Summary: Melissa thinks back on the first day she met Isaac and realizes that letting Isaac move in is the least she can do. Set after Unleashed, pre-Scisaac.

Trigger Warning!: Mentions of abuse and injuries from abuse in this oneshot.

Seeing the Signs

"Mom," Scott walked downstairs when he heard her come in from her shift a few moments after Isaac had arrived, "I-"

Isaac walked down slowly behind him in his soaked t-shirt, his hair still dripping wet.

"Isaac?" she asked in shock.

"Yeah, hi," he said quietly.

Melissa looked at Scott and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, shit, your floor is wet, I'm sorry," Isaac said and quickly changed the subject, "I...um...Derek kicked me out," he spoke for Scott quickly, "I don't know why I came, I-"

"Can Isaac stay here?" Scott asked, blunt as ever, "Mom, Derek is a total ass to him, tell him what he did, Isaac."

"Scott, it doesn't really matter-"

"You matter," Scott looked at him seriously, "Tell her."

Isaac sighed, "Derek just snapped...I don't know what I did wrong but I really pissed him off. He said he couldn't handle both me and Cora living at the loft and I started to fight him on it and he threw a glass at my head."

Melissa stared at him in shock and thought about the first time she met Isaac and his father..

When she walked into the hospital room, she saw the small boy with blonde curly hair, dripping wet from the rain outside. He was holding his wrist and there were bruises all over his face.

"What happened to you, sweetie?" she asked.

Isaac looked up at his father nervously.

"He fell off his bike," he said, "You know kids."

Melissa had seen the boy around town. He couldn't be older than five, she couldn't believe a parent would let their child go out alone in a town like Beacon Hills. She knew he rode his bike around a lot, she couldn't exactly challenge Isaac's father on that.

"Can you tell me your name, sweetie?" she asked, noticing the cut on his head.

"Isaac L-Lahey," he stuttered.

"Stop stuttering," his dad snapped, "Sorry about that, miss."

She wanted to yell at the man but she had just gotten this job and she didn't want to lose it because she needed to support Scott now that his father was gone. She looked back at Isaac, "Can you tell me where it hurts, sweetie?"

"Wrist," he swallowed nervously, "Head and belly."

"Alright, can you lay back and lift your shirt for me?"

He lifted up his hoodie quickly and there were bruises all over his chest.

"You said this was a bike accident?" Melissa demanded, examining him.

"Yes," he said, "The boy likes to get in fights with his brother, you know how kids are."

She remembered seeing about Camden in the paper, he had left a week ago to go to war.

"Right," she said, "Alright, you can sit back up," she smiled at him.

Isaac quickly sat up, wincing.

"His wrist is definitely broken, I'm going to need to put it in a cast and so are one of his fingers," Melissa told the man, taking out a light, "Follow my finger with your eyes," she told Isaac.

Isaac did so and quickly looked down again when she was done as she put a bandage on his head.

"He's not going to need stitches and he doesn't have a concussion," Melissa told him, "You're very lucky, Isaac, it could have been a lot worse with that bad bike accident."

Isaac just nodded quickly.

By the time she had the cast on his broken wrist, Mr. Lahey was already dragging the boy out by his good wrist.

Melissa watched after him, hoping she hadn't made the wrong decision about sending him home to the man. She wanted to yell and scream at the man and call the police. But she had no evidence and knew it would just get worse for Isaac if she reported it and then he was sent back again.

"Mom? Mom!" Scott said, trying to get her attention, "Are you okay? You, like, zoned out."

"I'm fine," Melissa said, "Isaac, you can stay as long as you need," she told him quickly, "Do you have extra clothes? I think Scott might have some that could fit you."

"I have some in my bag," he swallowed, ducking his head just like he did all those years ago.

"Okay, Scott, grab him a towel and Isaac, you get changed out of those wet clothes so I can wash them," she told him.

Isaac smiled slightly and nodded, going upstairs.

"Mom?" Scott asked.

"Yeah?" she asked, taking her coat off from work.

"Thanks," Scott grinned and ran upstairs.

She had ignored the signs once when she saw them and she wasn't going to put Isaac in danger again. She wasn't going to let him live on the streets. Melissa also knew that this would make Scott happy and happiness was something they both needed a little more of around here.

End

A/N: Just a short oneshot, I felt like writing the McCalls and Isaac, they're always fun to write.