Family Resemblance (NJ)

[Demeter]

Demeter sighed and rested her head in her hand. "Saiyuri, think about it. This child is a mix of pard, Custos, angel, and vampire. Even if you were the calmest person in the world and you didn't have all this stress in your life at the moment, your pregnancy would still be going all over the horomonal radar."

Demeter looked at the girl and shook her head. "Your already out of balance horomones are reacting to not only your stress levels but the wacky mix of genetic stuff for your child. This is just your bodies way of showing that it is reacting to this. Not to mention that the horomones and added baby is what is probably causing your dormant Custosic/angelic sides to suddenly appear."

Demeter leaned back and sighed. "Headache. I'm gonna go find Rowan now and make sure that he isn't getting into any trouble." with that, Demeter left the room and headed for the stairs after seeing that the living room was child free.

***

Faith, with her head head still by Tempest, nodded. "I'm pretty sure that I am. I have an appointment in a few days to make sure. But, I mean, all the signs were there and all I really had to do was verify it and, of course, tell you. Which is apparently much easier when I'm not conciously thinking about while talking you."

Faith twisted around until she was sitting on the bench. "But enough about me, Saiyuri is the one with the issues right now." she grinned and turned to her sister, for that was what she was. "How ya feeling? Probably not good. Sorry for asking."

***

Ayda hissed as she escaped from her classroom. Today had been a group work day. She'd always wanted to take her pencil and stab it through the hairspray addict next to her. Whenever the girl giggled Ayda vowed painful retrubution. She was one of those people who really didn't know what she was talking about but plenty of people made allowances for her. Like the rest of her group. Who was male. And apparently preferred a girl with hair that wouldn't move in a windstorm to a girl that had dirt under her nails.

Once she was safely away from the mass of college students, Ayda pulled out her phone and dailed Saiyuri's number. As she waited for the girl to pick up the phone, she glared at any people who passed her by. Today so wasn't a people friendly day.

[Shinigami]

Tempest was ecstatic. He was going to be a father! Of course, Faith still had her appointment to go to so she confirm it, but he was confident enough. Either that, or he just wanted it to be true so badly he couldn't think of it -not- being true, but he was confident. Still grinning like a loon, he leaned forward to kiss her, nothing too invovled as he was aware of the other people in the room, but enough to furter show Faith that he was happy. "That's perfect! I am officially on vacation with the full intention to stay home for at -least- a year."

His arms found their way around Faith's waist as she wiggled around to sit herself on the bench, on hand straying to her belly now and then. Temp was brought back around to the real world when Faith mentioned Saiyuri. What he had been about to say earlier had been brought back into his mind again and now he had the opportunity to ask. "Oh! I was going to mention earlier that the rapid pregnancy is probably due to the shift in metabolism." He smiled lightly, and decided to explain a bit as it was unusual for most guys to know such information. "I'm a healer. Actually, that's what I do when I travel and I've seen this happen with mixes like yours.

Tempest only knew how much of a mixed blood the child was because he had heard the list his Aunt Dem had spoken. "Its probably the mix of Pard and Vampire, which have the highest metabolisms of the group. Have you gone through the whole Angel/Custos blood test yet?"

***

Hawk had made like a fly on the wall of the kitchen and sat off in the corner, watching the preceedings. He smirked when he saw Faith practically tackle Tempest and was quite surprised when she just blirted out the fact that she was pregnant. He shook his head, marvalling at how easily she had let it slip out after how nervous she had been earlier.

He had snuck himself another cup of coffee and made sure the table was between him and any of the female siblings that could come down looking for his blood. He was happily sipping at it and trying not to let the smell of cooking bacon bother him. His nose wrinkled as he got another whiff of sizzling meat.

[Maira]

Saiyuri blinked with confusion as Demeter tried explaining why the pregnancy was so abnormal. If anything Saiyuri wound up even more confused than she had been to start with. Looking at her husband standing next to her, she saw him munching a piece of bacon and swatted his hand as it strayed to the plate for another. "You can have it with your breakfast," she scolded in a playful whisper.

When Demeter got up and declared she had a headache and was going in search of Rowan, Saiyuri blinked again. Had she done something wrong? She was about to ask as much when Faith asked her something. Looking to her sister, then to Dominic for a clue as to what the other woman had said, Saiyuri answered as best she could, "I'm physically feeling fine, no morning sickness or anything. My back hurts like hell right about now, as do the muscles in my abdomen from stretching so much at once. Other than that nothing bad." She smiled reassuringly at Faith after that to let the other woman know she hadn't asked a stupid question and that she appreciated the concern.

When Tempest started talking, both Dominic and Saiyuri turned and listened to him. He really seemed to know what he was talking about which reassured Dominic imensly. Saiyuri was rather impressed by her brother's knowledge and had to ask, after he mentioned mixes like hers, "There are others out there as big a genetic mess as I apparently am?" She had to admit she was rather surprised, though the more she thought about it the more likely it seemed to her.

Putting the finishing touches on her brother's breakfast, Saiyuri gave his plate to him and was about to ask what he had meant by the Angel/Custos blood test when her phone, still in her pocket frome earlier, gave off the familiar tune that meant her best friend Ayda was calling. Practically dropping Tempst's plate into his waiting hands as she jumped at the ringer of her phone, Saiyuri dug it out of her pants, flipped it open and told her friend to hang on, then excused herself from the kitchen. As she left she said over her shoulder, "Dominic love, please finish Rowan's breakfast and yours. I need to get my assignments from Ayda." With that she scampered out of the kitchen to the door to the basement apartment.

*****

After helping Hawk to wake up his older cousins, Rowan had run into his Aunty Dion's bedroom giggling from the morning's mischief. When he came in and found her sleeping though he got really quiet and made his way silently over to the bed. Going to the side that she was facing, Rowan climbed up as carefully as he could and crawled across the bed to look at his sleeping Aunt.

When she was sleeping, Rowan realized that she looked almost like the other lady, the one downstairs with the spots. Young and pretty, none of the little creases that were sometimes present in her face when she was awake. Thinking her a beautiful Angel, and not knowing how true his thoughts were, Rowan lifted up the blanket that was covering his aunt and crawled in under the covers to cuddle with her. Once he was snuggled close, Rowan whispered, "I love you Aunty." Purring as only a Tiger cub can, Rowan fell asleep.

*****

Saiyuri had done the responsible thing first and had gotten her assignments from her friend. Once that was done though, Saiyuri had blurted, "You know that big old house we drive by and drool over all the time? That's my mother's house!" Then she had had to explain that no, Olivia wasn't Saiyuri's mother after all.

In the end, Saiyuri was pacing from one end of the basement apartment to the other as she told Ayda the whole story, in order, instead of just snippets here and there. Once she was finished, Saiyuri asked curiously, "So you wanna come over?"

[Demeter]

Ayda blinked at her phone as she flipped the screen portion shut. Aunty Olivia wasn't Saiyuri's mother? How the hell did that happen? Ayda pocketed her phone and bounced down the flight of stairs that the south end of campus boasted. Once she reached the parking lot reserved for motorized vehicles other then cars, Ayda unstrapped the helmit from the seat of her lime green scooter. Once she was seated, Ayda turned over the engine and tooted her way out of the parking lot.

***

Faith smiled at Saiyuri as she bolted out of the kitchen. She then turned to Dominic and grinned at him. "So, Dominic, can I call you that? Anyways, What do you do for a living? How did you meet Saiyuri? When did you meet her?"

Faith snuggled up to Tempest's side and sighed. "Glad you are home. I have this feeling that life around here is going to become a zoo. Especially once the rest of the aunts get news of Saiyuri exisiting and producing their first great-niece or nephew." Faith turned back to Dominic. "You do know that the rest of the family will descend the moment they hear about this. This family gets together for such events as painting a singel room. Do you know what it feels like to have three men trying to paint a half-bath at the same time?"

Faith smiled at Dominic and turned back to the food on the table. She reached out and snagged a piece of bacon from someone's plate and munched on it.

***

Dion grumbled a bit as she felt a smaller body snuggle into her side. She opened eye and looked at the little boy next to her. She rolled her eyes at Rowan and flipped a corner of the blanket she'd been covered with at some point over the little boy. She flopped her head back into the pillows and once again ignored the world.

***

Ayda pulled up to the house and stared upwards, her neck straining to remain stable under the tilted weight of her helmet. "Saiyuri's mother, who she only found out existed, lives here. What a twisted world we live in." Ayda removed her helmet, plopped it on the seat and walked up the door, eyeing the wilted front gardens. "Saiyuri's killing other people's plants now. Can't be good," she muttered as she pounded her fist against the front door.

[Maira]

Dominic watched his wife nearly drop Hawk's breakfast when her phone rang and smiled as she dashed out of the room to talk to Ayda. He didn't even have time to answer her request to finish breakfast before she was gone. Shaking his head in amusement, he turned back to the stove to do as she had asked.

When Faith started talking to him, Dominic split his attention between the bacon and eggs, and her. When she mentioned, oh so casually, that the family had a tendancy to descend on each other for any reason Dominic had to keep himself from dropping the piece of bacon he was transfering to his own plate. Growing up an only child, the threat of suddenly being bombarded by a huge family was not a prospect Dominic was looking forward to. At least Saiyuri's other family, and her Pard, weren't too prone those sort of actions.

Once Faith stopped talking, Dominic returned his attention back to the breakfast he'd been cooking and he realized he was done. Putting Rowan's servings on a plate, he picked up his own and excused himself from the kitchen to follow after Saiyuri. He found her down in the basement, doodling on the paper she had written her assignments on. "Yuri love, what are you doing? Why didn't you come back upstairs?" As he waited for her answer, he sat down next to her at the table and started in on his breakfast.

For the next ten or so minutes, he listened to her ramble on about what she had told Ayda and that the other woman was on her way over, both for support and to bring her the school books she needed for her assignments. Almost as if on cue, as soon as Dominic finished his breakfast, and Saiyuri quit talking, somebody was knocking on the door upstairs.

"Its Ayda!" shouted Saiyuri as she jumped up from her chair and bolted toward the stairs. Getting up the stairs was not as graceful or as easy an action as it should have been thanks to the increased bump of her belly. All the same, Saiyuri somehow managed to get to the door before any of her relatives did. Flinging it open, she grabbed Ayda in a suffocating hug and said in a rush, "I'm SO glad you're here!"

[Shinigami]

Tempest watched as Saiyuri readied herself to ask him something, most likely about the Angel/Custos blood test, since it was the last subject brought up, but she was distracted by her phone. When she mentioned something about her assignments he figured she was in college. It would make sense, since she was now the oldest in the family and around the age to still be in college. He turned to the breakfast hastily handed to him as Saiyuri left the room, always the sibling to give the others their space when they needed it.

He was munching on a piece of bacon, glancing at Hawk from time to time to torture him about eating meat. He heard Faith's voice perk up next to him, practically grilling Dominic with question after question before he could answer. He chuckled lightly and poked her in the side when she began talking about how the family decends. "You realize they may be decending upon -us-, too, right?"

***

Hawk was making faces at Tempest as he bagan teasing him with the bacon. It was a tipical scene of two brothers bothering eachother. He threatened to toss his coffee across the table, but that was always an idle threat, as Hawk treasured his coffee far too much to waste it that way. He curled up in his chair and grumbled, sipping at his coffee. He was greatful when Tempest's attention was turned away, and he stopped eating.

Hawk smirked when Tempest mentioned the families attention being drawn to them. "That's right. According to most of the family you were the first to marry, so they've been waiting for this. Saiyuri and Dominic are just an added excitement. Of course, their kid'll come first, but the family will make the same amount of fuss either way."

He was glared at, but after a few mintutes his attention was drawn to a knock at the door. He rolled his eyes, not really looking forward to anymore family showing up. He moved to get up, signaling for Temp and Faith to stay, but he didn't get far as he heard someonerun for the door, that someone turning out to be Saiyuri. He heard her yell, apparently she had called someone over, and apparently that person's name way Ayda.

Hawk sighed leaning in the doorway to the kitchen and craddling his coffee mug. He was really hoping this wasn't more family from Saiyuri's side. He's had enough of any and all family for the past day or so. Hawk mumbled to himself. "I really need to get my own place..."

[Demeter]

Ayda gulped as she stumbled back a few feet under the force of Saiyuri's hug. She reached around her friend and hugged her back. "Yes, Saiyuri, I'm here but I can't remain here if I can't breathe." Ayda pulled away from Saiyuri and stared down at the bump.

"Ah, Saiyuri, that wasn't there yesterday," she said while pointing to the bump. She then turned Saiyuri around by the shoulders and marched her into the house. "if that appeared overnight, you need to sit down. And then you need to tell me what all is going on."

Ayda nodded to the man leaning against the kitchen doorway and steered Saiyuri into what she assumed to be the living room. She plunked the girl down on a sofa and sat across from her. "Okay, speak. What all happened because you were all scrambled on the phone."

***

Faith grinned at her husband and patted his shoulder. "Of course they will descend on us but we are used to it. Silly man."

[Maira]

In all their years as friends, Saiyuri didn't think she had ever been happier to see the woman now perched at the opposite end of the couch from her. She had been trying to explain Ayda's questions on the way to the livingroom but the other woman had kept talking and pushing and now here she was sitting on the couch. She couldn't help but smile at the more than slightly baffled look on her friend's face and unable to resist making that look worse, Saiyuri asked, "Okay Ayda, so you noticed that the baby grew overnight but did you notice anything else?" At this Saiyuri ruffled her wings and tickled Ayda's knee with her tail.

When it appeared Ayda's eyes were going to pop out of her head, Saiyuri laughed and continued to explain everything that had happened. She answered any questions that Ayda had and by answering her friend's questions, a few things started clicking into place in her own mind as well. By the time she was finished talking, Saiyuri was pleased to see that although still looking a little overwhelmed, Ayda no longer looked confused.

"So, now what do I do?" she asked Ayda. She knew the other woman likely wouldn't have any better idea than she did but at least they could both be lost together.

[Demeter]

Ayda glanced over her friend and, too use to strange happenings, ignored the new additions to her body. "Can you like, retract them at all?" When Saiyuri shook her head, Ayda tilted her head. "Well then, it is obvious that you can't go out. People will spazz, police will be called and you'll be in a glass box being studied by men in white coats and comb-overs."

Ayda glanced around the house and spotted the man still leaning in the kitchen doorway. She marched over to him and looked up. "You, where is Dion? Things need to be arranged so that Saiyuri is comfortable." Ayda, when she heard Dominic's voice coming from the kitchen turned and started to walk in but her walk turned into a hopping stumble when she feet caught on each other. Catching herself against the counter, Ayda turned and faced Dominic. "Ah, there's the proud papa. Call Katsu and get him over here...things need to be arranged."

Ayda blinked at the other two people in the room and waved at them. "Hi, I'm Ayda. Saiyuri's friend. Bye now," she said as she started shoving Dominic towards the doorway. She nodded again to the young man in the doorway and she pushed Dominic past him. She plunked him down next to his wife.

She returned to the man in the doorway. "Hey, didn't I tell you to find Dion? What are you waiting for, go get her before I go looking for her myself."

[Shinigami]

Hawk blinked as this woman marched up to him, ordering him to find his mother. One eyebrow twitched up, and his attention follwed her as she made her way into the kitchen. He was a bit shocked of the confidence Ayda had as she gave him an order without so much as saying hello. He blinked as she tripped and was able to smother a snort.

Tempest blinked as Ayda made her way into the kitchen and proceeded to drag Dominic out, waving to him and Faith. He had heard the order given to Hawk on her way in, and cringed as she decided to push it further. Hawk hadn't moved from his spot in the doorway to the kitchen, but had turned to follow Ayda's movements.

When Ayda returned to him, Hawk stood up straight, eyebrow still raised as he listened to her again. When she threatened to go find Dion herself he actually chuckled. "Oh yeah? Well, my -mother- is resting, and even I wouldn't dare wake her, so go ahead. I'll point you to her room if you'd like."

He leaned back against the doorway. "And, Saiyuri's been here since yesterday, so her -immediate- comforts have been met. And just incase, you remember the guy you waved at? He's a doctor." Hawk was smiling, but not particularly amused.

Tempest was just glad his brother was a good sport. He -hated- taking orders, and being a Custos, he tended to be more edgy than the rest of the family. He stood motioning for Faith to stay, and moved throught the doorway, nodding to Ayda and kept going, speaking as he passed. "-I'll- go get mom."

[Demeter]

Ayda raised an eyebrow at the young man she was standing infront of. "I wasn't refering to any sort of medical needs. My dear friend, please take a look at Saiyuri. She has wings, a tail, and spots. None of these are currently retractable nor has Saiyuri ever been particully skilled at illusions. Do you honestly think that she will willingly leave this house until that child is born?"

She looked at the young man who'd just started up the stairs. "Thanks." Ayda turned to look at Saiyuri and waved. "I don't mean it in a bad way, 'Yuri, but you are no good at illusions," Ayda turned back to Hawk. "And take in all the other considerations. Saiyuri has just met her mother, she already knows plenty about her were-leopard heritage but next to nothing about the other bloodlines running through both her and her child." Ayda smiled and turned to Saiyuri. "How ya doing? Need anything?"

***

Dion groaned when someone started to knock on her door. "Whoever the hell you are, you'd better have a good reason for this," she grumbled as she crawled from her bed and crossed the carpeted flooring to open the door. "Tempest, how can I help you?"

[Shinigami]

Hawk wanted to growl, but held onto it, settling for a frustrated sigh instead. "I've noticed Saiyuri's appearance, as I did when this happened yesterday, and if you think anyone here was particularly good with illusions, don't you think this would have been handled -yesterday-?"

He removed himself from the doorway once again, but this time he moved into the living room, trying to use his height to back Ayda towards the couch or some other place to sit. "And as for everything else, we've all had a long night, especially Saiyuri, and some of the questions she needed to know about, the most pressing ones, have been answered. Don't you think she may need a few moments to collect herself before being thrown headlong into action and questions and family again?"

Still speaking as he walked he managed to back Ayda some place that would hold her when she sat, though not actively paying attention as to where. "And, its quite rude to barge into someone's house, who you don't know, and start barking orders at people. So you will -sit down-, and when you've calmed yourself and started thinking rationally you can properly introduce yourself to the family and allow us the option of introducing ourselves."

Hawk let out a huff before turning to Saiyuri. "Sorry.." It was muttered as rushed, but loud enough for her to hear. Needless to say, he didn't like being ordered around.

***

Tempest smiled as Dion opened the door, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "Saiyuri's friend is here and wanted you to be retrieved and Saiyuri's father to be called. She was pestering Hawk when I left to get you." The annoyed voice of his younger brother was heard, but not understood from this distance.

He sighed "I think you better go see her... for her own sake. I doubt Hawk will hold his temper much longer."

[Maira]

Saiyuri wanted to strangle Ayda. She knew the other woman could be bossy, especially if she thought Saiyuri needed help, but this was taking things a bit too far. When Ayda had first walked by Hawk and told him to get Dion, Saiyuri had flinched. When she came back, Dominic in tow, and had done so again, Saiyuri had nearly gotten off the couch to drag Ayda away from her brother, she could tell his temper was rising.

Instead, she watched as Tempest walked past, said he'd get Dion and then as Hawk started walking towards Ayda, directing her to a chair in the living room even if the other woman didn't realize it. When Hawk apologized for talking to Ayda the way he did Saiyuri smiled weakly and answered, "No, its me who should be sorry." Then she turned to Ayda and tried to pacify the other woman who's temper she could see was also rising.

"Ayda, I really am okay. A little frazzled and confused but I'm okay. My mother let Dominic and I use the downstairs apartment last night and I"m sure we'll find some way to get me home and out of her hair, we just haven't quite yet." With this she looked at her husband who had in all the commotion taken a seat next to her almost unnoticed. She reached for his hand and squeezed it before continuing. She was talking to Hawk as well as Ayda when she said, "I really am grateful that everybody here has been so understanding. I don't imagine it was any easier for them finding out I exist than it was for me finding out all of them exist. I wanted Ayda here because she's been my best friend since childhood and I have to admit, even with my new family making me feel so at home, I was still a bit overwhelmed."

Turning first to Hawk Saiyuri apologized, "I'm sorry that my friend came in and made demands like that, she only does it because she worries about me." Then to Ayda she said, "And I'm sorry if I worried you, I didn't mean to. Its just everything is all jumbled in my head right now and I needed to talk to somebody who had a little distance with the whole thing and that was you."

Dominic watched his wife as she tried to pacify both her best friend and her younger brother and was rather surprised when he felt the tension begin to ease out of the room. Both Ayda and Hawk had been pretty on edge just moments before. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek and waited with her to see what the other two in the room would say.

[Demeter]

Ayda wasn't able to swallow the squeak of surprise when her feet tangled and she abruptly sat down on a chair. Glaring up at Hawk and implementing her favored diversion tactic in unfavorable situations, Ayda crossed her arms over her chest before ignoring him in favor of Saiyuri. "Sorry 'bout that 'Yuri but you know I worry. You know that when any of my close friends get extremely emotional I tend to get residual waves of said emotion. Needless to say that Professor Chamber's will noticed the half-assed homework I handed in this morning...and then you didn't show up to class today. I went into weird over-drive mode."

Still ignoring Hawk, Ayda fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "You know how I get. 'Cuse me." Ayda bolted out of her chair, and thanking the gods for a momentairy bout of grace, slipped around Hawk and scooted out of the front door. She plopped herself down on the front porch and eyed the wilted outdoor plants. "Bad day for you guys as well?" she asked the leaves as she scooted closer. "There are days when I think that I should just stay in the greenhouse," she muttered as she started to poke at the plants. "And that guy just rubs me the wrong way. I mean, who does he think he is? Ya, ya, it may be his parent's house but he wasn't the one getting waves of panic all night long." Ayda knew she looked like a idiot, with her fingers sunk into the dirt of one of the pots and talking to them, but it comforted her.

***

Dion blinked as she heard the voices downstairs and sighed. She backtracked over the bed and scooped up her robe. After securing it around her waist, Dion followed Tempest down the stairs and looked at the people sitting in her living room. Hawk looked irritated and Saiyuri looked concern but there was no new girl. "All right, where did she go?"

[Shinigami]

Hawk growled. He hated being ignored almost as much as being ordered around, so when Ayda hadn't even said sorry to him, even though she apologized to Saiyuri, it irked him. He saw Tempest and Dion come down the stairs and when his mother asked where Ayda was he nodded towards the door as he grumbled and made his way back into the kitchen.

He flopped back down in his chair in the corner by the open window and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. In the back of his mind he knew Faith was still sitting there and he shouldn't lite up in the house, but he couldn't go outside.. that was where Ayda was.

He flicked his lighter a few time in frustration before it lit and he ignited his cigarette soon after, sucking down a breath full of smoke and blowing it out the open window. He sucked down the cigarette fairly quickly, grumbling to himself. Who the hell did Ayda think she was anyway?! The only time Hawk actually enjoyed her company was when she was backing away from him.

Hawk smirked as he thought how she had let out that cute squeak when she stumbled to sit. He blink, coughing as he almost choked on his cigarette smoke. Cute?! Where the hell... it had to be his Custos blood.. that was it. It was just the Custos enjoying how Hawk had made Ayda squirm.. that was all it was. Ayda wasn't cute, she was pushy and rude, and deserved a good lesson in manners.

He lit another cigarette with the hot ash of the last one.

[Demeter]

Dion rolled her eyes at her son and headed for the front door. The new girl, no one had said a name yet, had managed to her younger son's temper up into the range of blow-off-the-roof-anger. Dion pulled open the door, closed it behind her and sat next to the girl with her fingers in a pot of dirt. For a moment she just sat and watched as the brown leaves perked up and turned to molted green color. "So, you're not completely 'human' are you?"

The girl shook her head and removed her hands from the pot. After brushing them off she turned to Dion. "I'm sorry about...that," she said with a wave of her hand at the house, "but I worry when 'Yuri gets all emotional like that. Last time that happened like that, she killed off the majority of the plants in the college's greenhouse. That was when we really knew that something was not quite right. I'm Ayda by the way."

Dion nodded. "Dion, Saiyuri's mother but I'm guessing you already knew that one. I'm sorry about Hawk...he takes after his uncle in many ways...except for the whole loathing of angels thing. I guess you could say he has a uncontrollable temper. So, you said things need to be arranged...atleast that is what I heard you say. What sort of things?"

"I don't mean to be rude but think about it. Saiyuri just met you and she'd probably like to get to know you. And her emotions are all out of whack, she'd probably have constantly be under a illusion and those can be difficult to maintain. I mean, it's really up to her but I just want things to be easier for her."

Dion nodded and stood up. "Well, the only way to figure this all out is to talk it out with everyone. Comeone, into the house."

Ayda stood up and brushed off her jeans before following Dion into the house.

***

Faith watched her brother-in-law and swallowed a snicker as a look of shock passed over his face. "Problem there, Hawk? Does something about Saiyuri's friend irriate you?"

[Maira]

Saiyuri was hovering between the urge to scream and the urge to break down and cry. Why was it that everything in her life had gone so haywire? Oh that's right, she'd gotten pregnant! Such a simple innocent desire shared by her and her husband, the desire to have a child together, had turned her life into almost literally a living hell. She even had a Custos for an uncle! Oh yeah, and Custos blood in her too!

In the end Saiyuri gave into exhaustion. She watched without any emotion as Hawk stomped out of the room back into the kitchen and as Dion went out the front door after Ayda. She just didn't know what to think, or what to say to anybody right then. All she could manage was a shrug in Tempest's direction and a question look pleading with him to make the world make sense.

Dominic sat beside his wife watching her go through the amazing range of emotions that had taken over her lately and when she finally just settled on non-commital exhaustion he relaxed a bit. Once she got to that point, it was very hard for Saiyuri's temper to flare again. Maybe if she just relaxed enough her issues with her Shifting would resolve themselves and they could go home. Right now thats all he wanted, her family was getting a little overwhelming for him too...

[Shinigami]

Hawk was pulled from his smoke-fest when he heard Faith's voice. He glared in the woman's direction as her words set in, towards the end of his fourth cigarette and reaching for his pack once again. That was all he needed was for Faith to begin teasing him, because he knew he wouldn't be able to do a damned thing about it. Not only did Faith live at the house, but she was his older brother's wife, and could be pregnant. Tempest would have his head if he turned on her.

The irritated Hawk settled for growling lightly before turning back to the window, but as soon as his head was turned he found his cigarette plucked from his lips before he could finish it and light his fifth. He glared at the culprit, finding his older brother standing over him and glaring right back.

"That's enough with the cigarettes. You're killing yourself no matter what, but four in under 10 minutes? Not to mention in the house." Tempest, snatched the pack off the table and stubbed out the one he had taken off his brother before walking towards the doorway. "Come on, we could use everyone's ideas for Saiyuri. And if you're good, I may just give your pack back to you instead of throwing them out."

Hawk grumbled and growled as he pulled himself off his chair, following reluctantly. His eyes were kept sharp and followed the hand that held his cigarettes, waiting for his oportunity to snatch them back.

[Demeter]

Faith smirked as she followed the men out of the kitchen, hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans. When she'd first come to live in this house, the dynamics of the immediate and extended portions of this family had overwhelmed her and she could just imagine how Saiyuri felt. As she entered the living room, Faith fixed her gaze on Saiyuri. The young woman sat on the couch with a helpless, completely lost look on her face.

Faith scooted past her husband and plopped herself down next to Saiyuri, propping her feet up on the coffee. She leaned over and whispered to Saiyuri. "Bit over-the-top, aren't they. I can guess how you are feeling. Imagine a thirteen year old girl being introduced to them all in one go. When this is all over, we should talk. I may be able to help you adjust to these kooks."

Her little speech done, Faith leaned back on the couch and watched as Saiyuri's friend edged into the room. She grinned as the girl glared at Hawk and lingered in the doorway to the living room.

***

Ayda leaned against a wall in the living room and waited for the show to begin. She slid her gaze towards Hawk and scowled. There was just something about that man who runned her the wrong way. Ayda wrapped her arms around her body and wished for the steamy comfort of the university greenhouses. She never felt out of her depth with her fingers buried in dirt and only the plants to keep her company.

***

Dion glanced around the assembled group before she fixed her gaze on her newest oldest child. "First thing first. Saiyuri, are you capable to shifting back or, if not, are you capable to maintaing an illusion for extended periods of time?"

As she waited for an answer, Dion wished for Tobin to return.

[Maira]

Saiyuri had waited patiently for everybody to come into the living room and for somebody to take charge of whatever was going on. Between Tempest and Dion, things began moving more smoothly. Dion coaxed Ayda back into the house and Tempest managed to get Hawk back into the livingroom. The pair practically glared at each other but they both maintained the neutral feeling the livingroom had taken on.

When Faith plopped on the couch next to her and whispered a few tidbits of information to her, Saiyuri looked at the other woman in amazement. At 13 Faith had been introduced to the family? All at once? Saiyuri was incredibly glad it hadn't been her.

Her attention was draw from Faith to Dion as the woman spoke. When she realized it was directed at her, Saiyuri paid even closer attention. At the questions, Saiyuri just raised an eyebrow and asked calmly but with an air of defeat, "If I could change back or hold an illusion for more than half a second do you think I'd be sitting her, completely lost about what to do?" She wasn't meaning to come off as a smart ass, it was just an honest question.