Flannery's POV
I was studying for a test tomorrow when my cell phone rang.
"Hello" I said as I answered my phone.
"Hey" Alex said.
"Oh hey Alex what's up?" I asked.
"Nothing I just wanted to know if you want to hang out or something?" Alex said.
"I don't know I've got a lot of stuff to do" I said.
"Oh come on Flan one little break isn't going to hurt" Alex said.
"I guess so" I said with a shrug.
"Great! Meet me at my house" Alex said.
I got dressed into something a little more comfortable and climbed into my car and drove to Alex's house. I knocked on the door and Rayne answered the door.
"Hi Flannery!" Rayne said.
"Hi Rayne" I said kneeling down a little.
"Can we come over tomorrow and see that baby?" Rayne asked.
"Of course after school okay" I said.
"Okay Alexander! Flannery's here!" Rayne said before running upstairs.
"Hey you" Alex said before giving me a small kiss. "C'mon we can come hang out in my room" Alex said taking my hand. He led me upstairs and we laid down on his bed.
"So what did you want to do?" I asked.
"Nothing I just want you to get some rest" Alex said running his fingers through my hair.
"Fine" I said with a yawn. I closed my eyes and quickly went to sleep.
Aqua's POV
I was the critique for this mystery artist. It was going to be a non-art student so we had no idea who it was so I was ready for it.
"And the mystery artist please welcome Ms. Griffon Heights" The principal said as Griffon walked out.
"So that's what she's been doing" I said to myself.
"Everyone I would like show a very special piece that is very close to my heart. I introduce 'The perfect-messed up family'" Griffon said. She lifted up the sheet and it was our family portrait including littler bit craved out of wood. I walked over to it and kneeled down to get a better look. There was something engraved in it maybe in Romanian. "So Aquanette"
"Attention everyone!" I said raising my hands. "After a very close inspection this piece displays great craving, beautiful engraving, and overall awesome picture quality. There for 'The Perfect-messed up family' gets a blue ribbon" I said placing a ribbon on the corner of the piece.
"Thank you Aquanette now please let us gather for the award segment" The principal said. "Our first award goes to Aquanette W. Mustang for her use of bold color and creative ideas" The principal said. I walked on to the stage and accepted my award. I had a feeling I was going to be doing a lot of work.
By the end of the night I had won 8 out of the 14 awards that were passed out. Finally it was the time for the final award.
"The Congeniality award. All of the students were asked to vote for their favorite art student and the winner is…" The principal said pulling out an envelop and pulling out the piece of paper. "Aquanette Wynter Mustang" The principal said. I walked upstairs and walked on to the stage.
"I'd like to thank everyone for voting for me. I'd like to thank my parents Roy and Riza Mustang, my siblings, Flannery, Griffon, Megan, and Roy Jr. My abulito and my abulita that's Grandpa and Grandma for you lesser types, Lo Shu and Emelina, my biological parents Ozai and Kitana Tusinko for watching over myself and my family every day and the heavens above that helps myself and my family get through each day no matter what happens. Thank you" I said before walking off the stage.
"That was great Aqua" Griffon said.
"Thanks" I said with a shrug.
"Alex you need to calm down" Thatch said into his phone.
"Thatch what's wrong?" I asked
"It's Alex he says something's wrong with Flannery" Thatch said. I quickly took his phone from home.
"Alex's it's Aqua what's wrong?" I asked.
"It's Flannery she woke up from her nap with a fever and now she's really pale and sick" Alex said.
"We're on the way" I said before hanging up. I climbed into Marth's car and we quickly drove over to their house. Marth and I were the first to get there and Alex was sitting on the couch with Flannery's head on a pillow on his lap. Her eyelashes were fluttering out of control I've seen this before but where?
"She woke up from her nap like this I did everything I could" Alex said.
"It's fine Alex she just needs a doctor. I'll call everyone and tell them to meet us at the hospital" I said pulling out my cell phone.
Riza's POV
After the doctor gave Flannery a quick examination he called Roy and I into his office.
"Aquanette hold your brother" I said handing the baby to Aqua.
"No prob bob" Aqua said taking the walked into Flannery's room and sat down. Her eyelashes were still fluttering out of control.
"We've hooked her up to a special IV it should stop the eyelashes and the heavy breathing. Mr. and Mrs. Mustang your daughter has suffered a very server case of over exertion. She will need a lot of rest" The doctor said.
"Well she has been work for her college credits" I said.
"Yes all of that extra work is over-working her body has she had this before?" The doctor asked.
"Not that I know of" Roy said. "What about you Riza?"
"No I- wait her biological mother had this shortly before she died" I said.
~FLASHBACK~
I walked into Kitana's room with a bucket of cold water for her forehead. She had developed a very high fever a few days ago and Roy and I didn't want to leave just yet.
"Mrs. Tusinko how are you feeling?" I asked walking in with the bucket.
"Please Riza it's just Kitana" Kitana said weakly.
"Okay Kitana how are you feeling?" I asked again.
"I've been better" Kitana said. "Where are the girls?"
"Roy took them to the store" I said sitting down next to her. "Here put this on your forehead" I said placing this on her forehead.
"Thank you" Kitana said before letting out a fit of rough coughs.
"Are you okay?" I asked standing up.
"I'm fine Riza please sit down I have something very important to ask you" Kitana said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"It looks like I'm not going to make it so when I die I want you and Major Mustang to look after my girls" Kitana said.
"Oh no Kitana you're going to be fine and besides I'm only 19 I can't be a mother" I said.
"No Riza I'm not going to be fine I'm going to die soon and someone needs to take care of my girls. My husband is in the high heavens now and soon I'll be there to join him and don't put yourself down anyone can be a mother even if the children aren't yours and don't worry about the age thing I was only 16 when I gave birth to the twins and we turned out pretty well until now. Remember it takes a woman to have the child but it takes a mother to raise the child, Please Riza I'm begging you" Kitana said clasping my hands.
"Okay I'll do it" I said crying a little.
Later that day Roy and I were sitting on the couch when I remembered it was time feed Kitana and the twins so I walked into her room and the twins quickly ran over to me and hugged my legs.
"Ms. Riza Mama's gone" Flannery said looking at me.
"What?" I said looking at them.
"She stopped breathing. She said she loved us and to tell you and Mr. Roy thank you and she stopped breathing" Aqua said.
"Oh Kitana" I said breathlessly.
A few weeks later we were able to bury Ozai and Kitana together in their home in Barcelona.
"Mr. Roy what're we going to do now?" Flannery said rubbing her eyes.
"You're coming with us would you like that?" Roy said knealing down in front of them.
"And you'll promise to never leave us?" Aqua said.
"We'll never leave you we promise" I said before the twins gave us a hug
~FLASHBACK~
"It's obvious this woman passed away due the stress of being a 23 year old single mother who lost her husband. But I don't think this is as bad as this case all she needs is no school for at least 3 weeks, and keep getting rest and take her medicine" The doctor was not going to like that.
Pepper's POV
Griffon, Aqua & Flannery were absent from school the next day, but at least Kari, Thatch, Zach & the others were here so I wouldn't die of boredom.
"Pepper, listen to this." Kari called, staring down at her recorder during lunch.
I walked over to the table & sat down by her. "What is it?"
"You won't believe this." Kari gasped, hitting the play button.
On the recorder:
"The last time those two got in a fight, they didn't talk to each other for two whole weeks."
"So, they never officially broke up, Daley."
"Listen, Payton, if they went two weeks during their first fight, imagine what'll happen when they fight next time. They might actually brake up."
"They won't brake up, just like Alex & Flannery & Marth & Aquanette. That fight was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I can assure you Thatch won't loose his temper again."
"I never said Thatch would be the one to call it off. We just need to give Griffon a little push & she'll brake."
"What makes you say that?"
"I've seen her loose her grip before, she won't listen to any reason."
"Robin taught you well in the ways of snooping."
"Thanks! Now, let's think up a way to get them apart."
End Tape.
"When did you get this?" I asked Kari.
Kari shrugged. "I heard them while I was in the bathroom. I thought I was hearing things for a minute, but I recorded it just in case."
"We have to tell someone." I told her.
Kari nodded. "The guys should get here soon. We'll tell them then."
"Not Thatch!" I ordered. "He has enough to worry about now that he's captain of the hockey team."
Kari looked unsure, but agreed & pulled a pill bottle out of her pocket. "I hope you're sure about this." She said, taking a few pills.
"What're those pills for?" I asked.
Kari put the bottle back in her pocket. "Nothing, just some required medication. I have the doctor's note & everything to prove it."
"Okay." I said, taking out my lunch. The school's food is inedible, so I have to brown bag it.
"Hey, where are the girls?" Alex asked, sitting down with his brother.
I sighed, "They're taking care of Flannery for the next few days." I patted Kari's shoulder. "Play the recording for them Kari?"
"The what?" Kari asked, slightly confused. She looked back down at the recorder in her hands & nodded. "Oh, y-yeah. Alright."
Aqua' POV
Finally Griffon and I had to go back to school. Mama was trying to get back into the process of going back to work so that Flannery and Roy Jr. alone but we knew Flannery could handle it she loved into the day we all sat down for lunch when we noticed that Alex was gone.
"Hey Marth where's your brother?" I asked.
"Oh they're starting soccer work outs earlier so he's been going to that" Marth said. Then we saw Flannery walk through the door pushing the stroller into the cafeteria. Griffon and I quickly ran over to her.
"Flannery what're you doing here?" I asked.
"You should be at home resting and what's the baby doing here?" Griffon asked.
"I got a text from Alex saying that he needed to be picked up and his Aunt Ruby and his Uncle Pat couldn't come pick him up. Aunt Gracia wasn't home so I had to bring the baby with me" Flannery said.
"Aww is that the baby?" Pepper said as she and Kari walked over.
"He's so cute and look at that blonde hair! So adorable" Kari said.
"Aww man not even a month old and he's already ending up like Daddy" I said putting my hands on my hips.
"What's that?" Griffon asked.
"Bonafide lady-killer" I said folding my arms across my chest. Then Alex came over with a pair of crutches and his ankle wrapped.
"Oh Alexander you poor thing what happened?" Flannery said.
"The stupid coach put me at goalie and I sprained my ankle I'm out for 2 weeks" Alex said.
"C'mon you can stay our house while your wait for your Aunt and Uncle let me just get my keys" Flannery said reaching into her bag but instead of pulling out her keys she pulled out a tarot card. Flannery let out a gasp.
"Flannery what is it?" Griffon asked.
"The temptress" Flannery said looking at the card.
"Flannery what're you talking about?" I said.
"The temptress!" Flannery said showing me the card. Flannery always had tarot cards with her they said they helped her see into the future.
"Okay Flannery who is this 'temptress' and who is she going to get?" I said playing along.
"Hold on" Flannery said. She reached into her bag and pulled out three cards. "The warrior, the protector, and the healer…Alex, Marth, and Thatch!" Flannery said.
"Me! What did I do?" Alex said.
"Why would they want to get the boys?" I said.
"I don't know the temptress wants things that aren't hers, Alex, Marth, and Thatch are some of the hottest guys in the school" Flannery said. "Maybe the temptress wants them"
"But isn't Robin in jail?" Griffon said.
"No whenever I want a prediction on Robin I always pull the evil empress card not the temptress card" Flannery said.
"Well that makes sense" I said. "So who is this girl?"
"I don't know this sticking head cold is making the signal block. I'll have to see if I pull it again" Flannery said.
"I know! Kari the tape" Alex said.
"Oh right" Kari said. She pulled out a tape recorder and hit play and heard Daley Andrews talking to one of her friends about breaking Marth and me, Flannery and Alex, and Griffon and Thatch up so she could have her pick. My face instantly turned red.
"Where is she? I will kill her! She's is going to wish she was never born" I said but Kari and Pepper held me back.
"Aquanette calm down we've been through this before" Flannery said.
"Oh no!" Griffon said.
"What is it?" Flannery said.
"Daley is Thatch's partner for the music festival she's going to have a lot of extra time alone with him" Griffon said.
"Don't worry I can handle that" I said pulling out my PDA. "I found a way to hack into the music records when I was trying to hack into the main system. Flannery who's your partner?" I asked.
"Jesse" Flannery said.
"Not anymore your partners with Thatch now" I said.
"Good job Aquanette and no more hacking into the system" Flannery said. "C'mon Alex the little one's getting tired" Flannery said turning around. After she and Alex left I pulled up the school system.
"Hacking into the school system?" Griffon said.
"Yea I made a D- on a quiz last week and I'm trying to fix it before progress reports go out" I said tapping away.
Griffon's POV
"I swear, she comes close to the guys & I'll knock some sense into her." I growled, hitting a tennis ball against the workshop wall while Simon & Kari worked on the music player. I tossed the ball like a pitcher & waited for the ball to bounce back, but it didn't.
"Griffon!" Mr. Hecuba yelled. "Did you put another hole in the wall?"
"Maybe." I answered softly, staring at where the ball was lodged in the wall. "Sorry."
Mr. Hecuba sighed & scratched his beard. "Tell you what, since tomorrow is the first day of Christmas break, I won't send you to the office this time."
"Thank you." I answered. I looked through Simon & Kari's binders while I waited. I couldn't work because my hands kept trembling. I picked up a book that had a group of kids on the cover. "Hey, Kari? What's this?"
"An Alliance Forged by Fate. Book two in the Infinity Sisters Series." Kari said, looking up from the workbench.
"We're gonna have to wait until Griffon's hands stop shaking." Simon informed, wiping his hands on a cloth. "She's the only one who has the experience to wire this baby up."
I clasped my hands together. "Aww, I feel special."
"Don't." Simon urged. "You'll be back before you know it & we'll go right back to taking you for granted."
"Speaking of 'granted,'" Kari interrupted, "where is Grant?"
"And Travis?" I added.
"Eh, they have an away game tonight & had to leave after lunch." Simon shrugged. "I had to stay behind because of my wrist." He held up his bandaged wrist.
"You'll get a chance next game." Kari assured him.
I sighed & opened the book. "Mind if I borrow this, Hikari-Graeae?" I asked. I think I was the only one in the whole school who was allowed to call her by her first name, & only when I was serious or just acting silly.
"I thought your sister wrote it. Don't you have access to the original?" Kari asked.
"Nope." I flipped to the first chapter. "I haven't read anything past the first one. Sorry."
Kari shrugged & smiled. "Go ahead, I've read it three times already waiting for the third book to come out next month. It just breaks my heart to hear about Lance & his being forced to work for the evil Empress Raven."
"Raven?" Simon raised an eyebrow.
I chuckled, "She probably based the empress off 'a what me the twins told her about Robin."
"Smart kid." Simon & Kari laughed.
I picked up my books & put a sheet of paper in between the pages to keep my mark. "How long till class is over?"
Simon sighed & pushed up his sleeve. "Five minutes, cool it."
After class, Kari & I were walking to our lockers, coincidentally beside each other. "So, when do you plan on giving Thatch his pen back?"
"He's at a hockey game five cities away." I told her. I held Thatch's lucky pen in my hand, one of those funny pens shaped like a needle that wrote in red ink. "What am I supposed to do, fly there?"
Kari laughed. "Nah, no one can do that." She pulled out her lip gloss & butterfly compact mirror. "I'm just saying, you've been gripping that pen tighter & tighter every day for a week."
I pulled out some lip gloss & dragonfly mirror. "Heh, I guess I'm just worried. You know, because of the tape."
"Relax, it's nearly Christmas!" Kari slammed her locker shut & leaned against the wall as the halls cleared. "I want to know, can you come over to help me study. I have trouble concentrating & you seem to stay focused enough."
"No problem." I smiled & put the mirror back & in my bag. "When do you want me to come over?"
"Tonight please?" Kari asked. "I have a test in Latin the day we get back from brake &, I know you're taking French, but I was hoping you could help."
"Of course." I held my keys out to her. "I speak Latin, too, you know. So, my car or yours."
"My bunica dropped me off today." Kari explained, taking my keys. "So, I guess we don't have a choice."
"Hikari-Graeae, sometimes I wonder what goes on in your mind." I laughed. I picked up my cell phone as it rang. "Hello?"
"Griffon, we need you to watch the little ones." Aunt Riza said.
I hesitated. "Uh, okay. That's fine with me."
"Bye, Griffon. And thank you." She said before hanging up.
I closed the phone & sighed. "Can we move the study session to my place?" I wondered. "I have to watch my little brother & sister."
Kari tossed the keys back to me. "That's even better. Bunica is a little off her rocker anyways."
I unlocked the car & sat down behind the wheel. "Let's hit it, then."
I walked into the house just as Aunt Riza & Uncle Roy walked out. "Thank you for doing this for us, Griffon."
"No problem, but I kind of promised Kari I would help her study, so she said if I helped with the Latin pretenses, she would help with the smelly diapers & bottle warming."
Uncle Roy nodded. "Alright, but only Kari, no one else."
Kari saluted. "No problem, Colonel Roy Mustang, sir."
"Okay then, see you later tonight." Uncle Roy ruffled my hair & walked to his car with Auntie R.
I laughed & waved Kari inside to where Megan was holding Roy Jr. "Hey, Gigi. Hey, Kari." She said quietly.
"Baby R asleep?" I wondered.
"Yeah, I would set up his playpen for him to sleep in, but I, uh, don't know how to set it up."
I sighed & pulled the playpen out to set it up. "No problem, Meg. I got it."
Kari sat down next to Megan & pulled out her Latin workbook. "I hate this stuff."
"Tas ir viegli, kad jūs saņemsiet pakārt par to." Megan stated, her nose in the air. (Megan said that Latin is easy when you get the hang of it, in Latin.)
I looked up from the finished playpen. "I highly doubt that she'll get the hang of it. Nowadays, only the med. Science students study the dead language of Latin."
"Real nice." Kari huffed.
I took Roy Jr. from Megan & sat him in the playpen. "Now, let's see about that Latin you need to work on."
"Hey people!" Aqua said as the twins busted through the door.
"Hey where'd you guys go?" I asked looking up from our books.
"Flannery said she had to go to Grandpa to pick an upgrade on her tarot card deck" Aqua said.
"They're great! A full deck with 75 cards it's awesome" Flannery said.
"Wow you must be really excited" I said.
"I love new tarot cards they make my predictions stronger that and this" Flannery said pulling out a wooden hexagon with little wooden words on them.
"Wow…what is it?" I said.
"It's a Bagua it helps me test the aura according to family member" Flannery said.
"Wow how do you do it?" Kari asked.
"Well let's say I want to find the aura for Aquanette. I set it to second oldest daughter, Aqua's facing North from me and so then we set it to North, personality creative, and finally the Nature Element is Moon" Flannery said moving the circles around to face Aquanette and then the letters started to glow grey.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"It's grey for emptiness Aqua is something wrong?" Flannery said. We looked over and saw Aquanette who staring at a butterfly that flew into the house. "No wonder it's empty she's not thinking about anything" Flannery said putting the Bagua away in her purse.
"Guys check it out this butterfly look at all of the colors it looks like a flying rainbow!" Aqua said.
"Oh Aquanette there's so much not right with you" I said.
"So do you guys know what you're going to get your parents?" Kari asked.
"I don't know they're so hard to shop for I can easily find them a present for our family day and their birthdays but never Christmas" Aqua said.
"Dude I got it!" Flannery said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a tarot card. "The lovers!" Flannery said. "What does have to do with anything?" I said.
"Aqua you remember that Mommy and Daddy never had a honeymoon?" Flannery said.
"Oh right they got married in a courthouse in South City and then we went Eastern and then we moved when they got transferred to Central" Aqua said.
"They've been married for 9 years and they've never been on a proper honeymoon" Flannery said.
"We just have to find a nice romantic place away from the kids and have some alone time" Aqua said.
"Are we sure we want that? I mean they did already have a baby" I said as the baby started crying.
"I got him he's probably just hungry" Aqua said picking him up.
"Amazing a human being that eats more than Aquanette" I said.
"Hey shut up" Aqua said walking into the kitchen.
"And we don't have to worry about them having another baby because they are both mature adults" Flannery said.
"We're still talking about Uncle Roy right?" I said.
"Well mommy's a mature adult and she's Daddy's voice of reason so ha-ha" Flannery said.
"So you guys going to Summer's party?" Kari asked.
"Summer, Summer Bordeaux good girl Summer Bordeaux is throwing a party?" I said.
"Yea her Dad is finally letting her have a party" Kari said "That's what she told me"
"She's probably doing it to impress a boy" Aqua said walking back in with the baby who was sucking away on his bottle.
"Why would she want to impress a boy?" Flannery said.
"Who's that boy she's always staring at?" Aqua said.
"Oh! I know Kenneth Stately Tia's twin brother" I said.
"Him?! He's so quiet I don't see it" Aqua said.
"I don't know Aquanette she's always talking to him and he's always talking back" Flannery said. "So Kari do you know when this party is?" Flannery asked.
"The day before Christmas eve. So are you guys going?" Kari asked. "I heard that Zach asked Pepper and she said yes"
I let out a sigh. "Her and her blonde obsession"
"Can you blame her? Blondes are beautiful ain't that right little man?" Aqua said tickling the baby's stomach which made him giggle.
"We should go get one last party in at least for break" Flannery said. "Besides I want to see how this all plays out"
"Fine Thatch should be home by then" I said. My phone rang I put it my ear. "Hello"
"Hey G" Thatch said.
"Oh hey you" I said with a small smile. "How was the game?"
"We won blew them away listen I should be home in about 2 days can you pick me up from the train station then?" Thatch asked.
"Of course I need to finish my Christmas shopping so do you think you can help me?" I asked.
"Sure you can help me too. I need to get some sleep I'll talk to you later" Thatch said.
"Alright I love you" I said. I had no problem saying it in front of the girls
"Love you too Griff. Bye" Thatch said.
"Bye" I said before hanging up.
"Aww little Griff's in love" Aqua said pinching my cheeks.
I just let out a shrug and small smile
