9

"You are sorry excuses for bladers! You should be thanking me that I haven't thrown your worthless selves from this abbey!" Boris shouted his words slicing the cold air like a hot knife through butter.

"Why does he always drone on like that, it's not like anybody even listens." Ian mused leaning over to talk to Kami as she watched the instructor with a bored expression.

"He likes the sound of his own voice." she replied solemnly he words not far from the truth, method of the madness. Closing her eyes she tried to rest only to hear a sharp clap not but an inch from her ear.

"Kotai are you listening to Balcov?" the guard teasingly refered to as, "Witless" questioned glaring at her harshly.

"Honestly no." she snapped her anger for the foolish man breaking through her usually stone facade.

The smug look he had earned from catching her faded when she opened her pale orbs to reveal a look fit only for the rage of Hades himself. A piercing gaze seemed to reach into his very soul ripping his vital life source to shreds. Sneering at her he turned his attention and kept on his patrol weaving in and out of the soilder like children of the infamous abbey.

Snorting her bordem she went back to her previous thinking the part she had only just returned to when Wit had so rudely interrupted. Thinking back on her years at the abbey it never quite made sense to even her sharp mind. Boris, when not under the impression of money or power, was a much nicer man to be around. He would give them time off from their studies and even spare them the tourture of around the clock training. But it seemed as soon as the influence of one Voltaire Hiwatari he was back at it striving for all the rewards of a victory.

People had been quoted saying the abbey children were, "emotionless" which was in itself a blatant lie. They knew of emotions, GOD never made a living being without them. And although most kids were brought up to ignore and dispise them it didn't mean they didn't exist. It was as if they were the last priority on a very long list of life. But to say they were emotionless just showed exactly how cruel and heartless the world could be. If they had no feelings then why did it still hurt to see a child with their family? Or being torn away from a mother a the front gates? Words still stung the heart as they always would, it was a fault that could never be corrected. Besides the first pain and fear were also emotions and of those arts the children knew well. In the abbey there was one basic rule the drove every student to win, losing is not an option. Kill or be killed, even though it didn't technically mean the death of anybody in literall terms it all felt the same.

Even if they left the abbey that instinct would always remain, no person who passed through those stone cold walls would ever be the same. It was the same as jumping into the eye of a storm and excepting to come out unscathed, it just wasn't possible.

Looking over she spotted Spencer listening to the voice of a younger child his stone eyes softening when the boy pulled up his pant leg to reveal a scrape from a fall. Smiling to herself she sighed knowing that even though it was well hidden there was love. Just as Spencer felt compassion for the child every student of the abbey could feel for another. Sure there were fights and scaps here and there but all they really had was each other and that was a point they used to the fullest. If there was one feeling that Kami couldn't bear it was the feeling of being truely alone in the world. She would rather face the devil himself then to have the helplessness take hold of her heart once again.

Shifting her gaze she watched as Boris finished his daily lecture and dismissed them for the remainder of the day, leaving them to their own devices. Grapping hold of Ians arm she expertly stole the moments of time to race to Spencer, he was always the meeting place. It wasn't as if you could miss the sight of the giant in the crowd, he just wasn't something you could overlook.

Reaching his side through little to no trouble she rolled her eyes when Ian yanked free and went about jabbering away to the blonde telling him all the little parts that went about his day. Spencer would nod and listen to every detail his kind heart not allowing him different. Ian was a work in progress, but he was getting there. Every member of the team accepted him and he now lived with them sharing a room with Kami and often sharing her bed as he had many, "night-terrors" as he put it. In a way it was like she was given a second chance at being an older sister, and this time she would not fail. Ian Valcovich would never fell the pains her brother had as long as she was breathing. Never.

Hearing a voice she turned to find Bryan rolling his eyes as Tala went about explaining another of his miraculous adventures to him. His hand movements were enough to tell it was a lie as he went about swinging them frantically. Somewhere down the line Tala must have had a great aunt of uncle who was undoubtably a pathological liar.

Watching their approach she sent the falcon a sympathetic glance before stopping at the sound of Kai's voice. "Tala are you sure you weren't reincarnated?" he voiced smoothly.

"No. Why?" the wolf stopped eyeing the younger suspiciously.

"Because nobody could splurt so much bull-shit in one lifetime." Kai snorted shaking his head when the red-head only gave him the finger before turning away with an annoyed glance. Somewhere through his mumblings the word, "Jealous bastard" broke through although nobody paid him any heed. Ian was to busy going into fits of laughter having just had Spencer explain reincarnation to him.

XxLaterxX

Looking down at his blade Ian glared when a dull spot caught his attention, "I swear Wyborg, I just cleaned you and now you went and got all dirty again."

"Ian it got dirty when he threw it at Bryan." Kami tutted from her place on the couch her eyes scanning a book with an expert ease.

"Oh yeah I remember now." he replied thoughtfully. Turning to face the opposite chair he pouted, "Bryan I just cleaned Wyborg and there you went and got him all dirty again."

Letting out a sigh the panther rubbed her temples in a rythmic way feeling the oncoming headache as the falcon and snake started their rounds for the night. The two, although claiming otherwise, had become so fond of each other that they often disappeared together and were then found staging tricks on some of the older members of the abbey. Bryan would be the lookout and sometime lift as Ian couldn't reach many things, hence the reason for having Spencer and numerous step-stools planted around the cabin.

"Hey cub what are we having for dinner?" Bryan asked suddenly looking up from where he had been bickering with Ian.

"What do you want?" she asked back not bothering to look up.

"Well what do we have?" Ian quirked finding something else to keep his interest.

"Ian, Bryan don't be pests." she warned watching them skeptically.

"How about stir-fry. We haven't had that for awhile." Spencer suggested.

"I guess. All in favor hit Bryan." the panther replied smirking when every other occupant moved to slug the falcon. Letting out a sigh she set her book aside and retreated to the kitchen. Upon entering she went into mother hen mode, this was one of the things she could do repeatedly and not be bothered. Kami was usually distant and quiet and never in a million years would somebody guess that she insisted on making them meals rather then them eating from the cafeteria like the rest.

First off they had the food and supplies, generously provided by Voltaire, and besides that it was something she enjoyed. It made her friends happy and she could never substitute a little less for the looks they gave her when eating homecooked meals. None of her brothers really had a mother to speak of so none of them ever gave much thought to this. It was like something they would always long for but never get. So as this was one of the things she could provide for them, why not?

Pulling free the ingrediants and then the untensils she went about her work humming softly as doing so. The food held many items and required much more effort then the usual but the one thing found in the offering that no other child at the abbey would get from the cafeteria was the love she held, especially in making them happy. Whether it was through their stomachs or their skills it was well worth it. Hearing a laugh she turned to stare out the doorless exit that lead to the den.

Peaking through she smiled at the hopeless scene. Bryan and Ian were now going about wrestling, Bryan humoring the smaller by pretending to be injured and letting him take some victory that with any other competitor he would be denied. Shaking her head she looked up to lock eyes with none other than the notorious phoenix, Kai Hiwatari. Letting on a small smile she gave him a soft look that was indiscreetly returned.

"Okay guys dinner will be ready in half an hour you got it. Tala stop teasing Spencer, Ian please don't kill Bryan and Kai make sure they don't break anything." Getting nods and a chorus of "Yes mother" she scowled at them before re-entering the kitchen. "Well they may be pest..." she mumbled, "But either way they are my pests."

A/N

They have grown up some have they not? This was easy to write and after I started and saw how fast it got done I realized I made a big deal of nothing. Anyway I thought it would be nice to have Kami regularly make them dinner as a way to fill in as a mother-figure they never had. Anyway please review and tell me what you think. Thanx again. Catcha' later.

-Tawnie