Bad Things Happen

Fate reveled!

A/N: sorry about another cheesy title. I asked my sister this exact question. Plot 1 or plot 2? She chose plot 1, so blame her for this.

"I have awarded full custody of John Laurens.... To his father Henry Laurens." The judge announced. "Court dismissed."

Laurens heart sank. His life was ruined. A smug look came across Henry's face as he went over to John.

"You ready to be a family?" He gave a fake smile.

Washington looked over at John, who was looking back at him desperately.

"Come on Jack, let's go home." Henry grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

Washington got one last look at his former foster son before he was ushered out the door.

Washington's house.

"Where's Laurens?" Alexander asked as they opened the door.

"With his father." Washington sighed.

Alexander put his head down. He missed Laurens too. John seemed to be the only one in his life with a similar experience to his. Even Lafayette didn't know the pain of being abandoned by his father. Laurens did.

"So, I found you a nice new school to go to. That's exciting, right?" H. Laurens asked on the car ride back to his apartment.

"Wait what? Why am I changing schools?" John asked confused.

"The school you are at is too expensive."

"I'm on scholarship." John didn't hesitate to inform him.

"Look, I don't want you hanging around with snotty rich kids, cause I can't give you that life." Henry rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is about Washington. You already won why can't I go to the same school?" John pushed.

"No."

"Why not? I'm only in two of his classes anyway."

"I said NO! Now shut up!" Henry yelled. He cocked his fist on the steering wheel.

John sat silently, remembering how he survived the first five years of his life. When the car stopped, they had arrived at an old, broken down, apartment building.

"Come on." Henry pointed to the door.

They went up two flights of stairs before Henry left the stairway and opened a door.

"Welcome home."

John looked around. The place reeked of alchohol. The furniture was old and broken. How could he think this was a suitable place to raise a child?

"Hey baby. How'd it go?" Some woman came out of the downstairs bedroom.

"Great. I'd like you to meet my son, Jack." Henry pulled Laurens closer to him.

"John." He corrected. If he wasn't to be called Laurens anymore, he'd rather have the name his mother gave him than some nickname his horrible father wanted to call him.

"This is Rachel." Henry pushed him towards her.

"Hey Jackie." Rachel said, smacking a piece of chewing gum in her mouth.

Laurens just stared at the woman for a minute. Jackie! Seriously?

"Hey, go upstairs. The door on your left." Henry gave John a push over to the stairs.

When John left, Henry grabbed Rachel and started making out with her. He double checked to make sure John was gone before he spoke.

"Oh it worked like a charm. They believed every word." He gave her a smug smile.

"Good for you baby. Why did you want the kid back again? I know you don't actually care." Rachel asked.

"He inherited all of the money my father was supposed to give to me. But now, I have my little money maker back." He leant in for another kiss.

When John got upstairs, he saw the bedroom door on the left side and opened it. Inside was a small twin bed, with dirty, wrinkled sheets. A tiny sliding door closet. One desk that was missing a leg and was being propped up against the wall. It was a lot like his old bedroom when he was five. Except for the fact that his mother had a turtle that he took care of after she died. It felt in a way like he had never left. He waited in his room for what seemed like hours until finally going downstairs. There was no one there. He assumed they just left without telling him. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. He was starving, having not eaten since the recess at the courthouse. He went into the tiny kitchen and looked in the fridge. Empty. Then the pantry. Empty. He looked in all the cupboards and cabinets, all empty. He decided to just go back up to his room. A few hours later, at around midnight, he heard the door swing open and the sound of a man and a woman's voice. Although this woman sounded different than Rachel.

"This is my lovely castle!" Henry roared. John knew he was clearly drunk.

"Ooo." The woman was most likely drunk as well.

John came downstairs to see what was happening.

"Oh, who's the kid?" She walked over like a lion about to eat it's prey.

John stepped back and put his hand out. "John Laurens." He took one more step back, just to be safe.

"Laurens? You have a kid?" She turned to look at Henry. "I'm sorry Mike, but I can't do this." She said and walked out the door.

"Who's Mike?" John asked, weirded out by what just happened.

"Uh, you stupid brat." Henry stumbled while trying to walk. "That was going to be my new girlfriend."

"And you didn't even tell her your real name?"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" He yelled.

John didn't say anything else, he just turned around and went upstairs. He back flopped onto the bed, not wanting to put his face in that dirty thing, and just went to bed. He missed his old bed, the nice clean one he had at the Washington house. He wished he was with them right now.

A few minutes later, his father came into the room.

"You know what happens when you talk back to me?" He was still clearly drunk.

John woke up, turned around, and stood up. His father was still holding a beer bottle in his hands. He saw the death stare in his eyes, out for blood. John didn't say anything, but stepped forward to receive his fate.