Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Randy stood on the porch waiting as Vickie Guerreo, the social worker, walked a tiny, five-year-old boy over. He had short, layered brown hair, and pale skin. "I know you and John just adopted Seth and Bayley almost two years ago, but you guys are doing me a huge solid by taking Cody in. He doesn't have anywhere else to go." "I wouldn't call it a favor," Randy smiled. "It's a responsibility, really. When we got the call, Roman immediately cleaned out the old office and got it set up. He's pretty excited." Vickie laughed and knelt down to the little boy's height. "Cody, this is Mr. Randy, and the other man you will see later today is Mr. Roman. They are your new foster fathers. Can you say hello?" The boy didn't even look glance at Randy, turning his head away slightly. Mrs. Guerreo sighed softly and stood back up. "I'm sorry." Randy waved it off. "Don't be, he's a kid in a new environment. Come in." He held the door further open and let the two inside. Randy noticed the boy grip Vickie's hand quickly. "Roman is currently at work and the kids are at school. They'll be home in a couple hours." Cody remained silent. "Want to see your room? Mrs. Guerreo told Roman and I what you like and things you like to do. We tried to fill it up with stuff like that." Although Cody still refused to look at him, he mumbled a "Thank you," earning grins from both Vickie and Randy.

After showing Cody his racecar themed bedroom, Mrs. Guerrero left, leaving the little boy an anxious wreck. Randy suggested he eat, but he stated his wasn't hungry and prompted for a nap instead. Randy left him to it, not wanting to overwhelm the kid too much. He and Roman don't know the full story of what actually went on behind closed doors, other than minor details, and that the boy's father viciously murdered his wife and their three-month-old daughter in front of Cody, then killed himself, almost a year ago. He hadn't said a word about the event since But really, who could blame him? Randy was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the bell rang. He looked at the time and realized that his two older kids got out school fifteen minutes ago. Thank God their neighbor's 16 year old daughter agreed to pick them up. He excitedly answered the door, waving at his neighbor right before stumbling back as his giggling seven-year-old daughter tackled his waist with a hug. "Well hello to you too, Bayley," He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her cheek before pulling nine-year-old Seth inside, ruffling his hair. "How was school today kiddo?" "Good Dad." Seth gave him a smile. "I got a hundred on my States Capitals quiz." "See, I told you studying instead of video games was a better idea." Seth laughed and followed his father and little sister into the kitchen. "Yeah I guess so. I'm going to thank Papa when he gets home." "Daddy!" Bayley suddenly piped up, her hair shielding the left side of her face. "Is the new kid here?" "Yes, he is baby girl. Which reminds me, you need to be quiet. He's sleeping." "He's a baby?" Seth asked, shocked. "You and Papa said he was almost six." "He is Seth, but he was tired, so he decided to sleep for a bit." "Ohhh, okay Daddy. I'll be really quiet then." Randy smiled. "Thank you. You guys get a snack before homework." Both kids groaned as Randy smirked, walking out the kitchen.

Cody quietly ran back to his room after hearing footsteps walking up the stairs. He quickly climbed back into bed, scared at what he might happen if he caught him eavesdropping. His little body tensed when he saw the man pop his head in. But he didn't look angry. Not at all. "Hey Lil man, you okay?" Cody nodded wearily. "Seth and Bayley are home now, want to come down and meet them?" His eyes flickered fearfully, but he slowly got up anyway. He instantly grabbed Randy's hand as they descended down the stairs. They stopped at the bottom. "Seth, Bayley, come here really quick!" Cody eyes widened when he heard fast approaching footsteps, shifting himself behind Randy's leg. The first person he saw was a girl; dark brown hair stopping in the middle of her back and dark brown eyes. The boy had dark brown, almost black hair that stopped a bit below his ears, and light brown eyes. Vickie had told him that Seth and Bayley had been adopted from different families, but they looked like real siblings to him. "Cody," Randy knelt down, gently placing Cody himself in front of him. "This is Bayley and Seth. Kids, this is Cody." Bayley beamed at him, and much to his surprise, pulled him into a tight hug. For a seven-year-old, she sure was strong. "Hiii!" She giggled, pulling back from a flustered Cody. "I'm Bayley, and this is Sethie, my big brother." Seth puffed his chest out proudly. "That's right, and I'm your older brother too; since you're going to be living with us now." Cody just gave them a blank look. Randy stood up, dusting off his jeans. "Well, I have to make a phone call really quick. I'll be right back okay? Go with Seth and Bayley to get a snack." He gently nudged the little boy toward his kids and walked off. Not even several seconds later did he feel him wrap his arms around his thigh. Terrified, greenish, gray, wide eyes stared back up at him. "Stay please." "It’s okay buddy, I won't be long." "Stay, with Sethie and Bayley too? Please?" Bayley looked on in confusion, so Seth decided to take the lead. He grabbed Cody's small hand, tugging him toward the kitchen. "Dad will be right back. Let's go get a snack instead, yeah?" A deep frown formed on the younger boy's face. "But I go with." "Daddy has adult stuff to do," Bayley added. "And it's really boring. You'll fall asleep!" Seth and Bayley continued talking, and were eventually able to pull Cody into the kitchen without incident. Randy smiled and laughed softly. I have the best kids. 

After homework, the kids sat in the family watching cartoons while Randy started dinner. Seth and Bayley were trying to get Cody to talk more, but to no avail. He was a closed off little individual, something that Randy knew he and Roman would need to work on. The front door opened and Bayley's loud "PAPA," rang through the house, causing Randy to almost drop a knife. He sighed and wiped his hands. That girl's energy is something else. Putting the dishtowel down, he ventured out to the foyer, smiling as he found Bayley and Seth both excitedly telling Roman about their day at the same time. Only…Cody wasn't there. He rounded the corner to find the boy frozen in his spot. When Randy came into view, he instantly stood up and ran over to him, hands lifted in the air. "Hold me please." Shocked a little by the request, Randy lifted the boy onto his hip anyway. "What's wrong?" Cody's little face looked absolutely panicked. "Scared. He no like me." "Oh nonsense, he'll love you." The boy only shook his head and pressed his face against the older man's shoulder. Randy walked back to the foyer, then the kitchen, finding Seth showing his Papa his states and capitals quiz. "Hey babe." The Samoan man looked up, smiling. "Hey yourself. Is this Cody?" "Sure is. Cody, this is Roman, your other Foster Father, can you say hi?" The little boy only stared at him with wide eyes. Randy sighed softly. "Don't worry, he'll warm up to you soon." Roman only shrugged. He understood, since both Seth and Bayley came from broken homes before being adopted by the couple. "Hey, how about you guys go back to watching cartons while Papa and I talk?" "Okay, come on Cody!" Bayley chirped as she ran back to watch TV. Seth waited for Cody, who Randy had put back on the floor. He wearily looked at Roman on last time before taking Seth's outstretched hand. "He's nervous." "I could tell," Roman said, sliding his blazer off. "But after what his biological father did to not only him, but the rest of his family, who wouldn't be?" He leaned over and gave Randy a peck on the lips. "So other than that, how was your day?" "Really low-key. Vickie brought Cody over around noon, he napped, and I worked on a new website design for that clothing store by the mall. Then the kids came home and kept Cody busy while I set up his doctor's appointment. And speaking of that, I have a meeting tomorrow. Do you think you can take him?" "To the doctor's? The kid doesn't like me." "Oh, he will. He was the same exact way when he met me. At least he looked at you." Roman laughed, stroking Randy's arms softly. "I'll take him. I'll also bathe and put him to bed tonight, just so he'll get used to me." "Good idea. Now go change. You look like you're dying to get out of that tie." "You got that right." Roman gave Randy a kiss on a cheek before going upstairs.

At dinner, while everyone talked about the highlights of their day, Randy noticed that Cody only took two bites of his spaghetti, and tiny sip of apple juice before quietly announcing he was finished. Roman matched his concerned frown, averting his eyes to the little boy. "Kiddo, you need to eat more," the Samoan man said. "Not hungry," Cody declared quickly. "You might not be hungry now, but you'll be hungry later when you're asleep. And that's not good." "Not hungry," The boy repeated, clenching his jaw as his face became flushed. Bayley looked at him confused. "Cody, you need to eat. Take two more bites of that spaghetti then you can leave," Randy spoke after seeing Roman was about to back down. "NO!" All of a sudden, Cody's food and plate was all over the dining room floor, along with his juice that he had decided to pour on top of it. He kicked over his chair, before picking up the juice covered spaghetti with his bare hands and threw it straight at Randy, the sticky mess hitting him square in the chest. Seth and Bayley sat in their seats shocked, along with Randy. What the hell?  Roman stood up and grabbed Cody's arm gently, but firmly before he could run upstairs. "Let me go!" "Cody-" "Let me GO!" Roman didn't, watching the boy struggle before he eventually broke down into a sobbing mess. "Cody…" He sighed, kneeling to his height. "What's the matter?" "I'm sorry!" He sobbed. "I'm sorry! I be a good boy, I promise!" Roman just pulled him into a hug as he continued to bawl his eyes out. What the hell happened to this boy? 

An hour and a half later, after getting past the shock of what happened at dinner, and Cody helping Randy clean up his mess, the kids were bathed and put to bed, but not before Cody gave another tearful apology to not only Roman, but Randy also. "He has a control issue," Roman stated, turning over in bed and pulling Randy closer to his body. "How do you know that?" "Well, when we first fostered Seth when he was four, he threw a tantrum every time we didn't listen to him." "Yeah but four- year-olds get upset all the time." "Not the way Seth did, remember? We weren't LISTENING to what he had to say, and he would get pissed off. Cody did the same today. For a kid who was constantly starved by his own Father, he doesn't eat much, because he's used to not eating for days anyway. We tried to force him to eat even after he told us twice, he wasn't hungry anymore. See what I mean?" "I guess…so, like we did with Seth, we should give him more control over what he wants?" "Yeah, like if he wanted a snack of some sort, we let him choose. Or an outfit for the day. Just little things like that can help with not only his anxiety, but his control issue, too." Randy nodded, closing his eyes and yawning. "That makes sense." Roman leaned over and pecked Randy's lips. "Goodnight Randy." "Goodnight babe."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Roman woke up to a quiet house and an empty bed. Hm, he must have taken the kids to school too. He slowly got up, did his business in the bathroom then made his way downstairs. Passing the living room, he noticed that the TV was on, and little Cody was sitting on the floor in front of it. "Cody?" The little boy whipped his head around. "H-hi Mr. Roman," he whispered. The older man only smiled. This kid is a nervous wreck. "You hungry?" Cody seemed to think about it before nodding, standing up and following Roman to the kitchen. Roman started to pull out some Lucky Charms for the little boy when he remembered his conversation with Randy last night. "What do you feel like eating for breakfast today?" He asked, lifting Cody onto the island counter. He received a blank stare back. "You can have some cereal, or fruit, or I can make eggs. We have pop tarts and bagels too" "Apples please?" "Sure thing. How about we add toast to eat too, and some juice, yeah?" Cody nodded and began swinging his legs back and forth as he watched Roman work. A couple minutes later, he was sat on a stool and served his breakfast; three apple slices, toast with raspberry jam and orange juice. He whispered his thanks before quietly digging in. Roman poured himself some coffee and like Cody, decided to eat some toast and apples too. "You have to see a doctor today." The five-year-old looked at him confused. "But not sick?" "I know, but it's required for you to go to school." "I not like school," Cody spat, shoving an apple slice in his mouth. "School isn't too bad. Seth and Bayley love it. I loved it when I was growing up too." Cody only gave him a glare, making him sigh softly. This is going to be a long day.

An hour and a half later, Roman found Cody and himself at the doctor's office. Luckily, Randy had made the appointment with Seth and Bayley's pediatrician, so he didn't have to worry about dealing with some else. "Cody Runnels?" A nurse said, looking around the waiting room. "That's us lil dude, come on." The five-year-old sighed and reluctantly stood up, quickly grabbing his hand as he followed him. They were settled into a room with Disney and Pixar characters plastered on the wall. "The doctor will be right with you," the nurse said, smiling before leaving. Cody shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he waited for the doctor to arrive. Roman lifted him onto his lap, kissing his temple softly. "Relax, it's going to be okay. The doctor just wants to make sure you're healthy enough to go to school." "But I not sick" "You may not be sick now, but you could get sick later. And she doesn't want that to happen." Several moments, a woman with the brightest orange hair Cody has EVER seen walked in holding clip board and a huge smile. "Hello Roman, it's nice to see you again." "You too. I brought someone new today." "I saw. I also got an email from Vickie to verify." Kneeling down in front of Roman, she offered Cody her hand. "Hello little one, I'm Dr. Lynch, but you can call me Ms. Becky if you'd like. I'm going to be giving you your checkup today." "You talk funny." "That I do," the doctor replied, taking his small hand and lifting the little boy onto the exam table. "I'm from Ireland. Do you know where that is?" Cody shook his head no. "Well, when you get home, ask Mr. Roman over there to show you. It's very far away." Becky wiggled her eyebrows, trying to gain a smile out of him, or even a laugh. All she received was a confused frown and silence. After checking over the papers Roman filled out, Dr. Lynch started the checkup, starting with Cody's weight, height, blood pressure, and everything else that takes place with a typical doctor's visit. Everything was fine until after. "So, it seems that Cody is only less than two inches below the average height for a five year old, which will be fine. But weight wise, he should be between 37.5 to 44.7 pounds for his age…he's barley hitting 30. Lil guy is going to have to eat more." Becky typed something on her computer before turning in her desk chair. "He's also missing his third dose of IPV, so that will have to be done today. He should actually be on his fourth, but I can't do both at the same time." Roman breathed in sharply, startling Cody who was back on his lap. "Yeah okay…okay we can do that." "Alright, I'll be back." Becky left the room in search of supplies. "We go now?" "No not yet buddy, she just has to do one more thing." A couple minutes later, Dr. Lynch returned. "Let me just get this set up so we can get this over with. Shouldn't even take two minutes." Cody watched as she got the stuff ready, but when he saw the needle, he hopped off Roman lap and made a run for the door. "No! No shots! I not like shots!" Roman quickly grabbed him before he could run out the room and sat back down, holding the boy tight against his chest. "Shhh, its okay, it'll be okay." "Noooo," Cody whined tearfully. "No needles." "Remember when I said that you might not be sick now, but you could get sick later? Dr. Lynch is going to make sure that you stay healthy for a long time." Cody sniffed and repeated in a whisper, "No needles," over and over again. "Sorry to interrupt but because of his weight, this has to be given in his thigh." Roman sighed but nodded, shifting against Cody's kicking legs until he was finally able to get the boy's pants down halfway. When the shot was given, the older man had to refrain from flinching from how loud Cody's wail was, but even then, the boy stayed still. "Good job!" Becky praised, cleaning the tiny drop of blood and putting a Toy Story band aid over it. "We're all done now. And since you were such a good boy, I'll let you pick out a lolli AND a toy. You get two things today! How's that sound?" Cody only turned his body and pressed his face against Roman's chest, sniffling softly. Becky chuckled at Roman's apologetic frown and stood up, getting a jar of suckers and a plastic treasure chest full of small toys out of her cabinet. "I have to go get his updated medical records that I printed for you, so I'll be back. When he is ready, he can pick out what he wants." Roman sat Cody up once Becky left the room, pulling his jeans back up then wiping his tears away with the pad of his thumbs. "See, that wasn't so bad." Cody merely shrugged, wiping his own eyes, then sliding off the Samoan's lap. "Wanna leave." "When Dr. Lynch gets back, we can." "No more needles." "Not anymore kiddo, you already got the one you needed today." Becky came back with the papers and by then, Cody had picked out a cherry sucker and a tiny blue pull-back race car. "Alright, you guys are free to go. I'll be seeing you or Randy in two weeks for Seth's physical, right?" "Yes," Roman answered, lifting Cody into his arms who immediately laid his head on his shoulder. "Wednesday, March 15 at 11:30am, I remember." "Bye-bye," Cody whispered as he was carried out of the room.

Arriving home, Roman found himself venturing to his office to call Vickie after making Cody a lunch of mac and cheese. He needed some answers. "Roman? Why are you calling? Did something happen?" He chuckled at how panicked she sounded. "No, no nothing happened. I just…. I just need to ask you a couple questions." Roman could feel Vickie's glare through the phone. "My God, a text would have been nice first, you scared me." "Sorry, there's just small things about Cody that I've noticed, and I just wanted to know how Randy and I can help fix them." "Alright, but I don't have long." "That's fine, I'll make it quick." Roman sighed and sat down, rolling his shoulders. "Well last night at dinner, Cody didn't eat much, like at all, and when Randy and I told him he needed to eat more, he totally lost it. It wasn't like a tantrum any other five-year-old  would have. He had so much anger and then he cried, like he was scared we would hurt him, or send him away. I came to the conclusion that he had a control issue, but I just wanted to make sure." Vickie was silent for a few moments. "You're right about that. He had no control over anything that happened in his life thus far. His father abusing him, his mom and baby sister being killed by said father who also committed suicide in front of him, then being taken away by paramedics. The neighbors had called the police after hearing gunshots. The police said they found him in his parent's bedroom room, laying on his mom's stomach while holding his sister. He was in shock, and when he finally snapped out of it at the hospital, he just…he had a meltdown. He didn't remember being taken away; which was out of his control. He has never made a single decision in his life." Roman closed his eyes as he squeezed his eyes tightly, willing himself to calm his temper down. What kind of bastard hurts their own family like that? "Roman? You still there?" "Yeah, yeah! I'm still here just…calming down. That son of a bitch should be lucky he's dead already, because I would be in jail for murder." "That's makes two of us," Vickie sneered. "So, what was your next question?" "Oh uh…it's about Cody speech; well, sentence structure I should say. He…doesn’t speak like a five-year-old. Like, his language is kind of limited, I think. Do you know why?" "Actually no," Vickie sighed. "When I finally got him to talk, that's how he spoke to. He told me his father didn't like him or his mother talking much, so Cody never actually got to hear new words, other than swear words. School wasn't a good option either. Since his father didn't like him speaking, he doesn't know how to read much. I'd say, expand his vocabulary and have him read some books to you and Randy. That should help, I hope." "I do too. Thanks Vickie, that eased my mind a bit." "No problem, I'm here whenever you need me. I have to go now though; my boss is giving me the stink eye." Both said their goodbyes before hanging up. Roman groaned and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't get the image out of his head of a tiny brown haired, old boy cradling his dead three-month-old   baby sister in his arms while laying against his equally deceased mother. He just didn't understand. How evil do you have to be?

Cody didn't bat an eye when Mr. Roman said he'll be right back because he had to make a phone call. But "right back," soon turned into twenty minutes. Not that he had any sense of time but still, twenty minutes is a long time for a nervous five-year-old. He started to panic a little when he realized that he couldn't even hear the Samoan man in the house anywhere. He left. He left cause I was a bad boy at dinner. He no like me no more. He quickly climbed down from the stool and started searching every room for the older man. His breathing started to speed up as fat tears ran down his face. Daddy taked Mommy and sissy away cause I was bad then he left too. Mr. Roman no want me no more. Cody ran around the corner only to bump into some legs, falling back onto his bum. "Cody?" The little boy let out a choked sob before lifting his arms, wanting to be held. Still here! He no leave me! Cody hugged Roman tightly around his neck, relief flooding through his system. He still like me. 

Chapter Text

"DADDY!" Randy let out an "oof" when seven-year-old Bayley all but ran straight into his gut, clearly excited to see him. "Hey Bay," He chuckled, kneeling down and hugging her back. "How was your day?" "Really good! It's Sasha's birthday on Sunday but we celebrated today because her Mommy brought us cupcakes! It was chocolate with rainbow sprinkles and tasted soooooo good!" Well, that explains her energy.Thank God it's Friday. Randy stood back up as Bayley continued to ramble on about her day. He searched over the sea of kids, looking for his oldest son. Seconds later he found him, and boy, did he look upset. The nine-year-old quickly walked over and hugged the older man. "Seth? You okay?" Seth merely nodded then mumbled, "I think Dean is in trouble." "Dean Ambrose? Your friend Dean?" "Yeah, I…can we talk at home? With Papa too?" "Sure, come on." He kissed his hair before grabbing both his and Bayley hands, who was completely oblivious to the tense situation. I wonder what's wrong with Dean.

The ride home was silent, Bayley completely out of things to talk about, (that's a first) and Seth just being lost in his own world. Randy was a little bit nervous for Seth's friend Dean. He like the fellow ten-year-old ever since they two met in pre-school. He and Seth had been best friends ever since then. Although now that he thought about it, in the last year, Dean has been coming to their house more often than Seth to his. Still, he didn't care. He liked Dean a lot and the thought of him being in danger was making him anxious. Arriving home, Randy helped Bayley out of the car as Seth got his bag and walked straight into the house. Bayley frowned and looked up at her father. "Daddy? What's wrong with Sethie?" "He's worried about one of his friends sweetheart. Remember Dean?" "I love Deanie!" Bayley chirped, skipping in front of Randy into the house. "Wait, what's wrong with Dean?" "I don't know yet. Seth is going to tell Papa and I later," he explained. Randy laughed softly when he walked into the living room to find Roman asleep on the couch with Cody next to him, who was wide awake and watching SpongeBob on the TV. Seth was nowhere to be found. "Hi Cody!" Bayley skipped over to the younger boy and gave him a hug. Cody just sat there until she pulled back. "Hi Bayley," he whispered. "Hi Mr. Randy.” “How was your day little man?" Cody shrugged and went back to watching TV with Bayley, who decided to sit on the floor nearby. Chuckling, Randy shook Roman's shoulder, dodging the fist that came his way. "We're home old man, get up." Roman mumbled some obscenities but stood up anyway, stretching and giving Randy a kiss. "How was your day?" "Long. I almost didn't make it to the school to get the kids on time. How was yours? How was the doctor's appointment?" Roman sighed, running her fingers through his curly hair. "I'll tell you about it later. But right now, I want a hug from my little girl. Where is she?" Bayley giggled and stood up, standing on the arm rest of the couch to wrap her arms around his neck. "Hi Papa." "Hi munchkin. How was your day?" Randy took that as a cue to excuse herself since she began reciting the same story from earlier. Freeing his tie from his shirt, he went upstairs and peeked into Seth's room, finding the nine-year-old lazily driving his RC car into a wall. "Seth? Did you want to talk now?" "Is Papa awake?" "Yes, he's talking to Bayley right now. I'll meet you guys downstairs okay?" Seth nodded and stood up. Randy ruffled his hair before quickly going to his room to change, then going back downstairs. He saw Bayley talking Cody's head off while they both quietly played with Legos, the TV now one another kid's show. He searched downstairs until find Roman in his office…with Seth crying his arms. Both men hadn't seen Seth actually cry since he was about seven years old, and even then, it had been out of pain because he broke his arm. Now though, it was a different type of pain. Randy pulled up another chair and sat next to Roman where Seth was standing between his legs, leaned over and sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed his back and sadly watched as he just let it all out. He frowned, wondering how long Seth had been holding all this in. The nine-year-old eventually lifted his head from Roman's shoulder, his eyes bloodshot and puffy. "I'm sorry. I didn't…" "Don't be," Roman said softly, brushing the long locks that threatened to cover Seth's big brown eyes. "It's okay to cry sometimes baby boy, we're all human. Whenever you're ready, you can tell us what's wrong." Seth took a deep shaky breath and nodded. "Well um, the past few weeks, Dean has been coming to school with bruises. Today he came to school with a black eye. It…it looked really bad. I asked how he got it and he said he ran into a door. And then, when I asked him if he was happy it was Friday, he said no, that he didn't want to go home." Seth willed himself not to cry again. "I think his Mom is hurting him. He's scared to go home." He wiped his eyes and scratched his elbow. "I want to help him, but I don't know how. I want to help him like how you guys helped me and Bayley, and now Cody, but I don't know what to do!" Seth stomped his foot like a frustrated toddler. "He's my best friend and I just want him safe." Randy pulled Seth into his arms this time, hugging him tightly. "We'll look into it ok ay? We'll see what's going on and see if we can get him out of there." Randy kissed his forehead and smiled at him. "I'm so, so proud of you baby boy. You're so strong and I'm so happy you decided to tell us this. You're doing the right thing wanting to help Dean. We'll talk to Vickie and see what can be done. Seth closed his eyes as Roman leaned over, pressing his forehead against his own. "We love you okay? We're going to fix this."

Meanwhile, back in the common area, Cody found himself becoming irritated with Bayley. Now, he did agree that he would help her build a castle with her Legos for her Disney figurines, but that didn't mean he appreciated how she was bossing him around. "No no Cody, like this. The red one goes here, see?" Bayley stressed, deciding to just take the part from him, with the intent of showing him where to put that specific piece. Cody huffed and stood up, annoyed. "No like this." "Awe Cody please? If I do this by myself it'll take forever!" "Sethie help you?" "He's talking to Daddy and Papa. He was sad at school today?" Sethie sad? Cody gave her a frown and sat back down, picking up the Legos. "Why Sethie sad?" "Something about his friend Dean. I think something might be wrong with him. I hope not, I like Deanie." Cody couldn't focus the rest of the time he helped Bayley once again build that castle. He didn't even mind the little girl telling him what to do, he just tried to figure why his oldest foster brother was upset today. Sethie sad?

One o'clock in the morning rolled along and Cody found himself parked outside Seth's bedroom door, contemplating if he should go in or just go back to bed himself. Cody had watched the older boy throughout the rest of the day and Bayley was right, he was sad. He tried not to be, but his body language was a dead giveaway. Cody had only been around his new foster family for a day, but since he didn't really talk much, he opted for observing certain behaviors from each individual. Bayley for example, was extremely energetic, always smiling and absolutely LOVED hugs. She also hated when her hair covered her face but refused to get a haircut when mentioned. Seth loved both his fathers equally but looked up to his Papa the most. He wanted to grow his hair out just like him and tried to imitate being a protector, which Cody noticed he revealed whenever Bayley was around him. He loved his little sister. Randy was the brains in the family. Roman may be the lawyer and Randy only a web designer, but he's quick to come up with solutions to small problems and had the softest heart out of the two men. Roman is the protector, and not because of his bulky arms, but because he loves his family and will literally do everything to protect them. Like when Randy was cooking dinner the night before, he turned away from boiling water for barley ten seconds; Bayley had climbed onto the counter next to it to get some cookies in the cabinet above. She couldn't reach and when she finally did get the box, she dropped it in the hot water. Luckily, Roman was there to pull her away before it could splash on her. It got on him, burning his foot and parts of his leg. The five-year-old watched from afar as Roman, Randy and Seth tried to console a crying Bayley, while also receiving a lecture. This family was perfect for each other. Cody sighed and finally pushed Seth's door open. "Seth?" No answer. He walked further into the room. "Sethie?" "Cody?" Seth turned over and sat up, trying to adjust his eyes in the darkness. "Why are you in here? You should go back to bed." "Are you sad?" "Huh?" "You sad Sethie?" "Who told you that?" "Bayley," Cody responded, ignoring Seth's protest and climbing onto his full-size bed anyway. "No be sad," he mumbled, then hugged the older boy. Seth sat there shocked, then slowly hugged him back. Moments later, he pulled away. "Still sad?" Seth smiled and shook his head. "Not anymore, thanks to you. I needed that." Seth laid them both down and pulled his cover over their bodies. "Sleep here?" "I want you to sleep in here, so I don't get sad again." Silence. "Goodnight Cody." "Goodnight Sethie."

Chapter Text

"Roman, stop touching me." "I'm not touching you." "You are too. Get your hand off my face." Roman grunted and sat up, barley catching the giggling and little footsteps drifting out of the room. Bayley. Of course. "I told you," Randy mumbled, rolling back over with the intent of falling back asleep. "Yeah, yeah whatever. What do you want for breakfast asshole?" "Can…wait what? Why am I an asshole?" Roman snickered and stretched. "You just are." "Really? You weren't saying that last night when I was sucking your-" "Shh! Jesus Randy, can you be any louder?" Roman's face turned a deep shade of red as his husband continued to laugh. "We have little innocent ears, watch your mouth." "Let's be honest here, we both have let a couple words slip. You have, and I know I have, especially in front of Bayley. And Seth? He's in the fourth grade, there's no way the other kids in his class haven't started swearing yet. He's going to hear it whether we like it or not, and there's nothing we can do about it." "While that is true, I don't want our nine-year-old going around saying 'suck my dick' because he heard his Daddy say it." "Well technically, I never actually said that because you stopped me, remember? You on the other hand, just said it. So…if our precious son goes around saying that, it's on you." Realization crossed Roman's face and he sighed, then shook his head, smiling. "You're right. But you're still an asshole." "Oh! And another thing!" Randy piped up, stumbling out of bed to follow Roman into the bathroom. "How are you going to say 'we have innocent ears, watch your mouth' when you just called me an asshole not only once, but twice? There is some irony in this situation." "Can I pee in peace please?" "You act like I haven't seen it before." "Yeah but like…I need to pee. And I like my privacy. So, leave." "Fine grumpy pants, but only if you give me a kiss first." Roman smirked when Randy leaned forward, only to be nudged back. "Hey, what gives?" "You have morning breath…and I have dick breath. I'm pretty sure you remember what was in my mouth last night. I don't cruise that way Sir, since it is your fault." Randy stared at his husband then scoffed, turning and walking out of the bathroom, mumbling "And you called me an asshole."

"Daddy, Daddy, I'm hungry, can you make some pancakes please?" "Of course, baby girl. What kind do you want?" "Hmm…oh! Chocolate chip-blueberry!" "Bayley, inside voices please. Seth and Cody are still asleep." "Sorry Daddy." "It's fine. How about you color a new picture for me while I make breakfast?" She giggled. "Okie dookie Mr. Daddy Sir. What do you want me to color? Or draw?" "Anything you want. I'll love it either way." "Okay! I'll be back." Bayley hopped off the stool and made a mad dash toward the playroom where her art supplies were stored. "She is such a Daddy's girl," Roman said, hugging Randy from behind. "Hey, she loves you just as much." "I know, just like Seth loves us both equally but he's a Papa's boy." "Damn right he is." They pecked each other's lips then both began to work on breakfast. Bayley eventually came back in with a coloring book and markers, Seth venturing in behind. "Cody came and slept in my room last night," was the first thing he said instead the typical 'Good morning.' "Why did he do that?" Roman asked, kissing the boy's bed head. "Bayley told him I was sad, so he wanted to cheer me up." "Are you still sad Sethie?" Bayley ran up and hugged her older brother. "Not anymore Bayley, you and Cody have made me feel better now." Randy nudged Roman, causing him to smirk and whisper, "We have the best kids."

Roman had just plated several pancakes on the island when little Cody slowly made his way into the kitchen, lazily waving at him before going over to Randy, raising his arms. "Hold me please?" Randy blinked in confusion then nodded, lifting the boy into his arms. "You okay?" Cody nodded, sticking his pinky into his mouth and laying his head on Randy's shoulder. The older man sat on a stool while Roman called Seth and Bayley to come eat. "Good Morning Cody!" Bayley chirped, sitting next to Randy. The five-year-old mumbled a greeting to her and Seth who walked by, ruffling his hair. "Thank you for making me feel better last night Cody." The five-year-old patted his head, causing Seth to smile. Roman served Seth and Bayley their pancakes, laughing at how fast they began to dig in. "Do you want some pancakes for breakfast?" Randy whispered to Cody, rubbing his back. "Or do you want something else to eat?" "Pancakes please," he mumbled around his finger. "Alright, let's sit up and eat yeah?" Randy moved Cody to his own seat and Roman cut up a pancake before giving it to him. Unlike his older foster siblings, Cody didn't shovel it down his throat, much to Randy and Roman's relief. "Papa can we go to the park today? I want to practice out field for baseball season." "Ooh, can we Papa? Daddy? Please? I want to play on the swings! I haven't done that in like…forever!" "Park?" Cody asked Roman quietly while Seth and Bayley continued to talk about that they wanted to do. "Yeah, they want to go to the park. You want to go?" Cody stared at him blankly then turned away, nodding. "Get dressed?" "Not now, we're leaving later okay?" "YES! We're going to the park today!" Bayley cheered, hopping over her stool and happily dancing around the island. Seth groaned and shook his head. "Bay, please stop. Your dancing is embarrassing!" "Is not!" "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is-" "Kids, stop arguing." "But Daddy he started it!" Bayley pouted, looking at Randy. He shook his head. "No pouting. And Seth, don't say stuff like that to your sister. You need to apologize." "But I was only joking!" "Seth," Roman said firmly. "Listen to your Dad." The nine-year-old sighed softly and turned toward his sister. "Sorry." Bayley grinned and hugged him. "S'okay Sethie. Just don't say it again." Randy laughed softly at the exchange. "Alright you two, I want you guys to put your dishes in the sink and do your chores before we go. Remember the trash this time Seth." "I will, I will," Seth mumbled as he and Bayley put their plate and fork away before racing each other upstairs. "I got the dishes," Roman said; Randy nodded. "I got the living and dining room." Roman and Cody were left alone in the kitchen. Feeling the need to help, Cody climbed down from the stool and stood on his toes to get his plate from the island. I help. I help Mr. Roman clean up. He finally was able to get his plate close enough to the edge to pull down, but when he did, it tipped, causing the syrup to rush and drip straight onto his head. Freaking out, he let go, sending the syrup covered plate to the floor. Roman quickly turned around when he heard the sound of the plate shattering. "Cody?" He rounded the corner slowly and there stood the little boy, syrup in his hair and a terrified look plastered on his face. The plate lay broken on the floor in a sticky mess. "I'm sorry!" Cody blurted out. "I just help, I no mean to break it, I promise," he added fearfully. Roman's heart broke a little. The fact that this five-year-old apologized for an accident and still looked petrified completely blew his mind. "It's okay," he cooed, carefully stepping around the mess and scooping the boy up, setting him on the counter. He ignored the flinch Cody did when he came close. "I'm not mad. It was an accident, and accidents happen right?" He still had a deep, terrified frown on his face, so Roman patted his knee and offered him a smile. "I'm going to clean this up, you stay here. I don't want you cutting your feet." "But you get hurt?" "I'll be careful kiddo." Cody stayed on the counter and watched Roman clean up his mess, then the rest of the kitchen. "Alright lil man, let's go give you a bath before we go to the park; you have syrup in your hair."

Randy enjoyed going to the park before 10am because there was usually no one there, or very few. Today, it was just his little family alone. It wasn't too cold out, this morning, all they really needed was a light jacket, which Seth was happy about. Over in the open field, Roman was coaching Seth through some ground moves for baseball. Bayley was currently swinging by herself, because "I learned how to push myself Daddy, I don't need help anymore." Randy's heart clenched in his chest when she said that. She's growing up so fast. And in front of him, about ten feet away or so sat little Cody in the sand part of the playground. He had brought Seth's old Tonka truck and was filling it with sand, rocks, and other debris. He didn't seem to have a goal at all and in Randy's mind, he actually looked quite bored. Standing up, the older man walked over to him, squatting down. "You okay?" Cody shrugged, ignoring him. Randy watched him quietly play in the sand for a couple more minutes before speaking again. "Cody, you can talk to us if you want. If something is bothering you, you can tell us." "No wanna talk," the little boy snapped, his face twisting into a frown. Randy raised his eyebrows at this. Why does he get so upset so quickly? "Cody-" "Go away," Cody whined, turning his back to Randy. The older man sighed softly, understanding that Cody wasn’t ready to talk yet. Makes since. Its basically only the second day. “Okay kiddo, I’ll leave you alone. But you can always come talk to me or Roman if something is bothering you, I promise you that.” And Randy left, going back to the bench he was sitting on before and watching him from afar. But Cody was confused. Usually, his other foster parents would push and push to get him to talk about his feelings until he got frustrated and would lash out or cry. When that happened, they got annoyed and locked him in his room. So, for Randy to just understand that Cody didn’t want to talk? That’s new to him.

------------------------------

Roman carried Cody as he watched his husband follow Seth and Bayley around the toy section in Target. Randy had told him about Cody's small meltdown at the park earlier and he was just as confused at why it happened too. Vickie said she doesn't know any of his triggers because he'll be fine one minute then upset the next. Along with the Dean situation, the men wanted to fix it. "Cody, do you want to pick out a toy like Seth and Bayley?" Roman asked. Cody, who had his chin propped up on the older man's shoulder, shrugged, turning his head toward the shelves and looking around. Roman set him on the floor and followed him around until they got to the board game aisle, stopping at the puzzles. "You want one?" Cody nodded, pointing at a 48-piece solar system puzzle. "That one please?" "Of course, lil man. You can pick out more if you want." Ten minutes of contemplating later, Cody decided on two more puzzles, another 48-piece Land of the Dinosaurs one and jumbo 100-piece Rainforest one. They met up with the rest of the family in the book section, which is where Bayley was currently browsing. Seth smiled at Roman and Cody. "Papa look, I got a Roller-coaster building kit. I can build five different coasters or design my own. This was the last one on the shelf." "Man, you guys get all the cool toys. Where was this when I was younger?" "That's what I said!" Randy laughed from down the aisle. Cody held the one puzzle he had close to his chest and leaned against Roman's leg. Bayley decided on a How-to-Draw book and a sketch pad, then the family paid. Cody was asleep when they got home so Randy carried him this time, smiling softly as Seth, Bayley ran inside, Randy right behind them. As he walked upstairs and laid Cody in his racecar bed, his mind went back to earlier at the park. What was going through the boy's head? Thinking back to dinner a few days prior, he understood why he got upset then. But today, he hadn't asked or told him to do anything. Maybe he doesn't like talking about his feelings at all. Roman said he had been quieter than usually ever since he dropped his plate after breakfast this morning. I have some research to do.

"D-daddy, I sorry!" "Oh yeah? You're gonna be. What are you, fucking stupid? I told you to clean up, what the hell did you do?" "I-I no mean-" Cody cried out as he was struck across the face, stumbling to the ground as his nose bled immediately. "Why can’t you speak normally?! Jesus Christ you're four years old and speak like you're two!" "Honey, please leave him alone, he's only a baby." The man turned toward his wife, stomping over to her and yanking her hair, smirking at the painful yelp that slipped out. "Shut up bitch, this is about our bastard son, so stay out of it." "But he's just a baby,”  she tearfully repeated. The man grunted and shoved her to the ground. "He may cry like one but he's not. The only baby in the house is in the other room, who I'm pretty sure isn't even mine." "She-" "Fuck off with your lies!" The man walked over to Cody and seized his arm, dragging him over to his Mother. "Alright, if you don't want a beating, you will listen to what I tell you to do." He gripped Cody's jaw tightly. "Call her a bitch." The boy's eye widened, instantly shaking his head no. "You said you didn't want s beating right? Do it!" Cody started to cry, still refusing. "Fine then you big baby, I'll hurt your mom instead." The man threw Cody out of the room and locked the door. The screams of his Mother could be heard straightaway, loud thuds and punches filled the small apartment, the noises deafening…

"MOMMY!"

Roman and Randy both jumped at the sound of Cody's shrieking voice, giving each other concerned looks. "I'll go, you stay with the kids," Randy said quickly, booking it upstairs. Running to Cody's room, he found the boy sitting up, bawling his eyes out and holding his blanket close to his chest. "Oh buddy," he whispered, sitting on his bed and pulling him into his arms. "I-I want my Mommy!" Cody sobbed, pressing his face into the man's chest. Randy's heart completely shattered. He's never seen a child so broken. "I know buddy," he whispered. "I know, but everything is going to be okay." He kissed the top of his head and pulled him closer. The sobs eventually came down to silent tears and hiccups, but Randy never let go. "Did you have a bad dream?" Cody nodded. And that was it. Randy didn't ask anything else in fear of a repeat of the park. The boy was already upset enough. "Everything okay?" Romans asked a couple minutes later, walking into the room. "I hope so," Randy whispered, stroking Cody's hair who had fallen back to sleep with his head on his lap. "He had a bad dream. It was about his Mom." "What makes you think that?" "It was who he was crying for when I came in." Randy sighed laid Cody back in bed, looking down at him sadly. "We're going to fix this. I promise."

Meanwhile…

Ten-year-old Dean Ambrose shivered as he heard his mom screaming at the top of her lungs to some unknown caller on the phone. She's angry, which means she's going to hurt me. He didn't understand how his life got this way. He never knew his actual Father, but his mother had filled that place. Giving him love and everything he needed, and more. She was the best Mom. That was… until she met David Batista. Immediately, Dean knew there was something off about this guy, but no matter how many times he tried to warn his Mother, she didn't listen. Now, more than a year later, he got her hooked-on cocaine and alcohol, while David himself has heroine in the mix. He missed his Mom, his old mom. Not whatever this drug was doing to ruin her. He jumped when his bedroom door slammed open and there she stood, strung out, unruly dirty blonde hair and wild bloodshot eyes. "Get over here you little shit!" Dean hesitated then stood up, slowly walking to her. His Mother snatched up his ear and yanked him to the living room, the same place where movie and game nights used to take place. Now it's just a place where she and David did drugs and drank all day. "So, I just got a call from social services," she spat, shoving the boy to the floor. "They had the nerve to say I'm abusing you." She stomped over to the him and yanked him up by the shirt, back handing him twice. "Who the fuck did you tell?" Dean's lip quivered as he whispered Seth's name. He didn’t want to say who he told, but if he said no one and she found out he lied, there would be hell to pay. His Mother laughed in his face sarcastically. "Of course, you did. His faggot fathers don't know how to mind their own business. Always wanting to save someone." She then punched him in the face; Dean promptly cried out, falling onto his back "Why the hell didn't you just keep your mouth shut?" His Mother pulled his hair, smirking at his newly formed shiner. "You're a bitch just like your Father. Fucking dumbass. Go to your room and wait until David gets home. He'll teach ya a lesson." "N-no, Mommy please, I'm sorry." "I said take your ass to your room, NOW." Dean stumbled to his upstairs, cradling his face gently. He shut his door softly and leaned against it, slowly sliding down until he landed on his bum. He scratched at the dry blood above his upper lip, finally letting the tears flow freely. The realization of what just happened sunk in, and he covered his mouth to quiet his sobs. Wherever you are Mom, please come back. I miss you. 

Back at the Orton-Reigns household, Seth and Bayley were laid out on the floor of the living room, waiting for Randy and Roman to finish cleaning the kitchen after their pizza dinner. Cody was sitting by the coffee table, quietly working on one of his new puzzles. "Daddy and Papa said pick a movie, so we should watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." "Bayley, I don't want to watch that again. Let's watch the Incredibles." "No, I wanna watch Meatballs." "We've seen that a hundred times!" "The Incredibles too! I don't wanna watch it. It's stupid anyway." "Is not!" "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!" "Hey, knock it off," Randy said, walking into the room. "And Bayley, nice words. You don't say that to your brother." Both apologized softly, before deciding to look on Netflix for a movie. Randy squatted down next to Cody, brushing the hair out of his face. "You okay kiddo?" Cody nodded, replying, "Doing puzzles." "I see that. Seth and Bayley are looking for a movie to watch, wanna help?" He shrugged one shoulder. "Dunno." "Well if you do, just ask them alright?" Randy smiled before going back to the kitchen with Roman. "Wanna watch Zootopia?" Seth asked after a couple minutes. "Yeah! Cody, wanna watch it? It's a REALLY good movie!" Cody gave Seth and Bayley a confused look, shrugging before focusing back on his task. Roman and Randy walked in before the two could ask him what was wrong. Roman plopped down on the end of the couch and lifted Cody onto his lap. What he wasn't expecting was the boy to kick his legs in protest. "No! No! Do puzzles! DO PUZZLES!" Roman let him go instantly. The boy scrambled off his lap and turned to glare at him. "No touch me," then he turned around and quietly continued to work on his puzzle. Roman blinked in shocked then turned toward Randy, who had the same look on his face. Seth and Bayley did too, but Roman gave them a look to not worry about it right now.

"Papa? Can I ask you something?" Seth asked as he was getting ready for bed. Halfway through the movie Bayley and Cody had fallen asleep and Seth was close to it, so they decided to call it a night. "Of course, baby boy, what is it?" Seth chewed his bottom lip and sighed. "Why is Cody so quiet?" Roman sat on the boy's bed and tucked him in, ruffling his hair. "He's in a new environment with new people around him. He's just scared." "But we won't hurt him!" "I know, but he doesn't understand that. He used to get in trouble for talking. Mrs. Guerreo said the amount of time he talks is a lot more than he did at his home. So he’s improving so far with us." "Well, me and Bayley are going to get him to talk a lot more, so he's not so scared anymore." Roman chuckled softly and kissed his forehead. "I'm proud of you Seth, you and Bayley. Goodnight." "Goodnight Papa."
After checking on Bayley, Roman walked into Cody's room, only to find Randy slowly rocking back in forth, holding the little boy. Cody was already asleep. but Randy seemed like he didn't want to put him down just yet. "Babe?" Randy looked up. "Oh hey, sorry. I just…I…I don't know. We've foster tons of kids but Cody…his story is so horrific. It's not like Seth or Bayley's. I don't know if I can fix it this time. "Don't talk like that," Roman said quickly, sitting next to him. "First of all, you won't be doing all the work here. We're a team, yeah? We're in this together. And second, not everything is fixable, even I'll admit that. We won't be able to fix Cody's past, but we can help him move on from it. Right now, he's terrified, and still grieving, but he'll overcome it, and we'll be there every step of the way." Roman looked down at Cody, running his fingers through the soft, brown locks. "Believe that."

Chapter Text

Monday morning, Randy did not expect to be woken up from screaming…well, crying actually. Something in between. And it was coming from Cody. Roman was supposed to be up with the kids so that Randy could sleep in a bit, since he was up late working, but he decided to get up, just to distinguish the problem. He groaned as he got up and slowly made his way downstairs to the kitchen. There he saw Seth and Bayley sitting at the island, dressed for school and covering their ears, their breakfast only halfway finished. Roman stood by the fridge, holding a container of yogurt with a troubled and slightly pissed off look on his face. And then there was Cody, sitting on the ground in front of Roman, only in his dinosaur themed briefs, crying his head off. "Cody doesn't want to go to school Daddy!" Bayley yelled over the little boy's tantrum. Seth nodded, adding, "And he wants yogurt for breakfast, but not the one Papa has in his hand. He got mad and this happened." Randy walked over to Roman and pulled him out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Cody's crying only increased. Roman let out a frustrated breath, dragging his hand down his face. "You okay?" "Yeah, I think so. It's just, I don't like tantrums, you know that. But, just like Seth and Bayley, he came from a shitty home life and needs my patience right now. The reason is just pissing me of." "Which one? Not wanting to go to school or the yogurt?" "The yogurt. He wants a blueberry yogurt for breakfast, but all we have are strawberry and peach. Next thing I know, the tantrum started. I don't know what to do." "Well I'm up now. You finish getting ready, I'll deal with breakfast and getting him dressed." "Thanks babe." After a quick kiss, Randy walked back to the kitchen. Cody wasn't crying anymore, now screaming and from the looks on both Seth and Bayley's face, they were irritated. He gestured for them to take their breakfast to the living room. He lifted a protesting Cody onto the counter and held his shoulders. "Cody, I need you to stop crying and use your words. Tell me what's wrong please." The little boy let out several deep shaky breathes, mixed with hiccups until he was able to speak. "No blueberry yogurt." "Is that why you were upset?" Cody nodded sadly. "Well, we don't have any more blueberry yogurt, only strawberry and peach." "No want that!" Cody sobbed. "Hey now, stop crying. I'm not going to go to the store to get it just because you're upset. You either eat the yogurt we have or choose something else." Cody stopped crying immediately, staring at Randy with wide, glassy eyes. He never actually heard him use that tone of voice before. He was being firmly scolded, but the older man didn't seem mad, like his Daddy would have been. Cody nodded, sniffling and wiping his eyes. "’M Sorry." "It's okay. You need to say sorry to Roman too." Randy kissed his forehead and set him down on his feet. "Do you still want yogurt, or something else?" "Oatmeal please?" "Sure, but you need to go get dressed in the clothes you picked out last night before you eat." Cody wiped his eyes again and nodded once more, walking up to his room to get dressed. Bayley ventured back into the kitchen while Randy was making the oatmeal. "Daddy is Cody okay?" "I think so sweetheart, he was just a little upset. Are you done eating?" She handed her empty bowl to Randy. "He doesn't want to go to school either. He told me and Sethie that he's scared to." "That's normal," Randy said. "You and Seth were scared on your first day of Kindergarten too. This isn't his first day, but he didn't have a good time at his old schools before he came to us because he moved around too much." Bayley frowned. "Second graders have recess after lunch with the Kindergartners. I'll find him and make sure he makes friends. Maybe he'll talk more." Randy smiled and squatted down, holding her face and kissing her cheeks multiple times. The little girl giggled and squirmed. "Daddy!" He laughed and stood back up. "I'm proud of you. You and Seth. You two are doing a really good job at helping Cody settle in." "He's scared Daddy. He needs to not be so scared anymore." Just as that was said, Cody came back into the kitchen, and irritated frown displayed across his features. He wore a red polo shirt, dark denim jeans and black and silver velcro Sketchers. Randy lifted him onto a stool and gave him his bowl of oatmeal. "See, that wasn't so bad." Cody lifted his eyes and stared at him, then turned away, starting to eat. Once he was done, Randy ordered all three kids to brush their teeth then meet him back downstairs with their bags and jackets. "I'm impressed. The kitchen isn't a complete mess," Roman snickered at Randy's glare. "No but seriously, how did you calm him down? I was sure he could scream the house down if he wanted to." "Same as I used to do, spoke sternly for him, told him he couldn't get upset just because something isn't going his way, then told him he needed to apologize to you." "Well I'm glad. I honestly didn't know how to handle it at that point in time." "That's why you have me." "I'm happy to have you." Bayley giggled when from the edge of the kitchen when she saw her both her fathers kiss, laughing loudly and running away when they jumped apart. Roman chuckled, shaking his head, picking up his briefcase. "Kids, what are we gonna do with them?"

At school, Cody had a death grip on Randy's hand as he walked to his classroom. Seth and Bayley had already left, saying their goodbyes, but not before reassuring Cody that school was fun and everything was going to be fine. Getting to the classroom, Randy peered inside and only found the teacher, meaning all the other children were outside on the playground, waiting for the bell to ring for school to start. Perfect. Don't want to overwhelm the lil guy too much at once. He knocked on the door and that's when Cody requested to be carried. He honestly looked like he was on the verge of tears. Randy lifted the little boy onto his hip just as the teacher, opened the door. "Hello", she smiled, letting them in. "This must be Cody. My name is Eve Torres, but you can call me Mrs. Torres.” Cody tucked his face into Randy’s neck and waved without looking. Randy and Mrs. Torres chuckled softly. “I had Bayley in my class when she was in Kindergarten.” She added softly. At the mention of his foster sister, Cody lifted his head "Bayley?" he whispered, sucking on his pinky. Randy noticed he did that whenever he was tired, scared, or anxious. "Yeah, I had Bayley. She had a lot of fun, and I bet you will too. Randy and Roman told me you like cars and puzzles." Cody nodded, lifting his head. "Do you mind if you go play with some while Mr. Randy and I talk for a bit?" The boy hesitated but let Randy place him back on his feet anyway. He placed his bag down by the man then went to the small play area and found a puzzle to do. "So…you said he has speech problems? He doesn't seem like it," Eve said, turning her attention to Randy. Randy sighed softly. "I wouldn't call it problems per say, he's just, behind. His sentence structure is not up to his age level. His social worker told Roman and I to see if we can set him up with the speech teacher here" "Oh, I can do that for you. The teacher for his grade will be Alicia Fox. If I can get it done today, she'll start observing him on Wednesday. If she thinks he needs help, she'll call to set up a meeting with you and/or your husband." "Okay…okay that works. Thank you so much." "Don't worry about it." Randy glanced at the clock. "The kids are going to start coming inside soon. I better go say goodbye." He picked up Cody's backpack and walked over to the boy. "Hey kiddo, I got to go now." "Leave?" "Yeah, you have school, and I can't be here with you." "No leave me." Cody's bottom lip quivered, and he launched himself into Randy's arms. "No leave me," he repeated quietly. "I'm not leaving you kiddo, I'm coming back later to pick you, Seth and Bayley up." There was a beat of silence. "Promise?" "Always."

Throughout the morning, Cody met his classmates and got along with them pretty well. He didn't talk much to them, but they didn't seem to mind. A red headed boy named Sami really took to Cody; at lunch, the two sat together. "We have recess after this. Wanna play soccer with us? It's really fun." "With who?" "Me and Enzo and Xavier…sometimes the first graders play too. So, want to?" Cody shrugged as he bit into an apple slice. The rest of lunch went on without incident, Sami talked nonstop about anything and everything, then it was time for recess. Cody sat by the field while his new friend played soccer. He wasn't ready to participate yet. He just met these kids. "Hi Cody," Bayley suddenly sat next to him, startling the small boy. "Scared me," he said, eyes wide. "Sorry. Why aren't you playing?" He looked away and picked at the grass. "Have you made any friends yet?" "Sami. Playing soccer." "Good!" She chirped loudly, grinning widely. "Daddy and Papa are going to be happy." She hugged him and stood up, dusting off her pants. "You know, at recess, you can always play with me if you want." Cody watched her go, then turned towards the field once more. Wanna go home. 

Just as promised, Randy was there to pick Cody up, and he immediately ran into his arms. "Hello," Randy chuckled. "How was your first day?" "Okay," Cody mumbled against his chest. "See Bayley at recess." "You did? Did you play with her?" "Not want to today. Wanna go home now." "We will buddy, gotta wait for the other two." Probably less than three minutes later, Bayley's class walked out the doors, the fourth graders not far behind. "Dad!" Seth ran to him before Bayley could. He looked scared. "Dean wasn't at school today!" "He wasn't?" "No! I think something happened, Dad. We need to go help him!" "Maybe he was sick today." "No, he's NEVER sick! He's never missed a day of school! Ever!" "Seth, you need to calm down. Let's go to the car and finish talking." Bayley looked at her older brother with concern, as did Cody. Seth was literally shaking from anxiousness by the time they made it to the car. Randy helped the two younger kids into their booster seats before shutting the door so that he could talk to Seth privately. "Seth scared?" Cody asked. "I think so," Bayley replied, turning to give him a confused look. "I think it’s his friend Dean again. He said wasn't at school today. That’s what he is talking about." Cody frowned "No want Sethie scared no more." "I don't either." The two went silent as Randy and Seth got into the car. Seth looked frustrated, but upset, nonetheless. It was quiet until they got home. Seth slammed the car door shut and stormed into the house. Cody looked troubled as he was helped out of the car by Randy. "Sethie mad?" "A little bit buddy. He's worried about his friend." Content with that answer, the little boy held Bayley's hand as they walked inside. Seth was nowhere to be seen. "What do you two want for a snack?" "Oranges!" Bayley said, climbing up on a stool. Cody sat next to her and quietly agreed. Randy cut up some slices then handed two to the each of them. Seth eventually came down with his back bag. He still looked pissed off. He sat on the other side of Bayley and started his homework. "Hungry Sethie?" Bayley asked, nudging him. The nine-year-old rolled his shoulders and huffed. "No." "But these oranges are soo good!" "You think everything is good Bayley." "That's because everything is! Try it." "No." "Come on! Just one teeny, tiny bite!" “I said no already.” “Seth-” "Knock it off Bayley!" The girl stopped, clenching her jaw looking at her brother angrily. "I was just trying to make you feel better," she said, hopping down from the island and running upstairs. "Seth," Randy said sternly. "Why did you yell at your sister?" "She was being annoying!" "You should have asked her nicely to leave you alone. Just because you're upset, doesn't mean you have to ruin everyone else's mood. When you're done with homework, apologize to Bayley." Seth grit his teeth but nodded, turning back to his work. Cody started to grow nervous from the tension in the room. He ditched his snack and went to Randy, wanting to be held. "What's wrong buddy?" The older man asked once he was in his arms, kissing his cheek. Cody stuck his pinky in his mouth and shook his head, mumbling, "No like you being mad." "I'm not mad." Sethie is. And Bayley." "They'll be okay," Randy said softly, carrying him to the playroom where Bayley sat, angrily drawing in her sketch book. "You okay baby girl?" "No. Seth is being mean for no reason." "You're right. He'll say sorry in a little bit." "I only want to hear it if he actually means it." She has a point. "Come downstairs and do homework. It's Monday and I know you got new spelling words for the week." Bayley groaned and followed them back to the kitchen. Cody, pinky still in his mouth, laid his head on Randy's shoulder. Seth glanced as the three came back into the kitchen, then quickly looked away. He felt bad about yelling at Bayley. He didn't mean it, he was just upset about Dean not showing up to school today, but he understood that taking his frustrations out on his little sister wasn't a great idea. He also didn't like that his father was disappointed in him at the moment. Bayley settled next to him on the island and started her spelling homework. She had to write all ten words three times each. "Daddy, do I have to do this?" She whined. Randy replied, setting Cody down in the stool next to her. "It's homework and it's not an option." He picked up Cody's bag and pulled out his folder. "Any homework for you today?" The little boy nodded. "Counting." "You're okay with that?" He nodded again, then picked up one of his pencils. Seth sighed and looked back at his own homework, irritated. Irritated because he knew he was wrong. He upset Bayley and made Cody nervous enough to leave. Get it together man.

Two hours later, Seth had yet to apologize to Bayley properly because she was ignoring him. He's tried but she would just walk into another room. It pissed him off, so he isolated himself in the playroom, working on his rollercoaster kit. "Need help Sethie?" Cody said, walking in a few minutes later. "No thank you, I got it." Cody sat next to him. "I help?" "No Cody, I'm fine." "I just help." The little boy reached toward the structure only to be shoved back by Seth. "I said I got it, Cody," he snapped. Cody's bottom lip quivered, and he stood up quickly. "I-I sorry," he whispered, then ran out of the room. Seth's face fell when he saw the look Cody gave him. Great. Now he's mad at me too. He sighed sadly and turned back to his project, his mind wondering back to the events of today.

Chapter Text

"Mom? Um…S-Seth is going to Florida for spring break and um…his Dads, they said he could bring someone. He asked me a-and I was wondering if I-I can go?" His mother didn't even look up from the TV screen. "Yeah, whatever. I don't care. Just leave me alone." Dean quickly went back to his room and did a celebratory dance; a huge smile plastered his face. Yes! I get to leave this hell hole for a week!

Two weeks later:

Roman put the last suitcase in his car before going back inside, falling on the couch next to Randy. "Why did you book this flight so early again?" "Because the early bird gets the worm." It's almost 5am! Those kids aren't going to make it." "Oh, they'll be fine…I hope." Randy got up a few minutes later and cracked his back. "I'm going to go get them up now, don't fall asleep on me. You're driving." "Yeah, yeah." Randy went to Seth's room first, shaking him awake. "Get up baby boy, we're going to Florida today." "But it's early," the boy mumbled, sitting up and yawning. "I know, but please don't fall back asleep. We need to pick up Dean on time so that we won't be late." Randy kissed his forehead and went to Bayley's room next. She groaned as she was woken up and rolled over. "Bay, wake up. We have to leave soon." "Tired Daddy." "You can sleep in the car and on the plane." She sighed and got up, but not before giving Randy a hug. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Dress in comfortable clothes. It's going to be a long day. And don’t forget to brush your teeth" "Okay Daddy." Randy went to Cody's next, who, just like Bayley, rolled over and ignored him. "Get up kiddo, we have a flight to catch soon." "Wanna sleep." "In the car," Randy told him, lifting him from his bed and placing him on his feet. "And on the plane. Now, what do you want to wear? "Don't wanna go," Cody mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Stay here." "But Florida is fun," Randy smiled, ruffling his hair. "Fun here too," Cody protested. "Don't wanna go." In the month that Cody had been living with Randy and Roman, they noticed how much his language has developed. Although he still barley talked, when he did, his sentence structure has improved since before. His speech classes with Alicia at school have worked wonders. But he still had his moments. "Come on, let's pick something out to wear for the trip." "This," Cody said, pointing at himself. Randy looked. "You want to wear that?" "No," Cody huffed. "THIS," he pulled at his shirt. "Clothes for sleep." Randy took the hint. "Oh, you want to wear pajamas." Cody nodded. "Alright, pick some out."

Fifteen minutes later, Randy came back downstairs followed by Seth, who was dressed in a black Adidas tracksuit, Bayley wore a Cardinals hoodie and black leggings, and Cody was dressed in Bayley old sloth onesie. Roman was in the kitchen packing snacks for the road. "We won't have time to eat breakfast here, because we still have to get Dean." "Alright, you get them in the car, I'll check to make sure we didn't leave anything unplugged." Roman ushered the kids with their backpacks full of toys out to his 2015 navy blue Chrysler Pacifica. He got them settled inside and gave them each a muffin, a banana and orange juice. "If you're still hungry we'll eat something at the airport." Bayley nodded and stretched out, yawning softly. "Papa what about Dean?" "Oh you're right Seth. You three stay here." Cody swung his feet back in forth, then turned in his seat to look at Seth. He huffed in frustration when he couldn't adjust the way he wanted. Vickie visited last week and mentioned that because of his weight, he would need a high-back booster seat instead of a normal one like Bayley had. He still wasn't used to it. "Sethie, open please?" He asked, holding out his bottle of orange juice. The nine-year-old opened it for him. "Here you go." "Thank you." Randy and Roman came in the car a couple minutes later, Roman taking the driver's side. Randy looked back. “You guys ready?" Bayley was already asleep, Cody was close to drifting off with his feet propped up the back of Roman's seat, and Seth was carefully eating his muffin. "Take that as a yes," he mumbled softly, giving Roman the thumbs up. "Let's get this show on the road."

Dean shivered as he waited on his front porch for Roman and Randy to show up. His Mom and David were pissed that he had to leave so early in the morning, so as soon as he was ready, they kicked him out, telling him to wait outside. He's been there an hour now. He didn't even get a chance to eat breakfast. Thanks Mom. On the bright side, David did shove $200 in his face for this trip, so he at least cared for him, even just a tiny bit. He smiled when he saw the van pull up and excitedly grabbed his stuff, walking to the car. "Hi," Dean said to Randy as he climbed out of the passenger seat. "What's up kid? Long time no see huh?" "Yeah, sorry." Dean said sheepishly handing his bag to him. "Don't worry about it. So why were you waiting out here? I could have knocked on the door." Dean looked away quickly. "No reason," he answered. "I-I just decided to. If um, if you knocked, the sound might have woken up Mom and D-David." Randy didn't believe him of course but dropped it for now. “Well alright. Go ahead and jump in the car. Maybe you can keep Seth awake for a while." Dean got inside, quietly greeting Roman who smiled back, then sat in the third row next to Seth. "What's up dude?" "Not me. My dad made these flights so early. I can't wait to sleep on the plane." Randy chuckled when he got back in. "Oh, he also gave me this to give to you." Seth handed Dean a muffin, banana and orange juice. "He also said that if we're still hungry, we can get something at the airport." Dean took the food and mumbled his thanks, almost immediately digging in. 

The ride to the airport was pretty low-key. Cody and Bayley slept to the soft jazz music Roman had on, Randy played on his phone, and Seth and Dean spoke quietly in the back. Pulling up to the drop-off zone, the older men instructed the kids to stay in the car while they unpacked the car. "Have you ever been to Florida?" Dean asked Seth, staring out the window at other people walking around and being dropped off. "Yep. Papa's family lives there. You're going to like it. It's warm and every time we visit, we go to Disney-World." Dean gave him a dimpled grin. "Really? I've never been before." "It's going to be awesome." At that, Cody stirred awake, stretching his limps the best he could and yawning. "Hey, Cody's awake." Seth unbuckled his seat belt and crawled in front of Cody's seat, sitting on the floor. "This is Dean," he told the little boy, pointing at his friend. "Dean, this is Cody." Dean smiled at the boy. Cody stared at him when he suddenly reached forward and placed his hand on Dean's cheek. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, before pulling back and looking out the window. Dean, in shock, turned to give Seth a weird look. Seth was as equally confusion, and the two scrambled back into their original seats. Did he see my bruise? Randy opened Cody's side of the door and peeked in. "All right little people, here's the plan. Dad is going to go drop off the van at the car place, which leaves us in charge of the bags. We have to get inside, check our stuff in and go to the security. He should be with us by then. Dean, Seth, I'm going to need your help a lot." Seth nodded and Dean gave him a silly salute, trying not to think of his weird interaction with the little boy sitting in front of him. "Make sure nothing gets left in the car, because once Roman takes it, he can't bring it back." All the kids climbed out of the car, Bayley too, who woke up just after Randy finished his little speech. "Where Roman go?" Cody asked as they walked up to the check-in desk, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. "He's dropping off the car at daycare, so it won't be sad while we're away." Dean nudged Seth hard to stop him from laughing. "He come back? Before airplane?" "He'll be back way before then." It took almost 20 minutes to check in their bags, much to Bayley's dismay. She just wanted to go back to sleep. Roman caught up to them before they could make it to the security checkpoint. "It's 5am. I didn't expect there to be so many people." Randy shrugged and grabbed Bayley's hand. Roman grabbed Cody's turning to look at the two older boys. "Seth, Dean, walk ahead of us, so you don't get lost." The group headed to security, getting through as fast as possible. By then, Cody was fully awake and jumping in place instead of walking, causing Roman to tug him along. Recently, the little boy had shown the energy he had stored inside him. He didn't use it much, but he did when he was bored of doing something. Like walking. Bayley was the complete opposite, overly tired and complaining. Randy decided to just carry her, and she immediately fell back asleep. They sat down at the gate except Roman, who opted to walk around with Cody and get some snacks for the four-hour flight, and to burn off some of the boy's energy. "We're off to get some snacks. Any requests?" They got everyone's order, then set off. Roman let go of Cody's hand and let him run ahead. But only a few feet before calling to him to stop. It was a game he came up with the other day when they were at the mall. They found a small store and began to stock up on snacks. Cody's request was goldfish crackers, pretzels and apple juice. "Dean like chips?" Cody asked Roman, looking up at him. "He sure does. Can you get those blue ones for me please?" Cody picked up the bag of Doritos and followed the Samoan man up to the counter. Roman noticed that more of Cody's personality was coming out, but he still didn't smile. Or laugh. At all. It hasn't happened yet and lately; he's been a bit obsessed about trying to find ways for it to happen. They walked back to the group to find Bayley still asleep in Randy's arms and the two older boys sitting on the floor playing their Nintendo DS'. Cody sat next to Seth and leaned over, watching them play Mario Cart together. Roman slumped in the seat next to Randy, groaning softly. Randy snickered, adjusting Bayley in his arms. "Tired old man?" "Says the guy who's five years older than me." "Shut up." Roman laughed. "I can't wait to get to Florida and see my family. I'm just worried at how Cody is going to deal, since he's doesn't like being around new people much." "He made it through the airport fine." "Because he's with us. You know he has tendencies to be clingy, just like the other two." "True."

An hour later, the group loaded the plane. Seth, Dean and Roman sat in one row, and Bayley, Randy and Cody sat across them. "Not like car seat," Cody whined as he was strapped in. "Sorry kiddo, it's for your own safety." Randy said, kissing his cheek. He then made sure Bayley was buckled correctly. "Daddy, how long will this be?" "About four hours." "What? That’s forever!" An elderly couple behind them laughed, causing Randy to smile. "It is a long time, but it'll be okay. You have lots of stuff to do to pass the time." Randy sat down in his seat just as the plane started down the runway. He looked over to see Bayley looking out the window. He put her there because not only did she like that seat, it was so he could keep a better eye on Cody, in case he got scared. Across from them, Seth occupied the window seat while Dean sat in the middle. Roman discovered he was having a hard time keeping up with Dean's questions about Florida and his family. "Can your family cook? Because my mom kinda can but it's not good sometimes. And I know you can and Randy too. So, does that mean they can?" Roman honestly had to laugh at that. "Dean, be prepared to have the best Italian and Samoan food you've ever had in your life." "I don't think I've had Samoan food before." "Well, be prepared to go into a food coma." Dean have him a dimpled grin, and Roman’s smile also faltered. Dean is hurting, and as happy as he and Randy are to get the ten-year-old away from his house for a week, they’re not prepared to take him back when the trip is over. Roman shook his head. No bad thoughts. This is vacation!

For this flight, Randy and Roman prepared for the worst: Cody to be screaming his head off since he's never been on a plane before. Instead, they barely got anything. Other than Cody whining because his tummy felt weird when the plane started to take off, he fell right back to sleep before the seatbelt sign turned off. Randy let out a breath once it did turn off. He was honestly expecting more tears, or maybe a meltdown. Thank God. Cody only slept two hours before waking up. Bayley was busy quietly singing to herself while coloring in her Disney coloring book. "You okay kiddo?" Randy asked, bushing Cody's hair out of his eyes. He needs a haircut. The little boy nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Hold me please?" Randy unbuckled the small boy and sat him on his lap, his head against the crook of his arm, as if he were holding a baby. Randy rocked side to side gently as he went back to typing on his laptop one handed. Across the aisle, Dean had fallen asleep, leaning on Roman's shoulder. Seth sat playing his DS again. Roman tried to focus on the book he was reading but kept thinking back to the boy leaning against his arm. He had seen the fading bruise on his cheek, and the way he avoided eye contact whenever he spoke to he or Randy was a dead giveaway too. Plus, who sends their child outside at five thirty in the morning? By themselves? Having experience with multiple abused children, especially with the three currently living in his home, he knew Dean was a case. He was praying that Vickie worked quick getting him out of that home. No child deserves that sort of pain.

"Papa it's hot here." "Well it is Florida Princess. It was hot that last we came here too." Bayley huffed, dragging her small sized suitcase behind her. "It's hotter than last time." The group made it outside, and Randy set his luggage next to Dean. "You guys stay with Papa, I'm going to go get the rental car." "Grandpa Sika isn't coming to pick us up?" "Nah, too many people this time baby boy." Dean snickered at the nickname, causing Seth to elbow him in the ribs, cheeks flushed. Randy turned to leave, only for Cody to wrap his arms round his leg. "Don't leave me," his little lip quivered. "I'm not kiddo, I'm just going to go get the car. Roman will still be here. And so will Dean, Seth and Bayley." "I come with?" "Not this time." Cody stepped back, balling up his fists. Then, out of nowhere, he burst into tears. "But I want to!" He sobbed, stomping his foot. "I come with! I come with!" Roman was quick to come over and pick the little boy up into his arms before he could latch himself onto Randy's leg again. "Hey, none of that today Cody. You need to calm down." The boy only sobbed louder, drawing the attention of bystanders "Here, I'll just take him with me. We don't have time to calm him down if we want to beat this lunch rush." Randy said, pulling Cody into his arms. The little boy immediately stopped crying, wrapping his arms around Randy's neck tightly. "I won't be long," he whispered to Roman, who looked a little irritated. He knew the younger man didn't like giving in to tantrums because it didn't teach the kids anything, but it had taken longer than they both had wished to get their bags. It was almost noon and he didn't want to be stuck in traffic because of lunch. He was serious about that, but he's rather have Roman pissed at him instead of Cody. This is going to be a looong trip

Chapter Text

Cody stuck his pinky in his mouth, feeling the tension between Randy and Roman. He didn't like it. My fault. He didn't want them mad at each other…or him. Mad. Mad at me. He didn't mean to get upset at the airport. He was just scared and didn't want Randy to leave. He looked up at the two men in the front seats as they parked at the hotel. They haven't even spoke to each other since the airport incident. Mad because of me. The car was shut off and the two men got out, unpacking the back. They still didn't speak to each other. Cody let out a hiccup, wiping his eyes to keep the tears at bay, but to no avail. He began to cry silently, so not to alert the other three kids who were busy talking to each other. Roman opened his door and frowned at seeing the glistening tears slowly sliding down his cheeks, his pinky still in his mouth. "What's wrong buddy? Why are you crying?" "Sorry," he whispered, hiccupping again. "Not be mad at Mr. Randy no more." "Are you mad at him?" "No. You are." Well, he can read people pretty well. "I wasn't mad kiddo," Roman said, unbuckling Cody and lifting him in his arms. "It was just a disagreement but I'm okay now. Randy is too." Cody sniffled and nodded, hugging the Samoan around his neck. "I'm sorry. My fault." "It's not your fault kiddo." Dean watched from the backseat at the exchange between Cody and Roman, frowning slightly. The five-year-old seemed to pick up on tension and emotions of others, something he could only do with his mom and David. But he soon realized that he didn't like to see Cody cry. It reminded him of himself. He gets scared sometimes. I'm like that too. 

"Bayley! There's bunk beds in our room!" "That’s not a funny joke!" "It’s not! Come look!" Bayley ran after Seth into the one of the bedrooms, shouting in excitement along with her older brother. While Randy and Roman were busy organizing the bags, Dean looked down at Cody. "Want to go see it?" The little boy wearily looked at the ten-year -old. "I won't hurt you, I promise," Dean said softly. I wish someone would say that to me. Cody nodded slowly and took his hand, letting the Dean guide him into the bedroom. Randy quickly elbowed Roman. "Ow, babe what the-" "Look." The younger man followed his eyes, smiling when he saw Cody and Dean together. "At least we don't have to worry about the two getting along." "But…we still have to talk to Dean about what Seth told us." "Let's just enjoy this vacation for right now. We'll worry about it later." "Yeah." Randy sighed and kissed Roman's cheek. "I'm sorry about earlier at the airport. I know we both agreed that we would never give in to tantrums, but Cody is scared and doesn't have full control of his feelings yet. It…it just breaks my heart to see him cry." Roman laughed softly. "It's fine. We're in this together and I should have understood. His past isn't like Seth or Bayley's. He needs more patience from us." "We're doing good with that so far. He seems to like school again, and his speech has improved. We just have to teach him to control his emotions." "And smile. Don't forget to smile."

"Go change Cody," he said "It's too hot for a fleece onesie," he said. "It'll be fine," he said. Randy and Roman seemed to have that conversation a little bit too soon, because now, Randy was dealing with a pissed off Cody because he didn't want to change out of his pajamas to leave. "Cody, you need to change. It's too hot for what you're wearing." "I don't wanna!" The five-year-old screamed at him, stomping his feet in protest. He wasn't even crying; he's just having a tantrum out of anger. "Wanna wear this!" "Not here. It's too hot. You need to be changed into shorts." "No shorts, wear this!" Seth sighed and plopped down on the couch in the common room next to Dean. "This happens at least once a day," he said, poking Bayley in the back with his foot. He smirked when she swatted at his leg. "Really? I would go crazy if I heard him screaming all the time." Dean replied, looking at the scene in their shared bedroom. I wonder what David would do. "Dad and Papa are really patient," Seth said back. "It's annoying when he screams, but it's really sad when he cries." "Yeah," Bayley chimed in from the floor, turning to look back at them. "We don't like seeing him cry. Especially Daddy. He gives him lots of hugs and kisses to make him calm down." Dean looked toward the scene again, frowning. He knew Randy, but with David, he wouldn't dare throw a tantrum in fear of what he might do to him. I wish my parents were like Randy and Roman 

Roman heard the screaming from down the hallway, and he already knew that Cody was angry about something. Great, a grumpy five-year-old. He walked back into the room and cringed; the screams only seemed to grow louder. He saw the other three kids sitting around the tv, bored out of their minds. "What's going on?" He asked, setting the waters from the vending machine in the mini fridge. "Cody doesn't want to change clothes," Bayley answered. "Even though it's hot," Seth added. " Randy has been trying to put him in time out for like five minutes now, because he won't listen." Dean said after a few moments, sinking further into the couch. Roman sighed and went into the kid's bedroom, finding Randy struggling to keep Cody in a corner for a time out. "Cody," he said sternly, crossing his arms. Both figures stopped moving, Cody's eyes wide with fear. Roman's frown faltered a bit. No, stay strong. He needs to know we will not be giving in to his tantrums. "I want you to tell me why you're giving Randy a hard time." Cody swallowed hard, his eyes filling with tears for the third time today. "I not wanna wear shorts today." "It's hot Cody, you can't wear those pajamas outside." "But-" "No, no more arguing. You will let Randy change you and then you'll sit in time out for not listening to him. Understand?" Cody hiccupped and nodded quickly, turning back to Randy. "Sorry," he mumbled sadly. The younger man smiled softly and knelt down to get him undressed. "It's okay. Just listen to me next time. You can't get angry with me every time something doesn't go your way." Roman left the room leaving Randy to handle changing Cody. He rubbed his face and sighed softly. I hope today gets better. 

Cody leaned his head against wall of the corner he was sitting in, sniffling softly. Neither of the older men were angry with him because of his tantrum, but that didn't mean he wasn't scared. Scared they were going to hurt him just like his Daddy. He thought back to his life before Randy and Roman. His missed his Mommy terribly, and his baby sister. But he didn't miss his Father. He liked his new home. He liked Randy, Roman, Seth and Bayley. He liked Dean too, even though they just met each other earlier this morning. But he knew, in his heart, that his behavior was going to get him sent away. Vickie is going to pick him up, just like last time, and take him to a new home. Every single one of his past foster parents didn't want him anymore, so why would Roman and Randy want to keep him?

I want my Mommy

Chapter Text

"Nana! Grandpa Sika!" Bayley let go of Roman's hand and ran toward the porch and straight into Roman's mom's arms. "Hi Nana!" "Oh, hello sweet girl! I've missed you so much!" Bayley giggled, kissing her cheek. "I've missed you too." "Patricia, don't hog her. I want one of her famous hugs too." Bayley got down for her Grandma's arms and ran to her Grandpa. "Hi Grandpa Sika." "How's my favorite girl?" Dean followed Seth out of the backseat and nervously wiped his hands on his shirt. "Do you think they remember me from Christmas?" "My grandparents have good memory," Seth told him. "They may be old but trust me, they remember you." "Where is my other baby? I know I don't just have a granddaughter." Dean laughed at Seth's blushing face as he walked over to his grandmother, giving her a hug. "Hi Nana, it's good to see you again." "You too. You've gotten so tall!" "You said that at Christmas!" "Dean!" Sika shouted, setting Bayley back down onto her feet. "I see you, come over here." Dean hesitated but slowly walked over, yelping in surprise when the elderly man pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry kiddo, we remember you from Christmas. We didn't forget about you." The boy immediately sighed in relief. They actually remember me. Patricia and Sika switched kids, giving them each equal number of kisses before doing the same to Roman when he walked over. "Hi Ma, Hi Dad. I'm so happy I'm home." "And we're happy to have you home sweetheart." Patricia said, kissing his cheek again. "Where's Randy?" "Remember when I said we took in another Foster child? Well, he doesn't want to get out of the car. Randy is trying to convince him. He's not really a people person much." Sika looked confused. "What?" "He um…Let's just say if his family were alive, we would probably have still ended up with him." "Was it that bad?" his mother whispered, covering her mouth. "Worse than Seth and Bayley's. But we only know half. The police have yet to release the rest of the case into the hands of his social worker." Back in the car, Cody was staring out the front windshield from his seat in the middle row, ignoring Randy who was trying to coax him out. "Buddy, you're safe here, come on." Randy lifted him from his seat, only for Cody to dig his small fingers his car seat. "Don’t wanna. They no like me." "Don't say that, they'll love you." "No. Don’t wanna go." Randy groaned. "Cody, come on. We don't have time for this. Roman's parents want to meet you." Cody kicked his feet in protest as he was pulled out of his car seat. "No! Down, down! Wanna get down!" "Nice try. You're just going to run," Randy stated, shutting the car door and walking toward the porch. Cody's chest heaved in panic and, out of pure instinct, he whined and reached for the only person he knew in his little mind, could relate to the same fear. "Dean!" He hiccupped, holding his arms out to the ten-year-old who was listening to something Sika was saying. Dean turned his head in confusion. "Dean!" Cody was near tears at this point. The older boy looked at Roman who only shrugged. He walked over to Cody who squirmed down from Randy arms, wrapping himself around Dean. "Up! Up please!" Dean hesitated, looking at Randy for help. He's never held a baby before, yet, a full-grown kindergartner. He didn't know what to do. But he had been around the two men when Bayley was small enough to be carried all the time. He was just worried that he didn't have to strength. He struggled a bit to lift Cody up onto his hip, just like he saw Randy do earlier. The little boy immediately wrapped his small arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Cody wasn't as heavy as Dean thought, and, after giving Randy another confused look, he walked back over to Roman. Patricia gave Sika a knowing look. Out of everyone here, little Cody called out to Dean. They remember when Bayley came to live with Randy and Roman. Whenever she got upset, she would cling to Seth because he was the only one in her presence that could relate to what she was feeling. And Cody just did the same to Dean. Now, it wasn't hard for them to figure out that Dean had a secret waiting at home.

Patricia had prepared a huge lunch of multiple different sandwiches, fruits, vegetables and homemade lemonade, which greatly satisfied the hunger of Seth, Dean and Bayley. Cody only had half a sandwich before seeking refuge in Randy's arms. "I can feel the anxiety washing over him in waves," Sika commented to Roman as the two cleaned the kitchen. Roman sighed softly. "He's been like that since he's came to live with us. He doesn't like meeting new people. And when he does, the first thing he says it 'They not like me,' meaning, he thinks they won't like him. He's just scared." "He's more than scared Roman, he's absolutely terrified. He didn't even look at me or your Mother. What…what the hell went on in that house?" Sika's clenched his jaw, trying to calm his temper. "I wish I could tell you Dad; I really do. All I know is that he doesn't eat much because his Father starved him for days at a time; he’s used to not eating a lot to begin with. And also, said Father, shot his Mom and baby sister right I front of him, then committed suicide." Roman rubbed the back of his neck. "He's been living with us for over a month. He still doesn't finish a full meal, he doesn't smile or laugh, he has a temper, and he recently has been refusing to sleep because of his nightmares. He takes his frustrations out of me and Randy and honestly? I don't know what to do. Randy had to put him in time out for the first time today because he refused to change clothes. He has a control issue and we're working on it but there's only so many things we can let him dictate. Choosing a meal, picking pajamas to wear, clothes for school, those are easy. But today was the worst of his tantrums thus far and I don't know what to do." Roman groaned, pulling his hair. "I just don't know what to do," he repeated. "Patience," Sika answered, glancing at his son. "You told me that Cody had no other place to go right? That you and Randy were his last chance? That means his other foster parents had no patience and simply gave up on him. Left him like he was yesterday's trash. Don't do that to that little boy in there. He needs stability in his life. He needs to know that he is cared for in this world. I know you and Randy are capable of that because you gave your Mother and I two beautiful grandchildren who absolutely adore you guys. So, don't tell me you don't know what to do. Patience and understanding is all you need to help this little boy."

Not belong here. Bad boy. Just like Daddy said. Bad boy. Bad boy. Cody had his forehead pressed against the sliding doors as he watched Randy chase Dean, Seth and Bayley around the backyard. He desperately wanted to go play with them, but he felt he didn't belong. His Daddy always told him that he was just trash, dirt that no one wanted to keep. He was worthless, useless, a piece of shit. Nobody wanted him. Bad boy. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. "Cody?" The little boy didn't move when he heard Patricia kneel next to him, he eyes still glued to the laughing figures outside. "Do you want to go play with them?" Cody nodded. "But not today," he mumbled. "Why's that?" "Not want to." Patricia stood up. "Okay. Do you want come help me bake?" "Bake?" The older woman smiled when she was successfully able to avert the boy's attention to her. "Yeah, you know what baking it right?" He nodded. "We'll make cookies. What kind do you want to make?" Cody followed her into the kitchen, finding Roman and Sika still talking. "Sprinkles?" He said softly, catching the attention of the two men. Patricia smiled. "Sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. We can do that." "What are you two up to?" Roman asked, walking over and lifting Cody into his arms. Cody propped his chin up on his shoulder, breathing deeply. "Cody here is going to help me bake some cookies for later," Patricia answered, smiling again and pulling out the ingredients. "Sounds fun," Roman mumbled, kissing the little boy's temple. "Where are the others?" "Outside. He didn't want to go play with them." Sika watched from his spot as Cody's face contorted into an uneasy frown before he pressed it against Roman's neck, sighing softly. He tilted his head in confusion. Wonder what that was about.

The first thing Patricia noticed about Cody was that he's very observant. Like when he was watching Randy chase the other kids outside. He observed how they played with the older man. Or now, as she was showing him how to crack an egg. He was watching her hands intently, and when it was his turn, he mimicked the moves perfectly. "Good job!" She praised, handing him a wooden spoon. "Now it's time to mix it up." "Dunno how," he mumbled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "That's okay, I'll teach you." She showed him how to mix the bowl then slid it over to him. "Alright, you try." Cody grabbed the spoon and did exactly as she had done, even scraping at the sides to mix in the left-over flour. She figured his observant behavior was caused by that fact that the only positive influence in his life was his Mother but, according to Randy, as punishment to her, Cody's Father wouldn't let her see him. This little boy needed some female influence in his life, and she was happy to help. "What’s next?" Cody asked, looking up at her. Patricia also noticed that his eyes were absolutely breathtaking. Mixed with green and gray, they were a sight to look at. "Now, we take the dough and roll them into balls so they can bake." She should him how to do that and once again, he mimicked her exactly. Once the cookies were in the oven, she helped him wash his hands then sent him on his merry way in search of Randy.

For dinner, Roman helped his Mother make carbonara pasta with bacon with sides of sesame roasted snap peas and garlic bread. They are outside on the back deck, seeing it was still nice out. Cody occupied himself in Randy's lap after everyone finished eating. The man was satisfied with how much Cody ate for dinner. Roman said it was his "Mom's cooking magic" and honestly, Randy started to believe it. Cody had eaten half a garlic bread, (giving the rest to Dean) three snap peas, and the entire small helping of pasta he was given. That's the most he's eaten in a while. Now Randy sat relaxing, holding Cody while he watched Roman, Dean, Seth and Bayley play in the yard one last time before they needed to head back to the hotel for the night. He rubbed Cody's back and sighed softly, gazing at the auburn haired ten-year-old who was laughing hysterically as he wrestled Seth onto the ground. He knew he and Roman needed to talk to him about his Mother and his home life, but he really didn't want to do it while on vacation. Like, this is the time to be AWAY from all their problems. Why ruin the mood? He leaned down and kissed Cody's head, who had dozed off, his pinky bobbing in and out of his mouth. "You and Dean are safe kiddo," he whispered. "You two are safe with us."

Chapter Text

"You get to feed giraffes at this zoo?! Daddy! Papa! Can we do that? PLEASE?" Bayley jumped up and down as she followed her family into the Gulf Breeze Zoo. The day was planned out: go to the zoo with Roman, Randy, Dean, Seth, Cody, Nana and Grandpa, then go back to their grandparents' house for a get-together with the rest of Roman's family. Bayley was pretty excited. "I don't like giraffes," Dean said, shuddering. "Their tongue are purple and long and... weird." Cody's eyes went wide. "Purple?" Seth snickered. "We learned in class that giraffes have purple tongues. They're also long so that they can reach leaves that are too far up, even though they're tall." "Do you want to feed the giraffes too Seth?" Sika asked once they were done paying their admission. "No thanks," the nine-year-old answered quickly, causing Roman and Randy to laugh. "What about you Cody? Do you want to feed to giraffes?" Patricia asked, squeezing the five-year old's hand. Cody absentmindedly kicked a rock. "No thank you," he replied back, quickly adding "But I still look," when he saw Bayley's disappointed frown. She smiled instantly and hugged him. "Alright, Mom and Randy can take Bayley and Cody, and Dad and I will take Seth and Dean." Roman said. "Wait a second," Randy stated, taking his sunglasses off. "Why do I have to feed the giraffes? I don't even want to be near those things!" "Please Daddy?" Randy looked down to see Bayley staring up at him, bottom lip jutted out with the cutest puppy-dog face she could manage. He sighed. Of course, she just HAD to be adorable. "Okay Princess." "Yes!" Bayley did her happy dance; Roman gave Seth a stern look to not say anything about it. "We'll meet up here in two hours." Sika said. Everyone agreed and split ways. Cody held Patricia's hand tightly with both of his. He was a little bit uneasy; he's never been to a zoo before, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He glanced at Bayley skipping ahead while talking non-stop to Randy, who just smiled wide and answered back whenever needed. "You okay Cody?" The little boy look up to see Patricia peering down at him. He nodded and pressed his cheek against her wrist, his hands still holding her's. I want my Mommy.

"I bet there's sharks here Papa." "There's no aquarium here kiddo, just a zoo. No sea life." Dean quietly laughed at Seth's disappointed face, taking note on how his best friend interacted with Roman and his Grandpa. Before drugs and cocaine took over his Mom, he had the same type of relationship with her; she was his best friend. Now, he was too scared to even talk to her. And David didn't help with the anxiety either. He shook his head and sighed. Don't think about them dude. Not today. "So, Dean, how's school?" Sika asked, draping his arm over the ten-year old's shoulder. "Good, I guess. I'm having trouble with math through. We're adding and subtracting fractions." "Tell them about Renee!" Seth piped up, causing Dean to glare at him, blushing deeply. "Oh? Who is Renee?" Roman smirked. "Is she your girlfriend?" Sika joined in, holding in his laugher as Dean tried to squirm away. "No! No, she's not!" "Dean and Renee, sitting in a tree…" Seth sang, laughing all over again at Dean's embarrassed face. "Does she know you like her?" Roman asked, ruffling his hair. "I…no. I don't want to tell her." "Why not?" "Because she's popular. Other people will make fun of me." "Well fuck them." Seth declared. The two older men whipped their heads toward him, shocked. "Boy, I hope I didn't just hear a swear word come out of that mouth of yours," Sika said, trying to seem intimidating. when really, he was on the verge of cracking up, just like Roman. Seth looked at them both with wide eyes. "Where did you hear that from?" Roman asked, biting his bottom lip. "Umm...Dad. I'm sorry, I won't say it again." Roman turned his head so the rest of the group wouldn't see him silently laughing his ass off. Of course, he got it from Randy. The tension in Dean's shoulders rolled away as the other three began speaking of a different subject. Yeah, Renee is nice and all, but her friends tease him relentlessly; but he didn’t want to tell them that. He already gets beat on at him; he's used to it.

"Nana, Nana! Did you see me? That giraffe just ate that whole piece for lettuce from my hand!" "I saw sweetheart. Do want to do another?" "Yes please!" Cody sighed softly and wrapped his arms around Randy's thigh as the older man took pictures of Patricia and Bayley. Observing how his foster siblings interacted with their Nana yesterday has made miss his Mommy more than usual. "You okay kiddo?" He shook his head instantly shook his head no and held up his arms. Randy lifted him onto his hip, eyebrows raising at the tight hug he received. "What's wrong bubba?" Cody sniffled, eyes filling with tears. "Mommy," he hiccupped. "I miss my Mommy. And sissy too." Randy hugged him back, kissing his temple and gently swayed side to side. "It's okay bud, let it out." According to Vickie, Cody never got to properly grieve the death of his Mother or Sister, as he was immediately shoved into foster care, missing their funerals. His other foster parents have said he has never mentioned the two to them, until Randy and Roman took him in. Randy wondered why. Cody didn't cry though. He blinked away his tears, pulling back from Randy's shoulder and rubbed his eyes. "Not crying," he mumbled. "It's okay to cry." "Not cry now." Randy just held Cody close to him until Bayley grew tired or feeding the giraffes, skipping back over with Nana following behind. "Daddy can we go see the lemurs now? They are over that way." She pointed, looking up at her father. "Sure, baby girl, but you need to go wash your hands." "Can you take me please?" Randy frowned slightly and looked over at his Mother. "It's okay," she chuckled. "You go, I'll stay with him." Randy put Cody down who surprisedly didn't protest. He walked right over to Patricia and held her hand tightly. Once Randy and Bayley left, Patricia knelt down to Cody's height, adjusting the cap that he wore backwards. "I see you're upset right now. What's the matter?" Cody avoided eye-contact and sniffled softly. "Miss my Mommy. Want her here." Nana was silent for a moment, observing the little boy "She is here." The boy glanced at Patricia confused. "No, she isn't." "She is Cody, in here." Nana placed her hand over the boy's chest, smiling softly. "In your heart, in spirit. No matter what, she will always be there because you love her. You'll never forget her." "Sissy too?" "Yes. Always and forever. I know they loved you very much, and you the same to them. That love for them will never go away, no matter what." Cody thought about it. If his Mommy and Sissy really were in his heart, then his Father would be there too. But he didn't love him. Not one bit. "I not like my Daddy," he said, frowning deeply. "Then he's not in there," Patricia responded softly. "Your heart can only fit as many people as you allow it to. There's not enough room for everyone." Before Cody could say anything else, Bayley came running back over, grabbing Patricia's arm. "Nana come on! We're going to go see the lemurs now!" He held Randy's hand as they walked over to the habitat, pinky in his mouth. He thought about what Patricia told him. The only people he had in his heart now were his Mother and sister. He thought about who else deserved a place there; Randy, Roman, Seth and Bayley came to his mind instantly. Dean was lingering around there too. He just wasn't sure if he was ready yet.

Cody fingered the new plush panda bear he got from the zoo gift shop as he watched the other kids in the backyard play. The six-year olds Nia and Tamina were playing with Bayley in the pool, while Dean and Seth played soccer with cousins, eight-year-old Izaiah and twelve-year-old Joseph. Seth though, wouldn't really call it soccer. More like 'how many times can Joey push me around until I tell him to fuck off.' He never really liked his cousin, and vice versa. Joseph didn't like that neither Seth, Bayley nor Randy were Samoan/Italian, so his targeted Seth. Today was no different. "Knock it off," Seth grunted as he was shoved to the ground for the seventh time. Joey only laughed. "What are you gonna do? Tell your Daddies? Crybaby." Seth stood up and rolled his eyes. "No, I just want you to stop being a jackass and play for real." "Ohhh, baby boy said a swear word. I'm so scared!" Dean and Izaiah gave each other a nervous look. Seth's face turned a deep shade of red, glaring at his cousin. "Don't call me that!" "Why not? Your Daddies call you that." "Only they can call me that, so shut up." "You shut up!" Cody watched as the argument between Seth and Joey got heated. They were too far to hear what was being said but he's only seen Seth get pissed off three times since he's known him. Now, four. He watched as Dean stepped in, said something, and then Joey reeled back his hand and promptly punched Dean square in the jaw, then kneed Seth in the gut. Cody was up before he could register it, running off the deck and across the yard. Before Joey could touch Seth again, he was tackled to the ground. "What the-" He didn't get to finish as Cody started swinging his small fists toward his face. "Leave them alone!" He screamed. Joey, after being nailed in the same cheek twice, shoved the five-year-old off of him, standing up quickly. "The hell is your problem?" Cody sneered at him, standing up too. Joey's arm was quickly snagged by Sika, who looked absolutely ticked off. Roman was quickly by his side, reaching over and grabbing Cody's wrist. The rest of the family watched the scene from the deck. "Someone better tell me what is going on before everyone gets sent inside." Sika demanded. "He hurt Sethie and Dean," Cody said quickly, throwing Joey a glare. Seth and Dean, who had eventually stood up and walked over, nodded their heads. "He was pushing me around while we were playing soccer. I asked him to stop but he wouldn't listen. Then he started saying how Dean, Bayley, Dad and I aren't even part of this family and that we don't belong." "Yeah," Dean said, rubbing his jaw. "I told him to shut up. He said make me, but I told him he wasn't worth my time. He punched me and kneed Seth. Then uh, Cody came over." "They're lying!" Joey protested, snatching his arm away from Sika. "Both of them! They're liars!" "Izaiah, are Seth and Dean lying?" Roman asked, ignoring the twelve-year-old. Joey gave his younger brother a death glare. Izaiah though, knew that his mother taught them not to lie. So reluctantly, he shook his head. "No, they're telling the truth." Sika pulled a protesting Joey to the deck for his parents to deal with him. Izaiah followed. Roman, Cody, Seth and Dean all went through the side of the house and through the front door, so not to deal with the rest of the family's prying eyes. He would tell Randy later. But to describe how he was feeling, he was livid. Not at the three boys with him, just Joey. That kid had no right to tell his boys they didn't belong. That's simply not something you say to someone, especially since it isn't true. Cody, like Roman, was pissed off, mumbling incoherent stuff under his breath. Roman sent Dean and Seth to go get cleaned up in the bathroom while he walked with Cody to the den, kneeling to the boy's height. "Cody? Can you look at me please?" He asked softly. Cody hesitated, but lifted his head. "Now, I understand why you hit Joseph, and I'm very proud of you for wanting to protect Seth and Dean, but you need to use your words, not your hands. Tell an adult next time." "But he was mean." "I get that buddy but hitting isn't nice. You can't do that." Roman sat Cody on the couch and sighed. "You're in time out for five minutes okay? Stay here, I'll come get you when time is up." Cody angrily watched as Roman left the room, gritting his teeth together. "Mine," he whispered harshly, clenching his fists together tightly. "My brothers. No one hurt my brothers."

Mine.

Chapter Text

Randy groaned as he watched Cody dump a bucket of sand over his head, Bayley hysterically laughing because of it. "His hair is going to be a pain to wash," he mumbled to himself, turning his head to look at Roman who was busy reading a book while getting a tan. He then glanced at Seth and Dean as they were throwing a frisbee around near the water. He thought about what happened earlier this week between Joey, Seth, Dean and Cody. He's never seen Cody so...angry before. Frustrated? Yes, but pissed off? He didn't think it was possible for a five- year-old to feel that type of way. But thus, he ended up attacking Joey for Seth and Dean's defense. Randy wasn't mad honestly, and neither was Roman. But they both knew that Cody couldn't put his hands on other people unless absolutely necessary. They did lecture him when they got back to the hotel, but Randy didn't think it went through his head. The little boy was still angry. He glanced back at Cody and Bayley and facepalmed as Cody poured another bucket of sand over his head. Bayley obviously thought it was funny. "Should we tell him to stop?" Roman asked, closing his book and sitting up. "Yeah, we need to leave anyway if we want you make it back to your mom's house in time for dinner. They're going to have to bathe." "Especially Cody," Roman snickered, standing up and helping Randy pack their things. "Kids, come on! We gotta go!" Roman laughed at the collective groans and whines he got in response. "Don’t wanna leave," Cody pouted as they walked back to the parking lot, Roman trying to brush as much sand out of his hair as he could. “Like it here.” "Sorry kiddo, but Nana and Grandpa Sika want us to have dinner with them one more time before we leave tomorrow." Getting to the car, Randy stopped everyone before they could get in. "Picture. I want a picture before we leave, since we don't have beaches in Missouri." So, then and there, Roman began to organize the kids for the picture with the sunset in the background. Bayley on Seth's shoulders, and Cody on Dean's. It wasn't until several hours later when the kids were all asleep did Randy look back at the picture on his phone. He didn't notice it before but when he did, his heart skipped a beat. Cody had a faint smile on his face. It was small, but it was something, and Randy knew that his little family was responsible for it.

"You and Dad are still coming up for the summer, right?" "Already got the flights booked." "Okay, tell me the date please, so I can take off work." Roman sighed softly. I'm not ready to go yet. Patricia and Sika gave everyone hugs and kisses as they dropped the family off at the airport. Patricia knelt down in front of Cody after saying goodbye to everyone else. "Remember," she whispered, smiling softly. "You can only allow your heart to hold as many people as you want. It can't fit everyone." Cody nodded. He understood that now, after constantly thinking about it for days. He leaned forward and gave her a hug. "Thank you." "You're so welcome. I'll be seeing you soon." Another round of goodbyes were distributed before the group had to go inside. Dean looked back at Patricia and Sika as they got back into their car, a deep frown displayed across his features. In less than seven hours, he will be home again with his Mom and David. But he doesn't want to go home. He'd rather stay with Patricia and Sika. Or Randy and Roman. He sighed as their bags were checked in, following everyone else to security. It had been so safe here. No name calling, no hitting from any adults, the feeling of belonging (except for that Joey fiasco). He felt he had a real family around him. I'm not ready to go yet. 

Unlike the first plane ride, Randy sat with Seth and Dean this time, with Dean in the window seat. He glanced at the ten- year-old boy and sighed, leaning his head back. He and Roman were supposed to speak to him about what Seth had told him, and the fading bruises on his back they had discovered at the beach yesterday. They had a week to bring it up, but they didn't want to ruin the vacation. He felt guilty about sending the boy back to the hell hole he has to call home. But what could they do? They couldn't keep him because ya know, kidnapping. There's only so much Vickie could do. They both know it takes a while when investigating a child abuse case because evidence isn't just there like a murder scene. It's a child's word against parents and unless there's other witnesses, the parents usually win. This justice system is a mess. If he had a choice, he'd want Dean to stay with him and Roman.

Dean's heart began to pound as Roman drove closer and closer to his house. He was absolutely dreading going home. He wasn't ready to go back to his normal life yet. He had an amazing spring break in Florida. Disney World, beaches, good food. And he felt safe. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. His Mom hadn't called Randy or Roman's cell at all during the week, which just proved to him that she didn't care enough for his well-being, neither did David. He honestly wanted to cry. Pulling up to his house, he reluctantly got out, quietly saying goodbye to Seth and Roman. Cody and Bayley were asleep, since it was almost midnight. Getting out of the car, he discovered that his Mom's car wasn't in the driveway, and David's wasn't parked across the street like usual. His heart sank even further. Randy handed him his suitcase out of the trunk and pulled him in for a tight hug. "If you ever need any help, please, please tell Seth so Roman and I can help," he whispered, pulling back and ruffling Dean's curls. "We'll always be here for you, no matter what." "Thank you," he responded back, smiling slightly. Please let me stay with you. Saying goodbye one last time, he dug out his house key and entered his home. Silence. Absolute. Motherfucking. Silence. They were gone, both of them. This isn't the first time they have left Dean by himself. They'd sometimes leave him for days at a time, going on drug runs across the state of Missouri. Dean quickly went to his living room window to see if Roman's car was still out front. But he was too late. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he watched the car pull away. "Please," he whispered, placing his palm flat against the window. "Please help me."

I want to stay with you.

Chapter Text

Roman has never felt so panicked in his life. One minute, he was calmly eating lunch with his co-worker Sheamus, then the next, he gets a frantic call from Randy. There had been an incident at school involving Cody, Bayley, and one other boy. He quickly walked to the office and was immediately directed to a door down a hallway. Inside, he found Cody, Bayley, and Randy sitting on one side, and the other boy opposite of them. But he instantly recognized the other man in the room. Drew McIntyre. He knew the rival lawyer had a son, but he's never seen him before. Hm, that must be his kid. "Nice of you to join us Roman, please have a seat," Principal Bobby Roode stated, sitting down at his own desk. "What is this about?" Roman asked as he took a seat next to Cody, who refused to look up. Glancing over, Bayley was sitting on Randy's lap, eyes puffy and red from crying. "There was an incident during recess after lunch. I was told that there was a fight going on between the two boys," Roode stated, clasping his hands together. Roman and Randy's eyes went wide, giving each other a nervous look. "Fighting? Between the two boys?" "That is what I was told by the recess monitors, yes." "What about Bayley?" Randy asked. "What does she have to do with any of this?" "She is the innocent party in this but unfortunately, she was involuntarily involved in this situation." Roman ignored a low growl that came from Cody. Bobby Roode shifted in his chair. "Bayley? Since you were unfortunately involved, can you tell us what happened?" The little girl sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes. "Well, I was playing with Sasha, Naomi and Asuka at recess…"

Bayley knew that Asuka couldn't kick a ball to save her life, but the group of girls were bored. So when Asuka kicked the ball hard and sent it flying toward the soccer fields, the other girls groaned while Asuka had a cheeky smirk displayed on her face. "I'll get it," Sasha said, sighing and running toward the ball. Naomi, being the mom-like figure of the group, went over the Asuka and tried to teach her how to kick correctly. While they were talking, Bayley wondered over to the fence, separating the playground from the Greenhouse/gardening area. She knelt down to inspect at some dandelions that had recently started to flourish. She was suddenly startled when someone stepped in front of her. Glancing up, she sneered at Adrian McIntyre (Neville). Bayley wasn't a big fan of the fellow second grader, especially since he liked to tease her over the fact that she and Seth were adopted. "What do you want Adrian?" She snapped. The boy smirked. "Wondering why you're looking at some flowers." "It's none of your business why. Now leave me alone." "Awe come on!" He snickered. "I just want to play!" "Well I don't want to play with you. So go away." "Why? Is it because you're adopted?" Bayley stood up quickly. Now, she rarely got angry because she always tried to see the bright side of things in life, but the mere presence of Adrian pissed her off greatly. "I told you to go away!" "I know, but I don't want to." "Go away or else." "Or else what? You'll tell your big brother Sethie?" Adrian laughed. "Ohhh! I'm SO scared of him! He's not even your real brother!" Bayley clenched her jaw tightly, tears prickling her eyes. "He is too!" "No, he isn't. You don't even have the same mom and dad. You have two Dads, and boys can't have babies." Bayley quickly wiped the tears from her face. "He…he is my brother. Seth is my brother!" "Aw, is the baby gonna cry! Cry baby, cry baby!" Adrian shoved Bayley to the ground, causing her to let out a sob. "You're adopted because your real parents didn't want a cry baby like you." 

Across the school yard at the basketball courts, Sami, Enzo and Cody were shooting hoops. Well, Enzo and Sami were, Cody would just run and get the ball for them every time it went too far. As the other two were talking, Cody quietly observed the other kids on the playground and what they did. He still wasn't comfortable actually playing with other kids, but he was okay with being around them and talking. As he scanned the field, his eyes locked on Bayley…and some other boy. He knew him from when he watched Sami play soccer. He's a second grader who like to push the kindergarteners around whenever they played. Ignoring Sami and Enzo, he started walking toward the field, then took off running when he saw him shove Bayley down. He made it there quick and immediately jumped on Adrian's back, screaming bloody murder. "My sister!" He roared, dragging his blunt nails down the second grader's face. Adrian, shocked, squirmed, trying to get the younger boy off his back. "What the heck, get off me! Get off!" He was finally able to get Cody off but the five-year-old only stumbled before tackling Adrian to the ground. "My sister! Don’t hurt my sister!" Adrian was able to get his leg in between himself and Cody, kicking the little boy off of him. Cody landed with a painful thud. The second grader stood up and grabbed Cody by the collar, getting in his face. "I don't know who you are, but Bayley is not your sister. She's adopted. She will never be your sister. Seth will never be your brother. Just like her, your Mommy and Daddy didn't want you anymore, so they gave you away. And I bet your Dad's won't want you anymore either, so they'll give you away too. No one wants Bayley, no one wants Seth, and no one wants you." He kicked Cody in the gut before shoving him back to the ground. Of course, the kindergartner wasn't going to take that, even though Adrian’s words cut deep. Stumbling back to his feet, he pushed the older boy; Adrian retaliated. Spinning around, he put Cody in a headlock, just like his Dad taught him. "You should have just minded your own business," he spat, attempting to tighten his arms around the squirming five-year-old. Cody figured out that the grip wasn't too tight. He slipped his head down between his arms, and when he became stuck, he bit him. Right on the wrist. Adrian promptly shoved him back and yelped in pain. "You bit me! You bit me!" Before anything else could be said, two recess monitors and Principal Roode were over, grabbing each kid before the fight got even more out of hand. 

"…and then we came here." Bayley finished, sending a glare to Adrian, who had his eyes narrowed in on her. "He started it," She said, pointing at him. "I did not start that fight!" "But you hurt Bayley!" Cody snapped, sneering at Adrian. Principal Roode sighed, looking at the parents in the office. "There are cameras out on the playgrounds. If Adrian claims that Bayley is lying, then we can just watch the footage." Drew McIntyre glanced at his son, who now had a nervous look on his face. Drew then stood up, looking at Roman and Randy. " Based on the look on my son’s face, I already know he is lying. I know this won't mean anything coming from me, but I'd like to personally apologize for what he has done to you today," he stated, grabbing Adrian’s arm and standing him up. "Apologize. Now," he demanded firmly. Adrian gulped and looked at the other two kids in the room. "I-I'm sorry for making fun of you…and fighting you." Randy nudged Cody and clenched his fists. "I'm sorry too," he grumbled. Principal Roode stood up. "We do not tolerate bullying and fighting here. Bayley, you were the innocent party in this situation, so you're not in trouble. Adrian, this is your second time fighting with someone, you've already been suspended for three days, now it's five days. Next time, you'll be expelled. Understand?" "Yes sir," Adrian mumbled. "And Cody, this is your first time. I know you just wanted to protect Bayley, but a recess monitor could have helped with the situation. I'm giving you a three-day suspension. You'll be able to come back next Tuesday, understand?" Cody nodded stiffly. "Any questions?" Silence. "Alright, you're free to go. The kids can go back to class. The boys' suspension starts tomorrow." "Can we just take them home?" Randy asked quickly. "Seth, Bayley and Cody?" "That's fine, just make sure they get their stuff and sign them out in the office." Roman groaned as they all walked out of the office, looking at Drew as he had a death grip on Adrian’s arm. "I'll take them to go get their stuff," Randy said softly. "You sign them out." The younger man nodded and quietly walked to the front office. He clenched his jaw as the anger he had been holding in suddenly started bubbling up again. No one. No one tells MY KIDS that they're not wanted. 

"Dad? Why are we going home?" Seth asked, swinging his backpack over his shoulders. Bayley and Cody were quiet next to him. "There's been an incident, so we're taking you home too." "What happened?" Randy scratched the back of his neck. "I'll tell you when we get home." Seth went silent after that, glancing at Cody and Bayley. What happened? They met up with Roman in the office then walked to the cars; all three kids with Randy while Roman drove alone. Seth looked out the window quietly, frowning. He felt uncomfortable with the amount of silence going on. Bayley usually talked non-stop but, she looked like he had been crying. And Cody…Cody looked upset and angry at the same time. What happened?

Bad boy! Bad boy! Bad boy! Arriving home, Cody isolated himself in his bed, his fingers twitching in fear. Fighting at school was the exact same reason his last two foster families sent him away. "No one wants you." Cody tried to shake Adrian’s words out of his head, but he couldn't help it. He's a bad boy. That's why no one wants him. Worthless. Piece of shit. Cry baby. Just like Daddy always told him. Cody paced his room, covering his ears. Worthless. "No…" No one wants you. "No!" Worthless. "NO!" No one wants you. "NO!" Roman swung Cody's bedroom door open, finding the five-year-old huddled in a corner, knees up to his chest and tiny hands covering his ears. Bayley peeked out from behind his legs. "Papa? Is he okay?" "I don't think so Princess." Roman took her hand and slowly creeped in, kneeling near the boy. "Cody?" No answer. And leaned closer to hear whatever he was mumbling under his breath. "Not a bad boy. Help Bayley. Not a bad boy." Roman sat on the floor and carefully pulled Cody onto his lap, hugging him tightly against his chest. "Shh, it's okay kiddo, it's okay." Cody didn't response, but Bayley noticed his shaking shoulders. She sat next to him and hugged him. Cody continued to mumble to himself, ears still covered, and eyes squeezes shut. "Thank you, Cody," Bayley said, hugging him tighter. The little boy eventually looked up. "My sister," he whispered sadly. "My sister." Bayley smiled and nodded. "My brother."

Dean frantically ran around his room as he shoved as many clothes as he could into his small duffel bag. His Mom and David haven't been home since he came back from Florida last Saturday. It is now Thursday night. He didn't understand how they could just get up and leave him. Was he not important to them? Especially to his Mom? Dean sniffled and swung the strap of his duffel bag across his body put his backpack over his shoulders. Looking around his room, he forced himself to leave before he changed his mind. There was nothing else for him here. Literally. No David. No Mom. No love. It just wasn't worth it anymore. He walked outside and threw his house key somewhere in the bushes. He was never coming back. Right as he stepped off the front porch, the sky lit up, followed by a crack of thunder. Then pouring rain. Just great. Dean grumpily pulled the hood over his head and started toward the sidewalk. He looked back at his house one last time, tears slowly making their way down his face. He never knew his life would be ruined by a single person. Someone who was supposed to be his Dad. And because of him, he didn't even know his Mom anymore. Shoving his hands into his already soaked hoodie, he turned around and continued walking. I love you Mom. 

"Roman, it's almost midnight. Please, come to bed." Randy whispered, leaning against the doorframe of Cody's bedroom, watching Roman pace the room as he carried a sleeping Cody in his arms. “I can't," The younger man whispered back. "I just…I can’t leave him. Not after what happened today. I can't leave him." "He'll still be here in the morning baby. "I know that," Roman responded, sitting down on the bed. He hugged Cody closer to his chest, rubbing his hand up and down his small back. "I want to adopt him," Roman blurred out. Randy's eyes went wide. "You…you're serious?" "As serious as my marriage to you. I know it's only been almost two months, but he needs us; all of us. Cody had some sort of meltdown earlier and called Bayley his sister, and she called him her brother." Roman strokes Cody's hair. "He NEEDS this family Randy. Vickie said this is the fastest he's ever trusted people before. I…I want him to stay. With us." Randy knelt down in front of Roman. "You're sure? You mean this?" Roman nodded, looking at his husband. "With all my heart." Randy glanced Cody still in Roman arms and slowly started to smile. "I'll make the call tomorrow."

Randy was eventually able to convince Roman to come to bed, but as they were walking back to their room, they heard the doorbell ring. They looked at each other confused. "Are we hearing things?" Randy asked. The doorbell went again, followed by loud knocking. They both made their way downstairs to the door, the knocking now growing frantic. Roman looked out the peephole but apparently, their porch light was out. "Light is busted," he whispered, slowly unlocking the door. "I'm going to answer anyway." Swinging open the door, both Roman and Randy's eyes went wide at seeing a soaking wet and shivering Dean Ambrose at their doorstep. "P-please," The ten-year-old stuttered. "Please. I-I need help."

I want to stay with you.

Chapter Text

"I'm not sure where they are Vickie. He said they've been gone since we got home on Saturday." Vickie angrily tapped her pen against her desk, setting her phone down and putting it on speaker instead. "Does he have any idea where they might have gone?" Randy dragged a hand down his face and groaned. "Not specifically. This isn't the first time they've done this apparently, but this is the longest they've left him by himself. He said they like to go on drug runs, but he doesn't know where they go." Vickie rubbed her temples. "Alright…okay thanks for telling me. I'll tell my boss and he'll probably end up telling the police. If an officer comes, don't be alarmed. They'll just want to ask Dean a couple questions about the situation. What time do they get out of school?" Vickie asked, pulling out a notepad." "2pm," Randy answered, peeking into Seth's room to see the two boys still snoring away. Last night, when Dean showed up, they had to wake Seth up, long enough to tell him that Dean will be staying with them for a bit and that they're not going to school the next day. Seth had been confused but they assured him that they would talk about it in the morning. But Randy was pretty sure Dean told him last night before they passed out in Seth's bed. "And what days will you or Roman be busy?" "We're free this weekend. Roman is off next Tuesday because I have a meeting. Then, in about two weeks, Roman will be going out of town for a couple a day." "Okay, an officer will most likely be at your house next Wednesday or so. In the meantime, I will call the school and put you and Roman on Dean's pick-up list." "You can do that?" "Social Services can, yeah," Vickie chuckled softly. "After an officer comes to talk to Dean, a case will be opened. Since his Mom is his actual legal guardian, she will be charged with Child Abandonment if she isn't back by whatever time limit is set, and Dean will be placed into Foster Care." "With us, right?" Randy asked quickly. Vickie sighed. "I'll try the best I can." "Okay, thanks." The two spoke for a little bit longer before hanging up. Randy scratched the back of his neck as he walked back to the kitchen, getting ingredients out to make pancakes. He desperately wanted to bring up the topic of adopting Cody, but he and Randy agreed last night to wait, because making sure Dean was safe was a main priority at the moment. Randy jumped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of small footsteps coming into the kitchen. "Daddy?" Bayley said, yawning and swiping her hair out of her face. "Are we not going to school?" "Not today." "Why?" Randy lifted her onto the island counter and kissed her forehead. "Well, Dean came here last night, so he's going to be staying with us for a while." Bayley frowned. "Why?" "It's a long story sweetheart, but don't ask Dean until he's ready to tell okay?" Bailey silently watched her father as he mixed the pancake batter, adding chocolate chips. "Did his Mommy leave him alone?" She suddenly asked. Randy froze, snapping his head to look at her. "My Mommy did that too," she added quietly. "She never came back. But it was so long ago. I don't remember what she looks like anymore." Randy abandoned the bowl of pancake batter and pulled Bayley into a tight hug, kissing her head. "Why didn't my Mommy want me Daddy?" She mumbled against his chest tearfully. Randy's heart shattered for his little girl. Bayley hadn't spoke about her Mother in two years. He honestly thought she didn't care for her anymore. Randy lifted her chin and wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb. "That's not true baby girl." "But Adrian said-" "Don't listen to him. What he said is absolute garbage, you hear me? He is wrong and should have never said anything at all." Bayley nodded. "Your Mommy loved you. She loved you very much, but sometimes, some Mommies are not ready to be Mommies yet. So, they call people to take their babies away and give them to people who will love them and care for them, because that's what babies deserve." "Like you and Papa?" "Yes, like me and Papa." Randy lifted her into her arms, smiling when he hugged him tightly around his neck. I love you Daddy. And Papa, and Seth, and Cody. Dean too." "We love you too sweet girl. To the moon and back. Always and forever."

"Dean?" Silence. "Dean. Dean, wake up." Silence. Seth groaned and lifted his bare foot, pressing it under Dean's shirt and against his naked back. He laughed loudly at the yelp he received. "Dude, what the heck?" Dean murmured, turning around to look at Seth. "Your foot is cold." "Well I needed to wake you up somehow." "I was sleeping," Dean grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head. "I'm tired." "Okay, but I can smell pancakes." "Pancakes?" Dean asked curiously, shifting under the comforter. "Yeah and- oh, is that bacon? I think Dad is cooking bacon too." "Okay I'm up!" Dean quickly sat up in bed while Seth laughed at him. Dean shot him a playful glare. "Don't laugh, I love bacon.” "I do too. And Bayley. So, let's go before she eats everything." The two raced each other downstairs, Dean sliding into the kitchen first. "Ha! I won! In your face Seth!" "Only because I slipped when we got off the stairs," the nine-year-old mumbled, shoving Dean who laughed and shoved him back. "Well good morning to you too boys," Randy smiled, sighing in relief at seeing Dean in a much better mood than last night. He seemed to be his normal self-right now, but Randy knew, when Roman got home, they're going to have to talk to him. For real this time. He served the bickering boy's their breakfast before slipping upstairs to check on Cody. He found the little boy still asleep, blanket thrown on the floor with his plush panda bear clutched tight against his little chest. Randy smiled at the sight then check his watch. Almost eight. Might as well wake him up now. "Hey, hey Cody. It's time to wake up now." A soft groan was all he got in response. "Come on lil man. I made breakfast, and I know you love bacon." "No bacon today," Cody mumbled, turning over and pulling his pillow over his head. Randy frowned, completely confused. Cody has never refused bacon before. "You okay kiddo?" "Not feel good." "What’s the matter?" "Tummy hurts." Much to Cody's displeasure, Randy lifted him to his arms and kissed his cheek. "Down," he whimpered softly. "Wanna get down." "We're just going to check your temperature," Randy responded, carrying him to the bathroom. "Not sick." "You said your tummy hurts." Cody was sat on the sink. "Does hurt," the little boy said back, lifting his t-shirt. Randy's eyes went wide at seeing the foot sized bruised taking up most of the space of his abdomen. "Where did you get this from?" "Adrian." Cody whispered. Randy dug through the medicine cabinet until he pulled out a tube of pain-relieving cream. "What's that?" Cody asked as Randy pull off his shirt, forcing him to stand on the sink. "It's a cream that goes on your tummy, so it doesn't hurt anymore." Cody shivered when the medicine was applied but remained still until Randy lifted him back into his arms. "After you eat, we'll ice it." "Ice it?" "To make the swelling go down." Cody had no idea what he was talking about but decided to stay silent as he was carried down to the kitchen. "Dean?" He whispered, confused as Randy sat him on the floor. "Dean here?" The ten-year-old turned in his stool, grinning at the younger boy. "Good morning Cody." Cody greeted Dean, Seth and Bayley before climbing on the seat next to Dean, digging into the food Randy sat in front of him. Seth noticed that Cody didn't even seem to question Dean's presence after the initial confusion, which he deemed a good thing. Hopefully, Dean can stay with us forever.

"Cold." "Well, ice is cold buddy." "Don’t like it." "Just for ten minutes, then we can go outside and play with Seth, Dean and Bayley." Cody frowned and leaned back against Randy's shoulder. "Trouble? For fighting?" Randy remained quiet for a moment, trying to decide how to continue. You know hitting is wrong, right?" Cody slowly nodded and bit his lip. "And you know fighting with Adrian was wrong too, correct?" Cody nodded again. "Can you tell me why you two were fighting?" "Because he be mean to Bayley!" Cody said quickly. "And he push her down!" "You could have told an adult Cody." "But he-" "No, listen to me okay? You can't hit, you can't kick, you can't bite, or anything that can physically hurt someone else. The only time you can hit back is if someone hits you first and you're just trying to get them away from you." Cody hiccupped and nodded, quickly wiping his eyes. "Sorry." "It's okay," Randy said softly. "I'm very proud of you for wanting to protect Bayley, but violence is never the answer. You’re not in trouble this time, because you were defending Bayley. But you can’t hit Cody, I mean it." Cody sniffled and turned his body, pressing his face against Randy's chest. He didn't mean to fight Adrian, but sometimes, he just gets so angry and lashes out. But he didn't feel bad for fighting with Adrian. From what Bayley told him, that wasn't the first time she had been bullied by him. He didn't like when other people were mean to others for no reason. Like my Daddy. Cody squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. Don’t think. Don’t think about Daddy. He gone forever. Don’t think. 

Roman sighed softly as he pulled into the driveway, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. He didn't want to leave work early, but his boss told him to go home for the day and make it a three-day weekend. He was admittedly distracted from Dean showing up last night. He was worried, so he took his boss's advice and came home, to spend some much-needed time with his family. He unlocked the front door, only to be met with silence.   He set his briefcase on the kitchen island and loosened his tie. "Hello?" Nothing. They must have walked to a park or something. He walked past the kitchen sink then stopped, looking out the window. He smiled and made his way to the back door leading outside. Randy, who had been sitting on the stairs of the deck, turned his head. "Rome? What are you doing home from work so early?" Roman took off his blazer and sat next to Randy on the steps, kissing his lips. "Boss realized I was distracted, so he sent me home. Randy frowned slightly. "Dean?" "Yeah. I'm just…worried. I want him to stay with us, but I know social services can only do so much." Randy nodded in agreement. "That's what Vickie said. She also put us on Dean's pickup list at school." Roman glanced over the backyard, laughing softly. Bayley was jumping on the trampoline that Randy had wiped dry, with all her plush animals on it. Seth and Dean were throwing a baseball around. And a couple feet away from them, was Cody. Dressed in nothing but jeans, yellow rain boots and Seth's old Batman cape, he was jumping in and out of mud puddles. Roman winced every time it splashed, covering his boots and parts of his jeans. "God, that's going to be a pain to wash," Roman groaned. Randy snickered, nudging his shoulder. "Let him live a little." So Roman did, even though he absolutely dreading the amount of laundry that would come after. He sat outside for a couple more minutes before going inside to change into more comfortable clothing. He came back down and was instantly put on kid duty because Randy went inside to start lunch. Piece of cake. All was going fine and dandy, Seth and Dean had started practicing batting, Bayley continued playing on the trampoline, and Cody decided to make mud pies. He was pretty content with the kids doing their own thing, until Bayley said, "Guys! Watch this!" He turned his head just in time to see his little girl jumping as high as she could, then do a double backflip, landing on her back. Seth and Dean clapped and cheered. Cody nodded and called back "Almost!" Roman was close to having a damn heart attack. She went to do it again, but he stopped her this time. "Bayley! You better not!" Roman quickly made his way over to the trampoline, Bayley's eyes wide. "Papa-" "When did you learn how to do that?" Bayley's bottom lip quivered. "A-At Sasha's house. Her brother showed us." Roman sighed, dragging his hand down his face. He knew he needed to calm down. Bayley is growing up. She'll be eight years old in three months. She's a little girl but old enough to explore new things. He was just having a hard time excepting that. "Papa? Are you mad at me? Because if you are I won't do it again. I promise." "No…no I'm not mad at you sweetheart." Roman sighed again. "Just be careful alright? And if you want to try a new trick, please, PLEASE, come tell me or Daddy first. You scared me there." "Sorry Papa," Bayley smiled and went through the net, throwing her arms around Roman's neck and kissing his cheek. He watched as she squealed and continued jumping on the trampoline, trying to stick the landing of her backflip. Turning back around, he suddenly had to run toward Cody, grabbing his hand before he could shove one of his mud pies into his mouth. "CODY!" The little boy, startled at the older man suddenly grabbing his arm, gave him a confused look. "No," Roman said, shaking the boy's arm until the ball of muck fell off his hand. "You don't eat mud." "But…Sethie said pie." "Did he tell you to eat it?" Cody shook his head no. "He say just make it, for fun. But pie." "It's called a mud pie because it's mud SHAPED like a pie. You can't actually eat it, it's not safe." Cody furrowed his eyes brows. "Oh. Sorry." "Don't be. It's a mistake and you learned your lesson. How about we go inside and give you a bath before lunch? You can't eat with muddy hands." Cody whined but followed Roman up to the deck, pouting when he had to be undressed outside, straight down to his undies. "Sorry kiddo," Roman chuckled. "You can't track mud in the house. And also, don't touch anything. Your arms are literally covered." Cody continued to pout as he carefully walked upstairs, and especially when Roman told him that he had to be hosed down in the shower instead of a bathtub. "Have to?" He whined, as Roman checked the water temperature. "Yes, now come on, step in. The faster we get this done, the faster you can go back and play." Cody's eyes brows raised. "But not in the mud." Roman laughed at Cody's sneer. "Maybe some other time." But hopefully not soon. 

Fresh in a completely new outfit, Roman watched as Cody hopped back outside once they came back downstairs. Yeah, the little boy literally hopped his way down the stairs and out the back door, running to play with Bayley on the trampoline. Roman groaned as he sat at the kitchen island, ignoring Randy's laugh. "Tell me it gets easier," he begged. "There's no way they cause that much trouble at the same time." "Look outside. That might answer your question." Roman glanced out the window and nearly fainted. Seth and Dean, the two older boys, were batting baseballs toward the net of the trampoline, right where Cody and Bayley were playing. Well, more Bayley because every time a ball hit the net, she would try to grab it. Cody was too occupied with rolling around in the plush toys that remained on the trampoline. Roman marched outside, hands on his hips. "Seth! Dean! What the hell are you two doing?!" All four kids stopped and turned to look at Roman, mouths open in shock. "Bad word!" Cody shouted, standing up and bouncing slightly in place. "You said a bad word!" But Roman ignored him, giving Seth and Dean both firm looks. "Do not do that again, understand me? That's dangerous and someone can get hurt! I know there's a net but what if one of you hit a ball hard enough that it went through? It would most likely pop Bayley or Cody right in the mouth, then we would have to go to the ER for stitches. Do you want that?" Seth and Dean quickly shook their heads no. "Glad were on the same page. Don't do that again." Both boy's apologized then walked around the yard, picking up the other baseballs. Roman placed a hand on his forehead as he turned to walk back inside. Can it get any worse? He was barley on the deck when he heard a startled scream, a thud, then choked crying…all from Cody. He instantly whirled around to find the boy on the ground outside the trampoline, and Bayley looking more than terrified. He quickly walked back over and lifted the little boy to his feet, rubbing his back. "Princess, what happened?" "He wanted to get off Papa, but his foot slipped because it's still kind of wet and he fell." Roman patted Cody's back and told him to try to take deep slow breaths. Of course, it wasn't working much, since the boy was panicking because he couldn't take as long of a breath that he was used to. But he was eventually able to breath normally again, and that's when Roman decided it was time to go inside for the day. Seth, Dean and Bayley didn't argue. Thank GOD. 

"Incredibles!" "Meatballs!" "Incredibles!" "Meatballs!" Dean sat next to Cody on the living room floor as they both watched Seth and Bayley argue over what movie to watch. "Do they always do this?" Dean whispered to Cody. The younger boy nodded. "All the time. Same movies," he answered, focusing back on his drawing. Dean sighed and slumped back on the couch. He didn't really feel like watching a movie tonight. He was too worried about the future; whether his Mom and David would come back. If they did, he would have to go home, and that was something he didn't want to do. He loves his Mom, he really does, but there's only so many limits a person could take before it became too much. He quietly listened to Roman scold Seth and Bayley for bickering, he watched them apologized, then Randy went over Cody, brushing the boy's hair out of his face and speaking softly to him. Cody answered back, gesturing to his picture. Then Randy went over to him. "You okay?" Dean frowned slightly. Should I lie to him? Probably not. I actually trust him. And Roman. Dean's fingers twitched nervously. "I…N-no, not really." "Do you want to talk about it?" Silence. " In the kitchen please?" They met up with Roman by the island counter. "Start talking whenever you're ready," Randy said. Dean sighed and tapped his shoulder anxiously. "I'm scared to go home," he blurted out after several moments of silence. He swallowed hard. "I-I don't want my Mom to come back. She…she hurts me. Her boyfriend David does too." Dean blinked his tears away. "They do drugs and they drink, and they smoke and he...he ruined my Mom!" He rolled up his sleeve. "My mom used to be nice. She used to tell me she loves me. She used to care about me. Now she just burns me with cigarettes whenever I do something she doesn't like." He angrily wiped his tears away, clenching his fists. "She tells me she hates me, how she wishes I were never born. Her life would be better. She would have more money. It's David's fault she's acting like this. And I just…I just want him to go away." Dean let out a choked sob as Roman pulled him into a hug while Randy rubbed soothing circles over his back. "I just want my Mommy to love me again," he added tearfully, his sobs racking over his body. "Why doesn't she love me?" "She does love you," Roman said, giving Randy a concerned look. "It's just…drugs and alcohol make people do stupid things, like hurting people when they don't mean to." "Why doesn't she stop then?" "It's not that easy, unfortunately," Randy responded, brushing the boy hair out of his face. "It's an addiction. It'll take a while to get her off of it." Dean let out a soft sob. "Why? Why so long?" "I honestly don't know kiddo," Roman said quietly. "I don't know."

Cody sighed as he listened to Seth and Bayley quietly continue their argument. He didn't understand why they did this every Friday night. It’s just movies. He put down his markers and picked up his picture, smiling slightly. He liked what he drew, and he was excited to show off what he did. He stood up and made a mad dash toward the kitchen. But he stopped once he got to the entrance, a frown heavily displayed across his features. Dean was crying, and Roman and Randy were trying to comfort him. He dropped his picture and ran over to the older boy, hugging his legs. "Don't cry!" He said frantically, climbing up on the stool so he was basically on Dean's lap. "Don't cry. Don’t be sad." Dean, a little bit shocked, untangled himself from Roman and wrapped his arms around Cody. "I'm okay," he told him quietly, sniffling. Cody lifted his hands and pressed them against Dean's cheeks, little lips stuck out. "Please don’t be sad." Roman motioned for Randy to leave, to let the two kids to have their moment together. Once they left, Dean lifted Cody, so he was actually sitting on his lap. The older boy though, couldn't stop himself from letting a few tears slip again. He couldn't help it. All the love he was receiving was what he has been wanting from his Mom for months. Cody pulled back and wiped the older boy's tears away with his thumb, just like Randy does to him. "S'okay," he mumbled, something Roman would say. "S'okay. Don’t be sad anymore." Dean smiled through his tears and pulled Cody back in for a hug. "Thank you." I wish I had a brother like Cody.

Dean stared out the window in Seth's bedroom, glancing up at the stars. He couldn't sleep, but he didn't want to disturb Seth with his boredom. Roman and Randy had provided Dean with a bed, his very own, so that he and Seth weren't in one bed. Dean took that as a sign this family wanted him to stay. But he knew that it all depended on if his Mom came back. He didn't want her to come back, because he knew she wouldn't be any better. She would still be addicted to drugs and alcohol. She would still be with David. Dean sneered, glaring out the window. David. Out of all people, why did David have to become her boyfriend? He knew he was trouble from the start, but his Mom didn't listen! And now she's ruined. He ruined her and made her hate her own child. Dean turned his head when he heard the bedroom door creak open. He expected Cody but was surprised to see Bayley instead. She tiptoed over and sat next to him. "My Mommy never came back," she whispered before he could say anything. "She left me by myself until people came to take me away. I don't remember how many families I was with until I came here to Daddy and Papa." Bayley pulled her knees to her chest. "Daddy said that some Mommies aren't ready to be Mommies yet, so people take them away and give them to people who are ready to be parents. That's why me and Sethie are with Daddy and Papa. And Cody. And…you." Okay, so Dean knew that first part wasn't true because his Mom had been raising him for ten years, but the family part…he smiled a little. Maybe it was fate that his Mom said yes to going to Florida with Seth. Maybe it was fate that he ended up bonding with Sika and Patricia. Maybe it was fate that his Mom and David were gone when he came back. Maybe it was fate that the first place he decided to go was this house. Maybe it was fate that…this is his true family. He turned his head to respond to Bayley, only to see she had gone, the door shut once again. He glanced back outside and smiled; a real smile this time. Bayley was right. He's wanted here, with this family. He could only pray that his Mom never comes home, because he wants to stay here. With his family.

Chapter Text

In Rock Point, Missouri…

"Your little jackass of a son is going to be the death of me. Why the hell does social services keep calling me? I'm not his damn Father." "Well David, if you would just give me back my phone-" "Shut up. You are being on your phone is what almost got us caught. I hope you realize that cops can track phone calls." Grace Ambrose sighed softly and looked back at the small motel tv. The last couple days, the two had been in hiding. It all started when a drug deal in Springfield went wrong. One of the customers ended up being an uncover police detective. David, Grace, and their friend Alfredo found out when his wire fell out of his shirt. Alfredo was shot and taken to jail. David and Grace were lucky enough to escape, but it took about 20 mins of a high-speed chase until they were free. Now, in a dingy motel in Rock Point, Grace was going stir crazy. Her and David were running low on drugs, alcohol, food, and money. "David, we need to leave. We need to get home to Dean." "Don't you think I know that?" David snapped, hands shaking from withdrawals. "And why do you care about that bastard anyway?" "He's my son." "So? You tell him you wish he weren't born every day." Grace bit her bottom lip and scratch her arm. "That's…that's the cocaine talking." "Drugs make you say things you really mean," David chuckled, sitting next to her on the couch. "Just put him up for adoption. Problem solved." Grace tensed as David wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest. But she didn't have time to worry about that. She's supposed to be home, with her son. But because she decided to go on this drug run with David, just like last time, she isn't. She understood that drugs and alcohol hasn't helped her relationship with Dean in the past year and a half, but it makes her feel alive. Being a single Mother isn't easy. She just needed something to make her feel free again. I hope Dean is okay.

In St. Louis, Missouri…

Roman sighed as he got out of the car, opening the back door for the rest of the kids to get out. First came Bayley, who was excited because she'll get to bring home her painting today from last week. Next were Dean and Seth, still debating over what breakfast food is better: pancakes or waffles. And last, was Cody, who was not only cranky, but also not happy about having to go back to school today. "Don’t wanna go," he whined, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. "Stay home with you." Roman smiled softly, grabbing his hand. "Sorry kiddo, but school is important." "Yeah," Dean added. "You need to learn how to count and do Math and read-" "But I can count! And read!" Cody said defensively as they walked into the school. "I can do all that!" "But there's still more to learn," Roman said, laughing at Cody's expression of defeat. Roman stopped by the office to sign the kids in, then Dean, Seth and Bayley all said their goodbyes, walking off to their respective classrooms. They're late today because Roman forgot to set his alarm. Roman walked Cody to his classroom and knelt down, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day alright? And be good." Cody gave him a small smile, making Roman's heart flutter. "I promise." Cody said goodbye one last time before running into his classroom, handing his teacher his late note then sitting at his table with his classmates. Roman watched him through the door-window and smiled, chuckling softly. He'll be fine. 

Dean groaned and laid his head on his desk. He had finished his math worksheet early and was bored out of his mind. He turned his head and looked out the window, smiling at seeing Cody outside with his friends at morning recess. I wish I were in kindergarten again. He watched as Cody and two other boys he was playing with, one with ginger hair, the other a mix between dark brown and blonde hair, were shooting hoops. "Dude, what are looking at?" Seth whispered, poking Dean with his pencil in the back of the head. "Your brother is outside playing basketball," Dean answered absentmindedly. "He's pretty good." Finn Balor, the foreign exchange student from Ireland turned in his seat. "I thought you only had a sister." Dean's eyes went wide, realizing what he said. He quickly turned in his head to look at Seth, expecting a glare for referring to Cody as his brother. Instead, Seth only smiled at Finn, nodding his head. "He's my foster brother, but still my brother nonetheless." Finn nodded and grinned. "Cool. He should play with us sometime. He looks really good at basketball." Seth and Finn continued to quietly talk while Dean looked back out the window, watching Cody and his friends again. He never realized it because he was an only child, but he really wanted siblings, especially ones like Seth. Even though Cody technically isn't his brother, Seth still said he was anyway. That's the kind of love he has been longing for a while now. He wondered if his Mom had it hidden somewhere deep in her heart. But the drugs…they make people do horrible things. Like hurt those they love. Dean turned his head when Mr. Foley called for the classes' attention, but not before glancing out the window one last time. Cody's class was now lining up; even though Dean's classroom wasn't too close to the playground, Dean could see the faint smile on Cody's face. He smiled too.

"Wanna sleepover Saturday?" "This Saturday?" "Yes." Bayley shook her head no, frowning at Sasha. "Sorry, but I can't. It's my Dad's birthday." Sasha groaned. "Aw man! My brother Enzo is having a sleepover and I don't want to be in a house full of little boys! Gross!" Bayley laughed. "I know. Enzo asked my brother at recess if he could sleep over too, but he said no." "Enzo asked Seth? I didn't even know they knew each other." "No not Seth, Cody." Sasha stared at her, mouth agape. "That's your brother? Enzo talks about him all the time! I didn't know you had a little brother." Bayley shrugged, smiling as she finished her painting. "Well, he's my foster brother, but he's lived with us long enough to be my brother. I hope my Dad and Papa adopt him, so he can stay forever. Dean too, but he's already has a Mom." Sasha observed Bayley as she stood up, putting her painting on the drying rack. "I wish I had a sister. I think that would be boss." "Ask your Mommy and Daddy to adopt," Bayley said as she walked back to her seat. "I'm adopted. Sethie is too. Babies without parents need love too."

Randy groaned as he impatiently tapped his steering wheel. He had gotten out of his meeting earlier than planned so he told Roman that he would pick up the kids. But now, here he was at the school, 20 minutes early and bored out of his mind. He thought about signing the kids out now, but Roman told him earlier that he got the kids to school late, so that wasn't an option. So, he decided to just wait, playing a game on his phone to pass the time. Moments later, and end of the day bell rang, and the kindergarten classes began filing out. Randy got out of the car when he saw Mrs. Torres’ class. He stopped halfway across the parking lot once he saw Cody. He…he was smiling. Like, a REAL smile. Randy heart swelled with pride and finished his journey, kneeling down when Cody shouted his name and ran into his arms. "Hey kiddo," he whispered, kissing the boy's temple. "How was your day?" "Good," Cody giggled, making Randy heart swell even more. He had never seen Cody so…so happy. He listened as the kindergartener talked about his day; what he drew during art time, playing basketball at recess with Sami and Enzo, all the new words he learned to write. It sounded like he had a good day. He was still talking as Bayley came out next, followed by Seth and Dean. Walking to the car, Randy noticed that Dean seemed to be in deep thought but decided to not ask until later. He didn't want to pressure the ten-year-old to talk in front of the other kids. The ride home was animated, Cody continued talking about his day, and Seth and Bayley adding in excitedly. Dean was still quiet when they got home, even when they greeted Roman. Roman was just as shocked at seeing Cody smiling and laughing as Randy was, but he also took notice in Dean's unusual silence. He gave his husband the 'we'll talk to him later' look and began to make the kids an after-school snack.

Cody eyed Dean as he quietly spoke to Randy about whatever homework worksheet he was doing. The older boy usually loved talking and could never stay still because of all his pent-up energy. He's been silent ever since they've got home; that's usually Cody. And now the five-year-old was confused why. He leaned over to Roman who was watching Bayley do her spelling homework and whispered in his ear, "I think Dean is sad." Roman peered over at the older boy, frowning slightly. Dean sat with his shoulders slumped, eyes not as bright as usually. He looked utterly depressed. Roman leaned down and pressed a kiss on Cody's cheek, whispering back, "He is a little sad, but Randy and I will make him feel better." Cody, content with said solution, sat back on his stool, continuing to work on his own spelling homework. He couldn't help but glance one more time at Dean, wondering what had made him so quiet today. Don’t be sad no more. 

Later that night, Roman and Randy found the perfect window to talk to Dean alone: while Seth was in the shower. They knocked on the door, startling the kid before his eyes went wide. "A-am I in trouble?" Roman chuckled softly. "No, we just want to talk to you about how your day was." Both men sat down on Dean's bed, sandwiching the boy. Dean shifted uncomfortably. "So how was your day today?" Randy asked. Dean only shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Nothing exciting happened." "Well, how are you feeling?" Dean furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I feel…fine?" "Are you sure?" Randy stressed. "Because we noticed, along with Cody how quiet you were today. Is everything okay at school?" Dean grumbled under his breath. He had forgotten how observant the little five-year-old was. He sighed. "Everything is fine at school. I just…I was just thinking." Roman threw an arm around Dean, rubbing his shoulder. "About what?" "Uh…my Mom." Silence. "I don't want my mom to come back because then I'll have to go home," Dean continued, biting his bottom lip anxiously. "I want to stay here, with you." "You will," Randy said firmly. Roman gave him a wide-eyed look, but Randy only ignored it. "I'll make sure of it. You're safe with us." Dean smiled softly, accepting the hugs from each man. It was nice to know that he was wanted. Even if it isn’t from Mom.

Roman peeked into Cody's room after saying goodnight the other three kids and smiled at seeing the little boy still awake, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on top of his ceiling. "Hey lil man, what are you still doing up?" Roman sat next to the race car bed, opening his arms when Cody began to climb in them. "Dean still sad?" Cody asked, yawning and nuzzling his face into Roman's chest. The older man rubbed his back gently. "Not anymore buddy. He's okay now." Cody hummed softly and closed his eyes. Moments later, Cody spoke up again. "Can you sing to me?" Roman's eyes furrowed. "Sing?" Cody nodded against his chest and whispered. "My Mommy singed to me. The Rainbow song. I like that one." Roman grinned silently and kissed Cody's head. He knew exactly what song he was talking about. "I can do that for you." He hadn't sung properly since Bayley was four, but he was willing to try. For his boy.

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high;

There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

Now asleep, Roman laid the little boy back in his bed, pulling his blanket over his small body. He took a moment to watch Cody sleep, taking note of how peaceful he looked. He's so precious. He gave the boy a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight Cody," he whispered, tucking the blanket tighter around him. "You're safe here with us, you and Dean. No one is going to hurt you anymore." He brushed his hair away from his closed eyelids. "I love you so much." He was only halfway across the room when he heard a mumbled response:

"Love you Papa."

Chapter Text

"Love you Papa."

The next several days went by as a blur for Roman. All he could think about was little Cody calling him Papa. He hasn't said it again, but Roman didn't care. That meant Cody want to stay here; he felt comfortable. And that's all that mattered. Roman was finally able to snap out of his daze when Saturday rolled along. He grinned as he silently sat up in bed. Randy's birthday. He had the entire day planned out for his husband, and he couldn't wait to get it started. He quietly climbed out of the shared bed and rushed downstairs to start breakfast. He was blatantly surprised to find all four kids awake, searching frantically for something in the kitchen while Seth sat on top of the island counter, mixing a bowl of something. "Kids? What are you guys doing up?" he asked, leaning over the counter to seeing what was in the bowl. "We're looking for the tray, Papa," Bayley answered, closing a lower cabinet day. "The one we use for breakfast in bed." Before Roman could reply, Cody exclaimed, "I think I found it!" then tossed the tray to Dean. It finally occurred to the older man that Cody was on top of the refrigerator because he and Randy store the trays in those specific cabinets. He whipped around, an exaggerated "Cody' spilling out of his mouth as he quickly rounded the counter and pulled the little boy off the fridge. Cody let out a surprised squeak at the tight hug he received. "Do not do that again, you understand me?" Roman said sharply, not waiting for a response as he turned back around to the other kids. "And you three, do not let him do that again, got it? All of you are perfectly healthy, and I'd like to keep it that way." Cody hiccupped and hugged him tightly around the neck. "I'm sorry." Roman sighed, mentally facepalming. You can't freak out like that. You're scaring him. "It's okay," he cooed, kissing Cody's head. "You just worried me there. I don't want you to get hurt. You understand, right?" The little boy nodded, squirming to be let go. Roman laughed and set him on the ground. "So why are you kids up for early?" "We're making Dad breakfast for his birthday," Seth answered. Dean raised his hand, smirking. "It was my idea." Roman raised an eyebrow. "Really? So, tell me, do either of you guys know how to use the stove?" "I do!" Bayley piped up. "When I help Daddy cook, he shows me how to use it safety." Roman tilted his head back and sighed. Of course, he did. "Okay well, what's on the menu?" Seth tilted his bowl. "Cody said we should make Dad Belgium waffles. So, we looked up the recipe on the computer." Cody gave Roman a sheepish look and bit his lip. "My…my Mommy made those kinds of waffles on my birthday once." The tension in the room rose slightly. Seth, Bayley and Dean knew of the unspoken rule to not speak to Cody about his deceased Mother and baby sister. This was the first time he has brought them up himself, on a more positive note. "Alright then," Roman said, a soft smile on his face. "Belgium waffles it is."

Randy had been awake since Roman had slithered out of bed several minutes before. But he ‘accidently’ heard their plan of breakfast in bed, so he didn’t leave. Instead, he entertained himself by watching YouTube videos on his laptop and quietly laughing to himself every time he heard one of the kids say something hilarious downstairs. Yeah, they were that loud. He smiled at Dean's corny jokes, Bayley's response to them, Seth's bickering with Roman and Cody's infectious laugh. Yep, that's his family, and he wouldn't trade them for the world. Which is why his mind suddenly switched over to Dean's mom. She has until Monday to come back into town and claim Dean before he is turned over to social services. Foster home bound. Thing is, Randy doesn't want her to come back. Call him selfish but as far as he was concerned, Dean is his and Roman's son. He mentally growled. She doesn't deserve him. He snapped out of his daze right as his family, his family, came into the master bedroom, his breakfast on a tray and yelling 'Happy Birthday.' Yup, he's decided. He was going to fight to have Dean stay with them, no matter what it took. And from the way Roman smiled at Dean as the boy carefully took the tray from him and set it on the table, he knew his husband would be right by his side.

Jefferson City, Missouri…

"I think we still need to lay low for a couple more days." "Social Services is going to take Dean if I don't get him right now David." "So? Let them take him. Less problems for us." "That's my son." Two weeks ago, you didn't give a flying shit that we left when he went off to Florida with those two faggots. Why do you care now?" Grace didn't answer, causing David to smirk. "Yeah that's what I thought. You only care now because you don't have any drugs in your system. You're going through withdrawals and it’s making you think about how shitty your life was before you got high every day. Before me." "I had a good life thank you very much." "That's not what you told me when I gave you crack for the first time. You said, and I quote," David cleared his throat dramatically, snickering at Grace's annoyed expression. "'The high took me away. It made me feel like I was…flying. Free. Free from this life. I'm tired of being a single Mother. Give me more.'" Grace looked away, running her shaking fingers through her strung-out hair. "I…I didn't mean it like that." "Then tell me darling, how did you mean it?" "I meant I was tired of being alone! I didn't want to be single anymore. I love my son okay? I love Dean, and I want him back before he gets taken away." David glared at her. "So, you were looking for a Dad for the little asshole." It came out as a statement, rather than a question. "Don't call him that." "Oh hell, you're one to talk Grace, you really are! Unlike you, I can remember stuff when I'm high and drunk off my mind. From the way you treat that boy, there's no way you love him." "I do too!" "No, you DON'T!" David roared, squeezing his eye shut out of frustration. "From the names you call him, and from the way you beat him up? There's no way." "Like you're better." "I told you from the start that I didn't like kids. And it just so happens that that little bastard gets on my nerves all the damn time. Not my fault you put your child in danger." David said it like it was no big deal, but Grace Ambrose remained frozen. He was right. By choosing him, she put her Dean in danger. And now, he's paying for something he had no say in. Grace stood up quickly and grabbed her purse, throwing the keys at David. "Get in the car." "Excuse me?" "Get. In. The. Car." "Babe-" "I'm not letting my son be taken away from me when I can stop it, so you either drive me back home or I walk out of this motel room right now and hitchhike my way there." David eyed her, grunting and sitting back down. "Yeah, sure you will." Grace huffed and put her shoes on. "Whatever." She had just opened the door when it was slammed back closed, David's body flush against her. "Okay okay! Just…you're serious? You really want to go home to that kid?" Grace narrowed her eyes. "Fine! Whatever! We'll go, but I hope you realize that we were supposed to stay one more day and I can't get my money back for it." Grace didn't answer; just impatiently watched him as he gathered his stuff from around the room. David quietly growled and clenched the keys tightly in his hand. Of course. It's always about that fucking boy. He's gonna get it. 

Back in St. Louis…

"You know, after three rounds, I deserve a massage." "You? I did all the work!" "True, but you're not the one who had a dick up their ass in multiple different positions." Roman facepalmed and blushed as his husband's blunt reasoning. "Are you complaining?" "Hell no!" Randy leaned over and kissed his husband, whispering, "Best. Birthday sex. Ever." "So far," Roman corrected. "Because I'm not ready to let you go yet." Randy snickered. "All I heard was another round." "Where? How? What…I'm gonna need an essay in MLA format, double spaced, 12-font, Times New Roman on how you got that. I was trying to be sentimental here!" "Sweet moment over." Randy straddled his husband and pinned his arm above his head, smirking down at him. "Now what?" Roman shifted his hips restlessly and groaned. "I honestly don't think I have it in me to go another round babe." Randy started to slide down his body. "Not even if…" "No. Not even if you give me a blowjob." The older man huffed playfully and laid back down next to his husband, mumbling, "And you call me old." Roman laughed and pulled Randy into his arms, kissing his cheek. "Did you have a good birthday? I tried to plan stuff that I knew you would enjoy. Kind of hard when the kids are way younger than 21 and aren't allowed in bars." Randy chuckled softly. "That's okay. I loved today, especially because the kids were with us. They offer entertainment without even trying. Dinner is a perfect example. Roman groaned. "Please don't remind me." "What? I thought it was pretty funny when Cody spilled his bowl of chili on his lap." "Even when he took off his shorts and preceded to lick it clean?" "Especially that part." They sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes before Roman spoke up again, his voice quiet and uncertain. "We're going to be okay, right?" Randy looked at him confused. "Us?" "Our family. You, me, Seth, Dean, Bayley and Cody. We're going to be okay, right?" Randy dragged his fingers through Roman's wild, matted hair and sighed. "I'm not going to lie and say we are, because there is a chance that we could get Dean taken from us. But we can only hope. This family isn't perfect, but it's perfect for us, and that's all that matters." Roman listened to Randy's words and closed his eyes. His husband was right. The only thing they could do is fight to keep their family together. "Cody called me Papa," he blurted out suddenly, opening his eyes to see Randy's reaction. He was merely surprised to see a smirk on his face. "I know." "H-how?" "You acted the same way when Seth and Bayley called you Papa for the first time." "Acted how?" "Daydreaming more, distracted. Trust me, it's only noticeable because I've known you for a while." Roman chewed his bottom lip. "You're…not mad?" "Why would I be?" "Because he called me Papa, but hasn't called you..." "Dad?" Randy finished, shrugging slightly. "It'll come in time. We already got him to talk more, and smile, and laugh. I think that's enough for the time being." Roman smiled and kissed Randy deeply. "I love you," he mumbled. "I love you so damn much it hurts." "I love you too, Ro." The two men wiggled around until they found a comfortable position in bed. It wasn't even ten minutes later when the heard the doorbell rung...six times. "Fucking hell," Randy grumbled, getting out of bed and throwing sweats on. Roman followed. "It's damn near one in the morning. What the hell do these people want." "Well, the last time we answered the door late at night, it was Dean," Roman whispered once they got downstairs to the front door. "Don't remind me." Randy swung the door open without looking through the peephole, his eyes widening at the sight. Roman's breath caught in his chest. Grace Ambrose looked at the two men and cleared her throat awkwardly. "I um...I'm here for Dean. I'm here for my son."

Chapter Text

"Dean is asleep right now. C-come back around eight-ish."

That was all Randy was able to stutter out before slamming the door in her face. He and Roman didn't sleep much that night. It also didn't help that as soon as they got back to their room, they called Vickie multiple times until she picked up, explaining the situation. So, when morning came along, they didn't want to get up; face the reality that Grace Ambrose is back for her son. "It'll be okay," Roman whispered as he sat up, gripping Randy's hand. "It'll all work out in the end. Vickie will realize that Dean isn't safe with her, and he'll be back here in a couple days." Randy let out a shaky breath, squeezing Roman's hand back. "I feel like a complete asshole letting him go back to them." "We don't have a choice. I... I wish we did. But, we don't." They sat in silence for a couple minutes until Roman got up, kissing the back of Randy's hand. "I'm going to go start breakfast. Mind getting the kids up?" "All of them?" "Yeah. I... want them to say goodbye to him." Randy nodded stiffly and stood up, going to Seth and Dean's room first. He froze once he got to their doorway. No. He wasn't ready. I'm not ready to give him up. He cleared his head and shook Dean awake first. The boy groaned and tried to pull his blanket over his head. "Dean," Randy sighed. "Please get up. This is important." The younger boy slowly sat up, giving Randy a confused look. "Is there school?" "No..." Randy swallowed hard. Tell him. Tell him now. "Your mom came back last night." Randy waited for a reaction. Dean just sighed and looked down. "I knew it. I knew she would come back for me." "Dean-" "It's not your fault." The boy sniffled, throwing the blanket off his body. "I know I can't stay here. I knew they would find out eventually." "We'll get you back," Randy told him instantly. "You belong with us, here. We're going to fight to get you back." "Dean is leaving?" Both figures turned their heads toward Seth, who's eyes were wide with anger. "H-he can't! They're just going to hurt him again!" "Seth," Randy said calmly. "Remember what I told you after Dean came to us? What Mrs. Guerrero said?" Seth grumbled. "That his mom had until a certain day to come back if she wanted Dean again?" "Exactly, and she's back now. So... Dean has to go." All three sat in silence. "Papa is downstairs making breakfast. I don't know when your mom will be here." Both boys nodded and shuffled downstairs. Randy rubbed his eyes, willing his tears to stay at bay. Stay strong. Your family needs you. He woke up Cody and Bayley next, but didn't tell them of the situation. Not yet at least. I'll tell them when the time comes.

Breakfast was tense. Nobody spoke, something Cody and Bayley did not understand. They looked at each other in confusion. Everyone looked... sad. Several minutes into breakfast, the doorbell rang. Bayley watched as Seth, Dean, her Papa and her Dad cringed. She watched Roman stand up and get the door. She watched as Vickie walked in the door, followed by some man and woman she has never seen before. Roman didn't look happy; a mix between upset and pissed off. Randy did too. Suddenly, it all clicked into place. Dropping her fork, her eyes went wide. "Does Dean have to go back?" She asked no one in particular. Randy looked away, both Seth and Dean looked down. That answered her question. She let out a loud wail before flinging herself at Dean, hugging him tightly. "No! I don't want him to go away! I want him to stay here! With us!" Cody's breathing started to pick up. After seeing Bayley's reaction, he knew it was true. Dean is leaving. He scooted out of his chair and bolted towards the living room, attaching himself to Vickie's leg. "Please don't take him Mrs. Guerrero," he said tearfully, his hiccups racking through his body. "Don't take my brother away." Behind her, Grace frowned deeply, crossing her arms. She didn't know who this kid was, but the fact that her called her son his brother annoyed. "He's not your brother," she told him. Cody turned his attention towards her, eyes narrowed. "He is too." David rolled his eyes and grumbled. "No kid, he isn't." "He. Is. Too." It was David's turn to glare. "No, he's not." Cody sneered and went to launch himself at David, but Roman was quick, lifting the small boy into his arms. "Buddy, control yourself. Remember that talk we had about hitting other people? Calm down." Cody squirmed, his little body literally shaking with anger. David laughed loudly. "Seriously? That's how you discipline you kids? It obviously hasn't been effective." Roman closed his eyes and counted to ten. Don't blow up, don't blow up. He isn't worth it. Don't do it. "How I raise my kids isn't any of your business." He then shifted his attention to Cody, setting him on the ground once he calmed down. "How about, you, Bayley and Seth go help Dean pack okay?" Huffing, Cody sent one last glare to David before storming back to the kitchen, Randy walking out seconds later. "I hope you're happy," he growled, looking at Grace. "You're tearing the kids apart. Why are you even here?" "For my son." "Really? Because I hope you realize that you have been gone for nearly three weeks! Where the hell have you been?!" Grace shifted. "B-business trip." Roman snorted. "Both of you? Bullshit." "Watch who you're talking to." David grumbled. Both men sent him a glare. Feeling the tension rising, Vickie stepped in-between the couples. "Alright, calm down. This is not the place to talk this out. The kids are upstairs." "You're right," Randy said, chuckling dryly. "We'll talk this out in court." "Court?" Grace asked confused. "Termination of your parental rights to Dean." "You can't do that!" "We can. And we will." Grace went to speak again, but David held up his hand, shaking his head. "Don't. Let's just get Dean and go home. We'll talk about it later." The four adults sat in silence after that, waiting. Finally, the kids came back downstairs. Dean tensed at seeing his mom for the first time in weeks. She looked...different. Her eyes weren't bloodshot. David though... David looked absolutely pissed. Dean shivered at that. I don't wanna go. "Hi," he mumbled, walking toward them. Grace smiled and stood up. "Hi baby. How are you? Are you hungry? We can go to your favorite restaurant to eat if you want. I know you love Denny's." Dean stopped, looking up at her. Yeah, this is his real Mom, before the drugs. But David is still with her. He knew that once they got alone, he would give her more drugs and the wicked witch would appear again. "I-I already ate," he whispered fearfully, shifting his sight to David. The man smirked, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, can we go now? I have work to do today." Randy glared at him, crossing his arms. "At least let him say goodbye first." David rolled his eyes and stepped back. Dean swallowed hard and turned around. He was immediately pulled into a hug by Seth. The nine-year-old held his tears back, prompting to laugh wetly instead. "See you at school tomorrow, yeah?" Dean nodded sadly and turned to Bayley. Unlike Seth, she didn't try to hold her tears back. She hugged him around his waist and sniffled loudly. "I love you Deanie." Dean laughed sadly and squeezed her back. "I love you too Bayley. He went to Cody next, kneeling and hugging him tightly. The five-year-old let out a choked sob, his small shoulders shaking. Dean pulled back and wiped his tears, smiling tearfully. "It's okay, I'm just going home. I'll see you again." "B-but I want you t-to stay here." "I- I know." Dean reluctantly stood up and turned toward the two men. Right then and there, he let the tears flow. He tried to keep them in, he really did, but these two men have done everything they could to make him feel safe...to make him feel loved. And now he had to leave. He hugged Randy first, pressing his face into his side to hide his tears. "Shhh, you're okay," Randy whispered, leaning down and kissing his head. "We'll always be there for you, understand?" Dean let out a shaky breath and nodded, hugging Roman last. "We're going to get you back," the Samoan man told him, glancing at David angrily. "We'll make sure of it." Grace stepped past Vickie and grabbed Dean, pulling him toward her. The ten-year-old cringed and sent Roman and Randy a brief look of helplessness. "You won't be getting him back because he's my son. Don't make promises you know you can't keep." Randy sneered but remained silent. Vickie gave Grace and David a nod and the couple turned to leave, Grace still holding Dean’s arm. The remaining family of five watched him go. They watched as he got in the car. They watched the car drive away until they couldn't see it anymore. They watched as part of their heart was taken away.

Dean's heart pounded against his chest as the car drove further and further away from Randy and Roman's house. He didn't want to go back with his Mother and David. His Mom may be acting like she did before meeting her shitty boyfriend, but he knew as soon as they got home, she would use drugs again. He didn't trust her. Dean shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, looking out the window. Please, take me back. David glanced at the ten-year-old through the rearview mirror and smirked. "So, kid, I hope you realize how much trouble you caused your mom and I." Dean tensed, his heart pounding faster. "You had social services up our ass for weeks. Why the hell didn't you just stay home where you belong until we got back?" "There was no food," Dean grumbled. "You could have cooked something. Jesus, it's not rocket science." "I dunno how." David chuckled dryly. "Of course, you don't. Fucking useless." "David, leave him alone," Grace scolded, rolling her eyes. She then turned in her seat to look at Dean. "So... how was the trip to Florida?" "Fine," the boy answered quickly, refusing to give his Mom a single glance. His fingers shook as they pulled into the drive of their house. Home sweet hell. The three got out of the car and immediately went inside. Dean tried to make a mad dash toward his abandoned room, but Grace grabbed his arm. "Come here. I want to talk to you." He reluctantly followed her back to the common area. His eyes twisted in disgust once he saw David pull out a plastic bag from a hidden area in the couch. Cocaine. Of course. "Why did you run away?" Grace asked Dean, ignoring her boyfriend at the moment. The ten-year-old shifted his gaze to the floor and shrugged. "You better answer her kid," David snapped. Dean tensed, his voice wavering. "B-because I don't like it here." Grace's face hardened. "We're your family, Dean. They are not your family. Seth and that little boy are not your brothers, and Bayley is not your sister. You belong with us. Not them." Dean didn't know why, but his anger flared. He tapped his shoulder anxiously and sneered. "I hate it here," he said quickly. "I want to go home." "You are home." "No, I'm not. I want to go home to my family." "We are your family," Grace said firmly, gripping her son's chin. Dean flinched, but the hatred in his eyes didn't falter. "Well I don't want you to be my family anymore." Tension rose in the room before David stepped in. "What did you just say?" Suddenly, Dean didn't feel so brave anymore. He cowered away from his mother's grip as David came closer. "I asked you a question boy!" Dean swallowed hard and repeated what he said in a quiet voice. David was quick to grab him by his collar, hauling him up until he stood on his toes. "Listen here you little shit, and listen good, because I will only tell you this once. Whether you like it or not, that woman over there is you mother, and even though I hate your ungrateful ass with a passion, I'm technically your father; you better show us some respect. You should be happy we didn't throw you out when we had the chance cause trust me boy, I would. You're a worthless little brat and the only reason why you're still living here is because your Mother wants you too. Don't make her change her mind, understand?" Dean nodded, tears forming in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry. Please let me go." "It isn't me you should be apologizing to." David shoved him toward Grace, narrowing his eyes. "Say it." Dean gulped and looked at his Mother. For a second, he saw his life before David came along. When his Mom said 'I love you' every single day. He hasn't heard it in so long. "I'm sorry Mommy," he whispered, wiping his eyes before the tears came. Grave merely nodded and walked off to her room, slamming the door shut. David grunted and looked at him. “Where’s my money?” “W-what?” “My money, Dean. The money I gave you for Florida. Where is it?” Dean looked at him confused. “B-but…you gave it to me.” “Yeah, and now I’m taking it back because of this fucking stunt you pulled!” David raised his fist and Dean flinched so hard he stumbled onto the ground. “Don’t fucking talk back to me! Give me what you didn’t spend before I beat the shit out of you. NOW!” Trembling, Dean pulled his backpack over and pulled out his wallet, handing it to the man. David snatched it and pulled out the whole $200 out. David smirked. “Let me guess, you told them you had money, but they bought you everything you wanted.” Dean nodding, sniffling softly. "See, this is why you’re fucking spoiled,” David spat before throwing the wallet back at the boy and grabbing the cocaine and a couple bottles of beer before going into the bedroom with Grace. Dean watched and covered his mouth as he started to sob. I want to go home.  

Randy couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't get the image of Dean's terrified face as he was taken away by his Mother. That is his son, his son, and no one hurts his family and gets away with it. He wasn't kidding when he said that he and Roman will be taking Grace to court. They want her parental rights terminated. Roman told him it would be tricky, because usually the state did it, but he didn't care. He was going to fight for what's right. Grace and David don't deserve their son. Sighing softly, he flipped onto his back and stared at his husband. Up until an hour ago, Roman had been awake, reassuring Randy that they would bring Dean home. He eventually nodded off; his eyebrow still creased with worry. But at least he was asleep. I wish I could do the same. Down the hall, in Seth's room, the nine-year-old laid in his bed wide awake with his siblings squashed against him on either side. The kids cried throughout the day about the departure of their brother. Feeling lost, they stuck together most of the time, just watching Dean's favorite cartoons and sulking. But could you blame them? They understood that they would see Dean again, but it still hurt. They wouldn't wake up in the morning and see him every day. He wouldn't be there to guide them in adventures in the backyard which usually got them in trouble, but still; it was fun. He wouldn't be there at all. Bayley let out and sniffle and pressed her face against Seth's shoulder; Cody mumbled brokenly, "I want Dean to come home." Seth hugged his two siblings tightly, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "Dad and Papa promised he'll be home soon." He closed his eyes. "And they never break their promises."

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Dean's departure and the family was having a hard time coping with the fact. Bayley and Cody still slept in Seth's bed at night, (he didn't mind because he needed the comfort too) and Randy and Roman were losing sleep, frantically trying to find good lawyers to save Dean. Roman even cancelled his business trip because Dean is his main priority. Seth was especially having a difficult time managing without Dean. Sure, he saw him at school since they were in the same class, but his best friend didn't talk. He kept his distance. Seth knew something was going on at home. He told his Dads everyday but even he knew there was only so much they could do. He just wanted his brother back.

That next Monday, Seth was getting ready for his first baseball practice. "Seth, come on please. We're going to be late," Randy said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He and Roman had finally found a lawyer for Dean's case. And lo and behold, it was Drew McIntyre. Roman still held a grudge against his son Neville for what he did to Cody and Bayley, but he knew that he needed to let it go. A certain ten-year-old needed help. Seth trudged downstairs wearing a pair of black practice baseball pants and a bright blue Under Armor t-shirt. Randy smiled softly and ruffled his hair. "You ready?" Seth shrugged, grabbing his baseball glove and his duffle bag. "I guess." Randy grabbed two bottles of water and followed his son to the car. The ride was silent, Seth staring out the window sadly, which caused a lump in Randy's throat. He knew his oldest son was not coping very well with Dean leaving. "You okay kiddo?" he asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the community baseball fields. Seth solemnly glanced at him. "When is Dean coming home?" Randy swallowed hard. All three of his kids asked this every day. He wished he had a solid answer. "I wish I knew baby boy; I really do." Seth sunk in his seat and nodded. He wasn't mad. He couldn't be because both his Dads were not at fault for Dean having to go with his Mom. Vickie wasn't either. He just wished that the police understood. Dean needed to come home. Dean needed to be safe. He and Randy eventually climbed out of the car, grabbing his gear and trudging to the baseball fields where some of his teammates were. Practice didn't start for another ten minutes. They greeted the head coach, John Cena, who seemed to sense something wrong. Seth put on his cleats and decided to go talk to his teammates. Making sure the kids were occupied, Cena went to the stands and sat next to Randy. "Hey man, it's good to see you and Seth. Glad he's playing for us again." Randy smiled softly. "Yeah. Roman wanted to switch him to another league so that the games would work better with his schedule, but I convinced him not to. Seth has been with these same kids since he was seven. I didn't want to take him away from that. He just adjusted his schedule, so I that he can go to all his games this time." John hummed, casting a look over the man's face. "Not that it's any of my business but are you okay? Is everything okay with Roman?" Randy laughed softly. "With Roman and I? Yeah, everything is great." He sighed. "But our family...we're struggling a bit." Randy went on to tell Cena everything, and he meant everything. From Cody coming to live with them, to Seth's first confession about Dean, to the Florida vacation, and Dean running away from home. Lastly, he told of Grace Ambrose showing back up. By the end, Randy was seething. John patted his shoulder. "That's rough man. I honestly don't know what to say." Randy didn't respond. "But, if you need anything, and I mean anything, you can always call me. I don't care what it is, Nikki and I will always have your back." Randy smiled softly. "Thanks man, I really appreciate that." "No problem." John looked at his watch and stood up, dusting off his hands. "Practice starts in soon. I'll see you around yeah?" He gave Randy a fist bump. "And just so you know, I expect to see the rest of your family at the first game."

Back at home, Cody and Bayley were quietly doing a puzzle together while Roman sat nearby, answering emails on his laptop. He had just spoken to Drew earlier and a case has finally been opened regarding Dean. Social Services will be visiting the Ambrose residence sometime this weekend to start the investigation. He hoped to God that they find something quick. He didn't know how much longer he and his family could take without Dean. He glanced at the two kids on the floor in front of him and sighed. He hasn't seen a smile on their faces in a week. Not that he blamed them, but it was killing him inside to see his youngest two children hurting. They had an hour and a half to spare before Randy and Seth got back from baseball practice. He needed something to do with Cody and Bayley to pass the time. He suddenly smiled, closing his laptop without finishing his email. They can wait until tomorrow. "Cody, Bayley, wanna do something fun?" Both kids looked up, seemingly interested. "Wanna make a pizza?" "Make one?" Cody questioned. "From scratch?" Bayley added. Roman nodded, his heart skipping a beat at the small smiles he received. So, he took them to the grocery store, buying all the ingredients that would be needed. They decided to make three pizzas; Pepperoni/olives/bacon for Seth, pepperoni/bacon/sausage for Cody and Bayley, and pepperoni/mushrooms/bacon/olives for Roman and Randy. It took a little over an hour to make all three pizzas, (since Cody and Bayley decided to throw pieces of cheese at each other), so by the time Seth and Randy got back from baseball practice, the pizzas had just been put in the oven. Seth greeted his Papa and his siblings before going upstairs for a much-needed shower. The two younger kids went back to the living room to finish their puzzle, leaving the parents alone. "I spoke with Drew while you guys were at practice," Roman said after a moment of silence. "A case has been opened. A social worker will be visiting Grace Ambrose this weekend. It'll be a surprise to her, so she won't be able to hide anything." "That's good," Randy nodded, hope sparkling in his eyes. "Dean isn't safe with her. And with David still around? If she truly cared for Dean's well-being, she would have dumped his ass the first chance she got." Roman sighed, pulling his husband into his arms and kissing his shoulder. "We're going to win this. Drew said that with the three-week long abandonment, the drug issue and the physical abuse, we have a case." Roman stroked Randy's cheek and smiled softly. "We'll get our son back." And I'll make sure of it. 

Dean covered his mouth as he desperately tried to quiet his heavy breathing. David was mad; absolutely livid, all because one of their clients came to the door and Dean told them they weren't home at the time. Which had been true. His mom and David had gone to the store (he knew it was true because they came back 20 minutes later with some groceries). David had called the client and said that he could come over but, said client, went to a different supplier because she was desperate. Dean knew he was in trouble when David's face flushed a dark shade of red. That is how he found himself hidden in their closet behind a stack of boxes that had God knows what inside them. Probably more drugs. It had been a week since he was taken from his family and just like he predicted, it only took a couple hours for his Mom to become high again. He knew it was too good to be true. So, while his Mother is out selling more drugs to make up for the money, he's running around the house trying to hide from David's wrath. He has already been kneed in the gut and slapped across the face, but when he saw his so called 'father' pull out the two-by-four that was next to the back door, he made a run for it. Dean held his breath as he heard the older man walk into the bedroom, the deep rumbling of his voice sending shivers down his spine. "Dean, you fucking bastard! I'm not going to say it again. Come out right now before your beating becomes worse!" Dean wasn't falling for that trick. He stayed where he was, frozen in place. David looked around the bedroom before coming to the closet. He glanced around and turned to leave, but not before hearing a small shift. That little shit. He pushed the boxes over, sneering at Dean's terrified scream and grabbed the boy by the leg. "I told you!" he roared as he dragged him out of the room entirely and down the stairs. Dean grunted as his back hit the wooden stairs. David let go of his leg and picked up the two-by-four once again, showing it to the frightened ten-year-old. "I told you to come out, didn't I? Why the hell do you always get on my nerves? You wouldn't be getting this treatment if you would have just LISTENED TO ME!" Dean barely had time to prepare before the wooded slab was struck across his back. He didn't register the pain at first, as he was trying to focus on how to breathe again. The wood collided with his calf and he cried out, attempting to crawl away. "Don't. Move." David snarled. Dean didn't listen. His lame attempt at escape was awarded with pain; the slab crashed against his shoulder. Dean collapsed back onto the floor, breathing heavy. He had only been hit three times and his eyes felt so heavy. David dropped the wooded object and kneeled, lifting the boy slightly by the collar. "Next time your little punk ass messes with my business, I'm gonna kill you, capeesh?" Dean didn't get to answer; David slammed his head to the floor. The last thing he saw was the man's smirking face before blacking out.

Roman silently sat against the wall as he watched Cody and Bayley walk into Seth's room for the night through a slight crack in his bedroom door. He knew that none of his kids had been able to sleep alone since Dean's departure. He figured that spending equal amount of time with each of the kids before bedtime would cause them to sleep in their own beds. Obviously not. He shut the door quietly and climbed back into bed with Randy. "Did it work?" his husband mumbled, half asleep. "No," Roman sighed, spooning him from behind. "I think we should just let it ago. They're getting sleep and that's all that matters." Randy hummed in agreement and settled back into a deep slumber. Roman tried to follow his husband's lead, but something told him no. There's something wrong. He got back out of bed and tip-toed down the hall to Seth's room, peeking in. All three kids were asleep. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, going back to his room. "Weird..." he mumbled to himself, sliding in back into bed once again. Randy hadn't even stirred. He laid back down and shut his eyes. In the back of his mind, an incoming threat introduced itself. He just didn't know what it was. Or when. He grumbled and shook his head of those thoughts. "Nothing is going to happen," he whispered to himself. "Nothing at all." I hope.

Chapter Text

Dean honestly didn't know where he was. He'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for several hours now. Or was it days? He didn't know anymore. All he knew was that he was in his room now. Last time he was fully awake, David had just beaten him with a two-by-four, then blacked out downstairs. Speaking of that, he felt that pain. His back, his leg, his shoulder. God, his shoulder hurt the worst. He grunted with effort as he sat up on his knees. Okay, now that he's sitting up, his head hurts WAY much more. He squinted to look at his alarm clock. 11:47pm... Thursday. If it hadn't been for the fact that his head was still a bit fuzzy, his eyes would have popped right out of his head. "Thursday..." he whispered. Jesus, he had been out since Monday night. Which meant that he hadn't been to school for three days. He slowly stood up and tested his weight on his bad leg. "This will work." He limped to his closet and pulled out his sling backpack. Yeah, he was leaving. And he didn't care what it took, he was never coming back. He had been out for three days. THREE DAYS, and no one came to check one him. He threw some clothes in there and some of his toys. He even threw in a plush zebra that he had won by himself at a Carnival his mom took him to; before David came along. He knew Cody would love it. He tossed the backpack across his body and quietly limped to his bedroom door, peeking outside. Silence. He held his breath as he walked downstairs, cringing every time he hit creaky wood. Downstairs, he creeped past the living room and went to the kitchen door that led down to the basement. His fingers trembled. He was afraid, but he knew that running away again was for his own safety. He wanted to see his family again. He wanted Randy and Roman to hold him, Seth to play video games with him, Bayley to tell jokes with, and Cody to read with him. He wanted his family. He made it down the basement stairs and with a sudden boost of adrenaline, turned on the light and bolted to the other side. The window. He had always known there was a window down there, he just hope that it opened. He pulled an old desk over and climbed on top. Perfect height. He tested the window and was surprised at how easy it was to open. He threw his backpack outside and placed his open hands on the window seal, pulling himself up. His shoulder screamed in protest, but he didn't stop. He wasn't going to stay in this hell hole of a home any longer. He had just made it outside when he heard the basement door slam shut from inside. "Dean!" He froze. Shit, David's awake. He saw the man's face as he stormed down the stairs. "Dean, get back inside before I kill you!" Yeah, fuck that. Dean knew he'd have a head start, so he picked up his backpack and booked it down the street, not looking back. He weaved in and out of people's yards and hopped fences until he made it to Randy and Roman's house. His home. He knew he couldn't go through the front door because that would be too easy for David to spot him. But he knew that Cody's room was right under the deck, and above the deck was wooden canopy. He quickly climbed up he deck and crawled onto the canopy. "Don't look down, don't look down," he whispered to himself, voice cracking. He pulled the screen off the window and noticed that it was cracked slightly. Good, now he didn't have to wake Cody by knocking. He stepped into the room as quietly and quickly as possible, turning around to shut the window. He froze when he heard that all too familiar voice whispering his name from across the room. "Dean?" 

All Cody wanted was to go ask Roman or Randy if they could help him get a drink of water before he went to bed but ended up listening to Seth sobbing about the fact that Dean hasn't been to school in three whole days. Suddenly, he wasn't so thirsty anymore. He climbed back into his bed and waited. Waited for Seth to return to his room so he and Bayley could go sleep with him. Sleep though was calling him and before he knew it, he passed out, his panda bear clutched tight to his chest. He woke a little while later in a panic. He searched his room for the threat but saw nothing. He didn't even have a nightmare, so really, what woke him up? He knew what it was; something told him that something was coming. Without minutes, he listened to the screen of his window being taken off and someone climbing in. He was going to scream. He really was but he recognized the hooded figure. "Dean?" The ten-year-old froze, slowly turning to look at him. Cody smiled, a small giggle coming out of his mouth. "Dean!" He hopped out of bed and hugged his brother. "You're home! You're home!" Dean lightly patted his back then pulled away. "Cody, I'm in trouble." Cody frowned. "D-David has been the one hurting me. He knows I ran away. I need to tell Randy and Roman." Before another word could be said, both boys turned to see another figure climbing through the window. Dean's hair stood on end. David. The man turned around, breathing heavily. "You," he sneered, marching over to Dean, grabbing his arm. "You bag of shit. I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna take you home and kill you." Dean swallowed hard. "H-how'd you know I was here?" "A car is faster than a human dumbass, I watched you hop those fences. Now let's go." Dean felt a pull on his opposite arm. "No," Cody said firmly, tugging Dean's arm harder. "Don't take my brother you...you...you meanie!" David chuckled and lifted his head, staring at the ceiling. "Alright, I guess I have to do this the hard way." David reached over for Cody, but Dean pushed his arm away.  “Don't hurt him." David punched him in the face. "Shut up." He let go of the ten-year-old and pulled out a pistol, pointing it right at Cody. "Scream, and I'll shoot you, and everyone you love. Got it?" Cody stared in a stunned silence. Dean's heart started to speed up. "So, here is what is going to happen: you two are going to be good boys for me and walk out this bedroom, and all the way to the front door. Make any noise on purpose, everyone in this house dies. Am I clear?" Both boys nodded, too scared to speak. "Alright then, get to steppin'" Cody quickly grabbed Dean's hand before they started walking through the door. He was terrified. He knew first-hand what a simple gun was capable of doing. He wasn't willing to see it again. So, downstairs they went, but before they could go to the first door, Dean stopped, glancing at David. "Can we use the bathroom?" "Excuse me?" "The bathroom, can we use it? I mean, if we're going to go somewhere, it might be a good idea to use it before then." David grumbled and rubbed his temple and grumbled. "Yeah whatever. You have two minutes." "I have to go too," Cody blurted out quickly. The man rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Two minutes. Go." The boys quickly walked to the downstairs bathroom, closing and locking the door. "What are you going to do? We can't leave in here." Cody whispered, watching Dean frantically dig through his backpack. "I know," the ten-year-old responded, voice shaky. "But I have an idea." He pulled out one of his notebooks from school and a red marker. He wrote: “DAVID TOOK US. CALL POLICE,” then signed it as 'Dean and Cody.' "Do you know where he is taking us?" Dean looked at his brother after the question was asked. "I... I think so." He remembered listening to his mom and David talk about a friend who lived in a town about an hour and a half away; that if they ever needed to lay low that they could stay with him until things died down. Problem was, he didn’t know the name of the town, just the name of the person.  Dean uncapped the marker once more and wrote, “WE MIGHT BE WITH SOMEONE NAMED PAUL.” He didn't remember the guy's last name, but David talked to him frequently. Just as he folded the note, the doorknob jiggled. "I said two minutes!" David whispered. "Hurry the hell up." So, Cody and Dean 'used' the toilet and 'washed' their hands before exiting the bathroom. David had an annoyed look on his face. "You better not pull shit like that again," he grumbled, shoving the two boys ahead of him. "Hurry up and get in the car. I have places to be." Dean grabbed Cody's hand quickly as they were roughly guided outside. He wasn't much of a religious person, but he prayed that they would be saved before something bad happened. Please. We need help. 

Randy woke up with a start, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Something was wrong. He jumped out of bed and ran and cheek every room. Seth? Check... Bayley? Check... Cody? Randy's breath hitched. The little boy wasn't in his bed. The window was wide open with the screen busted out, the cool breeze swaying the curtain lightly. Randy's blood ran cold. No. NO. I am not losing another child! He made it back to his bedroom and shook his husband awake. "Roman? Roman! Get up!" The Samoan man grunted, sitting up and pushing Randy away. "What the hell? It's almost 2am. What do you want?" "Cody's gone." Tense silence. "...What?" "Cody. Is. Gone. He's not in bed, his window is wide open, and the screen is busted out. Either someone took him or he runaway." Roman was up so fast that he ignored the head rush he got as he pushed past Randy, running to the little boy's room. And just like his husband said; Cody was nowhere to be seen. "Shit,' he mumbled under his breath, turning to look at Randy. "Fuck. Fucking hell. Where...where could he be?" "I-I don't know, but we need to check around the house first." "Yeah...y-yeah, let's do that." So that is what the two men did. They checked the playroom, the upstairs bathroom, the kitchen, living room, dining room, even the garage. Nothing. Roman was in the process of going to check in the backyard when Randy's sudden curse from the downstairs bathroom stopped him. "What is it?" He called, walking over to him. Roman looked up terrified. "Dean was here." "Excuse me?" "Dean, was HERE. Look! Look at this note! Cody can write but this isn't his handwriting." Randy read the paper, anger thrumming under his skin. "Call the police. Call Vickie. I'm gonna go check the security cameras, then I'm calling Cena." "Cena? As in John Cena? Why do you need to call him?" "Someone's got to watch Seth and Bayley while we go get our kids back."

Chapter Text

Cody shivered and shifted closer to Dean's side as David drove down a dark road. The lady up front kept sending him evil looks, causing him to look down and away. He immediately recognized her at Dean’s Mommy. David had picked her up along the way, telling her to hurry up and pack some bags; they had to hide again. To say she was angry was an understatement. She yelled at Dean for a good 20 minutes before shutting up. It reminded Cody of his Dad. He leaned over Dean and whispered in his ear. "Where are we going?" The ten-year-old looked at his Mother before responding. "To a house very far away, I think." "Will Daddy and Papa find us?" Dean swallowed hard, his eyes dropping. "Eventually." Hopefully sooner. 

Meanwhile...

"Why is Coach John staying with us? Dad? Papa?" Seth had woken up a couple minutes after John and his wife Nikki got to the house, something his two Fathers were hoping wouldn't happen. Roman sighed as he pulled on a sweatshirt. "Something came up, and we have to go...check it out." "Both of you?" "Yes, Seth. We'll be back soon, just go back to sleep." "But I don't want you to go." Both men stopped moving, looking at the nine-year-old. "I... why do you have to leave?" Randy sat on the bed and pulled Seth to stand between his legs. "It's important, buddy. It takes two of us to deal with this situation right now. I promise we'll be back before lunch." Suddenly, Seth had a horrified look on his face. "Did something happen to Dean?" Randy involuntarily cringed, answering the question itself. "I wanna go with!" "No," Roman said, crossing his arms. "You're staying here." "I wanna go with, too!" The three boys turned their heads to look at Bayley who stood by the door, clad in her Wonder Woman pajamas. "If Dean is hurt, then I wanna go help him." "Yeah!" Seth agreed, narrowing his eyes at his fathers. "No," Roman said again. "Not happening." "Why not?" The two kids whined, causing Randy to huff in irritation. "Because we said so, that's why. This situation might be dangerous, and we don't need you two getting hurt." Bayley pouted. "Then why does Cody get to go?" Roman eyed her. "What?" "He isn't in bed, which mean you're taking him and not me and Sethie." Randy and Roman both glanced at each other before sighing. "Look," Randy started, pulling Seth closer to him and Bayley onto his lap. "Something...something happened to Dean and Cody. Something is wrong and we're going to go make sure they're okay." "They're not hurt, are they?" Seth asked frantically. Roman ran his fingers through his son's hair. "That's what we're going to go find out. That's why we need you two to stay here. We don't need you guys getting hurt either." Bayley nodded her head sadly and hugged her father. Seth cleared his throat and looked up at Roman. "You're going to bring them back, right." "We promise," Roman said, pulling Seth into his arms. And we never break our promises.

"Jesus fucking Christ! I've seen old people walk faster than you!" "I-I'm trying!" Cody sobbed. "Walking too fast!" Dean watched helplessly as he and Cody were dragged through the woods in search of a house. They parked far away before they started walking, something about 'the owner not wanting people to drive through the trail.' David had a death grip on his arm while his Mom was pulling Cody along. They were in a hurry, but Cody is small for his age. He also didn’t have any shoes on, and having trouble keeping up with her fast pace. "Mom," Dean mumbled sadly. "Please, he's still little. He's getting tired." What he didn't expected was a slap for his Mother, completely shocking him. "Shut up," she snapped, roughly pulling a tearful Cody in front of her. "You did this to him. If you would have just stayed your ass at home like a good boy, he wouldn't be here. This is your fault, so you're going to watch him suffer." Dean reached out for his brother, only to have him yanked out of his reach. "I-I'll carry him," he said quickly, wincing as David squeezed his arm harder. "Please Mom, please. Don't hurt him." David let out a dry chuckle and pulled his hand away. "Do it then. But you better keep up with our pace. If not, we'll leave you out here by yourself. Got it?" Dean nodded quickly, waiting for his Mother to let go of Cody. When she did, Dean immediately lifted the five-year-old into his arms, trying to muffle his crying. "It's okay," he whispered, rubbing his back. "It's okay." Cody only hugged him tighter around the neck, occasionally letting out a hiccup. "Hurry up, we don't have all day." Dean found it difficult to keep up with their pace now that he was carrying a whole other person, but he was able to do it. By the time they got to the house, he had a thin sheen of sweat covering his body. He set Cody down as David knocked on the door. A tall, bald man opened the door; Dean and Cody took a step back. "Aah, David! What brings you here? It's like, 3am!" "Hey Paul, we need a place to lay low until we can get out of state." Dean gulped. Out of state? The tall man glanced at the four figures, then nodded. "Sure. But those kids can't stay." "What?" Grace asked, narrowing her eyes. "You told us we can always come here to lay low, no matter what!" "I said no matter the situation. As, for example, you're running from the cops, or a client is trying to kill you. Something like that. If that is the situation, yeah, you can stay here. But those kids, cannot." "Show...come on man." "No. Hell no. There's too many drugs and needles and shit laying around. I'm not going to jail if something gets in their system. "But you won't," Grace said, a fake smile displayed across your cheeks. "Because they won't touch anything, isn't that right kids?" She bent down over Dean and Cody and lifted her fist. "I said, isn't that right, KIDS?" Cody flinched and hid behind Dean as they both nodded. Grace chuckled and stood back up. "See? They'll be fine." Paul crossed his arms, an unimpressed expression on his face. "Yeah...it's going to be a no from me. Come back when those kids aren't with you." He slammed the door shut and locked it. David clenched his fist and grabbed Dean by the hair. "I can't do SHIT without you getting in the fucking way!" He sent Dean flying off the porch, the ten-year old landing with a grunt right on his back. Cody tried to run to him, but Grace grabbed his arm before he got a step-in front of him. David walked off the porch and pulled Dean up by the hair, sneering in his face. "When we get out of here, I'm going to kill you. You hear me? You're going to be dead. DEAD. You have made my life nothing but living hell! It's time you feel what I have felt these past two years!" He started dragging Dean through the woods, the complete opposite way of the trail they took. Grace and Cody followed behind. Oh God. Dean let tears fall over his cheeks, not even fighting David one bit. Please. Dad. Papa. Help us. Please. 

"This is the town where David are keeping Dean and Cody?" Vickie asked the police officer, Antonio Cesaro as she looked over his notes. Clarksville, Missouri. Officer Cesaro was able to get a license plate number through local traffic cams and followed the car as far as he could go. He’s 100% positive the kids are in Clarksville, figuring out who Paul is will be the problem. Randy nervously tapped is index finger against his knee. "This is what Dean left us. They could move at any second." "Let's hope not," Cesaro mumbled, focusing on typing on his computer. Roman groaned and looked over the officer's shoulder. "Can't this thing move any faster?" "I'm trying the best I can." "Then try harder!" "Roman," Vickie snapped, glancing at the Samoan man. "He can only go as fast as it's letting him." Roman sighed and backed away. "I-I'm sorry. It's just...those are our kids and..." "I understand," Cesaro said softly. "I have a son named Sami. Well, he's actually my soon-to-be stepson, but my son, nonetheless. I can't imagine what I'd do if something like this ever happened to him. "Does your son happen to have red hair?" Randy asked curiously. "Yep," Antonio laughed. "He gets it from his Momma." "Is he in kindergarten?" Roman continued. "And have Mrs. Torres as a teacher?" "Do you guys know him or something?" Cesaro asked suspiciously, but not glancing up from his screen. "Him, our son Cody and another boy named Enzo are like, best friends," Randy chuckled. Cesaro eyes lit up. "Oh! Your son's name is Cody! Sami hasn't stopped talking about him since his first day!" Randy and Vickie laughed softly, suddenly jumping when the officer yelled out "Got it!" The other three adults hovered over his seat. "What did you find?" Vickie asked. Antonio cleared his throat. "A list of all the owned properties in Clarksville. There are two men with the name Paul that own a house there. This Paul is completely clean, no criminal record, not even a parking ticket; but this one..." Cesaro pulled up a different link. “Paul Wight has been arrested multiple times on drug related crimes. Nicknamed, the Big Show. He has only been out of jail for eight months. I bet he's our guy." "Then what are we waiting for? We need to go find them!" Randy said quickly. "Not without backup," the officer said, writing down the address and standing up, grabbing his phone. "According to the police reports, this guy is dangerous. He's not afraid to hurt anyone if it means protecting himself. I'm going to call my lieutenant and other officers, then we can go."

Cody cringed as Grace shoved him into a grass clearing, landing next to Dean with a thud. For almost an hour, they were dragged aimlessly through the woods, moving as far away from Paul's house as possible with only David's phone flashlight as a guide. "Ever since your Mom and I got together, I knew you would never fit in the picture," David sneered, glaring down at the two boys as he paced. Grace remained silent. "She told me that you were pretty quiet for an eight almost nine-year-old and you respected adults. Your teachers have said the same thing according to your report cards. But my first day staying the night at the house, I knew that was bullshit." David stopped in front of Dean and got in his face. "I hate you. I don't hate many people, but you're top of my list. I wish your never existed. Not only did you ruin my life, but you ruined Grace's too." Dean nervously glanced at his Mother, but she refused to look at him, her eyes focused on her shoes. "Look at me!" Dean snapped his gaze back to David. "You're worthless, unlovable, just like your little friend over there." Cody shivered at the smirk David gave him. "Yeah, I've read all about you. Your dirty laundry is all over the internet if you search hard enough. Your Mommy and you sister killed by your Father, then him taking his own life; bet it was because you were a bad boy huh?" Cody shook his head, tears flooding his eyes. "N-no, I'm a good boy." Just like Daddy and Papa always tell me. David laughed humorlessly. "Yeah? Then why did he kill the only two people that loved you?" Silence. "That's what I thought." David picked up Dean by the collar and kneed him in the gut. The ten-year-old groaned. "You have done nothing but make my life a living HELL." He kneed him harder this time. Dean sputtered and spit up blood. "My business was striving, but as soon as you opened your dumbass mouth at school, it all went to absolute shit!" David dropped the boy to his knees and kicked him in the ribs. Dean yelped, his breath coming in fast pants. Everything was silent until he heard Cody gasp. Looking up, he froze when he saw his so-called Father pointing a pistol right at his head. "I told you I was going to kill you." "David," Grace whispered, taking a step toward him. "I don't this you should-" "Shut up bitch!" he snapped, snarling angrily. "Do you not remember all those times you told me you wished that he would just disappear.? "Yes but-" "But nothing. This is your chance. And if not, he's going anyway. You'll just end up with him." Grace pressed her lips in a firm line, glancing at her son. Is he really worth dying over? He understood that the abuse that she let him go through wasn't practical; completely uncalled for. But the money they were making with these drugs...he would just get in the way. Not really. She took a step back and waved her arm. "Well? What are you waiting for?" She was still hesitant though. Dean stared at her with a look of absolute shock. He stood up, not taking his eyes off her. This...this is not his Mom. His eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them away. This is no time for crying. Stall until Dad and Papa get here. But his plan went completely down the drain when his brother, his little brother, stepped in front of him, pissed off expression and everything. He pointed at David; eyes furrowed in concentration. "No! I won't let you!" "Cody, what the hell are you doing?" Dean hissed, taking a step forward. "Protecting you." Dean's chest started to heave with panic. "No, no Cody, back away. I'm supposed to be protecting you!" "You always do that," Cody said calmly, turning his head slightly to look at Dean. "But brothers always protect each other. That's what Papa said." It finally dawned on Dean that Cody had been protecting him since...Florida, when Seth's cousin Joseph attacked him. "Aww, so sweet," David mocked, rolling his eyes. "I'm fine with taking you, if you really want to go out this way. Either way, you'll be out of our hair." There was a tense silence, Cody focusing his eyes on the gun. "If he goes, I go too." "David, WAIT!" Grace ran over and tried to pull the gun away from her boyfriend, but it was too late. A gunshot rung out, making all four figures freeze. "What did you do," Grace demanded, ripping the gun away from him. "What the hell did you DO?!" "I don't know!" David said, sweat appearing on his forehead. "I-I wasn't going to actually do it. You made me when because you grabbed me, making me pull the trigger!" Dean remained frozen, waiting for something to snap. He knew something wasn't right. He didn't know where the bullet went. Seconds later, Cody collapsed, falling on his back. That's when Dean realized. No. "NO!" Ignoring the pain from his earlier beating he sunk to his knees and pulled Cody to his chest. "You're okay," he whispered, his shaky fingers struggling and fumbling to find out where the blood was coming from. His shoulder. He pressed on the wound, making Cody whimper. "It's alright, its fine. You're okay." Because of the limited light since the phone was now on the ground, Dean couldn't see his brother's face. But he pressed his forehead against Cody's anyway. "We're going to get out of here," he sobbed, swallowing hard. "We're going to get out of here, and go to the hospital, and then we'll go home to Daddy and Papa." Cody shakily reached up and patted Dean's cheek, much like when they first me in the car at the airport. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, closing his eyes and going limp. "Cody?" Dean whispered, shaking the five-year-old slightly. "Cody?" Still no answer. "No, NO! Cody please! You...you gotta wake up! You said you would read me your favorite books again remember? And-and I'm supposed to teach you how to play Go-Fish. That can't happen if you don't wake up. Cody? Cody, PLEASE!" Dean looked up at his parents. "Please, you-you gotta help him. He's gonna die!" David's face went pale at the sight of what his recklessness had done. "No, no no no no," he chanted, backing away. "I'm not going to jail! I'm not going to jail for murder!" With that, he picked up his phone and took off, running back into the woods. Grace took out her own phone and switched it on, meeting the terrified gaze of her only son. "Mommy," he whispered, "Mommy please. You...you gotta help. He's gonna die. He needs to go to a hospital." She looked back at the way David went, then back at her little boy. "Mom, please." But, to Dean's horror, she turned around and followed her boyfriend. She never even looked back. Dean let out a choked sobbed before applying more to Cody's shoulder. "Please!" He called out. "W-We need help! Somebody help us!" But nobody came. They were alone out in the woods. And with no one near to aid the two boys, all Dean could do was cry.

Chapter Text

It took Dean almost ten minutes to calm himself down to formulate a plan. He knew he couldn't stay there, especially with Cody limp in his arms, and fortunately still breathing. He gently laid his brother on the ground and began crawling around the grassy clearing they were trapped in. "Come on, come on," he mumbled to himself. Moments later, he found what he had been looking for: his backpack. David had it as they were dragged through the forest, determined to get rid of any and all evidence that he and Cody had been with them. Digging through it, he found his DS and switched it on to the brightest setting. It was the best he had without a flashlight. Chucking his bag back across his body, he winced as he stood up, stumbling at the dizziness that hit him full force. He growled in frustration, shaking his head. Focus! He limped back over to Cody and collapsed next to him, pulling a shirt out of his bag. The bullet wound in Cody's shoulder had stopped pumping blood because of the intense pressure he applied, but that didn't mean it wouldn't bleed again. Tying to shirt firmly around the shoulder, he lifted Cody over his own shoulder and began the long trek to escape. He didn't know where he was going, and he honestly felt like crying again, but the determination kept him going. Cody doesn't deserve to die. He decided to go the way David and his Mom went, hoping that it led back to Paul's house. Don't worry baby brother, I'll save us. Then we can go home. 

Meanwhile...

 "Well this isn't suspicious at all. A drug dealer living in the middle of a forest half a mile deep. Totally normal." Randy mumbled as Roman pulled up to the entrance of Paul's property. His husband ignored him, instead, exiting the car once he saw Vickie, Cesaro and the other officers did. "What's the plan?" Cesaro asked, turning to his lieutenant Hunter Levesque, son-in law of the Police Commissioner, Vince McMahon. Hunter blew out a breath, rubbing his hands together. "We're going to walk through that trail all the way to the house; can't risk them hearing the cars. You two," he pointed at Randy and Roman. "You'll come with us, but you will not be entering the house with us." "But-" Randy was cut off with a cold glare from the lieutenant. "No. Not happening, alright? If you guys get hurt, what will those boys do once we get them out of there?" The two men remained silent, glancing at each other before nodding. Hunter turned and pointed to two other officers. "Dallas, Axel, check the perimeter, see if you can find any evidence. Their car maybe; any sign that there were kids around." With mumbled replies, the two officers grabbed their guns and flashlights before walking down the eerily dark road. The rest of the crew got ready to go, one officer staying back in case backup needed to be called; Vickie opting to stay back to. And off they went. The trek down the trail was long, every step causing Roman and Randy's hearts to pound with anxiety, anxious to see their sons again. Upon approaching the end of the trail, they had to stop because on the other side of the house, they heard two pair of footsteps. It sounded like they were running. "Everyone turn off their flashlights!" Hunter whispered. Everyone did, and soon after, David came running out of the woods behind the house, Grace not close behind. They ran to the front porch and began banging on the door. Paul opened, looking ticked off, but when he saw how frantic and most importantly, empty handed the two looked, he let them inside. Roman growled, and if it weren't for Randy holding him back, he would have charged the front door himself. "What are we waiting for?!" He whispered angrily, his face growing hot. "Wait a couple minutes," Hunter mumbled, focusing his attention on the house. Five minutes went by and beside Roman, Randy began to fidget. "Dude, come on! Our kids could be in there!" Randy said, quieting his voice down at the last second. Hunter grunted and ignore him, turning toward his team, giving out orders to surround the house. "Cesaro, O'Neil, you're with me," he said, turning to look at Randy and Roman. "You two stay here. If possible, hide behind a tree or something; stay out of sight. I'll give you the all clear when it's safe to come in," Before the two men could said anything, the three officers were off, quickly but quietly making their way to the front door. Randy and Roman watched as Hunter didn't even knock the door; kicking it down with one kick instead. Shouting erupted inside, some thud and crashes; a gun shot went off. Then there was silence. The officer named Titus O'Neil walked back out onto the porch several minutes later and yelled, 'All clear!" Randy and Roman immediately made a mad dash toward the house, stumbling inside and seeing David, Grace and, the man that the assumed was Paul, sitting on the floor, all handcuffed. "You son of a BITCH!" Randy was over to David in less than a second; his fist nearly missing his face because Cesaro held him back. "No!" He said sternly, yanking him back. "I know you're pissed but now is not the time. Your kids aren't here." That made Randy and Roman freeze completely. The Samoan man turned his eyes toward David and Grace. "What did you do to them?" They said nothing. Even Paul was looking at them for an answer. "What the fuck did you do?" Roman asked again, all patience left his body. He didn't even care at the flinch Grace gave when he yelled. He needed answers. David looked down and shamefully mumbled. "I uh...I shot him. The little one. I shot him." The tense silence was deafening until Randy launched forward, grabbing David by the collar. Cesaro didn't stop him this time. "Where. Are. They?" He snarled. David swallowed hard; eyes wide. "I-in the woods somewhere. I'm not sure." Randy slugged him in the face, dropping him back on the ground. He landed with a thud and a groan but didn't say anything after that. Randy then knelt down to Grace and sneered. "You're a sorry excuse of a Mother. Dean is really going to be taken from you this time." "You...you can't do!" She cried out. "He's my son!" "He stopped being your son as soon as you got involved with this dumbass!" Roman roared, gesturing to David. "If you really loved Dean, you would have left this son of a bitch a while ago." Grace looked down, holding back a choked sob. Randy and Roman turned their attention to Hunter when he cleared his throat. "O'Neil and I will take them back to the police cars. You two go with Cesaro and the other officers and search the forest; as far as possible." The men nodded, glaring as the three criminals were dragged out of the house. Cesaro tossed Randy and Roman both flashlights and gestured toward the back door. "David and Grace came from the back of the house. The kids are most likely that way."

Dean panted as he struggled to carry Cody up a small hill, his shoulder screaming in protest. He had been walking for nearly an hour and he could see that the sun rising in the distance. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go. It also didn't help that his abdomen was throbbing, and his head was pounding, causing dizzy spells every couple minutes. He made it up the hill and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Just then, Cody started to stir, and painful whimper escaping his lips. Dean quickly propped him against the tree and shined the DS light in his face. "Cody?" he whispered hopefully. The little boy only whined in response, covering his eyes with his good arm. "T-too bright," he stuttered softly. Dean felt a tear off relief slide down his cheek, leaning over and gently pulling Cody into a hug. "Oh man, thank God you're alive," he sobbed, pulling back and brushing Cody's damp hair out of his eyes. The five-year-old gave him a confused look. "W-what happened?" "David shot you, in the shoulder." Dean explained. "But we need to go. We need to find Dad and Papa, so we can go to the hospital." Dean stood up and pulled Cody up with him. "Can you walk?" "Sleepy," Cody mumbled, leaning against his older brother's side. "No. Stay awake okay? Please stay awake." The little boy didn't answer. "I have a plan," Dean stated, lifting his backpack off his body and gently placing it across Cody's good shoulder. "Here, get on my back." Once settled, Dean stood and handed his brother the DS. "Use this to light the way. We'll get home quicker this way." Cody nodded the adjusted the hand-held game device so that Dean could see the ground in front of him. "You okay?" Dean whispered as he began walking. Cody nodded tiredly, his eyes dropping. "Gonna stay awake. Can't go to sleep." "Good idea."

Cody was struggling. He knew that he need to stay awake, but he was just so tired. Not only that, but his shoulder stung like hell. His head kept dropping forward, snapping him back awake. "Dean," he whimpered, throwing his head back and swallowing hard. "Dean," he repeated. "Can't stay awake." "Cody, no. Don't go to sleep." "Tired." Cody's body suddenly went limp again, causing Dean to stumble forward at the unexpected extra weight. He dropped to his knees and yanked the backpack off Cody, pulling the small body close to his chest. A sob stuck in his chest as he tilted Cody's head back. His face was growing pale. "Cody, please," he whispered tearfully. "Don't go back to sleep. Y-you gotta stay away for Dad and Papa." The little boy blinked lazily up at his brother, a single tear falling down his own cheek. "Love you," he mumbled. Dean let out a choked sob, pressing his forehead against Cody's. "I love you too." Just as Dean whispered that, a beam of light cut through the trees. "I found them!" Someone shouted. Dean pulled Cody closer to him, scared that one of David friends came to finish the job. His breathing quickened as he heard multiple footsteps in the same direction. Suddenly, they were surround by light. Dean covered Cody's eyes and shut his own. Please. He doesn't deserve to die. His ears suddenly perked up when he heard a familiar voice. "Where are they?" Dean opened his eyes, staring at Randy and Roman as they pushed officers aside to get to them. He cried in relief, his shoulders slumping forward. I knew it. They never break their promises. 

Chapter Text

Dean couldn't remember much after they were saved in the woods. Everything became a blur. That's why, when he finally woke up, he had no clue where he was. Wincing as he sat up, he glanced around the room he was in. Oh, a hospital. He looked at the IV and heart monitor that he's hooked up to and smoothed his hands over the white blanket draped over his body. He turned his face toward the window, so the warm rays of the sun scanned his face. He sighed softly, closing his eyes. We're safe. We're safe now. He was embarrassed to admit that at one point, he doubted that Randy and Roman would go out of their way to find them, to bring them home. David had screamed in his face, "Why would they want to help useless brats like you two? They can buy any kid they want. You two are just trash." That comment cut deep, but when Randy and Roman showed up in the forest with the other police officers, he knew that they cared. Dean was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when his hospital door opened, revealing one-half of his saviors; Roman. The Samoan man smiled at seeing Dean awake. Setting his coffee down, he sat in the chair next to the hospital bed and held one of Dean's hands. "Hey champ," he said softly. "How are you feeling?" Dean shrugged, looking in his eyes as he started to get emotional. "My ribs hurt." "Yeah, you have three bruised ribs. You have to-" Roman stopped talking when he saw a couple tears sliding down Dean's cheeks. "What's wrong?" "I-I didn't think you would come," he whispered shamefully. "David said that you and Randy didn't care about us, and...and that you guys had better things to do." "He's wrong," Roman said after a moment of silence. "Everything he said is absolutely wrong, okay? Randy was the one who woke up in the middle of night because he thought something was wrong. That's when we found the note in the bathroom. As soon as we read it, we went to the police station. We love you. Both of you, very much. Never doubt that." Dean nodded tearfully and accepted the hug Roman offered. He sighed against the older man's chest; his body finally relaxing. We're safe. "Where are Cody and Randy?" he mumbled suddenly, lifting his head. "Down the hall. You want to go see them?" The boy nodded. "Alright. I need to get clearance from the nurse to let you leave your room first, then we can go." Roman leaned over and kissed Dean head and mumbled, "I'll be back," before leaving the room. Dean's face flushed as he smiled and flopped back onto the bed. No more David. No more Mom. We're safe. 

After a quick examination from his nurse, he was allowed to change in hospital scrubs and, with the help from Roman, he slowly walked down the hall to Cody's room. He held his breath, not knowing what was behind the door. But as soon as he walked in, he was pleasantly surprised to see Cody hooked up to no monitors at all. Instead, he sat on Randy's lap as they watched Phineas and Ferb on the hospital tv. At the first noise of the door opening, the little boy lifted his head, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Dean!" He scrambled off Randy's lap and wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. Dean winced but smiled nonetheless, hugging the five-year-old back. "Hi Cody," he whispered. "I'm glad you're okay." Cody's face suddenly became serious as he looked up at him. "You saved me because you stopped the blood. The doctor's said so." Dean couldn't help himself as he sniffled sadly. "Don't cry Dean. My shoulder is okay now," Cody said. Dean smiled. "Happy tears. These are happy tears this time." They hugged for a few more seconds before Cody finally noticed that Roman was still by the door. "Papa!" He ran to the Samoan man, giggling as he was gently lifted into his arms. Dean watched him then quickly walked over to Randy, relishing the hugged he received. "I'm so happy you two are okay," Randy mumbled, running his hand up and down the ten-year-old's back. Dean swallowed hard and nodded, squeezing his arms tighter around Randy's neck. "What's going to happen to happen to David and Mom?" He asked, standing back up. "Well, they're in jail right now," Roman answered cautiously, moving to sit on the bed with Cody still in his arms. "They'll be going to court to see how long they'll be there soon." "Do we have to go? I don't know if I want to see them anytime soon...or ever," Dean said, looking down at his feet. "No," Randy answered quickly, pulling the ten-year-old back to his chest. "They admitted to everything. Even that Paul guy. But he said he wasn't involved in what happened to you and Cody." "He's not lying. When we showed up to the door, he told Mom and David that they couldn't come in with kids. Something about drugs and not going to jail if it ended up in our system." Roman hummed in response, looking down at Cody who was completely oblivious to the conversation, opting to watch the television again. A knock at the door startled the four individuals as a nurse, Cody's nurse, rolled two trays into the room. "Hello, I brought some lunch." Cody perked up at the mention of food, crawling off Roman's lap to the end of the bed. The nurse smiled brightly at him and placed the tray down next to him. He licked his lips at what he was served: three chicken strips, carrot sticks, a fruit cup, chocolate pudding and apple juice. "Thank you," he mumbled, sliding the tray over to Roman and sitting between his legs. "You're so welcome!" the nurse beamed, serving Dean his lunch next. He got the same thing, except cucumber slices instead of carrots. He mumbled his thanks before sitting in the chair next to Randy and began eating, attacking the fruit cup first.. He was starving. "Oh, Miss, before you leave, can you send the doctor in really quick?" Roman asked, brushing the hair out of Cody's eyes as he went to town on his carrots. The nurse nodded and smiled. "Of course. And, I was also told to inform you of a visitor named...Vickie Guerrero. Is it alright if she comes in?" "Yes. And thank you," Roman said genuinely. The nurse smiled once last time before exiting the room. The four sat in a comfortable silence, the two kids ate and watched tv while Randy and Roman watched over them. About five minutes later, Vickie came in, sighing in relief at seeing the boys awake and functional. Cody smiled behind a ketchup covered chicken tender. "Hi Mrs. Guerrero!" She waved back and walked further into the room. "Hello Cody. Is that chicken good?" The little boy hummed and nodded happily, causing all three adults to laugh. Dean though, sat frozen, staring at Vickie. He knew who she was. Well, not really, he's heard of her; she's Cody's social worker. And now, probably his. Vickie walked over to Dean and knelt down, offering him a warm smile and her hand. "Hi Dean, I'm Vickie Guerrero, you're social worker. I have a couple questions to ask you, is that okay?" Dean nodded numbly as he shook her hand. "Excellent. Okay, first question: Do you remember anything that happened?" Dean nodded again, setting down his fruit cup. "Everything. Well, except after Randy and Roman found us in the woods. I don't remember coming here." "That's okay," Vickie assured in, writing some notes down. "What about what happened before that? After your mom came back to take you home and before last night?" Dean suddenly became paralyzed, looking at Randy to Roman for help. "It's okay," Randy whispered in his ear, rubbing the back of his neck. "You don't have to go into too much detail. This is just for your Mom and David's sentencing in a couple days." Dean nodded and sighed, looking down. "A lady came my house for drugs, but my Mom and David weren't home; they had gone to the store. When they came back David called her to tell her she could come over. She told him that a kid told her that weren't home and that she went to a different person...something like that. David was mad. Mom left to sale drugs to make up for the lost money and left David with me. He chased me around the house. When he finally caught me, he...he..." Dean swallowed hard, leaning against Randy's side when the older man wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "He hurt me, with a piece of wood. Then I passed out. I woke up...last night and ran away through my basement window. I ran to Randy and Roman's house and climbed into Cody's room because his room is above the deck and the canopy in the backyard." Dean took a deep breath. "Cody was awake. I told him that we needed to tell someone because I needed help, but...David climbed through the window, and took us both hostage. I left a note in the bathroom and then we got in the car and drove away. We picked up Mom before we went to Paul's house." Dean shuddered as he held back tears, pressing his face into Randy's shoulder. "You don't have to say anything else," Vickie said softly, squeezing his hand. "Your Mom and David already told the police the rest after getting to Paul's house." Dean remained silent. "You're really brave Dean," Vickie continued, smiling slightly. "You and Cody. You're both fighters. I'm going to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again." "Promise?" Dean mumbled, peeking up at her. "I promise."

It wasn't until late that evening when the boys were released from the hospital. The doctor checked them over later that day; but before giving them the all clear, he had to do a blood test, just as a precaution. While Dean took it like a champ, Cody was having none of it. Once he saw that needle, he flipped out. It took three people to hold him down, just so that the needle could be inserted into his arm. Randy swore that the boy's scream gave him temporary hearing loss. Other than the fact that the boys were slightly dehydrated, they were fine. Both kids were prescribed with pain medication; Cody with ointment for all the cuts on his feet (Dean didn't notice bandages wrapped around them until the doctor mentioned it). One last meal at the hospital and the crew were off to home. Roman sighed in relief when he pulled into the driveway. Thank God. It was a little after 10pm, so he wasn't surprised to see the boys asleep in the backseat. He glanced at Randy and smiled. "I got Dean." "And I got Cody." They both chuckled as they got out of the car. Randy easily lifted the smaller boy into his arms; Roman was a different story. He was trying to figure out a way to carry Dean without putting pressure on his ribs. Finally, he decided to just carry him like he and Randy do with Cody and Bayley. He grunted with effort as he lifted Dean in his arms, laying the boy's head on his shoulder. God, he's heavier than he looks. He leaned down to grab Dean's bag before following Randy into the house. They were greeted with quiet talking and the soft glow of the living room tv. "Hello?" Randy called out, walking further into the room. The talking stopped, and all of a sudden, two sets of feet came charging toward them. "You're home!" Bayley exclaimed, clinging herself to Randy's leg. "And you brought Dean and Cody back," Seth said, in a much softer voice. Roman smiled down at his kids and whispered. "Lets us go put them down and then we'll talk." Seth and Bayley agreed and let their fathers walk past them. They also quietly greeted John and Nikki before walking upstairs. They both walked into Seth and Dean's room, silently agreeing that the boys needed to stay together, if just a little longer. After they were settled in Dean's bed, the men walked back downstairs. "They're okay, right?" John asked, waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Roman sighed softly while Randy took lead in answering. "Yeah. Just really shaken up. Dean has bruised ribs and a bruised face and Cody...Cody was shot in the shoulder." Cena's eyes went wide. "What?" "David claimed it was meant for Dean, but he wasn't actually going to pull the trigger. The gun went off when Grace, Dean's mom, went to grab it. It didn't hit anything important. He'll just be sore for a couple weeks." John dragged his hand down his face. "I'm happy they're okay. Seth and Bayley were going stir crazy. It was hard to keep them distracted." "Thanks man," Roman eventually said, giving John a hug. "Thank you so much for watching them at the last minute." John chuckled, giving Randy a hug also. "It was no problem, seriously. It was good practice. Nikki and I are planning on having kids soon." "They're totally worth it," Roman said, smiling softly. "Even if they are little shits sometimes," Randy whispered, causing all three men to laugh. Randy and Roman said goodbye to Nikki before she and John left. They sat on the couch, Seth and Bayley climbing up next to them. "So, what happened?" Seth asked, bouncing in his spot. Both men glanced at each other before reliving the story, excluding certain parts, like Randy punching David across the face while he was handcuffed, and Dean telling Vickie the real reason why he hadn't been at school for three days. By the end, Bayley had cried twice, and Seth was red in the face from anger. "They're okay now, they're safe, with us." Randy said, rubbing his fingers through Seth's hair. "They're safe and no one is going to hurt them again." "Yeah," Bayley said, wiping her eyes. "And if someone does, Daddy and Papa are going to kick their ass!" "Yeah!" Seth agreed, standing up on the couch. "They're gonna fuck them up!" Randy roared "Bayley Rose Orton-Reigns" the same time Roman yelled, "Seth Colby Orton-Reigns." Both kids erupted into a fit of laughter, clearly not caring about what they did wrong. Randy and Roman chuckled glancing at each other. "Kids. What are we gonna do with them?"

Chapter Text

Randy and Roman noticed how clingy the kids were. Not just Dean and Cody, but Seth and Bayley too. Not that they minded, but it became a problem when all four had to go back to school that next Monday. The week had been full of late-night cuddling and recovery, plus catching up on homework (and Seth's baseball practices, since that was the only thing he really wanted to do). But now they had to go back to school; they weren't having it. Cody kicked and screamed as he was carried downstairs, trying to pull away from Roman. "I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!" Roman sighed as he sat the little boy at the island with his equally upset siblings. "The doctor said it was okay to go back to school, so you're going." "But we want to stay here!" Bayley blurted out, glaring at her Papa. "Dean's ribs still hurt, and Cody still has stitches. I don't think we should go back yet." Seth added, pushing his untouched breakfast away. Dean lazily poked at his food but remained silent. Randy leaned over and pushed Seth's plate back toward him. "You four have to go back to school sometime, so it's happening." Bayley grumbled and sent her glare to Randy. He stared back unimpressed. "You guys can be mad at us all day if you want, but we're doing this because we love you. You can't stay out of school forever." Roman said, placing a strip of bacon on Cody's plate. The four kids assumed they weren't going to win the fight, so they kept quiet until they were done with their breakfast. "Go brush your teeth and get your backpacks please." Randy said. The kids silently left the island one-by-one, walking upstairs to do as they were told. Randy sighed as Roman wrapped his arms from around him. "They're so upset," he whispered, resting his head on his husband's chest. The Samoan man kissed his forehead, pulling him closer. "I know, but they can't stay home for the rest of the year. It's May. There's standardized testing and they already missed so much. Especially Dean and Cody. It's time for them to go back." "Damn, and I was just now getting used to hearing Cody snore on my lap while I work on the computer." Roman laughed, kissing Randy's temple. "He'll probably do that again when weekend comes." The couple was interrupted by the sound of heavy footfalls coming downstairs. All four kids grumpily walked back into the kitchen, backpacks on their shoulders. "Dad, can we go now?" Seth mumbled. Randy blinked and pulled away from Roman's arms. "Uh, yeah. Let me put my shoes on first." He left and Roman knelt down to hug the kids goodbye. "Have a good day, make good choices. Eat your vegetables at lunch," he paused, laughing at the groans Bayley and Seth gave. He kissed their cheeks then Randy when he came back into the kitchen. "I gotta go. If I don't leave now, I'm going to be late." The family said their last goodbyes to Roman before he left for work. Randy turned toward the kids and clasped his hands together. "Okay, ready to go to school?" If he wasn't so worried, he would have laughed at the collective scoffs he got in response.

Dean impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk, looking at the clock every couple second. Five minutes? Come on! He was anxious to get home. He didn't know how much longer he could bare being away from Randy and Roman. H didn't want to go to school today, but he knew Roman was right. They couldn't stay home for the rest of the year. Testing is in a couple weeks and he and Seth had already missed so much. Didn't mean he liked it though. The bell ringing for the end of the school day snapped him out of his thoughts. Finally! "Wait, before you leave," Mr. Foley said, taking out a stack of papers. Dean internally groaned. What now? "The science fair is next month. It's not a requirement, but a good opportunity to learned something I haven't taught you this year. There's flyers on my desk if you're interested." Dean perked up at this. Only third, fourth and fifth graders could participate in the science fair. He wanted to do it last year in third grade, but David ruined that; something along the lines of 'I'm not wasting money on that shit,' and his equally drunk Mother blindly agreed. He rolled his eyes before smiling. He didn't live with them now. He's with Randy and Roman. And because they cared about his happiness, he knew they wouldn't say no. He just hoped he could get Seth and Finn involved, too. He quickly packed his bag and ran up to the desk, snatching a flyer. "Up to four in a group," he read to himself as he waited for Seth to finish packing up. Finn unfortunately, wasn't at school today. "Requirements: summary, list of materials, question/problem, variables, procedures, conclusion, and results. Graph if needed." Dean nodded, smiling softly. Easy peezy. We can do this. 

Bayley dramatically dropped her head on her table and sighed. She just wanted to leave and go home to her Dads. She knew that Roman wouldn't be home until later but still! She missed both her fathers, and her brothers. "Okay class, it's almost the end of the day so clean up your table and pack your bags please." The teacher, Mrs. Stratus announced. Bayley pumped her fist excitedly (earning a weird glance from Sasha but whatever) and shoved her folder and her painting from nearly two weeks ago into her bag before lining up at the door, waiting for her teacher to take them out so she could just go home. "What's wrong with you?" Sasha whispered from behind her. Bayley turned, giving her a sheepish smile. "I just want to leave." Sasha shifted uncomfortably, then leaned closer. "Are your brothers okay?" Bayley stiffened a little before nodding. "I... I think so. No bad dreams so far." Sasha then smiled. "That's good." "Bayley, can you come over really quick? I need to talk to you." Sasha sent Bayley a questioning look. She only shrugged, walking back over to her teacher's desk. "Sasha, go ahead and lead the class to the end of the hall. We'll catch up in a couple minutes." After the class filed out of the room, Mrs. Stratus smiled at Bayley, picking up a piece of paper off her desk. "Am I in trouble?" The little girl asked. Trish laughed softly. "Not at all. I just wanted to give you something." The second grader stared at the flyer given to her. '17th Annual Saint Elementary School Art Show,' it said. Bayley looked at her teacher confused. "I want you to enter this," Trish said. "Your art is absolutely amazing and way beyond your years for a seven-year-old. I think you have a good chance of making it in the top three. Not only for your grade, but overall too." Bayley bit her lip and smiled. "Okay," she said softly. "I wanted to do it last year in first grade, but I was too scared." "And that's okay," Mrs. Stratus said, standing to her full sight. "Just have full confidence in yourself. I believe in you." Bayley beamed at that. Confidence. I can do that.

Mrs. Torres class was rewarded free time the last 30 minutes of school for displaying good listening skills earlier that morning. Of course, Sami and Enzo used that time to catch Cody up on what happened the week he was gone. But after that, a different topic came up. "A... talent show?" Cody questioned, shifting his shoulder. It was still sore. "I don't think I know what that is?" "You get up on stage and show people your talent," Sami answered back, giggling. "Yeah," Enzo agreed. "It's like America's Got Talent. Ever see that show?" Cody furrowed his eyebrows at that question. He thought he's seen that specific show. But every time he watched it, it was adults doing crazy and dangerous stuff. He didn't want to do anything like that. "I think so," he eventually answered, looking back at his two friends. "But the people did really crazy things. I don't want to get hurt." Enzo laughed. "It's not just that that. It's ANY talent. Like singing and dancing." "Oh! We should do a dance!" Sami blurted out. "Enzo! You take dance classes. Teach us some moves!" Cody's eyes went wide. "But... I can't dance!" "I can't either," Sami shrugged, looking at him. "But Enzo can. He can teach us." "Great idea!" Enzo said, nudging Sami and giggling. Cody bit his lip and squinted his eyes. "Okay. I'll ask my Daddy and Papa if I can do it."

Walking through the front door later that evening, Roman honestly didn't expect to be bombarded with excited kiddos and different flyers being waved in his face. "Science Fair!" "Art Show!" "Talent Show!" He could barely breath. "Hey kids, how about we give Papa a chance to change before you talk about your day, yeah?" Randy said, an amused smirk displayed on his face. Seth, Dean, Bayley and Cody reluctantly agreed, trudging back to the living room to continue their game of Monopoly. Roman eyed Randy suspiciously. "You told them to do that, didn't you?" Randy laughed and shook his head. "Believe it or not, no. They have stuff to show you and they're pretty excited about it." "Mmhm, sure." He gave his snickering husband a kiss before walking upstairs to change into more comfortable clothing. He had an hour to spare before he had to drag Seth to baseball practice. Coming back downstairs, he was once again bombarded with his talkative kids, each of them expressing how their day went. He learned that Bayley's teacher personally recommended her to enter the  Art Show (which made him pretty damn proud of his baby girl), Seth and Dean wanting to enter the Science Fair with Finn, and Cody asking to do the Talent Show with Sami and Enzo. That one was extremely surprising to him. Cody is shy. Like, REALLY shy. So, for him to say that he wanted to dance in front of people with his friends, threw Roman in for a loop. He couldn't stop the goofy grin on his face as his kids eventually got bored of talking and instead started to explain how their board game was going. Yep, we really do have the best kids.

Randy and Roman also noticed that the kids still didn't sleep in their own beds. In Seth and Dean's room, they pushed the two full sized beds together so they all essentially slept in one bed. Creative really. That is how they have been tucked in for the past week, and with how things were progressing, Randy and Roman didn't think it would end soon. "All of them sleeping in one room is probably why neither Dean or Cody have had nightmares yet." Roman predicted as he and Randy climbed into bed together. Randy pulled his husband close and kissed his lips. "Maybe," he agreed softly. "But you do know this can't go on forever." Roman laughed softly. "I am aware. But for now, just let it happen. My coworkers enjoy the pictures I have of them together." Randy snickered. "We can use those as blackmail when they're older too." "Evil! Absolutely evil Randy!" "Yeah yeah, but you love me." "You're right. I do love you. To the moon and back."

Chapter Text

The end of the year was a hectic time; Roman and Randy knew this. But now, instead of two kids, they have four, which just made it even crazier. Roman had to take several days off (his boss was really understanding) and Randy had to push some deadlines back, just so they could handle all the chaos. Every Friday after school, Finn would come over and work with Seth and Dean on their science fair project, with help from Randy. Then, Roman would come home, take Finn home and Seth to baseball practice, with Dean tagging along. That same day, Randy would take Cody and Bayley to Enzo and Sasha's house, so Cody could work with Sami and Enzo on their dance routine. Bayley and Sasha would just hang out until it was time to go. Racing home from baseball practice, Roman would start dinner, because he and Randy knew that their family couldn't survive on take-out or fast food every Friday night for the next month or so. Saturday mornings were dedicated to Bayley's art. Randy and Roman would take turns sitting with her in the playroom while she worked; the boys played outside or worked on homework.

And who could forget about Seth and Roman's birthdays?

With Roman's on the 25th of May, and Seth's on the 28th, they decided on a joint party, (mostly centered around Seth entering double digits). That Saturday, they went to the St. Louis Science Center, per request from Seth. After that, they packed up for the rest of the Memorial Day weekend and spent a couple days at Fugitive Beach, per request from Roman. Randy had a blast watching his family laugh and just enjoy life. After the adoption of Bayley, he and Roman thought they would be done with kids. A boy, and girl, and possible a dog in the future? The American Dream. But then Dean and Cody came barging into their family and they didn't mind at all. That's why when Roman told Randy that along with Cody, he wanted to adopt Dean too, and he was all for it. Vickie was also happy to say the least, quickly drawing up paperwork. Of course, it would probably take about three-four months to get approved, but the couple didn't care. They were just glad the adoption process was in process. So, Roman and Randy sat day by day with their kids, watching them grow more and more each day. They were perfect.

Monday- Field Day

Tuesday- Science Fair

Wednesday- Art Show

Thursday- Talent Show

Friday- Carnival 

The last week of school came quickly, and to say the kids were excited was putting it lightly. Field Day had been a blast, with Randy volunteering with popsicles at the end of the day. But the Science Fair is what Dean and Seth have really been looking forward to. "Alright, got everything?" Roman asked as he put on his shoes." "Yup!" Dean said excitedly, bouncing in his spot by the door. "And what is Finn bringing?" "The dry ice and the display board." Seth answered, nudging Dean and laughing. "You're going to help us with the dry ice, right?" "Of course," Roman grinned, standing up and grabbing his keys. "Papa, Cody and Bayley are going to meet us at the school later. They had to go to the store for more paint for Bayley and supplies for Cody's talent show." "Supplies? I thought Cody and his friends are going to dance?" Dean asked, climbing into the car. Roman hummed, starting the car. "Stuff for the costumes they are going to be wearing." Seth's eyes went wide with amusement. "Ooh, can we know what it is?" "Not yet. They want to keep it a secret." Dean rolled his eyes and groaned. "Typical." The rest of the ride was full of singing along to the radio and lots of laughter. By the time they pulled up to the school, the parking lot was crowded. "Huh, I guess a lot of people decided to do the science fair this year," Seth commented, climbing out of the car behind Dean. Dean glanced around at the other students bringing their projects in. A couple volcanos, solar eclipse models; Dean smirked. We're so gonna win this. 

Dean was right, they got first place. He, Seth and Finn were pretty happy with their tornado-in-a-box project.

Bayley has never been so nervous before. This was her first art show and she wanted to make both her Dads proud (even though they tell her this constantly). Inhaling deeply, she held Randy's hand with both of hers as they walked into the school. Wearing a black and white striped shirt, a black, tulle shaped skirt, pink converses and a light denim vest, she was ready, no matter how anxious she was. "Ready baby girl?" Roman piped up from behind them; Cody in his arms and Seth and Dean by his side, playfully bickering as always. She gave him a grin and nodded. "Yep! You and Daddy are going to like my paintings!" "No, we're gonna love them," Randy told her, squeezing her hand gently. Inside, Bayley guided them through the gym to show them her display corner. To qualify for the Painting portion of the contest, she had to enter six different paintings representing the same theme. Her family though, didn't know what theme she chose. She kept her art covered whenever she finished, even when Randy took them to school for her the evening before. But finally, being able to see her art made their jaws drop in shock. Not only were the paintings breathtaking considering they were created by a seven (almost) eight-year-old, her theme is what made everyone emotional. "My Family." Five of the paintings were of individual members of her family: Randy working on his laptop, Roman laying in the hammock in their backyard, Cody sleeping, Dean doing homework, and Seth playing with his roller-coaster kit. The biggest and centered painting was from a reference: their last day in Florida during Spring Break. Nana had forced them to take the picture at the airport; Cody in Randy's arms, Bayley herself on Roman's shoulders, and Dean and Seth standing in front, arms slung over each other's shoulders. It was a sad day, but everyone had smiles on their faces, even Cody. Small, but still there. Bayley bit her lip and grinned shyly, turning to look at her family. "Do you guys like them?" Silence. "You...you really think of me as your family?" Dean whispered, glancing at her. Bayley smirked. "Duh silly, you're my second big brother!" "Yeah!" Cody chirped, squirming to get down from Roman's arms. "The best big brother ever!" "Hey! I take offense to that!" Seth pouted, causing his siblings to laugh in his demise. It was Cody who dished out the first hug to Bayley. After that, Seth and Dean joined in. The giggling group of kids caused smiles on Randy and Roman's faces. Randy leaned over to his husband and whispered, "We really do have the best kids." Roman chuckled and silently agreed.
Bayley won second place for her grade but first overall for "Best Theme." Randy and Roman decided to get all her paintings framed.

"How's he holding up?" Roman asked Randy as he sat back down. "Nervous, but excited. Enzo and Sami are too." "I can imagine." Bayley sighed and sunk lower in her seat. "When is it going to start? I want to see them dance already!" "Same here!" Seth and Dean said at the same time. "As soon as they get the lighting to...oh, just kidding. Here it is." The three kids eagerly turned their head toward the stage, Randy and Roman fist bumping before the auditorium got dark. "And up next, we have a glow-in-the-dark dance routine, performed by kindergarteners, Enzo, Sami and Cody! Please welcome, the Glow Boyz!" The curtains parted, and all the audience could see were three glow-in-the-dark like figures: red on the left, green in the middle, and purple on the right (in order: Sami, Enzo, Cody). 'That's The Way' by KC and The Sunshine Band blared through the speakers first, and with some awesome transitions (brought to you by Enzo's dad, Colin Cassidy), 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams, 'YMCA' by the Village People, 'I Gotta Feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas and 'Everything is Awesome' from The Lego Movie followed after.

Needless to say, the routine was awesome, and it left Seth, Dean and Bayley speechless.

Last day of school; the day kids had been waiting for (mostly for the carnival after school but still). All four kids were buzzing with excitement when Randy picked them up for the last time that school year. Yearbooks in hand, they all ran toward him, each of them speaking at the same time. Randy only laughed, guiding them back to the car and making sure they got buckled in. "Daddy! I heard there is gonna be a firetruck at the carnival! Can we see it? Pleeeeease?" Cody blurted out once the constant chattering died down. "Wow! I didn't know that!" Bayley chimed in; eyes wide. "Can we Daddy?" "Of course," Randy answered. "Whatever you guys want to do." "I hope the inflatable obstacle course is there again this year, so I can beat Seth...again." Dean snickered. Seth playfully sneered, punching his brother in this shoulder. "Not this year, I'm gonna win!" "Pfft, you wish!" So back and forth they went, bickering over who might win the race, while Cody and Bayley discussed what they wanted to do once they got to the carnival later that evening. Randy couldn't help the amused grin that appeared on his face. Tonight, is going to be great. 

As soon as Roman got home, he changed clothes, then off they went to the carnival. The kids were basically gyrating with anticipation, discussing what they were most excited about, what games they wanted to play, and how much cotton candy they were going to eat (but Randy shut that last one down really quick). Arriving at the school, the family split into two group: Randy, Cody and Bayley in one, and Roman, Seth and Dean in another. They decided to go off on their own for an hour and a half, meet up to eat, then go off the play some games together before going home. The men were only able to give each other a quick peck on the lips before they were pulled apart by their kids.
"...and then we went to the petting zoo, where we got to feed goats!" Bayley exclaimed, munching down on her French fries. Cody giggled beside her on Randy's lap. "One goat tried to poop on Daddy." That comment got Seth, Dean and Roman to howl with laugher. Randy's face flushed, pressing his fingers to Cody's stomach. "I thought that was supposed to be a secret huh? I guess it's time for the tickle monster!" "Wait! Daddy! No-" Cody erupted in a fit of giggles, squirming on Randy's lap and kicking his legs. "Mercy! Mercy!" He called out, slumping over in relief when the tickling stopped. "You're too easy," Randy chuckled, kissing the little boy's temple. "So, who won the race?" Bayley asked, looking at Dean and Seth. "I did!" Seth laughed, nudging Dean. "Only because I fell trying to climb up that ladder. Remind me to not wear socks again on that inflatable obstacle course." "Sore loser," Roman chuckled, pulling Dean in for a side-hug. Seth and Dean went back a fourth, describing to Bayley, Randy and Cody on what they did and what small rides they went on. Soon after, everyone was done eating and went off to play some games. "Okay, each of you get to play one game of your choosing," Roman explained, smoothing Seth's hair down. "Basketball!" Cody chirped, pulling Randy's sleeve. "It's by the firetruck. I play that one please?" "Of course," Roman smiled, turning to his three other kids. "You guys pick out a game yet?" "Bean bag toss," Bayley responded, turning and pointing behind her. "I saw it that way." "The balloon-dart game thing is over that way too. I wanna play that one," Seth said right after. "Alright. Dean? You find one yet?" Totally. Dean thought, staring at the ring-toss game a couple booths down from where they were standing. He hesitated before looking up at Randy and Roman. "Can... can I play the ring-toss one...please?" They both smiled and nodded. "Whatever you want," Randy said, ruffling his hair. Dean blushed and bit his lip before following his family to the basketball booth first.

To win a small prize, a player must make three baskets, a medium sized prize equaled five baskets and ten equaled not only a small and medium size prize, but a giant prize too. Cody made nine. But the booth vender was so impressed that he let Cody pick out three medium sized prizes. Cody picked out blue Lightsaber, a plush Spiderman, and a plush, blue gorilla. At that moment, Randy and Roman decided to sign Cody up for a couple basketball camps for the summer. Next was the bean bag toss game for Bayley. To win, all she had to do was knock down all the cans. She left with two prizes: a purple tie-dyed plush bear and a donut shaped pillow. After that, the family went to the next booth over for Seth's dart game. He got five tries: one balloon equaled a small prize, three balloons equaled a medium sized prize, and all five meant a jumbo prize. Seth was able to pop five balloons, much to his own surprise. He picked out a giant plush lion, which happened to be a little taller than Bayley. Finally, Dean led the group back to the entrance of the carnival where he saw the ring toss game. Upon arriving, he remembered why the game interested him so much; the grand prize was a pet Goldfish. Grinning widely, he turned to Roman who was directly behind him. "If I win, can I keep the fish?" Seth's mouth dropped open in shock. "What? No way! I wish I saw this game!" "When you win, I wanna name it," Bayley said matter-of-factly, bouncing on her feet, then smiling. Cody was too busy eyeing the different colored fish available. Roman looked over at Randy and shrugged. "Sure. But you'll be responsible for caring for it, understand?" Nodding, Dean gave them both quick hugs before getting in line. The game was simple: three rings on a bottle equaled a medium prize; five rings equaled said prize and any Goldfish of their choosing. Dean concentrated on tossing the rings. When the fifth one landed on a bottle, he wasn't expecting his family to cheer so loudly behind him. "Can we help you pick out a fish?" Cody asked excitedly, hugging him around his waist. Laughing, Dean nodded. After picking out a plush sea turtle, he and his siblings walked around the booth, debating on what fish to take him. Roman and Randy stood back, quietly observing them with goofy grins on their faces. Eventually the kids picked out a red, Fancy Guppy, who just so happened to be female. The vender explained that Fancy Guppies don't need too much space a live, but the provided bowl still wasn't too ideal. After further instructions, the kids introduced their parents to Scarlet (named by Bayley and agreed upon by Dean). That was all they chattered about as they drove home for the night.

Randy plopped down next to Roman on their bed and sighed. "Jesus, it's been a long week." "We have four kids now babe. Every week is a long week." Randy chuckled softly, turning his body toward his husband. "You're right about that." "Aren't I always?" Roman smirked, laughing as Randy rolled his eyes. "I mean...you're right about the fact that we have four kids now." Roman went silent, staring at Randy as he continued. "I always thought that we would stop after Seth and Bayley, ya know? We had a boy and a girl already, why did we need any more kids? But...but then Cody came along, and it made me realize why we fostered children in the first place: give them the love they deserve. To give them a sense of family. And Dean? God, his life was shitty, but he is so strong, so strong and I... I really love our family. I don't know what I would do without you guys." It was rare for Randy to go so deep in his emotions but Roman didn't mind. He simply pulled his husband into his arms and littered his face with kisses. "Our family is perfect," he whispered. "We love you so much. I love you so much, and every single one of our kids. I wouldn't trade this for the world. Believe that." Randy pressed his ear against Roman's chest and closed his eyes. "Even if I suggest that we get a new house? We need more space." Silence. "...Seriously?" "As serious as my love for this family you and I created." Roman chuckled. "Alright, we can start looking tomorrow."

Cody couldn't sleep. Not because of the excitement earlier that day; his mind was racing. "Your heart can only fit as many people as you allow it to." He didn't understand why Patricia's voice kept ringing through his head, but it was a delightful welcome. Lying in bed, next to his brothers and sister made him realize one thing; this is his family. He'd known for a while but couldn't trust himself to believe it. Randy. Roman. Seth. Dean. Bayley. All of them are his heart. He sat up in bed and looked at his siblings, a single, happy tear falling down his cheek. This is how far he'd come. From the terrified five -year-old who was too scared to talk, threw tantrums and had nightmares, to this almost six-year-old who couldn't be happier with his life. His real Dad no longer controlled who he was or what he did. He no longer had to move around after families got tired of his night terrors and temper. He is where he belongs. Snuggling back down in bed, he looked up at the ceiling. "I love you Momma," he whispered. "And you too Sissy. I have another family now. I love them, just like I love you." His faith in life may have been broken as soon as his father murdered his Mother and sister, but with the help of his Daddy, his Papa, and his siblings, he is ready to build it back up. Blowing a kiss to the ceiling, he mumbled a "I love you" one last time before slumber took over.