And, that's what true love really is.
Its not this fairytale. Life that never knows pain.
But it's two souls facing it together. And diminishing it, with unconditional love.
Bradly adjusted his position in the chair as he watches over Janet, resting his arm that Allie had wrapped up before she fell asleep on his chest. Sitting in the silence, hearing nothing but crickets below the window sing their songs of the night. Bradly only smiled as he noticed how peaceful Janet looked, he stood quietly and sat at the edge of the bed moving small locks of her blond curly hair from her face, suddenly, Janet jerked awake as if she had been woken from a nightmare. She panted for a breath, Bradly wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest, ignoring the stinging pain in his arm, "Shh, it's okay. It was just a dream. You're okay," He whispered ever so softly. "Go back to sleep." He continued kissing the top of her head carefully. "Stay with me..?" Janet muttered tiredly slowly making herself comfortable against him. "Until the end." He promised and lied beside her. He slowly rose the blanket to sit over her shoulders. In the hours' silence, Janet slowly fell asleep in Bradly's arms.
The next morning.
Allie came up the stairs quietly, expecting everyone else to still be asleep expecting for her and Bradly. She slowly begun to crack the door open to Janet's room to find Janet still wrapped in Bradly's arms, both asleep and peaceful, "Oh, sorry kids." She joked quietly closing the door quietly. Suddenly Amos walked from his room and stood in front of Allie curiously, when Allie turned around to find Amos standing there she jumped and squeaked a small scream before stopping herself, "Amos! Don't do that!" She panted slowly. "Why are you whispering?" He questioned with a smirk. Allie took a minute to readjust herself and get a breath, "Your mom is still sleeping, honey. So you and your sister need to keep quiet until she wakes up. Okay?" She requested. Amos nodded begun to make his way to the restroom, "We'll do out best." He teased before walking into the restroom and closing the door behind him. Allie huffed and crossed her arms, "We'll do our best," She said mockingly making her way down the stairs. "Yeah, you'd better." She continued to herself.
An hour past, Bradly tiredly made his way down the stairs, careful to stay quiet assuming Allie was still asleep, but as soon as he comes around to check on her she was setting up the kitchen for Amos and his sister to eat breakfast. "Well, good morning," Allie greeted without looking up. "Sleep well?" She asked finally looking up at him. Bradly scratched the back of his head like he had no idea that he had fallen asleep, "I uh..I guess so..?" He stretched. "What about you?" He asks. Allie nodded and went to tend to the now warmed up pop-up waffles in the toaster, "I slept alright. How is Janet?" She asked suddenly as Bradly enters the kitchen and leaned up against the counters. "She's fine. Woke up from a bad memory but I got her to fall back to sleep." He yawned. "Good," Allie nodded setting the waffles onto a plate before setting another two to warm up. "Good. So, you hungry?" She asks with some form of a sigh. Bradly shook his hand, "No. I can't stay." He mumbled regrettingly. "You should at least eat before you leave." Allie insisted setting the plate on the table calling Amos and Ammy down to the table. "No, I can't. I need to find John before he does something stupid." Bradly replies with a heavy sigh. "Like attack another person?" Allie suggested.
"Yeah, like that." He says with a light chuckle. Allie sighed and set a hand on Bradly's shoulder reassuringly, "I'll call you if Janey wakes up, or if anything happens. Okay?" Allie says softly with a small smile. Bradly nodded, "Okay." After that, Bradly walked out of the house and made his way into town, somehow knowing that would be the place he would find John if he were hiding. Suddenly, just as soon as he walked into the cities main park things begun to darken around Bradly, tree's begun to die, the fresh spring flowers begun to limp, everything around him was dead. "Like the new trick?" John's voice asks bouncing all around. Bradly turned and searched for him like it was a wild goose chase, and Bradly was the hunter. "It's quiet useful, actually. Getting into someones head, making them see what I want them to. It worked last night with that girl of yours." His voice continued, bouncing off of every building, every solid piece of structure. "That's enough games! Come out here where I can see you!" Bradly demanded, and John did just that. He came from the darkening alley in front of Bradly smirking coldly, "Wow, such a demanding audience." He joked. "Why are you back all of the sudden?" Bradly questioned angrily.
"Keeping my promise," John said tauntingly. "You like the gift I gave you last night?" He smirked and took a dagger from his pocket, "Pain is only beginning." He mumbled taking the dagger and begun digging it into his skin. Bradly only winced and held onto his arm as a knife wound begun to appear. "I learned to deal with pain, channel it out! And you," He says almost disgusted. "You're still weak!" He continued with a laugh before lifting his brothers chin up to look at him, "Let this be your warning brother, I suggest leaving that girl behind before something happens to her." John said tauntingly with a smirk. "You stay away from her!" Bradly snapped tackling John, but instead he went strait through John like he were a mist. John's laughter echoed as things begun to darken even more around Bradly. "Leave the girl and she won't get hurt."
Bradly eyes shot open and he found himself back in Janet's kitchen but on the floor with Allie leaning over him, repeating his name. Amos and Ammy just standing there looking curiously at Bradly as he starts to come to. "Brad, what the hell just happened?" Allie questioned concernfully. "I was hoping you could tell me," He replied jokingly. "What was the last thing you said to me?" Bradly asked rubbing his head lightly. "I told you that I would call you if Janet woke up or if anything happened then you kinda fell to the floor." Allie explains helping him sit up. Bradly checked himself for any other knife wounds but nothing seemed to have happened besides the Chinese death symbol that John carved into his arm last night. "What are you looking for, dude? Are you okay?" Amos questioned with crossed arms. Bradly nodded and sighed heavily before looking to Allie, "I need to talk to you. Alone." He says. Allie stood with a nod and looked to Amos and Ammy, "Take your breakfast to your rooms and stay up there until I call you back down." She says. "But, we're not supposed to eat in our rooms. It's a rule." Says Ammy with a curious frown. "Well, this is the one time you get to break that rule. Now go." Allie said pointing up the stairs. Without hesitation, Amos and Ammy grabbed their plates and headed up the stairs to their rooms.
"Now," Allie said letting out a breathy sigh. "What is it you need to talk to me about?"
"John's going to come after Janet if I don't leave." He says forcing himself to stand. Allie sat herself down in a chair and rubbed her temples, "Great," She said sarcastically. "Well, you can't just leave her. It would hurt her more than anything else," Allie continued. "I know." He replies. "And you can't take your brother alone. He's to strong for you apparently." Allie added. "I know," Bradly nodded. "But, I'm willing to do anything to make sure she's safe." Bradly continued. "I know but, either way, if she lost you in any way she would - it would kill her!" Allie told Bradly, honestly, she didn't want to loose Bradly all that much either, she and Bradly were slowly becoming friends. "If I die protecting her then that's how it goes, she'll have to understand that I did what I did for a good reason." He said with a frown. "You can't expect her to handle your death - if or when it comes to it - that quickly! Bradly, when was the last time you lost someone close to you?" She asks. "I..I don't know. It's been a long time." He says simply. "And are you over it?"
"No." Bradly muttered shaking his head. "Now apply that to her is she lost you. She's loves you," Allie told him. "Honest to God, she does. She never shuts up about you when you're not around." She laughed. Bradly chuckled looking away from Allie, "What do you suppose we do then?" He asked Allie. "On normal cases I would say you and Janey get out of town and spend some time lying low but, this isn't a normal problem. John would only track you down. So, really, there's only one thing you can do." She frowned slightly at the thought of it. "And what's that?" Bradly wondered aloud with a deepening frown. "Kill him." Allie said simply.
One thing Bradly forgot to mention to Allie was his and John's connection, but he wasn't about to bring that up and make things even harder on her. Allie already looked beat down and stressed. And really, if it came down to it, Bradly would have to make the ultimate sacrifice and kill his brother without the second thought of him dying in the process, because as long as Janet and her family is safe, that's all that really mattered. Bradly walked to Allie, "I want you to promise me something, Allie." He said seriously. Allie nodded looking up at him. "You have to promise me, that whatever happens to me, I don't care whatever the situation is, you make sure that Janet and her family are safe before you even think about me. Because, if John does decide to come after Janet, you'll only have a few seconds, I don't want them spent on me. Can you keep that promise..?" He explained. Allie understood that, that last part wasn't a question. It was an order. As much as she hated the thought of John coming back, she nodded and promised that she would make sure Janet and the others were safe before he was. "Good. Now, go relax. You look stressed." Allie stood with a sigh, saying nothing she walked into the living room, plopped herself on the couch and made herself comfortable and eventually fell asleep.
"I'm going to nee a little help." Bradly muttered to himself.
AN: If this doesn't make any sense at all, tell me and I'll try and fix it..? :)