enter the FACE family. emotional hurt/comfort and sibling aww's

Gillan is female gilbert.

song is little toy guns by carrie underwood

enjoy

Violet eyes gazed down at the locket in her hands. she had taken it off her mother's dresser, inside was a picture of a happy family, a father with unruly blonde hair and a sweater vest, his arm around a beautiful blue eyed women, her hair swept up on her head. they were laughing as a boy of about 11 had his smaller sister, she was 6, but small for her age, on his back. both children's faces were mid laugh. it was a flawless happy family… that was 3 years ago now.

The closet door opened a crack, the yelling from down the hall was getting louder in her ears. a sob wracked Madeline's tiny body as she put her hands over her ears. the closet door opened and shut quickly. there were arms around her. without looking she buried her face against her big brothers shirt.

"shhh Maddie.. I'm here, just talk to me okay?"

The screaming from their mother and father echoed through the whole house. she had found this was the quietest place to hide. Her brother, her hero, had not taken long to find her the first time. he always sought her out when they started to fight.

The first big fight they had Madeline had run from the house, she needed to get away from the house, the screaming was scary. Alfred had been the one to realize she was gone. The family had looked all over the house and the yard. then they moved around the neighbourhood.

Madeline had taken shelter in the park under the slide, but it was dark and scary. she wasn't sure which was home was. if she did go back would they still be screaming? then her big brother found her. she had cried and clung to him. her had hoisted her onto his back and took her home. he made her promise if she ever felt like running again, she would come to him.

now in the closet she shook as he held her protectively against him. she sobbed as she spoke

"I wish they would stop fighting! why can't they just stop!"

"I know Maddie.. I'm sorry…"

her voice was smaller " they're fighting over m-m-me… I j-just wanted to g-go to Gillians house for a sleepover…"

Alfreds words, still kind, were firm "this is not your fault Maddie.. they look for things to fight over…"

Madeline dissolved further into crying. she thought back to when they played together as a family. princesses and knights, or super heros, or cowboys… she took a deep shaking breath and sniffled

"I wish words were like your little toy guns Alfie… they don't hurt anyone… it's just a game… just cowboys. they could just stop playing and the noise would stop, the guns get left in the yard and we all go in for lunch… "

"Me too Maddie." Alfred held his sister closer. he wished he could make them see what they were doing to her. He was older, it still hurt him, he still hated it. but it didn't cut him as deeply as it did her. he thought they would understand after she had run away. but they hadn't.

"toy guns huh?" Alfred smiled he had an idea. "come to my room okay? I promise you won't have to keep hearing them."

He stood with his sister and they made a break for his room. he sat her on his bed and went to the stereo. he didn't care if they heard. as long as they didn't have to hear them. he turned the music on and cranked it. you could still heard the muffled voices, but he wasn't done. his sister was on the bed curled in on herself, hands over her ears again, tears running down her already stained face.

He ran to his closet and quickly pulled out a box of his old childhood toys, tossing things haphazardly to the side until he found was he was looking for.

Madeline felt something placed on her head, then her brother grab her wrist pulling it gently from her ear and placed something plastic in her hand. she opened her eyes and looked curiously. a small, toy gun. the kind that made bang sounds, but fired nothing. her brother was smiling as he pointed it "stick 'em up partner!" she smiled looking into his sparkling blue eyes, they were both wearing cowboy hats. the yelling got louder and her smile dropped

"it's okay maddie just like this!" he pulled the trigger aiming at the wall and the bang drowned out the yelling. she tested her own and a look of relief spread over her face.

"you shootin at me little lady?!" Alfred asked loudly in mock offense. she giggled at the hilarious look on his face and fired again. "Oh thats it!" he grabbed his sister and started tickling her. she fire the gun several times trying to get away. between the music, the guns, and the laughter their parents screaming was finally drowned out.