Through the Rain

Chapter 1

"Thanks for dinner guys, that was really nice of you." Justin set down his fork, licking a stray bit of white frosting from the side of his hand. He reached over and tickled Gus's side.

"Well, it's not every day our favorite babysitter turns twenty-one!" Lindsay exclaimed. Justin blushed slightly and smiled.

"Happy birthday, baby." Melanie smiled at the blond fondly.

"Jus'n birthday!" Gus exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Presents!" He cried again, using all his four years of wisdom to realize what the most important thing about Justin turning twenty-one was. It was the presents, of course.

"Justin's presents are at home, sweetie." Lindsay wiped Gus's face as Melanie went to pay the bill. "We're going home now so he can open them."

"Presents! Jus'n share!" Gus demanded, causing Justin to smile radiantly.

"Of course Gus man! Now let's get you out to the car." Justin picked Gus up and ran through the restaurant, holding Gus out in front of him. Gus squealed with glee and held his arms out like a superhero as Justin made airplane noises. The restaurant's patrons smiled at their antics, the love between them rolling off of them in waves.

Justin made sure Gus was securely fastened into his car seat before sliding into the backseat next to him. Mel slipped into the driver's seat and Lindsay took the passenger seat. Just as Mel started up the car, it began to rain. The water beat down on the roof of the car, traveling down the windows in rivets.

Justin looked over at the precious cargo strapped to his seat and smiled. Gus's large hazel eyes drooped shut and he shook his head in a futile effort to stay awake. Justin studied Gus's features as the night cast shadows over him. He had warm chestnut hair and a slightly tan complexion. Justin had sketchbooks overflowing with pictures of Gus, his favorite model. Justin was told he was the spitting image of his father, who he had yet to meet. He had seen pictures of the beautiful man, though.

"When does Brian get back in town?" Justin asked sleepily.

"He actually got back a few days ago," Lindsay replied. "Why?"

"I just want to meet the man that helped create such a wonderful kid." Lindsay turned and smiled at him.

"I'm sure you'll meet him soon enough. I took Gus to see him yesterday. You should have seen his face. Brian is so in love."

"Who wouldn't love this little guy?" Justin asked, taking Gus's hand in his own. He rested against the seat and watched as Gus finally succumbed to sleep. The car ride, soft music, and the sound of the rain on the metal roof was enough to cause Justin to drift off as well, one hand still clasped over Gus's.

Justin was woken up by the screeching of brakes. He sat up groggily just in time to see the headlights reflecting off of a cement wall. He heard a pair of screams rip through his eardrums. Before he was awake enough to comprehend what was going on, pain ripped through him and blackness consumed him once more.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Justin opened his eyes, shaking his head to clear his blurry vision. His head throbbed in protest of the action. He brought his hand to his forehead and quickly pulled it away when it became coated in something warm and sticky. He held it out and squinted at it. It was blood.

His breath caught in his throat. The car was eerily illuminated from the headlights bouncing back off of the wall. What he had remembered after waking up flashed before his eyes and he closed his them again, afraid of what he might see. He was vaguely aware that it was no longer raining.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

A scream emanated from Gus's lips and suddenly Justin was fully alert. He sat up and opened his eyes once more. He was greeted with a vision of Melanie. Her head was crushed against the steering wheel. Blood ran down her face and her eyes stared back at him. Cold, lifeless, dead.

It was Justin's turn to scream.

He dared a look over at Lindsay, and instantly regretted the action. At least her eyes were closed. The side of her head was smashed against the glass window. The glass was broken, cracking outwards in a spider web fashion. Her blood stained the glass, her life drizzling down, mixing with the droplets of rainwater. The dashboard was smashed into her chest, cuttin into her. Blood stained her soft pink sweater. Lindsay was dead. Melanie was dead.

Justin couldn't even begin to fathom what that meant. He sat there, motionless, emotionless, catatonic.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Gus has his face buried in his little hands, his tiny body shaking with sobs. The smell of gasoline wafted to Justin's nostrils and brought him back to life. He unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. He saw smoke billowing up from the hood and his actions became frantic.

They had to get out of there, fast.

He got up on his knees on the seat and slammed his shoulder into the glass window. It cracked a tiny bit. Gus's sobs grew louder.

Justin stuck his hands under the seats, trying to find something, anything to break the glass. He came up short. He flung himself back against the seat and wiped his tears with the back of his hand. He let out a frustrated sob.

Drip. Drip.Drip.

Justin got back onto his knees and slammed his shoulder into the glass over and over. He felt the shards tear at his skin, releasing more blood from his veins. He felt it flow down his arm, soaking his sleeve. He slammed against the glass once more and it finally gave away. He kicked away almost all the glass and wasted no time. He turned to the sobbing toddler, the most important person in his life.

"Gus, we need to get out of here," Justin told him as calmly as he could. He worked to unbuckle the child seat as Gus squirmed around. Justin searched for signs of physical injury, but saw none.

"Mommy!" Gus screamed, tears streaming down his red face. He reached towards the front seat where his mothers lay dead. Justin felt his heart clench and his throat constrict. He grabbed Gus and carefully maneuvered him out the broken window. He leaned over and set Gus down on the ground. It was littered with bits of glass and pebbles. The glass cut into his stomach as he leaned out the window.

"Don't move." Gus stood stock-still as Justin climbed through the small hole, lined with jagged glass. He rolled out and landed on his back, gritting his teeth from the pain. When he looked up, Gus was pulling on the handle to Lindsay's door. Justin scooped him up and ran from the car as fast as his battered body would carry him.

"Jus'n! What about Mommy? And Mama?" Justin couldn't think of anything he could possibly tell the boy. His mothers were dead, and completely trapped in a car that was about to catch fire. There was no way he could explain what was going on to Gus, so he just clutched him tighter as he ran, soaking Gus's clothes in his own blood. Gus pounded his little fits against Justin's chest in protest. "Jus'n stop! We have to get my mommies! Stop! Jus'n please!"

"We can't!" Justin screamed. "We can't, Gus." He kept running, tears blurring his vision. Once they were a safe distance away from the car, Justin dropped to the curb. The rain started up again, coming down fiercely. It soaked their bodies, mixing with Justin's blood. He started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, but fought the feeling away.

Suddenly, the car burst into flames. Justin buried Gus's face against his chest, protecting him from the sight. Justin watched in pure horror. The two people he had loved more than anything, the only people that loved him unconditionally, were dead. The precious little boy shivering in his arms had just lost his parents. Everything was falling apart. It was his twenty-first birthday, and the end of life as he knew it.

His heart broke, piece by piece, bit by bit. He sobbed with Gus, rocking him back and forth. He was overwhelmed by pain, heartache, misery, grief, and anger. Why were those two amazing people taken away? Why do this to Gus? Why do this to him?

He felt himself grow weak as more blood was drained from his lithe body. He clutched Gus even tighter. He couldn't begin to imagine what the tiny little boy was feeling. He was screaming and crying and clutching to Justin for dear life. The rain beat down on them relentlessly, pounding on their heads, matting down their hair. Justin's teeth chattered together as he wrapped his body around Gus's, trying to keep him warm.

He vaguely heard the sound of the sirens through their mixed sobs.

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