The Drowning Girl

twelve

I stumbled out of the bathroom, fear immobilizing me as I looked to the table. Axels eyes met my own, widening as he shot up and ran to me. His arms were warm, encircling me as I feel myself shake. My old wounds burned, my head pounding as I remembered the pain from him.

And the nightmare, god the fucking nightmare.

Corey was behind him with Marc holding our thousand shopping bags while Raven came out of the bathroom. I hadn't even realized he went into it, his face hard as he turned the mask around. I knew Axel saw it because he tensed, pulling his phone out before pressing it to his ear.

"Butterfly." I couldn't hear who he spoke to on the other end of the phone, his open hand grazing up and down my back lightly. "Meet us at our apartment."

I looked up to him, his lips pressing against my forehead causing me to go rigid myself. He'd never really shown much affection before, this was weird.

"The Blackbourne team are meeting us at our place, I call dibs on not calling Brandon." I furrowed my eyebrows, why the hell would it matter who told Brandon?

I glanced up as Corey groaned, his smile small as he looked at me. "Brandon's a bit of a hot head, Marc is too but Marc is a little easier going. Brandon's all stuck up and tight, so his anger comes out easier."

"Hey!" I chuckled as Marc griped, my body being passed from Axel to him as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Let's go to the car and I'll call him from there." Corey said, Marc's nose tickling me as he leaned into me more.

I held his arm as we walked to the car, Raven so close behind me I could feel the heat from him. I settled into the front seat, Axel taking the drivers seat while I turned to look at Corey as he sighed. He pulled his phone out, pressing a button before holding it up to his ear.

"Hey, where are you?" It was quiet on the other end as he spoke, the car starting helping to dampen it. "Yeah you need to get home."

He pressed another button before pulling the phone away, looking a little guilty as he looked at me. "It might be better or it might be worse, so we'll find out when he gets there. He's coming from his shop down in south Charleston."

I absentmindedly listened as Axel said to Corey about pulling up the video feed to the mall but Corey just grumbled after a few minutes. Whatever the hell a jammer was it messed up the cameras, putting them on a feedback loop. So basically Volto was a ghost again, and all I had to show for it was Corey grumbling like a bratty kid that didn't get their way.

The corner of my lip quirked as we drove, pulling in just as the black jeep I remember belonging to North followed in with a grey BMW not far behind it. Axel cut the engine off as my door opened, Raven lifting me up and refusing to let me down as he walked to the front of Sargent Jasper.

"Uh, Axel? Little help?" He simply chuckled before walking to where Mr. Blackbourne stood, Sang standing next to him and smiling as Raven carried me. I grumbled while he entered the elevator, Corey and Marc simply grinning at the two of us.

"What about Axel?"

"He'll me us upstairs." Marc answered me, reaching his hand out to push some of my hair away from my face. Raven was incredibly warm, my body snuggling up to him against my will.

I heard the door open as the day caught up with me, the heat from Raven and the blanket he pulled over my not helping. I let myself doze as I heard more feet and voices, the smell of Corey's tea and citrus helping calm me at the fact there were so many people.

The door slamming had me jumping, my eyes glancing up to Brandon's. He looked crazed, relief evident on his face as he saw me. He cross the room quickly, grasping me into his arms as he inhaled me. My chest settled then, some little thing within me feeling better at the fact all of my boys were here with me.