"The Never Ending Past"

By Lorrie

Chapter 4 – The Past is Finally Over

Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Drake & Josh". The characters belong to the creators and Nickelodian, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)

Note from the author: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. It's nice to get feedback, however, let's try to keep it clean. There are kids reading this and if you'll notice I make it a point to not use certain words in my writing, so I would ask that you not use them in your reviews. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Drake hesitated, not sure what to do. Before he could turn around, Michael placed his hand on his shoulder and whizzed him around to face him. "You had better look at me when I'm talking to you."

Drake was shaking with fear as he stared into his father's cold, brown eyes. "Y-y-yes s-s-sir." He stammered.

Michael's hand met hard with Drake's face, bringing tears to the teen's eyes. "Get in my car." He shoved Drake towards the driver's side door. "Get in and slide over and if you even think about jumping out, know that I'm still faster than you and if that's not enough, I do have a gun." He patted his pocket.

Drake slid to the passenger side and stared out the window, hoping someone, anyone, would drive up or come out of the club. He was filled with despair as Michael cranked the car and pulled away.

As Michael's car pulled out of the West end of the parking lot, Walter pulled into the East end. "There's Drake's car!" Audrey shouted, barely waiting for Walter to pull up next to it before leaping out and banging on the driver's side door.

Josh spotted Drake's guitar case lying on the pavement near the trunk as he got out. "He would never have left this . . . willingly."

Audrey fell to her knees and cradled the guitar case. "Oh God, my baby is gone! He's got him!" She cried out.

Walter helped his wife to her feet. "Audrey, don't touch anything else. I'll call the police."

Josh leaned against the family car as they waited for the police to arrive. He noticed that Megan was still sitting inside. He opened the door and climbed into the backseat with her. "Megan, are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded nervously as she continued to stare straight ahead.

"I'm sure the police will find him." Josh consoled.

"Are you sure they'll find him in time?" She asked quietly.

Michael glanced in Drake's direction as he cruised down the interstate. "So, you're what, sixteen?"

"Seventeen." Drake corrected.

Michael nodded. "Seventeen, eh? I'll just bet that you're Mr. Popularity at school, now aren't you?"

Drake shrugged. Michael reached over and hit the back of his head, hard. "You had better answer me, when I ask you something!"

Drake nodded. "I guess I do OK."

"So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, not a steady one." Drake replied, honestly.

"No, I guess not. Looks like the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? I mean, I messed around until I got your mom, the hottest girl on campus, mind you." He pulled out a bottle of whiskey from beneath the seat and took a drink. "Things went along pretty good for awhile, until you came along, that is." He backhanded Drake across the lip for no reason.

Drake jumped, bringing his knees to his chest as the sting of the slap spread across his face. He lifted his hand and slowly wiped a smear of blood away.

Back in the parking lot of the club, three police cars and a CSI vehicle were parked, as officer's inched over the crime scene.

"Was your son upset? Is there a possibility that he just left with friends?" A female officer asked Audrey.

Audrey continued to stare at Drake's guitar case and shook her head. "No." She answered softly. "I've already told you that we had just learned that his biological father, a father who beat him, escaped from prison and I'm sure that he's behind all of this."

The young officer nodded her head and gently placed her hand on Audrey's shoulder. "Can I get you anything?"

Audrey shook her head and then looked up at the officer with tears streaming down her face. "Just my son. Just please find my son."

Walter finished talking with another officer and approached his wife. "Honey, let's take Megan and Josh home." He gently put his hands on her shoulders.

She shook her head. "I can't just leave, Walter. What if he comes back? What if . . ."

"The police will call us at home." He helped her stand and walk to the car.

Josh was now leaning on the car, watching the whole scene. "How could I have been so stupid?" He asked himself. "How could I have just let him leave on his own?"

After helping Audrey into the car, Walter patted Josh's shoulder. "Let's go home."

Josh stared at him, wide-eyed. "Without Drake?"

"Son, there's nothing more we can do here. The police need time to do their job and quite frankly, I don't think being here is doing your mother or your sister any good."

Josh looked inside the car; Audrey was shaking as her sobs racked her body and Megan was still staring straight ahead." He opened the door and climbed into the backseat.

Michael Parker kept a heavy foot on the gas pedal as he worked his way toward Pacific Highway. "You definitely play a mean guitar and who would have thought that you could sing?" He hummed a little of the last song Drake had sang at the club. "What was that tune? Sing it for me."

"Uh, I uh, I can't remember the words." Drake said, his voice quivering.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're really not star material, are you?"

"I didn't say that." Drake argued.

Michael shrugged. "Well, good musicians don't forget their material. It is your materials, right?"

Drake nodded. "Yeah, I wrote it."

"Then sing it!" Michael demanded.

Drake began to sing, quietly at first and then as he closed his eyes, his voice became stronger.

When he finished, Michael turned to Drake and took his hands off of the wheel, momentarily to clap.

"LOOK OUT!" Drake screamed as the careened towards a utility pole.

Minutes later, Drake's eyes fluttered half-opened. He felt the chill of the cooler night air, but was still too disoriented to know why. Steam hissed from the crushed radiator, emitting a thin mist of engine coolant and the grind of the engine fan hitting the twisted metal of what had once been the hood felt like a drill going through his skull. He tried to move, but his legs and back screamed out with pain. "What's the use?" He muttered as he succumbed to the pain throughout his body and passed out again.

Michael struggled to take in a breath. Not being able to move his head, he shifted his eyes in Drake's direction. "Drake?" He whispered. "Son . . . can you . . . hear me?" Tears rolled down his cheeks as he received no reply. "I'm . . . sorry." The last breath left his body.

The next time Drake opened his eyes, bright lights immediately made him want to close them again. "Well, so you decided to join us?" An unfamiliar voice chirped.

"Mom?" Drake said quietly.

"Yes, yes, your mom, dad, sister and brother are all out in the waiting room. We'll try to get you a little more comfortable while someone lets them know that you're awake." The unseen voice chirped again.

"I can't see." Drake said.

"Yes, honey, I know. The doctor bandaged your eyes a few hours ago. It's just a precaution, there was a bit of a spray of antifreeze inside the wreckage. The doctor treated your eyes and if all is well, the bandages can be removed tomorrow."

Drake nodded. "What happened?"

"You don't remember the car wreck?" The nurse asked.

Drake shook his head. "No."

"What's the last thing you do remember, child?"

"My dad forcing me into his car." Drake replied.

"Yes, well, that's all over now. You'll not have to worry about him ever again."

Drake thought about what she said and started to ask another question when he heard the door open.

"Drake?" Audrey said quietly as she hurried to his bedside and took his hand.

"Mom?"

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Oh honey, I'm never letting you out of my sight again." She continued to hold him tightly to her.

"Mom, I can't breath."

She released her grip. "I'm sorry. It's just I, we, were so worried about you. You should have never left the house like that. We didn't even know where you and the band were playing and then when we found your car in the parking lot and your guitar on the ground and . . ."

Walter placed his hand on her shoulder. "Audrey, honey, you're rambling."

"I'm sorry." She said through her tears.

Josh and Megan made their way to the other side of the bed. "So, what's up with the eye patches?" Megan asked.

"I'm not real sure. The nurse said something about the possibility of antifreeze in my eyes or something."

Audrey's eyes grew large as she looked at Walter. "I'll find out." He mouthed and quietly left the room to find the doctor.

"Josh?" Drake reached out for his brother's hand.

Josh quickly took it. "I'm right here, brother."

"He didn't make it, did he?"

"I . . . I . . . who?"

"My dad." Drake said quietly.

Josh hung his head. Drake didn't have to see him to know the answer. He felt Josh's grip tighten slightly before he answered. "No."

Drake let out a breath that he felt he had been holding most of his life. Audrey closed her eyes as she watched the fear that he had been caring for so long, leave his body.

Weeks later, Drake was still limping slightly from the injuries he had suffered from the wreck. He made his way to the couch with the help of a crutch and had just sat down when the doorbell rang. "Can someone get that?" He yelled.

No one answered. The doorbell rang again.

Drake grumbled slightly as he got up and made his way, slowly to the front door. He rolled his eyes when he saw that it was Mindy. "Josh, the creature's here!" He yelled as he opened the door.

"Nice to see you too, Drake." She replied.

He winced as he made his way back to the couch.

"Do you need some help?" She asked, as nicely as she could.

He gripped the crutch tighter. "No." He replied through gritted teeth.

After he sat down, Mindy took a seat in the chair across from him. "Look, Drake, I really am sorry about everything that happened to you in the past month. I mean, it must have been hard to go through everything you did."

He stared at her, wanting badly to say something mean, but her sentiment seemed so genuine, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Thanks." He said quietly.

Josh bounded down the stairs. "So, you sure you'll be OK alone? I mean, we could always get take out and bring it back here."

Drake threw a magazine at him. "I'm fine and who said I was going to be alone? I mean, I have at least a dozen girls I could call right now that would love nothing more than to give me a sponge bath."

Josh laughed. "Alright Drake, whatever. If you're sure you'll be OK, we're headed out. I've got my cellphone with me, so give me a call if you need anything."

"I'm fine brother . . . but thanks for caring."

"Goodnight Drake." Mindy said as she went out the door.

"Goodnight Cre -. Goodnight Mindy." He said.

"That was different." Mindy said as Josh held the car door opened for her.

Josh looked at her, puzzled. "What? I always hold the door for you."

"No, I mean Drake. He seemed almost, I don't know, nice."

Josh climbed into the driver's seat. "I think this whole ordeal, the prison break, being kidnapped and losing his dad has just made him rethink how he's been doing things."

"Well, whatever the reason, it's nice to see a different side of him." Mindy replied.

Josh smiled. "It's nice to have my brother back."

Back at the Parker-Nichols house, Drake looked up a phone number. "Um, Cindy Grayson." He picked up the phone and began to dial, then just before it rang, he hung up and instead picked up his guitar and began to play the last song he had sang at the club . . . the song his dad had wanted to hear. He could feel tears stinging his eyes as he sang the last line: And the past is finally over.

THE END