Chapter Text
Ben and Phil were sat in the kitchen eating lunch when Callum came home, tear tracks evident on his face. "Thought you were working today Cal!" Ben said standing up "whats up babe, what's happened?" He asked concerned.
Callum let out a strangled sob and slid onto the floor. 'Its all such a mess" he broke down in tears. Ben shot a worried look at Phil, before kneeling down next to his distraught fiance.
"Babe, what's wrong? Cal you are scaring me!" Ben asked firmly, he hadnt ever seen Callum in this state.
"I can't Ben. Youll hate me, I didn't want anyone to know. You will think I'm weak and dirty. I don't want him to ruin this, its like he is in my head again and i cant make it stop."
"Who Callum?" Ben asked seriously concerned. "Whos in your head darling?"
"Edward...oh god" Callum burst into tears.
"OK, so Edward, what's he done?" Phil asked
They were interrupted by Stuart bursting in
"Callum, Jacks just told me." Stuart bent down next to Ben in front of Callum.
"What is going on?" Phil asked. "And knock next time eh?"
"Do you want me to tell em Cal?" Stuart asked softly. Callum nodded burying his face in his hands and sobbing as Ben pulled him into his chest to try and comfort him.
"When Callum was ten he was taken into care after my dad overdosed. They wouldn't let me look after him as I'd been in proper like trouble and stuff. Edward ran the care home. I went to see Callum everyday but one day Edward told us he'd run away with this girl called Natalie, they said they had the police trying to find them but it turned out he was lying. Callum and Natalie was found in a bunker underground in the middle of a forest when he was 14...Edward chained them up down there. He raped them, beat them, drugged them, tortured them for four years" Stuart broke off as Ben started crying aswell.
"They couldn't prove it was Edward in court, he got let off...but now more kids have been groomed and abused by him, and it's going to a retrial now."
"I dont want to remember what he did!" Callum sobbed. "I'd finally moved on. Started to forget...I cant do this!"
"Callum, i.." Ben trailed off wiping away his own tears.
"I know I'm a stupid dirty whore" Callum choked out. "But I didn't want it...I couldn't get away. He told us he did it because we were unwanted, useless!"
"Callum don't ever say that, you aren't any of those things" Ben replied softly. "I can't believe he did that to you...its sick" he wiped Callums face, before hugging him.
"I love you Callum, I'm gonna help you through this" Ben sobbed
"Youll be alright!" Stuart said "I ain't gonna let him hurt you ever again"
"You don't get it Stu, he's in my head again. It's like I'm back there, chained up. I can hear him laughing, asking us whether we should be put down like rabid dogs..." Callum sobbed harder into Ben's chest
"We are here for you, Callum!" Phil said "you're family and we protect our own!"
"Callum...I love you!" Ben said as he hugged him protectively, cradling Callum against him
"Damn...I've got to get back to work, I'm already behind" Stuart sighed. "Ring me if you need owt bro, any time...day or night...even if its just to talk" he turned to Ben "look after him yeah" Ben nodded with a small smile as Stuart left
"I need a drink" Callum said. "I can't deal with this!"
"I'll go out and get some!" Phil said "least I can do!"
-------
Callum was sat on the sofa, knees drawn into his chest, trembling against Ben who was holding him tightly, running his fingers through Callums hair, trying to comfort amd protect him
"Its gonna be ok Callum. I'm here" Ben whispered. Callum shook his head. "I dont want to remember what he did Ben." He sniffled into Ben's Chest. "The games he used to play...I cant do it again!" He broke off
"Ssshhhh" Ben kissed his head. "Whatever you decide I will be here for you!" He reassured Callum in soft tones.
"I remember the bunker so clearly, the brick walls, the water trickling down the walls, 76 stones in the ceiling, the damp, the dark, the cold." Callum whimpered "I'd finally started to forget, finally put it behind me and now this!"
Ben held him close. "He had no right to keep you there" he said "no right to do any of it! No matter what he told you...christ Callum you were 10, you were a kid." Ben's tears slid down his cheeks.
"He had every right!" Callum sat up and downed some vodka "we were unwanted kids, he showed us our true place in society" he parrotted out.
"That sounds like him talking there Cal. You weren't unwanted darling!"
"REALLY?" Callum exploded angrily wrenching himself out of Bens embrace "My dad thought getting high was more important than me Ben...and...and Stuart didn't care, he was constantly in and out of jail, that's why we spent four years there. Four fucking years chained up in a tiny cell, no one cared. They said it themselves they couldn't prove it was Edward, they didn't even know we were there, we were a missing persons case that had gone cold pretty much the day we went missing."
Ben stared at him in shock, tears dripping from his eyes, before he held Callum tightly against him again
Callum sighed against him. "I just can't do this again Ben, not now and not ever!"
"I know babe, I know!" Ben tried to soothe his boyfriend, not sure what else he should say.
"What happened to you though was so wrong!" He looked Callum in the eyes. "And you survived it somehow. You are stronger than you think!"
Callum shook his head.
"You are Callum, I would never have guessed you had this in your past, you have hidden it from everyone. It takes strength to do that!"
"I really don't want to talk about this!" Callum whined. "I never told anyone. I kept quiet, the police used DNA and blood and all sorts of evidence, but we never told them what happened. We couldn't."
"I'm so sorry Callum, I truly am. I cannot begin to imagine what torture you went through. I'm here for you Callum, anyway you want me to be!"
Callum smiled a tearful smile.
"Thanks Ben" he said as there was a loud knock on the door. Ben stood to answer it, finding a solemn looking Jack on his doorstep.
"Is Callum in please Ben? Need a word"
"About this Edward guy?" Ben asked
Jack nodded, "afraid so"
"come on in then!" Ben replied with a sigh
"Callum, I'm sorry!" Jack said upon seeing the state Callum was currently in
"Really?" Callum shook his head with a grimace.
"Why now Jack, what you think you can put Edward away and make it all better? Drag it all back up again? I was finally happy Jack, finally stopped thinking about what happened to me and Natalie and now? Now I have to relive it all over again. Do you have any idea Jack?" Ben held Callum against him as he broke down in tears, taking the bottle of vodka out of his hands and putting it down on the table gently
"I am sorry Callum. I worked on your case back when i had not long joined the force. I know what he did to you, without you telling us. The medical reports told us most of it. He tortured both of you as kids, he groomed you and kidnapped you, abused you in every way possible! Hes a monster"
"He wasn't a monster!" Callum bit out. "He could have killed us and instead he let us go!"
"He's hurting more kids Callum. We have to stop him!"
"I dont want no part in it Jack, I can't go back there again. Please!" Callums voice broke with emotion as he remained curled into Ben's side looking broken.
"I'll give you a few more days to make your mind up, I'm gonna go visit Natalie now, would you like to see her tomorrow? You can...discuss things with her if it helps."
Callum nodded breathing heavily. "Thank you!"
"I'll see myself out!" Jack gave a sympathetic smile before he left.
"Oh Callum!" Ben said softly as he kissed Callums forehead "we will get through this together. Ok? I promise you babe! We will get through this."
Callum continued sobbing into Ben's chest as Ben held him tightly, carding his fingers through Callum's hair.
"Im sorry i didnt tell you!" Callum whispered "get engaged and then you find out how much of a freak i really am."
"Hush, Callum dont be daft. I get why you didnt tell anyone, and you are not a freak baby. People who have gone through what you have are called survivors. Because you are still here, coping with what he did to you every day."
"I almost wasnt!" Callum admitted softly. "I thought about ending it all...a lot...so did Natalie...she was the only one who understood."
"Oh babe!" Ben closed his eyes in shock.
"You ever feel like that again, promise me youll talk to me....i wont judge you...i've never judged you and I aint gonna start now...I promise you, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'll listen to whatever you want to say okay."
"What about when other people find out? I don't want people knowing."
"I'm not gonna say anything to anyone babe, neither is my dad, ok. If anyone says anything to upset you, I'll be having words ok! Callum...listen...you were ten years old darlin, a little kid...you shouldn't have to have dealt with what you did! Can i ask a question darlin'? And please dont answer if you arent comfy doing so!"
Callum nodded "sure" he replied swiping at his eyes.
"Is...is what happened with Edward...part of the reason you found it hard to...accept that you were gay?" Ben asked gently
Callum was silent for a few moments. "Yeah" he replied simply "yeah, I guess it was and also my dad being a massive homophobe!"
Ben smiled sadly, burying his face in Callums hair. "Thank you for telling me that!" He pressed a kiss to Callums forehead. "Do you need anything babe? Something to eat? Or I could run you a nice relaxing bath?"
Callum smiled slightly. "I'm alright for now baby...honest...I just...I don't know what I want...just please don't leave me Ben...I know I don't want to be alone."
"I'm not leaving your side!" Ben promised. "I'll be right here next to you! I'm not going anywhere okay?"
"Thank you!" Callum replied. "I dont deserve you Ben"
"Yes you do!" Ben insisted "you deserve the world Callum...you just don't realise it yet."
Callum pulled away and gazed nervously into Ben's eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I'm certain Callum...you have been so so brave, and you still are being brave. I aint going anywhere ok darlin. I'm here!"
Callum sniffled "I love you Ben!"
"And I love you tiger, now and always!"
They remained curled up together while the TV played in the background lost in their thoughts, before the back door opening and closing, jarred them both out of their thoughts as Phil came in.
"Sorry, I er...I didn't know if it was alright to come back yet...I don't want to intrude or owt..." Phil sighed. "I just wanted to say Callum that if you need anything, anything at all, I'll do my best to help you ok...if you want to talk or anything, I'll listen okay!"
"Cheers Phil!" Callum replied with a small smile
"I'm getting an early night, I'll see you both in the morning yeah?" Ben nodded and Phil slowly made his way up the stairs.
"Ben...can we...I dunno...go for a walk? Need to get out!" Callum asked
"Sure we can!" Ben replied. "I'll grab our coats yeah?"
"Can I take the vodka with us?"
Ben nodded sadly. "You dont have to ask permission Cal babe, you can do what you feel you need to!"
Callum smiled softly at Ben, who shortly returned with their coats.
They stepped out into the cold winter air of Albert Square, the stars shining in the sky as Ben slipped his hand into Callums, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Ready?" He asked Callum who took a deep breath and nodded.
They ended up on the swings. Callum staring at the stars while swigging the vodka, before passing the bottle to Ben, who politely had a few sips before passing it back.
"What ya thinking Cal?" Ben asked him gently
Callum let out a small strained laugh. "I remember the night the police found us in the bunker. There were no windows in the bunker, just a few air vents for oxygen ya know." Ben nodded letting Callum get it off his chest. "I just remember being unshackled and taken outside and the stars...they were beautiful Ben...i hadn't seen the sky in ages. The stars they were just shining and it just...it just felt so good to finally see them!" He smiled "Edward must have found a way of letting them know where we were...we never thought he would let us live, so to see the stars, breathe in the fresh air...it was heaven Ben." Callum wiped his eyes.
"I can imagine!" Ben smiled supportively at Callum.
"I ain't doing it Ben...I can't relive it...I cant help Jack"
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Callum. I aint going to judge you. But I am here to talk to, you aren't alone baby, ok...I'm just worried about you!"
"I'm just scared Ben...so fucking scared!" Callum admitted having another drink. "I'm scared of remembering it all. It's like I learnt to block it all out, and I don't know how I did that, and now everything is flooding back and I don't know how to make it go away again."
Ben held Callums hand. "We will work it out baby...okay...I don't know how you managed it either, but maybe...maybe you can get closure somehow...put it to rest for good?"
Callum nodded, still staring at the stars
"And you'll help me?" He asked
"Every step of the way baby. I promise!"
----------------------
Hey, so this is a super angsty story. (Edward is basically Edward from Hollyoaks as he was a perfect villian character) it's was floating in my head and i was unsure whether to write it or not.
More chapters soon.