Forced Family 3

S I X T E E N

Answer to Last Challenge: A Harvard Hoodie/Sweatshirt - Congrats to butterflyalexa11

Removing herself from bed, Annika opened the bedroom door stepping onto the hardwood watching a few servants pass her mindlessly. She crossed the space between her bedroom door and the landing that overlooked the foyer, she stares hopelessly at the chandelier that teased her from its higher place, she feels sick even looking at something she once thought was so beautiful.

Grasping the spindles of the stair rail she glances down seeing the commotion that had awakened her that morning, Harry stands squealing at the little boy in Liam's arms, "Hello my Thomas, did you miss papaw?" Cooing at him, Annika's eyes shift until they land on Niall's icy stare, he's boring into her from his position next to Liam, he wears a soft and somewhat knowing smile on his lips.

Annika plasters a smile to her face, she clears her throat tucking hair behind her ear as she begins descending the stairs, "G-good morning," she calls, Liam gasping not expecting her, "Good Morning sweetheart! Did you sleep well?"

Harry wraps his arms around the girl kissing her forehead, "She heard papaw was here and came running!"

Annika hums in reply locking eyes once more with Niall, the man nods mindlessly his stare flickering beyond her to the connecting sitting room where Zayn could be heard, "Uncle Louis is under the weather this morning," Niall announces suddenly, he takes Annika's hand, "I know how much you wanted to play with him,"

She finds herself agreeing with the man, simply wanting to know where he was headed with his lie, "W-what-what's he sick from?" she asks suddenly, Harry raises an eyebrow ruffling the girl's hair, "I think he just has a cold,"

"I didn't know colds were common at the beach," Niall mutters unconvincingly, Harry awkwardly laughs with a pointed glare, "I think it was going from such a hot temperature to cold so suddenly,"

Annika can sense where there's unspoken tension between Papa and Papaw, perhaps about Louis, but whatever it is, the breaking point was visible.

Louis sits on Zayn's lap with an expressionless face hidden mostly behind a pacifier he was told to keep in unless he wanted a punishment.

The old Louis might've challenged that threat, but the old Louis also wouldn't be where he is today.

He had kept himself mostly hidden in Zayn's neck until he feels shifted on the man's lap, now sitting with his face open to view the room, Louis' eyes sadden when they see Liam's glowing figure, his brother looked so happy.

That's all Louis ever wanted in life was to make Liam happy.

"I've missed you bubba!" Liam coos kneeling next to Zayn wrapping his arms around the boy he assumed was in headspace per usual, "Feeling a little down this morning?" he teases, unknowing of how down Louis actually was.

Zayn chokes out a mocking laugh, "He's going through a fussy phase, it'll sort itself out eventually."

Tears prick Louis' eyes hearing the taunting words, he feared what the underlying threat of "sorting itself out" meant for him.

Annika moves past Harry further into the room following Liam, she smiles sweetly at Louis forcing herself to be bold enough to sit next to Zayn, "Hey lady, grandaddy missed his little princess," Zayn remarks pulling the girl closer, Annika nervously smiles, uneasily nodding she gestures to Louis, "Hi U-uncle Lou," she calls, Liam raising an eyebrow at the name, "Anna why don't you help papaw with breakfast?" Harry requests loudly into the room, avoiding the interaction between the two.

Moving from the seat next to Zayn she nods plastering a smile, "P-Papa, will you help too?" Niall flinches not expecting to be called, he had taken to watching from the sidelines in the room, he stood with his arms crossed no words coming from his expressionless mouth that concealed his true thoughts for the visit that day.

"S-Sure honey, go with Papaw I'll meet you two in there," Harry beams at the notion handing Thomas to Liam kissing his temple, "Papaw will be back for his snuggles," his hands move to Annaika's shoulders pushing her forward, "How have you been sweetheart?"

"Trapped," Annika mutters rolling her eyes when the two are in the kitchen alone, Harry laughs, "You remind me of your father," Chewing her bottom lip Annika tilts her head to the side displaying confusion at the comparison, "H-He was kidnapped too?"

Harry freezes from his spot at the refrigerator, his hands hovering over the carton of eggs, "Both Daddy and Uncle Louis were adopted," he corrects, the girl nodding glancing at the picture frame in the kitchen with a photo of the whole family, "F-feels a little forced," she whispers, Harry grimly chuckling at the words, "Daddy said you were a smart little girl,"

Approaching her side with the eggs, Harry takes a knife out of the drawer next to him laying it on the counter, "Sometimes you have to break or force things to get the best out of them, like cracking an egg," Watching the man crack the egg with one hand, his other hand grabs onto the knife, "But sometimes it can get messy," Peering into the bowl she sees remnants of the shell in the yolk, "My mother taught me the best way to get them out," Using the tip of the blade he fishes the shell piece onto the tip bringing it out of the bowl towards Annika, her eyes widening at the blade being in front of her nose, "See? Now, perfect eggs,"

Gulping, Annika's emerald eyes meet the darker ones in front of her, "You won't break me," Harry smirks bending down to eye level, he lowers the knife from her line of vision, "Sweetheart, everything breaks eventually,"

>No Challenge this chapter, but next one! All the love, Emma :)