SHEN
A low murmur of voices, familiar voices, pulled her back from the nothingness. She couldn't quite make out the words, but the sound was reassuring.
As she came back to herself, her head seemed fuzzy, clouded, and ached. Her tongue felt thick and it was like someone had stuffed her mouth with cotton. She was so thirsty.
"Water." Her voice came out dry and raspy.
A plastic bottle manifested in her hand and someone tilted her head up, allowing the cool liquid to flow down her throat.
Then it hit her stomach. Which revolted violently. All the water she'd just swallowed came right back up.
But somehow there was a bucket in front of her, so it could've been worse.
Her eyes flickered open, sight blurring into focus. Not a bucket. A waste basket. Was this Grandmere's room?
Her parents were on either side of her, her dad supporting her, while her mom held out the trashcan.
"Shen, are you hurt?" Her dad asked, brow bunched up in concern.
She shook her head. She was queasy, disoriented and generally felt like crap, but not injured.
What had happened?
Her last memories replayed, hitting her like a gut punch. "The others? Are they...?"
"Everyone's home and in one piece, more or less." Her mother answered, not one to sugarcoat.
So, somehow that freakshow hadn't gotten anyone. Good.
Then why did she feel so hollow?
"Shen?" Her dad pressed gently.
"I'm sorry. So sorry. I messed up." She burbled, fighting the urge to cry.
Her father misinterpreted. "I know. And while it's not ok that you took your cousins to go after Scout..."
"No, I didn't. It was Nellie's plan. She led us." Shen interrupted, correcting him.
His eyes widened. "Nellie?"
She nodded, the motion not helping her unsettled stomach. "She knew what to do. Made decisions when we couldn't. She's good at it."
She looked down focusing on her hands, knotting up the bed cover. "I'm not. I know I'm supposed to be, but I'm not a leader. And I don't want to be one. You must be so disappointed..."
He tucked a finger under her chin, lifting her face to look at him, eyes sad. "That isn't true. And I'm the one who's sorry if you ever felt like it was. I want you to be yourself and if that person isn't a leader, that's ok."
Her eyes welled with tears and she hiccupped back a sob as he rubbed her back in reassuring circles.
"Then, what are you sorry for? Not calling me when Nellie proposed this?" He asked.
She sniffed. "That too. But, I was such an embarrassment. I couldn't do anything and they took me down so easily."
"Your arrows told another story." Her mother pointed out.
Her dad sighed. "You know that it took almost the whole family combined and working together to bring that guy down."
What? He'd been that strong? Her parents, her Aunts and Uncles, they all seemed so invincible. She blinked back her tears.
"Even the best of us get caught sometimes." He continued.
She managed a weak smile. "Even you?"
He chuckled. "Once, when I was your age, an enemy completely outwitted me, caught me and held me in a cage, taunting me. It happens."
Her mother groaned. "You are never going to let that go, are you?"
What was her mother talking about? The idea that her unbeatable father, even at a young age, could be so utterly bested, blew her mind.
Her dad smiled. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Maybe not embarrassed. But definitely ashamed.
She looked away. "I killed them. Those men. They're dead. Because of me."
Her parents sat down on the bed on either side of her, wrapping their arms around her.
Then her father spoke. "I saw. I'm sorry that you have to carry that burden. We hoped your life would be free of violence."
She glanced over at him, eyes narrowing. "You don't think I'm a monster?"
He frowned. "Did you want to kill them?"
Did she? No. "They were evil, but...I just wanted to stop them. I was trying not to kill."
"Did you enjoy killing them?" He continued.
Her stomach turned and she dry heaved into the trashcan. Nothing left. Wiping her mouth more on reflex than out of necessity. "No. At the time I... I didn't feel anything. I was just focused on what I needed to do next. But now. It's awful. I wish I hadn't."
"And what would've happened if you hadn't killed them?" He concluded.
That was an easy one. "I'd be dead."
"Then you are not a monster. You did the best you could in a bad situation." He explained, tone serious.
Her shoulders shook as the tears threatened once more. "I can't stop seeing it. It plays like a movie over and over in my head."
He nodded. "I know. It'll be that way for a while and you'll have trouble sleeping. Try talking to us or your cousins about it when you can. It'll become more bearable in time."
Closing her eyes, she leaned into him, hoping more than anything that he was right.
ANTON
Anton was exhausted, sore, relieved and now, grateful. Gratitude was the latest emotion to surf upon his rising internal tsunami. Gratitude for his Grandmere healing Alli. Gratitude that they'd gotten there and saved them before bad turned to worse. He buried his face in her hair, breathing deep, he inhaled her unique scent letting it float throughout, easing away all the lingering yuck of an otherwise sucktastic night. The knot around his heart loosened. She was okay.
Her thin fingers curled around his bicep and he pulled the blanket up around her, not caring who saw them sleeping together on the couch. Maybe he should care. His dad or hers might have something to say about it.
Nah.
Right now, he was so relieved Alli was okay he'd take whatever anyone could dish out. They were sleeping together and that was that. Even if he had to propose to get them to back off.
Not that anyone had said anything.
But he was ready to fire back if they did.
His head began to ache as his storm of emotions were joined by a tumult of thoughts.
Propose? He was willing to propose so they could sleep on a couch together?
He needed sleep. He must be losing his mind.
Maybe.
He had to at least finish college first.
Was he making any sense? Good thing no one could hear his thoughts.
His neck lengthened a bit as he looked around for his mother, like she might be touching him. They had spoken telepathically in times of intense emotion and stress, without even being in the same room. He had to shut down his brain!
Mom, if you're listening, stop. I don't know what I'm thinking right now.
That's not true. He squeezed Alli tighter. I'm totally going to ask this woman to marry me as soon as I graduate.
Good for you, son.
His eyes widened.
Mom!
Anton's cheeks heated as he heard his mother snicker. His dad, still bitching at Drea in the kitchen, snapped at her. "What're you laughin' at, Z? This ain't funny."
"I never said it was, Raph." His mother answered him with a low purr, something she'd taken to doing to help calm Dad down. Sometimes it worked. Mostly it distracted him so she could neutralize a situation.
"Wow," Alli groaned. "Did Grandmere heal me yet, because I feel like I've been hit by a semi."
Anton kissed the top of Alli's head and frowned. "You were first, then Drea. She said yer gonna need rest, you took a beatin'- hell several. You really held out though, Lil Bird. I'm proud of ya. I know yer dads got to be proud too. Now, promise me you'll never do that runnin' off by yourself stuff ever again."
He felt the corners of Alli's lips tip up against his arm. She hummed a tender sigh, exhaling a pained breath just beneath it. "I'll do my best, Bruiser." She leaned into him, lifting her head to look at him. "I love you, Antonello, I'm glad we made it home."
"Love you too, Alli. Now get some sleep, or at least fake it when our parents walk by. I ain't tryin' ta get married before I graduate."
Alli's brows drew together. "What?"
He really had to stop talking, it was worse than thinking! "Nuthin' go ta sleep."
DREA
Drea was beyond tired, slumped at the kitchen table, barely able to keep her head up. How much longer was her dad going to rant? Her eyes went to her mother who seemed in deep thought. Drea wasn't sure if that was good news for her or not. And wasn't sure she wanted to find out.
"Well answer me, Andrea!" Her dad paced the kitchen, Uncle Horace and Uncle Casey taking sips off their mugs in perfect sync, watching her dad's massive form stomp back and forth while shaking his head. "Well?"
Drea opened her mouth only to be cut off.
"And don't go bein' smart. You will go down there and pick up those weapons you threw at me and you'll clean'em and puttem away." His eyes darted around as his brain worked overtime. "I just- I don't know what you were thinkin'. You know you can come ta us. We been over this. I don't get it!" Frown lines appeared around his mouth and across his brow. His voice lowered, his green eyes became glossy. He blinked then looked at her. "How are we- how am I supposed ta trust you after this?"
His words stung almost as much as the look on his face hurt. She'd let him down. She bit her lip, took a breath then opened her mouth again.
"Ya could've been killed! I just- I can't even." He shook his head, started pacing again.
Then her mom did the weirdest thing.
She giggled.
It made no sense whatsoever and-
"What're you laugh in' at, Z? This ain't funny." It set her dad off all over again.
"I never said it was, Raph." Her Mom might be the only one who could get away with the things she did. Mostly because at this point, Drea was pretty sure her mom was a certified psycho.
She sighed.
"Don't go huffin and puffin." Her dad snarled. "And you two-" He pointed to her Uncles, silently sipping their drinks with forced blank expressions. "You got sometin ta add?"
"Leave them alone, Raph."
Her mother reached out, putting her hand on dad's forearm and Drea saw her Uncles inhale and hold it, as her dad's gaze shifted to the delicate fingers resting lightly over his skin. "Don' try an patronize me. And what the hell are you so calm for? Huh? This is a damned mess! And why the hell are you smilin'?"
As her dad growled, Drea's mother glanced over the railing to where Anton slept cuddled up to Alli. Cute. But why wasn't anyone yelling at them? They were at the warehouse fight too. And Alli even used herself as bait! What, when you're legal all the sudden you don't have to answer to anyone anymore? Must be nice.
Drea was about to try to use some of that in her argument, if she could get a word out, but her dad's bizarro expression stopped her.
His eyes darted over the huge blanket lump of Anton and Alli. "Just what the hell is goin' on down there?"
Her mom touched his arm again as he lifted a hand, his finger pointing toward them. Mom shook her head. "Raph, leave them alone. They're exhausted. Everyone's tired. Let's shower and-"
Dad's eyes locked with moms. "Uh-Uh. No sir. There's rules that apply ta everyone who ain't done wit' school." He leaned against the railing. "Hey, down there!"
Mom sighed.
Anton lifted his head, making a fake sleepy face. "What? Is Drea okay? You need somethin'?"
Dad squinted. "You in tha armchair. Alli on the couch. There's kids here. What you do in your apartment alone is your business. There's rules everywhere else."
Anton rolled his eyes. Then Drea heard the joint sharp inhalation of breath between herself, her mom, and both her uncles right before her dad went next level.
"I know you ain't rollin' yer eyes at me, Antonello! You armchair, Alli couch. Don' make me tell you again. And you damn well better finish school before you two go- gettin serious-errr.." He trailed off, his jaw working.
"Seriouser ain't a thing, Dad." Anton chuckled. "And I ain't movin."
Drea, her Mom, Uncle Horace and Uncle Casey all winced.
Dad began to swell. "Hamato Antonello, does Mikey know yer under a blanket wit' his daughter right now?"
Anton's mouth snapped shut, his eyes narrowed.
But he didn't move.
"Diggin' ya heels in, huh?" Dad nudged Mom. "Get him, Z."
Mom snorted. "No. We should be focused on Andrea, listening to anything she needs to talk about, or help coping with after tonight. Instead we've been listening to you run your mouth like you're fifteen again. So, sit down, close your mouth and listen to our daughter."
Dad glared at her, opened and closed his mouth, pointed helplessly toward Alli and Anton, then looked at Drea. After a long awkward moment, he pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.
"Yer mom's right." He rubbed the back of his head. "I just get shook when you're caught up in shit. It wasn't supposed to be like this for you. But- since it seems it is, is there anything you need or- can I help- somehow?"
Then he closed his mouth and waited.
Drea looked at him, all burly and scarred, his eyes conveying so many emotions and keeping so many terrible secrets. Of this she was certain more now than ever before. But Drea was confident about more than her ability to read her dad. Every day she was coming closer to understanding herself.
She licked her lips, trying to decide where to begin. "All of you move together like you're one body. That place, everything that happened, the things I did, it was hell. And I'm so tired I can't grasp it- can't process. Not now. But the way you all worked together, Dad that was- the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I mean you're all so different from one another, like crazy different, but together you guys were seamless."
Father and daughter stared at one another a long moment before Raph reached for Drea's hand. "I don't want that for you."
Drea placed her free hand over their joined. "I know. But sometimes we don't seek our paths, Dad. They find us. And I wasn't lying, tonight sucked. Like I hope nothing like it ever happens again, but if it does, I would do it all over with one little change."
Her dad was frowning, sadness in his eyes. "What's that?"
He wasn't going to like what she had to say. She wasn't sure she did herself. But it felt right. The same way she knew she'd used her skills to stay alive. The people she'd- killed- would've killed her or her family. She did what had to be done. And she could live with that. "I'd call you sooner, better yet told you what was going on right away. But nothing you would've said or done could've have stopped me from going. I'll fight for this family every. Single. Time. I just need to learn, our team needs to learn, how to operate the way you guys do."
Before her dad could argue, Uncle Leo called out. "Family meeting! Everyone come out to the living room, I want to keep this short so we can all go to bed."