Aftermath

[Hayden]

It was such an odd thing to be included in Nox's world. He was just a job, yet he was being dragged further and futher into his life the more he stuck around.

Jacob called him. Actually called him, usually it was a text from the Atharim number from Zef or him, not an actual physical call. "You want to tell me what the fuck happened with Nox. I thought you were supposed to be watching him."

Hayden rolled his eyes "He went to meet a man claiming to be his brother I didn't think I needed to follow him. He's a big boy and can walk himself to and from the meeting point."

"Then why the fuck am I cleaning up a dreyken mess?"

Hayden chuckled. "You know trouble tends to find him right? Like he's a magnet."

But that also meant that Nox didn't have any weapons on him, he had no power to use, and yet this creature was dead. And if Jacob was cleaning it up then something else happened.

Hayden was putting on his coat when he got a text from Sky.

Nox has been injured. Strange folks have joined the household and one has many questions. Nox is fine - sleeping now. Liv healed him. Drinks are required and Liv requests booze be brought.

That explained why Jacob was cleaning up Nox's mess. He was surprised he called his uncle instead of him. Maybe, Nox had more foresight than just that immediate moment. Who was to make drinks for his brother? Who was likely the questions guy.

Hayden grabbed a few unopened bottles and hoofed it to the house. It didn't feel strange just walking right into the house and through the locked door without even announcing himself. Hayden wondered if there was stranger for Nox. He got inside just as a woman was heading down the stairs. Someone he didn't know. That would be a story. Hayden smiled and nodded as she left and took the rest of the stairs two at a time, just as he heard someone else asking for a shower.

"Sure. Nox's room is the closest shower, he won't mind. If you want, leave your clothes outside the bathroom and we'll get them washed proper. You can uses the robe on the back of the door. Nox doesn't, he prefers to walk around in skimppy towels." Which made all the younger girls blush, a few of the boys and herself. Nox didn't think about it, he worked in a burlesque club where people could walk around naked and no one would bat an eye lash and he forgot there were impressionalble children around.

Arabella was the first one to spy Hayden and she ran to him and he scooped her up as she started rambling "Nox got hurt. There was lots of blood. Liv fixed him up though. He's sleeping downstairs. Can you play with us?"

Hayden chuckled. Maybe in a little bit, let me deal with the big people's problems first, alright?"

Arabella pouted but she shimmied down his body. "That's okay. I'll find someone else to. You can find me later." She sounded so grown up with her last words -- probably mimicing someone.

"Nox has a bug out bag in the bathroom with sweats that might fit if you'd rather. T-shirts might be a bit snug." Liv relaxed a little as she looked at him. He put his arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I got this, you go make sure everything else is running smoothly while he sleeps." Hayden looked to Marta who was holding Lily and he was rather proud of her. He saw the physical change. Whatever had happened would be good for her.

"I'm Hayden. Local bartender and resident 'talk to me' guy. What's the questions we got?" He said as he started rummaging thourgh the cabinets pulling out drinks.

The room seemed to empty rather quickly leaving Hayden with only a handful of people.

"Does he like know all of Moscow?"

Hayden laughed. "Somedays it seems that way. But when you have had a close personal encounter with the Ascendancy you kinda know everyone you need to know."

"He's met the Ascendancy?"

"I'm told he's even gone on a hunting trip with him down in the tunnels. You must be Cade."

[Cade]

Hayden, another stranger just walked into the house, starting using the kitchen like he owned the place and he even knew where Nox kept a bug out bag and what was in it. What the fuck! The new stranger pushed him a drink and Cade drank it one shot. This was fucking weird!

"How did you know?"

Hayden smiled. "It's my job to know."

"What is your job?"

Hayden took a sip of his drink and shrugged. "That's a lot harder to explain and I think it'll add more questions to the mix. So let's stick with the ones you already got?"

Cade nodded. That made sense. This guy seemed like he knew alot about alot of things including what was going on in this house. Cade pointed after Enrique. "He said that was a dreyken? What the fuck is that and why did Nox go toe to toe with it if he's got such awesome power at his disposal."

Hayden nodded. "I see Nox just dropped you right into the middle of his life. That's like him." Though Hayden knew Nox had no part in a dreyken showing up when he was meeting his brother. That wasn't a thing you sorta plan. "Let's just say a dreyken is like a vampire, but not. They drink blood but they don't bite you, instead the slice you open with razor sharp talons and use their long strange fucking tongue to drink your blood. Fairly easy to kill as long as you avoid the fingers. Which I'm gonna say Nox did not. But he fought and won."

"I'm pretty sure the bullet to the head from his friends gun did the trick. But why..."

Hayden interrupted. "Why didn't he use his power? Simple answer is, he can't. It's gone. Long answer, I couldn't tell you why he went toe-to-toe with a dreyken barehanded."

"He had a broken broom handle."

"Makes a little more sense -- distance. A gun would have been better, but then he wasn't expecting a fight meeting you. And guns in the house right now is probably a bad idea. We'll have to figure something out."

"You act like you are responsible for him."

Hayden shrugged. "He's my charge. It's my job to watch him and clean up his messes."

"He does this alot?"

Hayden laughed. "You could say that. This is actually the second time he's almost died in the span of a month. I'm beginning to think that he's a magnet for trouble."

Cade just sat and blinked at the man. What sort of world did he just get dropped into. "And what's with all the kids?" Nox was barely old enough to drink much less take care of himself and the plethora of kids running around here.

[Marta]

The kids scattered but Marta stayed in the room. The stranger - Cade - went to speak with Hayden and she sat on the couch with Lily. She smiled at the baby sleeping in her arms. Things had calmed down pretty fast and were starting to get to normal - at least normal for Nox's house. Cade had a lot of questions, and Marta mostly tuned them out, focusing on Lily mostly, but still thinking about the day.

Marta wanted to talk; she needed to talk, but Ricky was showering and Hayden was busy. It was mostly excitement. She needed to tell someone. "Sky, where is Elyse?" she finally said, likely interrupting the conversation the adults were having.

Sky responded. "Elyse is at Kallisti. Do you need me to summon her?"

Damn it! Marta thought, someone surprised she had even thought the curse.

"No thank you," Marta said before going momentarily silent. "Hayden, I need you," she finally said, her voice resolved and calm. Nothing was wrong. Things were far from being wrong.

[Hayden]

Cade asked about all the kids just as Sky spoke to Marta. "Most of the kids, Nox saved from a monster's next. All of them except the smalest one there and the red head running around have a great deal of trauma from their past experiences. Nox understands them, took them in instead of sending them off into the system where no one will beleive them." Hayden answered as he moved around the counter and sat down next to Marta. "Being a pediatrian I'm sure you are aware of how bad trauma affects our little ones, so give me a second and let me take care of Marta. She's not a foster, but she's family."

He put his arm around Marta but rested it on the couch, she wasn't the touchy feely type like the other kids and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable but he was there for the physical support should she want it. Hayden ran his index finger down Lily's check and watched the small face she made at the gentle touch. "You don't look like you are in a panic, so tell me what's going on?"

[Cade]

Cade watched as the stranger went to tend to the girl on the couch. This was all so much. What was his brother? Monsters were real? Magic...

Cade wasn't exactly sure what to do or say or much of anything so he reached across the counter and grabbed the bottle and poured another drink. This might be a day he got drunk before he understood anything that went on.

[Marta]

Hayden came and sat down next to her. Marta wasn't sure where to start until she looked down at Lily. "Nox handed her to me.  She's the most precious thing in his life and he gave her to me.  He trusted me.  Hayden - she's - the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Then something happened..." Marta stopped and collected herself.

She turned and looked at Hayden. "Do you know why I have panic attacks - why I really have panic attacks,

"If I had to guess it's a lot to do with your past, but honestly there is no way to know."

Marta smiled at him. "That's what my psychologist thinks too," she said.  She shook her head. "No, my panic attacks are a symptom of the wolf trying to take over.  They are me fighting back. That's why Splash is important.  Splash reminds me who...what...I am."

She looked up at Hayden, her eyes filling with tears - not of sadness, but of relief. "There were two times today when I should have panicked - and nothing. Hayden - for the first time since I changed, the wolf is still."

Marta had one more thing to do, and it scared her.  She handed Lily to Hayden, tentatively, worried that by not touching Lily the wolf would come back, and as the baby left her hands, she released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. The wolf was still.  It was there - it always would be, but she had control. "I"ve never felt so in control of myself than I do right now."

[[with Hayden]]

[Hayden]

Hayden ruffled her hair as she confided in him, and their new found companion. He was going to be learning a lot more about things in the house now that he sat there idly drinking. Hayden didn't blame him really. Nox was a lot on a good day -- and today was not a good day.

"That makes a lot of sense. And I'm glad you have Splash to remind you. Why do you think you didn't panic?" Hayden asked.

Talking with others like this always made him worry. When Nox first proposed the idea of helping the kids Hayden only said yes because Nox had asked. He had included him in his family even though he knew why he was there. He never really asked Nox why he did it. And now every single person under the roof was digging their way into his soul. He was a listening ear to the Atharim in the bar, someone they could vent their frustrations to and not be judge. He wasn't their therapist though some treated him as such when they stopped by.

Nox hadn't so much as treated him like a therapist he'd just talked. Hayden listened and that was what he needed. But these kids, Elyse, they all had problems -- real problems that needed real work and Hayden had to dig for answers. If he had intentions of sticking around he might actually need to brush up on some basics and finish his degree. That would just make his father so proud...

[Marta]

Marta giggled when he ruffled her hair. She knew she had spoken loud enough for Cade to hear. She didn’t really care about that right now. She was usually very careful. Based on his questions and his scent he likely wouldn’t understand any of it. He could think what he wanted.

Marta hadn’t thought she needed guidance or anything. She was just excited and wanted to tell someone. She had felt like she had figured everything out, but Hayden had a tendency to know what she needed more than she did.

Marta thought back to when Nox handed her Lily, she remembered what she had thought. What do I do with this thing. The correction had come quickly. Lily was a person - a human life. It clicked then and Lily opened her eyes and gave Marta a smile that she returned and she pulled the girl tighter to herself in a hug, careful and loving.

”Hi there, Baby Girl,” she cooed at Lily. She didn’t look up at Hayden as she answered his question. ”What better reminder do I need that I’m human than this precious little angel. You probably need to eat soon, don’t you? Better get ready for that.” she tapped Lily on the nose and got a giggle.

Marta leaned into Hayden in a hug. With the baby she couldn’t hug him, but he’d get it. ”Sorry I just needed to tell someone that. Makes it more real when you say it. I better get her bottle ready, and you should answer more questions. He smells so confused he’s likely to explode. Feel free to tell him what you need to.” it was her permission to Hayden to explain to Cade what she was.

Marta stood up and went behind the counter to the fridge where Liv said a spare bottle was stored. She gave Cade a smile as she did, pulled out the bottle and began to warm it up so that she was ready to feed Lily.

[Hayden]

Marta leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her in a side hug. He was glad she'd figured it out. Figured out that she was human and that Lily was a good reminder. "Speaking of reminders, after you feed her and she's drifting off to sleep you might want to take her downstairs to Nox, he might need that reminder too. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you crawled into bed with him. He likes what the kids fondly call the puppy pile."

Marta wasn't a live in part of the family, so her comfortableness with the puppy pile and the close physical relationship they share with Nox is probably still far from normal to her. But they all needed it and Nox did too. He was filling gaps in his own life with these kids. And everyone was better off for it.

But she was right Cade drank about half the bottle while he had eavesdropped on their conversation. Hayden pulled the bottle from his reach and set it on the other side of the kitchen space out of reach and instead pushed a cup of coffee with creamer and sugar on the side instead. "It's all a lot. Wolves, and dreyken, healing and strangers. You come from a normal world and your brother he doesn't. This is a normal day, a bit more exciting than normal, but still a normal day.

Cade looked at Hayden still in stunned silence. "Who are you people?"

"You sure you really want to know? You could go back to the US, pretend you never met Nox and live a completely normal life. But the moment you choose to stay, to learn more. You won't live the same life you did. Even I learned that lesson the hard way. He was just a job. A mark in my bar to watch while he was in London and then after we hit it off around the world because I could understand him. And it was my job. It was all great until I came here and I was pulled seemingly into his world. Out there, in the real world, he was an enigma, a fantasy. A fucking god if you want to put a word to it. He's fucking scary if he wants to be. And then I see him curled around a baby and a houseful of kids he's saved from monsters who absolutely adore him. With a story no one would ever beleive. And now, all that is gone. How could a guy who topples empty buildings with a thought go from that to barely surviving a fight he'd have had in the basket with a thought? Tell me Doc, what would you do if you couldn't doctor anymore? If someone ripped out all your knowledge of medicine. What would you do?"

[Cade]

He didn't really answer the question. Was he like some sort of philospher? Probably from the sounds of his conversation before probably more social worker therapist type person though his words were just as confusing as Nox's had been.

"I don't know what I want at this point. I wanted to meet with my half brother to see if there were any genetic issues or anything I should know about since he knew our mother. I don't know what I would fucking do if I couldn't be a doctor anymore. What does that have to do with anything?"

Hayden didn't sigh or roll his eyes as Cade's voice raised, he was just as laid back and calm as he had been before. "Nox isn't himself right now. His doctoring, his way of life, the meaning to everything he's ever known is gone. In the span of a moment he was holding the power of the fucking gods in his hand and then it was gone. He can't see, touch or feel it. It's gone. His gift that he used for everything is gone. He waded into a fight today without the fire inside. He fought for everything he's worth not for glory or honor. He just did it cause it was the right thing to do. That is your brother's life. Nox isn't a saint. He's not polite, he's not gracious, and right now he's probably beating himself up because he failed his mission. He almost died. He wouldn't have even come close a week ago. This is your brother. I'm telling you now, if you don't want what you just saw in your life, you need to go, because he will pull you in. You will love him because he is your brother, and you will be in this life, no matter what. Now is the time to get out. Now is the time to walk out the door and pretend it never happened."

"Did anyone ever tell you you talk to much?"

Hayden chuckled. "Better get used to it cause Nox does it far more than I do."

"Tell me one thing." Cade said. "Is it worth it? Knowing him I mean. Is it worth this chaos?"