---

Magnus gave the lightest of smiles as Callie commented and plopped the marshmallow on his nose. In a small movement he tossed back his head and ate the orange juice coated sugar ball. He had noticed that look Leo had given him. A look he recognized....he had to admit he liked that look.

Given that Leo didn't comment he do not pay too much attention until that last part. A brow raised and a look passed that almost seemed mischievous. He waited for Leo to finish before speaking. "Ah but Leo...that would leave me alone. And I need clothes if I'm going to be spending more time here" A head tilt. "Why not my house first then I can drive you" was he beginning to toy with Leo now. Perhaps, but he also wanted to see how far that look went before really testing those waters.

"Since I would need a...highly capable partner and all" and now he was being coy.

---

---

Gage had been zoning off. His mind wandering between awake and unconscious when the trio entered the room. The voice snapped him out of it, his dad lifting to see Xeres before he looked back down. God he had been terrible yesterday and now the doctor was here. Of course, the guy would have shown up eventually...but damn he was not prepared.

Gage opened his mouth to respond, but Cassandra beat him to it. Looks like he would be eating. Probably a good thing considering he hadn't eaten in who knew how many hours. He looked back at xeres before standing. A pause. An inhale. Overall awkward feelings waving off of him. "Uhm....about yesterday....I'm.." Long pause before formulating the right words. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking"

As the apology left him Cassandra made a reappearance and he found himself with food in his hands. He nodded a thanks before making his way back to a seat and sitting. He seemed capable of staring at the food, but eating didn't seem to be happening yet.

---

Aron melted into the hug he was receiving. He was more then happy to be snuggled at the moment...to be so close to his boyfriend...it was really pure bliss for him. Aron gave a light head shake. "Its alright...I have what's important" he found himself giving Cody a kiss before pulling back. He watched Cody take a picture of his picture and smiled. "I love you too Cody."

Aron felt himself melting into Cody and was content with staying in the tree house all day if he could. He had his photo tucked into his pocket and his boyfriend cuddled close. He felt his eyes flutter for a moment from lack of sleep and the combined affect with warmth.

He managed to keep them open when Cody spoke again. "I know they won't...because I have you" a bright smile took over his face before he gave Cody another light kiss. This one lasted far longer before Aron pulled back and seemed to sink into the bean bag more. He felt his eyes flutter again as he struggled to remain awake.

---

---

Callie gave a small smile, and nodded, ”Well, then Dear Alexis, if you’d like you can shower, and I can have some clothes for you, shortly” She said softly, glancing out the window again, she frowned slightly. ”I need to get a room made up” She mused to herself, sighing softly, before smiling again and returning Alexis’s hug. She tried to give the girl reassurance, and compassion, ”If I’m not home, you need only to open the door. It will open for you” She told the girl, ”And I’ll be home as soon as I can” She let xgo, before giving her another smile.

”Yes, you will need to meet Zoé, yet have no fear. No harm shall come to you so long as you are in my care” She promised, ”I will let you know when we are going” She added, before rising probably again, looking over to Leo, her expression became serious. She watched him a moment, and then she smiled, that slightly lopsided, smile that was full of hidden secrets, ”Why, Leo, I do not need a test to tell me you are a witch. You are, and have been, for a while a full level witch to me. These five years, you have grown immensely, and you have worked hard for you. You have been ready for these for a while. I simply needed to become accredited, that was why I needed you to watch the inn, last month. I thought you’d prefer me, then one of the council members” She said with amusement. ”And then I had to wait for the exam to be sent to me” She added.

As the conversation turned to the children that had been attack, Callie nodded, Thank you, that saves me a trip” She said gratefully, trusting Leo’s judgement, ”Do what you think is necessary” She said, giving him permission, not that he needed it anymore, to take what he wanted for her supplies.

She glanced over to Magnus, and said ”I have clothes here you may use, if you do not wish to stop." She gave a small chuckle ”Well, Magnus, if you need a partner, I’m sure you will find some capable ones around...today, especially I believe” She shifted, and then gave a small sigh, ”Alexis, we will leave soon, if you wish to get ready. I need to go make up a room. It seems I’m going to have some guests today” She said, thoughtfully, excusing herself, she headed upstairs.

---

---

---

---

It had been a little while since they had pulled over on the shoulder, and since Sombra had dropped the big news of her pregnancy in the middle of a heated, one way discussion of how much of a mistake it was to return to Klamath. Still smiling to himself while driving down the road, ever closing in on their destination, James found his right hand gently held in Sombra’s, softly running his thumb along her hand, James had failed to notice the police car following them back in the distance of his mirrors, his wife was such an amazing distraction… Or it was simply him missing the obvious once again, either way he could not stop thinking about the prospect of being a father, it filled his heart with so much joy and love.

“You okay my love?” He asked breaking the silence.

“..we’re being followed...” A bored expression written over her features, Sombra turned her head lightly off to the side, her dark eyes lingering upon the rear-view mirror where she could see the reflection of a cop car following them. It had been a while… the copper trailing after them ever since they had pulled back onto the road, and if her hunch was correct, then she was more than sure her mother had something to do with this.

At the mention of being followed, James frowned a little. There was no real reason for the cop car to be following them as he knew full well he had done nothing illegal or questionable that would warrant a law enforcement vehicle to be following them towards Klamath, unless they saw him pull over earlier. Not to make it to obvious, James glanced into his mirrors to see the vehicle in question that Sombra hinted was following them. “..shit...” was the only reaction he came out with initially.

“Guess there’s only one sure way to find out...” the wolf added as he decided to take a slight detour towards where they were headed, it was not massively out of their way and would not make it obvious that the cop car had been spotted by the pair. After rounding the corner, James kept driving steady, glancing over into his mirrors every now and again… And sure enough the cop car turned into the road, So much for hoping it was just simply driving down the road and not interested in them.

“You're right, I guess we are being followed…” He trailed of, he really couldn’t take his eyes of the road to much, but he did turn his head slightly from time to time to his lovely wife. Last thing they needed was too much attention while they were at Klamath falls.

Tearing her attention away from the mirror she had been using to keep an eye on the car in, Sombra dropped her head back against the rest, turning it so that her gaze was able to meet with that of her husband. It didn’t matter that they had been fighting a mere ten minutes ago… it didn’t matter that they were back in the one place the never wanted to be in again… they were in this together; and it seemed that they now had bigger issues to deal with together.

“..what do you want to bet that my mamá has something to do with this..?”

Frowning slightly, she once more turned her head, her eyes once more flicking to watch the police car as it continued to follow them where they went. Gods, it wasn’t as though they were stupid; they knew when they were being tailed… besides, it wasn’t as though the cop wasn’t making it obvious. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she sighed softly, a curious look flickering across her features as curiosity burned in her mind, “..James… tell me… did you register the car in your name, or mine..? Or did you use a completely different name altogether..?”

Sombra was probably onto something there, that James did not think about at first until she mentioned it, her mother was the boss lady of the cop shop here in Klamath… how on earth could he of forgotten that? Considering the trouble they always used to get into; hell she probably blamed James for corrupting Sombra and running of with her, although they were both the perfect partners in crime.

“Knowing Myra, I bet the odds of that are pretty damn good...”

James couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his wife’s question about what name he registered his truck under, it was a perfectly good question and one he knew would probably get him the dumb ass of the year award with his answer, of course the idiot put the truck in his name without actually thinking that mamá bear would do something to look for them, hell his own family probably tried the same thing without success. “..erm... I thought using a fake name would draw too much attention and get us caught out, so I kinda… used my name...” He replied a little sheepishly.

Closing her eyes as he answered her question, Sombra shook her head lightly from side to side, her long and wavy dark locks brushing lightly across her shoulders before she turned her attention back over to him. He had a point. Unless they had the correct documents and identification on them at the time; using fake names was definitely a gamble, one that at that point, they weren’t willing to take. Perhaps it had been for the best, it just meant that they had to deal with the consequences of it now.

“..it’s fine; besides, at the time, it was the best option we had… you made the right choice.” Turning her head back around, she let her full attention turn back onto him, a small smile playing over her lips as she reached out towards him, her hand coming to a gentle rest over his knee, “..we just have to deal with whatever comes our way because of it. When we get to Cedar Ash, I’ll hack into the station’s system, see what I can find out, and if she’s really looking for us. Maybe I can buy us some time by corrupting the data, or changing it up a bit… least this way we might be able to get out of town without too much worry once we’re done here.”

James couldn’t help but smile when he felt her hand on his knee, gently resting his hand on hers and giving it a gentle rub and looking at his wife with a smile for a moment before turning his attention once more to the road. Her reassurances making him feel more better. “Thank you baby, I’m just trying to do good for us both.” He was so happy and lucky to have someone like Sombra as his wife. Of course there was always going to be a consequence to certain or all actions they took, but what was important was that they did it together; he was always going to be by her side.

“Whatever comes our way, I will always be with you, by your side… no matter what.” Pausing for a moment to check the road signs to see how far away from the Cedar Ash Inn. “We’re not far from the Cedar Ash now, just… be careful doing that; especially with your mamá being involved… I know how amazing you are, but I still worry when you use your hacking talents. Just promise me to be careful, okay my sweet? She might be expecting it...” Taking Sombra’s hand in his, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll be careful, promise.” Unable to help the gentle smile that played over her features, she leant over in her seat, her soft lips pressing against his cheek in a both loving and reassuring kiss before she sat upright once more, her gaze turning to look out the rear-view mirror as her attention was drawn again to the car following behind them, “Besides… I’m always careful, you know that. I do this for a living now, remember..? Nothing has been able to touch me since we were in middle school.”

James’s eyes closed for a brief moment when he felt Sombra’s lips touch his cheek, her lips feeling soft; so gentle to the touch, it was like another moment of heaven with her and it made him feel all the more confident in himself and their amazing marriage, a smile remaining on his features, it was the best decision he ever made in his life. “How could I forget that? You are always so good at computers; knowing them inside and out. I find it to be another one of your attractive qualities...” He teased. “Besides, I still remember you hacking my webcam.” he chuckled.

“Hey…” Her eyes widening slightly, Sombra turned her attention back around at him, a small though playful smirk dancing over her gentle features as she thought back on what he was saying, her body relaxing back in the seat at the mere memories of when she had first began to take hacking seriously- ah, middle school… it was such a good time… such a good time…

“How else was I supposed to learn..? Besides, practicing was much more entertaining when I was able to see you wandering around topless in your room…”

James chuckled some more at his wife’s response, it was amusing and entertaining to him remember with how they first started to interact and meet up, and all the fun that followed. They were the good days that was for sure, doing anything without having to worry about any consequence… And hell, he was not complaining one bit when it came to her webcam hacking activities; he checked her out at school, while she had the skills to see him in his own room. “That’s true, need to start somewhere… my room was a good as a starting place as any.” He teased. “And I was not always topless you know…” he couldn’t help but grin at how it all began, would he ever change it? Hell no.

After driving down a few other roads that headed towards the Cedar Ash, James pretty much ignored whether or not the cop car was still following them; he was with his wife, coming to see his sister, hoping she was okay and coping well with what no doubt he assumed was her being introduced to the supernatural world in a very violent manner. Still holding his wife’s hand, James pulled into the Cedar Ash and parked the truck, letting it tick over for a few moments before putting into park and switching the engine off. “Looks like we finally got here love...” He spoke up looking at the sign on the building, they were finally in Klamath... their original home. “You okay?” he sighed a little knowing it was not going to be easy being back here. Leaning over once more he gave her a gentle kiss. “ We can do this… together.”

Lifting her attention to the building they had pulled up in front of, Sombra hesitated. It had been five years since they had been in town, sure, but because of that fact, it had also been five years since they had seen all the people they had left behind… one of them being the woman they were about to meet with. Callie Lenson. The two of them had been close enough before they’d skipped town; one of the few people she felt as though she could go to aside from James and Alex. And like everyone else, she was one of the people she had cut off all contact with once they had left.

This was not going to be easy for them…

“..yeah… we can do this together…” Returning the kiss, she took a moment longer to enjoy the peace that came with just sitting in each other’s company before she began to move, opening up the passenger side door before she got out, her hand lifting up so that she could run her fingers back through her long dark locks as she glanced about her person, allowing her eyes to linger on the cop car for only a moment before she closed the door, her arms coming up to fold over her chest as she moved around the car, waiting for James to join her, “..you do realize the troubles start now, right..? We haven’t seen Callie in five years…”

James enjoyed the moment they had together in the truck, wishing it could just last forever… It was hard to know whether or not how many of these moments they were going to enjoy while they were here. Sorting out the last few bits, James finally opened the driver's side door, letting the fresh gentle breeze hit him, it was a hell of a difference between here and L.A. Adjusting his top, James finally closed the door before locking up the vehicle, keeping their belongings secure for the time being until he knew that they were able to stay at Callie’s inn.

Glancing over at the cop car that had since drove past them down the road, James turned to his wife and walked up beside her, looking at the building before them. Out of habit, James almost put both his hands in his pockets, but instead kept one free to take hold of his mate’s hand. “I do realize that yes… but any trouble to come our way… I am glad you are here by my side, we are stronger together.“ Taking another moment to think of what was about to happen, he only hoped Callie, a close friend of theirs wouldn’t reject them after all this time away.

“Five long years... I hope she’s been doing well for herself, and she’s the Callie we remember… Shall we?” Gently leading her towards the door, James opened it wide, a soft smile on his face as he motioned for her to lead the way, waiting until she had gone in before he followed after her, being sure to close the door behind them.

---

---

Leo smiled at Callie's comments about his talents and turned to Magnus, raising an eyebrow at his comments. "What, do you need to pick up more eyeliner?"

The Warlock stood and placed his dishes in the sink, shaking his head slightly as he fought a smirk. Once he was finished, he leaved over and gave Callie a quick hug. "I'll meet you later with Zoe, okay?"

Leo turned and left the room, heading up the stairs as he pulled off his shirt. As he reached the top of the stairs, he called out over his shoulder. "Magnus, get ready or I'm gonna go pick up your eyeliner without you!"

He went into his room that Callie always left prepared for him and opened the dresser, pulling out a spare pair of clothes he always left at the inn in case he spent the night. Once he had changed into a new pair of jeans, underwear, and a t-shirt, he pulled his jacket out of the closet and threw it on. Leo collected the various amulets he had brought over the night before, as well as his wand, and jogged downstairs, placing them inside an bookcase that housed many magical objects. Leo decided to keep holding onto his wand; he was almost positive he wouldn't need it, but he figured it was best to err on the side of caution.

A flash of the visions Leo had experienced from the previous evening reminded him of how severely the supernaturals at the hospital were injured. Poor kids... Leo's heart went out to them; he had spent many long nights healing children when he lived with his family at the safe haven in Canada. He knew exactly how terrified they must be.

The Warlock reopened the bookcase and began taking amulets and charms to aid the healing process, as well as a small spellbook filled with various healing charms that he hadn't fully memorized.

When he reentered the kitchen, Alexis was gone, presumably getting ready. He began taking various potions and ingredients, each with a unique effect. While potions were certainly not Leo's forte, he could still figure out how to hand it to a person and tell them to drink or inhale it.

Leo pulled a satchel from the wall that was specifically designed to hold potions and began placing all of his materials into the bag. Once he had finished, the Warlock waited by the front door, waiting for his Druid companion.

---

Magnus rolled his eyes at Leo's comment. "More like clothes but sure" He took the last bite of his eggs and downed the rest of his drink before standing and placing his plate and mug by the sink. He moved around Leo and Callie.

He paused as Leo rushed ahead of him and called out. "and miss out on a car ride yeah right" He made his own way up the stairs and pulled on his shirt and shoes. A pause before he grabbed a small travel sized eye liner from his pocket and lined his eyes with a speed and precision that would make make up artists envious.

Feeling awake and more himself he fixed his hair before heading down the stairs. He spun his keys around a finger and shit a smile at Leo. He went to open the door only for it to be opened by two...wolves. He watched them go by before gestureing for Leo to follow him out to his car.

He opened the passenger door of his black convertible before moving to the drivers side and sliding in. In a swift movement the car started and once Leo was inside the car went off.



Magnus pulled up to his home and shut off the car. His house had a more of a cottage feel with a rounded door and for those who looked closely a large amount of small runes. Many of which were extremely old magic wise. "Here we are...would you like to come in or am I running in?"

---

---

---

Sebastian's eyes were glued shut by blood, sweat, and tears. The first time he awoke, he couldn't open them, but he couldn't tell if it was because the bond over his eyelids was too strong, or he lacked the energy necessary to even lift a finger. The pain didn't even process for the first few moments. After a little while, the dull aches slowly crept into Sebastian's consciousness. The pain in his throat from screaming, the soreness in his limbs from dragging himself across the forest floor, the deep aches from the claws and teeth of the wolf, the sharp discomfort that came from shifting ever so slightly.

Eventually, he faded into the darkness again. When he awoke, he could hear the soft snore of Syleste across the room. The Siren's eyes opened with great difficulty. They were already adjusted to the darkness, and as such, he could clearly make out the silhouette of a man sitting at her bedside. Gage...

The idea of having someone to hold his hand in the darkness, in the pain, was comforting, but it also brought an ache of a different kind to his heart. His father probably didn't even know he was in the hospital. He wouldn't be hearing about the attack until he read the news tomorrow, assuming he even checked his phone. Sebastian had planned to spend the following day with the group, and not return until late the following night; his father probably wouldn't even notice anything was amiss until at least two days from then-

A sharp pain in Sebastian's leg caused a sharp intake of breath as his thoughts were cut short. The monitor next to him beeped softly, gently administering drugs through an IV cord tethered to Sebastian's arm. As the pain faded, so did Sebastian's energy, pulling him into the darkness, the last thing in his vision being Gage's form, stoic as ever, sitting next to Syleste...

---

"Morning you two. I brought some visitors."

Sebastian's eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice. At first, he was disoriented with his surroundings, feeling quite a bit of pain throughout his body. It took only a moment for the events of the previous evening to come flooding back to him. His heart rate spiked, displayed by the monitor as it increased its beeping by a moderate amount. Sebastian took a deep breath and looked over at the door, his eyes searching out the face of the man who spoke.

Xerxes. The faint ghost of a smile crept onto Sebastian's features as he saw the doctor, as well as his daughter and Miranda. It was good to see familiar faces. To have someone check on him, even though Xerxes was required to.

It wasn't exactly a fun experience growing up as a Siren. He was in constant fear of people finding out who he was, finding out what he was. To carry a secret since as long as he could remember, scared of telling people for fear of them pushing him away... Hunting him for it. That, and growing up as a homosexual Siren. Any feelings of isolation he felt were amplified by the other issue, and they built off of each other, creating an entire complex of secrets and anxiety. He still remembered finally being comfortable telling his friends about his sexuality, but he could never tell them what he was. Until now.

Sebastian wasn't fully aware of the current situation until Cassie hugged him. Pain shot through his body and he gave a small gasp, but he tried to hide it, gently hugging her back as he leaned back into his pillows, hiding a grimace. As he finished waking up, the others talked about Syleste and the events of the night before.

Sebastian watched Xerxes the entire time. Sebastian had always known there was something different about him; being able to sense the presence of Supernaturals was one of his abilities. He could hear their abnormalities, the way they resonated differently from the world. In hindsight, it was obvious that Xerxes wasn't human. The odd dissonance that accompanied non-humans always appeared whenever Xerxes was around, but he had chalked it up to being slightly nervous around Xerxes. He was a tall, muscular, intelligent, capable, learned, kind, responsible-

Sebastian stopped himself. The list went on. He was always nervous around people like Xerxes.

“We are here if any of you guys need us, anything you need let us know. She will be okay Gage, she is a tough young woman. Okay?” Miranda's voice brought Sebastian back to reality. He smiled kindly over at Gage and Syleste.

"You know she'd get rather pissy if she heard you thinking she was weak, Gage." Sebastian's voice was hoarse, more of a croak than a clear sound. Syleste was always oddly fiery when it came to her being just as tough as everyone else.

The Siren slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position so he could see the group better. As Cassie came back into the room, he managed a full smile. "Thank you guys for coming." His voice was weak, but his sincerity was unmistakable. It felt good to have someone come visit him. The rest of the times he had ended up in the hospital during his childhood, it had just been his dad showing up every now and again, usually getting called away to work for some reason or another.

---

---

When Magnus gestured for Leo to get into his car, he cocked an eyebrow. He had planned on taking his car, but it appeared the Druid was quite insistent. Knowing Magnus, he should have expected it. Not bothering to fight it, he slipped into the passenger seat and made himself comfortable, pushing the seat back and the back of the seat further down.

The car ride to Magnus' place was uneventful; Leo occasionally glanced over at Magnus, but he kept his gaze on the road, never wavering.

After about fifteen minutes, they arrived. As the Druid shut off the car, Leo looked the house over. He had only been here once before, and that had been late at night to pick up a package of importance for Callie.

The house was rather homely, with a soft shape and color palette. The vegetation was overgrown in a well kept manner, giving an earthy feel to the entire structure.

"Here we are... Would you like to come in, or am I running in?" Leo turned to face Magnus and feigned suprise.

"An invitation? Why, Magnus, I think that's the most polite thing you've ever said to me." Leo gave a soft chuckle and slid out of the car, adjusting the hem of his shirt as he waited for Magnus to enter the house. He was slightly skeptical of the entire situation, but this was probably his best chance to learn about the Druid without actual conversation. You could learn a lot of things about a person from even just a short glance around their home, and here he was with the perfect excuse.

"Lead the way, monsieur."

---

---

---

---

She was restless.

That much was clear to any who was watching over her as she lay in the hospital bed she had been assigned. It had been a long night for her… for the nurses… having woken up in pain more than a few times, only to then have more pain killers pumped into her system to drown it out. Her face scrunching up slightly, Syleste shifted agitatedly over the mattress of the hospital bed, a light sheen of sweat covering her body as she gently tossed back and forth, causing some stray strands of her long bubblegum pink hair to stick against the side of her face, her breath picking up just slightly as the memories of the night before began to flicker across the forefront of her mind, forcing her to relive the horror that she and her friends had all been put through.

The cackling of a roaring fire… the gentle ring of her friends laughter… the sweet but strong aroma of her cup of cotton candy vodka… the loving warmth of her boyfriend’s arms wrapped around her body… It was perfect- everything had been so perfect. The company of great friends, especially that of her best friends was something she had always loved; something that had always helped to make her feel special… helped to make her feel wanted, and not like she was different. The night had been going on so great, it was like nothing could ever go wrong; but then it did. The fearsome snarls… the terrified screams… the strong stench of copper…

..and then there was the pain. The excruciating pain that ripped through her body…

Her bright though cloudy blue eyes flinging open, Syleste attempted to sit herself up in the bed though was quickly shot down, a sharp pain ripping through her body causing her to fall back, her eyes shutting tightly as she pressed back into the pillows. It hurt so much… all over… more than she could ever explain. That was the only problem with painkillers… eventually, they all ended up wearing off, and the pain they had been holding at bay came flooding back just as quickly as it had gone.

Slowly lifting her arm up from where it had been resting, Syleste weakly reached across her body, her touch soft as her fingers lightly touched at the bandages that covered up her stitches, her fingers curling lightly over the top of it as she bit back a scream, her head turning off to the side as after what felt like a lifetime, she eventually opened her eyes, her chest heaving gently up and down with every breath as she did what she could to calm herself down enough that she could make sense of what was going on in the room around her. There were voices; familiar voices.

Cassandra… Sebastian… Miranda… Dr. Arvanitis… they were all there with her… And it was that very thought that had her body relaxing, even slightly, over the bed that she was lain on. They were okay… they were all okay. Oh, thank goodness… but then, where..?

“..Gage…”

---

---

Cody couldn’t really explain what it was, to have Aron fit so perfectly in his arms. It just...seemed so right, and for a few moments, Cody cursed the time they could have had, had either of them decided to take a chance earlier. Yet maybe it was better this way. Maybe it was more, for the simple fact that it was the right time. Perhaps they would never know. Cody just relished these few moments of peace, ,with Aron. Watching Aron a moment, it was quite clear that Aron was struggling, and perhaps failing a little, against sleep. It was rather charming, and Cody smiled, a soft, loving smile that made him seem younger than he was. Or maybe it just showed how young her was. Barely old enough to be considered an adult. He sighed softly, and hugged Aron tighter to him, returning the rather delicious kiss.

”Sleep, Aron” He said softly, ”I’ll be here, watching” He promised, quite intent on staying close to Aron. He closed his own eyes, and over a few moments, Cody once more became aware of everything that was going on around him. Aron’s scent, wafting over him, a comfort and a happy feeling of...satisfaction filling him as he took it in, Aron’s breathing, a steady rhythm that made Cody happy, birds around them, the sound of small critters, faint, but there. Everything seemed to be heightened, like before he’d been living in...2D, and now it this was what 3D was.

Or maybe it was simply 4-D now.

Cody analysed it all, letting it filter through his mind, and simply trying to understand it all. Maybe it was easier because Aron was there, and wasn’t that a little strange? Was this something more, what they had? Was it related to...what they now were? Cody blinked, thinking on that for a few moments, a little unsure how he felt about that, yet...if it gave him Aron, did it really matter? He thought on that for a few seconds, not sure what it all meant. He looked back to Aron, and a smile spread across his features once more.

It didn’t matter.

He settled back, keeping Aron close, more than content to simply sit with Aron, and relax for a time. Aron could definitely use it, and Cody was happy to be his...security. He might not truly understand what was going on, but that was something he could understand. The simple security of love, did wonders for everyone.

---

---

Myra closed her eyes at a stop light, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she listened to the endless chatter over the radio from the cop trailing the car. ”Doesn’t seem like i’ve been spotted, looks as though there are two people in the car…’. Her heart clenched. Sombra. If it was James Burke there, then he had better have Sombra, or he would face her wrath. Her knuckles were going white as she gripped the wheel just about as tightly as she could. And if he did have Sombra with him, then they both had some explaining to do. Arlo barked happily, his paws on the passenger window, and looked over to her, just as the light went green. Opening her eyes, Myra continued to drive, listening to the chatter continue.

Gods, this kid. Where was his senior partner? Too full of eagerness, Myra suspected the kid might have just gone off,eager to please her. She growled, the sound entirely human, one of frustration and fury. She would not abide by slopping police work. She’d deal with that after she dealt with her daughter. And her daughters...Myra snarled. And then Myra’s fury reached an all time high, as ”Oh, shit! I think they made me!”. Oh, yes, that kid was going to be in trouble.

Myra listened as the kid said that the car had stopped at Cedar Ash inn, and that he’d continued on, hadn’t got a good look at the people within the car, but Myra knew. Cedar Ash Inn, if the two had followed other’s lives here, would be the only place they’d go, sure of at least a cordial welcome. Sombra would go to Callie. The only person who wouldn’t, beyond a doubt, tell her that Sombra was in town.

Myra sighed. She couldn’t do anything, so long as they were at the inn. Myra had a deep respected for Callie, and she wouldn’t disturb the witch’s home, and living. Which just frustrated Myra even more. She nevertheless continued to drive towards the inn. Arlo yipped, and sat watching her, as if aware that she was ready to…do something. Anger was what all Flores women were use to, yet Myra wasn’t sure that that would be wise to throw at Sombra. The girl had a strong will, and Myra had long since understood that they were so much alike…which was probably the route of a lot of their problems.

Myra loved her daughter. Myra had fought every day, tooth and nail, for her children. She had fought her own parents, even before they had been born. And she would continue to fight for them, every day of her life. It was a heck of a lot easier to deal with Alex, not that they hadn’t had their hardships. It was just so much harder, to deal with Sombra. Because she didn’t know how, and she didn’t want to lose her again. She stopped a few blocks away, and lowered her head onto the steering wheel.

”Come on boy, let's go for a walk” Arlo yipped, and wagged his tail happily, as Myra retrieved his leash.



She was quite positive it was them, butnshe didn't want to get Alexenders hopes up too much, in case fhis was just one wild goose chase.

---

---

Selina stayed where she was, staring at her cell phone. There really was no putting it off any longer-her father would find out she wasn’t at her job sooner or later, and he’d need to find someone else to cover the job. And she needed information. She sighed heavily, and picked up her phone, dialing the number. Her father answered relatively quickly, and Selina winced. Part of her had wanted him to not answer.

”Selina” Her father’s voice was full of joy at the unexpected call, and guilt twisted Selina’s heart. She shouldn’t have dreaded the call. How could he know that she had...No. She wouldn’t even think it. And yet she couldn’t stop thinking about her...Selina gripped her phone tightly, not tight enough to smash it.

”Papa” Selina said, her voice quiet, her tone soft, she took a few seconds to choose the words carefully, ”Papa, I’m not going to be able to make it to my job. I’ve been waylaid. An alpha werewolf attacked a group of teenagers, last night. I’m going to stick around, and see what I can find out” She said, Isn’t there a hunter in Klamath Falls? Retired, right?”

There was silence for a few moments, before her father responded, ”Selina” Selina winced again. She knew that tone of voice. She decided to cut him off before he got into his stride. ”Papa, I know what I’m doing. I’m not going to attack anyone, until I know what’s going on. I just want to know about the hunter here so I don’t step on any toes” She said, before giving a sigh.

There was silence again, although this time Selina recognised it as her father’s thinking tone. So she sat back, and waited for him to respond. ”The hunter’s name is Kareena D’Nile. A formable hunter, she knows of your existence, but not what you are. Do well to tread carefully around Kareena, she might not take well to you. Be careful, Selina”

Selina smiled, ”I will be, Papa” She promised, and for a moment, she was on the verge of telling him about...what had happened, but she stopped herself. That wouldn’t be wise, for either of them. So instead she said goodbye, and hung up. Now she had a couple of paths, but she thought she’d still go with finding the female alpha. It shouldn’t be too hard. She’d want to check on the new pups. And any who weren’t healing, who’d be in the hospital. Selina thought on that for a few moments, before she rose, starting to move. She started towards the hospital.

When there, she didn’t get far. Having preferred to stay out of sight, Selina had made her way through the staff carpark, sneaking through. Which was, perhaps, a mistake. Hindsight put nearly everything into perspective. She watched a doctor...and one whiff was enough to tell her that he wasn’t human, get out a Bentley, followed by two girls. Selina’s heart stopped, her gaze immediately going to the blonde haired of the two.

Shit.

She turned and fled, silently through the garage, and out into the sunlight once more. She didn’t stop running until she was as far as she could go without leaving the town. She leaned over, squeezing her eyes shut. Why did this have to happen to her?

---

---

Callie might have taken the time to tell Alexis that the clothes she had were all new, and had not been worn, but she decided not to push the girl. She deserved her independence, even if Callie was soon going to be, in more ways than one, her mentor. Up in one of the rooms, Callie sat down on the bed. While it was quite possible there was going to be visitors in the inn, Callie was rather taking the chance to be on her own for a few moments. She bowed her head, and closed her eyes. Flashes of images reached her, all clamoring at once for her attention, yet she simply let them come, knowing if she didn’t, they’d overwhelm her throughout the day, and that was not something that she could afford to happen.

Myra, clearly frustrated, her knuckles white against a steering wheel. A young woman running across town, clearly afraid of something. Xerses in a room, with some of the teenagers there, two injured. A small dog, a pup, barking, a girl’s laughter echoing across the vision, two boys snuggled together in a beanbag. Zoe, in her pub, a flash of recognition, and then it was gone. And finally, a car pulling up, and old friends climbing out.

She gave a soft sigh, opening her eyes. She rubbed her temples a moment. Callie’s clairvoyance was a little different to Leo’s. Leo often saw things both before and after they happened, whereas Callie often saw things moments, sometimes half an hour before they happened. She couldn’t control it, not really. It was, generally speaking, the strongest future slamming itself against her consciousness. She took a few moments to gather herself, before she rose, smoothing her clothes, she glanced around the room, and with a few muttered spells, it was sorted.

Making her way back downstairs, just as two people she might never have expected to see walk through her door came through it, if she had not just seen the vision. ”Sombra. James” She said, nevertheless delighted, approaching them, she threw her arms around both of them, ”I’ve missed you, both” She hugged them tight, before stepping back, and muttered the exact words that would let her talk to Alexis, through the charms.

”Alexis, would you come here a moment?” She asked the girl

---

---

Cassandra watched Gage, her heart heavy. She wanted to hug him and tell him it would be alright, but she just didn’t know how. ”Go on, Gage. You need your strength. For Syleste” She said, looking over to her friend, and she winced, seeing that Syleste was restless. She supposed she couldn’t blame Syleste-it had been a terrifying night. Cassandra knew she had only got through the long hours until morning because of Miranda and her father. And Chewbacca. She sighed softly, keeping her eyes on Syleste.

And she breathed softly through her mouth. She had been since entering the hospital, almost a reflex against the scents she was now picking up. Blood and other things being high there, with the scent of bleach that did nothing now to mask the scents against her nose. Breathing through her mouth wasn’t a perfect solution, yet it did enable her to bear with all the new sensation. Looking at Syleste, she had to wonder how the girl handled it. Surely this was much like what she went through, the scents and sounds?

She shifted towards Miranda, concerned for her best friend, but she couldn’t force Miri to tell her anything. Or she could. But she wasn’t going to. She sighed softly, looking over to Sebastian, and gave him a smile, nodding to the food she had put down for him, ”That’s for you, to, Seb” She said, ensuring that he knew it was there, and that she wasn’t about to leave before he at least had something to eat. Even if it was only a few bites.

Noticing that Syleste was awake, Cassandra studied her for a brief moment, noticing that Syleste was moving her left arm unhindered, something that she wouldn’t be able to do if the IV drip was in. Without even thinking about it-how many times had she watched her father do this, all those hours after school when she wasn’t working, or with her friends?-she said ”One sec, Syl” before gently clicking the drip back into place, matching the drips clip to the cannula just as the machine started to beep its agitation that it was running freely, and unhindered from the cannula. It soon shut up, and Cassie smiled, stepping back towards Gage.

She gently took the food from him, setting it next to the food prepared for Syleste, and nudging him towards her, before stepping back to Miranda again, watching her friends, wanting to help them, but not knowing how. It was easy to be strong for her friends, not so easy to be there for herself. Yet Cassandra was trying to do what she could to deal, like she did with everything else. By making sure her friends were okay.

---

Aron nodded as Cody told him to sleep and found himself succumbing to sleep rather quickly. This was not really surprising considering the lack of sleep he had. As he did he shifted how he was laying which resulted in his face being nuzzled on Cody's neck.

As soon as he was enveloped even more by Cody's scent he was fast asleep.

---

---

Gage blinked as Miranda hugged him. Far too tired to complain he was grateful she kept the hugging time to a minimum. Before he could respond he found his attention snagged by Sebastian. "I'm just-" He was cut off by the sound of his girlfriend calling for him.

In moments gage was at her side, food still in hand but ignored. "I'm here." his free hand found one of hers and enveloped it. Soon Cassandra helped her and then took his food and set it down.

Gage inhaled and blinked, the scents were almost overwhelming but he didn't care. What mattered to him was his wounded girlfriend. "I promise I won't leave" his voice was quiet as always when speaking to her. He paused before gently kissing her forehead. He didn't seem to care that there were others in the room at the moment.

---

---

Magnus turned to Leo and raised a brow. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He walked to his door and ran a hand across it, causing several small runes to light up along with what looked like a dial from a safe, but with various symbols instead. Both hands moved and the dial spun in different directions before the door opened.

Inside the cottage was more sleek. Various slabs of stone covered the walls and the floor was made of bamboo. It was small but did not feel claustrophobic...rather it felt inviting. It was a two bedroom 1.5 bathroom with a living room open to the kitchen. Along one wall there was a floor to ceiling bookcase that was built in. Other then the rather large book case the most interesting aspect was the yard outside. While you would expect a view of the small town or a forest there was large leafy plant life. It almost looked like an overly organized jungle with a path made out of cobblestone. That may be his herb garden...where he got some of his ingredients for his own potions.

Magnus glanced at Leo. "Feel free to wander. I should only be a moment." he paused and turned. "I wouldn't recommended going outside without me though...you could get lost" he then turned once more and made his way to his room where he began packing a bag. He had no idea how long he would be at Callie's after all and he did not want to be without a change of clothes. He also changed himself...switching to a sleeveless hoodie and jeans of all things..an outfit he hardly was seen in, but felt comfortable in.

"I'll try my best." Leo responded somewhat drily.

As Magnus went into his room and began packing his bags, the Warlock began exploring as inconspicuously as he could.

The house was rather small, but every inch was filled with detail. Various objects imbued with magical power decorated the house, ranging from amulets engraved with wards to simple light fixtures that cast a slightly unnatural light. The interior was decorated with good taste; Magnus probably had plenty of experience in that department, given his age.

As Leo peered out into the garden, he reflected on his and Magnus' age gap. It was certainly the largest age discrepancy he had ever encountered. While he wasn't positive exactly when Magnus was born, he knew it was at least before 1900, most likely a couple more centuries before then. The Druid was vastly older than Leo. Hell, he wasn't even twenty five yet.

A small amount of blood rushed to Leo's face as he realized he had been very overtly flirting with Magnus ever since last night. It appeared Magnus had been unopposed to it, but knowing the Druid, he could just be playing with him. What had Callie thought? Had she even noticed? Probably.

"Shit..." Leo muttered, suddenly very conscious of every little action he was taking, every piece of clothing he wore, every hair on his head that was out of place. Whatever, just focus on not screwing up.

Leo straightened the hem of his shirt and casually leaned against the wall, gazing out into the garden as he waited for his companion to return.

Once Magnus felt satisfied he left the room with a rather old and worn trunk. He paused seeing Leo looking out into the garden. He gently put the trunk on the counter and walked to Leo. "Perhaps on a less busy day I could show you around it." he then walked past Leo to the book case. He seemed to whisper something and the book case slid open to reveal another door.

Magnus inhaled then held his hand up with a ball of light he began moving and with him a somehow more complex lock moved with him until it clicked and the door slid open. Contained within was a large room filled with various bottles and boxes containing ingredients. In the center was a sort of podium with two worn looking books. He pulled out his phone and made his way through...clearly he trusted Leo to be exposing this room.

He left the room with a few small bottles with worn labels. "I had to check my stock." he turned to the door and a ball of light appeared in his hand before flying at the door causing it and the book case to close as if it was never open. "Okay now I should be good." the bottles were labeled with wolfsbane cure, vampire venom, and sleeping salve. An odd assortment but Magnus knew what he was doing. He put the bottles into the trunk before closing it and holding it. His gaze hit Leo and he found himself wondering what the warlock was thinking.

Leo took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall with a heave of his shoulder. He gave Magnus a small look over, noticing his new outfit. He didn't mind the cut off sleeves, but he did his best to hide the fact that he noticed that in particular.

He jerked his chin in the direction of the bottle as he put his hands into his jacket pockets. "Those are quite the ingredients you've got there." Leo wasn't entirely positive what species the supernaturals at the hospital were, but he doubted they would be needing something like vampire venom. Then again, Leo was aware that if you distilled it properly, it could provide quite the healing boost, as well as some other nocturnal abilities; Magnus most likely possessed the skill to craft a potion of that sort.

Without waiting for a reply from Magnus, he made his way to the front door and called out over his shoulder. "Let's go, I don't want the kids dying at the hospital because we were too busy worrying about your wardrobe to go help them."

Magnus shrugged at the comment about the bottles."Never know what could be needed." that sentence in particular was said like he experienced quite a few events where things were needed. He grabbed his keys and rolled his eyes at Leo.

Magnus made his way to the door and opened it. He opened up the trunk of his car and slide his trunk into it before popping open the passenger door for Leo. His eyes flicked over the warlock as if the Druid was trying to unlock him before he settled into the drivers seat.

In moments he had the car running and drove toward the hospital,

~10 minutes later~

Magnus parked the car close to the entrance and climbed out of the car. He paused and waited for Leo.

Leo climbed out of the car and stretched, cracking his neck without his hands as he did so. The parking lot was rather empty, except for a few cars scattered here and there. There wasn't much need for a large amount of visitors for the small town, and as a result, the parking lot was rarely used, except by staff.

"Hang on, give me a second to find out where they are. I doubt they'll just tell us." Leo had pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and had been smoking it during the ride to the hospital. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the cigar out of his mouth and held it between his fingers. The Warlock leaned over and placed his hands on the hood of Magnus' car, careful not to let the burning end of the cigarette touch the vehicle.

Leo exhaled the cigar smoke into the air in between his body and the car, staring intently into it as the smoke formed into a ball in front of him. As his irises turned a smokey gray color, Leo became able to discern shapes in the fog that only he could interpret. He saw the shapes of patients and nurses, IV polls and hospital beds. As the images continued to parade through, he honed his thoughts on the injured supernaturals. Soon, the injured forms of two teenagers came into view.

They shared a room in the hospital together, surrounded by the forms of other teens their age. As the image further developed, the familiar shaped of Xerxes came into the room, providing an identifying factor. Leo also noticed his daughter, Cassie, if he recalled correctly, carrying food into the room.

Leo blew into the smoke, forcing the vision to phase through the wall and provide him with a room number. Content with his findings, Leo inhaled sharply, sucking the smoke back into his lungs before sitting up and tilting his head back, expelling it into the air in a long stream. After he finished, Leo tossed the cigar to the side, muttered a spell that cause it to ignite into a burst of flames, soon dissipating into the air.

"Alright, I've got the room number." Leo set off across the parking lot, jerking his head in a motion for Magnus to follow him. "So, tell me, Magnus, what are your thoughts on this entire situation?"

Magnus raised a brow before watching Leo. He never did and probably never would fully understand the ability to see visions, but he did find the various methods to use said ability fascinating. His head tilted as he watched.

Magnus blinked when Leo finished and made his way to him. "My thoughts? Well...I have more pups to advise" he exhaled. "Honestly though...it's tragic what happened." He held a long pause. "But considering I've seen worse I think it'll work out" He had an odd urge to be honest with Leo...and to say what was on his mind. Magnus was fairly certain he was rapidly developing feelings for the warlock.

Leo was surprised at the candor the Druid displayed. Normally, he was very evasive; Leo wasn't positive what to think of it.

"In my experience, having even one new pup is difficult to handle. But having an entire pack..." Leo shook his head. "I do not envy you and Zoe. Back when I lived with my parents Coven, we had plenty of new bloods brought to us when their caretakers or newfound supernatural friends didn't know what to do with them. It was always an ordeal... I remembered often staying up through the night with the kids my age, being there to comfort them and take their minds off of things. I can't imagine going through that myself."

Magnus' eyes flicked to Leo and he felt a slight surge of uncertainty. Did he just act too open? He decided not to think on it too much.

Magnus managed a twitch of a smile. "Zoe will be holding more of the burden...." But he was there for help should it be needed. That and he would never admit it, but he would help as much as needed...no matter what it was. "Sounds like a lot to deal with" He looked away from Leo before looking forward. "My area of expertise is technically weres, but if you need help.." he trailed off. "But you're fully capable on your own" clearly trying to salvage himself with that.

Leo cast a soft smile at Magnus over his shoulder. "Was that a compliment?"

Without any further words, Leo returned to facing forward and pushed open the hospital door, focusing on hiding the fact that his face was heated, most likely meaning he was blushing.

The Warlock led the way, walking straight past the reception desk with a quick smile and walking into the depths of the hospital. After a few twists and turns of silence, Leo spoke without bothering to face Magnus.

"The same goes for you." Leo felt like an ass for taking so long to reply, but he was nervous about saying the wrong thing. Magnus appeared to be attempting to bond with Leo, and he wasn't gonna shoot him down in a blaze of glory. At least, not intentionally. "Except for the compliment part. I'm omitting that bit. Can you imagine what would happen? Your ego would go through the roof, and then where would we be? Stuck in a hospital because we couldn't fit your ego out the door."

Leo gave Magnus a playful smile and looked down the hall, nodding his head in the direction of a doctor who appeared to be having a rather heated discussion with a nurse. "That's our guy. Shall we go say hello?"

Magnus flicked his eyes away from Leo. Perhaps

Then it got quiet. Magnus felt himself questioning himself. Did he do something wrong....why did he care so much? Magnus squeezed his eyes for a moment and briefly wished he could teleport...or turn invisible.

When Leo spoke Magnus felt himself jump a bit and being thankful Leo wasn't looking at him. God that's embarrassing...his ego was really taking it today. He managed to save himself though. "That's unfourtunate...my ego isn't nearly as large as it could be"

He felt himself smile back before it vanished into the unknown. "We may as well."

Leo walked down the hall towards the bickering doctor, readying himself in case Xerxes decided to get angry at Leo as well. It wasn't that Xerxes was unreasonable during Leo's previous interactions with him; on the contrary, the Angel always seemed to be pleasant and kind, always willing to give a bit of sage advice. But Leo could imagine exactly how much stress he could be under. Trying to treat an entire pack of newbloods sounded remarkably stressful. Leo also recalled seeing Cassie in the visions of the attack, as well as in the hospital. The brief question of if she was a werewolf ran through Leo's mind, but he put it aside for later. The Warlock just hoped Xerxes had gotten enough sleep.

Leo quietly stood to the side of the nurse and cleared his throat, trying to catch the Angel's attention. "Doctor Arvantis?"

---

---

---

---

This was a joke… it had to be…

Remaining silent as he stood himself up from where he was sat, Zoé kept her dark gaze locked on his figure, watching on as he cautiously rounded the side of the bar only to then approach her as though she were some kind of wild animal, ready to lash out at him on a moment’s notice. Well, technically, he wasn’t too far off the truth… She was wild; had been now for quite some time, not that he would know that though. The one time she had needed him the most, he had disappeared… gone from her life, just like her niec-… no; worse than that… just like her pack had done.

Her eyes tearing away from his the moment he came to a stop in front of her, she let her gaze wander. Did he really expect her to hug him..? To act like he hadn’t just disappeared for the last year or so..? How many times had she tried to call him; to make sure that he was safe- to make sure that he wasn’t dead… but nothing. Just like Sombra, there had been no contact; though with her niece, there was still no contact. She had a number; that was it. One she that was instructed to leave voicemails on whenever things got bad or too out of hand. She never once got anything in return, but that was just the way it was with them- how it had been for the last five years or so… but never did she expect the same treatment to come from her own brother.

Lifting her gaze back up to meet with his, she continued to stare, reaching out to place the box of food on the bar top she otherwise remained stoic, not giving any signs that she was going to be moving anymore than she already had, even as Alder slipped away from them to instead go and collect a mop from the back. If things hadn’t of been a mess before, they sure were now… and it was clear she wasn’t at all referring to the beer spilled at her feet.

Taking the hint, Damien let his arms drop back to his sides, a sad sort of smile coming across his features. She wasn’t happy with him, that much was clear. Though she hadn’t quite reached the anger stage yet, it appeared that it would take her a few moments longer to get over the initial shock.

“I just got into town about thirty minutes ago…” he said out loud, not sure if he was explaining anything to her or just talking for the sake of interrupting the awkward silence that had been created. “Myra doesn’t even know I’m in town yet. I… wanted to come and see you first… I would have called but my phone…” he chuckled, though humor was left out of it. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you what happened to it.”

“..why are you here, Damien..?”

The words falling from her mouth before she could stop them, Zoé met with her brother’s eyes, holding them… searching them for answers, though she could see none. Why… why show up now..? Over a year late. Did he really believe that just showing up like this was going to fix things..?

“I just got out of a… strange situation.” he explained almost immediately at her question. “I wanted to come and see my baby sister… let her know everything is… well… not alright, but… not terrible…”

“..and you couldn’t have called me..?” Her breath picking up just slightly as her emotions began to rise, Zoé continued to stare up at her older brother, her dark eyes hardening slightly, and it took everything that she had to not let them change… to not show him the sickly blood red color of her true eyes, “..a year, Damien… a full year… you didn’t even call…”

Ignoring the sting that flittered across the surface of her iris’, she forced the tears back, refusing to let them fall as she held his full attention, “..did you forget that I was picking you up that day..? For hours I sat, alone, at the airport waiting for you to come out of security, or to send me a message letting me know what was going on; but I got nothing- I needed you… I needed my big brother more than ever, and you never showed up…”

“No phone, and I didn’t even have money for a ticket here, Zoé, let alone enough for a payphone. Believe me when I say that I would have contacted you sooner if I could have. Remember my special time in Russia?” He hated talking about Russia - his time as a hostage in some silly little war that his squad had no sense being in, in the first place. For an entire year he was imprisoned, beaten, raped, tortured, starved and so many other things that he didn’t even tell Zoé about. “Something like that.”

She was getting worked up, and frankly he couldn’t blame her. She was trying to hide something from him, though. He could literally feel it. Exhaling a soft sigh, Damien let his eyes close. For a moment, it seemed as though his eyelids were giving off a soft hue of light, and when he opened them again, that light remained, covering over his iris’ but was gone just as quickly as it had come.

“If you change now, your bartender is going to come around that corner and really start to question things. He’s already worked up about seeing you heft that keg on your shoulder. And somehow I don’t think an explanation of a change to your workout routine is going to settle with him.” His once brotherly voice was gone, replaced by one that held years of military service.

Her hands shooting out before he had time to even begin his sentence, Zoé gripped the front of his top, her eyes flashing over a dangerous red as she forced him back, pressing him rather violently against the wall, a quite wild and threatening growl growing from somewhere deep within her chest as she continued to hold his attention. She was done playing games- how dare he come in here and believe to know what had been going on in her life… how dare he come in here and start barking orders at her as though she were one of his soldiers…

It wasn’t going to happen.

“You have no idea about what’s going on here..!” Doing all she could to hold herself back, she snarled softly… menacingly before she brought her emotions back, her eyes once more returning back to their normal dark color, a slight sadness flickering across the surface of them as she visibly relaxed only the tiniest of bits, “..you have no idea about what’s going on with me...”

A small breath of air left his lungs as he was forced back into the wall, one of many various decorations that had been hung up swinging violently above him until it dislodged from the wooden panel and came crashing down.

It was like he had a third eye. Although his two, brown eyes were peering down at his sister, his mind’s eye recognized the falling object to be a framed picture of the three of them - Myra, Zoé, Damien - all three of them younger, in Spain, not a care in the world written across their features.

Although trapped by his chest, his arms were still free. One shot out, palm facing upwards and the picture that was sure to be destroyed became suspended in mid-air, hovering just at eye level and a good two feet from the palm of his hand. Waiting a moment or two longer, to simply let the action set in with his angry sister, he then raised his second hand. He turned his head, letting his eyes focus on the broken beer keg and the copious amounts of liquid on the floor. His free hand contorted into a claw, twisting and pulling at the wrist until the spilt beer began to shake on the ground, as though there were an earthquake. Then, “pulling” with his hand, the ruined beer rose from the polished floors and with a jerk of his hand, the amber liquid went from a floating puddle to a spiraling rope and moved in the direction towards the kegs - more specifically, the empty Dopplebock keg that was supposed to be replaced.

As the beer moved, there seemed to be an invisible sort of filter at a specific point. Tiny particles were left behind, be it dirt, grime, or anything else that may have made the beer impure and undrinkable. And as soon as the very last of the beer had been stored inside of the empty keg, each little filtered particle fell back to the floor.

”And you have no idea what’s going on with me.”

There was a scuffle around the corner where Alder was struggling with getting the mop bucket to move in the correct direction. Dropping one hand back to his side, Damien flicked his opposite wrist and the picture frame bounced back up, fastening back to the wall above them.

”Uh…” Alder surveyed the scene before him, not quite sure what to do with the situation of his boss pinning some stranger up against the wall. He had almost forgotten about the spill but when he looked to see where she should start mopping, nothing but a broken wooden keg and some dirt was left behind. “Uh…” He stared down the spot, and then looked back to Zoé, and then back to where he could have sworn a massive mess was. “What… the hell?”. Was he really just that tired? ”I could've swore… Boss… you okay?” The poor, confused boy looked back to Zoé, clearly needing some closure to a few things before his mind would even let him remotely function again.

M-Magic..? Her brother had magic..?

The anger seeming to disappear, even the tiniest bit from her features, Zoé’s grip loosened slightly over the front of his top, her dark eyes flicking back and forth between his own as she searched for some kind of answer as to what the hell she had missed over the last year or so. It was clear enough that something big had happened in both of their lives… something that the neither knew about, and now it seemed that it the time had come for all secrets between them to surface; to be spoken about openly and freely… a conversation, it seemed, that was well long overdue...

The sound of a familiar voice grabbing her attention, she shook her head lightly from side to side, pulled back from her thoughts so that she could instead shoot a quick glance over her shoulder at the bartender who was watching the both of them, and the current situation rather intently. Geez… when had he become so nosey..? Or maybe it was out of concern… the thought that it was the latter had a slight guilt weighing on her already heavy heart, “..I-... yeah, I’m fine… I, uh… I actually think we’re going to open a little later today… my brother and I have a lot we need to talk about…”

Brother? Alder shifted nervously against the mop handle that was placed inside the practically broken bucket with wheels. His eyes, heavy with sleep, looked once more between his boss and the… mess? He knew that Zoé had family… a brother and a sister… but she never talked about her brother. At least… in the last year she hadn’t- Oh…

Damien gave Alder a sort of strangled smile, the tips of his fingers on his raised hand twitching a bit in an effort to wave hello.

”Might be for the best. Your bartender looks like he could use another hour to wake up. Grabbed the mop instead of the broom.”.

Alder shook his head. Maybe he was really that tired. Then… he had seen Zoé carrying the keg on her shoulder… it was just empty. And the explosive mess… He heaved out a heavy sigh and without another word, turned himself around and forced the bucket with the broken wheel back into the storeroom to fetch the broom he apparently was supposed to grab in the first place.

It was clear that Alder was more confused than ever before; honestly, she couldn’t blame him. She was just as confused. Damien had been gone for the last year… now he was back, and with magic..? If the attack the night previous hadn’t complicated things enough, this had just made everything so much harder… Her grip loosening over the front of her brother’s top, Zoé paused for a brief moment before she shook her head, her soft lips parting ever so slightly as she called back out to the bartender.

“Alder… just leave it, I’ll clean it up… go home and get some more sleep… you deserve it- oh, and before you come in later, I still need you to stop by the brewery and grab those kegs I messaged you about this morning…”

”Uh huh…” The bartender barely acknowledged Zoé’s words as he continued to head towards the back. All he heard was that she was cleaning it up, and go home, and sleep. Sleep. Sleep was good. And he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, either.

Waiting until Alder was out of sight, Damien looked back to his sister, his “welcoming” smile reserved for Alder gone, and his face returning to it’s seemingly permanent stoic expression.

”We got a better place to talk?”

So warm one moment; so cold the next. This wasn’t the Damien she remembered… Lifting her attention back up so that she was able to meet with her brother’s gaze, Zoé stayed silent a moment, a slightly saddened frown flickering over her otherwise gentle features as she thought on his question. There were plenty of places they could talk openly with each other… the (now) only human employee she had already headed off home so that he could pass out, most likely on the couch while the pup he cared for climbed all over him… The bar was a safe place now that they had it to themselves; but she had a feeling that this shadow of a brother standing before her wouldn’t take that as a suitable answer…

“..you got a choice of my office in the back, or we can head back to my place; take your pick…” Dropping her hands from where they were resting against his chest, she stepped back, her gaze holding his for a few moments longer before eventually, she tore her attention away from him, instead allowing it to return to the food and the shake that her son had brought in, her hand reaching out to pick up the cup so that she could take a sip through the straw.

”Home, then. This might take longer than a few hours…”