On the edge of the cliff, looking down. This is how my life was going to end. It seemed so daunting yet at the same time inviting. The waves crashing on the sides of the razor sharp rocks calling me.

'Join us, come with us Danny' they whispered. There was only one person haunting my thoughts, preventing me from taking the plunge.

Dougie.

He had been through so much already. Being abused by his dad as a child, then his dad came back and kidnapped him, tortured him at the age of sixteen. Being rendered mute ever since. He's 21 and hasn't uttered a word in five years.

He's my little brother the thought of Harry and Tom sitting him down, taking his fragile hands in their strong ones. Looking into his vacant blue eyes and whispering 'Danny committed suicide earlier today'

His eyes filling with sadness and hurt, tears falling down his pale face, screaming inside but not able to push it off his tongue.

As I took half a step away from the edge a car pulled up behind me and Tom and Harry jumped out.

"Danny please stop!" Tom begged

"Why?"

"Why do you feel the need to do this? We love you we can't let you do this" Harry yelled desperate tears falling down his face.

"I need to do this. You don't realize now because you're grieving but you'll soon see that this is better for everyone"

"What about Dougie?" Tom retaliated cutting me in two. "Don't you think he's been through enough? I'm scared for him Danny, I'm petrified but… we have to be strong for him if you do this it could end him. He absolutely adores you. All of us if he loses one of us it will break him."

"But it's been 5 years since he last spoke. 5 years since he looked awake not vacant. We haven't fixed him yet maybe this is what he needs!"

"He needs his big brother to kill himself? Yeah maybe but I'm thinking that will just make him hide further into himself and you'll leave us to pick up the pieces" Harry sobbed.

I was about to respond when I saw him. Standing a few feet behind Harry and Tom. Sad blue eyes fixed on me, fragile arms wrapped around his skinny waist. Eyes pleading.

"Doug?" I whispered gently

Tom and Harry spun around.

"Oh Doug we thought you were asleep" Tom said running over and trying to put his arm around the small boy.

Dougie shrugged it off not taking his eyes off me.

He began to walk towards me. I looked a his pale face as he took my hand in his loose grasp.

"Don't Doug, go home there's nothing you can do" I said slowly dropping my head and looking at the ground. I saw a tear drop off his chin and onto the ground below us.

"Please Danny" He whispered. His voice was weak and took most of his energy to make the words emerge from his lips. My head flew up as a looked at him. Tom and Harry were looking over with shocked smiles on their faces.

"Thank you" I said pulling him into a tight hug.

When he pulled away I saw his face was screwed up eyes tightly closed barricading all his tears.

"You've done it Doug, you've took the first step to letting us in. Crying doesn't make you weak it makes you human" I said with my hands on his shoulders.

He let out a heartbreaking sob. Collapsing into my arms. His tiny body shaking. Emotions that had been eating him alive for 5 years finally escaping. We fell to our knees. I just sat holding him rubbing comforting circles on his back.

Harry joined us enclosing the two of us in his strong arms. Followed by Tom holding the four of us together. Our family. We were going to help Dougie through his many problems and stick together,

Dougie leant his head into my shoulders soaking my shirt.

"Promise you'll never leave me Dan" He whispered. His speaking still took a lot of energy but it was energy he finally had.

"I promise"