ash-rox-It probably will happen it the outline I have continues and doesn't try to do something completely different. I have had that happen to a story before. Ending up going the exact opposite of the way I planned. XD
Little Miss Bump-Nope, he still has some things he needs to talk about, and that will be happening in this chapter. No, Scott and most of the brothers don't know about that yet. But they will in the chapter after this. Yes, he should be in bed but why he isn't is explained in this chapter. That he does. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yep, the conversation between Jeff and Alan is in this chapter. Aw, you make me blush! XD See ya soon.
lissysue85-I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, a good long talk between them is coming up in the chapter after this. I'm glad you liked it and as always I will update as soon as possible.
foxee-chik-I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Chapter Thirty Seven- Nightmares
As Evelyn disappeared up the stairs on the way back to her bedroom, Jeff slowly walked out of the kitchen to the upper deck where his son was still sitting. He would talk to her later, but first he wanted to talk his somewhat distant youngest son. Alan made no movement as Jeff approached, making him wonder if the teen even heard him at all.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Jeff asked as he walked up to where Alan sat. Alan quickly turned around at the sound of his father's voice and looked up at him in shock. "Dad?"
"Come on," Jeff began, kneeling down beside the teen to help him up. "Let's get you to bed."
"No," Alan replied, shaking his head as he looked away from his father. Jeff sat down on the edge of the deck beside Alan, in the spot Evelyn had occupied a few moments prior. "Alan, you need your sleep."
"I can't dad," Alan stated, looking over at Jeff beside him. Tears rimmed the edges of his blue eyes, threatening to fall. "Every time I close my eyes, I-I relive it all. And the end is always the same. Always ending with you guys dying."
Alan looked down as his voice broke. When he closed his eyes and let out a choked sob, Jeff reached over and gently pulled Alan to him. Alan's arms went around his father's neck and he clung tightly to his shirt as he sobbed into his shoulder. Jeff closed his eyes tightly as his own tears threatened to fall.
"I was just so scared. Scared that I would never see you again," Alan whispered through his sobs. Jeff nodded as he begun to rub small circles of Alan's back as he replied, "I was scared too."
Alan briefly lifted his head from his father's shoulder. His eyes were red and puffy and tears continued to slid down his cheeks. "You were?"
"Of course," Jeff replied, reaching one hand up to gently stroke Alan's sandy blond hair. "Scared for your brothers. Scared for Evelyn, and of course I was scared for you. Especially when the Hood had you dangling over the Mole."
Alan let out another choked sob and once more buried his face in his father's shoulder. Jeff continued to hold the teen as tightly as he could, being careful of his sore ribs. After a good while, Alan's sobs began to reside. Sniffling, Alan raised his head from Jeff's shoulder and looked up at his father with red eyes.
"Feel better?" Jeff asked, his own eyes slightly red as he rubbed small circles on the teens back. Alan nodded, whipping his nose as he sniffled again. "Think you can sleep now?"
"Yeah," he replied quietly, removing his hands from the tight grip they had had on his shirt. Jeff slid his arms out from around Alan and moved to stand. Once he was up, he extended a hand down to Alan, which the teen gladly took. Jeff pulled him up and the second he was up on his feet, pulled him back into a hug. Alan wrapped his arms tightly around his father as Jeff bent his head down and kissed the top of his head.
"I love you Alan. Don't ever forget that," Jeff whispered into Alan's hair. Alan pulled away and looked up at Jeff and shook his head. "I won't dad."
"Come on. Let's get you up to bed now," Jeff stated, looking down at Alan with a smile as he released the teen from his arms. Keeping one arm over Alan's shoulders, the two moved into the house and towards the stairs. They walked up the stairs in comfortable silence. When they reached the second floor, they could hear that Virgil was still playing the piano down the hall. As they began to climb up the staircase to the third floor, a high pitched scream sounded from above them.
"Evelyn," Jeff muttered, as behind them Virgil appeared from the music room. Removing his arm from around Alan's shoulders, Jeff ran up the stairs to the third floor with Alan and Virgil a few steps behind him. Upon reaching the landing, he noticed that the door to Evelyn's room was already open and the light was on.
Jeff entered the room to see Scott kneeling beside Evelyn, who had fallen out of her bed and was entangled in her covers. John and Gordon stood at his shoulders as he continued to try and wake her from her nightmare. The three looked towards the door as he entered the room. Scott stood up and moved out of the way as Jeff moved forward and kneeled beside Evelyn.
A layer of sweat glistened on her forehead as she continued to toss and turn. Jeff grabbed her shoulders to stop her thrashing. "Evelyn! Evelyn, wake up!"
With a gasp, her green eyes shot open and looked around the room. Her breathing was heavy as she blinked a few times while she took in the concerned faces her father kneeling beside her and her five brothers looking down at her over his shoulder. "D-daddy?"
Before Jeff could say anything, Evelyn launched herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck as she began to sob into his shoulder. Behind him, Scott turned to his brothers and nodded towards the door behind them. Scott moved over to Alan as the five brothers began to walk out of the room and put an arm around his shoulders before using his free hand to close the door behind them. Without saying a word, the five brothers moved down the hall towards Alan's room while inside the room they had just left, Jeff sat back on his heels and wrapped his arms around his sobbing daughter.