A/N: Hello everyone, my name is, the purposes of this site, Necromancer15 or Seika. This story is one that I have been working on for a long time now and it is very important to me so please read and review. I will take any suggestions that anyone has even if they are as simple as grammar errors or dialogue corrections.

I hope you all enjoy reading The Stepfather as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Warning: There is mild violence and alluding to rape in this chapter but please don't let it dissuade you I promise the whole book is not about violence and rape.

Prologue

For about thirteen years, my life was fairly normal. My father worked as a lawyer with a small firm and my mother was a stay at home parent. I attended an all-boys private school in New York. My younger brother had just turned three; he was just learning to form full sentences. My family was as close to normal as one can get.

That was until tragedy struck. Some maniac murdered my father just after I had turned thirteen. My family has no idea why my father was killed and we may never know, however, shortly after my father's death, my mother fell in love with one of the investigators looking into my father's murder. He and my mother married soon after my father's funeral.

His name was Victor Pulaski and I rather liked him at first. He was kind to my younger brother who couldn't understand why daddy wasn't coming home, and he helped me to get back to my school work just three weeks after we put our father to rest. However, after he lived with us for about six months, he started to change.

The changes in his behavior weren't for the better either, he began to molest my three-year-old brother in the smallest ways. I got in between most of it by either shoving Victor back or picking up my little brother and carrying him from the room. He was far too little to understand that he shouldn't let Victor touch him as he was.

I was able to stand up to Victor only because I knew he wouldn't hit me as long as my mother was around, but then, after Victor and my mother were together for a year, my mother was killed in a car crash on her way home from a party. The cops had ruled the crash as accidental, but I had other thoughts.

I was fourteen at this time, my little brother was just turning four, and we were now in the hands of our abusive stepfather. Our uncle flew in from Europe to fight for our custody but Victor won because his law put forth the argument of, "if the boys stay with Victor, then they can stay in a familiar place." The judge was moved by this apparently and she ruled for us to keep living with the man who was going to make our lives hell. Our stepfather cut off all contact with our uncle. We weren't allowed to make any phone calls to him, he wasn't allowed to visit, we were separated from the only blood family we had left.

It's been almost a year now, and I've grown used to taking so much abuse from Victor. I've become a literal shield for my now five-year-old brother Angel who has grown attached to my hip.

Angel and I have moved into the same room since our mother died and he ends up in my bed regularly. I did it so I could keep close to my little brother, to keep him safe. Angel is the only family that I have left besides my uncle and cousin who live in London, and after my mother died, I made a promise to him that I would keep him safe no matter the cost.

Angel had snuck into my bed again late on the night of the first anniversary of our mother's death. I woke up at around three in the morning to find my little brother snuggled up against my side, part of my blanket cocooned around him. I could tell he'd been crying from the puffiness around his eyes and the red streaking down his face.

I stroked his hair softly and closed my eyes again, but after about an hour, I found it impossible to get back to sleep. I got to my feet slowly and brushed Angel's bangs off his forehead before I walked to the window.

It was raining softly outside, the sky was completely black, I could feel the cold from outside through the windowpane. "Ayase?" Angel asked in a soft voice. He sounded like he was just barely awake.

I sank down on the bed behind me and touched Angel's back. "I'm right here Angel,"

He turned over and to face me. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"I couldn't get back to sleep," I said. "I didn't mean to wake you up, sorry."

"S' kay," Angel said exhaustedly.

"Go back to sleep," I ran my hand through his soft golden hair.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Ayase, are we going to visit mom's grave today?"

"Sure, we can do anything you want to do." I pulled him onto my lap and hugged him tight. "Get some rest, I've got ya."

"I don't think your little brother will be getting much rest this morning," Victor's unpleasant voice came from the doorway.

We both looked up and I instantly moved to protect Angel from the gun our stepfather had trained directly at us. I slid Angel onto the floor and gestured for him to stay down behind the bed. "Victor, what are you doing?" I asked.

He just smiled and stepped forward slowly. "Don't worry Ayase, this will all be over soon." He said.

Angel tugged on my pant leg, I could feel his trembling little fingers wrap tightly around the fabric of my pajama pants. I didn't dare look away from Victor; having learned over the years that just looking away from him could give him an opening.

"So, what are you going to do Ayase? Are you going to try to run? Are you going to try to fight?"

I stayed quiet, getting cautiously to my feet and slowly leaning down to Angel, pulling him to my side to protect him.

"Do you think you can make it Ayase? Do you think I won't shoot?" Victor asked, twisting his words cruelly.

I watched Victor carefully, he just stood there, no more than ten feet away, gun in hand, ready to shoot me or Angel at any second. I felt Angel's back heave as he sobbed quietly into my side. This man had always terrified him, beyond anything, and now he had full control of this situation.

"Are you going to try it Ayase? Are you really going to be that stupid? I could severely hurt your little Angel you know."

"Don't threaten him!" I shouted, pulling my little brother tighter to my body. Angel wrapped his arms instinctively around me, searching for protection.

Victor laughed lightly, as if we were around the dinner table and one of us had told a rather funny joke.

I had always been able to stand up to Victor, but right now, standing before me, he had my legs paralyzed. As if that wasn't bad enough, his slow movements from just moments ago turned into quick jerky ones that I could barely see.

He was on us in seconds, his arms around Angel, tearing the two of us apart. He managed it too, with great effort, but the moment he held his gun to Angel's head, I let go of his hands and watched helplessly as Victor dragged him, kicking and screaming across the room. Victor produced a pair of sturdy looking handcuffs from his back pocket. He grabbed hold of Angel's skinny arms and cuffed them behind his back.

"Ayase! Make him stop!" Angel screamed, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"You really don't want you older brother to try anything, it could become rather hazardous for your health."

My hands tightened into fists. "Okay Victor, you've got us right where you want us. What are you going to do next?"

"Something I've wanted to do for a very long time." Victor said. He set the gun down on the side table and pulled a dagger from his waistband. He walked around the bed and grabbed my shirt collar. "I'm going to dominate your beautiful body."

Instantly a wave of fear locked my whole body into place.

"Lay down,"

I couldn't move a single inch.

"I said lay down," He said, roughly throwing me down onto the bed.

Please no, "Angel, don't watch!" I shouted to Angel, my mind suddenly shocking my body into fighting this sick bastard before he raped me in front of my innocent little brother.

I had managed to turn my body enough to see Angel's petrified face as Victor slid his hands up my shirt, his fingers probing softly for sensitive areas.

I could feel the cool metal of the dagger against my skin as his left hand worked its way up my body, at the moment that was all I could concentrate on. I didn't dare struggle as his cold hand finally reached the soft skin of my throat.

He pulled my shirt off and I took this to my advantage. As the shirt came off over my head, I struck out with my fist. My hit barely seemed to faze him physically, but as my hand came back down, he lowered the dagger to my exposed chest. "Say, Angel?"

Angel had closed his eyes, doing as I had commanded him to. He didn't even look at Victor when he spoke to him.

"Come now Angel, don't you want to see Ayase suffer a little? Isn't that what every little brother wants?"

Angel opened his eyes just as Victor pressed the tip of his dagger into my pale skin. "No," Angel whispered. Victor withdrew his dagger.

"You're going to have to speak up Angel." Victor said.

"No, no, no, no, don't hurt my big brother!" he struggled to get free from his cuffs, struggled to protect me. "I don't want anything to happen to my brother." He sobbed.

This was not right, Angel should not be fighting to protect me, it should have been the other way around. I should have been protecting him. I should have been strong enough to fight Victor.

Victor grabbed my chin and coaxed my gaze away from my little brother. He pressed his body over me and leaned his lips down to my ear. "Ayase, I'm going to make you a proposal." He whispered softly in my ear before he nipped me. "If you allow me to have my way with your beautiful body, I'll leave your little brother alone."

"What?" I asked shocked.

"Let me have my way with you and I won't lay a finger on your brother's body." Victor smirked.

This bastard knew I wouldn't allow him to harm Angel no matter what. I would never allow Victor to touch Angel's innocent body, not again. "Do your worse," I snarled.

"Aya, don't let him do this!" Angel shouted.

"Angel, just close your eyes and block it out." I said softly.

"Aya," Angel sounded so scared, I could hear his voice shaking.

Victor reached down my waist, his fingers probing softly. "Your little brother sure does love you," he whispered in my ear, pressing his lips against my neck.

He pressed the dagger against my chest again but this time he didn't withdraw. He made a careful two-inch incision over my heart. My blood quickly beaded up and started to drip down my chest but Victor leaned down and licked up the crimson.

I shuddered but Victor didn't stop there. The next incision Victor made was along my stomach; I couldn't help but cry out. The cut was nearly eight inches long and felt to be nearly half a centimeter deep. He ran his tongue slowly along the nearly cut flesh, seeming to enjoy the taste of my blood.

He created another cut, another one over the one above my heart. This one was about the same length and depth as the second cut but just as I thought he was about to pull the knife away, he curved it down digging it in deeper. My back arched slightly and another cry escaped my lips.

"Aya!" Angel cried out. He was more than scared now.

"Angel, I said don't watch!" I shouted as Victor lapped his tongue along the incisions he'd made.

"Did you ever think that your little brother might actually enjoy your pain?" Victor asked, his breath tickling my chest.

"I do not!" Angel screamed.

Victor smiled and slowly slid his hand down my waist, stroking my inner thigh.

I heard metal clink to the floor and both Victor and I were shocked when Angel latched onto Victor's leg. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" he screamed, trying to pull Victor off me.

Victor spun around and slapped Angel with so much force that his small body stumbled backward, hitting the wall with a soft thud. "Don't hurt hi…" I started to say as I leaned up, but white-hot pain tore through my right side.

"You should have just stayed down Ayase." He turned on Angel. "And you, how did you get free?"

Angel looked at me and let out a blood-curdling scream. "Ayase!"

My little brother pushed off the wall, shooting towards me. "You aren't going anywhere." Victor caught him tightly around the waist, holding him back.

"Let me go!" Angel screamed, clawing at Victor's hands.

Victor laughed. "You know thinking about it; you've lost family every year since you turned three." Victor said. "Why don't we take away the brother you love so dearly?"

"No, please," weak, these words were spoken so weakly, nothing like the screaming he was doing before.

He scooped my little brother up and tossed him across the room like he was nothing.

Angel landed sprawled out and disoriented about seven feet away. Victor withdrew the blade from my left side and flipped it over, smacking the butt of the blade into my head. The next thing I knew, I could hear Angel screaming. I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, but hearing my little brother screaming, I sat up quickly.

My head spun uncomfortably but I wasted no time.

I lurched to my feet, spinning around. "Ah, look at who is awake, Angel."

The scene I turned around to wasn't a pleasant one. My little brother was naked under Victor's body; his little body was covered in blood. Victor yanked Angel's hair up and pressed the dagger to his throat. Angel was panting hard, struggling. "Aya, please help." Angel begged.

My whole body crumpled and I fell to my knees, I felt so helpless.

"Ayase!" Angel cried.

"I'm actually surprised he can stand." Victor said. "He's lost a lot of blood and I dealt a decent amount of damage to his head."

Angel let out a cry of pain. I looked up slowly; Victor had slashed his chest, letting the blood just ooze out. I couldn't stand this anymore, but what could I do?

That's when a glint of silver caught my eye. Victor's gun was lying on my bedside table, no more than three feet from me. I quickly gathered my strength and suddenly something snapped inside my head and my body began to work of its own accord.

I found myself jumping across the bed, my fingers closing around the grip of the gun, and, even though I had never shot a gun before in my life, I felt confident. I pulled back the release and aimed the beautifully dangerous weapon at my stepfather. "Victor, let him go!" I screamed, but I didn't give him a chance to do anything. Victor looked up and was in shock. The shock got him far enough away from Angel that I squeezed the trigger of the gun three times without fear of hurting my little brother.

Angel was staring at me, not in fear, no, in awe.

My strength failed me then. I dropped the gun and collapsed.

"Ayase!" Angel caught my head before it hit the floor.

"Thanks kiddo," I breathed.

"Aya don't die okay? Just don't leave me alone,"

I reached towards my bed and pulled down the blood soaked blanket, throwing it over Angel's naked body. "Sorry kiddo looks like I couldn't keep my promise after all." I whispered.

"What?" he asked confused.

I coughed, blood spewing onto my lips.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight, the soaked blanket over his shoulders. "I can't lose you too Ayase, I need you to stay alive for me, please!"

I reached for one of his hands. "I'm just gonna take a little nap okay kiddo, wake me up if something happens."

"No, no, don't go to sleep."

I vaguely heard the sound of sirens. I wondered if they were coming to the house. Or were they going to pass us right up, not even knowing there was a five-year-old child in this house who was holding the body of his dying fifteen-year-old brother.

Slowly the world ebbed away, I could feel Angel's grasp until my entire consciousness was finally zapped away, and then I was in a free fall of soft blackness, where I was completely surrounded by a suffocating nothingness.