Love Like A Delinquent (Remake)

{ Chapter 30 }

{ AN } shorter chapter because i'm not well. Look at the message I posted to all of my followers on my profile for a more detailed explanation as to why I disappeared again. people keep asking why hunter is almost thankful for john and his actions and all i'm saying is that it's very much to do with Stockholm syndrome!  hope you're all well x

-

* K A T *

"Mr Storm please don't hang up,"

"I've had enough of you news reporters calling me over the past few days and I've got shit to say to you,"

"It's not like that!" I cried, clutching onto the phone so tight I feared it could break. "I'm your grandson's sister. Well, girlfriend. Adoptive sister. It doesn't matter. I live with him and Chris and I know you don't know us and you don't owe us anything but you at least owe Hunter so please stay on the line and help us."

There was a silence, and for a minute I was almost convinced he had hung up.

"You're really the family my grandson was adopted into?"

"Yes," I promised. "We're doing everything we can think of to help him but even the police are giving up hope now. You know your son more than anyone. Maybe if you spoke to him, or tell us more about him, that'd give Hunter a chance?"

"I don't know what to say to you, John's been outta my life since the night his boy got taken away from him. I don't know how I could possibly help you."

"Because you're John's Dad!" I exclaimed. "You know him better than anyone does, you know how he acts-"

"My son is a mentally ill abusive waste of space who has dedicated his whole life to destroying his son. No one will ever understand that.

"But-"

"I'm done talking to you."

"Fuck," I cursed as the line went dead. I slammed my phone to the floor and forced back more tears of frustration. I knew the family weren't close, for obvious reasons, but how could you disregard your own grandson like that? Tears fell freely down my face now, the thought of Hunter never coming home lay in my mind as I tried to pretend it was all just a bad dream.

-

* 3rd Person *

Hunter had slept through getting stitches in his head, being dumped into the back of a car for 2 hours, being carried out of the car like a rag doll yet it was the quiet hum of John's phone ringing that eventually woke him up. Finding that he was on a couch with weary eyes and a spinning head, he groaned.

"Be quiet for this," John muttered without looking at him. He grabbed his phone and hesitantly answered. "What do you want?"

"I want you to leave that boy alone before you get yourself in any more trouble,"

John groaned. "Hi Dad, how nice of you to drop in."

Gerard sighed. "I'm serious this time John. You're on the news, you're everywhere. I've had people phoning me. God, even the kids girlfriend found my number."

"Kat?" John chuckled. "That girl will just never give up,"

"Which is why it's necessary that you give him back to his real family now. You're so out of your debt here John. Handing him in now will only shorten your sentence. It's for the best,"

"No," he growled. "He's my son, he's my boy. He's mine, end of. No one will take him away from me again."

"You don't need to hurt him to make sure he stays," Gerard explained. "You never had to do any of this,"

"I did!"

"Why? Because the voices in your head told you to?"

"I'm not crazy," John snapped. "I had to do this, because of you. You took him away from me in the first place. We were fine! We were happy!"

"You were far from happy," Gerard reminded him. "You hurt your wife and son in ways no one should ever suffer. I saw your boy chained up in a basement at 13 years old with your wife high on heroin that you'd got her addicted to, just so she'd have a reason to stay. If I hadn't called the cops on you, you'd still be there now. But worse."

"Bullshit," John snarled. "You phoned the cops and ruined what we had. They were going to take my family away. That's why they had to die. It's your fault! You made me kill my wife and now I have to kill my son and myself just so we can be together and I can protect them again."

"You kill your son and he'll be dead. There's no place in heaven for people like you. You wont be with him after you take his life,"

"Is this why you phoned? To talk me out of it? You're wasting your goddamn time,"

"Just talk to me," Gerard pleaded; the emotion in his voice startling John a little. "We can make this work John. Please,"

"This isn't you," John realised; voice shaking in uncertainty. "You've never cared about me. Why would you wanna help me now?"

"Because I'm-"

"Tell me who else is there," John demanded. "Chris? Kat? Police? You all in there? Tryna trace this call? Tryna find my boy? Well listen here you bastards, you will never take him away from me again. Never."

John slammed his phone against the wall and groaned out loudly. He stood up and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling and pulling and pulling until he  felt a somewhat satisfying burn. It wasn't enough though. He threw his fist until the wall without further questioning, and again, and again. He stopped for a moment and took that opportunity to look at Hunter.

"Are they gonna take me away again?"

And that was why John had to do this. The look on his sons face, the shock and the fear of being forced away from his family again. John couldn't let that happen. He had to take care of him, protect him, keep him away from anyone else.

Softening his face and kneeling down to reach his barely conscious son, John ran a hand down the boys face to swipe away the tears.

"No one will ever take you away from me again."

John wrapped his arms around Hunter, pulling him close to his chest. It was surprisingly easy to life Hunter up, days worth of not eating must have had a bigger impact on him than John had thought. He didn't mind it though, it was strangely comforting, felt like he was holding Hunter when he was younger again.

He made the short journey to the bedroom and picked a spot in the empty room. There was no bed, no nothing. Just a blank space. And John slid down the wall so he could sit on the floor with Hunter still secure in his chest. It was just like that night all those years ago. Now he could end it perfectly.

-

* K A T *

"I don't know how we can ever repay you for all of your help today," Chris said fondly to Gerard over what seemed like the 100th round of coffee.

"I haven't done anything to help my grandson before. I called the police when I found out John was hurting him in the first place but after that I rejected all contact the social workers provided me with. I couldn't face him. This is the least I can do. If it even helps."

"It has helped," I assured him. "The Police were able to track his phone, that is a huge step and soon they'll have a location. Even if John's left that place he'll have to have left clues as to where he's going to."

"I don't think it's where he's going to that we should be worrying about. But more what he's going to do," Gerard said quietly. "I don't know how long we have before John snaps. He's irrational. I'm surprised Hunter's still alive. But John knows that the Police are on his back now and that's going to have an impact. I just hope Hunter will make it through it."

"He has to," I whispered. "He will. We're gonna get him home."

{ i'm sorrryyyy I know it's short and not the best but i'm trying so hope you've enjoyed it x }