Vaughan couldn't deny he was worried when Floyd and Tiffany sat him and Allie down after they'd eaten. Leo and Justin hadn't come home from school and Vaughan just hoped that Justin was with Leo. "So what's wrong?" Allie asked as Floyd and Tiffany looked at each other.

"Has something happened?" Vaughan asked, picking up on the distress surrounding the two.

"You can tell us you know, we won't be mad." Allie was saying.

"It's about Leo." Tiffany's eyes met Vaughan's then and he felt his heart sink. Whatever they were about to tell him, Vaughan could tell that it was not going to be good news.

"I saw something a few days ago but I could have just been seeing things." Allie put a comforting hand on Floyd's shoulder but it was Vaughan Floyd was looking for reassurance from. Vaughan couldn't say anything though, scared of what Floyd was going to say. "There were marks on his arms." Floyd said.

"What sort of marks?" Allie asked, glancing at Vaughan who was still trying to process what Floyd had just said.

"They looked like cuts."

"You think…" Vaughan started but he couldn't find it in himself to finish the sentence. The idea that Leo, his son, would do something so ridiculously stupid was ludicrous. Sure, Leo had been drawing away from everyone recently but this. This was something altogether more dangerous and very serious.

"You could be wrong." Allie was saying, getting a nod from Floyd. "Why didn't you tell us as soon as you saw?"

"Justin asked us to let him talk to Leo." Vaughan didn't know what to say. He couldn't understand how he could have missed something like this. He was Leo's Father, he should have noticed if his son was self-harming. Except he'd missed it.

"Okay. At least you've told us now. We'll get this sorted." Vaughan said but he had no idea how he was going to sort this.

….

Leo was silent the whole way home. He'd shown Justin what he'd done to himself and now all he was feeling was guilt and shame about worrying Justin so much. He'd never seen his brother like this. Justin was pale and kept glancing at Leo as if he didn't know who his brother was. On the odd occasion Justin opened his mouth as if to say something, no sound came out and Leo was left wondering what his brother thought about him now. Did he pity him? Did he hate him for hurting himself? Either way, Leo was feeling more and more anxious as the silence lengthened and the itch to run the razor across his wrist was back. Except, he'd promised Justin he wouldn't do that again.

Both brothers sighed in relief as they walked up to their front door. Without a word, Justin pushed the door open and Leo followed inside. The front living room light was on but Leo was just going to walk past it and go upstairs when his Dad called for him to come inside.

The tone in Vaughan's voice made Leo stop on the first step upstairs. "Leo, we need to talk. Now." Leo didn't move, trying to find a way out of what he knew was coming next.

Slowly, Leo walked into the room to find his Dad, Allie, Tiffany, Floyd and Justin standing there. Justin was glaring accusingly at Tiffany and Floyd who, along with Allie, were looking at Leo in pity. But it was his Dad's sad and angry look that caught Leo's eye. "Show me your arms." Leo backed away from the anger in Vaughan's voice. "Leo, I need to see what you've been doing to yourself."

"I haven't…" Leo trailed off, knowing that the lie was feeble at best. He awkwardly started to tug at his jumper as if he could make that stop his Dad and anyone else from seeing the cuts.

"How could you be so stupid, Leo? You should have talked to me. Not done this." Vaughan's voice was louder now and Leo found himself flinching backwards.

Before he knew what he was doing, Leo's hand closed around the razor in his pocket. The cold metal cut into the palm of his hand as he felt the blood dripping. "Leo, we just want to help." Allie stood up as she said this but all Leo could hear was the pity in her voice.

"Where's the blade Leo?" Vaughan asked, moving to touch his sons arm. This only made Leo back up more.

"I can't…" Leo didn't even know what he was saying as he started to back out of the room. Before any of them knew what was goin on, Leo had turned and bolted out of the front door.

"Leo!" Vaughan's voice shouted down the street but Leo just ignored him. He couldn't be there. Couldn't be in the same room as them. Not with those pitied looks they kept sending him as if something was wrong. Nothing was wrong. He'd learnt how to cope and so what if it was hurting himself, at least it worked. At least it stopped him from feeling all the emotions he'd been keeping bottled inside ever since his Dad walked out on them for Allie.

…..

"It's been 3 hours." Justin yelled at Allie who barely flinched under the anger of him. "Where is he?"

"Your Dad will find him." Allie replied but she didn't know for certain on that. Vaughan had gone looking for Leo the minute the younger had ran out of the house but he hadn't been able to find him. "You just need to calm down and…"

"Calm down, my brother's missing and why the hell should I listen to you. You're not my Mum." Allie didn't know what to say to that. She knew her relationship with Justin had been rocky, never being anything close to kind let alone anything else, but she did want to help. And Leo was a sweet boy and Allie hated to see Vaughan in pain because that's what both boys had been doing since they'd gotten here.

"No, I'm not but if you disappear now you'll only worry your Dad more." Justin looked like he wanted to argue but Allie knew he wouldn't. The older boy may pretend not to care about what his Father felt but he did. And right now that was the only thing stopping Justin from leaving this house.

Without another word, Justin collapsed onto the sofa next to Tiffany and Floyd. Allie couldn't help but feel so proud of her own children for trying to help Vaughan's, when they weren't even their family. Allie just wished they didn't have to deal with all of this. It wasn't fair on them. And Allie hated herself for thinking it but she wished Vaughan's children had never come to stay with them.

….

It was midnight and pouring down with rain by the time Vaughan found Leo sitting on a bench by the park. His son was sitting there, looking at something in his hands while the rain pelted around him. Vaughan stopped the car opposite the bench.

"Leo…" Vaughan started but as soon as his sons' eyes came up to meet his Vaughan felt the words stick in his throat. There were tears in Leo's eyes and Vaughan saw a hint of metal glancing off the object in Leo's hand. "Do you want to get in?"

"I'm sorry." Leo breathed, not answering the question.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Leo, but please get in the car so we can talk." Leo didn't move. "Or I can come out and talk."

"There's nothing to say. It's my problem." Leo finally said, shaking his head.

"I'm here to help you Leo. Let me help you." Vaughan said. The rain was pelting through the open window and he could tell that Leo was soaked and shivering with cold.

Finally Leo nodded, getting to his feet and climbing into the passenger side of the car. "Home?" Leo just shrugged, turning away from Vaughan. As he put the car into drive, Vaughan was acutely aware of the blood soaked into Leo's shirt and the razor blade clenched in his son's hand.

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