A.N: Thanks for the review, I never get to be anything really nice for halloween although I was Sakura from cardcaptors one year- loved it! Hahaha. Paula will be very explained in my next Colt story so I won't give too much away, but to sum it up she was a childhood friend of the Douglas's and her and Rocky became very serious about each other, Colt fell for her and went in for his charming kill when he found out that she had a crush on him. Rocky broke up with her believing that if she wanted to be with Colt she should, he loved her that much but he warned her she'd get hurt, and she did. The rest will be in the story. ^_^ I don't know if this came out so good, I'm sorry *cries a bit.* But I hope you like it.

...........

Dinner of fried cabage, meatloaf, and mashed potatos, is set on the table and at the small island counter before two stools for the family and guest to enjoy while having space to do so, but not be out of the conversation due to the seperated locations. Jessica poured a cup of milk for Arc into his sippy cup, which was in his travel bag, then moved around the kitchen pouring drinks of Apple Cranberry juice for everyone else. Her family is in the living room; Sam playing cards with Colt, Rocky talking on the phone with her father, Robbie watching television or Rocky it was hard to say from this angle but then again why would he be watching Rocky, Tum tum is playing airplane with his nephew holding the boy over his head while he dashes about the room both of them making plane sounds. Her heart melted once again.

"Mhm." Says Rocky. "Hachi-ji kake-naoshi masu." He listens to the person on the other end before saying. "Sayonara." Hanging up he slips his phone into his back pocket; beeping Arc on the nose as he and Tum tum go by. Noticing the brunet's ice colored eyes on him, Rocky asks. "What?"

Shrugging, Robbie replies. "I just think its cool that you can speak Japanese- fluently at that, most people sound like I-just-learned-this, creeps."

"What's the big deal," He sits beside him on the couch fully aware that Colt's attention to the card game between he and their father slowed a bit as he listened in. "you speak French don't you?"

"Who me?" He scoffs a laugh. "No, I barely get my english out right."

"But your parents have heavy accents, and your vowels sound a bit accented."

Robbie shrugs. "They are French Canadian and speak it but I was born speaking english, I don't know anything about funky vowels but it could just be from listening to them speak their english then having it changed when I heard American english."

After a thought Rocky says. "French is tough, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know, I always took Spanish classes."

Rocky snickers.

"I can speak French, you know."

"Really, Dad?"

Sam nods. "How do you think I got your mother to date me, I asked her in French- thought it would impress her to have to either ask around to find out what I'd said, or research it."

Furrowing his brows, Rocky asks. "What if she never bothered?"

"Then you'd probably be calling Caitlin Morallis, Mom."

Having heard the entire conversation Jessica swats her husband on the back of his head. "Dinner's ready, casanova, I hope you enjoy your last meal."

Flush with embarrassment from the laughter from his kids and one of their friends he nods with a simple. "Yes, dear." As response.

The small group migrate into the kitchen taking a seat at the table, Jessica and Sam at either sides of the tables end, Colt on the right beside his mother, Tum Tum bext to him, Rocky across from Colt and Arc is next to him, Robbie is seated at the island counter behind Rocky.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Douglas- I'm not just saying that." He eats then swallows another bite. "I've never eaten cabbage this way before. We usually have the red stuff and its always boiled."

"I'll write out the preparations for it." Jessica says.

"Thanks. Maybe I could make it in my dorm on my hot plate." After a thought he adds. "I should send it to my mother too."

"I've never spoken to her, is she a nice woman?"

"Yeah, a bit crazy when you're friends with her because she doesn't have her 'be civalized' wall up, but she's awesome. I can give you her number if you want."

"That would be nice. Its good to know the parents of your kids friends."

"Ahahaha so you can rat me out when I'm bad?"

"A mother should know what her son is doing when he's away."

"Tch. More like who." Mutters Colt.

Rocky glances at his brother while chopping Arc's meatloaf into squares. He wonders if Colt is just being his usual jerky self to Robbie or if his words are as loaded as they seemed. Thankfully no one but Tum tum and himself had heard it.

"Did you guys see Top Chef last night?" Asks Tum to his brothers. "Betty and Marcel has some fight." He laughs at the memory. "She practically told him to jump into the fryer because the spaz was complaining that the grease wasn't hot enough to fry his onion rings."

"I meant to catch it, but I was beat." Says Rocky.

"I'll record it when they replay it." Tum eats a bite of potato.

Setting his glass down, Robbie says. "Speaking of video's, Mom made a copy of home movies we have of Arc when he was a baby; I didn't think pictures were enough so I asked her to burn them to dvd, they should be in his bag."

"And you're just telling us this now?" Jessica's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

"I forgot." Robbie shrugs in defense.

"Ha, not to rush the meal but don't ask for seconds."

All but Colt chuckle at the comment. He's clearly in a pissy mood.

"Paige's show comes on tomorrow at seven in the morning, make sure you watch it."

"Tum tum, no one wants to watch your little girlfriend dancing." Colt chides.

"Jeffrey." His father warned.

Colt merely remained silent and ate his meal with no more commentary through it. The family and guest helped to clear and clean the dishes from the table then they migrate to the living room to watch the home movie that Robbie retrieved from upstairs in his cousin's bag. The 4 year old was even more adorible as a baby with his bright blue eyes and curious personality. He looked at anyone talking to him and smiled that cute little toothless smile.

"Listen to how much he cooes." Said Jessica with a tissue touching below her nose. "Rocky always talked up a storm when he was a baby too. He wasn't as curious, though, he always seemed to be in his own little world. Mori said he was talking to angels."

Edith's laughter comes over the sound as the camera is guided about the room. "Wheeeere's Arc?" Aiming the camera at him directly when she finished turning she says. "There he is!"

The baby laughed reaching out for the camera so he could bring it into his drooling mouth.

Jessica, Tum tum, and Rocky let out an 'aaaawww'.

Robbie wasn't really watching, having seen them before, too busy watching Rocky's serene, happy, expression; the action hidden by the darkness in the room. Arc watched some of the movie but was busy playing with his toy car quietly beside his grandfather.

"Marissa, will you smile at the camera?" As if Edith realized that her sister couldn't hear her she leaned forward tapping her on the top of her head. "Smile."

Reading her sisters lips the woman smile then held up her nearly 3 year old baby. Her lips are moving but not a sound is coming out.

"She says that this is the happiest day of her life, and she's glad that she gets to hold her baby." Edith says for the viewers.

When 3 year old Arc stuck his finger up his mother's nose she pulled the hand away and nibbled on it gently causing the boy to laugh histerically.

"Dop!" He said when pulling his hand away.

Rocky could feel the air tightening in his lungs and his throat felt thick like it was going to close up seeing Sin's tormentor and the real vision of his own, at least until Robbie's hand rest on his back giving it a gentle rub.

'Stop, make them stop!' Colt pleaded to God. "Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?!" He barks standing up from his seat.

Confused by her middle son's outburst, Jessica asks. "By what?"

Remembering what Maggie said, the suspecting ninja calmed his anger. "By... by the fact that... that..." Looking at all their questioning faces he throws his hands in the air. "I'm out of here." Grabbing his coat he leaves the house climbing into his car. Rocky can ride back to school with his precious Robbie.

"Well what's gotten into him?" Sam wonders turning the lights on while Jessica stops the dvd. "Samuel?"

"I don't know, I'll ask him when I get back to school."

"No daddy, stay here tonight so I'm not nervous." Arc grabs his father's arm.

Wanting to talk to Colt right away, Rocky instantly changes his game plan not wanting to upset the boy. "Okay. I'll stay tonight at home, but you can do it by yourself tomorrow?" He questions. "I'll have to call you scaredy-Arc if you can't." Teases the blond.

"Nuh-uh! I can do it tomorrow! You're the only scaredy around." He smiles when he's picked up and walked upstairs with his dad.

"I know I am." Rocky says before he's out of earshot.

Pointing to the stairs Jessica says. "I don't know what it is about this, but I think its going to be good for our son."

"Yeah." Having his beeper shake in his pocket Sam reaches into it. "Shoot. I've got to make a call." Kissing her on the cheek, Sam walks into the kitchen to make the call.

Upstairs. Rocky helps Arc into his pajamas then the two climb into bed. The room is dark and quiet, moonlight shines in through the open curtains and blinds; Rocky doesn't want the darkness to scare Arc- if darkness bothered the boy that is, and maybe just a little, he doesn't want the darkness around for himself.

"Can we snuggle?" Asks the boy already gripping the front of his shirt pulling himself into his father's hold.

"Sure." One arm around Arc, the other slides under the boy's head beneath the comfort of the pillow- not that he weighed much, though.

"In school, I know twins but they're a boy and a girl, are they aliens?"

Rocky shakes his head snickering. "No. Its possible to have a boy and a girl baby born at the same time."

"Oh. I was thinking about that." Silent for a moment the boy then asks. "Do I have a twin? Other babies mighta been born when I was too."

"Ahaha, no, you're the only you out there. Twins have to have the same mom and dad to be called twins. Anyone else born when you were just share the same birthday with you."

Thoroughly confused now, Arc says while closing his eyes. "I'd have a big party if that's true."

"Ahaha goodnight, Arc."

"Goo-night."

...............

Rocky snuck downstairs after prying himself out of his son's grasp; he had to talk to Colt and tomorrow or whenever else he would get the chance couldn't wait. Flipping open his phone he dials up his brother waiting for the answer.

A chill creeps through the ninja's bones as images played through his mind from when he was younger and Marissa had snuck into his home to take him away in the night while his family slept. Sin's memories and his own criss-cross as the dark figure with the vivid eyes became just a hungry woman watching him from the comfort of his own home.

"Hello?" Colt grunted.

Snapped out of his stupor, Rocky shakes his head. "Colt, I wanna talk- are you up?" He shoulders his phone between his cheek to hold it up while checking, with the dayglow, the time on his watch.

"I'm up, what do you want?"

"What I want is to know what's up with the attitude? Where was all that coming from tonight?"

Colt is silent a moment then he sighs. "I told you, its nothing."

"Nothing must be what you throw on your island when you're in trouble; that's obviously a lie."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I said it to you all the time when we were kids; you would do something and I would ask what you got into and you would always say "nothing", and I eventually got you to tell me anyway. So let's skip the song and dance and just tell me what it is. Be mature."

"Psh. I don't owe you anything." He sounds as though he's about ready to hang up.

"And that's another thing, you keep saying you as if I'm the scum of the Earth. Did I do something wrong? Or has Darren's stupid story gotten to you?"

"It isn't anything Darren said so much as its what you did."

Feeling that he's getting close to what Colt is getting at Rocky has to make sure. "Meaning?"

"A picture's worth a thousand words, Sam- or maybe you'd rather be called Samantha!"

Colt hung up on him after that; Rocky could almost see the male's phone slamming down on the desk top beside the bed or its been hurdled across the room. Its over, he's been caught.

November 13th

Rocky has had enough; since their discussion that night Colt has been openly rude to him with snippy words and all around rude behavior as far as living together went it was a nightmare! He didn't know what was worse the silence or the openly bitter and insults to him filled conversations Colt was having with his girlfriend. Colt didn't even care that Ellis has been spending time with him, kissing him, writing him letters; that he would leave around in the open for Colt to see, none of that seemed to get through to him. So Rocky, eventually, just stopped caring what his brother thought of him. If he could not change Colt's mind than so be it, let him be wrong its no skin off his nose; he's actually shocked his brother didn't tell their parents.

But today, when Robbie said 'hello' to him in passing, Rocky spotted the black eye that his friend refused to say that Colt gave him that was the end of it. So storming to the quade, where he knows his brother likes to hang out, Rocky spots him, heads over, and with one quick turn after grabbing him by the shoulder he slugs his brother in the right eye.

"That was for the sucker punch that you gave Robbie." He explained before turning away to leave.

"Don't run away you coward!"

Tensing, Rocky balls his fist in and out reducing his stress with a quick ten count before continuing away.

"I said don't run!" Colt shouts.

His voice is closer than Rocky would have guessed and, turning, he just managed to side step getting popped on the jaw; with his opposite hand he grabs his brother by the wrist, spinning on his heals behind his brother- their backs facing each other, and he nails Colt in the ear with his elbow letting him go once the hit landed. Recovering, Colt angrily strikes battle stance.

"Are you sure you wanna do that brother?" He asks before he can get a stance of his own. "You know once you call a battle, you can't take it back."

Colt's stance only became more firmly planted.

With a shrug Rocky gets into a stance of his own.

Not liking where this is going Robbie gives a phony playful laugh before saying calmly. "Now now, whatever happened to using our words when we're angry?"

"Shut up pixie dust." Snaps Colt keeping his attention focused on his brother.

"I'm only gonna say this once, leave Robbie alone and drop this whole subject or be punished."

"I'm not afraid of you, bring it on!"

"You asked for it."

Stressed to the point of tears Robbie only throws his hands in the air in exasperation. "Aaaw crap, they're fighting."

Colt, as usual in Rocky's opinion, went straight for the first strike swinging his fist in a hooking manner at his brother's head to repay him for that elbow to the ear; leaning to a back bend Rocky evades it easily enough but didn't see it coming when Colt swung his elbow out for his own perry landing it square into his older brother's left eye. Momentarily distracted by pain, Rocky keeps his good eye out for his brother's next movement blocking a rapid succession of wild punches, the blue wearing ninja often uses on their opponents, with a single hand to forearm technique until he successfully flings Colt's arm out far enough to get in a good punch to the gut.

Staggering backwards with a hand to his throbbing gut, Colt scouts the area a second for something he can use- anything!

"Kick his butt Colt!" Call Maggie.

Whom, like the rest of the spectators, came from nowhere. Oh sure there were people around but none of them seemed to be paying any mind to what was going on- at least, not that they had noticed.

"You know, with as butch as Maggie is, it makes me wonder if you're the girl in that relationship." Rocky spits, not even knowing he had it in him to trash talk.

"That did it." Colt mutters.

Dashing towards the blond he jump kicks at him, missing one but landing the other to the center of his brother's chest Colt snickers when he hears Rocky cough from having the wind knocked out of him.

"Yeah, get him Colt!" Calls one of his high school classmates.

"Rocky's gonna win for sure." Says another kid.

Colt approaches his brother cautiously. "Ready to give up?" He asks.

Rocky grabs him by the shoulders driving his right knee into his brother's gut before kicking him in the same place with his foot and repeating the knee only his left foot aims a bit higher bashing Colt in the mouth with a little more force than he wanted to. Colt drops to the ground spitting blood from his teeth after giving them a quick licking to check for any loose ones. He's fine.

"Colt this is ridiculous, we have to stop..." He can't stand the fact that he's made his brother bleed. "Do you even know what we're fighting for?"

"You know exactly why we're fighting!" Hollars the male as he stands up; he can feel welts growing on his abdonmen and hoped Rocky has the same, seeing that his brother's eye is puffing up nicely.

"No, I don't.... its just a stupid rumor. I'm with Ellis, and that's all that should matter!"

Ellis had to blush; was this fight over her? Rocky does care then? Or maybe he's two-timing her and Colt thinks its wrong and he's sticking up for her?

"I hate you, Rocky... I hate you!" Pouncing on his brother he delivers punch after punch to his face muttering that he hates him and crying at the same time.

Rocky sat there and took it.