A/N: Beware of overused caps lock in this chappie. And don't worry guys, sheesh, Alfred's in the next chapter already.

The days where Arthur and Allan were under their strict father were still endured and regretfully not reversed back to him. His mother started scolding him when Arthur received one low grade in his grade performance assessment. His father beaten him up and was still treated like a spoiled kid, even if he was already a teenager.

One day, Arthur didn't expect that his life would change for good. The day when his father went overboard with the limits of his actions.

Allan graduated as a valedictorian in high school and their mother suggested for them to celebrate. They're father agreed and decided to take the three of them: Allan, Arthur and Peter. His mother cheerfully recommended them to celebrate at the sea side and immediately the family were on their way to a luxurious hotel at the seaside. Arthur thought this would finally be a great escape from torment but he was wrong.

Peter seemed to enjoy swimming at shores and Allan simply watched over his little brother while his parents were sauntering the seaside. Arthur couldn't stand the sun and he shaded himself with an umbrella and kept a book with him as company. He enjoyed the silence of the seaside in the early morning as the waves crashed unto rocks and the wind blew on his ears. He felt calm, for the first time in his life.

After a while, He and his family ate dinner together beside the noisy waves at night. They leisurely dug into their food and his father drank a lot. The quantity of alcohol he took was possibly bigger than his hang outs with his friends. Arthur became unperturbed with that and probably Allan felt the same way.

Peter and his mother went ahead to their hotel room and the two brothers were ordered to stay by their father. They crossed the hotel and conversed with their father.

"You've done a good job, Allan," their father praised, "same to you Arthur."

Allan nodded and Arthur followed, with a puzzled look. "If it weren't for you, father, I wouldn't have graduated as a valedictorian," Allan thanked him.

"I would have to say the same with Allan. Thank you, father," Arthur followed, but was still confused with this sudden change of mood.

Their father chuckled and they noticed something. Under the moonlight, their father's laughing face was as red as ever. They weren't sure if it was his euphoria causing it or the alcohol taking effect. Arthur seemed to back away which caused their father to stop his laughter.

"What is it, son?" his father asked tauntingly, "what's bothering you?"

Arthur shook his head and Allan gave a warning glance at Arthur. "Nothing, father," Arthur lied, "it's just that I seemed to have forgotten something on the way back."

His father chuckled, "Hah! There you go again being as reckless as ever," his father complained, "will you ever stop?"

Allan grinded his teeth and decided to digress, "Father, I think we should head home. You seem a bit tired."

His father coughed, "I'm as fine as ever son."

Allan stubbornly refused this and held his father's shoulder, "We should go now," Allan suggested.

His father smacked his hand away, "don't fucking touch me, son. I told you to stop."

"Father, if you would please-"

"FUCKING STOP IT!" his father jabbed him in the face and Allan was sent to the rocky path in a hard manner. Arthur bit his lip and composed himself.

"Come, father," he proposed as pleasantly as he can, "we should head back."

His father took a few steps closer to him and he stepped away slowly. "You think you can order me around? I'm your father, god dammit! Where's you bloody respect?"

Arthur stopped his soft persuasion when his father seized his hand to his neck and choked him as hard as he can. He cried out for air but no sound came out. He tried shoving his father away. He kicked but ended up struggling for air. Together, the two of them argued and suddenly reached the end of the road.

"Father," he mustered all the air he could get, "p-please s-stop."

"That's what you get, you dumb shit."

"A-Allan," Arthur muttered when saw Allan trudge towards them. Allan caught their father's attention and he released his hold off of Arthur's neck. They started throwing punches at each other and Allan was getting the hit most of the time. Arthur decided to help and started straining his father with all of his strength.

"Stop this!" Arthur pleaded, "Allan, don't hurt him too much."

"But he harmed us, Arthur!" Allan implied, "look at all the shit he did to you."

Arthur took note of that as he saw the bruises on his neck, "Still, we could've called the police instead of attacking him. It wouldn't be fucking fair, Allan!"

Their father thundered, "POLICE!? YOU'RE GOING TO CALL THE FUCKING POLICE?" He released himself from Arthur's grasp and he turned to strike him on the face. Arthur fell back and he picked up by the collar.

"Arthur!" Allan warned but it was too late.

One false step and his foot ended up meeting the end of the road. He realized that they were on a cliff. His father roared, "YOU FUCKING UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS ARE GOING TO CALL THE POLICE ON ME? WHAT DID I FUCKING DO?" Arthur grappled at his father's grip but failed, "let me show you how I feel about your disrespect, son."

"Stop it!" Allan winced in pain as blood fell to his face. He trudged towards them, "ARTHUR!"

Their father pushed him off and in an instant, Arthur was falling off the edge of the cliff. "Arthur!" Allan wretchedly cried. He tackled their father and he thrashed him.

"What have you done?"

Their father, too drunk, only groaned to the hard punches. Allan was furious. He went too far. He went way over the edge. He had to do something. He glanced down to see their father unconscious and he stood up and glanced below. There were no rocks and Allan saw a splash of water before him. A hand came out and he saw Arthur's blonde hair standing out.

"Arthur!" he braced himself, "wait!"

He jumped off the cliff and dove into the water, disregarding his clothes being soaked. He felt the impact of water crash unto his chest. He searched everywhere for him and he saw him drowning and gasping for air. He had forgotten that Arthur had never learned how to swim and he swam swiftly towards Arthur's striving body.

He caught Arthur by his waist and dragged him to the shore. Arthur was as pale as the moonlight and he didn't see his chest rise up and down. Allan shook his head redundantly. He didn't give up and he pumped Arthur's chest. He attempted to do so again and this time he felt relief wash upon when Arthur coughed out water. Arthur's breath hitched and Allan didn't realize that he was crying.

"Arthur?" he called out, "can you hear me?"

Arthur coughed and he slowly opened up his eyelids, revealing his emerald green eyes. "I-I'm fine, Allan," he gasped for air, "I'm f-fine."

Arthur was trembling greatly and he looked devastated. He trembled and without knowing he felt tears streaming down his face. "Shit," he cursed, "shit, I-I couldn't breathe."

Allan reassured him by patting circles on his back. He wiped his tears away with the flat of his fist.

"It's alright, Arthur," his voice changed to a deeper one, "I'll get us out of this."

"Allan… don't," Arthur warned with his voice cracking.

"Quickly freshen up at the hotel room. I'll get Peter," Allan ordered, "I'll drive us home and we pack. We'll get out of this town now."

"We can't just bring Peter with us, they'll know!" Arthur advised.

"I don't want him to experience any of the torment that bastard has done to us!" Allan responded, "Go now!"

Arthur nodded. They ran together to the hotel room and Arthur packed his stuff and changed his clothes. He carried his stuff carefully and met Allan carrying Peter along with his bag. They felt this time was now their chance of freedom. However, Arthur could never remove the thought of him nearly dying. There was no air. There was no security and he shivered at the thought.

On their drive way home, Arthur cried to himself at that thought and Allan cooed words of assurance. "It's alright, Arthur," he promised, "it will never happen again." He repeated that many times before they grabbed their stuff silently at their home.

Allan arrived in their father's room and grabbed the hidden safe under his bed. He opened it after remembering the combination his father gave him before he was to be the heir of the company. He snatched the cash out of it and ran out to meet Arthur and Peter waiting in the car.

Allan drove away from their home and Arthur knew that he was never going back. He felt relieved that they were leaving and he held on to the sleeping Peter. He would start over again and Allan would help him. Peter wouldn't be tortured by their father and it wouldn't affect his life.

They were safe.

Arthur woke up with cramped neck and saw Allan outside at the trunk of the car. He stretched himself and saw Peter still asleep. He moved out of the car and accompanied Allan outside.

"Oh, morning," Allan greeted, "is Peter awake?"

Arthur shook his head, "No. And how would you causally act like that when we just ran away from home? Where are we living now?"

Allan leaned against the trunk and gazed towards the sky, "Arthur, we're leaving UK, for good," Arthur stood, startled, "I bought us tickets to America. We're going to be fine with the cash we got. I'll start working there and don't worry, I reported to the police about that bastard."

Arthur placed his hands upon his chest. His heart was palpitating. They were safe and they're leaving his home for good. However, Arthur didn't back down.

"But if we're going there, the passports, the papers, and everything to be processed. How?"

Allan placed a hand on his shoulder, "Relax, Arthur. I went to the bastard's room and stole our passports. It's alright now, the papers were already signed long time ago and we're leaving by the next day."

"You mean…"

"Yes," Allan stared at him with his moss green eyes, "I was going to run away a long time ago. However this time, I'm saving you and Peter."

Arthur sighed. "Thank you so much, Allan. For everything."

A/N: Yes, Scottie here is ooc but I view him as that kind of brother who is rough yet loving to his younger brother. But I guess I made him too OOC. BUT STILL, traumatic event? It can affect a person's personality.