Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 37: Remember This

I leaned in the corner of the interview room while my husband sat in front of his mother again with his file in front of him.
"Why did you call me here again?" She asked him leaning back in the chair with her arms crossed.
I watched as Jonny opened his file. He pulled out a group of pictures.
When I took over as Director of the FBI I separated Jonny's medical records and pictures from Cameron's.
He gingerly laid out the pictures of his bruises, welts and slashes. I closed my eyes and sighed before looking up at him. I'd been there for most of his injuries but I didn't want to look at the pictures of how badly he'd been hurt.
"I was two and a half years old when you left. In the ten and a half years before Alexia found her way into our home Sebastian was constantly beating me and Cameron for various reasons. We didn't learn the trick fast enough. We were too loud while he was working on a new illusion. He found us on the roof where people could see us. I fought hard to keep him away from Cameron but I couldn't protect him when Sebastian would chain me in the basement and beat or whip me."
I watched Elizabeth look at the pictures. My stomach flipped because I didn't see pain or anger or disgust in her face. She was looking at pictures of her broken son and she didn't care.
"What do you want me to say, Jonathan?" She inquired calmly.
"Tell me you didn't know what he would do to us. That you didn't know he'd hide my existence for my whole life. That you didn't know he'd practically hold me captive." He urged.
I knew looking at her that she knew Sebastian wanted to make Jonathan and Cameron one person. She knew he'd hurt them.
"Oh I knew. When we found out we were having twins he started working on The Disappearing Boy. I wasn't thrilled about it but he was the master magician. I knew how he trained his "assistants" I didn't care. I had to protect myself. What he did to you or Cameron was of little consequence to me." She answered.
Jonathan looked at me. The pain in his eyes broke me and I had to do something. Lindsey, the Director of my Crimes Against Children Unit opened the door.
"Elizabeth Black. You're under arrest for Child Abandonment. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"
Elizabeth stared at me.
"Do you understand your rights?" Lindsey asked again.
"Yes. I do. You'll pay for this." She didn't take her eyes off me.
"You probably shouldn't threaten the Director of the FBI while you're being arrested." Lindsey pulled her out of the room.
Jonathan sat nearly perfectly still staring at the wall.
"Jonny? Baby?" I knelt down next to him.
"She didn't care... I wanted her to care."
"I know, baby." I touched his forearm.
"Why can't we have just one parent that gave a fuck about us?" He finally looked at me.
"I talked to our sons this morning. They both asked me where you were and if we were okay. We got shitty parents but we're raising amazing children." I said looking up at him.
He looked down at me conflicted. I could see his pride in our boys but also his disappointment in his mother.
Later that night I stood in my kitchen working on dinner when Logan came in.
"Mommy? Daddy's upset." He said after he climbed up on the stool at the island in front of me.
"What do you mean 'Daddy's upset'?" I asked looking at my son.
"I don't know. He's outside just staring at the fountain."
"I have an idea." I said turning to the back counter picking up a penny Jonny had thrown there after we'd gotten home.
"When I first met your daddy and uncle Cameron I had been through a bad thing and Uncle Cameron would sit down next to me and say 'penny for your thoughts?' And if he could get me to laugh or talk to him he'd give me a penny. After awhile if your daddy looked upset I'd walk up to him and I'd tug on his sleeve and ask 'penny for your thoughts?' And hold out the penny to him and he'd laugh and hug me tight. Why don't you take this penny out to your daddy and see what he says?" I winked at our son as his eyes lit up as he took the penny and ran out to his daddy.
I watched from the window as Logan tugged on Jonny's sleeve. Jonny knelt down next to our son as he offered the penny to his dad. Jonny took the penny from Logan and hugged our son tight.
Jonny looked over Logan's shoulder at me and smiled before setting Logan back down and sitting in the grass with him. After about 20 minutes Logan came back in and hugged me.
"What was that for, my sweet angel?" I asked with a smile as I knelt down next to him.
"Daddy said that I should thank you for helping me make daddy feel better." He smiled and kissed my cheek.
Jonny leaned on the door frame watching me and Logan.
"Why don't you go tell Josh that it's time to wash up for dinner?" I asked our son.
"Okay, mommy!" He exclaimed running towards the staircase.
I looked over at my husband as he walked over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head on his chest as I wrapped my arms around him.
"You're right, Lexa. The love our children have for us is so much stronger than the hate of our father's or the indifference of my mother."