Growing up Blake (Anita Blake XO Mature) Complete ~ 10/13

[Whimsicality]

booktv-girl2310: Thank you very much!
garcia88: Yes she is! Liz was always protective of the others in the series, and I think that living with Anita, who is very aggressively protective of those she cares about, would just enhance that. Thank you so much for the feedback!
tigerr100: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying and I am so sorry for the long wait on this chapter...life's been crazy.
cjsl8ne: I love Liz the defender too! She will definitely be strong when she grows up I didn't come back soon but I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the feedback!




A/N: I am so so sorry for the long wait guys. Life just went crazy on me. My best friend was married on monday and as her Maid of Honor I had crazy amounts of stuff to do, plus working 10-11 hour days five days a week (with no car I might add) and then on top of that my laptop stopped working again (it's back up for now, yay!) so I just had no time. Thank you all for your feedback and patience and we should be back to my regular posting schedule now!

Papa Micah

Tess leaned against Anita’s shoulder and turned her best wide-eyed, innocent look on her mother – who just raised an eyebrow and waited patiently for whatever was to come next.

“Can we call Micah Papa yet? We know he sleeps with you and Papa Nathaniel every night.”

Anita flushed and Micah laughed, a low chuckle that sent shivers down Anita’s spine and set her inner leopard purring. Liz wandered over from the puzzle she’d been working on with Alex and reached up towards the male shifter, then snuggled into his lap once he picked her up.
“Three Papas is better than two.” The small brunette said pragmatically, smiling at both of them.

Anita shook her head slightly, not quite comfortable with her children, her seven-year-old children, being so aware of her sex life. “If Micah doesn’t mind…” She said, trailing off, realizing even as she said it that she herself didn’t mind, and really hoping that he didn’t either.

“I don’t mind.” Micah said firmly, his beautiful eyes filled with warmth as he looked first at her and Tess, and then back down at the girl in his lap. “I would be honored to be a Papa to three such wonderful children.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere!” Tess chirped, before launching herself out of Anita’s arms and into Micah’s, only his shifter reflexes enabling him to catch her before she tumbled to the floor. She and Liz both giggled and then Alex ran over to join the fun, pouncing on Micah’s legs until he too was pulled up into Micah’s lap, the ensuing tangle almost blocking Micah from view.

Anita realized that she was happy, happier than she thought possible if she was honest, the part of her that could still not believe Micah had been so understanding about everything so far adding one more impossibly perfect trait to the checklist in her head.

Nathaniel walked into the living room from the kitchen and joined her on the couch, resting his head on her shoulder and reaching over her to tickle Tess’s exposed tummy, and Anita felt her smile widen.

It was weird, and different, and as far from her proper Catholic upbringing as could possibly be, but she wouldn’t trade her family in for anything.

[Whimsicality]

booktv-girl2310: Thank you! I love their wierd little family too
Ashita: Thank you as always for betaing and feedback! And you are not alone, I have decided to love each of the triplets equally because my favorite varies from drabble to drabble, I am so glad that challenge was up on TTH to inspire me for this series because it is crazy fun to write
KiaraAlexisKlay: Yay! Thanks K! I'm glad you don't think I'm very far OOC, it's hard sometimes to reconcile the toughness and jadedness inherent in the AB verse characters, with the maternal/paternal instincts needed for my fic to work. And I'm very glad you liked her brother, I almost ended up not writing that drabble despite it being requested because her family is so underwritten in the books, but I'm glad I did, now I just have to figure out a way to work him into one of the sequels I always liked Micah too, and just had to bring him in as Papa # 3. And yes, I'm jumping around like crazy, but I've finished all the drabbles so the lovely and wonderful Ashita has a sneak peek at how far along we are
garcia88: Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad everyone enjoys the sap along with the funny/more serious ones
cjsl8ne: Thank you very much! I definitely want to include some happy moments since the sequel's going to be pretty high on the angst.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Anita saw Jessica shoot her another dirty glance as she and Nathaniel danced slowly to some sappy love song. She hadn’t particularly wanted to dance, but Nathaniel had, and that was all that mattered. Micah was sitting with the triplets at their table and she saw Liz lean down and whisper something in Tess’s ear before sliding off her chair and sprinting towards them, calling “Papa! Catch me!”

Nathaniel turned just in time as she leapt into his arms and he spun her around in a circle, her giggles filling the air around them as the two grinned at each other. Anita couldn’t help her own smile at their obvious joy, but she let her gaze drift back to Tess and Alex, wary of what they might be planning.

Her caution was well placed as she saw that her other two children had approached the female police officer, Tess tugging on Jessica’s dress until she looked down at the tiny blond, a bemused smile replacing her glare.

Only Anita’s enhanced hearing enabled her to hear the following conversation, and only her self-control prevented her from laughing out loud.

“Papa Nathaniel loves Anita, and Papa Micah, and us, and he doesn’t like you. You need to stop thinking bad things about our Maman because our Papa will never want you.”

Jessica’s mouth fell open and a look of embarrassed shock spread across her face as she snapped an angry, accusing, stare back at Anita. Tess tugged on her skirt again and fixed the woman with her own cold glare.

“Maman didn’t tell us, she didn’t need too, we could see it in your head. And our Papas could smell how much you wanted Papa Nathaniel.”

Jessica’s flush faded from angry pink to devastated white and she sank into a nearby chair, staring down at the two innocent looking children with horror clear on her features. Tess gave a satisfied nod and then took Alex’s hand, leading him towards where Anita was standing on the dance floor next to Nathaniel, who was now dancing with Liz in his arms.

“Dance with us Maman!” She said, smiling sweetly at the Executioner who automatically took one of each of their hands, not quite sure if she should berate them or thank them for their little intervention. When she saw the amusement in Micah’s golden gaze, and the relief in Nathaniel’s, she decided to let it go and just enjoy the moment.

After all, only the innocent should cast stones, and she had thought far less charitable things about the frustratingly ignorant police officer. Maybe a lesson in humility was exactly what the doctor ordered, and Dolph couldn’t even get mad at her for it.

[Whimsicality]

booktv-girl2310: You are always so quick with your reviews! Thanks for the feedback!
Ashita: Tess is priceless...lol What is the last thing I sent you in the sequel? And I will have more drabbles for you I think, K's review inspired my already chomping at the bit crossover muse
garcia88: Thank you very much! I'm having lots of fun writing the kids interacting with all the various characters and I'm glad you're enjoying reading them!
cjsl8ne: Yes they are, lol. Thanks for the feedback! And I agree, she'll be treading lightly around Anita for a while
KiaraAlexisKlay: Teehee, I love reading your reviews! I wish someone would have done that to her in the novel too, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to tell her off from a source she couldn't really get mad at. In the official sequel to Wander Into Darkness we'll find out more about who else Anita is with besides their Papa's and how all that was affected by the children's presence so I'm going to leave your statement as it stands for now Lol, and yes, there's at least one Alex centric drabble left, although I'm not sure if I have another Tess centric one, (which I can rectify!) and we'll see more of Jean-Claude. But you did give me several ideas for more drabbles (I have Rafael in the sequel but he doesn't have his own drabble so that must be fixed!) So yay for more to come! Lol. Thanks for the feedback and ideas!

Petite Morte

Anita felt her heart thud painfully in her chest when she realized that the triplets had disappeared from Jean-Claude’s office and heard Valentina’s tinkling laugh, the sound scraping like glass across her nerves. Practically running through the halls below the circus, she suddenly stopped cold, Jean-Claude’s soothing presence right behind her, when she spotted the four children in one of the unclaimed bedrooms.

Valentina, Tess, and Liz, were all sitting in a circle on the floor, holding hands. Alex was walking around the circle on the outside, touching each of their heads one by one, and saying “Duck, Duck,” in a sing-song tone.

All four turned to look at her with eerily similar expressions of knowing innocence, before returning to their game, Valentina giggling again when she was ‘goosed,’ before jumping up to chase Alex around the circle. Anita felt her mouth fall open when she let him beat her back to the empty spot in the circle, and then took his place, gently tapping each of her children on the head as she took up the rhythm.

Jean-Claude touched her arm and drew her back into the hallway. “I will send someone to watch them but I do not believe she will harm them ma petite; they fascinate her.”

She nodded dumbly, still shaken at the sight of Belle Morte’s torturer playing schoolyard games with her children. Liz turned her head again to catch Anita’s eye and the animator felt a feather soft touch on her mind, ’Don’t worry Maman, we won’t hurt the little vampire.’

Anita almost choked, then felt Jean-Claude’s shocked amusement through their bond, and knew he too had caught their daughter’s message. Sometimes she forgot just how special, and precocious, her kids were, and for a moment she wondered who truly was the most dangerous of the four ‘children’ in front of her.

The moment passed when she realized that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, and so she turned and let Jean-Claude lead her back to the meeting with the rest of the Coalition, still bemused, but choosing not to think of it. It was safer for her sanity.

[Whimsicality]

Feedback: I am so sorry for the delay everyone and thank you all very much for the feedback, we have 5-7 more drabbles to go and then it will be on to the sequel. I hope you all enjoy! And sorry this one is so short but I think you'll like it anyways


A/N: The follow-up to Uncle Edward

Death

Liz handed the tall blond man a package wrapped in shiny blue leftover Christmas paper and Tess giggled, covering her mouth to suppress the sounds of mirth that were struggling to get out. Alex grinned from his place by her side and Anita watched her children warily, wondering what exactly had possessed them to give Edward, of all people, a gift.

She was also wondering if she should have demanded to see what was in it before allowing them to give it to him. They might have just turned ten, but they were more than capable of procuring something they shouldn’t, and they had twisted, mischievous, little minds that had led to more than one mini-disaster when one of their schemes didn’t go as planned.

Edward just arched one pale eyebrow, his blue eyes watching them levelly for a moment before shifting to the sparkling, oddly shaped bundle. He made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat and ripped it open with one coldly efficient yank, the paper dropping soundlessly to the floor.

One corner of his mouth curled into the faintest hint of a smile as he unfolded a long black cloak, fingering the silver chain with miniature sickle that was draped across it.

Anita choked, her fingers whitening as they spasmed against her crossed arms, and another giggle escaped from behind Tess’s fingers.

Edward, also known as Death, just lifted his head to meet her children’s gazes, something sparkling in his blue eyes that on another person she would have called humor. He gave them one slow, respectful nod, before turning his head slightly to look at Anita, “Where’s your outfit?”

It took a moment for the comment to register past her shock and when it did Anita groaned softly, seeing the speculative expressions on the faces of her kids as they too turned to stare at her, and foreseeing an executioner’s hood appearing in her near future.

That sparkle was back in Edward’s eyes and she shot him a glare before grabbing her duffel off the kitchen table and heading for the front door, ignoring the rising giggles behind her, and cursing herself for ever introducing him to her kids.

[Whimsicality]

A/N: So my life is in a bit of turmoil right now as I'll be losing my job soon and so have joined the thousands of people looking for a new one. Fanfic is still my escape, so I'll still be on here posting and reading, but there may be delays with posting at times. Thank you all for your feedback and patience and I hope you enjoy this drabble, which is the direct follow up to Death.

The Executioner

Anita smiled uncomfortably at Donna, nodding in time to her cheerful babble and wishing she were anywhere but there. The bubbly brunette was still not happy with how much time Anita spent with Edward, so now that Anita had her own children, she had brought them to New Mexico for the weekend in an attempt to ‘bond.’

Anita personally felt that it was the worst idea Edward had ever had, but it did seem to be working, so she had resigned herself to suffering through the rest of this day, and the next. She stifled a smile when she saw Tess rolling her eyes; her children weren’t having any more fun than she was.

Becca, while physically the right age, was not on the same mental and emotional level as the highly precocious triplets. Liz had tried to engage Peter in conversation, but the touchy teen wasn’t exactly keen on hanging out with a bunch of ten-year-olds and had brushed her off.

Tess caught her gaze and smiled brightly, then leaned over to whisper to Liz and Alex. All three children turned to give her matching mischievous grins. Anita felt her mouth go dry and glanced at Donna, still talking obliviously, wondering what exactly her children had planned and how much damage it would do to her fragile relationship with the other woman.

The triplets abandoned the swings, and Becca, and disappeared into their rental car before reappearing with a black box, tied up neatly with red ribbon. Anita frowned as they approached her, wondering how they’d hidden it from her while packing, not that she was all that surprised. They were naturally devious and between Jean-Claude, Zane, and Jason, they were probably better at subterfuge than most professionals.

“We got you a present, Maman.” Liz said as Alex handed her the package, all three of them practically glowing with innocence.

“Oh how sweet!” Donna squealed, clasping her hands together and beaming at them.

“Yes, sweet.” Anita said dryly, raising her eyebrows at the knowing twinkle in her children's eyes and gingerly accepting the box. After one last wary glance at them, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, then started to laugh.

“I should have known.” She muttered, pulling out a silk executioner’s hood. Underneath it was a beautiful silver necklace; the charm was a perfect replica of her browning.

“How…unique.” Donna stammered out, her smile a little shaky, and Anita’s smile widened.

“They’re perfect.”

[Whimsicality]

A/N: The first of two presents for K! So, I’m not sure Purdy (I think that’s the bitch mermaid’s name) really works with this timeline, or Meng Die for that matter, so consider it author’s license Also, as my AN should make clear, there will be minors using foul language in this drabble…as they have in several of my drabbles, but I felt like warning you this time
A/N2: Also thank you all very much for your feedback and I'm sorry for the delay, just been a little stressed lately with the whole job situation, which of course is stressing my roommate out, which in turn stress me out more... So again, just a warning, that this may not be the only delay but that I will do my best to keep posting since ALL drabbles for this thing are written, and I'm several chapters into the sequel

Bonding

Tess watched the petite Asian vampire disappear down the hallway, her chin tilted haughtily, and muttered angrily to herself before following, her bare feet silent on the stone floor. She got halfway down the corridor before a small, but shockingly strong hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her into an empty room. Meng Die stared down at her with cold, obsidian eyes, her voice melodic but hard. “Why are you following me, child.”

The blond smiled winsomely, twisting a curl around one of her fingers and radiating innocence. “You’re just so beautiful, I,” She managed a blush somehow and looked down at her feet, “I just wanted to know how you get boys to like you.”

The vampire’s eyes widened momentarily and she let go of Tess’s wrist. After a moment she sneered, “Why don’t you ask your Mommy.” She said sarcastically, turning to leave.

Tess lashed out and grabbed her wrist, ignoring the flash of anger across the older woman’s delicate face as she beamed up at her. “Oh that’s okay, you don’t have to help me; I don’t like you anyways.” The vampire snarled softly and went to pull away, Tess held up her other hand, flames dancing merrily over her palm, and Meng Die recoiled, backing against the far wall.

“I don’t like you because you’re a selfish, vicious, back stabbing bitch.” Tess said cheerfully as she walked towards her, now holding small balls of fire in both of her hands, gently tossing them up and down. “You’re not as smart as you think are, and you’re not very good at hiding your real feelings, especially from my sister.” The bone white woman went, if possible, even paler, and the blond’s grin widened.

“That’s right, we know all about your little plans and manipulations. Maman and Papa Jean-Claude seem to think you’re still useful. Personally I’d like to burn you to a crisp right now.” Tess shook her head and sighed dramatically. “But, if I do that, they’ll ground me, probably take away coffee privileges, and we can’t have that.” She took one more step towards the vampire. “So how about you promise to never try to hurt anyone in my family, and I promise not to set your hair on fire?”

All arrogance had long since drained from Meng Die’s face and she nodded jerkily, dark eyes wide with fear and locked on the flickering spheres of fire Tess was still happily playing with. “Good.” Tess said, closing her fingers over the flames until they disappeared. “You can go now.”

The feeling of wind brushed over her face and then she was alone in the room. She let a giggle escape and then jumped when her sister appeared in the doorway. “That sounded fun, why didn’t you invite me?” Liz asked with a pout, her arms crossed over her chest.

Tess skipped over to her and tugged on her arm until a hand was free, then laced their fingers together. “I’m sorry. Want to come help me terrorize that bitch mermaid who dumped Jason?”

Liz grinned, a hint of menace lurking in her brown eyes. “Sounds good to me. We should visit Gretchen too, while we’re at it.”

Tess giggled again and pulled her towards the door. “I love sisterly bonding activities!”

[Whimsicality]

A/N: Thanks for all the feedback guys, life's still crazy, but here is the next drabble, the other one K requested So please enjoy, thank you all so crazy much for your feedback and support, and I will be back soon with the next, only three left!

What If?

Liz and Tess stared raptly at the wererat as she cleaned her guns while telling them stories of her various jobs, interrupted with the occasional question or disbelieving exclamation. Claudia was their favorite of the bodyguards who shadowed their Maman, and the triplets when deemed necessary, and she was also the most patient when it came to indulging their curiosity; although Billy Bob was a close second in their affections, his name never failing to make them giggle. He was watching Maman that day though, so the triplets were hanging out with Papa Micah at the Coalition Headquarters.

Alex had been listening to Claudia’s stories too, until he caught sight of Rafael standing in the doorway and watching them with an amused, faintly wistful expression. Slipping away from his siblings, he leaned against the wall next to the older man, head cocked to the side so he could see his face, feeling inwardly smug at the thought of his recent growth spurt which meant that he was only bare inches shorter than the rat king. “What’s up Rafe?” He asked, and then flushed slightly when Rafael turned an amused glance at him at the nickname. Only Papa Jean-Claude, and sometimes Papa Micah, had the ability to make him feel so young with one look.

Rafael’s expression softened and he gently squeezed Alex’s shoulder before turning his gaze back on the two girls. “Did you know I had a son?” He asked softly after a moment, startling Alex with the seeming non-sequitor.

“No, I didn’t.” He replied quietly, mind whirling as he wondered why he’d never heard of or met this son. Some instinct, either an inkling of Liz’s powers, or just his own experience in living in a house full of volatile females, kept him silent as he refrained from asking the dozens of questions now bubbling in his brain, and instead waited patiently for whatever his almost uncle had to say.

“He’s about two years younger than you three, looks just like his mother except for my eyes, and is absolutely obsessed with soccer.” Rafael said with a fond, but somehow painfully sad voice, before falling silent. The moment stretched on until Alex was almost ready to say anything to break the awkward tension, only his innate sensitivity to the man’s pain stilling his tongue.

“His mother only lets me see him twice a year, doesn’t want him to know what I am, doesn’t want him to be a part of this life.” Rafael finally said, turning so that his dark gaze met Alex’s. A lightning fast flash of understanding passed between them as Alex realized just how much seeing the three of them, so much a part of their mother’s world, must hurt the man with what could have been.

The wererat smiled and squeezed Alex’s shoulder again before turning to go. “Tell your sisters hello for me, and I’ll see you all at the birthday party next Saturday.” Alex nodded dumbly, wanting to apologize, even though he knew it wasn’t their fault, but unable to find the words.

Instead he watched silently as Rafael disappeared down the corridor and then out the front door, before turning to walk back over to his sisters, surprising them both with a hug and then settling down to listen to Claudia. He sent a silent prayer of thanks into the Universe towards the entity who had dropped them in their Maman’s lap, once again reminded of just how damn lucky they were to have the family they did, and of how much worse their arrival in this world could have been.

[Whimsicality]

A/N: Your guys's feedback always makes my day, and in the case of garcia88 and Ashita did help inspire a change, not in the sequel, but the one after that so you all rock . And K, I am so glad you liked your prezzies! Now here's an Alex centric one I wrote a while ago, and hope you all enjoy.

What’s so great about privacy?

Alex buried his head in his hands and groaned, cheeks hot and flushed with embarrassment. He loved his sisters, he really did, but sometimes he wished that he had another boy to share headspace with instead of being constantly trapped in a bastion of femininity. This morning was a perfect example, and the memory made his stomach turn queasily. Growing up, again, sucked.

The door to his hideout in the bowels of the Circus opened and he sighed. “There you are mon guerrier; you have made everyone a little frantic.”

“Tess and Liz aren’t with you, therefore no one is frantic.” Alex said dryly, not looking up.

Jean-Claude stepped into the small stone room and leaned against the wall, smiling gently. “They refused to help us look, just said you wanted to be alone. They’re currently locked in their room at Maman’s house, not speaking to anyone.”

Alex’s gut clenched guiltily and he looked up at his Papa. “Do you ever get sick of having Maman in your head all the time?”

Jean-Claude looked surprised, but then laughed. “Your Maman is difficult whether she is in my head or not, and unlike with your bond mon fils, we do not hear each other all the time.”

Alex smiled reluctantly; he certainly wouldn’t want Maman in his head any of the time, no matter how much he loved her.

“What happened mon fils? I have never seen siblings who got along as well as you and your sisters; this cannot be a normal spat.”

Alex blushed furiously, staring back down at his shoes. “I,” he coughed, the sick feeling returning to his stomach. “I had a dream this morning.”

There was silence for a moment and he dared to glance up, watching as the confused look on his Papa’s face faded into compassionate understanding. “Oh, I see. You are becoming a man.”

“I guess.” He muttered, skin still tinted red with humiliation.

“Have not your sisters been forced to share their private things with you?”

Alex shot him a glare. “I really wasn’t aiming for rational, it ruins my sulking.”

Jean-Claude’s lips twitched. “Very well, we shall sulk.”

The silence stretched, one minute, two, three. Alex groaned and stood. “Fine, I’ll go apologize; come on, Mr. Rational.” When his Papa chuckled, Alex smiled slyly. “We can tell Maman how difficult she is.”

“Mon fils, that is not necessary.” Jean-Claude said urgently, his composure visibly slipping, and Alex slung an arm around his shoulders.

“We shall see Papa, we shall see.”

[Whimsicality]

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the feedback! Seriously the response to this story, this series, has amazed and overwhelmed me. We have just one more drabble to go after this and then soon after I'll start posting the sequel, Dance in the Abyss. You guys rock!

Standing Out

“Anyone else feel like you’re wearing hot pink spandex?” Alex asked quietly as they walked across the quad, steering his sisters towards an empty table at the edge of the lunch area.

“Now that’s an image.” Tess said dryly, sitting down the dark-red plastic bench and scrunching up her nose as her hands came in contact with something sticky on the table.

“We’re twelve years old and we’re coming in as sophomores, of course we’re not going to blend in.” Liz said calmly, handing around the subs Nathaniel had made for their lunches. She stiffened slightly, then forced a smile and unwrapped her sandwich. “At least you just have to see them, not hear them.”

Tess shook her head. “You are no fun. You should have dared Alex to wear hot pink spandex, that was the next logical conversational move.”

Liz laughed and Alex turned wide, grateful blue eyes on her. “Thank you Lizzy, for not[i/] taking the logical conversational move.”

“Any time Alex, any time.” Liz reassured him, patting him on the arm as her gaze slid back to the other children against her will, part of her still wondering why they had thought this was such a good idea. Did they really think that these teenagers would ever be okay with kids so much younger than them, going to all of the same classes, and doing just as well, if not better than them? Smart kids, geeks, were a nuisance when they were the same age, much less so much younger. Add in their Maman’s reputation and this was a disaster waiting to happen.

But all three had wanted to try for a normal high school experience, or as normal as it could be for three not-quite human preteens who could read minds, start fires, and heal people. They loved the program at the University, but the other kids there weren’t like them. Oh they were just as smart, in some cases probably smarter, true child prodigies, but emotionally they were even less mature than normal kids their age, and as their Papa Jean-Claude liked to say, the Blake triplets were more like adults masquerading as little kids.

So here they were, attempting for normal, and judging by the speculative looks, glares, and whispered words of derision, they were failing miserably. Her siblings had sensed her darkening thoughts through their bond and reached out to take her hands, Tess grinning winsomely as she asked, “What’s so great about normal?”

The words sent a strange thrill of déjà-vu through Liz and she shivered, but then smiled back, thinking of their large, extended, and absolutely not normal family, and the fact that none of them would even be alive today if they weren’t abnormal. Being a freak was pretty awesome when it came right down to it, and she wouldn’t change a thing. “Absolutely nothing.”

[Whimsicality]

A/N: You guys rock so much, I'm so glad this series hasn't gotten such an amazing response and I will definitely be continuing it, Dance in the Abyss's first chapter will be up in a couple weeks, unless real life throws me yet another curve ball (in addition to the sudden unemployment, my laptop died completely last night) As for Death's Sweet Caress...well, I will bring it back, at some point, but between said real life and uncooperative muse it will be a while . Anyways, thank you all so much for the feedback, this is the last drabble in the story, which I have enjoyed writing crazy much, and I hope you all enjoyed it too.

Growing Up, Again

Micah was sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of papers from the Coalition, Nathaniel was bustling around the kitchen making breakfast, the kids weren’t up yet, and Anita was still in the shower. The other shifters had left them and the triplets alone in the house last night to give them some family time.

The familiar sounds of shuffling feet reached his ears and he looked up to the see their three children filing into the room, Alex looming over his petite sisters thanks to his recent growth spurt. He frowned when he realized that the three of them were unnaturally quiet; they never stopped talking unless they were upset. Then he noticed the way Alex refused to look at either girl, and a familiar scent in the air, and hid his smile as they all sat down, awkwardly staring at their hands.

The room was silent for a few minutes, just the cheerful noises of Nathaniel’s cooking covering the strange quiet, until he heard their bedroom door open and called, “Anita.”

A moment later she appeared, still holding a towel to the ends of her wet hair, and looked at him quizzically. “I think you need to take the girls to the store today.” He stated with a gentle grin.

Anita looked confused until she saw the girls’ blushes, and noticed the same coppery scent he had. “Oh, right. We’ll make a day of it; maybe hit the bookstore, and that boutique you love so much?” She said questioningly, a hint of laughter in her voice, and both girls nodded, still blushing.

“Damn the Granolith, no one should have to go through puberty twice.” Liz muttered under her breath, earning a puzzled glance from all three adults in the room, but Tess just nodded fervently, a look of disgust twisting her delicate features.

“Three times for me.”

Liz shuddered and squeezed her arm commiseratingly before reaching for the carafe of orange juice on the table and pouring a glass for all three of them.

Anita exchanged a concerned and slightly bemused look with Micah, both of them wondering what a Granolith was, before she turned and headed back towards the bedroom, a light grin still teasing at her lips. At least the house had been empty; she could only imagine the reaction of the girls if the whole pard had been present.