A Second Chance.

"That Man Is Not Your Brother."

~Rose's POV~

Earlier that day.

I don't remember much. I remember when they took me back. And the dread I felt. It was awful. When I had gotten out of that black hole, and I had seen Peggy, it relieved me.
But after they brought me back, it started to get foggy. It was like my mind was...airy. I was still weak from my previous actions, my head lolled to the side every now and then. I couldn't go through this. Not again. It'd drive me insane, it'd kill me.
I started dragging my nails on the concrete floor. It was something to distract me with. It took my focus off the darkness That was surrounding me once more.
I never liked the dark. I wasn't scared of it, I was more scared of the unknown. Of what could but in it. Being locked in a room, pitch black, it caused me to go into overdrive. I felt my heart pounding in my ears. But the worst part of of silence, of the loneliness, was being left alone with my thoughts again.
They let me out once, they won't do it again.
They won't do it again.
They won't. 
Each sentence that passed my mind, I scraped my nail across the rough surface. Each word that flashed through my thoughts, I dug harder.
My fingers are wet? Water? I licked my index finger. Blood. Already? How long have I been doing this? Makes no difference. Piper likes them short. She always made me keep them short. Sometimes she'd clip them for me, too short. They'd hurt. But she'd say it was for the bedroom.
Truth be told I felt like I was being forced. I didn't like it moving so quickly but I kept my mouth shut.
Funny...shut. Like I'm shut in the room...like I shut everyone out. Shut is a funny word.
Shut.
Shut.
My mind wandered. I couldn't continue longer.
My face is wet. Blood? No, tears. I'm weak aren't I? My whole life I fought to be strong. But I know deep down, I'm a coward. I'm weak. I hide behind different faces and masks because I'm too ashamed to wear my own. No one could love me the way I am. My thoughts don't run the same way that other's do. They rationalise and they seem to see things so differently. Or maybe I'm the different one. Yes, that seems more likely.
I cried. My eyes hurt. My face was puffed. Yet I continued crying.
"I'm sorry Luisa, I'm sorry. I just wanted to be...to be strong." I sobbed into my arms as I curled into a fetal position against the wall. I was going to let go, to stop fighting. I'm tired of running from Piper. Tired.
But then I heard it.
The lock click.
"Darling, I didn't take you as one of those who break at all, let alone this quickly."
Peggy.
She sat beside me.
"What do you want?" I hissed at her.
"I don't know. I just feel like....I'm supposed to be here. Does that make sense?" She asked.
"No." I let out a loose chuckle.
"I didn't quite think so myself." She laughed. "If I'm being frank I don't understand half of what's happening....Why are you crying blusher?"
"Blusher?" I queried her new nickname for me.
"Every time I see you, your cheeks are some shade of red." She smiled.
"Whatever. I don't particularly want to talk about it." I sighed as I released my knees from my grasp and stretched them out.
"Come on, I've got time." She nudged my shoulder. Why is it I'm so comfortable with her? Why is she being so friendly? Is this another of Piper's games? Probably. But right now, I don't care. I just need someone to talk to me.
"I'm sure you know all about me and Piper. She would've told you the whole story." I groaned.
"She actually...didn't. Just that you're a crime lord and the SSR needs to apprehend you urgently...that you're a threat to the country and it's government. She's been giving me instructions she received from headquarters in New York."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What?" She asked, taken aback by my sudden outburst.
"First of all, Pegs, the only thing you got correct there is that I'm a crime lord. Second, Piper is just a rival drug dealer. And third, she isn't "apprehending me" she's obsessed with me and wants to force me to be with her again. It not only takes out the competition, it gives her a fuck buddy every night." I chucked weakly, I honestly don't know where the nickname came from, but it just felt right. It seemed to fit her.
Peggy got up and knelt beside me. But all of this talking...movement...it was making me weak. My head began to feel dizzy and oddly heavy. My eyes began to droop.
"What, so your saying-"
The door burst open and six people ran into the room.
A female figure ran up to me. This was all too much.
"Luisa?" I managed. Before I passed out.

The day after the rescue.

I woke up in...my room? Yes. It's my room. I was safe. My body was sore though,
I shakily raised my head off the pillow and looked around the room. And then I saw her...it was Luisa. But something was wrong.
"Lu! Than-"
Papers were thrown onto the bed. And somehow I knew exactly what papers they were.
"Lu..."
"Explain." She growled.
"Lu, I can-"
"NO. EXPLAIN WHY THE FUCK YOU HAVE OVER TEN FUCKING PAGES TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TORTURE AND KILL MY BROTHER. ROSE. MY BROTHER. FUCKING EXPLAIN!" Her voice was shaky and she flailed her arms as she spoke.
"Luisa I'm sorry," I sat up and leaned against the bed head, attempting to position myself in a more comfortable manner. "I was angry and-"
"YOU WERE ANGRY?" She roared. "THE FUCK?! WHEN I'M ANGRY DO I FUCKING TORTURE AND KILL PEOPLE ROSE?"
"no."
"THEN WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED YOU'D NEVER KILL ANYONE ROSE! YOU PROMISED! AND OF ALL PEOPLE MY BROTHER ROSE! MY FUCKING BROTHER." Her voice was getting hoarse. It broke me. Why was I such a fool? Why am I like this? I'm useless. I can't help her. I only do this to her.
"ROSE YOU PROMISED! You promised me." She collapsed at the end of the bed, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. I couldn't prevent it, the dam in my eyes finally broke and I let my own tears loose. But I was done acting like little playboy Rafael was the victim here.
"HE FUCKING MADE YOU KILL ME! HE MADE YOU CHOOSE! LUISA WHEN YOU PUSHED ME, YOU DESTROYED ME! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH?! WE COULD'VE BEEN HAPPY BUT BECAUSE OF HIM ALL OF THIS HAPPENED. HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" I yelled back, I was sick and tired of listening to her stick up for her bitch ass brother. I took a deep breath to calm myself before I continued. "Luisa do you ever stop. Stop and think?" I asked her. She had gone silent by now, staring at me in disbelief. "You defend him. Always. No matter how many times he's hurt and abused you. You're so used to that fucking toxic relationship you can't see when someone actually fucking cares about you! For once can't you just accept my fucking apology? Can you understand that I was in a dark place! I was hurting! Because you hurt me!"
"Rose he always apologised, he didn't mean t-"
"THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT. STOP ACTING LIKE HE'S INNOCENT OF EVERY SHITTY THING HE DOES! STOP!"
"Oh so now I'm the bad guy?! Did you forget that you wanted to kill MY BROTHER!"
"THAT MAN IS NOT YOUR BROTHER! HE MAY BE THE BOY YOU GREW UP WITH AND ACTED AS THOUGH HE WAS, BUT YOUR BROTHER CARES, PROTECTS AND STICKS BY YOU NO MATTER WHAT! HE'S DONE THE POLAR OPPOSITE SINCE I'VE MET YOU AND EVEN BEFORE!"
Once again, she fell silent. 
But then, she took a deep breath.
"I see, I'm going outside. I need to take a break from this right now." She got up, stared at me for two seconds and then walked out. But I still heard her sobs from the hallway.

HIIII okay it's short, I know but....it's prepping for the next two chapters.

Guys I have some sad news however.
The next two chapters will be the last.
Well, at least the last before my break.
Yes.
Okay I've thought about it and I know what I want to happen, honestly none of this is planned I'm just going with the flow but I have a plot(ish) in my head. I'm gonna be taking a short 2 week break after the next two chapters, maybe less time, maybe more. But no more than a month. I'm not in the best headspace and I want to give you guys the best work I can, so as soon as I feel better I promise I'll be back on it.
And as always, I hope you enjoyed reading...and stay safe💗💗