Chapter 5 sugar cookies

"How about after we finish here?"  Ryan asked and Kelsey seemed a little surprised.  He realized it was the first time he'd really seen those soft eyes widen to saucers. 

"Your starting now?"  She asked and he nodded. 

"I think we'll make the cookies."  He explained and Dana knew she wasn't even needed in this little anecdote the two could handle themselves quite nicely.

"You know how?"  Kelsey asked and Ryan nodded. 

"I took a class."  He explained and began to tell her about the cooking class he'd taken a t the university.  Slowly they finished eating and Kelsey looked entranced by his tale as he explained how the demons hadn't believed education in the traditional sense was important but that they'd stuck him in a foster home of sorts, the same which had brought Vypra to a normal age.  As Dana watched them she knew she wasn't' going to be needed, besides she knew all of this so getting to her feet she silently took her dishes to the sink and then went to her room to wrap gifts. 

Kelsey didn't know it though and as she listened to Ryan talking, telling her of his past she wondered why he was.  He'd never saw fit to before.  Heavens, to her knowledge only Dana and their father knew the truth.  Not that she minded, it was nice to know he trusted her with it.  Maybe that was what this was, a show of trust?  She knew if it was she should give something but what?  She didn't have any deep dark secrets… 

Well, not except for the little fact she'd had a thing for Chad four a while.  She had a feeling he knew and that's why he'd offered to let her help him.  She gave herself a mental sake; she had to learn to stop second guessing herself.  It really wouldn't help anyone.  She'd just go crazy. 

*** 

"Kelsey Ryan?" 

"Hey sis what's up?" 

"Look at this place, it's a mess." 

"Yeah I'll get to it." 

"Ryan it will take you two all night." 

"Maybe, but we had fun making the mess." 

"What kind of fun may I ask?"  Dana asked a slim golden brow arched in inquiry. 

"Very funny."  Kelsey made a face at her. 

Then Ryan suddenly frowned and stepped forward, leaving the cookie trey to Kelsey. 

"Dana you have a smudge right…" His little sister was quick though seeing his stray hand clasping a handful of what looked to be flour with his other hand. 

"No get back!"  She yelped and backed away tossing up her hands to ward him off.  But then she felt the wall hard at her back and moved to duck even as Ryan dumped the dusty substance in her hair. 

"Got you!"  He grinned triumphantly. 

"No!"  Kelsey then shouted and there was a thwack as flour billowed behind him.  Ryan was about to turn when he saw Dana moving for the door once again. 

"No you don't sis you're not going any where looking like that, I'd say you need a little more flour right about…"  And he smeared what was on his hand in her face. 

"I'll give you flour, doe boy!" She yelped and was diving for the canister Kelsey held and the flour fight was truly on. 

*** 

"Now that's a mess."  Dana laughed as over thirty minutes later the three of them saw sat slumped against the counters still laughing as they looked at one another. 

"I'll say."  Kelsey agreed brushing some snowy flour from her nose. 

"But you know what?"  Ryan put in reaching over and dusting off her hair. 

"Hmm?"  She asked and she smiled a truly innocent smile. 

"It was a blast." 

"Oh yeah."  Dana smiled at her brother; she'd forgotten what playing like that was like.  She'd never had a flour fight. She'd never been very good in the kitchen Dad had just bought the pies and cookies and stuff.  His job had always kept him so busy.   

"What do you think Dad wood say?"  Ryan asked and Dana knew her brother wished he'd been there too.  She did too; t would have been a real family movement. 

"Hmm…"  Dana thought a long minute and then made face.  "I hope the cookies are worth three hours of scrubbing." 

"Sounds like the captain."  Kelsey laughed. 

"Well he'd be right I think it's the first time I've ever trashed my own kitchen."  Ryan agreed good naturedly looking around the room.  Four littered every surface and yet it looked somehow right.  Glancing at the two women he'd just played with he felt an odd contentment. It just all seemed right.  Then though he felt a stirring, as if something was not quite right.  Trying to pinpoint the feeling he knew what it was, there were two people missing. 

"Yeah me too."  Dana agreed oblivious to her brother's thoughts. 

"I never had a real kitchen to trash," Kelsey said reflectively and Ryan didn't want this mood to fade so picked up a little flour from the floor and flung it at her. 

"Well, you do now." 

"Yeah I guess I do."  She flung some back and it was on again. 

*** 

It didn't take them three hours to clean the kitchen but it did take all three of them.  They also finished baking together and then Kelsey headed out saying she would be back around nine to help with the decorating.   

"Well, I think that cheered her up."  Dana commented as she dropped onto he couch and flicked on the television. 

"You could say that.  Did you see how many times she smiled?"  Ryan said sinking into his armchair to Dana's left.  He was already making a grab for the remote and she smirked. 

"Yeah, you know, seems like your god at making her smile."  She said as she lifted the remote out of his reach. 

"Me?"  That gave him pause.  Had he really done that?  Had he really made all that much difference? 

"Yeah you."  Dana smiled over at her brother and tossed him the remote.  He then began flicking through the channels for something god to watch.  "You make her smile and she didn't go gloom and doom until she thought of being alone."  That again gave him pause.  Had he really had that effect on the perky brunette?  He would love to think so; she was one of his best friends, one of his first.  Once more he had started to really see her tonight, her soft eyes, her pretty smile and the spark that hadn't' been there yesterday.  He too thought of that moment when their skin had touched, that electricity.  It had been totally unexpected.  He'd touched other girl's hands, smiled at them and yet tonight something had changed.  The funny thing was he didn't mind, no not one bit.  In fact he liked that, the feeling that there might be something more between them.  Still he knew, only time would tell just what it was and if it would last. 

TBC

***  

Another Chapter finished.  What do you think?  Please let me know.  I don't' want to be pushy but I'm not really sure if anyone's still readying this so if anyone is PLZ let me know. 

Also the next chapter won't take quite as long as this one, it's almost half finished now.