Altair was awake when the fighting started and he sat up in bed. The walls in the house were thin and he could hear his mom and the boyfriend of the week yelling at each other. Same boyfriend of the week who showed up more times than he could count. He didn't move as they yelled at each other and knew all the things they were yelling. It was about money mostly, and about Altair and his brothers second, and then once they'd screamed at each other about that for a while it'd be about Maria's other boyfriends. How were theybetter than Robert? His mom never stayed with Robert long. She knew he was toxic, abusive, and a drunk, like he was drunk right now, but like most abusive relationships she couldn't stay away. He was her in between boyfriends boyfriend. At least he didn't touch his brothers. He'd kill someone if they did that again.

His door opened a little and an eye peered at him through the crack. He leaned over and turned the bed table light on, showing he was awake; they could come in.

Ezio opened the door enough to shepherded the twins in. Connor was carrying Desmond haphazardly, but got him onto Altair's bed without trouble once Haytham helped. Ezio closed the door after them and joined their younger brothers on Altair's bed. With a grunt Altair found himself being surrounded by them. Desmond on his chest, the twins on either side and Ezio sitting by his feet. He still had a fading purple bruise on his cheek and hearing Robert yelling was making him shake.

"It's all right," Altair said softly and everyone flinched when they heard someone beyond the door get hit and then the sound of someone falling, the yelling cut off abruptly. "Ezio, lock the door," he said and Ezio scrambled off the bed to lock the two locks on Altair's door. When Ezio joined them back on the bed he crawled up next to Connor. "We're okay," he said gently.

"Really?" Ezio asked, staring at the door. The both knew one of the locks was flimsy and you could open easily. The other was a heavy duty lock you could only open from the inside. But the door was more likely to break before the lock did.

"Yeah," Altair had one arm around Haytham, the other on Desmond's back.

"Get out!" they all heard Maria scream. "Get out of my house!" Desmond whimpered and everyone pressed closer to Altair. Robert yelled something back but it was hard to make out. "I'll call the police!" was the only part of what Maria said they could understand.

"Altair?" Connor asked, looking at him sacredly.

"Yeah?"

"When's dad coming home?" he meant Edward. Literally the best thing that had been in any of their lives (except Desmond) for a few years before he'd gone to Alaska to fish and never came home. Altair had liked Edward too.

"I don't know," Altair said gently and Ezio hugged Connor tightly while Altair squeezed Haytham reassuringly. "He will though," it was an empty promise. Ezio knew that, Connor and Haytham were too young to know it was a lie. They could still hear yelling, Robert was calling their mom every version of whore under the sun and some Altair had never heard of and Maria kept yelling at him to get out of her house before she called the police.

The fight ended when the door slammed.

The house was silent and even the kids seemed to barely breathe. The twins and Desmond whimpered when there was a knock on the door. It wouldn't be the first time one of their mom's boyfriends had beat Maria up and while drunk decided the kids were the next best target. Or the first time Robert had targeted them. The first time Altair had been hit had been by Robert when he was four.

"Boys?" Maria asked through the door, her voice sounded so small and soft after the screaming. "Boys he's gone."

"For now," Ezio said quietly, so only they could hear.

"You guys need to sleep," Altair said and sat up again. Now that the danger was passed he did want them to sleep in their own beds. Altair had a room to himself because he was the oldest but the others had to share. He held Desmond easily as he slid off the bed, Connor and Haytham grabbed the hem of his shirt as he walked to the door, following after like pajama wearing ducklings. Ezio slunk around behind him like a well beaten dog.

Altair unlocked the two locks and then the door. Maria tried to smile when she saw him but Altair didn't emote. A new dark mark was forming on the side of her face where Robert had his her and Altair felt anger wash all through him. His mom wasn't the best mom in the world, but she tried, and she loved them, and he loved her, they all loved her. She'd been pretty once, he'd seen pictures of when she was young. But life hadn't been kind to Maria and while not ugly she had been worn down by life and shit head boyfriends. "There you are," and she picked Desmond off of Altair's chest, the five year old latched onto her. Between boyfriends and Robert Desmond slept with Maria usually, or Altair sometimes too. He'd be sleeping with their mother tonight it seemed. "C'mon boys," she said gently to the others, "Lets go to bed, huh?" and she took Connor's hand.

Altair followed Maria into the other bedroom where there were two beds, holding onto Haytham's hand as he went. Connor climbed into one bed and Haytham followed after him though they both looked up at Altair and Maria rather pitifully. Ezio had his own bed. Sometimes he slept on the couch though, so the twins could have their own bed. Altair slept on the couch a lot too, so his brothers could all know what it felt like to sleep in their own bed, without having to share it.

"Goodnight boys," Maria said and give the twins a kiss on the forehead before leaving with Altair, Desmond still clinging to her.

"Mom-" he started once Maria had closed the door.

"Not now Altair," she said, sounding tired, "just… not tonight," and the look she gave him was tired. He frowned. "You go to sleep too, you have school in the morning," she said.

"Mom I just-

"Altair, please. Later," and then she turned away from him and went into her room, leaving Altair standing outside his brothers' room. His lips went thin and then he went into his room and threw himself onto his bed. He looked at the clock. It was still kinda early, not even midnight yet, not even eleven either. He grabbed his phone, it was nearly five years old and somehow hadn't died yet, he just kept fixing it, since he didn't have the money to buy a new one. Or he did, but he wouldn't spend it on getting a new phone when this worked.

"This better be good Thorpe I'm studying," were the first words out of Malik's mouth when he picked up the phone.

"Robert hit my mom again," Altair said.

"You should just punch the shit out of him," Malik said, but sounded less irritated. He was one of Altair's only friends, or only ones who knew about how shitty his home life was. So that was about three people outside of his brothers.

"I know."

"What do you want though? You're still in high school," meaning he knew Altair should go to sleep for school the next day.

"You find anything to help me?" he asked.

"I am swamped okay?" Malik was back to irritated again. "It's finals and the firm is working a big case, all hands on deck. I have had no time to research for you."

"Okay," Altair said passively.

"Wait wait," Malik knew that tone was just before he hung up. "I'll do some looking during winter break, okay?"

"Okay," he tried to not sound so defeated.

There was a long pause, "I still love you, you know," he said.

Altair turned his head to the side like Malik was staring at him, "I know," Altair said and swallowed. They'd dated for a long time, but Altair couldn't keep coming home and boyfriend of the week, or Robert, calling him a faggot to his face.

"You can come hang this weekend if you want," Malik added.

"Thanks for the offer," Altair said, "I'm taking the boys ice skating at the Commons though."

"Want me to tag along?"

Altair rubbed his face, "Sure," he sighed, "you can come. Adha and Rauf are coming too."

"It's going to be a cluster fuck," Malik teased.

Altair made himself chuckle to make himself feel better, "Yeah, he agreed."

"Get some sleep," Malik said.

"I'll try," Altair said.

"Goodnight," and Altair hung up. He tossed his phone onto the side table and turned off the light but didn't get under the covers. He stayed awake, staring up at the ceiling for a while, his mind too busy. He had too much to worry about sometimes, and now he could add getting enough sleep to that list.