Dolores POV

I was in his car, riding in the passenger seat. How dumb could I be? This is exactly how all the murder shows I watch go down. Girl meets overly nice guy, he takes her out, and then bam! You're kidnapped, raped, and locked up in his basement. I knew I was being dumb. I knew that it would be wise to not continue on. I knew I'd only met him an hour and a half ago.

But I also knew that in the hour and a half I'd known him, he'd made such an impression on me that I might spill my deepest, darkest secrets to him if he asked. The way he carried himself, the way he spoke his mind, the way he went right for what he wanted. And those eyes. So young and vibrant, yet they looked like they'd seen centuries.

The heater in his car was on full blast as we rode, blowing my curls around my face and tickling my cheeks. The interior was old and worn out, cream leather. It smelled like the coconut air freshener that hung from the mirror. We sat in silence for the first few minutes of the ride, both of us not quite sure to say after what had just gone down.

He cleared his throat, preparing to say something as he gripped the steering wheel to make a right turn.

'I apologize for any whiplash that gave you. I figured you wouldn't mind.'

Oh, yeah. Let's just teleport this girl with me using my freakish powers. No big deal. Normal people stuff. She won't mind.

I let out a single laugh, more of a huff of air than a chuckle. I was silent as I locked my gaze on him. Observing how he examined the road. How the veins in his hands shifted as he turned the wheel. And sneaking out from underneath the sleeve of his jacket, a round tattoo with an umbrella in the middle. I glanced down at my feet, and then back at him.

'Don't apologize. You're incredible.'

'I'm an anomaly. A freak of nature.'

'You're remarkable, Five.'

He pulled the car to the side of the road, not bothering to put it in park. He turned his gaze to me, his magnificent green eyes piercing into mine. I felt like he was staring right into my soul.

'What are we doing? You don't even know me.'

'I know enough about you to know that you intrigue me.' I said, placing my fist under my chin and propping arm up between the seats. 'And that we're going to be good friends.'

He nodded, mimicking my pose.

'Friends, huh?', he spoke, his face getting dangerously close to mine. His eyes were even greener up close.

'Oh, the best of chaps.'

And then, this boy, whom I trusted far too much, kissed me on the lips, brushing a curl behind my ear with his left hand. I felt myself blush just a bit. He wasn't like any other guy I'd kissed before. It felt like he actually meant it.

'Wow. You're real quick to kiss.'

'Like I said. Why waste time when you already know what you want?'

I shifted my body over to the side, no longer facing him. I was fully blushing now, I could feel my cheeks burning with blood like a sizzling vat of boiling water.

'Drive. I want to meet your family.'

'The best of friends indeed.'

Five used the knocker on the fancy front door of the house. Had this really been where he'd grown up? It was breathtaking. As we stood on the snowy stoop waiting for someone to answer the door, Five stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and I watched his hot breath steam through the frigid air.

The door creaked open, revealing a very familiar face.

Allison Hargreeves?!

She was the lead actress in at least two of my favorite movies!

'Hey Five.', she said, glancing at me. 'And Five's new friend.'

'Dolores.', I said, sticking my hand out to shake hers. She had a firm hand shake. At the mention of my name, she raised an eyebrow and looked back at Five. What could that mean?

'I'm Allison. Come on in you two, it's freezing out.'

Five led the way into the house. I could feel the warmth coming from inside as Allison opened the door wider for us to enter. But as I stepped up into the door, I slipped on a patch of ice, tumbling back into the snow.

Before I could fall all the way down, though, Five reached out and grabbed my arm with cat-like reflexes. Pulling me up, he smirked lightly.

'Oh my word, Dolores, are you okay?', Allison said with concern, in a tone that sounded like half of her was trying to stifle a laugh. I couldn't help but laugh either.

'Yeah, I'm fine.', I said, brushing the snow off my butt. 'I'm just exceptionally clumsy.'

She smiled at me warmly as she motioned with her hand for us to come on in. Five let me go in front of him, walking behind me as we entered into a foyer so lavish it looked like a palace. Checkered floors, columns, and a hefty chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. At the top of the chandelier, near the part where it attached to the ceiling, it was wrapped thickly in pink duct tape. Had they broken it? How do you just break a chandelier?

'Klutz, huh. Good to know.', Five said quietly as he walked behind me. I turned back to him as we moved forward, and he smirked.

Glancing ahead of me, I noticed that Allison now wore a wedding band on her left hand. Her divorce to Patrick was finalized three whole years ago. Did she really still wear her ring?

Coming down the stairs was a giant man, the bulkiest, most muscly looking man I'd ever seen in my entire life. He stood a good two or three heads above most people I'd ever encountered, and the wooden boards of the grand old staircase whined as he stepped down them.

'Who's that?', I whispered back to Five, awestruck by the sheer size of this towering man.

'Hey hon. Did you get the fireplace burning again?' , the man said as he stepped down the last stair, placing his hand on Allison's shoulder. I noticed a wedding ring on his hand as well. Could this be what I thought it was?

'Yep, burning well and toasty warm.', she answered him, accepting a short peck on the lips.

Apparently it was.

'Hey Five. Haven't seen you in a few days. Glad you're back.', the man spoke.

'Hey Luther.' , Five responded, shoving his fists down into the pockets of his coat.

Luther examined me for a moment.

'Who's this?'

'Oh. Dolores, this is my sister Allison, as you probably have already figured out, and my brother Luther. Number three and number one.', Five explained to me. The pair smiled back at me.

'They're married. It's not strange though.'

I nodded. It was a little bit strange. But they made a good looking couple.

'Allison, Luther, this is Dolores. She's a classmate from my Physics course at the community college. A friend.'

'Well, Five doesn't usually do the whole friends thing, so this is good I guess. It's nice to meet you.'

Allison patted Luther's arm as if to say, 'don't crack jokes like that, she's new'.

'Why don't you two come into the den and sit for a while? I just got the fireplace burning good again. Mom made Christmas cookies, too.', Allison invited. I nodded, and Five led the way. Luther and Allison walked a few paces ahead of us.

'A friend.', I whispered to Five, quickening my pace to get by his side.

He strove along, not stopping, walking with his hands in his pockets as a sly grin came across his face.

'That's what you said, is it not?'

The room we entered now was even greater than the foyer. A full bar to the far right side, bookshelves lining the walls, countless oddities and antiques. Above the fireplace hung a large portrait of Five, looking stoic and serious. Goodness, there were seven children. Why so much special attention given to him?

Sitting on the couch, a small brown haired girl studied the strings of an old looking violin. She was focused, seemingly fixing some sort of issue. As she heard us step into the room, she looked up from her task.

'Hey Five. How was the exam?', she questioned him in a low tone. She had a soft voice, soothing and smooth and even.

'Child's play. I got through it quicker than Luther gets through a dozen eggs.'

'Hey, I need the protein to sustain these muscles. I'm a big boy.'

'But I did however pick up something good from the experience.', Five said, smoothly resting his hand on my shoulder. 'This is Dolores. She drinks her coffee black, so she's safe.'

This sister raised her eyebrow at the mention of my name as well. Did they have some aversion to the name Dolores?

'Hi Dolores. Vanya.', she said, waving as she remained sitting on the couch.

I waved in return.

Five tugged at the arm of my coat, wanting me to take it off. I slipped my arms out and let him have it, and he took his off as well. As he carried them over to an old carved coat rack, I took a seat next to Vanya on the couch, and Allison and Luther sat on the couch across from us.

'Restoring it?', I asked, pointing to the violin she held.

She shifted it between her hands a bit. 'Yeah. It's from the 1920's. Scored it on eBay a few weeks back.' I nodded. 'Nice.'

'Here, have a cookie.'

I took a cookie from the plate Allison offered to me. I'd just eaten a doughnut, but I don't make a habit of turning down sweets.

I heard the front door swing open once more, and a single set of footsteps enter.

'I'm back, people. There better still be some of those cookies left. You said you'd save me some.', the voice called out. It was another man. Presumably, another brother.

A mid-stature latino man walked confidently through the doorway. He had shoulder length hair and a decent amount of facial hair, and he wore worn out black jeans and a longsleeve. Around his waist, it looked like he had a belt loaded down with various knives. That's unusual.

'Don't worry, Diego. There's still plenty left.'

He entered the doorway and glanced at me and looked away, seeming unphased.

'Who's she?'

'Dolores. Five brought her home from his college class.', Allison answered him.

He widened his eyes as he stuffed the corner of a cookie in his mouth.

'How much does she know?'

'Diego!', Vanya, Allison, and Luther all scolded in unison.

'Enough for right now.', Five answered him, looking into my eyes as he spoke instead of shifting them to his brother. Diego walked in between the couches.

'You gonna hurt him?'

'Diego, you idio-'

'I wouldn't dream of it.', I answered Diego boldly. He was putting on a tough-guy act, and I spotted it. He nodded, taking another bite of his cookie.

Every head in the room turned towards the foyer as the knocker started to beat like crazy against the door. After a moment, the visitor gave up and opened the door himself, from the sound of it.

'Who's that?', Luther asked the others.

And then a loud, joyful sounding voice rung out through the house.

'MI FAMILIA!', it yelled.

'It's him!'