Author's Note: Hey everyone. Some of you may know me from my previous Covenant story 'Breaking Away', and I hope you liked that one, but I am back with lots of new material that I want to share with you. This story is about Tyler, because I wanted to do something different this time, I hope all of you guys like and if you do then feel free to let me know, cuz I would like nothing better. This chapter is mostly about the introduction of the main characters and their past so I would advise you to read it. The song used is 'Hello' by Evanescence.

Song Lyrics

Flashbacks

All That I'm Living For

By

Shorty6692

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"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have -

Life Itself."

-Walter Anderson

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"Daddy, its the twins first birthay!" Khriss exclaimed excitedly, pushing open the wooden door to her father's bedroom, "You can't sleep in on a day like this!"

Smiling happily, Khriss skipped into the white-washed room and over to her father's large queen sized bed. "Dad, come on wake up." she said nudging her guardian's shoulder gently; but to no accord, he did not move. "Daddy..." she whispered questioningly, again she prodded at her father's arm, but again he did not move.

Her throat constricted slightly, why was he so cold? A fear like bile rose from within her and clutched at her heart. "Daddy! Daddy please wake up, please?!" she was violently shaking him now; his head lulled to the left, his mouth parted slightly. Tears were falling freely from her colored irises and landing on the icy sheets that covered the soft mattress. Her breath came out faster and more laboured, sobs racked at her upper body causing hiccups to reverberate around the lonely walls.

Shadows began to fill every corner of the room as dark rain clouds covered up the bright morning sun, adding an eerie chill and darkness that seemed to diminish any hope that still resided in Khriss' heart.

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

Has no one told you he's not breathing?

Hello I am your mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello

Her knees buckled from beneath her, causing her to collapse onto the hard wood floor under her feet. Laying her head on her father's chest she let the smell of him drown her, letting the grieve take hold of her insides and squeeze.

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream

Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken

Hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide

Don't cry

Finally after what seemed to be eternity, Khriss allowed her common sense to overshadow the sorrow and enable her to climb to her cramped feet. Slowly she shuffled out into the hall, still tears flooded from her red eyes staining her face with sadness. Reaching for the phone she dialled the number she thought she would never have to use.

911

"Hello 911, what is your emergency?" asked the woman on the other line.

Breathing in deeply, Khriss let the phone drop from her shaking fingers. She could not talk to that woman, instead she would let them track the call to her home and wait for them. Eyes down cast, Khriss leaned her sore back against the smooth surface of the wall. She could still hear the woman speaking on the other line, but did not bother to pick the phone back up.

Closing her eyes, Khriss forced the sounds of the world around her to fade away and give way to the blackness. She was completely emmersed in her mind, not even the loudest noise could cause her to break from it, but the gently cooing of a child could.

Breaking from her trance instantly, Khriss glanced down at the source of disturbance, and her eyes fell upon the small body of a barely one year old child.

Artemis Lorrens; her young sister.

The girl peered up at Khriss in confusion, you couldn't have determined her emotions better if they were written in pen on her rosy face. Forcing a sad smile, Khriss reached down and pulled the girl into her arms, holding her like a life line, not relinquishing her hold until the girl started to wriggle around in protest. Getting to her feet once again, Khriss shuffled slowly into the living room, holding the small child close to her chest.

Once in the beige room, Khriss scanned the small area for any sign of her younger brother; Apollo Lorrens. As she had thought, Apollo had seated himself infront of a white light socket at the far end of his room. He had a smalle metal bobby pin in his hand and was staring curiously from it to the electrical outlet. But before he was able to stick the hair piece into the dangerous device, Khriss was by his side and pulling him away.

Screeching in protest Apollo tried, but failed, to crawl back to his previous location. Bending down she scooped him up in her arms, along with Artemis. The bobby pin completely forgotten Apollo occupied himself with prodding at the buttons on Khriss' purple pajama shirt.

Khriss turned and left the room, both siblings in her arms; slowly she made her way towards the kitchen, knowing that the police and medics would be arriving any minute.

Reaching her destination, she looked around the room. It looked exaclty as it had the night before, the dishes still lay unwashed in the sink from last night's meal. 'The last meal we would all have together,' she thought.

Finally she heard the loud pounding on the door, and the muffled voices from behind the wood; but Khriss stayed where she was, knowing that they would force they're way into the house none the less.

Sighing heavily, Khriss ran her fingers over her pale face, when suddenly she felt a pair of eyes on her. Peering down Khriss' gaze fell upon her little sister. Artemis was staring at Khriss with such confusion and questioning, that she felt the tears come back to her eyes. The small child kept looking from her to the door, a expression of fear coming to her eyes. Apollo suddenly noticed the expression on his sister's face and began to wail, not sure what was going on.

Khriss felt tears fall down her cheeks once again as she hugged the two children to her, trying desperately to bring them any comfort. As she held them, she felt the need to make them smile again to block off the bad things that were sure to come after this. She knew that the government would try to take them away, because she was only fifteen, but Khriss would not let them; she would never let them take her brother and sister away, they were the only thing she had now, and she was the only they had.

Suddenly I know that I'm not sleeping

Hello I'm still here

All thats left of yesterday

The sound of wood breaking and of splinters rebounding off the walls reached her ears. Tightening her grip, Khriss could feel their tears staining her shirt, and it broke her heart when she heard their desperate cries.

"Ms. Whats the emergency?" asked a deep male voice behind her.

Lifting her head slightly, Khriss stared at the man, her cheeks flushed and her eyes red and puffy. "The bedroom... the bedroom at the end of the hall.." she replied still clutching to the children.

The uniform clad man nodded and hurriedly headed in that direction. But Khriss stayed where she was, not wanting to see her father's lifeless form; not wanting the twins to see him. She wanted them to remember him as the cheerful man before this morning, not the icy cold skin, or the motionless body.

"Dawd!" screamed Apollo, squirming violently in Khriss' hold, wanting their father.

"Hush little one!" she pleaded, tears falling from her own eyes. "Daddy can't come right now, but we'll be ok... we'll be ok. I promise."

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"Apollo!" Khriss called, leaning over a steaming pot of chicken noodle soup, "Dinner's ready."

Khriss Lorrens, gripped the firm handles protruding from the sides of the hot metal pot and lifted it over to the small wooden table that was located at the far end of the room. Placing it on the smooth surface, the seventeen year old wiped her work worn hands on the front of the pink apron that was wrapped around her small upper body. Sighing heavily, she took hold of her long chestnut hair and tied it in a low pony tail at the back of her tanned neck. Suddenly she felt a light pull on the hem of her boring blue T-shirt and turned to the source.

Smiling, she peered down into the abnormally colored eyes of her little sister: Artemis Lorrens. The small girl gazed shyly up at Khriss, she weighted no more then twenty pounds at the age of three. Her straight ebony locks swished elegantly around her heart shaped face as she produced a small wooden ladle from behind her back.

Chuckling softly, Khriss reached out, grabbed the scooping instrument from her smaller sibling's fingers and placed it into the metal pot of soup.

"Thanks Missy." she stated, grinning at the little girl.

Artemis smiled happily at the use of the nickname her sister had given her. Skipping clumsily to her chair, she used the wooden legs to help herself climb up and move her body into sitting position. Khriss giggled softly when she recalled the time her little sister had done this a few months ago and couldn't even see over the table top. She had to go buy a large cushion to place on the wood seat so she could look over the edge.

"Here I come!"

Khriss looked in the direction the voice had come from and moved to face the dilinquent. Giggling violently, Apollo came running clumsily into the kitchen, nearly tripping over his own feet several times before he reached his sister.

Readying herself for the usual supper activity, Khriss bent her knees and spread her arms out wide. Then the small boy took a running leap and jumped into his sister's arms, squealing joyously. His blonde curls bounced gracefully around his head and his white teeth flashing brilliantly. He weighned more then his sister did but Khriss still caught and twirled him with ease.

Soon after Khriss' arms began to ache she carried his small frame over to his chair at the table and dropped him gently onto the wood. Apollo and Artemis sat beside eachother where as Khriss sat on the other side, so she could keep an eye on them better.

"Yummy!" Apollo exclaimed, eyeing the soup hungrily, "I love soup."

Artemis smiled and nodded in agreement at her brother's statement. Khriss smirked knowingly, and leaned over the table surface to reach the ladle; grabbing Artemis' bowl she scooped one spoonful into it and then placed a small ice cube in the middle so it would cool faster. Before she even had a chance to reach her brother's small plastic bowl, he had grabbed it in his chubby fingers and pulled it out of her reach.

"Me do it." he stated, smiling expectantly at her.

"But its really hot and you might burn yourself." Khriss replied, staring him straight in the eyes.

"No" he responded shaking his head in defiance.

"Let me do it today and then next time we have soup you can do it all by yourself, ok?" she reasoned.

Khriss supressed the laugh that had risen at the sight before her. Apollo seemed to ponder this proposal intently, scrunching his forehead until small lines began to appear.

"Alwight." he concluded finally, and let her take the bowl from him.

After getting the two of them started, Khriss scooped some soup for herself and then took her seat. Glancing at the youngsters at the end of the table she began to number the differences between them.

The two of them were twins, but were also completely different. Apollo had blonde curly locks, where as Artemis sported naturally straight, ebony colored hair. Apollo loved being adventurous and outgoing, but Artemis was shy and content to follow her sister around and mimic what she did. Lastly, Apollo loved to talk about everything and to everyone, he would babble all day long, where as Artemis haddened said one word in her entire life, instead she would point and gesture. The only thing that was the same about them was their eyes. Both children had one sapphire colored irise, and then the other was the color of emerald. It fascinated people who saw them on the street or in the town's local grocery store, random people would just stop and stare at the two of them.

Suddenly the sound of metal rattling brought Khriss back into reality.

"Armiss, dopped hur spoon." shouted Apollo, in the middle of eating a mouthful of soup.

Artemis looked up at Khriss, as if she thought that she would be yelled at for such a small mistake. Instead the elder sibling smiled at her, got up from her chair and retrieved the little utensil for her (she knew that it would've taken the small girl more then a few mintues to pick the spoon up herself).

Relieved that she had not been disciplined, Artemis grabbed the spoon and clumsily began to eat again.

"I done!" Apollo exclaimed, bringing his arms over his head in triumph.

"Good job, little man." Khriss praised, "Now can you go bring her bowl and spoon to the sink for me please?"

Nodding his head vigoriously, Apollo grabbed his bowl and bounded across the room toward the metal sink. Standing on his toes, the boy peered over the edge of the counter and extended his arm to place the eating device in the sink. Once finished his assigned task he jogged back to his sister and began to tug at her elbow impatiently.

"Ice keem!"

"Not until your sister is done." Khriss replied, getting to her feet and walking over to place her own bowl and spoon in the sink. "But you can get it out of the freezer for me."

Apollo beamed from ear to ear, and skipped all the way to the white fridge. Groaning with the effort, he opened the bottom freezer door and searched for the big pail. Smiling in triumph, he grasped the small plastic handle and pulled the ice cream from within it's icy domain.

Khriss watched as he slammed the freezer door shut and ran to the table, placing the pail down onto the wooden surface with a loud 'THUD!'.

"I did it!" he shouted happily at his accomplishment.

"Yes you did." Khriss responded smiling down at the excited boy.

Apollo's cheeks were flushed and his chest was heaving up and down; Khriss found it amazing how such an easy task for her was the hardest thing in the world for her younger siblings, but then she thought that was what learning was all about.

Finally, Artemis took the last bite of her dinner and placed her plate in the sink along with her brother and sister. Khriss opened the ice cream and scooped a spoonful out into three bowls. Apollo watched as she did this in excitment, he was almost shaking in anticipation. Now that the boy had his ice cream it was very quiet in the small house, because this was the only time of day when he was ever silent.

After the family finished their desert, Khriss told the twins to go pick out a movie that they wanted to watch tonight and to change into their pajamas. Both ran out of the kitchen happily to go in search for the motion picture of their choice.

This gave Khriss time to wash the pile of dirty dishes that had collected in the sink, and change into her own comfortable PJ pants. Soon the twins ran back into the living room dressed in mix matched pajamas, and holding a disney movie in their hands.

The youngsters jumped on the couch as Khriss took the movie from their grasp and popped it into the VCR.

Disney Hercules.

It was Artemis' and Apollo's favourite movie, whether it was because they were named after two of the Greek gods and goddesses, Khriss didn't know but the family watched it every friday night.

The movie started up and Khriss settled inbetween the two kids; they snuggled up against her, both watching what was on the screen of the t.v. About half an hour into the film Apollo fell into a deep sleep, which left Khriss to watch along Artemis.

Suddenly Artemis, pointed her finger at the screen and stared up at Khriss expectantly. Confused she looked at the movie, and noticed what she hadn't before it was at the part of the movie when Zeus was arguing with Hades and all the gods and goddesses of mount olympus were there. But in the background you could see a god with blonde hair and light shining all around him, beside him stood a woman with brown hair that cascaded down her slendor shoulders and was wearing a greek toga.

"Thats Artemis and Apollo from the greek myths." explained Khriss, smiling at the girl. "Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and the moon, her brother Apollo was the god of medicine and the sun."

Nodding her head in response, Artemis conitnued to watch the movie in silence.

Finally, at eight o'clock, the movie ended and Khriss lifted Apollo into her arms, his head resting on her shoulder as he slept peacefully. Artemis took this as a signal and ran ahead of her sister and down the hall toward her and her brother's bedroom.

Adjusting her grip on the boy in her arms, Khriss followed behind but was stopped by what she saw down the hall. Artemis was staring intently at a door in the middle of the hall, a confused expression taking over her face. It was their father's bedroom door.

"Artemis come away from there and lets get you in bed." Khris tried to keep a calm tone to her voice.

Reluctantly, Artemis looked away from the wood and walked over to the door farther down the hall. Khriss let the breath she didn't realize she was holding out and followed close behind.

After tucking Apollo into his sheets, and kissing his forehead, she turned to Artemis and stared at her. The girl had already dug herself a small burrow with her thick feather down comforter. Smiling to herself Khriss bent down and tucked the corners of the blanket under the girl's body and kissed her forehead also. Whispering a soft good-night she switched the night light on and closed the door.

She was almost at the end of the hall, when Khriss suddenly halted in her progress. Looking to her left she gazed at the wood of her father's door. After the medics had taken his body away she had locked the door and hidden the key. Not wanting and memory of that day to linger. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she recalled the horrors of that day, the invisible stains that were left behind from the all the tears and cries.

Breaking from her trance, Khriss shook her head and continued on her way to the kitchen. Pushing the thoughts to the very back of her mind.

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Author's Note: Hey everyone I hope you like the story so far, I am sorry that I didn't introduce the covenant boys yet but don't worry they will show up eventually I just wanted this chapter to be all about the Lorrens family. Oh and one last thing before I go, that thing about Artemis and Apollo being in the background of the movie I made it up, I am not sure if that really was there. Well please review, if you liked it. I would appreciate it lots.