Gracious

Chapter 15

A/N - it's April already ew...

TW: first scene has descriptions that some may find upsetting

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"So Xander, tell me about your week", I turned to the nine year old to my right, it was his eighth therapy session with Wren today and as always, I was right by his side.

While I'd usually leave the others at home with Prescott, that note that Xavier had brought home two days ago had had me on edge permanently all weekend, so I'd dropped them all at Reed and Delilah's. I'd been meaning to pay a visit to Marco, but with my sole attention on my brothers, I simply hadn't had the time, and it was eating me alive.

"Boring, I went to school everyday", he shrugged, eyes fixated on the rubix cube in his hands as he attempted to solve it, "we did some decorating on my room".

"And it's officially just yours now?", she asked with a smile, despite the fact he wasn't even looking at her, "what colour have you decided to paint it?".

"Black", he looked up for the first time since we'd gotten in here, "I wanted to fight Caleb last week". When he'd brought up Xavier wetting the bed.

I didn't know he was still angry about that.

"Can you tell me why?", Wren leaned forwards slightly, crossing one leg over the other, "you can tell me anything, or nothing". Alexander glanced at me almost for silent permission and I cocked my head towards Wren; he could say whatever he wanted in here for all I cared.

"He made fun of Xav for wetting the bed", he said, I caught on to his clenched fist instantly, "I don't like people making fun of him". The pair of them were each other's protector, I couldn't wait to see their bond when they were older.

"That's completely justified, that's not something Xav can control", she smiled patiently, "you said you wanted to fight Caleb for making fun of Xav?".

"Zane had to stop me", he looked at me for a second, "it just happened, I was really hot and wanted to hurt him".

"But you walked away?", Wren asked and he nodded, "and what happened after that?".

"I calmed down in my room, I did that counting thing you told me about", he replied, continuing to fiddle with the rubix cube, "is there something wrong with me?". That question sent a stab of pain right to my heart, the fact that he was asking that at the age of nine fucking broke me.

"There's nothing wrong with you Xander", Wren told him seriously, "anyone can tell you that".

"She's right, yeah?", I ruffled his hair, "don't ever think there's something wrong with you". He just nodded, keeping his head cast down.

"Tell you what, why don't you go and finish that puzzle we were working on last time?", that got a reaction out of him, he stood up and moved to the other side of the room without so much as a glance back, "and how do you think he's been Zane?".

"He ditched school on Tuesday and Thursday, he doesn't know that I know", little shit, "it's hard to keep up, with all five of them".

"I can only imagine", she nodded, "when Xander gets angry, is his go-to reaction always physical violence?".

"Yeah", I confirmed with a wince, "why, what does that mean?".

"I would like to do a more detailed observation of Xander, as well as a clinical interview with yourself and Xander in order to make a diagnosis", a clinical interview? Diagnosis?

"Diagnosis of what? What's a clinical interview?", I could fucking feel my pulse quickening- this all just sounded like code for 'we're gonna pry into anything and everything about you and your family'.