Victims Of Circumstance (One Direction AU)

Niall (Seven Devils)

"But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 8:12

Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland

Maura Gallagher

[Niall's mother is a small, thin woman with short hair and an accent far thicker than his own. She has been another that's moved away in result of this all, and she's chosen to go back to her hometown of Mullingar, where Niall was originally born and raised. She's chosen a different house though, and while it's obvious that she doesn't want to be here, I wonder if maybe it's because they feel guilty about the past...]

We're good people, my lads and I. We loved and cared for each other, and I... I just want to start out by saying that...

... I see you're not mentioning Niall's father at all...

[she clenches her jaw] I was the only woman in the house you know... The one woman living with three boys, trying to take care of them all... Niall was the most difficult to protect, but I made myself do it for him.

Do what exactly? Stop the abuse from his father?

What? No, I looked the other way to help him get stronger. He used to cry and shout about it, and that was the worst thing to hear, but... now he's stronger and he doesn't even seem to notice anymore. I've made him a stronger man.

He will look back and fear nothing when he's older, not like... not like me.

And Greg? What he did to Niall made him stronger?

Greg was another story, all right? I mean... I didn't even know about it for a long time. Him and Niall had been closer when they were younger, but as they matured they always kept their distance from each other like brothers do sometimes; how was I supposed to suspect anything else from it?

I had no idea, and when I found out I didn't know what to do... Bobby wasn't about to do anything, and if telling someone would've caused Greg to be sent away, I would never. I couldn't lose my son, not like that.

So you looked the other way again...

I was a good mother, all right? I loved Niall as a mother should love her son, and that should've been enough to stop him from doing this.

He just wasn't strong enough I suppose...

People see both my sons as monsters now.

This interview is over. None of us were strong enough for that, and really, that's all you need to know.

Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, England

Bobby Horan

[Niall's father is easily one of the most intimidating people I've ever met. While he has a soft, round face like his son, his whole demeanor is defensive and aggressive, and between me and this log, I'm surprised Maura didn't leave him sooner and save herself the woe.]

Niall was a wuss, a child. A cunt. He had always been like that, from the moment he was born to even after years of me trying to teach him to man up. He needed to learn not to cry when he stepped on ants and not to enjoy playing hopscotch like a little girl.

So you didn't like that Niall wasn't into sports or other things boys usually are.

For Christ's sake, I took him hunting and fishing and it's like it sailed over his head every time.