Claire woke up to Scorch nudging her shoulder.
"It's two in the morning," she whined as she tried to go back to sleep.
"Well if you're going to be coming with us, you are going to have to be used to waking up early."
"Why did you wake me up."
"You were crying in your sleep, and it was keeping everyone else awake," cried Scorch.
"I-I don't remember."
"Probably just a night terror kid. Just be glad that you don't remember it. You know, everytime I wake up I tend to find Boss in your room with you. I haven't woken up to you screaming until just now."
Claire sighed. It had been a few days since they adopted her. Recently she had been having night terrors, and Boss would be there to comfort her and make sure she was alright. This time though it was Scorch who found her. Scorch sat on her bed. He wasn't in his full attire. Instead he was shirtless showing off his muscles in detail.
"Tell me everything that's happened," he said as his eyes softened. "Sometimes when my brothers have night terrors it's because of a traumatic experience they went through, and it usually helps when they talk about it."
Claire shook her head as tears brimmed in her eyes. She began to remember an experience with her mother that she had when she was twelve. When she started to cry, she quickly covered her mouth, and Scorch pulled her into a warm hug.
"Just tell me. Please. I'm sick of seeing you suffer. I refuse to abandon you. I promise."
Looking him in the eyes, she sighed.
"I remember. When I was only twelve, I had arrived home from school to see my mother had been drinking. She had found out that I had forgotten to make my bed earlier that morning. Screaming at me, she told me how I was a failure, and she threatened to call the police on me to tell them that I had abused them. I immediately apologized to her repeatedly promising that I would never do it again. Next thing I know, I hear her say, "you're damn right you won't do it again." I remember waking up on a hospital bed afterwards. I don't remember anything else but hearing the doctor say how my parents had told them that I fell down the stairs even though there were cuts and bruises all along my legs and back. Even in my injured state my parents made me walk."
Scorch looked at her with anger and sympathy in his eyes as he held her closer.
"That will never happen to you again. I will make sure of it," he vowed.
Claire started to cry in his arms as Scorch continued to gently hold her. Slowly, he laid down with her. Then Claire snuggled up to his chest and fell into a peaceful sleep feeling safe once again.
Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot of stuff to do, but since I have gotten a few more reviews, I decided to post a few more chapters. Thanks to my friend, I-got-99-star-wars-books, I am now out of my writer's block and writing again. Hopefully I can keep this up, but ideas are helpful. Either post them or send me an idea, and if I like them, I will put your name into my next author's note. If this story is too serious for you, go ahead and try my other more humorous stories. It will be hard for you to believe that I can actually write a serious story.