by Mj Fields
���Eli,��� Emma looked away refusing eye contact. ���Would you care to tell us what is going on?���
���We are waiting for the school���s attorney to drop the charges. My office found the post on a few students��� social media accounts. The link was followed back to the school’s web page. This should not take that long.��� Eli looked up at Maddox. ���Contrary to what your father���s behavior showed you today, your actions are not justifiable, Maddox. It doesn���t matter what they say or do you cannot just hit someone, either one of you!���
Brody looked at him glaring, ���He had������
���Brody, enough,��� Emma snapped.
���Oh, so now she speaks,��� he smirked.
���You were wrong, Brody. Maddox, you are going to have to have consequences for your actions.��� Emma did her best to be the parent since her husband was not.
���And Dad, does he get consequences?��� Maddox chuckled, ���Sorry, Mom, I understand.���
���The answer is yes, he will have consequences too.��� Emma crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled at the ground.
���Promise?��� Brody whispered into her ear causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand at attention and her face to get flushed.
Emma avoided Brody since they returned home. She tucked her daughter from her first marriage, London, into bed. They said prayers which normally ended in London sending hugs, Eskimo kisses and chocolate cake to her father, Troy, in heaven. But tonight it was different.
���God please help Maddox learn not to care what others say about him or do to him. We love him more, and that���s all that matters,��� London peeked up at Emma who opened her eyes.
���London that was nice������ Emma began.
���Mom, don���t be mad at him,��� London stuck her bottom lip out.
���I am not mad at him, I���m just disappointed and sad,��� Emma hugged her.
���Okay,��� London seemed content with Emma’s clarification and fell asleep quickly.
Emma stood up and saw Brody leaning against the door jamb holding their two year old daughter, Lexington, as she slept in his arms. ���I thought maybe you would want to give her a kiss before I put her in bed.���
Emma took Lexi and hugged her as she brushed past Brody and walked into her room. ���Good night little princess,��� Brody leaned over Emma���s shoulder and kissed Lexi���s head. He didn���t move and looked into Emma���s eyes.
Emma leaned away when he tried to kiss her. He chuckled quietly and walked out the door.
Emma walked into Maddox���s room he sat at his computer as he did every night. He was looking at the missing children���s web link that was sent to him by Zach Taylor.
���It���s time for bed Maddox,��� Emma rubbed his head.
���Can I please���just ten more minutes, please?��� Maddox continued to scroll down looking over the pictures of their faces. There were so many.
���Sure Maddox, I���ll be back in fifteen minutes, okay?���
���Thanks.��� Maddox continued to stare at a picture.
Emma moved closer to see what he was fixated on, ���Maddox, does she look familiar?���
���It���s Zach���s sister. She looks familiar. I am sure it is because I want so badly to give him peace.��� Maddox continued to stare.
���Okay,��� Emma kissed his head, ���Do you want me to stay and look with you?���
���No, not tonight, I probably don���t deserve������ Maddox stopped, ���I am sorry about today.���
Emma let out a frustrated breath, ���Maddox I am sorry about today too. I just never want to see you in trouble again okay? Dad and I are not always going to be able to fix it. This one is tricky, more so because your father acted like an ass.���
���I was scared. He didn���t want me to go alone,��� Maddox looked up at her, ���So it���s my fault as well.���
���He is the adult, Maddox. It is not your fault.���
Maddox tried to hold his face straight, and Emma couldn���t keep hers that way either, ���Shh, if we laugh he will hear us.���
���Sorry Mom.���
���I will be back in fifteen minutes okay?��� Emma hugged him and left the room.
Emma sat on the bed and called Lila, ���How is that little guy?���
���He is amazing, I can’t believe Markus is going to be six months old soon, they grow up so fast,��� Lila sounded so young and carefree when she talked about her son, and only when she talked about her son.
���Some of them anyway,��� Emma said sarcastically.
���You���re mad at him.���
���I am mad at him. Well I should be right? Ugh,��� Emma threw herself back on the bed.
���So he hit him right in the face?���
���Yes he did.���
���Did it turn you on?���
���Everything Brody does turns me on. It sucks! I should be so mad at him right now. I mean, honestly, what the hell was he thinking? Well, I know what he was thinking, and even that turns me on. He is the easiest man to love and want to slap all within the same second. He ���God Lila,��� Emma smirked as she sat up, ���Oh!���
���You okay Emma?���
���Uh huh.���
���Is he standing there listening?���
���Uh huh.���
���Have fun with that,��� Lila laughed, ���Call me in the morning.���
Emma hung up the phone and closed her eyes.
���Look at me, Em,��� his breath hit her hands that were covering her face. He had moved from the doorway to her in the blink of an eye. She shook her head no.
���Come on now, Em,��� Brody lifted her chin.
She looked into his smoldering blue eyes, ���You shouldn���t have hit him.���
���Nothing else would have gotten me in that police car with him, Em,��� Brody didn���t break eye contact, ���I did what needed to be done.���
���But������
���But nothing, Em, I will take care of him. I would do anything for my family. You, Maddox, London and Lexi. I will never change;��� His hands moved down her body slowly, ���Your body���s reaction to who I am better not either. So fucking hot, Em.���
Brody���s lips and body covered her. She wanted to tell him no, she needed to talk to him, to tell him that this was not okay. She pulled her lips from his and his mouth moved to her neck. Pleasure consumed her body, heat spread lower and lower.
���I told him���I told Maddox I would be back in fifteen minutes,��� Emma whimpered as his cascade of kisses fell lower and lower, ���Oh God, Brody.���
���That���s all I need,��� he lifted her up swiftly pulling her legs around him. She grabbed his hair, pulled his mouth to hers, and kissed him deeply, passionately, ���For now.���
Brody and Emma walked into Maddox���s room together. Maddox smiled and turned off the computer, ���Are you done fighting?���
���We were not fighting, Maddox,��� Brody smiled and kissed Emma���s hand, ���We want what���s best for you. I should not have hit Big Dick, you should not have hit, little���
���Brody,��� Emma raised her eyebrow in warning.
Maddox tried hiding his smile.
���We need to find a way to deal with anger. Bot
h of us,��� Brody looked at Emma, ���I will work it out tomorrow. We love you, get some sleep.���
They sat in the district office at the high school waiting for the hearing to begin. Eli had two assistants and a thick folder in front of him.
Richard walked in with a piece of tape over his nose, and so did his son. Brody���s jaw clenched and Emma kicked him hard under the table. He bit his cheek trying his damnedest not to laugh out loud. Emma looked at Maddox, and he was doing the same. Are you freaking kidding me? S he thought.
The meeting began, and the school���s attorney attempted to take control. He stood and lectured Maddox and Brody on what was and was not acceptable in the school district. He lectured them on the law, and finally a lesson on basic manners. He informed them that nothing had been found on the school’s website and that these types of false accusations would not be tolerated.
���After an in-house investigation, we have decided to suspend Maddox for the rest of the school year. We will allow you to return next fall and finish your senior year as long as Maddox works with a therapist on his anger issues. I also think you may want to consult a doctor about the possibility of anxiety medication. This is absolutely the best we can do, and honestly I think that���s more than fair,��� he sat down.
Brody���s face was almost purple, and Emma squeezed his hand as he began to speak, ���Un- fuc…���
Eli quickly interrupted, ���This investigation, were students interviewed?���
���It was not necessary; there was nothing on the website. It was a false������ the attorney began.
Eli stood up, and the school���s attorney stopped talking. Eli���s assistant, walked around the table handing out reports.
���We had a forensic computer investigator look into these allegations. We found that they were in fact truths not lies. Open to page two and you���ll see Maddox Hines private file was in fact pulled up and posted on the school���s main web page. It was then deleted two hours later. But there was time for it to be posted on several Student���s social media pages. Open to pages three through twelve. They were deleted also. The password used to enter the school���s site is on page thirteen. I am sure we know who it belongs to. So here is what we are going to do, Maddox will be back in school tomorrow, he will be treated well. He will in fact graduate in May and you will drop all charges.���
���He broke my son���s nose and then his father������ Richard senior began.
���Shut up, Dick,��� Brody growled, ���My son is a minor, he has been through hell, and he comes to this fucking place only to be tormented by a couple of dicks!���
���I did nothing!��� Richard senior snapped, ���I will not drop charges!���
���Well I think you will once you and I have spoken, come with me,��� Eli walked to the door, ���Or we can do this here?���
They left the room for a few minutes and returned.
���You ready?��� Eli smiled at the Hines crew. ���We will see you in the morning, Dick.���
Brody and Emma sat with Maddox at the table after the girls were in bed.
���We want to give you the option of whether or not to return. You should look at this report so that you know what you may be up against. If you don���t feel that you can handle what kids may say to you, we want you to be honest with us, and we will hire a tutor,��� Brody pushed the file across the table to Maddox.
Maddox opened the file and began to read. The first part was all typical academic information. His test scores, grades, schedule and behavior report. Maddox had been in thirty physical altercations over the past thirty-six weeks he had attended school. The next page was notes written by the school psychologist. In his notes there were several different diagnosis for Maddox.
Maddox chuckled, ���Stockholm syndrome? I didn���t leave or try to because I feared for the safety of others. Not because I had any delusional need to stay with the pigs. Bipolar, not me either. Besides by definition, it sounds a lot like most teenagers going through hormone changes, no offense Mom, but girls are crazy emotional. Separation anxiety, the closest I had come to those feelings were when I was being cuffed and when Dad went to England to confront Uncle Bo. Oh and attachment disorder, attached to FUCKING WHAT?���
���He has had enough, Brody,��� Emma began to shake.
���Fuck that I am just getting started,��� Maddox grabbed the paper and continued to read, ���Emotionally disturbed, that���s a fucking joke. Who the fuck isn���t emotionally disturbed? What a bunch of shit!���
���Brody please,��� Emma whispered choking back tears as Maddox sprung to his feet and paced the floor.
���I was raised by a bunch of scum for fifteen and a half fucking years. I was beat and shoved in a fucking closet. Some piece of shit shoved fingers up my ass! I was starved and abused for all but the past eleven months of my life. So I hit a few douche bags who don���t know what the fucking word NO means, oh well the piece of shit deserved it. They are lucky to be breathing!��� Maddox sat back down and opened the next page, ���Sexual deviant, well no shit? But the funny thing is I���m a virgin by choice! I had ample opportunity to fuck any number of girls, even women, but I pushed them off me. Waking up to getting sucked off and saying no because it���s fucking dirty and I am a sexual deviant? Un. Fucking. Believable! Oh and a cutter, well no other mother fucker got cut I would say I am pretty well fucking adjusted considering. Fuck!��� Maddox stood again and paced.
���Maddox, I am so sorry,��� Emma stood to hug him.
���Not now, please. Not now,��� Maddox walked out the door and paced back and forth in the lawn cursing.
���Brody, do something he is hurting!��� Emma began to sob.
���He is finally breaking down, Em.��� Brody hugged her.
Maddox came storming in the door and froze when he saw Emma crying, ���I am sorry it���s just���damn it. I know all that shit I lived in was wrong, I chose different. I chose! I had no one to be accountable to and I chose! This psychobabble bullshit is a fucking excuse for shit behavior. Shrinks preach it giving every damaged person an excuse for their shitbag decisions. I mean honest to God, it didn���t feel good to be abused. It felt good to read to the kids and let them escape the hell even if just for a fucking minute! It felt good to smile at them and make them forget all of that shit. But you give someone like me who���oh my God.��� Maddox stopped and scrunched his eyes together.
���What is it son?��� Brody asked softly.
���Fucking Elizabeth. I knew it wasn���t okay to be beat because of fucking Elizabeth,��� Maddox���s body trembled slightly, and he looked at Brody. ���She taught me that.���
���She did,��� Brody swallowed hard.
���So why the fuck���damn it!��� Maddox squatted down again and shook violently.
���Some people don���t know any better Maddox. Some people think its normal behavior. Until someone shows them or tells them differently,��� Emma knelt down in front of them. ���Elizabeth, your mother and my sister, knew that. She was kidnapped at five years old. She knew the basic rights and wrongs.���
���Why didn���t she get help? She drove to visit me and pay the pigs. She could have escaped!��� Maddox stopped and looked up at Emma seeking answers.
���I assume she was terrified, Maddox. She had a pretty perfect first five years of life. They could have told her anything. It is even possible that they told her my parents sold her. We really don���t know. What we do know is she loved you the best she could in the situation she was in. And we know she died trying to save you, she so loved you, Mad
dox,��� Emma hugged him. ���You chose because you were taught. Psychology isn���t bullshit. People however, can use whatever excuse they can get their hands on for poor behavior. You chose not to, that���s what a psychologist���s job is. They give the seeker an answer to why. It is then in their hands to decide if they change it or not. Unfortunately, most don���t. You Maddox, are so strong and smart, you chose right, and we are so proud of you.���
���Mommy?��� London cried walking in the room, ���Maddox don���t be sad. It���s all better now right?��� London hugged him tightly.
���Yes London, I will be fine,��� Maddox returned her hug.
Brody sat on Maddox���s bed waiting for him to finish showering and trying to figure out what to say to him. Emma walked in and hugged him pulling his head into her embrace.
���Thanks Love, I needed that,��� he smiled gently and rubbed the side of his head against her chest as she held him and kissed the top of his head.
���It will be okay,��� Emma said softly.
Maddox scowled and looked down as he entered his room and saw them.
���You okay?���
���Wonderful,��� Maddox said as he walked in his closet and changed into his pajamas.
���I will leave you two alone.���
���So let’s talk,��� Brody patted the bed.
���I feel like I have done enough of that tonight,��� Maddox flipped on the computer and sat to look at the missing children���s database.
���Maddox, maybe you need to stop doing this every night. It has to hurt like hell,��� Brody stood next to him.
���Most things do,��� Maddox said expressionless as he scrolled through the page slowly.
���Okay I get it,��� Brody began.
���No Dad, I don���t think you do. I watch you and her wrapped around each other all the time. Then I watch kids at school groping each other. Then I look at these pictures and think of what they have���what we have endured because of dirty desires,��� Maddox sneered.