Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis, the characters in it, and the locations used.
A/N: And here we are, folks! For those who were considering doing a reaction vid (whether of you as you read it, or after the fact), I'm just gonna let you know that a lot of crap happens in this and therefore, this would be a good chapter to do so. Okay, on with the regular programming.
Happy Birthday to MoonshoesCoffee!
Nina POV
There was someone kissing me.
Not the rough kissing that left a dirty taste in my mouth and a darkness in my heart, the kisses that were forced on me. No, these were soft and sensual and they reminded me of something… something that had happened recently…
The longer the kiss went on, the more I forgot about it.
I returned it with a hesitancy that spoke of my innocence in this area, but the other person didn't seem to mind. The other person…
"Fabian," I murmured against his lips, and I thought I felt them curve up in a smile. My body, much more relaxed than I expected it to be considering my odd situation, rolled off of him. He moved over me, propping himself up on his elbows so his body didn't press against mine. How considerate, I thought distantly. This kissing thing really isn't so bad.
That was when the door burst open.
Fabian pulled away from me just in time to be yanked off the bed by his arm. A startled cry of protest bubbled from his lips, but then he was being slammed so hard against the wall that blood was left on the wallpaper when he slid to the ground. I screamed, crawling up down towards the end of the bed so I could check to see that he was okay, but then the intruder turned around.
Him.
"What do you think, Nina?" he said, pulling off his leathery gloves calmly as he spoke. There was a storm growing behind his expression. "How should I kill him? I could snap his head. I could slit his throat." I crawled back up the bed, pressing myself into the headboard.
"Please-"
He stepped toward me, pulling out a blade, and I fell silent immediately. "You've been a bad girl. You don't deserve the change to speak," he spat. "I'll be punishing you next. What did I tell you? I said that you were mine. I didn't fly all the way from California just to see you whoring yourself off to the first man who shows you the slightest bit off attention." He turned back to Fabian, who was returning to consciousness. "This is what happens when you disobey me, darling." It was a jab at the endearment Fabian had created for me, but it was twisted into a curse. I blanched but shot forward, crying out in warning-
The blade cut into the soft flesh of his throat, and his eyes went wide, full of betrayal-
"Nina. Nina, wake up. Nina!" There was a man shouting over the high pitched keening noise filling the room that mixed with tortured cries. "Nina, please, open your eyes. It was a dream, darling-" There was a particularly loud sob that punctuated the nickname. Arms wrapped around me, and I struggled against them. The knife is still in his hand, he'll kill me, just like he killed Fabian- "Shh. Breathe. Stop fighting it, Nina, it's just me. It's just Fabian."
My eyes shot open at the name, finally recognizing the voice and the arms that held me close. I could barely hear his sigh of relief over the keening, panicking noises. Was it an animal? Had an animal gotten inside? No, I realized. It's me. I'm making the noise. I sucked in a shuddering breath. "Fabian," I breathed. "Fabian, Fabian, Fabian." I looked around until I managed to focus on his face hovering above mine. The stress was written into every line of his expression. "You're alive." A sob burst from my chest. "You're alive."
"Of course I'm alive. Why would I- oh," he said, realization hitting him. "Nina, I'd never die on you. Why would you ever think that?"
I sat up, escaping his cradling arms but immediately touching his cheek, his jaw, his hair, reassuring me that he was here. It was a dream. It was a dream. "You were kissing me, and we were in bed, and it felt so real, and my stepfather came in and s-slammed you against the wall. He slit your throat, and you looked at me like it was my fault, and-" Fresh tears spilled from my eyes. "It seemed so real. You d-died, right in front of me. What if that happens in real life? What if he kills you and it's all because of me?"
"Hey, Nina, breathe." He slid his fingers through my hair soothingly. "Remember what you said in the kitchen? As horrible as your stepfather may be, he isn't a murderer. I'm not going anywhere." I nodded, breathing slowly so I wouldn't break down again, and he smiled a little. "See? There we go. Just a dream." He leaned forward to kiss my forehead, but I flinched back. He seemed hurt for a moment, but then he shook his head. "It's 10 am. You slept in. I've been up making breakfast, and I was just about to come wake you when you started screaming. Do you want to come eat?"
"Sure," I replied, sliding off the bed. There was still a noticeable shake to my hands, but I balled them into fists until it stopped. "What did you make?"
He led me into the dining room. "Cinnamon french toast, bacon, and scrambled cheese eggs," he said proudly, setting down the plate in front of me. I groaned at the smell. "We have the house all to ourselves. Trudy left once I finished cooking, and she took a plate with her. She might drop by though, because she left her purse. She's coming back tonight, but everyone else will be coming back over the next several days. And I have plans for us."
"What sort of plans?" I asked curiously, already digging into my french toast.
"The secret kind. And hey, I never gave you your second gift, and you never gave me yours either, so we can do that. Mark gave you a gift, right? Have you opened it yet?"
I shook my head. "No. I'll do it later. He wanted me to open it alone." Fabian looked a little concerned, and I rolled my eyes. "It's not bad. He said it was personal, that's all." Last night, after the kiss, we'd gone to bed without pause. It had ended just light every night - me curled into his side, him resting his cheek on my head - but Fabian hadn't stopped smiling by the time I fell asleep. I'd had a peaceful night with no dreams - until this morning, at least.
We ate in a comfortable silence for several minutes.
"I'll be right back," he said, getting up and slipping into his bedroom. A second later he came back out with a tube of something in his hand. "I didn't want to wrap it up or anything. And I don't want you to be offended, either. This isn't me taking back what I said about your scars. There isn't a reason to be ashamed of them, and I'm firm on that fact. Just…" He passed it to me.
I examined it closely. "What's Mederma?" I asked.
"It's a cream. For scars." My head shot up at that, and he winced. "It doesn't take away the scars, but with daily use, it can change the color, texture, and appearance of them. You just rub it on like lotion. With older scars it'll take three to six months before they improve completely, but with newer ones it can take as much as eight weeks. Maybe with this you'll be able to wear clothes that don't cover all your skin, if you want." He bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd appreciate it-"
"I do," I cut in. "Honestly, I do. Thank you, Fabian." I pulled him closer so I could kiss his cheek. "This is wonderful."
He seemed more pleased by the kiss than my happiness about the gift. "Oh. Good. I'm glad," he said, rather breathlessly.
"Here, let me grab mine." I stuck my last bite of eggs in my mouth and went to grab the final present from underneath the tree. "It's technically from Victor and I, since the idea was his, but I came up with the design." He took the tiny gift bag and reached in, pulling out his present. It was a glass case, and within it were five guitar picks. Each was dark blue, with a swirly design that resembled a whimsical tree in bright white. Little dots represented stars. It was intricate and stunning. "I spent several days designing it. It's the tree you fell from, where you first admitted your feelings for me. And it's dark blue with stars because it represents our midnight picnic. Victor said every guitar player needed their own personal pick that means something to them. I have the design saved at Silver Strings, so if you lose these, we can order more. I have several more pick ideas, too, if you want something different."
Fabian pulled me out of my seat and wrapped his arms around me. I returned the hug easily, smiling into his shirt. The fear of the dream was finally wearing off, and I found it much easier to touch Fabian again. My stepfather isn't a murderer.
"Thank you, Nina. They're brilliant. I won't lose a single one," he swore. "I'm very good about keeping my picks, unlike most players. These won't ever leave." He pressed his lips to my forehead, and my cheeks color red. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll leave the door unlocked in case you need anything. Do you mind putting up the plates? I already have all the food put away, so that's all you have to do."
My blush deepened at the idea of him in the shower. Once I would've been terrified at the idea of a man being naked in the shower just a room away, especially when there was no one else in the house, but I was past that now. As if Fabian would try anything. "Sure, it's no problem. I'll see you in a little bit." He slipped down the hallway, and a second later I heard the bathroom door open and close. I picked up the plates and made my way into the kitchen. I heard the shower start. I was scrubbing at a bit of syrup on the second plate when the door rang.
"Coming!" I called. Trudy, I reminded myself. Fabian said she'd drop by to pick up her purse. I snatched the purse up from the couch on my way to the door, peeking in the mirror to make sure I looked proper. My eyes were shining with happiness, and there was a fullness to my cheeks that spoke of my weight gain in the past few months. I didn't look in the mirror too often, too embarrassed by the reflection that stared back at me, but now that I didn't look emaciated…
Maybe I'll look in the mirror a little more now.
I unlocked the door and opened it, looking down at the purse. "Here. Fabian told me you-" I chose that moment to look up, and my words froze on my lips. Trudy was not standing in front of me. Trudy was not standing in front of me.
The corners of his mouth tipped up in a lazy smirk, and he leaned against the wall. "A late Merry Christmas to you as well, Nina. Thank you for the warm welcome. The plane trip all the way from California was really made worth it by this… purse? Please don't tell me Mr. Rutter told you giving a handbag to your stepfather for Christmas was a good idea."
The purse clattered to the ground.
X
Mark POV
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Absolutely not. But we're doing it anyway."
"You realize that I'm the one driving, right? I could turn this car around and you could do nothing about it. Cons of being crippled."
"Shut up and drive, Hairball."
Haru groaned but didn't turn back. "Remind me why you're doing this? This might be the worst idea you've ever had, and there have been a lot of those in the past." I shook my head and looked out the window, waiting for the brick building to appear down the road.
"This isn't something I want to do, but it's something I have to do. It's going to happen eventually, right? At some point mom is going to make me go, or I'm going to have to do it in some legal court, or at a graveyard. I want to do it on my own terms when no one is expecting it, and I want to do it without my mom by my side."
"Am I going in with you?" he asked quietly.
I made sure my grateful glance didn't go unnoticed. He understood, at least enough to support me with this. "Only if you want. This could get ugly, and words might be swapped that you don't want to hear. Go at your own risk." We pulled into the parking lot, and in a few minutes I was back in my wheelchair, pushed up the ramp next to the steps. The lady at the front asked for my name and my purpose for being there, and I listed them off emptily. The man by the door escorted me in to a table, pulling away a chair to make room for me to sit, while Haru sat down in the remaining chair to the right of me. There were other tables and other people, but no one paid attention to me.
Except the man who walked through the door.
He was wearing some sort of brown clothing that everyone else seemed to have to wear. He was unshaven. Dirty. And based on the gleam in his eyes, a little off his rocker.
Haru's hand found mine underneath the table, and this time, I didn't pull away. The warmth and comfort I found in his touch was the only thing keeping me sane. I exhaled slowly as the man sat down. I could do this. I could do this.
"Long time no see," I said, staring into the face of the man I once considered my father. "How's prison?"
X
Nina POV
I backed away from him, my throat going so dry that I couldn't even call for Fabian. He wouldn't hear me, anyway. My stepfather entered now that I'd unblocked the path, and he smirked, leaning down to look at me more closely. "You seem healthier. That's a problem." I managed a whimper. "What, can't speak to me now that you recognize your dear old stepdad? Honestly, I taught you better than that. You wouldn't want me getting angry, now would you?"
"I- I-" I stuttered, swallowing thickly. "I thought y-you were coming y-yesterday."
"I was planning on it, but I got caught up in a case. A little girl was abused by her mother, and she got locked in the basement all the time. Such a shame. See how well I treat you? You should be more grateful for my charity." He cocked an eyebrow. "How about a kiss to show me how thankful you are? Are you still a good girl?"
My eyes widened, and I stepped back. No. No, no, no. Fabian, get out here. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet," I excused quickly. That, at least, was true. "You know how you hate kissing me when I have bad breath." It was true. No matter how underfed I was, no matter how ratty my hair got, I always brushed my teeth three times a day. My teeth were sparkling white.
"Fine." He grabbed my arm, and I cringed at the force of his grip. "Let's talk about your boyfriend, then. I thought everyone was gone. Why is he still here?" he spat.
The fear was beginning to clog my brain, and everything seemed a little fuzzy. Don't shut down. You have no clue what he'll do when you're unconscious. "He's… he's not my boyfriend. He wanted to stay so I wouldn't be alone."
This only seemed to make him angrier. "You're not alone. I'm here. I'm all you need." There was a sharp tug on my hair, and I cried out a little. "You've still been a bad girl, even after the phone call. You're still whoring yourself off to him. You know that he doesn't love you, right? He just wants to fix the broken toy that you are." The sensitive subject of his affections for me made me flinch, and he grinned. "Ah hah. There's the weak spot I've been looking for. You care for him, don't you? And you want him to love you, too."
"N-No," I denied weakly. "I-"
"Yes, you care for him. You might even love him. You do realize that he'll never return your feelings, right? No one could ever love bad girl like you."
I looked up at him, trying to add fuel to my nonexistent fire within me. "You're wrong." The words were whispered, but they made their impact. "He likes me. He cares for me. You're lying," I said, my voice gaining power the longer I spoke. "Go to-"
My insult was cut off as my body rocked back with the force of his blow to my face. When I stumbled, he pushed me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach, then again, and again. I coughed, and blood spattered across the carpet. I couldn't tell if it was from my mouth or from some sort of internal injury. He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me while Fabian's taking a shower in the other room. Can he hide my body before he gets out?
Fabian.
Fabian is in the shower.
"I'll leave the door unlocked in case you need anything," he said.
I rolled over so I was on my stomach, and tucked one knee under me. "One day you might actually learn your lesson," he spat from above me, placing a well-aimed kick to my side. "Maybe that day will be today." I heard him shift, saw him reach for my shoulder out of the corner of my eye.
I took off, using me knee to push me up and forward. I raced to the bathroom door, but I could hear him catching up behind me. The door was nearly broken off in my hurry to get it open, but it had enough sturdiness to make it through and slam shut behind me. I slid to the ground, spitting up more blood onto the bathroom floor.
"Nina?" said an alarmed voice, and I looked up to see Fabian's heading sticking out from behind the shower curtain. There was soap in his hair. It seemed like the most hilarious thing to me in that moment, and I chuckled weakly, but that only made more blood escape my lips. "What's going on?"
I had the sense to reach up and lock the door just in time. He banged on it, demanding for me to open it, rambling about how dare I escape into a room with a naked boy and how badly he was going to beat me when I got out. I blocked out his voice, but that set off a chain reaction. I'm shutting down. The hyperventilation I hadn't realize I'd started began to slow, and my head slumped against the door that shook underneath the force of his bangs.
"He's here," I choked out. Blood dribbled down my chin.
I blacked out.
X
Mark POV
"You didn't tell me you were coming," he said. They'd taken out the ring in his ear, leaving behind an empty hole that made him seem like whole different person. Everyone had loved that ring. They'd said it made him who he was. No one ever saw him without it, not even me.
But his eyes. Those eyes were the same.
"I didn't very much feel like sharing that with you. I have a right to do that now, you know. It feels pretty good. It feels pretty good to see you where you belong, too. Now, I feel you have an obligation to answer me. How's prison?" My voice was something I hadn't heard before, not even in my darkest moments. It was something of pure hatred, a blackness coiled inside me like a snake ready to lunge. Haru glanced at me, and there was worry in the squeeze of his grip in my hand, but I ignored it for now.
He laughed, unbothered by my harsh words. "Prison is fantastic. No one likes a man who hurts kids, but you aren't a kid. They don't know I hurt you when you were younger. They've let it go. Besides, that man that killed 7 years a couple of years back? He's just got moved here. Everyone focuses on him. I've got a cell I stare with one inmate, and once I get my money order in, I'll be able to get books and stuff. And I don't have you or your mother to kick around, but besides that? I'm living like a king."
"You disgust me," I growled.
"Your manners disgust me. You need to learn some proper respect, boy. I'll beat it into you once I get out of here."
I leaned forward in my chair. "Long before you get out, I'm going to file a case against you for a restriction order. You won't be able to come near me. Even if I didn't, I'll be an adult by then. You'll be weak from prison. Tired. But me? I'll be ready and waiting for you, much stronger than you ever were."
"Take that back," he demanded, slamming his fist against the table. A security guard gave us a warning look. "You aren't allowed to leave this family, boy! I will always be your father!"
"You will always be the man who wrote half of my genetic code. But that does not make you my father, and it does not give you allowance to bother me for the rest of my life. You're a twisted old man who will die cold and alone without a single person who will come to your funeral. I don't even care enough about you to pity you, and that goes for everyone else on this planet." I shook my head. "As for my mother, we'll see about her. I don't see us hanging out like best buds considering she brought you a damn Christmas present when she came to see you, but I certainly like her more than you."
He shot forward, and I was fairly sure he would've strangled me if he hadn't been handcuffed to the table. "Respect your mother, boy! How dare you?"
"Oh yeah. Like you respected her so much when you beat her to a pulp," I sneered. It was Haru's hand on my shoulder that made me realize I was shaking. Violently.
The man before me watched Haru touch me like it was poisonous. "What, are you homosexual now? Converted now that I'm gone and got another boyfriend? Didn't you learn your lesson last time, foolish boy?" His words chilled me to the bone. I could feel Haru's hand freeze on my shoulder as he processed the words. He hadn't heard this story before.
If it was up to me, he never would.
My phone dinged, saving me from the conversation. Text Message From: Nina. I opened it immediately, and in seconds I was rolling out from the table. "Where do you think you're going? The party was only just getting started." I ignored him.
It's Fabian. Nina shut down. Stepfather is here. Need help NOW.
"What's going on?" Haru asked quietly, joining my side.
I shook my head. "Nina's in trouble. I need you to drive me to Anubis as fast as you possibly can without getting us arrested." I texted back a few words.
What do you need me to do?
X
Nina POV
"Nina, wake up. Please wake up," can a desperate, whispered pleading that I could barely here over a voice rambling in the distance. I considered sinking back into whatever dark hole I'd disappeared into before, but an itch in my throat forced me into a full on coughing chain that nearly hacked up a lung. Blood was spat out onto the tile beneath me, and I gasped at the sight of it. I'm bleeding. I'm hurt.
That realization brought a wave of pain I'd been blocking out. There was a pulsing ache in my mouth - the source of the blood, I was sure - and my torso felt like it'd been thrown into a meat grinder. My lungs ached from my coughing. A headache was developing into a migraine at a worrying speed. My eyes were itchy. I'd been crying.
"Nina. Thank goodness." The voice was Fabian's. I looked up, trying to take in our surroundings. We were in a bathroom. There was blood on the floor. Fabian was beside me, wearing nothing but a towel, and he still had soap in his hair. There was someone banging on the door.
My stepfather was banging on the door.
"I shut down," I whispered.
Fabian nodded, passing me a towel, presumably to hold against whatever in my mouth was bleeding. "Yeah. You've only been out for five or ten minutes. Nothing major happened. Your stepfather and I swapped a few words through the door, but it's stuff I probably shouldn't repeat. I think saying 'a lot of curse words and insults that would make my mother faint' about sums it up." My hyperventilation started to kick in, the gravity of our situation hitting me, and he grabbed my hands. "Hey, Nina. Help is on the way. Calm down."
"You called the cops?" I whispered frantically, assuming the worst. Fabian started wiping the soap from his hair with a towel. "Why would you do that? You know-"
"I didn't call the cops. I didn't call anyone. I texted Mark. He's going to provide us a bit of a diversion." Fabian dipped his head in concession. "I'll admit, he has his perks when in a pinch. I'll think a lot more of him after this if everything goes well."
Just then, the doorbell rang. I jumped at the sound, causing another round of coughing, but Fabian was quick to reassure me. "It's Mark," he whispered, and we listened intently as the sound of footsteps faded. There was an opening of a door. Someone spoke. Haru? Was he here too? "I'll be back in a second." A pleading whimper spilled from my lips. Don't leave me. He sighed and stood, helping me up. "Fine. We're going to head for my bedroom, okay? I need to grab something."
"Okay." I was horrified by my reflection in the mirror - I looked like some sort of zombie with the blood imprint down my chin - but then Fabian was opening the door and we were slinking into the bedroom. I could see my stepfather at the door, trying and failing to shoo away the boys. He hadn't seemed to hear us. We slipped into the bedroom, and Fabian locked the door behind us. I slumped against it, my relief so sharp that it was an ache in my chest. I opened my eyes.
It was in that moment that I finally processed that Fabian was wearing nothing but a towel.
He grimaced at the way I inched away from him automatically. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. I forgot my clothes in here when I started the shower. Can I change in here without you shutting down?" he asked.
I knew the only other option was to let him leave the room, and like hell was that going to happen. "Y-Yes," I said shakily, going over to sit in the corner.
"You don't have to sit there, Nina-"
"Yes, I do," I said as firmly as I could. "I know how to keep myself as calm as possible, and this is a part of it. I cannot sit on the bed, okay? Please understand that."
He seemed inexplicably pleased by the fact that I'd set him straight, which made no sense. "Okay. This is the part where you turn around." I did exactly that, covering my ears so I wouldn't have to hear the towel drop. My heart quickened with fear. Breathe. Breathe. I hummed quietly and totally off key so even my own breathing would be dulled. He's not going to do anything to me.
Fabian's hand landed on my shoulder and pulled me backwards a little.
I shrieked, automatically turning to kick at him, my mind delirious with fear. I thought he was different. I thought he was different. "Nina! Nina, stop!" he whispered, pulling back. "I'm clothed!" I did a double take at that. Oh. He is clothed. "You couldn't hear me. I had to get your attention somehow. I'm sorry." He had a folder in his hand.
"What's that?" I asked, ignoring the last two minutes altogether. He was too distracted to be concerned.
"This is… well, we'll get to that. Let's go."
I gaped at him. "What? We're going out there?" I demanded. "Why can't we just hide until he leaves?"
"Because this is something we need to do. We have to rip off the bandaid, Nina, and we have to do it now." He headed to the door, and I followed him automatically, though my feet dragged a little. "I won't let him touch you, not when I'm with you."
"Promise you won't leave me?" I whispered. "Promise you won't let me out of your sight?"
He softened and kissed my cheek. "Of course. Come on, I'm sure Mark and Haru are running out of things to discuss. We can do this. You can do this. You're stronger than you realize." I would've blushed if I hadn't been so pale. "Let's go."
I opened the door, and Fabian stepped into the hall alongside me. He kept his hand on my arm and put himself two steps in front of me as we walked into the living room. He was sitting on the couch, clearly using his public persona, unaware of Mark and Haru's end game.
"Thanks for distracting him, boys. I owe you one," Fabian said. My stepfather shot up, the persona washing away the second he realized he'd been fooled. "Now, Mr. Martin, I think it's time for you to leave."
He stepped forward, but Fabian moved in front of me, never flinching even though he was taller than him. "What makes you think I'd ever do that? In fact, I think I'm taking Nina home with me. Very tragic, really. A death of an old friend of Nina's. I'm sure that pompous principal will understand. Come on, good girl. We're going home."
I blanched. That's not my home. I had no clue what to do, and Mark seemed ready to roll over my stepfather's head with his wheelchair at this point. But Fabian was prepared, and he lifted up the folder I'd asked him about. "I don't think so. Not after you see this."
"What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What's in the folder?"
Fabian smirked, and I thought that I'd never seen him so proud of himself, nor so dark. When he spoke, everyone in the room froze but him.
"Proof. Proof of everything that you've done to Nina. And I'm using it to blackmail you."
A/N: *MIND EXPLODES* What in the world could Fabian be talking about? What could he have? Why didn't he tell Nina about it? Did anyone think that dream at the beginning was real? And finally, what the hell was up with that comment from Mark's father?
Next chapter update will be anywhere from July 25th - 28th. More info on Fabian's 'blackmail'. A showdown between Fabian and the stepfather, with horrifying consequences. An interesting conversation between Haru and Nina. Mark's Christmas present, finally. And lots of crying.
Someone (aka vaguelyaugustinian on FFN/ anselatmosphere on Twitter) wrote a poem for Scarred, which was gorgeous. This is all hers. Please give her some love on FFN and Twitter, or in your reviews! I'll pass it on.
X
There are constellations on her skin,
star maps in her eyes,
Bellatrix and the Big Dipper,
painted over with lies.
There is a cage around her heart,
a chain link on her arm,
protection from herself,
always running from harm.
There is a tattoo on her mind,
she can't forget the past,
colors; black and blue,
but bruises shouldn't last.
There are constellations on her skin,
maps he wipes away,
Bellatrix disappears,
the stars weren't meant to stay.
X
Reviews are love, dear readers. It helps that you get a you get a preview of the next chapter for reviewing... Tempting enough?
See ya soon, my little definitions!
