Chapter 14: Through His Eyes and a Promise Made

*Flashback*

A young Fulton sat quietly in his mother's car. He and his mother were on their way home from the grocery store while Lorain stayed home with Frankie, who wanted to just stay in and hang out with her older sister.

Despite the fact that Frankie was his twin she was really close with Loran and being Frankie's twin and brother he couldn't deny his sister's simple joy in just wanting to hang out with their older sister.

The family had been doing well since his mother had kicked their father out of the house sometime ago and everything was going well, or so he thought. Sometime after he had left his sister he felt as if something was wrong, that something was wrong with Frankie, yet he could not grasp what it was.

-Fulton!- came a sudden cry in his mind as he suddenly felt as if someone had taken a knife and stabbed him in the heart, something was wrong. He clutched his chest in pain for several moments until the pain went away, but the feeling that something was wrong seemed to linger.

He once heard that twins had a special bond and that on rare occasions could read each other's emotions or mind during certain times.

"Mom, can you hurry up? Something's wrong" Fulton told his mom in a worried tone as he looked out the window, silently praying what he felt was nothing at all.

The ride to the house seemed to take forever and when they finally got there Fulton threw open the car door and jumped out even before it came to a stop.

"Fulton, what's wrong?" Mrs. Reed asked in a worried tone as she watched her son run out of the car towards the door.

"Mom, hurry up, please" Fulton said as he desperately tired to open the door once he noticed that all lights inside the house were out. Lorain would never turn off all the lights, at least not until everyone was home.

Sensing her son's panic Mrs. Reed quickly ran up to the door, the groceries now lying forgotten in the back of the car.

Fulton wasted no time in darting though the door once it opened. Pain griped his heart; he was not prepared for the scene before him. Fulton stared in shock once he go inside, the entire house was trashed. The furniture around the area from tables, chairs and anything else was completely broken; glass lie all over the place in small pieces, but what drew his attention was the blood.

"Lorain, Frankie!" Mrs. Reed yelled as she quickly disappeared into the kitchen to call the police.

While his mother was in the kitchen he quickly darted up the stairs, to worried about his sisters to think about the blood. As he ran up the stairs noticing that at the top the stair railing was broken. "Frankie, Lorain!" he continued to yell repeatedly, sadly he received no answer from neither of the girls.

"Frankie!" he said as he headed to Frankie's room. Upon getting closer he noticed that her front door was completely torn off its hinges and that blood lead out of the room.

Without thinking twice he ran into her room and what he found will forever be marked on his soul, for there in Frankie's room on her side was Lorain, but what was the most terrifying was the fact that half her head was gone and that blood now covered the back walls and the closet door.

"Mom!" he yelled as tears fell from his eyes as he fell to his knees beside his older sister.

Ms. Reed came running in, phone pressed against her ear while she talked to the operator who was desperately trying to calm the hysterical Ms. Reed down.

The moment Ms. Reed saw Lorain the phone dropped the ground with a thud as she screamed; tears soon filled her eyes as she joined Fulton beside her eldest child, her first born.

Tears continued to run down Fulton's face as he suddenly looked up, and whispered one name.

"Frankie" he said before standing up and running out the door, he didn't get far when he stopped and noticed something he hadn't before, there was blood everywhere. All up and down the halls, on the broken railing, down the stairs.

He immediately knew it had to be Frankie's. Not bothering to waste time he began running all over the house crying out Frankie's name.

He checked everywhere he could think of when he suddenly he remember the one place he didn't check; the basement.

His heart beat against his chest while his lungs burned like fire as he ran down the all towards the basement door, as he was running down the all he noticed a long trail of blood leading towards the basement door.

Fulton's breath got caught in his throat as he stud in front of the basement door that had a large blood spot on it, with blood dripping from the door knob. Hesitantly, he slowly reached out, desperately trying to ignore the warm liquid on his hands as he opened the door.

The stairs leading down were dark, but he didn't need to see that the trail of blood continued downstairs. Fulton swallowed the large lump in his throat as he flicked on the lights, but soon remembered that they didn't work. Slowly he made his way down, flowing the blood trail, his heart pounding harder and harder against his chest as his shirt clung to him due to the cold sweat.

It took only a few second to find what he was looking for; there in front of him bathed in moonlight from the small window was Frankie. "Fr-" he started to say, but couldn't finish as his heart gave out a painful cry as he stared in shock at what was before him.

His sister, his twin lie blooded and what appeared lifeless in front of the dark colored wall a few feet of him. Without realizing it his body seemed to have moved on his own.

As he got closer he saw that she was lying on her stomach, her left hand stretched out over her head along with her hair, but the sight he next was forever burned into his soul, Frankie was lying there covered in with deep cuts, bruises, and many wounds, but the most shocking fact of all was that she was completely naked.

He gave out a cry of pure agony as he fell to his knees beside her bloody body.

"F-Frankie" Fulton found himself forcing out as his trembling hands reached out as he carefully turned her over onto her back, all the while desperately trying not to hurt her. When he did so her face wasn't much different form her back, -That bastard he r- he cursed, not being able to finish that thought, he didn't need any doctor to what that man had done.

"Its okay, you're going to be okay" he panicky whispered as tears flowed like a waterfall down his cheeks. He then carefully placed two fingers onto her neck, checking for any sighs of life. Luckily he found out.

"Fu-" came a sudden a very low whisper, a whisper that he almost didn't catch it. Looking down at his sister he saw that she was looking at him though half opened eyes.

"Fu-"she said, attempting to say him name again before she started coughing and spit up blood and soon closed her eyes again.

Fear gripped his heart more as he watched Frankie close her eyes.

"No" he cried desperately. "No, Frankie don't close your eyes, stay awake, stay with me" he said as he looking around desperately to find something to cover her he suddenly spotted a large blanket that was sitting on the dryer. He had to get her out of here and to the hospital fast or he'd another sister forever.

Quickly he stud up and ran over and snatching up the blanket and went back over to Frankie and carefully wrapped her up in it, all the while being careful of her injuries.

Once she was wrapped up he carefully lifted her up, her body soon became limp against his as her head fell back slightly before he shifted so that it rested on his chest.

"Your going to be okay sis, I promise" he said as he turned and quickly ran up the stairs while trying not to shake her to much and out the front door just as the paramedics showed up.

Before he knew what was happening Frankie was taken from his arms and he somehow found himself sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting anxiously to hear any word about his sister while his mom was with a few police men taking a statement.

Time seemed to blur and slow down, as days and nights merged together. Soon Fulton found himself sitting beside his sister's hospital bed a few days later. From what the police found out Mr. Reed, his father had gone insane due to constant drinking and drug use and wanted to get revenge on being kicked out.

Frankie had appeared to have suffered a great deal, the doctors didn't give him much detail, but said that she was both tortured physically and most likely mentally, along with multiple scars, laceration, many broken bones, bruises, and internal bleeding.

"Fulton dear?" Ms. Reed called softly as she shook her son lightly on the arm. Ever since the doctors told them they could see Frankie, Fulton had not left her side once and if he did he only left to either shower, eat, and use the bathroom before coming back.

Fulton gave a loud grown as he lifted his head up from the side of his sisters bed "Is she awake?" he asked slightly groggy as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked at his mom before turning to look back at Frankie, one hand still clinging to his sisters.

"Not yet sweetie" Ms. Reed said softly, "Fulton honey, your going to need to leave soon, remember the Ducks need you and your leaving in a few hours" she continued as Fulton suddenly got a stubborn look on his face as he turned his back on his mother.

"I'm not going, I'm not leaving her" he said as he softly as he rubbed his thumb slowly against his sister's limp hand.

"Fulton" Ms. Reed began, but was cut off.

"I said no" Fulton said, his tone obviously showing that he was irritated and pissed off. "I'm not leaving her."

Ms. Reed let out a heavy sigh as she leaned forward and kissed Fulton and Frankie on the forehead before leaving the room. Most likely to return to work or grave more at the loss of her older daughter. Within the time while Frankie was in the hospital, Lorain's funeral had been held, against his protest, saying that they should wait until Frankie was better so that she could attended, but to his disappointment it could not be held off any longer and soon he had to say goodbye to his older sister while Frankie could not.

The room become quite so that the only sound that could be heard was the heart monitor.

He let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, still holding his sisters hand when suddenly he felt her hand squeeze his as a quite and soft voice filled his ears.

"Idiot" said a low and weak voice as Fulton head shot up and looked directly at Frankie who giving him a weak smile.

"Frankie!" he yelled as he stud up, but never let go of her hand. "I thought I lost you sis" he said softly as silent tears began to roll down his cheek.

Fulton smiled softly as he sat down gently on the side of the bed, "Geez, you go to sleep for a few days and the first words out of your month is calling me an idiot" Fulton said playfully as he whipped the tears away.

"Naturally, because you are" she whispered as she looked up at her brother "If you think I'm going to let you miss being Team USA your wrong bucko" she said playfully, although he could tell she was still in pain.

"Frankie, I'm not leaving you. I mean god damnit your in the hospital" Fulton said in anger. He knew what his sister was trying to do and he wasn't doing it.

"Fulton" she said softly, "The Ducks need you, you can't let them down. Promise me that you'll leave now and go get ready. The Ducks at least need one of the Reed Twins on the team" she said as she closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them slowly.

"But-"Fulton started, but was interrupted.

"No buts, I wanted to play on Team USA and kick ass, but since I can't at the moment I need you to do it for me" she said as she raised her right hand and slowly removed something from around her neck.

"I was going to give it to you before we left to meet the Ducks" she said as she held out something in her hand.

Slowly, Fulton reached out and took it and soon realized that it was a chain necklace with a dog-tag hanging from it, like the ones you see army people wear; only there was one. On closer inspection he noticed that 'Frankie' was written on it.

Fulton turned his gaze away from the necklace before looking at Frankie as she pulled out something from under her shirt and soon realized she too wore a dog-tag necklace, but instead on hers it read 'Fulton' on the front, this obviously being the missing part of his since dog-tags always came in two..

"I may not be there physically, but I'll always be there cheering you on in sprit" she said as she gave a weak smile.

Fear gripped his heart at hearing this, "Frankie-" he started, but once again she interrupted.

"I'm not going anywhere, it just something for you to remember that I'm always with you even if I'm not physically there" she said as her brother's expression softened "Now go and give them hell for me" she said playfully.

Fulton gave a small laugh as he nodded, he didn't want to go and leave her, but he would do it for her. "Sure thing sister" he said as he smiled at her.

"Also, promise me you won't tell the others. If they knew what happened they'll want to come here and see me and I can't afford to have them distracted, they'll have enough to worry about with a certain team" she said as Fulton let out a heavy sigh.

"Okay, I promise" he said as he placed his dog-tag necklace around his neck before he lead down and kissed his sister on the forehead, "Will you be okay?" he asked with concern.

"Ch-please, I'm like you. Nothing can stop me" she said as she raised her left fist.

Fulton smiled as he bumps fists with her before he nods, "Alright, I'll do it for you" he said as he turned and walked towards the door. "Love you Frankie" he said before turning and walked out of her bedroom to get ready and tell the doctors.

"Love you too bro" Frankie said softly as she watched him leave, but unknown to him the moment he left a painful expression crossed her face.

"I'm sorry Fulton" she said softly as she let out a heavy painful breath as her eyes closed, all the while her right hand still clutched around her necklace with his name on it.

*End of Flashback*

((A/N: Wow that was a lot longer then I expected. Well, anyway, hope you like it. Review, message, and no flames please.))