Notice: While re-reading the first chapter I noticed a major fuck-up in the dates, in one year Alexandra went from ten to twelve and I never noticed it. I apologize for this but after seeing it I had to change it, this has given me the chance to address some of the grammatical errors people pointed out so hopefully this revise will go down better.
To those who have already read this chapter the second chapter will be uploaded soon.
**
This is a story about a relationship so it makes sense to have the start of the story at the relationship. It was April 1970 when two year old Adam McAllister was taken down the hospital hallway; he recognized the place as where the men in the white coats made him feel better but why was he here today, he wasn't ill.
Adam looked up at his mother, she had a smile on her face so she was happy, but she was also crying, so she sad. As they approached the white door Adam began to panic, what was behind there, was it good or bad, why wasn't his mother telling him anything?
His mother slowly pushed the white door, Adam let out a sigh of relief, it was only her sister, his aunt, sitting in a bed. She too had a smile and tears in her eyes, what was going on between these people? And what was his aunt holding?
His aunt looked up from what she holding. "Hey Claire, you made it."
"How you holding up Jane?"
"I'm exhausted; Susan's just downstairs getting a coffee."
"No Craig?"
Jane looked away, ashamed at the mention of her husband.
"Thought not, you'd think that for once that son of a bitch would get off his ass for his own daughter's birth."
"Claire. Leave Craig alone I'm sure he has his reasons. He'll be here later today, I know it."
Claire rolled her eyes at her little sister's painfully dependent nature. She looked down at her son he was confused by everything.
"Sorry you had to hear that honey, come up here, there's someone that wants to meet you."
Meet him? There were only three people in the room and they all knew each other. Before he knew it Adam was lifted up and onto the same bed as his aunt, she removed the blanket covering the bundle in her arms.
Underneath Adam saw the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, a tiny little person, eyes half open, mouth agape in a yawn, specks of blonde hair covering their round red face.
His aunt smiled at his expression. "Adam, meet Alexandra, this is your cousin."
Adam felt a massive smile on his face as he looked down at this teeny tiny little baby girl. He stroked her chin making her giggle, the two of the caught eyes with each other.
In those few seconds a friendship was formed between Adam McAllister and Alexandra Buchannan, a friendship that over the years would take them to the best and worst moments of their lives.
But in those first few, innocent seconds neither of them knew this future, they were just happy to meet each other.
1975
Over the next few years Adam and Alexandra formed an unbreakable bond, living so close to each other they saw each other almost every day, they told each other secrets, they helped each other. They were just happy to be around each other.
Adam could never understand why their parents didn't feel the same way when they met, as he got older and began to become aware of sibling bonds he wondered why his mother and his aunt were sometimes sad to see each other and at other times angry. From overhearing their arguments he heard Uncle Craig's name pop up a lot, mum didn't seem to like Uncle Craig and called him horrible names.
One Saturday afternoon he and Alexandra were in Adam's back garden playing while Auntie Jane was talking to mummy inside.
"You excited for school on Monday?" He asked his cousin, she was starting school in a few days and was a little nervous.
"A bit."
"It's ok no-one will do anything bad. If you need anyone just come find me."
Adam heard his mother shouting from inside. "Call the police on that bastard."
He looked and saw his mum and auntie arguing, Auntie Jane had a bag of frozen peas to her eye.
"How'd Auntie Jane hurt her eye?"
"Mummy was making a lot of noise so daddy made her stop. Daddy doesn't like loud noises."
"Does your dad ever make you stop making loud noises?"
"No, my daddy loves me and he always makes me feel special. He's always kissing me and stroking me and tickling me on my bum."
Alexandra giggled but Adam didn't join her, he couldn't explain it but he didn't like the sound of what her father was doing to her. He knew from experience of walking in on his own mother when he was younger that bums and things between people's legs were private and not meant to be shown to other people, so why was Uncle Craig tickling Alexandra's bum.
Auntie Jane came out the house and picked Alexandra up. "Come on honey, we have to leave."
"Yeah cause going back to the problem is going to help."
"Claire just leave me alone ok. Say goodbye to Adam honey."
"Bye Adam."
"Bye Lexi."
Auntie Jane and Alexandra left after that, Claire followed them still arguing with her sister. Adam went inside to find his mum crying on the sofa.
"What's wrong mum?"
"Oh it's nothing dear; you'll understand when you're older."
Sensing something, Adam sat next to his mother and hugged her, she seemed to appreciate it.
1978
It was a few days before Christmas and Adam and Alexandra were taken out to play in the snow by Auntie Jane. Adam had brought along his new sled which he and Alexandra were having endless amounts of fun with, sliding down the hills, feeling every bump in the ground. Even Auntie Jane was smiling. They were walking though a snow covered field when Alexandra spotted a large hill, she tugged on Adam's jacket.
"Adam Adam Adam. Can we please go down the big hill? Please can we? Please please please."
"Only if your mum says it's ok."
"Can we mum, please?"
"Alright, but be careful."
Alexandra let out a little squeal as she grabbed Adam's hand and dragged him to the hill. Jane stood back as she watched her daughter and her nephew climb the cold white hill, a rare smile on her face.
At the top of the hill Adam looked around, it was a lot bigger than he expected, he could see miles into the distance, he felt Alexandra tugging on his arm.
"Come on Adam I want to go sledging."
"Ok Ok."
Adam laid the sledge on the edge of the hill, he sat down in the back then helped Alexandra into the front, holding her tight around her waist. The two of them scooted forward, pushing the sledge forward until they finally tipped the balance and flew down the hill.
Adam could feel himself laughing but he couldn't hear it, the only noise was the music of Alexandra giggling, the air whooshed past them, they were going to take off at any moment, take off and fly through the air.
But they weren't about to fly. When they reached the bottom of the hill Adam came back to reality as they were still speeding and weren't slowing down. Adam looked in front of them and saw a large patch of branches and thistles getting closer and closer, instinctively Adam bent over and covered his cousin. His whole body protected her as they crashed through the bushes, Adam felt a sharp, whip-like pain across his left eye.
Then they were flying.
**
Adam didn't know how long he was out, must not have been long because he could hear Auntie Jane's voice yelling to him and Alexandra in the distance. He blinked and tried to get his bearings; he was on his back looking up at the sky, although he was blind through his left eye, it was just a dark red blur, there was a pain on his right side and his left leg felt wet for some reason. He sat himself, a painful act as his right arm felt the beginnings of a nasty bruise and his shoulder felt stiff, possibly dislocated. Somehow he managed to sit up and looked around where he was.
He was in a reclusive place, the whole area was blocked off by the bushes that he and Alexandra had crashed through, there was a small pond in the middle surrounded by a dirt and bark walkway only separated by a river flowing in and out of the pond, there was even an upside down shopping trolley in the middle of the pond. The place had an otherworldly feel to it, it was completely silent not even birds or bugs made noise here.
Suddenly the silence was broken and for the first time he heard Alexandra crying. He looked for her and saw her across the pond, somehow he had flown across while she fell out soon after they crashed, she was sitting by the sledge. Adam stood up and limped his way round the pond, he picked her up and the two of them left the pond, they never returned for the sledge.
Jane was in a state having just watched the two children hurt themselves. She took the two of them back to her house, bursting through the front door and finding her husband Craig in the living room.
"Craig I need your help."
He ignored her.
"Craig please you need to help us."
Again he ignored her, he picked up the TV remote and turned the channel. Jane let out a sigh.
"Sir can you please help me as I cannot do anything without you."
Craig turned, smiling at his wife. "Yes dear how can I help you?"
"Adam and Alexandra were in an accident with the sledge, Adam needs to be taken to hospital. I need you to... need your help in driving him there."
"How's my daughter?"
"She's fine just a few bruises and a cut."
"You let my daughter get harmed."
"No, no it was an accident."
"Bullshit you're just useless. You're a terrible mother you let your own child get hurt while you whored yourself out to strangers."
"No, Craig I never took my eyes off them."
Suddenly Craig grabbed his wife's chin, he snarled at her. "No. Sir. Understand."
Jane nodded quickly, trying hard not to burst into tears. Craig smiled and let her go, he walked outside to where Adam and Alexandra were sitting on a wall.
"Come on then, into the car. We better have someone take a look at that before you lose your eye."
Craig smiled and opened the car door. He couldn't tell because of his injury but Adam was staring at his uncle with a look of hate and anger. He'd always suspected his uncle of being violent but now having watched him attack his own wife he knew it.
At the hospital the doctors fixed up Adam's eye, it wasn't a bad as they thought it would be but Adam was now left with a scar across his face that he would have for the rest of his life. His own parents arrived a few hours after his operation to take him home, their arrival meant that Jane, Craig and Alexandra could leave. Walking away Adam swore he saw Craig stroke his daughter's leg just a little too close to her privates. He would've said something but he didn't want to base his accusation on the ridiculous imagination of a ten year old.
1982
Adam's fear of his uncle's dark nature never fell from his mind but he could never find any proof of it, he didn't want to just ask Alexandra if her father was molesting her, she seemed to idolise him and may take offence if he brought it up, if she did she may tell her father and if she did that there would be no end of shit that he would face from her parents and his.
Of course that didn't mean he couldn't try to keep her from Craig. One day when she was 12 he went round to her house, knocking on the door he was answered by Jane, he was shocked but unsurprised to see yet another black eye on her.
"Oh hello Adam."
"Hello Aunt Jane, what was it this time, door or fall down the stairs."
