It was late in the afternoon and the hotel that Valentine had gotten for everyone was known to house dignitaries, in its rich, but royal ambiance. I felt like a leper as I walked through the lobby next to Valentine. Even the bellhops looked down there nose at me. They were dressed in three-piece suits. While the doormans crisp red blazers with black tails just made you feel official when you walked through the door. What offended them more? My bootie shorts and muddy camp boots, or the fact that I was clearly sick. It probably didn't help that I had kitchen oven mitts over my hands like an infant either.

"Um excuse me sir, but I must inquire to where you are going?" The receptionist asked in dismay, casting quick glances at me.

Unfeathered, he turned and said, "I rented a room here with two children. This is my fourth guest. We're in your logs with the double adjourning rooms. You're more than welcome to check. After I've gotten her settled."

Finished with the conversation, he moved to continue his trek to the elevator.

She inhaled sharply, once more, before stopping him again.

"I would be careful about what comes out of your mouth next." He looked around the lobby as if assessing it. "This place does have an awful lot of money to lose. Even if they win, people like you are usually the first to go. Collateral damage in a bigger war."

Some people were waiting for the elevators but stepped aside as we approached.

"Could it be chickenpox?" I heard someone whisper behind me. However, I took my cue from Valentine and kept my head trained straight ahead. The doors opened and we stepped on like the King and Queen of the ball.

"Are you coming?" he asked the couple that had been waiting.

"No, will catch the next one," the wife said, sounding like she had a stuffy nose.

"Shoot yourself," he said, slamming the button to close the door.

I was unable to keep the smile from off my face.

"What's that for?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just nice to see you use your powers for good for once."

He held the elevator doors open on our floor. "Don't get used to it. After you, madame."

I sauntered past, pretty pleased with myself. Despite the fact that I had to avoid looking at myself in any reflective surface. The red blemishes were practically horrid.

Valentine put his key card in the hotel door. "So this is where we will be staying for the duration of the trip that you've ruined."

I walked into the hotel room to find Rocco playing on his PlayStation game and Charlotte watching next to him. Much to both their annoyance.

"Mom!" They shouted, upon seeing me.

However, their bum rush was stopped in its tracks by Valentine. Who moved in front of me like a boulder. "Stop right there, young people. she is still sick and although it's not contagious. For her quick recovery, I want you to keep your distance and allow her time to heal."

I pursed my lips as he finally removed himself from in front of me. Allowing me a glance at my children for the first time since all of this happened.

"Does it hurt?" Charlotte asked, looking on in awe.

"It looks worse than it is. I'm in no pain, it just itches a lot and makes me look like the wicked witch of the west."

From the smirk on his face, Valentine particularly enjoyed that little comparison.

"I'm so sorry, mom," Rocco said, almost near tears as he came up to hug me.

I rubbed his back reassuringly. "It's okay, really."

Valentine just rolled his eyes. "Well, this one is doing a great job of listening, already. This will be a banging good time."

Rocco's eyes widened as he looked back up at me. "Mom, you've got to get better soon."

"There's nothing wrong with, papa." Her voice raising a very shrill octave, ready and willing to stick up for her father.

"Okay, everyone just settled down." I rubbed Rocco's back and looked at Valentine for some help. Although this fighting match probably made the hotel feel more like home.

"Your room is in there. The kids and I will stay in this room until you're completely recovered. If you need anything, just knock."

I looked towards the room that he spoke off, really needing a rest. "Go back to your game," I said patting Rocco's shoulder. "And be nice to your sister."

Valentine followed me into the adorning room and my eyes nearly bugged out my head. Bumping the door open with my butt, I held my hands up like Edward Scissorhands. It felt weird with these things on my hands, I didn't know what to do with my arms. But my musings were haltered by the sight of the adjourning room. It was like a whole other apartment, equipped with a living room, bedroom, and master bath. The vases on the table were positively decadent. Of course, it sat atop a glass coffee table, the legs resembling crystal water waves. The wooden floors were the color of jacobean, the tv on the wall had to be 65 inches, and the bed was straight out of Home and Garden. I was too sick to stay here. It felt sacrilegious for me to even sit down in my condition.

"How do you like it?"

"This is too much!"

He folded his hands in front of him and frowned. "It has come to my attention that will be spending the rest of this trip cordoned off from the others. We might as well do it in style. You should be in perfect health in a week. Just in time for us to catch the bus back with the others and catch mono on the way home."

I cocked my head to the side and exhaled loudly, before looking around. "I guess."

"The kids are in good hands."

I whirled on him then. My eyes narrowing on him. "I have no doubt that Charlotte is fine. However, Rocco is a special case. A real mother protects their children, equally, from all manners of evil."

"Really now, Lulu, I'm not a complete ogre."

"Just because you've shaved your horns down, doesn't mean that you don't still have them," I said slyly.

He waved to the door. "You're only a knock away."

"I really don't need to be secluded from the kids at all. You said yourself that it's not contagious."

Something crossed his face that I couldn't quite place. But his next words through me completely off. "You're a single mother. You're used to doing everything. Let this mild illness be your excuse to do nothing. Rocco, Charlotte, and I will make do."

"Okay," I said, sitting down gingerly on the bed. As if it would collapse under the weight of this nasty rash that looked like the black plague revived.

"Now that it's settled. I've taken the liberty of ordering you a byzantine clay soak."

My mouth dropped open in confusion. "What exactly is that?"

I did some research while I was babysitting your little helion in the waiting room of the hospital. It is said to speed up the process of Poisoned Oak. The Grand Hotel here happens to offer mud masks, as well as full-body rejuvenation services."

I thought about this for a second, speechless. I am speechless because I just realized that he has a heart, and it's actually beating.

"I've already alerted them about your situation. Apparently, they needed the all-clear from some higher-ups. Of course, that yes comes a lot quicker after greasing the palms of lowly underlings."

I smiled, from the bottom of my toes. "Thank you. Like no shit, thank you."

This genuine smile lit up his face and dare I say it, he was almost cute. He folded his arms behind him. "Crass language aside, you are welcome."

"Papa, Rocco wont let me watch Madeline in Paris and he said he would after he won this next game, but he only started a new one."

My brows knitted together. "Where did he even get that game? Don't tell me it comes with the hotel like everything else."

"No, I bout it for him."

I rubbed my brows. This boy just got a whole system that he does not need. "Valentine?"

"You know what I think that appointment was scheduled for right about now. You go and leave the children to me," he said, pushing me out the door. I tried to protest but to no avail. Outside the door, I stomped my feet and weighed the option of going back in. But the scratchy fire in the middle of my back was telling me that I needed that clay bath more.

"To be continued," I mumbled to the shut door, as I hobbled my way back to the elevator. Scratching my neck with the kitchen mittens that Valentine had bought me.

I certainly felt better after it was all said and done. It was no cure. But my normally 100% itching, had been reduced to a comfortable 70%. I was waiting for the elevator when Valentine stepped off.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked, actually happy to see him.

"I thought you might need an escort through the lobby. So I told them to let me know when your treatment was over."

"That was very kind of you," I said, adjusting the towel that was covering my wet hair. Although, I opted to get back into my regular clothes instead of wearing the hotel robe up. No need to scare the masses. "But after that much-needed relaxation, I am riding high. Nothing could spoil it now."

"Good."

"So I take it from your little google-sesh that you've never had poisoned ivy or chickenpox?" I asked, mostly to make conversation.

"Of course I have."

I looked at him quizzically. "Of course you've had what?"

"Poisoned oak, which is how I know that you're complaints of the itching on the ride here are completely exaggerated."

I sware my eye twitched a little. "When have you ever had poisoned oak?" He'd clearly never been to the woods in his life.

"As a young tike. The age of which escapes me."

I rolled my eyes and stepped off the elevator on our floor. That man lies as he breathes. Even in illness, he wouldn't let me one-up him. He was really unbelievable. How could Nina stand it? I stormed back to our room, prepared to ignore him for the rest of the week. Only to come back to a room in utter chaos. A pizza box littered the floor and the kids were chasing each other around the coffee table.

Charlotte screaming at the top of her lungs. "Give it back."

I snatched what appeared to be Charlotte's DVD from his hand and brought both children to a halt. "What is going on here? You two know better than this."

They both started to speak at once.

I held up my hand. "One at a time, and Rocco, I only want to hear from you if you admit what you did to Charlotte."

"Yes, I'm pretty interested in that myself."

I shot a glare at him but didn't intercede.

"He took my DVD, Madeline in Paris, and threatened to break it," Charlotte interjected, like a wounded bird.

"I can see that much," I said, getting down to his height. "But why would he do that?"

"It was my turn to play the game. But Charlotte's just being selfish. She doesn't want to give it up, and Valentine sides with her on everything. So she didn't have to keep her promise. It's not fair."

I looked at Charlotte with a frown. "You know what Rocco, it's not fair. But you know who else knows it's not fair?" I didn't say her name but did I have too.

She crossed her arms over her chest, prepared to dig her heels in. A very Valentine move to do. "But Papa said it was alright."

I leveled a hard glare at him.

"I did."

"Its never alright to hurt each other. Even if it means getting something you want. You always have to think of each other first. That means going back to taking turns. So I'll keep the movie and Rocco gets to put his game on. In two hours, you can watch your favorite movie again."

She sighed but conceded and the room was returned to some semblance of order. I picked up the discarded pizza boxes and their plates and took them into the kitchen. The kid's hotel room had a full kitchen. I didn't know I had a puppy following him, until I smacked into him. But I don't think I could utter a word to him without a full-on assault. So instead, I walked around him back to my room. Intent on putting on something to distract myself with. When it became clear that Valentine was trying to come to, I stopped him at the door. "Oh no, you don't."

"What? Don't you think we should talk about what just happened? Perhaps privately."

This piqued both the kid's interest. So I lowered my voice so that only Valentine could hear.

"I'm trying to foster a loving, brother-sister relationship, between those two. Kind of like the one I shared with my brother, Nickolas, the one you killed. Yes, that brother. And you making callous decisions like the one tonight, is not helping." I shook my head when it looked like he was prepared to interrupt. "Charlotte isn't the only one who needs some chastisement. I get that your time in a WSB basement makes you grossly unfamiliar with loving familiar relationships. However, the next time you accidentally destroy my daughters and my sons. You'll be in this room and I'll be out there."

"Lulu?"

He looked genuinely sorrowful, but that could be a ruse. I was in no mood for his weak platitudes and boisterous lies. He probably didn't think he did anything wrong.

"Just spare me, Valentine. This door will remain open for the kid's sake, but it's closed to you." I waved my hand between us. "It's a whole imaginary wall."

"You can't be serious."

I looked past him. "Charlotte, love, knock, on my door in two hours."

"Okay, mom."

"Lulu?"

"Whole wall," I murmured, before going over to the bed to grab the remote. Flicking on the tv to HBO. There's got to be some adult entertainment that wasn't a cartoon for me to catch up on. Almost wanting to smile over the fact that Valentine, had indeed not moved from the doorway.

"This is childish."

"Like your decision making when dealing with the kids." I looked over at the room service menu. "Whats to eat?"