Never Expected (a Chandler Riggs/Grayson Riggs fanfic)

The New and Improved Daniel

"Hey Grayson?"
"Yes Daniel?"
"I just want to thank you for what you did?"
"All I did was get transported into the past and help you out."

"That's why I'm thanking you. Now take a look at my arm."
Daniel rolled up his sleeve and I was amazed that he barely had any cuts on his arm. Daniel even pulled the skin on his face to show that it was real.
"I'm glad that you have your actual face back."
"Why? Was I not as handsome as I am now?"
"You were extremely handsome."
"So you're not saying that I'm ugly?"
"Why would I say something like that to someone who I love?"
"You tell me."
"I don't have to because you already know that I wouldn't say that, no matter what."
"I know. So does this mean that we've been friends since I was nine?"
"I'm not sure. I barely knew nine year old Daniel, so I think that our true friendship started after you saved me from dying."
"Would you like to know what I was like when I was nine?"
"Yes, I would. And I'd like to know if you changed your personality after you lost half of your face."
"I did, but I'll get to that later. You see when I turned nine my mom told me that this would be my last birthday in Alpharetta, Georgia so I gathered as many of my friends numbers as possible, and the same went for the invitations..."
"Go on, I'm listening."
"So my mom and I prepared twenty-five invitations, which meant that forty-five of my friends weren't coming. In a way I was having two parties. One celebrating my birthday and the other was a farewell party."
"And how did that make you feel?"
"Downhearted. That is until my friends who weren't invited came to party with everyone. But what hurt me the most was having to say goodbye to them and having to move the very next day..."
"Would you like to take a break?  Because you're starting to tear up."
"I'll be fine. At least I got to spend my last three hours with them before I had to move away to Savannah."
"It took me four months before I was no longer feeling homesick, but during those few months I made thirty new friends, but I barely talked to them. I did tell them that I was feeling homesick and obviously I explained why, but after that I didn't talk to them for six and a half weeks." 
"Why? Were they talking about you behind your back? If they were then they're not your friends, because friends don't do that unless they're worried about them. Like I was when you were still cutting, and so was Chandler. So we decided to converse with each other to find a way to help you."
"And I appreciate that you did that and I'm forever grateful, but some of my new friends managed to get a few of the other students to bully me."
"That's horrible."
"Up until that moment in my life I was always full of life. So for two and a half months no one ever saw me smile, but thanks to Shawn, Joshua, Collin, Justin, Michael, and Austin I got my smile back and built up the courage to confront Jake, Noah, William, Zach, Ethan, and Vincent."
"Let me guess they were begging you to forgive them and saying something along the lines of "we were paid to betray you, and that if we didn't there would be serious consequences. We promise that it won't happen again."
"You're bang on! And you may hate me for this but...I believed them and forgave them after all Colossians 3:13-15 says Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
"This is why I told you that you should never change. You may have some mistakes in the past, but look at you now. All the mistakes you made have passed away, even though I do keep bringing them up from time to time. You no longer cut, you no longer talk about suicide. All you seem to talk about now is how much everyone means you. And that's one thing you should never stop doing."
"I won't, you have my word. After all losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend."
"True, but there are lots of other ways to lose a friend as well. However losing someone's trust is worse because it shows that person that you didn't really appreciate them, so they start to think that you're ignoring them to save time for yourself. Then when you finally do show appreciation it's already too late. You lost their trust and to earn it back you have to prove to them that they still have a special place in your heart, but earning back someone's trust could take years. Then when you do earn it back you HAVE to make sure that you don't make the same foolish mistake again, because if you do you're going to lose that friend for good, and that's one thing nobody wants."
"Now where was I?"
"You just finished telling me about how you forgave the friends who betrayed you."
"Ahh, yes now I remember. So day after day, week after week, month after month they would continue to prove how sorry they were. They would pay for my lunch, they would help me up if I tripped and fell, and they would even escort me home until they knew that I was serious when I told them that I forgave them."
"So I'm assuming that you're about to tell me about your kidnapping now, right?"
"That's correct and I was missing for two weeks before I returned home. I was actually kidnapped seven years ago today. June 19th, 2016."
"Really?"
"Yep. And you already saw how I was kidnapped and how long it took me to wake up. At least they fed me while was there, it wasn't a lot but it was enough. For the two weeks I was there I was brutally assaulted. They stabbed me, broke a few bones, slit my throat but they didn't cut the carotid artery. They gave me a black eye with that hammer, they broke my nose, thanks to them I'm missing half of my left calf, and they even busted my head open. I was in the hospital for nine months, NINE MONTHS!"
"I'm sorry Daniel."
"You have nothing to apologize for, and I appreciate your sympathy. Not to mention that you saved me from all of that pain and suffering, and for that I thank you."
"You're very welcome Daniel."
Daniel and I hugged for quite sometime before letting go of each other.
"I'm going to go lie down for a bit."
"Ok, if you need anything Daniel don't be afraid to ask."
"I know."
"Everything all right Daniel?"
"Not now Chandler. Right now I just want to have some time to myself, ok?"
"Ok."
As Daniel ascended the stairs, Chandler approached me.
"What's wrong with Daniel?"
"As he was telling me about what happened to him when he was kidnapped we he was nine years old, seven years ago today, he started to get upset because it was like he was reliving that exact moment."
"And what did happen?"
"All I'm going to say is that he was tortured."
"Was it that bad?"
"Yes. If you want details I'll ask Daniel if I can tell you the exact details when I go check on him in an hour."
"Poor kid. He didn't deserve any of that."
"No one does."
"We should find a way to cheer him up, I'm sure he could use a good laugh."

Daniel's POV
I should've never told Grayson what happened back when I was nine. I know that he asked and didn't force me to tell him, but I should've kept it to myself. I am glad that I'm no longer missing half of my face, but the pain I felt on that day is never going to leave me...no matter what. I know that Grayson saved me from all of that torment, but I still dream about that moment which is why I will never be free from that torment.

1 hour later...
"Feeling better Daniel, or would you still like time alone?"
"I'd still like some time alone, but there is one detail that I left out of my story."
"What part did you leave out?"
"If I misbehaved or didn't listen, they would place a hot iron on my back for five seconds, sometimes ten."
"Daniel...I am so sorry that happened to you before I saved you from that torment."
"It's all right."
"Can I get you something? And Chandler wants to hear your story, is it ok if I tell it to him?"
"Yes, and can you grab me a drink please?"
"What would you like?"
"Surprise me. With a realistic drink."
"Ok, and Daniel?"
"Yes Grayson?"
"I just want you to know that Deuteronomy 31:8 says, The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. And 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
"Thanks for that Grayson, I really needed it."
"You're welcome. I'll be right back with your drink."
"Don't take too long."
"I'll only be a few minutes."

10 minutes later...
"Grayson?"
"Yes Daniel."
"Thank you...thank you for saving my life."
"You're welcome."
"And I'd also like to thank you for being not only an amazing friend and brother, but for being there for me in my time of need all those months ago, and for just..."
"You're welcome."
"Don't ever change, ok? You're..."
"Are you trying to use my own words against me?"
"Guilty as charged."
"I'm glad to have you in my life, not just as a friend but as a brother."
"The same goes for you and Chandler. After all 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
"Don't forget that love is what keeps family and true friends close so that they never drift apart no matter what."
"Amen to that."
"Before I go back downstairs, show me your left arm."
"I didn't cut myself. All I did was cry until I couldn't cry anymore."
I rolled up my sleeve and the only scars on my arm were faded.
"See, no cuts. I don't cut myself anymore because that's not who I am anymore. Plus you and Chandler care too much about me, and I don't want to hurt you two anymore. So no more cutting, no more running away, and no more talk about killing myself. I'm no longer suicidal Daniel, as of today I'm a new and improved Daniel."