Twelve: Taking Charge

It was around five in the morning when Nora and I returned home, she was fast asleep, so if dad was still messing around with those sluts I wouldn't have to worry about Nora hearing it.

I'd just have to sit around and wait for them to leave, and who knows how long that'll take! An hour, two hours, five? It didn't matter because I've had it.

I gently laid Nora down on the couch as slowly as I could before making my way over to the kitchen, avoiding and gathering a bunch of clothing that's been scattered everywhere.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I balled up all the skimpy and short material in my arms and threw them in the trash were they belonged.

Then I stormed up the stairs, to angry to quiet myself from waking Nora. This was getting ridiculous, I couldn't allow Nora to grow up like this, it just wasn't fair.

My anger grew stronger as I got closer to dads bedroom, I abruptly pushed open the door to find my father sandwiched in bed with two naked girls who screamed and covered themselves up with the covers. Dad was covered from the waist down thank God, and he looked furious. I was going to be smacked around that's for sure. But I didn't care.

"Namine." My father spoke, his eyes glowering at me in dark blue slits as if trying to see through my very soul.

I wouldn't let him get that far. He's hurt me enough, Nora too. She may be to young to see it or doesn't even know. But I do, and I'm going to end this.

No more suffering, no more hurting.

"Don't even waste your breath father, I'm taking Nora and leaving." I announced, trying to avoid the nasty little skanks who were huddling against my father as if they were penguins.

Dad's cold glare bloomed into amusement, yes amusement.

This was all just a joke to him.

"Yeah?" He barked out a laugh that sounded more like a solitary howl from a wolf. "Where ya gonna go? Were ya gonna live? The streets?"

"Whatever's better for us." I replied, biting down on my lower lip so that he couldn't hear the agony in my voice.

He laughed again. I would have loved to just pounce on that nasty bed of his and knock his teeth right out but, that wouldn't solve a thing and I have my sister to take care of. I slowly turned on my heel before marching out of his bedroom to leave him be with his hookers.

He was better off without us, and Nora and I...for sure were better off without him.

Even if it meant living on the streets.

I hated having to do this to Nora, to drag her with me into the streets but I had no choice. I couldn't let her stay with dad who was hardly home, and when he was it was usually with some prostitute he'd find somewhere, not to mention te empty wine bottles he left around so simple enough for Nora to slip on and crack her head open.

So now, here does my little sister and I sit in front of a little café. With no munny, and no place to go. We've lost our mother, our old happy life, and even our father. The only thing we have left is each other, and a few bags with our belongings in them. I watched Nora, as she held out a cup she made from clay a few days ago towards a person that walked by, asking them it'd be so kind and thoughtful if they could drop penny into her cup. But they ignored her and moved on as if there was nobody standing there.

"Spare pennies? You can just give me one if you want!" Nora called out to an elderly man, wearing a brown trench coat and black trousers who had just strolled past her. He didn't turn back once. Nora sighed before turning over to me.

"Sorry, Namine..." She said with a sad smile.

She was apologizing to me? I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't just keep crying in front of her like this, she needed somebody strong, and somebody to take care of her. The thought of her being snatched away by the Social child workers made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't live without my baby sister.

"Nora..." I sucked in a deep breath before opening my eyes, a huge surge of panic hit me like a tide wave when I did.

Nora was gone. Even her bags.

I shuffled up to my feet, stumbling forwards into somebody who told me to go and 'fuck myself' but I ignored them, my eyes moved frantically around. Trying to spot my baby sister. Was it possible for a child to get abducted so quickly?

"Nora?" I called out as loud as I could, eyeing each corner of each street carefully, hoping with every fiber of me that I'd catch a glimpse of my baby sister. Nothing.

"NORA!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. causing a few people walking by to stop and stare at me.

My breathing became erratic, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

Don't panic...don't panic...she couldn't have gotten far, I told myself as I slowly crouch over to grab my bag and backpack. I Quickly sling my backpack #Still heavy with school work# over my bag before frantically digging around in my shoulder-bag for my cell phone.

"Come on, come on!" I nearly shouted at myself as I continued to dig my hand around all the belongings I have stuffed into my bag. Moments turned to minutes and I gave up on my cell phone. Who was I going to call anyways? The cops? Then they'd find out that Nora and I are homeless and send us off to an Orphanage, maybe even separating us.

I did not want to live in an Orphanage and I can NOT be without Nora.

I had to find her, on my own.

My heart leaps into my throat as a high-pitched scream is shot through the crisp air. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck starting to rise.

Nora. It had to be.

Without hesitation, I whirl around and dart off into the alley behind me to follow the scream of my little sister. My heart pounded painfully into my rib cage and warm liquids stained my cheeks.

Please have her be alright...please...please...

I knew that scream belonged to Nora, I've looked after her since her very first day on this earth and I made a promise to myself...to mom that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I will not lose her.

"NORA! NORA! PLEASE ANSWER ME!" I shouted forcing my feet to move faster, and ignoring that the farther I went down the alley the darker and dirtier it got. Scratch that, I WAS nervous...if that screamed belonged to Nora and if she was down here, then I had to find her fast...Find Nora, and get the hell out of here.

I could almost imagine how red my face and how messy my hair was as I continued to run down the dark alleyway The neighborhood looked familiar, but I couldn't be sure. Maybe I'd meet a cop on the even Nora, a month before we lost mum, Nora and I camped out in our backyard munching on gummy bears and Oreo cookies. I remember telling her that if I'd always find her when she got lost if she'd always stay put and hide. Nora's smart, she must be hiding now, I just had to look harder.
This bit of hope kept me going. So kept walking down the street.

I looked at the setting sun. Jeez, it was almost completely down! How long have I been out here for? I started to walk faster. As I looked around I noticed that this part of the town looked a little...well run down...just like the dream I've had not to long ago about the three crazy men chasing after me!

Oh man, this had to be the slums. I remember from my dream I needed to steer clear of this place. Now I could see roads were cracked and full of pot holes, and there was a lot of garbage lining the houses around. Some of the cars were spray painted with graffiti, and the houses, too.
I could smell cigarette smoke, and something else that I was sure was drugs of some kind. I sped up again. Soon I could see neon signs all around me. Now I knew I was in trouble.

"Hey, babe!" My stomach lurched. I turned around to see four guys, teens like me, in raggedy clothes coming toward me. All of them were grinning wickedly at me, eyeing me down from head to toe.

"Hey, sugar, a little lost?" The one in the lead asked. He reeked of smoke and alcohol and his hair was black and greasy, his eyes shined with hunger.

Hunger for my body, I wasn't dumb.

"Want me and my buddies here to show you around? Maybe have a little fun?" The guy asked followed by a nasty chuckle.

I backed away from him, hefting my shoulder bag closer to me, ready to throw at him if I needed to. This seemed to amuse them.

"Aw, look, man, you're scarin' her." Another laughed.

"Maybe we can make her feel better," said the one in the rear. His friends laughter made my stomach churn. Without thinking about where I would go, I turned and ran. I had to convince myself that Nora was alright, hiding somewhere. somewhere far from here.

"Get her!"

I heard them coming after me. I spun around and flung my bag at them. The one in front went down after it hit him. The others crashed into him, giving me a chance to put some distance between us. But I was already running out of steam. My lungs felt like they've been lit on fire and my heart ached feeling like it were about to explode.

"Get that little bitch!" I heard them again, this time they were pounding after me, and they were getting closer.

"Help me!" I shrieked, "Somebody help me!"

"Run, you little slut," one shouted, "it'll make our fun all the better!"

"Fifty bucks say she's V!" They all laughed at that.

"I'll bet she'll scream real loud when I get her!" Said one of them, sounding sickeningly close, "First one to grab her gets to go first!"
My sides were burning as I kept running. They were catching up. I just wished someone would come! Anybody! . Axel...Roxas...

"Roxas!"

"No one's gonna help you now!" They laughed.

"Guess again, grease boy."

I slammed right into somebody, lean and tall that I actually had to crane my neck up to look at their face! It was Axel.

"Well, well," the boy said, "Looky what we got here. It's old Axey!" They grinned at him, and me.

"AXEL! Got it memorized!?" Axel snarled, his dark green eyes fuming at the boys from under the neon lights.

"A-Axel!" I gasped abruptly throwing my arms around his thin waist, I was never so happy to see somebody in my entire life. Axel dragged me protectively behind him as the guys laughed at us.

"Face it, bub, you can't take all of us. Just hand her over." He reached for me, and I held onto Axel tighter who threw a punch that cracked the guy right in the jaw, sending him straight to the ground. Before his friends could go after us, out of nowhere, a baseball bat came whistling out of the darkness of the alley. The boy doubled over as the head of the bat socked him in the stomach.
I heard a familiar and sexy deep laugh as I saw him all in his glory, pale and beautiful in the light of the neon signs. Roxas.

"Roxas!" I knew I was smiling.

Roxas was walking out of the alley, wearing his usual cocky grin, and famous black clothing.

"Hey, Sweetheart." He greeted me before he slung the bat over his shoulder, "Four against one bad ass and a little princess? Nope, not fair." He walked up next to us, I could smell his scent of his axe cologne that could sent me to my knees in seconds.

"Yo Axel, you were right, this is the place to be in this part of town!"

"See? I know where all the action is on our turf." Axel said before grinning down at me, "But do you think you can handle these bozos on your own?"

"Oooh yeeeaaah," Roxas grinned, it was bigger and wider then I've ever seem. Axel chuckled started backing us away as Roxas charged forwards over to the raging men, "COME TO DADDY ROXAS!

"Get that son of a bitch!" Yelled the one he'd hit.

"Haha! Whodalaky!" Roxas shouted and barreled right into them, striking them all in the guts and to the hard stoned floor.

"What'd he say?" I asked dumbly, still not believing that I'd been saved by them.

Axel chuckled, "It's something he picked up from a Predators movie." He turned me away from the fight and led me away.
"Shouldn't we get help?" I asked in concern, and looked back over my shoulder, and immediately wished I hadn't. I'd never seen a brawl before, but what Roxas was doing now was absolutely barbaric! The bat he was using was already covered in blood, even as the boys kept getting up and came at him again and again.

Axel saw me looking and turned me away again. "He doesn't need any help. If there's anyone that I wouldn't want to pick a fight with, it'd be him." He put his arm around my shoulders in a friendly matter and led me back down the street. And that's when my knees gave out. My chest grew so tight that I couldn't breathe, and my knees buckled beneath me.

"Whoa-ho there!" Axel shouted as he caught me. I slumped against him weakly, breathing rapidly.

"God...Oh God...Oh GOD! NORA!" I screamed I couldn't stop myself from shaking. It had finally sunk in. "If you hadn't come! Those...those..."
I clung to his chest as the tears came pouring out. "God! Oh God! They were...I was..." I sobbed loudly, I felt so stupid! I couldn't even thank the person who saved me!
"Hey, hey! Easy...whoa...easy there..." Axel said gently as he continued patting my back, "I gotcha! Your safe now."

"Come on," Axel said, rubbing my back soothingly, "I'll take you home, that way your folks can take care of you."
I shook my head rapidly. "NO!"

Home? I had no home...I wasn't even sure if I had a family anymore...

Everything around me was starting to fade, so was my hearing, Axel was saying something to me but I couldn't make out what it was. All I knew that I was starting to feel so tiered...and so very weak...

"Nora..." I said in almost a whimper before I collapsed against the hard cold ground.

My world turning black.

A/N: It's been forever since I've last updated! I know! So sorry...my job and school has been crazy and I've been stuck on this story for some time now! However, I found an old document that a great pal of mine, RyoshiMorino has written some of for me. If you've read the older Boy with The Eyeliner you'd know! Anyways hope you all enjoyed! Thank you SO much for your patience and kindness and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :D

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Except for my OC character, Nora!

Shoutouts: Theyoungflute13,XbladeshooterX, Msbear,twenty-twenty-one, chibi-chan-rin,smileynyankuracat, bec1895. AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO'S FAVORITE/FOLLOWED AND TOOK THE TIME TO READ THE STORY! STAY TUNED! :D