Author's Note: Emily Rose Niccals (according to Wikipedia) is Murdoc's younger sister, Hannibal Niccals is his older brother. Just FYI for those of you who might me lost.
I woke up, laying awkwardly on the bunch of blankets my asshole father saw fit to call a bed. I sat up, my hair falling in my eyes.
"Murdoc!" a yell sounded. It was Emily. I jumped up and ran to her room.
"Emily? Emily?" I said. She was curled up in her mop of blankets.
"Muds!" she cried. "Murdoc I had a nightmare!" I made a face, slightly irritated that she was making a big deal out of nothing, but I went to sit down by her bed any way.
"It's okay, Em." I said to her, taking her hand comfortingly. Her blue eyes were swimming with tears but she nodded.
"O-okay." She murmured.
"Nothing bad is ever going to happen to you while I'm around. I'll protect you from Hannibal and Dad." I said fiercely. She smiled.
"Thank you Murdoc, I love you." She said, embracing me. She smelled like dust, it must've been a week since the dad had payed the water bill and we'd been able to take showers.
I closed my eyes and patted her back. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you up in an hour and we'll leave before dad comes back from the pub." I whispered into her hair.
"Murdoc-san! Murdoc-san!" I heard Noodle cry. I groaned as I got up and walked down the hallway to her room.
"What Noods?" I said, leaning on the frame of the door.
"The bad dreams are back." She whimpered, sitting up on her bed. I threw my hands up.
"Go get Dullard, I'm too old for that shit." I said, opening my beer as I walked away, ignoring her cries of fear.