When the Bough Breaks

Chapter 1

"JUSTIN!!!, JUSTIN ARE YOU HERE?"

"Brian, honey, what is with all the fucking yelling?"

"Is Gus here?"

"What do you mean is Gus here? I thought he was with you at the park."

"He was. I only turned away for a second and when I turned back he was gone."

"Bri, he's only three, he couldn't have gotten far. Did you look for him?"

"Everywhere."

"By the pond? You know how he loves to feed the ducks."

"I looked there five times. He's not there. He wasn't by the fountain or the playground either. I asked everyone and no one remembers seeing him with anyone."

"Did you call the police?"

"Yes, a detective met me and they're still combing the woods for him. They told me to call home to see if somehow he'd gotten back here."

"Did you tell them that he'd have to walk four miles to get here?"

"Yes, but I thought maybe, somehow, someway, you'd picked him up and I just didn't remember that we'd agreed to that."

"No, I'm sorry." Justin worried about how upset Brian was, and more importantly he worried about Gus and where he was. "We just have to stay positive. They will find him and he'll be back here annoying us with his silly songs in no time."

"What if they don't find him?"

"They will."

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An hour later Brian and Justin left Michael at the loft in case Gus came home and went to inform Lindsay and Melanie about his disappearance. Justin held his partner's hand tightly to try to give him comfort.

Even though a police officer was meeting them there, Justin knew that Brian was worried about Lindsay's reaction.

Justin knew that Melanie would try to blame Brian, but Lindsay had been Brian's best friend for many years. Her reaction could destroy Brian if she blamed him. He was already blaming himself, despite Justin's protestations.

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Gus sat in the back of the car, too frightened to make a sound. The young man who drove scared him. He'd seemed so nice when he asked him to help him find his puppy and offered Gus a lollipop. He'd even held Gus' hand as they crossed the street. It wasn't until they were out of sight of the park that Gus became frightened.

His daddy had told him to stay on the swing while he got them a bottle of juice from the machine next to the bathrooms. Gus could see his daddy the whole time and Brian had even turned around a few times to check on him.

Gus whimpered at the thought that his daddy would be mad at him.

"Shut up," was yelled from the front seat before the scary man turned the radio up louder.

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Lindsay sat crying in Brian's arms as Melanie ranted and raved about his carelessness. Without fail she'd blamed Brian in spite of the officer telling her that Brian had done nothing wrong.

The police had posted Gus' picture up all over town and every available officer in the state was on the lookout for him.

"He must be so scared. He doesn't even have his teddy." Sobs wracked Lindsay's body and Brian held her, trying with all of his might to comfort her.

"We'll find him, I promise." Brian sounded unsure even to himself.

"Just like you promised to keep him safe?" Melanie spat.

"Stop it Mel, it's not Brian's fault. It could have happened when he was with any of us."

"Your partner is right, Ms. Marcus. Stranger abductions can happen anytime. It's also still early enough that Gus may have just wandered off and is in the woods playing or something."

"Do you really think so?"

Brian gave Lindsay's hand a tight squeeze before speaking. "How long before you drop the rescue part and begin the recovery part of the search?"

"Mr. Kinney, we will do everything in our power to bring your son home safely. For now, I would suggest that you all get some rest and try your best to think of places Gus may have gone."

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"Brian, do you think they'll find him?"

"I don't know Lindz. It's been two days with no sign of him."

"I don't blame you and Melanie really doesn't either. She's upset and she's worried Gus."

"I blame myself enough for all of us, but Melanie does blame me and rightly so. I was supposed to be watching him."

Lindsay studied her best friend and saw the grief that lay just beneath the surface. "It could have happened when he was with any of us. None of us can protect him all the time."

"I shouldn't have left him alone. I should've taken him with me to get his juice. I should've made him come with me."

"It really isn't your fault, Brian. You thought he was safe. You could see him and hear him and it just happened. He's a little boy, he doesn't know any better."

"But I do."

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Tom Garrett sat holding his wife's hand as they waited just outside of the door that held all their dreams. Abby had wanted a child for so long and they'd tried everything, to no avail. When he'd suggested adoption, she'd screamed that he thought she was not woman enough to give him a child of their own.

He'd spent months talking to her and convincing her that it didn't matter how their child came into their lives, as long as he belonged to them. Tom knew that Abby still had reservations about this, but was sure that as soon as she saw their child she'd love him as much as if she'd given birth to him.

Gus sat in a corner of the office, chewing on a lollipop, not sure of where he was. He knew that he missed his mommies and daddy. He missed Uncle Justin too and wanted to go home.

He watched the pretty lady talk to Mr. Jimmy and wondered if she was going to take him home. He knew not to cry or Mr. Jimmy would hit him again and he wouldn't get to keep his lollipop. So he just sat quietly in the corner.

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Ms. Williams knew not to question Jimmy about where the boy had come from, but she had her reservations about adopting him out so soon. It had only been four days since Jimmy told her he'd found a little boy.

She handed him the envelope with his fee and looked over at the little boy. She smiled at him and was rewarded with a smile back. He was very quiet and looked a little scared, but then they all looked like that at first.

She also knew that Jimmy wasn't the nicest man in the world, but he'd never really hurt any of the children he'd brought her. He always told her the same story, the children came from homes of abuse and the parents didn't really want them anyway.

Ms. Williams ushered Jimmy out the back door and went to talk to Gus.

"Hi, I'm Ms. Williams. I'm not going to hurt you. My job is to find you a mommy and a daddy. Would you like that?"

"Mommy," Gus whimpered.

"That's right, a mommy for you. There is a really nice lady outside who wants a little boy just like you. I'm going to bring her in now and I want you to be really nice to her."

Gus nodded and turned his attention back to the lollipop completely unaware that he'd never see his mommies and daddy again.

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