Halley...

Melody decided she wanted to stay with me this weekend and obviously I agreed. "Melody after you eat you have to take a bath." I say.

"Okay." she sighs. 20 minutes and 12 homework questions later Melody finally finishes eating.

"Alright Mel, go get your clothes I'll start the water."

"Yes." she agrees jumping off the school and running to 'her' room. I walk into the bathroom and turn on the water making sure it is warm before Melody comes back. A few minutes later Melody into the bathroom. I help her into the bathtub and start washing her hair. I shampoo and condition her hair when I finally notice a mark on her arm.

"Melody what is this?" I ask gesturing to the purple bruise on her little arm.

"I-I don't know." I take a closer look at it and notice it's kind of in the shape of a hand.

"Who did this to you?"

"It was an accident." "Melody who did this to you?" I order.

"It was an accident, he didnt mean it."

"Oh hell to the no you arent starting this if a boy ever hits you and I mean ever you tell some one. So now that being said who the hell did this to you?" I snap.

"He didn't mean it, he was just upset I broke his guitar." she states.

"Melody Hope Parker who in fucks name did this to you?"

"D-Daddy." she mumbles.

"You're done." I say plucking Melody out of the water.

"Really?"

"Yep." I answer drying Melody off quickly. After having to pick Melody up from Lacey's twice now I have her phone number. I let Melody get dressed while I step out of the room and dial Lacey's number.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Lacey, this is Halley, Melody's aunt. I was just wondering if you could watch Melody for a few hours while I talk to Michael for a couple hours?" "Tonight?" she questions. "Um yeah if that's ok." "Sure, sure just drop her by."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem. See you soon." she agrees. We hang up the phone then I go into the bathroom and help Melody finish getting dressed. After pulling on her hoodie and tying her shoes I do the same for me and then we get in the car.

"Auntie Halley where are we going?"

"You're going to visit Miss Lacey for a little bit ok?" "Why?" the little girl questions.

"I have something to do for a little bit."

"Ok."the little girl agrees.

They say that anger is a blinding emotion and they are right. I don't remember driving to Lacey's, dropping Melody off, or knocking on the door. The first thing I remember clearly is pounding on the door of the 5SOS boys house. "Hey Halley-" "Move." I order pushing past Luke.

"Halley whats up?" he questions.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Who the fuck do you think I'm talking about? Where the hell is Michael?" I snap. "I heard my name." Michael says popping on up from the kitchen.

"You fucking bastard." "What did I do?" He asks. "You hurt her. You fucking hurt her Michael! She broke your guitar big deal, you have enough money to bye twelve damn guitars and more, but instead you decide to be a pissy little bastard and hurt her! You're such a fucking dick what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Halley look I'm really sorry-"

"Yeah because sorry's fix everything." I interrupt rolling my eyes. "Sorry's mean nothing Michael. When you got a bad grade and apologized did it fix the fact you got an F? When Geordie cheated on you and said sorry did it take back what she did? When someone apologizes when someone dies does it bring that person back? No, so your apology means nothing absolutely nothing."

"I know I was wrong Halley it will never happen again."

"You're damn straight it won't happen again, I will make sure of it." I spit.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I will see you in court." I explain.

"Y-you don't mean..."

"Yeah I'm going to fight you for custody, that is exactly what I mean."

" Y-you can't." he stutters. "Watch me." I spit.

"Halley I think you're over reacting that is his daughter he can discipline her." Luke buds in.

"Do you have an excuse for him forgetting her at school? Can you explain to me why Melody thinks her dad doesn't love her? Does she want to live with me because shes his daughter? Tell me Luke am I really over reacting?"

"Halley this is new to him cut him some slack." Luke reasons.

"This was new to me too, but I still took care of her instead of going out and partying like every other 20 year old. There is no excuse good enough to explain why he is such a terrible father, not one, so when you stop being so blind you will realize I am not over reacting."

"Halley you can't do this." I whip my head around to see Calum standing on the steps.

"I can and I will. It will be better for everyone anyway, you guys can go back to touring the world, and Melody and I can go back to being normal."

"Halley think with in reason, this is crazy he is her dad."

"Why is that an excuse for everything? He's her dad this, he's her dad that. Just being her dad means nothing, acting like her dad is what means everything."

"Halley please." Michael begs his voice cracking. "Please don't do this please. Give me another chance please." he says on the brink of tears.

"Michael I've given you a second chance and a third. You can't hide from reality forever, you know I'm better for Melody."

"What about Emily? Emily wanted Michael to have custody are you really going to go against her wishes?" Calum asks.

"Emily wanted what was best for Melody and at the time she thought that Michael was better, but once again I was right. I told her. I told her Calum." I hiccup.

"Halley are you crying?"

"No." I deny wiping at my eyes. "I have to go." I say shuffling out the door.

I walk a few feet down the side walk before I hear him. "Halley! Halley where are you going?!"

"Go away Calum." I order choking on my tears.

"Halley listen to me."

"What?! What do you want? Do you want to tell me I shouldn't do this or that I simply can't? Because if so just leave me the fuck alone because I am doing whats best for Melody."

"No I just- I wanted to make sure you were ok." he says scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm fine."

"Then why are you crying?" I sigh shakily running my hands through my hair.

"He was my best friend." "What?"

"I may not like Michael, but for years he was my best friend. Yeah we argued, but we also had fun, we got along sometimes and when we did we had so much fun. I told him all my secrets, I cried on his shoulder, I asked him for advice, he was my best friend and here I am making him cry. That hurts Cal. It really fucking hurts, but I have to do this because Melody needs me and I need her."

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do. Calum I promised. I promised her, I promised Emily I would protect Melody at all costs. I have to do this." I explain.

"Melody isn't in danger." "She's scared of him Cal, she refused to tell me why she had a mark on her arm. She sounded just like a girl does when her boyfriend hits her and she doesn't want anyone to know, I can't let her be like that ever."

"Halley-"

"Tell Michael I'm sorry and that I'll see him in court." I say walking away wiping my tears. I'll be back to get Melody soon.

-

Calum...

"Tell Michael I'm sorry and that I'll see him in court." Halley says walking away. I sigh watching the brunette stalk away from me heading the other direction. After a while of just watching her I decide to go back inside. I open the door and slam it behind me.

"She can't do this." I hear Michael mumble when I walk into the living room. He is sitting with his head in his hands while Luke and Ashton are trying to comfort him.

"You did this to yourself." "Cal, not now." Ashton warns.

"No Ashton he needs to hear this and he needs to hear it now." I say sternly. "Michael you did this to yourself and as much as it pains me to say this I'm on Halley's side here. You aren't being a good dad and Melody needs someone and right now you aren't looking like that someone. So, step up or step out don't be in between. Either be a dad or let Halley have her it's your choice Michael, but I don't want to hear how Halley shouldn't do this to you because if this is what it takes to make you take action then so be it. This is hurting Halley as much as it's hurting you. She wants you to succeed Michael, she wants you to be a good dad, but she can't make you and she has to look out for Melody."

"Halley doesn't care about anyone but herself Calum, she's doing this to hurt me."

"Oh yeah because that's why she's outside sobbing because she has to do this to you. She hates this Michael, but she has no other choice. You didn't give her a choice Michael, you forced her hand. You made her do this Michael and she knew from the beginning she was going to have to do this to you and that is why she never wanted you to have custody. She fucking knew it." I spit walking up the stairs and slamming the door to my bedroom. "Ugh." I huff lying down on my bed.

I don't really know how to feel right now. I'm feeling a bunch of different emotions. I'm angry because Michael isn't taking the blame for his own damn mistakes, he won't man up and admit he's wrong so instead he's going to blame it on everyone else, as per usual. I'm sad because no matter what he's my band mate and my brother and seeing him so distraught with tears in his eyes is fucking painful. And then I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I don't know what it is and it hasn't really left for three days. It wasn't very strong until I saw Halley crying and then it was like bam there. It's really hard to describe, but I will try anyway. Have you ever had a feeling so strong it made you feel physically sick, I'm not sure if it's guilt, pity, or maybe love. It can't be love. Can it? No, I've only known her for a few months. I kissed her though, but that doesn't mean I love her. But that doesn't explain the butterflies that pop up every time I see her. Quit being ridiculous Calum you don't love her. You can't love her. She doesn't want to be loved.

I'm sorry that it has taken me forever and a day to update and then the update is short ughhhhh. Anyway I'm going to set a schedule for this story now.

I'm going to try to update every Thursday or Friday. anyways sorry.

Okay and I also wanted to say thank you so so so so so so much for almost 500 reads because I know that it's not very many but it's the most I've ever had on a fanfic so thank you so much.

The last thing is dedication. So this dedication definitely goes to fangurlbandgurl I totally recommend her story "24 hours" because it's one of the best horror books I have ever read and yeah it's just like amazing.

Ok this really really long ass author note is finished now.

I love you mystical bananas.