Disclaimer: i, in no way shape or form, own Homestuck

"I'm sorry, Winston,"

"No, Louisa, please! Don't do this to me! I'm a mess without you!"

"Please, I can't do this to you, I don't love you anymore. To be loved and not return it, it breaks my heart,"

"I don't care!"

A crash, quick footsteps, the sound of one's body being thrown against a door,

"Please. Move. Let me leave,"

"Louisa, you cannot leave me, I won't allow it. I mean... what about John?"

"He'll be fine. He has you. Now please, Max is waiting for me,"

"Your brother can hold his damn horses. Listen to me, we need you. Your son needs you. I can't raise a child on my own,"

"I have to go, I have to do this..."

Silence for a moment, the sound of high-heels and a rolling suitcase, another pause, the door is opened.

"Goodbye, Winston,"

"Goodbye... my love,"

The door is closed.

Johnathan Egbert pads out into the dark hallway, his bare feet silent on the cool wooden floor as he blearily makes his way from his bedroom to his livingroom. Upon entering, he is faced with his dad glaring down at the ground, fists clenched. The five-year-old boy has never seen his father like this. He seemed... broken.

"Daddy?" he called from the bottom of the stairs, rubbing his eyes. Winston's head snapped up.

"John? What are you doing up? Its almost three in the morning, son," he asked.

"I heard loud voices. They woke me up," John tells him, walking towards him scratching his head, "I thought it was you and Momma. Where is she?"

Winstons heart broke. How was he supposed to tell his son that his mother had left them? John had gotten across the room by now and Winston picked him up, placing him at his hip.

"John, your Momma... went on a trip," he lied. what else was he supposed to do? Tell him the truth? Tell him that his mother had attempted to leave in the middle of the night and return to her brother's home in Nevada? That he had caught her at the last moment and tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen?

"She went on a trip?" John gave his dad a confused look. "When will she be back?"

Winston's eyes to water. "She... she won't be back for a very... very long time," he said, sniffling. John gave him a worried look.

"Daddy, you okay?" he asked

"John, I'm so sorry... so sorry..." Winston clutched his son tightly to his chest and began to sob. How was he going to do this alone? He had no knowledge of how to raise a child, let alone do it by himself. John, startled, froze for a second. After processing what was happening, he slowly wrapped his arms around his father's neck, hugging him gently. He didn't exactly understand what was going on, but he knew that his dad needed someone.

They stayed this way for at least two hours before John began to yawn again. Luckily, Winston had calmed down considerably since the beginning of his meltdown.

"Oh, you're probably tired, aren't you?" he asked.

John nodded sleepily and rubbed his eyes. Winston nodded back and took John upstairs to put him to bed. After making sure John was asleep, he went to his own room, which now felt empty and cold. He closed his door, put on some pajamas, and sat on his bed by the nightstand. On the nightstand sat a picture of the happy couple he could no long recognize as himself and Louisa... his Louisa...

reveiws are always welcome! :3