Tales from the Basement

by the Raven of Roses

random oneshot stories about nny and annie. sort of sequels to along came a french girl and gone the way of my sanity. enjoy. ch9: annie teaches nny about the value of a good vocabulary

6. The Foster Experience

5-5-05

There was a knock at the door. Annette jerked out of a fitful sleep, tumbling to the floor and trying to kill her ragdoll before she realized that she was choking Sally. She sat up, briefly wondered how it was that she had come to be sleeping in the living room, and stretched. The knocking continued, so the teenager finally stood and made her way to the door.

"Mon Dieu! Hold ON, I'm coming." Annette tried to put her hair in relative order, then unlocked the door.

There were two people standing on the cement in front of the doorway. They were very...pointy-looking. Hair slicked back and uniforms starched to paper-like crispness, the police officers stood shoulder to shoulder as if they expected Annette to make a run for it. She eyed them suspiciously, but they didn't move. In fact, they looked rather inanimate.

"Eh, bonjour, Monsieurs. Qu'est-ce vous avez?"

The policemen's faces shifted slowly to confusion, and they almost imperceptibly glanced at each other.

"Shit. She's French. Did you understand that?" asked one.

"Not really. I think she cussed us out."

"But she sounds all civil-like."

"Them French can sound the nicest when they're being the most insultin."

"Yeah, yeah. Um...little girl, we are policemen. We need to talk to you. Um...talk...to...you?"

Annette grinned. "Mes amis, bienvenue! Je m'appelle Antoinette. Comment tu t'appelles?"

"Uh...we are policemen. Can we come in now?"

"Oui, oui, tu as confus! Pardon moi." Annette waved them inside and shut the door behind them, its thud a note of disturbing finality in the morning stillness.

"Um...do you know English, little girl?" asked the first policeman uncomfortably.

"Pardon?"

"Okay, let's get an interpreter."

Ten minutes later, a small, mousy woman entered the house, peering blearily around the darkness. She jumped at every sound, and having Annette sneak up on her was not helping.

" Um, dear, I am an interpreter. I can help you understand the policemen. What is your name? " she asked.

"Antoinette."

" Do you understand English? "

" Yes, but I can't speak it. "

"Okay, good. She understands English, but she can't speak it."

"Great. Um, little girl, the state had determined that your current residence is not providing you with the necessary components of a good upbringing. We have been sent here to place you in an alternate home."

" They're putting me in a foster home? "

"Yes, dear, they are. I'm sorry, but it really is the best thing for you." the interpreter turned to the policemen. "She's worried about foster care."

"It's really pretty nice. I grew up in foster care. We'll find you a good home and get you brought up right."

" I don't want to go. "

"I'm sorry, dear, but you don't have much of a choice. Now is your guardian at home?"

" I don't know. "

"You don't know?"

" I just woke up. He might be gone. I don't know. "

"You mean your guardian leaves you home alone often?"

" Yes, sometimes for long periods of time. He didn't come home for a week once. I think that was when he was doing business in the retail district. "

"You mean drug dealing?"

"NON! Of COURSE not! Nny doesn't do that kind of thing! "

"Calm down, Antoinette. Don't get upset. We only want to help."

" You'd be helping GREATLY if you just turn around and leave! "

"I'm sorry, Antionette, but it just doesn't work that way."

"Uh, we'll be outside. I think you can handle this," croaked a police officer-Annette wasn't sure which one.

"Go ahead. I've got it covered." The interpreter turned back to Annette. "Now, dear, we want you to get together what items you want to bring with you, and then we're going to take you down to the police station. After we identify you, we can bring you to a foster home. There's already a very nice family that can't wait to meet you."

"Fuck off."

The woman looked surprised. "My, my, so you DO know English. Is that something your guardian taught you?"

"No, madame, it's something I learned at hi skool. I'm a sophomore now. And stop calling him my 'guardian.' His name is Nny, and he's my FATHER."

"Good. We've moved on to English. Now, Antoinette, let's get together some things for you to take to your new home."

"No. I'm not going with you."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Now where is your bedroom? Or do you just sleep out here?"

"Nny usually sleeps out here. My room is down the hall. You know, you shouldn't play with fire, mon amie. you just might get burned."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just warning you. After all, I'm not in the best care according to you. Who knows what I might do if you anger me?"

"Let's just go to your room now."

Annette slowly led the way to her room, where she threw together a bag of things to take with her. She had by then realized the futility of her struggles and was planning on running back home the second her foster family looked the other way. The interpreter watched her like a hawk, which did nothing for the teenager's disposition.

"Good, good. Now let's go, Antoinette."

Suddenly, something moved behind the woman. A glint of silver, and Annette's father was holding a knife to the interpreter's throat.

"What's going on, Annie?" he growled, ready to let the blade bite deep.

"They're taking me away. There's two officers outside. I'm being put in foster care."

"But what happened to the never being caught thing?"

"I guess it doesn't apply to me."

"Should I kill her?"

"I don't think so. I'll just be taken farther away."

"I think I'll kill her anyway."

Nny gently pressed the blade into the woman's neck, and a fine ribbon of scarlet wound its way down her throat. She whimpered, but Nny didn't seem to notice. His eyes had taken on that dull gleam of musing that so scared his victims during their torture.

"Nny, stop. NOW."

Obediently, Nny let the knife drop. He had a bad feeling about this, but if Annette didn't want him to kill this irritant, he wouldn't kill her. Instead he adopted a nonchalant-well, almost-stance, crossing his arms and gazing without emotion at the interpreter.

"So what now? You're going to take her away? Don't I have a say in this?" he asked, letting his gaze flick for an instant to his-his daughter.

"I'm afraid n-not, sir," stammered the interpreter, clutching at her bleeding throat as if to make sure it was still there. "W-we have to place little Antoinette in foster care for awhile. If you can p-prove yourself to be a-a good guardian, she c-can come b-back."

"Annie, are you sure I can't kill her?"

"Yes, Nny, I am certain."

"Damn. Well...I suppose you'd better get your things together. Remember Jack and Sally." Nny turned away, staring at the ceiling.

"I will. Um...can you have Devi take care of some of the cats?"

"Why? They take care of themselves."

"Well, Midnight just had another litter, and I think they need some extra help. Nevermind, Madame Interpreter, could you give me a moment to round up the cats? I'd like to take them with me."

"Of-of course, dear." Oh, God, please let me live through this.

"Okay, take this bag for me. Nny, watch her. I'm going to find the cats."

Annette made her way out of the room, grasping and squeezing Nny's hand as she passed him. She felt bad about leaving, but somehow felt worse for Nny. They had grown used to each other's company, and though Annette held no delusions about Nny perhaps taking a liking to her, she knew that he had come to rely on her presence as a reminder of the few humans he considered good ones.

Now he would be alone again.

"Midnight, you sly cat," cooed Annette upon locating the elusive felines in the hall closet. "Come on, mes chats; we're going on a trip."

Mrow trilled Midnight, nuzzling Annette's hand.

"Honestly, cherie, I do not know how you keep getting out, but you sure seem to enjoy yourself. Now, now, into the crate."

Midnight shooed her kittens into the crate Annette held, jumping in herself after the last straggler had made its way over the edge. The girl sighed, picked up the crate, and hobbled back over to her room.

"Fine, I have them. Do we have to leave now?"

"Y-yes. I'm-I'm terribly sorry, sir. No hard feelings. This really-it hurts me too. I never l-like to separate a child from-from their parent. Um...Antoinette, we have to go now."

"Oui, Madame. Goodbye, Nny."

Annette set down the crate and hugged him, and the embrace was carefully returned. Then Nny turned away and left the room, slamming the basement door behind him. He wasn't ever much for goodbyes.

"Come on, Antoinette. the policemen are waiting."

Annette wiped away a tear and picked up the crate, smiling when Midnight licked at her hand in sympathy. They left house 777 for a new home, a place Annette was dreading. She felt like something was pulling her back, like the house didn't want her to leave, but by the time she got to the police car, the strings and ties had broken, leaving her free to make her way to her foster home.

"You'll have a lot of fun, Antoinette," the interpreter reassured her before shutting the door. "Just think of it as a new adventure."

Annette hugged her ragdolls and tried not to cry.

Nny threw the scythe into the wall, missing a woman's head by mere inches. He paced the room, fury spilling over and darkening the room. There was a soft sound, and he scrubbed at his eyes with a ragged sleeve.

"Why the hell did they have to take her away? I'm a perfectly good guardian! She should have let me kill them. Then she wouldn't have had to go away. Dammit, she's too nice for her own good. Now she's gone, and who knows when I'll get to see her again? What'll happen to her if I'm not there to protect her? The world is a scary place. Anything can happen."

"Um...who exactly are we talking about, now?" asked the woman who was tied to the wall.

"My...Annette. I was taking care of her. Can you believe it? Fourteen years old, and they try to take her to a foster home. She'll never make it out of there."

"Well...did you ever think that perhaps this is really the best thing for her?"

"It CAN'T be the best thing for her! They don't understand her out there. She's just going to end up like...like me if they try to raise her 'correctly.' How can they even TRY to take away everything from her?"

"From what you've been saying for the past two hours, I think Annette will be just fine. She sounds like a good, strong girl to me. Maybe you should try to take your mind off of things, you know? Do some traveling, maybe. Try to believe that everything happens for a reason and that this experience will make you both stronger."

Nny abruptly stopped pacing. He whirled around to face the woman, peering intently into her fearless face. She seemed perfectly comfortable in her restraints, tight as they were around her limbs. In fact, he might have been seeing things, but it seemed like she might even be smiling.

"You know, it just occurred to me. You don't seem to be afraid of me. this hasn't happened in awhile. I'm Nny. What's your name?"

"Mika Vargas. Nice to meet you, Nny. Or I suppose it would be nice if we had met in any other situation. Have you calmed down at all?"

"I guess so. You remind me of someone. You didn't have a relative named Edgar, did you?"

"Er, I think I had a brother Edgar. He ran away from home when I was about five, so I barely remember him. Why?"

"I think I killed him."

"Oh. That's too bad. He was a nice boy."

"Yes, he was. I almost regret that one. At any rate, it's over now, so not much use in going on about what I'd do differently."

"Yes, you are right, I suppose. So what are you going to do now?"

"Kill you, probably. Then I think I'll go feed the cats. Or watch television. I haven't decided yet."

"Is there any chance you'd let me go?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, you see, it's just that I'm expecting a little girl to come to my home today. The police had to take her away from her father because they were concerned about his parenting skills. If you let me go, I'll put in a good word about you to the police. Poor Annette must be feeling terrible. I'd hate to miss her arrival."

"You're going to be her foster mother?"

"I guess so. It's just uncanny, really, how things work out, isn't it? Well, if you're going to kill me, you may as well do it now. I don't want to drag this out."

Nny wrenched the scythe out of the wall, hefting it in his hands. A single swing, and Mika Vargas fell to the floor.

"I changed my mind. But if I so much as SUSPECT that Annie isn't happy with you, I will hunt you down and kill you along with every member of your family, your spouse's family, and anyone else I can find with the surname Vargas. Got it?"

"Of course. Don't worry, Nny, I'll take good care of her. Thanks for sparing my life. I'll remember this. And good luck getting little Annie back. Um...could you point me in the direction of the door?"

"To your left."

"Oh. Thank you. Goodbye, then."

Mika stood and left, hobbling away on unsteady legs. Nny just sighed and wondered how he had come to be so soft-hearted.

Annette shuddered, then walked up the steps to a bright pink house. The cats mewled softly to her in an encouraging manner, but even they could not ease her fears. The police had left, along with the interpreter, and the teenager was alone to meet her new family.

"D'accord, mes amis, let's do it."

She rang the doorbell. It sounded normal enough, a pleasant chime that echoed faintly through the house for only moments before the door was wrenched open. Annette felt a wave of warmth wash over her, and then she had to suppress a gag reflex.

"Hello, honey!" cried a motherly voice from inside. "Welcome home!"

"Hi, Antoinette!" giggled a small child voice somewhere out of sight.

"Hi, Antoinette!" a second child's voice shrieked.

"Hello, Antoinette," added a male voice. "Come on in."

Annette hesitantly entered the house, shivering and trying not to scream. It was too...bright. Pink and beige and pastel. There was too much warmth and happiness there. Annette already missed the dark coolness of her real home.

The final straw came when she heard the music. Light jazz was playing in the background, permeating the room and drilling its way into her head. Personally, Annette would take the screams of tortured souls over this monstrous...noise.

"So, Antoinette, I hear you come from a spot of trouble," began the father, a stout, gray-haired man of about forty. "Something about your father in trouble with the law?"

"Robert, don't start with that already!" reprimanded his wife, a woman who did NOT look like she'd had two children.

"It's quite alright, Madame. And please, call me Annette. I hardly use my given name anymore. Nny didn't know how to pronounce it, so I ended up being called Annette. Er, yes, he was in some trouble with the police. Something about being violent. But I assure you, Nny is really a loving and caring guardian. I am not quite sure why I have been placed in foster care." Annette looked around. "Er, where can I put the kittens?"

"Kittens?" exclaimed the children at once, throwing themselves upon the crate.

"Er, go ahead and take them to your room, dear. We cleaned up the attic for you, if that's suitable."

"How about the basement?"

"Well, we have a sort of game room down there. It's fully furnished-"

"No, I'll take the attic, then. Thank you very much for putting up with me."

Annette sprinted up the stairs to the attic, a sparsely furnished expanse stretching away into the darkness. The girl dropped the crate onto the bed, threw her bag onto the ground beside it, and flopped down on the mattress with a sigh. It was nicer up here, darker. She could breathe properly again.

"Oh, God, Midnight, how am I going to do this?"

Midnight shrugged and went back to exploring the attic. Her kittens tumbled after her, tripping over unsteady paws and staggering into each other. Annette was left by herself to ponder her current situation and how dismal everything was turning out.

"Well, time to redecorate, I guess." Annette sat up. "Where should I put my things, I wonder?"

She settled on using the crate as a dresser, much like she'd done back home. Candles were placed on the floor and on any clear surface she could find, and a quick sweep of a lighter gave the whole place a warm, dim glow.

"Okay, then. Jack, Sally, I guess I'm stuck here. What do you propose we do?"

No answer. They hadn't talked in awhile, probably because of the whole foster care thing. Instead, Annette turned to her bag and began unpacking her most precious possessions, stowing each one carefully under the bed.

Then a glint of silver caught her eye. A beautifully crafted dagger with a handle of carved bone was poking through the back of Sally's dress. Annette removed the knife, remembering the birthday present she had gotten her first year with Nny. A dried brownish-red stain splashed across the end of the blade, and some of it had rubbed off into the stuffing of her ragdoll. Annette hugged the dagger to her chest, remembering how Nny had cut his hand while polishing the bone handle. He had thrown the knife at the wall in annoyance, and Annette had never bothered to clean it. She knew she wouldn't until she was safely back with her father in house number 777.

"What do you mean, they took her away?"

Kayako threw a dagger into the door frame. Her eyes blazed red, and even Nny found himself taking a few steps backward.

"The police showed up yesterday and threw her in a foster home. She made me promise not to kill them."

"Can I kill them?"

"No, Kay. It would upset Annie."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to tell everybody? That the kid can't come to skool because she got slammed in a home?"

"Yes, actually. I'm sorry, Kay, but she's probably been transferred to a different skool by now."

"Shit. I am gonna KILL her foster family."

"No, Kay. Just-just don't, okay? I don't want her to get taken away again."

Kayako did a double take. "The hell? Sentimentality from a serial killer. My Goddess I never thought I'd see the day."

"Don't get smug, kid. I could still kill you."

"Oh, somehow I doubt it. Now take care, dear. I'm going to go track down Annie and kill her foster family. Jaane!"

Kayako smiled and left, leaving Nny to wonder if she was suffering from PMS.

"Class, class, we have a new student joining us today. Everyone say hello to Antoinette C."

Dead silence. Annette slouched against the wall in a manner she hoped was kind of pessimistic, but the slight shaking of her hands shoved deep into pockets betrayed her nerves. Her earrings slowly clinked, the skulls on them gleaming in the florescent lights. A small intake of air, and she surveyed the room.

"Hey, what's up with her hair?" asked one girl, a petite blond in a cheerleading outfit. "It's all weird and shit."

"Lexie, don't say that word in here," reprimanded the teacher.

"But still. What is UP with that?"

Annette fingered a strand of her hair. It was blue. She had dyed select portions of it a few weeks ago. That, and cut it. Sort of. Actually, her hair had caught fire shortly after she dyed it, and part of it had burned off. Now her hair was jagged, ending just below her shoulders. Lexie was right. It DID look weird.

"Um, hello, dumbass. Are you awake over there? I asked you a question."

"Actually, you asked the teacher, mon amie. And for your information, I dyed it and burned it. So fuck off." Annette glared at Lexie.

"Antoinette, don't use vulgar language in the classroom."

"My pardons, Madame. Lexie, I'll see you after class. Now where do I sit?"

"The empty seat by the black-haired girl."

"Oui."

Annette sat down, and a feeling of deja vu swept over her. The girl who was to sit next to her was very familiar.

"Hey, Annie. Remember me? I was your best friend in second grade. I'm Demonica."

"Mon DIEU! It's...it's you! I almost forgot you! I'm so sorry I never called back. It's just, well, you see, my mother went insane, and, um...well..."

Demonica raised her eyebrow. "I always knew that lady was psycho. No offense, of course."

"Er...none taken. But, well, she tried to track down my father, and, um, he turned out being a little more insane than she was." Annette looked away. "Let's just say that I got used to blood. Very used to it."

"Sweet. So he killed her, right?"

"Yes. Yes, he did, and I've been staying with him until yesterday. That's when the cops came and took me away to a foster home."

"Really? Man, I'm so sorry. It must be really hard for you to be in a home. I hope your dad gets you back."

Annette took a long hard look at Demonica. Purple hair in the wildest spikes she'd ever seen, black makeup and white face, torn black clothes, and combat boots. She resembled...Annette. YAY!

"Thank you so much, Demonica. I want to get back home so bad. I mean, Nny is really messed up, but I HATE my foster home. It's...pink. Very pink."

"You poor thing. Need me to kill them for you?"

"No, I don't think so. If they die, I might never get to go back. I'm better off running away. But why am I talking about this? We must stop discussing such trivial topics and try to convince our classmates that we're not homicidal freaks."

Everyone, including the teacher, was staring at the pair. Annette smiled reassuringly, as did Demonica. Unfortunately, Demonica had had her canines converted to fangs, and this did little to reassure her peers of her harmlessness.

"So...um...how have you been?"

Demonica grinned. "I've been great. Emancipation from my rents has done me a world of good. I mean, I know I'm just a freshman, but it's never too early to learn to make an honest living. That's why...er, well, I've encountered your dad a few times, I think. He's pretty creative, you know that? Taught me how to castrate someone with a spork."

"You too? Yeah, that's him. Demonica...this isn't helping with the 'we're perfectly normal' thing."

"Eh, let em fear us. It's funner that way."

"I guess so. God, I miss my old friends..."

The door was suddenly kicked open, and a very irate Japanese chick burst into the classroom.

"Konnichiwa, Annie. Who do I need to kill, now? This teacher pissing you off? How about that preppy bitch in the first row?" She twirled a dagger almost nonchalantly, wondering how best to begin.

"Don't kill anyone, Kay. I'm fine, really. Nice to see you. Demonica, this is Kayako, one of my friends from skool. Kay, this is my old friend Demonica."

"Hey, kid. You should transfer. Too many preps here. Wanna go set fire to stuff?" Kayako glared at the teacher before setting a book on fire.

"Sorry, Kay, but I gotta keep a low profile until they let me live with Nny again. And that means no setting fire to things. If you'd like to join us for class, I'm sure the teacher wouldn't mind."

The teacher nodded in agreement, fearing for her safety and hoping the book blaze would be contained by the trash can. Kayako sighed, sat down, and put away her lighter. Her sugar high was wearing off.

"Good. Okay, then. Madame teacher, carry on."

Demonica just smiled and shook her head. Annie had the best friends.

"So are they going to let her come back, or is this permanent?"

Devi had actually choked down her hysteria enough to come to house number 777. She was currently perched on the kitchen table, marveling at how much blood and gore had accumulated after a single day of Annie's absence. Strangely enough, the sight didn't really concern her as much as Nny's appearance.

"Nny, talk to me. You're not well."

Nny was completely devoid of anything resembling his normal angst. His clothes were spotless, as though he hadn't even killed anyone since Annette had left, and the mess in the kitchen was actually probably from a few days ago. Instead, Nny's eyes had taken on a glassy look that Devi had only seen once before-that time when he'd OD'd on caffeine. Devi had ended up taking him to the hospital that time. Maybe she'd have to do that again.

"Nny? Nny? Do I have to kick your arse or something? What's wrong? I mean, I know the whole thing with Annie, but for GOD'S SAKE, MAN, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. I don't like doing this concerned friend shit, okay, so you better snap out of it before I kill you."

Nny slowly turned to look at her. "Why bother? In fact, go ahead and kill me. I'm getting sick of this plane of existence. Maybe this time I'll get some answers."

"Oh, for God's sake. Okay, you know what? I'm going to torch one of your paintings, got it? Ooh, look, this one looks nice. Now where's the lighter fluid?"

Devi stopped just before she dumped the lighter fluid on the painting. Nny was holding a knife to her throat.

"Oh, good. You're back. How was insanity? Hope you enjoyed it, because the real world really sucks right now."

"Drop the lighter fluid."

She obeyed. "So, what's your plan?"

"I'm letting her find her own way back."

"Really? That's not what I was expecting."

"Well, she can take care of herself, right? In the meantime, I should get back to work. Or maybe get some new weaponry. Annie needs a few new toys to play with when she gets home."

Nny dropped the knife and left the room. Devi sighed and pocketed the lighter, wondering why she even bothered with such a psychotic freak.

"It's because you love him, dear," said the voice in her head.

"Oh, Goddess, not you again."

"So this is my room."

"It's dark. Ooh, sweet dagger. Is that blood?"

"Don't touch it. It's, um, special. There's another one like it over there."

"Oh, got it. So your dad got these for you?"

"Most of them. A few I had to buy myself when he forgot to remind me to bring Jack and Sally with me...Eh, well, the streets can be dangerous for a teenager."

Demonica stared into a candle. The flames flickered upward for a moment before returning to a small glow around the wick. Her red eyes reflected the fire, and she smiled at the kitten who examined the melted wax around the candle curiously.

"Yeah. So how are you going to get back home?"

"I don't really have that worked out yet. Kayako can't kill them, I know that. I sent her back to her house with a new dagger. That girl loves Asian weaponry. Her parents are trying to discourage her from being homicidal, but so far she's just given them the finger. In fact, she and my father ended up in prison awhile ago. They were kicked out, though, after they massacred most of the guards and a few prisoners."

"Oh, to be that lucky..."

Annette flopped down on her bed with a sigh. So far, Kayako had been the only one of her friends to track her down. Maybe the others hadn't wanted to skip skool. Or maybe they just didn't care all that much.

"Oh, good Lord. Annie, your friends are probably being watched like hawks after the prison thing. My guess is Kayako only came because she killed something. Don't worry about it."

"Who wants cookies?" cooed Mika Vargas, popping her head through the door.

" Get out of my room! " screamed Annette.

"Oh, sorry, girls, I didn't mean to intrude. Here, I'll leave the cookies by the door. Have fun, dears."

"You know, I should have let somebody kill that woman," growled Annette.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get out of here."

"I hope so..."

Toni paced the room, eyes blazing. Kayako contemplated throwing a dagger at her, but she resisted for fear of retaliation. Eric was sprawled out on the ground, either high or inebriated, nobody had been able to figure it out yet. Wolfgang, usually the drunk one, was for once sober and worried, though he hid the latter well. Remi was just sitting there, bored as hell. Tom...well, Tom hadn't been there for a LONG time. Nobody was sure exactly what had happened to him, but they knew it was bad.

"Hey, guys," Ben stood up. "We should go get her. I mean, what's to lose? Kay's already been to jail."

"I don't think so. She might not want us to help. Maybe Annie's enjoying herself."

"Eric, you stoner, she HATES her foster home." Kayako snarled and jumped up. "But she won't let us kill them. Said something about wanting to get home legit. Or maybe she just wanted to kill them herself. I don't know. I wasn't really listening."

"Sit down, Kay." Wolfgang rolled his eyes. "I suggest we try to get over it and let her come home on her own. We don't need to get her any more upset by trying to convince her to kill everything. Anybody feel like seeing a movie?"

"Screw you, Wolfie. I want to go see Annie." Toni gave him the finger and left.

Or tried to. Halfway down the driveway, a flying Japanese skoolgirl tackled her to the ground.

"Holy CRAP! KAY, YOU IDIOT! GET OFF OF ME!"

Kayako just grinned and nuzzled her head. "Oh, why so glum, Toni? You don't like me anymore? I thought you loved me."

"God, you are INSANE. Uh, guys! Somebody get her off of me!"

"Well, well, look what we have here. you know, I'd be a little creeped out if I hadn't seen this before."

A pair of pointy black boots appeared very close to Toni's hair, and suddenly Kayako had been picked up and was nestled in the arms of a very smug little hellhound. The Japanese teenager smiled and let herself be carried back into the house.

"Oh, God. Not him." Toni sat up and shook the dirt from her hair. "Pepito, get your hand away from there. Is anybody gonna help ME up?"

"Sorry, cherie, but the driveway is not a place to take a nap."

Nny helped her up, then slipped into the house without another word. Toni just rolled her eyes. It was always kind of annoying when Nny pulled that "mysterious stranger" crap. Hell, it was HIS house they were in. It's not like they'd just met the guy. Oh, well. At least he let them use his house as a base of operations for their world domination plots.

Eric lifted his head up for a moment, stared blearily at her, and went back to sleep. Nobody bothered to wake him up, as he could be incredibly irritable when he had a hangover.

"What made you decide to drop by, Pepito?" queried Kayako, lacing her fingers together around the back of the boy's neck. "They kick you out of college already or did you just miss me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Kay. I just wanted to know why Devi's ranting about Annette being gone. She run away or something?"

"No, they put her in a foster home." Ben smiled. "Nny seems to think she can take care of herself, so don't get any ideas."

"Well you could always send some of your little friends to watch out for her or something," laughed Remi.

"Oh, those little demons are kawaii," giggled Kayako.

"Uh, Kay, you can let go of me now. I want to sit down." Pepito attempted to dislodge Kay's arms from his neck and failed miserably.

" Oh, Pepito, don't be a spoilsport. You can sit down just fine. " Kay grinned again and nuzzled his head.

"This is just disgusting. Can we leave now?" Ben stood up and headed for the door. "Come on, guys, let's leave the lovebirds alone."

"Man, Kay, you sure are affectionate today," laughed Remi. "Have you been hitting the sake again?"

"Maaaaaaaybe." Kayako giggled and buried her head in Pepito's chest.

"Why do you put up with her, anyway?" asked Remi.

"Well, I figure I need someone to play with for all eternity. This girl's got the making of a real killer. I like that in a chick."

"How eloquent. I'm leaving." Wolfgang followed Toni, hoping that she hadn't left with his car yet.

"Hey, guys, wait up. I'll, uh...come on, Eric, up you go. We're getting out of here." Remi hefted Eric into a more or less standing position, then dragged him out the door.

A time later, Kay lifted her head. "Hmm. They're gone. What do you say we-"

"You two. Out. Now."

Nny grabbed them both, pulling them apart. A quick heave, and the teenagers went flying out the door. He slammed the door shut, sighed, and went back downstairs. Those damned kids had an infinite number of places to do that in. The whole thing sickened him.

"Cat, go away. I'm not in the mood for play." He nudged a small black cat away from his feet and picked up a scalpel. "Now let's go see how that convenience store clerk is doing?"

Annette sighed. It had been a week, and already her foster family was trying to make it seem like she'd always lived there. They had laboriously tried to decipher her favorites, be it food or movie, and somehow they'd even managed to figure out what her hobbies were. Well, some of them, anyway.

"What's that noise?"

Mika poked her head in through the door, and a dagger just barely missed her head. She stifled a scream, then stared open-mouthed at the teenager who was still holding a knife.

"Oh, oh my. Well, I guess this doesn't much surprise me. Like father, like daughter, I suppose."

"What do you mean, Madame?"

"I met the man, you know. He's pretty spry for a skinny little thing. Just about chopped my head off. Isn't that silly? I told him I'd put in a good word about him to the police, get you back sooner. Now why don't you put those away and come downstairs. I made cookies!"

Annette carefully set down the knife and came to the door. Mika smiled, turned, and went downstairs.

"You know, I can't say too much good about that father of yours. Why is he so angry all the time?"

"He's had a lot of things happen to him. A lot of bad things."

"He rant like that all the time?"

"Yes. Yes, he does. I like listening to his rants. They're really very wonderful. So full of analysis on the atrocities of human life. Now if you have something you'd like to say, I suggest you say it right now." Annette stopped on the stairs, crossed her arms, and refused to move.

"Well...I just want to say that maybe it would be best if you stayed here for awhile longer. I mean, well...he tried to kill me, your father. Said he'd killed my brother."

"And he more than likely did. What's your point?"

"You don't see? It's dangerous for a young girl like you to be staying alone with a man like that. An unbalanced creature, who knows what he's done to you?"

"What are you suggesting, Madame?" Annette's eyes narrowed, their black rims furthering the slitted look. "Do you mean to say that...my father may have done something to me?"

"Well, he certainly warped your mind past all hope of recovery!"

"I'm leaving."

"What?"

Annette went back upstairs. "I don't like how you're talking to me, and I'm leaving. If you're going to turn me against my own father, I'm better off staying with my homicidal Japanese friend back home."

"Now you get back here, young lady-"

"Midnight, round up the kittens. I'm leaving."

Ten minutes later, Annette, followed by a cat and five kittens, jumped out the attic window and landed silently on the hard earth. She fingered a dagger, then exchanged it for a small iron nail. There was a movement in the kitchen window, and she threw the tiny shard of metal. A soft gasp and a thud, and Mika Vargas was no more.

"Good. Let's go, guys. Any idea how to get a ride back to town?"

Ten minutes later, Annette found Demonica under a tree in the park.

"Um, Dem? Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yeah, what?"

"You can drive now, right?"

"Yeah, the state issued me a license because of the emancipation thing. I live in my van. Why? Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"How about you come back to my place with me? Nny wouldn't mind an extra kid in the house, at least not for awhile."

"I'd love to. You kill the foster family or what?"

"Well, just the mother. She was getting irritating. Can we go now? The kittens are getting antsy."

"Okay, whatever, let's go."

"Um...Can you let us in? It's late, and we're cold. Nny? Nny, I know you're awake!"

The door creaked open, and a gaunt, pale face peered out of the gloom into a darkness that was actually slightly brighter than the inside of the house. His eyes widened once he finally recognized the face of the girl standing in front of him, but he said nothing. After all, there wasn't much to say.

"I'm terribly sorry to arrive without warning, and for bringing a guest, but Demonica doesn't have anywhere to stay. Can we come in now?"

"Yes, of course. Hello, Demonica. Come in, girls. Oh, look, the kittens even decided to return. Did the police let you go already?"

"I sort of let myself go. Let's go make dinner. I'm starved."

Nny smiled and pulled his daughter into a hug. He just as quickly turned and left, but the brief show of emotion had been enacted, and Annette smiled. Her father was quite an interesting character.

"So that's Nny, then. He looked taller when I saw him. And more creepy."

"Well, he's got to tone it down for me, being as how I'm a scared little girl."

"I see. How do I get enrolled in your skool, now?"

"We'll take care of that later. Let me show you my room. You can stay there until we clean out another room."

Annette smiled, drinking in the dark aura of the house. 777 was her home, and she was sure glad to be back.

"Annie! I'm making ramen. Tell your friend not to expect much. I'm not a great cook, you know."

A small giggle, and Annette shook her head. She would never get used to those little outbursts of Nny's. Then she caught sight of her dolls, which somehow had been placed back on her bed, and she knew that everything was as it should be.

"The family is whole, and all is right with the world," she murmured to herself.

"Hey, Annie, there's a dead body in the bathroom!"

"Coming!" She glanced at the dolls once more and hurried off. "Honestly, Nny, I'm gone for a week and you manage to get the house filthy again. That's the last time I leave YOU alone."

Author's note: oh, goddess, I cant believe I did that. Nny was….totally ooc. I mean, NORRIBLY OOC. O well. Hopefully you all can enjoy it. I better go before im caught online again…heh, heh. See ya, kiddies.

raven, your friendly Neptunian insomniac