So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

((It's okay ^^ ))

Grace's gaze softened when she saw tears forming in his eyes. She was a bit frightened from how Daniel had come in.. covered in blood. At least the blood was gone but the smell still lingered in the house. Walking over to him, she sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. She didn't know what exactly happened but she guessed there had been a pretty big fight.. a blood bathe. Wiping his tears gently with another kleenex, she bit her lower lip. She hated seeing him cry. It wasn't like him. If he wanted her to she would stay with him through the night and ask their mother if he could just stay at Aunt Rose's with Deserai instead of going to school.

"It's over now." she whispered softly, rubbing his back gently. She wished she knew how to comfort people but she usually pushed them away. Resting her cheek on top of his head, she closed her eyes, letting him cry. She would have probably been in the same state if not worse. Deserai walked in after a few seconds with her kangaroo that she constantly had with her before moving to sit on the other side of Nicholas.

Hearing the door open, she raised her head, a bit tense and her arms tightened slightly around Nicholas protectively. If someone had broken in she wouldn't hesitate to take the butcher knife from the kitchen and fight to protect her siblings.

"Nicholas?" she called out. The drops of blood had lead to the house and her mind was thinking the worst things. Shivering a bit, she locked the door behind her and then quickly walked through the apartment searching for him until she found her children all sitting on Nicholas' bed. Seeing Nicholas she felt a wave of relief swallow her. "Nicholas." she went over to him and sat down in front of the three of them on the ground. Taking him from Grace, she wrapped her arms around him, glad that he was well and alive though the fact that he was crying and had scratches covering his hands worried her.

"Are you hurt?" she pulled him away slightly so that she could inspect him. Kissing his forehead, she noticed that Grace was a bit pale and Deserai was.. silent? What had happened? Holding Nicholas in her arms, she looked down at his hands before she stood up. "What's going on?" she asked Grace who now had an arm around Deserai's shoulders.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas tensed as his older sister walked over to him and sat down beside him, even more so when she wrapped him up in her arms. But, after a moment, he relaxed and leaned against her, burying his face into her shoulder. It was odd, being comforted by her, by anyone really but especially her. The amount of times they fought, he had sometimes wondered if she even liked him. He loved her -she was family, he had to- despite how much they fought. He realized now she must feel the same way.

He lifted his head when he felt the Kleenex against his face, allowing her to wipe away the tears. When she was finished, his head returned to her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist. At her whisper and the steady, soothing motion of her hand rubbing his back, he felt himself start to relax. His eyes closed, a few more tears slipping out. He could have easily fallen asleep right there. When Deserai came in, he opened his eyes but, because of Grace's head leaning on his own, he couldn't look to see what caused the bed to shift. But he didn't need to. He knew it was his younger sister and he was glad of the rare silence that came from her.

He had just started to doze off when the sound of a door opening and the feel of Grace's arms tightening around him woke him. A soft whimper escaped him before he could silence it. However, when he heard his mother's voice, he relaxed again. He opened his eyes and looked over at his bedroom doorway, watching as their mom appeared.

Nicholas watched as she came over to them and knelt down beside the bed. Without a protest, he let go of Grace and let himself be wrapped up in his mother's arms. He couldn't think of anywhere else he would rather be, anywhere he would be safer. Well, that wasn't completely true. There was, without a doubt, no other place he'd rather be but he would certainly be safer in Dan's grasp -calling him Danny sounded odd, even in his own thoughts. The name just didn't suit him. His mother would never be able to fight like Dan had and if Dan fought that hard to protect a kid that wasn't even his own, was practically a stranger to him, he felt sorry for the idiot that dared to try and harm someone Dan cared about.

When his mom asked him if he was hurt, he just shook his head. Just some scrapes and scratches. Nothing a good washing and some band-aids wouldn't fix. Dan was the one who was hurt. Most of the blood had been Damien's but Nicholas had seen Dan get hurt, had seen the gashes.

When she kissed his forehead, he just blinked. He didn't fight, didn't protest. He was just glad to be there. But, when she asked Grace what was going on, he felt the tears come again. Since she had stood up, he wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, pressing his face against her lower chest and upper stomach -he'd always been quite small for his age.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Grace looked up at her, but found that she couldn't find the words to explain what had happened. The blood.. or any of that. A chill ran down her spine. Swallowing, she lowered her head. "Later." later when she could actually speak about it. Picking up Deserai, she patted Nicholas' shoulder, guessing that their mother would stay with him for a while. Putting Deserai to bed, she sat down on the floor afterward and ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. The image of the man covered in blood kept appearing every time she closed her eyes, making her shiver each time.

Picking up her notebook she decided to write a note instead, she didn't know if something would slip about the blood if she started talking and then that would lead to tears and she didn't want anyone to see her crying.

It would probably be best for Nick to just stay at Aunt Rose's for tomorrow. Get some sleep, and calm down a bit.. that type of thing.

She paused for a moment, not knowing what else to write. She would be fine on her own... or at least she hoped she would be. Turning on the TV and watching some comedy would definitely be a good idea so she wouldn't think about someone breaking in and trying to murder her. Folding the paper into thirds, she then got up, causing Deserai to sit up and look over at her with a questioning gaze. "I'll be right back." she told her with a weak smile before going into her mother's bedroom and setting the note on the bed.

Walking back over to Deserai's bed, she pulled her MP3 player from her pocket and sat down on the end of the bed, her back up against the wall. Sticking the headphones into her ears, she listened to the music, hoping it would distract her long enough so that she would be able to fall asleep.

Elenore ruffled his hair slightly, smiling. She was extremely happy that he was safe and at home. She didn't know what she would do if she had found him in a hospital and she didn't want to think about it either. Picking him up once more, she held him close. "Don't ever do that again." she whispered, she didn't want him running off. Carrying him to the bathroom where the sink was, she gently set him down before turning on the water so that it was warm and he could wash his hands while she got some band-aids for his cuts.

Opening the cupboards that were in the bathroom, she pulled out a couple of band-aids before opening them up and waiting for him to finish so she could put them on. Yeah, he could probably do it himself but she didn't want to leave his side until she was absolutely sure he would be fine. All of them seemed a bit spooked and she didn't know why but hopefully someone would be able to explain it to her soon enough. Nicholas' eyes had watered when she had brought it up so she decided she wouldn't question him, the last thing she wanted was for him to be crying. She wanted him to be happy.. though it seemed like she had done a horrible job of that as it was. Taking in a deep breath, she knew she could always ask Daniel if push came to shove. She would forever be grateful for what he had done, he had brought her son back home.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas sniffled quietly when he felt his hair being ruffled -something he'd always hated but was surprisingly comforting given the situation. His eyes closed tightly but that didn't stop the tears from coming out and staining the front of his mother's shirt. His eyes opened again when she picked him up, something he would have been slightly restful of and indignant about had he been feeling better but, as it was, he was grateful that he could still fit in her arms.

At her whispered words, he just nodded and buried his face into the crook of her neck. He would never do it again. Ever. As it was, he couldn't get the images out of his head and it took all his strength not to start sobbing again. He felt them moving out of his room but didn't really care where they were going. At least, he didn't care enough to lift his head. When they stopped and he was set down, he wasn't surprised they were in the bathroom. After all, Dan had told him to get cleaned up for a reason. The city was dirty and his scratches could probably get infected very easily.

He watched, still sniffling, as she turned on the warm water. Stepping up to the sink, he washed out his cuts as best as he could considering they hurt every time he touched them. Even the water hurt when it touched them -the soap hurt even worse- but he tried to clean them as best as possible. Looking at the cut on his neck in the mirror, he knew that should be washed out too but he didn't want to touch it. It would probably hurt a lot -as it was, he could feel it without even touching it. But he resigned himself to the fact that it had to be cleaned.

When the cut was finally clean-ish, he turned his attention to his mother who stood ready with band-aids. He could have gotten them out himself but he was glad she was there. As he was, he couldn't seem to think straight. He probably would have gone to bed without them.


Daniel pulled the truck to a stop just in front of his house, turning off the ignition but not getting out for several seconds. The lights were on in his house. He was only mildly curious about why that was but couldn't bring himself to otherwise care. Pushing open the door, he jumped out before slamming it shut behind him. He was going to have a massive stain to try and clean out of his truck tomorrow but that concern seemed to be a world away, as if it belonged to someone else.

As he walked up the steps to the porch, the front door opened and he wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Michael standing there. As the light was coming towards him, he couldn't make out his friend's face but, judging from the stillness in his form, he was shocked by Daniel's condition. A second later, he was being ushered in, questions thrown at him from every which direction and at such a speed that he didn't even try to answer. He didn't think Michael even wanted any answers, not yet anyway.

Daniel let himself be led to the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub while Michael fussed over him, stripping him of his shirt and cleaning the blood off his face with a wet towel. For a moment, Daniel was caught between laughing and crying. Michael, for as long as he'd known him, had been a father figure to him. Apparently, Michael also had it in him to be motherly as well. He certainly couldn't think of any man who would have fussed over him, at least not like this. And, he had to admit, it was nice.

Once the cuts on his face and hands had been taken care of, Michael told him to take off his pants, having not missed the massive blood spot on his thigh. Daniel hesitated but, in the end, didn't have the strength to put up a fight. Anyway, Michael had seen him in his underwear before. Heaving himself up, he took off his bloodied jeans before sitting back down, grimacing as the pain in his leg finally started registering over the shock.

While Michael 'tsk'ed and lectured him -more for his own sake than Daniel's- Daniel was only half-aware of what the man was saying. His mind replayed what had happened that night. He didn't regret killing Damien to save Nicholas. It was about time somebody killed the b*****d. Now he couldn't hurt anyone anymore. But why hadn't he crippled him? Why hadn't he knocked him out or incapacitated him? Why had he killed him? The fact stared him right in the face and it was a cold one. He hadn't changed at all.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore looked at Nicholas, thinking about getting out some rubbing alcohol and applying it to his wounds. It would probably be better than washing them too. Reaching back into the cupboard, she pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol that she hadn't had to use in years. Getting out some cotton balls as well she then opened it and poured a little bit onto the cotton. Gently she reached out and tilted his head a little so that she could see the cut on his neck. "It will sting." she said softly before dabbing it against the wound, being careful. How had he gotten a cut on his neck? Even if he had fallen, his neck wouldn't be injured if his forehead wasn't even bleeding. It was a small cut.. like it could have been made by glass.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she decided to ask him in the morning.. would he tell her himself? She doubted it. He was a quiet kid. Making sure the rest of the wounds were cleaned with a new cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, she then put the band-aids on letting out a heavy sigh. Elenore then hugged him, holding her only son close, away from harm's way. "Come on, let's get you to bed." she said before picking him up again. It was pretty late and they all would have to get up early. She had to go to work and they had to go to school, except for Deserai.. though from the looks on their faces when she had walked in, she didn't know if Grace and Nicholas would be able to handle it at the moment. Something had scared them, Nicholas most of all.

Walking into his room, she gently set him down on his bed before pulling out some pajamas for him to change into since she doubted it would be that comfortable sleeping in what he was in now. Elenore moved briefly to his window to make sure it was locked from the inside so no one could get in before she let the blinds fall and pulled the blue curtain over them. "I'll wake you up in the morning." she kissed his forehead before saying good night and sweet dreams. Going out of the room, she closed the door behind her so that he could change in the privacy of his own room.

Rubbing her temples, she closed her eyes, her eyes watering at the moment before she headed to her own bedroom. Grace and Deserai should be asleep by that time and she needed to do the same but despite how tired she was, she found that she couldn't really fall asleep at the moment when she tried. Elenore had read Grace's note, she agreed with it, though she planned on sending Grace to Aunt Rose's as well. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she ran her fingers through her hair. She had already taken a quick shower and changed into some comfortable clothing to sleep in and yet she still couldn't fall asleep. Going back out into the hall, she went to the front door, remembering the drops of blood that had lead up to her door.

A chill ran down her spine. Resting her forehead against the cool white door, she closed her eyes and the image of Daniel came up. He had brought her son home.. but something terrible happened in the process. What happened to you? She took another breath of air in before pulling away. That blood had to be cleaned up since she was pretty sure someone would start asking her questions about it tomorrow. Grabbing her jacket and slipping her feet into a pair of shoes, she went out after getting the spare key to the apartment and locked the door behind her.

Everyone was pretty much asleep in the building or they were just locked up in their rooms since she didn't see anyone. She made sure to bring some supplies with her so that she could clean it all up. It took her a good hour or two but she got the job done before she headed back up. Hoping that they were all asleep so that she didn't scare any of them by walking in, she slowly unlocked the door, trying to be as quiet as possible before she stepped inside.

After locking the door, she put away everything she had brought with her and then headed back to her bedroom where she slept, or at least did her best to, for the rest of the night. She was awake an hour before usual which gave her time to turn off her alarm clock and then she got ready for the day, as well as work, before going to the kitchen to make her coffee and give Aunt Rose a call as well.  

[Katydid50]

When his mother reached into the cupboard again, Nicholas felt his stomach clench, even more so when he saw her pull out the bottle of rubbing alcohol. He couldn't remember her ever using it but he knew it burned. He grimaced as he watched her pour some onto a couple of cotton balls. Swallowing nervously, he let her tilt his head back. His neck twinged in pain but he forced himself not to flinch. At her warning, he couldn't help a small, wry smile. At any other time, he would have made some snide comment revealing the obviousness of the statement. But not now. When she finally did get around to dabbing the cut with the cotton ball, he bit his lower lip and closed his eyes tightly. He was not going to cry again, no matter how much it hurt.

The other cuts weren't so bad but they still hurt when his mom dabbed at them with the other cotton balls. Despite himself, he found himself sniffling still. Finally, she put on the band-aids and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, clinging to her. He could have stayed there forever quite contently. There was no one there to hurt him. Not that man from the alleyway. Not those kids at school who picked on him all the time. No one. But, he could not stay there and he was so tired, he could have fallen asleep standing up. So, he offered no resistance when his mother picked him up and spoke of getting him to bed.

Nicholas slid his arms around her neck, laying his head on her shoulder like he had when he was little. Well, littler. He let her go when she set him on his bed and watched as she pulled some pajamas from his dresser. He didn't move but simply watched as she closed his window and locked it before closing the blinds and curtains. Unlike a person would expect, he wasn't worried about someone trying to break in and hurt him or to kidnap him. The man who'd come after him was dead; Dan had made sure of that.

When she promised to wake him in the morning, he nodded, blinking as she kissed his forehead before wishing him goodnight and leaving the room. Sniffling, he rubbed at his eyes which now felt dry and itchy from all the crying he'd done before getting up off the bed and changing into his pajamas with whatever energy he has left. He let his dirty clothes fall to the floor and didn't even bother making an effort to try picking them up. He was just too tired. So, with the last of his energy, he crawled into bed and all but passed out. He slept deeply and dreamlessly until morning.


Daniel winced as Michael dabbed at his wounds with the whiskey-drenched rag. He had no rubbing alcohol but he had plenty of bottles of strong liquor which were who knows how old. They'd been there when he'd moved in and hadn't had the heart to throw them out despite the fact that he didn't drink... anymore. Now, he was both blessing and cursing himself for not throwing them out. On one hand, it would help stop infection. On the other, it hurt!

He hissed aloud when Michael pressed the rag against his thigh. It wasn't a deep cut but it was a large one. Luckily, it shouldn't take too long to heal. But that wasn't really a concern for him right now. Sitting in the kitchen in his underwear while his neighbor practically doused him in whiskey... As amazing as it was, that wasn't what was on his mind. He was still trying to get around the fact that despite his ten years of trying to walk the straight and narrow, he'd killed Damien so easily and without a second thought. He hadn't changed at all. He'd been telling Elenore that he wasn't a good person but he hadn't realized just how much. He was glad that Michael mistook his sullen, depressed expression being caused by having to sit near-naked in the kitchen.

After what seemed like forever, Michael finally left and Daniel made his way to his bedroom, pulling on some clean clothes before walking back out to the kitchen and starting to clean up. His wounds hurt like there was no tomorrow and the bandages wrapped around them didn't help. He tossed the bloody rags into the sink to deal with tomorrow before picking up the whiskey bottle to return to his liquor cabinet. But, almost unconsciously, he lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink before lowering the bottle again and swallowing. And, suddenly, it was like a light went off in him.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

The conversation lasted longer than usual. She explained why she was bringing them all over, after all Nicholas had run off and then when she came back something about the whole home was off. Of course, her Aunt agreed to take them in, get their minds off of whatever had happened that night that had spooked them so much. Now all she had to do was wake them up and break the news to them, she was pretty sure they would rather go there then have to deal with school though she would make sure that Nicholas and Grace brought their homework with them. It would give them a chance to catch up.

Walking up to Nicholas' door, she gently knocked before opening the door slightly so a little bit of light from the hallway flooded his room. "Come on, get up. It's time for breakfast."she said softly, by the time they were ready she would have eggs and bacon on the table. Making sure that he was at least awake before she closed the door, she then went to check on the girls and wake them up as well. Deserai wasn't awake as usual, though she would have probably woken up in a minute or two.

"Get up you two and get ready." she said in a low voice before closing the door once more. Grace had looked a bit drained... Frowning a bit, she then went back into the kitchen where she had a hot pan waiting for her and some raw bacon. Placing the bacon into the pan, she let it sizzle before she moved to the fridge, pulling out some eggs that she placed on the counter. Getting out plates and silverware she quickly set the table and then flipped over the bacon before it began to burn.

Deserai came prancing down the hallway then, fully dressed, she always had been pretty quick, and stood on her tippy-toes near the stove, hoping that she would catch a glimpse of what her mother was cooking. "What is it? What is it?" Elenore couldn't help but laugh slightly, at least Deserai was back to her normal self, maybe the rest of them would be too but then again she could be expecting too much.

"It's bacon." she answered her before Deserai hugged her stuffed kangeroo tightly, grinning a bit as she jumped around the kitchen. She was definitely the energetic one of the family and she would never understand where she got that much energy from. They all ate the same thing for the most part too.

Shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention to the bacon, making sure it wouldn't burn. Placing the thoroughly cooked ones onto a plate, she then cracked the eggs and let the insides fall into the large pan where the yellow yolks began to be surrounded by white circular forms. "Go ahead and tell Nicholas and Grace that they'll be going to Aunt Rose's today with you." she told Deserai, who looked confused for a moment but she didn't ask why since she seemed rather happy about the idea. Deserai would inform each of them rather quickly before going back. She liked being in the kitchen for some reason.. she had never figured out what Deserai's fascination with it was.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas wasn't sure where he was when the knocking on the door -because that was all it could be- reached his ears. He was warm, wrapped up in something soft. Why did he have to leave it? A sudden light poured over his face and he groaned, burying his head deeper into the mound of blankets wrapped around him. But he couldn't stay there forever. His mother's voice and his stomach told him that quite clearly. Slowly lifting his head, he squinted at her before groaning and lowering his head again.

When the door closed again and he was, once again, left in almost pitch darkness, Nicholas remained laying down for a few minutes, allowing his thoughts to wander. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and stay there for the rest of his life. He didn't know how he was going to face the world. Visions of last night replayed in his mind, the most prominent being the one of Daniel being doused in blood as he cut the man's throat. Nicholas knew that image would stay with him for the rest of his life.

No time at all seemed to have passed before his younger sister was in his room, telling him that he and Grace would be going with her to Aunt Rose's. He opened his mouth to ask why but she was already gone. With a sigh, he untangled himself from his blankets and walked over to close his door. After turning on the light, he crossed the room to his dresser and got out a clean change of clothes. After getting dressed, he spotted his clothes from last night still on the floor. A shiver ran up his spine before he picked them up, tossing them into his laundry basket. He took a moment to comb his hair into a slightly acceptable state before leaving his room.

The apartment smelled like cooking meat, bacon if he wasn't mistaken. That was good. He like bacon. But, then, what self-respecting male didn't? Except for vegetarians but they were just weird. Humans had canines for a reason.

As he walked down the hall, he paused at the sight of the front door. He could just imagine himself standing there with Daniel. The blood spots were gone. Probably Grace. If his mother had been the one to clean them up, she would have first had a fit at the sight of them. He was surprised Grace hadn't completely freaked out last night when they'd first come in. He knew anyone else would have.

As he walked into the kitchen, he was still very pale but was no longer ghostly white. He glanced over at Deserai who seemed weirdly happy in the kitchen. He understood that it was a good place -after all, food came out of kitchens- but he just didn't understand her fascination with it. Taking a seat at the table, he frowned down at his hands when he realized they were trembling. It seemed last night had shaken him up more than he'd realized, which was quite a feat indeed.

Leaning his elbows on the table, he rubbed his face. He was glad he wasn't going to school that day. He felt like a total wreck and he knew he wouldn't have been able to put up with all the teasings. As it was, he would probably find some corner of Aunt Rose's house or land to explore and stay there the whole day. He just didn't want to deal with people at the moment. He hoped that no one would fuss over him. That was the last thing he wanted.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore looked over at Nicholas who still looked rather pale.. and he was shaking. Her expression changed to being worried. This wasn't good. She was glad that he wasn't going to school today, sure it could distract him but the thoughts would come back once he was home alone with Grace. Turning the heat down on the stove, she knew he probably wanted to be left alone but how could she do that? She was already worried sick as it was.

Walking over to the table, she reached over and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "What do you want to drink?" she asked him, she still wasn't going to question him about what had happened, he was in a bad state as it was. She walked back over to the fridge, Deserai was already asking for milk so she got four glasses out and filled two with milk, she had her coffee already so she might as well have something else as well. Placing the two cups that were full, she then went back over to the stove to make sure that the eggs weren't burning. They would be done in a minute or so. Pouring Nicholas his drink as well, she then put it down on the table before going back.

Glancing over at the table just as Grace pulled out a chair and sat down next to Nicholas, she didn't look as cheerful as Deserai either. None of them did but at least they were a little bit better. Letting out a small sigh, she put the cooked eggs onto another plate and turned off the stove before moving the pan to the sink and taking the plate to the center of the table. It was so quiet in the house.. of course Deserai would ask questions every once in a while but the other two weren't even annoying each other at the moment.

Sitting down across from Grace, she then motioned for Deserai to sit down as well. She did just that but she also brought her kangaroo along too, setting him down on the chair next to her. "Take any homework that you was assigned with you. I'll call the school and let them know the two of your aren't coming." she put two strips of bacon onto her plate and one of the fried eggs. Elenore wasn't too hungry but she knew she wouldn't have another chance to eat until noon so it was best to be full now.

Grace shivered a bit. She couldn't just not show up today but at the same time she was grateful. Things hadn't been going too good at school, not that they ever had been but now there was more to it. Of course she hadn't exactly told anyone, and she didn't plan on it because she wanted to do everything on her own. Sure, joining a gang probably wasn't the best idea but she had gotten sucked into it. Now with all the blood that she had seen last night, she could only guess that someone had gotten away badly injured or.. maybe even dead. Was that what was going to happen to her? No. She would be smarter than that. Letting out a heavy sigh, she then looked at the food that was on the table and slowly grabbed some, Deserai did the same, and she picked at it with her fork before she cut everything into smaller, bite-sized pieces, barely hearing her mother's voice.
((I can't make it any longer >.< sorry. You can skip to when they're at Aunt Rose's house if you want to. ))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas could easily see the concern on his mother's face. He resisted the urge to sigh; he'd been doing that too often lately. He didn't want her to worry about him. She had enough to worry about as it was. She may not know it but he knew she had been stressed out for a long time. Her worrying about him was only going to add that and that was the last thing he wanted.

He watched as she walked over and squeezed his shoulder. He thought it was supposed to make him feel better but he thought it only made her feel better. It didn't do anything for him. At that point, he thought only time alone would do that. At her question, he thought for a moment before saying, "Juice." He was sure they still had some juice left.

He was glad that she didn't badger him with questions like he knew she wanted to. The images of what had happened last night were still bouncing around in his head and appeared every minute or so, no matter how much he tried to think of other things, even things that usually distracted him thoroughly but they just didn't work.

When the juice got put down in front of him, he reached over and took a drink before putting the glass back down again. He glanced at Grace out of the corner of his eye as she sat down beside him. She must not have said anything to their mother, judging by how little she was fussing. Chances were that he would never thank her for that but he was grateful that she had kept silent about it. Of course, if she knew the whole story, he doubted she would stay silent.

Nicholas watched as his mother and Deserai sat down; it was all he could do not to roll his eyes as his younger sister placed her stuffed kangaroo on the chair beside her. When their mother spoke, he turned his attention to her. Homework. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to get out and explore their aunt's land. He did that every time he went to visit her and yet he always found something knew. Homework? Yeah right. He wasn't going to do any homework.

He pushed that thought from his mind as they started eating. He wasn't hungry at all -in fact, the thought of eating made him feel sick- but he knew he had to. Sliding a couple pieces of bacon and an egg onto his plate, he did his best to eat them though ended up mauling his egg with his fork rather than actually eating most of it. His mother didn't look to be much better but at least she was getting hers down. Grace seemed distracted but at least Deserai seemed somewhat normal, although she seemed slightly less... hyper than usual. He knew that was down to him which only made him feel worse.

He hardly ate more than a strip and a half of bacon. His egg had become scrambled with all the poking and pushing around he did with his fork. He just wasn't hungry. The bacon, which was usually gone within the first minute of it being on his plate, seemed to last forever and the smell made his stomach twist. For a moment, he wondered if Dan was in the same position he was but then pushed the thought away. Dan was bigger and stronger than he was. Surely something like that couldn't have phased him as much as it had Nicholas.

Dan was probably sitting at home, having breakfast, reading the paper or something. What did adults do in the morning if they weren't caring for kids? Then again, he didn't know if Dan had any kids. Maybe he did and he was making breakfast for them like their mom had made for them. But he had been there. Dan had been out looking for him so he couldn't have been at home looking after his own kids so he couldn't possibly have any, right? Or maybe he was married and their mother was looking after them. He glanced over at his mother and pushed the thought away. He didn't think any woman would be very happy if their husband went out after dark searching for someone else's child. No, Dan was unmarried and had no children, so what did he do in the mornings?  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

They probably wouldn't do any homework but at least she could say she tried. Eating slowly, she noticed that no one really seemed too hungry. Nicholas was playing around with his food. Grace chewed slowly and she couldn't quite figure out what Deserai was doing. Frowning slightly at the sight, she knew that at least they could get food at Aunt Rose's if they became hungry there.

"Alright, head out to the car. I'll be down in a minute." she needed to clean the dishes up. Handing Grace the keys, she knew she would be able to open the car. Picking up her own plate, which didn't have a whole lot left on it but that was because she had forced herself to finish. Deserai was already getting her shoes on down the hall so she picked up her plate as well before heading over to the sink and placing them down. Returning to the table to get Nicholas' and Grace's plates, she got the last one as well and put it in the fridge while the other two went into the sink.

No one wanted to eat and they had all been scared yesterday. Nicholas and Grace were still a bit pale but Deserai was almost back to her normal self. Cleaning out the plates and throwing away the food that was left on their plates, she decided that she would take care of the glasses when she came home. Putting the plates into the washing machine, she slipped her feet into a pair of black heels and grabbed her purse. All the kids had already left so she turned off the lights, locked the door, stepped out and closed it.

Her children weren't the only thing she was worried about. Daniel hadn't called.. and Ruggles was one of her worries as well. Daniel she would hopefully see at work and maybe he would be more willing to talk than her children. Sure she couldn't question him at work but perhaps they could meet afterward and discuss what happened. Ruggles on the other hand.. well she couldn't really do anything about him. She needed to keep the job and the only way she could keep it without actually having to do anything she didn't want to, is by staying away from her boss. Avoiding him at all costs.

Sighing softly, Elenore moved down the steps, remembering the spots of blood that she had seen on them. Nicholas hadn't lost that much blood so it must have been Daniel. What in the world had Nicholas gotten himself into? Biting her lower lip, she then pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She wouldn't be able to work if she continued on like this and she was the only one that was playing the bills at the moment. She couldn't afford to take a few more days off.. Shaking her head, she then walked up to the car that was running already, thanks to Grace, and all of them were inside, waiting.

Smiling a little bit, she then opened the door and got in. "Behave yourselves at your Aunt's house. I don't want to hear any complaints from her." not that Aunt Rose would ever complain about the kids, but she knew when it had been a hard day for her. It was silent still.. Deserai was playing with her kangaroo and Grace was staring off into space. She hoped things wouldn't stay like this for long. Pulling out of the parking slot, she then headed out into the country where her children would be staying for the day.

Lowering her head slightly, she couldn't help but think about the man, the man that had been over at their home three times now as far as she knew, that had been covered in blood. It made her shiver a bit. Whatever had happened it hadn't been pretty and the man had come in with quite the attitude.. he didn't want to deal with anything.. any disobedience. It still made her blood boil that he had yelled at her brother.. but as far as she could tell, he had saved Nicholas as well so she might as well let this grudge go. So far Nicholas had been quite about the whole incident. She didn't blame him.. besides, he had become quite once they had moved.. once Deserai was born.. things had been hard and they still were but she guessed that she had gotten a bit more used to it.  

[Katydid50]

In the end, Nicholas didn't eat anymore than he already had. He just wasn't hungry. Memories of the night before kept popping into his mind and made his stomach turn. A few times, he'd been worried that he would bring up what little he had eaten but he never did. Grace didn't seem to have anymore of an appetite than he did. He wondered if she was thinking about last night too, about Dan bringing him home, covered in blood. Dan really had been quite the sight, dripping blood everywhere the way he had been. Nicholas felt horrible about that but he eased his mind by reminding himself that most of that blood hadn't been Dan's, but Damien's. The thought of Damien, and what the man had almost done, made him want to run back to his room, jump under his bed covers, curl into a ball and stay there.

When his mother spoke, he glanced up from his plate before looking back down again before sliding out of his chair. He slowly made his way back to his room, walking over to where he'd discarded his school bad the day before. Reaching down, he picked up the bag and slung it onto his back but hesitated in leaving his room. He felt safe there, like nothing could hurt him. He knew that wasn't true but that was what he felt. A quiet sigh escaped him before he forced himself to turn around and walk out again. Making his way down the hall, he stopped at the front door only long enough to pull on his shoes before he followed his older sister down to the car.

The car was already running when he got down there so he climbed into the backseat. The air was getting colder as winter approached and he was glad that the inside of the car was marginally warmer than outside. Dropping his bag onto the floor in front of his feet, he stared out the side window, hardly even noticing when Deserai joined him. He hoped that Dan, wherever he lived, was warm. On his nightly wanderings, he had sometimes come across homeless people asleep in alleys and cardboard boxes. He imagined it must get pretty cold at night and during the winter. He remembered one time, when he'd been little, that he had been playing in the snow and, somehow, gotten lost. He'd spent hours in the snow and, by the time he'd been found, had been quite miserable, both physically and emotionally. It was like the cold had reached into him and sucked any hope or happiness from him. He hoped never to feel like that again and he hoped Dan never did either.

When he heard his mother's voice, he blinked and looked away from the window. When had she gotten there? Had he really been so deep in thought? Probably. At his mother's warning, he rolled his eyes before looking out the window again. Their aunt never complained about them, even when they had been absolutely horrible. Besides, he didn't plan to stick around his aunt for long. Once his mother left, he'd be exploring. Of course, he did have homework he could be but their mother was crazy if she actually thought he would do it. Grace would probably be the same though he had no idea what she would do instead. Teenage girls were a mystery to him; he wondered if all girls were like that and if it would ever change. Probably not.

The drive to their aunt's house in the country was near-silent, broken only by Deserai playing with her kangaroo. The scenery quickly changed from buildings and concrete to fields, grass and cows. He much preferred the country and couldn't understand why they didn't live there. As far as he could tell, it was a much better, and safer, place than the city. Then again, maybe houses were more expensive out there. That would explain it. Even though their mother tried to hide it, he knew things were pretty tight money-wise. He wished there was something he could do to help but he couldn't think of what.

When Aunt Rose's house came into view, he watched it grow bigger and bigger as they got closer. The fields and forests around it were so tempting. Perhaps he would simply wait until his mother was distracted before going off to explore. The idea of waiting for her to leave made him feel restless, like waiting those few extra minutes were far too long. To him, it certainly seemed like it.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Several minutes later she made a few turns and parked the car in Aunt Rose's driveway. It was gravel, most of the driveways here were like that. It reminded her of Daniel's.. he didn't live too far away. Lowering her head, she heard the doors open. All of them got out. Grace was the last, her backpack in hand before she slid it over one of her shoulders. She knew Grace got into way too many fights. To be honest she wouldn't be surprised if she had somehow gotten herself dragged into the wrong crowd of people.

Nicholas never really talked about school which at times worried her a bit. He didn't seem too happy about it either and by now she had figured out that it had something to do with the kids, not the classes and the learning aspect of school. Running her fingers through her hair, she then got out, deciding to make sure Aunt Rose was still alright with this plan. Deserai was already at the front door hugging her great aunt. Elenore smiled a little bit before seeing Deserai dash into the house after slipping her sandals off.

"I hope this isn't too much trouble." she told her, still feeling a bit bad that she was leaving all of her kids here. If she could afford a babysitter she would but at the same time she didn't know if she would trust some strange person to look over her kids while she was at work. Aunt Rose laughed in response and shook her head.

"Of course not. You know that I love seeing them and I barely ever get to see Nicholas and Grace since you moved out into the city." it was definitely true but still.. the visit had been rather unexpected. "You should come over sometime as well.. relax a little bit." her aunt placed a hand on her shoulder and Elenore lowered her head.

"I will.. sometime.." she promised her before hugging her briefly just before she had to leave since otherwise she would be late to work and knowing Ruggles he would have something planned for her then. "I'll see you later. Call me if something goes wrong." she looked around, not seeing Nicholas but she guessed that he was already inside. Waving good bye as she went back into the car, she then buckled up and pulled out of the driveway.

Another ten minutes or so she was back in the city with her car parked in front of the building where she spent a good number of hours almost every single day. Locking her car, she put her purse over her shoulder. She had never been really that fond of purses but pockets weren't always big enough to fit everything in. The receptionist looked in a rather foul mood this morning, so she avoided her gaze and went straight into the elevator. Everyone knew that the woman spent more than one night with Ruggles. She wasn't interested in gossip but it was common knowledge around this place. This also meant that Ruggles probably wasn't a good mood.. which meant bad things were most likely going to happen.

Ruggles was sitting in his office throwing darts at the wall. The conference had gone.. not so well for him last night. Sure, he did like to play and manipulate with his workers but he did care a lot about his business as well. The new sponsors that they were supposed to get didn't sign the contract, saying that they had found a different company that better fitted their... 'rules' so to speak. Rubbing his temples, Frederico then looked around his office. He had already put a few people on finding new ways to get money for their next project so by the end of the day he expected to have another meeting.. but before then he was pretty much free to roam the building.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas stared out the window as they drove up Aunt Rose's familiar gravel driveway. He hadn't been to Aunt Rose's in a while but everything was exactly as he remembered it. As soon as the car was pulled to a stop, he all but bolted out of the car, grabbing his backpack at the last second. He didn't bother slinging it over his shoulder since he would just be dumping it anyway. He could have brought it with him but he wanted to spend the day outside and that would just be extra weight that he didn't need or want.

After muttering a quick greeting as he passed Aunt Rose, he ducked inside and dumped his backpack in the hallway, though out of people's way so no one risked tripping on it. He quickly navigated the house and slipped out the back door, closing it behind him. Fields rolled away from him while fading into forests to one side. After a quick scan of his surroundings, he quickly headed off towards the forest. After all, he didn't want someone to see him and try to stop him from exploring. He didn't know why they would but he wouldn't put it past them.

Because of the coming Autumn, the colors had faded from deep green to pale greens and yellows. It was still early yet but he thought that it would be a beautiful Fall. All was quiet except for the occasional bird and the sound that he made as he walked through the woods. This was so much better than the city. He didn't understand why they couldn't move back in with Aunt Rose. She had more than enough room and it would be better for all of them.

As he walked, the memories of last night faded to the back of his mind. Yes, this was exactly what he had needed.

((I warned you they would be short))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Once she reached her office, she glanced out the window to look at the parking lot. Daniel's truck still wasn't there. Was the taking the day off? Probably. Frowning a little bit, she slumped back in her chair before turning in a complete circle and then moving so that she was facing her computer. Well.. there was work to do, she knew that much. Checking her work email, she noticed a message from Ruggles but dismissed it. She didn't want to read it and if he asked about it, she could just say she hadn't noticed it.

The fact that Daniel hadn't come meant that something serious had happened last night. She had been trying ot deny all the facts that had been staring her right in the face if not glaring, but now she couldn't do that anymore. Staying at work the whole day would surely be difficult. Calling him here would also.. not be the best idea since Ruggles had come in the last time she had talked over the phone and it hadn't been regarding his business. Letting out a heavy sigh, she then moved her purse onto the floor by her feet and slipped her heels off.

Things were fairly uneventful.. which was both a blessing and a curse. She didn't want to see Ruggles.. but at the same time she needed something to keep her mind occupied. She was good at her job so that didn't take up all of her attention. At first she thought she would get some kind of phone call from Daniel.. but that had been a rather stupid conclusion. Why would he call her? It was driving her up the walls from the fact that she had no idea what had happened to him. The blood on the stairs was probably his. He had been wounded. Not a good sign, not a good sign at all. What if he was in the hospital now? In the emergency room even? No.. then how could he have walked Nicholas up the stairs.. and his car would have been in her parking lot. Ugh.

So.. maybe he was at home.. and just had to patch up a wound.. a really bad wound. She couldn't help but be worried about him. She had tried to deny that she cared for him, deeply cared for him, but now there was no point. Deciding to leave her computer for the moment and get something to drink from the small bistro that was located in their building, she grabbed her purse and locked the door to her office once she left it, that way she wouldn't have any unexpected surprises when she came back.

Elenore looked at the list of drinks that they had posted up on the back wall. She didn't really want anything too fancy. Even a cup of iced tea would do and that's what she ended up asking for. After adding some sugar to it she sat down at one of the small tables, still worried out of her mind. She wanted to bolt out of the building but what would she say once she actually got there? Hi, I saw blood on the stairs.. and my son was completely freaked out so I thought something had happened to you. No. That wasn't going to happen. She guessed she would just find out what she would say once she got there.

Glancing up at the clock she realized that she had completely missed lunch. Wonderful. Frowning, she guessed that she would eat once she got home with the kids. They deserved a good big dinner for once. The one that she had planned yesterday hadn't exactly worked out. The steak was probably in the fridge along with the potatoes. Lowering her head, she then got back up and headed to her office. Only a few more hours left...

((It's okay >.< I have to go for a bit but I'll be back soon (hopefully). ))