A Tall and Small Collection | S2

An Unexpected Guest

Rey felt a little uneasy leaving Hero back at his home while he went to go see if Ashlynn had large safety pins for the project he was working on.

He and Hero had just finished putting Rey's portable pulley through a real test and, after, Hero asked to see Rey's workshop. Rey hesitantly agreed and brought his friend to his family's home.

Things were tense for a little while because Hero asked some near miss questions, but Rey felt like he successfully deflected those and, soon after, they were working together on some of Rey's more pesky projects.

This was when Hero asked if he had any large safety pins, which is why Rey left Hero back at his home.

He didn't want to risk Hero learning about Ashlynn and their family, but he still wanted to work with Hero on this project. So, he moved as quickly as he could through the walls and made his way to the secure line they had to the kitchen wall socket.

The moment he stopped out onto the counter, he saw his brothers and Ashlynn in mid-conversation. Immediately, he felt embarrassed and horribly foolish.

It was movie night...

And he was horribly late...

"Rey, nice of you to join us," said Dorian as he set Mayzie down and began walking her over to Soren.

"Hey, I'm so sorry. I got caught up in a job with Hero," said Rey apologetically.

"That's okay," smiled Ashlynn. "You're here now."

"Well... almost," Rey mumbled. "We're wrapping up things at home." Soren, who was helping Ashlynn make snacks, instantly became rigid and apprehensive.

"Home?" asked Soren. He was tense. "You brought him home?"

"I'm sure it's fine, Soren," reassured Ashlynn. Soren sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry! I'll be back as soon as I can! I just need to grab a big safety pin," said Rey. "What did I miss?"

"Well, so far nothing," said Ashlynn as she turned around to one of her kitchen drawers and slid it open to look for the safety pins Rey needed. "We're still making snacks and we still don't have a movie. And let me see. I might have one."

"Isn't it Dorian's turn?" asked Rey.

"Not tonight. We're picking something as a group," said Dorian. "Which is why you should hurry up at home so we can get started. Food is going to get cold soon."

"I only have two left, Rey. I'll..." Ashlynn spun around, safety pins in hand, and was about to hand them to Rey when her eye caught the bright green gaze of another Borrower who she was unfamiliar with. The Borrower boy, most likely around Rey's age, had stepped out from the electrical cover which was still hanging open.

Ashlynn was instantly bombarded by her own thoughts. She knew she wasn't supposed to interact with other Borrowers who she might find, but this little guy just walked out into the open like it wasn't a big deal. Was he hurt? Did he know Rey or Dorian? Why was he out here?

Was this a test of some sort? Were there other Borrowers watching from the walls wanting to see how she or Soren and his brothers would react to seeing a new Borrower out in the open?

Ashlynn knew one thing for certain, and that was that everything that happened next had to be handled with care.

"Guys..." was the only word that escaped her as Soren and his brothers turned their attention upward to see the nerves in her eyes.

"What is it Ashlynn?" asked Rey. They immediately directed their gaze to where Ashlynn had locked her focus, all of them staggering as they all saw Hero on the counter with them. Rey's heart leapt into his throat. Dorian's jaw went slack. Soren's entire body was rigid in preparation to either run after the Borrower boy or move forward to convince him to wait.

Hero, on the other hand, didn't seem alarmed at all. In fact, he was smiling and seemed perfectly at ease with being out in the open and being seen by Ashlynn. They barely heard what he said, but it still sent chills up their spine.

"I knew I wasn't the only one."