Unsteady; House of Anubis *B2*

[70] House of Nine Lives

"there you are!"

Nina, Patricia and Fabian looked up as the four came into the room. Fabian's eyes instantly going to Camilla, taking one look at his sister and knowing something was wrong. Camilla was fearless and headstrong; it was one of the qualities that Fabian admired but also got rather irritated with his twin. She always ran straight into danger without thinking about it causing him to have to worry more so about her. Whatever she had been told had caused her to be scared, whatever it was it had to be big.

"Jerome's got something to tell you," Amber turned to look at the pair who stood a little way off, as she whipped at her face. It was clear Jerome was taking as much comfort from Camilla as the girl was taking from him. From beside her, she felt someone take her hand and glanced to see Alfie as he too looked at his friends. Unlike Amber, he didn't care who saw the tears run down his face as the news finally sunk in about the new danger threatening not only them but one of their owns life.

The group turned to Jerome who's focus was on Camilla, the girl's focus was only on Jerome as she put on a small tight forced smile.

"He took the dollhouse!" Amber spoke up realising that Jerome wasn't going to say anything, not with Camilla's focus on him.

"What?!" Nina demanded angrily.

"There is something else though..." Fabian's softness was a contrast to the girl's outbursts. This was what finally caused Camilla to look away from Jerome as she looked to her big brother, her lips pushed together as they trembled once again fighting the tears from falling.

"yes, I took the dollhouse..." Jerome whispered.

"It was for Jasper!" Amber shouted, before apologetically looking between the twins. She knew her shouting wasn't helping but if she didn't shout and get angry at the situation, she would be sobbing at the fact her best friends' life was on the line. With an evil spirit and Rufus after her, Camilla had an extremely low survival rate and from the way, Alfie was silently crying those who knew of the big picture knew it. "sorry..." she murmured as Jerome glanced at her with watery eyes that mirrored her own.

"I knew it," Fabian muttered more to himself but the room had gone that silent with the information that even the pin Victor dropped every evening could be heard. "why would he do that?" his chin trembled slightly as he looked at the group.

"because he was being blackmailed!"

"Amber!" Alfie interrupted with a slight sniff.

"Sorry..."

"Jasper is not the bad guy here!" Jerome's voice was thick but it was strong. He needed to make sure the twins knew that their uncle wasn't the bad guy, he just made a few wrong choices and found himself in a bad situation. He was still their Uncle who loved them and was doing everything he could to protect them. Fabian looked at the boy questioningly "he was being blackmailed, by the person who kidnapped Trudy."

"What?" Nina and Patricia spoke together in shock. This was news to them.

"Kidnapped?" Fabian's voice cracked slightly as he repeated the word.

"Vera is a secret agent."

"Who's agent?"

"Rufus is back," Jerome told them bluntly.

"Rufus?" Nina questioned disbelief webbing into her tone. "No! No! he's dead! We read his obituary."

Jerome let out a wild laugh at this and shook his head, "trust me, he is alive and well."

"How?"

"All I know is if he doesn't get what he wants, then Trudy and..." Jerome paused and closed his eyes pain flashing through his features, "they are dead." He whispered. "Trudy is in trouble." He spoke back up again after a moment to compose himself.