She’d been so entranced in the comfort of Eidhin’s nuzzles she hadn’t registered the clicks of the gun behind her. Not until it was skimming across her back, burning and causing her to grimace, did it even occur to her that their father was still in the vicinity. Eilidh had her Eidhin back…that was all that mattered, fucked up family dynamic or not.<br/><br/>But, then he’d shot and was cocking back for another when Eidhin was already at his throat, pinning him to the wall, ready to tear into him. Protests rose in her throat, held there by a lump they couldn’t pass. This man…this…beast that had taken care of her for years…had always been preparing for this moment. He’d tried to exorcise Eidhin—Her Eidhin—and failed to do so five years beforehand…and now he was trying to do it to her. Part of her wanted to kill him, a part that scared her to her core, while the other part of her wanted him to be kept alive if only for her mother’s sake.<br/><br/>Since they couldn’t return home, now…to leave her alone felt cruel when it wasn’t her fault. And, Lorcan had always been kind and loving to Aine, so she hadn’t a thing to worry about.<br/><br/>Even as she debated, Eidhin was dragging her father out of the building and out of sight. Slowly, shakily, she got up from the altar, pulling her shirt closed as her body shivered. Mind still cloudy and body on fire, she started walk toward the door (barely two steps taken) when her brother, her friend, returned. A grateful, tired, smile was on her lips as she braced against the altar’s surface, leaning heavily against it as she held a hand out to him.<br/><br/>“You…came for me…” she said quietly; It didn’t come out with any shred of doubt, but of happiness that he’d managed. “I’m…so sorry that he…I didn’t realize he was going to…do that.” Examining the hand he’d gripped the cross so tightly with, she frowned, pressing the lightest of kisses to the burnt flesh, and releasing it so that he could do whatever he needed. Then, even knowing he couldn’t answer until he shifted back, she asked anyway, “How…how badly does it hurt?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> His tail wagged and his chest swelled with pride at her acknowledgement. Of course he had come back for her, what else was he to do? Leave her there to suffer under whatever her father thought was right? To abandon her like he had those five years ago? Even if when he left last time it had been for the better of her, or at least he had thought it would have been. He was not about to repeat his mistake again.<br/> <br/>No. Not again.<br/> <br/>The light kisses made him whimper with happiness, before he stepped back and focused on the man that he was and shifted back. He noticed that the more he did it the easier it became, though the pain was still there it was if anything “less” because it felt smoother. Especially, when he was raged or emotional those transformations were nearly seamless and almost pleasurable. The rush that he felt when he and his wolf connected on a level that he could not even begin to express. A sensation that was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.<br/> <br/>When the shift finally ended, he gave her a shrug. “Not too bad, I mean I was not really focusing on it when it happened, now, it just kind of stings. See?” his hand was offered up to her for examination again.<br/> <br/>“What about you? How are you?”</span><br/><br/>As he shifted, she watched out of curiosity. The first time, she hadn’t focused much on what he was doing, stunned by what she’d seen him do , the sheer feat of what that all meant. Now, she watched as wolf became man again; as Eidhin became the brother she knew and the form she recognized. She couldn’t tell if it hurt to shift like it seemed to that first time, or if it was due to the surge of adrenaline he’d no doubt felt during this whole scene that made it easier to do this time around.<br/><br/>But that became the least of her thoughts. He was offering her his hand again to look at, which she accepted and inspected more thoroughly this time, before pressing another kiss to it out of habit and allowing it to drop. “Me? I’ve had worse…” Eilidh offered him with a shrug of her own, careful to keep her shirt closed and arms crossed. The gesture itself hurt, but she’d prefer it hurt than him see the full extent. And, while she hadn’t actually had worse…she didn’t want to admit just how badly her whole body hurt, how her head was swimming, how everything in her was screaming to jump off a high…high cliff into some cold water-filled quarry to fix that burn.<br/><br/>“…Now what?” That was the question of the hour. What would they do? Where would they go? How would they move forward from here?<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> A part of him wished she would stop lying to him, stop trying to protect him from the pain she suffered. He could smell her wounds, could read the small twitches of her muscles when she moved and caused herself pain. Perhaps, later she would stop and be completely honest with him. He could hope so at least.<br/> <br/>“We go home,” he stated simply. “We go back to the house, collect our stuff and then head to the cabin. I want to say goodbye to mother before we leave,” voice dropped to a soft sadness before he looked about the place for something he could use to cover himself.</span><br/><br/>Her eyes dropped, as did her heart, when he said the plan.<br/><br/>To say goodbye to her mother would be like…cutting off a limb. An extension of herself would now be gone from the picture. No more hugs from her in the morning, or hugs at night. No more seeing how each other’s day went, or singing hymns together in church, hand in hand, before saying their prayers. No more going to her when she needed motherly advice. She’d be on her own; Yes, with Eidhin, but now lacking the motherly support she’d grown so used to over those twenty-three years.<br/><br/>While she thought about it, she watched his movements with her peripheral vision, not understanding what he was looking for initially. Then it set in.<span style="font-style: italic">He doesn’t have any pants…</span>Slowly, painstakingly, she took off her shirt and handed it over, eyes averted to afford him some privacy and hoping her own wounds didn’t look as bad as she figured they did. “…I know we don’t exactly wear the same size…but, you could tie this around your hips until we find a clothes’ line to ‘borrow’ from…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> The offered shirt was taken and he could not help the bit of blush that came to his cheeks now that the adrenaline of the moment wore off.  The simple wrap thing that he managed covered most of his stuff, at least the important bits and he was able to turn back and face her.  When he finally got a good look at her wounds he frowned somewhat and resisted the urge to reach out and touch them.<br/> <br/>“They should heal later…” he remarked after a moment. “I’m sorry I did not get here sooner,” his tone quiet with a tinge of guilt while his eyes regarded her own. “I promise we will not have to go through anything like that again,” voice now strong and confident, his eyes hardening to reflect the conviction that was in his voice.<br/> <br/>“Let’s get back to get our stuff and then we can head to the cabin, at least there we can sleep and know we will be safe and together,” he smiled, then with a nod of his head he started off toward their old childhood home.</span><br/><br/>She didn’t look as he took the shirt, nor did she look until he spoke, careful to looking anywhere below the jaw; Even with the development of him being unrelated…she didn’t want to see that. However, Eilidh couldn’t help but notice the blush, choosing not to comment on it as she saw his facial expression and crossed her arms, shrugging it off.<br/><br/>Had it not been for his conviction, in her current mood, she may have said something…But the conviction, the confidence, she believed what he said, and started on ahead of him to give him privacy during their walk.<br/><br/>And, for the duration of that walk, all she could think of was how he’d appeared to feel guilty for not getting there sooner. It wasn’t as though she could blame him. If anything, the fact he’d gotten there at all was commendable considering what their father had dosed them with. He’d managed to get there, and that was what mattered. They were together again, and all that remained was to say goodbye to…everything she knew.<br/><br/>As the house loomed ahead, her steps slowed, her brow furrowed, her arms held herself tighter. “We’ll never be able to come back here…” she remarked quietly, more to herself than anything before plunging ahead. Where she was certain her father was still gone, she didn’t worry too much, entering and planning on making a break for her bedroom…Instead, she saw her mother in the kitchen, their bags packed, worry on her features along with a deep-seated sadness.<br/><br/>“I packed up everything for you that I thought you could carry; I’ll keep the rest in storage until you can get it or want it,” Aine started, standing from the table, clothes in her hand for Eidhin. “I thought you might…need these.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> The sight of the house this time did not instil fear; no longer did he tremble in its presence. Instead he was calm and confident as he walked up to the door with Eilidh. Before he saw her he knew she would be there, how he knew that he was not sure but he knew it before he stepped through the door. Offered clothing was taken with a smile of gratitude before he slipped off to put them on which left mother and daughter alone.<br/> <br/>“You take care of him, ok?” Aine managed to get out though her lip quivered. “He may be all big now, but he is still just that innocent boy we both had to keep after,” a sniffle and she dabbed at the tears as they traveled down her cheeks with a simple kerchief.</span><br/><br/>As he left the room, everything felt more final, her heart in her throat as she looked at her mother with tearing eyes.<br/><br/>It was really happening, wasn’t it? They were about to leave for good, strike out on their own and pray that they never had to deal with anything else of that nature again. She’d be with Eidhin…and lose her mother in the process, lose her father (despite how mixed up he was). Her colleagues, her job, everything would be gone in an instant. Everything else she could live without, without question.<br/><br/>…But her mom?<br/><br/>The tears fell free, choking back a sob as her mother asked her to take care of him, nodding emphatically before pulling her into the tightest hug she could muster. Pain meant nothing to her right then; Only that final hug. In that hug, she sought to convey all the love she couldn’t articulate through the sobs, the choked sounds the only sound she could make. “Is breá liom tú…” Eilidh managed, though broken and barely comprehensible.<br/><br/>“Is breá liom tú…” Aine whispered back, holding her daughter back and rocking back and forth; the gesture both to sooth herself and her daughter in the hopes that some form of comfort would be taken from the embrace.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> The clothing was slipped on, snug though it may be it was still better than nothing. When he emerged from the room he took in the sight of his “sister” and “mother” in a warm embrace, and could not help but be moved by the site. Sure, it was had been hard to be on his own, but he had always thought of hoped that he could come back there someday. After tonight that was not going to be possible. Both of them knew it and that was a hard pill to swallow.<br/> <br/>Into the room he stepped arms quick to embrace the both of them in a hug that would mostly be their last. He knew their mother would keep their stuff safe and would try her best to reconcile their father into seeing them for his children and not the monsters he thought them to be.<br/> <br/>When the hug finally ended he picked up his backpack, gave their mother a final kiss on the cheek before he stepped out of the house headed off to their new lives together.</span>