Azalea

The morning after

Liam Pov-

it's around 2 am when my brothers and i make our way down the hallway to our bedrooms. we had a big discussion about Azalea, why didn't she just tell us? what is she still hiding? those gunshot wounds, the scar on her neck, what other scars cover her body. 

my breath catches in my throat. her arm. how did she actually break her arm.

"hold on" i say to all my brothers, gaining their attention.

"we know about the gunshot scars on her shoulder and legs, she didn't show us her legs though. is there more scars she is hiding? and she fought chase, she didn't have a cast on, is that why the break was so bad the next day? and how did she actually break her arm?" i say, peicing everything together Infront of my brothers.

"the scar on her neck" Chase says absentmindedly "it looks like someone dragged a jagged shard of glass through her flesh repeatedly" he says, making eye contact with me.

"we should go tell dad" i say, right before the horror filled scream echoes through the hallway.

coming from Azalea's room. no.

no they can't take her again.

we all run towards her room. Ares rattles the handle. it's locked.

"stand back" chase says as he kicks the door open. we all flood into the room, only to find Azalea is alone, no attacker. but she's still screaming. nightmare.

we all crowd around her, trying to calm her down 

"Devan grab her other arm. Twins grab her legs. we need to hold her down so she doesn't hurt herself" Ares barks and we all listen. Rhys is standing by her head, talking to her, trying to get her to wake up.

"come on piccola farfalla. it's a nightmare, you need to wake up" he says softly, wiping the hair from her forehead. 

Azalea's eyes snap open and her scream turns into a sob that makes her entire body shake. the sound makes my heart shatter. 

Ares clutches her head to his chest, holding her tight as her cries fill the room.

i can't be here, i can't listen to the demons in her head. what the fuck happened to my sister.

"i'm gonna go get dad" i say, walking out of the room. her cries echoing down the hallway.

Azalea Pov-

i shoot up, scream ripping from my throat, sweat covering my body and the eyes of my brothers on me.

my scream disssolves into a sob as the nightmare comes back to me, the memories of my childhood.

my body shakes as the cries are pulled from my throat. i feel the mattress shift beside me before my head is pulled against a broad chest, but i don't feel the panic i expected, instead i feel a calming sense.

"i'm gonna go get dad" i hear someone say, my screams filling the room.

i hear soft mumbled words calming me but i don't understand any of them.

i try to control my breathing and sobbing but it's no use, my wails continuing against my will.

i lean into the body of warmth holding me tight, protecting me in all the ways my parents didn't.

"shhh, your ok piccola farfalla. no body can hurt you here" i hear someone whisper against my head, still holding me against him.

i feel an arm sweep below my legs before i'm hoisted up off the bed. 

"what are you doing?" i whisper quietly, so quietly i barely heard myself.

"bring you back" he responds with a kiss on my head.

"bringing me back from where?" i ask again.

"from whoever just tried to take you away from me" he says, setting me down on another bed.

i open my eyes and i'm met with the blurry figure of Ares, i see his eyes widen slightly when he see's my eyes, contacts out.

"they're beautiful" he whispers breathlessly.

i close my eyes, hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion.

 i lay down and feel him place a protective arm around me, and for the first time in a while i fall into a nightmare-less sleep.

Dad Pov-

i walked into my room and pulled my suit jacket and tie off. i just finished a meeting with my sons, discussing my Daughter and well Reina and every other title that accompanies her.

i sent my sons to bed before i made my way up to my room.

i pull on a pair of grey sweatpants and a white shirt, groaning as i lay on my bed. finally some sleep.

i'm about to fall asleep when i hear my door crash open.

"jesus, fuck... what..." i groan sitting up and rubbing my face.

"az, she screamed. she, fuck, nightmare" my son Liam pants, leaning against my doorframe.

"fuck, fuck, fuck" i mumble as i make my way up to the kids wing.

i see most of my sons standing in the hallway, outside of her room.

"where is she?" i say, looking at each of them.

"Ares took her to his room." Devan says, crossing his arms.

i've turned back towards Ares's room when i hear him mumble "not fair, i'm a better cuddler than he his". i sigh and shake my head at his antics 

i push the door open quietly and see my eldest son laying on his bed with my daughter in his arms, stroking her hair.

"how is she?" i ask as i sit on the foot of the bed,

"she's ok, i don't know what happened but she's asleep again now" he says quietly.

"and her stitches? she didn't tear any?" i ask, running my hand through my hair.

"no, i checked before." he says, then pauses. "her eyes dad, her eyes are like yours" he whispers sadly.

i feel tears prick my eyes, she has my eyes.

"let me know when she wakes up, ok" i say as i turn to walk out of the room.

she has my eyes, and she covered them. why would she cover them?

if they weren't already dead i would kill her old foster family. she has been through too much.

why did they do that to my sweet baby girl