For a moment, Matt stood there in the pet shop frozen and unable to comprehend what this girl had just threatened him with. This girl who did not even look like one, could not dress like a sane person, smelled of beer and white bread, and probably could not even play the guitar was threatening him in his grandfather's store which she just started working in. What gave this girl the confidence to talk to him like that? After a moment, he caught himself and snapped back. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"I do and it doesn't matter to me. You are not my employer, you don't pay my wages, and so far all you have done was annoy me and insinuate that I am a boy and a thief. Give me one reason to be nice to you?" replied Danny as she finished sweeping the floor. Deciding she still had time to work and gain a little extra, she returned to the back and unpacked a few of the orders to restock the cat food section. As she expected, Matt followed her like a lost duckling. However, when she pulled out the dagger to cut open the tape keeping one of the many order boxes shut, Matt froze once again. He had hoped never to see that cursed object again in his life. He had spent countless nights since the incident awake at night hoping he could be forgiven one day. On some nights, he still dreamt that his hands were bloody. He remembered that Caleb had thrown the knife into the pond that day; how did Danny get her hands on it?

"W-w-where did you get that knife?" his voice shook as his eyes remained fixed on the glint of the metal as Danny cut the tape like soft butter.

"My cousin found it." Replied Danny without looking up from her task. "It is pretty neat and sharp as Hell. I should get a cover for it before I cut myself with it." She then looked over her shoulder at Matt as she stalked her arms with cans. "You can't have it and it is not for sale. Finders-keepers-losers-weepers."

Back in the store, Matt continued to observe her as she skillfully placed one can after another on the shelves. Feeling his eyes dig into her back, Danny sighed and shot him a look at reflected her annoyance with him. "How about you keep them peepers to yourself before I poke them out with my knife and the girls hate you more than they already do since you broke Will's heart and chased her into the arms of the alien prince."

"Wait, you know-" before Matt could finish, Danny finished for him.

"About the W.I.T.C.H. or W.I.T.H, considering Cornelia farted-off to be a typical mean girl from a bad Highschool movie? Yeah, I know about it and how you broke up with Will because you were scared or something. Quite frankly, I think Will is better off with that Phobos dude since he is putting up with her, her friends, and the souvenir from Canada that is me. No girl like Will should take a guy like you back after the shit you pulled." For a moment, Matt was glad that Danny didn't mention the assassination attempt, which probably meant that she didn't know he was involved in it; however, then she continued talking. "Besides, he is probably better at satisfying her than you ever could."

"Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"Uncalled for? Will is my buddy and you messed with her heart. You better earn 10 Nobel Prizes to get off my shit list. Until then, I'll talk to you however I like. Now, I'll tell your grandfather that I am done, go home, and prepare to visit this Meridian place tomorrow that you were so scared of." With that, she left Matt standing in the store with his mind and emotions a wreck as all the old wounds from the break-up opened up again.

XXXXX

For her work at the shop, Danny earned herself $20 under the table and returned home with the biggest grin she had since leaving Canada. When her house came into view she saw that Ella had just returned home and was busy trying to clean the motor-oil from her hands in the kitchen sink; Irma was still there and had just finished her bundle of homework. It was clear by the look on her face that the young water-witch was glad she was no longer alone with Roger and Janet. When she heard Danny return, Irma looked up from her Math worksheet and smiled brightly. "So, you got the job. How was it?

"Easiest 20 bucks I have ever earned, and I got to rip into that Matt kid who has been staring at me all week." Replied Danny and helped herself to another beer from the 'fridge.

"You didn't tear into him too bad, did you?" Irma knew how Danny's verbal tongue lashing could affect someone and, despite the fact that Matt broke her best friend's heart, she didn't think Matt deserved a verbal beating.

"That dingoes thought I was a dude this entire time. Of course, I tore into his ass. He even looked over my shoulder because he thought I was a thief. I don't care if he is your buddy in some way, shape, or form but I'll beat that dude down a peg if he keeps being this weird to me."

"To his defense, you do look like a guy on some days but, yeah, it is weird how he had been staring at you. I thought he might have a crush on you." Replied Irma and accepted the beer that Danny had set in front of her. She didn't like it, but she was thirsty and didn't know if she could trust the tap water.

"Crush on me? He thought I was a dude until I just told him. Besides, I think he still got a thing for Will; he didn't take it too lightly when I said that she is better off with the alien prince."

"Yeah, he was pretty beaten-up about that. I think he really did love Will and made an honest mistake when he broke up with her. He tried to undo his mistake immediately, but by then Will had accepted Phobos. I was hoping we could all be friends, but it hasn't been going well." Muttered Irma, but Danny wouldn't have it.

"Mistake or not, you don't break things off with a girl because you got scared; that is not what people do. What people with brains do is talk things out like you and me. I am scared shitless about this whole Crawler stuff, but I don't leave my family because I am scared. If I even did that once, they could never trust me again. Matt should have known that, and this is why I don't think he deserves her. He should just move on." Irma couldn't argue with Danny on the issue of trust; how could the entire group trust Matt if he abandoned one of them even once. When neither girls spoke a word for a while, Danny asked, "So, why are you still here? I thought you'd go home the moment Ella got here."

"I was." Replied Irma as a playful smile returned to her lips. "Ella asked where you were. She wanted to go with you to the woods outside of Heathfield to track one of the Crawlers. I wanted to come along and see what you do."

"Oh, so you wanted a free safari?" Danny chuckled and shook her head at her cousin. "Well, if you can hang you can be part. However, once we are on location there is no going back. You'll be stuck on that trip until the end."

"I am not going to pull a Matt. You are stuck with me until the day we die." Laughed Irma, glad that the heavy atmosphere that grew between them when they talked about Matt's actions was gone now. This was how their relationship worked; they could argue, discuss things, fight, but always laughed with each other at the end of the day. It was then that Ella entered the room, her hair wet from the shower, and dressed in full camouflage and a heavy duffle bag settled on her shoulder.

"Danny, Irma is staying overnight and will accompany us to the tracking of an old male Crawler. We will see about finding him, tranquilize him, and placing a tracker on him. He has been sighted a few times last summer but hasn't attacked any people. Still, we should know where he is in case that senior decides he still has the gumption to sack a camper or hiker." Explained Ella as she shoved a few slices of white bread into her mouth; she hadn't had dinner and was unsure if she had the chance to eat anything that night.

Excitedly, Irma and Danny exchanged grins and bolted to the van, fighting over who got to sit in the front. Danny won.

XXXXX

The next day, Irma could barely keep her eyes open during class. Their last night's hunt wasn't successful in the slightest. The only Crawler den they found through the snow had been abandoned for a while. Even though she was terrified of Crawlers, Irma wanted to learn as much as she could about her cousin's family profession; maybe she could help Danny and Ella in the future. She was a guardian and her role was to serve and protect, so this was just another part of her job. Besides, she reasoned that Crawlers were a vital part of the ecosystem like spiders and lions; both scared her equally to Crawlers. Danny, on the other hand, was fresh as a daisy and excited because Will said they would see Meridian today.

Danny couldn't wait to visit Meridian; Will had told the group that Phobos would wait for them at the school gates. Danny was so excited that she couldn't even listen to her lessons or care that Matt was throwing her dirty glances; she guessed that he was still sore about the truth she laid on him the other day. All Danny could think about was Meridian and what it would look like. Despite never enjoying the fantasy movies that Ella made her watch, Danny imagined that the castle would look like the one from Disney; sure, she could have asked Irma for more details, but she didn't want to spoil anything for herself. Elyon, unlike Danny, was excited to visit Meridian for another reason.

Despite being scared off by her friends yesterday, Arty had attacked himself to her again today. He followed her to every class they shared, actively kept her from talking to other male students, kept her from doing labs during Science class, and attempted to hold her hand whenever he got the chance. If Arty bothered to let Elyon be herself, participate in class, talk to her classmate, and brushed his teeth she would consider going on a date with him, but he didn't so she didn't; she hoped he would catch the hint and leave her alone.

For both girls, the day passed as slow as molasses on a cold day.

Finally, the school day ended, and Danny rushed like hornets were chasing her out of the school and to the gates where her friends were already waiting for her. As she knew, Phobos was waiting there with Will at his side; what surprised Danny was the lack of eyebrow tattoos.

"Yo folks, I'm ready to go!" by the time she reached her friends, Danny was out of breath with excitement.

"We are still waiting for Elyon. She is supposed to come with us to Ero." Replied Phobos and looked in the direction of the school's doors, waiting for his sister to emerge. He was glad when she finally stepped out of the doors but wondered who that boy was that was trailing her; by the look on her face, she seemed tired and annoyed by him. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked the group. "Who is the boy with Elyon, is he one of her friends?"

Irma quickly glanced over her shoulder before she replied with a whisper, "That is Arthur McBunds. Everyone calls him Arty and he is an annoying pest. He can't take 'No' for an answer and seems to be allergic to toothpaste. He has been tailgating Elyon for months now and no matter what she says, he won't leave her alone."

"I heard a rumor saying that he pretends she is his girlfriend to his parents." Added Taranee.

"Why don't you play 'Big Brother' and scare that guy away from her?" suggested Will, which earned her a confused and uncertain look from her husband.

"Are you sure I should? Shouldn't the faculty be the ones responsible for the student's safety?"

"We will be retired by the time the teachers get around to doing something. Just scare him a little and leave." Added Hay-Lyn.

"Now go be a proper big brother and protect your sister." Ordered Will and elbowed her husband into action, as Phobos left the group he joked.

"Isn't protecting her what you four are for?"

When Elyon saw her brother, she felt both excited and worried; excited because she was certain Arty would be scared off by him and worried because she didn't know what her brother would do.

"Hello Sissy, it has been a while since I've seen you. How is school?" he asked as he maneuvered himself between his sister and Arty and gently placed a hand on her back to usher her away from the school creep.

"Keep your hands off m'lady. Who do you think you are to handle her so roughly?" to Arty, this stranger was encroaching on his chances with the girl of his dreams and he was certain that he was close to breaking her social shell and convince her to be his girlfriend.

Phobos looked over his shoulder at the boy, jerked his head back a bit, raised an eyebrow, and grimaced; Irma was right about the reek from this kid. The smell reminded Phobos of that creature the girls called Blunk. Gently she pushed her further away from this kid, worried that the smell was contagious. "Elyon, why don't you go and join your friends while I speak with your little friend."

"Please don't do something scary or stupid." Whimpered Elyon as she worried that Arty would be turned into a toad or burnt stain on the pavement.

"When have I ever done something idiotic?" he replied and let her go to the girls before turning his full attention to the boy. "So, who do you think I am?"

"Some creepy adult who is trying to steal my girl. You look like a prissy-boy too with your long hair. No real man would wear his hair like that." Replied Arty, he had never been able to control his anger even when his mother sent him to therapy.

"Interesting observation." Replied Phobos before dropping his voice to a level only Arty could hear. "What I look like is none of your concern. As for who I am, Elyon is my little sister and I can guarantee you that there is no Sweet Home Alabama music playing at home. She told me you annoy her to no end and won't listen when she tells you to leave her alone. The faculty might turn a blind eye to your antics, but I won't." despite the smell, Phobos leaned a little closer to the boy and showed him the demented smile he had perfected over the years. It was the type of smile where the mouth showed a full, toothy grin but the eyes remained cold and reflected the desire to kill. "Should I hear from her that you keep bothering her, I won't hesitate to break every single bone in your worthless body and hide you in a place where no one will ever find you." He finished with a smile as all the color drained from Arty's face and the boy quickly turned to run away. Certain that the problem was solved and proud with himself that he remembered some of the joke-culture Will told him about her world, he returned to the group.

"We saw Arty run for the hills. Did he get the message?" asked Hay-Lyn as she watched Arty run like the devil was on him.

"I am certain he did," he replied and addressed his sister. "He didn't say a word, but I doubt he will continue to bother you, Elyon."

"You didn't threaten to kill him, did you?" Asked Elyon, worried that her brother's actions would reflect poorly on her.

"Elyon, I am appalled that you'd think so low of your only brother." He pressed his hand against his chest as though his heart was breaking. "All I did was solve your little problem. A simple 'Thank you' would have sufficed."

"Glad to see you managed to teach him how to be normal." Joked Irma and Will only shrugged in return.

"He is an easy student." She then turned to her husband and asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Let me guess. You used that demented smile?"

"My dear, you know me too well." He replied with a calm smile, glad that his wife approved of his actions. Since returning from the cabin, Will had been giving him tips on how to act more like a brother towards Elyon.

"I am supposed to." Will then turned to Elyon and asked, "Why didn't you tell us that you needed help with Arty? You know you can count on us to help you with your problems."

"Will is right," added Taranee. "We didn't act sooner because we weren't sure what you wanted us to do."

"I didn't say anything to you guys because this was my problem and I wanted to solve it on my own." Replied Elyon, ashamed for not reaching out for help sooner.

"Elyon, you have five loyal friends, an entire kingdom, and me to help you. There are no excuses for not asking for help." Phobos then leaned a little closer to his sister and whispered, "Plus, you might run the risk of ending like me, if you don't ask for help."

This earned him a smack on the back from Will and uncontrolled laughter from the rest of the group. Elyon simply smiled and nodded at her brother, unsure why he was acting this much out of character. Perhaps he was acting like this to please Will?

After collecting themselves, the group made their way to Cedric's bookshop. Just before they left through the school gates, Danny caught a glance of Matt staring after them; she guessed that he desired to go with them to Meridian, but to Danny, that boat had sailed a long time ago. Without losing another thought about Matt, Danny kept up with her group and hummed the tune to her favorite song, "Rise the jugs," by a German band called Versengold.

Xxxxx

While life was going smoothly for the friends, others were plotting their schemes in secret. While Caleb had discovered the portal leading to Ero shortly after he dreamed about it, Armana was keeping herself busy. As Ionah had advised, she wrote a letter of affection to Orlan and included a handkerchief sprinkled with her perfume. At first, she felt ashamed and doubted that it would even work, but as Ionah had predicted, King Orlan returned her letter with one just as affectionate, with the difference being that his was genuine. Apparently, the relationship with Princess Flùr wasn't going as he had expected. Despite being engaged for over a year, Flùr insisted on waiting with marriage which bothered the King greatly since he expected to marry the young maiden and sire many heirs with her. What shocked Armana, was that Orlan had invited himself into his kingdom and would arrive the next day. If it weren't for Ionah encouraging her, she would have fled the kingdom to avoid spending another second in his presence; the night he had defiled her she bathed for 4 hours straight. Then again, her looks were her greatest weapons until she could get rid of the Meridian threat and unearth the sleeping army under the old temple.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Yeah, I am sorry for the long break between chapters. Corona has been affecting my area and, without being able to leave the house, I am lacking the inspiration to flesh out the story. I have a layout, but can't post a skeleton because you folks deserve better. This is one of the last filler episodes before the day the Escanor's reach Ero, which is when the fun really begins. In the meantime, enjoy some cousin and sibling fluff.