I might add a little drama in this chapter, but we'll see.

Chapter 5: Siblings Stick Together

Living with the Flavershams in a good home was the best thing that ever happened to Andrew. Plus, the Flavershams had a friend named Stella, another mouse ever since Clover was young. Clover had also been friends with a bat named Eve since middle school; they were the same age. The schools allowed bats and rats, as well as animals of different species in the same schools mice were in because prejudice was not allowed; they were treated as equals, unlike anyone who thought differently. There were closed-minded individuals, even though they were part of the law thought mice should be friends with mice, not the other way around. One of them was Basil of Baker Street, who believed all rats and bats were evil, knowing he was friends with a rat who eventually betrayed him, but this didn't stop everyone from opposing the racist law. No one, not even one person could stop unprejudiced people and activists from standing up to the law and that mice have the freedom to choose to be friends with different species.

There were days where Eve invited Clover to her family and Eve was okay with Clover bringing her younger siblings with her since Eve had a little brother named Flappy. Andrew and Olivia loved to play with Flappy. Flappy was like a brother to them. One night, Eve, Clover, Andrew, Olivia, and Flappy went outside for a talk.

"Clover, have you heard of the protest against the law that bats and rats can't be friends with mice?" Eve asked.

"Yes, and I'm against it because I'm your friend," Clover replied.

"I'm yours, too, and nothing, not even the stupid law can take away our friendship. In fact, my parents are protesting against it."

"Mine, too. Besides, that law is racist. Good thing our teachers are against it, as well."

"Andrew, no matter what happens, we'll always be friends," Flappy said.

"That we will, Flappy," Andrew promised.

Olivia hugged her brother and Flappy.

…

When Clover was seventeen, she fell in love with a boy about her age. He was handsome and kind like any girl would like to see in a boy and at that moment, she found the right person who would love her as she was. Clover let him in her home to mingle with her family.

"Mama. Papa. Olivia. Andrew. Meet my boyfriend, Jax."

"Hello, nice to meet you all," said Clover's boyfriend.

"Hi, there," greeted a twelve-year-old Andrew and a seven-year-old Olivia.

"Jax, these are my siblings Andrew and Olivia."

"Nice to meet you, kiddos," he said politely, shaking their hands.

"Nice to meet you, too," Andrew said.

…

Everything seemed to go well between Clover and Jax. Whenever he had a bad day, he'd go to her for help and she'd listen. Whenever Clover had bad days, she'd rely on Jax to make her feel better and he'd understand, as well. There were moments where Olivia and Andrew joined them, but Jax and Clover didn't mind. Thus, Jax and Clover went out on dates.

However, their romantic relationship did not last long; it only lasted a month. Jax started drinking when he lost his job at the supermarket. He had a bad family years ago, so he killed them. Calmly, Clover went over to him. "Jax, why are you drinking?"

"I lost my job because of you and your stupid brother and sister!" Jax accused, "You all got in the way!"

Clover, Andrew, and Olivia cringed and gasped, not believing he'd say something like that. "Don't take it out on us when we have nothing to do with it!" Clover scolded, "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Jax slapped her across the face so hard, she fell to the floor, making her cry. Little did he know that Hiram saw this terrible thing that happened to his daughter. "I'm not ashamed of myself. My family abused me, making me feel self-destructive until I killed them without mercy as payback. I should've known better than to be friends with someone with bratty siblings!"

"Don't hit my sister!" Olivia snapped, "She didn't do anything to you!"

Losing his patience with the younger sister, Jax growled, "Shut up you annoying little pipsqueak! Like your sister, you and your brother will never be good enough! Clover will be mine and you will NOT go anywhere near us and that is FINAL!"

But Olivia wasn't going to back down. "Siblings stick together!"

"Why you little-"

"Hey! Don't talk to my little sister like that!" Andrew reprimanded as he punched him in the face when he towered on them. Jax covered his face in shock that he was punched by a younger child. "She had a point," Andrew continued, "It's also rude and immature to blame us for something we didn't do just because you had a bad day. I lived in the orphanage for eight years and no one adopted me until two years later. Did I turn out to be a toxic alcoholic? NO!"

Jax also lost his cool with Andrew. "Say one more word and I'll-" He was about to punch the twelve-year-old when Hiram stepped in the room.

"Jax, you will not touch my children!" Hiram admonished.

"Really? I have no time for parents telling me what to do!"

But Hiram wasn't going to tolerate his abusive behavior towards his children. "I'm telling you, you shouldn't get upset with them because you lost your job, so it's NOT their fault."

"I'll do whatever I want, old man and I'm not letting you interfere!"

"Jax, that's gone too far!" Bridget yelled, hearing him offending her husband.

"If you don't want to be here, then get out of our sight!" Hiram shouted.

"I'm no longer yours," Clover said, finding her voice again and finally having enough courage to stand up to her ex. She got on her feet again and snapped, "GET OUT!"

Jax winced at her ex-girlfriend's tone.

"You heard her," Hiram said, "Get out or we'll call the police."

Jax glared at them as he said in a menacing voice, "I'll be back. It may be over between us, but you have another thing coming your way." As he left, he thought, They'll regret kicking me out.

In case Jax returned, Hiram filed a lawsuit against him and called the police, telling them what happened. Once he called them, they arrested Jax for abusing his ex-girlfriend and her siblings.

The Flavershams told their friend, Stella everything.

…

A couple weeks after Jax's arrest, Jax escaped from prison to get his revenge on the wretched Flaversham family, who pushed him away. He broke into their house.

"Hello again, Clover," he said with a devilish grin.

Luckily, Hiram and Bridget hid Andrew and Olivia in the cupboard so the grown-ups could deal with it. Concerned for their older sister's safety, Andrew and Olivia peeked through the cupboard to see what was going on.

"Jax!" Clover snapped. "I thought you were out of our lives! Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

"Once your family is out of the way, you will marry me."

"What? NO! Never!"

He kissed her lips only to be slapped across the face and he felt his cheek.

"Do not touch my daughter!" Hiram shouted defiantly.

"Hiram, we meet again," Jax said mockingly.

"What do you want? I thought you were in jail."

"How was jail?" Bridget asked.

"Before I answer that," Jax said, reaching for his dagger he carried in his pocket, "I'll be taking everything you love from you because I never felt love from my parents when they abused me all those years." He jumped with a dagger aiming towards Clover, but she reacted quickly by withdrawing her gun from her pocket Hiram and Bridget gave her and shot him in the chest in self-defense, making him drop his dagger. Hiram, Bridget, and Clover removed themselves from the scene before the dagger hit any of them.

Clover breathed heavily once the ordeal was over.

"It's alright, Clover," Hiram told her, "It was self-defense."

"Your father's right, honey," Bridget agreed, "If you hadn't shot him, he would've killed you."

Clover hugged them. "Perhaps you're both right," she said.

"He had it coming," Hiram said and to his younger son and daughter, he said gently, "Come on out, Andrew and Olivia. Jax's gone for good; he can't hurt us anymore."

Andrew and Olivia slowly opened the cupboard and came out of their hiding place. Upon seeing the dead body, they both gasped.

"He's dead," Andrew said.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Who is it now?" Hiram said out of annoyance, hoping it wasn't a burglar, but Bridget peeked through the hole and recognized Stella, who was their friend. She opened the door for her.

"Oh, dear! What happened?" Stella gasped as she saw a dead body before her.

"Jax broke into the house to get his revenge on kicking him out," Hiram replied.

"Luckily, she defended herself and us," Bridget finished.

"Clover, you're a hero."

Clover thanked her with a hug and told her the whole story.

"He got what he deserved," Stella said when Clover was finished.

…

A couple weeks after Jax's dead body had been removed, worse things came to the Flaversham family while they were out for a walk. Jax's men came to avenge Jax after his death. Fortunately, Hiram carried a gun for self-defense to take precautions in case something was to happen to any of his family members.

Bridget heard something suspicious. "Children, quickly, the shop!" she ordered.

"Your mother and I will catch up with you," Hiram said.

Clover grabbed Andrew and Olivia each by the hand and fled from a group of Jax's gang.

"Faster, children!" Bridget shouted after her children. "Don't stop! Keep running! Keep running!"

Clover and her siblings didn't stop once.

One man aimed to shoot Hiram, but Bridget sacrificed herself for her husband. "Bridget!" Hiram shouted as the bullet hit his wife and she fell to the ground, "No!" He sobbed as he caressed her lifeless body.

Police went by, but stopped to see crooks kill an innocent woman. "Those are the men who worked for Jax," one mouse police said.

"We've been looking for them for years," the other said.

"Men, you're under arrest for murdering an innocent woman," the leader said and each police officer handcuffed the crooks.

While the rest of the officers brought Jax's men in jail, a couple of mice police went over to comfort Hiram. "I'm sorry about your wife," one sympathized.

"The bullet was meant for me," Hiram said.

"She did this for you and I'm sure you'll do a great job raising your children," the other police said, "There was nothing you could've done about your wife's death."

"It'll take time," the third one told him, "I lost my wife years ago and I was my children's only parent that ever lived in their lives. My children turned out fine and I did, too. It'll all work out, you'll see."

"Goodbye, Bridget," Hiram wept, "I'll never forget you. I'll take good care of your children, I promise." He wiped his tears with his sleeve and let go of his wife's corpse.

"I wish you luck, sir," the same cop who lost his wife said.

Hiram sniffled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Then Hiram walked home to tell his children the sad news.

...

"Mother, we made it!" Olivia shouted with glee.

"Father, we're home!" Andrew said.

"Olivia. Andrew. I have a bad feeling about this," Clover warned, concerned for her parents' safety. As much as she enjoyed their enthusiasm, she had to be realistic.

"Mother? Father?" Andrew and Olivia asked simultaneously.

"Mother! Father!" Clover shouted.

"Mother! Father! Where are you?" Olivia asked.

"Mother! Father!" Andrew shouted, but it was no use.

The three siblings started to sob, but gasped when they found their father in front of them.

"Your mother can't be with us anymore," Hiram said gravely, "But don't worry, I'm here for you. I promised her I'll take good care of you."

Tears fell from his children's eyes.

"Come, my children." His children obeyed and they went inside their home.

…

A few days after Bridget Flaversham's tragic death, Hiram, Clover, Andrew, Olivia, and their friends Stella, Eve, Flappy, and so many others came to the funeral, dressed in black attire. Bridget's family and friends cried over her disappearance. Hiram was the one to give the speeches. After his speech, he and the others went over to eat in the luncheon. At least, Bridget was in a better place without criminals ruining lives and Hiram and his family and friends were grateful for it.

AN: Jax, Clover's toxic ex-boyfriend and the Flaversham family's friend, Stella belong to me.

There was a brief description of racism in this chapter and I temporarily mentioned Basil, but there will be more of him in the sequel.

I'm more inclined to believe Olivia's mother died, rather than divorce her husband because I'm sure she loves her husband and daughter.