Drifting Snowflakes

Brains Not Brawn

Louis lowered the side of the crib and lifted Harry out. The smaller man was too much in shock to struggle and allowed Louis to carry him across the room to a large rocking chair where Louis sat down, Harry cradled in his arm. The chair rocked back and forward as Louis looked down adoringly at the boy in his arms, gently brushing the tangle of curls off Harry's forehead.

"I'm so happy to have my baby back" Louis cooed at Harry. "Daddy is going to keep you very safe and nobody will ever take you from me again. You'll always be my baby."

"F.ck you. Let me go" Harry suddenly wrestled his way out of the arms restraining him and raced to the door. He was going to get as far away from this deranged man as possible. He had to get back to Niall and warn him he was in danger. Harry's feet continually slipped on the wooden floor, his onesie covered feet providing no purchase on the slippery surface, but still, he ran. He risked a glance over his shoulder but Louis didn't seem to be following him. Harry tore down the hallway and practically threw himself down the stairs. He could see the front door in front of him and tried to pull it open. It was locked. He struggled with the locks, to no avail, then beat his hands on the door in desperation.

"Uh, uh, uh little one. You're not going anywhere" Harry heard Louis voice behind him. Louis was walking down the stairs at a leisurely pace. Harry quickly turned and ran the other way. Maybe he could get out another door or a window. He looked around rapidly as the sound of Louis laughter came to his ears. Harry noticed a door that lead to the kitchen. Maybe that was a way out. He bolted in that direction. That door was locked too and Harry shook the door handle in frustration, before sinking to the ground in tears

"Awe, don't cry baby" Louis cooed as he picked Harry up from the floor. "Come and have a little cuddle with daddy for a bit then Daddy will give you some lovely dinner. How does that sound?"

"I don't want a cuddle and I don't want dinner. I just want to go home. Please, Louis, let me go.' Harry pleaded.

"It's Daddy to you and no I won't let you go......ever!" Louis tone was now cold. "And if you continue to defy me, well let's just say, you won't like what will happen."

Louis carried Harry back to the nursery and laid him back in the crib, restraining both his arms and legs to the bars. Harry tugged at them, trying to break free but he didn't have enough strength. Louis grinned at him as he covered Harry's body with a fluffy blanket before raising the side of the crib. Switching on the monitor, Louis smiled.

"Daddy is so glad to have his little baby back again. You'll never leave me again, little man, never!" And he was gone, leaving Harry to glare at the closing door, tears of rage and frustration pouring down his cheeks. If only he hadn't looked at Liam's phone. If only he could warn Niall. He had to get away. He just had to.

Niall lay back on his bed as he glared at his bedroom ceiling, sulking like a toddler that had been denied candy. He knew it wasn't helping the situation any but his resentment of Jamie was growing. Everything he tried to do, Jamie somehow managed to block. The final straw had been when Niall had asked Alberto to drive him to Harry's home so he could see how his friend was doing. But Jamie had caught wind of the outing and had immediately stopped it from happening, telling Niall that Harry was very unwell with the flu and that the doctors had suggested no visitors for the time being. The result of this information had had Niall storming out of the hall, cursing and swearing as he went to his bedroom, not caring that Jamie was calling after him to watch his language. He knew, sick or not, Harry would want to see him. And if Harry was that sick, why wasn't he here, where there were more people to look after him. I wish I could talk to him, he thought then smiled. Text! He could text him. Hurriedly he pulled his phone from his pocket and feverishly started to text. Smilingly happily, he pressed send.

Harry's tears had dried as he attempted to pull himself together. He had to think. There had to be a way out of this but he'd have to use his brains. Physically, he was no match for Louis. Louis wasn't overly tall, but he was very muscular. Harry was tiny, growth stunted by lack of good food before he had been kidnapped to the community the first time. Then a diet of toddler food, though healthy and sustaining, had done nothing to improve his growth. He remained very short, no bigger than a pre-teen. No, it would need brains not brawn. Harry lay there quietly, thinking until he was suddenly jarred by a peep sound signaling the arrival of a text message. He turned his head towards the familiar sound. His phone! It was in the pocket of his discarded adult clothing that Louis hadn't disposed of yet. But how to get to it? And how to prevent Louis from realizing it was still there?

Now Harry had calmed down, he found his mind getting more and more focused. There was an unguarded phone in the room. His phone. If he could reach it, he could, at the very least, warn Niall of the danger he was facing. Taking a deep breath, Harry tried folding his hands any way he could that would make them as small as possible. Gritting his teeth against the pain called by the rubbing of the restraints on his delicate skin, he tugged and pulled until his one hand was free. Cautiously, eyes on the door, he fumbled with the restraint on the other hand until it was also freed. Just his legs to go. As quietly as he could he swiftly pulled them off. The next challenge was getting out of the crib without a sound. Louis had the monitor on and was sure to hear any noise. Hardly daring to breathe, Harry stretched his arm through the bars of the crib, searching for the clips that would release the side. For once in his life, he was glad his arms were so small, enabling them to go through the bars fairly easily. Nothing! He couldn't find them. Reluctantly he realized that climbing over was his only option. Taking another deep breath, he pulled himself up on his feet, trying to balance of the soft, yielding surface of the crib mattress, grabbed the top rail, and slowly and carefully hauled himself up. It was a struggle but Harry managed to get both legs over the top and hung by his arms as he braced himself to drop onto the floor, hoping that his landing would be quiet. He was in luck. Smiling briefly he tiptoed over to where the monitor sat and switched it off. Listening hard for the sound of anyone approaching, Harry moved to where his adult clothes were piled. Hands shaking, he reached into the pocket of his abandoned jeans and pulled out his phone, so focused on it that he never noticed the door of the room pushing slowly open.