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TROUBLE CHAPTER 22

Aaron yawned as he awoke the next morning. He carefully wiped the sleep from his blue eyes and stretched, suppressing a loud yelp as he remembered his condition. ‘Good one Carter,’ he thought rolling his eyes. He turned over carefully and smiled. Sitting on the floor with his head resting on the cot he was laying on, was his brother, sleeping soundly. Aaron looked over to where one of the chairs in the room was sitting and laughed as he saw Kevin sitting in the chair, his head resting on his chest, and A.J. resting his head against Kevin’s knee. Howie’s head lay on A.J.’s shoulder.

Aaron’s eyebrows knitted together. ‘Where’s Brian?’ he asked himself. A groan caught his attention and he looked over to another cot to see Brian’s eyes clenched shut. Soft groans were escaping his mouth every few moments in his delirious, feverish, state.

Aaron frowned and carefully sat up. He walked over to Brian’s cot placing his hand on Brian’s forehead. Aaron frowned deeper as he felt the warmth radiating from his forehead. Aaron stood carefully, hissing only slightly as he straightened up. He looked around the cell for the sink and also looked around for something to wet. His gaze fell on a deposited sleeve on the floor. Aaron turned on the faucet, wet the sleeve with cold water, and walked back to Brian’s side. He gently laid the sleeve across Brian’s forehead. Aaron then turned to walk back to his cot, suddenly feeling very weary.

Just as Aaron began to lay down, the cell door opened almost silently. Aaron looked up as Ace walked into the cell. Ace made eye contact with Aaron who immediately began to shake with fear. Aaron reached over to wake up Nick, his gaze never leaving Ace. Before the blonde could even touch his brother, Ace shook his head with an evil grin and whipped out a gun. He pointed it at Nick’s sleeping form causing Aaron to freeze where he was.

“Aaron, just get up and come here,” Ace ordered quietly. Aaron trembled and stood quietly shooting a desperate look at his brother. His legs shook as they threatened to give out on their owner on the way to Ace.

Aaron was sweating from fear and shaking. It took him awhile before he was about four feet from Ace. Ace however grew impatient and grabbed Aaron’s arm roughly. Aaron let out a yelp of pain as Ace’s fingertips squeezed a rather large bruise on Aaron’s bicep.

Ace jumped and glared daggers at the boy before he hissed, “Quiet!” through his teeth raising his hand to Aaron’s face. Aaron brought his other arm up to shield his face as Ace threatened to hit him. As Ace brought his hand down a voice stopped him cold.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Ace turned with Aaron still in his grasp to see all of the boys awake; annoyed, dangerous looks donned their faces. Ace frowned and turned toward the exit quickly spinning Aaron with him. “I wouldn’t do that either,” Nick continued standing slowly. Aaron began to attempt to pry Ace’s hand off of his arm now struggling wildly. Ace momentarily looked alarmed as he realized that not bringing other guards with him was a bad idea. As soon as the look appeared on Ace’s face, it was gone; replaced with a confident one.

“Yeah?” Ace snorted, “and what are you gonna do about it?” Nick looked at Ace coldly but did not respond approaching slowly. Ace turned back towards the door, pulling Aaron with him quickly.

“NICK!” Aaron yelped desperately digging his heels into the floor while prying at the hand that held him. Nick was in front of Ace before the latter could respond.

“Let. Go.” Nick snarled. Ace looked alarmed again and pulled the gun to rest underneath Aaron’s chin. Nick’s eyes flashed but he said nothing.

“Viper wants the boy, so he has to come with me,” Ace informed Nick simply.

Nick stared down at the gun before smiling at Aaron in reassurance.

“Yeah? Well that’s MY little brother,” Nick snapped kicking the gun away from Aaron. Ace fell back in shock, releasing Aaron, and giving Nick the chance to pull the trembling boy behind him. “and he’s staying with me. Tell YOUR master that Aaron’s not doing missions anymore, and if he has a problem with that then he can deal with ME and leave Aaron alone.”

Aaron cowered behind Nick, his eyes wide in terror, and his breathing shallow and panicked. Ace growled. “I’ll be back,” Ace snarled before he left the cell shooting a death glare at Nick who returned the gesture. Once Ace was gone, Nick heaved a sigh before turning to check on his younger brother carefully.

Aaron stood staring wide eyed at the closed door as he trembled. When Nick touched Aaron’s shoulder, Aaron’s only response was to tense and breathe faster. ‘Dammit, he’s in shock,” Nick thought to himself biting his lip in concern. Nick finally touched the side of Aaron’s face gently making his younger brother make eye contact with him. Aaron looked at Nick gratefully and managed to force a smile. “You okay Aaron? Did he hurt you?” Nick asked gently in concern. Aaron shook his head, his face pale before his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground, shaking like a rabbit cornered by a fox. Nick sighed and gathered Aaron into his arms, careful not to hurt the boy. Aaron leaned heavily into Nick, his breathing growing more and more shallow and panicked.

“Shhhh calm down Aaron, you’re alright now. I’ve gotchya…” Nick murmured attempting to calm the younger boy. Aaron finally calmed.

“T…thanks…” Aaron whispered.

“No problem,” Nick whispered back kissing his brother’s brow in relief. Nick stood with his brother in his arms, and placed the smaller boy on one of the cots, brushing the blonde hair back from Aaron’s pale, drawn face. Nick looked ready to stand, but at Aaron’s frantic glance, stopped and smiled reassuringly as he began to pet his brother’s head comfortingly.

Aaron crawled on the cot until his head was pillowed by Nick’s thighs. Aaron cuddled into Nick’s legs, eliciting a chuckle from Nick who recalled that Aaron used to do this during thunderstorms when he was little. As Aaron calmed himself, he closed his eyes and began dozing off to the comforting voices of his brother and his brother’s friends. Nick’s warmth provided extra security to go along with the soothing drone of the older boys’ voices.

“Is he okay?” Kevin asked Nick approaching the blonde. Nick nodded and turned towards Kevin with a forced smile.

“Yeah I don’t think Ace had the chance to really hurt him, I think he just unluckily grabbed a bruise,” Nick answered continuing to pet Aaron’s head.

Kevin chuckled. “Oh the irony.”

Nick managed a smile as Brian voiced what he was thinking. “That was close…”

Nick nodded at him. “Definitely too close.”