Lullaby And Goodnight

*TIME ELAPSE. MIKEY'S POV*
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I took and deep breath and knocked on my brother's door. His music blared to a heavy beat that made the whole house vibrate. He musn't have heard me knock, so I tried again, only ten times harder. This time he heard me, and I sighed in annoyance as he slurred his reply.

"What the fuck do you want?!" The door clicked unlocked and revealed his blood shot eyes and messy hair. I could smell the alcahol in his breath and it almost choked me.

"Rachael's at the door. She wants to talk to you. She said it's urgant." Gerard seemed to consider.

"Tell her I'm busy and I'll call her later." I jumped back at the force of the door slamming in my face. Again, I sighed, this time in pity at the sorrowful girl standing in our doorway. Her shoulders shook as each tear fell, the bruises and cuts standing out. Her eyes were red and blood shot, not for the same reasons as Gerard's. but the salt from her painful sobs. I led her inside and closed the front door behind me. I held out my arms, giving Rachael the opportunity to cry onto my shoulder, which she accepted.

"Where is he Mikey?" She whispered into the material of my shirt.

"He said he's busy. I'm sorry Rach." She eventually started to calm down. I looked towards my bedroom door, right at the top of the stair, and led Rachael upstairs, where it was a little more private. I sat her down on my bed and faced her. Gerard's music was still blasting, but there were no adults here so there was nobody to tell him to turn it down since he never listened to me anymore. Since our family were on holiday with Rachael's family. I noticed that every small movemnt I made, like pushing my glasses up a little further, or pushing a piece of hair from my face, that it would cause Rachael to flinch. It made it obvious she was beaten up, but who would hurt someone like Rachael, and this badly.

"What happened Rachael?" She shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I just need to talk to Gerard, he'll understand more. It's nothing personal Mikey but Gerard knows a lot more about this situation."

"He's drunk."

"He's what?"

"Drunk. That's why he wouldn't come down, he's hammered and he doesn't want you to see him like this. If I go in he'll beat me up, he wouldn't with you though." I wondered if he'd get the hint and go help Gerard out, so he could return the favour. She sighed and nodded. She asked if he can take paracetamols. I wasn't sure why she needed them, but I told her anyway. She left my room to help out my arrogant, drunken brother. I decided to just sit and wait for the best.

*RACHAEL'S POV*
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I took the paracetamol out of the cupboard Mikey had directed me too. I took two for the pains shooting throughout my body, and put two in my pocket for Gerard, he was gonna need them. I limped to the faucets, pouring a drink of cold water before limping back up to Gerard's room and knocked hard on the door, wanting to be heard over the loud music.

"I said to fuck off Mikey! Rachael...uh...hi...come in." He staggered back and clung to the door handle, apparently, trying not to fall over. I stepped inside and noted all the bear cans and vodka bottles strewn all over the floor. I turned and looked into Gerard's guilty face.

"What happenened Rach babes?" He slurred, doubling his 'happened'.

"I'll tell you later. Lay on your bed." He didn't hesitate to obey me as I went into the bathroom across the hall to wet a face cloth. I wrung in out before going back and holding it over Gerard's forehead. His eyes stayed on mine,not breaking contact. His gaze was blank, no emotion showing what so ever. His eyes were really clouded over. I jumped as his thumb started rubbing the back of my hand, I didn't even know our hands were so close. The tingly feeling in my stomach scared me, and I suddenly felt nervous. I took the cup of water and passed it to him. He sat up so he could take a sip.

After two hours and eight glasses of water later, he was finally sober enough to talk to me seriously. He was sat with his back against the head board and his knees bent. I had my legs folded around his ankles while I rested on his knees.

"So what happened baby cakes?" I looked down at his carpet, which I could now see since I had cleaned up the cans and bottles while he was sipping the water, avoiding throwing up and taking the tablets after the headache kicked in. His hand brushed against mine comfortingly.

"Jake happened. I hate him. He tried to get me to have sex with him, but when I told him I wasn't ready, he beat the shit out of me. As soon as I got away, I came here, and guess what? You were pissed." He looked sheepish again and used one hand to lift my chin so I could look at his shiny, fuller, hazel eyes. He was a really bonny guy.

"Awww baby! I'm so sorry. Are you okay? No way am I letting you home until our parents are back. Why don't you just break up with him?" He opened his knees so I fell on him and pulled me into him.

"Gerard, if this is what he's like while I'm with him, imagine what he's gonna be like when if I break up with him."

*GERARD'S POV*
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I could see her point. Bastered, I wanna kill him. I hugged her again, she always seemed so relaxed with me but she kept tensing up everytime I touched her. Her hands had been shaking badly all this time, but she was hiding it well. Or trying to. I kissed her cheek softly and finally felt her relax.

"Rachie baby, he beats you up, you can tell you hate him, he's trying to force you into something you don't wanna do, and if you hadn't have fought, he would have raped you. You have to either break it off, or tell someone, I'll be there if I have to so he can't hurt you. If he lays a finger on you again he'll be on the receiving end of a pistol. I promise." She smiled thanked me.

"Take a walk? I need to get my stuff from home, and I ain't going back alone." I nodded and followed her out, the headache only slight now, but I deserved all the pain I got. I yelled to Mikey we were going out and the slammed the door on him.

Rachael seemed to sink into my side as we drew closer to her house. I had my arm around her shoulders so that if Jake was there, he'd know I was here to protect her. The minute we opened the door, his english accent screamed down the stairs at her.

"Rachael! Little bitch! Your just a fucking whore now get the fuck up here so I can beat the shit out of you. Fucking slut!" I glared at the empty stair case. Rachael wimpered and kept her arm firmly around my waist. We tip toed up the stairs quitely trying to make as little noise as possible for Rachael's sake. No such look. The oy burst out of her room, blazing and screaming, he didn't even notice me until I had him pinned against the wall my the tops of his arms, with Rachael yelling at me to let him go.

"What the fuck do you think your playing at? Ever touch Rachael again, and your ass will meet your nose so fucking fast."

"Bite me!" So I did. I bit the main vein on his neck hard enough to make it bleed to the point where he actually panicked. I knew it wasn't enough to kill him, sadly, but it was enough to scare him a bit. Rachael rushed into her room to gather enough stuff to last her two weeks before she escaped her home as fast as possible. She didn't speak until we had entered the courtyard leading to the stables.

"Mind if we take Puzzle? You can take one of them them too. Do you think Helena will mind if we keep them in the field by her house? She owns it right?"

"Yeah she does. And I know she wont mind. Could I take Bullfinch? I'v always liked him."

"Sure thing darl." Together, we got the two horses saddled up. Puzzle had a saddle bag attached to his tack, so Rachael's stuff could stay in there. The horses were just a means of transportation home. The ranch by Helena's house was owned by a man named Joseph Mc Farlane, a great old scottish guy who had a thing for my grandma, so he would do anything for her, or us, so the horses had care and boarding.