Retaliation: the beginning

Chapter 40:"Homeless friend."

Every hero needs a charming partner!

Brant Daughetry as "Aaron Blake" 

*****

When he walked into their room that night, the light from the hallway spilled in and cut the room in two. The sheets were white and the rails on the bed were up.

Clay's first thought was not so much words as a fond jumble of emotions for his stubborn daughter, who would sleep with her back pressed uncomfortably against the bed rails rather than in her own bed if it meant keeping her brother company.

"Took you long enough." Whispered Timothy from the corner of the room, crouched in a chair with his computer on his lap.

"I apologies," Clay said rubbing his eyes "I had to take care of some things."

Hearing that Timothy gathered his things and went out the door, "Yeah well we're fine thanks for asking." His voice pitched low and quiet in the still silence of the room.

A moment of weakness for a cold man.

He wished he could've been there to heal Shane's wounds, to comfort Kimberly and tell her that her brother would be okay.

But that was a foolish wish.

They would not have found his presence comforting or soothing. He would not have even known which words to say. And if Kimberly had a father figure in his life, it was not Clay.

In his heart, he knew it was Shane who had to act as Kim's father when there was no other man to step in and do so.

A brother and father and a friend and, eventually, a mother.

He crossed the room in three strides and leaned over them. He pulled the covers back over Shane and sat next to his daughter.

"If I hadn't helped him would things still be the same?"

******

Morning was the golden square of light across his face as he sat on the kitchen table with an unusual expression on his face.

"You know," Aaron started the conversation after some long thinking, "If you keep making that face, you're gonna get wrinkles."

"Are you indirectly insulting me?" The blond said, playing with his breakfast with a sour look.

"No, dude. Seriously, I didn't mean it like that." The Are hurriedly answered.

Elias Harper was officially pissed.

"Lias?"

Isaac stood in the doorway, face sporting hints of shaving cream. At the sight of the man, El continued to rage despite the fact that his father was still clearly with him and had yet to abandon his son, again. Instead, in his half-maddened morning daze, the boy snatched the closest thing up and hurled it solidly at the older man's face. The harmless banana sailed through the air and landed a sure smack below Isaac's jaw.

"What was that for?" The older man asked with no small amount of indignation.

Elias was almost about to apologize.

He almost said he was sorry.

He almost did.

There was a chuckle. "What did that poor banana do to you?" said Aaron.

"Oh shut up you" Ely snapped back wringing his hands as he spoke, "What are you still doing here anyways? It's Friday!"

Isaac rubbed the back of his neck, a slow smile gracing his usually stern countenance. He looked up at his son.

"I guess whatever reason he had, I deserved it."

"Are you serious?" the boy shot back, a dismayed look written across his face. "I just threw something at you, you should be pissed!"

"I am pissed" Isaac frowned deeply "That I can't find a razor blade."

Elias just couldn't believe it; he'd spent the rest of what was left of the night answering his father's questions without getting responses to any of his. And for once Aaron was not on his side, he, as well kept asking him things and mentioning names that he never heard of.

For the first time in his life he felt like the stupidest person in the room.

"So what's your plan for the day old man?" Aaron asked and with a soft click, the door opened and Isaac entered with shaving cream still on his face.

"First I've to return these clothes" he said looking down at himself.

"To whom? The homeless?" Ely sneered causing the victim of his attack to chuckle.

"Yes a homeless friend of mine" he said starting to strip in the living room "You should meet him, he's a smart ass just like you."

"Not interested."

"He's a hunter," Isaac glanced at his son expectantly "I think you've already met him."

"Who?"

Elias was now all ears.

"I'm going to his house right now if you care to join me." He said after half-assed folded his clothes, he shoved them into his bag and dropped it in front of the door.

"Alright, who's giving me a ride?"