Justin has grown up in a very different household than seen in canon. He is living on the streets when he is found by the Liberty Diner gang and is rescued - malnourished, exhausted and ill - and taken home by Brian. Can Justin be brought out of this hell he's been resigned to by his hateful father? Can Brian find the one thing that will make Justin whole again?

This story is based on a prior fic - 'Smolder' - by LovelessSouls.  All credit for the haunting story premise goes to the original author, as well as my thanks for letting me repost the first two chapters of that story.