Pain Gives Way

[Shinigami]

Hawk looked up from placing the last of the plates on the table, just about to settle himself into his chair by the window when he heard Hope's question. He was confused as to why she'd ask such a question, and it most likely showed on his face, but he answered. "Of course. This family eats a lot, so everyone usually makes more than enough when it's their week."

The thought that she was a foster kid and that she probably wasn't used to a family such as theirs crossed his mind. Since she was going to be like a sister he figured he'd fill her in. Besides, if the kids took to her so quickly than she couldn't be that troublesome. "Around here food is always up for grabs, so don't worry about. Take whatever you like."

With that he finally settled into his seat and set his pack of cigarettes down on the window sill by his ashtray. While he had cut down on his smoking a great deal, he still couldn't resist the typical after dinner smoke.

[Maira]

Hope smiled warmly at her new foster brother and said a quiet, "thank you," before turning back to Thiery and answered him, "I'll eat in the kitchen." That said, she stood up and ruffled Sebastian's hair. "You wanna sit by me and tell me about this secret place under the back deck?" Then she went over and dished herself up a plate.

*****

Rowan grumbled as Thiery yelled for them a second time and finally he jumped down off the jungle gym. "C'mon guys, dinner!" he yelled as he ran to the back door and into the kitchen. Lani was right on his heels and when he stopped to fling open the door she ran into him, bounced off his back and landed on her butt. Instead of crying, Lani just giggled and got back up and followed her cousin inside.

At the entrance of the next two children, Saiyuri cringed. Lani's shoes were covered in mud and she was tracking it all over Dion's kitchen floor. Thank god the floors were tile! "Lani baby, how did you get so muddy?" The toddler just smirked and smiled but went straight for Thiery, "Up Papa! Up!" she said as she held up her arms and bounced up and down.

[Demeter]

Thiey looked from the plate of food in his hands to the small child leaned against his legs with her arms stretched upwards. He then noticed the muddy tennis shoes. "Give me a minute, Baby, and then I'll pick you up." Thiery placed his plate on the table and crouched down, picking Lani up by her armpits. "Don't you even think of wrapping yourself around me until I get those shoes off." he said to the squirming child.

He plopped her on the counter and unvelcroed the straps on her shoes. While he pried the shoes off, dropping them by the back door, Thiery spoke to Hope. "This is Lani, she's not strictly mine but I've become attached. It's rather hard not to." He picked the child up and let her cuddle close. "She also likes to make messes and hug the mailman. Gotta watch this one like a hawk. If you ever need help, just get Rowan to watch her."

***

Faith yawned as she plodded down the stairs, Bram held against her chest. When Bram napped, she napped. And Tempest, whenever he was home, took pictures. But she'd gotten revenge the last time her husband had been home. Faith chuckled, thinking about the framed picture of Tempest and Bram asleep on the couch.

She swung into the kitchen, plopped Bram into his high chair and stared at the gathering of people. Oh damn, she thought, movie night. Shrugging her shoulders, Faith pulled open the fridge and looked for the bottle she'd stuffed into the fridge ealier. She found the bottle, stuck it into the microwave and punched in the numbers.

Faith, after turning away from the microwave, noticed the girl standing across from her. She turned to look at Dion and nodded, instantly knowing how this banged-up girl had come to be in the house. She crossed the kitchen space and held out her hand. "I'm Faith, your fellow foster sister." She was instantly closer to this girl then the others. Even if they didn't have the same abused background, they came from the same place.

***

Ayda reentered the kitchen, dished up some pasta and sat down next to Hawk. She leaned into him for a moment, purring at his smell. She may not have like the smoking but it was part of his smell.

She'd have more time to snuggle after dinner, when the family settled into the family room for the night's selection of movies. They'd claim the large chair hidden in a corner of the room and watch the films, with her half sitting on Hawk's lap. The rest of the family would tease them. Hope would probably be lost but it was going to be fun telling her about how they got together. accusations and corrections would probably fly around the room.

[Shinigami]

Tobin had gathered some food on his plate and settled at his usual place at the table. He liked to keep an eye on the riff-raff that went on in there during the movie nights. He wanted to watch the family react as well, and see how Hope did with the rather large group of people decending on the house that night. He smiled when Faith came in with Bram. She was a foster child, in much the same way as Hope, so they would probably get along the best. Tobin, however, was more interested in his adorable little grandson. Once he was settled in his highchair and Faith walked away he began making funny faces at the boy.

***

Hawk dished himself some pasta and settled in, one foot up on his chair as he usually sat. His arm automatically slid around Ayda's waste as she leaned against him and he gave her a little squeeze. He was much happier, and a lot less suspicious, than he had been in the past, and he was sure it had something to do with Ayda. Of course, his family still tortured him about how he used to be, and they got a sick satisfaction out of making him flustered, so he was bracing himself for later. He and Ayda did have a rather interesting and confusing beginning, after all.

((ooc- I was thinking of draging Tempest in for this one... thoughts? Or any ideas on who else I might be able to drag in? I'm running out of ideas...))

[Maira]

((ooc: Tempest would always be a good addition if you want to drag him in here. I'm half contemplating playing with the timeline a bit and jumping it up at least a week or so to when Hope's bruises start to fade. Tempest or Tobin would deffinately need to be around if that happens though, somebody has to notice Hope's resemblance to Faith after all.))

Hope was just getting ready to sit down near Sebastian so they could eat when yet another woman came up to her and introduced herself. This woman was known as Faith and she was apparently also a foster child of Dion and Tobin's. Despite herself, Hope found herself grinning at the other woman and answering her in a happy tone, "I'm Hope." It was a simple answer but the smile that went with it was warm and inviting. If the other woman wanted to talk to her after the family get together, Hope wanted her to know she'd me more than happy to.

She hadn't had the chance yet to turn away from Faith and back to Sebastian when Thiery was once again talking to her. She nodded as the man talked and she had to fight her arms' sudden urge to go cuddle the little violet eyed girl. She was so cute! Even if Thiery said she was a handful, Hope still wanted to just cuddle her to bits. She reminded her of one of her younger foster sisters from one of the many homes she'd been in growing up.

*****

Saiyuri watched as Thiery expertly avoided getting mud on himself as he lifted Lani up onto the counter and removed her muddy shoes. Once the muddy shoes were off of her and he lifted her into his arms to cuddle her, Saiyuri couldn't help but feel incredibly happy. This wonderful man had come into her life by pure accident and now he was as attached to her daughter as Lani was to him. She couldn't ask for anything more!

And then her mother informed her she would be cleaning the kitchen floors... "Okay Mom but Demeter gets to help whenever she gets here since Rowan just ran out into your livingroom with his muddy shoes still on."

In the background, little feet could be heard running through the livingroom and airplane noises being made. Rowan had developed a hardcore love for planes recently and Dion's livingroom was the perfect 'runway' for Air Rowan jets....

[Demeter]

(occ: Aub, go ahead and bring Tempest in. He can be the one to notice that Hope looks like Faith. He's been away or something, on a mini-trip of sorts so he wasn't around for the gradual fading of Hope's bruises.)

Faith lay out on the front lawn of her mother-in-law's house, propelling her four month old son around in small circles like an airplane. She cooed at Bram as he gurgled and held him to her breast. She'd never seen herself as a mother but now that she had her own child, she couldn't image being anything else. All of the morning sickness, the swollen ankles, the strange cravings had been worth it. Plus, having a child gave her the extra bonus of having her husband home more often.

She didn't hold Tempest's work against him but she liked having him home more often then not. Faith sat up and glanced around. The new girl, Hope, was sitting on the porch swing, reading a book. She'd settled in well, Faith thought, for coming from such a situation. From everything her older brother and sister had told her, she herself had come from a horrid situation but she'd been young at the time, much younger the Hope, and she apparently blocked the events of her time pre-foster home. Still, she was the closest to Hope because they'd both come from bad situations and foster homes.

***

Dion kneeled on the living room couch, hanging over the overstuffed back, and stared out the window. She watched Faith as she lay on the grass, Bram balanced on her stomach. Both were waiting for Tempest to return home from his lastest trip. Though he stayed home more often, he still went if he was requested.

Dion switched her gaze over to the girl curled on the swing. Hope's bruises had faded over the past few weeks, leaving a ugly yellow-green color. She'd poked her head out of her shell in the past weeks but only when the children were around. Dion half contemplated taking the girl out to Trey's farm, to somehow help him with his riding lessons for toddlers but she didn't know how Hope felt about horses.

She hadn't pressured the girl with questions, not yet at least. She was waiting for the girl to settle in completely before she started to peel back the layers that hide Hope from the world.

[Shinigami]

Tempest was out of the airport and into a cab, finally on his back home after a short trip down to a small town in South America. He loved his job, especially since it involved helping others, but he was always glad to come home. He had refused any long term opportunities for a while, wanting to be around as much as possible while his son grew and be there for him. He smiled as he thought about his little boy and the wife that would be waiting with little Bram in her arms. He had called ahead to let them known when he was going to get home this time.

He had closed his eyes to fall into his thoughts for the cab ride, but as the cab came to a stop and he heard the driver put the car in park he snapped his eyes open. Temp sat up and glanced out the window, smiling when he saw Faith sitting in the grass with Bram. He was out of the car in an instant and across the yard, lifting his son out of Faith's arms and into his own. "How's my boy been, huh? Did you get bigger?"

The cab driver hollered out about paying the fair and Tempest grumbled and waved him off, kissing Bram on the forhead and then Faith on the cheek before handing his son back to go pay the driver. He pulled his duffle bag out of the backseat and handed the driver enough money for the ride plus tip and headed right back over to his wife and son, helping Faith get up.

Up to tha point he hadn't even noticed that there was someone sitting up on the porch, but as he looked up he noticed the girl curled up on the porch swing and was struck with the feeling he had seen Faith in that exact position when she was a teenager. She also had a bit of an uncanny resemblance to his wife. He glanced at Faith, a bit confused as to who the girl was and why she was on the porch, but he glanced back as they made their way up the walk and onto the porch. He smiled and extended his hand. "Hey, it seems we haven't had a chance to meet. I'm Tempest, Faith's husband."

[Maira]

The front porch swing had become a favorite place of Hope's in the weeks since she'd come to live at Dion and Tobin's house. For the most part it was peaceful and the only times she really had to interact with people was when they came to the door which meant she only saw them in small doses. Small doses was just what she wanted.

She may have seemingly had her nose in her book but Hope hadn't missed when the cab pulled up. She knew that Faith was waiting for her husband to come home and so she was expecting the yellow car to show up eventually. Not wanting to intrude on the sweet family reunion, Hope returned her eyes to the pages in her lap.

She wasn't surprised to hear steps coming up the stairs but when they stopped near the porch swing and a male voice started talking, apparently to her, Hope looked up in surprise. Everybody else, except Faith really, tended to leave Hope alone and the fact that this man was talking to her was more than a little surprising. After a moment she realized he must be Hawk's twin brother so she smiled slightly and answered, "Nice to meet you Tempest. I'm Hope, Dion and Tobin's newest foster kid."

She didn't really know what else to say to him, so Hope looked at Faith curiously hoping she would give her some clue. When none was forthcoming, Hope's eyes wandered to Bram and a small smile turned up the corners of her mouth. The sight of the baby boy sparked a little bit of bravery in her and she turned back to Tempest and said, "I've told Faith this many times, but you have a beautiful son. He's such a joy to be around." Her smile was now bigger and she was suddenly itching to hold the little boy but she kept her hands firmly planted in her lap with her book.

[Demeter]

Faith grinned. "She just loves the kids. Practically attaches herself to Lani whenever she comes over," she said to Tempest, leaning against his shoulder. "Hey, Hope, you wouldn't mind watching Bram later tonight, would you?"

Faith shifted Bram to her right hip, propping the boy up with one hand. Her husband hadn't been home for three weeks and she missed him. "You left right before Hope came, Tempest. It was one of those random, spur of those moment things that Dion does. Kinda like when she brought me home."

[Shinigami]

Tempest smiled, a big broad smiled that spoke of his pride in his little boy. He tickled the boy's side for another chance to hear his little giggle before returning his attention to both the girls. He was still smiling. "Well, that's nice to hear you like children, and thank you. I'm quite proud of my little boy."

Temp glanced at his wife, raising a brow as she asked the girl, Hope, to babysit Bram later that night. He rejoiced a little inside, knowing he'd actually get to spend some alone time with Faith while he was home for a change. Not that he didn't adore having his son around, but he needed those moments with Faith every once in a while, especially after being gone for a while.

When he heard Faith talk about how Hope came to be at the house, he could very well understand. His mother did have a habit of taking in those that needed help, especially if they were Angel or Custos in nature. He couldn't tell with this girl just yet, but now that he had confirmed she came from a foster home and that Dion had brought her home spur of the moment, he couldn't help but relate her to Faith. The resemblance was the icing on the cake. Besides the fading bruises, hair, eyes and age difference, they could have been twins. He would have to speak to Faith later when they had time.

[Maira]

Hope was a little embarrassed when Faith spilled her weakness for children but that embarrassment quickly fled as she asked Hope if she'd like to watch Bram that night. Not wanting to seem overly enthusiastic, and failing rather miserably, Hope nodded and answered, "I'd love to, you know you don't have to ask." Then, feeling suddenly brave, Hope set marked her page and set her book down before she reached out and tickled Bram's foot and laughed when he giggled and kicked.

The whole time she was talking with Faith and teasing Bram, Hope didn't notice Tempest's eyes on her. It wasn't until she looked up from the little boy's smiling face that she caught Tempest looking at her funny. He had a very serious, contemplative look in his eyes and immediately she withdrew from the little family and resumed her curled up position on the swing. From her safe spot she told Faith, "Just let me know when okay? I'll either be in my room, out here or in the library." Then she picked up the book and flipped it back open to the page she had marked

[Demeter]

Faith lay on the bed in the attic apartment's decent sized master bedroom, watching as her husband unpacked his bag. She'd already dropped Bram off with Hope so that she could have the evening alone with Tempest. As much as she loved her little boy she wanted some alone time with her husband.

She lay on her stomach, chin propped up on her hands and feet kicking at the air. "So, how was your trip? Was it really bad?" She knew her husband and she knew his skills but she also hated knowing if he was in any pain because of any lost lives.

Faith smiled up at him and grinned. "Your mother has been making noises about not getting enough time with her grandson...even though I pawn him off on her whenever I need a nap. What do you say we take advantage of that and go out some time later this week. If Dion can't take him, I'm sure that Hope wouldn't mind. Bram adores her."

[Shinigami]

Tempest was quickly unpacking bag, separating what needed to be washed and what went back in the dressers he shared with his wife. He gave a satisfied 'ha!' when he had the bag emptied, sliding it under the bed for when he next needed it before sitting up on his knees, elbows on the bed. He leaned forward for a quick kiss. "It wasn't very bad at all, really. Thankfully we didn't lose anyone."

He laughed hearing about his mother getting huffy about not getting enough time with her grandson. He wriggled his eyebrows at her with a smile. "Well, then, we may just have to give her more grandkids to keep her happy." Tempest shifted to sit on the bed next to Faith, nodded as she mentioned going out. They hadn't done that in.. well, a long time.

At the mention of Bram and his adoration of their newest addition to the family he smiled, but also got the chance to bring up what he had noticed earlier. "Hey, Faith, I couldn't help but notice... Hope looks and awful lot like you. It may just be me, but.. did she come from the same foster home?"

[Demeter]

Faith blinked. "Yeah, Hope cam from the same foster home as me but she's been in the system all her life. She's not that much younger then men. Do you really think that she looks like me? I hadn't noticed..."

Faith rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling while she brought Hope's face to her mind. "I guess she sorta looks like me but Wrath never mentioned any children and Mercy can't have kids." Faith tilted her head back so that she could look at Tempest. "You don't think that my mom had another kid, do you? I suppose that Aunt Dream could find that answer out. Can a fallen even have children?"

Faith groaned. She'd been all ready to spent the evening with her husband but now her curiosity was up and she wanted to know. "Dion hasn't yet let the details, except for the basics, about Hope out yet. Is it possible?"

[Maira]

Completely unaware that she was being discussed, Hope was happily engaged with Bram. The little boy was such a happy little thing that she couldn't help but act goofy and childish to get him giggling. She was currently giving him a finger-puppet show with some very interesting finger puppets. There was a snowleopard with black feathery wings, a little tiger with fire on his paws, a few cougars, and some angels and Custoss. Hope knew what they were supposed to be, the children and grandchildren of the family, but they were just so cute she couldn't help but smile when playing with them. And Bram seemed quite fond of them too. He kept trying to grab the one she was certain was supposed to be his mother.

They were in Hope's room as she rarely visited the common rooms in the house yet. She was trying to adjust and be more social but in all honesty, the sheer size of the family and the utter chaos it was commonly in, scared her silly.

When Bram shoved the puppet that was supposed to be his mother in his mouth and started sucking, Hope knew the little boy was hungry and ready for dinner. Luckily Faith had bottles ready in the fridge downstairs so it was easy for Hope. Scooping up the happy little boy she popped the puppet out of his mouth and exitted her bedroom. Not even having his toy taken from him upset Bram, instead he just started playing with Hope's necklace by tugging on it and shoving it in her mouth. She was laughing and trying to explain to the baby that her necklace wasn't edible as she reached the kitchen and crossed to the fridge. The moment the door to the fridge opened, Bram dropped her necklace and focussed all his attention on the fridge, and Hope just laughed harder. The boy knew very well what came out of the fridge if somebody was holding him.

Pulling out a bottle, Hope popped it into the microwave for the required seconds, then tested the temperature when it was done. It was just right and Bram was finally starting to fuss a bit so Hope popped it in his mouth and headed out to the back yard. She had learned a while back that Bram liked to be rocked as he ate and there was a wonderfully secluded spot out in one of Dion's rose gardens that had a great swing. It was quiet and if he fell asleep she could sit there and think until he woke up with little chance of being disturbed. Sometimes it seemed as if the little rose garden was almost spelled for peace and quiet.

[Shinigami]

Tempest tilted his head thinking about whether Hope really could be related to Faith. It was plausable, and do-able. He had been afraid it had been his imagination, seeing a new foster child settled on the porch and reading, looking so much like his wife. He was worried that he had just been relating the situation to when Faith was first brought home, but the more the thought about it, the more certain he was.

He leaned back, so he was propped up at the elbows as he turned his head to look at Faith. "They can have children physically. They're only stripped of their wings and their Angel powers, after all. I guess the question would really be whether an Angel or a Custos would bother with a Fallen."

Temp laid back, his side snug up against Faith's, and took her hand in one his to thread thread their fingers together. He had turned out to be the most affectionate of the DeLuge children, always patting people on the shoulders, tickling and sometimes wrestling with the various nieces, nephews, and cousins that ran the house, and hugging and kissing his wife and son whenever he felt like it. He liked the contact. "It could very well be possible. What exactly is she, anyway? I thought Angel, but I couldn't be sure with the short amount of time I was near her."

His doctor's mentality was creeping up on him as well, calculating how long she could have possibly been at the orphanage based on how far along her bruises were in the healing process. It wasn't too long if his mother hand brought her home not long after he had left.

((ooc: Temp is talkative today, lol. He's taking as much time in the spotlight as he can get in my mind, it seems.))

[Demeter]

Faith leaned against Tempest's side, enjoying the warmth her husband's body offered. "Yeah, but she's mostly human. Dion let that much out at the very least. Human, Angel, yes, and cougar." While talking, Faith amused herself by playing with Tempest's fingers. "Cougar? Now why does that sound familiar?"

Faith blinked. "Cougar? And she looks like me? Cougar!" Faith jumped off the bed and headed for the door. She raced through each level of the house, hunting for Hope and her son. She eventually found the girl in the garden. "Hope!" she called out as she all but pounced on the girl. "Is there any chance that you know who your parents are? Any slight, slim chance?"

[Maira]

Bram was happily eating and Hope was pretty sure he was watching the leaves of the trees above them move in the gentle breeze. She was daydreaming a little, about how it would have been to grow up as a member of Dion's family. If she had been raised by Dion and Tobin, like Faith had been, Hope's life would have been so much different. She might still come to the rose garden for quiet moments but she wouldn't feel like she had to hide in it from the family. She wanted so badly to fit in, but seeing as she was 17, she would be aging out of the foster care system soon and she wouldn't have the chance to adjust before she had to leave. With a soft sight, Hope kicked the swing into action and followed Bram's lead and stared up at the leaves.

She was still lost in her daydreams, and Bram was starting to snooze, when Hope heard somebody yell her name from the direction of the house. The little boy stirred at the voice and looked around. He started to coo just as Hope spotted Faith running toward them. The older girl looked like she was about to burst at the seems with a secret and when she plopped on the swing next to her and asked if she knew who her parents were, Hope just looked at her.

"What? Do I know who my parents are?" She had to repeat Faith's words because she was more than a little confused why this topic would be being brought up, especially out of the blue like this. "Umm... I sort of remember what my mother looked like but the only name I know for her is 'Mommy'. The only other stuff I know is because I begged my social worker when I was eight for information about my parents. All she could tell me was that I'd been found in a shopping mall when I was a year and a half old, and that when they'd tracked my mother down she told them my father didn't know about me and she had no idea where he was."

Her foster sister was giving her a very odd look and Hope felt more than a little uncomfortable. "Why Faith? Did you find out something?" Against her better judgement, Hope couldn't help but feel a little hopeful. Right along with the hopeful feeling though was the cold feeling of dread. Did she really want to know the woman who had abandoned her? Her father she would be interested to meet, at least once. Who knew, maybe he wanted a daughter and she could become part of a family that she would get to keep regardless of how old she got.

[Demeter]

Faith swallowed a giggle as she jumped up and grabbed Bram on the way. "Just stay here," she said to Hope. She took Bram up to his father. "I think I know who Hope's father is. I'll be back." She kissed Tempest and ran back to the door before she turned around. She kissed her husband once more, lingering this time. It really had been a while since she'd been with Tempest.

She eventually left and ran back downstairs. She grabbed Hope by the arm and pulled her out of the garden and down the street to a house with a garden that riveled Dion's. She pounded on the door, tapping her foot impatiently. "Come on, Wrath, I know that you are home. Your precious car is in the driveway. I've got to ask you a question!"

She pushed Hope behind her as her mind raced through the facts. According to her husband, Hope had an uncanny resemblence to her and, according to Dion, was part cougar and part angel. Wrath may help answer some of those questions.

[Maira]

Hope felt the loss of Bram from her arms and she couldn't help but frown ever so slightly. The baby boy was such a comfort to her amid the chaos of her foster family and with him back with his mother, her shield was gone. Considering the way Faith was acting, Hope suddenly was a little afraid of her. She knew the older girl was a bit spazzy at times but it normally wasn't directed at her...

When Faith told her to stay where she was, Hope just nodded and watched as the older girl scampered off back to the main house. It didn't take Faith long to return and the look on her face just made Hope nervous. When the older girl grabbed her by the arm, Hope squeeked with surprise. As she was hauled out of the garden and down the street to a house she'd walked by with the children multiple times, Hope began to think that Faith was going crazy or something.

Inside that house, Wrath was taking a shower. He'd been out slaving in his backyard and laying a slate patio was dirty work. He had just slipped into a pair of jeans when somebody pounded on his front door. He would have yelled at Mercy to go answer the door but the woman wasn't home. Or at least, she hadn't been when he'd gotten in the shower.

Assuming his sister wouldn't be answering the door, Wrath quickly pulled on a worn tshirt he liked to lounge in, and headed downstairs. He was still rubbing his hair with the towel when he opened the door and was greeted by the sight of his youngest sister Faith tapping her foot impatiently. He was suddenly very glad he'd pulled on that shirt... "You needed something Faith?" Wrath asked curiously, then tossed his towel back in the direction of the stairs so he'd remember to take it back upstairs later for laundry.