Xavier was laid out on a mattress that served as a bed to anyone who needed somewhere to stay. This house was home to most everyone that needed somewhere to go. He'd slept in this room last night and this was only one of a dozen room dedicated to anyone and everyone who needed it. Al was leaned against the end of the mattress lacing, unlacing, and lacing her boots over and over.

"I hate my parents." He said, stretching his arms up.

Alice laughed, "I do too."

Xavier raised his head, "You hate my parents or yours?"

She laughed, "I hate mine. But you're parents are worthy of my hate as well."

Someone knocked at the door, which was unreasonable since the door was open. Alice looked over at the doorway and smiled at her brother who stood in the hall. He grinned like an idiot and moved into the room.

"You didn't say anything to me you little…" He started.

Alice laughed and cut him off, "Hey Birdman."

He stopped at about the center of the room and held his arms apart, "What? No hug?"

Al shook her head and stood up. Her brother was twice her height and had to kneel to hug her. When she wrapped her arms around his neck he laced his around her waist and stood and squeezed until it sounded as if her spine had shattered. Then he dropped her and she threw a punch before he laughed and shoved her back.

Celeste was standing in the door waiting for her boyfriend to rejoin her, "We're leaving now. So I'll see you later. K, Al?"

"K! Have fun, you two!" Alice giggled, "I'll see you later."

The pair left in an instant but Alice still stood smiling at what appeared to be an empty doorway.

"You can come out now." She giggled again.

A small round face peaked around the corner. Bright green eyes smiled at Alice but the lips were frozen in the same disheartened illustration. Alice knelt down, one knee bent and resting lightly on the floor, and one knee up and ready to send her flying forward. She raised one arm and grinned.

"Come here you little punk." She laughed the words out.

The hiding child went flying towards her, though he didn't throw his arms up as if to embrace her, he held them down as if to protect himself. He crashed into her and she rocked back on her haunches. The child was crying, his dark hair in his eyes and his sobs as silent as a mute.

Alice pulled the boy up and wrapped her arms around him, falling back until she lay completely against the floor. The boy hid his face in her neck and kept his arms against his body, only touching her shoulders with his hands. Alice, however, was much more comfortable with clutching the child close and didn't care if he didn't like being touched. Somewhere she believed the kid liked her touch, and everyone else who knew the pair was certain of the fact that Alice was the only one the child was comfortable being clutched by.

Xavier leaned up and smiled at his girl, lying on the floor squeezing the life out of a six year old boy who was crying his eyes out. Finally the boy pushed at her, letting her know she was holding too tightly and he wanted away. She released him, and, unlike what he would do with anyone else, he stayed in her lap and sulked and rubbed at his red puffy eyes.

"Hey Midnight," Xavier laughed, "You want me to go get you something to drink?"

The boy looked up and nodded swiftly. Alice feigned pouting.

The older boy rolled his eyes and agreed to get them both something to drink. Xavier left the room and Midnight's head did a 360 looking back and forth and back again for anyone else before his lips turned up, dry and almost splitting with the effort. He smiled.

Alice grabbed the young child's face and kissed him square on the nose. The child giggled at this and shook his head like a dog would to rid her hands from his face.

"So what's up, kitten?" Alice asked, pushing the boy back until he sat on her knees.

He shook his head and said nothing. Alice frowned at him and crossed her arms.

"If nothing's up then why'd you come all the way here?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes at him.

He spread his hand, palm out and touched his thumb to the center of his forehead then moved his hand down to touch the center of his head. Man. Then he turned his hands and tapped his index fingers together twice with the rest of his fist closed. He held this poise for a moment, his fingertips apart. Then he repeated the action, tapping them together twice. Hurt. Then he pointed his thumb at himself, a basic sign that Alice didn't have to think about to understand. Me.

"Who?" Alice asked, suddenly dismayed, "What man?"

He jabbed his thumb at himself again. My. Then he held his hand, fingers open, thumb toward himself, at his forehead, just off center. Dad.

Alice reached out and pulled him close, squeezing him tightly, "It'll be alright. How does it feel?"

He touched his lips then flipped his palm down, flat in front of him. Bad.

She frowned, "Can I see?"

He held his fist up and bent it at the wrist, as if nodding yes with his hand. Yes.

He moved back then, sitting in the floor away from her and beginning to unbutton his shirt. Once he'd done that he let it slid off of his arm to reveal a dark bruise the size of a man's palm.

Alice looked at his face for confirmation before touching the bruise gently. She brushed her fingertips gently against the bruise on his upper arm and frowned.

"How can I help?" She asked softly.

He held up his hand in front of his chest with his index fingers out and swatted his left finger with his right, his left hand remaining quite still with the force he'd used to sign the word can't.

She relented and pulled his shirt back over his arm and buttoned it back for him. Then she frowned at him and held her arms open. He lurched forward violently and clutched her tightly around the neck. She leapt up and swung him in a fast circle before pulling her arms from her neck and throwing him high into the air.

He burst into laughter and wrapped himself tightly around her when she caught him again and held him close, swaying back and forth with the hum of the music she sighed out. He grinned and buried his smile in the flesh of her neck, breathing in the smell of human flesh that housed a heart that loved him.

"Might Midnight, it's all you need. Crying makes you mighty. Don't ever let it weaken you." Alice whispered in his ear, swaying with the boy she wished was hers.

He nuzzled his face into her neck and let the grin fade into a smile and linger a while longer on his pale rosin lips. Soon he fell asleep and Xavier returned to find Alice in the center of the room swaying with the dozing child.

The older boy mouthed the question "Is he asleep?" and Alice nodded and pressed a finger to her lips to sign that he should stay quiet and let the child sleep longer. Xavier smiled and put the drinks in the floor beside the mattress where he'd been laying and knelt beside the bed and gestured to her that he could tuck the kid in. She shook her head and shooed him out with a flick of her fingers. Xavier stood, shaking his head and smiling, kissed Alice and left the room again followed by the soft singing of a lullaby.

Downstairs Liddy was sitting with Ralus and Gracie who was kicking her feet back and forth while she sat on the table. Xavier hopped down the stairs and made a weird noise to great the others before plopping down next to Gracie. Liddy rolled her eyes and made a sarcastic remark about his awkwardness in social life before laughing. The four of them were talking idly before Priscilla entered the room and wrapped her arms around Xavier's waist.

In false alarm Xavier joked, "Whoa! Whoa! My girlfriend is right upstairs, Jewelz, wait until later tonight, alright?"

Priscilla joked back and growled at him before laughing and letting go. She moved to the fridge in the kitchen that they sat in and grabbed a coke can.

"Where's Little One?" Liddy asked, tilting her head childishly.

"Upstairs napping with Even Littler One," Xavier laughed, "Midnight turned up crying and is wrapped all around her. He's cried himself to sleep."

Priscilla frowned, "I feel bad for that little boy. I've never heard his voice. Not once!"

Ralus shrugged, "I don't think he has one honestly."

Liddy shook her head, "No, he's not a medical mute. He's a mute by choice. I've heard him whisper to Al before."

"What's he sound like?" Gracie asked softly, looking quite intent of the topic of the little boy.

Liddy laughed and said teasingly, "Well Grace, I'd figure he sounds like a little boy, don't you?"

Gracie frowned and Liddy continued, "Well I've never actually heard him talk aloud! I've just heard them whisper back and forth. He sounds like a normal little boy, just a little hoarse, you know? From not talking as much as he should, I guess."

Jewelz shrugged, "Well he sure is cute either way."

They all laughed and Ralus asked, "Is Al asleep too or is she just holding Midnight?"

"Just holding Midnight, you know she doesn't sleep good." Xavier said.

He nodded in reply and said, "I'm going to go check on them, alright?"

The others let him go without argument and he proceeded to climb the stairs to the room where Xavier had slept. When he'd wound down the hall and found her with her back to the door and swaying contently he entered without announcing himself. She was singing quietly and he decided he'd lean against the wall and listen to her sing for a while.

Her words were soft and low, deeper pitched than he'd think for a girl her size and with her voice, but it was decent singing nonetheless. She sang indistinct words and mostly was hums of sort that lulled the small boy. They had a rhythm to them that was fairly clear after a few seconds and sounded like a song by System of a Down slowed down and dropped an octave.

The bright green eyes suddenly shot open as Ralus shifted against the wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the singing girl's face before he let her know he was there. Midnight pulled away from Alice and immediately wanted down from her grasp.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Al said softly.

Midnight let out a growl that shocked Alice and Ralus both, a deep guttural growl that shook his entire body and made him look fierce even though his features were small and adorable.

"Midnight!" Al cried out, confused and afraid of the boy's actions.

He'd gone red-faced and was obviously angry. He squirmed out of her arms and landed nimbly on the floor and made a start to the boy by the door who was too shocked to do anything to defend himself.

The small child ran forward and punched the teenager in the knee and shouted the first words he's ever spoken above a whisper, "She's mine!"