Welcome to the Masquerade

"Who Did That To You" by Twisted Measure

AN:  Still a little short of the 2k word goal.  I did not go to Charleston, my trip got pushed out to February. I went to visit family instead. Standard disclaimer! I only own Lory. Everything else is the property of C.L.Stone. Constructive criticism is welcome and even requested, but flames will be used to make s'mores. I love votes and views. Please let me know your favorite lines and moments. Happy Reading.

*~*Silas*~*

It's early, but I know coming from this part of town we will need to be up early if we want to make it to school on time. I really don't want to get out of bed. I'm comfortable and my angel is curled up contentedly in my arms. I'm fine here, but we need to go to school and honestly I need to check on Lory. She looked like hell when she dropped Lorna off with us shortly after we had gotten back in bed. I will have to tell the others what a good idea the little puppy was. Her cries woke us to let us know something was wrong last night. I barely got my eyes open last night when she came to take Lorna back.

"Ow, ow, ow."

...ow? No. There should be no 'ow'. Is her stomach sore from the dry heaves last night?

I get up, grabbing my phone in case I need to call Doc, and walk back through Lory's room towards her bathroom where I can hear her opening and closing drawers.

"What did I do with the frickin' Advil?" She mutters to herself.

I watch as she stands back up. Groaning and clutching her stomach. That's not how someone with overworked muscles from dry heaves moves.

"Okay, I have to baby that a little bit today. No laughing with Luke cause that'll hurt," she mumbles and glares at her cabinets.

Then I see her face. She has a black eye, bruised swollen jaw, and a split lip.

What. The. Fuck.

I take a quick picture of her reflection on my phone.

"What happened." I'm not really asking; I'm really demanding.

"Nothing bad. I'll be fine and there's nothing Sean can do that I can't, okay?" She sighs as she pulls out a tube I recognized as arnica cream. That's for bruises. She continues trying to placate me. I can feel myself scowling as though I am North. "I have arnica and Advil, I'll be fine."

"If you can find the Advil," I grumble. I do not like seeing her in pain.

"It's in cabinet, I thought it was in the drawer," she tells me and points to the cabinet I'm standing beside.

"Who beat on you?" I ask again.

"No one!" She huffed. "I went down to the gym and sparred to burn off some of the upset, alright? When I'm done with my make up no one will even notice."

Yeah right. I think about telling her all of her brothers will notice. Even My Angel will notice, but she's acting like this is okay. That her walking around battered and bruised is okay. It's not okay and I don't for one minute believe that she just 'burned off the the upset'. She forgets she has a team and this is what a team is for. I'll let her find out how much we notice about each other the hard way. I think that's the only way she will learn this lesson. But, I'm not going to let her get away with lying. Even if I think she's lying to herself more than me.

"You punished yourself. You let what the monster did bother you so much you went and let someone beat you up because you felt that's what you deserved for letting that happen. That is not what you deserve. That is not all you are worth." I know I'm wasting my breath. She won't hear me. Not really. Not yet.