A/N: Thanks to - Niffer01 (thanks!), Beccatdemon13, TempusSimia (mildly, I suppose. I do love that book, but I read a LOT of shifter fiction and I try and add my own touches *shrugs*), StargateEcho, (haha, that would be telling!), Lov3good, sam4life (no need for begging...updates WILL come, I'm just slow as hell .) - for their reviews! (I think I got everyone there...sorry if I missed you!)

Quite a few new names on the list, so welcome! I hope you're enjoying! This is a pretty long chapter for you guys (by my standards at least). Took a little longer than I expected because control freak that I am, I wasn't happy with the Shifter interaction or the fight scene...but I think I'm happy now. Definitely more interesting than the last chaper...let me know what you think.

Review and Enjoy!

It took Talia a few moments until she was awake enough to remember where she was. She wasn't staring at her dorm ceiling, or Reid's room, or even her own ceiling in Chicago. No, that wasn't a familiar crack in the paint, and it wasn't her pillow under her head.

In fact, it wasn't a pillow at all.

"Morning," Reid greeted her sleepily, his lips brushing the back of her neck as he spoke. He was wrapped around her from behind, the two of them spooning with the blankets tangled around their feet.

"Hi," she murmured, giving a sleepy smile that he couldn't see and snuggling back into his arms.

They lay in silence for a while, gradually waking up, fingers trailing lazily over exposed skin. The building around them was mostly silent to her sensitive hearing, and from the light filtering in through the window she figured it was still pretty early.

Perfect.

Squirming around to face him with a wicked grin, Talia pressed her lips to his, hooking a leg over his hip and pulling him closer. Reid didn't need any further hints about what she wanted, rolling her gently onto her back as they kissed and propping himself up over her.

"Not that I'm complaining," he muttered against the skin of her jaw, his free hand sliding down her side. "But should we be doing this with your family around? I mean...can they hear us?"

She wiggled under him, trying impatiently to pull him closer. "Almost everyone is still asleep," she explained, threading her fingers through his shaggy blond hair. "We still have a while before we have to worry."

He grinned and dipped his head back to her waiting skin, and she arched up with a purr, tilting her head back and sighing happily as he nibbled across her throat. His hand slid lower over her body, slipping under the waist band of the boxers she used as PJs. Their lips crashed together as he stroked a finger between her slick folds and she groaned into his mouth, clutching his shoulders.

"Mmmm, what if Rena barges in like last night," he muttered, nipping at her full lower lip.

"I locked the...mmmph," she moaned as he pushed a long finger slowly inside her. "...door last night," she gasped.

She'd barely uttered the words when the door was flung open followed by "Oh god, put it away!"

Reid shot off of her so fast he fell off the side of the bed and landed in a heap on the floor, blue eyes glaring at the door from under his bangs. Jess had her eyes squeezed shut and a pained look on her face, and behind her Tyler was in the doorway with his hands over his face, his shoulders shaking with what looked suspiciously like laughter.

Talia took a deep breath and glared at the ceiling. "It wasn't out. Yet," she growled, snapping out each word in frustration. "What do you want, Jess?"

She loved the girl, she really did. But she'd never wanted to kill her best friend more than she did in that minute.

"Mom's uh...on the warpath," Jess replied, cautiously opening one eye to check it was all clear. "She's determined to solve the problems of the world, our trouble with Vassili and Collins, AND arrange some family bonding. Probably planning on saving the whales after lunch, too," she rolled her eyes. "Anywho, she was threatening to come up and wake everyone up for an early start so we figured we'd give you the heads up," she grinned and winked at that, and Talia felt a heating in her cheeks.

She'd never imagined how embarrassing is could be to be caught mid—well, just plain mid. Of course, she'd never really been a position to get caught by any sort of parental figures before. Suddenly she was glad it was Jess and Ty that barged in. If it had been Rena she would have been praying for the earth to swallow her up, and eventually Jake would find out. At least she could count on Jess to keep her mouth shut. Most of the time.

It wasn't that she was ashamed of her relationship with Reid, or that she was really trying to hide it, but she wasn't about to inform her brothers of all the intimate details of their sex life, either. It was one of those unspoken things where the idea of her dating Reid was okay, as long as they were never faced with the proof that it was more than innocent hand-holding or something. Self-inflicted delusions that kept everyone happy.

Sighing, she rolled out of bed, rubbing her hands over her face and giving a little stretch. "You could have at least knocked," she grumbled, shooting her friend once last glare before giving up.

"Dude, I've never seen you move so fast," Tyler finally spoke, his grin wide. Jess snickered at that, and Talia tried her damnedest not to smirk herself.

"Shut up," Reid grumbled, standing and slapping at his hair, fruitlessly trying to get it to stop sticking up in a million directions. Talia thought it was cute.

"Whaaaaat?" Tyler replied, still grinning. "Now I know what it takes to get your lazy ass moving in the mornings."

"Shut up," Reid repeated, scratching his bare chest absently, his eyes fixed on Tal as she headed over to the door.

"We're all expected downstairs to help with breakfast ASAP, so I'm sorry my friend," Jess smirked at Reid. "But I have to kidnap our girl here, or Mom will be feeding us to the wolves. Literally."

"We'll be right down sweetheart," Tyler smiled, grabbing a pair of his jeans of a chair by the door. Tal shot Reid a glare as he made a whipping sound at his friend, and he returned it with what was probably supposed to be an innocent look. "Nice hairstyle Reid," Tyler countered. "What were you going for, porcupine or early nineties boy-band?"

Reid snorted. "You're one to talk."

Talia just rolled her eyes and followed Jess out, leaving the two boys bickering and batting playfully at each other.

They went straight to their room, and she didn't both changing her clothes since she'd be showering after eating, instead she just slipped on her favourite pair of flip-flops and pulled an old, worn sweatshirt over her head, hooking her thumbs through the holes in the cuffs.

She tied her short hair back into a ponytail, still not sure if she liked her hair being shorter. In the meantime Jess had quickly changed into a cute green summer dress, and was complaining rhetorically about all the clothes missing from her closest, most likely to be found in the attic room her little sisters shared.

Shaking her head and grinning, Talia knew better than to interrupt her friend mind rant, instead just heading downstairs knowing that Jess would follow.

Pogue and Alex found their way to the big kitchen by scent alone, the mouth-watering aroma of pancakes and bacon strong in the air. They'd woken early because of the time change, and both of them being active people, they'd been up and out early, exploring the neighbourhood and having a little time alone before heading back.

Crossing the doorway, they could only stop at stare at the sight before them.

The kitchen was big, with an industrial cooker and fridge with a door that looked suspiciously like a meatlocker. Despite it the room still had a homey feel with honey woods and warm yellow walls. It was almost as if they'd taken a normal kitchen and stretched it out.

There was a long breakfast bar with the cooker on the other side, and there were already several gently steaming plates of pancakes laid out, as well as a huge bowl of scrambled eggs and several piles of bacon. Rena was standing guard over the stove, flipping pancakes and watching the grill. There were a couple young guys about the triplets' age by the sink, dealing with the constant stream of dishes.

There had to be almost two dozen people milling about, lined up along the breakfast bar, sitting at the large oak table or just leaning against the counters. They all had huge piles of food in front of them. Breakfast at Shifter Central.

"Foooooooooood," a voice groaned beside them, and they glanced over to see Talia making a b-line for the plates, clearly fresh from sleeping. Jess looked slightly more awake but just as hungry, giving Rena a smile as she began dishing up breakfast.

Grinning, Alex shrugged and followed after them, feeling a little hungry herself. Sitting at the breakfast bar and piling up her plate, she settled down between Jess and Pogue, and dug in. She ate in silence, letting the others do the talking as she observed the crowd around them.

"Eat quick," Rena told Talia and Jess, pointing at them with her spatula. "You two are helping me here."

The girls grumbled around their loaded forks, but nodded. Reid and Tyler joined them a few minutes later, quickly settling at the breakfast bar.

Everyone seemed fairly relaxed, comfortable in each other's company. A few kept stealing glances at her and the guys, but they seemed curious more than anything. From her experiences with the Shifters so far, she'd gathered they'd had minimal contact with Witches themselves, and the rest of their Pack probably had even less. Not to mention the fact that they weren't exactly run-of-the-mill Witches, albeit in very different ways.

She also noticed the way they interacted with each other, a subtle dance of dominance and submission. What she assumed were lower-ranking members of the Pack would wait for higher-ranking members to take what they wanted off a plate. But at the same time, the higher-ranking members would always ensure there was enough left on the plate for whoever was waiting.

And Rena, in the middle, slaving over the hot stove, looking happy as a clam. The woman seemed to thrive in her role as den-mother, and Alex began to understand what she'd meant to the Sarkas. In the center of the action – the center of the family – making sure everyone was taken care of a well-fed.

Alex could almost see it: the young Jacob Sarka, barely old enough to care for himself, with not only the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings, but also the responsibilities of an entire Pack on his shoulders. Enter Rena, the eternal mother figure in need of a home and safety for her daughters, filling the void and keeping house so Jacob could focus on his duties as Alpha. Result: a flourishing Pack and a happy family.

Well, mostly happy. From the looks being shot at them from the nearby table, not everybody was happy to have guests for breakfast. One of the guys met her gaze and whispered something to his friends, setting off a round of snickering. He smirked at her, and she guessed whatever he'd said hadn't been particularly flattering. Luckily, after so long as Kira Snyder's roommate, she was no stranger to disparaging looks, and it didn't bother her. The people that mattered treated her with respect, and as long as those guys kept to themselves, she didn't care what they thought.

"You alright?" Pogue asked softly, noticing her distraction, if not its cause.

She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his affectionately. She was still getting used to this relationship thing, but she had to admit it was nice to have someone who cared about the little things. "Yeah, I'm good," she assured him. "Just getting used to ShifterLand."

He grinned and nodded, then stole a piece of bacon off her plate, popping it in his mouth before she could react.

"Hey, watch it, Parry," she glared playfully, poking him in the ribs.

Talia and Jess were soon finished, and the wolf had taken their plates over to the sink as Jess joined her mother at the stove. The two girls were about to begin helping when Jacob pushed through the door. It was as if a switch had been flipped. The room hushed, all forks paused mid-flight and every eye in the place fixed on him, waiting to see what he'd do.

"Carry on," he said softly with a nod, and breakfast resumed. He lifted his hand and pointed a finger at the girls by the stove. "You two with me, we need to talk. Rena, can you find Garret? He owes me a border report."

With that he ducked back out, leaving Rena muttering under her breath. "What does that boy think I am? That old lion's keeper?" shaking her head and wiping off her hands, she missed the knowing look that passed between Jess and Talia, but Alex didn't, hiding her smile behind her last piece of pancake.

"Don't think this means you're off the hook, I'll find something else for you to do later," Rena warned the girls as they headed out, her eyes narrowing.

Alex took her plate over to the young guys doing the dishes then headed over to the cooker.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "I don't do a lot of cooking, but I'm good at following instructions," she offered with a smile and a shrug.

"Excellent," Rena smiled. "You're a lifesaver. Hannah here can help you," she said, patting the shoulder of a mousey-haired young girl who smiled shyly at Alex.

Soon, she was elbow-deep in pancake batter, glowering a Pogue who was sitting back with his hands behind his head, watching her with great amusement. "Y'know, you could help."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't dream of it. You seem to have everything under control sweetheart," he grinned, and Reid and Tyler snickered next to him.

"No way. You're not getting off so easily. We're guests, at least clean up your own dishes," she scolded, looking at the other Sons too.

Sighing, Pogue arched a brow and stood, taking his plate over to the sink.

"You two as well," she shot at Tyler and Reid. They looked a little surprised, which Alex figured was probably because she wasn't a big talker, and hadn't spent much time with them outside of Pogue's company. But she was trying this new 'having friends' thing, and they didn't seem to mind.

"Yes mom," Reid replied, following Pogue and Ty over. Alex just stuck out her tongue.

"Ah, it all makes sense now," an unfamiliar voice spoke from the table. Alex looked over and saw the smirking guy from before watching the guys with a smug look on his face.

"What does?" Reid asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter.

"Well, we were wondering how Jess and Talia could put up with a couple pussies like you," he replied, setting off another round of snickering. "But now I get it. You're their little pets. I bet you cook and clean and do the laundry for them too. I guess all the stuff about Witches males being whipped was right," he finished, standing up lazily and crossing his arms over his chest.

The room fell silent, and everyone stopped to watch and see what the guys did next. For her part, Alex just stayed silent. Anything she said or did at this point would just make things worse, and she knew enough about guys to know that they didn't want a girl trying to save the day.

It was, of course, Reid that made the first move, but for once it wasn't Tyler trying to hold him back. Pogue, looking less than pleased at the Shifters, had placed a hand on Reid's chest and push him back before he could lunge.

"Remember where we are, Reid," he said quietly, knowing that if they started a fight with the Shifters, it might cause a hell of a more problems than a couple of black eyes.

Pogue earned himself a harsh glare from Reid before the younger Son tried to shake him of, his shirt twisting as Pogue tried to keep a hold of him. Like Pogue, Alex had focused on the blond, knowing his hot temper. But it wasn't Reid they should have been worried about.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Tyler bit out, his voice cutting through Pogue and Reid's tension. The three of them turned to him in surprise, finding him facing off against the main antagonist of the Shifters.

Even Alex, with her total lack of power could guess that his eyes were shining black, and from the dual winces on the other Son's faces, he was pulling pretty hard on the power.

"Tyler..." Pogue said warningly as the Shifter stepped forward, seeming unconcerned by the show of power.

The Shifter chuckled, a less-than-pleasant sound. "Why don't you show me who I'm dealing with, then?"

A collective intake of breath alerted Alex to the fact that something very important had just happened. One of the guys by the sink dropped what he was doing and headed for the door, but Alex snagged his arm as he passed her.

"What just happened?" she demanded.

He shifted nervously from foot to foot, not making eye contacted though his eyes darted around the room faster than she could track. He did not want to be the center of attention, and he did not want to answer her question.

"Tell her, Nikolai," the Shifter ordered smugly.

A pained look crossed the younger boy's face, and Alex felt a pang of sympathy. "Adam pushed, your friend didn't back down. Adam just challenged him. Your friend either has to accept and fight, or back down and...submit."

It was all spoken in a hushed tone, fast and nerve-jangled, but Alex got the point. They'd just managed to do the one thing they'd been warned not to do: piss of the Shifters into a fight.

She let go of Nikolai and barely noticed as he made a break for the door. Pogue was stepping forward with raised hands, clearly trying to play Caleb and diffuse the situation. But before he could open his mouth, Tyler beat him to it.

"Accepted."

Oh, hell.

"What's up?" Talia asked as she flopped onto the worn sofa in her brother's office. Jess sat on one of the arms, leaning back and bracing her hand on the back.

"We dug this up yesterday, I figured you didn't need to stress over it last night," Jacob said, handing Jess an old, worn file. "It was pretty deep in our records, dusty box, back of a shelf, back of a storage closet...that sort of thing," he waved off. "It's the inventory of everything we have on Costin Sarka. I'd guess only a small part has anything to do with Vassili, but we don't have a file on him, so that's all we're going to find."

He took a seat behind his large wooden desk, propping his booted feet up on the worn surface. Like everything in the room, it was worn but hard-wearing, built for durability rather than flash, but still comfortable and warm none-the-less. Talia had always felt the room reflected her brother's personality.

Jess flicked through the pages, her dark red eyebrows lifting in surprise. "This covers his entire life! Well at least it's in order," she sighed, flicking to the back.

"Should be near the end, since he died right after," Talia added with a yawn.

Jess shot her an annoyed look. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

Talia just glared back before spoiling it with another yawn. "Mmmm just sayin'"

"Pffft," Jess huffed. "I'll be the one that ends up flipping through this thing."

Talia rolled her eyes at her friend. She complained about it now, but her friend loved research, though with the amount they'd all been doing recently was verging on ridiculous.

Jacob just shrugged, watching the two of them closely. With a sigh, Talia sat up and rested her elbows on her knees. "Spill, Jake. You could have given us this over breakfast. Why are we here?"

He stayed silent for a moment, and they watched each other. "I'm taking a lot on faith here. You know I trust you both, and Will, but I can't say I'm happy with...everything," he said eventually, holding up a hand to keep them from responding. "Let me finish. I know you did the right thing by joining up with the Witches, but there's a difference between professional and personal, and you two have crossed the line. I need to know you're priorities haven't changed."

"You're honestly asking us that? You think we'd do anything to hurt the Pack?" Talia growled, her fists clenching.

Jake just shrugged. "I know you wouldn't intentionally harm us. But can you honestly say that if it was us or them, it would be a simple choice? Could you turn your back on them so easily?"

"Are you saying we have to?" Jess asked quietly beside her.

"No. Not now, hopefully not ever. I know your loyalties are to us, but now they're split. You have to recognize this. I'm not asking you to change, but I need to know that you'll tell me if you get to the point where your loyalties are truly divided," he finished. Part of her was angry that he was even asking them, but the sympathy in her oldest brother's eyes was enough to stop her from snapping.

"It won't come to that. They want to stop Collins as much as we do, and they're all good people," she defended. She paused, taking a deep breath. "But if it does become a matter of choice...you'll know. If we can't do our jobs, we'll say so."

Jake nodded, tipping his head back to stare up at the ceiling. "It's hard for me to remember you two are grown up. Sometimes I forget...I just don't want to see you hurt," he sighed. "Why the hell couldn't you two fall for a couple of nice Shifter boys, huh?"

Jess snorted. "You sound like my mom."

"Heaven forbid," Jake chuckled. "You know that nobody will ever be good enough for you two as far as I'm concerned, but I'll try and-"

He was interrupted as the door burst open and Nikolai rushed in, his normal calm composure blown for wide eyes and a spiking heartbeat. He knew well enough not to interrupt when the door was closed, so it must be important.

"Boss...it's Adam, he's causing trouble with the Witches," he rushed.

A low rumble echoed through the room as Jacob growled. "Define 'trouble'."

Nikolai swallowed and took half a step backwards. "He challenged one of them, and it looked like the challenge would be accepted."

"Reid," Talia guessed with a growl of her own.

"No, it was Tyler Simms," Niko corrected.

"What?" Jess asked with wide eyes. "Why the hell...?"

"Adam said some things..." Niko's eye darted toward the door.

"Goddamnit," Jake snapped, standing sharply. "You did the right thing, Niko. Don't worry. Come on girls. We better make sure your boys survive the morning."

Tyler wasn't exactly sure what he was doing; only that he wasn't sorry. He hadn't missed the glares they'd been getting from some of the Pack, especially this Adam guy. He also hadn't missed the long lingering look the guy had given Jess when she left, either. He didn't know what the deal was between the two of them, but he didn't like it, and he was willing to bet it was the main reason why he was standing in the middle of the room waiting to fight.

"Rules are simple," one of the other Shifters said, presumably for his benefit. Tyler recognized him as one of Adam's goons, but everyone was watching him in anticipation, so Ty figured what he was saying was important. "You use your gift or power, and nothing else. No weapons other than what you have naturally. No outside assistance, no tag-teaming, nothing. Your buddies," he looked at Tyler then at Reid and Pogue beside him. "better stay out of the fight, or you forfeit. The same goes for us. Normally these things are to the death or submission, but today it's first blood."

"What?" Adam snapped, obviously surprised with the statement. "That's bullshit!"

"No, it's not. I'm the highest ranking wolf next to you, so it's up to me to ensure this is done by the book. And I'm sure all hell not getting my ass kicked because you killed one of the pet Witches, okay? Have your fun, make him bleed, prove you're better, but leave him alive. First to draw the other's blood wins, no question. Those are the terms."

Adam nodded tightly, looking less than happy, and Tyler echoed his acceptance. At least he couldn't get himself killed. That would really put a dampener on their little vacation.

"Tyler, this is a very bad idea," Pogue ground out, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Well, he doesn't really have a choice," Reid snapped back. "I just wish I was allowed to join you, I'd pound a little sense into the guy," he smirked.

"No, you wouldn't," Alex said quietly. The three of them turned to look at her, surprised she'd come along. "Remember who you're dealing with. Shifters are too strong to take on face to face, and your magic won't be as effectual. You need to think smart. How did you handle those Shifters you went after before?"

"We didn't. Ty and Reid weren't even there. Caleb and I took on Chase while Talia and Will took care of the Shifters," Pogue explained with a shrug.

Alex sighed. "Don't let him get his hands on you. Don't try and duke it out. Stay out of his reach, try and wear him down with your power, and wait until he starts to slow. Then try something...whatever fits. Remember, its first blood. That can mean a scratch. Take your time, Tyler."

Tyler nodded, turning to watch the other guy. Adam was pulling off his shirt, but that was all, leaving him in his baggy sweatpants. He could feel his own power, tugging at the edges of his consciousness, almost like a living thing trying to get loose.

"Listen Pogue, I'm not an idiot," Tyler said firmly. He was used to trying to talk Reid down, he knew what was going on in the other Son's head. "This isn't just about my wounded pride. These guys are gunning for us, and you know they'll find a way to try and put us down. At least now it'll be done with, and it's better it's me than Reid. Or you."

"Oh, you think you're so much better, hotshot," Reid snickered, trying to lighten the building tension.

"No," Tyler responded, still calm and serious. "I think I'm the only one that hasn't Ascended, and the only one who's not risking turning into an old man."

Reid sobered at that, nodding and looking away. Tyler knew that his best friend still worried about their power and the cost it would take on their lives. Pogue sighed, running a hand through his longish hair.

"Fine, but when Caleb gets here and kicks your ass, I want it on the record that I tried to stop you," he declared. "Good luck."

Tyler nodded and waited for Adam to step away from his group. They'd come down to a large room in the basement, which judging by the mats and equipment stacked against the walls, was a large training gym. Quite a crowd had gathered to watch them fight, but a clear area had been left in the center of the room.

Tyler - mostly because of his friendship with Reid – had been in a fair few fights in his time, so he squared off, rolling his shoulders and keeping his joints loose and ready to move. He waited for Adam to make the first move, and didn't have to wait long. Almost in the space of a breath, the Shifter's body hunched forward, and Tyler watched as his flesh rippled, sprouting thick, dark brown wolf hairs. His face morphed, nose and mouth moving closer together and thrusting out from his face, his ears forming tufted points and moving up his head.

He'd seen Talia and Will in their half and half form, and it was considerably less grotesque than Adam's. From what he knew about Shifters, Adam was skilled to be able to pull off the halfway form, but he still wasn't as strong as the Sarkas. He'd never seen the transformation before, and couldn't help the little flip of his stomach as he watched the flesh move over muscle.

When it was done, he was staring at a wolfman, several inches over Adam's normal six foot, with strong looking arms and wicked sharp looking claws and teeth.

Right. Like Alex said...stay out of reach.

Without further warning, Adam lunged at him quickly, and Tyler's eyes bled black as he used to swirl out of the way as mist, and following with a sphere of power that barely glanced off the Shifter. A little over the top, but he wanted to show Adam he wasn't dealing with the average Witch.

The fight seemed to go on like that for and endless amount of time, though in reality it was only a few minutes. Tyler started getting cocky, showing off like a bullfighter, whirling out of the way at the last minute and doing his best to humiliate the wolf.

"That all you got, puppydog? And here I thought you were supposed to be scary," he taunted, cursing himself a second later as Adam's claws raked across his stomach. Arrogant idiot! He cursed himself.

Adam stepped back with a hideous smirk on his face, and Tyler's hand was pressed against his abdomen to stem the blood flow as best he could. It took him a confused second to realize...

...there was no blood, just torn fabric.

Adam had missed.

But the wolf was clearly having an arrogant idiot moment of his own, and had failed to note the absence of blood in the scents of the room. He stepped forward with a swagger, leaning towards Tyler, who for his part was still playing stunned, wounded human.

"How's that for scary, witch-boy?" he snarled. Spreading his arms, he grinned at the room, drinking in the few hoots of appreciation from his goons.

Tyler moved fast, managing to hit him squarely across the jaw. Cursing aloud, he cradled his fist, certain he'd cracked a bone or two, but the skin was only bruised. And there it was, that little trickle of red coming from the corner of Adam's mouth...muzzle...whatever.

"First. Blood," Tyler grinned at the stunned wolf, using his uninjured hand to lift his shirt and show the unmarred skin underneath.

"Holy shit..." Alex muttered into the silence of the room.

Reid broke the silence a second later with a crow of triumph. "That's my boy! Wooot!"

Tyler laughed and walked back over to them, slapping his brother's hands and even fist-bumping Alex, who despite her earlier concerns was grinning right along with Pogue and Reid.

"I thought you were toast there for a minute man, don't scare me like that!" Pogue scolded, but was unable to keep a straight face.

"Ha! I'll tell you a secret," Tyler grinned. "So did-"

A/N: dun-dun-DUUUUUN! Cliffhanger, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I wasn't sure how to end this one, since the scene was going to bleed over to the next chapter either way...so I decided to torture you guys a little. I'm evil like that :D I know what's gonna happen next...but feel free to guess.