(Ella's POV)

We were trekking through a rain forest to get to Hope's base. I ran into Zane who had stopped suddenly. I peered around "Hope, are we here?" I asked. She shook her head "Then why have we stopped?" She pointed down at her feet. I looked down and saw a black shape wrapped around her legs. "Dani, do not pick that thing up." Kai said, I turned around and saw him grabbing Dani's hand. She glared at him and picked up the blue creature that had been grabbing at her legs. Something scratched my leg. I looked down and saw a little purple snake thing nibbling at my leg "Awwww" I picked it up "I'm gonna call you Noah" I said, hugging it. "Do not be fooled by the cuteness, they are dangerous." Cole warned "Meh" I said "Zane. She's denting my legs" Hope said. "Off! Now" Zane said, crouching down. It launched itself at him and nestled in his hair. "Come here cutie." Toria said, chasing a second blue one across the path. "Not that one. Anyone but that one." Lloyd begged a laughing Prim as another purple one wriggled around the back of her neck. "Aww come on" she giggled, grabbing it and holding it out in front of her. He caved "Ok" he tickled it. I turned around and saw Nya holding another black one like a baby. Jay playing with it trying to keep his fingers out of range of it's teeth. "We have to keep them, don't we?" Kai growled, Cole nodded halfheartedly as Noah nibbled playfully at his fingers. "Say hello to Toni" Zane walked up. "And Drake" Nya said "Geneviere is this little one, Gwen for short" Toria said, scooping him up "Umm I'll call you. Luke" Dani decided "And this one is Melinda" Prim nodded. "Can we continue walking now" Kai walked off "You're going the wrong way" Hope called. He turned around, snarling

(Hope's POV)

Toni was messing up Zane's hair, Melinda had to keep being passed back and forth between Prim and Lloyd because if they held her too long she wriggled and made them laugh until they fell over. Jay had been messing around with Luke and now was being dragged by Cole, not moving. Cole had explained that Luke had a certain trick with his eyes that hypnotised people. Nya was still laughing at him. Kai was no longer angry at us even playing with Luke. Noah was thrown over one of Cole's shoulders. Behind Cole, Ella was making funny faces at him. As for Gwen, Toria and Alex. "Put them down. Put them down. Put them down. Please guys" He was walking a short distance behind us, not wanting to lose us, but not wanting to go near the snake-like babies that we were holding. "Scaredy cat. Gwen wouldn't hurt you" She cuddled the blue snake. I pulled Toni out of Zane's hair. Zane quickly fixed his hair up. Gwen reached her small arms out for Alex. "Daddy" she said. We all looked at each other. "I think we've been chosen as their parents" I told them. "Fine by me" Toria said, nodding. The rest of us nodded too "We're here"