Trigger warning*** Domestic Violence***
"Why is his name Mitchie!? On your phone!" Alex yelled a little too loud, loud enough for Leah to hear and she was in the other room.
"Shhh, Leah's in the next room." Scott said quietly and he rolled his eyes.
"You didn't answer the question!" he said a little bit quieter but still loud enough for her to hear.
"Leah put it in that way on my phone! She calls him uncle Mitchie!" Scott whispered loudly and Alex walked up to him and slapped him in the face. Scott was pretty much used to it by now but it still hurt like hell.
"Do not yell at me! Do not test me! How could you fuck around with that fucking slut!" he yelled louder.
"Be quiet! Leah's right in the other room! Don't use language like that!" He said a little louder but immediately regretted it when he saw the look on Alex's face. He got real close to Scott's face.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do and don't fucking use that tone of voice. Get Leah out and if you know what you deserve then you will come back. But if you don't I know exactly where to find you and i know exactly where to find the slut."
Scott nodded and walked out of the room. "Leah, sweetie pack a bag we're going to-"
"Where are you going?" Alex asked from behind him making him tense.
"Are we going to Uncle Mitchie's Daddy?!" Leah asked jumping on her little feet looking at Scott. Scott nodded and she squealed running to her room. She came out within seconds with her little dora backpack.
"Uncle Mitchie's gonna be so excited to see you he always is!" Leah said excitedly running to the door. Scott cringed knowing what he was going to go through when he got back.
"Oh does he?" Alex said with a terrifying tone and Scott looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Please, Alex that's not what she meant okay? We're best friends and I love you not him." Scott pleaded.
"That's not what you were saying while you fucked him is it?" Alex challenged and Scott frowned.
"I didn't... Please don't talk like that in front of our daughter." he asked and Alex laughed loudly.
"Always hiding behind her. I'm sick of it. Drop her off at the sluts house and get back here in 20 minutes or else." Scott nodded dropping his shoulders before picking Leah up with a fake smile.
After the door closed behind them and Scott had Leah strapped up in her carseat in the back. "Okay, ready to have a sleepover at Uncle Mitchies?" he said letting the tears fall that he'd been holding in.
"Are you sleeping over too?" she asked and he shook his head.
"No honey, I have to have a serious talk with Papa." Little did Scott know that Leah knew exactly what was going to happen. She knew what "serious talk" meant.
"Okay, Mitchie and I will save you a plate if you change your mind." she said looking out the window and Scott bit his lip to hold back from sobbing.
When they got there Scott wiped his tears away and composed himself before letting Leah out of her car seat. She jumped up and ran to the door and Scott followed her smiling at how excited she was.
Scott rang the doorbell and Mitch answered. He looked adorable in a white t-shirt and yoga pants. Leah squealed and ran into Mitch's awaiting arm.
"Uncle Mitchie!" she screeched and he picked her up high in the air.
"Well hello there beautiful! And how's my favorite little four year old!?" he asked smiling widely at the young girl.
"I'm good! I'm spending the night!" she exclaimed and Mitch laughed looking at Scott.
"Is it okay if she sleeps over?" Scott asked and Mitch nodded before tapping Leah on the nose.
"Of course we're gonna have so much fun! I already have finding nemo waiting in the DVR." he smiled and Leah squealed again.
"Thank you for doing this." Scott said seriously and Mitch smiled.
"Of course. I love spending time with her."
"Alex and I have to talk." Scott whispered looking down and concern filled Mitch's face.
"Is everything okay?" Mitch asked and Scott was tempted to tell him everything but he couldn't. He just nodded before hugging Mitch tightly.
"Thank you." Scott whispered before pulling away and Mitch looked at him seriously.
"Anything for you. If you need me don't hesitate to call okay?" Mitch told him and Scott nodded. Scott kissed Leah on the head goodbye before leaving.
Mitch set her down and she ran into his living room and Mitch giggle following the young girl.
"Okay so what are we gonna eat for din din, LeLe?" he asked looking in the cupboards, "We could eat some mac and cheese-" he stopped when Leah came into the kitch with a serious look on her face.
"Uncle Mitchie? Can I tell you something?" she asked and Mitch kneeled down next to her.
"You can tell me anything, LeLe, what's wrong?" Mitch asked picking her up and bringing her to one of his bar stools and sitting her down.
"Papa is hitting Daddy." she whispered but Mitch heard her loud and clear he just couldn't process what was happening.
"What?" he asked sitting next to her.
"Daddy lies to me and says nothings happen but you can't lie about tears. He cries a lot after Papa leaves with a bottle and just holds me. Daddy doesn't think I know what's happening but I do. I don't understand though because daddy says that there is no hitting so I don't know why Papa isn't in a time out." Mitch's heart started racing.
"Are you sure it's not playful?" he knew it wasn't but he was hoping.
"Papa always yells calling you and him mean names and makes marks on his face that daddy covers with the pretty powder stuff. Uncle Mitchie? What does slut mean? Papa calls you and daddy that a lot and I don't think he's using it nicely."
"It's a really bad word that you will learn when you are older but I want you to promise to never call someone that." Mitch told her and she nodded.
"Uncle Mitchie?" she asked looking up at him with a sad face.
"Yeah Leah?" Mitch asked brushing some hair out of her eyes.
"I think it's happening right now. That's why Daddy dropped me off cus he didn't want me to see it but I saw Papa slap him and he was really angry at Daddy before we left. And Daddy said they were going to have a serious talk but I know what that means. There's always Papa yelling and Daddy yelping and crying. That's why he was crying in the car." she started crying and Mitch immediately picked her up and his keys that were lying on the counter.
"It's okay, we're gonna be okay. I'm gonna go get your daddy back Okay? Everything is going to be okay." Mitch didn't bother strapping her in just set her in his lap as he sped to Scott and Alex's house.
"Uncle Mitchie... I wish you weren't my uncle." she said as they were driving catching Mitch of guard.
"Why?" mitch asked confused.
"I wish you were my other Dad. Daddy gets along with you better and loves you lots more than Papa. Plus you would never hit Daddy. You know the rule. You get put in a time out." Mitch started to cry. He couldn't believe that this was happening to Scott this entire time.
"Hey Lele?" Mitch asked with tears running down his cheeks. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"How long has Papa been hitting your Daddy?" Mitch asked his voice cracking on his words.
"Since I can remember... Uncle Mitchie I'm sorry for making you cry I just couldn't hold it in anymore."
"No, no, honey you did the right thing." He pulled up to the house and could hear the yelling from inside the car. He ran out with Leah in his arms stopping when he saw a neighbor.
"They've been at it for awhile now. I'm about to file a noise complaint they won't even open the door." Mitch was about to get angry but realized that he didn't know what was actually happening.
Mitch was about to say something when they heard a loud thud and glass shattering. Leah screamed and Mitch's eyes widened along with the neighbor's.
"Call 911!" Mitch said before setting Leah down with the neighbor. "Leah stay with your neighbor I'll be right back." he didn't even wait for an answer he just sprinted to the door barging in. He ran to the room where all the yelling was coming from.
What he saw would stick with him forever. Scott laying limp under Alex who was beating the shit out of him with their mirror shattered around them.
"Alex! Stop!" Mitch screamed but Alex didn't stop he just kept spitting out insults at Scott's limp body as he punched his face repeatedly. Mitch ran behind Alex and grabbed his shoulders forcefully pulling him off of Scott. Now Alex's anger was directed to Mitch which is exactly what he wanted, he just wanted Alex to stop hitting Scott. Alex grabbed Mitch off the ground and threw him into Scott's desk. Mitch slid off onto the other side knocking everything off along with Scott's grammy. Mitch groaned but got up knowing that if he stayed there Alex would return to Scott.
Alex corned Mitch and slammed his fist into his face hurting his eye like hell. "You fucking slut! This is all your fault! You are the reason our marriage is falling apart!" He yelled but Mitch could barely hear due to the ringing in his ear. He kneed him in the crotch causing Mitch to hunch over. Alex took this as the chance to push him to the ground and kick him repeatedly in the stomach.
Mitch started coughing up blood and started to get dizzy. He looked around for anything he could get his hands on. He grabbed the fallen grammy and used all his strength the to smack Alex in the face. Alex fell backwards but turned right back at Mitch smiling with blood in his mouth.
Mitch smacked him as hard as he could with the Grammy in the temple and Alex fell limp onto him. Mitch threw the grammy down and crawled out from under Alex's body and crawled over to Scott.
Scott was going in and out of consciousness. Mitch crawled to him cupping his face in his trembling bloody hands. Tears fell down his cheeks, "Scott! Scott, please stay awake for me." Scott eyes were drooping.
"I-I can't..." he whispered and Mitch shook his head taking Scott's hand in his.
"Just s-squeeze my hand. There you go just keep doing that." The squeezing became one-sided and Scott's eyes rolled back and his hand went limp. "No, no, no. Scott please stay with me!" Mitch started to sob and was pulled away by paramedics. They started working on Scott and Mitch fell to the ground looking at them.
He turned to see a paramedic feel Alex's pulse and shake his head to another paramedic. Mitch started to have a panic attack as the paramedics came to assess him. He couldn't hear anything or feel anything. Everything was in slow motion. What brought him back was hearing the words of the paramedics over Scott.
"He's got a pulse! It's weak but we have to rush him to the E.R now!"
"Sir, I need to patch you up but you're welcome to ride in the same ambulance." Mitch started to come back to reality now hearing everything.
"H-his daughter is outside." Mitch stumbled on his words, he was shaking too badly.
"It's okay. An officer will bring her to you at the hospital but right now we have to go.
They helped Mitch to the ambulance and sat him down next to Scott's gurney and just stared at him.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions okay?" The paramedic told him and he just nodded slowly.
"What is your name?"
"Mitch."
"What is his name?"
"Scott."
"Do you know the name of the other man that was in the room with you two?"
"A-alex," Mitch stumbled on the word remembered the paramedic shake his head after checking his pulse. "H-he's dead. Isn't he?"
"Yes, there was blood forse trauma to his head killing him instantly." the paramedic said.
"I had to stop him," Mitch whispered and the paramedic looked at him confused before realizing what happened, "H-he was gonna kill Scott. H-he was gonna kill me. I had to... I didn't mean to kill him... I just had to stop him."
The paramedic moved Mitch's face so that he was looking him in the eye. "It was self defense. You did nothing wrong." he said and mitch looked down with wide eyes.
"I killed my best friend's husband." Mitch whispered and started to have another panic attack. The paramedic helped him back into reality as the got to the hospital. They left Mitch in the waiting room telling him that Scott would be okay.
Mitch looked around and realized how silent it had become in the empty waiting room.
He was shaking coming down from the adrenaline. He didn't know what to do. A few minutes later an officer came in with Leah.
He wrapped his arms around her and let the tears fall. "Uncle Mitchie, what happened!? You were bleeding. Why are you bleeding? Did papa hit you too?"
Mitch couldn't speak he just nodded and kissed her head telling her it was okay.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you. You got hurt. I sorry." She said wrapping her little arms tighter around his neck.
He silently cried with her in his arms and sat down in one of the chairs. She comforted him telling his sweet things begging for him to stop crying but he couldn't. He was doing all he could to not make a noise.
The door to the waiting room burst open and Kevin and avi ran in. Kirstie was in Europe with her husband and daughter.
Mitch stood up immediately and walked up to them.
"Uncle kevi and avi!" Leah exclaimed and Kevin took her in his arms spinning her around.
Kevin took one look at Mitch and knew he needed to break down.
"Leah do you want to go play in the play house with me?" He asked and she nodded excitedly.
"There's a play house!? Mitchie can I go!?" Mitch smiled sadly.
"Of course. I'll come get you when daddy's ready." He kissed her forehead and she smiled.
"You'll be okay?" She asked Mitch's eyes filled with tears again but he smiled and nodded.
Kevin left with Leah and as soon as the door closed behind them Mitch looked at avi with tears spilling over a little.
Avi pulled him into his embrace and Mitch started sobbing into his chest. Avi whispered comforting things in his ear as he broke down.
He started to calm down a few minutes later enough to tell avi what was happening.
Avi sat him down and held Mitch's trembling hands.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Avi said comfortingly.
"No... Y-you need to know what happened..." Mitch took a breath before telling him the whole story.
After the story was finished Mitch was crying and shaking again, with avi rubbing his back sweetly.
"Mitch, you saved his life and your life. Mitch you did the right thing."
"Why is killing your best friend's husband the right thing. Why was that ever the right thing to do?"
"It became the right thing as soon as Alex hit Scott to a pult and wouldn't stop. It became the right thing when he was kicking you mercilessly. You -" avi was cut off when a nurse approached him.
"You can go see him. He's awake." They stood up and Mitch remembered he had to go get Leah.
"Where are you going?" Avi asked as Mitch started to leave.
"I have to go get Leah and-" avi cut him off and walked past him.
"I got Leah, go talk to him." He said leaving. Mitch took a deep breath before opening the door. He walked in slowly and his heart dropped when he heard Scotts first words.
"A-Alex?" Scott asked looking at Mitch's dark figure hiding in the shadows.
Mitch came to the foot of the bed and looked sadly at Scott.
"Mitch! Oh my god! Are you okay? What happened!?" Scott asked reaching for him to get closer. Mitch walked slowly over to him but still kept his distance.
"Mitch why am I in a hospital bed?" He asked cautiously terrified that the answer was what he thought it was.
"Alex." Was all Mitch said and Scotts heart broke as he looked at the bruised boy in front of him.
"He hurt you?" He asked and Mitch looked down.
"He just... I had to get him off of you. You weren't moving... And... And I had to get him off." Mitch started shaking again.
"Did he hurt you more than I can see." Mitch hesitated not wanting to make a big deal of the bruises that were forming under his shirt.
"No." Scott knew he was lying but could tell there was something bigger that Mitch wasn't saying.
"What is it Mitch? Is Leah okay!? I gave her to you so that she would be safe-"
"She's fine. I made sure she would be." Mitch said cutting him off.
"Where is she?" Scott asked too distracted now that he forgot about how weird Mitch was being.
"Avi and Kevin have her but they're coming." Mitch said looking down. "She knew the whole time. She told me that's why I was there."
"I-I didn't know she knew. I tried to shield her of it and protect her. I'm sorry I didn't tell you Mitch I just... I-"
"I'll talk to you about that later but right now I have to tell you something." Scott looked at him with a small hint of fear in his eyes. "Scott... umm... Alex... Alex is dead."
Scott didn't know how to react, he didn't know what he felt. Was it sadness? Was is relief.
"I had to stop him from hitting you and from hitting me... He was gonna kill both of us Scott... I had to do something..." Mitch held back his tears terrified that Scott was going to hate him, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... I just had to stop him." Tears started to fall just as the door burst open and Leah ran in.
"Daddy! You're okay!" She tried to jump up on the bed but couldn't so the made grabby hands at Mitch. He picked her up and set her on the bed.
"Hey baby, I'm okay. Everything is okay now." Scott hugged his daughter squeezing her tight and closing his eyes. Mitch backed up and stood next to Avi and Kevin.
"Did you tell him?" Avi whispered into Mitch ears and he nodded just staring at the love of his life who he almost lost and the beautiful little girl he adored so much. In his mind he thought he just threw all that away by killing Alex.
"Mitchie was so worried he wouldn't stop crying. Did he tell you that he's glad you're okay?" Leah asked sitting back looking from Mitch to Scott.
Scott smiled with tears in his own eyes. "Not particularly but I know he is." Scott said glancing at Mitch for a split second.
"I'm sorry Papa hurt you guys. Is he in time out now?" she asked tears spilled over and Mitch started to sob. He made a loud noise and he covered his mouth. He hurried out of the room, he couldn't trust his legs as soon as he walked out into the waiting room.
He fell to his knees and tried to calm down. Leah looked in his direction as he fled from the room. "Mitchie!" she called after him jumping off the bed to run after him.
"Leah!" Scott called for her to come to him but she was already out the door.
"It's okay, I'll go get her." Kevin assured Scott and he walked out the door and what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Leah climbed into Mitch's lap and he was now cradling her as he sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I made you cry. I'm sorry, please forgive me." Mitch couldn't speak he just shook his head and kissed her forehead.
The door closed behind Kevin and scott put his head in his hands. "HOw did everything get so screwed up."
"Alex." Avi said quietly and Scott looked up.
"I know. You think I should have told someone but I couldn't I don't think you understand-" Avi cut him off with his hand.
"Scott, you are a victim of domestic violence if it was that easy no one would stay. No one would let themselves get beat to a pult. Do I wish you said something yes, oh god yes. NOt just because you almost died but because you were being beaten for so long."
"Leah knew. I can't believe she knew. I tried so hard to hide it from her. I tried so hard-"
"If he would've hit Leah would you have left?" Avi asked.
"In a heartbeat."
"Why is you life and your wellbeing worth any less than hers?"
"I wasn't scared for my life. I... He threatened to hurt Mitch. He-he thought that we were sleeping together and the fact that Leah loves him so much didn't help... He said that if I left him he would find me and he would find him and kill him. Getting hit a few times was better than the risk."
"You could've called the police-" Avi's words were cut off with Mitch walking in the room with Leah in his arms. He set her down on the bed and whispered, "Be good for your Daddy okay? I'll see you soon."
Leah looked at him confused but nodded and he kissed her forehead. He looked at Scott for a brief second before turning around and leaving the room. Kevin appeared next to avi and Avi looked at him for an answer.
"I don't know. He didn't say anything. He just held her and cried until he calmed down enough to tell her that it wasn't her fault and that he loved her." Kevin said and Scott started to try and get up but Avi was quick to stop him.
"You have to stay in bed Scott. You need to rest." he stated firmly holding Scott back.
"I need to go stop him. He's going to leave and I need to go get him."
"No Daddy, he's okay. He told me so. He told me he would see me soon. He's not leaving forever he's coming back." Leah said getting Scott to sit back in his bed.
"I hope your right LeLe, I need him."
"I don't think he knows that." she whispered catching Scott by surprise.
"Why would you say that?" he asked her and she looked up at him.
"If he did, he would be here right now." she said and he looked down.
"How on earth are you so smart?" he asked and she giggled.
"I've learned to see things that are right in front of me." she smiled and he pulled her into his arms.
"What else do you see little one?" he asked and she sat on his lap smiling.
"You love Mitchie." she said and he giggled.
"Of course I do he's my best friend." she shook her head laughing loudly.
"You're so stupid sometimes. You love love him. You look at him differenter than Papa. You are scared of Papa but you love love Mitchie." Scott started to cry again and he didn't even notice that Avi and Kevin had left.
