Joseph's POV

It's been over a week since all this happened. Michael and Ocean are still in separate rooms and their still in a bad way, but their getting better by the day and both back on their medication. I still don't know when or why this all happened, but I'm slowly starting to get little pieces from them. It's mainly when their rambling and alot of it doesn't make any sense, but for the past two days they've been alot more vocal and open.

After Kathrine finishes making breakfast I take it upstairs to take it up for Michael and Ocean. I go to Ocean first and we sit and talk for a moment then I leave her to eat her breakfast making sure the door is locked then  go to Michael and do the same thing unlocking the door then locking it behind me once I'm inside. "I don't want any food" he mumbles lying down on the bed. "you have to eat something. You didn't eat last night either.. Michael, we're not doing this to punish you" I tell him softly "but, deserve it" he croaks. "neither of you do. Your just sick right now, but your gonna get better you both will"

"we're always gonna be sick!.. And dirty!... we just wanted to forget" he sobs. "it's that why you taking that stuff? To forget? I ask softly and he nods. "and what did you want to forget?"

"that I'm a bad person" he mumbles "what makes you think your a bad person? So you've made a few mistakes, but so does everybody. That doesn't make you a bad person. I lost count of the amount of mistakes I've made in my life"

"nobody died though!" He says in a neutral tone. "nobody's died" I shrug confused. "Emma did.. And it's all my fault" I don't say anything and he starts crying and rambling again and I sit and listen as he breaks down and tells me everything that happened. "everytime she was around bad things always happened even when we were kids... i just wanted her to go away. I didn't want her to die!" He sobs "Michael, Emma didn't kill herself because of you" I sigh "she'd attempted suicide many times before that happened" I reassure him. I know him doing what he did obviously played a part in what happened that day, but I see can see in his eyes he's suffering enough without me saying it's all his fault. And I was telling him the truth about her being suicidal and her parents finding her many times.

"please don't tell Ocean. if she ever found out she won't love me and more!!! an and..."

"Sssh... Calm down" I soothe him wrapping my arms around him. "what do you mean bad things? I always thought you two got along when you were kids. You couldn't wait to go and play with her when we spent the summer's at uncle Luther's cottage..." Michael jumps suddenly and backs away, trembling slightly "what's wrong?" I ask softly and he shakes his head. "I-I don't wanna talk anymore" he stutters. "was it something I said?" I ask softly and he shakes his head. "can I come out now?" He asks ignoring the question. "not yet"

"well can I see Ocean? Please? I haven't seen her all week and I need her with me and needs me too" he croaks. "I'll take you in her room for a little bit, but then you go back in your own room ok?" I tell him sternly and he nods.

I take Michael's arm and lead him over to the room Ocean's in and Kathrine looks at me nervously Coming up the stairs. I unlock the door and Ocean is lay sobbing on the bed, then turns seeing Michael. I let go of his arm and they run over to each other wrapping their arms around each other and start crying. "I'll come back and check on you both in a moment" I say softly closing the door then locking it behind me. "Our you sure its safe to do that?" Kathrine whispers nervously. "their both back on their medications and are alot calmer now. If there's any problem we'll seperate them straight away" I whisper back and go downstairs with Kathrine.

I don't mention what Michael told me about Emma. Not because I'm ok with what's happened, but because it's not gonna help anybody. It won't bring Emma back and everybody's already suffered enough. It's still playing on my mind, the way Michael reacted when I mentioned the summer vacations we took with my brother at his cottage. He could have just been trembling from the withdrawal, but, the second I mentioned Luther's cottage he look terrified and froze up.

********

Ocean's POV

Michael and I lay cuddling on the bed for awhile, not saying anything and we didn't need to. Just having him holding me close was everything I needed. My thoughts are disturbed when I hear Michael sobbing and I turn to face him. "why are you crying"?" I ask softly wiping his tears away. "because I did this to you. I just wanted your make the pain go away and I made it worse and.."

"Baby, stop. You can't blame yourself everytime something goes wrong in my life" I cut him off. "but I took you to that doctor and when Robert gave you..."

"it was my choice to have the abortion remember? And I could have said no to Robert but I didn't just like you didn't say no either. We're both responsible for what's happened. Not just you and we're both gonna get through this" I reassure him pulling him close to me. "I love you" I whisper pecking his lips. "I love you more" he whispers back. holding me tighter.

******

Joseph's POV

I go upstairs to check on Michael and Ocean and their both curled up together on the bed. "Michael, it's time to go back in your room" I whisper "but, didn't do anything wrong " he looks at me upset. "I know and you can see each other again tomorrow" he nods and turns back to Ocean and kisses her then comes with me.

"we were just cuddling. I didn't ask to go in there for sex. I just wanted to see her and hold her" he mumbles going back to his bed. "I know, but I told you I'd let you see each other for awhile. You can't stay together all night. Not yet"

"when can we see Nevaeh? And we're supposed to see DJ tomorrow. If we miss it Jessica's gonna stop our visits again and..."

"don't worry about any of that. Jermaine has Nevaeh and Janet with him and they'll be back soon and I spoke to your social worker and explained that you and Ocean were going through some personal problems and she was very understanding and said once your ready you can both pick up were you left off and you'll still get your visits with DJ"

"you told her about this!?" He panics slightly and I shake my head. "I just said we had some personal family problems"

"are we really gonna get Nevaeh back?" He asked worriedly "of course! Nobody's gonna take her away. This is different than with DJ. There's courts or anything involved. Jermaine's just taken her while you get better. You don't want her seeing her parent's like this do you?"

"no" he mumbles shaking his head. "I wanna ask you about what you were saying earlier.."

"I already told you what happened with Emma" he shrugs cutting me off and lays down on the bed. "you said we wanted to forget and we'd always be dirty. If Ocean doesn't know then what was she trying to forget?"

"I can't tell you her secrets" he mumbles looking away from me. "what about your secrets?"

"I already told you" he shrugs "what about uncle Luther's cottage?" I ask and he freezes up. "did something happen there?"

"I-I'm really tired" he stutters turning his back to me. "Michael, you said earlier that bad things always happened when Emma was around. what did you mean. Did she do something?"

"no. She was just.. Around, she didn't do it" he mutters. "then who did bad thing's?"

"me" he sobs and starts shaking. "Michael, you need to tell me what happened at that cottage. Whatever it is can't be any worst than what you've already told me" I say worriedly. And he doesn't answer. "you need to tell me. Whatever this secret it is your holding on to, you have to say it or your never gonna get better" he opens his mouth to speak but didn't say anything. "Michael, look me" I say softly, pulling up of the bed so he's sat facing me. "I'm not gonna get mad at you or judge you. now take a deep and tell me what happened. Please?"

"I..um.. I- I let him... Uncle Luther... I didn't want him to" he stutters and starts crying. "didn't want him to what?" I ask shakily "touch me.. I'm so sorry" he sobs."Uncle Luther... Touch you? W-when?" I stutter "the last two times we went to the cottage"

"when you were 10!?" I gasp still trying to take in what Michael is saying. "I'm so sorry" he sobs "for what?" 

"for letting him..." I shake my head pulling him close to me cutting him off. "you have nothing to be sorry for. This not your fault" I croak and he continues crying in my arms. "But it is! I let him..."

"you were 10 years old! And he was grown man an he abused you. You are not to blame for that" I say sternly yet shakily. "no he didn't . I was boy, it's not like what happened to Ocean. Men can't abuse boys. It only happens to boys if they really want it to deep down"

"is that what he told you!?" He doesn't say anything but nods. "listen to me... Boys can get abused just like girls can. There's no difference! abuse is abuse no matter if your a boy or a girl. If Duncan or Nevaeh came to you and said what you told me. Would you blame them?"

"well no. But that's different..."

"no it's not" I cut him off. "did he do anything else? Or make you do anything to him?" I ask softly desperately trying not to lose my cool. "no" he shakes his head. "our you sure?" He doesn't answer and nods again. "you said it wasn't like what happened to Ocean. Did somebody do something to her?"

"her uncle. When she was 8" he mumbles. "and did she tell you what he did?"

"the same" he sniffles getting worked up again "does her family know about this?"

"Just Sherri. That's why she hates Ocean. Because she said it was her fault and that she ruined her marriage"

"she blamed an 8 year old little girl!?" I sigh in disbelief getting up. "I'm gonna go speak to Ocean. Does she know about what happened to you?"

"yes" he nods. "I'm gonna go speak to her. Then I'll bring her I'm here the two of you can stay together tonight"

After I leave the room I lock it behind me then go into the bathroom and for the first time since I was a child I dropped to the floor weeping. Luther's my brother! And I trusted him with Michael. He was a 10 year old baby! And all this time he's been blaming and hating himself.

After pulling myself together I go to Ocean and speak to her and just like Michael she was weeping and apologising, thinking it's her fault. And after hearing what she had to say and telling her that just like Michael none of this was her fault, I take her into Michael's room and they immediately run to each other weeping in each others arms and I lock the door behind them trying not to cry.

"I thought you said they couldn't be in the same room?" LaToya says confused walking past Ocean's empty room. "they need each other" I croak. "w-what's happened?" Kathrine stutters coming up the stairs seeing the look on my face. "downstairs" I mumble.

*

we go into the living room and I tell everything they told me to Kathrine and LaToya and they sit in shock as I tell them. "Uncle Luther wouldn't do that! He adored Michaels. He was always taking him out places like fishing and to arcades and buying him stuff..."

"and why was he doing that huh!? You didn't see him up there. He not making this up!" I snap. "why wouldn't say? Why wait almost 10 years to say anything? You said yourself not to pay attention to what they say while their coming off that stuff" Kathrine cuts it. "because the boy was terrified and didn't even realise he'd been abused and neither did Ocean! Sherri told Ocean that she was to blame and Luther told Michael the same thing!" Neither of them say anything still trying to take it all in. "I'm gonna kill him!" I snap turning to leave the house and Kathrine stops me. "we can't just go round their!"

"that's our son up there! Brother or not, nobody does that to my kids" I snap shakily. "we call the police and we tell them what's happened and Michael and Ocean can tell them" she says calmly. "but, it's taken years for them to tell just one person" LaToya cuts in. "and now they have, they can tell the police and they'll be locked up" she points out and I sigh. "their not strong enough to stand up in court room and incase you forgot their still locked in a bedroom dealing with a heroin addiction"

"then what our we supposed to do!?" Kathrine snaps. "if you go over their all that's gonna happen is you'll be arrested and Luther gets away with it"

"we need to all sit down and think about this. And decided what's the best way to handle it" LaToya says softly trying to calm everybody. "how could he do this to my little boy?" I croak and begin sobbing.

*******

Michael's POV

Ocean and I are lay in the bed and I can hear yelling and crying from my parent's and LaToya. "are you ok?" Ocean whispers and I shake my head. "they hate me" I mumble. "they don't hate you. They've just had alot to take in... We all have"

"what do you mean we?" I ask confused "I was in the next room while you were talking with Joseph remember? I could hear everything"

"but, you already know about my uncle"

"I didn't know about Emma" she says in a neutral tone "I-I..." I stutter trying to explain and she sits up facing me "were you ever gonna tell me? Be honest"

"no" I croak sitting up beside her "but only because don't wanna lose you. I'm sorry please..."

"is there anything else your hiding?" She cuts me off. "you know everything about me and I have no secrets from you.... We can't do this of we keep hiding thing and lying to each other. Is there anything else your keeping from me?"

"Roberts sick" I mumble "yeah, I know" she looks at me confused. "I mean really sick... He wanted me to be the one to tell you, but I told him it should from him"

"how sick? Is he dying!?" She looks at me nervously. "I'm not sure. But I know he's really sick" I tell her honesty. "this is why I told him, he should tell you, because I know you'll have alot of questions and I can't give you the answers because I honestly don't know"

"is there anything else?" She sniffles and I shake my head. "I swear that's everything... Are you gonna leave me for what happened with Emma" I ask shakily "no more secrets" she mumbles laying down on the bed. "there won't be I swear.... Please don't leave" I plead laying beside her and she turns on her side to face me and wraps her arms around me. "I'm not leaving. We're gonna get through this together remember?' She smiles slightly. And I nod pulling her closer. "I realised something before" she mutters moving away slightly. "everything that's happened since we first met we went through it together and the things that were happening before we met. They were happening at the same time as each other"

"maybe we were meant to find each other... Soul mates" I smile and she smiles back and kisses me softly.