he evening passed reasonably quickly, the boys ordered pizza and had a few bottles of beer each while they watched a film. Most of the time they were sat in a comfortable silence with Ethan subtly making sure Cal seemed ok. He was very distant and looked pretty tired but had refused having an early night determined to forget what was going on in his head.

Finally, in the early hours, Cal had fallen asleep where he was sat on the sofa. Deciding his brother looked incredibly uncomfortable Ethan decided it best to wake him to go to bed.

He stood leaning over Cal and put his hand on his upper arm shaking him gently. "Caleb… come on you need to go to bed." He spoke softly, getting no response he shook him a little harder. "Caleb!"

Cal jumped awake and in a blind panic lashed out with his fist which collided with his brother's jaw causing him to fall backwards raising his hand to his face in shock. Cal hadn't ever hit him before, Ethan hid hit Cal numerous times but Cal had never retaliated.

After staring at his brother on the floor for a few long seconds Cal jumped to his feet and helped Ethan up riddled with guilt. "Eth I'm so sorry…."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't mean to scare you." Ethan spoke and smiled a little as he was helped to his feet, he moved his hand from his face to see blood which was coming from his lip.

"I honestly don't know what happened, it was just a reaction… you're bleeding." He said grabbing him a tissue. "Hold this on it."

"Cal…" Ethan laughed a little seeing the concerned look on Cal's face. "It's fine, honestly. It's understandable you're a little jumpy after what happened. You're still recovering."

Nodding Cal agreed, for the first time since the incident Cal had inadvertently admitted to having not recovered emotionally and therefore also to something having happened.

"Who did you think I was?" Ethan asked dabbing his lip.

Cal shook his head. "There was bloke. I can only remember bits but I can remember being shaken awake several times. Must have been in and out on consciousness." He sat down sighing.

Ethan nodded and sat beside him getting rid of the tissue in the bit once satisfied the bleeding had stopped. "When you came through to the staffroom that morning, you had obviously got dressed in a hurry... your trousers weren't done properly and your T shirt was backwards. Why weren't you dressed when you woke up?"

"I don't know." Cal shook his head.

"Yes you do Cal… You remember more than you're telling me." He said trying not to push too hard.

"He smelt of smoke; and sweat; and alcohol." He started. "He beat me, kicked me in the chest. I don't where the girl had gone." He shook his head.

"Go on.." Ethan encouraged him knowing how his brother could put up the walls in an instant.

"I remember him pulling at my clothes, I was pressed against the wall. It made my chest hurt even more. I can't remember much more, but I can remember being in pain." Cal told him.

"Your chest?" Ethan nodded.

Cal shook his head. "Not just my chest… other places too." He spoke quietly.

Completely understanding what he was trying to say Ethan nodded and looked at Cal as he caught him wiping his eyes looking at the floor.

"It's alright. We don't have to do anything you don't want to. We can tell the police in your own time." Ethan put his hand on Cal's shoulder.

"I don't want anyone else to know." He spoke seriously. "I really don't. He got away with it, I have no evidence now and I don't want everyone finding out my business. Please. Just keep it to yourself."

"Ok, ok." Ethan nodded.

"Thank you." Cal looked up at him. "You always were the stronger one really."

"How many of those bottles did you drink?" Ethan smiled jokingly knowing Cal wouldn't normally say that.

"Not enough." Cal smiled back. "But seriously, everything you've done for me. What you did for Mum when I just ran away…"

"Mum was proud of you though Cal. She always said she was, just said that you needed a bit more looking after." Ethan told him.

"Which is why she left you in charge of my inheritance." He sighed.

"She did that so that you wouldn't waste it and wouldn't do something you'd regret." Ethan explained. "She would be proud at how much you've grown up recently."

Cal laughed a little. "Proud ey? Not something I make people feel on a regular basis."

"You'd be surprised. When you became a doctor Mum was over the moon, never thought you'd do it after you failed your first year. Made her so happy when you qualified. Never stopped talking about it. When I had passed it was just a yeah, well done Ethan. She expected it of me." He sighed a little.

"She was lucky she had you though, because if it was just me she would have spent her last few months on her own." Cal told him. "I couldn't have watched her die."

"I think she loved you for being able to live your life and not let her be a burden and she hated that I couldn't leave her, but at the same time. She often welcomed the company. When she was conscious that was." Ethan smiled then laughed a little. "She was forever calling me nibbles though."

Cal smiled hearing his brother's nick name that he knew he hated. "I shouldn't have walked away from the family, but Dad. He made my life hell."

"He did for us all in the end. When Mum got her diagnosis he was up and gone. Went to bed one night and the next morning he had gone." Ethan shrugged. "Mum admitted later on that they had been planning a divorce anyway. They weren't happy."

"No, I know they weren't. I was the only one that admitted it though, they didn't even admit there was a problem. That day he came in drunk and hit me, that was it. I had to go." Cal spoke and frowned. "Cowards thing to do in hindsight but it was the only thing I could think of doing."

"Whats done is done it's in the past." Ethan smiled. "I'm glad you're back now."

"Really?" Cal asked surprised.

"Yeah, you're annoying at times but that's the definition of a brother isn't it?" He laughed.

"It is yeah. Things will be different from now on though." Cal told him.

"I won't count on it." Ethan smirked at him to which Cal laughed.

Ok, I think I'm going to leave that there. I will start a new fic in due course once I settle on an idea. Thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. Your support keeps me typing.

Love J x