Trigger warning;
Suicidal thoughts and actions.
Mentions of SA and Rape.

Charlie's day had been very very long.

A whole day with his mother, father and grandmother had left him mentally exhausted. As much as Charlie claimed to be a people person, there was only so much of his own family he could take.

Other people, fine. His family, not so fine.

With a long sigh, he kicked his shoes off before heading to the fridge and grabbing an ice-cold beer. He didn't drink very often, or ever really for that matter. But his family had been overly insufferable today, much more than normal. He deserves one beer... okay okay, he deserves five.

Just as his bottom made contact with the sofa and a long sigh of relief left him, his phone began to ring causing him to groan in annoyance.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled longingly to his unopened beer bottle.

All irritation left his face as he glanced at the caller ID, a fond smile gracing his lips. Sitting his unopened beer on the coffee table in the centre of his living room, he answered the call.

"Grumpy," He greeted endearingly, leaning back on the sofa trying to get comfortable. "How's my favourite little dwarf?"

It was a common thing for Charlie these days, not the phone calls from his favourite client, no, that was rare, very rare. The common thing was trying to find the best nickname for him, Leo really hated Charlie's nickname game, or at least he acted like he did.

Charlie was sure he loved them.

So far Charlie's favourites were; Eeyore, Squidward and Carl, the little old guy from the balloon house movie that Charlie adored and cried at every single time.

After a few seconds of silence, Charlie sat up straighter seemingly on high alert. "Le, are you okay? Talk to me bambino."

Charlie could hear Leo's heavy breathing, that mixed with the loud sounds of the fully brewed storm and... waves?

He's out in the storm?

With the phone clutched tightly in his finger tips, Charlie made his way to the front door, quickly slipping his feet into his shoes before grabbing his car keys with his free hand.

"Leo, I'm here, I'm right here." Charlie said softly, trying his best to gage a response from the younger boy, he asked. "Is there anyone with you? Your siblings? Emilio?" God, he really hoped Leo wasn't alone.

"C-Charlie," Came Leo's strained voice, the sound heightening Charlie's panic, he'd never heard the boy speak with so much emotion, so much pain.

As much as his and Leo's relationship had gotten a lot stronger over the years, Leo was still very reserved. He was always careful with how he worded things and with the tone that he would use.

"I'm here Le, I'm here." Charlie breathed, trying his best to stay professional and push his fear aside.

"They won't s-stop Char, they won't stop, I-I don't know what to do." Leo whimpered, his words confusing Charlie further.

"Who won't stop buddy?" He asked, panting slightly as he ran the short distance to his car, the bitter wind burning his lungs with each intake of air. "Where are you?" He unlocked the doors, hopping in before shakily placing the key into the ignition.

Leo breathed heavily, his words barley making sense as he continued to ramble they won't stop.

"Leo, focus for me bambino. Do your senses, take a deep breath. You're okay, I'm coming, okay? Just tell me where you are?" Charlie told him, keeping his voice as calm as he could.

"Should I listen to them? Should I go Charlie? S-should I do it? They keep telling me to go, they keep telling me to do it. I think-I think I should, it would stop them, wouldn't it? I'll be free, everyone will be free." Leo paused, Charlie could hear his voice shaking as he continued. "I want to do this Charlie, I-I think I want this, but how can I leave him? I don't know if I want to leave him. He'd be better off without me, I told him that, I-I I told him—"

"Leo," Charlie swallowed thickly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his the steering wheel tighter with his free hand. "Should you do what? Go where? Where are you kiddo? C'mon, tell me where you are. Please?"

"They don't want you to know." Leo's response was soft, though the terror in his tone was clear. "They told me not to tell you. They're so loud Charlie, so fucking loud." His voice drew quieter, Charlie could hear the fatigue lacing his last few words.

"That's okay Le, it's okay." Charlie paused, he had to word this carefully. "You don't have to tell me where you are, but can you at least tell me what you can see? Do your senses for me, what can you see?"

"Water, I-I can see water, lots of it." Leo admitted shakily, a gust of wind echoing through the speaker. "There's a big sign at the side of the embankment, it's too far away for me to read it."

"What else? Where are you standing? Are you on a pathway, a dirt track, the sidewalk?" Charlie asked, trying his best to figure out Leo's location. There's a lot of places with water, he needed more specific details.

"I'm on a bridge." Charlie's phone nearly fell from his hands as his face drained of all colour. God no, please no. "I'm looking at the water from the bridge."

"What bridge? Why are you on a bridge Le?" Please don't do this, please don't.

"The big red one." Leo paused, Charlie could hear him mumbling in the background as though he was chatting with someone else. "I have to go now Charlie. I just... I want to say thank you for being one of the very few people to never give up on me."

"No Leo, stay on the phone please! I want to talk to you, just please stay on the line." Charlie quickly put the car in drive, breaking the law as he sped from his driveway.

The line disconnected, Leo had hung up.

"Shit!" Charlie cussed, moving his eyes between the wet road and his cell screen, he scrolled through his contacts. "Zac," he mumbled to himself, "I have to call Zac." He found the eldest Lombardi's number, quickly clicking the call button before placing the phone on speaker.

Sorry the number you are calling is currently unavailable—

"Fuck!" Charlie continued to try Zac's number seven more times before scrolling to Grey's. He was only five or ten minutes from the bridge but Charlie didn't know if he had enough time.

"Charlie?" Zac's strained voice filtered through the speaker.

"Why the fuck haven't you been answering your phone Zac!" Charlie spat, swerving slightly as to avoid a fallen tree.

"It's broken," Zac said slowly seeming somewhat taken aback by Charlie's tone. A loud sigh could be heard before the eldest Lombardi spoke again,"Look Charlie, I need to go Leo—"

"I know where Leo is!" Charlie's voice was hard, ice-cold, unlike anything anyone's ever heard from the 'always cheery' man. "I need you to call the police Zac, I need you to call them, an ambulance and whoever else."

"What?" Zac breathed heavily. "Why... what?"

"Leo is on the old red bridge downtown, I don't know if I'm going to get there in time." Charlie could barley see the road for his own tears.

Charlie could hear the shouts of Leo's other siblings in the background as Zac began to speak again, "I-I don't understand, what—"

"Zac," Charlie paused, gulping heavily, he continued. "I don't have time to explain any further. You need to head to the bridge, you might be able to get there before I can."

And with that Charlie hung up.

-

Charlie was unsurprisingly -given he'd broke every traffic law in the book- first to the scene.
He parked his car hastily at the side of the road, he was pretty sure the keys were still in the ignition and that the engine was still running, though that was the least of his problems right now.

With the drivers-side door of his car left open, he ran towards the large old bridge, his feet slid from beneath him multiple times due to the mass of mud filled puddles, the rain continuously pelting his skin harshly as the thunder echoed in the air.

Charlie flinched at the sound, he really hated storms.

After a short two minute sprint to the entry way of the bridge, his eyes found Leo.

Charlie froze in his steps.

Leo was standing at the very edge of the concrete ledge, his hands dangling by his sides as he simply stared at the rapids below.

Charlie took a hesitant step forward, keeping his footsteps light as not to startle the younger boy, he finally came to a stop mere-inches from the rusted red railing Leo stood behind.

"Leo,"

Leo didn't acknowledge him.

"Talk to me." Charlie really wanted to reach out and pull Leo over the railing, but he couldn't risk the younger boy escaping his grasp. "How 'bout we go get a hot chocolate and have a chat Le?" He asked, his words laced with a slight plea.

"I can't do this anymore, Charlie." Leo admitted, his voice empty of all and any emotion. So different from the pain filled tone Charlie had heard only ten minutes prior.

"Can't do what?" The older man asked, already knowing the answer to his own question.

"Stay."

Charlie exhaled shakily, "Why not? Why do you want to go?" He asked, trying but failing to keep the fear from his voice.

Leo turned to face Charlie, the action causing the older man to tense. "Be careful." He breathed, his voice laced with panic whilst his eyes roamed the darkening bruises coating the younger boys skin.

What the heck happened?

Leo ignored Charlie's words, the heels of his feet no longer on the chipping concrete as all his weight was simply held by the balls of his feet and tips of his toes. "What reason is there to stay?" Leo asked, his eyes meeting Charlie's for the first time that night. Bloodshot, blue and empty.

"To live Le, to live a long and happy life. And I know you're not happy right now, but someday you will be." Charlie reasoned, though he knew by the look on Leo's face alone that his words had fell upon deaf ears.

Leo stared at him with no emotion, his dead eyes locked to Charlie's butterscotch browns. He knew happiness wouldn't find him. Someday to Charlie was never for Leo. "There's nothing to live for Char, everyone will be better off without me." They hate me, they think I'm selfish, they're disappointed in me, Lily fears me, Emilio deserves so much more than me.

"That's not true kiddo." Charlie frowned, his hands twitching by his sides desperate to reach out to the younger boy. "Your brothers, your sister, your friends, me. We all love you Leo, we could never be better off without you."

He's lying to you.

"You think that now Charlie, but none of you know the full extent of my mistakes. None of you know..." Leo paused, a pained expression coating his bruised features. None of you know what he done to me, none of you know I let him do, none of you know what he took from me. None of you know how much I hate myself.

Charlie's frown only deepened at Leo's exclaim, "Did I ever tell you why I became a therapist? Why I studied psychology?"

Leo shook his head slowly, seeming somewhat intrigued by Charlie's story.

"When I was fourteen, my brother didn't want to stay anymore." Charlie swallowed thickly, his trembling hand coming up to comb through his wet hair strands that were now stuck to his forehead from the rain. "And I wish -every single day- I wish I could've been his reason to stay."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this Char." Leo admitted in a pained whisper. He didn't want Charlie to continue with his story, he didn't want to know how he felt after his brother passed. He couldn't let Charlie change his mind. "I don't want to know this."

"You don't want to know how they'll feel when you go?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Leo shook his head. "I know how they'll feel. At first, they'll be sad." He paused, exhaling a shaky breath. "Then, they'll get over it 'cause by then they'll have realised I was never anything worth missing."

Charlie's mouth dropped open in shock as he processed Leo's words. How had he missed this? Granted his and Leo's sessions very rarely got deep, but he should have been able to see the lack of self worth and insignificance that Leo felt. "That's not—"

"LEO!"

Leo and Charlie both turned their heads at the sound, upon seeing the four eldest Lombardi siblings running towards the bridge, one pair of blue eyes filled with betrayal whilst the butterscotch gaze filled with regret.

In that moment, as Charlie's eyes locked back to Leo's, he knew he'd made a mistake.

-

Leo's breath caught in his throat as his brothers quickly approached, his eyes turning to Charlie as the hurt of his betrayal caused an ache in his chest.

"I trusted you." Leo whispered in disbelief. Why was it that everyone he'd ever confided in betrayed him? "I trusted you and, and you called them."

'Calm down little L, I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. Trust me.' Marco laughed softly.

Leo harshly rubbed his temples trying to rid of the memory.

"Leo, I had to let Zac know where you were." Charlie admitted in a pleading tone. It was his job, he had no choice but to let Leo's guardian know that he was on a bridge in the middle of a storm. "I didn't tell him to hurt you, I promise."

'He's lying to you'. The parcel tongue whispers hissed. 'He's trying to trick you'.

"Leo, bambino." Zac approached slowly, his teary eyes glued to Leo's feet taking in the little-to-no distance between Leo's toes and the edge. "Come over here please." He asked, his voice filled with sheer unfiltered fear.

"I can't do this anymore." Leo cried, "I...I..." his eyes drifted to the entry way of the bridge causing the words on his tongue to die.

Zac and Charlie both followed Leo's gaze, their eyes locking to Alex, Jack, Ace and Emilio.

"Fuck," Zac cussed under his breath, he shouldn't be surprised that they'd disobeyed him, he would do the same if he had to be in their shoes.

Turning his eyes back to Leo, he asked. "Come on Le," He approached the railing, extending a hand to his youngest brother. "Come home."

"Get away from me!" Leo's body began to tremble, his clothing completely stuck to him like a second skin, the bandage on his neck loosening with every drop of rain.

He couldn't go back with them, he had to do this.

"Leo," Zac cried, "please bambino, please! I'm sorry, we're so sorry."

"Zac," Charlie gripped the eldest Lombardi's forearm, pulling him further from the rusted railing. "Listen to him."

The rest of the boys had approached, all of them standing behind Zac with equal looks of terror, fear and guilt.

"Leo, amore." Emilio stepped forward, blue meeting grey as their eyes locked. "Please don't do this." Em begged, tears falling from his eyes as Leo's eyes remained empty; no fight, no hope, no love.

'Please Marc... I don't want to do this.'

'Don't you want to make them proud Le? To finally stop being a disappointment?'

Leo didn't respond to Emilio, he couldn't. The whispers in his mind growing louder drowning out everything around him -including Emilio- as their words captured his whole unwavering attention.

Jump.
Pathetic.
Disappointment.
Weak.
Selfish.
Kill yourself.
It'll make everything go away.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up." Leo cried gripping his curls between his finger tips as tears fell from his eyes. Please stop.

"Leo." Charlie approached, gently pushing Emilio back as he watched the younger boy intently. "Who's talking to you, hm? What are they saying?"

Each of Leo's brothers and Emilio turned to Charlie in confusion. The brown eyed man ignored their glances, his attention solely on the brunette boy.

"What do you mean 'what are they saying'?" Ace asked, his eyes darting between his little brother and the therapist. There's no one else here?

"Ace, sh." Zac held his hand up to silence the younger boy, his blue eyes focusing on Charlie as he wondered what the younger man had discovered that they hadn't.

"Leo, talk to me." Charlie said softly. "What are they saying to you?"

Charlie's words cut through their whispers as Leo drew his bloodshot gaze to his therapist. "They... they won't stop Charlie." He whimpered, a hand leaving his hair to find itself holding the rusted red railing. "I have to do this, if I do this then they'll leave me alone, won't they? The pain will be gone, the memories will be gone, the flashbacks, the nightmares, they'll all be gone."

I'll be gone. I'll be free.

Flashbacks? Nightmares? Each of the Lombardi brothers frowned, all bar two.

"You don't have to do anything Le, I can help make them stop." Charlie said with conviction. "I can help you, I promise. Just trust me Leo."

'We're trying to help you Leo! Stop being so god damn selfish!' Grey spat with hatred.

'I want to help you, I think I can make you feel something.' Marco whispered softly.

"I want to help you Leo." Charlie repeated, his voice filled with honesty. He could see that something just wasn't adding up. Is this a psychotic break? Or have I missed something? "Let me help you."

'I want to help you, why won't you let me?' Marco asked with a frown.

"Stop it, STOP!" Leo screamed, his hand gripping the railing tighter, the cuts on his skin getting deeper as crimson dripped down the rusted beams. Lifting his puffy red dimmed eyes to Charlie's concerned caramel pair. "You're lying! You're just like him! He said he could help me and, and, and then he hurt me! He said, he..." Leo's voice broke into a whisper as both Jack and Emilio sucked in a harsh breath. "He said he could help me and then he took everything I didn't want to give."

"What?" Zac breathed, why did it sound like... "What do you mean by that Leo, what are you talking about?" He asked, his words rushed and filled with terror.

"Zac stop it." Jack cut in, knowing that the last thing Leo needed was to be questioned. "Let him speak without interruptions."

Carter narrowed his eyes at Jack. "What the fuck do you know that we don't?" He asked harshly, taking a threatening step forward.

"Carter, stop." Alex pushed his older brother back, his hands laying firmly on Carter's chest. "Stop it. Don't do this, not here, not now." His eyes drifting to Leo before returning to Carter's.

Carter kissed his teeth but complied with Alex's command, his azure gaze dancing between Jack, Alex and Emilio fixing them each with a glare. He knew they all knew a lot more than what they were letting on.

"I'm not him Leo." Charlie began hesitantly, he had no idea who this 'he' was that Leo had been referring to, though he did have an idea of what this person had took and how. "I won't hurt you, okay? I would never hurt you. I'm not him, I'm your friend grumpy, aren't I?"

'If I were there I'd have defended you. I'll always defend you. You're my friend.'

'I've been a good friend so far, haven't I?'

"He was my friend too." Leo admitted with a trembling lip, his eyes distant as the flashbacks continued. "I trusted him and he used everything I'd told him against me. He used my own fears to his advantage and I let him, time and time again I let him do it. Do you know why I did Char?" He looked up at the older man who shook his head, whilst mumbling a small barley audible 'no'.

"Neither do I. At the beginning I thought he was helping me. He said that he'd help me feel something and that he could fix me, that if I done what he wanted to do then I'd get better and everyone would be proud of me." Leo paused, his eyes roaming around the pale faces of his brothers and Emilio before they locked back to Charlie's. "And the worst part of it all, is that I believed him."

'I'm proud of you fratello.' Damon grinned.

Tears were streaming down Charlie's cheeks as he listened to Leo, his heart breaking at each and every word. He wanted to kill whoever this 'he' was that made Leo feel so broken.

A humourless chuckle escaped Leo as the lump in his throat expanded. "How stupid was I?" He asked himself, his voice strained on the verge of breaking.

With the flashbacks, Leo couldn't understand how it had taken him so long to realise that Marco was never his friend. You can trust anyone, they hissed loudly, their words nothing but true.

Everyone Leo's trusted has broken his heart one way or another. His parents, his brothers, his sister, his cousins, his friends; Maya and Bella, Marco.

"You're not stupid amore." Emilio stepped forward whilst everyone else was too stunned to speak, Jack and Alex included. "You've never been stupid. He was never your friend, he manipulated you, it's not your fault Leo. You were a child, you're still a child." Em said softly, laying his hand on the railing, gently brushing his pinky against Leo's. "Don't let him win amore, don't do this. Stay here and fight Le. Please, stay."

"You were a child?" Grey repeated, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest as his anxiety increased.

"Don't you get it Emmy?" Leo whispered, though everyone could hear him. "He won the second he befriended me in my state of vulnerability. He won when he offered me drugs and I carelessly accepted. He won when he kissed me and I was too stunned to stop him. He won when he lured me back to his house and claimed it would help me. He won when he scared me into submission and suddenly the word no meant nothing. He won when he—"

"Stop!" Emilio choked. "Please stop."

'Stop Marc... please stop.'

'You know how much begging turns me on little L.'

Emilio latched his pinky to Leo's, jolting the younger boy from his thoughts.

"Amore, he lost and he knows he lost. He'll always lose, you wanna know why?" Emilio didn't wait for a response as he continued. "Because he'll never have your love Leo. He'll never have you, you'll never be his. And that will kill him."

'Tell me you're mine.'

'I'm yours.'

"Emilio, I need you to leave." Leo said in a monotone voice. I can't stay for you, you deserve more, so much more.

Em blinked, his mouth falling agape. "W-what?" He breathed. "Le, I love you! We all fucking love you! Please, think about this."

Leo smiled sadly, unlatching his pinky from Emilio's before brushing his fingers along the older boys knuckles affectionately. "It's all I've thought about for years Emmy. Remember what I said to you earlier? No matter what happens, I'll always love you Emilio."

"If you love me then why are you trying to leave me?" Emilio whimpered.

"I told you why Em. You deserve someone who can love you in all the ways you deserve to be loved, I can't give you that." I wish I could. Leo brought Emilio's hand to his mouth, his lips gently brushing the inside of Em's palm.

"I want you Leo! I don't want anyone else, no one could ever replace you! I've told you this time and time again, you're perfect Leo, absolutely fucking perfect." Em yelled, his lip trembling as he held back a sob. "Please don't leave me."

You don't deserve him.

Leo's eyes stayed glued to Emilio's, lost in the moment as he sunk deeper into the depths of those alluring pools of liquid silver. Just a moment, always just a moment. All the feelings he was trying so hard to suppress suddenly fighting their way to the surface.

I love you. Fuck, I really really love you.

"I'm so sorry Emilio."

Leo broke the tension filled eye-contact as he  glanced to his left, leaving all the unspoken words in the air as he did.

-

After a few silent minutes of glancing at the trees, a small genuine smile graced Leo's lips, confusing everyone around him as they all stared at the empty space.

"Mama." Leo breathed, dropping Em's hand as he walked towards his own hallucination, not bothering to watch his steps as he did. "You're here. I've missed you too."

The boys all froze at his words.

Zac exhaled a heavy panting breath, his mind drifting back to when Leo sang their mothers lullaby, his weird rambling, the way his words left his lips at a thousand miles a minute, his strangely happy mood... how the fuck did he think that was fine? He loved the fact that Leo was finally showing some happiness, but how did he overlook all the negatives?

"Mama?" Ace repeated slowly, his eyes never wavering from his baby brother. "What the fuck," he mumbled to himself before his feet led him to Leo. "Le?"

"Ace stop!" Alex grabbed his brother only to be shoved away.

Leo turned to Ace, the expression on his face so un-Leo-like in Ace's opinion. He looked happy, content even as he gave Ace a toothy grin. "Mama's here Ace," Leo glanced back to the empty spot, nodding along whilst talking in a hushed whisper. "She said she misses you."

Ace swallowed thickly, feeling the burning sensation of tears reach his eyes for the twentieth time that night. "Tell her I miss her too." He mumbled, before a thought came into his head. "Hey Le?"

"Mhm?"

"Can I climb over and talk to mama with you?" He asked, keeping his voice low to stop any of their brothers from holding him back.

Leo stared at him for a moment, his unblinking gaze making Ace feel nervous. "Okay, only you though. No one else."

Ace nodded in agreement. As much as all of their brothers loved their mama, he and Leo had always been the definition of a mama's boy. "That's fine."

Ace moved forward, his hands gripping the railing before he quickly hoisted himself over.

"Ace, get back fucking over here right now." Grey scolded in a panicked voice.

Ace ignored him.

Turning to his little brother, Ace held out his hand. "Hold my hand Le? I'm nervous to talk to mama again, it's been a long time."

Leo smiled, slipping his hand into Ace's. "I've got you." He said, as he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Likewise fratello." Ace smiled nervously, his eyes darting to his brothers hoping one of them would see his signal. "Can I have a hug Le?"

Jack did. The blonde hesitantly began moving forward, praying that Ace's plan wouldn't backfire.

Leo glanced at Ace sceptically. He's trying to trick you. "Why?" The younger asked, his grip loosening on his older brothers hand.

"Because I need you." Ace said without a beat. "You've spoken with mama before, so she already loves who you've become." He admitted with a slight lift of his shoulders. "Please don't let go." Ace whispered, his hand gripping Leo's tighter.

'I need you now.' Marco groaned, pulling him in to a heated kiss.

"I... I... I can't hug you." Leo swallowed, the happiness in his eyes dimming. "I'm sorry, I need you to go Ace. Please let me go, please let me go, please—"

Please stop touching me.

"Hey buddy," Jack approached, keeping a small amount of distance between himself and the railing as not to alarm his youngest brother. Pulling two cigarettes from his pack, he held one out to Leo, "Smoke?"

Leo looked at Jack with a slightly narrowed gaze, is this a trick? Hesitantly with his free hand, Leo reached for the unlit nicotine stick. "Thank you." He mumbled, sticking cigarette between his teeth as the leaned towards the flame Jack offered.

Jack lit his own smoke, sitting on the ground he turned away from Leo, leaning his back against the metal beams as he continued to speak. "How are you Le? How's your mama?"

At the mention of his mother, Leo smiled. "She's good, she's waiting for me." He admitted, inhaling a puff of smoke.

"Waiting for you?" Ace repeated, a shiver running down his spine as the rain grew heavier and lightening streaks lit up the stormy night sky.

"Mhm," Leo glanced once again to the hallucination. "You don't have to say 'your', you can call her mama to Jack, she wouldn't mind."

Jack's lips curved up ever-so-slightly. "Thanks Le."

Leo shrugged his shoulders as he finished his last puff of smoke. "Ace, let me go."

Ace's nervous gaze drifted to Jack and the rest of his brothers, he didn't know if he should let go. Maybe if he grabbed Leo, Jack could help him lift him over the railing? "No."

Leo paled, his fear-filled eyes turning to his brother. "N-no?" He's just like him.

He's trying to trick you.

He's going to hurt you.

Jack's eyes widened as he stood from the ground. "Ace, let him go." He nodded towards their jointed hands. He knew 'no' was the last thing Leo needed to hear. "Let him go!"

Ace hesitantly unlatched his hand from Leo's.

"What do you want Le?" Jack asked softly, "It's your choice, no one will take away your choice."

Leo turned his eyes from Jack to Ace, before returning them to his blonde brother with an unspoken request.

Jack nodded, "Ace, climb back over."

"What?" Ace breathed, his blue eyes wide with panic. "I can't, he'll—"

"Ace, listen to Jack." Charlie cut in. "Do what Leo wants."

Ace looked at Leo with his teary blues. "I love you fratello, you know that right?"

Leo didn't respond.

Ace's lip trembled as he climbed over the rusted railing, quickly finding himself in the arms of his oldest brother as Zac held him tightly. "Please don't do that again." Zac breathed, his heart rate never decreasing after seeing two of his younger siblings so close to the edge.

"He's going to jump Zac." Ace whimpered, burying his face in his guardians shirt. "I could see it in his eyes. He's given up."

"He won't jump bambino, he won't." Zac reassured, though Ace knew he didn't fully believe his own words.

"Leo." Charlie began, he didn't know how to talk Leo down, he didn't think anything he said would matter at this point. "You don't want to go this. Think of your family, think of Emilio. Do you want to leave them? Do you want to leave him?" He asked, recalling Leo's words from their previous phone call.

I'm doing this for them. I'm doing this for me.

"He deserves better, they all deserve better." Leo whispered, his eyes and voice void of emotion once again. "Don't you see it Char, all I cause is hurt and destruction. I'm nothing more than a disappointment to you all. I'm not enough and I'm sorry. If I stay, I'll only hold them back. If I stay, I'll only hurt them further. If I stay, it'll hurt me too and I can't handle anymore pain Charlie, I can't."

"Leo, you're not a disappointment." Grey spoke up, his voice riddled with guilt as he took a step closer to the railing. "I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry. I promise you Le, I didn't mean it."

Leo smiled sadly at his older brother. "Yes you did, you meant it and I deserved to hear it. It's okay, I'm not angry, there's nothing to forgive."

"Bambino, don't do that." Zac stepped forward, his hands trembling by his sides as he stared at his baby brother, his bambino. "You're allowed to be angry, you're allowed to be hurt, you're allowed to tell us all how we've made you feel." He held his hand out to Leo, his eyes pleading with him to just hold on.

Please stay.

Leo brushed his fingers over Zac's palm, his feet teetering closer and closer to the edge, only the tips of his toes holding him steady. "I don't feel anything anymore Zac." He admitted, just as a boom of thunder rippled through the stormy air. "Do you remember when I was younger, how terrified I used to be of storms?"

Zac let out a watery chuckle as he recalled the various memories of little Leo clutching to him. "I do bambino, I do."

Leo gave him a watery smile, "I'm not afraid anymore Zac, I don't need you to hold me, I don't need you to soothe me. All I need... is for you to let me go."

"I'll never let you go Leo, you're my brother and I love you so fucking much. We all do." Zac tried to grip Leo's hand only for the younger to pull back and place his hand on the metal rail. "We've made mistakes Le, so many mistakes. Please let us fix them, let us show you just how much you mean to us."

"It's too late Zac. I'm too damaged to be 'fixed', I can't be saved, this is me, this is how I am, this is who I am and I don't want to do this anymore." Leo exhaled shakily,"I'm tired, I'm so fucking tired."

I'm sorry papa, I'm so sorry.

"I love you."

And with those final three words, Leo let go.

-

"NO!"

Zac felt his life flash before his eyes as Leo's body propelled backwards, his head cracking harshly against the supporting metal beam before a splash echoed as he made contact with the rapids beneath.

"LEO!" Callan screamed, running to the edge trying to spot his younger brother. "The waters to harsh, I-I can't see him!"

No one had time to comprehend what happened next, one minute Grey was staring at the water in shock, the next he was gone as a second splash rang out.

"GREY! Fuck!" Zac cried, his eyes roaming the darkened ripples of navy.

"Get to the edge of the embankment, c'mon!" Charlie screamed, ushering everyone off the bridge.

They followed Charlie's commands each of them too shocked to speak as they prayed for both of their brothers lives. Slipping down the mucky hill, they finally reached the waters edge.

The merciless wind was bitter, so cold that it could take your breath away in just one gust. The murky opaque black waves thrashed against the rocks that coated each edge of the shore. The sight heightening each of their fears. How could anyone survive conditions like this?

"Do you see them? Can anyone see them?" Ace spoke, his eyes roaming the masses of froth like liquid.

"Where the fuck is Ryan and the emergency services?" Carter spat, his voice cracking as a sob broke through his parted lips.

"He shouldn't be far." Zac told him dejectedly as he began removing his coat. He needed to stay calm, breaking down right now won't do anyone any good. "He said they'd be a little longer due to the mass of emergencies the storms caused."

"What are you doing?" Jack turned to his eldest brother with tear blue eyes. "Why are you stripping?"

"I'm not stripping. My coats to heavy, it'll only weigh me down." Zac admitted.

"You can go in there!" Ace gripped Zac's sleeve tightly. "Please don't Zac please, I can't lose you too, please don't leave me." The younger boy sobbed.

"Ace, hey." Zac pulled his little brother to his chest. "I won't leave you bambino. I'll be okay, I promise, alright? Grey and I were on the swim team remember, I'm not going anywhere I just need to find them."

"You promise you'll be okay?" Alex asked anxiously, he didn't want another brother getting lost in the currents.

Zac sighed as he pulled Alex into their hug. "I promise you," he turned to stare at his other three siblings. "All of you, I'll be okay, we'll all be okay." I hope.

"C'mere," Callan pulled his brothers from Zac's hold, wrapping his arms around them both before nodding his head at his eldest brother. "Be careful."

"I will." Zac nodded, his eyes glancing at Carter and Jack, both boys wrapped in a hug with Emilio between them.

"Charlie," Zac called, keeping his voice low as the younger man approached. "Don't let any of them follow me. No matter how long I'm gone, do not let them in the water."

"I won't Zac, I promise." Charlie told him sincerely.

Zac turned to his brothers before dragging his eyes back to Charlie. "Can you promise me one more thing?"

Charlie nodded slowly, he had an idea of where this conversation was heading. "If I don't make it, if we don't make it. Look after them for me? Callan will get custody... but can you just..."

"I will Zac," Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat. "I promise you."

"Thank you." Zac nodded.

With one last glance at his brothers, Zac dove into the rapids, all whilst praying he'd find his two missing brothers alive.

-
End of chapter 25

Sorry for yet another cliffhanger! I swear I didn't mean for it to happen. I was going to write the full events in this chapter until I reached like 6k words and thought I'd split it into two.

My heart hurts for Leo so much! I hope I managed to convey his feelings to you all.

I know he hasn't fully disclosed his 'relationship' with Marco, but he did give them an insight.
I just felt it wouldn't be very realistic of him if he outright said that four letter word, not when Leo doesn't fully believe that himself, he still feels somewhat responsible. Does that make sense?

Thoughts?

Grey? Did we expect that?
Will they make it out alive?

Vote, comment, follow, etc...
Lots of love x

6500 words.