"I guess so. Still a little weird. Like watching a mother and daughter." Atticus said. He went back to his tea before looking in the bag of muffins had made for him and Kat. There was a good variety in there, that was for sure.

Hearing that the snowstorm was still a few hours away put Atticus's mind at ease a bit, but still amazed him with it being the beginning of September. Well… close to it. He supposed being as far North as they were it wasn't unheard of and especially not being too far from the mountains either. Some years it took until the end of October but some years they would get flurries early like this. It just meant it would be a cold winter. He would bring his other jacket, he thought, especially since while the cold didn't bother him too much, it might bother Kat. Especially after last night with the rain and cold. He didn't have to worry about getting sick, he did have to worry about her getting sick though.

Once Kat came back down he gave her a soft smile and nodded. "We've got four of them and a couple other kinds." He grabbed his other jacket as they headed out. He noticed Kat pulling her coat closer around her. He wouldn't deny it was cold, but he still held his jacket out to her. "If you need it, I've got this one too."

He nodded a bit about going to the arboretum. He enjoyed it there, oddly enough, and this time of year it was always pretty. All the leaves were beginning to change colors and soon they would be decorating for Halloween. Which was always fun. He actually enjoyed Halloween time around the coven, and it wasn't hard to tell that almost everyone did too. It was one of the few times of the year everyone seemed to get along. "So Kitty, which story do you want me to start with? The one from last night or the one with the hunters?"

--

Lia sipped a bit of her tea concoction before blowing on it some after burning her tongue a little. She needed to remember how hot the tea was sometimes. She sighed a bit and got to making cookoe dough, humming a bit while she did. Of course, the cookie dough needed to chill for a bit before she started baking it, but it surprised her a little more that someone answered her. She looked to Mitch and gave a soft, barely there smile, "Well, which would you prefer this time, I'll make extra of those."

She got out both grape and strawberry jellies and then she started on the base for s'mores pie. She could never quite put her finger on why baking soothed her so much, but something told her it was the repitition in it. Especially when it came to everything she was making now. "Do you want anything else for breakfast?" She asked, looking around at all the muffins. "I mean, I know I've made enough muffins to feed at the very least half the castle, but if you want something else, I don't mind making it."

She could feel her throat getting itchy again and she took another sip of her tea and turned to get the rest of the stuff for s'mores pie. Once she had it finished, she put it in the freezer to set and she pulled out some meat. She decided chili would be good for dinner. She took another sip of tea before a timer went off and she pulled the cookie dough out of the fridge. "Oh, and before I forget," she said to Mitch. "Att asked if I would cancel lessons tomorrow since it's Kat's birthday. Also asked if I would make her a cake, a kind of surprise for her I guess." She said as she placed the first pan of cookies in the oven.

A light cough escaped her and she rolled her eyes a little as she turned to busy herself again.

Kathleen smiled a little when Atty said that Lia had put a couple of all kinds in the bag. Just because she hadn't been able to eat yet, hopefully once she woke up it would be a little better. Right now her stomach felt funky, not really in knots, just a bit icky. Once they headed out of the cabin, she couldn't help but pull her coat a little closer to her. It was much colder than she had expected from the heat of the cabin. Her eyes looked to the coat that Atty held out when he told her that he had brought it in case she needed it. "I might take you up on that later." Kathleen said with a smile to him. "I'm not used to the cold affecting me this much." She added before bringing up the arboretum.

She personally loved the arboretum and smiled when he agreed. The trees were always so pretty at this time. Before it started hardcore snowing and the leaves were pretty colors. Plus she kind of loved to climb up into the trees and hang down off the branches. Lia had her garden but Kathleen had her trees. Soon they would start putting things on the trees for Halloween, they were cool and spooky, but made it harder to climb. Harder, not impossible. She had a long, extremely boring talking to from Checkov about messing with the decorations. Now he had them leave a tree towards the back empty for her to play in.

She looked back to Atty when he asked if she wanted him to finish the story from last night or the one about the hunters. "Hmm…" She thought for a moment making a choice as they came to the gate and she pulled it open. "I think the one from last night first, cause I didn't mean to fall asleep on you telling it." She answered. "I think you were telling me about the Warren guy when I fell asleep."

--

Mitch was quiet for a moment when she asked which he would rather have. "Grape please." He answered with a slight smile. Grape had always been his favorite, something about the taste it gave the cookie. He smiled a bit when she reacted to his answer before looking back down to his book and listening to her humm as he read. It took him a second to comprehend that she had asked him a question because he had only just fully gotten into what he was reading.

He glanced up at her for a moment blinking before answering. "I mean if you feel like making something else I will eat it. But I'm also fine with muffins." He answered with a knowing smile. Baking and cooking always seemed to help her feel better. It seemed to calm her down in a weird way. When she went back to her cooking stuff he went back to his book.

She said that lessons were going to be cancelled because they were doing something for Kat's birthday. "Oh? That's really sweet of you. She will enjoy it." He said before marking his page. "I know you already sent Atty to get food. But do you need me to get anything?" Mitch asked before hearing her cough a bit and he frowned a bit. "Are you feeling alright?"

Atticus brought the coat back over his arm when Kat told him that she might take him up on taking it later. He knew she wasn't normally so affected by the cold, at least in the time they had been together she never seemed to be. He knew she was from the North, so that had to be why, but he also knew that last night probably hadn't helped any either. He really hoped she wasn't getting sick, he hadn't actually had to deal with that yet, but he also didn't mind that he might have to all the same. He needed to know how to handle it, especially since whenever he had asked Mitch about it before, he said it could affect the magic that Kat had. He knew it did Lia's. Mitch had told him about it before, when he had asked, but he also felt like it wasn't something that could really be described.

When Kat answered him, he smiled a little. Ah, he had gotten to Warren. Of the bits and pieces he could remember, Warren was in a lot of them, and he was quite glad that he at least knew one person outside the castle walls. He was even more glad that he was retaining memories too, at least within the last 100 years. "Right, Warren. One of the few demons I've ever come across, I think anyway. From what I can remember. Anyway, we were getting ready to head out of Snowcrest when we realized that the hunters were in fact in town. We ducked into another bar in town to try and wait them out, and we would head out the other way. Perhaps it would take us longer to get to where we were going, but still worth it. Not two hours into us trying to wait them out do they come into the bar. There had to be about 10 of them too."

He couldn't help the laugh. "Oh, were they a group too. The guy we pegged as the leader of them, since there were a couple more than we anticipated, was this gruff man. Stood a good 6 inches taller than me and just solid, while the rest of them weren't far off from how I'm built. Warren and I were tucked into a booth in the back trying to figure out how we're going to get this big one down, because he was going to be our biggest issue. Well, ended up we didn't have to. He made eye contact with Warren and I both and when he went to approach us, the bartender had jumped up on the counter because a mouse scared her and he did the same thing, misjudged how tall he was and knocked himself out."

He paused because he was laughing so hard at this point. "SO, Warren and I are laughing at this whole thing so hard that the other hunters caught onto us, and we both quickly composed ourselves and ran out the back door and needless to say that fight didn't last long because the hunters had caught the attention of the town's police force, I guess that would be what you would call it anyway, and they were all taken in for questioning because they knew Warren and I so well. To this day, the image of that big, gruff man jumping on the bar and knocking himself out because of a mouse is probably the funniest thing I will ever remember."

He looked over to Kat, "This is why whenever you or Lia mention mice, I offer to set the humane traps and set them free."

---

Lia waited for Mitch's answer about breakfast before she pulled out some stuff to make omelets and hashbrowns. Everything that she was going to back needed time to chill, and she was running out of room in the freezer to prep cookie dough. One of the good things about Mitch actually eating with her for so long was she didn't have to ask him anymore how he liked things cooked or what he wanted in them, she knew now. She was going to ask if he wanted bacon after that, but when she turned and saw he was involved in his book, she decided to just go ahead and cook it anyway. It wasn't until she was telling him about tomorrow that she noticed he had marked the page in his book. She shrugged when he said it was sweet of her. "I suppose. I guess it's a normal thing to celebrate, especially with her still being so young." In retrospect, perhaps Kat wasn't that young, but Lia was still over 100 years older than her. Plus, her mind was on Aless and how she missed being able to celebrate her birthday with her. She had barely got to celebrate her 17th birthday with her before everything happened.

It took her a minute to process what Mitch had asked her, but she thought a moment. "Um, let me double check the recipes real quick. I think I have everything, but it never hurts to double check." she said. She had flipped his omelet before she opened up the cookbook that, while it rarely got used, remained in the drawer near the stove. "I should have everything, but if you think of anything that we may need, feel free to go and get it. I should have plenty of stuff for dinner the next few days, but if there was anything in particular that you wanted..." she paused and coughed again.

He had asked her if she was alright, and she gave a gentle nod. "I'm fine. Probably just the weather changing. It appears the cold is coming earlier this year." she said, taking another sip of her tea. She plated his breakfast before she went about doing some dishes. She knew that the cookie dough would be ready for baking now, but she didn't want to fall behind on dishes either. She closed her eyes a moment and quickly opened them when she realized that she was starting to see something from her nightmare the night before. She knew she was getting sick too, but she didn't want to say anything in case she could nip it in the bud now. Sometimes she could, but she almost doubted it this time. Especially considering it had managed to somehow line up with her nightmares.

She sighed after a minute. "Actually..." she said, shaking her head a little. "I might be getting a bit of a cold, but I don't think its more than that. I don't feel feverish, it's just a cough right now, and hopefully it stays that way. That would be the last thing any of us need right now, is me or Kat being sick. At least a cough, or even a simple cold is manageable. Depending on how I'm feeling tomorrow too, I may not have lessons for a few days. Precautionary sort of thing, you know?"

Perhaps it was just the years they had been together, or the fact that it was more than just her and Mitch now, but she guessed now was a good a time as any to not be stubborn about the getting sick thing. It could potentially not be her getting sick. It could be the weather change. It could just be a cold. But at least this way, at least Mitch knew prior to her actually getting sick if it went that far. Maybe he wouldn't be grumpy about it this time with a bit of warning.

Kat smiled as Atty started back on his story as they started walking. Though the fact this guy was the only demon he had come across was a little surprising to her. Then again there were a few demon witch hybrids in her coven. So maybe that's why it was so weird to her. One of her best friends had been one. She caught herself losing herself and focused on his story more. She laughed so hard she snorted a bit when he said the guy knocked himself out by jumping on the bar to get away from the little mouse. That was just a hilarious image to have in her head. She laughed out an "Oh no" when he said that they followed them outside. The ending was almost the best for the story and she laughed when he added the part about Lia getting rid of the mice.

"I'm kind of glad you did. I'm gonna think of this story everytime I see a mouse now." She chuckled as she opened the gate to the arboretum for them. The temperature dropped a bit as the trees blocked the little bit of gloomy sun that was out. Kat frowned, or maybe she was running a fever. She wasn't quite sure, but she definitely felt colder. Didn't mean she was going to admit it though. "So where is Snowcrest? I don't think I have heard of that place. I thought the North was the only place that got snow." She asked as they walked through a few of the trees.

Honestly she spent so much time here it seemed like she knew what all the trees were. Her favorites were always the white willows they had. It was just finding the right one to climb in. Though today she wasn't sure if she felt like climbing. A cold chill coming over her. "Actually, I think I will take that extra coat." She said with a frown as she got to the willow trees, she didn't want it but she could even feel herself shivering as she put it on and knew it was only so long until he would be able to see it too. After a few minutes they came upon one of the few beaches and sat down. "Why did you decide to leave the West? I hear that it's so prettier there. And warmer."

—

Mitch smiled a little bit when Lia talked about being so young, because even though he didn't know Lia's age. He knew that she was much younger than him. Hell most of the regular vampires in the coven were younger than him. He decided against saying his thoughts though. "It's still a nice gesture. People appreciate you remembering days that are special for them like that." He said, before asking if she needed anything from the castle. He honestly didn't think about it yesterday, he should likely get her a present himself. He nodded a bit when she said she thought she had everything. Then she coughed and he asked if she was alright.

He shot a look at her back when she answered, Lia was so stubborn. They both knew she was starting to get sick. Her weather changing cough and actually sick cough sounded different. After so many years by her side he could hear the difference. But rather than argue with her, he would simply get some stuff for it at the castle. Just the sort of stuff she would ask for that she didn't have here. "I might see if they have something I can get her as a present." He said as she sat his plate down. "Thank you." He said, smiling a bit at the bacon she had added, before she sighed and said she might be getting a cold.

He nodded a bit as she spoke. "That's probably a good idea, if you are getting sick you shouldn't waste your energy." He said, he actually didn't see her saying she might be sick until she couldn't deny it, but it was actually a little nice for once. "I'll go to the castle and get some of the extra stuff you usually want when sick, when Atty gets back. We won't worry about telling them you might be sick until we know for sure." Mitch said, before giving her a soft smile. He knew she likely didn't want to worry the others. He picked up his book as the folk in his other hand cut into the omelet. "Oh by the way, I'm pretty sure Kat is getting sick herself. She barely ate anything for breakfast and was shivering a bit." He said before letting himself get lost in his book again as he ate.

Hearing her laugh made Atticus happy. He could tell she was enjoying his story, and parts of him wished he could remember more of them. Honestly, that was something he always struggled with. He would hear others swapping stories, and even listening to Mitch tell stories sometimes made him a little jealous. He wish he knew what had happened, but there were a few things he knew for certain. One thing was that one day he would get his memory back, and two he knew magic was involved. He chuckled at her sentiment about the mice. "I think of it everytime I see them, that's for sure."

She asked for the other jacket, and he handed it to her. It had him a little worried. She didn't normally get cold all that easy. She was born in the North, which explained a lot of that, but still. She hadn't mentioned wanting to leave yet, so he wouldn't press the issue. Not yet anyway. When they sat on the bench, he offered her a muffin from the bag he had been carrying with them when she asked her question.

He thought on his answer for only a moment. "I remember being told that I could find answers away from the West. It was beautiful, that's for sure, but things there have been in shambles for a while. I wish I remember what drew me there in the first place, but I can't remember. All of it is so fuzzy. I tried heading South, but the wolf population there made it difficult, and I was found by members of this coven before I ever had a chance to really head East. I'm thankful for it, honestly. Especially after meeting that Issack guy last night."

He looked up into the trees, seeing a few birds still nesting for a while. He forgot that them being so far North meant it was colder faster some years. "As for where Snowcrest is, it's kind of in the mountains. It's not quite at the base of a mountain but it's also not quite in the range either if that makes sense. It's considered to be part of the West but it borders the Northern coven borders. I would have answered that one first, but I was trying to figure out how to describe where it is. If I had a map handy, I could point it out. It's a small village."

He looked up and saw some of the castle help was in the arboretum, picking apples off of a few of the trees near them. They saw them, but kept their heads down, and when they were done, they scurried off. Atticus couldn't help but shake his head slightly before he looked to Kat. "Anything else you want to hear? Do? Anything?" He didn't want to suggest that they go back inside or go inside just yet anyway, as he knew how infrequent it was for Kat to get days off of lessons, much less days where Lia and Mitch weren't with them. It was nice. He enjoyed it.

Soon someone approached them, and he smiled to the woman who had approached. "Do you like warm cider? I brought you both some." she said. She was one of the newer people who helped at the castle, but she appeared older. He could hear an accent in her voice he wasn't familiar with, but he took the cider and smiled.

"Thank you." he said, and he handed one of the cups to Kat before taking a sip. "It's very good, thank you."

"Of course. Old family recipe. We're going to be serving it with dinner later if you guys will be there. If not, I'll be sure to set some aside for you guys." she said before she walked off. He loved when they got new help around that the vampire guard hadn't gotten to yet. They were always sweet and tried to interact with them, but after a while it always went away.

"You okay, Kitty? Want to stay here for a little longer or you want to walk around a little more?" he asked.

--

Lia nodded a bit to Mitch when he said what he had. He was older than her, by quite a bit, but she also never really liked talking about her own age. She had a lot of people in the coven trying to guess, and a lot shot for a lot older than what she actually was, but she never let anyone really know. In fact, there was one person here now who knew her age, and that was Cass. She had been there the day she was born. She nodded a little when Mitch said thank you when she put the bacon on his plate. "Of course." she said. "As for a present, if it's green or frog related, she'll love it."

After admitting she might be getting sick, she nodded when he said he'd get the extra stuff from the castle. "I appreciate it." When he brought up Kat being sick, she nodded again. "I could tell. I'm glad Att brought an extra coat with them." she said. She turned back to finish the dishes before she muttered something barely as loud as a whisper. "A mother can tell..." she was hoping she'd been the only one that could hear it. She hadn't even fully meant to say it, but it came out. She finished up the dishes in the sink and pulled some cookie dough out of the freezer and began putting it onto baking sheets and popping them in the oven.

She heard a knock come to the door, and she walked over to it before Mitch could and opened it. She relaxed when she saw it was one of the newer helpers, holding a basket. "Hello. I was told by lady Cassandra that you do some amazing things with apples, and she asked if I wouldn't mind dropping these off." she said, and Lia took the basket from her.

"Thank you." Lia said.

"My granny is making some cider too, I'll bring some by once she's got it done and cooled." she said, and Lia nodded a bit.

"Thank you." she repeated before seeing the girl head off, and she closed the door. She set down the basket of apples and pulled out one of her pie dishes. She rolled out the dough before she took a few of the apples and began making the filling for apple pie. She looked out the window for a moment and saw a brief glimmer of sunshine before it was covered again by the clouds. She sighed and stopped herself a moment after she got the pie put together, and ready for the oven. She took the cookies out of the oven, but she left it preheated, and she sat down. She could feel herself getting a little dizzy. She realized she hadn't eaten yet, and she took one of the blueberry muffins and a small plate she left sitting out before she began eating it.

After a few moments, and a second muffin, she felt the dizzy spell wear off and she got up and put the pie in the oven before taking a sip of her tea. She looked at Mitch's coffee cup before she asked. "You want more coffee or would you prefer something else?"

Kat took the extra coat and thanked him before putting it on, it didn't really offer the extra warmth that she was craving though. At least it stopped her shivering for the moment. Frowning to herself, she knew for a fact now that she must be running a fever. Surely it would break soon though, her small fevers rarely kept up. Though those were usually caused by magic. Maybe that spell she did to calm Atty last night took more out of her than she realized. He offered her one of the muffins that Lia sent with them and Kat shook her head. "No thank you, I really don't have much of an appetite today." She said before asking him a few questions.

Kat listened to Atty as he answered her question, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She had to agree about Issac though, that asshole would clearly rather her kind be killed just to prove a point. "You know, there is sometimes that wish I would have gone South like I planned instead of coming to see why Check was looking for me." She said with a soft sigh. "I hate that I only got a few towns over on my run away." She shook her head slightly before listening to him once again and smiling softly. "I kind of want to see it now, is it all nice and comfy?"

She didn't have time to answer Atty's questions before one of the helpers brought them over some apple cider. Smiling a bit she took the cider enjoying the warmth. "Thank you." She was a little surprised with how good it was and she watched the girl walk away, before smiling at Atty. "Do you think Check would let us go in the castle garden? I know he usually lets us when Lia needs something she doesn't need. Maybe you can tell me your hunter story?"

—

Mitch nodded a little when Lia gave him a tip on the type of stuff that Kat liked. He would make sure to see if they had anything, when he got supplies for the girls. Not to mention he had some things he had to take care of the castle. He hated to admit it but last night had taken a lot of his energy, and maybe he could find someone to feed off of in exchange for some blood. He mentioned something about thinking that Kat might be sick too. What she muttered took him by surprise though, even if he didn't act it. His book making it easier to hide. He knew Atty had said the two of them were acting really close, but he didn't expect it….but oddly enough her admitting it out loud was the most surprising. He didn't know what had been happening here when the two of them were gone from the cabin.

The knock on the door took him out of his mind, but Lia was up and at the door before he even had time to put the book down and get up. Still he stood in the doorway to the kitchen watching the interaction between Lia and the young vampire. He chuckled a bit after Lia shut the door. "You're getting so good at talking to people." He joked before going back to the kitchen and his book.

Lia went back to her baking and running around the kitchen. Glancing at her as she sat down for only a little bit before she was back up. He knew that Lia was like this when she had her nightmares but he wished she didn't wear herself out like this. "Yes please." He said before thanking her for it. "Maybe after your pie is gone, we should go see Cass before she takes off. I figure it will be a little bit before At and Kat get back anyway." He suggested, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get Lia out of the cabin for a little while. Maybe the fresh air would calm her nerves, at this point she was starting to even wear him out a little bit.

Once her pie was done Mitch gathered up some muffins to send with Cass on her trip home while got the pie out and set it out to cool. He waited by the door for her to get ready before they headed out to the castle. Sighing a bit, Mitch looked at the gloomy sky, exhaustion hitting him a little. The sun not even out enough to give him a little boost of energy. "If the weather continues like this, you might not even have to wait late for that seamstress to come by." He spoke with a head shake, one of the worst things about the North was how cold it got and how long it lasted. The castle was actually pretty lively when they got there, between the perfect weather for vampires, and the fact people were already starting measurements for the dance. On top of the normal everyday life, but Cass's carriage was still there at least, so they hadn't missed her at least.

The weeks leading up to this party… ball… whatever it had been called as the terms had been used interchangeably, had been chaotic. Between the visitors, the coordinators, and all the extra help, the coven had been bustling with activity. The first week, both Lia and Kat had been sick, but even so, Atticus and Mitch had stayed with them up until about a week ago. Perhaps it was a little longer than intended, but with so much going on, it felt almost necessary. Checkov ran a hand over his face as he looked around the ballroom again. Everything looked amazing, Lia had been there earlier that morning putting up her enchantments, and so far everything appeared to be running smoothly.

"E'erythin' alright, sug?" Cass's voice came from beside him. He gave a half smile when she gently rubbed his arm and he nodded.

"It's great. I figured you would be in something more extravagant." He said, looking at her for a moment. She wasn't even in a dress yet now that he was looking at her.

"Oh, sug, I'm lettin' e'eryone else get ready in my chambers first. My hair and nails are alrea'y done, and I just gotta touch up my makeup. I'll be ready in a jiff come time." She chuckles. "'Sides, fig'red I'd come check on ya while ya weren't too busy… an' didn't have Issack stuck up your ass."

Checkov gave a nod and a chuckle. "Fair enough. Your guests finding everything alright? And I thought you were going to bring the one to meet me before hand?"

"Niko is with the witches. They'll be down shortly." She said. "They ain't e'er been here so Oaklen and Mercy said they'd show'em 'round after. Where're Lia and Kat? Fig'red they'd be here early to get ready."

Checkov sighed. "No, Lia insisted they'd get ready at the cottage. There is a carriage waiting to bring them here though. Given we've got about an hour before it starts, they'll be here about 15 minutes til."

Cass made a face and she nodded. "Well hell, was hopin' to see'em sooner, but that's fine." She said. She looked around a moment before placing a kiss to his cheek, "I bet'r check on mine. Plus, I can hear Issack."

Cass headed off and no sooner she got out of sight, Issack came in. Checkov sighed, but he noticed some of the early birds filtering in, including Dana. He was glad to see her approaching him, and she stood beside him. "Shouldn't you be getting changed, Check?" Dana asked, taking a sip from her wine glass. "I know you have a better suit than this."

Checkov noticed Issack coming and he nodded. "Let me greet him first and then I'll go. Can you hold down the helm that long?"

Dana gave him a knowing look and nodded. She saw Checkov meet Issack before he got to them and Dana took another sip of wine. "I really hope tonight goes well." She muttered to herself.

–

Lia sighed, looking over the dress hanging on her closet door. Today was the day. She and Kat were getting ready together, and she could see how excited Kat was. She couldn't help the small bit of excitement starting to creep up as she helped Kay do her hair. "This doesn't hurt, does it? I saw you flinch when I put that pin in." She asked. Lia had managed to get her hair done while Kat was showering, but Lia had been doing this for a lot longer. Once Kat had told her it was okay, she finished up and smiled a bit. "Beautiful. Do you want some tea before we start doing our makeup and getting into our dresses?"

Lia was instantly grateful for the electric kettle that Cass had given her before she left a few weeks ago, and she could hear Edgar softly quacking in his little nest near her newly appointed tea table. She fixed her and Kat each a cup and she sat on her bed for a moment, her eyes catching the shoes she would be wearing. Heels were always proper for these events, but that didn't mean she hated them any less. She snapped back from her thoughts when she heard Kat going through and getting her makeup on, and she smiled. She reminded her of Bianca in times like these, and it made her miss Aless a little more, but Lia was glad she wasn't alone in this.

Lia finished her tea and went about putting on her makeup before she and Kat got into their dresses. Lia let Kat get into hers first and zipped her up, and tied the back a little before smiling. "This suits you really well, I'm really liking the colors."

Lia got into her dress and once Kat had helped her secure it, she looked herself over in the mirror. She always stuck to natural tones, but the shimmer that Kat had managed to convince her into putting on it made it look even better. She sighed and picked up her shoes. "You have everything, Kat? We should be getting to the carriage or we'll be late."

They got downstairs and Lia slid her shoes on before grabbing a jacket and handing Kat one. It was a bit chilly that night, and with the sun nearly set, they needed to get to the main part of the grounds. They didn't need to worry Atticus and Mitch by being late. There had been enough protest about them not going to the cottage to get them, and while the walk to the main coven wasn't far, in heels and with the ground damp, they had at least agreed on the carriage. Lia let Kat into the carriage first, even though there were two doors, the ground on the other side was still very muddy.

Once in the carriage, Lia took in a deep breath as they began towards the main part, and she could see Kat smiling. "Are you ready for this ball?" She asked her, quietly. Her hand gently went to the necklace she was wearing as she gently fiddled with the chain, absent-mindedly. It only took about ten minutes before they stopped and the doors to the carriage were opened.

"Wow!" Lia heard from the other side, and she saw Atticus helping Kat out. "You look great."

Lia smiles a touch before moving to get out, and she saw Mitch there. He was staring a bit and she raised a brow. "That bad, huh?" She joked. He offered her his hand and she took it, so he could help her get out of the carriage before they moved to head inside. She saw Checkov standing near the entrance, and he made his way over to them.

"Evening, you two look beautiful." He greeted. "There are a few… unexpected guests tonight, but don't worry. They're from the South, and Cass has assured me that they won't be a problem."

Lia nodded a bit as Checkov headed in, and she chuckled. "Oh this will be interesting indeed."

–

Atticus sighed as he combed through his hair again, walking about the halls of the main area. Guests were already arriving and he and Mitch were supposed to be meeting soon, but his tie just wouldn't stay tied properly, so he was wearing it loosely around his neck. He was hoping to find Mitch soon to get help with the infernal thing, but it wasn't his fault, he had never worn a silk tie before! All of his other ties were polyester, but Checkov insisted they use silk because it looked better. He gave a frustrated grunt as he headed towards where he was supposed to meet Mitch, attempting to retie the tie as he walked.

"Everything okay?" A sweet voice asked, and Atticus found himself stopping. He noticed a shorter, petite blonde woman standing there. Her hair was done down in curls, and her eyes were bright as she offered a smile. She seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't place her.

"This tie is giving me hell." He said, and she chuckled.

"Would you like some help? My husband has trouble with silk ties too." She offered. He nodded a bit and allowed her to tie the tie for him. "The trick is not going as tight as with polyester, it makes the knot flat."

"Thank you… I'm sorry, I'm Atticus Slater." He said. The name seemed to make her think a moment before she smiled.

"Anytime. I'm Helena. I never understood my father's obsession with silk ties, but he is right, they do look sleek." She said. Atticus immediately felt guilty. She was Checkov's daughter! Granted he'd only met her once in passing years ago, but he still felt bad for not recognizing her. "I best be off, Atticus. Should you see my father or Cass, would you let them know I'm looking for them?"

"Of course, ma'am." He said and she chuckled.

"You can call me Helena, it's okay." She said as she headed off. Atticus stayed out for just a moment before heading off to meet Mitch. He saw Cass just before the entry. She was wearing a beautiful red gown with black embroidery, and she was talking to someone he'd never seen before.

She seemed to have spotted him and smiled before heading to him. "Hey sug! Mitch just went out to meet ya!" She told him.

"Thank you, ma'am. Um, Helena said to let you know she was looking for you." He told her. She smiled.

"'course the girl snuck righ' past me. Thanks sug." She said, and she headed off in the direction he had come from. He shook his head and headed outside and found Mitch standing there.

"I'm not late, right?" He asked, but he could see that the carriage still wasn't there. The sun wasn't fully down yet, so the girls had time, but this was nerve wracking. It didn't take long for the carriage to come into sight though and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Finally this could get started. Once the carriage stopped, he noticed Mitch going around to the other side, and so he took the hint to open the door closest to him.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw Kat, "Wow! You look great!" He said. Instantly the worry was gone, but once Checkov stopped the four of them on their way in, he felt a little worried. The lack of worry from Lia managed to put him a little at ease though. From the couple of weeks they all spent in close quarters, he knew she would be just as worried about Kat as he was.

Atticus offered his arm to Kat and smiled a bit. "Ready, Kitty?"

The castle was beautiful, weeks of planning had gone into this party, and honestly it showed. The decorations alone had to have been days of work alone. Everything one would expect for a wedding celebration. The short brunette's blue eyes wandered around the castle as they headed towards the ballroom. It definitely screamed Helena and she was excited to finally get to see her best friend again. Of course there always had to be one spoilsport in the room, and for that, her father was master. She glanced at Issack as he made some comment about the lighting before they entered the room. Isabella couldn't help but roll her eyes at the complaint, like they weren't vampires that could see just fine. Her glance landed on her bodyguard Eve, who looked stunning in her orange and red dress, and was trying to keep a straight face. Sometimes it was like they shared the same mind towards him.

Of course once they entered the ballroom it was all pleasantries. As if Checkov wasn't smart enough to see it was all fake bullshit. Once Checkov had finished greeting her father and greeted her, Isabella smiled, giving as best of a courtesy. Though long, her green dress with silver and gold embroidery was not built for free movement as much as hugging curves. "Everything looks so wonderful, Checkov. I bet Helena is so excited." Izzy said cheerfully, glancing around the room hoping to see her as Issack started droning on. Trying to hide the disappointment when she didn't. Honestly most of the time when her father started talking she blocked it out. It seemed the only way to keep her own sanity in check. She caught herself trying to tuck her hair behind her ear as Checkov spoke to her again. Which probably looked ridiculous as she had it braided into a ponytail. Ever the gentleman though, he didn't call attention to her ignoring them.

"Though she shouldn't be inviting people to a party she isn't hosting." Issack said, giving her a look before she even had the chance to answer Check. He was just pissed because she had invited a wolf and that she had run away to the south for a week.

"I do apologize, sometimes my excitement gets the better of me." She said pointedly ignoring her father for Checkov. "Honesty I thought…"

"Why don't you go see if you can find Helena, Isabella." Issack cut her off, speaking to her in the tone you would a child.

Izzy couldn't help the shooting side glance she gave her father. Eyes reddening a touch before glancing back at Checkov and giving a tight smile. "Save a dance for me as usual, Checkov?" She said before giving a small curtsy and leaving the two of them, heading straight for the wine. She needed to get her hand tightly around the neck of something. Quickly downing a glass and taking another one to sip, before looking around the ballroom for Helena again. Only to find Diana watching her instead, she smiled and gave a little nod in her direction. Izzy loved Diana, she had helped her sneak into Cass's carriage. However, she knew if she got into a conversation with her it would likely be a few, albeit fun, couple of minutes before she would get done. And she was on the hunt for either one of two people at this point.

After a few more searching glances around the room. She gathered that Helena must be in the halls somewhere, and decided to look for her. It only took a few moments to find her outside of the western entrance of the ballroom. Excitement took hold of her before even having time to think about why she was out here. Or who these two men she had never met before were, that was talking to her. "Hels" She called excitedly, the click of her echoing through the hall as she rushed forward and engulfed her friend in a hug. "Oh stars! You look so beautiful! I missed you!"

After a moment she stepped away remembering she might have just interrupted something. "Oh I'm sorry, I got excited. Didn't mean to interrupt." She said frowning a bit, eyes catching Eve, who had finally caught up with a bit of a huff.

—

A small quiet growl came from Nikolai as he fiddled with his tie in one of the mirrors in Cass's room. Even though he knew how to tie a tie, there were two reasons this was annoying. First he had managed to not have to actually wear a tie for 400 years, and second, who the hell thought making ties out of silk was a good idea? Either the look on his face. Or the thought of shifting so he could rip this fucking thing into a million pieces gave away his frustration, because next thing he knew the tie was tying itself. His brown eyes glanced around the room for a second before he found Oak, struggling to keep a toddler still so he could put on her little strappy shoes.

Chuckling lightly he walked over and picked the distracted toddler up. Getting a giggle from her while Oak was able to get her shoes on her. "Thanks, she's a little over excited to be playin' in Cass's room." Oak said as Niko let Palsea down and she took off quickly.

Niko laughed a little bit watching her. "No problem. You're gonna have a off of a t'me keepin' up with her ton'ght." He before Oak sighed and went after her to keep her from playing in Cass's closet. Shaking his head a bit, Niko went to check on his witches. Most of whom were excited to hang around with the witches from Cass's Coven. Or excited to get to be at one of these parties. He guessed this was still an important thing in witch culture, or maybe vampire culture. It had been a rather long time since he had been around this many vampires. Though it put him on edge a bit, he trusted Cass. Not to mention this Checkov seemed accommodating, while he of course didn't ask about bringing people from his pack, Checkov didn't have to agree to let him bring some of his witches.

"Well of course he agreed. That vampire leader has a hard on for witches. I swear, one of the girls from my Coven. She hardly got out before he grabbed her and forced her to join them. Probably wants to take ours too." The witch that gave him that warning of course didn't come with them. Not that he would have asked her. He wasn't worried too much about it though, his witches were part of the pack. If they choose to leave they were still part of it, just like Oak.

When Cass finally joined them to get ready, he smiled a bit at her response to actually seeing him in a suit. "I feel like this tie is gonna end up chokin' someone by the end of the n'ght." He complained pulling on the tie a little before chuckling as she softly slapped his hands away and fixed the mess he had made of it. After making sure that everyone of his were set up, aside from makeup and hair, which he wasn't going to touch and mess up for them. He ran his hands over his dark blue shirt before buttoning up his suit. Putting a piece of spearmint candy in his mouth to block out the wolf smell from the den of vipers he was about to enter.

Niko sighed a bit when asked if he was ready as he and Cass made their way out into the hall. "As I'm gonna be, not rea'ly as worr'ed about your boyfriend as the other two." He said softly. Though he didn't really get time to say much more before she saw someone she knew and wandered off, leaving him standing there awkwardly staring after her. Frowning a bit he decided to just follow after Mercy and the witches.

—

Mitchell ran his hands over his suit one more time as he looked into the mirror. It had been years since the last time he had been to a ball like this. The last one actually being right after he had joined Checkov's coven. What a shit show it was too. Not because of Checkov but because of the way Issack had reacted when Checkov brought him in. After that he pretended to have reasons not to, then Lia came around and he actually did have one. He checked the clock quickly before heading into the hall. Atty had probably beat him outside to wait for the girls. They had plenty of time since the girls insisted on getting ready at the cabin. Still he didn't want to be too late, he would be lying if he said the idea of seeing Lia all done up didn't excite him.

Blinking a bit when he heard his name called, he looked behind him in time to see Cass catching up with him and stopped to wait for her. It was definitely a surprise to see her not in a dress already. "Hey Cass." He smiled a bit. *Your hair looks gorgeous." He added before chuckling as she complained about his suit but started to get onto him about the tie. "I'm actually allergic to silk, it makes my throat close. Checkov remembered from before and gave me two approved ties to pick from." He explained as he walked her to her room, before going outside to wait for the girls.

Mitch glanced at the doors where Atticus finally joined him, before shaking his head. "No, it will probably be a couple minutes still." A small smile played on his lips as he watched Atty's nerves show on his face. Lia had told him how she was teaching Atty how to dance this weekend, when he brought up he had been teaching Kat. It was kind of sweet honestly. "Are you excited or nervous to dance with Kat?" He asked, before the carriage finally came into sight.

Once the carriage stopped and the door opened, he stopped dead in his tracks, hand offered out. Lia in her dress, all made up, he had known she would of course look beautiful. Even he hadn't expected just how breathtaking though. "That bad, huh?" Mitchell cleared his throat a little and blinked, he was staring, he couldn't help it. "You look…..absolutely beautiful." He answered softly before shaking his head and helping her by the hand she had already taken. As they walked towards the entrance he still couldn't help but stare a bit out the counter of eye. Catching the necklace that he had given her a few weeks ago around her neck.

When Checkov stopped them and told them about the unexpected guests. Mitch couldn't help but frown a bit, a little bit of worry coming through. One didn't simply show up unexpectedly to one of Checkov's parties without a death wish, so at least he had been informed. He glanced at Lia and her reaction soothed him just a little bit as he offered his arm once more.

—

Kat couldn't help but be excited as Lia helped her with her hair for the ball. Though she had been to one before, this was different. She had her own dress, her hair was going to be pretty instead of just fiddled with at the last minute. She had someone to dance with…that thought brought a kind of warmth to her heart that she wasn't ready to look at though. She had asked Mitchell to dance though so she wouldn't be embarrassing to dance with.

Lia's question brought her back to the present, she hadn't even realized that she had even flinched when she got poked a little. "No, it feels fine. It just poked me a little." She asked before smiling as she looked at her hair. "Thank you, it's so pretty." She said looking at Lia in the mirror before nodding when asked if she wanted some tea. Kat looked at her dress as Lia made their tea, it was so pretty. Long, strapless, and flowy, starting a dark blue and ombreing down into a tealish green and then dark green at the bottom. The seamstresses had seemed a little unsure while they were working on it. However, she had been so proud when she brought it to Kat, and it had to be her favorite dress from now on. Lia had chuckled when Kat said she would find more reasons to wear it, but it hadn't been a joke.

The tea was a nice little nerve smoother as she sipped it. It wasn't that she was nervous, but she did feel a little jittery. There was so much they had to do and there were going to be so many people. Vampires. Lia had put down spells to keep her safe, but still anytime she got too close to Checkov's vampires there were problems. Shaking her head a bit, Kat decided she would rather focus on getting ready, and went to get her makeup and earrings for the night. Leaving the lipstick for last so she didn't ruin it on the tea cup. Then came time for dresses, and she was so thankful for Lia's help. Most of her dresses didn't require zipping or tying like this. "I think I'm in love with it." She giggled twirling just a little as Lia said the colors fit her.

"Wow….you look so beautiful Lia." Kat said after helping her with her dress. If Kat looked pretty then Lia looked like a goddess in hers. She definitely caught the smile that flashed on Lia's face before she hurried her to get everything. Kat didn't even argue with the jacket after the cold she had gotten over, and put her heels on with Lia before leaving the cottage. Though getting into the carriage was not an easy feat and was happy to get in first, someone could catch her if she fell.

"Ready, but a little nervous I'll step on Atty's foot." She said with a little laugh as the carriage started moving. It was only a ten minute drive to the castle, but their dresses and heels would have been ruined if they had taken the walk. Wow! You look great!" Kat couldn't help but blush and she smiled as Atty helped her out of the carriage. "Thanks, you look so handsome." Kat smiled when Checkov greeted them, but honestly his unexpected guests didn't really worry her any. After all, she knew how protective Checkov was over her and Lia. Taking Atty's arm she nodded, and headed into the ballroom with him.

The room was beautiful and she couldn't help that getty feeling again as she looked around the room. It definitely wasn't full but there were people still coming in through both doors. Most of the people already inside were grouped up or talking. A group of witches hung out near the other doors talking. Diana was talking to some woman and a child, while Cass was talking to some man she didn't know so she guessed he was with her coven. "I didn't even know this room could look so pretty." Kat said more to herself with a smile before looking at Atty. "Let's see if we can find some drinks."

Checkov knew he was running low on time from the way people were entering the ballroom, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to at least see the first of the guests arrive, and he had been hoping he would be able to catch a few others in the in between. However, once Issack and Isabella got over to him, he couldn't help but to want to half groan and smile. Issack had definitely become more insufferable over the last few weeks, but he had to keep the peace. Too much could go wrong if he didn't, but Isabella was definitely a delight, as always. He smiled at her curtsey, and gave a small bow to her. "Thank you. She was very happy with herself and is very excited to see how everyone else likes it." he answered her, but soon Issack was talking again. He couldn't lie about the fact that he did need to find an out soon, but when he brought up Izzy inviting people to the party, even though she wasn't hosting it, he shook his head. He had been trying to ask Izzy if she had seen Helena at all, as he hadn't seen her since much earlier, but of course Issack was brown nosing.

"It's not a problem. I appreciate the enthusiasm." He told Izzy before Issack basically shooed her off. When she mentioned him saving a dance for her, he smiled. "Of course, and if you see Helena tell her I'll find her later, please."

Now he was alone with Issack, and he looked up to the clock. He needed to go change into his other suit before long, and though Issack was in the middle of a tangent, he sighed. "I do apologize, Issack, I need to go finish getting ready. I will be back in a bit." he said, excusing himself to his chambers. Luckily, he had managed to make it out of the hall with little trouble, but when he began heading up towards his quarters, he noticed one of the Southern witches. He could remember her name being Mercy, and she looked very nice with her hair curled and down to one side. She was wearing a silver dress that was both formfitting and organic. He stopped and she smiled at him. "Mercy, right?"

"Yes sir, sorry, I was just showing a couple of the girls around when I realized I forgot something." she said. She waved waved her small bag a little and chuckled. "I told Oaklen I'd help him with Palsea, so I brought some stuff for her."

"Good thinking. Have you seen Cass?" he asked her, and she nodded.

"She just went into her chambers to finish getting ready. The rest of us should be cleared out soon." she said. He nodded a bit and smiled to her.

"Thank you. If any of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." he said.

"Actually sir, I do have a question." she said, and he nodded. "Niko doesn't seem worried, but should he worry at all?"

Checkov shook his head. "Not at all. Cass seemed to think that he won't have any problems at all, especially when she said he knew a guest or two here already. She's a little cryptic, but he has no worries."

Mercy gave a dazzling smile. "Thank you, it's always good to have it confirmed." she walked off with that and Checkov went into his chambers and quickly changed. He left his chambers and found his way outside to see if Lia and Kat had made it yet, and it appeared they had. He walked over to them, a small smile coming to his face when he saw the way Mitch was looking at Lia. He let them know about the "unexpected" guests, and soon he headed back into the ballroom. He sighed and grabbed a glass of wine. This would go well. This would.

--

Cass was glad to get out of the ballroom before Issack came in. She loathed that man more and more by the passing day. She sighed a bit as she headed down the hall, and soon she caught sight of Mitch. "Hey sug!" she called, and she caught up to him. "Awww, thanks sug. Simple an' elegant. Y'know how I am." she chuckled. "An' look at you in your suit! Defini'ely an eye catcher." she smiled, but she noticed his tie and raised a brow. "Thought Check insisted on silk ties, sug?" When he gave his answer, she gave a nod. "Well, you defini'ely knocked that choice outta the park." she said. She smiled when they stopped at her room, and she gave a gentle wave. "Thanks for walkin' with me, sug."

She entered her room soon after, and when she saw Niko she smiled. "My, my, ain't you a looker in a suit." She walked over to him, and once he complained about his tie, she slapped his hands away and fixed it for him. "There ya go, sug." she said. "Now, if you'll 'scuse me for just a sec, I gotta get into my dress." She headed off to get into her dress, and once she was in it, she fixed her hair and make up a little before joining Niko. "Ready, sug?"

They headed out and when he brought up not being as worried about Check as the other two, she kind of smiled. "Don' worry 'bout them, Niko. Issack is always a dick, and Lucas is alrigh'. Helena wouldn't've 'greed to marry 'im otherwise. Plus, I thin' you'll be pleasantly s'prised to see you know a guest." It wasn't long after she said that that she noticed Atticus, and soon she was off to look for Helena. This party was definitely bustling now, and Cass noticed everyone seeming to enjoy the pleasantries. She smiled when she saw Dana talking to a woman and what appeared to be a child. The "child" was named Alina, but she was older than most of the vampires here, and she certainly acted it too. In fact, the only person she wasn't really grumpy with was Palsea, and that was because it was Palsea. She smiled a bit when she caught sight of Helena and Izzy at the end of a hall talking to two men. She recognized one as Lucas, but not the other. She decided she'd catch them later on and soon she caught sight of Niko again.

"Sorry 'bout runnin' off like that." she apologized. "Been lookin' for Helena all day, but she's havin' her own lit'le reunion with her best friend." She soon noticed Mitch and Atticus walk in with Lia and Kat, and she smiled. "'ey, why don' ya turn 'round an' go say hi?"

Once Niko turned around, she saw Lia happen to look over and stop for a moment. She waved a little and smiled, and she patted Niko's shoulder before whispering to him. "Fig'red do ya both some good to see each other." she said before she walked over to them. "Mitch, sug, can I steal ya for a second?" she asked before she took his arm. "Don' mind them. Niko is an ol' friend of Lia's, an' I need a wine opinion 'cause if I ask Dana we'll be in the cellars." she laughed.

--

Helena smiled as she walked down the hall. She was wearing a flowing light blue gown with some small sleeves, and she smiled when she caught sight of the men at the end of the hall. One was a dirty blonde in a very nice black suit, but with a shirt that matched the color of her dress, and he was fiddling with his tie. The other was a dark haired man with tattoos still visible even though he was wearing a dark suit with a dark grey shirt. "I don't understand why he insists on these silk ties." the blonde said, and soon Helena stepped in and took over tying his tie.

"Because they look nice, Lucas." she smiled. The other man laughed.

"I don't see why silk gives you such a hard time, Luke."

"Because, Cade, I'm not used to this fancy of an event anymore. Even so, we always used polyester back West." he said, and Cade nodded.

"That's fair." he said, and once Helena got his tie fixed, she smiled and kissed his cheek. "What took you so long, Helena?"

"That's the thing, Cade." she said, turning to him. "Your brother is here."

Lucas and Cade both exchanged a look before looking to Helena. "Which brother?" Cade asked, and Helena gave a slightly sad frown.

"Atty." she answered. "He barely recognized me, but here he's only seen me in passing, I don't think he remembers anything anymore."

Cade sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Thanks, Helena."

"How do you want to go with this?" Lucas asked, and before Cade could answer, a brunette woman came over and hugged Helena.

Helena smiled and hugged her back. "Izzy!" she held her out at arms length and smiled. "Thank you. You look amazing too!" She looked over when Izzy did at Lucas and Cade, and they both kind of chuckled.

"It's alright. I've actually been looking forward to meeting you, Helena talks about you a lot." Lucas said, "I'm Lucas, and this is my best friend Cade."

Cade smiled. "Pleasure to meet you."

Lucas gently bowed to Izzy, but Cade took her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it. Lucas just sort of smiled, and he looked to Helena when he noticed the halls were beginning to clear out. "I'm guessing things are going to get started soon." he said, and Cade nodded.

"I'm going to go get a drink, anyone want anything?" he asked.

"Some wine, please." Helena asked.

"I'll get you some." Lucas said, and soon he and Cade headed off. Helena smiled and took Izzy's arm.

"Hi, Eve!" Helena smiled. "You look amazing! How have you been? I so miss when we all get to hang out." While, yes, Helena knew that Eve was Izzy's bodyguard, she also saw her like a friend. It wasn't often that Izzy went somewhere without Eve, if ever, and so they bonded quickly too. "I wish you guys could see all we've done back West. It's starting to really come together, and I'm hoping while we're here, Luke can work on strengthening the alliances." She was speaking in hushed tones. Very few people knew that the West coven was rebuilding and that Lucas was the coven leader, but those who did were very strategically chosen, in fact, Lucas had made a point of it to loop Issack out and loop Izzy in. Hence why all of their talks were done through Helena. Lucas had the advantage of Helena at his side, who knew all of the inner workings of the coven life and councils. She was her father's daughter after all. "So catch me up, how have you been?"

--

Lia couldn't help but smile when Kat had complimented her, and she smiled. "You look beautiful too." Soon they were off to the main coven. She heard Kat voice her nervousness about stepping on Atticus's feet and chuckled. "You'll do fine."

Once the door to the carriage opened, and she saw Mitch, she couldn't help but to smile. He said that she looked beautiful, and it was a high that would soon go away."You look pretty good, yourself." she said to him, softly. She carefully looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He definitely looked good in a suit, and she really enjoyed that she got to see it.

Checkov had stopped them on the way in, and soon they were heading in themselves, and she just looked around a bit. There were still people out in the halls, talking and getting acquainted with one another. She noticed some witches that she was certain were from the South, and soon her eyes saw Cass talking to a man. When he turned, she stopped in her tracks. "Oh, she's sneaky." she mumbled to herself, and she looked to Mitch. "Excuse me, I would like to go say-" before she could finish, Cass had cut her off. She smiled at her before catching the smile Cass sent to her. She could feel them watching as she walked over to Niko and she crossed her arms a little.

"Now this, this is a very pleasant surprise." she smiled to him before giving him a hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages." she looked around a bit before asking softly, "Have you seen or heard from Ally at all? I just..." she looked down for a moment before she felt eyes on them. It was some of the other witches and she gave a gentle wave to them before seeing them look away. She was glad she came to this ball, very glad now. Niko was someone from her past she would never be mad at seeing. They had a lot of respect for each other, especially after everything with her family and her going to Sanctuary. She knew she dropped off after that, but she had run into him a time or two before she got to Checkov's coven.

She wasn't at all surprised when it came up how long she had been here. "I've been here for about 45 years now." she said, gently fiddling with her necklace again. "Checkov himself found me with a lot of hunters on my ass. He didn't even hesitate to take me in either, even knowing the reputation I built." she rolled her eyes at the thought. "But, I've been here, and working for him since. The vampires here don't like me much, but that's fine. I don't care. I'm not here for them to like me, but Checkov has assigned me a body guard. The man I came in with, his name is Mitch. He's been really good at his job, no matter how difficult I've made it."

She sort of chuckled at the thought before she felt a drink in her hand and she saw Mitch and Cass had joined them. "Now that y'all've gotten re'quainted, I fig'red we could swoop in." Cass chuckled.

"Sneaky as ever, I see." Lia said to her, and she saw Cass give a dazzling smile. "Niko this is Mitch, Mitch this is Niko." Lia said, and soon her attention moved when she heard Dana laughing loudly. She couldn't help the half laugh she gave as she sipped her wine and turned her head away. "I see Dana is happy to see Alina and Penelope."

Cass raised a brow. "You 'member them?"

"They're pretty hard to forget, Cass." Lia said.

--

Standing there with Mitch, he could tell that Mitch could sense his nervousness. He chuckled when Mitch asked about the dancing. "A bit of both. Afraid I'm going to make a fool of myself." he admitted, but soon the girls were there and they were heading in. He and Kat just kept on heading into the hall, and he couldn't believe how beautiful it looked. He nodded in agreement to her saying she didn't know it could look that pretty in the main hall. He didn't know it could either. "It's amazing. Can't even tell this place is usually dark and dreary." he agreed. When she brought up finding drinks, he nodded. "I think I saw the drink table over there." he motioned to a small crowd of people. He took her arm and they got to the drink table. There were a few people there he recognized, but some he didn't.

There was a woman in a silver dress with dark hair that looked at him and Kat, and she smiled a bit and made her way over. "Hey there! I'm Mercy, I'm part of Cass's group. You must be one of the witches Cass was talking about. Wait, let me guess..." she paused a moment and took them in. "I'm gonna guess that you're Kathleen. She said you would look so amazing in the colors you chose. I guess she got a sneak peak at your dress."

Atticus nodded a bit. Something about her felt familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He shook his head when he felt a nudge and he smiled. "Sorry, right. I'm Atticus." he said.

"You guys looking for drinks, I'm guessing. Give it a second, the table should clear in a second. They've already had to replenish the table a second time. Apparently the wine choice was absolutely divine." she said. She noticed the crowd clearing off and she handed them each a glass. "This wine is absolutely amazing. It's sweet, but not overly sweet, and if you go hit the food table, it matches perfectly with the cakes they have out."

"We get spoiled on baked goods." Atticus kind of chuckled, and soon he saw two men approach the drink table and he studied them. He let things drown out a little and when the dark haired one with tattoos looked at him, he felt his head get a little light and he looked away as a memory came through. He gently grabbed Kat's shoulder and whispered to her before it started, "Hey, just stand with me here a second."

There was a lot of snow on the ground in the coven, and Atty saw a man approaching him from across the courtyard. "Is everything okay?" he asked. It was the man he just saw at the party.

"Yeah. No movement or anything, but that feels concerning. Usually there is all sorts of activity." Atty answered and they both went up into the watch tower. "I haven't seen Warren come back with ...." the name came out as inaudible, even in his memory. "I'm worried they got caught up in the blizzard."

"They'll be okay." he said. "But we'll keep watching. We have a plan to get out if there is an attack."

Atty nodded a bit, and soon the memory faded.

Atticus shook his head a little as his vision came back, and he smiled to Kat. He was trying to reassure her, but when he looked back the men were gone. Who was that? He would have to find out before the night was over if he had a chance. Mercy, the woman they had been talking to, smiled a bit.

"Oh, hey I've got to go. My friend and his little girl are here and it looks like she got away from him again. It was nice talking to you." she smiled as she headed off. When they were alone again, Atty looked to Kat.

"I'm sorry about that. You want to go check out the food table too?" he asked her with a smile. He knew that soon everything would be in full swing, so getting there to scope it now and get a small snack might be a good idea.

Issack sighed as he walked around the party, eyes looking over all the party goers. Checkov was off welcoming guests. He had not brought any of his council with him, and his daughter was probably off making an embarrassing fool of herself, as children do. This was fine though, Issack had his own plans once Checkov announced their official alliance. So seeing all the people that would come to see Helena off to marriage wasn't a terrible thing.

His eyes caught sight of Dana and Penelope drinking and laughing obnoxiously. While he had no real feelings towards Dana, he honestly hated Penelope. No small part of the reason being that he had tried to charm her, and was turned down, very rudely. Though what took his attention as he got closer was the fact Penelope's daughter was laughing along with them. Wine glass in hand. "Honesty Penelope," He said taking the wine glass from the mer child "you're so much of an alcoholic you're going to let your own child drink?"

"'Cuse you!" Penelope started before Alina cut her off and started laying into him.

–

"Thank you, Cass helped me pick it out." Isabella said as Helena held her at arm length to look at her dress. She had been so excited to see Helena that she barely noticed the men with her, and apologized for interrupting the conversation they were having. Smiling a little as the two of them chuckled.

Oh so this was Lucas, she hadn't got a chance to officially meet him yet, she looked him over as he spoke. "It's nice to finally meet you too. I can't believe it took this long." She said with a soft smile before giving a small curtsy in response to his bow before turning her attention to Cade. Her smile widening a bit and a blush came to her cheeks when he took her hand and kissed it. "Oh…the pleasure is mine. I'm Isabella." She said, softly taking her hand back from him. Helena had told her stories about Lucas and Cade and the trouble they got into before, but he definitely had her attention now. "Oh and this is my bodyguard, Eve." She gestured to Eve.

Eve smiled a bit and nodded her head. "Good to see you both again."

"Some wine for me too please." She asked before letting her eyes roam over Cade as he walked away. He definitely was nice to look at in a suit, with a nice smile, and all those tattoos. Helena got her attention away from him as she took her arm and she smiled at Helena again, light blush for getting caught.

"Hi Helena. You're father said he'd meet you later." Eve said with a smile and light chuckle. "Thank you, I guess Cass picked mine out too?" She honestly didn't know for sure, while she loved the dress, they were more Izzy's thing then hers. Though she frowned a touch when asked how she was, Issack had threatened her life yet again before the party if she lost Izzy again. "I've definitely been better." She answered, giving Isabella a look. She was happy to hear that the West Coven was starting to come back together, she really did miss her home.

Izzy smiled at Helena when she talked about the West and how it was starting to come together. It was really nice to see her friend so happy and proud of something. "Who knows once everything is taken care of, and calms down on my end. We can take a trip over there to see it."

"Or you can just ask Issack, Helena, he'd see it as a chance to suck up" Eve muttered behind them loud enough for only them to hear.

Izzy giggled a bit at what Eve said before nodding a bit. "That is a fair point. He is convinced you are going to take this from your dad. Are you hoping to take some of the witches and vampires back from here?" She asked in still hushed tones.

"Oh I've been great this week at least. I just came back from sneaking South with Cass. It was a great week. Probably not my smartest move but I was shut in my room the whole time I was visiting here before, so it seemed only far." She said with a rebellious smirk, she always hated the way her father treated her like a fragile doll. Lord forbid they found out she had magic!! She lowered her voice a bit. "Met Cass's wolf friend, which I hope you don't mind I invited." She said, touching Helena's arm. "I thought it might be useful for you and Lucas." She sighed, back to usual volume. "Other than that, just put away somewhere safe." She said with an eye roll as they slowly made their way into the party room.

"Thank you." She said softly when the men caught back up with them and she took the wine glass handed to her. Not even getting to take a sip before the sound of loud laughter turned into grumpy scolding, and Izzy let out a loud sigh letting go of Helena as she saw her father was the one getting scolded. "Fuck. Excuse me." She said not even blinking as she felt Eve take her glass as she started towards her father, though she was taking her time a little enjoying her father being scolded by Alina.

"Father" She said loudly as she got closer to them, cutting whatever retort he was going to make and dig himself in deeper, off. "look, Shaun is over there, why don't you go talk to him." She said redirecting her father like one would a toddler, not that it would matter because he took the chance to leave as soon as she gave it. "I'm so sorry about my father miss Alina, he is a bit of a moron." She apologized as she took her glass from Eve and offered it to her.

–

Niko hadn't moved very far from the witches that he had followed into the ballroom, when Cass found him again. Sipping his wine quickly as he watched the vampires around him. "It's fine darlin', I jus' followed Mercy around until she ran off on me too." He said with a laugh, before raising a brow as he turned before seeing Lia and blinking before smiling a bit at what Cass whispered in his ear. It had been years since he had seen Lia, and she was one of the few people outside his pack that he considered a pack member without actually being one.

"Look at you all mad' up." He responded to Lia once she came over before hugging her back, unable to hide the slight wiggle before he let her go. "I've been pret'y good. My pack is the second larges', 'pparently Cass and the little eastern vampire girl has brough' me here for alliance talks." He humbly bragged a bit. "How'e you been?" He asked.

Lia brought up Aless, and Niko gave a knowing look. He got this question from Aless every once and awhile too. At least now he would be able to answer them. He looked at the witch watching them and nodded to her a bit, before looking back at Lia. "Don' mind them darlin', their my witches." He reassured. "And it's been a coupl' weeks but she stops in to check on me. Yells at me for not eatin' righ', asks 'bout you and brings me witches to help." Niko answered with a smile, aside from getting yelled at every now and again, the visits from Aless always made him happy.

"So this is where you'e been hidin' then? If it wasn't for Cass tellin' me she saw you when she went up north I would be worr'ed." He said with a laugh trying to change what he was sure was a sad topic. Nodding a bit as he listened to Lia tell what had happened to get her here. Not to lie, it raised his opinion of Checkov even more too. Not a lot of other people were as accepting of Lia back then. "Eh, who likes vampires anyway." He chuckled before smiling as Lia talked about this Mitch man. Because he knew Lia well enough to know that look she got talking about him.

He didn't really get time to respond before Cass came back with Lia's bodyguard. "Nice to meet you. Good to see Lia is bein' kept safe." He said offering a hand which Mitch took after a moment with a smile.

–

"Right?" Kat asked when Atty said he even couldn't tell the castle was usually dark and dreary. It really was a huge surprise. She smiled when he agreed to get drinks with her, she knew the whine would calm her nerves. The woman that met them on the way to the drink table was very pretty and nice. "Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if she did." Kat said with a laugh and offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you Mercy, and it's Kat please." She looked at Atty when he didn't do anything but stare at her. "And this is my bodyguard and friend Atticus." She added nudging him a bit before side glancing at Atty as he responded. "Sorry, right. I'm Atticus."

She nodded a bit when Mercy talked about the whine, it was something she seemed really passionate about and it made Kat smile. It was kind of adorable. "Oh thank you." She said, taking the whine handed to her. Before nodding at Atty's words about sweets. "We really do, my teacher Lia bakes enough to feed an army a lot." She said before making a small face. "I tried once but I almost burned the cottage down." Kat joked before looking at Atty as he whispered in her ear. She glanced at the men looking at Atty, looking them over, and when the blonde one whispered to the other one. Kat moved her hand where she was holding Atty's hand and glared at the dark haired one still staring for a moment before they headed off.

"Your dress is really pretty." She complimented Mercy, keeping the conversation lightly going until Atty came back to her so it didn't look weird for them to stand there. Once Mercy left them she turned to Atty with a worried look. "It's alright but are you okay?" She asked before nodding a bit. "Yeah that sounds good, then maybe find where Lia and Mitch wandered off to?"