The Orphans (Based On The Fosters)

Season 3A Chapter 9: When I'm Gone (S3A Finale)

"And where have you been?" Caleb asked as Alex walked in. "I had something to do after school," Alex said as Caleb walked up to him. "You're after school shit ended at 5, and it's 7:30, so where were you?" Caleb asked, in Alex's face. "I was at Noah's house," Alex said as he gulped. "At Noah's house doing what?" Caleb asked as Alex exhaled. "I was talking to him about you, and how I was scared you would hurt me," Alex said as Caleb slapped him, causing him to fall on the ground. "Hell yeah, I'd hurt you because why the fuck are you telling people about what goes on inside this house?!" Caleb asked as he got on top of Alex, repeatedly punching him in the face with all the strength he had.

"I just have this feeling something bad is going to happen, dad," Noah said as Zayn raised an eyebrow. "What makes you feel rhat?" Zayn asked as Noah shrugged. "Do you ever just get that gut feeling that something is wrong? Well, that's what I'm feeling now," Noah said as Zayn grabbed his keys. "I'm a firm believer in trusting your guts, so let's act on this," Zayn said as Noah nodded.

"You dumb bitch!" Caleb yelled as he stood up, Alex then groaned, his sight leaving him. "I'm going to kill you!" Caleb yelled as he walked into the kitchen. Alex then stood up shakily. Caleb then came back out with a knife. "You know what fuck this I only need my bare hands," Caleb said as he dropped the knife he then grabbed Alex by the hoodie, punching him repeatedly in the face, causing Alex to pass out. Caleb then heard sirens, causing him to run out of the back door.

Noah and Zayn then busted in, seeing Alex on the ground, unconscious. "Yeah, can we get an ambulance," Zayn called in as Noah tried to wipe the blood from Alex's face and body, covering his own hands in blood.

...

"Yeah, they're working on him now," Zayn said to his family and friends in the waiting room. "Mariana, can we talk real fast?" Zayn asked as he and Mariana walked to a corner of the hospital room. "Did they find Caleb yet?" Zayn asked as Mariana shook her head. "Wherever he escaped to, he's off the grid. We have no leads, no nothing," Mariana said as Zayn exhaled. "What's Alex's chances?" Mariana asked as Zayn teared up a bit. "Sorry, uhm, they said it was a lot of punches and a lot of trauma to the head, his chances are less than 1," Zayn said as Mariana exhaled. "I don't think he's going to make it," Mariana said as Zayn nodded. "I'm not prepared to see my son cry like that yet," Zayn said as the two looked at Noah.

"I can't help but feel like we didn't do enough," Noah said to Julia. "He's going to be fine, bud, and that's because of you coming when you did," Julia said as she smiled. "Everyone keeps telling me that he's going to be fine, but I still don't believe it," Noah said as Julia hugged him.

"Here," Miles said as he handed Damien a cup of coffee. "How are you?" Miles asked, sitting beside him. "I just find it so fucked up how the people that do the most fucked up shit go on free. Grace, Liam, Caleb, all of them, they got no consequences. Then the good people have to suffer. It's crazy how this world works," Damien said as Miles wrapped an arm around him.

"Hey," Zack said as he approached Julia and Noah. "I just want to apologize for my part in all this," Zack said as Noah shook his head. "No, it's me who owes you an apology, Zack. I was hurt, but I didn't have a right to place all this blame on you or Julia. Grace is responsible for her own actions, and that's the person I'm supposed to be blaming, so I'm sorry, Zack," Noah said as Zack smiled slightly. "So we're okay," Zack asked as Noah hugged him tightly.

The doctor then walked into the room as everyone stood up. "We did everything we could for Alex, but there was too much trauma to his brain, and we sadly lost him," the doctor said as the room got silent. "I'll leave all of you to talk about it," the doctor said as he walked away. Noah then broke down, dropping to the ground crying. "I'm going to step outside," Julia said, her voice breaking. Landon then hugged Noah.

Julia stood outside, crying, as Zack came outside as well. "We failed him," Julia said in between sobs as Zack wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her in for a hug. "Julia, you can't blame yourself for this. I know things are bad right now, but that doesn't mean things won't be okay," Zack said as Julia cried in his arms.

...

"We come here to celebrate the short-lived life of Alex Rosarmi. He was a beautiful young boy who had his entire life in front of him, but he was taken from us so soon," the funeral director said, scattered sobs coming from the crowd. "Noah Orphan-Williams was a good friend of Alex, and he's decided to give us a speech," the funeral director said as Noah walked up.

"Alex was so sweet, quiet, caring. He was amazing. He was also an amazing friend of mine before his unfortunate demise. He got dealt a bad hand from the higher power above us. I was able to escape the wrath he had to endure. He was punched a total of 16 times in his face. 16 cries for help, 16 days I knew him. 16 minutes before that, he was at my house smiling. 16 months before that, he was away from this evil monster. 16 years ago, he was brought into this world, and 16 years after that, he was taken out of it. He was 16, and he died on the 16th. 16 is a horrible number, isn't it? His biopsy showed that in his facial structure, 16 bones were broken. 16:00 was the time he died. 16 punches, 16 broken bones, 16 years old, the 16th day of the month, the 16th house of the day. There's nothing more I can say. He's gone, and I failed to save him like I promised I would," Noah said as he took a deep breath, trying to hold his tears in. "Thank you," he said as he walked back to his seat.