Disclaimer: I do not own any of Sherri's characters I am just borrowing them for the time being to have a little fun with them. I do however own Eve and Kelly, and any other characters you do not recognize from Sherri's books, so please do not use them without my permission.
After the meeting with the Peltiers and Colt in the family room Eve had gone up stairs to check on Kelly. After seeing that her sister was finally in a deep peaceful slumber Eve had Aimee show her where one of the many bathrooms were so she could take a shower. Her room was right next to her sisters, and just down the hall from the bathroom on that floor.
After locking the door she started up the shower, setting it almost as hot as it could go. She still felt like she had the blood of battle on her skin, even after four months. She removed her clothing and looked at her body in the mirror; pink scars riddled her arms and back. The Daimons had pulled out all the stops, some of them even brings pistols along with their tazers and other various weapons. She had a bullet wound in her upper arm that had thankfully missed the bone, and gone straight through. She was also thankful the bullet hadn't been a hollow point, otherwise she may not have had much of an arm left.
She quickly climbed into the shower and scrubbed her body of the death she still felt clinging to her skin. As she thought about her family she finally let herself shed the tears she had been holding since her family had been killed. A sob escaped her lips quickly followed by another one; she slid along the shower wall to the floor wrapping her arms around her legs and curling in a small ball. She was so lost in her own grief she didn't even notice that the water had begun to turn cold. Once it was freezing she finally reached out blindly and turned the water off, collapsing back against the back of the tub. She couldn't get herself to stop crying, she had been holding it back for so long.
Knocking sounded at the door followed by Aimee's voice. "Eve, are you okay?"
She heard of voices outside the door but couldn't make out what they were saying.
Eve hiccupped as her sobbing finally began to subside; she slowly climbed out of the tub and grabbed the towel she had sat on top of the toilet seat. Using the edge of the counter
she got to her feet and wrapped the towel around her. Someone knocked on the door again, this time harder.
"Eve, are you alright? If you don't answer me I'm going to break down the door." It was Dev who spoke this time; Aimee was a smart girl to get her older brother. Especially the one that Eve had a connection with so long ago.
"Yeah, Dev I'm fine." Eve answered him with a voice that had gone husky from crying.
"You don't sound fine, open the door." Dev replied back, obviously not satisfied with her answer. "Come on, Evelyn." He was the only one to ever call her Evelyn besides her father. This started a whole now bout of tears to come forth.
She reached over and unlocked the door, knowing he would break it down of she didn't. As soon as the lock clicked the door swung open and Dev stepped inside, shutting it behind him. She looked up from her where she was leaning against the counter hugging her towel to herself. Dev silently walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to sob in to his chest. As soon as his arms were completely around her she totally lost it, her whole body went weak with the force of her grief. Without missing a beat Dev picked her up and cradled her against his body, then sat down on the toilet lid, rocking her slowly.
"Just let it out Eve, I know you. You hold it in until you can't any more and then all hell breaks lose inside you. I you want to be strong for Kelly but you have got to stop doing this to yourself, I can't stand to see you like this." He whispered softly into her ear, his voice had always been so calming to her all he had to do was speak her name when she was angry or upset and she would begin to calm down. But it took a bit longer this time with how much damage her mind and her heart had taken in the past four months. She felt so vulnerable right now; like she was a little girl stuck in a cold dark room hoping the monsters wouldn't find her.
"Please don't leave me Dev; I can't take losing anyone else. Promise you and your brothers will protect Kelly, she's all I have left of my family." Eve spoke in a subdued tone since her sobbing had subsided into to slight sniffles and hiccups.
"We'll protect both of you; you're part of our family now. And I will never leave you, I promise you that. You're too special to me." Dev said against her wet hair and he
stroked her cheek. "Come on, lets get you into your nice warm bed. You're completely exhausted." He stood up and set her on the counter until he got the door open, then he picked her back up and carried her to her room. He saw his sister out in the hallway with a worried look on her face. "Aimee can you get her door for me, and then help her get into some pajamas?"
"Yeah, no problem." Aimee said as she opened the door the Eve's new room, she went inside and dug through Eve's suitcase until she found a pair of pajamas. She waited until Dev set Eve down on her bed and then shooed her older brother out of the room. "Go on, she doesn't need you ogling her." Dev just smiled and shook his head, as much as he would like to see Eve naked now was not the time; he thought his sister knew him better than that.
Aimee helped a groggy Eve into her tank top and shorts, and then under the covers. As she went to leave Eve grabbed her hand.
"Can you tell Dev to come back? I don't want to be alone." She asked the younger bear.
"Sure." Aimee gave her a sweet smile and then walked out the door sending Dev back in.
Dev walked in the room and closed the door behind him, he had slept holding Eve many times before she had left with her parents so long ago. It was a little hard for him to be around a female back then and not want to have sex with her, being in puberty and all. But Dev had a underlying respect for Eve so he never tried anything, they had been great friends.
He stripped off his boots and jeans, and then climbed into the bed beside her. She was laying her side so he snuggled up behind her and put his arm around her waist, the other under her pillow. He felt her sigh in her sleep, must have been the first time she felt safe enough to sleep for she was exhausted beyond belief. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her scent; he had missed that so much. As he began to fall asleep he wondered if she would ever consider being with him. He knew they would both become mated one day, but for the time being they could fill the loneliness in each other.