So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She could see that he wasn't happy about this. He wanted to get married as soon as possible. She could understand that.. she had been in that position before, many years ago. Adrenaline had been the only thing rushing through her veins. She had no idea what to expect. Her mother hadn't been there to tell her how things would be. Her father.. well he had been lost at the bottom of a wine, gin, or whiskey bottle. She hadn't spoken to him in so long... Lowering her head, she wished that things had turned out differently between the two of them.

Biting her lower lip, she watched him. She could only go off of his reactions. He was silent for what seemed like the longest time. His face barely giving away what he was thinking and even then she couldn't even be certain. Her eyes then went back to the box. Things could completely turn over.. and then he spoke. Okay, was the single word that left his lips. His hands reached for the box and she watched anxiously. He took it inside. So things would work out.. it would be hard. They both had different views but hopefully they would agree on something and both be happy with it.

Grabbing the box that was next to her, she slowly followed after him, walking through the doorway of her new home. Home. Going into the kitchen, she placed the box that was in her hands on the table as well. Placing her hands into her pockets, she started to head back out but then stopped. "I'm going to talk to Leaf and Micheal real quick.. " She hoped they would be willing to help her move the furniture. Her eyes briefly lingered on Daniel. It seemed like he was lost in another world. Sighing, she lowered her head. Walking into the living room, she looked at the two men.

"Hey.. " she started, hoping to catch their attention, "I have furniture back home.. If you guys have time, could you help me bring it down here?" Biting her lip, she waited for their answer. "I'll pay for the time and work," she knew it would be hard work and they were probably tired as it was. She guessed it would be in a couple of hours. She had to get the rest of the clothes and other boxed things down here before the big stuff came in. Now that she thought of it.. she really had no one else to help her out. Perhaps her neighbors would be willing to help her out, but she had barely ever spoken to them beside the formalities.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel was only vaguely aware of Elenore at his side. His forearms rested on top of the box he had brought in, his gaze directed out the window but focused on nothing. So much was changing, more than all of the previous ten years put together. He had never really liked change, though he wasn't sure why considering his younger years. Perhaps it was the lack of control but he immediately pushed that thought away. While he did like having some semblence of control, he couldn't claim that the lack of it made him more anxious than the next man.

He almost missed Elenore's comment, he was so deep in thought. He looked over at him and mumbled something unintelligible but along the lines of an acknowledgement. He had to admit, he was curious what she wanted to speak with them about but he also knew he would most likely find out soon enough. Deciding that he no longer wanted to examine his own personal issues further for the time being, he pushed himself up and away from the table. He walked out to the hallway, glanced into the living room where Elenore was speaking with Micheal and Leaf before turning and heading back outside to retrieve the last of the boxes Elenore had brought.

"What do you think? Blue or green? Or maybe a nice cream color," Micheal said, standing back to admire the walls of the living room while Leaf nailed the last board into place. "I think cream, with a pale brown trim."

Leaf glanced up from the board and rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with plain wood?"

Micheal frowned. "Because this isn't a cabin," he said. "'ave you ever been inside any of the other farm 'ouses? They're all painted. It's... It's..." He rolled his hand in the air before him, trying to think of the right way to phrase what he wanted to say. Then, failing, he settled for, "It's just something white people do." When Leaf just shook his head, he added, "You're just as bad as Wolf."

Leaf lifted his head again and began to argue the point when Elenore appeared from the doorway. Both men turned their full attention to Elenore, though Leaf stayed crouched by the board and Micheal remained where he stood in the middle of the near-empty living room. At the mention of furniture, Micheal looked visibly relieved. He had known that Daniel's lack of appropriate furniture would be a problem. He had worried that either he or Daniel would have to go into town and buy new furniture. He wouldn't have allowed Daniel to go as he needed to rest as much as he would allow himself. Micheal, on the other hand, simply didn't want to go into the city. Daniel had managed to make a clean break from the underworld without leaving behind too many enemies. Micheal had not been so lucky and he hadn't relished the idea of risking coming across one of them. Leaf couldn't go simply because his driver's license had expired and he hadn't gotten around to renewing it yet.

Micheal was about to agree that, yes, he would most certainly help, when she continued. At the mention of payment, he and Leaf looked at each other in surprise. The younger man got to his feet and crossed over to stand beside Micheal. In those few seconds, an amused smile had worked its way onto the older man's face. "Elenore, you've certainly got a lot to learn about the people around 'ere," Micheal said. "It's not about the money. I'm doing this because Daniel's like a son to me."

"Daniel has been a good friend to me for many years," Leaf said when Micheal finished. "I help him because of that friendship and because I know that if I ever need his help, he will be there."

"Whether you like it or not," Micheal continued. "you're family now and we look after our own."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Maybe Daniel had jumped in head first without thinking.. and now he was regretting his decision. She lowered her head but pushed those thoughts away as she went into the living room. The two men were talking about painting. She couldn't help but smile. New paint. She had just been hoping to have the things that need to be fixed, done. Paint would be wonderful though. She was tired of the white walls of her apartment for her work place had the same boring color.

After she asked them if they would help, she was a little surprised that they had gotten their attention so quickly and fully. She wasn't used to that. Watching Leaf get to his feet, she wasn't sure if she had said something wrong. Hearing Micheal's voice then, she looked over at him. A smile came to her face. Micheal was certainly something.

Her eyes returned to Leaf in the next moment. They really were good friends of Daniel's. It made her sad that she hadn't been able to keep her own. Lowering her head for a moment, she thanked her stars that she hand Aunt Rose and her children though. "I'll pay for gas nonetheless and get you guys something to eat," she told them. She wasn't about to let them go hungry with all the work they had been doing lately.

"Let me know when you guys are ready," she said before thanking them and moving back outside to her car. Going to the trunk, she realized that Daniel had brought in most of the boxes. Grabbing the last one, she closed the car, and then went back inside, moving to the kitchen.

((Do you want to do a time skip to after school? I don't have anything planned until then ><
And I'm sorry this is so short >< I don't know what happened))  

[Katydid50]

As much as Micheal wanted to turn down her offer to pay them, he wouldn't turn down free food. It was very rare that he got food that he didn't make himself, unless he visited with Daniel or Screech and stayed late enough into the evening. On the matter of gas money though, he informed her that it would be Daniel she'd have to pay. While Leaf finished off the last of the boards, Micheal explained that he himself didn't have a car and Leaf's license had expired some weeks ago. He didn't mention, though, that his own license had expired years ago. Leaf must have noticed this lack of information because he looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow but he didn't say anything.

After Leaf finished, Micheal informed Daniel that they were stealing his truck before he and Leaf spent the rest of the day moving some of Elenore's furniture into the house. Daniel did his best to help but he was only allowed to lift the lightest of items, much to his obvious displeasure. By the time the schools were close to letting out, much of the furniture had been moved into the spare bedroom. The livingroom had taken less time than Daniel had thought to get cleaned up and furnished. The mattresses had been moved to the far corner and covered with a sheet. The couch and coffee table and been placed haphazardly, to be arranged later.

Daniel glanced at the clock in the kitchen, knowing that it wouldn't be long before he was properly introduced to Grace, Nicholas and Deserai. He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous.

In the city, Nicholas stared up at the clock above the classroom door. It wouldn't be long before the bell rang and everyone was let out. For a moment, he wondered if Dan would be picking them up but he pushed that thought away. That was ridiculous. Their mother would be picking them up, just like always. That wouldn't change too, right?

((Yeah, because I've got nothing interesting. It would just be Micheal and Leaf helping Elenore move some of the furniture in, and Daniel being difficult about wanting to help but not being allowed. Also, sorry about the crap post. I'm not feeling well and it's been a long day at university.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

At least Micheal didn't deny her of feeding them. She had no idea what they would want but she figured she could go over to Aunt Rose's and cook something up quickly. There was some leftover pie, she could bring that over as a treat. The kids would probably be happy to have a snack too. She soon found out that she'd be driving them as well, which she was fine with, she just hoped that they'd be able to fit in the truck without a problem. Going back to Daniel, she handed him money for gas before they left to get all her things.

It took them quite some time to get everything out of the apartment building and several long elevator trips. Everything was moved into Daniel's house though, and her bed was dropped off at Aunt Rose's. Deserai had been asleep at the moment so she didn't bother to wake her to say hi. That girl always woke up early and then took a nap in the middle of the day. She brought the leftover pie back with her so Leaf and Micheal could take a slice if they wanted to. She'd have to cook them a nice lunch sometime in the future. The kitchen of her new home was too hectic to do anything with at the moment.

Looking around the furnished home, she bit her lip. Things were finally settling down. She was actually staying here. The kids would be coming here as soon as she picked them up. Finding Daniel in the kitchen, she placed a hand on his arm. "I'm going to go pick them up," she said softly. Kissing his cheek, she then left, going out the front door. She was nervous but she had no choice but to stay calm.

Elenore drove down to Nicholas' school first just as the bell rang. She hoped that kid had left him alone. Sighing, she lowered her head as she waited for him to show up. Maybe he'd want to go to a different school.. she didn't know. Looking out the window, she watched as kids rushed out of the building. Most of them ran to the buses. Some went to the cars and others searched for their parents.

Grace gritted her teeth together before spitting out blood. Her eyes opened to look at the dark cement of the parking lot behind the school. She had been planning to stay out of any conflict, especially on this day but sadly conflict found her instead. Straightening her back, she looked at her offender. She had two people on either side of her, both friends. They weren't getting involved unless it was necessary.

"Afraid of a fight Red?" the girl in front of her asked. Her long straightened, bleached blonde hair still looked perfect as usual. To be honest, the fight was all over a stupid rumor that had spread through the school like wild fire.

"With you?" Grace chuckled. "Nah," her expression turned serious before she dropped down to a crouch and kicked the side of the girl's knee. Her name was Delilah but every one called her Candy. It was some dumb nickname that she had gotten back in middle school.

Wincing from the pain in her arm, she then jumped to her feet, going to the fallen beach blond to give her a peace of her mind. She could only hope that the stitches would hold in her arm if she had to use it. Straddling the fallen girl, she gave her a swift punch to the side of her face. Grace already knew that she'd have a bruise on the side of her own so why not give the girl a matching one.

Receiving a blow to her stomach, she then heard the sound of the back door opening. People were coming. People were running. Without giving it another thought, she got up and did the same. They jumped the wire fence and made a run for it into the city. The only running through her mind was that she had to get out of there. Honestly, she had no idea how she was getting home now. She'd figure it out soon enough though. Making sure the hood of her jacket stayed on, she then began to slow down.

The pain in her arm then came to her. She had not been able to feel it with the adrenaline rush but now it felt like it was on fire. Swallowing, she came to a halt behind an old restaurant. Pulling off the shoulder of her jacket, she examined the bandages. Everything seemed to be fine, she just needed to make sure not to use it for a while.

Sighing, she shook her head before zipping her jacket back up. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she then made her way back to the school but didn't enter the grounds. She'd wait for her mother's car to show up.

((It's okay ^^ and your post was good ))  

[Katydid50]

It had been a long day, made even longer by the fact that Daniel had only been allowed to help with the easiest of tasks, something that seemed unfair to him as he'd been doing harder work for the past three days without a problem. It went against the grain, watching other men -his friends, nonetheless- doing hard work without doing hardly anything himself. It just wasn't right. But, he would admit, they had done a good job. The living room was actually starting to look like a living room. The spare room had been turned into a bedroom though it still only contained the three beds. They could get more furniture -bedside tables, maybe a lamp- later.

Daniel was pulled from his thoughts by a light touch on his arm. He looked down from the clock to find Elenore by his side. He would have nodded to her comment but her lips against his cheek held him still. Butterflies came to life in his stomach, something he hadn't felt for... longer than he cared to think about. "Alright," he said, was all he was capable of saying. He watched as she left the kitchen, listened as she walked out the front door. He told himself that she would come back, that it was illogical to think she wouldn't.

Shaking his head at his own unfounded worries, he left the kitchen and headed into the living room to, firstly, see if there was anything that Micheal and Leaf would like him to do and, secondly, to kick them out if there wasn't. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate everything that they did for him -he did and they knew it, too- but he didn't want them there when the children showed up. It was going to be enough of a change; he didn't want to overwhelm them with two extra new faces.


Nicholas was one of the first out of his seat when the bell rang. He hurried out of the classroom, grabbing his bag and going as fast as he could without running to make sure he was out of the school before Gus could catch him. It wasn't that he was in a hurry to get home -he had to remind himself that home was no longer with Aunt Rose, but with Dan- even though he was excited as well as nervous about going there. It was just that he didn't want to be caught by Gus inside the school, where he could be cornered. If he took too long, his mother would come looking for him and that would just make everything worse.

It seemed luck was with him that day because Nicholas was out in front of the school before Gus caught up with him. The boy shrunk back as his much larger, much meaner classmate seemed to materialise in front of him. Nicholas did everything he could to protect himself -which, really, only consisted of curling into a ball and trying to cover anything important- but it was little use against someone Gus' size.

Within the five minutes before most of the parents began to show up and the majority of students leave the building, Nicholas was convinced that there were few things in the world worse than his situation. He wasn't naive enough to think that there weren't any worse situations. He'd been caught in one himself! But, things couldn't get that much worse for him.

When most of the parents began to arrive, Gus took off with his friends, leaving Nicholas a bruised, bloody mess on the grass. Sitting up, he swayed with a wave of dizziness that swept over him. His hair stuck up in odd directions. Blood dripped from his nose and one of his eyes was already beginning to blacken. His stomach and back hurt where Gus had kicked him repeatedly. Gus wasn't usually so vicious. It was probably because his mother had gotten involved before. He had tried to stop her but she just didn't understand. If she got involved, it would only make things worse.

Nicholas stood up shakily and tried to get his hair back in order. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a piece of paper from one of his notebooks, using it to mop the blood off his upper lip. After stuffing it back in his bag, he brushed the grass off his clothes and hoped beyond hope that his mother wouldn't question him or worse, had seen it herself. The last thing he needed was for her to give Gus a reason to beat him even wrose.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Lily headed out of the classroom after getting the homework for her friend. After all they didn't live that far from each other, she could drop it off some time today. Sighing, she walked out of the front of the building, seeing Gus punch Nicholas a few times before walking away. Her eyes widened slightly. Biting her lower lip, she was about to run up to him to see if he was okay but he was already getting up and wiping the blood away. Lily then looked in the direction Gus had left in, her eyes narrowing. There was no point in telling the teachers, they wouldn't fix anything. Lowering her head, she gave once last look at Nick before moving away from the scene and going to the bus.

Elenore could see the commotion but from where she was sitting she hadn't seen what happened to Nicholas. Seeing him come up to the car though, her eyes widened and she quickly got up. Going up to him, she saw his nose bleeding. "What happened?" she asked him, lifting his chin gently and crouching down. Brushing his hair back, she examined his face before looking down at his cloths.

Her eyes were filled with worry but at the same time they held anger. She could already guess who had done this to him. There was no way that she'd be able to find the boy at the moment, but she did plan on talking with the principal of the school. All of this was getting out of hand.

Running her fingers through his hair to fix it before she ushered him into the car. Going to her purse, she pulled out a Kleenex and handed it to him so he could wipe the blood away. "I'll stop by Aunt Rose's to pick up Deserai, you can change into something else there," she said softly. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go see Daniel today. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked him as she got back into the driver's seat, looking back at him.

Looking him over once more, she was sure that he didn't have any broken bones but that didn't mean he wasn't bruised. Sighing, she shook her head and drove out of the parking lot after buckling up, going to Grace's high school.

It wasn't long before she was pulling up into the parking lot but Grace appeared on the side walk, not in the best mood from what she could tell. Stopping the car, she let her get in. "Everything alright?" she asked her, her eyes examining her eldest daughter before noticing that her cheek was darkening. "Don't tell me that you got into a fight."

"Everything's fine," she told her mother, trying to sound as happy as she could be at the moment. "I didn't," she lied, "just had a rough game of soccer today." Hopefully she would believe her. After all, she did play sports when she had the chance, though it was mostly just with her gang. Basketball happened to be the most common game when they were waiting for something.

"Uh huh. Where's your backpack?" she questioned her. She still wasn't sure if she was telling the truth but she wasn't going to push it. How was she supposed to introduce her kids to Daniel like this?

"I left it at school. Didn't have any homework." Another lie, though this was a white one. Pulling down her hood, she leaned back in the seat and glanced back at Nick. Her eyes widened. He was a sorry mess.

"What happened to you?" of course she had seen him come home ruffed up a couple of times but never this bad. She had tried talking to him about it once but he refused to say anything.  

[Katydid50]

It was all Nicholas could do not to groan when he saw his mother sitting there, waiting for him. How much had she seen? Had she seen Gus lay into him? He hoped not. Anyway, she wouldn't miss the blood on his face or the darkening bruise over one eye. His mother may have been oblivious to some things but she wasn't blind. He watched warily as she got up, approaching him even as he walked over. When she reached him, he stopped, letting her tilt his head this way and that. He instinctively winced when her hand got too close to his eye as she brushed his hair back. "Nothing." It was a lie and a blatant one but he didn't want her getting involved.

As she began to fix his hair, he gave his head an impatient shake before letting her lead him to the car. He climbed inside and began to buckle up when he noticed the Kleenex she extended towards him. He paused before taking it and pressing it to his nose. He buckled up with his free hand, nodding when she said they would stop by Aunt Rose's and he could change. When she asked if he was going to be okay, he shot her a look that he hoped looked annoyed. "Of course," he said. It was amazing how easily the lie came to him. With any luck, Gus would soon just go back to harrassing him again instead of actually beating him. That would be much harder to hide.

As they made their way towards the high school, Nicholas suppressed a sigh and looked out the window. He was tired, tired of Gus, tired of the city. He didn't want to deal with it anymore. If not for the few friends he had -if they could even be considered friends- he would ask his mother if he could transfer schools. But, then she would want to know why he wanted to transfer schools and that would just cause more problems. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Finally, they reached the high school. Grace was already waiting, her face shadowed with both anger and bruising. What a pair they made. He could very easily guess what had happened; he was much more informed on what Grace got up to. While he did worry about her, he had his own problems to deal with.

He sat back and listened silently as his mother questioned Grace. Grace lied, of course, about what had happened, but at least she had something better to say than 'nothing'. Perhaps good lying was something a person had to learn and not an ability they were born with, like one of his classmates had said.

He looked back out the window as Grace got settled. His mind had just started to wander when Grace spoke. Looking over, he promptly looked away again at the look on her face. He had seen that same look on her face only a few times before and it just didn't suit; the concern was so unlike her. "Nothing," he mumbled. "What happened to you? They kick you in the face?" Because that was what it looked like and that was the only way he could think of that a person could get a bruise like she had from playing soccer, of all sports. If she was going to lie to their mother, she had better leave him alone. He'd tell their mother the truth if Grace didn't back off.

Looking in the rearview mirror at his mother, he asked, "Can we go now?" It wasn't so much that he was in a hurry to see where they would be living but he didn't want them to keep questioning him about what had happened.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore knew that Nicholas wouldn't tell her what was going on. She wished he would.. Lowering her eyes for a moment, she sighed. Maybe it was time for him to change schools. It was obvious that he wasn't happy in this one. Once they were settled in their new home, she'd figure out if there was a small school in the country. He'd be happier there. The bus would probably be able to pick him up. Grace would still want to be in the city though, so she could drop her off on her way to work. Deserai, well, she'd have to find a school for her soon enough. She was getting big. In the spring time she'd turn four.

Hearing Nicholas' response to her question, she frowned. She hoped he wouldn't start back talking to her. That annoyed look on his face worried her. Once they picked up Grace, she noted that both her children were not happy. Today wasn't supposed to be this stressful. They both had bruises on their faces. What was Daniel going to think? What about Aunt Rose? Deserai was hopefully still as cheerful as she had been in the morning. She could really use a happy face.

Grace narrowed her eyes when Nicholas returned the question. Really? He was going to pull that card? Turning back around, she looked out the window, not saying anything else to him. With her arms crossed, she stayed silent for the rest of the trip. Her mother turned on the radio station to the silence. Today was going to be hell and she knew it.

Daniel was not someone she wanted to meet. He was no one to her. Sure, he had gotten her mother pregnant but then where had he been for the past month? Closing her eyes, she put her hand around the bandaged arm. If he thought that he was going to slip into their lives so easily, he was in for a big surprise.

Parking the car in front of Aunt Rose's, she let them get out. Grace went straight to the bathroom. Nicholas would have time to change into some clean clothes. Looking around the house, she saw Aunt Rose come down the stairs with a smiling redhead in her arms. Elenore couldn't help but smile back at her youngest kid. "How was your guys' day?" she asked them before taking Deserai into her own arms.

"Goood," was her response before she looked around, searching for her siblings. "Where did Nick and Grace go?" she asked her mom before looking back at her.

"Our days were just fine. Dezzie has been hyper all day except for her one hour nap." Aunt Rose looked at the two of them. She knew the child would be happy with someone she could call a father.. she only hoped that Daniel would be able to take care of Elenore and three kids, then there was a fourth one on the way. It was a lot of responsibility and as far as she knew, he had only ever taken care of himself.

"They'll be in the car in a few minutes. Go put your shoes on." She set her down, before looking at Rose. She could see the worry in her eyes. "Everything will be fine.." she said softly, though she was starting to doubt that. Today was going to be rough.

Grace wrapped up the bandages once more. The stitches were fine from what she could tell but her wound had started to bleed a little once more. Leaving the bathroom, she glanced at Aunt Rose and her mom before going to the car, passing Deserai on the way there. To be honest.. she wanted to just go to the forest instead of meeting this guy and that was saying something. Then again.. part of her did want to see that boy again.

((I thought I'd give Deserai a nick name >< ))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas settled back in his seat when Grace turned back around and their mother turned on the radio. It was a relief not to have the spotlight on him. He didn't want them to worry about him but, even more than that, he didn't want either of them to get involved. If his mother did something, they'd call him a mama's boy and beat him up. If his sister got involved, they'd mock him about getting girls to fight his battles for him... and they'd beat him up some more. It was a lose-lose situation for him, no matter what happened.

Staring out the window, Nicholas kept the tissue pressed to his nose. By the time they had left the city and arrived at Aunt Rose's, the bleeding had stopped. When the car pulled to a halt, Nicholas jumped out of the car, taking his bag with him and hurrying inside. He didn't say anything to Aunt Rose, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He did feel bad about not saying 'hi' but he pushed it away.

Making his way upstairs, Nicholas locked himself in the room that was once -even yesterday- his bedroom. It was so odd, the idea that he wouldn't be living there anymore. They were going to be living with Dan from now on. He didn't know if they would move in that night but it couldn't be too far off. Within the next couple of days. Although his mind was still filled with thoughts of Gus' attack, his thoughts were beginning to drift back to the previous problem that occupied his mind.

As he got changed into a clean pair of clothes, he noticed a tear in the side of his shirt, at the bottom. It had probably gotten caught on Gus' shoe or something. With a grimace, he scrunched the shirt up and threw it into the garbage can. He hated this, hated how weak he felt, how helpless. He wanted to be able to give back to Gus as good as he got. He wanted to be able to protect himself. Then again, unless he suddenly grew six inches and gained twenty pounds, that wasn't likely to happen any time soon.

With a sigh, he finished changing. He debated on whether or not to take his bag but then decided to leave it. He didn't have any homework that was due tomorrow. The work he did have could wait.

Making his way back downstairs, he made his way back to the car. Grace was already there and his mother and aunt were talking with Deserai hanging around them like she usually did. Climbing into the back seat, he stared out at the fields and forest. He just wanted to vanish, to be able to go into the woods and not have to deal with anyone. The thought came to him that he would get pretty lonely in there by himself, and that his family would miss him. He reassured himself with the idea that he would visit them sometimes before pushing any such ideas away. It was stupid. He wouldn't be living in the forest by himself anyway.


Back in his home, Daniel paced around like a caged lion. He had sent Leaf and Micheal home with the promise that he would make it up to them. He didn't like kicking them out like he had but he didn't want to overwhelm the children either. But, now that his friends were gone, Daniel found there was nothing to distract him from what was to come.

Would the kids like him? Would they hate him? Would they even want anything to do with him? As much as he had tried to convince Elenore that everything would be alright, he hadn't managed to convince himself. Their reported reactions kept swirling around in his head and they didn't make him feel any better. He would have continued working on the house but there was nothing he could start that he could then stop and resume working on later, and he didn't want to keep working once they all got there. He knew how incorrect first impressions could be -and how much of an impact they had.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

"Let me know if you need any help," she told Elenore before pulling her into a big hug. She knew how difficult all of this was for her. It wasn't everyday that Elenore trusted her heart with someone. Not since him. She closed her eyes and they both stood like that for a few moments. At one point she thought Elenore would break down and cry but the tears never came. It was for the best. Letting her go, she looked her over as if she was sending her own daughter off to her boyfriend's house. Brushing a loose strand of that red hair away from the Ellie's face, she then smiled. "Go on."

Elenore had wrapped her arms around her Aunt, burying her face into the older woman's shoulder. She really was like her mother. She was her only family besides the kids. It still broke her heart that her father and her didn't get along. Maybe things were different now but she couldn't dig up the past in this sensitive situation. Maybe in a few months she could try giving him a call. Biting her lower lip, she then pulled away slowly and looked at Rose. Giving her a soft smile, she nodded before going out the door just as Deserai finished tying her shoes.

She felt her little hand slip into her own. Smiling, she looked down at her before getting her into the car. Getting into the driver's seat, she noticed Aunt Rose standing in the doorway, waving goodbye at them. She would see them tonight but she knew that she would be worrying the whole time. "We'll be over there for the day.. I'll take you guys back to Aunt Rose at night," she told them. "I want to get everything unpacked before all of you move in on Monday." It would give them some time to get used to everything before they started living there permanently. She heard Grace scoff but ignored it.

To be honest she didn't know whether to be happy or not that they weren't moving in immediately. Crossing her arms, she looked out the side window, wondering what her first actual conversation was going to be like with the man her mother planned on being with. She still held a grudge against him for yelling at Nicholas. He had no right to do that. He hadn't been their father then and he wasn't going to be now, at least not for her. The others could decide for themselves.

Deserai was surprisingly quite during the ride but at least she knew that the girl was excited. Looking at the house up ahead, she knew that this moment had finally come and their was nothing she could do to change it. They could now take everything in for themselves and come to their own conclusions about Daniel. She realized that her hands were sweating a moment later. Letting out a soft sigh, she decided to relax and hoped that her mind would listen to her.

Parking the car, she then turned off the engine. Grace was the first one out surprisingly. She got out a moment later, closing the door and waiting for the rest of them to get out. Locking the car doors, she watched as Deserai ran up to the door and knocked on it. Grace walked up slowly, almost stopping on the porch when the boards beneath her starting making noise. Elenore stood with her children, hoping that everything would be alright in the end.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas waited for his mother and younger sister to get into the car. On the outside, he seemed calm and patient, as always. On the inside, he was squirming, ready to burst out of the car and walk all the day to Dan's house if it meant actually moving. But, as usual, he riened this part of him in, staring out the window and trying not to worry about what was to come.

When his mother and Deserai climbed into the car, it was all he could do not to mutter a 'finally'. He was anxious to get going, to just get the difficult first real meeting over with. When his mother spoke, instead of turning on the car and driving off, Nicholas forced himself to listen. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that they wouldn't be moving in right away. He decided that he would decide later, once he had actually seen the place for himself, and gotten to know Dan better.

During the ride, Nicholas forced himself to sit still, staring out the window like he usually did. The longer they drove, the more restless he got. He was surprised that Deserai was so quiet but he didn't think on it long. He found it hard to think about anything for long. In all honesty, he was nervous, almost scared. So much was changing and so quickly. He liked that they would be living in the country but he didn't know whether or not he would like living with Dan.

When they turned off the main road and onto a dirt road, Nicholas tried to look ahead, trying to spot the house. After several minutes, just when he had begun to sit back, since it seemed he wouldn't be able to spot the house after all, he saw it.

It was nothing like he had imagined, though he wasn't entirely sure what that was to begin with since he hadn't any idea particular idea. But this was definitely wasn't it. The house looked small, and run down. It needed new paint and it looked like some of the boards were rotting. When the car came to a halt, then was turned off, Nicholas wanted to ask if this was the right place. It just didn't seem... right.

Nicholas climbed out of the car more slowly than Grace, looking at the house and then around. It was in the middle of nowhere. He could see the forest edge nearby but there was nothing else but tall grass around the house. Slowly, reluctantly, he followed after his mother and sisters. Deserai was the first one to the door, knocking on it. When the floorboards beneath Grace started to creak, Nicholas stopped, casting a nervous glance at the porch. This was most certainly not what he had been expecting.

It was only a few seconds after Deserai knocked that the door opened. Dan looked different from the last time Nicholas had seen him. He was no longer covered in blood but he was paler, too, and there were shadows under his eyes. He swallowed nervously as the man looked them all over, his expression unreadable. But then he smiled, a small smile but a smile nonetheless and Nicholas' nervousness eased.

"Hello Deserai," Dan said. "Nicholas, Grace." He looked at each of them in turn before looking to Elenore. Nicholas watched as something new came into his expression, something small and subtle. He wasn't sure he liked the way Dan was looking at his mother but, then, he wasn't entirely sure what the look meant either. "Elenore." Dan watched her for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked over them all. "Please, come inside," he said, stepping aside so they could enter.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Deserai did her best not to jump up and down on the spot while she waited for the door open. She didn't notice the chipped paint on the walls, or the creak the boards gave off when Grace stepped on them. All she could think about was that she was meeting her father. She knew that he was tall, a lot taller than any of them and of anything, he reminded her of a giant. Not the mean kind though. She bet he would be kind. How could he be mean if her mother had chosen him?

Elenore could sense the excitement coming off Deserai. She hoped that Daniel would live up to her standards.. she hoped the two got along. Of course she hoped that all of them did but most of all Deserai.. She didn't know what it was like to have a father around. One that took care of her anyway. It would be the first male figure that she looked up to besides her brother. She didn't even have an uncle or grandfather to go to.

Looking down at the boards, she raised an eyebrow. Really? This is where their mother had brought them? Her eyes took in the whole porch, noting the spiderwebs in the corners. The dirt. All in all it really wasn't that bad but she was determined to hate this place. Brown eyes glanced at her mother briefly. She couldn't help but notice how the nervousness in her was creeping up even though she kept pushing it down. Grace lowered her head once more. She wouldn't fight. Not this time at least.

Deserai grinned when she heard footsteps and stared at the doorknob, waiting for it to turn. When the man finally appeared, the grin grew if that was even possible. He had said her name. He knew her name! "Hi!" she exclaimed before wrapping her tiny arms around his legs, giving him the biggest hug she could muster. She already decided that she liked him. The little girl didn't pay much attention to anything else but she did let him step aside. Standing near him, she looked around the room, noticing the familiar furniture. Her hand reached up for his before she wrapped her tiny fingers around one of his. "Where's my room?" she asked him, tugging on the finger gently to get his attention. Her bright eyes looked up at him expectantly.

With her arms still crossed, she looked back at Daniel when he looked at her. She didn't do anything except give him a small nod. She'd be civil. Or at least somewhat close to it. Looking down at Deserai, she wished the girl was shy, that way she would at least be near them and quiet. Shaking her head, she then noticed Daniel looking at their mother. Her eyes narrowed. For some reason anger boiled up in her again but instead of glaring at him nonstop, she looked down at Deserai just as she started asking questions.

Deserai took to Daniel quite well. She couldn't help but smile when she hugged him. Looking up at Daniel then when he said her name, her smile softened. Everything was fine at this moment. Grace would warm up eventually. Looking back down at her kids, she let them go inside first before following in after them. Closing the door behind her, she rubbed her arm. Hearing her child's question she spoke up, "Deserai, be patient," she told her, shaking her head.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel was in way over his head. He had known that before but now it truly began to sink in, looking over the three children who he would now have a part in raising. He could see the hostility in Grace's eyes, just barely held in check. Nicholas looked nervous, and slightly disappointed too. Daniel wasn't too concerned about that. The boy had only seen the outside of the house -which, really, was more of an embarrassment than anything else. Once he saw the inside, his opinion would change. Deserai, however, made him nervous. It wasn't that the girl was young. It was that he could see the excitement in her face, the high expectations. He was bound to let her down. But, despite all of his misgivings and fears, he kept that smile on his face, hoping beyond hope that, even if Elenore noticed how nervous he was, the children didn't.

All of a sudden, tiny arms wrapped around his leg. He blinked, keeping one hand against the door frame to help him keep his balance. He blinked again, unsure what to do. Were young children normally so... tactile? He didn't think he had been as a child but he couldn't remember. Uncertain but determined not to let her think him cold or uncaring, he placed a hand on the top of her head before turning his attention to the rest of the family.

He stepped aside, relieved that Deserai let him instead of forcing him to pull her along with his leg. As the three others entered the house, he was ever aware of the young girl by his side. He watched Nicholas and Grace's expressions as they entered. He couldn't read Grace's face but he could see the disappointment in Nicholas' ease, just as he'd thought it would. Grace, on the other hand, would take a while to warm up to the place. He wasn't surprised, hadn't been expecting anything else. She was angry, angry at the world and angry at him. He hoped, in time, that she would warm up to him too.

While Elenore closed the door behind her, he watched Nicholas glance into each of the open doors -Daniel had closed his bedroom door before they'd arrived- before disappearing into the kitchen. A tiny hand grabbed hold of one of his fingers and he looked down at Deserai just as she gave a tug on it. Elenore answered her before he could but he smiled anyway. "It's alright," he told her before looking back to Deserai. "It doesn't have much yet, just your beds, but you can go take a look anyway. It's just through that door." He used his free hand to point towards the nearest door, glad that they'd been able to at least get the beds set up, if nothing else.


In the kitchen, Nicholas peered into cupboards, exploring the fridge and the pantry. There was little in the fridge -just some milk, butter and a few other items. The pantry had more, mostly vegetables, flour and other dry items. There weren't any sweets in the place and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Just like every other child, he liked sweet things, but he knew they weren't good for him.

Slipping out of the kitchen, he glanced at the others before wandering into the living room. The room was almost compeltely empty, except for their couch and coffee table. There were a few tools in one corner and a white sheet that covered something low and rectangular in another. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he walked over and lifted up one of the corners of the sheet. His brow creased in confusion at the sight of the mattresses before he let the sheet corner drop again.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Looking around the house, she knew it would be some time before everything was unpacked and the place had more of a homey feel to it. She watched as Nicholas decided to explore the place. Deserai on the other hand waited for her question to be answered before going anywhere. The girl definitely would stick to Daniel like glue for a while. She still wasn't sure how he would handle the whole thing. Already he seemed nervous thought thankfully it seemed as if she was the only one that caught on.

Deserai ran off after a moment, disappearing into the room that would be the kids' place. Looking at Daniel, she placed a hand on his arm, hoping it would comfort him. Grace had glanced at them before going to the room that Deserai had gone into. "How are you doing?" she whispered, looking at him. A moment later there was a squeal from the room her daughters had disappeared to. She could tell it was Deserai though. Giving Daniel a confused look, she then started to head to the room.

Deserai came out of the room with her arms wrapped around what seemed to be a frightened ball of fur. She brought the cat over. Surprisingly it didn't scratch her when she had found it on her bed in the room. He had been curled up taking a nap having found a new spot to sleep. "What's its name?" Looking at Daniel, she grinned. She had never had a pet before and she had always wanted one. Her stuffed kangaroo had substituted as one for a good while now.

Grace sighed as she sat down on one of the beds. Deserai had left already and she just wanted to get out of here. Her eyes looked longingly at the window. Biting her lip, she then looked at the door. How bad could it be if she just took off at the moment? Lowering her head, she got up and went to the window, her forehead pressed against the cool glass and her eyelashes barely brushed against it. She kind of felt trapped here, having to hold up a show.. a show that they were family.

Watching as her youngest child came into view, she blinked. A cat? Oh yes, Max. She had forgotten about him. At least he wasn't hissing. He didn't exactly seem happy either. Maybe the two would get along eventually though. She didn't even notice Grace come back to lean against one of the walls. Her eyes were focused on the cat, hoping that he wouldn't lash out and scratch her child.

Pulling away from the window she then rejoined the rest of them in the hall. Grace looked at the three. She didn't really know where Nicholas had gone but she was planning on going outside in a moment. "I'll be outside," she said after her mother had calmed down slightly.

"Don't go too far."

She figured she might as well look around while they weren't doing anything. Going out the front door, she closed it behind her and put one of her ear buds into her ear. She turned on her music as she walked along the side of the house, planning on going to the forest wasn't too far. They would take their time figuring things out.. and it was best that she wasn't there anyway. The first song that came on was Me & You by Nero. She frowned but didn't change it. After all it was a good song.

Walking along the fence, she glanced at the long line of pine and oak trees. It was almost like a wall. The forest would be her only hope of escaping home now. What was she going to do without the cement streets? The bums on the corner? The dumpsters? The flickering street lights?