"Who threw the pillow?" Daniel asked, his expression calm.
The room was silent except for the panicked breathing of the three still huddled in their group. Gracen didn't really think this was the right time to go over the incident since Delia, Arthur and Drew were still not stable. But at the same time he knew that he and Daniel as the oldest had to present a united front, so when the silence continued he took over the questioning.
"Who was involved in the pillow fight?"
"Me, Andre and the twins." Hunter responded, still trying what the best course of action would be. Should he have not said anything? Should he lie? One thing was for sure he didn't want the twins to get in trouble.
"Ok, our of you four which one of you threw that pillow?" Once again no one responded to Daniel's question.
"If you don't tell us you will all be punished equally." His tone bordering on angry.
"I don't think you can punish me, although I'm willing to clean up and pay for damages I'm an adult who does not live in your home nor am part of your family." Andre piped up his voice somewhat goofy with some seriousness to it. Daniel didn't respond, just stared at Andre with an icy look before looking at his siblings with a questioning look. We're they going to confess or were all of them going to be punished. Daniel opened his mouth to sentence them, but before he could Delia was in front of him and signing frantically, her face filled with fear and resolution.
Andrew's face went from impassive to shock.
"Delia I'm sure he didn't mean anything—." More frantic signing interrupted Andrew.
"Sweet pea if he did that, I promise me and Andre would take you away from her." Delia seemed to calm down slightly at the declaration, but still continued to sign.
"Honey you need to calm down your body won't be able to take much more of this." This time tit was Andre, who had now moved to his brothers side. Delia stayed still for a moment, then continued to sign this time more slowly.
'I don't care what he does to me, but if he touches the twins I will go insane, so if you want me to calm down protect the twins. I don't care anymore what happens to me, but if they get hurt. That last bit of me that I have managed to cling to will dissipate.'
Andrew and Andre gulped audibly. They knew that Delia wasn't who's he used to be they knew that the constant psychological and physical abuse had gotten to her, but even in their worst nightmares they didn't think she was this close to ceasing to exist.
"Don't scare us like that, you know that we didn't meet the twins a lot, but we wouldn't let anything bad happen if we can help it." Andrew spoke his voice quiet. Delia seemed to accept their response and nodded her head towards Daniel silently asking them to convey her message.
Andrew hesitated, he didn't want her to get in more trouble for what she wanted him to say, but if he didn't convey her message accurately Delia was going to write it out manually. When Delia became stubborn nothing on this green and blue marble of a planet could stop her unless it was death itself.
"Delia said wants me to tell you that, 'she will take whatever punishment you assign the twins no matter how severe, whether it involves kneeling on frozen peas or hanging from her wrists from the banister of the stairs. She also said that if you lay a hand on her babies she will fight you tell her dying breath.'"
Daniel looked at her a sense of helplessness in his gaze. Luckily Gracen responded for him.
"Our punishments don't involve physical harm we won't hurt the twins or you like that. Please try to trust us. However the twins will still have to be punished we can't let lying and destruction of property go unpunished and we certainly won't let someone who had nothing to do with it be punished." Gracen expected some sort of reaction acceptance or defiance but Delia didn't move she just stared into his soul. Gracen started to be slightly freak out. It was a disturbing look for someone to give much less his cute thirteen year old sister. Delia slowly nodded her consent, but then signed something. "I always tell the truth." Daniel and Gracen were puzzled for awhile, before they got it. If they hurt the twins she would fight them tell her dying breath. And in their hearts both of them felt the promise in her words.
"All of you four will clean up the mess, Hunter and Andre will handle the glass. Then Hunter and the twins will remain in their rooms for the rest of the day. Tomorrow morning your extra chores and writing will be assigned." Daniel said. Hunter let a huff of indignation, but made sure it was quiet enough for his older brothers to ignore, he was upset, but he didn't want to be punished even further.
"Delia and Andrew don't help." Gracen ordered. Delia turned to face him her stance still defensive and her eyes wary. However she and Andrew didn't move anymore forward to help. After glass was cleared Drew and Artie had managed to compose themselves enough to do their assigned jobs, but they still remained slightly detached.
It took awhile but eventually the mess was cleaned up and the glass less book shelf was back in position. Hunter, Artie and Drew headed upstairs to their rooms. Delia turned to head upstairs.
"You are not allowed to go in their rooms Delia." Daniel said. Delia's foot froze midair before she continued up the rest of the stairs.
"Everything seems to be under control now, so I think me and Andre will head out."
"Glad you guys came, thanks for coming on such short notice, I'm sure Delia appreciated your effort." Gracen said a cordial smile in place.
"No problem, to us Lia and the twins are our family." Andre responded a similar smile on his face.
"Such a shame they aren't." Daniel said applying emphasis on the "aren't" part.
"For now, who knows what the future holds though." Andrew said his words challenging. If Delia or the twins were in danger they would not hesitate to sue and get custody of them.