Chibiyu: Part two. Hate me, love me, kill me, nothing will change.

DON'T OWN JONAS!

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But the reality Nick had just witnessed was nothing more than a lie.

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ROSE'S POV

"Why are you telling me this?" Nick whispered, looking up into Billy's eyes with a light a kin to hope. Billy just rolled his eyes and pushed himself from the railing before stalking back to Mr. Wilkson's side. His gun was still pointed at me this entire time. "Because I want to shatter all that hope and happiness in your eyes with the new pain and sorrow of the present." He stopped in the middle of the foyer, changing his mind and turning back to the stairs. His steps made the polished wood beneath his feet creak from his long, determined stride.

He stood in front of the stairs, ascending the first two steps before Joe and Kevin blocked his way. They both tried to push Billy back but the giant had his heels dug into the stairs; he wasn't going anywhere. "I suggest you move." But Joe and Kevin did not budge, even when Billy tried to swat them away. "Fine."

A single shot ran out.

Everyone watched in absolute horror and mind-bending shock as the bullet flew through the air and made its home in the middle of Joe's forehead. Kevin screamed a terrible screamed that morphed his face into utter agony when he watched his brother fall, utterly helpless as no one can bring back the dead. We all saw Kevin kneel down and touch Joe's face and whisper his name but the middle brother would never answer that call. He reached, his hand shaking violently, and he gently placed two fingers on his brother's eyelids, closing them so no one would have to see his void eyes. Now, if not for the bloodied hole in his head, he could be sleeping.

My breath came in short bursts as my heart was torn to shreds when I saw his death, the family's pain, and felt the fear. I couldn't move; my feet were nailed to the floor. I heard Sandy's delayed scream broke down into sobs that her husbands shoulder had no effect in muting. Frankie, had long since run into the kitchen, but it was obvious he heard the bang and the screams and the sobs; he knew. Nick stood there, staring with blank eyes at the spot where Joe used to stand. I wondered if he was even breathing. He raised his hand slowly and touched his face, drawing it back and blinking slowly at the sticky substance on his fingers. His eyes flashed to Joe and terrible pain filled them. He clenched his eyes closed and violently shook his head, his hands gripping his curls tightly and his lips forming unheard words.

I was quick to walk over to him, not caring as the guns shined in my direction. It seemed like I was the only one to notice this behavior as everyone else was solely focused on Joe's corpse. As I neared next to him, I heard him whisper the words: "Bring me back. This isn't real. Bring me back."

"Nick?" His eyes flew open and landed on me, asking me to tell him that none of this was real. But before I could tell him otherwise, his eyes went back to Joe and he shuddered, tears falling without restraint.

"No…" He whispered, unable to tear his too-wide eyes from his cold brother.

Billy laughed, gaining no one's eyes but my own. "Love could never save them could it Nicky? You knew that and let you allowed yourself to be loved and love. You allowed Joseph to fall to the same fate as Neal." Billy stepped over to the stairs, Kevin being too slow to stand and me being too weak to stop Billy from grabbing Nick by the collar and dragging him down the steps and to his side. Nick didn't even seem to notice the movement. "It happened to your sister and mother. To the Cartels. To Johnny. And now to this whole family." Bill shook his head but Nick continued staring blindly to the floor at his feet, shock and an indescribable pain overcoming his features.

This had gone on long enough. "SECURITY!" I screamed out foolishly. I jumped up a few steps, trying to see if anyone was left alive to help us. But no steps came thundering my way and no shouts rang through my ears. Only laughter; Billy's laughter.

"Stop your laughing Billy and finish the job. We need that money." Mr. Wilkson hissed and Billy rolled his eyes.

Billy grabbed Nick's chin and lifted his head until his eyes were level with Sandy's. "This is why you never should have a mother." Sandy's eyes widened and Tom tried to move in front of her but feet aren't faster than a bullet.

"Mom!" Frankie yelled as Tom reached her just in time to catch her as she fell.

We all stared as she raised her hand, her eyes blanking as the red on her shirt grew. Her hand landed on her husbands cheeks and she smiled. "Love you." Her hand fell and as cliché as it sounded, the light in her eyes faded and her head titled until it was being supported by Tom's chest. Kevin was beyond words as all he could do was kneel by Joe's body and stare at his mother's now deceased form. The eldest brothers face was inscribed with a tremendous amount of raw agony. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to scream, to curse, to cry, but he could only do one of those. Tears cascaded from his hazel eyes and no sound escaped from his lips.

"Why are you doing this?" I managed to lift my head from the pale body, unsure if I should feel more anger or sorrow from this situation. But as soon as I looked into the grief-stricken face of Tom Lucas, I knew what I should feel; the need for revenge. I knew, of course, that revenge would bring neither Joe or Sandy back but it will stop the threat and save everyone else. Billy will not hurt this family more. They don't deserve to be hurt.

"You wouldn't let Nicholas go willingly would you? With you being dead, that makes the perfect excuse to take him." Mr. Wilkson sneered and I found my blood boiling, my fingernails digging into my palms flesh. But I didn't feel the pain. No; I was too overtaken by heartbreak and rage to feel something as petty as pain.

These demons need to go back to Hell.

"You won't get away with this." I growled, even getting Billy to look over Nick's head to see my glare. "They will find the bullets."

Billy laughed but it was the Rip-Off Ron who spoke. "We know how to make it look accidental. Removing a bullet and setting the house on fire is an easy enough task." I bent my knees at these words, a low growl emitting from my throat as I got ready to lunge and snap their necks. "Just ask Nicholas; he knows how long we've been doing it."

Nick didn't lift his head at the call; in fact, he didn't even stir. There was once nothing behind his eyes; nothing but a shattered soul filled with pure pain. His face could have been sculpted as the look of absolute shock never faltered. Not even a tear or a tremor made its way through – if I didn't know better, I would have said he was made of stone.

"N-Nick?" Frankie called from behind his father, watching his older brother with scared eyes. Nick slowly looked up, moving his eyes but not his head. Frankie bit his lip when he saw the turmoil in Nick's face. Nick swiftly looked back down, allowing his eyes to close and two tears to fall before he fell back into his façade of nothing. "This isn't your fault." Frankie whispered after a moment and I saw Nick's fingers slowly curl into a loose fist.

"I brought him into your life." Nick choked out, shaking his head every time anyone tried to tell him different. "I allowed this to continue. I should have known…I shouldn't be loved."

"And you shouldn't love back." Billy hissed into Nick's ear, corrupting his already tangled soul.

"Don't listen to him Nick." I stated, never losing my anger when Nick glanced over to me before shaking his head.

Helpless shock and unmasked grief met my gaze. "I have to."

"No, you don't." I looked to the kitchen door, never happier to see my clumsy step-dad running into the kitchen, a steak knife held firmly in his hand. I turned to look at the top of the stairs when I heard the click of heels and I felt my eyes widened when I saw mom holding and aiming her rifle. Did she even know how to hold that thing?

I turned to face the menaces at hand, unsurprised to see both of their guns pointing at the only two with weapons. Pointing at my parent's. But both of them wore an easy smirk and I knew why. My dad was helpless on his feet and walking with a knife in his hands only holds to be dangerous for himself. And Billy, who mom was aiming at, was shielding himself with an unmoving Nick. Unless mom can curve the bullet – which I highly doubt – then she won't shoot.

My dad carefully stepped out onto the slippery wood floor and gazed softly at Nick, doing his best to ignore the death around him. "You make your own life son; you don't have to listen to Billy." Nick only shook his head and dad started across the room, walking straight towards the social worker with anger on his face. I had no doubt that dad thought he could just walk up and stab the man. Apparently the red-haired bastard saw that too as he didn't shoot, he only chuckled. Seven feet now separated them and that distance was diminishing rapidly.

And then my dad's feet slide out from under him. A thud was heard when he fell gracelessly onto his bottom and I only rolled my eyes at him before going back, ready to defend my father against the social worker's ridicule. But a pained gasp met my ears and the sound of footsteps was heard before I had the chance to process any of what had happened. And when I did manage to make sense of what happened, I could have laughed, if not for our situation. Apparently, when my dad tripped, he let go of his knife and it managed to stab Mr. W in the hand, causing him to drop his gun. Kevin, being smart, ran forward and grabbed the metal contraption before the social worker could get it with his good hand. Way to go dad; who knew that your lack of balance would save us one day?

I looked to dad, who was staring, as if mesmerized by the blood on the knife resting almost innocently in the door way and the red that was getting washed away with the rain. He looked rather…proud. Kevin, however, stood tall as he pointed the gun towards Billy. There was no hiding the shake of his hands and the fear in his eyes. But when he spoke, his voice was steely and unswayable.

"Let go of my brother you bastard." He snarled, no one punishing him for his harsh tongue. Billy laughed, lifting his arm so Nick was unrestrained but the younger male didn't move. He knew he was free, but he didn't act on his freedom.

"See, little Nicky knows that if he stays with me, I may leave one of you alive." Billy laughed happily, putting his arm around Nick's shoulder and grabbing the back of his neck firmly.

"I suggest you both leave if you want your lives." Mom tried to sound courageous and have power behind her words but her voice was high-pitched and wavered with every short breath she took. Billy and Mr. W were not convinced.

Mr. W sighed and looked over to my mom, his hand held gently at his chest. "We will take our chances."

"Fine." I watched her pull the trigger, looking both surprised that she did so and horrified when the social worker fell. "No one messes with my family." Her words sounded breathless, like she was on the verge of fainting. She even dropped her gun and clutched the rail, looking quite green.

Billy watched the man he worked with fall, never to move again, with an uncaring expression. "Looks like I'm my own boss now." I screamed when he turned and fired without hesitation, my mom going down, never seeing the projectile coming.

"You monster." I hissed out, wanting nothing more than to steal the gun from Kevin's hand and put a bullet into Billy's head and three into his heart, just to see if he actually had one.

"Sticks and stones." Billy drawled out, sounding bored.

"What about a bullet?" He turned his eyes to Kevin and just rolled them, yanking Nick in front of him and smiling winningly.

"Yes, what about one?" Kevin's eyes widened and he leapt away just as Billy shot. Kevin rolled on the floor, his dad instantly pulling him to his side. During that process, Kevin's hold on the gun slipped and in his haste to fix his grip, his finger slipped and pushed the trigger. The bang was unexpected and everyone jumped, me squealing slightly from the noise. Nick ducked away from Billy and Billy stumbled, trying to regain his grip. But Nick's intention wasn't to get away from Billy, but from the danger of the rogue bullet. Billy, however, didn't have Nick's brains and roared in pain as the bullet clipped his shoulder.

"You are going to pay for that!"

"Nick, run!"

The two screams mixed together but the meanings were still decipherable. But Nick didn't run, even though Kevin did pay. Billy turned to them and let loose a single bullet. The metal capsule buried itself into a heart. But not in the intended target. Tom Lucas was dead; having thrown himself in front of Kevin and saving his oldest son. But would it be in vain?

"Do something, Nick!" I urged, running across the room and skidding so I was in front of Kevin but close enough to touch Nick. He just stared blankly at me and I screamed in anger, stamping my foot on the ground, not caring about how childish it seemed. "Nick!" I yelled but I earned the same response. I growled and he blinked in surprise when the sound my palm made against his cheek. "Snap out of it!" I slapped him again and he only looked at me sadly.

"How touching; the girl is trying to save her lover." I made a disgusted face at Billy's statement. "But Nicky knows his place, don't you?" Nick's eyes pleaded with me, sending me an order that only I would be able to read. I've known Nick when he was silent and when he decided to talk, so I knew every look, every tense, every hidden emotion and I knew what they meant.

"Nick…" I whispered but he shook his head, stepping back and allowing Billy to grasp his arm. "Please," he mouthed and I nodded, finally becoming aware of the tears burning my numbing cheeks. I stepped back, my heart screaming at me to help but the look in Nick's eyes was enough to keep my feet from going forward again. I walked behind Kevin and grasped Frankie's shaking hand and I tried to pull him back, but his feet would not budge. So I lifted his unmoving body and carefully stepped into the kitchen. I winced when Billy laughed; saying how he knew Nick would choose Rose and Frankie's life over Kevin's and his own.

I pulled Frankie closer and I bit back a scream when I heard a final bullet shot when the door behind me clicked closed. I put Frankie into the seat of my car and pulled out; making sure the roof was up.

"Rose?" Frankie managed to whisper and I nodded, pulling passed the gate and trying to see passed my tears. "Is Nick gonna die?" My heart shattered into dust when I heard the all too familiar lost tone in a young boy's voice.

"I don't know." I didn't lie to Nick when he was in this position and I won't lie to Frankie. I can't give them false hope, not when I know it will eventually crash down and kill. "But I'm going to take care of you Frankie. I promise."

"But who's gonna take care of Nick?" I shook my head at his question as I pulled away from the house, stopping the car but quickly driving on again. Frankie didn't need to see the rising column of smoke pouring into the sky or the sparks being emitted over the trees. He didn't need to be haunted by anything more than he already was. The only thing he needed was a warm bed and shoulder to cry on. But he was right; whose shoulder would Nick cry on? Or would his ending be as silent as his beginning?

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ONE MONTH AND 15 DAYS LATER (?'s POV)

"Pathetic." The breath caught in my throat at the cold words spilling from the demon's mouth. "But that doesn't surprise me." I stood there, just listening to the utter hatred befouling the air. "You make me sick."

"Well that makes two of us." I stepped out from behind the corner and Billy turned to me, his eyes wide from the unexpected company. I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger and the giant crumpled, falling face forward as his soul fell directly to the pits of Hell. I stepped into the dark room, the carpeted floor creaking under my feet. I stepped over the dead demon's legs and knelt down to where I knew Nick would be.

I reached over and my hand grabbed his shoulder. I paused, waiting to see if I would get a response or not. "Nick?" I called, my gruff voice nothing more than a whisper and yet it sounded as if I had yelled. "Nick, come on. Rose and Frankie are waiting." I shook my head and I reached over, my free fist hitting the wall in search of the light switch. Thankfully the closest was small enough for me to reach back to the door without standing. Light flooded into the area and I had to squint and blink rapidly as I waited for my eyes to adjust. "Oh no…"

I ran my fingers through his limp curls, wincing when I felt the grease but I didn't cease my movements. "You don't deserve this."

"F-f-fang?" I jumped at the small and broken voice, looking down to see the void eyes of my friend looking up at me. No emotion lined his eyes; none shown, none hidden; just none at all. His hand reached up and I was quick to grab it, wanting to cry when I felt his weak grip.

"I'm here bud." I smiled at him, pulling him up hugging him to my side. "It's going to be ok. Rose and Frankie are waiting for us."

I felt his head drop on my shoulder and I held him closer, knowing that he would need more than a hug. "T-they're safe?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah; they made it." I told him, happy that he could finally hear good news. My fingers ran over his swollen finger, wincing when I felt the break and anger boiled in my chest when I realized that Billy wouldn't have let it heal so he would have kept abusing it. Just like he did to the poor teen next to me. He turned his head and I pulled away so I could see his eyes and was surprised when met with a plea.

"Please…I c-can't." He begged, eyes filling with tears as he tried to move on his own but it seemed to be too painful for him.

"No." I whispered, grabbing his shoulders as tightly as I dared and basically holding him in a sitting position. But I knew he was right. "Fine." I gave in his shoulders slumped. Something entered his eyes but it was too fleeting for me to identify anything but thanks. I helped him sit against the wall and sighed. He regarded me carefully; the analysis in his eyes still strong even though everything else seemed to be nonexistent. "I'm sorry for how I acted before."

"I know." His voice was growing quieter by the minute, but it was by choice, not, hopefully, by the injuries Billy caused him. I looked into his face, knowing my eyes held the sorrow my heart wept of when I took in the multiple discolorations and new scars and scabs. If I hadn't known Nick for years, then I would not have recognized him. "I forgive you; f-for everything." I smiled at him, knowing the first punch I deliver him and the two abandonments were put behind him, and now me. But do I really deserve this forgiveness? "You do." He was still a freaking mind reader, I see. "You t-took in Rose and F-frankie. Th-thank you."

I nodded to the teen and my hand dropped from his shoulder when his eyes floated closed. "Happy 18th birthday Nick." My finger tightened and the teen's head fell, his body slumping against the wall, the stain behind becoming seen as well as the small hole. I caught his limp body, making sure to take absolute care when I brought him to my car. It was about an hour later when I finally pulled back home, happy with the arraignment I had managed to make. Nick was a Lucas so he was to be buried next to his real family.

"Fang!" I opened the door and my arms, finding them full of my new fiancé and soon to be foster-brother. "Did you find him?"

I sighed and nodded. "I was too late." Rose buried her head in my shoulder and Frankie's grip on my legs became tighter. "But I got to Billy but I was too late for Nick. I'm sorry." I told them of what I did to the body and I already notified the police and told them everything.

"You did your best." Rose tried to tell me before wiping her eyes and taking Frankie's hand. I watched them walk into the living room of my parent's old cottage and the thin white walls allowed their cries to reach my ears. I lifted my shirt and pulled out the gun, looking at it with tears of my own. It was better this way – and not only for Nick. Rose would have killed herself trying to get Nick to where he was before Billy caused this disaster, but that would have never happened. Nick was permanently scarred and broken. No amount of love could heal him and even if he ever did feel comfortable with loving again, he wouldn't have shown it. The fear would always be in his heart and the wounds would open every time he tried to heal. I shook my head, putting the gun in the safe under the floor board and sitting. My back thudded against the wooden door and my head dropped into my knees.

It was better this way; death by friend than by foe. So why didn't it feel better? I shook my head, looking over to the door which hid Rose and Frankie from me. I can't tell anyone about this. It has to be kept silent. They would hate me for acting on Nick's last wish. But it was Nick's wish. He knew that he would never be the same after all of this; anyone would. He knew what lengths Rose would go to for him and how much pain he would cause her. And he knew that life would kill him more than death would he knew that he wouldn't be able to stand living for much longer. His scars ran too deep and his blood too thin. He trusted me to save him from more suffering and to save everyone else.

And now he could be happy. Because I knew that he was with them again. His real mother. His sister. Sam and Ian Cartel. Sandy and Tom. Joe and Kevin.

And I was able to smile because I knew that somewhere, Nick was smiling too.

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Chibiyu: And it's over. It's a bit deviated from my original plan but I thought this worked better – it was my back-up idea that would not leave me alone so I had to write it out. And now I can update "Walking on Air" (Sequel to Breathing Underwater) soon. And if you didn't catch it, the last line of Part One meant that Nick made a false reality from his shock and Part Two was the real reality (what actually happened). Devious huh? Until Next Story!

Dedicated to Death-God777 as she gives me so much inspiration with her stories and I look up to her in the writing world. She is literally my hero in the world of words. I love you Dan, keep on being you.