Early the next morning, Alex woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. Heaving a soft sigh, she snuggled her face against her warm pillow, slowly lulling back to sleep until a stream of music assaulted her eardrums, accompanied by the soft, tender female voice lilting with the rhythm. She shifted onto her side and groaned as she reached over to flip off the radio. She then grudgingly tucked the blanket underneath her body. And then, the image of Michael flashed in her mind and all of a sudden, she realized that she didn't need the sleep as much as she thought she had.

Sighing heavily, she clambered out of bed and embarked on her usual morning routine; brush her teeth, wash her face, and take a nice, long hot shower, exactly what she needed after enduring such a brutal week. She felt as if the hot water was somehow washing away all of her worries and troubles, like she was being cleansed and given another chance to start her day out on a new, clean slate.

After her shower, she made her way down the hall(with her clothes on) and was greeted by the aroma of hot butter and grease coming from the kitchen.

A wide smile broke out on her face once she saw Aunt Becky preparing breakfast, "Hey, Aunt Becky," she greeted her as she deeply inhaled the aromas lingering in the room, "Breakfast smells great."

"Thank you, darl-?!" her aunt's back lurched forward as she let out a stifled sneeze, "'Scuse me, baby. I got a lil cold," she said, her voice slightly nasal.

"I see..." Alex said finally taking note of her flushed cheeks and nose.

I hope she gets better...

"Will you do me a favor, honey? I need you to go next door to Miss Bill's and help her with her packing. I would do it but I'm just so busy being here and all. I'm gettin' old, baby..."

Alex began to tune out her aunt's frail voice once she heard a muffled shriek coming from outside. Her aunt's voice seemed to be at a distance of a thousand miles as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure, Aunt Becky," she replied. She was so focused on finding the source of the noise that she didn't even hear her aunt's words of gratitude.

She threw her gaze out the window and peered out to see Ross and Kirk fighting in the driveway. Kirk was lying on his stomach with his arm twisted awkwardly behind his back whilst Ross was sitting on top of him, straddling him and yelling words that failed to reach Alex's ears. Kirk was struggling relentlessly under his older brother's hold but it was all a failed effort.

Alex could not bear to watch. She knew how Kirk felt. She had been in that position countless times before. Michael had hurt her as well and it was in most of those moments when no one dared to step in and help her. It seemed like no matter where she went, someone bigger and stronger than her always tended to pick on her all because she was weaker and smaller than them, both knowing that no one would be able to help victim. Now, she was seeing the exact same thing happen in her own family.

She could not just sit still and let it happen.

Alex bolted out of the apartment, leapt over the stair steps and moved behind Ross and in one quick motion, wrapped her arms around Ross's chest and yanked the larger boy off of his brother. Stunned by the contact, Ross kicked and squirmed until Alex finally decided to release him.

"Keep your hands off me!" Ross yelled.

"How about keeping your hands to yourself?" Alex shot back.

Enraged that Alex had interfered, he shouted, "I'm gonna tell daddy on you!"

The shouting drew Uncle Joe from the apartment and although he had just witnessed what had happened, he didn't seem to be the least bit fazed about it.

"Hey, what's goin' on out here?"

"Alex is pushin' me around," Ross whined and Alex felt as if she were being mocked. It reminded her of one of the countless times Michael was imitating her voice, mocking her misery and crying like a blubbering baby. She cringed.

Uncle Joe shifted so that he was facing Alex, "What's goin' on here, Lex? What're you tryin' to do with my boy?"

"Ross was hurting Kirk so I helped him out. I'm not trying to hurt anybody."

Uncle Joe smiled as she spoke and he seemed to beam as if something that had happened pleased him. Alex stared in confusion.

Why is he smiling?

"Them boys like to play a little rough, Lex," Uncle Joe remarked, "That's apart of a boy's growin' up. All boys do it at this age. They're just testin' themselves. It's how a boy becomes a man. Understand?"

Alex remained silent. Uncle Joe didn't take note of it but instead brushed past her and walked over to his sons, holding his clenched fists up near his face like a fighter in a boxing match. Then, he stepped closer to them and faked slow-motion punches into their chests, stopping just before his fist reached them.

"Now you boys get inside and get cleaned up. Go on!"

He grasped their shoulders with his large meaty hands and gently steered them towards the front door. Ross grinned cheekily at his father but Alex noticed a different look in Kirk's eyes. The little boy was rubbing the arm Ross had twisted and although he had said nothing, Alex could read the look as if it were a word written on a piece of paper.

There was pure hatred in Kirk's eyes.

Alex knew that feeling all too well and she knew that look better than she knew her own face. She always saw it in her own eyes and she could always see it in Michael's too. Even Ross. She knew that Ross hated Kirk and also knew that he loved to watch him in pain. Just like Michael loved to watch Alex in pain.

Alex sighed as she started after the trio and as she followed them, she grudgingly watched as Ross glared back at her. A wicked smirk ran across his lips and Alex could have sworn she saw his face scrunch into one that resembled a young Michael. She gaped in horror as she heard Ross's stifled cackles assault her ears. She scowled.

He's turning into him...

Aunt Becky amiably chattered away with Uncle Joe, laughing as she did so and Alex stared from across her, irritably tapping her fingers against the table. She watched as her aunt rose her hand up to her face to rub her nose and sniffle inaudibly. Alex's eyes narrowed into a suspicious squint and Aunt Becky didn't take notice but instead dragged her sleeve over her presumably damp nose. Alex quirked a brow.

"You feeling okay, Aunt Becky?" Alex asked her in a tone full of sheer concern.

Aunt Becky took the opportunity to blow her nose in a handkerchief that she had quietly balled up and placed down on her currently empty plate, "I'm fine, honey."

"Aunt Becky-?!"

"It's nothing, baby. Don't worryr13;" she sneezed before wiping it on her sleeve, "I'm fine."

Alex frowned, outwardly unconvinced by her false assurance.

She's so stubborn!

Ross emerged into the dining room with a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips as he slipped into his seat. Alex narrowed her gaze at him.

"Where's Kirk?" she asked in a suspicious yet casual tone and Ross almost seemed to laugh at the mere sound of his name.

"Playing with his cars." Alex stared at him for several moments then peered down the barren hall before drawing herself from her chair to walk towards her youngest cousin's room and she could almost feel Ross's scathing glare follow her out of the room as she walked.

She opened the door to Kirk's room and saw him sitting alone on the floor, tears streaming down his face.

Alex frowned, "What's wrong, Kirk?"

The sobbing boy merely shrugged his trembling shoulders. Alex's frown grew deeper at his response. She noticed that he was clutching tightly onto something unseen to her in his hand.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Nothin'," came the murmured reply.

Kirk began to sniffle and wipe his eyes as he struggled to his feet. Pieces of what was in his hand dropped to the floor and judging by the small wheels and the black hood that was amongst the objects that had fallen to the floor, Alex figured that they were something that belonged to some sort of toy vehicle.

"What happened to your car?" Alex asked.

"Ross broke it!" Kirk sobbed, "It was my favorite car!"

"Why'd he do that?"

"Cuz he knew it was my favorite..." Alex felt anger surge within her just at the mere thought of Ross doing something like that.

"Just go tell your parents," Alex suggested but it was more of a demand than a suggestion. Kirk vigorously shook his head.

"I can't tell on him." He kneeled down onto the tearstained floor and began to gather the pieces of his car into his hands, "If I do, he'll just get worse. He always does."

A tear trickled down Kirk's face as he grabbed the last piece of his broken car and silently made his leave out of the room.

"It shouldn't be this way..." Alex sighed.

She wanted to stop what was happening to Kirk and herself. Alex knew that this was just the way people like her and Kirk were supposed to be treated. But she was sick of it and infuriated by the mistreatment. That moment, she decided that she would watch out for her little cousin no matter what her uncle said. It was what her parents would do. And that was what she was going to do too.