Bulletproof Love

"Stop, please," I beg as I feel another whip hit my back. I cry out, desperately trying to get away. "Oh, Kellin, but this is your punishment for running away," I hear him say before I feel another mark be carved into my skin. I could only imagine how bloody and marred my back was.

"Please..." My voice was stuffy and I knew I was going to die here - whether from my being sick or my uncle killing me - I was going to die.

"Consider yourself lucky I didn't bring that brat with you." And he was right, he did leave my kids alone. I hear shuffling from behind me and then my uncle appears in front of me. I look at him through my sweat-matted hair and blurry eyes. I go into a fit of coughing and I hear him laugh.

I don't know how long it's been since he took me, maybe a few days. I just remember waking up and screaming when I saw him. By then, I was already in the woods. He just continued to carry me to I don't know where. He had other people with him, I don't know where they are now.

"Oh, cheer up, Kelly. Aren't you excited to see me? We've been apart for a year. Haven't you missed me?" He taunts and I feel more tears building up. No, I didn't miss him. The only people I miss are back at Pierce the Veil.

I feel my body ache at all the abuse I've endured here. I had a fever and my whole body hurt. Plus, my body was bruised and bloody. Now to add to that collection, I have a scarred back. My arms were sore from being held up as he whipped me. Some of my body held burn marks.

"Aww, I know someone you have missed." Then out appears someone I hoped I wouldn't see. How long has it been? Eight years? He didn't look shocked to see me. Did he know? And he didn't stop it?

"... Dad?"

~~~

Vic

I run downstairs. "Kellin's gone." And everyone turns to look at me.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Jesse asked.

"His uncle took him."

"Shit! We need to find him. Who knows what his uncle is doing to him."

"I know. Mike, send search parties out. We are going to find Kellin."

"On it," he says, and runs off. "Do you have a picture of him," I ask Jesse. "No. Maybe Kellin does." I begin to shake my head. Why would Kellin have a picture of the man that abused him so much? But then I look at Jesse and see the look he was giving me for I realize, this is Kellin we're talking about. The boy who would sacrifice his freedom for the people he loves. The boy who forgets his own birthday, but remembers everyone elses.

We look at each other, then my bedroom, then each other again before we both run up the stairs and start rading my room. We dig through his clothes, shoes, closet. Then I find his lyric book.

I flip through the pages, not reading them to not invade his privacy until I find a picture of a man in a page labeled Kick Me. I tried so hard not to read it because I didn't want to invade Kellin's privacy, but I did read the first line. Let's hang the jury, you sick judgemental fools. I stop before I could go any further. "Jesse, is this him?" I hold out the picture to him.

"Yeah, where did he have it?"

"His lyric book."

"What page?"

"Kick Me."

"Hmm, must be a new one he wrote." He takes the book and begins skimming the page. "Hey. Should we really be invading his privacy?"

"He wouldn't mind. By the way, this is a really angry song."

"How so?"

"Well, one of the lyrics is Of all the sinners, you're first in line. So, go to hell and tell the devil I'm not that far behind. Nice, Kellin. Very nice."

I shake my head, "Come on, we need to show this picture to all of my gang, so they know what to look for." We leave my room and walk downstairs.

"Austin, make copies of this and pass them out to all my search parties," I had told him, he did as told. That was about a week ago and I've been going insane. Kellin was still missing and who knows if he's still alive. I fling the glass I was holding across the room and watch as the glass shatters.

I turn to the door when I hear someone come in. Jesse. "Vic, I know you're worried, but you're not the only one who misses Kellin. We're all worried."

"It's been a week, Jesse. A week. Who knows if he's still alive!"

"Don't speak that way! Don't you dare speak that way 'cause I won't allow you!"

"I'm sorry. You're right. Kellin is still alive. If I know anything about torture it's that you want to keep the victim alive for as long as possible so that they can suffer."

"Okay, that was morbid, but yes, it's true. Kellin is still alive. Hurt, but alive and we will find him." I nod. Then I walk back to the alcohol tray and fill another glass with scotch, but I stop. I set the glass down and walk out of the room, calling to Jesse, "I'm going to see my kids." I hear him laugh.

I walk into my new room. After Kellin was taken, I moved to a room with no windows that I share with my boys and Cope. They haven't been able to sleep alone. To be honest, I haven't been able to either. I missed him so much. A week without Kellin is not living - I'm just a ghost floating aimlessly.

I see Rowan and Liam playing with Cope and I smile. They were currently playing peek-a-boo. Cope would giggle everytime one of them showed their face. "Hey, boys," I say, walking up to them and picking up Cope who immediately wrapped her arms around me.

"Did they find mom yet?" Liam asks, hopeful. I shake my head sadly, "No, sorry, bud. We are going to, though. I swear."

"I know, dad, I just miss mom is all." I wrap an arm around him and he digs his face into my chest. "I know, I miss him, too." We stayed there for a while until I realized how late it was. "Okay, boys, time for bed. Go change into your pajamas." Liam pulls back reluctantly as Rowan jumps up and changes.

I crouch down to Liam's level and smile, "We will find him. And I will kill the bastard that took him." I peck his forehead. "Now go get changed."

"'Kay, dad." He walks to where Rowan is. I grab a diaper and Cope's pajamas along with wipes. I change her diaper and put on a fresh one before changing her into her pajamas. I pick her up as the boys get into bed. I rock her gently trying to get her to go to sleep. She does and I lay her gently in her crib before climbing into bed with my sons.

~~~

Kellin

I groan as they kick my stomach. I heard a crunch and I screamed out loud. A rib was definitely broken. I heard chuckling as my uncle watched as they beat me up. My dad - ha, dad, as if I can even call him that - he just left after seeing me. No "hello", no "son". Nothing.

I feel a punch to my cheek and I whimper. I knew my nose was broken, my ribs now. They had thrown me on my back and it hurt because of the whipping I had received. I had tears rushing down my face, I was in so much agony. The only upside was my children weren't going through this.

My uncle had untied me only to have his men beat me up until I was nothing but a bloody mess. As far as I can tell, it was working. I tense as I hear a belt come undone, but I realized what he was going to use the belt for when it hit my bare skin. I scream out, but it kept coming. It wouldn't stop.

He flips me onto my stomach and begins hitting my back and I let out a blood curdling scream. "Jesus Christ, he's got some voice," I hear one of them say and it served as a time for me to compose before the abuse started up again. I lay there trembling as another belt hits my already marred back.

And I screamed and screamed and screamed. I screamed until I couldn't anymore and then I called out for him even though he couldn't hear me. I hear my uncle cackle as I did, but I had called his name and I wouldn't take it back. I needed him to save me. So I had called out my hero's name, "Vic!"

~~~

Vic

"Vic!"

I sit up in bed, panting. I had heard someone call my name in my sleep. It sounded like Kellin. My heart was racing and I was sweating. I climb out of bed and walk down the stairs. Austin's gang had left to look for Kellin in the United States in case his uncle had taken him there. Jesse stayed here along with his gang members whose names I can't remember.

I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water. I take a sip as I think about my name being called. It sounded as if though it were inside my head, and it sounded a lot like Kellin. Oh, Kellin.

I was so worried about him, my men haven't stopped looking. Did I feel bad for not letting them rest? No. I knew it's not what Kellin would have wanted, but he didn't deserve getting kidnapped either. I set the glass down and walk back upstairs. I would get him back.

~~~

Kellin

I was chained to the wall once again as I go into a coughing fit. I was bloody, bruised, and broken. My arms were behind and pulled apart a bit. I was on my knees, my body hunched over as far as it would go with the shackles.

I look up as I hear the door open and in steps my dad. He had a bucket in his hand with a white towel on the handle. He walks closer to me and gets down to my eye-level. I give him glance before putting my head back down in exhaustion.

I feel fingers go under my chin and next thing I know my head is picked up and he's pressing the towel to my cheek gently. I wince as I knew there was cut there and it stung. One of goons decided it'd be fun to cut me up a bit. It was the lesser of my tortures.

He finishes that cheek and moves to the other, doing the same. I let out a few coughs and sneezes, trying not to die. When he finishes with that, he moves to the rest of my face before finally looking me in the eyes. He stares long and hard before sighing. "You have your mother's eyes," he finally says.

I nod slightly in acknowledgement. "She wouldn't have wanted this for you. She loved you so much."

I pull away from his touch. "Stop. Just stop. Stop acting like you're sorry or that everything is okay between us. You left me! You abandoned me! You left me with that monster! How could you?!"

"Kellin, I - "

"No! Remember the question I asked you when you were walking out on me?"

He stays silent, his eyes lowered in shame. "Yes."

"Tell me what it was."

"You asked me, 'Why are you running away?'"

"Exactly. And that question still stands. Was it something I did? Or did I make a mistake? 'Cause I tried to deal with pain. I don't understand this! Is this how it is? Tell me, please, 'cause I need to know!" I screamed at him.

"Kellin, I-I wasn't ready to be a parent."

"No one is!"

"I know, I just, I was a coward. And I really am sorry. And about your uncle, I can't justify what he's done to you, but he-he's family."

"Is this what you call a family?! He abuses me! And you don't do anything to stop him! No, this isn't a family! Family is what I have back at home with Vic and my children. Where no one - especially not my children - gets abused! I'd die before letting anything happen to them! Like any other good parent would do!" He flinches and I know I hit a sore spot.

He stays silent. I had never truly felt anger. Pain, anguish, betrayal, but never anger. It just wasn't me, but he was the reason all that happened to me. My mom had no fault in this.

"Tell me where have you been! It's been hell not having you here. I missed you so bad, and you don't seem to care! When I went to sleep at night, you weren't there! When I went to sleep at night, did you care? Did you even miss me? I need to know! I tried to understand!"

He stays silent and goes back to cleaning. "Kellin," he finally speaks. "I can't take back all that's happened, but you need to know, I hate who I am. Everytime I look in the mirror, I look for someone else's face because the person staring back at me, it's not who I want to be."

"Oh, cut the bullshit. Don't say that it's not fair that you're not the person you want to be. I spent seven years wishing that you'd draw the line. But I burried that thought along with you in my mind."

"Kellin, please. I am sorry. But you need to understand that I am not the one at fault."

"Then tell me who is! Tell me who is to blame! Because if it's not you, then it must be mom since she clearly wanted to die. You know what, leave. Just leave. I'd rather get another beating than be stuck here talking to you." He didn't leave, he just continued to clean me quietly.

He finally finished, and got up. He walks to the door, but right before he opens it, he stops and turns to face me. "I'll get you out of here, Kellin. That's when you'll know I am sorry."

I didn't look up, I knew he was lying. He wouldn't get me out of here. He doesn't care about me. He never has, never will. Come on, be strong, Kellin. I resist the urge to look at him.

"I promise," he finishes, then he leaves, shutting the door behind him. Was he serious? Could he get me out of here? I sigh, shaking my head and begin to sing softly to myself since I knew my uncle hated it.

"Father, father,
Tell me where have you been..."