a.n. I don't own anything

"Haddy, it won't be too long until you'll be able to join us." Rafe said trying to comfort his little sister. Rafe knew that leaving was going to break his baby sister's heart, but he had to follow his dreams of being a pilot.

"I know, but how am I going to survive without you here with here?" Hadley said pointing to the house.

"You'll be fine. She is not that bad"

"How would you know you're never here anymore to begin with?" Hadley pouted breaking out of her brother's arms as she pushed her strawberry blonde hair away from her tear stained face.

"Hads please, I promise it –"Rafe started but before he could finish Hadley had already turned to walk off. Rafe turned to look at his best friend, Danny Walker, pleading with him to help.

"I'll go talk to her." Danny said rolling his eyes as he followed her. Danny knew it would end up like this; he was used to it by now. Rafe would do something to upset Hadley, she was run off, and Danny would have to run after her and make everything better. He didn't really mind helping, but he just wished that Rafe wouldn't do it so often. Hadley had always been fragile and she relied on them for her strength. Rafe knew this but he still managed to occasionally push her to her breaking point.

Danny finally caught up with Hadley, who was standing on the end of the dock, staring off into the lake. Gently he placed his hand on her shoulder as she hesitantly turned around and faced him. He cheeks were bright red and visibly stained from the tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

"He doesn't get it does he, once he leaves this house will turn from a nightmare into my own personal hell. She is meaning enough to me already and with Rafe gone who is going to stop her from killing me. They only reason she doesn't hit me anymore is because of him. " Hadley stated staring into Danny's brown eyes.

"I know Hadley, I know, but Rafe wants to be a pilot more than anything. It's killing him to leave you" Danny said softly. "It won't be that bad, just have Rafe talk to her before he leaves."

"That will not help and you know it. Rafe doesn't even know how bad it is with her. She still blames me for what happens" Hadley whispered crossing her arms over her chest.

Danny knew this was true; Mrs. McCawley had always blamed Hadley for her husband's death. Hadley, fourteen at the time, had decided to run away one night. She and Mrs. McCawley had gotten in a fight earlier that day. As it got later Mr. McCawley started to get worried. A storm was starting to roll in, and he didn't want her to be out in it, so he went looking for her. A few hours passed when Hadley walked through the front door dripping wet from head to toe, but she had been alone. Mrs. McCawley abruptly grabbed her by the arm and started spanking her, and then sent her to bed. It was nearly one in the morning when there was a heavy knock on the door.

Danny still remembers hearing Mrs. McCawley thanking the officer as she closed the door. She slowly walked up the creaky stairs to Hadley's room and the screams that followed still haunted him. Hadley had been apologizing to her Mother, but that didn't stop her. As far as her Mother was concerned it had been Hadley's fault that she was now a widow. If Hadley never tried to run away her husband would never had left the house in this storm. He would have never lost control of his vehicle and would have never crashed into the pole. This would always be Hadley's fault in her mother's eyes no matter how remorseful she felt or acted.

Once Mrs. McCawley had finished, Hadley snuck into Rafe's Room. She stood in front of Danny with tear still running down her face, her eyes pleading with him for comfort. Danny sat her down in the bed, and went to get a wet wash cloth. He cleaned the blood off of Hadley's now bruised lip, and helped her change into different clothing. She had asked Danny not to tell Rafe everything that happened. Danny obliged her and told her how to keep the bruises hidden. Danny knew what it was like to have an abusive parent, so he sympathized with her. He also knew that it wasn't right to keep this hidden from Rafe, but he never broke his promise to her. From then on did everything he could to help her through the situation she had with her mom.

Lucky for them Rafe had snuck out that night to meet up with one of his many girlfriends. So he never did find out how bad it had been. Even as the years passed Rafe never realized the bruised that his sister cleverly hid after an altercation with their mother. Rafe knew that his mother and sister had a rocky relationship but he thought that it only consisted of an argument and a spanking for Hadley. Rafe would tell his mom to take it easy on Hadley, that she just missed understood her. Their mother kept her temper under control in front of Rafe, he was her good child, but once he left she would lash out at Hadley. And Danny was always there to help her through it.

"You know you can always stay with your Aunt Gemma if it gets too bad." He suggested trying to help her find some safety.

"Maybe so" Hadley said softly as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. Danny took this as a sign that she was ready to calm down.

"Time will fly, I promise. Your senior year will keep you busy, and it will be summer before you know it. Then you can start your training as a nurse and we can be together again." Danny smiled at her. "Plus, I will make sure that Rafe will write you at least twice a week and call when he can."

"Fine," she said starting to calm down. "as long as you promise to write me too. You have been like family to me Danny."

"I promise." Danny said as he pulled her into a hug. "Now will you come help us finish pack?."

Hadley nodded as she followed Danny back towards the house, where Rafe was sitting on the front porch waiting.

"Are you okay now?" Rafe asked.

"As much as to be expected, I'm really going to miss you Rafe. You have to write me okay?" Hadley said as she stood in front of Rafe.

"I promise I will write as much as I can, and I'm going to miss you too kid." Rafe said as he guided his sister and his best friend into the house. Rafe knew that this would be hard on her but she could handle it. Plus it wouldn't be that long until she was with him again.

a.n. Sorry so short. I hope you like it. Let me know how you feel. I will update soon I promise