Chapter 35.5

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by roxann_season

by roxann_season

A/N: Not edited. This is short I know. But it needed to be alone.

Chapter 35.5 – Chris POV

I don’t think I’ve ever been in awe of someone as much as I was my mate, the courage and sheer bravery that she shows, “You did so well Love,” I said the words but they didn’t seem like enough. The animal behind me deserved so much more than what Chelsea or Gabriel could ever come up with as a punishment, death for men like this didn’t seem enough. This was what Rainy had said she wanted, to air out what was done to her and our children. Now she had done it once and I was currently beating my own anger down, Rainy’s hand in mine I walked past my mother and father, tears in their eyes, neither stopped us as we made our way back to our house.

My mind was buzzing; did confronting that piece of worthlessness make her feel better? Did it help in a way that I couldn’t understand? How did she feel right now? She seemed to be in a state of shock, her eyes unfocused – I wasn’t sure just how she was functioning right now because to me it felt like she was moving robotically.

As she’s stumbling I take her weight onto me, before just lifting her in my arms, not minding or even surprised when her body seems to stiffen. “It’s okay Rainy, its okay love,” I whispered into her hair as her body began to shake. Weaving we enter the house from the back, avoiding the children, I went straight up to her room, sitting on the recliner Rainy on my lap, I relax, while she stays stiff against my body, shuddering sobs.

Rocking gently her sobs louder than anything else in the silence, but gut turning, hurting feeling her pain and mine. I closed my eyes, my vision blurring, “what – what they did – did is – so – so – wr –wrong, don’t – hurting – ruined – nothing’s going to make – it – it – right,” I swallowed unsure what to say, I knew this already, I knew that when she did this, that anger and pain would still be there. It wasn’t going to go away, our healing was going to be different, it wasn’t just about healing physically – it was about healing their mind and hearts.

Day by day, for as long as it took, until one day… “They can’t hurt you anymore Love, none of them, they are never going to hurt you or the babies again,” lies. Another one. She was hurt everyday. Crying, slowly, her body settled on top of mine, sagged tiredly, her head on my shoulder. She inhaled shuddering against me, her body having jerking movements – her breathing settling as I rocked us both. “You know what this reminds me of?” I whisper into the silent darkness, my eyes closed a smile forming on my face, but I don’t expect an answer.

After these bouts of crying, Rainy tended to exhaust herself, answering in mere grunts and jerks against me. “Hmm?” she bites and I hope that her last memory before she falls asleep is the one I’m going to give her and not of that – that vile – monster on the beach. “Well rocking you here like this reminds me of when you were Sarah, Lily and Hannah’s age. You’d wait for me at night to rock you and hum,” she sighed deeply, “you liked it, but I loved that you would wait for me. I felt special and loved, in a way that wasn’t scary because you didn’t see all the bad things in me,” I whispered, taking a piece of myself and giving it to her.

Nodding against my chest I heard a little snort, “I knew that Chris,” she slurred her words, when her breathing evened out I lifted her slowly, laying her on her bed, throwing a thin cotton bed sheet over her sleeping form, leaving the room. Clicking – the door shut behind me – I took two steps before I put my forehead against it, “You’re good for her…” startled, I turned towards the voice. Logan. “It doesn’t feel that way…” I responded leaving him outside of Rainy’s room.

Chelsea POV

Events experienced are never the same for two people, even if they are siblings living in the same home for the same amount of time, no event will be encountered and felt identically. Reactions to an event are also that way I’ve noticed and while some will deal with trauma one way it doesn’t mean someone else will. After my childhood – if you could call it that – I had no preference in terms of people I wanted to avoid, I stayed clear of both genders. After living with Leo, that hadn’t changed except I was very aware of my surroundings, keeping track of who entered and left and their faces.

Ava, after what she suffered as a child seemed to be handling her trauma like a seasoned pro. As long as she was with Gabriel, Casey or Jack and I, one of us, she was as free and light as ever. Giggling, learning, skipping, a complete ball of smiles, questions and energy until it ran out. Following the drive by shooting, where Casey was hurt, Ava had become clingy, not only with him, but with Gabriel and I, yet again, once time passed by she slowly went back to herself.

I wasn’t an expert in terms of anything really, but as I watched Ben sniff the air my eyes widened, smells nice… he thought stopping after the third or fourth sniff of the air. I held my breath, my eyes darting over to Kayla, Quinn and Fiona – Ava standing pointing at something – waiting to see if it was Kayla or maybe on of the younger twins. The wind blew, soft and as Ben had, Kayla sniffed the air, once, “You making the dirt grow?” Ava asked again the bewilderment in her voice clear, I didn’t need to see her face to hear the confusion and uncertainty in that tone. “Gane – gane,” one of the twins with Kayla squealed clapping the other giggling, brave as ever, Ava put her tote on the ground sitting near Kayla and the twins, her eyes wide, she looked over her shoulder at me quickly turning back.

Looking back at the house I didn’t see anyone outside, but I did see movement in the kitchen, “Momma come watch,” Ava called, glancing at Ben we approached slowly, and I watched mystified as Kayla took a seed from a packet scooped up some dirt, closing her eyes and hands into a small bony fist. Fiona and Quinn were giggling, one tried to open the closed palm that Kayla had but she just squeezed her fist harder, until she finally snapped her eyes open and fist at the same time. “Whoa!” Ben said dazed, Kayla avoids his eyes concentrating on Ava, Quinn and Fiona, a small tulip growing in her palm, sprouting. Taking a little shovel, Kayla used her empty hand to dig a small hole in the ground, one of the girls used their hand to help her, “Side,” she pointed down to the hole, telling Kayla.

Carefully, Kayla deposited the plant in the ground, filling the hole and then touched the stem with a single finger, within minutes; a new bright orange budding tulip grew. Finished Kayla looked up at me, “Hello,” I said smiling, “that’s pretty cool… can you make all plants grow?” she looked away for a moment before nodding slowly. Her eyes darting around the small clearing, mine following, noting plants that for the most part shouldn’t be here but are. The roses. Tulips. I stood observing her quiet behavior, her thoughts on the twins – Fiona and Quinn – and the scent she couldn’t place.

“Again, please?” Ava asked her watching carefully, trying to copy Kayla. Picking up some dirt she closed her palms trying to open one eye, and her palm around the dirt expecting something. “Not growing?” she held her palm out to Kayla who just collected the dirt into her palms, another tulip grown in mere minutes. Kayla could manipulate the Earth element… Remy? I reached out over the link.

She answered immediately, Yes? I went right to the point, Have you found anyone on the island that has the ability to manipulate earth elements? I asked waiting, Nothing yet. Nodding to myself, I focused on Kayla once again, the shy smile she wore even for her sisters as she showed them once again. I thought back to the letter my mother wrote, I had a feeling about this, both good and bad. Meeting Kayla in person, I could feel the strength just there in this small child. I could sense something, an energy stronger than even the one I felt with Ava.

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Again I know this is short but I ended this chapter here for a reason.