Save Me.

Sheffield was the same as it always was; damp, grey and cold. Dark blackening clouds were rolling over the city causing moral in the van to drop a little. The Architects boys had left the rest of the tour at Heathrow airport and travelled down to their hometown of Brighton leaving the boys of Bring Me, Thomas, Alexa and Georgia to return to Sheffield. Each band where hitting the road again soon and all wanted to spend as much time with their families as possible.

The Sykes family home was exactly as the two brothers and their respected other half’s remembered it to be. Georgia stood at the bottom of the cobble stone path staring up at the aging house while the others unloaded the bags from the van. Oliver stole curious glances at his fiancé while he helped haul the bags to the pavement, a worried frown on his face. He knew something was really wrong, he could feel it in his stomach.

Thomas was first to enter the home shortly followed by Alexa both were on the receiving end of bone crushing hugs courtesy of the worried neglect felt mother. Oliver trudged slowly along the pavement, dragging his and Georgia’s bags behind him, stopping behind her the van pulling away behind them was the only thing to break the silence. Oliver hesitated for a second before placing his large arm around Georgia’s shoulders. Tour had been a strain on their relationship. Georgia had become a world wind of emotions for unknown reasons. Oliver had never felt further from her.

“I’m so glad we’re home” Oliver sighed out placing a kiss upon Georgia’s head not noticing how her small frame tensed slightly at the phrase. She loved Oliver with all her heart but Sheffield was not her home and that made her terrified.

*****

Thomas Searle’s flat in Brighton was what some people would describe as lived in. others would say that it was a mess. Sam was one of those people. Sam had never been the cleanest person to walk the earth but he was damn sure he was cleaner than Tom.

With Soulwax playing loudly from the docking station located somewhere amongst the mess on the living room floor, the two boys were in their element playing Halo on the X-Box. Loud yelling and noise from the telly flooded the flat, angry neighbors showing their appreciation for the racket in the early hours of the morning by banging on the walls and ceiling. Only when the police where threatened to be called did the boys calm down.

Sam had decided to leave around three-ish leaving Tom alone with his thoughts. Somewhere he did want to be. Dan, Tim and Ali had all left him for the night to spend time with their girlfriends. Tom didn’t mind that, he got on equally well with all three girls. He just didn’t like the feeling that he was missing out. He and Sam had been invited along although both politely declined more content with a boy’s night in than that horrible feeling of going home alone again.

Even after a week of being home, jetlag was still troubling the youngest Searle twin. Deciding that there was no point in trying to get to sleep, Tom done something even he was aware he was capable of; he cleaned his flat. All of it. From wall to wall and ceiling to floor. Each inch sparkled in the early morning light.

So pleased with himself Tom almost never heard the quiet knocking at his front door. Armed still with his can of Pledge and duster Tom rushed through the uncluttered flat to answer the door, his mouth hanging open slightly when his tired eyes landed on the face of the flustered blonde beauty of his dreams. The only thing to break his bewildered gaze was her angelic laughter.

“Nice get up pet” Georgia smiled her cheeks blushing red a little as her eyes scanned Tom’s body. He managed to regain enough composure to understand what she meant. He mumbled a mix of incoherent sentences trying to explain why he was only wearing a Metallica shirt, a pair of black boxers and black socks.

“Did you clean?” Georgia asked slowly only just noticing the polish and duster but not really believing it. Tom’s face broke out into a smile his eyes scanning what he could see of Georgia’s face as she seemed to be lost amongst the fake fur of her hood.

“If I tell you I brought breakfast can I come in?” she smiled up at Tom’s beaming face, lifting up the bag that was clutched in her hand. Tom’s face flushed red before he ushered the petit blonde into his flat just glad he could do no more to embarrass himself. At least he hoped so.

*****

Sam was glad to be back in Brighton even if it was only for two weeks. He had missed his family, friends and the fresh sea air that seemed to hang over the town. Georgia had turned up on their parent’s doorstep, his current residence, a couple of days ago. Oliver had left with the rest of Bring Me to tour certain parts of Europe and Georgia had decided that this was the best time to spend with her family.

Sam had missed her. He’d been more than pissed off when she had decided to go straight to Sheffield rather come to Brighton after the American tour but his mother had assured him that she needed to sort out her relationship with Oliver before she could really come home. Sam wasn’t so sure she had done the right thing. He could still hear her crying herself to sleep each night. The only time she ever really seemed content was when she was with Tom.

“Mum wants us to have a meal together before we go to Canada” Georgia voice was still carrying about the same air of uneasiness it had been since she had returned home. Sam watched as she took a seat across from him at the dining room table.

“Like a proper sit down meal?” he questioned tracing his fingers along the engraved wood. When he and Georgia were children the would try to draw on everything they could get their little hands on, even resorting to taking to the table with forks one evening. Their mother had not been best pleased.

“Yeah. The twins, Ali and Tim have to come to” Georgia smiled over at him. She knew Sam was worrying about her. She could feel him staring at her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.

“What’s going on with you and Oli?” Sam blurted out. Better to get it out in the open while he had the chance. He hated the distance he felt between them.

Georgia stared at him for a couple of seconds not really sure of what to make of the sudden outburst. Not sure how to answer she never, just sat there avoiding her brothers intense stare.

“Gee I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on” Sam pleaded. All he wanted was his little sister back.

“I’m pregnant”

The siblings had always found it funny how one sentence could change so much. Just acknowledging something made it all the more real. Both had always tried to avoid huge impact sentences more able to cope with things in small dosages rather than in one full car crash.

“Does Oli know” Sam asked still trying to come to terms with what his sister had just announced.

Realizing there was no point in lying to him, there never was he could always tell when she was, Georgia shook her head. “Only Mum and Dad” she sighed, tears filling her eyes. She had never been so scared in her life. Never once had she ever had the slight inkling that she wanted children and now she never really had a choice.

Sam mustered up all the courage he could, standing up and walking round to Georgia he sat beside her. Pulling her onto his lap he stroked her hair as he let her cry into his chest whispering that he wouldn’t leave her and that he loved her. Both things were true he just had to find a way to be strong for both of them.