Chapter 3: Welcome to the Family

|11:46 pm|

The Pierce's household was inaudible, not a sound could be heard except the pitter patter of raindrops against the glass windows.

There in the still of night, lay Allison Pierce, wide awake, staring boringly at the ceiling above her, unable to fall asleep. The happenings of last night kept replaying in her mind, much to Jackson's never ending wondrous thoughts. But he was right about one thing; there was something she had left out, intentionally, and now flashbacks haunted her in her dreams about the occurrence of last night.

The air was thick, and the living room was bare. Only the eldest daughter remained on the couch, gazing at the pitch black TV screen. Jackson had left an hour ago to go to work, and the twins were both asleep, but still, Allison could not rest.

Her gaze lingered on the screen, with her eyes sagging below, in attempts to get her to shut her eyes. No such luck. She remained still, a variety of thoughts flooding her tormented brain.

That's when she heard a sound. It was resonating from outside the front door. Her eyes drifted towards the big black door, alarmingly, now hearing keys jangle around and clash against the metal lock. Her heart started pounding in alertness, and she instinctively jolted upwards, her arms hugging her sides.

Suddenly, the rustling of metal against metal stopped, and a soft click sound emerged from the door. Her eyes widened in fear, and her heart pounded severely, overpowering the sound of her incessant thoughts.

With ease, the door swung open, revealing her drunken mother alongside a tall, muscular man. Instead of being relieved that it wasn't a total stranger, Allison grew irritated quickly.

She strode in, bumping into multiple things across the way, and gave a lopsided smile to her eldest daughter. The man helped himself inside, and closed the door behind him, catching Allison's attention.

"Allison, my precious daughter!" Her mother slurred around, throwing her hands towards her, but Allison took a huge step backwards, reservedly, diminishing the chance for her mother to touch her.

Janet didn't seem to notice, as her reaction time was heavily restricted, and she lowered her arms to her side, peering through her bleached blonde stringy hair. The man seemed to eye the eldest daughter, and made his way beside Janet, snaking an arm around her lanky waist.

"Oh silly me! I have forgotten the introductions," Janet continued on, making Allison cross her arms over her chest, uncomfortably. "This is my boyfriend, Christopher."

Allison stayed quiet, while Christoper flashed a toothy grin, and a malicious wink her way.

"Oh where are the twins?" Janet cried dramatically, as if it weren't the middle of the night. "Oh they must be in their bedrooms -oh I could simply visit them and-"

"They're sleeping."

Finally, Allison spoke, guarding the way to the stairs protectively, standing her ground.

"Oh nonsense, can't I just give them a kiss?" She bargained, but Allison remained cautiously firm.

"Mother, they are sleeping," she repeated, but more firmly this time. "And not while you are in this state."

Christoper listened to Allison's words, and stared at her continually, whilst Janet rolled her eyes like a little child.

"I've forgotten how much of a prude you are," she commented, as Allison ignored her childish remarks. "Well, then where is your older brother?"

"He's at work," Allison replied flatly, awaiting for their departure, praying Jackson would step foot into the house at any moment to dismiss this awkward interaction.

"Work? At this time? Does he not have the decency to stay and look after the twins?" She blabbed on hypocritically, as Allison released an agitated sigh.

"Mother, please leave," she instructed softly, avoiding her eye contact.

"I will not!" She protested. "This is my home!"

"Janet," Christopher cut in, holding her firmly. "I think we should leave," he let out with a mischievous grin, surprising Allison by his sudden words. "Let's call it a night."

Janet gave Allison a hard glare, and then guided herself out of the house, towards the car. Christopher called out, "I'll be out in a minute!"

Allison gulped, now holding her hands tightly pressed together, watching the man in front of her approach her slowly. She cautiously took a step towards her right, and stood against the wall, uncomfortably.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He snarled in a sweet voice, lifting his right hand to caress Allison's cheek.

Allison's breathing hitched, and her heartbeat grew unsteady again, as her body now leaned on the wall for protection.

"You must get all the guys," he went on, his hands starting to ride up her shirt. "I bet they don't know how to treat you like a real woman," he whispered into her ear, inches away from her face. "But I, can make you feel good."

He was clearly dominant, and wanted his way. His hands trailed up and down her body, perversely, and he held on a dangerous smirk.

Allison was afraid, and it was shown in her tired eyes, that were forced upon the man in front of her. But as he grew persistent, a voice she never thought she would love to hear, spoke. "Christopher! Come now! I want to go."

Her mother -ironically saved her, for this time. Chris loosened his grip on her body, and cursed underneath his breath in disappointment.

"I'll be back for you, sweetie," he whispered, then exited the house, making sure to slam the door behind him.

Allison's eyes remained wide open, and she clutched the wall tightly behind her, and then sunk onto the ground, sobbing in a hushed tone, on her knees.

As if the whole scene had repeated, Allison sat upright onto her bed, gasping for air. She could not forget it; the firm grip on her body, her unsteady heartbeat, and the fear pulsating through her veins.

The thought of Christopher coming near her again, frightened her gravely. She had managed to open her eyes, but saw nothing but darkness. The raindrops were still falling against the window, but the house kept quiet still.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep, she stood up from her bed, making sure to be very quiet, and tiptoed outside of her room. The hallway grew eerie the more she stared into the depths of the darkness, so she swiftly slid inside her brother's room across from hers. The rain had only gotten harder, and the bright moonlight reflected off of a sketch Jackson had been working on, laid out on his desk.

The moonlight gave enough sight to make out a figure sleeping on his back, with his left arm placed neatly on his chest, and his right arm sticking upwards onto a pillow. He looked so peaceful and vulnerable. She wasn't used to seeing her brother like this; so fragile. She was used to him being brave, and fierce. But at that moment, he lay there, defenceless.

Allison slithered on the cold floorboards, and snuck up to his side, the moonlight now glistening off of her face. For a moment, she just stared at him, and admired his face. His lips were slightly parted, his black hair was spread all across the pillow, and his eyebrows stood in a calm expression.

"Jackson," she spoke, barely above a whisper, letting her voice linger on.

He didn't move an inch, he didn't even flinch. His eyes were still closed, and his body lay peacefully on the mattress.

"Jackson," she repeated a little louder, the floorboard creaking slightly. "Jack-"

In a moment's notice, her brother came sprouting upwards, and could barely open his eyes. His mouth hung open in surprise, and he rubbed his eyes vigorously, in hopes to help them open properly. Once his eyes were finally set, he looked to his left to find his sister staring at him intensely, her skinny arms hugging her bare skin, due to the cold air.

"What's wrong?" He asked instinctively, getting a rush of wind being blown on his shirtless body.

He was now in a sitting position on his bed, with the sheets covering below his torso. His arms hung out above the blanket, and his hair was parted in several different directions.

"I can't sleep," she replied innocently, hoping he could help.

As a child, this would often happen. She would get a nightmare, or their mother and father would be at each other throats, so she would sneak into her brother's room to help her mind be at ease. He helped her fall asleep, and he made sure she was alright all throughout the night. They only had each other to rely on.

But now, it was a little different. They were much older now, and certain habits had to be shed naturally. She hadn't been this scared in years. But even as she got older, she still needed her older brother to comfort her.

"Bad dream?" He guessed, flashing her a sympathetic look, as she nodded robotically.

He then shifted over to the far side, making some room for her. She happily crawled onto her side of the bed, and rested her head down on the pillow.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He later on questioned, after a few minutes of silence passed by.

Allison lay on her back, and shook her head stiffly without even glancing his way. Alongside his sister, Jackson laid on his back as well, and gazed up at the ceiling above him.

Allison then turned to her side to face Jackson who rested his head underneath both of his arms. The blanket layed directly below her waistline, and the two siblings shared another moment of silence.

"Jackson?" Allison spoke after awhile, assuming he had fallen asleep, but he was still awake, and just boringly staring at the same spot on the roof, his thoughts consuming him.

"Yes, Allison?" He responded almost immediately, surprising her.

Still, though she called out his name, and he had responded within seconds. The eldest daughter remained quiet, unable to communicate. Jackson listened intently to the never ending silence, and grew impatient, so he turned onto his left side to face her.

Her eyes bore a hole through his skull, and his gaze never left hers, as he tried to figure out what exactly was wrong.

"What's on your mind?" His patience grew thin, but he still spoke in a polite manner, noticing his sister's troubled expression.

Allison let her eyes close slowly, then reopened them with a big breath, and began to open her mouth to choke out a few words. Jackson awaited for her to say something, but after a few passing moments, she relaxed into the bedsheets, and left her brother's gaze, now fixating it on the white bedsheets beneath her.

The eldest Pierce grew aware of his younger sister's discomfort, and inched closer to her body, flashing her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay," he finally spoke delicately, causing Allison's eyes to drift back to his. "You don't have to say anything."

He held up his bare right arm, and ran his fingers down her long hair in an avuncular manner, hoping to provide some comfort.

"You should get some sleep," he suggested in a whisper. "Close your eyes," he instructed, his voice as gentle as ever. "I'm right here."

Allison slowly but surely nodded, as he pulled her onto his bare chest, with his left arm now under her, swinging around her waist. She stuck close to his chest, and wrapped her left arm on top of his stomach, and let it rest there.

Jackson smelt her strawberry scented hair in the crook of his neck, and froze for a moment, recalling his childhood, where everything was sweet and simple.

Now, as his sister and him laid on his bed, in the comfort of each other's arms, he knew life would only get more complicated for them. At least they had each other, but how long until each other was not enough?

"Better?" His lips brushed her right ear, as he whispered soothingly, trying to entrance her in a deep slumber.

"Yes." The word slid through her mouth, as she nuzzled up in his warm embrace, finally finding comfort, and her miserable flashbacks of last night dissolved away.

The two siblings held each other tightly, until they both fell asleep, exhausted from their tiresome day. The Pierce's were fierce, but every now and then, they needed each other's help, enough to maintain their resiliency.

-

|7:15 am|

"I have to pee!" Alex shouted at the top of his lungs, his knees desperately clashed together, in attempts to stop him from urinating on the floor.

Jocelyn held on a devious expression, with her hand firmly on the bathroom door, and her pink hairbrush in the other.

"Sorry Lexie, I was first." Her sweet angelic voice took away from her devilish smirk, and she slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it on her end.

Alex huffed angrily, and started pounding on the door rapidly, making loud noises.

In Jackson's bedroom, the two eldest siblings lay together, the sunlight now shining through the window onto Jackson's desk filled with piled sketches.

Allison lay on her left side exemplarily, with Jackson's arm draped around her waist, and his body pressed closely to her back. When abruptly, a loud thud was heard, from outside the hallway.

Instantaneously, Jackson's eyes opened wide, the loud sound echoing in his ears, and making its way to his brain. He lay there, wide awake, trying to take in his surroundings. Moderately, he noticed his outstretched arm clinging to his sister's body, his legs intertwined in hers, and his bare chest pressed up against her back.

He grew confused for a slight instant, and then leisurely, he recalled the happenings of last night, the events now circulating back into his mind. For a split second, he found himself smiling as he viewed Allison sleeping tranquilly on his bed. Her pink lips were pressed into a thin line, and her hair was sprawled out across the pillow.

Finally, he tried to untangle himself without waking her up, but it wasn't working too well. When all of a sudden, a loud and impatient knock erupted from outside the room, causing Allison's eyes to flutter right open.

She quickly assessed her whereabouts, and felt a heavy arm pinning her down. Questionably, she spun her body around in a 180 degree turn, and came face to face with her brother, his face inches away.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but before she could speak, the loud knock continued, only, it became more violent.

"Jackson!" Exclaimed an angry Alex. "Wake up! Jocelyn's hogging the bathroom," he whined, as Allison sunk down into the bed again, sluggishly, watching Jackson place a weary hand on his forehead.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He hollered back, half-heartedly. "Just, tell Joce that I will be very mad if you two don't take turns."

Once he heard footsteps dissipating down the hallway, he shrunk down on the bed, and let out a breath of relief. He didn't want Alex to see Allison and him in a bed together. It wouldn't look right, as much as it felt right.

When the noise had quieted down, Allison looked at Jackson attentively, noticing that he was shirtless.

"Aren't you cold?" She questioned nonchalantly, scrunching her eyebrows, while he looked at her remarkably, with broaden eyes.

"That's all you have to say?" He replied with two raised eyebrows, running a frigid hand through his messy hair, and held an agape expression.

Allison now sat upright, and shrugged unknowingly. "Well, what do you want me to say? That the weather is nice?"

"Allison," Jackson cut her off while tilting his head, as she flashed a toothy grin his way. "We should start getting ready. The twins are already up," he muttered, while scrambling to find himself a proper shirt, and mumbled to himself hurriedly.

He mentally panicked when he couldn't find a clean shirt, and started rummaging through his wardrobe aggressively, when Allison bounced his way, and held up a navy blue sweatshirt on the tip of her index finger, swinging it back and forth teasingly.

She danced on her heels, making her shorts ride up a little, and stood in front of Jackson, her head reaching up to his neck. She held on a playful expression, and watched as Jackson rolled his eyes at her, and snatched the shirt away.

He swung it over his head, and over his body, and then made his way to fetch a pair of jeans. Before putting them on, he glanced at Allison, as if she would take the hint and go away. No such luck. She stood there, her hands on her hips, and her eyes wandered all across his room.

"Do you mind?" He began awkwardly, his two hands on his waistline, wanting to change his attire.

Allison swiftly turned his way, and replied heedlessly. "Oh I don't mind at all."

Her eyes trailed to Jackson's countless sketches he so passionately illustrated, and she fixated her eyesight on one picture of a girl in a meadow. Before she could dig deeper and understand the meaning, Jackson held her by the shoulders, and started guiding her out of his room.

"Go get ready," he worded encouragingly, and authoritatively, making sure she moseyed into her room right across.

Once she disappeared behind her wooden door, he stood there for a moment, his gaze lingering at her door, and then smiled to himself again. With a shake of his head, he closed his door, and started getting ready for school.

-

The Pierce's were all dressed, and ready to take on the new day. Allison had just finished preparing the twins' lunch, and placed the two lunch boxes on the kitchen counter.

Her hair was hung back in a loose braid, and she wore dark fitted jeans, partnered with a white, long sleeved top. At the dining table, sat the twins, Jocelyn and Alex, fighting over the milk carton. Jackson was still upstairs getting ready and gathering his school notebooks.

The argument grew louder, so Allison waltzed over to the dining table, and held a stern expression. "I think you've both had enough cereal for today," she stated briefly, collecting their empty bowls. "Now go pack your bags and get ready to catch the bus." She nodded over to the lunch boxes she put on the counter, and then rushed over to the sink to clean the bowls.

Jocelyn and Alex both huffed at each other in frustration, bounced off the chairs, and raced towards their knapsacks, while Allison struggled to make Jackson's breakfast, and simultaneously attempted to clean the dishes as well.

The bread sprung up from the toaster, and to her dismay, a thick charcoal substance enveloped it, followed by a smoky smell.

"Damn it," she cursed underneath her breath, fetching a plate from the cabinet beside the refrigerator.

She strived to safely take the burnt toast out of the toaster, but with her loose bangs hovering over her face, she made contact with the hot bread, and felt a burning sensation on the tips of her fingers.

"Agh," she grunted, stumbling back a little, while clutching her hand tightly, after feeling the aftermath.

Catching sight of this event from the top of the steps, Jackson came strolling down the stairs, and rushed to her sister's aid, withdrawing her hand towards the sink, and placing it under cool water.

He then carefully dislodged the burnt toast, and threw it on the plate with a small smirk. "I love the smell of burnt toast in the morning," he snickered, watching Allison roll her eyes in annoyance, her fingers now cooling down.

"You okay?" He then asked wholeheartedly, after his chuckle had died down.

"I will be," she muttered in irritancy, scurrying out of the kitchen to rummage through her schoolbag in search for her chemistry textbook.

She sighed in relief once she felt a thick book scrape her fingers, and finally zipped her backpack up in frustration. Jackson took notice of her unusual behaviour, and walked around the kitchen counter, towards the dining table, where he poured himself a glass of orange juice, silently racking his brain up in curiosity at why his sister was acting so strange. She seemed distracted, and annoyed, although he could not figure out why, and she just wouldn't tell him either.

Promptly, a loud honk emerged from outside, indicating the school bus was here. The twins scrambled to get themselves together, and rushed to put their backpacks on, while Jackson stood tall against the table with a smug look on his face.

"You two better hurry, and I better not hear a complaint, Alex," he warned, eyeing his younger brother, as he nodded obediently, while little Jocelyn jumped up to give her older brother a hug.

Jackson kissed the top of her head, and gave her a warm smile, waving to her as she pulled away, heading towards the front door.

"Have a good day!" Allison exclaimed just in time, obviously sidetracked about something, due to her eyes wandering all over the house.

The two kids raced towards the school bus, and hopped inside, not failing to wave to their siblings one last time. Jackson closed the front door on their way out, as Allison let out a deep breath.

He tilted his head in curiosity, and had on a blank expression. "What's the matter?"

Allison stared at him openly, and then clambered away into the kitchen where she attempted to make proper toast for her brother. Jackson watched her struggle with taking the bread out of the bag, and walked to her side, pulling her hands away from the plastic bag.

"Allison," he spoke more firmly this time, a perturbed look on his face. "What's going on?" He was beyond curious now; he was concerned.

He hadn't seen his sister so bewildered and anxious in a long time. She seemed almost, broken. Like the batteries inside of her had all drained out, and it seemed like only he could recharge them, but the only problem was, he didn't know how.

She froze in her spot, and stared into his eyes intensely, with a crazed look on her face. Her hands were shaking unstably, and her bottom lip quivered anxiously.

"I..." she started unsteadily, then went into a confident tone. "I can't tell you."

"And why not?" Her brother pried further, growing exasperated. "I thought we told each other everything," he reasoned, reminiscing the pact they both had made in their childhood.

She held a strict gaze his way for a moment, but then broke it, drifting away to fetch her school bag, not before mumbling. "Not this time."

Jackson wouldn't concede. He was persistent upon learning what was wrong with his sister.

"You can't do that," he spoke in a louder voice, causing Allison to turn around slowly to face his hardened expression. "You can't just act like you're not okay and then say you can't tell me why. That's not how this works."

"I'm sorry," she interrupted calmly, trying not to create a further argument, while Jackson approached her, his face now softening.

A long silence passed, before Jackson spoke again. "I'm worried about you..." he trailed off slowly, glancing at the ground.

"Don't be," she replied nonchalantly, and then skipped over to the couch to retrieve her phone, where Jackson also followed, growing angry again.

"How can I not be when you come into my room in the middle of the night and say you had a bad dream, when I know well it wasn't just a bad dream!" He growled, sounding louder than he intended to be. "You're not telling me something, and you push me away the second you somehow mentally convince yourself to let me in."

By now he was using lots of hand gestures, and he was more angry than ever. He never behaved like this with Allison, ever, but standing in front of her now, he didn't know what else to do.

"I do not!" She fired back, now getting mad herself, slamming her phone aggressively inside her back pocket.

"You do too!" Jackson screamed back.

Their banter had quickly turned into a heated argument, the kind that pertained to siblings. It may have been normal for siblings, but for these two, it marked the checkpoint for insanity and frustration.

"This is pointless, Jackson," she finally breathed out in exhaustion. "I don't have time for this, I've got to get to school."

After her poised sentence, she marched all the way over to the front door with her bag swung over her shoulder, and began twisting the doorknob, when Jackson called out from across. "I love you."

His voice was clear, and concrete, inducing Allison to stand motionless, in the same position she stood in, her arm still outstretched towards the metal doorknob.

"And I hate seeing you like this," he finished his sentence sincerely, his brown eyes twinkling in the sunlight, and his arms dangling frantically beside him.

She heard the slight tremble in his voice, the ragged breaths he took, and the imperceptible fear he so greatly masked behind his masculine voice.

In a swift motion, she spun around to face her distressed brother, and assessed the pain she put him in. It was a similar situation they had faced with their mother. The fear and pain of losing her due to depression after their father had left. That was the early stage of her advanced misery, before she began drinking in her sorrows, and doing drugs out of loneliness and boredom. But still, even then, as she cried herself to sleep at night, while pretending to be cheery at day, there hovered a dark shadow in the house, filled with anxiety and fear. The fear caused many other emotions to pile up, and over the course of these years, everything drifted away.

In the same way, Allison frightened Jackson by her burdened state. This caused the same feeling to make its way back into the house yet again.

"Please," he murmured desperately, now begging his sister. "Please let me in."

"Jackson, we have to go to school-" she immediately began, conjuring up yet another excuse, but he wouldn't let this go any further.

"You're more important," he insisted, as Allison gave him a hesitant look. "Please, let me help you."

She sighed once she took a look at his face. His oh so loving face, that always seemed to draw her in, and push herself way beyond her self-restricted limits.

Slowly, the eldest Pierce daughter began untangling the schoolbag straps off of her shoulders, and approached the couch, then indecisively sat down. She had so many things swirling inside of her brain, that she could not say aloud, for if she did, things would never be the same again.

"Jackson..." she trailed off unsurely, flashbacks creating a ruckus in her brain, as he tramped over to her side hurriedly. "If I tell you this, I don't think you're ever gonna look at me the same way-"

"Nonsense," he cut her off abruptly, now sitting beside her. "You're my sister, and you always will be, no matter what," he assured her, and placed a comforting hand on top of hers. "Nothing can ever change that."

She nodded after a short delay, and gulped queasily, holding in her breath for a short period of time, concerning Jackson even more.

"It's okay," he whispered assuredly. "You don't have to be afraid."

Time had seemed to go on forever. By now, period one would have started, and the twins were probably sitting in their classroom with Mrs. Appleby, ready to take on a new day. But back in the Pierce household, remained the two eldest siblings, breaking piece by piece at every passing moment.

"I was six," Allison began in a shaky voice, struggling to choke out her words, while Jackson listened attentively. "We had just gotten back from school," she continued, stopping at every sentence to figure out how to word the next lines. "Mom was getting ready to drop you at soccer practice, and I was in my room playing with my dolls." Her voice cracked a little bit, and her eyes started getting glossy.

Jackson took notice, and traced a soothing hand on her back protectively, encouraging her to continue on with the story.

"You left for practice with mom, and dad and I were home." By now, her breathing had gotten much worse, and it seemed as though she was hyperventilating. But still, as her breaths soon turned into short gasps, Jackson held her tightly against his side, and squeezed her hand. "I was in my room, and dad came in." Something about the way she had addressed their father had terrified Jackson, and he dreaded what came next. "He was different," she explained, trying to do her best to word it accurately. "Almost, completely distant and, aggressive. His mood had completely changed, and he no longer carried a sweet smile on his face." Jackson feared where this was going, but forced himself to listen. "I-I was young, I didn't know what was going on when he began to..." she stuttered briefly, regathering her composure, while Jackson dug his nails into the couch with his other hand, roughly. "He began to, touch me...in certain places."

Forthwith, Jackson's back perked upwards, and his voice flourished unevenly, as he immediately called out her name in a warning. "Allison."

But still, as her brother urged to stop her, she couldn't. Instead, she continued to tell her childhood; her tarnished childhood that forced her innocence away so early on.

"He took off my clothes, and I was scared. I was scared, Jackson-" she pressed on, apprehensively, her arms now shaking strenuously. "I was so scared and I told him to stop, but he kept on going. I screamed, but no one heard me. No one was there, I was all alone."

The pace of her words had increased rapidly, and Jackson's anxiety had arose alarmingly, but she went on further, finally unloading everything off of her chest, the built up tears now running down her cheeks.

Jackson whimpered. "Allison, please-"

"He did it over and over again. He would always do it when no one was home, and it became routine. Whenever you and mom were out of the house, he would do it, and I would cry-"

"Allison stop it-'' Jackson was now shouting, pools of tears flooding his eyes, while Allison's were bloody red, and strained, as she went on with her uncompleted story with gory details.

"I would beg him to stop it, but he wouldn't listen. He held me so tightly that he made bruises on my arms and legs, and he would not let me go. He continued to hurt me again and again, until my body just lay there lifelessly-"

"Stop it, stop it, stop it." Jackson clasped his hands on top of his ears in attempt to block out her voice and shook his head back and forth rapidly.

"And when I thought it was over, he did it again-"

Their voices overlapped each other in a trembling manor, and both of them were drained emotionally now.

"Please, stop..." he cried, hearing her voice infused with every ounce of pain he could imagine.

"For years he did this," her voice was low but strong. "For years he forced himself upon me-" she then corrected herself. "For years he raped me, repeatedly."

Jackson could not believe the words she spoke. He knew his father was an alcoholic, and ignorant, but he never would have gone so far as to call him a monster, a beast; the devil incarnate.

He hated him -no, he despised him. He wanted to track him down to wherever the hell he was, and stab him in the heart with a knife, for doing this to his sweet little sister. He wanted him to pay for his actions. But he knew these thoughts came strictly from his rage, and right now the best thing to do would be to comfort Allison.

So he did just that. He held her. Just like he did last night, only, this time it was a little different. His arms enveloped her fragile body, and her head was buried protectively on his chest, as he blocked all light from entering her eyes. He held her so tightly, that he worried he was going to squeeze the life out of her body.

He didn't want to let her go, ever. He wanted to hold her there, forever, where no other venomous man could ever touch her, or even lay eyes upon her. He wasn't there for her the first time, but there was no way in hell he wouldn't be there for her this time. This time, he was going to be by her side throughout anything and everything.

She cried in his arms, finally feeling at peace, as Jackson himself couldn't help the tears that rolled down his face.

How could he have not known about this? How could he have been so blind? Allison was always optimistic, carefree, and happy, but how could he, her brother, not know that behind her smile there was hidden pain? How could he have been so oblivious? He hated himself for not realizing it sooner, and not stopping it before it turned into this. He absolutely hated the topic, and he wished he could go back in time to change the past. But he couldn't, unfortunately. So he stayed there, comforting her, and whispering assuring words into her ear until her breathing had calmed down a bit.

His right hand stayed at the back of her head, gently pressing her against his chest, and his left arm swung around her vigilantly. She buried herself into him, and her fragile hands clung onto his chest.

He wanted to stay there, forever, just hoping to erase her memories, her awful experience, and her terrible childhood. He wanted to hold her so tight, that it would somehow, magically make her innocent again; the girl he knew for so long. The girl who danced around in her white skirt, so carefree, so happy, so...undamaged.

But as he sat there, glued to his not so little sister anymore, the sad truth pierced his skull, threatening to expose the truth; they were already damaged well beyond repair, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, not this time.

-

An insufferable hour passed in the Pierce household, and Allison was now sleeping gracefully in her brother's arms, her tears dried up from the consumable amount of time that had passed. On her side, sat her brother, still holding her as tight as he could. He remained awake, wide eyed, and deep in his countless thoughts.

In the hour his sister finally felt as ease, he was being destroyed by every memory he purposely recalled in his childhood that had seemed perfectly normal to him, but came as monstrous in Allison's perspective. He replayed various different memories in his head multiple times, and couldn't help but feel a thick layer of darkness hovering over him.

While he had been playing soccer, scoring goals, and having the time of his life, his sister had been perversely been taken advantage of. While he had been going to birthday parties and school trips with his mother as a chaperone, that wretched man he once called his father, was stripping Allison of her purity, and at such a young age.

How did she survive? How did she get through it all? How was she able to maintain so strong? He couldn't even picture his father doing these unspeakable crimes, because they were too graphic and sickening. Just the mere thought of that beast laying even a finger on his precious little sister nauseated him. How could a man who was supposed to protect his daughter from the world, do exactly the opposite?

Her sister whirred around in her sleep, and Jackson guided her onto the cushion on the couch safely and gently. She remained asleep, buried in her complex thoughts, but protectively covered by an invisible coat of gallantry. He shifted away from her, and stood up to walk in the direction of the kitchen to prepare some freshly brewed coffee.

He rummaged through the cabinet in search for his favourite mug encrypted with an abstract letter 'J' on it, that Allison had gotten him for Christmas two years ago. When he finally spotted the glossy black finish, he planted the mug cautiously on the kitchen counter, now satisfied of his findings.

While doing so, he managed to take a quick glance at the window in front of the sink that revealed a beautiful day. The sun was awake and playing, the grass was as vibrant as ever, and the trees looked lusciously handsome standing tall amidst the bright coloured tulips planted at the corners of houses. Although it seemed like a glamorous day, it was far from it.

In fact, he would describe it as the most gruesome day he could imagine of, right next to the day he came home to find his mother trying to overdose on cocaine. In other words, today was not a beautiful day. Instead, it was the total opposite, for when he looked at the window, even through the blue, cloudless sky, he saw nothing but despair floating through the air, overpowering the birds at play.

With a loud click, the kettle flicked, snapping Jackson out of his miserable thoughts, and awaking Allison from her rest. She steadied her head away from the cushion, and felt the crusts on her cheeks from her tears, crack soundlessly. Her gaze fell immediately to her schoolbag which lay hopelessly on the ground, and then the clock that read 9:17.

Soon, she was able to decipher what it all meant. She had finally told Jackson. They stayed back from school, she fell asleep, but she had told Jackson the truth. She wondered if he looked at her any differently. She wondered if he would treat her any differently. She wondered if she herself would act any differently.

Before she could even give another thought to those questions suffocating her brain, Jackson popped up in the kitchen with a question. "Would you like some coffee?"

Without realization, her head bobbed from up to down at the sound of coffee. She definitely thought the first thing Jackson would say to her when she woke up, would be totally different. Instead, he pulled another mug around from the cabinet, and poured boiling hot water into it.

He shuffled to the refrigerator, and mixed a few ounces of milk into both of their mugs, and then made his way back to the living room. He handed Allison her mug, and she grasped it tightly in both of her hands without a question. Alongside her, Jackson sat down near the right hand, and stared ahead at the blank television screen.

Silence.

Nothing seemed to make any sense anymore. Nothing seemed, even the slightest bit right. Everything was so scattered, and the two siblings found it difficult to interact with one another.

Jackson didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet. And Allison feared what he would say, so she stayed quiet. It was something like a never ending silence, due to the lack of communication, something that they had never ever experienced with each other. It was disheartening, and worrisome, for both of them.

After a few awkward minutes had passed, Allison finally managed to conjure up a word. "Jackson!"

Her tone was light, playful, with a hint of anxiety coursing through the syllables. It was so faint, that it also seemed like it wasn't even there.

On the other hand, Jackson was bewildered, and the amount of coffee in his cup remained constant, as he slipped out confusedly. "Huh?"

"Say something!" Her voice stayed at a stagnant decibel, and by now, she grew agitated at her brother's silence.

"What do you want me to say?" He replied instinctively, without giving much thought to his sentence.

"I don't know, anything?" She shrugged, and urged further, in hopes to get him to talk.

Even he, was at a loss of words.

"I don't know what to say," he confessed, setting his coffee down on the table in front of him, and stared at his sister who's lips were pressed into a thin line.

"You always know what to say..." she trailed off softly, an ounce of desperation in her trembling voice.

"Not this time."

It was a shock to Allison; how her brother was completely and utterly speechless. Ordinarily, he was the person who always knew what to say, even at the most desolate of times, the most upsetting of situations.

But this, this was no ordinary situation. This was far beyond that. It was a class of its known, and in his eighteen years, Jackson had not ever been exposed to this type of conflict, this type of corruption, and this type of cruelty.

And as the clock's red hand kept ticking, the silence grew louder, until it was almost impossible not to hear the beating of their hearts.

At such times, hope attenuated significantly, and the pain increased evidently. Even the very few of the happiest of memories were hidden away in the inordinate amount of thoughts swarming around like pesky little bees.

Jackson thought. He thought really hard. A word. A joke. Some expression that he could muster up in the depths of his brain, or even a simple syllable, but no, he wasn't able to do anything. He assumed he was finally at breaking point, where all the horrible memories in his childhood finally caught up to him, and he could no longer bottle his emotions up anymore. But even in the midst of assuming that, his brain conjured up images of his little sister being placed into an unstable situation with their own father.

Her imaginary shrieks were heard, and cry for help was heard, but the actual picture was blurry, almost like he couldn't imagine it, and he definitely couldn't picture it. As hard as he tried, the brutality of his father's actions were too cruel to exist in his knowledgeable head.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to choke out, catching Allison's undying attention at his first sentence in fifteen minutes.

By now, his coffee was cold, but he didn't feel like drinking it anyways. After his sentence, he kept repeating. "I am so sorry."

She was confused by his apologies. 'What would he have to apologize for?' She wondered. He did nothing wrong.

"I am so sorry, Alls," he said again, sorrowfully. "That you had to go through this, all alone, because I was too oblivious to ever notice, and I was no help-"

"Jackson," she cut him off, before he could continue any further. "You couldn't have ever known about any of this," she reasoned with him, now setting her cup of coffee down on the table in front of her as well.

He glanced at her for a split second, and then shook his head. "I can't even begin to imagine what you went through. How did you manage to get through it, and with no help?"

"I did have help," she countered, calmly, giving him a faint smile. "From you." He looked into her eyes with surprise. "And the twins of course," she went on further to elaborate. "On days where I felt I couldn't make it, I remembered you, Alex, and Joce. Alex's quirky smile, Joce's strong mindset to always kick her twin brother's butt in soccer, and-" she paused briefly, now gazing up at him. "Your resiliency. All these years, you guys are what kept me going, can't you see that? Without you three, I fear I would have taken my own life-''

"Don't say that," he instantly cut in, getting saddened by the strained words that escaped her lips, as she tried analyzing his reaction. "Because I wouldn't have let you."

She flashed him a small smile at the corners of her mouth, and rested her head on the couch, comfortably. Whenever Jackson was around, he made the most heinous of situations, manageable, even when he did nothing but wrap his arms around her. He had a way with words, but his actions were equally balanced too.

When he stared down at his lap, deep in thought, Allison wondered what he could possibly be thinking about, and without hesitation, she vocalized her concern. "What's wrong?"

He gradually diverted his eyes from his dark jeans, to her sister's face that showed nothing but curiosity.

"I was supposed to protect you," he spoke, brokenly, with a shaky voice. "I was supposed to be there, look out for you, like a proper older brother. But instead, I let you go through this...horrible situation alone and-"

"Hey," she chimed in softly, grabbing a hold of his hands that had been flying around uncontrollably, along with his uncontainable emotions. "You did protect me, you have been protecting me ever since we were kids." He looked at her like he didn't believe her, so she decided to list a few predicaments. "When mom and dad were fighting at night and breaking things around the house, you were the one that held me all night to make me fall asleep." He listened intently, and recalled all the nights their parents would verbally abuse one another, and how his arm around Allison's body would never falter to shield her from the loud noises. He held her, all throughout the night, and never let go of her once. "All those times, when dad came home drunk out of his mind, you were the one who protected me from ever witnessing him like that." It was true. When their father had come home severely inebriated, with thick glass bottles sewn into his hands, Jackson would occupy Allison all day in her room, so she didn't have to face him. And even when he started breaking the bottles, causing shards of glass to inundate the kitchen floors, he was the one who cleaned up everything before his mother or sister could ever find out. "And later on, when mom decided to try to overdose herself, you were the one who told me to go into my room, so you could take care of it." It was a horrible day. The day they came home from school to find their mother in the bathtub with drenched clothes, and fully drenched hair, with her mascara running down her face. "It's always been you. You're the one who has protected me from everything I could've faced while being stuck in this...haunted house. You couldn't have known what father was doing to me behind closed doors-"

"But if I had known!" He interjected, frustrated with himself. "If I had only known what type of...abuse was going on, I would've put an end to it, before..." he was looking for the word, and was almost afraid to use it. "Before he had sex with you!"

With that outburst, Allison fell quiet again. It was such a dirty word already, and the context it was used in, did not help at all, either. But his sentence was, unfortunately true, and grammatically correct at that, but for some reason, the sound of it, made Allison wince, as all the flashbacks came flooding back into her brain.

"I could've stopped it, Allison," he repeated, giving her a disappointed look, with a shake of his head. "You wouldn't have lost your innocence at such a young age-"

"Jackson I was bound to lose it at some point," she argued, running a hand through her brown locks. "I've learned, that in this house, innocence is a luxury; a luxury that we could not afford."

"It's not fair," he cursed, clenching his fists in anger. "None of it is fair." His words stung like venom in the air. "We were always the ones to suffer."

"But we had each other," she reminded him, an optimistic look plastered on her face. "So we suffered together; that's always better than suffering alone."

He was faced with an optimistic Allison, yet again, and was unaware how to further pursue this quarrel. He was perplexed, and way past his breaking point, when his authoritative instincts kicked in.

"Maybe you should go take a shower or something," he suggested with a small shrug, wanting a moment to himself to take in all of these unfortunate events. "You know, freshen up."

Allison hesitantly agreed, and without a word, stood up leisurely to make her way up the stairs, leaving Jackson there to reflect on all the past occurring events that happened, and how he was too oblivious to even notice.

He was disappointed in himself, and he felt as if he failed his family. He was the eldest one. He was supposed to look out for each and every sibling, but he failed, miserably at that. There was absolutely nothing he could do to take away Allison's lifelong misery, and mental scars. He could only exist; but he wondered how that could possibly be enough.

In the midst of the several questions he mentally inquired about, a phone started ringing, blaring loudly through the speaker at the bottom of it. He peered over the coffee table, and assessed that it was Allison's phone, with an incoming call from Rebecca.

He picked it up hurriedly, and was on his way to the stairs, when he heard the shower already running upstairs. He silently cursed underneath his breath, and debated in his mind what he should do.

Instinctively, his thoughts rushed over to losing the twins and Allison, even if one small detail was against them. He couldn't let anything or anyone expose them, and he figured Rebecca was wondering about his sister's whereabouts, and he didn't want her best friend's curiosity to get the best of her.

So without a second to spare, he accepted the call.

But before he could even attempt to speak, an ear-splitting voice erupted from the phone pressed closely to his right ear. He felt as if his eardrums had bursted, and recoiled in a quick movement.

"Allison!? Where the hell are you?" Rebecca's voice went on, as Jackson silently judged the weirdness and loudness of redheads. "I've been waiting for you at this stupid lunch table for far too long! I swear, as soon as I find you, I will -with no hesitation, kick your ass, you hear?"

While hearing her loud outburst, Jackson couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape his lips.

"Rebecca?" He guessed, and went on to introduce himself as the person who answered the phone. "This is Jackson; Allison's brother."

On the other end, Rebecca grew so embarrassed, that her cheeks formed a light shade of red, and her heart dropped so suddenly, just at the sound of his voice.

"Uh..." she fumbled with her words, the sound of her voice drastically quiet. "Where's Allison?"

Her voice matched her stunned facial expression, as she started biting her nails anxiously. Back at the Pierce's house, Jackson scrambled to come up with a convincing lie to tell her.

"She's um..." he hesitated, still trying to conjure up a believable story what with everything Allison had just told him. "She's...sick." He hated the fact his voice came out so shakily, and was worried that Rebecca would see right through his lie. "She's very ill, like high fever and severe headaches."

Surprisingly, Rebecca had bought it. "Really? Oh my gosh, that's horrible!" She expressed, showing concern. "But, if she's sick and at home, then why are you home as well, and with her phone?"

Then came her curiosity, that Jackson was not expecting, nor wanting.

"That's...that's because, uh...I'm looking after her, of course!" He exclaimed, ruffling a nervous hand through his spiky hair.

"Shouldn't your mom be doing that?"

She brought it up. Maybe unintentionally, and maybe because it was a normality for her, but she brought it up. The mere mention of mother sent Jackson's heartbeat to skyrocket at an irregular speed. She couldn't know, she could never know their situation.

And so he went on with his little fib. "Well yeah, she is. It's just um, I'm sick too." He reciprocated a fake, forced cough. "So you see, we're both not having a good day here. I mean, I'm pretty sure Allison's upstairs, puking her guts out as we speak," he continued. "But I'll let her know you called-"

"Could you also tell her-''

Without even giving her a chance to respond back, he immediately said his farewell, and hung up, breathing a sigh of relief. Jackson then held a hand up to his heart, and felt his heartbeat stabilize gradually.

That was a close call.

He often took matters more drastically then they were ever intended to be in the first place, but for a good reason. He feared the authorities would soon come to a conclusion, and realize they had a house full of kids without any legal adult supervision. He didn't know what he'd do if anything like that ever occurred. He could never imagine a life without his siblings. They needed him, just as much as he needed them.

No longer distressed, he hopped along the hardwood steps, in intent to notify his sister about the recent call made by her best friend.

He reached the last step on the top, and waltzed along the corridor, with Allison's phone clutched tightly in his right hand. His journey led him towards her door that was somehow left ajar, and casually walked in without a second thought.

There, in the middle of the room, stood his half-naked sister, dressed in a white towel, her wet hair clenched to her back, and a puddle of water oozing onto the floor beneath her.

"Oh my god," he muttered embarrassingly, immediately looking away, and drifted his gaze to the left of her. "I am so sorry, I didn't know."

He struggled with his words, dismissed his sister's shocked expression, and instantly rushed out of her bedroom, quickly closing the door behind him. He took a moment to regather himself, and sustained his embarrassment, then focused on his bedroom door which stood right across his sister's room.

A couple of minutes passed, and then finally, Allison opened her door to reveal herself now fully clothed, with an unbothered smile sewn onto her lips. She looked unfazed, as if the previous incident didn't just occur.

"Forgive me," he said again, as she just dismissed his unnecessary apology, and silently wondered why he held her phone so tightly. "I uh...Rebecca called, and was wondering why you weren't at school." Very abruptly, her face began to form into a panic. "I told her you were sick, and that I was sick, and mother was looking after us."

Allison relaxed into her position, and smiled satisfyingly, with an approved nod. "Good cover up."

He flashed her a weak expression, and then handed the phone back to her. She slipped it in the pocket of her jeans, and held on a mischievous grin.

"Oh no," Jackson feared, analyzing his sister's known facial expression. "What are we doing this time?"

"Well," she started off deviously, rubbing her hands together all villain-like. "It's only about twelve o'clock, we're off of school, and we still have plenty of time until we have to pick the twins up; why don't we go do something?"

He was bewildered by his sister's sudden attitude. Just an hour ago she was confessing how she had been sexually abused, and now she suggested to do something to keep her occupied. Was it to distract her from the truth? Or was it just because she was optimistic?

Nevertheless, Jackson naturally agreed. He could never say no to her, especially at a time like this.

"What do you suggest we do?" He questioned innocently, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Hmm," Allison started, placing her index finger underneath her chin in a sophisticated way. "We can, sneak into a movie," she listed, a devilish grin plastered on her face. "Tour the White House, protest against violence -ooh, I know!" She exclaimed in a childish manner, her eyes glowing brightly. "We can go for a walk!"

Jackson scrunched his eyebrows, confused by her suggestion. "A walk?"

"Yes," she confirmed confidently, already describing the sensation. "Just imagine, walking along the sidewalk, no desired destination, lots of time to kill...birds singing in the trees, the sun shining on your face, a rainbow from the downpour last night." She sighed in awe with dreamy eyes. "Doesn't that sound amazing?"

There, in that moment, Jackson finally realized how genuine and simplistic his sister really was. Hell, even to him, the sound of taking a peaceful walk without having to worry nonstop sounded heavenly. Unfortunately, little and normal things such as going on a walk, sounded abnormal to the Pierce's, due to their abnormal lives.

It almost seemed, a rare thing to do. To feel at ease, and to take an afternoon stroll along the sidewalk to wherever your legs would take you. It was always out of reach, but now, as Jackson witnessed his sister's hopeful expression, he was hellbent on making it a reality.

And so, the two eldest Pierce's set out on a small journey to wherever they could find themselves wander to. As imagined, the gleaming sunlight shone down on their faces, highlighting every feature, a double rainbow enveloped the sky, and the songbirds sang a lovely melody as they nested amongst the cherry blossom trees.

It was peaceful, at last, even though they both knew it would only be short lived, and temporary, at that. They enjoyed every bit of it, knowing moments like this would only come sometimes -if not, once in a lifetime.

-

Twenty minutes passed, and the Pierce's walked past the twins' school, RidgeHigh, and the local baseball park.

They didn't know where they were heading, their destination was unknown, but there was a certain assurance that coursed through their veins as they both soaked in the sun. They were safe; away from all the bad things that could ever harm them.

And most importantly, they were together, as a family, and they would always stay together, no matter what obstacle came their way.

As they strolled along the footpath, Allison had this gaping question she just could not contain any longer. "What if, by some miraculous turn of events, you were given a one way ticket out of the life you currently live." She pressed on further. "What would you wish for?"

"Wow that's quite a mouthful," Jackson uttered briefly, as they rounded the corner past the convenience store. "Hmm." He held on a conflicted expression, and stared up at the blue, cloudless sky. "Well, I think I'd wish to live on an island, far away."

Allison furrowed her eyebrows in a dumbfounded expression, and stopped in her tracks, causing Jackson to freeze in his place as well, following her lead.

"An island?" She repeated, as if he were merely joking.

"Yes, an island," he confirmed nonchalantly, with an amused look on his face.

Allison shook her head with a short laugh, and then continued to trudge along the concrete ground with her brother hot on her tail.

"What's so funny?" He questioned curiously, wondering why his sister had made fun of his wish.

She shrugged, and peered over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of a seagull rummaging through the trash can for food to provide her children, and smiled to herself.

"It's just that," she started gradually, now shifting her eyes to meet his disconcerted face. "I couldn't ever imagine living alone on a large island. Wouldn't that get lonely?"

He relayed almost immediately. "Who said I would be living alone?" He caught his sister's attention, as he continued with his explanation of his most desired wish. "I'd have you, and the twins. What more could I want?"

Allison was surprised, and if she was being honest with herself, she was also kind of relieved. "I find it hard to believe you'd willingly choose to hold onto your burdened life."

He slipped his hands in his pockets sluggishly, as they both toured the town, passing by numerous cherry blossom trees, with a cool breeze blowing by every now and then.

Jackson held on a stagnant expression, and smiled softly. "You guys aren't burdens," he admitted wholeheartedly. "In fact, I'd have the time of my life on that island with you guys. I mean, spending our days on a beautiful island with no fear of being separated, no one to judge us, no hypocrite mother to squander us; that is the best life," he listed, while making many hand gestures to match his fantasizing tone.

It was, indeed, the best life they could ever imagine. Anywhere would be better than being here, stuck in a plagued house filled with numerous memories that haunted each and every one of them.

Allison smiled at her brother, then violently took him by the arm, and led him across the road, causing him to react in shock by the sudden movement.

"Where are we going?" He cried in fear, vigorously checking for any oncoming cars.

"Just trust me!" She exclaimed in response, finally making it to the other side of the road.

Jackson couldn't help but notice his sister's adventurous attitude, and her persistency. So naturally, he accepted her bubbly personality, and allowed her to lead him into some sort of hidden park.

At last, they had reached Allison's desired location. It was a small spot masked behind an old playground by several large evergreen trees, and it was insanely breathtaking.

Jackson gazed upwards in awe, breathing in the fresh scent of cherry blossom trees surrounding the tiny area. The grass stood evenly on the surface below, and glistened in the piercing sunlight. A small stream of fresh water trickled down a naturally carved-out hole in the ground, and the birds gathered around freely, singing a beautiful melody.

It was like heaven. The sound of nothing but peace and tranquility seemed out of grasp for them, but standing there, in this prepossessing meadow-like place, happiness seemed within reach.

"Wow," Jackson breathed out in awe, at a loss of words.

It was a pleasant view. None that they had ever witnessed before in their lives. It seemed as the shadow that hovered over them from time to time, had now been lifted.

"How do you know about this place?" The eldest brother probed, still admiring nature's beauty to a full extent.

Allison glided down the pathway, and made her way deeper into the meadow, where she then plopped down on a patch of grass, smiling ahead at the flowing water in satisfaction and harmony.

"Rebecca and I found it while fooling around," she explained shortly, patting a seat right next to herself.

Her hair laid back naturally, and her arms supported her body as she leaned back, and let the sun highlight her face. Jackson slid beside her without hesitancy, and cherished the sight in front of him, that was also held as a symbol for hope.

For a moment, the siblings stayed in silence; soaking up the sunlight, and imagining a world where there were no problems, no conflicts, and where they would stray far from the very predicament they were in. It was something only their fantasies could conjure up, and it would only be unrealistic to describe it as reality.

But still, knowing that it was all imaginary, they proceeded to fantasize, because the human brain craved for happiness. Although for them, it was always short lived.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up, but," Jackson was the first to speak, like he always was, but something about the nervous tone in his voice concerned Allison. "When, father..." he was hesitant, as Allison grew aware of the topic he was now addressing. "When he used to...you know-" he struggled with his words abnormally, but his sister nodded in understanding, and urged him to continue calmly. "How come you were afraid to tell me?" Again, silence fell upon the small meadow, while Jackson added onto his question. "I remember, you and I were inseparable."

He chuckled lightly, reminiscing the very little good memories they both shared. "We would always do things together. We'd get in trouble together, we even shared a bed together. How come you couldn't tell me? Did you think I'd see you differently?"

He was completely baffled. For once in his life, he wasn't sure about anything, and that worried him immensely. He was supposed to be the eldest, and with being the eldest, came great responsibility. And although he had provided comfort to his little sister, he felt his authority fading.

"Jackson," Allison started softly, resting her arms on her kneecaps that were pressed tightly against her chest. "I knew I could tell you anything," she admitted, turning her head to give him a small smile. "That was never the problem." He listened to each and every word she had to say. "I was...so young, I didn't even know what he was doing to me." She paused in between, and took a deep breath. "All I knew was, that I didn't like it, and that it hurt, a lot. I was so scared about what he would do to me if anyone found out, that I had to stay quiet. When he began to...take advantage of me, I realized what he was truly capable of. If he was capable of that, he could be capable of many more things."

Jackson placed a comforting hand on his sister's back, and nodded understandingly. Again, with hesitation, he decided upon asking another question.

"Were you...ever afraid of me? -Doing what he did?" Jackson made eye contact with his hand still glued to his sister's back, and cautiously pulled it back immediately. "Oh, I-I'm sorry-"

"I could never be afraid of you, Jackson," Allison replied assuringly, staring into his eyes sincerely. "I never worried you would do what dad did, because I just knew you would never."

He stared back with wide eyes, and eased into his spot once again, admiring the delicacy of nature ahead.

"I would never even think about laying a finger on you like that," he whispered harshly, more so arguing with himself. "Please remember that."

She nodded obediently, and stared ahead as well. Again, a never ending silence fell upon the two, for they both weren't aware on how to address this situation. It was something like a forbidden topic to discuss, but as much as it was tragic, it was the truth.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, came a shuffling sound from across the meadow. It emerged from a bush, causing both of the Pierce's to jolt upwards in surprise.

"What was that?" Allison whispered harshly, her grip tightening on the grass below her.

"It's probably just a rabbit or something," her brother shrugged casually, focusing his eyesight on the water once more, when another sound emerged from the exact same place.

Only this time, it was much louder.

"That didn't sound like a rabbit..." Allison trailed off, bouncing upwards on her feet.

Jackson followed her footwork, and examined the area cautiously with his eyes fixated on the specific bush.

"Stay behind me," he instructed his sister, holding a protective arm in front of her.

The two Pierce's anxiously waited for the supposed animal to show itself. The bushes swayed from left to right vigorously, as the eldest daughter imagined a ferocious beast with sharp, jagged teeth to appear in front of her. She gripped her brother's arm so tightly, that she grew worried about stopping his blood circulation.

"Show yourself!" Jackson exclaimed in impatience, distressed by the delay of outcome.

After a couple of lingering seconds, a shadow emerged from the vibrant colors of the tall grass, to reveal a shaggy haired dog trotting alongside the pathway. His timid expression showcased his lonesome attitude, and his golden hair absorbed with dirt revealed the gruesome neglect he endured.

Allison gradually released her grip on Jackson, and sighed in relief, eyeing the tall dog who had on a slight frown. Jackson let a small chuckle escape his lips, as the corners of his mouth lifted up in happiness.

"It's a stray dog," he explained, glancing at his sister for a split second, before his gaze fell upon the canine standing shyly in front of him.

"How do you know for sure? It could be a runaway..." Allison trailed off unsurely, keeping her distance.

Jackson gave her a dumbfounded expression, and gestured to his undesired state. "I strongly believe he's been abandoned."

With that, he slowly started approaching the dog, but Allison pulled him back abruptly.

"Jackson, don't," she pleaded, clear worry in her eyes. "He could have some sort of disease, like rabies, for instance-"

"Allison," he reassured, unclasping her hand from his arm slowly, while looking at her eyes. "He's fine."

Allison silently agreed to his brother's argument, and watched closely, as he approached the furry creature.

"I'm not going to hurt you, little guy," Jackson spoke in a calm voice, spreading his arms out cautiously, and crouched down to decrease his height. "I want to help you."

The dog grew alarmed, and jolted upwards in defence, ready to bolt away.

"Hey," Jackson let out once again, while Allison clenched onto her sweater's sleeves in anxiety. "Everything is going to be alright, buddy."

He might've sounded crazy right now, but his main concern was the safety of the dog. Cautiously, Jackson took one last step towards him, and ran a hand through his dirt-covered fur. The dog eased up, and accepted the touch wholeheartedly, while Jackson held on a smile.

"See, he's friendly," he explained, glancing at Allison who still remained fearful, and unsure.

But seeing as her older brother had faith in the dog, she trusted him. With uncertainty, she slowly, but surely started approaching the creature. Her eyes had nothing but fear, and anxiety coursing through her veins, when Jackson flashed her a reassuring look.

Gradually, Allison extended her right arm outwards, fearing the outcome. She thought the dog might bite her arm off aggressively, but she stood wrong, as the light haired canine greeted her warmly, and leaned against her leg.

"He likes you," Jackson noted, watching a wide smile escape her sister's lips as she petted the dog. "Let's bring him home-"

Immediately, Allison pulled away, and gave him an exasperated look.

"Jackson," she scolded sternly, now taking the authoritative position. "We cannot bring him home."

"Allison, he has no home," he argued. "He's filthy, and he's clearly been abandoned." He gestured to the dog who so conveniently put on a set of puppy dog eyes, and whimpered sadly. "He needs love. He needs a family. He needs us."

Allison took in a deep breath, and stared at her brother and the dog, both glued by the hip. As much as she wanted to stand her ground, and take the position of the responsible one, she couldn't. She couldn't resist her brother's plea, or the cute dog standing in front of her. It was highly impossible to do such a thing.

"Okay..." she trailed off, already regretting it at the sound of Jackson exclaiming in victory. "But, this is not permanent. We'll bring him home until we can find the original owner, or a no kill shelter to give him to."

"Yeah yeah," Jackson waved off uninterestingly, and crouched down towards the dog, staring at his brown eyes. "Did you hear that, buddy? You're coming home with us. You're going to meet Jocelyn and Alex, and you're going to love them."

Allison shuffled her feet back and forth impatiently, and looked around the park cautiously.

"How are we going to bring him home? He doesn't have a leash. I know for a fact there's always police hanging around the park, and dogs are not permitted to be off leash," Allison shared, as Jackson scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, mentally scanning the park perimeter to find something useful.

"Hmm," he let out, rummaging through a few bushes to the far left, as Allison couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"What are you doing?" She asked, as her brother continued to go garbage hunting, when he came across something satisfying.

"Aha!" He exclaimed, grasping his desired item.

He returned to his sister, and held a lanky rope also engulfed in dirt. It was worn out, but it was enough to get the dog back home.

"You're going to love it at home," Jackson spoke comfortingly, wrapping a loop around the dog's neck, and started guiding him out of the park, while Allison watched in dismay, mentally rolling her eyes.

-

The air grew thick, as the two siblings ventured back home, alongside a new four-legged friend. The unidentified dog trudged along the sidewalk happily, for the first time in a long while. With a wide grin, Jackson rounded the corner onto his street, with his sister, who held on a look of uncertainty. They passed a couple of houses, before they reached theirs, then Jackson led the dog inside, and immediately, he started prancing around the house in joy.

"No, not on the couch!" Allison scolded, rushing over to the living room to find him casually laying down, spreading dirt all over the grey couch, while Jackson let a small chuckle escape his lips. "Jackson!"

"Okay, okay..." he surrendered, taking the dog by his handmade leash, and led him towards the bathroom. "Come on buddy, let's get you washed up."

Allison huffed in annoyance, and went to close the front door, when she spotted Rebecca standing fiercely on her porch, staring at her in an unusual manner.

"Rebecca," Allison spoke in a surprising tone. "What, uh...what are you doing here?"

She tilted her head slightly, and gave a short reply. "I just came to make sure if you were okay."

Now Allison was the one to become confused. The eldest Pierce daughter furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and hesitancy.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?"

The redhead grew a bit aggravated, and gave her best friend a knowing look.

"Because," she elaborated. "Jackson told me you were sick, and projectile vomiting, hence the reason why you couldn't come to school today. I-I don't understand-"

"Oh..." Allison cut her off, dragging it out, immediately putting on a diseased facade. "Right...yes, I am sick...so sick, like severely sick..."

She was a bad liar, more than she gave herself credit for, and Rebecca saw right through her lies.

"Oh really?" Rebecca asked rhetorically, crossing her arms over her chest in an authoritative manner. "So why is it that you don't look like a walking zombie?"

Allison stumbled briefly, and gripped the wooden front door tightly, trying to conjure up a reasonable explanation.

"Er...makeup?"

The way she presented her sentence, came off suspicious, and unconvincing.

"You don't wear makeup," Rebecca shut down, raising her left eyebrow. "Now tell me, what is really going on?"

"I'm serious, Rebecca," Allison argued. "I just don't feel well, but I'll be fine, I promise you. I'll be back at school tomorrow."

Before she could close the front door in attempts to sashay Rebecca out of her house, the large canine who emerged from the bathroom tub, came darting towards the redhead, completely drenched in soapy water.

Soon after, the eldest Pierce joined him, with his white shirt soaked against his bare chest, and his short hair entirely tousled, splitting several ways.

Rebecca shrieked in fear on the porch steps, and shut her eyes tightly, preparing for some sort of vicious contact with the creature, but was left mysteriously untouched.

With her arms up in front of her face for protection, she slowly lowered them, and snuck a peak in front of her. To her relief, Jackson hovered over the now tamed beast, looking heroic as ever.

For a second, Rebecca was too distracted by Jackson's charms; his ruffled hair, his warm skin practically radiating through his wet white shirt, and the apologetic look plastered on his face, but was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she glanced at her best friend, who stood still, a look of shock written all over her face.

"Okay, what exactly is going on here?!" Rebecca demanded, folding her arms over her chest in anger and frustration.

Jackson flashed her a weak smile, and temporarily left to escort the dog into their nearest bathroom. He returned shortly, and Rebecca forced herself to turn away from his gorgeous state, to give Allison a questioning expression.

"It's a long story." Allison stammered, struggling to construct her sentences.

"I've got time," Rebecca spat right back, with a raised eyebrow. "I was told you and your brother were sick. And now I see you with this...this...wild animal. I want to know the truth."

Allison never understood why Rebecca was so dramatic, why she wanted to know exactly where she was all the time, or what she was doing. Maybe she just wasn't used to friendships, maybe she just didn't accept them. Still, as Rebecca awaited for a reasonable explanation, she couldn't help but think if her family were normal, she would have not been in this situation. Indeed, if the Pierce's were a typical family, maybe she'd had been able to maintain a consistent friendship with Rebecca, where she wouldn't have to lie to her all the time.

"I'll explain," her older brother cut in, quick to her rescue. "You see, we were on our way to school this morning, when we spotted a stray dog. He looked sad, and lonely, so we took him back to our house to nurture him."

Jackson's lie was logical, and possible, due to the happening circumstances, but Rebecca was smart, and feisty. She didn't believe it for one second.

"Then why would you tell me you both were sick?" She urged further, as Allison gave a knowing look to her brother, practically blaming him for getting them into this mess.

"I didn't know what else to say," Jackson went on nervously, improvising. "I thought you'd tell someone...or somehow manage to let our mother know. She isn't very fond of animals. I realize now, I shouldn't have lied to you. Will you forgive me?"

One look at his face, Rebecca knew she couldn't stay mad for long. She had already forgiven him, the second his brown eyes pierced through hers. She couldn't help but blush, and grew nervous at his lingering gaze on her, which Allison took notice of, curiously.

"Well I suppose, it was for the best..." Rebecca finally trailed off, sneaking glances at Jackson, who kept on glimpsing at the bathroom door to make sure the canine was okay.

"Indeed," Allison confirmed, furrowing her eyebrows at Rebecca's encounter with her brother, and her nervous smile, every time he looked at her face.

"I guess I ought to go, then," the redhead concluded, gripping her school bag tightly under her arm, finally meeting Allison's gaze. "Sorry for bombarding you with all those questions. Good luck with the beast -err, I mean, dog," she immediately corrected herself, as Allison gave a plastic smile her way, and finally closed the door on her, after her last goodbye.

Jackson let out a breath of relief, and ran a moist hand through his damp hair.

"She's a keeper," Jackson snorted out, on his way towards the bathroom, with Allison hot on his trail.

"Did you see the way she looked at you?" She questioned in confusion, and suspicion.

He entered the bathroom to find a wet dog plopped on the mat, and Allison gave him a disgusted look, noticing all the dirt embedded into his body.

"Yeah; she was really angry," Jackson shrugged off, patting the creature planted comfortably on the ground in front of him.

Allison began to open her mouth to elaborate more on her question, but stopped herself after witnessing her brother and the dog interacting lovingly with each other.

"Wow," she breathed out in astonishment. "I think he really likes you."

Jackson gave off a slightly cocky grin, and glanced at his younger sister. "I think Bruno just needed a place to call home."

Instantly, Allison's look of awe dissipated into an outraged look, as she cried out. "You named him?!"

The dog now identified as Bruno tilted his head slightly at Allison's dynamically strong voice, while Jackson quietly cursed underneath his breath.

He then proceeded to lift Bruno into the tub, completely dismissing his sister's exclamation. But she continued her lecture.

"Jackson, I am serious, we cannot keep him. We already have the twins to take care of, we can't have a dog running loose in the house. That's a lot of responsibility, which frankly, we don't have the time for." Jackson rolled his eyes at his sister's converted logical perspective, and started rinsing Bruno's thick coat with lukewarm water. "Not even that. We can't afford it! We can barely afford food to get us through the day, how will we be able to provide him with food?"

Finally, after believing Allison's rant was over, he trudged over towards her, and had on an expressionless face. He was neither angry, or upset. Instead, he had on a relaxed expression, and began to speak as calmly as he could. "Maybe we can afford him." Allison placed a sassy hand on her hips, and shot him an unconvincing glare. "Now that you're getting a job, we can put our money together and have enough to feed the twins and us, while also managing to get Bruno's essential supplies."

Allison still seemed unsure, but was forced to meet Bruno's gaze. As if on cue, his puppy dog eyes enlarged, and a familiar pout grew on his lips. Allison scoffed, and shook her head in disbelief.

"Just look at him, Allison. He has nowhere else to go. He needs us."

Jackson's annoying, persistent voice rang in her ears, and she felt the urge to just punch him in the face to quiet him. But even she could not stray from the truth. Bruno was just like them in a way, she thought. He was abandoned, neglected, and left out in the real world, with nothing.

Except, he had it worse. While the Pierce's had each other to rely on for comfort, Bruno had nobody.

At last, the eldest daughter released a sigh of defeat.

"Fine," she finally agreed, not without playfully rolling her eyes, as Jackson exclaimed in joy, causing Bruno to bark in excitement.

"Yes!" He shouted, jumping to hug his sister, but she extended an arm that held him back, triggering him to flash her a confused look.

"Not with your wet state," she warned, as Jackson shook his head, and resumed his action to cleanse the dog.

Allison wholeheartedly stepped beside her brother, and outstretched her arm to place on Bruno's head. His eyes shone in joy, and his smile was infectious.

In a moment's notice, in his drenched state, he shook off the water droplets on his body, completely soaking Allison's clothes in the process.

Allison let out a high pitched scream in irritation, as Jackson laughed loudly at the amusing sight, while Bruno started barking pridefully.

Eventually, both of the siblings emerged into fits of laughter, and once more there was light in the Pierce's house, even if it were just for a moment.

Maybe Bruno was the one to sew their family back together at last, Allison thought. But the one thing she knew was, there had been one more family member added that day, and as dysfunctional as they really were, this member of the family had four legs, and a contagious smile; the perfect sign of hope.

-

It had been exactly an hour since Allison and Jackson gave Bruno a bath. Now, Allison was currently making dinner, Bruno was laying down on the couch watching tv, and Jackson was picking the twins up from school.

As Allison cooked, she snuck quick glances Bruno's way, and took notice of the relaxed expression he had on his face. Along with his demeanour, Bruno was also completely spotless, letting his golden coarse hair, shine vibrantly. He looked so genuinely happy and comfortable, making Allison doubt her own uncertainty at the beginning.

He was adorable, there was no doubt in that, and she had always wanted a dog as a child. But the logistics weighed in her brain as well, threatening to force her to face the truth. This family was barely surviving as they were. Adding another member, especially a dog, would mean they would have to work twice as hard as before. She didn't know if they could provide for Bruno, as much as they wanted to.

While making some stir fry, she glimpsed outside the window, viewing the slight discolouration in the sky, as it changed into a beautiful pink, following the early sunset, and couldn't help but think about Rebecca's encounter with Jackson.

Something about the way Rebecca had reacted to her brother, and the way she stared at him, made her question her intentions. She thought it would be best to confront her at school tomorrow, but she was at a loss of what to say.

Rebecca was a good friend, and as much as she wanted to be, she could never be a close friend, or a best friend to her, because Allison could not afford to put anyone in front of her own family. It was too much of a risk, a risk she wasn't willing to take.

Deep in her thoughts, she failed to hear Jackson and the twins coming in through the front door.

"I hate school," Alex pouted, crossing his arms angrily, as he plopped his school bag on the ground in front of him.

"What happened?" Allison wondered curiously, more so asking Jackson who shrugged casually.

"Mrs. Appleby held me in for recess, because I got a D on my math test, and she wanted to tutor me," he elaborated, as Allison chuckled slightly, finding Alex's frustration a little amusing, and cute.

"Well, I had a good day!" Jocelyn exclaimed happily, bouncing around in her two pigtails.

"Well it's about to get a whole lot better," Jackson intervened, and as if on cue, Bruno came darting towards the twins, almost knocking them over.

Jocelyn screamed loudly, frightening Allison, as she rushed to her aid.

"What's wrong? Did he bite you?" She bombarded her little sister with so many questions, and awaited for her assurance, as Alex jumped in glee, a bright smile plastered on his face, as he petted Bruno.

"Puppy!" Jocelyn shouted after a long pause, giving a toothy grin. "I've always wanted a puppy!"

Allison relaxed into her position, and let out a breath of relief, glad to know she was safe. Jackson however, gave her a playful smirk, and placed a white plastic bag onto the kitchen counter.

"Is he ours? Can we keep him?" Alex asked hopefully, receiving a bunch of wet sloppy kisses from the large canine.

"Haha, that tickles," Jocelyn laughed, also the victim of Bruno's long tongue.

"He is ours," Jackson announced proudly, gaining a warning look from Allison, and then added on to correct himself. "As of now. His name is Bruno."

The twins continued to surround him, and shower him with pets, as Bruno reciprocated the excitement and love. They all seemed happy for once, and Allison couldn't deny the joy that was brought into this house once again. Hearing the sounds of laughter, overjoyed her.

She quickly raced to the stove to shift the spoon around in the pan, and then saw Jackson taking a few items out of the white bag.

"What'd you get?" Allison questioned, resting her elbows on the marble counter across from him.

"Well," Jackson started, gesturing to the first item. "I got Bruno some dog food and a bowl." He reached into the bag for the second item. "A collar -blue, because who wouldn't love blue?" At that, Allison scoffed playfully, and listened to his continuance. "And lastly..." Jackson smiled to himself. "A name tag."

Allison watched intensely at the shiny metal shaped as a bone, with big bolded letters spelled out as Bruno.

"I know, we have to at least attempt to find his original owner -if he even has one, but I just wanted him to feel more at home," Jackson explained emotionally, staring at the twins playing around with Bruno, who was now doing laps around the living room in happiness.

Allison just smiled, and nodded in understanding, her eyes trailing back to Bruno and the twins.

-

A few hours passed, and it was now 7:30 pm. Allison has finished cooking awhile ago, and was working on her missed homework on the dining room table, until she started setting up the table for dinner.

The twins were still playing with Bruno, and hadn't even touched the tv, or any of their electronic devices since they got home, which surprised Allison. She couldn't ever imagine Alex not dashing to play his daily game on his game boy. But as she placed the plates carefully on the table, she couldn't help but observe the wide smiles on both Jocelyn and Alex's faces as they chased Bruno around the couch.

Once she was satisfied with her utensil arrangements, she headed upstairs to find Jackson. She assumed he was working on his homework, but when she observed him through the tiny crack in the door, she noticed him typing vigorously on his laptop.

Without knocking, she stepped inside his room, almost startling him to death. He let out a breath once he realized it was her, and then gave her a questionable look.

"I just came to let you know that dinner is ready," she declared with a faint smile. "Also, what are you doing?"

Jackson glanced back at his computer for a split second, and then returned his gaze to his sister. "I thought I'd get started on the missing dog flyers. I figured if he were actually lost, someone might be missing him." He then muttered quietly. "I know I would."

Allison couldn't help but lift the corners of her mouth upwards into a delicate smile, as she stared at her brother proudly, astonished by his ability to do the right thing.

"Wow, that's really good," she admitted honestly, visions of Bruno and the twins lingering in her mind, causing her smile to fade away quickly. "But, I don't think we should put up any flyers."

Jackson was caught off guard, as explained by his widened eyes, and gave his sister a confused expression, as she carefully elaborated. "I wasn't sure, but I am now." She continued. "I mean, the happiness he brings the twins, and you, that's all I could ever ask for. Besides, I don't think anyone would be dumb enough to lose such an amazing dog."

Jackson beamed, and stood up from his chair in amazement. His brown eyes twinkled, and reflected off of the light fixture hung in his room, as he ran to embrace Allison.

"You're the best," he told her, and then pulled away, as she laughed.

"Oh I know," she replied sassily, as they both started heading down the stairs.

Once they settled into the living room, Jackson skipped over to the kitchen to retrieve Bruno's food, and poured it into his dog food bowl. Instantaneously, he came running towards him with his tail wagging back and forth excitedly. On his face was a vibrant smile, and his brown eyes were enlarged more than usual.

Jackson smiled, and set down the bowl for him to munch on. He rushed over towards it, and started chowing it down in one big swallow. Jackson chuckled to himself, and then plopped down onto a chair at the table, where the twins and Allison were also gathered.

"Dinner is served," Allison proclaimed with a relaxed expression, overjoyed to witness the twins' happy behaviour.

Alex was the first to dig in, then Jocelyn, and then Jackson.

"Thank you," Jackson mouthed to his sister sitting across from him, as she smiled in return.

Bruno finished his dinner first, and then headed towards the dining table, where he lured them into a trap with his conniving puppy dog eyes. He bowed his head down in starvation, and glanced back and forth at the Pierce's in hopes to obtain some of their dinner.

"Can we give him some of our dinner?" Jocelyn whined in her baby voice, putting on a small pout.

Before Jackson could agree, Allison chimed in. "No, Joce. He already ate his food, and he could get really sick from our human food. Who knows? Maybe he could be allergic to what we're eating."

Jackson's mouth hung open, with a slight head tilt aimed for his sister, as he mentally questioned how she was so knowledgeable on dogs.

"What?" Allison cried with a shrug of her shoulders. "I've always wanted a dog. Remember when I did all of that research, just to find out we couldn't get any pets?"

Jackson reminisced the time Allison and him were just kids. She begged and begged for mother and father to get a dog, any dog. She even went so far as to create a whole presentation to present in front of them about the pros of getting a dog, along with some knowledgeable facts.

"I remember." He smiled at the memory, of times that were much simpler, elated, yet at that moment in time, he failed to see that that was just a facade, an extra fluffy layer for the whole world to see.

Once he realized at that point, his father was probably taking advantage of his little sister, his blood boiled strenuously, and he gripped his fork so hard, that his knuckles started whitening.

Allison grew aware of her brother's sudden shift in behaviour, and decided to change the topic.

"So, Jocelyn, Alex," she started with a crescendo. "Bruno will be staying with us from now on. He is officially part of our family."

Alex immediately exclaimed in excitement, as Jocelyn clapped her hands happily, both pleased about the news.

Bruno jumped up merrily, noticing the uplifting change in the atmosphere, and trudged over to Jackson with a gleeful strut.

Jackson dropped his fork on the plate, and stopped to give him a pat on the head. "You hear that, buddy? You're officially a Pierce now."

-

After dinner, and washing up, Allison and Jackson were in the twins' room, nearing the end of their bedtime story, along with Bruno, who was sprawled out on the carpet in the middle of Jocelyn and Alex's single beds.

Allison sat at the edge of Jocelyn's bed, and Jackson sat on Alex's. The eldest siblings were telling the story of the princess and the prince that they told the night before, but this time, they decided to incorporate a royal dog into the family. The twins seemed to love it, and soon, they were dozing off, along with Bruno, who felt at ease.

"The end," Jackson whispered, his words blending into the still of the night.

"Goodnight," Allison spoke softly, and then carefully stood up from Jocelyn's bed, making sure not to wake her.

Jackson followed her steps outside, and made sure to leave the door open just a crack, in case Bruno wanted to move around. The hallway was dark, and only the shine of street lights traveled through the nearby window, highlighting the cream walls.

Allison and Jackson reached both of their rooms, and stood across from each other.

"Well, today was an unexpected day," Allison stated, followed by a slight yawn.

Jackson nodded in agreement, and then approached her slowly, with his hand in his front pocket. He pulled out a small metal charm that twinkled in the moonlight. It was beautiful, Allison thought.

"While shopping for Bruno, I got this for you," he started, as Allison extended out her arm to reveal the charm bracelet he had gotten her for her birthday. "I had to make the bracelet complete."

Allison smiled at how thoughtful he was, and admired his kindness, greatly. As he clasped the small bone shaped charm onto her bracelet, she watched his tiresome face. His hair was dispersed everywhere, and his eyes were red from exhaustion, but in that small moment, he looked beautiful as ever.

Allison gave one last tired smile to her brother, and muttered a soft 'thank you,' that got lost in the night air, and then clutched the doorknob to her room softly. "Goodnight Jackson."

"Goodnight Allison."