Rosy:
I smile as I follow Micah back to the lounge room and sit in the middle of the lounge. Today is the first full day Sasha, Lana and Lydia have spent with us and I am relieved it is at an end. Lydia escorted by Sam, Pete and Kirby has taken the girls over to the main house where they slept last night. I allow Wynn to sit on the floor by my feet and I smile as I watch him crawl towards Terry and Dacey who are stretched out on their stomachs watching tv.
"Watch out boys, Wynn's gonna getcha!" Micah warns with a laugh. Terry and Dacey immediately turn around to welcome their brother as he crawls between them and begins chatting excitedly in baby talk.
"Bud said he will definitely be here about mid morning tomorrow," Micah says quietly. "Do you think Lydia will stay here or go with him to Lancaster territory?"
"I don't know but the sooner Lana leaves here the better it will suit me," I say on a soft growl. Lana's constant plays for Micah's attention today had irritated me until Steven, Mikkarl and Kirby had stepped in diverting her attention whenever it drifted to Micah.
"She sure is a handful," Steven agrees as he sits down beside me so that I am now in between him and Micah.
"You weren't too worried when she had you cornered up near the bathroom and toilet," Mikkarl says with a laugh as he comes into the lounge room to sit down near the three boys.
"Why would any tom be worried?" Dwayne says as he walks behind the lounge. "She is over eighteen, so that means she's been legal for two years."
"Oh geeze Louise!" I groan in disgust. "Is that all you guys ever think of? And ... oh crap! I hate to think of how you used to talk about me when I first came here, or even now for that matter!"
"Very politely," Mikkarl says seriously as he glances my way.
"Yeah," Steven agrees. "Both Sam and Mitchell can hit hard, not to mention Micah has always been quick to hit anyone who says the wrong thing."
"Crap!" Wynn says clearly and loudly and I look at my son startled. "Crap!"
"Charming," Micah says beside me and I can hear the laughter in his voice.
"And who is it always telling the guys to watch their language?" Lilly asks dryly from the chair where she sits. She is in the lounge room but not a part of the group with everyone gathered for the night.
"No comments from the peanut gallery thank you," I tell her and she laughs. I glance her way and notice how she is more relaxed tonight, maybe it was the day spent with Sasha, the three boys and I instead of with some of the toms.
"So whose turn is it tonight?" Steven asks with a glance towards Lilly. Each night someone changes to cat form and spends fifteen or twenty minutes in the lounge room letting Lilly get used to being around our cats.
"Mine," Dwayne says from behind me and I glance back over my shoulder to see he has stripped naked ready to change.
"What? No floor show tonight?" Lilly asks cheekily. "I thought you mob enjoyed taking your clothes off for an audience,"
"Was supposed to be Sam's turn but he's busy tonight," Dwayne says before beginning his change.
"Thank God for small miracles," Lilly mutters under her breath.
"Nothing wrong with my brother," I tell her. I am aware of the strong dislike the both of them have for the other and find it both amusing and frustrating. The sound of Micah's phone ringing interrupts my thoughts and I listen to him answer the phone with his usual hallo.
"Micah, Kurt Black here," the disjointed voice comes over the phone and I recognise my uncle's tones. "Can I have a private chat to both you and my niece please,"
There's no question in my mind this is an order not a request and I nod my agreement when Micah glances my way.
"Give us a minute to go to our room," Micah says as we get to our feet.
"Steven can you watch the boys for me?" I ask. "Hopefully this won't take too long." I've spoken to Kurt several times on the phone over the last few weeks and have found he is really good about letting me give the boys my undivided attention when I need to.
"Can do," Steven acknowledges. "And will keep an eye on everything else,"
"Thanks," Micah says before leading the way around Dwayne and out towards the bedrooms. We are nearly at the bedroom door before I realise Steven had meant he would keep a watch on Lilly's reactions to Dwayne. I push my concern to the back of my mind, Lilly is still nervous around the older, more dominate toms and I know it is causing Mitchell and Micah some concerns.
"Okay, we can talk now," Micah says once we have made ourselves comfortable sitting against the headboard of the bed.
"I thought I had better let you know that the members of the board are rather excited about the news of the two young she-kitts you discovered yesterday," Kurt says evenly. "There has been some concerns recently about the closeness of the marriages within our society and the low numbers of she-kitts. Do you have any ideas what their mother plans to do?"
"Bud Lancaster will be here tomorrow to meet the older one, she is his daughter according to Lydia, the mother," Micah tells Kurt.
"So I heard," Kurt says. "Bud has already had his medic take blood samples to do DNA testing to prove it. Sari has said she is happy to welcome the family into her home and help educate the two girls regarding being werecats. What of the younger daughter?"
"There's no doubt in Mitchell or Sam's minds, she is their half sister." Micah says evenly with a glance my way.
"Yeah, I have to agree," I add my opinion. "She looks so much like me,"
"Ray denies it," Kurt says with a sigh and I feel anger start to build on Sasha's behalf. "He claims the mother slept around, had numerous affairs."
"There are DNA tests that can be done on siblings to prove paternity," I say tightly. "Anyway Sasha will be staying with us if I have any say in it."
I can't explain the sudden fierce protective feelings I have concerning Sasha. Maybe I simply don't want to add to the feelings of pain and rejection she will have when she learns of Ray's denial of paternity.
"Beth and I would like to offer any help we can with our newest niece," Kurt says after a second of silence.
I listen with half of my attention as I ponder what I have just committed myself to. I have consciously been fighting my growing attachment to Sasha from the moment I saw her and now I have claimed her as my sister and stated I intend for her to live with Micah and I. I glance at Micah and he meets my gaze as he takes hold of my hand. I am aware of laughter in the lounge room and glance towards the door before leaning my head back and closing my eyes for a few moments.
"Kurt said to tell you goodbye," Micah says with a gentle nudge of his elbow. I glance his way as I realise I had gotten lost in my own thoughts and lost track of both the conversation and time.
"Oh, okay," I say with a sigh.
"I take it you mean you want Sasha to live with us when we move to your mother's place," Micah says quietly.
"Why the hell is Ray saying Sasha isn't his?" I ask angrily. "Wait, don't bother to answer! It's because he is an arsehole!"
"Are you sure about wanting to keep Sasha with you?" Micah persists. I look at him and see the concern in his eyes and I rest my head against his shoulder.
"You don't mind do you?" I ask. "It's weird but I wanted to care for her and protect her from the moment I first saw her. It's different to how I feel about our boys but very similar,"
"I don't mind at all," Micah says with a soft laugh. "Sasha is so eager to learn to be a werecat. She soaks up everything Sam and Mitchell tell her like a sponge," Footsteps outside and a knock at the door interrupt our conversation.
"Sorry to interrupt but there's a problem in the lounge room," Justin says.
"The boys okay?" I ask worriedly as I get off the bed.
"They're fine," Justin is quick to reassure me. "It's Lilly and Dwayne,"
I let Micah go through the door first and follow him towards the lounge room with a feeling of dread. Part of the reason Lilly is watched so closely when anyone is a cat is so we can be sure she knows how to avoid accidentally provoking an attack or chase response.
"What's happened?" Micah asks as he walks into the lounge room. I hurry in behind him to see the three boys still where they were but with Lilly kneeling beside them. She is sitting on her legs and when Dwayne moves closer from behind to sniff near her ear she leans forward as she reaches behind her to push at his chest.
"Go away and leave me alone!" Lilly orders and I hear the edge of fear in her voice. Dwayne moves forward with her, his front legs straddles her hips and he mouths the air behind her head and neck. I blink as I take in the scene with surprised disbelief.
"Dwayne! She said no! Now back off and change back!" Micah snaps the orders sharply. Dwayne hesitates a moment as he turns to Micah, his ears laid back and his teeth bared but he backs away from Lilly and begins his change back to human form.
"I wasn't trying to provoke him," Lilly says worriedly as she looks towards Micah and I. "Honest I wasn't,"
"Did he claw you or bite you?" Micah asks levelly.
"No," Lilly answers immediately. "If he had would I end up like ... would I become a werecat?"
"It doesn't work that way," Micah says and turns towards me. I see the amusement that floods his face and I have to press my own lips together to stop my own smile.
"That was ..." I let my words trail off as Micah nods.
"Yeap, sure was," He agrees. "Steven tell me exactly what happened,"
"The usual interaction," Steven says with a shrug. "Then Dwayne got up close and personal sniffing," Steven laughs and I glance at Lilly to see her frowning at him, her face pink with embarrassment.
"Then I guess Lilly thought she'd be safer close to the boys and nearer to me," Steven says. "But she crawled over to them,"
"Everyone stresses don't run from a cat!" Lilly protests as several of the warriors' chuckle.
"You were giving Dwayne mixed signals," Micah says with a wide grin and shakes his head.
"What are you talking about?" Lilly asks with a frown. "I don't understand what I done wrong."
"Cats ..." I hesitate as I try to think of a way to explain Dwayne's behaviour and after a few moments decide just to be blunt. "Dwayne was asking if you were interested in ... s - e - x, but he used cat language. Doggy style is real popular. So when you got on your hands and knees ..."
"I'm not into beastiality!" Lilly snaps with a nervous glance towards Dwayne.
"That's not very nice," Mikkarl says with a frown. "We aren't animals."
"Well if you lot don't mind I am going to my room, alone!" Lilly says sharply as she gets to her feet. "Or will that cause a misunderstanding?"
Everyone is silent as Lilly leaves the room, even the three boys who have no understanding of what happened watch her leave. I watch her go then glance around the toms, Dwayne is just getting to his feet and has an embarrassed expression on his face.
"I ..." Whatever Dwayne was about to say stops when he glances around clearly looking for Lilly.
"I'll go talk to her," I say as I turn and follow her from the room.
Micah:
I take Wynn to Rosy where she is talking to Lilly in the small bedroom Lilly claims as hers. Both Rosy and Lilly are silent as I hand the tired baby to Rosy.
"He's had his nappy changed and is ready for bed," I tell her. "He just needs a feed,"
"I'll call you when he's ready to go to bed," Rosy says with a smile as she guides Wynn to her breast. I leave the room and head back towards the lounge room, I had been happy to see that Lilly seemed much less upset then she had been earlier.
As I am about to enter the lounge room someone rattling the security door catches my attention and I glance into the lounge room to see Dwayne and Steven getting to their feet. I head to the door knowing they are close behind, wait a moment at the door and open the wooden door to see who is there.
"Hey," Lana says with a small smile. "Can I come in?"
"What are you doing over here by yourself?" I ask. A quick look shows no one is with her as she walks inside.
"It's boring over at the house," Lana says and gives a delicate shudder. "It's cold outside," Lana steps closer to me as if seeking warmth and I put my arm around her shoulders. She stays close as I guide her into the lounge room and reach for my phone where I had left it on the lounge earlier.
"I'm calling your brother and mother so they know where you are," I tell her. "They are probably worried half out of their minds."
"They probably haven't even noticed I am gone," Lana pouts at me and drops her gaze as she lifts a hand to toy with the writing on my shirt. I catch her arm by the wrist and gently but firmly move her hand away from me as I take a step back.
"I'm calling them all the same," I tell her firmly.
"Please, I don't want to go back there," Lana pleads. "I want to stay here," I make no comment as I quickly tap in the number for Kirby. He answers on the second ring with a distracted hallo.
"Do you know where your sister is?" I ask evenly.
"Just looking for her now," Kirby says. "She was here with us a minute or two ago,"
"She's here," I say and hang up but not before I hear him start swearing on the other end of the line. "Your brother will be here in a few minutes," I tell her as I glance down at her face.
"You'll talk to him for me won't you?" Lana smiles up at me. "I just want to be here, it's more interesting here than over at the house." She smiles at me and drops her gaze to my chest before looking up into my face once again. She worries her bottom lip with her teeth for several moments before giving a little shrug and a shy smile.
"I could keep you company while Rosy is busy with the kids," Lana says softly. "Those kids seem to take up a lot of her time,"
"I am not interested," I tell her in a hard voice moving away to emphasize my point. "Make another suggestion or comment like that and Kirby will be taking you to live at your fathers place before you can blink. Do I make myself clear?"
"If she doesn't understand what you just said I am sure I can explain it in terms she will understand all too well," Rosy says coldly and I look around startled to see her standing in the doorway watching Lana with narrowed eyes.