Pawned Virtue - #wattys2015 BK4 TPBS - Completed 1st draft

-86-

Not edited. Couldn't leave you without answers.

Four men sat in the office of the main house. A fifth was visable on the computer screen placed strategically on the desk. The oldest of the group had called the others in for a meeting. No explanations as to why he asked, just a simple ask to meet.

He'd made some decisions that he felt his sons should know.

"Boys... I thank you for taking the time to meet with me..."

"Cut the bullshît Marcus. Just tell us what you want us to know." Damon was píssed at the fact that his date night with Anna had been put on hold. With two kids they didn't get a lot of time to themselves so nights like the one he'd planned were special.

"Look I understand I may have ruined plans you all had but... well this is important." Marcus swiped a hand across his face.

"So go ahead Dad. What could be so important that you needed to call us in?" Lucas' voice was droll and almost condescending.

"Ellie for a start..."

"That bítch needs to fûck off!" Lucas ground out "You better not fûcking tell me she's sticking around Dad because I swear I'll kill the bîtch."

Marcus shook his head swiftly. "No son. She isn't staying. In fact by this time tomorrow she'll be a new resident of New Zealand."

"How the fûck did you manage that?" Maxon asked with his eyes wide.

Marcus shrugged "Pulled some strings, accessed a few computers... it wasn't hard. Security isn't as great as it used to be on government computers."

Lucas grinned "That's true. I've dabbled myself. So she's definitely leaving?"

At Marcus' nod he spoke again with a scowl and gritted teeth.

"And this fûcked up idea of being with me and hurting my wife?"

"She won't touch Tara."

"How can you be so sure?" Grayson's voice came through the speakers of the computer. "After what Tara did for Mum there better not be any way Ellie can hurt her again!"

"She won't. Ellie will be going to a house I bought. She'll be escorted and acconpanied on the plane and as soon as she's through customs in New Zealand her passport will be taken from her. She knows the rules have changed. She won't be a problem."

"What about Gemma? Surely she wants to see her?" Damon asked.

Marcus chuckled darkly "Gemma's a boarder and not a day student of her school... I think that answers your question. Ellie doesn't give a fûck about either of her children."

Marcus fell silent to let his words sink in. Faces went from shock to disbelief to anger.

Lucas jumped up with clenched hands "What the flying fûck?"

"Son.."

"No fûcking way! You told us there was no more! You fûcking lied to us all Dad! You lowlife piece of shît! How the fûck do you explain this?"

"Please Lucas, just sit down and I'll explain everything."

"Sit down. SIT DOWN? For fûck sake the man says sit down and.. "

"He's not mine!"

Lucas' rants stopped at his father's words and slowly sunk back down in his chair.

"What does that mean?"

Marcus exhaled a large breath slowly.

"Ellie has a twelve year old son called Christopher... and before you ask again.. no. Christopher isn't my biological son... but I have claimed him as mine."

"Who's his father?" Maxon asked.

"No idea. To be honest I don't know if even Ellie knows. She listed me on Christopher's birth certificate" he held up a hand "No he isn't mine but the boy deserved to have at least one parent who gave a damn about him. Honestly, he looks nothing like the rest of you and at the time he was born it'd been nearly three years since I went near Ellie. I know I'm not his biological father but I'm the only father he's got."

"So where is he?" Lucas asked quietly.

"He lives in a home here in Sydney. Not ideal but I was in England already when I found out that Ellie had once again proven she wasn't fit to be a mother. She'd put him in a home not fit for fleas. I pulled a lot of strings and in a few hours Christopher was placed where he is now."

"What's wrong with him? You said a home? Not a boarding school?"

Marcus shook his head "Not boarding school. Christopher has autism. Hell he's come so far in the last couple of years. He can't talk but he does communicate in other ways if you're patient with him. He uses sign language, writes, uses pictures on his bad days... but he still talks with you. He has this way of drawing you in... no, the little shît sucks you in and you can't help but smile. With the right care he's settled alot in his behaviour. Meltdowns happen but they're rare now. He loves Gemma with his whole heart and when we talk through skype he gets excited to see me. Hell" he chuckled "I get excited to see him too. He's an amazing little boy. In some things he's still very much a toddler but in others" Marcus grinned "he'd put an adult to shame."

"I don't know much about autism" Damon said "but isn't that like that movie... shît what was it... Rainman! That's it."

Marcus shook his head "The guy who Rainman was based on is a savant. Yes its a good start to learning about autism but son, savants are rarer than hens teeth. I've met with a lot of people over the years while trying to understand it and no one person with autism is the same as the next. Just like every day people there's differences."

"What causes it?" Lucas was feeling a whole new level of pride for his father. This was a side if him he never knew existed.

"Which group do you want to believe? Many things are put up as the cause but no one can say for sure. The thing to remember is that autism doesn't make a child different, it just means they learn a different way and when things become too much they react just like every day people do."

"You've floored me Marcus." Maxon spoke quietly.

"Me as well" Damon joined in "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Marcus smiled a sheepish smile.

"Well you sort of already are."

"How?"

"Christopher thinks you're all his family. He thinks you're his brothers. He has photos and..."

"I want to meet him... and Gemma" Lucas threw out at his father.

"We'll organise it this week."

Maxon looked at Damon.

"You know Dam... if we keep going with this sibling collecting then we're going to need Homebush Stadium just for Christmas dinner!"

*********

My son has autism, SPD (sensory processing disorder), anxieties and was born with a multitude of allergies.