Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/11320995.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      All_For_the_Game_-_Nora_Sakavic
  Relationship:
      Neil_Josten/Andrew_Minyard
  Character:
      Neil_Josten, Andrew_Minyard, Original_Child_Character(s), Officer
      Higgins, Renee_Walker_(All_For_The_Game)
  Additional Tags:
      Post-Canon, Neil_and_Andrew_adopt_a_child, idk_what_else_to_label_this,
      post_trauma, the_rape/non-con_is_all_PTSD, nothing_happens_in_here, just
      flashbacks_and_topic_conversation, the_underage_as_well, Neil_Josten_&
      Andrew_Minyard_Adopt, Marcus_Minyard-Josten, really_it's_more_fostering
      but_eventual_adoption, Long_Shot, One_Shot, i_didnt_know_what_to_classify
      this_as_so_i_was_safe_with_everything, mentions_of_Aaron, who_is_a
      pediatrician, im_really_sorry, i_didnt_think_it_would_be_this_long
  Series:
      Part 1 of The_Monster,_The_Junkie,_and_+_One
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-06-29 Words: 6899
****** "Call me Marcus; he's strong and noble." ******
by AroPeterWam
Summary
     “Which one is Sir Fat Cat McCatterson? And why does he have a long
     name? I like the name King Fluffkins, but isn’t that too many noble
     titles for the cats?” Marcus, slowly coming out of his shell reached
     under the coffee table for one of the cats.
     --
     In which Neil and Andrew come across a boy who might not be like any
     of their stray cats.
Notes
     I saw a documentary on Netflix called, "I am Jane Doe" and the entire
     trial that has recently taken place has shaken me. Like, I don't want
     to get too much into the documentary, but you should check it out and
     see what I mean.
     It may enrage you.
Neil who has seen murder, death, violence, and human monstrosity thought that
the worst in mankind started and ended in Boston. In a brave bravado sorts of
new martyrdom (as what Andrew says a lot), Neil and Andrew moved to Washington
State, living a few miles out of Seattle. Andrew signed on early to the new
team in Washington, moved first, waiting for Neil and their two cats before
feeling his being relax with having his troublesome husband within sight.
It took Neil a lot longer than he had hoped to become adjusted to being back in
the state where they got caught by his father and his men. The memories of
smoke, burned leather, charred skin, and his mother's dying fighting breath
made him weaker now that he was used to memories of Exy, Andrew, his cats, and
the unavoidable Foxes. But over the months of training and home, Neil began to
slowly tuck away those last remnants of fear that his father would return and
fear of his mother's death being in vain; he began to find a fondness for
Seattle.
The schedule both men shared was as consistent as they were. Andrew knew where
Neil would usually go to get the occasional Chinese and Neil knew where
Andrew's favorite ice cream shop was. They knew the town on a more familiar
level, having had investigated where the best coffee was to be bought from, and
from where the best German cuisine was that Nicky swore by when he would visit.
It all felt like home to Neil. It all was home for him and everything more.
Sometimes Neil would walk behind sketchy alleyways, hoping to recall forgotten
memories of his mother when they were on the run; maybe even to come across
places where they were both patching themselves up as they fled for their
lives. He became so lost in trying to find memorable landmarks that he almost
didn't notice the hysterical laughter he's only come across to similarity
twice- both times involving the death of a monstrous human.
Neil came face to face with a young boy, not possibly older than 9, soaked with
blood, laughing what he could only assume, at the situation before him. Neil
took his phone out, texting the only person who would respond with a call so
quickly in response.
“Higgins is still in town right? And has contacts with the local police?” Neil
asked instead of an answer to Andrews ‘What's wrong?’
“Yes, but that doesn't answer my question.” Neil could almost see Andrew’s
emotionless face as he flicked the ashes from his cigarette.
“It would be better to explain after you tell him to send in a few officers, an
ambulance, and maybe some decent clothes to wear.” Neil sat his Exy bag down
and rummaged through the bag hoping to find extra clean clothes to cover the
now puking boy and a first aid kit to treat the visible wounds on the small
boy's almost nude body.
“What did you get yourself into? I'm on my way, send me the address.” Andrew
hung up before Neil could explain. He sent him a dropped pin location before
turning his attention to the boy who sat covered in bruises, blood, and a
mixture of hysteria and disbelief.
“You're hurt.” Was all Neil said as he slowly walked to the boy showing him the
medical supplies.
“It seems that I am.” The boy numbingly touched his wrists as if to take in the
open wound for the first time.
“Here,” Neil took off his jacket and lifted his hands up quickly when the boy
flinched, “I'm not going to touch you if you don't want me to, but I need to
look at that wound and clean it before it gets infected.” Neil reached for his
first-aid kit to show the boy. He waited until the boy nodded.
“My name is Neil by the way,” he began to clean the wound and saw that it
wasn't open enough to need stitches so he placed non-stick gauze to it and
wrapped it carefully. He noticed how the boy didn't even bat an eye when he
cleaned the wound with alcohol.
“I don't know what my name is, but he called me Jackson.” Jackson finally spoke
after a few minutes of careful silence.
“Aren't you cold Jackson?” Neil almost felt the boy's pain when he saw Jackson
flinch to being called Jackson. It brought back memories of Lola and his
father.
“If you want to be called something else, what would it be?” He carefully
placed his jacket over his shoulders, recalling a time he did that to Andrew as
well.
“Mar-cus?” The boy said the name as if trying out first before nodding his
head. “Call me Marcus; he's strong and noble.” Neil got the feeling that Marcus
was someone real to the boy.
“Marcus, can you tell me what happened?” Neil carefully sat in front of Marcus,
at arms-length knowing how he used to as a runaway boy hiding from his father
and his men.
“He fell. It was so easy, I didn't think it was possible.” Neil felt his blood
go cold, bringing him back to Boston, an underground garage, and his Uncle
Stuart. He carefully eyed the man next to them both, clearly dead, with a knife
sticking from his back.
“Did you do it?” Marcus asked, his voice painstakingly detached and devoid of
feeling.
“No, I did not. I swore off murder a long time ago kiddo.” Neil smiled when he
saw Marcus’ lips twitch. Maybe not a time to joke about murder when the police
began to arrive, Andrew already making his way to them.
“Look, I know you don't trust me right now, but I need you to explain what
happened. We can help you.” Neil meant it as he explained it to Marcus how the
police would want to ask questions about what happened, who he was, and where
his parents were.
“I don't- I think,” Marcus blinked repeatedly by the lost memories he wouldn't
be recovering anytime soon.
“Was he someone important to you?” It was Andrew now who spoke up, a flicker of
anger in his eyes as he surveyed the boy.
“I don't think he was,” Marcus admitted, while still looking at his wrist in
disbelief.
--
The police asked the questions they needed to ask. For the sake of keeping the
boy safe, they kept him in the hospital overnight and Marcus requested for Neil
and Andrew to stay with him, somehow feeling both men near made him feel safe
and unharmed. Andrew didn’t know where this was going, or where it could go,
but all he asked Neil, “Yes or no?” And without much hesitation, Neil nodded.
“Are you sure? Once we do this, we can’t go back.” Andrew gave him a look,
trying to see if Neil was sure about this. Somewhere he knew that both men
would be plagued with an uncertainty on how to handle this situation since both
were never given much of a chance to experience what it was like to have a
parental figure looming over them both as children.
“I am sure,” Neil said and while Marcus left to be cleaned by a nurse, both
boys got the help of Officer Higgins and a few of his contacts in signing both
of them up to foster Marcus. Becoming foster parents was a different situation
than they were used to. One, they never imagined themselves looking after
another person that was not each other or the occasional Fox, and two, they
didn’t think they were cut out enough to be parents with the fear that they
would become like their own.
But hearing Marcus explain in details things he didn’t seem to understand
himself, made Neil and Andrew develop a sense of protection for the boy. Maybe
it was how similar a life he had in the few years of life he’s lived, that
resemble that of Neil and Andrew’s life painstakingly to a T. Neil related in
the sense of a father who was abusive and heavy-handed, (Marcus thinks it was
his father, the forensics swabbed for DNA not too long ago) and Andrew with the
sickening sense of his body not being his.
“I’m going to be sick,” a cop next to them admitted as he finished taking in
the notes of what Marcus described as an online sex-trafficking trade on
minors. “I’m going to be fucking sick.” He held his notebook and pen tight.
Displaying what both men found difficult to.
“How long will the process be?” Neil asked Andrew, but Officer Morris answered
instead.
“Usually it depends on what kind of agency you reach out to, but since this is
unconventional circumstances,” the officer shrugged. “Let me call in and see
where this leads. I’m 99% sure that you two will take him, seeing as he refused
any treatment unless you guys were there. But I’ll get back to you with that.”
Morris left, phone in hand, dialing the right numbers and contacts.
“If it’s a no?” Neil asked, his voice unsteady at the uncertainty of not being
able to protect Marcus.
“It’ll take a lot more for them to say no,” Andrew cooley said, not looking up,
and instead turning to knock on the door.
They entered after the soft, “Come in,” and sat on the chairs next to Marcus’
bed. As unsure as they were with what to do next, Marcus was even more unsure
of how to act around two men that respected his space and accepted the silence
without backlash.
“Andrew?” Marcus tilted his head to the side, eyeing Andrews hands that were
folded next to his legs. Andrew would know when to take them back if they were
invading Marcus’ space, but the look Marcus had was to hold them. Something new
for all three of them.
Andrew kept his hands loose and open in front of him as an invitation for
Marcus to hold them. Hesitantly Marcus touched Andrew’s hands with his small
hand, laid further down under his blankets, and then eventually fell asleep
clutching Andrew’s hands as a raft in the middle of the lonely and cold sea.
Neil eyed the situation with trepidation, uncertain of what face Andrew was
making as he stayed like that all night; not once taking his eyes or attention
from Marcus who slept.
--
When morning came, the nurse- seeming to know to ask for permission before
touching Marcus- asked to take his vitals and give care to his wounds. Andrew
retreated back next to Neil, finding comfort in the warmth that he radiated.
“We can’t just let him go,” Neil said in a low voice, gaining the nod from
Andrew. “I asked Renee if her mother could spot us some help with speeding the
process.” Neil wasn’t as surprised as he should have been considering that it
was Renee.
“And what would you young men want?” The older nurse turned her attention from
Marcus to look at both men.
“Coffee,” Andrew said with a bored tone, paying attention to Marcus who was
drinking his apple juice already from the tray the nurse brought in.
“I’m fine with whatever is available, thank you.” Neil gave the nurse a fake
smile he was becoming used to giving during interviews. The nurse nodded and
left, affectionately giving Marcus’ leg a squeeze on her way out, not noticing
how he flinched or how Andrew straightened up at the reaction.
“What do you need?” It was Neil who stood by Marcus, trying to reel him back to
look at his face. Marcus eyed Neil and then sighed with what looked like
relief.
“To go to the bathroom,” Marcus sheepishly admitted, looking at the bathroom
door with fear. “Can you take me?” It seemed like Marcus was too weary to ask
for any help at all.
“I can stand outside the door if you want.” Neil held his hands out for Marcus
to take when he was ready to. He nodded and climbed to hold Neil’s hands as
tightly as he could. Andrew looked to take in any and all markings visible on
Marcus’ slightly pale skin, a shadow of vengence igniting a fire in his eyes.
Neil knew that look and was glad that Andrew's knives were still in their room,
neatly hidden where only Andrew could reach them if he needed to at night.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Marcus called out sheepishly from inside the
bathroom.
“Do you want us to call the nurse?” Neil asked, unsure of what he should do.
“No!” Marcus said too quickly. “Can you or Andrew come in? Puh...please?”
Marcus sounded like he had a hard time getting the word ‘please’ out. Neil
turned to Andrew who was looking at the door that leads to the room with
malicious intent, ready to fight anyone who would come in to hurt what was his.
“Okay, I’m coming in,” Neil opened the door slowly, facing Marcus who had
soiled himself. Marcus looked embarrassed, scared, and more broken than the
night before.
“It’s okay Marcus, this is nothing to be embarrassed about, okay?” Neil reached
for a cloth near the table underneath the TV and returned to find Andrew
standing Marcus in the shower, gently wiping his mess with a wipe cloth.
“I’ll get you clean clothes,” Neil smiled softly and went through the bag
Morris and Higgins brought sometime after Marcus fell asleep the night before,
pulling out a new pair of underwear, sweat pants, a shirt, and socks for
Marcus.
“Get me a towel,” Andrew called, and the sound of the shower starting startled
Neil a bit. It surprised him how well Marcus was taking to Andrew after all he
had been through; maybe Marcus knew how similar he was to Andrew.
Neil knocked before entering, used to doing this with Andrew already. “Come
in,” but this time it was Marcus who answered instead of Andrew. Neil placed
the clothing and towel on the closed toilet seat before retreating back out to
give Marcus privacy.
--
Neil stood to open the door when a soft knock almost woke Marcus but succeeded
in waking Andrew.
“Yes?” Neil looked at the doctor who walked in followed by Officer Morris and
Higgins.
“I’m here to do the last check up on Marcus and then you are free to take him
home,” the doctor, sidestepped Andrew and made his way to gently wake Marcus
up, with Andrew beside Marcus incase he wanted to be left alone.
“The judges approved?” Neil asked, hope lingering in his eyes. He did not want
Marcus to be taken by anyone else who wouldn’t know what to do and how to treat
the kid.
“Yes, Ms. Walker really is persuasive.” Officer Morris smiled, relieved like
Neil was. Higgins on the other hand, looked at Andrew with what seemed like
concern. Andrew ignored him and went to make sure they had all their
belongings.
Thankfully the season was on break, and the two men were on “vacation”. So they
didn’t have to call in for an absence at the rink.
“Do I have to go back?” Marcus asked after the doctor gave the okay to be
released, as long as they went to the pharmacy to pick up the medication and
ointments he would need; as well as the vitamins. Officer Morris went with
Higgins to pick it up so that Marcus could adjust a bit more to Neil and
Andrew.
“No, you don’t ever have to go back,” Andrew said, hauling the Exy bag and bag
of clothes for Marcus up.
“Promise?” Marcus held both of his pinkies to make the promise as official as
it could be.
“Promise.” Both men intertwined their pinkies with the boy who would hold them
to their word.
“First we should stop to get a few things, is that okay?” Neil looked at Marcus
who shrugged.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. We can just send in Neil to get all
the things while we take you to meet the worst animals you’d ever come to
meet.” Andrew looked at Marcus who held his hand out in permission to hold his.
Andrew nodded and let Marcus hold his hand and reached for Neil’s as well.
“What about Dairy Queen?” Neil asked as Marcus looked at him with confusion.
“What is that?” Marcus asked, making Neil share a look with Andrew of sympathy.
“It’s an ice-cream place we go to, wanna try some on the way home?” Neil took
the keys out of his pocket to unlock the car.
“Okay,” Marcus shrugged and wearily looked at the car as Andrew opened the
trunk to put the bags in, minus the blanket to give to Marcus.
“Well,” Andrew opened the backdoor for Marcus who stood there, “get in.” Marcus
looked at Andrew dumbfoundedly.
“Not in the trunk?” Neil looked at Andrew and nodded, in an understanding only
both knew.
“Never in the trunk,” Andrew’s eyes became pools of rage. Marcus, who was
quickly becoming adjusted to the strange way both men were, began to realize
that those angry eyes weren’t directed at him or in any way to harm him. He
climbed in the back of the car with Andrew climbing in next to him. He gave
Marcus the blanket and let him shy away to his little person bubble and look
out the window as they drove to get ice-cream.
--
When they arrived at their house, Neil carried the sleeping Marcus who woke up
slightly in fear of who it was, and went back to sleep when he saw that it was
Neil who was carrying him. Andrew went to get a few blankets and pillows,
taking them to the living room where they laid Marcus on the couch.
“I’ll go and get a few things that we need, you okay here?” Neil asked, taking
out the list of things Morris wrote down that a kid would need in a home.
“I’ll go, you stay here.” Andrew took out his pack and lighter and went for the
door, not needing the list. “Feed the furballs,” he closed the door softly and
drove to the store to get food, more clothing, and more permanent things for
the time being until Marcus felt okay to go with them and pick things on his
own.
--
By the time Andrew came back, Marcus was already awake, reaching for the cats.
“Which one is Sir Fat Cat McCatterson? And why does he have a long name? I like
the name King Fluffkins, but isn’t that too many noble titles for the cats?”
Marcus, slowly coming out of his shell reached under the coffee table for one
of the cats. Neil looked at Andrew and smiled.
“How was the shopping?” Neil said, knowing that Andrew hated leaving the house
to get things and always sent Neil instead.
“Dreadful.” Andrew sat the bags on the counter and pulled out clothes to put in
the washer, taking the tags off, and the new blanket and sheets he bought for
the guest room. He wasn’t sure what was to happen, but he was glad to have had
two spare rooms when he decided on the house. Andrew wouldn’t tell Neil but he
spent awhile looking at furniture and taking note of which ones to show Marcus
when he was ready to go out of the house.
“What’s for dinner?” Neil asked Andrew who looked at Marcus with a careful eye.
“Munchkin, what do you want to eat?” Marcus looked up at Andrew and smiled,
something that the kid was getting used to.
“Pizza?” Marcus asked skeptical that the men would say no.
“You’re ordering,” Andrew nodded to Neil and went to a load in the washer,
“tell Neil what kind you want. Get me pineapple and the marbled brownies.”
Andrew left the kid who was smiling brightly at the mention of brownies.
Clearly the boy will have a sweet tooth like Andrew.
“Can I have brownies too?” Marcus asked sounding more like a young boy should
than the battered wife look he had.
“Sure kiddo, just not too much, okay? And you have to have an apple before it
comes so you can have at least something healthy.” Neil went to cut his apple
and brought it back out for Marcus to eat.
“You can eat in the living room, only if you eat on the coffee table, we don’t
want any ants in here,” Neil handed Marcus a glass of water and a napkin, along
with a coaster to use on the coffee table. Marcus looked at Neil with a hint of
worry and calculation.
“How much would this all be for?” Marcus asked, as if it were something common
for the young boy to do.
“For free? What do you mean?” Neil sat down across from Marcus worry etched on
his face.
“I don’t have to do anything with anyone for this, right? No payment?” Neil was
glad that Andrew was still in the laundry room, but this still didn’t make it
any easier. He was used to brute force and knives and burned marks, not being
forced to do sexual acts or anything sexual for basic necessities.
“As long as we are around, nothing and no one can hurt you like that again
Marcus. All of this is free, no strings or anything attached, okay?” Marcus
looked at Neil with hope and a smile that belonged to a kid his age. Andrew,
leaning against the wall staring at them both, had him thinking about all the
times he could have had a different life if someone like Neil had shown up for
him when he was younger. He can’t help but imagine that they were all a nice
fit for whatever they were.
--
Within the first few weeks, so far Neil and Andrew have learned that Marcus is
roughly around 9 years old (no idea when he was born or where, hopefully, the
doctor will get back to them about the various tests they did on the kid), like
all kids want affection but hesitant to get it so he tilts his head in asking
for permission to hold hands or be carried or he will tug at the bottom of
their shirts, has a sweet tooth, enjoys movies but prefers to read books about
fantasy worlds and historical fiction, is scared of the dark and quiet, hates
celery, and knows American Sign Language. It takes a few days before Marcus
asks to go out of the house and see what it is like without there being a dark
alley or a trunk to hide in. They learn that he was deprived of the outside
world for as long as he could remember and that due to the shock, his memories
are almost non-existent.
This bodes well with the doctors and police for the sake of the boy to not
remember possible traumatic events, not so much for Marcus, Neil, and Andrew.
Marcus doesn’t like not knowing and the fact that he doesn’t remember anything
both terrifies him and angers him because he wishes he knew who to go to, to
ask for permission to stay with Neil and Andrew. But he’s also glad that no one
is taking him away from them anytime soon. Neil doesn’t like that he doesn’t
know who to blame and how he can help Marcus bury all the possible fears and
terrors when he has his nightmares. Andrew doesn’t like that he can’t go after
all the people who ever laid their filthy hands on Marcus, or who “gave” away
Marcus as if he were nothing.
They learned that Marcus was never in the system, almost as if he didn’t exist,
and it will take a lot longer to initiate him as a person. Thankfully, Neil has
connections still with the FBI, and they owe him one last favor since he helped
them shut down his father's circle all those years ago. But whether or not
Andrew and Neil get to stay with Marcus will be left to the state and the
lawyers they’ve already reached out to fight for Marcus for as long as he
wishes to stay with them.
--
“‘It could have been worse’ my ass,” Neil mockingly says to Andrew after the
social worker left their house. “As if we didn’t know that. How would we have
handled if he was shot up like all the other cases they’ve had? How long do you
think he was there? How can people do this to a kid, Andrew-a kid?” Neil felt a
hand grasp his neck, calming down under the pressure of Andrew.
“I know,” was all Andrew said before turning to find Marcus in his room
grabbing his clothes for his night shower.
Neil, having relaxed, knocked on the door to his room, waiting for Marcus’
“Come in”, before he stepped in to see Andrew laying on his bed as Marcus read
to him another “Dear America” story; this time about the Titanic.
Neil smiled and lifted his eyebrow at Marcus, “I thought you were going to take
a shower buddy.” Marcus shrugged and placed the bookmark in place and looked at
Andrew who nodded at him, some silent reassurance to whatever he wanted to do.
“I was waiting for you both to come in,” Marcus sat up and Neil stood up, ready
and alert (very much so scared too) that Marcus might have had a family who
wanted him and were looking for him. He went to sit on the edge of Marcus’ bed,
his leg touching Andrew’s calf as they both looked at Marcus who did not
resemble a 9-year-old boy anymore, but a boy with a life of stories making him
older than his years.
“I remember a lady who was deaf,” he started, grabbing the pillow to hug to his
chest, “she was my mom-I think. But she liked drugs and to get more, she gave
me up for money to buy them. I don’t remember all the faces, but I remember
that they told me to play “doctor” every time a new man would visit me or else
I would be like her. I don’t think they ever gave me what she put in her arm,
but they did give me candies. And food sometimes as “money”. I think I liked
the books better though, they took me away for a while. And I-” Marcus looked
at Andrew who had his hands in fists, turning his knuckles white. He turned to
Neil who looked at him, waiting for him to continue, with no judgmental eyes at
all.
Marcus, strong-and-brave-Marcus, looked like he wanted to cry, but seemed
scared to.
“You can cry,” Andrew said, flexing his hands, “they can’t take that away from
you. They can’t ever take anything from you again.” Marcus nodded and crawled
to sit in between Andrew and Neil.
“Promise?” Marcus held onto the bottom of Andrew’s shirt; already used to Neil
not minding when Marcus wanted a hug or to be carried, using Neil as a support
as he faced Andrew with his other hand out ready for a pinky promise.
“Yes.” Andrew entwined his pinky with Marcus, who turned to look at Neil who
nodded.
--
The fight for Marcus was a lot longer than they had anticipated. But while they
waited for a verdict, they took Marcus out to buy new furniture, new clothes,
more books, and a phone to call them for anything.
All of the new things overwhelmed Marcus at times, still not used to being
around a large group of people, and still weary of people (men in particular).
The mandated therapy he had to go to seemed to drain so much of Marcus that by
the end of the session, he was yawning and ready to sleep and regain the energy
he wasted on talking.
“Please wait here for a minute Marcus,” his therapist motioned for her
secretary to watch Marcus, turning her attention to Andrew and Neil. “May I
have a word with you both?”
Andrew looks at her bored and uncaring, so he sits out with Marcus, letting
Neil go into the den of bears alone.
Neil shrugged at the look the therapist gave him and walked in, the door
closing behind him.
“I see that your husband is already taking a liking to Marcus,” the therapist
sat in the chair across the sofa and pulled a paper out of her folder to hand
to Neil.
“This is my personal assessment.” Neil looked at the paper she gave him,
detailing information on what to do in response to a service dog. “I know you
and your husband are not his actual parents yet, but this should be something
you both could consider for Marcus. He still has emotions he needs to be able
to understand and that can get overwhelming for him. I think a service dog
could really help him in being able to sort through all the new things for
him.”
“It would have helped to have your husband in here with us to talk about this
more,” she started, soon cut off by Neil.
“He stayed back because maybe, as timid as you are as a therapist, who knows
how your secretary would fare if someone got Marcus overwhelmed. Also, because
he knows like I do that Marcus gets very tired after these sessions and would
only fall asleep if one of us were there to make sure he was okay.” Neil
defended their actions to someone who only knew the surface.
She seemed to have considered his words and apologized, with what seemed like
honesty, and let him go to his boys. “Until next time,” she waved them off as
Andrew carried Marcus, who blearily waved her bye. Neil closed the door behind
them, thinking about ‘not his actual parents yet’ over and over until it gave
him the feeling of happiness and terror.
--
“What do you think?” Andrew asked through the phone while Neil reached out to
grab a box of strawberries for Marcus to indulge in later. Neil didn’t care for
much to what Bee would say or when she would talk to Andrew, but this time he
tried to strain his hearing to listen in on what she was telling him.
Aside from Renee, Bee was the only other person Neil and Andrew told about
Marcus. They weren’t sure how to talk to everyone else about the situation they
found themselves in or if they should talk about Marcus so freely like that
with the fear that they could lose him looming over their heads.
“Okay, I’ll make sure to talk to them about it. Can you do a call-in session
with him later on today?” Andrew nodded before hanging up on her, seemingly
satisfied with her answer. “Ready?” Andrew looked down at Marcus who was
holding onto his shirt nodding as he eyed the picture of the dog by the pet
aisle.
--
After they unloaded the groceries, Andrew and Neil sat Marcus down to discuss
more in depth with the option of a service dog, giving him an answer after
their vague answer the day before.
“Maybe Scott can let us go on a closed day to look at them closely,” Neil
offered Marcus the option of having to not deal with too many people around
him.
“Do I really need one?” Marcus looked at the paper his therapist gave them,
eyeing the paper, weary of what could happen.
“Do you feel like you do?” Andrew took the paper and made a paper airplane out
of it, throwing it at Marcus who caught it and flew it back.
“I don’t know if I can answer that; I’d have to see them before deciding.”
Marcus caught the airplane again and smiled at Andrew before throwing it at
Neil who threw it at Andrew in return.
“Dad’s totally gonna get you!” It came out of Marcus’ mouth before he realized
it; never daring to call either one of them anything other than ‘Neil’ and
‘Andrew’, unsure of how they would handle it or what to call them- but
satisfied with how the feeling made him feel.
“Kid seems to know when danger is heading towards you,” it was Andrew who
recovered faster, having an indecipherable face when facing Neil to throw the
airplane hard in his direction, neither one of them commenting on the word
‘Dad’; accepting it as something set in stone for them. A promise of sorts.
--
“His tests came back negative,” the doctor handed a packet of information to
Andrew who took it and read through it thoroughly, “but we did get a result
back on the DNA swabs we took.”
Neil looked at Andrew who ignored them both in favor of reading through the
various tests they had done on Marcus, making sure that Marcus was healthy
despite the unknown amount of time he was treated like anything but a little
boy.
“The match came back positive,” the doctor noticed the drop in temperature in
the room but carried on nonetheless, “the coroner ID’d the man as a Jackson
Minnick Sr. Turns out that he did have a son, Jackson Minnick Jr., who was born
on November 29th, 20XX. According to the reports, the mother died about two
years ago from an overdose of heroin.” He gave Neil the file that contained
that information, still taking in the information that Marcus was indeed
terrified of being associated with his father- much like Neil all those years
ago.
“Was the mother deaf?” Andrew traded files with Neil, who didn’t really look
inside the file.
“Yes, she was.” Andrew looked at Neil who was still taking in the information
at a slower rate than he should have and glanced back at the doctor.
“Where are the police? Shouldn’t they be telling us this?” Neil was weary of
the police showing up any minute with information of Marcus having family
willing to take him in, because he knew how it would turn out and it was that,
that he feared most in the moment. He did find little comfort in knowing that
it was Renee who was watching over Marcus for the day, taking him out to see a
movie.
“They are actually on their way,” there was knock at the door indicating that
they had arrived. To their relief, it was Morris and Higgins who entered.
“We went to search more for anyone related to Marcus- Jackson?” Morris wasn’t
sure what he should call the boy who did seem to have a past after all.
“And?” Neil looked at him impatiently, waiting for something that could ruin
his now customary routine of having Andrew, Marcus, their cats, and the new dog
in his life.
“Everything came up empty, it’s as if everyone related to him is either in jail
or unstable to be granted guardianship. We talked to the lawyers who hope to
have a hearing sometime soon,” Morris looked at Neil with hope and excitement-
too much in fact for someone who may very well have to tell a young boy that
his history has been nothing but sad.
“I’ll call Bee,” Andrew stood up, pulling out a card from his wallet and handed
it to Neil as he made his way to the hall, phone in hand. Neil looked at the
contact information for Dr. Minyard and taking the hint of having the current
doctor fax all the medical information to Aaron. It still surprises Neil to
know that Aaron went into pediatrics instead of the bubbly Vixen, Katelyn, who
entered the orthopedic side of medicine.
“Can you send Marcus’ records to this doctor?” Neil would refuse to let Marcus
be called Jackson if he can help it, and he can.
“Any particular reason?” The doctor, mildly offended, placed the card on top of
the file, securing it with a paperclip.
“He’s something like family,” Neil tried to find the correct words to describe
their relationship with Aaron. Over the years their relationship improved to
total ignorance of each other minus the occasional Fox gathering they would
have with Abby and Wymack where they engage in small talk but not a whole lot
to be considered brothers-in-law.
“I will have them faxed over by tomorrow morning, would that be enough time to
let him know to expect them?” Neil nodded, thanking the doctor, and turning to
find Andrew in the hall taking out a piece of gum. They decided that it would
be better for Marcus if he didn’t have to deal with second-hand smoke, so they
went cold turkey on smoking and replacing packs of cigarettes with packs of
gum.
“Where did Renee take Marcus to?” Neil accepted the piece of bubble gum flavor
that Andrew was offering him.
“I don’t know if they even made it to the theatre yet,” Andrew showed Neil a
picture Renee took of Marcus staring at Sir, while lying next to Duke Chocolate
Potts, Marcus’ service dog.
“Marcus wants us to come home with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s,” Neil gave his
phone to Andrew to see Marcus’ text message.
“For a kid who was deprived of an education, he sure has better grammar and
spelling than Nicky.” Andrew sent Marcus a thumbs up in response, (a real
picture of his thumb up), as their continuing joke of Marcus sending his
thumbs-up instead of an emoji when Neil asked him a few weeks ago.
Andrew, slowly becoming used to Marcus calling him ‘Pops’ and Neil ‘Dad’,
against better judgment, gave the closest thing to a smile through his eyes as
he unlocked the car and climbed in the driver seat, ready to get home with ice-
cream in hand.
--
The judgment came by as quickly as the verdict did for the men to foster Marcus
was. When offered, Marcus accepted being adopted by the two men he called ‘Dad’
and ‘Pops’. And after talking to their lawyer, Marcus was no longer, by any
means Jackson Minnick Jr., but Marcus Zack Minyard-Josten.
When Marcus asked Neil and Andrew if it was really okay to change his name to
that Andrew responded with:
“Leave Jackson behind, he was no one to begin; it was always Marcus who pushed
forward to live.” Andrew let Marcus hold his hand and decided to carry him out
like he did those weeks ago when he carried him out of the therapist’s office.
“Let’s go home son.” Neil lead the way to the car after the judges cleared them
to go.
“Can we get ice-cream?” Marcus buckled himself in and began to pet Duke Potts
with excitement, receiving kisses on his wrist, to calm him down a bit.
“Only if you don't steal from mine this time,” Andrew took out a piece of gum,
handing one to Neil before chewing on his.
“But it’s not as fun if you don’t steal from someone,” Marcus protested, head
still swimming with the thought that he wouldn’t have to leave his parents.
That he was going to stay with them for as long as time permitted them to all
stay together.
“Let’s steal from Neil’s this time.” Andrew gave Marcus a piece of gum as well,
taking in the image of their son who was smiling mischievously as he nodded.
“It’s cool, I’ll make sure to get a lime flavored one then,” Neil pulled out of
the parking lot not bothering to let Andrew see that he noticed his pointed
stare.
“Not fair dad- you’re ruining the fun!” Marcus leaned back, laying on Duke
Potts who was wagging her tail with content. “We can get Pops together if you
don’t get lime.” Marcus gave his father the puppy dog eyes, hoping that it
would sway him into picking in their favor.
“I’ll think about it, but don’t think those eyes will work all the time kiddo.”
Neil smiled despite himself, glancing to look at Andrew who had an expression
that was the closest to a smile as he could manage.
“Go near my ice-cream and I will make both sleep outside with the water going
so it can freeze your asses to the concrete.” Andrew reached back and gave
Marcus’ nose a flick, a now common sign of endearment. “But by all means, go
ahead.”
“I’ll let you both steal from mine too if it helps,” Marcus added, ignoring the
harmless threat.
“Are you going to go with us to practice or will you want to stay with Renee?”
Neil asked remembering that he was supposed to pick up the new set of workout
equipment, readying himself for team practice next week.
“I’ll go watch. It’s fun watching you both insync,” Marcus smiled at his
parents, proud that they were recently recruited to play for the US National
team. He was willing to learn all he could so that he could outplay his parents
one day, being a better Exy player than the two combined.
Marcus had huge dreams- dreams he didn’t know he could have, dreams he thought
impossible a few months ago.This. This is home, Marcus thought. Ready to defend
his family, his life, and his parents- Marcus was ready to have even grander
dreams and as long as his parents were with him, he knew he would be able to
aim higher.
 --
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