Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Missing ❯ Helpless ( Chapter 4 )

The Missing

Chapter 4 - Helpless

By: eternalsailorsolarwind

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

A/N: Still dark, and will be like that for some time to come. All warnings are still in effect. Back to Ken's POV. A little longer chapter this time.

I held my Dai-chan through his storm of crying. Tightening my arms around him, I started to rock him, hoping the rhythm would calm him. It didn't. Every movement or word I said just made him cry harder. Why couldn't I help him? What was wrong with me?

He eventually wound down, and looked out at all of us. None of us expected to see all the bruises and scrapes on his face. He looked like he'd gone ten rounds with a boxer. And lost. Gently, I reached out and touched his lips, which were slightly swollen. I got angry all over again. How could his father do this to him?

Jyou wanted him to go to the hospital. He needed to be looked at by a doctor. But Daisuke wouldn't hear of it. In fact, the very mention of a doctor made him start to shake. He looked like a scared rabbit instead of the leader of the Digidestined. And I hated the change.

"Daisuke, I'll take you to my apartment. We can decide what to do there," I said, trying to soothe him. "Is that okay with you?"

He nodded, actually brightening a little. Maybe he thought that he'd be safe with my parents and me. It scared me to realize he was safer with my parents than his own. I fought back tears as I kissed his cheek. He didn't deserve this!

"Okay, guys," I said. "I need to borrow enough money to get the two of us to Tamachi in a cab."

Taichi opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Yamato nudged him. A quick glance at Daisuke made him close his eyes. When he opened them again, there was pain and disbelief in them. It was mirrored in everyone's faces. Including, I knew, my own.

Everyone forked over some money, and Jyou hailed a cab. I put Daisuke in it, and turned back to our friends. "I'll call you guys later. I want to get him home first." I would have said more, but at the word `home', Daisuke squeaked and edged away. I got in the cab, and gave the driver my address. We drove away as I put my arms around Daisuke.

"You're going home with me, Daisuke. You'll never have to go back there again," I told him. He calmed down, and buried his face in my shoulder. He wasn't exactly crying, but he was close. We just sat for a little while, me holding him close.

"I'm sorry, Ken," he said quietly after a time. "I'm not worth all this trouble."

Yes you are!" I hissed. "Your parents have no right to beat you or your sister!"

"But they're only keeping us in line," he protested softly, not looking at me. "I'm not smart enough to do it myself."

I felt my heart drop through my toes and bounce out of the cab. How could they tell him these things?

"Yes, you are, Dai-chan!"

"Don't call me that!" he said harshly, pushing me away. I blinked at him, surprised by his outburst. "I'm not good enough for you. I never was, I just didn't realize it until now."

I opened my mouth to tell him that he was good enough for me, when Chibimon popped out of Daisuke's backpack. The ugly bump on his head made me gasp. I didn't think that he'd actually be hurt too. "Daisuke! Stop that!"

We both stared wide-eyed at the little Digimon. He looked upset, and he wasn't going to take it anymore. "You =are= good enough for Ken. I don't care what your father said!"

Daisuke smiled shakily at Chibimon, "Thanks, pal. How's your head?"

"It's fine. Don't change the subject, Daisuke!"

The cab stopped suddenly, and Daisuke grabbed Chibimon before he could fall to the floor. He hugged his partner close, and we got out of the cab. I paid the driver and we turned to my building. Chibimon looked up at Daisuke, his eyes pleading. "Please Daisuke, tell Ken."

Daisuke shook his head, and Chibimon continued to beg him to tell me what was bothering him. I tugged on Daisuke's sleeve, and we walked into the building and up towards my apartment. Chibimon kept arguing with him, trying to talk him into telling me. I hoped that he could talk Daisuke into it. I already knew what was wrong, but I didn't want him to know that. I wanted him to tell me himself.

"No!" Daisuke said to Chibimon finally. "It's not important!"

I shook my head as we got to my door. I unlocked it, and we walked through. No one was home but Minomon, who came flying out to greet us.

"You're home early, Ke…Chibimon! What happened to your head?"

Chibimon leapt from Daisuke's arms and cuddled with Minomon. "Daisuke's mother hit me when I tried to stop his father from raping him. She can really…I'm sorry, Daisuke!"

Daisuke let out a strangled sob, and tried to run out of the apartment. I barely managed to grab his arm before he flew out of the still-open door. I pulled him into a tight hug, using all my strength to keep him here. He struggled for a few seconds, and then gave up. Totally. We sank to the floor, my arms still around him.

To my surprise, he didn't cry. He just hung limp in my arms, his breathing fast and harsh. Instead, I was the one crying. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. I pulled him close to my chest, pressing my forehead against the back of his head. "Oh, Daisuke. How could he have hurt you like that?"

"I deserved it," he replied quietly, his voice strangled, trying not to cry again. "I didn't live up to their expectations."

That brought me up short. "What?" What have his parents been doing to him?

"That's what Dad said. It's my fault, because…because I love you. I'm not supposed to love a boy," his voice petered out, ending in a whisper.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Chibimon and Minomon were watching us. Chibimon was trying to explain what was going on to Minomon, who looked confused and shocked at the same time. "Let me digivolve, Ken. Stingmon will take care of them!"

"No, Imperialdramon!" shouted Chibimon. He looked angry, and Imperialdramon would have cooled that anger. Maybe. I don't know if even Imperialdramon's fighter mode would help right now.

Daisuke turned his head and smiled at the two Digimon. It was a very watery one, though. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

"We're going to fix this, Dai-chan. Somehow, we'll find a way to make it right."

"Don't call…."

"I still love you, Daisuke. This isn't going to change that," I told him. "And because I love you, I'm going to make sure that you get help."

"But…why do you still love me?" he asked, sounding lost, scared, and lonely. Like a little boy. "I…I'm damaged. I'm broken."

"You're hurt, Daisuke. You're not damaged. You're still the same boy I fell in love with," I said gently.

He did start to cry then, turning around in my arms and sobbing hard into my shoulder. I held him tightly, stroking his hair, murmuring over and over again that I loved him. Chibimon and Minomon came over and pressed against him, offering what comfort they could.

I felt totally helpless. All I could do was comfort him. I couldn't make the pain go away, I couldn't go back in time and stop the rape from even happening, and I felt incredibly guilty about that. So, I held him tighter, trying to alleviate my guilt that way.

"What in the world?" my mother asked from the doorway. The door was still standing wide opened. "Ken? Daisuke? What's wrong?" I could hear the panic in her voice. She liked Daisuke, always had. That hadn't stopped when I came out to my parents.

"Mom," I said, my voice shaking. "Daisuke's been hurt. Badly."

She crossed the floor quickly and knelt next to us. "Tell me what's wrong, Daisuke. We'll call your parents…."

"NO!" I cried. "You can't call his parents!"

She looked flustered, but reached out and turned Daisuke's head towards her so she could see his face. She let out a little squeak when she saw the bruising and scrapes. "Daisuke, what happened? Why shouldn't I call your parents?"

He trembled in my arms for a moment, looking up at her. I didn't think he was going to say anything, so I opened my mouth to tell her myself. But he beat me to it anyway.

"You can't tell my parents because they already know. They did this to me," he rasped. "My parents abuse me and my sister."

My mother looked like she was going to cry as he finished speaking. "Oh no, you poor boy. Why did they do this to you?"

"Because of me," I said, closing my eyes in pain.

"What?!?"

"They beat me because they found out that I love Ken," Daisuke said sadly. "And then…and then my father raped me!"

He looked like he was going to cry again any second, but he held out. His chest was heaving, but I could see the spark of courage in his eyes.

My mother gasped. There was no doubt she believed Daisuke, not from the look on her face. And then she went into action.

"Ken, put Daisuke and the Digimon on the couch. Make him comfortable, and then call your father," she ordered, looking grim. "When you're done, I'm calling the police. I'm not sending Daisuke back to that hell hole."

To be continued….