Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Back then ;

"Eight.. Nine.. Ten! Ready or not, here I come!" A petite brunette shouted, shoving herself off the hardwood floor and darting down the spiral staircase. She searched excitedly behind multiple doors and tore apart the kitchen cupboards as quickly as possible. Finding nothing, the frustrated brunette twirled around to face the living room and giggled. Two small feet covered in Batman socks were dangling from underneath a black comforter.

"Joey, I found you." She skipped over to his blanket-covered figure on the sofa, a broad smile covering her cheeks. When the boy did not make a move to get up, the impatient brunette grabbed hold of his ankles and tugged as hard as she could.

"Oof." The boy muttered, sliding off the sofa and colliding with the floor. Throwing the blanket off of his body dejectedly, he looked up at the girl with a pout set on his face.

"You weren't suppost to find me first! My hiding spot was better than Nick's!" He cried, crossing his arms angrily. A chunk of brown curls popped up from behind the leather sofa, greatly startling the poor girl.

"Was not! My spot was way better than yours, Joe!" He shouted, giving his older brother an angry glare. But Joe was not about to be rivalled, and responded immediately,

"As if! Mine was way better!"

"No way, mine was better!"

"Both of you put a sock in it!" The brunette finally shouted over the boys, her small hands slamming onto her hips. "Both of you had good hiding spots, okay?"

"Fine."

"Deal."

"There," She smiled happily before turning to the boy on the floor, "You're turn to count, buddy."

"Man, that's not fair! How did you find me?" He sighed, slowly getting up from his position on the floor. The girl gave him a smug smile and a hard pat on the back,

"I just know you, Joey."

Present Day ;

"He-he.. what?"

"He's committed suicide. It seems there is a possible chance he overdosed on.." The policeman answered levelly, his lips moving in a rhythmic motion as he explained the harsh death of Joe's younger sibling. However, the female brunette was no longer paying attention.

"Thank you." She cut off the man in uniform, a signal that she was no longer in need of his services. He gave her a strict nod and his information card before parting, telling her to call if she thought of any information relevant to the case.

Slamming the door closed, the brunette slid down the cold door and soon found herself in a heap on the floor. She gathered her legs into her chest and rested her elbows upon them. As her head fell into her palms, she couldn't help but let a sob escape from between her lips.

Nick had committed suicide.

Saying it had been a hard month would have been an understatement. Her best friend since grade school, Miley Stewart, had passed away in a car accident on the first official day of summer. A drunk driver had collided with Miley on a small side street as she drove back home from the grocery store.

The grocery store.

Nick and Miley had been engaged for months previous to the accident. The high school sweethearts had been attached at the hip since they had met in junior high, and Nick was unable to heal after her accident. He quit his job and hardly left his cramped room at all, as well as his eating habits had diminished. When his family had finally dragged him out of his room, Nick put his therapist in the hospital after a quick reminder that Miley would have had to pass away some time anyways. Needless to say, they didn't invite him back to the office.

It was obvious he was in depression, but not one soul had thought he would take that extreme.

The brunette was lost in a tumble of memories for hours. She lost track of exactly how much time she spent on the floor, her mind weaving through a collection of memories. When she was finally brought back to reality, it was because of a brisk knock on her door. Immediately, her thoughts went to the police man's return, and she opened the door with obvious annoyance.

"What's the– Kevin?" The female asked softly, her heart aching at the sight of her 'older brother'. He looked devastatingly sad; fragile, like he might break at any given moment.

"Hey, I'm sorry to intrude like this, but I don't know if you've heard..." His pained voice trailed off as his eyes took in the salty moisture on her saddened face.

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked promptly. Her sadness wasn't anything to compare to a blood relatives' ache and despair. She could almost see Kevin falling apart while standing on her front porch.

"It's a lot to take in." Kevin admitted freely. "But that's not why I'm here. We-we can't seem to find Joe anywhere. He took off after he heard about Nick and nobody's seen him since."

"Oh." The girl cried desperately, her hands clutching at her heart.

"We thought maybe he would have come home..." Kevin continued in that same desperate tone, his eyes sweeping the empty space behind her.

"He said he had some errands to run after work, so I didn't even think to call him." She mused, her thoughts going back to that morning. He had rushed out the door of their new house, throwing an 'I love you' back over his shoulder.

"We called him and he won't answer his cell. You're welcome to help us look, if you'd-"

"Yes." The brunette answered immediately. She ran through the empty house, grabbing her purse and throwing on a pair of old runners. She whipped out the door and into her car before Kevin had a chance to descend her front stairs.

"I'll call you if we find him." Kevin called to her as she pulled out of the driveway. She shot him a thumbs up and proceeded to race down the street.

"Come on, come on." She muttered angrily as she came to a halt at a red light. She glared up at the sky; a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in sight. Disgusting. A man had just passed away, and it was the most beautiful summer day of the entire year.

When the light flashed green, the brunette sped off. Where would her boyfriend be? Ideas rattled around in her head as she thought of all the possible locations. A spur of the moment idea formed in her mind, and quickly she spun the car around and sped off in another direction.

When she reached her destination, the brunette quietly slipped out of her car and walked along the gravel road. It was peaceful and quiet; her hammering heart obscuring the silence. Finally the gravel path came to a close and a large hill was in view. It was a luscious field that looked over the city, carrying laughter and flashing lights up for a breathtaking view.

"Joe, are you here?" She called hopefully. This place, unknown to many, was where Joe went to collect his thoughts. After a terrible fight between them or news of terrible events, Joe would retreat to this area to clear his head. He spoke of the beauty and peaceful quiet that wound from a deserted path just on the outside of town, but being the city girl she was, the brunette couldn't imagine it. However, now that it was displayed before her eyes, she couldn't think of a place more beautiful.

"Demi? What are you doing here?" His voice cracked with emotion as he slowly came into view. The girl knew she didn't need to respond, instead closing the distance between herself and the boy with a meaningful hug. Without another word, the boy let loose of his emotions and sobbed into her shoulder, the news of his younger brother's death piercing through him.

The two remained still for a long while. The boy needed someone to comfort him, and the girl was more than willing. While the boy drained the last of his tears, the two lovers looked out at the setting sun. Mixtures of pink and orange danced in the sky, giving hope that it will bring a better tomorrow.

"How did you find me, Dems?" The broken boy wondered as they started on the gravel path. As the girl gripped his hand in hers, she answered with confidence that brought a weak, watery smile to the boy's face.

"I just know you, Joey."


This is what happens when I get sick - you get a oneshot, haha

I wrote this fast, sorry if there's any mistakes. Jemi's just adorable :)