The Destined Encounter 74 Chapter 8: Parenting 101

"Hi Dad!"

(Son are you almost home? Dad is getting worried?) Chairman Miller said. (And your Brother is bugging me. He said you are not answering. I kept telling him to calm down, he is actually planning to have a search party on you.) Aiden smiled his Dad sounds more like complaining than being worried. Aiden check his call log and there saw his Brother's caller ID 'Captain Brother Thor? 45 missed calls'

"I'll call G after this call Dad." Aiden just said to calm his Father down.

(You better call him, he keeps on bothering me none stop since earlier. Also go home now Aiden, if I found out you are not home by morning I will be the one who will launch a search party for you young man.) Chairman Miller threatened.

"Aye, Aye Sir."

(I'm not joking young man. Just go home ok?)

"Yes Dad."

(Ok then, Dad needs to sleep. I love you son, take care.) Aiden drop the call and continued to drive till he pa.s.sed by the cake store where he used to work. He decided to take a visit not that he expects them to know him. He is different now and there's no chance for them to know him by now but still he misses the place who didn't treat him differently. He parked his car and was about to step inside when he saw a child around 4-5 who is looking at the store. Aiden looked around to see if the child is with an adult but no one was around except him and others who pa.s.ses them by. Out of curiosity and worry at the same time Aiden walk towards the kid who is still looking at the store.

"Hey." Aiden called to get the child's attention. The child just looked at him but didn't say anything.

"Are you with someone?" Aiden asked but the boy didn't respond. "Where are your parents? Are you alone?" Aiden asked again.

"Daddy said never to talk to any strangers." The kid answer.

"Oh smart. I'm Aiden by the way. You can call me Uncle Aiden if you want. So what's your name?" The kid looked at him with hesitation. The boy's lips quiver for whether to answer or not till the two of them heard a loud grumble of his stomach.

"I'm hungry." The kid said.

"Come here, you want to eat there?" Aiden squat so he can level himself with the Child. The boy just nodded. Aiden got up and extend his hand for the kid to hold. The boy grab his hand with his little hand and the two walk inside the shop hand in hand.

Aiden watched the boy eat in glee the strawberry cake which he bought. He was getting entertained just by watching the kid munch in the sweet treat one after another when the waiter who is not familiar with him place in another slice of cake. "You have a very cute son." Said the waiter. Aiden smiled at the man, he can tell just by how the man looks that it is also an Omega which is not surprising after all Pierce built the shop to help Omegas to land a job.

"How I wish but he is not my child." Aiden answered. He looked at the child in front of him and thought. *If my son was alive he probably be the same age as him.*

"Ow I'm sorry is just I thought he was yours." The waiter said. "Ow I'm Keith by the way." Aiden's eyes grew wide in surprised. He was never really expecting it or maybe the Omega only has the same name as that person, but Aiden was really curious.

"Are you.... are you Pierce's wife?" The surprise on the face of the Omega is enough to confirm that he was indeed right.

"Do you know who my husband is?" Keith asked.

"Ahhhmmm sort of. I'm glad you're finally awake now. I bet your husband really is happy right now. All his waiting paid off." The Omega showed him a sweet smile.

"Hhhmmm yes. I'm lucky to have him as a husband if it was any other man then they probably would have given up on me already but Pierce is different." The Omega looked at his flat belly and his smile grew even wider. "And we are expecting. Imagine his reaction when I told him? He cried."

"Yeah for a person like him who is madly in love with you I can only imagine." Aiden added.

"Ow another customer, I'll just go a.s.sist others. Nice meeting you." Keith left the two to enjoy their late night treat. That night Aiden suddenly got an idea on how he can maximize the FC Law firm to help Omegas not just with legal law suits but financially.

"So, where do you live? Do you know the place where you live? I'll take you home after you are done." Aiden asked the kid who is still eating cakes.

The boy became sad suddenly after Aiden mentioned about going home. "Can't I just stay with uncle?" The boy said.

"I don't even know who you are. How can you expect uncle to take a child like you in my home?" Aiden teased. The kid think hard before decided to give his name.

"My name is Lander. I'm five." Lander showed him his five fingers.

"What a pretty name." Aiden complemented.

"Thank you." The kid said bringing another spoon full of cake to his mouth.

"So why don't you want to go home? If that's ok with you that uncle is asking." Lander looked at Aiden before he answer.

"I don't want to. Mommy never really cared for Lander anyways, Mommy doesn't want me to visit Daddy anymore and Mommy always. .h.i.ts Lander and it hurts. Uncle Mommy will hit Lander again if she finds out that Lander went out. I don't want to see Mommy." The boy pout while looking down at his lap. Aiden felt pity towards the boy. *How can someone hit this sweet innocent child?* Aiden thought

"What about your Daddy? Uncle will just going to take you to your Daddy. It seems that your Daddy loves you." Lander's eyes shines in happiness upon mentioning of his father

"Can uncle just take me to Daddy? Lander misses Daddy so much. Mommy won't let Lander see Daddy." but seconds later when Lander shake his head no.

"Mommy will just take Lander away again from Daddy. Mommy said all Mommies holds the right to their babies till certain age. I wish I could get older soon so Lander can move to Daddy."

"Ok, Ok just stay the night with uncle ok? then we will figure things out the next morning." Aiden told the boy. He doesn't want to get involved in other people's domestic problems but he really felt pity towards this boy who seems to have a complicated family background.

"Uncle, you are very kind. Thank you for treating Lander." Lander thanked Aiden.

"Well you are a good kid that's why uncle is being kind to you too." Aiden said praising the boy.

"Mommy said that Lander is bad and useless." Aiden sight when he saw again the sadness in the boy's eyes. He can see himself to him when he was a child. A boy who begs for his parents attention and love but instead was showered with harsh and mean words that a child shouldn't be hearing from their parents cause it destroys their self esteem and their worth and love for their selves.

"Well your Mommy is wrong. I can see a handsome, smart, good and loveable kid right in front of me." Aiden a.s.sured the kid.

"Really?" Lander asked he couldn't believe someone just praise him.

Aiden nodded his head confirming Lander's question.

"So whenever your Mommy tells you that just remember what uncle just told you ok?" Lander happily nodded.

Aiden ruffled the kids hair. "Good."

"I wish you were my Mommy. If you have a son I would probably get jealous and get envious of him." Lander commented.

"You are still too young to get jealous." Aiden laugh. "So why would you envy him? If ever I have a child?" Aiden asked.

"Cause you see he will be very lucky to have you as a mother." Lander said honestly without any filter.

"Do you think so?" Aiden asked.

"I know so. Lander never lies." Lander swear crossing his fingers to his heart.

"Then that's good to hear. Don't ever lie ok? Uncle hate kids who lies." Lander happily nodded.

"WHAT?! How can you two be this stupid?" Bea hit one of the maids in the head. "You two have one job.... ONE JOB! The only thing I ever asked you two is to look after that stupid annoying kid but NO, you let that kid get away and now you can't find him anywhere! You two won't rest until you find that useless kid and if you can't bring him back here I swear you would rather wish for death than to see what I'm going to do with you two! Now scram!" The two maid run outside to look for Lander who has been missing since earlier. The two maids already reported this to the nearest Police station but they were told that it won't be filed as missing case unless the person has been missing for more than 24 hours.

Bea sat on the couch ma.s.saging her head with her right hand while her left hand holds a gla.s.s of wine. Yes after what happened to Lance house this is what welcomed her. Her problem with Lance is still haven't finished and yet there is another problem with Lander.

"Bea, what happened? Where is Lander? Why did Lander ran away?" Lance said in panic. He gets in Bea's house as soon as he heard one of the maids call crying.

Bea smiled an idea suddenly click to her mind the moment she saw that worry on Lance face. "You asked why my son run away? You even dare to ask that? Lander run away cause his Daddy won't marry his Mother.

" Bea got up from her sit and point her finger to Lance chest pushing him with it. "His Daddy can't be a man enough to give him a complete family. I have been telling you this many many times but you didn't listen and now things has come to this." Bea turned around and raise her hand exasperatedly.

"If something bad happens to my child just forget that you ever had a child. Lander doesn't deserve a sorry excuse of a father like you." Lance looked defeated by the words that Bea just said. *She's right, everything that she said we're right. I'm hurting my son because I can't let him go.* Lance thought. That night Lance silently cried for his son.

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Chairman Miller was still yawning when he make his way to the dinning table. "Did your Sir Aiden went home last night?" Chairman Miller asked one of the maids he saw on the way to the dining hall.

"Yes Sir, he will be down shortly." The maid said bowing after she answered the question. Chairman just went on to the dinning table, sat down, pick up the news paper and start reading while the maids pour him a cup of organic coffee.

"Good Morning grandpa." Greeted by the little voice. Chairman took the cup when he was greeted by the voice out of habit the Chairman greeted back. "Good morning too.... What?!" Chairman Miller got up to his sit because of too much surprised to see a kid that he didn't know sitting in the same table as him while eating pancakes.

"Ow Dad you're here early." Aiden said to his father.

"Uncle good morning." Lander greeted Aiden. Aiden smiled at the boy and greeted him back. "Good morning to you too. You should eat plenty." Aiden said as he put more pancakes to the boy's plate. "You should also drink your milk."

"But I hate milk." Lander pout. Aiden squat to the side of Lander's chair so they can see each other face to face.

"You should drink lots of milk so you can grow tall. Come on now drink it or uncle will be sad." Aiden pretended to be sad.

Lander hold Aiden's face with his both tiny hands. "Don't be sad, I will drink my milk." The kid's gesture made Aiden smile.

"Promise?" Aiden question.

"Promise." Lander raise his right hand as a sign of his promise. Aiden just ruffled the kid's hair before getting up to sit beside Lander.

Chairman Miller who was still standing just watched to two interact like they are parents and son. Aiden looked at his Dad who is still lost in thoughts. "Dad what are you still doing standing there?" Aiden asked his father.

"Ow, ow. nothing." Chairman Miller just cleared hi throat and then went back to sit to his chair. "Son who is that child? I believe I never met him before and I don't think you would have conceived and given birth to him over night?" Chairman Miller ask in full curiosity.

"I just saw him last night while I was on my way home. He doesn't want to go home so I took him for the night." Aiden simply explained. Aiden looked at Lander who just finished drinking his milk.

"Are you done?" Aiden asked.

Lander nodded. "Yes I'm done."

"Then go to my room and take a bath." Aiden looked at the maid and asked him to help the boy in taking a bath.

Chairman Miller waited till the boy is no longer in sight. "I know what you are going to say Dad." Aiden said it first. "That's why I told that boy that it will only be just for a night.... but Dad when I wash him last night, I can't believe what I saw. That kids body is full of marks — bruises Dad. He keeps on telling me last night that his mother has been hitting him that also the reason he doesn't want to go home."

"So what are you planning to do? We can't take him in. He has a family on his own." Chairman Miller said. He also wanted to help the poor boy but if helping the kid will put his son Aiden in difficult situation then he would rather choose his son Aiden than to help the boy with his domestic problem.

"Getting involved to some other family's Domestic violence issue will be very hard you know that. It is full of controversy and quite ugly too."

"I know Dad but I already thought this through. That's why after breakfast I will take the kid to see Doctor. Nothing beats evidences Dad. That's what you thought me." Aiden smirked.

"I think I have worried for nothing. My son really is a big boy now making such manly decisions." His father's statement made Aiden laugh.

"Just don't get involved to deeply ok? If you need help just ask this old man of yours ok?" Chairman Miller said reminding his son off all the help he can give although Aiden is the kind of man who takes matter to his own hand Chairman Miller thought him how to lower his pride and learn how to asked for help when needed.

"You know I always asked for help if I know I can no longer do it on my own. That's how you raised me."

Aiden and Lander are in the Doctor's office. Aiden has to cancelled all his morning engagement just so he can take Lander to a hospital to do a full body check up. He wanted a concrete proof of evidence for physical abuse against Lander's Mother. Call it playing dirty but he wanted to threat whoever Lander's mother to not hurt her child again. Specially when he's just an outsider to their family's issues. At least by doing this he will be able to somehow stop the violence but if this trick won't work and he finds out that the mother still hurts her child then he will make sure to pry into their family affairs.

"Aiden can I speak to you in private?" The Doctor said. The Doctor is a friend and colleague of his brother so she it's normal for him to be called so casually by them.

"Sure." Aiden said. The Doctor asked one of her nurses to take the boy outside.

"This kid has several broken bones scar. Some of his bones just healed. The bruises too some of them are from few days ago and some are still fresh... Is heee??"

"I think so. I just found this child last night. He doesn't want to go home cause of his mother hitting him." Aiden explained.

"But broken bones are a little bit extreme. You see these?" The Doctor show him different films of x-rays. "These are fractured bones that just healed and looked at this one it's still quite freshly healed and this one it looks like from two years ago. What it he about 3 years old by then? This is serious Aiden. It's like the child is not hers no wonder the child doesn't want to go home."

Aiden clenched his fist after hearing what was the results of the examination. He was expecting to hear things but he never thought it would be that extreme. "Is there anything we can do with that child?" Aiden asked.

"With our current position no there isn't much. We can take this legally given all the medical results that we have but it won't prove anything unless someone will testify against the person who is causing the battery. The results are just results it won't hold any meaning unless someone will point out on who inflicted them but you can use this to threat the mother maybe that will stop her from hurting her son." The Doctor explained.

"I was thinking the same thing." Thank you Doctor.

Lander was just looking at him while he drives. "Are you going to send me home?" Lander asked sadly.

"Yes, but don't worry uncle will make sure that we will still going to see each other again. I will visit you frequently so don't be sad." Aiden caress the cheek of the boy.

"Mommy won't let you. Lander is actually scared of going home. I'm sure mommy is angry at Lander." Lander said playing with his fingers.

"Don't worry your Mommy won't hurt you cause if she do. Uncle will be very furious and your Mommy won't even want to see uncle furious." Lander looked at Aiden with questions in his eyes.

"What will uncle do if he's furious?" Lander asked innocently.

"Ow your mother wouldn't wish to make me furious. So don't worry you cute little thing. Uncle will not let your Mommy hurt you." Aiden silently promised to himself.

When the two arrived at the address written in Lander's bag he immediately saw a group of Police men asking for the statement of Bea who is now crying while being interviewed by the news anchors just in front of their house. Aiden was not expecting that Bea was the mother of Lander but knowing that Bea is the mother also explains while the boy was physically abused. Bea is not the kind of woman to be patient in taking care of a child base on his observation of her in the past which Aiden thinks that turns out true.

Bea was still crying in front of the camera that she didn't even noticed them standing that when Lander called for her and she saw them she immediately run towards her son while crying. She hug the boy as if she genuinely cares for him.

"Tsked, what a fake." Aiden clicked his tongue that he thinks Bea had over heard cause he's just standing near the two.

Bea looked at him and gave him a fake smile. Clearly the woman doesn't like to see a beautiful person who is as beautiful as him. "You must be the one who found my son." She hold Aiden's hands with both of her hands. With tears in her eyes she thanked him. "Thank you for bringing my son back. I have been worried sick looking for him since last night that I wasn't able to blink even a wink of sleep. Thank you so much. Don't worry a reward awaits for you."

"I don't know and care about the reward that you are talking about. I have enough money to even need that but I do have something to discuss with you with regards to your son." Aiden looked around and saw all cameras are on them which made him feel awkward.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" Aiden asked, she saw how Bea rolled her eyes to him after he asked that. Aiden laugh faintly, he pretty much expecting that given the woman's att.i.tude but since they were in front of many people and camera's he figured the woman won't say no to him specially since he's the man who is like a hero who rescued the lost prince.

Bea gave him a fake smile before she agreed to go inside their house. She let the reporters in to the living room while she and Aiden went to the study room. As soon as they got inside Bea's fake smiles suddenly vanished like it was never there to begin with. "What do you want to take about?" Her sweet and soft voice we're gone too that made Aiden chuckled in this belief.

"You see I learned a lot of things from this kid by just spending less than 24 hours with him....." Aiden throw a brown envelope at the desk. "And some those are what's written there." Bea took the envelope, opened it and found pieces of papers. She took out the papers and read the content. Aiden saw just how her smooth flawless face begun to crease as frown begin to appear on her face and then minutes later she looked at him.

"What do you want? Money? You are using this to blackmail me for Money?...." Bea pace back and forth before finally settling in front of the table. "Ok if it's money that you want how much?" Bea asked impatiently.

"You were right when you said that I'm black mailing you with that but you were wrong to guess that it is money that I after." Aiden made himself comfortable as he shamelessly sit down without being offered to be seated.

"I want to bargain Ms. Salvacion. I won't release your son's medical records in conditions that.

1. You won't hurt your son by any means. If I learned that you hurt Lander in anyway then I suggest for you to find ways to defend yourself cause I won't sit still.

2. Tried to be a good Mother to him. You are pretty lucky enough to have such sweet caring child. There are a lot of people who can't have their own so you should be happy that you have one.

3. I'll be visiting Lander from time to time. You see the two of us became that close in such short period of time. Also to keep an eye on you." Aiden can swear that he can see smokes coming out of her nostrils.

"So what do you say? 3 conditions in exchange for my silence? It's not that hard of a bargain isn't it?" Aiden asked.

"O-Ok, ok. Just just don't tell anyone." Bea said defeatedly.

"Great!" Aiden got up from where he was seated and move to where Bea is so he could whisper something. "Now that we understand each other. I'm expecting not to see a single bruise nor wounds on his body or else I can't guarantee my silence."

Aiden walked pa.s.s her after whispering that. "Ow also if you are having a hard time on how to become a parent just call me and I will gladly teach you how to become and efficient parent."

Aiden saw Lander sitting on the single sofa hugging a stuff toy. He smiled when Lander notice him. Lander on the other hand run as soon as he came out of the room.

"Uncle are you alright? Is Mommy angry at you? Will Mommy be angry at Lander?" Lander asked in worry.

Aiden carry Lander. "Nope as a matter of fact your Mommy said that she will never going to hit Lander again and that she will be good to Lander and most importantly your Mommy agreed to let Uncle visit you so we can play again." Aiden saw how Lander's eyes sparkles with joy by that simple things he just said.

"Really? Did Mommy really said that?" Lander asked excitedly. That Aiden nodded in response.

"That I can play and see uncle again?" Aiden nodded again.

"Is Lander happy?" Aiden asked. The child nodded in glee.

"Very." The two were happily talking when they heard someone speak.

"Lander baby come to Mommy, Mommy really misses you." Aiden turned around and find Bea with the reporters. Aiden sigh at the hypocrisy of the woman in front of him. Lander looked at him with worry but Aiden a.s.sured the child that it will be ok.

"It's ok, go to your Mommy now. Believe in uncle ok?" Lander nodded before coming down to go to his Mommy. Be hug Lander, it was like a scene in a movie where the mother and son meets after spending years apart the only difference is that Bea is really just faking it.

Aiden could not stand just how fake Bea is so he decided to just leave but Bea's question halted him. "Thank you but may I know what your name is?"

"Aiden My name is Aiden." Aiden answered.

To be Continued...

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Chapter 9 Sneak peek...

"Family? What do you mean Daddy? Lander can't understand." Lance kiss Lander to his forehead before getting up and walking towards Bea. He held Bea's both hands before uttering the words that Bea has long awaited to hear.