When Crickets Cry...

Lance was hugging him close, crying silently in his shoulder.
"I love you..."
For once, Chris and Zac's face matched their lover's. Complete and utter shock.

"I love you too Lance...I love you too." Dustin was calmer, he stepped over to hold Chris's hand.
Quincy went off. He yanked the apart and threw Riley to the other side of the room, striking him across the face.

"QUINCY!" Zac screamed. How dare he hit their child! "KEEP YOUR FUCKING HANDS TO YOURSELF!" He fumed, getting in Quincy's face.
Lance was at Riley's side in seconds, glaring up at Quincy.

Riley wiped a bit of blood from his lip, gently pushing Lance back as Quincy picked Zac up and sat him on the couch, getting back in Riley's face.

But Zac wouldn't have it. He stormed over and struck Quincy himself, even though it wouldn't hurt him much.
"This is the only thing you've ever done that would make you say this..." Zac shook his head, face red. "But you are acting like a monster." He stated firmly.

Quincy stopped, giving Zac a look. He stood up and walked out the door, letting it click shut softly behind him.
Monster.....

Zac sighed, feeling awful but Quincy had just hit their baby. There was only one word to describe that.... He knelt down by Riley, caressing his cheek.
"Are you okay sweetness?"

Riley nodded, smiling sweetly. He had a hand print on his cheek, his lip bleeding but it was not as bad as it could have been.
"Im fine momma."
Riley opened his arms for Lance.

Lance hugged him tightly as Hayden quietly walked out the door. He admired his father as a child and now he still loved him more than anyone. He followed his father.

Quincy was just...shocked....hurt....
He walked around, trying to pretend his wasn't crying as he climbed his old tree in his and Zac's park.

"Daddy... momma didn't mean it." Hayden piped up, peeking his head in the tree.

Quincy sniffled, roughly wiping his eyes.
"He is right though Baby, im a monster..." Quincy hiccuped. "Go back on home..."

"I want to stay with you." Hayden spoke softly. He was just like his mother was at this age. "Daddy, he just wanted you to calm down..."

"I am a monster....." He shook his head, reaching down and pulling Hayden into the tree with him, holding his baby close.

"No daddy..." He shook his head, hugging him tightly. "I don't think you were right for hitting Riley but everyone makes mistakes..."

"But everything I do is a mistake....Getting with a fourteen year old....Hurting his momma...Marrying Jeniffer....My whole existence is a mistake."

"Daddy.. if momma heard you say that... you really think getting with him is a mistake?"

"No...I don't regret him....I love him....But it was a mistake because your momma is so precious, he deserves better, not a monster...."

"But he wants you daddy... he doesn't think you're a monster." He sighed.

"He just called me one, looked into my eyes and he called me a monster...He thinks it and I think....I and going.....to stay away from him for a bit. Ill be home just...not around momma."

"Oh... daddy..." That would kill his mother and he knew it...

"He called me a monster baby....I can't have him around me. I thought I had changed...." He felt like shit.

"I love you daddy. You're not a monster..." He sighed softly. "Momma didn't mean it..."
And Zac didn't. He just knew that would get Quincy to lay off Riley.

At what cost though?
He was a monster...
It was all he could think of.
"I love you too."

Hayden hugged his father and hopped out of the tree, walking back to Chris and Dustin's place.