My eyes blink open, against the brightness of the sun, streaming in through my window. I look over and Sean is gone.

I sit up quickly. I had a lot of wine last night. The slight fog my head is in, can attest to that. 

Did I actually dream that?

No. I definitely did not dream that as I take notice of my bare body, under the sheets. I groan laying back down. Figures, you gave in Stella and now you're left high and dry.

I groan again and make my way to my bathroom. My hair is a mess. I pull it up into a messy bun and brush my teeth. As I'm spitting out the toothpaste, a blood curling scream comes from the kitchen. Lucy!

When I reach for my robe behind the door, I notice it's gone. Now I hear Kai and Miles' loud voices yelling and swearing. I hurry and pull on some sweats and a hoodie over myself and run towards the kitchen. I come to a skid stop at the end of the hallway and can't believe what I'm seeing.

"Who the hell are you, asshole?" Kai questions, his face contorted in anger. Lucy is holding a knife while Kai and Miles are each pointing their guns at Sean. 

Meanwhile, Sean is holding a spatula and a frying pan. He's dressed in my robe that is too small and too short. His hair a wild mess.

I burst out laughing at the ridiculous scene before me. They all turn to look at me. I end up on the floor laughing so hard.

"Are you okay, moms?" Miles asks me.

"Moms?" Sean repeats. I breath deeply and wipe my eyes from my laughing.

"Everyone calm down, okay? Kai, Miles put your guns away, Lucy put the knife down." I instruct them. "Sean, put the...spatula and pan down." I burst out laughing again. He rolls his eyes at me but sets them on the stove.

"What's going on, here?" Lucy asks.

"Guys this is my friend, Sean." The kids look back at him. "Sean, this is Lucy, Kai and Miles."

"Your kids?" He asks sarcastically.

"Yep." I state, putting my arm around Lucy.

"Damn, moms got lucky last night." Miles says as he picks up mine and Sean's pants off the floor near the couch.

"Gross," states Kai. 

"I'm...gonna go get changed." Sean says and hurries back to my room. I turn back to the kids who are all watching me.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that's who you've been texting and giggling about lately." Miles says, folding his arms.

"First, I don't giggle. And second, it's none of your business who I text." I grab my pants and Seans, from his hands. I pick up the rest of our clothes off the floor and head back to my room.

"This conversation isn't finished, young lady!" Miles teases.

"We need to have the Talk with you!" Kai adds. I hear them both laughing before I walk into my room.

Sean is pacing the room when I walk in, still in my robe. "You probably need these to actually get dressed, unless you want to borrow my robe. But I will need it back, eventually." I smile.

He stops pacing and glares at me. He snatches his clothes from my hands. "Why didn't you tell me, Stella? That night, you called three years ago, there was someone in the car with you. It was them wasn't it?"

He tries to pull his legs through his pants angrily but ends up falling over. I cover my mouth to keep from laughing. I chuckle, a little. "Why are you so angry, right now?"

"Because you keep lying to me! You're keeping things from me and I've never lied to you about anything!" He yells at me as he struggles to stand up, with his pants not on all the way. He eventually kicks his pants off again and sits on the bed, leaning over, with his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, that wasn't my intention. I was protecting them, more than anything Sean." I sigh, "A grew up with a family full of secrets and here I am doing the same, and I don't mean to."

I tell him how I met Lucy and what happened when we were in Chicago. And then how a year later we found the twins.

"So, you're a family now?" He asks looking over at me.

"Yes." I smile, showing him my Ohana tattoo. "We got this together not too long ago. It means family."

"You do realize how dangerous it is for them to be around you...us, don't you?" He questions, worry showing on his handsome face.

"Yes, but I'd like to see you try to convince them to not stick around." I sit down next to him, "Besides, I am pretty irresistible." I say, jokingly. He looks me and snorts, shaking his head.

I smile as I play with his bed hair. "Were you making me breakfast, Seany-poo?"

"Yes, until Lucy walked in and scared the shit out of me." He states.

I laugh, "I'm sure the sight of you in my robe, scared her more than anything."

He laughs and pushes me back on the bed. "I didn't get a chance to kiss you good morning, yet." He leans down and kisses me softly. He pecks my lips before pulling me up with him. 

"I'm going to shower." I look back at him, "you can wait in here or go talk with them. You'll love them." I smile at him before closing the door, to my bathroom.

When I walk out of my room, there's a heated debate going on in the kitchen between Lucy and Sean.

"I hate to break it to you, kid, but Jane Austin is the best English novelist of all time, and Pride and Prejudice is probably the most read and loved fictional book, in history. Centuries after it was published it still resonates and is very relatable, despite all the advances we've made. That one piece of art is something that touches peoples hearts; men and women alike."

"No way, dude. I mean, Jane Austin is amazing, don't get me wrong, but Charles Dickens is the man. His book Great Expectations is the best book ever, hands down. It has everything you'd want in a book, plot twists, there's love, even politics and the characters are bar none. Some you absolutely love, and others you absolutely love to hate. It's the best!" Lucy argues her point.

"I feel we are at impasse, then." Sean concludes. "But you have great taste so I'll overlook this little set back of ours." He smiles at her and winks at me when I approach.

Miles turns when he sees me. "Thank god, moms. Make them stop please! They've literally haven't shut up about who is better and why and why not!" He groans, putting a pillow over his head from the couch.

"Oh please Miles, you're just still pissed he beat you in Mario cart, taking your top score." Lucy grins.

Kai sighs, "She's right and you know it, brah."

Sean's phone goes off and he picks it up off the counter. "I've gotta go." He stands, "Jessie's been blowing up my phone and I've got a phone meeting with my Uncles."

"Lucy, thank you for the stimulating conversation." He kisses her hand and she blushes as she smiles. He turns to the twins. "Guys, rematch next time?"

"Hell yeah--I mean, heck yes there will be." Miles corrects himself, when he sees the look I'm giving him. Kai gives Sean the Shaka sign, from the couch.

"Dinner later?" He asks.

"Can't, I've got a shift tonight."

"Okay, how about lunch, tomorrow?" He walks closer to me. "All of us." He adds as he brings my hand to his lips.

"Okay," I smile at him.

He leans down and kisses me. He smiles against my lips. "See you later," He pecks me again before turning to leave and walks out the door.

I turn and Lucy, Kai and Miles are all watching me.

"Ooo, moms' is in love!" Miles taunts.

I shake my head, walking back to the kitchen and fix myself a plate of the food that was made.

"He's cool, Stella." Kai says leaning over the couch. "Even though he looked like a lolo in your robe, this morning." He laughs, shaking his head.

"And he's smart and very handsome." Lucy grins and blushes.

"Yeah, I don't know, you guys..." Miles sighs, deeply with concern on his face. "He hasn't passed the I'm not a psycho test, yet."

I laugh turning around to face him. "What?"

"For reals, listen. All psycho, serial killers have certain things in common. They're charming and smooth talking, impulsive, and show early behavior problems. From what I see, and what he's told us, the profile perfectly." He pops a blueberry in his mouth.

"He is a smooth talker and he's good looking and you know he knows what he's doing, when he talks to people, of the female persuasion. He's impulsive based on the line of work he's in and I'm not talking about his career. Let's not forget he faked his own death. And he admitted he was a bully when he was a kid." Miles says it all so casually as he continues to blueberries.

"Should I be worried that it sounds like you know what you're talking about?" I ask sincerely concerned.

"I know right, and I'm the one that shares a room with him." Kai states eyes his brother cautiously.

Lucy and Miles look at each other and burst out laughing. "Sheesh, I'm kidding moms!" He says after he stops laughing. "No, but really, I think he's a'ight." I chuckle before I take a bite of my food.

"So, do you love him?" Lucy asks me.

I take a long sip of water and then try to clear the food lodged in my throat. "It's too early for that, Lucy. We just really like each other."

"Anyway," I change the subject, "How was your guys' night? What did you end up doing?"

"We had dinner at that diner that Miles loves. Then we went bowling." Kai tells me.

"Yup, and I beat Miles, in two out of the three games." Lucy says brightly.

"Only because you used those stupid bumper thingy's, otherwise you would have been gutterball queen and you know it!" Miles responds.

"Anyway, we went for ice cream afterwards. And then we just hung out and talked until we had to come home." Lucy fills me in.

"Well, I'm glad you guys had fun. You deserve it. You all worked so hard and I'm happy to inform you, you all passed your end of year tests." I smile at them.

Kai and Miles both cheehoo loudly and Lucy squeals, bouncing on the stool clapping her hands.

"Abu Dhabi, here we come!" Miles cheers loudly.

<><><><><>

"Hey Raven, I've been meaning to ask you..." Bruiser stops me when I walk in the club, he looks down at his feet before he looks at me, "Do you...do you think you can show me a few moves?"

I look back at him confused, "You want me to teach you some dance moves?"

His face flushes and he shakes his head no quickly, "No, not dance moves. I mean, like fighting or defense techniques. It's just, I've always relied on my size, but that night your guy friend who was really here for Jess.." He gives me a knowing look, "he almost took me out and I know if Boss saw it, he'd give me the boot."

"Oh...um, sure." I shift my bag on my shoulder, "I'll be going to the gym on Monday if you want to meet me there? It's the gym next to the strip mall, the one on the corner of Krome and 11th. They specialize in certain defense and fighting techniques there."

"Great, you're the best." He tell me, slapping my shoulder hard.

I chuckle, making my way up to the stage. I slip off my joggers, leaving me in my yoga shorts and change out of my shoes and pull out some heels. I pull off my jacket and then hop on the stage.

"Here we are ladies. Raven will be showing you some basic moves. I know you both have dancing backgrounds but the pole is a hard craft to master. And if not done properly or with the right grips, you could do some serious damage." Eva informs the new hires.

"Raven, you remember Tori and Destiny." Eva gestures to Victoria and the other dancer. "Alright I'll leave you to it. I told them to come tonight so they can see how you run a full routine, okay, mija?"

"Sure, sounds good."

I turn back to the girls and clap my hands. "Alright, well based off your auditions, I didn't get a good idea of how much pole work you've actually done."

"I've never done it, but it doesn't look that hard." Destiny says looking at the pole.

"I haven't either, other than just twirling around it or grinding up against it." Victoria tells me.

"I thought the same thing," I look at Destiny, "but it isn't easy. And you will get pole burn and your legs and arms and sides will get bruised up until you get used it."

I go through and show them the different front, ankle, and knee hooks. And I have them practice each after I show them. Then I move on to the different moves on the pole you can do.

"Once you get comfortable enough you can transition from different holds, like the Carousel," I climb up and demonstrate, "then move to the peterpan, the stag, the scissor sit, table top, then move back up to a climb, then martini, or fireman down."

"Damn, that looks amazing." Victoria says in awe. "Where did you learn all this?" 

They laugh when I say YouTube.

"Whats the craziest move you can do?" Destiny asks me.

I show her the split hold that usually gets a lot of response from the crowd. "Or this one because it makes people think I'm going to hurt myself, which I did until I finally got it down." I laugh as I climb up the pole and then I twirl at the top before I tuck myself in and loosen my grip and slide down the pole rather quickly.

They both gasp loudly, thinking I'm going to slam into the ground but I stop myself before I even get close.

"Girl, that's fucking incredible!" Destiny exclaims.

"Don't even think about doing it until you get a good idea of your grips and understanding of how to stop, I mean it." I tell her when she doesn't seem genuinely listening.

I'm overcome with a moment of deja vu, feeling that someone is watching me. My eyes travel around the room until I see Rio talking with someone. He looks familiar.

He's dressed in a dark suit and wearing dark aviators, at first I think it's the guy from the club, but this guy doesn't have a beard. Rio looks over at me as he talks to him, but the mans' focus is only me. At least I think it is, but it's hard to tell with the damn glasses he's wearing.

"Raven?"

I snap out of my staring contest with the unknown guest of Rio. And continue with the training. When I look back over, both Rio and his guest are gone.