“Come on, Nic,” Justin eased as she sat up. She silently took them, then reached for her walker. Confused, the two boys followed her to the front door.

“Where you going, hun?” JC asked.

“I-I want to go home. I can't stay h-here, you'll get in t-trouble.”

“Didn’t you hear mom? She said you're staying here with us,” Justin answered.

“I just c-can't. I won’t be a b-b-burden to anyone any-anymore,” she sniffled. She started to shake again and both boys knew she would collapse. They rushed forward; JC behind her and Justin in front.

“Hey, shhh... You're not a burden,” the young boy told her. Tears choked him from hearing the hateful things she thought were true.

“I k-k-now your dad said you are but it’s not true. You're our best friend, our buddy and you know what?” JC continued.

“You're fun, you're sweet, you're cool, you put up with our crazy antics. But, most of all...we love you. I love you,” Justin said holding her closer.

“No, no you can't. I-I-I’m too much trouble, I’m a bad girl, d-daddy said I needed to be p-p-punished,” she sobbed.

Justin looked up at JC clearly torn. Why’d this happen? What happened to the bright, lively little girl that was there just a few weeks before? A sob ripped through Justin and JC watched as the two struggled with what had been done.
---
The two kids sat there holding each other for who knows how long. Just as Lynn opened the door, she saw her son carrying his half asleep friend back to bed. Though they were roughly the same age, Justin outweighed Nicole and could easily lift her into his arms.

The two older occupants of the house watched as he gently lay her down. Lynn touched JC’s shoulder lightly, leading him away and closing the bedroom door. “They need their rest. It’s going to take a lot out of them in the coming weeks.”

Justin pulled his blue MMC jacket, which Nicole was still wearing, tighter around her. After pulling up the covers, he held her tight as she buried her face in his shoulder. He carefully ran his fingers through her hair as she slept and soon his eyes began to droop. They were both drained mentally and physically and just needed to be close right now.

A few hours later, Lynn had come to check on them. They were sleeping peacefully for once; Nicole still in Justin’s arms. His lips softly pressed against her forehead in an innocent gesture. When she whimpered in her sleep, he pulled her closer, mumbled he loved her and they fell back asleep. Lynn was happy they’d found each other, they seemed to be the other’s half. Even if they were so young.