New Everything

[Maira]

Ari was fussy and Alice was cold. It didn't matter how many layers she had on either of them, the biting northwest wind seemed to blow straight through their clothes. Of course she supposed if you were a kid running around like crazy, climbing up and sliding down on the jungle gyms then the cold wouldn't get to you.

She watched the horde of kids that all seemed to belong to just two people in awe. How in the world could two parents keep track of that many kids and not totally lose their minds? Just one on one with Ari, Alice felt pretty overwhelmed. She wasn't sure if that was just because she was totally new at the whole parenting thing, because Ari was so young and she had no help, or because of the beast inside of her that was constantly trying to take control of her body. Whatever the reason, all Alice knew was that she was cold, tired and that the baby nuzzling at her chest wasn't the only one who was hungry.

With a sigh, Alice did her best to readjust Ari so he could nurse but so that she still stayed covered. She finally thought she had him in a position that would work for both of them when she noticed a little girl with white blonde hair staring at her. Feeling a little awkward, Alice just smiled and waved at the little girl and then watched as she smiled back, giggled, and tore off across the park to her parents.

*****

Saiyuri had been watching the young mother out of the corner of her eye pretty much since she'd arrived at the park with her baby. She had a few bags of what looked like clothes and belongings sitting next to her on the bench of the picnic table but nothing that appeared to be a jacket for her or a blanket for the baby. Finally, when Lani came running over from the direction of the woman yelling "Mama! Mama!" Saiyuri took the excuse and caught the woman's eyes. What she saw there immediately set off warning bells in her head.

With a quick smile and a nod to the young woman, Saiyuri turned to Theiry and said just loud enough for him to hear. "She needs help. If nothing else she needs a meal and some warm clothes for her and that baby but I'm betting she has nowhere to stay either." When her husband just looked at her, Saiyuri sighed and shoved their picnic basket at him, "Take this over to her please? You know I'd probably scare her off so it needs to be you." Lani was standing watching her parents curiously and when Saiyuri noticed that she kept looking at the young mother, Saiyuri told Theiry, "Take Lani with you, she's probably going to follow you anyway." The little blonde jumped in the air, yelled "yay!" and then scampered off back to the woman.

Saiyuri watched Theiry and Lani's interactions with the woma as much as she could, while still keeping an eye their four kids and her little cousin. Rowan wasn't one of hers but he was pretty much inseparable from them.

*****

Alice had just finished feeding Ari when the little blonde came running back over to her, a huge grin on her face. "We're gonna have a picnic okay?" the little girl blurted then she ran off a short ways, only to stop and grab her dad's hand and try and drag him faster to Alice's table. Suddenly very self conscious, Alice hurried to make sure she was covered back up from Ari's feeding, and snuggled him close. The man was carrying what appeared to be a picnic basket and the little girl had said something about a picnic, but while a small girl was harmless a full grown man was another story entirely.

[Demeter]

One of these days, they really had to sit Lani down and explain about strangers. As it was, she ran up to every person. The mailman was rather used to having Lani rush out to him and pouted when she didn't. Something, Theiry mused as he hauled the packed picknick basket across the park, had to be done.

But first thing first, he had to get close enough to the woman to figure out what she was and then to find the right sort of help. Anything etheral he just dump her on Gensis, with a warning to avoid Darius so long as she had that baby. Vampire, he'd run her out to Nikolas and his Counsel-leader father. Magic user would be well off with Ayda. Leopard with pard, Cougar with Kindle or Lion out at Haven. He'd have to drag Sanura for help with a hunter and Dragon or any Wolven or Solitary Cat would be difficult but he'd find someone to care for the woman and baby.

He approached with a smile. He was about as non-threatening as a lady bug whereas Saiyuri would probably set off warning bells to anyone. He set the basket down on the bench next to the woman and nudged it closer. "Go ahead. You look like you could eat."

It was Lani who convinced the woman to break into the food. She popped the top on the basket and started setting out food, pushing it on the woman. Meanwhile, Theiry had enough time to sort of what kind of being this was. Lion and Angel, he surmissed and the change had be recent. He made a very obvious glance at the belongings around the table. "Pardon my rudeness, but do you have a place to stay? They expect snow to start falling by the end of the night and that's no environment for a infant."

[Maira]

The little girl's actions, shoving food at her, really got Alice's stomach to grumbling about how empty it was. It took a lot of self control to eat the food at a normal pace. When the man started talking to her, that distracted her from the food a bit but she was shocked at how forward he was. Before she could finish the bite of banana she'd just taken and answer him, the little girl was suddenly crawling up on the bench next to her and was peering intently at Ari.

In a sweet voice, the little girl spoke half to Ari and half to Alice, "Imma big girl, and can play in the snow. Babies can't play in the snow, they too small and would get cold." She may have been small, but the girl's innocent wisdom struck home more than the man's words did. Then, with a huge smile the girl turned her full attention on Alice and she declared matter-of-factly, "You baby needs to grow big so I can play with it in the snow!" Then she giggled again, jumped off the bench, and scampered back to her mother leaving Alice and Ari alone with the man.

After a short pause while she watched the girl go back to playing with her siblings, Alice finally answered the man, "You're right, I don't have anywhere to go. All I have is Ari and our bags and no more cash. We were kicked out of my husband's home and we're lucky to have what we do." Admitting to that last bit was incredibly embarrassing but considering the man had brought her food she thought that he deserved to at least know -why- he was feeding a strange woman he'd never met before.

At that moment, Alice heard many squeals of glee followed by children's voices shouting, "Its snowing!" In a response ingrained in her from her own childhood, Alice tilted her head back to look at the cloudy sky, and sure enough she could see small white flakes drifting down to earth. With a defeated laugh, Alice mumbled quietly and almost to herself, "Looks like the weather man was wrong, its just barely lunch time."

[Demeter]

It took some coaxing but Thiery got the woman into the relative warmth of the family van. While she was snuggled into a blanket with her baby, he leaned against the front bumper and called Haven. He knew that the refuge was full-up with lions seeking shelter during the damp and chilly winter but something had to be done with this woman and he thought that Haven would be the best spot for her. Shaking his head, Thiery cut off one call to make another on Leo's private line. When he got the lion on the phone, he quickly explained the situation and sighed when Leo said he'd be out to get her as soon as he found a space for the woman and her child.

Flipping his phone shut, Thiery climbed into the van and sat next to Alice. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I've found a place for you to stay until you get your feet under you. It's not the Ritz but The Haven is a refuge for those like you. You'll be safe there."

***

It was a fine thing for a man to be kicked out of his own house. After yanking a hooded sweatshirt on, Leo glared at his own front door. He'd just been tossed out the door by the pride's lioness with orders to go and fetch that poor girl before she froze to death. Grumbling, Leo snatched up the infant carseat that had been left on his porch and stomped through the falling snow to his Jeep. Once he had the seat installed, he turned and looked back at his house. The pride had descended in order to set things up for this woman. With his daughters directing the show, Riviera and Emma's belongs were being moved from their rooms and into what had belonged to Navid and Nico's old rooms. The rooms they were vacating were perfectly set up as a bedroom with living and kitchen areas, a nursery and a large bathroom. Riviera had offered them up so that the woman could have her own space while staying at haven.

And yet the women running him out of his house weren't the reason he was cranky. Not even when they have him looks about his housekeeping abilities. It wasn't like he was living like a single man. His daughters still lived with him and between them they managed decent meals and a mostly clean house. No, the reason he was cranky was because Sasha has shown up for the winter and she had the child with her. The child that he was sure was his but couldn't get close enough to. Sasha made damn sure that he couldn't get close to Lana which was as good as confirming that the little girl was his

Muttering under his breathe about lionesses, Leo pulled himself into his jeep and headed for Thiery's house.

[Maira]

With the onset of snowfall it really didn't take a whole lot of coaxing to get Alice to load up Ari, herself, and their bags into the family's van. After everybody else was loaded and Thiery climbed in next to her to explain what was going to happen, Alice just nodded silently in understanding. Why on earth would she take offense at somebody trying to help her by finding a place to stay? "If its warm, dry and safe for Ari and me it doesn't really matter to me where it is. Thank you so much for all of your help."

*****

So apparently there wasn't really any room left at Haven, and she was going to be staying in a room of the owner's own house. He was a bachelor and a lion and both of those things made Alice nervous. She wasn't familiar with anything having to do with her new lion half and suddenly being plopped in the house of an Alpha was more than a little frightening for her.

When there was a knock on Saiyuri and Thiery's front door, Alice couldn't help but jump. Luckily Ari was fast asleep in the playpen that Saiyuri had set up for him and for once he wasn't jostled awake by her sudden movement. She'd been very jumpy of late and as she had nothing to lay Ari in when he slept it meant he got woken up a lot too.

She heard the door open, and then male voices talking softly before they slowly made their way through to the kitchen where Saiyuri and her sat drinking some hot apple cider. Almost as if Saiyuri could sense her anxiety and worries, the dark haired woman spoke softly to Alice, "Leo is a good man Alice, there is no reason to be worried. He has raised a bunch of his own kids, I don't remember how many but its a lot, and he works with the youngest kids at Haven on a regular basis. You and Ari will be in excellent hands." Then Saiyuri reached across the table and gently squeezed Alice's hand right as the men entered the kitchen.

[Demeter]

Leo regarded the young woman sitting in Thiery's living room. She wasn't newly turned but she'd only shifted in the past few weeks. Nashua told him that the baby wasn't a hybrid even if his mother had been pregnant when turned. It was also Nasha who promptly said "angel" before sliding back to let Leo run the show. Thiery introduced them and Leo managed a smile at Alice. "I hope you don't mind that we are stuffing you into my house but I've got an couple of open rooms and a couple of daughters who are willing to watch your son."

After Alice thanked Saiyuri and Thiery for everything they'd done, Leo, loaded down with the luggage, led the way out to his jeep. The snow was still falling and a light dusting was quickly becoming a thick cover of snow. He td Alice that the carseat had been put into the back and she go ahead and strap Ari in while he dealt with the luggage. Stowing her belongs in the cargo area took little time and, after closing the hatch, Leo looked around to see Alice staring at the straps in confusion. She had the baby in the seat but the mess of straps weren't done up.

He gently nudged her aside. "I ca get him secured if you want to get into the front seat. I've had plenty of practice with my own children, all five of them, plus my granddaughter and various others that live out at Haven."

[Maira]

At Leo's approach, Alice had to force herself not to tense up. She really hoped that Saiyuri was right and that he would be safe for her and Ari. At the moment though she was just having a really hard time trusting anybody. After all, it was too soon to know yet if Ari would be affected by her own Change to werelion and yet his father had still kicked them both out because they were "contaminated". Who kicked out their newborn child because of a freak accident? If she couldn't trust the one person she should have been able to trust beyond all others, her husband, then why should she trust anybody else?

When Leo mentioned he had daughters that were willing to help her out with Ari, Alice wasn't sure if she should be even more reassured about this new situation or more suspicious. It was really almost too much for her to process at this point and she couldn't help but look at both Theiry and Saiyuri for any indication in either direction. When they both just smiled encouragingly at her, Alice sighed slightly and then smiled slightly at Leo.

It didn't take long for conversation to wrap up and before she knew it, Alice was thanking Saiyuri and Thiery for all their help and she was bundling Ari up in the baby snow-suit that Saiyuri had given her. It was more like a blanket turned into a bag with arms and a hood and a hole between the legs for what she was told was a carseat buckle, luckily it was white and not pink like the other one Saiyuri had nearly given her. She still would have put Ari in the pink one to keep him warm, but white was less girly.

By the time she got the still sleeping baby boy into his new snow-suit, Alice was shocked to discover that Leo was loaded down with her luggage and ready to show her to his car. She followed him and admired how pretty things were starting to look with their coating of snow. When they reached the jeep, Leo said he'd get her luggage stowed if she just got Ari in the carseat and that sounded good to her. Unfortunately the sight that greeted her when she opened the back passenger door left her staring, completely baffled. She placed Ari in the seat but after that she had no idea what to do. There were too many straps and buckles and it was just a crazy confusing mess. Leo reappeared by her side relatively quickly and Alice just looked at him for a moment before he nudged her aside and started tugging straps and clicking buckles together as he explained the experience he had with carseats.

Alice didn't get into the car until she was sure Ari was safely buckled in, she wanted to watch and see how Leo had managed everything. Once the back door was shut and Leo headed around to the driver side, Alice finally climbed into the front passenger seat.

From the time he pulled out of the driveway, until they arrived at the secluded property she assumed to be Haven, Leo and Alice rode pretty much in silence. She was nervous and not much for small talk. When the jeep finally came to a stop in front of a house, she unbuckled herself and hopped out to try and figure out how to under Ari's carseat. Luckily it was much easier to undo than to put together and she quickly had him in her arms again. After that she just waited for Leo to once again lead the way.

[Demeter]

Leo got the woman settled into the rooms that had been readied for her and her baby before heading out to his porch. She wasn’t talking much but he’d seen the wedding band on her finger. Where was her husband and why was that young woman just wandering around in the cold with a newborn? Despite the cold temperatures, Leo sat down on the railing and considered the problem of the woman. He’d gotten close enough to know that she was ethereal and that made things tricky. Some of those winged people were pretty stuffy about hybrids.

At the sound of laugher, he looked up. Out in the meadow, many of the younger people were attempting to have a snowball fight with what snow was around. The fall was still light but it was sticking and the news stations were all yelling about winter storm watches. He chuckled when Navid tackled the young nomadic lioness that had taken up residence a few months back. Savannah seemed to be fitting in and she’d even stopped running away from Navid. Something that had improved the boys mood greatly.

Leo looked towards the drive when he heard a car pull up. It was a town car with a flame job and that could only spell trouble. Sure enough, the rear door popped open and young Rayne DeLuge tumbled out and went running for the meadow. Leo held his breath and sighed in relief when the only other person to get out was Genesis. He watched as the woman, turned and bent forward into the car. She was talking to someone and tugging at something stuck on the floorboards. Eventually, she backed out, medical bag in hand, and slammed the door shut.

Once the town car had turned and was heading down the drive, Genesis wheeled around and waved at him. Leo stepped off the porch and shook her hand. “What are you doing out here? No one is sick.”

Genesis poked him in the chest. “Melinda is going to have that baby any day and I want to check on her. None of her babies have come easily and I doubt this one will be the same. Also, Ruana called. Said you had a new resident with a newborn who’d been wandering around in this weather. I’m guessing it’s the same woman Saiyuri called me about. If she’s willing, I want to look both of them over to make sure everything is okay. You handle asking her while I check on Melinda.”

Leo grumbled a little but headed back into the house. He toed off his shoes before heading back towards Alice’s rooms. He knocked lightly in the door and opened it when the woman called out. “Um, we have a doc who’s visiting right now. A woman and baby doc. She’d be willing to um, look your little guy over to make sure he’s okay. If you’d like.”

[Maira]

Alice had been shocked to find out that not only was she being set up in one room for her, but that Ari was also being given a nursery. There was also small kitchen and living space as well, not to mention a private bathroom. Once Leo had left her alone with Ari and their things in their new quasi-apartment, Alice had stood quietly in shock as tears slipped down her cheeks unnoticed. How could the man who supposedly cared for her, and so clearly adored Ari, kick them out of their home without a single hint of regret? And yet a group of complete strangers were willing to rearrange their house and their lives to fit them in? It just didn't make sense but that didn't mean she wasn't greatful for their kindness.

She had just begun really looking around their rooms and trying to put a few things away, Ari still soundly asleep in his carseat, when there was a quiet knock on the door separating her area of the house from the main part of the house. Sure it must be Leo, Alice called out, as loudly as she thought she could without waking Ari, for him to come in. She quickly finished putting away the few clothes she had in her hands and then walked out to the little living area to meet him. Only he wasn't there. She then looked toward the door and saw him standing in the doorway and made her way over to him. He told her about a visiting woman and baby doctor who wanted to take a look at Ari.

How the doc had already heard about Ari had her curious, and a bit worried. "I don't mind her looking at him, but did you tell her we were here?" She knew in her gut that trusting this man, and the people at this place, was the thing to do but her instincts regarding trust had been shaken pretty hard when Petros had disowned her and Ari.

[Demeter]

Leo sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "I didn't tell her. That would have been Ruana, my youngest daughter. She's a strong empath, has almost no boundarys and puts her nose into everyone's business. If she gets annoying, and she will, just tell her to get out," Leo said. He glanced around the small apartment. "Can I get you anything? Some of the other lionesses are ransacking their attics and closets to try and find baby stuff. We have it all stashed somewhere."

He waited around the living area until there was a quiet knock on the door. He let Genesis in and was kicked out by the woman. He grumbled a bit but closed the door behind him. Genesis eyed the door for a moment and than locked it. She smiled at the young woman clutching her fingers together in a tight fist. "Don't wear, Dear, I'm not going to hurt your little one or you. I just don't want anyone barging in. I'm Genesis DeLorme and no one has actually told me your name."

[Maira]

Alice listened as Leo explained about his daughter and the other lionesses of the pride, and while it seemed a bit odd that complete strangers already cared so much about her and Ari she was very grateful. It wasn't long after Leo stopped talking that there was a soft knock at the door which he answered and let the woman waiting on the other side into Alice's apartment. The woman looked nice enough but when she kicked Leo, the only person she even semi-knew at Haven, Alice started to get really nervous. The other woman seemed able to read Alice like a book and almost as soon as the feelings of unease started, the woman tried to soothe her.

When Genesis pointed out that nobody had told her, Alice's name the younger woman volunteered it, "I'm Alice La Serre." Then, after just a moment's thought she added, "And my son's name is Ari. He's just over three weeks old." She had Turned the night Ari turned three weeks old, she'd been kicked out of her home the very next morning, and had only been in Cedar Valley for one night and one day since then. She hadn't even been a Were for 48 hours yet and she had no idea if Ari was affected or not. She was very worried just what this woman was going do by looking them over. Would she be able to tell what Alice was? She had a feeling that Theiry had placed her at Haven because she was Lion like them, but she wasn't exactly sure. Would she be able to tell if Ari was infected with whatever she was?

[Demeter]

The woman's name brought her up short. La Serre had been her name before her marriage to Darius. Shaking it off, Genesis crossed to the baby's car seat and deftly dealt with the buckles. She spread the baby's blanket out on the bed. "Nothing to fancy. I'm just going to check him over and make sure he wasn't bothered by the cold."

With the ease of a woman used to babies, Genesis scooped Ari from the seat and set him down on the bed. While looking him over, Genesis spoke to Alice. "I'm sure this is all very overwhelming to you but have no worries. This town and its people are very used to strays. I used to be one,” Genesis paused to tickle Ari’s feet before looking up at Alice. “We are very nice people and everyone knows that Darius DeLorme, my husband and a prominent member of this town, won’t stand for any kind of intolerance.”

After looking Ari over and declaring him no worse off than any other healthy three week old, Genesis pinned her gaze on Alice. “Your turn,” she said while patting the bed. When Alice balked, squawking about six week visits, Genesis deposited Ari in his car seat and pointed at the bed. “You weren’t my patient three weeks ago. Off with the pants and on the bed, young lady,” she said.

[Maira]

Alice watched eagerly as Genesis checked out Ari and when she declared him healthy she couldn't help but smile and relax a bit. That is, until Genesis demanded that Alice get up on the bed for a check-up of her own. She balked and tried to object but the look on the older woman's face told her that it was pointless to argue. With a sigh, Alice slipped out of her pants and did as she was told.

The exam was over quickly enough and Alice hurried back into her pants before scooping Ari up to snuggle him. He had started fussing a bit and she knew he was hungry. She was still a little shy about nursing in front of strangers but considering Genesis's profession, Alice gave in to Ari's needs and ignored her own shyness. Once the baby was happily nuzzling at her breast, Alice turned her attention to Genesis. There was a question she had, based on something Petros had said about her "contaminating" their son. She cleared her throat and asked softly, "I've been nursing Ari all along and his father insisted that I had ruined him either with my milk or while he was inside of me still. Is it likely that he's already infected, or is there a chance he is still all Alati? Is there a way to tell? If he's still all Alati, as much as I want to keep nursing I'll stop. Just because his father doesn't want me anymore doesn't mean Ari should have to suffer because of me too."

[Demeter]

Genesis looked up from repacking her bag. The young woman loomed really worried about having somehow ruined her son. "Some Alati seemed to have forgotten our original purpose. Your Ari is not contaminated, Alice, but yes, it possible that he picked up your shifter genes but you won't know for sure until he reaches puberty."

There was something else that was bothering her. The identity of little Ari's father. "Alice, can you tell me just who his father is? I knew a few La Serre's before my marriage and I'm just wondering if it is the same ones." 

When Alice mentioned that her husband was Petrios, Genesis bristled. It didn't surprised her that the stuck up brat would toss her out; the brat's mother had forced her father to disown her on the occasion of her marriage to Darius. "Why didn't you go back to your family or would they not accept you back?"

And for that matter why was Genesis' older brother allowing this? "Wasn't there anywhere you could have gone?"

[Maira]

At Genesis's questions about why she didn't go back to her family, and if there wasn't anywhere else she could go, Alice flinched. She'd wanted to go home, but Petros has told her that he'd already informed them of her "condition" and he said they'd told him not to let her come home. Sure, Petros had never been very pleasant with her but he'd never been dishonest with her so she had no reason to not believe his words. It had broken her heart to hear that she wouldn't be welcome at home, but she knew how important her marriage to Petros was to her father and she knew she was letting him down horribly by ruining it and any alliance the marriage had created. It was shame and fear more than anything that had kept her from going home because despite everything, she knew she would have been allowed to live there, she just wouldn't have been able to deal with the look of disappointment in her father's eyes on a daily basis.

All Alice managed to squeak out to Genesis however was, "It was just easier to leave everything behind."

She wasn't sure how her siblings would have reacted, but her sister anyway was in a new home with her new husband. Her brother was training to follow their father and he likely would have been at least a little disappointed in her as well and as awful as it would be coming from her father, it would have been a million times worse coming from her own triplet.

[Demeter]

Leo blinked as an enraged Genesis stormed past him. He's only seen the woman upset once when one of the nomadic lionesses hadn't been taking proper care of herself. The anger rolling off her now made that previous experience pale in comparison. Wary of just what an angry Genesis could do, Leo pulled out his cell and dialed Darius. 

Once the call was complete, Leo went to check on Alice. Finding that Alice and Ari were just fine and that the visit with Genesis had been pleasant, Leo wondered just what had seen the Curantis woman off. He prayed for whatever poor soul had set her off. 

****
Genesis, all six wings fluttering in the breeze, stalked up the grand, tree lined drive of the main La Serre family home. She'd gotten the basics out of Alice about how she come to be wandering the mortal realm with a newborn. Darling little brother Petros had kicked her out on her ass because she'd been bitten by a rouge shifter. She could understand the actions of Petros; his side of the family had their grand, pureblooded noses stuck in the air and wouldn't tolerate a tainted bloodline. 

But that Titus, her elder brother and head of the family, would allow this pissed her off. He had no right to allow Petros to cast Alice out; not when this hadn't been her fault. Not when he had three ibrida children born out of wedlock to shifter, mutari and Custos mothers. 

Petros may have been the head if his mother's house but he was a Le Serre by birth and, by the gods, he was going to answer to head of the house for this. And if Titus either did nothing or allowed the eviction to stand, she drag the family deity into things. They were a family of healers!

They all, even Petros, had sworn to do no harm to others. Abandoning Alice to the winter elements was harming her! Genesis' own removal from the family had bothered her - she'd taken her eviction with pride and she'd had somewhere to go. 

The guards surrounding the house and grounds were quick to get out of her way. No one wanted to tussle with a six-winged Curantis. Especially one mated to a Custos Lord who wielded the sword of Hades. One guard, young enough to not recognize Genesis as a daughter of the house, went running to Lord Titus. 

Titus already knew that there was an intruder on the grounds. He watched his sister as she stalked up the drive and caused his guards to duck behind trees. He'd forgotten she was a six wing, he though as she stomped up the steps. She so rarely experienced the anger needed to display that power. Hell, she'd been so happy to be disowned that she'd skipped out of the house and into Darius DeLorme's arms with a smile on her face. 

With no contact and all evidence pointing towards a happy life with the Custos Lord, Titus had to wonder who had done what to piss her off. He didn't need this now. He had his own problems to deal with; his sister in law had run off, taking his brother's heir with her. Petros had come to him yesterday, with a sad tale of of Alice run ing away with a lion shifter and doubts that the child she'd bourn was even his. 

Truth or not, he needed to locate the girl. The marriage cemented the alliance between the two families. If her family doubted what Petros told them - and her siblings certainly seemed to - an all out war could happen. 

Titus forced his thought's back to the present as his own sister stopped right in front of him. Life with the Custos Lord had been kind to her, he thought. "Genesis, what can I do for you? It must be something important for you to put a toe in Le Serre grounds."

"Yeah, you can do something for me, Titus. Why don't we start with why you allowed Petros to toss out his wife and child!"

Titus blinked at his sister as his brain tried to process the words. "You found Alice?"

"Oh, she's been found all right. Found wandering around Cedar Valley in the snow while wearing clothing not suited for the winter! Same goes for her baby! A newborn in the snow. So, help me, Titus, if you had any part in this, I will have your balls."

"You found Alice La Serre? About this tall, reddish hair and eyes?"

Genesis eyed him, arms folded across her chest, toe tapping against the marble floor, wings twitching and lips pursed as if she'd been sucking on a lemon. "Yeah, that fits the general description of the woman I just examined for exposure."

Titus grabbed his sister by the upper arms and, ignoring her squawk of surprise, gave her a hug. He bounced with her for a moment. "You found Alice! Thank the gods! We can, at least avoid war! There's still her dishonoring of both families to deal with but you found her!"

Genesis squirmed free of her brother and narrowed her eyes at him. "What is going on? What dishonor? You let Petros toss her out because she got bitten?"

"Wasn't she found with a lion?"

Genesis snorted. "Yeah...herself. She said that Petros kicked her and the baby out because she'd been bitten and he didn't want to taint the line."

"Well, he told us that she ran away because she was seeing some Lion on the side and he thought the baby might be the Lion's get."

Genesis rolled her eyes. "Oh, that boy is his. Same cute little button nose."

Brother and sister glared at each other until a voice from the side interrupted them. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Have you really found Alice?"

Genesis peered at the man and woman standing in the hall a few feet from her. By their looks, she guessed they had to be related to Alice. "Yeah. Why does it matter to you?"

[Maira]

Upon word of their sister's disappearance, Aldric had sent word to Adeline and the pair had gone off to the La Serre family home to plead for their sister's forgiveness. She was their triplet after all, and with their father in a shame-filled rage at his youngest daughter's desertion of her husband, they could do no less. When they arrived at the La Serre house, they discovered that Alice's husband was claiming that she had run off with a werelion and that her child wasn't even his. They asked a few questions and upon hearing the supposed "full story" of how Alice had shifted into a lion when her son was three weeks old they understood why Petros had told his brother that story. They tried to tell the older La Serre brother what had happened the night of their birthday, while Alice had been pregnant with Ari, but he was skeptical. They couldn't blame him though, because if they'd been in his position it would have seemed a wild tale told to keep Alice out of trouble if/when she was found.

They'd been given rooms at the La Serre house so that they could wait there for news of their wayward sister and when a six winged Alati had practically stormed into the place they'd been in one of the sitting rooms near Lord La Serre's personal office on the off chance that word came about Alice. They heard the woman and Lord La Serre arguing and then had heard Alice's name and in a flash the siblings were at the entrance to the office, listening as more words about their sister were exchanged.

When the two seemed to be at a standoff, Aldric spoke up, "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Have you really found Alice?"

The look the woman shot the pair of them had Adeline taking a half step back. The other woman was powerful and her gaze was intense, not frightening exactly, but more than a little intimidating. After her moment of nervousness, Adeline answered, "She is our sister, our triplet, and we've been waiting here for news about her."

The woman watched them for a moment before Aldric added, "We are almost certain that she didn't run away, as her husband claims. She was bitten on our birthday by some creature and at the time we were too worried about her, and her unborn child, that we rushed her home to Petros instead of finding out what sort of creature it was that had bitten her." Aldric hesitated for a moment and Adeline picked up where he had left off, "If Petros's tale of her shifting into a lion is indeed true, we are doubtless that it was a lion that bit her that night and not that she has taken a lion as her lover. Alice is not the type to stray from her husband and certainly not the type to do anything that would endanger her own family with the war that would result from her infidelity."

The brother and sister waited, their glances moving between Lord La Serre and the six-wing. The Lord hadn't believed them, but maybe this woman would.

*****

Genesis hadn't been gone long when Leo came calling once more. Alice thought it was nice of him to come and find out the results of Ari's check-up and she couldn't help but smile at the man when he asked after the boy. Leo didn't stay long though, he seemed too distracted by something and when he left she just thanked him again for his hospitality.

Having her new little apartment finally to herself, with just Ari for company, Alice gathered up slightly fussy baby and took him to bed with her. She was exhausted and he clearly needed some bonding time to help him calm down. Placing Ari between herself and the wall, Alice stripped off her shirt and bra and pulled Ari in close. He always settled right down when he could be right up against her skin, and truth be told it soothed her too. In only moments, the two were happily drowsing. Safe and warm for the first time in a couple days.

[Demeter]

Genesis looked between the two people standing in the doorway. She listened to their tale with narrowed eyes. She'd stood by Darius through enough tribunals to know when a person was speaking the truth. And these two who claimed to be Alice's siblings certainly seemed to be telling the truth. She turned to her brother, smacked him on his shoulder and gestured to the man and woman. "Where are your manners? Introduce me," she said, "Mother would be appalled to know you've grown lax in your manners."

"You'd think someone who was mated to a Custos Lord wouldn't mind lax manners," Titus grumbled before yelping when Genesis smacked him with a wing. Rubbing the back of his head "Aldric, Adeline, this is my disgraced and disowned sister, Genesis DeLorme, wife of Lord Darius DeLorme. She's Petros' elder half sister. Genesis, this is Alice's brother Aldric and sister Adeline."

Perhaps things might have gone smoother after the introductions if Petros hadn't come to pay a visit. Perhaps they might have arranged a time for Aldric and Adeline to come to Haven to verify that her Alice was their sibling. At least the brat showed his true colors at the sight of Genesis. She could only imagine what Alice's siblings were thinking as they watched their brother in law try to choke the life out of their newly discovered sister in law. 
***

Petros hated coming to the main house. His brother's hybrid brats were always running around somewhere. At least all of his bastards were pure bred and they were all kept out of sight, as was proper. Petros wrinkled his nose; her could hear the shrill screams of his nieces and nephew from some corner of the grounds. He supposed that even if his brother actually acknowledged the brats, he didn't need to care about them. After all, not a single one was legitimate. So long as Titus remained unmarried, his claim has heir stood. 

But damn, it took a lot of work to ensure that Titus remained single. Petros paused outside of the gates ling enough to school his face into the picture of a distraught husband. He knew through his mother that Alice's family had actually intended on snagging Titus for their daughter. What a coup it would have been for their girl to snag the much panted after title of Lady La Serre. 

His mother had done the work there, dropping hints that Titus was promised to the daughter of a very prestigious clan. They didn't want to jeopardize the relationship there and she'd offered up her own child. Petros was just as good as his brother and, as his brother heir, there was a good chance that Alice could still become Lady La Serre, providing that Titus died without legitimate issue. 

So, he'd wed the girl instead if Titus and had played the dutiful, attentive husband until a pregnancy was confirmed. And then the bitch had to go a muck things up by being snacked on by some filthy creature. 

Petros struggled to keep the distraught, worried look on his face. Every time he thought about that incompetent, bumbling twit he'd wed, he just got angry. Now, he had to find her, prove her to be an adulteress, divorce her and find a new bride. 

And then, once his succession was secured (the new bride would be kept locked in her room until he had a son or two), Petros could start planning the untimely death of Titus. 

Yes, that plan would work nicely for him, he thought as he breezed past the open doors of the main entrance. He came to a halt when he spotted the figure of his own disgraced half-sister. "Titus, what is she doing here?" he whined. 

Genesis turned at the sound if Petros' whine. "I'm here to see why my brother would toss a new born out into the snow."

Petros snorted. "You have no brothers here. You have no need to worry about the La Serre heir. Or rather, the lack if one. That brat wouldn't inherit, not if he's tainted."

Genesis blinked and then she smirked. "You were under the impression that your offspring would inherit the La Serre title? It appears that dear father never told your mother that he was merely holding the title until Titus was of age. The La Serre title is a maternal title. Father married into the family, taking my mother's name of La Serre. You would never have the title. Since I've been disowned, Titus' heir is our cousin, Tobias."

"You're lying!"

Genesis turned to Titus. "Tell him, brother."

Titus nodded. "I never said you were my heir, Petros. What Genesis says is true. If I do not have a legitimate child of pure blood, the title will go to Tobias."

When Genesis turned back to Petros and smirked, Petros screamed and lunged at her. Caught unawares, Genesis was caught in his grip as he tried to kill her for breaking such news. 

****
Darius shut the door of the town car and waved at Leo. The lion waved back, standing from the porch chair he'd been sitting in. "What's this about, Leo? You said that Genesis stormed out of here, royally peeved, after speaking with one of your lions?"

Leo shrugged. "Alice said she asked about her family before leaving. Said that she was very interested in her husband. Petros La Serre."

"La Serre? Petros La Serre?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. Said he kicked her out after finding her out that she was bitten by a Lion."

Darius swore violently. "Petros is Genesis' half brother. The one that hates her. He's the one that convinced..." Darius trailed off as his vision blurred. "Genesis!" He shouted before turning and bolting off the porch. "Get this Alice. Bring her to the Le Serre compound. I'll leave the gateway open," he shouted as he used his god-born abilities to open a gateway in the driveway of Leo's home. 

[Maira]

Out cold, Alice was unaware of the knocking on her door. She had never pulled the blanket up much farther than her waist before they'd drifted off because Ari was a little heater, especially while sleeping, and they would have both quickly overheated and had to remove it anyway. So, after the knocking stopped, then started again and the person on the other side got no answer for a second time, the female lion who came in to check on her and Ari got an eyefull of Petros's parting gift to Alice. Her back and shoulders were covered with dark purple bruises, and if her back hadn't been toward the bedroom door, they would have seen that her front was covered too.

She had begged to stay and he had punished her with his fists and feet on her torso for having the gall to ask such a thing. She was a vile half-breed now, and she had contaminated his son. If she wanted to stay they both would have been reduced to the level of a slave or put to death. Banishment was a much more humane fate, according to Petros.

The gentle female voice calling her name, and the hand laid tenderly on her shoulder, was finally enough to wake Alice from her much needed sleep. Realizing that somebody was looming over her, Alice immediately shifted so that she was crouching over Ari and her lion half demanded to be allowed to protect the boy child. Alice somehow managed to mostly stay in control of the beast and only her fingernails and teeth shifted to those of a lioness, better to protect her son with after all. A low and threatening rumble emanated from her chest until Alice was able to shove the beast down far enough that she could identify the person in her bedroom, who was now standing in the doorway, as one of Leo's daughters.

Immediately she felt ashamed of her reaction, and then she also remembered that she was totally bare on her top half. Alice could see Riviera's eyes widen and then darken with anger when she noticed the bruises on her exposed torso. "Shit," she muttered before grabbing up the blanket to hide her purpled skin too late. Panicked, Alice begged Riviera, "Please don't tell your father or anybody else. Petros made it clear he doesn't want me or Ari, confronting him about a few bruises will only end badly for me. He'd rather we were dead or slaves, but he was being generous enough to let us live and let us leave instead."

Even as she asked, Alice knew that Riviera wouldn't keep her secret and when the younger woman sadly answered, "I have to tell him, we don't allow physical violence here and even though it happened elsewhere he still needs to know about it." Alice slumped, tears forming in her eyes, and she nodded her understanding. Rules were rules.

When Riviera approached her, grabbing Alice's shirt off the floor where she had dropped it earlier, Alice thanked her for it and then slipped it on before asking, "I'm guessing you needed something from me?"

Riviera nodded before confirming, "Yeah, my dad was trying to tell you something but you weren't answering the door so he sent me in to check on you. I hope you don't mind." Alice shook her head, she didn't mind. It was just weird having somebody who cared enough about her to actually send somebody to check on her. Her time with Petros had been lonely and isolating. "Good," Riviera said with a smile before adding, "He still needs to see you though. He said something about you and Ari needing to go with him to the La Serre family compound."

Alice once again panicked, she was shaking her head "no" repeatedly and finally she squeaked out, "You've seen what Petros did, I'm not welcome! He said if I go back that his family will kill me!" As she spoke her voice rose both in pitch and volume, waking Ari and setting him to wailing. Too lost in her fears of going back, Alice sprung off the end of the bed, away from Riviera, and started hurriedly opening drawers and taking their stuff out only to start shoving it back in their bags. "I can't do this, I can't stay here if he's going to make me go back. I thought you wanted to help us!" Alice cried as she fumbled to fit all of their clothes back in the bags. How could the stuff that was just in them, not fit anymore?

While she panicked and packed, Alice missed Riviera getting out her cell phone and texting somebody before she picked up the poor crying Ari. She even missed the entrance of Riviera's big sister Roxanna into the apartment until Roxanna slipped behind her and wrapped her arms gently, but firmly around Alice. "Calm down Alice, our father won't let anybody hurt you or Ari. Whether you know it or not, you are under the protection of a very strong Pride now and even if you aren't full lion, and if Ari isn't lion at all, my father still takes his duty to protect the residents of Haven very seriously.

Alice fought Roxanna at first and after a while she stopped fighting but her body was shaking, and eventually Roxanna's words got through the panic and Alice was able to calm down enough to listen. When Alice stopped fighting, Roxanna even loosened her arms, and Alice was able to turn and look at the other woman. "You promise nobody will hurt Ari?" she asked Roxanna, who nodded at her, then Alice looked at Riviera, who she was startled to see was holding Ari, and she too nodded. "I don't care what happens to me, but Ari has to be safe," she told the two of them as she extricated herself from Roxanna's arms.

"You will both be safe, but if you'd like we can come with and make sure that Ari is with both of us at all times," Roxanna reassured Alice.

Alice nodded her agreement to those terms, plopped back on the edge of the bed defeated, and asked, "When do we have to go?"

Riviera looked to Roxanna, both cringing, and Roxanna answered, "We kind of need to go right now. Darius Delorme, the husband of Genesis, left open a gateway for us to bring you through."

Alice tried to hide the terror she felt, only somewhat managing. Finally, she asked, "Do I have time to change? I'm not presentable for my husband, even if he no longer wants me he has standards that I need to live up to in his presence."

The sisters shared another glance, Riviera handed the now cooing Ari off to Roxanna, and answered, "I'll stay with you while you change and Roxanna will meet us outside with Ari and our father."

She wasn't sure she wanted Riviera to see any more of her body than she already had, but she figured the younger sister just wanted to make sure she didn't change her mind. Or maybe she was worried that Alice would do something to hurt herself. Either way, she knew she wouldn't win an argument with her so Alice just nodded agreement and let Riviera stay while she changed.

*****

The twins were confused by the tale that Genesis spun, it wasn't at all new to them. They, along with the rest of their family, had been informed that Petros and his heirs would inherit if Titus never produced a legitimate heir. When Petros lunged at his older sister, the two moved closer to each other. The scene didn't last long, however, because a gateway ripped open just behind Genesis and a rage filled Custos burst through it. He plowed into Petros, knocking the younger man away from his sister.

*****

She hadn't been allowed to keep any of her nicest clothes, they had been too valuable for an outcast Petros had informed her, so she had to make do with what she had. And what she had was all wrinkled from being shoved in bags for days. Her clothes couldn't be helped, but Alice took the time to arrange her hair and cover up the blotchiness that crying caused on her face. Once she was as presentable as she was going to get, Alice and Riviera joined Leo, Roxanna, and Ari on the porch of the house. Seeing the gateway shimmering in the driveway caused Alice's skin to crawl. The last time she had been through one was when she'd been thrown from her home.

Turning to Leo she begged, "Please, don't make me do this. I can't do this. If Petros is there and he sees me, he will kill me. I was allowed to live only if I stayed gone."

Leo's look mirrored that of his daughter when she had seen the bruises covering Alice's torso. "Darius Delorme is already there. It was his family that found you so he will protect you. And if that is not enough, I have not remained Alpha of this pride as long as I have without a reason. You -will- be safe Alice. And my daughters will see to the safety of your son. Lionesses are the warriors of the Pride, they are well trained in protection."

Alice was shaking again, and even with Leo's words of reassurance she found herself backing away from the gateway. It took Leo and Riviera both, one of them at each of her elbows, to lead her to and through the gateway. The last few feet were a struggle and they practically had to drag her through. Roxanna followed with Ari, on the offensive before even going through. Nobody would hurt the baby.

[Demeter]

Alice had her feet dug into the gravel of the drive. With Riveria pulling and Leo pushing, they got the woman to the steps of the front entrance. As the young woman burst into hysterical sobbing the moment her feet touched the bottom step, Leo wished he could let her go back to Haven. Growling, Leo simply gave up on pushing her up the stairs and hefted her over his shoulder.

They'd been commanded by Darius to make an appearance at this house. Grunting as Alice's flailing limbs caught him in all sides, Leo stepped into the entry way. The house was in chaos with guards and servants rushing towards one of the sitting rooms.

He headed that way and, with Rivera pushing and shoving, got a front row seat to the drama. He set Alice on her feet but kept his hands on her shoulders to keep her from bolting. Darius had another young man pinned to wall with ShatterSoul at his throat and Genesis was sprawled on a sofa, coughing with her hand at the base of her throat. There was another male Alati leaning over her. Two others were huddled against the opposite wall.

Darius kept both eyes on Petros. Through his connection with Genesis, he knew what happened. Petros had found out that he'd never inherit the leadership of the La Serre Clan and the youngest La Serre had lost his temper.

The La Serre Clan was one of a handful where leadership was past down to the eldest legitimate offspring and gender wasn't a factor. When Alix La Serre had risen to the head if her clan in the Dark Ages, she'd known that she would need a heir but she hadn't wanted someone more powerful then her. So she'd chosen a clanless bastard as her husband and insisted that the man take her name as his own. Twenty years after Genesis' birth, Alix had gone missing and her husband had led the clan until Titus took over.

And, judging by Petros' anger over learning he'd never inherit, there was more to the mystery of Alix's disappearance then previously thought. But that wasn't the issue here.

He used his connection to Genesis to learn which one of the girls here was Alice. "Titus, is this your sister-in-law?" He asked, nodding his head towards Leo and the woman clinging to him.

Titus looked away from Genesis and to the woman clinging to the Lion. "Yes, that is Alice La Serre."

"Good. Now that we have the right Alice. Alice, sweetheart, Petros is saying that your little boy isn't his. Alice, can you tell us if that is true or is Petros lying?"