Not So Silent Night

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Chapter Sixteen | Not So Silent Night

Soren's day had been perfect. His brothers experienced something he'd cherished all his life with his parents – their mother. Sure, the power was out; but, on the other hand he'd spent the day with the boys as well as their new little friend, Ashlynn. The apartment was safe. The boys were fed.

Christmas Even had been one to remember.

He'd been asleep. Completely asleep, drifting into the abyss of nothingness behind his eyes, when a cacophonous slam instantly snapped him out of his slumber.

*WHAM*

Immediately, Soren was upright and off the air mattress, crouched and tense with his eyes glued on the front door. He listened for a moment as his adrenaline spiked. Every nerve in his body was poised to strike or run.

What was that? A fluke? Snow and ice falling off the roof? No. Too deliberate. And that was on the door. That would only happen if someo-

*WHAM*

"Hhnnn… Soren?" Dorian and Rey's sleepy faces poked over the arms of the couches they were sleeping under to look at Soren's silhouette. They'd been woken up by whatever was happening outside, which made Soren mad. Not only did it wake the boys, but a quick glance down revealed Ashlynn also on her feet in a similarly crouched position, ready to bolt and hide at the drop of a hat.

Then, he heard it – a voice that could instantly boil Soren's blood.

"Sssssoorrn? Opppen uuupp!"

Curses.

"Dorian. Rey. Get up and lock yourselves in your room. Take my phone. Call the police. Remember how to do that?" Soren snagged his phone, thankfully charged with the last of the generator battery, and held it out behind him, golden eyes burning a hole right through the door. His voice barked out orders like a military general, all trace of his own voice masked behind his words.

Ashlynn looked between Soren and the door, hoping for some clarification as to what was going on. Who was behind the door? Why was Soren's voice not his own? Ashlynn glanced over her shoulder at the younger brothers, hoping for some clarity and received none.

Despite Soren's orders, neither boy moved. It was like they were petrified except for the subtle tremble of their frames. Ashlynn knew the look, but was surprised to see it on a human. It was the same look that a Borrower would have when being seen. It was obvious both boys recognized the voice on the other side of the door, and it struck fear in them.

"Dorian! Rey!" Soren's sharp tone cut through the air. Like the shattering of glass, the boys were jolted out of their stupor and fumbled to get out of their blankets, pausing as another round of harsh pounds made the door visibly shake. Ashlynn began backing away. It was instinct that had her grab her pin and hook from her bag as she inched toward the boys.

"Soren? Who is that?" she asked, unsure whether or not her voice was heard. Evidently not. Soren's body, poised like a cat ready to spring, stood and took a few bold steps toward the door.

Soren, for many years, had charged into danger while his heart and mind stayed still and calm. He prided himself in this ability. Between his sixth sense and control over himself, Soren felt like he could charge into anything and make it out alright.

Now, his heart was a warring drum. The gravity of the present bled into his thoughts. What to do seemed a mirky vision compared to so many other decisions he'd made in his life. So much being so clear, and now not weighed on his chest.

*WHAM*

"Sooorrrrnn! Iwanna ssseee m'boys!"

*WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM*

I need to do something. Soren clenched his fists and approached the door, staying several feet away as he spoke.

"Brady! Leave! Go away! The police are on their way!" Soren knew the last one was a lie, but he couldn't do much about that now. His goal was just to make Brady go away. Hopefully, he would.

"Sssoooorrrenn! Open the d-dooorr! You've nnno rrright!"

Ashlynn's back tapped against the couch. It nearly made her jump, but she refrained from yelping in surprise. Her eyes darted around frantically for the boys, who had barely moved an inch after getting out of their makeshift couch beds. Ashlynn wasn't sure if it was fear that kept them or uncertainty that their brother was going to be alright.

Whatever the case, she needed to help if she could.

Soren had asked them to retreat to the next bedroom, and she was determined to make them. Before she did, however, she heard a harsh *CRACK* as wood began to splinter.

"Iiifff youdon t oppen uuupp, Immana break down this door! Theeey're my sons!" Brady slurred.

"Not anymore! Leave! Before you make this worse for yourself!" Soren shouted.

"I HAAVVEEE RIGHTS!"

"Your appeal won't go through! Not if I have anything to say about it. If you come in here, I swear you won't be leaving in one piece, Brady. Leave!" Soren shouted back. He glanced over his shoulder, gut wrenching as he saw Dorian and Rey both frozen in place in the far corner of the room.

Curses! They're scared, and they're not listening!

"Dorian! Rey! Get to y-."

*CRACK*

The door burst from the frame, cold wind possessing a foreboding presence of tension and danger, and a bundled figure stumbled in, falling to the ground before staggering to his feet. Ashlynn stared at the man as she backed away in to the shadows behind her and closer to the boys.

The man was obviously older, probably double Soren's age if she had to venture a guess. His resemblance to his sons was uncanny, making them undeniably his. Their hair color and squarish jaws were nearly identical. Yet there was something in his eyes that told Ashlynn that those two, sweet boys could be nothing like this man. The Borrower continued to retreat as he and Soren stood at their full height, making it to the boys' sides in record time.

The moment the man spotted Dorian and Rey, both trembling and hugging close to one another, a drunken smile spread across his face. Though Ashlynn only glimpsed it from her hiding spot before ducking behind the couch, she could see that the man genuinely was glad to see the two youngsters.

"Tthheere theyar. I jusss-" His eyes flicked over and darkened as they spotted Soren. "I jussss wanna talkta the bbooyys."

"You can talk to them when a judge tells you it's fine. Get out of my house and stay away from them until then," Soren growled.

"Awww comeon Ssoorren. Itt'ss Chrisssstmas."

"I don't care. Get out of our home!" Soren shouted firmly. Brady's eyes darkened as he took a staggering step forward.

"Yyyouu self-righteous pig. They're naawwtt yours!" With reflexes unmatching his drunken state, Brady lunged forward and shoved Soren hard, forcing him back a few steps. "Yyyoouurr nno fath-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Soren had all the provocation he needed. If Ashlynn thought Brady was fast, then Soren moved at the speed of light. The way his body darted forward, nimble and precise, before delivering a swift punch to Brady's jawline reminded Ashlynn of the cat she likened him to minutes earlier. The solid thud followed by Brady stumbling across the floor and against the wall sounded like rolling thunder. Like a boulder unable to gain purchase on the mountainside and cascading down further and further down, Brady continued to fumble until he slammed against the opposite wall.

"I'm more of a father than you! Now get out!" Soren roared. Something about that strike on his jaw brought an acute awareness to his eyes, and Brady suddenly was pushing himself off of the wall and grappling Soren by the shirt as he used his weight to shove Soren back. The two slammed against the wall enough to crack the drywall. Soren responded in kind, grabbing Brady's collar and drawing up his knee into Brady's abdomen and delivering another blow in the same place as before.

For Ashlynn, it looked like clash of the titans. The ground shook as each of them stomped and slammed one another against whatever surface they could. In the dark, sprays of some dark liquid erupted from Brady's nose and Soren's lip as the two men exchanged strikes. Each blow was deafening, the sound of each fist making contact against a hollow chest or firm bone shaking Ashlynn to her core.

And she wasn't the only one.

As Soren and Brady tussled, one fighting to get closer to the boys and the other desperate to keep him away, Ashlynn heard pitiful sobs coming from just above her. Her neck snapped up to see Dorian and Rey both with tear stained faces, Dorian standing protectively in front of his brothers even as he shook in his shoes.

Soren grunted as he was suddenly struck hard three times. He gritted his teeth and glanced back at the boys, who were still frozen in place. It was then that Ashlynn saw what was happening.

Soren is trying to be careful in front of them. He's pulling his punches! They don't need to see this. I need to get them out of here!

"Dorian! Rey!" Ashlynn shouted as Soren forced Brady back toward the door, barely missing the frame to shove the man back into the frigid air. Dorian glanced down, snot and tears glistening in the meager illumination of the flashlight array they'd made for their fort. He sniffled and continued to look down at her, a haunting image if Ashlynn didn't know the boys or their distress.

"We need to go to your rooms. Do what Soren said and go to your rooms! Call the police!" Ashlynn wasn't exactly sure what the last thing was, but evidently Soren thought it was important enough to tell the boys to do it. Dorian sniffled, a hiccup escaping his lips. He nodded timidly and gave Rey a tug as the two watched the men continue their brawl. Soren, from the corner of his eye, caught the movement and took the moment to push harder, snagging Brady's collar again and forcing him out into the kitchen toward the garage.

Ashlynn ran alongside Dorian and Rey as if she were some kind of guardian. There was little she could do if the situation arose. She couldn't stop Brady from coming after the boys. She couldn't hold them and comfort them as they cried. The Borrower had never felt so small in all her life. What she could do was guide them forward though, and that's exactly what she did. As Ashlynn sprinted beside the boys earthquake inducing strides, she glanced over to see Soren grappling something that Brady had in his hand.

It took all she had to tear her eyes away and focus on making sure the boys continued running, and in that moment she wished she hadn't.

At that moment, there was a sharp yell of pain that made her blood run cold. Another glance in the dim illumination of the flashlights revealed the glint of a blade. Her heart lurched as she realized it wasn't Soren who held the knife – he was the one who had shouted.

It was Brady who had the knife.

No… he needs help. Soren needs help! She looked back at Dorian and Rey, who heard the shout and stopped dead in their tracks. I have to get them into their room first.

"Dorian! Rey! Go! Do what Soren said! I'm going to go help him." What on earth am I saying?! I can't help, but I have to try. Right? Yes… I'll figure something out. I'm sure of it.

Ashlynn pivoted and began sprinting toward the kitchen once she was sure she heard the door shut and the lock click. The sound of more grunting and pounding and hollering consumed her ears. She held her blade close as she sprinted along the edge of the trim, hoping she would go unnoticed and uncrushed being so close to the wall.

Her heart felt as strong and as loud as rolling thunder. Every breath felt ragged. It was against every instinct in her body that she charged forward toward the two humans brawling. Still, it was for a friend – for Soren.

She rounded the corner and, instantly, her heart dropped into her shoes. Soren's arm was gushing blood and the knife was nowhere to be seen. His golden hazel eyes were wild with fury, a look that was frightening beyond words, as he was now pinned to the wall. The stance Brady took was keeping Soren firmly in place, and Soren's injured arm was of little use as they struggled.

I need to break Brady's stance. If I… Ashlynn knew what she had to do. It took every ounce of courage in the Borrower's body to take one step forward, and then the next. Soren's eyes flicked from Brady's down to the floor at her slight movement, and his eyes went wide. For just a moment, he shook his head before looking back to the intruder.

Her body acted before she had a chance to reason her way out of it. Drawing her blade, she sprinted forward toward Brady's ankles. She couldn't hear his words. She didn't want to. She didn't even want to be there, and yet she was. Who would've ever known a Borrower would be charging a human, Ashlynn thought.

With the distance closed, Ashlynn waisted no time as, out of pure impulse and sheer willpower to protect her friend, she leapt and grabbed onto the inside seam of Brady's pants, scurrying up quickly into the dark tunnel of stinking flesh where she saw his exposed leg. Then, she did the unthinkable for a Borrower.

She attacked.

Driving the edge of her blade as far as she could into the human's leg and dragging down, she used her weight to pull her knife down the length of his calf. Brady's step faltered instantly as he howled in pain. Ashlynn's world was turned on its head as he began flailing around and stomping his leg.

"Whhhaaa? The f-"

Ashlynn didn't wait to hear the rest. Terrified she'd be trampled, she dropped to the ground and sprinted toward the wall. The snow continued to drift in, sending ripping chills through Ashlynn's body and threatening to cripple her movements. Ashlynn didn't let herself stop though. She continued to sprint until she hid behind the fragments of the busted door and whipped around in time to see Brady crash to the ground, Soren finally pinning him.

Soren, who'd seen Ashlynn quickly dart forward and vanish from his line of sight, dared not move out of fear of crushing her. What on earth is she doing? What is she thinking? Soren didn't have to wonder for long as Brady suddenly howled his foul breath in Soren's face. He watched Ashlynn dart away, which was his cue to act.

He'd been holding back all this time, afraid that his brothers would see their father beaten beyond recognition; at least, that's how Soren would've had it if he had his way. Now that he didn't see his brothers anywhere and Ashlynn was out of the way, Soren could finally act without pulling his punches.

In just a fraction of a second, he had Brady pinned in a secure hold on the ground, delivering a few harsh blows for his own satisfaction to keep the man he despised in compliance. While Brady struggled on the ground, thrashing and shouting about knowing his rights and that he deserved to see his sons, red and blue flashing lights followed by a piercing siren told Soren that help was on the way.

Good. They called. I was starting to wonder. Soren continued to keep his hands firmly around Brady's wrists as he kept him pinned. The stinging in his arm reminded him of his own injury and he prayed he wouldn't have to go to the hospital.

When the police arrived, the flurry of events was little more than a blur. They charged in and temporarily kept Soren detained as they cuffed Brady and led him out to the nearest squad car. Several officers were ones Soren was familiar with, being friends on the force with similar goals of helping and saving others. It only encouraged taunts once Soren verified he and his brothers were alright.

Next came the explaining part. Soren was able to share some of the security footage but refrained from revealing anything inside as his mind thought back to Ashlynn and how she'd bravely come to his aid without briefly screening it first. He used the excuse that he needed to fast forward through him and his brothers making forts and food, and thankfully Ashlynn was nowhere to be seen in any angle.

When everything had been explained and signed, Soren and his brothers temporarily had to talk to the paramedics just to make sure they were okay. The knife laceration was, thankfully, shallow and only required a bit of glue and no stitches along with a firm scolding that he needed to take it easy for the present.

Before he knew it, everyone had been escorted out and the door was temporarily back up, blocking out the freezing air. Soren placed the heaters in his room and shut the door, knowing exactly where the rest of the night was going to go – slumber party in his bed. The boys would undoubtedly have a hard time sleeping on their own for the next week.

"You guys okay?" asked Soren, kneeling in front of his brothers and searching each of their faces for any sign they weren't completely traumatized by the events of the night.

"Y-y-yeah," stammered Rey. He sniffled and wiped his nose down the length of his sleeve.

"That was r-really scary," Dorian murmured. "Did… did he hurt you?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Soren smiled. Curse that man, Soren thought bitterly. "And I know you both were really scared, but you did so well listening to instructions and calling for help when I asked.

The trio was silent as Soren rubbed his brothers' arms. It was a grounding technique he'd been taught, and hopefully they would do the same.

"I-is… is Ashlynn okay?" asked Rey.

"Yeah, she helped us get to our rooms," Dorian added.

A pit formed in Soren's stomach. He had been so worried with everything else in the world that he hadn't even stopped for a second to make sure she was okay. "I… think so. I think when the officers came in she did a really good job of hiding. Don't worry. I'll find her. Until then, you two go in my room and get in the bed. I'll be there in a second."

"But… do you need help finding Ashlynn?" asked Dorian. Rey nodded in agreement.

"Right now, no. I'll let you know if I need help but getting you two settled matters more. It'll take you two forever to snuggle in my bed anyway." Soren directed the two boys into his room and helped them into bed.

The door clicked behind the eldest brothers, weight of the world feeling like it had once again pinned itself to his shoulders, as he began scanning the ground. He couldn't believe that it had slipped his mind that he hadn't seen their little friend since she'd ducked behind the door. Now being more mindful of his surroundings, Soren crouched and listened briefly to see if he could pick anything up.

"Ashlynn?" he called. "Everyone's gone. Well, except for us. You there?" A painstaking thirty seconds passed with nothing indicating that Ashlynn was anywhere near them when, from under the couch, Soren noticed her peering out at him. Her clothes were covered in blood, which had also matted her hair in a few dozen tiny clumps, and she looked rattled.

"Yeah, I'm… here. Who was that?" asked Ashlynn, her voice cracking a few times before coughing awkwardly to clear the tension surrounding her.

"That," sighed Soren. "Was Brady. He's Dorian and Rey's father. He's not supposed to have any contact with us, but legally speaking he was made privy to where we live. Courts will probably have us move or something crazy, but that's a problem for another day."

"M-move?" Ashlynn gawked.

"Again, or something crazy. I don't think it'll come to that, but it'll be months before anything like that is decided," reassured Soren. Ashlynn's blue gray eyes flicked almost imperceptibly from Soren's face to the drying blood spot on his shirt.

"You're hurt."

Soren gave a shrug, hiding the wince as he did, and smiled instead. "I've had worse, believe me."

"On your hands and face too," she said. Soren hadn't noticed, but Ashlynn was right. There were tiny cuts and splits in his hands from where he and Brady had been punching one another. He was sure his swelling lip was also a hint that he looked a bit banged up.

"Probably. Seems like we should get cleaned up," suggested Soren. Ashlynn nodded, fingers snagging one of the many clumps and lifting, which brought the rest of her matting hair with her. She stepped onto Soren's offered hand and the two of them retreated to the kitchen counter.

Ashlynn didn't protest when Soren didn't put her down while he heated the water for them. She didn't move even after when he brought her to the table with the warmed water. It was only when he began dabbing the cloth on his lip that she stood, grabbed a fragment of cloth, and began scrubbing not on herself, but on him.

Knuckles. Fingers. Palm. Every nook and crevasse that was miniscule for a human was easy for Ashlynn to clean.

To be so close to the hands she'd seen commit such intense violence made her shiver. If Soren were to try and grab her with that same speed and force, she'd never stand a chance. It was a testament to him and his character. Before, Ashlynn wasn't sure if Soren was capable of hurting someone else. Now, she knew better.

But, it had been in defense of his brothers and herself. That protective instinct was obviously stronger than any perception he wanted to keep to make Ashlynn feel at ease with being so close to him. And, if she was being honest with herself, it was both terrifying and exhilarating to see Soren in action like that. If she hadn't been so scared, she might've felt more than a blush in her cheeks.

"Thank you, for helping me." Soren's words disrupted her thoughts and made her startle. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to spook you. I just wanted to say that what you did… that was crazy, but also really brave. You didn't have to help, but you did. So, thanks."

Ashlynn bit her lip and looked away, glancing up from time to time. She stepped over to the water and dunked the cloth fragment she was using. The watched the droplets form as she rung out the fibers before returning to the task at hand.

"I didn't really do much," she mumbled. She continued to look down as she hoped Soren didn't notice her blush.

"Yes, you did." Soren's finger suddenly came into view and, with the delicacy of a feather, hooked just under her chin and tilted her head back and up to look at him. "Seriously. I was in a bit of trouble back there. Things would've ended up really bad if you didn't come along."

She held his gaze, and he held hers. The Borrower woman wasn't sure when his finger retracted, his eyes alone keeping her set in stone perched on the edge of his hand. Something in her heart swelled. Her skin tingled all over. She had to force herself to swallow as she finally tore her gaze away from his and back to the task at hand. Words escaped her mind as time and space whirled past her.

Finally, she managed to fumble out, "Well… you're welcome. And you've already done the same for me so… seems like we make a good team."

She heard Soren chuckle ever so softly and caught him nodding out of the corner of her eye as he agreed. "We certainly are."

It took a few more minutes to get both Soren and Ashlynn clean, Ashlynn having to change yet again into another set of warm clothes she had with her, before the two of them went into Soren's room. Just as they entered, the sound of beeping in the kitchen alerted them that the power was on once again.

Both Dorian and Rey were awake, but drowsy, when Soren slid under the covers beside them. Ashlynn, despite better Borrower worthy judgment, decided to stay on the bed with Soren and his brothers, curling up in the little gap between Soren's shoulder and the pillow he rested his head on. Both Dorian and Rey curled under his arms, falling asleep within seconds of being reunited with their brother, and Soren and Ashlynn weren't far behind.

It was a not so silent night, but the events leading up to it solidified their bonds together. Nothing could separate them now.

Well… almost nothing….