Important A/N: I am so terribly sorry it took so long to get this updated! I seriously had no idea it had been so long! Mainly I had major writers block, and just couldn't think of anything to type. And then I wasn't sure whether or not to keep this story going or end, but to save you all from me taking months to update I have decided that the journey of this story needs to come to a close. I will be writing a sequel soon about Josh. In this final chapter we learn a bit about Josh's past, so my next story will tell you basically his life story just like this story has done for Drake.

I would like to thank all my reviewers; you all have meant the world to me! If it weren't for you, I promise you that this story would never have gotten past the second chapter! You're the best! Thank you for reading this story, even though I don't think it merits attention. But thank you.

Love,
Brittney

Memories – chapter eleven

Within a week Drake Parker was out of the hospital, and sitting on the couch watching TV. To a passerby the house would seem like just a regular home, but to the ones who lived inside, it was possibly the worst time of their lives. Walter had spent a week in jail, and was being released today. Audrey had put a restraining order against him, and he wasn't allowed anywhere near Drake or any other family members unsupervised. Walter had called a few times begging for Audrey's forgiveness, sometimes even crying, but she didn't give in.

Friday was when Walter was going to court. Drake was dreading it. The young teen had lost his appetite and would just sit around the house constantly thinking. Josh knew what was wrong with his brother, but every time he would try to help, Drake would ask to be left alone.

Megan was also having difficulty dealing with all this drama. It was hard to believe the girl had changed so drastically in such a short time. She no longer played any sort of prank on her brothers; she usually spent her time in her room staring at the wall. Megan thought she had finally gotten the chance to have a father…but now that was taken from her. She cried herself to sleep every night, and tried not to leave her room. Her only sanctuary.

Josh was as depressed as Drake, but he kept himself calm around the family. After all, he had gone through this before, he knew exactly how to hide his feelings.

When he was a young child Walter had lost his job, it was a devastating blow to the whole family. Pretty soon Josh's father couldn't take it anymore, and started staying out late and drinking to help ease his frustration. After awhile the man started coming home drunk out of his mind, and four-year old Josh would ask his dad what was the matter…that's when the beatings started. At first it was just a spanking, but slowly it grew to severe abuse. The drunken father would make his son to tell everyone at pre-school that he had gotten into a fistfight with a friend just incase any teachers became suspicious.

At the time Josh's mom was in rehab trying to get over her drug addiction, so the small boy had learned to take care of himself since both his parents didn't want to take care of him. He would have neighbors take him back and forth from pre-school and then when he got home he would fix himself dinner (a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) and then go to bed.

One day when seven year-old Josh Nichols walked into the small house, he instantly knew something was different. Running all around the home in search of his drunken father, he found the man upstairs crying. Kneeling beside his dad, Josh whispered, "Why are you crying, Daddy?" Walter looked up, tears in his eyes, and hugged his son. It was the first time Josh had ever felt truly loved by his father, and he hugged his dad back.

That day Josh had learned that his mom had snuck drugs into her room at the rehab and had died from an overdose. Crying onto his dad's shoulder, Walter began muttering apologies to his son. He promised he would never drink again. He promised he would never abuse anyone again. He promised he would be the best father he could be.

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Josh laid in his bed thinking about how his father had broken all those promises. Walter had seemed so sincere, but he should've known this would happen again. He should've told Drake about what had happened when he was younger, but he had chickened out.

A tear slid slowly down his face as he curled into himself trying to make the pain go away. The pain his father had caused once again. Josh just couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that his father would even think of hurting Drake. Walter knew how close the boys were, so how could he do this? Deep down, Josh didn't want to go to the trial on Friday. He didn't want to have to look at his father and testify against the man he had known as dad all his life.

A voice calling softly from the doorway, made him open his eyes.

It was Drake.

This was the first time Drake had seen his brother cry, and it was unsettling. Actually, it was beyond unsettling. For Drake, his brother was his lifeline. So to see so much pain in Josh's eyes was disturbing.

Walking over to his brother's bed, Drake sat on the edge of it. "Josh, I'm…sorry this is happening. I wish to God-" But before he could finish, Josh raised his hand.

"Drake, stop apologizing to me, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. It's partially my fault, so I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I should have told you-" Josh took a deep breath before continuing, "I should have told you that this has happened before." Josh lowered his head in shame, afraid of what Drake would say.

"W-what?" Confusion laced Drake's voice.

Gathering his courage, Josh told his brother about his childhood. Not everything, just the parts that he thought mattered. By the time his story came to an end, the teen had tears in his eyes.

"Josh, why didn't you ever tell me this?" The hurt was evident in those words.

"I was afraid of what you might say. I thought you might be ashamed of how weak I was. I couldn't even stop my father," Josh sighed.

A comforting hand rested atop his shoulder and a quiet voice replied, "Josh, I would never think that of you, I would never ever be ashamed of you. You are far from weak; you are so much stronger than I could ever be. You're my brother, and nothing would ever change that," There was a long tension filled silence, and Drake looked away from his brother shyly. Suddenly, arms wrapped tightly around Drake, and he leaned into his brother.

Both boys were utterly exhausted, emotionally. They needed this comfort; they needed this closeness just so both brothers would know that they were there for each other through thick and thin. After a few minutes the teens broke apart, both smiling bashfully. Drake stood up off the bed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thank you," Josh whispered sincerely; Drake nodded his head.

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Epilogue

It had been five long months since the day Josh and his brother had testified against their father. Walter had pleaded guilty, and was sentenced sixteen months in jail. The judge had also added that Walter see a therapist every Monday and Friday until the hired therapist thought the man capable of staying sober, and in control of his anger.

Fortunately, when school started, the principle had forbidden any talk of what had happened to Drake over the summer break. But that still didn't stop people from talking about the incident. Even though it brought back painful memories, he had Josh there. He would always have Josh.