Two weeks ago...
Synn stood in the hallway, watching the small form of his son's curled up body on the couch in the home of Despayre's mother and grandmother. Only a short while ago, all hell broke loose, literally, as Despayre went on a frightening rampage when he chose to do without his prescribed medications in order to prove to himself that he did not need them.
Unfortunately, he did. More so than he could perhaps process.
Despayre had laid waste to the dining room where he had destroyed the evening meal his grandmother had went to such lengths to prepare for his overnight visit, the first since he was a child in body. He had even physically destroyed the glass coffee table when he became frightened, unable to recognize where he was or the people who were around him, trying to help. Had Gabriel not thought quickly and used Angel to help soothe the proverbial 'savage beast', things could have gone on longer and gotten much, much worse.
That was why, after Despayre had willingly taken the pills from his father's hand and shoveled them into his mouth, Synn never took his eyes off of the young man while he slowly waited for him to succumb to the effects of the medications, two of which worked together to make him very drowsy and act the part of sedatives. Gabriel had taken a brief watch, but only long enough so that Synn could assist Margaret and Victoria in cleaning the mess in the dining room that Despayre had initially caused. Once that was accomplished, the father resumed his watch and was only satisfied when his son turned over on the cushions of the floral print sofa and fell into a fitful slumber.
It wouldn't be easy on him as he sought a way to recovery to where he had been only days ago. They had come so close to losing him for such a simple thing as a son's pride, that it could take many times over the amount of time it had taken for him to slip.
"Why did this happen?" Margaret whispered as she approached Synn's side. Gabriel was perched on one of the plush cushioned chairs in the living room, his eyes too glued on the little guy. Say what one might about his lack of morals and heel tactics. His loyalty to his little brother was unyielding.
Synn, in answer to Margaret's question, could but shake his head and he ran his hand lightly down his face until he cupped his fingers around his chin. He said, "From what Theresa told me, and by all evidence, he hasn't been taking his medicine for at least the past two days. I don't know how he snuck that little fact past me..."
"Simple." Gabriel mused through the side of his mouth. "He's your son."
It was said in jest but the words rang heavy in truth. By all accounts, Synn was a deceitful, manipulative and back stabbing son of a bitch. Hell, he'd be the first to tell you that! But the fact his own son had adopted a little deception on his part to try to prove an unsuccessful point did not settle well with him.
"But, why?" Margaret wondered as much to herself as to the other three adults near. "He knows they help him. Why would he...?"
"Because a boy's mother is a sacred being." Synn said simply. "Well, most boy's mothers. Mine was a self righteous zealot. Joshua's..." He shared a brief smile with Margaret. Too brief. "She not so much. Maybe a part of him, however small, thought the fact he had to be on medicine made him weak? And what son wants to look weak in front of his mother ... or his grandmother?"
Synn shrugged.
"That's just a guess." He followed up.
"Will he be alright?" Victoria asked as she stepped closer, her head between Synn's massive shoulders and her daughter's own. "I mean, he will ... " She paused and swallowed as she thought back to the delightful little boy that she had helped her daughter to raise until that fateful night on a rain slick road, and the results of a devastating car wreck.
Synn nodded, "I believe so. Yes." He turned to look at the matriarch from back over his shoulder. His eyes were fierce with determination and belief. "It might take time to recover what he lost, but he will recover."
"If I didn't know any better Synn," Victoria found herself smiling despite the circumstances of the evening. "..I would dare say that sounded a little bit like faith."
"Let's not be ridiculous, Victoria." Synn said in faux exasperation as he turned his attentions back to where they had been before. "It won't be easy for him. Not for awhile. I don't even know if he'll remember what happened, but for my son?" He nodded and a frown creased his brow. "I'm willing to go on a little faith."</color>
"They hate me." Despayre said as he and Angel walked the small dirt path in the forest, winding their way through the trees that surrounded them on all sides.
"Hm? hate you? Why would you think they hate you?" Yes, I said Angel was walking as well. For you see, this time he was not being carried in Despayre's arms like usual. He was escorting his buddy, his friend, his charge, through the woods on a little private retreat. It is amazing the miracles of the land of dreams, isn't it?
"Because I think I messed up my sleep over with mom and grams." Despayre sighed woefully as they found a nice little shady spot beneath a large tree. "I think I ruined dinner too. It smelled good."
"They don't hate you. Don't be silly." Angel unfolded a checkered picnic blanket and gave it a flap, spreading it out so that Despayre could set the picnic basket he carried in his hands down. Angel crawled on paws and knees to the basket and watched and rubbed his belly while Despayre started to unload the picnic basket with various goodies and mouth watering treats. Angel continued, "Okay, maybe they're a little concerned. I was too. I still am."
"I know." Despayre sighed and he stopped setting out the paper plates and plastic utensils. They were now surrounded by a mountain of peanut butter and jelly sammiches, potato salad, pickles, chips, a large triple layer cake and.. wait, how did all of this come from out of such a tiny little picnic basket?
Dreams, silly! There are no limits!
Despayre's eyes closed tightly again and he inhaled a choked sob. "I d-do't want them to b-be mad at-t m-me!"
"Hey. Hey!" Angel picked up a tissue (boy teddy bears really do plan for everything with a picnic!) and he hurried across the table cloth, expertly avoiding the food so as not to mess up his fur. He climbed up on Despayre's lap and dabbed at his eyes with the tissue in his paw. "You stop that. They might be upset that you didn't take your medicine like you should, but you don't really think they'd hate you. Do you?"
Despayre practically hid his face away from his favorite plush buddy and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well they don't!" Angel huffed, using his paw under Despayre's chin to tilt his head back up so he could dry the tears that were still flowing.
"He-how do you know?" Despayre sobbed, and Angel took a step back and set his paws on his hips.
(Do teddy bears even have hips?)
"Because," Angel answered. "As you so often point out accurately, I'm never wrong."
Despayre swallowed back another sob that was almost washed away by an affectionate laugh, one that was much needed. He looked at his friend through misty, gray eyes and Angel gave him what he so sorely needed right now; a big, warm hug.</color>
The front door to the Young home opened up and Gabriel set foot out onto the porch, holding Angel in one arm and Despayre's overnight bag with the other. He paused at the side of the door and waited as slowly Synn made his own way out, with a sleeping Despayre cradled carefully in his arms.
Synn said nothing as he walked towards his car, carrying his son, and Gabriel turned to the women in Despayre's life and said in a low voice, "Synn will call you tomorrow. Let you know how Desp, Joshua, is doing? Maybe you three can try again?"
Victoria placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders in comfort for the lost evening and Margaret said to Gabriel, "Watch over my boy."
Gabriel nodded and said, "Always." Before he turned and headed for the waiting cars.</color>
"Don't you hate cliffhangers? You know, those annoying closing moments in stories, television and movies, where they leave off at a critical point and you are forced to wait with unbridled anticipation to find out what happened? I know I do, and that is why you were privy to a bit of private moments on what was."
"I also use that as to make a critical point for what is to come. The bosses of SCW truly are remarkable to come up with a championship defense under such circumstances. The Tag Team Championship being defended not against an established team, nor even a randomly drawn pairing via the Lethal Lottery concept. No, the Bosom Buddies will be facing a former World Champion in Sean Jackson, and a rising star in Jamie Dean. Two men who are, for all those paying attention, trying to kill one another for the past several weeks. Two men who are close friends and have worked hard together to get what they hold dear, against two men who have nothing in common save for they loathe one another."
"I admit sometimes I'm unaware of what goes on in the minds of the powers that be, and I have ben tempted a time or two to demand an explanation from Christian, but it is rude to talk with your mouth full, isn't it? But I digress."
"The reason does not matter. The how's and why's are irrelevant. All that matters over time is the end result, and this one was preordained from the moment that it was announced. Any dreams of championship glory will have to be forgotten, because gentlemen, it is time to wake up and face reality."
"Sean Jackson's time at the top is long over, and no amount of protection from Hot Stuff can protect him from the impending result of facing the Bosom Buddies. Jamie Dean? He is rising but his time at the top if far from the present. Now is not his time, and certainly not at the expense of the tag team champions."
"What will come will be no cliff hanger ending. The fall of Jackson and Dean at the hands of the champions will be a stand alone tale with a beginning, and for the challengers, a tragic end with nothing left to explain."</color>
