Over the next few months, Raiden attended therapy sessions with Carrie and medical exams with Mike who handled his medications. Slowly she was able to extract the full story from the child including David's torture and the rape of his mother.

The nightmares never ceased and he'd wake up to his sheets soaked, screaming and punching his pillow or the air around him.

Always of his father...or his mother calling out to him. There were sweet dreams of the happier times but those were rare. His hypnotherapy sessions helped to bring more of them out.

Jon and Richie made it a point to talk with Raiden and listen, telling him stories about his mom and showing photos of her smiling. They had removed all traces of David to the best of their ability. Only once did Raiden spot him on one of Richie's album awards, which was taken down shortly thereafter.

A service dog was assigned to Raiden and he was trained to recognize any dissociation from reality and anxiety attacks the child would have. The golden labradoodle, Murray, would sleep at the foot of Raiden's bed each night and his trusty companion each day.

With Murray's help and the support of two loving men, the nightmares eased up and became little more than loud swirls of darkness. He no longer saw his mom as the bloodied and burning corpse but as the smiling beauty she was in life.

The news of David's arrest and upcoming trial hit the media like a bomb. His face and Natalie's were plastered in the papers, social media and the evening news.

Raiden would leave the room anytime it came on TV, Murray hot on his heels. Reporters began following them in public, snapping photos of him and forcing Jon to employ his brother, Matt, to be security of Raiden and Murray.

"Uncle Mookie?" Raiden asked him one evening just before bed after being harassed by reporters who grabbed him at the store. Luckily Murray sprung into action and lunged up to push the reporter off. This had given Matt time to pull Raiden into his arms and rush from the store with Richie. Murray caught up with them and leaned against Raiden, giving him a few sweet sniffs and rubbing their heads together. "Why do they call me Raiden Brockman. Why not Raiden Sambora?"

"Brockman was your Mom's name. She was very proud of it too," Richie answered.

"Am I not allowed to be Raiden Sambora?" he frowned, his young mind trying to sort things out.

Richie thought for a moment. "Is that something you would want?"

"Maybe...one day," Raiden said, "If you want me to." He kissed Richie goodnight as Murray curled up beside him and Richie sat with him as he fell asleep.

*~*Two Years Later*~*

Scattered across the carpet showed the nervousness and excitement of packing up a school backpack for the very first time. Shopping bags lay empty and forgotten, supply packaging littered around a blue trash can.

The first day of school was tomorrow and six-year-old Raiden was anxious. His blonde hair was longer and tied back in a ponytail. He glanced around before setting his backpack next to the door. He climbed onto his bed and picked up the black picture frame on the table.

Gone was the photo of his mom and Father. Now it held a photo of just him and his mom, both smiling wide at the camera. Raiden traced a finger over Natalie's smile and sniffled softly.

"I miss you, mama," he whispered. "Mookie and Ava gave me a birthday party today with my friends. We played games and had pizza and cake."

A quiet knock came at the door and Richie stuck his head in. "Whoa, kid! I'd ask if you're ready for tomorrow but judging from your floor, the answer would be obvious."

When his lame joke was met with silence, Richie moved into the room and sat on the edge of Raiden's bed. He studied the little boy's face, so reminiscent of David, yet soft and full of emotion like Natalie.

"I wish Mama could be here," Raiden said, hugging the photo close and rocking side to side. "I really miss her, Mookie."

"I know you do, kid. So do I...every day," Richie replied, sliding back on the mattress and wrapping an arm around the boy. "But you remember what we talked about? Your mama is always with her in here." He tapped above Raiden's heart.

Raiden wiped away his tears and looked up at Richie. "Do you remember when you met her?"

Richie smiled and nodded. "Her smile lit up any room she entered. She was more of the quiet type..."

"Even with him?"

"Especially with," Richie swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, "David." He just couldn't bring himself to say 'your Father'. The memories flooded through his mind of David.

Everything from his arrogant smirk to inflicting pain on Natalie...her laying stiff and cold in the morgue. Or the way she told him at Christmas that they were trying to work things out...her casket being lowered into the ground following her funeral.

He had taken the stand as a witness at David's trial, seeing the man he once called a brother accused of murder. David's icy blue eyes penetrating his soul as he spoke about Natalie. Raiden sat with Jon and shuddered when David smirked at him.

The jury had been unanimous and found David guilty. He was given two life sentences...one for Natalie and one for the unborn baby she had been found to be carrying, kidnapping Raiden, and Natalie's rape. Only two weeks ago, Richie had received news that David was murdered by fellow inmates and Lexi had been arrested for setting it all up with one of the prison guards.

He had, of course, kept this from Raiden. The kid was about to start school and had too much time ahead of him to carry such a burden. This was before a reporter cornered Raiden when they were shopping for school supplies and asked for comment about his Dad being murdered in prison.

Murray barked and got between Raiden and the reporter, pushing his owner towards Richie. They'd kept Raiden out of the public eye after that unless he was heavily guarded.

"Come on down for dinner. Ava's here because," Richie stood and held his hand out, "we have a final surprise for you."

Raiden kissed Natalie's picture and placed it on his bedside table. "But I thought we already celebrated my birthday." He slid off the bed and followed Richie from the room.

"We did but this is just us. You, me, Ava, and Jon," Richie replied with a smile. Down the staircase and through the front lounge, Richie led the boy into the smaller dining room.

Ava was already seated and Jon was bringing in one of Raiden's favorite dishes. The boy sniffed at his Uncle's homemade mac and cheese and sat across from Ava. Richie took the head chair to his left and Jon to his right.

Dinner was a light-hearted time, full of laughter and silly stories, as they recounted their day's activities. Raiden got to eat as much of his favorite dish as he could while the others had grilled chicken and salad, adding a side serve of pasta to their plates.

"That was yummy, Uncle Jon," Raiden said quietly. "Tasted like mama's."

"I'm glad you liked it, squirt," Jon replied and smiled kindly, his blue eyes glistened as he glanced at Richie and nodded. "It was from the recipe book she kept. Mookie was kind enough to let me borrow it."

On prior arrangement, Ava handed her Dad a folded sheet of paper with a flat rectangular box. "Before we get to dessert, I told you there's one more surprise for today," Richie told Raiden who straightened up importantly. "Do you remember asking me about taking my last name?"

"Uh huh," Raiden nodded.

"Do you still feel that way?" Richie asked.

Raiden slid from his chair and walked over to Richie, climbing up into his lap and grinning up at the brunette man. "More than anything!"

Richie smiled and unfolded the sheet of paper. "I wrote something for you. Then you can look in the box," he said and began to read the poem:

You may not have my eyes

You may not look like me

And gazing in the mirror

My genes you can not see

But you will have my name, my son,

And you will have my heart

You will know I love you because

A family's love I will impart

It was love that welcomed you

Into our hearts and home

Now that we're a family, my son,

You'll never be alone

Ava and Jon sniffled quietly, tears staining their cheeks. Richie gave Raiden the box and all three watched with anticipation. The little boy pulled at the gold ribbon and lifted the box lid.

Inside under a thin sheet of wrapping tissue was Raiden's birth certificate and social security card with the name Raiden Alexander Sambora. Underneath was a bundle of papers with Richie's signature.

"What's that say?" The little boy asked and held up the paper bundle.

"Petition for Name Change," Richie read the heading. "When you were born, you mom put my name on the birth certificate rather than...his."

Blue eyes met brown ones and his bottom lip pouted. "So...I'm your son?"

Richie's emotions spilled over at the question. "You are and I know, right now, that your mama is up there smiling down. She would be so proud of you for the strength you've shown in your short six years."

Raiden began crying and flung his arms around Richie's neck, an orphan no longer and sobbed into his shoulder, "I love you Daddy Mookie."

"I love you too, my son," Richie whispered.