I'm glad y'all enjoyed the last update! Thanks for all your reviews, they really mean a lot to me. I hope the rest of this story will be just as well perceived...

The first time Dick hurt Mick, Allison threw some random clothes in a suitcase, got Mick, and left. She hadn't planned on coming back. She really hadn't been...but she was weak.

It happened in the garden. The Rorys had been working on the farm all day, tending to the animals, taking care of the crops, cleaning up the house, etc, etc. They were just finishing up their evening chores, when the incident happened.

Mick was prancing around happily, chasing their Border Collie puppy Todd. (They had three more puppies, another Border Collie called Marley, and two Belgian Shepherds called Bella and Big Joe. Todd, was just the most hyperactive of the bunch, so Mick preferred to play with him.)

Allison was crouched down in the garden, picking the weeds from the dirt. Dick was nearby, feeding the chickens, having just finished milking the cows for the night. The goats and pigs were already crated in, so once he got the chickens into their pen all that would be left were the dogs. Then, the Rorys could sit down and have a nice relaxing supper. Allison smiled to herself, as she yanked one final weed from the ground and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Her dark hair was tied back under a bandana, and her chestnut eyes kept watering like a water fall. Allison just knew she must've looked like a zombie. She was very much looking forward to resting after such a long day of work, especially considering she hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night.

Dick had suffered through three night terrors, screaming every time he closed his eyes. Allison hadn't gotten him to rest peacefully until three in the morning. Meanwhile, Mick had been fussy all morning, and he refused to let her sleep in an hour or two. He never did. Though, that wasn't really his fault, she supposed. Allison had raised him to be an early riser and hard worker. She smiled to herself, as she stood up with the weeds. Surely, she thought, her son was going to make some lucky gal very happy some day.

Allison was just turning to toss the weeds in the trash bag she'd brought out with her, when she heard the shout. Her head snapped in the direction of her husband, where the noise had come from. Mick was clinging onto to Dick's waist for dear life, as his father swatted at him violently. It looked as though the boy had jumped on him, trying to surprise him, and inadvertently caused him to slip into an illusion.

Mick was giggling, clearly not yet understanding the gravity of the situation. He seemed to think it was all just some game they were playing. But Dick was screeching hideously, thrashing around like a rabid animal. Allison dropped the weeds in her hands, rushing to retrieve her son, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure what exactly her husband was seeing in his head, but she knew it would quickly get ugly if she didn't move fast enough.

She didn't move fast enough. Dick threw Mick off his back in one violent motion, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the chicken pen, splitting the wood in two. Mick cried out in pain, sobbing.

"Dick!" Allison scolded, as she reached her boy, scooping his small form up in her arms. Dick blinked, slowly coming to. For a moment he looked around, taking his bearings in, until he finally came face to face with his wife's angry glare. Briefly, Dick's eyes flickered to Mick's sobbing form in Allison's arms, and his face fell.

Mick wasn't too badly harmed, but Allison could already tell there would be bruising later. She held her son as he cried, trying to calm him. Dick spluttered, awkwardly, taking a step forward, hand out stretched. "Allison, I -"

"Save it," Allison snapped. She stood up, still holding Mick in her arms, shushing him softly as she tried to sooth him. Dick frowned, staring at her with those big doe eyes of his. Allison could tell he felt guilty about what he'd done, and she knew he couldn't hell it. She knew he couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion when he was stuck in one of his nightmares... But she couldn't forgive him for this. Mick was their son.

Allison sighed, as Mick finally stopped crying. "Look, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know you can't control this thing. I know the war...but I don't think I can do this anymore..."

"Allison -" Dick tried again. She wasn't listening, though; she had already turned away, walking back towards the house, taking Mick with her. Dick was calling after her, but she didn't turn around to see if he was following. Allison knew if she did she'd change her mind. One look in his eyes, and she'd melt just like she always did... But she couldn't. Not now. Not ever again. She had to take care of Mick first and foremost and that meant getting him the hell away from here.

When she reached the house, Allison marched straight upstairs and started digging through the closet for their old suitcases. (They hadn't used them in years, unable to take any vacations since their was so much work to do on the farm.) "Mick, go to your room and pack a few clothes, okay?" Allison said, as she handed her son a small bag and placed him on the floor.

The young child tilted his head, not understanding what was happening. Bless his heart, he was so young. So innocent. Allison wished he could always stay that way...

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. How could she possibly explain this to him? "Because Mommy asked you to," she told him.

"Why?" Mick asked, looking up at her with big, wonderful, wide eyes.

"Mick, please. Just do as I ask," Allsion said. Something in her voice must have gotten the message across to the young boy, because he trotted off a moment later. As soon as he was gone, Allison slid to the floor, letting the tears fall freely from her eyes. She didn't know how she was going to do this alone. How could she raise a six year old by herself? Where would they even go? She didn't have anyone to turn to. No family... No friends...

Allison shook her head. It didn't matter. She'd figure it out. She had to. For her baby boy. With a surge of strength, Allison got to her feet. She grabbed a few clothes, showing them into her suitcase, before going into the bathroom to pack her hair brush and Mick's tooth brush. Then, she went to the boy's room to hurry him along and stuff some of his clothes into the suitcase, knowing Mick would only pack his toys into the backpack she'd given him.

Once the necessities were hurriedly packed, Allison got the keys from the banana rack, took Mick's hand, and ushered him out to the car. Her body felt numb, as if someone else were controlling her movements, like her mind had become completely detached from her body. It didn't feel real...

She didn't answer Mick when he started asking questions. She didn't stop when Dick came around the back of the house, begging her to stay. Allison just backed down the drive way, speeding down the pothole filled road until she reached the outskirts of the city. And then...and then she just kept driving, because she didn't have anywhere else to go. No one to turn to...

Allison only stopped driving when the sun went down and her eyes began dropping lazily. After such a long day... She just wanted to sleep forever...

Glancing in the rearview mirror to see Mick snoozing in the backseat, Allison sighed heavily, feeling the tears swell up in her eyes once more. The road started to blur with street signs, so she pulled over on the shoulder, turning the car off to save gas. And it was there that she broke down, trying her best to keep her sobs quiet lest she wake her son.