A/N: Because the Devil also needs an Advocate :)

Part 7 B

Pontiac, Illinois: 22 years ago

Jimmy stood outside the doorway, listening to the conversation inside. Rev. Milton, Mr. Brady and Ms. Maria and Peter were talking in quiet voices.

"I'm sorry Pastor," Maria spoke up. "I know how you feel about separating them, but sibling placements are hard to find. Especially since there is 3 of them. The girl is very young, she can be easily adopted."

"You saw how protective Nicholas is of his siblings," Reverend spoke up. He had calm soothing voice that resonated with a quiet strength, just like everything else about him. "It would be ill wise to separate them."

"Protective, my ass," Brady spat. "The kid is a fucking lunatic. He attacked my son when he tried to play with the girl. I don't want them in this house anymore."

Peter looked between angry Brady and Reverend. "We understand that sir. We said we would have them out of here in a few weeks, but as Maria explained sibling placements are hard…"

"Yeah... yeah… You Government people. I don't fucking care. I foster orphans… not lunatics. I don't want them crazies here anymore. The girl can stay, but the boys need to go. I'm not having my family in danger because some smartass can't keep his temper in check."

Maria looked hopefully at the Reverend. "I know this is on a short notice and against protocol, but if you could keep them with you for a few days… only until we find some other family for them."

Reverend seemed genuinely distressed. "I wish I could," he said quietly. "But we are leaving tomorrow. It's my daughter…"

Jimmy started to say something, when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the door, with "What are you doing here?"

He looked at his big brother standing behind him with an angry expression. "Mr. Brady called Ms. Maria and Peter. They are talking about moving us again," he conveyed.

Nick nodded and stepped back. "Go upstairs and start on your homework. I'll be up in a minute."

"But Nicky…" he protested, but Nick titled his head and stared at him. Jimmy cowered, he hated when his brother looked at him like that, and ran up to their room. He saw Claire sitting on the floor playing with some colourful rags Mrs. Brady had been kind enough to give her. Nicky had once said that they were lucky she was a quiet baby and didn't fuss a lot. He crawled towards her and pulled at the rag she was holding. Her bottom lip quivered but she didn't cry.

He felt bad. "Sho...rry," he muttered, picking another one from the floor and twirling it in front of her. "Here, you want this?"

Claire cooed and tried to grab at the new toy, letting the older one fall to the floor. He laughed and waved both the rags before her. She dropped her hands and smiled at him.

"Aww… she's a cute baby, isn't she?" someone said behind him. He looked at Tom standing over them. He twisted around and cradled his sister close to him, moving away from the intruder.

"Go away, Tommy," he said, staring at the larger boy. Nicky had always told him that he should never let anyone see him afraid. You have to keep your eyes open and stare into their souls, show them what fear looks like.

"Oh… what're you gonna do big boy?" Tom asked smiling viciously. "Call your brother? And what will happen to you and your precious little sister when he's not here."

"Nicky will never let anything happen to us," Jimmy replied with a definite conviction.

"Nicky won't be around to protect you all the time," Tom said moving in closer and pulling at the little girl in his arms.

Jimmy fought to maintain his hold, but his bully was too strong. He felt his grip slipping. "No… no… let her go," he said, but Tom slapped hard across his face. He reeled backwards and found his arms empty. "No… give her back," he said as Claire started sobbing and scrambling to go back into the protective hold.

"Take her if you can," Tom mocked holding the baby above his head. "Or maybe I'll just drop her on your head," he said slightly loosening his grip as the little girl flailed.

"I said give her back," Jimmy stated with as much confidence he could muster.

Tom mocked him again, when another voice cut through the room, "You heard my brother. Give Her Back." Tom turned around. The blonde figure standing in the doorway was a head shorter than him and way thinner. But his face was contorted in fury, his fists were balled at his sides and his normally blue irises had dilated enough that they looked dark black. Tom faltered and lowered the baby.

Jimmy reached up and yanked his sister away and hurried back into the corner, closing her eyes and ears. He watched his brother walk up to the bully and warn him. "Leave 'em alone, Tommy," Nick said with a calm voice. "You got no right being here. This is our room."

"But this is my house. And you and your fucking brother are just beggars my parents have taken in," Tom smirked, remembering that he was bigger than the boy confronting him. "And I don't want you and that pussy of yours around. The baby however…" he licked his lips lecherously, "Now, that's gonna be one fine piece of a—"

A hard fist connected with the side of his nose before he could complete the sentence. The large bully jerked back a step or two, hand to his nose and saw blood on his palm. He sneered, as if he was waiting for it. Jimmy watched the guy jump on his brother pounding him to the ground. His brother fought back with all he had, but the other guy had sheer size on him. By the time Tommy was done with him, Nick was lying on the floor, curled up in the fetal position, whimpering in pain.

Jimmy saw Tom walk out the door, set his baby sister on the ground and hurried over to his brother, when he heard a loud shout followed by, "That's it. I'm gonna teach that snot-nosed bastard how to behave in my house. Tom, get the radio."

No… not the radio. Not the radio, he thought. He shook his brother harder. "Nicky… Nicky… get up. He's getting the radio. Nicky please… the radio…"

Nick fluttered his eyes open at the desperate sound of his brother. "Jimmy…?" he asked, his voice weak and pained.

"He's getting the radio. Nicky, I'm scared…" he pleaded.

Nick reached up and pulled him down in a quick hug. "Don't worry. I'm here. Get under the bed," he said calmly, his face a stone mask. "NOW!"

Jim nodded and ran back to grab his sister and pull her under the bed with him. Mr. Brady never hit anything that wasn't within his immediate reach. He covered his sister's body with his own, buried her face into his chest and closed her ears with his palms. From his vantage point, he could see Mr. Brady's boots and buckle of the belt he was wielding like a weapon. Tom came in behind him and tuned into a Rock station and cranked up the radio to full volume. Jim watched as Mr. Brady started belting Nicky, his screams drowned out by the loud drums and guitars. Noise… noise… lots of noise.

"They think no one can hear the screams," Anna had once said. "But I hear everything," she pointed to the small radio sitting on her night stand. "I'm a fallen angel. I can overhear angels talking," she added turning her radio on, and humming along with it. "They leave secret messages for me."

"You are not an angel," Jimmy had replied, amused. "There's no such things."

"That's because you are dumb," Anna had said, smacking him lightly on the head. "I was an angel, just like your brother, Lucifer."

"My brother's name is Nick," he had replied, jumping to his brother's defence. "He's not the devil. He's a good guy."

Anna pshed. "Lucifer is not the devil. He was God's most beautiful angel until the circumstances forced him to rebel and he was unfairly cast away."

Devil was an angel? He didn't know that. Maybe he could ask Pastor Milton about it sometime. But he had forgotten about it and now they were moving away.

He brought himself back to the present when Mr. Brady hollered that none of them was to be given any food and slammed the door on his way out. Tom waited until his father was out of ear shot, before placing a vicious kick in Nick's stomach. Nick cried out in pain. He laughed, turned off the radio and walked out carrying the torture device with him.

Jimmy pulled out from under the bed. He gently placed his sister on Nicky's bed and shushed her down. Then he ran to his brother. "Nicky…?" he asked. Nicky's face and palms had a few cuts, but he knew there would be no marks on his body. Just hurting… lots of hurting.

"Get back, Jimmy," his brother ordered weakly.

Jimmy shook his head. He couldn't leave his brother like this. He ran to his duffel and took out a small plastic bag. It held a small ball of cotton, a bottle of iodine and a few bandages. He had bought them from the money that Nicky had given him to buy stationary supplies for school. Nicky had told him to buy candy with the left over money. He bought medical supplies instead.

He ran back to his brother, who was almost passed out with pain. He gently placed his brother's head in his lap and started cleaning the dried blood away, then carefully placed the bandages over the cuts, like he had seen Nurse Esther do. He had wanted to buy fancy bandages like they had at school, but they cost more. So he bought the plain ones.

The first time, he had done this Tom had accused him of stealing… but he swore Rev. Milton had given him the stuff. Mr. Brady allowed it only because they didn't want Ms. Maria and Peter turning up and finding the bruises. He said it was bad for business. Jimmy had no idea what that meant, until Anna told him that Government paid Mr. Brady to take care of them.

He stood up and used all his strength to move his elder brother. By the time Nick was lying at the foot of the bed, his arms were on aching like someone had put them through a meat grinder. He dragged a pillow and a blanket from the bed, placed the pillow under his brother's head and covered him. Then he dragged another pillow and blanket from his own bed and set them beside his brother. Then he plucked his sleeping sister from the bed, set her between them, pulled the blanket over both of them and closed his eyes.

-x-x-x-

Nick woke up with a start at sound of someone sobbing quietly. He felt a weight on his chest. He lifted his hand and his fingers curled in his sister's soft blonde hair. He looked at her, sobbing quietly, unable to sleep due to hunger.

Jimmy was sleeping fitfully, but he was grown up, and he could handle going without food. Claire was a baby and needed her food. He moved Jimmy's hand away from his stomach. Jimmy hummed a protest, but did not wake up. He sat up, taking his sister with him. His stomach hurt… his everything hurt. He knew there would be no marks. Tom and Mr. Brady took special care to make sure they didn't leave any marks. They couldn't afford to have Social Services on their fat greedy asses.

He cradled his baby sister close and started rocking her. He didn't know any lullabies, but Pastor Milton's daughter heard a lot of nice songs with words. He had liked one in particular. He took a deep breath and started singing softly, taking care that Jimmy was not disturbed.

"Come, stop your crying… it will be alright. Just take my hand… and hold it tight.
I will protect you from… all around you... I will be here, don't you cry…

For one so small, you seem so strong… My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm…
This bond between us can't broken… I will be here don't you cry…

And you'll be in my heart… Yes, you'll be in my heart… From this day on… now and forever more…"

He didn't know the rest, so kept singing it over and over till he heard his sister's soft snores. By the time, he had stopped, he had made a decision. It was hard… it was very hard. But it was the only way. He could take care of Jimmy, but Claire needed a family. And the only family they had known was gone.

And now the Miltons were moving away. He knew Reverend did not want to separate them, but Mrs. Milton really cared for Claire and Anna loved her like a little sister. If there was anyone he could trust with his most prized possession, it would be the Miltons. He stood up wincing and let Jimmy's hands brush softly over their sister for the last time, then tucked her in a pillow cover and climbed down the window.

-x-x-x-

The climb down was hard, made even more difficult by the fragile bundle in his arms. Plus there was a danger of someone catching him sneaking out. But he was in luck. Mrs. Brady had probably taken sleeping pills and Brady was most likely passed out in front of the TV. Tom and his hooligan buddies were out most nights vandalizing the neighbourhood.

He walked over to the Milton house, beside the church. The house was dark except for the light in Anna's room. He stood out for a second contemplating his final decision. Jimmy would hate him if he ever found out. But Pastor had covered for him before… he would no doubt do it again. He took a deep breath and gently placed his sleeping sister on the doorstep. He was about to ring the door bell, when something hit his shoulder.

He looked down to see a small crumpled ball of paper. He looked up in direction of the throw and saw Anna leaning out the window. She waved at him, pointed to the radio in her hand and then at the paper at his feet. He picked up the paper and straightened it. She had written, "I'll make sure she knows."

He smiled and waved back, knowing he had made the right decision. He bent down to kiss his sister for the last time, whispered, "I'll be back for you. I promise," and turned around and walked away. Behind him, he heard Anna yelling that angels had sent a new sister for her.

Next day, the Miltons moved away with their two daughters, Anna and Claire.