Three's a Crowd

The sun shone weakly through the window, washing over Rae and Brian as they slumbered the following morning. The sunlight hitting his face caused Brian to stir and he opened his eyes to see Rae still curled into his side, her hand resting gently against the tattoo on his chest. He turned his head a little, kissing her nose tenderly as he brushed his fingers lightly against her cheek. Rae began to stir, her eyes fluttering open to look up at him with a small smile playing on her lips.

“Morning handsome,” She whispered, giggling lightly as he nuzzled her nose with his own before kissing her lightly on the lips.

“Good morning beautiful,” Brian smiled at her as her fingers started to trace the outline of the inked bird on his skin. “You look so cute when you're asleep, you know that?”

Rae gazed up at him; “Were you watching me sleep? Because that’s kind of creepy…”

“I’m your boyfriend. I’m allowed to be creepy sometimes…” Brian grinned back at her, tightening his hold on her waist. “Besides, I don’t qualify it as 'watching' you sleep. I would consider it more like, admiring you while you sleep.”

Rae smiled at his response, leaning forward to press her mouth against his in a brief kiss; “Good save, Mr Haner….”

“So, um, we never really got the chance to talk about things yesterday,” Brian started, his fingers twisting the ends of her hair as he looked at her.

“And I don’t really feel like talking about things right now, Bri’…” Rae replied softly. “I’m still trying to process it all. I just want to get through the day without falling apart at the seams…” She told him, trying to suppress the urge she had to breakdown.

Brian curled the ends of her hair and pulled her closer to him with his other hand, pressing a firm but gentle kiss to her forehead; “Okay, Bonnie, whatever you need…”

“I need to go and see dad at the hospital today. Do you want to come with me?” She asked, hoping that Brian was going to agree to tag along with her because she really didn’t want to visit her father on her own, not when she didn’t know what she’d be walking into.

“Only if you want me to be there…” Brian said, Raven rolling her eyes at him but smiling as she looked back into his chocolate brown eyes.

“I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to be there, Bri'… You should know me well enough by now to know that I'd never ask you to come somewhere with me just because I wanted to be polite…” Rae wriggled out of his grasp and got out of the bed, getting to her feet and turning back to look at him. “So, I want you to come with me… But first I've got to take a shower…”

Brian noticed the playful smirk she was giving him and knew instantly what she was thinking. He jumped up off the bed and pulled her to him, his hands finding her hips as his fingers toyed with the waistband of her panties.

“A shower sounds fun…” He purred, stealing a swift kiss from her lips. “Can I join you?” He asked playfully.

“Well, we wouldn’t want to waste water now, would we?” Rae replied before she grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it up over her head.

Brian inhaled sharply at the sight before him and Raven smiled, pressing a teasing kiss to his lips.

“Your turn…” She whispered.

Her eyes never left his as she slowly undressed him, her fingers hooking themselves into the belt straps of his jeans before she pushed her hands downwards and he wriggled out of his jeans. His boxers soon pooled black against the faded blue denim and Brian allowed his own hands to help Rae out of her silk panties, his eyes scanning over her body as he made mental pictures and smiled at how beautiful she was.

Without a word, Rae laced her fingers with his and led him to the small door in the corner of her room, opening it to reveal her own private bathroom and stepping inside. She reached into the shower cubicle and switched it on, turning to face Brian who looked back at her questioningly.

“Rae,” Brian whispered but was silenced by her finger on his lips.

“No talking, just kiss me…” She requested, pressing her lips to his as she guided him into the warm spray of the shower.

Brian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him as the water cascaded over their bodies. Letting out a soft moan Rae let her head fall back as he assaulted her neck with tender kisses, his hands finding her hips as he ground into her. In a tangle of limbs and a flurry of heated kisses their bodies finally and completely joined, Brian gasping at the warmth he felt from the connection.

They moved in perfect unison, their eyes focused on each other as they got lost in their own little world and in the bathroom that had seen both Rae's good and bad times over the years they experienced pure bliss in each other's arms, neither of them knowing what the day ahead had in store for them.

Later, after their shower, Rae remained in the bathroom to get herself ready for her trip to the hospital leaving Brian alone in her bedroom for the first time. He stood in the center of the room, a towel wrapped snugly around his waist as he glanced around.
When he had entered the room last night he had assumed that all four walls had been painted a dark shade of red but now, in the daylight, he could see that one wall was completely black and the others had tattered band posters, random postcards and photographs of times gone by hung upon them.

Everywhere he looked there were mementos from Raven’s childhood, a large stuffed elephant sitting in the corner holding a banner that said ‘Daughter’ on it stared back at him with glassy eyes and a wonky grin and a framed photograph of a woman who looked like Rae sat on the vintage dresser by the window.

Brian smiled, smoothing his hand over his damp hair as he walked over to the dresser and picked up the photograph, studying it. The woman looking back at him was beautiful, auburn hair falling around her shoulders and brown eyes sparkling as she smiled happily and posed for the photograph, her two hands resting beneath her chin.

The sound of the bathroom door opening caught his attention and Brian looked up from the photograph in his hands to see Raven standing awkwardly in the doorway, her hands fumbling with the hem of her t-shirt as she looked everywhere but at him.

“Hey….” He greeted her before gesturing to the silver frame. “Is this your mom?”

Raven nodded, still avoiding his gaze; “Yeah…”

“She’s beautiful….” Brian told her with a smile, his gaze falling back to the picture and Raven nodded again, moving towards her bed.

“She was….” She practically whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed and allowing her hands to smooth out the black fabric of the comforter.

Brian frowned as he looked over at her, placing the photograph back on the dresser before making his way over to the redhead and taking up the empty spot beside her. Wrapping an arm around her waist and gently pulling her into his side, he pressed a kiss to her hair and moved his other hand to stop hers from fidgeting with the bed covers.

“What’s up, baby?” He asked, his voice low and soft and Raven looked up at him, tears pricking against her eyelids.

“I just….” She paused, taking a breath as she gazed into his eyes. “I don’t usually do this… I don’t usually let people see this….” She gestured to the walls of her bedroom.

“I’m not just anybody, Rae…” Brian pointed out, his fingers lacing with hers. “I’m your boyfriend, I think that grants me special access…”

“I know it’s just… Hard…” Raven admitted, dropping her gaze to their entwined hands. “The only person I’ve ever allowed in here is Ashley and I just left you on your own in here like it was nothing, like it was an everyday thing for me to leave you in a room that’s been my safe haven for the majority of my life… I’ve never done that before. Not with anyone…”

“Baby,” Brian squeezed her hand gently within his grasp. “You don’t have to be scared or worry about anything, okay? I’m not going to judge you on what you keep locked away behind these walls….” He released his hold on her hand to lift his fingers up to her chin, raising her gaze to meet his own. “I love you. That’s never going to change, okay? You’re safe in here with me, you can show me all the dark spots of your life… I’m not going anywhere…”

Raven nodded, blinking away her tears; “I wanted to show you this when you first came here for Thanksgiving break. Do you remember?”

Brian smiled faintly, moving his hand to brush the stray hairs away from her face; “How could I forget? Your brother interrupted our time together in the lounge…”

“Yeah…” Raven nodded again. “I still haven’t forgiven him for that…”

Brian pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss; “So, I guess this means I’m the first guy to ever set foot into your bedroom?”

“When we first moved here, I’d just lost my mom and everything was so overwhelming. This room was the only place that I ever felt completely safe, like I could just shut the door and block out the world…” Rae started to explain, Brian listening to her intently. “I made friends with Ashley and she made everything a little better but it wasn’t until I’d known her for a couple of years before I started allowing her into my room. It was the same with Dean although he never actually got in here because dad would never allow it and I never pushed that, not even when I was feeling rebellious…” She paused, Brian rubbing small soothing circles on her back as if urging her to continue. “But with you, I don’t know, it’s just different… I feel like I can let you in here. That I can let you into this part of my world because… Because you’re supposed to be here with me…” She continued, glancing up at him.

“And I’m going to be here for as long as you need me to be…” Brian whispered, brushing his mouth against hers for the briefest moment. “You’re the Bonnie to my Clyde, remember? I’m not going anywhere…”

“Promise?” Raven asked, her vulnerability shining within her questioning gaze and Brian nodded, kissing her once more.

“Wild horses couldn’t pull me away…” He assured her. “Not now, not ever…”

Raven nodded, moving to rest her head against his bare shoulder as he held her in his arms and leaned his head against hers.

“I’m really glad that you’re here, Bri’…” She whispered, Brian tightening his hold on her.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, baby,” He replied, his hands rubbing her arms soothingly. “And just so you know…” He paused, moving to look into her eyes. “You don’t have to be afraid to fall apart today, or any day, because if you do… I’ll always be here to catch you…”

“So, um, how's your dad doing?” Brian asked Rae as they made their way towards her car in the driveway after breakfast. He saw a flash of sadness in her brown eyes and immediately felt guilty for enquiring about her father's condition.

“He's not doing too well, actually…” Rae admitted to him as she slid into the driver's seat, the sadness she felt now travelling to her voice. “Brandon says that the cancer has got worse; the treatment they were giving him has failed to have any effect on it so there's nothing else they can do for him. He's got a couple of days, tops…” She let go of a breath she hadn't been aware of holding in and allowed her head to fall forward a little.

Brian felt his heart ache with sadness, sitting beside her in the vehicle and wanting to comfort her but not sure how she would react. He sat and watched her for a few seconds longer before his fingers found her leg and he gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze.

“I'm so sorry, Rae…” He apologized, his eyes finding hers when she looked up at him and he noticed that she was close to crying again.

“Bri', you don't have to apologize…” Rae shook her head. “It's not your fault he's dying… You didn't give him the cancer…” She said softly as she tore her gaze away from him, turning to look out of the window and Brian knew it was because she was fighting back her tears. He knew this because he had seen her do it a million times before when they had watched sappy old movies together although she would deny it if he ever confronted her about it.

“Rae, baby, you know that I'm going to be right there with you today, don't you?” He asked, squeezing her leg again and making her turn back to face him. “You mean the world to me and I wouldn't let you go through this alone…”

Rae offered him a small smile, pushing her hair back behind her ear before turning the key in the ignition; “I know, Brian… I know…”

After twenty minutes and running a red light, they arrived at the hospital and found their way to Joaquin's room in silence. As they opened the door to his quiet room, Brian couldn't help but notice that the once intimidating father of his girlfriend looked small and frail as he sat in his bed, hooked up to different machines and IV's. Brandon sat in a corner of the room, flicking through a motorcycle magazine and slurping on an iced mocha every now and then, lifting his head only to acknowledge their presence before returning his gaze back to the article he was reading. Joaquin's eyes lit up the moment Raven entered the room and sat down beside him on the bed, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Hi daddy,” The redhead whispered, smiling at him as if there wasn't anything wrong. She rested her head against his and Joaquin mustered up enough strength to squeeze her hand.

“My baby girl…. How are you?” He asked, his tattooed fingers finding her face as she looked at him. “I’ve missed you, kiddo…” He stated, studying her face.

“I’ve missed you too…” Raven said, her voice barely louder than a whisper as she stared back at her father. He looked tired, weak.

The man that had once seemed so invincible to her, so strong, was now nothing more than an empty shell of the person he once was. His hair was thin from the chemotherapy he had undergone, his muscles eaten away by the disease that had claimed him.

Joaquin's eyes left his daughter's face, acknowledged what his son was doing and then fell upon Brian who was standing awkwardly in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the abstract painting that hung on the opposite wall.

“Do I know you?” He asked, making Brian look at him. The guitarist opened his mouth to reply but Raven answered her father for him.

“This is Brian, dad, remember? You've met him before…”

“Have I?”

“Yes, you have…” Raven looked over at Brian with an undeniable love shining in her eyes. “He's my boyfriend…”

“Ah, yes, I remember…” Joaquin confessed before beckoning Brian to come further into the room. “You're the band kid, right?”

“Yes, sir…” Brian replied politely, stepping closer to the bed. Raven reached out for his hand and he smiled as their fingers entwined. “That's me…”

“How's that going for you?” The elder male asked, letting out a small cough and reaching for a glass of water that sat on his nightstand.

“It's going well, sir…” Brian informed him, looking down at Raven to find her gazing up at him. He smiled at her before looking back at Joaquin. “We're about to record our first album in fact…”

“Well, that's just great, son…” Joaquin offered him a warm smile.
“Maybe you could give my son a few tips on how not to be a lay about…” He added, looking over at Brandon who shook his head and smirked at his father as he ran a hand carelessly through his messy dark hair.

“Sick in bed and still giving me grief over not having a job at the moment, huh, old man?”

“Until the day I die, kid…”

An awkward silence fell over the room then, the words floating about and stinging his children's hearts like tiny bees. No one knew what to do or say after that statement, it was as if the small hospital room had been invaded by a giant elephant and no one wanted to deal with it. It was Joaquin who finally broke the tension, pushing himself upwards in the bed in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain he was obviously going through.

“Hey Brian, would you mind doing an old man a favor?” He asked, looking at Brian.

“Sure, sir, what is it?” The dark haired guitarist asked, Brandon pulling a face behind him and Raven glared at her sibling warning him without words to quit being a jackass towards her significant other.

“Could you grab me a refill?” Joaquin gestured to the empty water jug on his nightstand and Brian nodded his head without hesitation.

“No problem…” He smiled, dropping his hold on Raven’s hand to pick up the jug and Raven watched as he left the room.

“He seems like a good kid…” Joaquin announced, making Raven look back at him instantly.

“He is…” She nodded, Brandon making a gagging sound from his position across the room and Joaquin shot him a warning glance.

“Brandon, why don’t you go for a smoke or something?” He suggested, Brandon looking back at him questioningly. “I need to talk to your sister…”

Brandon caught on to what his father was getting at and nodded, tossing his magazine aside and standing up; “Sure thing, old man. I’ll be back in a bit…”

Raven watched as her brother left the room, the long chains he wore on his jeans clinking against each other with every step he took. She was alone with her father now and she could feel his blue eyes burning into her as he stared at her as if to be trying to memorize every tiny detail of how she looked. It hurt her to think that that was exactly what he was doing because this could be the very last time he would ever be able to be in the same room as her, to study her every move and admire just how much she looked like her mother.

She found it almost unbearable to look back at him but she swallowed back her emotions and stared him dead in the eye as she asked the question that had been on her mind since yesterday; “When did you find out?”

Joaquin stared back at her in a stunned silence for a moment before taking a deep breath and answering her.

“Remember when I went on that ski trip with the WWC guys?” He began, Rae nodding and trying to hold back any anger she was harboring.

“The Christmas you blew me off?” She asked, her dad nodding his head slowly.

“Yeah…”

“Since then?” Raven questioned, blinking slowly and observing her father as he looked down at the bed linen.

“Yeah…” He concluded, his voice small.

“And that’s why you didn’t want me to come home? That’s why you’ve avoided me whenever I’ve come home from college since then?” Rae asked in a shaky voice, suddenly realizing the reason her father had been so distant.

“Yeah”

“You’re an ass!” The redhead snapped, Joaquin’s gaze stern as he looked up at her.

“Watch your tone, I’m still your father” He reminded her, Rae shaking her head as she rose to her feet and started to pace the floor.

“You’re a liar!” She accused him, looking everywhere but directly at her father. She couldn’t. It hurt too much. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time!” She clenched her fists at her sides, willing herself not to cry.

“To protect you!” Joaquin insisted, his voice cracking as he watched her. “I did it to protect you!”

Rae sighed heavily, shaking her head at his response but still refusing to look at him; “It’s been almost two years, dad! What were you thinking?!”

“I… I wasn’t thinking…” Joaquin confessed, frowning as he watched his daughter pace the floor. “I was just trying to do what was right by you…” He explained, Rae coming to a stop beside his bed and lifting her head to meet his gaze.

“By lying to me?” She questioned, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “By allowing me to think that for the last couple of months you’ve been ill with some kind of tropical flu bug when in actual fact you’re dying?!”

Joaquin could see the hurt and anger in his daughter’s eyes and knew that he had been wrong to keep his illness from her. Brandon had warned him not to but at the time he thought he was doing the right thing, he had never thought that it would come down to this.

“Please, kiddo…” He whispered, reaching out a shaky hand towards his daughter and fighting back his own tears as he watched her blink away the tears that were forming in her eyes.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Rae sniffed, taking her father’s hand in her own and moving to sit back down beside him on the bed. “A stupid, dumb idiot…But I love you...” She paused, sighing as she looked at him and brushed her fingers over his tattooed knuckles. “I love you… And I don’t want you to die… I don’t want to lose you… What am I supposed to do without my daddy?” She wanted to know, suddenly feeling like the weight of the world had been put on her shoulders.

Joaquin squeezed her hand with what little strength he had left and gestured to her to come closer to him. Rae obliged, moving up the bed so that her father could easily embrace her in a hug that had always seemed so comforting to her but now it just seemed so… final.

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart….” Joaquin whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. “You’re so much stronger than you think…” He pulled back, his heart breaking at the sight of his daughter’s tear filled eyes but he managed to smile at her even if it was just a little one. “And I am so, so proud of you. Of the woman you’ve become…” He told her, holding her in his arms as he looked at her. “And I know that you’ll do just fine, kiddo. You’ll find your own way without me, I know you will…”

Raven felt the tears escape from behind her eyes then as she looked back at her father and frowned, trembling with the emotion she was feeling. Her whole world was caving in on her and the one person she always went to for support was the reason it was all coming apart. He was leaving her to go somewhere she was unable to go, she was being left behind and it killed her to know that she may never see him again.

“But I don’t want to, daddy… Please don’t make me…” She pleaded with him, her tears falling freely down her face. “Please don’t go where I can’t follow…”

“I’m sorry, baby…” Joaquin apologized, pulling her into his chest and holding her as tightly as he could. “This is a road I have to go on alone…”

Brian came back to Joaquin’s room, a full water jug in hand and immediately stopped at the doorway when he saw Raven crying in her father’s arms.

“Oh, sorry…” He muttered, feeling awkward for interrupting their family moment. “I, uh…” He moved back out into the hallway, his eyes never leaving Rae as he spoke. “I can just wait out here…”

Joaquin shook his head and beckoned him in.

“No, no, it’s fine…” He told his daughter’s boyfriend. “Come on in, Brian…”

Brian entered the room, albeit hesitantly and made his way over to Joaquin’s bedside, placing the water jug down onto the nightstand. He looked at Rae, watching cautiously as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

“I, uh…” She started, avoiding eye contact with Brian as she stood up. “I need to use the bathroom…”

Rae excused herself, Brian offering her a small smile as she brushed past him to leave. He looked at Joaquin, clearing his throat and catching the older man’s attention.

“Sir… I wanted to ask you something…” Brian started, Joaquin nodding knowingly.

“Yes, you may” He responded, Brian furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re going to ask if you can have Raven’s hand in marriage, right?” Joaquin quizzed, Brian rubbing the back of his neck and nodding.

“Well, yeah…”

“Then the answer is ‘yes’…” Joaquin concluded, Brian still a little taken aback.

“Oh… After our last meeting I was expecting to have to plead my case a little more…” Brian explained, Joaquin raising his hand and waving it as if to be dismissing the younger man’s claims.

“Look, son, I know I was a jerk when we first met but you’ve got to understand that she’s my little girl….” He started to explain, looking up at Brian. “It’s my job to protect her, to make sure that the guy she’s with treats her right. I failed her when she was with Dean and I promised myself that I’d never do that again but I can see just from the way you look at her that I was wrong to treat you the way that I did….” He paused, reaching for his glass of water and Brian waited with baited breath for him to finish what he was saying. “You’re nothing like that kid…” Joaquin continued, placing his water back on his nightstand. “You’re good for her, and you’re good to her. You’re the guy she’s meant to be with. So, yes, you can have her hand because I know that you already have her heart and that you’ll always keep her safe…” He stated, Brian smiling at his words.

“I will, sir, I promise…” He assured the older man, his heart leaping for joy. Now all he had to do was propose to Raven but he was certain that he could handle that.

Raven returned from the bathroom just as Brandon entered the room and the siblings exchanged a look of impending loss as they acknowledged each other before Rae made her way over to Brian’s side immediately lacing her fingers with his. Joaquin smiled at that simple action, watching with delight as his daughter leaned against the man he had just given his blessing to.

“Well,” He began looking from Raven to Brian. “You two probably have a date or something planned, don't let me keep you. I know what it’s like to be young and in love…” He cleared his throat and looked over at Brandon who seemed to know without being told what his father was trying to do.

“Dad should really catch some zee's now, Rae; maybe you guys could pop back later…” The oldest Matthews child suggested, standing by the door and looking back at his baby sister. “I'll follow you in a few, kiddo….”

“Daddy…” Raven protested, looking from her brother to her father as she reached for his hand and he took it gently in his own, offering her a loving smile. “I don't want to go; I've only just got here…”

“It's okay, kiddo… I just need to get some rest now,” He turned his gaze towards Brian. “Will you see that she gets home, okay, son?” He asked and Brian swore that he could see the older man's heart breaking right there in his eyes behind the tears that were threatening to escape.

The guitarist nodded, looking at Raven who looked like she was going to break at any moment; “Come on, Rae… Let's leave your dad to get some sleep, huh?”

“No, dad… Don't make me go…” Raven pleaded, pulling her hand free from Brian’s grasp and clinging onto her father’s hand. “I don’t want to go home without you…”

“Everything will be fine, kiddo…” Joaquin reached up and cupped her cheek with his frail hand, Raven leaning into his touch and closing her eyes as his dry lips brushed against her forehead. “I know what's happening to me; I know that I'm going to be okay…. I know that she'll be waiting for me…”

Raven tried to swallow the lump of emotion that seemed to be stuck in her throat, a horrid sick feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach; “I love you, daddy…”

“I love you too, princess…” Joaquin told her, squeezing her hand as tightly as he could manage and Rae bit down on her bottom lip in a bid to stop her tears. “Never forget that…”

She remembered when he had hugged her the day she was leaving for college, scooping her up into a vice like hug without even realizing how hard he was squeezing her and now he could hardly hold her hand without causing himself physical pain.

“Never forget that I love you more than anything in this world, my beautiful baby girl…” Joaquin whispered, his dry lips brushing against her forehead again.

“Always and forever, daddy…”

Joaquin chuckled softly, lowering his head to rest on top of hers; “Forever and ever and ever…”

Raven pulled back from her father reluctantly and reached for Brian’s hand, allowing him to guide her to the door. Her gaze found the floor, searching for the place her heart had fallen to as she tightened her hold on Brian’s hand, feeling him start to tremble as he tried to remain strong for her.

“Hey Brian…” Joaquin called out as they reached the door and Brian looked back at him.

“Yeah?”

“You take good care of my girl for me,” He smiled a little and winked, watching as Brian nodded his head in agreement and smiled back at him.

“I will, sir. Always.”

Brian noticed that Rae's eyes had glazed over on the drive back from the hospital, almost as if she was functioning on auto pilot, her mind clearly elsewhere. He knew that he had to reach out to her somehow, let her know that she wasn't on her own in this and the only thing he could think of that would snap her back to reality, that would bring her back to him, was to bring up the subject of the night ahead.

“How about we watch a movie when we get back?” Brian suggested, looking over at her. “Something from your Johnny Depp collection…” He watched as she shook her head, his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach.

“I think I’m just going to go to bed when we get back…” Rae murmured. “But you can watch what you like…”

“I’m not really in the mood to watch anything…” Brian admitted, Rae casting a sideways glance at him.

“Then why suggest watching a Johnny Depp movie?” She wanted to know. “You always say that you hate watching his movies with me...”

“That’s only because you get all misty eyed over him…” Brian shot back at her, smiling when he saw a smirk creep onto her lips.

“Oh Mr Haner, green is not your color…”

They pulled up outside a large park and Rae switched off the engine as Brian looked out at the scenery before him in confusion. Without a word, Rae unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, waiting on the sidewalk for him to join her.

“Uh, where are we, Rae? You're not taking me somewhere to kill me, are you? My mom warned me about girls like you,” Brian joked as he got out of the car, closing the door and walking towards her. She looked at him, rolling her eyes at his attempt at humor before glancing around at her surroundings.

“This is the park my dad always took us to when we were younger… We used to come here to feed the ducks and then he'd push me on the swings while Brandon played on the skate ramps until it was time for us to go home for dinner…” Rae explained, biting her bottom lip and looking down at her feet as she shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I just wanted you to see it. I know it's nothing amazing but… It's really special to me…”

Brian reached out a hand and cupped her chin, tilting her head up so that her eyes met his. He offered her a gentle, loving smile and brushed a stray red hair away from her face with his other hand.

“If it's special to you then it's special to me…” He told her and Rae smiled slightly, suddenly not feeling so foolish for stopping to show Brian her favorite childhood haunt. “Come on, why don't you show me around?” He suggested, moving his hand down her arm and taking her hand in his own. Rae looked down at their entwined fingers and nodded her head in compliance before turning and leading him into the park through the giant iron gates.

They walked along the winding gravel path, holding hands like they had no troubles between them and Rae pointed out various spots to Brian as they passed them by. Stopping on the small wooden bridge that crossed over the small lake, Rae looked down at the clear blue water and smiled as she spotted the ducks. Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

“This place is pretty amazing…” He whispered, feeling Rae's hands close over his own as she nodded.

“I loved coming here when I was little… Dad would always bring left over bread and we'd stand here and feed the ducks. We used to spend countless hours here, just spending time together… Then I guess I got too old for it…” Rae said the last part with a sigh, reaching up to wipe a tear away from her eyes and Brian tightened his grip around her, kissing her cheek lightly.

“You’re never too old to do the things you love, Rae…” He whispered into her ear, making her shiver. He looked out across to the other side of the bridge and noticed a hot dog cart manned by a boy not much older than himself and wearing an Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt. He smiled as he got an idea that he hoped would help cheer Raven up a little bit. “Wait here; I'll be right back…” He grinned, releasing his hold on Rae's hand and running off across the bridge leaving Rae watching him in confusion.

“Hey dude, how much do you want for a dozen bread rolls?” Brian asked, the teen manning the hot dog cart too pre occupied with his hand held video game to look up at him properly. “Excuse me, I'm trying to buy stuff from you here…”

“I'm not the guy who runs the cart, dude, he'll be back in a…” The teen stopped talking as he looked up and realized who it was that was standing in front of him. “Dude, you're Synyster Gates! No fucking way!” He grinned excitedly, forgetting all about his video game. “What can I do for you, dude?!”

A few moments later, Brian returned to Rae with armfuls of white bread rolls. Rae looked at him, laughing when she noticed the bread in his tattooed arms and the stupid grin on his face.

“Gates, what on earth have you got those for?” She asked in amusement and Brian offered her a couple of rolls.

“We're going to feed the ducks, just like you did when you were little…” He told her, making her shake her head and let out a small laugh as she looked at him. “C'mon, it'll be fun…” He insisted, thrusting more bread rolls into her hands.

“You're crazy…” Rae laughed, Brian smiling back at her. “How much did these cost you?”

“An autograph on a napkin…” He replied, Rae's brow furrowing in confusion. “The kid watching the stall was a fan of the band, I gave him a signed napkin, and he gave me a dozen bread rolls…”

“I think he got the better end of the deal…”

“No, he didn't…” Brian claimed, shaking his head. “He gets my signature on a napkin but I get to see you smile again… And I love seeing that…” He said as they turned towards the lake and started breaking the bread rolls into little pieces and throwing them down towards the ducks that quacked and guzzled them up.

Rae turned to look at Brian for a moment, a grateful smile on her lips; “Thank you”

“For what?” Brian asked, looking back at her.

“For being you. Crazy, wonderful you…” Rae told him and Brian leaned in to brush his lips against hers.

“Anytime, Bonnie…”

“Well, as great as this is, we better be heading back…” Rae announced with a frown, tossing the last of the bread rolls down to the ducks. “Brandon will no doubt be wondering where we've got to and….”

Brian silenced her by brushing his mouth against hers; “Rae, you don't have to explain yourself to me. If you need to go then we can go…”

“You know, even though you're kind of a jackass at times I kinda love you….” Rae confessed, a tiny smile playing on her lips and Brian laced their fingers together, smiling back at her.

“I'll take that as a compliment…” He laughed, glancing at her sideways as they walked back towards her car. “And for the record, I kinda love you too…”

When they arrived back at Rae's childhood home, the redhead looked up at the doorway and saw that her brother was sitting on the porch steps waiting for her, twisting his cell phone in his hands. He had a look of intense pain etched across his face, his brow creasing in worry and Rae instantly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, rushing up to him as Brian quickly followed suit.

“Brandon, is everything okay?” Raven asked, noticing the look of agonizing heartbreak in her brother's eyes. This wasn't going to be good news; she could feel it in her gut.

“The, uh, hospital called…. They said we should get back up there to see dad as soon as possible,” He told her, his voice wavering slightly but he was determined not to cry in front of her and positively adamant that he wasn't going to break down in front of Brian. “He might not make it through the night. This is it, Rae…. This is it.”

Raven threw her arms around her brother in a hug she knew he needed but would never openly admit to.

Brian stood awkwardly behind them, watching this interaction between the siblings with an ache in his heart and thinking about how precious life was, that you never knew when the end was coming. His gaze fell to the gravel beneath his feet as he moved the tiny stones about with his sneakers.

After a few minutes, Brandon and Raven separated, the eldest Matthews child going back into the house to grab his jacket. Raven looked at Brian, tears pricking against her eyelids and he stepped to her, pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her. Kissing the top of her head, he felt her body start to shake and he knew that she was crying.

“Do you want me to stay here and wait for you to get back?” He asked and Raven pulled back from him, shaking her head as she looked up at him.

“If you don't mind, will you come with me?” She asked him, her voice small and fragile. Her brown eyes were so full of sadness that there was no chance that Brian could ever deny her anything at that very moment.

“If you need me to go with you, baby, then I'll go…” He whispered and she nodded her head.

“I really need you, Bri'….Now more than ever…”

Brian nodded and took her back into his arms, holding her against his chest as she dealt with the fact that this may be the last time she ever sees her father.

Brandon came back out of the house and without saying a word; he walked past the young couple and got into his car. Raven looked up at Brian who nodded, pressed his lips to her forehead and walked her over to the car.

This was it, the beginning of the end.