Disclaimer: I do not own Dexter!

"Hey, Dani," eighteen-year-old Joseph "Joey" Quinn greeted his six-year-old sister in her room. "All ready for bed?"

"I don't wanna go to bed yet," Danielle "Dani" Quinn pouted. "Can we read another story?"

"Mom didn't read one with you earlier?"

"She did, but I want to read another one. With you. Please?"

He groaned internally as his little sister gave him those sad puppy dog eyes that always worked on his parents. "I don't think Mom or Dad'll be too happy if I do that."

More like Dad'll give me another beating, he mentally corrected. Joseph Quinn didn't understand what made his parents (his father, in particular) give his little sister the love and care he never got at her age. But out of everyone in their family, it was Dani he loved and cared for the most. His mother cared about him, he knew, but she often turned a blind eye whenever his father gave him a beating, and that had been going on since he was seven, and the beatings only came when his father didn't get what he wanted, which happened to be a lot of the time these days. Whenever he'd seek solace in his mom, she never believed that her husband could be anything other than kind or loving; where he would have received a beating at her age, Dani would receive a new book or toy, or new clothes from their mother. Despite the clear favoritism they toward his little sister, she was the very reason he hadn't left sooner.

"I won't tell," she shook her head. "And we can whisper so they won't hear…"

"You've got a big day tomorrow," he placed a hand on her small shoulder. "Am I gonna walk you again, just like last year?"

"I don't wanna go," she shook her head, bringing her knees to her chin. "I'm scared. I'm not big and strong like you and can't fight off the bullies."

"Hey, listen to me," Quinn moved to sit next to her on her bed, placing a muscular arm around her. "Just 'cause you're not as big as everyone else doesn't mean you can't be strong. Got it?"

"I guess," she shrugged. "Why do bullies pick on me anyway?"

"A lotta times, they're pretty unhappy," he replied. "There might be somethin' else goin' on that you don't know about. So to them, if they make someone else unhappy, it makes them feel better because then they're not the only ones that feel that way. They could even be lonely and just need a friend, but they don't know how to express that."

"So I should try to be their friend?" she frowned, confused.

"If they haven't tried to seriously hurt you, yeah, sure," he nodded. If only someone could've told me that at your age.

"And if they do?"

"If they try to hurt you, you beat the living heck outta them," he said in a serious voice with the straightest face he could muster, only to be met with wide, slightly fearful six-year-old brown eyes.

"I'm kidding," he smiled, shaking his head. "Really though, protect yourself first and foremost, and tell an adult right away."

"Yes, Joey," she nodded.

"Atta girl," he nodded back in approval before looking down at the floor.

"You fought tooth and nail to keep me before I was born," he'd told her. "You told me so yourself. Why the fuck can't you fight for me now?"

"There's nothing to fight for, Hon," she'd respond with a sad smile, but her eyes told him she knew, and that pissed him off more than anything. "Your father is who he is. There's nothing I can do about that."

"That's bullshit," he roared. "You know what he does to me, and you just stand there and let it happen. That makes you just as fucking terrible as he is. I hate you. Both of you."

"Joey," she began, tears forming in her eyes.

"Fuck off," he growled in a low voice.

"Please," she tried again moving toward him to grab his hand.

"I said fuck off!" he snarled, shoving her in the heat of the moment, forgetting how easily she lost his balance.

His mouth opened in horror as he rushed to her side to catch her, but not before she hit her head on the countertop.

"I'm sorry…" tears formed in his eyes. He helped her off the floor, kissing her forehead and hugging her fiercely. "I'm so sorry, Mom…"

The next morning, Quinn placed a hand on his sister's shoulder before she headed off. "Dani…" Come on, Joey, just cut to the chase and get it over with. It wasn't going to be easy breaking the news to her, and a part of him wasn't sure he wanted to. But the longer he stayed, the worse his father got. Ever since getting laid off, John Quinn's alcoholism only grew worse, his temper shorter, and his beatings stronger and more frequent. But when it came to Dani, it never mattered how much alcohol he'd had to drink; when it came to her, somehow he always managed to put on a "good father" mask.

It certainly wasn't going to be fair to her; he'd miss out on watching her grow up, make her own mistakes, and most of all he'd miss being there for her whenever she fucked up. But when his mom, Janice, made it very clear that she wouldn't support him about his father, that was the last straw.

"What is it?" Dani frowned as her big brother bent down to her height and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm goin' to be goin' away for a little while," he breathed.

"On a trip?" she asked, her voice suddenly perky. "Can I come?"

"No," he whispered, but his voice broke slightly as his heart burst into a million pieces. "You gotta stay in school."

"When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure," his voice continued cracking.

"Well…where are you going?"

"Someplace far." Another vague answer. Truth be told, even he wasn't quite sure where was he was going. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but it had come to the point where he had to look out for his own safety and wellbeing. He'd thought of telling someone, but he had nobody to back him up; it was his word against his parents'. His sister was blissfully unaware, and for that he envied her. He hoped for her sake it stayed that way. The last thing he wanted was for her to go through what he had.

"But you'll be back, right?"

"Yeah, yeah of course," he lied, pushing away the guilt that suddenly arose in him.

"What about Mom and Dad?"

"I'll tell them," he assured her as he engulfed her in a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss you, though."

"Me too," she nodded into his shoulder, and both siblings exchanged silent tears.

"I love you, Dani. No matter how long I'm gone, don't ever forget that, you hear me?"

"I won't," she assured him. "I love you, too."