How could he have been so reckless?

Miles had known that people he cared about were inside. And while he hadn't meant to set the entire building on fire, he should have known better than to even bring a lighter to school. His dad was right, he was irresponsible. Would his family be better off without him? He'd failed as a son, as a friend, as a brother.

He'd spent so much time trying to protect his siblings from their dad that Miles hadn't considered that maybe his siblings needed to be protected from him. If Miles hadn't pushed their father, then Hunter wouldn't have nearly been hit with a mug. And if Miles had been a responsible brother, Frankie wouldn't have been caught inside a burning building.

Miles could hardly look at her without feeling a surge of guilt. When she'd emerged from the school, her face, clothes, and hair had been covered in ash. A physical reminder of how Miles had screwed up yet again.

Even the cloth she'd carried haunted him. When he had first seen it, as he and Hunter were rushing Frankie to be checked, it had nearly stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What's that?" Miles had asked, even though he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"Oh, we just used them to reduce the amount of smoke that we were inhaling." It was too nonchalant for Miles's taste. Shouldn't she be really shaken up? After all, that's how Miles felt. The older of the three gently removed the item from her hand

"Here, I got it. You won't be needing it any more." He smiled weakly. "Now go over there and make sure you're okay. We'll wait right here." Frankie did as she was told, leaving the two brothers standing alone, just as they had while waiting for her to emerge from the school. He fiddled with the cloth, staring at it intently.

"She's okay, dude." Hunter placed a hand on Miles's arm. He couldn't even try to force a smile. The day had been an emotional wreck for both siblings, and Hunter was sure there was even more turmoil to come.

"Yeah...Yeah, everything's okay." Miles nodded, placing the piece of fabric into his pocket. He couldn't tell Hunter about starting the fire. His perception of their dad had already been shattered, and Miles wasn't about to hurt Hunter again. He'd already done that too many times.

Miles didn't know what to do now. His siblings knew the truth, so there was no way he could shield them now. All he could do was make sure the man they called their father didn't hurt either one of the twins. Miles had decided early on that he would take anything and everything if it meant keeping them safe. A slap to the face may hurt, but that pain was nothing compared to the look of fear on Hunter's face after the mug had shattered mere inches away from him, or the hurt in Frankie's voice after she had been called irresponsible and brushed off despite nearly dying.

Starting now, Miles was going to be a better brother. The twins deserved a positive male figure, and it was clear that their dad wasn't stepping up as 'Father of the Year.' The siblings had bonded more that day than they had in years, and while Miles hated the cause of it, he was more than happy to work on mending the bent relationship between the three. In that house, they would never feel the fear that they had felt today.

There was unspoken tension in the air when Miles, Hunter, and Frankie had returned home. Nobody knew what to expect. Would their dad confront them? Would he yell? Would he get physical, now that there were no witnesses around? Miles wasn't about to let them find out.

"Why don't you guys go hang out in my room? After today, I don't think anyone really wants to be alone."

"Thanks." Frankie smiled at him. She had yet to truly process what had happened, and Miles had an idea that should break eventually. Her voice was still a bit raspy, making Miles wince slightly.

"You can use my shower if you want. It would probably be nice to get all of that off, wouldn't it?" He asked, gesturing to the layer of ash still covering her.

"Yeah, that would be great. And Miles?" She asked hesitantly. "I'm sorry. That we didn't listen to you about Dad." Hunter nodded from his place next to her. Both twins looked down at the ground, guilt evident on their faces.

"It's okay. I get it, really. Don't worry about it," he assured them.

"Nothing like that will ever happen again," Hunter promised. "We're on your side."

Miles, who had moved a chair into his room and was currently occupying it, looked over at his bed. Frankie was free from any remnants of the fire, something Miles was grateful for. Both she and her twin had fallen asleep, clearly exhausted from the day's events. Miles didn't blame them. He wished he could fall asleep himself, but it was nearly impossible. He just kept reliving everything that had happened that day. He just wanted his dad gone. That probably wasn't something one was supposed to think about their parent, but Miles couldn't help it. That man had caused their family so much grief.

Miles was determined to not become his father. He knew that's how Hunter once viewed him, but he hoped today had dispersed that thought. Miles knew he was going to need to make some adjustments to himself if he wanted to become a better man. He needed to prove that he was responsible and reliable. He needed to prove that he did indeed care about people, instead of just pushing them away.

He couldn't let what happened today happen again. Hell, he'd almost lost his sister. Miles didn't know what he would do if anything happened to either of the twins, and seeing the state Frankie was in after being ushered out of the building was too close a call for Miles's comfort.

Miles reached into his pocket, the rag from earlier still there. He pulled it out, looking at it once more before getting up and throwing it away. While he was up, he placed a blanket over the twins before turning off the lights. It was all over. She was okay. They were okay. This would never happen again.

It's going to be okay.

Hello!

This isn't my usual writing style, but I wanted to try something new. I hope it worked! This is meant to be Miles's thoughts and feelings after the events of Firestarter (2) (Just so we're clear, the one where Frankie almost died and they stood up to their father. Not the Next Class fire). I always wondered how Miles felt, especially knowing that he started the fire. I imagine he was going through a range of emotions that evening, including guilt, which I tried to incorporate. Firestarter is probably, in my opinion, one of the best (if not the best) Hollingsworth episodes. It truly solidified their bond and was a turning point for the three.

Thank you to everyone who had read, reviewed, or favored. It means a ton!