No one spoke for several seconds. To Fledge it felt like forever. Mallory made the first move, her eyes sweeping immediately to Duke she started forward.
Knowing he was most likely overstepping his boundaries, Fledge blocked her from leaving the kitchen. "He's okay now, just let him sleep it off."
"Fledge, get out of my way." She didn't yell; she didn't have any emotion in her tone.
He stood his ground, he was used to what ever she might decide to throw at him. A yell, a shove, it wouldn't be the first time.
"I knew what to do." He said quietly. "Give him an hour or two."
She finally drew back slightly. "An hour." She echoed and left the kitchen through the backdoor.
Duke hissed something under his breath and followed her.
After a moment, Drebeer got up too.
"Arren." Ches warned. "Don't."
The black duck stared at the older mallard and then silently left. The others watched him go and then Nosedive turned to Ches questioningly. He ignored the younger duck's persistent looks his way.
…..
Duke found Mallory standing by the fence, under a wide Shwall tree, its long droopy limbs looking very much like Earth's willow tree. He paused, a few feet from her and waited for her to say something but she stayed silent.
"Mal-" He began.
"What did we do wrong? What did I do wrong?" She cut him off.
"You didn't do anything wrong." He murmured. "Sometimes parents miss shit like this."
"Oh do they?" She turned on a dime to face him. Her eyes were glassy from the water that was welling up in them. "So then we're a statistic Duke. We screwed up somewhere and don't deny it because you know. Our son overdosed…and on what I might ask."
"It's not your fault, it's mine." He suddenly snapped.
She froze. "What are you talking about?"
"I thought I noticed those anxiety pills I was given but never took, were dwindling in numbers. I should have gotten rid of them. Flushed them or something but I didn't. So if anyone is to blame then it's me."
Snow crunched behind them.
Duke rolled his eyes and didn't turn around. "Arren, not now."
The assassin ignored his brother. "The two of them left last night."
That made Duke face the duck. "Excuse me?"
Drebeer watched both of them under hooded eyes. "What part of that did you not get? The kids left the house last night. They apparently forgot I was in the room next to Tanya and saw Asher take a dive off the roof."
"Why didn't you stop them?" Mallory demanded.
Drebeer raised an eyebrow. "I didn't feel like getting slapped with an indecent exposure fine if your cop buddy decided to show up, thank you very much. Not like I didn't hurry. They were gone by the time I got outside."
"Where did they go?" Duke beat Mallory to the next important question.
Drebeer looked away and took a step back from his brother. "One guess."
A spark of realization followed quickly by an expression of almost pure disbelief. "Mordri…they went to Mordri."
Drebeer jerked his head. An awkward gesture that cemented Duke's assumption.
"But why?" Mallory managed to ask, her voice faint.
"I don't know." Drebeer yanked his buzzing phone out of an inner pocket and promptly clicked it off. "He wouldn't answer me. Which…brings me to the next thing."
"Which is what?" Duke asked brusquely, most likely not meaning to direct his frustrations to his brother.
Drebeer stared Duke in the eyes. "He said something odd. That Mox knows what we plan to do. Like down to the last detail. Ash said that someone talked…in this house."
Duke glanced at the house, his expression unreadable. Mallory appeared by his side, her own face tight with worry.
"He out of the blue accused me."
"Accused you, of what?" Mallory asked confused.
"Betraying you." He responded emotionless.
Duke shook his head slowly. "If he's been taking those pills he probably forgot a dose and was experiencing withdrawal. He didn't mean it."
Unexpected regret passed over Drebeer's features. "I lost my temper on him. I had him pinned by his neck against the wall before I really knew what I was doing. It's most likely why he didn't want to come downstairs."
"Him…doing what he did is not your fault Arren." Mallory was inwardly shocked Drebeer would even allude to something like that.
The moment of emotion was replaced quickly with his usual blank mask. "It still doesn't change the fact that someone told Mox. And it's someone who's in the circle."
"It's none of us." Mallory said immediately. "Arren we've all been around each other for years. Twelve years. We've been with each other longer than that… fifteen years I've lived with Duke, Dive…Wing, Tanya and Grin. And Canard wouldn't."
The black duck shrugged. "So who does that leave? The cop? It isn't Ches." Drebeer tilted his head. "Come on kid…you aren't that naïve."
Mallory felt cold. She couldn't wrap her head around the notion that someone close to them could be talking. "Maybe they didn't do it maliciously."
"No?" Drebeer's question became instantly condescending. "You can't exactly mistake Mox for anyone other than who he is. Patterrn and Flyght too, they both stink of years of BO and Patterrn can't stand up straight if he tried. Not everyone is trustworthy."
"I know that." Mallory snapped. "Trust me. I know but it isn't anyone in that house now and deep down, I know you know that. They all love Asher like he's their own kid. And we have a fifteen year bond."
For the longest time Drebeer didn't say anything. Then he took a breath in slowly, giving a subtle wince due to his still healing injuries. "Fine. It isn't anyone in the house. But if I find out who it is-I don't care if it's your mother, I will not hesitate to kill them."
Mallory knew he wasn't kidding. She nodded reluctantly.
"And." He took a step towards her, his beak close to her own. "You will not get in my way."
"Back off." Duke whispered. His words layered in a dangerous warning.
Drebeer did and left them.
…
Fifteen hours later
Everything expanded and contracted into smaller and large shapes as Asher came to. It gave him an instant headache to try and focus so he squeezed his eyes shut. He felt cold and shivered under the blankets. Then steeling himself, he stiffly sat up and almost fell backwards, dizzy. Tightening his hands on his bed he tried to stand and managed to on the first try.
"You're up."
Fledge came into the room behind him.
Asher didn't answer as he walked unsteadily to the window to look out at the swirling snow.
"You should probably eat something. It'll make you feel better."
"Dying would have made me feel better." Asher snapped.
Fledge was silent for a moment. "No it wouldn't have. And that's selfish of you to say that. I practically lost my privilege to live here keeping your mother from running up here. They aren't mad. They're worried." The duck came forward. "Go downstairs Ash. I'm not asking."
Asher half turned to face him. Seeing his friend was serious, he gave up. "Okay." He whispered.
…..
He didn't know which person he hated disappointing more. It was embarrassing knowing that they all knew. The first person he happened to see was Regla leaning against the counter. He almost turned around before anyone noticed him but Fledge purposely walked behind him, keeping him from bolting. He stopped at the doorway of the kitchen and refused to move any farther into the room, not caring about his friend behind him.
"Dude, Martin Flatbill got caught with another chick. Honestly. Politicians have no shame." Nosedive folded the newspaper and tossed it into the corner with the other stack. He looked up and saw the two kids. He caught his brother's eye and jerked his head towards the hallway. It didn't take long for every kitchen occupant to notice Asher's presence. No one knew how to greet him. Just as the silence was getting to Asher, Tanya grabbed a plate with a sandwich that had been clearly set-aside for him. "Come eat." She handed it to Nosedive who set it in front of the empty seat next to him. Asher didn't miss the gesture. Tanya knew he had a brotherly bond with Dive and would feel most comfortable next to him in this situation than anyone else.
Fledge gave him a gentle jab in the back to get him moving. Feeling like he was walking with Heninite blocks stuck to his feet he drifted to the seat and sat in it like it was a ticking bomb.
The silence returned.
Nosedive looked around. "I was standing in line yesterday at that convenient store down the street, minding my own business when this old guy in front of me let out a heinous cloud of death."
Despite the somber environment, Canard couldn't hold back his amusement. "I'm so happy you survived the noxious gas assault."
Wildwing snorted next to him.
"You can't fault him." Ches added. "Old people can't control their bodily functions."
"He could'a had the decency of apologizing to me for asphyxiation."
"How rude." Grin rumbled, his head resting on his propped up hand.
"I know." Nosedive let his chair hit all four legs. "The raw nerve." He twisted around to look at Regla. "There's gotta be a statute for something like that."
Regla grinned. "You get me his name and ID number, I can go arrest him for you."
"I'll get right on that." Nosedive replied sarcastically.
Asher finished the food, having tried to ignore the bantering but failed. He sat staring at the empty plate, wanting desperately to leave. Then he felt the presence of his uncle enter the room. Don't sit next to me. Don't sit next to me. Please don't sit next to me. Whatever god there was didn't answer his prayers. Drebeer took the only other empty seat that was conveniently right next to him. God hates me.
He felt Drebeer drape his arm across the back of his chair and then his fingers ran through his hair, making it stand up more than usual. Like Dad. He smoothed it down once Drebeer stopped.
"I'm going to take Ash for a drive." Regla said.
"Okay." His mother's response was barely audible.
Regla appeared in his line of vision. "Get your coat Ash."
Thank god I'm leaving this embarrassing scene. He got up almost robotically, picking up his plate but Nosedive stopped him.
"I'll get it."
He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he weaved between everyone to get his coat.
….
"Hope you aren't insulted." Regla stopped the car on the edge of Twin Heights.
Asher glanced at him dully. "Why would I be insulted?"
"Twin Heights isn't exactly a good memory for you." The cream colored duck turned his phone to silent before dropping it into his console box. "You know…I know what you're going through. Thirteen years ago when I was recovering, I purposely started taking more of the pain prescription I had, didn't take me long to become addicted.
"I did it because I couldn't see a future for me. I was in pain, couldn't move without having help."
"Mox said you got in his way." Asher finally built up the gumption to look at the cop. "Why?"
Regla studied him for a long few minutes. "I was working your dad's case when they returned from wherever they were-Earth…it didn't take a rocket scientist to eventually see who the real threat was. The ex-thief who was a pivotal help to ending the Invasion or the power hungry murderous asshole who was pushing for your dad to be executed? I got in the way because I was pushing for Duke to be released. And he would have been if Mox didn't rig my car to explode and if he didn't arrange for Chairman Tu'puck to be assassinated three days later."
Asher's gaze landed on Regla's beak as the older duck looked out the window at a passing vehicle, it's dusty black cloud mixing in with what was once a healthy orange, a lasting reminder to the explosion that had almost killed him. His hands too, the feather had grown back against the doctor's assumptions but underneath, the burn scars were still evident. Mox did that. To him.
"Pills aren't going to fix your problems Ash." Regla murmured. "They're just going to make it worse for you. I know life right now is shitty. There are dangerous people coming after us, there isn't a lot of you-time-"
"I'm not bitching because I'm not getting enough attention…I could care less."
"I didn't say you were bitching. But it doesn't change the fact that you aren't getting a lot of attention, you or Fledge."
Asher shrugged, looking away. "Can I stay with you?" He turned back to Regla.
"I'd say yes except look in the back seat."
Confused, Asher glanced over his shoulder and saw a large military suitcase.
"Your mother bugged me to come over and stay until the rest of this blows over. She and your father think we're safer together than apart."
"Oh."
Regla turned the car battery on to see the time. "Guess we should return. They might think we skipped town."
"Wouldn't be a bad idea." Asher grumbled.
Regla grinned. "We'll be okay."
Asher watched him, wishing he could believe him.