A/N: I'm so sorry for being late, but Leo's chapter was half-erased by my pc and it took me a long time to find the will to rewrite it. Well, enjoy!

SATURDAY, 7th January

Leo adjusted his cap, nodded to Niel hiding out of sight and rang the doorbell.

It's show time!

A confused looking girl opened the door just a little.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Are you..."

He pretended to check the paper he had in hand.

"... Lisa Atkins?"

"Yes, what is this about?"

"I have something for you."

He took four steps back to the car and got the giant bouquet from the inside.

"Someone ordered this for you."

"For ME?"

She opened the door wider and even took half a step to receive, and Leo noted she had her phone in her hand.

Perfect.

As long as we do it quick.

Leo kept himself a step and half from her and took the folded paper of his pocket, motioning for her to take it.

"I just need for you to sign this."

Lisa stepped out and accepted the paper. Niel cautiously got behind her and when she opened the paper that had written "Congratulations, you're being kidnapped!" with colorful and glittery stickers, Niel grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth and locking her arms. She thrashed and kicked, but it was nothing to him. Leo accompanied them back to the car, carrying the bouquet and the phone she had dropped, while Niel did a swift work to gag and bound her.

"Truck or backseat?"

"Did you bring chloroform?"

Leo facepalmed with the hand holding the phone.

"Forgot beside the silver tape, sorry."

I TOLD you you'd forget.

Well, why didn't you remind me?

I wouldn't have to if you had remembered.

"Truck it is."

Her eyes were big as plates and she trashed even more, but Niel seemed way too experienced to notice.

Huh. Two minutes and that's it? That was quicker than I was expecting.

Niel is quicker than we were expecting.

And experienced enough to be frightening.

And efficient like a machine.

***

Leo turned the music volume up to muffle Lisa's kicks in the truck, while Niel was impatiently ringing the doorbell for the fifth time.

Why is he looking angry at us? We're not the ones who are late.

When a very annoyed and half-awake Nico in pajamas opened the door, he was yanked to the car by Niel before he could utter a single word.

I'm a little disappointed.

Why?

I was hoping for, I don't know, duck pajamas. Or bunnies.

Or a flying squirrel onesie.

What?

That's a thing, I swear on my life.

It was only after Nico was unceremoniously shoved in the back seat and Niel took off with the car that he noticed Leo in the front seat with an enormous bouquet in hand and sighed in exasperation.

"What is going on this time?"

"There was no time to explain, Sticks."

"Yeah, you said that before you kidnapped me, adding a 'just get in the car'. Somehow, I think you said it only because you always wanted to use that line. Anyway, you have time now."

Niel stopped at a red light and turned with a lopsided smile to his friend.

"It's a hijinx!"

When he didn't offer any other information, and just drove, the proximity with the trunk allowed Nico to pay attention to the noises their cargo was doing above the music. He looked at Niel with suspicion.

"What is in the truck?"

"A package."

"What kind of package?"

"You ask too many questions."

"It better not be my dog, or I will tear both of you apart."

How serious should we take his threat?

With him, we never know.

So, very serious just in case. He'll be pleased to know it's not his dog. Not sure if he will be happy to know it's a girl.

As long as it isn't Hazel, I think we're okay.

Hazel... right, his sister.

And Hazel can be scary on her own, trust me. She looks adorable, but deep down, she's scary, even if she still looks like a fluffy bunny on the outside.

Really?

Underworld kids. And that girl can wield some wicked magic.

***

They drove almost an hour, with Niel blasting metal from the speakers to cover the sound of Lisa's kicking. Nico had adjusted himself against a window at the beginning, mumbling something about finishing a season and fell asleep, clearly too tired to worry about their destination. Niel slowed down when they neared the woods outside the city, asking Leo to help him find the tree with the blue ribbon. Once they finally spotted it, Niel took a sharp turn to the left, cautiously driving between the trees until they reached a small clearing, where another car was parked. Niel killed the engine, stepping outside and opening the back door, making a still sleepy Nick in pajamas fall on the ground. While he stood up cussing like a sailor, Niel walked to the other car and opened the truck, motioning to Leo open the door to the backseat. When he did, he saw a girl handcuffed to the front seat, with her head resting half hidden over her arms.

"Sup? I'm Leo."

She turned her head to look at him and sighed in boredom.

"I'm Lucy, are you here to release me?"

"Being handcuffed is not your cup of tea?"

She yawned, surprisingly calm. Although, the disheveled hair, raspy voice, and blotted eyes suggested she hadn't been calm from the beginning.

"You could say that."

Picking a tool from his pocket, he worked on her handcuffs. When her wrists were finally free, she massaged it a bit and accepted the hand offered by Leo to step out of the car. Seeing Nico, she started to nod in salute but stopped at seeing his attire, her teeth slowly showing on a grin.

"Nice fashion statement."

"Have you looked herself in the mirror?"

"I was kidnapped."

"So was I."

She turned her head to look inquisitively at Leo, who gave her a peace sign and a smile.

"I volunteered as a tribute."

Sighing, she walked around Niel's car with a decisive stride and stopped in shock at seeing Lisa still gagged and now tied to a foldable chair.

"Barnacle, what the hell, you kidnapped my friend crush!"

What is a friend crush?

A friend you have a crush on? I don't know.

It seemed that Niel knew what she was talking about.

"That's her? Well, now you have time to bond. Get to work."

"What do you mean 'get to work'?"

Niel started to speak slower, in a tone one would use to a child.

"It means to do what you came here to do."

"I didn't come here to do anything! I was kidnapped! You picked me up, took me to that flower shop to help your intimidating friend Sierra to pick a bouquet to her crush. I helped and then she promised me to take me home since you had vanished. The last thing I remember was being in her car, we stopped at a red light and she put a cloth over my mouth. And when I woke up, I was handcuffed in her car in the middle of the woods and she was nowhere to be seen."

"See, Leo, Sierra remembered the chloroform, which made her job so much easier."

I TOLD you we should've got it.

Yeah, when it was already too late.

Lucy blinked, looking between the guys. Then she let out a hysterical laugh, her tone increasing in fear and incredulity.

"Oh. My. God! I knew you weren't normal, and that's okay because normal is overrated but OH MY GOD, that's WAY out of my league! I want to go home. Please."

Her voice broke in the last word and Leo could see someone who was slowing losing her mind. Niel could sense it too, because he nodded to the girl sitting, still bounded and gagged, with fear in her eyes.

"I'll take you home after you help her look pretty."

"What? Why? Are you going to do with her?"

"Nothing, I'm just here to help Sierra with her date, and you can find all things necessary for your part in Sierra's trunk."

Everyone was silent while both Lucy and Nico, whose lips had been progressively turning blue for the past five minutes, worked out the words. Lucy's answer was shrill.

"WHAT??? HER DATE? SIERRA'S IDEA OF A DATE IS TO ASK YOU TO KIDNAP THE POOR GIRL? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??"

Just embrace the craziness, darling, it gets better.

And funnier.

See what I mean, she is one who thinks too small, she wouldn't be able to deal with all this.

All what?

I don't have arms to command, but I was supposed to gesture to myself.

Would you like to repeat? I can do the arm thing.

Nah... I mean, it would've been nice, but we might look crazy from the outside.

***

The argument went on for twenty minutes, where Nico waited inside the car with a tied-up Lisa to protect themselves from the cold. Lucy had yelled so much it was a surprise no one had spotted them so far. In the end, she agreed to help Lisa get "pretty" under some conditions. First, she wanted her phone back, which Sierra had stolen while she was out, and no one had permission to steal it again. Second, she wanted to stay as a witness to the date, and Sierra and the boys better behave or she would call the police and get their butts behind bars for at least a couple of nights. Third, if she saw that Lisa was still feeling terrible after one hour, Niel was to take both girls home immediately, no arguing.

Niel later told Leo he agreed mostly because while he knew most of the cops, so he also knew at least a couple were relatives to some of Lucy's closest friends, which could make their situation more complicated. He and Nico left the girls behind and followed Niel through the woods until arriving at a clearing, where a tent had been set up to block the chilly wind and a very anxious Sierra was waiting.

"So? Where are they?"

"Getting ready. There were some... complications."

"Complications? Niel, I called you because you take care of complications. What kind of complications anyway?"

"Kidnapped complications, I took care of it."

He stepped closer to her and started explaining better, so Leo turned to Nico.

"Well-"

"Please don't talk."

***

While Nico and Niel changed to dark pants and a white shirt, with a heavy black coat to protect from the cold, Nico all the time threatening their lives and lineage, Leo got behind the portable stove, with Sierra explaining what she expected him to do, showing all the dishes that were already half done. Once he lighted up the fire, the tent started to slowly warm up. The table for two had been prepared with elegant cutlery and the bouquet used to attract Lisa standing on the side, close enough to admire but not to block the vision of the lovebirds. When Niel came back with the girls, Leo had to admire Lucy's ability. Not only Lisa looked elegant, with well-done makeup and a new change of clothes, she also looked much calmer.

Lucy looks even more pissed off.

That she does.

She looks somewhat familiar.

Sierra stepped forward, holding Lisa's hand and bowing to kiss it.

"Thank you so much for coming, my precious honeybun! Come, I prepared this date thinking only of you."

***

Nico and Niel took turns serving as waiters. It was almost comical the contrast between Niel's flourish moves and Nico's curt ones. Lucy had grabbed an extra chair and set herself next to Leo, both for the heat of the stove and the plate with samples that Leo handed her.

"So, what's your story? How come you volunteered to help kidnap someone?"

"We were not kidnapping her to harm her, just to take her to a surprise date. The movies always say it's romantic."

"It's a sign of the need for a forced subscription in a mental facility."

"She looks like she's enjoying it."

Lucy looked over to Lisa, who was shyly smiling.

"I can assure you that she would be enjoying it much more if she had been asked."

"What did you say to her, anyway, to calm her down?"

"That I was not part of it, a victim just like her, but I knew you guys. Well, not you specifically, but Niel and Nico. Even Sierra, a little bit. And I could promise her, that even if you were all taking the wrong road about a perfect date, you would not harm her physically in any way, and that I would be with her at all times to ensure her safety."

Tiny Lisa protected by even tinier Lucy?

"And she bought that?"

His incredulity must have shown in his voice because tiny cute Lucy turned a glare so fierce at him, he actually took a step back.

"Yep, you'll protect her. Roger that."

***

SUNDAY 8th January

"What are you doing here?"

Leo willed his heart to slow down after hearing Ryan's voice when he least expected, slowly turning to glare at the man.

"By Hephaestus' hammer, man, don't scare me like this!"

"Shouldn't you be finishing your shower by now? You don't plan to show up like this, right? I mean, they were nice enough to invite them to lunch, the least you can do is look presentable."

Leo raised his eyes to the clock and cursed.

Oh, late late we're very late!

Repeating late doesn't help!

Dropping his project, he started to run to the stairs, before looking over the mess he did on the table and back to Ryan, a question in his eyes.

"Just GO, I'll clean up after you."

"Thanks, boss."

He could still hear the man's voice while he ran upstairs to his bedroom.

"I swear, you're the most forgetful person I ever met, even more than my sister."

You got an awesome boss.

I know, but I assure you, he was not so nice at the beginning.

What changed?

SHOWER!

Right!

***

Once he was sure he didn't have any visible stains, either on his skin or his clothes, he quickly exited the shop and ran down the street to the right building.

I don't remember their apartment's number.

33.

What would I do without you?

Miss me to death. Now go!

Leo ranged the intercom, praying he wasn't too late.

***

Purnima opened the door with a smile and motioned him to enter.

"Leoni, I'm happy you were able to join us."

"Well, thanks for inviting me and sorry I'm late."

"LEO!"

Next thing he felt was tiny arms trying to break him in half.

"Hi, mini-me, how are you?"

"You came!"

He grinned back to the boy, ruffling his hair affectionally.

"Of course, and you need to show me your room."

His mother is still right behind us.

Clearing his throat, Leo sent a smile over his shoulder in apology.

"I mean if that's not a problem."

She shook her head and waved her hand.

"No problem. Harshad can show the house. I'll prepare the table."

Harshad's father was on the living room and rose to greet them, before Harshad pulled Leo to his room, to show him all his toys.

"And this is my chair, and my-"

"What is that sound?"

It had been almost a minute since Leo first noticed a faraway sound, rhythmical. It took Harshad less the two seconds to identify it and explain.

"It's my sister."

Wait. WHAT!?

"... You... you have a... SISTER? Really? Why didn't you say anything before?"

The little boy didn't look him in the eye.

"Because she doesn't like being my sister. She is means sometimes."

He turned to give Leo a sad smile.

"She's not my friend like you."

"Is she scary?"

"Very!"

I want to laugh at his expression, but I feel he would think I don't believe him.

After Lucy yesterday, I gained a lot of perspective of a girl's capacity to be scary.

"She thinks you're stupid."

WHAT?

"Why!?"

"I don't know, she's weird."

Before Leo could say anything else, they heard Purnima call for lunch and Harshad guided Leo to the bathroom. While his mini-me argued with his mother that he wanted to sit next to his friend, Leo's attention diverted to a girl entering the dining room. Her dark skin set her closer to Harshad and his mom and she was wearing a tank top with sweat stains. She made Leo smile.

Oh, I know her! The last person I would've expected to see, though.

"Well, hello there."

He realized he used the wrong teasing tone when she turned her head to scowl at him so fast that her ponytail whipped across her cheek. Dark eyes narrowed at him.

"Are you flirting with me? For real!?"

At this point, the rest of the family was paying attention to them, curiosity and confusion evenly distributed.

I cannot believe you're more socially awkward than me...

"Uh – I don't – I didn't – it wasn't like that, I swear!"

She obviously wasn't buying it, since her scowl deepened and all her body tensed as expecting a fight. Thankfully, Purnima diverted the attention to her when she addressed the muscular girl.

"Nora! How many times do I have to say? I want you to remove those things before meals."

Nora turned her scowl to her mother but it was less fierce, and she moved her hands close to her chest, as to protect it. Only then Leo noticed the fluorescent yellow fabric.

"How many times do I have to say these are called a hand wrap? And what is the point of removing it now if I have to redo it ten minutes from now?"

The awkwardness in the room rose exponentially when the two kept glaring at each other without a word, until Nora gave in and in a huff, went back to her room claiming she lost her appetite.

Oh wow. She has a temper.

Sighing like the world was on her shoulders, Purnima tried to smile at Leo and pointed to a chair.

"Please, sit. I apologize for her, we're having some trouble adapting. I'm very sorry you had to witness this."

Trying to ease her mind, Leo gave her an honest grin and turning to the table already set, pointed to a dish he didn't recognize from the meals she prepared him sometimes.

"Not a problem! Already forgotten. So, all this looks delicious, what are these?"

***

Taking advantage Harshad's parents doing the dishes together and the boy himself being mesmerized by his favorite cartoon, Leo quietly slipped from the living room saying he had to go to the bathroom.

Must you do it? I mean, can't you think about my wellbeing?

She isn't gonna hurt us, I know it.

You hope.

I hope.

Knocking on the door he supposed led to Nora's room, was rewarded with the sounds of someone walking to open the door.

"What do you want?"

When she saw who was, the defensive stance came back, but Leo was prepared.

"I want to talk to you about Harshad."

As he expected, this gave her pause. After a second of consideration, her posture relaxed somewhat.

"What do you wanna talk about him?"

Keeping his voice down in fear of someone else hearing it, he tried to give her a glare.

"How about the fact that he's a very nice boy, that I care about him and that you're scaring him for no reason?"

"I'm not scaring him."

He motioned to her room.

"Can you talk in private?"

After a moment of internal debate, she nodded and gave him room to enter, closing the door behind him. Her room was gender-neutral, with walls of a light blue. What caught his attention was the highly technical computer and the punching bag hanging close to her bed.

Is that a 3D printer? Wow! Please, let me play with it.

"So, what is wrong with Harshad? I'm not scaring him."

Focusing back on her, he mimicked her posture, crossing his arms, throwing his head lightly back and shifting his weight to the right.

"Well, considering he described you to me as mean, scary and that you don't like being his sister, there's clearly a problem of communication."

"He said I don't like being his sister?"

"I mean, I don't know what is your problem, if you decided to be a rebellious teenager just for the hell of it, and I don't really care. But if your behavior scares an 8-year-old boy that is one of the nicest boys I've ever met, you and I have a problem. And honestly, while we're at it, your mother was nothing but sweet and kind to me, she even brings me lunch from time to time. You don't know how lucky you are to have a family that cares for you."

Feeling he was dangerously close to open about his own life, Leo decided to close his speech.

"As I said, I don't know what your problems are, but you better figure it out and stop scaring my mini-me, or you and I, lady, are going to have problems."

After a moment of silence, Nora raised one eyebrow in half of a challenge.

"Is that all?"

Wow. Thanks for dismissing our speech in just a second.

Keeping his composure, Leo nodded to her and walked himself out.

Now what?

Well, I always liked cartoons.

What?

Let's keep Harshad company since he has a stubborn and arrogant sister.