The interview

Chapter 20

The walls were white again. All posters were taken down, rolled up and put in a box. Shelves were cleared from frames, toys, books, DVDs, any evidence of Dylan's presence. Daniel was sat on the bed, holding the boxing gloves he had brought him not so long ago. The door opened slightly, but he didn't need to look up to know who it was. They entered the room, closing the door softly behind them.
"You should've seen his face when he saw these. He actually looked like him, y'know, before the cancer came."
His manager and coach sat down beside him, "One of a kind gloves for a one of a kind kid right? Those were your words when you asked for them to be made."
Daniel looked up at Max, "He was. He really was." Tears began building in his eyes and Max reached over, hugging him tightly, "Let it out man. I ain't going nowhere." He murmured, rubbing Daniel's back, "Why didn't you tell me Dan?"
"I didn't want you to know. If too many people did it would've gotten out. Mom would've had to deal with the press outside his room constantly, I couldn't put him through that. Not while he was like that."
"But you told Lucy."
"She felt different. I don't know what made me do it, it was just something about her that made me spill. And she never told a soul."
"True. But the risk was always there. Don't get me wrong, she's a sweet girl, I approve, I really do. She makes you happy, that's all I care about."
"I know the risk was there. But.... but I felt I could trust her. I had a feeling as soon as I laid eyes on her. I still have it, you got that feeling too right? I mean, you should be glad I told her instead of the woman you banged around back."
Max flicked the back of his head, "Oook enough about that night. I get why you didn't wanna tell me about your brother, but you know I would have been there for you right? I still would. I don't want you to think you can't trust me."
"Max I'd never think that. We've been a team for years, it's just... well this was a little difficult."
Max nodded in understanding. And for a moment, Daniel felt a little better. But it didn't last longer than that. He looked back down at the gloves and gripped them tight, "I can't do this Max..."
"What?"
"I can't go to these championships. Dylan he... he was the reason I had the confidence to aim for the top." He looked up and nodded to the boxes, "And he's not here. He's gone."
Max stood and crouched in front of him, "That doesn't mean you should drop this now! Look, I didn't know your brother but he would not have wanted to hear that. You think that kid would want his brother to give up on going all the way because he can't be there to see it in person?! Hell no!"
"I know he wouldn't want it but Max, I can't. I think about that ring and it hurts. It hurts so damn much."
"And it will. For a long time. Everyone gets that same pain when they loose someone they love and care for. But the last thing your brother would want is for you to let that pain get in the way. Win that match for him. So you can look up and smile at that sky and tell him you did it. And you did it for him."
Daniel sat in silence for a moment before the door opened and Lucy poked her head around, "Your dad's back with the car."
Daniel nodded and Mac stood, "I'll help carry the rest out." He grabbed a box and Daniel nodded again, standing, still clutching the gloves as if his life depended on it, "Yeah, thanks."
Max nodded to him and turned to Lucy, jerking his head over his shoulder to Daniel, "Look after him."
"Always." Lucy whispered back. Max gave her a smile and left the room, closing the door slightly to give the pair some privacy. Lucy turned to Daniel, gripping her white cardigan closer to her, "Hey."
He walked to her and pulled her to his chest, resting his head on top of hers. Lucy closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him tightly, "Danny?"
He tightened his grip on her, not saying a word.
"Baby you haven't said a word all morning. Talk to me? Please?" She murmured comfortingly, her face tucked just below his shoulder. She felt his lips pressed to her hair, then down to her forehead, over her nose and to her lips, "Thank you. For staying. For helping. And barely leaving my mom's side." He whispered shakily. Lucy cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, "As if I was gonna leave you or your parents." She pulled his head to her shoulder and hugged him, stroking his hair and swaying from side to side. Daniel closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, breathing her in, "Thank you."
"Stop thanking me."
"No."
"Stop talking."
"I thought you wanted me to talk?"
"Changed my mind. Just, be quiet and let me hold you." She sighed, kissing his head. Daniel buried his face in her neck, and let a tear slip, "I miss him."
"I know honey. We all do. He did all he could."
"I know." He sniffed, shaking slightly. Lucy kissed his hair again before lifting his head and wiping the tear away, "C'mon, your dad will want these boxes back home."
Daniel nodded and straightened, squeezing Lucy's hand then turning to a box full of DVDs and a few comic books, placing the gloves on top of them carefully as if they would break before picking the box up and following Lucy out of the room and out to the car. He walked in silence, until they reached the front doors and he spoke up, "Luce?"
She looked over her shoulder at him and he swallowed the lump in his throat, "What do we do about the treehouse?"
Lucy fought back tears of her own and squeezed the tips of his fingers, "We'll figure that out after we get everything back in his bedroom."
Daniel nodded and they continued to the car, neither he, Lucy or Carter saying a single word. Just driving as quick as they could back to the house where Olivia stood in her youngest son's bedroom with her mother and father in-law, crying.

A/N: Sorry, another short one. There wasn't really much more for this chapter for me to do, sooo I'll hopefully see you all next time, peace!