Chapter 20: The Protector

Nothingville, Lancaster, England

March 25, 2000

Lucia ran as fast as she could towards the tree house. With the anger she held in her chest. Either way, she couldn't hold herself back.

Even though it was still raining, she didn't seem to care and kept running through the wet lavender fields. When her feet arrived in front of the maple tree, without thinking, she immediately climbed into the tree house like an ape.

"Leo...!"

Kick the door...

Her powerful kick hit the door of the tree house almost splitting it in two. Her body was shaking, her hands were clenched into fists. The sight she saw in front of her eyes was very disturbing.

Leo sat in the corner of the room, covering his face with his knees. While Chris was busy treating the wound on his arm.

"L-Lucia?" Said Chris who was very surprised by the noise Lucia had caused.

"Geez, you kicked the door? You crazy!" Bryan said who was standing behind her protesting. Pierre who was standing beside Bryan tried to fix the broken door.

Lucia didn't care about the broken door from her kick and Bryan's ramblings. Her eyes fell on the figure of a frail boy who was trying to hide his cries in the corner of this small room.

Lucia walked over to Leo and stood right in front of him with her hands clenched into fists. She could see the bruises and cuts on Leo's knees from the violence he had received from the one who was supposed to care for and love him.

"Stupid, stop crying!" Lucia shouted and grabbed Leo's T-shirt collar roughly. Forcing this boy to show his miserable face.

Lucia's originally explosive anger slowly disintegrated and turned into a strange pain. In front of her eyes, Leo was hurting so painfully.

His left eye was swollen like it had been punched by a fist, his nose was bleeding and his lips were cut. His eyes were wet and it left Lucia at a loss for words to say.

With a single breath, Lucia got up and without saying anything, she immediately left leaving her friends confused by her reaction.

"Hey Lucia, where are you going?" Bryan tried to call her. But Lucia remained indifferent and just left.

The medicine box in Chris's hand almost fell from his shaking hands. Seeing Lucia's reaction, he was very scared. Even though she was still a child, she was known to be brave and very reckless. It made Chris very worried.

"Pierre, how is it? Is it possible that Lucia will meet Leo's dad?" Chris asked.

"Tch, she crazy! She thought, what is she doing? Even though she is very strong, but still not comparable to the strength of a grown man. After all, it's Leo's dad who wants to fight, he will definitely be beaten!" Said Bryan who didn't understand the reckless act that Lucia might do.

"It's still not certain that she will come to Leo's dad, we have to follow her!" Pierre said.

"It's useless!" Suddenly, Leo spoke in a weak voice.

"Leo?"

"Don't let Lucia meet my dad! He is a madman. He will beat up anyone no matter if it's a kid! Stop her! Pierre, I beg you to stop Lucia! Before she-"

"Tch!" Pierre immediately walked away and ran as fast as he could after Lucia. Even though Leo didn't say it, Pierre knew how crazy Leo's dad was who had been in and out of prison three times.

Bryan had no choice but to accompany Pierre and together catch up with Lucia and stop her before she met Leo's dad.

But it seems they are a little late. 10 steps ahead of them, Lucia was standing in front of Leo's house holding a rock.

Praaang...

She threw the stone at the window before Pierre and Bryan could stop it. The two boys started to get scared when they sensed that something bad was going to happen.

"Pierre, how is it? Looks like we're late!" Said Bryan. Now, he had completely lost the balls to approach Lucia when the sinister face of a man appeared from behind the door.

"Bastard...! Who dares to throw my house...?" He shouted with the beer bottle he was holding.

"It's me! You damn old ape...! You feel this...!"

Lucia threw a stone right at the man's head. The hard throw made his head hurt and bleeding.

"You kid of a bitch...! You want to die, huh?" The man glared with bloodshot eyes that looked like someone who was drunk. He staggered running with the beer bottle he was shaking.

Seeing Lucia who didn't move and remained standing in her place made Pierre and Bryan panic. They knew that what they were doing was calling an adult to help their insane and desperate friend.

"I'm going to get help!" Bryan immediately rushed over, calling out to the adults around the street. Meanwhile Pierre ventured up to Lucia and intended to take her away.

However, the opportunity seemed very difficult because the man had already attacked Lucia by strangling her neck until her body was lifted up.

"Lucia? Please, help...! Help...!" Seeing Lucia in danger. Without thinking, Pierre immediately shouted for help.

"Let go of me! You disgusting monster...!"

Her deadly kick hit the man in the groin. It stiffened his body for a moment before his scream broke out.

"Aaaagghhh..." His scream sounded so horrible. He fell to the ground holding his intimate part, while blood was pouring from his head.

Pierre fell silent and sat limply. He could hardly believe what he had just witnessed before his eyes. His friend managed to beat the man who is known to be the most insane and terrible in this city.

Pierre decided to return to the treehouse without bringing Lucia with him.

"Hey, Pierre! Why did you leave me? What really happened there? Why did Leo's father pass out?" Asked Bryan who missed an extraordinary spectacle that he will probably never forget for the rest of his life.

"I'm going back to the tree house!"

"But Lucia?"

"She's fine! Now all we have to think about is Leo!"

Pierre and Bryan returned to the treehouse when the rain had stopped. In the treehouse, Leo lay on a rollaway bed after Chris treated his wound with the medicine box he had brought from his house.

"He just fell asleep!" Chris said as he covered Leo with blanket.

"We'd better take him to the hospital! I'll have my private driver take him!" Bryan said.

"I persuaded Leo, but he won't! He doesn't want to see anyone and he hasn't eaten either!" Chris' eyes began to water at the thought of his friend's suffering condition, while he couldn't do anything.

"This idiot, why is he so stubborn anyway?" Bryan grumbled in annoyance that he wasn't the type to persuade other people.

Suddenly, Lucia appeared behind Bryan with wet clothes and hair. Seeing her unexpected presence made the three of them immediately fell silent.

"L-Lucia?"

Lucia came over to Leo with a plastic wrap that gave off the smell of freshly baked bread.

Lucia sat beside Leo who was still lying down while looking into his eyes with his arms.

"Wake up, Leo!" Said Lucia. But Leo ignored her call.

"Tch, wake up quickly...!" Annoyed, Lucia grabbed the collar of Leo's t-shirt and forced him to sit up and open his eyes.

"What?" Leo asked quietly.

"I bought your favorite bread, eat this!" She said as she took out a packet of bread that was still warm.

"I'm not hungry! You just eat!"

"Tch, what did you say? I bought this bread with my pocket money, you know? It's rare for me to be kind enough to buy you bread, so you have to eat it or I'll hit you!" She said harshly. Making Bryan, Chris and Pierre just silent and not daring to interrupt her speech.

Leo looked at Lucia who for some reason, didn't look as angry or irritated as usual. But sadness and pain that he could not understand.

Leo was silent for a moment, before finally accepting the bread and opening the package.

"From now on, he won't beat you anymore!"

"Hmm?"

"It's okay, it's all over! From now on, I'll be the one who will take care of you. If he tries to hurt you again, you can call me. I'll definitely pay him back!" Lucia lowered her face because she felt such words did not suit her.

In front of her, Leo who was originally holding back his tears, couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears streamed down his face, though he tried not to make a sound so that Lucia wouldn't get angry and think he was a crybaby.

"Thank you, guys-" Leo's voice trembled, with his face down, he was still trying to hide his tears.

Lucia hugged him and rubbed his head gently. In Lucia's arms, Leo sobbed, letting out all the sadness and pain he was suffering.

"Everything will be fine, trust me! Now and forever, I will protect you!"

***