Epilogue

Chris sat alone in the darkness and silence of his mother's bedroom as he thought about the events that had unfolded just a few short hours ago. The rape at his brother's hands, the reaction of his parents and aunts as they watched his brother do those horrible things to him. He remembered wanting to die at that moment, anything to make that disgusted and pained look in their eyes disappear. Things only went from bad to worse as callous words were exchanged between his family members before they were taken away to be tortured by his brother's demons. Something that he knew they would not have survived but thankfully Autumn was able to get to them just before the torment could occur.

Autumn, his best friend and sister in law who had chosen to stay behind with the man that had caused her so much pain and heartache, but then again this didn't surprise him. She loved the man and would do anything to make him happy, even when he was at his most vicious; he just hoped that his brother loved her enough not to kill her for he perceived as her betrayal.

Suddenly the sound of the bedroom door opening captured his attention and stopped him from contemplating any further.

"Chris?" he heard his father's voice call out as the newly arrived lights temporarily blinded him.

"Hey" he responded in soft tone as he blinked several times before noticing his mother's presences. Damn it he wasn't in the mood for a speech or a Q&A session. He just wanted to lay there in the darkness something that his life seemed to be submerged in.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asked as she and her husband took a seat on either side of their youngest son.

"I'm alive" the boy answered as he continued to stare up at the ceiling.

What was he supposed to say? That he couldn't get the horrid images of what his brother did to him out of his mind? That he couldn't erase the memories he had of their repulsed expressions as they were forced to watch his brother kiss and fondle him right before their very eyes. He was sure that his response may have hurt his parents or seemed as if he wanted nothing to do with them but wouldn't the truth upset them more?

Leo could sense his son's apprehension and could only imagine what the boy must be going through. For the past year he was being followed around and accused of being evil by his own family when all he wanted to do was save his brother. A brother that would turn around and do the unthinkable to him and torture his best friend, the man's own wife, any and all of which were probably weighing heavily on the boy's mind. Leo wished that he could take away all of the boy's pain and give piece of mind to his youngest son who had already sacrificed so much for everybody else, now it was time for him to break down and depend on someone else for a change. But he knew that his son would never show weakness in front of his mother, not if he could help it anyway.

"Piper. Why don't you give us a second?"

"What? Why?" the woman questioned with a "there is no way I'm leaving his side" look.

"Please. It's important"

"Leo" the woman said in protest.

"Piper, please. Listen why don't you go and make Chris something to eat while we talk" Leo spoke while giving his wife a pleading look.

Knowing that whatever it was had to be of extreme importance to her husband and something that would help her son, the woman smiled slightly at the man before saying "Alright. I'll be down stairs if you need me. Ok sweetie?" kissing her son on the head and exiting the room.

Leo sat quietly at the boy's side thinking carefully about how to approach the subject while his son continued to stare a hole in the ceiling showing no emotion at all. This worried Leo terribly and he wondered if he would ever get the brave, smart, witty, sarcastic, surly young man he knew back.

"Chris" the boy's father began with extreme caution. When he didn't receive a response he continued. "I know this hard to be hard for you so I'm not going to push or force you to talk but I do want you to listen to me. Nothing that happened was your fault. Your brother…" the man trailed off and taking deep breath to calm himself down. He couldn't break down. His son needed him so had to be strong. "Your brother was sick. He's the one who should feel ashamed, not you"

At his father's words Chris shifted his attention from the ceiling to his father's tear filled eyes and that's when he finally let go. He didn't want to cry, he didn't want to appear weak or pathetic, but it just felt too good to stop. He could feel the weight instantly lifting off of his shoulders as his sobbing became heavier and his father held him close in a tight embrace.

"It's ok son. We'll get through this together. We don't even have to involve your mother if you don't want her to know what you're feeling. It could be just you and me. I will always be here for you Chris, whenever you need me, just call and I'll be there to give you whatever it is you need. I just…I love you so much son and I am so proud of you" the boy's father spoke through his own sobs.

Chris tightened his grip on his father happy to hear those words, words that he had waited so long to hear. He was finally aware that his father loved and cared for him and was nothing like what he appeared to be due to his brother's threats. Leo was holding him, telling him that he loved him and promised to be there for him like he had always dreamed giving him new found hope and once he was done healing and dealing with the pain of what was he could focus on the new future that was yet to be.

FUTURE

"Please" the woman begged as she stood chained to the wall of a cold, wet cell as the man she loved stood in front of her with a look of pure unadulterated hate and loathing. Never in a million years would she have ever thought that this day would come. The day that the man she loved would cross the fine line that separated his special brand of tainted love from hate. The day that he no longer held any regard for her life or well being. The day that he would sever their connection to each other and chose to turn her from his lover and best friend to his worse enemy.

And now as he stood before her with a fire ball in hand ready to end her life she wished that her love could have been enough to save him. To keep him from going over the edge and embracing the dark side that would strip him of his innocence and turn what was once his heart into a deep black pit filled with greed, self gratification and narcissism. Tears filled her eyes as the devil that had evaded her husband's body stood glaring at her with a blank stare.

She thought about begging for her life, making a promise to never betray him again but in the end there was nothing she could say or do to change the man's mind. She just hoped that there was a part of him that would still love and miss her once she was gone.

"Any last words" the man questioned in a cold voice that she didn't recognize.

Looking into his eyes she spoke the only words that made since to her. "I love you. No matter what, I will always love you" she said as a hint of pain and recognition of her words came over the man's hardened expression before it returned to it's impassive state.

"Yeah? I loved you too" he said before releasing the ball of death.

Autumn closed her eyes shut tightly and braced herself for the pain that she knew was going to follow. But when nothing happened she opened her eyes and looked up into the watery eyes of her husband as he waved his hand and the chains that held her firmly in place disappear freeing her and in her confused state she looked down just in time to see the light blue shield that seemed to be coming from her body fade away.

THE END

Well I hope that you all enjoyed the story and I would like to thank everyone who stuck with me from beginning to end and if you were reading this and haven't reivewed (like always) please review this chapter so I know what you thought about the ending. Again thank you all so much. YOU'RE THE BEST!