10. Flash Bang Wallop : Drake

                                    

                                          
Xav and Jax look at me, their smiles matching mine.
                          
"I agree, if she's not yet awake, she'll need to be woken soon, I don't think she's eaten today" Jax grins at us.

                          
"She's lost weight since she left us" Xav adds with a frown, and we look at each other and laugh "It's good to have her back with us, where she belongs" I smile and rise, moving towards my room where Lily lay sleeping.
                          
The smell of clean linen, citrus and Drake surrounded Lily as she woke, cracking open one eye she tried to work out where she was. Drake's room, lying in his bed.  Raising her head she carefully listened to hear where they were but could hear nothing.   Would they have left me? she wondered. No! Her inner dialogue screamed at the stupid thought.  Lifting her arm to rub her eyes, she stiffened as she felt cool metal around her wrist, what the hell?
                          
She gazed at the slim gold bracelet that she knew she had not been wearing before she went to sleep.  Turning it round, and trying to find a clasp to remove it, but she couldn't see any way of getting it open.  Flopping back against the pillows, she mused over the bracelet, okay so they don't trust her and it's probably a tracker of some sort.  She realised she would need to get rid of it before she tried to leave. If she can leave, knowing now that they had found her again, they wouldn't let her go until they realised she's not worth it.
                          
I watch Lily from the doorway, seeing her eyes, fluttering sleepily. "Good. You are awake, are you hungry" I ask her softly, making her jump slightly and turn angry eyes my way.

                          
"What is this?" she ask shaking her wrist at me 
"A token of our love" I smile at her flash of fire.
"A shackle to trace me" Lily retorts with a hiss and I grin before replying.
"No, my love, it's a way of keeping you safe,  and you should have had it a year ago, that's when I got it for you". I tell her softly.
"It's a shackle" she shouts at me, reaching out and grabbing my alarm clock to throw at me, I deflected it with a bang before launching myself over her body, pinning her down.
"A token of my love" I repeat in her ear "and you just broke my clock" I growl at her.
"I was aiming for your head" she retorts angrily, struggling underneath me.
"Need some help?" Jax said from the door.   Causing Lily to freeze as I look round to see both Xav and Jax standing there watching us.
"No" Lily shouts wriggling again but I grin at them.  She really should stop that, the feel of her body was reminding mine of all we had been missing and  waking mine up. "Yes" I say aloud, "Lily needs reminding who's in charge"
                          
Lily stills, her wide eyes going from my face to the others, and she looks both scared and excited.
"Really, well, we can help with that" matching smirks appearing on their faces as Xav and Jax both moved towards the bed.  "What caused this bad behaviour" Xav asked softly and I feel her shiver beneath me at his tone.
                          
"Lily does not appreciate us keeping her safe or her new bracelet, she called it a shackle" I reply to them. Jax smiles at her lovingly "Oh Love, that not your shackle" he coo's at her "That will come later" he promises.
Gazing up at them, Lily shivers under their gaze and words, "I'm sorry, it's lovely, thank you" she tries backtracking on her earlier words.
"Too late my love" I whisper, getting up and taking Lily with me, carefully twisting to drop her on my knees as I sit on the edge of the bed.  Jax and Xav moving around to the front of us creating a triangle, "5" says Xav "10" say Jax and I together.
                          
I could feel the moment Lily realised what was coming. "Hell no..." she shouts trying to wriggle free.
"10" We all say together as I flip her over to lay face down, still struggling
"Count them out Lily" I remind her.
"No" she cries, still fighting.
SMACK, I smooth my hand across her rear to soothe the area.
"Lily, if you don't count they don't count" Xav reminds her.
"Please, don't" she cries again wriggling.
SMACK
"One" she cries out loud.
SMACK
"TWo.." he voice hiccups.
SMACK
"Three"
SMACK
"Ahh fo...UR" she gasps as I carrels the reddening flesh.
SMACK
"Five"
SMACK
"Si...X" her body is lax now, the fight gone.
SMACK
"seven" I can feel her tears soaking my leg.
SMACK
"Eightttt." She moans.
                          
SMACK
"NIiine" I could feel her body heat growing.
SMACK
"Tennn" she sobs aloud and I gently rub where my hand had made contact.
Xav let go of her hands and helps me turn Lily back over, where she curls into my body 
                          
"I'm sorry" she sniffles holding onto my shirt.
"Ssh baby it's okay now, can you see how much we want to keep you safe, you're ours baby" I soothe, rocking my body slightly to comfort her.


                          
Xav runs his hand up and down Lily's thigh "You are precious to us Lily, let us take care of you" she looked at him and smiled softly " I know Xav and I care for you all too". At her words we all draw together around her, "You are our world Lily" Xav says "Trust us to look after you" Jax adds, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek.  I look down at her, emotion clogging my voices as I tell her "We will never let you go, you're ours.  Forever Lily", I hold her gaze till she nods shyly.
                          
"Now, we need to eat, we all missed lunch and it's not too far off dinner now, let's go" Jax says leading the way to the kitchen.
                          
I seated her at the counters and Lily watched surprised as the three of us prepared dinner, steaks with salad and jacket potatoes, with fresh fruit salad for dessert.  We deliberately kept the conversation light and Lily seemed content to just listen to us discuss mundane topics like sport and weather, we did not push her to talk, knowing she would when she was ready.
                          
"Lily..." Jax muttered to her, taking her hand as Xav and I exchange looks.
"Yes Jax" she replies looking up at him.
"We have just got you back and we want you to feel safe here... but we worry you may try to run again, will you... Please stay with one of us tonight, so we can rest peacefully" he asks and I can see her nerves return.
"I won't run" she promises, and we know she is not yet ready to take back fully, our previous relationship, but we can't risk letting her out of our sight.
"Please Lily" he repeats, holding her gaze and I watch as she caves to his request.
Lily sighs "No funny business" she says and we all relax at her words. it wasn't a no, it was a not yet and that we could work with.
"We promise, not till you are ready" I agree for all of us.
"Okay" she blushes, looking down.
                          
Clearing the dishes, we return to the lounge where we settle Lily between us to watch the news and a film. She makes it half way through the film before sleep returns to claim her and she didn't stir as Jax lifts her off the sofa and take her to his room for the night.