Arthur was furious when Jean told him no one would tell her where Scott was. Arthur had his suspicions, but he couldn't say for sure, and he certainly couldn't ask that he was released, either.

"You guys need to tell me where he is right now."he told Ma.Xamila.

"Oh, but Cuzzy we don't know, and even if we did know, we wouldn't be likely to tell you. Anyways,"she shook her head. "After the way he spoke to Mother and Lance I should very well be hoping he is getting the worse punishment possible."

"What do you have against that guy?"

"Oh, us, nothing, really, just the fact that it was only obvious that he was making life impossible for our brother, that's all. And he looks absolutely freaky with those shades on."

"So, basically you don't like someone just because you can't see their eyes?"

"Exactly."

Arthur walked away. There was no way that he was going to be able to get anything out of the dectuplets. Just where could Scott be? It wasn't that he had any interest in his safety, or anything, it was just that he knew just how cruel the dectuplets could be when they wanted to, and from the looks of it, their brother, too. He had seen them almost try to poison someone because they had lied to them. He hated to admit it, but they were very dangerous, and cunning. Not to mention their cat.

Jean was putting more pressure on Ma.Eugenia. Ma.Eugenia was almost crying, saying that she didn't know where Scott was, and even if she did know, she wouldn't tell anyone.

"You saw how Chachi reacted when she saw him."

"Chachi is mentally retarded, and you know it."

"Well, she doesn't lie. And if she said that he's a bad person, he is."

"Since when do you believe Chachi? She pushed you off the stairs, remember?"

"Just, just leave me alone. If you want to know ask...I don't know, ask somebody else. They should be able to help you. Just leave me alone!"

Maru told the dectuplets everything about Jean.

"You have to do something about her, too. I think she might be his accomplice, or something."

"I think we think so, too."

"Yes, maybe she should join him."

"Yes. Or no. That wouldn't really be convenient, because, well, then, they know where they are, and it could lead to a bigger mess."

"No, no, no. She keeps on pressuring me. You know I won't say anything, but, still, it's just very stressful. I don't want to get sick again."

"Yes."

Everyone was busy preparing everything for the baptism. Francisca insisted that everything be perfect, but that was no surprise, as she always wanted the best. She made sure that the best seamstresses came to sew together the dresses the octuplets would be wearing. The dectuplets insisted that everything be lilac. Kitty wanted pink, though. This caused hours and hours of arguing.

"Well, you see, the lilac is much nicer, because, well, it just is, you know."

"No, it should be pink. Pink is such a cute color."

"You see, pink isn't even a color, it's a tint of red."

"Then I guess lilac can't be a color, either."

"Oh! Can't we just decide on it, though."

"No. They're my daughters, and I prefer pink."

"But the lilac is prettier, and we can have violets, too. That's how our quiencañera was. Everything was lilac, and haven't you see the pictures, they're so beautiful. Don't you think?"

"They're fine, but I want pink."

The dectuplets sighed.

"You know, before,"Ma.Xulia began. "They used to promise us we'd get brand new cars when we turned fifteen."

"Why didn't they?"asked Kitty, shocked that the dectuplets had wanted something they couldn't get. They had everything they asked for, it was such a surprise that they weren't spoiled brats.

"We don't drive."

"Well, why don't you just learn."

"We meant we don't drive due to...ecoreasons."

"Ecoreasons?"

"Um, you know, cars pollute."

"You used to go to school and back in a car."

"Oh, uh, it was a...Cuzzy designed the car, you see. It didn't pollute."

"You design cars? I didn't know that! Do you think that you could design one for me?"

Arthur looked furiously at the dectuplets. It was true that he did like to design cars, refrigerators, and other appliances that used less energy and didn't pollute in his spare time, however, he was not going to design one for Kitty, or anybody.

"Besides, you don't know how to drive, and um, this would be a different car, so it would be more complicated."

"I could learn. It would give me something to do. I'm tired of being her all day every day. If Fermin drove that car, he could teach me."

The dectuplets couldn't let that happen. It was true that there were loads of cars in the garage, but they didn't have to be geniuses to figure out that Kitty would wreck the car.

"Fermin, uh, he...he's on vacation right now, Kitty."

They decided to change the subject before they ran out of excuses, and couldn't think of anything else to say. Arthur was looking at them, and they knew what he was thinking. You can't put Fermin's or anybody's life in danger!

"Um, so we decided on the lilac, right?"

"No, the pink."

"Just compromise, people!"Arthur cried. "Why not both, or neither."

"I think Cuzzy might have a point."

Pietro decided that the perfect time to propose to Ma.Xamila would be that particular day. It should be perfect, everyone will be happy, they won't even think it over, and anyways, what is there to think over, Francisca praises me, and they would never say no to their mother, so, the next week, everyone will be preparing everything for my wedding!

What he didn't know was that Sissy was always a step ahead of him, following him, observing him, listening in on his thought. No, they won't, she thought. Not if I can help it and believe me I can. You will never marry the dectuplets, not while I've got breath in my body.

Francisca did not seem to be as fussy as before. Now, at least, she left Kitty alone most of the time, since she was usually fussing over the babies. Mama Teta also seemed to have forgotten Rebecca and Guillermo, for the time being. Before, she had spend her days nagging after them, telling them not to go outside, and behave themselves.

"Well, you have to admit, if we were in your place, we would be delighted with them."the dectuplets told Kitty.

"Yes, we don't like kids too much. We like them while their babies, that's okay, but then they grow up and it's a mess. That's why we like Sissy. Sissy may be a grown up cat, but she's still cuddly, we can still hold her, hug her, kiss her, we even dress her up every now and then. Then we've got our dolls. That would be the only reason we've ever wanted babies, to see what it feels like to nurse the babies, and to give them pretty names, and dress them up."

"Where did you get that cat from, anyway?"Kitty asked them.

"We found her, when she was just a tiny kitty, you see, when she was little, Sissy used to sleep on the palm of my hand, you know. She was just so tiny, and cute and innocent. She still is."said Ma.Ximena, holding out her hand. Kitty couldn't believe that, because despite their height, the dectuplets had such tiny hands and feet.

"I don't believe the cat ever slept on your hand."

"Haven't you ever seen newborn kittens. We've seen hundreds. Paco!"she called to Francisco, one of the dogs.

All the dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds followed the dectuplets wherever they went. Everyone was sure that the plants would, too, the only impediment was that they couldn't move, but you could tell they also sensed their presence. The dectuplets had an amazing ability for making things grow. Their gardens were twice as beautiful as the Ororo's. Sometimes they would spend hours singing to the plants, and talking to them, with the animals listening to them, too.

"You look like you could use a drink, couldn't you, my Lirio."Ma.Xitlalli said, as a rain cloud appeared on top of the lily.

When they had arrived, the plants seemed almost ordinary, but the second the dectuplets got close and started talking to them, it was almost as if something magical happened. The flowers always faced them whenever they were near. When they arrived they picked up their heads, as if to look at them, instead of the sun.

"Father used to watch us tend to them. When we left, we left Maru in charge, but well, you see, she left, too. We had no choice but to leave Juanita in charge, it's not that Juanita wasn't doing a good job, it's just that they like us better, you know. And who can blame them."they said.

"Oh, you know, bad new, for you, anyway. Chachi will be coming with her parents, you know, for the baptism."

"What?"Kitty exclaimed. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and NO! It was enough putting up with her once, not again. I was hoping never to see her again."

"Well, just be glad you're not her parents. Now that would be a disaster. They have to put up with her all the time. Mother invited them, and they're arriving tomorrow morning. We only just heard, or maybe we would've done something about it, but you know how Mother is. Nothing will convince her otherwise. Cuando se le mete una idea en la cabeza, no hay poder humano que se la saque. Es mas terca que una mula."

Kitty groaned. "Maybe I could be sick tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, and the day after."

"No, you don't want to be sick, sweetheart, then Mother would send for the doctor, and that would be twice as bad. You don't want to know how Mother is when someone is ill. She fusses a lot. Look, you just have to put up with her, again, for a few days. And this time she won't even be as bad as before, Scott isn't here. You saw how she was afraid of him."

"Speaking of which where did Scott go. I haven't seen him."

"Oh, you won't be seeing much of him, either, honey. He...uh, he...he decided to take a little trip."

"Where?"

"You remember the thing he said to Lance, well, after that, everyone had a talk, and decided that he should take a trip to think things over, you know."

"Where did he go?"

"No one really knows. He just left without saying anything. It was kind of odd, and now Jean thinks we know where he is. She's always asking everyone to tell her. Really, you think Chachi has problems? Jean is ten times worse, at least Chachi's not obsessed. Just so you're ready, she'll probably be bombarding you with questions, too, and begging you to help her find him."

"Can't you guys find him."

"He disappeared, okay? He just left, just like that. Then again, we shouldn't be surprised. I always knew that Summers was no good. How much you wanna bet he ran off with maybe some girl he found around here?"

"I wouldn't believe that."

"Then you're blind. You should believe it. You heard Maru say that he was a rapist, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't doubt it. Not for a second."

"Maru didn't know what she was saying."

"Why would she make it up? Something like that?"

"I still don't believe it."

"Besides, what the hell was he doing wandering the corridors around at night. If it wasn't for the fact that Alondra comes on so late, you know, we wouldn't have noticed. Why do you think Maru insisted that Meche sleep in the same room with her, next to ours, back at the institute? He was wondering around, and, well, simply opened the door, while we were watching Alondra, and saying we should be in bed. It's a good thing we weren't in our nightdresses then. You see, you shouldn't trust people, Gatica. We don't. We don't really like people. We don't consider ourselves people. We're something else, and proud to be so. The real curse would be looking like people. We dislike these bodies so much. We envy Sissy. Sissy is much, much stronger than us, her species is, anyway. We're much stronger than people, but still, we want to be like Sissy, in many ways we are, but...it's not the same, when we look into the mirror. That's why we don't like mirrors."

Kitty had never heard the dectuplets say such things before. It was true that sometimes they argued that the professor was nothing more than and idiot, who lived in what they referred to as 'dreamland', and even Maru shared their same opinion. And he was never going to get anywhere at the rate he was going, and with such a stupid view of the world.