Our Boys

Father and Son Pt. 1

Near the beginning of this story I had a line that mentioned Simon being in hospital, with the idea that I'd make a one shot about it in the future, and then a while ago clouse98 requested for some father/son bonding with Simon and Josh and so this idea grew from a one-shot to a "I don't know how long it's going to be yet!".

Anyways: Simon and Josh are taken hostage and Simon is beaten to try to get information out of Josh that he may or may not remember.

The little boy cringed under his bed as he listened to the man screaming at his mother. At four years of age he didn't know how to stop the cries of pain he heard, but he understood his mum was in trouble. She'd pushed him under the bed when she saw who was at the door and he trembled in fear of discovery as heavy footsteps sounded beside him. The voice he heard sent a chill down his spine as he heard the familiar weeping and a heavy thump as his mother was thrown on the bed.

"I'm warning you right now, Dani, tell me where you put the fucking book or I'll make that shit of a son of mine wish he'd never been born."

"No, Ray! Don't you touch Joshy!"

"Joshy!" he spat and struck her across the cheek. "I told you not to be calling 'im that pussy name, but you just gotta keep on defying me! Never wanted to call 'im Joshua in the first place but you didn't listen then and you ain't listening now. Where is that little bastard anyway? Josh, get your arse out here now!"

"H...he's n...not here!" Danielle Bradley screamed at her ex husband.

"Don't you lie to me, bitch!" Ray Bradley punctuated his sentence with several slaps to the woman's face until he heard a small whimper and he smiled as he released the woman and let her drop to the bed once more. He knelt beside the bed and lifted the edge of the blanket, calling in a deceptively quiet voice.

"Come out, come out wherever you are, little Josh! Daddy's home!"

Josh moved further back under the bed as his father's hairy arm reached for him. He cried out as the fingers touched against his pyjamas and he heard his mother pleading with this stranger to leave him alone.

"Come out of there boy, or you'll regret it!" the man spat, edging further under the bed.

"NO!" the boy screamed as his father snagged the edge of his shirt and began to draw him out. Josh Bradley, four-year old innocent child, was in the hands of a beast and he screamed in terror as he was drawn out of the darkness and into the bright light of their bedroom.

"Leave him alone!"

"Mummy! Mummy! Help me!"

"A real mama's boy aren't you, Josh, but I'm gonna change all that!" He shoved his ex wife away and lifted his hand to strike the squirming child he held by the collar.

Dani leapt at the man's back and wrapped her arms around his neck, covering his eyes as he cursed and finally released her son. She knew her ex husband was beyond angry now and she needed to get her son out of harm's way.

"Run, Joshy, get o...out of here!" she screamed as Ray pulled her over his shoulders and threw her to the floor.

"Mummy!" The child screamed as he watched in horrified fascination. He couldn't tear his gaze from the scene in the bedroom as his father's big hands wrapped tightly around his mother's neck. The big man slammed her head repeatedly into the hardwood floor, his cackling laughter washing over the horrified little boy.

"NO!"

Thursday, December 18th

Simon Minter heard the scream from his ten year old sons bedroom and threw the duvet off before bolting to the room closest to his. He took in the scene with one look and reached for the trembling body sitting in the centre of the righthand side bed. He could hear Ethan crying in the other bed, and was relieved when his boyfriend reached down and took the child into his arms.