The second one is more of a drabble. Enjoy!

Dru

68. Lightning

"You're scared," a dark whisper hung over her head.

Mimi jumped about a foot in the air.

"Collins!" she screamed. He fell over on the couch, laughing hysterically.

"She wasn't scared until you scared her!" Joanne pointed out, sticking up for her, all the while trying to sort through a pile of fabric.

"Isn't it true that all girls get a little jumpy when there's lightning present?" Mark asked helping Joanne.

"No! I don't get jumpy when there's lightning!" Maureen hopped up on the couch. "I do know it only happens when gods angry."

"That's not true," Mimi said, somewhat stubbornly.

"It is too!" Maureen retorted.

"Isn't!"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Mimi! Enough!" Roger teased her, kicking her gently from his spot in a chair near the sofa.

"What? And she doesn't get anything!" Mimi whined.

"Hey, it's not my job to scold Maureen babe. That's all Joanne," Roger replied, lifting his eyebrows in fake expectance at Joanne. She only lifted her hands up in peace.

"Don't look at me!"

"Baby! You don't really believe that lightning only happens when gods angry do you?" Mimi turned around to ask him.

"I think it's possible," Angel piped up, coming in from the kitchen and taking a seat next to Collins' on their couch. A loud rumble echoed through the house followed by the windows being lit up with a few short flashes of light. Mimi whimpered slightly at Roger's feet.

"Aw come here you stubborn thing," he brought her into his lap and cuddled her close.

"Hey. Nothing over PG in front of the children," Mark pushed Collins slightly.

"Speak for yourself!" Collins laughed, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Hey!" Angel scolded, smacking his leg.

"Joanne you don't believe that lightning is the outcome of gods' anger do you?" Mimi asked. Joanne looked up at Mimi and smiled.

"Meems. Buddy, friend, pal, companion. I stopped listening to you guys a while back." Mimi growled softly in a state of defeat, nuzzling her head underneath Roger's chin and promptly falling asleep.

"It does look cool in the dark like this," Collins parted the shades a bit, trying to peer outside as best he could through the rain-splattered window pane.

"I wish I had my camera," Mark squished next to him.

"You forgot it?" Roger gasped mockingly and laughed at the look Mark shot him.

"Go to sleep lover boy," Mark shot back. Roger only brought his arms around his sleeping girlfriend and stuck his tongue out. Only a few minutes later, he was asleep too. Angel was already asleep against Collins' shoulder and Maureen was curled up on the other end of the couch.

"I'm pretty much…," Collins paused to yawn. "Out of the conversation so. Night." As if at the flip of a switch, Collins was fast asleep, his head rested on top of Angels.

"Was there ever a conversation?" Mark asked curiously, cocking his head slightly. Joanne pushed her pile of fabric to the floor and sighed.

"Not that I was ever a part of." More lightning lit up the living room.

"Should…we carry one out?" Mark asked. Joanne raised her eyebrows at him. "For Mimi's sake," he added quickly.

"Ok. If I had to say something. NO lightning doesn't only happen when gods angry! But since Mimi's pretty much an innocent still, I'm not going to contribute to your and Roger's charade at corrupting her little mind." Mark snorted and sat back into his chair. Seeing his friends all cuddled together caused him to muster up a yawn of his own.

"Night Mark," Joanne yawned and managed to make a spot between Collins and Maureen to settle down. Mark smiled to himself, taking off his glasses and propping them on the edge of the coffee table. A final flash of lighting glazed over one of the lenses and boomeranged back into the window pane.

"Night Joanne."

74. Dark

The darkness of the room bubbled Mimi up with a certain sort of excitement. The loft made it even that more exhilarating. Night time. The gentle breeze fluttering in through the open balcony door. All her senses were on high alert. She loved the feeling of being nocturnal, sneaky, and cat-like even all at the same time. So once Mark came stumbling into the living room pausing to let his eyes get adjusted to the dark room she naturally ducked behind the couch and waited for the perfect time to pounce. And when that time came, adrenaline took over and soon Mark was pressed down into the cushions. He let out a muffled noise which sounded like a mixture of a squeak and a scream. He pushed Mimi off of him.

"Damn it Mimi," he muttered angrily under his breath. Mimi sat back and giggled.

She couldn't wait until Roger got home.