Danny and Alice bought an obscene amount of alcohol and sat it on his coffee table. There was lager, cider, whisky and Danny had insisted on buying her Malibu and Taboo. She tried to stop him telling him she didn't even drink the stuff anymore but he wouldn't hear it. They were now sat on the sofa looking at the drinks.

"That is a tall order for just two people." he told her.

She agreed. "We can do it, or pass out trying!"

"I hear my liver groaning as we speak!"

She nodded smiling.

He went to kitchen to collect two glasses while she turned the hi-fi down low. Just some background noise for if it got hard for either of them. Danny meanwhile had poured two shots of whisky and handed one glass to her. She sat and looked at the amber liquid. They raised their glasses together.

"To Peter." he said. "Thirteen years feels like thirteen minutes."

She seconded and they downed the drinks. She shook her head and exhaled.

He smirked at her. "Lightweight!"

"Can I remind you that I drink what? Once a decade?" she joked.

"No excuse for not being able to handle your drink!" and handed her a bottle of lager.

She pushed it away. "Ewww, yeast remember."

"Sorry." and she had some cider.

They were soon chatting about Peter, reminiscing as they shared their happiest memories. Alice spoke about being his friend, the bike rides and building of dens in the back yard. Danny talked about being his brother, how he used to annoy him just for a laugh to see how he could push him before he threatened bodily hard.. The alcohol was slowly being consumed, they were on their way to being slightly drunk.

"He loved the trees in your back yard." Alice said smiling. "He showed me the quickest way to get up them, you know in case you chased us one day."

He nodded.

"Like that last time in the garden, there was no way you were getting up there until I fell out." she thought for a second. "There has something that I've always wanted to know, that day in the garden, after me and Peter dropped the water bombs, would you have hit me?"

He frowned. "Huh?"

"Well you said you were gonna beat Peter up, I fell and you said that didn't matter, you could do it to him or me, would you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know me at all?"

"I know you wouldn't do it now, but then? Especially after losing your girlfriend I dunno, you were pretty mad."

He shook his head. "I don't hit girls, then or now."

She nodded, knowing that deep down he wouldn't have hurt her. "That's how I always remember Peter you know." she admitted. "Sticking up for me with you, laughing and joking, planning a trick." she smiled fondly. "That last time in the garden is my favourite, even though its kinda sad…" she trailed off.

Darkness began to descend around Danny as he remembered that time, his words…..his actions…..

Alice meanwhile was making herself comfortable, she sat back on the sofa, kicked her shoes off and placed her feet under her legs, her head rested on the back. "That was his idea you know. It was so hot that day, that's what I remember most, being so hot feeling like I was on fire. I had been hopping around in the tree trying to find some shade, I finally found some and spotted you, I declared a freak alert, which was our affectionate nickname for you. Then he slid down the tree declaring he had this perfect idea. Classic Peter!"

The words he spat at his brother reverberated around his head and he took a long drink from his bottle.

"He was always full of fun." she had her eyes closed lost in memories, completely oblivious to Danny's discomfort. "Usually I think that on his birthday he'd be in town blagging birthday kisses from the girls, wonder if he would have got them." she mused. "Personally and I'm not just saying this I find you cuter." she looked at him and gave him a half smile. "Honestly."

"Mum was positive that you and he would end up together one day, inevitable she said. This was long before all the cave stuff. She said you can't be that close and not develop feelings."

"Really? I never saw him like that." she had went and developed feelings for his older brother instead, now that was what you could call inevitable! "I don't know if I would have ever seen him like that to be honest. He was a friend, a good one. I suppose when we gotten older we may have messed around, but to fall for him?" that was to weird to contemplate especially given her feelings for Danny! She took a drink thinking. "Guess now we'll never know."

"He told me you were pretty once." Danny told her.

She sat up eyes wide. "What?"

He nodded. "You had a dress on for a Christmas party, mum had the picture and he saw it, said that with that pink dress and your hair up made your eyes shine and you looked pretty."

"Really?" she laughed. "Wow." she rested back. "He worshipped you, you know."

Danny raised eyebrows.

"Honestly, it was the reason he bugged you, so you'd notice him. He looked up to you. You were so brilliant to him, you could fix his bike and told him stuff about stars and the ocean. You were strong, not scared of anyone or anything ."

Alice saw his face crumple as her declaration came to its end. He swallowed thickly, opened the bottle of whiskey and drank from the bottle deeply, he made a face as it burned on the way down. He was staring at the floor, his chest visible with each inhale.

"Danny?" she whispered. He was always so controlled, what could make him react like this?

"Do you remember the last thing I said to my brother Alice?" his foot tapping a rapid tempo on the floor.

She sat up. "I think so."

"So now you know why I despise myself!" took another pull of whiskey, his stomach recoiled and he covered his mouth as acid rose.

She took the bottle then put her hand on his arm. "Danny."

"I said I hated him!" his voice distraught. "The last thing I ever said to him! A few hours later he died! My little brother died thinking I hated him!" he lost all control stood up, lifted the coffee table and pushed it forcefully across the room. Glass flew everywhere, shattering with a scream as it exploded on the floor.

"No Danny." she stood up.

He paced his head in his hands, clearly agitated she wasn't scared though, he'd never hurt her. "If only I'd agreed to build those stupid sand castles with him! He'd have never went in those caves, he'd have stayed away. Then I had to choose Alice, I had to CHOOSE you or him! Who do I dig out first? My brother or his friend. You were so small, I mean so was he but you were tiny so I thought you needed help more. Maybe if I had picked him they'd have found a way to save him." he closed his eyes tightly and fisted his hands in his hair.

"Oh Danny." she sighed, he'd obviously kept all this stuff bottled up too long. She went to him and put his face in her hands. "Look at me." she told him.

He couldn't.

"Danny." he tone hypnotising. "Listen. Those castles would have kept him busy for five minutes, he'd have been off to the caves first chance he got. Your dad took him all the time. The castles were more tradition more than anything else."

He still didn't look at her, almost trying to lock her words out, like he no matter what she said he'd have no absolution.

"Danny do you remember the words you said to Peter in the cave?" she asked.

"I didn't talk to him the cave, he was under mud!"

"You did I was there I heard you, do you remember?"

He shook his head.

"Think." She coaxed.

His eyes were closed, and she knew he wasn't trying.

"You told him you loved him." she whispered.

"No…." turned his face further away.

This time she made him look at her. "I heard you Danny." rubbed his moist cheeks with her thumbs erasing the wetness, his tears followed creating more. "You had already lifted me out, I was on top waiting for Peter. You were trying to get him to me, he was on your shoulders. You said you loved him and told him to take care of your mum and dad remember?" she looked at him intensely. "Remember?" she repeated almost begging him to regain the memory.

Danny flashed back, aching shoulders, chest burning with exertion. "I love you Pete….." he groaned. He was back to the present in seconds. "He was already de….."

"It doesn't matter!" her voice fierce. She rested his forehead on her and lowered her voice. "It doesn't matter because for that second, that single moment in time you were there. He needed you and you got him out. Two brothers alone and you did it! You loved him Danny and he knew, trust me he knew!"

As Alice's final words sank in all the pain and guilt he'd held onto all these years started to melt away, it was like lancing a wound. His soul was beginning to feel lighter.

"He knew how much you cared, told me how much in the cave as we went in. He said that you'd be searching the beach worried about him coz you knew he was the best brother ever, granted he was gloating that you be even more scared when you couldn't find him but the sentiment was the same."

He buried is face in her neck and closed his eyes tightly.

"He knew you would do anything for him." she then wrapped her arms around him and held him, they stayed locked together for an age while she helped him to heal. After they both shed a few more tears they were mentally exhausted.

He touched her cheek as she pulled away, his face full of feeling. On it was an emotion she had never had directed at her before from anyone. It hit her where she had seen it, he wore the same look Jack did when he gazed at Kelly…..uh oh! "I'd better be getting home." the look on his face unnerved her.

He held her hand. "Stay with me tonight, no funny stuff, just be with me." caressed her face and kissed her softly.

She nodded. "Ok." she was a push over!

He took her hand and led her into his room. Opened the door to his wardrobe and retrieved a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "We're gonna have to bring you some spare clothes to keep here."

"Mine too." she agreed. "Or you could have my spare room."

"Do you mean that?" he asked slowly looking at her.

She nodded, realising that she wasn't afraid. She wanted to be with him.

"Then I'd love to." went to the bathroom. When he came out he saw her dirty clothes waiting outside the door. He picked them up and took them to his washing machine set the timer to dry them. He winced when he saw the broken glass that littered the floor. Alice had done this big thing for him and she probably didn't even know it. When he returned to his room he found her sat on his bed cross legged using a pocket comb to try and rid her hair of the tangles. She looked so at home sat there, in his clothes, or his t-shirt as the shorts still remained where he lay them.

"Not bothering with the shorts, the t-shirt is already at my knees anyway." she smiled. "I've wore shorter skirts than this!"

He felt something in his chest shift at her shy smile. Oh he was in over his head and he didn't even care! "I think Peter would be glad we're friend, don't you?" she asked.

Danny thought Peter would be jealous at how close they were, how it seemed to grow each day. Peter didn't like to share what was his, and he would have definitely seen Alice as his! "I think so." he agreed, not wanting to freak her out with how possessive Peter would have been. "Nothing was the same at home when we lost him." he sat opposite her on the bed, only the lamp light burning. "Then we moved coz mum kept freaking out. This is the first time in forever that I have felt so settled." he leaned in and kissed her. "I have you to thank." then he lay down after switching the lamp off.

She lay down too suddenly feeling exhaustion wash over her. it was extremely hsrd trying to keep her eyes open. She became aware that Danny was staying on his side, she rolled over and pulled him to her, they were chest to chest, and had their eyes been open they would have been able to look at the other. He smiled when he felt her arms around him.

The room was warm and dark. She was defenceles. Alice felt Danny in her arms and her heart and knew this was where she was supposed to be, the thought didn't scare her. It filled her with contentment she'd never know before. Was she home? This may be the alcohol talking but this felt safe, no matter what he would never hurt her. She had to be home, this is what it felt like. "I would have drowned without you." she murmured drowsily.

He looked at her. "Alice it's ok." and squeezed her hand.

She opened her eyes, dusted with sleep. "No seriously, even if I could dig myself out, I couldn't hold my breath long enough to get out, you gave me some of yours remember?"

"Yeah."

"Peter was right." her eyes drifted closed. "You are amazing." then she sighed.

Danny stayed still looking at her. He didn't feel amazing, right now he felt drunk, upset and stupidly in love with someone he was scared was gonna break his heart. He'd try to be amazing though, for Alice. He'd do anything for her.

A/N love how the tables turned here and she was the one supporting him, he's not as hard as he likes to pretend he is and tbh neither is she! Aww its obvious how much they need each other! :) x