NOTE: I know this is a very short chapter, but I'm really pressed for time at the moment and didn't want to make you wait any longer :) Hope this satisfies. If not, my apologies :)
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“And not a moment too soon
Without a minute to spare
You touched my heart
When I didn't have a prayer
In my darkest hour
With my world filled with gloom
Your sweet love saved me
Not a moment too soon.”
- Not A Moment Too Soon, TIM MCGRAW
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The instant Alan disappeared through that door, Mason tensed, preparing for the shit to hit the fan. And it didn’t take but seconds it seemed before a body was slammed against the wall from inside the room. There was no guessing just who was being slammed. Jonah had been an explosive ball of fury the moment he’d shown up at the hospital, and surely even more so now that he’d witnessed with his own eyes the destruction caused by Alan’s fists. Informing the man it had been a really bad idea to beat up Jonah’s boyfriend, had been a grave understatement.
At the first sound of altercation, Tessa rushed for the door, eyes wide with alarm. “What is he doing?” she cried and burst into the room. Rebecca and Colleen were in a state of confusion, but followed the woman into Noble’s room.
Mason would have preferred to just stay out of it and let Jonah wreak havoc, and he would certainly let him give the man a healthy ass whooping – but he drew the line at allowing his son to beat the guy to death – even if the world would be better off without the piece of shit in it. And in Jonah’s state of mind, knowing full well the hell Alan had put Noble through, Mason wasn’t entirely certain the young man could stop himself.
He stepped into the room in time to see Jonah’s fist smash into Alan’s ribs, buckling the man’s body. “Feels good, doesn’t it, motherfucker!” Jonah’s eyes burned with rage and retribution as his steel fist caught the guy again in his kidney. Alan wailed and started to go down, but Jonah dragged him to his feet and pinned him against the wall, his strong arm shoved hard against the man’s throat, holding him in place. “Stand on your fucking feet! If a fourteen year old boy can take it – you can too!”
“Stop it!” Tessa cried, frantic, terrified for her husband. Her wide, tear-filled eyes cut to Mason in desperation. “Make him stop! Please!”
Mason just looked at her, wishing desperately in that one moment that he was the kind of man who could hit a woman. His love and sense of protection for Noble boiled to the surface in a rush of rage. “What about your son? Were you screaming at that motherfucker to stop hitting him? Where were you, Tess? Huh? Where the fuck were you when your fucking husband was beating your child? Down in the kitchen making dinner? Pretending you didn’t hear his screams and cries? But now you want to come to his rescue?” He jabbed a finger at Alan. “Fuck you! You don’t get to protect that motherfucker when you turned your back on your own son!” His breath rushed through his nostrils. “Just consider this a necessary lesson.”
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Jonah ground his forearm into Alan’s throat, causing him to choke and gag, eyes bulging. “You see that man right there?” Jonah hissed in his face. “That man is a real father. You? You’re just a worthless piece of shit!” A hard exhale of air burst up Alan’s throat as Jonah’s fist smashed into his diaphragm. “Did it make you feel tough to beat on a kid, motherfucker? Did it make you feel like a man?” Rage surged through him as images of the boy Noble had been suffered at the hands of those who were meant to protect him, accept him, love him no matter what. His jaw clenched hard and he drilled the man’s ribs again and again, his kidneys and stomach, as behind his eyes he saw Noble’s bruised and beaten body falling beneath his father’s fists.
A strangled cry wrenched from Jonah and his hard knuckles cracked against the man’s mouth, ripping his lip, knocking teeth loose. He grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand, holding him upright and laid his fist to Alan’s face. “You fucker!” He raged and crushed his nose, blood rushing down over his already bloodied mouth. “You ever fucking touch my boyfriend again – I’ll rip your fucking head off!”
The man choked, gasping hard for air, eyes watery. “Please…” he gagged on his own spit. “Stop…”
His pleas only pissed Jonah off and he hit him harder, with renewed fury. “Please stop?” he cried. In his head he could hear Noble begging his father to stop hitting him, stop hurting him, while the man ignored his cries and beat him without remorse. Justifying his actions. “How many times?” he yelled. “How many fucking times did Noble beg you to stop? Huh?”
Somewhere outside the haze of fury swirling around him, he heard shouts from the nurses, and Noble’s mom screaming at him to stop. The cops would be there soon, he knew – but not soon enough to save this motherfucker.
Alan tried to lunge away, break out of Jonah’s assault, and was slammed back against the wall. “Where you going, motherfucker?” Jonah drove his fist up under the man’s ribs yet again. “Why should you get to run away when your own son had to stand there and fucking take it? What’s wrong, Alan? Not man enough to take what you dish out?”
A forceful grunt burst from Alan when Jonah punched him hard, straight in the gut. His legs buckled and he dropped to the floor. Jonah followed him down, straddling his chest. He release the man’s shirt and used both fists to pummel his face mercilessly. “You learning anything yet, motherfucker? Huh?!” He nailed his jaw, snapping the man’s head to the side. “Who the fuck are you to tell anyone God hates them? Huh? That they’re going to burn in hell!” He could feel his knuckles beginning to swell and throb, but couldn’t stop. The fucker didn’t show Noble a fucking shred of mercy – why should he get any in return? “You’re the one going to hell, you fuck! You and that fucking bitch! Are you hearing me, motherfucker!”
Next to the visage of Noble’s beaten body – Patrick’s face rose up. All the rage and fury he’d been repressing over the years surged out through his fists. It was fucking parents like these that pushed Patrick over into that black abyss. How close had Noble come to making the same jump?
Hands were suddenly grabbing at his arms. He jerked away from them, hitting the downed man harder, feeling like he couldn’t hit him hard enough to satisfy the fury and pain inside.
“Jonah!” His dad’s voice broke through the fog, loud and sharp, speaking with authority. “Enough!”
His fists froze mid-swing, clenched tight, smeared with Alan Richman’s blood. The man lay nearly unconscious beneath him, bleeding on the hard tiles. Jonah stared at him without remorse, chest heaving, breath rushing through his nostrils. Go ahead and die, motherfucker. See if I shed a tear.
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Tears rolled down Noble’s cheeks and he realized he was shaking as he watched Mason grip Jonah’s arm and pull the man to his feet. His fists remained clenched and bloodied, trembling at his sides. Tears that Noble was certain he wasn’t aware of streaked his face as pain resonated out of him in waves. Much more had come out of the man than just his vengeance for Noble.
“Alan!” Tessa cried and dropped to her knees next to her husband. She shot a fierce look at Jonah, choking on sobs. “How could you do this?”
Noble stared at her, tears rising up. Did you ever cry for me? Did you ever care that he was hurting me?
Nurses were suddenly swarming, shouting. Then his dad was being taken from the room for treatment elsewhere. “The police are on their way.” An RN told Jonah stiffly. “I suggest you wait here.”
Jonah just looked at her; he had no intentions of trying to run. When the nurse left, an orderly entered and went about cleaning up the blood from the floor. He cast quick, uncertain glances at Jonah but said nothing, then left again when the mess was gone.
A state of shock seemed to have settled over Rebecca and Colleen as they stood back in stunned silence, eyes wide, confused, frightened. Jonah had yet to look at Noble, meet his eyes, as if he wasn’t certain what he would find there. He stepped into the small adjoining bathroom and turned on the water in the sink, washing the blood from his hands.
“What…in God’s name just happened?” Colleen trembled, voice thick. Tears were thick in her eyes as she looked at Mason.
Mason glanced at Noble then back to his wife, casting quick looks at Rebecca as well. “Noble wasn’t the victim of a random assault.” Mason said quietly, an ache in his voice. “Alan did this to him.”
Eyes widening with greater shock, Rebecca’s eyes cut to him quickly. “What?”
“The bastard abused him when he was a kid.” Jonah re-entered the room, face tight. He jabbed a bruised finger at the young woman. “So the next time he says he doesn’t want someone here – you better fucking listen.”
Rebecca’s gaze dropped slowly to the floor, eyes blank. “I did this?” She whispered thickly, tears welling.
Jonah came to the bed and sat down, ignoring his step-sister as he cupped Noble’s face and kissed him. “Are we still good?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.” Noble covered his hands gently then drew them to his lips, kissing his swollen knuckles. He swallowed through a tight throat. “No one has ever stood up for me like that before.” He trembled. “Or tried to protect me.” Fresh tears slid down his face. “Did you see the way…the way she cried for him? My mom…she never cried for me…never tried to stop him. She just…made excuses for him.” He bit his lip, chin trembling. “She never loved me, did she? They both hated me.” Jonah slid his arms around him carefully and held him. Noble clung to him. “My dad used to tell me…he wished I was never born. That he would rather have no son…than a faggot son.” He pressed his face against Jonah’s warm neck. “My mom felt the same way, didn’t she? They never wanted me.”
Jonah held him a little tighter, though careful not to hurt his ribs. “They never deserved you.” He whispered. He drew back and slid his thumbs over Noble’s wet face. “You belong to us now.” He glanced at his dad then back to Noble. “We’re your family now, Noble. And we love you, just the way you are.” He kissed him softly. “Because just the way you are…is perfect.”
Touching his hands tentatively, Noble trembled. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” Jonah kissed him again then drew him gently back into his arms. “And that’s forever.”
Noble rested his cheek against his shoulder, and through his blurred vision saw Rebecca quietly leave the room.