Foolproof Family
This one is the "most direct" sequel to to Forms of Family given a lot of talks about of the family situation, but it's not necessary to read that first if you haven't.
~~~~
Logan wasn’t sure how much time passed between when he had screamed for Dad and when Dad had come over and picked up the bawling Roman. But he knew it was less than a minute, maybe even less than thirty seconds. But in that short period of time, lots of things can happen.
In thirty seconds someone could order a coffee, change some batteries, fall off a swing.
And in thirty seconds someone could take his brother.
Roman falling. Roman crying. His shouting. Dad running. Dad holding Roman. Dad looking around. Dad shouting. Dad screaming. Dad running. All shouting. All crying. Police. Papa. Yelling. Nothing. Waiting. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Snapshots.
They were the only way Logan seemed to be able to make sense of the past few hours. No make sense wasn’t the right wording. Grasp? Not quite. Understand? No. Process? No. Explain? No. Accept? Hell no.
No words worked.
He supposed nothing should “make sense” when Patton was gone.
And the day had been going so well, it seemed almost laughable that it could plummet like this. Almost.
The park thankfully wasn’t too crowded, something the whole family was thankful for. It was made better by the niceness of the afternoon air and the fact that Dad had gotten out of working today so was able to spend time with them.
While park’s were nice enough, Logan always found it a bit boring, by this point he was a bit too big for most of the play structures but being the good big brother he was he would always follow Patton dutifully when asked. Things improved however when Henry had come bringing with him his little sister, Hazel. At their appearance Logan was grateful to have someone his own age to talk to and Dad had even agreed to watch her and Patton while the two boys hung out.
“Hey Logan?” Henry asked randomly.
“Hm?”
“Why doesn’t your brother walk or talk? Isn’t he like one?”
Logan followed his new friend’s gaze to where Patton and Hazel sat rolling a ball with Virgil, “He’s ten months.”
“Still.”
“Virgil was born really early,” Remus answered for him as he came over. “So now he’s behind other babies.”
“Babies typically begin to speak around six months,” Logan put in. “But the word typically means that it’s not always . It’s an average, Virgil simply falls further from it.”
His friend’s eyes watched him, but Logan focused on his baby brother as he hit the ball which rolled in Patton’s general direction. Patton reached forward and grabbed it before sending it rolling back to hit the baby’s leg causing him to laugh.
If Virgil could understand this game, how could anything possibly wrong with him?
“People just need to stop comparing him, and instead simply accept him for him,” he finished.
“I guess I’ve never thought about it that way,” Henry shrugged. “Hazel took a long time to talk according to Mom.”
“Can you come now?” Remus whined.
Logan looked back to him and gave an annoyed sigh, “You come over here every few minutes, what do you want?”
“We’re competing to see who can jump the highest off the swing! And we need a judge.”
Henry convinced him to be a judge, and after two rounds it looked like Remus would win. He had won the first easily, and then here on the second he had gotten even higher.
“If I don’t get it we’re doing three out of five!” Roman called as he swung.
“That’s not fair!” Remus called back. “If you lose, you lose!”
“Just jump Roman!” Logan told him.
“Not yet!” Roman yelled back.
He went back and forth a few more times before he launched himself off.
But Roman stumbled as he landed.
Rather than landing perfectly as he had before his foot slipped and he came crashing down falling flat. Logan stood for a moment as Remus asked if he had won before Logan heard Roman began to cry. Logan held back a comment (about how if Roman didn’t want to fall he shouldn’t have jumped in the first place) as he moved towards his brother. He sat Roman up and he shrunk back at the sight of his brother’s arm.
Logan was no doctor, but he was positive it shouldn’t bend the way it was.
“Dad!” He shouted loudly over Roman’s cries.
His tone of voice must’ve made it clear that something was wrong because it was then that Dad looked up, grabbed Virgil, said something to the two kids before running over. When he reached them he cringed at Roman before he handed Virgil to Logan and took Roman in his arms.
“That looks like it hurts,” Hazel commented unhelpfully from behind Henry.
“We need to go to a doctor for this,” Dad said quickly. “Logan can you get Virgil in the stroller? And Remus can you-”
“Dad?” Remus interrupted. “Where’s Patton?”
~~~~
The phone wouldn’t ring.
The police had said that if whomever had taken Patton wanted money, they would call. The police had left hours ago, and the phone hadn’t rang.
And at this point Logan doubted it ever would.
“You should put them to bed.”
The words caused Logan to look up from the book he wasn’t actually reading to Papa’s face. When Dad didn’t acknowledge him however he spoke again, “Put them to bed.”
Dad looked to where the twins had fallen asleep cuddled together on the couch, “They’re fine. I-I... I want them around right now.”
“Aren’t you selfish?”
Dad didn’t seem to have the heart to reply.
Papa gave a groan as he moved towards the twins and shook them awake, “Go to bed.”
Remus shook his head, “I wanna be awake when Patton comes home.”
Roman nodded in agreement.
“Go to bed,” He said again.
Neither moved and Logan watched as their eyes shifted to Dad, but Dad’s gaze had gone back to the ceiling above him. Finally they both stood and moved to the stairs and headed up.
“Logan put Virgil to bed,” Papa told him.
“I’m holding Virgil,” Dad interrupted.
“You don’t need to.”
“I do.”
“So you can protect him? Like you protected Patton?”
Dad’s gaze lowered long enough to give his future ex-husband a glare, “I might hit you if I don’t hold him.”
Papa gave a smirk, “Try it. I’d love to tell the Judge how you hit me. Maybe then he’ll give me custody.”
Logan reached for the remote and turned up the volume on TV as Dad responded, hoping the twins were already asleep.
~~~~
A lot of things can happen in eight years, and even more could change.
Logan could still remember the day he had first walked into the house which would become his home. The place was large and almost daunting as he climbed the stairs following after Dad. On the floor below he could hear Papa called to get them a dinner reservation to celebrate.
Dad had opened the door to the room- his room and Logan had stepped inside his mouth dropping open as he did. He had been four then, and the room had seemed huge, or maybe it was without the Twins’ bunk beds. It had been covered in a galaxy theme, and it was in that moment he knew how much the two of them cared for him because he had never mentioned wanting to be an astronaut, but somehow they had figured it out along the way.
“Do you like it?” Dad had asked, worry in his voice.
Logan had looked back at him with big eyes, “This is really my room?”
Dad had given him a look which Logan now could recognize the same one he gave when ever Patton or Virgil had done something cute. “It’s all yours Lo.”
Logan had launched himself forward to hug him, his small arms not reaching very far. Dad had laughed and picked him up holding him tight- welcoming him home.
“Excuse me,” Papa stated with mock offense coming in the room. “I want a Logan hug!”
He had been smiling- all three of them were smiling as they had a family hug. The first of many to follow over the years.
Before they would stop altogether.
When had been the last time Papa had hugged him? Had told him that he loved him- and meant it? The day he left? No, if he meant it then he would’ve come back.
He wouldn’t have left Dad alone with five kids and no support.
He would’ve called to tell them goodnight like he used to.
He would’ve called when Patton was sick.
He would’ve shown up when Virgil was in the hospital.
And he’d care when CPS or a Judge wasn’t around.
If he loved them... then maybe he would still be Logan’s role model...
~~~~
The sound of breaking glass, followed by a shout jolted Logan awake.
He rubbed at his eyes and squinted at his clock, close to 6 am.
“Logan?” A tired voice asked.
“Go back to sleep Remus,” Logan replied grabbing his glasses.
He made his way out of his room and moved toward the stairs listening, but below he could only hear the soft TV chatter and angered whispers.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. They must’ve heard him coming because all whispers had stopped. When he entered the room Dad looked up from where he was sitting trying to dry up a mess of broken liquid amongst broken glass- the coffee pot?
“Sorry, did I wake you up?” He asked.
Logan nodded, “The twins are still asleep.”
“Good.”
The man looked like he hadn’t slept, Logan would’ve been more surprised if he had.
“Are you gonna clean up your mess or leave it there?”
Papa stood in the corner of the kitchen, holding a mug of coffee as he watched the morning news... Patton’s story was on again. Logan stared at his brother’s smiling face on the screen until Dad stood to block his view. He moved passed Logan going out into the hall most likely to grab the broom.
“You’re not going to go back to sleep?” Papa asked him.
Logan shook his head as he sat down at the table, “I don't think I could.”
He nodded slowly, “I guess that’s fair.”
“I dreamt about you,” Logan said quietly. He turned his gaze to the table, unsure why he was even telling him this. “About the day you both brought me home... and things that happened recently.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you come?” Logan asked him.
Papa looked away from the TV, but his eyes didn’t meet Logan’s as he watched as Dad walked back in the room and began to sweep up the broken glass. “He’s my son too.”
“He’s your son when you want him to be,” Logan corrected. “You’re only here when you want to be. Not when you’re needed, so why are you here now? Or are you just here because the police would suspect you otherwise?”
He gave a sigh as he came closer and sat down in the chair beside Logan, “There are things a middle schooler like you can’t understand yet.”
Logan found the courage to look him in the eye, “I think I understand more about family than you.”
“That’s enough,” Dad interrupted.
Papa rolled his eyes and looked back to the screen. The news had moved on to another story, so he changed the channel.
~~~~
The house had filled.
First it had been the news who asked for multiple statements from his parents and from the police. When they had finally died down, Dad’s concerned friends and other parents all came to comfort him and calls from family kept coming in.
But still there was no word on Patton.
Logan tried to keep his thoughts on what he would do when Patton finally came home. Hug him tightly for sure. Give him all his favorite snacks, do everything the five year old wanted, and tell him how much he loved him. But as much as he tried to focus on what would happen when his brother came back, Logan’s mind inevitably went to the same picture.
A small and skinny little boy, his glasses askew and broken, his legs tucked tightly in his chest as he stared up at a dark space in fear of something. Sometimes the image would progress playing out different scenarios each one worse than the last.
Patton had to be okay. He needed to be okay.
Because if he wasn’t... He had lost his birth parents, and he had more or less lost one of his fathers... he couldn’t lose his brother too.
“Logan?”
The gentle tone pulled Logan out of his mind and he looked up to see a man before him. He was the husband of one of Dad’s friends, Logan recalled though he couldn’t remember which.
“Your Dad wants you in the other room.”
When he went to the other room he paused to see Dad with Roman sitting on his lap, with Virgil on Roman’s. It’s something Papa would used to take a picture of. Instead however he sat his eyes glued on the TV which played some kids show as Remus watched beside him. The rest of the room was occupied by guests who moved to let him by as he made his way to his Dad.
“You wanted me?”
Dad looked up as he approached. “I need you to eat something.”
“I ate.”
Dad gave him a slight smile, “I need you to eat something today.”
Logan crossed his arms with a huff, “I’m not hungry.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to eat something. But how about instead of nothing or a full meal we compromise and you eat a piece of fruit- and I don’t mean a single grape.”
“...Two grapes?”
“How about an apple or banana? Better yet, how about both?”
“Fine,” Logan sighed, he supposed he walked into that.
~~~~
CPS came later in the day.
And when they did all their guests filed out. The house which had been loud yet solemn now seemed as empty and hollow as it truly was without Patton. Their distracting presence had allowed him to distance himself ever so slightly, but he wasn’t allowed that luxury anymore.
They came with the detective and an officer and once again the same questions were asked to the family.
“Do you like it here Logan?”
Logan gave the woman a frown, “Yeah. And what does that have to do with finding my brother?”
She gave him a practiced smile, “I’m just trying to ensure that the rest of you boys are okay. So do you mind if I ask a few other questions?”
“Alright.”
She nodded and glanced down to the notebook in her lap, “Can you tell me how things are with your dads?”
Logan gave a shrug as if it would push off everything uncomfortable he was feeling. “Things are good when it’s just Dad. But whenever Papa is around he yells at him for doing nothing wrong.”
“And how does that make you feel?”
“Annoyed? Papa left us, a while ago but suddenly he’s here all the time to mess things up. I think it should be one or the other, stay or go. But Dad wants him gone, so go.”
“Do they ever argue in front of you guys?”
“Sometimes. Dad tries not to, though.”
“How do you think your brothers feel about it?”
“No one likes it.”
She opened her mouth to speak again when a soft knock sounded on the bedroom door before one of the officers stepped in. He made his way over to her and moved to say something in her ear when a crackle came over the radio at his hip.
“A lead is currently being followed up with over on-”
The rest had been cut off as he hit something, but Logan had heard enough.
A lead.
Logan didn’t know two words could spark so much hope and joy into a single person- much less himself.
“You know where he is?” Logan asked the man.
“Something’s being looked into... it’s not positive yet,” was the awkward reply.
Positive or not, Logan’s heart swelled with a bit of hope and he couldn’t stop the smile growing on his face.
Patton would come home.
It was whispers between adults which deflated that bit of hope he had.
It was always their whispers wasn’t it? They never wanted to tell Logan anything straight out, they didn’t want to hurt him. But it was those whispers which seemed to hurt even more.
He didn’t look away from the iPad screen he had been staring at, Dad had let him have it to play music but despite the earbuds in his ears he had been so lost in thought that he had forgotten to put anything on. Until Patton’s name had pierced his subconscious... and with it the bad news. The lead had been nothing more than wasted efforts and time placed in the wrong path.
When the whispers stopped he had glanced up long enough to watch as Dad receded to staring back up at the ceiling with Virgil in his arms. Logan felt the need to say something, but no words formed on his tongue. Instead his eyes fell to the iPad which he unlocked, and forced himself to hit play.
But it didn’t really block out the sound of Dad’s sobs.
~~~~
Logan had stood at the front door for a few minutes watching him before he found himself able to speak, “Why do you hate Dad?”
The man looked up from his beer to glance at Logan before he looked back out at seemingly nothing in particular, “Why aren’t you-”
“Answer me,” Logan insisted sitting beside him on the porch stair. “Why do you hate Dad? And why did you leave us?”
“Damien and I weren’t getting along anymore,” Papa said with a simple shrug. “I want to live my life my way and he didn’t agree with my way.”
“You couldn’t meet in the middle?”
“No.”
There was a pause and Logan wrapped his arms around himself silently wishing he had on a jacket while he watched his Papa. Logan allowed him another long swig before speaking. “You didn’t answer my second question.”
“Didn’t I?”
“Why did you leave us?”
“I told you, Damien and I don’t get along. He’s just so fu- freaking-”
“There’s a difference between leaving Dad and leaving me !” Logan shouted sharply. There was a short pause before he looked away, his fingers digging into the thin fabric of his shirt.
“Don’t worry Mr. Astronaut, I’ll be back from my trip in a week.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. And I’ll call you everyday, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And can you do me a favor while I’m gone? Take care of your Dad for me?”
“I will!”
“You ready to meet your little brother?”
“Uhuh.”
“You look a little nervous to me.”
“What if Patton doesn’t like me?”
“Well I’m pretty sure Patton likes everyone, but I’m positive he’ll think you’re awesome.”
“Really?”
“Really. And hey, I think you’re awesome.”
“You’re have to say that, you’re my Papa.”
“And I always will be... but regardless, I wouldn’t lie to you Logan.”
“You never even called us,” Logan continued quietly. “We had to call you and you barely answered... we-we thought you were coming home.”
“I needed some space from Damien.”
“You still could’ve picked us up from school or something Dropped us off then left again. Something!”
“...I didn’t think he’d appreciate my presence.”
Logan watched his Papa in disbelief, “And when Virgil was in the hospital?”
He gave a sigh, “It’s more complicated than you can understand.”
“Try me.”
“Go get ready for bed Logan.”
“I have one more question.”
“What?”
“What does your boyfriend think about all this?”
The man’s eyes narrowed on Logan’s face, and Logan didn’t miss as the beer can bent slightly in his grip. “Go get ready for bed.”
Logan didn’t protest.
~~~~
“Logan can you do something for me?”
Logan looked up at his Dad in surprise, but his father’s gaze was focused on the sandwiches he was making. “What?”
“I understand you're mad at him... but can you stop questioning him?”
“Why?” Logan asked slowly. “I’ve never had a chance to ask him before.”
“I know, I know, but I don’t think the timing is right. Everyone is scared, worried, stressed, tired... I don’t know if this is the best idea right now.”
“I’ll stop when he answers me,” Logan replied crossing his arms. “I just want to know why he doesn’t want to be my Papa anymore.”
Dad gave a sigh as he set down a sandwich, “He does Logan. He just doesn’t want me around. And I’m sorry to put you and your brothers in the middle, but we’re gonna figure it out.”
“It’s not your fault, it's his . All he needed to do was call. To call and to come to when we’re sick, to go the twins soccer games, or the school play. To do the things he used to! ...If he cares why did he stop?”
“...It’s complicated.”
“Don’t lie.”
Another sigh, “I don’t know. But I know he cares.”
“I don’t.”
Dad didn’t say anything more.
~~~~
Shaking woke Logan.
He cracked open his eyes to find his glasses had been removed from his face, but he could see the blurry form his brothers and fathers before him.
“Get up Logan!” came Remus’ voice as he continued to shake him. “We’re meeting Patton at the hospital!”
Patton was asleep when they got there.
The twins wanted to wake him, but Dad wouldn’t let them. Quite frankly Logan was sure Dad wanted to do the same, he wanted to after all.
They hadn’t been there long before a detective entered with a man Logan didn’t recognize.
“I’m sorry!” the man said quickly. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize she was that sick. I’m sorry.”
At confused looks the detective began to explain, “This is Mr. Hart. He and his wife are your son’s biological parents... And she was the one who took him.”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Hart said again and as he did, Logan found himself unnerved by the way he could the similarities to his brother in the man’s hair and eye shape. “I just got home from work after a few days and found Marie with him. She said she saw him in the park and just knew it was him... I-I convinced her to go shopping and once she left I brought him to the police station. I’m so sorry.”
Dad stood slowly a small smile on his lips, and he grabbed the man’s hands in his. “Thank you so much.”
He shook his head, “I don’t deserve that. But... he’s okay right?”
“Yes, the doctor said he just hadn’t really eaten. He’s okay.”
“He won’t be mentally,” Papa put in not looking away from Patton’s sleeping form.
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Hart said again taking back his hands and shoving them in his pockets.
“She had him for days,” Papa continued standing. “Why would you be gone that long?”
“I drive a truck,” He explained awkwardly. “I’m gone a few days at a time. I wish I had a different job, but this is the only thing I’m decent at... If I could do something else maybe we wouldn’t have lost him to the system in the first place...” He gave an awkward cough, and stepped back toward the door. “I shouldn’t be here. But I am really sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t change anything.”
The man nodded grimly, “I know.”
“That wasn’t needed,” Dad chided when Mr. Hart had left.
Papa didn’t seem apologetic, “They lost him because of negligence in the first place, right?”
Dad shook his head as he took back his seat at Patton’s bedside. He ran a hand through Patton’s hair gently, “The past doesn’t matter. The fact that he’s right here does.”
Patton had barely woken before Logan found himself squeezing his brother tightly.
“Move Logan!” Roman shouted climbing onto the bed to join in the hug.
“Both of you move!” Remus put in.
None of them had, but Dad and Papa had grabbed all four of them tightly between the two of them.
“I’m sorry,” Patton cried form in between them. “My mom looked just like the picture! I didn’t want to go with her though!”
“It’s okay,” Dad told him. “It’s okay.”
It wasn’t the family hug Logan had been craving, but he supposed it would have to do. Patton was back, and that was more than good enough.
~~~~
“Bye.”
Papa looked up, probably surprised that Logan had followed him out to his car. “More questions?” He sighed.
Logan shook his head.
“Then go back in the house, you’ll catch a cold.”
“Bye,” Logan told him again.
Papa raised an eyebrow, but nodded once, “I’ll call.”
Logan doubted that he would, but he nodded back. Quite frankly even if he did call, Logan wasn’t sure he’d want to answer. If the past few days had taught him anything (besides emphasizing the whole stranger danger thing) was that his family meant everything to him, and that if his Papa didn’t want to be apart of it then he wasn’t going to force him- it only made them both more upset than they already were.
“Bye,” he said again as the car pulled away.
“Logan! Come get a coat!” Dad called from inside.
“I’m fine!” he called back.
“I’m not going back to the hospital!”
Logan shook his head as he gave a chuckle as he turned back to his house, looking back only once. “Bye.”
If so much could happen in a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year... It only made sense that eight years had been a long time, so it was susceptible to so many changes. Those good and bad and those moments like this one in the middle of the spectrum. Logan knew it wasn’t good for his heart to completely cast away one of the men who had raised him, but he knew it would be more painful to be hurt further down the road.
So, goodbye to the man, and goodbye to that relationship.
Logan took a deep breath, feeling oh so relaxed at the simple word.
“Goodbye.”
