<span style="color: #FF0000">The week that followed was an interesting one to say the very least, though that in and of itself was what one could say about anything involving their lives now. Another poor janitor person lost some clothing, though this time these managed to fit better than the last pair. A snug fit still, but they at least did not look like he was about to hulk out of the outfit. Perhaps, the most interesting part of the whole experience was the reactions that she got from the hospital staff as she ordered meat for her meals now. <br/><br/>It had been noted extensively on her chart that she was a strict vegetarian and now she ordered a steak with just about every meal. With sometimes even a steak between meals; he could not help how he needed to eat at times. Their father was not pleased by any of this, not by a long shot. More than once he tried to force some silver onto E, though their mother made it a point to deter him of that for the moment. <br/><br/>The week came to an end and E was allowed to go home, which mean that Eidhan would have to go home too. For the first time in five years, he would e forced to control demons that he thought he had run from years ago. It was not something that he looked forward too at all, but he was not about to abandon her again,  <br/><br/>Carefully he climbed the wall up to her room, his knuckles wrapped lightly on her window. “E? It’s me!”</span><br/><br/>The one good thing that came out of her mauling: She had her brother back. The situation wasn’t ideal, but it was better than any alternative she could think of.<br/><br/>The bad things that came with this new situation: rabies shots, her father’s reaction to her sudden “diet” change, the overhanging threat of her life changing. Those shots burned long after they were administered, fairly taking the breath from her lungs; she swore they were waiting for her to go rabid and take out the entire ward, as though it would explain her sudden recovery. Her father…he continued to try and shove silver onto her, but her mother kept telling him not to force her to wear anything yet, given the amount of wires and things she was connected to.<br/><br/>But the change…the change was worst. Where Eidhin didn’t know if it was really going to happen or not, she just had to wait. Wait to become a beast…that eats meat.<br/><br/>Thankfully, after the week in the hospital, she was set free and was able to return to some semblance of normalcy. She was able to make herself at home in her room, and take back up with her books. She’d tried to sneak free, but her father was too difficult to shake at the moment. It was like he was waiting for her to change into something else, which was impossible right? He couldn’t really know what Eidhin thought he did…could he?<br/><br/>After another nightmare, one like she used to have as a child, a knock on the window woke her up. Jolting up in bed, chest heaving and a fine sheen of sweat on her skin, she glanced over, relief washing over her as she got out of bed and wandered over, opening the pane and stepping aside. “Did you become a spider monkey, too?” she asked him in greeting, a tired smile on her lips. “How’d you climb up here anyway?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Without her even saying anything, he knew she had another nightmare. It was written on her face and he could sense it. <br/><br/>“Kind of something that I picked up,” he gave a small shrug and moved to hug her. “Another nightmare?”</span><br/><br/>She didn’t openly admit it, instead simply closing the gap and hugging him tight, remaining there like the old days. Where he’d not been there with her at night now, and with the stress of the what if’s weighing down on her, it’d started them all over again, only this time…it was more vivid, more real…and it wasn’t just any monster doing the attacking.<br/><br/>It was her.<br/><br/>And, because she didn’t want to talk about it, she changed the subject. “…What are you doing here, Eidhin? I thought you wouldn’t come back here…” Her eyes widened, hearing a creak from somewhere else in the house. “What would happen if…if Dad saw you were here?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He did not press her change of subject; instead he merely held her and held her close. “I couldn’t just leave you here alone...not again,” he stated with some pride as she stepped away from her to head to the bed. “Well besides being a spider monkey I am rather quiet now,” a bit of pride in his voice that of course was instantly nullified as he tripped on one of her shoes that laid in the middle of the floor. From there it was just like a scene from a movie as he caused one of the largest and loudest crashes in history. <br/><br/>At least that is what it seemed like to him. <br/><br/>A crashed into the bookshelf led to a collision with an entertainment center and ended in the shattering of a full length mirror. <br/><br/>All he could do was look at her, look at the mess and then back to her a fear of apology and regret etched on his face.</span><br/><br/>There were no words to describe the scene that unfolded, nor her dread at having to explain it all away somehow.<br/><br/>One minute, they were talking about his “spider monkey” tendencies, and the next he was tripping and taking everything down with him. Books scattered about the floor, her television stand, her full length mirror shattering on the floor in a shower of glass shards. And, while he was looking at her, she was just staring, eyes wide, lips parted in shock, and mind racing as she heard the sudden stampede of feet rushing for her room.<br/><br/>A quick look at Eidhin, pleading him to hide, she made herself look more disheveled, bracing on edge of her bed as Lorcan burst through the door. “What in God’s name happened?!” he asked, eyes wide as he took in the disaster of a room she was in the middle of. Mother coming in shortly behind her, she tried to rush in to Eilidh’s side, but was blocked by her husband’s arm. His eyes held something she wasn’t used to seeing: accusation.<br/><br/>“I just…I got really…light-headed…” she panted, eyes fluttering, going focused and unfocused. “I guess I just…got up too fast…”<br/><br/>He didn’t seem too keen on believing her, narrowing his eyes but saying nothing right off. When he did speak, it consisted of, “Well…I have to go to work, and your mother has to run some errands, so…avoid the glass until we can get in here and clean it? And put on your cross.”<br/><br/>“Alright, Dad…” Eilidh mumbled. But he didn’t leave, so she put it on with a tired smile.<br/><br/>Momentarily satisfied, he left, door closed behind her as she sagged against the bed, a hand scratching at her chest where the cross now rested.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">There was little time to say anything; he heard the steps before she did and the implored look for him to go and hide was one she did not even have to give. Already his eyes scanned the room and it was quite instantly evident that he no longer fit anywhere in this room.  Sure before he shifted he had been too tall to hide well anywhere in here, but now he just literally too big now.<br/><br/>Already he could feel the accusing glare of his father and panic began to set in, which was not something he enjoyed. When a human panicked it was bad enough. Couple that with wolf instincts and there was just something distinctly wrong with the whole situation. A small growl left his lips before he dove back out of the window head first. There was no hesitation in the action, no thought that he could perhaps die or injure himself. Instead it was just instinct and reaction. Out the window he soared, his hands outstretched in front of him lead the charge and gravity guided his path. Out and then down, his body half turned in the air, so that his hands could catch the window sill and swing him back to the wall. There he hung with ease and waited for the exchange between E and <span style="font-style: italic">their</span> parents. <br/><br/>The comment about the cross made him snicker. It was always with the thing with the damn crosses, the silver crosses. A snarl had to be choked down at the nerve of the man to act like he was still a concerned father; To act like he really cared about them at all; such a hypocritical bastard.<br/><br/>It was the sound of the door as it closed and their retreating steps that snapped him from his thoughts. With but mild effort he flexed his arms and pulled himself up and right back into her room.  Quick, silent steps carried him to her bed, his eyes on the cross and her hand already scratching at the place where it touched. <br/><br/>“You are going to want to remove that,” he said with a gesture to the silver about her neck.</span><br/><br/>Looking at him as he walked over, her hand continued to scratch at her neck, not even aware she was doing it. Ignoring his comment for the time being, she replaced his sudden daredevil-esque escape in her mind, wondering at it. “Now you’re an acrobat, too?” she teased him quietly, slipping her sneakers on and padding toward the door to listen for her parents. “Spider Monkey, acrobat…wolf…what<span style="font-style: italic">aren’t</span>you?”<br/><br/>When she heard the door close, she went back across the room, almost slipping on a shard of glass, but she recovered, watching out the window as her father left, and mother shortly thereafter, breathing a sigh of relief. Still her hand continued to scratch at her neck. “Now, what am I going to want to remove?” Looking down at her tank top and shorts, her eyes held confusion. “What’s wrong with my pajamas?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “I am not….normal?” he joked with a chuckle. The glass all but ignored even if he did not wear anything on his feet. His eyes flicked from her hand to her eyes and back again, “No! Not your pjs!”  He sounded nearly offended, “No, the cross. It’s silver, so you need to remove it.” A gesture given, but he was not about to touch it to remove it either.</span><br/><br/>His reaction didn’t make sense. Why did he sound like he was suddenly offended by her question? She hadn’t thought anything about the necklace as it was normal for her to wear, so the pajamas were the only natural thing for her to suggest.<span style="font-style: italic">Weird…</span><br/><br/>Only when his words about the cross registered did she even realize she was scratching at herself. A heavy frown set in. “It only itches…” Glancing back up at him, she started scratching again. “It’s probably just the feel of it back around my neck after some time without it making me itch.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He just shook his head and went to the door, “Alright, but I bet by tomorrow it is going to be a nice nasty rash.” <br/><br/>The door was opened and he proceeded out, with a call over his shoulder in explanation. “Going to get the broom and stuff to clean up this glass, be back in a sec.” The sound of his retreating sets could be heard, followed by stuff as it was moved and shuffled about until his steps could be heard again as he returned. “Ok, so you get on the bed and let me get this cleaned up for you,” the broom was used first to sweep up the large jagged pieces, followed by the vacuum which he used to try and make sure there were no small tiny shards to get her later. That all done he took everything back downstairs and put it back exactly as he found it. <br/><br/>“Love how mom is always so organized,” he remarked and took a seat beside her on the bed. “How does it feel to be back home? They treating you well in this prison?” it was a joke, but one that was not far from the truth.</span><br/><br/>The thought of a nasty rash had her taking it off as she watched Eidhin’s fleeting back, putting it on her bedside table and keeping it there. That thought was followed by another thought, as she stared at the necklace.<span style="font-style: italic">If I’m…having a reaction…that means I’m…</span><br/><br/>But she couldn’t finish it. She instantly shot it down with a shake of her head as his steps were coming back up the stairs.<span style="font-style: italic">It’s just the stress making you itch. It’s not a reaction to silver and it’s not that you’re changing. It’s your imagination…</span><br/><br/>Doing as she was told, she stayed on the bed, legs crossed as she watched him clean up, and remaining in that place by the time he came back. As there was plenty of room for him to sit down with her, Eilidh didn’t bother moving, instead just holding a pillow in her arms. A shrug preceded her words, “You know how Mom and Dad are; She keeps quiet, doing what he tells her not to, and he hovers…I feel like he’s shifted, though. Before, it was to make sure my studies got done…now, it’s like he’s waiting for something to happen…”<br/><br/>Another shrug was given. “So, what do you want to do today?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">It was nice to see that she had removed the cross like he said, though the fact that it even bothered her did trouble him to some degree. At hearing how things were at home he felt like he should tell her the rest. Tell her about the birth certificate he found, how they were not true siblings, just raised to believe so. Perhaps, while they were on their walk he would? <br/><br/>Better sooner rather than later, right? <br/><br/>“Let’s do something crazy,” he began with a grin. “Let’s…go…for a walk in nature!”</span><br/><br/>She burst out laughing at the idea he proposed, getting out of bed to look through her wardrobe for something appropriate to wear. “<span style="font-style: italic">You</span>wanting to go for a<span style="font-style: italic">nature walk</span>?” Dramatically, a hand pressed into her forehead. “I think I feel faint!”<br/><br/>Then, with a dramatic eye roll, she went back to what she’d been doing. “You sure you’re up for that? We know how well you and nature mix.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He gave an eyeroll of his own, “I am a changed man now. I like this nature crap and things. I mean I am a wolf now, right? Wolves do the nature thing, so I do the nature thing.” Even he realized how stupid he sounded with his past history with nature and even at times his current history. “Besides, I have my big bad nature loving sister to help me and protect me from those nasty bugs, etc.” <br/><br/>A laugh escaped his lips as he laid back against the bed and closed his eyes for second, he almost forgot what a real bed felt like.</span><br/><br/>Picking out a t-shirt and jeans, she disappeared momentarily to change, and coming back in short order. Her hair was combed, her teeth brushed, and the tiredness that had been in her face seemed to have vanished for the time being.<br/><br/>But, when she saw him all comfy on the bed, she rested against her wall, watching him curiously. “You know, we could stay here, if you like? Let you get some decent sleep on a bed…maybe watch some movies or something?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">At her comments he opened an eye and sat up just a bit to look at her, “And miss my chance to show you how good I am at the whole outdoors stuff now?” <br/><br/>With a bit more energy than he probably displayed previously he sat and pushed up from the bed. “Swear you still take like forever to get ready,” the jab tossed at her before he crossed to the opened window and prepared to exit the way he came. “Shall we? Slow poke…”</span><br/><br/>Another roll of her eyes followed.<span style="font-style: italic">Oh yes, because living out there for five years makes you really good at the outdoors…</span>she thought to herself.<span style="font-style: italic">Not like you spent the first eighteen years sitting on your ass unless I dragged you out…</span><br/><br/>But, as much razzing as she wanted to do, his cross to the window had her frowning. Pausing where she was, she crossed her arms. “I don’t know if this escaped your mind, but I’m not a spider monkey, Dare Devil,” she pointed out. “I can’t exactly drop a couple stories and not break something.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Hmm….good point,” he bit his lower lip in thought before he went back to her and picked her up. “Let’s try this,” then not even giving her anytime to prepare just walked briskly back to the window and jumped out with her cradled in his arms. The impact was a bit more than he was used to, though he expected it had to do with the extra weight that he carried, small though it may be. Regardless, the trip from her window to the ground was a safe and easy one, which had him all cocky grins and looks. <br/><br/>“Easy as pie,” he said and set her down. “Though you might need to think about a diet,” the tease given with a tap on her stomach with the back of his hand.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Of course, it’s a good thought; I’m the one tha-</span><br/><br/>“Hey! No no no no no no no!”<br/><br/>His sudden movements, picking her up and striding to the window cut off her thoughts, resulting in a hasty, plethora of rushed, exclamatory protest. She curled up in a ball, clinging to him for dear life as her eyes squeezed shut. …And then, the drop she expected didn’t happen. There was no hitting the ground, no pain…Just the feel of his eyes on her and his grin before she even opened her own.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">…I’ll never hear the end of this.</span><br/><br/>Feet touching down, she swatted his hand away. “Or, maybe you need to bulk up,” Eilidh counter-teased, patting his bicep. “See? Still soft.” Then, walking a bit ahead of him, her steps were light, happy to be out and about with Eidhin, like the old days.<span style="font-style: italic">Except this time there’s no kicking and screaming to stay with his games,</span>she mused. “Alright, where do you want to walk to?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">He looked down at his mentioned bicep and gave it a flex, as if to satisfy his own conscience that they were not soft. When she walked ahead of him he just grinned and trotted by her, only to smack her in the back of the head before he took off running into the woods. <br/><br/>“RACE YOU!” <br/><br/>He called out, without a single hint given to just where this race would end or anything of that nature to make it fare. Instead he just figured she could follow and then figure out where he was headed based on the landmarks. After all, she was the one who was the nature guide and all that crap.</span><br/><br/>Sure, he had a head start, smacking her on the head before racing for the woods. But, he was at a disadvantage. Just because he’d been at it for longer than she had, that didn’t mean that he’d be better at this racing stuff; Not when she knew the woods like the back of her hand.<br/><br/>Breaking into a run, she followed suit. At first, it felt weird to be running, her body not quite working the way it should have. She attributed it, initially, to the wounds she’d gotten, to her core needing to re-acclimate. But, the longer she ran, the more the feeling adjusted, shifted. Her speed increased, her mind went blissfully blank, and she veered off from Eidhin completely. Her path shifted, and she continued on.<br/><br/>The lithe movements, her steps barely registering on the ground, she felt…free almost. She was, by no means, perfectly in shape. She hiked all the time, but running was another matter entirely. Somehow, though, even after what’d happened a week ago, she was running like she had been for ages. She felt like she could keep going with no issue, like she could run clear off the island and continue until something caught her fancy.<br/><br/>Another veer and she cut back into Eidhin’s path, getting directly in front of him with a wink. “Last one to the lookout is a rotten egg!” she called over her shoulder before breaking into a last ditch sprint for the lookout about a quarter mile away.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">It was…well he was not sure of the words to use to describe what he saw, but he knew it was breath taking to say the least. He felt her move before he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. The way her body seemed to be confused a bit, almost struggled to find that pace, that new natural rhythm. And when she had, it was beautiful. She ran with a grace and elegance that he could not even begin to match. Stride after stride carried her farther and farther from him until he lost sight of her completely.<br/><br/>Though he could still feel her…<br/><br/>It was that sensation and the faint hint of her scent that alerted him to her reappearance. It was the lingering sensation of shock that stalled him initially, before he shook himself and charged off after her. <br/><br/>This was what he had wanted…what he had yearned for but had not known what to call it. To run with another, to feel that same freedom and power that came when you ran with your own kind, when you ran with your pack. Soon he was abreast with her and did not try to pass her, instead he allowed the wolf to come forth and felt their strides sync up. When he sped up, she sped up and it continued until the last stretch of the race.<br/><br/>He glanced across his shoulder at her and saw a smile he often thought about when had been alone all these years. Her joy was as much his own and he dwelled in it for as long as he could, until she began to pull away from him and he allowed it. At the last moment he put in just a bit more effort and jumped, it did not take much for him to propel himself over her to the base of the watch tower. True, he had cheated a bit, given he knew how to use most of their new…gifts. <br/><br/>In a half crouch he remained for a moment, before he stood and turned to look at her with a smile on his face. “You have definitely gotten a lot faster,” not even out of breath he just smiled at her.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What?!</span><br/><br/>She’d been doing so well, having hit her stride and was well on her way to winning their impromptu race. Even if she shouldn’t have been running as she was, as graceful or fast, she wasn’t about to take it for granted, wanting to win a race without cheating for a change. …But, of course, he couldn’t let her have that one. No,<span style="font-style: italic">he</span>ended up cheating anyway, propelling himself over her and leaving her in the dust.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Of course he’d cheat; Not like he could beat me the natural way,</span>Eilidh told herself with a grin as she jogged up, panting and coming to a stop. “Was it that much faster?” she asked, chest heaving while she strode passed him to lean on the tower itself, sliding down just enough as to mimic sitting while she continued to catch her breath. “Can’t believe you cheated…Can’t beat your sister the good ol’ fashioned way, huh?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Yep,” is all he said, brow slightly drawn in concern for her. Even if she was to be like him, until she changed she would not be fully affected. Which meant she would get worn out and tired a lot faster than himself. <br/><br/>“Need some water?” he asked though he carried none on his person.</span><br/><br/>Now that she was standing in place, and the freedom of running had worn off, she was feeling all of the running she’d just done. Where she’d been lighter than air moments before, she felt rooted to her spot, slowly sinking down to the ground, hand pushing her hair back and a fine sheen of sweat starting on her brow. Glancing up at him, and taking in his expression, she perked a brow, shaking her head shortly thereafter. “I’m fine,” Eilidh managed to pant. “Just gotta…catch my breath!”<br/><br/>A glance around while she continued to breathe, and a tired smile came to her lips. Looking up at the structure, she spoke quietly, voice nearly hoarse from how hard she was trying to breathe. “I’m going to guess…in your stalkings…you saw me come here and try to spot you, right?” she asked, rounding her gaze onto him as she sat there, continuing to breathe. “I thought…because of its position…I might find you easier…Clearly I was wrong, and you’d…learned to hide better than you had when we…last spoke.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “I had to learn how to hunt and feed myself,” he sat down across from her. “Plus, this body kind of just has a natural flow to it now. I am sure you might have noticed a bit of it, no?” he grinned. <br/><br/>At the thought about how hard she looked for him, how much stress and pain he put her through he frowned as the weight of guilt pressed down on his chest. “E…” he started and waited for her to look up at him. “I’m sorry…about everything…” he whispered, pain and regret in his voice. So many years he stayed away from her to protect her and in the end it did not matter. Instead he hurt her and also caused her years of emotional pain.</span><br/><br/>Something in his voice shifted. He went from being the grinning, happy-go-lucky brother she’d lost to…pained in the span of a heartbeat. She was barely able to keep eye contact as he apologized again, already shaking her head as she crawled over, closing the gap with a hug. “Stop apologizing,” Eilidh whispered back, holding him close. “I’ve got you back now, and that’s all that matters.” A hand rubbed up and down his back, and a smile took hold of her lips, pulling back to meet his gaze again. “Now…if you go disappearing again, then you’ll have cause to apologize when I beat you within an inch of your life…But you’re back, so stop apologizing and, instead, make some new memories with me?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Again, as usual, just like old times she was right. Always the calm one, always the one with the cool head even when he thought that all was lost. “I already gave you my word that I would not disappear on you again and I would rather not get my ass beaten by my now much smaller sister,” he laughed and roughed up her hair a bit though at the whole sister thing, he felt the need to explain that bit too. <br/><br/>“You feel up to a climb up to the top?” he asked with the idea/plan to speak to her about the last bit of news up there in a more relaxed space.</span><br/><br/>There was a considerable amount of “no, stooooop,” when he ruffled her hair, batting his hand away before setting about to fixing her hair. But, even if he had wrecked her hair, she was happy they could joke, could just hang out like the good old days.<br/><br/>“I think I can manage,” she said with a laugh. “After you?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Isn’t ladies first and all that jazz?” the remark given while he pushed up to his feet and stepped to the ladder. “Or, would you rather just have my butt in your face?”</span><br/><br/>"Well, if you'd prefer I go first, you know...to show you how it's done...then by all means, let the lady go first!" she tsked him, pushing him aside and starting up the ladder herself.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">"Did I say lady?" he called up as he started to follow her up. "I will have to go and find a real lady and not the little runt you are," he snickered.</span><br/><br/>"Hey, just because you're a giant, that doesn't mean that I'm not a real lady, thank you very much!" she replied, indignant, as she continued her steady climb. "You're just jealous because I'm still more of a man than you are, despite being such a lady."<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">"Not sure that is the way to earn yourself any points in the dating world, unless you know you find a guy into that kind of thing," he chuckled.</span><br/><br/>"I haven't gone on a date in a while, Eidhin...You and your stalkering ways should have seen that," she replied to that with a grin down at him as she pulled herself up the rest of the way, hitting the landing.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “I just figured you were too busy with school to date,” he responded as he joined her on the landing. “You did finish school, right?” he asked as he went to lean on the side of the outlook, his back to the scenery below, while his focused on her.</span><br/><br/>“I finished,” she replied with a shrug. “Had it not been for Dad’s harping, not allowing me to leave the house until it was done, I wouldn’t have. I was too distracted, too singularly focused. I mean, the first time my grades came back they were…less than satisfactory for him. We got into a fight, and he decided to be my personal whip-cracker until I brought them up.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “See and they always thought I would be the difficult one when it came to school,” he smirked and then sighed. “What if I told you I had one more secret to tell you? Something that could change things between us, would you want to know it?” he asked her carefully his eyes searched her own while he waited her response. There had been so much between them already he had thought to keep this from her too; to keep a final bit of information that would shatter what little was left of their happy childhood. <br/><br/>In a way this just made him hate their father even more, or the man that he had always thought to be his father. All of this was his fault, because he had not shared any of it with them and had done more harm in his efforts than good. He drove Eidhin away, tried to kill him even and all this time held with him a secret that could have spared both of his <span style="font-style: italic">children</span> so much pain and misery. <br/><br/>It was about time one of the men in E’s life told her the truth, or at least started to tell her the truth. It was only fair and the very least of what she deserved after all she had been put through.</span><br/><br/>Her brow furrowed as the golden hues of her eyes sparked with curiosity. It was like a train-wreck really, the way Eidhin had this talent to put her at ease and then take that away in the blink of an eye.<br/><br/>They’d only just been joking about things, about their family, schooling and who had the more difficult time. Now, all of a sudden, he had a secret that he’d still been keeping. He’d already said he was a werewolf, that they’d been in relative proximity to each other for five years without him so much as attempting to say anything until the night that he decided to meet her face to face, resulting in what could (and likely would) be her life now…<br/><br/>…But he still had another secret?<br/><br/>Worry painted her features, her lips setting into a thin line as she braced for what the bomb could be this time, arms crossing in a subconscious gesture. “…What else could you possibly say that could change things between us?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">A sigh, left his lips as he was to yet again crush the only person he loved. “We have been lied to our entire lives…” a pause for no other reason than to give himself time to commit to what he was about to say. “We aren’t twins, not even siblings…” his gaze had looked away to take in the peaceful terrain below. “I’m not your brother…”</span><br/><br/>Her eyes hardened, but that was the only notable change in her demeanor when the news broke. There was no change in heartbeat, in stance, everything else remained, for all intents and purposes, calm.<br/><br/>Inwardly, though, her mind was stormy, angry. He’d already crushed her once, he’d mauled her and changed her life forever. Now he had the gall to play a joke on her to that extreme? Without warning, she closed the gap and upper cut him square in the jaw. “What the hell is your problem?! What kind of sick joke are you playing at, Eidhin?!”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Speed born from the unnatural gift she now possessed he was unable to react fast enough. Guard completely down he was caught square in the jaw with more force than he expected. Up into the air he was sent, over the railing he had been leaned against his felt his heels hit the rail before he plummeted down to the ground. <br/><br/>Slowly, as if the world was placed into slow motion he felt his body be claimed by gravity on a one way trip to the ground. He thought that he would fall forever, but just as that thought crossed his mind it was as if the floor gave beneath him and down he went. The grunt that left his lips on impact was coupled with the sound of his spin as it cracked. Pain shot through his form and he could not stop the fit of coughing that came after. <br/><br/>When at last he could catch his breath, he saw Eilidh as she came straight down after him. “Oh crap…this is going to suck….”</span><br/><br/>She followed without a second thought. Her punch sent him over the edge, plummeting to the world below, and she dove over the railing, ready to continue his ass kicking wherever he landed. It didn’t even hit her that, not twenty minutes before, she’d been terrified of jumping out of her own bedroom window, a mere two stories up.<br/><br/>Now, now she was diving off of this watch tower, after her lying, shit-sense-of-humor brother who decided now was the time to try and pull the wool over her eyes.<br/><br/>“What the hell do you mean you aren’t really my brother?!” Eilidh screamed at him, charging down after him and hitting the ground just to the side of him. Her legs hurt from the impact, but instinct had taken over. Without hesitation, her foot continued to hit his side over and over, while she screamed at him over and over. Then, diving atop him she started trying to pound his face into the ground.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">If he had not been about to get his ass handed to him, he might have been able to appreciate how she had quickly and easily settled into her new gifts. Latent and not fully realized though they were, she had still managed to tap into them and was now far more deadly than any would know. With all of his heart the last thing he had wanted to do was hurt her, to hurt his Eilidh. This is why he allowed for the first couple of kicks to land without any effort to block, those blows were ones that he deserved. <br/><br/>However, when she straddled him and began to punch his face, those were the ones that he felt the need to stop. <br/><br/>Chiefly, when he saw stars on the third punch. <br/><br/>A grunt, some applied force later, he used his superior weight and strength to roll her over her form now pinned beneath his own. <br/><br/>“Eilidh! Stop it! Please!” he grabbed a hold of her wrists and pinned them to the ground. “Listen to me, this is the truth. I swear to you on my very life and everything that we have ever shared that this is the truth….I’m…sorry….so sorry….” <br/><br/>The words spoken, his eyes fought her own as if he hoped that the eye contact would be what he needed to convince her. Their blue depths held nothing but the truth, no matter how painful it may be.</span><br/><br/>Rage. That was the only thing she felt right then. Hurt didn’t register. Pain didn’t register. Only rage for her brother’s form beneath her as she sought to pound his face into the earth, and beat the stupid out of him, one fist at a time.<br/><br/>One punch, she felt a small glimmer of vindication.<br/><br/>Two punch, she felt more relief on the horizon, but far enough off she wanted to keep going. To beat that face into an unrecognizable pulp.<br/><br/>Third punch, there was the first bit of pain that she felt in her knuckles, enough that she shook out her hand while working to pull back for another punch…but he was shifting, rolling. A snarl of frustration as he pinned her, fighting against it. Her wrists may have been pinned, but her body was struggling beneath him, trying to kick him off. Had it not been for the accidental eye contact, she’d have continued to fight.<br/><br/>The words weren’t registering, so when her eyes connected with his, she saw everything to be true. Her actions ceased as everything slowly came back into perspective.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I…punched Eidhin…off of a watch tower…I jumped down…after him…I…kicked…and punched him…and had to be restrained…</span><br/><br/>Body shaking beneath him, tears welled anew. “…You’re…not my brother…Eidhin? How…how is that even…possible? We’re twins…born on the same day…at the same time…by the same parents…” A pause, as her eyes searched his. “…How can you…not be my brother?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">When the fight left her eyes and she relaxed, he slowly released his grasp on her. “I’m not sure. All I know is that on my birth certificate, the one that is on record in the hospital there is a man’s name on there that is not our father’s. Again, this comes back around to the one man who would know everything and who can shed some light on all of this for us…” he sighed and moved to allow her up. <br/><br/>“We have to ask our father for the truth and sadly when I say we I mean you….that man…scares the crap out of me,” he admitted with another sigh.</span><br/><br/>Asking their father about this would go over about as well as her grades had, or searching for him…or anything to do with this werewolf conspiracy he seemed to be in on this entire time. Rather than moving, she stayed where she lay, exhausted.  “…I’ll ask him, but you need to promise me something in return,” she agreed cautiously. “If you do it, then I’ll ask about it myself.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">A groan later and he was beside her on the ground, "Sure. Anything at all, you have my word."</span><br/><br/>“…You know how you tend to…keep an eye on me?” she started carefully. “How you stayed with me at the hospital…watched me from whatever vantage point you could find…?” Another pause as she slowly sat up and looked at him with a careful, guarded expression. “Promise me that, after I leave you today…At least for tonight…I’ll be broaching the subject with him and, if you’re as scared of him as you seem, watching the conversation through the window probably wouldn’t help…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Perhaps, he should have waited before he agreed to the promise. He would have rather not agreed to this and watched the exchange between their father. At least then he would be able to see her and protect her should he decide to lose his cool and go off on her. However, the promise had been made and he would keep his word.<br/><br/>“You have my word, but can you at least come and see me as soon as you can? Or….text me? I need to get a phone, but yeah could you do that for me? Please?”</span>