Darkeness
A Drake & Josh fan-fic created for the older fan (ages 17-adult)
A short story by Alison Lydon
Told in both the first and third person formats.
Lead characters:
Drake Parker & Josh Nichols
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. No copyright infringement is
intended.
Chapter 1
Darkness Came Without a Sound
April
"DADDY! I WANT MY DADDY!"
The little three year old with the sandy brown hair and the jewel toned green eyes sat on the
linoleum floor in her paternal Grandparents house in San Diego.
She wore a little yellow dress with a peter pan collar and matching yellow Mary Jane's.
She tried her damnedest NOT to cry. But even at that age the toddler had trouble repressing it.
They couldn't make her feel better with milk and cookies, make her care about the Easter Bunny,
or tell the "everything is going to be all right" lie because she KNEW not one of the grown-ups
believed it.
She put her tiny hands over her face as if she were ashamed doing the act of crying.
Her Uncle with the black wavy hair scooped her up off the floor and carried her into the living
room so they could have a private moment with each other.
They left everyone else in the room with broken hearts.
"Sweetie," He positioned her on his lap while trying to grab some Kleenex from the square pink
box off the end table with his other hand, "Do you know how much I love you?"
He wasn't just the Uncle in her life.
Josh was also her Godfather. It made him feel a sense of pride because he didn't have any children
of his own yet.
He tried not to think about that anymore.
All of his thoughts seemed to be so selfish ever since the accident.
She didn't feel like answering what felt like another fib from yet one more
grown-up who loved her.
She put her head on his shoulder and put her thumb in her mouth.
All she wanted was her Daddy.
How come he didn't love her anymore?
3 Months ago
"I can't believe you." Josh Nichols said to his brother Drake Parker while they were eating lunch in
the food court at the Galleria.
Josh was taking an extended lunch from his shift as a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune
and Drake was in the middle of making his second CD sampler.
Once a month no matter how busy they were they always tried to get together for lunch.
"What?" Drake asked smiling as he took a French fry and dipped it in the paper ketchup cup he
was using before he finished all of his French fries.
"You're still the same brother stealing my fries thinking I don't notice, but how did you miss that
flight attendant who walked by?"
"Why is this so hard for you to believe? I love Sharon."
Sharon was currently a music teacher in the San Fernando Valley. When his manager suggested
that he brush up on his skills, his rushed to the surface anger of his manager clearly not recognizing
that he didn't need to brush up on anything was replaced with the typical lust for another pretty
female in pretty skirt ensemble.
But the more lessons he took—the more he enjoyed spending time with her.
The dates with his sluts of the month that he cancelled from his cell phone in the bathroom to make
room for more important things like going out for coffee and conversation with Sharon afterwards.
How he paid attention to every detail because he wanted to.
Such as her long and straight blonde hair that had more brown hues than blonde tones.
Her green eyes that glistened like the contents of a pirate's found treasure chest.
How the lust turned to love and when he uttered the line that "holding each other is more than fine"
that was when Drake Parker knew he was in love with Sharon Kelly.
"No. I didn't mean anything by it, bro. I guess I'm jaded since Mindy and I are now in the off again
phase of our on and off again relationship."
"Take that as a sign that you were meant to move on. You deserve true love, Josh. And besides
Nina needs a playmate."
"Somehow I would think that'd be your and Sharon's department. And stop taking all my fries!"
"Sor-ry."
"I didn't mean to yell."
"I know."
Drake's cell phone rang. And before he even answered when Josh saw the most genuine smile
grace his brother's face he knew it was his sister-in-law.
"Hey, honey," Drake looked at his watch, "Okay. She'll love seeing Mom and Dad."
They always had extra money and presents for their only grandbaby ever since she was born.
Yet, when he, Josh, and Megan wanted something other than the necessities they were always
broke.
"Love you too. I'll see you when you get back. Kiss." And Drake wasn't ashamed to make the
kissing noise into the phone as he hung up.
"So the streak is intact?"
Even though Sharon worked long hours and Drake was a musician who tried to keep his gigs all on
the local level. If he couldn't take a flight out and be back before bedtime he didn't want to take
the offer. Much to the chagrin of his frustrated band mates who wanted to see the world and have
all of
the clichéd trappings of being in a rock band.
The drugs, the booze, and the cheap women. Even before they were married they made a vow to
never spend a single night apart. The nurses were amazed three years ago on how this dedicated
father stayed past the assigned visiting hours and slept in an uncomfortable chair while holding his
sleeping wife's hand after the baby was born.
"Of course."
Drake Parker's life was perfect and nothing was going to ever change that.
Back
Nina Parker only pretended to be asleep in Aunt Megan's bed and as soon as Uncle Josh went
back downstairs she quietly got up. Megan was in Europe "finding herself".
She just boarded the 747 to go back to Paris not twenty-four hours ago.
The little girl sat at the desk and started opening drawers. She needed to find some blank paper
and markers.
Kitchen
Josh held the red and white can of chicken noodle soup in his hand. He knew this wasn't going to
be eaten. But still he had to make the effort, just in case.
"Here's the can opener." Audrey said to Josh as she handed him the white handheld model.
"Thanks, Mom. Where did Dad go?"
"To the store." She tiredly replied
"I don't think he'll eat anything."
The only thing he had was half a cup of lukewarm tea and an even smaller piece of bagel that he
promptly threw up before going back to bed.
"If this keeps up we might have to call the doctor…." She tried to hold back the tears even though
her Granddaughter was safely sleeping upstairs.
Josh let the can drop into the bowl as he went to be yet another comforting rock, this time for his
mother.
"He's going to come through this, you'll see….." Josh hugged his mother trying to keep his own
tears at bay.
Drake had to be able to come through this.
But the trouble was Josh Nichols wasn't sure that he believed it.
Upstairs & Outside
The heart was bumpy, big, and pink. The 'I Luv U' was written in turquoise crayon. It was
because the young subconscious remembered the color of one of Mommy's skirts in a recessed
memory.
The 'To Daddy' and 'Nina' were written in orange.
The paper was standard printer issue that Megan had left over. It was shoved in her bottom desk
drawer with some crayons she needed for an alternative art project during her senior year.
She took her creation off the desk and headed in the direction of the guestroom.
Josh felt like he was in the middle of a movie with no resolution when he saw his brother emerge.
Drake's hair was unkempt and he hadn't taken a bath in days. The only reason why he was in his
pajamas, a grey t-shirt and blue checkered sleeping pants, was because Audrey tended to him. He
was starting to grow a beard. But the most telling change was that his will to live
was zapped out of system and he wanted to be that hollow shell left alone until it was his turn to go.
"Daddy!" Nina held out her drawing.
"Get the fuck out of my sight. You make sick. I hate you."
Drake harshly took the drawing out of her hands, ripped the paper in four pieces, and letting them
fall on the floor.
He held onto the walls as if he were blind to get to the bathroom.
Every word was uttered slowly and softly, but he might as well have hit her and screamed it from
the rooftops.
Just a few months ago she was "The Sweetest Most Bestest Daughter Ever".
The small girl just stood there emotionless as if she were frozen to the spot.
"WHY DOES DADDY HATE ME?"
She screamed as Audrey was coming up the stairs and Josh tried to find a shelf to put the food tray
on as Nina ran past them and down the stairs.
Nina made it out of the house through the front door and she would
have almost got hit by a sky blue Chevy Malibu if it weren't for her Grandfather being at the right
place at the right time.
"Nina!" Was all that Walter could say as he held her; the two grocery bags at his feet.
The eggs might have been broken. But that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was to stop
all this pain.
"Daddy hates me."
"Oh sweetie, your father doesn't hate you…."
At this time Audrey and Josh were waiting in the doorway watching all of this unfold.
"Yes, he does! He told me so!" She held onto her Grandfather tight, thumb back in her mouth, and
the tears flowing out of her eyes.
Her Daddy hated her.
Upstairs
That was it!
How dare he make his own little girl cry.
Josh walked up the stairs and saw Drake on his hands and knees with a roll of scotch tape
mending Nina's gift to him.
When he was done he kissed it.
Drake gently folded the patched up paper and put it in his robe pocket.
Josh pretended to be invisible and was too afraid to breathe as he watched Drake put his hand in
the now cold soup and fished out two noodles before going back to throw himself on the bed in the
guestroom.
"You didn't lose the will to live, Drake," Josh said to empty air, "And as God is my witness, we
are going to bring you back. We are going to bring you back, brother."
For the sake of his niece and Goddaughter Josh Nichols had to believe his words.
Everything just had to be okay.
For Nina's sake.
For all their sakes.