Teddy and Family- Chris and Ana

Chapter 23- After Prom Madness

A/N: Now on with part two After-Prom! Both Ana and Chris points of views! Crazy fun Madness ensues. Enjoy!

Cin XOXO

Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the original characters that are mine and the story idea. (I love to play with my favorite iconic characters but with my AU spin on them. Sorry folks I don't do Canon ever. Like it, love it, hate it…you have been warned ^^).

OoOoO

Ana

Prom 2006 has been a ginormous success in everyone's eyes, and I guess that's true because they all got to kiss and cuddle with their guys or gals and didn't have big brother sneaky, ninja-like shadows following their every move! Not to mention overprotective Papa Bears!

I want my kiss, damn it! Our first one doesn't count I was under the influence of Yummy fruity goodness, so I deserve a do-over kiss! It's not like I'm gonna jump him as soon as his lips meet mine! It was the sangria not me that turned me into the vixen in that video, so our dads are being paranoid over nothing!

Walking in the gardens, him serenading me softly as we slowly waltz on the moonlit lawn. Romantic right? It was perfect. We were gazing into each other's eyes so close that our noses brushed, and I just knew that he was gonna kiss me! But NO! Luke scares the living crap out of us by turning the security lights on us!

Chris waltzed us back to the tent-like the Eagle scout he is, and we haven't ventured out of it since! Grrr! Cambridge here we come!

Now that Prom's finally winding down with those who have permission to stay out all night still here and those having curfews heading home it's time for the After-Prom festivities. Yes! I can finally get out of this gown and into some comfy sweats! Don't get me wrong, I love it. It's beautiful and all that, but this tiara isn't exactly light, and my head needs a break from it and these braids!

Then it hits me that while we can change into sweats and sneakers the other kids can't and we don't have enough extra to clothe the eighty or so that are still here to enjoy the mini-golf, laser tag, Velcro wall, and Zorb balls! Chris and the boys are back in everyone's good books because Luke and Ryan, two of Preps alumni star athletes, offered to step up and coach Varsity for the remainder of the season. Meaning that the State Championship is all but theirs for the taking now that Chris and the guys are on back the team again. The boys are also up for the High School All-Star Game and Chris is up for the home run derby that's during MLB all-star weekend and a really big deal. There's also one at Wrigley Field the All-American Baseball team again uber big deals! Summer is packed. Chris and Ethan have Nationals in June. Then we have Nationals right after that followed by all the boys getting ready for both of those other games. Then it's Cheer/Dance camp and Football camp for the guys with Seattle Seahawks players as their coaches sucks to be them!

Yeah, you would think that it would be epic, right? Nope! Those Seahawks players are ruthless and by the time it's done the boys come crawling back home! No tech! Just living and breathing football sunrise to sunset! The players are former Prep Alumni and Cook's their mentor, so they do this every year for both the JV and the Varsity. This year it's near Forks of all places because who's gonna hunt down professional football players there?! Besides the occasional odd Animal Attacks lately, nothing ever happens in Forks!

We also have alumni at our Camp, don't get me wrong they are tough on us, but not nearly as ruthless as professional football players intent on making sure that Prep once again is set to win another State Championship. Plus, side for us is that we get to come home after a grueling day of cheer camp hell, but the boys not so much.

Anyway, I digress, back to the problem at hand. Sure, we have those posh rentable bathrooms lined up just like any event, so they have plenty of places to go change, but as far as I know providing our guests with changes of clothing that fit wasn't on Chris's to-do list.

"Houston we have a major problem!" I stand on tiptoes and hiss into Chris's ear.

He stops talking to some of the guys and turns his focus on me. "What's up, Babydoll?"

"Did you? I don't know. Plan for, providing a change of clothing for all of our guests?" I smile sweetly up at him and wait for this all to register.

"Why would that even be an issue…" He frowns, brow furrowed, eyes shooting me a perplexed look.

"Yes or no?" I arch a brow at him and fold my arms across my chest.

"No, of course, I didn't!" He rakes his fingers through his hair and starts to pace as what I'm trying to get him to realize is that his ultimate surprise for me just blew up right in his face. "I mean how would I even begin to even…we didn't even know that this was gonna turn into the backup prom…it was just supposed to be us…are the stores even open this late? I mean I could send our big brothers on a city or county-wide Walmart run they're open 24/7, right? Though I doubt they have the shoe sizes we'd need for the guys or the girls in their inventory…They'd have to hit every Walmart in the Seattle/Tacoma area that's if all of them are twenty-four-hour stores?!"

"Chris…" I try to get him to stop panicking, but his OCD is going into panic mode. He has to have everything go as planned or he loses the plot.

"No…we can come up with something…I don't have a fucking clue what or how at the minute, but I'll figure something out…" He's going for his hair again and I take matters into my own hands and wrap my arms around him so he can't do it anymore.

"Calm down and breathe…we'll figure something out…this was not your fault…there is no reason for you to go into a mental OCD meltdown…our moms were in the know about this being a possible backup prom, so let's see if they added clothing to their contingency first, before we send out our big brothers on a mission impossible, alright." I croon soothingly into his ear and he slowly starts to relax enough so that he's not on the verge of a panic attack. It's his Achilles heel. Chris hates losing control of any and all situations it sends him spiraling, but my voice can always calm him like now.

"Ana…" He rolls his eyes at me in exasperation. "Not even our mothers are that good…we need to…"

I cut him off with a kiss and that shuts off both of our minds for a bit.

OoOoO

Chris

Tap…tap…tap…tap…

My mind slowly comes back to the here and now with the urge to murder someone for disturbing us. I open an eye, not breaking off our kiss and glower at whoever tapped my shoulder. Not caring one bit that it's Ray and my Dad standing in front of us.

"Son, it's time to come up for air now." Dad tries to keep that stern face, but he looks more amused than angry.

"It's been over five minutes," Ray's expression mirrors Dad's. "I'd say Annie's more than made up for her missed first kiss."

I reluctantly end our kiss with soft gentle kisses to ease us back down to earth again and she grumbles using our link. But I don't wanna! It's not fair! We were keeping it PG! Stupid Papa Bears!

I know, baby. Neither do I. Let's not push our dads any more than we already have tonight? I reluctantly pry her fingers out of my hair and place gentle kisses on them before easing away just enough to appease our dads but not have her out of my arms. "Happy now?" I growl, rolling my eyes at our dads not caring that the two of them hate it.

"No, they're never happy when we're happy," Ana growls, turning around in my arms, eyes narrowed to slits up at our Dads. "Spoiled rotten Princess Mimi can make-out with Ethan wherever she pleases sans her bedroom while we can't even cuddle without chaperones, and heaven forbid that we kiss that's like breaking a cardinal rule! Cambridge! This FALL! Papa Bears! Bank on it! And Goodluck ever getting an invite to our wedding or seeing your grandkids too!" She hisses that threat, well, more like a promise and stalks regally off towards the manor. "I'm going to change out of this fairytale ensemble now because our Dads as usual ruin every happy, romantic, magical moment we've had! Good luck figuring out how you're gonna clothe all the guests! You overbearing paranoid I know that you were way worse than we were at our age Dads!"

"Nice try, pumpkin!" Ray stupidly calls after her furious retreating form. "You need our permission to attend MIT or Harvard at sixteen and seventeen! You two are still under our protective wings until your eighteenth birthdays and no judge is gonna sign off on granting you emancipation just because you have two loving, protective, fathers driving you both mad!"

"JUDGE MARGARET WALTERS! DAD!" Ana shouts back from the foot of the deck. "I always do my homework! She is the most unbiased judge in the county and after she listens to our grievances and the fact that Chris and I are both High School Graduates already with countless degrees already under our belts wishing to attend the actual campuses to earn our Master's, in the top ten on the Junior Mensa list, own our own thriving multimillion-dollar company, and have started several charities of our own since middle school that she will more than grant us the right to fledge the nest early and our freedom from all of you overbearing, paranoid, protective, all be that loving fathers! Oh, and even though the age of consent is sixteen in most states! We are nowhere near ready for that step yet, we have to actually be able to date first, not that it's any business of yours, to begin with and have made a promise to each other that we are gonna wait until our wedding night! So, do us both a favor and back off or believe you me that wasn't a threat it was a PROMISE! NO wedding invite! NO seeing any future GRANDKIDS!" She stalks up the steps, across the deck, and makes her regal exit into the manor by the echo of the slamming of the backdoor.

All of that mind you is followed with shouts of GO ANA and a resounding round of applause from most of our remaining classmates, us, Sam, Ros, Gwen, and even a few of the big brothers. Our Dads are both in shock and answering their phones now because I know that the moms were all watching and listening from inside the manor. Yes, people, even parentals communicate through text these days!

You'd think I'd be blushing scarlet and wanting to hide after her spectacular takedown of our Dads, but I'm not the least bit embarrassed that everyone knows that we're not willing to tempt fate until legally wed! Hell, she just staked her claim in front of some of the worst female and male gossips in the Senior and Junior class! Many of whom had their phones out, so it'll be on Social Media within the hour that Ana threw the gauntlet down at the feet of our Dads and has them both in checkmate. Well, that and we aren't lying about not being able to date until she turns sixteen.

"Before I head off inside and take a glacially cold shower because fuck was that amazingly hot. I just want the two of you to know that I agree with her on all points and I promise to sneak the moms' pictures of the wedding and any future grandkids while you both are forever banished to the guest room for the remainder of your natural lives. Now, as for clothing all of our guests, well, that's your problem. I never signed off on my surprise for Ana turning into the actual prom, so that's all squarely on you." I salute our dads and turn to head into the manor for that shower and to change.

"Actually, smartass, that part is on the Federal government," Logan calls out since our Dads are too busy groveling via their phones.

"Say what now?" That the Feds have foot the bill on any part of this has me focused on nipping that favor in the bud. I mean I do not want them to come calling for a favor when we're in our twenties! So not happening! I know that the federal government doesn't offer to foot the bill without eventually expecting something back in return. I stalk over to Logan.

"Exactly what I said, little brother. My boss never leaves anything to chance. They needed a backup plan incase things went south at the Fairmont and your surprise for Ana was it. They have a sixth sense about shit like this and have yet to be wrong. So, all of the extra expenses for your classmates are covered…" Logan speaks slowly as if I'm slow on the uptake right now and I'm not.

"ANDREA!" I shout at the top of my voice so that I can be heard over all our classmates now adding that to their social media update. The FEDS funded our PROM! Yeah, TMZ is gonna go apeshit over that little nugget of information! They've been trolling all the Prep social media feeds, so I know that they'll be shouting on their site with shouty capitals.

"I didn't know!" She's glowering murderously at Adam. "He said to let the Moms handle that side of things and I did! DT's yes, but the rest…"

"How much!" I snarl at Logan and Sam. "I'm reimbursing every last dime!"

"Preps original prom was going to be held in the middle of an ongoing investigation and the powers that be took matters into hand and came up with a plan B. There is no favor, Chris. No bill for you to payback. Relax." Sam tries to talk me down.

"What's the name of your superior…" I growled between my teeth. "I am not owing the Federal Government a favor when I'm Master of the Corporate Universe! It's not happening! I'm one of the most intelligent seventeen-year-olds on the planet, not a naive simpleton! Number now!"

"Not gonna happen, little bro. It's done and dusted. The last thing you want is to piss off our boss by not going along with what's already been handled. Just leave it be." Logan isn't even remotely phased by my CEO glare and neither is Sam. Well, this fucking sucks balls!

I told you that Ella was a secret agent working for the Federal Government or some agency! I bet that she's their boss! Because now it's they this and they that when before it was she! No wonder I can't find any trace of her on the Dark-web or on the planet! She's covert! On a mission to avenge her Mom and Grandma's murders and her twins near deaths! That's why her last name isn't on your birth certificate anymore! She's been under WITSEC! She's the only witness and to keep you safe she went with the open adoption with the Greys! I bet she's just as brilliant as you are, and the government recruited her with the promise that she'd get to avenge what happened to her family! She'd be what in her early thirties by now? Oh, and FYI you can't just demand the FBI take your money so that you can't be drafted for a favor in the future! They don't work that way! I promise that if and when that time comes that I'll protect you unless it's for the greater good, not life-threatening, and will save lives. It's our civic duty to help when called upon if we have the means to do so. All you're going to do by paying them off is make us people of interest and we'll have shadows even more than we do now! It's better to tolerate the shadows that we know than invite more shadows that we don't or have any control over. I'll be out in a bit that's if I can ever figure out how to get out of this blooming ball gown! It has like a million tiny little jeweled unreachable buttons! Send reinforcements and no I don't mean you, Babe! Love ya, Tiger! Kisses! Ana just blew my mind with that scarily realistic hypothesis and that she's been actively searching out Ella too, yeah, mind fucking blown!

I don't know how to respond to that not one bit and wisely decide to just remain radio silent until my mind has time to analyze everything she just threw at me. Ella's…Logan and Sam's boss and a Special Agent? In what universe can that possibly be the result of the fire? Nah, it's just my baby and her overactive imagination coming up with mindboggling theories that are near to statistically impossible to ever be even close to real life. She does have a point about the rest though and as much as I hate it the last thing that we need is to have a bunch of Federal watchdogs watching our every move. Well, ones that aren't family anyway.

"Well, shit!" Adam rakes his fingers through his hair and shoots me a knowing look. "What's our Pixie gone and told you now that has you looking like you wanna run for the hills this time?"

"He does have that spaced outlook right now, so we know that she was either lecturing or flaming his ass for the last five minutes." Ryan nods, shooting me a spill it now baby brother or else look.

"Start talking, baby brother. Inquiring minds and all that," Luke mirrors Ryan as do the rest of the older siblings all curious to know what Ana's come up with now.

"In a second," I know that resistance is futile, and I do need to stay on their good side seeing as they're my new baseball taskmasters now and could truly make my life hell for the next little while if they set their minds to it. "Andrea, sorry that I went off like that Ana needs help, so could you and Hannah go up to the house and rescue her from tiny buttons from hell before she takes drastic measures and starts cutting herself out of her ballgown? Oh, and don't worry about having to figure out how to clothe everyone I'll think of something and we'll just choose to ignore the fact that way down the line the Feds may or may not come asking for the mother of all favors, because they took full advantage of me trying to surprise Ana and that Logan and Sam are so terrified of their boss that they clued her into my plans. A fact that to be completely honest scares the living shit out of me because nothing and no one ever shakes the two of them."

Andrea and Hannah wisely choose to retreat back to the manor and Ana.

"We did ask for the week off during an ongoing federal covert investigation and in our defense giving them the excuse that it was a family emergency didn't really fly with our boss at all. Especially, when she saw Sam driving DT around Seattle so that he could do all of his party planning wizardry under the radar. DT means wedding and me and Sam are the only two in our family besides Ros and Gwen in a committed relationship…" Logan shrugs.

"She threatened to call my Dad and ask why the two of us chose to skip the engagement and head directly to the alter…" Sam grumbled.

"I get it completely now! You sold me out to save your own skins! Well, it's nice to know just where your true loyalties lie! I will remember this! Mark my words! One of these days when you both least expect it! I will have my revenge! It may take years, but it will happen! After hearing that Ana's crazy theory isn't all that insane anymore! Why the fucking hell would any of us be on your bosses fucking radar! We're teenagers! I'm not cool with anyone knowing that much about our lives that aren't related by blood or close family! Not cool at all! That is a fucking invasion of privacy!" I'm fisting my hands at my sides so that I don't haul off and punch Logan in the face for selling me out like this! But the murderous gleam in my eyes tells him just how close I am to saying fuck it and throwing down.

"You are sixteen and run a multibillion-dollar empire in the making! Are the son of two high profile parents, and one of the smartest minds on the planet, so yeah you are on everyone's radar! The good guys and the bad guys! You outed yourself and it went viral within an hour and broke social media sites! Ana is fifteen, co-founder of said empire in the making and in the process of adding to that by creating a publishing giant of her own! She's also one of the smartest minds on the planet, and on and off again black hat hacker when she wishes to find out something no matter if it's classified or not! She's also the daughter of Raymond Steele shipping king! So again, yeah, everyone's radar! Ana is a jewel that any baddie would love to add to their collection! Again Target! You have always been on the Federal government's radar because you are both high profile kidnapping targets! As are all of the Scooby Gang in one way or the other, so yeah, our boss knows everything about all of you! It's what we do! Prevent the baddies from getting to all of you! While you would fetch millions and may or may not survive the ordeal! Ana would never be seen again! So, suck it up and accept this for what it is! Keeping all of you safe and sound with Mom and Dad until you fledge the nest and even then you'll still be under our watch! You are ours to protect! Ours to lose if we screw up and that's never gonna happen! Not on our watch! Not ever!" Logan's never been one to lie to any of us, because in his line of work that's what gets you killed. It's not like we're not used to security all around us that's been a given all of our lives, but now that we're older it's harder because we want private lives too!

"Ya know what fuck you! I'm done with this overprotective bullshit! We aren't normal teenagers! We carry cards stating that we're living breathing weapons! We have sharpshooter licenses in all types of firearms! Ana has a six sense so acute that nothing and no one could ever sneak up on her without her knowing it and mine isn't that far off! Back the fuck off or we're gone when the clock strikes midnight on September 10th and our moms can just cry themselves a river about not getting to throw Ana that Fairytale fancy dress sweet sixteen ball that has been in the works for months! Our Brownstone should be ready by then and so will GEH's Boston Headquarters! I will tolerate the Dads because that's just instinct to swaddle and protect their daughters, same goes with our Uncles! I will tolerate the big brothers because that's what big brothers do! What I will not tolerate under any circumstances is the god damned Federal Government violating my right to privacy or my personal space because of a one and a million chance that either Ana or I will be the victim of some kidnapping plot when we have been surrounded by more security than some of the most important dignitaries in the world and have been all of our lives! So, fuck you! Fuck your boss! If Ana is right then she should leave us the fuck alone and go focus on taking down the bad guys! We're suffocating already in this overprotective bubble wrap that you've swaddled us in, so just back the fuck off! It all stops, or we go! Checkmate your move! I'm done!" I stalk off towards the manor to get out of this tux and into some sweats and converse so that I can take out my fury on anyone brave enough or stupid enough to challenge me to no holds bard laser tag.

"Thanks, a fucking lot! Now we've gotta talk him down before we're all skiving off senior year and heading off to the East Coast a year early!" The guys snarl at them before chasing after me.

OoOoO

Ana

All of us head back out after changing into sweats and Converse ready to decompress and focus on some fun. Not believing our eyes because everyone is now dressed in school sweats, with I survived Prom 2006 on them and converse and having the time of their lives enjoying the activities up for offer.

"I have no words…" Barney's eyes are bugging out of his head and his jaw is hanging open in shock and awe.

"How…" Ethan mirrors Barn's facial expression.

"Well, shit I want a set of sweats like that too." Jose sulks.

"That's not possible…" Paul is also floored by what we're seeing.

"Wow…" Hannah is looking at our classmates and then at Andrea. "We bow to the mistress of all things possible."

"I'm good…" Andrea looks as shellshocked as the rest of us, so I seriously doubt that she had anything to do with it. "But I clearly have a lot more to learn to ever be able to pull that off."

"I'm so fucked when she calls in that favor way down the line…" Chris pulls at his hair with just a slight hint of shock and awe terror shining in his eyes.

"Well, seeing as she's your birth mom and clearly must love you still to the moon and back to go this extra mile…" I once again go into cuddle mode, so that he'll relax again. "I seriously doubt it will be anything uber dangerous."

"Say what now?" I've got everyone's attention.

"Yeah, Ana has this theory that Ella is Logan and Sam's boss that she was put into protection by WITSEC and was recruited by covert agencies on the promise that she would be able to avenge what happened to her family. The reason why Mimi and I don't have our original surnames on our birth certificates and the open adoption went through crazy fast when we were babies is because we're under the same protection too. That she hasn't even attempted to contact us or is able to be found by our two resident white hat hackers is because she's focused on getting the baddies who destroyed her life as she knew it first." Chris hugs me closer, setting his chin on top of my head.

"Is it scary that I actually kinda believe she might be on to something there?" Paul frowns.

"It is still a cold murder case because it was clearly premeditated arson…" Barney shrugs.

"Anything is possible and if I were her I'd be gunning for revenge too…" Jose growls.

"Having to give up her babies and losing her Mom and Gran would be more than enough reason…" Andrea nods

"Hell, hath no fury than a woman scorned or in this case losing her family in one horrific swoop…" Hanah adds.

"Not like there's anything he can do about it until she gets her revenge, or I guess retires from being a spy? If it is true then I think it's in all of our best interests to let sleeping dogs lie." Ethan speaks words of wisdom.

"Think of it this way, if I'm right then Chris and Mimi never really lost their Mom and she's been protecting them from the shadows all this time. Love like that is an amazing thing." I smile up at him and he kisses me on my nose.

"Honestly, It's too much for me to even think about right now withdrawing a line across the sand a while ago and now this…All I wanna do is decompress, have fun, and not think about anything for the next little while." Chris kissed me on the top of my head.

"Deal." I throw my arms around his neck go to kiss him and…

"You already have your parents chasing their tails with your ultimatums let's not press your luck, alright, kiddos?" DT clears his throat to get our attention. He's dressed in sweats that say Prom Design King. Beside him is a pile of garment bags with names on them. "Take the bag with your name on it and change. I never forget a detail, ever. I'll be over at the Laser Tag maze making all your classmates cry." He winks at us and then jogs off towards the beach and Steele Manor.

"Do think he's taking interns this summer?" Andrea asks in awe.

"Sweetie, your summer is booked solid and he's based in LA that's one hell of a commute." Barney shoots that down really quick with a kiss to her cheek.

"It's not that he's better than you, Rea. You would have come up with this all on your own if you had known what the Moms were planning, so don't let this shake you." Hannah gives her a hug.

"It's not like anyone can say no to a request from the Federal Government," Jose adds with a wink.

"You can accomplish anything if you have the right sources at your beck and call." Paul rolls his eyes.

"Let's go change again and then kick his snarky ass in no holds barred laser tag." Chris picks up his and my garment bags then takes my hand and we head back inside.

OoOoO

Chris

An hour and four grueling defeats later we all retreat to the safety of the treehouse to catch our breaths.

"What the HELL Chris!" The guys pant as they collapse into more of those memory foam chairs and couches that I had them put up here this afternoon. "It's fucking war out there!"

"Remind me never to delegate to my big brothers ever again!" I toss them all bottles of water from the mini-fridge. "Laser sights! Laser tag grenades! Seriously, where the fuck did they even get those and laser sniper rifles!? Night vision goggles! It's a fucking game not a Seal team covert mission! Did they even rent any of this or was this how they played war games just for fun between missions!? And it's just being used on us! They're going easy on our classmates! The fuckers!"

"What the fucking hell!" Barney snarls, as he tries to hack into the security system and is denied. "It's a fucking satellite link and they fucking blocked it! That's advanced tech! Fucking cheaters!"

"Where the hell are the girls? I lost sight of them after that grenade flashed in front of my eyes!" Jose sneers.

"Hannah is in timeout because she can't bring herself to shoot Sawyer and ends up getting taken out in seconds. Andrea and Ana no clue." Ethan gulps down his water and then collapses back into the chair.

"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but can we call it a night and take on mini-golf instead? You arranged that one, right?" Paul opens one eye to look at me.

"Uh, no, I gave that one to Adam…"

"Well, fuck! Armageddon mini-golf just fucking great!"

"Our classmates are gonna have PTSD before the nights through!"

"No just us! They go easy on everyone else!"

"DT isn't any better! The man is ruthless!"

"He's a wedding planner, dumbass!"

"Yeah, he has to be ruthless to survive that shit!"

The guys snarl at one another while we catch our second wind.

"I set off some of the silent alarms along the beach, so that Andrea and I could raid Uncle Jason's war room." Ana and Andrea finally join us, and they have loaded rucksacks on their shoulders. "If it's war they want then it's war they shall have!"

"Aunt Gail gave us the new codes, as long as we promised only to borrow the night gear and nothing else." Andrea set her rucksack down on the floor and opened it.

"Night vision goggles, laser sights, special forces coms." Ana opened her own and handed Paul, Jose, and I the accessories that we need to even the odds. "I wanted to add flash balls to the mix, but Andrea thought that was being bitchy and lowering ourselves to their levels, so we have to at least try and be the better sports…" Ana rolls her eyes, as she rangers up like the rest of us.

"There's another group going through the maze now, so we have time to plot our plan of attack." I grin wickedly, now that we're suited up with the same gear we have a fighting chance to win at least one game.

"One more round and then mini-golf." The guys reluctantly agree.

"Suck it up. We're going to beat our sneaky big brothers at their own game. Mini golf, Velcro wall, and the Zorb balls are all jam-packed, because most everyone is terrified of going against DT or Seal Team Six." Ana growls at them.

"You mean we're stuck playing war with our big brothers all night!?"

"Uh, yeah, we can't bump our guests from having fun, so this is your only choice of the night." Ana shrugs as if playing war games hasn't been hell on her at all.

Well, she has yet to be killed, so…

"You're one to talk Miss untouchable!" Jose reluctantly resets his vest for round four.

"Not my fault that I have this quirky spider-sense that gives me an edge. Chris and Andrea haven't been killed either. You keep surrendering which ends the game!" Ana snaps.

"We couldn't see!" The guys glower at her.

"I told you to hit the deck, but you ran instead!"

"It was a grenade, Ana!"

"It wasn't real, boys!"

"It sure as fuck looked real to us!"

"In what reality would our big brothers who have sworn to protect us with their very lives ever pull the pin on a live grenade during a laser tag match!"

"Enough! They're trying to break us down and we can't let them win! Suck it up and lets get out there and kick there asses this time!" I stop their endless snark at one another.

"Or at least take out at least one of them. I'm not holding out any hope that we can possibly win against retired special ops members of Seal Team Six." Barney's got no confidence in our ability to outsmart our big brothers.

"It's simple. We were trained by them, so the students are now gonna become the masters. If that fails then you'll become the distractions and Chris and I will take them out ourselves. Either way, our big brothers are going down." Ana vows. "Victory will be mine…I mean ours….victory will be glorious and ours."

"You're terrifying sometimes…you know that right?" I shake my head at her resigned to my role in this battle.

"No just determined for some payback now that we've evened the playing field and they can't cheat anymore. It won't be like being ducks in a shooting gallery this time. I can admit defeat when the playing field is fair, but they aren't playing by the rules. They're breaking their own honor code just to prove that they're the Jedi and we're still merely padawans. Their mistake being that these Jedi in training aren't above giving them all a taste of their own medicine." She blows me a kiss and then heads back outside into the line of fire.

OoOoO

Chris

Well, it's official this Prom night is one for the record books! The first one was a wash because of a small riot with the sharks. The second one was a raving success. The after-prom festivities for those who stayed were a hit with our classmates so much so that we never got to have a shot on any of them except for the Laser Tag maze, because after going against DT and our big brother special forces team they ran for the safety of crazy impossible mini golf, the Velcro wall, and Zorb balls.

Ana's taking getting our asses handed to us personally and it's been all-out war for wait for it six FUCKING hours and down to Logan, Adam, Ana, and me with dawn breaking on the horizon everyone pretty much calling it a night and heading home while she refuses to call a truce!

Adam and Logan are using both Rascal and Peppy against us. I know right! The little furballs betrayed us all for choice snacks! They both have tracking collars and our brothers are using that to get a fix on where we're hiding!

So, Ana and I are taking our final stand inside a Zorb ball floating in the Sound just off of the shore. I'm the human hamster while Ana targets our big brothers.

Win-win right? Brilliant battle strategy one would think? You'd be wrong! This thing is a fucking bitch to maneuver and I'm thanking the powers above that the Sound is calm enough at the moment that I don't have to contend with the wind pushing us out into the Bay. Honestly, I'm about to drop from exhaustion and starvation and am about to call a truce.

"Got them both! Yes! Take that, you cheaters!" Ana jumps up and down in the ball making me break my concentration and we're tossed around like clothes in a dryer. To make matters even worse the fucking wind has decided to start up again not towards the East but from the West meaning, we're being pushed out into the SOUND at 5 AM towards active shipping lanes!

"Chris! Stop the ball before drift even further from shore!" Ana cries.

"No really! You think I don't know that we're spiraling and spinning out of control into the Bay?! I'm fucking trying to stop us, but centrifugal force is being a FUCKING BITCH right now!"

"STOP YELLING AT ME!

"I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU, ANASTASIA! I'M FUCKING SCARED OUT OF MY GOD DAMNED MIND!"

"I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT MY PLAN WAS GOING TO WORK!" Ana wails and does her usual when she's scared or upset she curls herself into a ball and hugs her knees to her chest.

"Not now, Ana!" I pant through gritted teeth, as I finally manage to get us so we're not spiraling out of control. We look like this ginormous clear bubble bobbing on the surface of the Bay. I slide down to sit on my side of the ball. I'm fucking exhausted and my legs feel like jelly.

"I know we're gonna be grounded for life and I'm gonna take full blame for this one. Promise."

"I blame this on our big brothers and will have no trouble throwing them all under the bus when we're rescued. Hopefully, before we drift into the active shipping lane…"

"The wind is really starting to blow again…"

"The two of us are keeping this thing in balance, so I can't hold you like I know you need me too right now or we'll start spinning all over again. It's gonna be okay, Baby. Just let me catch my second or at this point, third wind and I'll try and head us back towards home again." After a quick check to see if there is any traffic around us which at least in our area it's just us, so I close my eyes to take a quick badly needed power nap.

"Christian Alexander wake up!" Ana using my given name instantly awakens me, well that and the blaring of the horn of something massive nearby.

"Holy shit! We're in the shipping lane! This is not good! Is that a fucking Cruise ship?!" It's amazing how fast you can go from barely awake to terrified out of your mind when you have a passenger liner bearing down on you.

Ana shoves her night goggles up onto her head. "No, it only looks close because these transition from night to day and you're still wearing them. It's on course towards us, but we've got about thirty minutes or so until it's a serious threat to our existences. That's not what I was waking you up about though." She points to the blue flashing lights speeding straight towards us at max speed. "That's the Coast Guard and they're armed and ready for battle. We're in the shipping lane and that's a big, big, no, no without permission from the harbormaster. Well, that and we're probably going to cause a traffic jam on the Bay. I've been trying to tweak the coms on our headset to communicate on their channel…" Ana bites down on her lip.

"That's a secure military channel! We're wearing Black Ops Seal tech and com units in our ears! This looks bad! They'll think we're terrorists!" I reach up to adjust the goggles over my eyes and sure enough their manning machine guns! My eyes widen in terror and If I didn't have these goggles on right now I'd be pulling my hair bald!

"Here's the thing…I tried using our coms to call home and got static…how they ever survived using this crap gear during missions is mind-boggling... I was freaking out and needed to focus…so I started to tweak with our headsets…I think the first one I got was the Navy not really sure they seemed so unprofessional…the second was Coast Guard…I think I woke them up…I tried for the harbor master…no dice…I did manage an oil tanker and The Island Princess over there…" While I pull at my hair when I'm losing it, my baby babbles in half sentences.

"It's times like these that I desperately miss my phone. We'd…"

"I have mine…" She fishes her phone out of a pocket in her sweat pants. Unlocks it and hands it to me.

"You tweaked the com, but didn't think of using your phone…I can't even…" I pray to whatever greater power is listening that we have at least even the smallest signal. We've got three! Thank you GOD! We might not die after all! "I'm surprised your phone didn't blow up like a Howler with all the messages imploding on it. It's going on seven now, so our parents must be terrified out of their minds or we're an Amber Alert. Knowing our Moms they would have demanded one after the one-hour mark.

"It slipped my mind! I figured Military Black Ops tech was the better option than my phone! I'm sorry!" She crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue at me. Dark Christian isn't amused and that's the last thing that I need right now! Damned teenage hormones!

"Behave!" I narrow my eyes and growl that one and only warning, before touching Adam's number on the screen.

"Where the fuck are you! We've searched and woken the entire neighborhood! Your Moms are freaking out and your dads are ready to chop our dicks off and feed them to us for going balls to the walls battling you at laser tag! Carrick is on the phone with the Commissioner trying to get him to send out an Amber Alert and Logan and Sam are talking to their boss all to find your asses! This is not funny anymore! Get your asses back here now!"

I hold the phone away from me, but fuck lot that does we're in a fucking bubble! Thanks a lot Adam we're deaf now!

"We can't come home! We're about to be held at gunpoint by the US Coast Guard patrol and there is a massive cruise ship heading right for us you fucking moron!"

"Um, maybe a supertanker…I don't know if the first officer on deck believed me…soooo…" Ana's biting her nails now and she hasn't done that in years!

"SAY WHAT NOW?! HOW THE FUCKING HELL DID YOU BOTH END UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BAY IN THE SHIPPING LANE!? NONE OF THE BOATS ARE MISSING! WE CHECKED!"

"Stop roaring! We were hiding in a Zorb ball right along shore and I got a little too excited after taking you and Logan out, causing Chris to lose control and then the wind picked up! We drifted out into the bay! I tweaked the com on our goggle headsets and may or may not have made things worse! Just tell Uncle Jason to call the Navy, Coast Guard, and the Harbor Master and tell them that we're teenagers not terrorists floating around in a clear bubble blocking the shipping lane, because the blooming wind chose to stop a little while ago!" Ana's holding her ears and snarling at him because it's on speaker.

"Why the fuck didn't you call us two hours ago when you weren't over halfway to Banbridge Island!? Christ! Do the two of you ever do anything halfway!? Logan! Back off! I've got this! Call up Daniels and tell him that the kids are friendlies before they end up arresting the two of them for interrupting the shipping lanes! Then call off your boss and the Commissioner from sending out a search party!" Adam's barking out orders left and right.

"Too late for that Jim order the chopper to do a recon of the area!" I can hear Luke shouting back.

"Holy fuck! I can see them! This is so fucking not good! They're wearing our gear!' Ryan must be using their black ops binoculars to get a visual on us. "Well, that and they have four Patrol boats barreling towards them! The Super Tankers are all full stop and I think so is the cruise ship!"

"Is that the kids!" The Dads and Uncles.

"Our babies!" Moms and Aunts.

"Chris! Ana! You okay!" The Scooby Gang.

"About to be arrested at gunpoint any second now, but other than that we're fine!" Ana and I say.

"ARRESTED!? GUNPOINT!?" That was I imagine basically everyone.

"This is the United States Coast Guard! Put your hands where we can see them! Now!" The four patrol boats surround us.

"DON'T SHOOT US!" Ana and I have our hands up and are about to pee our pants. "We're Friendlies! Good Guys! We SWEAR!"

"What the living Fuck!? It's a Zorb ball with two terrified teens inside it! Well, shit! Stand down before the two of them piss themselves! WHO?! Send the chopper we can't harpoon it! That is Ray Steele, Carrick Grey, and Jason Taylor's kids in that thing! It has to have access in it somewhere! Someone find out who makes that fucking thing and wake them up!"

Ana and I watch as all of them lose their minds over how to get us out and none of them even pay attention that we're pointing to the air lock right above our heads.

"Chief?!"

"What?! Seaman Jones!"

"The kids are pointing to the top of the ball, sir. It looks like a kind of airlock. Do you think they have enough air in there?"

Well fuck! Thanks a lot Seaman Jones! Now you've got Ana terrified again! "Ana...Baby…"

"I'm fine…" She whimpers. "It's just now that he's said that my mind thinks we're running out of air, even if we're not…" She bites down on her lip.

"It hasn't been long enough to worry about that issue, but your concern is noted. Next time speak to me away from the civilians we are trying to rescue. Alright, Jones." The Chief growls.

We don't hear his response because the rescue helicopter has arrived and is hovering right about us. The chop from the blades is causing the ball to bounce us around, but Ana and I are standing on either side keeping it balanced and the airlock still positioned above us. The pilot raises the helicopter higher into the air to ease the amount of chop hitting us below. Then the rescue diver is sent down to open the top of the ball letting in much needed fresh air.

"Gotta admit this ones for the books." The diver grins down at us. "So, kids, this is how we're going to do this. We'll double harness both of you and lift you out at the same time, so that this thing doesn't list to the side and fill with water. Do either of you know how to put on…"

"Yes! Thank you for rescuing us! We're sorry for being so much trouble!" Ana beams up at him.

"We've been schooled on how to put on many types of rescue harnesses. Jason Taylor is big on safety for all situations. We're good. Just send them down and I'll get Ana and I set." I smile, giving him the thumbs up.

"Roger that, Kid. If either of you is shaky about heights just close your eyes and we'll have you up and in the chopper before you know it."

"We're good with heights. Chris and I want to learn how to fly one of those someday. Our brothers are all expert pilots and former members of Seal Team Six. So, we're good." Ana gives him a thumbs up.

"Good to know. Who are your brothers anyway?" He asks curiously.

"They go by Adam Welch, Luke Sawyer, Logan Taylor, and Ryan Reynolds. My Dad's Raymond Steele…" Ana is all too happy to answer him.

"Good men all. Okay then let's get you out of this thing and into the chopper." He grins. Gives us another thumbs up and then signals them to lift him back up.

Before we know it Ana and I are safely inside the rescue chopper, given a quick check over, wrapped up in blankets, given bottles of water to drink, and are on our way back to the station. We do have to explain the gear and they just shake their heads at us and give a stern lecture when Ana gives them all her take on how we ended up in the Sound.

Me? I'm just relieved that this endless day is finally over and I never wanna hear the word Prom again, ever!