Hi, I'm back again. Sorry, but this chapter took me a while.

Chapter twenty-four: So we have a deal then?

The boys bedroom, early morning

After their aunt had visited them half an hour ago, the twins were getting ready for the day.

With his brother already fully dressed, it was now Alex turn to change his clothes. Shirtless, but with his jeans still on, he went for the closet.

When Alex opened the door his jaw dropped.

"You gotta be kidding me!", he exclaimed. The whole closet was full of nice neat clothes.

Nicky, who had heard his brothers sudden outburst, joined him in front of the closet. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!", Alex echoed. He pointed angrily at the contents of the closet. "That's what's wrong! Look at this! I won't dress like some Dandy!"

Nicky couldn't help but grin. "Actually, it would be good for your image!"

His twin looked at him like he had just exclaimed the sky was green. "Are you out of your mind? It would totally ruin it!"

At that, Nicky gave him an evil smile. "That's the plan!"

Alex looked now ready to commit murder. He grabbed his brother by the collar and growled: "Listen princess, just because we are twins, doesn't mean I have to look like your freaking reflection!"

Nicky carefully placed his hand over his brothers, which was still gripping his collar. Now serious, he answered: "I don't think you have much of a choice – unless you wanna go naked."

"Ah yeah? Watch me!" Alex hissed as he let go of his brother. He then stamped into the closet, pulled out a black button-up-shirt and with an angry movement, ripped the neatly pressed sleeves off.

Pleased with the result, he loosened up the buttons and pulled it on. Deciding to keep his own jeans on as well, he turned with a triumphant smile to his shell-shocked sibling.

Nicky's jaw had dropped to the ground. Having difficulties to lift it back up, he stammered: "Ehr... well... that's one way to solve it."

As if on cue, Lara shimmered back in to take them for breakfast.

When she saw Alex and the ripped off sleeves on the ground, her mouth opened slightly. "I will not get mad! I will not get mad! I will not get mad!", she repeated over and over in her head.

Finally, she forced a little smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and said: "Alex, honey if you didn't like the clothes then why didn't you just tell me?"

Alex looked surprised at her. He had expected a fit. "Well, I didn't know how to tell you."

At this, Lara's face softened. "Oh honey, you don't have to be afraid of me. I promise you two can tell me everything."

But Alex shook his head. "No I didn't know how to tell you.", he declared, empathising the word 'how'.

"Oh. That's no problem, you just have to call out for me.", Lara explained. "This room is magically aimed at your needs. You need something, just call out for it."

"Oh, ok."

"Whatever. Let's go have breakfast!", their aunt said as she took hold of their arms and shimmered them to the dining room.

The dining room, early morning

At breakfast, Alex and Nicky shared a look.

"So, how did you and Chris met?", Nicky finally asked.

"You mean for the first time?", Lara tried to precise.

The twins nodded. The dark haired woman smiled at the memory. "I first met him during a fight." Seeing her nephews raised eye brows, she continued: "I didn't knew he was the brother of my half-sisters boyfriend. Well, it was before your parents came together, so of course I couldn't have known about him and Wyatt."

"And why were you fighting?", Alex intervened.

"Good question.", Lara admitted."It all started with this stupid witch. I didn't even catch his name. He was a former friend of your uncle. I believe the two of them had worked together at the resistance. However, it was at the time when the last strongholds of the resistance began to crumble.

I was looking for your mother, so after I scried for her I stumbled along half ruined houses – last remains of the former strongholds – when I ran into a group of were scared, paranoid. And because I was a stranger, one of them must have thought I was a threat. He attacked me, shouting at the others to get away. I had no other choice but to defend myself.

Granted, I wasn't in a good mood at all and this stupid witch just pissed me off.

*flashback*

Lara was fed off! She threw a shock wave at him - which seemed to bounce off an invisible barrier.

"What the... " Confused, Lara turned around only to come face to face with one of the most gorgeous guys she had ever seen. "Who are you?"

His eyes sparkled dangerously. "Your worst nightmare – if you won't leave him alone!"

Lara raised an eye brow. This guy had guts! Smiling she answered "What do you think you could possibly do to stop me?"

"This!" With a wave of his hand a large piece of wood came flying towards her.

Lara easily dodged it. "You thought it would be that easy?", she mocked.

Instead of an answer, Chris threw her telekinetically to the side. "Get lost!", he screamed at his friend. The witch didn't hesitate and ran.

When Lara got back up she realized that her prey had escaped. Angry she turned to Chris. "You're going to pay for that!" The next shock wave was directed at him.

He simply beamed himself out of harm's way. "Do you prefer credit card or cheque?"

At that, she took the offensive.

The first punch she threw at him he quickly sidestepped, using her forward momentum against her to send her to the ground.

However, Lara managed to catch herself with her hands and kicked back behind her. Her foot landed in Chris stomach and he stumbled backwards, crashing into some old paletts.

Grinning she got to her feet and walked towards him.

When she stood in front of him and raised her hands to send another shock wave, Chris reacted quickly and threwher of her feet.

Unfortunately she didn't fall back, but on top of him.

Lara couldn't deny that she liked this position. Feeling his warm body beneath her, his green eyes staring at her, his lips just inches from her own ones...

Her breath hitched the longer she lay on top off him. "You can also work it off."

Angry, he threw her off of him. "Do I look like I have to stand for that?!"

Lara grinned again. "No, but you sure have the references."

"Thanks!", Chris commented sarcastically as he directed an iron bar at he, which was vanquished half way by another shock wave.

Suddenly they heard a shout. "Chris!"

When they turned around, they saw a young black haired woman with leather jacket and a plait pony tail heading towards them. It was Isabelle. She came to an abrupt halt when she saw the person Chris was fighting with.

The two sisters stared a few moments at each other - Isabelle unbelieving, Lara almost guilty.

"We'll continue this another time.", Lara said as she shimmered away, not wanting to go on with the fight in front of her half-sister.

Chris turned surprised to Isabelle. "And what the hell was that?"

*end flashback*

"How romantic!", Alex commented sarcastically.

"Very funny Alexander."

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? It's a beautiful name. Many powerful leaders were named Alexander."

"Who did choose our names?", Nicky intervened.

"Your mother did."

"And why did she name me 'Alexander'?"

"It was your grandfathers name."

"And mine?"

"Your grandmothers name was Nicole. Wyatt and Chris had insisted that your names had a reference to the family."

Alex cracked up. Grinning he turned to his brother. "You were named after a woman?!"

"Shut up!", Nicky scolded.

Lara chuckled. "When I see you two arguing, it's like being ten-years-old again and watching my siblings."

Nicky and Alex both turned their attention back to their aunt. "Yeah?", they asked in sinc.

"My sister was a constant teaser. She could annoy me and Benji to no end. Probably one of the reasons she and Chris got along so well. They both could be absolute nerv-racking."

"What did she do?", Nicky wanted to know.

"She had the habit of always ruffling Benji's hair – damn, did he hate that!"

"And you of course have never teased anyone?" Alex snorted.

Lara looked at him with fake innocence. "No, of course not – well, besides Chris... and Benji when I called him 'Benjamin'... oh, and my sister when I called her 'Isi'."

Alex nodded. "Right. I can practically see your hallow gleaming."

Nicky grinned. "Don't forget the little white wings on her back."

"And the horns on her forehead."

"And the devils tail behind her."

"Are you making fun of me?!", Lara replied grimly.

Nicky and Alex looked innocent at her. "No. As if we would do such a thing!"

Lara narrowed her eyes at them. "Stop saying everything simultaneous!"

"Ok.", the twins answered.

"That's enough. Breakfast's over."

She brought them back to their room.

The boys bedroom, morning

After she had shimmered out again, Alex snorted. "Back in the golden cage again. Home sweet home!"

Nicky was clearly frustrated. "I wanna get out of here!"

"Yeah me too. Well we could get out – if you tell me how!", came the ironic reply.

Nicky was ready to hit his brother. Instead he hissed: "You're a goddamn smart-ass you know that?!"

"I know.", his sibling admitted. "But it's not my fault – apparently its hereditary."

"True." Nicky answered. "But that's not going to get us out of here."

Suddenly the door to their room opened on its own accord.

The twins stared perplexed at each other.

The queen's manor, morning

"These kids are going to be the death of me one day." Lara murmured as she massaged her temples.

"Either them or I.", she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

And there he stood. Beautiful and breath taking as ever. Of course, he had grown older, but he was in top condition. His soft features had hardened he was more muscular, his hair now hung in dark bangs into his face and he had grown a small goat around his chin.

„What…You?", she smiled. „I knew you'd find a way in here – althrough I'm really interested in how you did it."

"Actually, it wasn't that easy. I had to find the door bell first. Getting to you wasn't that hard.", Chris replied being his usual smart-ass self and pointed at Jerek.

The red haired demon grinned thriumphantly at his queen. "I thought I'd bring you what you wanted."

Lara narrowed her eyes at him. "Thanks!", she gritted out. "And now get lost!"

After Jerek had left the room, Chris turned his attention back to Lara. "So, he brought you what you wanted, huh?"

Lara smiled calmly at him. "Is it really that much of a surprise for you?"

"Where are the twins?"

Lara chuckled a bit. "Straight to the point, huh? But that's ok. You always knew what you wanted."

"Same goes for you. Where are they?"

"Fourth floor, third door on the right."

"That was too easy. Where's the snag?"

"There isn't one. You can go see them. Now... and for the rest of your life!"

"Pretty possessive now, aren't we?"

"Of course. You have no idea how much I've missed you, Chris."

"Really? Too bad I can't say the same thing about me!"

"Ow, now you're hurting my feelings!"

"That's not the only thing I will hurt if you won't give me my nephews!"

"You know, they are my nephews, too."

"Only half!"

"That can be helped easily. You just have to marry me."

"Forget it!"

"You were always one playing hard to get."

"Not that that would have bothered you!"

"What can I say? I always liked challenges."

"If you want a fight, you can get one!"

"And the stake?"

"If I win, you'll let the twins go."

"And if I win, you'll do me the honor of having a drink with me."

Chris snorted. "What, you wanna poison me? Or simply get me drunk to get into my pants?"

"Are you planning to insult me? As if I'd need alcohol to get laid! And just for the record: Poison is beneath me!"

Chris eyed her suspiciously. "What is it good for then?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I just want you with me for a little while longer."

Chris narrowed his eyes at her. "Be careful what you wish for!"

"So we have a deal then?"

"Do I have another choice?"

"Sure! My bedroom is already waiting for you."

At that statement, Chris threw her telekinetically against the nearest wall.

Lara stood up laughing. "Fine, if that's how you want it we are going for the hard tour then."

When she threw a shock wave at him, Chris barely had time to jump out of the way, throwing her across the room again by just one look in the same motion.

He didn't wait for her to get up again as he sent a strong telekinetic blast at her, which she blocked just in time with another shock wave.

The way Chris telekinetic powers had grown so much that he was now able to rip the tiniest molecules of something apart was more than disturbing.

"Guess Chris had a point in here. It isn't about who got the most powers.", Lara thought while she got up. Chris only had two powers to attack someone or defend himself: Orbing and telekinesis. The latter he by now mastered so perfectly that he could do almost anything with it.

When she managed to get back on her feet, Chris had already taken the offensive.

He aimed an karate kick at her. When she dodged it he turned his circle momentum into a low half round kick.

"Damn", she thought. "Isabelle had taught him too well."

When Chris had started to hang out with her half-sister Isabelle had quickly noticed his lack in self-defensive and had been hell-bent to fix it.

The result was a now deadly trained witchlighter who sure gave her a run for her money!

The next two kicks hit her hard in the stomach.

When his foot hit the side of her head and she crashed in the table she had enough. Conjuring an athame in her hand she took a swing with it, making a cut in Chris upper arm.

His surprisement only lasted about half a second before he grabbed a candelabrum from the table and used it like a dagger to block her athame.

At the same time, he pushed his hand forward, again sending her flying across the room.

While she flew backwards, she threw the athame in his direction.

The dark haired witch jumped to the side.

The next second, an explosion threw him a few feet back. Lara's shock wave had hit the ground by a hair's breadth in front of his shoes.

He let his eyes travel a few seconds unbelieving between her and the hole in the ground.

Lara was as shocked as he was at what she had just done. "Now look what you have made me done!" She tried to sound angry but the slight trembling of her voice betrayed her.

Chris didn't answer, instead he stared darkly at her and sent the table flying in her direction.

She quickly shimmered out of harms way and back in behind him, shoving him with her weight to the ground.

When he turned around she straddled his waist, using her arms and legs to pin him down.

And here they were again, she on top of him, just like the first time thy met.

"Get off of me!", Chris growled.

Lara smiled seductively. "Why? It's comfortable."

Chris tried to get her off of him, but it seemed that she had learned from her past mistakes.

Eventually he managed to push himself up on his elbows.

Now there faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. His lips were only centimeters away from hers.

Lara couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him while she gazed into his eyes. For a second she had the impression that he wouldn't even mind it.

However, that moment was over all too soon, when Chris let out a quiet huff and said: "Fine. I guess we are taking that drink then! Let me up!"

"What? Don't I get a kiss?"

"Maybe later.", came the cocky retard.

"I take you at your word."

When they stood up she asked him: "You want your Martini shaken or stirred"

Despite the situation, Chris couldn't help but grin a bit. "I'm not some secret agent you know?"

"But you sure fight like one – and I bet you look fantastic in a smoking."

"Yeah, you would like to see me in one, now wouldn't you?"

"If I could wear a certain white dress, of course."

Seeing Chris' look, she added: "What?"

"I'm thinking about the best way to express my protest."

"Ok, and while you're at it, I'm getting us something to drink.", Lara smiled and then called for Jerek.

He wasn't the least bit pleased to play the waiter, but returned a minute later with there drinks. After he left, Lara gave Chris the glass in her right hand.

After eyeing it suspiciously for a few seconds, the dark haired man returned his look to the woman in front of him.

"Well then, cheers!" Lara said after a few moments and took a sip of her drink.

Not letting her out of his eyes, Chris drank, too. He meant to just take a sip like her, but the fight had made him thirsty.

When the glass was empty, Chris suddenly started to have a bad cough.

The female witch eyed him worriedly.

When it was over, he straightened up and looked at her in wonder.

"Chris? Are you alright?"

"I've never felt better.", he said with a sudden smile while taking her in his arms. "After all, I'm with you."

The potion had worked! Lara couldn't believe her luck! Deciding she had waited long enough for this moment, she asked with a cute pout: "Do I get a kiss now?"

Chris laughed. "Everything you want baby, everything!" With that, he kissed her passionately.

Neither of them noticed two nearly identical heads peeking through the ajared door.

"We are so screwed!"