35.

"Guess what!"

The silence of the early morning was broken right on schedule. As they passed under a light post, Austin glanced down at his sister, catching the adoring twinkle in her eyes as she gazed up at him. Without fail, as they began to near Hayes' favorite part of their morning run, Hayes always became a chatter box.

And he meant, chatter box.

Just like when she was a baby, best described as rapid-fire, non-stop word vomit.

He loved it; absolutely loved seeing his little sister's personality shine, even if it was barely 6 in the morning.

It was refreshing, listening to her talk about anything and everything under the sun and Austin wasn't one to boast but he didn't see his little sister just chatting off anyone else's ear, now did he.

Ha.

Take that, brothers.

"What?" Austin replied with the same amount of zest, a smile playing on his lips.

Their footsteps hit in sync creating a rhythmic sound as the two ran down the beaten path, Hayes taking two steps for every one of Austin's.

That, their breathing, and the birds chirping made for a peaceful atmosphere.

The calm before the storm.

He could see they were approaching the lake up ahead, so Austin slowed the pace a bit so they could talk in a casual manner without feeling like they were gasping for air, more so for Hayes' benefit than his. The two were, without a doubt, in great shape, but sometimes Hayes struggled keeping up with Austin's long legs. She'd never admit defeat though.

It wasn't fair that she was fun-sized.

But, just the other day, Austin noticed she'd grown a smidge since living with them.

Hallelujah!

There was hope for the future.

"My birthday is Saturday!" Hayes cheered, a bit loudly for it being the crack of dawn. But it was a monumental birthday, the big one four.

Nah, just kidding.

It wasn't the age that was important - another year older, another year wiser. So what? But the fact that it was her first birthday that she would remember celebrating with all her brothers, now that was memorable.

"Is that so?" Austin teased. Of course he knew his little sister's birthday was coming up. He knew all of his siblings' birth dates, since he was the one buying the presents.

Now, Austin Powers loved all his siblings equally. He didn't have a favorite, as the elder of the family, he couldn't. But, he couldn't deny that October 13th was one of the most special days of the year, especially because of a little someone.

"Yessss," Hayes emphasized. She couldn't help the excitement that ran through her. Even though she wasn't asking for anything, it still made her feel special. A whole day, just to celebrate her!

All that was required was a whole lot of ice cream cake and a whole lot of love, two things that for sure her brothers could manage, no problem.

She knew it wasn't feasible as Emerson had a prior engagement over the weekend, but she also really wished all her brothers would be home. Hayes kept her fingers crossed for that request.

"Oh gosh, thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot."

The scowl on Hayes' face was priceless making Austin chuckle wholeheartedly. She seemed to have taken offense to that comment.

"I'm just kidding, Sunshine," Austin reassured her.

"Wasn't funny."

"I'm sorry," Austin easily apologized, before moving on, "so tell me, birthday girl, what do you want for your birthday?"

He knew as soon as the words left his lips what the answer would be. Especially because Hayes' eyes lit up even more.

"A puppy!"

"No," Austin mocked, his voice rising to a higher pitch.

"It's my birthday, you can't say no!" Hayes exclaimed, pointing at him. If they hadn't been jogging, she would surely have stomped her foot.

"I don't remember that ever being a rule."

"You must be getting old, can't remember things anymore," Hayes giggled, jumping away from his outstretched claw hands.

"What's that? You want coal for your birthday?"

"Wrong holiday, old man," Hayes' laughter echoed over the lake as Austin tried to grab her again.

"You're just digging yourself a bigger hole there, little girl" Austin warned, the playfulness in his voice contradicting his cautionary words.

He loved when she was silly and carefree like this, thankful that these occurrences were more often than not. Thankful that she and Glen had assimilated so well into their family craziness, like they'd been there along, like they should have been.

Hayes picked up the pace, creating a distance between her and her brother, shouting over her shoulder, "Sorry, can't hear you!"

Austin shook his head in amusement as he let his sister build a bigger lead before chasing after her. Hayes had a good head start as the two sprinted around the lake, but it wasn't long before he caught up to her and consequently took the lead.

Again, wasn't fair. Her little legs could only move so fast.

But Hayes certainly had a competitive spirit, so she kept after him. Finishing the loop around the lake, they headed back home, their return pace faster than the beginning miles as they were both motivated to win.

"You're not funny, Austin," Hayes had a slight whine in her voice, though her grin negated the annoyance. He had spun around to tease her, jogging backwards a couple step as he slowed his pace drastically. They had reached the stop sign that marked the entrance to the cul-de-sac where their house was. Austin preferred to go into cool-down mode at this point, but Hayes didn't quit. She always took this as another opportunity to speed past, the goal of beating Austin to the driveway was very appealing.

Otherwise, Austin would never just let her win.

She had to earn it.

Just like when she played games with Glen.

Brothers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Austin replied with a smirk, slowing down to a walk. "I'm not doing anything." He suddenly jumped when Hayes ran by, smacking him hard on the ass. "Hayes!"

"Encouragement!" she chortled, "Come on, old man, keep up!"

It was a spur of the moment decision, one that Hayes quickly regretted when she heard his loud footsteps coming after her as he accepted the challenge. Laughter bubbled out of her as she pumped her arms harder, willing herself to go faster.

All she had to do was cross the imaginary line onto the driveway first.

Claim her victory.

"You're becoming a sassy little thing," Austin snatched her by the waist, causing her to squeal in surprise as he swung her in the air, spinning them in a circle to slow their momentum. He returned Hayes' feet to the ground, keeping his hands on her shoulders to stop her from running ahead of him up the driveway to the house.

At his words, all the energy drained from Hayes' body as the laughter died off. Her tongue poked the inside of her cheek as a shiver ran through her. It was all in the name of fun, but something with those words didn't settle right in her mind.

She knew Austin meant no harm, he was obviously having fun with her, but it triggered something in her, subconsciously.

Hayes shivered again, she didn't want to go down that path.

"Sorry," She replied instantly. Her head tilted downward as her whole mood deflated from its previous cheery disposition. No matter how much she tries to be tough, Hayes would always be sensitive at heart.

Austin frowned as he eyed his sister closely.

What just happened?

He jostled her shoulders, trying to get her to spunk back up. He was rewarded for his efforts by the tiniest grin as she tried to push his hands off of her. That earned him some laughter as the two tussled a bit.

"Can I ask you a question?" Austin tapped her nose, successfully distracting her.

Hayes wrinkled her nose as placed her hands on her hips to catch her breath. It was a fashionable look, with her panting open-mouthed and her hair wisping away in every direction with the wind, "What?"

Austin's mouth worked as if he was going to say something but he didn't quite know how to word it until finally he just spit it out. "Does that happen often?" At her confused glance, he elaborated, "I've noticed there have been times when your brothers or myself have said something and you just, for lack of better words, shut down."

Observant as ever, was he.

Hayes fumbled with her sweaty t-shirt, before intently focusing on the Band-Aid that was wrapped around her finger. She slid the band aid up and down, any prior stickiness long gone. Her finger was slick with sweat now.

She hated confrontation.

"Glen does it, too," Austin said, his gaze softening at the sight of his little sister. His sweet, sweet little girl who had suffered so much. And his little brother, goodness he deserved all the happiness in the world.

Hayes' gaze flickered up to meet Austin. She was unsure about what he wanted her to say. It wasn't like she could deny it. She was such a mood killer. A burden.

Why did she have to be so sensitive?

They were having such a good time, too.

Her rambling thoughts halted when guilt from Austin's eyes reflected back at her.

He felt guilty.

Her heart clenched, it wasn't his fault.

"I hate causing you pain," Austin murmured so low, Hayes didn't think she was suppose to hear it.

Hayes ransacked her brain for any ideas on how to respond, grabbing the first thing that popped up, even if it was totally off-topic and didn't make a lick of sense to the current situation. Blame the unconquered childish spirit in her. "A puppy would help."

Austin's eyes widened for a brief moment before he shook his head, "I'm sure it would."

Oh Hayes, I love you.

He decided to drop the conversation before her defensive walls went up. He didn't want to focus any more time on the past right that second. Not when he was sure it'd be brought up again and again until the trial that was in exactly one week.

7 days.

168 hours.

The countdown was on.

He skimmed Hayes from head to toe, his gaze catching on her twiddling fingers. He reached out and gently gripped her left wrist, raising it up so he could see it clearly. The Band-Aid had come completely off now, floating down to the ground where it'd probably be forgotten.

Austin lightly ran his finger over her healing wound, the pink skin nearly identical to the rest of her flushed skin.

A reminder that he still needed to buy some bubble wrap.

For both kids, apparently, since Glen wanted to give him a run for his money as well.

"You know, I forgot to ask," Hayes snapped her head up at the change in her brother's voice. It was back to his normal, calming tone. "How'd practice go on Friday?"

Hayes couldn't cover her face quick enough to hide her expression, Austin immediately picking up on the look of irritation that crossed her face.

Well, that sure made him curious.

She pulled the bottom of her shirt up, hiding her face from his scrutinizing eyes as she turned around, giving Austin her back. She pretend to busy herself with wiping the sweat off her face.

"Sunshine?"

The concern in his voice made her shoulders bunch up. She didn't deserve it. Where was his anger? She had wasted everyone's time at practice, it was such a disgrace.

"Are you coming to my game?" Her words were muffled as she kept her face covered, a barrier from the rejection she was about to hear.

"Yes, I wouldn't miss it. Why?"

Hayes let her shirt drop down as she spun back around. "Don't bother."

Austin frowned, "Don't bother? What do you mean?"

"I'm probably not even going to play," she mumbled, wringing her fingers together. How embarrassing, supporting the bench warmer. He was better off spending his time relaxing at home, not sitting on the uncomfortable bleachers in a noisy gym for hours. It's not like Glen was going to play in the game after her anyways, he was out for 6 weeks with the cast.

"What's with all this negativity?" Austin nudged her chin back up when she dropped her gaze. "Talk to me, kiddo."

He didn't like when she clammed up, not when they were getting to the crux of the conversation. Austin knew something had been bothering her, and it took a little persuading to get it out of her.

Hayes shrugged, her stubbornness showing. Because if it didn't, she'd probably cry. And gosh darn it, she was not about to cry.

"Well," Austin said, "Let's get one thing straight. Regardless if you play or if you sit the whole game, I will be there. Because I'm going to support you, just like I do with all your brothers. And," his finger hooked under her chin again, making eye contact with her, "if you do happen to sit the bench, then you be the best damn bench warmer the team has ever seen."

Hayes huffed out a breath of air that may or may not have counted as a laugh. Leave it to Austin to cheer her up in a second with a round-about pep talk.

Austin worked hard to maintain a neutral expression and not smile as his hand tugged playfully on her messy pony tail before landing back on her shoulder. He turned her around, pulling her back a step so she was standing next to him. She was about to question his actions before she spotted the sun rising between the neighboring homes.

It was beautiful.

Their chests rose and fell in unison as they took the time to breathe the fresh air, enjoying their time together.

The unwavering pressure of Austin's hand on her shoulder gave her the confidence to speak her thoughts, even if it wasn't in the most graceful manner.

"Austin, I sucked." She said plainly.

Amusement littered his face as he tilted his head down to look at her. Jackpot. "Don't talk like that."

"It's true," she insisted, her mouth twisting in displeasure at the memory. "I couldn't do anything right. Coach was so annoyed with me." Forgetting that they were both drenched in sweat, Hayes leaned her head back against his arm, catching his eye as vulnerability slipped into her voice, "What if it happens in the game? What if I get too many turnovers, or... or I can't play good defense or I can't make any lay ups again?" She had opened the flood gates to everything that could possibly go wrong during the basketball game.

"Oh Sunshine," Austin sighed, "You are your own toughest critic when instead you should be your biggest fan."

Hayes copied his sigh, a whole lot of feelings shared with that one action.

"You can't live life scared with all these 'what ifs'," Austin continued, "you get out there, and you try your very best. And if you fail, that's life. You get back up and try again."

Austin was not a stranger to this topic. It was a conversation he had with her once before and many of times with Emerson and Francis. Growing up, those two constantly worried that if they failed, that their eldest brothers would abandon them as well.

Hayes kicked at a stray leaf that laid on the driveway.

Easier said then done.

She and Glen had spent many years picking themselves up off the ground, fighting the big bad world together. The Rayon family helped, a lot, but Patrick was graduating at the end of the school year, which meant the two kids were going to be alone again.

Just them and their grandfather.

They tried not to think about it much, Glen always shutting down that train of thought when Hayes brought it up, but honestly, the kids were tired. It was only a matter of time before their legs gave out on them completely, with no one to help them back up.

But that was then.

And this was now.

Their brothers had saved them in more ways than one.

The wind blew the leaf out of distance of Hayes' foot, leaving nothing to distract her. She kept her eyes averted from her eldest brother's as she knew he deserved to know her thoughts but wasn't brave enough to see his reaction.

"What if it's too hard?"

"To get back up?" Austin guessed her thought.

Hayes nodded. She wasn't as strong as her brothers seemed to think she was.

"Then you tell me," He replied matter-of-factly, "Or any of your brothers and we'll scoop you right back up."

Hayes twisted her lips to the side. Growing up, if she and Glen ever shown an ounce of weakness to the Bear, they would have been pounced on.

It felt like a trap.

Austin could see she wasn't sold on his answer and knew he had some work to do on this new revelation. But that was okay, the Powers siblings were not quitters, in fact they were the exact opposite. Dakota knew that first hand and soon enough, Hayes, and Glen because if one kid was feeling this way, the other probably was too, were going to know as well.

Because the brothers loved each other and they loved hard.

Suddenly, Hayes' feet was no longer on the floor as Austin lifted her into his arms. No time like the present to show her how he'd literally pick her up again.

"Ew," Hayes had a grossed out expression on her face as she squirmed in his grip, "you smell."

Austin barked out a laugh, making Hayes laugh as well. The previous tension broken. "You don't exactly smell like roses either, Sunshine."

The duo made they way up the driveway, following the path between the parked cars, up the steps of the porch, and to the front door where he put Hayes back on her own feet.

As she waited for him to unlock the door, Austin found himself stalling. He wasn't able to let the conversation go quite just yet. He needed to have one last word.

"Hayes."

Hayes cocked her head to the side to look up at him, squinting at the emotions swirling in his eyes and the seriousness in his voice. He cleared his throat.

"I know I wasn't there when you and Glen needed me most, but I'm here now. And I've said this before and I'll keep saying for eternity, I'm not going anywhere."

Hayes bit her bottom lip hard as she nodded, goose bumps riddling her skin. She was so grateful for her eldest brother. "I know," Hayes replied softly.

"Your brothers would say the same thing," Austin added, "we know you're a tough cookie, but the moment you think you're crumbling, remember you have all of us ready to pick you back up."

Hayes nodded some more, her eyes starting to glisten as the lingering somber thoughts left her mind for the time being. No more pity party.

Austin held her gaze, neither pair of blue eyes willing to break away first.

"I love you, Sunshine."

"Love you most," Hayes replied like it was second nature, a grin appearing on her face without fail at his words.

"Good," Austin poked her stomach before finally opening the front door. The atmosphere was relaxed once more as the two siblings entered the home. The two were slightly surprised to see Colton's bedroom open and a light coming from the kitchen.

Guess their run took a little longer than usual, but it was important to Austin that he took the time to really speak with Hayes. Considering the fact that she decided to join him on his morning run even though she had a basketball game that evening, first alerted him that something was wrong. Then it was up to him to figure out what was bothering her. Hayes made him work a bit harder, but they got there eventually.

Like Dakota had once wisely shared with him when Austin was doubting his purpose, most of the battle was won by just consistently being there for them. For showing up. And nobody could ever say that Austin didn't care a helluva lot for his siblings.

He'd move mountains for them and then some.

The other little bit involved patience and persistence.

"Ready for some morning mischief?" Austin quietly conspired, nudging his sister in the arm as they walked to the kitchen. He didn't typically take part in the sibling shenanigans and he certainly didn't start them, but he wanted to keep the spark of happiness in his sister's eyes for as long as possible.

And unfortunately for Colton, Austin was well aware that just because Cole was up, that didn't mean he was actually awake. Their brother probably didn't even hear the siblings come inside, his brain not functioning before his first, or second, cup of coffee.

"Yes," the grin on her face widening as matching mischievous twinkles appeared in their blue eyes. Her middle name might as well be Trouble.

They spotted Colton blissfully unware as he leaned against the counter, the coffee machine whirling behind him. He was still in his sleepwear of a pair of gym shorts and missing shirt, his tattoos on display as he casually scrolled through his phone.

"Morning Cole," Austin greeted, making the brother's head snap up.

"Hey," Colton returned, straightening up with a smile when he saw his siblings.

"Smelly hug attack!" Hayes exclaimed with no warning, charging straight at Colton. Her hands wrapped around his waist, leaving no chance for him to escape as all her sweat transferred onto him.

Good ole brother-sister love.

"Aw, come on, Sunshine" Colton complained in a light-hearted manner, his arms stuck by his sides, "Do you have to do this every time?"

Hayes simply laughed as she made sure to rub her sweaty forehead against his chest.

Every single time, in deed.

🎵Lean on me

When you're not strong

And I'll be your brother

I'll help you carry on🎵

————

Hayes glanced around the high school gym, taking note of all the sights and sounds. It was an away game, the first of their season, believe it or not. They were playing another Catholic school in their division, supposedly well-matched rivals in all the sports. That bit didn't matter much to Hayes, it was just a game, after all.

You win some, you lose some, as Colton stated in his words of encouragement during their morning drive to school.

Though everyone would have to agree that winning was a whole lot more fun.

It was a nice gym, recently refurbished and ready to be used for a great season of basketball followed by volleyball. Nice and spacious, which was convenient because Colton and his varsity team traveled on the bus with the girls' team. The boys had claimed a corner of the bleachers, spreading their stuff out and chilling until it was time for their own warmups to begin.

Having the two teams travel together saved time and money for their school, considering it was about a 45 minute commute one way.

It also saved Hayes from an anxiety attack because she was able to sit with Glen. Plus having Abe and Theo cracking jokes in the row behind them didn't hurt. Riding on a school bus with a driver she'd never met before didn't really go over well in her mind.

Gosh, life would be much easier if she could just teleport.

No more cars, buses, or trains.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hayes could see her coach approaching the bench where she sat. Ducking her head, Hayes avoided any incidental eye contact, taking the time to finish tying and then re-tying the laces of her basketball shoes. Procrastination queen over here.

She impressively avoided him for this long.

But one by one, her teammates finished getting their own gear on and headed onto the court, leaving Hayes all by herself.

Her palms felt sweaty as she briefly clenched them before rubbing them on her shorts. She knew Coach Gordon was waiting for her, it had only been a matter of time before he searched her out. She hadn't talked to him since Friday's practice and she dreaded confrontation.

She knew what was coming.

Or so she thought.

"Quiet Storm."

Hayes' shoulders tensed at the nickname.

She wasn't ready.

But she knew she didn't have a choice.

Hayes reluctantly stood up, meeting Coach Gordon's gaze. "Hi, Coach."

"Let's chat," Coach Gordon said, holding out his arm to direct her towards the back corner of the gym, where the double doors led out the hallway lined with the locker rooms.

How nice, a little privacy for this wonderful conversation they were about to have.

Hayes equated this feeling to being like a little kid sent to the principal's office, not that she'd would actually know what that felt like.

But nevertheless, it made her want to piss her pants.

"So," Coach Gordon didn't waste any time, his face marred with discontent, "Friday didn't leave a great taste in my mouth. Would you say that's accurate?"

"Yes, Coach," Hayes replied, her fingers lacing together behind her back in order to hide her nervousness.

"You're on a short leash today," He continued.

"I understand," Hayes wanted to vomit.

"And as much as I want to bench you, I won't."

Surprise floated across her face.

Coach said what?

"One practice won't decide your fate. Not when we've been planning for this game for the whole week. We have to look at the bigger picture. So, that means you will be starting, as practiced," Coach Gordon gave her a hard look. "But I expect you to limit the turnovers, make smart passes, and take the open shot. Otherwise, I'll pull you from the game and you'll sit."

Hayes nodded like a bobble head.

She will most certainly do all of that. No mistakes, got it.

"And don't play scared. Be aggressive, go for the steal. Attack the lane and draw the fouls."

Boy oh boy, if she wasn't already nervous before.

A lot of pressure was riding on her shoulders.

"Alright, go warm up." He dismissed her. But just as she went to walk by him, he called her back. "Oh and Hayes?"

She knew it wouldn't have been that easy.

"Yes?" Hayes turned to face him.

"Don't be so tough on yourself, kid." Coach Gordon cracked a smile. He was usually never so stern. "You're young, with a great future ahead of you."

"Yes, Coach," Hayes replied, giving a shy smile in return. The conversation over for real this time, Hayes walked away with her head up. She cracked her knuckles, another bad habit of hers, as she joined her teammates who were warming up with some stretching, a little pep in her step.

Game on.

————

Colton was in the perfect position; ankles crossed, shoulder resting casually against the wall. This way, he could keep an eye on his team that was suppose to be warming up in the outdoor hallway as well as watch his little sister run circles around the opposing team.

He, along with his brothers, had been pleasantly surprised to see Hayes start the game.

They knew her Coach had been changing things up in preparation for this game, but after Hayes' report about how Friday's practice went, they didn't know what to expect.

Heck, she had told Austin just that morning that she didn't even think she'd play.

Jeez, Sunshine, dramatic much?

It was the first game she had been a part of the starting five lineup and it could not have gone any better.

Hayes was phenomenal, which her brothers already knew.

But to be able to watch the other team and the gym full of spectators realize just how much of a threat his little sister was, now that was very entertaining.

To think she was only a freshman.

Quiet Storm, an accurate nickname. No one sees her coming until it's too late and the damage is already done.

Across the gym, sitting in the stands, were the rest of the Powers' siblings who were able to attend. Well, most of them. Glen was hanging out next to Colton, even though the boy should have been outside with the rest of his team, injured or not.

But Glen just wanted to cheer on his sister, too.

Baker and Emerson were the missing siblings, of course, the elder one unable to escape from working the night shift and the younger one away at college. But between Francis and Dakota sending them updates via snapchats and text messages, they were pretty much watching the game right along side them.

"You look like a proud dad," Dakota snickered, his eyes flickering to Austin who sat beside him. Hayes had just sunk another three-pointer, increasing the team's lead to 17.

Austin clapped loudly for his little sister, "You should look in a mirror, Kota. I don't think your smile could get any bigger."

Dakota rolled his eyes as Francis turned around from where he sat in the row in front of them. But before he could open his mouth to make a cheesy remark, Austin shut him down. "Whatever you're about to say, don't."

Francis immediately pouted, "You don't even know what I was going to say."

Austin gave him a look, the look. He wasn't born yesterday.

"Turn around, Francesca," Dakota drawled, lazily twirling his finger in the air.

"Dickota," Francis grumbled, earning a swift kick in the back by Dakota.

What was that about brotherly love?

"Stop," Austin said firmly when he saw Francis about to retaliate. He loved Francis, but the boy never won a fight against Dakota.

The younger brothers both rolled their eyes but nonetheless, returned their attention back to the game. And it was a good thing they did, otherwise they wouldn't have believed what they saw.

The storm.

A girl from the opposing team drove down the lane, her layup well-contested by a defender. The ball bounced off the rim, opposite of the side where Hayes stood, so she turned and immediately sprinted up the basketball court. It was a classic fast-break play that Hayes loved.

She hadn't missed one layup thus far in the game, and she certainly wasn't about to start now.

Hayes was fast on her feet, her head on a swivel as she kept checking over her shoulder for the basketball to be passed to her. Crossing the three-point line on the other end of the court, she watched her teammate launch it down the court before smoothly catching it without breaking stride.

One dribble.

Second dribble.

First step, second step.

It should have been an easy bucket.

Two points for Sacred Heart.

But something happened.

There was a flash of light, distracting Hayes.

She saw something.

Or, she at least thought she did.

Hayes' vision went blurry as her mind suddenly went into panic mode, causing her to stumble. The whistle blew as she took one step too many, the basketball dropping right out of her hands and rolling out of bounds.

Travel.

But it didn't end there, no.

The defender that had been chasing after Hayes to block her easy shot didn't expect Hayes to falter, so she didn't have time to put on the breaks. The girl crashed right into Hayes, their momentum causing them to collide hard into the padded wall before falling to the floor in a giant heap.

The girl was immediately able to roll off Hayes. Having not taken the brunt, she was able to pop back up to her feet with no damage done.

Hayes, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

The gym went completely silent in shock.

That wasn't suppose to happen.

"What the fuck was that?" Dakota exclaimed, getting to his feet. His hands laced together on top of his head as he waited with anticipation for his sister to get up.

To shake it off, just like she'd been doing the whole game. No pain, no gain.

"Austin, she's not moving," Dakota could feel his heartbeat in his ears as his voice tensed. His hands dropped as he went to smack Austin repeatedly on the shoulder. He was stressed. "Austin, she's not moving," he repeated, his voice rising a notch or two.

"Give her a second," Austin said calmly, his eyes locked on his little sister's still form. He couldn't afford to freak out, not when his brothers were already doing a good job of that. Get up, Sunshine, just roll over, anything.

Hayes was laid on her side on the ground, in a crumpled form, her back against the wall. Her head rested on her outstretched left arm.

Just a twitch of the hand, please.

Give me something.

"What the hell?" Francis flung around to look at Austin for answers. "Why did she trip? She didn't do that before!"

"I don't know," Austin replied, watching as the athletic trainer jogged over to where Hayes was. Her Coach also strolled over, running a hand through his hair. The players stood around aimlessly as all anyone could do was watch.

Whispers broke out amongst the stands as people were starting to realize how bad this might be.

Austin felt his heart drop to his stomach. Fuck.

"Go see what they're doing," Dakota pushed his shoulder, "Why are you just sitting here?"

"I can't run onto the court," Austin gritted out. It killed him, but he knew the rules. Plus, Colton was closer and would flag Austin down if need be.

"Fuck that," Dakota started to say before cutting himself off. He watched with bated breath as Colton now joined the growing crowd surrounding their little sister. For a moment, the brothers could barely see her anymore from where they sat before the referees starting directing the players back to their respective benches.

A very tense 30 seconds passed before Austin stood up. He couldn't wait any longer.

"Don't move," Austin ordered Dakota and Francis before leaving them behind on the bleachers. His long legs traveled down the metal steps in seconds, crossing the court with a direct path to where his sister lay.

Coach Gordon saw him approaching and went to meet him halfway. He had been standing behind Colton and the athletic trainer, letting them do their thing. Worry was sprawled all over his face.

"She's okay," were the first words out of his mouth, giving Austin a tiny sense of relief. "Possibly concussion."

"Okay," Austin muttered, not slowing his steps. They could deal with a concussion, he was a pro at it. Emerson just had one a couple weeks ago. No biggie.

"She's definitely shaken up though, keeps saying something like 'the Bear is here'." Coach Gordon informed the eldest brother.

Oh.

Austin eyebrows rose, "You sure?"

"Yes."

Alright, now he had to admit that that was a bit more worrisome.

Austin reached his siblings in four strides. Glen was there too, having followed behind Colton. He was sitting on the floor next to his sister who, Austin was relieved to see, was also sitting up,  propped against the wall now. Glen had his left arm wrapped around her shoulder, hugging her close, his own heart at risk of beating out of his chest.

She had scared him real good.

Colton was crouched down in front of their sister, speaking quietly to her. She was curled into herself, her knees brought to her chest with her hands wrapped around. Her chin was rested on her knees as her eyes were darting all over the place, never stopping on one thing for too long.

Almost as if she was looking for someone.

"I promise you, Sunshine, he's not here," Colton tried to soothe her but it was going through one ear and out the other.

Her voice was shaky, "but-but I saw him."

She was going for the layup, when suddenly the Bear stood right in front of her, taunting her.

Oh God, he knew.

"It's just your imagination," Colton wiped her flushed face with a towel. It was hard to differentiate between the tears and sweat.

"Hi Sunshine," Austin knelt down beside Colton. Immediately recognizing his voice, her eyes found his, searching for the sense of comfort and security he provided. "That was quite the fall there."

Hayes didn't respond, unable to formulate the words she wanted say as her mind had thoughts whirling around way too fast to make sense.

"I think she had the wind knocked out of her, but she's okay," Colton muttered to him, "besides the whole 'Bear' thing."

Austin nodded, running his eyes over his sister to make sure nothing was out of place. He could see bruises forming on her arms and legs, but that was typical of the young girl during a basketball game. Her cheeks were rosy from running around and she was breathing heavily.

But her eyes were full of panic.

"Austin," she pleaded, needing someone to believe her "did you see him?"

"Breathe, baby," Austin immediately reached his hand out, brushing the loose hair off her forehead. "Just breathe."

Hayes shook her head quickly, wincing when the movement caused a sharp pain. "You're not listening to me! He's mad at us! He told us we couldn't play and we did anyways! This was a bad idea. We have to go. I can't find him. We have to go before he comes back. I don't want to be in trouble. Please," her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to take in air.

Glen took a sharp intake of air as he listened to his sister ramble on about his worst nightmare. She was so convinced the Bear was here.

Austin and Colton exchanged glances, they'd never seen her so frightened like this before.

This was exactly what Austin had been trying to avoid.

"He can't be here," Glen said, his eyes gazing up at his older brothers with uncertainty, "it's impossible, right?"

"He's not here," Austin confirmed, as Colton stood back up to his full height. "How about we go talk outside?"

The brothers could feel the stares of everyone in the gym, including Francis and Dakota who were hanging on by a thread, very antsy as they obediently waited on the bleachers.

"What if he's outside?" Hayes whispered, scooting infinitely closer to Glen.

Colton rubbed a hand over his mouth, unable to help the curse that slipped out, hating their supposed grandfather so much more in that moment for what he'd done.

Austin cupped both kids' cheeks, making sure their attention was solely on him. "I promise you with all I'm worth, that man will never put a hand to you ever again. He is not here. He cannot hurt you."

The intensity of his look was enough to persuade Glen that he spoke the truth. "Okay."

"Okay," Austin repeated, watching as Smiley leaned down to whisper something in Hayes' ear. Whatever he said, it was the magic words because Hayes reluctantly nodded as well.

With that, Austin got up to his feet. This allowed Colton the space to bend down and pick Hayes up as Austin offered his hand to Glen to help him up.

They could hear the crowd clapping as Colton carried Hayes off the court and to the double doors, exiting into the hallway. The siblings needed some fresh air, clear their minds and figure out how to fight this battle. Colton went in the opposite direction of where his team was standing around, surprised by the siblings' sudden appearance.

Austin and Glen were right behind them, when Colton suddenly stopped walking. Glen had nearly bumped into them if it wasn't for Austin's solid grip on his shoulder.

Hayes wanted to get down.

Fight or flight.

Flight.

But instead of going with her instincts, Hayes tumbled into Austin's chest, his arms immediately wrapping around his little sister. It was like the brothers swapped kids and Glen stepped up to Colton's side.

Colton draped an arm around his shoulder. He could tell Smiley was still rattled by Hayes' insistence of the Bear's presence, even if he believed Austin's words.

"Be right back," Austin addressed Colton before walking off with Hayes practically glued to him.

"Colton?"

"Yeah?" Cole dropped his gaze to his little brother.

"I think I know what happened." Glen peeked at Colton from the corner of his eye.

"What do you mean?

Glen crossed his arms, scratching a bit above where the cast ended. "I think she was stunned."

"Stunned?"

"Yeah, I mean, we didn't, we haven't," Glen stuttered before taking a deep breath and straightening his shoulders. "There was a student taking photos probably for journalism or whatever and I think he was going for an action shot of Hayes and she saw the flash and it spooked her. You have to understand, the Bear absolutely hated us getting out pictures taken. I mean, we weren't even allowed to do the stupid school photos."

Colton looked at him confused, "Glen, what- "

"I know we haven't said anything to you," Glen interrupted him, "I know you guys take photos of us, but you guys are safe. It's my fault really, I told Hayes that we could trust you. And we can, I'm not saying we can't, obviously..."

Glen sheepishly looked at Colton, not knowing where he was taking that rant. "Sorry."

"No, no, I appreciate you telling me," Colton fondly ran a hand through Glen's hair, ruffling it. "So this picture..."

"...Is proof of Hayes not listening." Glen finished Colton's thought for him. "God, if the Bear saw, he'd absolutely kill us. But he won't see it, because this was all just Hayes' mind jumping to conclusion like she always does and the Bear is in jail in Florida and we're in South Carolina," Glen stopped abruptly, blush covering his cheeks as he realized he rambled again. The nervous tendency a shared trait amongst the kids.

"Smiley- "

"He is in jail, right? Because otherwise, we might actually be in trouble..."

"Smiley- "

"What am I even saying? Of course he's in jail, we're going to his trial on Monday." Glen's eyes went wide, "Holy shit, we're going to his trial on Monday..."

"Smiley." Colton's sharp voice cut through Glen's daze. His hand grasped the back of Glen's neck, squeezing gently. "Breathe, buddy."

"Breathe, got it," Glen nodded once. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

The double doors slammed shut with footsteps heading in their direction.

"What the fuck was that," Dakota repeated his earlier statement, his voice reaching the siblings before he did. His gaze darkened as he searched the area for his sister, before landing on Colton. "Where the fuck is she?"

"She's fine," Colton answered, "She's with Austin."

"That's not what I asked."

Colton's lips pressed tightly into a thin line, annoyance prickling his skin at Dakota's challenge. But he knew it was because Dakota was stressed and needed to see Hayes with his own eyes. His protective nature was very much like his elder brothers, as much as he denied it.

Finally, Colton lifted his hand and pointed behind him, indicating the direction Austin went.

Without another word, Dakota stormed off to find his little sister.

"Is she really okay?"

Colton almost forgot Francis stood there, too, the brother had kept silent during Dakota's tantrum. He took a glimpse at both of his younger brothers, how identical Francis and Glen appeared in the moment.

They were craving comfort that Colton was unsure he could even provide.

"Yeah, she's okay," Colton replied. She had to be.

————

Austin sat in the living room, his socked feet propped up on the ottoman as he was left alone for the time being with his thoughts.

He'd been home for about 40 minutes thus far, but this was the first he had been able to finally sit down and relax for just a second.

And only a second because he knew Colton and Glen would be home any time now.

Whereas Hayes had been granted permission to leave directly from the gym with Austin, Glen and Colton took the school bus back with the two teams. No one would have been able to pay her to get on that school bus.

Although Hayes had calmed down enough, or more likely drained herself of any energy, to stay and watch Colton coach the boys' game, she wasn't even close to being back to her normal self.

Hayes remained quiet for most of the time. Austin had initially thought she'd even fallen asleep at one point during the game, but that wasn't the case. She was just staring off into space as she leaned her head against Austin's arm with her hand gripped tightly in Dakota's.

The two calmed each other.

Then again in the car, he had thought she dozed off but she had been simply gazing outside the window for the duration of the trip.

"So, that was fun. Would love to do that again."

"Not now, Kota," Austin mumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes. And there went the peace.

"When then, Austin? Because that was fucking scary to have to watch and I swear to God if it ever happens again, I'll go fucking murder the guy myself." Dakota plopped down on the couch in an angry huff.

"No you won't," Austin replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"A flash of light, Austin, that's all it took to fuck with her mind."

Austin sighed and opened his eyes. Dakota wasn't going to drop it. "I know, alright? I was right there, too. These things take time. Triggers can happen at any moment, you know this."

No shit, he knew this. Dakota was well aware of triggers. But this was their sister they were talking about. She didn't deserve to suffer like he did. "Well, you need to do something about it!"

The sound of a car locking was heard as the front door opened, saving Dakota from being snapped at because Austin was at his whit's end for the evening.

Colton and Glen entered the house, their presence filling the living room right away.

"Where's Hayes?" Glen barely stopped to get the words out as he continued on with his search. The brothers could hear him calling her name as he went looking for her. He needed to check on her.

Colton joined Austin and Dakota in the living room, flopping down on his own chair and letting his head drop back against the top with a groan. He, like Austin, was also exhausted and ready for the day to end.

He still had to shower and then make sure he even had lesson plans set for tomorrow's wonderful day of school, but that was a later problem. Or a tomorrow morning problem.

Silence encompassed them as Austin and Colton got lost in their own thoughts about how the night went while Dakota busied himself with his phone. The older brothers could feel Dakota's anger radiating off of him in waves. He hated the fact there was nothing he could do about what happened.

Then he went down the rabbit hole of how he could of triggered a panic attack in his little sister because of his own love for photography.

How many photos has he taken of Hayes and Glen just messing around?

So now Dakota was enraged at himself.

"Calm down, Kota," Austin commanded, catching the change in Dakota's body language. He didn't need another hole in the wall, which was a high probability based off Dakota's tightly clenched fist.

What sounded like elephants stomping rumbled throughout the house preceding Glen's reappearance in the living room. "I can't find Hayes."

"She's in her room," Austin replied, his feet hitting the floor as he sat up. Relaxation time was officially over.

"She's not there," Glen stated, panic rising in his voice.

"Did you- "

"I checked all the bedrooms, she's not there. Francis is in our shower. I can hear the other shower running but no one responded." Glen anxiously scratched his arm. "and you're all down here so she must be in the shower..."

Glen froze, his mouth slightly parted as his words cut off. He watched Austin hop to his feet straight away. Austin didn't know where this sense of urgency came from, but he felt it in his bones that something wasn't right.

Dakota and Colton met each other's gaze in mirror confusion before following in their brother's footsteps.

"HAYES," Austin shouted, striding out of the living room. When the brothers would talk about it later, his panic was well-founded.

Hayes was known for taking the quickest showers known to man, and Austin knew she ran right into the shower as soon as they had gotten home.

Austin booked it up the stairs, taking two at a time.

"Hayes!" He knocked on the door before jiggling the doorknob. It was thankfully unlocked.

Glen was correct, they could hear the shower running behind the door.

"Hayes, fucking answer!" Dakota shouted, banging on the wall right next to the bathroom door.

Not wasting another second, Austin flung the door open, his eyes quickly scanning the bathroom for his sister. There was no fog or steam on the mirror, so either the hot water had run out or she was blasting cold water.

Her jersey and gym shorts were tossed on the floor along with socks.

"Hayes, what are you doing?" Austin crossed the bathroom to the tub in three steps, pulling the shower curtain back without a second thought.

It felt like his heart stopped for a whole second before beating again full force. He took a deep breath.

There, sitting on the floor of the tub against the back wall, was Hayes with the water spraying down on her, knees to chest with her cheek resting flat on her arms. They could see her eyes were closed as her face happened to be turned to the side where the brothers stood. She was still clothed in her sports bra and compression shorts, most definitely drenched to the bone.

And, most importantly, her brothers watched as her chest moved with each breath she took.

Austin reached over and shut the water off, not paying any attention to his clothes getting wet.

He squatted down besides the tub, getting eyelevel with his sister.

"Hayes," his hand gently brushed away her wet hair that was sticking to her cheek, before his fingers found the bounding pulse in her neck.

Reassurance.

"Cole, get some towels," Austin requested, his attention residing solely on his sister as his knuckles rubbed against her arm, trying to wake her up. "Baby, talk to me."

Very slowly, Hayes blinked, barely having strength to lift her head. She hadn't been unconscious or anything, she heard her brothers calling her name.

She just didn't have any energy to respond.

Hayes was cold, tired, and very very itchy.

Speaking of, as soon as the cold water was turned off, her fingers started scratching her forearms once again. The soothing, numbing feeling the frigid water provided was now gone.

Austin noticed the motion right away, examining the redness on her arms. His eyes darted down towards her legs, also all red and she was covered in bumps.

He knew for a fact that she didn't have any allergies.

Stress hives?

Now that he thought about it, she had been scratching her arms in the car. He had seen her in the rearview mirror. But he played it off as the kids' nervous tendency.

Fuck, it was his fault.

He didn't pick up that she was still overwhelmed by her imagination. He had simply let her run upstairs, assuming she wanted to shower and go to bed.

He should have known better.

Do better, Austin. Jesus Christ.

"I got some towels," Colton stated, dropping a pile on the bathroom counter before holding a large fluffy brown one up. Thankfully they had done a load over the weekend, the hallway closet was fully stocked. Reading his mind, Austin gently scooped Hayes up, being extra careful so she wouldn't slip from his grasp. He didn't even care that he was now soaked as well.

Good God, she was absolutely freezing.

Colton quickly wrapped towel the best he could around Hayes' shivering body, tucking it around Austin's arms, before grabbing a second towel and doing the same thing. He grabbed a third towel from the pile and cleared counter space to put it down so Hayes had something soft to sit on.

Austin transferred Hayes onto the counter where Colton took over, briskly rubbing Hayes' arms to get her warmed up before just bear-hugging her. Austin took this opportunity to pull his shirt over his head, leaving him bare-chested. It wouldn't have done him any good to be cold as well when the goal was to get Hayes warmed up fast. He grabbed a towel to dry himself off before dropping it on the floor, his eyes never straying from his sister, as if she'd disappear if he looked away.

"HayHay," Glen gingerly took a step into the bathroom from where he had previously stood in shock next to Dakota.

Her red-rimmed eyes found his petrified ones as he came closer until he was on Colton's left side. His good hand found one of hers, instantly lacing their fingers together. He squeezed once, the warmth spreading from his palm to hers.

"Should I call 911?"

"No," Austin declined Dakota's suggestion, taking a step forward so it was his turn to embrace his sister. She let her head fall forward against his chest as his hand supported the back of her head. "She's okay," Austin declared, ducking his head down to press a lasting kiss on the crown of her head.

She's okay.

~~~~~~

SOOOOOOO... this was longer than I thought it was going to be. Sorry it took so long, and the next chapter probably won't be until thanksgiving (~2 weeks or so, holy moly I didn't realize it's actually so soon).

but good news: 40 days until christmas!!!!!! yippeeeeeeeeee