Floral&Fading(PTV fanfic)*Completed*

Twelve

Mike's POV

Scarlett had fallen asleep watching the half blooded prince with me when I heard a knock on the door so I set her down slowly since she fell asleep on my chest and went to go answer it finding my brother.

"Fuck. She got home before me" he swore slamming the door.
"Yeah she was home before I even got here" he walked over to the fridge and opened a beer bottle but I took it out of his hands after the first sip.
"Not this shit again. You have a kid Vic" I said putting it in the fridge again and closing it.
"I need something. Leave me alone, I'm older" he pushed me aside and took the beverage, chugging it making my face cripple up in disgust.

"So" he said setting the alcohol bottle down and looking up at me.
"How did that one take the news Rachel was leaving?" He asked pointing to the sleeping 12 year old on the couch.
"Your daughter was beyond upset. She actually thought she had a mother figure"
"Well I'm sure she'll love Danielle"
"Who?" I asked.
"I met this girl at the coffee shop a few blocks over while I was with Tony today and I'm taking her to the fair on Saturday"
"What happened to taking Scarlett? Your promised her" I told him.
"There's always other fairs Mike. Let me make it right with this girl" he said walking to his room. I followed close behind, not done asking questions.
"What do you mean let me make this one right. You were fine with Rachel. Happy with her. Scarlett was happy too. Don't you care about your daughters happiness?"
"Danielle will be a great mother figure to her"
"Rachel was!" I shouted.
"Rachel was beyond great. Almost too good for you. She did everything she could to make you happy. She worked to help support you and her even though you make enough money to support your own ass, she cleaned the place so you wouldn't have to hire a cleaning lady, she did grocery shopping, your laundry, cooked and you repay her by breaking up with her? That's a new level of fucked. Rachel will never be topped by some bimbo that you just met and that's for sure"
"You don't even know her!" He shouted.
"You said you met her at the coffee shop. You just met her today. You know nothing about her where as Rachel you've known for years"
"I can make my own choices in life Mike. I'm not a teenager anymore. I don't need yours, or our parents help anymore. I'm a grown man"
"Seems like you're still a child" I stated walking out of the apartment and slamming the door.

Scarlett's POV

"Rachel?" I asked hearing the door slam.
"No Rachel isn't here. It's just me and you" I heard Vic say coming to sit beside me.
"I can't believe you let her go" I said looking at him dead in the eyes but he dropped the gaze and looked down.

"Where'd you get the ring from?" He asked after a few minutes.
"Rachel gave it to me"
"You know I gave it to her, right?" I nodded.
"She wanted me to keep it. She said it's a gift from you, to her, to me" he nodded.
"Why did you do it? Let her go? Someone who made you happy?"
"Rachel didn't make me happy anymore Scarlett" he answered quickly and rather harsh.
"She didn't make me happy. I was going to break up with her after our past tour but you came along and-"
"And you wanted me to think you had a perfect relationship. You didn't. You wanted me to have someone I can go to. You wanted me to like you more. Just because I loved your girlfriend as a step mom doesn't mean I'd like you anymore or any less Vic. I'm just hurt she's gone" I told him honestly.
"I met a girl a the coffee shop today. I think you're gonna like her"
"You broke up with Rachel for this new girl?"
"No no no no no" he said quickly.
"Well" I looked at him and sent a death glare.
"I'm going to the fair with her Saturday"
"You said you were taking me"
"I know I know but-"
"But she's more important. I understand" I said getting up and walking to my room.
"Scarlett. No Scarlett that's not what I meant" he said chasing me but I slammed the bedroom door in his face.
"It's fine I'll just stay with Mike or someone" it was quite. He left. I waited a few minutes before walking to my bed and grabbing my iPod and looking out the window to the ground. It's too far of a drop so how am I gonna leave. It's 9:22pm.
As if God heard my prayers-although me and my mother don't believe in him- I heard the shower run meaning Vic was in there so I opened my door and closed it running to the front door and closing that as well and running down the stairs to the park across the street.

It was around 10 when I was roaming the streets of downtown San Diego. Of course I was scared but no one cared so why was I so worried of getting in trouble.
I ended up walking to another park but this one was different. It looked abandoned. I saw a huge tree house in this big oak tree and my first instinct was to climb it because I was curious so I listened to my curiosity and climbed the 2x4 wood pieces on nailed to the stump that led to the house.
When I got in, it looked like no ones been in here for a few years. There were beer bottles, cigaret buds, thin rope and a blanket. This must've been someone's of a whole groups hang out. Carved into the tree were letters in which I couldn't make out so I turned on my flashlight on my iPod and squinted trying to read the words.

V.F
L.N
HOLD ON TILL MAY

They must've been young lovers or something. Or best friends who liked Pierce the veil.
"I've looked everywhere for her" I heard someone down below say. I looked out the window of the tree house to see a tall man wearing all black sitting at one of the benches.
"I can't find her. She could be anywhere" he said. He looked around the park, probably for someone or something and then relaxed again.
"I'm at the park you and Laura use to go to when you guys were young" I recognized that voice. It was Mike. I looked looked back at the tree stump again. Vic Fuentes and Laura something. This was my dads tree house with I'm assuming his girlfriend. Or best friend.
"I'm gonna keep looking but if we don't find her by 11 I'm calling the cops filing a missing child" I looked at my iPod. 10:38pm. 22 more minutes. Maybe if I just sit here, he'll give up and leave.

Mike's POV

"You called tone and Jaime right?" I asked. When Vic called me freaking out that Scarlett was no where to be seen in the apartment building, I basically jumped off my parents couch and ran out the door driving to his place and going around the neighbourhood to find her.
"Jaime might be sleeping cause he never answered my messages but tony did and he's looking around his place" Tony lived in the 'newer' part of San Diego which is about an hour walking from Vic's place and my brother said he hasn't seen Scarlett since 9:15 so it's a possibility she could be there.
"Alright. I'll call you if I find her"
"Okay. Thank you Mike" and I hung up. I put my phone in my back pocket and got up from the bench looking around the old park then to the tree house where I heard moment.

"Who's up there" the moment stopped.
"I can hear your feet moving. Who are you" nothing.
"If you don't tell me, I'm coming up" I told whatever was in there. Once again I didn't hear a response.
"You asked for it" and I began climbing the wood that I remember nailing to the stump with Vic. I opened the hatchet and looked inside to see a small figure in the corner. Rope, beer bottles, cigaret buds and a blanket laid on the ground around the person.
"Hello?" The face looked up revealing someone id never imagine hiding up here.
"Oh my god" I said shocked.

"So you found her in my old tree house?" Vic asked closing the door of his daughters bedroom and coming back. I had just returned Scarlett back home-already crashed out- to Vic and he was shockingly worried.
"Yeah. I feel like if I didn't 'barge in' she would've ended it all there. I'm talking beer bottles, cigaret buds, and a rope. I don't know where she got it all from but she had it" I explained.
"Jesus Christ" he said sitting down beside me and rubbing his temples.
"I'm fucking up Mike. She wants to kill herself" he said looking at me.
"Maybe try getting her into therapy?"
"I doubt she'd want it" he began biting his fingernails again.
"It's wort a shot"
"Im gonna see what I can do. I don't wanna go after her so much but now I have to keep a close eye on her"
"Want me to stay for tonight?" He shrugged.
"Up to you. But we aren't sharing the bed. I'm not having that shit again like when we were young" he said finally lighting up a bit causing me to chuckle.
"I know I know. I got the couch" he patted my back and got up.
"Thanks for coming to the rescue Mikey"
"No problem hermano. I'm always here for you even though we fight. Got it dude?" He nodded and I showed him to bed leaving me in the living room of my brothers apparent.

---

Hmmm. Slight mix up. Mike thinks all those things in the tree house belongs to Scarlett when in reality they either belonged to Laura or Vic.
Do you think this will wake Vic up and make him become more of a parent now that he thinks his daughter is suicidal?
How do you feel about Scarlett?
Let me know what you think!