Noah couldn't stop the few stray tears that fell from his beautiful bruised hazel eye's and landed on the last picture they had taken together.
She was gone…
He hated this feeling. The feeling of lose. It was as if somebody had their hand on his heart and was squeezing it relentlessly. It was making it harder and harder to breath. And it was all his fault!
He couldn't let the sobs rip him apart though. He had to be strong.
"Daddy?" A soft voice sliced through his thoughts.
He quickly hid any evidence of tears and turned to the young child with a forced smile. Alice Puckerman stood bare foot in the kitchen of their new two-bedroom apartment. The little girl was in her pyjamas, which were a faded pink with fairies scattered all over it. She was clenching her cat teddy tightly to her chest, staring up at her daddy with questioning hazel eyes.
"Daddy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Noah released something that was a mix between a sob and a laugh before scooping his daughter up and hugging her tightly to his chest.
He nearly broke down crying when she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck.
"I wanna go home daddy, I don't like it here." The young brunette pulled away and pouted at her daddy, saying, "He makes funny noises when he's sleeping."
Noah released the same sound again. "I know baby, but we just got to make the best of it."
The little girl nodded seriously, looking like she was about to entre a war zone. Her expression quickly changed though. "Where's Naya?"
Noah bit his lip to hold back the sob that almost tore through him. "She's not here anymore Alice, she's gone baby."
"Gone where?" She asked innocently.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he whispered, "To the next life baby." He said, knowing she wouldn't understand what that meant yet.
"Why can't we go home though?" The three year old asked, her eye's narrowed in confusion.
Noah closed his eyes. How was he meant to tell her? How was he meant to tell her they weren't going back because her daddy was scared too? He didn't think a two year old was capable of understanding what had gone on that night.
"We just can't baby. You'll understand when you are older." He said as he walked her back into her new bedroom.
God, he hoped not. He just wished his baby girl never had to remember what had happen. Why had he stayed for? If he had just left then she would still be alive…
He placed her on the bed and gave her a sad smile. "Just go to sleep now baby. It's past your bedtime."
The little girl scowled, opening her mouth to protest but cut herself off with a small yawn. She then nodded sleepily, "Okay daddy. Love you."
"Love you too baby. And don't you forget that." He whispered.
Smiling dreamily, she whispered back, "I won't daddy."
Noah stayed until Alice slipped off into the wonderful world of dreams.
Silently he left the room and gently closed the door behind him before in to the front room.
He then saw Finn sat down on the sofa who stared at his bruised face when he walked in. HE patted the seat beside him and Noah gratefully took it.
The two boy's didn't say a word, not knowing what to say. Finn flicked through the TV channels before stopping on to watch CSI. It was about a woman who had been abused by her husband for years and to escape him had burnt her and her two year old son alive.
When the credits began to scroll across the screen, Finn noticed Noah had ducked his head in shame.
He throw a comforting arm around the other man and whispered in his ear, making it the first thing he had said Noah had knocked on his door, covered in bruises and blood with Alice on his hip. "Just let it out."
And like that, he did.
He cried because he didn't see the signs.
He cried because he didn't leave the first time Alex had hit him.
He cried because he cheated on Alex with Finn and he had found out.
He cried for never taking up Finn's offer to move in with him.
He cried because he didn't leave when Alice and Naya were born.
He cried because nether of them looked like Alex. They were Finn's.
He cried because now Naya was dead.
He cried because he was too scared to do anything and now it was too late.
He cried because he was weak and it was his own fault.
He cried because until now, he never know how much Finn loved him.
He cried because he loved Finn too.
This was only meant to be five hundred words, but oh well.
I hope I at least made you almost cry and please tell me what you thought.