Hello, and welcome to my second Drake & Josh story! Some of you may already know me from my one-shot, Life As We Know It, but for those of you who are here for the first time, welcome! I was very satisfied with the feedback I got for my original one-shot, so I decided to try my hand at another one. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Drake & Josh or anything else you recognize in here.

Warnings: Implied domestic abuse.

Drake Parker couldn't believe that this was happening to him.

He stared at the interior of the car in complete, utter shock. The driver's seat was soaking wet and smelled strongly of alcohol. Three empty beer bottles rattled on the floor, accompanied by the occasional unused cigarette. The whole car smelled of smoke, and there was a nasty scratch in the passenger side door. The exterior of the car had been graffiti'd, and the back right window had been smashed out.

"Do you care to explain what happened here, Drake?" His stepfather's voice was tight with fury.

Drake's teeth grazed his inner cheek. He looked at his parents, then at the car, and then back again. Raising his hands, he said, "I didn't do it."

His mother rolled her eyes. "You say the same thing every single time, Drake. Why don't you just grow up and admit your mistake for once?"

"Your mother's right," his father growled. "You were the only one who used the car last night, and it most certainly was not like this when we were standing out here prior to your departure. We want to know what happened. The truth, Drake. All of it."

He looked between them, unsure of what to say. He tried to think up a logical explanation for how the mess had happened. He hadn't been drunk or high; those were things he'd swore never to do, especially since he was only eighteen. He was one hundred percent positive that the car had been spotless when he'd come back, save for a little bit of soda he'd spilled on the carpet when making a sharp turn.

All of a sudden, realization dawned on him. Megan. She must have snuck out after his return and done all of this. He felt a sudden anger. Sure, she'd played lots of mean tricks on him before, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

But of course, there was no way he could tell his parents that. They'd always thought of Megan as the most innocent little angel ever to grace the planet. There was no way he could place the blame on her and be believed. He suddenly wished that Josh were beside him instead of away at college. He always felt calmer in bad situations when he had someone else to lean on.

Now he had no one.

"I'm sorry?" was all he could think to say. "I'll pay for it. I'll just work overtime until I can afford to get everything fixed."

"You're damn right you will." Drake flinched as his stepfather swore. Walter was the quiet type of individual who almost never got angry. To hear him swear was about as rare as hearing Megan apologize for her pranks. "You're going to clean up what you can. I've got cleaner you can use to get rid of the stains on the floor and seat. You're going to work until you can pay for the damages done to the car. And don't expect to get any help from us. Got it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get it fixed."

"And until then," his mother interjected, "you will be placed under some tight restrictions. This kind of behavior proves that you are irresponsible, and that is a trait that is going to be fixed. Until you get the money to fix up the car, you will have your electronics and your instruments taken away. You will not be allowed to call or text anyone. You will not be permitted to go on any dates, to any parties, or to see any friends. If we catch you breaking any of these restrictions, we will extend your punishment beyond your being able to fix up the car. And if you choose to move out instead, we will press charges against you."

Drake's face went slack with shock. "That's unfair!" he protested. "It was an accident! I didn't mean for this to happen! I didn't leave the house with the intention of ruining the car! You can't take everything from me!"

"It's time for you to grow up, Drake." Walter's voice was rigid. "We aren't budging this time. The punishment has been declared, and you are to uphold it. Is that understood?"

Drake sighed, knowing that arguing was pointless and would only make his situation worse. "Yeah."

"Good." Walter pointed toward the door. "Up to your room. Now. And when we come in to get your things, you'd better be doing something productive."

Drake didn't waste a moment in charging out of that garage. He was so pissed. So fucking pissed. He felt overwhelming rage at everything and everyone around him. His parents, for putting him under such ridiculous restrictions. Whoever the fuck had given Megan the supplies she needed for the prank. And, most significantly, his sister.

Oh, his sister. Boy, was he going to let her have it.

Rather than going straight into his room as his parents had ordered, Drake headed for Megan's room. She was sitting inside, innocently playing some game on her computer. Drake slammed his fist down on the desk. "What the actual fuck, Megan?"

The little she-devil gave him the sweetest smile. "I don't know what you're referring to, Drake. Did I do something wrong?"

"You're damn right you did something wrong! You trashed the car after I came home last night, didn't you? You poured beer all over the seat, smashed it up, and sprayed graffiti all over the sides. I just got everything taken away because of you, and now I have to work overtime to pay off my new found debt!"

She cocked her head to one side. "I never touched the car, Drake. Look, I know that you're upset, but you can't go blaming me for what you did. Take some responsibility for once."

He ground his teeth together violently. "Why you little-". He picked her up by the collar of her shirt and lifted her high into the air. Even though she was nearly as tall as him now, he still had the advantage when it came to strength. Especially when he was mad.

"Drake!" she cried. "Put me down!"

He started shaking her. "Admit it, you little twerp! Admit that you were the one who trashed mom's car and got me in trouble! Admit it!" He was yelling now.

"Drake, stop it!" she shrieked. "You're hurting me!"

"Oh, like how you hurt me when you decided to ruin my life? The fuck is the matter with you, Megan? I could tolerate the small things, but this? This is out of control!"

"I told you I didn't do it!"

"Like I should believe you! You never tell the truth! Ever!" His voice was straining so much that his throat had begun to hurt.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Drake whirled around at the sound of his father's furious scream. He and Audrey were standing in the doorway, both wearing shocked and furious expressions. Drake immediately let go of Megan's shirt, feeling a strong urge to flee that he forced himself to resist.

Walter stomped toward him while Audrey flew to Megan's side. The thirteen year old was crying, an obvious display of innocence to fool her parents into thinking that Drake was the only one in the wrong. Again.

Walter got right up in Drake's face, screaming so loud it vibrated Drake's eardrums. "What is the matter with you? Attacking your little sister? Now that's low, even for you. How could you even think of taking your anger out on such a sweet, innocent little girl?"

Innocent my ass, Drake thought. Aloud, he said, "Something just came over me, and-"

"Shut up!" Walter screamed. Drake flinched. "I don't want to hear any excuses! I know what I saw, and what I saw was you holding your sister in the air and shaking her! Now, apologize!"

Drake hesitated, not wanting to give an ounce of submission to his bitchy little sister.

"Do it!"

"I'm sorry, Megan," he mumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Megan was sobbing in her mother's arms, empty tears pouring down her cheeks. "I don't get it, Mommy. Why did Drake try to hurt me?"

"Shh, shh. There, there." Audrey glared at her son. "Now look what you did, Drake. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I said I was sorry!"

"I don't want to talk to you!" Megan suddenly burst out. "Just go away!"

"Megan," her mother said quietly. "Your brother's sorry. Can't you accept that?"

"I said I don't want to talk to him! He's a jerk! He has no right to just come in here and abuse me like that! He's inconsiderate, irresponsible, and I don't ever want to talk to him again!"

Both parents looked at Drake. He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a huge weight press down on his shoulders. He tried to resist the fury that was still bubbling within.

"Well?" Walter prompted. "What do you have to say for yourself, Drake, now that you've made your sister cry?"

His fury spilled over.

"What do I have to say?" He leaned down toward her. "I hate you. I hate you and everything you've ever done to me. I'm sick of the pranks, and the lies, and the selfishness. You're a liar, Megan. A selfish, greedy, heartless liar. You don't ever want to talk to me again? Fine by me. I don't ever want to talk to you again, either. Have a nice life, sister." He spat that last word with so much scorn you could've felt it. Whirling around, he stormed out of her room, slamming the door with so much force a lamp fell off of her desk and shattered.

Drake Parker stared lazily at the microwave, watching the minutes turn into seconds. The Hot Pocket that sat inside turned slowly, each little bit of it getting soaked in heat. He raised his soda can to his lips, tipping it all the way back so as to get that last little droplet. Once he was sure that the bubbly liquid was actually all gone, he crushed the can between his palms and discarded it in the overflowing trash can. The piece of aluminum bounced off of a plastic container and hit the floor, although the man seemed not to notice.

The microwave beeped, and he took the contents out. He nearly dropped the plate as his fingers made contact with the hot surface, but he managed to endure it long enough to get it on the counter. He watched the steam roll off of it, salivating at the smell that filled his nostrils.

As he waited for his dinner to cool, he slipped back into his memories. After that fateful day, there had been a huge rift in the family. His and Megan's refusal to talk to each other had ended up starting a lot of family fights. Walter and Audrey began arguing more frequently, at first over how to deal with their troublesome children. Walter had insisted that only Drake was to blame, whereas Audrey believed that they both did things wrong on that day. The fights then moved to other things, gaining in frequency until they were happening almost every day.

When Josh came home for winter break, he couldn't believe what had happened to his family. He had, of course, supported Drake's decision, but had ended up leaving home early because he couldn't stand the tension. He rarely came home after that, only bothering to keep in touch over the phone. That in turn caused more fights, with all of the chaos culminating with a divorce a little over a year after that infamous day. Audrey had taken Megan and moved out, practically disappearing off the map. Walter was left in possession of the home, and kicked Drake out as a result. Not only did Audrey refuse to have any contact with Walter, but she cut Drake and Josh out of her life, too.

Losing his mom had been the hardest for Drake. He had never cared much for Walter, but he had adored his mom. His heart broke every time he tried to call or text her and never got a response. He tried everything. E-mails, Skype calls, messages passed through friends. Even a handwritten letter. And still, he got nothing. His mother was gone. Just like that.

He hadn't even heard from Josh in two or three years. Following the divorce of Walter and Audrey, he and Josh had tried to stay in contact for reason of keeping their sanities. It had worked for a while, with the phone calls and the occasional visit. However, they began to grow apart almost as soon as Josh got his medical degree. The last time Drake heard from him, he had rekindled his relationship with Mindy and they were talking of marriage.

And what was Drake doing? Trying to live off of a salary that barely went over the minimum wage. Living in a studio apartment because he couldn't even dream of living anywhere else. Pushing on with barely any friends and no family. Occasionally scoring a gig with a band that didn't even seem to care any more.

Pulling himself back into reality, he grabbed a fork and made his way over to the couch. Sitting down, he fumbled for the remote until he found it. Pushing the "on" button, he surfed through the channels until he found a sports game. He dug into his Hot Pocket, wincing at the warmth that still threatened to burn his tongue.

His eyes lazily flicked across the screen as he watched that football pass between the players. To him, football was a stupid sport. The only point of it was to pass a ball, back and forth. He didn't get how it was more popular than things like baseball and BMX. Still, it was better than listening to the soap opera that was the world news or the reality show that was a soap opera.

The commercials were just beginning to come on when there was a knock on his door. Confused, he set his Pocket down on the end table and got up. Ruffling up his hair and smoothing down his shirt just in the off chance that it was a hot girl behind his door, he walked over. "Hello?"

He expected a reply, but got none. He blinked as he heard a soft snuffling from the other side. His confusion turned to concern, and he tried again to get the person to talk. "Hello?" he said more forcefully. "This is Drake Parker. Can I help you or something?"

The sniffling just got louder, eventually turning into a sob. "Yes," a woman choked out.

Sighing, Drake turned the lock on his door and flung it open. He wasn't really sure what to expect. His mom, coming back to him after years of abandonment? Some random chick who had just broken up with her boyfriend? Some old girlfriend from his past?

The woman behind the door met none of those criteria. In fact, she fell under a whole new category.

His face went slack with shock, his eyes wide. He began shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably, not sure what to make of the sight before him. Out of all the people in the whole world, why her? Why here? Why now? Why was she standing before him, in ragged clothes and a body of equal condition, with a pleading look in her eyes and a baby wrapped in her arms?

Wait, a baby?

She gave him a half-hearted smile. "Hey, boob."

He stuttered over his syllables for a few moments before forcing out what was on his mind. "You have a baby."

She tightened her grip on the small child, who appeared to be fast asleep, drifting peacefully in the pleasant world of dreams. Her eyes slid around, looking from the floor to him to her child. Drake, on the other hand, began shoving his hands in and out of his pockets, feeling the awkwardness shrouding them both.

Pursing her lips, Megan looked straight at him. He recoiled a bit, still recognizing those brown orbs that bore behind them a wall of lies and deceit. "Can I come in?"

At first, her question surprised him. She wanted to come in? In his apartment? His home? He gave her a baffled look- a stare that quickly turned negative. His hands formed fists in his pockets, his brow furrowing. This woman was the same woman who, at the tender age of thirteen, had destroyed his family and turned his world upside down. And yet here she was, asking him to allow her the privilege of stepping inside his safe zone. The one place where he could escape the world and its judgmental stares.

"No," he said simply.

Her jaw tightened. He could see the inner workings of her mind shifting and turning, trying to formulate a plan to manipulate him. He set his teeth together and crossed his arms, staring at her as if to challenge her. He silently dared her to try again.

And try again she did. "Come on, Drake. I need a place to stay."

He laughed. "Yeah? Well, it sure ain't gonna be here. Go somewhere else, you little twerp, and stay out of my personal space."

He tried to shut the door, only to have her block it with her foot. "You aren't shutting me out, Drake Parker."

"Yeah? Says who?"

"Says me." She stepped further into the doorway, making it fully apparent that she was now the same height as her older brother. Drake felt a bit uneasy as he realized that she was no longer as easy to push around.

However, he still remained tough. "Last time I checked, you weren't the one paying the bills and buying the food. So no, it isn't your decision. It's mine. And my decision's been made. Now get out before I call the cops."

"You wouldn't call the cops on your own sister."

"Try me."

"Fine," she said, giving that little jerk of her head that she always gave when she was sassy. "Call the cops. But don't blame me when you get fined for calling on a false emergency."

"It isn't fake. You're trespassing."

"It isn't trespassing if the landlady says I can be here."

"It's trespassing if you force your way into someone's apartment."

"I'm not in your apartment."

"Yeah, you are."

"No, I'm in the doorway. Try again, boob."

He threw his hands in the air, growing angry. "Then how 'bout I get you on another charge, hm? Like how about I have you arrested for destroying our family and ruining my life?"

She gave him a look of pure, utter shock. "You can't place the blame for that on my shoulders alone, Drake. You had a part in it, too."

"I wasn't the one who started it all! You did!"

"You made it worse! You rejected me. I was just trying to get myself out of trouble. You took it to a whole new level."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to put the blame entirely on my shoulders, but it isn't okay for me to do the same with you?"

"I never said that."

"Ugh!" He slammed his fist against the wall, ignoring the pain it caused him. He got right up in his sister's face and shouted, "You disgust me, Megan. Absolutely disgust me."

He noticed that tears were beginning to form in her eyes, but he was much too angry to care. "All I wanted was a place to stay! I never meant to dig up our pasts! Believe me, I regret what happened just as much as you do!"

"Well, what did you think would happen? You'd show up, I'd welcome you with open arms, and we'd live happily ever after!?"

"Something like that, yes!"

"Then you're an idiot, Megan." His voice was soft now. Icily soft. "You're the dumbest person I've ever had the displeasure of knowing if you think that."

Now there truly were tears in her eyes. "Why do you hate me so much, Drake? I'm your sister!"

"You have no right to call yourself my sister! After everything you did to me, you're lucky I'm even letting you stand in my doorway right now!"

"I'm sorry, okay!" Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch. I'm sorry for wrecking the car and starting this big huge mess. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

There was silence in the apartment for a long while after that. Drake continued to stare at her coldly, while Megan gave him a look of pure sorrow. She curled her fingers in her baby's blankets, trying her hardest not to break down.

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough." Drake's voice was hollow.

She stared at him, her lip quivering. "Then what do you want me to do?" she asked quietly. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"There is nothing, Megan. You ruined our family. I'm a loser now, and it's all because of you. You got away with murder for so many years. You humiliated Josh and me over and over again without showing any remorse for it. I was able to tolerate that, despite the fact that I knew you were never really sorry. But what you did that day? That's unforgivable. You're a heartless bitch, Megan. That's the plain and simple truth of it. I have no room in my life for the likes of you. So-"

"He hits me, okay!"

Drake stopped mid-speech, his mouth hanging open. His fists instinctively clenched and unclenched, as they always seemed to do when he was unsure. He felt his breath catch in his throat, although he wasn't exactly sure why.

Megan was bawling now. "He's an asshole. You think I'm bad, Drake? Well, he's a million times worse. He hits me all the time. Everything I do... It isn't good enough for him. I try to make him a meal, and I do it wrong. Megan, it's taking too long to cool. Megan, there's too much pepper on this. I try to do the chores, and he complains. Megan, I told you not to touch my clothes. Megan, you need to clean this spot better. Megan, the mirror has a spot on it still. I even tried to give him a child, and he complained about it." She pulled her baby boy close to her, half-burying her face in his blanket. "I've had to take care of him by myself. When he isn't busy taking his issues out on me, he's either drunk or high. He manipulated me into marrying him. Played nice boy until I owed him. And now...

"I had to run away, Drake. I just had to. When he went out to drink with his buddies tonight, I left. Took Derek John and his blankie and ran. I left behind everything I had. I don't even have a change of clothes. I don't know why I came here. I guess I just assumed that sibling bonds are strong enough to weather any storm." She looked away from him. "I was wrong."

"Megan-"

"Stop." Her voice became strong for just one moment before receding back into sorrow. "I get it, Drake. I was a fool for thinking that you'd ever be able to forgive me for what happened. Our family died because of the mistakes made on that day. That's irreversible. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't forgive me, either." She began to turn away. "I'll be fine. I've got a friend about twenty miles out of the city. I might be able to stay with her for a few days, so long as he doesn't show up..."

It took Drake a count of ten to find his voice. "Megan, I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

"You couldn't have. And that's alright. I get it. I told you that. I'll go, and I won't bother you again. You said it yourself, Drake. You have no room in your life for the likes of me."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I know exactly what you meant." She looked at him again. "I'm going. I hope you enjoy yourself, Drake." She looked past him and into his apartment. "Enjoy whatever life you may have here." Her voice was laced with bitter resentment.

He stepped closer to her. "I'm sorry, Megan. I was a jerk, and I'm sorry."

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough, Drake," she growled.

He felt a lump form in his throat. He deserved that. "Just stay here for a few days. Get back on your feet. Then you can move on. Get on out of this shithole. You can't go anywhere in your condition. You said it yourself. Anywhere else, and he might find you."

He detected a shudder at his reference to her husband. "I'm not going to burden you."

"Yes, you are." He went out to touch her, only to let his arm fall slack when she pulled away. "I don't care if you suck all of the money from my banks. I may never forgive you for what you did, but I'm not going to let you suffer because of it. I'm still human."

She didn't say anything, but he could see that he was winning.

He pushed a little more. "You've got a kid to think about, Megan. You gotta put him before yourself, ya know? He won't make it five minutes out in that cold rain. You might not even be able to get a taxi or a bus, and it's dark out. The city streets are dangerous at night, as you know. And he's after you. Just stay here. Please. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

She pursed her lips, staying silent for a count of three. "If you're sure I won't be inhibiting you..."

He smiled. A tight smile, but a smile nonetheless. "It doesn't matter."

She returned his grin. "Of course not."

And she went inside.

I hope you all enjoyed that. If you did like this (which I hope you did), then I suggest checking out my other Drake & Josh story, Life As We Know It. It's another Drake-Megan fic, but it's a lot more positive in terms of their relationship than this one. It still deals with a potential trigger topic, however, so be warned. However, if you were able to deal with this, I imagine you'll have no trouble dealing with that one. It has a pretty satisfying ending imo. Anyways, I think I'm going to try a multi-chapter Drake & Josh story eventually, so be on the lookout for that. If I do decide to write one, it'll appear on my profile under "Upcoming Stories".

Until next time,

- Anonymous1O1