Thursday, June 1st, 2017

Bastille, Paris

12:35 GMT+2 (10:35 GMT June 1st)

"I win!"

"You cheated!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Va te lécher le cul!"

"Crude bitch!"

"Okay, Les Enfants," Adrien called out.

The two youngsters were annoyed – and a little bit bored – as they had enjoyed being with their friends, but now they just had one another. The out of the ordinary distraction had been full of fun and they now missed their friends. While the pair normally got on reasonably well – to a point – they had both acquired the same talent of being able to piss each other off at the drop of a hat, much to the annoyance of Les Adultes! Generally, there were only two times in the day when they weren't trying to wind each other up, and that was when they were eating and when they were sleeping. Therefore, Marinette was busy cooking food which she hoped would appease Les Enfants.

"We have a problem!" Alya suddenly shouted out from the command centre.

"What?" Marinette asked as she appeared from the kitchen.

"Explosion at Disneyland."

"This has Kaitlin written all over it," Yvette chuckled.

Yvette received a very sour look from Marinette.

"We rolling?" Owen asked.

"Can't do any harm," Marinette considered as she began to strip off. "Covert suits only."

Just minutes later, two motorcycles dodged in and out of the Parisian traffic, making for the pall of black smoke which was readily visible to the southeast of the city.

Thursday, June 1st

Disneyland Paris
Walt Disney Studios Park

12:55 GMT+2 (10:55 GMT June 1st)

Getting out of the park was easier said than done, considering the chaos of terrorised families and the thousands of people who were generally milling around, confused, scared.

Cassie and Andrew were keeping a very tight hold of their children, one in each hand. Normally, Jake would not hold hands, but the boy did not struggle; he was just as worried as the others. Andrew was doing his best to see over the heads of the crowd of fleeing, panicked people, trying to find a quicker, clearer route to get to the exit and thence out of the park and to safety.

Then, out of the blue, there came another explosion, only unlike the last time, the explosion was meant to maim and kill. The blast came from a rubbish bin, located at an intersection where three broad roads came together. The key intersection was currently a choke point full of people: men, women, and children. The blast cut through the human mass like a hot knife through butter. Shards of the explosive device scythed through the human bodies, digging deep and ripping open flesh. Amid the sounds of the explosion, there were screams as people fell en masse. The roadway ran with a horrible mix of bodily fluids as the walking wounded staggered in all directions seeking help. Ominously, there were several objects lying on the roadway which leaked further bodily fluids.

Those same objects, far from being recognised as still warm bodies, were being trampled by those still living who were desperate to escape the carnage and any further explosions.

..._...

The location of the explosion had been carefully planned and the explosive package had been specifically placed at a choke point – a kill zone, if you will – where different streets converged ensuring that many would be close by during the devastating event.

While it was not intended to kill everyone – it was more of a terror tactic to inflict just enough injury and death, so as to drive everyone into a deadly frenzied panic. The attack had produced exactly that, as well as paralyzing the park and preventing first aiders from reaching the badly injured and the dying. Almost everyone there had loved ones whom they needed to protect, despite their own fear. Parents did their utmost to keep their respective families together, despite the horror unfolding around them.

Cassie was just as terrified as every other parent there, and she was in shock; she felt fear like she had never felt fear before. The fear she felt was primarily for her children, and for whole minutes, she simply crouched down, hugging Naomi and Kaitlin to her and shielding them from the world which was falling apart around them. It had been a natural act as she had focused on her children and feverishly checked over both girls, but neither was injured she was very thankful to find – the family group had been far enough from the explosion to survive the explosive blast and its deadly shrapnel. Finally, after many minutes amidst all the screaming and carnage, the alter ego of Cassie, Nemesis, took control and she focussed on gathering everybody together and getting them all to safety. Andrew was also in a state of shock as he covered Jake and Charlotte with his body, but Andrew had had very little of the exposure to violence and death which Cassie had experienced, not to mention a lack of training, and he struggled to hold it together.

Then, just as he and Cassie were coming to terms with events and beginning to make sense of everything, there came another explosion and Cassie felt herself falling to the ground, pushed by the force of the explosion and by the crush of humankind all around her.

With her, Cassie inadvertently dragged the two girls to the ground, and they each sprawled onto the roadway.

..._...

Kaitlin helped Naomi to her feet, pushing away the bodies which thrust past and threatened to send them both flying under the crush of the human stampede.

"I'm not fragile!" Naomi growled.

"Okay!" Kaitlin pouted. "Just looking out for you, is all!"

"Thanks," Naomi responded, relenting as she saw the genuine look of concern in Kaitlin's expression.

Kaitlin smiled as she pushed Naomi closer to Cassie and perceived safety. In Kaitlin's mind, they had to stay together as her training told her that there was safety in numbers, and she trusted Cassie explicitly to look after the pair of them and get them to safety – one way or another.

The five of them fought through the throng of panicked individuals and families struggling to escape the death and destruction. To make things worse, the police and paramedics were trying to force their way against the flow of people to get to the injured – it was like trying to push the wrong way against an unrelenting raging torrent of water. The crowd was pressing in on the family group as they tried in vain to escape. Then the very worst happened as the family group was violently jostled from every direction by the throng of humanity.

"Cass, you seen Charlotte?" Andrew shouted.

"No – she not with you?"

"I lost grip of her."

"You still got Jake?"

"Yes, he's still here . . . oh, shit, I just lost his hand."

Cassie looked all around her, panic building and beginning to spread through her . . . it was every parent's worst nightmare . . . where were they...?

"Charlotte! Jake!"

Amidst all the frenzied shouting and screaming, she heard nothing in response to her increasingly desperate yells.

Disneyland Paris
Walt Disney Studios Park

13:08 GMT+2 (11:08 GMT June 1st)

Park entrance

La Coccinelle slewed to a halt close to the Disneyland entrance.

La Terreaur pulled off her helmet as she jumped off the back of the motorcycle and she began to search for her friends. Termino joined her seconds later as he pulled off his own helmet and climbed off Le Chat Noir's machine.

"Stay together, you two," Le Chat Noir ordered.

"Oui, bien sur," La Terreaur called back.

The two youngsters were very quickly swallowed up by the crowd. La Coccinelle and Le Chat Noir followed along a short distance behind, their eyes scanning faces and surroundings for any hint of danger to them, their friends, or the many panicked civilians massing all around them. Nobody appeared to notice the masked individuals who were even then infiltrating the crowds; whose attention, naturally, was very much on escaping.

It took everything the young pair had to push their way through the crowds. Everyone was trying to get out while the pair of them were trying to force their way in. Neither Predator was primarily interested in anyone but their friends . . . not that their worry prevented them from assisting children who were being crushed by the adults who seemed to care less about the youngsters who had no idea what was going on nor how to get to safety without their parents.

Termino used his strength to yank a boy and two girls out of harm's way before they were trampled, pushing the youngsters up onto a wall from where they could see and be seen. Termino pointed them towards the exit and told them to stick to the top of the three-foot wall as much as possible. La Terreaur was annoyed by the interruption but she knew that they were vigilantes and that they were sworn to protect the city of Paris and everyone who existed within the city's borders.

Secretly, she was proud of her friend – not that she would ever openly admit it.

13:12 GMT+2 (11:12 GMT June 1st)

La Terreaur & Termino

Termino's eyes were everywhere as he searched for the girls and Jake.

He was also watching the back of La Terreaur as the girl forced her way through the crowd. Then the girl swung up and away from the marauding crowd by swarming up a steel lamppost and getting a good look down into the crowd from a few feet above. The youngster's keen eyes soon spotted what she was looking for and she radioed Termino with the information, guiding the boy who was unable to see much more than six inches ahead of him to her target.

It was with great relief that she finally heard Termino's voice over her earpiece.

13:17 GMT+2 (11:17 GMT June 1st)

La Terreaur & Termino
Charlie & Jake

"Charlie!" Termino exclaimed.

Charlotte looked up to see a masked face looking down at her.

"Termino?"

"That's me!"

"Found you!" a voice exclaimed from beyond Charlotte.

"Jake?" Termino asked.

"That's me!"

Charlotte hugged Jake close as Termino protected the pair from being crushed.

Not too far away...

13:18 GMT+2 (11:18 GMT June 1st)

Kaitlin, Naomi & Cassie

Kaitlin noticed two men looking at her and Naomi from a short distance away.

She had seen them both, earlier on in the day, doing the very same thing, but in all the excitement of being at Disneyland Paris, she had basically ignored them. However, the two men looked to be comparing her with a piece of paper each held in their giant hands, then they began to move towards her.

"We need to move," Kaitlin said urgently, pulling Naomi with her. "Cassie..."

Kaitlin suddenly found herself alone as the crowd had moved on, taking Cassie with it.

"Kaitlin!"

"Cassie!"

Cassie was trying desperately to push her way back to her girls, but the flow of the crowd was far too strong for her.

..._...

Kaitlin pulled Naomi in the same direction in which the crowd was flowing as that was the same direction in which Cassie had been dragged – it made no logical sense to head in any other direction, Kaitlin reasoned to herself.

As they pushed through the crowds, Kaitlin barely noticed Naomi's grip becoming looser, but then their hands separated, and Kaitlin instantly spun around. She was horrified to see that Naomi was folding like a marionette whose strings had just been released and falling to the roadway.

"Noami!" Kaitlin screamed, then she looked up in horror at the two men who were pursuing them.

The men were relentless; shoving aside anyone who stood in their way. The large pistols held in their hands were being used to club anyone who took too long to move – nothing was going to prevent them from reaching their quarry, or so it seemed. One of the men was grinning as he caught sight of one of the two girls, one lying on the roadway and the other standing close by.

"NO!" the younger girl yelled as she turned to face the men, putting herself between them and Naomi.

Both men laughed at the sight of the small girl blocking their path.

"Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, little girl."

"You go through me!" Kaitlin bristled, not moving an inch.

"So be it," one of the men growled as he stuffed his pistol into the front of his trousers and advanced on Kaitlin while his partner moved towards Naomi.

Kaitlin had her work cut out, but she knew that she could hold them both off for a short amount of time – long enough for help to arrive? She hoped so. Kaitlin ran at the man, kicking him hard in the chest, but she may as well have attacked a building for what good it did. She found herself punched in the side and she fell to the ground, the pain almost incapacitating her, but she scrambled back to her feet and she continued to fight. A fist struck her in the side of the head and Kaitlin fell to the ground where she saw nothing but stars for several moments. She quickly rose back to her feet and she struck again and again; both times she was shoved back to the ground.

Kaitlin slowly began to realise that she had been lured away from Naomi and as she looked around, she could no longer see the older girl, her sister. Panic began to creep into her mind, and she knew that she had to end the fight swiftly if she was ever to find Naomi again. The little girl cursed herself for falling for the ploy and leaving Naomi open to be taken. But that thought, the thought of her mistake, it galvanised her into fighting harder and faster. Her training came to the fore and it did not matter that she was just nine years old, nor that she weighed a fraction of what the man did, nor that he seemed twice her height. Indeed, those aspects were exactly what she had been trained to ignore. For Kaitlin, everything around her faded to the point that she and the man may as well have been in a room alone. Her focus was one hundred percent and training which she had not used in years came to the fore – especially that which helped her to kill no matter what. She became a killing machine, a CIA assassin who would not back down until her foe was deceased.

The man, a nasty piece of work himself, was surprised to see the little girl change before him from an irrelevance due to be snuffed out, to something dark and worrisome. The man was used to others being scared of him – especially children – but the girl showed no fear. Nor did the girl show recklessness – no, it was calculated, and that worried the man, slightly. He knew that he could snap the little girl in two with two fingers, let alone anything more, but something told him to be wary, however, his male ego did not allow him to follow that advice, and his fate was sealed as Kaitlin ran at him, full pelt, jumping up into the air as she came, her face contorted with hate and anger with not a hint of fear visible as the man saw death in the dark eyes coming closer and closer. He was no stranger to death, and he recognised a killer's eyes when he saw them – only never in a girl so young. With ease, Kaitlin struck the man in the chest, putting him off balance. Kaitlin grasped the man around the neck, and she squeezed her arms together in a bear hug, squeezing for all she was worth as she wrapped her legs around the man's waist from the back.

The man bellowed in anger as he felt his breathing hindered by his windpipe being compressed. He knew that no matter who you were, you needed oxygen to survive, and given enough time, anybody could be suffocated. It was with stark realisation that the man realised he was dying at the hands of a professional killer who had calculated her attack and pounced without hesitation, executing her plan and executing him. But the man countered, as he lashed out and he caught the girl in the head with his left hand, sending her falling away from him. He grinned as he took a lungful of live-giving air before he turned his attention back to the girl, only to find that he had been outwitted a second time in as many minutes.

Two loud cracks rang out and the surrounding crowd screamed even more than they already were as they scattered. The man's expression was one of confusion, but then one of intense pain, before the expression changed to one of incredulity. His hands which had instinctively clasped over his stomach, came away bloody. For a moment, he simply stared at his bloody hands, uncomprehending. Then, as he fell to his knees, he looked up at the little girl, all bruised and bloody, and he focussed on his own pistol raised in her small hands. He grinned at the odds of losing to the girl, just moments before he saw a final flash . . . then he saw nothing and never would again.

Kaitlin looked down at the dead man for just a brief moment, like she might look at an ant she had just squashed, before she shrugged and turned away to find Naomi.

13:28 GMT+2 (11:28 GMT June 1st)

Naomi

Naomi began to regain consciousness.

She felt so weak . . . what was wrong with her? Sharp pains cut through her chest and stomach area indicating that it was her existing injury causing her problems. As she looked around, she saw no familiar faces. Where was Kaitlin? Where was her family? Then she felt herself being lifted off the ground, but the arms were not familiar. She tried to fight off whomever it was, but the arms were too strong, and she was far too weak. Her mind screamed at her to react, to fight, but her body reported back that it could do nothing to assist her mind. However, her eyes were cooperating, and she could see that she and her captor were making for the exit from the park. She knew that if they reached that point, then she would be lost. Her mind then began to fill with images of Harper being tortured and Harper's many injuries. Naomi felt fear like she had never known it before, and she began to sob as she realised that there was absolutely nothing that she could do to improve her situation. She feared never seeing her family again and she feared the pain which might come to her during her interrogation, for she could not see any other reason for taking her, but to interrogate her.

Nowhere could Naomi see a face she recognised, and she so desperately wanted to see a friendly face.

13:28 GMT+2 (13:28 GMT June 1st)

Kaitlin

The little girl showed no signs of panic as she strode confidently through the crowds.

She showed no signs of remorse for the man whom she had just killed, nor did she seem to care who saw her with the big black pistol held in her hands. Not that anybody noticed the weapon – or the girl, for that matter – as they were too busy fighting the fear which they all felt as they battled to escape the theme park. Kaitlin's eyes flew everywhere, searching for Naomi . . . then she had her. Actually, a man had her. Kaitlin screamed out as she saw Naomi being taken away from her.

"NO!"

The man turned slightly at the sound of the yell, but then the bastard simply grinned at Kaitlin before he turned back into the throng of the marauding crowd. Kaitlin was too far away – there was nothing she could do and there were far too many people milling about for her to shoot at the man. Her Predator training said to ignore the collateral damage, and shoot, but her more recent training with Vengeance had taught her a modicum of self-control. Kaitlin plunged into the crowd, chasing after the man and her only living relative – that she knew of.

Kaitlin raced to catch up with Naomi, her mind working in desperation to find a solution to the problem.

13:39 GMT+2 (11:39 GMT June 1st)

Naomi & Kaitlin

Naomi recognised the yell, instantly, and her spirits rose dramatically as her eyes sought out a face to go with the voice.

Then she saw a face which she never thought would mean so much to her as it did at that very moment. She saw Kaitlin forcing her way through the crowds with a large pistol held in her hands. 'Where had she got the weapon?' Naomi asked herself before she filed the irrelevance away for another time. At the sight of help, coming her way – even the diminutive Kaitlin – Naomi began to struggle in the man's arms.

"Stay still, you little bitch!" he growled.

"Fuck you!" Naomi responded.

She reached up and swiftly dug her nails into the man's right cheek, ripping away skin, and eliciting a grunt of pain as blood ran down his cheek. Naomi had expected the slap, but when the man's hand struck her own cheek, it bloody hurt, and she screamed out in pain. Kaitlin was just yards away, her small size assisting her in dodging around the myriad people who were between her and Naomi. The man simply barged his way through, but Kaitlin was gaining as every second passed. Hope began to surge up inside Naomi and she forgot about the nightmare images of torture.

Kaitlin swiftly caught up to the man carrying Naomi, but she was unable to raise her pistol due to the proximity of two families who were in the line of fire, but Kaitlin moved in closer and she rammed the muzzle of the pistol into the man's side.

"Stop!" she bellowed but the man simply wrapped a hand around Naomi's neck, and he began to squeeze.

Kaitlin, horror spreading across her face, stood back, holding the appropriated pistol off to one side as she watched Naomi start to choke.

..._...

Before Kaitlin's horrified mind could figure out another plan of action, three sharp cracks rang out in quick succession and the man dropped to the roadway spilling Naomi out of his arms and onto the same roadway.

Kaitlin snapped around to identify the threat, her pistol raised, only to find a masked individual holding out a hand towards her.

"It's okay, Glide; it's me, La Terreaur."

Kaitlin began to sob as she realised that she and Naomi were safe; she could not stop the tears as they welled up in her eyes and simply overflowed down her cheeks.

"Prowl is safe: Termino got the bastard," La Terreaur continued.

"She okay?" Termino asked as he helped Naomi to walk.

"I'm good," Kaitlin said as she wiped her eyes and saw who was with La Terreaur. "Hi, Charlie. Hi, Jake."

"Where're Mum and Dad?" Jake asked.

"Right here," Cassie said as she came running over with Andrew in tow.

"The men, they came after me and Naomi – I've no idea why," Kaitlin said.

"Ominous," Charlotte commented. "Who would want Kaitlin?"

"Hey!" came an indignant voice.

"Kaitlin has been very well behaved this week," Cassie admitted as she hugged her two daughters.

"She ill?" La Terreaur asked.

"I can be well behaved," Kaitlin responded. "Well . . . when I choose to."

With Honneur providing overwatch, the group ran towards the exit, taking advantage of the fact that the crowds had thinned out significantly, thus making their path decidedly easier.

Disneyland Paris

13:58 GMT+2 (11:58 GMT June 1st)

Outside the Park

It was with intense relief that they made it out of the park amidst the massed crowds of people flooding out of both parks.

They all expected to be safe from anyone seeking to cause trouble. Everything seemed relatively calm as they met up with La Coccinelle and Le Chat Noir who followed the group on their motorcycles, but that relief did not last long.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Cassie exclaimed as they came under fire just twenty yards away from the Audi Q7.

La Coccinelle gunned the engine of her motorcycle, spinning around in a growing cloud of smoke to create a smokescreen which allowed everyone to scatter while Le Chat Noir provided covering fire with his pistol as the group ran for cover behind the closest vehicle. Each time they tried to make a move for their vehicle, bullets struck the ground close by and bullets thudded into the vehicle which they were using for cover. The bullets shattered the glazing which rained down on those taking cover behind the vehicle. Cassie had had enough, and as La Coccinelle provided covering fire with an MP7A1 PDW, Cassie ran between the parked vehicles, dodging exploding windows and ignoring shards of glass and metal which punctured her bare arms. As she reached the Audi Q7, she triggered the electric boot remotely and then reached inside for a secret release. A small compartment beneath the rear bumper dropped open and Cassie grabbed out a dark blue holdall before she flipped the secret release and the small compartment was again hidden from view. Cassie ran back, her actions unexpected by whomsoever was attacking them.

"Take the guns, take the guns," Cassie said as she swiftly handed out weapons,
ignoring the incoming gunfire which threatened to turn them into swiss cheese.

Cassie, Charlotte, Jake, and Kaitlin each grabbed an MP7A1 PDW of their own and two spare magazines each.

..._...

It was pandemonium in the carpark as the group was attacked by unknown forces.

The four Parisian vigilantes were wearing body armour, but the rest were not, and thus they would be very susceptible to stray bullets. Indeed, all were very much aware of their mortality at that point and thus were not taking any outward risks. The carpark consisted of several acres of tarmac for thousands of vehicles. There were precisely zero structures to hide behind and only vehicles, none of which appeared to be bulletproof. After a very brief discussion, a plan of action was agreed upon. While it was not the best option, it was all they had under the circumstances if they wanted to stay alive. It would be down to split second timing involving the two motorcycles and Cassie with her Q7 as it was difficult to identify the gunmen who were targeting them as they were mixed in amongst the people milling about between the thousands of cars parked in the carpark.

La Coccinelle and Le Chat Noir began to produce smoke, both with the rear wheels of their motorcycles and by the strategic throwing of smoke grenades to block out the view of the gunmen.

..._...

The pandemonium continued as bullets flew and people screamed.

Unfortunately, the bullets were not specific as to their targets and innocent civilians fell screaming. However, there was nothing that could be done about the wounded, selfish as it was, as they needed to look after themselves. Undercover of the smoke and firing aimed shots so as to minimise collateral damage, the group ran for their transport. Cassie had tight hold of Kaitlin while Andrew had scooped up Naomi. Charlotte and Jake ran behind, providing covering fire. La Terreaur ran through the smoke and she jumped onto the motorcycle behind La Coccinelle. Termino ran out from behind a car towards Le Chat Noir, only for a bullet to catch his body armour on the back right of his torso and the force of the bullet spun him around. The vigilante fell to the ground, rolling as he did so, coming up onto one knee and searching for the person who had shot at him. A head appeared through the smoke, peering out from behind the front end of a car. Termino paused before squeezing his trigger, then he sank back with relief as he saw the head of a small girl beside the man – they were innocents – Termino lowered his muzzle, sweeping it across his vision arcs. Then he saw the muzzle of a gun, followed by another head, and he squeezed his trigger without hesitation, watching as the head exploded like a watermelon. He swiftly regained his feet and leapt up onto the motorcycle behind La Chat Noir as he came around and raced off after La Coccinelle.

Cassie and Kaitlin had reached the Q7 and Cassie immediately leapt in behind the wheel and she started the engine, dropping the car into gear, all while Kaitlin swiftly scrambled into the back seat, pulling Naomi in with her as Andrew then shoved Charlotte and Jake into the same back seat, squishing the younger girls and not climbing in himself until all the children were safely aboard.

"Fucking go!" Andrew growled at Cassie who stomped on the accelerator.

The Q7 roared out of the parking bay and turned towards the exit as the two motorcycles took up flanking positions. Gunfire struck the Audi SUV as they circumnavigated the massive carpark in search of the exit and safety. Pedestrians and other drivers had to be dodged as they went, adding to Cassie's worry. She had to get her family to safety and fast. Each ding of a bullet scared her as she feared that she might then hear a scream as someone was hit. Thankfully, the vehicle held together and none of the tyres were struck. Then, finally, they burst out of the carpark and Cassie was able to put her foot down and put some distance between her and what had begun as a family holiday of fun and relaxation but had ended in a fight for their lives.

All the time, their motorcycle escort stayed with them watching out for trouble.

17:50 GMT+2 (15:50 GMT June 1st)

Bastille
Paris

It was with intense relief that they finally found a safe haven.

Cassie brought the Q7 right inside Bastille, not hanging around outside. She was followed inside by the two motorcycles. As she cut the engine, Cassie broke down in tears, the adrenalin of the past few hours subsiding. It had all been too damn close and she knew full well that it could have all ended very differently and with her family savagely torn apart. Such horrible thoughts were still rebounding in her mind and they would not go away. She felt the comforting hands of her husband as he pulled her in close and he hugged her tightly as she reached behind her for her children. In the backseat, the four children were doing much the same as the adrenalin rush of running for one's life had started to ebb. They all knew, just as Cassie did, that it could have all ended in disaster. Kaitlin hugged Naomi as Jake hugged his two sisters with Charlotte hugging him. Kaitlin was gripping Cassie's hand tightly all the time. There was a lot of emotion spilling out and Marinette left the family to themselves as she guided Owen and Yvette over towards the armoury to put away their weapons.

It was a good ten minutes before Cassie finally felt ready to face the world and as Andrew released her, she turned to face the four children in the backseat. They all smiled back at her, glad to be together. Andrew opened his door and climbed out, taking a moment to survey the ravaged paintwork of the Q7. He opened the back door and he helped Charlotte out, followed by Jake, Naomi, and finally Kaitlin. Cassie came around from her side and she gave her girls a hug.

"Well, that was definitely a holiday to remember!" Kaitlin commented.

"Fucking hell, Kaitlin!" Charlotte responded as Naomi chuckled.

"Let's get you laid down," Cassie said to Naomi, guiding her towards a waiting Yvette.

"I'll get her settled, Cassie," Yvette promised as she took custody of the worn-out girl. "I'll get Kaitlin cleaned up, too."

Marinette stepped over and she spoke to Cassie and Andrew.

"Alya managed to get to your hotel and she packed all your gear and brought it here."

"Thanks, Marinette," Cassie said.

"Thank you for our lives," Andrew added.

"It's what we do," Adrien reminded them. "Now, I need to go check on Owen who I think has a busted rib."

The group, minus Yvette, Naomi, and Kaitlin made for the nearest seating and Cassie felt relief as she sat down and Alya handed her a mug of steaming tea. Other mugs were passed out to Andrew and the remaining children who all sat down to try and relax. Not that anybody could relax; it had been that kind of a day. Nobody said much as they tried to wrap their heads around the events of the day, then after about half an hour, Alya produced some bread and cheese, plus some warm celery soup, just as a much cleaner, but still bruised Kaitlin reappeared with Yvette. The food helped to perk everyone up and Owen got to show everyone his bruised side which was just that and not a broken rib as Adrien had originally feared. Finally, conversation began to flow as everyone focused on their food and their friends. Yvette enjoyed ribbing Owen for getting himself shot, but she was actually very proud of him for the way he behaved when rescuing the young girl – not that she had said anything. However, Cassie and Marinette both exchanged a look as they noticed how close Yvette was sitting next to Owen and the semi-caring expression on her face. Charlotte had noticed as well, and she was giggling.

"What?" Yvette demanded.

"You got the hots for Owen?" Charlotte asked.

Yvette jumped away from Owen like he was something dangerous.

"No."

Owen frowned, unsure of what was going on.

"You were getting very close to Owen and you looked like you were worried about him," Charlotte ventured.

"I . . . no . . . never . . . no . . . ewww!" Yvette stammered, her face turning red.

"I did not know that you even liked me," Owen commented with a sly grin.

Yvette shrugged.

"I don't hate you," she responded. "I just find you annoying."

"Oh," Owen responded. "That's okay."

"You two going to snog?" Kaitlin enquired.

"Do you want a slap?" Yvette bristled.

"Is that a no?" Kaitlin pushed.

Yvette raised her right arm, her fist clenched. Kaitlin simply grinned and Yvette relented, knowing that the humour at her expense was just what everyone needed. As the ten-year-old grinned beneath her red cheeks, Marinette smiled proudly at Yvette. Cassie then got up as some of the day's events began to replay in her mind and she got up to walk around with her thoughts. Naturally, Kaitlin decided to follow which turned out not to be such a good idea on Kaitlin's part as Cassie turned on her.

"You ever run away from me again," Cassie said angrily, "and so help me God, I will give you the thrashing of your life!"

"I'm sorry – it all happened so fast; I didn't mean to."

Kaitlin actually felt real fear as she took in the blazing anger in Cassie's eyes, but then she saw the anger rapidly melt away as love and happiness came to the fore. They both walked back and sat down with the others.

"I know, honey, I know."

"I was scared. I was worried that I might never see you again. I was worried that I might never see Naomi again. It was horrible. Why did they want us? Why were they coming after us? I don't understand what happened."

Kaitlin then crawled into Cassie as it all just came out, nonstop, tears flooding down the young girl's face.

"I looked everywhere for Naomi. It scared me so much seeing her being taken away by that man. I couldn't survive without her. She's no longer my cousin, she's my big sister and I need her."

"I never thought that I'd ever say this in public," Naomi said as she reappeared, her cheeks turning pink. "I love you, Kaitlin."

Kaitlin's face exploded into a deep pink hue as Cassie hugged her youngest daughter to her.

..._...

After a while, the youngsters began to get tired – and then the bickering began.

After several minutes of that, Cassie and Marinette decided that it was time for 'Les Enfants' to go to bed. The adults wanted time to themselves.

"Goodnight, noisy little shits!" Alya said with a wave.

Kaitlin grinned as she ran over to Alya and gave her a hug. Alya was more than a little surprised as Yvette showed little affection in general.

"Good night, Kaitlin."

"Night, Alya!"

Kaitlin ran off grinning.