"Midnight!" London beams, wrapping her in a tight hug. He pounced on the fourteen year old girl as soon as she had come through the door that afternoon. He'd been writing down recipes for concoctions of baking ingredients he was ready to share with her.

Midnight shyly pat his back, worriedly glancing at Claudia. "I'm sorry for running away."

Claudia sighs, "Sam promised the day you returned I could dress you for school."

Midnight rolls her eyes, "Seriously?"

London frowns. He didn't believe their step-mother had good taste in fashion yet would he voice this thought.

"On your bed sits your clothing for dinner tonight, and the one for tomorrow. I can be fashionable. I know what girls like." Claudia grins, returning to her barely held knowledge of knitting.

Midnight somehow doubts Claudia knew what girls like. "Dinner tonight? I don't wear-"

"Oh, we're finally eating over at the Douglas household. Another thing you're daddy promised you'd agree to." Claudia chimes in, interrupting the awestruck girl.

Midnight was petrified. "I never said-"

"Too late. It's all set." Claudia flashes Midnight an innocent smile.

Midnight stomps her foot, storming off to her bedroom.

London trails behind his step-sister in fear of how she'd react.

Midnight slumps onto her bed, having left the bedroom door open.

"Midnight, it's not so bad." London comes over, hesitant to sit yet does on the bed beside her.

"Would you wear silk blue colored skirts gifted to you by her?" Midnight asks, frowning as she notes the two different outfits.

"Well, no, but she's trying with you. She wouldn't care if she didn't." London replies, earning a sigh from Midnight.

"I guess. So which would you wear for dinner?" Midnight asks, glaring at the two color choices.

"Oh, I believe the blue silk dress is for dinner." London says, knowing his sister is flustered.

Midnight sighs, nodding. She shrug off her backpack, refusing to remove her leather jacket. She twists to face her brother to find another familiar face, standing in the doorway. "Oh my gosh!"

London turns, lifting an eyebrow at the tall giant male in the doorway. He drunk in the beautiful caramel complexion, gold eyes, and slick dark hair of the good looking six foot tall male. His breath caught in the middle of his throat as Midnight bounded over to him, wrapping herself around the guy.

"Somebody's happy to see me!" Mars lightly muses, returning the hug.

"Yeah, wait, why are you here? Sam will kill you!" Midnight hisses, tugging on his giant hand. She pulls him into the bedroom, catching view of her step-father.

"Night, I invited him over to apologize for my erractic behavior the other day. I want my favorite girl to be happy. I just don't want her heart broken." Samuel softly informs, watching his step-daughter light up in excitement.

"We learn from experience." Midnight and Claudia call to the man, having spoken in sync. The two share a brief, amused look.

London continues eyeing the tall drink of water, secretly swooning at the boyfriend his sister was dating.

"Oh, he's joining us for dinner. I compromised with your step-mother to allow him to join. I love you, Night." Samuel breathes, relaxing at having her home.

Midnight looks to Mars, wanting to pull him into a long overdue kiss. It's the first thing she does as soon as her step-father goes to prepare himself for an eventful dinner. Her lips move in sync with the rough, passionate ones of the taller male with his arms snaked around her.

London remains, forgotten on the bed. He tilts his head sideways, watching their kissing. Is that how it's done? He's secretly poking fun at their odd, sloppy kissing in his mind's eye.

...

"Night, you look different." Jessica Douglas smiles, having took in the odd dressed girl. She was used to the light pink the girl chose to wear upon her brief stay at their house.

Midnight is in a silk blue dress, fitting her figure snugly with a lavender belt meeting in the middle. She bore the light blue shoes to par, caving as her step-mother let her keep her black leather jacket over the sleeveless number. Her eyelids were coated with lavender eye shadow, red tainted her usually pink lips with a light blush to mask. She detested makeup so she saw this step as one Claudia should have left from the picture. Her half dyed hair was in a ringlet of fresh curls, falling down her front- stopping at the tip of her shoulders.

"I feel different." Midnight notes, keeping her tiny hand entangled with one belonging to Mars.

Jessica let the family including the boyfriend enter her home. She rose an eyebrow at the stranger, believing the fourteen year old could do better.

London actually had a small crush on the boyfriend, desiring him all for himself. If he could then he would eat him up.

"Boys! Baby! Dinner!" Jessica calls up the stairs as all the parents are the first to the kitchen.

"The table isn't big enough for all of us." Midnight ends up proclaiming.

The boys come rushing down along with Baby.

"Midnight! London!" Tum Tum is the firs to hug the both of them. He takes no notice of her outfit, dragging London into the kitchen.

Midnight is greeted by the others in a bout of confusion.

"Midnight, why do you look like a girl?" Colt asks, gaining a jab from Baby.

"He means-" Baby is about to correct when Colt cuts her off.

"Let me rephrase, would ya? Why do you look like a sane girl, dolled up for prom?" Colt poses, briefly smirking at Baby who came to know he wasn't flirting with her. He already confirmed his thoughts of Midnight being more like a sister he could be proud of.

Rocky said nothing, curiously eyeing Mars. Why was he standing in their house? Doubt overtook his senses, putting the blonde in a bitter mood. Keeping his mouth shut, he said nothing as he slunk off to the kitchen. He didn't want to snap at Midnight to risk losing her as a semi friend.

"Her step-mother was given permission by her step-father to dress her. It's apart of her return to home." Mars giggles as her eyes narrow into a glare on her boyfriend.

Colt scowls, "what happened to not giving into the man?"

"I'm not, Jiffy. I wanted to be where I could live my truth. My step-father doesn't restrict me from being myself while others like to try. I can't hold my reluctance to discuss things with him over his head." Midnight breathes, gaining a quirk of the eyebrow from Baby.

"Jiffy? That's a new one." Baby snorts, heading to the kitchen with the others.

Midnight follows as Mars and Colt are the last to slink into the small spacious area. Her eyes flit to a certain blonde, piling food onto his plate like the rest of the people in the kitchen. She grew nervous, half tempted to flee the house.

Mars put a comforting arm on her shoulder, allowing her the chance to feel secure where she wasn't.

"So, you all remember Mars..." Midnight gushes, trailing off in joining the table.

"Yeah, why don't you get another boyfriend?" Colt poses the question. A bitterness clung to him.

Rocky harshly elbows him in the ribs as does Baby on his other side.

Colt furrows an eyebrow.

"You can't just tell someone who to like." Baby voiced, about ready to use a different word.

Midnight pretends to play off their reaction to the caring guy next to her.

"How would you kids feel about a camping trip?" Sam Douglas voices after his plate had been cleared.

The entire table had been sharing a ton of different topics all through dinner. Most were random while some were mentions of creative projects for school. The entire table grew silent as the question left the man's lips.

"We've been discussing going on a shared trip with one another. So, we thought having dinner together would be the perfect time to get your thoughts on it." Samuel Sinclair smiles, taking a swig of tea from his glass of tea.

"Fresh air would do us justice." Rocky lightly muses.

"A shared trip?" Midnight frowns, confused at how it would work.

"There's this perfect camp ground for it." Samuel adds while the other parental figures nod.

"Yes, Midnight, a shared trip. You recall how you stayed with us until your step-parents got back? It's like that." Colt responds while her frown deepends.

Midnight tries to perk up, "Oh."

"You like nature, the woods, etc. So what's the problem, Night?" Samuel softly reminds.

"What if a guy in a hockey mask comes from the lake to slaughter us?" Midnight chews on her bottom lip upon voicing her concern.

"Whoa, this isn't Friday the 13th!" London pipes up, shaking his blonde head of curls.

"You never know. Do you know how many crazy people live in the woods?" Midnight plays around with her food. She ate half her plate, feeling full by the last of it.

"Don't worry, Night. Nothing bad will happen." Mars softly remarks. He felt like an intruder, barging in on a family matter he had no right to. Yet, he remained sitting next to his girlfriend.

"Yeah, we'll protect you." Colt chirps, mostly implying the blonde boy on his left.

Rocky rose an eyebrow. He couldn't deny he wouldn't protect Midnight, but did his brother have to say it with such conviction?