"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Diana asked. Isaac sighed.
"Mom, I'll be fine. Really. I'll stay out of the tree house."
"Sure?"
He nodded. She kissed his cheek, and Isaac closed the door behind her. Oh, yeah, he was going to stay out of the tree house. The last time he'd even tried to go up there, he'd been half way up the ladder when one of the seizures had started. He'd woken up on the ground, his father holding onto him, telling him in so uncertain terms that the next time he tried that, he was grounded for a month. Considering the next threat had been grounding for a year and had been made before his father knew he was awake, he had a little bit of an idea how long he'd been out. At least, he would if he'd known where he started. He'd been grounded for fifteen minutes once - just long enough for him to be late picking up his date. They'd missed the movie they'd both desperately wanted to see. They couldn't catch the later showing due to her curfew. She'd told him not to call her again.
Isaac took a deep breath and decided to get to work. He went up to his room, grabbed his notebook, and headed back down for the den. It was time to take care of this nightmare. The tree house would have to wait He started the computer and began to type.
"How long have you been in here?" His mother pulled him out of his private universe just as Zac had done. His hands slammed down on the keyboard in a startled reaction, and the computer beeped in protest. Isaac's world began to narrow again, but he clenched his fists and stared fixedly at the screen, refusing to give in. "Isaac?" Her hands touched his hair, stroking gently. He used that to focus on, something tangible, something to distract him from the memories. Finally, the pressure ended, and he relaxed, still staring at the screen. "Isaac, what happened?"
"Um.... Just a second." He checked the document, saved and closed it, then got up from the computer and stretched. "I just... sort of controlled that. I think."
"Isaac, you're not making sense." Her eyes sparkled, and she tried to hide a smile. "I guess you really are getting back to normal."
"Mom!" It came out before he thought, but it seemed okay, judging from the smile that had finally escaped her control. Wait. What had she asked? "Um... What time is it?"
"Four thirty."
"Oh. I've been on the computer since you left."
"Ike, that's all day!"
"I... didn't watch the clock. I just...." He paused. "The last time I tried to work on this, I had... I couldn't. I wanted to prove that I could do what I want, without memories getting in the way."
She took his hand. "What happened?"
"The day I crashed, Zac.... came in here and did the same thing. He said something, I don't remember, and I slammed down like that." He shook his head. "I was so mad, I hadn't had a chance to get on the computer in so long. That's why I figured, when you told me on the way home he might die, I though he would think I hated him." He shook his head. "Anyway, I just wanted to write something."
"Okay. Taylor didn't bother you?"
"No." He looked at her blankly. "I haven't seen him all day. Did he go with Dad?"
"Oh, I think he did." She eyed him. "All the demons evicted?"
"Exorcized. And I'm getting there."
"Good. Come on, let's get dinner ready." His stomach rumbled in assent.
The next few days passed quietly, some days more full of music than others. He spent some time home alone as well, studying, playing, and doing a lot of thinking. One afternoon, he left the den for the kitchen to get a drink, and was quite surprised to see the front door open. His parents weren't due back for a while. A smile covered his face as Jessica walked in, holding Mackenzie by one hand, carrying her suitcase in the other.
"Ikey!" Mackenzie shouted, and pulling his hand from Jessica's, he raced down the hallway towards him. Jessica dropped her suitcase and ran after him, a huge grin on her face. Isaac dropped down on one knee to hug his youngest brother, including Jessica in the hug when she crashed into them and nearly knocked him over.
"Whoa," he laughed.
"Ikey, you all better?" Mackenzie demanded.
"Mom said you were a lot better, and she couldn't see any reason we shouldn't come home. Did you write any songs with Tay?"
"Can I hear ‘em, please?" Mackenzie interjected before Isaac could answer. "Granma's house is real quiet, without you playin'."
"We missed it," Jessica added. "It's really different without all the music you guys always have going."
"Yes, we wrote some, and of course...."
"Let them go!"
Isaac looked up in surprise, staring in disbelief at Avery, who glared at him from the doorway, her suitcase dropped on top of Jessica's.
"What? Avie, calm down," Jessica said as Avery stormed over and pulled Mackenzie away from Isaac's now loosened grip.
"Don't you touch Mackie!" she yelled, pushing at Isaac. "He is a lot smaller than Zac, and easier to get rid of. Leave him alone! I don't want to lose any brother but you! And don't even think of touching Zoe! I love her, you get it?" Mackenzie started to cry, and Isaac turned towards him, reaching to comfort him. Avery slapped his hand, and he stared at her, startled. "I said don't touch him!" She pulled Isaac's arm from around Jessica as Taylor appeared in the kitchen doorway. "You're horrid! You tried to kill Zac, and now you're after Mackenzie!"
Isaac's whole world seemed to crash in on him. Avery's words drove into him with an almost physical force, and he cringed under them.
"Jessica, take Mackenzie upstairs." Taylor's words skittered across his ears, but they didn't mean anything. He stared at Avery, the ice that had been in his chest so long filling his head, numbing him, freezing him in place. He vaguely heard Mackenzie's sobs fade, then something crashed into the side of his head. He turned lethargically to look, only to have the next blow land on his temple. "Avery, stop it!" Taylor protested, and stepped closer to take her arm.
"Leave me alone!" She swiped at Taylor, and he was so surprised, he stepped back. "He has to know." She turned to face Isaac again, her blue eyes boring into his, and her fist struck his shoulder. "I thought you were gone, but no, you had to come back. Wasn't almost killing Zac enough? You'd better not touch Mackie or Zoe, because I know what you're up to. I don't know why. If either of them get hurt, I'll know it's your fault, and I'll tell everyone about it!"
Isaac flinched as she hit him, connecting with his cheek, then he ducked his head out of some tardy sense of self preservation. His mind spun down, trying to cope with what she was saying, trying to come up with something to tell her so she'd believe him.
"Avery!" His mother's voice broke through the barrage of words and his own downward spiral. Avery's fist hit him again, not really hard enough to bruise, at least not on the outside. "That's enough!"
"No! He has to know he can't hurt people like that!"
"Avery. That is enough. Leave Isaac alone."
"You're on his side?! Great! It will be as much your fault as his if he hurts Mackie or Zoe." Isaac heard her footsteps leave the hallway in a run, but couldn't concentrate on it.
"Go find her," his mother's voice sounded distracted, and he wasn't surprised. He'd just created another problem for her. "Here. Take Zoe."
"But Mom...." Taylor protested.
"I know you want to help. Please, Tay. This is up to me." Taylor's footsteps moved past him, down the hall, then a hand touched his head. "Isaac." He shrank away from her touch, suddenly feeling as isolated as he had been after the crash. He pulled his knees to his chest, hiding his face. "Isaac, don't do this again." Her voice was by his ear, her breath brushing his hair. Before he could pull away, her arms went around him.
"I didn't know.... she hated me so much." For all the control he'd developed over his voice, it still shook.
"That's not how the rest of us feel, Isaac." Her voice whispered gently to him, and the control he had held began to crack.
"But Mom...." he started, and tried to pull away from her.
"No." Her arms tightened around him. "No buts, Isaac. I don't know what's wrong with Avery. We all love you. We want you here."
He shifted enough to wrap his arms around her, and lay his head on her shoulder. "I wouldn't hurt Mackie or Zoe. I didn't want to hurt Zac, Mom....."
"I know, Isaac, I know." She gently stroked his hair, but didn't let him go. It was almost as if something in him snapped, and he was suddenly sobbing, almost hysterical. Diana tightened her grip around him. He leaned heavily on her, and let himself cry, forgetting the control that he'd held for years.
The flood of tears eased slowly, finally. "Isaac, please don't pull away from us again," she whispered when the hysterics were gone. Her hand gently stroked his hair again, and he relaxed. "Do you know how long it's been since you let me hold you like this?"
He took a ragged breath. "Too long?" His voice shook.
"Yes," she said. "But it's okay. My mother said the same thing to me when I was your age. It just means you're growing up. And you're just the first." Her voice sounded sad.
He didn't know how to answer that, so he didn't try. It felt good just to sit here, and let her hold him. The ice in his mind was gone, melted away. He slowly became aware of the headache that crept in behind his eyes, a dull ache that left him exhausted and drained. The tears had stopped completely by now; he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and let himself drift, more relaxed than he'd been in a very long time.
The ringing phone made him wince and flinch. Diana chuckled. "I bet you've got a headache."
"Mmm," he mumbled, too tired to talk. He felt like his limbs were full of jello, and even thinking of moving was more of an effort than he wanted to make.
"Mom. That was Dad. He said to bring everyone to the hospital." Taylor sounded excited and anxious all at once.
Isaac felt his mother tense. "Why?"
"He wouldn't say, only that Isaac had to come too."
Isaac tensed. "No," he whispered, but his resistance was weak enough to be ignored.
"You gather the others, and I'll get Ike in the car." She got to her knees, dislodging him, and he wrapped his arms around his knees again, burying his face in his arms. He just wanted to sleep, here. "Honey, you have to come." She gently pulled his head up. "Your father wants you to."
He looked at her, surprised to see her eyes were just as puffy as his own felt. "You cried, too?" It made no sense to him.
"Yes, Isaac." She smiled gently. "Now. Come on."
His attempt to distract her hadn't worked. He should have known it wouldn't. "But what if he's...." He couldn't go on, and his eyes dodged from her.
She touched his cheek, pulling his gaze back to hers. "Isaac, this is the last ghost. You've done everything but face Zachary. You have to face him, whatever condition he's in, or you'll never be completely better."
"But I'm not.... I can't...." The thoughts wouldn't form, and trying to put them into words was more than he could manage.
"Isaac. Now is the time you've got."
He took a deep breath, then nodded. "All right." He got slowly to his feet, putting out a hand to the wall as he wavered.
"Head rush?" she asked with amusement.
"And how," he answered ruefully. When he felt steady again, he started towards the car. By the time he was settled in the back, the rest of the family was leaving the house. Avery looked furious. Isaac sighed, leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long life.
The front door opened, interrupting Isaac, and they listened to the peculiar footsteps that came down the hall, something of a triple step. Then Zac appeared in the doorway, the ever present cane in his hand. He stared at them. "Oh. Hey, Ike, I tried to call you. What are you...." He looked at Avery, eyes puffy and cheeks tear stained. "What's going on?"
"Avery asked about the stain in the upstairs hallway," Diana explained.
"Oh." He looked confused for a moment, then comprehension dawned. "Oh."
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Diana asked.
"What, I'm not invited?"
"No, I just didn't expect you."
"Where are you in the story?" he asked.
"Going to the hospital after Dad's mysterious call," Avery said.
"Oh." He smirked in Isaac's direction. "The good part."
"I like this part best," Isaac grinned. "Want to sit in on it?"
Avery watched them, trying to detect any difference in how they acted around each other. There didn't seem to be any animosity; in fact, they were as close as she remembered. Not that she remembered much; once Isaac had left the house, she hadn't had much of a chance to observe them. Besides, at that time she wouldn't have known what to look for, and apparently, she hadn't cared, either.
"Yeah, okay." He grabbed a glass and filled it, then sat down, and Avery saw him sigh in some relief, stretching his leg out. He set his back pack by the chair. "Man, I have got to do something about this."
"How's Trish?" Isaac asked.
"She's good. Busy," Zac grinned. "How's Stephanie?"
Isaac chuckled. "Actually, I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks. I think she decided the real person was not as fun as the rock star."
"Ike, they're leaving you behind!" Avery grinned. "Taylor's married and has a baby, and Zac has a steady girlfriend. Even Jess has a boyfriend."
Isaac laughed. "Yeah, so what's new?"
"I heard that," Zac said, reaching over and squeezing Avery's hand. "We all thought you'd be married first."
"Not me. I had my cards on Taylor," Diana grinned.
"I'd be married first?" Isaac asked at the same time. "To who, my computer? Or one of my guitars? The book got published days before Taylor got married. Doesn't that count?"
"No, Isaac. A book is not the same as a child or a wedding," Diana said.
"I don't know," Zac said. "Having heard both sides of the story, I think that getting a book published sounds about the same as labor."
"Um, Ike, can we finish the story?" Avery asked suddenly, not really thrilled about this conversation.
Isaac looked at her and smirked. "Oh, yeah. Where were we, in the car on the way to the hospital, right?"
"Right." Diana and Avery chorused, and exchanged a smile.
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