Waking up to the sound of laughter and children playing was different, Ander had not heard the sound in so long that he had forgotten how good it felt, how good life was if you could wake up to the sound of laughter and the sun warming your face. He has been here for a week now and Eric had not once talked to him since that night. Sitting up in the bed he stretched, his eyes caught sight of something and he couldn’t help but smile at the small reminder of power, he wasn’t even that surprised to see a little black bundle sleeping on his bed anymore; though he knew that the Chihuahua wasn’t sleeping and only trying to trick him into thinking that it was.

As he got out of bed he walked over to the bathroom that he shared with Eric and Drew, his sock covered feet barely making a sound as he walked, instinct had him sleeping in the same clothes of the previous day as always, though somehow here in this place he felt safer than he ever had under his mother’s roof; there was just something about this house in the woods that made him feel like he didn’t have to fear anything, except the few pans that flew on occasion and then of course the dogs. “Going for a shower, want to join me?” He asked the dog which now watched him with its big brown eyes which he knew could turn red in under a second, the only reply he got however was a little growl which shook the small body; he couldn’t help but laugh a little himself as the small animal, summon or however it was classified seemed to accept him, even if only a little.

He had gotten the adjoining room nest to Eric, “it’s to let Eric get used to you” Hayden had said though he knew that it was her way of helping them both get comfortable being close to each other. Smelling his way to the kitchen after getting cleaned up Ander found Hayden there like he always does in the mornings, the woman seemed to like baking because just like every morning he now saw something new and warm sitting on the table waiting for eager hands to carry them away, “Buenos días, have a muffin. They’re my own recipe” the cheerful witch said, her smile catching as he reached for a muffin.

Ander looked around the empty kitchen as he ate his muffin, his eyes closing in bliss as the taste assaulted his senses, “It’s good” he said once he regained himself and saw the witch looking at him with a smile, “I noticed” she said with that same smile before turning back to her work. When she turned around again she saw Ander looking towards the hall where Eric and Drew’s room was, she shook her head a little as she thought about the two brothers.

“Eric went to town with Maddie and the others, they were so kind to walk Shade and Moon” Ander listened while he ate his breakfast, he of course knew about the sisters who had followed him here because Hayden had told him so her words had him a little worried but he knew that the dogs would protect his brother, even against the three he couldn’t beat. “Though if you want to breach the gap between you and him you could try and talk to someone else, get a voice on your side and all” the woman said without even turning around while she was stirring something, she shook him out of his thoughts so easily.

Hayden simply pointed a finger towards the door when she turned around again, “That’s you’re in, or at least the beginning of one” Ander still couldn’t figure her out, she always seemed to try and confuse him with her words. Ander nodded at her and gave a thank you before grabbing another muffin as he head towards the front door which wasn’t far from the kitchen.

Ander could see Drew outside as he neared the front door, the boy was sitting under one of the trees, reading a book, “I thought they didn’t have to study on weekends?” he asked motioning at the boy, Hayden only spared a quick look through the window to know what he meant, “It’s not a study book, it’s a picture album” she looked deep in thought for a moment before she spoke again, “He used to have a brother that was living a few towns over with a familia, and now whenever Eric isn’t around to take his mind off of it he looks through the pictures to remember the days they spent together” she cut something up into the bowl she had been stirring while she spoke, she no longer seemed troubled like she did a minute ago but Ander had learned that she was good at hiding her feelings with her work; an easy book to read he mused to himself.

It seems everyone here has a sad story he thought as he watched the boy flip through the pages, “What happened?” he couldn’t help but ask trying to not dwell on his ever increasing thoughts about the witch, all sounds of baking stopped when he did and when he turned to find out why he saw the still figure of a young woman who looked to have aged many years. “He was on his way to come visit when the bus he was on got pushed off of the road, the poor boy had helped people out until everyone was safe… he didn’t care that a piece of glass had been sticking out of him but the people he had help didn’t forget” Ander could almost hear a tear slide down her cheek as she recalled it.

Deciding to let Hayden be alone with her thoughts Ander walked out the front door towards the boy sitting under the tree, what kind he didn’t know but he made a mental note to ask Hayden sometime in the future. He stopped before reaching the boy as he found that yet again he had thought of the witch and a future here with her and his brother, the thoughts disturbed him, so he shook them from his head and finished his journey to the tree and the boy sitting under it.

“Mind if I sit?” Drew heard and looked up to see their new guest, he didn’t really mind having him here but he didn’t like the guy much, he felt like he held something back, like he was keeping a dangerous secret. Drew shrugged and watched as Ander sat down next to him and looked at the pictures, the boy watched as the other scanned through them, “You guys went to the beach?” he asked when he looked at a picture where they were holding a fish on the beach; they all seemed so happy, Eric most of all as he held its head while Drew had an arm around his shoulder while his other held up the rest of the fish.

“The sponsors often send us all on a vacation for summer” he said, he didn’t know why he had told him that but when he saw the small smile on the man’s face he didn’t care because it reminded him about his older brother when he had first seen the picture, “There must be a great story behind this picture” he heard the man joke as he pointed at the next one where Eric and he were covered in mud while Maddie pointed and laughed at them. Ander didn’t seem to mind that he didn’t answer most of the questions he asked but instead just seemed to enjoy looking through them with him and that feeling felt all too familiar to him.

Drew felt a peace he hadn’t felt in so long that he almost forgot that he didn’t completely trust this man, and when he found himself laughing along with him at the pictures he didn’t know what to think about him anymore. Drew decided that he would give the man the benefit of the doubt, but still keep a close eye on him as he got to know him a little better; after all, he couldn’t let anyone hurt Eric.

“Thank you” Ander suddenly said after a few pages and it had taken Drew by surprise and he blurted out “For what?” before he had meant to and he had made it sound much harsher than intended. “For being there for Eric when I wasn’t, I know it couldn’t always have been easy but I just thought that I should thank one of the people who has been there for my brother, so thank you” Drew didn’t know what to say, the person he had been avoiding and maybe even resenting had just thanked him and he couldn’t help but blush a little out of embarrassment because of it.

Ander saw that his words had embarrassed the boy so he quickly thought of something to say to save the boy from feeling vulnerable which he could see he didn’t want to feel. “So what do you guys do for fun around here?” he asked again and Drew felt thankful now for him not pointing out how embarrassed he had been, he quickly recovered and gave the young man a smile before answering, “A few things but I have my favourite” Drew said with a wicked smile.

The sound of someone playing paintball could be heard as Maddie and Eric walked back to the orphanage, the two dogs following slightly behind them, both of them no longer wearing the leash’s that were used for show in the town. “Sounds like Drew isn’t bored without us there to keep him entertained” the little girl stated as they walked down the little road, Eric didn’t look all that happy about the sound because he just like Maddie knew that none of the other kids ever played paintball against Drew because it was always one sided, his best friend had a talent when it came to games like that so even though he didn’t really want to he felt a little pity for the person calling him his brother.

Maddie didn’t really understand a lot about Eric but she couldn’t help but try and push him to talk to her, she would make a comment and then let it hang for a while before saying something else, each time she would try to find a way to make her friend talk or find something that he wanted to talk about but try as she may, she couldn’t get him to open up to her like he did to Drew. “What do you think Hayden baked today?” she tried again and after a few minutes she gave up on an answer and let out a heavy sigh as they continued to walk, it was maddening sometimes to be Eric’s friend but there were times that it was the best thing anyone could ever ask for, after all he did see her as a friend even if he didn’t show it.

“Want to go join the fun when we get back, maybe even gang up on him?” she tried again and got a quick flash of a smile, “Finally!” she screamed in her head, “Sounds fun” she heard and almost thought that she had imagined it but she knew she didn’t when she looked at him looking back at her. Inside she was jumping up and down at getting something out of him.

Maddie had a kind heart, and she cared about her friend, that is why she tried to make him talk to her at least once a day and even though she didn’t always get a few words out of him she would get a reaction and that was all she needed. Eric knew what she was doing, she was only trying to help him after all, she had been looking out for him since she first came here and at first it had been a pain but now that he had befriended the girl he had learned to live with it, after all she cared enough to try.

By the time they reached the orphanage the sound of the slaughter was over, when they opened the door they couldn’t help but laugh when they saw Hayden treating some red bruises on Ander, the guy looked miserable as he sat in the dining room and winced each time she would dap something on a bruise to clean it. When the young man noticed them he seemed to lighten up a bit when he saw Eric, until Hayden moved to the next bruise on his body though, then it was back to acting like a big baby, “He cheated somehow” he mumbled under his breath.

Everyone knew that Drew knew the woods best and that when it came to paintball, or any FPS video games then you might as well give up because he had scary talent, “Oh stop being so sensitive would you, he held back… the last person dumb enough to think they could win against him looked a lot worse” Hayden snapped, her words given more weight when Ander looked over at Eric and Maddie and saw them nodding their heads, even the dogs seemed to have nodded slightly.

Eric didn’t think he could have felt anything positive towards his brother this soon but as he watched him suffer because he had made an effort he couldn’t help but feel like he should give him a better chance to explain then he had, “How about a free for all?” he asked, only Ander making a big deal about him suddenly speaking but his face fell when he heard what he had said. “As long as I have someone on my side… why not” Eric heard his brother say, “I’ll be on your team” he replied and it had taken everyone by surprise this time.

“Your match will have to wait till tomorrow though; give him a chance to heal a little first. Now I would tell you two to go get yourselves some muffins but since you had ice cream you probably don’t want any” Hayden said with her mischievous voice again and watched as both Eric and Maddie acted surprised, only Ander knew how she really knew that they had had ice cream. Hayden looked at Ander as he watched his brother, she shook her head as the young man clearly didn’t hear or understand the free for all match he had agreed to, “Dead man walking, or rather sitting” she mumbled under her breath as she walked off to put the first aid kit back where it belongs before coming back.

“Using the dogs to spy on them” he said, but she didn’t seem to be ashamed when he did, “When one of those three hermanas was the one handing them the ice cream then you can bet I’ll spy on them… and don’t you even start about them, they after all aren’t free loading” and that same voice returned and slapped him in the face this time, “I can’t peg you, either your crazy or just enjoy acting like you are” Ander confessed and even though he knew he wouldn’t get an answer he didn’t expect scissors snapping shut in front of his face, though he did know which one she was now at least.

Though he didn’t mind it at all, somehow in the week that he had been here he had come to respect the woman, she did after all take care of all of these children including his brother and didn’t expect anything in return. With his mind made up Ander did what he thought the bravest thing was that he would ever do, “How about dinner?” he asked once he had followed her to the kitchen where she put on the kettle for tea, the face she wore when she had looked up at him had shown him that even she could be caught off guard.