“...did you just wake your sister up at 7 o’clock in the morning on a saturday?” Their mother stood in the kitchen with a full face of makeup already. That could only mean one thing, their father’s fist had put her in her place the night before. Jules silently cursed himself for not being around. He walked around the island, enveloping Eleanor in a good morning hug, an apology that she wouldn’t catch onto. She never seemed to, never remembered how much any of the situations bothered him. But he’d lived with that for sixteen years now and it was what he was used to. Watching his father and the bullshit tirades. “I did…” he nodded, stepping back and picking up the glass of juice she’d poured. Eleanor studied him for a moment. Jules backed away from the island, peering down the hallway and glancing at the spiral staircase in the foyer. Calista had to always be slow in the morning time. He checked the overpriced watch on his wrist, a gift from his mother that his father had looked down on. “Oh, it’s valentine's day.” the smile that appeared on the woman’s face was one of the things he did it for. The other reason? To prove to his sister that not all men were like their father, that one day she was required to find someone that was nothing like him in fact. “You’re such a good brother.” he tried to be anyway. She walked around the counter then, placing her hand on the side of his cheek, “I’m so proud of the man you’re becoming Julian. Valentine's day morning and you’re electing to take your baby sister out. I’m so so proud of you.” It had begun when they were 3 and 9. He’d set up a tea set and formally requested his baby sister join him for a valentine's day tea. His father had called him a pansy, belted him with an open palm right across the face ...and he’d made sure to continue the tradition each and every year since. Because that mark on his cheek for two weeks alone had proved to him that he’d done the right thing. As she popped an english muffin into the toaster he moved around the kitchen for the jam from the fridge half guilty for not inviting her to join them for high tea. “I don’t even want to think about the day that you two have completely separate lives and don’t want to spend time together anymore.” their mother’s worry wouldn’t happen, Callie would always be one of the most important people in his life. He’d promised to protect her the moment she’d been placed on the pillow in his arms, he’d sworn to do a better job with her than he’d done with Junior. It was a mistake that he was going to make sure never happened again, emotional scars that he would never talk to about anyone. A light laugh was expressed, “Don’t worry mom, I will always take care of Cal.” It was his guided proof that he’d never turn into his father. Without having the conversation about it he knew that she knew that too. Watch was checked again, he was getting a little anxious about her taking so long. “Let me call her. You go start your car.” he nodded, picking his keys up off of the counter as she made her way to the staircase. There was nothing Julian had ever wished for more than being a normal family. One that didn’t have so many dark marks and skeletons in their history. He’d always hoped that he could make it all a little more normal for Callie, that he could help her to forget what had happened to this brother, to know that the way her father grabbed her and also treated their mother was not the way a woman was supposed to be treated. It was a lot to put on a seventeen year old’s shoulder. But they were the cards that he’d been dealt and this was where they stood now. Where they had stood for as long as Julian himself could remember. “Callista! Your brother is waiting for you sweetheart. Get a move on it baby girl.” while his mother had his back to him he reached into the kitchen drawer where he’d hidden the little box the evening before after she’d gone to bed. Little surprises for his two favorite people. “Callie… please hurry up.” she called again, sounding stressed over it. That was something he wished that he could take away from her, the worry that someone was going to get angry. He know that that was what possessed it too. So instead, he simply took his steps over to the stairs, holding out the little matching boxes in his hands. “Happy Valentine’s Day, mom” as she turned to look at him a smile spread over her face. He could tell in that moment that she was proud of him, truly proud of him. That was all he could ask for. She was pulling at the red bow on the box as the eleven year old started to jump down the stairs. It should have been their father doing this. Their father showing his girls how much he appreciated them. But he would never be that man. He would always just be a selfish jackass who didn’t know how to pull his head out of his ass long enough to be a good man. “Ma coccinelles, you ready?” her eyes didn’t yet roll at his stupid nicknames, but she knew that soon enough those days would come. The moments when she thought this was the stupidest thing in the world, spending time with her big brother wouldn’t always be on her to do list. But for now it was, and he’d keep it. He presented her with the small jewelry box as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The one with the little gold chain and ladybug pendant enclosed inside of it. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby sister. Now let’s go, i’m starving.”

“Julian, i don’t need you acting all high and mighty right now.” his hands were shaking as they stood outside of Cove’s room, his head leaning against the door. As much as he loved his best friend, in that totally straight way, he wouldn’t have had an issue with decking him at the moment either. Julian didn’t get a say in this, it wasn’t his choice. In fact, Beck would have preferred it if he hadn’t even come. Julian sighed, and Beck knew that he was getting ready to speak again, fuck. “I’m just saying, there are other options than this. Has she even thought about that?” Jules hadn’t been there on the nights to see her cry. He wasn’t the one to know the full story or to see the horror at the thought of everything that was going to change for her. Jules just didn’t get it. No matter what Beck said to him right now he wasn’t going to understand it either. Threw her mother’s fight with the cancer that had corroded her body Cove’s biggest fear had been the aftermath of losing her. Where Cove herself would be placed if that did indeed happen. Now that the whole event had taken place and the social worker had pasted on a fake bullshit smile while informing her that Uncle Joe would be there in a day, he’d watched their fierce and confident best friend fade drastically. Their options had fallen to nul and the only thing to do was what Beck sure as hell didn’t want to do. Beck kicked at the corner of the wooden door, letting out a sigh, “Julian, you know that there aren’t other options.” the teenage boys met eyes and the look in Jules’ eye told Beck that he was only trying to find some way to make it so that they didn’t have to say goodbye. But the truth had it, there wasn’t an option that would fix even a second of this. Cove had made up her mind and what was being done was done. “Jules, I told her that if she wanted to run, we’d run. Her and I. we’d just take off. Not like I couldn’t get my parents to pay for it.” he could have sweet talked them… or at least Nana Rosa. His caretaker (yes, even at sixteen) would have certainly seen the light and helped them to get the hell out of town. But Cove didn’t want to live that life. They both needed to respect the decision she’d made and why she’d chosen it. Because living through being a young child with Uncle Joe sneaking in her room had been more than enough. Hiding that trauma when her father had left and years later when her mother had gotten sick and counted on Joe for everything… she’d kept tight lipped in order to protect everyone around her when no one had given enough of a damn to protect her. The whole thing made Beck angry. Angry that there was so much hurt and damage done that he couldn’t go back and fix any of it. It was a life that neither one of the boys would understand. Part of Beck resented himself for it. For knowing that he would never get the hurt the beautiful blonde haired blue eyed girl went through. “What are we going to do without her here to keep you in line?” he could appreciate the way Jules was trying to make light of things, even if discussing the after scared the shit out of him, “guess that means it’s your job.” In fact, Cove had told Jules so. He’d been eavesdropping outside of the door when the pair had said their goodbyes. When Cove had asked Jules if he promised to take care of him even if things got bad. “If there is a sob story going on outside of this bedroom door…” Cove cautioned from inside of the room and her voice sounded like warm honey on a cold winters day. All Beck wanted to do was to lock her inside, to promise her that he’d protect and shield her from the outside world. But she’d asked him to be settled with her decision. Because at the end of the day it was exactly that. He shifted his eyes away from Jules, away from the door, the water was welling up and he was supposed to be the tough one. “Nah, don’t worry dumbass. No tears out here. The faster we get this show on the road the faster Jules and I can get to practice.” his voice betrayed him, a lump fully formed. “Julesy, can I have a moment?” as always, like expected, Beck followed Cove right into the room without dispute or hesitation. She didn’t look terrified or fragile. She looked completely in control And Beck hated it. “You act like i’m taking something away from you.” From the corner of blue eyes he glared at her, “you are. My best friend… my girl.” her flowery laugh was something that frustrated him almost to the point of anger. How she seemed so settled with this and sure of herself he both understood and respected yet hated all at once, “you’re going to be just fine silly.” he didn’t want to become angry with her, he promised himself he wouldn’t, he’d promised her he wouldn’t. It was a promise that he was going to maintain. But it was also a lot to ask of a sixteen year old boy. Her small hand was on the side of his face, eyes staring into his own while she conveyed herself, “I want you to watch out for him Beck. I want you to watch out for Jules and yourself. You two will always have one another, okay?” well that was the easiest thing she’d ever asked of him. As much as Julian pissed him off they’d done the whole blood brother bond thing when they were twelve. They were sealed for life. “I also want you to achieve all of what you told me you wanted. Become a doctor, travel the world ...do all of that for me.” Just like that she’d stepped away from him then and had walked to the corner to pick up a small box and envelope, “I want you to open this after you graduate from med school. No time before. Do you hear me Beckham?” and just like that, the smile was back on his face. Even if this was his last moment with the girl he’d thought he’d marry.