At 6:00 pm, Alex had a shadow while she walked home. A six foot tall, somewhat leathery one that she couldn't see. She swung her purse in an appealing manner, but no muggers took the bait.
Fire truck that. I need the practice beating them up and it relieves stress. I got plenty of stress. Fire truck Morgan and the nightmares he gives me.
Alex walked slower and swung the purse more. No muggers.
Maybe the purse is too small. Should I have money sticking out of it? Maybe I look too fierce. I should wear make-up and look more helpless. Ick.
Alex walked home, her thoughts unhappy. Rile met her in the driveway.
"No sign of him?" she asked.
"Nor scent," he said with a scowl.
She sighed. "Let's find out what your brothers want to eat."
"No, you pick something new for us," Rile said. "Have a backbone. Stand up for yourself."
"Like when I pounded you into the wall?" Alex smiled and started for the carriage house.
"Yeah, like that. Only with my brothers."
"They treat me nicer."
Rile opened the door for her and shouted into the apartment, "Alex is buying us something different for dinner."
"You don't have to yell." Gabe walked over and glowered at his brother. "What is it?"
"Thai. It's like Chinese, but not as greasy. They deliver as well. I need a phone book or the internet to find the menu and phone number," Alex said.
"Why don't you and I walk to Dr. Dewey's." Cale rubbed his older brother's shoulder in a soothing way. "He showed me how to use his computer for the shower instructions. I'd like to try this computer device again."
"Not you," Rile said in an aggrieved tone. "You, who can't build anything. You're terrible at video games, too. I'm the one who should do it. I'll learn computers better than you ever could."
Alex tentatively tapped Rile's forearm, eager to stop the argument but worried about touching the oh-so-attractive humanoid dragon. "If Dr. Dewey let Cale do it, then he should. Or you both could go and let Dr. Dewey decide. It doesn't bother me if I go or not. Please ask him for the closest Thai restaurant."
*****
When the last of the Pad Thai was consumed, Alex said, "Who's shadowing me tomorrow?"
"I am," Gabe said. "Dr. Dewey is teaching a night class. Cale, Rile, you escort him there and back."
"Now that it's squared away, I'm taking a shower." Alex pushed back from the table. "Then off to bed. Thanks for the company for dinner and goodnight."
She faced her shower, rough sponge clutched in one hand and bloody razor in the other. She breathed deeply before turning on the water and jumping in. She thought of Rile stalking the darkness to quiet Morgan's sneering voice in her head.
Once the water turned cold and her arms were tired from scrubbing, Alex shut off the shower and put on sturdy Walmart sweatpants and t-shirt. She walked out of her bedroom to see Gabe fiddling with the bookshelves.
"This is the awkward part where I ask if you'll spend the night on my couch again," she said, heart pounding and blood roaring in her ears.
He turned around and nodded somberly. "Of course. We haven't found Morgan yet. You should sleep on the recliner. Or on the couch with me since it distresses you so much to sleep alone. I hope you have learned that you can trust me."
Oh, I can trust you, gorgeous. It's my heart that I can't. It loves the company you and your brothers bring and wants more, more, more from you.
"I have trust issues." Alex turned around when Gabe looked at her. "I need my pillow." She fled into the bedroom. When she came back, she was clutching her pillow to her chest. After a nervous glance at Gabe, she plopped on the recliner.
I want to collapse on his lap so I better stay over here. I'm not here to enjoy myself but to help the victimized until I die, either by the hand of thugs or the nuclear slipstream generator in my chest.
An hour later, Alex was asleep on the recliner when Gabe heard voices at her front door.
"I'm not letting you in again," Cale hissed.
"Alex gave you a key, so hand it over," Rile hissed back. "Or I'll pick the lock."
"Why do you want to enter?" Cale asked. "Alex said she was going to bed."
"If you must know, I want to work on her couch."
"Her couch? What's wrong with her couch?"
Gabe strode over and opened the door. "What is it?" he asked quietly. "Alex is asleep. Go away."
"Perfect." Rile sidled past him. "I'm working on her couch."
Gabe's grab missed Rile."She's asleep on the recliner."
"The recliner? That's a step backward. Good for Alex." Rile looked down at the sleeping figure.
"She can sleep where she wishes in her dwelling. Now leave," Gabe hiss-growled deep in his chest, a threatening sound.
"I won't wake her up." Rile sat on the ground by the couch leg. He pulled a knife out of a sheath attached to his belt. "This is very quiet." He applied the knife to the wooden couch foot. "She wanted claw feet on her couch and I'll make that happen."
Gabe and Cale exchanged glances.
"It will be very noisy making him leave," Cale said.
"True dat," Gabe said.
"Are you picking up New Orleans idioms?" Cale asked and Gabe smiled.
They curled up on the couch together and fell into a light sleep. It was near midnight when Gabe roused, sat up, and said, "Time to leave."
Rile waved his knife. "I'm not finished."
Gabe stood up and Cale stood next to him.
"I said, time to leave."
Alex twitched on the recliner and rolled over.
"Don't wake her up," Gabe warned.
"Or let him," Cale said. "He deserves the pounding. We can help."
"Traitors." Rile stood and looked down at Alex. "She has work in the morning. I'll go."
"I'll come with you," Cale said.
"Coming, Perfect Eldest Son?" Rile asked.
"Alex has nightmares and Morgan is still free," Gabe replied, posture stiff. "She asked me to sleep on the couch. Get out."
Cale pushed on Rile. "Go, go, go. Remember Alex has to work in the morning."
Rile watched Gabe as he allowed his middle brother to steer him out the door.
*****
Thirty minutes later, Alex breathed in short bursts. She turned one way, then the other, on the recliner.
When she awoke with a start, Gabe waited, still and quiet. He watched as she scanned the room, hands clutching the arms of the recliner. She looked his way and he held his hands out, palm up.
"Please don't blast me. I'm a friend."
"I don't have any friends," she said in a hoarse voice and scrambled out of the recliner. She backed to the wall, gaze fixed on him.
"You do now. Think carefully," Gabe said and avoided the word 'remember'. Morgan used the word 'remember' and Alex hated it.
Alex pressed her fists to her head. "Make it stop."
Gabe approached slowly, cautiously, one hand open palm up. "Yes, I will. Tell me how."
"The...I mean, Mor-" Alex pressed her fists tighter against her head and screwed her eyes shut in pain. She leaned against the wall and slid down it into a sit. "Short circuit in my brain."
Can't tell anyone about the voices in my head, especially Morgan's, shouting at me during these times.
Gabe carefully placed his hand on the bare skin of her arm. When she didn't react, he dared to rub her arm. After a few minutes, he put one arm around her and continued to rub hers. Alex slumped in relief and let her arms fall to her side.
"Better now?" he asked with caution. "What's a 'short circuit'?"
"Brain damage, but not a true seizure." She scrubbed her eyes. "Tired and groggy, though. Time?"
"A little after midnight. You haven't slept much." Gabe indicated the couch. "Sit here? Tell me what happened."
"Are you cold?" Alex didn't budge.
"Yes."
"Okay, I usually sleep after the short circuits." Alex slipped under the afghan next to him. "You're well behaved. Question is: do I blast Rile unconscious tomorrow morning or not?"
"Feel free, although Cale asked for a turn pounding him in your honor."
"So sweet. Glad I bought him a recliner."
"What happens during a short circuit?"
Alex twisted the afghan in her hands. "Hard to explain. It hurts and the pain stirs my mind into confusion. That's all I can tell you."
All I will tell you. I'm sure hearing voices is crazy no matter what the species.
"How can I help?" Gabe asked.
"Uhm, the short circuit stopped when you rubbed my arm," Alex said."Only my arm!" Alex flinched as his hand rubbed up her arm to her shoulder.
"Of course," Gabe said. "Sleep next to, not with. Only rub your arm. I'm learning human etiquette."
"Thanks," Alex said. "I fall asleep after short circuits. Is that okay?"
"Perfectly. You can sleep next to, not with, me."
Alex sighed inwardly.
I'm a moron. I'll settle for the scraps of attention from Gabe. I don't deserve anything more.
******
A/N: Can Alex overcome her past and have a semi-normal relationship with a humanoid dragon from another world?
Dedicated to The Eyeball Army [wattpad won'y let me list all y'all[
@DianaTheThird
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