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TROUBLE CHAPTER 16

Aaron awoke to find he had slept through his whole journey. He awoke only when the back doors opened. A bunch of jeering guards stared back at him. “Awww is little junior tired?” one taunted.

“He looks just like his brother!” another laughed.

“Is he gonna cry?”

“Where’s your mommy now?”

Aaron shut his eyes tightly and gathered himself. ‘Show no emotion,’ he told himself sternly, ‘they feed off emotion.’

Ace stepped forward with Viper. “So, here we are Aaron. Now, normally we make the people walk to the compound…no matter their condition when they arrive…” Aaron shuddered as Viper continued, “but since you’re a child I think I’ll drive you up to the compound…” Aaron’s eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“I’m not a child,” he snapped angrily. ‘Way to keep your emotions in check A.C.,’ he scolded himself. The guards howled with laughter.

“Oh really?” Viper asked in an amused tone. Aaron merely gave him a challenging look. “Well no matter I’m still driving you up there.” Aaron rolled his eyes, and Ace growled stepping forward.

“Watch it *child*,” Ace snapped. The guards howled again with laughter. Aaron bit his tongue and instead turned his head from Ace. “Ah…nothing to say huh?” Ace mocked, walking forward and pulling Aaron from the car to the ground.

Aaron growled and stood. He lunged at Ace so suddenly that the larger man was almost caught off guard. “Haha, hey now…you need to chill out Aaron,” Ace laughed as he held Aaron’s arms to his sides. Ace quickly arranged Aaron so both of the boy’s wrists were in his one hand. Aaron struggled but could not break his hold. Ace backhanded him instead. Aaron fell to the ground with a cry. Ace kicked him in the ribs eliciting a cry from Aaron who rolled over. Ace again kicked Aaron. Aaron rolled over and held his midsection as he coughed and gasped for air.

Ace laughed again and nodded to two guards. Aaron was grabbed by the two guards and pushed into the car that would take him to the compound. Aaron sat calmly waiting for the journey to end. When the group arrived at the compound, Aaron was grabbed by Ace. Aaron glanced around anxiously before Ace pulled him inside the compound and down a hallway. Ace led Aaron to a cell similar to the one the other boys were in and shoved him inside. “Home sweet Home,” Ace joked. Aaron glanced around the dismal cell, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“Charming,” Aaron commented sarcastically. Ace knocked him to the ground.

“You have quite the mouth on you boy…just like your brother…but you see, unlike your brother, you don’t have to die…you see…you have a choice,” Ace leered smiling at Aaron in a most sinister way.


~*~*Back to Present*~*~


There was a deep silence that filled the room after Nick spoke. Finally A.J. overcame his shock and asked stupidly, “Aaron…as in your little brother Aaron?”

Nick clenched his eyes shut then laughed bitterly. “No. Aaron Spelling. OF COURSE MY BROTHER!” Nick snapped

“Sorry,” A.J. replied kicking himself, “Stupid question.”

“Nick!” Kevin admonished sharply.

“I didn’t mean to yell at you Aje,” Nick mumbled with a sigh lacing his fingers behind his head.

“I know,” A.J. replied. He didn’t seem bothered by Nick’s comment in the least. This made Nick wonder for a brief moment if it had even registered.

“Nick are you sure?” Brian asked tentatively.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Nick, muttered bitterly, “I saw him fighting Ace on video.”

“Fighting Ace?” Kevin asked paling slightly.

“Well…I guess you wouldn’t really call it fighting would you…it was more of a ‘hey let’s beat up Aaron to irritate Nick’ thing,’ Nick replied punching the wall again.

“Nick don’t beat yourself up about it, there was nothing you could have done anyways,” Howie said from across the room. Nick spun around.

“But it’s my fault Howie!” Nick cried panting to prevent himself from breaking down completely.

“No Nick it’s not!” Kevin insisted firmly.

“If Aaron gets hurt or dies it’s my fault…I won’t be able to live with myself…how would I look at my family knowing I let Aaron down?”

Howie sighed and approached Nick, pulling him into a hug. Nick sighed in frustration but seemed to calm down.

“It’ll be okay Nicky,” Howie whispered to Nick.

“How do you know that?” Nick whispered back.

“I just do…I have faith.”

“I really hope you’re right D,” Nick replied then pulled away from Howie offering him a small smile.


~*~*Back to Aaron*~*~


There was a long silence followed Ace’s unfinished offer. “I beg your pardon?” Aaron asked Ace incredulously.

“You have a choice Aaron,” Ace repeated stooping down to Aaron’s eye level.

“What kind of choice?” Aaron asked as curiosity got the best of him.

“Well you can either stray from your old lifestyle, and start a brand new life with power, and authority with us, or, you can keep your old lifestyle with your brother and friends, and die…the choice is yours…but if you’re smart I know what you’ll do,” Ace told Aaron smiling at him, “Join us Aaron.”

Aaron sneered at Ace “Why would I join you? You the person who has done nothing but beat me up, and torment my brother and his friends? No Ace, the right decision is to stay with my family. I’ll never join you.”

Ace turned red in the face and stood stiffly. “I’ll give you some time to think about it…”

“I need no time,” Aaron replied coolly.

“Again, I’ll give you time to think it over,” Ace said threateningly.

“Whatever.”

Ace growled then slammed the cell door shut. Aaron sighed a shuddered breath and sat down on the only cot in the room. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and pulled his knees to his chest. He sat deep in thought for many minutes. He had thus far kept his emotions under control. Nick had taught him that.


~*~*Flashback*~*~

Aaron walked through the door to the Carter household. Aaron’s eyes were swollen red and he looked depressed. It was Nick who found him when he got home.

“Aaron what happened?” Nick demanded stooping down and grabbing his little brother by the shoulders.

“Nothin” Aaron replied sniffling.

“Bullshit, what happened?” Nick demanded again turning Aaron’s face gently so that he could look at Aaron’s eye. Aaron sighed.

“What’s it look like? I got beat up,” Aaron muttered wiping his nose with his sleeve.

‘Did you fight back?” Nick inquired looking closer at the eye.

“No.”

“Good.”

“I cried instead.”

“Oh Aaron!” Nick laughed.

“What?” Aaron asked looking tearfully at Nick. Nick sighed and put one of his hands back on Aaron’s shoulder.

“Wanna know a secret?”

“Sure.”

“If you don’t cry…if you don’t show any emotion when someone’s hurting you…they will stop sooner.”

“Why would they do that Nick?”

“Well…They wouldn’t find any fun in it anymore…isn’t that terrible?”

“So all I gotta do is wait until they’re done and I’m alone, then I can cry?”

“Of course!”

Aaron bit his lip. “Can I cry now?” Nick looked taken aback.

“Of course! You can cry around your friends!”

“But you’re my brother.”

Nick smiled. “That’s what makes us special Aaron. You’re my friend as well as my brother.”

“Ok…”

Nick smiled and looked at Aaron. “Do you need to cry?”

“No.”

“Ok then let’s get something for that eye.”

“Are you going to tell Mom?”

“Tell Mom what?” Nick asked slyly winking at his younger brother who beamed in return.

“Thanks Nick!”

~*~End~*~

Aaron looked around the cell. ‘Nobody’s here…’ Aaron then bowed his head and began to sniffle. His sniffles turned to full out sobs as he relived the horrific events of the night, and he cried so hard that eventually he exhausted himself and he fell asleep.



~*~*


Kevin had finally convinced Nick to sit down on one of the cots to relax. Nick couldn’t relax though. He kept on staring at the cell door, willing it to open.

“A watched pot never boils,” A.J. teased from right behind him. Nick jumped. He hadn’t heard A.J. sit down.

“This one might,” Nick insisted.

“Doubtful Nicky.”

“Is there a reason you’re sitting there? Or is it just to pester me?” Nick asked A.J.

A.J. laughed. “Well you annoy me 99% of the time so I thought I’d help pass the time…”

“Ah.” Nick replied still facing the door.

“Is it helping?” A.J. continued.

“What do you think?” Nick asked deadpan.

“No?” A.J. guessed.

“Bingo.”

“Meany.”

“Did you just call me ‘meany’?” Nick asked incredulously.

“Yes I did Meany.”

“….”


“What?”

“Wow.”

“Shut up.”

Nick laughed at A.J. then jumped up as the door opened. “NICKAY!” Ace yelled bounding into the room.

“What the hell do you want?” Nick demanded angrily gritting his teeth angrily at the memory of the man in front of him beating up his younger brother.

“C’mon Nickay! Viper wants to see you.”

“Fine,” Nick replied with a wave backwards to his friends. He left the room following Ace to see Viper. Yet he was nervous. Last time he had seen a picture with a gun to Aaron’s head. What if this time, Aaron was hurt? Or worse, dead?

“Is my brother okay?” Nick finally asked.

“Dunno…is he?” Ace replied with a grin.

Nick sighed knowing that wouldn’t get him anywhere. He would just have to wait, and see what happened. Ace finally led Nick to the same office where Viper stayed. Nick knocked and Viper called for him to enter.

Nick began to walk inside and noticed Ace wasn’t following. “Ladies first,” Nick sneered bowing to Ace.

“I’m not going in Nicky…and if that wasn’t so classic I would beat you to a pulp right now.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Ace I believe you have something you should be doing,” Viper drawled in annoyance.

“Yes sir,” Ace said before walking out the door, as Nick walked inside and closed the door behind him.

“You wanted to see me?” Nick asked softly.

Viper looked mildly shocked. “Well you’re more behaved than usual…what’s gotten into you?”

“I think you know Viper,” Nick replied coolly gritting his teeth.

“Oh right…your brother…” Viper replied. He said no more on the subject.

“Well?” Nick demanded, “Where is he?”

“Well here Nicky,” Viper laughed, crossing to exit the office.

“After you,” Nick said in the same sticky sweet tone from earlier with Ace.

“Thank you Nicky,” Viper walked out of the room, as Nick went to follow. Two guards grabbed Nick by the upper arms.

Nick struggled and began to fight them off. Viper stopped but didn’t turn around. “It would be in your best interest to not struggle,” Viper said slowly as Nick stopped struggling, “your best interest as well as Aaron’s best interest.” Nick paled and stopped fighting completely.

“Wow master, this kid must really mean something to Carter if he stopped fighting.” One Guard laughed tightening his hold on nick’s upper arms. .

“Just you wait until he’s out of danger asshole,” Nick snapped at one of the guards.

“Nick that’s not nice…not saying it’s not true but I don’t remember your vocabulary being so colorful,” Viper admonished. Nick didn’t answer him.

Nick was led down the long hallways, the two guards grasping his upper arms roughly. As they neared the end of the hallway, Nick could hear voices talking heatedly.

Nick was shoved through the door to meet the sight of something so terrible he choked on his own breath.