Words 1401

The days following New Years had Azzo on edge. He wasn't talking to anyone in his household except Grams on occasion and he often locked himself in his room. As far as his parents knowledge went at least. It wasn't until the day that Grams was being moved out (which included her bed, dresser and most of the furniture), that Azzo came out of his room; which left him staring bitterly. "I thought they had their own furniture."

"It's not your grandmother's now help." His father told him shortly, causing Azzo to walk off and sit on the swing in the bitter cold with his arms crossed and defiant of going anywhere or having anything to do with the moving.

"I told them they should leave it for you..." Grams said softly watching as Azzo's mother and father did all the work. "I tried to tell them that you'd be getting the house."

"Where do you want your stupid dolls?" Conway asked.

Azzo's lips twitched as he saw his father carrying out a box of his marionettes that had been hanging, in his room. "YOU. Put those back. NOW." Azzo said as he stood up all of a sudden there was nothing but anger in his features as he watched his father looking stunned. "I am not, going anywhere. You put those back in my room and LEAVE everything in there alone." He thought he'd locked that, though he wouldn't be surprised if his father broke down the door to get his stuff out.

His father started laughing. After spending the month with his son to see how easily he could try to stand up for himself and demand something so stupid. "You're not living here; the home will take the house." He said calmly and dropped the box near the sidewalk. "I hope you have a tent." His father added as he walked back in the house to take out more things. Anything of Azzo's got dumped in the yard.

This left the younger Crowley irritated, after this he wasn't speaking to his father ever again. He didn't stop the man or take anything back inside he merely watched as they gutted almost everything from the house that wasn't mentioned to go with it in the letter they wrote up. Azzo sat down again beside his Grams arms crossed, "I'd like to see the look on their face when they're told they can't sell it."

"Come with us?" Grams offered the old lady had copies of the papers in her purse. So she could prove it was in Azzo's name and no longer in her name.

"I'd have to walk back to Destiny they'll be boarding a plane after they drop you off and I have no intentions of going with them to Korea or where ever they might be going." He was watching as more and more things were tossed out of the house that was his. He was starting to fidget, wishing he could show the old man just how much of a failure he really was.

"Don't lose your temper with him, he's not worth it." Grams said lowly, "You have those terrorist to beat up." There was a small smile as she seemed to be trying to cheer him up. Though her attempts seemed to be in vain as the rest of the family finished packing the van with what belonged to Grams.

It was then the old woman actually realized she might not see her grandson again for a while, if again at all. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she suddenly dragged him into a hug, "You have to come visit me at least every other month. And write to me every day." Her voice cracked as she tried to keep from crying. She really didn't want to leave but she had to. It was the only way.

Azzo's features soften when he realized Gram's was on the verge of crying. His heart in his throat as he halfway closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Grams." He said, "I'm sorry... I can't... protect you." He said his voice was low and sad even though his parents had been trying to push him to a breaking point. He watched as they helped Grams into the Taxi that was taking his grams and mother to the home and his father was following in the moving van. Azzo had kept his house keys; Merlin was sitting beside him whining.

"She has to go boy, it's for the best." Azzo said softly as he watched them drive out of sight.

When she was gone Azzo started picking up his things and taking them back into the house box by box. Merlin seemed to be trying to help by dragging a box with his teeth but only ended up tipping it over. "Merlin..." Azzo sighed exasperated.

He picked up the box and the things in it and finally right before dark he had everything of his back in the house. This wasn't much when all the furniture from the living room and dining room was gone, the beds were stripped clean and the kitchen was void of food. Eventually collapsed on his bed staring at the boxes of stuff that had been collected up, he really didn't have that much stuff if he did away with the puppets.

---

Meanwhile, at the old folks home Azzo's parents were discussing with the head of the facility all the arrangements and how to handle the house. The head lady asked for the papers that Fiona had brought with her, "Which ones?"

"The deed." The woman answered.

"Oh. Right." Fiona pulled out a small stack of papers and handed them to the lady who examined them.

"...I'm Sorry Mr. Crowley the house isn't in her name. We can't accept it as part of the payment."

Conway's mouth fell open and he stared at the woman before snatching the papers. "This is impossible it has to be faked." He seemed really unhappy as he continued to flip through them and suddenly was dialing a number. When he finally hung up he was staring at Fiona. "I swear mother, sometimes I think you're more trouble than your worth."

"So do you have the money to pay the fees or not?"

Mr Crowley pulled out his check book and started writing a check for the amount due.

---

Back in Destiny Azzo had finished putting everything back in his room like it had been. Even his punching bag he'd gotten from Christmas now had a place. Azzo was aiming kicks and punches as hard as he could at the bag taking out the anger that had been building up inside of him from his father's attitude.

When all that was done Azzo had sunk into his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was all alone. Only Merlin and Azzo were left in the old house, there was an eerie silence cast over the whole house. The kind that one feels when there's no one left but you, the emptiness was finally starting to settle in. Merlin's head came to rest on the boy's leg as he lay there in silence thinking.

Every word that had passed, every moment that there'd been; even the anger he had held a few moments ago he wished he could have back. If only it meant Azzo waking up and Grams was downstairs cooking breakfast. There was a small shiver before he curled up on his sheets and stared out the window. This wasn't a dream he could wake up from. She was really gone, back home with her friends in an old folks home. Abandoned. By him, his father, his mother... by everyone. And he'd let it happen. He'd them take her from him. He'd let them take the furniture, the food, everything.

There was a small sniffle and Merlin whined, "It's just the cold..." Azzo said softly not wanting to admit he felt like crying. His whole life had just been ripped apart. Again.

"We did the right thing. She's safe now." He said softly as the white German Sheppard jumped onto his bed. If it's the right thing to do then why do I feel like I abandoned her?

The house was eerily quiet as Azzo lay there with his arms around the dog. The bad thing was, you can't turn back time.