Chapter 22

It was the middle of the night, but something had woken him from a sound asleep. His dreams haunted him, but he was too tired to care or resist the direction they took him in.

He strained to hear whatever it was to find that it had come form this apartment. He had to wonder who could be up. He spared a look at the bedside clock to see that it was just after three in the morning. Now he was no longer curious, he was concerned.

Who could be up at this hour? He tried to explain away the sound by telling himself it was just Kelly's dad in the kitchen getting a drink or a late night snack, but when a crash echoed loudly through the room he couldn't kid himself anymore.

His heart began to race and fear clogged his throat. They'd found him and he was going to have to fight his way out.  A secondary, not too distance crash rang through the inky black of Kelly's room, which sent his eyes darting over to his beautiful sleeping companion to find miraculously that she was still sleeping soundly.

How? The noise was loud enough to startle anyone awake, but then he remembered that she slept with her headphones in.

So he stood up and arched his back and stretched his legs to work out the stiffness before morphing to his human form. From there he stepped over the protective barrier to creep silently to Kelly's bed. If they were being invaded he didn't want to alert the intruders to the fact that he knew they were there.

He gently shook Kelly awake and at first she went to roll over, but seemed to come to the realization that someone was touching her, and then that it must be him, and then again -- if it was him -- he must not be in the circle any longer. Her eyes opened wide and she was on her feet in seconds standing next to him and prepared for anything. And even though she was wearing a pair of PJs that included a spaghetti strap top and pajama pants she looked ready to take on the world.

She yanked the buds from her ears and whispered inaudibly knowing that even the smallest noise could be heard by the Cait Sith or Liam's crew," What's happening? Why are you out of the protective ring?"

"Cara I hear something crash in the house."

The look she gave him was inscrutable. It looked like she was torn in some way. Years of hurt and anger washed over her face before she charged for her bedroom door.

But she paused at the door and when a loud crash echoed through the dark room he was surprised to find she didn't look surprised she looked resigned.

Turning to him, she asked sincerely, "If I ask you to stay here . . . will you?"

"Cara I must come with you. It is too much for you to do alone."

"Trust me Sugah, I've been dealing with this by myself my whole damn life."

When tears pricked the corners of her lashes he was more confused than ever. He rushed to her side to say, "Cara tell me what is happening? You don't every again have to deal with anything alone. This I promise."

She turned to him then her face as still as stone. Even her voice gave no impression of her previous emotions.

When he went to object again she fixed him with a hard as granite stare and said emphatically, "Sugah, if you want to continue to stay here, you'll stay in this room -- no matter what you hear, do you understand me?"

And what could he say? Her cold as ice demeanor left him speechless and all he could do was nod.

He made the promise with his body, but could he keep it? If she was in danger, he thought not, so as she opened the door a crack and slid through to the outer rooms, he prayed that he wouldn't have to break that promise. That's when he heard the rumbling of a man who didn't sound very coherent and when he started to yell at Kelly Donnie knew it must be her father.

He was obviously drunk and angry about something. Donnie jumped when he heard the unmistakable sound of shattering glass. It sounded like a vase or something to that effect had hit the wall just outside the door. A part of him knew better than anyone that Kelly could take care of herself, and he knew she wouldn't be happy if he raced out there to save her like she was a damsel in distress, but she was going through something he knew caused her pain and he couldn't just sit around and let her do this alone even if it meant that she would be angry enough to kick him out and never speak to him again.

He knew she was an intensely private person, but her father was screaming at her now and he couldn't sit by and let him do that to her.

So he stormed out of her room to confront the Stronzo.

He was literally shaking with anger. His arms and limbs were trembling with rage as he stalked up on the grown man who was nearly as solid as a brick house. And he could see where Kelly got her height and her blonde hair his was the exact same color as hers. His eyes were a solid grey though not blue, but they got as round as saucers when they saw the boy that strolled out of his daughter's room and a part of him knew what her father must be thinking, and he hated giving him that impression.

She was arguing with him with her back to Donnie, but when she saw her father's face and read the look on it, she turning around. When she looked at him the hurt he saw there was enough to make him want to cry, and didn't that make him even angrier.

Donnie didn't know if that look was due to her father's actions or his own. He hadn't listened to her and she looked disappointed beyond belief and right now he couldn't help but second guess his choice.

But when her father went to strike her as he bellowed, "You're just like your mother you two bit whore."

Donnie lost it -- human or not-- no one was going to talk to his Cara like that.

He was across the room in a flash and had picked up her father by the throat to show him a mouthful of Cait teeth. He watched as his claws elongated around his sun burnt neck. Blue furry paws clutched his throat in their killer grasp.

Unfortunately, Donnie was too angry to realize that he'd taken his full Cait form for the first time -- and in front of a human no less -- until Kelly screamed, "Donnie NO!"

But it was too late the damage was done. He looked over to see she had clutched his flexed bicep and looking him in the eyes with concern, she spoke to him like he was a derange lunatic which he had to suppose he was at the moment," Sugah I reckon you should put him down now. I know he's done tore up the place and he's lower than a snake in the grass, but that ain't worth you being wiped."

Her words broke through his fury and he dropped the human on the living room floor -- hard --and as soon as he did the coward scurried away -- back crawling on his hands and feet as he sputtered, "Oh Lord have mercy! What are you? Kelly he's some demon . . . back away?" he ordered.

She didn't listen though instead she cupped Donnie's face in her hand and rubbed her thumb across his furry jaw until he started to feel calmer and she called over her shoulder, "Go to bed Dad you ain't in your right mind. You're seeing things. I reckon you need to sleep it off."

Donnie she continued, "If you don't stop doing that he's never goin to believe me."

That's when he realized he was still growling menacingly at the scared to death human. He gave a final unhappy howl and then shut up.

He was breathing heavy making his thick Cait chest heave like a billow and his heart was still hammering in his chest. The surge of adrenaline must have triggered his Cait form, but he was damned if he knew how to stop it, or even how to do it again.

Kelly started cooing to him saying, "That's okay just breathe, just continue to breath, you're not going to stay like this forever Sugah."

The next thing he knew he was deep breathing like Helsing had taught him and in a flash he morphed from his full cait form to his cat form in the blink of an eye.

And that was all Kelly's fathered needed to see. He cried out," Oh sweet baby Jesus, " and comically scurried off to his room where he promptly locked his door.

From the other side he said in a slur, "I reckon your right child. I'm fixin to sleep for a week. Don't wake me in the morning." Once in his bedroom there were a few other crashing noises but they sounded like he was only having trouble undressing. Seeing Donnie change like that must have driven the wind from his proverbial sails. His anger had blown away.

From his spot on the floor at Kelly's feet he could see her eyes glued to the closed door of her father's room. She looked like she didn't want to turn and look at him. That she didn't want to face his pity. So he did the best he could not to act like he was concerned by the strange events in her home.

He wanted answers, but he wasn't going to press her for them. She would explain when she was ready, and if she didn't that was her prerogative.

When she went to grab a broom to sweep up the glass he morphed back into his human form and started to right the tables that had been knocked down.

Soon they had the room put to rights and still she had not said a word, but she had sighed loudly several times -- Like she was trying to work out what to say or if she should say anything at all, and still he remained silent. He didn't know if his choice to remain reticent was the right one, but it was the best he could come up with.

You cannot give someone advice on how to deal with an unhappy family if you never had one.

When she went back to bed he followed her quietly. He didn't want to risk speaking until he heard the familiar sound of her father's snores from across the apartment, but she got into bed without a word.

When she turned over without saying anything he knew this was it. She would kick him out in the morning. And even though he knew it; he refused to regret his actions. He'd never leave Kelly hanging, as they say her in America.

She lay like that for a long time and he could tell from his spot in the circle she wasn't asleep. He knew the sound of her slow steady breaths while she slumbered.

So he waited watching her pretend from his spot on the little purple pillow she had given him. And just when he couldn't hold his eyes open anymore she asked in a small child like voice, not even bothering to turn around," "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"

He had to morph into a boy to answer her and when he did he put as much conviction as he could into his voice as he said resolutely and emphatically, "No I never would. I rather die than hurt you Cara."

She sighed forlornly then and said, "I guess you can stay then."

"Thank you, "he muttered unhappily. He knew from the sound of her voice that she had resigned herself to having him there, but she had lost all the trust he'd painstakingly built with her. Some day she would open up and then he could explain to her that she wasn't alone. He too knew what it was like to have a deeply flawed parent.

Until then her whispered, "Goodnight, Cara, we talk more in the morning, si?"

But she was already asleep. He could hear her steady breathing.

Donnie just knew he had to find a way to rebuild her trust and to bring back her beautiful smile. And he thought he had just the idea, but he would have to ask for the help of their resident Norse Demigod when he went back to school on Monday.

I wonder what he's going to do to cheer her up?

How is Kyle going to be able to help?

If you do too.

Tune in tomorrow to find out.