The drive was a long one, they drove from Charleston, South Carolina to Washington DC. An eight hour drive, all of them on edge.  Bella stopped at a 7-11 to get gas, they were halfway there.  She got out of her car, shivering she pulled her coat closer to herself.  How was she able to bear this cold during her youth? She felt a buzzing in her pocket, she reached for her phone, big mistake. She heard a thump against her car, then the scratching of glass. The twins were asleep, she pulled her gun out of her holster.

"Lux." Her breath could be seen in the winter air. 

Slowly she stalked around the side of the car, her gun at the ready. Attacking her car was an animal made of shadow, its eyes a glowing purple. She rolled her eyes, an underling. Since when was she so skittish, she fought over seas for Christ's sake. With a flick of the trigger the demon was no more, she felt the rush of adrenaline she missed. They were drawn to her kids, of course, why wouldn't they be? They were half legionnaire, half – no, she couldn't let that get to her.

"Nox," she whispered through tears,

She was a grown woman, she was no lovesick child. She missed him for sure, but there is no use dwelling on it. She has been okay for seventeen years, she could do this. The truth is she hated being a legionnaire, she felt horrible following the corrupted call of the lights. When she wasn't working herself to death, she was drunk, she had finally gone sober after she met Axel.

  She pulled a flask out her boot, Moscato, the white wines bitter taste familiar on her lips.  Unbeknownst to her kids a whole box of this stuff was in the trunk, it helped her forget. She walked back to the pump, replaced it and paid. Unconsciously she felt her necklace, a moon and sun, the first present she received from him. Only two other pendants like this were made, a separated moon and sun, that rested around the necks of her children. 

She was helpless, the only person who could help them out of this was gone. The only plausible answer is to buck up and face them. She got back in the driver's seat, dead set on a goal,

"If they hurt a hair on their heads, they will pay, I will summon every demon in hell to destroy them." She vowed, clutching the wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.

The road became a never-ending black strip, saying that she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before was an understatement. The twins woke up separately from time to time, playing on their phones, drawing, or reading. But finally, they made it to D.C. her home ground. They were staying in the Hamilton Hotel, around 1.5 miles from the Washington Monument.

Where they were, she parked her car in the nearby garage, softly she woke up the twins, leading them to the hotel with their bags. She checked in and took them upstairs, immediately they went back to bed.  She had other business to attend to, she left them a note and kissed her children on the heads. Pulling her scarf to cover her hair like a hood and putting on sunglasses she left.

Ultimately, she felt the heavy weight of the gun in her pocket, it was plastic though, the legion is smart enough to make their weapons undetectable by security.  She could use that to her advantage, honestly, she was just tired.  She needed coffee, and next door to the hotel was a Café, "Kleiner Fuchs," German for Little Fox. The name sounded eerily familiar, like a fleeting memory.

She pushed the door open, the bell rang as warm inviting air wafted out of the dimly lit establishment. The woman working the counter was a redhead, at a towering 5'2.  Bella walked towards the counter, taking off her glasses, who will recognize her here?

Her eyes scanned the menu, and she saw something that made her breath hitch. There in gold letters was the "Bella Italiano" a drink she made when she was a child.

Something she only shared with five other people.  She looked to the barista and startling familiar green eyes met hers, she struggled to keep her composure. Red. How in all of D.C. she picked the one café owned by one of the legionnaires is unknown to her.

"One Bella Italiano please," She said to the woman, suddenly aware of her surroundings,

The bell to the shop rang once more, four people entered, she felt their presence before they even came into her line of vision. Orange, yellow, green, blue. If they recognized her, she was dead. How in the world was this happening? How bad is her luck?

"Coming right up," The redhead broke her out of her worries, she handed the girl the card. Bella's sleeve shuffling up a bit, partially showing one of her tattoos. The redhead's eyes widened ever so slightly. She handed the card back and busied herself with the drink, casting fleeting glances at the other four.

Bella sat down, her heart racing a mile a minute. If she kept cool she would be fine, her children would be fine. She heard her drink yelled, so she got up to get it. It tastes the same and she is embarrassed that she let out a sigh of content. She briskly walked towards the door, only to overhear something one of the four said to the barista.

"Yeah, Luca turns sixteen on Friday. The purple stone has been acting up, who is gonna host it?"

Bella let out a shuddered breath as she turned to open the door, the barista seemed to hear her. Bella was petrified, a hand grabbed her wrist pulling her from the door. The hand belonged to the woman who spoke about the "Luca" kid. Yellow, Haylee, she looked surprised as recognition flashed across her face. Soon it was replaced by a stoic expression, she turned back to the others.

"This was too easy."