Another gunshot slammed through the silence. My ears ringing so much I couldn’t make out what anyone was saying. There was yelling, debris, and the gun to my head fell away.

I felt Declan grabbed my shoulder, pulling me to the exit, yelling something I couldn’t hear. An explosion shattering the windows that circled the room.

I must’ve blacked out because the next thing I remember was me slumped against a building in an alleyway, Ronans scared eyes peering down at me as he wiped blood off my face witht his sleeve with too much force to be nurturing.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” He exhaled, relief filling his face as he managed a grin.

“What happened?” I muttered, trying to sit up.

“That dude was about to kill you but then Declan shot a device behind you guys and that caused the glass to shatter and Alastor ran to safety like a coward, and Eliot and Skylar got you down the stairs with their abilities while I slid down the railing to get to you in time to catch you to get you to safety while they were confirming the job done.” Ronan explained in one breath very impressively. 

My ears still rang slightly and my head throbbed so I could only manage about half the information. 

“You’re okay though?” I asked him.

“Dude, you were the one held at gunpoint.” He laughed, standing up before offering his hand to help me stand. I took it, Ronan hoisting me up with a surprising amount of strength before leading me out of the alley. 

“Where’s everyone else?” I asked, leaning heavily into Ronan’s shoulder despite him being so much shorter than me.

“They went to assess damage and confirm with Fate that the mission was complete.” Ronan answered. “They told me to take you home.”

My chest ached at that. Ronan was being pulled away from the job because of me.

If I had just been faster, quicker to react, everything would have been fine.

Though I didn’t mind being alone with Ronan again. He always seemed a bit less guarded with me than with everyone else. At least when the group was all together.

“Doc.” Ronan said quickly. “You’re thinking too loudly.” 

I huffed a laugh. “Sorry, just worried.”

“No shit.” He muttered, adjusting his grip to my waist to hold me up better, heat blooming in my face at the contact.

We stumbled through Sector One before finally making it to the Ridge entrance.

Ronan helped guide me through the small opening in the concrete before sealing the door shut behind us, a cold draft of forest air hitting our faces and making us both shiver.

“I hate autumn.” Ronan murmured, arm looping back around my waist and started walking.

“It’s not that bad.” I tilted my face to look at him, we were so close I could see the small freckles on his cheeks, dark brown eyes with hazel specks, the scar lining the right side of his jaw.

He shrugged, curls bouncing at the movement. “Fall itself is fine, it’s just about the fact that is autumn is here, it’s means The cold harsh winter isn’t far behind.”

I nodded. It was true, winters were not for the weak here. Constant blizzards or storms, well below freeing temperatures. Most people stayed inside most of the tie and only went out when they absolutely had to.

When we finally got back to the warehouse, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The job was done, despite how gruesome it was. Maybe we’d get a break from all this, maybe we can rest and heal and get to know each other besides the trauma we gain together.

I’d only known Ronan for about six months, and the first two he barely spoke to me or anyone besides Declan. 

I remember him curling up in the corner of our room, eyes watching the door, me, and every micro-movement in sight. 

Dec had taken away Ronans weapons until we knew Ronan wasn’t going to try to kill us or rat us out to Thornblade. That didnt stop Ronan from trying to escape eat least once a week, each time him getting hauled over Declan’s shoulder and locked back inside, just for him to try again a few days later.

He wouldn’t let us patch up his wounds, he wouldn’t let us touch him. He’d only speak to argue with Declan or tell us to go away. He wouldn’t even look at Skylar or River.

I never knew the full history Ronan had with those two. I knew he knew them both when he and River were in the army, but I had no idea what kind of bond they had shared.

From what I’d gathered, they were all very close, River took stood up for Ronan when he couldn’t, Skylar made sure Ronan ate and slept at least a few hours.

Sometimes I worry that I replace Skylar in Ronans mind. She used to be the one he came to when he was wounded or needed help, now I’m the one he reluctantly goes to. 

Tessa ran to us the moment the door closed behind Ronan. Her smile huge as she ran to hug us. “I heard a boom.” She said, looking up at Ronan and I as she held tightly to Ronan’s middle.

“Yeah, that was us.” I told her. “Everything’s okay now.”

After she gave me and equal squeeze, Ronan got me into a chair at the table, where I was pretty sure I knew what I was dealing with.

“Ronan.” I swallowed. “Can you get me the bottle of pain killers?” 

His head whipped around to look at mine. “Where?” 

“Medicine cabinet in the main bathroom, top shelf next to the gauze.”

Ronan nodded and sprinted upstairs as Tessa took a seat next to me.

A few moments later Ronan came back down the steps, looking frustrated. “Where is it again?” He asked, running a hand through his curls.

“Medicine cabinet, top shelf.” I repeated, a small smile spreading across my face.

“Right.” The then was gone again, back a moment later with the small pill bottle. He tossed it to me from across the room, I fumbled with it before catching it, the clanks of the tablets filing the quiet room.

Tessa watched me closely as I took the pill, my ears still ringing slightly, my head throbbing with every heartbeat.

“I’m hungry.” Tessa announced as Ronan himself started to search the crates for food.

“Come get somethin’.” Ronan told her.

She sighed but got up, her little dress fluttering softly as she walked to Ronan.

“Watcha want?” Ronan asked, mouth full of a protein bar.

She shrugged, her little hands dipping into the crate before pulling out some noodles.

“Spaghetti?” She asked, looking up at him, turning to me, then back to Ronan. Her dark brown eyes too innocent to say no to.

I took a deep breath before getting up and walking over to her and taking the noodles from her hand. “Sure, why don’t you grab the sauce I bought from the market last week?”

She nodded, quickly running over to the shelves to find the jar. I filled a pot with water and set it over the stove. There was no gas to it since this building was abandoned, but Ronan could make anything light fire, including the ring on the inside of the burner.

I nodded to the stove and he sighed, his curls bouncing as he made his way over and flicked a flame under the pot.

“Thanks, Ro. Now step away from the stove before I make you.” I teased, while slowly easing him back by the shoulder while simultaneously slipping a lid on the pot.

He rolled his eyes but walked around the table before stomping up the stairs, muttering something on his way up while trying to unfasten his bulletproof vest.

Then things got weird.

It was like I blinked, then Ronan was back at the table, attempting to get the clip of the vest to come undone.

What?

There was still fire on the stove, water in the the pot rippling with simmering bubbles, but no lid on top of the pot.

“What was that?” I asked Ronan.

He looked up at me like he just realized where he was. “I thought I was—“

“Max? Nana?” We heard Tessa’s small voice ask from the other side of some crates.

We quickly got over to her, where she held the jar of sauce, purple glowing faintly from her hands.

“I think I messed up.” She said too quickly.

Of course this happened when Declan wasn’t here. He’d know what to do when his sister started experiencing her abilities without even meaning to.

“It’s okay, Tess.” I said calmly, crouching down to her level, Ronan followed my example but made sure not to crowd her.

“This happens to all of us.” Ronan offered. Her scared eyes looking between me and him.

I nodded. “It just means your powers want to be used, it happens when you don’t use ‘em even after you’ve realized you have them.”

“What’d you change?” Ronan asked her, his voice gentle in a way I rarely ever hear.

I knew what Ronan was asking about instantly. Tessa was one of the strongest holders, she held Fate’s power and the ability to alter reality into anything she could think of.

Declan told the eternals off when he found out his baby sister was in charge of such a power, but Fate did nothing to fix what she did, she believed Tessa’s power was needed as soon as we could get it.

“The jar.” Tessa said quietly after a moment, clutching the glass tight in her hands. “It fell off the shelf when I tried to grab it, made a mess everywhere. I didn’t know what I was doing but I had wished that it hadn’t fallen. Then my hands glowed and then the jar was back on the shelf.”

My pulse started to pick up at the thought of that. How powerful this child is, though she was using her power on a jar of spaghetti sauce.

Thats when the door burst open.

“Where’s Tessa?” I heard Declan yell from the doorway.

“Over here!” I called to him, grabbing Ronans wrist to take a few steps back, knowing exactly how this was going to go.

Declan would freak out, making Tessa anxious and shut down. Declan would curse the eternals again, they would act like they didn’t hear anything, and Tessa would be scared to use her ability.

Of course, I tried to fix things before it got that bad.

“Dec.” I said quickly, getting between him and his sister. “Breathe”

He looked at me like I betrayed him, the same face I get from Ronan when I make him sit for his T shot. 

“Tessa didn’t do anything wrong.” I told him calmly, though my own heart was about to jump from my rib cage.

“No, of course not. But she—“

“Declan, she’s already scared. She doesn’t need you freaking out right now.” I motioned to his seven-year-old sister, who was curled tight around the spaghetti jar.

Declan’s eyes softened, slowly stepping forward to his baby sister.

“You okay?” He crouched down to her level.

Tessa nodded, peeking up at her brother.

Declan reminded me a lot of Blake in this moment. The same leader Blake was, Declan was becoming.

The others came in, panting from running. River has his hands on his knees, gasping for air, Skylar dramatically collapsed on the ground, back heaving, and Eliot clutched the doorframe like they’d fall over too if they didn’t.

“What happened?” River gasped.

“We should be asking you the same thing.” Ronan answered. “Why do you all look like the world suddenly lost all oxygen?”

No one spoke for a moment, the only sounds being their gasping breaths and Declan’s soft murmur as he spoke to Tessa.

“Declan just…took off.” Skylar said, still catching her breath but sitting up now. “There was a Deja vu type moment and suddenly Declan was running back here.”

“It was me.” I heard Tessa say behind us, we all turned our heads towards her, still clutching the spaghetti sauce. “My powers are growing.”

Everyone was silent for a beat, Skylar shot a weary look at Declan before looking back at Tessa.

“You okay?” She asked Tessa. She nodded, looking down at the jar in her hands that was once shattered.

“Tessa, why don’t you let the adults talk for a moment.” Declan told her.

She looked at all of us for a moment before sadly nodding and shuffling up the stairs to hers and Declan’s room, the door clicking softly behind her.

There was another silent beat before Declan broke it. “This is a problem.”