Picking Up The Pieces
Other: Sorry! My laptop broke and luckily I got a new one for christmas! I wish I could update faster but I find it hard since I am doing so many stories at the same time. :( This story is close to ending though, maybe after Fear comes out I can do a possible sequel that focusses more on Caine's problem and Drake's craziness?
Mia: 1) I know they are my all time fav as well :D 2) Well he is a scary guy... 3) Don't worry, Zil will get a nasty surprise soon *evil laughter* and finally... Sorry I took so long! I have four different stories on the go at the moment as well as Christmas coming and going and so much Homework for college! I will try to keep updating though!
Arrowkid21: I know but apparently pigs blood is the thing most people use when they are tormenting people. Most commonly used to humiliate someone they pretend to vote for for Prom Queen or when they're standing in front of a load of people or whatever.
Alyssa: Glad you like it so much! Thank you!
Chapter Twenty Five
Diana had personally taken Caine back home after she had pushed aside her tears and fear in the middle of the field. He was much calmer when he was switched, even if he was also a lot more frightened and whimpery at least he didn't scream throwng things around. It made it easier to be around of him but she still didn't like this Caine. She liked the old Caine, no matter how much of a brute. She had helped support him for the whole ride and ignored all the strange looks she got of people that either hated him or were wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Then again there was the prank Zil had pulled on the two.
"We must look a right pair..." Diana mumbled. Mostly to herself because there was no way that Caine was listening to her.
And they did. Both of them were drenched through to the skin with a small amount of pigs blood staining their clothes. A few people were not looking closely enough to care but those that did looked terrifed, glanced at Caine, and ran away. Diana glared after them and shouted that it was pigs blood or that they should just ask Zil what happened and he'd have a right laugh with them about it but most of them either didn't hear her or they didn't care either way.
The worst part was when they got back to The Temple house hold. Sam was outside, talking with Astrid. They were holdings hands, sitting close together on the steps that led up to the door and smiling like they had been on a date very similar to the one Diana and Caine had been on before they were attacked. When Sam looked up he froze and Astrid's gaze quickly followed his to feeze at the same time.
"What the hell?" Sam shouted, jumping up and dropping Astrid's hand.
"Ask Zil!" Diana shrieked angrily.
"He did this?" Astrid gasped, walking over to them.
"Oh noooo, I just decided to tell you to ask Zil how Caine and I decided to run into a pool of pigs and slaughter them messily with our hands!" Diana snapped, tears filling her eyes again. She was so angry at Astrid the Stupid Genius for being so stupid! She angry at Sam for not being there for his brother! She was scared of Caine for getting so angry and she was so scared of Zil for what might happen to him and what would then happen to Caine in retaliation to that from the rest of the town that already hated him!
Astrid frowned slightly at Diana. Clearly she did not appreciate the sarcasm. Instead the two shared a very cold look before Caine whimpred and their eyes found him instead.
"Are you okay, Caine?" Sam asked in a whisper.
"I'm wet." Caine mumbled in a child like voice, staring down at his arm with wide eyes of how damp he was.
"I know, come inside and we'll get you dry." Sam said as calmly as he could but his voice was shaking and his hands were just as steady.
Caine nodded slowly and let Sam drag him along by the arm towards of the house. Diana watched them go and waited to see if she should go with or head back to her own home and change out of her own dripping clothes. Astrid ended up answering that question for her.
"Come on, Diana. We'll get you cleared up too." Astrid said kindly, nodding for her to go ahead of her.
"Thanks." Diana smiled and for once she honestly meant it.
The four went inside where Connie was having a nap in her room alone. Sam took them both to the kitchen where he began to fill a bucket with warm water in silence. He grabbed a pair of warm small cloths from the side that they used to wash the dishes with and dropped them into the bucket of water to soak for a minute before turning to Astrid.
"Can you go upstairs and get some clothes for Caine? And maybe one of my mums old dresses for Diana? They could both do with changing out of these." Sam asked.
"Sure." Astrid nodded, turned around and disapeared to his bedroom.
Diana immediately began to clean her face and hair first by herself with the cloth to get rid of some of the sticky blood that was clinging onto her. She did this slowly and carefully, staring at herself in the dark glass of the microwave as she did while Sam gently help Caine rinse himself down. They washed most of the pigs blood off which wasn't that hard because it was all rather watery anyway but they scrubbed a bit more to get the sticky feeling off of them and making them feel less disgusting.
"Here." Astrid said, gasping as she jumped back into the room and revealing a small pile of clothes hanging over her arm.
"I'll change in your main room." Diana stated, snatching the yellow summer dress from Astrid and disapearing from the room. She walked with her head held high in a very Diana-way.
Astrid lay Caine's clothes down on the kitchen counter beside of the seat and over the bucket of water before she turned around and quickly followed her. It would give the boys time to change.
Sam felt awkward seeing Caine naked so he left his boxers on, especially since they were not even that damp to begin with. He helped peel off the rest of his clothes. Caine was no help and seemed to fight Sam every step of the way. He struggled to remain in a tight ball hiding from the world, even after he got the soaking clothes off. Then he used the clothe to clean up the rest of his body. Another thing that felt weird. Normally Caine would do it himself or if he was switched then they just left him until he snapped back, otherwise Connie would do it. Touching Caine and seeing Caine like this was just awkward for Sam.
When Caine was dressed in his new clothes, a pair of jeans and a warm wool jumper with a pair of thick socks and a jacket to keep him warm. When he was done he called to Diana and Astrid back. They didn't take very long before they were stepping back into the room ready as ever.
Diana could have looked better. The outfit was clearly the wrong size and shape for her and looked so odd on her frame but it was not that bad (a long light pink top of his mothers that looked like it was a dress on her that reached down to her knees and a pair of shot sleeves that reached down to her elbows). Her hair was a whole other matter completely. Half of it was frizzy from drying off with pigs blood and the rest was lank and dripping with water and stiff sticky pigs blood that she had not managed to wash out completely. Still she somehow managed to look reasonably pretty as she wiped the rest of the sticky blood from her cheeks and from under her nails.
Astrid seemed to notice this and stared at Diana with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. But then she shook it off and smiled at Sam and Caine.
"So why don't you tell me exactly what happened..." Sam said as he tried to get the worst of it out of Caine's thick brown hair. It needed a cut but Caine didn't trust Connie near his head and when he was switched it was dangerous to put anything sharp near his head.
Diana sighed and pulled herself up on the counter as she tried to pick at her perfect nails clean. She brushed some of her hair from her face and looked at Sam before rolling her eyes slightly like she got that question all the time... Which she probably did when Sam thought about it. They all pretty much got asked if they could tell someone exactly what happened before, before, during and after the FAYZ.
"Caine and I were having a very romatic moment. It was perfect." She paused and smiled like she was showing off to the two of them. "Probably better than you and Astrid could pull of actually. But then Zil and his stupid friends showed up and threw stuff at us. There had to be a dozen of them to throw so many at a time. Next thing I know they're chanting some weird rhyme and running off like scared babies. Caine recognised Zil's voice and went crazy. Starting screaming how he was going to get Zil and the teacher as soon as he snapped back to himself. Quite freaky if you ask me. Then I dragged his sorry state back here for you to clean up."
"Great. Just what we needed to deal with..." Sam grumbled under his breath.
"What are we supposed to do?" Astrid mumbled. "Caine will get in so much trouble if he goes for either of them..."
"No duh!" Diana snapped rolling her eyes again.
"Are you going to be helpful at all?" Astrid asked. "Because right now you are beyond useless."
Diana and Astrid scowled at one another as Sam sighed and shook his head. What a time for the two to start arguing now.
"Girls? Another time? We don't have long to come up with an idea before Caine snaps back and goes on a crazy rampage!" Sam groaned.
Both girls fell silent and stared at Sam with a half guilty, half emabarrassed expression on their faces. Astrid was the first to notice and visibly tensed.
Caine blinked and frowned at him, slightly annoyed. "I am not crazy, Sam."
"Oh... Hi." Sam grinned weakly, blushing slightly and looking very uncomfortable now.
"I am not crazy and I am not going on a rampage." Caine said, pushing passed him to the door. "That implies that I do not have a plan."
Sam could almost hear the smirk placed carefully on his lips. He felt a tight anger fill his chest. He wanted to shout or at least demand that Caine listen to him. But instead he waited too long to speak and Caine turned, disapearing towards of his room and slamming the door behind of him. Sam took in a deep breath and shook his head angrily, before he turned to caught gazes with the girls. Both of which has an expression on their faces like a group of students trying not to laugh at the monkey boy of the class while he was taken from the classroom.
"Don't say a word." Sam grumbled.
"We're not." Diana smirked. "We're just standing here, smiling away."
"Why don't you just go and make yourself useful by talking to Caine." Sam snapped. He really hated Diana's smirk. And he was starting to agree with Astrid about Diana being pretty more or less useless.
Diana's smile dropped. She stared at Sam with cold, almost dead, eyes. He stared right back at them. In the end Astrid grew bored and pushed Diana in the direction towards of the door, breaking their staring contest. After a moment of resistance, Diana then turned and made her way after Caine. Sam watched her the whole way she went and only looked away when he could not see her anymore.
"I should be jealous that you're watching other women so closely." Astrid noted lazily.
"What?" Sam blinked.
"Is there something wrong?" Astrid asked, frowning slightly at him. "You're worrying me, Sam."
"I just am curious about her. I never know where Diana stands with us." Sam explained.
"Me either." Astrid sighed. "Let's just assume she's on whatever side Caine is on and Caine is on no ones side but his own so it is up to us to keep everyone else that goes near him, safe."
"What about keeping Caine safe?" Sam noted.
"I would like to." Astrid shrugged. "But... We cannot really keep Caine safe if he doesn't want to be safe. He needs to work too."
"I know but... It's Caine." Sam shrugged like that answer was enough for all.
"Sorry, Sam. But you can't save everyone. Especially those that do not want to be saved." Astrid shrugged.
Before he could reply, she walked over and kissed him sweetly on the corner of his mouth, shutting any words that had begun to build in the back of his throat. He watched as she gave another, almost sad, smile before turning and marching from the kitchen. Sam listened and heard the door slam behind of her.
"Girls..." Sam sighed. They were all so confusing to him.
That day as Connie made dinner for them all she made an extra plate for Diana who was staying longer than Sam thought she would. Connie could only be as happy to do so in hopes that maybe she being here would soften Caine up. Like that would ever happen!
Caine seemed more cheerful to have Diana around in the end, and although he ignored everyone else as they ate, he still made some kind of conversation. It was funny watching him smile so much while actually in Connie's presence. Sam found himself watching Caine more closely than he did any other night. They needed to find some sort of way to keep Caine from doing something incredably stupid and getting someone as well as himself killed.
But what sort of thing were they supposed to say or do? Caine was going to do whatever he wanted whether they told him to do so or not.
Sam stared at Caine for most of the meal and watched him and Diana disapear when they were done. He stalled for a moment and then offered to help Connie with the cleaning just like it was any other day. Silently Sam swore he would keep Caine safe from himself as well as from Nerezza who he was still pretty sure trying to do something awful to his brother.
000
Nerezza smirked to herself and stepped up to Astrid's home. It was almost pitch black outside and there was not a star in the sky as all of them were hidden behind of thick grey clouds threatening to rain down on the people bellow. Astrid's home was rather big actually. They had to move because Drake burned it down but they had chosen a nice house that seemed almost as large as any other house on the street and was as posh as her old house with just as many rooms to show off just how much money everyone in the family had to waste while other children still starved or struggled with single parents.
The house was a pretty white colour and Astrid was up in her bedroom reading one of the man thick complicated books she owned. Her own bedroom was painted white and her flooring had light pink carpet with blue ceiling and a set of cherry sheets on snow white blankets with matching pillows. She had brought a whole new set of books to go on her large double set book case beside of her matching chest of draws and walk in cupboard. Everything about her room screamed posh snot that got basically whatever she wanted. It made Nerezza sick to think of how everyone still seemed to look up to her.
Astrid's parents were eating in the kitchen, small snacks with cups of coffees and teas sitting beside of them at the table as they discussed normal things. Despite many of the claims the parents had been able to get away with pretending like everything was normal. There was no proof that their youngest child could or would have done anything that everyone was sure he did. He was just a baby and even the scientist and freak hating parents found it hard to believe that Pete was as powerful as they said. And while yes their daughter had done a lot in the FAYZ there was no power she had which just made her a sort of hero but not one big enough to be loved by mutants or loved by normals. They were one of the few that could play pretend without any worries and get away with it.
And of course Little Pete would be up in his room sleeping away. His room would no doubt be smaller than Astrid's but it would still be as lovely with blue and green walls and ceiling with a puzzle baby carpet spread out along the floor and its own set of chests and draws for his little baby clothes to rest. He would have a toy box for his toys and a seperate box for his learning equipment and then his bed where he would be sleeping under soft Tomas The Tank Engine blankets and matching quit and pillows. And that was who she was after, after all. Little Pete was Nerezza's only care.
She would have probably waited longer and messed with the Temple family a bit more. Given Caine more nightmares so that Sam really was too busy to stop her but time was running out and she needed this done and dusted soon. Drake and Raven were out and ready for her. Time for Nerezza to do her side of the plan. If anything she had the easy part.
Nerezza shut her eyes, when she opened them she was in Pete's room. Pete was lying in his bed and he seemed to be fast asleep, also dead from the world. He was cute curled up like that but Nerezza remembered just who he was. A very powerful young boy. He was so powerful that even with him sleeping, Nerezza was nervous to be approaching to boy before picking him up and turning around, making her way towards of the window.
And then, just as she had appeared in the room. She disapeared again. With Pete.
000
"SAM!" Astrid shrieked.
"Astrid?" Sam moaned, sitting up in his bed. He had hardly any sleep that night. Most of his time had been spent dealing with Caine who was having worse nightmares and seemed to be switching even more than normal. He was such a fuss and had actually thrown both Sam and Connie across the room at one stage forcing Connie to go down to the hospital to see to an almost broken arm.
"What the hell does your girlfriend want?" Caine moaned, not raising his face from his pillow. He had it easier and was in fact a sleep most of the time, but that didn't mean he liked being woken up by a screaming girlfriend of his brothers.
"How am I supposed to know?" Sam growled as he stumbled out of his bed and fell down face first onto the floor before he managed to pick himself up again.
"SAM!" Astrid shouted again when Sam stuck his head through the window.
"Astrid? What are you doing here so early?" Sam moaned, rubbing his eyes.
"It's Petey!" Astrid sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's gone! He's just disapeared! We can't find him anywhere! You have to help me find him!"
"What?" Sam frowned, not completely understanding what she was saying this early in the morning.
"He's just gone! Disapeared! No one has seen him!" Astrid sobbed. "But a man said he said a girl our age carrying a baby, she had black hair and green eyes!"
Sam's face went blank. "Nerezza."