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David was returning home from a long day of teaching and coaching when it happened. He was exhausted - damned kids would do that to you - and he thought he was imagining it as he walked up his porch stairs. But he stopped, realising that he really was hearing movement from under his porch. And… was that a hastily suppressed sniffle.
Curious and wary, David stepped back down and peered underneath it. His heart skipped a beat when spotted the little lump which was far too big to be just an animal. Eyes glinted in the darkness as the lump looked up at him, wide with fear. David stayed where he was, didn’t reach in, but said, “Hey. What’re you doing there?”
After a long moment, a child’s voice replied, his voice small and just as wary as David. “I was tired. ’M sorry…”
Abby often said that he was weak to strays. Usually, that was a joke about the kids he tried to help at the high school Exy team. But this tiny thing tugged at his heartstrings and he knew, suddenly, that he wasn’t going to be able to look the other way. He sighed and the child flinched.
David tried not to get angry at that.
“Alright, well, if you want, you can come in and rest. Want some food?”
The bright eyes in the dark blinked at him. “Inside?”
“Yup.”
“I don’t…” The kid stopped and the shadow got smaller.
“Listen, it’s okay. You can come in if you want. I’ll leave the door open - it’s up to you.”
So he left the kid outside as he went in. Just inside the front door, he paused and took a deep breath. Whatever was going on with them, it reminded David a lot of his own childhood. With the Exy team, he tried his best to save those that were already jaded. But this kid… If he didn’t help, what would happen to them?
David shook his head and tried to put them from his mind. If they didn’t come inside, he couldn’t force them. Still, the kid needed help of some sort and he knew that Betsy often said that they had to let the children come to them. He also remembered how hard it had been for David to trust adults after what had happened to him. So, he made his way to the kitchen, threw together some sandwiches - complete with plenty of salad and meat - and put them on a plate. Since there had been no movement from the front of the house, David opened the door and put the plate on the table he kept on the porch for lazy days.
“Food!” he called out. There was no movement. “It’s on this table. No need to come in.” Still nothing.
Frowning, David returned inside and went through his usual routine. A couple of hours later, growing worried, he went outside to find that the plate had been emptied of all but the lettuce. When he looked under the porch, the shadow and eyes had gone and David could do nothing but go back inside and hope the kid would survive.
Over the next few months, David occasionally found the kid under his porch. Each time, he would refuse to come in and would eat outside without David seeing. Then he would vanish as if he was some sort of fae creature. It had gotten David so worried that he’d asked Betsy for advice. All she had said was that David was helping already.
Unfortunately, a dip in the weather meant that there were a string of increasingly cold days. David tried to leave out a warm coat - even though it was likely far too big - but the child didn’t take it. He could only hope that the kid wouldn’t get sick. But it only got colder and colder - and then the freak snowstorm hit.
At first, the snow wasn’t so bad. It barely settled on the roads. But then it began to stick and cars were getting stuck more frequently. The schools shut early which David was grateful for. Thankfully, it stopped snowing while David was driving home, but the radio kept saying that more was on the way. He managed to park in his driveway but only just as the wheels kept slipping. Actually, he was probably more on the sidewalk than the driveway by the time he put his car in park. His neighbours would probably understand, and if they didn’t, he’d just ignore them.
As he was walking to his front door, he stopped. It was beginning to snow again, but there were tracks in the snow that headed for David’s porch. Small footprints. Around them were spots of red. A trail of blood.
David hurried towards the underside of the porch and peered underneath. Sure enough, there was a shadowy figure lying there, trembling in the cold. “Hey, kid,” said David, which made the child flinch. Then, somehow, they immediately relaxed. Briefly, David wondered if the kid was starting to trust him then decided that that didn’t matter at the moment.
When the child didn’t respond, David shuffled a little closer. “You’re bleeding, kiddo. You need to come out of there so I can see if it’s serious and if you need to go to the hospital-”
“No! I can’t!”
The outburst made David freeze and he considered backing up a little. Instead, he stayed where he was in case the kid passed out. “Well, if you’re not going to go to the hospital, at least come inside. I don’t want you dying under here. Besides, this storm’s gonna get worse so it’s gonna be colder. Come into the warmth. I’ve got, uh, hot chocolate.” And only because Betsy had suggested he had something hot to entice the kid inside if he needed the bargaining chip.
For a long while, David stayed crouched down, waiting for the child to make a decision. The snowflakes started to get bigger. David himself got cold. His legs began to cramp. Then, slowly, the shadow moved.
A boy emerged, wearing fancy clothing as if he’d been at a party - smart trousers, buttoned up shirt, little tie. The white shirt was ruined, ripped in places and covered in blood. He was missing a shoe but the other was shiny and black with splotches of blood. As he moved, he winced, unable to hide the pain he was in. There was a bruise on his cheek and he had blood smeared under his chin from the burst lip. Snot was running from his nose as he sniffed a little. Tears also lingered and his bright, blue eyes were a little wild. David was sure that there was also a chunk of his red hair missing and David tried his hardest not to react. Clearly, this boy was going to be terrified of anyone big enough to hurt him any further.
“Come on,” David said, pushing himself to his feet. He grimaced as his knees cracked and his body groaned in protest. Ignoring that, he went up the stairs to his front door and unlocked it to let them both inside.
For the next half an hour, David concentrated on cleaning the kid up and treating all of his injuries. Most of them were bruises and grazes. But the worst one was the knife wound on his belly. It wasn’t deep enough to need stitches, thankfully, but it was bleeding a lot and he had to take care while disinfecting it before he bandaged him up. Once he was finished, he found an old shirt of his that was too small on him and tied it around the boy with his dressing gown cord so that he could move around without tripping on the hem.
When they were both finally in the kitchen to make that hot chocolate - which David wasn’t a fan of, but he didn’t have the energy to make coffee too - he said, “What’s your name, kid?”
The boy sniffed and wiped his nose on his arm. David hid his grimace as best he could. “Nathaniel,” he said in a small voice.
“I’m David. How old are you, Nathaniel?”
Again, the boy flinched. Just because of his name?
“I’m nine,” Nathaniel answered.
“Do you want me to call you something other than Nathaniel?” David asked and watched him flinch again.
“I dunno.”
“What about ‘Nate’?”
Nathaniel shuddered. “No. He gets called that by Lo- My new mommy.”
“How about ‘Neil’?”
Shrugging, the boy said, “Dunno.”
David made a decision. “I’m calling you ‘Neil’. So. Neil. What happened?”
Neil glanced at the mugs David had put out, watching him pour the hot water into them. “I slipped and fell in the snow.”
“Huh. Didn’t realise you were so smart,” said David, dryly. “What with hiding under my porch in all weathers.”
“There was no-one here,” Neil told him. “I was safer with nobody ’round.”
“Were you, really?” David sat down at the table and slid one mug over to Neil who clutched at it like it was a lifeline. “Listen. I know a little of what you’re going through and the best thing you can do is leave the situation. So, I really think we should go to the police and find you a better place to live.”
Neil nearly knocked over his mug when he leapt to his feet, despite the pain that caused him. “No! You can’t! He’ll be so mad - he’ll kill you, too!”
David froze. “‘Too’?”
“I-” Neil looked terrified. He was trembling so much that David thought that he could vibrate right through the front door and into the ether.
“Listen, Neil. I know you’re scared but the police will help you. And I happen to know a good police captain. His name’s Rhemann and he always tries his hardest to help any kid he finds is in trouble, no matter what.”
“But the police didn’t help my mommy! He gave them money and they went away!” Neil suddenly drooped and dropped back onto the chair.
David gave him a few moments before he said, “Your drink’s getting cold.” He watched Neil slowly pull the mug towards him and take a sip. Neil’s nose wrinkled at the taste - as it should - but he kept drinking it. “That was probably one guy, Neil. I’ve got a whole team of people who’ll be willing to help get you into a proper home.”
Neil shook his head sadly. “No-one else will want me. I’m rotten. And I don’t want people staring at me - they stare at me at school all the time.”
Hearing what Neil thought of himself - or had been told by his parents - boiled David’s blood. He kept a straight face as he nodded, musing on the problem. The kid was skittish and would likely run back home if he felt that he wasn’t being listened to. And who was to say that foster care would be any better? Neil needed someone he could trust looking out for him.
“Okay,” David said. “Then, until everything is settled, you can stay here with me. Once we’ve talked to the police and social services.”
Neil’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yup. But only if you talk to the police, okay? Your parents are bad people and they need to be taken away.”
“What if they can’t take him away?” Neil asked, nervously. “What if he gives everyone money and I have to go back ho- … There?”
“You let me worry about that. Anything else we need to deal with? Other family members?”
Neil shook his head, his eyes fluttering as he fought sleep. “Mommy’s family was bad, too. That’s why we couldn’t leave.”
For a second, David felt so tired. Then, his determination kicked in and he knew he was going to save this boy, no matter what. “Okay. We’ll get all this sorted. In the meantime, I’ll get you set up in the spare bedroom and you can get some rest.”
“But I’m not tired,” Neil protested, despite how his eyes were drooping.
“Yeah, yeah. You can stay up a bit longer to help me make the bed.”
“Hmph.”
Neil didn’t look all that happy about it, but it didn’t take David much more arguing to convince him. Soon enough, the boy was in bed and nodding off. David considered going to his own bed, exhausted by the whole ordeal, but he stayed to watch over Neil until he fell asleep. Then, when Neil’s eyes were closed, David slipped from the room and began to call everyone who would be able to help.
Several years later, David came home from an overnight trip with his Exy team. They’d done well in their championship and had just qualified for the quarter-finals. He was proud of them but was also exhausted with dealing with their high school drama. Thankfully, he only had middle school drama to worry about when he returned home.
With the drop off running late, David hoped he wouldn’t return home to some new chaotic situation that usually followed Neil around. He had proven to be a highly intelligent kid when they put him in the stand for the child abuse; Neil had freaked out on the defense and had accused his father of murdering his mother but he’d been completely fine once they were outside of the courtroom. His outburst had led to an adjournment and both legal teams scrambling to find divorce papers. When it was discovered that there weren’t any and that there was no way to get in contact with Neil’s mom, it hadn’t looked good for his dad.
By the time his dad and step-mom had been convicted of multiple crimes and sent to jail, David had gotten used to Neil’s presence. He’d fostered him then adopted him when he turned eleven. Now, Neil was his son - and a right little terror at age thirteen. That was why he’d asked Abby to watch him, though Neil believed that he only did that because David had recently started dating Abby again. Unfortunately, on this particular day, Abby had had to leave Neil on his own for an hour or so since David’s trip had returned later than planned. That was more than enough time for Neil to get into some sort of trouble. So, as David pulled into his driveway, he braced himself for a tiring afternoon.
When he opened the front door, he heard a rush of movement from inside with a background track of gasps and “Quick!” David paused. Ah, he thought. We've reached that age. He thought about ignoring it, but he had yet to find the usual ruined bed sheets and cushions with make-up on. It looked like he was going to have to interfere before things went too far and girls got pregnant. Sighing, David made his way to the living room.
“Hey, kiddo,” he said as he entered. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. David was definitely not equipped to deal with this.
“Dad!” said Neil, which he only did when he was stressed or upset. His face was flushed and his hair was a mess. The pale blue shirt that he was wearing had been buttoned up wrong.
Next to him, a much bigger kid had a similar problem, though he had noticed and was in the process of fixing it. The olive shirt had been paired with tight, black jeans. David was sure that someone had told him the outfit made his eyes pop, which they did. His green eyes actually reminded David briefly of Kayleigh - she was the only person he had ever met that had eyes that green. While Neil’s hair was a disaster as per usual, this guy’s hair was only a little ruffled. The only mark on his perfect façade was the splint around his left hand.
“Sorry,” said David, insincerely. “I didn’t know you had brought company over in the whole hour when there was no-one in the house with you.” He looked at the stranger. “Are you going to introduce me?”
Neil spluttered a little and glanced between them. David had the sense that he was going to pull a lie out from somewhere, so he gave his son The Look. “Well, um… This is Kevin. He just… sort of moved here?” Glancing at Kevin, Neil seemed to be trying to communicate without words, but Kevin was guiltily staring at the floor. Rolling his eyes, Neil sighed. “Fine. Kevin emancipated himself from his adoptive family after he inherited his mom’s money. He’s gonna be a sophomore at school next year ’cause he’s getting held back a year.”
“And how did you meet?” David asked in confusion.
Chewing on his lip was a sign that Neil had a secret that he had to confess to David but that he felt he would get into trouble for. David reminded himself to keep his cool. “Um, so, you knew Kevin’s mom?”
“I did?” He looked at Kevin who had been peeking at him and now hunched in on himself.
Kevin nodded. “Kayleigh Day.”
“Oh, yeah. I did know Kayleigh.”
“Yeah, you knew Kayleigh,” said Neil with a scoff. “You really knew Kayleigh.”
“Neil,” said David, a warning in his tone. “What are you talking about? And that didn’t answer my question.”
“I met Kevin that day you had to go pick up Abby when her car broke down. He was here to talk to you,” Neil explained. He looked rather guilty and a little wary. David didn’t know how to reassure him.
“You’re my biological dad,” Kevin suddenly blurted out and David’s attention snapped to him. “I only found out when I got my mom’s inheritance. So- So I came to meet you. And to…”
Neil jumped in when Kevin stopped. “He needs a place to live. He’s been living in a motel like an idiot with all that money. I’ve been telling him just to come live with us because we’ve got room. Right?”
“You don’t need to,” Kevin said, quickly. He shifted to and fro. “I know this is… weird.”
David stared at the both of them and tried to take it all in. He had a son by blood. With Kayleigh. Who hadn’t told him. And she was dead. Apparently, he also wanted to move in? Though he really needed a moment to take it all in, David could see that Neil was worried about this Kevin. His Kevin. And…
“What happened to your hand?” David found himself asking.
Kevin flinched and seemed to clam up. But Neil was fighting in his corner now and he jumped in. “His psycho adopted brother broke it - and he’s left-handed!” Neil looked furious and David wondered how bad the injury had been and how Kevin had coped with the loss of his dominant hand.
Now David could see what had brought them together. Though their abuse was different, they had both suffered and now they’d bonded. He sighed. “Fine. He can stay. But not tonight; we’ll need to sort out the spare room.” David paused and narrowed his eyes. “And should I be worried about this?” He waved a finger between the two of them and their partially buttoned shirts.
Neil turned red again. “Uh… No?”
“Uh huh. We’re going to have to have a talk about this. But I’m going to shower and find a drink first.” David glanced at Kevin, unsure what to say to him now that he knew he was his son.
“I can go,” Kevin offered. “I have to go to the library to return some books.”
David felt relieved and guilty at the same time. He was sure it would sit better with him in a day or so, but only the shock was keeping him from simply leaving the room and never dealing with this. Thankfully, not even Neil’s pouting and promises of food dissuaded Kevin and he took his leave. For some reason, David felt a sense of disquiet at his departure, as if Kevin would vanish just like Kayleigh did. When he turned back to Neil, he found his son watching him carefully.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his tone serious.
“I can’t believe you convinced me to let your boyfriend stay with us,” David replied.
“He’s not my boyfriend!” Neil squawked, his face turning beetroot. David smiled while Neil spluttered out a complicated explanation; it felt as if the equilibrium had been restored. Unfortunately, it seemed that he had relaxed too soon, for Neil slowed to a stop then grinned at him. “Anyway, it looks like you’ve taken in another stray kid. Are you going to collect them?”
“Shut it,” said David, tiredly. “Go start taking stuff out of that room. I really am going for a shower now.”
As Neil grumbled and dragged himself upstairs, David put his face in his hands. Neil was right, of course. David could only hope that it didn’t actually become a habit. He could only handle so many teenage boys in one house.
Three months later, David met Jean Moreau and began to search for a bigger house - just in case.