I might have gotten a bit carried away at the end, but anyway… Thanks for reviewing, everyone. :)

I agree, actually. Ida probably wouldn't be this stern, and neither would Victor. Oh well...

4

Silver Moon

Hornet bit her lip.

"All right," she muttered, following Ida into the sitting room. Victor was seated on the couch, his face grim. Ida sat down next to him so Hornet was left alone standing in the middle of the room, arms folded defensively in front of her chest.

"Hornet, it can't go on like this."

Hornet remained silent.

"You can't just not talk to us, isolate yourself, running away in the middle of the night with some man—"

Hornet threw up her arms, silencing her.

"Ida, it's Scip. He looks older, but he's the same as he always was. I missed him so much and I'm just glad to have him back and, and…"

She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Can't you see you're hurting him when you can't trust us to be on our own? And I'm so, so worried that you'll frighten him away. What if he leaves me too? I need him!"

She bit her lip as it started to tremble uncontrollably. Covering her face with her hands, she sobbed: „And you're terrorizing him!"

The change in Ida was startling. The stern expression vanished in a second and she rose from her seat.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around the girl, "We never meant it like that. We're just a bit confused, you know, and frightened, too."

"Yeah, well, at the moment you're mostly confusing and frightening others," Hornet snapped bitterly.

Ida looked taken aback. Victor cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, Hornet," Ida said soothingly, "we're doing our best to understand you. It just isn't easy when you don't communicate with us."

She placed an arm on Hornet's shoulder.

"But dear, can't you try to understand us as well? I mean, he is an adult."

"He looks like an adult!" Hornet snapped at her, "He hasn't aged faster than any of us. He's sixteen. Sixteen!" she screamed at them.

The door opened silently. Bo entered quietly, pale as always, and climbed onto the sofa. His bare feet hardly reached the end of the couch. Sitting there with his cup in his hands, he looked so much like someone going to watch a soap opera on TV that Hornet couldn't help but smile.

Bo didn't return it, but his face seemed to relax a little.

"He's right, you know," Victor chimed in, "Any louder and we'll be entertaining the neighbours."

Hornet sighed.

"I know you probably mean well, but Scip- Scip's my best friend. You're not doing us any good by separating us."

She herself was surprised at how calmly she argued with them now her tears had stopped.

"So, what do you propose we do?" Victor asked Hornet.

Hornet shrugged.

"How about… you don't try to control us, and we try to be back here more early. I promise we won't do anything…," she paused, "irrational."

Ida sighed.

"Well, you'd better call him then. I suppose we have to talk to him."

She shrugged uncertainly as Hornet raised an eyebrow.

"You know, to clear matters up."

Scipio had been wandering about his apartment for the better part of an hour.

He picked up his phone. He sat down on the couch. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a drink. He left the glass by the sink and walked back to the couch. It was a nice couch. He had rented a furnished room, and the couch had been an extremely lucky pick.

He started to dial Hornet's number. It was late, yes. Too late? He walked back to his drink, looked at it and returned to the safety of the couch.

He breathed a sigh of desperation and closed his eyes.

The phone rang.

He opened one eye in surprise and started as he read Hornet's name on the display.

"Yes?" he answered it, sounding breathless.

"Scip?" It was Hornet. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, no, of course not," he hurried to explain, "It was just… unexpected."

"Yeah, well… Listen, Scip, Ida wants to talk to you."

"Ida?" Trying his best not to show his disappointment.

"Yeah. We'll talk after, okay?"

Without waiting for a reply, Hornet passed the receiver to the woman. Victor ushered her outside and closed the kitchen door behind her.

She tried to hear the voices, but the door was too thick. She heard Ida speak but couldn't make out a single word she said.

With a sigh she climbed the stairs and sat down at the landing, staring into the darkness. The house was silent except for the muffled voices in the kitchen and an occasional creak in the woodwork. She leaned her cheek against the banister, closing her eyes. She liked the house. It was old enough to have a personality; a warm and cozy burrow to shelter its inhabitants from the world outside. Her heart stung as she realized that she wanted Prop to see this house, to sit in the darkness at the landing and listen for the comforting silence with her.

She started as someone appeared next to her, but it was only Bo. He sat down at her side on the upper stair and listened as well, his face showing tentative interest. Hugging his knees, he rubbed his toes, his nose buried in the white fabric of his pants.

Hornet cocked her head.

"Are you cold?"

Bo nodded, and Hornet spread her arms.

"Come here."

Silently, Bo climbed onto her lap, hiding inside her jacket as he had done when they had still lived in the Stella. With a sigh Hornet rested her chin on the top of his head.

"Oh Bo, I'm so sorry."

Bo was fast asleep when the kitchen door finally opened.

Victor stepped into the corridor and, seeing them, climbed the stairs. He lifted Bo from her arms and gently patted his back, whispering: „He wants to talk to you."

Hornet nodded and got up slowly. Ida was still in the kitchen, giving her a distracted smile.

Hornet picked up the receiver.

"Scip?"

"Hey Hornet."

Hornet could control herself until Ida had shut the door behind her, but then she burst out.

"Well?"

Scip grinned uncertainly.

"Well, I'm not sure, really. It was somewhat of a mix between an apology and a threat."

"Oh, good. Nothing to worry about then."

He laughed.

"Not really. It all comes alright in the end."

Later, Hornet could not tell how long they had talked that night. She loved hearing his voice, no matter what they talked about, and all the while tiny butterflies were dancing around her stomach. Time passed, she didn't know how much, and finally she had to suppress a yawn. She could hardly keep her eyes open, but she enjoyed talking to Scip too much to hang up.

"What time is it?" he suddenly asked.

"Oh, about three-ish," she replied drowsily, "why?"

"Can I show you something?"

Hornet wiped her hand across her face.

"What, now?"

"Yeah."

"Alright," she grumbled.

"I'll pick you up at your house, yeah? See you then."

He hung up and Hornet stared at the receiver on surprise. Well, she was getting used to spending most of her nights in some street somewhere or other instead of her bed, so why not today? Again.

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked, but he just shook his head.

"I'll show you in a second."

He lead her into a dark alley, reaching somewhere into the darkness above him to pull down a fire exit ladder.

"Be careful, it's slippery," she advised her, climbing after her. It was cold, the metal bars bit Hornet's already cold hands, the ascent was long and tiring. Finally, they reached the flat roof of the house, Scip leading her to the edge.

Hornet gasped silently. The full moon had risen above the city, coating the canals and moist tiles in silver. Every house, every rooftop twinkled as though it was made of diamonds and the gondolas appeared to float on a silver mirror.

He kissed her again, properly this time.

Wrapping her arms around him, Hornet delved deep into the kiss, losing herself in it in front of the silver silhouette of the moon.