Shattered Childhood

A/N; This is the final chapter for this story. I'd just like to say that no matter how long some of my updates take at the moment I'm not cancelling any of my stories. If I do I'll put it in the summary so for all those asking for updates you'll just have to be patient. My life is just very busy right now.

Chapter 4; Rivalry

Griffin's Den

Harry appeared with a small thud of displaced air and instantly looked around for Griffin or even David but found neither within the Den. He sighed and looked around physically before focusing on his extra sense. David had come back briefly while Harry had been with his sister but the rift was barely closed so it hadn't been much more than ten minutes away. Griffin also had a distorted rift where he'd left and David had followed him. Harry focused through the distorted rift and found another couple through it so he stood just on the edge of the slowly closing rift and tracked the two across the world. With access to one of their rifts it was easy enough. He found them across the world, or at least the latest of Griffin's jumps and he made his own rift into the middle of an airport lounge just as David appeared out of Griffin's rift. The two blinked at him in surprise.

"How?" Griffin asked though he smiled at him.

"Tracked you through all the rifts since you left your lair." Harry shrugged. "We after the girl?" He asked David who nodded.

"Will you help us?" David asked before looking up at the arrivals board.

"As long as it doesn't involve you getting hurt. I made a promise." Harry shrugged.

"It arrived an hour ago." David bit his lip as he found the flight on the screen.

"You mean you didn't check the flight?" Griffin rolled his eyes.

"I was busy!" David gritted his teeth.

"You'd best go find her, David." Harry pointed out. "You know where to find us."

David nodded and Jumped out of the airport and Griffin turned to look at him. "Things go alright?"

"Well enough." Harry shrugged before creating his own rift back to Griffin's lair. Griffin created his own and emerged a split second after Harry. Harry flopped down onto the sofa with a sigh and Griffin shifted back and forwards on his feet nervously. Harry made a vague gesture towards his lap, opening his arms and Griffin took the offer and slid into his lap. Griffin was the bigger of the two but Harry liked the feel of him so close so much that he couldn't complain. Griffin turned sideways and let his head fall onto Harry's shoulder and Harry just held onto him tightly.

"You said well enough?" Griffin whispered, unwilling to disturb the peace.

"Yeah." Harry turned his head and pressed his face into Griffin's hair. He felt so safe and secure with Griffin so close, it was almost like they'd never been parted. "She knows what happened. She said they were the monsters, not me."

"Of course you're not a monster." Griffin whispered sadly.

"They were that bad?" Harry asked, needing the reassurance.

"They were worse than anyone I've ever met since then, Harry." Griffin turned and hugged Harry tightly. "I wish I could go back and rescue you. I could do it now. I could save you."

Harry found himself smiling into Griffin's hair. "There's still plenty of time for you to save me, Griffin." Harry told him.

"I'll save you." Griffin whispered. "I will. I promise. I won't leave you behind ever again."

"I know you won't." Harry told him and slowly shifted to lie on the sofa with Griffin lying with him. Griffin twisted them so that Harry was lying on him rather than under him and Harry snuggled into him so his face was buried in his neck.

Harry wasn't entirely sure how long they sat together like that but they came back to reality with a jolt when a thud echoed through the lair. It wasn't a particularly neat rift either and they shot up out of the chair as they noticed what was wrong. David had pulled a normal human through with him. A girl who was trying to get control of herself as her dizziness tried to send her sprawling. David looked utterly distressed as he tried to help hold her up but she kept shoving his hands away from her.

"Don't come anywhere near me!" She told him before turning and smacking him in the arm. David turned his side on her defensively.

"Christ!" Griffin hissed. "He just had to."

"Hush, Griffin." Harry sighed sitting on the edge of the chair. She looked around frantically and spotted the two onlookers and started looking for an exit which happened to be behind Griffin who looked seriously pissed off. Harry knew she wouldn't be able to really focus that well right now. He had enough experience transporting people. His mother and sister on a couple of occasions.

"Just look at me." David tried. "Please. I'm going to explain everything."

"This isn't some kind of clubhouse you know?" Griffin hissed at David, unwilling to play nice anymore. Harry stayed out of it because he really didn't know what to think. If David really cared about her then he knew he wouldn't be able to stop him from putting himself in danger but he really didn't want David to get hurt. Little brother and all that, even if they were sort of the same age.

"David, what's going on?" The girl finally asked seeming to calm down now that nobody was attacking her.

"How about I put you on the top of Mount Everest?" Griffin told her before looking at David. "Or maybe the bottom?"

"I'm trying to tell you..." David asked.

"They can follow you." Griffin waved his hand in irritation. "By bringing her here they can follow you."

"He's right, David." Harry piped up. "They have a machine. It opens wormholes and keeps them open."

"They can follow us anywhere and you brought them right here!" Griffin was getting angrier now.

Harry almost stood up to calm him down but then his sense screamed at him. "It's too late." Harry announced and Jumped clear across the room to behind David where they'd come through. A rift was starting to tear open. David's rift which should have been closed enough to not be noticeable to anyone but himself now. David walked quickly across the lair to the girl's side and Griffin Jumped up next to Harry with a worried look. They could all hear voices coming through the rift now.

"Where does this thing go?" Griffin turned to David. All anger gone now that he was worried.

"I'm sorry, Griffin." David gasped.

"Get her out of here." Harry snapped and turned back to the rift just as it flashed white. It was almost completely open and then anyone could step through and it would be Paladins, shooting first as always. "Now, David!"

David turned and grabbed her and they vanished through a rift. Harry felt another appear outside. Harry turned on the spot and together he and Griffin Jumped back across the lair to hide behind pillars. David reappeared and backed into a pillar just as somebody fell out of the rift. Seconds later another joined him.

Griffin's hand brushed his own and Harry reached in under his jacket and took the safety off of his pistol even as he pulled it slowly from the holster. He couldn't blast them within this place or he'd bring it all down around them. He wasn't going to take the risk that David and Griffin might not Jump out fast enough.

"Mom?" David gasped and took a step forwards. Harry frowned as he glanced at the wall. On it were security photos of his mum, some with targets around them. Griffin had been targeting her but Harry didn't find himself caring right now. David took another step forwards and Harry was about to Jump to him to tear him out of danger when the familiar sound of a baton discharge echoed and David went flying as he was caught by the wire and shocked. The wire lifted him clean off of his feet and pinned him up to the wall. He flickered as he tried to Jump but Harry couldn't help him without getting shocked so bad he lost his own ability to Jump and he definitely couldn't blow the place now.

David groaned in pain and Harry barely glanced at Griffin as he vanished from sight in an almost silent rift. "Why are you doing this?" David gritted out. "I've never hurt anybody."

"Not yet." The voice made Harry grit his own teeth. It was Roland Cox which didn't massively surprise him. "But you will. You all do." And that was Paladin propaganda at its best. Harry felt sick with himself right then. For most of his life he'd been a loyal, or almost loyal, lapdog for these people. "Sooner or later you all go bad."

"What if I'm different!" David gasped out.

"You're not different." Roland stated simply. Harry felt the rift before he heard Griffin's voice.

"I'm different!" He had a grin on his face. Harry could hear it in his voice and he heard the hiss of whatever weapon he was holding.

"Move!" Roland yelled even as Harry felt heat. He Jumped across the lair even as flames flooded the room. He reappeared at Griffin's side even as he watched Roland leapt out of the way. The other Paladin wasn't so lucky. Griffin sighed as he realised he'd missed and his inattention cost him as Roland leapt out from their left. Harry Jumped clear, trying to take Griffin with him but his fingers missed as Griffin was hit by a fist. The flame thrower went flying and Griffin was punched in the stomach. Harry Jumped closer with a blast that made Roland try to turn on him. His head snapped around and his eyes widened in shock just as Harry Jumped again and aimed his pistol.

The sound of the shot surprised Harry who hadn't thought he'd pulled the trigger. The room seemed to freeze as Griffin leaned on the pillar that was supporting him and Roland looked down to try to find a wound. That was when Harry felt the pain and looked down at himself. He felt pain in his abdomen and felt a warm stickiness soaking into his black t-shirt. He touched it in confusion and pulled away a bloody hand.

"No!" Griffin cried and Jumped, blasting passed where Harry was making Harry turn slowly just in time to see the burnt Paladin get blasted backwards into a rift with Griffin attached. He hadn't been dead, just wounded and he'd taken a shot at Harry. Harry kept the gun on a smirking Roland.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing her face when I take her your dead body." Roland teased mercilessly as Harry started to feel drained. His pistol wavered and he didn't have enough concentration to focus on what David was doing to try to escape. The pistol slipped from his fingers even as he fell to his knees. At least he wasn't dead already. He could cope. He gritted his teeth and focused and the air started to throb. "Oh, no you don't." Roland headed for him with his knife but a loud thud made the room shudder. Harry's attention flickered and his explosion faded.

He heard Griffin roar in anger and a series of Jumps before Roland was sent flying through a stone wall and out into the desert. Griffin turned to him. "Go." Harry told him. "Kill the bastard."

Griffin looked torn before Jumping out of the lair. Harry turned to David and tried to stand to get him free only for a wave of dizziness to send him back to his knees. His left hand clutched at his stomach and he collapsed backwards as his vision flashed white. Now it was starting to hurt like a bitch.

"Harry!" David yelled for him. "Jump to help!"

"Can't." Harry gasped even as he tried. It hurt too much to concentrate, just like if electricity was flowing through him.

He heard a commotion and felt heat. Griffin was fighting Roland but then it was suddenly quiet except for the girl, Millie, David had called her. "I'm only getting you down so you can get me out of here."

"Okay." David sounded desperate and Harry heard him fall as the wires parted under something like clippers. He struggled to sit up but the pain was still too bad. He needed a patch up job so he could help.

"Can you take me home now?" Millie asked.

"I'll take you." David sighed. "But it was always you. Ever since we were five. It was always you."

"Just take me home."

"David..." Harry gasped and heard the shocked gasp from Millie and the thud as David Jumped to his side and fell to his knees.

"Harry?" David asked. "Are you okay?"

"Who is this?" Millie knelt on his other side and tentatively touched his hands to try to get a look at the wound. She gasped. "He needs a hospital!"

David inspected the wound. "He's my brother."

"Finally admitted you believe me, little brother?" Harry hissed out with a small smile.

"Shut up, Harry." David grumbled. "This isn't too bad. It went clean through but you're going to bleed out if we don't get you treated."

"Can you take us both to a hospital?" Millie asked and Harry saw David nod but they all jerked as Griffin tumbled into the lair with the wormhole device. He dropped it on the floor and rushed to Harry's side.

"Harry?" Griffin touched his bloody abdomen.

"Just a hospital, Griff." Harry told him tiredly.

"What did you do?" David asked eyeing the device broken on the floor.

"Without their device they're stuck." Griffin told him even as he prepared to Jump with Harry. Harry heard the snapshot of one of the batons before the scream as it hit Millie and dragged her through the wormhole.

"Millie!" David tried to catch her but failed.

"Oh shit." Griffin bit his lip. "Sorry. I really didn't think of that."

"Griffin. David. Someone." Harry moaned and felt his world explode through a rift as Griffin grabbed him. Lights flooded his vision.

"Help me!" Griffin yelled. "Somebody!"

"What happened here?" Someone asked.

"Someone shot him." Griffin told her and Harry was picked up by multiple hands and placed on a bed. He turned and looked at Griffin and reached out a hand. Griffin took it briefly.

"Be careful." Harry mouthed to him before letting his head fall back on the pillow. He felt the rift swallow Griffin up even before the nurses and doctors realised and then the pain was fading as somebody jabbed him in the arm and he just let them get on with it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Shortly afterwards

It seemed that after they treated him they weren't all that fussed with keeping him under. He woke up in a private room which wasn't surprising since he had no ID on him and he'd been shot so they would keep him captive until the police could question him. He wouldn't be here long enough for that. He pulled the covers off of him to find an almost clean plaster pad on his stomach and as he moved a little he could feel one on his back. His abdomen and the small of his back felt funny and a little numb right now but after edging up a corner of the bandage he saw the little staples and threads that showed they'd done surgery on him and repaired the damage.

He flattened the plaster down and looked around the room. The clock told him he'd been there for only two hours and he also knew that he was in the United States. He Jumped around enough to be able to recognise countries without too much trouble. His clothing was neatly placed on a table under the window, all but his t-shirt and jacket and unsurprisingly his gun holster and knife. At least he hadn't been found with a gun in that holster.

He stayed in bed for another five seconds before sitting up and sliding his feet over the side. He tugged the IV out of the back of his left hand without a care and tore off the chest monitors and then shut the machine up before he stood up a little shakily, clutching his side because he knew he couldn't put pressure on the sutures. He stripped off the hospital gown and dressed as quickly as his damaged body would allow even while his attention was elsewhere. He traced Griffin through the two hour old rift in the hospital lobby through a hundred or more rifts across the world until he was at his limit on the Empire State Building in New York City.

He glanced out of the window and Jumped. He overset a rack of clothing as he appeared in a department store across the road and pulled off the first item of clothing in his own size and pulled the dark red t-shirt over his head with a grunt of effort and pain. He Jumped across the store and somebody screamed but he ignored it as he grabbed a leather jacket off of a different rack and pulled it over his shoulders. His next jump left him in the real world for only a second as his hand grabbed a six inch blade off of a hunting shop's display case before he was gone.

Somebody else screamed and he heard a gun being cocked as he appeared on the top of the Empire State Building and doubled over as his stomach screamed at him. He raised his shirt and saw blood soaking into the bandage. He'd popped a stitch. He'd have to deal with that once he knew David and Griffin were safe. He looked over the edge, ignoring the police officer telling him to get onto his knees. There was a series of rifts down the side of the building. Griffin's and David's. He frowned at the odd behaviour before tracking through the last of them. Then in California, Mexico, Greenland and then Chechnya. That was the last Jump that Griffin had made so he'd either walked from there or was still there. And the last rift was only just closed so he'd only been there fifteen minutes.

He Jumped off of the top of the building and right into the middle of a war zone. Griffin's last Jump had put a truck in the middle of a destroyed building and it looked like a tank had rolled right over it. Something exploded about a mile from him. The battle was well away from him. He focused for a moment and found a Jump from David and tracked his eyes around to mid air about a half mile away, just above a fallen power line. He Jumped closer and his eyes spotted him instantly. There was no sign of David but he'd dumped Griffin into the middle of an electricity pylon presumably just before it fell down to the ground. It had twisted just enough to trap Griffin physically and restrict his power with the residual electricity within the system without killing him.

Griffin was barely conscious but he came awake as Harry levered apart the twisted metal and dragged him away from the electricity even though it sparked him too and made his wound hurt even more. Whatever painkillers had been in the IV had definitely worn off now. He collapsed down to sit on a boulder that probably used to be a building as Griffin stumbled to his feet. "Harry?"

"Griffin." Harry greeted in return. "Who else exactly could track the two of you across the globe? What the fuck were you doing to each other?"

"Arguing." Griffin told him before collapsing next to him. Harry glanced at the twisted pylon.

"He won." Harry chuckled before hissing in pain. Griffin rounded on him and crouched in front of him and lifted his t-shirt. The blood was still only seeping but the bandage was more of less soaked in it.

"You shouldn't have left the hospital." Griffin told him as he dropped the shirt back into place.

"Had to make sure you were okay." Harry sighed. "David too. Where did he go?"

"Don't care." Griffin told him. "He ruined my chance to get Cox."

"He's my brother, Griffin. I promised my mother." Harry sighed.

"That bit..." Harry grabbed him before he could finish.

"Please don't, Griffin." Harry begged. "She always loved David and me."

Griffin gritted his teeth before slumping. "It's too late now anyway. Cox has probably killed him already."

Harry stood up and focused on the rift that had carried David away and through a few more until he gasped. "He couldn't have!"

"What?" Griffin frowned.

In answer Harry Jumped to the United States and a fraction of a second later a disgruntled Griffin followed him. Griffin whistled at the sight before them. "Impressive."

"That'll be his special ability then." Harry summed up staring at the top of the building where the top floor had been ripped off in a massive rift. Twenty or more tonnes at least. Griffin could do that if it was moving but not from stationary. Harry focused on the large rift and appeared a second later in a library nearby. It looked like an explosion had gone off but, instead of fire, water had sent all of the book shelves to the walls and the remains of an apartment sat in the middle of the floor.

A small rift drew his attention to behind him just as Millie emerged from the debris. "The girl's still alive." Griffin commented.

"I can see that, Griffin." Harry frowned around again. He wanted to follow the last rift and catch up to David but Millie could give him answers.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"How are you not in a hospital?" She asked. "You were shot."

"I'm still shot." Harry snapped. "Where's David?"

"He vanished with that white-haired guy." She told him. Harry turned on the spot and Jumped after David only to find himself in a cave lit by the sun. Not a very big cave. Griffin appeared through Harry's rift as he had been for the last few minutes and whistled in appreciation at the sight in front of them. Roland was rising to his feet but it was David in control of the situation. Roland looked about ready to drop.

"Harry?" David smiled at him.

Harry checked him over with his eyes to make sure he wasn't hiding any wounds before looking at Roland. Roland almost seemed to want to attack but what could he do against three Jumpers. "Go back to your girl, David. We'll handle this."

"Yeah we will." Griffin grinned maliciously.

"Griffin, go with him." Harry ordered.

"What!" Griffin gasped. "No. Harry, I..."

Harry turned to look at him. "I can't let you do it, Griff. Not you. Your mum and dad..." He sighed. "They wouldn't want you to kill him like this."

"He deserves to die!" Griffin spat but his anger wasn't directed at Harry and Harry knew it.

"The blood won't be on your hands." Harry told him simply. "Go with David."

Griffin sneered at Roland before his rift exploded out sending rocks flying. David frowned. "What are you going to do? Harry, you can't just kill him."

"There's a place I know for people like him." Harry smirked nastily and jerked his head. David sighed but Jumped away to return to Millie presumably.

"Boy..." Roland started but Harry wasn't going to wait. He Jumped right behind Roland, grabbed him and vanished into another rift. He wouldn't kill him but only one prison in the world was bad enough for somebody like Roland.

On a stormy island off of the Scottish coastline a prison sat filled with the screams of the inmates as they were forced to live in despair as they relived only their worst memories. Nobody would ever notice that Roland Cox had boosted the inmate numbers and would for the rest of his miserable life.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A week later

Harry woke to find Griffin wrapped around him as normal. They were in a plush hotel in London using Griffin's rather large bank account. Harry doubted any of the money was his own but he really didn't care. The world had taken happiness from them so it owed them as far as he was concerned. Griffin woke and burrowed further into Harry's chest, checked himself when he made to tighten the arm that was over the gunshot wound, before wrapping his arm tightly around Harry's naked waist instead. Harry twisted his head and kissed him on the top of the head and Griffin groaned in appreciation.

"It's time I go home and see Sophie and Mum. Let them know I'm still alive." Harry sighed. "Did you want to come?"

"You trust me not to hurt her?" Griffin asked without looking up at him.

"I trust you not to do anything that would hurt me." Harry told him easily.

"I'll stay here." Griffin sighed. "Don't want to tempt fate."

Harry sat up and Griffin slid off of the bed and stretched. "You're trying to keep me here." Harry grumbled as his eyes slid over Griffin's naked body.

"Maybe." Griffin laughed before tossing Harry his boxers. "Get going before I really try to stop you."

Harry laughed and quickly dressed. He turned to Griffin and Jumped closer and soon had his lips against his, holding his naked form against him. He pulled back. "Love you." He told him happily. "I might have forgotten for a while but I've always loved you."

"Well I never forgot." Griffin kissed his throat. "I've always loved you."

"I'll be back soon." Harry told him.

"Then we're going to Venice for breakfast." Griffin told him with a smirk. Harry tilted his head, grinned in agreement before Jumping away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Sophie yelped as Harry appeared in the middle of her bedroom. "Harry!" She threw herself on him. Harry Jumped back out of reach and held up his hands.

"Gently." Harry warned and then opened them and let Sophie hug him. She was careful, not knowing why Harry needed her to be gentle but as she pulled away she fixed him a stare that only a little sister could make. "I got shot by one of Roland's Paladins." He lifted his t-shirt to show the bandage.

"Are you okay?" She went pale.

"It went straight through. Griffin dropped me at a hospital and they patched me up."

"Roland's missing." She pointed out.

"I know. I'm the one that made him missing." Harry grinned.

"You didn't kill him." She frowned. "What did you do?"

"Azkaban." He declared. She smirked and nodded in appreciation. Harry was about to say more when the doorbell down stairs rang.

"I'd better get that. Mum's in her office." Sophie slipped out of the room and Harry followed though he stayed at the top of the stairs and didn't venture down after her. He could see the door when she opened it and spoke to whoever was outside. "Mum!" Sophie yelled after a moment without letting them in. Harry's Mum emerged from the side corridor that led to her office and walked to the door without spotting Harry watching. Her body tensed up at whoever was outside and Harry tensed with her.

"Sophie, why don't you go on upstairs?" She requested. Harry sighed. It was business then. Sophie might technically be a Paladin but their mother always kept her out of anything that she could. Sophie shrugged and walked up the stairs, spotting Harry at the top and leaned next to him. The person outside walked inside and Harry sniggered.

"Who's that?" Sophie asked in a whisper.

"That is David." Harry grinned.

"As in..." Sophie gasped telling Harry that their mum had finally come clean to Sophie too.

"As in our brother." He confirmed. "He looks alive at least."

Sophie punched him and Harry was a little disappointed that he couldn't hear the conversation going on below them but smiled when his mum hugged David gently before showing him out. "Be right back." Harry declared and vanished with a thud that he knew his mum would have heard. He'd be back to talk to her soon enough.

Snow kicked up around him as he appeared half way down the drive and luckily just in front of David. "Harry?" David asked but then his lips broke out in a small smile. Harry closed the gap on an urge and gave him a quick hug and then handed him a number on a slip of paper.

"My number, if you ever need help." Harry told him. "And don't be a stranger to your sister either."

"She's really my sister?" David asked.

"Your mum, your dad." Harry confirmed.

"You okay?" David asked pointing at his stomach.

"Just a little hole." Harry shrugged. "It was worth it."

"Thanks for... you know... looking out for me." He grinned.

"What are big brothers for?" Harry grinned back.

"So not responsible enough to be the big brother." David laughed.

"Who's the one robbing banks?" Harry laughed too before hugging him again. He glanced at Millie waiting the background. "Careful you don't lose her accidentally."

"I won't." David nodded.

"Bye, Davy." Harry Jumped away even as David groaned. Life was good now and Harry wouldn't change a thing as long as he got to keep David and Griffin.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The End