Could You Want Me – blackrose17 – Chapter 1

Reading Time:
6 Minutes

Daniel hasn’t been able to stop wondering if the reason his parents love Maddie so much is that in their eyes she is the perfect child. She never got sick with a disease that could have killed her, one that resulted in a baby that was never wanted or planned for. 

Daniel knows that despite his parents putting on a show of worried and concerned parents, they saw him as the child in and out of the hospital; his mother grieved him every day even as he lived. 

Then there was Evan. 

Looking down at his baby brother, Daniel couldn’t understand why his parents didn’t love Evan. “Don’t worry, Evan, I love you enough to make sure you never doubt it. I promise.” Leaning over the crib, he pressed a kiss on Evan’s cheek. 

“Daniel! What do you think you are doing? That is too dangerous!” Margaret shrieked as she pulled Daniel away from Evan. Keeping a tight grip on her son’s arms, she looked him over. 

“I just wanted to see Evan.” Daniel tried to explain.

A look of disgust briefly flashed onto Margaret’s face as she glanced at the crib before she schooled it into a loving look as she freed one hand to run her fingers through Daniel’s hair. “You have to be careful, sweetheart. It isn’t safe for you to do things like that.” 

“Why can’t I see or play with Evan? He won’t hurt me!” Evan was just a baby; there was no way that he could hurt his older brother. 

A sigh escaped Margaret. “You just shouldn’t get attached to Evan; he won’t always be around.” 

Daniel couldn’t understand why that filled him with fear. “But he is my brother! Of course he is going to be around, just like Maddie is.” 

Another sigh escaped Margaret as she steered Daniel out of Evan’s bedroom. “You’ll understand one day. Your father and I are only doing what is best for the four of us.” 

“There are five of us.” Daniel might be a child, but he was old enough to count; math was one of his best subjects. 

From the way his mother huffed, he knew that she was rolling her eyes. As he was escorted to his room, Daniel felt a chill run down his spine as he feared his mother muttering, “It was and will soon return to just the four of us.”

+******+

Sleep refused to claim Daniel that night. 

Later, after Daniel escaped his room, he crept down the hall as 

“I told you, Phillip, we should have never let that thing into the house. Now Daniel is attached to it. We got what we wanted; now we need to get rid of it. Daniel is still young enough to forget he ever had a little brother.” 

“Margaret, we shouldn’t rush this decision. Daniel and Maddie are old enough to remember Evan. They love him.”

“Well, I don’t! I want him out of this house! I want him gone no matter what it takes, Phillip!” 

Daniel’s breath caught the same way that Phillip’s did. 

“Margaret, you can’t mean that. Tell me that you don’t mean it?” 

“I do. I want that thing out of your house as soon as possible.” 

His fear for his brother had Daniel forgetting all about being quiet as he stumbled up the stairs, his mind on one destination only: getting to Evan’s room.

Daniel heard a scramble behind him and knew that his parents were after him. He had to get to Evan. 

“Daniel!” 

Daniel shuddered at the sound of his mother’s voice. Running into Evan’s room, Daniel slammed it shut behind him. Desperately looking for something that he could place in front of the door that could keep their parents out. 

“Daniel! Daniel!” 

There was a time that Daniel loved the sound of his parents’ voice, but that was long gone; now he had nothing but fear. 

Approaching the crib, Daniel peered down into it. “Don’t worry. I’m going to protect you. I wish Maddie was here and not at her friend’s slumber party.” 

The door opened up behind him, and without looking, Daniel knew that it was his mother standing there; he could feel it. Just like he could feel Evan’s pain, his fear. Steeling himself, Daniel turned to face his mother. “I won’t let you take Evan from me. I will never forgive you if you do.” 

A sigh escaped Margaret as she turned to look at her husband. “Phillip, please talk to Daniel and explain to him why this is best for everyone.” 

A dangerous growl filled the air before Philip could even open his mouth. 

A lioness stalked between them, cutting Margaret and Philip off from their children. 

The lioness in Daniel’s eyes was beautiful; she stalked towards Margaret and Philip as if they were her prey, and in her eyes they were. 

+******+

The Burton Foundation 

Olivia Benson had dealt with some stubborn and ignorant people in her life, but truly the two people in front of her, especially Margaret Buckley, were in a league of their own. “Your sons have come online. Daniel is a Sentinel, and Evan is a Guide. Your youngest on record is the youngest Guide ever to come online. Every Sentinel and Guide felt them coming online.” She felt like she had explained for the thousandth time since arriving at the event. 

“NO! I will not allow them to take Daniel from me; they can have Evan after all, we were going to get rid of him.” Margaret hissed. 

Olivia didn’t need to be a Guide to know what she meant, but she could feel the ways of hatred pouring off of the woman as she talked about her youngest son. A growl filled the air as her own spirit animal longed to deal with the woman. 

“I’m afraid that you have no say in the matter.” Gibbs smoothly cut in, his hand resting against Olivia’s back; he could feel his Guide relax some as he joined her. “No, Mrs Buckley, your wants do not matter here. Every Guide and Sentinel tonight felt this event, and we can also feel the fear coming off of your sons. Daniel and Evan will be placed under our care, as children this young shouldn’t be able to come online unless in danger.” Gibbs’ eyes turned dangerous. “And you better hope we don’t find any proof of that.” 

+******+

Daniel had heard all about Sentinels and Guides, but his mother refused to let him get tested. From what he had learned, they would never harm a child unless they wished to go dormant. Still, that couldn’t calm all of his fears as he found himself asking, “Are we safe with you?” 

Steve McGarrett knew that he needed to keep calm; he was an Alpha Sentinel and losing control in this moment was not something that he could do, but as he looked into the blue eyes of the young boy standing protectively in front of his baby brother, he wanted nothing more than to hunt the Buckleys down. “I swear to you as an Alpha Sentinel I will keep you and your brother safe; no one will harm you under my protection.” 

“Mom says there was no way I could ever come online because I was sick and that Evan wasn’t a real child because he had been made for me.” 

Steve was grateful that Gibbs had asked him and Danny to stay with the children because he was close to hunting them down and letting them know why you should fear an Alpha Sentinel.

Bending down, Danny smiled at his young namesake. “Daniel, you came online as a Sentinel to protect your little brother. That tells me you will be an amazing Sentinel. And Evan is a real boy; he is blessed to have you as a brother, and he is going to be one amazing Guide.” 

Looking over at Eva,n who looked completely content with Alana, Daniel’s lioness spirit animal wrapped around him, the one his mother demanded to be sent away because he was a reminder of what had happened. Daniel wouldn’t allow that to happen. “I will be the best big brother Evan could ever ask for. No one will hurt him.”