Story Name: Project Christmas

Chapter Name: Six.

Category: Lab Rats, 2012

Characters: Chase Davenport

Rating: T+

Song of the chapter: Maybe (Bonus Track) - Oh Gravity

Location: Beach House of Chase Davenport, Auckland, New Zealand

Date: December Sixth, Two-Thousand Twenty-Three

Six.

Life... hasn't been easy. Trust me, if I could go back to the days when Adam, Bree, and I lived in the basement, I would in a heartbeat. Those days were the most innocent days of my life.

Adam and I would fight over who would get to play with the blocks first. This usually ended up with Bree having to come over and separate us, but we were still happy nonetheless. After everything was settled, Bree would go back to whatever she was doing, and Mr. Davenport would come down with power pellets and ice cream for a "dessert."

Those were the golden childhood days, and it pains me to know that I will never go back to those times ever again. Days of fulfillment, days of happiness, days of innocence.

Back to when things were right in the world.

"Chase."

My girlfriend, Alexa Rose, tried to get my attention. I had been lying on the beach right next to our house. I was watching the sunset after swimming and apparently fell asleep. My body was covered in sand, since I didn't have a shirt on. I did happen to wear a crown that my girlfriend got me. It was a cheap one, probably from the dollar store... but it made me feel like I had a place in the world. Like my life was worth living. Stupid, I know, but I don't know how to describe it.

"Chase!" She knocked me into consciousness, and suddenly I realized where I was at. The soft breeze peacefully blew upon my back, the stars as bright as ever, the ocean a calm movement. She walked towards me and put her hand on my forehead.

"Are you sick? You usually don't stay out this late."

"No, I'm fine. I just fell asleep." I smiled at her and she gave me the most comforting feeling. Whenever I'm around her, I feel warmth and protection. She's also happens to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

"Okay, well it's 9:00. I was waiting for you to come in so I could eat dinner. Turns out it was a little later than I thought."

"Sorry, I didn't realize..."

"It's alright, you were asleep. Anyway, there's spaghetti waiting for you inside." She looked up and down, noticing I was completely covered in sand. "Once you shower, of course."

"But wait, I have to do something first..." I said, a devious grin on my face.

"Chase, what is that look on your face for?" Before she could say anything else, I picked her up and started running to the ocean water. My crown fell off of my head, better in the sand than water.

"Chase... no, that's going to be cold! Chase, please!" She sounded like she was yelling for her life, she really wasn't. I knew she would enjoy it when she got in.

"Too late, you woke me up."

"I should have made you sleep outside!"

Then the water hit, instantly bringing a shiver to my spine. I couldn't keep myself from laughing after I rose over the water. My girlfriend, however, was not too pleased.

"Oh, you're going to get it!" She pushed me under the water, brushing off all the sand on me. I finally came up out of the water, her face filled with a look of revenge.

"Okay, okay... I guess I'll call truce." I get closer towards her, and instantly sparks fly. My love for her knows no bounds, she almost makes me forget everything else in the world.

Almost.

"Come on Chase, your spaghetti is getting cold!" I hear her calling as I finish getting into my shorts and t-shirt. Weather in New Zealand is fairly warm, and I'm thankful for that.

"I'm coming!" I race down the stairs to our kitchen table, on it two plates of spaghetti. We both sat down and prayed for our meal. I just about shoved the whole serving in two seconds, since I hadn't eaten anything since lunch. As I get up to clean my plate, I feel someone tugging on my shirt.

"Chase, I need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" I was genuinely curious about what she had to say, she's never pulled me aside like this. Judging from the look on her face, what she had to say wasn't going to be very gleaming. A pause of about five seconds occurred, just enough to make me nervous.

"Alexa, you can tell me anything, I promise not to get upset." I took her hands and clutched them in mine, her nervousness reaching an all-time level.

"No, it's not that... it's just..."

"It's what?"

"Your uncle sent you a message yesterday."

"W-what? No, no, no... I'm not talking to him. Not after what he did to me."

"Chase, you haven't finished listening to what I have to say. He wants you to come home for Christmas dinner."

"That place is not a home, it's a breeding ground for awful people." Except for some of the people, might I admit.

"Sweet, you never did tell me what happened with you and your family." A tear started to fall off of my face, remembering that horrible time.

"You don't want to know."

"Actually, if you're willing, I do. I want to be able to help you, Chase."

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes, but only if you're comfortable."

"Okay..." I took a deep breath, knowing what I was getting into. "Here goes..."

We'd had eighteen years living in the Davenport household, and all three of us were looking for a different change of view. Not to mention, Donald had been drinking recently, and it was starting to take a toll on everyone, especially his wife. Tensions began to build, and overall the energy of the house was at a standstill. So, we did what any sane person would do when looking for different scenery: we looked for houses. We started dreaming of the places we wanted to go.

Adam: to Texas. A place he's always felt a connection to. The massive barbecue, living on a ranch, family values. This was Adam's special home. He'd never been there, but his dream of going far outstretched anything he could imagine.

Bree: to France, and more specifically, Paris: Ever since she could dream, she'd been dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. What more could you ask for in fashion than to move to Paris?

Chase: to New Zealand: He loved the environment, the need for teaching, the culture. To him, New Zealand felt like a huge weight being lifted off of his shoulders. People wouldn't question his knowledge, they would accept and learn from it. Becoming a school teacher was what he absolutely wanted to do above all else... granted the Bionic Island school was a huge flop.

Of course, we weren't the only ones who thought this way... Leo wanted to go to New York, Tasha to any other place other than Billionaire Butte, Douglas to Las Vegas.

Well, our plan worked out so well that Donald found out, and absolutely hated the idea. You see, Donald was a man of power... he was egotistical, and loved control. He didn't want anyone to leave, and he knew that if anyone did... he would lose control.

So, he did what he could to cope with the nervousness, he started drinking. His body starting to crave more and more of the alcohol. At the same time, his body became more destructive. Every time someone would talk to him while he was drunk, he looked like he was about to kill them.

This became appallingly clear when I was starting to struggle with my missions. Donald hated when our scores lowered dramatically, so he did what he thought best. Torture.

First it started by taking things away from me: projects, desserts, any kind of luxury whatsoever. But still, his performances were not as "up to par with the standards" in his head. Cool, whatever... I was fine with that. I needed to step up my game.

But then, one day, I didn't quite finish in the way he had hoped. Bree and Adam went upstairs and changed into regular clothes, while I stayed behind with a "tipsy" Davenport. I thought I was strong enough to handle it, I guess not. He decided that taking things away was not enough. He started to yell in my ear, with my super hearing turned on. The ringing in my ear was awful, but I could tolerate it. Once he decided that the message wasn't getting to me... things became physical. He took a whip, and whacked it across my bare back.

At this point, I was in tears, but I wasn't going to tell anyone about it, especially my siblings. They would think I was weak, mostly because I was falling behind in my performances.

This continued for days, weeks, months... I had just gotten good at hiding the bruises. Emotionally, physically, and mentally I was strained, but could keep my stance in front of my family. I was wearing heavy clothes in the summer, but I'd much rather do that than having my siblings torment me. I was the mission leader, I had a mission to be brave, be strong.

Months later, after all of this had happened, I started to get nightmares of things far beyond what I could imagine. I cried myself to sleep every night because I couldn't fall asleep naturally anymore. My brother and sister had no idea, they could fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

One night, a weird message came onto my bionic screen while I was asleep.

ALERT: A POISONOUS GAS HAS BEEN DETECTED IN YOUR CAPSULE

Immediately, I began to have a major headache and felt like passing out. I banged on the capsule door in hopes Adam or Bree could get me out. I was on the verge of death and there was nothing I could do. It felt like my lungs were on fire at this point and I knew that if I didn't figure anything out in the next thirty seconds, this would be my figurative death bed.

So I pounded harder, harder than I ever had before. My strength was not enough to break the seal or silence. I started to drift off, my lungs feeling lighter with every breath. I felt something pick me up, but I had no idea what it was.

When I came to, I saw Adam next to what seems like my hospital bed, terrified of what happened. I found myself lying on a table. My shirt and pants were gone, I felt exposed. Adam could see every scar on my body. I saw tears running down his face and just the shock made me even more afraid of what he thought.

"Chasey..." He spoke, in a shaky tone. "I don't know if you can hear me... I know this might be too much for you to listen to what I'm saying, but you've been poisoned. I can't imagine what you've gone through Chasey. Our uncle deserves to be in jail." Side note: he eventually bribes the whole law enforcement to give him the right to stay at home.

I started to cry, I cried harder than I ever had. Adam's hand was holding onto mine like a vice grip. Bree eventually walked in the room and gave me emotional support as well. She looked like she had gone through a hard time with this too, silent tears running down her complexion.

"Chase," Bree spoke, her voice shakier than Adam's, "you're okay. My baby brother's okay." I've never seen Bree this scared in my life. She took her hand and placed it gently on my chest, feeling my heartbeat. It felt fast, but still beating nonetheless.

"B-Bree," I silently said, managing to just barely get the words out. "Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

"You're not okay... you're in critical condition. You have scars everywhere, you can't even breathe by yourself!"

"Bree," I said, voice firmer than before, "I'm good, I promise. Here... I have five dollars in my pocket, go get yourself a cup of coffee from Starbucks or something."

"Chase..."

"Adam could get one too if he wants to. Just don't worry about me... I'm strong enough to handle myself." I start to move my arms, though sore as ever, attempting to pull myself up into a sitting position. Adam apparently didn't like the thought of that, as he tried pushing me back down. Seeing as I didn't have enough energy to pull myself up yet, my back hit the floor again.

"Chasey..."

"Adam, I told you I was-"

"Chase!" Adam boomed, his voice more commanding than I've ever heard it. "Bree is right, you're staying right there, and we'll be here too. We're not leaving your side."

"Okay... but I can take care of myself, you know."

"Sure you can, Chase."

A couple days pass, and I'm finally strong enough to leave the hospital with crutches in the crooks of my shoulders. Bree and Adam sign at least ten-thousand papers, but it was all worth it. Tasha and Leo meet us at the door, and with tears in their eyes, are ready to say goodbye.

Tasha - "Adam, Bree, Chase... you have such a big place in my heart. Words can't describe the way this is making me feel, I just don't want you guys to leave."

Chase - "Wait... what do you mean by leave?"

Adam - "Chase, we wanted to wait until you were out of the hospital to tell you this, but here it goes." He paused for a moment, waiting to find words to speak. "We're going to have a break off for a little while."

"I'm so confused... what do you mean by break off?"

Bree - "We're going to the airport right after this... we'll each be going our separate ways."

"No... this can't be happening, you guys aren't really leaving right? W-we could get another place, together. W-we'll be a family without Davenport."

Adam - "Chase, I know this is hard to take in, but we're doing this for everyone's good." Tears are streaking down my face, along with everyone else.

"N-no... you guys... please."

"I'm sorry Chase."

Tasha - "I promise Chase, one day we'll meet back together and be a family again. But with Davenport out like this there's no way I'm letting you guys come in contact with him."

Leo - "Besides, I want to be siblings for the next 50 years, not just for the next 5 days."

So alas, five minutes later, it was time to head for the airport. We've said our goodbyes, and told everyone our plans. Tasha was to move in with her mother, along with Naomi; Leo to New York to see his biological father; Adam to Texas; Bree to Paris; and I to New Zealand.

Adam, Bree, and I were squeezed in the back of the Uber to take us to LAX and I was the most tired I've ever been. It's been a long day, and I just needed to spend some more time with my siblings. So, I held my sister's hand and put my head on my brother's shoulder. Fighting back tears, my brain eventually drifted off into a light sleep.

"Chase... Chase!" Adam shook my body until I could finally realize what was happening. We had arrived at LAX, and I could not be more melancholy than now. I wasn't going to see my siblings for a very long time, and that frightened me. But, to get away from Davenport, that's what we had to do.

"Guys," Bree worriedly pointed out, "we might have a problem." Out of the corner of my eye, I see an angry Davenport waiting for us to get out of the vehicle. Douglas was right next to him, being completely oblivious to what just happened the past couple days.

"You guys are coming with me. We're going home."

Bree - "This isn't our home anymore. You're not taking us anywhere." Within a split-second, Donald slapped Bree in the face... the mark was a very heavy red.

Adam - "Don't you dare touch my sister!"

I just stared and watched Douglas' mouth drop wide open from what he just experienced.

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it? Am I not the one who raised her?"

"Anyone who slaps their niece doesn't deserve the right to say they raised them." Davenport's anger began to multiply as he took my hand and squeezed it... hard.

"Come on Chase, you're coming with me."

"No, I'm not." Faster than I could process what was going on, he used his hands and tried to choke me.

"You used to be my little obedient slave, what happened?"

"I grew out of your shadow, Mr. Davenport." His grip tightened on one hand; on the other, he slaps me harder than Bree's, blood dripping from the cuts when his fingernails dug into my skin. I let out a quick yelp in pain, it hurt so much. Every time I put my hand on it, the pain would get five times worse.

But the worse thing came when he took me as a threat, punching me right on my scars.

Adam finally had enough and used his super-strength against Mr. Davenport. I felt like I could finally breathe again, but the pain (physically and emotionally) that came from Mr. Davenport felt much heavier.

The airport police eventually noticed and took Mr. Davenport away once we told them what happened.

I was relieved, but burdened with the pain that he'll never be the father we needed, the father I needed. This brought many tears afterwards, everyone in shock of the whole situation. It didn't help that I was literally drenched in blood at this point, but I didn't want to make that a big scene.

Douglas - "Come on, let's get you guys away from here. I can't stand you guys having to go through this."

So, the announcements came on the radio that it was time for us to depart on our different journeys. Adam and Bree were both crying, as well as I.

"Guys, I know this is hard... hard for all of us," Adam admitted, "but I know something that will help us feel better." He gave both Bree and I colored bracelets; green for me, blue for Bree... and red for himself. "This will remind us that no matter where we are, we'll always find a way back home."

He opened his arms and enveloped us in a long hug.

"This. This is home."

"Chase, I-I don't know what to say..." Alexa said, almost crying from my long-winded backstory.

"It's okay, I'm okay."

"That's why you're always wearing that cheap bracelet?" I silently nodded.

"Oh Chase, come here..." She wrapped her arms around me, "I couldn't imagine!"

"You don't need to. I've come to terms with it... I just don't know whether I should go back or not."

"Well, I think if you do or don't decide to go, you should keep it a secret." I smiled at her, letting her know it was a good idea. I didn't know whether I wanted to take the chance or not, but knowing that she is right by my side, along with Adam and Bree, is comfort enough to know that whatever I do, I always have someone to lean onto...

...and it wasn't always like that. I thought about committing suicide many times before meeting her. In fact, the only reason we met is because she caught me just before I was about to jump off a building. She is my hope, and I couldn't be more grateful for someone like her. Hopefully though, she'll finally be able to meet my siblings. Until then, we'll just have to lay on the beach and watch the peaceful stars in the night sky.