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The phone rang once, twice...

"David, why are you calling me at damn near midnight?" Elaine snarled irritably into the phone.

David winced at the sound of his ex-wife's aggravation but quickly steeled himself to tell her what he needed to. He didn't want to have a long, drawn-out conversation with her right now. His brain was still buzzing with the day: the fear and anxiety, the anger and hatred and the severe disappointment after thoroughly chewing out his son's boyfriend. He probably had bits of the jackal still stuck in his teeth from the verbal lashing he'd given him. And to top everything off, the night air had an edge to it that made him regret stepping outside.

David took a deep breath. "Listen, something happened at Charles's school today."

Elaine's irritation vanished near instantly, replaced by fear and worry. "Is Charlie okay? Please tell me he's alright!"

"He got rescued before it got worse but..." David choked on his words, unsure of how to phrase it. Part of him didn't want to say it at all. He sighed heavily. "He got assaulted at school by a teacher."

"Assaulted? How? What happened?!"

"The PE teacher there was drunk at school," David stated. "The bastard tried to force himself on Charles."

"What do you mean by 'force himself'?" she growled and David could hear her fury mixing with her fear.

"He tried to rape our son," David exhaled heavily. His body shook with barely held-back anger and disgust. "The police have him in custody. His boyfriend--"

"Is our boy okay?" she breathed.

"Physically, yes," David explained. "His jackal friend saved him before the teacher could do anything worse."

"But how's he reacting to all of this?"

"He hasn't eaten, barely talked... He's been hiding in his room with that jackal since he came home." David exhaled heavily. "Elaine, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Elaine didn't speak immediately and David was sure she needed a moment to absorb everything that had been said.

"Is he awake?" she said finally.

"I don't think so," David said, glancing up at the house. The majority of the lights in the house were off, save for the one lamp in the living room where he'd been scouring the internet for job postings. He was almost positive that Charles was asleep...

Cuddled in that jackal's arms.

Suppressing the shiver of unease that worked down his spine, David spoke again.

"I don't know what to do," David answered. "I was going to get him some therapy. To help him move past the trauma."

"You really think therapy's enough?" Elaine snarled angrily. "How could you let this happen?"

"Me? You think I wanted this to happen?!" David raged back. "It's amazing to me how you think I wanted to see my son hurt like that! That's my boy!"

"Then you would've kept him safe!" Elaine countered, not yelling but very firm and direct. "How could this have happened?"

"I told you--a teacher was drunk at school! Who would've predicted this could've ever happened?! If I knew, you know I'd have pulled him out of that building kicking and screaming if I had to! I would never let my son be in danger!"

"Apparently, he's in danger living with you."

The words stabbed deeply into David's heart, searing themselves into his mind. He tried his hardest to maintain some semblance of dignity as he sputtered out a reply.

"What are you saying, Elaine?"

"I'm going to come and get him, take him away from all of that madness," Elaine said simply. "I can be there in a week."

"If you really cared, you'd be on your way right now."

"You and I both know that life doesn't work like that."

"It sure as fuck does," David answered. "I gave up my job to ensure that my son was safe. I got up and left as soon as I got the call because my son needed me. Where were you when he needed a mother? Off somewhere with some stranger on a cruise ship?"

"I work on that cruise ship, thank you very much, David!" Elaine said and she sounded ready to lose her composure. "You know as well as I do that I can't do anything until we dock at the port! When we do, I'll be there and Charlie better be packed and ready to leave. I refuse to allow him to stay in a place where he was attacked like that."

"And what about the life he's started here?! What about his friends and that jackal boyfriend of his? Don't you think he'll be heartbroken if you just steal him away from all of that?"

"It's for his own good."

"How would you know? You haven't seen him in years."

"David--"

"Listen to me, very carefully. I called you to keep you up to date with what's going on in Charles's life, not to let you take him away from the things he's learning to love. We can help him through this but running away isn't going to solve anything. He won't get anywhere without some help and I can get that for him."

"How? You don't even have a job."

"I'll make it work for Charles. That's what you do when you're a parent."

And he hung up, silencing her angry retort and allowing him to breathe, to unclench for the first time that day. He was positive she'd call back soon or tomorrow and she'd probably call Charles first. And God only knew what that bitch would say to him.

Don't call her that, you loved her once, his conscious reprimanded.

"Davey, hurry!" hissed a voice.

David looked over--he hadn't even noticed when his wife had come out onto the porch. She looked urgent and worried as if something had happened and David's mind immediately raced through several scenarios. Michelle motioned him back into the house and he followed her brisk pace to his son's bedroom, peering inside.

Curled up under the blanket, he could hear his son crying and see the small wolf wake jerkily. Protectively, instinctively, David took a step into the room.

Then stopped.

His son's boyfriend had come back into the room and pulled Charles closer, shushing him kindly. There was no trace of irritation or annoyance in the jackal's calm--loving--reassurances as his son's cries. For a brief moment, his eyes met the jackal's and David stepped backward a touch.

"Dad?" Charles's weak voice muttered.

"I'm here," David remarked. He moved closer and kneeled beside the bed, face level with his son's. "You're okay. We won't let anything else happen to you."

"We?"

Charles looked over his shoulder and noticed his boyfriend and managed a weak, if somewhat forced, smile. He must be pretty drowsy, David reasoned, if he's forgotten about his boyfriend right behind him. The thought, which might've pleased him once upon a time, left him feeling worried and concerned.

"Don't worry," David said as kindly and reassuringly as he could. "We'll both be here for you. Zack said he'd stay as long as you need him to." An exaggeration, probably, but David had little doubt that Zack wasn't going anywhere--at least for tonight.

"Thanks," Charles said with a sniffle, settling into a cuddle with Zack.

"I'll get you some warm milk," David offered. "I know how that helps you sleep."

"Thanks," Charles repeated as David stood. David spared a moment to tousle Charles's hair on his way out. Then, paused at the door when he heard his son speak once more. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Char--Chance," David said with a smile.