The Banner Siblings! (Re-Written)

The Soldier and Her Father

"Dad?" Ashlyn asked, her voice small. "Um...we've walked around the hospital for the fifth time. "What exactly are we doing? Why do we keep lapping?"
"So I can get my head in order before I ask you this.." Mike said softly. He took a deep breath, turning to Ashlyn. "So um...what happened in there? The bus?"
Ashlyn tensed. Not this again. "We told you in the car. We went to go and get Tyler's guitar so Ben could play Lily a song and..Logan just collapsed."
Mike took a deep shaky breath. He turned, facing Ashlyn.
"Ashlyn. I mean what really happened."

Ashlyn froze. What really happened? What really happened? Wasn't that a question? And honestly?

She didn't know.

She didn't know what was happening to them. Why this cycle repeated, why she decided to take the lead when she had no idea how to lead. No, she knew that one. Because she was guilty. Guilty guilty guilty. All her fault.
She didn't know how to protect them, how to keep them safe. And clearly, she wasn't good enough to protect them all.
She didn't know what to do. She didn't know why they were lead there. Why that lady...started all of this. She didn't know how to escape this hell they were trapped in.

She didn't know.

Mike put a firm hand on her shoulder, not bothering to hide his worry anymore. What could would it do here? His daughter trembling and in shock, his son in the hospital.

They needed him right now, more than ever.
"Listen kiddo," He said, his voice soft yet firm. He wanted it to be clear for her. "Anything you tell me, I'll understand. No matter what. You have my word."

Please. Just talk to us.

Ashlyn trembled, and her lip quivered. Mike could see small tears forming again. What had gotten her to this state? It couldn't just be Logan alone. No, this was something bigger.
"We.." Ashlyn started, swallowing the lump in her throat. "We don't have any proof. Y-you'll think we're crazy, or on drugs but w-we're not and—"

Mikes heart broke at that. Proof? Was it so bad that she thought she needed proof? Needed to prove herself to them? That it was in fact real? No. Not his children. They never needed it. They needed to prove nothing. He loved them. Flaws and all.
Tuning out the rest of her speech, Mike cupped Ashlyn's face gently. "Ashlyn, look at me."

Mike took a deep breath. "We will always be there. I don't care what it is, your mom and I will be there. For you, for Logan. All you have to do is ask. Do you understand me?"

All you have to do is ask.

And with that, Ashlyn broke down. She sobbed, crying in her dad's arms. Mike pulled her into a firm hug, fighting back his own tears. No, he wouldn't cry right now. His daughter needed him.

"Please help us dad.." Ashlyn hiccuped in a quiet voice. "Please.."

If he let a tear slip, then Ashlyn didn't say anything.
.
.
.

.
.
.
"And it's been happening every night?" Mike said, still in a degree of disbelief. He held his head on his hands, green eyes looking at Ashlyn's. Ashlyn held the water bottle to her eyes, sniffling.
"Mhm." She mumbled.
Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing. A different realm? Phantoms? Violent creatures that hunted them down, trying to kill them every night?
Yeah. No wonder she was scared to tell them.

From the way her and Logan were sick for a week after coming home from Savannah, to randomly having a group of kids over, added to what appear to be hallucinations...
If he hadn't known any better, he would've thought she was on drugs too. But...there was the fact that he and Emma had been seeing those creatures too, and the other parents it seemed. And..

"Well, that explains your shadow." Mike said, staring at his little girls shadow. It had short hair. "It's weird that it has short hair."
"But when I tried to show you before you didn't see anything?" Ashlyn said.
"Yeah, but that was before me and your mom started seeing creatures pretty similar to these phantoms you described."

(A/N: HERE ITS NOT AS EMOTIONAL)