~Sean's POV~

Once Phil had left the kitchen, following after Miss Sang I turned to face my best friend.

Owen was facing the stove, having taken over for me on the preparation of our dinner when I almost put sugar in our food instead of salt.

Luke was still pouting that he didn't get to make pancakes.

In my defense, beautiful Sang was far too distracting for me to waste time with condiments.

"So," I kept my voice low so that only Owen could hear me, "What are we doing now?" I asked him.

He glanced once at me from the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to the food he was stirring. "For now, we will wait and observe."

"Hummm," I mumbled quietly, feeling impatient. Turning to lean against the kitchen's counter I observed my brothers.

Silas, Victor and North were talking quietly as they sat at the table.

Owen's kitchen had an open concept that led to the dining room, separated only by a counter. The furniture was painted white, the decoration minimalist to the extreme but elegant. It drove me crazy.

Kota, Nathan and Luke were studying some folders of an Academy case we had recently closed. Owen wanted all the information organized so we could hand it over to Phil for the academy before he left since we were temporarily grounded.

Spotting Gabriel that was staring in horror at the room around him I almost smirked.

No doubt the "emptiness" of Owen's home was about to drive my youngest brother crazy just as it drove me.

Gabriel had a preference for lots of color and decorations giving personality to an ambient but Owen's home was rather, well... as expressionless as he tended to be.

"Hey, Gabe." I called to him before he took the ketchup and mustard out of the refrigerator and began painting Owen's walls with them.

The way he was staring at the white walls I wouldn't be surprised if he tried something crazy like that.

Gabriel turned his baby-blue eyes in my direction and I motioned for him to come closer.

"What's up, Doc?" he asked as he approached.

"I just wanted to know what you think of our newest friend." I told him. "Luke was the one to give a report of your meeting with her."

From the corner of my eye I could see Owen perk up at my question. He might not admit it, but I knew he was as curious as I.

This wasn't a situation where we could ask for a background check from the Academy, after all.

Turning my attention back to Gabriel I saw him raise his eyebrows and smirk, "That troublemaker?"

"Why do you call her a troublemaker, Mr. Coleman?" Owen immediately asked.

Gabriel lost his smile, "It's just a nickname, Mr. B. She seems like a good girl, vampire... whatever."

"And how did you arrive at this conclusion, Mr. Coleman?"

Solemn blue eyes met with grey ones and he answered, "Because a bad person wouldn't have put herself at risk for two strangers and then told them that they weren't obliged to help her in exchange. She is selfless."

I paused momentarily, as did Owen. If things happened as we understood them, then Gabriel was right and Miss Sang Sorenson was definitely Academy material.

Add to that the fact that she was clearly a powerful being and obviously a ghost, in Academy' terms, and she became a great asset.

"Mr. Lee said we should adopt her." Owen mumbled under his breath and I found myself agreeing with Kota.

Adoption ensured that the Academy wouldn't fight us if we agreed to keep her.

"What do you think she means by us staying with her "for eternity"? Is she going to turn us into vampires like her?" I asked Gabe worriedly.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that, having to drink blood from people to stay alive.

Gabriel shrugged, "I have no idea. Ask her." he said simply.

"I think that would be sooo cool!" Luke suddenly exclaimed, proving he'd been overhearing on our conversation from across the room.

His hearing was as good as North's.

North grunted, "Like hell. I don't want to go around biting people or drinking blood from a bag. That is disgusting." He grumbled.

Nathan also looked worried but the rest of the boys merely looked curious.

Owen was expressionless as usual.

"Well, then, if no one knows the answer to that does anyone knows why she wants us around?" I asked them all.

Luke and Gabriel looked at each other, something indecipherable passing between them.

"Dr. Roberts suggested that she might be seeking comfort after having gone through a traumatizing experience." Said Kota.

While Gabriel and Luke nodded at him they also looked like they were holding something back.

"Aggele had a hard life, obviously. Even without everything that she told us, you can see that in her eyes." Silas said suddenly, his eyes boring at the back of Owen's head. "She is like us, Mr. B."

I had to agree with his assessment. Now that she wasn't around to distract me with her beautiful green eyes I could think clearly and realize that she needed us as much as we needed her at the moment.

That certainly changed things a bit.

Owen turned off the stove and turned around to face the rest of the team, his eyes calculating.

"Maybe we can use that as a counter offer." He said. "We help her adapt and get through her trauma and once she is recovered and Marie has been dealt with she can find a family for herself, maybe even within the Academy."

That was a good, sensible option.

Too bad I didn't like it one bit and by the way some of my brothers were frowning they didn't either.

"Do we really need to do that, Mr. B? I mean, it sounds a bit cold." Nathan said uncertainly, "Maybe she will fit in with us once we get to know her better."

North snorted "It's not like she asked us all to marry her." he said.

"But she did say "for eternity" Mr. Taylor." Owen retorted without heat and I wondered how serious he really was about trying to get out of this deal with Sang.

"Yeah, well. We really need to ask her a few questions. But I don't think it will be so bad either way." He grumbled finally.

Owen nodded at him and asked the others to prepare the table for dinner.

Phil came down soon after and said that Sang probably wouldn't be joining us before he left to go home.

After we all ate Gabriel got up and began directing the others where to put Sang's things.

Kota said he'd go and see how she was doing and Owen and I left for his study.

Closing the door behind us Owen removed his glasses and let out a tired sigh.

"Are we going to adopt her, Owen? It might be necessary to ensure the academy don't try to interfere in her joining the team." I asked him as soon as we were settled down; I sprawled on his couch and he sitting properly behind his desk.

"It might be a good idea, Sean, but I don't think the academy would dare to mess with Miss Sorenson either way." He answered wryly.

I smirked at that, "She might be cute as button, and just as small but the girl must have some fun mumbo-jumbo on her side if she can call down lightening and flip North on his back."

Owen nodded, cleaning his glasses while he thought about the strange day they all had gone through.

"Did you ever expect our lives to take such a strange turn, Sean?" he asked me.

I frowned at him, "No. My predictions of the future were always disturbingly depressing." I told him honestly.

His eyes flew to me, startled, and he squinted before putting on his glasses again, "Why is that?" he asked disbelieving, "You are always the most optimist of the two of us."

"Yeah, well..." I waved my hands around, as if dispelling his doubt from the air around me, "I might be optimist, but I am not blind Owen. The team has grown apart as our problems at home ceased to be so worrying. We don't have much of a motivation to stick together anymore."

I could see his knuckles turning white from where I was laying down and I knew that from all of us Owen was the one more afraid of losing this team.

He hid it very well but I had known him the longest.

"Besides," I went on, "What happens with most teams once the members start to get married and have children? They break apart and leave the academy to live with their families."

Owen frowned, knowing that I was right. There were only three teams that we knew of that were together and still working for the academy even thought they were all old enough to be grandparents.

He sat back in his chair with a tired sigh, "So, maybe this situation with Miss Sorenson was more of a blessing than we all expected."

I nodded at him, "Yeah, but it is going to get hellishly complicated."

He raised a questioning eyebrow at me.

The look I gave him was half amused half incredulous "Hello! Earth to Owen, we got a beautiful girl in the family!"

He grimaced at me; poor guy had the worst luck with women.

"Well," I told him brightly, "At the least we can be sure life is never going to be boring anymore."

~Sang's POV~

I woke to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe.

I was sure I should be embarrassed, sleeping in the same bed as a boy that I barely knew but in my half-asleep state all I cared for was how good his chest plastered to my back felt.

Inside my mind my cat was purring loudly and urging me to stamp our scent all over him so other females knew who he belonged to.

This new, possessive feeling was interesting but also disturbing as it seemed to encompass all nine males in the house.

The hand that rested over my hip began moving towards my stomach, the touch firm and all too pleasant.

Warm breath touched my neck and I felt my heart speed up.

Again my consciousness told me to move, to do what was proper and get out of the bed.

Too bad my cat wouldn't allow me to move.

The cat snorted and sent me a knowing look.

Suddenly the touch in my stomach became ticklish and I squealed when Luke blew a raspberry at my throat.

Jumping out of the bed in a flash I spun around and glared at the laughing boy who rolled in the bed.

That little...

Letting out an outraged huff I rushed out of the room only to come face-first with a chest. A bare, strong and delicious looking chest.

I was shocked to say the least, it was the first time I had seen one of these up close since men in my time didn't go around shirtless to spare a woman's sensibilities.

I don't think I care for having my sensibilities spared. Actually, it just occurred to me that I might have been robbed.

I gulped and stared some more before looking up at the shocked face of North. He had his hand raised and looked like he'd been about to knock at Luke's door when I flew at him.

Blushing bright red at being caught I ran straight to my room, wondering what North was thinking, how I was going to face the other boys when they heard where I spent the night and also how on earth I was going to get anything done with the image of North's chest that my amused cat kept replaying in my mind.

~North's POV~

I was about knock on Luke's door when a feminine squeal came from inside and I froze, shocked.

The door burst open and a vision in white came out bumping into me.

How Sang managed to make what looked like a man's shirt that covered her from head to toe look sexy was a mystery, but she did.

Oh, God, she did.

She looked up at me with a dazed expression and flushed face before storming off, straight to her bedroom.

With her out of sight my brain kicked into gear again and I spun around to face Luke, my arms crossing over my chest while I glared at the little bastard who was still laughing in bed.

"What the fuck, Lucian?" I shouted at him, madder than ever before, though I wasn't sure why.

He raised his head to look at me, eyes dancing with mischief.

"Lucian..." I growled loudly until a door down the wall swung open and Kota's head appeared in the doorway, glasses askew, dark circles under his eyes, hair disheveled as if he'd jumped out of bed.

"What is going on?" He asked tiredly.

I frowned at him "And why the fuck do you look like one of Nate's zombies?"

Kota groaned, "Oh my God, what is it that got you growling like a bear this early in the morning? Did Luke prank you again?"

"No." I grunted, arms still crossed before his chest "He..."

Before I could answer Luke flew from his bed and tackled me.

We fell to the floor, him trying to cover my mouth with his hands while I tried to remove the damned wiggly worm from on top of me.

The noise must have woken the others because doors began to open and I heard my brothers talking.

"Should we separate them?"

"Isn't this incest?"

"Bloody bastards, making a fucking racket, don't let anyone fucking sleep! Shit!"

"Okay, that is enough!" Kota had stomped over to us and raised one of his feet, about to push Luke out from on top of me when the worm wiggled enough to cause Kota to lose his balance and fall on his ass, face going red as he narrowed his eyes on us.

Fuuuck!

I thought we were about to get hours, which is why the sudden drop of icy water that fell in my cheek was such a shock.

All it took was for me to look up and Luke and I were suddenly getting drenched in cold rain.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted.

Luke let out an unmanly squeal and jumped off of me, all of us staring aghast as droplets of rain fell from the ceiling.

As fast as it started the rain stopped, leaving me, Luke and the hallway carpet' drenched.

Man, Blackbourne was going to birth a cow when he saw this mess.

"Holly fuck! That was shitastic!" Gabriel laughed before heading over to Sang's room and entering without knocking.

I spun on Kota who was still staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.

"What the fuck was that?" I shouted, about to lose my shit.

Silas was the one to answer with a shrug, "Karma".

I glared at him while Victor and Nathan snickered.

"Humm," Kota mumbled "Actually, I think I caused it somehow..."

We all gaped at him before Nathan asked, "What do you mean by that, man? It's crazy!"

Kota shrugged, "I was thinking that throwing a bucket of cold water at those two you help them cool down."

"But," Nathan still looked unconvinced "that still don't explain how it happened."

Kota shrugged again and raised his hand to fix his glasses that were falling down his nose.

It was then that I saw the green tattoo of vines going up from his wrist to his elbow.

~Owen's POV~

When I woke up that morning I rushed in get refreshed and dressed in one of my suits before going downstairs, praying I would arrive at the kitchen first than Sean.

My best friend was a menace close to any kitchen' appliances. It had actually been him, who sat Erica's kitchen on fire when we first met the boys, but since she wasn't supposed to know about me and Sean at the time the rest of the boys took the blame.

Since then I had been careful not to leave him alone for long in a kitchen. He was in my mental list of those who needed watching in determined situations:

Sean and Luke couldn't stay alone in the kitchen, especially if they were alone together.

Luke, Silas and Gabriel couldn't go shop alone without supervision.

And Kota definitely needs someone to accompany him if there is a Lord of the Rings convention.

I wondered briefly if our little vampire would need watching as well and what her quirks were.

I had never been so curious about someone before, she was a real life enigma and I was looking forward to unravel her.

Arriving at the kitchen I was relieved to find it empty.

Heading to the refrigerator I removed the bacon and eggs from inside to start on the preparation for breakfast.

At first I didn't know what it was that was nagging me, but there was something...

Then I saw it.

This room was a large rectangle, the two smaller walls contained windows to the front and back of the house, the large wall to the left was filled with cupboards and counters and the other one had only the two doors that led to the entrance wall and laundry room. That wall should be completely empty.

Except, now it that a small portrait right in the middle of it with a picture of orange roses.

I knew who was the responsible for the new addition to my house decorations.

I knew the nearly Spartan style of my home drove my youngest brother crazy. I also knew that if I allowed it, by the end of the day there would be at least one more portrait in that wall and as the week went along he'd grown bolder with his additions until my house became a mirror of everything I was and enjoyed.

I took a deep breath and considered my options.

I could argue with him and make that portrait as well as any representations of my vulnerability disappear, or I could such it up and let him do as he pleased.

I knew one of the reasons he was still so insecure even with all the help and support of the academy and our family was because of me and my difficulty with opening myself completely to them.

Even after all these years I still hadn't told them about how my mother had died and that it happened in my birthday, because of me.

It was unfair, keeping this information from them when I knew everything about their lives. I knew that and every day my respect grew for them, for this amazing group of boys who believed in me beyond all else.

I was their leader but they were so much stronger than me that I had no choice other than always work my hardest for them.

The sounds of shouting and a scuttle distracted me and drew me upstairs.

My house was a blocky, modern style with two floors, the first one was where we had the kitchen and dining room , living room, family room, office, library, a bathroom and laundry room.

The bedrooms were all on the second floor and there were twelve of them, three being suites and two separate bathrooms.

Walking up the stairs that were in the entrance hall I was puzzled at the sight that met me.

Mr. North Taylor had his mouth open, a shocked expression on his face. He and his older brother were drenched and so was the floor where they stood at.

Mr. Korba and Mr. Taylor looked amused, Mr. Lee was pensive and the others disbelieving.

Sean and Mr. Coleman were nowhere in sight and neither was Miss Sorenson.

"YOU GOT A FUCKING TATTOO?!" North suddenly shouted as he stared daggers at Kota and I felt my eyebrows rise in a mild demonstration of the shock I was feeling at realizing he was right.

The others were just as surprised, except, I couldn't help but notice, Mr. Taylor.

At first I considered this whole scene might be a result of another of his pranks, but then I noticed he had the same tattoo as Mr. Lee in his arms, and it occurred to me that there might be another, stranger reason for this mess.

"What is going on here, Mr. Lee?" I questioned and it was only then that the boys realized my presence.

They all straightened immediately, turning around to face me like the well-trained team that they were and not for the first time I felt pride in being their leader and having the pleasure of watching them evolve.

As Mr. Lee explained the situation I found myself becoming more and more intrigued at this new turn of events.

Once he was done talking I turned to Mr. Taylor and saw he was already waiting for my attention instead of daydreaming as is often the case.

I nodded at him and he began explaining.

"Gabriel and I have the same tattoo," he said, showing the others his arm. "I think we acquired it in Sang's tower when we touched the door to her room."

I was about to question him some more when a door opened behind me and a low, feminine voice had me turning around to face her, questions at the point of my tongue only for my mind to go blank for a second.

"You are likely right, Luke. But don't worry, I will help you guys deal with this new development."

Gone was the awkward girl who dressed in old fashion and sat quietly letting the boys talk around her, cringing when they all focused on her person.

This young woman before me now had her shoulders thrown back and chin raised in surety.

The dress Mr. Coleman had altered fit her like a glove, displaying modestly all the beautiful curves that had been hidden the day before.

Her hair was once more in a braid but now seemed to almost glow in shades of gold, copper and bronze.

Her eyes, shockingly green, focused on mine suddenly and I was hit by the strength and spirit there.

"I promise you, Mr. Blackbourne, that I will always take good care of your family, and if that means teaching them about magic and my world then so be it."

I studied her for a moment, taking in her confidence and honest gaze and nodded in affirmation.

"And we will teach you about ours, Miss Sorenson."