Captain Michael Novak and his seven brothers and sisters, sat at a long dining table. They were dressed up fancy in suits and lovely dresses. The room was quiet as they waited for the new tutor to arrive to dinner. Some of the children were beginning to wonder if he had decided to take their advice of always showing up late to dinner. What they didn't think of at the time was that their older brother would make them wait until he had arrived. So they sat rather impatiently while their once hot food began to cool.

Just when the children thought all hope was lost, Adam dashed into the room, breathing heavily. He froze when he saw that everyone was waiting on him.

"Good evening" Adam said coolly, walking to his seat. "Good evening, children."

"Good evening, Herr Adam" they responded, dully.

Adam started to sit in his seat but then leaped back up again. A pine cone was sitting in the centre of his chair.

"Whaaaah? Ha ha ha!" Adam laughed.

Michael looked at him mystified, "Enchanting little ritual. Something you picked up on?"

Adam stammered for words, "No, it's, um, er ... um ... rheumatism."

Adam sat. The children eyes all flew to Gabriel who sheepishly smiled, both surprised and relieved that he wasn't punished for his practical joke. Michael brought a forkful of food to his mouth and started to eat, the children followed suit.

Adam cast a shrewd glance around the table, "I'd like to thank each and every one of you for the precious gift you left in my pocket earlier today."

The children exchanged uneasy looks.

Michael looked at him thoughtfully, "Um, what gift?"

Adam saw Uriel cast him a worried look, "It's meant to be a secret, Captain, between the children and me."

Michael's eyes narrowed, "Uh huh. Then I suggest that you keep it and let us eat."

Adam looked around the table, "Knowing how nervous I must have been, a stranger in a new household, knowing how important it was for me to feel accepted, it was so kind and thoughtful of you to make my first moments here so warm and happy and pleasant."

Adam grins at Michael who forces a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Zachariah begins to sob.

"What is the matter, Zachariah?" Michael asked.

Zachariah shook his head, dismissively "Nothing."

Adam smiles to himself as the rest of the children broke down into sobs, one by one. Michael glanced around the table, astonished.

"Uh, Herr, is to be at every meal or merely at, uh, dinner time that you intend leading us all through this rare and wonderful new world of... indigestion?" Michael snapped at him.

Adam shrugged it off, "Oh, they're all right, Captain. They're just happy."

This only made the children sob harder.


Outside the Novak villa, a teenage courier with black hair rode up to the house on a bicycle. He hopped off and rang the doorbell. Wearing a grey uniform and cap, he crossed his arms and waited. The door opened and the butler appeared.

"Ah, Crowley. Good evening." The butler welcomed him.

"Good evening, Joshua. I trust everything is under control" Crowley said.

"Yes, yes" Joshua nodded.

"Good."

Joshua glances back into the house to make sure no one is listening and stepped outside to confer with Crowley.

"Are there, uh, any developments?" Joshua questioned.

"Perhaps" Crowley said mysteriously, "Is the Captain at home?"

Joshua nodded, "He's at dinner."

"With the family?" Crowley asked.

"Yes."

Crowley handed over the telegram, "Please give him this telegram at once."

"Certainly" Joshua turned back into the house and closed the front door as Crowley grabbed his bike and began walking down the driveway.


Moments later, Joshua was in the dining room handing the telegram to Michael. Adam and the children looked on curiously.

"A telegram for you, sir" Joshua informed him.

"Hmmm" Michael hummed.

Michael took the telegram and read it, a small crease forming between his eyebrows as he did.

Anna glanced out the window quickly, "Joshua, who delivered it?"

"That young lad, Crowley, of course."

Anna's eyes widened happily and a small smile formed on her lips. "Brother, may I be excused?" she asked Michael.

Michael grunted negatively and Anna's face fell into a look of disappointment. Adam raised his eyebrows at her face.

"Children, in the morning, I shall be going to Vienna" Michael announced.

The children groaned in protest.

"Oh, no, brother!" Zachariah protested.

Gabriel groaned, "Not again, brother."

Michael glared at them quickly before Castiel asked, "How long will you be gone this time, brother?"

Anna rose with her empty water glass and moved to fill it at a nearby table. Michael's eyes briefly followed her before he answered Castiel. "I'm not sure, Castiel. I'm not sure."

"To visit Baroness Masters again?" Balthazar asked suggestively.

"Mind your own business!" Gabriel barked at Balthazar.

"As a matter of fact, yes, Balthazar" Michael said.

"Why don't we ever get to see the Baroness?" Zachariah whined.

"Why would she want to see you?" Uriel snapped at him.

"It just so happens, Zachariah," Michael began, "that you are going to see the Baroness. I'm bringing her back with me to visit us all."

Maria watched Anna move to fill her glass of water but then quietly leave the room, behind her brothers back.

"Good!" The children cried out happily.

"And…" Michael continued, rolling his eyes "Uncle Raphael."

Cheers of uncle Raphael spread through the room from the children and Adam wondered where Anna had run off too.


Anna ran out of the house, across the marble terrace, and searched the banks of the moonlit lake. In the formal garden, near a glass-walled gazebo, she called out "Crowley!"

Crowley appeared out from behind a tree, against which leaned his bike. She ran to him "Oh, Crowley!"

They threw their arms around each other in a tight hug. Crowley broke away from the hug first, "Oh, Anna, we mustn't."

"Why not, silly?"

Crowley shrugged, "I don't know, it's just-"

"Isn't this why you're here waiting for me?" Anna asked.

"Yes, of course. I've missed you, Anna."

"You have?" Anna wondered, smiling to herself, "How much?"

"So much that I even thought of sending you a telegram just so I'd be able to deliver it here."

"Oh, that's a lovely thought. Why don't you? Right now" Anna said.

Crowley laughed, "But I'm here!"

"Please, Crowley. Send me a telegram. I'll start it for you: 'Dear Anna…'"

"Dear Anna," Crowley started, playing along "I'd like to be able to tell you how I feel about you. Stop. Unfortunately, this wire is already too expensive. Sincerely, Crowley."

"Sincerely" Anna said with a raised eyebrow.

"Cordially" Crowley suggested.

Anna scoffed "Cordially."

"Affectionately" He said smiling.

"Mmmmm" Anna murmured, hugging him tightly.

"Will there be any reply?" Crowley asked, embracing her back.

"Dear Crowley, stop." She said, hugging him again "Don't stop! You're Anna." Anna sighed,"If only we didn't always have to wait for someone to send Father a telegram. How do I know when I'll see you again?"

"Well, let's see." Crowley began brainstorming some ideas while pacing back and forth. "I could come here by mistake - with a telegram for Colonel Alistair. He's here from Berlin staying with - Oh, no one's supposed to know he's here. Don't tell your brother, now."

"Why not?" Anna asked.

"Well, your brother's so - so Austrian."

"We're all Austrian" Anna said, confused.

"Well, some people think we ought to be German, and they're very mad at those who don't think so. They're getting ready to - Well, let's hope your brother doesn't get into trouble." Crowley informed her, gravely.

Anna shook her head in dismissal "Don't worry about my brother. He's a big naval hero. He was even decorated by the Emperor."

"I know. I don't worry about him. But I do worry about his sister."

"Me?" Anna said astonished, "Why?"

"Well, you're so –"

"What?"

"Well, you're such a baby!" Crowley laughed.

"I'm sixteen. What's such a baby about that?" Anna asked, narrowing her eyes at Crowley.

Crowley smiled knowingly before opening his mouth to sing.

"You wait, little girl, on an empty stage. For fate to turn the light on. Your life, little girl, is an empty page. That men will want to write on."

"To write on" Anna sung, seductively leaning in close to Crowley before he backed away to sing again.

"You are sixteen going on seventeen. Baby, it's time to think. Better beware, be canny and careful. Baby, you're on the brink. You are sixteen going on seventeen. Fellows will fall in line. Eager young lads and roués and cads. Will offer you food and wine. Totally unprepared are you. To face a world of men."

Anna leaned forward again, hoping for a kiss but was unsuccessful.

"Timid and shy and scared are you. Of things beyond your ken. You need someone older and wiser. Telling you what to do. I am seventeen going on eighteen. I'll take care of you."

Anna flew into his awaiting arms. Crowley spun her around and then pushed her gently away, holding up a warning finger. Thunder rolled above, Anna pouted and marched away. Crowley followed and held out his hand to her. She shook it firmly and then turned her back on him. Crowley followed her around a tree. She relented and took his hand. Just as they began to sit down, raindrops started to fall. Crowley lead Anna into the glass-walled gazebo which was lined with benches. Anna brushed a few of the raindrops from her dress and glanced outside just as the storm hit hard and heavy.

She turned her eyes back to Crowley and started to sing. "I am sixteen going on seventeen. I know that I'm naïve. Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet. And willingly I believe. I am sixteen going on seventeen. Innocent as a rose. Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies. What do I know of those? Totally unprepared am I. To face a world of men. Timid and shy and scared am I. Of things beyond my ken."

Crowley dodged her fingers as she walked them up his arm and tried to tickle his neck.

"I need someone older and wise. Telling me what to do. You are seventeen going on eighteen. I'll depend on you."

Crowley smiled dreamily as Anna ran her hands through his hair and then caught her as she dropped into his arms. He lifted her up onto one of the benches, then took her hand and sashayed her along its length. Anna reached the end of the bench and pointed to the wide gap between her bench and the next one. Crowley spun and gallantly went down on one knee - Anna used his other knee as a stepping stone to cross over to the next bench. Skipping and twirling, he escorted her around the interior of the gazebo. After gaining some momentum, Anna circled the gazebo, jumping gracefully from bench to bench.

Crowley took Anna's hands and swung her down in a graceful spin. With one arm around her back, Crowley lead Anna around the gazebo. The two stepped up and down on the benches in perfect unison. They separated and leapt onto opposite benches with spinning leg kicks. In the middle of the gazebo, they jumped down into each other's arms, twirling around exuberantly, then let go and dropped onto two facing benches. Breathing heavily, they gazed at each other with wide, uncertain eyes.

They both stood up and spun away only to end up face to face. They twirled apart and bumped into each other again on the other side of the gazebo. Again, they backed away from each other but only to meet again on the opposite side. Anna started to pull away when suddenly Crowley grabbed her and placed a firm kiss on her lips. Grinning, Crowley sprinted out of the gazebo into the cold rain. Anna's mouth hung open in surprise; finally after the initial shock faded she smiled and spread her arms in joy.

"Wheeee!" She cried out delight, doing a large spin around the gazebo.


A/N: Sorry about the long wait, I apologize to all reading this (if anyone is). More chapters will be up soon, seriously like I'll update in a few days if I remember. I'm kinda having a busy week but I'll find some spare time to upload the next chapter. Thank you for the lovely reviews, they always make me feel so happy. xD