Chapter 21

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"Del!" Sobbed both Drew and Artie wrapping their arms around her. Everyone around her was shocked when she violently flinched when they were an inch away from her. However there was no other reaction than that, Delia allowed her younger brothers to hug her. But you could practically see the urge to throw them off in her eyes. That scene was exactly what Daniel entered the door to.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked his eyes never living his younger sister who was stiffly being hugged but hysterical youngest brothers. When he finally lifted gaze he witnessed his other brothers in a similar condition as well as Delia's friend, who was a genius doctor kneeling nearby. Andrew's gaze barely flickered at Daniel's entrance.
"Lia is doing fine, at least physically but mentally she is starting to shut down and block herself up." Andrew commented in a disturbed whisper.

He knew Delia for about two years, but when they had meet the connection they felt was immediate. She was his family and little sister the first time her beautiful warm eyes gazed into his own. He didn't take it lightly that she had endured so much under his nose. They, him and Andre, had seen some of her scars, at that time she didn't think it was strange, but when they asked her about them she just shrugged. They took it that she didn't really remember, but now it seemed she just never wanted to remember the events behind the scars.

"It seems that she is reverting to the way she lived with her p— Gina and Jake." Andrew added not able to spit out the title of parents to people who could do these horrible things to a child under their care. The twins hadn't moved from their position and they continued to clingy to their sister as they whisper-yelled things at her. None of the other people in the room could fully understand what they said the words were periodically broken by breathless sobs and hiccups. Daniel stepped towards his three new siblings and gently pried Arthur away from Delia. A whimper broke from him as he as realized he wasn't near his sister while she needed them.
"Hey Bud we need you to focus and answer some of our questions so that we can help your sister. Ok, champ?" Daniel's voice was gentler than Arthur had ever heard it, but that wasn't what caused him to squirm away from Daniel.
"My sister?" He sounded heart-broken.

Whenever Delia was out of commission him and his brother became hyper-aware and sensitive of the things around them. With their sister they could afford to be childish, but danger followed closely if she was unable to protect them so they would automatically bring out their more mature and observant sides. At this moment it dawned Arthur that Daniel had never considered Delia his family. He had ignored or belittled her every chance he got. He even seemed to hate her existence. If it was any other time he would have noticed immediately, but he he had become to lost in the hope that he finally had a family that didn't hurt them and would provide for them. The more he thought about his theory the more it clicked every memory with his sister and Daniel contained Daniel looking at her with guarded or disgusted eyes. Daniel widened his eyes as he realized the situation was getting even more out of control. He didn't mean to say that Delia wasn't a part of his family, but in his subconscious he had agreed that she wasn't a part of his family and it had been blurted out at this critical time. Instead of apologizing or explaining Daniel ignored the situation.
"Why is Delia acting like this and is it true what Andrew said that she acted like this when you were in our mom's and your step dad's care?" Daniel questioned. The question seemed to knock Arthur out of his struggle as he contemplated whether that was indeed correct.
"No. No matter how much my parents beat things into her she struggled, we could see the anger and resistance in her eyes and she never would admit that she was nothing that she was beneath her parents who could hurt us without a batting an eyelid." Arthur answered, but he was staring directly at Andrew ignoring Daniel, who was still tightly holding on to Arthur's arms. 
"Then is she giving up?" Andrew asked
"No, Delia never gives up no matter how much it hurts, no matter how tired she is she never gives up." Artie's voice held pride and worry because he couldn't be absolutely sure that that wasn't exactly what was going on. Andrew glanced worriedly at Delia. Than he seemed to get an idea he pulled his phone out and made a call and put it on speaker.
"What's up bro? You finally going to tell me what made you so happy and upset yesterday? You were practically balling your eyes out. Everyone sees you as a gentle, elegant gentle man, but boy are you and ugly crier and let's not talk about you vo—."
Andrew coughed in embarrassment.
"Dre can you please just listen for once?"
"There is a first time for everything! What's happening?"
"I found Lia—" the sounds of something falling came from the IPhone.
"Don't joke about something like that Andy." The playful voice from before sounded completely serious now.
"I'm not joking and she isn't doing to hot right now. I can't snap her out of it can you please try and work your magic?"
"Sure, send me where you are right now and put the phone near her ear so she can hear me while I break some traffic laws."
After taking it off speaker and sending his location Andrew put the phone near Delia's ear. Him and Andre were both close to Delia but his brothers playful and sarcastic nature always was the best at snapping her out of her grumpy moods, whether that involved doing funny dances around a coffee table or teasing her until she vented some of her anger on him. Andrew just crossed his fingers it would work int this extreme circumstance as well.

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