Jake sat at the dining table, hunched over with his backpack on the floor by his feet. His sneakers were scuffed, his shirt wrinkled, and his eyes heavy with exhaustion. He looked like a kid who had carried the weight of years in a single night.
Lisa moved quietly in the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans. She was making him some warm food. She worked quickly but kept stealing glances at Jake, her face full of concern. And Kate sat beside Charlie.
Charlie leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on the table, watching his nephew carefully. "Alright, sport. Time to talk. What happened? Why are you here at this hour with a bag packed like you're skipping town?"
Jake let out a long breath, staring at the wood grain of the table instead of Charlie's eyes. "They won't stop fighting. It's the same every night now. Mom screaming about money, Dad crying and begging. It's like… like I'm not even there. And when they do notice me, it's just to dump their crap on me. I couldn't take it anymore."
Charlie frowned, his jaw tightening. "So you ran away."
Jake nodded slowly. "Yeah. I didn't have anywhere else to go. It was dark and I didn't know where to walk. But I knew your house. So I came here."
Charlie leaned back, sighing. He rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "Jesus, Alan, you've really outdone yourself this time." Then he looked back at Jake, softer now. "How long's it been this bad?" He knew it was bad; still, he needed to know more.
Jake finally lifted his eyes. They were red but steady. "It's always been bad. But lately it's worse. Dad… he's broke. I mean really broke. He sold my baseball cards, Uncle Charlie. The ones you gave me. Didn't even ask. Just… gone. And Mom…" His voice faltered, but he pushed through. "She doesn't care. She's got her yoga guy. She laughs while Dad begs. It's like I don't even exist to them. So, I ran away."
From the kitchen, Lisa's voice carried over, gentle but firm. "You did the right thing, Jake. You're safe here. We'll figure it out."
Charlie reached across the table, resting a hand on Jake's shoulder. "She's right. You're not going back tonight. Not while they're still at each other's throats. You stay here, get some food in you, and tomorrow we'll figure out what's next."
Jake's lip trembled, but he nodded quickly, relief flashing across his tired face. "Thanks, Uncle Charlie."
Charlie gave him a small smile. "Don't thank me yet. I've got no idea what I'm gonna do when Alan comes knocking. But I'll tell you one thing… I'm not letting him screw you up the way he screwed himself. Ok. That came out wrong, but I'm gonna make sure you are taken care of."
Jake finally looked up, and for the first time since he arrived, his eyes held a flicker of relief. He nodded, his lips pressed tight to keep them from trembling.
Kate gave Charlie's arm a squeeze. "We'll make room. And you, little guy." She looked at Jake. "Eat and rest for now."
...
[Next Morning]
Kate went to the studio in LA for the voiceovers, and Lisa was playing with Lily in her room. Jake was still asleep in the guest room that was supposed to be Laura's room, curled up under a blanket like he hadn't slept in weeks.
Charlie sat at the dining table with his phone pressed to his ear. A mug of coffee steamed in front of him, untouched.
On the other end of the call, Irina Denvers' voice carried through the speaker.
"I knew this would happen, Charlie," Irina said after a long sigh. "Your brother is the only man I have ever met who could win a divorce case, walk away with freedom, and then willingly chain himself right back up. Truly, a moron of the highest order. I almost want to frame his case and hang it in my office as a warning to others."
Charlie rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Yeah, well, I warned him, but he listened to his dick and screwed up. Alan's officially sunk. But this isn't about him anymore. It's about Jake. The kid shows up at my house at midnight with a bag and tells me they haven't noticed he's gone for hours. He's ten, Irina. Ten. What the hell do I do?"
There was a pause, then the sound of Irina shuffling papers. "You want the truth? It's simple. Custody needs to change. Alan and Judith are both unfit. Neglect, financial instability, and emotional abuse all play directly in our favor. The fact that neither of them has reported Jake missing after this long tells me everything I need to know. I can build a case so strong it will bury them. All I need from you is a statement and Jake's testimony."
Charlie blinked, sitting up straighter. "Custody?"
"Yes," Irina said matter-of-factly. "You or Lisa, if you'd rather have her name on the paperwork. But realistically, you're the blood relative, and the court will favor that. The best outcome is Jake under your guardianship. With your financial stability and family environment, I can make the case airtight. By the time I'm finished, Alan and Judith will be lucky if they get supervised visitation."
Charlie let out a low whistle. "Supervised visitation. Damn. That bad, huh?"
Irina's voice hardened. "Charlie, I have seen terrible parents. But Judith and Alan? They are in a category of their own. She's a parasite, and he's a spineless fool. Jake doesn't deserve to be collateral damage in their circus."
Charlie leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Irina… I get what you're saying. And yeah, Alan's a screw-up and Judith's a nightmare, but I can't just make this call on my own. I've got Lisa, Laura, Kate, and Lily in this house. This isn't just about me anymore. Taking Jake in full-time? That's a huge decision, and I need to talk to them before I say anything to a court."
On the other end, Irina's tone softened but stayed firm. "Of course. Talk to them. But Charlie, the boy needs stability right now. The longer he stays in limbo, the more damage they do. If Alan or Judith shows up before we get the paperwork filed, you have two options. One, you stall them and keep Jake there while I fast-track a petition for temporary custody. Two, if you feel you can't hold them off, let Jake go with them for now and I'll have the temporary custody order in place within twenty-four hours. With my connections, the paperwork won't take long."
Charlie rubbed his temple. "And if the court doesn't buy it?"
Irina's voice carried no hesitation. "They will. Between Alan's financial ruin and Judith's infidelity and neglect, I've got more ammunition than I need. And if, for whatever reason, you decide you can't keep Jake long term, then CPS steps in. Or…" She shuffled papers again. "You take custody and enroll him in Preston High boarding school. It's close to you, highly reputable, and with you nearby he'd have both a proper education and a safe environment. Boarding school gives him structure, but you're still the constant presence in his life. That's the kind of balance courts like to see."
Charlie leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "So my options are… fight Alan and Judith head-on, take the kid in myself, or hand him over to the state. None of these sounds like a vacation in Cabo."
Irina chuckled dryly. "No one said it would be easy. But it's about Jake. You've seen the damage already. If you don't step in, the next time he runs away, he might not have somewhere safe to land."
Charlie drummed his fingers on the countertop, his coffee now cold and forgotten. "Alright. I'll talk to the women, see where we stand. In the meantime, file whatever you have to. Because if Alan or Judith come knocking, I don't trust myself not to throw them both into the ocean."
Irina's voice softened slightly. "Good. I'll get the ball rolling."
"Thanks, I owe you a big one."
"Well, you owe me more than one, but this time, I'm doing this for the kid."
"Still, thanks."
Charlie hung up and sat there for a long moment, staring at his phone. He finally muttered to himself, "What the hell did I just get myself into?"
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[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS PLS]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/UnknownMaster
[5 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers] [No double billing.]
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AN: Caught bad fever. Expect very slow updates.