Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, please don't sue, I understand completely that I own none of JK's Characters.

Author's Note: Enter two new characters! I think this might be the longest chapter, hope it isn't too long!

Chapter fourteen

Fang and Melissa

Sparkie snapped wide awake and quickly glided to her shoulder. "Really?"

Thorn sighed, "No, Sparkie," she said sarcastically, "I lied. Of course it is. Look." She traced over the thin crack with her finger.

Sparkie's eyes widened and he leapt back when suddenly the egg trembled under Thorns touch. "Wow!" he said, slightly in awe, slightly in fear.

"It's now," Thorn whispered, "Go, get Severus."

Sparkie nodded quickly and flew out of her room. Thorn watched the egg, which had stopped moving again. The flames continued to lick at the black shell, making the crack more vividly visible. Shadows danced across the dark room, and her face, making her look menacing. The fire reflected in her dark eyes, making them seem evil.

Then Severus and Sparkie returned, Severus in his long, grey nightshirt. He rushed to Thorn's side and looked over the egg. "Ah, it's hatching."

As if waiting for Severus to say that, the egg gave a violent jerk and a rather large piece of shell went flying, and hit Sparkie right in the stomach, making him plummet to the ground, yelping.

Thorn knew that she should help him, otherwise he would feel unloved and sulk for a couple of hours, but she didn't want to turn from the egg, where a small black head had emerged from the new hole, covered in a thin membrane.

Not long later, the little creature must've spread its wings, for another deep crevice swept through the shell and it cleaved clean in two, each according half falling to the fire.

The pair of them stared at the baby dragon. Sparkie lay flat on his back on the floor, the piece of shell on his little chest, whimpering. Sparkie, Thorn thought, You can get up yourself, we both know that.

Sparkie huffed and rolled over onto his stomach, then he crawled under her bed, and pouted.

Severus's eyes never left the young dragon, nor did Thorn's. After a moment while the dragon shook the tiny bits of shell and remaining membrane from its scaly body it opened its eyes and spread its wide, black wings.

Its purple orbs first met Thorn's black eyes and held the gaze of them. It blinked and made a small noise that seemed like it should've been made from Sparkie. No words were recognizable, as it was still an infant, but Thorn knew that dragons were brilliant creatures, and would learn how to talk really quickly, within two hours that they're born. She knew that it would be able to understand her as well.

"Hey," she said in the dragons tongue, and it looked up to her, obviously startled to hear this being speak a language that he could understand. "I'm not your mother, but you have to listen to me, or you'll die, they'll kill you."

The small black dragon nodded its reptilian head and struggled for words, but still couldn't master speech, so it kept silent and waited for Thorn to continue.

"You've got to stay out of sight, so don't leave the forest, you'll know what one in a moment, also, as for food, I'll bring you all the food you need. We don't want you to end up picking up another of the animals living there." It nodded again

She studied the dragon for a moment and realized its gender. "He's a male," she told Severus, whom had been watching the two of them. Then she turned back to the dragon and said, "You're name is Fang." She repeated the name in human language so he knew how to recognize it otherwise.

He nodded once again and then he crawled from the flame, rather clumsily at that, and climbed onto Thorn's knees.

She smiled slightly. The young reptile was only about the size of a house cat, but it was bigger then Sparkie, heck, almost everything was bigger then Sparkie. Thorn took out her wand, muttered, Aquarius, and once again thanked the fact that she could use magic out of school for sake of occlumency.

Then she picked the small dragon up and stood, Severus stood next to her and the two of them looked over the baby in her arms. "Does he understand the risks?"

Thorn nodded, "Yes, he does." Then she turned to her bed, kneeled down once again, and reached under. A moment later she pulled her hand out, clutching something unseen in her fingers. "Sparkie," she scolded, "Come on. Say hi to Fang."

The lizard steadily became visible again, and Fang, who was perched upon Thorn's left arm, holding onto her with all four feet and his long, spike tipped tail, watched Sparkie with a curious gaze. Sparkie looked at the young dragon angrily, but a sudden calmness swept over his face, Aw!, Sparkie thought, Okay, I can't hate this guy! He's a little baby!

Wow, Thorn replied sarcastically, Someone that you don't hate.

Haha...

Severus nodded, "Good, well, I'm going to go get into my day robes." With a curt nod he left the room.

Thorn turned to her bed, set both reptiles down on it, and went to her dresser. Pulling out her regular clothes and changed into them. Pulling her hair and medallion out from under the tank top she let Fang climb onto her shoulder. Sparkie flew to her other and she walked out of the room.

Severus was sitting at the table, reading the daily prophet, when she came in. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Well," Thorn said as she sat down across from him, "I'm going to head to Maken's, but I don't know how long it will take. I don't want to use a portkey, or floo powder, for I'm brining Fang, and to use either of those methods would be to get ministry permission or supervision, so I was going to fly. How long do you think that would take?"

Severus thought about it, then he said, "Well, near to three hours, I think. When would you be leaving?"

Thorn looked to her watch, "It's five thirty, Maken would not be up this early. I'll go over around nine, and get there near noon. He's planning on seeing Cade today, so he'll be up earlier then normal, which means eleven for him."

Severus smirked. "Alright, but be careful."

Thorn nodded, "I will be."

Around two hours later Thorn was sitting in her chair, Fang in her lap, looking around with mild interest, Sparkie on her shoulder, sleeping. Severus had gone to see Albus about the conditions of next year. Suddenly, Thorn heard someone say, "What's your name?"

She looked around, then down at fang, whose purple eyes were watching her. Ah, he's learned how to speak.

I don't like the llama... Sparkie thought in his sleep.

Thorn rolled her eyes and Fang continued, "You told me my name, but not yours, or that other human's."

"Oh, sorry," Thorn clicked back, "I'm Thorn," again, she repeated the names in her tongue, "And the other one is Severus. I see that you've learned how to talk."

Fang nodded his black head, "Yeah. I was wondering, what happened to my mum? How did you get to own me? And why am I in danger?"

Thorn sighed, "According to an article that I read, you're mothers dead." Fang's wings drooped a little with her words, "She was killed by some foolish witches and wizards that were after her eggs to sell them illegally. You got here because while they were flying you and your siblings to Romania, you fell from the shipment and landed in out yard. You're in danger because the minister thinks that you've hatched early and are a raging, dangerous, out of control monster, even though you're young. He's a fool too."

Fang had gone still, his eyes staring at some random book in the bookshelf, then he said, "Are you going to protect me?"

Thorn looked down to the young thing in her arms, and felt very small twinge of pity come to her mind. "Don't worry, I will."

"Be sure not to be seen," Severus was saying as Thorn mounted Shadow, Fang sitting in front of her on the pegacorn's back, and Sparkie on her shoulder, "But most of all, be careful." He put one of his hands over hers, which were firmly holding Shadows main, "Watch yourself."

She nodded, "I will."

Severus smiled, squeezed her hand once more, then let go and watched them as Shadow spread her mighty, feather covered wings and propelled herself into the air.

Thorn leaned down close to her, pressing herself against Fang's small form. The air rushed by her bare arms and whipped at her face, but it was still a wonderful feeling. Thorn preferred it to a broomstick, while Maken would prefer a broomstick to almost anything.

Sparkie began to glide around the three of them, going in and out of the small clouds that they passed. Shadow whinnied a laugh and did the same. Thorn smirked and Fang looked as if he wished to join them, but sadly, he couldn't fly yet.

When they reached the edge of the trees below them, Thorn thought to Shadow, Stay in the clouds now, we can't be seen.

Shadow nodded and flew upwards. Thorn didn't worry about Sparkie being seen, he'd just look like a bird at this altitude. But it was harder to explain a flying horse.

During the long three hour flight, Fang fell asleep and Sparkie fluttered around them, happy to be flying. Shadow seemed tireless, not faltering or stopping once. Thorn admired her, for she was holding the weight of a human and a young dragon without complaint.

"Here, there's his house," Thorn said as she pointed down through the thin clouds to a house that was distant from the city.

Shadow neighed and went into decent; Fang woke up as the sudden drop began. Sparkie flew ahead of them and landed on Maken's roof, while Shadow went to the clearing behind the house.

Sparkie, Thorn thought to him, Tell Maken that we've arrived.

Sparkie groaned, but listened. Soon, Maken came out of the backdoor and ran towards them, "Thorn!" he exclaimed as he got nearer. Thorn had dismounted and was standing in front of Fang, "It's been a long while!" Sparkie glided after him.

Thorn nodded. "Yes, it has."

"So," Maken continued, "What happened around your house to make it more interesting?"

Thorn smirked, "Promise me that you won't tell your father?"

Maken's look turned to a confused one. "Uh, okay, I promise that I won't tell my father. Now, what is it?" He seemed anxious.

Thorn searched his expression for a moment then turned around and picked up Fang. As she turned to Maken, she heard him gasp.

"A... dragon!?" he half whispered, half exclaimed, "Thorn, you have a dragon!?"

Thorn nodded. "Yes, a dragon. He's the 'raging psychotic dragon' that Fudge is so afraid of. He didn't hatch early; he landed in my front yard."

Maken's jaw was still dropped as he took a timid step forwards. "But, Thorn, isn't it illegal to own a dragon? I mean, what if the ministry finds out?"

Thorn made a soft noise of annoyance. "They won't, and if they do, there's no way their dragging me into Azkaban for taking care of an abandoned dragon."

Maken nodded, still seeming amazed that his friend had actually succeeded in getting a dragon, came even closer to her, and held his hand out to the young reptile.

Fang looked up to Maken, confusion clouding his eyes. Then he turned to Thorn, whom nodded and muttered, in dragon language, "He's Maken, he's okay."

The baby dragon nodded, then ran his scaly head under Maken's hand. Thorn heard Maken gasp as he felt Fang's surprisingly rough hide, and say something that sounded like, "Impossible..."

Thorn nodded, "Seems that way, doesn't it?"

Maken shook his head, still in disbelief, then he said, with a small chuckle, "Thorn, you never cease to amaze me."

She smirked, "You can count on that."

Maken smiled and said, "So, do you have to keep him out here? Cade's on his way over, so, I wanted to be able to greet him and his new... friend."

Thorn nodded and said, "Well, I'll go out to the front of the house then, I don't want to chance your father finding out about Fang."

Maken nodded, "Yeah, that'll work, I'll join you."

Fang climbed onto her shoulder, and Sparkie flew to the other as Thorn and Maken began to walk around the house. Shadow followed Thorn closely, constantly neighing and looking around.

Out in front of the Wood's house, Thorn and Maken sat in the large grass field, waiting for Cade to show up, Maken picking at the grass impatiently, while Thorn sat staring at the sky in thought.

Then Sparkie said, "Hey! Look! There's something coming!" And no doubt, off in the distance, was a large, green truck heading towards the residence.

Maken stood up and sighed, "Finally!"

Thorn stayed seated on the grass and watched as Maken half ran half jogged to where the dirt road was. In the distance, Thorn saw Cade's familiar, spiky head emerge from the truck, and then a head of auburn hair next to him. If Thorn hadn't have known better, she might have thought that Celestial had joined Cade, but this must be his new, as Maken said it, friend.

As the three of them made their way over to her, Sparkie, Fang, and Shadow, it was obvious that Celestial was not the accompanying girl. Celestial was taller, and had shorter hair that was constantly pulled into a low ponytail. This new girl had longer hair, not as long as Thorn's. The auburn locks fell to her mid back and were held back in a white headband. She was wearing a bracelet -- Thorn figured that it must've been a muggle thing -- and a matching watch. Her complexion was also darker then Celestial's, her tan skin falling into perfect sync with her dark hair.

"Hey, Thorn," Cade said as he reached her.

"Hey," Thorn said as she stood, "It's been a while. I'd like you to meet Fang," she gestured to the black dragon, basking in the sun, who's purple eyes shot open at sound of his name, and he looked to Thorn.

Cade's eyes widened as he saw the dragon, "Woah, how'd you- Never mind, I don't want to know. Anyway, Thorn, this is Melissa."

For the first time the two girls looked each other in the eye, Thorn's hard, empty black ones into Melissa's bright hazel. The muggle girl held her hand out and, in a sweet voice, she said, "Nice to meet you." She seemed slightly intimidated by Thorn's emotionless gaze, but kept quiet.

The Slytherin smirked and took her hand, "And you, I'm Thorn."

Melissa smiled, "Ah, yes, Cade's spoken about you," she and he exchanged glances, then she said, "You seem just as he described."

Thorn watched her intently, her mind working fast, "How did he describe me?"

The three others seemed nervous, and Thorn wasn't the only one to notice. Shadow kept looking from one to the other, her dark brown eyes suspicious, Sparkie's eyes narrowed and he muttered under his breath, Fang stood and came to Thorn's side, sensing the tension between the four of them.

"Eh... How about we... Take a walk around my property," Maken said, breaking the silence that had grown to an uncomfortable state.

"Sure," Thorn said coldly.

The four of them wandered around the large grass field, Fang perched upon Shadow's back, Sparkie flying laps around them, and the pegacorn herself keeping close to Thorn. Cade, Melissa, and Maken were all engaged in talk about the differences between muggles and magic folk. Obviously, Melissa knew of the magic world. Thorn kept quiet the whole time, her mind engaged in deep thought.

Soon they came to a small stream, swimming with minnows and other small fish. Thorn remembered when she would sit by this same creek and think to herself.

"Ah," Maken said as he sat next to the water, "I love this place."

Cade nodded, "Yeah, this is such a cool little get-away." He threw himself onto the grass next to Maken, whom had taken his shoes off and put his feet into the ice cool water.

"It's beautiful," Melissa remarked, "I could just sit here all day." Then she sat next to Cade.

Thorn stayed standing next to Shadow, whom whinnied and snorted quietly. "Yes, it's a good place to just sit and think, so tranquil, and quiet."

Melissa smiled up to her, then said, "I've been meaning to ask about your... horse?"

Shadow threw back her black head, making her silky black main fly, and neighed. Her horn, which had changed from gold to silver as she was growing, caught the sun at the perfect angle, casting a rainbow across the surface of the stream. Melissa gasped, awestruck.

"Pegacorn," Thorn stated simply, "Her mother is a rare pegasus, and her father a unicorn. She's a mixed breed, and illegal, but that won't make me do what the ministry would have me."

"What would the ministry have you do?" Melissa asked cautiously, afraid to make the feeling between them worse off then she had already.

"They would have me kill her," Melissa's eyes grew shocked, "She's a danger, so they think, same with Fang here. Fudge is looking for him. He wants him dead because of some stupid excuse the rider who dropped him made up. They all think he's on the loose and raging crazy."

Melissa nodded and then looked back to the stream. Thorn ran her hand over Shadow's forehead and down her neck. Thorn, she thought, What do you think Cade told her?

Thorn shook her head, I don't know.

Shadow grunted in annoyance, He doesn't appreciate you. She muttered in Thorn's mind.

The Slytherin shook her head, He may not appreciate me, but at least he respects me. He doesn't hate me, though I'm not his favorite person in the world. I can tell.

"Thorn?" Maken was saying, Thorn hadn't even noticed that he'd stood next to her, "You okay?"

Thorn smirked and nodded, ignoring the looks that Cade and Melissa were giving her. "Maken, you really should know by now, I'm-"

"Just thinking." Both of them said.

Maken laughed, "I figured."

Melissa and Cade stood as well and walked over to where Thorn, Maken, and Shadow were standing. Fang was sleeping on the pegacorn's back, and Sparkie was casting venomous glances at Cade and Melissa. "So, we gonna head up to the house?" Cade asked, not noticing Sparkie.

Maken, whom had caught Sparkie's glare, looked up to Cade and said, "Ah, er, yeah, let's go." He began to walk back to the house in the distance.

Thorn followed directly behind, Shadow next to her, Sparkie on her shoulder, still giving Cade, whom had followed behind, the evil eye. "Sparkie," she hissed, "Stop it."

Sparkie's gaze never moved, "No, he told that girl a bunch of lies about you."

"He told her no lies," Thorn clarified, "He told her the truth, or all the truth that he knows. Like that I have no emotion, that my family is dead but no one knows why, I can talk to snakes, lizards, any reptile. Sparkie, if you didn't know me and someone told you that, what would you think?"

Sparkie looked up to her for the first time in five minutes and said, "I'd say, 'Cool! Where can I meet her!?'"

Thorn sighed, "Sparkie, sometimes you're a lost cause."

"Yes," Sparkie clicked, "But you love me anyway!"

Thorn rolled her eyes, "I have to, you're practically me. I have no choice."

"Hey!" Sparkie exclaimed as he turned full around to look at Thorn's face, instead of into her hair, "Well, let's just see if I come back after that remark!" Then he spread his red wings and flew off into the clouds.

"Where'd Sparkie go?" Maken asked Thorn as he fell into step next to her. Thorn couldn't help but catch the bit of hopefulness in his voice.

"Oh, don't get too happy, he'll be back," Thorn stated as she looked into the sky. And not three minutes later, Sparkie came dive-bombing back, landing on Thorn's shoulder, once again, and throwing his little arms, legs, and large wings around her head, making her view entirely red and blue. "I MISSED YOU!" he wined.

"Uh, Thorn?" Maken said cautiously, "You gotta little-"

"I know," Thorn cut him off in a slightly annoyed voice. Then, in the lizard's language, she said, "I missed you, too. May I have my head back now?"

Sparkie nodded and unwrapped himself from her. Cade and Melissa came forwards to the pair of them and Thorn heard Maken snicker. "Just say it," Cade said, obviously prepared for what Maken was gonna say.

Maken looked as if he were using every inch of self control that he could in not mocking Cade. Then he said, "Cade, I don't have the right to mock you yet."

"Yet?" Cade echoed.

"Yet," Maken concluded with a sly grin.

Thorn sighed and rolled her eyes and Melissa giggled. "Maken, just say it," the witch said as she ran her hand over Fang's head, for he'd woken up.

Maken bit his lower lip to stop the flow of words from coming from his mouth, but in the end, he failed. "Should Thorn and I, ya know, leave you two alone?"

Thorn smirked as Cade and Melissa went scarlet. Sparkie snickered and Cade threw him an annoyed look, which he responded to by showing Cade his red, fleshy tongue.

When they reached the house, Maken's father had gone to work and his mother was shopping. "You can bring them in now," he told Thorn, who was holding baby fang in her arms.

They all went into the house, Shadow with much difficulty, and only thanks to an enlargement charm used by Thorn, did they get her through the doorway.

Maken lead them to his room, which was on the first landing, luckily for Shadow, and they all gathered around the small room. Cade and Melissa sat on the bed, Maken sat at his desk, and Thorn sat, cross legged on the floor, her back against Shadow, whom was lying down against the wall. Fang was on Thorn's lap, his head resting on the cover, and Sparkie was sitting on Shadow's head.

"So, Thorn," Melissa said, once again trying to bring up conversation with the anti-social Slytherin. "I noticed that you can use magic, but Cade said that wizards and witches couldn't during the summer. Why can you, then?"

Thorn ran her hand over Fang's rough back, and pricked her fingers on one of his razor sharp spikes. She looked at her blood that was slowly flowing from the shallow cut, ignored the surprised gasp that echoed around the room, and said, "I have to practice occlumency throughout the year, including the summer, so I need to use magic."

"Oh, eh," Melissa shook her head to rid herself of the shock that came from seeing Thorn get hurt and not even wince, "What, ahem, what's occlumency?"

"It's the art of defending ones mind against intrusion; you have to rid yourself of emotion. It's not a very commonly used branch of magic, but it is extremely useful."

"To stop intrusion?" Cade quoted, "Intrusion from what?"

"From those that can use Legimency," noticing all of their confused faces, Thorn clarified, "The act of looking into someone's mind, to see if they are lying, to see what their planning, such like that."

"So, um," Melissa said uneasily, as if the idea of witches and wizards was beginning to scare her, "So, some magic people can read minds, then?"

Thorn shook her head, she had to remember that Melissa was a muggle and didn't know of these things like some witches and wizards she knew did. "No, the human mind is not a book, ideas and feelings are not printed on the inside of the skull to be simply read, it's a complexed thing, layered. Legimency lets your opponent look into your deepest thoughts and feelings. It is impossible to lie to a master legimense unless you are a master occlumense."

"So," Melissa said, thinking while she spoke, "You practice occlu... yeah, so that you can lie to people easier?"

The room went silent. Cade was looking to Thorn, obviously having never considered that possibility, Maken was watching her, knowing that she wasn't one to lie to people constantly, and wondering what she did use her skill for then. Thorn's dark eyes had never left Melissa's, "No, I practice occlumency to make my mind stronger, to keep myself and those that I care about safe."

"Safe from what?" Maken asked, hoping to get a real answer.

Man, Sparkie thought, Is this "Twenty Questions on Thorn" or something?

Thorn didn't reply to him, but turned to Maken and said, "You'll know one day."

Maken sighed in annoyance, tired of knowing almost nothing about his best friend, "Fine, anyway, let's talk about something else, okay?"

They all thought about a new subject for a while, then suddenly Maken said, "Cade, you have an interesting name, where it come from?"

Cade smiled and said, "Well, Cade was my grandfathers name, my mother's father."

"What's your middle name?" Maken asked, as he began to unconsciously rip up a bit of parchment.

Cade chuckled, "Don't laugh okay?" Maken nodded and Cade continued, "Joshua. My cousin's name."

"Oh, that's cool!" Melissa said as she placed her hand on his arm. Amazingly, Sparkie and Maken exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. "Cade Joshua Roran. I like it."

"Where did your name come from, Mel?" Cade asked, again, Maken and Sparkie exchanged looks.

Melissa giggled again, and said, "Well, Melissa is just a name my mother liked, and Jean came from my aunt, who died before I was born in a plane crash."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cade said.

"Don't worry, I never knew her so I'm okay," the muggle shrugged.

Cade looked to the ceiling, "Melissa Jean Harris."

Maken looked as if Christmas had come early, "Yeah, and think, Melissa Jean Roran."

Sparkie cracked up instantly and fell from an annoyed Shadow's head, Cade and Melissa both went red and Cade said, "Maken! Don't make me hurt you!"

Maken, however, had cracked up with Sparkie and both were rolling around on the floor in laughter. Even Thorn had chuckled at that.

Cade's face was red from anger and embarrassment, "Well, Maken, tell us what your name stands for? Ridicule? Annoyance!?"

"Actually, no," Maken said as he tried to regain himself, "Maken means 'has too much fun ticking others off.' Heh, anyway, I got my name from... I think my godfather... he's off somewhere in Alaska, trying to train Yeti's. My middle name I got from my uncle, he's going insane, I swear! The other day he ran into a window while chasing fireflies." Cade snorted as he tried not to laugh, Melissa actually did laugh, Thorn Smirked, and Sparkie went into an even larger fit of laughter. "Maken Ty Wood."

Then he turned to Thorn and said, "So, where'd you get your name from?"

Thorn had been wondering when they'd ask her, "My mother got the Name Thorn from my father's last name, Rose. 'She's the Rose's Thorn,' she used to say."

"Ah," Maken said, "So your name's supposed to be a pun, sorry 'bout that."

Thorn smirked, "Yes, and my middle name was the name of my grandmother on my mother's side. Samara."

"Samara?" Melissa repeated, "That's a cool name. Sounds... mysterious to me."

"Thorn Samara Rose," Maken stated, "Cool."

Cade snickered and said, "Thorn Samara Wood." But when neither Thorn nor Maken blushed in the least he stopped snickering and looked to the ground.

"Don't even start with that, Cade," Maken said annoyed, "It's just not right."

Thorn nodded, "Yes, and don't make me join them in mocking you, I usually don't stoop to such lows, but if provoked... You have been warned."

Again, Cade said nothing. He didn't want to get Thorn against him as well, it was bad enough with Sparkie and Maken, but with Thorn? He didn't even want to think of it.

"So Thorn," Melissa spoke up, still trying to get onto even footing with the dark haired witch, "Why do you wear that?" She pointed to the cover.

I swear, it's a conversation starter, Thorn thought to Shadow, for Sparkie was still laughing. "No reason."

"Then will you take it off?" Maken asked, always hopeful.

"No."

He sighed just as the door bell rang. "Oh, that'll be my dad," Cade said, standing up, Melissa standing next to him, "Sorry we couldn't stay longer, but tonight's my night to walk the dogs."

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about it, mate," Maken said optimistically, "Come on, I'll walk you to the door. Thorn, you comin'?"

Thorn nodded and stood, Fang in her arms, Sparkie, finally recollecting himself, on her shoulder, and Shadow standing to follow behind. The large, mismatched group went to the door, and Maken opened it to see Cade's father standing ahead of him, "Hey, Mr. Roran."

"Maken, you can call me Tyler," he replied, then he looked to Cade and Melissa and said, "You two ready?"

They both nodded and he saw Thorn behind them, "Ah, Thorn, good to see you again."

Thorn nodded and heard Tyler ask Maken, loudly for mockery, "Did these two behave themselves?"

Sparkie fell into a new laughter fit and Maken was trying, and failing, to look like he hadn't found it funny. Cade and Melissa, who were already red, turned a deep shade of crimson and Cade said, "DAD!"

Tyler laughed and said, "Well, we'd better go, before my son murders me, nice to see you two again," then he walked back to his truck, laughing, followed by Cade and Melissa whom had just had the most embarrassing day of their lives.