiting for the right opportunity. All that food and Chris barely ate a thing. He probably can't, since his drunk-ass dad knocked a tooth out. Yeah, been there, done that. More than once.
"You're not eating, Chris. Is there something wrong?" Claire asks him, poorly hiding her disapproval.
"I'm- I'm just not hungry, I guess. Sorry." How the fuck can she not see it? Seriously?
"And I see you've been in another fight, Chris." Not a question. Just Claire stating an obvious fact. Technically, it is true.
"Yeah, I don't know what to do with you, Chris?" Charles decides to open his ugly mouth. It's like listening to his dead father.
"You used to be such a well-behaved kid. Now, you're always fighting, Christopher. Why are you always… fighting?" Those words made Sean's bones shiver. He knew the meaning behind them. Daniel did as well. Chris obviously knew. Claire, however, did not.
Sean felt sick.
"Excuse me, I- I'm gonna go out for a smoke. Be back soon." He's not gonna smoke. Hell, he doesn't even have any cigarettes. But damn, he needs to get some air.
"Oh, wait up, Sean. I'll come with you." FUCK. YOU.
"Oh. Uh, sure, I guess." Well, this is the moment they've been waiting for. Get this scumbag to go for a walk in the forest, and then…
They're going to have a little chat.
They slowly walked towards the forest. Charles is smoking a cigarette, not offering Sean one. He probably hoped to get one from him. The pair didn't say a single word to one another. Sean liked it better that way. He didn't want to make small talk with Charles Eriksen. When they're standing behind the old shed in the Reynolds backyard, Sean knows it's time.
Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
He is not your father.
"You smoke a lot, Charles?" Sean caught him a bit off guard with the question. Such a basic question, but the way Sean sounded made it feel like so much more.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. About a pack every other day. Tried to quit, but it didn't go so well." Sean would like nothing else than to punch that smile off his face, but he's got other plans.
"Daniel hates it when I smoke. What does Chris think of it?" Charles's eyes twitched a little.
"He- He's not a fan." Yeah, I wonder why…
"Is it because you use the cigarettes to burn him?" Sean didn't know if Charles did so or not. However, his reaction suggests that he does.
"I- I- I'm sorry?" Sean slowly moves his hand towards his pocket, where the kitchen knife from the house is hidden.
"Or maybe because you get drunk every day because you're a horrible human being, a waste of space? Or maybe, just fucking maybe, because you beat the shit out of him?" He could see Charles's anger building up.
"Sean. Don't go there. I mean it." But Sean went there. Charles had no time to react. Before he knew what happened, he found himself pushed up against the wall with a knife against his throat. Sean felt so calm he almost scared himself.
"Now, you listen to me, and you listen good, ok?" Charles nodded in response as he looked absolutely terrified.
"I know what you are, what you're doing to your son, I know everything. Not because he told me, but because I've been where he is now." Charles's face seemed to go back and forth between rage and fear.
"Sean, come on-" Nope.
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Sean pushed the knife closer to his throat.
"You do not hurt Chris again. Not a fucking scratch. You will be sober, and not give Chris any more shit. Are we clear?" No reaction.
"I said, are we clear?" Sean pushed the knife even closer. Drops of blood could be seen.
"Yes, yes, yes. We're clear, ok." Charles Eriksen's on the verge of tears. He might be a bad man but put him inside a room with one Esteban Diaz, and Esteban would make him his bitch.
"Good." Sean releases his hold on Charles, the latter collapsing on the ground. Sean kneels next to him.
"If I even suspect something, Charles… I won't be calling any cops. I'll kill you." Sean knew this wasn't a lie. He would kill Charles, no matter the consequences.
"I'm going back inside now. Merry Christmas, Charles. Asshole." Sean put the knife back inside his pocket and walked back to the house. As he did, he tried to avoid thinking about how his recent actions made him feel so much like his father. No, Sean's not him. This is different, he's doing it with the best intentions. But that's how it starts, isn't it?
Meanwhile…
With Sean taking that dickhead Charles outside, Daniel saw his opening. Time to pull Chris aside.
"Thanks, grandma. The food was sooo good." Christmas is definitely something he could have all year round.
"Thank you, Daniel. I'm glad one of you kids eats my food." She gave Chris a nasty look. Daniel felt so sorry for him.
"So, Chris? You wanna go upstairs and play?" A lie since he didn't have any toys here. But something told him Chris wouldn't care much.
"Sure, I guess." God, this kid's like a walking déjà vu. Chris follows him upstairs. One boy ran quickly, not making a sound while doing so. The other boy walks with slow, heavy footsteps. Every step sounded like a brick falling from a great height. When Chris enters the guestroom, Daniel already sits on the bed. Chris sits down on the floor, in the darkest corner of the room. Daniel doesn't say anything but joins him in his little dark corner.
"Do you wanna talk about it? It helps, you know. It- It helps… a lot." Yep. That one he knew from experience. He could hear Chris sigh.
"I hate him, Daniel. I hate him so much. Still, he's my dad, you know? Why can't he just- no. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him." It's a good thing they're sitting in complete darkness. Daniel wouldn't be that helpful if Chris saw all the tears on his face.
"It's ok, Chris. You're not alone. I- I hate my dad too- or hated, I guess." Chris looked at him confusedly.
"What do you mean? Is- Is your dad-" Daniel just spat it out, he didn't think.
"Dead. My dad's dead. I killed him." An eerie silence covered the room as Daniel realized the magnitude of his fuckup.
"What?! How- what- I don't-" Chris tried, and failed, to find the right words.
"Shit, I shouldn't have said that. Just… forget about it, ok?" Chris seemed to already have done so. Meanwhile, Daniel felt a sudden urge to just… open up.
"You know, my dad. He was just like yours. His name was Esteban. And he was- he did bad things to us. Especially Sean. He always protected me from dad." Daniel never spoke of this with anyone else than Sean, and more recently, Claire. But doing it made him feel so much better about it. Chris didn't seem to catch on though.
"Trust me, Chris. I- I know it's hard. But you'll feel better, I promise." Daniel tried, he tried so hard.
"I- I can't." But to no avail.
"Ok, how about this, then? I tell you one thing about my shitty life…" God, what a messed-up game.
"… And you tell me one thing from your shitty life? Deal?" His screwed-up little game seemed to have caught Chris's attention. Daniel could almost hear him, gathering what little courage he's got left in the tank.
"He hurts me, Daniel. Every day. Sometimes where nobody can see it. A punch to the gut, or something. But lately, it's just becoming worse every day. You see this?" Chris pulled his lips up a bit, revealing a missing tooth. Daniel just nodded.
"He punched me so hard… a tooth came out. It's been weeks and I still can't eat real food." Daniel knew immediately upon seeing it, that the tooth had been knocked out. It happened to Sean three times. However, he didn't mention it. Chris needed to talk about it.
And boy did he talk.
For hours, they sat there, sharing horror stories with each other. Many tears were shed that day. But there was also laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh at your fucking misery. A friendship formed as Daniel Diaz and Chris Eriksen both found out that they weren't alone. At least one more person out there had been just as broken the entire time. Say what you want about grandma Claire's food, cookies, or even her house. All of those things translate into money. One thing, however, cannot be bought. It doesn't have a price tag, and it's Daniel Diaz's Christmas present this year.
Friendship.
Notes:
Quite a few things happened here, a lot of seeds were planted for use in the story at a later time. Other than that, I kinda gave them a little break in this one as well. But you know, Christmas doesn't last forever...
Remember, I like comments, and- Yeah, you know it by know...
Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Following His Footsteps
Summary:
Daniel's felt so much better since coming to Beaver Creek, plus it's great to have a friend too. Meanwhile, Sean's enjoying some peace & quiet as he awaits the dreaded conversation.
Notes:
TAGS!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
December 26th, 2016…
Daniel hasn't been this far away from Sean since they left Seattle. But he doesn't feel afraid. He feels safe, confident, and just great in general. Daniel and Chris are a long way out in the forest, a place where nobody could see them, or hear them. Here, in the middle of nowhere, lied a small cabin.
Well…
More like a tree-house, except, no tree. It looked like something Chris had built himself, he probably did too. Chris had told him that nobody ever came out here and that he spends a lot of time on this very ground. Daniel could figure out the rest for himself. This place, this tree-house (or is it ground-house?) is Chris's safe place. When things ran out of control, became too much to handle, Chris would come here, all alone. Summer or winter, it didn't matter.
Daniel could relate, sort of. He had a safe place too, back in Seattle. Well, not exactly a place. But damn, was it safe or what? Daniel's safe place had only four letters to its name. And unlike with Chris, Daniel's safe-place usually went to him, instead of the other way around.
Sean.
Daniel's safe place was Sean.
Chris must have felt so alone in this dark world. But he's not alone anymore. He's got Daniel, and Daniel's got him. Two best friends, bonding through their mutual trauma. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it was just what they both needed. A friend, someone their own age to talk to. Although the conversations weren't always very happy, they did wonders for their health. Especially Chris, who had spent a lot of time away from his father lately. Strangely, Charles had been sober for a couple of days. Chris found it weird. Daniel, however, knew Sean had played a part in it. Whatever he did, it worked.
"So, this is where I go when- when I can't handle it anymore." Chris sighs as he enters his dominion, with Daniel following behind. The inside doesn't have a floor, it's just plain dirt. Cold, hard dirt. Looking around, Daniel can see a sleeping bag, tons of soda cans, and many, many Chock-O-Crisp wrappers. In the far corner, he could see a small wooden box. Daniel became curious about its contents, but Chris looked at him seriously. Something told him, there's a reason why they're out here.
"Daniel, I want to ask you something." Well, shit. Daniel sits down on the ground.
"Ok, Chris." Daniel doesn't know what the question will be, but he's pretty sure he won't like it.
"Just, promise you won't lie. I can't… handle any more lies." The tone of Chris's voice suggested something far more sinister than just him not like lies.
"Ok, Chris. I promise." This can't be good. Chris closed his eyes, and Daniel could hear him take a deep breath before opening them again.
"How- how did you do it?" To say that Daniel wasn't following, would be an understatement.
"Uh, do what, Chris?" As if they're being watched, Chris leans close to him, whispering to his ear.
"Kill your dad." Shit! Fuck! Damn, crap, damn-it-to-hell, son of a bitch-
FUCK!
He was so sure Chris had forgotten all about his little slip-up. Can he be trusted? Either way, Daniel's sure he's not getting out of this one.
"I made a promise, Chris. Now you have to promise me, not to tell anyone, ever." Daniel tried to give him an intimidating look, but he just couldn't. He had to talk about it.
"Don't worry, Daniel. I won't tell." Yeah, let's hope so, dude.
"I- I didn't mean to do it. It kinda just… happened. I guess I just lost control or something." Chris looks more confused than anything. Right, the powers. Nobody knows.
"Just, don't freak out, ok? I- I don't like it when people freak out around me." Daniel raises his hand and levitates a soda can around Chris's head. The latter boy's eyes go wide in awe.
"NO. WAY?" Way, Chris. Way too much. Over the course of an hour, Daniel tells him everything. From the morning they tried to leave their father's house until they arrived in Beaver Creek. He left out nothing. Daniel opened his dark soul to Chris, telling him about how he tortured and killed his father. He told him about Sean's attempted suicide, Hank Stamper's sex dungeon, and Brody cutting off his finger. And last but not least, Sean's drug addiction. Chris listened silently the entire time.
"Wow, Daniel. That's- That's a lot, man." Yeah, no shit.
"And I'm sorry we left you there, Chris. When we first got here. We didn't want to, we hated it. But we had no choice." Ok, why the fuck did he say that? He's fully aware that Chris won't agree with him. Daniel wouldn't in his situation.
"No choice. Right. Whatever. I'm just gonna wait for my tooth to grow back again, maybe then I can eat some real fucking food." Shit. He didn't want him to get upset.
"Sorry, Chris. I- I didn't mean to-" Chris says nothing but turns his back to him. With his friend ignoring him, Daniel's attention turns towards the box again. He knows he shouldn't, but curiosity gets the better of him. It usually does. With as little noise as possible, he grabs the small wooden box, opening it.
The first thing Daniel sees inside, nearly makes him cry on the spot. It is a photo of a slightly younger Chris, a more decent-looking Charles, and a blonde woman who could only be his mother. At least he used to have a mom. Daniel never had that luxury. He would never admit it to anyone, not even Sean, but it hurts. It hurts so fucking much.
"Wonder what happened to his mom?" Daniel thinks as he takes out the photo, carefully putting it to the side. The next thing he saw, made him gasp. It was a cut-out newspaper article from the local paper. The headline gave Daniel the creeps. In more ways than one.
"BREAKING NEWS: The western tribal killer strikes again! Emily Eriksen, 28, found dead!" Holy fuck. She was killed. Murdered. That's horrible. But that's not what Daniel's thinking of, right now. That name… why does it feel so familiar? Why does he get shills through his entire body, just by reading it? Either way, he had no time to think.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Damn.
"Shit. I- I'm sorry, Chris. I didn't mean to-" It didn't matter what he did, or didn't mean. He went too far.
"Get out," Chris tells him calmly, however, the pain in his voice was obvious. Daniel let him down.
"Wait, Chris, please-" No, dude. Don't.
"GET OUT! Get out, get out, get the fuck out!" Chris screams at his face. Daniel knows there's nothing more he can do or say. He gets up and leaves Chris to his misery.
Meanwhile…
Sean had really begun to like it here. He felt like he could finally relax a little. Still, a talk was long overdue. But damn, this is like, the best couch ever. And Claire's hot chocolate? Wow, just wow. Sean knew he would never be able to live here permanently, even if they weren't wanted fugitives. But seeing Daniel making friends, running around as a kid should do, it made him feel… at peace. He didn't have to watch him all the time, or comfort him, or even worry about him. Strange as it may sound, he almost felt a bit empty because of it. He's spent almost a decade watching over that kid. Now, however, Chris is his temporary Daniel-sitter. And they're both fuckknowswhere in the forest. It's time.
Sean sighs heavily as he rises from the very comfortable couch. Claire's in the kitchen as always. Let's do this.
"Hey, Claire? Can we talk?" She had definitely been waiting for this. Claire turned around quickly, moving to sit down with Sean.
"Of course, Sean. What do you want to talk about?" Where should he even begin? Let's just get this one out-of-the-way first…
"How- How did grandpa pass away?" Sean tried to use his words wisely here. But he still touched a nerve. A big one too.
"Sean- please…" Claire's almost pleading to him.
"I'm sorry. It's just- we have no other family. I need to know, please." Claire sighed.
"Seven years ago, Karen stayed with us. She moved into our home after she left your father. She felt lost, and… sad. In time, however, things… happened." Claire's eyes are focused on the table, staring emptily.
"We wanted the lord to show her the way in life. So we brought her with us to church, every Sunday. At first, she seemed to fit right in. But she's always been… special. Her views on life were… different, compared to ours. Eventually, she wanted to move out. And Stephen, he always wanted the best for her. He just offered her a ride. So he left." Ok?
"He left and…?" Sean tries to give a not-very-subtle hint. It doesn't end there, right?
"All you need to know, Sean, is that Stephen left, and the next time I saw him, I was in a morgue." Ok, now Sean's no expert, but he's pretty sure Claire's leaving out a chapter or two.
"Where does mom fit into all of this? Do you- Do you know where she is now?" Imagine if she did. It would make their lives so much easier.
"No, Sean. I don't know where she is. She's not my daughter anymore. Not after what she did, and still does." Fucking hell, lady. Don't say "A" if you don't want to say "B". Sean wants to dig deeper, but the conversation's cut short as Daniel enters the house.
"Hey, Enano. You had fun out there?" Daniel's not answering, and Sean could tell he's been crying. He sits down on the couch with his brother.
"You wanna tell me what's wrong, man?" He hates seeing him like this. How could someone so small carry so much pain?
"I fucked up, Sean. Chris hates me now. Why- Why do I always fuck things up?" Yeah. Sean's asked himself the same question. Why does Sean Diaz always fuck things up?
"He'll get over it, Daniel. I'm sure it's nothing, dude." Sean's become a bit lazy as of late, so he's barely trying here.
"No, Sean. It's-" Wait. What was that? What the FUCK was that?
Glass shattering?
Loud screaming?
Charles, you fucking pathetic excuse of a man.
Both brothers rushed up to a window, looking at the Eriksen's house. They both knew what was happening right now.
"I- I did that, Sean. Me. It- It's my fault." Daniel says with a mix of anger and sadness.
"Daniel, do you trust me?" Sean asks him in the most serious tone he can muster.
"Yes, Sean. I trust you. With my life." Sean kneels and puts his hands on Daniel's shoulders.
"No matter what happens, Daniel, you stay here. Understand? Stay here, until I come back." Daniel's eyes grew wide with fear and confusion.
"What- Where are you going, Sean?" Daniel called after him as Sean had already walked through the door.
"I'm gonna talk to Charles, Enano." Yeah… talk. Sean could feel his anger, just building up inside as he almost ran towards the house next door. He didn't bother knocking. Sean Diaz nearly kicked the door in. The sight before him was eerily familiar.
Charles Eriksen, drunk as hell, holding his son in the shirt collar. Chris's entire face was covered in blood, and he cried.
"Help me, Sean. Please, help." He didn't need to ask a third time. Hell, he didn't even have to ask. Sean moved forward, pushing Charles up against the wall. Just like last time, it's painfully obvious that Charles's a coward. He could see it in his eyes. Fear.
"Do you remember what I told you, Charles? Give me one reason, one fucking reason, why I shouldn't kill you right now?" Sean sounds so calm, so collected, almost like he's been doing this every day for years. He might be unarmed, but it doesn't matter. Charles Eriksen doesn't deserve an easy death. Part of Sean's mind condemns him for these thoughts. They tell him they belong to his father, whose footsteps Sean swore not to follow. But now… he just doesn't give a flying fuck!
"I- I- The kid's out of control, look! He came home, looking like that. He's been in another fight." Yeah, he's been in a fight alright.
"Nice try. But you know what I said, don't you?" Charles looks to be on the verge of going full-on panic mode. Sean mentally prepared himself. This is it. He's going to take another person's life. It will be slowly, and not in self-defense.
However, a small hand grabbed hold of Sean from behind.
Chris. A mixture of blood and tears covered his entire face. Killing Charles would only do this child good.
"Please, Sean. Don't hurt him. He's my dad. I- I don't have anyone else." Chris pleaded with him, not to hurt the person who's hurt him so many times. Sean did not see this one coming. Had someone threatened to kill his dad in Seattle, Sean would have encouraged them to go through with it. This temporary state of confusion would be costly for him, though…
Charles saw an opening and pushed Sean to the floor. Before he knew what happened, Sean stared up at an all-too-familiar sight. A dad, not his dad, but still a dad, standing above him, rambling drunken rants on how shitty of a person Sean is. Then came a kick. And another. It hurt. Not even nearly as bad as his father's, but still. Chris desperately tried to calm him down, but Sean knew from experience that only makes it worse.
And it got worse.
Just not in the way Sean expected it to.
It probably got way worse than that.
"SEAN?! SEAN?!" No. Daniel, what the fuck are you doing? You should have trusted me, you should have stayed at the house. You should have been… safe.
"What the fuck are you here for, you little shit?!" Charles screams at Daniel. But Daniel shows no fear.
"I'm here for my brother and my friend. I'm- I'm here for my brothers." This was a pretty serious situation, but still, Sean couldn't help but smile as he heard it. "Brothers." Daniel sees Chris, not as a friend, but as a brother. That says a lot.
"Daniel, don't-" Chris tried, only for Daniel to stop him.
"It's gonna be ok, Chris. I got this." Charles seemed almost amused by Daniel's statement. Such confidence from a nine-year-old.
"Hah! Isn't that just fucking hilarious? What are you gonna do, little guy? NOTHING! You're gonna do nothing because you are nothing!" Usually, this is the part where Daniel would take a step back. Now, however, he takes a step forward.
"I'm not nothing. I'm Daniel Diaz." Charles went from amused to furious.
"Oh, we'll fucking see about that!" Charles closed his fist and Sean saw it move closer and closer to his little brother's face.
It all went downhill from there…
Daniel stopped Charles's fist in the air, only inches from his own face.
"Huh? What the fuck…?" The man probably wondered how much he's been drinking today. Judging by the smell, Sean would say that it's quite a lot.
"You shouldn't have done that. As I said, I am Daniel Felipe fucking Diaz." Just the tone on his Enano's voice is more than enough to scare Sean. What came next, wasn't any better. A loud snapping sound filled the entire room as Daniel broke Charles's arm. This is bad. Sean should stop this, while there's still time. But he can't. The beating Charles gave him makes it difficult to move. He's barely conscious. Or is he just telling himself that to avoid having to save Charles? Sean's not even sure he knows the answer.
"DAD!" Chris yelled and ran towards his father. Daniel, however, stood in his way.
"Chris, don't. He's not worth it. He hurts you, and one day, he will kill you." Maybe, maybe not. Well, probably. But to Chris, that didn't matter. His father was all he had. Daniel knows what he needs to do.
It's the only way to truly save Chris, once and for all.
Daniel uses his powers to push and hold Charles against the wall, completely unable to move. Times like these, he can feel his… other self taking control, more and more. Daniel's too young to realize he may or may not have some of his father's genes as well. He walks up to Charles, looking him in the eyes.
"Did you enjoy it? Punching your son, so hard he lost a tooth? Of course, you don't know what that feels like. But we can fix that…" Daniel makes a small motion with his hand like he's opening an invisible soda can. Charles began to scream and cough up blood.
Daniel had ripped out one of his teeth.
Sean feels conflicted. Daniel doing this isn't good. But Sean would've done far worse things to Charles had he been given the chance. To Sean, Charles Eriksen represents Esteban Diaz reincarnated. Sean's got a lifetime of trauma to extract on that one.
So he watches.
"Chris told me, you burn him with cigarettes. It's only fair… I repay that favor." Calm as ever, Daniel uses his powers to lift about ten cigarettes, light them up, and hold them in the air in front of Charles. Sean could see how he bit his tongue, preparing himself for the pain about to come. He wasn't prepared. Daniel's powers ripped off his shirt, and all ten cigarettes simultaneously burned his body. Now, Sean saw something else coming.
A knife.
"This is a message, just in case," Daniel says, looking towards Chris, the latter frozen in fear. He knew his friend, his… brother had done bad things. But this? Daniel held the edge of the blade to Charles's forehead, and he carved a message, written in blood for everyone to see.
"I abuse my son. I am scum. I am nothing. I am Charles." Wow, if that isn't symbolic.
"Time to finish this." Daniel turns the blade towards the throat.
"NO! Don't touch him! Don't you fucking touch him, you asshole!" From nowhere, Chris had appeared, dragging Daniel's arm, making him lose focus.
"Chris?! What the hell-" Daniel's interrupted by Chris giving him a punch to the face. This is getting out of hand. Ok, ok.
This got out of hand a really fucking long time ago. How could Sean think that this would end in a good way? They must get the fuck out of here. Sean gathers what strength he's got left and manages to stand up. As he does so, he's still a bit groggy. When he comes to it, he realizes Daniel and Chris are full-on fighting with each other. Daniel's got a busted eyebrow, and Chris- well, he was already fucked up, so it's kinda hard to tell. Sean shakes his head, stepping between the two fighting kids.
"ENOUGH! What the fuck's this shit?" Sean's probably the master at asking dumb questions. Once again, he proved why.
"I- I just wanted to help him, Sean! And- And he hit me. He hit me, Sean." Daniel cries out. Chris just looks at both of them.
"Help?" He says, trying to prevent his voice from breaking.
"You call this… help?" Chris points to the mess they've made around the house, and to the unconscious Charles on the floor.
"Chris. You can't do this alone, buddy. You even said it yourself." Sean tries to get through to him. Tries.
"You've ruined everything. Both of you. You almost killed the only person who loves me." Chris looks at his father.
"Chris, you're like a brother to me. Please, listen-" Daniel just got interrupted.
"No, Daniel. You listen. This isn't over, you hear me? This. Is. NOT. Over." Neither wolfbrother felt sure about the meaning behind those words.
"Get out." Chris sits down next to his dad's bloodied body. Sean and Daniel aren't moving a muscle.
"GET OUT!" Ok, it's probably time to go. Sean grabbed his brother's hand, and they left the Eriksen household.
Thankfully, Claire wasn't home when they came back. Thank god. First order of business, clean Daniel's face up. Chris roughed him up pretty good. Luckily, there's a first-aid kit in the bathroom. Sean takes some alcohol to clean the wound.
"Ok, Enano. This might hurt a little." Damn it, Sean. You fucking dumbass.
"Yeah, Sean. I know. I've been doing this on you since I was like, five years old." Nice going, Sean.
"Right. Sorry, Daniel." Sean cleans his brother's wound and patches him up. It looked decent, at best. Claire's bound to ask questions. Sean's not looking forward to that conversation.
"Ok, Enano. You should try to get some rest." Truth was, Sean just needed some alone time. Daniel went downstairs to the couch. Sean, however, stayed in the bathroom. He closed the door, and then he just stared. Sean stared at whoever the person in the mirror was.
It looked like him.
But it didn't feel like him.
"What's happening to you, Sean Eduardo Diaz?" He asks his mirror image, knowing he'll get no reply. But he does know this. Sean made a lot of choices today. Some of them small, and some of them big. Most of them, however, lean towards a way Sean's feared for over ten years.
His father's way.
The way of Esteban Diaz.
Sean hates it. He doesn't want to look at himself in a mirror, only to have his father laughing back at him. But he doesn't know how to avoid it. And sometimes, the pressure is just too much. Sean ends up smashing the mirror with his closed fist. Immediately afterward, Sean collapses in the corner of the room, looking at his bloody hand and the glass shards sticking out of it.
He wished he felt something.
But he doesn't.
Just like his father.
Notes:
Ok, so first off: This is likely to be my last chapter before Christmas. I might get one more chapter done before the end of the year. Maybe.
I've been kinda nice to the brothers in the last few chapters. Especially compared to episode 1. So that means shits about to happen...
The "Western tribal killer" is obviously Brody. His blogs called "A tribe called west". I just put it in there for the heck of it, so don't expect anything to come out of it.
However... THIS chapter... has a lot... and I mean a lot of hints for the future.
Love comments, love it when people leave them.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Like Father...
Summary:
The incident with Charles has taken its toll on the wolfbrothers. Daniel feels alone, lost, and confused. Meanwhile, Sean's terrified of the person he's turning to. Hopefully, New Year's Eve can turn things around for the better...
Notes:
Marks the final chapter of episode 2. Enjoy and read tags!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
New Year's Eve…
The days went by after the incident with Charles. Somehow, Claire didn't figure out something was wrong. Sean had told her that Daniel hit his nose during a snowball fight, and she believed him. The broken mirror, along with Sean's bloody hand? Well, there was no denying that one. However, Claire was very forgiving. She probably believed it was because of all the trauma back in Seattle. To an extent, she would be right.
But things just got worse. Trouble seemed to follow them everywhere they went. Daniel had been so happy when he finally made a friend. And seeing Daniel happy, made Sean happy. Now, after the incident, Chris hasn't been at the Reynolds residence for almost a week. Daniel just sits on that couch, all day long, just… staring emptily. Sean went over to the Eriksen's to help Chris. Daniel went over there to help Sean. In the end, it all went to shit. Now, Sean doesn't know what to do.
Are they even safe here?
Probably.
If Charles were to call the cops, he would have done it already. But seeing his little brother like this. So heartbroken, so alone. Sean can't stand it. Sean can't stand a lot of things these days. Himself, being at the top of the list.
Why?
Sean feels like his worst fear is about to become a reality.
No, it's not him and Daniel being separated.
Neither is it Daniel dying, however, that one's pretty close.
It's himself. Sean Eduardo Diaz, turning into Esteban Diaz. Every time he sees himself in a mirror, Sean can only see his monster of a father looking back at him. Sometimes, he even has nightmares about it. Sean wakes up screaming in fear, after just having his father haunting him in his sleep.
"You're nothing, Sean. Nothing."
He tries to ignore it, but it's starting to get to him. No matter how hard he tries, he can't deny it. The anger inside him, building up, feeling more and more like a ticking time bomb. But he pushes it back, deep inside a bottle, and puts the lid on. He's got no other choice.
"Sean, can you come here?" Daniel calls for him. God, he sounds so fucking sad. Broken.
"Sure, Enano. What's up?" Sean joins his brother on the couch. He does his best to keep a smile on his face, but it wasn't easy. Nothing's easy nowadays.
"Nothing's up, Sean. I just… don't wanna be alone, it's all." Daniel leans on Sean's shoulder. What the hell is he going to do? He's been able to talk to Daniel when dad threatened to cut off his fingers, but this? Sean feels completely lost.
"What happened, Sean? Where- where did things go wrong?" Sean's not sure if his brother means the Eriksen incident or just their entire lives. Maybe that's part of the question?
"I- I don't know, Daniel. But you shouldn't blame yourself. You only wanted to help a frie- a brother. You only wanted to help a brother, Enano." Sean pushes back a tear. Just thinking of the fact that Daniel considered Chris his brother makes this so much more painful.
"But why did he try to- to stop us?" Daniel's still trying to make sense of this. If that's even possible.
"It's complicated, Daniel. Sometimes, people like Chris-" Damn, dude. Choose your words wisely.
"People like Chris don't always realize how bad their situation is. They always make excuses for their… abuser." According to Claire, Chris tends to say that his dad's sick a lot. Yeah. "Sick."
"But- But, Sean? That makes no sense." He's so sad. So lonely. So desperate.
"I know, Enano. I know." Sean puts an arm around his brother, comforting him in his pain. They're interrupted, however, by the doorbell.
"You just stay here, man. I'll take it. It's probably just some salesman." Sean opens the door and behind it-
Stands Chris Eriksen.
"Hey, Sean." Chris greets him as he looks down at the ground. Sean feels a strange sense of relief. Maybe he's not mad anymore?
"Oh, Chris? Hi there. Uh, come on in." Fucking hell, Sean. Smooth as always. Chris takes off his jacket and shoes, and Sean walks him to the living room.
"Hey, Enano? I got someone who wants to talk with you." Sean said with genuine happiness in his voice.
"Me? Who wants to talk to-" Daniel froze the very second he saw Chris. Out of fear or shame, Sean could not tell.
"Hi, Daniel." Ok, Sean should probably make his exit right about now.
"I'm just gonna leave you guys alone, ok?" Might be a good time to try to get some sleep. Without nightmares.
"Actually… I kinda wanna talk to both of you. If that's ok?" Chris looks at Sean, and Sean realizes he's not getting any sleep for a while. So he joins Daniel and Chris on the couch. They're lucky Claire's at a friend of hers. They wouldn't want her to hear any of this.
They all just sit there in silence, with nobody daring to speak first. The tension inside the room was sky-high.
"I just wanna tell you both that… I'm sorry." Chris said with a deep sigh and eyes full of shame.
"Chris, you don't have to apologize. It's not your fault, man." Sean tried, but Chris seemed to have made up his mind.
"Yes, I do. You just wanted to… help me. But it didn't- it didn't work. I hit you, Daniel. I hit you, and I'm so sorry." Chris began tearing up.
"It's- It's ok, Chris. I'm fine." Daniel wasn't fine. Nowhere near it. But he wanted his friend back so badly.
"No, Daniel. It's not ok. Nothing is ok anymore." Chris nearly shouted.
"What do you mean, Chris?" Sean asked him, with a deep worry in his voice. If Charles did something to this kid again…
"I- I did something. Something… bad." Chris looks terrified of even mentioning it.
"Chris. What did you do?" As much as Sean hates to admit it, Daniel's guaranteed to have done worse. Much, much worse.
"I- I can't. No. I never wanted it to go this far." Son of a bitch. Did he-
Kill Charles? Did Chris kill his own father? Sean puts a hand on Chris's shoulder and puts on his nicest smile.
"Chris. Whatever you did to him. He deserved ten times worse." A look of realization shows in the face of Chris Eriksen. He looks at Sean, smiling.
"Thanks, Sean. I know what I did was right now." Chris sounded much more confident like he had made peace with his actions.
"Good, Chris. That's good. He didn't treat you like you deserved." A ten-year-old boy killing his father isn't exactly good, but anything's better for Chris.
"I didn't kill him, Sean." Wait, what?
"What do you mean, Chris?" Ok, nothing makes sense now.
"You just believed that I did. Then, you said he deserved even worse. So, I know I made the right call now." Chris looks right into Sean's eyes.
"What- What did you do, Chris?" Sean's starting to get a horrible feeling about this. Daniel looks awkwardly at him.
"You still don't hear them, do you?" Chris asked playfully.
"Hear wha-" Now he heard them.
Sirens.
Cops.
That treacherous little fuck!
Sean looks around in panic, at Daniel, then back at Chris. The latter just sitting there with an evil grin on his face.
"Don't you remember, Sean? I told you the very night you both came here. The night I begged you to save me, and all you did was leave me to my demise. I told you, Sean, I'll never forget this." The evil smile had now turned into a look of pain, anger, and hate. All of it, directed at Sean and Daniel. Well, mostly Sean.
"Chris. You- You called the cops on us? On me?" Daniel begged that it wasn't true.
"I did. Then I panicked and thought I made the wrong move. That's why I came over here. But now… now I know I made the right decision." Chris, very quickly, wiped a lone tear with his palm. It still wasn't an easy call for him.
"Sean? What- What do we do?" Daniel asks his big brother desperately. Sean finally snaps out of it.
"We run, Enano." Sean gives Chris a look that could probably kill before he sets off.
"They're coooming…" Chris almost sings out.
And yeah, they're coming. Closer and closer. They need to move fast. Sean runs upstairs and grabs their backpacks.
"Here, Enano. Let's go!" He gives Daniel his backpack, with Chris still watching them from the couch.
"Wait, Sean. There's something I must do first." Daniel says firmly as he looks at Chris. They don't have much time. Sean's not going to give him more than a minute. Daniel walks up to Chris while the latter stands up facing him.
"I- I thought you were my… friend, Chris." Daniel begins to cry on the spot. Heavy, painful sobs.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!" Daniel screams at his face. Chris looks uncertain as to how he should react. Part of him looks sad, remorseful. Part of him looks determined.
"But no…" Daniel embraces Chris, hugging him tightly. Sean's not sure about his little brother's message here.
"… You're just like everyone else. A fucking traitor." Silent spoken words, each of them filled with venom. Then, a loud cracking sound filled the room.
Then another.
Then screaming.
Very. Loud. Screaming.
Daniel had broken the legs of Chris Eriksen. The small boy now lied on the floor, screaming in pain. Above him, looking down at his broken body, was Daniel Felipe Diaz. Enano. Sean wasn't sure what to do. He just tried to ignore that first thought he got as he realized what happened.
"He deserved it." Fuck. No! I'm not dad, I'm not dad, I'm not dad!
"You were my brother, Chris. I'm sorry it had to end like this." Daniel did not attempt to hide his tears as he turned back to Sean.
"We can go now, Sean." A broken brother to another said.
"Let's go." Sean whispers, unable to take his eyes off Chris.
The wolfbrothers escape out the backdoor, cutting through the Eriksen's backyard. A barely conscious Charles looks at them from the porch, holding a bottle of scotch in his hand.
"What- what the fuck- you going? Don- don't enter my yard!" Charles gets up, almost falling on his ass immediately. They don't have time for this.
"Sean, you want me to-" No. Sean did not want Daniel to. Sean wanted to himself. He closed his fist and marched towards Charles, and with one single punch knocked him out. He pictured his father in front of him, thought back to all those beatings, all the crying, and the fear. Before he knew it, Charles was out cold. It felt like justice.
But not enough.
No, nowhere close to enough.
Sean kneels next to Charles and uses his left hand to drag his ugly head up. Then he punches him once more, making the back of his head hit hard against the wooden porch.
"Sean? Maybe- maybe that's… enough? I mean, he can't even defend himself." The Sean from a couple of weeks ago would have known that Daniel was speaking the truth. But Sean's losing himself, bit by bit. One small piece, every day. He sits on top of Charles, punching him over, and over again.
Left punch, right punch.
Left punch, right punch.
He lost count on how many times he hit him, but he knew that it still wasn't enough. It could never be enough. Charles Eriksen represents his father, Esteban Diaz. And Esteban Diaz has taken ten years from him. Sean only stops with his brutal assault when he finds himself lying on his back with Daniel screaming at his face.
"SEAN, STOP IT!" Daniel had grabbed Sean's shoulders, using nothing but his own strength, and managed to force Sean on his back. As soon as he did, he used his powers to keep Sean where he was.
"What the fuck, Sean? We gotta go! Just, come on, please!" Sean could see how disturbed his brother had been by his actions. But the time for talking was not now.
"Shit. I- uh, yeah. Let's go, Daniel." His younger brother releases the hold and Sean gets up. He tries to pat Daniel on the shoulder, but the latter pulled away without a word.
He didn't have to. All Sean had to do was see the look in his brother's eyes. The same eyes that used to look at him with a plea for help now told a completely different story.
Fear.
Anger.
Thoughtless.
Homicidal.
Evil.
Ruthless.
That's what Sean can see in his little brother's eyes. However, Daniel doesn't see himself that way. He sees Sean like that. Daniel had noticed it too. His Enano looks at him and sees their monster of a father.
Fuck-fucketi-fuckfuckfuck!
It's Sean's single worst fear come to life. Only now, it's officially happening. Daniel, the one person who's looked up to him as a literal life-saver, is now afraid of him. And yet, Daniel's killed people. Daniel's killed people and Sean beats some asshole up, and he's the bad guy? He's the monster? Sure, he did kill Brody, but Daniel doesn't know that, so it doesn't count.
Daniel's already running way ahead of him, almost as if he's running away from Sean. He looks to his side, at Charles's bloody, unconscious body. He's still breathing. Sean's not sure how to feel about that. So much had gone wrong already, so many mistakes.
And yet…
This is where Sean Eduardo Diaz makes one of the greatest mistakes of his life.
On the wooden porch lies the near-full bottle of scotch, property of Charles Eriksen. Sean picks it up, putting it in his backpack without hesitation or thought. No matter how much he hates it, he is his father's son. In more ways than one.
"Hang on, Daniel. Wait for me!" Shit. Sean's mind can barely keep up with everything that just happened. Chris betrayed them, Daniel broke his legs, Sean broke Charles, and Daniel's scared of him. What the fuck is his life?! Where should they even go? Sean doesn't know, he never did. Mom? He doesn't even know where she is.
"Sean, hurry! The train!" Daniel screams at him to catch up. Train. It's a better idea than the one Sean had, which is no idea at all.
Sean manages to catch up with his brother, and now he can see their destination moving towards them. They have to be quick on this one. The wolfbrothers run towards the train, with Sean helping his little brother up before climbing in himself. Lucky for them, a near-empty wagon lied before them. The inside was dirty, cold, dark, and- what the fuck? It smells like actual shit.
"Sean, you hear that?" Daniel whispers to him as if the mere sound of his voice might wake a slumbering giant.
"No, man. I heard nothing-" Now he did.
"OWWWOOOO!" A wolf howled right next to where Sean was standing.
"Holy fuck! What the hell?!" Sean fell on his ass. Daniel, calm as ever, dug around in his backpack for a flashlight.
"Wow, Sean. Look." Sean looked. And when he did, he found it difficult to look away.
The wagon was empty, save for one thing. Well, technically two. Before them lied a large cage. Inside it, stood two wolves, almost identical to each other. Except for the fact that one of them was older and larger than the other.
"Wow, Daniel." Sean didn't know what else to say. This was unexpected, to say the least.
"Aw, they're so cute, Sean. And they look so much alike. They- they must be brother's, like us!" Sean wished he could share his brother's enthusiasm over their new wolf pack. Daniel seemed to have forgotten all about the events of today, something Sean had not.
"I'm sure they are, Daniel. Just… be careful." They might look cute, but they're still wild animals.
"It's fine, Sean. You guys won't hurt me, right? No, you won't, no you won't." Daniel approaches the cage, trying to reach one of the wolves inside.
"Aw, Sean, I can't reach him. I- I wanna pet him!" Daniel's disappointment could be heard in the entire room.
"They're not pets, Daniel. It's probably for the best." Sean's barely done talking before the smaller wolf carefully walks up to Daniel, sniffing his hand.
"Oh, this is awesome! Come here! Yeah, you're my friend now, huh? I'm gonna call you… I'm gonna call you Mushroom!" Unbelievable! Daniel's making friends with a deadly predator. He's got to put a stop to this before something bad happens.
"Ok, Daniel. I think that's-" Yeah. Three steps, Sean. Three steps forward, but not a single more.
Seriously.
As soon as he closed in on his brother, the larger wolf ran up to the front of the cage, growling loudly at him. So he's a threat, and Daniel's not? Fucking hell.
"I don't think he likes you, Sean," Daniel says amused.
"Yeah, no shit." He wasn't very amused. Sean went to the furthest corner and sat down. Daniel continued to, with endless excitement, play with the wolf cubs. It might be a messed-up sight, but Sean knows it should make him happy. Seriously, how many nine-year-olds can say that they've been accepted into a real-life wolf pack?
So, why isn't Sean happy?
That list could probably be made into a whole book, just give him a pen and some paper. However, more recently, it's something else. They had to go on the run again. And they had to do it because of him.
Daniel.
It's his fault.
Sean had the situation under control at the Eriksen's. Sure, Charles had gotten a temporary upper hand, but that wasn't going to last. Then Daniel came in. From there, it all went south. He shouldn't blame his little brother, it's not fair. But Sean can't help it. The kid never listens. And Sean's paying the price.
When Daniel's done playing, he sits down next to Sean. One brother smiling, giggling like it's the best day of his life. One brother is full of shame, remorse, pain, hatred, and conflict. Sean's closer than ever before to the final breaking point. He would do anything for some support. Sometimes, Daniel could be very considerate and supportive. Especially when he really needed it. And god knows he needs it now. Sean puts his arm on Daniel's shoulder, as a first hint that he wants to talk.
But it wasn't meant to be.
"Don't… touch me. Just, stay away from me, Sean. Please." All of Daniel's happy-go-lucky expressions disappear in less than a second.
"Enano-" Daniel got up before Sean could speak.
"Don't call me that again, Sean. Just… don't." He could see the pain in Daniel's eyes. Hell, he could hear how his voice almost broke. But none of that could compare to the feeling of his own heart, stabbed by a million knives simultaneously. Sean could do nothing but watch as Daniel walked to the opposite corner of the wagon and lied down with his back towards Sean.
The hours passed. How many they were, Sean did not know, neither did he care. Daniel's asleep in the opposite corner. Sean could hear him sobbing silently, but he did nothing. He is nothing. He…
He feels nothing.
Sean gets up and walks towards the cage. As expected, the larger wolf jump towards him with its back against the small cub and Daniel. Sean stops inches away and takes out a knife. He looks at the large wolf. Then at the sign above the cage that reads "California Zoo", and back at the wolf.
"Yeah. I know how you feel buddy. I've been there too. Trapped in a cage, with freedom so close, yet so far away. And just like you, I did everything to protect my little cub. Everything. And I can tell you this… it's not fucking worth it. You end up losing yourself." Sean squeezes the blade of the knife with his left hand, and then quickly pulls the knife with his right. His left palm has blood pouring out of it. But he barely feels any pain. He barely feels anything anymore. Sean holds his palm above the wolf's head, waiting for it to bite.
But it doesn't. Instead, it just sniffs his hand before laying down with a look of pity directed at him.
"Yeah, you see what I mean? I'm such a fuck-up, you can't even attack me, because one drop of my fucking blood… and you're done! It's a fucking curse!" No reaction. Sean wasn't even sure what he was doing at this point. Maybe just venting?
"We should never have left Seattle. Fuck." Sean leans with his back towards the cage, slowly gliding down to a sitting position. What is he even doing? He must be going insane. And his little brother's new guardian had taken notice of it. However, not in a bad way. The large wolf stuck its head between the bars in an attempt to get closer to Sean and perhaps cheer him up.
This would be the last thing this creature ever did.
Without hesitating, or even blinking, Sean grabbed its neck. Quick, calculating, and ever so cold. Five seconds later, the knife had pierced the skull of the now, dead wolf.
"Fucking animal, trying to take my brother from me." Sean spat on its corpse before moving back to his corner. As he sat down, he got a certain feeling. One he hasn't had in a long time. It wasn't something he liked. Nor should he, since it technically killed him for a short while. But the craving is back, meaning Sean's got to do something to silence it. Then he remembered…
The bottle!
He opens his backpack, picking up the bottle he stole from Charles. It's almost full. This is more booze than Sean's had in his entire lifetime. He could feel his hands shaking. On one side, he could see his father. Hell, hear him too.
"Drink, Sean!"
"I said DRINK, you pathetic little fuck!"
"I know you want to."
"Huh, you're my son after all I guess."
"Drink, and all the pain… disappears."
Then, on the other side, he had Daniel. Well, just metaphorically. The real-life Daniel was at the other side of the room, scared to death of him. Still, his voice was just as clear.
"No, Sean."
"You're better than that, I know you are."
"Please, Sean. Don't. I- I love you."
"I don't wanna lose you again, Sean."
"Please, big brother. Don't become… him."
Two voices, each with opposite messages. Still, Sean's mind was more clear than ever before.
"Don't become him," Sean whispers to himself with tears in his eyes.
"You're god-damn right, Daniel. I'm not gonna end up like him." Sean says determined before he raises the bottle in the air, preparing to throw it into the wall, breaking it forever.
Breaking it forever.
Breaking it forever…
Breaking it fore- FUCK!
Why doesn't Sean get a vote in this? Over the last ten years, he's asked himself "what would be best for Daniel?" every time he's about to make an important decision. Not this time. Now, it's time to ask a different question.
"What would be best for me? What would be best for… Sean?" Deep down, he always knew it was a matter of "when" and not "if" it would happen. After all, he is his father's son. Sean opens the bottle, throwing away the cap to parts unknown. Then…
Sean Diaz drinks.
He empties a quarter of the bottle in one go. Sean expected himself to nearly choke on the disgusting taste, combined with the amount of pure alcohol. But he didn't. He could barely taste it. So…
He drinks some more.
And some more.
And some more.
As the bottle is empty, Sean could feel the world around him becoming fuzzier and fuzzier. Sean lied down on his back, looking up at the night sky through a crack in the ceiling. He still hated himself, he still hated-NO! He didn't hate Daniel. It's just… complicated. But no matter what, the alcohol didn't make the pain go away. Not even a little. His back still hurts, his life still sucks, he still remembers his miserable childhood, and he can hear Daniel crying loudly at the other end of the room. In his drunken despair, Sean wonders how long Daniel's been awake, and how much he's heard. But neither is the worst part. Far from it.
The worst part is that Sean knows, deep inside his gut, it will happen again.
"I don't know if you can hear me dad, but you- you were right about me. You were always right." Sean cried out silently before succumbing to a drunken sleep. Sean's actions today would have grave consequences for the wolfbrothers future.
Notes:
Well, that marks the end of episode 2. In Beaver Creek, I was somewhat easy on the brothers. At least compared to episode 1. But trust me, things will sure as hell change in episode 3.
Having Chris "betray" them by calling the cops felt like a natural move. Chris is loyal to his father, no matter what. At least when it comes down to it. Still, he feels conflicted since Daniel's been a very good friend to him. Daniel feels heartbroken because everyone around him keeps letting him down, one way or the other. However, Chris got to live. The sole reason is that I already killed him in an earlier fic.
Sean's transformation into his father is a storyline I will continue in episode 3. More than that, I cannot say. I will say, however, that the relationship between the brothers in this chapter is kinda hinting towards the direction I'm going with it in episode 3.
That being said...
Episode 3 (Insert Random Title Here) will be published as part 3 of this series. So... you know.
Please leave a comment down below.
Enjoy!
K. S.
2021-12-29: Chapter 1 of episode 3 "A Slippery Climb" out now!
Notes:
Once myth becomes truth, two brothers will clash and part ways. One brother, redeemed from his wrongdoings. One brother, bearing a permanent mark of sin in his face and soul.
Shall myth remain a myth, two brothers will stand together against evil. One brother without fear. One brother in fear of the other.
Series this work belongs to: