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Later that night, Mark crouched in the vents, scrubbing tears from his eyes.

He knew it was wrong to lie to Jessica about where he'd come from earlier that day, but this- the vents- was his place. His place to be alone, to cry, to feel everything and nothing at once without Jessica trying to fix it. Mark wasn't sure if Jessica could fix it, and he didn't want her to have to feel powerless.

Mark had never told anyone the full extent of the bullying at his school. Not even Jessica. He didn't tell anyone about the rocks hurled at him at recess or the death threats in his locker. He didn't tell anyone about the cyber bullying and the rumors.

Mark felt like he was cracking under the strain of everything the world was putting on him. He didn't fit in with his family. He'd been kicked when he was down, called every name in the book, relieved death threats, and was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting for someone to leap out of the shadows and attack him. Jessica had received notes telling her to die but had never received actual threats like Mark had. She'd never received a chemical burn from a kid purposely spilling chemicals on him in science class. She'd never been given a broken bones or a concussion. She'd never been chased all the way home. Jessica was only in second grade; kids in that grade usually didn't care about stuff like incest and love lives, although the few that did were downright cruel. Mark, on the other hand, was at the end of third grade when someone discovered their relationship, and that was when kids started to form opinions. Right before they turn ten, and while their opinions will change as they age, at only nine years old, kids don't even try to understand. They judge too quickly and never think before acting. At least in high school most kids understand something before judging in. Third graders didn't understand love, much less incest, and yet they still judged him. Mark dreaded the day people found out, not for himself, but Jessica would be entering third grade and bullying would become downright harassment.

Mark was sad and terrified and anxious and hurt, and he didn't know what to do anymore.

Jessica was always there for him, but even her love couldn't make all the hurt he'd experienced in his nine years of life disappear.

He was scared. He didn't know what to do, how to escape the pain. Jessica helped, but she would never truly understand.

Mark just wanted this deeply rooted pain that was growing and festering and consuming him… to go away.

But it never did. And Mark was beginning to fear that it never would.

"Hank is babysitting?" Sarah demanded.

A few days had passed since the move here, and as if the move hadn't been hard enough, now Hank was coming to visit.

Hank was Nora's boyfriend and a self centered jerk. He hated Mark and Jessica and pushed them around, particularly Mark because he knew Mark wouldn't dare tell a soul, not even his girlfriend. Mark was far too shy and selfless to risk ruining Nora's relationship; Jessica, on the other hand, would wreck Nora's relationship in a heartbeat if she saw Hank's true colors (more than she already had). It wasn't because Jessica wanted to cause Nora and Hank's break up, but if she knew who Hank really was, she would see what Mark couldn't. That Hank wasn't right for Nora and that he was lying to her, deceiving her into believing he was a saint. Mark couldn't see past his own insecurity to notice that, but Jessica would, and that's why Hank treated Jessica horribly but no where near as bad as he treated Mark.

Jessica didn't notice Mark flinch at the mention of Hank's name or the way he rubbed his arm like a painful memory was beginning to grip him.

"Yes, and don't set his pants on fire again," Tom ordered.

"I'm starting to think Midland might have actually been better," Jessica confessed. "And considering I still have nightmares about that dead rat, that's saying something."

"First, we have to move," Mike began.

"Then Mom decides to become a career person and travel the globe," Jake continued.

"Now we have to take orders from Hank, the model/actor," Kim said.

"And he hates kids," Mark added.

"And he hates Mark and Jessica," Henry stated.

"Especially Mark," Kyle chirped, oblivious as most four year old's are.

"Kyle!" Mark hissed.

"What makes you think Hank hates Mark even more than Jessica?" Henry questioned.

"Hank hates Jessica, hates me, hates us all the same. We have twenty four hours. Let's start planning," Mark blurted, and they all knew he was hiding something, but they didn't push it as they gathered around the coffee table and began brain storming.

"Nora's here!" Sarah cheered as the kids sprinted towards The scarlet car that had pulled into their driveway.

"Woah!" Hank called as he got out of the car. "Stop! Halt! Don't move!"

The kids stuttered to a halt beside the car, confused too much to even think about disobeying the order simply to annoy Hank.

"I just got the car detailed, so keep your paws off of it… please," he added as an afterthought. "So… respect the perimeter!"

The kids backed up while Sarah made a mental note of Hank's love for his car to possibly add to future plans.

Tom headed for the house, and the kids returned to the backyard, but Hank grabbed Mark by the arm before he could join them.

"Look, kid," Hank hissed, gripping Mark's arm hard enough to bruise. "If anything bad or embarrassing happens to me while I'm here, you'll be the one I get to punish because I know that you won't say a word. This is your last chance to tell me anything that Sarah or your girlfriend-" Hank spat the word like it was poison on his tongue. "-or any of your other siblings have planned."

Other than bruising his arms in his strong grip, Hank had never physically harmed Mark, but he had insulted Mark and bullied him and pushed him around. He'd put Mark through hours of grueling chores, like washing his car or even cleaning the house from top to bottom, not because he cared about the state of their house but simply to torture Mark. He'd make Mark take photographs of him for his modeling/acting career. Basically, he treated Mark like a slave, putting him through endless chores and odd jobs, and treating him like dirt on the bottom of his shoe. It could've been worse; Hank ordering him around was nothing compared to the bullying he had endured in Midland, but it still hurt every time Hank made him clean the hard wood floors by hand, like Cinderella. It hurt every time Hank called him a freak or an abomination or disgusting or any of the other insults Hank had invented. It hurt every time Hank treated like he was something less than human.

And the emotional pain Mark was nearly collapsing under expanded, beginning to poison him from the inside out.

Mark didn't want to be put through hours of work or to be insulted and have to play Dodge (it was a game Hank had created where he threw stuff, like books and sports balls, at Mark to try and hit him, and Mark had to dodge the objects, but he didn't always succeed. That was the only time Hank ever physically hurt him, and technically, Hank didn't lay a hand on him), but he wasn't about to rat out his siblings.

Mark shook his head. "They haven't planned anything. They know that Nora won't babysit if we try anything."

Mark wasn't sure if Hank believed him, but he looked like he did as he released Mark and walked into the backyard.

Mark rubbed his arm and watched the whole thing play out according to play. Sarah threw an apple to Hank, which he caught instinctively, and stumbled back to avoid Jake as he rode past Hank on his skateboard, almost squishing his toes beneath the turning wheels. The younger set of twins yanked on the hose, tripping Hank and watching as he fell back into the muddy water in the kiddy pool.

Mark dragged his feet inside as a soaking wet Hank stormed into the house. He was in for it now…

Mark scrubbed Hank's shoes while the man flipped through the channels on the television, hurling insults at Mark over his shoulder. They were alone in the living room.

"You know, I'm actually helping you," Hank said. "A brother dating his sister… what college, much less a job, would want someone dating his own sister? You'll probably end up selling apples by the highway or polishing shoes. You're an abomination, a sin all in itself. Who would want you?"

Mark got that a lot, that being incest-is-a-sin-so-you're-going-to-hell, but he always wondered what the world would be like if everyone considered… what would Jesus do? Jesus was good, the very definition of good, and Mark was sure that Jesus wouldn't call him a freak or worthless or useless or any insult, nor would Jesus hit him or force him to do meaningless chores, as though it would 'make up' for his sin. Jesus loves everyone. Jesus doesn't love sin, but he loves sinners because we are God's children. If God can forgive murder and lying and even doubting the existence of God and Jesus, provided your disbelief eventually be comings belief, why can't he forgive incest? If God loves everyone, no matter what sin they've committed or how much they sin, why can't he love Jessica and Mark?

Mark believed in God and Jesus, but he certainly didn't believe that God would hate him for being in love with his sister, nor does he believe that God hasn't forgiven them for their sin. Incest is a sin, and Mark will not deny that, but he also believes that God has forgiven him and his sister and that He loves them, even if they fell in love with each other.

Mark winced as a book smacked him in the head, having been thrown at him by Hank from his seat on the couch.

"Get your head out of the clouds," Hank commented. "Disgusting, four-eyed piece of trash. You're worthless. Useless. Waste of space. News flash, kiddo: It's only a matter of time before you family and even your little girlfriend realize you're a waste of their time and energy. They don't want you."

Mark didn't want to believe Hank, but it was hard not to. If you hear something often enough, you might start to believe it.

Neither of them saw a horrified face appear in the doorway before that person darted away before either boy could see her. She sprinted down the steps into the basement, where she found her siblings staring at her in confusion.

"We need a new plan. Hank might be more of a monster than we originally thought," Kim Baker stated.

Henry, Sarah, and Jake seated themselves at the table as Hank begin squirming in his chair while Gunner dug his nose and teeth into Hank's crotch, which smelled like raw hamburger due to Kim's brilliant plan (yes. Kim's plan. Besides Jessica, Kim was the most protective of Mark, and with some help from Sarah, she put together the ingenious plan to soak Hank's underwear in raw hamburger and allow Gunner to attack him).

The kids snickered while Nora tried to hold Gunner, Tom joining her, and Nora, hearing their sniggers glanced up and glared at her siblings, who were abruptly silenced.

Hank kicked the dog away and sprinted out the door while Nora stormed out after him.

"Nora, we didn't want you to go!" Kim shouted as they ran out after her.

"Look," Nora said, flatly, turning around to face them. "You guys might live near me, but I have my own life. My loyalty is to Hank now,"

"But Hank insulted Mark!" Kim tried while Jessica frowned, having not been told about the real reason behind the plot against Hank, while Mark's eyes widened, having not been aware that Kim or anyone else had overheard the conversation between him and Hank.

Nora sneered. "I don't believe you. I know you don't like Hank, but to try and make him out to be some bully? That's low."

Nora stomped towards the car, which was being bombarded with the neighborhood dogs, all catching a whiff of Hank's hamburger soaked underwear.

"Nora, she's telling the truth!" Charlie called after her, but Nora had already gotten into the car, and Hank pulled out of the driveway.

"In the house. Now," Tom ordered through gritted teeth.

The kids followed the command and stood in a line, from right to left- Kyle, Nigel, Mike, Jessica, Sarah, Jake, Kim, Mark, Lorraine, Henry, Charlie (this is not exactly like the movie, but it's close enough).

"You soaked his underwear in hamburger," Tom said, pacing up and down the line. "That is so wrong. Funny. But wrong. Now who was the mastermind behind all of this?"

The youngest set of twins stepped up, as was part of the plan. Tom and Kate would go easy on the youngest two kids, they knew.

They should've known their parents wouldn't fall for it.

"You were the masterminds?" Tom stated in disbelief. "Step back."

The twins returned to the line, and Tom hovered his hand above their heads, slowly moving over the heads of his children.

"Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, beep-beep-beep-beep," he said, speeding up as his hand hovered over Sarah's head. "Beep, beep, beep," he said in a monotone as he moved back over Jessica's head before moving back over Sarah's. "Beep-beep-beep-beep. Sarah, do you have anything you want to tell me?"

Sarah opened her mouth to lie and say that she had been the mastermind (siblings covered for each other, after all), but Kim interrupted her.

"It wasn't her," Kim spoke up. "It was me. I was the mastermind."

Kate's eyes widened. "Kim? I know you don't like Hank anymore than the rest of us, but I didn't expect you to prank him. I expected this thing from Sarah, But you? Why on earth would you prank Hank?"

Kim swallowed. "He called Mark a waste of space."

"He did what?" Kate and Tom spoke in unison, dangerously quiet with anger and confusion.

Jessica was much more expressive. "He did what!?" she shouted so loudly, some pigeons squawked outside and flew away from the house, startled by the loud noise.

"Mark, is this true?" Tom asked.

Mark shrugged. "Yes, okay? But it isn't anything I haven't heard before. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"He tried to convince you that your own family didn't want you!" Kim exclaimed. "That is a big deal."

"Mark, why didn't you tell me?" Jessica asked.

Mark shrugged, which was the only motion he felt capable of doing as he rubbed the back of his neck with anxiety painted across his face.

"It's Hank. He's a jerk that hates kids and incest. What he says doesn't affect me anymore, so-"

"Anymore?" Kate repeated. "This has happened before?"

Mark swallowed. "Well, yeah, but-"

"That's it. I'm calling Nora," Tom muttered, snatching up the phone and beginning to dial his daughter's number.

"Wait," Mark said, grabbing the phone, "There's no point. Of you can't give her some proof, she won't believe you."

"After all, her loyalty is to Hank now," Henry grumbled, repeating Nora's words from earlier.

Tom sighed. "Look… we'll give her some time to cool down and then we'll invite her over- just her- and we'll talk. Does that sound like a fair compromise?"

None of the kids looked happy about it, but they all nodded. It was better than nothing, after all.