Page 62 of Angel

Regardless of Veronica’s feelings or wishes, there were ways to have forced her hand. Her son was Cage’s son too. She had had no right to keep him from Cage in the first place, but it was Cage who hadn’t pushed.

He should have pushed. He had a kid. He’d missed sixteen years of that kid’s life.

Realizing he was just standing there, staring at his son, Cage lunged forward. He wrapped his arms around his kid and hugged him tight. There was definite hesitation in the boy’s movements, but he eventually hugged Cage back just as tightly. His face dipped into Cage’s shoulder as he clung to him.

“Fuck,” Cage breathed out, “I don’t even know your name, but I am so damn happy to see you.”

Cage felt wetness on his shirt but didn’t judge the kid. He had tears in his own eyes.

“Aaron,” came the muffled reply.

Cage gripped him tighter. “It’s good to finally meet you, A-a-ron.”

His son snorted into his shoulder. “God, how old are you?” But the joke was enough to break the ice. Aaron stepped back, quickly wiping his eyes. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

“Not as many as you,” Cage countered. “But I do have to ask how you got here and if your mom knows you’re here.”

A flash of worry crossed his son’s young face, but Cage had to hand it to him for sticking with the truth. “No. I left yesterday morning as if I was going to school. Hopped on a bus and got myself here.” Cage was about to tell him to get on the phone right that second and call his mother, but Aaron’s next words stopped him cold. “They want to send me to a conversion camp. I’m supposed to leave tomorrow—or today, I guess.”

“Conversion camp?” Cage’s blood felt like ice. “What conversion camp?”

“It’s some camp their church sponsors.” Again, the kid’s bravery shone through. He knew nothing about Cage or his beliefs, and yet he looked him right in the eyes as he said, “I’m gay. I will always be gay and no amount of prayers or conversion therapy is going to change that.”

Cage felt himself starting to shake with rage. “Angel!”

She was right there behind him. He felt her hand immediately take his as she leaned into him.

“I’m fighting for custody,” he told her pointblank. “I know you didn’t ask for this. I’ll do it alone if I have to?—”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” For a second, Cage felt his heart sink, but he should have known better. He could only blame his lack of faith in her on tiredness and shock at finally being introduced to his son. “Of course, we’re fighting for custody. I don’t care if we have to have Keys fudge the DNA tests. He is not returning to those bigots!” She turned and looked Aaron up and down. “Though, I highly doubt a paternity test is even necessary.”

Cage leaned down and kissed her fast and hard. He leaned his forehead against hers, borrowing her strength. “You are amazing and I love you.”

He felt her smile. “Ditto.”

Cage lifted his head and turned towards Aaron. “First, meet your stepmom, Angel. Second, you have a sister. Her name is Bree and she’s a paraplegic. Third, our house is small but there is a spare bedroom that’s yours. You might need to sleep on the couch for a night or two until we can get your furniture situated. Fourth, there will be a cop coming to talk to you in the morning. You tell him everything. I mean, every fucking thing that they have ever done or said to you that is anti-gay or whatever the legal terminology is. Fifth, we’ll talk more, but in the morning. We’re all exhausted and going to need our wits about us for the battle to come.”

Aaron’s jaw was hanging open. He looked like a fish out of water. Then he gasped out, “I can stay?”

“Fuck yes, you can stay,” Cage snapped.

“And…you’re okay with me being gay?”

Cage snorted. “Son, I could care less who you love. Who you love has no reflection on who you are as a man. It is also not an excuse to be an asshole. You be true to yourself and be someone you are proud to be. Anything else after that is just icing on the cake.”

A tear streamed down his cheek. Aaron quickly wiped it away. “I didn’t know what to expect coming here. I only learned about you about a year ago. I knew I couldn’t stay there. I started researching you so I could find you.”

Cage’s heart felt like it had a vise around it. “Can you forgive me for not coming for you on my own? I swear, I thought you were better off without me in your life.”

Aaron let out a snort laugh of relief. “Dad, you have shown me more acceptance in the five minutes I’ve known you than my mom, her asshole of a husband, and my controlling grandparents have shown me combined my entire life.” He wiped his eyes again. “Of course, I forgive you.”

Cage stepped forward. He put his hands on his son’s shoulders. “You have so much acceptance coming your way, kid, that you’re not going to know what hit you. You have an army at your back that you didn’t know existed and, I swear to you, if it is your choice to stay with me, I will fight until the ends of the earth for you.”

Since Bree was already asleep at Bulldog’s, they left her there and would introduce her to her new brother in the morning. Aaron only had a backpack with him.

The one thing Cage did do was call Carlos. He needed to know, legally, that he was within his rights and he wouldn’t be charged with kidnapping. Carlos had to come over and put eyes on Aaron so he could verify he was safe and healthy. Then he got the ball rolling to ensure that any Amber alerts issued for Aaron were cancelled.

Despite the fact that Aaron was the spitting image of Cage at sixteen, Cage needed to get a paternity test done ASAP. Cage needed to call a lawyer and petition immediately for full custody. At sixteen, Carlos said that any judge would take Aaron’s account of his life and his opinion into order.

---