Chapter Eighteen

Cal

My back was knotted up like a rope a boy scout was using for his merit badge. My neck muscles strained to the point that I couldn't even feel the pain of it anymore. My toes were pressed to the carpet and my legs thrumming with energy ready to spring. A light sweat had broken on along my spine and behind my knees, but it wasn't from the fantastic exertion that I'd been planning on for the night. It wasn't much exertion at all.

Sitting on a leather ottoman, listening to Dante squeal happily in harmony with running bathwater down the hall, and staring fixedly on the shadowed figure leaned against the balcony railing was not my idea of a pleasant evening. There had been worse nights, far worse, but only five hours ago I had been teased by the thought that I was going to be writhing in sinful lust at this point of the night. Considering the afternoon we just had it wasn't surprising, but right now I was too scared to even go and join my brother and Promise to play with my son. Too suspicious to even shake the pins and needles out of my ankles by taking a walk.

Cassie was outside on the balcony with a cigarette trailing smoke in coiling patterns against the black sky. It wasn't a good sign. She didn't smoke often; apparently it was an old habit she had neither totally succumbed to nor kicked. I noticed she usually wanted or had one in moments of great stress. Not that I blamed her in this situation. Not only were our lives in danger from three different factions, but our son's life lied in the balance now. The Auphe, the Evati/Kin and now the Vigil. Normally, I wouldn't be too concerned about a group of misguided humans hunting me down, but these douchebags had not only managed to wrangle a suitcase nuclear bomb in a rather narrow amount of time, but they caught Cassie and I once. They knew how to stop us from traveling and they were the reason Dante was even a possibility. They had proven themselves an adversary and the fact that they had vested interest in gaining possession of Dante (same as the Auphe, actually) didn't help.

I knew Castiella wanted to leave. Well, not wanted, but she thought that was the best option. She wanted me and Nik to protect Dante and she wanted to run off and complete the mission. The Leandros family didn't work like that and she was damned well going to get used to that fact. So I was stuck, tense and ready to bolt after her be it through gate or off the railing. She didn't want me out there with her, which is exactly what she said when I tried to talk to her. I thought I deserved some points for surrendering and staying several feet and a sliding glass door away from her; I doubted she would feel the same.

"Did you know that the oldest lock was found in the Khorsabad palace ruins near Nineveh." My eyes left Cassie's form for just as long as it took me to roll my eyes. I didn't know who invited Goodfellow over, but I wasn't in the mood and he was about to find out if he annoyed me in the slightest. "Said to be from as early as 250 b.c. The humans have been finding ways to lock up their precious belongings for thousands and thousands of years, hence why I am so damned good at picking them."

His footfalls stopped next to me, soft due to Promise's plush carpet. I felt the brush of his expensive clothes against my elbow as he crouched besides me. That made me give him a sidelong glance; Robin didn't wrinkle his pants for just anyone. He looked dapper and pressed as always in a pale green shirt that set off his eyes and brown pants of some fabric I didn't even know the name of. It was pretty casual for him, so I didn't think he was coming from work. Taking note of the slight dampness of his curly hair and the strong scent of expensive soap and oils, my bets were on Ishiah's apartment. I resented that he looked so refreshed, while I was ready to jump out of my skin. It didn't help that he continued prattling on. "So why is it that the most wanted guns-for-higher failed to utilize a concept that less advanced humans realized was of great importance?"

I clasped at the bridge of my nose and groaned. "What the fuck are you talking about, Loman?"

He propped his chin up with his hand. There wasn't the usual vivacious grin on his overly handsome face, instead he looked almost as somber as he did when I told him Cassie was dead. "You left the door unlocked."

"And you think a lock would stop what's after us?"

He pressed his lips together. "Fair enough."

"What do you want?"

"A little birdie told me that the lady vamp and your brother were babysitting so you and Cas could have some quality time."

I glared. "If you tell me you came over to watch, I will castrate you."

"I came over because I also heard about the rise of the Evati," he said a little more somberly. "And I figured that might dull the mood. And as a puck I can't very well allow that to happen...or not happen, as it were."

"I'm slightly disturbed right now, because I'm not exactly sure why you are here. So spill it before I punch you in the face you hold in such high regard." He patted me on the back which made me justifiably flinch, considering he'd just been talking about sex in conjunction with the reason he was here.

"Go to your bedroom. Slip into something a little more comfortable, and wait," Robin commanded. "I'll go talk to her."

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to read what exactly he meant by all of this. He was a friend, had been through a ton of shit with us through the years, but somehow I doubted he came all the way over to Promise's to pep-talk my girlfriend into sleeping with me. Then I rewound that thought through my head, realized who I was talking to, and figured that could very well have been his reason. "If you show up naked in my doorway. I willcastrate you."

Robin snorted. "You wish and you wish you could." He stood up with my eyes still locked on him in suspicion. I hesitated while he smoothed down the front of his shirt and raked a hand through his hair. "Stop glaring at me like I'm about to sully your son. I know Cassie. I know what she's thinking right now. And I know the only one that can keep her from running off again is you and that little bundle of overzealous energy in the next room. So I'm asking you for your help. I'll get her in your arms and you remind her of what she would be walking away from."

Although the comment about defiling my son brought up a few horrific scenarios for the future (even I knew Robin wasn't perverted enough to try anything before Dante was through puberty), he had a point. And he had a plan, one that just might work and one that I wasn't adverse to. I rose from the ottoman, giving him a nod of acceptance. "I'm going to check on Dante first." I paused at his side, reconsidering his first comment. "And if you so much as cast a lingering look at my son when he comes of your preferred age, I—"

"Will castrate me. I get it," Goodfellow looked over his shoulder at me with that wicked grin I was used to. "Wouldn't dream of it, papa."

I cast him a scathing look, unconvinced even if he was still going strong with Ishiah. I just had to have faith that by that point Dante would be able to castrate Robin himself.

Niko glanced up when I cracked open the bathroom door; the smile on his face flinched for a moment before becoming more rueful. "Hey, little brother. Jumping into the fray?"

The bathroom floor was soaked and both Nik and Promise were splashed with ample amounts of water. They were using the communal bathroom, which was just slightly smaller than three normal bathrooms put together. There was a modernized sink with a raised basin and silver dials, a pristine toilet that probably hadn't sported a ring since it was installed, and a series of maple cabinets against the opposite wall from the large tub. I was impressed to see little water spots on both the eggshell walls and the cabinets. My son had damned good aim already.

"I think you're losing the fight."

"No kidding," Niko smirked. A new stream doused my brother in the chest, creating a darker color on his gray shirt as he spoke. I chuckled and approached them. Niko was straddling the lip, with one pant rolled up and his foot submerged in soapy water. Dante was half-draped over his knee, wiggling like a cat trying to escape the water torture. He was laughing, thankfully, finding it a game to defy them. Promise was perched on the edge of the tub, sitting with her long legs out and angled so Niko got most of the back splash. She had a towel over her lap to prevent the moisture from getting on her as well. Her dark hair was twisted up into a sloppy bun, which was extremely uncharacteristic of her and her expression was one of weary amusement. I guessed they would be rethinking that whole baby thing now.

"Daaaaddy," Dante crowed. He reached out his arms to me, but slipped on the tub floor and ended up jamming his chin against Niko's thigh. Nik had a good enough hold on him that he didn't fall into the water, but his rounded features screwed up in his version of a tantrum and he whimpered. Opps, he must have hurt himself with that one.

Niko lifted him out of the tub and onto his lap despite him being drenched from head to toe. "Hey, hey, it's all right. See?" He tilted up Dante's chin to make sure there wasn't a bruise forming. I crouched down beside him to check as well. Dante sniffled, his face red, but he didn't cry. His chin was a little pink from the scratch of Niko's pants, but it was nothing and I knew Dante would figure that out quickly. I dropped a kiss to his forehead for good measure anyway.

"This is why you shouldn't be so rough in the bath," I told him. "It's just a scratch. My little Ace can handle that, right?" His round gray eyes were watery and he pulled at my shirt so I would pick him up. I indulged him, figuring patronizing a two year old was better than him screaming. He was being a champ anyway; he deserved a little coddling. "When did he learn 'daddy'?"

"We were teaching him," Niko replied, brushing a hand over Dante's hair as Promise helped me wrap him up in a towel. "His 'yes' is still 'ah', but he's got 'daddy' and 'mommy' down. Currently Promise is 'Pah-mas' and I'm 'Un-nigo'."

I laughed at that. "Trouble with the r's and k's, huh?"

"He'll get it. Where's Cassie?" Just like my brother to get to the point without hesitation.

"Goodfellow's here. He's talking to her on the balcony." I could see a little tension wane from Nik's face, which meant he was just as concerned about her running off as I was. He nodded to himself, trailing his fingers through Dante's wet hair absently. Promise was busying herself with cleaning up the huge bathroom while we talked. It surprised me, since I expected her to leave it for her cleaners to take care of; or maybe that was just what my lazy-self would do if I had the luxury of cleaners.

"I'm still going to have you guys take him for the night, if you don't mind?" I muttered against Dante's hand, which was currently pressed over my mouth. His other fisted the front of my shirt, leaving me just as damp as my brother and Promise. "I think I should probably have a long talk with her too."

"I'll go get his bed ready," Promise said and slipped out of the bathroom. Niko didn't question my request either. Apparently, both of them thought a heart to heart with my girlfriend was a great idea, even if I was dreading it.

Niko stood from the tub, shaking out his pruned foot and lifting Dante out of my arms. "You're coming with me tonight, little one. Sleep over with Uncle Niko, right?" Dante made a little trilling sound that pieced my ears just slightly. I could see it affected Nik a bit more –good thing Promise had left when she did– but at least it was happy affirmation even if not in our human language.

"Translation was pretty much 'yay'," I told Niko. He gazed at me in concern then looked at Dante with a frown. I sighed and pulled myself up from the floor. "Yeah, that was Grendel-speak, though not even enunciated well for that."

Niko hummed softly, his worry quelled only when Dante curled over and laid his head on Nik's shoulder. "I guess we should put him down for bed." I grunted, dotted a kiss to Dante's crown, and patted Niko's shoulder before turning and leaving the bathroom.

I had no idea if I'd given Robin enough time to talk Cassie down from jumping the coop, but when I passed through the living room I couldn't see either of them on the balcony. Goodfellow didn't seem to even be in the apartment anymore and I chided myself for not hearing him leave. With everything that was going on I really needed to be hyper aware of my surroundings; I wasn't just facing a slap across the back of my head for my obliviousness nowadays. I could hear someone was in the guest room where I usually slept when over at Promise's and, by the weight of the footfalls and the sharpening scent of wildflower and earth, I assumed it was Castiella. That steadied my heart; not seeing her on the balcony had sped it up a little. Of course it got quiet a jolt when I turned the threshold into my room.

The light on the nightstand was on and casting minimal illumination onto the bare expanse of Cassie's back. She glanced over her equally bare shoulder and smiled at me. "Hey, Cali." She did a quick double take and chuckled. "Decide to take a bath with your clothes on?"

I could only produce a negative grunt worthy of a meat-head Neanderthal in response. She was in nothing but a pair of little gray panties trimmed with blue lace. Her autumn blond hair trailed over her shoulder, which left her back beautifully in view from rounded shoulders to the dimples at the small of her back. The panties were bikini and curved high over her ass, leaving some of the roundness exposed too. I swallowed, unable to remove my eyes from her perfect cinched waist (she bounced back from having a child well, I had to say), the subtle curve of her hips, the crease where ass met thigh when she shifted her weight to one foot.

"Wow," I heard her snicker. I forced my eyes to her face, which was just as perfect to me, especially when she smiled coyly. She had an old shirt of mine in her hand, the other still in my duffel bag where she'd been rifling. "You haven't had sex since I left, have you?"

That pulled me out of my revere for a moment. "Have you?"

She snorted and started slipping her arm through one of the armholes. "Oh, yes, tons. Men could not resist a pregnant half auphe that hadn't slept and sometimes hadn't bathed for weeks." I continued to stare, not quiet convinced since I knew men and most of that wouldn't stop them. Plus she was running from the Auphe and while it might not be of pleasure (more like of horror) they could have taken her too in my absence. My stared turned into a leer, when she dropped her arm, the shirt still around her elbow leaving her breasts in view. Damn, what I wanted to do to that body. "That was a joke, Cal."

"Please don't put that shirt on," I muttered, tearing my gaze from her breasts to look her in the eye. She seemed confused for a moment, as if I was asking her that for any reason other than just wanting her to stay deliciously naked. Her heart-shaped face tilted and her mahogany eyes trailed down my body to where I was sure she could see my reaction. She grinned; oh, yeah, she could see it.

''Come here," she beckoned, tossing the shirt back into my duffel back. I pulled the door closed and was on her almost as fast as it would have taken me to travel. Her skin was cold from being outside, but lord I didn't care. Her mouth was hot and ardent against mine and her fingers a welcomed chill along my scalp. I lifted her and her legs wrapped around me, not even releasing when I dropped us to the bed.

"Nn, I don't know what he said to you, but remind me to thank Goodfellow." I yanked her panties down and trailed kisses along her stomach. She caught me by my hair before I could get to the thin trail of dark blond hair between her legs. I moaned in regret for even saying anything.

"Did you send him out there?"

"No, he went on his own. Can't this wait?"

Cassie giggled and tugged gently on my nape to urge me up her body. At first I didn't mind since her full lips danced over my jaw and took my mouth tantalizingly. "I wasn't going to leave, Caliban," she whispered against my lips. "I just needed a moment alone to come to terms with that. It's a new concept for me."

I pulled back to meet her gaze, staring into her dark eyes for confirmation of the truth. "You're not going to leave?"

"No, we're a family. We fight as a family. I'm not leaving." It was amazing that those words made me almost as hard as her naked body did. She drifted her fingers through my hair and grazed her thumbnails down my short sideburns. "I love you, Caliban. I love you and I love this family. I need to stay here to protect it."

I gaze down at her a little longer, until her smile twisted into something wicked. She slid her fingers down my front. She didn't even bother with my shirt first, she just went right to unbuttoning my jeans. "That's all for now. The rest can wait." She bit her lower lip and tugged at my nape again, only this time in the opposite direction. "You can continue."

I snickered, but didn't hesitate to obey that order.

There were some memories, a few, that I rejoiced their return. They were the moments like when Niko was teaching me to shoot a Glock for the first time. We couldn't afford to go to a shooting range; Niko was only eighteen so he couldn't even consent to me using a weapon. So we went out in the woods, set up a few soda cans and it took me eight tries before I even clipped one. My brother had been so damned patient, which might have had something to do with me still coming down from Auphe-PTSD at the time. It was a bonding moment, a bonding moment a little more obvious than most.

There were more of them than I recalled ever having in my lifetime, though I supposed that made sense since they were empty spaces in my head unnoticed until they were filled in. Can't miss what you didn't know was there to begin with. Even the little flashes of mundane memories were a nice change from blood, gore, and nightmares. Watching late night movies in a shitty hotel while Niko attempted to keep up his studies; attempted because I had been distracting him with popcorn projectiles. Even the time when Niko punched me in the stomach so hard I vomited was a good memory. Mostly because I was so drunk at the time (and only seventeen, hence the punch) that I hardly felt it. He helped me clean up with a deep frown of concern and put me to bed with an affectionate brush of his hand over my forehead. I never got that drunk again...well, until I forgot all my memories and the reason why I didn't drink in excess.

Those memories were good. Those memories I liked. And I had another one to add to the small pile as I lied exhausted on my bed with Cassie curled up against my shoulder. I didn't know if it was her slow breathing that danced warmth across my bare chest, or the sensation of her soft hair drifting under my chin when she shifted in slumber, but whatever the trigger I remembered our first time. It was far different in retrospect. In the moment it was intense, fiery, and a rush of passion and need. For days afterward, I remembered clearly her smell intensified by our activities, the feel of her soft warm skin and the twisting of her muscles against me. I remembered craving that full-lipped mouth like an addict would crave their next fix.

In the darkness of Promise's guest room, in the quiet of the night, I remembered more about that night than I had the morning after. All those blurred moments in between the lust and ardent friction, were shown in new clarity. Probably because now I knew how much I loved her; the morning after all I was certain of was that I would get her hurt and I wanted her so damned much. I could picture it in my head and closed my eyes to let the memory come. I didn't even mind the headache when it traced sparks through my brain.

It was a similar situation. Me awake, Cassie asleep for the moment. I stared at the ceiling, confused and slightly uncomfortable sleeping with her so close. That was until I glanced over at her. I recalled feeling a tremor of fear run through me. Fearing what I felt, how quickly I wanted to lose myself in the warmth that she wrapped around me. I touched her cheek and brushed my fingers over her temple to push dark blond locks away from her round face. It was shorter then, she'd just gotten I cut. My fingers had traced the healing skin where Delilah had sank her teeth in that night and watched Cassie's eyelashes flutter as she woke. Her eyes were so dark in the moonlight, but even that didn't stop them from expressing emotions I never thought someone would dare show me.

Thinking back I knew in that moment I had fallen in love with her. At the time, I continued fighting that tooth and nail for another few weeks. For once the memory didn't link to several others and pinball through my skull like a painful slide show set to a strobe light. For once it was just that serene moment in time. I smiled to myself. My life was fucked up and for the longest time I hated the thought of a higher power pulling the strings and using me as its own personal chew toy. George always said there was a reason for things to happen the way they did. I sort of believed it now. Just a little bit.

I shifted and placed a firm kiss to Cassie's brow. Just like the first time her eyelashes fluttered and lifted to show me those soulful dark eyes. "Hey," I whispered with a half smile.

"Hey, yourself. I'm trying to sleep here." I snickered and nudged my nose into the crook of her neck, kissing it and making her twitch as it tickled her. She smacked me lightly on the cheek, even as she smiled. "I missed you."

"You promise you're not leaving," I asked. I didn't know if it was me disbelieving her words or me just not being able to wrap my head around the concept that I didn't want her to leave thatbadly.

"I'm not leaving, Cali," she assured me. Her dark eyes flickered to each of mine. "Is that seriously why you woke me up?"

"You'll stay with me for the rest of my life?"

"Yes. Jeez, Caliban, were you always so need—" She cut herself off. Full lips parting as she stared at me, figuring out what I just said. I knew what it implied and I meant it. "Did you just propose to me?"

I grinned and threw her onto her back, arms pinned over her head. She could out maneuver me easily. Hell, she'd tossed me to the bed with five bullets in her and a healing spine, but she let me take control for the moment, or was too shocked to react. "I love you." I kissed her jaw where the three scars scoured down her neck to her sternum. I followed the path, speaking between the moments of breath and contact. "I want you. I need you. You are the mother of my son and the best partner in bed I have ever had."

"You're proposing to me, I can't believe it." Cassie laughed and tilted her head down to catch my mouth. Mischief twinkled in her eyes. "You know you're not the first, right?"

I frowned. "Way to spoil that."

"I never said yes," she countered with a wicked grin. "Not to them." I stared at her, bracing my arms to either side of her body for more balance. Her arms slid down from their surrendering position over her head and wrapped around my chest with slow contact. "You're different."

"I'm one of a kind," I teased. "Does that mean I get a yes?"

Cassie's hands stroked down my sides, tripping over my ribs seductively. "I can't promise to stay with you until your dying day, Caliban. You know I can't, but I can promise you that only death with part us."

I was going to argue, but considering she had died not a few weeks ago she had a valid point. Our lives were anything but predictable. Danger of death ran in pretty much every step we took. So her promise was about as good as I could hope for. The mere fact that I was pretty much asking her to be my wife was uncharacteristic and mushy enough that I didn't need to push this into some flowery romance novel. I bent and touched my lips to hers. "Fine, 'til death do us part."

"Does this mean I get my very own fake ID? Cassie Leandros?" I had to admit that had a nice ring to it. Cassie's hands started down to my hips in the same methodical dance; apparently she wasn't upset about being woken up anymore. "Or would it be Cassie Krueger? Vorhees?"

She probably would have went on, but I didn't let her. The night was young and I had every intention of taking advantage of every second we had alone together. Considering where her hands had settled, Cassie seemed to have the same idea.

Morning came in the form of a very devilishly smirking puck leaning over me. It wasn't what I wanted to see first thing and I expressed this by kicking him in the chest and felling him to the carpet. He had been expecting a punch or the swipe of my knife, so the kick actually worked. Goodfellow still laughed at the action. There hadn't been much force behind it; I'd just wanted him more than a few inches from my face considering what he'd done the last time we were in close quarters.

"Morning, sunshine."

I growled at him as I turned over and pulled the sheets halfway over my head. I could feel the weight and warmth of Castiella next to me, but the distribution of it made me think she was sitting up. I didn't look; I would have gotten upset if she wasn't covering herself and I doubted she was. She had some sort of futile trust in her puck best friend that I didn't share.

"Come on, we have plans to make," Robin went on. I felt a sharp slap to my ass and bolted upright. I wanted to believe it was Cassie, I really did.

"Robbie, don't touch what doesn't belong to you," she said, dashing my hope that Robin's hand hadn't just been on my ass. She dotted a kiss to my temple before departing the bed. I was still half asleep and a little disoriented with past memories of waking up with Cassie at my side mixing with the present. That meant that Goodfellow was in the clear for the moment, only because I couldn't think of an inventive enough way to kill him. He also got some points for not watching Castiella walk around in nothing but a whimsical smile. Instead he kept his eyes on me, patting my arm to get my bleary attention.

"Cal, I know you had a very eventful night, but we really do need to get some semblance of a plan formed regarding the Evati."

I took in a deep breath that was supposed to be a sigh, but winced when I felt pain along the back curve of my ribs. I craned my neck, pulling my shoulder forward to see my back. It wasn't a muscle pain, even though it intensified when I pulled. Robin let off a chuckled that doubled as a sympathetic hiss as he peeled back the sheet to get a better few of what I then realized were claw marks. "As I said, a very eventful night. You need to be a little more careful with your toys, Cas," Goodfellow teased, then, when I shifted again, clasped my shoulder. "Stop moving, you're bleeding now."

Cassie clamored back onto the bed donning one of my shirts and a new pair of underwear. It was better than nothing, but I still didn't like her half nude in front of Robin. The puck may have been loyal to Ishiah, but that didn't stop him from undressing my girlfriend with his eyes...or just staring at her since she had done the undressing part herself a few seconds ago.

"Oh, Cali. I'm sorry." She leaned over me to look at my back as well and made the same hissing sound as Goodfellow. "Oh, shit that was definitely more than nails. I'm sorry."

"I wasn't complaining at the time," I grinned into my pillow. I was becoming a little more aware of my surroundings as I woke up and most of that awareness was focused on the fact that the love of my life looked exceedingly sexy in a tee shirt that barely covered her ass, which was only covered in partially see-through underwear. Cassie smiled at me and allowed the kiss I urged when I sat up.

"Hit the shower," she ordered. "I'll bring some antibiotic to clean that up when you get out."

I hummed an affirmative and shot a glare at Robin until he pulled himself up and rolled his eyes. I wasn't about to run around the room naked; as said before, I didn't trust Goodfellow like Cassie did. "It's not like its something I haven't seen."

"Get out."

He snorted and pointed at both of us in turn. "Niko said ten minutes. I'll give you thirty, but we need to talk about this." I grumbled another few sounds of acquiescence, enough that he departed from the room, closing the door behind him.

I turned on the bed, hooked an arm around Cassie's waist and flopped on top of her. She giggled, running her fingers through my tangled hair as I nuzzled against her chest. The fabric was in the way, but she hadn't put a bra on yet so I could still indulge. "Cali, we need to clean that up. It can't be comfortable." I groan in response; maybe I wasn't as awake as I thought. Cassie coaxed me into the bathroom only when she went in first. We took Robin up on his offer of distracting Niko for a half an hour, having one more romp before we became parents once again.

Niko knocked and peered into the room, while Castiella doctored up my back. From the feel of it and her muttered apologies, I had to guess the scratches were pretty deep. It was worth it though; I knew the exact moment she sliced me and was proud of the fact that I made her produce such a powerful climax.

"What happened?" Nik asked with sudden shock and fear running through his body. He pushed the door open, eyes flitting over both of us frantically. Cassie was fully dressed now in a pair of Promise's jeans rolled up at the hem and one of my newer tee shirt that read: I'd tell you to GO TO HELL, but I work there and I don't want to see you everyday.I was shirtless, but my brother had patched me up so many times I doubted he cared.

His expression remained concerned for all of two seconds. Then he registered my smug smirk and the sheepish expression Cassie was probably giving him. I only assumed it was sheepish because Nik glared at her over my shoulder and she spoke meekly in reply. "I won't let it happen again, I promise."

"I don't make that promise," I added.

Niko leaned against the bedroom threshold and sighed. "Are you almost done? Your son is having separation anxiety."

I chuckled and took the shirt Cassie was offering me, apparently she was done. I shrugged it on and followed Niko out of the room. Not two steps into the living room and I had a two foot tall midget on my leg. I hoisted him up immediately, refusing to admit that I actually missed him a little last night. Dante mewled something that almost sounded like 'hello daddy' and wrapped his arms around my neck in a hug/choke hold. Cassie came around me to greet our son with a smile and a nuzzling of noses. It would have made me gag at the cuteness if I didn't love them both so much.

The warm reunion was only spoiled when I breached the hallway from the guest room and suddenly felt like I just walked into a secret meeting of war tactics. I don't know why I was expecting pancakes and delightful breakfast conversation. Silly me.