Month: December 2017

Darwynn left shortly after telling me he’d gotten nothing from the vampire downstairs. Chris had gone to interrupt Matt and Andrew and Dev and Dee were still doing whatever it was they were doing in the bedroom. Sage and Adam were doing Sage and Adam things and I was alone in my living room sitting on the couch waiting for the seriously over crowded of my living space by teenagers.

Jin and Ant were out in TCP waiting for guests and ushering them through to the house proper. Dev’s playlist were already going in the background, we had the lights up high for now while everyone came in. My once quiet living spot was now filled with chatting teenagers. The dance-floor was filled with kids grinding to the music. If I were one of their parents I might find it a bit offensive, but I didn’t care.

From my perch next to the punch bowl on the counter I spied Matt with his arms wrapped around Andrew’s neck just a hairs breath from a kiss as they dance. They weren’t grinding like the other kids were, they weren’t even dancing too the beat – a music all their own. Chris was dancing with a boy who I didn’t know. She didn’t seem to be into him and they weren’t grinding like the others.

A hand touched my knee and ran up my leg and I looked at the person who had the audacity to touch me like that only to find Mia standing next to me with her husbands hand at my hip. He winked at me. Jace and I hadn’t hung out in a while. I had a feeling he was jealous of my life – of my family. And pissed that it wasn’t him.

“Where are you lovers?” He asked.

“Doing their thing. I honestly don’t know where Dev and Dee are. Sage is with Adam in his room like always.”

Jace laughed. “You sound bitter about that.”

I shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Mia sighed. “I feel so old.”

Jace looked at his wife and smiled. “Baby, you ain’t old.” He pulled her on to the dance floor, “We’ll show them how it’s done.”

And just like that I was alone again watching the crowd.

The current song ended and Chris walked over to me and pulled herself up next to me on the counter. “You look lonely.”

I shrugged. “I don’t mean to.”

She laughed, “I meant sitting her all alone.”

I nodded. “Well I’m the only adult present so I’ll be lonely.”

“Aren’t they adults?” Chris pointed to Jace and Mia.

“You haven’t met Jace. And Mia is babysitting him so she’s all taken up with that.”

Chris snorted in laughter, “He’s that bad?”

I grinned. “No. But he thinks he is. I think they are using this as date night so I’ll let the be kids while I’m the adult.”

“Sounds so boring.”

I laughed. “I never thought I’d be the one pretending to be an adult.”

“Where are all yours at?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. They’ll show if they want to.”

“You don’t think they want to?”

I laughed. “Tell me, would you like to be reminded your are an adult watching a bunch of kids grinding on the dance floor when you’d rather be out there dancing with them?”

“Don’t you want to?”

I shrugged. “I’m good at doing things I don’t want to do.”

Chris sighed. “That sounds so sad.”

She hopped off the counter and took my hand. “Then dance with me.”

“I shouldn’t.” I said.

“It’s just a dance.”

I shook my head. “I can’t be an adult and dance with you at the same time.”

“Sure you can.”

I smirked. “Sweetheart, thank you. But I’m happy right here.”

“You aren’t. You are afraid you’ll fall into old habits.”

I sighed. “I am. I’ll stay right here.”

Chris smiled. “You don’t deny that you might hit on me?”

I laughed. “I don’t deny it. Why would I? You heard it in my head.”

“Most people deny it.”

I smiled. “I’m not most people. I respect the gifts of others. I trust in it.”

“One day I’d like to see what you can do. Matt’s always so cryptic.”

“Probably because I don’t know all that I can do.”

She smiled. “That’s a lie. You know what you can do it just scares you.”

I sighed. “Again yes. Go dance Chris. Matt and Andrew are separated a little join your friends, leave the old fuddy-duddy to himself.”

She laughed. “You are so not old.”

I was glad she thought so but I felt out of place here.

Chris was busy taking care of the drinks. Darwynn came upstairs and was strolling into the kitchen and Chris let out a small eep as he sat down in front of her container of ice and drinks. “Who’s the teenage girl?” Darwynn asked me.

“Matt’s friend. She wanted to give Matt and his beau a few minutes alone.”

“They are probably making out on the piano.” Chris laughed.

“If they are making out in the studio they are so going to get in trouble. Dev won’t even let me make out with him in the studio.” I grinned at her.

Chris blushed but kept on working as she said, “Maybe I should go interrupt them then.”

“Leave them.” Darwynn said. “What’s a girl like you being friends with a boy like Matt? You friends with Faelen?”

Chris smiled. “Fae is sweet, but he’s too quiet.”

Darwynn nodded. “He grew up rough. He needs Nox as about as much as Nox needs his family.”

“Which is a lot.” I added to the conversation.

Chris asked, “Why did you all meet?”

Darwynn laughed. “Nox and a bunch of boys were on a camping trip in my neck of the woods. Matt was one of them. Me and Fae were living a rough life in the mountains and shit fell out of the sky as it seems to do around Nox and we are where we are now. Me and the boy are friends. He’s adopted Matt and Fae. And now I work for him.”

“Shit fell out of the sky?” Chris asked with a giggle.

“He means there was a lot of trouble and fighting and misunderstandings.” I said.

Chris laughed. “You know, I know all about what Matt is right?”

Darwynn asked, “What is Matt?” His voice was full of concern and I thought I almost detected a hint of fear.

“He’s Venatori. Supernatural police slash peace keeper.”

“He told you that?” I asked.

“No.” Chris blushed. “I heard it in his head. He called you a god and was thinking about all the things he couldn’t tell me.”

“You are a telepath?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. Not exactly.”

“But you hear thoughts?”

“I was conceived by a human host.”

Darwynn looked at me and frowned. “What’s she saying?”

“Her mother or father was possessed by an angel when she was conceived.” I said.

“My Mom was” Chris said. “She’s very religions and Viviene needed a host, so Mom agreed. Viviene was new to emotions and when she hooked up with my Dad in a one night stand she wasn’t careful. But Mom finished Vivienne’s mission and found out I was going to be born in a few months.”

“So you can hear my thoughts?” I asked.

Chris shook her head. “Not really. It doesn’t work like that. I hear the lies.”

I laughed. “So you heard half of what Darwynn and I were thinking about the shit storm?”

Chris smiled. “No. None of what you said was a lie.”

“What did Matt say when you told him he was lying?”

“I never told him. I kissed him.”

“What did he do?” I leaned down on my elbows rapt with attention for this story.

Chris giggled. “I wasn’t the first girl to kiss him. He rolled his eyes and took me by the shoulders and held me away from him and sternly said, ‘no’. I taunted him with I know what you are and then ran away. He chased after me and when he caught me in the library stacks I told him what he was. We’ve been friends ever since.”

“So the kiss was just a ploy?” Darwynn asked, “Dirty little minx.”

“Matt doesn’t like girls – everyone knows that.” Chris defended herself. “I wanted to tease him.”

I looked at Darwynn. “What did our friends downstairs have to say?” I asked. Chris smiled at me before she went back to work.

Darwynn shook his head. “Not much. Valence won’t talk. Their methods aren’t brutal enough yet. I never thought Il Cane to be soft.”

I sighed, “That’s my fault. I’d rather he didn’t die just yet.”

The buzzer for the apartment went off which meant someone had exited the elevator and Jin wasn’t at her desk. Which she shouldn’t be, so from the kitchen I made my way to our front door to find a cute blonde boy standing shly in front of my door. He looked up at me with bright blue eyes – not quite Sage or Dev’s color, but a nice blue. “Matt said I could stop by early to go over the playlist with one of his Dads.”

I heard running down the hall towards the front door and Matt skid to a halt nearly colliding with me. Chris was rolling her eyes walking behind him. He looked to the blonde boy and asked, “Did he say anything.”

He shook his head. “I was just telling him you said I could come by.”

Matt looked up at me and frowned, “You haven’t said anything?”

I smirked. “I was admiring your taste in men. I’m not much into blondes but you nailed the blue eyes.”

Both Matt and the boy blushed and Chris laughed. “He’s so got you two pegged.”

Matt shot a glare at his friend and then turned to me offering the boy his hand. I let Matt pull his friend into the house. “I’m Nox, by the way. It’s nice to meet you Andrew.”

He smiled up at me and offered me his hand. “Thanks for letting Matt have this party. The football team has been so much nicer since I started dating Matt.”

“They picked on you?” I said as we walked into the kitchen?

“No more than the other boys. But my dad is the coach and I have been water boy for years and they still treat me like a kid.”

Andrew muttered, “Doesn’t help that I like boys.”

I patted the boy on the back. “I know that feeling. They aren’t picking on you are they Matt?”

Chris laughed. “Would you pick on a kid that could beat you to a pulp standing still?”

Andrew nodded. “Remember when Mitch tried to hit you. You ducked and he went flying into the locker and busted his hand. So much for his football career.”

Chris giggled. “Or when Darain was picking on Skylar and Matt stepped in between punches and caught them both.”

I gave Matt a look that said you better not have been showing off. He added. “It was nothing. I have a good teacher.” He nodded in my direction. “Nox taught me how to control the fight without throwing any punches. He figured I was going to need it to protect myself.”

I smiled. I had also taught him so he wouldn’t hurt anyone while he was pretending to be human. He was stronger than I was and he could do some massive damage, so we had practiced long and hard before he went to his first day of school.

Andrew’s face was in awe. “Can you teach me?”

I shrugged. “If your parents say it’s alright you can join in Matt’s training sessions after school.”

“Me too?” asked Chris.

“If your mom says it’s okay.”

“You’d really teach me to fight?”

I smiled. “Where I grew up, the girls learned to fight just like me. Some of them could even beat the shit out of me. Don’t get into a fight with Mia.” I said.

Matt asked, “Jace and Mia are coming aren’t they?”

I shrugged. “You invited them, you tell me.”

“I figured you could use friends too. Other than Ant and Jin. Dev, Sage and Dee don’t count.”

“You call your parents by their first names?”

I laughed. “I’m his legal guardian.”

“My dad is still in the picture.” Matt said. “I feel wrong calling them Dad since he’s around. Fae, Drake and Morana all call him Dad, Dev Da, and Sage Vader. Mom is of course Dee.”

“Why Vader?” Andrew asked.

“It’s a long story revolving around Star Wars and the line that never uttered in Star Wars.”

Chris giggled, “Luke, I am your father.” Her Vader impersonation was pretty spot on.

Matt laughed, “Except it was Drake doing the saying to Sage “You are my father, Vader.””

“It kinda just stuck.”

Matt took Andrew by the hand and pulled him towards Dev’s studio. Chris followed behind stalling. “You can help me with the drinks if you want Chris.” I added as she shuffled her feet out the door.

She turned and smiled and whispered, “Thank you,” before she was picking up the Mountain Dew Adam had left and started putting them into the ice bucket sitting on the counter.

Our bedroom was empty. I wasn’t sure where anyone was and without letting my powers go I really had no way of finding out. I wasn’t that pressed to find anyone. I had to get ready for Matt’s part. I couldn’t wear the shorts and t-shirt that said, “Kiss the Cook” to a teenage party. I couldn’t wear leather pants and a mesh shirt either. But I knew Dev and Dee would expect me to look both paternal and hot at the same time. Not an easy feat.

Jeans, a solid t-shirt underneath a black button up that wasn’t buttoned and a pair of sneakers that I didn’t go running in. Dee hated when I did that. She made me go shopping for shoes. Your running shoes get smelly. I sighed but had listened to her. I’d normally not wear shoes in the house, but with a bunch of little feet scampering around my house it was a good idea.

Drake and Morana were regulated to the theater room watching TV with Jin, Xi and Vin. My babysitters. Xi was a new addition recently. He’d just broken up with his long time girlfriend and was lonely so we had invited him over for movies one night. He and Dev got on well, the whole dream walking thing was a good connection. And Xi loved Morana. He was one of three people she curled up with. Don’t know why she chose him, but we were happy she had found someone outside me and Fae to curl up with. And he didn’t mind her cool touch. That was always good.

I was applying eyeliner when I heard voices in the bedroom. It was just muffled and I ignored it at first until Dee shouted, “You can’t go!”

Ah fuck! Dev was talking to Dee about going on tour. I expanded my hearing so I could listen. I hated doing it but I wanted to make sure Dev was alright. And this was important. I heard Dev chuckling in my head as he reassured me he was going.

“I can go. I’m going, Dee. Nox and Sage are here you can live without me for four weeks.” Dev said.

“Nox is needy. Sage and I can’t handle him on our own.”

Dev laughed. “Sage is capable of handling Nox. He’s not that bad, Dee. He is better now. Don’t you see it? The depression isn’t as high, the anxiety is normal.”

Dee whined, “He won’t be fine if you leave.”

“He will.” Dev sighed. “This isn’t about Nox. You just want me to stay and think Nox is the only reason I would.”

“I do not.”

Dev laughed, “Really, you are going there? I can hear what you think.”

Dee stammered but she didn’t say anything else. The only thing I heard was them kissing. Dee’s go to move.

I stepped out of the bathroom and brushed passed the kissing couple on my way out the door. I wasn’t going to interrupt their make out session but thought I should say something so when I got to the door I stopped and turned to them. Their eyes were on me and I smirked. “Dee he’s going. If you talk him out of it, I’m going to pack his things, and I’m going to kick his ass out to the bus that’s taking them on tour. He’s going.”

I turned and left with Dev frowning slightly but he was smirking in my head. I heard Dee say, “Now he’s going all bossy again,” as I rounded the corner to go into the kitchen, where Matt and Chris were fervently talking and then stopped when I came in.

Matt asked, “Dev’s going on tour?”

“He is. Cool right?”

Chris said. “Can I get his autograph before he becomes famous?”

I laughed. “I think Dev would like that. We’ll have to find a few extra DS shirts for the band to sign.”

Chris giggled. “My mom would so freak.”

“Why?”

“Because my best friend’s Da is a rockstar. And so cute.”

I laughed. “He is mighty fine.” I said leaning down on the counter like it was some sort of secret between us. “And he’s great in bed too.” I grinned and Chris blushed and giggled at my words.

Matt rolled his eyes. “Stop flirting with my friends.”

I walked around the counter to where Matt sat and kissed his check, “Never.”

I went in search for Sage and Adam. I knew where they’d be. I needed to see if Sage was going to be monitoring the cams for any teenage nookie. As I was leaving Chris called, “Hey Nox.”

I turned to look and she was smiling at me. “He’s not the only cute one. I think there are three of you.”

I smirked and looked at Matt. “I like her.”

He rolled his eyes, “You only like her cause she thinks you are cute.”

I grinned. “There is that. But that’s not why. She’s got a quick wit. So needed around here with all you dour faces.”

Matt just rolled his eyes and got up from his stool, “Come on Chris lets go see if Dev has the music ready. He probably needs to be saved from Dee.”

“They were kissing when I left.”

Matt stopped and sighed. “Let’s go to the studio and wait there then.” Good idea. I thought, Matt definitely didn’t want to walk in on that – again.

Cindy was about to reach the elevator button when I called out. “Leaving so soon?” I asked to interrupt her button pushing.

She turned with her brown eyes looking up at me. Her cheeks were a little flushed and Jin was no where to be seen. She stammered, “I…” She took a deep breath. “Just embarrassed.”

“By what?” I asked.

“I opened a door I shouldn’t have. Ms. Jin was insistent I not look in the unlocked door. But I figured it was something I should know about if my kid was going to stay.”

I grinned at her. “Don’t tell you you thought it was a closet until you saw the straps hanging from the ceiling and the sex swing hanging on the other side?”

She paled and nodded. “I don’t know what kinda of weird you and your lovers are into. But Chris is welcome to stay. But you need to put a lock on the door.”

I laughed. “That’s Dee’s room, and all the kids know to stay out of our private spaces.”

She shook her head. “You have a three year old. He listens without question?”

I shook my head. “No. He questions everything. He’s in a why stage. He doesn’t know what it is, and we don’t hide sex from the kids.” She paled as I continued. “We don’t do it in front of them. But we talk about it.” I sighed. “Look, Cindy, we have a monogamous four way relationship. If anything you should take offense to it’s the fact that we are doing that. “

She laughed. “So kinky sex is probably all part of what you four do.”

I grinned. “Duckling you’d be surprised how vanilla we go.”

“Nothing about your relationship is vanilla.”

I nodded. “True, but it’s just like any other love story. We flirt. We fight. And we…” i didn’t finish the statement as she was already during red around the ears. “Chris will be fine. Matt will be the perfect gentleman, and as long as you come get Chris before our date tomorrow night she won’t see or hear anything inappropriate.”

Ant snorted in the background and I turned to look at my ever present shadow with frown.

“Cindy, this is Ant. Head of TCP Investigations Security team. He will make sure Chris is safe.”

“He seems more like your body guard then head of security.”

I nodded. “He is that. Which is why he’s head of security. He can’t protect me by himself.”

“Do you get a lot of death threats?” she asked.

“I’ve had may share of them.” I smiled, “But I’d rather deal with his brand of security than leave my family without me for the rest of their lives. I mean, I don’t want them to go into massive depressive states because they miss me so.”

Ant snorted again. “Ms. Cindy, let me walk you out. Nox has to go get ready for the party.”

“I didn’t see Jin.” I looked at Ant.

“She didn’t want to interrupt you so she told me when you were done.”

I nodded. It sounded plausible. But Jin never really cared about interrupting before. I grinned. Jin must be embarrassed too. I held out my hand to Cindy with a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you. You and Chris are welcome here any time.” I shook her hand then let Ant usher her through the elevator doors and I headed back to our room.