A/N- Hey, guys, so I'm trying to update more. I'm sorry I stopped writing a lot, college is crazy, and I feel like there's always something going on. I promise I'll try to update once a week at least one story, or every other week, but we'll see how it goes. Here's the next chapter of We're Not Broken Yet.

Jonathan's POV

A week passes, and Will and I are no longer sick. Things around the house are still tense, and he's been in Castle Byers most of the time. I've been helping Mom around the house and checking up on Will to make sure he's okay.

"Hey, bud." I open the blanket that Will made the door from. He has an old mattress on the ground, with some pillows and blankets and a few of his toys are on the floor. He smiles at me, slightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't I be?"

"You know I know you better than anyone else." I tell him, and he nods.

"I'm scared."

"Why?"

"I don't want to go with him, Jonathan." he answers, and I nod. "What if he doesn't bring me back?"

"I'll go get you." I reply, and he just looks at me. "Will, no one is ever taking you from me, okay? Even if Lonnie didn't bring you back, I would personally go up there and get you. I would search every inch of the earth if I had to. Trust me, buddy, I'm not going to let anything ever take you from me and Mom." he smiles and hugs me. I return it. "Now, no more thinking of Lonnie. He's out of our lives, and that's for what's best, okay? You focus on being a kid." he nods again.

"Thanks, Jonathan."

"No problem now let's go. Let's get something to eat." he climbs out of the fort and we head back inside. I pour him a glass of milk and hand him a sandwich, and he sits down at the living room table. Mom's at work, so it's just us for the day. The phone rings, and while Will eats, I answer it.

"Byers."

"Let me talk to your mother, boy." Lonnie's voice snaps on the other line, and I roll my eyes.

"If you have something to say to her, you can say it with her lawyer present." I reply.

"Don't think because I'm not there you can talk to me that way."

"I'm just saying if you want to talk to her, wait until her lawyer is present. Anything else?", he growls and hangs up the phone. Will doesn't say anything, and I walk over and ruffle his hair. "How about after this we pick out a movie?" he smiles and nods. He finishes his sandwich, and then we walk into the living room. He sits down and looks through the movie options.

I have to be strong. I don't care what has to be done. Will isn't going to suffer anymore, and Lonnie won't get away with hitting him. I can't believe I allowed it. I should have just said something from the beginning then Lonnie would never have had the chance to hurt him. He still has a slight bruise on his cheek from where Lonnie slapped him, and every time I see it my stomach drops.

"Jonathan?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you're blaming yourself, but it really wasn't your fault. He chose to leave, just like he chose to hurt us. You didn't hurt me or Mom." I sit beside him as he looks through the movies, and I wrap him into a hug with one arm. The idea of someone hurting Will is enough to make me go insane. I know Mom loves me, but I feel like Will is the only thing I have most of the time.

"I know, buddy." I assure him, and then we look through the movies together, ultimately deciding on Raiders of the Lost Ark.

"I'm glad he's out of the house." Will tells me, as we settle in the couch. I look over at him. "I know it upsets you that I got hurt, but Jonathan, it really hurt to see what he did to you. I've been wanting to tell Mom." he shakes his head slightly as we wait for the movie. "I really wish you cared more about your own wellbeing."

"I do care about my wellbeing, Will."

"No, you don't. You can lie to everyone else, but we both know you don't. You care about mine and Mom's, and I get that, but Jonathan, I wish you cared more about yourself. Because I care about you, and so does Mom, and I know you don't want to see me get hurt, but seeing Dad hurt you like that… there's nothing worse to me."

"I'm sorry, bud." I apologize. "I really am. I didn't think about how much it would affect you to see me like that. But I'm okay. I promise. I really am."

"Just promise me you'll start caring more about yourself, please, Jonathan?" like I said before, I can't say no to this kid.

"Alright, bud." I promise, and then the movie finally starts. We spend the next two hours watching the movie, though I'm not a fan of Indiana Jones and the movie is the last thing on my mind. I didn't think about how what Lonnie did to me would hurt Will, too. I knew he wouldn't be happy about it, but I didn't think too far into that. I snapped and feel like my chest is being clawed out every time I glance over at the bruise on his cheek. I can't imagine how much it would hurt him to see the injuries on me. Will knew about the abuse about a month into it, and that's because Lonnie went for him before and I stepped in and took the beating so he wouldn't have to.

I look over at Will, whose eyes are focused solely on the movie, because he loves Indiana Jones and everything about it. Will's always been close to me and Mom. With Mom working, it's mostly just us. He's always hung around my side, showing me his drawings, taking an interest in my photography, and just making up excuses to be around me. He comes to me if he has nightmares, or he just wants to talk. He goes on and on about the campaigns Mike creates for their game and tells me all about it. Will is truth be told my best friend, and I know he would stick by my side through anything. I should have taken the time to realize my wellbeing can affect his, just like his plays a huge role in mine.

By the end of the movie, Will is dosing off on the other side of the couch. I smirk and put a blanket over the kid, before cleaning up the kitchen so Mom doesn't have to worry about it. Once I'm done, I straighten up the house in general before heading back to the couch and seeing Will still peacefully asleep. I smile at the sight before picking him up and carrying him to his room. The house remains still. When Lonnie left, he took most of the tension with him. It's one of those days in Indiana where it's spring, but it feels like a summer day, and the open windows bring sunlight in the small home. My heart rate slows to a relaxing beat and I sit down on the couch and enjoy the warmth and moments of peace.

"Jonathan? Sweetheart, wake up." I wake up to Mom gently shaking my shoulder until I wake up. I look over at her, and notice the way she slightly frowns with distress, and my mind becomes alert about everything around me, but nothing appears to be out of place.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"I have good news and bad news."

"Bad news first."

"Will still has to see Lonnie two days out of the month."

"Good news?"

"It has to be in a public place, with either a social worker present or myself, but it can't be you."

"He doesn't want to see me?"

"He told the court that you two don't see eye to eye." yeah, that's because we don't. "I think he's just taking those visits with Will out of spite."

"But it's in a public area and Will doesn't have to be alone with him?" she nods. "And it's only two days out of the month?"

"Yes."

"That's not terrible, it could have been a lot worse."

"I know." she replies, with a small sigh. "Thank you for being so strong and helpful during all of this, sweetheart, you have no idea how much easier it makes things."

"No problem, Mom, I'm still sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"It's alright. No more secrets, though, okay?"

"Alright, Mom, no more secrets."

A/N- So my plan for the next few chapters is basically to show Will trying to build a relationship with his father more because he feels obligated to do so, and it may be told from Will's POV rather than Jonathan's. I want to kind of compare how each brother would think on the situation, and how they're both concern about the other and their mother. Prewarning for the next chapter, there is going to show Lonnie very manipulative towards Will and there's going to be mentions of Will's low self-esteem and struggling with himself. Until next time!