Bright Lights, Broken Dreams

Chapter 4

It would be Silas this time who was quick to steady her. It wasn't that hard to figure out that Freya was still stressed. While it was probably wrong, to let her get to attached to Ezra, or to him for that matter, he wasn't quite sure that Freya would be alright, if they left her.

Not that Anders would do anything, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, but the boys knew that Freya was probably still dealing with the events of the day, and given what Silas himself had been through, he wanted to make sure that Freya was going to be okay, before they left her there.

Ezra didn't want to upset Anders, but his first concern was for Freya, and though he too knew that he shouldn't let himself traipse down the very slippery slope of what if, he couldn't help but feel for her, if nothing else out of human decency, but there might have been the hint of a spark.

His first instincts were to go to her and hold her again, as in truth he felt strangely off kilter now that Freya wasn't in his arms.

"Know any good pizza parlors that deliver?" Ezra smiled at her.

She gripped Silas' arm when he steadied her, her world stopped spinning out of control, she could control this, she could control her life, she had to keep telling herself that. She waited, would they turn her down, would they thank her but leave anyway.

The mark on her face standing out in stark contrast to her pale skin, her eyes pleaded with them, not just Ezra, but his brother/friend.  She needed them to stay. She still had Silas arm in to her what seemed like a death grip, but it relaxed at Ezra's words, and the smile he bestowed on her.

Anders shut the door, he said nothing but shook his head, she was crazy, but she was hurting too, it must be a little bit of hero worship, it should fade.  "I'll call" he said after a moment. "Freya, do you want anything?"

She shook her head and looked up at the man she was clinging to. "Thank you..." she said softly pausing hoping to get his name before looking at Ezra. "Make yourself comfortable, I'm just going to change.." her shirt was torn, not enough to expose her complete but enough that the shirt hung off of one shoulder.. She squeezed his arm once before letting go, and on unsteady legs made her way up the stairs that lead to her loft bedroom.

Anders shrugged and walked toward the kitchen counter pulling a menu off the cork board on the wall, while Freya changed he addressed the men. "What do you want?" it was a loaded question, but he held up the menu.

Ezra would slip to the hallway while Silas blocked Anders view because he didn't want Anders to stop his brother from comforting Freya, should she need it. He noticed that it was doing his brother good to be near her, and honestly he felt the same way for himself, not that he'd ever admit it.

He moved to look at the menu and pulled out his wallet. "Garlic cheesy bread, BBQ chicken pizza for him, cheeseburger for me and one each of whatever the two of you would like, maybe an order of cinnamon sticks too.."

Ezra was a gentleman as he'd wait, only going to her should she cry out.

She barely made it to her bed, and her legs were shaking again, her whole body for that matter. It was hitting pretty hard, assualted and nearly raped at work. It was almost too much for her to handle, her carefully constructed life was turned upside down.

The bright spot.. Ezra, and her other silent knight. He still had not given her his name, she needed to know it, to let it roll off her tongue. She stripped just inside her bathroom, afraid to look at herself in the mirror at what might be there, that she wouldn't recognize the person staring back at her.

Anders frowned a little as Silas seemed to take up a spot so he couldn't move from the kitchen, he didn't get these two, but they had saved Freya so he needed to shut his mouth until he could get the real story from her. He jotted down the order, adding his own, and the cinnamon sticks, how the guy knew they were Freya's favorite was beyond him. "Drinks in the fridge if you want anything, help yourself" he said as he started to dial and put the phone to his ear.

Freya turned the water on, Ezra would hear come on, She turned back toward the mirror forgetting a moment that she didn't want to look and gasped at what she saw, besides her face, purple bruises mar her sides where he gripped her too tightly, as did the breasts he had man-handled. The flesh sensitive to the touch, She hiss in pain as she turned from the mirror and stepped into the shower.

It wasn't until she was sure they would be hidden did she let the tears fall, let her body really shake, so much so that she sunk to the floor of the shower, curlled into a ball after scrubbing her skin raw. She was in there for a while, longer then average, she tried to get the water to wash it all away. It wasn't working, her mind wouldn't let her forget.

Ezra heard the water go on. He kind of figured on what she was doing. Genny had done the same thing once, but the boys were too young to help her then. He'd also volunteered his time at a campus crisis center while he was in school, so he knew the signs and that's why he was slowly moving closer to her. He wanted to do for Freya what he couldn't do for Genny, no matter how wrong it might have seemed.

Ezra kept his clothes on, perhaps because he was just that concerned about her that he needed to get to her, or maybe it was a bit selfish, in that it would give them an excuse to stay longer. Either way he was quickly in the shower and pulling the tortured young woman into his arms, but only after, closing and locking the bathroom door, knowing that Silas would be the one to tell Anders what had really happened. He would turn the water off, and just hold her, resting her head upon his heart.

Silas knew what his brother was doing, they had the whole twin esp thing going on and he knew he had to be the one to tell Anders, and to do whatever was necessary from keeping him from going out and raising hell. Silas knew a call to some well respected friends would be all that would be needed to cause enough of a shit storm for the restaurant to be shut down..at least temporarily.

He made a mental note to call J.D. later.

A familiar warm and strength wrapped around her, the water stopped pummeling her, and a strong steady heartbeat centered her at least it felt that way, it didn't register with her that she was completely naked, while he had her in his arms. He would see the bruises, know that they had to hurt. She always tried to be strong, she wanted to strong but her body was beaten down. She took a shuttering breath, melting into his embrace. She felt safe, here, where no one could hurt her. She didn't say anything, or move, but her hand unconsciously gripped his shirt in her small fist.

Anders hung up. "40 minutes it should be here.." he said to fill the silence. He looked toward the stairs, wondering what was taking her so long, and where Ezra was. "What's going on, I haven't seen her that way in..." he caught himself before saying more, that was her story to tell not his.. He ran a hand through his hair.

Ezra cringed at her bruises. Though something about the way she was clinging to him, told him that She'd been hurt far worse before. That made him sad, but it also made him contemplate what if, he were to move here, it was clear that they'd probably be there a long time anyway to figure out what was going on with Genny, and what had happened to Drew and Libby. He shouldn't be letting himself get this attached to her. It didn't even register to him, that she was naked, all he cared about was making her feel safe.

Ezra would continue to sing softly to her and gently rub her back. Closing his eyes he would shut everything else out, and put himself in a trance, chanting now, ancient words of those that came long before them. As he did so a white light would surround them and he would begin to heal her bruises, at least physically...emotionally she'd need to heal on her own. She didn't register the white light as her eyes were closed and she breathed in his scent, and took his comfort and warmth into herself, her muscles eased and her body relaxed more against him.

Silas took a breath and sighed. "I wish we'd gotten to her sooner, Anders, but the head bouncer pulled her back in the office, At first I thought it was to make sure she was alright, but I pulled him off of her..."

Anders crossed his arms over his chest and waited, he had been the one to rescue her, had been for years and while nothing was ever romantic, he loved her, she was his sister, he would do anything for her.  He had been there when her mother was killed and her father hauled off to jain, he had been there before that, for the beatings and the fights.

His eyes only widened marginally as he took in Silas' words. He runs his hand through his hair and leaned agains the kitchen island. "Did you get her to report this?" He knew it probably didn't happen, but he had to ask. "She can't go back there" he said as he looked at the man standing before him.

"So I know the guy down the hall is Ezra, what is your name?" he wanted to know more about them men who rescued Freya.

"Silas...and Ezra is my brother and no she didn't report it. she wanted to come home, though I doubt it would have done much good if she had what with this being Vegas and she knows. I can make a call to a friend, see if he can find her a better job."Silas stood there taking a couple of deep breaths, smiling to himself as he knew what his brother was doing. Not that it was anything bad, of course.

Ezra just continued chanting, keeping Freya wrapped in as much light as he possibly could, wanting her to feel safe, and for the pain to cease. As he chanted he would catch glimpses of her darkened past and he wished that he could also take away that pain for her, but he could not do so.