The kitchen was filled with girlish laughter and cheerful conversation. The scent of spices and herbs filled the air, and the room itself emitted a pleasant vibe, what with its fresh pale-yellow wallpaper, shining black surfaces and well-hoovered wooden floor. The faint pounding of rain outside was ignored by the small family inside. A woman was just serving a plate of fine looking exotic meal to one of her children. She was tall, thin, and her hair twirled in little curls framing her drawn face, but her tired eyes held such a light to them as she laughed with her children. There were three of them. Two daughters and a son.
"Lisa pass the salt please." the eldest daughter (around the age of 16) was the spitting image of her mother, only her eyes were a lighter shade of blue, and there was more colour to her young face.
Lisa, the youngest daughter, ignored her.
Their mother sighed, "Lisa." she warned.
"But mommy, Cassie-"
"I don't care whatever Cassie did, pass the salt."
Lisa huffed, folding her stubby arms stubbornly. At 7 years old, she was at the age where she was able to think things up herself. Her mother was thrilled, but it also meant that she was the most stubborn child that had ever walked the planet.
Suddenly, a muscled arm grabbed the salt and put it down on the other side of the table by Cassie.
"Hilary!" Lisa wailed in fury.
Her brother smirked at her, and Cassie huffed in satisfaction. Their mother smiled fondly as she looked at her middle child, her only son. Hilary, at 14 years of age, was tall and fairly well muscled. He had dark eyes like his father, but his mother's dark hair, which he had swept to the side from his parting. Well, SHE swept it aside while he grumbled about how annoying she was. All the same, he was a good boy, and she knew how much he loved his sisters.
Suddenly, the pounding of the rain and the furious wind grew louder, and the woman froze. It could only mean he was home. The sound of heavy boots entering the hall and the door slamming shut made her jump a little, and hen her husband walked in. George's hair was soaked, as were his clothes, and he dropped all his stuff in the middle of the doorway, but she wasn't about to tell him to move it. She didn't dare.
"Daddy!" Lisa cried, jumping up and leaping into her father's arms while he chuckled and swung her round.
"How you doing sweetie?" he grinned, putting her down.
"Hey dad." Cassie greeted with a warm smile.
"Hey hon. Good day at school?" George asked.
"It's school. Of course not." Cassie stated bluntly, earning a rumbling laugh.
Hilary remained silent, back turned to his father, and his mother was torn about whether that was the safe option, or the dangerous one.
"Cassie and Hilary stole the salt from me!" Lisa cried dramatically to her father.
George glared at Cassie with fake anger, "Oh," when he turned to look at Hilary (well, his back), his wife noticed immediately how the glare turned genuine, "Did they now?"
Cassie laughed, not noticing, "Sorry dad!" she turned to her mother, "Can I go upstairs? I have a paper due tommorow." Before she even had an answer, the girl was bolting up the stairs.
"Can I try your makeup?!" Lisa cried, racing after her, and the squabbling faded as they got upstairs.
George looked at his wife, "Annie, is what Lisa told me true?" he said stiffly.
She swallowed, "George it wasn't anything serious, Lisa wasn't cooperating-"
Suddenly, George gripped the back of Hilary's chair firmly in his palm, "Is that what happened? Did you steal from your sister?"
Hilary remained silent, eyes fixed straight ahead.
George huffed, then turned and closed the door, locking it. Annie winced, knowing what was coming.
Before she knew it, her son was on the floor, gripping the side of his face with one hand, and George's hand was drawn in a fist that had just scored its mark.
"George please!" Annie whispered.
"The boy has to know his place, Annie." George grunted, circling his son, who by now knew better than to try standing up, so he just sat there silently.
Annie closed her eyes and leaned back against the counter top, gripping the cold surface with her hands.
She didn't watch as she heard the familiar thumps of boot against side, the grunts of pain and the angry mutters of fierce scolding. Over time, it grew louder and louder, until she was shocked the girls didn't come to investigate. It baffled her how they had never guessed the events that happened once they were safely locked away in their perfect home, and the room they had socialised so cheerfully in became a torture room.
She opened her eyes in shock when she heard a faint whisper, "you bastard..."
She stared in horror as George stepped back, frozen and stiff, "What did you say?" he demanded.
Hilary looked up at him, and narrowed his eyes defiantly, "you. Bastard." he said firmer.
George stared at him, then he started throwing kick and punches at anything he could see.
Annie whimpered and rushed in, gripping her husband's shoulder, "George! George that's enough, stop it!"
She somehow tore him away from her boy, and he glowered down, panting. For a moment, she feared he might turn on her, and cowered in fear, but then she saw him pull away and unlock the door, "I'm going to the pup." he grunted, trudging out. She waited until she heard the front door open, the pounding rain and furious wind, then the clang of the door shutting again.
The moment she heard that clang, she dropped down by her son, "Baby? Baby he's gone, you're okay." she whispered, cradling him in her arms and stroking his hair while he leant into her, with his head on her shoulder. She could hear the silent sobs and it brought tears to her own eyes. So long, it had been going on for so long that her boy was able to hold in the pain no matter how much he was hurting, physically and emotionally. So she didn't press him. She just stayed with him cradled in her arms, telling herself constantly that she would leave the man who did this to her only son. Trouble was, she never did.
She didn't notice the two pairs of eyes watching from behind the door. A black-clad man, muscular body and strong frame, with dark eyes and dark hair that was swept to the side, and beside him was a small woman with pale skin and chestnut brown hair with eyes the colour of the afternoon sky, so full of life.
"First anomaly and you get stuck with this one,eh?" the man muttered quietly.
The woman placed a hand on his arm, "Why didn't you tell me Becker?"
"Never came up, and nobody cares about my oh-so tragic past." he grunted sarcastically, eyes on the scene.
The woman looked back at the boy, then at the man, and reaching on her toes, kissed him lightly on the cheek, "I care." she said quietly.
It seemed to snap him out of the hard mask, and he turned to her with the soft features he showed only to her, his eyes glittering slightly with tears, "I love you Jessica Parker."
"And I love you Hilary Becker." she said with a loving smile.