Fleeing The Past || PURPLEPHONE

Chris's Dad

The rest of the day was alarmingly, well... Normal.

It's strange when your entire world is turned upside down. It happens all at once, and yet at the same time, there are days like this...

Chris was still in his room, Scott made him lunch, and Dan took it to him, but he feigned sleep and refused to eat it.

Dan slipped down to the police station in the afternoon and tried to get some more information about the murders. The only interesting piece of information was that there had been literally no evidence left at the scene, not even a fingerprint, or a misplaced hair... The police refused to tell him more, calling him a 'snoopy teenager', which annoyed him enough that he stopped pressing for answers.

After conferring with Vincent, it was obvious that he was no closer to the answer, and it frustrated him.

"I need to get down to one of the crime scenes," he whispered, as Scott walked past, muttering something about having forgotten what he was doing in this room in the first place. "If there's a murder tonight, or if one of us sees anything different, we need to go check it out."

Dan agreed, and for the rest of the night he was on his toes, feeling tension thick in the air, waiting for the phone to ring. But no phone call came. Actually, no phone call came for another three nights.

"Well, at least there's no more bad news," Scott said, as he scraped Chris's still-full dinner plate into the bin.

"Perhaps," Vincent said, through honestly the idea of the murderer lying low for a while unnerved him.

"It doesn't matter," Dan frowned into his drink - his first attempt of alcohol, actually. "Have you seen Chris, recently?"

"Well... No..." Scott said cautiously.

"He's looking worse every day. His clothes are three sizes too big for him now. His stomach is caved inwards, you can see all his ribs. I swear to you he's going grey-haired with stress. If the murderer doesn't get him soon, the depression will kill him first."

Scott frowned, "And there's nothing you can do to help...?"

"I'm trying..." Dan said unhappily, downing the entire glass in one big gulp. "He's not responsive. I doubt he even hears half the stuff I say. Just re-reads that letter Alex left him... His mother left him a photo of the entire family together, but he refuses to look at it." He sighed and stretched, the glass slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground, smashing.

"How many of those have you had...?" Vincent asked, clearly amused.

"Four..." Dan groaned, and reached for the bottle again, which Scott quickly pulled out of his reach.

"I wonder what kind of drunk you are..." Vincent said, still sounding like he was trying not to laugh. "I can get violent, which is why I don't drink."

"I get overly sexual when I'm drunk," Scott commented.

Dan and Vincent looked at him.

"What?" Scott shrugged, suddenly feeling self conscious.

"I'm just thinking you should drink the rest of that bottle..." Vincent said.

Dan let out another long sigh and leaned on the counter. "You guys are lucky... You have a great relationship, you love each other very much, Scott, you trust him, no matter how much bullsh-"

"I think I know what kind of drunk you are," Vincent suddenly butted in. "Emotional."

Scott looked at Vincent for a while, that same flicker of skepticism playing over his features, "Vincent, you aren't keeping any huge secrets from me, right?"

Dan snorted loudly but Vincent ignored him.

"Scott... Trust me. That's all I'm asking. I didn't want to tell anyone, not even Dan, but he found out and I was forced to explain..."

Scott frowned slightly, "Of course I trust you... I just don't get why you don't trust me."

"Ooh, that's deep..." Dan said. "I wish Chris and I were like this. You're such a good partner, Scott."

Scott and Vincent both turned to look at him.

"I'm just saying..." Dan frowned, "You sure I can't have one more drink, Scott...?"

"No..." Scott said, tipping the rest of the bottle down the sink. "How would your parents react if I got you wasted at 19?"

"I got wasted at 15 once..." Vincent said.

"I'm an orphan, anyway, so no matter," Dan waved a hand dismissively. "My Dad tried to knife my Mum when I was eight - they were both meth addicts - so I was taken away by social services."

Before either Scott or Vincent could react to this bombshell, there was a loud smash from upstairs. Dan leapt to his feet and ran upstairs to Chris's room, by-passing knocking and just barging in.

The TV was on the floor, smashed to pieces. Chris was actually standing up - something Dan hadn't seen him do in a while - and he looked livid.

"Chris...?" Dan asked tentatively

"I just don't get it! It's not fair!" Chris exclaimed, and Dan noticed the phone in his hand.

"Has... There been another..." He started, but trailed off, not wanting to sound tactless.

"Why has it got to be me!? Why do I have to go through this?! I don't deserve it!" Chris shouted.

"Nobody deserves it, Chris, but-"

"It shouldn't have been me. It should have been Scott, or Vincent," He rounded on Dan, "Or you!" But as soon as the words were spoken he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh gawd, that was such a selfish thing to say. How could I ever wish this kind of pain on somebody else? I'm such a jerk."

Dan had been a little shocked by the outburst, but he shook his head slightly, "It's okay, Chris. Nobody deserves what you're going through. It's only natural to have that kind of reaction..."

Chris smiled at Dan, and then quickly grabbed him and hugged him. Dan wished he could have enjoyed it, but all he could feel was Chris's spine and ribs poking at him like an underfed dog, and it worried him.

"I really love you, Dan."

Dan froze up, feeling his heart leap out of his chest. He does?! He does really love me?! "I... I lov-"

"I mean, in a friend way," Chris continued. "It'd be weird any other way."

Dan felt as if somebody had popped a large balloon in his chest, it took all of his self control to break away from the hug, smile, and say, "Yeah man. Weird any other way."

Chris sighed, and ruffled Dan's hair. "You make everything better. It was my father this time, but he's still alive - they caught the murderer at it - and he... Asked to talk to me before he dies. I'm the last young Xylander."

"Are you going to go?" Dan asked.

"If you guys come with me..." Chris said.

"Sounds great," Dan said, thinking of Vincent. "Maybe we'll get an idea of who it was."

"Alright," Chris sighed. "Time to see the old man again."