"You don't get do you? I can't stop! I can't stop! It can never stop!" Ric yelled desperately at his brother. "I can't control myself!"

He waved the gun over his head back and forth with hot tears running down his face. Sonny watched helplessly at his brother who was finally driving into madness.

"No one can change me. I am an animal. I am a wild animal inside." Ric whispered. His eyes were wild too as his hair was not gelled but unfixed, his curls out.

Sonny stood up. "You are not an animal."

Ric laughed at this and it was a cold unfeeling one. "You're wrong. This is me, Sonny. This is me!"

"You don't believe that. I know it's hard but you ha- have to realize that you are not alone!" Sonny said, trying to persuade and ease Ric.

Ric was now smiling. He didn't believe one word from Sonny and to show it he turned his back on him. He didn't know the difference between what was truth or lie. He couldn't comprehend anything right now. He was hurting and in pain. And he can't stop.

"I can't escape myself anymore. You know I've tried! I can't stop!" Ric pleaded though without any vigor.

Sonny stared at the water. He knew what Ric was planning to do but he wouldn't let him. He couldn't. He had made a promise. And he was going to keep it.

"I will help you," he started slowly. "If you help me."

And at this Ric swiftly faced Sonny and he held a glare that pierced Sonny straight through him. How dare you? As my big brother you shouldn't have said that. I know you don't mean them. And you never will! He then narrowed his eyes and said bitterly, "Since when did you care about what was happening about me? Of course, unless it was about killing me or what I was going to do to put you in jail."

Sonny didn't answer because he knew Ric was right.

"You hate me," he continued. Then his flashed with insecurity. "You always have. What's the difference now?"

What is the difference? I made that promise when I first knew you were my brother. Why now? After all, I did break it more than once.

"It's-" Sonny paused. He was trying to find the right thing to say to swerve this accusation but couldn't find anything. Instead he decided to tell the truth, even if it will only hurt his brother more.

"You're right. I never gave a damn about what you think, or on how I feel about you." Sonny admitted. He noticed the slightly hurt expression on Ric's face and closed his eyes. Opening them, he continued, "You've done a lot of things to me and I did the same in maybe not in an equal form- but that doesn't matter. I followed you here because I know I can help you. I want to help you."

Ric raised the gun and pointed it steadily at Sonny. He was ready to fire but at him or himself he wasn't so sure yet. He was busy trying to search his brother's eyes.

Sonny glanced quickly at the gun but didn't flinch. He had been through many gazes by many muzzles and points of many weapons so this wasn't new. But what was new was how Ric held it. He held it as if he was willing to do anything and that made Sonny fear slightly.

He moved his gaze to Ric's mirrored brown eyes. In them he saw a swirl of different things. He saw anger, pain, grief, loneliness, hurt, and something that gave Sonny courage. He saw hope within the supposed emptiness.

With this new courage in him, Sonny decided to confess to his younger brother. "I made a promise to the Lord and to our mother. It concerns you brother."

Ric's eyes showed surprise and confusion at this shocking statement. "Wh- what?" he merely gasped.

It was Sonny's turn to smile. "Yes, Ric, I made a promise. I made a promise that is more directed towards Adela. That I will be there to guide and take care of you no matter what sins you committed against me."

Ric didn't move his aim. He just closed his eyes and listened.

Sonny knew that if he was going to do anything it had to be now. And so he did. He stepped towards Ric and placed his chest exactly on the muzzle of the gun.

"I have never forgotten it." Sonny said. "Even through the times I just wanted- I needed to kill you I couldn't do it. I could never break a promise to our mother. And I won't do that now."

"You're lying…" Ric muttered, trying his best to toss aside his brother's remarks.

"You know I'm not."

Ric carefully opened his eyes. He felt tired and weak. It hurt him more than anything. He inhaled quickly and exhaled slowly. "A promise to our mother." Ric answered.

"That's right, Ric. She's our mother. You do remember what we are, right?" Sonny agreed. He was getting through him but there was still a lingering doubt in Ric.

"I don't remember." Ric finally said.

"That's a lie."

Once again Ric blew up. "This is Hell! I lie all the time! I don't know what's right or wrong. I can't find my reality! You are not a part of it!"

This time Sonny didn't bother to let him finish his brother's useless rant. "You lie because you have been hiding the real you. I know you. You know me. I can help you through this nightmare."

"You can't wake me up from this nightmare."

"I can try."

Silence. The two didn't say another word to each other. Nothing. Finally Sonny spoke, "Ric, you are my brother. We are blood. That's what you used to say to me, remember? I can't take that pain away but I can ease it."

Ric didn't answer. He didn't want to be defeated even though he had already defeated himself.

"Look at me brother." Sonny said. But Ric refused to. Instead he stared off into another place; trying to ignore him. "Look at me, Ric!" Sonny commanded sternly with an exhausted glare.

Wincing at the slight anger in Sonny's voice, Ric brought his eyes slowly to look deep into Sonny's. What he saw was not anger or a look of one looking at a despised one but a look of hope and care. Did he care?

"I am not giving up on you Ric." Sonny firmly said. "I won't let you lose permanently lose yourself. I won't let it happen. I will help you get better. I will be there to save you from whatever animal you have started to become or transform into. I am here for you. Not as an enemy or as a necessary ally but as a brother. I am your brother. You are my brother. We never leave each other. We stay together as brothers. We're family."

Ric hoped. He hoped. The fear was still there but he hoped. He felt the tears finally falling faster in the free way he never thought it would. They fell down his cheeks to his neck while some special drops ran down to his heart. Why can you see the darkest side of me? Why can you see the lightest side of me?

He started to feel very tired; almost weary. His eyes were glazed with hope and tears as he looked at Sonny.

Sonny smiled once more and nodded to the gun. "Who are we, little brother? What are we, Ric?" he asked, urging him on with his kind yet slightly cocky smile.

Ric licked his lips and stepped back. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He tried again with doubt and yet couldn't. He then looked back into Sonny's eyes and in them he found hope. Hope. I need that more. Finally, almost pushing his whole strength in his tone, said, "We're Adela's boys."

"That's right. Adela's boys."

"Adela's boys."

Ric and Sonny stared into each other's eyes both trying to find something that will help them. Sonny was looking for hope while Ric was looking for truth. They to their longing did find both. They knew what the other felt was real. It was okay to move forward.

Then the gun fell. It fell down on the floor for Ric dropped it. He bent his head to stare at the gun but held no regret. Instead he felt relief. Sonny smiled and said quietly, "Let's go visit Adela."

And at that Ric looked up and for the first time held a smile that meant: life.