"Why do we have to go home so soon," Lily grumbled.

"Because you have school," David reasoned, "You've missed enough already this year. Now finish your packing. The tender back to shore will be leaving soon and you don't want to miss the flight."

"This sucks," she sighed and flounced off to her stateroom that she shared with Gabby.

Raiden pouted in Colton's arms. "No, Colty. Take me with you!"

"Sorry, kiddo," Colton said, "Dad's orders. You'll be at school before you know it and then you'll have to miss out on the beach like the rest of us." He tried to place Raiden down on the ground but his brother just clung on tighter.

"Raiden, let go of Colton, please," David said.

"No! I wanna go too!"

"I said let him go!" his father yelled, "You can go wait in your room for me. Go! Now!"

The force of David's voice and his eyes made Raiden let go of his brother and take off running to his room, his cries dying off as he slammed the door.

"Geez, Dad," Colton said, "Harsh, much?" He shook his head and left David standing alone in the bright noon sunshine.

It had been refreshing to hear Lexi's voice earlier and he had to make sure everything was perfect. But Raiden...he had become increasingly difficult and David knew Lexi wouldn't stand for it.

"Dad?" Gabby spoke from behind him, "Why is the small one crying like he's lost his mother?"

David's stomach lurched. "Just another temper tantrum. Don't worry, Gabs. He'll be fine once Natalie arrives. Come on...get your stuff packed. I know you can't wait to hit the books again!" He hugged his daughter and plastered a smile on his face.

An hour or so later the tender hit the shoreline and David watched as his eldest three climbed into the waiting car to be taken to the airstrip. He waved them off and tightened his lips once they'd gone from sight.

He breathed deep and straightened the couch cushions, tossed away soda cans and pizza boxes. "Raiden! Come here!" No answer. "Raiden!" David wandered down the stairs and stopped in front of Raiden's room. He tried the door handle and found it locked. "Raiden! Unlock this door now!"

"NO!"

"Open the fucking door, you little bastard!"

"NO!" Raiden screamed as David kicked the door in, scurrying under the bed only to have it flipped over. He was grabbed around the chest, arms pinned to his side, and carried from the room. He kicked his small feet but the effort was futile.

"Stop your fucking squirming and I'll let you down," David yelled over Raiden's cries, "When I tell you to do something, I expect you to fucking follow orders. Now, shut the fuck up and sit over there." He dropped him on the floor; Raiden falling in a heap before scrambling to do as he was told. "Better!"

"I want my mommy," he cried.

"I want my mommy," David mimicked him, "Well you can't have her. Your bitch of a mother is dead."

His nostrils flared at the fear in his son's eyes and the knowledge of the photos he held on his phone flashed in his mind's eye. He didn't know who the photos had been sent by but they came with a message that read 'Your Mistress is pleased'. They'd been sent overnight so he'd used them to relieve himself of his morning erection early this morning when he saw them.

"NO! You're lying!"

He ran his hand over the phone in his back pocket, pulling it out and bringing up one of the photos and showing it to Raiden. He felt a familiar stirring in his cock at the sight of the pictures of Natalie, bloodied and burnt, almost squashed beyond recognition.

"That's what happens when you don't do what you're supposed to do."

"MOMMY!" Raiden screamed. "Why?!"

"You're going to have a new Mommy as of tomorrow," David smiled, "She's so much prettier than your old one...especially now." He shrugged casually, still flipping through the photos.

"I don't want a new Mommy! I want Mookie!"

"Fuck Sambora! He's not here either. So guess what, fucker, it's just you and me!"

"Daddy's a monster! Gimme Mookie!" Raiden launched himself at David, his tiny fingernails clawing and grabbing for the phone. "Monster! Give...Mookie!"

"Get your fucking hands to yourself," David yelled and swiped at Raiden, knocking him into the side of the cabinet. "Ahh fuck!"

Raiden's small body fell unconscious to the floor, blood seeping from a gash in his head and staining his blond curls. His chest still rose and fell with his breathing, slower but still moving.

David left him lying there while he casually searched for a mug and some milk, putting it in the microwave to warm up. With a jaunty whistle, he added some drops of Phenergan into the milk and stirring it. He nudged Raiden with his foot to wake him but to no avail.

He set the mug down with a huff and grabbed the bottle of Phenergan with a needle from his bag. He carefully measured the dose, enough to keep the little bastard out, and stuck the needle into the small arm.

"Silence. Finally." David picked him up and carried him to a corner trunk, laying the child inside and tucked him in with a blanket before slamming the lid and locking it.

David hummed happily to himself over the next several hours, drinking by the pool and sunbathing. Several hours after food, wine and some light socializing, he stripped naked and fell into bed after checking on Raiden who was still out cold.

He flipped through some photos until he'd fallen into a peaceful sleep, a smiling creeping across his face. Soon his wife would be here in his arms...a happy family once more. He could see her body becoming round with a child, perhaps even a better-behaved child...

David, Lexi called to him in his sleep, David...David Bryan.

"David Bryan, get your hands up!"

His eyes snapped open and focused in on no less than ten semi-automatics pointed at him. Spotlights shined on him and he attempted to shield his eyes.

"GET UP! GET OUT OF BED AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"

"WHERE'S THE CHILD?!"

"Can I at least get dressed?"

"Negative! Where is the boy?"

"Fuck you!" Three heavily armored bodies pulled him from the warmth of his bed, throwing him onto the cool marble floor and cuffing his hands behind his back.

"Search the vessel! You two look for the boy, you two search for evidence."

"I got a trunk over here! Break the lock!" One of the swat officers ordered. There was a loud metallic crunch. "I got him! He's out cold! Get the boy out of here!"

David was yanked to his feet and saw an officer run out with Raiden. "Give me my son, assholes!!!"

"Sir! I found this phone beside the bed. Look at this," the officer pulled up the camera roll which had all of Natalie's photos.

"That's my private property!" David yelled.

"Give it up, Mr. Bryan. Your wife already did."

"Liar!"

"Load him up in the truck," the squad was ordered and David was dragged out into the night air.

*~*Richie*~*

Richie was pacing the small office at the police station. He'd been called to say that Raiden had been found with David and that he was safe.

That was two days ago. The longest two days of his life. Jon had tried to distract him by taking him to the studio or the Shoe Inn but Richie had made a promise the night Natalie died that he would never touch a drop of alcohol again.

When he told Jon that, Jon had almost fallen to his knees and cried with relief. He had been supportive when the detox shakes and nausea hit and he could finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

He'd also told his lawyer to start adoption proceedings, however, when Natalie's house was searched and emptied, her Living Will and Raiden's birth certificate was found. Richie had been named legally as Raiden's father.

"How much longer?" Richie asked Jon for the thousandth time that day.

"Mook, you only asked two minutes ago," Jon chuckled, "You're starting to sound like one of my kids."

Detective Mulloy knocked and stuck his head in. "They're here."

Jon and Richie exchanged a look and grasped hands, following Mulloy from the office. David was escorted in, wearing an orange jumpsuit with cuffs around his wrists and ankles. His hair was disheveled and he had dark bags around his dead eyes.

He met their eyes and gave his old friends a cold smirk. When he got close enough, he said in a raspy voice, "Hey fellas...long time no see."

Jon had to restrain Richie from lunging at him, "Rich, babe, he's not worth it. You've got your son to think about now."

Richie snarled at David and spat in his face. "I'll make sure you never see the light of day for what you've done!"

David puckered his lips and blew a kiss to Richie, laughing maniacally as he was led away.

"Mookie!" Richie spun around to see Raiden running toward him. He bent down and caught the little boy in his arms and wept. "He's a bad man, Mookie!"

Jon stood back a little and smiled as he watched Richie with the son he deserved after all these years.

"I know he is," Richie cried, hugging Raiden close as the child sobbed into his shirt. "You're safe with Mookie now...I swear to God he'll never hurt you..."

"Mommy," Raiden sniffled. "Mommy's gone."

Richie nodded sadly and laid his forehead to Raiden's. "I know, baby. She's still here though..." He laid a finger on the boy's heart.

Jon took a step toward them, brushing his hands over both their heads. "Mookie and I promise that we'll never let you forget your mom, Raiden. We all loved her very dearly. We can tell you stories about her whenever you feel like she's fading away."

After Raiden was checked out medically and documentation taken of any injuries, he was allowed to leave with Jon and Richie. They stopped briefly at Natalie's home for Raiden to say goodbye and to gather up any photos and belongings. The remainder would be moved to Richie's place at a later date.

"What do you say we stop for some ice cream?" Jon suggested after Richie had buckled Raiden into his car seat.

Raiden glanced up from the photo he held of him with Natalie and nodded. "Mommy loved Strawberry. I want Strawberry too."

"Then we'll take home a tub of Strawberry, too," Richie said, "so you can have some whenever you want."

"For breakfast tomorrow?" Raiden asked hopefully.

Jon and Richie looked at each other and shrugged, "Sure, why not?!" Richie said.

"Thank you, Mookie."

Richie kissed Raiden's forehead gently and shut the door. He looked over at Jon who was frowning. "I thought there'd be a better response to ice cream for breakfast," Jon whispered.

"We'll let him settle in and adjust to life without his Mom. God knows what that sick fuck put him through," Richie sighed, "if we need to, I dunno, get him some therapy or something, then we will."

"You're thinking a PTSD type of thing?" Jon asked.

"Possibly," he replied, "I wouldn't put anything past that fucker." Richie scrubbed his face and climbed into the driver's seat, keeping an eye on Raiden discreetly in the rearview mirror. The little boy stared out the window, holding the photo of Natalie close to his chest and his face blank of emotion, save for the silent tears that stained his cheeks.

*~*~*

"Your mommy's dead, ya little bastard!" David's face swirled through a haze of black and green.

"You'll have a new mommy tomorrow." David laughing and Natalie's crushed body flashing.

Her broken jaw opened and bloodied eyes were wide. Her mangled hand reached for him from the burning car. "Raiden! Go upstairs and lock the door...it's okay...mommy's okay...just go."

"Dead...bitch...Fuck Sambora! The ocean's a scary place for a kid...dark...scary...dead...little bastard..." David's voice came from all around, filling him up with fear.

"MOMMY! No! Don't hurt her!"

"Raiden, shhh, it's okay," Richie murmured as he gathered the small boy only to have him flail against him, his little fists and feet hammering against his body.

"Get away from my mommy!" he screamed, caught up in the most horrible night terror, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Raiden...Raiden," Richie called a little louder and Raiden's blue eyes shot open, his chest heaving and unable to catch his breath. "It's me, baby...it's Mookie. You're safe...it's okay...shhh." He covered the sweaty blond curls in kisses and reassuring strokes, as he waited for Raiden to pull up out of his dream.

"Want me to call the doctor?" Jon asked from the doorway.

Richie shook his head as Raiden clutched onto him, "No, not yet. I think he's coming out of it."

Jon listened to the rain pounding rhythmically on the roof, thunder crashing across the skies and rattling windows. "I'll get him a drink," he offered and padded to the kitchen. He filled a blue sippy cup with milk and warmed it up for a few seconds, reappearing in the doorway and knelt down next to Raiden.

Richie, still cradling Raiden and rocking him, started humming one of the songs Natalie used to put him to sleep with when he was a baby.

"Here, Rai," Jon said soothingly, "Drink this. I'll make the bad dreams stop."

Raiden's eyes narrowed on the cup and, upon seeing the milk inside, swung out his hand and slapped it to the floor. "No milk! No sleep! No! No! No!" He sobbed and buried his face into Richie's chest.

"Shit, what does that mean, no sleep?" Jon looked at Richie as he got down on his haunches before them both, "I'm sorry Rai, I didn't mean to upset you, buddy." He picked up the cup before it spilled too much and placed it behind him.

"Rai...what's wrong with milk?" Richie asked quietly.

"He...he gave me milk," Raiden cried, "And...and I can't move. I got sleepy."

"Was this the other night?" Richie asked.

Raiden shook his head quickly and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "All nights."

Jon swore under his breath, "I'm sorry...no more milk, okay? Never again until you tell us."

"Mookie, can I sleep with you?" Raiden asked. "You can keep the monster away..."

"Of course you can," Richie said as he looked at Jon, "If Uncle Jon doesn't mind?!"

"No at all. Come on, Rai," Jon replied with a soft smile. He led the way back to their bedroom and Raiden climbed into bed between the two men.

He looked up at Jon with a frown. "Uncle Jon? Do bad kids go into the ocean?"

"What?! As in a punishment?" Jon asked, "No, Rai, the ocean is a magical place, not a scary place. We'll go to the aquarium one day and show you. You can see what it's like without getting wet."

"I don't like the ocean," Raiden frowned and laid down, sniffling softly to himself.

"You know what? It does kinda look scary at night time," he said as the three of them settled in Richie's big bed, "but it's just because the light isn't on. Do you know what lights up the ocean?"

"The sky," Raiden answered, curling up in Richie's embrace.

"Hey Mookie," Jon said with an exaggerated look of shock, "when did he get so smart? He's gonna beat Ava at school when he gets bigger."

Richie smiled and kissed Raiden's head. "Gets it from his mom. She was a smart woman."

"Mommy's dead," Raiden's voice took on an empty emotionless tone, "I don't want a new mommy, even if she's pretty."

Jon laid his hand on top of Richie's where it lay on Raiden and said, "I don't think you have to worry about that with us. Would you like it if you stayed with Mookie? And maybe, me too?"

The two waited for an answer, but were met with Raiden looking up at the ceiling, eyes glazed over and his body rigid. "Fuck Sambora...dead bitch...ocean scary...lock the door...little bastard...mommy's burning...fuck Sambora...dead bitch...ocean scary...lock the door...little bastard...mommy's burning..." Raiden repeated in a monotone.

"Jesus Christ," Richie breathed, "Jonny, call the doctor. Now, babe."

"On it," Jon leapt from the bed and grabbed his phone. He dialled the pediatrician they'd used for his kids and rang him and organised for an emergency housecall. Jon explained what was happening to Raiden and the doctor assured Jon he was heading out as soon as possible.

An hour later, the pediatrician arrived with his wife who was a licensed therapist. Raiden had not woken from his trance when they entered the bedroom where Jon was gently stroking his hair.

"Raiden, what's going on buddy?" Dr. Mike greeted, shining a small light into the child's eyes. His pupils dilated.

"Help me...David no...stop...don't hurt me...Raiden go...lock the door...help me...David no...stop...red red red red red red red red..."

"Who's David, bud? Why do you need help? Come on, buddy, I need you to wake up." He listened to Raiden's heartbeat and breathing, tapping his cheeks in an attempt to rouse him.

"God damn that man to all eternity," Richie snarled as he held Raiden close.

Mike's wife pressed record on her phone for further documentation. "When did this start? Has he experienced any trauma recently?" She asked. "Was he hurt by this David? Sexual trauma?"

"David is his biological father," Jon offered knowing Richie was too focused on Raiden to offer anything coherently, "He's been arrested for the murder of Raiden's mother and he kidnapped Raiden. We're not exactly sure what he's been subjected to or what he's witnessed. There was no evidence of," Jon swallowed, "sexual interference."

"Fuck you bitch...listen and obey...red red red...lock the door...little bastard...dead bitch...red red red..." Raiden voice was getting louder.

"He woke earlier from a nightmare. I tried to give him some warm milk but I think David must have used it to drug him." The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Mike and his wife, Carrie, examined Raiden and nodded to each other. "He needs to be sedated. Obvious PTSD. I want to work with Raiden," Carrie stated. "We need to find out what he saw before knowing the path of treatment.

"When?" Richie asked anxiously.

"Tomorrow. 10am. Here's my card with the address. If I'm honest, depending on what he witnessed, it may take months or even years of treatment." She removed a pouch from her handbag and filled a syringe. "Trazodone. If needed, we can prescribe it for daily use."

She emptied the clear liquid into Raiden and slowly the child's eyes fluttered closed. His breathing evened out and he fell into a deep sleep.

"This isn't going to be addictive, is it?" Richie asked.

"No. Perfectly safe for longtime use," Mike replied with a smile.

He lay Raiden down in the middle of his bed and pulled the covers up as Mike packed up his equipment. He sat on the edge of the bed and scrubbed his face with his hands then held one out; it was shaking violently. He desperately wanted a drink to calm him but he felt Jon's eyes on him.

"Do you need anything for that?" Mike asked.

"That fucker's throat in my hands for what he's done," Richie growled.

"Yeah...I don't exactly have a prescription for that, I'm afraid," Mike sympathised.

Jon sat down next to Richie and wrapped an arm around him. "We'll get Rai the help he needs." He kissed his shoulder.

"Well, we'll get out of your hair now," Mike said with a look to Carrie, "He should sleep, dreamlessly, for the rest of the night. Take him to see Carrie tomorrow. That'll be the first step in his recovery. Carrie will be able to prescribe the sedative, should she think it necessary. Goodnight, Richie, Jon. Good to see you again."

Mike and Carrie showed themselves out and Jon locked the house down from a wall panel. "He's sleeping, babe. You need to try as well."

"Fuck, Jonny, that was the scariest shit I've ever lived through," Richie said, "I can't imagine what that poor child has suffered through."

"Do you remember the detective saying Natalie had been raped? Do you think Raiden saw it happen?"

"It sure sounded like it, didn't it? All that red, red, red shit sounded like her calling time out," Richie laid down beside Raiden as Jon turned off the light and climbed into bed on the other side of the little boy.

"What happened to the David we knew?" Jon asked rhetorically.

"He died years ago," Richie answered sadly, cuddling Raiden close and letting the darkness swallow him.

Jon sighed sadly and said, "Maybe it's time." He rolled to his back and linked his fingers over his belly as his mind whirred.

"Time for what?" Richie asked.

"Time for the machine to wind down," Jon said, "Time to put family first instead of work."

"Are you saying..." Richie propped his head up to look at Jon in the moonlight.

"Yeah, I think I am," he replied, "It was never the same without you and now...who knows how long David will be sent to prison for? Besides, I wouldn't want him back after the lives he's ruined. Yeah...I think it's time." He felt at peace with his decision and rolled toward Richie, chuckling when he saw his shocked face.

"Well, fuck me!" Richie said in wonder, falling back onto his pillow.

"We'll get to that, babe," Jon grinned as they both drifted off finally.