Is everyone still here? Have I lost anyone after breaking Kai's heart for the umpteenth time? Okay good, you're all here. I'm trying to cover more than one major event per chapter unless it's something that needs to be robust (such as chapter 4.)

2. Adjusting

The Monday following Sacha's departure saw Zephyr waking up at 6.30am even though he wouldn't be attending school for another week. By now the family's routine had drilled itself into his head so deep he couldn't shake it out. Elizabeth and Stanley were always up half an hour before the lads, a pot of coffee piping hot and waiting to be used. Ashley would help his Grandma make breakfast while Zephyr grabbed the required plates. Every other day the boys would trade places just so both roles were familiar to the blonde. In all honesty, Zephyr much preferred fetching plates than trying not to burn the bacon. By 7.30 Ashley was out the door, bidding his grandparents and step-sibling farewell until late afternoon, usually returning no later than 4.30pm.

Today was laundry day and unfortunately for Zephyr, he didn't get to sit on his butt. Elizabeth was making the most of the somewhat healthy teen being around, somehow getting him to empty the washing machine and haul the basket of clean, wet washing outside where she would hang it up to dry. After that he was tasked with sweeping and mopping the kitchen. The first part was easy enough, it was the wet work that got Zephyr sweating, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Stanley teased his spouse about working the lad too hard but deep down he knew she was just setting him up with skills he'd need later on in life and to her, experience was the best teacher.

At dinner time once the floor dried, Elizabeth dragged Zephyr from his seat in a comfy armchair to rustle up something quick for lunch. Even Stanley chipped in, plucking some snacking foods from the cupboards and pouring some nice cold lemonade for all of them. Zephyr wondered how long it would be before he'd sampled every food the country had to offer or if there was even an end to the daunting variety.

There was no sign of Ashley at 4.30, Elizabeth giving him a 30minute grace period. If she knew her grandson, he'd postponed his journey to help a neighbour with something, proud of the considerate youth he'd grown up to be. Cottage pie was on the menu tonight, Zephyr tasked with preparing the carrots and potatoes for boiling. By now he was exhausted from all the other hell-sent chores Elizabeth burdened him with. There was a fine line between teaching life skills and slavery, and Zephyr felt it had been crossed hours ago. Arguing wasn't something he relished the idea of, silently complying to avoid getting on the wrong side of his elders. It never panned out well in the past. For the first 10 minutes everything was fine; Zephyr diligently cleaned and peeled the carrots, setting them off to one side once done.

Half way through shaving the skin off potato number 2, a loud boom echoed overhead. Having not expected the sudden noise, Zephyr freaked out and the knife he'd been using caught the underside of his left wrist badly. Unaware of just how serious the cut was, he tied a cloth around it and proceeded to wash the now bloody knife. Ashley finally crossed the threshold at 4.50pm looking no worse for wear.

"Nana?! Grandpa?! I'm home! Mrs. Jeffries needed help moving some boxes and I stopped to lend a hand!"

Ashley left his bag by the stairs and set off to search for somebody. It was most unusual for the house to be silent. He found Zephyr in the kitchen scrubbing furiously at yet another spud. A second boom startled him just as bad as the last, the poor vegetable dropped into the sink with a loud splash and thud.

"Zeph, you okay buddy? It's just a military plane, you're safe in here old chap."

Ashley panicked when Zephyr collapsed, dashing over to see what was wrong. He quickly found the blood soaked cloth around a pale wrist, hoping for anything but the worst reason. Thankfully there was a pulse but it was getting weaker by the second. Ashley called again for his grandparents as he sprinted for the nearest telephone, praying help would arrive in time.

Amethyst eyes creaked open with agonising slowness, greeted by a rush of bright light. Zephyr lifted an arm to try and block out the invading rays with little success. Where the hell was he? The kitchen lights were nowhere near this strong. Zephyr wracked his brain for an answer, recalling that everything had started to spin right around the time he heard Ashley returning and talking to him just before everything went black. Looking around the immediate area, Zephyr saw equipment he wasn't familiar with. On top of that he was tucked into a bed that wasn't his own. Next to cross the boy's sight was a nurse who trotted off soon as she saw sleepy eyes peeking out from a pale face. Shortly after her departure, Zephyr laid eyes on his surrogate family, immediately noticing that Elizabeth's eyes were red raw, Ashley's too. Stanley wasn't much better. It looked like they'd been crying.

"Zephyr, thank goodness! What were you thinking, cutting yourself like that?!"

Questioned teen blinked in confusion. What in the world was Elizabeth talking about? While Zephyr tried to piece together his frazzled memory, Stanley attempted to calm his wife down.

"Let's not be so hasty, Lizzy. Give Zephyr a moment to get up to speed instead of jumping to conclusions."

Ashley agreed and would've offered up the knowledge of Zephyr being disturbed by the army planes flying overhead if he didn't see his blonde brother staring blankly at the bandages around his wrist and hand. Did he truly not remember what happened? Sharp eyes quickly changed targets when part of the bed moved, catching sight of Ashley sitting on the edge.

"We're not mad, buddy. Just worried. You seemed pretty freaked out by the military aircraft flying over the house earlier."

Now he remembered! He'd been using a sharp knife when the first boom happened, dropping it in fright. The wound really hadn't looked that bad, but then Zephyr had suffered worse than that in the past. How long had it even been since he passed out? He wanted to give sound to his thoughts but was too thirsty to say anything.

Two glasses of water later, Zephyr felt ready to talk, praying the truth he had to reveal wouldn't be treated as lies. He shuffled a little to try and get comfortable, uneasy with three pairs of eyes on him.

"It wasn't done intentionally." He began, mentally mapping everything in the exact order it happened. "I was performing the task given to me when this awful loud noise cracked through the room. The knife slipped from my hand when I panicked, its blade catching my wrist. If I'd known how bad it was I would've done more to stop it bleeding. The last thing I remember before blacking out is hearing that noise again and Ashley explaining what it was."

Elizabeth didn't look convinced in the slightest; Stanley appeared to be considering Zephyr's explanation while Ashley believed him beyond a doubt. Hoping it might get the elderly woman to ease off a bit, the blue eyed teen decided to add a fairly significant piece of information.

"Nana, if Zephyr had really intended to cut his wrist he wouldn't try to bandage it. It's also not really common for the first slice to be so clean. Most times several smaller test cuts are made as the person doing them is working up their courage for that final jump."

"And how do you know this Ashley? Were you there when it happened?"

"No, nana. I've been reading up about suicide attempts lately after a girl in my class took her own life. We haven't been told why but I suspect she was either bullied pretty badly or things were rough at home. Sacha would've told us if Zephyr has suicidal tendencies."

Elizabeth could no longer argue against all the evidence, slowly ambling forwards to make an attempt at holding Zephyr's hand. He didn't move, allowing aged fingers to gain purchase around his own younger ones. An apology echoed in the depths of glistening blue eyes and Zephyr didn't have the energy or heart to refuse it. They all went home once a doctor gave Zephyr the all clear to leave, arriving back at the house close to 9pm. Too exhausted to care about eating, the weary blonde trudged upstairs and collapsed onto his bed.

Deep into the night, Ashley's peaceful slumber was disturbed by the sounds of somebody thrashing and moaning in their sleep. Rolling over, what he saw across the room caused his initial irritance to drift away. It looked like Zephyr was having a nightmare again and it killed Ashley to watch the tormented boy writhe beneath sweat-laced sheets. This wasn't the first time Stanley's grandson had been woken by his adopted sibling and it likely wouldn't be the last. Amethyst eyes shot open, their owner bolting up with a strangled cry shedding rivers of tears.

"Tassi!"

Ashley could sit by no longer, quickly alighting from his bed to stop Zephyr doing something that might cause him physical harm. It took more strength than expected, but the white haired youth managed to subdue his thinner room-mate, holding him super tight to try and chase his pain away. Stanley appeared in the doorway holding a lantern, Elizabeth behind him. Zephyr continued to struggle, mumbling frantically that he needed to find somebody; deaf and numb to all Ashley's soothing.

"It's gonna be okay buddy. Nana, could you fetch him some water? I don't want to risk letting go right now."

Elizabeth wordlessly obliged, leaving Stanley to watch the scene before him play out. He'd heard Zephyr having bad dreams before and this was by far the worst one. Did it have something to do with the flyby earlier in the day? A few sips of water later, Zephyr looked to have calmed down, staring questioningly up at Ashley's face.

"You had a pretty nasty nightmare, Zeph." Ashley provided, giving Zephyr's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I got you, bud. You're safe now."

"I'm sorry…"

"There's no need to apologise. You need cuddles more than I need sleep right now."

Zephyr allowed himself to sink further into the embrace, not quite able to shake his mind free of the trauma it just suffered. Stanley ushered Elizabeth back to their room, giving the youngsters some privacy. He planned to call Sacha tomorrow in hopes of getting some answers about this recent episode.

When morning came around, Zephyr was too mentally exhausted to drag himself out of bed. Ashley was still with him, dead to the world. How long had it been since he'd relived that horrible day? Flashes of last night's nightmare blazed across Zephyr's inner eye, causing him to whimper and tense against Ashley's chest which in turn woke the white haired teen.

"Easy Zeph. You're all right buddy. If you wanna talk about that dream, I'm here. Some folks find it helps ease the strain."

Should he? Zephyr wasn't sure what good talking about a traumatic event would do. But bottling it up couldn't be a good idea either. Ashley had done nothing to warrant any distrust. He was probably the most supportive member of his family, a trait Zephyr had very little experience with. His mind made up, Zephyr pulled a small book out from under the bed and opened it to the very first page. Inside were old photographs and it wasn't difficult for Ashley to identify a baby Zephyr in them. Beside him was a girl no more than 8 years older than him with dual coloured blonde/dark blue hair and mismatched eyes of crimson and amethyst.

"Is that…Tassi?"

"Anastasia. My older sister. She may as well of been my mom considering how little ours even bothered with us. Last time I saw her was a little over 10 years ago. Tassi took me out for a walk against mother's wishes if anything so I could escape the torture waiting at home."

Zephyr paused to turn the page, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he watched himself and Tassi get older. Ashley got the feeling things were about to get dark, flinching when Zephyr gripped his hand for support.

"We were leaving a store when the loud noises came. Everyone ran around in panic and at some point Tassi and I got separated. We found each other just as something started falling from the sky. There was a bang and chunks of stone flew everywhere. When all the dust settled, Tassi was gone, trapped somewhere beneath all the debris. All I could do was feebly try to move the rubble until help arrived. They found my sister…but she was already dead."

Ashley was unsurprised when Zephyr's mask shattered completely. It broke his heart to hear all he had. No wonder Zephyr showed zero desire to create strong bonds with others. Throw in abusive parents and you had a near perfect recipe for a sociopath. Ashley could only hope it wasn't too late for Zephyr to find salvation, readily providing the comfort he desperately needed. Now if only it wasn't a school day he could sit and snuggle his grieving sibling all day, much as Zephyr likely wouldn't appreciate being smothered.

"A wise woman once told me, you can't heal what you don't reveal. Maybe talking about these things won't help right away, but it's a step in the right direction. You've fought hard to get here and I'm positive that Anastasia is super proud of you. I'll get nana to take it easy on you today."

Zephyr couldn't stop a smile creeping across his face, folding the book shut and placed it back into his bag. Stanley and Elizabeth were both in the kitchen when the boys came downstairs, Ashley scuttling over to his grandmother with purpose. Seeing that his other grandson was in no state at present to do much in the way of chores, Stanley signalled for Zephyr to sit with him at the table. He decided against pressing the boy for an explanation about last night's disturbance, letting him come out in his own time if he wanted to. In the blink of an eye, Ashley was gone from the house, leaving a rather awkward silence in his wake.

To try and relax the atmosphere, Elizabeth put a record on and ventured out into the garden, returning with a basket full of flowers. She was able to entice Zephyr into helping her liven the place up a bit with colourful vases of the flora she'd just gathered. A soothing scent filled every corner of the house but it did little to dull Zephyr's inner pain. Sunlight blinded him when he stepped out into the back yard, still not used to the outdoors. Clouds rolled by gracefully, some unshaped while others took the form of animals and even people. Zephyr's short hair danced on a passing breeze, filling him with a strange sense of peace.

Thursday saw Zephyr due for another session at the rehabilitation clinic. Stanley and Elizabeth went with him, partially to see if there was anything they could do to help cure his addiction faster. The meeting itself was nothing to write a novel about, Zephyr's therapist suggesting some recreational activities that might help him combat the itch he got when his body started demanding he give in to old habits. While it wasn't exactly the man's area, Stanley enquired about ways of overcoming different types of trauma. Zephyr didn't really like any of the options provided. He could choose to go through even more counselling, start writing a diary as an outlet or try meditation. Those experiences were his fuel forward, not a crutch holding him back. Of course, the Dickensons wouldn't push Zephyr into anything he didn't want to do unless they felt he might harm himself otherwise.

Once out of the clinic, all three of them took a leisurely ride around town. It was a nice day and going back home so soon would be waste of sunshine. Other families had the same idea, some with small children too young for school. Apparently a few of the neighbours were about, eagerly snagging Elizabeth and Stanley for a natter while Zephyr tried to make himself as invisible as possible. The less he had to socialize the better, and thankfully nobody was super eager to meet him either but he knew there would come a day where doing so would be inevitable. One introduction he couldn't get away from was with the much loved Cornish pasty. In all honesty, Zephyr couldn't see what made the "local delicacy" so special. It was just pastry filled with meat and vegetables.

Returning back to the house he immediately vanished upstairs and didn't come back down until supper time. At the table, Ashley voiced a hope to show Zephyr the neighbourhood over the weekend and maybe see about getting him more involved in the community. With spring being right around the corner, their elderly neighbours would likely be looking for someone to help out with yard maintenance.

Come Saturday, Zephyr had absolutely no desire to get out of bed. He only left it because Ashley threatened to give him a cold shower if he refused further. Elizabeth treated the boys to pancakes for breakfast instead of the usual fry-up. They were a bit too heavy for Zephyr's liking and although no bigger than a saucer, he could only stomach two of the five on his plate. Stanley sent the boys off with a bit of spending money, waving as they vanished up the street.

"So then Zeph. You've been here two weeks now, what do you think of Liskeard?"

"It's…okay I guess. A little too much on the bright side for my liking right now."

"You'll get used to it. I never got chance to ask the other day; how'd therapy go?"

Zephyr visibly tensed at Ashley's side. Did they really have to talk about that now? An elderly lady coming out of her home spared him from answering, at least for now.

"Morning Mrs. Jeffries." Ashley called, waving cheerfully. "You are looking absolutely dazzling this morning."

"Oh you little rascal. Who's your friend, Ashley? He's looking a dash pale m'boy."

Zephyr attempted to turn tail and run but Ashley caught him just in time, a firm grip on his good wrist.

"This is Zephyr, Mrs. Jeffries. I mentioned him to you briefly on Monday. He's been part of the family a couple of weeks now. We wanted to let him settle in before introducing everyone."

Mrs. Jeffries gingerly hobbled down the steps to her house, a cane held in a shaky hand lending support to an old back. She looked a good decade or two older than Elizabeth with tidy curls of wiry white hair and bright hazel eyes.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Zephyr. My door is always open if you need a quiet place to think."

Zephyr didn't respond verbally, just nodded and backed away from the elderly woman. Ashley found his nervousness quite adorable, leaving him momentarily to help Mrs. Jeffries back inside. Upon returning, he explained that the old woman lived alone. Her husband had passed away some years ago so everyone in the neighbourhood made sure she had somebody to talk to and to look after her.

Just after midday the boys were coming up to a small park when something across the street caught Zephyr's attention. A burly boy aged about 17 was picking on a small child no older than 9, bullying them into handing over whatever money they had. Zephyr was half way across the road before Ashley could stop him, grumbling as he too crossed over to try and keep the peace. The bully was none too pleased with being interrupted, a kid's purse in his hand. He might be half the other lad's size, but Zephyr was confident he could kick his ass, pushing him away from the quivering child sobbing in fear.

"Bet you think you're so hard picking on a little kid, mudaki. How about you pick on someone your own size."

"Pah! You're no bigger than that pathetic little weasel. If he didn't want to get mugged, maybe the brat should man u…"

A fist meeting his chin shut the bully up quickly, eyes ablaze with anger. Zephyr stood a few paces away, hands up and ready to do some damage. Ashley watched in horrified awe as the still skinny blonde dodged all but one punch sent his way, giving the bully a taste of his own medicine tenfold. In minutes the once confident teen was reduced to a gibbering wreck at Zephyr's feet begging for mercy.

"I'm only gonna warn you once." Zephyr spat, putting one foot forward with enough vile intent to make his opponent scurry away a couple inches. "If you bully ANY child again, I will hear about it and I will rain every fire in hell down on you. Now get out of my sight, pathetic excuse of a man."

And vanish the bully did, leaving nothing but dust, blood and the pilfered purse behind. Zephyr felt surprisingly good as he returned the money to its rightful owner. Teary eyes trembled in fear with every step closer that their defender took.

"You're safe now little one. He'll think twice before attacking you again. What's your name kid?"

"W-Wyatt. But why'd you help me? I don't know either of you."

Zephyr cocked a questioning brow, arms loosely folded. "Why should it matter if I know you or not? I couldn't stand idly by and watch someone get bullied."

Gratitude glistened in Wyatt's big brown eyes, shooting off the floor to hug Zephyr's waist. Ashley also wondered what had gotten into the blonde. He'd never looked the selfless or heroic type. Zephyr insisted both of them walked Wyatt home, partially so he had an alibi. There was also a possibility Wyatt's attacker could come back with company and hurt the boy worse. As they rounded a corner, Zephyr caught sight of him and he wasn't alone, hurrying Wyatt along.

"He's following us isn't he?"

"Don't you worry Wyatt." Ashley muttered, keeping an eye on the road behind them. "We won't let those boys touch you. I'm Ashley and your hero over there is Zephyr."

Wyatt smiled sweetly, grasping the hands of his saviours a little tighter. He didn't expect Zephyr to grip back. Finally they arrived at their destination and Wyatt's mother was beside herself when she answered the door.

"Bless you boys. Thank you. But…why would you put yourself in harm's way like that?"

The question was aimed primarily at Zephyr whose eyes were still locked onto Wyatt.

"I have a kid brother about your sons' age. He was bullied by bigger kids too until I knocked their lights out. Somebody has to stand up to those thugs."

"Well you boys both be careful going home. Carlos won't take that beating lying down."

"Oh we know." Zephyr confirmed, glaring up the street where "Carlos" was last seen poking his ugly head around a corner. "He's already made that perfectly clear. Got his entourage waiting for us a few yards away. Don't worry about us, ma'am. I've handled bigger than those overgrown pansies before."

"Well at least tell me your names."

Ashley stepped forward, writing something on a small pad of paper then handed the sheet he'd scribbled on to Wyatt's mother. If Carlos tried anything, he and Zephyr would have an alibi at least. Rather than delay the inevitable, both boys set a course for home, intercepted by Carlos and his buddies as expected. Zephyr's pulse raced in excitement, eager to punch the first one dumb enough to take him lightly.

"Ashley what happened?!"

Zephyr couldn't say he wasn't anticipating Elizabeth to start screaming soon as he and his bully-busting partner walked into the house with split lips, various other cuts and a multitude of bruises. Stanley couldn't find any words to say as he watched the boys clean themselves of blood, worried as to why they'd come home all beat up. A knock on the door distracted Elizabeth from tearing the boys a new one, but the caller only added to her frustration.

"Ashley Dickenson you come here right now! And bring Zephyr with you!"

As predicted, Carlos had run home to mommy, tail between his legs and woven a false story. Her case made, the rattled mother took her "precious baby boy" home. Ashley tried to argue his and Zephyr's innocence, cut off by the dreaded raised finger.

"Not a word out of you young man. As of tonight both of you will go to bed with no supper! And you're grounded for the rest of the month!"

"So that's our reward is it?!"

Elizabeth turned dangerously to Zephyr as he stood with fists balled. Ashley silently begged for him to stop talking, knowing he'd only make their punishment worse.

"Zephyr, I've tried to be patient with you, being new to this country, but that does not give you the right to run around beating up other boys!"

"So I was supposed to just let that bastard batter a little kid into handing over his money?! Then once we'd walked the boy home, Carlos and his merry gang of thugs pounced on us! But I guess this is the price we pay for standing against the bad guys. Ground and starve me if it'll make you feel better but don't you fucking dare blame Ashley for this! I started it!"

And Elizabeth would have done just that but somebody else came knocking. Wyatt and his mom looked incredibly concerned, telling Zephyr they'd heard at least some of the shouting.

"Yes, what do you want?"

"Mrs. Dickenson? I'm Rhonda Smithwright. A little earlier today your sons stepped in to save my little Wyatt from that bully Carlos. I just wanted to thank them again from the bottom of my heart for walking him home."

Stanley came into view right as Wyatt propelled himself into Zephyr's banged up arms and gave his hero a big hug. In doing so however he pressed some invisible injuries beneath a tattered shirt. Rather than make a bigger scene, Zephyr lowered his super grateful fan boy to the floor and knelt in front of him.

"Hey buddy. How you holding up? Doing good?"

"Thanks to you." Wyatt grinned, once again coming in for a cuddle. "Carlos beat you up didn't he?"

"Oh he tried kid. He and his no good friends underestimated me. So you know what I did? I showed them you don't mess with the little guy. Maybe now they'll finally think twice, eh?"

"Yeah! Was it true? What you said about having a little brother?"

A sad smile tugged at Zephyr's lips, his hands a little shaky when he answered. "Yeah it's true. I think you'd get on well. He's just a scrawny little thing, very shy. I'll be lucky if I ever see him again. Huh?"

Something pressing against the center of his chest made Zephyr pause, looking down to see Wyatt holding his purse out to him. He gave the boy an inquisitive look, questioning what the hell he was doing.

"You deserve it."

Wyatt provided. He tried to back away but a large, strong hand curled around his wrists. Zephyr placed the purse back in Wyatt's hands and pushed the boy away gently.

"That money belongs to you, Tovarich. You don't owe me anything."

"But…but you fought for it…"

"So that I could give it back. If you're dead set on paying me back for simply being a compassionate human being, live your life, Wyatt. Treat others with kindness, as you would want for yourself. But some people cannot be saved and will always try to hurt you. Trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way. It costs nothing to be kind. If you see another kid getting picked on, help them if you can. Would you be able to do that for me Tovarich?"

Rhonda couldn't be more proud as she watched her little boy nod enthusiastically, hugging his teddy bear purse tight. Everyone listened quietly as Zephyr told Wyatt he'd be there if the boy needed help, always.

Although Elizabeth had been dissuaded from punishing her do-gooder grandsons, she wasn't going to let Zephyr get away with starting a fight that could've been avoided and he understood a little. Ashley mused that the blonde's punishment could've been far worse than mowing lawns for the neighbourhood. What surprised him more than anything else was Zephyr apologising, saying that he didn't want to bring trouble back to their door. And they had tried to walk away, regardless of Zephyr's itch to kick some teeth in. By doing tasks for the neighbours he'd be building up a good reputation and trust with the locals on top of hopefully help him to overcome his drug problem.

Wyatt and his mom came back a little after supper saying they had something for Zephyr and Ashley. It wasn't much, just a couple of new shirts to say thank you in a more personal way. Rhonda knew her little boy had found himself two big brothers, truly warmed deep down at the thoughtfulness Wyatt displayed for others. Zephyr supposed he couldn't really be mad at the kid for buying him something and his wardrobe was in need of some TLC. He knew Kai would've done the same if he'd been the one that got rescued. Dinner passed by without issue and before anybody knew it, night had fallen. While Ashley slept, Zephyr sat staring at the few photographs he had of his baby brother. He was in some of them too.

A longing to go home ached in Zephyr's chest, wanting nothing more than to hold Kai in his arms again. These past two weeks must've so hard on him and it wouldn't be surprising if he'd cried himself to sleep since the accident. Zephyr trusted that so long as Kai had his friends, the shy boy would be perfectly fine. Their grandfather had never raised a hand to either of them from what he could recall but that didn't mean their elder wasn't stern. It had probably been his idea to marry Zephyr off in the first place. Tiredness finally started tugging at amethyst eyes close to 11pm, the book of memories tucked back into its hiding place to wait for another day of reminiscing.

Not a whole lot happened on Sunday. Zephyr ventured out on his own to watch over Wyatt at the lads' request. They didn't go far, just to the park and it became clear why when a small swarm of similarly aged children came into view. It took some doing but the children all managed to get Zephyr pushing them on the swings or merry-go-round. While he frowned on the outside, his heart was smiling from artery to artery with glee. The tables were turned on him just before dinner, Wyatt getting all his friends to help him give their surprisingly heavy body guard a push on the tire swing and boy did he not like it one bit.

Despite the scare they'd given him, Zephyr still walked each child home to doubly make sure they were safe. The parents were of course concerned about their babies hanging around with a much older boy but Wyatt was able to convince them that Zephyr was harmless. To anyone who wasn't a bully at least. In the dark of night, he'd laid awake for hours unable to sleep. Monday would see him trekking off to school with Ashley for the first time. He had no plans to make friends, doubtful that the other students would even like him.

Zephyr felt as if he'd only closed his eyes for a split second, opening them again to find a new morning dawned on the horizon. On his bedside table sat a freshly ironed school uniform ready to be worn. The only thing he had problems putting on was the tie, blind to Elizabeth entering while he cussed under his breath in Russian. Knowledgeable hands tied the strip of fabric in less than a minute, knot slipped up to rest at the bottom of Zephyr's neck.

"My, don't you clean up all fancy."

Zephyr merely rolled his eyes to the compliment, folding the collar of his crisp white shirt down over the uncomfortable ring almost digging into his flesh. Observing himself in the nearby standing mirror, Zephyr didn't like what he saw. Suits of any kind reminded him of the few Hiwatari men he knew and bore feelings of hatred for. Lastly a mildly heavy blazer was slipped onto Zephyr's back, completing the detestable uniform.

Breakfast sped by much to Zephyr's irritance, Elizabeth waving him and Ashley off at the door, bags slung over their shoulders. It took no less than half an hour to reach the school. Much as Ashley wanted to introduce Zephyr to his pals, they had somewhere else to be that was far more important. Their trip to a secretary's office was fleeting and saw Zephyr walking out with more than he entered in possession of. Ashley escorted his foster brother down the halls as a bell rang out, glancing at Zephyr's timetable to see which tutor group he'd been put in. They were in different rooms along the same corridor. Zephyr's came up first, Ashley leaving him with an encouraging pat on the back that was not gratefully received. A flock of youths varying in age from 10 to 16 were already present and Zephyr's head ached just looking at them all.

The teacher didn't seem all that interested and pointed the new kid to an empty seat at the back of class for which Zephyr was actually happy about…until he saw the table was occupied. Its host was so busy chatting to another student across the aisle that they didn't even notice the space between them was filled for a fleeting moment. Slipping his bag under the table, Zephyr sat down by the window and stared blankly outside, thoughts consumed by his brother an ocean away. Kai was likely in school by now too, half way through his day probably. There was a good 4hr difference between them yet they both still managed to be in school at the same time.

If Zephyr recalled correctly, Kai would be due for or already be in a business economics class despite being well underage for it. At the insistence of their business ruling grandfather, the brothers were only allowed to learn subjects that suited his needs so neither of them got to play sports or go to art lessons. It was all business, maths and languages. Tutor period came to an abrupt end, Zephyr waiting for the hoard to leave before vacating his seat, the teacher giving him an "I'm watching you" look as he strode out the door. First up he had English. Hooray.

Zephyr's first day in a British school was so far going well. Nobody bothered him so he managed to focus on his work…what he could understand of it. English had been followed by History and after a short break period Zephyr landed himself in a Geography class. The latter two had been an utter nightmare. Luckily the teachers he got were both very understanding and talked him through what he couldn't get his head around. Come lunch time, Zephyr didn't care to have his packed dinner in the school canteen, finding an unclaimed wall to relax on. Elizabeth might be a somewhat unbearable human being but she made a banging sandwich.

Right as Zephyr finished the last bite of his lunch, Ashley showed up with an entourage of lads. The first to grab Zephyr's attention was a tall fellow with…brown skin? He'd never seen a person with differently coloured skin before. Sky blue eyes were drawn to the look of confusion and curiosity swirling in alluring amethyst pits, their owner running a nervous hand through a short, well kept mop of black hair.

"Hey Ash, your brother is looking at me like I'm some kinda space creature. Where did you say he was from again?"

Ashley managed to snap Zephyr out of his bizarre trance, keeping his attention on him for now. "Come on, bud. Surely you've seen a black person or two before?"

A negative shake of the head was Zephyr's response, looking once again at Ashley's unusual pal.

"Sheesh they really don't teach you much about the world over there, huh? My man Eddy here is African/American."

"Afri…can?"

"Yeah that's right. He moved here from the USA a couple years ago. I promise he won't bite. The identical twins over there are Johnny and his cousin Seamus. Their family comes from Scotland waaaay up north."

Zephyr eyed said lads warily. As stated, it was difficult to tell the duo apart with their spiked crimson hair and bone-chilling eyes coloured a similar blue to Eddy's. The last member of Ashley's group was a guy with spiked forward ultramarine blue hair and green eyes but his name fell on deaf ears.

The young Scotsmen had only been in Zephyr's presence a couple of minutes and already they hated his guts. The blonde fancied them jealous of his good looks having caught more than a few girls eying him up throughout the morning.

"So this is him then, is it?" Growled the one named Johnny, a sheen of disgust racing across the surface of his eyes. "The creep who's been hanging out with little kids?"

"Hey man, that's a bit harsh." Chimed Eddy, keeping a cautious eye between both boys. "Just because Zephyr looks out for the children doesn't mean he's sick in the head. For all we know, he could have a sibling somewhere and has adopted a brotherly role with the youngsters here."

Zephyr liked Eddy already, pleasantly surprised that a stranger had come to his defence. Johnny however was having none of Eddy's argument, arms tightly folded.

"Nobody asked you, nigger."

Ashley knew the look darkening across Zephyr's features all too well as the Russian teen eased off the wall with a threatening slowness. It had been very subtle, but Eddy reacted with clear distaste and hurt at the word Johnny spat at him. Zephyr likely saw this response and picked up right away on it being an insult. Talking the blonde down from giving Johnny a pasting was certainly not going to be easy for Ashley, but somebody crashing into him halted everything. It was a girl, their age with long dark lavender hair and a slim build. Her eyes were currently out of sight as she was smooching the living daylights out of Ashley. As expected both Johnny and Seamus displayed clear disgruntlement towards the situation.

"Oh great, now the slut is here."

Unfortunately for Johnny, Zephyr was well acquainted with slurs towards women thanks in no small part to Susumu. If Johnny desperately wanted a beating, he was certainly pushing all the right buttons for one. Ashley managed to get the girl off of him with some struggle, placing himself in the space between two warring gazes, unsure if he could prevent his friend and brother from coming to blows.

A bell saved Johnny from the royal clobbering Zephyr had in hand for him, watching as spiked red hair vanished into the sudden sea of people. Seamus turned tail quicker than a lightning strike, chasing after his cousin to avoid taking a beating for him. What Zephyr muttered under his breath as he stalked away Ashley could not understand, figuring it was something unpleasant at best. He could only hope neither boy would seek each other out for a fight whether on school grounds or on the streets. As luck would have it, both Johnny and Seamus were in Zephyr's next two lessons.

Fortunately for the cousins, they were able to go home alive but not without eyes on their backs lusting to beat the crap out of them. Ashley considered today a success; Zephyr hadn't gotten into any actual trouble, allowing him to keep his promise to Elizabeth. It was a narrow victory, and likely to be short lived. Johnny had snagged Zephyr's triggers something fierce; sparking a conflict he had no hopes of winning. Upon returning to the house, both boys went to change out of their uniform and wash up for supper. Zephyr was reluctant to give any feedback about his first day at school as expected and holed himself away upstairs afterward. His solace was rudely interrupted when Ashley came in…and he wasn't alone. With him was the girl from lunch. What was she doing here?

"I didn't get chance to introduce myself earlier."

Zephyr cocked an inquisitive brow. He hadn't verbally asked why this snogaholic female was in his space but admired her determination nonetheless.

"I'm Francesca but everyone calls me Frankie. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Zephyr."

An extended hand was surveyed cautiously, the requested handshake silently refused. If there was one thing Zephyr had learned, it was to NEVER touch another man's girl without his permission. For her effort, Frankie got a slight nod and Zephyr blocked out everything with headphones immediately after; grateful that Sacha had gifted him a cassette player and some music tapes before departing.

No enthusiasm was felt towards school for the rest of the week. Zephyr had made it clear to Frankie without words that physical contact between them was not on the cards, only providing a worded explanation to Ashley…a very short one at that. The grey eyed lass was not his to touch, full stop. This outlook was certainly new to Frankie's boyfriend, one to be respected. There seemed to be no end to the unexpected good qualities of Zephyr. Bright and early Saturday morning, Stanley kicked the boys out of bed at 7am. Zephyr in particular had a long day ahead of him. Today his sentence of community service began and he was none too eager to get started. Ashley dropped him off at his first stop after breakfast…Mrs. Jeffries's house.

Stanley's grandson got a pleasant surprise when the neighbourhood's oldest resident shuffled out of her house with a set of keys. Zephyr emerged from his shell at Ashley's side, easing the old girl down the shallow steps and over to a garden table situated atop a stone patio. Who was this chivalrous youth and what the heck had he done with Zephyr Varskovitz? With Mrs. Jeffries safely seated, Zephyr went off in search of her lawnmower from the garage. Amethyst eyes carefully scoured the area until they found what looked like a device for cutting grass. It was an aged thing and best described as a bladed cylinder on wheels that needed to be pushed rather than activated by electricity to work.

A nod of confirmation from both Mrs. Jeffries and Ashley told Zephyr he was meant to cut the lawn with this prehistoric looking thing. After being given a short demonstration he got to it while Ashley sat back and watched. Thin arms trembled like leaves in a storm once the lawn had been mown from corner to corner. As a reward for his hard work, Mrs. Jeffries treated Zephyr to some homemade cakes and dandelion pop, barking at Ashley to put her dinosaur of a lawnmower back into the garage to keep the white haired teen on his toes. Having never known his biological grandmother, Mrs. Jeffries was quickly filling that role in Zephyr's life.

I know, not the best description of an ancient lawnmower but I tried. If I don't forget chapter three will be posted next week. Hopefully by then I'll have another chapter of Fix You done and up as well.

Hope you're all liking this tale so far. Hold onto your hats coz it's about to get rough.