You're Still There For Me- Danger/Thunderman

The Truth

*Warning! This chapter is dark and may be triggering to some people and also very depressing*

"Henry! Do you mind telling us what the heck that was back there?!" Ray asked as they settled in the man cave. Pheobe was sitting on the couch but Henry was facing the opposite direction. Ray was standing behind him with arms crossed.

It was easy to tell that Henry was still shaking from earlier. He wasn't making eye contact with any of them. He couldn't! He just couldn't face them! Not now!

"I-I don't want to t-talk about it..." He stuttered with a trembling voice. His fist were now clenched tightly, yet still shaken up. Ray and Pheobe exchanged concerned glances as Ray took a step closer to his sidekick.
"You can't keep it in forever--"
"I said I don't want to talk about it!!" He snapped and finally turned around to face his boss and girlfriend. They noticed his eyes were almost blood shot red and his face was almost red from anger.

"That man said he knew you..." Ray spoke shyly as Henry nodded to that. They both sighed as Ray decided to sit down on his other side.
"How do you know him?" Ray asked as Henry almost rolled his eyes at this. He knows what Ray is trying to do. Trick him into telling him the truth. What if he doesn't want to tell him the truth?!

"I'm not stupid, in case if that's what you're implying." Henry grumbled, looking off to the side. Ray nodded his head and put a hand on his sidekicks shoulder.

"I know you're not, Henry... we just want the truth so we can press charges--"
"I don't want you to press charges!" Henry snapped as he looked up with red and puffy eyes, glaring at his boss.

Ray and Pheobe was taken back abit. Pheobe didn't want to get involved, scared to upset him further.

"Why not!? He claims that he had as much to do with the abusing as your parents did!" Ray shouted now, making Henry shake with anger this time, not fear.

Henry looked down but got up from his seat with a heavy sigh and looked away from them.

"He'll never go away..."

Henry mumbled under his breath, but Ray and Henry's girlfriend heard it clear as day. They exchanged confused looks but Ray was the brave one and decided to push the topic further.

"What do you mean by that, Henry?" Ray asked in concern.
Henry just sighed again but turned his head only slightly to see him in the corners of his eyes.

"He'll never go away... he always comes back somehow..." He began to skake again and Ray could see some loose tears in his eyes. Ray looked at Pheobe and gestered for her to get a water bottle out of the miny fridge for her boyfriend. She nodded and did just that. She handed it it Ray and he gently gave it to Henry so he can calm down abit.

"Alfred Ivis have been a disgrace to our family for years..." Henry swallowed thickly and shook his head to rid the upcoming memories.
"Your family? I thought that he said he was friends of your parents..." Ray questioned as Henry finally looked over at him in pure anger and frustration.

"Well he's a God damned lier..." He Grumbled under his breath. Their eyes widened. They were really curious about this story now.

"Henry, tell us what happened... please..." Ray spoke, firmly as he gripped his shoulder to make him face him.

Henry sighed once again and sat back down next to his girlfriend, who linked their hands together in comfort.

"Alfred Ivis was not a friend... not even close. He never was..." He began.
"But he was my mom's ex boyfriend in high school... before she met my dad..." They can hear his voice crack up at the mention of his parents.
"Actually Alfred and my dad were friends in high school. Alfred  introduced my mom to my dad while he was dating my mom... that's how they got together..." Henry spoke as the other two nodded softly.

"So Alfred was dating your mom, and once he introduced your dad to her, they began dating?" Ray asked to confirm the statement. Henry nodded, but then shrugged slightly.

"A few months after... anyway, after Alfred found out he was being cheated on by my mom and dad, he always got insanely jealous even though it had been years. He never gave it up. His jealousy got worst as my parents relationship grew. Once they got married and had me..." Henry paused to take a deep breath.
"He would blackmail my parents all the time. Threaten to kill them, hurt them, or me--" Henry was cut off by Ray moving forward slightly.

"Sorry to interrupt but I do recall Alfred saying something about a sister... I never knew you had a sister, Henry..." Ray spoke as this triggered Henry's emotional side too far and he began to shake and tear up again. Pheobe gribbed his hand tighter and Ray rubbed his back.
"I'm sorry, kid... I didn't mean too--"
"No. It's okay... I was getting to that part..." Henry said, which surprised them abit. They thought he would of avoided the whole topic if he could.

"Like I said, Alfred would threaten us all. My sister was 9 at the time... her name was Piper... This was at a time where my family felt whole... my parents were kind and caring. They've always been strict and tough at times but they loved us... up until one night..." Henry stopped short as tears dripped down his eyes some more. They continued to comfort him.

"It was late at night and I remember hearing yelling and fighting coming from downstairs. I thought it was just my parents having a fight, but then, I heard screaming but it didn't sound like my mom and dad..." Henry began.
"I was hiding under my covers of my bed, shaking in fear... as the big brother I knew I had to be, I was going to check on my little sister... but I heard a soft knock on my opened door. I looked down and there she was. Standing there in her pajamas with a little stuffed bear in her hands... she looked as terrified as I was..." Henry swallowed abit and looked down at his fingers in his lap.

"She asked me what was going on, I just shrugged. I was just as clueless as she was. I was just going to wait upstairs till it was over, but Piper was much more curious then that... she snuck down stairs to see what was going on..." Henry looked about ready to break again...

"I heard the noise and shouting getting louder. It was aggressive now. Then, I started to hear banging and thumpimg, like my parents were getting beat up, or my sister... then I heard something that completely made me shattered..." Henry's voice cracked up as he felt the comforting hands of his Girlfriend and friend beside him.

"I heard a gunshot..."

Henry whispered, making everyone's body go numb. They were shock. Didn't know what to think...

"A-a gunshot?" Ray clarified as Henry nodded to confirm it.
"That made me stand up from my bed and made my legs go weak. I felt nauseated, but I slowly walked out of my room. Before I even go to the stairs, I heard sobbing coming from my mom. I thought she was hurt..." Henry took a breath to mentally prepare himself...

"I walked down the stairs half way, and that's were I saw my sister... on the ground, blood pouring from her head and chest. I couldn't look at it. The sight of my mother cradling her body in her arms. It's been a few minutes and they didn't noticed I was there. They didn't even noticed that the shooter have gotten away... they finally saw me and gestered for me to come to them but I didn't want to get closer to my sister... I just couldn't... so I decided to run back into my room and hide under the covers and beg to God that this was just a dream that I'll wake up from... but I never did..."

At this point, no one even noticed how hard Henry had been crying. Tears were pouring from his eyes and he.was sobbing uncontrollably. They were just shocked.

"W-why didn't you tell us before?" Pheobe asked, still in shock. Henry took a few deep breaths to control his breathing and crying.
"I didn't think I could..." Henry stuttered.

"Henry, I know you like a book. I know I didn't know you at the time but I know you now. What happened in your past is very unfortunate and I can't imagine what it must be like for you..." She paused as Henry looked down again, but Pheobe put her fingers under his chin.
"But that was the past... you live in a great place now, you have me, and Ray, and Charlotte and Jasper. You have all you need and more... just know that your safe here with us and we'll never let you fall." She smiled brightly at him as Henry smiled back, eyes still red from tears but otherwise, bright.

"Thanks Pheobs." He spoke as Phoebe wrapped her arms around her boyfriends neck and embraced him in a tight hug as she felt her boyfriend return the hug as he sighed in relief.

"You always got us. Don't forget that..."