Can Nobody Hear Me? Jacksepticeye AU

Chapter 8

Groaning, Chase sat up and stretched his arms. His head was pounding but he hadn't expected anything less after consuming so much alcohol the previous night. He winced as he glanced at the digital alarm clock on the table by his side of the bed. It flashed 10:30am. That was unusual. Usually Stacy got him up reasonably early, even if she had smelt the alcohol on him. He stood up and opened the door, the first thing he noticed being the screaming. It didn't seem one sided either.

He began to head down to where the shouting seemed to be coming from. The living room. "What's going on in here?" He questioned, his eyes laying upon Alex who had tears tracked down his face, Stacy who was fuming and Sammy who was standing in the corner, clearly petrified.

"I'm trying to explain to Alex that he can't see that friend of his until he does his homework and his chores." Her tone was calm but it was always a hidden, bright red warning sign.

"He just wants to see him. He won't be out all day. Maybe we could give them a few hours and make sure he does his work when he gets home later?" Chase bargained, attempting to find a compromise that would make both of them happy.

"Dad understands! You can't just make me work all the time like I'm some- some slave or something!" Alex was screaming so loudly that Chase could see Sammy stiffen and hide her face. He headed over to the little girl and wrapped an arm around her.

"Do you want him to become a failure like you?"

"Not in front of the kids, Sta-" No one had expected it. Not even Chase who could usually see a threat from miles away. Stacy slapped Chase and both of the children had seen.

"You're so bloody useless and I don't want my kids to turn out like their pathetic excuse of a father."

"He isn't pathetic! I love Dad! He's a much better parent than you. He isn't controlling and he's really empathetic. And he's pretty cool or, at least as cool as dads can get." Chase wanted to yell at Alex to stop defending him but it was too late: Stacy had already began to direct her fury at the younger boy.

"He is pathetic! You don't know him like I do! He's an alcoholic and his friends are all fairies and he failed school. He is the worst possible person to look up to. At least I got somewhere... or maybe I haven't if I ended up with someone as bad as him."

"Daddy," Sammy's small, quivering voice made Chase divert his attention from the argument for a moment. "What's a fairy? Is that the magic things with wings?"

"Yes and no. In this context, your mum is using it as an insult for people... people who like the same gender."

"Oh."

"Stop insulting Dad! You know, when you told me you weren't abusing him before, I almost started to believe you. Then I started to pay attention and I realised you're the biggest fucking liar here. You hurt him all the time and think I'm too blind to notice."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not five and my eyesight is just fine. I know what abuse is."

"I don't abuse your father! Stop making accusations!"

"I only make accusations when I have evidence! I don't need to be Sherlock fucking Holmes to know what you do to him isn't right! I could go to the police or something and get them to take you away. I want dad to be happy and you're hindering that. I hate you so much. I'm ashamed to call you-" Alex was cut off as Stacy's hand came in contact with his cheek. The room lapsed into silence as the boy stumbled backwards, pressing his own hand into the area where a red mark was bound to form. His eyes were wide, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. No one had really processed what had happened until Alex fled the room, sobbing, and Stacy attempted to run after him.

"No," Chase mumbled, placing a hand on her chest to prevent her from leaving. "I'm going to talk to him and, if you lay a hand on him again, I won't be scared to fight back anymore. I love him, even if you couldn't give a shit."

-

"I'm going to get you out of here. If she hurt you once, what's going to stop her from doing it again..?" Chase muttered, leaning forward to examine the bright red mark across his son's cheek. Sammy was sitting on Alex's bed, dazed and confused about the entire situation.

"Why did mummy hurt Alex?" She asked but Chase just shook his head and continued to talk to Alex.

"I don't know how but we're going to leave. If it means getting up at the crack of dawn, packing a backpack of only one spare change of clothes and getting on the first bus to who-knows-where then I don't care. Anywhere's safer but here."

"I provoked her..." Alex whispered. His hands had found a stuffed monkey that, although was constantly in his bed, he usually refused to cuddle. At that moment, he was clinging to it like a koala, finding comfort in holding onto a memory from the times when things had been okay.

"You didn't. There is never a reason to hit anyone except sometimes in self defence. This wasn't your fault," Alex reached up with his hand and wiped away a tear, even though their coldness was almost soothing on his sore cheek. "Both of you, don't tell mummy a word about our plan to have an adventure in the middle of the night. Don't argue with her either and things will start looking up soon, I promise."

"Okay, daddy." Sammy whispered but she didn't seem like she cared much. Alex nodded and he fully intended on following the orders but not because he had to; because he wanted to.

"I love you both so much. Please never forget that." Usually Alex would be 'too old and cool' for a kiss to his forehead but that time he accepted it gratefully. Sammy liked it as always, being a young kid who lived for praise from her parents.

-

"Alex! Can you come downstairs please!" Stacy yelled. Alex tensed a little, his hands wrapped around his PlayStation controller. He was trying to take his emotions out on a rage-game but, no matter how many times he accidentally killed his character, his anger didn't fizzle away. Chase lingered in the room, just so that he could keep an eye on Stacy and ensure she didn't lie another hand on Alex.

Alex walked into the room with his hands in his pockets, his head facing the floor as his dark fringe fell over his eyes. His cheek was still a soft red but it wasn't as irritable.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you," She started, eyes tracking her son as he sat down next to her but kept about a metre of space in between them. Alex had his shoulders hunched and kept shifting in his seat, a sign that he was uncomfortable. Chase had never seen him so tense. "It was a one-time thing, alright? I won't do it again, please forgive me." She shuffled over on the sofa and laid a hand on Alex's knee. He flinched and no one missed it.

"But-" Alex started, raising his head for a moment to make eye contact with Chase. The older man shook his head to tell him not to argue and to just play along. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Stacy wrapped Alex in a long embrace and he stiffened in her arms. A mother's hug should feel like home to her child; it shouldn't feel like a terrifying experience. Alex shouldn't have wanted to run and hide in his bedroom, playing the rage-games on his PlayStation.

"Please don't tell anybody. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I won't, mum."

"Thank you. I love you, Al."

"I love you too, mum." Alex then stood up, intending to go back upstairs to the only place he felt truly safe but Stacy yelled something to make him halt.

"You can go and see Simon if you still want to. Don't worry about your chores."

"I don't really feel up to it anymore."

No one reads this but I'm going to keep posting it because I like it. It may not be great but it's good for me. The writing is a little better than the other books so I'm proud. I hope that one person reading this is enjoying it though!