AN: New chapter :) Throughout the story, it sort of switches POVs, even though it is 3rd person, it's more their perspectives than anything :)

Chapter 2 – Lucius - Loss

"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!" the bully jeered. He was at least three years younger than Lucius, but the blonde didn't dare say anything back. He just kept walking, clutching his battered old book tightly as he made his way back to his room for the night. He often kept the book on his person, it made him feel stronger… calmer.

"You're such a girl! Won't even look at us! Wimpy girly girl!" another boy jeered. This was the least of their threats to him… So he sped up, unwilling to face their more frightening attempts to break him. But it seemed today wasn't his lucky day. Oh God… was all he could think as the third of the usual group of bullies stepped in front of him, blocking his path forwards. He turned to go the other way, but the other two had already stepped into his path.

Lucius had long since given up hope that those who ran the orphanage would take any notice of his suffering, so he no longer screamed… He just let the tears run silently down his face, and took his punishment.

But today was too far…

The twelve year-old was dragged by the three boys, who couldn't be more than ten, through the rooms and into the bathroom. Once there, the first boy tugged his hair violently, and hot tears sprang to Lucius' eyes, as the second kicked him in the stomach, and he doubled over, keeping a tight hold on his book. The book, which he always carried around, had gone remarkably unscathed by the bullies through his many years in the god-forsaken place… But one of them noticed how he clung to it.

"Hey, lucy, what's that book? Is it your diary?" the first boy snickered. Lucius subconsciously tightened his grip on it. "Hehe, I bet you write all about which boys you fancy from school in that, don't you Lucy?"

"P-please… stay away…" Lucius whispered, the tears spilling over and cascading down his cheeks.

"Aw, that's right Lucy. Cry. Cry like the sissy you are!" the third boy piped up, kicking him in the arm. This, to Lucius' horror, loosened his grip on the book, and the first boy, the obvious leader, snatched it roughly from his grasp.

"No! It's fragile, please! No! Not that!" Lucius cried, trying to get up, but the second boy kicked him in the chest, pushing him to the floor in a heap, and holding him there as the first boy roughly turned the pages.

"Aw, this is boring! It's just some stupid story-book!" he yelled dismissively, throwing the book behind him into the toilet.

"No! NO!" Lucius screamed, his voice raw, and he began to cough violently. The boys proceeded to kick him until he had several cuts bleeding onto his pale blue shirt and torn jeans, and left him there, still coughing, laughing all the while.

Despite the pain, and the constant coughing fits, Lucius pushed himself up onto his hands, and crawled to the toilet. He reached in and pulled the book out, placing it carefully on the floor. He opened it. The pages were drenched, but the writing was still intact… He prayed it would be okay…

That book was all he had left of his father… It was the book his father had been reading him the night he was killed… A memory Lucius was never keen to venture into. He'd only been three… but it was still as clear as day in his mind…

"That's all for tonight, Lucius…" his father said. Lucius pouted. His father laughed heartily. "I'll read you two tomorrow night, how about that?" he said, as he placed the bookmark in the pages at chapter 8.

"Aw… okay, daddy." Lucius said, with a smile. His father stood, placing the book on Lucius' bed-side table. But as he was about to tuck Lucius in, he heard a crash downstairs. He froze.

"Lucius?" he whispered. "Stay quiet… I'm going to go and see what's happened downstairs. Stay here, I'll be right back." He said, touching his little son's face gently. Nobody was in the house, his wife was in hospital… So it could only be one thing…

Lucius, though, concerned for his father's well-being, clambered out of his bed quietly and, clutching his small toy bear tightly in his hand, made his way down the stairs after his father.

As he entered the dining room, Lucius' father saw a dark figure with a large back-pack, which he was throwing anything of value into.

"Hey!" he cried. The figure looked up, but seemed undeterred from his mission. Lucius had found himself in the doorway to the dining room, from which he could see his father rushing towards a black figure. As he passed the light-switch, he flicked it, and indeed the man was dressed all in black, but as Lucius saw his eyes, he froze in fear, dropping his teddy.

The man's eyes were blood red, and focused on Lucius' father with the eyes of a man who had killed many. But Lucius' father noticed too late, slowing as the man withdrew a knife from his belt and stabbed him hard in the stomach. His knees buckled, his eyes went wide and he felt to the floor as the knife was ripped from him. Blood began to pool around him, as the man took the little else he could find and made his escape.

Lucius could barely move. Suddenly, he remembered what his father had told him to do… His little hands were shaking as he grabbed the phone, and pressed the '9' three times.

"Hello, 999, what's your emergency?"

"Uh… A man… in black… he took lots of stuff… and he attacked my daddy…" Lucius stuttered, tears falling rapidly down his face from fear. The woman on the end of the phone calmly asked for an address, and Lucius shakily gave it. As soon as the woman had gone, though, he dropped the phone and ran to his father's side. "Daddy!" he cried as he knelt down next to him, his long, blonde hair dipping into the pool of blood, staining it red.

"L-lucius…" his father whispered. "I told you… to… stay… in bed…"

"I-I'm sorry…" Lucius replied, tears still pouring from his eyes.

"I…Lucius… I need you… to take c-care of mummy… for me… can- can you do that?" his father stammered, his voice cracking and weakening with every breath.

"But… Daddy…"

"I can't… look after you any more… You have to… to be brave now… Be a big boy… for mummy…"

"Daddy, the- the ambulance is gonna… they'll be here! You'll get better!"

"No, Lu…" his father whispered, tears slipping from his own eyes, as he lifted a bloodied hand to his son's face. "I… I love you, son…"

"Daddy… Please… Hold on! H-hear that?" Lucius said, grabbing his father's hand as sirens wailed outside. "They're here… Hold on…"

But it was too late. As the door opened, and paramedics rushed in, Lucius' father's hand slipped from his son's grasp, and fell into his own blood, as the life left his eyes and he went cold.

It has come to my belated attention that orphanages don't actually exist in most western countries anymore... So I'm gonna have to either change where its set, or edit it later (when I've finished writing it) so it's about foster/care homes (which DO exist XD) Ah well, I guess it pays to research early XD