Piece by Piece

'I will never leave her, like you left me'

Owen couldn't quite shake away the anxious feeling that had been building the whole time he'd been here. His car was only a few meters outside of the house that looked like it hadn't been lived in longer than he'd been on this earth.

He had received the call and answered it without a second thought. She never called him. He knew that, and that is what worried him. He threw on some jeans and a random top from the pile of clean laundry beside his bed. The only thing he'd been able to work out from the call was the street she was at. The rest was mumbled over by the sound of base from the music that was being played way too loud.

He took a deep breath as he approached the door. He saw someone stumble out of the door as he went to push it. An older guy holding another under his arm as they laughed loudly about something he cleared missed the joke on. He stepped around the bodies of kids that must have been his age or only a little older. And agmost the chaos he saw her. Her fragile body tucked away in the corner. She looked frightened, and alone. The bottle of liquor was still firmly in her hand and her knees were tucked tightly up against her chest.

"Mia?" He called out. He knew it was her, but he didn't want to scare her further by walking up to her. She looked around the bodies in the room til she connected with his eyes. He nodded to register it was really him and not just a figure of her imagination.

She dropped the bottle to the floor and leapt across the room, her arms flung around his neck as he lifted her slightly up from the wooden floor. It took him a few seconds to realise how close she was to him. She'd never been this emotional with him before, let alone vulnerable. He didn't let her go until she began to release herself, trying to hide in the blush in her cheeks. Her body was hurting and the abuse she had just done to it was beginning to show. Her face went back to being pale as she bent over and vomited the contents of her stomach on his shoe.

"I'm so sorry" she said between sobs, as she wiped her mouth with her jumper sleeve.

Owen lifted her face up, so they were looking at each other. "It's okay, come on" He told her. He took hand and put his other to wrap around her, to hold her waist up. He wasn't sure how limb she was but as they begun to walk out he began to realise how drunk she really was. Her words were slurred, her walking was atrocious and she could barely recognize even simple things such as a lampposts.

He helped her into the passenger seat, putting the seatbelt around her body before checking to make sure her legs and arms weren't sticking out so he could shut the door. He moved around to his side and got in. he didn't know where to take her. She was in no state to go home, and no doubt at least someone would be awake in the Shepherd household.

He drove to the only place he knew she'd be safe and he wouldn't worry the whole night about her. His place. His parents were on yet another cruise around the pacific and he was an only child. As he put the car in stationary he looked over at her. Her head was rested against the frame of the door. She looked nothing like the girl he had grown up with.

He sighed and moved around to her side. She was shattered and her body was beginning to shut down for the night. "I can't walk…" she mumbled quietly.

"It's okay, I've got you." He picked her up and held her close to his chest. Her arms naturally went around his neck to make it easier for her to hold on. He opened the door with his foot and shut it behind them. He took her straight to his room. He had no desire in sleeping in the bed with her. The couch would just have to be his friend tonight. He set her down and tucked the duvet up to her chin, making sure she was comfortable.

"Thank you Owen" she smiled.

"If you need me I'll be downstairs okay?" he told her while she was still semi-conscious.

"Owen?" He stopped at the frame of the door and looked at her. The eyes that once held so much love and purity were now misted over with the threat of tears any second.

"Yes?"

"It's been a year…" His heart broke as everything suddenly made sense. Today was the reason why she had got herself in this state. And why she didn't want to be alone. He moved back closer to her, she had made room for him to lay besides her. he settled down, putting his arm tightly around her and allowing her to lay her head on his chest. "I miss him" she begun to sob. He couldn't do anything but brush his fingers through her hair and hold her tightly.

No one should ever have to be alone on the anniversary that their father was murdered.