Pale Stained Darkness
Rating: T
Summary: The rewrite of Smile Empty Soul! Kai is sent to live with a foster family. He's a silent, moody and sometimes hostile teen but once among the Granger and Tate home will he change for the better or will what he experienced in the past rule his future?
Author Note: So, as stated in my profile I decided to rewrite this story because I almost died of shock and embarrassment after having a fit of nostalgia and read Smile Empty Soul. This is a complete rewrite, with a better thought out story line and not a lot of OC's. Please read and review and totally forget the other story existed!
Pale Stained Darkness
Chapter 1: The Facility
(Mr. Dickinson)
I try not to slam the phone down on its cradle, my hand flexing with anger as my chest fills with anger and sadness, the emotions clutching at my heart. Flipping open the cover of the young man's file I quickly fill in a few notes regarding his newest offence and toss the pen down, thoughts of the boy whirling in my head. I lean back in my chair and rub my fingers over my moustache, thinking about the young, angry and withdrawn teen now sitting at the station in Police Custody. He had been doing so well for a while, his grades were improving, he was making headway with the therapist and even stopped playing mind games with them.
What went wrong?
I heave myself up out of the chair, knowing I won't get my answers sitting around the office while that slightly unstable young man with a temper and vicious tongue slowly reverts back to his not talking and highly withdrawn self. Gathering up my hat and cane I fix my suit jacket and exit my officer, closing the door tightly and pad locking it shut. After Ozuma and his gang learned how to pick normal door locks nothing was safe within the facility. I turn and find six boys sitting on the old courtroom bench outside my office, their faces in various stages of breakdown and some even spilling tears. I frown slightly before smiling down at the young boys, raising an eyebrow as Jason Dubris stands, his hands in his back pockets and a soft but stern look on his face.
"What's all this about?" I ask the young guidance counselor and the other man runs a hand through his thick chestnut hair before gesturing to the kids
"This lot decided to start a mini gang war out in the yard. Broke it up but thought it was best they all came to see you." He explains and I turn a questioning look on the boys, two start sobbing almost instantly while Rick and Dunga give me both stony looks, obviously the leaders of the small bands and too proud to admit their fear in front of their subordinates. I kneel down and place a hand on both of the boys shoulders, staring at each of them knowing that if I can get them to agree their little followers will cease to fight.
"Now I know it's common for you strapping young men to fight. Natural and all and I understand that, having been your age once. But I can't allow fights such as the one I'm told took place to happen within the grounds of this facility. Now, call a truce or you'll each get double kitchen hours on top of the seven you have to complete this coming week. Do we understand each other?" Dunga swallows and Rick slowly nods and I pat their shoulders before standing
"Good, now off you lot go. If I hear anything else I'll be sure to reinforce the hours." I call after them as they six boys all but race off down the hall, their feet thumping loudly on the wood floors. I stand and shake my head and turn for the main entrance, Jason falling into step beside me.
"Where are you going sir?" He asks slowly and I give the counselor a sideways looks as I open the door to the outside and head down the steps.
"To the Police Station. Seems that young Kai has gotten himself arrested again and I need to find out what happened." I tell him and open the door to my Blazer, Jason's handsome face creases with a look of disgust at the name and I give the young man a knowing look.
"How long are you going to keep helping this obviously unchangeable boy Stanley?" He asks softly, a hint of anger edging into his voice. I can understand the other mans annoyance with the duo haired teen, having witnessed Kai almost punch out the man when Jason touched on a subject Kai particularly didn't like in a session not to long after his last placement fell apart. I start the engine and roll down my window, giving the other man a smile
"Everyone deserves a second chance Jason. That's all you needed." I tell him and Jason gives me a knowing look
"Yes Stanley, but this is well past the second chance…. It's more like his 20th chance." He retorts hotly and I glare at the man, suddenly angry that the guidance counselor in him would be over thrown by his general dislike for the young man.
"I have never given up on a child Jason… why start now because Kai is a more difficult case?" I ask back and pull away.
The Central Police Station is quite the busy place, bustling with offenders, officers and family members alike I stand in the foyer of the busy building and look for the familiar faces of Kai's latest foster parents. A waving arm catches my attention and I nod my head towards the man. As I approach I take in the young woman sitting on the bench, her eyes red and puffy from tears and shake Jerold Marshall's hand.
"Stanley thank you for coming at such short notice." He says, strain lining his young face. I nod to Eleanor who smiles weakly back, bushing her nose with a tissue. I sit down and look at the young couple. Both Jerold and Eleanor Marshall have been within my Foster Family Recruitment Program for little over six years, they joined after learning that they would never have children of their own. Although fairly new at the 'fostering' of a child signed over to the state or a young Juvenile offender such as Kai I felt they could handle the sometimes explosive and hostile young man. Jerald being a therapist could easily get inside the mind of any distraught child and get to the root of their problems while Eleanor is as threatening as a grasshopper, her kindly nature making her a parental figure most children would love to have. I know they have had their problems with Kai, in the beginning I would get constant calls from both Jerald and his wife, having an open invitation to vent when needed to me.
But it had been going so well….
"What happened Jerald?" I ask slowly and the dark eyed man pulls of his glasses and rubs his eyes before replacing the thin wire frames. He smiles slightly
"Well, we found out Eleanor is pregnant." He says happily and for a moment I allow myself to be caught up in their happiness for a moment, congratulation them before the mood turns somber again.
"We sat Kai down over dinner and told him the news. At supper he seemed happy enough, but you know that boy… he could be insane with happiness the only expression he'd show is the upturning of one corner of his mouth." Eleanor says and sniffles into her tissue, tears pricking at her eyes.
"I went up to speak with the boy and found him gone, his window open and the satchel with all his stuff in it gone. About an hour later we got the call that Kai was picked up after running from the cops and performing that thing he does." Jerald explains and I nod, seeing the frustrated look on the others face. I know the thing the other man is talking about. Due to Kai's almost uncanny balance and grace he has developed quite the knack for the urban sport of Parkour or 'freestyle running'. I've seen some of the arrest videos from Kai's early days and some of the flips and maneuvers the young man does have earned him the name 'Urban Ninja' among the police in the area.
"I'll go and see what I can find out." I tell them and pat Eleanor's arm affectionately. Jerald nods slowly and as I am about to walk away stops me again and I turn.
"Stanley, we're awfully sorry but due to the new baby coming and…. Some of Kai's issues, we won't be able to keep him with us." He says, a pleadingly sad look in his eyes and I nod, patting the man's hand.
"I figured as much Jare… go on. Take your wife and mother to be home, I'll be taking Kai back to the facility with me. You can drop his things off there." Jerold nods and goes back to collect his wife, tears still streaming down her face. I nod to them as they exit the way I came in and sigh, again rubbing a hand across my face before grabbing the nearest officer, this one a desk clerk.
"I'm Stanley Dickinson and I was informed that one of my charges was brought in here… a Kai Hiwatari?" The man nods and quickly brings me into the back where the holding cells are and down to the interrogation room. Since Kai is a juvenile he is kept in one of the small rooms for his own safety. I look at the teen through the double sided glass and suck in a breath. Kai's sitting in the plastic chair a knee drawn up to his chest, the knee skinned and bloody, shoulders slumped I can see from the way he's protectively holding his hand something is wrong.
"What happened to his hand?" I ask curiously as the officer unlocks the door. He glances through the glass and shrugs
"He resisted arrest… we had to deploy a net to catch the little bastard. Braced his fall and broke three fingers." I fume silently at the nonchalant explanation and enter the room, watching with worry as Kai's head shoots up from his knees and his eyes widen slightly, a brief look of panic racing through the mahogany depths before disappearing behind a cold indifference.
"Kai, you're coming back to the facility with me, after we stop off at the hospital." I tell the boy and he slowly pushes himself to his feet stiffly and with cracking joints he slides past the officer and follows after me. We are the victim of many stares and soft whispers but Kai only glares hotly at anyone who catches his eye.
It was almost seven by the time I finally pulled back into the Facility's driveway. I'm physically and mentally exhausted, taking Kai to the hospital to be looked at and had to restrain the young man when the doctor reset his broken fingers. Kai is a very strong youngster, much stronger than his lithe frame suggests and almost threw me off in an attempt to punch the pain causing doctor. I look over at the young man, finding his hand pressed protectively to his chest and eyes staring blankly up at the massive building.
"Don't worry Kai, we'll find you a place. I promise." His dark eyes flick towards me and he grunts, pulling the handle and opening the door before slamming it. Getting out myself I walk through the hall to my office and unlock the padlock before turning on the overhead light. Sitting down at my desk I pull open the drawer containing the possible foster homes. I start flipping through the credentials. Many of them aren't qualified to take on a special case such as Kai. The stack of 'no ways' and 'possibles' grow a bit higher when I come across one file, opening it I read through the cases they've taken on in the past and reach for the phone. Dialing the number I listen to the line ring and feel my chest tighten with anxiety as a low voice answers the phone.
"Hello?" I lick my lips
"Is this Bruce Granger?" The voice chuckles softly
"yes it is." I nod to myself
"This is Stanley Dickinson over at Ward 8 Juvenile Facility. I have a case I would like to speak to you and your partner about."
Author Note: so, this was the first chapter to the Smile Empty Soul rewrite. I just bought a Gameboy Advance SP with the Beyblade G-Revolution game but wanted to get this up and posted for you kind people. I'm new to video games so, yeah pathetic how I'm 21 and just bought a Gameboy huh? LOL, anyway….. Enough about my pathetic ness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it would be awfully nice if you could drop me a review to let me know how I did and what you thought. It'll keep me writing! Thanks for reading and look for chapter two!