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Chapter Text

ONE | Idiot

Neither Virgil nor Patton weren’t quite sure what to expect once arriving. After Remus and Roman gave them the spiel of who they were and what the mission behind the Tiny Shelter, they escorted them to their room. It was more spacious than their previous home, but not as large as the cage. There were already nails embedded in the walls near the entrance and what looked like a sink made from the base of a plastic cup. There was even a set of washcloths and what looked like memory foam on a popsicle stick frame in the corner.

“I know,” said Remus. “Absolutely drab. I told Thomas to bring us some paint or chalk. Something to spruce up the joint but…”

“It’s perfect,” interrupted Patton accidentally, speaking more to himself than the others. Roman’s grin reached his ears.

“Excellent. See?” said Roman as he slapped Remus’ shoulder. “I knew they’d like it. We’ll leave and let you two get settled. Logan. Jay. Your rooms are a little farther ahead and up on the next floor. Sorry it’s a little way up, but it’s a good problem when the closer rooms fill up, right?” The four of them nodded, still adjusting to the idea they were finally free – at least, free in Thomas’s home. Just as Roman and Remus turned to leave, Roman snapped his fingers, remembering something.

“Oh, one quick thing. It’s certainly not mandatory or anything, but our resident medic will probably want to take a look at your leg,” said Roman as he pointed to Patton’s injured leg. “Don’t worry. She’s really sweet and gentle. Knows practically everything about science and all sorts of random tidbits, but not braggadocios or arrogant.”

“Yeah,” agreed Remus, interrupting his twin. “She’s worked some serious miracles with injuries. From broken to dislocated, she’ll get you back on your feet.”
Roman sighed and continued his initial thought. “You can go see her tomorrow or, if you want, we can come back and you can meet her today. Whatever you feel like.” Virgil and Patton exchanged unsure glances, torn between getting some well-earned rest and helping Patton’s leg get back to normal. Even Jay and Logan seemed interesting in meeting this magical physician.

“Could she just come by later tonight? After we get settled?” asked Virgil. Both Roman and Remus bit their lower lip simultaneously, looking reluctant.

“That’s going to be kinda hard, you see, because she’s human,” said Remus. At the word human, all four borrowers flinched, a static tension enveloping them for several seconds.

“Way to be smooth,” muttered Roman. “Anyway. Yes, Ali is human. She’s a paramedic by night, resident medical professional and material provider during the day. She even fills in as chef when Thomas is busy.”

“She’s really good about the ‘no touching, holding, grabbing’ rules we’ve set in place,” chimed in Remus. Their positive spin did not negate the fact the borrowers absorbed first. Human.

“Look, we know the last thing you want to do is go reveal yourselves and talk to a human, but, like I said, it’s not mandatory. She just likes meeting newcomers and will do basically anything to make adjusting easier,” said Roman. “You don’t have to show yourselves if you don’t want to. My brother and I were going to get some supplies anyway and thought we would extend the invitation. Just think it over.” They all glanced nervously at one another.

“We’ll talk it over,” said Patton as he leaned into Virgil’s shoulder. Logan and Jay simply nodded. Remus and Roman nodded before pointing up the wall.

“You two are up this way,” said Remus. Finally, after months of torment and captivity, Virgil and Patton were alone in the privacy of the walls of a place they could call home. Virgil helped Patton to the bed. It was soft and smelled like fresh laundry. The Christmas lights which hung in the room provided a warm, homey feeling to their one room.

“So… what do you think?” asked Patton as he tucked his good leg up to his chest to remove his shoes. Virgil felt a rush of emotions simultaneously.

“If I never saw another human for the rest of my life, I’d be good,” he muttered, yet his eyes locked on Patton’s injured leg. Patton wasn’t a complainer. Even in captivity, he often refrained from bringing up the negative or would remain silent to keep Virgil from thinking about every possible negative scenario available to them. Could the human help?

“I agree with you there,” said Patton. He adjusted his glasses before leaning down and removing his other shoe, wincing and letting out an involuntary yelp of pain when he turned his leg the wrong way.

“But…” he continued. “Thomas is human, and he helped us. So were the others who brought us here.” Virgil, too tired to feel frustrated, admired Patton for a moment. After everything, he could still find something to believe in.

“Let’s just sleep on it,” said Patton finally. “Roman and Remus said we didn’t have to talk to her; and they didn’t seem to be bothered by going to see her.” Virgil nodded, shutting their makeshift door, removing his shoes, and slipping onto the bed. They were out within minutes in a peaceful slumber they had not known for months.

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Roman and Remus brought Logan and Jay to the two vacant rooms on the second floor, ensuring they were settled, before heading off to Ali’s room. They were in a heated debate as to whether they should have brought up meeting Ali so soon after the new arrivals were freed. Roman argued it was a good idea to mention her and that Remus shouldn’t have immediately brought up the fact that Ali was human while Remus argued the newcomers should have been settled and that he was just being honest. They continued their heated discussion even as they exited from the door behind the plug and onto Ali’s desk. They hadn’t checked whether she was there or not, which she was.

Ali, after pulling another late night, had only been awake for a few hours. She was still in her oversized pajama shirt with the sleeves cut off and was sitting at her desk with a cup of warm coffee while taking inventory of her supplies. Her long, brown hair hadn’t been brushed, remaining a fluffy mess parted carelessly onto one side of her head. Both legs were in the chair, one propped up against the desk and one crisscrossed under to make a suitable table for her list. She listened to her playlists passively, always keeping one headphone out just in case someone needed her attention in a hurry. Even before they entered, she could hear Roman and Remus arguing. The side of her mouth tugged into a cocky grin as she watched the twins exit from behind the electrical cover and onto her desk. She refrained from laughing, though she didn’t know what they were arguing about except that they were arguing. Both Remus and Roman jumped in surprise when they noticed she was sitting only a few feet from them.

“Criminently! I didn’t see you there!” exclaimed Roman. Remus, trying to compose himself faster than his brother, played off the incident.

“I just… wanted to get you reaction, brother dear,” he said with a wink.

“Usually you two knock before coming in,” she said, keeping her tone lone and quiet as to not pierce their ears with her voice. She removed her headphone and paused her music before drawing in her arms as to make sure the borrowers felt secure with enough room. Even though she knew Roman and Remus for the past seven months, it was imperative she demonstrate appropriate behaviors in case other borrowers were watching to establish trust and mutual respect.

“Anyway, what were you two discussing?” she asked, slowly moving to grab her coffee cup on the edge of the desk. Roman and Remus exchanged wary glances before Roman spoke up.

“We had four new arrivals today. Two from pets, two from the lab, all four from that wretched relative of Thomas,” said Roman.

“Yikes, that witch has had one too many doses of her own psychotics. At least they’re here now,” remarked Ali.

“And fancy pants over here let it slip that you’re the medic and that you’re human,” chimed in Remus. Roman glared at his twin before nodding and walking over to the drawers of materials Ali kept stored on the desk.

“I said that you like welcoming the newcomers and that it was optional for them to come see you,” explained Roman as he opened the band-aid drawer and sat on the compartment lip. Ali took a moment to absorb the information, keeping her features as neutral as she could, though her concern showed in her disgruntled eyebrow.

“Well, that’s alright. They don’t have to come if they don’t want to. I’m sure they’ve had more than enough of doctors, let alone humans,” she replied, slightly disappointed she wouldn’t get to meet the four new additions.

“Yes. But the problem is one of them has a really bad limp from an injury the witch probably gave him. He’s obviously uncomfortable walking on it and if it goes untreated it could very well be permanent if it isn’t permanent already. It’ll affect his quality of life. I guess…” Roman quieted himself in his thoughts. “I guess I wanted to get him here so you could help. I guess it didn’t occur to me what it might sound like. ‘Here. You’re free. Go talk to the humans now. Obviously, months of trauma are overridden the moment you walk through the door.’” Roman moaned and buried his face in his hands. Ali sighed.

“Don’t sweat it, Roman,” Ali said gently. “If they want help, or need it, I’ll be here. Do you have any idea of when you were going to bring them here to show them where some of the supplies are? I’ll make myself scarce.” Roman gazed thoughtfully at Ali, a smile radiating from his face. Though all of the other humans were fantastic, Ali certainly never let the borrowers’ constant apprehension and fear weigh on her.

“Maybe tomorrow; and I know they’ll warm up to you. I shall make it my life’s mission!” declared Roman. He stood as tall and as proud as he could.

“How will you do that, Sir Sing-Along?” asked Remus. “You saw the look on their faces.”

“We shall let them see what kind of person Ali is! Surely they would not be so callous to disregard personal testimony from the others. Their words shall be the foundation of their trust for you,” stated Roman, sounding as though he could conquer the world with a single swipe of his sewing pin sword. Ali felt herself smile and giggle at the thought of Roman running for office or, at the very least, becoming a motivational speaker.

“Regardless, I’m in no rush, and they shouldn’t be either. They probably just want to be left along for a while. Actually,” a thought occurred to her. “They probably don’t feel like borrowing at the moment. They might be too exhausted to leave for the next few days.” Ali set her cup delicately on her side table before dashing over to some of the borrower friendly shelves which lined the room. She thought quickly as she pulled out four of the borrower sized satchels she and Hickory had been working on and began slipping small odds and ends into them. Remus and Roman watched Ali curiously, relatively unaffected by her quick, darting movements around the room.

“You said there are four of them, right?” she asked.

“Yes, but two of them are a couple so really we only used three rooms,” replied Remus. Ali nodded, her mind moving faster than her body as she collected a few other materials. Simple things. A small matchbox, bottle caps, a tea bag, a couple of safety pins, a thread filled bobbin, and a couple of small, a pinch of tin foil, and glass jars with lids she obtained from her last craft store visit. She mentally praised herself for spending the extra five dollars.

“What are you doing?” called Remus, now growing impatient to see what Ali was up to. She returned with the four draw string satchels, each slightly overflowing.

“Housewarming gifts,” she said quickly. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. They need supplies to get started. Usually we just leave them out, but it might be nice to have them brought to their doors.” Remus and Roman both quickly saw what Ali was saying, yet possessed two different reactions.

“Brilliant! You’re right. Usually we would just leave these things out for the newcomers to borrow or to ask. This gives them a head start. We’ll need to bring them a few fishhooks, but I know where those are,” Roman said, pleased with Ali’s intuitive thinking. Remus, on the other hand, stared at the bags slightly displeased.

“You want us to carry those through the halls? They’re heavy!” complained Remus as he heaved one onto his shoulder. Ali, suddenly remembering the strength discrepancy, bit her cheek in frustration.

“No worries!” Roman chimed in. “Ali, if you take them to the nearest entrance, we can get them the rest of the way. It’s not too far if we don’t have to pack them up and down and across.” Ali smiled gratefully at Roman.

“Thanks,” she grinned. “Just, one thing. Don’t tell them it was from me.”

“What?! Why not?” asked Roman.

“If you tell them it was from me, it’ll seem like I’m trying to earn their favor.”

“Isn’t that the point?” asked Remus. He stood in the top drawer, rummaging for the things he and his brother had come for in the first place.

“No. The point is to make them feel welcomed,” replied Ali. “All they need to know is that they’re safe and they don’t need to worry about the little things… sorry, wrong phrasing…” Ali rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Just, say it’s from you. From everyone here. If they want, they’ll figure it out.” Roman grinned.

“I didn’t get a goodie bag,” whined Remus after landing lightly with a sash of rubber bands and wire.

“You don’t need one. Now, come on! We have some deliveries to make. Ali, would you take these to the top of the second-floor stairs and the other right behind the fern.” Ali nodded and hastily gathered the satchels, leaving Remus and Roman in her room alone.

“You know, she’s not so bad for a human,” muttered Remus. Roman smacked his brother playfully on the shoulder before grabbing some supplies himself.

“We knew that already.”

They delivered their personal borrowings to their shared room before retrieving the packs Ali created. Jay seemed grateful, but also suspicious. Logan too seemed grateful, satisfied with the materials inside the pack, but also seemed skeptical. While Remus and Roman didn’t see Virgil or Patton’s reaction, they received one the next morning at breakfast when Patton hobbled out of the room and hugged them. Patton spent the entire morning going through the bag’s contents and could not feel more welcomed or grateful.

“Just a little something to get you all started here. Some of the others had supplies when they arrived, and you seemed worn out from yesterday,” replied Remus. Patton, though still weary, was already regaining his signature spark back in his eyes. Logan arrived next, joining in the conversation as needed but more often than not made silent observations. Jay was the last to arrive. After they exchanged pleasantries, Roman and Remus led the way through the kitchen, showing off the stocks and supplies. Where things were. Where to avoid if they didn’t want to interact with their human allies. How to request supplies. In short, the morning was an interactive open house. The twins provided a map drawn onto a folded Index card of the different rooms of the home as well as entrances and exits they could use as quick getaways. They shuffled through the vents and hallways, meeting a few other borrowers along the way. Though they didn’t stop to talk for long since they could see Roman and Remus were giving a tour, they welcomed the newcomers and offered to show them some of their favorite places to borrow as well as have them over for dinner once they felt up to visitation.

Patton could not feel more pleased, seeing so many new faces. His excitement overrode his exhaustion and apprehension of their new home. Even as his leg pained him and his limp grew worse every few steps, he could feel this was the right place to be. Virgil, on the other hand, would rather rest alone. Seeing so many faces. Being with so many new people. The information was overwhelming. He found himself shrinking further and further into his patched poncho, hunching closer to Patton, who held his arm reassuringly. Jay seemed disinterested at times, almost as if he wanted to go off and explore on his own. Logan, on the other hand, absorbed every piece of information he could as they traversed the halls. Before they knew it, they were at the final room of the house.

“Now this,” said Roman as he pointed to the back of an electrical cover. “Is the entrance slash exit to Ali’s room. She’s the one we told you about yesterday.” While they had gone by Thomas’s room and the rooms of the other shelter workers, something seemed different about knowing where Ali’s room was. Maybe it was her knowledge of medicine combined with their experience with human scientists. Maybe it was because of the twin’s comment about meeting her. Sensing the tension, Roman gave a confident smile and stepped to the cover.

“Here, I’ll see if she’s in.” Without another word, Roman pushed the cover open and stepped out onto the desk boldly. Remus trailed behind him. “Ali! Are you home! Ali!” The four newcomers glanced hesitantly at one another.

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” hissed Jay, shying away from the lamp light through the crack in the cover. Logan, stiff as a board and as hard to read as ever, barely managed a nod. Patton could have sworn he could see both Jay and Logan trembling slightly. He knew Virgil was apprehensive by the way he stepped behind him and placed his arm across his chest. Patton was frightened. There was no question; but it wasn’t him who was shaking. He tried to help Virgil’s breathing by focusing on steadying his own and tapping lightly on Virgil’s hand. After a minute, Remus peered back through the opening.

“She must’ve pulled another double shift. You can come on out. Ali isn’t home yet,” smiled Remus reassuringly. The four could not bring themselves to step forward. “Look, this is the last room with all of the medical supplies. We’ll be really quick. Pinky promise.” Logan straightened, shaking himself out of whatever daze he had fallen into, and stepped forward.

“Very well. Quickly,” he said. The others followed his lead with caution through the electrical cover. The moment they entered, they found themselves completely stunned.

The other rooms, which were set up in the traditional human fashion with the addition of borrower friendly furniture, were vastly different than the room before them. They stood on a wooden desk aglow with a lamp with a gentle white light. There were books ranging from size and subject propped up around the room by plastic and wooden devices holding the pages apart. There were shelves illuminated by Christmas lights all around the room filled with books and small drawers filled with what looked like rubber bands, band-aids, thumb tacks, and other essential items borrowers would need. Some of the shelves were attached to the desk; but, something that was surprising about the shelves was the stairs. Borrower sized stairs with handrails connected all of the shelves at some point or another. There were nails in the sides of nearly every piece of furniture from the desk, the chair, and even the bed. To a human, these nails would be an inconvenience. To a borrower, they were built-in hook holds. Some of the nails seemed to have permanent lines attached for quick access to the floor. The room itself was tidy and well organized. A curtain hung around what they assumed to be the bed.

“Yeah,” Remus interrupted the silence. He stretched his arms behind his head, resting them there as he took in the newcomers’ reactions. “These things were sort of her idea. She knows we like our privacy and want to continue borrowing, but this makes it a lot easier. You don’t have to worry about losing your hook here at the very least. Plus, these stairs make it a lot easier to carry things back to the panel.” Jay shifted uncomfortably as did the others. To think someone, a human, put this much effort into accommodating for them was odd. There were things, from a borrower’s perspective, that she accounted for which a normal human would not have thought of – the embedded nails as easy hook holds being one of them.

“Right, I can point out what we need from here,” said Roman. He began pointing to different shelves, naming where different items resided. Thankfully, like items were already placed close to one another – yet another thing an average human would not have thought of incorporating.

“Did Ali come up with all of this?” asked Logan, his curiosity peaked. Roman and Remus glanced simultaneously. They thought about the question for a moment.

“Well, yes. For the most part, she came up with the designs. She and her roommate Hickory,” replied Roman.

“Hickory?” piped up Patton.

“She came here with Ali. They’re kind of an odd box set,” explained Remus.

“Why odd?” asked Virgil skeptically.

“They’re not an odd box set,” retorted Roman.

“You could’ve fooled me by the way they interact,” muttered Remus under his breath. Roman glared at his brother before continuing.

“Ali is human and Hickory is a borrower. That is what Remus is referring to. They came here together,” said Roman. The four found themselves oddly curious at this piece of information. “Yes, they interact differently than you or I would with Thomas for example, but I think it’s just how they show their friendship. It doesn’t make them odd.” Remus rolled his eyes as he walked to the nearest Post-It note.

“Whatever you say, brother dear!” he called.

“Ignore him. Hickory and Ali are close friends and interact as such. Sometimes it involves teasing and pranks,” explained Roman before making eye contact with the back of his brother’s head. “It might be a bit of a shock for some, but I promise it’s just how they interact. Anyway, that is all we have to show you unless you have specific questions. If not, let’s get you all back for some lunch and well-earned rest.” This seemed to ease the rising tension until they heard a few quick, soft knocks on the door. Virgil and Patton froze. Jay made a dash for the electrical cover while Logan could only force himself a few steps backwards before freezing. Roman and Remus both turned to the door before moving to their fellow borrowers’ sides.

“She’s here…” said Remus, his voice eerily sing-song like.

“Remus! Stop it. You know she always knocks. It’s just Ali,” scolded Roman. He quickly jogged to the edge of the desk. They heard him inhale deeply just as the door cracked open. “ALI! Hold up! Don’t come it yet!” Roman’s shout was surprisingly loud and, to the astonishment of Virgil, Patton, Jay, and Logan, the door stopped opening and quickly shut again.

“H… hurry…” stammered Jay. “We need to get out.” He turned back toward the outlet just as Roman turned back around to the group.

“There’s no need to hurry. You can leave if you want but know that Ali is one of the good ones.” Something in Roman’s voice was endearing, ringing true within each of them. Jay nodded, yet continued his retreat to the walls.

“I understand that, but would rather take a moment to observe unseen,” said Logan, still unnerved, while walked calmly to the electrical wall cover. Virgil, still clinging onto Patton, watched as Patton turned around, cupping his face for a moment, before offering the smallest of smiles.

“It’s okay. I know you’re nervous. You can go, but I want to stay.” Virgil could hardly believe what Patton was saying. He was stunned to say the least. “I know. I’m terrified. But just on our little walk around, my leg has gotten worse. If she can help…” his voice trailed off.

“We were going to talk about this,” hissed Virgil under his breath.

“We still can, but I don’t see the harm in talking with her now. Virge, I don’t want to be a burden. I want to help. A new start. A new life. I can’t do that if I’m injured.” Patton knew it hurt Virgil to hear because he blamed himself for Patton’s injuries. “Go. I’ll be okay.” Virgil stared into Patton’s eyes.

“Like I’d leave you to face a human on your own,” he muttered. They turned back to Roman, steeled and as prepared as they could be. Roman smiled kindly, but it was Remus who spoke up.

“You know, if it makes you feel better, you can wait just inside of the cover and let her introduce herself,” stated Remus plainly. “She knows not everyone enjoys waiting in the open. Just, come out when you feel comfortable. That’s what she’d say.” Hesitantly, Virgil and Patton agreed and stepped off of the desk back into the wall with Jay and Logan. Virgil only now noticed how bad Patton’s limp had become, agitated by the exercise they were deprived of for months. A wave of guilt and resolve swirled in him. He was going to help Patton, even if it meant going out and meeting a new human so soon after they were freed.

With the others waiting in the wings, Roman turned back to the door and called out. “Alright! We’re good! You can come in!” There was a pause before the same knock wrapped against the door. There was a pause before they heard the door creak open. Ali poked her head into her room, spotting Roman and Remus on the table as well as the ajar electrical cover door. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and there were dark circles forming by the lids of her eyes. She had a backpack slung over one shoulder, but refrained from letting it drop to the floor to avoid making more noise than she already had. She wore a dark navy blue uniform resembling scrubs.

“Good morning,” she said. Much to their relief, her voice was vastly different than their captor’s voice. Though it was pleasant and smooth, it was also upbeat while being soft. So far, the only alarm bells were that she was human and she worked with medicine.

“Morning!” called Remus and Roman one after the other. “Sorry to keep you out. We’re just leading the grand tour.” Ali’s smile seemed to illuminate the room all on its own.

“That’s great. I hope you haven’t bombarded them with too much information,” said Ali, keeping her movements slow as she moved to sit on her bed and lay her backpack on the floor. From where she was, the other four had a perfect view to evaluate her facial expressions and body language. Roman chuckled.

“No, I don’t think we have anyway. Your room was the last place on the agenda before heading back for lunch,” said Roman. “Did you want to introduce yourself?” Ali pulled her shoulders back from their original exhausted position.

“Um… sure. I mean, if they want me to. I now not everyone is keen on meeting new people on a good day,” said Ali. Patton couldn’t help but smile up at Virgil. The description fit him well. Roman glanced through the door, gauging each borrower’s reaction. So far, so good.

“Go ahead,” stated Roman. “The floor is yours.” Ali’s eyes fixed on the electrical cover for a fraction of a second, swearing for a moment that she caught a glimpse of them all huddled by the entrance. She looked away, not wanting the borrowers to feel uncomfortable with her staring at them. Instead, she folded her hands in front of her and elected to stare at them, only glancing up every once in a while to see how Roman and Remus were reacting.

“Alright. Hello, my name is Alice Jefferson. I’m one of the residence and workers here at TS. I also work for an emergency response unit tied to some of our hospitals here in the area That’s where I just came from. I came here about seven months ago with my current roommate Hickory. Um… anything else?” Roman and Remus shrugged, forming identical creases in their foreheads and clothes.

“Alrighty. Well, I like butterflies and reading. I try and leave books propped up in case anyone likes reading; and, usually, I rotate the books so there are new works available. So, if you are reading a book, you can take one of those sticky notes and use it as a place holder and I won’t move or touch the book until you’re done. Same with materials you might need. I try and keep everything well stocked but if you need something specific, you can ask Roman or Remus or, if you can read and write, just leave a note on my desk. Um… Right. I know the last thing you probably want to do it talk to a human; but, as resident medical professional, I might be able to help. I know injuries are no joke and they can become more serious if they’re not looked after. I have tons of medical supplies around, Roman and Remus should’ve shown you the drawers on the shelves, so you should be good. If you don’t want to talk to me, you can talk to Roman or Remus or my roommate Hickory, wherever she’s hiding, and I can pass along some advice on treatment and stuff like that.” Ali paused, glancing around the room.

“I think that about covers it,” said Roman cheerfully.

“How boring. You didn’t incorporate anything fun,” teased Remus as he walked back toward the electrical cover. Ali looked away, grinning and shaking her head.

“What should I have included?” she asked.

“I don’t know! How to best hide in your room? Weird collections of socks in your drawers? Secret secrets? Something juicy.”

“Don’t say that word. You know how it bothers me,” muttered Roman. Ali caught herself chuckling at the brotherly banter.

“I don’t really have any secrets. You can ask me pretty much anything and I’ll answer as best as I can. My door is always open, any day, any time,” replied Ali. Before Remus could take her up on the offer, Roman interrupted him by pulling him toward the door cover. Roman glanced at the other four borrowers.

“Well? How do you feel?” he asked simply. Patton glanced back outside to Ali. She seemed nervous, but also genuine. Those nerves might be just because she didn’t want to mess up, much like Virgil’s nervousness. He glanced back at Virgil, whose resolve had not wavered even as his anxious nature crept higher and higher. Patton knew it wasn’t easy for him – for either of them – but he needed to be back to full health if he was going to help at all. He couldn’t leave the burden of taking care of them both on Virgil. It plagued him while in captivity and now in this moment more than ever. Still, Virgil had been so brave all day. He had interacted more in one day than he had in their nine months of captivity. Patton pulled back into him with a smile.

“Let’s just wait and see. Maybe I just need to rest,” he said. Virgil looked relieved and exhaled his held breath. His body immediately seemed less tense. Roman smiled at them before turning back to Ali.

“Thank you, Ali, for that introduction. I think we’re going to head back for the day. You ought to get some rest. You earned it,” said Roman. Ali returned Roman’s smile and gave a thoughtful nod.

“Yes sir. It was a pleasure meeting you and, like I said, if you need anything, the door is always open,” she said. With that, Ali began prying her shoes from her feet and laid down on the top blanket. The group watched for a minute as her breathing slowed and she fell asleep. Roman and Remus closed the electrical cover and began leading the way back to the kitchen in time for lunch. Patton, who leaned heavily on Virgil, lost himself in thought. He thought about his impressions of Ali. Who she was. The things she said. From what he could tell, she was being completely honest and seemed disappointed but understanding when they didn’t come out to meet her. He was still nervous about interacting with a human, but Thomas wouldn’t let her stay if she weren’t trustworthy. His limp ached and sent a jolt of pain as he landed on it wrong. He winced, which caught Virgil’s attention.

“You okay?” he asked. Patton shook off the pain with a quick shudder before smiling back.

“Just landed wrong. I’ll be alright.”

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Despite his best efforts, Patton was not getting better. His leg had gotten worse. After lunch that day nearly two weeks ago after meeting Ali, he and Virgil had a long discussion about letting Patton rest but not letting his skills go to waste. Patton spent a full week simply walking around their room organizing various borrowings Virgil brought back. The rest seemed to help as long as he didn’t try to move too quickly; however, Patton found himself more and more incapable of making long climbs. Even short runs to the kitchen became excruciating. His times of being immobile were useful, however, because he was able to speak with other borrowers and get their perceptions of Ali.

Patton sat through hours of conversation with other borrowers from around the home and had come to the same conclusion each time after bringing up the humans who lived in the house – Ali was, indeed, one of the good ones. Nearly all of the borrowers had some sort of interaction with Ali at some point or another. Some spoke of injuries she was able to help with. Others simply had a conversation with her. Patton listened to how Ali was respectful of boundaries, her always knock policy, and her overall pleasant attitude. Logan, who came by from time to time, spent time observing Ali from the secrecy of the air vents and could find nothing negative about his observations. Even Virgil spent some time observing Ali and found nothing overtly alarming about her presence other than the fact she was human. Patton hadn’t had a chance to meet her roommate, Hickory, but felt certain she would say the same thing. He knew Virgil wouldn’t like it, but it was decided in his mind. He needed to go see Ali.

That afternoon, when Virgil came home, bag over his shoulder and hook on his hip, Patton sat him down and explained his thought process. Virgil seemed more reluctant than before but listened patiently until Patton was finished. Virgil’s counter argument resided in that he didn’t mind borrowing for both of them; however, Patton pointed out that he needed to contribute to feel productive. The point was he wanted to go with Virgil, not sit on the sidelines. Patton reminded Virgil that he promised to wait and see whether he would heal on his own, which he hadn’t. Reluctantly, Virgil nodded and agreed to go with Patton to meet Ali.

They met Roman and Remus on their way. Both were pleased as punch to see Virgil and Patton out and about and offered to go with them to meet Ali to help break the ice, to which they agreed. Remus was on his way to greet another round of rescues and prepare for their arrival, so Roman along accompanied Virgil and Patton to Ali’s room. Before they knew it, they were outside of the familiar electrical cover.

“She came in a while ago and should be awake now. Do you want me to go check?” asked Roman. They both nodded. Roman smiled reassuringly before knocking loudly on the cover and stepping out onto the desk. Virgil felt his heart pounding in his ears. His hands trembled, anxious as to what Ali may ask or request of them. His mind flashed back to his captor, the Witch, telling them what to do under penalty of punishment. “Ali?”

“Oh, hello Roman. How are you?” they heard the two conversing on the other side of the wall.

“I am well. You?”

“A lot better after some sleep. Where’s Remus? Aren’t you two supposed to be on the welcoming committee today?” Paton felt himself shaking involuntarily. He steadied his breath with the knowledge that he needed to stay calm and confident for Virgil’s sake.

“We are on the welcoming committee. I’m actually here to help break the ice. You have some people who would like your professional, medical opinion,” said Roman. “I assume you’re free at the moment?”

“Yes, of course. Are… are they…”

“Yes, they’re just inside,” Roman replied with a quick point to the electrical cover.

“Great.” They heard Ali say before hearing shuffling on the other side of the wall, most likely from a chair being moved backwards. “Uh… whenever they’re ready I suppose.”
With a quick squeeze to his hand, Patton limped to the door.

“You sure?” asked Virgil, slightly resisting Patton’s press forward. Patton nodded. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. The others seemed to like Ali or, at the very least, trust her. Virgil moved quickly to help Patton back down onto the desk.
Ali watched as Roman stood back and two new borrowers she hadn’t met stepped out from behind the electrical cover and onto the desk. The first, much taller borrower, wore dark clothing and a patched black and purple poncho. The second leaned heavily on the first and dressed contrary to him with his light blues and greys and he wore glasses, something Ali had rarely seen.
Roman leaned over to them as they took a few cautious steps forward. “You two alright? Do you want me to introduce you?” Patton shook his head. His heart pounded dangerously fast in his chest, yet he didn’t feel as though he were in danger. Ali was maybe three feet away from the desk sitting in a chair. Her hands were folded in front of her and resting on her legs and, rather than sitting at what Patton assumed was her full height, she was leaning forward slightly. Ali smiled, thankfully not revealing any teeth, and glanced quickly from Virgil, to Patton, then back to Roman.

“Well, if you two are alright here, I need to get back to Remus. Hopefully Thomas and the others haven’t arrived yet. I’d hate to think Remus was their first impression of the place.” With a quick bow and a dashing smile, Roman ducked back into the walls. Now Virgil and Patton were left alone with Ali. To Virgil’s surprise, Patton was the first to break the silence.

“H… hello. I’m Patton, and this is Virgil,” Patton felt himself leaning against Virgil’s front for support. In response, Virgil placed a protective arm across Patton’s chest. Patton could feel him shaking, but continued to smile as confidently as he could.

“Pleasure to meet you both,” replied Ali. After another moment of silence, she continued, but averted her gaze so she was not staring at them. “Roman said you needed a medical opinion. Is that right?” Patton felt Virgil’s grip tighten. Just being asked a question by a human was chilling, even if her tone was pleasant and soft.

“Uh…” Patton forced a calming breath before speaking up again. “Yes. Um… we… er… before we came here, we were with this doctor…” Patton couldn’t help but shudder. “A…an… anyway. She… um… broke my leg. I thought it was fine, but it’s been getting worse recently.” Virgil watched Ali’s eyes dart up from her hands to survey Patton. It was quick. It was precise. Almost calculating. Much like the doctor they were rescued from. Virgil’s breath quickened as did his pulse.

“Your left leg?” asked Ali. She suddenly shook her head slightly as though trying to shake away a thought. “Sorry, I should have asked if you’re okay with answering my questions. Is it okay? If I ask you questions about your injury?” Patton felt himself smile. The way she shook her head reminded him of when Virgil was trying to negate something he was thinking.

“It’s okay,” replied Patton. He felt a little more relaxed. At least she was asking for permission. “How did you know?”
Ali smiled before responding. “You’re putting more weight on your right side and leaning back into Virgil for balance.” For a human, she was very astute at picking up on their interactions. “One other quick question. Are you two okay with eye contact? Or should I look somewhere else? I know being watched isn’t the best feeling, especially by a human.” Virgil bit his lip, but could only maintain his guard.

“Uh… eye contact is okay. But, maybe not for too long?” suggested Patton. Ali nodded respectfully before glancing back at her hands.

“I’ll keep that in mind. How long have you had that injury?” she asked.

“A couple of months actually. We thought it was getting better, but it it’s only gotten worse,” replied Patton. Ali’s brow raised.

“That’s impressive you’ve managed for so long without needing assistance. So, does it hurt more when you’re active or when you’re sitting? Like, on a scale of one to ten, how much pain or discomfort is it causing? One being a mild inconvenience and ten being you can barely walk on it?” Ali asked the questions slowly, giving Patton time to think about the answer.

“Um… Me just standing here is… uh… a three?” Patton felt himself shrinking back, not quite sure if he was responding correctly. “Walking is maybe an eight?” Ali nodded, somehow able to compute this interesting method of measuring pain without making physical contact, a feature Patton and Virgil were exceedingly grateful for at the moment.

“So, just standing it is causing pain. Okay,” Ali muttered to herself. “Is it a sharp pain? Like a jab or a punch? Or more like an ache or a throbbing?” Her eyes flicked back to them.

“Uh… both? All? It’s a bit of all of them, especially if I accidentally hit it against something,” replied Patton.

“Was the break higher on your leg? Or lower? Like, below the knee?” Ali gestured to these parts on herself. Patton pointed just below his knee to the top of his shin. He didn’t realize how many questions he needed to answer. Ali nodded and sat back in the chair slowly and placed her clasped hands over her lips. She looked pensive, but also something else. Cautious? Reluctant? Virgil couldn’t quite place the emotions on her face, but he didn’t like not being able to read her. She sat up cautiously and looked back at them.

“Would it be alright if I saw where the injury occurred?” Virgil’s arm tightened again against Patton’s chest. Patton didn’t realize how tight Virgil’s grip had gotten. Heart accelerating. Mouth slightly dry. He didn’t like the idea of another human touching his leg. “You can say no if you want. It is whatever you are comfortable with. It may help, that’s all. No pressure.” Ali’s statement was reassuring, but not calming.

“You’re not going to touch him, are you?” asked Virgil, speaking for the first time to Ali, who shook her head.

“Not if you don’t want me to,” said Ali. “Like I said, it may help, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Virgil leaned closer to Patton.

“What do you think? Are you… good… with that?” he asked just barely above a whisper. Patton glanced back to Virgil before slowly nodding.

“Alrighty. If you could sit over on the lamp base and pull up your pants leg, that would really help. Also, is it alright if I get closer to the desk?”

“Yes, it’s okay,” said Patton. They felt Ali’s eyes on the as Patton hobbled to the lamp, Virgil assisting him every step of the way. Ali stood and pushed the chair closer once the two were settled. Virgil kept close to Patton’s side, hand on his hook for security measures. He watched Ali like a hawk, even when she kept her hands behind her back, as her eyes analyzed every aspect of Patton’s injury. There was bruising and swelling, but also a slight misalignment of the bones. However, for an injury which was much older, Ali was impressed Patton hadn’t collapsed in pain much sooner.

“Did you set this break?” she asked Patton, intentionally keeping her voice lower than before. Virgil tensed and geared himself up for a glare.

“I did. What about it?” the words came out as an unfriendly growl unintentionally. Ali glanced up into Virgil’s brown eyes.
“Nothing. You did it perfectly actually.” Virgil’s expression softened in a mix of confusion and pride at Ali’s statement. “Really. This is excellent. Patton would be in a lot more pain if you did it incorrectly. Good job.” Patton beamed at Virgil’s praise while Virgil himself looked unsure as to how to receive the human’s complement. With a quick nudge from Patton, Virgil glanced away shyly.

“Thank you,” he muttered.

“Alrighty, I have a few ideas to help,” she said. “One of them does involve using a brace. You would put it on and keep it on for the next few weeks to avoid accidentally twisting it. Keeping it immobile is important so it can finish healing. Rest is also really important as well as stretching. I can show you some effective stretches if you want.”

“Will the brace hurt?” asked Patton, not sure he knew what a brace was.

“Not at all. It’s like tight fitting pants that will keep your leg from bending unnecessarily. Here,” Ali stood and retrieved a cylindrical device about the size of Patton’s leg. The sides were held together by straps and it looked uncomfortable. She held it as close as she dared without frightening the borrowers further. “You would set your leg here and tie the straps. This way, your leg won’t bend at the joints and risk further damage.”

“Did you make this?” asked Virgil, noticing how the straps were significantly smaller than Ali’s hands.
“My roommate Hickory helped design this. She’s a bit reckless at times, so we’ve based a lot of designs from getting her healed,” replied Ali. “Do you want to try it on? See if it fits or if I should make a new one?” Patton wanted to recoil, but was also curious about the device.

“How will I walk if I have this on?” he asked. He almost wanted to avoid the answer.

“You would use crutches,” replied Ali. She reached up to a different drawer and retrieved two popsicle sticks which were cut into an odd triangular shape. “It’s like a walking stick you put under your arms. You’d use this instead of your leg. If Hickory were here, I’d ask if she could demonstrate,” Ali sighed as she set the crutches onto the desk near them.

“What if we don’t want to use these?” asked Virgil. He didn’t like questioning the human or potentially provoking her, but the thought of a forceful restraint seemed too much like being constantly held and touched. Ali nodded.

“That’s okay too. It may take longer and will keep you in bed for longer since you shouldn’t move around too much with your injured leg, but it is possible. There are some stretches which could help keep your muscles loose around the area. You would need to help Patton with this.” Virgil stared at Ali for a moment.

“What stretches?” he asked stiffly. Ali began describing different stretches and where to apply pressure. Virgil practiced on Patton’s good leg a few times, following Ali’s instructions and taking in Patton’s reactions, before attempting it on his injured leg. Though the exchanges were tense between the human and borrowers, it was manageable. Ali’s praise was reassuring, unlike their captor’s praise which was demeaning and condescending. By the end, the tension between them seemed to ease, even if it was only by a little.
“Any questions?” asked Ali once they went through the stretch sequence a few times.

“Um… yes, actually,” piped up Patton. “Do we need to come back to see you if the stretches and the brace and those… things… are working?” Ali shook her head.

“No. I mean, I won’t say no to a visit, but you don’t have to come back if you don’t want to. If you have any questions, you can always stop by,” smiled Ali. Somehow, Patton and Virgil felt at ease with this smile. “Did you want to try on the brace?”

“HEY! CATCH!” a sudden, piercing female voice from above them. Ali’s eyes filled with sheer panic. Instinctively, Ali looked up and stood, left hand extended, palm up. Virgil and Patton both flinched at her sudden movements. Something glinted in the light and, in a flash, Ali managed to grab it from the air. The instant she did, however, she winced. Her right hand slapped over her mouth to stifle a muffled yelp of pain. Virgil and Patton stared dumbfounded as they both caught a glimpse of a thumbtack embedded in Ali’s left palm. Frantically, they looked up and spotted a borrower they hadn’t met before standing on one of the ceiling fan blades. She had short, light dirty blonde hair and an elusive grin spread from ear to ear. Ali looked up, a disbelieving and frustrated expression on her face.

“Hickory!” Even Ali’s scolding voice was not as loud as a human’s normal speaking voice. She sounded annoyed more than anything, much to Virgil and Patton’s relief. “Gosh darn it, that hurt.” Ali removed the tack and curled her hand to keep pressure on the puncture wound.

“I’ve got to keep you on your toes,” called Hickory. She craned her neck and spotted Virgil and Patton, both looking apprehensive and on guard. “Oh! Are those the new guys? Heyo!” Ali glanced back at Virgil and Patton apologetically.

“Sorry for the sudden movements. It’s okay. Don’t worry. It’s just my roommate, Hickory,” apologized Ali who turned back to Hickory. “Where did you even get one of these? We’re out. They’re on my list.”

“And how do you think you ran out? Huh?” retorted Hickory. She stood boldly on the fan blade, hands on her hips. “Now, be good and hand it over.” Ali rolled her eyes as she cleaned her blood from the end of the thumbtack.

“I’m not giving this back. You chucked it at me,” countered Ali. She turned back to Virgil and Patton. “Do either of you want or need a thumbtack? I hear they’re good for daggers, climbing, and coat hangers.”

“HEY!” Hickory shouted. She knelt down on all fours as far as she could over the edge without falling. “You can’t give that away.” Virgil did like a good thumbtack, but was still caught up in measuring the dynamics of Ali and Hickory’s relationship that he timidly shook his head. Patton was too stunned to utter a single syllable.

Hickory, at this point, stood once again and backed up out of sight. Any rational borrower would have assumed she was going back into the ceiling to come down or to leave. This Hickory seemed far from rational, however. “I’m coming down! CATCH ME!” This was the only warning Ali received before Hickory took a running leap off of the fan blades. Virgil felt his knees weaken. Patton gasped as he clutched Virgil’s hand. Ali, however, was prepared. In a breathless moment as Hickory entered a freefall, Ali’s reflexes kicked in. Ali reached out with her uninjured hand and caught Hickory. Rather than a quick stop, however, Ali timed Hickory’s descent and kept her palm open. Without injury. Without so much as a bruise, Hickory turned onto her back and simply burst into a fit of laughter.

“You should have seen the look on your faces!” she said between bouts of laughter. A smile of relief spread over Ali’s face.

“You ought to be ashamed, scaring our guests like that,” scolded Ali gently after a sigh of relief, her voice returning to it’s original, quiet and even tone. Hickory sat up cross-legged on Ali’s palm.

“Ashamed? Me? I’m doing you a favor. Now, put me over on the desk so I can give a proper welcome,” instructed Hickory. Ali sighed and, much to Virgil and Patton’s surprise, obeyed. Hickory stood up the moment Ali rested her hand on the desk and walked toward Virgil and Patton.

“Hello,” she said cheerfully, her eyes bright and her tone pleasant and alarmingly loud. “I’m Hickory. Pleasure to meetcha.” Patton and Virgil stared, eyes as wide as saucers, at Hickory. Never had they seen a borrower behave in such a way. Hickory, seeing their expression, turned back to Ali.

“Now look what you’ve done Ali. You’ve gone and spooked them. Go and sit on the bed!” commanded Hickory. Ali let out a breathy chuckle.

“Me? I’ve spooked them?” she asked. Patton snapped out of his stunned stupor, eyes switching from Ali to Hickory. His heart pounded in his chest and he hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. Virgil was also stunned into silence.

“N… no, you d…don’t need to…” Patton managed to stammer. Ali shook her head and smiled.

“It’s okay, Patton,” said Ali. She moved backwards slowly and sat on the edge of the bed.

“All the way! Lay all the way down!” called Hickory. Ali partially rolled her eyes, but once again obeyed and laid backwards onto the bed. Hickory, beaming with pride, turned back to Virgil and Patton.

“Sorry about that. My roommate means well, but…” Hickory was cut off by Virgil, who finally managed to find his voice.

“Are you out of your mind!” he hissed, steadying himself on Patton’s shoulders. “You’re purposefully antagonizing a human!” Hickory folded her arms and leaned on her hip.

“I don’t appreciate your tone. First, Ali isn’t just a human. She is my roommate and my friend and I can antagonize her as much as I want. It’s just the kind of friendship we have. Second, you don’t have anything to worry about. She won’t hurt us,” replied Hickory.

“W… wh… what makes you s… so sure?” asked Patton, nerves catching up with him. Flashbacks of his captivity with Virgil sent chills down his spine. He and Virgil both stared at Ali, who laid on her bed and seemed to be waiting patiently for some kind of cue to come back.

“Think about it. I can pull random stunts like jumping off of ceiling fans and throwing thumbtacks at her and all I get is a grimace,” said Hickory plainly. “I’ve pulled those stunts for months. She wouldn’t be here as an ally if the others, like Thomas, didn’t approve of her. If anything, she would get angry with me; but she won’t, because she’s Ali. Now, I don’t think we’ve properly introduced ourselves. I’m Hickory, and you are?” Patton and Virgil seemed unsure of whether to trust this new borrower or not.

“Oh, come on. Here,” Hickory reached down and picked up the thumbtack Ali left on the desk. “Here’s a peace offering. A housewarming gift. You can’t say no to a good thumbtack.” Virgil reached out and took the thumbtack from Hickory. Still, it took Patton and Virgil a minute to collect themselves as Hickory stood, arms folded, and waited for their response.

“Well… I’m Patton, and this is Virgil,” said Patton quietly. His eyes left Ali to look back at Hickory.

“Patton and Virgil. That’s nice,” Hickory held out her hand for them to shake, which they did hesitantly. “So, what brings you here? Talking to our resident idiot for medical advice?”

“Yes, actually,” responded Patton. He stroked Virgil’s whitened knuckles on his shoulders as if it would calm the dagger filled glare he held at Hickory. “Ali suggested using a brace and those… things… I don’t remember what they’re called, and bedrest.” Hickory grinned and pulled the brace over, holding it up and sizing it against Patton’s leg.

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Have you tried it on yet?” asked Hickory.

“Uh… no,” Patton said.

“Ali just suggested it when you showed up,” growled Virgil under his breath, surprised he preferred Ali’s interaction to someone of his own kind.

“Well, do you want to try it on?” asked Hickory. “You’ll need to know how to adjust the straps and someone’s fingers are too big to handle it.”

“Uh… yes. Thanks,” said Patton, now realizing his role as peacemaker. Patton winced as he lifted his leg and slid it into the brace which Hickory positioned strategically. She showed them how to adjust the straps and how to use the crutches before surrendering them to Patton to try. Nearly twenty minutes passed from Hickory’s first interaction to Patton being able to move easily with the crutches and the brace. The entire time, Ali lay on her bed staring at the ceiling remaining quiet and patient.

“Well, unless you have any questions for the resident idiot, I think we’re all set here. And look, all kidding aside, Ali is pretty great. She is human, but she’s on our side.” Hickory’s hushed voice contrasted greatly when clapped her hands together and walked to the edge of the desk. “Did you want me to invite Ali back over?”
“You know this is my room too, right?” Ali said after her extended silence.

“Hush or I’ll make you stay over there all night,” Hickory called. Ali raised her hands over her head in a motion resembling her surrendering, but made no further comment. Patton watched their interaction, confused. Ali was kind and sweet while Hickory seemed rather brutish at times. He saw how Ali obeyed. It reminded him of when he and Virgil were ordered to act or perform while in captivity. Something rushed over him as he hobbled to the edge with his crutches and braced leg.

“Thank you Ali! I hope we see you soon,” it wasn’t until Patton said it aloud that he realized he meant it. Virgil gathered up their belongings and joined Patton on the ledge.

“Uh… yeah. Thanks,” said Virgil before pulling Patton along.

“You’re welcome,” they heard Ali say before they ducked back into the walls. They could hear them continuing their conversation, but they couldn’t quite make out their words. It was Virgil who spoke up first.

“What a complete moron! Provoking Ali like that. And while we were there too! Who does she think she is?” Virgil was fuming and slightly trembling in an effort to shake off the experience; though, Patton picked up on something Virgil said. He called Ali by name. Not just “the human.” Patton elected not to bring it up and simply tucked it away in his mind.

“Well, at least talking with Ali was nice,” Patton muttered. “She was really helpful and listened.” Virgil’s steps faltered for a moment when he turned and smiled at Patton.

“It wasn’t the worst thing we’ve ever done,” he said with a wink.
Meanwhile, back in Ali’s room, Hickory began walking along the shelves of books. Her hand brushed the spines of each novel. She knew how to read the important words at least and the massive library surrounding her didn’t possess a lot of the important words. Hickory did, however, enjoy the smell of the paper and the look of the Christmas lights above her.

“You can get up now,” she called after a minute. Ali sat up and watched Hickory for a moment.

“What was all that about?” she asked, her tone still low and soft, yet slightly annoyed.

“You know the drill. I have to show them you’re not dangerous. I have my own way of doing things just like you do. What’s the big deal?” replied Hickory, pausing in front of one of the many series of books Ali possessed. She admired the artistic spines and how they created a mural of a sunset.

“Yes, and be that as it may, you need to be careful.”

“Yes mom.”

“I’m being serious. They were from the lab and that Witch scientist,” Hickory paused and glanced at Ali.

“Those two?” asked Hickory.

Ali nodded. “Yes, and I’m not trying to baby them or treat them differently; but, it took them two weeks just to come by. I’m a big enough hurdle as it is.”

“You are pretty tall,” muttered Hickory.

“You also need to be careful with yourself,” encouraged Ali. Hickory rolled her eyes and continued walking along the bookshelves. “I don’t want you to get needlessly hurt. Yeah?” Hickory glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous grin.

“Aww you must like me a lot to feel so protective. You should just say it. You really like me,” Hickory began her typical teasing, beginning with the lines from Miss Congeniality. “You want to hug me. You think I’m gorgeous.” Hickory recited the lines over and over until she reached the bedside table.

Finally, she stopped and stared long and hard at Ali. “That’s cute that you think you can tell me what to do,” she said finally. Ali rubbed her tired eyes, a breathy chuckle catching somewhere in her smile. “Now, if you would be so kind as to give me a lift over to my shelf over there.” Ali nodded and extended her uninjured hand. Hickory stepped onto it, laying against her palm as Ali transferred her over to an imbedded wall shelf next to her bed.

Before hopping off, Hickory sat in the center of Ali’s palm. Her usual, jovial expression sank into one of sadness and regret. Before Ali could ask what was bothering her, Hickory looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry for throwing the thumbtack at you. I’m… I’m sorry I hurt you.” Ali smiled her familiar half grin followed with the smallest shrug.
“It’s okay, but thanks.”

With that, Hickory slipped off to her bed while Ali slipped off of hers and back to her desk. Her reading wasn’t going to do itself. But first, she needed the peroxide. She refused to get tetanus or an infection from some janky thumbtack Hickory borrowed.

Chapter Text

TWO | Redacted
Thomas spent the entire morning pouring over the documents he received earlier that morning. It took three months to get these documents from the so called “Tiny Labs.” One legal hurdle after another forced him and his team to wait for the proper documentation. Now that he had it, he was filled with disappointment and frustration. He pushed himself away from the desk forcefully and pressed his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose and tired eyes. There was no way around it. He needed to go back to the books and find the right records and procedures to gain access to the lab. The entire team would be working overtime, again.
He felt a rush of relief interrupting his thoughts with the quick sequence of knocks on his office door. “Come on in,” he called, a smile spreading on his face to see Ali peek through the opening door.
“Hey Thomas,” said Ali. She held a plate of leftovers from the night before. “You worked through lunch again. Thought we’d bring you this.”
“I’m the one who reminded her!” Thomas glanced to Ali’s shoulder, only now seeing Hickory perched on Ali’s shoulder. She was swinging her legs like she was on a bar stool.
“Oh. Hi Hickory. Thanks,” Thomas took the plate gratefully.
“No biggie. Whatcha lookin’ at?” asked Hickory, her pouting lips turning into a sassy grin. She leaned further over and pointed to the hundreds of bound booklets and pages on Thomas’s desk.
“Apparently nothing,” groaned Thomas between bites. “The lab finally responded to the document request, but redacted basically every piece of valuable information.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” moaned Ali as she stepped up to the desk, eyes flicking to the only words available on each page. “This is just a sorry excuse for blackout poetry. They’re just trying to buy time at this point.”
“What’s redacted?” whispered Hickory to Ali. Unfortunately for Hickory, Ali was distracted by the hundreds of pages of blank inked documents.
“They have to know we’re just going to use this to prove they’re hiding something, right?” continued Ali.
“Legally, the process is slow. But hopefully bringing these documents forward plus the emails will bring about results,” replied Thomas. He sounded positive, but a lingering undertone of frustration meant he wasn’t as optimistic as he portrayed.
“Hey, what’s redacted?” asked Hickory, slightly louder this time.
“I mean, seriously! I hate this…” Ali’s growling rage was suddenly interrupted by Hickory reaching up and yanking her earring. “Ouch.” Ali winced and instantly focused on Hickory’s determined glare.
“Hey! Don’t you ignore me Ginormica! What does ‘redacted’ mean?” Thomas grinned watching Hickory’s dynamics easily overpower Ali despite their obvious differences.
“Redacted basically means the document was edited to obscure the results. See these black lines? They gave us the documentation we requested, but left out the details and possibly incriminating evidence. They’re being difficult,” explained Ali. “And could you not yank so hard on my earrings? You’re going to pull one out one of these days.”
“I wouldn’t need to pull your earrings if you answered my questions the first time and got out of your head. You’re making me pull your earrings to get answers. How inconsiderate,” scolded Hickory.
“Regardless,” interrupted Thomas. “Our rep will see this as an obstruction and know what we need to do. In the meantime, we need to go back and see if we missed anything for our case.” Ali nodded and raised her hand instinctively to her left shoulder. Hickory slid from Ali’s collar bone and stumbled onto the extended hand.
“But, Thomas, didn’t you say last time you didn’t think the emails would be enough?” asked Hickory as Ali set her down onto the desk. Thomas frowned.
“I wasn’t sure if it would be enough,” he replied, choosing his words tactfully. “But it was enough to request these documents officially.”
“So, you’re saying we still don’t have enough evidence? Or you’re not sure if we will have enough to get them?” pressed Hickory. Thomas’s eyebrows raised for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line, before he relaxed his features and shrugged.
“I don’t know. But we’re doing everything we can on this end. That’s all we can do until we get more petitions and more whistle blowers.” The truth hurt, especially now with so much uncertainty. Each of them were keenly aware that time was constantly against them. Each and every day, more innocent borrowers were dying or being injured, kept inhumanely by other humans. An intense frustration settled around them.
“You know what would help?” asked Hickory, her voice seeming to prompt some sort of solution.
“No Hickory,” dismissed Ali, already seeing the glint in Hickory’s eyes. Thomas glanced back and forth at them in confusion.
“No what? What were you going to say?” he asked.
“Well…”
“No Hickory. We talked about this,” urged Ali.
“You are not the boss of me,” shot Hickory. Ali’s jaw clenched, but she remained silent. “Like I said. What would help is testimonials. Like what you did with those others from the labs and from your cousin’s house. You need pictures. Videos. Audio. Things you humans can connect with.”
“Yeah, but we don’t have permission to get onto the premises,” replied Thomas, his eyes flicking back to Ali who had folded her arms and leaned against the nearby office wall.
“Whistle blowers break confidentiality to send you the emails. Why can’t we, for example, have someone go in and video what’s going on in there?”
“We can’t get..”
“No… YOU can’t. They’re not going to let a human saunter in. You need someone who is stealthy, quiet, cautious, and can go where she pleases unseen.” Thomas could now see where Hickory was going with this.
“Hickory,” his instant discouraging tone indicated he caught onto Hickory’s plan.
“Just hear me out! Send me in one of the vents and I’ll get the photos we need to nail the villains! Five minutes, ten tops, and we’ll be in and out. Zip zap!” pleaded Hickory.
“Hickory, you know the laws only apply here at the shelter,” stated Thomas. “The moment you step outside, the ‘Tiny Patrol’ will get you. That’s assuming we are allowed in the building. Even then, you would be trespassing and we couldn’t help you. What if you get caught?”
“What if I don’t?”
“What if you get caught?” reiterated Thomas. “Then you would end up with the others.”
“So what?!” Hickory exclaimed. “Risking my life for an hour to save how many lives? I’d say that’s worth the risk!”
Ali, who had remined silent during Hickory’s proposal, spoke up. “It’s not worth risking a safe life for a chance, and not even a good chance. It’s a bad…” Ali’s hand raised and slapped over her mouth. Hickory glared at Ali, her eyes sharpened daggers.
“What? A bad idea? You think I only come up with bad ideas. Is that it?” demanded Hickory after a moment of tension. She took several bold steps forward to stand at the edge of the desk. Ali calmed her own breathing. Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt sick. This was no time to escalate the situation. No time was a time to escalate the situation, especially now.
“It’s not a bad idea, but it is reckless,” responded Ali calmly. “It is a reckless idea for a fraction of a chance. I don’t think you should risk your life for odds which are not good and which could jeopardize the shelter.” Ali’s tone was soft. Diplomatic. Logical.
“Ali has a point…”
“You stay out of this for a second,” shot Hickory at Thomas. “Last time I checked, you were my roommate, not my life planner. You think you get to dictate what I do with my life? Why should you care?” Hickory’s tone, laced with jagged edges, stung Ali’s heart. Ali, disheartened, nodded slowly but maintained eye-contact with Hickory.
“Because you’re my friend…” said Ali, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m angry too. And frustrated and heartbroken and I want the same things you do; but this is not how to go about it.” Tears pricked the sides of Hickory’s eyes. She wanted to stay mad. She wanted to hate Ali for pointing out the flaws in her plans. Instead, she looked away and folded her arms, quickly sitting on the edge of the desk in a huff.
“We’ll get them out. We just need a little more time,” encouraged Thomas. Hickory’s insides turned. She knew each day mattered, and yet she could do nothing. She was stuck in a system not created by her kind and rules concocted by humans who didn’t understand borrowers or their way of life. Things changed for borrowers forever. It was necessary to adapt; yet, it fought against every fiber of her being to comply with the humans and their laws.
“I just want to do something useful to help. Not just clear out the walls and construct new homes. I want to go out and do things.” Hickory didn’t realize she had brought her knees to her chest. Somehow, hugging her knees brought security, control, back to her. Her throat, strained and cracking, barely managed to clear her words. “Your team gets to go out and save lives. I’m back here playing home makeover with needles and Christmas lights.” She felt Thomas’s hand set down near her on the desk, yet far enough away as to not raise her instinctual, internal alarm bells.
“We know. You’re not the only one,” Thomas said with a pensive smile. “We’re making headway every day, and every little bit helps.”
“You say that…” Hickory couldn’t bring herself to continue. Her voice shook and tears threatened to stream down her face. She felt a tremor in the ground and instantly knew it was Ali kneeling in front of her. She didn’t need to say anything. Despite her hopelessly human condition, something in Ali’s eyes never terrified Hickory.
“You know… there may be a way to let you go out, if you really want to go outside into the real world that is,” said Thomas. “I don’t think you’ll like it, but you could at least come with us.” Hickory felt herself tense. She didn’t want to move in fear of losing control of her emotions.
“What?” Ali asked in Hickory’s stead. Thomas shook his head.
“You’re not going to like it either; but, you asked. You could register Hickory as a quote unquote ‘pet.’” Both Hickory and Ali’s eyes widened before staring sternly at Thomas. He shrunk back instantly. “I told you that you wouldn’t like it. But, in a legal sense, registration would give you legal advantage if someone tried to take Hickory from you. Don’t shoot the messenger.” Hickory wiped her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her shirt.
“Ali? My ‘owner’? That’s hilarious. We all know it would be the other way around,” scoffed Hickory with a slight chuckle. As quickly as it rose, the tension fell from the room as the group of three chuckled which soon erupted into laughter.
“True,” said Thomas after their laughter calmed. “Anyway. We’ll have a staff meeting tomorrow morning about our game plan with this nonsense.” Thomas pointed once again to the redacted documents. Hickory hugged herself one last time before standing shakily.
“Open for everyone?” she asked. She cleared her throat a few times in an attempt to release the crushing tension lingering in her chest.
“Yes, I’ll be sure to tell Roman and Remus that everyone is invited,” Thomas replied.
“Good.” Hickory gestured to the edge of the desk, a signal for Ali to give her a lift back to their shared room. “Come along now my pet.” Ali gave a breathless chuckle at Hickory’s mocking tone, but ultimately offered her hand for Hickory to sit on. Ali’s fingers curled slightly for support as she seemed to glide across the room with Hickory.
“Bye Thomas. Oh, before I forget, I have to go in early tomorrow, so tonight I’ll handle dinner if that’s okay.” Thomas nodded at Ali’s change of schedule and turned reluctantly back to the papers on his desk. Just outside of the office, Hickory pointed to Ali’s shoulder, a motion indicating that is where she wanted to travel. Ali obliged and, after ensuring her tag-along was secure, walked through the halls and up the stairs to their room. Hickory leaned against Ali. If she closed her eyes and focused, she could hear Ali’s breathing and feel her heart beating. It was unnerving but reassuring at the same time. Ali arrived at the door and knocked a few times, a signature all borrowers in the house had come to know. They waited for a minute before Ali opened her door and peeked through the crack in the door.
“Ali?” Hickory tugged at Ali’s earring gently. Ali stopped mid step and turned her head slightly, indicating Hickory had her attention. “What do you think about that thing Thomas suggested? About registering? Do you think it would work?” Hickory felt Ali’s shoulders tense and relax in an instant.
“Maybe,” she replied. “It wouldn’t keep you from being seen or captured or taken from me, but it could be extra insurance. There would be a legal consequence if you were in someone else’s possession without permission.” A thought occurred to Hickory. A crazy thought. An insane thought.
“So… you’re saying… if I were registered and captured, and you had proof of who got me, you could go after the people who captured me? They would have to give me back?” Ali’s body shuddered, only now picking up on what Hickory was implying.
“Hickory, there’s no guarantee you would be alright. They might kill you or worse,” said Ali sternly.
“I know… I know…” but Hickory’s mind was already reeling with possibilities. Suddenly, there seemed to be a loophole. A loophole which they could possibly exploit. Rather than push the matter now, she set it in the back of her mind to work on later. Another thought occurred to her. “Hey Ali?” Ali acknowledged with a slight hum of her voice. “I’m sorry. I know you… I know you care. I didn’t mean it like that.” Even without seeing her face, Hickory knew Ali was grinning.
“It’s what friends do.”

Chapter Text

FOUR | Major
Four months seemed like a long time. At least, it seemed like a long time for Patton. Still confined to the halls and his room with Virgil, Patton was finally managing to walk around without the brace and the crutches Ali gave him. It made Virgil nervous, but Patton had gone back to see Ali a few times since he received the brace. The meetings were brief and Virgil always hovered by Patton’s side at all times, barely allowing him to get more than a foot away before gravitating to his side. He knew Patton went to see Ali so she could help with his leg and reluctantly agreed that it was okay if Patton went on his own. What Virgil didn’t know was how many times Patton had actually been back to visit Ali on his own. It nearly killed Patton keeping it a secret, but Ali’s techniques worked. It was scary in the beginning, but Ali was always very welcoming and helpful. She showed him other stretches and techniques he could use to heal his injury faster. He pretended to be more sore than usual so he could surprise Virgil. Now, with Ali’s help, his limp was barely noticeable.
Today was a little different as Patton navigated to the second floor to Ali’s room. Virgil had some borrowing to do and it marked their anniversary. Now was the time to show his hard work, and he was nervous. Patton was so focused on getting better, he hadn’t had a chance to borrow anything in return. He mentioned it to Ali, who said she may have something in mind if Patton were interested. It seemed like cheating, but it was also a thoughtful gesture. He had to at least hear her out, even if he didn’t use whatever it was she had in mind.
He was nearly there when he spotted a familiar face in the halls. He had created a better fitting poncho for disguise and comfort of some dark navy-blue material. Hook at his hip and the satchel Roman and Remus gave him over his shoulder, he looked ready to venture out into the big rooms.
“Logan!” Patton called. Logan spun around, body taught like a strung bow, before realizing it was Patton who called his name.
“Ah, hello Patton,” Logan said. Patton could see traces of a smile forming. It was a relief seeing Logan and Jay adjusting to their lives here at the shelter. Slowly, the smallest personality quirks would come through, from smiles to the bright excitement after a successful borrowing. Patton, on the other hand, was all smiles and rushed as fast as he could on crutches to Logan’s side for a hug. “What is this contraption you’ve concocted?” asked Logan with a gesture to the crutches once Patton pulled away.
“Oh, these? They’re crutches. I use them so I can rest my leg. They help me walk around. See?” Patton provided a quick demonstration, at which Logan grinned.
“I see. How did you engineer them? Where did you come up with the design?” he asked, his analytical mind taking in the design in hopes of possibly using a similar design for some project in the future.
“Ah… well… It was actually Ali who gave me these.” Logan visibly recoiled from the crutches, folding his fingers together in front of him in contemplation.
“The human?” he asked. Patton nodded and smiled comfortingly.
“Yeah. To be honest, I’m still a little hesitant with the humans; but, I’ve talked to her a little bit more than the others and she’s actually really nice.” Patton felt odd for a moment, like he was betraying his fellow borrowers by speaking with Ali and needed to justify his actions.
“Well,” said Logan finally. “You’re certainly more… open to experiences…” Patton felt himself deflate. Logan was already reserved and didn’t talk to too many other borrowers except for himself and Virgil. Even then, he didn’t come around often. He had never asked Logan about his experiences in the lab, and for good reason. Logan had more of a reason to be suspicious, even after rescue, than someone like Patton.
“Yeah,” muttered Patton, caught in a daze. “Anyway, are you heading out to borrow something?”
Logan nodded and adjusted the pack over his shoulder. “Yes. I’ve been needing some new thread and possibly some new rubber bands. If I can, I’d like to get some tea, but I do not wish to press my luck. I had some tea when I first arrived which was excellent, but I haven’t been able to find anything like it since then. Also, unfortunately, I do not remember where the thread is kept.” Patton’s face lit up.
“I remember seeing thread in Ali’s room. She has basically everything in her room in those nifty drawers next to the books,” Patton blurted out. “Why don’t you come with me? The trip is kinda long and lonely without anyone to talk to.” Logan shifted uncomfortably, suddenly remembering that Ali’s room was where he saw bobbins of thread before. “If… if you don’t want to talk to her, I could get it for you.” Logan bit his lower lip before shaking his head.
“I could not ask you to retrieve anything for me in your current condition. It would be rude to ask you to carry it for me.” Logan paused to steady his breathing. “I will accompany you, but, please forgive me, I do not want to speak to any humans anytime soon.” Patton’s face spread into a shining smile.
“That works for me!” Together, the two borrowers walked through the halls up toward Ali’s room. They didn’t speak for some time, but as they rounded the corner after ascending the stairs, Logan turned to Patton.
“Patton, why are you not scared of the humans?” Logan’s question took Patton aback.
“Well,” thought Patton aloud. He adjusted the crutches under his arms, his brow resting in a quizzical, confused expression. “I am scared of them. Or, rather, more hesitant. But it was a human who helped get us out. Thomas and his team rescued us, so they can’t all be bad.”
“But you willingly went and spoke with Ali, revealing yourself and your injury, soon after you arrived. Apologies, I was just curious. Do not feel obligated to respond,” said Logan as he began walking again. Patton hurried along.
“Well, yes. Roman and Remus said she could help. Thomas wouldn’t let her stay here if she was dangerous or untrustworthy. If anything, she tries every day to show she’s a friend, not an obstacle,” responded Patton. Logan’s unsure hum was barely audible.
“When it comes to obstacles, humans rank among major to impossible,” said Logan.
“You have a ranking system?” asked Patton, now curious to Logan’s statement.
“Of course. There are minute obstacles like carrying something too heavy or vaulting over debris quickly. There are minor obstacles such as climbing a slick surface. Finally, there are major or impossible obstacles, like avoiding a human once they’ve seen you or…” Logan’s voice trailed off. His pace slowed to a stop. Patton could see Logan was shaking slightly. His breathing became more rapid, eyes glazed as though he could see something terrifying in front of him. Patton had seen Virgil like this before and reached out a comforting hand to Logan’s shoulder, gripping it gently. Logan rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat before slightly smiling apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” said Patton, his contagious smile only taking a minute effect on Logan’s overall disposition.
“Thank you,” Logan responded quietly. “At any rate, we should continue.” They continued the rest of the trek in silence until, finally, they reached the electrical outlet leading to Ali’s room.
“Don’t worry. It won’t take too long.” Patton gave Logan a reassuring smile before pushing the door open and stepping out. Logan set his pack onto the ground and stayed on alert. [Humans are a major obstacle. Ali is a human. So, she is a major obstacle. How can Patton take this so lightly?] thought Logan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ali was just about finished with the chapter of the book. It was better than she remembered, despite the fact she had read it at least a dozen times. The final chapters were just ahead. Everything was coming to a head. She was pulled from the moment by a familiar clack of the electric cover door opening and the half-step, half-wooden steps that followed. Ali glanced up to see Patton emerge and walk across the desk.
“Hey Patton,” she said, her voice soft as silk. Patton mirrored her smile.
“Hey Ali.” Patton hobbled to his usual spot on the lamp. “How are you today?”
“I’m doing well,” said Ali. “Just finishing up the last few chapters of my book here. You made good time getting here. How are you?” Ali set her book onto the ground and leaned back in her chair to avoid crowding the borrower.
“I’m really good actually. I saw Lo… er… one of my friends on my way here.” Patton had caught himself just in time. Ali loved meeting new people – getting to know them, finding out how she could be of assistance, what she should or shouldn’t do – but always emphasized that if the borrower didn’t want to be revealed that the original borrower rules be maintained. She was considerate like that. “That plus it’s my anniversary with Virgil. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he see’s me walking around without the brace and crutches.” Ali smiled and chuckled at Patton’s eager and excited tone.
“Well, congratulations to you both,” she said kindly. “I remember you saying something about it last time you visited. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, but I have a little something if you want it. No pressure. You don’t have to take it if it’ll make things awkward.” Patton smiled.
“Thank you, Ali. Um… I’d like to see it. If that’s okay,” replied Patton. Logan leaned close to the door, curious about how the human would respond. Ali beamed before reaching to one of the drawers and pulling out a soft piece of fabric. Patton’s jaw dropped in amazement and excitement as Ali laid out a tied blanket. One side was a light blue like the poncho he wore and the other was a black and purple plaid pattern. Three sides were tied, leaving perfect little tassels on the ends, while the top was neatly sewn and hemmed.
“Is… is this for us?” asked Patton, his voice filled with awe. Logan craned his neck by he crack in the door to see the blanket which was slightly bigger than Ali’s spread-out hand.
“I know it gets cold in the walls during winter. Hickory never fails to remind me. She helped out and actually suggested leaving the top open. You can sleep on top, under both layers, or just under one layer. Anyway, it’s from both of us if you want it. Is it okay if I hand it to you?” Ali waited until Patton nodded before moving her hand close to him. The fabric was soft, warm, and surprisingly lite. He held it to his chest. It even smelled nice.
“I love it!” Patton’s exclamation was muffled by the blanket, but Ali understood from the way Patton’s eyes ignited that he liked it. He pulled the fabric from his face, eyes pricked with tears. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And, like I said, I don’t want to overstep any boundaries. Just stop by or Hickory and she’ll make sure I get what’s coming to me,” said Ali. Logan released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He wasn’t sure when his heart started pounding so heavily. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the interaction between Patton and Ali. All he knew was Ali had given Patton a gift with no obvious strings attached and was willing to accept responsibility for any consequences. “Now, let’s see how your leg is, yeah? Any changes? Weird aches?”
Patton began unstrapping his leg and thought for a moment. “No. I’ve been stretching and Virgil has been a really good helper. I’m excited to see what he says. I tried walking around yesterday without the crutches and brace, just a few steps, and I didn’t feel any pain or anything.” With the brace successfully removed, Patton stood and carefully put pressure onto both of his legs evenly. Ali’s eyes surveyed him quickly. A chill ran through his body, remembering how the Witch’s eyes had done the same thing. It was different with Ali, but the motion was the same and feeling remained. Unlike the Witch, Ali’s smiles were genuine and caring.
“So, you standing there is causing no pain?” she asked in her silky satin voice.
“No.”
“Any tingling or aching?”
“No.”
“And you can stretch alright? Like, if you went to touch your toes?” Patton responded by bending slowly as far as he could to the desk.
“Nothing,” he said as he straightened up. Ali smiled.
“Great. What about when you walk? Anything strange?” Patton took a shaky breath and began pacing along the center of the desk. There was only a slight hesitation as he placed weight on his once crippled leg. Even with Ali’s eyes on him, he felt confident, sure he was doing the right thing. He spun quickly. No pain. He spun again and quickly darted from where he was to the lamp. There was a slight ache, but his quick sprint brought a smile to his face and Ali’s face. “That’s fantastic, Patton. Now, if you had to, do you feel like you could climb safely?” This was what Patton was the most worried about. He worked on his arm strength, but still felt unsure if he could hold one position for an extended period of time.
“I… think so?” his tone did not convey very much confidence, but Ali elected to not press him too hard.
“Well, you know yourself the best. I’d recommend taking climbing slowly, but I think you don’t need the crutches or the brace anymore, unless you want to keep them just in case.” Patton, beaming with pride, nodded.
“I think you can have the crutches back, but I may keep the brace for a little while longer just in case,” replied Patton. Then, anticipating her next question, he stepped away from the crutches. “You can get them. I… I don’t mind if you reach over.” Ali smiled and, after a quick nod, slowly reached over and retrieved the crutches from beside the lamp. Seeing her hand so close sent a shiver down his spine, but he knew she would not make a grab at him. He maintained his position, knowing he also wanted to prove a point to Logan who was still just on the other side of the electrical panel.
Logan watched as Patton invited Ali’s hand closer. His heart pounded in his chest. What was Patton thinking? What if Ali made a grab for him? What if she was simply trying to earn his trust? He watched things like this happen in the lab. A borrower would be separated from the others. They would come back from time to time, saying that the person was trying to help or that they were kind. The borrower wouldn’t return more often than not after a few weeks. Logan realized he had crouched in on himself, knees tucked to his chest. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably. His eyes caught a glimpse of Ali’s hand mere inches from Patton. He wanted to cry out. He wanted to warn Patton, yet his voice caught something in his throat. He watched Ali’s hand retract with the crutches. She didn’t make a grab for Patton. She retrieved the crutches and resumed her position, leaned back in her chair. [Calm down. Breathe.] Logan coached himself for a moment, walking through the situation logically. It was the only thing he could count on anymore.
Patton watched Ali place the crutches back into their original drawer. While Ali was distracted, Patton took the opportunity to glance back toward Logan. Thought Patton couldn’t see Logan, he still smiled reassuringly before turning back to Ali.
“Well, I hope you two have a great night. Did you want the blanket?” she asked.
“Yes. I… I think it’ll be a great addition to the room,” replied Patton, feeling better than he had in months. Ali nodded.
“Do you want me to leave it somewhere? So you don’t have to carry it too far? Or are you alright with carrying it as is?” she asked.
“Um… If it’s not too much to ask, could you leave it on the first floor? By the potted plants?” asked Patton. Ali nodded.
“Absolutely.” Ali slowly reached up onto the desk and folded the blanket. A realization seemed to strike a pang of sadness in her smile. “I guess you’ll want to head back now? Start getting ready for tonight? Or… did you want to stay for a bit?” Patton could hear hints of hopefulness in Ali’s tone. He felt disappointed, but reached an internal compromise.
“I do want to head back and get everything ready for tonight,” said Patton, knowing that Logan was waiting for him patiently. “But… maybe I could come by for a visit? Maybe the day after tomorrow?” A twinkle sparked in Ali’s eyes.
“That sounds really nice,” she said, her smile lighting her eyes. “Don’t feel like you have to. Honestly, if you don’t want to, you don’t need to come back.”
“No, I… I want to come by. I’ve… gotten used to our visits. It would feel weird not to stop by and say hi.” Patton felt these statements to be true. Saying it out loud somehow felt good.
“Well, I’m glad. I’ve liked our visits.” Ali glanced back to the electrical cover. “I don’t want to miss your anniversary. It’s probably a trek. So, I guess I’ll see you later then.”
“Um… Actually, could I borrow a few things before I go?” asked Patton, knowing he needed to covertly retrieve the objects Logan required.
“Sure. I can grab them if you want.”
“That would be a bit faster,” laughed Patton. Ali nodded and stood slowly, preparing to take Patton’s order.
“What do you need?”
“Well, I could use some rubber bands and a couple of threaded bobbins.” Ali, within seconds, found the correct drawers and pulled out a small handful of rubber bands and a few bobbins.
“Do you need any particular color?” she asked. Patton, at a loss for words, felt himself open and close his mouth for a moment before clamping his jaws shut.
“Um…” he tried glancing at the electrical cover for a cue from Logan. From where he was standing, however, he could not see Logan. “Just make them dark? Blue or black? As long as they’re strong enough for climbing.” Ali’s keen eyes flashed curiously for a moment, keeping her thoughts to herself, before she retrieved a blue and black threaded bobbin.
“Anything else?” continued Ali. Patton gave a sigh of relief before remembering the last item Logan mentioned specifically.
“You don’t happen to know if we have tea, do you?” he asked. Ali partially winced and inhaled sharply, but quietly, sounding like a leaky tire.
“We don’t have any of the normal black tea in the kitchen. Thomas forgot to put it on the list, but I should’ve double checked the list.”
“Aw, darn it,” shrugged Patton; however, before he could say anything else, Ali walked quickly to a small, wooden drawer set on her wall shelves next to her bed.
“I do have some of my secret stash. I hope that’s okay. It’s not normal black tea, but it’s just as good,” offered Ali. Patton nodded.
“I’m sure it’ll be great. Thank you so much,” said Patton. Ali set the items on the desk.
“Do you need a bag to carry this back?” she asked. Patton suddenly realized he forgot to grab Logan’s bag from him.
“Uh… no. I… um… left my bag in the vent. Silly me! Let me go grab it really quick.” Ali stared at Patton after his strange behavior change as Patton ducked into the vent. Logan, eyes wide, managed to pull the bag from his shoulder.
“I do not believe she believes you left your bag in the vent,” Logan hissed, his body tensing and beginning to shake.
“It’s okay,” Patton whispered back reassuringly. “Even if doesn’t believe it, she won’t press it. Now, is there anything else you need?” Logan thought for a moment, clinging to his mental list in desperation.
“Any pins or thumbtacks would be useful. I only need six of the small bands, two big ones. A bottle cap. Four paperclips with the rubber on the rims. Two glass jars.” Logan suddenly realized he needed more than he originally anticipated. He felt guilty now asking Patton to retrieve these things, but Paton only smiled and gave a quick nod.
“Anything else?” Logan shook his head. Patton turned back through the electrical cover door. Ali glanced over to see Patton exit with a pack in his hand, one of the packs she and Hickory made, but not the one she gave to Patton and Virgil.
“Remember anything?” she asked. Patton could only guess by her tone and knowing smile that she knew he was doing a favor for another borrower, but she elected to play along to help Logan feel secure. She had no idea how thoughtful it was for her to pretend she didn’t know another borrower was less than a foot away from where Patton stood.
“Um… yes actually,” chirped Patton as he counted the rubber bands and placed them along with the tea bag and bobbins into the backpack. He recalled Logan’s list, pausing only once to remember everything. Ali took the order diligently and set the items onto the desk for Patton.
“Do you need any help with that?” she asked once Patton pulled the strings on the top of the pack taut. “I could set it with the blanket. Or, would you rather carry it?” Patton slung the now moderately heavy bag onto his shoulder.
“It’s okay. It’ll be good for me to get back into carrying things,” said Patton with a cheering smile. “Thank you again. Really. This means a lot, to all of us.” Ali reflected Patton’s soulful smile.
“My pleasure. I’ll leave your blanket by the plants and get some dinner started. I’m pretty sure it’s my night. Have fun tonight.” With a sassy smile and a wink, Ali retrieved the blanket, turned, and left the room. Patton let out a nervous exhale and headed back through the electrical cover to Logan, who was standing and looking slightly dumbfounded. Logan had never witnessed so many of Ali’s behaviors so close before. Ali, a human, took orders and helped so willingly. Surely there was another motive. Or was there? He wasn’t sure. One thing he was certain of was that his afternoon was now open for him to organize the various borrowings Ali and Patton provided.
“Well?” smiled Patton. “Shall we head back?” Logan snapped out of his daze.
“Uh… yes. Here. I should carry that. You may be recovered, but you do not need to agitate the area prior to your celebration,” stated Logan. He slipped the straps over his shoulders and, together, he and Patton walked back down the halls toward their living spaces. At the top of the steps where Logan lived, he slipped his things inside and accompanied Patton to his home to help set up the blanket. Once Patton was settled, Logan allowed Patton a farewell hug before retiring to his own room. The climb was long, but the repetition reminded Logan there was a natural order to things. A step-by-step process which he could follow to arrive at his destination. A little logic went a long way.
He entered his room, finally organized to his liking, and began unpacking. The jars went to the left of the pipes. Rubber bands hung on the straps. Thumbtacks in the wall by the door. He was almost done when a sudden scent caught his attention. He hadn’t noticed before, but now it was strong. It was sweet and strong. Instantly, he placed where he smelled it before. It was the tea in the welcome bag Roman and Remus gave to each of them. The tea he had been looking for since the first day he went out borrowing. He needed to be sure. Logan pulled out the teabag and breathed deeply. Sure enough. It was the same kind.
One problem – Roman and Remus didn’t drink tea. They hadn’t when he offered it anyway. In fact, the twins managed to get everything rather quickly when they stopped by to make sure the room was sufficient. Did Ali help them gather the materials just as she had done with Patton? No. Roman and Remus were thoughtful and caring, but they also had other business to attend to that day. Would they have thought to put together a housewarming bag? Logan felt his heart pounding in his chest, his pulse threatening to drown out his thoughts. Roman and Remus were helpful, but knowing them better over these past few months demonstrated oversight during welcoming events. The twins wouldn’t have thought to put the housewarming bag together – but Ali would have. Logan felt his knees give out. He rested his head on his makeshift countertop, beads of cold sweat gathering at his temple. His own kind had an oversight a human managed to see and fulfill. Logan recalled what Roman and Remus said that afternoon. It was just a little something to get them started. They never said where they retrieved the materials, because they didn’t retrieve them – Ali did.
Logan stood and sat on his bed. For one reason or another which he could not identify, he was somehow alright with his conclusion. Based on what he witnessed, Ali seemed to have the borrowers’ best interest at heart. It didn’t make sense; and yet, it did. Humans couldn’t let a borrower go once they had been seen, yet they could come and go as they pleased in a human’s presence in this house. Humans wanted to keep borrowers as pets, yet in this house they were viewed as equals. It wasn’t that years of his life were spent learning the wrong threat levels of minute, minor, and major. It was this house which turned his logic upside down. Suddenly, everything felt alright. He just needed to learn the logic of the house. He stood and began fixing some tea, contemplating how he would go about collecting more information. Logan sat with his glass of tea with his resolution. He would need to observe Ali and her behavior further to determine if she was truly what she seemed to be. He could logic his way out of this. He knew it.

Chapter Text

FIVE | ABCs
The routine began like it did every morning. Logan woke up, made breakfast while taking inventory, and stretched before going out for the day. A month prior, he would have gone into the main part of the house to acquire goods and fragments he could use to make tools or fill his pantry. Now, Logan found a portion of his routine was going out in the morning before making his way through the vents to observe Ali’s room in the afternoon.
He learned a lot from his observations, and yet not enough at the same time. Ali worked the “night shift” as a paramedic, which basically meant she was away all night except for a few nights of the week. She would sleep most of the morning until sometime around one or two o’clock when she would wake up, eat, and retire to her room or in the main living area. Sometimes, borrowers would come to see her. Roman, Remus, and Patton came by frequently, either for a quick visit or lengthy conversations. If a borrower had an injury or concern, they would come see her or pass the word along. The end result being her helping fix whatever was ailing them. When she wasn’t helping, she spent time reading quietly or listening to music. She always knocked on her own door before entering, giving any borrower in the room time to hide or leave before she entered. Overall, there was little other than the fact Ali was a human who frequently interacted with borrowers that was alarming. Ali’s roommate, Hickory, was another story.
Hickory had a talent for causing mischief and acting in the most irrational way Logan could conceive. She boldly criticized and teased Ali, seemingly unafraid to challenge her human counterpart, and often apologized for her reprimandable behavior. Logan watched time and again how Ali’s emotions were challenged, yet she was unwavering. No matter the insults or provocation she received, Ali did not raise her voice or lash out angrily once. Her tone shifted from thoughtful and quiet to frustrated, but never angry.
So, after a month of observation, Logan concluded Ali was, at the very least, thoughtful and considerate of his kind. She always had the appropriate materials in stock and was more than happy to assist in any way she could. Every motion, statement, and suggestion were considered carefully – something Logan appreciated. He realized at some point after the month had passed that Ali’s room was probably a safe location to borrow. He found himself at a crossroads. So, one night, when she was away during the night shift, he ventured into her room to retrieve materials for building more shelves in his room.
Seeing her room from the height of a borrower was quite different than seeing it from the vents above her room. Everything was larger, naturally, but seeing it first-hand was almost too unsettling. He walked along the edges of the shelves by the book spines to the drawers with popsicle sticks and thumbtacks. Logan opened the drawer and began removing the materials he needed when he noticed several books propped up by wooden stands on other shelves and on the ground. He remembered Ali mentioning during their initial introduction that she left books propped up if anyone enjoyed reading and suddenly found his curiosity peaked. He stared at the materials he pulled from the drawer and decided to pull them just inside the walls and satisfy his curiosity. Just taking a peak at the books couldn’t hurt, right?
He laid the sticks down and used his hook to rappel down the side of the wooden desk to the nearest book. A quick peak at the title revealed it was about astronomy. Logan glanced at the pages, awestruck by the detailed photographs of the spiraling stars. His eyes traced over the words, absorbing the information like a sponge. He had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed reading since his time in captivity. Logan glanced around the room. No one was nearby. The house was quiet. Perhaps reading a few pages wouldn’t be so bad.
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The astronomy book was a quick, simple read. Hardly a challenge, but filled with fascinating information. Logan found himself enthralled with the information from the first and, after checking the time, elected to move onto the next book. The next book was not about astronomy, but was equally as fascinating as it seemed to be about the science behind forensics. Though he wasn’t entirely sure of what many of the tests were, he found the information intriguing. Logan was so enthralled that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a decisive female voice behind him.
“Are you the one who left the popsicle sticks in the vents?” Logan pulled his thumbtack from his side spun around to see the voice did not belong to Ali, but her roommate Hickory. Hickory was standing about a foot from him, arms folded across her chest. Logan’s heart sank from his throat back to his chest, pounding vigorously. He had braced himself for the worst and exhaled his held breath.
“Yes,” he replied stiffly. “How long have you been watching me?” Hickory shrugged as she walked up to the book he was reading.
“Just a couple minutes. You’re really into all of these words and letters huh.” Hickory turned a few of the pages before folding them back under the wooden holder.
“Well, yes. Aren’t you intrigued? I mean, do you… can you… read?” asked Logan, only after realizing his statement could be interpreted as being rude. Hickory barely glanced at the page before turning back to Logan. She was about a half an inch shorter than himself, but her presence felt larger than life, dynamic and spontaneous.
“Not really. I know the ABCs of borrowing and the words that matter. That’s all I need to know.” She shrugged, turning her head to one side. Based on what Logan knew of Hickory, she was undoubtedly sizing him up against her own skill levels.
“Aren’t all of the words important? And what are the ABCs of borrowing?” asked Logan. Hickory held up three fingers, pointing to each as she spoke.
“Always Be Careful. A. B. C. There. All of the other letters and words are optional.” Logan felt his eyebrows furrow.
“But, there are a significantly more words than those three,” he pointed out. Hickory moaned and threw her hands in the air.
“It’s a joke specs. Not everything is so literal. Anyway, I’m just glad I don’t have to clean up the mess in the vent. By the way, are you the one who’s been stalking Ali and I in the vents? That’s really creepy if you’re the one sneaking around.” Hickory walked past Logan to where he left his climbing line and began swinging on it casually. Logan felt his guard raise and his frustration growing. He usually appreciated borrowers who were direct, but something about Hickory’s attitude was bothersome.
“Hardly creepy. I was simply gathering intel to better determine whether this was a viable borrowing location. Now, please do not swing on my grapple. I will need that for later.”
“Why?” asked Hickory. “You feel like you need to make a mad dash for the cover when Ali comes back? Relax! She’s probably going to pull another double shift. Won’t be home for hours!” As if fate herself decided to contradict Hickory in that moment, there were several soft, characteristic knocks at the door. Hickory stopped swinging and Logan’s heart stopped. Had he really been there for so long? He turned back to his grapple, which Hickory had released, and began to climb.
Hickory watched Logan climb for several seconds before tugging at the rope and swinging it. His grip held, but just barely. “Why don’t you just wait? Ali can give you a lift back onto the desk.” Hickory called. Logan was almost to the top.
“Let go of my grapple,” he demanded once he secured his grip on the edge of the desk. “I have no desire to interact with any human in the near future.” Logan pulled his hook free, but felt a quick, sharp tug which almost made him lose his balance off of the edge of the desk. His heart, pounding from the rapid climb and the unfolding scenario, throbbed in his chest. Hickory released the line which Logan wound as fast as his fingers would allow while jogging to the electrical cover. The door cracked open just as he cleared the threshold and slammed into the wall of the vent.
“I’m coming in,” he heard Ali’s call. He heard the door creak open and shut.
“Hey Ali!” called Hickory. “Mind giving me a lift onto the desk?” Logan heard Ali’s familiar, breathy chuckle.
“Sure, but what are you doing on the ground? You hate it there,” asked Ali, her eyes flicked to the books which appeared to be in a different place than when she left them before. “Were you reading?” Logan could not take in enough air to calm his racing mind. His legs refused to move. Instead, he placed a hand over his panting mouth and focused on controlling his breathing through his nose.
“No,” said Hickory. [Curse her. She’s going to tell Ali.] Logan pulled his legs to his chest, now feeling slightly dizzy. “It was the wall creeper. Really paranoid and not all that observant. He was down here…”
“Hickory,” Ali cut off Hickory’s explanation which surprised Logan. “Remember what I said? No details. If they don’t want to talk or be seen, then you shouldn’t tell me. I hope you didn’t harass them too much.” Logan felt his jaw slacken. Ali’s tone suggested she wasn’t upset or scolding Hickory, but was slightly louder than her normal, even-keeled voice. One thing he was exceedingly grateful for was that his observations were correct and his thinking was sound – Ali would respect a borrower’s wishes, even if her roommate did not.
“Me? Harass? I would never… okay, maybe a little. But come on! You’ve been nothing but good!” argued Hickory who was not standing defiantly on the desk. Ali met Hickory’s intense gaze with her own, understanding one.
“That’s not the point. Anyway, I was planning to change out the books, but I guess I’ll leave them just in case,” said Ali. She walked to her bed and began removing her shoes.
“You cannot tell me you are not bothered by our wall stalker. It’s creepy!” Hickory sounded like a tattling child.
“It doesn’t bother me,” replied Ali. “If they want to keep an eye out, that’s fine.”
“You are way too chill. You know that? Way… too… chill…” retorted Hickory.
“And you, sweetie, are not. Remember what I said about making friends and trust?” asked Ali.
“I don’t need friends.”
“Everyone needs friends.”
“I don’t.”
“You need trust.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You trust me,” pointed out Ali.
“You’re different,” argued Hickory.
“Regardless,” Ali continued. “This place is built on mutual trust. That comes from respecting others and their boundaries. Some people are more open with their boundaries, like you and Roman. Some may never open up, and that’s okay. All we can do is be ourselves and, maybe, they’ll see that.” Hickory frowned and folded her arms back across her chest.
“You’re way too chill,” she huffed to herself. Ali smiled.
“Thank you. Now, did you want me to read the next chapter? Or are you going to pout over there?” Logan listened to Hickory stomp away from the desk off to the nightstand.
“You’d better stop reading if I fall asleep.”
“I will,” replied Ali.
Logan sat for the next fifteen minutes listening as Ali read aloud. Some strange story about things called Dwarves and Hobbits, whatever they were. He exhaled a sigh of relief once his heart stopped pounding and his breathing returned to normal. What if she was putting on an act? What if it was another human trick? He couldn’t discount everything he had seen and heard of all his life before borrowers were discovered. He couldn’t forget what he had been through. The past month flew in the face of his basic instincts; yet, somehow, he knew he could eventually accept this truth as reality. Just like Ali said, if he could believe it – trust would take time, and he had all of it in the world.

Chapter Text

SIX | Ask her
Logan found himself becoming more and more nocturnal by the day. Despite his best efforts, the temptation of reading new, exciting material was too great. After Ali left for work, he would rappel down to each book and read as much as he could before inevitably needing to return to the safety of the walls. He had a few, what he determined to be, close calls where he wanted to stay and finish the book but abandoned the pages of text for the safety of the walls before Ali came home. He was nearly certain now that Ali would not inflict harm or blatantly ignore his requests. Still, he could not bring himself to stand out in the open and converse with her.
He wondered if he ever could bare being out in the open like Roman or Remus or Patton or Hickory. He wondered what his parents and two older siblings would say if they were there. He guessed they would scold him for considering going out into the open with a human so close by. A painful pang seized his heart. Where was his family? He had been on his own for only six months before the hunt for borrowers began. Logan shook the thoughts away. Nothing could be done now. Nothing useful anyway. Where would he even look if he were able to leave the shelter safely? No. He needed to focus on the task at hand, which was find the books Ali put away and finish them. Logan, on just over a dozen occasions, was mere chapters away from the end when Ali returned home. Staying was not an option, but leaving so many novels incomplete was bothering him considerably. Logan remembered the titles. He remembered the page numbers. He just could not find them and pull them down in time.
Logan sat now in the top air vent pondering how he would go about completing the final chapters while he watched Ali tidying up her room. It was laundry day, which meant Logan spent his time lying on his back staring at the top of the vent and listening to Ali humming to herself or talking with Hickory. He remembered to bring along some cloth fragments to keep the metal from chilling his core and stinging his muscles. Today, Ali was humming. He heard this particular song before, but only knew the tune, not the words. It was repetitive and reminded him of a lullaby. His mind relaxed as he listened. Ali may be human, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy her humming.
Logan heard something. A quick, rhythmic pattern. Footsteps? Logan opened his eyes and glanced down each passage near him. He didn’t see anyone at the moment. He pressed his ear against the cold metallic surface of the vent, wishing for a moment he chose the place where his body had slightly warmed the surrounding surface. Definitely footsteps. Just one set, approaching at a semi-rapid pace. Definitely a borrower. Logan remembered the sound of skittering footsteps from the old house he was in when he lived on his own. The sound of mice feet scraping their long nails against the vents was quite distinct with enough practice. Logan, poised to react, wrapped his fingers against his thumbtack. A figure emerged from the end of the passage. Instantly, Logan felt a weight drop in the pit of his stomach. It was Hickory.
“Well well… hello wall creeper,” she said in her usual sarcastic but friendly tone. “Getting a nice view?” Logan felt himself blush as he straightened his back to his full height and stepped away from the air vent grate.
“I haven’t been watching. I have been listening, and I’ll thank you to remember it,” retorted Logan, folding his arms beneath his poncho.
“Aw, don’t be like that specs. I’m just teasing. Anyway, what are you listening for?” Hickory walked to the vent and leaned against it, staring down at the unsuspecting Ali. Logan adjusted his glasses.
“I was listening for Ali to leave so I could…” Logan stopped himself. If he told Hickory, she would undoubtedly taunt him for being afraid of her human counterpart.
Unfortunately, Logan didn’t stop himself in time. “What? Go down there? And read some more? Wow, you’re such a nerd.” Hickory folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t have to be afraid of her, you know. She’s one of the good ones.”
“As I have been told many times prior,” stated Logan. “Still, some of us possess instincts which are more than a major challenge to disregard.” Hickory opened her mouth to make some kind of argument, but instead closed her mouth and turned her eyes back to Ali.
“Yeah… Ali mentioned that not too long ago…” Something in Hickory’s tone was different. Somber perhaps? She certainly deflated from her previous, bombastic demeanor. “Sorry.” Logan was taken aback by Hickory’s sudden apology, and for what she was sorry for he was unsure.
“Pardon?” Hickory glared at him for a moment before her features softened again.
“You heard me specs! Sorry… last time I found you wandering around the room, I quote unquote ‘ratted’ you out to Ali. She wasn’t mad or anything, but we talked about it. We’re all here for a reason. The shelter I mean. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to talk to someone who works with medicine, you with the Witch in the lab and all… Sorry… that was insensitive. At least, that’s what Ali would say.” Logan had never seen this side of Hickory. She was being far more quiet and reserved than some of the other borrowers he encountered.
“Well,” Logan cleared his throat awkwardly. “It is quite alright. No apology needed, but it is appreciated. Thank you.”
“So, why are you here? Really?” asked Hickory, now not making eye contact with Logan.
“I… er…” Logan braced himself. He didn’t feel like provoking Hickory into revealing he was nearby again, but perhaps she was feeling generous. Logan calmed himself with a breath while he organized his thoughts. “I was hoping to finish a few books actually. There are about a dozen or so which were put away before I finished. I know exactly where I am in the books. I just need to find them and finish them quickly.”
Hickory glanced over her shoulder, and amused glint in her eye. “You know there’s a really simple solution to that right?”
“And that is?” prompted Logan.
“Ask her.” Logan steadied himself, realizing Hickory would instantly resolve the issue with a simple “talk to the human” jab.
“Easy for you to say,” Logan muttered. “You talk to her all of the time.” Hickory unfolded her arms and turned to Logan.
“You can talk to her without walking right up to her you know.” Logan’s expression changed from nervous to confused, so Hickory elaborated.
“But…”
She glanced back down the passageway. “Wait here for a second.” Hickory sprinted back down the vents as fast as her legs could carry her. Logan felt himself shrink back. What was she about to do? Logan waited for a minute, dreading what he might see down below in Ali’s room. Sure enough, much to his dismay, Hickory emerged from the wall socket and ran across the desk. She asked Ali something which he could neither hear nor interpret, to which Ali simply pointed to one of the drawers on the desk. Ali continued folding clothing while Hickory bundled something in a backpack and began the trek back. What could Hickory be up to? Logan heard Hickory’s frantic footsteps before he watched her slide down the vent toward him.
“You know how to read. So, you probably know how to write too, yeah? Just write to her,” Hickory sputtered between panting breaths. From her backpack, Hickory produced a stack of Post-It notes which were half of their normal size as well as a few borrower sized pencils. “The humans made these weirdo pencils that you could take out the top pencil and put it in the end. It was this never-ending pencil. Humans may not use them very much, but they’re perfect for us.” Hickory shoved the borrowings into Logan’s arms.
Logan was at a loss for what to say. Hickory, against Logan’s initial conclusions about her, was helpful. “Thank you,” he managed to stammer after a moment of absorbing the shocking scenario he just witnessed. He set the notes and pencils on the ground, not sure where to start. “Do… do I give this to you? Or…” Hickory moaned and rolled her eyes, then sat next to Logan in a huff.
“Honestly, you’re pitiful. Just slip the note through the vent grate like this.” Hickory wrote a quick and messy ‘Hey human’ on the note before folding it, walking up to the grate, and shoving it through. The bright colored paper twisted as it fell through the air, catching Ali’s attention. She stopped folding laundry and walked up to the note which was now on the floor by the bookshelves by the door. Ali unfolded the note, a smile spreading across her face, before she held it up and waved it in a friendly greeting.
“What’s this about, Hickory? Not like you to leave notes,” Ali smiled sassily and resumed her chores, which she had almost completed. Hickory, pleased, beamed at Logan.
“See? It’s that easy. Just make sure to write in big letters. She has good eyesight, but we want to make sure she doesn’t ware it out. Okay? Also, if you don’t want Ali to take away the book, you can leave a piece of one of those sticky notes in the pages like a bookmark. She’ll leave it alone.” Hickory stood and walked away from the vent. Before leaving, she turned back to Logan for a moment.
“Like I said, she’s one of the good ones. She doesn’t show it and would never say anything, but it hurts her feelings when she’s not given the chance to earn someone’s trust. Even if you don’t talk to her, a little gratitude goes a long way. A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.”
Logan watched Hickory dart back down the vents toward Ali’s room. He was once again surrounded only by the sound of the whirring vents and the faint sounds of Ali’s hummed song. He did not see Hickory re-enter the room, and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to. Not yet anyway. With his best penmanship, Logan wrote out the first three book titles he wanted to finish with the page number where he dropped off during his reading. He folded the note, his mind drifting once again to what his parents and siblings would say or think of him for communicating with a human, even if it was through writing. Logan stared at his handwriting for a moment. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Logan shoved the note through the vent grate and watched his note spiral and twist through the air until it landed on the ground. Ali caught sight of the note and approached.
“You know, Hickory, you’re getting weird…er…” Ali’s voice faltered as her eyes traced over the lettering. She knew instantly this was not Hickory’s writing. The penmanship was too neat. Everything was spelled correctly. There were even page numbers. Ali almost looked up to the vent but stopped herself halfway as though she remembered something. Instead, she gave a curious hum and a smile before scanning the book spines for the correct novels on the piece of paper. It took a minute to retrieve the books and to find a few more wooden book stands, but she finally set up all three books at their appropriate pages near the base of her desk. Logan sat cross-legged, astounded, as he watched Ali take special care of the note and overall set up of the books near the desk leg. It provided excellent cover as well as optimal lighting.
Knowing she would be leaving soon, Logan gathered up the Post-It stack, pencils, and scraps of cloth and hurried down to the path to her room. Ali would be leaving for work soon, and he wanted the chance to finish all three novels as well as write a few more notes. This new writing system was promising and lifted a great weight from his chest, a weight which snaked its way through his lungs and threatened to prevent him from breathing. After a while, Ali packed her bag and headed out for the night. The door clicked shut. Now was the time to strike. Logan stepped onto the desk, removed his grappling hook, and rappelled down to the ground next to the books. He hesitated as his eyes caught another note laid beside the far right book. The note read, “Enjoy 😊. Let me know if there are any others you want to read.” Logan couldn’t help but smile to himself, a new-found power stirring inside him. He could communicate with a human. This was how he could further establish Ali’s trustworthiness, all stemming from Hickory’s simple solution. “Ask her.”

Chapter Text

SEVEN | Proximity
The next month was unbelievably pleasant for Logan. After he left that first note a month ago and finished the first three books on his list, he ducked back into the walls and retreated to his room. Before leaving, he wrote a single note and left it on the book covers. “Thank you.” He didn’t wait to see Ali’s response. If the information he gathered was accurate, he knew how she would respond. Now, a month later, his nocturnal schedule was becoming more manageable. His pantry was well stocked. The communication with Ali was comparably minimal and his passion for reading grew with every novel.
The day was predictable, dependable, save for a few circumstances which caught him off guard in a pleasant way. One day, when he came into Ali’s room, he found the books he requested far underneath of the desk and not by the edge as they usually were. There was a warm glow from a lamp which also rested under the desk and a few small pillows set nearby. Feeling slightly concerned, Logan approached with extreme caution, drawing the razer blade dagger he crafted a few days ago. On the lamp was a single Post-It note with a brief message. “The lamp turns on and off with a touch. Thought this would be more private if you want to read undisturbed. I hope you like it. Enjoy.” Logan glanced up at the lamp. Under the desk was certainly more private and, from what he could tell, it was hard to get to for a human. There were many exit points and the gesture was thoughtful. He tried touching the light and, as if by magic, the light turned on and off with his touch. He settled onto the pillow and gazed at the next series of books before him, feeling satisfied and content for the first time in a long time.
A few weeks had passed since his new area was set up. Logan walked back down the familiar pathways through the walls to Ali’s room. The evening had set in and the activity of the house was quieting. There were only a few borrowers out and about, some of them new faces Logan hadn’t seen before. The thought of these new faces being rescued and brought to the shelter was reassuring, but also disheartening. The stream of borrowers coming in was a constant reminder that the world outside was dangerous and deadly. Logan wished he could do more, but even he possessed his limits. Perhaps Ali had books about legal human matters. He would have to ask in his next note.
He arrived at the familiar electrical cover and pressed it open just enough to peer through. No sign of Ali or of Hickory. The evening was shaping up to be a good one. Logan used his grappling hook and rappelled his way down the desk and to his corner. The three books were already set up, lamp on and ready. An uneventful evening passed as Logan managed to finish each of the three books he began three days ago. He appreciated the variety and option of switching from book to book. Though insignificant to an outsider, it provided an element of control which Logan could understand. He stretched his aching muscles, leaning from side to side with his hands extending far above his head. Logan glanced up at the clock in Ali’s room. He was far ahead of schedule. Quickly, he wrote a note for the next two books which intrigued him. With a moment of pause, he also jotted down the question of legal books he could peruse. Satisfied, he shoved the note into his pack and climbed his line up to the top of the desk.
As he looked for the optimal place for his note, his eyes fell on a book he had not noticed on the desk. The title of the book was “Stardust.” Instantly, he was intrigued. He stuck the note to the front cover and glanced over the image, a star falling from the sky and through the clouds. Logan, usually fond of more scientific novels, did enjoy reading about astrology. Perhaps that is what this book was about. He glanced back at the clock. He had the time to look over the book, at least for a few minutes.
Reading was significantly slower as this book was not on a stand and he had to keep the book propped up himself; however, the novel immediately fascinated him. A town called Wall. Kings and mysterious lands. So far, it was not about astrology, but captivated his attention. He managed to read past the four chapters when he noticed a Post-It note was acting as a page holder. A quick glance made his heart stop, not out of panic, but surprise. The Post-It had two words written on it. “Thank you.” Ali was using his note as a bookmark. He reached down and touched the text, using his back to prop the book open as he stood on the pages. It had been a while since he wrote those words. Did this note really mean that much to Ali? Or had she simply grabbed it out of convenience? Logan was so engrossed in the note and the novel that he did not notice the signature knock at the door.
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Every night felt like a long night, but Ali felt pleased with the work she accomplished through her shift. Only a few scary moments and overall uneventful. No nightmare inducing dreams tonight, or so she hoped. She knocked at the door and waited patiently as the song on her iPod finished. She jiggled the knob before turning it and peering into the room. At first glance, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary or anyone present. The lamp glow from under her desk was extinguished, which brought a thoughtful smile to her face. She had grown fond of getting to know her reading companion, or the dubbed “wall creeper” as Hickory called them.
She pulled out her headphones and entered the room, letting her backpack slide from her shoulder to set carefully on the ground. It wasn’t until she reached her bed that she realized the book she left on the desk was slightly propped open and that someone was crouched between the pages. Her voice caught in her throat. She forced herself to stay perfectly still like a statue. Whoever it was hadn’t noticed her knock. Maybe they were hiding in the pages because they couldn’t find cover? Had she given them enough time to get out of the room? If she made a dash to the door, it would only scare them; but, staying wasn’t a good option either. Time had run out as she watched the borrower’s head tilt up and glance over their shoulder, making eye contact with her.
Logan felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. Something was off. His heart began to pound in his chest, rapidly increasing his pulse. His breath hitched in his chest. Every limb became taut, prepared to spring into action. The pages of the book blocked his view of the door, but he could glance behind him. His instincts took over and he reluctantly looked over his shoulder toward the bed. Instantly, he made eye contact with Ali. She was standing perfectly still appearing as though she were the one caught where she wasn’t supposed to be. Even though she was easily five to six feet away, her proximity to him still felt too close.
With no control over himself, Logan let out a sharp yelp and threw himself backwards off of the book toward the electrical cover. He did not, however, anticipate the falling pages of the book he was supporting with his body. The chapters he had so thoroughly enjoyed minutes before now only induced more panic as they collapsed on his legs. It was only a minor pain, but the shock of the situation prevented Logan from moving backwards further. There he was lying on his back propped up by his elbows still pinched by the collapsed pages. His body began shaking before he realized it. He caught another glimpse of Ali, who looked surprised and apologetic as she took a few steps further back which nearly made her stumble back onto her bed.
“I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you on the desk. I… I did knock,” Ali’s statements came as quiet, but sharp, statements as though her mind were frantically trying to piece together a cohesive statement. Apparently, Logan wasn’t the only one frantic and taken aback by the situation. “Oh… gosh. Are you okay? Here… I’ll…” Ali stopped herself from moving forward. Logan could see her desire to help him conflicting greatly with respecting his unspoken boundaries. He felt his heartrate slowing. His breath came easily. His body had stopped trembling. “I’ll… just go back outside. Um… I’ll give you a few minutes. I am so sorry.” Ali cautiously side stepped toward the door.
It was then that Logan realized something. In those moments of Ali’s frantic apology, Logan realized it was the fact he was startled that unnerved him so much. It was not Ali who frightened him in that moment. His attention snapped back to the present. He could hear Ali scolding herself and mumbling something about what an idiot she had been. Just before Ali could reach the door, Logan did what he thought impossible. He called out to her.
“Wait!” Ali stopped mid-step and once again found contact with his eyes. She seemed to have an unnatural talent for meeting a borrower’s gaze instantly. They were both frozen, unflinching, while Logan gathered his thoughts. “You… you don’t have to leave. You can stay.” Logan found the statement true, an astonishing development in his opinion. Ali turned her head slightly to the side, indicating her internal confusion.
“Are… you sure? Really, I don’t mind leaving.” Logan pulled his legs free from the book and, after a quick examination, stood shakily. There would probably be a bruise, but nothing was sprained or twisted. Logan adjusted his glasses without breaking eye-contact.
“Yes,” he said, finding his voice clear once again. “Apologies for the outburst. I was taken off-guard.” Ali’s lips tugged into a half-smile followed by a short, breathy chuckle.
“No. It’s completely understandable. I should be the one apologizing. I’m the one who snuck up on you.” Ali glanced away bashfully, her cheeks becoming pinker with embarrassment. A thought flashed into her mind. “Not that I was trying to sneak up on you. I… I did knock.” Logan, after watching Ali for a moment, deemed her statements to be genuine and truthful.
“I am certain you did,” said Logan as he allowed his body to relax from its constant tension. “I should have been paying more attention. It’s just… I can have a one-track mind when reading.” Ali glanced back up at Logan, a thoughtful glow in her eyes.
“You like to read?” she asked, her silky-smooth voice drifting over the air like an autumn breeze.
“Yes,” replied Logan, a little too eagerly in his opinion. “I love to read.” Ali smiled again, this time allowing the smile to extend to both sides of her lips.
“What do you like to read?” she asked. Logan thought for a moment, his mind whirling with possibilities.
“Everything.” The word seemed to drift through the air before Logan realized he had spoken. Not only that. He was speaking easily to a human.
“Me too.” Ali’s statement interrupted his thoughts. She seemed less tense than before.
“I mean…” Logan stammered. “I prefer the knowledge-based books. Fantasy and dragons and monsters are a bit beyond my taste; however, I will not say no to a good book.” Ali adjusted her stance slightly, allowing her weight to rest on one leg more than the other, and averted her eyes. Ali chuckled softly before looking back to Logan.
“So, I’m guessing you’re the avid reader who’s been leaving the notes.” Logan felt himself tense involuntarily. His mind flashed back to what the Witch of a scientist would do with any information she pried out of him and his fellow borrowers. He felt suddenly reluctant to answer and forced his mind to reiterate the facts he gathered about Ali to continue his pleasant demeanor. Ali, on the other hand, picked up on his reluctance and continued in an attempt to smooth the situation. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I’ve liked reading the notes. It’s… nice having someone who likes reading as much as I do, especially the sciency books.” Logan took a special appreciation to the fact Ali said ‘someone’ as well as her acknowledgment of his intellect.
Logan once again felt himself easing with Ali. She hadn’t stepped closer and seemed content to remain where she was until permitted to move. Her voice wasn’t deafening as other humans’ voices had been and she moved slowly, even when repositioning herself on her feet. Logan was unsure of how to continue the conversation, but not Ali.
“You said you like knowledge-based books. Do you like mysteries? You know, trying to figure out what happened before the end of the novel?” asked Ali. Logan knew she was stepping out on a limb with asking something specific to him. He thought back to the novels he completed versus the ones he thoroughly enjoyed. He had only come across one other novel fitting that description; and he did enjoy it very much.
“I believe so, yes,” he said with relative confidence. An eager and optimistic smile crossed Ali’s face as she pointed to the bookshelves closest to her.
“May I?” she asked. Logan nodded, reminded again of Ali’s proximity to him. Ali crossed the floor to the books, her eyes scanning the titles and authors with incredible speed. Ali halted halfway through a shelf, her finger hovering by the book spines, until she reached forward and pulled the book from the shelf. She glanced at the synopsis of the back before looking back to Logan, whose curiosity overrode his instinct to flinch back under Ali’s gaze.
“I think you’ll really like this one. If you’re open to suggestions, of course. You don’t have to read it if you don’t want to. No pressure,” said Ali as she held up the cover of the novel. Logan found himself stepping forward a few steps to read the title, “The Murder or Roger Ackroyd.”
“Rather macabre,” thought Logan out loud. “But it does look interesting.”
“Do… you want to read the synopsis on the back?” asked Ali hesitantly. Logan thought for a moment. For him to read the back, Ali would need to place the book on the desk, closing the distance between them. She would be the closest he had been to a human in a considerable amount of time. His heartrate increased again, creating an uncomfortable throbbing in his neck. He readjusted his shirt under his poncho nervously. [I have my thumbtack. I’m close to the desk. If she darts forward, I’ll be ready.] Logan repeated these facts in his head and, what felt like minutes later, he nodded.
“Yes, that would be helpful.” Logan backed away a few steps, leaving a spot for Ali to place the book. “If you could place it just there.” Ali acknowledged Logan’s request and approached the desk slowly to place the book on the desk. Once she set the book down, she retreated to her bed and sat down on the comforter. Logan placed faith in the facts as he took his eyes off of Ali to read the synopsis on the back of the book. She was right. This book did seem promising.
He looked back up at Ali, who had averted her eyes to keep from staring at him while he read. “This book does seem intriguing. Would you… I mean… could you put it under the desk for tomorrow?” Logan watched Ali nod and grin kindly.
“Of course. Are there any other books you’d like to read? Or are they written in your note somewhere?” asked Ali. Logan nodded as he walked to the other book, “Stardust,” and picked up his note. He glanced at the words, suddenly feeling slightly foolish. He could just tell Ali. She was right there after all. Logan shook away the thought. It was better to have things written down. He could, however, ask her about the legal books.
“I… did want to ask,” Logan began. “Do you have any legal texts?” Ali thought for a moment, glancing at the spines of the books she possessed rather than look at Logan, which he appreciated.
“You mean, other than mystery novels? Books on forensics? Or books for law school?” asked Ali. She bit her lip, locked in a momentary debate, before pressing forward. “Or, are you looking for legal texts about borrowers?” Ali’s probing eyes made Logan shift uncomfortably. He knew she was trying to help.
“Yes.” Logan found himself muttering. For whatever reason, Logan felt himself talking. Perhaps it was simply thinking out loud. Perhaps he was trying to justify his choice of text to Ali. Perhaps he was trying to make his case. Whatever the reason, Logan realized only afterwards that he spoke.
“I cannot ignore the constant influx of new faces. I cannot help but think there is something more that can be done. You and Thomas and the others seem well versed enough in legal matters to garner aid and gain favor with the authorities; however, the borrowers who are present are only a small fraction of those who are currently suffering. How can I sit and read for enjoyment when so many others are suffering? Isn’t it my responsibility if I can provide aid by examining current laws or text?” The room filled with silence like a slow fog drifting through a forest. Logan suddenly was hyper aware of his level of frustration and anger and, as a result, helplessness. Logan averted his eyes to the note in his hands. He didn’t have to look up to know Ali was looking at him with concern. He didn’t want to be pitied. He didn’t want to feel helpless. His insides churned in knots at his realizations and his hands clenched, crinkling the note between his hands.
“You’re not wrong, and I definitely know how you feel.” Ali muttered. Logan felt himself glare for a moment, interpreting her tone as patronizing, but changed his mind when seeing her own frustrated and disheartened expression. Ali had averted her eyes to look at the leg of the desk, allowing Logan to watch her expressions without feeling watched. “I know Thomas has some books in his office and he printed some things off yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to read them, but he thinks it’ll help. I’ll borrow them from Thomas and put them under the desk for you when I get them.” Logan shifted, thinking about another human knowing about his reading, which Ali seemed to pick up on in that fraction of a second. “I don’t have to tell Thomas you’re the one reading them. Don’t worry.” He couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved as well as tense. Logan shook his head and set his note onto the “Stardust” book.
“No,” said Logan stiffly. “I mean… thank you for the offer, but it would not be ideal for you to keep secrets from Thomas. You said yourself this place is built on mutual trust. I cannot jeopardize that simply because of a little discomfort.” Logan saw Ali smile once again. It wasn’t a sinister smile like the one he had known with the Witch scientist, but a thoughtful, warm smile.
“We could compromise and tell Thomas myself and someone else want to be more involved legally but not say who. Would that be alright?” stated Ali. Logan nodded and readjusted his glasses.
“That is satisfactory,” he muttered. Ali nodded and the quiet silence returned. Logan felt a yawn tugging at the back of his throat. He attempted to hide it with a deep inhalation, but yawns were apparently contagious as Ali barely managed to hide a yawn with her elbow. Logan took that opportunity to speak up.
“Well, I ought to take my leave,” said Logan with a curt nod. “Rest well.”
“Absolutely. Sorry for the yawn. Have a great day and I’ll put those books you wanted in your, uh, makeshift office,” said Ali. Logan paused in the middle of his turn. His spot. He kind of liked the sound of having a makeshift office, even if it was under the desk. It hit him on just how much he had grown fond of the little things Ali had done, from the propped-up books to the lamp and comfortable seating arrangements. She hadn’t done these things just for him, he was certain of that much.
“Ali?” he called, slightly louder than he anticipated. Ali looked up at him, making eye contact once again. “Thank you.” Ali couldn’t help the swell of gratitude and pride swelling in her chest.
“You’re welcome,” she replied just as Logan ducked behind the electrical covering. He eventually made his way back to his room, mind racing. Logan walked into his room and shut the door as a wave of exhaustion struck him. He interacted with a human for the first time since his rescue. They conversed pleasantly, a striking difference compared to his other interactions with humans. Plus, Logan would now be able to read about legal issues. Perhaps he could find something the others had overlooked. He collapsed onto his mattress with enough energy to remove his shoes and pull a blanket over his frame before being pulled into a restful slumber.

Chapter Text

EIGHT & NINE | Piqued & Grief
Another few months passed in the so called “Tiny Shelter.” Every few weeks, new arrivals were welcomed into the fold of the makeshift family those at the Shelter formed together. The basement walls were finally cleared out, opening up dozens of rooms for other borrowers. There was talk of turning the entire basement into a city like structure with the right materials, but there was the issue of the basement being useful storage space as well as it being the emergency severe weather shelter. Needless to say, there was buzzing inside of the walls as the borrowers’ lives unfolded.
Outside of the shelter, however, was another matter. With anything, laws and opinions took time to form. Arguments dragged on for weeks. Paperwork was a constant hinderance. Even if everything went perfectly, there was still the potential of arriving too late. Things had gone faster recently, but never seeming to be fast enough.
Logan had found himself spending more and more time immersed in legal texts. There were inconsistencies and loopholes which he was able to expose, something his human counterparts were eternally grateful for as were some of his borrower friends, Virgil and Patton being his largest supporters. Patton, ever the optimist, encouraged him to keep reading while Virgil, though supportive, always felt it necessary to advise caution when speaking humans. In reality, Logan had only ever spoken to Ali, and usually it was when she came in from her shift and he felt an urgency to inform her of his discoveries. It felt childish to Logan, not going and speaking to Thomas or the other members of his team like Joan or Talyn. Still, Logan could not summon the courage to speak with them without spending ample time to gauge their reactions. He knew Ali much better than the others and it still took significant gumption to stand up and speak without stuttering. At least, that’s what Logan told himself in the beginning.
In reality, those few months reading legal texts and conversing with Ali revealed to Logan that she had indeed become a friend. He found himself coming around before Ali left for work, if she needed to work, and speaking with her about books and various current events. He had become more comfortable speaking with her over this expanse of time than with some of his fellow borrowers in the walls – and he found he was enjoying himself. She was equally intellectual and as she was caring, cautious and yet unintimidated in asking bigger questions, logical and creative. Only a slim portion of the current borrower population in the Shelter could read and write, leaving him intellectually unstimulated. Yet, with a human, he could hold an in-depth conversation about astrology, biology, or forensic mysteries. Ali never ceased to amaze him; unfortunately, the same could be said of her roommate, Hickory.
Hickory, Logan discovered, was a borrower he became quite annoyed with through minimal interaction – but only when she was with Ali. On her own, Hickory was a bit of a nuisance, but she was willing to go the extra mile behind the scenes, whether it be for another borrower or for Ali. When with Ali, however, Hickory’s personality intensified. She was a little louder than most borrowers, but she would blatantly shout and scold Ali for seemingly nothing in particular. Hickory was bold when it came to clearing out spaces and new rooms, but with Ali she was reckless. Logan had lost track of how many times, when he was conversing with Ali, that Hickory would take a running leap off of the ceiling fan without a safety line or throw thumbtacks at Ali just to get a reaction. Hickory was never afraid of letting someone what she thought about them and, sometimes, she was polite about it; but, she would ruthlessly tease or chastise Ali. Hickory also had no aversion to physical touch, especially when it came to Ali. Hickory often demanded to ride of Ali’s shoulder, her hoodie, or be carried between rooms to interact with other humans. Logan shuddered each time he thought of being at the mercy of a human’s touch, even if that human were Ali.
They had their moments of quiet and thoughtful interactions, Ali and Hickory did. Logan only caught a glimpse of them from time to time, usually when Hickory was apologizing for something she said or did. Without fail, Ali always forgave her and offered a hand so they could go about their day. Logan watched the way Roman and Remus interacted with Thomas and the other Shelter members on a few rare occasions. Not even Roman and Remus, who had quite the rapport with Thomas, interacted quite the same way.
Logan would dismiss Ali and Hickory’s interactions as them simply being good friends if something in the back of his mind weren’t constantly tugging at the mystery before him. His interest was piqued. It was a nuisance for months prior and it was becoming a festering curiosity with every interaction he had with both Hickory and Ali. Still, he kept his questions to himself. The last thing he wanted was an emotional Hickory turning her wrath from Ali to him.
It was evening now. Logan walked the familiar halls, casting greetings only when necessary, toward Ali’s room. Ali would most likely have work tonight, if he remembered her overall schedule correctly. He left a little later than normal and found himself quickening his pace to ensure he did not miss saying good-bye to Ali before she left. He came to the familiar electrical wall covering and pressed it open, his hand no longer trembling as it did a few months prior. He stepped out onto the desk, closing the covering behind him, and into the desk lamp light. Logan scanned the room for a moment. Ali’s bag was hung over the desk chair. The Christmas lights illuminating the books along the shelves were on and giving the room a warm, inviting glow. When his eyes traced over the bed, however, he was surprised to see a familiar figure laying on top of the comforter.
It was Ali.
She was laying very still, almost unnervingly so. Her face was to the wall, back toward the desk. The white, opaque curtain was slightly drawn over the bed, so Logan stepped closer to the edge so his keen eyes could pick up on her gentle inhalation and exhalation. Breathing was a good sign. Was she sleeping? So close to when she needed to leave? Had her alarm not gone off?
“Ali?” he called. There was no response. It wasn’t like Ali to not respond. She must be asleep. Logan was now torn. He wanted to respect Ali’s privacy, just as she had done for everyone in the Shelter, yet he would feel incredibly guilty if she had slept through her alarm and he did not offer his aid. Better safe than sorry, he elected to make sure she was ready for work. He jogged across the desk to the very edge where a small bridge like structure extended from the edge of the desk to her bedside table.
“Ali?” he called again, a little louder this time. Now that he was closer, he could better see through the gossamer curtain. Ali’s breath was not as even as he originally thought. It sounded tense and shuddering. Her shoulders quaked slightly. Was she afraid? Was she having a nightmare? Logan knew there were shelves next to the bed, the top shelves Hickory often used as her room, but there were access panels from inside the walls which would come out right next to the bed. Logan shook the thoughts away. He elected, instead, to stand on the bedside light switch and flick it on and off. The sudden light change did the trick. Ali’s head adjusted on the pillow and she twisted around, slightly startled, to see Logan standing on the switch. Logan felt his jaw slacken slightly as he took a half-step backward off of the switch.
Ali’s eyes were slightly red around the rims. Her face was streaked with tears. Ali looked just as stunned to see Logan standing there as he did seeing her upset. Immediately, she reached up and pulled her headphones out of her ears, the logical explanation for why she hadn’t responded to Logan’s calls earlier. She sniffed and reached up with her palm immediately and wiped away the tear streaks along the edges of her cheeks. Ali pulled the curtains apart slightly.
“Hey.” Ali sounded like she was in a breathy daze. Her voice was as soft and sweet as ever, even though her eyes were still slightly misty. “I’m sorry. Did you need me for something? Do you need help, or did you want me to leave?” Logan could hardly believe his ears. Even though Ali was still visibly upset, she was asking if he needed anything and if she should be the one to leave.
“No,” said Logan quickly, a bit too quickly in his opinion. “I… I thought you might have overslept and would be late for work.” Ali smiled, somewhat weakly, but shook her head.
“No, I called in sick tonight. I’m sorry. I should’ve mentioned it yesterday. It just slipped my mind.” Ali made a loose fist with her right hand and gently knocked it against her temple. “Silly me,” she muttered. Logan felt his brow furrow, unconvinced at Ali’s attempts at lightening the situation.
“It is quite alright. No need to apologize,” said Logan, feeling suddenly quite concerned for Ali’s current emotional state. “Are… are you alright?” Ali glanced over at Logan and smiled weakly again.
“Yeah. Of course, I’m alright,” her voice trailed off. Logan gave her a disbelieving stare. He even went so far as to fold his arms across his chest. Ali picked up on Logan’s dissatisfied curiosity. She raised her hand again, slowly, and wiped her eyes. “It’s… just…” Ali breathed deeply to calm herself. “It’s my dad’s anniversary. He… passed away ten years ago.” Logan watched Ali’s shoulders deflate. He felt himself inhale sharply, exhaling slowly, and adjusting his stance slightly.
“I’m… I’m very sorry to hear that.” Logan was sincere. The loss of a parent was something he was unfortunately familiar with, and it was something he often tried to push out of his mind, especially recently. Logan himself was living on his own for some time before the borrowers were discovered by the human race and, in all reality, he had no earthly idea where his parents and two older brothers were. He felt his cheeks growing slightly warm, not only with the realization of his own situation, but also Ali’s situation. At first glance, Ali didn’t seem like the kind of person who had suffered the loss of a primary parental unit. He looked away, not wanting Ali to feel self-conscious, which surprised him.
“No, it’s okay. It’s a bit silly, really. It’s been a while ago and so many others have it worse than me,” muttered Ali. Her voice was overcoming her quake. “Sorry.” Logan tensed and stared at Ali for a moment.
“Simply because someone is experiencing something more frequently or recently than you does not negate your current emotional turmoil,” stated Logan. He bit his lower lip for a moment. “It is alright to be sad and to feel upset. It is okay.” He could feel Ali’s eyes glancing at him, a small smile turning the sides of her lips.
“Thank you,” she said. Ali crossed her legs under her and allowed her shoulders to slump. After a minute or so of silence, Ali sniffed again and cleared her throat.
“Did… you want the room to read for tonight? I can go down to the living room,” offered Ali. Logan realized after a moment he had shaken his head.
“No need,” he stated. “I wanted to ensure I wished you farewell before you departed but, as it seems, that is unnecessary.” Logan paused. “Instead, should you so desire, I could remain and keep you company and allow you to reminisce unless you prefer to remain solitary. I read in a few of those books and articles you provided that reminiscing can aid a person’s emotional state significantly, unless they’re a habitual worrier in which case it may make their condition worse. As an alternative, I could retrieve someone you may be more comfortable with, perhaps Hickory, to share with. Emotions, especially grief, sometimes require different circumstances to make one feel better.” Logan glanced up at the sound of Ali chuckling lightly.
“That’s really sweet of you,” she said with a bright smile, which brought back that familiar, contagious twinkle in her eyes. “I… I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay; but, if you want to, the company would be nice.”
“Then stay I shall.” Logan realized he was slightly smiling as he elected to sit on the bedside lamp base. He cleared his throat in an attempt to shake the feeling. “Well, I am no expert when it comes to things like reminiscing. Is that what you wish to do? Or, rather, do you want to tell me about your father?” Ali chuckled again as she nodded.
“Um… okay. Well…” Ali’s voice trailed off, memories passing through her eyes in a rapid slideshow. Where could she begin? How could she sum up her father to someone who had never met him? Ali involuntarily spoke in fragments and pieces, as if she were trying to reveal the entire picture of a puzzle by lumping like pieces together. “My dad… well, he was my best friend. He was my mentor, one of the two people who I looked up to. He was funny but he was often quiet. Not that he was shy, but his humor was always perfectly timed. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it, especially if it made the crowd laugh.” Ali paused and inhaled shakily.
“My dad was in the Army, so we moved around a lot, but it was okay. I was pretty good at making friends and I always had my parents. He taught me all of his cool survival skills, so I know about finding water and first-aid; that’s probably what got me into the field in the first place. He was great at math and he loved reading books aloud to me. I remember he would stay up for hours after a long, hard day at work and just read and read until I fell asleep. He had the perfect narrator voice. He actually had to convince my mom to name me Alice, from Alice in Wonderland. That was one of his favorite books, along with ‘The Hobbit.’” Ali paused again. “He… always could see right through me. He had this way of seeing right through any problem I had or anything I didn’t want to talk about and somehow made it better. We could talk about pretty much anything and have a good time with it.”
“It sounds as though you two were very close,” said Logan, entranced by Ali’s description. He was gaining a clear picture of her father. Ali smiled.
“Yeah, we were inseparable. At least, until he needed to go away for his deployments. Even then, he would call or write letters and hide them around the house for me and mom to find,” said Ali. She turned, a little quickly for Logan’s liking, to the shelf behind her and pulled something from one of the boxes. It looked like a piece of laminated paper which Logan identified as a photograph as Ali held it up for him to inspect. The picture was of a tall, toned man with dark hair and bright eyes. He was slightly hunched over in the photograph because he held a girl on his back. She too had bright eyes like his and a smile to inspire others.
“Is this… you? And your father?” asked Logan after readjusting his glasses.
“Yeah. This is right after my sixteenth birthday. We had my birthday party before he went so we could celebrate together…” Ali’s voice trailed off as she turned the picture back to her. Her fingers absent mindedly traced the face of her father, eyes locked in some kind of staring contest. “He died a couple of months later during his deployment.” Ali fell silent as she folded her hand behind the photograph in her lap. “And… something happens every day that I wish I could tell him about.”
“Like what?” Logan asked after a few minutes of saddened silence.
“Well… I would tell him about my work and how many people I helped. I would tell him about this place and about the work I do here. I would probably tell him about Hickory and my fellow bibliophile,” Ali glanced up at him and gave him a small wink, making his ears feel uncomfortably warm. “I’d ask him about what to do and how to fix what’s going on with the laws and regulations. I’d tell him about me and mom…” Ali paused at this point. She didn’t realize she was rambling and, with the last piece, she retreated into herself, as though she had spoken too much. Logan, however, found himself curious again.
“What about your mother?” Logan asked cautiously. Ali glanced away, head slightly tilted with reluctance. “Apologies, I did not mean to overstep any boundar…”
“No.” Ali cut his statement off short. “No. It’s alright. It’s… My mom and I don’t really get along anymore.”
“Really?” Logan found himself genuinely astonished. “I am having a difficult time conceiving the notion that someone would have a hard time getting along with you. You’re certainly quite agreeable with the residence here.” At this, Ali actually laughed. It was a little louder than Logan anticipated, but seeing a smile and hearing a laugh was preferable to seeing tears and hearing sobs.
“I know, right? But, really, I have my difficult moments, but I’d rather keep the peace than make waves. Anyway… I don’t know. We were closer than ever after dad’s death. It was right before I started going to college that she found someone else who made her happy like dad did.” Ali sighed as she placed the picture of her and her father back into the cubby by her bed. “I thought it was a good thing. He seemed nice enough. Plus, she wouldn’t be alone and she could be happy; but she ended up marrying this guy and something changed. She started getting into bad things because of him and now, somehow, a lot of bad choices she made are my fault. I don’t know…”
“I… I’m sorry,” muttered Logan, to which Ali shrugged.
“It’s okay. That’s family. And… I guess we all deal with grief in different ways, right? I like talking things out. Thomas is more a silent, insightful reflector. Roman is… well, he’s Roman. Even Hickory has her ways.” Ali glanced back to Logan, finding his eyes instantly. She had a quirky smile notched in the corner of her lips. “For not being an expert, you’re really good at this.” Logan couldn’t help the small flare of pride in his chest.
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. This… it’s just… thanks.” Logan bit his lower lip and looked away. Then, a thought occurred to Logan, which sent his mind reeling. Hickory had her own coping mechanism. Grief did have an interesting way of presenting itself. Was that why their relationship dynamics were so different? Before Ali could ask him anything about his own family, as he suspected she might, he spoke up.
“Is that why Hickory behaves the way she does with you?” Logan could not find the strength to stop himself nor take back his question. An uncomfortable silence struck them in the chest. “I… I apologize. I do not know where that came from.” Logan looked away, somehow knowing this must be the answer to why Hickory behaved so differently with Ali than she did with the other humans or borrowers. Grief. Hickory and Ali arrived at the shelter at the same time, meaning they knew one another prior to coming to the Shelter. But rather than seeing Ali’s face twist in anger or offence, Logan watched her fall into a melancholy state disguised by a thoughtful smile.
“I suppose so. That’s definitely one reason,” muttered Ali. Her fingers absently traced her palms where Logan had watched Ali catch innumerable thumbtacks. “But, that’s more of a question for Hickory. She’s the subject matter expert anyway,” Ali chuckled slightly, though it was not her usual laughter.
“Of course, my apologies. I shouldn’t pry.” Logan scolded himself for ruining the conversation; something Ali picked up on and waved away with her hand.
“It’s nothing. Anyway, what is your family like?” Logan, slightly relieved and slightly nervous, began talking about his family in comparatively vague terms. His two older brothers were several years older than himself and, as a result, were able to go out into the human world frequently. His eldest brother often brought things back for Logan to read, as did his father, while his mother and middle brother provided him with necessary skills such as mending and storekeeping. It was his middle brother who taught him some more mischievous activities like moving things around to confuse the humans or showing him how to properly snap mouse traps without harming himself or the food, which was usually fresh, but Logan never really cared for such activities. Ali seemed disheartened when Logan told her he hadn’t seen them in a long time, but he assured her that it was generally the borrower way to strike out on your own with the great possibility you wouldn’t see your family again. Logan described it as a rite of passage, though Ali didn’t seem thrilled about that being a cultural custom.
Their conversation evolved from family to family ties to trees to botany and flowers. These things eventually evolved into a discussion of the stars, something Logan was always fascinated with. After a momentary lull in the conversation, Ali spoke up once again.
“You know, there’s a meteor shower coming up here next week.” Logan’s eyes widened.
“A meteor shower?” Ali nodded, a bit enthused herself.
“It’s supposed to be really nice outside and apparently we’re going to be in just the right spot.” Her voice faltered. She glanced away, almost shyly. “I don’t know if you’d be interested… but do you want to go to the roof sometime on my day off and do some stargazing? Maybe see some meteors?” Logan nearly leapt up in excitement.
“That would be amazing. Personally, I have not had the opportunity to stargaze nor observe a meteor shower. This would be an excellent opportunity to test my knowledge of regional constellations!” He could barely control himself, leaving Ali laughing at the scene.
“Alright then, sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile. It was then that a yawn betrayed them both. A quick glance at the clock showed it was nearly dawn and sleep was necessary. With a quick nod and their customary good-byes, Logan began to leave. Just as Logan reached to electrical cover, Ali called to him again.
“Hey, fellow bibliophile… thanks for staying. I know you didn’t have to. It was nice, staying up and talking. So, thanks for listening.” Logan couldn’t help but cast a smile over his shoulder. Suddenly, he realized a fatal flaw, a severe oversight on his part. Everything happened so gradually and yet so quickly he hadn’t noticed before. Ali never called him by his name. All this time passed and she, not once, had asked him to give up his name.
“Actually,” he said, their eyes meeting once again. “It’s Logan.” Ali turned her head curiously to the side.
“Logan?” she asked. He nodded.
“That is my name. I realized only now you, in your efforts to respect boundaries and not procure information not willingly provided, that you did not ask for me to give up my name.” Ali seemed confused for a moment before realizing it herself.
“Oh gosh, yikes! I’m such an awful friend!” she scolded herself, to which Logan shook his head; but then it struck Ali. “So… you’re giving me your name now?” Logan nodded.
“It seems fitting. We are, as you said, friends, aren’t we?” stated Logan. Ali wrapped her arms around herself, seemingly slightly embarrassed and flattered.
“I’d like to think we are,” she stated softly.
“Well then. Get some rest and I shall see you tomorrow, Ali.” Logan ducked behind the electrical cover and began heading home, but not before hearing a soft call after him.
“You too, Logan.”

Chapter Text

SIXTEEN & SEVENTEEN | Nineth Day & Limp
It should have been anticipated. It was only natural. Logical. With Logan now behind the wheel reading a vast majority of legal texts, the processes and loophole exposure was becoming faster and faster with every passing day. He may not be a lawyer in accordance with the law, but he could present an effective argument with supporting evidence at the drop of a hat. Logan, still uncomfortable speaking with the other humans at the shelter, proposed a compromise – he would create detailed notes and attend the group discussions, contributing clarification from the relative safety of the vents or the top shelf of Thomas’ office bookcase when necessary. Logan was slowly getting used to the other humans, but being seen by so many humans simultaneously, even after a year later, was unnerving.
One of the crucial details the human courts failed to address was how to prove the abuse of borrowers without concrete evidence. The methods before relied on whistleblowing and the extremely rare, quite improbable, testimony obtained from surviving borrowers. It took a painstaking amount of time, but traction was gaining as more people began to realize the sentience of borrowers. As a result, the courts determined that timeliness was an issue and permitted the distribution of permits and faster turnaround of warrants for observation and intervention.
Suddenly, Thomas and his team were able to go out more frequently and investigate, spending time observing humans who had obtained borrowers through one set of means or another. New faces came daily for nearly two weeks, a phenomenon the Tiny Shelter hadn’t experienced. The members in the walls maintained and evolved their culture. Half of the basement turned into a major construction site as borrowers began building and constructing more homes. Everyone cautiously optimistic, but they were far from their goal. Still, every new face helped. One of these cautiously optimistic days, however, turned on a dime.
It was on the nineth day of observations. Ali was the primary tipster. An emergency call came from an old apartment complex and, naturally, Ali and the other EMTs responded. The person apparently suffered from some sort of heart attack and required resuscitation; however, Ali noticed far more when she was inside of the apartments. Glossed over by her fellow paramedics, Ali noticed cages, fragments of doll clothing, and peculiar stains on tables, carpet, and on the doll clothing itself. Ali had stepped away only for a moment and managed to glimpse past one of the ajar doors, drawn by the sound of soft sobbing. She knew what she saw and stealthily snuck several unblurred photos as evidence. After the individual was secured and they made it back to the ambulance, Ali sent Thomas the pictures.
Thomas called immediately after, but Ali was unable to answer as she was still at work. Needless to say, Thomas was floored by what he saw. There were dozens of small cages, perfect for a borrower; or, rather, a borrower child. The team set out immediately to obtain a warrant based on Ali’s testimony and photographs. Logan armed them as best as he could with other cases which set precedence, but he could only do so much. There was also the issue of Ali taking photographs of someone’s private home while they were being stabilized. There were more than enough paramedics and EMTs to ensure the person would be alright, but she spent time taking photographs of an area which was not with the patient. Secretly, Ali prayed she wouldn’t be fired as a result of potentially breaking some ethical rule or another. The team could only insinuate and urge for observational time, which they were allowed – barely, and under strict supervision by local authorities.
As part of their preparation for potentially receiving a large number of children, the team had asked Roman, Remus, Hickory, and even Logan to spread the word and ask if anyone would be willing to volunteer to help foster the kids, if that was indeed who they were dealing with. They were still waiting for word to spread when they left to observe the apartment. Unbeknownst to them, Hickory had slipped herself into Ali’s pack to tag along and help in whatever way she could. Hickory had become more and more impatient with Ali recently, frequently criticizing her and how she allowed Logan to help but did not allow her to assist. Ali, a pillar of calm, somehow managed to explain and finagle her way out of a stab from the sharpened thumbtack Hickory kept at her hip. On this day, however, Hickory ignored Ali’s warnings and decided to come with the team.
The team was eight days in and on their nineth day of observation. The officers were called away because of a nearby robbery and made the executive decision to trust that the team would adhere to the laws and regulations they swore to uphold. At one point, Ali had to step away because of a phone call. When Ali returned, she pulled Thomas forcefully to the side. They talked in hushed whispers. Thomas looked concerned and seemed to be reassuring Ali, but Ali waved it away. She looked determined, but also like she was barely holding herself steady. They had the evidence they needed yet were mortified at what was before them. They would have stayed longer had it not been for someone’s agonizing cries and a string of curses from Ali’s slightly unzippered bag.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Logan paced anxiously along the bookcase in the main room. Evening was approaching fast. He had a perfect view of the door for when the team arrived. It would be today or tomorrow that they would get the go-ahead to seize the children. Logan hoped his evidence was enough. Had he been foolish when he rejected the opportunity to speak on his fellow borrowers’ behalf in front of a judge? No. Had he gone, he was not certain he would be able to keep his natural instincts in check. Logan compiled that fact with the other, which was that he had not been held or carried by a human in nearly a year. He had interacted with one, yes – Ali – but she tried to maintain her distance. Logan corrected himself. He had been carried, if it could even be called that, once – when he and Ali were stargazing on the roof. It was frigid and Logan had not prepared enough warm blankets, electing to lay next to Ali on her shoulder and under her blankets. He adjusted his glasses. It wasn’t really that bad. She hadn’t grabbed him. She was very still and calm. Plus, he had seen his first meteor shower – a truly magical experience as Roman would phrase it.
His reminiscing of the meteor shower was sharply interrupted by the entire Shelter team coming in through the front door followed by furious shouts, but not from anyone on the team. He felt his heartrate quicken and, instinctively, he gravitated to the bookends to better disguise his presence to the unobservant human. Logan tilted his head to better distinguish the voice. It was unmistakably Hickory’s voice, and she was once again yelling at Ali – but something was different this time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“LET ME GO YOU IGNORANT, INSENSITIVE, OVERGROWN FRACK!” Hickory’s shrill voice could break glass. She hadn’t stopped shouting the entire way home. Thankfully, Ali had ridden her motorcycle which drowned out a lot of Hickory’s insults. Now, however, Hickory was no longer being hindered by the wind. Ali was holding Hickory, slightly tighter than her normal, open-handed grip, while Hickory repeatedly jabbed her thumbtack into Ali’s hand. “YOU COWARD! YOU LEFT THEM! YOU LEFT THEM TO DIE!” The counter was just ahead. Ali’s features, neutral, hardened, and tired, reflected defeat and pain. Ali placed Hickory on the counter gently and withdrew her hand as soon as she was able, but not before Hickory managed to give her one more slice across her palm. The rest of the team congregated, looking equally as defeated, in the living room, sitting on the sofa with hands on their heads. They stayed like this for only a moment before pulling out their phones, anxiously making calls to their contacts.
Thomas, on the other hand, approached quickly in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “Hickory, please try to lower your voice.” Hickory ignored his request, her seething eyes fixated on one lone target.
“Hickory,” Ali said, her voice cool and calm. “I know you’re upset. I am too, but you shouldn’t shout.”
“Why the FRACK not!” hollered Hickory. “Are you afraid the others will realize what useless cowards you are?” Ali made no attempt to stop her hand from bleeding. Drops of her blood gathered at her fingertips and threatened to drop onto the ground. Motionless, Ali stood like a scolded child.
“We’re doing everything we can, but the judge said we couldn’t act until tomorrow. The evidence we gath…”
“EVIDENCE! THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL EVIDENCE?” Hickory interrupted, her face flushing scarlet. Ali winced and took a calming breath before continuing.
“Unfortunately… yes. We have enough to convict them. They won’t get out for years with the new laws passed, hopefully more,” said Ali. Logan had never seen Ali this way before. Her usual glow had faded. She seemed defeated and small, and not just because of Logan’s current position on the bookshelf.
“Yeah, but not the right laws! You’re going to get them for their ‘content distribution’ and not what they were ACTUALLY doing!” Hickory pointed an accusing finger at Ali. “Admit it. You can’t actually do anything for us, can you?”
“That’s not true.” Even Ali’s counterpoints sounded weak. “We have everyone here. They’re living as normally as they can given the circumstances. Plus…”
“Oh, well thank the heavens above we can get our scraps,” Hickory rolled her eyes and began angrily pacing a few steps at a time before turning on her heel and moving in the opposite direction, as if she didn’t know which direction she wanted to start sprinting in first. “What happens when you lazies show up tomorrow and no one is there because…” Hickory was so flustered and angry she couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Hickory, we’ll get them. That’s what the team is doing now. They’re contacting who they can,” said Ali.
“AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH?” shouted Hickory as she threw her thumbtack at Ali. Thankfully, it did not hit her and, instead, fell to the floor by Ali’s shoe. Ali bent over and picked it up with her uninjured hand and set it on the counter. Logan stared from his obvious hiding place, confounded. What happened? What was making Hickory behave like this? What happened to Ali?
There was a silence as Hickory and Ali locked eyes. Not surprisingly, Ali looked away first. Thomas’ eyes flicked between them, waiting for what would happen next.
At that moment, Roman and Remus appeared over the edge of the counter, climbing as frantically as they could. Roman, arriving first, barely managed to pant out a statement. “What… what is go…going on?”
Remus followed suit. “My thoughts exactly. You’re howling more than me on one of my good night. What’s going on? What happened?” Hickory glared over her shoulder at her fellow borrowers before backing up and pointing at them, once again locking eyes onto Ali.
“You wanna tell them? You wanna fess up to what you witness and did NOTHING about?” Hickory folded her arms pointedly across her chest.
“Hickory, we can only do so much. We’re bound, legally. We can’t jeopardize this place falling into the wrong hands,” urged Ali. Logan wasn’t good about pinpointing emotions, but was Ali’s voice trembling? Was he mistaken? She sounded as she did on the night she spoke of her father – barely able to speak because she was upset.
“Then, please,” encouraged Hickory sarcastically. “Tell them about how your legal bonds are KILLING US.” Roman and Remus both appeared alarmed as they turned to Ali and Thomas for some sort of reassurance that Hickory was incorrect. Their hopes were quickly being dashed.
“By the horn of a unicorn, will someone please tell us what is going on without all of this drama?” asked Roman, his resounding voice more commanding than friendly. Ali tensed, but started before Thomas.
“We have been observing the people I reported. For eight days, we’ve seen some messed up stuff, but tonight was worse…” Ali’s voice trailed off. Her injured hand twitched involuntarily, both sending drops of blood onto the floor and a wince onto Ali’s face.
“GASP! Why don’t you just say it?” demanded Hickory. Neither Thomas nor Ali could speak fast enough before Hickory continued. “Well… isn’t this great. Can’t even get it up. They’re eating the kids, Roman. Those fracking monsters are torturing the kids before killing them. They’ve got this whole set-up and everything. And, apparently, we can’t do anything because of guess who… all of these stupid fracking human laws made for humans to serve humans.”
The silence seized each person’s being, Hickory’s mortifying statement lingering in the air. Roman and Remus both looked as though they had been punched in the gut, the breath knocked from their bodies. Roman fell to his knees, slightly hunched over due to the wave of nausea stabbing his insides, while Remus stabilized himself on his twin. Ali was now staring at her bloody palm. Thomas’ eyes drifted back to his team, who was still making frantic calls to whoever would listen. Some of them even fished out their laptops to begin distributing the pictures for their campaign and petition. Logan didn’t need to be nearby to hear what was said. He, too, collapsed to his knees. His heart stopped, pumping nothing yet pounding against his chest. Remus cleared his obviously constricted throat to break the silence first.
“Th…that’s… messed up,” muttered Remus.
“Duh,” growled Hickory. “And we could have done SOMETHING.”
“There was nothing we could have done in that moment,” interjected Thomas. “In that moment, we made a decision and we cannot second guess it now. We are bound by laws we cannot control, for now. We made the best choice we could given what we are allowed to do, and it’s done.”
“Hickory, you know why we couldn’t do anything today. We wanted to. We still want to. If we can get someone up and sign the paper we’ll go back right now. Things like this take time. I know how you feel…” Ali’s statement was cut short.
“Oh, do you? How do you know how that feels, Ali? Tell me. Please. I’m so interested to know how you know what it feels like to see your own kind get eaten by a monster. Go ahead, I’m waiting.” Hickory’s statement stung, that much was obvious.
“I meant… I know how it feels to want to do something and you can’t,” muttered Ali. She was losing whatever inner battle she was waging in her mind, Logan could see that much. Each jab Hickory made seemed to make Ali recede further and further into herself. Logan had never seen Ali like this. Hickory scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“You’re pathetic,” spat Hickory as she turned her back on Ali, arms folded for just a moment before they flailed apart and one hand pointed accusingly at Ali. “You know, you’re just like your step-father.” Logan watched as something in Ali seemed to tense and flare. A calm settled over her, but it was a darker calm. Her eyes intensified. Her fists clenched, her injured hand squeezing more blood from the wounds like a wrung-out sponge.
“Don’t you dare compare me to him. You know better than that. I’m nothing like him.” Ali’s voice was still soft and even, yet came out a little more than a growl. A callous smile curled into Hickory’s lips, as though she had won some sort of silent debate already.
“Hickory,” muttered Roman, still in a daze yet trying to snap Hickory out of whatever tangent she was about to unleash.
“It’s the truth. He was nothing but a pathetic loser, blaming everyone but himself. He didn’t care about anyone but himself. He pretended to be nice so others would like him because, deep down, he knew he was nothing but a raging dumpster fire. A raging, alcoholic dumpster fire.” Hickory glared right back into Ali’s quaking eyes.
“Hickory, you don’t mean that,” Ali’s voice was obviously shaking, but that only encouraged the verbal prodding.
“Maybe that’s what brought your mom to him. She thought she could fix him. She thought he was something special when she should have given up on him a long time ago. He was a deadbeat manipulator and had her played. Maybe that’s what drove her to drink and drug up.” Ali’s knuckles were whitening, jaw clenched, body rigid. Thomas stepped forward.
“Hickory, that’s enough,” said Thomas firmly. “Taking out your anger on Ali isn’t going to help anyone.”
“No, it won’t help anyone, just like you all didn’t help anyone,” shot Hickory, eyes flicking to Thomas momentarily before gazing back upon her prey. “Just like your dad didn’t help anyone when he got shot to pieces. How did that help you? Oh wait… it didn’t.” Ali’s eyes flared, anger igniting deep within them.
“Don’t you dare speak ill of my dad when you didn’t even know him.” Ali’s tone, still quite and even, intensified.
“Oh, well… if we’re exchanging parental stories, then here’s one. My mother was a fantastic borrower. So were my sisters, before we were ripped apart and given to that sick psycho of a step-father you have. Like step-father, like step-daughter, you did nothing to help us, even when we were bleeding out.”
“I did help, and you know it.”
“Only after I was the last one standing.”
“I didn’t know.”
“And the moment you did, what did you do?”
“I helped.”
“You helped too late!” spat Hickory. “And that’s why you have your family and I don’t have mine. Oh wait… you don’t have one anymore.”
There was something chilling to the way Hickory spoke. A deep cold which sat buried deep in one’s chest. Untouchable. Cruel. It is the part someone turns to when all else fails, when they wish to inflict a deep, aching pain in someone else. No one knew what to do next. Their hesitation was tangible in the room. Did they console Ali, who stood trembling waging some sort of mental war within herself, barely able to stand composed? Did they scold Hickory? Reprimand her for the things she said out of anger and frustration? What if other borrowers saw the fight? Heard what was said? Would they flee? Try to leave what they believed to be a stable place because of this frightful display? What was Ali’s next move? Thomas knew Ali. He knew her past. He knew faults. He knew how hurt she was in this moment. But, now, with such a verbal assault, he was unsure of what Ali would do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything went numb in her body. Her mind possessed no thought. Breath hitched somewhere in her lungs, refusing to move. Something left a cold trace on her face like a stenciled line drawn by a thick, wet brush. Her eyes, unfocused, lost sight. Everything was blurred and hazy, colors blending together in unnamable shapes. She could have sworn her heart stopped. Ali was vaguely aware her body was shaking, injured hand twitching and dripping precious blood onto the hardwood floor. Finally, a spark in her mind and her heart brought her back to the present. A single, fatal word. Fine.
Such a word usually conveyed a neutral or positive state of mind. Ali was used to being “fine.” She was fine with working the graveyard shift because she needed the extra pay so she could funnel what she made into the Shelter. She was fine with being mistrusted because of the wonderful challenge it brought with earning trust and respect from the other residence. She was fine that she was constantly watched and viewed skeptically, because she knew who she was and that is what mattered. She was used to being a lot of things. This, however, was not that kind of “fine.”
Wordless with tears lining the sides of her face and nose, Ali pulled her helmet from under her arm, turned, and walked toward the door.
“Go ahead then. Run away! Go drown your sorrows in a bottle of booze!” shouted Hickory as she folded her arms and turned her back to the door. Thomas shot a daggered glare at Hickory.
“Ali, wait! Please!” called Thomas, taking a few faltering steps forward. He was not fast enough before Ali shut the door quietly behind her.
“Ali…” Roman and Remus seemed to utter simultaneously, their voices filled with sadness in their poor excuse to call her back. Thomas had just made it to the door when the signature sound of her motorcycle engine roared to life. It screamed into the evening air as Ali revved the engine and pealed out of the driveway and onto the road. She was gone. Thomas turned to Hickory with a venomous glare.
“She did not deserve that and you know it!” Thomas was careful to keep his voice from raising while also expressing his seething displeasure and disappointment.
“She’s a big girl and can handle herself,” retorted Hickory.
“You know about the phone call she got while we were out. You know she just found out…” Thomas’s voice trailed off. Remus spoke up first.
“Phone call? What phone call?” he asked. Thomas calmed himself for a moment before responding to Remus.
“Ali got a call while we were out that her mother just passed away,” muttered Thomas. “But you know what? She wanted to stay and help finish the job before dealing with that. Plus, you know about her past, Hickory.” Roman and Remus realized suddenly they were glaring at Hickory.
“Hickory, how could you say something so cruel?” asked Roman, finally regaining himself. Hickory, on the other hand, appeared offended.
“How could I? You’re angry at me? After everything you heard, I’m suddenly the bad guy?” she demanded, turning back to Thomas. “And, at any rate, it’s not your problem! Shouldn’t you be figuring out how to save the others? Or are you going to stand there and tell me how to live my life? Guess what. You don’t get to do that. I am not a pet, so leave me alone!”
Thomas stiffened and took nearly twenty seconds, breathing in sharply, holding his breath, and releasing it slowly. “No one here has ever treated you like that – especially Ali. You’re right, it’s not my problem. It’s yours.” With that, Thomas walked into the next room with his team as he removed his phone from his pocket. They heard him leave a message. The team, evidently, had stopped working after hearing the outburst one room over but returned the moment Thomas entered the room. Hickory, who could have breathed fire at that moment, stormed off toward the rappel lines and slid off the table without another word. Roman and Remus, after quite some time, made their way to the room with Thomas and the others to offer support in whatever way they could.
Logan, from his perch, witnessed the entire encounter. He knew Hickory was eccentric and often belittled Ali as some sort of severe power dynamic. He knew Hickory told him she acted the way she did with Ali to show the other borrowers that Ali wouldn’t hurt them, regardless of what Ali endured. This exchange, however, was different. Hickory was angry, and rightfully so, but took her anger out on Ali, who barely made a defense for herself. There was something more to their friendship, if Logan could even call it that after the exchange he witnessed. The mention of Hickory’s family was the first Logan remembered; but, to think Ali’s step-father had something to do with it? Logan thought back to that evening when he and Ali talked through the night and her description of her step-father and how her, now late, mother’s behavior changed soon after they engaged in an official matrimony. Someone who was manipulative and could twist a mother against her own daughter was someone who would certainly see a borrower as a lesser being. All of these things made Logan’s chest hurt and tighten painfully. It made everything Hickory said sting worse.
It was an odd sensation, feeling someone else’s pain. Logan prided himself in being able to distance himself, to remain unattached and effective – sound in body and mind. Now? Everything hurt. His head hurt in trying to work the pieces of the puzzle together. His body ached from tensing for so long. His chest and his heart throbbed in his chest as though he were the one chastised for something he could not control. He wiped his eyes as if he could wipe away what he had seen and froze. Withdrawing his hand, he noticed it was wet. He was so focused on how he felt internally he did not realize his body was shaking and his eyes were wet. So, until the wave passed, Logan resigned himself to sit. After what was most likely hours, he stood, shakily, and climbed back through the walls. Rather than move to his room and enjoy some well earned rest, he headed to Ali’s room. She said once he was good at listening and a friend she could talk to. When… not if… when she returned, perhaps he could listen again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was hours later. Much later than Thomas would have liked to admit. He tried calling. He tried texting. Nothing. No contact. No update. No Ali. His anxiety and worry for Ali’s well being mixed with frustration. How could she leave like that? He understood why, but it was the way she left that bothered him. Where had she gone to? He prayed silently she would not return to old habits. He pleaded desperately in his mind that she would come home safe. Goodness knew he had received one too many phone calls in the past about an injury or incident. He realized his breath had quickened and he was wearing a place in the carpet ragged. The other members of the team, not knowing Ali as well as him, offered to stay up or go out to look for her; all offers he dismissed with a kind smile. Everyone would need their strength for their raid on the apartments the next morning.
Roman and Remus, on the other hand, refused to leave Thomas’s side. They asked a few other borrowers to help prepare for the children’s arrival the next day so they could help Thomas. At any rate, there wasn’t much left to do now. Beds were prepared. Medical stations and first-aid how-to pamphlets were distributed and demonstrated thanks to Logan and, surprisingly, Virgil at Patton’s request. They were ready; at least, as ready as they could be at the moment.
The hour just passed two in the morning. Large, fluffy snowflakes drifted just outside of the windows and began to coat the ground. Thomas, Roman, and Remus were dozing off in separate locations around the room, fighting sleep with every last fiber of effort they possessed. Soon after, they heard a deep, thunderous rumble outside in the driveway. The sound of an engine, a motorcycle engine. Instantly, Thomas was on his feet, yet he did not move from his place by the couch. Roman and Remus also sat up, heads tilted slightly tilted toward the sound of the engine rumble and fade. They were silent. A stillness settled over the sleepy home they shared. A single shadow approached the door. Keys jingled and slid reluctantly into the deadbolt, then the lock. The door cracked open and sent a blast of frigid air through the room. To the relief and frustration of the drowsy living room occupants, Ali crossed the threshold and came into the room.
Her helmet was under her left arm and a small carrying bag was in her right, which was bandaged thoroughly. Specks and streaks of blood had already soaked through some of the bandages. Ali seemed like she was in a daze, stumbling with a single step when it caught on the welcome mat at the entrance. Thomas stepped forward immediately, his face steeled. Ali’s shoulders slumped slightly and she refused to make eye contact with him. She looked worn out.
“Welcome back,” said Thomas. Ali hummed a quick acknowledgment as she stepped up to the wooden counter. “Where have you been?”
“Out,” Ali muttered. “Where are Roman and Remus? Have they gone to bed yet?”
“Don’t change the subject. Obviously you were out. Care to explain further?” questioned Thomas, an intuitive, knowing look in his eyes. When Ali didn’t respond after a beat, Thomas decided to press his luck. “We were really worried about you, Ali.”
“We?” grumbled Ali. Her movements were slow and even as she raised the case and set it on the table.
“Yes. We. The team, Roman, Remus, myself, Logan…” Thomas rattled off the names, but Ali seemed unphased at the moment. Roman and Remus finally managed to make it onto the table and began to jog toward Ali when they noticed the case. It was the same case they used when they were on a rescue. Thomas, for seemingly the first time, noticed the case.
“What’s this?” asked Roman, managing his words faster than his brother or Thomas. Ali smiled weakly while unzipping the case.
“New arrivals,” she said softly. Her voice, still laced with sadness, possessed some of its familiar mystique and charm as she folded the entrance down. “It’s okay. We’re here now.” Ali glanced at Roman and Remus. “I’m sorry to spring this on you. Do you feel okay to give your spiel? Just… let them know what this place is while I get some beds together.” Roman and Remus, stunned, felt their smiles return. This was the Ali they knew.
“Of course!” beamed Remus. “Always ready to serve. I am to please after all.” Roman elbowed his brother as they both stepped up to the bag’s entrance. They had seen many things, but nothing quite like the scene before them. Ali’s glove was shoved in the corner and acted as a large comforter for five new faces. One of them, a boy in his late teens, seemed to be the protector of the group based on the way he held a makeshift shield and a broken pin as a sword. There were two younger children, possibly no older than ten, who looked like twins. One appeared to be the mother, clutching her children close to her body. The last, another boy in his early teens, was severely bruised and, shockingly, wore very little clothing. The clothing he did wear included a leather collar and very short shorts. It appeared as though this was an entire family unit, each of them sharing similar features with the next. They shied away from Roman and Remus’s smiles, yet appeared simultaneously relieved at the sight of other borrowers.
“Friend?” asked the oldest child. His authoritarian voice was clear, concise, and deadly serious. Roman smiled.
“Friend,” Roman confirmed. “Welcome to the Shelter. I’m Roman, this is my brother, Remus. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” The eldest, still skeptical, lowered his shield but kept the pin close.
“The human explained a little about this place. Is she still out there?”
“Ali? Yes, she’s here. There’s another human too, Thomas. He helped found this place with my brother and I. Don’t worry though. He’s like Ali, one of the good ones,” replied Roman, adding a dashing smile for reassurance. The twins looked up at their mother.
“Are we safe now momma?” they asked. Roman now could hear that they were fraternal twins, one boy and one girl. Their mother, rather than reply, smiled and kissed each of their heads.
“You are now,” grinned Remus. “Come on, let’s get you all settled in a room. We have one right next to our place. You can stay there for tonight and look at some more permanent places in the morning if you feel up to it.” The family stood shakily and approached cautiously, catching a glimpse of a still tensed Ali and Thomas. The eldest steeled himself and walked out with what confidence he had left and nodded curtly to Ali before assisting his family to the rappel lines. Before descending, he directed himself to Ali.
“You said it is not a requirement to see you tomorrow about… my brother’s injuries,” he stated firmly. Ali nodded.
“That’s right. You don’t have to see me ever if you don’t want to. Still, he does have some injuries I would like to check on with your permission. It will be later in the day when I get back so you don’t have to think about it for a while. Just, get some rest and I’ll see you maybe,” replied Ali. They could hear the honey-sweet tone returning to Ali’s voice as she spoke. The eldest nodded and began lowering his family down the lines until all of them were out of sight. Roman and Remus glanced to Thomas before also disappearing from sight, calling over their shoulders that they would be back after settling the family.
Thomas and Ali were now alone in the living room. After nearly twenty minutes, Roman and Remus returned. Also, by their side, jogged a very out-of-breath Logan. Ali, still unmoving and honed in on the bag, still kept her eyes from Thomas until he stepped closer.
“Ali,” panted Logan. “I’m glad to see you home and unharmed.” Ali’s lips curled into a sweet grin.
“It’s good to be back. I’m sorry I worried you all. I didn’t mean to be out so late.” apologized Ali.
“Ali,” started Thomas. “What happened? Where’d you go? Where did you find them?” Ali cleared her throat and moved to walk past Thomas to the staircase.
“Not now, Thomas. I heard your messages and we have a big day and need some sleep,” she muttered. Thomas reached out and tugged at Ali’s uninjured forearm.
“No. We need to talk. Where did you go?” asked Thomas, more forcefully this time. Ali’s eyes locked onto the stairs. Her jaw clenched.
“Let it go, Thomas,” muttered Ali, the same defeat from earlier creeping back into her voice.
“I need to know…” Thomas braced himself with a breath. “Did you drink?” Ali tensed and turned slowly to Thomas.
“That’s what this is about?” she asked disbelievingly.
“You know our agreement.” Logan leaned over to Roman and Remus, who seemed equally as tense as he did.
“Agreement? What agreement?” asked Logan hurriedly under his breath. Roman and Remus shrugged and motioned for Logan to wait and listen.
“I’m clean. Wanna fetch the breathalyzer?” Ali paused and sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Thomas nodded quietly, yet his eyes still conveyed his silent skepticism. Ali sighed, knowing Thomas’s stubbornness at the very least matched her own on certain matters.
“I took a drive around for a while. I did go into one of the bars nearby…” Ali paused, ensuring her eyes locked with Thomas’s so he could detect any and all falsehoods. “I did order a drink… and I watched the ice melt. Then I left… and went to see my dad… to…” Ali’s voice faltered for a moment before she continued, but not before she cleared her throat a few times.
“I just wanted to talk to him… that’s when I met them.” Thomas and the others could only assume Ali meant the other borrowers she brought in from the frigid night. At the moment, Thomas wasn’t as concerned about them. Instead, he smiled proudly.
“I believe you,” he muttered under his breath. Ali nodded, her face wincing slightly knowing exactly what was on the line if she had broken their agreement. Thomas extended his arm, a signature nonverbal for “do you want a hug?”. Ali nodded and silently slipped under his arm into a comforting hug. Ali’s frame shuddered, releasing the tension she kept pent up from the day, as she pressed herself into the thoughtful embrace. Thomas rubbed her shoulder and glanced to catch a glimpse of her face.
“Do you want some tea?” he asked. He didn’t need to see her face to feel her nod slowly. Thomas smiled and looked to Roman, Remus, and Logan. “Would you three like some tea?” Logan and Roman both nodded while Remus seemed less enthused by the idea of drinking warm leaf water so late at night. Before the humans could leave, Remus cleared his throat and stepped to the edge.
“I don’t know about the others, but would you mind giving me a lift to the kitchen? I’m worn out,” asked Remus. Thomas nodded and laid his hand on the table. Roman joined him after a moment. Logan, however, hesitated. Thomas headed to the kitchen while Ali stayed with him.
“I am sorry if I worried you Logan,” Ali apologized again. “I didn’t mean to walk out like that… I just… didn’t know what else to do.” Logan folded his hands behind his back and shook his head.
“No need to apologize,” he stated before hesitantly continuing. “I… did witness the exchange between you and Hickory.” Ali stiffened and averted her eyes quickly. Logan, afraid he might upset Ali again, continued quickly. “I just wanted to say that she had no rite to say those things to you and that I’m sorry that happened.” Ali nodded, but her signature smile remained hidden.
“Thank you. I… know I don’t deserve it but thank you.” Logan smiled and glanced toward the kitchen. The distance wasn’t far, but it was late and even his nocturnal schedule was failing him, eyes tiring slightly. He felt his pulse raising, knowing what he wanted to ask while feeling instinctual terror. He rolled his shoulders, reminding himself of the facts.
“Ali?” he began. Ali’s bright eyes flicked over to him. “I… er… well… I believe the tea is almost done in the kitchen. If it would not be too much to ask… would you… I mean…” Logan’s throat constricted, as if his mind would not willingly allow him to ask Ali to carry him to the kitchen. Yet, with a thoughtful chuckle, Ali’s intuition filled in the gaps. She, too, seemed slightly hesitant.
“Are you sure?” she asked. Before Logan could propose a counter argument against going with Ali, he realized he responded.
“Yes, I am certain.” Ali nodded and laid her uninjured hand on the table. Logan fought his instincts and, which as much confidence as he could muster, stepped onto her palm. He had seen Roman and Remus and Hickory do this same thing dozens of times over the course of time, but he did not think he would be in this position ever again after everything that happened in the lab. Ali’s fingers remained slightly curled as she lifted and walked with a smooth precision which made drifting clouds appear unstable. Thomas, who had just finished brewing the tea, turned to see Ali walk into the kitchen with Logan standing firmly in her hand. The sight brought a partial smile to his face, but he refrained from commenting as he set the tea on the counter for them.
After they took a collective moment, Thomas looked to Ali who was sitting on the counter next to Logan.
“So, Ali, you didn’t say how you came across the family,” began Thomas. Ali nodded as she blew the ribbons of steam from the top of her teacup. Thomas’s prompt was clear, and Ali knew he would want to know the story in case it came into question later. Business and curiosity. Ali could respect both. With a pensive sigh, Ali told them what transpired once she left the Shelter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A helmet is a perfect sensory deprivation chamber. The thick padding on the inside offered security. The padding also blocked out unnecessary sounds, keeping the outside world muffled and distant. The dark interior and shaded visor guarded the eyes from light and external hindrances like bugs. It was protecting. It was comforting. Safe. Ali focused on the lack of feeling in her mind rather than her freezing, bloodied hands and the constricting, painful tightness forcing her to fight for every breath. The ache in her heart was familiar. It wasn’t something that she could touch or fix with a bandage from her kit. It was a draining ache, an indescribable emptiness consuming her in body and soul.
How could she say those things? Hickory, Ali’s so-called friend, used the precious secrets against her in front of a captive audience. Hickory had every reason to be angry, furious even. Ali was angry too; however, it did not justify what was said. At least, it didn’t justify it to Ali. Her disjointed thoughts whirled in her head and created emotional fragments of memory. No one thought stayed for more than a few seconds, but it was just long enough to drain her fight. That dark, sinister part of Ali began whispering doubts from within her solitude.
[Why do you put up with it? It isn’t your fault. What happened to Hickory wasn’t your fault. Why should you suffer for what your stepfather did? He’s the antagonist. He’s the reason Hickory’s family is gone. He’s the reason you mother is gone. Everything was better without him.] Ali felt warm tears soaking into the pads of her helmet and blurring her vision. She was sure snot was running over her lip. The misfortune of the situation was she accidentally confirmed it when she opened her mouth in a silent scream. She shouldn’t be riding her motorcycle. She knew she shouldn’t be riding. She was emotionally compromised and wasn’t even aware of where she had turned. A few lefts. A few rights. Red lights sprinkled throughout the ride. The voice of reason shattered through her mind and broke through the swirling, sinister voices enveloping her mind.
You need to stop.
Ali pulled off of the road and into a superstore parking lot, though she wasn’t sure which one. Frankly, she didn’t care. She turned the key to the off position. The engine growled beneath her as it settled into a short rest. Did she want to remove her helmet? Not really. Did she need to? Yes. She was sure she looked like a hot mess, but her appearance didn’t usually bother her in the first place. Her only apprehension was if someone random came up to her to check and see if she was alright. That was the last thing she could handle at the moment. She pealed her face from the now slightly sopping helmet. Had she really been crying that much? That same voice of reason pierced through her mind again. This time, saying something different.
You’re injured. You need to clean that injury. Those piercing wounds can be dangerous if the pin wasn’t clean.
Ali had almost forgotten due to the frigid cold wind rushing past and the freezing temperatures that her hand was now throbbing. The handle of her motorcycle glistened in the parking lot light. If her bike weren’t black, she would know instantly the glistening would be her drying scarlet blood. Thankfully, Ali always had some spare medical supplies on her bike in case Thomas or the others needed her on a rescue and someone needed medical attention. Ali flipped open the side satchel and fished out her supplies. Gauze, water, hydrogen peroxide, Neosporin, pads, and her spare gloves. Ali meticulously poured the water onto her hand to wash off the drying blood, scraping some of it clean with the pads. She doused her hand with the peroxide. Small bubbles formed and sizzled against her skin, making her nerves twitch and sting. Ali wiped the area clean again before smothering the puncture wounds with Neosporin and wrapping her hand with the gauze. Now, becoming acutely aware of the cold, Ali shoved her hands into her spare gloves and placed the materials back into her bike satchel.
Ali could hear something chirping in her pocket and realized, after a moment, it was her phone. She had half a dozen missed text messages and at least three voice mails. The voice of reason did not win this time. The deep whispers encouraged her, and she obeyed. She turned off her phone. They continued to coax her.
[Why are you waiting out here in the cold? It’s not worth freezing to death over. You need to go inside somewhere. Anywhere. But don’t go into the store. You’ll be questioned for loitering. So… where’s somewhere you can go where you won’t be bothered and can warm yourself?] Ali involuntarily glanced across the street as if guided and spotted a dive bar. She couldn’t see the name and, frankly, she couldn’t care less. It would be warm. The potentially smokey environment and dim light would disguise her bloodshot eyes and disgusting facial orifices. Finally, after the day she had, the temptation of a drink was too much. Ali hopped back onto her motorcycle, forcing the wet sensation on her cheeks out of her head, and sped across the street to the bar.
The inside was a wreck. Sure, there were some nice neon signs, but not even that was a completely redeeming factor. The wooden panels on the ground seemed to be coated with some thick, tacky material which threatened to glue the patrons to the floor. The counters, tables, and booths were no better. Mysterious stains mixed with the polyurethane coating on the surfaces. A person’s elbow impressions were clearly visible on the counter at the bar where Ali elected to sit on the least torn pleather seat. The air was thick with body odor and booze. Surprisingly, no smell of smoke. A fair bet would be that this place was overdue for a health inspection. Music was playing from somewhere near the counter, but Ali couldn’t place the tune. The bartender, a greasy looking man who was slightly balding on top yet had a neck beard for days, stepped up to her. Ali ignored the fact a few of his teeth were blackening around the gums as he spoke.
“What can I getcha darlin’?” he asked. Ali felt something rise in the back of her throat at the smell of his breath.
“Do you make long island iced tea?” asked Ali, some part of her speaking which was beyond her control. The bartender grinned.
“Rough day?”
“Something like that,” Ali muttered. The bartender let out a long, knowing hum.
“I think I could pull something together like that for you. Just a sec.” He disappeared from Ali’s field of vision. The same voices, in her solitude, returned.
[What are you even doing at the Shelter? What are you trying to do with your life? Trying to make up for your mistakes? Trying to ease your demons into submission? Why try? I mean, you only work at the Shelter to help out Thomas and the others. That’s external gratification. You’re only seeking praise for doing something you think is noble. Right? Living for the praise of others? Do you even do anything for you? You became a paramedic because it’s what your dad would have wanted. You help at the Shelter because it’s what Thomas wanted. You volunteer your efforts because it is expected. You entered that pathetic relationship of yours because others thought you worked well together. You even got engaged because it’s what HE wanted. And now you’re alone. All alone. Lonely little Ali cat. What are you even doing?]
The bartender returned with her drink at some point and stood in front of her expectantly for his payment. Ali fumbled through her pockets and pulled out two crumpled fives and a few ones. If she was being honest, she wasn’t sure how many ones she fished out of her wrinkled back pocket. All she knew was the bartender seemed pleased and wandered away from her. Ali watched the condensation around the glass gather and glide down the side. What was she doing with her life? Ali reached for the glass when something stopped her. She wasn’t sure what it was. Instead of grasping the drink, Ali simply stared at her bandaged hand. Tiny specks and streaks of blood were leaking through the bandage. After agitating the area, Ali suspected it would happen. Yet, somehow, seeing the bandage on her hand brought back that small, inner voice of reason.
You are better than this.
Ali’s hand was just inches away from the glass. The difference between wallowing in misery and blissful, mental silence was right in front of her. A quick fix. A cure. She couldn’t do it. It frustrated her to no end. She could not bring herself to pick up the drink. The voice of reason broke through the calculated whispers again. For whatever reason, that little voice of reason sounded like Logan.
You do not need this to be happy. One drink will not solve your problems. It will make them worse, and you know it.
Ali balled her injured hand into a fist. She felt the bandages constricting her movements. She felt her nails through the gauze agitating the injuries just beneath the surface. She knew she couldn’t now. Within a few inches of her life, the voice of reason won. Ali pushed the drink away, leaving a trail of water and grime in its wake. She couldn’t help but smile as more warm tears trickled down her cheeks. As though pulled from the darkness, Ali’s pinpointed vision cleared. Her senses opened up.
Now, she began noticing things she hadn’t before. First and foremost, she looked like a hobo. A horribly mismatched hobo. From her puffy red eyes and slightly chapped nose to her holed sweater, stained tennis shoes, and second-hand coat, she could not have put off more pathetic vibes if she tried. It was all she had wither after her shift when she met up with Thomas and the team. Why didn’t they tell her she looked like a hot mess? The bartender most likely too pity on the way she looked and that’s why he didn’t card her; at least, that was the reason she gave. Next, she noticed she wasn’t the only one in the bar. There was a group of men in the corner booth causing a horrendous ruckus. Ali would have thought it was just the group being stupid and inconsiderate if her eyes didn’t catch the slight movement on the table. Ali felt herself tense, an involuntary hiss rising in her throat, as she realized what was going on.
The group was tormenting a borrower. From what little she could see, he was barely dressed and was being poked and prodded. Ali moaned. [Seriously? As if today weren’t bad enough! Now, the most random place I go to has these fracking morons doing this?] She had to do something. Thinking quickly and feeling wasteful, Ali grabbed her drink, poured a significant amount on the floor, and flagged down the bartender. She smiled widely and as charming as she was capable of given the circumstances.
“Yes? Ah, like the drink?” he grinned. Ali suppressed a shiver and nodded instead.
“It is very good. Best I’ve had in a while. Maybe ever,” said Ali as she forced a partial wink. She had been tipsy enough to know her believable behaviors. Through his beard, Ali could see him blush slightly. “You know what else I like?” Ali leaned forward, realizing only after that this trick was not as effective with a sweater.
“Sorry sweetheart! I’m a married man.” The bartender’s thunderous laugh rattled the drink in Ali’s hand. She played along with a giggle.
“Awww… of course,” she swayed slightly on the chair. “But, really, what I really like is that over there.” Ali leaned forward and pointed a finger toward the borrower who was trying to hind behind the bottles and glasses on the table. Ali watched as he slipped on the table, landing with a harsh yelp and subsequent wince. Ali wrestled with the urge to slap every person at the table as they laughed.
“Ah! Yeah, that’s one of them tinies. Found ‘em out and about on his own when I was changing my tire one morning. Can you believe it?”
“Really?” Ali gasped in fake disbelief. “Well. I think it’s just the most adorable thing.” The bartender, lured by Ali’s ruse, smiled, revealing even more blackening teeth.
“Wanna have a closer look?” he asked. Ali feigned shock and elation.
“Really?! You’d let me see closer?” she asked. In a fraction of a moment, the bartender walked over to the table, apologizing to the slightly intoxicated men, and seized the borrower. The group groaned in exaggerated disappointment as the bartender made his apologies. The group suddenly noticed Ali, sitting alone and on her own with a mostly empty drink. They quieted, many of them leaning back and nodding subtly. Ali pushed their reaction to her out of their head and the fact they quieted to watch her to focus solely on the struggling borrower in the bartender’s clenched fist.
“Hold out your hands,” instructed the bartender. Ali obliged and, in a second, a small, trembling form was dropped into her open palms. He pushed himself up onto his knees and was visibly shaking from head to toe. His shoulders were slumped and limp. From what Ali could tell, he was in his early teens. He was covered in bruises shaped perfectly like gripping fingers. He was grabbing at his wrist, most likely a result from his slip earlier. What really agitated Ali, however, was that the boy was dressed in a collar and very short shorts. There were tears on his smudged face as he looked up frightfully at Ali, his piercing blue eyes revealing how broken he felt. Ali felt herself wanting to shake. She wanted to sprint out with the boy now. Yet, she had to be patient.
“You need to get a bit of a tighter hold on him. He’s a quick one,” stated the bartender as he cupped his hands around Ali’s, encasing the boy further. The man’s hands were grimy and calloused. Ali could almost hear the boy’s whimper as her fingertips accidentally brushed against his back.
“Oh, okay okay,” Ali muttered mechanically. Determined, Ali smiled sweetly back at the bartender. “He is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Have you registered him yet? Does he have a name?” She knew her voice was louder than what the borrower would have liked, but she needed to play along. Just for a little while longer.
“Isn’t he? I’ve been calling him Squirt. Haven’t had the time or the funds to register him properly. Cost of keeping a license on them with the microchip and everything just doubled.” Ali felt a wave of relief rush over her. The kid wasn’t registered. This was her chance. Ali readjusted her hands to give the boy a little more room while keeping her hands open. She pretended to sway and giggled again. Hopefully the barkeep would think she was a lightweight and buy her tipsy charade.
“Well, you’re really lucky. Ever since the whole news came out about them, I’ve wanted one. My roommate, however,” Ali rolled her eyes. “She didn’t like it and wouldn’t let me get one. But! She just moved out.” Ali glanced up at the bartender with a flirtatious smile. “Just outa curiosity, how much would this little guy be?” The bartender laughed heartily.
“Aw, he’s not for sale. It’d break my heart to sell him.” Something in his voice pricked Ali’s mind. Something that sounded greedy. Ali stuck out her lower lip just enough to draw pity.
“No!” she whined. “Come on! How much? If you had to sell him right now, what would you take for him?” The bartender looked at Ali up and down hard for a moment, measuring her mentally. Based on her physical appearance and the crumpled bills she fished out of her pocket, she didn’t look like she had much spare pocket change. On the other hand, looks could be deceiving. The bartender seemed caught between leaning one way or the other.
“For you? If I could have cash, right here right now, I’d let him go for two grand even. No checks. No credit or debit. Cold, hard cash.” The guys who were listening in at the other table simultaneously exclaimed at the price. Ali felt her jaw drop, not at the outrageous price, but at the sheer pleasure of knowing she won. She shifted the child onto one hand and fished out her wallet. Before the bartender could blink, Ali removed the funds from her wallet and set the stack of bills onto the table. The room went silent.
“No… no… I… I wasn’t being serious,” the bartender tried to blurt out, but the table of men in the corner leapt up in a baffled exclamation as if they watched the winning touchdown in a championship tournament.
“No, you said that, for me, he was worth two grand cash. There’s your money. Count it out, and I’ll be on my way,” Ali stood and backed away from the counter, fearing she might actually get hit.
“You carry that much cash around with you?” he asked, still astounded and frustrated.
“I cashed my check today,” said Ali. The group, who watched the entire encounter, were rolling on the ground in laughter.
“No! You got played!” shouted the men in the corner. “You said it. Sorry man. You gave her a price and you got paid!” The bartender, scowling and fuming, angrily counted the stack of money. He glared at Ali before pointing at the door.
“Get out,” he growled. Ali, with a mischievous grin, nodded and headed out of the bar in a relative haste. She hadn’t realized until she stepped out in the cold and exhaled that she was holding her breath during her final exchange with the bar’s owner. She made a mental note to report them to the health department before turning her attention to the borrower tucked in her palm. Ali walked to her bike and sat down, opening her palm to look at the boy again. He was shivering uncontrollably.
“I’m really sorry about all of that,” said Ali, her voice returning to its soft, signature timbre. She stared into the child’s eyes for a moment. “I know you’re terrified of me and everything that’s happened, but you’re going to be okay.”
“P… pl… please d… don’t h… hurt me.” The boy’s voice was so quiet, Ali almost missed what he said. His voice was shaking so hard, both from the cold and fear. Ali, not knowing what else to do, pulled out her glove from her pocket and spread out the opening like a sleeping bag. The boy’s eyes widened in terror as he tried to back away, but instead bumped into Ali’s slightly curled fingers. Ali sighed. They were just gloves, but the thought of being confined was probably the last thing the kid wanted.
“I promise, you’re going to be okay. I know you’re scared and cold and have no reason to trust me; however, right now, you need to stay warm.” Ali sighed, knowing that reasoning with the child was not as effective as she anticipated. “Look. Let’s start over. My name is Ali. What’s your name?” The boy sniffed and curled in on himself. He seemed locked in an internal debate. He was obviously uncomfortable with questions, but this seemed to be the first time someone asked his name.
“N… no. Y… you’ll jus… just hurt me if I t… tell you. I’m n… not supposed to… to talk to humans,” he stammered. Ali allowed herself to smile slightly as to not scare the poor boy.
“I know, and I promise you that I’m here to help you. You’re not with that scary bartender anymore, right?” Ali’s statement wasn’t false. The boy, seeming both defeated and slightly convinced by that statement, looked away as he curled his knees to his chest.
“M… my name is F…Fjord,” he stuttered.
“Fjord?” repeated Ali. Fjord nodded timidly. “It’s nice to meet you.” Ali smiled encouragingly, which seemed to calm the boy’s tears. Another gust of frigid wind ripped through Ali and Fjord. His body seized as he violently shuddered.
“Fjord? I know you’re really scared right now and the last thing you want to do is trust a human. Goodness knows we haven’t earned your trust. This cold is not good for you. This glove is warm and fuzzy and not very tight. Sadly, this is all I have, unless you’d rather stay in a pocket.” Fjord sniffled and shrank in on himself. Given the two options, it was clear he was leaning for the promise of the warm, fuzzy glove. He pointed to the glove and reluctantly scooted to the edge of Ali’s palm as she held it open. He shuddered again and slipped in. Both Ali and Fjord made sure his head was above the hem so he could breath uninhibited. His shivering lessened significantly, but not completely.
Ali glanced around, now wondering where she was and how she was going to get home. Luckily, after a moment, she realized where she was and where she wanted to go next. She looked back to Fjord, who was already falling limp with exhaustion with every second that passed. The warmth of the glove seemed to be soothing him. She wanted to get him home, but something tugged at her. Something knew what she needed to do before heading back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to go and see him, her father, tonight.
“Fjord?” she said softly. His eyes shot open and snapped up to her, startled at the sudden address of his name. Ali’s nurturing instincts kicked into gear. “You’re okay. Everything is fine. We need to be heading back home, okay? I have to make a quick stop and then we’ll get out of this cold.” Fjord seemed pleased to be out of the cold but fidgeted uncomfortably at the thought of being taken to yet another strange place with a human. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but refrained out of fear.
“Before we leave, do you know if there are any other borrowers in the bar here?” asked Ali. Fjord looked up at her, surprised and slightly alarmed.
“H… how do you know what I am? H… humans j… just call us tinies,” asked Fjord. Ali smiled gently.
“I live at a Shelter for mistreated borrowers in bad places. We rescue them and then they get to live in the Shelter, like how things used to be before we knew you existed,” explained Ali. To be fair, she knew what she said sounded unbelievable, especially to the mind of a child. However, a gleam of hope sparked somewhere in Fjord’s broken eyes. “So, do you know if any other borrowers live in the bar?” Fjord thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“I d… don’t think so,” he replied. Ali nodded.
“Okay. We’re going to leave now. I do have to put you in my coat here, and it’s going to be a little loud. The coat and glove should help muffle the sounds though. Don’t worry, it’s not for too long. Okay?” Fjord did not like the idea of being placed in Ali’s inside coat pocket in a glove with loud noises, but he nodded reluctantly as he could think of no alternative. Ali thanked the heavens her motorcycle was not very loud and electric. She shifted the glove from being cupped in both hands and tucked it by her collar so Fjord could see just above the zipper while still being able to burrow further for protection. She started her motorcycle and placed the helmet on her head. Nice and quick. Starting slow, Ali merged and sped up on the road toward the place she knew she needed to go – the cemetery.
__________~~~__________
Large, fluffy snowflakes drifted through the air like elegant pieces of lace. Ali dismounted her bike and gazed at the scene before her. There were very few lights illuminating the field, but the ones which were there looked like halos with the snow swirling around them. At night, the vast field of gravestones was devoid of color. The white stones mixed with the silhouettes of the trees and falling snow, creating a somber, monochrome scene. The stones themselves stood resolute, as if they were Soldiers themselves. It had been a while since Ali had been back, and yet it felt as though not a day had gone by.
As she walked past the stones, her footsteps imprinting in the snow with a soft crunch, something felt stronger, like she was gaining back a piece of herself with every step. Ali felt a slight shift by her collar. It must’ve been Fjord readjusting. He hadn’t said anything after the ride, even when Ali asked if he was alright after the ride. On the upside, it didn’t feel like he was trembling anymore.
She stopped instinctually among the field of fallen Soldiers. Without even glancing at the names, she knew she arrived. Her father’s name, etched in black, was slightly filled with the snow. Ali knelt faithfully and began dusting the snow away as if she were carefully picking lint from her father’s best dinner jacket. The cold snow melted against Ali’s pants and began to soak them, but Ali didn’t care. She was focused on maintaining eye contact with the stone. Her heart ached at the sight. For someone so warm and giving, fun and full of life, this simple pillar did not do him justice. Still, Ali knew her father would have respected the order and tidiness of it all. He never did like the way Ali’s toys were strewn throughout the house, especially the pointed building blocks. Ali calmed her breathing, noticing how it paused twice in her chest, before speaking softly as to not disturb her tagalong.
“Hi dad… it’s me, you’re little Ali cat, come back to Wonderland.” She suspected she would be choked up, but it came sooner than she thought, and she had barely begun. She watched her breath escape her body in a thick, foggy cloud. “I’m sorry I haven’t come sooner. I know I promised to be back soon. Things happen I guess.” A feeling crept up into the back of Ali’s throat. It wasn’t sickness or nervousness. It was an anxious tense which made her jaw ache and left a metallic taste on her tongue.
“Mom died today…” Ali’s voice hitched. It was only the second time she said it aloud. “I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but our last talk wasn’t exactly the fuzzy, happy-feel-good kind. I have to get some things in order and call a bunch of people. I should feel furious but all I can do is… well, I just… I hope… she’s happy now. I hope she’s with you and that… she’s…” Ali forced her mind to put together the phrases. “I hope she’s the way you remember her. I guess, in that sense, she’s been gone a long time.” Ali gazed at the glistening stone.
“I… I don’t know what I’m doing with my life…” The familiar tightness enveloped the top of her lungs. “I know I have my struggles and I’m certainly in no position to complain. It’s just… am I doing what I do because others want me to? Or am I doing them because that’s what I want… if that even makes sense.” Ali glanced at her bandaged hand. The spots and streaks of blood had not grown larger, thankfully.
“Do I help save people because it’s what I want? Or because you saw some kind of good in me? Am I helping the borrowers out of guilt for what that piece of… because of what he did? Am I atoning for what I did wrong?” Ali signed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her bandaged hand.
“It doesn’t help that I was yelled at by my friend, Hickory. I told you about her. She said a lot of things to me. Hurtful things. I… I know why she said it, all of the reasons actually. I took it, for what it’s worth, but I walked away. Does that make me a coward? Or does that make me the bigger person, no pun about her being so much shorter than me.” Ali found herself chuckling, knowing her father would be the person to point out that humans are obviously the “bigger person.” Even without him being there, his dad jokes were making her laugh.
Once the moment passed, Ali just stared back at her father’s etched name. “I just… I just wish I knew. You know? Like a sign? Something that makes me feel like I’m on the right path. I wish I knew that what I do is for me because it’s what I want, not what’s expected of me.” Ali listened to the snowfall. She pretended the snowflakes were shooting stars as she cast her wishes onto them. It didn’t work, but she didn’t expect it to. Somehow, staring at the stiff, cold letters of her father’s name made her feel better. She couldn’t explain why, but it was reassuring at any rate.
“Well, it’s getting late. I’m trying to outlast the moon as you’d say… I miss you dad. I miss you so much. I hope you’re watching out for me. I love you dad.” Ali stood and touched the frosty stone with the tips of her fingers before turning and walking back toward her ride. Ali shoved her hands into her pockets in an attempt to warm them. She only had the one glove remaining, but she wasn’t mad about it. She paused as she felt another shift by her collar. It felt like a stretch. Ali felt herself grin. Even if it was out of exhaustion and not relative trust, Fjord was getting some rest.
Ali’s motorcycle was just in sight when she noticed a car which had not been there when she arrived. What little warmth residing in her cheeks drained as she recognized the vehicle type. It was a Tiny Patrol vehicle, the group sent to capture borrowers. Ali glanced around frantically. Had the bartender called them to search for her? What were they doing out at this hour? If they were here, did that mean there were more borrowers nearby? Whatever the case, Ali readied herself.
She moved cautiously around the side of the truck and spotted one human instantly. He had a flashlight and was shining it along the rows and rows of gravestones. His eyes were fixed on the ground while the flashlight beam scanned back and forth meticulously. Ali couldn’t help but release a slight sigh of relief. He wasn’t looking for her. Based on what she could see in the truck through the opened back door, there were no borrowers inside either. It was becoming rarer to find borrowers living independently nowadays, but it was not impossible.
It was out of the corner of her eye, but several small shadows sprinted in the open, across the road, and headed for the gravestones on the opposite side. The flashlight, however, just glanced over their heads. In a panic, the shadows ran to Ali’s motorcycle and hid behind her front tire. The human started to approach their hiding place. Ali felt another small shift by her collar. She needed to act, and fast. The Tiny Patrol member hadn’t noticed her. Now was her moment. Ali stepped out from behind the car and approached briskly. She knew the borrowers would be panicking. She would be too if she were cornered by two creatures so much bigger and stronger than herself. When she was a little more than a few meters away, she knelt and pretended to tie her shoe. She could now see the huddled mass of three, possibly four, borrowers. She made eye contact and quickly held her finger to her lips in a silent shushing motion.
“He can’t see you. If you stay quiet, he won’t notice you. I won’t hurt you. I promise. I’m going to take a couple steps closer. Just stay still and I’ll get him to leave,” said Ali hurriedly. She didn’t know what else to say to the frightened individuals who were terrified, cold, and being hunted down. Thankfully, they didn’t move. Ali wasn’t sure if it was because they were exhausted or if they had given into their suspected fate. The Tiny Patrol member approached just as she stood and stepped forward.
“Can I help you?” asked Ali. The sound of her voice startled the young man, who quickly shined the flashlight in her eyes before gasping and turning it off. She felt a quick shift near her collar and prayed Fjord would stay quiet and still as well as forgive her for using a much louder volume than when she spoke with him.
“Uh… no, ma’am. Sorry about that. I was… er… just investigating the surroundings. I didn’t mean to… uh… get so close to your bike. A call came in a few hours ago about a possible tiny sighting, but I haven’t seen anything yet,” said the man. He sounded like a polite enough person, but he was still tracking down borrowers. Ali furrowed her brows.
“Tinies? Out here on a night like this?” asked Ali. The man nodded.
“I thought I saw something, but I can’t be sure. I’ve only been working this job for a month, so I don’t know all of the ‘signs’ or whatever.” His laughter indicated a nervous and relatively playful tone, but all Ali wanted to do was slap him and send him home to think about what he had done. Ali feigned thinking for a moment before pointing further into the cemetery.
“You know, now that you mention it, I might’ve seen something over where I just was, right over there.” Ali pointed to a distant tree on one of the sloping hills. “I can’t be certain. I’ve… been a little out of it today. Maybe that’s what I saw?” The young man glanced at the tree, stomped his foot in frustration, and readjusted his winter cap.
“Well, it’s better than nothing. If I’m not thorough, my boss will hang me out to dry. Thanks for the tip. If you’ll excuse me, have a good night.” The young man walked briskly past Ali without a second glance and began jogging to the tree. Ali ensured he was just out of earshot when she returned her attention to the huddled borrowers by her tire. She lowered herself to her knees, trying to appear as unintimidating as possible.
“He’s gone for now, but he’ll be back,” she said in her signature, honeyed tone. She watched one silhouette remove what looked like a pin from their side.
“You got rid of him, yes,” said a male voice. His voice seemed deeper yet lacked the intimidation and wisdom of someone older. “All for what? Now you have us to yourself? I don’t think so!” The other three whimpered and hugged tightly to one another. Ali sighed. She wished there was some sort of code word which would signify her allegiance, but things like that only existed in stories.
“You’re alright. I’m not going to hurt you, or separate you, or send you away. I suppose you could leave if you really want to,” Ali meant the last comment to be to herself, but this statement seemed to catch the group’s ears. “But, please, hear me out.”
“Why should we?” demanded the same masculine voice.
“Because I work at a Shelter where human laws don’t apply. Have you heard of the Tiny Shelter per chance?” Ali only heard silence. “The Shelter is a borrower rescue initiative. We go out and rescue borrowers in bad places and keep them from going to places like laboratories or separated and kept as pets.” Ali heard hushed whispers and quick exchanges.
“No,” said the same voice. “It’s a trick. It has to be.”
“It’s not a trick,” pleaded Ali. She glanced over her shoulder. The worker was almost at the tree in the distance. “I know how crazy this must sound to you. Really. You have no reason to trust me and I understand that. But isn’t it worth the chance? Stay here to maybe get caught and separated or stay together in a place you’ll be respected and protected from the humans?” Ali stared at the shapes desperately.
“Y… you won’t separate us?” called a slightly older, more mature sounding female voice.
“Mother,” the first voice hissed.
“Storm!” the female voice scolded. “What makes you so sure that you and this Shelter can keep us safe?” Ali let out a half-sigh of relief.
“We’ve done it for just over a year now. We’ve been working with our team to reverse a lot of laws. We’ve rescued over fifty borrowers in the past two months and…”
“And then what? Once you have them in your Shelter, what do you do to them?” demanded the one called Storm.
“Nothing,” urged Ali. She knew her time was going to run short any moment. “You go on living your lives as though humans never discovered your existence.” There was a brief silence.
“I don’t like it,” hissed Storm, just loud enough for Ali to hear.
“Storm, we cannot keep running like this. After your father… and your brother…” the woman’s voice faltered. “What matters is keeping our family together. Winter is here and, if we’re being honest, we will continue to freeze on the run. At least, in our home, we had shelter and safety. We’re out in the open.”
“So, we give up?” demanded Storm. “No! That’s not what dad or Fjord would have wanted!” Ali’s jaw dropped as she felt another shift against her collar.
“I’m sorry,” she interjected, making the borrowers flinch. “Did you say your brother’s name is Fjord?”
“What do you care human?” spat Storm.
“Mom?” Ali heard a small voice slightly muffled by her jacket. “Is… is that… Mom!” The group watched as Ali unzipped part of her coat and removed a glove with the utmost care. She laid the glove onto the ground. Instantly, the mother cried out, a mixture of pure elation and mortified realization. She scurried forward before Storm could stop her and collapsed to her knees as Fjord wriggled free from the warmth of the glove into his mother’s arms.
“FJORD!” two smaller, younger voices cried out and rushed past Storm, who approached while keeping a careful eye on Ali. Ali couldn’t quite make out what was being said, except to say that the reunion would melt even the coldest of hearts.
“What did you do to him?” asked Storm once the sobs of joy quieted.
“I found him in a dive bar down the road. I was bringing him to the Shelter when I felt like I needed to stop here,” replied Ali. The hairs raised on the back of her neck. She glanced over and watched the flashlight approaching, much more rapidly than she wanted. Ali looked back into Storm’s eyes.
“Look, I know you have no reason to trust me. Not really. The guy is coming back right now. You can stay and take your chances or come with me to the Shelter. There’s warm clothing, food, and a place for you to live together as a family. That’s more important now than anything now.” Ali’s eyes locked with the mother’s eyes, then Fjord’s eyes. The two youngest still had their faces buried in their mother’s shoulders.
“We’ll go to the Shelter,” announced the mother. Ali remembered, only now, she had an extra carrying bag in the compartment under her seat. It would be comfortable, and the family wouldn’t be separated. It was difficult to ignore how the family flinched as she reached over their heads and retrieved the bag. Still, it was the right thing to do. Ali unzippered the bag. With much reluctance, the family entered, Storm entering last.
“If anything happens to them, I swear this pin is the last thing you will see,” growled Storm. Ali nodded.
“Understood. Here,” she took the glove and pulled at the seams. It was hardly a fight. The glove came apart, revealing the soft interior. She pushed the glove closer. “You can use it as a blanket until we get back.” Storm nodded curtly as he dragged the glove inside. Ali had barely enough time to clear out her side satchel and place the bag into it gently when the worker returned. With a quick nod, she started her engine and sped off into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ali realized how her story sounded. Absolutely fabricated. Crazy. Too coincidental. To these mental comments, she could only muster a soft chuckle. It was the kind of story her father would tell. It had suspense, a touch of heartache, and a happy ending. Her father would say, “There are no such things as coincidences,” followed by his broad, thoughtful smile making the sides of his eyes wrinkle. As Ali sat on the counter, feeling the warmth of the mug in her hands, she felt a secondary warmth igniting in her frozen heart. She couldn’t help but feel like she had her answer, in whatever weird way or another. Ali just so happened to find the brother of a borrower family in a dive bar after visiting her father’s grave. It all aligned too perfectly; or did it? Maybe, just maybe, that’s what was supposed to happen. Maybe, just maybe, that was her sign.
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Chapter Text

NINETEEN | Murder
Ali elected to rest in the living room that night. She didn’t feel like going back to her room and they would need to leave in a few hours anyway. After her conversation with Thomas, Roman, Remus, and Logan about the events that transpired after she left, she was exhausted but also excited. Thomas informed her that the grand rescue in the apartments was the next morning, just hours away. Too exhausted and too excited to sleep, Ali simply closed her eyes while laying on the couch. Logan offered to stay with her, on the nearby coffee table of course, but Ali assured him she was all right and that Logan would need more rest than her to help the children once they were in the Shelter’s custody.
Logan, Roman, and Remus spent a considerable amount of time requesting help from the other residents. If they were proficient in first aid or could even wait around and offer comforting words, every little bit would help. Nearly a dozen borrowers came forward after several group meetings to offer their assistance tending to injuries. One of them, much to Patton’s insistence, was Virgil. Though Virgil hadn’t been back personally to see Ali, Patton would stop in from time to time and bring back pamphlets and with illustrated pictures which Ali made. A fair amount of trial and error went into the craft, but Ali found the perfect font size and spacing in Word to craft homemade books. There were only a dozen or so books, as the process was quite time consuming, and all related to medicine and first-aid. Still, it was the thought that counted. Logan further refined the art once he and Ali began talking more frequently. Virgil had become quite proficient in first aid medicine and, in a way, became next in line for instant care. The attention wasn’t always welcome, but it was worth being bothered to see the way Patton beamed with each healed injury.
These thoughts swirled through Ali’s mind as she mentally prepared a list of potential supplies the borrowers would need. She knew she would be needed to provide instruction, but it would be more comforting to a child to have someone their own size handling their injuries. Bandages, gauze, sterile wipes, Neosporin, even small doses of medication were set aside. Ali knew all of the supplies were in a crate in the kitchen. She didn’t need to check. Everything was organized as it should be. She didn’t need to check. Yet, that nagging voice asked her once again to make sure everything was perfect and in order. Ali turned onto her side and stared at the window. It was still snowing large, peaceful flakes. Frost lined the window in intricate patterns, designs so precise they looked hand drawn. Watching the snow seemed to do the trick to sooth her mind. She yawned and stretched, drifting like the snow into a restful sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sleep, though dreamless, worked wonders. Ali learned later she was only asleep for two hours or so before the team arrived to get set up. The borrowers waited both eagerly and anxiously on the counter in the front room as the team loaded out all of the equipment they might need. Roman and Remus offered to go with Thomas, who declined diplomatically. The situation was going to be hectic, emotional, and possibly dangerous. Thomas urged that they prepare for long hours once they returned and that the rules of borrower freedom still only applied in the house. Valid points which Roman and Remus did not argue with. Instead, they bid them fond farewells and safe returns. Not surprisingly, Hickory did not make an appearance.
The house, bustling with excitement and nervous tension an hour ago, was now still with bated breath and anticipation. Roman spent his time sharpening the pin he kept at his side and pre-cutting pieces of tape for bandages they would unfortunately need. Remus spent time stretching. Even though Roman was the faster climber, Remus was the faster runner. If their fears were correct, he would need to run supplies from one end of the room to the other in a hurry. Logan paced along the counter until delegating himself to laying out the supplies in neat piles based on potential injuries. Having supplies pre-assembled seemed logical to him. Virgil and Patton arrived some time later with the other volunteers. Patton began encouraging and quizzing Virgil on what to do in different situations after hearing the team had already gone. The others simply paced silently.
They didn’t know what to expect, and yet they did at the same time. There was a silent understanding that whatever they were about to encounter would be unpleasant, scarring even. Yet, even now, they knew they were needed and accepted their partnership with the humans. This wasn’t for the humans. This wasn’t even for them. This was to prove they could come together, even for a moment, and fix something together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ali could only hear her heart pounding in her ears. They decided to break up into two groups, one in the van and one in Thomas’s car. Ali was in neither. She made it a point that they needed the room and having her on her motorcycle would let her take anyone needing emergency medical attention back to the Shelter much faster. Also, she couldn’t stand Joan’s driving. The ride gave her clarity and focus. She had seen hundreds of gnarly accidents, but only now felt uneasy and sickened as to what she and the others might find. The apartments were in sight just down the road. She took in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled. She could do this. The others could do this. Now was not the time to begin doubting the road ahead. They pulled into the lot next to the side door where the emergency exit was located.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything happened fast. Too fast, yet not fast enough. They prepped their body cameras and packed lite, only bringing the essentials. Each step made their feet heavier than the last. It was not going to be pleasant. They entered the apartment with the accompanying officers. They managed to get into all of the rooms without issue Each member of the team felt the same, twisted pit knotting their insides as they surveyed the scene. Ali had seen rough scenes from accidents and crashes, ODs and savage attacks. This was worse. She thanked the Lord Almighty she had the experience to push her feelings out of her head. Instinctual training seized control and let her work without the slightest hesitation. Joan and Talyn, on the other hand, had to step out once or twice while they gathered themselves and more supplies. The same phrase echoed distantly in the air, barely registering as intelligible language.
“You’re going to be okay. It’s alright. I am so sorry. You’re going to be okay.”
The officers kept the perpetrators restrained and out of the area, but not before one of them managed to shove Thomas. They all did what they could in the moment to stabilize the children, but there was so much more that needed to be done. All in all, there were 37 of them, far more than they originally estimated. The team quickly, but carefully, brought everyone back to the vehicles.
Ali stayed behind for a moment and sifted through everything one last time. Had they missed anything? Anyone? She checked the closets, floorboards, and even a few drawers. She was about to leave when she thought she heard a sob by the table, which was covered in cigarette butts and cluttered papers nearly four inches thick, most likely overdue bills and spam. Ali approached cautiously and shifted some of the scraps of paper aside. Just underneath was an older money box made of metal. It was slightly rusted on one side and, as Ali listened, was the source of the sob. She also noticed what looked like a fresh bloodstain near the lock. She gently lifted the lid and saw one final child. The child, a young girl, was clutching at her elbow where the rest of her arm should have been. She was paling fast and, at the sight of Ali, wavered and fainted.
Ali scooped up the child, feeling her resolve beginning to break. The others were already heading back. She would have to get her kit from her motorcycle. She began applying pressure to the wound and rushed past the officers and the scum they took the children from.
“Proud of what you’ve done?” Ali growled under her breath as she cupped the girl in her palm. She could have sworn she heard the officers gasp as they glimpsed at what – who – she held in her hands. Ali bounded down the stairs toward her bike. Once there, she ripped open her satchel and wrapped the girl’s stump with gauze as tightly as she dared. The team was probably no more than five minutes ahead of her. Much to her relief, she still had her other spare glove in the side pouch. She slipped the girl into the glove, ensuring her head was above the wrist hem but that her legs were elevated, and placed her by her collar before zipping up her coat. [The glove should function as a blanket. Hang on. You’re safe. Just hang on.] Ali thought desperately as she sped away onto the road back to the Shelter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took some speeding, but Ali managed to arrive as the team loaded the final kids into the Shelter. Ali was amazed, but not surprised, at the efficiency of the borrowers who agreed to help. Remus was darting back and forth with supplies Logan and Patton pulled together. Many others, such as Roman, were talking with the kids, encouraging them and ensuring they were safe now. The vast majority of them refused to leave the safety of the bags, it being the only safe place they had been in a long time. Virgil and two others were moving from bag to bag, performing triage as to who needed help first. Thankfully, Joan and Talyn were busy in the kitchen fixing food which would help the kids regain their strength but not hurt them as they did not know how much the children had eaten recently. Cups of water and orange juice were distributed along with dozens of bottle caps. The flow of efficiency could not have gone smoother.
Ali took the time to set up at a separate area nearby. Based on what she remembered, none of the other children possessed life threatening injuries and, if the others needed her, they could get her attention. Ali gingerly lifted the glove from inside her jacket and set it on the table before removing the girl. Her chest rose and fell, but barely. The bandages were already soaked through and needed to be changed. Priority one was to stop the bleeding. Ali went to work, stanching the wound and keeping the girl’s legs elevated. It took some time, but the bleeding did stop. The girl’s breath was ragged and labored, but she was breathing.
“Ali?” her attention was snapped from her work to the voice on the counter just to her left. It was Patton. He seemed a bit frazzled and tired, but a pleased and hopeful gleam remained in his eyes.
“Yes?” Ali hadn’t realized how tired she sounded. She smiled lightly to compensate.
“Uh… Virgil has a couple of questions, and some of the others wanted you to look over what they’ve done so far. Are you at a point where you can come over?” asked Patton. Ali nodded and delicately place the girl she was working with onto her glove. Patton’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he received his first glimpse of what Ali had been doing so silently for so long. Ali only now realized the blood smears on her hands. “What happened?” He asked, his knees and voice shaking. He stumbled over and brushed a few strands of long, matted hair from the girl’s face. Ali shook her head briskly. She couldn’t think about everything now. She could break alone later.
“I don’t know. I can venture a guess though,” Ali muttered. Tears gathered in Patton’s eyes as he placed the back of his hand on her forehead.
“She’s covered in a cold sweat, but she’s burning up,” he said frantically. Ali nodded.
“She lost a lot of blood because of her injury. She needs to stay hydrated.” Ali glanced over at the rest of the table. “Patton, I know you’re tired and I hate to ask this, but would you stay with her while I see what the others need? Maybe try and give her something to drink?” At Patton’s nod of agreement, Ali retrieved one of the cups of water along with a few paper towel shreds. “Just squeeze the water in her mouth. Not too much. I know you’ve got this.” They exchanged wary smiles as Ali maneuvered to the opposite side of the table while wiping her hands clean with a baby wipe. None of the children elected to leave the bags just yet and, at the moment, Ali could only see a few shadows near the entrance. Thankfully, the borrowers thought of this scenario and created portable light sources to better illuminate the interior.
“Virgil?” called Ali. After a moment, Virgil stepped out and glanced up at Ali. He was still a little apprehensive, even after all of this time, but was taking a leap of trust.
“Yeah, I’m here. Did Patton fill you in?” asked Virgil. Ali shook her head.
“He only said you and some of the others had some questions and wanted me to check some of the work. That’s all,” replied Ali, giving him a slight smile. “How are you holding up?” Virgil folded his arms under his poncho and shrugged half-heartedly.
“Barely,” he grumbled. “Patton is going to be a wreck later. I’m okay, for now.” Virgil turned back to the bag and the shadows. “Hey Roman. Could I get you to help me for a sec?” Virgil disappeared back into the bag for a moment until he and Roman returned carrying out a kid whose leg looked slightly twisted and discolored. His cheeks were tear stained and his face was plastered with terror. Still, Ali could hear Roman muttering something to him which seemed to be keeping the kid calm. Roman’s charm had the power to sooth the most frayed nerves.
“Ali, this is Oaklan. Oaklan, this is our friend Ali. She’s going to help us out with your leg, okay?” Ali nodded, careful to be even slower in her movements. Virgil explained that he was having trouble setting the child’s leg and there was some strange swelling in the area. Ali examined it, without touching of course, and felt torn. The leg seemed to be broken and compartment syndrome had set in. If winning over her audience was her job, Ali would be failing miserably. Her job was to save their lives. She couldn’t worry about being liked in the moment.
“I think he has compartment syndrome,” she said finally. Neither Virgil nor Roman had heard of it. “It sometimes happens after a break or a fracture. Without getting too technical, it’s going to keep getting more painful if we don’t do something.” The child, Oaklan, whimpered and shoved his face into Virgil’s shoulder, as if refusing to make eye-contact would make Ali go away.
“Okay. So, let’s do something!” urged Virgil. Ali inhaled sharply, a reaction which the borrowers noticed. “What?”
“The solution is slightly less painful.” She steadied herself with a breath as she reached into the box of supplies for some lidocaine cream. “To relieve the pressure, we need to make an incision in the affected area. If we don’t, pain is our last concern.” Oaklan whimpered again and started to shake.
“Is there an alternative?” asked Roman. His voice sounded strained between being positive and worried. Ali stared into Roman’s eyes for a moment.
“If we wait, it could get a lot worse,” said Ali.
“How much worse?” Virgil said, his tone bordering demanding. Ali force herself to separate emotions from the situation.
“Worse could be loss of limb or a fatal infection.” At this, Oaklan began sobbing. Ali could barely make out his muffled words.
“Don’t take my leg. Please don’t let her take my leg.” Virgil and Roman soothed the child as best as they could, reassuring him they wouldn’t let that happen. Roman’s jaw clenched and storm clouds formed over Virgil. They knew what they needed to do. Ali explained the procedure, pausing when necessary to not alarm Oaklan, and assured them the lidocaine would help with the pain and it would be over before he knew it. They brought him over to the side and braced themselves. Roman volunteered to make the cut Ali indicated. Three. Two. One. With a quick and careful flash of Roman’s pin, it was done. Oaklan, even with the pain relief, screamed and passed out, but he was out of immediate danger. Virgil began stitching and bandaging the wound while Ali attended to the other questions. Thankfully, the other injuries were not as severe.
Once the questions were answered, one of the borrowers, Persi, asked for warm water and washcloths so they could wash off the children. Ali, grateful for the mental break, retrieved the items and cut up several washcloths into varying lengths and sizes and placed the supplies outside of each bag. Thomas and the others were also retrieving supplies and necessary items when Thomas’s phone began to ring. He hurriedly wiped his hands clean and stepped aside to answer. There was a pause and a couple of short replies. Ali found it hard to process words at the moment. His tired eyes suddenly brightened. His jaw slackened in surprise. This was enough to gain the team’s attention.
“You’re kidding,” said Thomas disbelievingly. “Yes… Yes… I’ll be sure to let them know. Thank you.” Hearing only one side of a phone conversation was one of the most frustrating encounters, at least it was in Ali’s opinion. Thomas turned, completely bewildered and elated at the same time.
“What’s up?” asked Joan.
“Yeah, did something happen?” chimed in the others. Thomas steadied himself, his breath hitching in his chest with excitement. A cautious smile spread across his face.
“The humans we rescued the kids from are being charged with murder.” The team fell completely silent while their brains processed the information. Everyone filled in the same moment with excitement.
“Are you joking? Please tell me you’re not joking,” stammered Talyn. Thomas shook his head vigorously.
“Not joking. All of them. Every single one. That was Amy-Leigh Hoover, one of our attorneys. The police chief came in, saw the scene and some of our video clips, and had them all arrested.” Thomas’s voice was trembling with excitement. Everyone was torn between shouting in elation and keeping their voices down to not alarm the children or the other borrowers. The compromise was a rapid group hug, everyone jumping and laughing as they collided and clung to one another. Ali could hardly believe it. This was their chance! She joined in the fray after exhaustedly stumbling to her feet. Tired tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.
Logan, taking notice of the humans’ reaction of something after talking into that phone device, set down the strips of tape he prepared and walked to the edge of the table. For the moment, he seemed to be the only one who noticed. He watched the excitement die down as the other members of the team hurried to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. Ali, on the other hand, came back, tears in her eyes and a heartwarming smile on her face. Logan felt slightly confused, given what they had been dealing with for the entire day.
“What is going on?” he asked. Ali knelt, now at perfect eye-level with him. Roman, Remus, and a few others gathered near the entrances of the bags where the children were recovering. Many of them looked both curious and skeptical but listened into the conversation.
“Great news Logan! Those monsters, the ones who did all of this to the kids, are being charged with murder.” Logan stared at her, perplexed for a moment, as did the other borrowers. At their confused silence, Ali continued. “Don’t you see what this means?”
“Not… exactly,” muttered Roman. Logan, however, seemed to catch on.
“Murder, in both the first and second degree, is applied when one human kills another human.” Logan’s wheels were turning faster and faster. Logan found his excitement raising with every moment, making his words come to him faster and faster. “If the perpetrators are being charged with murder, it means that the children are being treated as human. At the very least, they are being treated like sentient beings. This case could set precedent and overturn a lot of regulations about borrowers currently in effect.”
“Wait,” Roman shook his head as though her were being pelted with Logan’s words. “You’re saying that the laws and rules will be lifted? The humans can’t experiment or keeps us as pets anymore?”
“If we win the case, yes. This could very well be the beginning of borrower freedom.” The silence among them was quickly overridden by sheer excitement. Though hopeful and excited, there were still hints of hesitancy in each of their hearts; but now, right now, they let their excitement seize them. Virgil, hearing this, ran to Patton’s side, nearly tackling him where he worked. Roman and Remus clasped arms which quickly turned into a mock battle. There were cheers and shouts, some of them alarming the children, which quickly quieted the adults. At any rate, a spark of hope was on the horizon.
Ali returned to Patton’s side where the girl appeared to be in a deep sleep. Patton had cleaned some of the blood from her face and remaining arm but focused his efforts in giving her water and keeping her forehead cool. He had pulled a blanket over the rest of her torso and legs to keep her from shivering. Ali relieved Patton so he could return with Virgil. At any rate, she needed to check the child for any other injuries. The prospects of what was to come excited Ali, yet there was a pang of sadness tugging in the back of her mind. She wished, in that moment, that she could share the news with Hickory – who hadn’t been seen or heard from since the day before. Ali hoped Hickory was alright and knew, deep down, that conversation was also on the horizon.

Chapter Text

TWENTY | Please
“Ali, please, you need to get some sleep,” Joan pleaded with Ali, who was barely conscious while sitting upright. The other borrowers, with a little help from the team, had set up a temporary living area for the kids. They hadn’t anticipated rescuing so many, though they weren’t complaining, and the vast majority of them did not want to be separated from one another. Instead, the adults voted on taking turns staying with the children in case they needed anything – something the humans could not do unfortunately.
The little girl Ali brought in separately was still unconscious, but her breathing seemed to stabilize and become less labored. Her bandages were no longer bleeding profusely. Patton managed to give her water and even a little orange juice. She was sleeping soundly, but still needed to be monitored. It was late in the evening; Ali knew that much. A cold plate of food was to her right on a side table, but she hadn’t had an appetite for a while. She couldn’t even identify it out of the corner of her eyes. The adrenaline once coursing through her veins and keeping her upright was rapidly turning into a crash. Still, Ali shook her head and gave Joan a thoughtful grin.
“Not yet,” she muttered. “I can sleep later. I’ll only be up for a little while longer anyway. Just until her fever goes down a little more.” Ali wetted another piece of washcloth and switched it out for the one on the girl’s forehead.
“Ali,” Joan said, eyes rolling. “You’ve been up for basically almost three days with no sleep.”
“That is false,” corrected Ali. “I slept for a couple hours earlier today when I got in and took a nap before we headed out for day nine of observation.” Joan was not impressed.
“Okay. So, if we do the math, you’ve been awake for maybe fifteen to twenty hours for every one hour you slept? That’s assuming this unhealthy cycle of yours has lasted for around sixty hours or so.”
Ali rolled her shoulders and leaned her head to the side, letting the satisfying crack display her relative annoyance at being out-mathed while she was sleep deprived. “I’m fine.”
“Ali, please…”
“I said I’m fine. Just a little bit longer. Anyway, no one else is awake right now. Don’t think I didn’t notice everyone passed out on the couches. You are all just as tired as I am, so one of us has to take the hit for now. Seeing that I am currently doing something, I will stay awake.” Joan moaned, knowing Ali was beyond stubborn when she dug her heels in.
“Fine.” With that, Joan grabbed a nearby blanket and settled onto a nearby couch which was currently unoccupied. Within minutes, Ali could hear soft snoring. She smiled to herself and rubbed her dry eyes. It had been quite an eventful few days. The rescue, the observations, the potential court case, and, finally, her fight with Hickory. Well, less of a fight and more like a rant where Ali was personally attacked and tried to defend herself. Whatever it was, Ali was still disquieted. Hickory apparently hadn’t been seen by any of the borrowers she had interacted with or the other humans in the house.
Ali usually wouldn’t be worried. Hickory was prone to vanishing for a couple days here and there. Sometimes, she didn’t want to stay in her “room” which was on Ali’s shelf next to her bed and would go stay somewhere else. Ali never tried to pry where Hickory went, understanding the need for space from time to time. There were plenty of nooks in the house where Hickory could go. The attic. The basement. She could even stay with other borrowers if they didn’t mind her staying for a day or two. Unlike Hickory, Ali couldn’t slip away unseen unless she left the house.
Ali was worried this time. She knew Hickory. Ali knew Hickory’s preferences from thumbtacks to snacks, conversational topics to comfortable silences. Ali knew what could make Hickory happy and the things which tormented her in the silent, sinister parts of her mind. Ali was the only human, if not the only sentient person, who knew about Hickory’s past. While Hickory could put up a good front for the others, Ali knew why Hickory did the things she did when no one else had put it together. All of these things compiled together told Ali there were only a few things Hickory would have done after verbally assaulting Ali the way she did – and at least two of those things were not good.
Still, Ali could not initiate. It was stupid. It was complicated. It was Hickory. Ali found herself tangled in thought hours later. Ali doubted she could have snapped herself out of her mental loop if it weren’t for a few cautious taps to the top of her hand. Her eyes, unfocused and glazed with exhaustion, came back to her as did her other senses. A few blinks cleared away the cloud to reveal Patton standing mere inches from Ali’s hands. Instinctually, a smile tugged into place on Ali’s face.
“Hey Patton,” said Ali, her voice barely above a whisper. She hadn’t realized how long she had been out of it, staring blankly at the edge of the counter. Patton smiled and backed away bashfully.
“Hey Ali. Sorry to bother you,” Patton said. He seemed less tired than earlier. Ali could only attribute it to either a good sleep or something of Virgil’s doing. At any rate, it was good to see Patton with some pep in his step.
“You’re never a bother, Patton. What can I do for you?” asked Ali after a difficult yawn suppression.
“Actually, it’s what can I do for you,” Patton replied. “I know you’ve been up for a long time. You need some rest, even if it’s just for a few hours. Everyone left a couple hours ago, or so Perci told me. Even Thomas is asleep. It’s your turn.” Ali hummed disapprovingly just before suppressing another yawn.
“Patton…”
“There’s no arguing with me, kiddo,” said Patton in the sweetest, stern-demand Ali had ever heard in her life. She almost chuckled when she stopped herself short, not wanting to seem disrespectful. “Now. You told Joan you were going to wait until her fever went down. I just checked her cheeks and she’s not hardly as warm as when she arrived. I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on her. You can drag that couch over here or sleep in your room. Choose what you’d like, but you are getting some sleep, now.” Ali found herself quite impressed with Patton’s authoritative disposition, especially because his demands were caring and said so sweetly. It reminded her of a father speaking to a young child; which, in some ways, was probably a good summation of her current mental state.
“Okay. I’ll get some rest on the condition that you will wake me if she wakes up or if something happens to her. Promise?” Ali, maintaining slow movements, raised her finger for Patton to shake, which he did with a glad smile.
“Promise. Now, get some sleep.” Ali did not realize how stiff her body was after sitting for so many unmoving hours. She didn’t want to be too far in case Patton needed her attention, but the ground was an unforgiving surface for sleeping. As a compromise to herself, Ali tugged two cushions from the sofa close to the counter. She felt like a toddler as she walked with a blanket over her shoulder and collapsed onto the cushions. Within a fraction of a second, Ali was drawn into a deep, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weightless abyss. Warmth. Peace. It felt endless. The darkness, often unnerving, served as a barrier to the outside world. Ali felt like she never wanted to leave. She could have slept for days if she allowed herself such a delight. Alas, no such thing could be allowed. There was too much to do. Too much to see. Too many people who needed help. These thoughts leaked into the silent abyss, disturbing the silence. Ali rolled over from the darkness back to consciousness. From where she was on her cushions, she could see the beginnings of dawn lightening the room. Ali estimated she was probably only asleep for three or four hours, but they had been heavenly hours. She was thoroughly tempted to turn right back into the darkness just behind her eyelids when a sound caught her ear.
Ali moved cautiously as she sat up once she verified the sound was not too close to herself. The last thing she needed was to accidentally roll over onto someone. The sound repeated and Ali soon realized what the sound was. It was Patton. He was sitting beside the glove where Ali left the girl. Ali’s heart stopped in her chest. Had something happened. Refraining from rushing to Patton’s side, Ali calmed herself with a breath and prepared herself.
“Patton?” she called quietly. Instantly, Patton’s head whirled around. His glasses were slightly smudged with tears, eyes red. “What’s wrong? Is she…” Ali couldn’t bare to continue her thought; and, thankfully, she didn’t have to finish. Patton quickly shook his head and removed his glasses to wipe them clean.
“No, she’s okay. Sleeping soundly,” Patton reassured between sniffles. Relief flooded Ali’s body, sending a shockwave of newfound energy through her. There was no chance of her returning to sleep now. Instead, she stretched and resumed her position on her chair.
“Are… you okay?” asked Ali. Patton glanced up at her and placed his glasses back onto his head.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Sorry for bothering you. I just…” He turned his head back to the slumbering child.
“Don’t be sorry,” said Ali. She rubbed what was left of her sleep from her eyes. “What’s on your mind? Feel like talking about it? You don’t have to, of course.” Patton nodded, his slightly curled mess of hair bouncing up and down.
“I know. Thanks,” he muttered. “It’s just… there are so many of them. I knew things were bad, but this…. They don’t have their families, their homes. They’re out here all on their own. I know some of them are older and they’ll probably be alright to start living on their own, but there are the others and there are just so many…” Ali could hear Patton’s voice was straining to keep even and clear. He averted his gaze and wiped his eyes again. “Sorry. I… just can’t seem to stop crying. Feeling sad is one thing, but crying is a little different.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Ali repeated with a thoughtful smile. “It’s good to cry sometimes. It’s a healthy release for the body. Plus, it shows how much you care. There’s no shame in being tender hearted. Honestly, I think it’s one of your strongest and most charming qualities.” Patton glanced up at Ali, a glowing smile laced with tears on his face.
“Thank you, Ali.” A gentle silence filled the room. It was the perfect morning silence; one that accompanies the early morning hours before the world wakes. Patton looked back to the child, some thought rising in his mind. “Ali? I… well… I don’t know exactly who to talk to, but…”
“Talk to? About what?” prompted Ali, a slight concern audible in her voice.
“Well.” Patton began playing with the edges of his poncho. “Where are the kids going to go? I mean… who will look after them?” Ali had to admit, Patton had a very valid point. They hadn’t anticipated so many children of varying ages, though they were not complaining. If Ali were being honest with herself, she would have considered themselves lucky if they rescued a dozen from that awful place.
“Well,” she said within a sigh. “I know Roman and Remus mentioned having some of the kids stay with them, but that was before we knew how many. Why?”
“Well, Virgil and I talked and we want to help out. I know they’re scared and would rather be with their own families, but… I don’t know… even if it’s not forever, maybe they’d like to have a home. And, maybe, Virgil and I could give them that.”
“You want to foster and adopt some of the kids?” asked Ali. Patton’s head turned to her, slightly tilted in confusion.
“Foster?” he asked.
“Yeah, foster. Adopt would be the kids being a permanent member of your family. Fostering is like that, but if their parents are found they can be reunited. That’s a severe oversimplification, but that’s the gist,” explained Ali. Patton nodded excitedly.
“Then, yes. We’d like to do something like that.”
“That’s great,” Ali winced at the slight raising of her excited voice when Patton had not. “Umm… I don’t think there is anyone to talk to honestly. We’re sort of playing by ear,” said Ali. “Do you want to be in charge of that, Patton? Finding homes and families for the kids?” Just as Patton smiled, the first rays of sunlight crested over the horizon and illuminated the living room. Ali though the timing serendipitous.
“I would love to,” he beamed.
“That’s settled then. I guess I’ll let Thomas and the others know just so when the kids find homes we don’t panic when they’re gone. We should probably wait a couple days before letting the kids loose, just in case, but there shouldn’t be any issues.” The smile on Patton’s face could not be slapped away. After a few more minutes of sitting in excited anticipation, Patton left Ali so he could begin planning his rounds and let Virgil know the good news.
The timing was good. The next shift of borrowers arrived to relieve those who had stayed the night with the children just as Patton left. Ali could hear rustles from inside the bags as the children, undoubtedly woken by the adults leaving, became curious and apprehensive. Ali realized, suddenly, that she was probably the only human awake in the house and that her being there in the same room prevented the children from looking about and exploring. All of the volunteers knew that the children were not allowed off of the table until they had regained their strength and their injuries were assessed. Still, that did not prevent them from walking about the tables and counters which were set up as the initial workstation.
Unwilling to leave her critical condition patient, Ali carefully scooped the glove into her palms and decided to move to the coffee table and couch whose cushions she robbed hours earlier. It was just far enough so the others shouldn’t feel threatened while letting Ali keep an ear out for any emergencies. The girl seemed to be sleeping soundly and hadn’t woken since the day before, not that Ali was surprised. Ali had made it only two or three steps away when she heard sprinting footsteps and a sharp, demanding shout.
“You leave her alone!” Ali glanced to the table to see a boy, maybe in his early to mid-teens based on what Ali knew about borrower height and age, sprint from the perceived protection of the bag to the edge of the table and glare up at her. His hair was a dark caramel brown like his eyes and they burned with anger and fear. “Let her go!” Ali, bewildered, knelt to be at eye-level with the child. Ali could see he was trembling, but fiercely determined.
“I’m sorry. Is this a friend of yours?” asked Ali softly. The boy’s features hardened as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.
“GIVE HER BACK!” he shouted. Ali glanced down at the girl and then back to the boy.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Ali said soothingly. “I’m not taking her. At least, not far. She’s still not feeling well and needs to rest. We’re just going over there, okay?” Ali directed her eyes to the nearby sofa, which did not satisfy the boy.
“She can sleep over here,” argued the boy as he clenched his fists. “Now, put her down!” One of the other borrowers, Perci, jogged across the table and stood at the child’s side, placing an arm around the boy.
“Hello, sorry to intrude. Is there a problem here?” said Perci, her eyes darting quickly to Ali and trying to read the situation. The boy shrugged off Perci’s arm from his shoulder, scowling and taking a few steps away.
“Yes! This human is taking away Vi!” the boy pointed accusingly at Ali. Perci glanced just over the table to see the sleeping girl. She was aware of the girl’s condition and combed her fingers through her own short, dirty-blonde hair.
“Vi? Is that her name?” Ali realized she had spoken aloud when the boy audibly growled at her.
“Don’t call her that! Only her friends call her that.” Ali nodded apologetically.
“I’m sorry,” Ali said softly, a statement which seemed to surprise the boy. Perci glanced to Ali, not sure what how to proceed. Ali needed to establish trust. Alarming the others by not listening and taking one of their own away from them, even though it wasn’t true, was not the way to do things. Ali, with a quick nod, gave a slight smile to Perci and looked back to the boy. “Okay. I’m going to set her right here. Is that alright?” The boy’s eyes narrowed skeptically, but he nodded his approval.
While Ali raised her hands with the girl, she spoke softly to the boy. “Now, it’s important to let her sleep, okay? So, don’t try to wake her. She has a few severe injuries she’s recovering from.” Ali laid the glove just in front of the boy, who cautiously approached and knelt by the girl called Vi’s side. He seemed to understand Ali’s instructions as he did not try to wake Vi and, instead, visually inspected her to ensure she was still in one piece. Ali leaned back onto her heels and watched the boy’s interactions. He didn’t seem to be related to Vi. Their facial features were not similar and their hair color was vastly different, her hair being a very pale blonde from what Ali could tell and his being a rich brown. The boy reached out and clasped Vi’s hand in his own. The strength he seemed to exude moments before was waning. His shoulders were shaking slightly. He also seemed to be fighting tears as he stared at Vi’s pale face. Perci, who was still standing nearby, took a few steps back to give the boy some space.
“W… will she…” He didn’t seem to know how to finish his thought. Ali hoped he was leaning toward the more positive side as she replied.
“She’ll be alright,” encouraged Ali. “She will wake up. Her body is just recovering. If she’s not up by this afternoon on her own, we’ll try waking her up.” The boy wiped his nose on the back of his hand, refusing to allow his eyes to leave the girl’s fragile frame. Ali tried to catch the boy’s eye, something he was actively avoiding. “Would you feel up to helping your friend better?” This caught his attention. He glanced at Ali, obviously apprehensive but eager.
“What do I need to do?” he said with as much confidence as he could muster.
“Well, she needs to stay hydrated, but she can’t drink on her own. After she rests for a little while longer, you could help her do that,” replied Ali. “You wet a paper towel and let it drip on her lips and in her mouth. That, alone, will help her tremendously. Perci or one of the other adults can show you.” The boy glanced over his shoulder at Perci who was still supervising the interaction.
They sat in silence for nearly five minutes. Ali could see some of the children peaking their heads out, surveying the scene around them. She could hear the encouraging words and soothing comments. She also couldn’t help but notice the nervous glances from the shadows. It was time. Ali spotted a tall side table over by the television. It was lightweight, but stable. Ali stood slowly and brought the table between the cushions she used as a bed and the main table.
“I have a compromise,” she said after resuming her kneeling stance. The boy’s eyes narrowed cynically. “I need to be able to monitor your friend in case there are any changes, but I want you to feel like you can keep an eye on her too.”
“Then just leave her here,” stated the boy shortly.
“Unfortunately, I can’t monitor her without watching. I’m also making the others nervous by being here.” Ali nodded her head toward where the other children were. “If she’s on this table here, we’ll both be able to check up on her. Okay?” The boy seemed reluctant, but Perci, thank goodness, stepped in and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Ali won’t let anything happen to your friend. She’s one of the good ones.” The boy’s shoulders sagged just before he puffed out his chest got to his feet. It was apparent he was forcing himself to accept he couldn’t do anything at the moment to help his friend.
“You let me know the second she wakes up. Understood?” Ali nodded obediently.
“Absolutely,” reassured Ali. He turned his head away, looking slightly bashful suddenly.
“Tell… tell her that Axel is really worried and that I’ll do anything to help her get better.” He spoke so softly Ali almost missed it. She nodded again as Perci stepped up and guided Axel back toward the others. Ali, once again, lifted the glove the girl was on and, this time, placed her on the table by the cushions. [What an interesting boy. Axel. Certainly has some spunk] Ali thought as she sat and leaned against the wall. The moment she was out of sight, the sounds of the children exploring and walking about began. There were hesitant giggles and curious awes as the Shelter was explained and questions were answered. A head would peer over the edge from time to time, but no one other than Axel dared say anything to her. Roman and Remus made an appearance after an hour or so and, soon after, Thomas began rummaging around in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Much like the night, breakfast was uneventful and Ali found her mind wandering once again. Even though the girl, Vi, wasn’t awake, she upheld her promise and returned her to the table for Axel and Persi to supervise. Ali admired Axel’s determination and selflessness. He was obviously terrified of the notion of being with humans but pushed these things aside to help his friend. He kept cool towels on Vi’s head and was especially delicate when giving her something to drink. Persi nodded, assuring she would keep an eye out, while Ali left to help Thomas in the kitchen.
“Morning,” he greeted. There was a pep in his voice indicating he already had some sort of caffeinated beverage this morning or had a fantastic sleep, one of the two. Ali smiled, but flinched as she caught her reflection. She looked like a train wreck.
“Morning,” she replied. Her voice sounded deeper than usual.
“Did you get any sleep?” The emphasis he placed on the words indicated both concern and teasing sarcasm.
“Sure, let’s call it that. Yeah, I pulled some cushions over after Patton relieved me. Might’ve gotten three or four hours. Not sure. Anyway, the girl is still passed out cold, but her fever seems to be breaking. One of the kids called her Vi. I think that’s her name, but I’m not sure.” Ali poured herself some coffee and heated it in the microwave while fetching some things to make it sweeter. She hated bitter coffee.
“Good to hear.” There was a sudden roar of laughter followed by Roman and Remus’s playful, bantering shouts. “That is also good to hear,” muttered Thomas. Ali hummed in acknowledgment as she doctored up her coffee and enjoyed the way it warmed her fingertips. The ribbons of steam lifted in the air from the caffeinated brew. The humans listened to the seemingly pleasant but faint conversation in the next room over.
Then, like a pressing weight on your lungs, something unpleasant filled the space between Thomas and Ali.
“Have you heard anything from…”
“No, I haven’t heard anything. Probably won’t,” muttered Ali, knowing who Thomas was referring to. Ali cracked her neck uncomfortably and turned toward the stairs. “Whelp, not to be rude, but I need to bathe. See ya on the other side.”
“Ali.” Thomas’s voice indicated his disapproval of her walking away from the conversation.
“Thomas.” Ali returned using the same tone with a hint of annoyance.
“You can’t avoid this.”
“I’m not trying to,” stated Ali, her back still to Thomas.
“Sooner or later, you’ll have to see her again.”
“And I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” Thomas stared disbelievingly at Ali.
“You didn’t even go back to your room last night,” pointed out Thomas.
“Because I was keeping an eye on Vi,” explained Ali.
“Right, that’s the only reason?”
“That’s the only reason.” There was a deliberate beat of silence followed by Thomas’s sigh.
“Look, I’m not trying to pick a fight first thing in the morning. I don’t mean to sound patronizing and I’m not… I’m a Hufflepuff by nature and don’t seek conflict for kicks. I just want to make sure that you’re both all right.” Ali had to agree with him. “Just… please. Just talk to her.”

Chapter Text

TWENTY-ONE | Strategic
“You can’t avoid this.”
“I’m not trying to,” stated Ali, her back still to Thomas.
“Sooner or later, you’ll have to see her again.”
“And I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” Thomas stared disbelievingly at Ali.
“You didn’t even go back to your room last night,” pointed out Thomas.
“Because I was keeping an eye on Vi,” explained Ali.
“Right, that’s the only reason?”
“That’s the only reason.” There was a deliberate beat of silence followed by Thomas’s sigh.
“Look, I’m not trying to pick a fight first thing in the morning. I don’t mean to sound patronizing and I’m not… I’m a Hufflepuff by nature and don’t seek conflict for kicks. I just want to make sure that you’re both all right.” Ali had to agree with him. “Just… please. Just talk to her.”
Ali turned around and leaned against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest. A slight agitation gripped the reins, begging her to retort snarkily. She knew better. Instead, she inhaled sharply and stared into Thomas’s soft brown eyes.
“Have you seen her?” asked Ali. Thomas, with a slight eye roll, shook his head.
“You know better than anyone Hickory is the best at not being seen when she doesn’t want to be,” Thomas replied. Ali’s eyebrows raised as she nodded slowly.
“Exactly, on both counts. If Hickory doesn’t want to be seen or noticed, she’s not going to be. Also, I do know her better than anyone,” pointed out Ali. Thomas bristled, but Ali held up a single finger indicating she wasn’t done. “With that being said, there’s no point in trying to find her unless I go up to my room and assess the situation.”
“And what are you going to do if she’s not there? She was obviously upset, Ali. What if she does something reckless? Well… more reckless than usual. What if she goes outside to the yard or worse? What if she leaves to go to another house? We can’t protect her if she leaves.” Thomas made a lot of valid points. Hickory was prone to reckless behavior, but she wasn’t stupid – or, at least, the jury was out on that one.
“Then that’s what she does,” replied Ali. Thomas sighed despondently and scratched the back of his head.
“How can you just say it like that? She’s your friend, unless she’s not anymore. Are you really not concerned with what happens to her?” asked Thomas, he and Ali both keeping their voices slightly hushed as to not disrupt the others.
“Don’t take it like that, Thomas,” sighed Ali. “I only meant that Hickory is free to do as she wishes. That’s what this place is for. If she wants to leave, she can. It’s not a prison. I hope she hasn’t gone somewhere else, but I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know where she could be.”
“I know, but look…”
“No, you look,” interrupted Ali, stepping forward within a foot of Thomas. He was alarmed at the sudden close distance, but Ali reached out and gripped his arm, preventing him from stepping away. “It’s all strategic.” Ali glanced around as if she were afraid her next words would be overheard.
“Strategic? What do you mean?” Thomas whispered loudly. Ali’s jaw clenched, nerves seizing her insides. She swore she wouldn’t tell. She swore she would keep those sacred memories private. Could she betray her promise for the sake of assuring Thomas everything would be okay? She gestured for Thomas to follow and walked briskly to his office. He followed close behind, nearly clipping her heels with his feet. He closed the door behind them while Ali glanced toward the vents. She doubted anyone would listen into their conversation since only a few borrowers found items they could borrow in Thomas’s office. She wouldn’t be speaking loudly anyway.
“Okay. Strategic? What does that even mean?” asked Thomas, his voice returning to its normal volume. Ali groaned and sat on the floor, back pressed against the wall.
“Strategic, Thomas. If I go look for her now, she’ll do something drastic and, quite possibly, harmful to herself. All of this is a huge mind game based on strategy.” Thomas also sat on the ground and against the wall but sat opposite of Ali so he could read every micro-expression.
“So, you’re saying if you go try to find her to make sure she’s okay, she’ll inflict harm? Why?” Ali rubbed the back of her neck nervously, gripping the hair on the back of her head as if that were tethering her to the conversation.
“Because it would be my fault. If I went seeking her out, she would think that I think she’s weak. Does that make sense? She wouldn’t see it as concern or caring about her well-being. She would see it as me pitying her, and she can’t stand being seen as helpless again.”
“Again?” prompted Thomas after a beat. “You mean when borrowers were first discovered?” Ali half nodded, half shook her head.
“Yes and no,” muttered Ali. “Look. You know that Hickory and I came here together. You know I’m the one who rescued her and that she lost her family…” Ali’s voice trailed off.
“Yeah, and?” Ali’s throat was suddenly cotton dry.
“And… based on Hickory and my quote unquote ‘argument’ the other day, you know it was because of my step-father that Hickory’s family is dead.” Thomas’s eyes squinted skeptically, as though he already pieced some of that information together. “Look, I swore to her I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I’m trying to uphold that so don’t… do that squint thing that you’re doing. I’m trying to dodge around my promise here.”
“Fine,” acknowledged Thomas, easing back his stare. “Continue.”
“Hickory was left alone after what happened. She lost everything and humans are the sole reason behind her suffering,” said Ali. Thomas looked as though he were still waiting for the punchline of a joke, anticipating some big reveal. Ali growled and combed her fingers through her hair, aggravated at herself. “Don’t you see? That’s why she lashes out, physically and mentally. That’s why I have these.” Ali pointed to her bandaged hand.
“But you rescued her,” argued Thomas.
“Did I?” Ali’s question stunned Thomas for a moment.
“What? What do you mean?”
“Come on Thomas,” moaned Ali. “If you just lost everything – family, friends, home, the secrecy of your entire species – would you want to be rescued?”
“You’re… saying… that Hickory blames you for saving her life?” asked Thomas, a hollow feeling filling his chest. Ali’s expression neutralized, but whether it was to prevent Ali from becoming upset or to disguise some other feeling he couldn’t tell.
“If you don’t want to be saved, wouldn’t you resent the person, at least at first, who made you keep going?” asked Ali rhetorically. Thomas felt his jaw slacken as he rubbed his face into his palms. The smell of breakfast which lingered on them didn’t seem quite as sweet now. “She tried, once, after I rescued her to… opt out. I found her and you know what she said? I’m sorry. Just… I’m sorry. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, she let me patch her up… and that’s when this whole, huge dance began.” Thomas’s eyes widened.
“You cannot be serious.” Ali’s stoic expression only confirmed her previous statements.
“Grief shows itself in a lot of different ways. I have my coping mechanisms. Hickory has hers, which includes lashing out at me. I don’t know for sure, but part of me thinks its punishment. At the very least, she’s trying to provoke a reaction out of me, and not the good kind.” Ali’s words chilled the air, sounding distant as though she hadn’t meant to say them aloud.
“You think she wants you to…”
“I don’t know,” Ali replied hurriedly. “Maybe? She says she pulls the stunts she does to help the others see that I’m quote unquote ‘one of the good ones,’ but maybe she’s trying to enact revenge in her own way. Maybe she doesn’t know how to put her feelings into words, so her emotions get bottled up to explode later. Only she knows. I can only guess at this point. All I know is that, as much as I want to find her and make sure she’s safe, she needs to be the one to come to me because that’s a sign that she needs me and doesn’t want to be alone.”
Ali sighed and closed her eyes. Her jaw clenched and unclenched rapidly. A tingling, clenching feeling spread through her chest. She felt her eyes stinging with tears, but lack of proper hydration over the past few days left her with reddening eyes. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to look at the ceiling even though her eyes were closed. That same, sinister silence crept into the forefront of her mind.
[You know that’s exactly what Hickory wants. She’s probably not coming back. You did that. When you left, you left Hickory all by herself when she needed you to comfort her. She’s probably long gone at this point. You did that. If something happens, that’s on you.]
The familiar emptiness drained her senses until she felt a subtle nudge on her foot. In a flare of hope, Ali glanced down, but only saw Thomas had sunk further down on the wall to nudge her foot with his foot – a thoughtful acknowledgment that he was still there for her. She couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but, somehow, Thomas could always pull her away from her sinister silences.
“Thanks,” she muttered. Thomas could only nod and waited patiently for Ali to mentally compose herself. “Look, you know Roman and Remus. You know what they like, what they avoid, and what Disney songs they argue over singing the lead on. You know them like I know Hickory. We’ll be okay. I’m not mad at her, at least not anymore. Let me handle her. It’ll be okay.” Thomas sighed and nodded.
“And you’ll be okay?” Thomas had the look Ali imagined Albus Dumbledore having when he peered over his half-moon spectacles. The look of knowing and a deep, unfathomable insight. As if he read her mind, a smile crept onto his face. “Is there anything you wish to tell me?” Ali chuckled. He had even mimicked the voice properly. Ali scratched the corner of her eye.
“Yeah, I spiked my coffee,” she grinned sarcastically. Thomas rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“Not funny,” he scolded as he got to his feet. Ali couldn’t stop chuckling.
“Maybe a little funny,” she smiled as Thomas helped her to her feet. “I’m going to bathe, and I mean it this time. Keep an ear out. I’ll try and be quick, but I want to make sure I’m around if Vi wakes up.” With a thoughtful, three fingered wave, Thomas turned and headed back to the kitchen while Ali went to her room to get her shower basket.
This was going to be the true test. Ali’s heart began to keep time faster and faster. Her breath, calmed by Thomas, became shallower. Ali knew that if Hickory did mean to leave, she would have left some sort of note in a place Ali would be able to see clearly. Ali couldn’t explain how she knew Hickory would do this, yet she did. She came to her door and knocked stiffly. Nothing. Ali cracked the door open after jiggling the knob. No distressed shouts telling her to wait. Ali pushed her way into her room. Nothing. She glanced at her bed, under her pillow, by the desk, and even dared to pull back the curtain of Hickory’s cubby. Nothing. A few essential supplies were gone, but there was no note. Ali exhaled a sigh of relief. Hickory was still in the house somewhere. Now all Ali needed to do was wait…

Chapter Text

TWENTY-TWO | Canvas

The air was frigid. It had stopped actively snowing days ago, but the aftermath remained. There was nearly a foot of snow in the yard and along the roads beyond the Shelter’s doors. Icicles hung like frozen windchimes along the gutters of the house. Every breath released a personalized cloud.

Hickory loved the snow. She loved the cold. It reminded her of winters with her family in the Old House. It was a glorious home. There were at least a dozen rooms that were unused for a large part of the year. There were massive pipes in the basement which heated the house and, unbeknownst to the human, the borrower’s home. The Old House belonged to an elderly couple with dozens of grandchildren. Every winter season, the entire human family would come into town and stay in the Old House. There were scattered treats and goodies from the children, leaving plenty of borrowings. There were a few close calls, as there usually were in the borrowing profession, but they had always managed to get away.

Hickory missed those winters snuggled among her sisters crocheting and sewing thicker and warmer blankets and garments so they could play in the snow. There were times when Hickory would just sit by the exit to the outside world and just watch the snow fall. With her borrower eyes, she could see the intricate designs in the snowflakes before they melted in her hands. She heard the humans say something about no two snowflakes being exactly the same, but how would they know with their clumsy hands and squinting eyes? There were many things humans said that Hickory did not understand, and the statement about snowflakes was one of them. Even now as she crouched in the branches of the hedges in the backyard staring at the snow frozen to the evergreen bristles, she could have sworn two of them were identical.

She couldn’t think about that now. Now, she had to focus. Her prey was nearby. Hickory spent time in the outside world hunting with her father and brother. In the chaos that ensued on the borrower doomsday, Hickory did not know what happened to her father and brother. She pushed the thought from her mind as quickly as it came. She couldn’t think about the way she would rustle her brother’s hair to annoy him when she brought back more kills than him. She couldn’t think about the smell of her father’s leather vest which he rarely removed. She could hear the skittering and crunching snow of a small creature. Based on experience, it was a mouse. Hickory smiled slyly. Her position above in the branches gave her the perfect vantage point. Both offensive and defensive.

She pulled her scarf and hood over her head, deepening her breath to calm her mind. She pulled out a bow she carved from wood last summer and nocked a toothpick arrow which she sharpened and added feathers to. She inhaled and held the nock until she could see the rodent a few feet away from her position. Hickory could only hear the beat of her heart as she drew back. Pause. She waited until the creature’s eyes turned outward to the snow before releasing. At least it saw something pretty before it died. The climb was quick, and the cleaning of the field mouse was thankfully uneventful. She left it hanging for a short while as she stared out at the winter wonderland before her. The tip of her nose dripped more than a leaky faucet and her fingers and toes were growing more numb with every moment of inactivity. It was time to go. After securing the cleaned mouse to her back, Hickory set off back toward the house.

The path was a clear one from the hedges to the fence row. Thankfully, the fence ran close to the house to a pathway she carved the night after the snow. From there, Hickory forced her freezing limbs to climb to the gutter drainpipe where she had set up a pulley system. She stepped onto the nail and gripped the rope tight before she yanked downward with all her might. Just as her feet left the ground, she leapt as high as she could and watched the world zoom around her. Within seconds, Hickory had reached the top gutter of the house, two stories up. The slick surface nearly made her loose her footing a few times, but she secured the rope with several well-done knots before shifting one of the roof tiles to the side and slipping into the house.

The heat blasted Hickory’s face, sending a frigid tingle through her body. The cold, apparently, was more intense than Hickory thought. Her body began to itch and tingle as it thawed. Every inch now felt suffocated with heat. Hickory began removing her hood and scarf as she walked along the beams of the attic. It was a nice place. Secluded. Rarely disturbed by humans and borrowers alike. Dark and light. Warm and cool. The ultimate home other than the basement. Well… almost the ultimate home. [NO!] Hickory trudged forward across the beams to her canvas tent near the edge of the roof.

The tent itself was only big enough for one, maybe two, borrowers. It was constructed from an old, cut canvas Hickory found and stitched together some time ago. It was fashioned into a loose tepee structure and was filled to the brim with the softest fragments of clothing she could find. She also acquired a full-sized match box which she turned into a crate for various borrowings she came across on her outings. Eyes fully adjusted, she struck a match she kept nearby and lit a low wick candle. Hickory knew the dangers of having an open flame, but she needed to cook the mouse meat and the light would be nice. Her battery powered lamp was running out of juice.

With mechanical speed, Hickory set up her spits and carved strips of meat to hang over the flame. Everything was perfectly timed from rotating the spits to each cut of meat. She knew the meat would most likely get crispy, but she didn’t want to cook outside when it was so cold. It was a hassle to set up a safe grill, even when it was outside. This would be fine. After the meat was cut, she cleaned the mouse pelt and used part of an unwound shoelace from her storage box to tie the stretched skin to a frame.

Satisfied with her work, Hickory shed her wet garments down to her undergarments and slipped into the tepee where her in-home bed clothing lay in a crumpled heap. She changed quickly and then spent time setting out her wet garments to dry along the base of the candle holder. The slightly charred meat was ready. Dinner in bed was a good way to end the day. She tugged the scraps of cloth over her shoulder and chewed the tough cut of meat she selected and stared at the flickering flame. Other than the occasional crackle, there was utter silence. Hickory didn’t mind silence, but she certainly didn’t care for it.

She was used to hearing the conversations of passing borrowers from inside the shelter. She enjoyed hearing Roman and Remus banter back and forth before discussing some issue or another with Thomas. She liked sitting in the vents during movie night and listening in to conversations. Even if she didn’t contribute to the conversation, she liked being a part of it. It still kept her mind occupied. Complete silence left her alone to fill the space with conversations she wished she could hear again. The debates between her parents about the borrowing schedule and who would go out when. The sweet teasing when her sisters couldn’t decide what borrowing bag went with their patchwork skirts. Her brother’s singing in the spaces between the halls. His voice ringing out against the tiled bathroom when the humans weren’t home because the sound was better and her voice singing along with his. Hickory curled in on herself. It was in these silent moments she thought of them – her family.

Hickory glanced outside of her canvas tent. Not a soul in sight. Not even the elusive cryptid borrower who was rumored to wander alone all throughout the house. She was alone. Completely and utterly alone. She thought of going to visit someone, which would be the first time she talked to anyone since she walked away from Ali that night. It wasn’t as though she didn’t have friends or others she could talk to other than her human counterpart. It was silly that she was feeling bad for a human after everything that had happened to her kind and her family. Why should she care? Why couldn’t she shake this pit eating at her insides? Hickory suddenly realized she had lost count of the days she was gone. Hickory rubbed her arms with her cupped hands as though trying to warm them or shake a chill.

Hickory’s thoughts fixated, much to her dismay, on Ali. The look on her face after Hickory shouted at her. The sadness in her brow. The frustration and hurt in her eyes just before she left. The way her voice trembled as she fought every instinct to collapse into tears. The longer she thought about it, the more that pit Hickory felt developed a name – guilt and regret. Hickory had to admit the things she said were intentional. She was angry and frustrated. She wanted something to be done about the children and saw Ali as the only hurdle. Yet, as much as she attempted to bring out every wrong thing Ali had done to justify Hickory’s actions, there was some counterpoint demonstrating Ali’s good intentions. Hickory finally admitted something to herself, something she knew all along but tried to distance herself from since the moment she met her. Hickory missed Ali.

She missed their conversations late into the night about the most ridiculous subjects. Hickory missed Ali’s awkward attempts at explaining certain human behaviors and items humans created. She missed the way Ali read aloud to her, using different voices for the characters to add to the story. She missed the way Ali would listen endlessly to Hickory’s day and the adventures she remembered from the Old House. She missed Ali’s laugh and her intuitive smile.

But what could she do about it now? Hickory’s eyes stung with the threat of tears. Ali had forgiven Hickory for practically everything she had done. From the compiled list of cuts and stabs to the frantic scares and pranks Hickory had pulled, Hickory could rely on the fact that Ali would forgive her; but never before had Hickory cut Ali this deep. The intentional wound Hickory dealt that night could have been the final nail in the coffin. What was Ali thinking of her now? Was she even thinking about her? Did she care?

It took a few more hours of solitude to solidify Hickory’s resolve. She had to go back. Hiding wasn’t going to solve anything and Hickory concluded that there was no sense prolonging the inevitable. If Ali was still mad and didn’t want to see her again, she would have to live with it. If Ali was willing to forgive her, this gnawing guilt would be gone, and things could go back to the way they were. At least, Hickory hoped things could go back to normal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was her day off, finally. Ali had spent the past week and a half pulling double shifts from her shift as an EMT and assisting the newly formed borrower families in attaining supplies and adjusting to their new lives. Many families stepped forward and graciously opened their hearts and homes to the children. A few families managed to find their children, but that number, sadly, was not higher. Ali had only heard earlier that day that Patton and Virgil had adopted two of the kids, one teenager and one much younger. Ali hoped they were adjusting well, as she hoped for all of the other families.

The little girl, Vi or Violet as she eventually learned, had regained consciousness, but was still very weak and adjusting to her new life. She hadn’t spoken but was willing to communicate with head nods and shakes on how she was feeling. Axel hadn’t left her side once since that time. For now, they were staying with Perci. It was a temporary arrangement as Perci was more solitary, but she was willing to help where she could. Also, Perci was one of the borrowers who was willing to bring Violet by Ali’s room so she could check and see how her wound was progressing since Perci had limited experience with potential infections. Thankfully, Violet didn’t seem to mind the fact Ali was human.

Ali slept in, well past the morning, for the first time in a while before spending the rest of the afternoon reading quietly to herself. She was rereading a personal favorite as a means to relax. The house, chilled by the winter and snow, was perfectly still. Numerous blankets were piled onto Ali’s bed, providing the perfect amount of warmth.

She had just made it to the halfway point when she heard the familiar click of the electrical cover open and close. She averted her eyes instinctively and stared instead at the canopy above her head. The gossamer curtains shimmered in the ambient lighting in the room provided by the nightstand light and Christmas lights. It wasn’t until she heard her name that her blood chilled in her veins and her body tensed nervously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hickory knew she was nervous. She could tell by the slight tingle in her fingers and the shiver in her spine that lingered even as she climbed down from the attic. She hadn’t been nervous about being seen by a human in a long time, and she knew why she was nervous now. One step after the other made a rhythmic tapping sound against the floor. She ducked under some wires and climbed a few stray nails to avoid some of the venting pipes. The wood beam lined walls and insulation absorbed the sounds of the chilled house. Still, a few stray laughs caught her attention from up ahead. It seemed like one of the families from the corner apartments had some new children. [They must be the children. That happened already?] Hickory couldn’t think about that now.

She trudged forward and scurried up the last set of ladders until she reached that same familiar corridor leading to Ali’s room. Now that she stood at the doorway, face cast in shadow except for the warm glow slipping through the electrical cover holes. The light rested just over her eyes, making her squint. This much light in the room meant the side lamp next to the bed was on and that Ali was indeed in the room. Before she could hesitate, Hickory pushed open the cover with the familiar click and stepped out onto the desk. She closed it behind her.

She didn’t remember when her knees became so unsteady or when her heart began beating so harshly against her chest. Hickory could see Ali behind the gossamer curtain which draped over the edges of her bed forming an elegant canopy. Breath unsteady, Hickory willed herself to the edge of the desk as she pushed past the nervousness in her core. Curses. Could she do this? Ali wasn’t even looking in her direction. Was that already a sign? Nerves fraying as she tried to talk herself into leaving, what last bit of self-control Hickory still possessed called out.

“Ali?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ali wasn’t sure if she had imagined it, but she had to look. She had to be sure. Ali turned over slowly to spot a familiar silhouetted figure standing on the desk. It was Hickory. Ali watched as Hickory, seemingly hyping herself up, walked briskly from the desk along the edge of the wall and the bridge to her nightstand, only slowing once she had passed the bedside lamp. The brisk pace, which conveyed determination and resolve, quickly melted into a timid hesitancy. Hickory’s shoulders were tense, just like Ali’s shoulders. Hickory wasn’t making eye contact, despite Ali’s attempts at catching those mischievous orbs for some sort of insight into Hickory’s thoughts. Ali slowly crossed her legs underneath of her as she faced Hickory, who now seemed to be trembling slightly.

For a week and a half, Ali had neither seen nor heard from her tiny companion. She had been worried for her safety and reluctant to press her luck by seeking her out. She was apprehensive as to what Hickory might do on her own. Ali was also concerned and deeply saddened that she may not see Hickory again. She was elated that Hickory was standing there in front of her and in once piece, unharmed. Yet, mixed into that elation, was a numbing shock. All of these emotions pent up over the past week seemed suddenly blurred and void. Now, when it mattered most, Ali wasn’t sure how she should be feeling. Based on her silence, Hickory didn’t seem sure how to proceed either.

Even though she was unsure, Hickory beat Ali to the punch. “I… I didn’t mean… I just… wanted to say… I’m sorry.” Hickory’s words were not stammered, but rather seemed to be pieced together on the fly, like she couldn’t get her own thoughts and emotions in order. She maintained eye-contact with the edge of the bedside table, as if looking at Ali would bring down a bolt of lightening to smite her.

“I said what I said because I was… angry… and confused… and frustrated. I know… you and the others were doing everything you could. That doesn’t excuse what I said to you, especially in front of the others. It was mean and cruel and I know I don’t…” [Deserve it. I don’t deserve your kindness. You’ve been nothing but kind and this is how I’ve repaid you.] Hickory couldn’t bring herself to sputter out her internal thoughts fast enough. All this time, Hickory tried speaking clearly, yet her voice had gone unused and sounded hoarse and raspy. She tried clearing her throat, but that only made her feel more anxious at how Ali was perceiving her actions. “I crossed a line. A lot of them actually. I know I don’t… deserve it. But…”

Hickory, even in her peripheral, could see Ali’s eyebrows raise for just a moment, as if to say, ‘you think?’. Hickory winced, her shoulders pinching in toward her chest. An intense tingling rippled through her lungs and her chest, a sure sign she was going to get choked up if she didn’t hurry. Hickory glanced up into Ali’s eyes. They were illuminated by the ambient lighting, yet lacked their signature brightness. Ali’s features were set in a mixture of neutrality and patience. Hickory found it hard to swallow her nervousness, but managed to choke out one last thing before realizing if she pressed herself further, she would probably start crying.

“But… I want to come home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ali felt herself inhale slowly, the breath hitching like a silent stutter in her lungs. She could detect no deceit in Hickory’s voice. It took a lot for Hickory to say what she did. She wasn’t into sharing too many of her true feelings after all. It took a lot of courage to come from relative safety and admit you made a creature hundreds of times bigger than yourself upset. It was a big move, no pun intended, for Hickory to come. Hickory admitted that what she said was wrong and that she was sorry. Hickory hadn’t stayed away. She came. She was here. She was alive. After everything that happened in their shared past, Hickory was asking to return. All of these things were as good of a sign as any that this moment mattered more than ever. It was the tipping point.

Ali, trapped in her thoughts for what felt like an hour, smiled meekly and nodded slowly.

“Okay.” Ali hadn’t realized her own throat had constricted with emotion during Hickory’s apology. “You’re home.” Hickory half sobbed, half laughed as she exhaled and wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting hug.

“But…” Ali continued, which froze Hickory in her moment of relief. Ali paused as she bit her lower lip. She knew she had to be careful and proceeded as such. “There are some things that I want to say. You don’t have to say anything, but I do want you to listen and hear me out until the end. Okay?” Hickory seemed unsure. She seemed to be teetering on the edge of running into the embrace of sadness or leaping from elation. Instead, she nodded almost imperceptibly. Ali braced herself with a single breath before continuing, speaking slowly and clearly.

“I’m not mad, or angry, or frustrated. Not anymore. Admittedly when you said those things to me, I was very angry and upset. I shouldn’t have walked away the way I did, and I apologize for that, but I didn’t know what else to do.” Ali looked to Hickory who, once again, was staring at the most interesting bedside table edge she had ever seen, refusing to meet Ali’s eyes.

“What you said to me was… cruel… and deliberate. It was meant to hurt me, and it did. I get it. You were scared and frustrated and angry, I know. I was too. I still am.” Ali felt the weight on her chest lifting, though her heart pulsed with pain with every beat. “Still, I don’t think I deserved being hurt like that.” Hickory nodded absent-mindedly. She seemed to be absorbing everything well enough, honouring Ali’s request of hearing her out until she finished. Ali continued to keep her voice even and calm.

“What you said about me not knowing what you’ve been through. You’re right. You are absolutely right. I don’t know every little thing you’ve been through. I don’t know exactly how you feel. That doesn’t mean that I can’t sympathize with you. It doesn’t mean that I can’t try to understand your perspective. But you know what?” Ali was beginning to find it difficult to keep her voice from quaking. “That also means that you don’t know how I feel. You don’t know every little thing about me. We’ve shared a lot with each other, Hickory, but there are things we keep for ourselves – and that’s okay – but that doesn’t mean we shut the other person out because we don’t have an exact scenario to match the other’s pain.”

Tears gathered in the corners of Ali’s eyes, mirroring Hickory’s reddening eyes.

“I know we didn’t meet under the greatest of circumstances, but since that day I have tried everything I could to see the world through your eyes. I’ve tried to help and listen the best that I could. Sometimes, I had to learn the hard way. I certainly have enough souvenirs to prove it.” Hickory glanced to Ali’s hands, noticing for the first time that her right hand was covered in band-aids and scabs from where Hickory had assaulted her hand with her pin. Hickory looked away guiltily, knowing that the current damage to Ali’s hand was only a small fraction of what Hickory inflicted on her human companion. “I know that you didn’t want to keep going after I found you, and maybe you think I took your choice from you. I don’t know. Maybe I did. All I know is this Hickory – I wouldn’t change my decisions for a second.”

Hickory’s attention snapped to Ali’s eyes. Ali had stopped her that day – or, to be better put – Ali had helped her realize that, for whatever reason, she wanted to live.  

“Hickory, I wouldn’t change any of my choices because they’ve made both of us into who we are, right here and now. We’ve both done a lot of growing up in a short amount of time. I know I couldn’t have done that without you. I’d take it all again in a heartbeat because I care about you, and that’s not going to change – ever.” Ali and Hickory held their gaze, each seeming to feel those darkened thoughts and feelings which they locked away and kept contained breaking free, releasing those unnamable feelings and re-forging a way back to one another.

“I don’t think it’s fair to pin all of these feelings of anger and frustration for all of humankind on me. I’m not perfect, but I cannot accept the blame for every single thing the humans have done.” stated Ali softly. “But you know what? You can’t accept that blame either.” Hickory felt herself stiffen and glanced away.

“It’s not on you that the borrowers were discovered. You’re not to blame for the doomsday that happened. It’s not your fault that your family was found; and it’s certainly not your fault for what happened to them.” Hickory felt herself scowl and bristle at Ali’s words. She half-glared at Ali. Something about what she was saying was getting to her, making her heartbeat faster and her breathing shallow. “It’s that scum of the earth that did those things. Why are you blaming yourself for what someone else did? It’s not your fault.” Ali fell quiet while Hickory processed what she was feeling. Hickory poorly stifled a moist sniff and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

“I know,” she muttered, keeping her eyes averted.

“No… no you don’t. Hickory, it’s not your fault.” Said Ali firmly. Well, firm for Ali anyway. Hickory watched Ali’s hand hesitantly inching toward the bedside table.

“I know,” Hickory said, replying in the same tone.

“It’s not your fault.” Somehow hearing it out loud, saying it out loud, was sinking into Hickory’s subconscious. Was this what she had been feeling all this time? Had she been feeling responsible? Responsible for what the humans did to her? To her family? Saying, out loud, that it wasn’t her fault cracked that final lock to those unnamable emotions. Cheeks warm and eyes burning, Hickory realized tears were lining her face. She tried hiding it by covering her face with her arm. When that didn’t work, she covered her face with her hands. Ali’s expression changed from careful neutrality to a pensive smile. Ali’s hand was mere inches from the edge of the bedside table.

“It’s not your fault,” said Ali gently. Ali was right. It wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t the fault of anyone in the Shelter. The outside world was just as messed up as it always had been; so why was she wasting time blaming herself? Hickory sobbed into her hands. She felt a slight tapping by the edge of the table. It was Ali’s finger, showing her that she was there – showing her she was always there. Hickory lost the fight with herself and ran forward. Ali’s hand raised just as Hickory came smashing into it. Hickory wrapped her right arm in the notch between Ali’s thumb and index finger and pressed her face against the edge of Ali’s palm as she sobbed. She felt Ali’s fingers gently close around her, barely brushing against her shoulders while her thumb rubbed her side comfortingly. Hickory’s vision may have been blurred from the warm, salty tears pouring down her face, but even she could see that Ali had begun crying too. Ali was nowhere near sobbing her eyes out, but at least Hickory wouldn’t be the only one with red, puffy eyes.

Hickory felt Ali’s hand rotate slightly, allowing Hickory to lay along Ali’s palm. She didn’t fight it and allowed Ali to lift her from the table to just below Ali’s left shoulder. Hickory turned and grasped the fabric of Ali’s shirt. Ali did not remove her hand, keeping it gently placed around her frame so she wouldn’t fall. It was the closest to a “forgive me” hug they could achieve given their height differences.

“Ali, I’m so sorry!” wailed Hickory, her voice coming out as a wet, muffled mess since her face was still pressed into Ali’s shirt. “Do… do y… you forgive me?” Hickory felt Ali’s shoulders shake in a disbelieving laugh.

“I forgave you the moment you said it,” she muttered. “I was so scared, Hickory. I thought I’d never see you again. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

For a time, the two could only choke out random murmurs and half-hearted sobs. It was a long and arduous road, but nothing worth having comes easily. They realized that now. The air cleared. The moments passed. Now, the baggage between them was scattered to the wind.

After they calmed their breathing, Ali tilted her palm and pulled it away about a foot away. Hickory sat contentedly on the edge and continued to wipe her eyes on the cleaner parts of her clothing.

“So? What now?” sniffed Hickory with a thoughtful smirk. Ali mirrored the smile.

“Well… I think,” she started as she wiped her eyes with her unoccupied left hand. “We start with a clean slate.” Hickory rolled her eyes and brought one leg over the other, crossing them.

“Why is it called a clean slate? Who uses slates anymore? We’re not ancient dead people,” remarked Hickory snarkily. Ali chuckled breathily, bringing a rush of warmth to Hickory. She hadn’t realized how much she missed Ali’s smile and laugh. “Think about it! A slate is a big, ugly rock you carve into. You can’t just get rid of that. That’s too much work.”

“No, we’re not. And that’s definitely true. I guess… It’s just an expression. Did you have something else you’d like to call it?” Hickory thought for a moment.

“How about a blank canvas? Canvas is a lot easier to paint over. Plus, painting is more fun than rocks.” Ali thought for a moment but nodded in agreement.

“Okay. We’ll be a blank canvas.”

“Does this mean we have to re-introduce ourselves?” asked Hickory. Ali shook her head.

“No, we get to keep that on our canvas.”

“Darn it,” Hickory cursed slightly, a mischievous smile flashing over her lips. Ali’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I wanted to introduce myself as Little Hickey. Then, you could introduce me as your Little Hickey.” Ali’s jaw dropped as she stared to the ceiling for some unspoken guidance before she covered her eyes with her left hand. Her shoulders shook violently as she suppressed her urge to burst out laughing.

“I’m not doing that,” said Ali in playful defiance.

“Fiinnnee!” whined Hickory. They stared at each other for a moment. “So, what do we do with our blank canvas now?” It was Ali’s turn to think for a moment.

“Well, how about we get ourselves cleaned up, maybe with separate bubble baths? Then I’m off for the evening so we can just sit and watch movies or read. If you want to that is.” Hickory nodded. She had gone one too many days without bathing and watching movies for hours sounded nice. Ali set Hickory onto her shelf so she could fetch some clean clothes while Ali ran a sink full and a tub full of warm water, placing the necessary precautions and washcloths in place for Hickory. Ali returned after a minute to see Hickory waiting patiently. Though emotions were still raw, the tension from before their canvas was cleaned had dissipated. It would take time, but things were better now. At the very least, they were on the right track – finally. Ali held out her hand and Hickory leapt on, carefully walking along Ali’s arm to her rightful place on Ali’s right shoulder.

Ali grabbed her shower basket and headed into the bathroom, securing the door behind them. Hickory knew they were both still raw. She knew there were still things that may have been left unsaid or untouched, but the subconscious resentment toward Ali and the other humans seemed to have vanished, another shadow leaving to never darken her mind again. Hickory mauled each and everything Ali said as she scrubbed away a week’s worth of grime. After they bathed in silence, they took turns dressing, averting their eyes out of politeness, and headed back to Ali’s room. Something stirred in Hickory. She stood on Ali’s shoulder just as they were about to settle back into Ali’s bed.

“Hey Ali.” Before Ali could turn her head toward her right shoulder, Hickory stood and tugged on Ali’s ear. She winced.

“Ow, what was that for? What did I do?” she asked pointedly. Hickory folded her arms and stared at Ali sassily even though she knew Ali couldn’t quite see her from her perspective.

“That was for picking me up without asking when we first met,” stated Hickory. Ali sighed and shook her head.

“Fine. That’s fair. But that’s the only one you get.”

“Hey Ali.” Ali flinched at the sound of her name and tilted her head to the side. “Come ‘ere.” Ali was suspicious but leaned her head back over to Hickory. This time, however, Hickory rushed forward and planted a quick kiss on Ali’s cheek. It was like having a light feather brush over her cheek. It was soft and so subtle Ali almost didn’t realize it had happened. “That’s for everything you’ve done for me since then.” Ali stood stunned for several moments, absorbing the moment, before sighing.

“Did you just, ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ me?” she asked. Hickory rolled her eyes and sat down on Ali’s shoulder, gripping her shirt collar firmly.

“Just hush and let’s pick out a movie!”

They spent the rest of the evening in silence as they watched film after film. At some point, Hickory and Ali fell asleep, each lulled by the other’s breathing and unable to keep their weary eyes open. It had been a rough afternoon. It had been a rough week if they were being completely honest. Now their friendship, re-forged, was stronger than ever – and Heaven help anyone who tried to separate them.

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Chapter Text

TWENTY-SIX | Yikes

Heart pounding. Breath shallow and heaving. It was too hot and also too cold. Images flashed like sparks of lightening in a shrouded sky. Each image presented itself for only a moment, but dealt terrible, fearsome blows riddled with the terrible images from captivity. Sounds of screams and sobs clawing through the air in the dead of night. Chest tightening. It was getting harder to breathe. The feeling of being seized and lifted into the air rushed through every nerve, every fiber of being. A quick, sharp pain followed by being plunged into darkness. A bright light of a silhouetted figure, but not the one from before. Then darkness again.

She sat bolt upright in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her breathing was ragged. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. Her entire body vibrated with clenching anxiety. It created a terrible tension in her chest and roaring in her ears. Violet glanced around the room. She wasn’t there anymore. She wasn’t with those terrible humans. She was at the Shelter. She was safe. Violet repeated these things over and over in her mind as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms… arm… around them.

It was a strange sensation, having just the one arm. There were moments she could have sworn it was there. Other times, it felt like it was pinching or tingling. Other times, there was nothing. Violet didn’t mind the pain, or the pinching and tingling sensations. It was the lack of feeling that scared her. Not that worrying or feeling scared could do anything for her except resign her to the bed. There was little point in worrying or being afraid. When everything in the outside world was out to get them, fear and worry were only hindrances – not that she could stop herself from feeling, despite her best efforts. The humans could do what they wanted when they wanted. She had been there, experienced it first-hand. She knew there was nothing she could do. So, what was the point?

At least, that was what she thought when she arrived at the Shelter. Violet was always acutely aware that there was nothing she could do, but that didn’t stop her from admiring the ones who tried.

Violet admired any of the borrowers when they went out into the big rooms of the house, especially if the encountered a human. Perci was one of them. Since Violet was currently staying with Perci and had gone along a few times just to watch her borrow. A few times, Perci was in plain view darting across the counter when one of the so called “team members” walked in. Though Perci was never seen for very long, barely a glimpse, just the thought of being spotted spontaneously like that sent chills down Violet’s spine. Violet didn’t know what was worse, being seen spontaneously or going out deliberately to visit the humans.

This was one of the reasons she admired Roman and Remus. The twins were always ducking in and out between the walled-in world of the borrowers and the big human rooms. They would speak with the human known as Thomas freely. In fact, they would talk with any one of the team members if they happened to cross paths. Their blend of being with their own kind and the humans was staggering, not to mention their fearless ability to speak without stuttering.

One borrower never seemed to be afraid of the humans – the one called Hickory. Violet had met Hickory seven times now, and always when Violet needed to go visit the human, Ali. Hickory had been on Ali’s shoulder when Violet first met her and actually ran down Ali’s arm to greet her. Hickory seemed unabashed in Ali’s presence, being alright with being carried or held by her human counterpart as well as having long, drawn-out conversations with her. Hickory even dared to tell the human Ali what to do, and Ali listened.

Seeing Hickory’s fearlessness in Ali’s presence was unnerving but reassuring in some strange way. Violet knew if Hickory said or did the wrong thing, it would take only an instant for Ali to punish the borrower. It would be effortless from a human’s perspective to crush Hickory between her fingers. Nothing like this ever happened, of course, but Hickory watched it happen enough to know it was possible. Since coming to the Shelter, Violet began to understand that Ali wasn’t like the humans Violet was with before coming to the Shelter. Not that it made Violet trust Ali whole-heartedly, but it was reassuring. Violet knew she could never be brave enough to speak to a human the way Hickory did, and she accepted compliance with the humans. It was the easiest course of action. It was safe – something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Violet managed to relax her tensed shoulders. She brought her legs away from her chest and laid her hand over the bandages on her arm. There was a meeting with Ali today. They were becoming less frequent, thankfully. Ali mentioned at their last check-up that if everything seemed all right with her that Violet wouldn’t need to come back unless something was bothering her. The prospects of not needing to go and see the human were exciting. However, it meant that if Violet needed or wanted something from the human, she would need the courage to do it herself. Violet heard the rustle of covers nearby as Perci rolled over onto her other side.

Violet remembered that Perci said she wasn’t really good with kids but was one of the few borrowers able to commit to bringing Violet by Ali’s room for check-ups. Violet feared she would most likely need to find someone else to stay with or, at the very least, become more independent. Violet sighed silently and elected to get ready for the day. She pulled the small curtain by her bed and undressed quietly. Her clothes alternated between her sleep ware and the oversized shirt, belt, and tied pants. She hadn’t had a chance to make a poncho and, frankly, she wasn’t keen on working on everything one-handed. It was still a little cold, so Violet pulled one of the smaller scraps of fabric off of her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders with tremendous difficulty.

Violet slipped into her shoes and peered outside of the door to the long, insulated corridors of the wall hallways. It was impossible to tell time from inside the walls. She remembered her father had used a technique where he could touch the bricks of their home and guess the hour of day within an hour. Violet had never managed to figure out the trick. He always said it was because the bricks were heated by the sun and the warmer the bricks were, the more likely it was later in the day; but, it was winter now. Even if her father were there, he would have a difficult time discerning the hour.

Violet closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the house. There were natural sounds of the house. Even without humans or borrowers walking about, floorboards would groan and creak with the natural settling of the house. The sound of the heating unit humming. The occasional dripping water pipe. If Violet concentrated hard enough, she could hear sounds from down the hall of the younger children waking their parents. The thought of families brought a melancholy smile to her lips, but only for a moment. Family. Violet glanced over her shoulder at the now stirring Perci. [Breakfast] thought Violet. She walked to the pantry and glanced through what was available. There was still some granola from two mornings ago.

There was a slight problem. It was in a Ziplock bag. Violet, after one month, had regained some of her strength, but opening a bag was still a challenge, especially one handed. [Independent. I need to do this] Violet thought with mild determination. She grabbed one side and tried to tuck it under her stump and pull. Unfortunately, the bandages were a little too slick to gain enough grip. Frustrated, Violet gripped one side with her teeth and one with her hand and pulled. Her fingers shook but the bag would not budge. Violet felt tears of frustration pricking the sides of her eyes. She managed to survive only to be confounded by a bag. A few other ideas came to mind, despite her stamina fading quickly, when she heard her name.

“Vi? What are you…” Persi had just roused herself to see Violet struggling with opening the bag. “Oh, here. Let me help you.” Violet clenched her jaw in frustration and moved away reluctantly, folding her arm across her chest and playing with the bandage around her stump. Perci yawned, stretched, and pulled the bag open.

“Would you get a couple bowls?” asked Perci. Violet nodded and pulled two bottle caps from under the wash bin, her hand shaking slightly as she placed them on the counter with her wavering strength. “Thanks.” Perci smiled and scooped some granola into the bowls.

“Do you want a spoon?” Perci asked. Violet shook her head as she pulled her bowl closer to her on the counter and began eating. Perci eyed her for a moment, evaluating her demeaner, before beginning to pick at her own breakfast. “Sleep well?” asked Perci. Violet paused mid-bite before nodding slowly. Perci, living with Violet under her care for just about a month now, had finally begun to pick up on some of Violet’s nuances since she still had not uttered a single word since she arrived at the Shelter.

“Bad dreams?” muttered Perci thoughtfully. Violet nodded slower than before. Combing her fingers through her hair and scratching her scalp, Perci nodded and offered an open arm hug for Violet, who accepted with a slight hesitancy. “It’s okay sweetie. We all get them from time to time. It’ll get better. You’ve only just arrived after all. You just need a little more time.” Perci’s words were true but offered little comfort in the moment. After a thoughtful embrace, Violet pulled away, offering a small smile in thanks, and retreated with her bowl to her bed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Perci knew her prompt would go unanswered, but it was worth a shot. Violet hadn’t spoken once since she arrived, and it wasn’t likely she was going to start soon. As expected, Violet shook her head and averted her eyes. They finished their breakfast in silence. Afterward breakfast and a quick change of shirt, Perci gathered her borrowing bag, her hook, and her razor blade dagger.

“I have a few things I want to go and grab. You have your meeting with Ali today, but that isn’t until later. Do you feel up to coming with me? Or would you rather stay back and hold down the fort?” asked Perci, hands on her borrowing belt where her hook was latched. Violet, still staring at the remaining granola in her bowl, shook her head. “Okay. I’ll be back. Just remember the house rules. No going outside the house. Stay out of dangerous areas. You can go on a walk as long as you don’t go too far and remember to put a sticker on the bed to let me know you’re out.” With a final nod, Perci opened the door and headed toward the kitchen. Violet was left alone once again.

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Perci had barely been gone for twenty minutes when Violet decided to go on a walk. She had a lot on her mind and it was making her feel sick to her stomach. She would be seeing the human again today. She might need to find someone else to stay with if Perci wanted her own room back again. Adding to the fact that she had only one functional arm and needed to become more independent, Violet, putting it lightly, was overwhelmed. Violet placed her favorite sticker, a glittering butterfly, onto her bed before leaving.

For the most part, Violet wasn’t sure where she was heading. She picked a direction and began wandering through the halls. Her eyes mindlessly passed over the insulated walls and load bearing walls. There were a few others out and about for the day. Their smiles turned to slight confusion as they passed Violet, not that she noticed. Violet followed the twists and turns of the house, following the makeshift constructed staircases up and down and glimpsing into different rooms as she passed. There were a few times she had to squeeze through some of the cuts in the wall, obviously made by borrowers’ hands.

It wasn’t until she came across a dead end that she realized she was horribly lost and far away from her room. A nervousness settled in her core, more nervous than her thoughts made her. Where was she? She hadn’t left the house, which was the one positive thing about her situation. She was, however, unsure if this was a dangerous area and she was definitely far from her room.

Violet tried to retrace her steps. She took a few lefts, a few rights, and squeezed through a few tight areas. Nothing looked familiar. Violet could hear a few loud creaks above her. She was under the floorboards of one of the human rooms, but she couldn’t tell which one. Her heart began to pound. No one was in sight. Where was she? How was she going to get back? She didn’t even have a grappling hook. She scolded herself relentlessly and chose another path which looked familiar. Violet felt her breath quickening as she rounded another corner. Her mind raced faster and faster. Was it just her? Or was it getting darker?

What Violet didn’t know was she had ventured into one of the dangerous parts under the floorboards. Had her mind not been racing, she would have noticed the signs Roman and Remus placed on some of the beams along the walls. She couldn’t read well, but Violet knew enough to sound out the word “Dangerous. Keep Out.” Under the floorboards were still being renovated and planned out since the humans traversed the areas. Some areas of floor which the team members didn’t enter frequently like the closet had already been turned into large living spaces. The main areas, however, were still being evaluated by Roman and Remus, though Violet couldn’t have known this at the time.

Violet, heart throbbing painfully and breath wheezing, sprinted down one corridor and up the next, trying to find a way out of the labyrinth she had gotten herself into. Then, a misstep. She had gotten too close to the edge of the wall where part of the board was chipped and decayed. Though she hardly weighed the same as a paper weight, the decayed floor beneath her chipped. The sensation of weightlessness seized her as she slipped and began to fall. A voiceless cry escaped Violet as she plummeted into darkness. Thankfully, she only fell a foot or two when she hit solid ground. Misfortune, sadly, followed immediately afterward as the ground beneath her sloped steeply. Pain shot up her legs as she began tumbling down the slope, plunging her further into darkness. She tried desperately to grab at the ground to slow her descent, but to no avail.

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Violet wasn’t sure what happened immediately after her fall, but she was certain it wasn’t good. She was immersed in darkness, but at least her eyes had adjusted slightly. There were specks of light around the space. One of the specks being the hole where she tumbled through. There were two specks nearby along what looked like a rough, brick wall and three a fair distance away. She pushed herself up, feeling a dull throbbing in her shoulders. A wave of cold air rushed over her, making her body shiver violently. This wasn’t good. Violet stood shakily. Nothing seemed to be broken.

The chilled air smelled damp and old, slightly stale and stagnant. The ground was slightly slick, though Violet couldn’t tell if it was mud or something growing like moss or algae. It was unsettling. But what was more unsettling was the faint skittering sound from the darkness above her head. Violet remembered from her time in her home with her family that skittering could be one of a few things, none of them particularly pleasant. Violet glanced about nervously. She couldn’t make it back up the slippery slope. She could barely see the ground beneath her feet. Her eyes were still adjusting, but Violet knew she could not remain in one place for too long. She began walking cautiously toward the light at the opposite end when her arm brushed against something. It was tough. It was sticky. It was not a good sign.

There was suddenly a sound of rapid skittering approaching her. Spiders. Violet felt panic seize her throat. She could no longer hesitate. Taking a leap of faith, Violet began sprinting for the crack of light. The same, sickening feeling rested in the back of her throat as she willed her legs to move faster and faster. The primary hindrance was uneven ground. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she barely managed to dodge the slick spots and depressions in the ground. The light was so close. It was maybe six feet away now. That warm, inviting glow signifying a perceived safety was so close. Her luck, however, could only last for so long. One single misstep was all it took, much like the step that plunged her into this place, to trip over her feet and tumble into a thick patch of webs. Violet tried to stagger to her feet, but now, looking back for the first time, she could see eight beady eyes approaching her rapidly.

Violet felt her body shaking, unwilling to obey her orders to move, to get away. A massive spider, come to snag its entangled prey, crept forward, its long legs plucking away at the web without being stuck. Violet could see the hairs on its wicked face. She wanted to cry from the panic and pain coursing through her; yet, even now, she could not will a single scream. She clenched her eyes shut as she shook in her boots.

Then, there was a streak of light followed by the sound of a sickening crunch. There was no pain ripping through her body. No piercing stab. Violet opened her eyes to see a figure standing, back to her, on top of the spider. The spider’s legs, twitching slightly, curled in on themselves as the figure yanked a pin being used as a sword from the spider’s head. The figure exhaled before wiping the pin along the edge of their hooded poncho. Violet felt her jaw slacken in surprise as the figure turned and faced her.

The figure was a man, mid to late twenties, with dark brown hair which fell in a mess to his shoulders and over his eyes. He had a bag at his side and a dim lightbulb was attached to a belt at his hip, illuminating his different colored eyes and a faded scar across his left eye. He was an inch or so taller than her and, even beneath his poncho, Violet could see he was lean but not unhealthily so.

“What are you doing down here? Don’t you know how dangerous it is?” His raspy voice crackled and hissed as though he hadn’t used it in quite some time. The stern look he gave her made Violet pale further. Upon seeing her condition, his features softened slightly. He sighed and glanced around quickly to see if there were any other enemies nearby before looking back to Violet. “What happened to you? You a resident here?” He shook his head and placed the pin back through a piece of fabric on his side. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter. Let’s get out of here. Can you walk?” He stepped off of the spider’s curled carcass and held out an arm for Violet to take. She hesitated only for a moment before reaching out and taking his hand. Effortlessly, he pulled her to her feet and began walking briskly to the illuminated crack in the brick.

Violet followed behind her mysterious savior through the crack in the walls, trailing as fast as her still shaking legs would allow. A wave of heat rushed past the moment she squeezed through the cramped space. They were standing on a ledge at least teen feet high. Violet gazed at the ground below, awestruck, and stopped in her tracks. It looked like the night sky. Christmas lights lined the ground and structures resembling houses. It was a city of light. It was breathtaking. The other borrower hesitated, waiting for Violet, until she pattered behind him. He led her across the beams of the ceiling, then veered to the right. He led her to another ledge on the opposite side of the room where she was surprised to see a walled in area made of cardboard and cloth. The borrower pulled the curtain to the side, revealing a bedroll and a few other nick-knacks as well as a curtained crevasse in the wall for what she guessed was food storage, before gesturing for her to sit on a pile of cloth.

“Do you want some water or something?” he asked. Violet nodded as she sat. The borrower handed her a plastic thimble full of water.

“Not much of a talker?” he asked, taking a seat on his bed. Violet shook her head, seeing only now in the stationary light that she was a muddy, cobwebbed mess. The scrap of cloth around her shoulders was caked with mud. He nodded and retrieved a wet cloth, handing it to her. “Here. For your face.” Violet took the cloth gratefully and wiped began wiping the mud from her cheeks. His mis-matched eyes, now finally seeing her in a better light, widened slightly.

“You’re one of the kids they brought in, aren’t you.” His question seemed more like a statement than anything. Violet nodded again. “Yikes… Sorry to hear that.” There was a pause as he took a seat again on the edge of his bed.

“How’d you end up down here then? Shouldn’t you be on one of the upper floors with, I don’t know, someone who’s looking after you? Someone is looking after you, right?” he asked. Violet nodded shamefully. Who knew how long she had been gone. What was Perci going to say about her disappearance? What would the human think if she missed her meeting? Violet felt tears beginning to burn the corners of her eyes.

“Wha… oh gosh… don’t cry. I didn’t.” The borrower hissed some sort of curse word under his breath as he acknowledge his questions were making the girl upset.

“Okay. So, someone is looking after you, right? I mean, you’re okay?” he asked, his tone softening. Violet nodded after wiping her eyes with the sleeve on her good arm. This information put his mind at ease.

“Okay… okay, good to know,” he muttered. His keen eyes, seemingly far more adjusted to the dim light than Violet’s eyes, picked up some scrapes on her legs and face. “You’re bleeding a bit. Do you want me to help you with that?” Violet hadn’t noticed the slight stinging sensation in her knees and along her temple. She nodded and smiled weakly. He retrieved a small matchbox and slid it open, removing a part of a tube with the letters “sporin” on it and some thin strips of gauze. To better evaluate her injuries, Violet reached her hand from under the blanket and untied the knot, letting the blanket fall to the ground.

Violet watched as the man’s step toward her faltered as he spotted her missing arm. He inhaled sharply, wincing and clenching his jaw repeatedly, before hissing another curse under his breath and closing the distance and kneeling in front of her. He worked quickly and quietly. He didn’t know much about medicine, but simple scrapes and bruises he could manage.

“I’m Jay by the way,” he murmured after wrapping her knee. Violet glanced from his working hands to his eyes. There was something sad gleaming in them as he said his name. He taped the edge of the bandage, his hands now moving much slower as he secured the adhesive strip. “You don’t have to tell me your name. I get it. I also get this whole… not talking thing.” Violet was taken aback. He understood? She reached over and played with the ends of the bandages on her stump. He looked like he was in one piece. He was able to take out a spider with no issues at the very least. How could he know what she was going through? Then again… Violet watched as Jay stood and returned his supplies to their respective areas. He was probably here before her. He was certainly a little older. He had probably seen more than she was giving him credit for. Jay stretched before turning back to Violet. “Feel like heading back?” asked Jay. Violet smiled lightly and nodded. “Well, come on. Let’s get you to the others.”

The journey back was not eventful. Jay seemed to know these darker passages like the back of his hand. He kept his light on, from what Violet guessed, to make sure she could follow along with ease. Jay guided them along the beams, up some precarious nails which formed a very steep ladder, and up onto one of the floor joists. Violet, though still a bit weary and sore, managed to keep up with Jay until they reached the opening between the basement and the first floor. If they went to the ground into the so-called city of Christmas lights, there would have been a long, winding staircase they could have climbed or, if it was functional, a pulley system which would take them to the first floor. The route they had gone, however, had no such luxury. Since Jay lived in a nook just below the first floor and just above the basement, he had to make his own way up to the first floor, mostly to visit Logan, Virgil, and Patton and to bring supplies from the kitchen back to his home.

Jay turned off his light by removing the battery and placing the components back in his bag. Then, he removed his hook from his belt and spun it around his shoulders before launching it into the air. It was an elegant art and something Jay silently prided himself in. The hook latched into the wood, not that Jay was surprised. He glanced at Violet, suddenly realizing there was a slight predicament with going this route – she would need to climb the rope.

“Do you know how to climb a rope?” he asked after giving the rope a tug to secure it further. Violet glanced at the rope, then down to the bandages surrounding her arm. Before the incident and before she was captured, she was the best climber among her siblings. Now? She was still regaining her strength and she hadn’t tried climbing with only one arm. Her averted gaze and bashful, embarrassed silence gave the answer.

“Okay. Do you want me to go up first and help you? Or steady the rope so you can get up?” asked Jay. Violet looked to him and then glanced up before holding up one finger. “The first?” Violet nodded. That was all Jay needed before pulling himself up onto the hook, using several techniques he learned when he was growing up, and lifted himself onto the ledge.

“Okay. I’m ready when you are,” said Jay. Violet nodded, nervousness creeping into her mind. Her palm, slightly sweaty, was not conducive to climbing effectively. She grabbed the rope between her fingers. It was slick under her touch. She grabbed as high as she could and tried to pull her torso up higher, but she couldn’t secure her legs fast enough. Violet slid back down the rope. It happened twice, four times, six times. It was on the seventh try that Jay elected to intervene.

“Hey, just grab the rope and let your legs do the work. Your arms shouldn’t be the thing that lifts you. Make sense?” Violet glanced from Jay back to the rope, insides knotting and nerves fraying. Her father usually used his arms and, as a result, Violet usually used her arms and stabilized the rope with her feet. Violet didn’t have time to shake her head before Jay slid down the rope and stood in front of her.

“Okay. I know two different ways. The wrap and the pinch.” Jay spent the next few minutes demonstrating two different climbing techniques he learned when he began borrowing. He showed that he could balance himself using one arm while keeping the rope pinched with his feet. They seemed simple enough, and Jay seemed to be exercising his patience, a trait he hadn’t needed in a while. It had been a while since Violet had a borrowing related lesson, especially one tailored to her. It took a few more tries, but the effort was worth the approving, half-grin Jay gave when Violet reached the top.

A sense of pride washed over Violet. This was the first time she had done something really and truly on her own after her injury without assistance. Violet glanced about once Jay climbed to the top and secured his hook. She knew this hallway.

“Anything looking familiar?” asked Jay, stepping up to her side. Violet’s lips turned into a subtle smile as she nodded, still feeling pleased with her climb. “Cool. Lead the way.” Violet began walking down the hallway, Jay at her side, back toward her room. As they approached, Violet could hear quick footsteps and hurried conversations, and she was the topic.

“I went out to go to the kitchen. She left the sticker, so she went on a walk. Are you sure you haven’t seen her?” Violet heard Perci’s voice, usually calm and collected but now a touch frantic.

“It’ll be okay. She couldn’t have gotten far. She knows not to leave the house, so she has to be here.” It sounded like Roman, or Remus, one of the two. Jay and Violet rounded the final corner to see a dozen borrowers gathered together, seemingly called in a search effort. Perci scanned the crowd and caught a glimpse of Violet standing by the edge.

“Violet!” she exclaimed, negotiating her way through the crowd to where Violet and Jay were standing. Everyone’s eyes turned to them. Jay shifted uncomfortably at seeing the crowd staring in his direction, but fought the urge to turn and walk away to avoid their gazes. “What happened to you? Where have you been?” Perci began giving Violet a quick once-over, examining her newly bandaged legs and forehead. Violet’s head spun as Perci walked circles around her.

“She’s… uh… she’s alright,” said Jay. “She fell into the crawl space. Just a few bumps and scrapes. Nothing serious.”

“Yikes,” muttered Roman as he approached. “I thought we roped off that area. We’ll have to go back through.” Perci grasped Violet’s shoulders which kept her from looking away.

“You could’ve been seriously hurt, Vi.” Perci’s partial scolding overflowed with concern. Violet nodded bashfully. Perci frowned but pulled Violet in for a hug anyway. “Thank you,” Perci said, directing her statement at Jay. He gave a partial salute.

“Sure. Glad to help. And Violet,” Jay made sure Violet looked at him. “Take care of yourself.” With that, Jay turned on his heel and headed away back toward his home. Violet had to admit she was a bit sad seeing him leave. Was he always off on his own? He didn’t seem unfriendly, even if he didn’t like a crowd. He seemed really nice actually. He took the time to teach her something new, and now Violet began to wonder if there were other things he could teach her. A spark of determination ignited and was catching fast. Violet could only hope she was up for the challenge.