WARNING: This story is rated 'T' for a reason! References to rape and other mature material are mentioned in this chapter.
"I'm sorry, Scarlett," Sophia murmured softly, shuffling her feet on the ground. "But... I won't be able to drive you tommorow..."
"What?" Scarlett shot up so quickly, everybody in the room stared at her. She ignored them, grasping Sophia by the shoulders desperately. "What do you mean? I have to go! I've... I've never missed..."
"Shh, Scarlett, I know how much it means to you." Sophia sighed. "I'm really sorry, but my family is going on a vacation to Florida with Brandon's family." Scarlett could've sworn she blushed a bit when she mentioned her new boyfriend. "...Are you sure you can't get another ride?"
The red-haired girl's fists tightened on her friends shoulders. "No!" She snapped. "Nobody else knows! You know that... I can't just..." She bowed her head, unable to meet her friends gaze.
"Shane would understand." Sophia tried to comfort the smaller girl, but to no avail.
First period hadn't yet started. It had been two weeks since the incident with Mr. Garra, and the two had hardly spoken since. Even at their tutoring sessions, he was distant and didn't sit next to her as he'd done before. Now, as he walked into the room, he noticed the episode between his students.
"That's not the point!"
"What's the problem here, girls?" The English teacher asked, sitting at his desk and raising his eyebrows at the two students. Neither appeared willing to answer, so he gestured for them to come to his desk. "Talk quietly amongst yourselves." He told the rest of the students.
Scarlett stared down at her feet, trying to get her bearings together while Brian watched her through narrow eyes. "I have a feeling this is a very personal problem." The two nodded slowly, and the teacher sat back in his seat with a sigh. "Well, I'm no therapist, but seeing as class doesn't start for another ten minutes, I'm glad to be of service."
"Tommorow is the anniversary." Sophia said softly, and Scarlett felt as though she was shrinking into herself. "Four years ago tommorow, her best friend Shane died. My family has always been able to drive her, but I'm afraid we have something up tommorow..."
"I could drive her." Brian said suddenly, his amber eyes trained on Scarlett, who refused to meet his gaze.
"But... it's a Saturday tommorow..." Scarlett protested lamely, shuffling her feet. "Won't you be doing something else?"
The smallest trace of a smile crossed her teacher's lips. "Believe it or not, Thundera, I don't visit adult facilities on a regular basis."
Sophia frowned, not understanding her teacher's statement at all.
"I will pick you up at ten o'clock tommorow." The brown-haired man said before Scarlett could protest. "You live in the apartment complex a couple of blocks from here, right? You should wait in the lobby, and I'll take you wherever you're going."
"Thank you, Mr. Garra." Scarlett whispered, her eyes wavering. "I... just... Thank you."
The next morning, Scarlett sat alone in the lobby of her apartment, watching silently as people came and went. Some glanced at her, some didn't, but none of them spoke or stopped. They had places to go, things to do, people to meet... With a shuddering breath, she pulled from the jacket of her coat a photo of a small boy with brown hair and laughing green eyes.
"Are you ready, Thundera?" Brian dropped the hood of his jacket as he stepped into the building, his eyes immediately falling on the red-haired girl. She seemed lifeless today, immobile, and so fragile she would break at the slightest touch. Again, he questioned himself; why why he doing this? He had no reason. She was just a stuck-up girl with some family problems.
But he found something in those emerald eyes. He'd burn in hell before he let that die. If this was important to her, if it was something she honored, and it was neccesary in order to save her bright spirit, then by the light of God he'd help her with this. He owed that to the world, didn't he?
Scarlett nodded silently and stood, wrapping her arms around herself. She followed Brian as he opened the door for her and the two walked out to the parking lot. He opened the door of his silver Sedan for her as well, and she slid into the passenger's seat.
As he started up the engine, the girl stared blankly outside. The morning was misty and gray, telling of a storm yet to come. How fitting.
"So, Thundera, would you mind telling me where exactly we're going?" Brian asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Thundera Memorial Fields." She said, not turning from the window.
"Really? He's buried there? I thought Tailsmen said he was only a friend of yours."
The girl stiffened. "I requested he be buried there." She hissed through clenched teeth. "Is that a problem?"
Brian frowned, realizing his mistake. "Sorry, that was dumb." He muttered. "Um... what was his name, again?"
"Shane Oake." Scarlett answered. "We met a long time ago. By the way, we're not going to there first."
"Then where are we going?"
"1754, Lakewood Drive. It's where his brother lives. He was my friend too, but I only see him at this time of year..." Her eyes misted over, and Brian regretted ever volunteering for this. "He has a wife and kids now, but we're still good friends, I guess."
"What's his name?"
"Spencer."
The two were silent for the rest of the hour-long drive, Brian concentrating on the road ahead and Scarlett staring out the window, trying her best to numb herself against everything. It was the same every year. The guilt, the grief, the anger, and depression, every single year. Why did she still even go? To remind herself again and again of her own failure?"
"Alright, Thundera, two points for honesty." The English teacher spoke suddenly, looking at his student critically. "Who was this boy to you? How did you meet, and when?"
Scarlett sighed and closed her eyes. "Nine years ago. He and his brother were homeless, and they wandered the street we lived on looking for food. I was curious about them, so naturally I went to find them."
That's only natural for you, Thundera, Brian thought with a grin.
"We became friends. I snuck food for them, and they stayed out of trouble. It went like that for five years."
When it became apparent she wasn't going to say any more on the subject, Brian nodded. This was a touchy subject for her. He could respect that, and relate to it. There was no need to push her. If she wanted to tell him, then she would.
As they pulled into the driveway, Scarlett nearly kicked the door open to get out of the car. She ran to the porch and rang the doorbell immediately. Brian followed more slowly, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his brows knitting together.
Then, a man opened the door. He was tall and lanky man, probably in his early twenties, with long limbs and pale skin. His black hair was short and spiky, with a single streak of brown in his bangs. "Hey, Scarlett!" The man grinned and embraced the girl, who hugged him back. "I'm really glad you could make it today."
"You know I wouldn't miss it." Scarlett smiled warmly. She gestured toward Brian, who stepped forward cautiously. "Sophia had something up today, so my English teacher drove me here. His name is Brian Garra. Mr. Garra, this is Spencer Oake."
The two men nodded to eachother, both slightly apprehensive. "Here, why don't you two come on in?" Spencer grinned, holding the door open. "The kids are playing in the living room."
"Where's Daisy?" Scarlett asked softly, walking into the tiny household. She sat at a couch against the wall, her teacher sitting beside her. Spencer's face fell, and he sighed. "She's at therapy right now."
"Aunty Scarlett!" Two high-pitched screams suddenly sounded, and from around the corner ran two tiny children, their eyes wide and bright. The older one, a boy with black-and-white hair, attacked her leg, while the second, a dark-cream-haired girl leapt onto her lap.
"Hey, Toby, Rose," She laughed, ruffling the girl's hair while Spencer watched with a warm smile. "I'll go get us some drinks, then we've got some catching up to do, Scarlett."
When the man left the room and Toby and Rose raced back to whatever game they were playing before, Brian looked at Scarlett. "Is Daisy his wife?" He asked softly.
"Yeah." The girl nodded solemnly. "She was in an accident, three months after Rose was born. She's had therapy, but the doctors don't think she'll ever really be rehabilitated. Her brain is unresponsive to everything they've tried."
"That's terrible." The teacher whispered sympathetically, to which his student nodded. "The world's really been hard on him."
"I thought you said he used to be homeless, though," Brian blinked, leaning forward. "What happened?"
"My family felt very guilty about Shane's death. We gave him enough money to buy a house, but he wouldn't accept any more. He insisted it wasn't our-my- fault." She gave a shuddering sigh, and again the teacher decided it would be best not to question her.
"He seems like a nice guy, though."
"He really is." The girl smiled, huggining her knees to her chest. "He's so devoted to Daisy. I imagined him being that way to me, once." She sighed wistfully, and Brian saw in her eyes a flicker of the love she'd once felt for the long-limbed man. "Even though she's in a wheelchair most of the time and can hardly speak... he works for her and the kids, and I know he loves her with all his heart. I wish he would let us help him."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed immediately as warmth spread through her arm. "He's grateful for your friendship, Scarlett." The teacher didn't even realize he'd used his student's first name as he pressed on. "He feels as though he owes you, not the other way around. You helped him through a tough time."
The Thundera only nodded, her eyelids drooping in thought. "That doesn't change anything." She muttered.
"You loved him, didn't you?" Brian whispered, his brows furrowing.
"Maybe I did, at one point." She smiled bitterly. "But I would never be able to give him what Daisy has... children."
Brian spent several seconds processing this information. Was it some kind of Thundera pride that didn't allow her to have children with him, or... "Do you really mean you can't have children?"
The girl nodded, her hand pressing against her stomach. "I was in an accident when I was younger. Now, I just... I can't have kids."
At any other time, the thought of Scarlett as a mother would have been amusing. But to have that ripped away from her, the thing that made her a woman, seemed unbearably cruel. "I'm sorry," He murmured.
"Yeah, so am I."
On the way to the Memorial Fields, both were silent, there moods as solemn as the icy gray sky. When they pulled into the empty parking lot, Scarlett was slow to open her door and step outside. Brian walked around the outside and opened it for her, to which she gave a brief nod of thanks.
Pulling her jacket tightly around herself, Scarlett walked to the gate, pulled a key from her jacket, and fiddled with it for a moment. When the gate slid open, she gestured to Brian, and together the two entered the vast green field, ordaned with glorious sculptures and tombs.
Brian was aware of Scarlett's slow gait as they treaded on, her head bowed low and her boots scuffing the earthen trail. Several drops of rain had begun to fall, but neither noticed.
Scarlett looked up as they reached the far side of the field, which was considerably less glamorous than the rest of the memorial. At the very edge, shrouded by the shade of a barren cherry tree, a tiny slate-gray stone sat. The red-haired girl approached achingly slowly, looking back once or twice at Brian to make sure he was following.
When they got close enough to read the heading, Brian made out the words 'R.I.P, Shane Oake. A brother, a friend, and a hero.'
"He wasn't a hero." Scarlett said, her voice cracking. "He didn't have the chance to be. I think they just put that there to mock me."
"Scarlett..." Brian began, but the thought didn't continue as the girl kneeled down beside the grave and placed on hand on its smooth surface. "And he isn't resting in peace. At least, I really doubt he is. He probably hates me."
"Why would he hate you?" The teacher kneeled down beside her, placing one hand on her back.
"I killed him." She whispered, her voice soft. The rain was falling steadily now, dotting their jackets with darker droplets. "His death was my fault."
"I don't believe that it was-"
"What would you know?" Scarlett whispered, her hands fisting in the earth beneath her. "You have no idea what happened, you idiot. You weren't there." Tears slid from her eyes, and Brian realized that he would hear the whole story now. "Tell me what happened then."
"We... we were walking in an alley. There was this man that was following us. Shane told me to run, that the guy was probably dangerous." She gulped before continuing. "I didn't listen and... and the man pulled out his gun and... shot him. He was dead immediately."
Brian listened silently. There was nothing he could say. She needed to get it all out, she needed to tell him, then he would help her.
"After... after he shot him..." Her eyes were overflowing with tears, and she choked as she spoke. "He... he walked over to me and..." Images were flashing in her mind, horrific images of that man's cruel face twisted into a sadistic sneer as he approached her. His massive hands pinning her to the wall, grappling her breasts, whispering horrible things to her... "He ripped off my shirt and..."
She never got the chance to finish, as Brian pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his embrace. She crumbled against his shoulder, her hands gripping his shirt and her shoulders shuddering with barely controlled sobs. Her tears soaked the fabric of his shirt as he rubbed her back with one hand, whispering comfortingly to her as the rain fell around them.
He was painfully aware of everything about her. The strawberry scent of her long, curly hair, pressing against his cheek. The way she shrank into him, completely and utterly melting and opening up in a way he doubted she'd ever been able to before. She trusted him, so much more than he deserved. After all she'd gone through, after the traumas and the fear, that she trusted him of all people made his throat tighten and his eyes sting.
"What happened afterward?" He whispered softly to her, pressing his lips gently against the top of her head. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay strong.
"He shot me." Again, her hand pressed against her abdomen.
"That's why you can't... Oh, Scarlett..." His arms tightened around her, pulling her to him, wanting her desperately to see how much he cared. How he admired her strength, her defiance, even in the face of terrors he couldn't imagine. She was so small, here in his arms, but so powerful.
Scarlett sighed, placing her cheek against his warm, muscular chest. Her tears were no longer visible under the rain that now ran down her face, drenching her clothes and hair. She could hear his heartbeat, deep and steady. His powerful arms were so comforting, as was the feeling of his warm breath on her head. She could stay like this forever. He made her feel safe.
"Scarlett," he whispered, not even feeling the icy rain on his skin. "You know you have nothing to be afraid of, right? All of that is over. Shane would never, ever blame you, and it was never your fault." He smiled against her hair. "You know how much I admire you, right? I would never have guessed any of this about you, you're always so proud and always ready for whatever life throws at you."
"Brian..." The girl gulped, closing her eyes tightly. "Can you promise me something?"
"Of course. Anything."
"Just..." She looked up at him, pulling away from his arms. "Just never change. Never. Bicker with me during the day, and at times like these... please protect me. Can you do that?"
"Without a second thought."
Their lips met, there in the rain. She could feel him around her, the warmth of his mouth sending fire through her body, his hands tracing warmth over her cheek. Her hands clutched his chest, pulling him close, wanting his spirit and his warmth and his strong, beating heart.
Still the rain fell, but it was ignored.
Um... don't kill me? Please?
Characters introduced:
Brandon Wilson- Brackenfur
Shane Oake- Shrewpaw
Spencer Oake- Spiderleg
Daisy Oake- Daisy
Toby Oake- Toadstep
Rose Oake- Rosepetal
Now, I would like to explain something about AU. In an alternate universe story, bonds of love stay the same, though ties and family trees may be mixed up. For example, Shrewpaw and Spiderleg are not the children of Dustpelt in this story. However, if they were to meet, they'd have a very father-son like relationship. You see? Then, with pairings like Black x Golden, they're made up just for the story to progress as the author sees fit.
I also know Spiderleg doesn't really love Daisy very much in the books, and Squirrelflight never loved Spiderleg. Again, these are my interpretations, and I use them as I see fit. Thank you.
*Coughcough* ...Yeah.
Reviewers: Nightkill, Queen of The Pens, Sparkheart of ThunderClan, Swiftbreeze-Warriors, and littlemisslibrarian. Thank you all so much for your support! It's because of you that this story is still alive!
Review? I like reviews. A lot. Like, seriously. A lot.