Breaking in (JackLexington)

We're still a few steps away when Storm gives away our arrival by barking madly behind the closed door.
I can barely throw away my stick when my mother already pokes her head ot of the door and the exited dog greets us by jumping up and down and licking our hands.

The smile on my mothers face fades quickly when she catches a glimpse of Noreens face with tear streaked cheeks. "Come inside. "
She places her hand on her shoulder and leads her inside, then closes the door behind us.
With concerned face she gives me a quick once over, then tells me to get a bowl with warm water, soap and a towel. Of course she know it wasn't me who beat on the girl.
Then she sits Noreen down in the living room next to the fire just like she has done with Devroux when we found him half frozen to death a month or two ago.

"What happened, Noreen? Who did this to you."

From the kitchen I answer for her. "Her sweet parents."

My moms eyebrows shoot up. "What? Excuse me? Is this some sort of bad joke?"

I quickly wipe the blood from my own lips and chin and come over with a bowl of water.
"Unfortunately not."
For a moment my mothers face shows plain disbelief, then she wets a washcloth in the water and starts cleaning my girlfriends face.

With a stern expression she asks. "So you two thought it was a good idea to go to her place and her parents disapproved of Noreen having a boyfriend with a record from a family full of thieves?"
"No, mom. They don't even know who I am."
"I know who you are...you are a big fool." She scolds me.
Then her expression softens as she looks back at Noreen, who has stopped crying. "One with a good heart though."

My tongue trails along the cut on my lower lip but I nod. "yeah."
Judging by the look on her face she far from fine. Noreens torn up on the inside and my mother can tell as well. She's very good at reading people and a great listener. A lot of people from our neighborhood come to her with their problems.
When she's done cleaning she sits down next to Noreen and takes her hand.
"Listen, darling. I can tell that you are not a bad person and that you do not deserve this. You're parents are way out of line to beat you like this."
She takes a deep breath and then confesses something that I haven't heard before.
"I've lost two sons and I would do anything to get them back. There is no reason in the whole world that justifies brutalizing your won children no matter how badly they behave. You got that? Don't you dare blame yourself, little lady."

When she's done she gets up, takes the bowl and stops next to me. My mother is way smaller than I am but she still intimidates me. Not because I'm afraid of her but because I respect her and what she has to say.
"And you stood up for her, didn't you?"
"Yeah." My voice is almost sad because I was too late to actually help.
"Good." She claps me on the shoulder.
"Are you hurt, too?" Her dark eyes scan me but I shake my head and lower myself onto a arm chair next to Noreen.

Mom hurries away to the kitchen and leaves us. I sit down on the floor next to her, stretch my sore leg out and run my fingers over her head for a long minute. Then I whisper. "Are you okay?" What a stupid question.

Noreen curls up in my arms and whispers the magical words. Nothing has been further from ym mind tha to say these three words to a girl but right now it just feels true. It's the right moment and I feel it so I mutter. "I love you, too."
For a while I sit there and listen t her breaths get slower and deeper. When she's completely asleep I lift her up onto the sofa and cover her up.

My mothers voice startles me behind me. "Poor girl. Those people should be locked up."
I turn around and sigh. Just like years ago she steps forward and hugs me.
Then she lets go and looks me in the eyes. "Are you still telling me she's not our girlfriend."
Biting my lip I reply. "You're right, mom. She is."
"Good, I just want to make sure you keep your head on straight. Listen, Jack. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. She'll need a lot of support. Are you willing to do that for her?"
I roll my eyes and sigh at her speech.
"I'm tired, mom. Just let me go to bed. We've been walking all day and I got punched by her freaking father. Give it a rest, will you?"
Of course I know my mother hates when I talk to her like that but she puts up with it for now.
"Okay."
I smile and turn around to hobble to my room but I can't even lif my lef to climb the ladder. So a few minutes later I knock on her bedroom door with my tail between my legs and ask. "Could you make me one of your mudpacks?"
With a weary look she comes back out. It's the same look she gave me when I fell of the shed roof after she told me not to climb on it or the one she gave me after the neighbor dragged me back home on my ear because I've been peeping through a whole at his wife in the bathtub as a 12 year old.
"Why?"
I motion for my leg.
"Oh that old war injury...let me see it."
Instantly I turn bright red. "I can't. I'm not wearing any underwear."
For some reason she finds that awefully funny but the insists that I drop my pants anyway. "I've seen you naked before. I used to change your diaper."
"But not since I've grown hair on my sack." I reply and now we're both laughing. Hysterically. It's getting rid of all my tension and finally makes me feel at ease again.

A few minutes later I crawl onto the couch next to Noreen and get one of my mothers famous Mudpacks, which actually consists of an awefully stinky brown mixture of herbs and bark, but works wonderfully for all kinds of things.
I wrap my arm around Tallulah and fall asleep next to her.

OOC: Sorry, got carried away

A scream rips through me and I throw my arms over my face. I struggle to get away from the restraints holding me down yelling out "No! No! No!" over and over. A gentle hand strokes my face with a comforting shhh. The pain rushing through my body as I wake from the nightmare is unbearable. I moan softly feeling the bruises forming and tattered flesh. Through the dark I make out that it is Jack comforting me. I am no longer on the floor with him, but on his couch. A pungent odor permeates the air and I lean back into Jack wrinkling my nose.

"I didn't mean to wake you." It was the only thing I could think to say. As he settled back down into the couch I can see just how bad his lip is. My mouth forms an O as I take in the ragged gash. Guilt washes over me and I lean in to touch my own lips against it wishing I could take back time. My muscles ache and refuse to loosen as I groan and stretch. I feel as if every inch of me has been pressed through a wash wringer. Its still dark and I whisper,"go back to sleep, I will be okay."

The rest of the night I hardly flinch as I pass out in his arms. Wakening up I find his face burried in my hair and a surprise pressed against my thigh. I close my eyes again and inhale. Just breathe, I remind myself. One breath at a time. Just Breathe.

Rolling over I lay my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat pick up as his eyes flicker open. I am sure that what looked bad at night will only look worse today, and I try to avoid his eyes. I know he'll he searching my face going over and over the cuts and scrapes trying to see if anything is worse than we though. "Good morning." is all I can slip out against his chest.

The morning is brisk and I snuggle closer to him, pulling the blanket in tight. I want to stay in our own little world, where nothing can ever hurt us. The events of last night spill over into today and I apologize again. No matter how I might want to seclude myself with him I can't. I hate that he was hurt over me, but his lip looks much better. Staring at the ceiling I wonder aloud..."what now?"

My life has just turned on its head and I don't even know how to begin to start over. I need a place to stay, I can't impose on the Lexington's even more than I have already...I need a job that pays a little more than wrangling...I need clothes...I need a new life, the only thing I have to keep is Jack.

The gift his parents are giving me is more than I could have dreamed of. I stare at them in awe, "Thank you. I promise I will do all I can to help out while I am here, I wont be a burden."

The open arms and willingness of his family to help me is so confusing and overwhelming. I am not their problem and I cant understand why they would want to put themselves out there for someone like me. Watching them walk off to the kitchen I sigh and lay back in Jack's arms.

"Does it look as bad as it feels?"I already know the answer as I stare into space.

(OOC do we want to skip a head a few weeks after your post?)