Chapter 1

Drusilla hid in the back of her brother's closet cringing in fear. Angelus had stuffed her back there as soon as their father began to climb the stairs screaming about his favorite vase being broken. Angelus already knew it was his clumsy little sister who broke the vase, but he wouldn't let any harm come to her. Angelus stepped out into the hall shutting his bedroom door. Angelus' father stopped in front of his only son and eldest child. "Who the fuck broke my vase. That vase cost more money then you're worth boy," Holtz yelled through clenched teeth. Angelus took a deep breath, "I'm sorry father I knocked it over." Holtz glared at his son then backhanded him hard. Angelus just stood there letting his father take out his hate and aggression on him. For the past eight years Angelus had been his father's punching bag. His little sister at times had also served the purpose, but Angelus made sure those incidents were far and few between. After several minutes a black eye and a bloody nose later Holtz had finished and stormed up to his suite of rooms and locked the door. Angelus rushed to the bathroom and quickly stopped the bleeding then went back to his room. "It's safe now Dru come on out," Angelus said sitting on the edge of his bed. Drusilla quickly scrambled out of the closet and onto her big brother's lap. She reached up and attentively touched his battered face tears already leaking from her yes. "I'm sorry Angel I didn't mean to break it," Dru cried into her brother's strong chest. Angelus kissed the top of her head, "Shhh it's okay baby I know don't worry I'm fine." Drusilla stifled her sobs and wiped away her tears. "Hey what do you say we order a pizza and watch your favorite movie?," Angelus asked his baby sister. Drusilla's eyes lit up at his offer, "Really?" Angelus shook his head yes and gently pushed his sister off of him. He knew Holtz would stay locked up in his suite of room until the next day as long as they were quiet. Dru would go stir crazy if they didn't do something. Angelus grasped his sister's hand and lead her down to the kitchen where they called and ordered a pizza. Angelus sat at the island and held an ice pack to his eye and another to his nose.

Drusilla lay next to her big brother her eyes barely able to stay open. Angelus looked down at her as she began to fall asleep just as Dorothy began to click her heels. Angelus knew he would give his very life to save his sister an ounce of pain. Angelus was 16 years old and the only light in his life was his little sister. His mother had died eight years ago in a car accident. Dru had been in the back buckled safely in her child seat. Dru had only suffered a few scrapes while their mother had died on impact. Angelus had always suspected that his father had always wished it had been Dru that had died. Almost immediately after their mother's funerals the beatings and constant belittling had began. Angelus clicked the TV off and carried his little sister up the stairs and into his bedroom. He knew she was getting too old to be sleeping with her big brother still, but under their circumstances he could not and would not leave Dru alone long enough to be brutalized by their father. He gently laid his 12 year old baby sister in his vast bed then went over to his dresser and pulled out one of his old t-shirts and tossed it on the bed next to her. Careful not to wake her he untied her shoes and slipped her shorts off of her tossing them haphazardly to the floor. He gently pulled her t-shirt up and over her head then draped his long shirt over her slight frame. He tucked her under the covers then went into his bathroom and readied himself for bed.

Angelus lay in bed next to his sister thinking as he often did what he would do in two years time. He would be 18 and off at college and his baby sister would be left here with that monster. He couldn't leave little 14 year old Drusilla here to be tormented and brutalized by their alcoholic father. He shuddered to think how far his father would actually go with her. Even Angelus had to admit his baby sister was growing up quickly and would be quite the woman. Her long dark hair fitted her lengthy pale frame perfectly. Her eyes were what really stood out. They were beautifully haunting and he saw the way his father looked at her at times. Angelus had done quite well shielding Dru from him thus far. He could only remember a handful of times that Dru had ever become the focal point of their father's attacks. Angelus remembered one time coming back from his friend William's house after spending the night. Dru was suppose to be spending the night at her friend Darla's house, but the sleepover had been canceled at the last minutes. Angelus vividly remembered finding the bruised and battered from of his eight year old sister. With out thinking Angelus had rushed her to the hospital. He remembered carrying her and running the whole way. Angelus was scared to the death because she wouldn't wake up. Angelus had received the beating of his life time once the child protective services were done with their investigation. Angelus himself had coached Dru on the story to feed the hospital staff as well as the police. He still remembered her trembling lips and tears cascading as she lied saying someone knocked on the door and that was the last thing she remembered. The investigation turned up nothing so the case was dropped.

Angelus had vowed that he would never let any harm come to his sister again and he hadn't since. Angelus had taken every beating his father wished to mete out whether it was meant for him or his sister. Angelus figured he could talk his father in to sending her to boarding school, but then that would stop him from seeing her as well. Perhaps he could blackmail him into giving Angelus custody? He would figure something out he had two years after all and he was sure he could find some way to keep his father away from his sister. Angelus knew he would stop at nothing to keep his sister safe.

Two years later…

A stoic Angelus and passive Drusilla stood out in the pouring rain watching as the casket was lowered into the ground. Business partners of Holtz were the only other guests to attend the small funeral. Once the funeral was completed both Angelus and Drusilla were brought into their late father's office they were never allowed to venture into. Angelus sat on the couch pulling his little sister down with him. Angelus kept a grip on her as if someone was going to rip her from his arms. Their father's lawyer, Rupert Giles, pulled the will out and looked it over for a few moments. "Let me start off by giving you both my condolences. I truly am sorry that you have had to endure yet another death of a parent at such young ages," Giles apologized staring at the unemotional faces of the children before him. Giles cleared his throat then began speaking again, "Well lets see your father's death was unexpected and he had not updated his will since the marriage to your mother. In that will your father left everything to your mother, however since she is not with us everything goes to you Angelus because you are the only one of age." Angelus looked at the man for several long seconds, "My sister what about my sister?" Giles not understanding what he meant, "Well of course it is yours, but you may give whatever you like to your sister." Angelus shook his head, "No I mean she is only 16 what happens to her?" Giles smiled understanding now what the boy meant, "Guardianship of Drusilla would fall to you, however if you do not wish to have custody there are other arrangements that could be made." Angelus pulled his sister impossibly closer to him, "I will take care of my sister."

Angelus sold the house as quickly as possible. There were just to many bad memories with in those walls. All the good memories of their mother had vanished the day she died. Angelus let Drusilla pick the house they would buy. She found a small three bedroom two story house on the edge of town. Angelus and Drusilla started over fresh and ready to begin a new life. They no longer had to cower in fear of their father's return. Drusilla was lighter and happier and it showed. Angelus was very pleased with the way things had turned out.