Title: Family Ties Author: Sorika e-mail: Webmaster@katlair.zzn.com Rating: PG13 (adult language, and scene in chapter 7) Archive: YES!!! Just tell me where, I'll give you a link back! :) Web page: www.geocities.com/Paris/Sorbonne/5647 Note: I have to thank my friend, Donny for telling me about this site. Disclaimer: I am in no way connected with the BSB *whimpers* Oh! And to those of you that will flame me because of Brian and Leighanne, please don't. I'm happy for them and they're happy together. So, don't hate me for breaking them up! okies ~*~*~ Chapter10: Loving Arms ~*~*~ I leaned against the back of the elevator. I couldn't wait to get to the room and see Lizzie and Tom. The fans had kept us downstairs for an hour. The doors in front of me opened and I walked down the hall towards our room. As I turned to corner, the site of the door made my blood run cold. The same knife that had so long ago rested at Lizzie's throat was now shoved into the green door, a small piece of paper dangling from the wicked curves. "LIZZIE!" I screamed, throwing myself into the room. Tom's crib was empty, stripped of everything. The small foldable playpen was gone, along with the diaper bag. My hand shook as I reached for the note. I read it three times... I always get what is rightfully mine. I have taken my son and my bitch. Don't bother coming after us. I'll contact you with the information on where to pick up her body soon enough...after I have paid her back for the kindness of sending me to jail. ******************************************************************************** I opened my eyes and was greeted by a darkness that pierced into my very soul. I was cramped and when I tried to stretch, I was met with resistance from all sides. I could hear Thomas crying and began to press against the small confides of the space with renewed effort. Jackson WILL NOT hurt my baby. After a few minutes, I was still trapped and Tom's cries were becoming louder. I heard a surprising voice come from the front of the car. "Aww, come on, little man. We're almost to daddy's house. Then, we'll open up the trunk and that...woman...will feed you. Then, I'll lock her up in the closet so we can go get you some formula, so we don't have to deal with her anymore, 'k? Just a few more minutes, Tommy, my boy." Jackson cooed to Thomas. If I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. The words that he said were as heartless as ever, but the tone he had said them in was completely different. "Here we go, buddy." I felt the car turn to the right and come to a halt. The engine sounds died away and I heard a car door open. A soft click sounded and the barrier above me was stripped away, the beam of a streetlight unbearably bright. Jackson's rough hands jerked me upwards and set me on shaking feet. Thomas was cradled in his arm; he turned me around and shoved me towards a building, a gun pointed in my back. The car was parked right in front, so we only had to walk eight feet before we came to the front door of apartment 42. Jackson unlocked the door, the gun still pointing at me. He shoved me into a chair and gently handed Thomas to me. "Feed him. I'm bringing the rest of the crap inside and if you try to run, I'll shot you in the goddamned head. Understand?" He growled at me. I simply nodded, pulling my shirt up and cradling Thomas as he stormed out the door to bring everything in. I felt a single tear start to fall and quickly brushed it away. I was going to have to remain calm if I was going to figure a way to get away from Jackson. ******************************************************************************** "When was she last seen?" Brian continued to pace back and forth across the carpet as the officers gathered the information they needed. "About eleven forty-five. I left the door open a crack so Brian could get in. Liz had his jacket, and I left the door cracked because I thought Brian would be locked out since his key was now in her pocket." Fatima sat twisting her hands franticly. I sat down next to her. "Fatima, it's not your fault. Damn this! I promised I'd keep her safe. I let her down... It's my fault, not yours." I sank my head to my palms and pressed the balls of my hands to my eyes. I was telling the truth throughout that. I let Lizzie down. She considered me the first part of her true family that she knew. She told me that herself. I promised she'd be safe, yet now I let her down. "Damn it!" AJ stood up and roared. "Nick, Brian, IT'S NOT YOUR DAMNED FAULT! Fuck, you two are the ones that asked her to leave that environment. Jackson is a damned asshole, but it's not your damned fault!" The officers interrupted before AJ could continue. "Gentlemen, I think we've gathered all we can. We'll contact you if we find anything. If you think of anything else or you find something out, please contact us." They picked up everything and left. "I just wish I could talk to her... God, I hope she's okay." Brian said, closing the door as the officers left. ******************************************************************************** The last three days had been a total blur. All I thought about was how to get away from Jackson and crawl into Brian's strong, loving arms. I was tied to the bedpost, the ropes biting my wrists. Jackson was taking a shower. I shivered, not only from the cold in the room, but also from the thought of what he had done to me again. How something that was supposed to be the ultimate sign of love had turned into such a cruel act that struck fear into my heart is beyond my grasp. Jackson came out of the shower, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. He began to walk towards me; that careless walk that I recognized as heartless, indifferent to suffering, as long as he had his pleasure. I curled into as small of a ball as I could, praying for a miracle. That miracle came in the form of Thomas crying; my own little savior. Jackson turned away from me. He carefully picked Thomas up, then ruthlessly shaked him. Thomas's crying became louder, more panicked, then died off abruptly. I screamed at Jackson, throwing myself at him, one of my wrists gave a sickening crack as the rope slid off my hand and, freed, I scrambled to Jackson. He turned and stared at me, then dropped Tom into my lap. He was limp, unbreathing and seemingly lifeless in my arms. The searing pain in my left wrist seemed to fade as I gave my lifeless son CPR. The sudden sound of a piercing wail made my heart leap for joy. I cradled him close to me as he slowly quieted down. "Put him down, bitch. I have business to do with you, and I don't want that brat fucking things up." "He's just a baby, Jackson! He doesn't know any other way to ask for his diaper changed, or food, or just to be cuddled. He's only five weeks old..." I put Tom in the playpen. He laid in it, seeming disoriented. I stood, facing Jackson. "You could have killed him, Jackson. Tommy could have died because of the brain damage you just gave him." "Damn you, bitch!" Jackson launched himself at me. "He's my son too. I helped bring him into this world, I can be the one that takes him out." Jackson slapped me, the impact of the rings on his hand slicing the skin on my cheek open. "Now, he's going to be an expensive brat. I am going down to the damned store. I'll get him some damned formula. You get a choice." He sneered at me, bringing a hand up to "caress" me. "You can either be tied to the ceiling fan or locked in the closet. Now, whatever you choose, Tommy will be with you. Fan, he'll be spinning around with you by his throat, closet... he'll be locked in there with you, and you'll have no way to change a damned thing about the way you're squeezed in there." There wasn't really a choice. "Closet." I squeaked. Jackson stood, and roughly dragged me to my feet. He stared at me, then turned and flung the T-shirt I had been wearing when this all began at me. "Cover your revolting body." I tugged the shirt on, then he grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to the closet. He threw me inside then brought Thomas to me. I slid to the floor as the door slammed shut, leaving me helpless and in the dark. I laid Thomas on the floor then felt above my head for something I could lay it on. My fingers felt the smooth, soft cotton of Thomas' diaper bag. I pulled it in to my lap. Sitting up, I began to rummage through it. I pulled out a blanket, a change of clothes, diapers, wipes, and finally, the jacket that Brian always insisted that we bring, in case one of us got cold. I stuffed the rest of the contents back into the bag and set it on the other side of me. I hugged the jacket to my chest; it smelt like Brian. Thomas was asleep, and as I laid down next to him, something in the pocket stuck me uncomfortably in the side. Quickly, I sat back up, digging into the pocket. I prayed it was what I thought. I almost cried from joy as my hand closed over Brian's cell phone. I quickly turned it on, and searched through the directory for Nick, Howie, AJ, or Kevin. I found AJ's cell phone number first. I pressed the button and waited as it began to ring. "AJ." I let out the breath that I hadn't even realized I'd been holding as his voice rang in my ear. "AJ! Please, can you get Brian?" "Who is this? I'm sorry, miss, but..." "AJ, it's me, Liz. Please, can you just get Brian?" I started to cry in relief. ******************************************************************************** I ran into Brian's room, the phone in my hands. I shoved it into Brian's hands. Brian's head jerked up, then he looked, dismayed, at his hand. "AJ, I'd rather be alone right now." "Just talk." "Hello?" His face lit up, as he stood, and mouthed for me to call the police. "God, Lizzie, it's great to hear you again. Do you know where you are? Are you okay? Has Jackson hurt you or Tom?" I ran to the bedroom and dialed the number the officers had left. No one answered, so I left a quick message and came back out to where Brian was. He hung up the cell phone and handed back to me. "She doesn't know were she is, except that it's apartment number forty-two. She's fine, and Jackson is going to die when I find him." He ran a hand through his hair and sat back down on the couch. "I have a feeling that she's not telling me everything, but she did say that Jackson shook Tom, then threatened to kill him." Brian's face sank into his hands. "That asshole is going to die if I'm the one that finds him first." ******************************************************************************** 5 weeks later ******************************************************************************** I stood up, Thomas' bottle fell out of my hands. I bent down and quickly scooped it up and gave it to him. The door to the apartment gave way as Jackson stumbled through, followed by another man who was clearly drunk. "There she is. Now, granted, she ain't near good, but no whore really ever is, eh?" Jackson gestured toward me. "If there be, I han't had the pleasure of havin' her in my bed." I stood in the middle of the room, frozen, a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. I fought against the fear that held my limbs in stone, but found I couldn't move. The man advanced towards me. I backed away until the bed stopped my backward movements. He pushed me firmly to the mattress, rose to overtake me, even as he stripped away the barriers between us. Every cell in me screamed against this vile act, yet I couldn't think clearly enough to stop. My eyes were drawn to Jackson, staring at me, as he raised a knife over my sleeping son. His face told me that if I tried to stop it, he'd murder Thomas. Afterwards, I lay on the bed, curled into a ball as the man got up, handed Jackson a roll of bills and left. Jackson turned to me, triumph written across his face. "You sure as hell suck in bed to me, but you, the whore of 5839 Stoner Street in Manhattan, can still draw in enough of a pretty penny to earn your keep. Now get in that damned closet. I have errands to run. This time, I'm taking the brat. I'll need him for one of them." ******************************************************************************** I bolted up as my cell phone rang. Rachel reached over to the bedside table and handed me the phone. I smiled at her and placed a hand over her overdue stomach. "Hello? Lizzie!" Rachel sat up beside me, her hand clutching my arm. Her eyes searched mine for what was happening. "Yeah, hang on a minute. I'll get him." I pulled away from Rachel, threw the door aside and bolted down the hall towards Brian's room. "Brian! Get up and open this door! Now, damn it!' He flung the door open. "What the hell is your problem?" I shoved the phone in his face. I could hear the sounds of sobs through it, and then Lizzie's voice rang clearly through the connection. "Brian! Please, come and get me, I know where I am now. Please...I love you. Please..." Brian grabbed the phone from my hands, and brought it to his ear. He began babbling, his voice soothing, trying to calm her. Rachel was at my side then, a pad of paper and a pen in her hands. "Write down where she is and let's go get her you idiots." She hissed softly, her eyes still pleading for someone to tell her where Lizzie was. "Where are you?" Brian stopped the senseless babbling and quickly took down what she said. "Ok, Liz, we're coming. I have to go, but I swear, we're coming." He hung up the phone then quickly began dialing another. "Hello, Manhattan Police? There is a kidnapped woman at 5839 Stoner, Apartment 42. She just called me and I need you to send a unit over there as soon as possible. Thank you, officer." He handed the phone back to me, then ran back inside to get dressed.