Chapter 9
"Get up Sean." Dylan groaned. It was 6 in the morning and they needed to get ready for school. As usual Sean wouldn't get up and Dylan was tired. He had barely slept last night and he just wanted to go to bed again.
"Go get something to eat Dyl." Kyle said, recognizing the signs of a man about to fall over from lack of energy. "I'll take care of Sean and Quinn." Quinn as well was being difficult.
"Thanks Ky." Dylan mumbled, and he walked out of the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen. Dylan walked in to see that everyone else was getting ready for school or work. The wives, except Helen and Heather helped Megan with running the branch and the guys helped Kai with training. Helen and Heather helped around the house, keeping it as clean as possible with 54 people living there, and Alex coordinated the agents.
"Morning Dyl." Megan smiled as she was typing away on her MacBook Pro.
"Morning Mom." Dylan said. He took a seat next to her at the breakfast bench and sighed.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Megan asked, instantly on mother mode.
"I just didn't sleep very well last night." Dylan sighed.
"Something on your mind?" Kai asked, walking over and standing behind Megan's stool. As Kai and Dylan were basically the same person, Kai knew something was really bothering his son.
Dylan sighed at his parents. He could never get anything by them. They read his mind all the time.
"I've been thinking about the Abbey more and more lately. Especially what Mike said yesterday. I just got me thinking about everything." Dylan said looking in his father's eyes. Kai nodded. "I mean, Mattie, Seth, Lil, Jake, Kari, Kara and I are most at risk, but they'll be after Caroline, Morgan, Luna, Ken, Sean, Fi, Maddie, and even Luke and Bells." Dylan sighed, breaking the eye contact. "I just hate having to be on edge all the time. Last time they somehow got Mom and who knows if you guys are still not on their list?" Dylan asked, looking at his mother. He worried about her sometimes. In the beginning she didn't show the affects of being at the Abbey, even after finding out her past, but she had been having nightmares and moments when she thought she was a little girl back in the Abbey, more recently now that Andrei was lose.
Kai noticed the way Dylan was looking at his mother and knew they were on the same line of thought.
"Don't worry sweetie." Megan said, grabbing Dylan's hand and squeezing it with her own. "We got away before and now we know what to expect. We'll be ok, but thanks for thinking of me honey." Megan smiled. She leaned forward and kissed Dylan's cheek. "Now, go get yourself some food, I see that Kyle finally brought Quinn and Sean down and they're going to eat everything in a minute." Megan joked.
"Thanks Mom." Dylan smiled, he glanced at his father, and headed towards the stove where eggs were still laying there.
"I'm worried too Kai." Megan confessed. Kai wrapped his arms around her shoulders and across her collarbone. Megan rested her head in the crook of his elbow, her temple on his arm.
"We all are Megs, but don't worry, as you said we got away before and we know what to expect. It'll be ok." Kai said soothingly, resting his cheek against her temple.
"I hope you're right K-K." Megan mumbled. "I hope you're right."
Isabella walked into the bathroom during her English class. She washed her face in the sink and took a deep breath. Like Dylan, Isabella wasn't sleeping very well. She was feeling the stress of having to watch her back all the time. Having a M16 agent was comforting, but even they couldn't watch them the entire time while they were in school with out raising suspicion.
The door opened as Isabella was about to walk out.
"Kari!" Isabella smiled, seeing the little girl, but she stopped when she realized that Kari was crying. "Oh my gosh, Kari. What's wrong sweetie?" Isabella asked, squatting down in front of her. Kari looked up, her crimson/silver orbs brimming with tears as more tears streamed down her face.
"M-M-Myles t-teased m-m-me." Kari stuttered out.
"Oh, honey, come here." Isabella encircled her arms around the small girl, running her hands through her auburn hair. Unlike her sister, Kari's hair was straight, not curly.
"H-He said t-that my eyes l-look like b-blood o-on a b-b-bunny's f-fur." Kari choked out through the tears.
Isabella held the younger girl closer to her. Everyone knew that Kara and Kari were very soft hearted and didn't like to see anything die. The mental image of a dead bunny would definitely make Kari cry.
"Oh honey, your eyes are beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you any different." Isabella said, pulling away slightly, lifting Kari's face up with a finger under her chin to look into her eyes.
Kari nodded, but tears kept falling down her face. Isabella took Kari in her arms and picked her up, standing up. Kari buried her face in the crook of Isabella's neck as Isabella walked into the hallway. Isabella was heading to Dylan's classroom. She wanted to bring Kari home, and didn't want to get lost on the way. As she made her way to the classroom, she felt Kari fall asleep, her breathing becoming even.
Isabella knocked on the door peering into the classroom. The teacher looked at her questioningly, wondering who she was, but Isabella only had eyes for Dylan.
Dylan looked up to see what his classmates were talking about and saw Isabella holding Kari. When their eyes met, Dylan knew something was wrong and he and Matt and Lily sprinted to Isabella's side. Dylan touched Kari's auburn hair and realized that she was asleep.
"What happened?" Dylan asked, in over-protective brother mode.
"A kid named Myles teased her about her eyes." Isabella said, far past sympathy for Kari and now pissed at this Myles kid.
Lily and Dylan's crimson/silver eyes hardened as Matt's own green eyes looked around the classroom at the curious eyes of the students. One student's eyes however held a gleam of satisfaction. Matt stared hard into Mike's eyes, figuring out that Mike knew something about this.
"Guys, lets go outside for a minute." Matt suggested. He turned to his teacher. "Ma'am our friend here needs to bring our other friend home. Can we help her?"
"Of course. Go ahead. Make sure she gets home ok." The teacher nodded. Matt nodded his thanks and herded his friends out of the view of prying eyes.
"Myles, Myles." Dylan mumbled the name. "Why do I know that name?"
"Mike was looking mighty proud of himself when he over heard Iz." Matt said. "Does that help?"
"Myles Invankov." Dylan said, realizing why the name was familiar. "He's Mike's younger brother, same age as Kari. Why that little-!" Dylan broke off, turning away. Matt, Lily and Isabella clearly saw his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists in anger and rage.
"Mike told Myles what happened and he knew Kari was the youngest, so he went after her." Lily said.
"Dylan, I just want to get her home." Isabella said. "She came into the bathroom crying her eyes out and she fell asleep from emotional exhaustion."
Dylan spun around and touched Kari's cheek tenderly, sighing, as he relaxed.
"Ok, lets go and bring her to the BBA building. Uncle Pat and Aunt Millie are going to want her with them. Good thing I drove today." Dylan said. Then he looked at Matt and Lily. "Can you guys stay here and let everyone know what happened?"
"Sure Dyl. No problem." Lily smiled.
"Thanks guys. Bells, lets go." Dylan said. He put a hand on the small of her back and lead her out of the building.
Lily turned, smiling at Matt.
"Oh no. Don't drag me into whatever your scheming Lil." Matt warned her, seeing it in her eyes. "I don't do match making."
"Oh Matty, yes you do." Lily smiled, dragging her boyfriend, moaning and groaning back into the classroom.
"Here you go." Dylan said as he opened the door of his Audi Coupe. He took one of her hands and pulled her out of the car carefully as her other hand was holding Kari to her body.
"Thanks Dylan." Isabella smiled. Dylan nodded and let go of her hand, letting Isabella hold Kari more securely. Isabella blushed and looked down, trying to hide it.
Dylan smiled, seeing the blush. He opened the front door to the building and let Isabella through first. He led her through the lobby, toward the elevators in the back.
"Lisa." Dylan nodded to the secretary.
"Dylan." Lisa smiled back. She had black hair and dark brown eyes. "Your mother is up in her office and your father's with the 4 year old group in the training room."
"Thanks." Dylan said, leading Isabella to the elevator. He punched in 10 and the elevator led them to the top floor.
They got out and Dylan opened up the glass doors, letting Isabella go through, Kari still asleep.
"Dlwen!" They hear a shout. Kara came running off the couch where she had been watching Spongebob Squarepants.
Dylan smiled and lifted her into the air.
"Hey Ms Kar-Kar." Dylan said.
Kara smiled, but then her focus is shifted to Kari.
"What Kawi doin hew?" She said, leaning closer. Dylan let her, stepping closer to Isabella, their shoulders touching. Isabella blushed again. "Kawi cwing?" Kara asked. Dylan looked down and realized that Kari's tear stains were visible and Isabella felt his body stiffen in rage. Kara must of felt it too as her eyes started tearing.
"Oh, Dylan, Izzy, what's wrong?" Megan asked walking in. "Kara? What's wrong? And why are you holding Kari, Izzy?"
"Kawi cwing..." Kara cried. Dylan rocked her and whispered soothing words in her ear. As Dylan calmed Kara, Megan walked up to Isabella and Kari.
"What happened Iz?" Megan asked her, leading her to the couch were she could rest her arms.
"Mike's younger brother Myles teased Kari about her eyes." Isabella reported. "Says they looked liked blood on a bunny's fur."
"Oh my gosh, poor Kari." Megan said touching her auburn tresses. Through all the noise and now Megan touching her hair, Kari stirred from her sleep.
"Izzy?" Kari mumbled.
"Right here sweetie. And Aunt Megan is here as well honey." Isabella said soothingly. Kari sat up, whipping her face, feeling the dried tear stains on her cheeks.
"Aunt Meggy?" Kari asked, her eyes trying to focus with remaining tears still in her eyes.
"Right here sweetie. I heard you went through a lot this morning. Huh?" Megan asked, taking Kari from Isabella.
"Y-Yea, Myles teased me about my eyes."
"Your eyes are beautiful. You have the same eyes as your cousins, remember?" Megan smiled.
Kari nodded, a smile forming on her face. Dylan walked over and sat on his mother's other side. Kara scrambled out of his hold and crawled to sit next to her sister, who was wedged between Isabella and Megan.
"Kawi ok?" Kara asked.
Kari nodded taking her younger sister onto her lap. "I'm ok Kara. Thanks for asking." Kari smiled. Kara smiled and settled into her older sister's lap, falling asleep.
"He what?" Sean screamed. It was lunch time and Matt and Lily had just told them the story. Everyone was pissed, but like Dylan was the closest to Kara, Sean was the closest to Kari.
"Yea, Dylan was about to rip out his eyes too." Lily said.
"Chill Sean, he'll get what's coming to him." Taylor said. Sean calmed down some what at Taylor's voice but he was still pissed off.
"Dylan and Izzy brought Kari to the BBA building." Matt said.
"Poor Kari." Fiona sighed. "Her and Kara are so fragile when it comes to that stuff."
"That asshole is going to get it now." Mathilda cursed.
"Easy does it sis." Seth joked. "I think Dyl has dibs."
"I don't care. I wanna piece of him too." Mathilda hissed.
"Don't worry Mattie." Quinn said. "We all do."