Wingless {Clifford A.U}

Chapter Twenty-Four

"You what?" Luke asked, resting his hands on Astrid's shoulders and she grinned.

"I know who my father is, I talked to him." she said.

"Oh, you found our father, who is he?" he asked and she frowned and sighed.

"He's not our father, just mine. I'm guessing you didn't know we had different dads either?" she asked and it was more of a rhetorical question more than anything.

"No, but that doesn't matter, who is he?" he asked.

"Turns out, my therapist." she said and he looked shocked.

"Dr. Marx? No way." he said and she nodded.

"Yeah he told me everything today. About why he left, about mum, everything." she told him.

She explained everything that Dr. Marx had told her, not leaving a single detail out, she even included how the conversation had started and the tattoo on his arm, and the fact that she contacted their mother before her death. He listened carefully, not interrupting to make sure he understood everything that she was saying. It was a lot to take in.

"So you contacted mum, and never told me?" he asked, slightly hurt.

"Yes, I did, and the only reason why I didn't tell you is because she died not long after I met her. I didn't think that telling you I spoke with her was a big deal, and I didn't want you to be mad at me." she said and he sighed.

"I wouldn't be mad at you for that. I just would've liked to know, that's all." he said sadly. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"She loved you, she loved both of us you know. She only gave us up because she didn't know how long she had left. She didn't want us to lose our mother at a young age. She loved us enough to give us our best chance. Don't think that she didn't." she said laying her head on her brother's shoulder.

"All this time I thought she just didn't want us." he mumbled.

"Why do you think I always defended her when Naomi would say the things she did? I knew the truth, she didn't. Simple as that." she said, and then more silence. "I do have something I need to ask you about though." she said and her brother looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked and she sighed, biting back her nerves. She was honestly afraid of his answer.

"You want to leave this place right?" she started and he nodded.

"Of course."

"Okay, well either way, because of what I told Dr. Marx, we're going to be taken away from Naomi and our options are limited. We could either be taken to a new foster home until you turn eighteen which could be better, worse, or the same as this one, or I was offered to go live with my father and you were invited to live with him too, but it's all up to you." she said and he sat there silently processing.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked and she sighed.

"Luke, I'm asking you what you want to do. Answer the question." she said bluntly.

"Astrid," he said mimicking her tone, "you are my little sister and I only want to do what is best for you, so you answer the question." he said, smiling slightly and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know. I want to live with my father because now there's a chance he could be in our life and I trust him enough to believe that he could provide a stable home. Yeah we'll have to move schools, but you're about to graduate anyway so it wouldn't really matter. It could be a fresh start for us, but I don't want to be separated from you." She said.

"Well obviously I wouldn't let anyone separate us, and I only want what's best for you, and if you think living with him is best, well then I'm with you." He said and she grinned
And threw her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you so much Luke for agreeing with me." She said and he hugged his sister tightly.

"You're welcome, I'm going to go downstairs, yell if you need anything." He said before shutting her door. She waited until she heard his footsteps go down the stairs before turning to Michael, who had been patiently waiting on the other side of the room so the siblings could have their moment.

She smiled at him, and practically jumped on top of him. He laughed lightly, holding her. She looked so happy, it made him smile.

"I'm getting out of here! Away from her finally." She said happily.

"I heard, you seem excited." He said, stating the obvious.

"I am, I really really am, I just don't want to go to court." She said.

"Yeah, I can understand that. It's a long complicated process." He said and she raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you know?" She asked and he just laughed.

"Parents' divorce." He said.

"I just, it's uncomfortable how everyone watching while I have to talk about abuse and everything, while she glares at me and my anxiety. I don't think I can do that." She said, her smile fading.

"It'll be fine. Maybe Luke can take your place during questioning, you can stay here until they get back maybe." He suggested and she shrugged, nuzzling her face in his shirt.

"Maybe." She mumbled, and everything was finally relaxing until she heard the front door slam downstairs.

A/N: well here's chapter 24. It was a filler chapter by the way. I hope you enjoyed I know it was shorter than usual but whatever, I was running out of things to put. Please vote and comment, it means the world to me. Thanks

-Xx E.J