Silence

one|| ari eillish.

AURORA

In the last several hours since i was brought into the police station and left in what the detective who brought me in here had called the 'quiet room', i had cried, puked, cried again, slept, nervously bounced my leg up and down a million miles a minute, and laid/sit in every position known to man. Sleep wouldn't take me though, no matter how exhausted i was.

My mother was dead. My father had been arrested. I was practically an orphan. Or so i thought. Anna wasn't ma. Jacob wasn't pa. I wasn't a Stevenson. I'll get back to that momentarily though.

At least that's what Detective Poole told me a few hours after her and her team broke down the front door to the house we lived in, revealing the true colors behind Jacob and Anna Stevenson.

I was in my cage like normal, i was silent, I didn't make not one sound, I knew the rules! I had already paid the price of not being grateful for everything ma and pa do for me for the day, just like clockwork. So how had they heard me? How'd they know I was down there? Ma and Pa are going to kill me. I thought over and over and over.

But they didn't. "They will never hurt you again. You're safe now." The detectives words played in my head on repeat in an echo like manor, causing my migraine to permeate throughout my entire head. I didn't believe it. Even though ma was dead and pa was going to spend the rest of his days in a prison cell, i was smart enough to know they'd forever be burnt into my memory, therefore haunting me for all of eternity. I'd never be safe.

I had been staying at the brick wall in front of me for so long I had began to see colored patterns. First a bunny, then a lady bug, then a crucifix, and at one point I was sure I saw an awkward outline of Ariana Eilish? I think her name was? Save for school I wasn't allowed to watch much tv, just clean, cook, and serve as a punching bag.

A knock pulled me from my thoughts before the door to the quiet room squeaked opened, and the sound of two sets of footsteps could be heard behind me. The first set was easily identifiable as Detective Kyla Poole's, but the second I hadn't heard before so I didn't who they belonged to.

"Aurora, sweetheart. Are you awake?" The bed dips down and a hand is rested on my arm before I can answer. "Your father's here for you now sweets."

Of course. How could I forget that smidgen of information?

During the search of the place I once called my home, the police found a file. In that file? A baby picture of me, my tiny fingerprints, my little footprints, my real name and birthdate, and my real parents' names. A couple letters written in a foreign language were also in there but I knew I needed to get to the bottom of all of this on my own. I swiped it off the detectives desk, putting it into my backpack which i promptly kept clutched to my stomach.

As the officers here explained it to me, it would appear that I was abducted as an infant and sold to the Stevenson's as a peace offering. But it didn't make any sense to me. I never knew peace with them. It was always only ever pain.

☆ ☆ ☆

3rd Person

"Mr. Moretti. It's so great to finally meet you, I'm Sergeant Grant. Detectives Poole and Lawson are retrieving your daughter as we speak." The Sergeant was 6 foot himself but felt short as he shook the tall man's hand. Barreling in behind him came three men, just as tall, just as intimidating.

"Likewise Sergeant Grant."

Cleaning his throat the sergeant glanced at the three men who all seemed to have their eyes peeled for anything. "Like we discussed over the phone, it would appear that the n...neglect she endured has caused her to revert to selective mutism as a way to cope. It isn't so much that she doesn't or can't talk it's more that she's not at a place mentally where she's comfortable to...yet."

"Understood, Timothy. I was briefed of the conditions she was found in and the lack of responses she's given your officers. I can assure you my daughter is allowed to speak to me or to anyone when she chooses."

The elevator dings and sergeant Grant nods. "Of course. We'll keep in touch for the trial."

A petite blonde woman came around the corner, holding the hand of a small girl and instantly all four men went rigid, visibly freezing as their eyes caught sight of the girl.

Lorenzo tears his eyes away from the two approaching frames, a look of finality on his face as he pats the man's shoulder. "They won't live that long."

The two girls came to a stop about two feet away from Lorenzo, Detective Poole giving the young girls hand a squeeze. "Aurora, this is your father, Lorenzo. Lorenzo, this is Aurora."

Aurora's palms grew sweaty and a lump was caught in her throat. Swallowing thickly the girl looked up at the detective just as the tall man in front of her kneeled down to her height, his hand hovering over hers as if he wanted to grab it but he chose against it.

"Hi little one. It's ahem...it's so good to see you again, Aurora," His accent was thick, and... different. She'd never heard one like his before. She brought her eyes up from her shoes slowly, looking up at the man who despite being down on one knee was still towering over her.

This man, her real father just said it was good to see her. What did that mean? One of the men from behind him cleared their throats but she didn't dare look at them. "Look, I've even brought one of your brothers along."

Damn it. She thought. Her eyes slowly left his, looking up at the man closest to their father. Was she allowed to call him that?

He looked just like the man a breath away from her. Just a smidge smaller. He held a hard expression, sending the girl a nod in acknowledgment. They were both giants from her perspective, with big surly muscles that she was sure one hit from would surely end her life span. Shaking her from her thoughts the man reached a tattooed hand up to her chin, guiding her face gently to meet his soft gaze, one every other person besides the little girl who just met him didn't even think he had.

"Are you ready to go home, Tesora?"

When he received no response he didn't let that tear the smile he had from his face as he stood to his full height and after a small moment bent down again, this time engulfing the unsuspecting girl in a warm embrace, against his better judgement. It's been a decade since he's seen her, held her, loved on her. He just needed one hug.

Her breath was caught in her throat as her eyes welled up with tears. And not ones of joy like you'd expect. His right arm was pulling her into him was putting an intense amount of pressure on her back, which normally wouldn't have been so bad had it not been freshly whipped.

Lorenzo pulled away, albeit if he could he'd never let her go again, before turning to look at the officers stood before him.

"Very well. I appreciate everything your station has done for my family, my people will be in contact with you about future proceedings regarding Il fortunato figlio di puttana seduto in una cella. We have a long flight my love, let's go."