Invisible

All throughout the next day Corrie, Alec, and most of the girls in my family are busy cooking in preperation for the New Year's Eve party. The row of houses along this stretch of beach, I think its twelve, all get together on the beach, even though its cold. But there are usually a bunch of bonfires, little battery powered heaters, and lots of blankets, so were good.

While the women are cooking, us men go to get firework. Of course, when we need my truck, its not here.

While I'm helping load fireworks into the back of one of my relative's truck I see the cat. Its a gift from God, too, I know it is. Corrie said she likes cats, didn't she?

Ten minutes later I dive for it and grab it, finally, the stupid little creature. When I pick it up, and it doesn't even struggle, just licks its lips and sits placidly in my hands. "Demon," I growl, carrying it back to everone else. As soon as dad sees it, he shuts me down.

"No."

"Aw, come on Dad, look at it. How can you let it starve?" The cat is only a little older than a kitten with grey fur and blue eyes. It is really thin.

"No."

"Dad! Its for Corrie, please? You always get Mom something for New Years."

"So get Corrie some flowers."

"I already am. Please? Corrie'll love it, and if she doesn't take care fo it, I swear, Alec will. Please?"

He glares at me. "Fine."

"Thank you!" I yell, jogging off to go buy cat supplies from the pet store across the street.
~
I really don't want to wake her up, she must be so tired, because she didn't wake up when I got up and got ready. But she's slept in enough. and no matter how cute Corrie is asleep, I like her better awake.

"Corrie," I say softly, shaking her gently. She shifts a little, then opens her eyes sleepily and smiles up at me. Then she notices the flowers waiting for her to see in front of her face. "Happy New Years Eve baby."

"You know, shouldn't the flowers come on New Years Day?" She asks sleepily, taking the bunch of green and blue hydrangias from me.

"No," I say simply. "And I couldn't find any green carnations, these were second best. Whadda ya know? There are no flowers in the winter."

She smiles wider. "I love them."

"You're going to love this even more." I grin at her and drop the cat into her lap.

Thankfully, Alec gave her a bath yesterday so she looks much better than she did. Something tells me Corrie wouldn't have cared either way, though.

She screams, sitting up so fast it scares the cat, but she doesn't let it escape, grabbing it with one hand while holding her flowers in the other. "You got me a cat?!" She squeals.

"I love you."

"I love you too! And I'd kiss you, but I have to go brush my teeth! Hold these!" Corrie shoves the cat and flowers into my arms before running off, leaving me laughing in the room.

When she comes back she takes the cat from me, sets it on the bed, takes the flowers, sets them on the chester drawers, and kisses me. "I feel bad. I didn't get you anything."

I kiss her this time. "You're enough. Now come on, lets go get some breakfast and put those flowers into some water."

She carries the cat with her.

An hour or so later Corrie's thanking me for the flowers and cat (which she named Mirrors (as from the Lifehouse album Smoke&Mirrors)) by pushing my onto the sunroom loveseat with her tongue down my throat and hands in my hair. She was straddling my chest now, bent over me, with one leg extended to the floor. Her hair was pooling around my head. I'm completely in love.

"Corrie I need your help."

Corrie jumps off of me, or would have, had I not been gripping her hips. We both look over at my mom.

"Can't you find someone else?" I moan. "We're busy."

Corrie's blushing so hard it looks painful.

"We're doing decorations," Mom says frostily, glaring at Corrie, who was now squirming, trying to get off of me.

"Can I come too, then?" I ask, holding Corrie down.

"Sure," Mom says, shrugging.

I lift Corrie off of me and stand up, smirking when I see Mom's eyes traveling over the now fading bruises up and down Corrie's neck from the other day. She'd been glaring at them ever since they'd appeared, and it had been making Corrie antsy.

We follow Mom onto the beach, trudging down it a ways before we get to where all the tables are. Corrie sticks shyly to my side. "Msr. Maccero, can I go back inside?" she whispers tremulously.

I squeaze her hand. "It'll be all right."

"You'll be fine, Corrie. They don't bite," Mom sighs.

"But you don't have to. we can go back inside," I say easily.

"No, no," Corrie sighs, running a hand through her hair. I made her pin it back earlier, because I never see it out of her face, though its pretty either way. Now she can't hide behind it.

The next two hours or so is spent with me helping place tables about and Corrie messing with the tablecloths and streamers, completely mute to all those around her, can constantly straying over to my side. Some boy scares her while she's bent over and she screams, jumping, and the armful of paper streamers she was holding go everywhere. And now she looks like she's about to cry, so I go to the rescue.

The boy is apolagizing and helping pick up the streamers. Corrie is trying to help, but her hands are shaking to bad. "Calm down sweetheart," I murmur, also helping pick up. Corrie stands there, looking ashamed.

"I'm really sorry, I thought you heard me," the boy apolagizes, holding out his handfuls of streamers. Corrie doesn't seem to know what to do with them, so I take them. "I'm River."

"I'm Aaron, and thats Corrie." I give Corrie a look.

"Sorry," Corrie says quietly, moving over to my side.

"Its fine. I mean, I scared you," River says apolagetically. "You two are from the family that never ends, right? The one that is half scottish?"

On cue, we here Alec screaming from where he's been helping. "WHAT TO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUCKING DOING ASHTON?!"

"I'M PUTTING THE FUCKING FIREWORKS WHERE YOU SAID TO!" Ashton screams back.

"I SAID TO PUT THEM THERE!"

"YOU'RE SUCH A DAMN DRAMA QUEEN!"

We watch as Alec tackels Ashton. Anyone from our family just ignores it, and the outsiders stare before following the lead.

"Yep, thats us," I say, nodding.

"Should we go break them up?" River asks, staring.

"Nah, they'll finish up in a minute. They're always..."

"Bickering," Corrie supplies.

"Yeah, but thats a little more than bickering," River points out.

"Not for them," I say. "Trust me, they're fine."

Ashton breaks off and runs towards us, throwing himself behind Corrie and using her as a human shield. "Tell the little bitch to stop!" He wails.

"Would you two act your age?" I ask.

"Which one is that? Zero, one, seventeen, thirty-four, or two hundred and eighty-nine?" Alec asks innocently.

"What?"

"Well, you see, you said our age, so subtract seventeen by seventeen, and you get zero. Divide seventeen by seventeen and you get one. Then, of course, there's just plain old mutual seventeen, and seventeen plus seventeen is thirty-four, and seventeen times seventeen is two hundred and eighty-nine," Ashton explains in a duh voice.

"Would you just go crawl into a hole and die? Both of you?" I mutter as River and Corrie laugh.

"You'd miss us to much," Alec says, throwing his arms around me.

"Get off of me."

Corrie giggles. Alec shoots me a dirty look and they leave.

"FFamily, what're you going to do?" I ask rhetorically, looking at River.

"I know exactly what you mean," River says darkly. "My brother has a track record taller than he is and my father..." He shakes his head.

"My dad sucks too," Corrie says.

"You don't know the half of it."

"No, you don't know the half of it," Corrie says pointedly, before taking the streamers from me and walking off.

"What was that?" River asks.

"Corrie," I answer. "No better definition. Nice meeting you. Will we see you tinight?"

"Yeah."

"Great." I leave River, going after Corrie, but Mom cuts me off.

"There you are Aaron," she says. "I need your help moving-"

"Oh no," I say, leaving her behind and jogging over to Corrie. I can tell she's panicking. A man I recognize all to well is trying to talk to her.

She snaps and runs, straight into my chest. I hold her still. "Its okay, Corrie, I wont let him touch you," I hiss under my breath, holding her still.

"Corrie there's nothing to be afraid of," Mom says breezily, walking over to us. "don't take offense, Eddie, this is normal for her."

I stare at her speechless, and Corrie bursts into tears, shaking me loose and running towards the house. Alec breaks off and runs after her, so I don't have too.

"Mom! How could you say that?!"

"Well its thr truth..." Mom says, now seeming a little abashed.

"You don't just say that, though! Thats so mean!"

"I'm sorry if-"

"You. Stay the hell away from Corrie," I hiss, before turning to chase after Corrie.

Even Corrie can smell true monsters from the normal men. She probably has their scent dow better than most.