I think it's 'M' rated, but I'm not totally sure.

Alright, so this is my first story that is actually painful, so unless you can stand the pain of the way I'm ripping Chlerek apart, I would highly advise that you SKIP.

Summary: He had been gone for far too long. He didn't know what pain time could cause, nor did she.

Disclaimer:I only own my own tears as I wrote this.


Whiskey Lullaby - Part 1

la la la la la la la (x2)

She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette.

He had been gone so long, so very long, that he didn't understand how long he'd been gone. He took a deep breath before he opened the door to the house. It was exactly as he had remembered it, the grass had been freshly mown, the door oiled and the paint fresh and crisp. As he walked across the main hall, not a board squeaked and they were polished, the smell pf lemon cleaner filling the air. He smiled. Walking into the living room, he smiled at the bright walls and they welcoming decor. It was just like her, keeping the room welcome for guests, whether any were coming or not. He dropped his bag in the room and walked back out, continuing up the hall. He stopped at a shelf of pictures, each one of either them or their whole family, his brother and sister, his father and her's. Her smile, warm and bright, seemed to dominate each photo, leaving a happiness and love that only she could bring.

Suddenly, a sigh sounded upstairs. His confidence was renewed with the sound of a living soul, of her. He turned from the shelf and took the stairs quickly, but quietly, ready to surprise her with his return. As he reached the room, their room, he stopped just before opening the fixed his tie, took a deep breath, and pushed open the polished wooden door.

He wished he hadn't.

There she sat, rubbing her eyes. Beside her, however, was a man. And not just any man, his brother. He stepped backed, desperately trying to get away from the scene. He ran into the wall, the crash sounded, drawing the only other two occupants of the house out to see. They both stood in the doorway, gaping at him. She registered it first, and reached out for him. He shuddered under her fleeting touch before he ran, down the stairs, out the door and back into his car.

She followed him, calling his name, asking him to wait, to let her explain. His brother followed as well, pain and anguish written across his face. Yet, it was etched into Chloe's, tears ran down her face as she screamed out his name, calling for him over and over. When his vehicle was no more than a spot in the distant, she knew she had lost. Dropping to her knees, she called one more time, but she knew she wouldn't get any reply. Heart wrenching sobs escaped her, and as he drove away, they tore out of him as well.

She broke his heart. He spent his whole life trying to forget. We watched him drink his pain, a little at a time.

Every time he woke, he looked to the sky. Each time it was like a his heart was being twisted, unimaginable pain coursing through him again as he saw the morning sky, the beauty of it as clear as her eyes. And he would reach to his bedside table, and grab for another bottle. He would gulp from it, and slowly, he drowned himself enough that it would ease enough for him that he could get up and move.

As he walked into another bar, he looked back, feeling eyes on him. He thought he saw her pure baby blues. He shook it off, and walked in. His sister watched, pain and sorrow streaking her gorgues features. She then began to look through the crowd once more until she found her. She fought her way through the crowd, blonde curls flying in her face and her blue eyes shattered as she pushed her way, trying to make it to him.

Tori, once she saw her friend and brother disappear within the bar, she then went in herself. Her brother was easily found, he sat at the end of the bar, another shot of whiskey on the tip of his tongue as he set down his glass. The friend was harder, but she found her. She was at the other end of the room, the crowd moving her around, but never in the direction she wished. Another shot of whiskey went down his throat and she flinched.

But he never could get drunk enough to get off his mind, until the night.

Another crash sounded from upstairs and Tori flinched. Another crash. She heard him cry her name, it coming out as half sob and half tortured scream. The sound caused tears to burst from her eyes and pour down her face. Another crash nd then a the sound of something heavy falling. His worried sister's eyes widened as she feared that he had hurt himself physically, or more so. She dropped the plate, allowing it to shatter on the ground as she ran up the stairs.

He put the bottle to his head and pulled the trigger. And finally drank away his memory. Life is short, but this time it was bigger, then the strength he had to get up off his knees.

The shot rang through the house, echoing. His dear sister stumbled, her eyes widening in shock.

"No." She mumbled. It registered. "No!" Her shriek filled the sudden quiet. She burst through the door of her brother's bedroom. There he lay, on his bed, limbs spread in all directions. Slowly, she crept up to him, fearing that her thoughts were true and that he was gone.

We found him with his face down in the pillow, with a note that said, "I'll love her 'til die"

Tori touched his arm, it was still warm, but the warmth was fading fast. She shook him gently, waiting for him to yell at her to leave him be. He didn't do anything.

"Derek?" she called quietly. No response."Derek!" Her cry was shrill and fearful, she continued to shake him, urging him desperately to wake up, to answer her. To yell at her to go away, or to smack her away. To move. There was no reply to any of her frantic efforts.

Sobbing, she ran downstairs and picked up her cell. She didn't think, just pushed buttons. Desperately, she paced around the living area, yelling at the phone, for the person she called to pick up.

"What the-" the male voice cut off as he heard the sobbing over the speaker. "Tori? Is everything alright?"

"Simon." she choked out, coming up short with what to say. "C-call C-c-chloe. An-and then g-get your b-butt over here." she hiccupped into the phone.

"Hey, are you drunk?" he asked. He didn't want to have to deal with his hung over sister when she got out of her stupor. The last time had gotten him a severe migraine.

"No!" his sister shrieked, positively horrified at the idea. "Just come over." she paused, then, in a soft voice, whispered, "It's Derek."

Her brother's eyes widened, but he couldn't see it. "I'll call Chloe as I drive over."

"okay." Tori whispered. She hung up.

After ten minutes of anxious waiting, and more desperate attempts to get an answer from Derek, though she knew it was hopeless, there was a knock at the door. Scrambling to answer, she threw open the door and hugged her brother. He was surprised but squeezed her tightly nonetheless. Relief washed through his damaged sister, along with all her pain, and she began to sob into his neck, letting out all her frustration and fear.

"Hey, hey." he cooed, suddenly unsure of how to handle this. He had never seen this side to her before, this emotional, broken side. It frightened him, causing him to wonder what had happened to Derek and how it had affected his brave, stubborn, crazy sister to the point of breaking. "Sis, what happened?"

"It caught up to him." her vice wa hard to understand, but he made no move to push her away. Instead, he picked her up and carried her into the house, closing the door behind them. As he passed the kitchen, he aw the shattered plate on the ground. He would ask her about it later, when she was calmer.

He sat upon the couch and let her rest on his lap. He continued to hold her, subtly rocking them. "What caught up to him? What did he do?"

"The pain, Simon." she sobbed. "It finally killed him." realizing what se had just said, her tears fell with renewed force and he shook, the sobs raking through her body. "I'll show you." she said softly.

Pulling away, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She stood up, and with Simon in tow, she lead him up to their brother's room.

She paused before shoving the door open and stepping in. There was a sharp intake of breath, and she glanced over at her brother. He was staring at his brother, at the blood that pooled on the left side of his head, at the revolver that laid on the ground, at his brothers tangled limbs.

"It's not true." he whispered, shaking his head. He didn't know that those same words raced through the head of the dead man before him, that he had begged to not be when the proof laid in front for him to plainly see.

The brother walked up to the man who laid unmoving on the bed, his sibling watching his every move with pain burning in her eyes. He stepped up to the front of the bed, and stood, staring the red pool that had been made by a small hole right above his ear. Tears began to run down his face as he bent down and lifted a piece of stained paper from out of his brother's blood. He read it out loud, just as Chloe walked in, having entered the unlocked front door.

"I, Derek Souza, will love her until I die. Even if the pain of doing so is what kills me."

"No!" both siblings in the room turned to the blonde haired girl who stood in the doorway. "No!' she cried again, dropping her purse on the floor. She didn't even flinch at the bang it made when it collided with the floor. she raced forward, pushing past Simon, but he stopped her from going any farther than he had. He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him. He pulled her against his chest, and his arms constricted around her as she thrashed against him, her eyes wide, tears spilling from the blue orbs the dead man had adored. She called his name as she fought against her restraints, pain and anguish etched into her angelic face once more. She screamed for him, screaming out his name as she had not so many years ago, calling for him to come back.

And just like before, when she finally realized he was too far gone, she dropped, going limp in her captors arms. He loosened his arms, and she collapsed, falling to her knees as history repeated itself. So, once more, heart wrenching sobs were produced from the crumpled girl on the floor as she longed for the healing touch of her love.

And when they buried him beneath the willow, the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.


To be continued...