FICTION: Lost and Found (Part 8a)
Title: Lost and Found (Part 8a)
Authors: PerfectlyLexy & DreamtoCreate
Pairing: Scott Barringer/Peter Scarbrow
Rating/Warning etc: Eventually NC-17.
Summary: Despite knowing better, and Scott’s denial, Peter and Scott realize they have feelings for one another that transcend that of student and teacher. Perhaps the lost truly can be found.
Continued from Lost and Found (Part 7b)
Peter climbed the hill back to the school and was relieved when he saw that the Social Worker's car was still in the parking lot of the main administration building. He entered the room and smiled weakly, offering his hand to the other man. "I appreciate your taking the time out to come up here and speak with Scott. And for staying after as well..."
He sighed, shaking the other's hand. "You do realize that it doesn't look good for him."
"I know what it looks like." He paused a beat before continuing, "And I want you to look again. There's more going on here than there appears."
"Oh?" The one word held a world of meaning.
"I don't think he's as guilty as you...or the evidence...seems to indicate. Think about it....he's a kid, he _was_ a kid when this all started. Even Elaine admits that much," he began, hoping that he could get through to him.
He leaned back against the table. "The letters make him look like a very *obsessed* kid, nothing more. What's your take on it?" He looked honestly
curious, if guarded.
Peter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a table across from the other man. "When he first got here...he ran away. I'm sure all of that is in the files you received," he began.
He nodded slowly. "Go on."
"I went to town and we found him. He'd broken into one of the houses down there," he continued, thinking back on the Scott he'd found there and rocked as he cried. "I managed to talk him down, but he kept begging me not to send him home; kept crying out and telling me that it wasn't his fault...not what it was, just that 'it' wasn't his fault....I couldn't get much more out of him. But he only managed to calm down when I promised not to send him home...it was then that I realized there was something toxic going on there..."
"His relationship with his stepmother," he supplied. "I'm not here to be the enemy, you realize. I'm just telling you, and him, how it looks with Elaine Barringer waving those letters around."
Peter sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I know you're not. I've just grown fairly attached to Scott. He's been through hell. He's making progress here now that he's admitted what was going on...I'm, perhaps, a bit overprotective of that..."
"Be careful about that," the worker warned quietly. "And before this is all said and done with, he may be through a few more kinds of hell."
"I know..." Peter crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he thought about that. He _knew_ he was getting too close, feeling too much. But he couldn't seem to help it where Scott was concerned. "It's not going to be easy...and if this ends in criminal action it'll be even harder on him. But I'll be there to help him."
"I hope you know all the risks involved in this," he sighed. "Is there anything else? I get this feeling you'd like to say more, Peter."
"It's just...I know troubled kids. I've been working with them for years. I know their tricks and I know their games. That isn't what this is...I can assure you of that..." And what he had to ask next he knew he had no right to. But, for Scott's sake, he had to ask. "And I wanted to ask if you know how his father was handling all of this..."
The other man hissed out a breath that did not bode well for the answer. "Not well," he finally allowed. "He's...skeptical...to say the least. And not in his son's favor."
Peter nodded in acceptance of his words. "I was afraid of that...and right now it would be best if I kept my distance..." He actually looked a question at the social worker at that.
"That would probably be best. Especially as Mr. Barringer seems to think Mt.
Horizon and it's Counselor's are the root of all of this. He seems to think..." he hesitated. "He seems to think you've somehow implanted this into his son's head."
"He what?" Peter asked, blinking in surprise. Of all the things he'd expected to hear, that was not one of them. "He actually blames _us_ for this? I'm surprised he hasn't called Scott home then..."
He held up his hands, shrugging. "Be careful, he might if this keeps up. You need to warn Scott."
Peter shook his head. "Can he do that? I mean, considering the investigation that's going on? Sending him home now would be disastrous!"
"He can," was the honest answer. "Scott's still a minor. For now, I've managed to talk him into leaving him here until the investigation is over. But he could change his mind at any time."
"I see." Peter paused and glanced away, his mind lost on the implications of it all. "I'll tell him. Warn him, that is. I appreciate your time."
"No problem," he sighed. "I'm sure we'll see a lot more of each other."
Peter sighed. "I'm sure we will..."
Continued in Lost and Found (Part 8b)
Authors: PerfectlyLexy & DreamtoCreate
Pairing: Scott Barringer/Peter Scarbrow
Rating/Warning etc: Eventually NC-17.
Summary: Despite knowing better, and Scott’s denial, Peter and Scott realize they have feelings for one another that transcend that of student and teacher. Perhaps the lost truly can be found.
Continued from Lost and Found (Part 7b)
Peter climbed the hill back to the school and was relieved when he saw that the Social Worker's car was still in the parking lot of the main administration building. He entered the room and smiled weakly, offering his hand to the other man. "I appreciate your taking the time out to come up here and speak with Scott. And for staying after as well..."
He sighed, shaking the other's hand. "You do realize that it doesn't look good for him."
"I know what it looks like." He paused a beat before continuing, "And I want you to look again. There's more going on here than there appears."
"Oh?" The one word held a world of meaning.
"I don't think he's as guilty as you...or the evidence...seems to indicate. Think about it....he's a kid, he _was_ a kid when this all started. Even Elaine admits that much," he began, hoping that he could get through to him.
He leaned back against the table. "The letters make him look like a very *obsessed* kid, nothing more. What's your take on it?" He looked honestly
curious, if guarded.
Peter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a table across from the other man. "When he first got here...he ran away. I'm sure all of that is in the files you received," he began.
He nodded slowly. "Go on."
"I went to town and we found him. He'd broken into one of the houses down there," he continued, thinking back on the Scott he'd found there and rocked as he cried. "I managed to talk him down, but he kept begging me not to send him home; kept crying out and telling me that it wasn't his fault...not what it was, just that 'it' wasn't his fault....I couldn't get much more out of him. But he only managed to calm down when I promised not to send him home...it was then that I realized there was something toxic going on there..."
"His relationship with his stepmother," he supplied. "I'm not here to be the enemy, you realize. I'm just telling you, and him, how it looks with Elaine Barringer waving those letters around."
Peter sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I know you're not. I've just grown fairly attached to Scott. He's been through hell. He's making progress here now that he's admitted what was going on...I'm, perhaps, a bit overprotective of that..."
"Be careful about that," the worker warned quietly. "And before this is all said and done with, he may be through a few more kinds of hell."
"I know..." Peter crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he thought about that. He _knew_ he was getting too close, feeling too much. But he couldn't seem to help it where Scott was concerned. "It's not going to be easy...and if this ends in criminal action it'll be even harder on him. But I'll be there to help him."
"I hope you know all the risks involved in this," he sighed. "Is there anything else? I get this feeling you'd like to say more, Peter."
"It's just...I know troubled kids. I've been working with them for years. I know their tricks and I know their games. That isn't what this is...I can assure you of that..." And what he had to ask next he knew he had no right to. But, for Scott's sake, he had to ask. "And I wanted to ask if you know how his father was handling all of this..."
The other man hissed out a breath that did not bode well for the answer. "Not well," he finally allowed. "He's...skeptical...to say the least. And not in his son's favor."
Peter nodded in acceptance of his words. "I was afraid of that...and right now it would be best if I kept my distance..." He actually looked a question at the social worker at that.
"That would probably be best. Especially as Mr. Barringer seems to think Mt.
Horizon and it's Counselor's are the root of all of this. He seems to think..." he hesitated. "He seems to think you've somehow implanted this into his son's head."
"He what?" Peter asked, blinking in surprise. Of all the things he'd expected to hear, that was not one of them. "He actually blames _us_ for this? I'm surprised he hasn't called Scott home then..."
He held up his hands, shrugging. "Be careful, he might if this keeps up. You need to warn Scott."
Peter shook his head. "Can he do that? I mean, considering the investigation that's going on? Sending him home now would be disastrous!"
"He can," was the honest answer. "Scott's still a minor. For now, I've managed to talk him into leaving him here until the investigation is over. But he could change his mind at any time."
"I see." Peter paused and glanced away, his mind lost on the implications of it all. "I'll tell him. Warn him, that is. I appreciate your time."
"No problem," he sighed. "I'm sure we'll see a lot more of each other."
Peter sighed. "I'm sure we will..."
Continued in Lost and Found (Part 8b)