#and then to get into jail with him caleb kicks a cop car

[itachi86]

Haha it's been a while since I rewatched this movie and I didn't remember Cam kicking that cop car door closed

[ficdirectory]

Disuphere (An AU Fosters family fic) Chapter 58

CHAPTER 58

8:57 PM

It felt like they stared at each other forever.  Mom looked older but the same.  Jesus knew he didn’t look anything the same which was why he showed her his scar.  That way, she would know he wasn’t lying.

She kept swallowing and there were tears in her eyes.  Jesus didn’t like thinking he might have made her upset, so he glanced at the clock on the wall.  His heartbeat sped up.  Almost 9:00 at night.  Only two hours left until He got off work.  Jesus had to be sure New Kid was safe, too.

“Mom,” he whispered again, motioning her close.  When she leaned in, Jesus whispered in her ear.  Gave her His name and the car He drove.  Told her which school He worked at as a janitor.  Jesus gave her the address of both the school and His house.  Then, he said:  “Ten days ago, he got another boy.  He calls him Caleb, and he’s in the basement right now, and he can’t get out.  Please tell the cops to go get him before He does.  Tell them to bring a saw or an ax.  Something strong enough to cut chains.”

Jesus hovered next to Mom as she gave the other cops all the information Jesus told her.  His eyes got big as he watched them leave right away.  Everybody but Mom and Officer Saunders, who were there to protect him.

Still, Jesus felt so nervous.  What if He was there when the cops got there, and He killed Caleb and used the hole Jesus dug yesterday to bury him in?  Jesus paced back and forth.  It was the same thing He did when He was stressed.  The realization had him lurching for the garbage can and throwing up.

Mom was there, but Jesus kept her back.

“Don’t…” he begged even though the sound in his head was so loud he could see her talking to him but not hear her words.  “Don’t touch me, I’m gross.”

The longest six minutes of his life passed, and then Officer Saunders told them Ethan Hall had been found in the basement, at the address Jesus gave.

The noise was starting to clear from Jesus’s head.  “Alive?  Is he alive?”

“Yes.  He’s alive.  He’s being taken to the hospital to get checked out.”

“You should get checked out, too, my baby…” Mom said so nicely, he wanted to cry.  

(Jesus hadn’t been her baby in so long…)  

“Can I look at you?”

Jesus felt Level 3 coming again, fast, but he fought it back.  “How?” he croaked in terror.  He took a step back even though he didn’t want to.

“Honey, I’m not going to hurt you, okay?  I’m your mom.  My job is to keep you safe and you are safe right now.  That means no one can do anything to you that makes you feel unsafe.  If they do, I’ll stop them.  I wanted to know if I could look at whatever hurts.  Maybe your arms or your legs?  You show me when you’re ready.”

“Look with your eyes, not with your hands?” Jesus asked, in a whisper.  Seeing Mom made the phrase come back.  She used to tell that to him all the time.

“You remember that, yes?”she smiled.  “So do I.  And I promise, I won’t touch you.”

First, Jesus showed her his hands, blistered from hours of digging.  Then, slowly, he knelt and pulled up the same pant leg he had before to show his scar.  This time, though, he took his sock and shoe off part of the way, to show the spot where the chain dug in around his ankle all yesterday.

Just like she said, Mom looked but didn’t touch.  Then she said: “I think we should go to the hospital, just to make sure you’re okay.”

“I am,” Jesus said, sure.

“I can see you’re very strong. You’ve had to be, yes?  You’ve had to be strong and say you’re okay, even when maybe you weren’t?  Even when, maybe, your hands were sore?  And your ankle?  I’d like a doctor to look at them.”

“Why?” Jesus was scared but didn’t know why exactly.  “You looked at them already.”

“I did, but I’m not a doctor--”

“Child and Family Services need to interview the boy,” a dude cop said.

Jesus hid out behind Mom.  “I wanna stay with you.  Let’s go to the hospital or whatever.”  Anything to get away from the dude cops and all their questions.

They left right then, after Mom yelled at all the cops that interviews could wait.  They rode in Officer Saunders’ car which was so much better with Mom and no handcuffs.  He sat next to her and stared out the window.

At 9:14 (Jesus checked the time), a cop said on the radio that they had arrested Chris Mitchell.

“Where’s my backpack?” Jesus asked, worried.  If He got taken to the very same police station, He could see Jesus’s bag and know it was him that told.

“It’s safe,” Officer Saunders reassured.  “So are you.  Right, Mom?”

“That’s right.  We’ll get your backpack as soon as possible, love.” Mom said.  “Getting arrested was smart thinking.  What made you think of that?” she asked, not moving as he grabbed her arm and leaned against it.

“You.  In my head.”

“I told you to get arrested?” Mom asked, like she might laugh.

“Brandon told me if you break stuff at a store, you get arrested.  You agreed with him.”

“Well, I guess I can’t argue with me, now, can I?”

“Nope,” Jesus said feeling almost normal.

“We were with you in your head?” Mom said quietly.

Jesus nodded.  “Yesterday, you were there a lot.”

“I’m so glad.  I’m so glad you didn’t think you were alone.  You know, I did talk to you, too?  I came to your room and said goodnight to you every night.”  She sounded all emotional - like He would make fun of - but Jesus never will.

“Did I say it back?” Jesus wondered instead.

“No.  Not that I could hear.”  She sounded sad.

“Don’t worry,” he said, squeezing her arm.  “I’ll say it back now.”

9:45 PM

It took forever to get to the hospital, but that was okay, because Mom was there.  When they got there, there were tons of cameras and Jesus froze, and buried his face in Mom’s arm.

“I don’t like cameras…” he said.

Even though his voice was muffled against Moms sleeve, Officer Saunders still understood.  “I have a blanket, Stef,” she said, reaching over the seat.

Jesus flinched and didn’t think.  He just slid off the seat onto the floor of the police car.  Mom talked to him for a while about how Officer Saunders was giving them a blanket so Jesus could cover himself.  That way the cameras couldn’t see him.  Even though he still felt like he was trapped and couldn’t breathe, he wanted that blanket.  Eventually, he sat back on the seat and Mom told him how to put the blanket so nobody could see him if they tried to take his picture.

The flashes were bright inside the blanket, but Mom and Officer Saunders were there, protecting him and making sure he didn’t trip.

When he was safe inside, Jesus took the blanket off his head, but he still held it.  It was scratchy, but a scratchy blanket was better than no blanket.

“These doctors are going to help you, okay?” Mom said.

“Will you stay and guard the door?  In case He gets free?”  (They had TVs all over the hospital, reporting that Ethan Hall had been found alive with Jesus.  He always watched the news to see if anybody was talking about Him.)

“You bet.”

Jesus had to change into a gown like a dress.  They checked his smashed finger from before sixth grade.  His hands.  His wrists.  But when one dude doctor said he had to look at Jesus’s junk, he screamed and fought:

“I’m safe now!  I’m safe!  Stef!”

She was right there like she promised, standing between him and the doctor, blocking Jesus.

“Ma’am,” the doctor said like he didn’t respect Stef at all.  “The boy is safe now.  We need to be able to do our job here.”

“Officer Adams Foster.  San Diego PD.” Stef showed her shield.  “This is my son.”

“We have a social worker on the way.  You’ll have to wait outside.”

Jesus’s heart beat so loud.  (Please don’t go.  Stay here.)

“I need you to understand that my son and I have been separated for more than four years.  I cannot leave him, especially when he is feeling unsafe.”

“Well, you’ll have to.” Dude Doctor was an ass.

A younger doctor took Stef to make her leave.  “Ruby!” she called.  “Stay with him, please?  Jesus, honey, I’ll be right outside.  I’m not leaving.”

“I’m okay,” Jesus said, even though he was shaking. Ruby was Officer Saunders and she promised to stay and not let them kick her out.  She looked tougher than Mom.

Jesus couldn’t understand a lot of the medical stuff they said, but when the camera came out, he jumped down off the table and hid behind Officer Saunders.

“Give us a minute?” she asked, and the cameras backed off.  Officer Saunders turned to him:

“I know you don’t like pictures, but these are going to help us put the man who hurt you in jail for a very long time.”

“But He already has a bunch of those,” Jesus whined.  “Check his phone and his laptop.  You guys don’t need new ones.”

Officer Saunders’ face showed something unreadable.  “Those pictures will be very helpful, Jesus, but so will these.  Can you be brave for me just a little longer?”

Jesus sighed.  “I guess…”

After 20 billion pictures, Stef came back to talk to him about what was gonna happen next.

She said rape kit and told him what it was.  She said he could be asleep for it, and when he woke up, they’d stay a little longer and then go home together.

“What if I don’t want to sleep?” Jesus asked, nervous.  (The only thing worse than being awake for Something Else was being asleep for it.)

“It’ll be very uncomfortable,” a girl doctor said.

“I can take it.  I wanna be awake.  Please,” Jesus added, because it was always better to be polite, in case it made them nicer.

Stef must’ve seen the way Jesus panicked about going to sleep, because she nodded.  “These doctors will explain what they’re doing every step of the way, and why, so you won’t be surprised.  Okay?”

“And after, can we go home still?” Jesus asked.  That was the only way he’d make it through what was coming.

“Yes.  After we’ll go home.”

“Will you be in my head?” Jesus asked.

“Every minute.  I promise, my baby.”

Jesus swallowed and nodded as one doctor came toward him.  It would be hard, but Jesus would stay here the whole time.  No blanking out.  

(No more disappearing.)

That way, he could still hear Mom.

10:30 PM

When Stef returned to the waiting room, she found Mike waiting there with coffee.  She had forgotten completely that he had come with her, but she breathed a sigh of relief.  

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized.

“No.  Stef, are you kidding?  Don’t be sorry.  Is he okay?” Mike asked.

“Relatively speaking,” Stef nodded, not wanting to compromise her son’s privacy.  “Oh God.  Lena.  I told her I’d call her hours ago, but Jesus is gonna need clothes, and I wanna stay close by in case he needs me and the damn press is everywhere, and--”

“I got it.  Don’t worry about it.  You call Lena.  Stick around for Jesus, and I’ll do some shopping. What’s he need?”

“Everything.  Jeans, shirt, boxers, socks, shoes.”

“Don’t suppose you’d know what size he is?”

“He’s about as big as Jude.  Maybe a little bigger.  So around a 10-12.  Maybe a 6 or 7 shoe?” Stef managed, wiping her eyes.

When Mike left, Stef took a deep breath.  So far, all she’d managed to do was to text Lena to not answer the phone, not to watch TV and make sure the kids didn’t have their phones.  Based on her reaction (which Stef just read now - OMG Stef no - with a line of crying faces) Stef knew she assumed the worst.

“Hopefully she answers for me…” Stef said to herself, listening as the line rang for half a second before Lena answered, in tears:

“He’s gone, isn’t he?” she managed, crying softly.  “He didn’t make it?”

“What?” Stef asked, too shocked to speak.

“You said not to watch the news or answer any calls...to take the kids’ phones…  He’s dead, isn’t he?” Lena sobbed as if her heart was breaking.

“I said that because I didn’t want you hearing half the story on the news, love.  Jesus is alive,” Stef managed, through her own tears.  

“What?”

“It’s Jesus, Lena.  I couldn’t call sooner because I couldn’t bring myself to leave his side.  I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

“He’s alive?” Lena asked, sounding shocked.

“Got himself arrested breaking smart TVs at a Target in LA.”

“Oh my God!  Is he okay?  How does he look?  Is he there with you now?” Lena fired questions at her.

“The doctors are examining him.  Wouldn’t let me stay.  But when he’s done, we’re coming home, my love.”

“When?  God, I have to clean his room!  Will I have time for that?  At least to get the clothes off the floor?”

“It will probably be several hours here and then three hours back, so possibly early morning?”

“Oh my God.  Are you sure, Stef?  There’s no way this is a false alarm?” Lena begged.

“When I went to check him over myself, he said, and I quote, “Look with your eyes, not with your hands.”

“Oh my God it is him!” Lena squealed.  “Well, should I tell the kids?  Wake Mariana?”

“No, let her sleep.  But contact Sanchez and tell her you and the kids won’t be in tomorrow?”

“Good idea.  Oh, I love you so much.  And tell Jesus I love him so much and that I can’t wait to see him....”

“I will,” Stef promised.

“How are you?” Lena asked, sounding concerned.

Stef thought for a minute and then said the single word that captured everything she was feeling:  “Grateful.  I’m grateful.”

“It’ll be a long road for him.  For us,” Lena observed softly.

“But he’s here.  And we’ll go down any road together.”

“Yes, we will,” Lena said.

Stef stayed on the phone, listening to Lena clean.  Lena, listening to Stef breathe, and finally break.

Lena just listened, murmuring:

“He’s home now, my love.  He’s coming home.”

[devlilad-a]

Hmmm...

I've been thinking about Anthony recently, and I'm considering having Caleb adopt him into the family and Anthony replaces his old surname with Norwood through Caleb. I planned to have Anthony losing his mom from blood loss by birthing him, his dad from a car accident at a young age, even as well as when he became older, probably close to being an adult, his brother was killed by a group of Abnormal Hunters who was looking for Anthony.

It's cute imagining Anthony and Timothy together. Anthony’s brother was several years older than him and he never thought about having a younger sibling. Really, after his brother died, he didn't think of having another family until he met Caleb and his own family. I like to think of Anthony being awkward around Timothy at first, because it is a wild concept to be put in a situation where there are people who considers you as their family, before he grows attached to him and develop a thought of doing anything to keep his little brother safe and happy.

Same applies to Caleb, Valerius, Rhys, and Florence—his new parents. It took several months for him to be fully comfortable with them and start addressing them by their respectable family titles without grimacing or having his stomach twisting knots. The absolute first official time he called Caleb by so was more of an accident than anything. The poor guy was dealing with a lot of things and Caleb comforted him before Anthony absently said, “Thanks, Dad.” The moment he realized what he said, he immediately left the scene out of embarrassment.

Anthony didn't understand why would anyone—Caleb, for this case—would want to take him in. With his whole family gone as he was the last to stand, he believed he was cursed for making people around him dead. Otherwise, though, for Immortals like Caleb and Florence, he could only assume his presence would lead them to nothing but at least serious injuries. The thought of getting his new family heavily injured or even dead haunts him, and he would never forgive himself if anything bad happens to them.

Caleb didn't care at the slightest if Anthony turned out to be cursed when he adopted him; he’s fond of him. At times, Anthony can be hotheaded and rebellious, which Caleb honestly finds tiring to constantly look after him when he's at it, so he wouldn't end up getting himself hurt, but nevertheless, Caleb is a big softie for him. When Anthony told him what happened to his family, his urge to adopt him was high. ( Caleb admits he often have that desire when people tells him that they don't have a family anymore and such because he always find it heartbreaking to hear people living alone and doesn't have a family, wishing to take them under his wings and make them feel loved and happy. )

Anthony was fine with his father and brother; he was given the care and love he needed, regardless of his mother’s death. Until at his father’s death, however, his relationship with his brother grew distant and strained. That was when he was forced into the roles of adult and caretaker, despite the legal guardianship of his brother—he was too ill to raise Anthony himself. With little money and supplies they had, Anthony would often get himself into trouble by stealing whatever was needed, while his brother would try to get a job that can at least give them a fair amount of payment.

Though, because of Anthony’s wrong doings, it prevented his brother from applying jobs because he's associated with Anthony and he didn't want to risk getting pulled into a bigger mess. He also had to handle his crimes with the cops several times, which eventually made his mental state worsen to the point he eventually snapped at him and blamed him for the death of his parents. When he left Anthony to get some drinks, he was ambushed by a group of people who hunted down Abnormals and demanded where Anthony was. Little did he knew, Anthony was following after him to apologize and stumbled across the scene.

One member of the group killed his brother for not surrending himself, leading to his ice manipulation power kicking in for the very first time out of anger and remorse before he killed them. Anthony didn't even get a chance to apologize to his brother when he died during the fight. The lost opportunity of seeking forgiveness from who he only had resulted him believing he was cursed and he doesn't expect anything from anyone but their deaths if they dare to interfere in his life. It was the last moment before he ran away from home. He's not willing to be put in jail for a long period of time because of the blood he spilled over his own hands.

After the heavy talk, Caleb thought about adopting Anthony and discussed the matter with Valerius, Rhys, and Florence. Valerius was hesitated to let a reckless man, who committed crimes in the past, be part of the family; Rhys just found the thought of having a son who's literally seventeen years older than him amusing, but other than that, he wouldn't mind adopting him too; meanwhile, Florence was also fine with it as long as Anthony would be willing to cooperate with them, knowing Anthony's anger issues and rashness. Valerius was soon convinced and loosen up when Caleb reassured him he could help Anthony improve on his behavior and control over his emotions and powers.

Soon, Caleb and the others, especially Timothy, welcomed Anthony to his new family with open arms. Though, he's okay with them now, after several months of getting used to his new life, part of him knew it would have to take more than several months to let go of his fear of getting his new family killed in the end.