Forced Family 3

N I N E T E E N

Bringing the white cloth over Thomas' chest, Niall lowers his head pressing his forehead to the boys hearing him hum in response, "My sweet boy," Niall coos, he's quick to snap his head to the door hearing it creak open, Annika standing in the frame with a white gown on that flowed past her knees, her hair braided in two pigtails that rested on her shoulders, her porcelain skin shining from the weeks it hadn't been covered in makeup, "Did you know?"

Niall clears his throat rising to his knees dropping the cloth in the tub handing Thomas one of his boats to occupy the boy, "Know what sweetheart?" Niall asks gesturing to the spot on the floor next to him for the girl.

Annika rolls her eyes stepping further into the bathroom, her eyes glance at her younger brother before she quickly returns the forest eyes to the oceanic ones staringly worriedly at her, "A-about him," she croaks, her wavering voice is enough to show she'd been crying, and while Niall would love nothing more than to tell the girl everything he did in fact know, he wondered if this was all another test from the Maliks.

Pulling his lips between his teeth with a forced expression of calmness, he nods softly, "I-I don't know who "him" would be," 

she knew asking Niall was a long shot. Hell, Annika thought if she told Liam she'd hug him she thought he might just fess up. But the man had been strange recently, more on edge than usual, and she didn't feel the need to rock the boat. Especially since Liam's warning about acting out while the "grandparents" were at the house, it seemed Harry was always around now that he was back in town.

On a rare occasion, Louis would be there too, not that she ever got the chance to talk to him, if he wasn't asleep he was on his father's lap staring blankly ahead. It begged the question of Louis' headspace went regressed during their vacation and he returned younger, perhaps to a place where he couldn't talk.

Laying the photo of Dylan between the pages of the giving tree, she slides the book back under her pillow, rises from the bed, and goes to the shared bathroom between the two rooms, she could hear Niall in there giving Thomas a bath. 

It wasn't something Annika was proud of, but, she needed the time. she couldn't explain why the felt the need to keep her distance from her brother, in a fucked up way in an attempt to justify it she told herself she just couldn't stand to see him this way and she needed time to cope. Not that anyone can truly "cope" with being kidnapped, Annika assumes. 

Pushing the door open she freezes wondering what her next move would be, what question would she ask, and how would she ask it. Her eyes skimmed her brother that sat with a grin in the tub, his cloudy eyes brightening when he sees the familiar face, hands securing around Niall's larger ones that rest on his stomach gently tickling him until he giggles.

Annika feels tears prick her eyes at the scene before her, it reminds her of the times she bathed Thomas while her mother was wasted or when she was on a bender and didn't come home for four days in a row. 

Tearing her eyes from the boy, she steps forward requiring Niall's attention with the words falling from her lips before she could process them, "Did you know?"

Niall sighs at Annika's clear reluctance at the invitation to come closer, he chews the inside of his cheek turning once more to Thomas, "Why don't you watch him anymore?" He asks the girl, pouring shampoo into his hand lathering it into the chestnut hair of the boy, "I-I," Annika fumbles for the answer she struggled with constantly, closing the gap between the two she does sink to her knees next to her papa, tears threatening to spill, "I c-can't se-see him like this," she whispers, using a hand to weekly wipe at her cheeks.

Using his own hand to cover Thomas' eyes, Niall brings the cup of water up to rinse the shampoo from his hair, "How about now?" he muses, Annika sniffles with a smile lifting on her cheeks, she weakly nods with a giggle, "T-that's better," she jokes.

She watches Niall's nurturing motions while bathing the boy, how every move was carefully thought out for the comfort of Thomas and nothing short of a safe and calming experience. Annika would give to be calmed down.

Her lips fall as she lets her eyes slip close the tears coursing steadily down her cheeks, Niall lifts the rag from the tub gently wiping Annika's cheeks with the warm cloth, shushing her in the process, "It's okay, I promise it'll be okay,"

Sobbing, Annika lets the thoughts turn off as she moves from her knees to the man's lap curling into his chest wailing for the life she once knew, a brother she missed dearly, and another brother she was terrified of screwing up even further.

Standing from the couch, Liam stretches with a smile, "Probably best I go home," he muses, "Niall's probably ready for a break," Harry chuckles, "Please, I was practically a single father while Zayn was doing his own thing," Liam forces out a laugh gathering his hoodie from the chair when he furrows his eyebrows, "I-I actually don't remember a lot of you without Zayn," Liam admits casually, he didn't understand the joke and he assumes it could be possible Zayn wasn't around while he was in headspace.

Harry freezes at the words, "W-Well," he stutters, "I-I just mean now, is all, y-you know he's so busy,"

"Doing what?" Liam asks suddenly shifting on his feet, it was as if the words struck a nerve in him he didn't know he had, what did his parents do? Where would they disappear to all the time, and why the fuck were they so rich? Did it never occur to Liam to fucking ask?

"Business," Harry retorts any trace of kindness disappearing replaced with annoyance, "Right," Liam mumbles pressing his lips together to suppress any further comments, "Do tell Niall that I'll be over tomorrow to help him take the kids to the park," Harry commands trailing Liam to the front foyer, Liam nodding mindlessly placing his hand on the doorknob glancing at the mirror next to the door seeing Harry in the reflection staring at him with a smile Liam hadn't seen in years. 

It wasn't genuine. A fear unearthed from deep within him, he turns quickly meeting the man's darkening forest orbs, "U-Um no, no, um, uh," Liam fumbles sweat beading in his hairline as he racks his brain for an excuse, any fucking excuse, Harry raises an eyebrow he steps back shocked to hear the two-lettered word escape his eldest sons lips, "No?" Harry returns it as a question, his perplexed look brings a gulp from Liam that weakly nods, "R-right, um, ch-change of-of plans N-Niall and I a-are going somewhere," 

Harry tilts his head to the side opening the closest by the front door, Liam flinched hurriedly pulling the door open and jumping over the threshold, Harry snapped back to glance at him holding Liam's heavier winter coat he walked over with, "What is your problem tonight?" he asks with an eye roll shoving the jacket toward the man, "No-nothing Papa," Liam whispers gently extending his hand for the coat, Harry's hardened exterior cracks at the two words, he lowers the coat opening his arms gesturing for a cuddle, "Oh baby," 

Bracing himself, Liam gently steps forward into the hug tensing when the arms cradle around him tightly, "Daddy and I have been so worried about you," Harry admits, "Niall even mentioned that you've seemed so depressed," 

Once more Liam peers up glancing at his reflection, being hugged by a man he felt scared of for the first time in a long time.

Removing himself first from the hold, Liam musters a smile taking the coat in his hands, "I-I'm fine Papa, fine," Harry places his hands on Liam's cheeks with a knowing smile, "Just know you can always come back home if you need too,"

>All the love, Emma :)