A/N:
It's my birthday, but you all get the present! The next chapter a few days early!
I'm posting a lot of writing on my Tumblr page lately, so make sure you head over to follow me so you don't miss any!
ENJOY!
Callie watched as Hiccup flew his dragon into the dark clouds, encouraging the vicious Red Death to follow. The epic battle that followed always gave her chills, no matter how often she saw this movie.
Tonight, however, she couldn't really get into it. She glanced at the other two people in the room, both watching the movie with interest—Wade sat in an arm chair to the side, while Silver sat leaning against her on the couch.
The last 24 hours had been . . . surreal. The sudden arrival of another alien hedgehog, discovering his incredible power, hearing his heartbreaking life on his horrible world, forming a kind of partners-in-crime-ship with the town deputy in an attempt to control the situation, and now she sat watching a movie with both, as though this were a normal Saturday night. Had she just struggled with a minor emotional breakdown last night? It seemed so long ago.
She glanced down at Silver, who pressed himself against her as he watched the final battle. He tucked himself inside the too-large hoodie, looking for all the world like a big, furry turtle. Only his head was visible.
Although she had ample experience with these types of kids—she supervised three of them almost daily, after all—suddenly having one directly under her care felt different. Her protective urges flared almost frighteningly for Silver, even though the boy hadn't even been here for a full day yet.
She couldn't bear to think about the abuse and neglect he no doubt suffered on his home world. Mistreatment of any child hurt her heart—and flared her anger—but this particular boy seemed especially vulnerable. How anyone could look into those large amber eyes and be cruel was beyond comprehension.
Of course, she'd be a fool if she didn't acknowledge the fact that he reminded her of her boy. The one she left behind, all those years ago.
Which is why she couldn't keep Silver.
Well, one of the reasons, anyway.
There were a few she could come up with right off the top of her head. She wasn't mother material. He deserved a real family, with two parents and a few siblings. She didn't know how to deal with his trauma properly, and really didn't want to make things worse by handling it wrong.
All perfectly logical reasons he'd be better off with someone else.
Excuses, you mean.
She furrowed her brow.
Justifications.
No good comes from thinking after dark. Stop it.
Just admit you're afraid.
She tried to focus on the movie. To ignore the voice whispering to her in the back of her mind. The one that sounded like a snarky version of her own.
After all, keeping him might mean you have something to live for other than that life sentence of isolation and self-loathing you've perfected.
Her right arm was pinned behind Silver, otherwise she would have pulled her braid to the front. So she curled her left arm behind her head, and dug her fingers into her hair, scratching her scalp. She squeezed, pulling her hair at the roots.
She couldn't keep him. Because, reasons.
He deserved better.
This wouldn't work.
Couldn't work.
Beside her, Silver nuzzled closer.
The hand in her hair gave another squeeze.
She felt like screaming.
~X~X~X~
Wade watched as the vikings approached the dragon nest with a smile. He'd always liked this film, mostly because Hiccup was so different from the rest of his tribe, yet proved to be most useful when trouble arose. Underdog movies, or ones that focused on the main character's differences being beneficial, were his favorite type.
And he didn't get to watch animated movies at home. His mother didn't like them. Thought they were for children. Which was fine. It was okay he couldn't watch them on the big TV in the living room. He could stream them on his phone in his room. With headphones. So his mom didn't hear.
She loved him, his mom. Always made sure he was taken care of, with a hot meal and clean clothes. And they'd sit and watch TV together. Well, they watched what she liked. Mostly dramas. Which were okay. Kinda boring. But she liked them, and liked sitting with Wade in the evenings he wasn't working, which was nice.
He didn't have many friends. Tom, mostly. And Maddie. And their boys. Kinda. But he didn't hang out with them as much as he would have liked. Mom didn't like it. She had . . . opinions about the boys. Wade never told Tom, didn't see a need to, but it bothered him that his mom could be so . . . negative. Sure the boys were different—from another planet, even—but they were really good kids who had fought a big scary robot to save the town. They were heroes!
But whenever anyone mentioned them in her presence, she got a certain look. Disapproving. Wade had seen it a lot in his youth, when he'd done something she didn't like. He'd hated it so much then. It always made him feel like a terrible person. He wasn't a bad guy, he loved his mom and never wanted to disappoint her. So he tried really hard not to. Ever.
And . . . okay, maybe that meant he let her make decisions for him as he grew up. Like what to eat, and watch, and who to talk to. She was his mom, and just looking out for his best interests. And it didn't bother him.
Well.
Maybe that wasn't entirely true.
If he really thought about it, maybe she babied him a bit too much. Maybe she seemed to think he couldn't take care of himself. Which wasn't true. He didn't think it was, anyway. He was a grown man, and had an important job. If he was responsible enough to take care of the town, he could certainly take care of himself!
Except . . .
The town didn't seem to think he was capable, either. He'd thought about that just this morning, before he got the call to come to Callie's. He was just the guy they called with little things. They called Tom for the big stuff. The important stuff. He'd even done it himself, after discovering Silver. The first thing he thought of was to call Tom so the sheriff could take charge.
Maybe he wasn't as capable as he thought.
Movement to his left and he glanced in that direction. Callie had moved her hand behind her head. He didn't think much of it, but as he watched, it looked like she dug the fingers into her hair and gave a small yank. He furrowed his brow slightly.
Silver squirmed beside her, seeming to move even closer. Her jaw clenched, and the hand buried in her hair gave another jerk.
Wade was no stranger to self-calming behaviors, as he tended to chew his fingernails down to nubs in times of stress. He hadn't done that in a while—his breathing techniques helped lessen that—but that didn't mean he didn't sometimes find a nail between his teeth without thinking. It helped relieve some anxiety. Hair pulling must have been Callie's version.
As the epic battle in the movie ended, and Stoic found his lost son, the redhead closed her eyes and gave her hair another yank. Silver didn't seem to notice.
Wade did. And it bothered him. She was usually so calm, and had soothed him in times of panic just today. What had upset her so much? The movie? Or something else?
Over the next few minutes, as the dragons and vikings learned to cohabit on Berk, Wade stole quick glances at Callie. She pulled her hair a few more times, but it didn't seem to get any worse.
As the credits rolled, Silver sat up straight, pushing his arms back into the sleeves of the hoodie to give a stretch. The redhead pulled her hand from her hair, and looked down at the boy. Her face changed, switching from a troubled, thoughtful expression to a warmer, softer version.
"Well, there you go," she said, giving Silver a smile. "Your first movie. How was it?"
"It was so great!" the boy cried, laughing. "I really liked it. Can we watch it again?"
She laughed. "I think it's a little late, and besides, there are more movies. Maybe we'll check out a different one tomorrow."
"Can we? I'd like that!" Silver squirmed a bit, before throwing a quick glance at Wade. Then the boy leaned toward Callie and hid his mouth behind his hand to whisper in her ear. She listened, before pulling back and giving him a smile.
"You don't have to ask permission, kiddo. Go on, you know where it is."
The little hedgehog nodded, before hopping down and hurrying out of the room. Wade cast Callie a questioning eyebrow, and she shrugged.
"Bathroom break."
He nodded in response, and watched as she stood and stretched. Wade did the same, making his way closer to her.
"Well, guess I'd better head home," he said, planting his hands on his hips in a way he hoped looked casual. "Sooo . . . you doing okay?"
She had been massaging her neck, and paused at his question. An eyebrow raised. "Why wouldn't I be?"
He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I mean, it's been a crazy day, and you just seem like . . . you may be . . . not okay."
Callie stared at him for a few seconds, before blinking and moving around him toward the kitchen. "I'm fine, Wade." She turned on the sink to wash the pots and pans from supper, as well as the popcorn bowl.
"Okay," he said, following her. "But if you weren't . . . would you tell me?"
Her hand paused, the sponge halfway around the inside of the bowl. Then it was moving again, in an almost frenzied pace.
"I'm fine, Wade," she said again, and he thought her voice sounded harder. "I appreciate your help today, and I'll call you if I need anything tomorrow."
Wade gave a little nod. He knew that tone. It was definitely a "drop it, we're not talking about this anymore" tone. Understandable, he thought, considering they hadn't really interacted much before today. They weren't exactly close friends, after all.
Still, he couldn't recall seeing her with any other friends, either. Well, aside from the Wachowskis. But Tom had said she didn't really interact with them much, outside of the whole tutoring the boys thing. He said they'd invite her to dinner, or to a BBQ on the weekends, but she always declined. The sheriff just figured she valued her privacy, and had other things going on she hadn't shared. Which was fine—he didn't pry.
But now Wade wondered. Did the librarian have anyone else in her life? He had his mother, the Wachowskis had each other . . . who did Callie have?
Silver came around the corner then, rubbing his eyes. He uttered a little yawn as Callie rinsed the last pot and dried her hands.
"Getting sleepy, little man?" she asked, draping the towel on the edge of the sink.
The boy nodded, before looking up at Wade. "Do you live here too?"
A blush worked up Wade's neck, turning his ears red. "Uh, no. I just, uh, I-"
"Wade just stopped by to meet you and make sure everything was okay," Callie said, shooting a side-eye at him. "Which it is. Okay, I mean. I'm okay. Thank you for checking."
Her voice was gentler now, and he gave her a nod. "Okay. Good. You're welcome."
Silver rubbed his eyes again. "Oh. Well, it was nice to meet you, Wade. Are you coming back tomorrow?"
Wade opened his mouth to answer, when he glanced over at Callie. She stood with her arms crossed, her face unreadable. She didn't look angry, he didn't think. Just tired.
"Uh, I dunno, little guy. We'll see."
"Oh. Okay. G'night."
"Night, Silver." Wade moved toward the kitchen door, as Callie flicked on the outside light for him. "Night, Callie. Call if you need anything."
She nodded, a tired smile on her lips. "I'm fine, Wade. But thank you. Really. G'night."
Wade nodded, and headed toward his truck. As he drove home, something nibbled at his stomach. A worry he couldn't quite name. He supposed a new super-powered alien in town could understandably cause such concern, but he didn't think it had to do with Silver.
Something about the way Callie was tugging on her hair bothered him. More than it probably should have.
He chewed a thumbnail on the way home.
~X~X~X~
Callie locked the door once Wade had descended the steps, and flicked off the light as his truck taillights pulled away. Something the man had said echoed in her mind, and she frowned.
You just seem like . . . you may be . . . not okay. If you weren't . . . would you tell me?
Why would she tell him if she weren't okay? (Which she was, she totally was, she was fine, just fine.) They weren't friends, they'd never even interacted much until today. They were barely acquaintances.
And even today's interactions weren't for some friendly reason—it was literally business. A new alien kid arrived suddenly, and she thought it best to let someone know. She'd have called Tom had he been in town.
It was just business. Wade wouldn't have come here at all had she not called this morning. And the only reason she called was because of Silver. And the deputy wouldn't have shown up again throughout the day had he not been worried and curious about the hedgehog.
Okay, she had to admit it was a little sweet he had expressed concern for her. But he was a cop—their whole thing was to 'protect and serve'. So it wasn't really all that special.
Just business.
And besides, she was fine. Everything was fine. Things were under control. Silver wasn't an assassin after any of the boys, didn't appear to be working for any evil villain hell-bent on world domination, and seemed to be doing okay after the crazy start to the day. She figured once everyone had a good night's sleep, tomorrow would-
The thought stopped cold as a realization hit.
She never considered where Silver would sleep.
Even though there were two additional bedrooms upstairs, they were mostly used as storage. Boxes of out-of-season clothes and old books, and storage bins full of past interests took up most of the floor space in both rooms.
And because she never had (friends) overnight visitors, she didn't have any additional beds, anyway.
This could be a problem.
She glanced down at the boy, who now almost swayed on his feet, his eyes half-lidded. Exhaustion had hit him fast.
"Silver," she said, hunkering down to his level. "I . . . well, I don't really have any extra beds for you. Do you think you could sleep on the couch for tonight?"
The boy's brow furrowed, as he rubbed his eye with a fist. "I . . . I guess."
"I promise we'll figure out something better tomorrow," she said, her gut clenching. Leaving him all alone down here didn't appeal, but there really wasn't anywhere else to put him. "I'm sorry I don't have a better bed for you."
Silver shrugged, and wrapped his arms around himself. "It's okay. I've slept in some pretty bad places before. At least here I'll be safe." He lifted his eyes, suddenly sharp and fearful. "Right?"
Now her heart clenched. "Yes, sweetie," she said, her voice soft. She ran a hand over his forehead fan of quills. "You'll be safe. You don't have to be afraid."
He nodded, and turned to walk back to the couch. Callie spent the next few minutes gathering a pillow and extra blankets, then tucked him in nice and snug.
"I'll leave the light on over the stove, just in case you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Okay?" He nodded. "Okay. Good night, Silver. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night, Callie." Silver paused, pulling his lips tight. "And thank you."
Callie gave the boy another forehead stroke, before heading upstairs.
~X~X~X~
Thirty minutes after the lights went out in the isolated house, the little drone in the trees took flight. It moved to the windows, and switched to infrared scanning. One small figure registered on the couch.
Uttering a soft beep in confirmation, the drone opened a portal and relayed the data it had gathered. After a few seconds, a new command came back.
Retrieval attempt forthcoming. Remain in position. Continue surveillance.
Another confirmation beep, and the tiny portal closed.
Below its position, a larger ring portal appeared and two skunks stepped through—one a tall albino, the other a shorter, bluish-gray. They eyed the dark house for a few seconds, before nodding to each other and moving forward.
The boss had sent them to retrieve the brat, but given them the incredibly frustrating order of doing so quietly, and carefully.
Quiet wasn't their thing. Nor was careful. Violence was more to their liking, which often had the unfortunate side effect of being loud. People usually screamed when they got their noses broken.
"So whadda we do?" the albino whispered to his shorter brother. "Bust in and grab him?"
"Does that sound quiet, Tumble?" the smaller brother asked, giving the taller a punch on the shoulder. "Boss said we needed to be careful here. Not alert any of the . . . whatever they ares."
"Right," Tumble grunted, brow furrowed. "But then, how do we get the kid out?"
"We scope out the place, look for weak points so we can get inside." He paused. "Quietly."
Tumble huffed through his nose. "Don't sound like much fun."
"Hey, I just said we'd look," the smaller brother said, his muzzle curled in a mischievous grin. "If we can't do it the boss' way, we'll do it the Rough and Tumble way."
The albino skunk shared his brother's grin. "My favorite way."
The two bumped fists, and moved off in opposite directions to circle the house, searching for an easy access point.
Above them, the drone continued it's constant surveillance.
~X~X~X~
Silver lay on the couch, staring up at the moonlight dancing on the ceiling.
He suddenly wasn't tired anymore.
Callie had gone upstairs a while ago. How long, he wasn't sure. Twenty minutes? An hour? Time was funny. Especially at night. Minutes can seem like hours when you're awake, but the hours can pass like minutes if you're lucky enough to sleep.
Tonight, sleep didn't seem too likely for Silver.
It was quiet here. On his world the night carried noise from far away. Fighting, screaming, explosions. He'd always try to find someplace he could curl up after dark, somewhere he'd be hidden and safe. Sometimes it worked, and he got a few hours of sleep before what little light the dawn brought appeared. Sometimes it didn't, and he'd have to run and find a new spot in the dark once he was discovered.
At least here he didn't have to hide. Didn't have to keep one ear open for the sounds of approaching danger.
But still, the night wasn't completely silent. There were sounds he didn't recognize. A kind of chirping sound came from outside. He didn't think it was birds, but wasn't quite sure what it was. It didn't sound threatening, however, so that was something.
There was a time he thought he heard voices outside. He lay still, holding his breath and twisting his ears in all directions, trying to pick them up again. When he didn't he convinced himself he'd been hearing things, and let out his breath in a long, slow exhale.
His heart still beat hard against his ribs. Callie's breathing instructions from earlier in the day came back to him, and he took another few long breaths to calm himself.
Sounds came from inside the house, too. The big metal box Callie had pulled the ice cream from made occasional noises, and he jumped each time. He pulled the blanket higher, tucking his face beneath it.
He was safe, Callie had said so. He didn't have to be afraid. He believed her—she'd been so kind and he didn't think there was any reason for her to lie.
But still.
It was so quiet but noisy here and so dark and these windows behind the couch were so big and anything could see him and get him and he was freaking himself out now he didn't want to be afraid she said he shouldn't be but he couldn't help it and even though she said he was safe he was scared it was dumb he shouldn't be but he was and-
Movement from outside, shocking him out of his terrified mental spiral. Something was moving around on the deck that wrapped around Callie's house, sounding unnervingly like footsteps. He froze for a moment, before sliding down to crouch on the floor. Grabbing his blanket, Silver pushed the side table away from the couch, and quickly crawled behind it. His forehead fan bristled, standing straight up, as he wrapped the blanket around himself tightly.
He wanted so badly to run to Callie, to feel her hand brush his forehead spikes flat, to hear her voice, so calm and soothing as she told him he was safe and there was nothing to worry about, she was here and would protect him.
But she had gone upstairs and he didn't know what was up there or where she was and she could already be asleep, he didn't want to bother her. Kindness only goes so far, after all. It was only a matter of time before he did something to anger or annoy her and then she'd want him to leave. That thought rooted him to the floor.
He curled tighter behind the couch, and hoped morning would come quickly.
~X~X~X~
The clock by the bed silently flicked to a new number. 10:57.
Callie sighed, and rolled onto her back. It'd been a little over an hour since she came upstairs. She'd washed her face, brushed out her hair, and changed for bed before slipping beneath the covers. The thought of writing in her journal briefly passed through her mind, but she decided against it. Now that she was ready for bed, that was the only thing that sounded appealing.
Just laying down and zonking for the next eight hours or so. It'd been a pretty crazy day.
So was the plan, anyway. The lights had gone out, and Bloom and Suki made their predictable arrival soon after. The three settled in, and awaited the comfortable embrace of slumber. The cats had dozed off a while ago, and they brushed against her as they twitched in their dreams.
Callie was still waiting.
Silver, unsurprisingly, continued to come to mind. Refused to leave, more like it, no matter how many times she tried to think of something else. Questions rolled around—the whys of his arrival, and the wheres of his future. The unknown left her frustrated.
He was such a sweet little boy. He deserved so much happiness. She needed to do right by him.
Then why did you leave him all alone downstairs?
Her brow furrowed. It was just for the night. He's fine.
The kid came from a horrible, dangerous world, and you leave him all alone in the dark in a strange house on a strange planet.
It was one night. He was practically asleep when she tucked him in. He's fine.
You sure about that?
One. Night. No one knew he was here, he was perfectly safe.
Sure. Then why aren't you sleeping?
"Because I think too much," she muttered to herself, before flinging the covers back with an annoyed sigh.
This was stupid. The kid was fine, probably sound asleep. She'd sneak down and check on him, and when she saw he was peacefully snoring in dreamland, she could settle her own stupid brain and maybe get some sleep herself.
Callie tiptoed downstairs, making sure to avoid the particularly creaky floorboards. Her socked feet wanted to slip on the wood, and she moved as carefully as she could.
As the living room came into view, her heart gave a lurch. The couch was empty.
Okay, calm down. Maybe he's in the bathroom.
She stopped and turned in that direction, listening hard. The fridge's ice maker whirred to life, dropping the most recent batch of ice cubes in the bin, followed by a rush of water to refill it. She shot it an annoyed look, then resumed listening once silence had settled again.
A small whimper reached her ears, but it came from the living room. She turned that way, and noticed the side table sitting crooked, as it had earlier when he hid behind the couch.
Guilt twisted her gut. He was hiding again, which meant he was scared. Most likely because she had left him down here all by himself. How heartless could she be?
Moving quietly, Callie made her way around the crooked end table and went to her hands and knees. New sounds floated to her—quick breathing, and the occasional whimper of fear. Her heart twisted, and she cursed her foolishness for thinking he'd be okay by himself in the dark.
Slowly, she lowered herself to look behind the couch. Silver was huddled further back, his eyes large and giving off a slight reflective glow in the low light. He gave a soft gasp as she came into view, his forehead fan of spikes bristling in fear.
Then he blinked, and recognition replaced fear. Relief passed over his face, quickly replaced with shame. He looked away, flicking his eyes to the floor. He bit his lip.
Callie watched this boy, this scared little boy, and cursed herself for putting him in this situation in the first place. She never should have left him. Never should have simply expected him to be 'fine' all by himself in the dark. Especially in a strange place.
Besides, she herself knew how things could look worse at night, and no matter how well he'd done during the day, all bets were off when the light faded. That's when the doubts, the fears, the worries and negative thoughts showed up, nibbling away at reason and logic. Anything seemed plausible at night. Everything seemed worse after dark.
After a few seconds, Callie sat back on her ankles. The movement made him flick his eyes back to her, and a look of surprise replaced the shame. She smiled at him, and held her arms out. Confusion replaced the surprise. With a few little flicks of her fingers, she encouraged him to come out.
She would help him feel safe. And she'd never make this mistake again.
~X~X~X~
Silver sat where he was for a few seconds, before slowly uncurling out of his blanket shell. Was she mad? She hadn't said anything, but her smile looked kind. She obviously wanted him to come out. The idea that this may be a trick briefly passed through his mind, that she wanted to lure him out just so she could hurt him for acting like such a baby and waking her. But the thought had barely formed before he rejected it. She wouldn't do that. He was sure of it.
Still . . .
He'd misjudged people before.
He moved toward her, his steps careful and shy. He dragged the blanket behind him.
The closer he got, the more his heart pounded in his chest. What if this was a trick? What if she was angry at him for acting so stupid? She'd told him he was safe and shouldn't be afraid, but here he was, hiding behind the couch like some scared baby.
His feet slowed as this thought sank in. He didn't listen. He had, well, essentially ignored what she told him and let his stupid fears get the better of him, and now she was angry that he'd gotten scared and disturbed her rest and now she would punish him and oh why didn't he-
Silver's thoughts shut down when Callie straightened the collar of his hoodie, then reached down to take his hands into hers. She rubbed the backs with her thumbs, that kind smile still on her lips.
She didn't say anything, but gently pulled him toward her, releasing one hand to stroke his bristled head fan flat.
"C'mon," she whispered, pulling him in the rest of the way to her. She lifted him, tucking an arm under his tail to support him. Without another word, she stood, and pulled the blanket from his hand to drop back on the couch. Then she turned and carried him toward the stairs.
Shock froze him for a second, before the warmth of her arms, and the beat of her heart eased his fears. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding tight as she climbed.
He'd just opened his mouth to apologize for disobeying when she spoke first.
"I'm sorry."
Silver pulled back and give her a questioning look.
"I never should have left you alone tonight," she said, and her free hand smoothed his forehead fan again. "Your first night in a new place? That could be really scary. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."
Words refused to form on Silver's tongue. He gaped at her as she pushed a door open, and walked into a new room. Bloom and Suki were asleep at the foot of a large bed, and Callie gently dropped him onto it, near the top.
She gave him a nudge, encouraging him to move over, and then slid in beside him.
"Try not to poke me, please," she said, pulling the covers over them. "But I think this little sleepover will ease both our minds. Snuggle in and get some rest. You've had a crazy day."
Dumbstruck, Silver sat silent for a long moment, watching as she scooted herself beneath the covers. She patted her pillow, moving it to just the right spot before resting her head on it.
He sat upright, clutching the covers to him. The fear he'd felt downstairs was gone, replaced with confusion. She wasn't mad? No one had ever cared about his sleeping arrangements before. Or whether or not he was scared.
Callie lay on her side facing him, eyes closed and one hand tucked beneath her pillow. The picture of peace and calm. As though what she'd done wasn't the most strange, most confusing, most wonderful thing he'd experienced in a long, long time.
He briefly contemplated going back downstairs anyway. This was her room, her bed, he couldn't stay here. She was being too nice. It wasn't right. He hadn't done anything to repay her kindness. Sure, she claimed she didn't want anything in return, but it didn't seem fair to accept all these wonderful things—the food, water, shower, hoodie, and now warm bed—and give nothing back.
At the very least he owed her his gratitude. But even that seemed pale in comparison to everything she'd done for him.
But the question remained—why was she doing all this for him? He was a stranger to her, to her planet, and yet she never hesitated in accepting her role as his . . . caretaker? Guardian? Guide? What exactly was her relationship to him? What did she get out of all this?
"Callie?" he whispered, pulling the covers up to his chin.
The woman beside him hummed in response.
"Why are you doing this?"
She opened her eyes to look at him.
"Helping me, I mean. You don't have to."
Brow furrowing slightly, Callie appeared to contemplate his question. After a long moment, she looked up at him again.
"Would you have helped me if I had appeared in your world?"
It was his turn to think. "I guess so. Probably."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Because you would be all alone, and probably scared. I know how that feels."
A smile curled her lips. "Exactly."
Silver furrowed his brow slightly, until understanding smoothed his forehead. "Oh."
"C'mon you," she said, grabbing a fistful of hoodie. "Enough thinking and talking and worrying. Time to get some shut-eye."
Callie pulled him closer to her, giving him a little tickle. He giggled, rolling to face her as she smoothed his forehead fan. Scooting closer, he nuzzled his face under her chin.
"Snuggle-bug," she said, dragging her fingers through the bit of back fluff that stuck out of the top of his hoodie. "Go to sleep. Have good dreams."
"Okay," he said, his voice soft. The feel of her fingers in his back fluff was soothing, and he could feel her heart beating a steady rhythm against his cheek.
Between the warmth of the blankets, the fingers in his fluff, the softness of the mattress, and the heartbeat in his ear, Silver felt himself drifting off much quicker than he expected. Normally it took a long time for him to fall asleep, and most times he simply passed out from exhaustion. Tonight he actually felt his body relax as sleep came for him. Like he was floating.
"I like it here," he whispered, nuzzling closer to Callie's chest. "I hope I never go back."
She stirred above him and he worried he may have woken her, until she curled her arm over him and hugged him closer to her.
A smile curled Silver's lips. He really liked it here.
When sleep came for him, he was still smiling.
~X~X~X~
As Callie argued with herself upstairs, Rough and Tumble had finished their exploration of the house, and reunited near the steps leading to the wraparound deck.
"Think our best bet is the door," Rough said, hooking a thumb at the glass door leading into the kitchen. "Keep quiet."
Tumble nodded, and the two moved as quietly as they could up the steps.
Movement inside, and they ducked to either side of the door, peering in. The woman they'd seen from the video the drone had recorded had come downstairs. She hadn't noticed them, but stopped at the base of the stairway. And just stood there.
The skunk brothers exchanged a look. Rough shrugged.
Then she moved, walking toward the wall they leaned against. She disappeared from their line of sight, and they stood still, waiting. After a long moment she reappeared, carrying the kid in her arms as she headed back upstairs.
They gave it another minute before moving. A deep frown etched into Rough's face.
"Well, that's a problem," he said, running a hand over his mohawk. "Boss won't like it."
"We could rush her," Tumble suggested, shrugging. "Bet we could bust in and grab him from her easy."
Rough shook his head. "Boss would like that even less. He doesn't want to start trouble with any of these . . . things. Whatever they are. This was just a test, anyway. To see if there were any security things around here. Now we know there ain't."
"So we're done?"
The shorter brother nodded. "We're done."
He pulled a ring from beneath his glove and tossed it, opening a portal back to the boss' lab. Without a second look back, the two skunks returned to their world.
