The Spirit's Obsession {Sequel to Entwined Fire} - #Wattys2016

Your job.

I looked up at the house and shifted on my feet deciding on my next move. I had taken Zak's car from his moms and drove over leaving him asleep in bed.

I had been up all night watching over him as he fought the sleep demons and held me tightly begging for them to leave.

Now I was pissed.

I was pissed because I couldn't look out for him the way he looks out for me. I couldn't defend him or protect him. I could only comfort him and that wasn't enough!

He was my man! He was my rock and nothing was going to come in and break him!

I stormed to the house and unlocked the front door, pushing it open I stalked through to the lounge.

"COME ON THEN! YOU WANT TO SETTLE THIS?! EFFECT ME! HARM ME! BUT YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I shouted at the house.

The silence mocked me and also taunted.

I went into the kitchen and began pulling draws out and opening cupboards.

"I CAN DO IT TOO! YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU'RE PATHETIC!"

Mad with rage I pushed things off the work tops and lifted the vase to throw it when it was snatched from my hands making me scream and spin around.

"I'm trying to sleep." Aaron grumbled he took the vase and placed it on the side rubbing his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Aaron asked yawning.

"What the hell.. Why are you here?" I asked stepping away from him.

"Sorting your house out. I crashed here last night. Where's Zak?"

"At his moms.."

"He okay?" Aaron asked looking around before sitting on the barstool.

"I- no he wasn't. What happened?" I asked.

"I kicked him out. He was struggling... You could see he was getting conflicted, more angrier too. In the end he snapped and we ended up doing an exorcism on him instead."

"W-what?" I asked stepping forward to the other side of the island.

Aaron nodded "Yeah. Dude completely wiped me out having to be here whilst the bishop performed it. I had to have a cleansing after as well."

"Are you okay?" I asked looking at him for any slight give away.

"Yeah, yeah I think I'm okay. Just tired and then some maniac came in screaming and shouting... What were you trying to do?" He asked.

My face flushed as I looked away.

"You were trying to call them out? After you were held under water. You were calling them out to hurt you."

"I thought tha-"

"Are you out your damn mind?!" Aaron snapped.

"Don't. Don't take the tone Aaron."

"Fuck the tone. Are you stupid? Your boyfriend comes to you in a mess from this and you come here to take it on?! You're not qualified, you're out your depth and you thought you were alone! Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass and tell Zak... So he can kick your ass too?!"

"Because I was doing it for him!" I snapped and unclenched my fists.

"He was a state last night and it upset me. This is all my fault because I wasn't strong enough to deal with all the shit this house threw at us! I was the one crying when we had to come home, screaming myself awake not to mention him, I'm the one who as you said it 'Not qualified.' What if I want to be?! What if I want to face the same shit you face?! What makes you all think I'm not good enough to be one of you?! I want to fight with him Aaron! Not watch him get knocked down!"

"Because you can't! Okay! You can't be this way! You can't do what we do because it's too dangerous. For us it's bad but for something to happen to you?!" He shook his head.

"It's been happening to me! I can do this!"

"No. Maria. Okay, it's a no."

"You're not my dad Aaron!" I shouted storming out the kitchen.

He spun me around by my wrist "No I'm your fucking brother! I told your dad I would protect you! And I've done a shit job so far! You don't think we all suffer when we see you upset?! You don't think it hurts us all to see you crying?! Tired?! Look at yourself Maria?! You're so fucking small your clothes hang off you! You're physically not able to take the effects! Look at the size of Zak and you saw what it all did to go last night! I was so exhausted I pass out upstairs!" He shouted.

"Then I'll get better! I'll train!"

"NO!"

"I WANT TO DO IT FOR HIM!" I screamed in his face.

Aaron grabbed my face between his hands shaking me slightly "Look at me! Look!"

I looked into his brown eyes and saw conflict and upset.

"Bobby Mackeys tore me apart.. It ripped my fucking heart out. It destroyed my marriage and it changed me."

"Bu-"

"No listen!" He snapped making me growl.

"You want to do this for him.. Well he wants to do this for you. Maria its always been about finding answers. But since this has started.. It's all been about you. Protecting you. Helping you. Supporting you. You are his passion Ri, you make him so fucking happy that it would kill him if it broke you apart. You're his reason to get up in the mornings and the reason he runs around in the dark with a camera. He wants answers to protect you. You stubborn bitch. He needs you behind him when on camera and he needs you by his side off camera."

A tear rolled down my cheek "But I want to stop him hurting." I whispered.

"I know you do sweetie, but trying to get yourself hurt isn't going to help him. You could have drown, in his house.. He already feels bad for not being there to protect you. He's angry at himself that he wasn't. What he needs now is love, comfort and support. The only person who can do all three in a single heartbeat is you. That is your job! You support him. You are already helping him. Understand?"

I nodded sniffling.

"Good. Now clean the kitchen and stop shouting at the house you weirdo.. I didn't stay up til 4am getting this house cleansed for you to fuck it all up." He answered walking away.

I shot him a look "It's done?" I asked as he climbed the stairs.

"Yeah,  because I'm batman and a ghost buster.. Clean the kitchen!" He called disappearing into the guest bedroom.

I smiled and looked around the house.

It's my home again.