Summary: When Ben gets in trouble with the police, Roger takes matters into his own hands and decides he’s going to try and get custody of Ben’s son. But Ben won’t let Finn go so easily.
Enjoy.
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Rubbing his hand over the stubble beginning to form on his chin and cheeks, Ben leaned his head on his arm that was resting against the side of the front door he was waiting outside of. His right knee was bent forward to the point it was almost pushing against the door and his forehead was dangerously close to the door as if he was trying to intimidate it.
The moment the untainted white door finally swung open, Ben looked up for a second and a sigh of relief passed through his lips.
"I see they released you, are you out on bail I'm guessing?" Tipping his head further to the side, Ben allowed a smile to form on his lips that came across very vindictive and cynical at his father's words. No matter what Ben did, he could always count on his dad to see the worst in him- well, maybe not the worst, but definitely the bad streak running through his veins.
"They don't give bail to people who are in the clear." Ben shrugged his shoulders as he spoke but his father didn't back away and let him inside or crack a sad smile or even shake his head in irritation. He simply stared at his youngest son with such emotions in his eyes that Ben had seen thousands of times before, yet still with some emotions Ben had never experienced his dad express to him directly like this.
The elder man looked unimpressed as he stared up at his son who had quite a bit of height over him, adding to the intimidating stance he had. Ben looked like a bailiff coming to collect what he was owed and he was ready to use force to get what he deemed he was owed. There had always been something about Ben that was different, he had always possessed the ability to frighten people even when he was smiling so sweetly at them. He was always the odd one out of his siblings.
Roger stayed silent, not even sighing or rolling his eyes or relenting and allowing his boy into his home. He stayed blocking the doorway like a boulder which they both knew Ben could move with ease if he wished. He had one hand resting on the door and his other hand resting on the wall like he was making sure no one could get in and no one could get out. They had been in this position far too many times that the act was becoming predictable and it was time it ended.
"Alright come on dad, either let me in or go get him, I don't have time to play games."
The smile that came onto Ben's face sent a shiver running down his father's spine and a spike piercing through his chest. The way that Ben's lips curved at the corners was crooked and unusual and when he dared to flash his teeth he resembled a shark baiting its prey, ready to attack.
"Is that what this is to you, a game?" When Roger dared to speak, Ben shook his head before he tipped his head back and let out a dark laugh. His fingers started to drum against the bricks next to the door and it was a telltale sign that he was becoming annoyed and fed up.
"Just go get my son, thank you for looking after him I appreciate it." The way he spoke showed he was giving an order rather than a response. He had been away from his boy for four days now and he would like to see him and take him home. Ben hadn't turned up here for a lecture or to see how much of a disappointment his father thought he was. But he was clearly agitated when Roger made no move to walk away from the door or to call out to his grandson and tell him it was time to go home.
"I can't do that."
Roger glanced his eyes around for a moment like he was scanning the area for something to use to his defence or to make sure that no one else was in earshot. He knew how Ben was going to take this and he knew it was not going to be pretty, but it had to be done.
"Excuse me?" Ben's fingers stopped tapping against the bricks and instead dug into the red gravel of the brickwork. His skin started to scratch and become irritable but he paid no mind and kept pushing his fingers further into the wall to stop himself from lashing out. What was Roger talking about? Why couldn't he go and get Finn, he was here Ben knew it.
Ben had been in the custody cells for the last three nights and Roger had gladly taken Finn for the past few days, Ben knew his boy was here. But he was out now and so Finn needed to come back home with him, there was no reason for that not to happen unless Finn wasn't okay or for some reason, he was no longer here. But Ben could see by the way that Roger kept glancing around that he was afraid Finn might turn up at the door or hear what was being said. Ben had to have his boy back, that was non-negotiable and he wouldn't have Roger telling him what to do anymore.
"Finn stays with me, I don't think you should be looking after him Ben-"
"That's nice that you think you have a say in all this, but Finn is my son not yours. Now, you either go and tell him I'm here or I force my way in this house and go get him. I won't leave without my son." Ben leaned forward until he was dangerously close to Roger and his expression said he was serious. Ben wasn't leaving unless he had his boy with him.
"Being with you when you're up to no good at that God forsaken club and when you've just been pulled into a murder investigation is no place for a six year old. I went to speak to a lawyer whilst you were being questioned and I've applied for emergency custody of him. Finn stays with me until we know he's safe with you." Roger tried, he tried very hard to hold his head up and be calm and composed but it was much harder when he had his son sneering at him and leaning so close that their breaths were entwined.
Ben's upper lip curled like he was a snarling, vicious dog getting ready to bare his teeth and his body was beginning to shake from anger.
How dare Roger do this behind his back.
Finn was Ben's son, he was Ben's responsibility and Ben would never put him in danger or hurt him or do anything that would unsettle him. He was Ben's world and he was his priority, Roger held very little right to go and do this behind Ben's back.
"If you're going for emergency custody you have to give me warning which you did not. Finn is my son and he is safe and loved with me. Go talk to the police, I'm cleared of all suspicion because it was nothing to do with me. You've got one chance to move, old man, or I'm coming in and getting my son, you have no right to try and snatch him from me."
"Don't stand on my doorstep and threaten me, Ben. I don't want you coming into my house and upsetting Finn, he's fine and he's settled so just go home. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think he was unsafe or at risk-"
"I don't want your excuses!" Ben snapped before he pursed his lips, tightening his jaw like he was a bomb about to go off. He was becoming volatile and he knew it but he couldn't do anything but go along with this because Roger was testing the little patience that he had. "From the moment he was born you were there, never hesitating to tell me what I was doing wrong. You're doing this so you can have him, so you can raise him right because you fucked up so badly with me."
Ben pushed himself off the wall and took a few steps back, resting his face in his hands and rubbing furiously at his skin as he smothered a shout of frustration with his palms.
He remembered the moment Finn was born, out of all five children Roger had Ben was still the only one to have a child of his own and Roger had been there from the first moment. He tried to help but he also made Ben feel like he was trying to get in between him and Finn. He was both a help and a threat to Ben and he hated it. Ben didn't have the best personality and he didn't have an easy child which made him a hard child and a hard person to deal with in general. But he saw the way Roger tried with Finn, he tried so hard with him and it was like he was making up for all the wrong doings that had happened with Ben in his childhood.
Ben knew he was a bad person, he had a heart of coal that could never be changed and he was a cruel and volatile person. But where his son was concerned, Ben was an angel in disguise. He loved Finn to pieces, he cared for him on his own he brought him up on his own and he did everything right by Finn. His son was the only good thing in Ben's life and the only thing he could be proud of, Roger was not going to steal the light from Ben's life.
"He's my son! You have four of your own, you've got three sons you didn't fuck up, don't try and take mine away from me to repent yourself."
"Leave now or I'm calling the police, Finn stays with us where he's safe."
A sound resembling a scream left Ben's lips as he slammed his foot into the base of the door when it was slammed in his face before he had the chance to push his body inside the house. Taking a few steps away from the door, Ben glared at the large house as he wondered whereabouts Finn would be, he wasn't leaving without his son. Dragging his nails through his knotted curls, Ben looked back through the frosted glass of the front door and almost grinned when he noticed Roger was still stood there checking on him out of fear.
Keeping his hands knotted in his hair for a few moments, Ben walked to the right away from the door and headed over to the bay window of the front room. A surge of relief and adrenaline flooded his chest when he peered through the window and noticed Finn was in there.
He pressed one hand on the windowsill and knocked on the window with the other hand, smiling when Finn looked up from the console in his hand. The six year old was sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the tv, obviously trying to play a video game but he normally needed help with games at the moment. A bright smile flooded the little boy's face and he quickly dropped the console on the floor before getting up and scuttling over to the window.
Finn clambered onto the foot rest beneath the window so he could reach up and open the latch, pushing the window wide before he leaned out to reach Ben.
"Daddy!" Finn leaned out the window with his arms out causing Ben to reach over and hold onto him both to cuddle him and make sure he didn't fall.
"Careful, little man. Did you miss me?" Ben kissed the curls on Finn's head, holding him as close as he could with the windowsill between them before he gently nudged Finn back so he wasn't at risk of falling out.
"Yeah, grandad said you were working away for a few weeks so I'm staying here. Shall I go get him?" Finn kept hold of Ben's hand before he turned his head to see if either of his grandparents were in the room or nearby so he could call out to them. Finn didn't understand that they didn't get along with Ben, he knew they didn't really interact or talk very much but he never grasped how badly the rift was between his dad and grandparents.
"No, no buddy he knows I'm here. Can you do something for me?" When Ben smiled Finn grinned, thinking they were playing some kind of game. "Go put your shoes on and grab your coat for me, but don't let grandad or grandma see you. We're gonna play hide and seek, meet me at the front door."
"Okay!" Finn grinned before scrambling down and running out of the living room and into the hall.
Turning around Ben headed back over to the front door, rubbing his hands together in front of him as he heard the lock chime a few seconds later. But the moment the door opened and Finn was about to step towards Ben, Roger's hand fell on his shoulder and tugged him back until Roger could stand in front of him and block his path.
"Finn, go back into the lounge please. I need to talk to your dad for a minute." Roger urged Finn to go but he only moved back a few steps, peering around Roger to look at Ben because he could sense something was wrong.
"Why, I want daddy."
"You don't have the right to try and barge in here and start making trouble! Do you really want to upset him by trying to run out of here with him? He'll be brought back here eventually anyway so just go home. Finn's better off with us." Roger whispered the words with spite at Ben before trying to close the door but this time, Ben pushed the door with his foot.
"I have every right, he belongs with me and you're scaring him. Get out the way and let him come with me. Little man, come with me it's okay." Ben held out his hand but Roger stood firm, keeping his arm in front of Finn to stop him from getting too close to Ben like he was a man with a gun.
"No, he stays-"
"For fuck's sake he doesn't want to be with you!" Ben kicked the door again to try and push it open more and make room for either Finn to come out the house or for Ben to head in. But Roger stayed firm and held the door in place. Leaning around Roger, Ben clenched his jaw and felt his heart shattering when tears started to fall from Finn's eyes before he turned and ran into the living room to be out of the way.
"Go." Was all that Roger said before he shut the door in Ben's face.
A sudden thought ran into Ben's head and he quickly turned to the right and hurried over to the bay window again, pulling it open when he noticed it was still ajar from minutes ago. Leaning in, he moved his hand to beckon Finn over when he saw his boy curled up on the armchair.
"Little man, come here quick."
Finn wiped at his eyes, contemplating what Ben was saying before he stood up and headed over to the window, climbing back on the foot stool so he could be level with Ben. His eyes widened but he didn't say anything when Ben reached in and scooped Finn up. He gently eased Finn out of the window and took a few steps back before settling his boy on his hip, sighing out of utter relief that he had him back after four days of being kept away from him.
"A-are we going home?" Finn wrapped his arms around Ben's neck, sniffing quietly but there was uncertainty in his eyes because he didn't know what was going on or what they were doing.
"Yeah, I'm taking you back home with me buddy, everything's okay." Ben's eyes locked with Roger's the moment he headed into the lounge and Ben took that as his cue to leave. He spun on his heels and headed over to his car, gently setting Finn down and strapping him in the passenger seat.
"Ben you can't take him! How long until the police come knocking and he sees? You were damn lucky he was at school when they arrested you this time, get him out the car." Roger tried to hurry out of the house but it was no use because Finn was already in the car and Ben wasn't going to let him get near his grandson now that he had him back.
"When your emergency custody comes through or you take me to court then we'll talk about who takes him where. But right now, he's my son under my care and I'm taking him home."
