Chapter One: The Terrible Two
(Somewhere in Ireland, approximately nine years post-knockup)
"MAAAAAAAMIIIIIIII!"
Nothing in the world is sweeter than a child's voice. No other tone carries that sweet, light innocence, the syrupy, puppyish plead, the hope and adoration and unconditional trust embodied in those bundles of joy known as chibis.
Unless, of course, said child is not using that sugar-sweet voice and has instead chosen to utilize lung power the likes of which shouldn't exactly be possible. On these occasions, the squalling of a child is something that can and has driven man mad. It is not strange to wish to -strangle- a small, screeching chibi, and it is a testament of the discipline required to raise children that most people, despite being everyday morons, manage to produce more everyday morons without muffling them with pillows somewhere along the line.
On this particular day, the desire to strangle was particularly strong. Then again, when it was the twins, the desire was -always- strong. The two little redheads were complete devils; the girl, Aiden,had a horrible temper and was violent, and the boy, Alaric,always seemed to be sulking or sneering, disdainful of everything. And, as one would be told if one asked anyone who'd ever been responsible for the pair of them for more than five minutes, they seemed to have a magnetic attraction for trouble. They could smell it, and they seemed to enjoy diving right into it, like a freshly bathed dog rolling in the mud. In fact, it was reputed that there was nothing the twins liked more than a good roll in the mud. Unless, of course, the rolling was being done by them to someone else... then, it was even better.
Right now, their nurse Colleen had had more than enough, and was not unwilling to let the children run off to their parents. She had survived a particularly long term with the twins; she'd suffered through nearly six months of their antics by now, but she was now well convinced that she would be better off far, far away from the crazy little redheads, even if it meant she was unemployed. Then again, a discharge from -this- family would likely result in her 'far, far away' involving some nice iron shoes. One did not quit working for the Irish mob, even if the work one did for them was keeping an eye on their kids. If asked, Colleen would have sworn that it would take more than two eyes to keep those twins accounted for, but nobody asked, and she just tolerated it with steady stoicism through the days, resolutely ignoring the twins' pranks and meanness. This only made the children more eager to needle her, which led to today.
Today they were being completely insufferable, and Colleen was half hoping the pair of them would run right into some meeting of their parents' and get shot by some trigger-happy associate of the family. Aaahhh, if only. Colleen trudged resignedly through the house toward the source of the ear-splitting shriek that was only now fading - the girl really did have an incredible lung capacity - hoping that their Mami was too busy to come and find them getting into mischief. Because there was no doubt that they were indeed getting into mischief. Whole loads of it, if Colleen's guess was any good, and it was pretty good, because she knew those twins pretty well.
A sudden loud crash from the kitchen, the room she was headed for, quickened her steps, and she groaned softly under her breath. What were the two of them up to NOW? Dear God, Colleen prayed silently, please don't let them have actually broken anything... I so dearly don't wish to hear Mister Sinclair yelling...
Her wish seemed to be granted as she stepped into an immaculately clean kitchen, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Said sigh was cut off, however, when she realized that something was indeed very, very wrong here.
The twins were nowhere in sight.
To be continued!
a/n: chibi Japanese for little person. Here, used to refer to small children. not its proper usage. . '