A Coalition Story

The A-Team Is Back with Ravyn in Tow

Atticus was, suffice to say, shocked to see Ravyn and Alice at his door. His sister, well, she was a normal sight. Ravyn was not. At least not anymore.

"Are you gonna stand there and stare at us all morning or are you going to put some of those Blackbourne manners to use and invite us in?" the older girl taunted, leaning mostly on one leg with her arms folded over her chest.

Blinking quickly, Ace stepped aside.

"I didn't realize you two were on friendly terms again," he stated after Ravyn and Alice had settled themselves on his bed and in his desk chair, respectively.

"We weren't until last night," Ravyn spoke coolly. She wasn't exactly fond of telling Ace about what Lev had done to her, but Alice had made her promise. And he definitely needed to know about Lev attacking Alice.

"And what changed?" Atticus asked hesitantly. Ravyn sat up straighter as she prepared to share while Alice slid lower in the office chair.

"Firstly, you're not allowed to interrupt either of us, especially to say 'I told you so.' Secondly, you were right about Lev." Ravyn wasn't sure whether she expected Atticus to be smug or to be angry, but mostly he looked focused and almost calm. He looked like Cal when angry because of and protective of Ravyn. She glanced over at Alice, then back to Ace. This wasn't going to be a happy reunion.

Sighing, she spoke again, "I'll start with the lesser of two evils. Lovely Lev and I had an encounter the other day after some embarrassing day drinking on my behalf. I confessed my feelings, he called me an easy screw, I pushed him, and he did this." She pulled the hem of her shirt up to her chest, showing off the dark bruises that covered her sides. Looking up to Ace, he only looked more focused and calm. Ravyn was starting to think that Lev wasn't going to survive this one, and not because of Cal and Torin being protective. She just hoped Ace wouldn't be stupid enough to get caught.

Ravyn dropped her shirt and looked back at Alice. "Do you want to talk about it or do you want me to tell him?" Her gentle voice wasn't one anyone was used to hearing, except maybe Alice in the last twelve hours. Ace definitely hadn't heard it before, not even when she was comforting one of Torin's little nieces at some Coalition family event she'd dragged him to.

"Um, I can tell him," Alice whimpered, tears already welling up in her eyes. She knew Ace needed to know. She knew she needed to tell him. And she had to be the one to tell him, but that didn't make it any easier. Ravyn could sense her distress, and walked over to Alice, sitting next to her on the wide chair.

"I'm here, Al," she assured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Taking in a shuddering breath, and relying greatly on Ravyn's comfort, Alice began.

"Um, Lev and I went to dinner last night for Valentine's. And then we went back to his place to watch a movie and, um, kiss, but he started getting handsy." Tears were already falling from Alice's eyes as she paused to look to Ravyn for comfort. After a nod of encouragement, Alice continued, eyes squeezed shut.

"I told him I wasn't comfortable, and he held my hands above my head, and, he uh, he started taking our clothes off. But I grabbed my knife and I stabbed him a lot. There was so much blood. And then I ran to Ravyn's room." Alice sobbed as the final words fell out, and Ace didn't wait to rush over and pull his sister up into a hug.

Ravyn studied the pair, brother and sister hugging each other tightly and both crying. She wished she and Peter or she and Nate could have had a relationship like that. But nope, they thought she was crazy. If they even thought of her at all.

"I'm so, so sorry I couldn't protect you, Al," Ace whispered, the shame riddled in his voice. His voice was hoarse from holding back a sob. He must have been trying to keep it together for Alice's sake.

"Ace, you can't protect me from everything. It'll be okay," she assured, hugging her big brother even tighter. Ravyn smiled at the thought. Everything would be okay. Somehow. At least Alice was saying that. That was one step closer to believing it.

"Ravyn, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, too," Atticus breathed out, looking at her over his sister's head. But, Ravyn being Ravyn, did not react as sweetly to his shame and sorrows. She burst into laughter.

"Atticus Hamish Blackbourne III, you have no way of protecting me from every stupid thing in my life, even when you never left my side. I'm too independent to ever let anybody protect me. So stop blaming yourself and get it in your thick head that it's not your fault," she demanded, folding her arms back over her chest. Through his tears, she could hear Ace chuckling. She was pretty sure Alice was laughing a little, too.

"But, I do have one question," he began slowly.

"I didn't kill him," Alice interrupted.

"Wha--how did you know I was going to ask that?"

"Ravyn asked the same thing last night." Ace chuckled again and rubbed his little sister's back at the explanation.

"How do you guys feel about ice cream for breakfast? This much crying definitely calls for ice cream," Ravyn inserted. She stood, walking over to the mini-fridge Ace had. After pushing through some questionable microwavable burritos, she found some ice cream buried at the back. She'd stuck that ice cream back there months ago since she knew she'd need it at some point.

"It's probably freezer burnt, but it's here. Now, Atticus, where do you keep your fancy gold spoons?" He rolled his eyes at her.

"There's actual ice cream downstairs in the kitchen. I think it's Mercutio's, and you should know where my silverware is, White. That's how we met." Ravyn smiled at him again, and she was pleased to get a smile back. To think they had only known each other for two years, since the night she got a cut on her forehead from scaling halfway up the girls' dorm (which was only two stories) before falling since she had left her key. So she'd settled for the unlocked boys' dorm (or rather, the dorm where Cal stayed which she had a key for) and found Nutella and fancy gold silverware. It had been three am, and she was on the walk of shame after hooking up with Lev for the second time, but Atticus had found her eating someone's Nutella with his silverware, and the friendship blossomed from there.

"Okay, you two keep on with the waterworks, and I'll be back in a bit." She flashed another smile to two of her former best friends before leaving the dorm for the kitchen. It wasn't a happy day, but Ravyn was certain it wouldn't be a completely sad one.