1x1 with x_fire

Sami laughed, "I can imagine it tastes awful" She said, trialing him outside. She eyed the fence for a moment, "Nice job" She commented, wondering what was the point since vampires or shifters could go right through it. Maybe it was for the kids? She shrugged and hopped the fence, not as elegantly as Carlos, but well enough.
"So you hunting animal or human?" She asked, wondering if he actually hunted animal. She had met a few vampires who actually fed off of animals but not many.

Demitri shrugged, "I'll speak to him" He said, sighing almost exahustedly.
"It's only noon and I feel worn out" He whined, collapsing on Kristen in a playful heap.
"Do you know what are children are up to?" He asked suddenly, the last time they'd left Maddie and Zach to their own devices they had had to clean paint off of the playroom walls for a week.

Zach shrugged, "They're probably awake by now" He mused, he couldn't really tell.
"Should we go find them?" He asked, wondering if the twins were already doing something.

Carlos thought about Sami's question for a moment. "I'm not one to turn down a dead deer but I would prefer a human at the moment." Carlos said with a small smirk. "I guess you could relate it to being in the mood for a certain type of food." he said with a shrug. Looking around Carlos smiled before taking Sami's hand gently.
"You know it's a bit of a hike if we're going to walk." Carlos said, a small smirk on his face as he glanced back at her.


Kristen smiled then chuckled as Demitri fell on top of her. She grinned and nodded in agreement to the exhaustion. She could feel it too, it was making her sleepy.
"Hmm, last I checked they were both asleep in the playroom." Kristen mumbled, rubbing her eyes before linking her hands around Demitris neck, running her fingers through his hair softly. "Sounds like they're awake now but I'm sure they'll behave with all the people in the house." Kristen said with a light shrug.

Maddie chewed her lip thoughtfully. "It couldn't hurt right?" Maddie asked, looking at Zach before standing up off the couch.
"Do you wanna come?" Maddie asked, since he bribed still looked tired and she didn't want to push him at all today.

Sami shrugged, "I'm in the mood for a good hike, worse comes to worse I can shift" She reminded him, entwining her fingers with his.
"Besides, anything to get out of that tension filled place" She jerked her head in the direction of the house. Between the tenseness of the vampires and the tension between her and Kristen just being inside the house was beyond stressful. She smiled at him, enjoying the brisk weather, it was warm but not boiling, which was perfect for her. It reminded her of home, all she needed was an ocean breeze and it would be absolutely perfect.

Demitri rolled his eyes, "Riiight, our children behave?" He teased, "They take after you to much and you actively go looking for trouble" He smirked, stretching out on the bed. He knew Zach was still feeling a bit down and he hoped that he was taking it easy. He knew Maddie was careful about things like that but sometimes they both got carried away.

"I'll come" Zach said, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders and trailing after his sister.
"Guest house?" He asked, his blanket trailing out behind him as he walked.

Carlos smiled lightly and lead Sami moreso towards the woods. "There's a short cut up this way." he said, remembering all the hunting trips he'd taken out this way with Alexi.
"I know love, and if we weren't practically at war, you wouldn't have to deal with it." Carlos said with a sigh. He knew that it was coming, the fight...that was the cause of half the tension. Everyone knew it was highly probable, no one wanted to say it out loud though.

Kristen rolled her eyes back at Demitri and shook her head. "I don't go looking for trouble, I just find myself face to face with it more often than others." Kristen teased, grinning up at Demitri. "Besides, if I didn't go looking for trouble, I wouldn't have found you." she added, sitting up, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.
"You asked Maddie to watch out for Zach..." Kristen reminded him. "She knows you only ask things of her if it's necessary, so they'll be fine."


Maddie glanced back as Zach wrapped his blanket around him. She smiled before nodding gently. "Yea, I think so." Maddie said as they left the playroom and headed down the hall towards the other side of the house.

Sami smirked, "Don't worry about it, we'd all have to deal with it eventually anyway" She said, knowing he was thinking about the fight. Both Carlos and Demitri were pretty freaked about the idea, not that she could blame them. She was pretty worried as well, it seemed like no matter what her and Kristen were heading down that path and she knew neither would come out unscathed and they'd be damn lucky if they both came out alive.

OOC: We need some Sami and Kristen drama, XD

BIC:

Demitri rolled his eyes, "Suuure" He teased, smirking as she pointed out 'trouble' was responsible for them getting together.
"I think it was fate more then anything, and the fact that we went to the same school" He teased, rubbing a hand over his face and nodding.
"I know, Maddie's good at keeping an eye on Zach anyway"

Zach nodded, following his sister, humming tunelessly under his breath as kids were want to do. He sighed, wondering when everything in the house was going to go back to normal, it had been so weird lately.

Carlos nodded in agreement. "And thus the worry ensues." Carlos mused with s sigh. As they walked, Carlos grew silent, though more because he was taking in the scenery than anything.
"I forgot how peaceful it is out here." he murmured, looking around as the ground started to incline and the air grew crisp.
"Ah, and here we have the start of the resort property." Carlos said as they neared a main road. "It's quite lovely actually, especially in the winter with all the snow. They have a main lodge which has the most hospitiable host, and there seems to be like a small town growing up here." Carlos said, tilting his head curiously. "It's been nearly ten years since I've come up this far."

((XD I think so too, but I sense that Demitri will kill Kristen if she starts anything else lol))



Kristen chuckled. "Yes, there's that option too." she said. "Hopeless romantic." she teased, nestling herself next to him contently. There was an obviously shift in Kristen's mood now that Sami was out of the house. She didn't notice it herself, but she was obviously more laid back; her usual self again.
"Exactly. And from the sounds of it, everyone else in the house is resting and relaxing for now." Kristen murmured, since the house was pretty quiet. She only heard Nicki, Jen and Donni coughing occassionally and Vlad talking in his office downstairs. "And you should be too." Kristen added, kissing his cheek gently.

Maddie half skipped up into the hallway between the house and the guest house before slowing down with a small frown on her face. When Zach nearly bumped into her since she'd stopped dead center, Maddie bit her lip.
"Something's up." she murmured, her eyes a bright blue as she walked a bit slower towards the door and pushed it open.
"Tia Maria?" Maddie called quietly. "Serena? Nick?"

Nick glanced up, hearing Maddie and Zach. He glanced at Serena before chewing his lip.
"Mum..." Nick murmured, nudging Maria slightly. She had zoned out half way through the movie, and gasped softly as Nick brought her back to reality.
"Yes darling?" Maria asked, wincing at her sore throat.
"Maddie's at the door." Nick said, to which Maria nodded and stood up with a stretch.

OOC: I don't think he'd kill her, be angry yes, be pissed at Sami, definately, but he wouldn't kill anyone, besides, I think it's needed, XD

BIC:
Sami smirked, glancing around as Carlos mentioned the resort and what seemed to be happening.
"It's the perfect place for like a resort village" She murmured, "It looks like some place out of a fairy tale or something, I imagine it would be amazing in the winter" She said, leaning against a tree, "Are you going to hunt?" She couldn't really tag along with him well he did that, but she could explore in her cougar form, which was always lots of fun.

Demitri rolled his eyes at Kristen, "Sven's not really relaxing, he's running back and forth between Jen, Nicki and Donni, and Shaye, Keith and Shawn all went shopping. I dunno what Keith, Alayna and Nicko are up to either" He said, "So why do I need to relax?" He teased, he knew Kristen stressed when he didn't take a break, but honestly he didn't need to rest or take breaks like she or any other 'living' being did.

Zach stopped just before smacking into Maddie.
"What do you mean?" He grumbled as his sister called out for their aunt and cousins.

Serena looked up from the bed where she was still curled up. She shrugged, before flopping back down and letting her mother and twin deal with whatever was going on. She wanted no part in it.

((Yea probably, but I say we let the tension build just a little more. Like they try to ignore it for a while so that Carlos and Demitri think it's alright when really its worse kind of xD))

Carlos glanced back over at Sami and nodded. "Yes, but I won't take long." he promised. Looking her over for a moment as she leaned against the tree, Carlos couldn't help his next actions. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close before pinning her against the bark gently, tilting her chin up and kissing her.
"Please be careful if you're going to roam around in your animal form." Carlos murmured softly, kissing her forehead. "I'll meet you back here?" he asked, stepping away from her with a small smirk on his face.


Kristen sighed and pulled back from Demitri a bit. "There's no pleasing you." she murmured with a teasing smirk on her face.
"You need to relax for the sake of your other half." she teased back with a small laugh. "But if you need to be productive, go on." Kristen said, waving her hand gently and rubbing her forehead with a yawn.

Maddie frowned gently, tilting her head as she tried to sift through what she was feeling. "It's hard to tell..." she murmured. "Sorry."
She looked up as Maria came into view and she smiled lightly. "I guess Serena and Nick aren't feeling too good?" she asked, noticing the exhaustiong on Maria's face.
"Does nothing get by you Maddie?" Maria asked, chuckling lightly as she kneeled to be eyelevel with her niece and nephew. "You're looking better Zach. How ya feeling?" she asked curiously, looking over Maddie's shoulder at Zach.

OOC: Haha sounds like a plan, it's gonna be the tiniest thing that sets them off to, like misplacing a book or not putting a fork in the sink, XD

BIC:

Sami laughed as Carlos pressed her back and kissed her, "Brat" She growled, "Yea, I'll be nearby" She said, stepping away from him and shifting. Smirking, the girl-turned-cougar quickly climbed up the nearest tree and disappeared into the branches, obviously enjoying herself immensely.

Demitri smirked, "The sake of my other half?" He quirked an eyebrow, "Go to sleep love, I'm going to go work on my car. Which is relaxing for me" He said, slipping off the bed and grabbing a pair of ratty jeans and a muscle t-shirt. Changing, he made sure he had his cell phone before kissing her forhead and heading downstairs and into the garage. It had been a long time since he had actually got to work on 'his baby' and he was enjoying some down time.

Zach smiled at Maria, "Better" He said, still standing a bit behind Maddie. He wasn't really sure what was going on, but Maddie seemed to think something was up and that the twins weren't feeling good.

((Yea that's what I was thinking too lol.))

Carlos chuckled and dashed off, taking a deep breath and heading in the direction of the closest, unlucky human.
Sighing in relief, Carlos sat back a moment, a satisfied expression on his face. He felt ten times better, and now the only problem was the need to hide the body. Fixing that problem quickly, Carlos took a quick glance over himself. Compared to some, Carlos was a clean eater. There were some blood stains on his jeans but nothing else noted to his deeds.
Rubbing his chest, Carlos let out a heavy breath before heading back towards Sami, using the tension in his chest to find her again.

"Mmhm." Kristen said, chuckling gently as Demitri kissed her and then left. Sighing quietly, Kristen tossed the thick blanket over her in an attempt to take a small nap.


"That's good." Maria said, nodding gently. "I'll see if Nick or Serena want to play today. But Serena isn't feeling so well today."
Maddie nodded and stepped into the house a bit after Maria. Glancing back at Zach, Maddie merely shrugged gently.
"Hey, Maddie and Zach want to know if you two want to play." Maria murmured gently, kissing Nick and Serena's forehead. Nick glanced over at Serena before up at Maria. He wouldn't mind...it was Serena that he was worried about. Maybe she needed some time just with Maria.
"I'll go." Nick murmured, sitting up from the couch and heading over to Maddie and Zach.
"Hey." Maddie said with a grin.
"Hiya. What are we gonna do?" Nick asked, looking from Maddie to Zach with a curious glance.

OOC: O.o haha

BIC:
Sami tensed on the tree branch above Carlos' head. Laughing to herself mentally the large, tan coloured cougar suddenly dropped out of the tree, landing on his shoulders and pushing him to the ground. Lashing her tail playfully she seated herself on the small of Carlos' back and cleaned her paw, looking the picture of innocence though her golden eyes danced with amusmant. She hadn't just goofed around in a long, long time.

Zach smiled as Nick decided to join them.
"We were gonna play Wii" He said, walking along side his cousin and his sister once he realized Serena wasn't coming.

Serena glanced at her mother and shook her head, "I'll stay" She said in a soft voice, smiling at her twin in an attempt to reassure him. She watched Nick go before curling back up on the bed and sighing. She just didn't feel well, though she wasn't exactly sick persay, just not feeling good. She glanced at her mom, knowing she was exahusted and feeling icky too so she didn't say anything, just remained where she was.

Carlos heard the creaking of the branches just a second too late. He wasn't exactly pinned when Sami fell on him, but his surprise kept him face down in the dirt for a moment. He laughed then, shaking his head before turning in an attempt to look over his shoulder.
"Sami." Carlos growled, though there was a playful expression on his face. Moving quickly, Carlos slipped out from under her and laid down on her back, looking up at the sky with his hands linked behind the head.
"Sky's quite lovely today." Carlos murmured, smirking to himself.


"Oh cool. What game?" Nick asked.
Maddie shrugged. "Not sure yet. Any ideas?"
"We played Mario Cart at Keith's...it was pretty fun." Nick said.
"Do we have that one?" Maddie asked, glancing at Zach since he was more of an expert when it came to the games they did and didn't have.


Maria sighed, rubbing her chest with a deep frown. What was taking Alexi so long? It wasn't a three hour drive to the airport and back...he should have been home by now with Luke and the others. A small fear passed over her mind, but Serena's soft voice called her out of a panic.
Looking back at her daughter, Maria sat on the bed, gathering the little girl in her arms. "Anything you want to get off your chest darling?" she asked curiously, kissing Serena's forehead gently.

Sami growled, batting at Carlos though she kept her claws sheathed. Sighing, she curled up and let him rest on her back, though she continued to squirm occasionally and flick her tail. She was rather enjoying the relaxed atmosphere away from the house and was seriously dreading going back. She had no desire to return, especially not when the situation with Kristen was so turbulant. She didn't know what to expect from the other shifter, and she also doubted that Kristen's family would remain outside of the inevitable fight, and that scared her a bit.

Zach nodded, "Yea Dad got it for us" He said smiling at Maddie, "It's a lot of fun" He agreed with Nick, walking back into the playroom and turning on the game system and setting up the game.
He wanted to ask if Serena was alright but he didn't want to upset Nick. The twins could be very touchy about one another.

Serena burrowed against her mother, shaking her head at the question. She didn't even know what was wrong and that frusturated her. She sighed, a few tears slipping down her cheek as she cuddled against her mom, enjoying the moment since she knew it would be awhile before she got the change.

As if on cue Alexi came skipping into the room, a rather goofy grin on his face.
"Sorry I'm so late, had to deal with some lost luggage. Melissa's a right pain in the ass if you loose her things" The blonde vampire moaned, falling down on the bed next to his daughter and wife.

Carlos chuckled, ducking swiftly as Sami tried to swat at him. He merely shifted around gently before settling back down. Tucking an arm under his head, Carlos glanced over at Sami with a smirk.
"You're enjoying this all too much." Carlos teased. It was a bit odd, looking at Sami in her animal form(Is it a lion or a cougar now? xD) since Carlos recognized her as Sami, though she didn't look any different from any other large cat.

"Oh cool." Maddie said with a smirk as she sat down on the sofa; Zach was more of an expert at the video game set up than Maddie was.
Nick merely sat down on the floor with the sofa against his back. He was afraid that if he sat down on the sofa, he would fall asleep.
"So how was England anyway?" Maddie asked curiously, looking down at Nick.
"It was..." Nick trailed off, the worst of the kidnapping flashing through his mind; Serena crying, his wrists bleeding, his throat burning. Nick swallowed and shrugged. "It was alright." Nick answered.


"Ay mi amor..." Maria murmured, hearing Serena crying. She shifted her daughter around, rubbing her back gently, trying to soothe her. Maria chewed her lip gently, knowing something was deeply troubling Serena.
She looked up as Alexi came into the room and she sighed heavily in relief. "I missed you." Maria whispered quietly, looking from Serena to Alexi with a troubled expression. "Are they here or...?" Maria murmured, since her sense had all been tuned to Serena and no the rest of the house.

OOC: She's a cougar, but can be called a mountain lion since they're the exact same animal.

BIC:
Sami yawned, revealing sharp fangs and nodded her head before letting it fall into place ontop of her large paws. Her tail still twitched occaisonally but aside from that she didn't move much. She was enjoying just relaxing with Carlos like this, and it had been awhile since she had just rested in this form. She had used to spend weeks even months never shifting into her human form, and she missed the lack of pressure that came with her animal form.

"Sounds fun" Zach said, handing a controller to his cousin and then to his sister before he settled down next to Nick.
"Is Serena okay?" He asked, his voice soft and hesitant as if he feared Nick's reaction to the personal question.

Serena sniffled, hiding her face against her mother and continuing to cry, she was so out of sorts she couldn't do much else. Alexi looked worridly at his daughter, "They're at the resort" He said, "We have more coming and not enough space here for everyone" He expalined, looking from Maria to Serena, unasked questions dancing in his eyes.

((Ah-ha, see that I didn't know xD))

Carlos smirked, laying back down on Sami comfortably. He watched a few clouds roll by, and before he knew it, Carlos had zoned out completely. It was the easiest thing to do, and the next minute he opened his eyes, the sky was starting to get dark. Pinks, purples and oranges danced where it had been a bright light blue only seconds ago.
Carlos cursed under his breath, rolling off Sami. They had to get back to the house.
"Sami, darling, wake up." Carlos murmured, not at all surprised; he and Sami had fallen asleep in the woods of the moutains. "Sami come on. We've got to go." Carlos said, shaking her gently.


Maddie smiled, nodding thankfully as Zach handed her the controller, watching as he sat down next to Nick. She brushed it off, letting the boys have their time.
Nick took the controller, watching the screen and choosing his character and kart. "I dunno..." he murmured honestly, looking too tired to react to the question. "She's just upset about something." Nick mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Maddie wasn't sure how long they had been playing, since the racing had gotten good and even Nick was getting into it, when Kristen came around the corner, calling them for dinner.
"Awww." Maddie moaned.
"I don't want to hear it. You all skipped lunch playing in here. Come on. As soon as you eat, you can come back and play some more." Kristen promised with a small smile.


Maria nodded gently as Alexi talked, though she shook her head at the questioning gaze he was giving her. Taking a small breath, Maria did her best to talk as quiet as possible, so Serena wouldn't overhear.
"I have no idea what's wrong. They both woke up looking like the living dead. Serena has been this way all day; she won't say what's the matter. Nick isn't as bad...he went to play with Maddie and Zach earlier today."

Sami jumped when Carlos shook her, her claws instantly coming out and gouging deep holes in the earth. Shaking her head she shifted back, chuckling once she was back in her human form.
"Leave it to us to fall asleep in the woods" She said, stretching and arching her back. She wasn't surprised, she had lived the past year in the woods an generally felt more comfotrable in the trees then inside the house. She smiled at Carlos, "Shall we head back?" She asked, lacing her fingers with his.

Zach nodded in understanding, glancing up as his mom came in.
"Where's Dad?" He asked, wrapping his blanket around himself again and shuffling out of the playroom. He wasn't sure if he'd be going back and playing more after supper, he was starting to get tired, despite the nap him and Maddie had earlier.

Alexi frowned, "Weird" He murmured, "I'll go get Nick, see if you can get her to eat something?" He suggested, wondering if maybe his daughter was sick. He wandered out of the guest house, heading down to the playroom where he heard Kristen and the three kids.
"Hey" He called out, smiling at his son, and holding out his arms.
"Miss me?" He asked, sweeping Nick up into a hug.

Carlos chuckled lightly. "Yes we shall." Carlos said, taking Sami's hand and kissing her fingers gently. It was a nice nap, and Carlos wouldn't usually feel so uneven in a forest at night, but with Sami now and...
Carlos shook his head to get the thoughts out of his general line of thinking. He was just being paranoid...glancing over at Sami, Carlos smiled before letting go of her hand only to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer.
"Maybe we'll come back this way come October." Carlos suggested. "Once it starts to snow. It's really something."

"I think he's still working in the garage." Kristen said, ruffling Zach's hair gently. "You look better today. How ya feeling? You haven't eaten today have you?" she asked curiously as Maddie skipped off ahead of everyone since her cooked dinner was already at the table.

Nick smiled when he saw Alexi, and he gracisouly accepted the hug. "Yea." he admitted softly. "We've been playing wii." Nick explained, glancing over his shoulder at Zach and Kristen. He turned to look back at Alexi then and his smile died down. "Serena's not better..." he whispered, though it wasn't much of a question.

Maria nodded gently, watching as Alexi left. She shifted Serena around so that the little girl was sitting in her lap better, and Maria could see her face now. Brushing her daughter's hair aside, Maria gave a reassuring smile.
"It's alright darling." Maria murmured, kissing Serena's forehead. "You're alright. Do you feel woozy at all?" Maria asked. "Like you're sick? Or do you think maybe drinking something will help you feel better?" Maria asked, nodding as if agreeing with her own statement. "I know it helps me a lot when I'm feeling funny. How about we both get something?"

Sami smiled, "That'd be nice" She murmured, she'd love to see the mountains in the winter, it'd probably look amazing. She laughed at Carlos' antics as they neared the fence for the house, Pulling away from him she clambered over it, and headed inside. She needed to make something to eat, since she hadn't eaten in awhile.
"Any plans for tonight?" She asked him as they walked into the kitchen from the back door. Maddie was seated at the table, and everyone who ate actual food appeared to be eating. She knew she'd need to make her own meal, since she didn't want to impose nor aggrivate anyone.

Zach nodded to his mother, "I feel a bit better, sleepy though" He admitted, wrinkling his nose at the idea of food.
"I had some cereal this morning" He murmured to his mom.
"But I'm not really hungry, I think Imma go to my room" He glanced towards the garage, "Will you ask Dad to come say good night when he's done?" He murmured shyly. Zach always asked that his parents come tuck him in and say good night, it was just something he needed.

Alexi smiled at Nick, "Sounds like fun" He murmured, resting his son against him as they walked back towards the guest house.
"No, she's not doing so well" Alexi admitted to Nick, knowing better then to try and sugarcoat things especially when it came to his twin.

Serena looked blankly at her mother as she manuvered her around. She didn't really seem to be paying much attention, just curled up closer to Maria and shook her head. She wasn't sure what was really wrong, but she was terrified of losing her parents, the whole kidnapping thing in England seemed to be coming back to her, and having so many strange vampires in the house was really stressing her out. It had been like that at Cassandra's, a bunch of strangers and not seeing her parents, the only time she had felt really safe was when they were alone, just the four of them and sometimes Keith's family.

"Plans?" Carlos mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as they walked back into the house. "No, none that I can think of." he said, following her into the kitchen, but not before ruffling Maddie's hair.
"Carlos..." Maddie growled, though there was a playful smirk on her face.
"Oh Sami...we you gonna come with me and Keith tomorrow?" she asked, turning around in her seat to glance back into the kitchen. "He said he wasn't busy, so we could go out to the fort in the forest. Do you still wanna come?"

Kristen sighed softly, but thought better of protesting. "Alright, go get some sleep. I'll send you're father up." Kristen said, kissing the top of his head lightly. Glancing back through the kitchen just to see that Maddie was eating, Kristen wandered into the garage.
"Hey." she called, not exactly sure under which car her husband had disappered to this time. "Zach's heading to bed. He wants you to say goodnight when you've got a second." Kristen said with a smile.

Nick's expression was hard and he stared off into space for a moment. When he came to, he winced.
"She's thinking about..." Nick trailed off, not even sure what to call their kidnapping. "What happened at Uncle Carlos'..." he said, wincing again. "I don't know why...sometimes I can tell...but not today." Nick mumbled, rubbing his forehead gently and resting against Alexi.

Maria sighed, wrapping her arms around Serena and holding her close. She was becoming seriuosly worried now.
"Serena...I can't help if you don't talk to me." Maria murmured softly. "Tell me whatever you're thinking, I won't get mad at all if that's what you're worried about." Maria said. "You can tell me anything, you know that..."

Sami looked thoughtfully at Maddie, thinking going into the woods over. She wasn't sure if Kristen would like that, but she was curious.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I can come" She shrugged, rummaging around in the kitchen for a bowl while she made herself some soup.
"But I'll let you know a hundred percent tomorrow" She murmured, heating up the contents in the microwave before sitting down on the counter and eating slowly. She glanced at Carlos, blowing on her soup to cool it off, "What are you up to tomorrow?" She asked him, quirking an eyebrow curiously.

Demitri slid out from under Vlad's truck, he had finished with his Aston Martin and had moved onto the rest of the family's vehicles.
"Already?" He frowned as he stood up, wiping his hands off on his jeans, though he knew Kristen hated when he did that.
"Shall we head up to see him then?" He asked, he'd come back out and finishg the job once his son was tucked in.

Alexi frowned, they hadn't really had time to think about what had happened in England, but it was possible that Serena was suffering from Post Traumatic Stess Disorder, and having her in a house filled with strangers probably wasn't helping at all. He sighed, nodding to Nick, "Don't worry about it kiddo, she'll be fine" He reassured, stepping into the room.
"Maria can we talk?" He asked, setting Nick down.

Fresh tears coursed down Serena's face as her mother spoke, she didn't know how to voice her fears aloud right now. She glanced up as Alexi came in, taking the oppertunity to slip away from her mother and into the washroom to wash her face. She didn't want Nick to see her so upset since she knew it would worry him.

Maddie nodded gently and turned back to her dinner. Once she was finished she put her plate away and wandered out into the hallway. For a moment, she stood there, breathing deeply and listening. By now, she knew everyone in the house on a first name basis...Nicki and Shawn were in the living room talking quietly...and it sounded like Sven and Shaye were upstairs with Jen and Donni...Kristen was about to come out of the garage with Demitri to say goodnight to Zach...Alayna, Keith and Nicko were down the hall....Maria, Alexi, Nick and Serena were all in the guest house...
Maddie sighed, rubbing her neck and heading up to her room as well. It wasn't exactly late, but she could tell everyone was pretty much turning in. Tomorrow was Sunday and she had study guides to finish and exams before the last week of school was over.

Carlos blinked, coming back from his thoughtfulness when Sami spoke to him.
"Not too sure yet." Carlos murmured, folding his arms over his chest gently as he leaned back against the counter. "Something might come up, but otherwise..." Carlos shrugged his shoulder and smiled softly.


"Yea...he said he was tired." Kristen murmured, shaking her head as Demitri cleaned his hands off on his jeans. She nodded gently, backing up out of the doorway and leading Demitri upstairs to Zach's room.
The lights were already off, and their son was laying down. Kristen smiled softly, kissing his forehead gently. "Good night buddy. Sweet dreams." Kristen murmured, straighting out his blankets before stepping aside to let Demitri say goodnight.

Nick merely nodded and wandered into his and Serena's room. He could hear her sobbing softly in the bathroom, though he didn't say anything. He rubbed his chest for a moment before sitting up on his bed with his DS starting up in his lap; he needed something to distract him for a while. Though when his father called his mother out, all of his attention went straight to the voices outside.

Maria rubbed her lips as Serena slipped away from her. When Alexi called, Maria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stood up from the bed. Walking over to him, it was clear she was upset, though Maria was mostly worried and frustrated.
"She won't say a word to me now." Maria whispered. "I asked if she felt sick, or if she was hungry and she wouldn't answer me at all." she said.

Sami nodded to Carlos, "You think it'd be a good idea? Us going to Maddie's tree fort?" She asked, swinging her legs gently as she finished her food and washed out her bowl. She glanced around, making sure hte kitchen was at least somewhat neat and tidy before heading upstairs herself. She needed to shower after spending the day in the woods, though she wasn't tired, not after spending all afternoon having a cat nap.
"Join me?" She asked Carlos, jerking her head at the shower as she stipped off her clothes and turned on the taps.

Demitri smiled and trailed behind Kristen, holding back as she said her goodnights to their son.
"Night kiddo, see you in the morning" He murmured when it was his turn, tucking Zach in carefully before heading out the door with Kristen.
"I still can't believe it, you know?" He murmured to his wife.
"Us having a son together, it boggles my mind" He added, wanting to clarify what he was talking about.

Alexi sighed, "Nick told me Serena was worried about the kidnapping thing. I think she could be suffering from Post Truamatic Stress" He murmured, "Being in a crowded house with a bunch of people she doesn't know..." He trailed off, letting Maria piece together what he was getting at.
"She hasn't had time to deal with what happened, everythings been so stressful" He sighed, "Nick hasn't either, he could go the same route anyday" He was seriously worried about what was happening with his kids.

"In all honesty, I didn't know she had a fort." Carlos mused, following Sami upstairs. "If Keith is going, then I don't see why not. She meant the angel Keith, not the vampire I assume.." he added, since Shaye was helping Sven here in the house, and Keith hardly left Shaye's side unless he had to hunt.
Carlos chuckled deeply as Sami headed towards the bathroom. "Gladly." Carlos murmured, pulling his clothes off and shutting the door behind them.

Walking out of the bathroom, Carlos laughed lightly as he saw what time it was. "And yet you're still not tired?" Carlos question, glancing over his shoulder at Sami as he pulled the towel from his waist to dry his hair off.

Kristen was leaning against the wall out in the hallway when Demitri closed Zach's door. She smiled at him and then tilted her head curiously. She grinned when she realized where Demitri was going with his train of thought.
"I know. It's wonderful." Kristen said. "He's as compassionate as his father." she murmured, stepping closer to kiss him gently. "When you're finished in the garage..." Kristen whispered quietly, trailing her fingers under Demitri's shirt collar, barely brushing her fingers against his skin the way she knew he almost hated sometimes. Kristen glanced up at him with a smirk, pulling away and walking back to their bedroom, leaving it up to Demitri imagination what the rest of her sentence would have been.

Maria exhaled as she closed her eyes and burried her face in her hands. "Oh God she's re-living that night." Maria mumbled, her hands muffling her voice. And Maria knew that was the worst when it came to Post Traumatic Stress. Her mind was racing now, searching for a remedy, or something they could do in order to help their daughter.
"We have to go home." Maria said, picking her head up and pushing her hair from her face. "They asked about going home earlier."

Sami laughed "I'm not really that tired, we had a long cat nap this afternoon" She glanced at the clock, groaning.
"I'm gonna be tired all day tomorrow, or should I say later today" She teased, flopping on the bed and pulling one of Carlos' shirts over her head. On her it resembled more of an oversized dress anyway. Braiding her wet hair she leaned back, "What shall we do to kill time or exahust ourselves?" She mused, smirking in his direction.

"Tease" Demitri growled as Kristen turned away. He prevented himself from stomping his feet, but he hurried back to the garage, finishing his work on Vlad's truck as quickly as possible. Washing his hands, the youngest Draq brother rushed upstairs and into his and Kristen's bedroom.
"Done" He said in a singsong voice as he headed for the shower since he was covered in grease and oil.

Alexi sighed, looking at Maria worridly.
"Can we go home? Is it safe enough there?" He murmured, raking his fingers through his hair.
"They've already blown up Nicko's appartment, as bad as it sounds, this is the safest place for our children" He knew Maria wouldn't agree, they needed to help Serena and they needed to keep the twins safe. He was worried Nick would go the same route as his sister, and then Maria would be even more panicked.