Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2022 01:00:00 -0700 From: John Henry Subject: Growing Up Charlie Chapter 72 (Gay/Incest) DONATION: Nifty is a not-for-profit organization that heavily relies on our donations to keep the site free and accessible. Your donations pay for web hosting fees and other day-to-day activities for the wonderful staff of editors/publishers. You can donate on the website at http://donate.nifty.org/ Every little bit counts. DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction, and contains explicit, sexual content involving adults over the age of 21 and minors under the age of 16, and scenes of incest involving step-parents/step-children. If viewing this material is illegal where you live, OR you're a minor under the age of 18, please stop reading this. If you're not sure about this legatilty, please stop reading until you have looked into your own, local laws. Any likeness or similarity between persons, places, products or concepts are purely coincidental. If you would like to leave any positive feedback, please let me know. Thank you. Chapter 72 "Alright! Great! I'm on my way," Will said as he hung up his phone. He paused for a few seconds to settle himself and gather his thoughts. He then grabbed his phone and started sending texts. Will needed to make sure everyone was gathered in one spot in order for this ultimate plan to work. Will's first text wasn't to Rick or the boys, it was to Detective Dunham. He wanted to make sure she was on the scene, getting as much information from the other cops as she could, long before Rick got involved. Will wanted as much detail as humanly possible and knew Rick couldn't let anyone else get a word in once he got to the hospital. Will's next text was to his secretary. He needed to not only cancel his plans for the day, but also arrange flights for Rick, Billy and Ry, and one for himself and Detective Dunham to leave at least an hour before the others. Once the flights were booked and his schedule cleared, he needed her to go to the bank and withdraw the reward money for the woman who contacted the police about Charlie. He wanted to make sure that his person, whomever she was, was more than compensated for rescuing the precious, little boy. Lastly, Will prepared the texts and set them to send an hour after he left his house. The timing was too crucial and he had to be certain nobody would get in his way. All three texts were the same: "Charlie's been found! Flights have been arranged. Be at the airport no later than 9a.m. A driver will be waiting for you. I'll be there as soon as I can." Will met the detective at the airport just before 7a.m. He explained the call he got from the hotline and that Justin had escaped. Dunham had a million questions but Will claimed he couldn't answer any of them, which is why they were headed to Kansas City. Apparently, Justin managed to cross several state lines without detection. Both adults knew it was pretty easy to move around the United States. There were few if any border checks at state boundaries. If you took back roads and barely used highways, you could slowly make your way from the Pacific to the Atlantic without ever being stopped or questioned...so long as you had a car in good repair. The conversation on the plane was minimal given the talk they had prior to boarding and the early hour of their departure...not to mention their mutual dislike of the other; however, they did manage to keep things civil and professional. Dunham felt that Will was withholding information, and Will felt that the detective wasn't hiding something from him, as well. Det. Dunham's secret became apparent the second they departed the plane and walked through the gate. A talk, dark skinned man in a navy blue suit stood stiffly holding a sign with Det. Dunham's name on it. Will watched as the detective approached the man and they shook hands. Dunham then escorted the man over to Will, who looked suspicious. "Will, this is Agent Walker. Agent, this is William Parker. He's the, um, uncle of the victim." "Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker," Agent Walker said, extending a hand. Will, not wanting to show his annoyance, accepted the greeting. "Det. Dunham has told me a lot about you." "Nothing too horrific, I hope," Will said, resisting the urge to glare at Dunham. "Not at all, Sir, I assure you." Will did not feel assured. "As I'm sure you know, since Charlie was taken across state lines, the case is now a federal matter, which means the FBI is taking over from here." "I assumed that since Charlie was kidnapped over six months ago, the FBI was obligated to investigate starting then?" Agent Walker didn't take Will's jab very lightly. "The FBI has been looking into this matter, Mr. Parker, despite how you may feel about it. We have thousands of kidnapping cases to handle, and we had very little information to go on. However, now that Charlie has been found, I'm hoping we can put that all behind us." "That, Mr. Walker, will depend on Charlie's condition." Will moved passed both law enforcers and made his way to his car rental. *** "DAD! DAD! WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!" Rick heard, as his consciousness and body were shaken violently. "What is it?" Rick said, eyes flew open and he saw the panicked look in his eldest son's eyes. "Dad, they found Charlie," Ry announced as tears fell down his face. It took a second for Rick to comprehend what he had heard. It took a little longer to discern the expression and tears on Ry's face weren't from grief. Rick pulled his son into his arms and they both cried. "Does Billy know?" He finally asked, still holding Ry close. "I think so," Ry said, refusing to let go of his adopted father. "I woke up to use the bathroom and found a text Will sent. I think we all got one." Rick let go of Ry long enough to check his phone. Sure enough, he got the same message Ry got. Rick then called his middle son, while Ry laid his head on his dad's bare, hairy chest. Billy was staying the night at his boyfriend's place, and hoped that Billy was still awake. Unfortunately, there was no answer, and given that Billy had yet to message or call, Rick assumed that Billy was asleep. Rick checked his emails and found the flight confirmation for him and the boys. They still had four hours before the plane left, but Rick didn't want to waste anymore time. He and Ry got up, took showers and packed for an extended trip. Rick called his job and let them know what was going on and got the go ahead to take as much paid time off as he needed. Ry packed a bag for Billy, while Rick packed what he could for Charlie. Rick then left a message at the prison, hoping they'd at least inform Rhonda that Charlie had been found. As much as he and his ex didn't like each other, she was still his mother and deserved to know that their baby was coming home. Not wanting to waste another second, Rick and Ry drove over to Trevor's house. Trevor's mother was not happy to have been woken up so early, but when she was told why, Mrs. Wimbish rushed to Trevor's room and practically kicked the door open. A couple minutes later, Billy, fully dressed, ran into his father's arms, crying. "Is it real?" Billy sobbed into Rick's chest. "Yes, Baby," Rick whispered. "We're bringing your brother home." Time dragged at the airport. None of the Bartons wanted to wait anywhere else, in case the flight was canceled or delayed. Billy was all over social media, unable to focus on anything else. Rick's mind raced a mile a second trying to find the right words to make everything alright between him and Charlie, while understanding that it would be a long time before that ever happened...if at all. Ry, on the other hand, just sat, a little off by himself, mentally beating himself up. Guilt still weighed heavily on his heart, as he looked back at the last year or so. He didn't see Justin as a threat to Charlie's safety till it was way too late, and he felt personally responsible for not seeing the signs sooner or being available enough to Charlie emotionally, so Charlie would feel safe enough to tell him the truth. It even took him a while to see the monster Brenda was; all the while, Justin was slowly, methodically sinking his child molesting claws into his baby brother. Ry screamed his frustrations internally. An airport was no place for a meltdown, especially when they were about to do the most important thing in their lives. "Flight 371 to Omaha is now boarding at Gate G," the PA announced. The Bartons walked as quickly as they dared (so the TSA wouldn't stop them) and handed over their boarding passes. Will had booked first class seats for the flight there and back; however, the small family was too wrapped up in their thoughts, hopes and fears to appreciate how nice it was compared to the cheaper seats they usually took. *** Charlie stood just barely tall enough to reach the door bell. He hated being short, but his dad assured him that he'd get tall like Kyle. But Kyle wasn't the brother he wanted. Charlie wanted his new brother, Ry, to come home; after all, it was Christmas and you can't have Christmas without your family. His stomach lurched. Charlie remembered that his mom was in jail because she beat up the guy who hurt Kyle. He wanted to cry, but decided it wasn't the right time. He had a mission and wasn't going to let anything stop him. Charlie reached up and rang the bell. There was nothing but silence coming from the inside. Charlie felt annoyed. He knew Ry had gone back home, because he was there when Ry's mother took him away. Dumb bitch, Charlie thought as he rang the bell a second time. Again, no answer. He looked about and saw all the curtains drawn and the house looked dark. Even more annoyed, Charlie punched the door bell a few times. The Doernbecher house remained quiet. He looked from side to side, then reached for the door knob; it opened. It was very dark inside the house. He didn't like dark, scary places. Kyle told him that's where the monsters hide before they come and eat little brothers. Their dad said it wasn't true and monsters weren't real, but Kyle said that Dad was lying, like he did about Santa and the Easter Bunny. "I need to get my brother," he told himself, just above a whisper, as he closed the door behind him. The house was built oddly. The bedrooms and hall were to the right and the living room and kitchen were forward and the left, respectively. There was a faint light from the kitchen, but it was still too dim to help much. Charlie crept forward and entered the living room. He heard a high pitched whirring sound and wondered what it could be. He got about half way into the room when he was struck bodily and knocked to the floor. Charlie shook his head and his eyes adjusted in time to see Ry's mother, hanging by her neck from a ceiling fan; her body spun around and was what knocked him over. Mrs. Doernbecher's eyes were open yet sightless. Even to the frightened 6-year-old, she was plainly dead. Charlie was too scared to cry out. He crawled from the living room and back to the hall. His heart pounded so hard in his chest, Charlie was certain that it wanted to leave the house more than the rest of him. Panic set in and Charlie desperately needed to find Ry, so they could go home where they belonged. He forced himself up and slowly walked down the short corridor. He checked the first door he found, and couldn't make out much. He saw a pile of clothes on the otherwise tidy floor, but couldn't see anything else. Charlie then heard a floorboard creak at the end of the hall and saw the door cracked open. A part of his mind swore the door was closed a little bit ago, but he couldn't be totally sure about it. "Ry?" Charlie very, softly called out. "It's me. Charlie. Dad said I can take you home." With each word, Charlie's voice grew quieter and quieter to the point he was more thinking the words than saying them. Despite his volume, his feet carried him further down the darkened hall, towards the room. As Charlie put a small, meaty hand on the knob, he was blinded by the sudden flare of a lit match. Once his eyes focused, he saw a tall, lanky, naked man lighting a candle. A rubber tube was wrapped around an arm, while in his right hand, he held a spoon over the candle and held a needle in his left. There was an indescribable odor that nearly made Charlie throw up on the spot. He gagged a little, causing the naked man to turn around, almost dropping everything and knocking the candle over. "Who the fuck are you?" The naked man demanded. Charlie could only stammer. He didn't know what to do anymore. "I said, 'Who the fuck are you?'" The naked man repeated, this time as if he was speaking slowly as if to stupid person. "Charlie," the boy stammered. "What the fuck do you want, Ch-ch-charlie?" Mr. Doernbecher mocked. Pissed off, Charlie demanded, "I want Ry to come home." Mr. Doernbecher looked confused and then laughed. "You want the bastard, huh?" "He's not a bastard!" Charlie shouted. He really hated bullies. "He's my brother!" "The fuck he is," Mr. Doernbecher said, sticking the needle in his arm. He pushed in the plunger and sigh heavily as the heroin entered his blood stream. He sat on the bed and started playing with his penis. He was too high to get hard, but he loved the way it felt all the same. "Nobody knows who his real father is. It sure as hell ain't me, Ch-ch-charlie." Charlie felt disgusted watching the grown man before him touch his wiener. "Where's Ry?" "Dead, I think," Mr. Doernbecher said passively. "Haven't seen him since I bashed his brains in." Mr. Doernbecher nodded towards a rifle next to him on the bed. Charlie cried as he realized the mound of clothing on the floor was Ry. "Oh, shut the fuck up, kid. You're ruining my high," Mr. Doernbecher said, as he laid back and closed his eyes. The last thing that went through his mind was a bullet from his gun. *** Will wasn't at the hospital when the rest of the family arrived. Instead, Det. Dunham and an FBI agent. They both explained to Rick and the boys (Rick's instance) that an anonymous call was made to Will's reward hotline. They met with the woman who found Charlie at a hotel just outside of town. Since then, she has disappeared. "Did my dad give her the reward money?" Billy asked, figuring that it was a logical thing to do. "No," Det. Dunham replied. "According to your father, he wasn't able to give her the reward, as he left the hotel before he got there. Will assumes she was doing something illegal and didn't want to be arrested." "I don't care who she is or what she's done," Rick said, wrapping his arms around his boys, "she saved my baby. I can't ever repay her." "When can we see him?" Ry asked. Agent Walker gave Det. Dunham a knowing look and said, "That's mostly up to the doctors, but you should know that Charlie isn't the same boy you remember. He's been through a horrible ordeal, physically, mentally and emotionally." "What happened?" Rick asked, almost demanded. Det. Dunham replied, "We don't have all the answers, since we had to wait for you to get here, but we do know that Charlie was starved, drugged and sexually assaulted...a lot more than once, we're sure." The Bartons broke down in each others' arms. They figured Charlie wasn't going to be in the best condition and that Justin had probably raped him multiple times, but to hear it and to have their worst fears confirmed was something none of them really wanted. They wanted the Hollywood movie ending, like Frodo waking up surrounded by the other hobbits. Damaged, sure, but happy and as healthy as could be. It was another hour before Rick was able to talk to the attending handling Charlie's case. She confirmed that Charlie was severely malnourished and very underweight. He also had traces of over-the-counter sleep aids in his system in doses that would've been toxic for some adults. Finally, had internal damage from the repeated sexual assaults he sustained in Justin's care. Charlie was currently in surgery having a few anal tears sewn up along with a tear in his prostate. "Then there's the psychological trauma," Dr. Hart, further explained. "We've had to keep Charlie under heavy sedation, which is already dangerous given the drugs in his system, because has severe panic attacks whenever a male staff member comes anywhere near him. "Clearly this is part of the trauma he experienced, but we're having to monitor him closely and only female staff members have been allowed in his room or near him at this point. Is his mother coming soon? He's been asking for her." Rick wiped away his tears and said, "His mother is currently in prison and won't be out for a few more years." Dr. Hart sighed and said, "Then his road to recovery will be even more difficult. So far, the only person we've been able to let in is Ms. Dunham, but after a few minutes he freaks out, forcing us to remove her." "Any reason why?" Ry asked, "She didn't tell us anything about this." "I'm not sure," Dr. Hart said. The doctor looked at her watch and excused herself, promising to keep in touch. Hours went by and they heard nothing. Will still hadn't shown up, claiming to be looking for the woman who found Charlie. Det. Dunham and Agent Walk had left before the talk with Dr. Hart, and not even the nurse could give them any new information, other than Charlie was in post-op recovering. Ry couldn't take it anymore. He made an excuse about having to use the restroom and went for a walk. Amanda had contacted him via social media, which only annoyed him even more. Remembering how she and her family, especially her father, had treated him only pissed him off even more. Her father was found guilty and sent to prison for a few years for drunk driving and vehicular assault. Will sued the Tangetti's, who have tied everything up in the courts, while trying to file bankruptcy first. Ry told Amanda to fuck off before blocking her. Ry worked himself around the ICU. Having spent too much time in hospitals, Ry knew how to not be spotted and avoid the nosy nurses. He found a single, darkened room, with the name C. Barton on the nameplate. Ry quietly opened the door and let himself in. The heart monitor was beeping and he could also hear the blood pressure cuff automatically turning off. A small light just above the bed illuminated the frail body on the bed. Ry almost didn't recognize his baby brothers. If it wasn't for Charlie's distinct, red hair, Ry might have assumed he was in the wrong room. Ry found a stool and brought it over to the bedside. Charlie's arm was laying on top and Ry took it in his, careful to no mess with the IV drip. He sat in silence watching Charlie sleep. It was one of his favorite guilty pleasures. Whenever they shared a bed, Charlie's snoring often kept Ry awake, so he'd softly caress Charlie's head and watch his baby brother snore happily away. He smiled to himself as tears fell once more. These were a mix of happy and sad tears. His dream of their happy, little family came back, but there was no way Ry could ever ask Charlie to be in a relationship with him, especially after everything Charlie had just gone through. Ry was certain that Charlie would never want to be with a guy again, and Ry couldn't blame him after everything Justin had done. Charlie let out a soft moan and whimpered. Ry looked at his baby brother and saw that Charlie's eyes were fluttering open. It was too late to heed Dr. Hart's warning about Charlie's reaction to men, since he still wasn't able to walk fast unaided. "Charlie?" Ry gently called out. "You're safe. We're here." Charlie turned a very groggy gaze in the direction of the voice talking to him. Still drugged, Charlie couldn't quite focus his mind on the sounds being made. Then he let out a scream. "Charlie!" Ry said in a panic. "It's me, Charlie! It's Ry! We're in a hospital! You're safe! I promise!" "No!" Charlie shouted. "NO!" "Yes, Charlie! Dad, Billy and I got here today!" "Justin said he killed you! Am I dead too?!" Ry broke down emotionally. "No, Charlie, you're not dead," Ry cried. "You're alive. Justin lied to you. Me, Billy and Dad are all alive. Will is looking for Justin and the woman who saved you, Charlie. We're going to take you home." Logic and reason began to come back to Charlie as he sat up, nearly ripping the IV out of his hand, in order to hold his big brother once more. ***Coming Soon, Chapter 73***