School Reds and Blues by CE Dalton
Summary: A young woman starts a prestigious new school. What she finds there isn't what she really expected.
Categories: Original Content Characters: None
Genres: AU, Humor, Romance
Warnings: Het
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 13 Completed: Yes Word count: 82585 Read: 222442 Published: 2012.10.14 Updated: 2012.10.14

1. prolog by CE Dalton

2. Chapter 1 by CE Dalton

3. Chapter 2 by CE Dalton

4. Chapter 3 by CE Dalton

5. Chapter 4 by CE Dalton

6. Chapter 5 by CE Dalton

7. Chapter 6 by CE Dalton

8. Chapter 7 by CE Dalton

9. Chapter 8 by CE Dalton

10. Chapter 9 by CE Dalton

11. Chapter 10 by CE Dalton

12. Chapter 11 by CE Dalton

13. Chapter 12 by CE Dalton

prolog by CE Dalton
School Blues and Reds.
(On Dragon's Wings)




In the middle of a forest, deep where no one should be able to find it, a gateway opened. Through it tumbled a little girl, one who was crying and bruised. She looked around fearfully, trying to see if anyone had followed her. When it appeared she was alone, she turned to the gate and motioned the woman on the other side across. The woman shook her head and raised a hand, and the gateway fell. The little girl sat down and cried.

Something in the woods crunched off to her right and she shrieked, hiding behind the rocks she had just passed through. She peeked around it carefully, not sure where she was or what manner of creatures she would come across on this strange plane. Her mouth fell open as she saw the man and she inched farther back into the shadows so he wouldn't see her. He looked just like a man her father had hired to hunt for her.

"Little one, I was told to come get you and bring you to safety," he called, his voice accented funnily.

She stepped out and stared at him. "Me?" she whispered. Her empathic senses had told her he was a good man, and he did really want to help her, not hurt her.

He smiled and got down onto one knee. "Yes, you, young one. I'm to take you to the High Priestess, she'll give you housing for now." He held out a hand, and eventually she took it. He stood up and walked her out of the woods, heading back toward the village at the edge of the woods.



FOURTEEN HUNDRED YEARS LATER - 1643

Catherine, once a runaway little girl, looked around her office and smiled. "It's time," she told herself. She had everything she needed to start her special school. She touched her necklace and sighed. "At least most of the children will come. We'll find all the other survivors of the gateways and train them in what they are. And a few of the normals too, just to make it look good for the outsiders." She sat down and pulled over some paper and a quill pen, writing out the letters she needed to get everything started. "After all, my babies will need partners and humans do that the best of all the species. Especially the one that is named after me, we will find her eventually and she will be a good partner to my favorite children."
Chapter 1 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER ONE. Present Day


The new class walked down the halls, all the first years looking around at the tapestries hanging off the stone walls. There were muttered rumors being spread around the mostly female student body about what the school had once been. A girl in the back of the crowd caught a few snippets every now and then.

"Used to be a church for real," one girl was telling what looked like her little sister. "Then these guys bought it from the Catholics."

"Used to be a Lord's manor," one of the few boys in the group told a girl. "Might have even been in my family. We lost our lands during the Wars you know."

"My mother said I wasn't to get too close to anybody here," another girl said, looking disdainfully at the rest of the group. "She said I was to get an education but not to make friends. There's too many *weird* things here for those like us." This girl stopped and looked at the girl walking toward the end of the group. "Oh, look, one of our good deeds," she sneered.

The girl frowned but didn't say anything. She absently pushed her golden bronze tail behind her shoulder and continued on to the first day assembly. She knew about people like that, she could even be one of them, but that didn't mean that she had to like or associate with them.

"And what an *interesting* dye job," another girl in the crowd said, pointing at the young girl's head. "What shade is that? Royal screw-up?" A few of the girls laughed.

"Enough!" a deep, male voice echoed around them. "To the assembly now or get detention." A male teacher walked out to look at the knot of girls, then at the girl who was trying to ignore them. "I'll tell you this once," he hissed at the ring leader, the girl who had said she wasn't to make friends, "the only reason *you're* here is to get an education. The reason she's here is to become a better person than you are. Do *not* let me hear you belittling another student again this year, Marna." He walked away, striding through the students to make sure they all got to the cafeteria. "All first years against the wall," he called as he got to the door.

"We've already done that," a female voice from inside hissed. "What happened?"

"Marna Tomer."

"Ah." The female teacher stuck her head out the open door and looked down the hall at the short haired girl that was walking toward them. "Is that her?"

"Yes, and that's the one Marna chose to pick on right away too."

"Oohh, poor dear." She smiled as the girl walked past her. "Hello, Catherine. Over here if you wouldn't mind." She patted the wall beside her. "We're trying to sort out the students by potential classes." She pointed at a few of the other girls and one of the boys, motioning them over. "Over here, you five. This side is for the more advanced students."

"Me?" Catherine asked, looking at the teacher funny. "I'm here on academic scholarship but I'm not that bright."

"Oh, don't worry, dear, everything here is done at your own pace in my part of the program. I think you'll do just fine once you settle in and find out what's expected of you." She glared at Marna as she walked in. "You, over there against the east wall," she said coldly. "Where your mother stood."

Marna lifted her chin a little more and led her group over to the appointed wall, taking a spot by pushing a young man out of the way.

At the front of the school, an ageless woman stepped up behind the podium. "Excuse me," she called. "Settle down now or be expelled." Everyone shut up. "Good. Thank you." She smiled at the teachers and her strict persona fell away. "Welcome to the next year at St. Laurel. As you can see, another group is standing behind you older students. This year, I'll expect you to help them, not tell them stories about the dungeons." She looked at one of the younger teachers before going back to the group. "As this is your first day, I'll give you some advice. Pick your advisors well. Not only the teachers that you'll go to for help and guidance, but also the other students that you'll go to for information that you won't feel like getting from the teachers." She smiled at the students grouped on the walls.

"As you can see, we've got a bumper crop of first years this time. Hopefully we'll keep most of them until they graduate. First years, let me remind you that mine, and all the teacher's doors, are always open to you. If you're having problems in your personal life or in your school work, we'd like to know about it so we can help you with it." She looked to her right, where a plaque was hung. "On this plaque, at the end of the year, a name will be added, as it is every year. It holds the names of the students who couldn't or didn't come to us soon enough and they met with tragic ends." There was a light gasp from a few of the first years. "Your parents know of this, it was in the school's information. While here, you have less of a chance of getting into trouble than you do at home, but it has been known to happen."

She smiled, trying to ease the tension. "Usually it happens around finals when someone sneaks off to go have a romp at the local pub. I wouldn't recommend any of the seniors trying that this year, you'll be arrested on sight, we've arranged for it this time." She shifted her stance some. "In a few moments, your room assignments will be made and you will be shown up to them. This afternoon, all the first years are due in the amphitheater on this floor for placement testing. This will determine which group you will be put into and which classes you will have access to. For those of you that end up in the Blue group, please stand Melody," she ordered quietly.

A young woman in a blue and black uniform stood up and looked around. "For those of you in my group," she said clearly but loudly, "I'll expect to be seeing you this evening in here, right after supper. We'll get you set up with uniforms then." She nodded at the Headmistress and sat back down.

"Thank you, dear. I knew you'd have it well in hand by now." She looked out at the first years again. "I will tell you this now, I heard what was going on out in the hall as you were led in and I will not allow anyone's social or economic status to interfere with their lives here. If any of you have a problem studying beside students of a different class or group, then we'll talk to you tonight and you will be released from your time here. Your last names are not used in this school so that you do not differentiate between social classes. It is expected that all students will follow this rule." She stepped back. "Melody, if you wouldn't mind handing out the housing arrangements?" she asked, waving a hand.

Melody stood up and grabbed a pile of papers off the edge of the dias. "All right. All those that know where their rooms are, go to them now." She waited until the upperclassmen had left to do anything else. "All those with 'A' names, step forward," she called. A few people stepped forward and she handed them out papers, pointing at certain teachers. "'B'?" Marna watched as two of her group left, then glared at the girl across the room from her. "'C'?" The girl stepped forward.

"Ah, Catherine CeBrelliay," Melody said, handing her a piece of paper with something stapled to the back of it. "Go back to the teacher you were beside, she'll lead you up to your room. You don't mind a male dorm officer, correct?"

Catherine shook her head. "That's fine, as long as..."

Melody nodded. "He wouldn't want to touch you, dear, he's in a committed relationship. You're on the edge of his territory though."

Catherine walked back over to the teacher she had been standing beside and handed her the paper. "She told me to see you."

"Yup. We're in the West Hall, up on the fourth floor. You're the second girl to go up there actually. It's an odd arrangement, but we didn't think that you'd mind."

Catherine shrugged. "I like boys, I've never been fond of other girls really."

"Good. Then you should fit in just fine, dear." She patted her on the shoulder and looked at the other girls coming toward her. "West Hall, third floor?" she asked them. All but one of them nodded. "Where are you going, Michelle?"

"Um, fifth floor?" she squeaked, then covered her mouth. "Sorry," she mumbled.

The teacher smiled. "That's not a problem either. You have quite an astronomy bent if we've heard right." The girl nodded. "Your room's at the top of that hall, you'll be able to work all you want to when your telescope arrives." She looked over at Melody, who held up two fingers. As soon as the two other students were with her, she began walking the group up to the West Hall. "All right, girls, this is where you life begins," she said cheerfully, opening a wide oak door to show steps. "I'm Ms. Pierson and I teach the higher maths. Some of you may end up in some of my classes soon. I'm the hall officer for the third floor West group. Catherine, Michelle, and Stephanie, once she gets here, will all answer to the man that showed you in. That's Mr. Rayne."

Catherine raised her hand. "Why didn't our lists ask us to bring our things today?"

"Because everyone bringing their things today would have caused a mess. Tomorrow, and the next few days usually, will be full of gathering your things and decorating your space. Can you imagine towing everything that you'd ever need up here if you didn't know where you were going?"

Catherine smiled. "Yeah. My sister did that at college."

"Oh, yes, I went through that myself. What a dreadful thing." She opened a door on the landing. "This is the Second floor. This is where most of the math and science classes are held." She stopped and gave them all keys. "This is to the doors on your floors. Only people with a key can get onto your floor, unless you let someone up. This is to protect you as much as it is to protect everyone on your floor. All right?" Everyone nodded so they continued up the stairs. "We've arranged it so that each first year will be rooming in a suite with an older student. Usually, they're fourth years and when they graduate in a few years, you'll be ready to take on a first year yourselves. Most often, unless there's a problem, you stay in the same room. Some even choose to leave their things in there over the vacation months so they don't have to carry things home. This is totally acceptable to us." She smiled as she opened the next door with the key. "Wait here, please, Catherine and Michelle. I'll be right back." She led the rest of the girls down the hall, pointing out rooms.

Catherine looked at the other girl. "So, you're into the stars?"

She nodded. "Very much so. I'd like to study them professionally." She glanced around. "Are you really living on the boy's floor?"

"Probably on this end of it," Catherine agreed. "It won't be that bad, I really don't like hanging with girls most of the time. I almost didn't come here because it was predominantly girls."

Michelle nodded. "I can understand that. My mother didn't like the idea of me coming over from the Midwest but she got over it when she heard that they offer some advanced classes for college credits and I got the scholarship."

"Me too," Catherine said. "About the scholarship. My mother wasn't very sure about my coming to Europe for school, but it got me out of the house so my sister could be better pampered." She grimaced as she looked up. "I hope there's no spiders."

"No, there's not," Ms. Pierson said as she walked back out. "Come along, girls, let's get you settled in. I assure you, your rooms are very comfortable." She led them up the stairs to the next floor and unlocked it, handing Catherine the key. "That's for the outer door, the first was to your room. The second door there is yours," she said with a smile.

Catherine headed for it as the hall door shut, tapping briefly before opening it. She stopped when she saw the old, worn, comfortable looking furniture littering the common area. "Hello?" she called as she walked in and shut the door.

"Lock it," a voice drifted out from the door on the right. "This first week is prank week."

Catherine turned and locked the door then walked over to where the voice had come from, tapping on it before opening it. "Hi, I'm Catherine."

"Yup. I was told." She shut the folder she had been reading from and sat up. "So, you're a first year?" Catherine nodded. "I remember those days. Where you from?"

"Upstate New York. You?"

"Just outside of London, my parents moved from Kentucky when I was six." She pulled her feet up and brought a pillow over into her lap. "Okay, so what questions can I answer for you?"

"How about ones about things like the bathroom?"

"It's the door with the blue handle."

Catherine looked over her shoulder. "Then I sleep in here?" she asked, looking for a bed. That was the only other handle in the common room.

"Nope, your handle broke last night while Mr. Rayne was trying to fix it. Someone had super glued it shut before we left last term. Probably Celine, the cunt." She shrugged at the shocked look. "You'd have to know Celine, trust me on that." She got up and her skirt fell over her bare body. "Okay, let's get you settled. We'll deal with things like sheets, laundry, and food schedules in a few minutes." She led the way to what looked like a closet door, but when it opened, it was another room. A very nice old wooden bed stood in the middle of the room. A dresser was beside the door and a vanity was next to the window. "You can move around the furniture, but watch out for the bed. Celine used to throw out her back doing it all the time." She considered her new roommate. "Don't play your music too loud, have crying jags, or let the bathtub overflow and we'll be fine," she said with a smile.

"Okay," Catherine said, shrugging. "I like headphones." She looked around. "No room for a computer?"

"There's a desk hidden under the bed in chunks, you'll be getting a new one tonight. That's another thing that got broken before Celine left. Her parents had to pay a hefty damage bill most years, but last year must have been the worst yet, they canceled her quarterly shopping trip in Paris." She grinned. "It's good to have a nice, normal girl in here for a change." She waved and went back to her room. "Expect Rayne in a few minutes. He likes to come check on us often this first week." Her door closed.

"All right," Catherine said, looking around her room again. She put her small duffel bag on the dresser and considered the furniture she had. She walked over to the closet and opened it, pulling out the broken pieces of wood lying in the bottom and taking them out into the common room to get rid of them.

***


Catherine walked into the amphitheater with calm assurance. She knew she was good academically, that's why she had won her scholarship to this school. She took a seat in the front row and examined her nails while she waited. She had broken one and chipped another moving that bed, but it was in the perfect spot now, right beside the window but not under it. She glanced up as she heard cold laughter, rolling her eyes as Marna walked in with her group of girls. Apparently someone couldn't take their mother's advice.

"Oh, look at who's here already," Marna said, stopping in front of her. "What's wrong? I heard you were on the boy's floor. Don't you like it up there?"

"Yes, but I got tired of looking out the window. All my books are coming so I was bored. I thought I'd come down here and beat you into the advanced placement program," Catherine said back, sounding very bored. She went back to examining her nails. "Hopefully, there's a decent selection in the library."

Marna glared at her. "You have no idea what you're doing here," she hissed. "You should ask to be excused from the school, before you get the comeuppance you deserve, girl." She walked away, Catherine giving her a saccharine smile and wiggling her fingers.

Mr. Rayne and another teacher walked in and they glared at her. "Sorry," she murmured, going back to trying to clean up her nails by picking at them.

Mr. Rayne looked at the assembled students. "Where's the West hall students?"

One girl raised her hand. "I live up there and I think a few of them are taking naps. I told Ms. Pierson as I ran past her." She looked down at Catherine's back and then smiled at him. "Why don't you send her?"

"That won't be necessary. They can do this tonight instead of having free time." He nodded at the other teacher to pass out the booklets. "This test," Mr. Rayne said, his voice easily reaching the back of the room, "will determine which class you're put in. Fill out all of it that you can and hand it back in. For those of you lucky enough to make it into the Advanced program, you'll be seeing me in the morning, right after breakfast." He smiled at a girl who started to fan herself. "The rest of you will be meeting with the Headmistress after breakfast to plan out your classes." Someone raised their hands. "Yes?"

"When will we know where we placed?" she asked.

"You'll know tonight. Envelopes will come to your room with your placement in it. That way, you don't have to share if you don't want to."

"What other classes are there?" another girl asked.

"There's the Advanced, that has the college courses built in. There's the Standard, that's for those of you who need the education, especially to go on and do something else like college. There's the Blue group, they're the ones that are here for religious training with the order that runs this place." He patted a wall and a few people snickered. "There's the Red group, which actually is not a class placement, it's a group that you belong to if you already know about it. It's for the progeny of former members. More of a sorority really." He looked at the girl who asked. "Tisha, right?" She nodded. "Well, then there's the remedial group. That's for those that have been admitted but they don't quite make standards. Usually, you stay in those for one or two classes to bring up your proficiency levels. We've even had people in the Advanced program that were in a few remedial classes." He looked around. "Any other questions?"

"I've heard that there was another group," Marna said. "What about them?"

"They're an offshoot of the Blue group and you're not going to be part of them. That's also like the Red group, if you're in it, you already know about it." He glanced around. "Anything else?" No one said anything so the booklets were handed out, along with pencils and pieces of paper.

***


Catherine tapped on Ms. Pierson's door, handing over her envelope. "I don't think this is right," she said quietly. "I'm here on academic scholarship, why am I in remedial classes?"

Ms. Pierson let her inside and read the letter. "Oh, no, this isn't a real one." She handed over a letter from the pile. "This is yours, I was almost finished folding them up. I have no idea where this came from." She tossed it into a chair, looking at the young girl. "Catherine, are you all right?" she asked when the girl hadn't said anything.

"I'm in the Advanced program?" she asked, looking shocked.

Ms. Pierson nodded. "Yes, dear. That's why you were chosen to come here. Your school work is excellent and you did fairly well on the test. As for the other things, the part at the bottom, we'll get you settled with that tomorrow. All right, dear?"

Catherine nodded and walked out of the room, almost running into the room's door because she was rereading the letter.

"Ooh, she's got her letter," a boy called as she walked back onto her floor. It was taken from her hand and read, then she was given a hug. "Congrats, girl, you did *good*." He smiled and winked as he gave it back. "Primo placement."

She grinned. "Yeah, I guess. What's that stuff about the scarlet?"

The boys all whooped and hugged her again, knocking the letter out of her hand but taking off down the hall at the sound of a whistle. Mr. Rayne walked down the hall, smiling at her. "You went down to get it early?" he asked as he picked the letter up off the floor.

"No, I got a fake one delivered that said I was in remedial classes so I went down to ask." She took her letter back. "What's this stuff about the scarlet uniforms?"

"Well, that's a special designation. That means that you're going to be in some special classes with a few of the upperclassmen." She nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, it's not much harder than all the other stuff you'll be doing. Why don't you go back to your room now, Catherine?"

"Um, I still need a desk. I found the pieces in the closet and I put them in the living room. The chairs are all broken too."

"I know. They'll be fixed tomorrow. Go back to your room, Catherine, before the boys start getting more anxious."

She grinned. "About me? But I really only like them as friends." She smiled at one head that was sticking out a doorway. "Really, guys, I don't like to hang with girls. I only want to be friends."

"Ah, shoot," a male voice said from down the hall.

Catherine grinned brighter at the teacher. "It's okay, really."

"I know, but this hallway is a mass of hormones and practical jokes. It's just safer this first week for you and Celia to stay inside."

She nodded. "That's her name?"

Mr. Rayne laughed. "Yes, that's her name. I figured that she told you everything but that. Go spend some quiet time, Catherine, you'll want it later tonight when the fireworks start." He turned and walked back down the hall. "Back into your rooms," he called out and the heads sticking out of the doorways disappeared.

"Celia," Catherine said as she walked into their room, "I got in the Advanced program. With scarlet uniforms."

Her roommate came to her door. "You did?" She took the letter the younger girl was holding. "Wow, congratulations, girl." She handed it back. "If you need help altering your uniform, let me know. I had to raise my skirt twice this year." She winked and went back into her room.

Catherine went into her room and flopped down on her bed. She was content, for now. She'd send her mother a letter tomorrow and give her the good news.

A few minutes later, she jumped as an explosion started down the hall. "I thought he was kidding," she muttered, snickering at the screaming going on. "Someone burned their fingers I bet." She got up and went to her dresser, pulling out her shorts set so she could go to bed.

***


Catherine looked down at the skirts lying on her bed, shaking her head. They had been told they'd get their first set of jackets here, but that they should bring black skirts and pants. She had only found those accordion pleated skirts at home and a few pairs of pants, and she didn't want to start off her first day in pants; it was a tradition that she wore a dress to the first day each year. "Black and scarlet. What a fun combination, if you're goth." She picked up her first outfit and held it up in front of her, looking at herself in the mirror. "Okay, I look good," she told herself. She looked down again. "No shoes though. Knew I forgot something. Guess I'm going back to the black tights and boots look then." She picked up the rest of the outfits and carried them to her closet, stopping when she saw the scarlet garment bag hanging in there already. She hung up her clothes and then opened it, staring at the scarlet gown sitting in there. "Oh, wow," she said, pulling it out to look at it. "Celia," she called. "Someone gave me expensive clothes."

Her roommate leaned in through the doorway. "Yeah, we all get one of those. It's for the formal event next month. Mine's blue."

"You're in the Blue program?" Catherine asked, looking at her. "Gee, you don't look like you want to be a nun."

Celia smiled. "Nope, not a nun, one of the people who helps the order. My mom's one. I'm going to be a lawyer for the order when I grow up." She winked. "At least you look good in the scarlet. Oh, and don't wear flats. You'll look even more like a little schoolgirl." She laughed at the held up boots. "Yeah, those'll do. Very butch and don't-mess-with-me." She waved and headed back out to the main room. "My TV will be here soon," she called. "We have cable, including Showtime."

"Coolness," Catherine said, putting the gown back. She could try it on later. She still had to unpack all her things from home.

***


Catherine walked into her first class and looked around at the empty seats. She picked one in the front row, in the far corner, and checked to make sure she could see the board. When she found that a map blocked half of her view, she got up and switched to the other side, groaning as she had to get up and do it again, ending up pretty much in the middle of the second row. She pulled out her notebook and her pen, starting to doodle until the rest of the class showed up.

Pretty soon, a group of talking girls walked in and checked the room out, most of them heading for the back.

"Oh, look, she got *scarlet*," a familiar voice said icily from the doorway. "Is that the color they give to remedial students?"

"No, it's a color that they give to students in the Advanced program," Catherine said without looking up. Someone tried to grab her notebook so she kicked them in the shin. "Get off, your parents can afford to buy you your own notebook." She looked up and saw Ms. Pierson standing there. "Sorry," she said, handing over the notebook.

"That wasn't me," she said, handing it back. "You got scarlet after all," she said happily. She looked up at Marna. "For your information, dear, the Remedial students don't get a different color, they're the same as yours." She headed for the front of the classroom, counting heads as she went. "The usual six students have already gotten lost but I'll start with the explanation now. This is Standard and Advanced Calculus. For those of you who don't know what Calculus is, you'll hate it within a week. For those of you who do, you'll hate it within a week." She smiled at the three girls sneaking through the door. "Don't worry, we all get lost sometime. Did you see anyone else wandering around out there?" One of the girls nodded so the teacher walked out to go straighten them out, coming back with another of the missing students. "I guess this is all we're getting today. Good enough. When I call your name, come up and get your books." She walked behind the lectern and pulled out a stack of books. "Amber?" she called, holding one up. A blonde girl walked down and grabbed it. "Catherine?" She stood up and caught it, sitting back down to flip through it.

The door opened and Mr. Rayne walked in. "I believe a few of these are yours?" he said dryly, handing over two boys. "They were running a bit late this morning." He smiled at the other students. "Have fun, I hated Calculus." He left them alone.

The teacher held out two books. "Good, that makes all of you. Take these and go sit down." The boys took the books and left, going to find a seat. One sat near Catherine, flipping through his book too.

Ms. Pierson finished calling the names and then paced in front of the classroom. "Today, we're going to start with an algebra review." She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote an equation on the board. "What's that?"

"Quadratic formula," a girl in the back said.

"Good. Now, let's plug in number to make sure that can do formulas quickly." She wrote some more, associating numbers to the letters in the formula. "Okay, who's got the answer?"

Catherine raised her hand. "Plus or minus four?" She shook her head. "Four point six, sorry."

"Good. And without a calculator, which I applaud." She looked around. "Anyone else get anything different?" Marna raised her hand. "What did you get?"

"Negative four and a half?"

"Use a calculator, Marna, it only gets more difficult." She wrote another formula on the board, an unfamiliar one. "This is calculus. Who wants to take a stab at it?"

The boy next to Catherine slowly raised his hand while looking at his book. "The answer's three, right?"

"Almost," Ms. Pierson said, giving him a smile. "Very good job. Which page are you on?"

"Sixteen. There's one almost like it on there."

"Okay. Everyone turn to page sixteen." The books flipped open and everyone stared at the page. "Now, what's the answer?"

"Negative three," a girl in the back said a few minutes later.

"Yes that's right." She smiled at her too. "Very good. Tonight, we're going to practice doing this type of formula. Those of you who have it, start on the exercises on page twenty, part B. Those of you that don't, raise your hand and I'll come help you." She walked up to the back where seven hands had just went up.

Catherine flipped a few pages over, one finger holding the old page's place while she wrote down the first equation.

***


Catherine walked into her science class with the rest of the class, trying hard not to burp back up lunch. She sat down in the middle of the second row and got comfortable until the teacher came in. She had managed to run back upstairs during lunch to put up her other books so all she had with her was her notebook and a pen. She sat up straighter when an old man hobbled in, watching as he went to write on the board. Everyone else in the class got very quiet, apparently most of them knew this teacher already.

"This is Advanced Physics. All those that aren't scarlet or red wearing, go across the hall." A girl in red raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Sir, this isn't just for reds and scarlets, this is also for Blue members. There's one of us missing, she went up to her room to get an antacid. Her schedule says she has you."

"She does, but she has it across the hall with the blue group." He pulled up a screen, showing a stack of books. "Take three books, one of each type, and then sit and read the first chapter. You get lecture from me every other day. The other group gets the same one the other days, that's the way some idiot scheduled it so don't ask questions." He glared at the girl in the back. "Anything else, young lady?"

"Yes, sir, how are you doing tests this year? I've heard stories of you doing multiple choice and true/false, but I've also heard stories of really hard essay tests."

"Good," he said, giving her a scary smile. "Yes, you'll be getting those." He smiled and walked out, heading for the other room.

Catherine got up and went for the books, grabbing one of each and going back to her seat. No one else got one and she looked back at the other girls. "What? Did I do something wrong?" she asked when someone started to laugh.

"No, we were just wondering if the boots were a fashion statement or what you brought," she said lightly.

"It's what's comfortable to me." Catherine turned back around, opening the book to flip through the first chapters.

The teacher came back in a few minutes later and looked at the other students. "I know I told you to get books," he said coldly and quietly. "I'd do it now. I'm not in the mood to be teaching this class."

Catherine raised her hand. "Sir, why is so much of one book on aerodynamics?"

"Because it's an important study and part of Physics. Did you want to study water theories instead?"

She nodded. "I'd like an overview of it all actually. This is my first physics class."

"Ah." He smiled at her. "Don't worry, you'll get an overview. The aerodynamics are just a specialization of mine." He pointed at the books. "Now," he ordered. Everyone got up and grabbed their books, most forgetting to get the thinnest one on aerodynamics. He picked up that stack and walked up to the back, tossing them at anyone who didn't seem to have one. He came back down and counted people. "Did someone leave?"

"No, sir, we're all here," the same girl said.

He glared at her. "Jessie, just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm senile. Please remember that in the future as your grade depends partially on your attitude." He opened a copy of the book and tossed it aside, grabbing another one to look through. "Since Catherine asked so nicely, let's start with the basics of aerodynamics. The shape." He held up his book. "Who thinks this will fly?" Catherine and one other girl raised her hand. "You do?"

"With the right stream of air under it," Catherine justified. "Bernoulli's Theorem doesn't account for shape, sir."

"Very good answer. It will fly, under the right conditions, though it's more suited for gliding." He tossed it like a frisbee, watching as it landed on a desk across the room. "Hey, my aim's getting better." He looked at the students. "What else can we say about that book?"

"It's been relocated?" a girl in the back row suggested.

"Also very true. Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know why, sir."

"Then let's find out, shall we?" He picked up his pointer and turned on his overhead projector. "This is why things coast," he announced, pointing at the theory on the screen.

Catherine took notes, looking up every so often to make sure that she didn't miss anything.

***


Catherine flopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"First day too tough for ya?" Celia said from the doorway. She leaned against the jam as she watched the young girl contemplate the ceiling. "Supper's in an hour, you could nap."

"Everyone decided I was to be hated," Catherine said as she rolled onto her side to look at the older girl. "It was a constant thing: my boots, how I was wearing my skirt. Even what my hair looked like."

"Yeah, some of the older scarlet girls can be kinda catty," she said with a grin. "But that doesn't make them intelligent or more than the breeder of the next generation."

Catherine grinned. "Even that came into question today. Apparently, they only stick lesbians up here."

Celia snorted. "Bet me. I've had *lots* of fun with some of the senior guys on this floor." She chuckled as her roommate's mouth fell open. "Yeah, me. Rampant empowerment of hormones right here in this tasty package." She tipped her head to the side. "Matter of fact, it's not really frowned on around here, unless you get caught in the halls or you're overtly dating." Catherine started to splutter. "Honey, *relax*, I'm not going to bring a guy in here and *share*." She winked and strolled away.

Catherine flipped onto her stomach with a groan. "Great, just what I didn't need to hear at night." She put her head down and slowly fell asleep.

***


Catherine woke up and looked at her watch, then groaned. "Missed supper," she told herself, going for the top drawer in her dresser. She always kept a snack handy, she usually needed one. She grabbed the bag of popcorn and headed to the desk that had magically appeared while she had been asleep. She pulled her calculus book over and flipped it open, starting on her homework. She could email her mother later, when she had the energy to put her computer together.

A few hours later, she looked up as someone tapped on her door. "Yeah?" she called, flipping her books closed. She got up and gave her roommate a hug. "Bless you, I'll ignore all strange noises from your room for feeding me tonight."

Celia laughed as she let go of the hot plate of food, walking over to sit on the bed. "So, no computer yet?"

"It's in a box in the closet," Catherine said between bites. "Oh, good, but spicy."

"Our new cook is Peruvian. She apprenticed in Brazil so we always get spicy stuff when she cooks." Celia laid back on the mattress and smiled. "Hey, they gave you a new one."

"I had to request it, I have problems with my back," Catherine said, looking at the older girl. "How did you make friends?"

"I've got a few in my section of the program, and one in the other section. She calls herself a spy."

"Ah, so there are more people like Marna, good to know."

"Yup, lots of people like Marna here, including her older sister." She grinned. "But don't let them worry you, you're in a better place than they are and they don't even know it." She sat back up. "So, what do you do for fun at home?"

"I read."

"And?"

"I read."

"Oh, you're kinda stiff then, huh?" She shrugged. "I was going to invite you into the town the next time we go, but if you don't want to I won't push."

"Actually, I could use some more stockings and things." She saw the eye roll and sighed. "Sorry, but I'm not ready for a guy yet. There's a lot I've got to get done before I lower myself near a man's level other than in the name of friendship."

Celia stood up and patted her on the shoulder. "You're still way better than Celine. I'll make sure you keep eating. Oh, you might want to hide snacks from the housekeepers, they occasionally sneak nibbles." She waved and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Catherine listened and heard giggling from the other room, but it didn't bother her. She had more important things to worry about than the opinions of the older girls. She scraped the plate to get more of the gravy, eventually picking up some of the popcorn to help her sop it up.
Chapter 2 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER TWO.



Catherine spent her next few days working herself to sleep each night, so much so that she was unaware that she was still wearing her clothes a few times. When the weekend came, she gladly took the chance to sleep in, until her roommate woke her up. "Get off or die," she mumbled, pulling the blankets up higher.

"Your group is going to town today to pick up any necessities that might have been forgotten," Celia said patiently. She had been shaking her roommate for the last twenty minutes, what did it take to get this girl up? "You can go get more snacks and more socks if you want."

Catherine opened an eye. "Meany. Shopping when I need sleep?"

"The class won't get to go again for a few weeks. You'll have to bribe an upperclassmen to get things for you. You've got an hour to be by the door."

"Okay. Thanks." Catherine pulled herself up and grabbed her usual clothes from the closet, heading for the bathroom. She wandered back in to grab a hair scrunchie, then went to go wake up.

A few hours later, Catherine surveyed the town, three bags already in her hands. She saw a small shop on the corner and headed that way, it looked interesting enough. Through the window she could see all the sweets lining the walls, and felt her mouth water. She breezed in and smiled at the older woman manning the counter. "Hi, do you sell to students?"

"Most of them," she said, looking her over. "What group are you in?"

"Um, scarlet. Why? Is that a bad thing?" she asked as the woman stepped away from her. "What? I'm a first year!"

The woman shook her head. "I don't sell to you." She pointed at the door. "Go."

Catherine scowled but she walked out, heading for the small grocery store she had already visited once. The woman behind the counter was gossipy, it had taken her ten minutes to get through the register. She walked in and looked around, heading for a girl she knew was a scarlet too. "Have you had any problems with people?" she asked quietly. "The woman at the candy shop wanted to know my group and then acted like I had the plague."

The other girl nodded. "Had that happen a few times. I'm going to ask Pierson tonight. You?"


"I've got Rayne on my floor, I guess I could ask him." She looked at the meager supply of candy available. "They had some pretty nice things over there," she sighed. She picked up six of the candy bars and walked back to the counter, giving the woman a smile. "I forgot something," she said brightly.

The woman looked her over. "That will ruin your figure," she said as she rang her up. "Then what'll you do to get a man?"

Catherine shuddered. "I'm much too young to be thinking about that yet, but I have low blood sugar." She handed over some money and took the small bag, hiding it inside the one with her socks. She took her change back and grinned. "Thanks." She leaned closer. "Why didn't the lady at the candy shop want to sell to me?"

The older woman put a hand on her throat and shook her head. "She's not all there," she said quietly. "You're a scarlet, right?" Catherine nodded. "There's strange rumors about some of you up there in that school, mostly about you scarlet wearing girls. She's believed them, that's all."

"Ohh." Catherine stood back up. "Thank you. I'd never heard anything. Of course, I've only been there for a week." She shrugged and smiled again. "Thanks. Bye. Shelby, the bus is going to leave in ten minutes," she called out. The other girl came around the end of the aisle. "I can see Ms. Pierson herding the girls back onto it."

"Okay." She waved a hand. "If I have to, I'll walk. I need food." She headed down another aisle, going to find some munchies.

Catherine walked out, heading for the bus. She stopped beside Ms. Pierson, waiting to get a moment of her attention. "Shelby's in the market," she said quietly.

"Good to know. I'll go round her up in a moment then. Did you get everything?"

"Everything except some really good chocolate," she pouted. "The lady didn't like me."

"Ah." Ms. Pierson's eyes had gone cold, but otherwise she seemed normal. "Get on the bus, dear, unless you have contraband."

"Do socks and chocolate count?" she asked saucily.

"The chocolate might," she said, holding out a hand.

"But I have low blood sugar."

She sighed. "All right. Keep it out of sight and away from your housekeeper. She can't resist a good candy bar and they put her to sleep."

Catherine nodded and got onto the bus, heading for the same seat she had sat in on the way down the hill. Marna tried to get in her way, but she kneed her. "Move your enormous butt," she muttered, pushing past her. She flopped down and looked inside her bags, frowning when she saw the blue pendant in it. "Um, Ms. Pierson," she called, standing up. The teacher came back to her seat. "I didn't see this and I don't know whose it is. I didn't take it," she defended as her teacher looked at it coldly.

"No, I know what it is," she said, taking it and putting it in her pocket. "I'll deal with it later. It's something one of the townspeople put in your bag." She looked the girl over. "Who asked you what your color was?"

"The lady at the candy shop, right before she looked at me like I was dirt and refused to let me buy anything. Then I went to the grocery store."

"All right. I'll deal with this." She walked back to the front of the bus and got off, going to find the missing members of the party hopefully. She came back with Shelby and another girl, who was trying hard to tuck her shirt in again. Ms. Pierson got on the bus behind them and counted heads, frowning. "Has anyone seen Thalia?"

Shelby looked up. "Yeah, she was in the candy shop last time I knew. She said she was heading to buy socks next."

Ms. Pierson started to get off the bus but the errant girl was running toward them, her bags swinging wildly. She was let on the bus and Ms. Pierson did another head count just to make sure. "All right," she said, tapping the driver on the shoulder. Someone approached the bus and she stepped down to talk to them. She came back up and looked around. "Who went into the clothier's shop? The one without the socks?" Three girls raised their hands. "I need to see your bags." She walked back and looked through them, confiscating something that looked like the pendant she had taken off Catherine earlier. She walked back to the front and said something to the man standing out there, who nodded and walked into the woods. "Let's go," she told the driver, who closed the doors and started the engine, pulling away from the town. "Girls, and boys," she said with a smile for the two boys on the trip, "a word of advice, never tell anyone you're anything but red. The natives have some very strange ideas based on some lies other students have told and we don't want you to be hurt." She smiled reassuringly and sat down in her seat. Every so often, her hand would stray to her pocket to touch it.

***


Celia followed Catherine in, looking at the bags. "Who'd you run into?" she asked brightly, seeing the sour look.

"The candy lady." Catherine turned to look at her. "She refused to sell to me because of what color I wear."

"Yup, they can be like that. I learned early on not to say I wore blue. The natives hate us up here, but they like our money. So they spread strange rumors about us and then they screw themselves by not selling to us and taking our money." She shrugged. "It sucks but it happens."

"Yeah, but someone snuck a necklace into my bag," Catherine said darkly, sitting down hard on the end of her bed.

"You turned it in, right?" Celia said quickly. Catherine nodded. "As long as you did, you're all good. You might want to check your packages for anything else though. I got a love charm last year." She hurried over to the door and walked out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

Catherine dumped her bags out and looked through everything, coming up with a strange figure made of straw. She considered it for a minute then stood up and went to find Mr. Rayne, she could give it to him. She tapped on his door, holding out the straw thing as soon as he opened it. He flinched away from it. "Um, sorry, I found this in my bag and Celia said to give it to you right away."

He carefully took it and tossed it onto a table as fast as he could. "Thank you, Catherine. Do you know where it came from?"

"It was in with my socks."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Oh, and hide your candy, whatever sort you bought. The housekeeper's diabetic and she can't keep herself away from chocolate."

Catherine nodded. "Ms. Pierson told me that before I gave her the pendant I found." He went a little more pale. "Are you all right? Should I go find her?"

"No, dear, I'm fine. Why don't you go play with the horses or something." He gave her a smile and closed the door.

"Weird," she told herself as she headed back to her room. She was stopped by two of the older boys blocking her way. "Um, guys, I've got more important things to do than to play with you." She pushed through them, heading back to her room. There, she found another boy waiting on her. "Yeah, enough, out," she said, pointing at the door.

He stood up and oozed over to her, his whole manner oily. "It'd be best if you liked us," he said, reaching out to stroke across her chin. "It really would."

She backed away from him. "I do happen to like men, not boys like you, but I've got more important things to worry about than the likes of you. Get out or I'm pushing my panic button."

He looked her over and sneered. "A girl like you could get hurt around here, very easily, and then where would you be?"

"Suing you for making threats," she said coldly, looking him over. "Listen, you're obviously not of the women-liking variety so why don't you get out of my room and never come near me again and we'll forget about this. Before I'm forced to report you."

"I agree," Celia said as she walked in with a bag. "Hey, got you a truffle." She handed the bag over and grabbed the older boy, pushing him out of the room. "And stay out!" she yelled as she slammed the door. "Stupid ass. His mother's not that strong around here." She smiled at the absolute look of pleasure on her roommate's face. "Good, huh? I'll let you bribe me next time I go into town and I'll pick you up some more." She threw herself down onto the couch and put her feet up, turning on the TV. "Wow, nothing on again," she said after flipping through the channels. She looked up and Catherine was still there, savoring her treat. "Go be gooshy in your room, okay?"

Catherine jumped and looked down, wiping her mouth off with a finger. "Sorry, but that was *great*."

"Cool, you can bribe me next weekend to get you some more."

Catherine leaned down and gave her a hug. "Thank you." She wandered back into her room, going to email her mother, finally.


***


Catherine looked up at her physics teacher and slowly raised her hand. "Sir, about the question you just asked. Why is someone being able to change their form, which is from the purest fantasy novels I know, being taught in a physics class?"

"Because any transmutation would be taught in here, as long as it wasn't purely chemical in nature," he said brightly, giving her a smile. "What would it take for a person to change their form to, say, a bird?"

"Well, you'd have to change your body mass, or you'd be one *big* bird. You'd have to change your form of course. Also, some of the external characteristics."

"And some of your sensory options," a boy in the back put in. "Beaks have a different sort of nose if I remember right."

"Very good," the teacher said, nodding. "What else would you have to change?"

"It depends," Catherine said, blinking hard. "You'd almost have to be able to change your mind into a simpler form. Humans don't believe that they can fly and that's a very built-in belief. You'd either have to get past that or change your brain so that you don't have to worry about higher thought functions. Of course, I've never heard of a bird doing logic puzzles."

"No, you're quite right. How many of those items fall under physics?" Catherine looked scared and he gave her a sympathetic look. "All of them actually. Most of them would have some chemical components, but most of those changes are physical, which would be part of our studies. As for the belief part, don't you think that you'd be able to reprogram yourself when you figured out you could change into a bird?"

Catherine shrugged. "I'm not that good with people," she admitted. "I'm much better at theory and its applications."

"Well, then let's do that, shall we?" He walked over to his overhead projector and turned it on, flipping a new set of notes on. "What about this theory, Catherine? Would this account for the shape-changing effects?"

She looked it over carefully. "It would account for the after effects, but not for the actualization of the change itself. To change yourself so fully would take a more comprehensive theory. This one would allow that you might be able to do it, but it looks like it has a mass restriction. It seems to say that you can get bigger, but not smaller."

"Oh, it does," he said, giving her another smile. "Very good. Why is that?"

"You'd be too dense to fly?" the boy suggested.

"Also very good. What form would this account for a human changing into then?"

"An elephant," Catherine said suddenly, "or something of that sort of mass. If we're going the fantasy route, I'd say something like a dragon."

He patted her on the head as he walked past her. "This theory was found in Church documents a few hundred years ago. We've had a person on staff studying it for years now, not me unfortunately, but they think it can be done."

Catherine shook her head. "The theory calls for a catalyst. There's no power on earth that can be that strong, not enough to force a human to change."

"Not even a severe trauma?" the teacher suggested lightly. "Or say, if you wish to stick to the fantasy realms, magic?"

"All right, magic I could agree with," she agreed lightly, "but a trauma would have to be strong enough to destroy the person. That's what this theory says, that you destroy the old form to gain the new one, but that you store your old form's template away somewhere while you're in the secondary form. Can we do this?"

"With quantum physics many things are possible. Remember, there are theories that state that we change an object just by observing it."

"Yes, but it doesn't change itself by observing itself," the boy in the back argued.

"Why not?" the teacher said lightly. "We can observe ourselves at that level, why wouldn't it change us somehow?" He went back to the overhead and changed notes. "Let's get back to the hydro lecture, shall we?" He smiled at the two students he had been arguing with. "You two, I would like an idea of what sort of force you think it'd take to allow this sort of change. Anyone else who thinks that they have one can do one also for extra credit." He looked directly at Catherine. "You'll get extra credit also, but yours is mandatory."

She nodded and made a note in her planner.

***


Catherine sat down next to her roommate in the cafeteria, giving her a 'help me' look. "I don't know where to look to do an assignment," she said casually. "I don't think any book in the library would be able to help me."

"You'd be surprised what's in that library on some of those dusty back shelves," Celia said. She looked at the open planner, frowning at the note on the page. "Hmm, physics?" Catherine nodded. "Well, for one, I'd look at the big blue book on the middle shelf on the east wall. It's got a lot of things in there that no one wants to really read about, including that theory. Mostly, he wants your opinion though. This is all about how good you deal with the strange and unusual." She patted her on the shoulder. "Shelby, Liana, Cody, this is my roommate Catherine. Catherine, these are a few of my group. Cody is another blue like I am, but Shelby is a scarlet like you and Liana is a red girl."

Catherine smiled at them. "I've met Shelby, she's my class's helper when we get lost."

"Yeah, she saved me from gorging in the grocery store the other day," Shelby said before she ate a bite of salad.

Liana smiled at the first year. "How are you getting along so far?"

"I'm finding it challenging, which is the most important thing to me," Catherine said slowly, thinking about her answer. "I'm also finding some of the older girls to be more of a hindrance to my learning anything useful. I've found a few that want me to fail because I'm not from a so-called good family."

Liana nodded. "That's why we cut out all last names in the school, so that no one can pull the 'I'm from such-and-such a family' routine. But I'm guessing someone told you that?"

"It was in the information packet. My mother really liked that idea. She went to Vassar with a few girls that did that all the time." She looked around, frowning when she saw Marna and a girl that looked a lot like her staring at her. "There's one of them now."

Liana and Shelby both looked over. "Oh, Marna and Estinia. We know *all* about them," Shelby said, nodding. "Watch out for the older one. She's a good player of practical jokes."

"We already got that," Celia said lightly and fake-sweetly. "Guess who got a fake letter saying she was in the remedial classes?"

Shelby's fork dropped. "They didn't?"

"I gave it to Ms. Pierson but she didn't say who sent it," Catherine said quietly. "I got my letter an hour early because I went down to talk to her about that one." She looked down at her supper. "Why do they hate me so much? I could understand the whole 'good family' thing, but I'm not that far out of their class."

"No, you're not," Shelby said, "but you're also something that they're not. Their mother had to petition to get them in, she's a former student here herself. You, on the other hand, the school went looking for. You're counted as someone special and all you had to do was accept the offer. They had to prove that they belonged here. You only had to show up to prove yourself worthy."

Liana sighed. "It's just like what Jamie and Perry went through a few years ago. Those two girls were never left alone by some of the reds because they were sought out to come here."

"I won a scholarship," Catherine said in confusion.

"Yes, but you were offered the chance to apply to take the test," Celia told her, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder. "Those girls didn't have to take a test, they had to prove that they were worthy of the goals that the Order that runs the school upholds. All progeny have to. Girls like you are weeded out even before you're asked to take the test. Someone at home must have heard about you and suggested you to the board just for you to be offered the test to come here. It's all some big political thing in the end, but it's necessary for some girls to be more qualified than others."

"And I'm one?" Catherine asked. "Why? I'm good with theories, but I'm not good for much else."

"Oh, I think you'd be surprised," Celia said, looking over at Shelby. "You'll find out what within the next year, we all did. Each of us came here for a different reason and we all found it in our first year." She stole a piece of the roll off her roommate's tray. "Eat, before you pass out on the couch again."

Catherine blushed lightly. "I didn't pass out, I fell asleep," she mumbled, tucking into her food. She ate quickly, she had research to do. No one minded when she got up a few minutes later and left them.

Celia looked down at Shelby. "Is she one of the Chosen?"

"Yes, she is," Shelby sighed, picking up her fork to pick at her salad some more. "That's why she was chosen to come here. She'll make someone a great partner by the end of the year."

Celia nodded. "That's what I expected. I guess I'll be getting a new roommate next year then."

"Me too," Linia reminded her. "Mine's a scarlet too, but I'm thinking she's too stiff to be chosen."

"Most scarlet's aren't chosen," Shelby reminded them. "It takes a special attitude and aptitude to handle being paired with a...." She stopped as another girl, another senior blue girl, walked over to their table. "Good news, Alexi, Catherine got given the shape shifter theory question."

Alexi sat down, careful not to sit on her waist-length red braid. "Good, I thought she'd make a good partner to a changer." She picked up her fork and ate. "Did anyone tell her to go look in the blue book?" Everyone pointed at Celia. "Even better. Maybe she'll start the usual round of panic tonight and save us some sleep closer to finals when the choosing begins." She took a bite of her salad, daintily eating it.

***


Catherine lifted the large book down, grunting as it hit the table with her fingers underneath it. She got herself free and settled down to look through it, starting by trying to get the lock on the front of the book open. She glared at it then took out a bobby pin she kept in her pocket, using it to pick the lock, a useful skill her mother had taught her when she had lost the keys to her diary. She flipped the old, dry pages, looking for an index page. When she didn't find one, she decided to try skimming the pages, but she had to keep stopping. Every few pages was a mention of dragons. Or more accurately humans who could change into dragons. She started to scoff at it, but then she remembered the theory from physics class and went looking for it. She found it near the beginning of the book. The whole book was a big 'how to' manual!

She pushed her chair back and stood up, getting a closer look at the big book, trying to read the small print.

"You could check it out," the librarian said from her desk. "Or there's a newer edition."

Catherine looked up. "Does it have all the same things?" She got a head shake. "I think I'll take this one then. I've got to write an answer out of it tonight." She closed it and brought it over to the desk, letting the librarian check it out for her. She gathered up her things and found that the book wouldn't fit in her backpack, so she slung the bag over her shoulder and picked up the book to carry them both up to her room. When she got there, no one was there so she got the whole suite to herself. She sat down on the couch, the most comfortable reading place, and started to read through the Olde English text.

Celia walked in and stopped, staring at the book. "I meant the other one," she said quietly, coming over to sit beside her roommate. She took the book and put it aside, carefully marking the other girl's spot. "Catherine, we should talk."

Catherine looked her roommate over, then nodded once. "They're real then? The shape changers?" Celia nodded and Catherine sighed. "Then why do I need to know about them? If they've stayed hidden for this long, why do I have to be part of the cover-up?"

"Because someone thinks that you'll make a great partner to one of them." She caught her roommate as she passed out. "Yeah, that went well," she said sarcastically. "MR. RAYNE!" she yelled, bringing the hall officer to her quickly. She simply pointed at the book and let the girl down easily, going into her room to let them talk.
Chapter 3 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER THREE.



Catherine woke up to find her hall officer sitting there watching here and groaned. "Oh, man, that's not something I want to do again." She looked from the book to him and back. "Are you one or are you like they want me to be?" she asked quietly, getting the point of him being there instead of someone like Ms. Pierson.

"No, I'm one of them. That's one of the reasons you were put up here. I'm in charge of training the young ones who can change." He looked her over. "Why did you pass out?"

"I've never had a destiny before," she told him lightly, then grimaced. "Sorry, I guess I should be honest and all. It scared me," she said after a second, looking down at the book. "The fact that things like this not only exist, but that I'm going to be part of them is just a little too much for me at the moment. I could get the point of the theorem, but to actually see it is something else."

He shrugged. "It hits us each separately. The last girl went on crying jags because this meant she had to give up her boyfriend." He leaned forward. "Why did you pick out this book?"

"Celia said the big blue book on the middle shelf of the east wall," she defended. "That's the only one I saw."

"Then the boy must have the other one. That other book would have kept it at a theoretical level, for now you didn't need to know how real this was." He tapped the book. "You may keep it to read, or you can forget it for a few months while they prepare you for the shock. Your decision."

"I'd rather know," she said, looking up at him. "Will I...."

He shook his head. "Each bond is individual. What you'll be doing is basically being the best friend, steadying influence, and helper of your partner. They'll bond to you until they grow up enough to start living on their own. They'll seem to be your age the whole time, their human bodies will age somewhat, and the bond will be broken about the time that you're in your forties."

She sighed. "Just late enough for me to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life."

He chuckled. "Yes, too true. You could always choose to take on another young one, if there's one available then, or you could choose to go on and use what you know in other ways. Mine went on and joined the Order of Sisters."

"The woman who wrote the dragon series," Catherine said quietly, "was she one?"

"No, but she's a very gifted author. Most of us here happen to like her writing." He stood up and patted her on the head. "Catherine, relax about this and let your decisions flow when it's time. No one will force you to do anything that you don't want." He left the room, making sure the door was closed behind him.

"Celia," Catherine called. "Do you have anything stronger than a breath mint in there?"

Celia walked out and handed over a wine cooler. "Of course. We knew the shock was coming. Don't let anyone know, okay? I really don't need detentions for the rest of the year." She walked back into her room and shut her door.

Catherine picked up the book and walked into her room, shutting her door so she could think in peace.

***


Catherine walked up to her physics teacher after class, putting a hand on his arm. "I know," she said quietly. "I need to know why me."

He smiled at her. "Because you're you," he told her. "You've got the right personality to match one of them and the ability to cope in strange and stressful situations. You'll make a fine bond partner, Catherine, never doubt that. Was there anything else?"

"More references?"

"Later this week," he told her, leaving the room.

She picked up her things and went to her next class, still trying to figure out the main question. Why her?

She was halfway to her seat in her next class before she realized that the teacher was talking to her. She blushed as she turned to look at the older woman. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Sit, dear. You're late." She gave the girl a smile. "I know, you've had a rough night, correct?"

"Something like that," Catherine admitted as she sat down. "Um, I didn't...."

The teacher waved a hand. "You aren't the only one. I've asked and only one person actually did their homework. I think we should work on that today in class." Everyone groaned but opened their books and pulled out their calculators.

***


Catherine walked through the little town, glancing in store windows. She hadn't gotten farther than the main street the last school-sponsored trip, so this time she decided she wanted to explore some of the little shops in the alleys and on the back of the Main Street ones. She stopped in front of one that was offering crystals, intrigued by one. It wasn't that she liked crystals, she just liked the color of this one. She walked inside and bought the small trinket, putting it into her pocket before going on to explore some more.

She came back ten minutes early for the bus and sat down beside Ms. Pierson at the picnic table. "I found the most beautiful crystal today," she said, holding it out. "Isn't it a pretty color?"

Ms. Pierson looked at it and smiled at her. "Yes, dear, it is. What else did you find?"

"Not much. I bought a few granola bars to nibble on while I study. I bought a new pair of boots, they're on order. They said they'd send them up to the school."

"They will," she agreed. "Some of the merchants are very good about that sort of thing." She picked up her apple and bit into it. "So, I've heard that you've found out why you're here." Catherine nodded. "Any idea what else is going on yet?"

"Just that I need to do some major thinking right now. I'm not really a people person, I'm not sure I'd make such a good friend to anyone." She glanced around the small park the bus was parked beside. "I'm not sure that they didn't chose the wrong girl this time."

Ms. Pierson smiled and patted her on the hand. "I'm sure they didn't. There's all sorts that could choose you, I'm sure one of them will match your personality well enough." She stood up and ate her apple on the way to the trash can, tossing it away as soon as she got there. "Catherine, why don't you get on the bus? I'll check you in now and then you can go relax and wait."

Catherine gathered her things and walked over to the bus, getting on after her bags were checked for contraband. She relaxed in her seat, sure that everything might be okay now. She looked out and noticed the crystal still sitting on the table, so she got off to get it. She strolled past Ms. Pierson, waving it to show why she was off the bus. Ms. Pierson shook her head but she was smiling; it was almost a fond look.

***


Catherine tossed her roommate the bag of goodies she had been asked to get. "They didn't have anything with jelly in it," she said before she could get complained to.

Celia shrugged. "It was a fond wish." She dug through the bag and came out with the bag of caramels. "How's the class work going? I'm supposed to be asking this at regular intervals so you know that you can come to me for help." She grinned at the dirty look she got sent. "Well?"

"It's going well enough," she said, sitting on the other end of the couch. "I'm still being picked on by some of the other girls, but I'd expect that in any new school. I'm being challenged still, so that's a relief. If I don't get bored, I should do fine."

"What about tests?"

"I won't have one for another two weeks, and that's in Calculus. I've had a few difficulties in there but the teacher has been very good at explaining it to me. I know now that I wasn't cut out for the higher maths."

"Hmm," Celia murmured around her mouthful of gooey stuff. She swallowed. "Wait until you start getting into the more math-oriented physics." She got a confused look. "What? You thought the changers were the only ones who needed to know how to fly?"

Catherine groaned. "Now I know why I'm in the higher maths. They aren't my specialities at all." She pulled out her crystal. "I found this today in a little store behind Main Street. It's a pretty color so I picked it up. I think I'll put it in my window."

"Looks good to me. Did Ms. Pierson see it?"

"Yes, I showed it to her before I got on the bus. She thought it was pretty too."

"Good." Celia stuffed another caramel into her mouth. "What're you doing today?" she asked before she started to chew.

"I have to clean my room. It's a mess. We do have access to a vacuum, correct?" Celia nodded, rolling her eyes. "What?"

"Go ride," Celia managed to say as she stood up. "It's too pretty to clean," she called from her room as soon as her mouth was clear.

Catherine sighed. "I don't like horses," she called, going into her room. Maybe she'd surf the web, look for fantasy sites. She wanted to see if there was anything out on the 'net about these changers.

***


Mr. Rayne tapped on Catherine's door, waiting until she yelled before walking in. "Catherine, what are you doing?" he asked, sitting down on her bed.

"I'm looking for fantasy sites. I just found one devoted to a cult that believes dragons are not only real but that they're doing a slow take-over of the world."

He shook his head. "Dear, you can't do that from this school. It brings attention to us."

"Why would anybody think that I'm anything but a teenager who liked fantasy novels, which I am."

"Because it's us, Catherine," he said quietly. "This school has always been associated with strange things. As a matter of fact, we're probably listed on that website you're looking at."

She paged down then nodded. "Yup, right here. Something about providing wives for suitable men." She closed the page. "Better?"

"Much. You set off a few alarms downstairs." He crossed his legs. "Catherine, you mustn't look like you know what's going on. Not to the outside and not to the usual students. You were put in Scarlet because you were special. That specialness is something that the parents of most Red students would harm us over. We have to be very circumspect in what information gets out. Even what websites we surf have to uphold the image."

"Does that mean I have to change the email address that I've had since I was ten? It's a dragonmail account."

He smiled. "No, that will hold up if someone checks." He looked out the window. "People like Marna and her mother would love to shut us down for being a bit...unusual. Even though they use us to further their gains, they wouldn't understand. Marna's mother has been actively looking for things to get us shut down ever since she came here decades ago." He turned to look at her again. "There's some history you need to know, Catherine. That site was correct. The main purpose of this school, and of the Order that houses us, has always been to promote female power. They do so by educating the best young women, and a few young men, to a very high standard. Quite a few of the girls in Red will go on to marry rich men, ones that they'll have to help run their businesses or whatever they do. This in turn gives us more leverage. The girls that leave here and become wives have always been of the highest quality. Think about what it would do to them if the information you have got out."

She nodded. "I can see that. I also know a little about that. I found a history book a week ago while I was down there and it told all about the marriage contracts and all that good stuff." She shrugged. "Don't do it to me and we'll be fine. I'm not going to tell anyone anything."

"We know that, but there will always be people who watch you because you went here. It's a penalty of the education you'll receive. Every girl that comes out of here is watched to see what she becomes."

Catherine sighed. "I'm sure it's a great big thing, Mr. Rayne, but no one watches me. Other than the lady in the candy shop because she doesn't like which color group I belong to." She shrugged at his harsh stare. "They don't. I'm an ignored person. Even when I do something really good, I'm still ignored. I saved two kids from drowning and I was ignored."

He shook his head. "Catherine, no one will ignore you ever again. The fact that you're here has garnered you attention that isn't always flattering. There are people who watch all the students to see what they do, trying to find fault in the littlest of details. They'll do that to you too."

She smiled. "Then I'll get them back," she reminded him. "I'm not one of the shrinking violets. No one can say anything about me liking stories about dragons," she pointed out, waving a hand at her bookshelves, filled with books about fairies, dragons, unicorns, even a few on real subjects. Most of those were her school books though. "If anyone looked, they'd find a long history of daydreaming and fantasizing. I'm one of the safer ones to be able to go find strange places like that site."

"You may be, but you still shouldn't. And you can't in this school." He stood up. "Please don't do it again."

She nodded and opened her email program to send a postcard to her mother, she wanted the rest of her books.

***


Mr. Rayne sat down at the end of the table, looking up at his Headmistress. "I've talked to her, but she insists that she's not one that they'll watch. She claims to have a long history of reading fantasy novels so it's only natural for her to have wanted to search out those sites."

The Headmistress shuddered and her hand went to her abdomen. "Is it true?"

Ms. Pierson, a member of the admissions committee nodded. "It says so on her form and all the background information we have on her does say that she's heavily into fiction. That's probably the reason she took the news of being Chosen so well."

The Headmistress nodded. "Very well. Did you tell her she couldn't anyway, Philip?" He nodded. "Then we'll monitor what she does. Such a strong will must be channeled in the direction we want, not broken. How are her studies going?"

"As we'd expect," Ms. Pierson said, leaning back. "I do have a note for her file. Today, while in town, she picked up a lavender colored crystal. For its color."

The Headmistress smiled. "I'm glad. I've been wondering who was going to be paired with that one. Has she shown any affinity for the horses yet?"

"Celia says every time she tells her to go ride, Catherine refuses."

The Headmistress laughed. "Oh, yes, we need to channel her gradually. Work it out together, please." She heaved herself up, taking her gravid body out of the room.

Mr. Rayne looked at Ms. Pierson. "Elizabeth, should we change some of her classes next semester?"

"She does have Physical Education then. We might be able to work it in during that time. Make her options something she couldn't stand or that."

He nodded. "I'll leave that up to you. I have enough stubborn creatures under my wing." He got up and walked out.

Elizabeth Pierson sighed and waited until she was sure she was alone to start laughing. "Oh, she's a right one all right. She'll be one of the best Chosen yet." She gathered the folder components laying on the table together and left, heading up to her office. She had to pick next year's candidates. Her mother was counting on her.

***


Catherine walked into her Physics class and looked around at all the empty seats. She checked her watch, she was on time. Where was everybody? She looked at the board, hoping for a sign that they had all left, but nothing had been written up there. It was clean. Not even any chalk dust. She sat down and waited, hoping for someone else to come and tell her what was going on. She left for her next class on time, but no one was in that class either. She decided to go find someone and ask them. "Hello," she called, getting the attention of a janitor who was working in the east hall. "Where is everyone? Were classes canceled?"

He smiled at her. "No, ma'am. They're supposed to be going on. Aren't they in their rooms?"

"No, not in either of my last two classes. Physics and Calculus."

He shook his head. "I don't know. Why don't you go to the office?"

She smiled at him. "Thank you. I think I should." She trotted down the hall, she wasn't supposed to be running, but a good trot shouldn't be breaking the rules. She tapped on the office door and walked in, finding Ms. Pierson sitting behind the desk. "Were my Physics and Calculus classes canceled? No one was in the rooms?"

Ms. Pierson looked up at her. "No, dear, they weren't canceled. I'm not sure where they are if they weren't in there." She picked up the phone and dialed a number. After a few minutes she put it back down. "Oh, dear, I don't know where anybody is." She stood up and walked out, Catherine following along behind her. She stopped next to the lunch room, listening. "Well, here's people," she said quietly, walking in and standing against the back wall.

Catherine snuck in with her, listening to Mr. Rayne tell everyone something.

"Today, our Headmistress has gone into seclusion. Her family has been threatened by someone, who is still unknown to us. We advise that all those here, both students and staff, take care and watch yourselves. There is probably nothing to fear but it's best to be safe instead of sorry." He looked back at Ms. Pierson. "I know it was sudden and that not all students were told of this meeting. If you find one who wasn't here, please tell them. Any Scarlets, I need to speak with you after this is over. Reds, you are to return to classes. Blues, you are to go see the Order of Sisters and see if you can help them in anyway since a few of them were also threatened." He stepped back, ending his statement.

The students all filed out, going to where they were supposed to be. The Scarlets walked up to the stage and gathered around to listen.

"Girls," Mr. Rayne said, sitting on the edge of the stage. "For some of you, this will make no sense. Those of you are allowed to go back to class. The rest of you, I need you to go to your partners and check on them." Three-quarters of the girls walked away. Catherine stayed. "For those of you that aren't partnered, we'll have to move that event up." He looked at the five unpartnered people standing around him. "Meet me tonight in the gym. There's no time to waste."

Catherine raised her hand. "Maybe you said this earlier, I missed part of it, but is she okay?"

Mr. Rayne shook his head. "We don't know. I found a message sitting on my pillow this morning. She was threatened and she had to go into hiding. The young ones will have to be guarded. Tonight, you'll find out what part you're going to be playing in that protection." He slid off the stage and landed on the floor. "Anything else?"

Ms. Pierson nodded. "I know there's one that's not here. Diedre is out doing her internship."

"We've already called all the ones that we could find and told them. Some of them are coming back here. The rest are on high alert for whomever is doing this." She nodded. "Any other questions?"

"Sir," Catherine said, "I've heard that the Headmistress does other things, more than running this school. Won't someone have to deal with those things too?"

He smiled at her. "We already have that going on, Catherine. Don't worry about it." He walked through the girls and left the room.

Catherine looked at Ms. Pierson. "Should I go back to class or should I do something else? I could go study if it was all right."

"Do whichever will make you stay calm," Ms. Pierson advised.

Catherine nodded. "I'm going to grab a lunch and go read then. I'll be outside under the trees?" She got another nod and walked off.

Ms. Pierson looked at the other girls. "You know?" she asked them. She got stereo nods. "Good. Then go get yourselves ready. Stay calm, that'll help tonight." She walked away, going back to her duties. Just because the Headmistress had disappeared didn't mean that the school wasn't going to keep going.
Chapter 4 by CE Dalton
Chapter Four


Catherine looked at the pile of things on her bed and shook her head. Celia must have come in and pulled down her gown. She looked at the underwear that had been put on her bed and snickered. She knew her roommate had a strange sense of humor but smiley face underwear? She grabbed her wrap and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She guessed being clean would be a good thing and hot water always relaxed her.

She came out and dried her hair, considering what she should do with the short mass. She decided to braid her tail, wrapping the finished product with a scarlet ribbon, leaving the ends of the ribbon streaming over her shoulder. She walked over to the bed and looked at the gown, admiring the velvet and satin fabrics, admiring the styling and the way it hung. She pulled it on over her head, shivering as the cool of the satin switched to the cotton that lined the inside of the velvet bodice. She turned to the mirror and looked at herself, noticing how different she looked in it. She pulled the ribbons out from under the shoulderpad and looked down to grab the ribbons that tied up the bodice. She slowly laced it up, staring at herself in the mirror, wondering at the transformation. Even her bronze-colored hair looked different in the dress. She stopped to admire herself, turning to look at the simple slope of her back and the way the skirt minimized her rear. She jumped as someone tapped on her door. "Just a second, I need to find shoes," she called, hurrying over to the closet. She had bought shoes for this dress the last time she had been in town. It only took her a minute to find the box and pull out the ankle boots. She was sitting on the edge of the bed pulling them on when her door was opened to admit Mr. Rayne. "Just a second," she said, zipping the last one up. She stood up for his inspection.

He gave her a brilliant smile. "I knew that color would look good on you." He offered her his hand. "Come, let's go do this." He flipped the ribbons and she giggled. "Ah, a special thing. It matches, so we'll leave you alone about it." He led her from the room, past Celia who was sitting waiting on her, and down to the first floor. He walked her past the hallway where the classrooms were, past the labs in the back, and down another flight of stairs.

Catherine looked at this new place, basically a large amphitheater, gauging where she was now. She was led down the stairs to the sand and was thankful for choosing boots once she stepped on the warm, flowing surface. She walked over to where the other girls and three boys were, stopping in front of them. "Now what?" she asked. She was pointed to a spot on the end of the line and stood there, waiting and looking around. She couldn't see in the seats so she couldn't tell if there was someone up there watching or not, but it felt like there was. She pulled her hair ribbons down to play with, winding them around her index finger the same way she did her hair when she was thinking. She got nudged and glared at the boy beside her. "What?"

"Quit fidgeting. The waiting's bad enough without watching you do that."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous because you don't have anything to play with." From the seats, someone laughed. "See?" She looked up at where she thought the sound had come from and barely saw the outline of someone. Someone was watching them after all.

The set of stone doors across from them opened and they all turned to look at it, the girl in front gasping as she saw the people walking out. Beautiful people. Ones that were beautiful enough to have modeled for a living. There were about ten of them, and they walked past the line of people, letting them get a good look at each other. These new people stopped in front of Mr. Rayne and bowed to him.

"Children, these are the ones to be Chosen from," he said quietly, waving a hand at the line Catherine was in. "Choose who you would."

The other group turned and looked at them. Then one male stepped forward and walked up to one of the older girls. He grinned at her and she smiled back. They walked off together, heading back through the stone doors.

One by one, the others were chosen. Except Catherine. The last two didn't even look at her. Mr. Rayne smiled at her and nodded her over. "Catherine, we have a strange situation here. These two are twins, but they don't want a Chosen one. Will you be their friend, even though they didn't Choose you?"

She nodded. "Gladly. I could always use friends." She smiled at them. "I'm Catherine. What's your names?"

"Mark," the surly looking, dark-haired male said.

"I'm Andrew," the other said, holding out a hand, which she shook. "Forgive my brother, we had to wake him up." Mr. Rayne cleared his throat and Andrew smiled at him. "We did."

"I'm sure. Catherine, since you weren't Chosen here, would you be willing to be looked at by some of the older candidates? Most of them didn't want to Choose when they were this age, which is perfectly acceptable, but a few of them now want someone with them."

She nodded and grinned. "Hey, I'd like to think that I didn't dress up for nothin'."

He chuckled. "I'm sure." He took her hand and led her back through the doors, letting her look around at the hallway they were in for a few moments before leading her into a sitting area. "Ladies, gentlemen, scruffy ones, this is Catherine." He pushed her forward.

Instantly, two of the scruffy looking guys jumped up and offered her their seats. "You brought us a mascot?" one of the other scruffy ones suggested, smiling at Mr. Rayne. "How nice of you, Philip. How did you know we needed one?"

Mr. Rayne glared at him and he laughed. "Catherine, as you can tell, there's a definite difference in some of these jokers. The more untidy ones are referred to en masse as the 'Scruffy Ones'. They're very strong, very protective, and very pig headed." They all cheered.

One of the females raised her hand. "Why wasn't she Chosen?"

"Because the twins were left and they refused a partner," he told her. "I'm putting it up to the rest of the group since some of you have asked to be partnered now."

The Scruffy one that had called her a mascot growled at the female. "Ours!" he said.

She backed off. "Yours," she agreed, looking at Mr. Rayne.

Mr. Rayne groaned. "I never imagined this happening." He looked at Catherine. "How would you like to be an official partner to the whole of the Scruffy Ones? They're generally decent people, but they can be a bit intense."

She looked at them then nodded. "If that's what they want. What do I do with them, besides be their friends?"

One of the males laughed. "Don't worry, we'll tell you."

She glared at him. "I doubt it. I like men, but I don't need one right now. They're a distraction I could do without until I'm older."

Mr. Rayne clapped. "Well said. Now then, let's go get acquainted. There's a dinner tonight for all of you." He looked around the room. "Some of you still need to get dressed first," he reminded them. "Catherine has to appear." All but one of the Scruffy Ones left the room and ran down the halls.

That one looked over his shoulder at him. "I'm dressed enough," he told Mr. Rayne. "Philip, why did you make her wear so many clothes?"

"Because she needed to wear them for the dinner," he said warmly. "Go finish getting dressed, Tyler."

He looked down at himself. "Hey, I'm covered. Get over it. I'm doing you a favor by wearing clothes at all." He went back to his book. "Catherine, how are you in math?"

"Not very well, but I'm starting to understand it," she said, sitting down beside him. "I'm more of a theory person than a people person."

He wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, you'll get over that. How's the East Tower?"

"She's on my floor," Mr. Rayne told him.

Tyler looked up at him. "Yay. Did the boys break in yet?"

"Yes, but Celia beat one up for me." She smiled at him. "You're a nudist?"

"Yup. Clothes were an invention by men to subjugate women and separate people into groups. I got over it already." He looked her over. "You don't have to worry, I'm a 'to each their own' person." She blushed so he gave her a light squeeze. "Like I said, don't worry. But never drink and play cards with William. He got another Chosen into a game of strip poker last week. He's still grounded I think." He went back to his book, humming as he read.

Catherine looked over at the book and shook her head. "I can't even tell which language that is."

"It's Hebrew. You'll learn to appreciate the scholarly of us soon enough."

"She's probably going to end up in the business classes," Mr. Rayne reminded him. "Especially if she's your guardian."

Tyler smiled mock sweetly at him. "I'm sure you've already gotten it figured out too. Haven't you?"

Catherine nudged him with her elbow. "Quit fighting about me. I'm sitting right here. And I don't know what I want to do right now. All I know is that I'm starving because all I had was a chocolate chip granola bar while I read."

Tyler stood up and held out a hand. "Then we should go eat, shouldn't we? Don't worry," he said, catching her glance at the hallway, "they'll come find us. A few of them are walking bottomless pits." He tucked her hand under his arm and walked her out of the room. "I like your hair, especially the tail thing. That the piece you play with?"

She smiled. "Yup. You're the only one who's gotten that so far. Even my mother didn't understand that need."

"She's just too close to the situation. I'm sure she'll see the light when she meets us." She went pale. "Oh, don't worry, it won't be all at once. We wouldn't do that to any unsuspecting woman. They tend to faint," he stage whispered, just loud enough to be heard.

She stared up at him in amazement.

***


Catherine wandered back into her suite and looked down at her roommate, who was sleeping on the couch. "Isn't that thing lumpy?" she asked, waking her up.

Celia sat up and looked at her. "How was the dinner?"

"Good. I had interesting conversations the whole time. Most of the gentlemen around me were very nice, if a bit naughty at times. Mr. Rayne threatened to spank one actually." She sat down next to her roommate. "I need information. What do you know about the ones they call the 'Scruffy Ones'?"

Celia started to smile. "You were Chosen by one of them? Oh, wow. Your life is never going to be boring again!" She gave her a hug but Catherine pulled away. "You weren't? Then why did you need to know?"

"I'm their mascot," Catherine said with a smile. "It seems they adopted me."

Celia's mouth hung open. "All of them?" she squeaked. Catherine nodded. She wiped off her mouth. "Oh, wow!" She got up and stared down at her roommate. "You are one *lucky* woman, Catherine. I almost envy you their company. Oh, watch out for the practical jokes. A few of them aren't that good about keeping them safe."

"Was that who set off the firecrackers the first night?"

Celia snickered. "Probably." She looked around the room. "Well, you've now got a handful to deal with. You better go to sleep early tonight, Kate. You're gonna need it tomorrow when they stalk you around the school."

She glared up at her roommate. "Don't call me that. I hate that name." She stood up. "Okay, do I do anything different?"

"No, you wake up and go to breakfast. They'll find you. Always from now on." She waved and went to her room. "Night."

Catherine grumbled as she went to her room, telling herself that she needed a better source of information. Celia always gave her little things and cryptic advice, but never what she wanted to know. She stripped down to the smiley face underwear and got into bed, scrunching up under her covers. She fell asleep pretty quickly, but her dreams were filled with handsome men who all wanted to give her wedgies.

***


Catherine sat down at an empty table and before she could pour the milk on her cereal, four men were sitting around her and another was heading her way. She waved listlessly at them. "Hi." She took a drink to kill her morning breath.

"How did you sleep last night?" Tyler asked, grinning at her.

She put down her glass and wiped off her milk mustache. "I had strange dreams all night. First there was the one where everyone I met in the halls wanted to give me wedgies. Then I was Rapunzel and there was a group of guys standing at the bottom of my tower, arguing over who got to rescue me. Finally, one of them knocked a few down and started up my hair, but the others all pulled him down and beat him up. Then they all ran up my hair to save me together." She looked at Robbie, the so-called 'respectable one'. "The one that got beaten up looked a lot like you."

He nodded. "Sounds like me too," he agreed with a smile. "Don't worry, it was just a way of showing you what we're like. We tend to be like that. It's a very Musketeer thing with our group."

Celia cleared her throat and sat down next to Catherine. "Hi. Want to introduce me?"

"Guys, this is Celia, my roommate. Celia, these are my new friends. The blonde one with the book is Tyler. Robbie is the one actually wearing his uniform already. The one next to him is..." She searched her mind, she had met too many people last night and she was still half asleep. Hopefully no one would get mad at her for it. She gave that particular guy a hesitant smile. "I forgot."

He put a hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. "Already? How could you forget me? I'm the one who gave you the wedgie dream all night."

"Oh, then you're Alexi," Catherine said knowingly. She looked at her roommate. "This is also fireworks boy and bad smells boy. I heard a *lot* about him last night from Mr. Rayne."

"He misses his youth," Alexi snorted. "It's just sour grapes," he told Celia, giving her a taste of his most naughty grin. "So, what's up for tonight in the dazzling group's repertoire?"

"Mild party up on the fifth floor, east," Celia said, smiling back at him. "Coming?"

"One never knows," he said, winking at her. He looked back at Catherine, giving her his most innocent look. "What?" he asked sweetly.

"I heard you were grounded," Catherine said slyly.

"He is," Tyler said, nibbling on a piece of toast. "He's not going, he can't sneak out without someone hearing and I'm not putting him to bed tonight." He looked at Celia. "I'll expect you to watch out for him if he somehow does manage to show up tonight." He stared at her until she nodded and swallowed. "Thank you. Our little William is still a baby compared to some of us," he reminded his younger brother.

"Bite me," William said sweetly.

"Stop it," Catherine sighed, taking a sip of her milk. "No fighting this early in the morning, at least not in front of me. Otherwise, I'm going to have to pull out my bitch act."

Tyler reached over and patted her on the back of the head. "We look forward to it, kitten," she growled at him and his smile brightened up. "You don't like that name?"

"And she hates Kate too," Celia said helpfully.

"Oh, really?" Robbie asked. "It's a perfectly respectable name."

"It's the name of my cat, guys, really, let's not go there. Okay?"

Tyler shrugged. "Okay, kitten." She glared at him. "What? We *have* to have an annoying nickname for you, dear. It's part of the contract."

"What contract?" Celia asked.

"It was signed in blood over dinner," William lied. "Very high mass sort of event. Lots of nudity and pins." He leered at Celia. "We could get you into the next one, I'm allowed to bring a guest."

Tyler reached over and smacked him. "Stop it. There's enough rumors without you spreading some."

"Gee, parental much?" William said snidely.

"Yes, sometimes I am forced to become a parent." Tyler gave his younger brother a hard look. "We all know I'd rather not take on that role for any of you," he added quietly. "Got it?"

"Yes, Tyler," William sighed. He ran a hand through his dyed platinum blond hair. He looked at Celia. "I don't have classes," he gloated.

"That's because you're not in the program yet," Robbie pointed out, checking his pager. "Hey, my stock went up."

Celia looked at her roommate. "You live in a very strange world now. Yell if you need any of my crew, we'll be around and listening." She got up and headed over to where Liana was sitting.

"She's a blue, right?" Robbie asked.

"Yup. And my roommate. She's going to be a lawyer for the order."

Tyler coughed. "I'm glad the order accepts *everyone*," he said dryly, earning another glare from their mascot. "What? She's a bit... wild, kitten."

Catherine got into his face and growled, "I am *not* your kitten. I have a name, use it, Tyler." She got up and carried her tray away, then went up to get dressed for the day.

William clapped. "Way to go, bro."

"We've got a long way to go until we get her broken in," Alexi sighed, sipping his milk. William looked at him in shock. "She has to be able to deal with all of us, no matter what her mood or how heavy her thoughts are. If she gets that upset at some simple teasing, then what will it be like when she's forced to babysit you for a whole weekend?"

"Hey, I'll be good to our kitten," William protested. "I won't do anything to her, she's off limits for my jokes. And every other joker that might come near her had better go through me," he said with a nod.

Tyler smiled at him. "Good, William, it's good to see you taking an interest in your heritage." He looked at the younger boy's markings on his arms. "Your scales are still showing."

"Philip said that my skin was thin, that I could say they were botched home tattoos."

"As long as you have an excuse ready. You start school next year." Tyler stood up. "We'd better go make sure we're all up. I don't think she realizes that we're all in her classes now." He carried his tray up to the drop-off window and deposited it, then he walked away, heading up to his new room on the fourth floor of the west tower.

***


Catherine looked up in shock as the seat on her left was taken, looking at the man sitting there. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"We're in your classes now," Tyler told her, wrapping an arm around her to give her a hug. "Just relax," he whispered, "you're our anchor now. You help keep us steady and in our human forms. Just go with it. You'll be seeing us all the time now." He let her go, giving the Physic's teacher a smile. "Did you get my transfer papers?"

"Yes, I did," the teacher said, tossing him some books. "Catch up tonight. Catherine, show him your study guide for the test. I have lecture across the hall, please do not leave or get too loud this time." He walked out, leaving them alone.

"So," Marna said from the back row. "Found you a honey already?" she asked snidely.

"No, just a friend," Tyler said, turning to glare at her. "Shut up, Marna. You're an annoyance that can be removed." He turned back around and looked at Catherine's notebook. "Study guide?"

"Please don't make this any harder on me," Catherine whispered as she passed it over. "I'm already picked on."

"We heard," Tyler assured her. "We're here for you, that's our part of it." He patted her on the arm. "Is this all?" he asked. She nodded, grimacing. "But my class has already done this." He looked at the rest of the group. "Anyone having any problems with relativity or spatial planes?"

One girl raised her hand. "I am," she said quietly. "I have no idea why there are so many planes."

"Then let's do a review. He does a great job of teaching, but Chaos versus String Theory is always hard to get across in just one class." He got up and went up to the board. "Okay, who knows what the Chaos theory says?"

***


Catherine sat down in her Calculus class and looked around, expecting Tyler to be there too. She saw one of the other Scruffy ones, the lone female, and waved her down. "Hey," she said, giving her a hug. "How are you, Sascha?"

"Good," she sighed. She looked down at herself. "My form's stable today."

"Good." Catherine had heard last night how this one was not only a shape changer, but also a gender changer. It was that last one that had been giving her problems, at least according to rumors. "Is it just you in here?"

"Yup. Tyler volunteered to go into the Physic's class because he could teach it if he had to. I get this one, and your business classes are going to have Robbie and Benton. Alexi actually teaches your computer class already, you just never knew what he was. The others will be around and we'll switch in and out of your classes."

Catherine blinked a few times. "That's good, I guess," she said finally. "Is it always going to be like this?"

Sascha nodded. "Yup. 'Fraid so, Catherine." She leaned closer. "Do you really mind the name kitten? I know Tyler was just picking on you, trying to get you used to us, but you do seem like a kitten to us."

"No, it's not kitten. It's all pet names. My stepfather had this horrible tendency to call me every pet name in the book because he could never remember my name."

"Ah," Sascha said wisely. "That's totally different. We actually all got together and decided you should be a kitten." She smiled. "Just think of it this way, it means that William won't be able to make up horrible...."

The teacher walked in and cleared her throat. "Test?" she suggested, holding up the papers. She saw Sascha's eyes widen. "No one told you?" she asked, looking at Catherine.

"We just met last night," Sascha explained quietly.

"All right. Then you may take it later tonight. Go sit in the library." She saw the panicked look and sighed, walking over. She whispered in the girl's ear and got a hissed comment back. "Oh. All right. Ready to take it?"

"Sure," Sascha said brightly. "I can try."

The teacher started with them, handing out the tests.

Sascha shuddered as she felt herself start to change again, trying to hold it in so she wouldn't have to run from the room. Suddenly, a warm hand hit hers and the shudders stopped, the waves of change slowing down enough so she could control it. She grinned at Catherine, who was watching her. "I'm okay," she whispered.

The teacher came over and took their tests, then dragged them into the hall. "Explain," she said harshly.

"She's a shape changer," Catherine said, glancing around. "She's been having troubles staying in one form. I'm her mascot and bound to her group."

The teacher's mouth dropped open. "To the whole of the Scruffy ones?" she asked Sascha, who nodded. "And she stops your changing?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right. You may go to the library to finish your tests." She went inside and grabbed everything, bringing it out to them. "The librarian will show you where to sit."

Catherine took her bag and nodded. "Thanks." She led Sascha away, but the other girl pulled away once they were out of sight. "What?"

"You shouldn't have told her, someone might have heard," Sascha hissed.

"She already knew, I thought you told her."

Sascha shook her head. "Just my group affiliation. Usually it's enough." She leaned against a wall. "She could get very upset and *tell* people, Catherine."

"She won't," Catherine said, smiling. "I know something you don't." She stepped closer. "She's your mother's highest advisor, right?" Sascha looked confused. "She is. I overheard her and Mr. Rayne talking about what to do with me one night. So she already *knew*, Sascha. We just gave her a good reason for you needing to be so close during a test, a valid and truthful one." She stepped back. "Let's go finish this, I need to eat." She walked off, heading for the library.

Sascha shook her head. "How does she do that?" she muttered to herself, following along behind her friend.
Chapter 5 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER FIVE


Catherine looked up as her room door opened, rolling over to get up and help Tyler inside with the boxes he was carrying. "What's up?" she asked him.

"I got my room moved." Her mouth opened a few times but no sound came out. "No, not in here," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Across the hall. You don't start rooming with us until next year, kitten." He tweaked her hair. "Want to help me move some stuff?"

"Depends, is it heavy?" she asked, helping him over to his new room. She looked at all the boxes and whistled. "I thought my younger sister had a lot of stuff."

"You have a sister?" Tyler asked. "You never told us about her."

"An older one and a half one, and we don't get along that great," Catherine sighed, flopping down onto the old couch. "I'll unpack your books if you want to go make William carry stuff up here," she offered.

Tyler leaned down and kissed her on the head. "I know. He's coming up with more of the stuff anyway. You can start on the books though. Any with a blue dot on the box belong in my room." He pointed at the door on the left. "Any with a red dot belong out here."

"And the purple one?" she asked, pointing at it.

"Aren't books, don't touch it," he told her. He sat down next to her. "I know how you saved Sascha and you flunking your calc. test, but she was right, kitten. You can't tell anyone about what we are."

"But the teachers...."

"Not that many know. She did, you were right about that, but almost no other teachers actually know. We have to be *very* careful or there'll be people like your archenemy who'll call their mommies to come and shut us down."

Catherine hung her head. "I know. I knew she knew though."

"Yup, she did," Tyler said, lifting her chin up. "It wasn't bad, Catherine, but you've got to be more careful. When Philip said there were people who would watch you, he meant it. This is one of the big things they'll be watching for, for us to act funny or break our cover." She nodded, giving him a hopeful look. "Good. Now, get to unpacking while I go goad my brothers into helping."

"Why, Tyler," Philip Rayne said from the doorway, looking at the mess. "No one said you were moving up here *today*." He looked at Catherine, then shook his head. "It's not that bad, Catherine. Most everyone around here's got an idea that Tyler and Sascha are strange. You just gave a wonderful lie if anyone asked." She looked at him and nodded. "Then I won't hear of you saying anything else on the subject?" She shook her head. "Good. Tyler, this is a wreck and a fire hazard. Clean it up before I do room inspections tonight." Catherine squeaked. "Your room's right after his." Then he walked down the halls to put up the notices.

"Your room's not that dirty," Tyler said, frowning at her. "Why did you squeak?" She whispered in his ear. "Oh, wonderful," he said, rolling his eyes. "Go tell her and then come back and help me." He watched as she ran across the hall then got up and put away his purple boxes.

***


Catherine looked up from doing her homework and found a guy she vaguely knew from somewhere standing there beside her. "Hi, what's wrong?" she asked, turning to look at him. He was much too clean cut to be one of the scruffy ones, and much too tense to be a friend. She palmed her panic button, waiting for an answer. "I can't help you if you don't speak," she reminded him.

"Catherine?" Celia yelled.

"In here, small problem," she called back. Celia came running in, stopping when she saw the man standing there. "I looked up from my homework and there he was. He hasn't said anything yet."

"That's because he's not really here. That's an illusion. Push your button," Celia said calmly, walking in to look at the likeness.

Philip ran in, stopping when he saw what was standing beside Catherine. "Roschene?" he asked, looking disturbed. "How did he get in here?"

"He's an illusion, he hasn't moved," Celia told him.

"I looked up from my homework and there he was," Catherine added, looking worried. "Is this normal?"

"No. He's not supposed to be able to get into the school." Philip walked out and came back a few minutes later with a lit candle, which he put down in the middle of the illusion, burning it up. "Okay, girls," he said, looking at them. "How long before you called me?"

"Just seconds since I got in here," Celia told him. "Catherine?"

"I felt someone watching me, that's why I looked up." She shrugged. "I don't know how long he was here, I was working on my accounting homework."

"All right," Philip sighed, then he jumped as he was poked in the back.

"Problems, kitten?" Robbie asked, looking at the candle sitting on the floor. "Illusion?"

"Roschene," Philip told him.

"Bastard," Robbie spat. "Who let him in here to bother her?" He rounded on his brother. "Did you *feel* him show up?"

"I didn't and I was sitting right here," Catherine said, getting up to calm him down. "It's all right. He was staring at my homework, nothing more."

Robbie patted her on the shoulder. "Vivital Roschene is not to be messed with and he's not a minor problem, Catherine." He looked around the room. "I want you to go wake up Tyler." She shook her head. "Yes. You need protection tonight and it's going to take us a few minutes to ward your room." He gently pushed her from the room, then turned to look at her roommate. "Call in your crew, we need Cody." Celia nodded and left to go get her girlfriend. Robbie looked at Philip again, shaking his head. "This is bad, man. Only two days and he's already caught her scent."

"I thought we sent him packing back when we were children," Philip said quietly.

"We did. Someone sent him back."

"So, like a bad postcard, Roschene shows up again?" Alexi asked as he walked in. Robbie nodded, pointing at the candle. "Hmm, simple illusion that let him study her. How long was he here?"

"A few minutes at least. She was doing her accounting homework."

"Then I'll go over and check on her." Alexi walked over to go check on their mascot, running into William in the hallway. "I want you to stay with Tyler and kitten," he ordered quietly. "We've got to ward her room."

William nodded. "I know. Tyler called me to come up and entertain her." He glanced at her room. "Mom?"

"Isn't on this plane, as far as we can tell," Alexi said, patting him on the shoulder. "Go do that. I'll have some clothes brought over so she can camp out on the couch if we run long." He walked back into Catherine's room and started going through her drawers, pulling out a comfortable looking shorts set and some underwear. He handed it to Celia as she came back in. "Go give this to her. She's in Tyler's room." Celia blushed and nodded, going over to do his bidding.

"Alexi," Cody said, stroking down his arm, "it isn't that bad. He just caught her scent. You guys can protect her."

"Mom might be on his plane," Robbie said coolly. "We just want him gone again."

"Deal," Cody said, pulling something out of the fanny pack she was wearing and walking over to the window to examine it. "When did she get this crystal?"

"Her second shopping trip," Philip told her.

"Go calm the floor, Mr. Rayne," Cody ordered, not looking at him. "We don't need hysterical boys." She waited until she felt him leave, then looked at Robbie, passing him the crystal. "He infected it."

Robbie sighed and crushed the crystal, sending the little pieces into the trash can. "Anything else you can find?"

"No. Not unless...." She walked over to the closet and looked inside, bringing down a pair of shoes. "He blessed her shoes?" she asked, sounding incredulous. "How does he do that? *I* can't do that!"

"Mom can't do that," Tyler said as he walked in. "She wore those ... yesterday," he told her, having to think about it.

"How do you *bless* shoes?" Robbie asked.

"Not a clue," Cody sighed, putting them into a plastic bag. "Brook's waiting on me downstairs. We'll bring them back up after we're done." She walked out, leaving the guys alone.

Tyler walked back over to his room, watching as William hounded Catherine for a kiss. "Stop it," he sighed, closing the door. "She said she's not ready for a relationship yet."

"I just wanted a kiss, not a wedding," William pouted, then he turned his pout on her.

Catherine gave in and kissed him on the cheek. "There, better?" she asked, patting him on the head like a dog.

"Yup," he said, grinning again. William looked up at his brother. "She's fine."

"Of course I am, it was only mildly creepy." Catherine curled up, looking up at Tyler. "Anything interesting?"

"Just the fact that you have underwear with cartoon characters," he said, smiling down at her.

"They were there and in my size," she said, shaking her head. "Not meant to be seen." Her head snapped up. "You went through my underwear drawer?"

"No, I watched while Celia pulled out some clothes for you." He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her neck. "You're taking this very well, kitten. Good job."

"Tyler," she sighed. "I hate pet names."

"I heard. But we'll only call you this one."

"And it will keep me from making up one," William told her. "Really, that's not something that you want to get on my bad side of."

"I *hate* pet names," she said firmly. "I have a name."

"Ah," Tyler said, giving her a squeeze. "A pet name keeps us from telling everyone who you are, because Roschene is not the only bad guy out there, kitten. It's harder for them to try and take you if they don't know who you are." He looked over at William. "You can go. We've removed the tainted and touched things."

"Things?" Catherine asked.

"Things," Tyler agreed. "Your crystal and the shoes you wore yesterday. You'll get those back by tomorrow though."

"He tainted my *shoes*?" she said, looking confused. "Can you do that?"

"Apparently, he can," Tyler noted. "He works with a different form of magic than you or I would. Dragonic magic is very different from what humans would use. And it seems like he's got a fondness for shoes." He shrugged. "We're working on making sure that he can't see you."

"Tyler," she said, getting free so she could turn and face him. "What's the big deal here? Why would he be *after* me?"

"Because of what we are," he reminded her.

"And? I'm thinking that you're not the only ones."

He snorted. "No, our mother was most prolific, but that's not the real reason." He looked into her eyes. "Which you want to know, right?"

"It's the best way for me to be protected."

"Okay. Truth is, Mother runs an international business, the school is just part of it, she was once a student here. One of our sisters started an information brokerage. Both were started well before Christianity took over Britain. They've morphed over the years to stay hidden, but there are a lot of people who'd like to see us fail as a family."

"That's not it," Catherine said, shaking her head when Tyler nodded. "No, it's not. I can tell you're holding something back."

"Yes, but it's not something that you need to know at the moment," Philip said as he walked in. "Cody and Brook are warding her room now. Celia's been sedated for the night. Catherine, are you all right?"

"Fine," she said, giving him a sweet smile, "but I want to know who that man was and what's really going on. It's the only real way for me to protect myself after all. You guys can't be with me *all* the time."

"True," Philip sighed, looking at Tyler, who shook his head. "You'll learn soon, Catherine, leave it there for now. What Tyler told you is part of the reason, but not the whole of it. It's enough for now." He sat down on the chair, looking at them both. "Roschene is the family's enemy. He's from our mother's people. He wants her destroyed more than life itself, and he's gotten very close before. You are the most easy target to reach right now. He tried to get the other bound ones, but he couldn't do it. He could only reach you."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"If he knows you then he can take you," Tyler told her gently.

"We'd really like to avoid that," William agreed.

Catherine stood up and looked at the men. "Then why are we doing *magic* to ward me? Don't I need to know hand-to-hand or something?"

"No, it won't help," Tyler said simply. He leaned over and grabbed her, pulling her down into his lap. "What we are, our family heritage, is magic, kitten. Everyone like us can use it. William's a little too young to start that aspect of his training," he said, looking at his brother, "but he's getting closer." He kissed her on the side of the head. "Sleep, let Alexi show you tonight in your dreams." He projected his own ability to calm, putting her to sleep as he slowly hummed in her ear. Once she was out, he laid her down on the couch, letting William stroke through her hair while he dragged his older brother into his bedroom and shut the door. "What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"As far as we know, Mother got dragged back to his realm already," Philip told him. "He's not looking for her, he's looking for the one named *after* her." He could see realization dawning on him. "He wants you guys, not Mother, and not her. He thinks he can control you through your bonded."

"Then he's whacked," William said from the doorway. "When do we go get Mom?"

"She left orders for us to not move from the school," Philip reminded him. All of the children had been given very specific orders to follow until she got back. "As soon as you have complete control over your form, you'll start your training. Tyler, I want you to watch over her. She's just rash and impatient enough to go find answers and trouble."

Tyler nodded. "I noticed. We heard you swearing when you found out who was surfing the web for dragon sites." He looked at William. "Any way to get her transferred over here?"

"I think she'd throw a fit," William suggested lightly.

"She will. Tyler, the best thing we can actually do is move her downstairs."

"Which automatically sets of alarms with girls like Marna, who's been giving her fits now since school started."

"That girl," William snorted. "We can have her removed."

"Not without a good reason. Her mother's using her as a spy right now," Philip told him. "We're feeding her false information but she's got to be here for a while." He ran a hand through his ash brown hair. "Then I guess you're staying up here. Alexi's already at the other end of the hall. Celia's crew is going to watch out for her too. We'll have to be very vigilant until the unveiling next month." He walked out, mumbling something to himself.

Tyler looked at William. "I want us all to have a meeting, and then bring her into it. Got me?"

William nodded. "I'll tell the others." He jogged out of the room, going to find his brothers and sister.

Tyler walked out and sat in the chair, watching his bonded one sleep.

***


Catherine sat down at her favorite table in the library, looking at the pile of books she had pulled down. She picked up one her left and started to skim through it, looking for the information that no one would give her. One thing she did know was how to search out the information she needed. She put that one aside and picked up another one, skimming the sections that she might have something in. She put that one aside and picked up the next one. It was the diary of a former student and its categorization sticker had it in the same section. She decided to put that one aside in her bag and pick up the school's history, a thick and heavy book. She had gotten through the parts dealing with the foundation of the order, which was fascinating in its own right, when she was joined at the table by Tyler. She noticed him because he took the book from her. "What?" she asked, trying to look innocent.

"You're supposed to be able to trust us," he said quietly, putting the book down. "We're going to tell you, once we figure out which parts are the pertinent ones."

"Why don't you tell me all of it and let me be the judge of what's pertinent?" she suggested. "Trust does go both ways, Tyler."

"I know." He patted the edge of the history book. "While this is fascinating, it's not what you want." He pointed at a very ragged book on the bottom of the right-hand pile. "You want to read that one."

"Why?"

"Because it's the diary of the former Headmistress, who knew all about this." He stood up. "I wish you had waited. It's a very complicated story."

"I've been reading since I was four," she told him. "I started reading my parent's anthropology books because that's what was in the house. Is this harder than Marxian theories?"

"No," he said, giving her a faint smile. "Not that hard. Just more twisted."

"Twisted is good, I can deal with twisted. I can't and won't deal with being lied to." He nodded, he had gotten the point. "Should I read it or are you going to tell me?"

"Read it, then we'll discuss it and fill in the gaps," he told her, giving her a sweet smile. "Then you and I are going to go riding."

"I *loathe* horses. And the feeling's mutual."

He leaned closer. "You still have to know, just in case you have to ride one of us," he whispered. He sat back up. "Besides, it's good exercise and you get to breathe fresh air for a few hours. We can even go into the woods if you want."

She smiled. "Nice try, but no." She pulled the book out and started to flip through it, getting lost in the narrative.

Tyler stood up and left the library, going to report to his older brother. He had never known anyone as stubborn as that girl. Then again, he liked challenges.

From behind a nearby bookcase, Marna peeked out to see if the coast was clear. "So that's what this is all about," she muttered, going to call her mother. She would want to know about this.

***


Celia slammed the room door as she came in, startling her roommate. "What did you tell them?" she demanded.

"Huh?" Catherine checked her watch. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I just got told the most *outrageous* rumor," she hissed. "The rumor is, the scarlet girls are all here to marry the headmistresses' children!"

"Um, okay," Catherine said, moving her feet out from under her. "I never said that. Who's spreading it around?"

"Marna and her sister." Celia flopped down into the chair, still glaring at her roommate. "They said that they overheard you making plans for a *dalliance*, their word, with Tyler."

Catherine's brow wrinkled as she recalled her and Tyler's talk that afternoon. "Well, he did say something about riding horses so I would know how to ride him," she offered. "I guess someone overheard and took it the wrong way." She shrugged. "Again, yay."

"It could be worse," Tyler called from the hallway. He opened the door far enough to stick his head in. "At least that rumor's *partially* true." Celia waved him in so he walked in and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. "It's a useful rumor. Much better than the truth getting out." He grinned at Catherine. "Maybe we should go riding after all." His bonded threw a pillow at him. "Sorry, never mind," he apologized, but he was still smiling. "Think about it, Celia, it could be *much* worse. This one we can counter fairly easily. Or we could let it stand, which might be even more helpful." The door was knocked on so he opened it, stepping out of the way of his older brother. "You heard?" he asked.

"What did you say?" Mr. Rayne asked Catherine.

"I'm afraid this is mostly my fault," Tyler said, blushing a little when his brother glared at him. "I told Catherine that she had to go riding so she could learn to ride one of us."

Mr. Rayne hit himself on the forehead and groaned. "I don't want to know." He looked at Celia. "Can we count on you to stop this rumor?"

"Why stop it?" Tyler asked. Everyone glared at him. "What? It's better than the truth being known and..." He shut the door again. "It's much better than anyone finding out what's really going on, plus the whole bonded issue is covered too. It's a very convenient lie, and one that might even up our incoming students. After all, there's a lot of us, and if mothers think that they have a chance with us, which wasn't possible in the past, more of them would send their children here. Especially the boys."

"Why wasn't it possible before?" Celia asked. "My mother was hoping I'd make a good match while I'm here."

"It's stated in the handbook that we do not encourage our students to fraternize," Mr. Rayne sighed, starting to look very tired. "You're supposed to go out and get matches from the available population of rich people who need spouses, not from the other students. It defeats the purpose if you date within the Sisterhood's candidates."

Celia shrugged. "How many of us are heirs though? I figure that at least most of us are minor heirs, if not total heirs, to our parents' estates. None of us here are poor, Mr. Rayne."

"Yes, but originally, the intention was to start a female uprising so that women could get more power," Catherine told her. Both men looked at her. "What? It was in the history of the school and the order. They're here to encourage female empowerment by any means. Marrying off the students to world leaders and corporation owners was just the most convenient. It was then expected for those women to work to bring more women up and give them power by influencing their husbands. Or at least that's what that diary said."

Mr. Rayne nodded. "Definitely," he agreed. "Which is why it's not encouraged for you students to date other students." He looked from Catherine to Tyler and back. "It is a convenient rumor," he agreed finally.

"Can I belt the first person who starts humming the wedding march?" Catherine asked dryly, grinning at the men. "By the way, one of *you* gets to tell my mother when she hears about this."

Tyler chuckled. "That's fine, kitten." His smile got wider at her growl. "We explained that."

"Doesn't mean I like it," she reminded him. "I hate pet names, even more than I hate horses."

"Catherine, which would you rather have? Being kidnaped to a world where the sun never rises and that is worse than anything that could ever possibly be found in any horror movie, or a pet name?" Tyler asked. She frowned at him. "Seriously. It's happened in the past. That's why we instituted the pet name system." She shook her head, letting it hang. "So, which would you rather have? Torture in a realm dark enough to be hell, or kitten?"

"Fine, but I hate pet names."

"That's the only one you'll hear and you'll only hear it from us," he promised. He looked at his brother. "Isn't the next unveiling next month?" He nodded. "Did we find her an appropriate outfit yet?" Philip shook his head. "Why not?"

"Huh?" Catherine asked, raising a hand. "I have clothes."

"This is another special event thing, and this time the blues are invited," Celia offered.

"Can't I wear the one I already have?"

"No, that one is special and only to be worn for the welcoming," Tyler said firmly. "That's why it's cut that way and looks a bit old-fashioned."

"Yeah, but I looked good in it," she offered.

"Well, this time, we'll find you something equally as old fashioned," Tyler promised with a grin. "We should go to the closet this afternoon."

"William's been in it again," Philip admitted. "It seems he wanted her in blue." He looked over, then nodded slowly. "What he called up was quite pretty and might even suit her. How do you feel about midnight blue and gold?"

"Gold?"

"Gold?" Tyler asked. "With her skin tone?"

"We can change it to silver," Philip agreed. "We'll bring it to you soon. It should look stunning on you, Catherine. You three behave, please. I've got two kids with the flu on the other end of the hall." He left them alone.

Tyler came over to sit next to her, giving her a pat on the back as he put an arm around her shoulder. "You should look stunning in this dress. We want to make others jealous, dear." He grinned at her. "It's why we're all so pretty."

She pinched him. "And arrogant," she pointed out dryly.

He smirked at her. "It's not bragging if it's true," he quipped, grinning at Celia. "How's the party circuit looking?"

"Fairly good this weekend," she admitted. "It's a town weekend for the fourth years." She glanced at Catherine then back at him. "One of you might want to think about sneaking her down there to find shoes."

"Mine's in another week," Catherine pointed out. "I should have enough time. Or I could always order online and have them sent to my mother, who then can mail them to me."

"I'd never order shoes online, you can't be sure how they'd fit," Celia reminded her. "Do get something comfortable. Last's year's turned into a very long dinner."

"And dance."

"Dance?" Catherine squeaked. "I can't dance!"

"We'll teach you," Tyler said calmly, hoping to calm her down. "Alexi is very good at that and Robbie should have been a knight. I promise, we will teach you, kitten." He stroked her cheek. "We'll figure it out, okay?" She nodded. "Though I do agree, we should sneak you down for shopping. None of us are in your year and with that skanky thing finding you, I don't want you unguarded for a bit."

"What could happen?"

"Oh, let's not go into the realm of 'what if's, dear, it'll give some of us nightmares and then we'll become *really* overprotective." He stroked the back of his hand across her cheek, making her shiver. "Now, you rest and study."

"It'd be better if you found a way to go with her group," Celia admitted, "especially with Marna starting stuff."

He considered it. "True. I'm sure we can do something about that." He stood up, grinning down at them. "I'm going back to my room. Come over to hang out if you want; we'll let you know if you're in the way." Celia smirked at him. "Yes, even you and your ladies. I'm sure the misery they could cause the others would be stunning." He wiggled his fingers and walked away.

"Shoes?"

"Shoes. Wear something comfortable. Last year two of the benches broke," Celia told her. "We had to stand for four hours." Her eyes went wide and she groaned. "You could try for heels. Their mother said that something like that happening again would cause great pain in some rears."

"Hopefully. Definitely thicker heels if I wear heels."

"You could go for flats."

"Sasha's the only one near my size. I fit in Robbie's armpit."

"Well, then maybe a short heel," Celia admitted. "How's the schoolwork?"

"Boring this week. I hate physics."

Celia nodded. "I know, but it's part of the territory. Think about how much easier it'll be next year when you get to specialize." Catherine looked stunned so she chuckled. "As long as you get all your mandatories out of the way. There'll be language courses of course, but other than that, you've probably got your math out of the way if you pass calculus. Unless the guys think you should take one more year of a higher math, and then I'm sure you could ask one of them to tutor you in the special maths and physics that you'd be taking. Plus riding lessons."

"Horses loathe me. They bite, they kick, and they sneeze on me. I hate horses. I loathe horses just as much as they abhor me. Short of them sending me out there in padding like you see the guys we beat up on in rape prevention classes, I'm not getting near them."

"I'm sure they'll get the point after the first day," Celia offered. "Let one of the guys take you down to the stable once. That should cure one of those problems. Sasha gets along great with them."

"Fine, I'll let her take me down there soon," she sighed. "When I'm back in a sling for the bite again, you get to help me wash my back."

"If you want," Celia agreed with a smirk. "I didn't know you liked girls."

"I've never really cared that much one way or another. Why have a relationship? They always *there*. You can never get away from them." She shuddered and grabbed her books, standing up. "I'm going to email my mother. Let's see if she's realized I'm going to beg for more treats." She headed into her room, closing her door gently.


"You know," Celia said to the empty room, "they're going to have a long way to go to calm her down." She picked back up her book, going back to the romance. "Hey, no fair, I wanted to see what he fed her to get her into bed."
Chapter 6 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER SIX



Catherine looked across the field with the horses, then back at her guides. "Are you sure this is a good idea? The last time I got near a horse I got sixteen stitches."

"It's a very good idea," Robbie assured her, whistling loudly. One of the horses looked up and trotted over. He and Sasha both moved to pet that one. "This one is very loving. Both of us learned to ride on her," he assured her. "She's used to shy people and people who aren't really sure they want to be out here."

William gave her a nudge. "She won't bite. She didn't bite me and I was playing mean pranks when I got introduced."

"Fine." She stepped forward, letting the horse sniff her. The mare's ears went back and she backed up. "Sure, that's all good," she agreed. The horse snorted and she quickly retreated farther away. "We were saying?"

"Solange didn't like her?" Sasha asked, looking at her horse. "What is wrong with you? You like everyone." She patted the soft neck gently. "Are you radiating hostility or something?"

"No, my distaste isn't quite that bad," Catherine assured her. "I don't like them, they don't like me, I'm really glad that we got cars." She shrugged. "Horses have *never* liked me."

Tyler looked at her, then sighed. "You're the first of you in *history* that the horses haven't liked. Even the ones who eventually ended up going bad the horses liked. It's not fair to you."

"Well, the others also probably only had one of you and since I have more, doesn't that make me more special?" she retorted.

Tyler started to open his mouth, then he shook it, but it was Alexi who laughed. "She's got a point, Ty. She really does. Willing to try once more?" She sighed and stepped closer, letting him take her hand. The horse whinnied and turned, running away. "Okay, they don't like you," he agreed. "We'll make sure they don't put you in that as your gym elective."

"I used to think that they had some sort of horse telepathy. Somewhere is the one who decided I was bad first and it's been sent out to all the other horses."

"Well," Tyler said quietly, glancing around. "It can't be proved whether or not herds do communicate." She grimaced and picked up a clump of dirt to throw at him. "Easy!"

"No, I'm not."

"Okay, you're not," he agreed with a grin. "Come on, I'll help you with your physics homework since the plans for a long ride seems to have fallen through."

"We could try riding double. Solange would let one of us up first," Sasha suggested.

"Let's not," Tyler told her. "We don't want to hurt her." He looked behind him when Marna came into view. He glanced at Alexi, who let her go. "If you want, you can try to get one of the horses one more time."

Sasha looked over at them, but the whole herd had run off. "I doubt it. It seems someone's scared them." She looked at Marna. "Sorry, we're trying to get her used to it before gym class. I still think we should get some ice cream first, Tyler."

Robbie grimaced. "No, Sasha. We need to make sure her physics homework is impeccable. I want our friend to be the tops in that class."

"I'm already all-but tops in my business classes," Catherine offered. "I love theory but it's the technical aspects that keep getting to me. Especially the mechanical." She walked through the gate, letting them get it for themselves. "Hey, Marna. Having fun?" She looked at Alexi. "What was with Benton in accounting? It was like he was grossed out by the thought of stocks."

"I'm not really sure," Robbie admitted. "I tried to talk to him but I have no idea what happened. We can commandeer a study room if you wanted to work on those things." He shrugged. "I've not done my homework yet either."

"I wouldn't care. I'm a bit ahead in there and my other business classes." She grinned, heading around her nemesis back to the school with the others parading behind around. "You know, I haven't seen many of the rest of you guys recently. Are they ill?"

"No, they're hiding. Someone seems to think that she had a chance with them," Tyler told her. "They thought it best to leave her alone." He patted her on the head. "You need to grow more, Catherine."

"I'm probably as grown as I'm going to be. You're just going to have to accept that I'm short, Tyler." She grinned up at him. "See, I told you I didn't like horses and they hated me."

"True, you did. I'll quit nagging you to go riding with me," he agreed, smirking at her for the way she had just shoved Marna's comments back in her face. "We should email your mother again. She seemed to like the jokes I sent her."

"Why were you emailing my mother?" she asked, frowning at him.

"Because you left your last message open. We sent it for you," he said with a grin. "We didn't want your mom to worry about you, you know." He patted her on the back. "I got a very nice one back from her at the address I gave her. She thought I sounded quite polite and was hoping I was helping you in those nasty hard sciences. So, what part of the physics lecture were you having problems with again?" The others laughed.

"The mechanical parts. A mechanical person I am not. Machines and I are great. I push the button and they work." He snickered. "Other than that, I don't think I need to know. I don't find it that interesting. Sorry."

"Not an issue. Even a theory person has to pick a branch of theory to cling to, otherwise they get tossed around in the wind," he agreed, holding the door for his brothers since she hadn't let them get the door for her. "Your taste for the business stuff means that you'll probably never get along with the lesser goal-oriented parts of physics. Yes, gears make the world go round, but they don't do much if you're interested in firm lines and numbers. I'm sure aerodynamics was that way."

"No, my early interest in fantasy novels helped me there," she pointed out. "Let's face it, I've had a dragonmail account now for years. It made sense when I put it into that context." They all nodded and a few sighed. "Sorry, guys, but I'm a fantasy novel girl. You're going to have to get used to the oddness that flows around me sometimes."

"At least it's a handy way of explaining some odd things that seem to go on around you," Tyler agreed. "I'm sure we can use that to our advantage too." He patted her on the back. "It was most genius of us to pick you as a friend you know. You do make things quite interesting."

"Hey, I try," she said smugly, smirking at him. "Now, how do I get past the grinding gears in my head to get over the mechanical part of physics?"

"We go back to fantasy novel concepts," Alexi said firmly. "What has gears?"

"Space ships," Tyler offered.

"I thought they all worked on reactor power or something," Catherine said, looking confused. "They work on gears? Shouldn't you have something more ...futuristic by the time it's Star Trek?"

"One would hope so but the others don't have the anti-matter drives those do," Robbie offered. "Some of them do mention gears and we can use the beginnings of a space ship to deal with that."

"You know, speaking as an anime person, if we don't already have those giant robots and the battle armor they've been predicting since the fifties, I'd be really surprised," Sasha offered. "Those would be a bit more down-to-earth for her. Some of the battle robots do run with gears, pedals, and switches."

"I've never really seen much of that," Catherine offered. "But I'm willing to try."

"Then I'll get you some of my comics and manga, we'll see if they make sense and we'll do the lessons with a giant battle robot."

"Cool." Catherine looked at her, then stepped closer. "We don't have one of those lying around, right?"

Sasha laughed, patting her on the back. "Not here, kitten," she said innocently. "Maybe one of the older kids has one in their basement but we don't."

"Oh, that's good," she agreed, nodding. "I like that idea. Just as long as I'm not expected to break it." She nodded more firmly. "I can't see me doing anything but breaking one actually." The guys laughed. "Seriously. Should I get my books?"

"Go for it," Tyler agreed. "We'll meet you in the library." She jogged off and he looked at Sasha. "I didn't know Kelvin had one of those."

"He said he's working on it. I was going to ask him if he'd send us some introductory lessons." She grinned and strolled off to use the phone in her mother's office. Her sister-in-law wouldn't mind that much. She tapped briefly before walking in. "Hey, needed to call Kelvin. We're tutoring in mechanical physics." Her sister-in-law Marilyn gave her a look then glanced at the person in front of her. "Oh, hey, sorry. I can easily use the outer phone if necessary."

"No, young lady, it's good that you feel comfortable enough to barge in on the Headmistress' office."

"She's one of the Headmistress's daughters," the sister-in-law said firmly. "She has every right to call her big brother." She handed over the phone. "Make it short."

"Sure. Kitten and I are confused in physics and I was hoping Kelvin had something that could help us." She dialed a long distance number. "Hey, Kel, it's Sasha. Our kitten has a problem with mechanicals in physics. She's a fantasy person and I thought instantly of our collection of battle robot anime. Think you have something that could help us?" She grinned. "Excellent. Yeah, I'll be waiting beside the machine. Thanks, bro." She hung up. "He's faxing over some robot schematics to help us." She looked at the man. "Was there a problem?"

"Nothing that should concern you, young lady."

"Actually, everything concerns me," Sasha pointed out. "Especially if it concerns my mother and her being missing."

"She's *missing*?"

"She never told the children where she was going or why," the sister-in-law covered, giving Sasha a look. "Some of them have even thought that she might have been taken by someone." Sasha nodded. "She said she was in hiding because of the person who threatened her life so none of you students could get hurt."

"Which is great, but I'd rather not have the standard womanhood talk with you, sis." She shrugged. "You'd just confuse me." She headed out to watch the fax machine as it spit out detailed drawing after detailed drawing of a popular battle robot design. "Cool. I like that one, it's more old-fashioned." She gathered up everything once they stopped, listening to the hissed conversation inside the office. She would be sure to tell Tyler that the mayor of the village had been up here and what was going on. She met everyone in the library, handing over the drawings first. "The mayor was up." Everyone looked at her. "He was complaining about the students not having a firm guiding hand and about mother." She crossed her arms. "He actually suggested replacing her with one of his lackeys."

"He can't do that. The school and the town are different," Tyler pointed out. He stood up. "I think maybe I should have a talk with our beloved mayor. He's the one who starts all those rumors as well." He strolled out, casually heading that way. He met them in the outer office. "Sorry, Sasha said she's missing a drawing," he admitted, heading for the fax machine. "Hmm. He must have forgot the interior carriage." He sat down to call his brother, a different one but he would answer to the same name. "Hey, it's Tyler. Did you forget to include a drawing of the interior? We'll need it for mechanical lessons. No, nothing *that* important, just Kitten's and Sasha's lessons. You know, those sort of things." Coded, but it let that brother know that things were going odd up at the school and with their bonded one. "Yeah. Sure. You're sure you wanna come up?" He grinned. "Hey, we'd love to have you guest lecture in the lessons. The teacher's feeling a bit stretched at the moment. They scheduled him two classes at the same time. Deal, man. See you soon." He hung up. "That was Brad, he was at Kel's. He's wanting to come up to help in the physics lectures. I didn't think you'd mind?"

"No, he did the lectures while the teacher was out sick that one time," the acting headmistress agreed. "Thank you for that. I'm sure you'll have a fun reunion."

"Hopefully." The fax machine spit out a new drawing and he gathered it up. "Yeah, that's what we needed." He grinned at the mayor. "So, are any new businesses coming in? We're getting itchy for some good video games and things among the lower years."

"Not yet," he admitted bitterly. "The bookstore is coming back next month however."

"Our friend would love that," Tyler agreed. "She's a real fantasy buff. Brought in about a hundred books with her." The mayor's jaw clenched. "They're not carrying any?"

"If not, I'm sure they can order them for the girl."

"If not, she's got an online account she does that through and her mother ships them to her," Tyler agreed. "I know she'd rather have a local source. The anticipation sometimes drives her to distraction." He grinned innocently, putting the man off balance. "Anything else new coming up? Are we having a harvest celebration this year? I was going to ask her to show her around."

"We are. I'll leave now," he said, glaring at the pro-tem Headmistress. "Don't forget what we talked about." He stomped off.

Tyler glanced out the door. "What is he going on about now?" he asked her. She scowled at him. "You know very well this current crisis involves us," he said quietly. "The same as you know that it involves Kitten. We all know that now. We need to have information to deal with it."

"He's pushing to have the school moved."

"We've been here longer than there's been a town," Tyler pointed out.

"Yes, but he's one of those conspiracy people. He thinks we're here to warp people."

"He can bite me," Tyler offered with a bright grin. "If the school falls then a lot of people are going to be rushing to do some damage control. People like the Sisters." He stood up, nodding politely at the secretary as she came back. "If anything else comes from Kel or Brad, we're in the library," he said with a wink, making the older woman blush. "They're helping us with Kitten's physics lessons. She's not a mechanical person, she's a fantasy creature person and no one's ever made a fantasy creature from gears." He strolled off, taking the drawing with him. It seemed like it was time to talk to the older and wiser members of the family. He walked into the library, going up to the head librarian, who was a member of the Sisterhood, though the male branch of it. "Family meeting time," he said cheerfully, taking the book he was holding out. The man smirked at him. "Is it due soon?"

"As soon as you get done with it," he noted.

Tyler looked at the book, then at him. "Niche has never been that easy but I'll try." He headed into their study room, closing the door soundly behind him. "We're going to have to have a family meeting. Orders to the contrary or not." Everyone stared at him. "The mayor wants us to replace mother with a town lackey or to shut the school."

"Oh, no," Robbie sighed. "That's what he was doing up here?" Tyler nodded. Sasha looked sick. "What?"

"I heard him saying that he was going to complain about our odd educational system to the proper authorities in the government."

"He can try, they accept our means and ways since so many colleges accept our credits," Robbie pointed out.

Alexi sighed. "It's often a matter of politics and none of us play it that well."

"Then the perfect solution to that would have been Nicholas," Catherine pointed out. "Or someone exactly like him. Yes, I read that part as well, but I have no idea if there's any of you who are the proper age."

"We could just call Nick," Tyler told her. He grinned. "That is a wonderful idea however. He'd hate to be called from Yale."

"He'll survive," Catherine pointed out. "The school might not."

"Indeed," Sasha agreed. "I'll call him myself if I have to."

"He'll have to come for the family meeting," Alexi pointed out.

"Yes, and the others will concur," Robbie agreed.

"Then we'll bring it up then." Tyler grinned at their helper. "Good job, Kitten." He handed over the last drawing. "Brad did it, he's on his way up as well."

"Excellent. He's always very good at giving the international maze of corporations lectures," Robbie said happily. "It'll do our business program quite well."

"For now, let's work on physics," Catherine decided. "I need it more."

"Agreed," Tyler agreed, settling in to help her with this area. Not his best either but the diagrams were going to make sense to her, he was sure of it.

***


Tyler set himself in the middle of the various portals, speakers, and people, coughing. It didn't stop the babble of voices. "Hey!" That got silence. "Thank you." They were in the bonding arena so no one could really overhear them and all the children still in the school were gathered close enough to hear. "Thank you for attending this event. We have a few very bad problems going on and I do not think some of you are aware of them."

"Is this about why Mother disappeared?" one female voice asked.

"Yes, it is," Tyler said dryly. "They're not looking for her. They're hoping we, with our bonded one who carries the same name, will go rescue her so he can use us and her." That got a few hisses. "Then there's the problem of ...." A new portal formed. "Finally, Nick." He grinned. "Morning. Early on your coast is it?" He got a frown in return. "As I was saying, we've found out that he doesn't really want Mother, he wants someone with the same name, who happens to be our bonded. He's already tried to watch her once but we managed to stop it."

Nicholas, the oldest of the males, looked him over. "Where are the others?"

"In the bleachers. I got nominated to speak."

"Oh, fine. Why was I called? I can do nothing about that situation."

"No, but you could come and take over the school while Mother's gone," Tyler retorted. "Since the Mayor wants to shut us down or install one of his people to destroy us and figure out what's going on."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "How did you come to that conclusion, Tyler?"

"Easy, we overheard it. Sasha and I both did."

"Oh." He blinked a few times. "Who else is coming over?"

"I'm coming to guest teach," Brad's voice came from a speaker. "I'm due in within a week, depending on how things at White Knight shape up in the next few days."

"I have to give some notice. We're in the middle of the semester here," Nicholas pointed out. "I'll do the best I can, Tyler, and tell you by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Sasha said as she came down. "He's threatened to talk to the politicians about us. Get us closed or whatever he can do."

"Then we definitely need to have a firm hand and I'm one of the five of us who are scholarly," Nicholas agreed.

"Interestingly enough, our bonded read the journal of the first Headmistress and thought of you instantly," Sasha said proudly.

"Wonderful. Hold on, your bonded?"

"Team bonded," Tyler said with a small smirk.

"Get it right, I'm a mascot," Catherine called down.

"Okay, she's decided she's a mascot," Sasha said with a grin, "but we like her anyway. Even though she hates horses and loves fantasy novels."

"Especially the ones with dragons in them," Tyler finished. "Caused no end of problems one day."

Nicholas shook his head and groaned. "Give me a week. I'll be there." His portal disappeared.

"Anyone else want to come help? We could use the pimping for the other business interests," Sasha offered.

Most of the kids laughed. "We'll see," came out of various portals and speakers.

One voice came out differently. "I want to see this prophecy again. I'll be up to look at the book sometime tomorrow," she said firmly. "Have it pulled for me, kids." That speaker went dead.

"Hmm, she's not usually that abrupt," Sasha said, wandering off to call her and check on her. Her sister had never really hung up on anyone.

"That leaves the rest of you. Can we count on some help somehow?" Tyler asked. "Vacations will be soon and I'm sure some of us will be following her home since Mother's not here. Either that or we'll have to find someplace nice for the holidays."

"If you do, come to White Knight," Brad told him. "You can have a working holiday in the archives."

"Sure, Brad," another one in the same area said dryly, "and we'll do what with their bonded?"

"She's a business person," Tyler offered. "You and she might get along really well."

"Yes, but after only a year she probably can't make that distinction. Besides, I saw her profile and I'm sure she'd like the time off. Most first years do."

"Then we'll work it out," Brad decided. "I can easily work from the school for now. My computer travels." He groaned and something popped. "Besides, my shoulder's still messed up and I need a break from my research into Middle Eastern customs."

"Then she might be able to help you more than me," the business person said. "Her father was an Anthropologist before he died on a trip."

"She's mentioned a step-father," Tyler admitted quietly, glancing that way. She was chatting with Alexi about something. "Can you maybe send that to us? We don't understand sometimes."

"Sure, brother. I'll bring it with me," Brad agreed. "Lets all go. We'll see you soon. Hang on. If I know Nicholas, he'll be here in the morning."

Most everyone hung up and the portals mostly closed, but one sent a plate of cookies out, which Tyler gladly took with a grin. Then that one closed and he got up so he could share them with the others. "Valeria will be here tomorrow," he announced. "She wants that book on the prophecies to go through again." He nibbled his own cookie. "Sorry, Kitten. Dragonnip."

"That's all right," she said with a grin. "I've got chocolates upstairs still." She looked at him. "So, what am I doing for the holidays?"

"Being stalked," William said with a rakish grin. "Mind horribly?"

"Probably not," she admitted. "As long as you don't make my mother too upset or make her start to think about weddings."

"I'd never do that," William said seriously. "It would mean I'd have to settle down. I'd die doing that."

"One of these days he'll see it's not that bad," Alexi sighed, shaking his head.

"Yes, but until then, I'm happy the way I am, thank you," William said smartly. "Let's get her back up to her room, guys."

"I'm going," Tyler agreed. "See you at breakfast." He escorted her up to their floor, glancing at his brother as they walked in. "Nick's coming and so is Valeria. She wants the book again."

Philip Rayne looked at him, then nodded once. "Excellent. Nick may cure some of the current problems. People are pushing us to name a new Headmistress."

"Well, Nick's not exactly female, but do you think his time at Yale will count?" Tyler asked dryly, smirking at him.

"I'd hope so. The Order won't mind him," Philip agreed, heading back to his room. "Go to bed, children. Remember, you both have early classes tomorrow." He closed his door and sat down to call the Sister he was working with for information. "Helena? It's Philip. No, some good news. Nick's on his way back to take over for Mother for a bit. Yes, the one at Yale. Plus Tyler's talked a few of the older siblings back to help out with things now and then. Valeria will be here tomorrow as well. Yes, that would be the best solution. Thanks, love. Tell the little person I miss her." He smiled as he hung up, looking at the picture on his desk. "Soon you'll be back, little nip." He touched the child's face and forced himself to get up and go back to his grading essays. Next year's crop wasn't looking that promising and he had to find something in that pile of crud.
Chapter 7 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER SEVEN.


Nicholas DeMonthracian walked into the school and shook his head. "Someone needs to get onto the cleaning crew again," he muttered as he headed for where he could hear shouting. He walked into the office, dropping his bag on the way past the secretary's desk. "Morning, Syvette. Having a good day so far? I'll need some coffee soon. Dreadful flight over." He walked into his new office and slammed the door. "Shut it, now," he ordered calmly. The mayor and his sister-in-law looked at him. "I am Nicholas DeMonthracian. I am the new Headmaster by our Mother's decree and the Order has so decided."

"Are you qualified?" the mayor sneered.

"Why don't you ask my bosses at Yale?" he retorted calmly. "Or the ones at Oxford. I'm one of the top Classic's people in the world and I have been teaching now for going on fifteen years. Get out of my office. You have no say over this school and you wouldn't be trying this petty crap if my mother were still here. Out, now." The man huffed but left. "Now then," he said, looking at his sister-in-law. "You needed help, Marilyn?" She sat down, staring at him. "Very well then. I'm here. I have until the beginning of next fall. We'll find out what to do then if nothing's changed. As of right now, go deal with next year's crop and let me deal with this boring administrative stuff." The secretary walked in, handing him his coffee. "Thank you, Syvette. You're a peach, dear. Could you pull up all the problematic things for me to look over?" She nodded, smiling at him. "Thank you. Expect some things to be sent from Yale soon as well."

The secretary left and Marilyn stood up so he could have his desk seat. "She's a normal." He nodded as he sat down. "The biggest problem is Tyler's bonded," she told him.

"I heard she's a fantasy novel buff. It's an ingenious approach."

"She's found those conspiracy people's site on the web."

"Again, she likes dragons. It's only natural." He shrugged. "I'm sure Mother wasn't pleased but I'm also sure she needs to know at the moment if they're involved." He took a delicate sip and smiled. "Just perfect. She remembered." He looked at her. "I'm sure we'll be fine, Marilyn. Some of us are still quite skilled in this political dance we're doing now. We can handle it. Please though, find someone for William."

"Oh, you didn't hear? She's the whole group's bonded one. The whole of the Scruffy Ones." He looked impressed. "That's about half the problem. Some of the other girls are making up stories."

"Of course they are," he agreed. There must be something very special if she was bonded to all of them at once. He would have to talk with the girl sometime soon. "In case you don't remember, girls are always like that. I'm sure they'll find something more interesting closer to the holidays as presents are exposed and trips are planned." He took another sip of his coffee. "How are next year's applicants shaping up?"

"Horrible. I've only found three worthy people, all males, out of over five hundred applicants. Unless we lower the standards by a lot we'll have a very small incoming class."

"It's happened in the past. It's usually a sign that things are going to need tended to outside the school. The last one was the French Revolution. We ended up doing a lot of political dancing then." He took another sip. "Make a list, dear, and let me settle in." She nodded, leaving him alone finally. He put his feet up and looked around the small room. "I'll have to take over her real office as well," he decided. "There's not enough room in here to put all my books."

***


Catherine walked into the Headmaster's office hesitantly. "I was summoned?"

"It's nothing horrible," the secretary said with a smile. "Nicholas wanted to meet the close friend of his brothers and sister."

"Oh, that's fine then. A big relief, but good enough. I didn't want to take my calculus test today anyway," she admitted with a grin. "May I?" she asked, pointing at the door. The older woman nodded so she tapped on the door and walked in. "Hi. You summoned so I wouldn't have to take a Calc. test?"

He snorted. "That's what makeups are for," he pointed out dryly, looking her over. Odd shade of red hair, one long tail off to the side. Short everywhere else. Strong body, but not overly fit. Fairly modern looking woman all told. "How have you been settling in? Close the door, dear. I don't bite humans." She closed the door and walked in to sit across from him. "Any problems?"

"Only from some of the other girls. Marna and her sister have been finding whole new and unusual rumors to spread about me."

"Hmm. Heard some of that earlier and gave her a detention for daring to say that the horses didn't like you because you were improper with them. She was not amused when I called her mother either to report her horrible gossipmongering." He drank another sip of his coffee. "Any other problems?"

"Not that I can think of. I'm hoping my gym class won't be with the horses since they all hate me, but otherwise I can't think of anything."

"Good." He smiled at her. "Relax. I told you I don't eat humans." She laughed, relaxing. "How are you getting on with my brothers and sister?"

"We're good. They don't like to explain things to me sometimes but eventually I get stubborn and demanding. Then Tyler or Robbie steps in and takes over." He nodded, looking like he understood. "Are my books going to cause you more problems?"

"Probably not," he said with a smirk. "Going to change out your collection when you get home?"

"Oh, yes. I got a nice note from my mother that my sister was buying me a few new books after she got fussy and tore them up."

"Toddlers often do rip things up," he agreed, staring at the picture on the wall next to the window. "God knows Tyler tore up enough books trying to learn to read by himself."

"Oh, she's not a toddler. She's fourteen," she said smartly. He stared, looking shocked and horrified. "She's a beauty queen. She wants my room for herself and her wardrobe. She ripped them up after an early dismissal in a local pageant. It's puberty."

"Oh, no." He shuddered. "Women like that make me have hives. I'm glad that I don't have to deal with her. How are the studies going? Learning anything interesting?"

"I'm still having problems in mechanical physics, but no worse than I expected. I talked to the teacher, I still should average out a 'C' so I won't have any problems. He said I won't have to take any higher maths after this one, unless your brothers think it necessary and then I'd have a special one and it won't be mechanical but the things I already did well in."

"Good," he agreed happily. "We do encourage most of us to take that."

"Yes, but I'm a theory person, Nicholas. I like business things and I was raised on Social theories. My father taught in a mixed department so he had to teach sociology and anthropology now and then. I learned both from a very young age."

"Which is wonderful," he agreed. "You and Tyler probably have a few long talks."

"No, he's never asked my opinion on anything," she admitted. "I don't think he's ready for that yet. Right now, I'm like an odd kid sister he thinks he knows. Soon he'll be perfectly shocked I'm sure," she said with a touch of innocence on her face, which dissolved into a wicked grin. "Then again, he might not need to ask. It's not like he's ever told me if he's telepathic."

"No, he's not," Nicholas said with a smile of his own. "I'd say you were more than worthy to be with my brothers and sisters. There's been very few chosen I couldn't stand and fortunately you're not one of them." He put his cup down. "All right, back to the business stuff."

"I adore my business classes."

"That's good to know but I was talking about the student things. Anything you've seen that needs improvement?"

"The uniforms are *really* itchy." He nodded. "Can't we have them made in a different material?"

"You could but it'll be cold this winter."

"Yes, but that's what cashmere's for," she pointed out gently, like she would to a young child. "Cashmere is soft and warm and cuddly. So is chenille. For that matter, silk can be pretty warm too."

He waved a hand. "After your first year you get a bit more leeway in your attire. Cashmere is nice but I prefer virgin wool."

"Is that before or after you sheer them?" she teased. He burst out laughing. "Well, you said you didn't eat *humans* so I supposed you probably ate some sort of farm animal."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Touche, my dear. You got me. I prefer to wear wool, I tend to prefer cows to eat. They make less noise. Sheep are horribly noisy creatures with very little sense." She nodded. "That's fine. As long as you can find something that's respectable, I'll trust you not to get too cold this winter. Any luck finding a boyfriend?"

"As I've told others," she said, waving her hand about, "I'm not ready for that sort of relationship yet. It will only get in the way of my studies. I'd rather be smart than have to beat a boyfriend over the head when he does dumb things. Yes, I know most of them don't do many dumb things, but I'm basing it off my step-father and my sister's boyfriends, who are all dumb jocks." She heard the bell go off. "Oops, I should get to accounting."

"Go," he said fondly, watching as she left. Then he burst out laughing again. "Oh, Tyler has *no* idea what he got them in for," he chuckled. "That girl will be the best chosen we've had in a while if only because she'll stand up to them." He got up to make himself some more coffee. This school was chilly and he hated being cold.

***


Catherine opened the email from her mother during her lunch break, reading it quickly at the public terminals available in the library. Then she sighed and answered it shortly, noting she'd finish writing later, when she had time. She did put that she'd pass physics, barely, with a lot of help, maybe that would cheer her mother up. Then she turned and found her nemesis standing behind her. "Nothing good in the caf today?" she asked as she walked around her. She checked to make sure her email was closed out and that nothing was going to come up when the next person opened the browser, then she left the library.

"Writing love notes?" Marna called after her. "Won't your *friends* be upset?"

Catherine stuck her head back in. "I doubt they'll be upset that I just wrote my mother back about my sister's beauty pageant problems," she retorted coolly. "But I'll be sure to tell them you said hello." She left again, going to grab something to eat before her next class. She found her physics instructor in the hall and shrugged at him. "My mother's having conniptions about my sister's beauty pageant problems and her new acne problem."

"I don't think those would go together," he agreed dryly. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure. What's wrong, Professor? Can we chat and walk? I do need to grab something official for lunch. I'll get snapped at if I'm found to have only eaten an apple."

"Probably," he agreed dryly. He walked with her. "Do you want to take the special science class? I ask because there won't be any mechanicals but there will be aerodynamics, water, and power flows, which you weren't brilliant at on your last test."

"I tried," she pointed out. "Would it help me?"

"It would help with the theoretical you'll be dealing with during your summer classes."

"I'm taking summer classes? Does my mother know this? She planned on a great family reunion this year. Every last one of the unknown cousins is showing up." He snickered. "You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I have second and third cousins I have no idea who they are. Come to think of it, I have a few first cousins like that as well," she said, scrunching up her face to think. "Are summer classes mandatory?"

"No, not in the least, Catherine," he assured her quietly, glancing around. "We're worried about your safety, dear." Marna was coming up the hall so he stopped. "You know your father occasionally found some...delicate matters. We think one of them might be coming back," he said honestly. She raised a brow and he nodded. "Seriously. One of his old digs is coming open again and everyone thinks he hid something very important from it. They think they need that important something to figure out the site." Marna passed by them. "So we're worried about your security and safety. I've heard someone say that you probably have it at your house."

"Father's things were all packed up and put into a storage building," she admitted, fingering a button on her jacket. "I don't know what it could be. What dig?"

"One of the ones in Syria. The government is claiming some stolen old intelligence was taken by him."

"My father? My father barely knew what a modern person sounded like. He loathed modern people. His only interest was ancient peoples."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean someone didn't use him as a courier," he said gently. "Now, this holiday, we're sending one of the boys back with you. Just as a precaution. Your mother does know and she does know that we're letting you bring home a friend. It's safer for them and you if you're both away from here for the holidays."

"That's fine, Professor. I'm sure she won't mind much as long as she's had some warning."

"I told Nicholas to write her a letter, I'm assuming he has." He smirked at her. "He can be quite charming when it comes to fund-raising and sweet-talking parents out of a rage about their precious, stupid children's grades." She snickered at that. "You'd be surprised. Some of those children at Yale are fascinatingly dumb. We even did a small study on them when I was there, using it in psychology and other humanity classes. It got us quite good marks." He patted her on the arm. "Is it a yes on the special science?"

"I suppose I wouldn't mind," she agreed. "Will it take up much of my time?"

"Probably not more than physics is now."

"Well, that is taking up a large chunk of my time studying. So much so that I nearly forgot all about my calculus test."

"That happens," he admitted. "Next semester will be easier. Two more classes but one's gym and the other's an art or a literature elective."

"I thought I was taking a beginning language."

"You might be," he agreed. "Some do, especially those in the business track." He smiled again. "I'll put you down for my special sessions of hell on power flows. Trust me, you'll get it quite well." He tapped the fantasy novel on top of her other books. "Quite well." He strolled off, heading to the office to check with Nicholas. Just in case he had forgotten when the French authorities came around. He noticed the secretary was shifting. "Bad timing on my part?"

"They're in there, but nothing that horrible," she admitted. "It might break up the blustering." She handed over a piece of paper and a pen. "Here, make it a note. I'll deliver it." He nodded, writing it out and handing it back. "Thanks, Professor. How is that one girl doing? She was quite something, made him laugh the other day."

"She's doing well enough. Mechanicals are not her area of expertise. It's brought down her grade a bit but overall it's going well enough. She did excellently in some other areas so she'll pass."

She nodded, getting up and tapping on the door so she could deliver the note. "Sir, from the physics instructor," she said quietly, glancing at the hard man across the desk from her beloved friend. She withdrew immediately since he was frowning.

Nicholas opened the note. "Oh, good, he has decided to run a special science class next year. It's always an exciting projects class." He put the note under his desk protector and looked at the official again. "You've seen everything in our records, meticulously kept as always. You've sat in on our classes. Do you have any other concerns?"

"I haven't seen your dorms."

"That's fine. Do you want to look at our girls, our boys, or our two mixed floors?" The official looked stunned. "I assure you, only the most choice students are put on there. They're mostly overflow rooms. We have two of them, they have very strong locks, and the monitor is only two doors up from their room. Plus, the girls who are intermixed are often those who are more boyish anyway and those who aren't looking for relationships at this point. Right now, one of my younger sibling's is protecting one of the first years who's like that. If you wanted, I could have her called out of lunch."

"No, that's fine. I would like to see these mixed floors." He stood up. "And the cafeteria."

"That's fine." Nicholas stood up and grabbed some keys, leading the way out of the office. "Heading for the four west via the caf," he told Syvette.

"Yes, sir."

"She's a wonderful woman. Knew me when I was a student. Absolutely marvelous." He walked around the corner and Catherine had to duck out of the way. "There you are. Having a quick snack instead of lunch?"

"I've just been told I've got a package in the post office," she said with a shrug. "I was going to take it upstairs."

"That's fine, young lady. We'll be looking over a few of the rooms soon. Where are you?"

"Four west."

"We'll be checking on your room. Tell your roommate please? I know she's one to throw dirty laundry around."

They shared a look and she took off at a run to get her things, then headed upstairs. She leaned against the door. "Celia?" She moaned. "We're getting inspected soon." Another moan. She dropped her things on the couch and went to pound on her roomie's door. "The new headmaster and a French official are on their way up here," she called when the moaning stopped.

"Hell," Tyler said from the other side of the door.

"Like I care, but you're going to be caught." She took her things into her room, switching out her books and leaving her package locked in her closet. She came back and unlocked it, looking at the new outfit in it. Black velvet? Her? She shook her head and shut it, locking it again. She even had to jiggle the key a bit, as usual. She jogged back down to her next class, barely making it. It must be nice to have a free period after lunch. She sat down, looking quite calm and composed when the teacher looked at her. It was someone she didn't know so she supposed it was a visiting teacher. They had a few of those now and then, mostly talking about their areas of expertise in the business world. This was business theory so she had to assume that. She pulled out a pen and paper, looking attentive.

***


Catherine walked into her room, finding her roomie sipping a glass of something tea-looking. "They interrupt?"

"No. Thanks for the warning, Catherine. Are you pissed?"

"No! Tyler's quite cute, but I know I'm not ready for such things. I have no problem letting him have other friends. I'm not possessive." She walked into her room and found her closet door open. "Celia, we've got a problem," she called. Her roommate walked in and looked at her. "I locked that." She pointed at the open door. "That thing's got a fussy lock but it was locked."

"I'll get Mr. Rayne," she agreed, heading out to do that. One of the boys leered at her so she pushed him out of her way. "Mr. Rayne?" she called as she walked. He came out of another boy's room. "Catherine just walked in and found her closet unlocked and swinging open."

"Really?" he asked, coming out of that room. "Her bedroom one?" She nodded. "Well." He followed her back into her room, locking the door behind him. "Remember not to yell her name down the halls," he muttered as he walked past the older girl. She should know better. He walked in and looked in the closet. "Black velvet?"

"It was in there when I tossed my mother's package in during lunch," she said with a shrug. "I have no clue. I thought it was like the red one."

"Not that I'm aware of. Maybe one of the boys." He picked up the package, looking it over. "It's got the right markings. Care to open it?" She shrugged again and sat on her bed to open it. "You're sure you locked it?"

"I have a stiff lock so I have to jiggle it. I did, I remember quite clearly because my key stuck a bit this time. I need to get something for that actually." She opened the package carefully and stopped at the box. "This is not from my mother," she said with a blush, handing it over. "My mother would never send me lingerie."

He took the package carefully, looking in the open side, then he blushed. "I'd hope not." He looked around. "Let's call her and find out what was supposed to be in it, hmm?" She nodded, grabbing her phone and dialing her home. He took the phone from her. "Hello, Mrs. CeBrelliay? This is Mr. Rayne, the floor monitor on your daughter's floor. She just opened a package from you that had ...questionable things inside it and I was wondering if it was another prank on her or not? She found her closet opened when she came in." He listened to her say what had been in the package. "No, that's not what's in here. Um, how to put this delicately?" he asked, looking at the package.

"Someone sent me flimsy naughties, mother," she called. She took the phone. "What did you send?" She smiled. "Then I'm going to kick someone's bum for taking my books," she assured her. "And my chocolate cookies. They're as good as out a window if I find them." She smiled. "Thanks, mom. Oh, did anyone call about the holidays? I was told something about security things and my friends might need to come home with me? No, only one probably. That okay?" She grinned. "Thanks. Nah, they can sleep in the library. Lovies." She hung up and looked at him. "I'll be right back." She walked out her door and whistled shrilly, getting some attention. "Whoever took my chocolate chip cookies from my mother and my fantasy novels is in for a butt-kicking," she called. "My books are more precious to me than my life, especially since two of those were *signed*. If it was one of you guys, give them back and I won't get mad."

Tyler came out of his room. "Signed?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes, signed editions. As in I waited for hours on end to meet with the authors, pay a small fee, and chat a few words while they signed their names. My books are precious to me, Tyler, the same as yours are."

Mr. Rayne came out with the package. "I doubt it was one of the boys. Right, boys?" he called.

"Symphanee was up here," a tenor voice called, breaking on the middle of the name. "She had a box." He peeked his head out the door. "You'd really hurt us?"

"Over a first edition of that one? Yes!" She nodded. "I paid an exorbitant amount for it last year."

"Oooh," another boy called. "Now we know why you don't like us."

"Because authors write more believable boys than some of you? Certainly," she agreed, making most of them laugh. She looked at her hall monitor. "Can I go hurt her?"

"No, I'll tell Pasha to check her room for you," he said patiently. "Go wait. I'm sure the cookies are gone but the books should be fine or they'll be replacing them, autographs and all." He headed down the stairs, locking the floor door behind him so none of his boys could bother the other floors without him hearing them sneaking out. The other teacher was coming off her floor as he made it to that level. "I believe Symphanee might have misplaced her underthings," he said, handing it over. "She was reported in Celia's room with a box? Now Celia's roommate is missing a lot of books and some cookies."

"I had wondered where they got the cookies. Let's stop the poor thing. I want to know who's blackmailing her this year." They went to the girl's room and found the culprit reading one of the books, looking quite confused. "It's high space," she said gently. "Who told you to break into another student's room?"

"It was my roommate, I only carried the box," she said quietly, glancing toward the other room. "I didn't want give up my underthings."

"Thankfully, she's giving them back in exchange for any leftover cookies and her books. Her specially sent books. The ones she paid her mother to send."

"I don't understand them anyway," she said, getting up to give them the small stack. "These are the ones Estinia gave me."

"That's fine. Is she in there?" Pasha asked. Symphanee nodded. "Thank you, dear. Come have tea with me tonight." She smiled as she walked over and kicked the door in, disturbing the girl in the process of ripping the cover off a book. "If that's not yours, you're in very bad trouble, young lady."

"How dare you enter my room that way!" the girl said coldly, standing up. "It's none of your business what I do in here."

"Bull," Mr. Rayne said quietly, walking in to pick up the books that hadn't been destroyed. "Well, you're going to be paying for a new one at least. Are those ashes from cigarettes or from another of her books?"

"They're trash anyway," she sneered.

Pasha calmed herself. "That is not your decision to make. Report to the office, now," she said firmly.

"No." She sat down on her bed. "My mother knows all about you."

"Yes, and she's going to love it when you come home tomorrow," Mr. Rayne assured her. "Office, now." She didn't budge so he sighed and handed over the books, then grabbed her and walked her off. "Come along, Estinia. If you make me drag you, everyone will know within minutes." He walked her down the stairs and gave her a shove in the right direction. "Head that way."

"No! My mother said I don't have to listen to *you*."

"That's nice, then you can go home knowing that that's why you got expelled," he said fondly. "That and your habit of playing pranks." He grabbed another teacher on the way, not the one he wanted but she would do. It took two teachers and the headmaster to kick a student out. He walked her into the office, past the secretary, who was putting on her jacket. "Don't worry about it. We can do this paperwork ourselves," he said with a smile. He tapped on the door and walked her inside. "Estinia just stole someone's package from home, destroyed some of her books, and ate her cookies. This isn't her first prank this year. She's the only one who might be able to send a fake placement letter to a first year."

"The same girl?" Nicholas asked without looking up, writing something.

"Indeed. Catherine actually."

Nicholas handed over the paper he had been writing on. "Unless you have some objection?" he asked the other teacher. She shook her head quickly. "None at all?"

"No, sir. She's horrible in her studies, is always lagging behind, and one of those girls who spreads around the most *wretched* filth about the other students. She and her sister cooked up that whole 'horse' story earlier. I know they concocted that story about marrying you children as well. I suggest we send them both home."

"The other girl will have to be watched. We don't have enough disciplinary materials on her yet," Nicholas sighed. "Unfortunately."

"I don't have any either."

He turned his chair around and grabbed a file from a nearby filing cabinet, then put it on the desk with a pat. "That's yours, young lady. It's a good three inches thick and you're only a fourth year. You were saying?" She sneered at him. "That's fine. I can call your mother myself. Have her packed. She can wait in a sterile room tonight."

"We were wondering something," Mr. Rayne admitted. "Catherine found a black velvet dress in her closet and she didn't put it there. Any ideas?"

Nicholas coughed. "I think you'll find that William decided to do some shopping," he said smugly. "It was her birthday present. A bit late but he liked it."

"Hmm. I'll assure her it's not got itching powder or anything then." He walked the girl away, taking her to a 'sterile' room. One in which she couldn't steal anything, destroy anything, and she couldn't interact with any of the other students no matter how hard her sister tried. Then he nearly danced up the stairs at having gotten rid of such a horrible student. He spotted Catherine peeking out her door. "Did you get them?" She nodded. "How many are missing?" She handed over a list. "Thank you, dear. Oh, the dress is from William. A belated birthday present Nicholas thinks." She blushed and went back to her room. "I'll tell him you said thanks." He went to tell Tyler about this, then went to celebrate in his room.

***


Marna stormed into the office the next morning. "Where is my sister?" she demanded of the secretary. "She's been missing and no one told me *anything*," she spat.

"Your sister is in a sterile room waiting on your parents," Nicholas called from his office. He walked out and looked down at her. "She's fine and well, just expelled. As you will be if you ever talk to any of my staff that way again. Do we understand?" She snorted but nodded for appearance's sake. "Thank you. If you wish to see them when they arrive, around ten or so, then you may. You may also go with them if you find this school is not suitable to your liking," he said firmly. "Your sister's bad habits had to be removed for the comfort of many students."

"Don't you mean that one?"

"No, I mean many of them. She broke into a double room yesterday. She's been playing pranks on a great number of the younger women, and I won't stand for it. Nor will I stand her attitude toward any of the younger women. Your purpose here isn't to stab someone in the back, it's to make important contacts that will last you throughout your life, Marna. People that you meet here may well make or break your future wealth or business interests. The same as they could your spouse's if you get married. We try to mold you all into exceptional young women, but sometimes we fail because the material is not ready for us. If you wish to stay, I'd shape up. You already have enough materials in your folder to be put on notice." She looked outraged. "We teachers and staff hear everything you students do. Each mean thing you say, each rumor you start, each taunt and prank you hand out. We note it all. Your folder is thinner than your sister's was by this time, but not by that much. Remember that." He looked at Syvette. "Did you pick up coffee on the way in?" he pleaded.

The secretary smiled as she handed over the bag. "Here you go, even ground like you wanted."

"Thank you, you're a lifesaver, Syvette. Show the poor girl to the room where her sister, or better yet, to the meeting room please." He smiled and went to make himself some of his favorite substance. "Why didn't mother update the heating ducts," he complained. "Even in the middle of summer it's perpetually cold in here."

Syvette stood up. "Do you want to finish dressing before you meet your parents? I can wait to show you." The girl looked down at herself, then at the secretary, adopting another haughty look. "If it were my mother and she was like yours, I'd be in hose, flats, and had my hair done as well as possible," she pointed out. The girl flattened her braid, then jogged off to fix it. Her mother would not be pleased seeing her in such a state. Syvette walked into the office with her own cup, giving him a smile in return for the coffee. "She's putting on real clothes."

"Hmm. Good. Perhaps a bra too. It was really noticeable under that white shirt." He sipped his coffee. "This is what I hate about being cold blooded."

"I'm sure you do," she said, giving him a pat on the head. "You relax. Winter's coming and it'll only get worse when we get snow."

"True," he agreed, smiling at her as she left. The girl had come back and was more properly attired. Too bad she wasn't like that most of the time. He took another drink and turned up his space heater another notch.

***


Marna looked at her mother as she walked in. "Mother." She hugged her. "I'm not in trouble."

"Good," her father told her. "What's been going on?"

"One of the charity cases is best friends with the former headmistress' children," she said bitterly. "She's been whining about a minor bit of picking on her for her odd appearance."

"I know the girl you're talking about. I met her father at a car show," her father admitted, sitting across from her.

"No, that's her step-father," she said coolly, sneering at him. "Her actual father is dead. Some sort of scholar." She flicked a piece of hair back over her shoulder. "Probably one of those academics who never did anything but teach."

"Actually, her father was well known among the community," her mother said coolly. "I remember reading an article in a *real* magazine about him once. I looked him up when I heard who you were having troubles with."

"Yes, and now they're arranging for her security. Apparently her father was some sort of spy? She's also getting *special* classes."

"We'll see about that," her father said firmly.

The headmaster brought in the other daughter. "Here she is. Her things are being brought down. I hope you had a good trunk on your car, she's got three trunks with her." He looked at the father. "The girl in question is a scarlet." Her mother gasped. "She's taking special science courses in her area of interest. Even though she can't build a robot to save her life, she is quite good with water and air theories." He tipped his chin up. "That is at the discretion of the teacher, not of myself or anyone else. Then again, until this last test, she had quite good grades in there. Unlike your daughters who barely make the minimum acceptable score. The girl in question is quite studious."

"Yes, and she reads trash," Estinia snapped. "Science fiction and such nastiness."

"Yes, well, not all of us want to read the great literature people each day," Nicholas said firmly. "I have in six languages and I know sometimes I prefer to pick up something lighter too." She backed away from him. "As you can see, her attitude has gotten horrendous this year." He put two files down on the table in front of Marna. "Their disciplinary records. Marna's is the smaller one. She's on notice already." The mother glared at her daughter. "For helping her sister mostly. We're hoping that once she's around more congenial people she'll straighten up. I know *you* weren't like that as a student." He looked at the mother and she swallowed, backing away from him. She had come in during his fourth year. She remembered him apparently, how charming. "I've released Marna from her classes this morning if you needed her. I do need to note that she's having uniform issues so you might want to take her shopping over the holidays. Some of her skirts seem to have shrunk a bit." He left them there, going back to his office. The girl wouldn't cause any trouble with her mother there. The mother was an alumnus and knew how the system worked. He went back to his space heater and his coffee, hoping to stay a bit warmer. He smiled when he heard the shouting start. "Good. Maybe it'll change some things," he said snidely, sipping his newest cup.

***


Catherine listened to the gossip as she ate her lunch, keeping her laughs inside that the rumors were giving her. Marna's sister had been expelled for propositioning the new headmaster? Not likely, but it was a good thing someone else had said it and not her. Not that she would say anything. Her mother was finding her new copies of her books and sending them as soon as she could, along with more cookies, so her life was good. William sat across from her, blushing. She pinched him on the arm. "That's for scaring me with a dress." He grinned at her. "The same day as my closet was broken into. I nearly got upset because I thought it was covered in itching powder."

"No, I'm not going to do that to you," he said shyly, grinning up at her. "You didn't mind?"

"Well, it's a bit big but I can deal with that. With the way I've been eating this week, I might be gaining weight anyway." She smiled at him. "It was very thoughtful, William, thank you."

"You're welcome. You look good in black and I always liked velvet." He grinned shyly again. "You're sure it's okay? I can take it back if it's really the wrong size."

"Chill, it's fine," she promised. "I have a belt to wear with it anyway and this way it won't bind." She shuddered. "Remind me to tell you about the too-small holiday dress I had when I was five because mother forgot about pictures that year." She shuddered again. "I spent the whole day feeling like I was choking." He giggled and stood up to hug her. "Thank you. Now eat, otherwise you'll never get taller than your big brothers."

"Nah, I'll get much bigger," he said happily. "My dad was huge!" He dug in anyway, eating quickly. "Are you looking forward to next semester and gym class?"

"I am as long as there's no horses involved," she said happily, nipping off a bite of her broccoli. "I hear I might get something else instead."

"Maybe," he agreed, smiling as his brothers joined them. "She liked the dress I got her."

"I still say it's too big," Alexi noted.

"Not too-too big," she offered. "Just right for a belt. I tried it on last night." She smiled at William. "It was a very thoughtful move, but I still don't need presents. We're friends."

"I know," William said, giving her a long look. "But it seemed right so I bought it." He nudged Tyler, who was reading Niche still. "Aren't you done with him yet?"

"Nope," he said from behind his book.

"If I can't read during the meals, you can't," she told him firmly. He lowered his book to look at her over the top of it. "Seriously. It's bad manners. My mother said so when she stole mine from me for the first ten years I could read." He chuckled as he put the book away, shaking his head a bit. "Thank you. Now that we can see you instead of the boring philosopher, do I have any other surprises coming? Things along the lines of... oh, say, the holidays?"

Tyler blushed. "Yeah. We're not sure who's going where yet though." He grinned at her. "Your mother mind?"

"I warned her I might have to bring home someone, she said that was fine. You can sleep in the library, just watch out for the floor, there's been some water damage in the last few years." She ate another bite of her mixed vegetables, then some of her meatloaf. "Don't expect anything this decent at home unless mother's decided to hire a cook. Mom's biggest meal has been 'open the package and add milk' sort of things."

"That's fine, I can cook," Robbie assured her. "I thought it might be me so we don't scare your mother." She laughed at that. "Or would she mind me more?"

"No, she'd be happy that I knew some decent people. She said my goth friends at home needed therapy and a good shopping trip. She likes my half-sister because she loves to shop. We have to clean out her room each year before school and give a lot to charity so she can buy more stuff. It's her daddy's way of not buying her a car until she graduates. He spends just as much on her clothes and pageant stuff each year. Her extra room has trophies and crowns."

"Wonderful," Tyler said. "We'll be sure to bring repellant with us."

William nodded. "Wouldn't want any sisters stuck to us," he agreed. "Especially not shopping ones. We're not exactly that sort of men."

"I've noticed. Didn't get the mustard off your collar?"

William sighed and looked at it, then rolled his eyes. "I had hopes," he sighed wistfully. "Mom hates how often I go through shirts."

"Yeah, I hate that about myself too," she admitted. "At home I've got about six drawers of t-shirts that should be tossed out because they're stained, but they're comfortable."

"Six drawers?" Tyler asked.

"I only have eight, but all my pants are hanging up," she admitted. "I hate shopping. I went for school and it took me ten minutes to walk into the shop they suggested, order my things, pay for them, then leave. We did the fittings with a seamstress that wasn't near the shop so I wouldn't have to be bugged by other students." Her eyes went wide. "Oh, no. I'll have to do some when I get home." She groaned and hung her head, shaking it. "Maybe mom can do it for me," she said hopefully.

"What did you need to get?" Robbie asked.

"Holiday outfit for pictures. Mother insists on red."

"Wear a uniform."

"Red and nearly formal. That one dress might work," she said hopefully. "I looked good in it."

"You did," Tyler agreed. "You won't be wearing it again anyway." William got up and ran over to talk to someone in one of his classes. "That was only for that event."

"That's fine with me," she sighed. "My sister does the same thing."

"Your older or younger one?" Alexi asked. She frowned at him. "Sorry." He ate a bite of his lunch. "We asked."

"You snuck into my application," she corrected. "You could have asked."

"True, but then you'd try to get around it," Tyler reminded her. "Probably because you don't like her much, but we understand that. We have some sisters that we loathe with everything in us."

She nodded. "It's that way most of the time I suppose. My sister considers me a waste of space, air, and our mother's time. She's like mother without the happy marriage and I'm more like our father. Then the first step-father came and died, then the second came and he's still there with his daughter. Crystal." They all shuddered. "She's decent enough, but she's a bit...shallow at times," she admitted. "She throws fits about my books because they're not clothes. She said they're too expensive. I pointed out that I can buy my whole library for what last year's pageant budget was for her. She huffed off. I'm assuming she'll grow up someday soon. Or at least I hope so."

"She'll have to. Even if she becomes Miss America, she'll still have to work for a living."

"No, she's not like that at work. Mother made sure of it because all those pageants want you to do charity and volunteer work so she's been doing it since she was ten. She works with a pet shelter, an elder care home, and some after school program, and then she comes home and lets all that caring and concern out her ears as she walks across the threshold and turns back into the beauty queen." She ate another bite of meatloaf, then groaned as the bell rang. "I'm off yet again." She shoveled a few more bites into her mouth then put her tray into the window before rushing off. She had to come back for her books, but Tyler met her halfway with them and Alexi and Robbie followed her to her business classes. "I swear, I'm channeling her."

"No, you were too concerned with eating," Robbie assured her. "It's normal." He sat next to her and looked at the temporary teacher, giving him a grin. "Back again?"

"We weren't finished the last time," he said firmly. "Move away from her."

"We're friends, mate. Don't worry that I'm going to do inappropriate stuff."

"I'm not. I'm more worried that you're going to distract her again."

"Some of us aren't dating," she said coolly. "The same as some of us are in here because we want to be in here. Now, can you please go back over that monetary exchange system again? I didn't quite get where all the gold went. I know my father said it was all exchanged for drugs and technology, but I'm sure the base of everyone's economy can't be *gone*."

The teacher looked at her. "You want to do this for a living?" She shrugged and nodded. "Then don't ever marry, never date, and become a dowdy old woman."

"I believe that a woman's looks aren't a matter of her skill." The teacher laughed. "Remember, time moves forward, even the Japanese accept women in business relationships now. They've had to thanks to stubborn American women like me." She smirked at him. "I can be as dowdy as I want, but it won't affect my brains nor how often I use them. My body and my mind are two *different* things and all those old men who made all those stupid rules are soon retiring. Their children have been raised by them, but they were exposed by people like my father to the real world, where women have minds. We'll see." He looked stunned. "As I said, we'll see. Now, have our leaders really snorted all our gold standard base to the economy or sold it?"

"Mostly, they've sold it in exchange for technology," he admitted. "You're very strong willed."

"That's one way of putting it," she said with a smirk.

"True, keep that trait. It'll help you climb the bloody ladder of bodies to the CEO's office." He turned to the board. "Did anyone else have any problems with the monetary standards?" A few others nodded. "That's fine, I'll go into more depth about that first, then we'll move on." He turned to the board, drawing a large diagram on it, labeling each box as a different country, with the Swiss just left of center.

***


The next Saturday was a town day for Catherine's class so she happily went to tramp around town. Surprisingly she was only escorted by Mr. Rayne and Tyler. They were both needing more paper and pens so it wasn't exactly a flimsy reason to follow her around, but Tyler was very careful about which stores they went into. "Really, I've been in the grocery store twice now, they like me there," she assured him before she went inside, no matter what Tyler said.

Tyler groaned. "Will that girl never learn caution?"

"She does have it, she simply doesn't understand the worries that you have," Philip assured him, giving him a pat on the arm. "Now, what is she wearing to the ball?"

"Oh, crud," he muttered, groaning and banging his head against the stones. "I don't know." He paused. "Blue?"

"Blue is good. There's a few blue and silver things in the closet right now."

"Blue and silver?"

"I think William was playing in it again," Philip admitted tolerantly, like any good big brother would. "It's quite pretty. It should do all right with her and we can always change it to a gold and blue."

"Hmm. Silver might work better. She seems to wear a lot of silver jewelry." He glanced in the store as his 'mascot' chatted with the cashier about something, then she was escorted back to the snack aisle. "Apparently she's got the munchies again."

"Not unheard of while you're studying for your tests," Philip reminded him. "You ate nothing but french fries for nearly a month during your first set of tests."

"And I had the skin to prove it," Tyler agreed. "Blue and silver?" He nodded. "She'll need new shoes."

"It's three weeks until then, she could probably pick up something today."

"Remember, no heels," Celia called as she walked past them. She was on monitoring duty. "Or don't you remember last year's?"

"Mother promised to tan butts if another two benches broke and left us all standing for three hours," Tyler said dryly. "We can remind her of them though." His chosen came out with two large bags. "Stocking up?"

"I owe a few people things for notes," she admitted. "Plus, treats equal favors."

"That's good prison thinking," Tyler joked. "Come on, we have to go shoe shopping."

"Why?" She let him take one of the bags. Half of it was for him anyway. "I thought I had shoes."

"You do, but we're having a ball for those like us at the end of the semester," Philip told her. She groaned. "Since you're apparently wearing blue according to William, who's been playing in the supply closet again, you need shoes."

"You won't want heels," Tyler suggested. "Last year we had a few benches break. We stood for three hours, but mother promised to fix that if it happened again." She looked up at him. "You're right, she's not here, but Valerian will be," he promised. "She's a persnickety person too. It won't happen this year or she'll kill everyone. You might want to do some dancing though."

"I suck at it."

"You can learn, you've got three weeks," Philip assured her.

"Mr. Rayne, a wise woman is one who knows her limits and doesn't expect miracles. I took ballet. I broke my leg in two places." He winced. "I suck at it."

Tyler gave her a gentle squeeze. "Formal dancing isn't like that. It's more moving in a set pattern. Nothing at all like ballet."

"I tripped over the string on my shoes."

"Sorry. We'll work on it later tonight. Maybe this won't be so bad," he offered. "Robbie's an excellent teacher. He got Sasha and one of our older, hopeless sisters able to dance last year."

"I'll try," she relented.

"That's my kitten," he said happily. "Now, blue? Midnight blue, Philip, or medium?"

"French Royalty blue. Just like a Musketeer." She gave him a funny look. "I saw the movie last night."

"You saw the movie?"

"It was on A&E." He shrugged. "I liked that version." He held the door for the shoe shop, noticing the woman behind the counter quickly looking away from him. "Another case of not enough shoes."

"No, that's her half-sister," Tyler offered. "She's a beauty queen."

"Don't say that around my mother or father. They hate the half and step stuff. Or make fun of her beauty pageants. She thinks she's set for life and she'll pout," she pleaded. "Please."

"We won't. We don't want to cause any stress," Tyler assured her. He patted her on the back. "She'll need shoes for a formal event. Something to dine and dance most of the night away in. I'm the tallest of the guys who'll be around her, but the shortest is still her height and growing and the next one up is about four inches above him."

The saleswoman walked over. "Color?"

"Blue. Or so I'm told," Catherine said, looking at her floor monitor. He nodded. "Blue. Medium, French Royal blue." The woman gave her a funny look. "His baby brother enjoys that stuff and I just have to wear it."

"That's fine," she said stiffly. She looked at the meager selection. "We don't really have anything in that color. We have a few in navy."

Catherine looked up, silently praying for patience. Then she looked at the woman again. "Anything dyeable, like among the wedding stuff?"

"We have to special order that," she admitted, not even bothering to look at them.

"Then I suppose it'd be about as fast to order shoes online."

"I'd never order shoes online, how would you know if they fit?" Tyler asked.

"Easy, I have my mother do it. We wear the same size shoes." She frowned and pulled out her cellphone, checking for a signal. "Hey, there's a tower here." She called home quickly. "Mom, having an event, need medium, Musketeer blue shoes for a formal gown. Do we have anything? No, she's got bigger feet, mom. Yeah, that. Thanks." She hung up. "Roaming charges are nasty," she shared. "If she can't find anything, I'll find it and send down a message next weekend. Could you order it for me?" The woman nodded. "Thank you." She let the guys lead her out. "Okay, what's that about?"

"The Mayor hates us," Tyler offered. "Hates us, hates the school, hates everything we stand for. That's why his family built a village next to our school."

"So he spreads rumors," Philip finished. "Many rumors about us doing things like virgin sacrifices, horrible scenes in the dungeons, and things of that nature. The only one I haven't heard is baby eating."

"We have dungeons?"

Tyler chuckled. "Only one or two. You'll have swimming down there."

"What a charming thought. No sharks?"

"No, no sharks, kitten," he said, giving her a fond smile. "Where else did we need to go?"

"Um, chocolates, candles, paper, pens, socks, hose, and some new CD's for my computer."

"Hmm." Philip checked his watch. "We'll do the pens and paper. You get hose and those things. We'll meet up for the last store?" She handed over a few bills and trotted off. Philip looked at his little brother. "She's very energetic."

"Very, but it's nice. She made me put down my book the other day at lunch. Said she couldn't so I couldn't."

"Interesting. You like her," he said with a grin.

"Perhaps, but she's very young and not ready for that. Just ask her."

"Good. You let her decide that and we'll be fine." He patted his baby brother on the back. "Come on, I really do need another journal and a few new marking pens."

"I could use some too. I'm teaching Lit next semester. She'll be in Japanese. I've already got everything but my red pen."

"We'll look over it later to make sure of that," Philip promised. "I know you get lost sometimes. Remember to read in your classroom instead of your room. That way you make it to your class."

"I'm not that bad!"

"You are so. You forgot to go to sleep last night for reading some of her books."

"Well, yeah, but it was interesting," he defended. "Besides, it's Saturday, they're meant for naps."

"If you say so."

"I do," Tyler said firmly, grinning at him. "And maybe for goofing off some more. We'll go over it tomorrow." He held the door for his brother, letting him go in first. "Age before beauty and all that."

"Only if you get a haircut and quit wearing such loose clothes," Philip quipped.

Tyler sighed, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you that you should be thankful that I'm wearing anything. I am a nudist, Philip." The salesboy gave him an odd look. "I never impose it on anyone else," he defended with a smirk. "I simply hate clothes."

"Try switching brands, that usually helps, or go to boy's clothes," he suggested, nodding at the bags he was carrying."

"I'm the packmule for a friend," he said happily. "She's getting socks."

"If you say so." He waved a hand. "What sort did you two gentlemen need now?"

"Marking pens," Philip told him. "To start."

Across town, a dark-haired man pulled aside one of the other first year girls. "Who was that with those good-looking men? She looked so young but somehow familiar," he said with a charming smile.

She snorted. "That's Catherine. She's a hotshot in the business classes."

"Oh, let me tell you about her," Marna said bitterly. "She's got some sort of influence up there for not being the right sort of people. She's got the former Headmistress' children wrapped around her fingers and they expelled my sister for playing some simple, harmless pranks."

The man took her arm and nodded politely at the first girl. "Thank you. Dear, tell me more," he encouraged, walking her off.
Chapter 8 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER EIGHT



Catherine walked in her front door and stopped when she saw her parents standing in the entryway, staring at her. "What? I paid the cab." She put down her bags and hugged them both. "Was I late or something?"

"No, just making sure you didn't get any ideas from that school," her father said dryly, hugging her harder. He looked over her shoulder and noticed the two other people. "We're having guests?"

"I told mother months ago," she offered. "Mom, dad, this is Tyler and Sascha. Their mother's in hiding to stay away from someone mental so they're sleeping in our library over the holidays. Or did Mom forget?"

"Oh, I did," her mother admitted. "That's fine though. I'm sure we can work out something."

"They're brother and sister, mom, they can share a room," Catherine told her. Her mother's expression said clearly that wasn't happening. "Or I can share my room and Tyler can take my lounging couch in the library."

"My room," her sister said. "Good, you're home. Now you can clean up that room so I can use it," she said smugly.

Catherine looked at her. "Unless someone's fixed the floor while I've been gone, it won't hold you. The places where there's furniture are the *only* solid places on that floor. Or don't you remember the leak you moaned about for months because it got into your closet of things you don't wear?"

"Catherine," her mother warned. "Very well. Crystal, after the holidays, you can have that spare guest room as a closet for your pageant gowns. Nothing further. You have a room and too many clothes."

"But Mom!"

"It'd be different if you wore some of them over," she said firmly. "You could wear the same outfit at a regional one and then a bigger one."

"The other girls don't have to," she pouted.

"Then have a seamstress change them so they're a bit different," Sasha offered. "In the old days, women made due with five outfits, but they accessorized and changed subtle things to make things different. Even when styles changed, they took skirts apart to pare them down or to add more material."

"Because they had so little of it," Catherine snorted. "Last formal, big, huge blue and silver ball gown. I looked good but I couldn't see my feet in it," she said, smirking at Tyler. "So he had to keep me from tripping all night." She dug in her bags, handing over the pictures. "Here, as requested."

Someone tapped on the door and Tyler glanced outside, then took the other bags they had forgotten, paying the cabbie for being so patient. Tyler handed Catherine her bags. "You forgot your clothes."

"I told you I cared more about my books than my clothes," she noted. She looked at her mother. "We have a foot of snow and I'm going to school in a drafty former castle."

"Then we'll have to make you some cocoa, honey," her mother soothed, leading them all into the kitchen. "How is school?"

"Forget every movie you've ever seen about the war zones of the past. Real war zones are boarding schools," she said sarcastically. "I walk in the door and the kids start picking on me."

"If you'd have normal hair, they might not," Crystal pointed out.

"I could have supermodel hair and they'd still pick on me. I'm not going to whichever part of Switzerland is 'in' this year for the holidays, that makes me an outcast. Fortunately, Tyler likes to read and Sascha and I are buddies."

"Fortunately," Tyler agreed. "She also lets my brother William cajole her into clothes, lets Robbie argue with her over stocks and bonds, and lets Alexi help her with her computer problems."

"My, you have a big family," her father noted. "I have heard some things from one of your classmates," he said, looking at his step-daughter. It wasn't a pleasant look. "She said you've been taking on airs. Said you've been acting like royalty."

Sascha snorted, shaking her head. "Sounds like Marna's found a common contact."

Tyler accepted his mug of instant cocoa. "Her father has something to do with that small, they-build-each-car-by-hand place in Great Britain. You sell high end cars, yes?" He nodded. "Lord Coving?"

"Yes, him, he did tell me those rumors," he admitted.

"His daughter's the one who took one look at yours upon entering the school and decided not to like her. Her sister got expelled for pranking her repeatedly."

"And for ripping up a few of my books," Catherine added. "Served her and her sister right."

"Yeah, because you couldn't have them replaced," Crystal said dryly.

"Crystal, that would be like someone ripping up one of your gowns," her mother said patiently.

"Fine. I'll butt out now and take my cocoa upstairs. I've got a beauty treatment I need to do." She carried her mug upstairs, going back to her room.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's at that odd age," her father said politely.

"Oh, don't worry, we have girls like her all around us," Sascha told him. "Girls who aren't quite sure what's going on, but they want to help anyway." She grinned. "Then we put them into uniforms, classes, and make them study." The mother laughed at that. "Seriously."

Tyler nodded. "It's unfortunately true. Alumni have lower standards for entrance." He sipped his cocoa. "Swiss Miss?" The mother nodded, smiling at him. "I haven't had this in years."

"I bet you kids get the good chocolates, being so close to Switzerland," her father noted.

"Not really. Not unless some kid brings it in. Our mother refuses to pay shipping for it. Locally you can get Cadbury's but that's about it."

"The chocolate shop in the village doesn't like students," Catherine added.

"Them and a few others," Sascha agreed. "It's an old argument. "

"One bad apple can ruin the whole barrel," her father agreed lightly. "So, what did you two want to do while you're here?"

"Sleep," they said in unison.

"Me too," Catherine admitted. "We just got done with a week of tests, family. So I'm going to go to bed. I'll show Tyler my library couch and Sascha can take the lower level?" she suggested. Her mother nodded. "Thanks." She blew a kiss. "I'll probably see you both tomorrow."

"I was making dinner," her mother offered.

"Then you can wake me up," she said with a smile. "Mom, what was that with dad's stuff?"

"They did find a single piece of microfilm, but it was on a vase that I know didn't hold it before. I relocked it and I remembered to pay for the space for another year."

"Thanks, mom." She blew a kiss. "I and my cocoa are going to go take a nap. The flight was noisy."

"There's a yodeling competition in the City," Sasha agreed, yawning. "Bed?"

"Follow me." She led the way to her library, opening the door with the key in her pocket. "Only mom and I have one," she shared. "Certain children threw a fit in there two years ago while she had the flu and tossed most of my library onto the floor." She let them into the small tower space. "Sasha, you can have this area. There's a special path through the upper levels. It's not quite as bad as I said, but you have to be careful. We had a leaking roof last summer and it was horrible. I almost became a carpenter to fix it." She led Tyler up the stairs, pointing at the floor. "See the worn spots?" He nodded. "Follow it. There's a few of them around the room. If you're going to step anyway, do it gently until you learn. Creaking isn't bad, moaning like a zombie is." He nodded, walking carefully inside. "Sorry, it should have been fixed."

"That's okay. It's one of those things that's not quite a priority," he agreed. "Besides, it keeps it your space."

"It used to be my first stepfather's, but then he died and I inherited it and his book collection." She waved at the wall of mysteries and crime thrillers. "Feel free to browse. We don't have much philosophy, but you never know." She grinned and retreated down the stairs, covering the young woman since she was already asleep. Then she walked out into her father's body. "Sorry." She closed the door. "Sasha's already asleep."

"Who are they?"

"The Headmistress' kids. I'm basically a mascot for them. The school's got a lot of the family in it. My floor monitor is their older brother and the new headmaster is another brother. There's a few sisters around somewhere too."

"She's prolific."

"Yeah, but they're happy," she admitted. "Right now there's five in the school attending, her youngest kids. There's one younger than Sasha, William, and he's just started this year."

"Well, at least you're making friends who aren't paper thin," he said grudgingly. "That girl was jealous?"

"No, she's spoiled. Her sister started off by sending me a fake placement letter. They culminated by stealing mom's last package and replacing it with trashy lingerie." He coughed and blushed. "Exactly. It made me blush. Especially since the girl they got it off of said her mother sent it with her to hopefully entice her boyfriend to marry her." She shuddered. "A good half the school is there to be married. The rest of us actually do our homework and study."

"You could try for a boyfriend. That Tyler looks very protective."

"Dad, I'm like a little sister to him. He's dating my roommate."

"Oh. Well, I tried," he sighed. "You know we want you to be happy."

"And I will be, I'll just be happy being a CEO some day," she said happily. "I impressed a guest lecturer who came in to explain international monetary transfers. He told me to keep my surly attitude about being female, so therefore in charge, that way I can be a CEO."

"How were your grades?" her mother asked as she joined them.

"I passed physics. The last two sections this semester were really hard for me. So I averaged a 'C'."

"That's much less than we expected, young lady," her father said sternly. "With the money we pay, you should be doing better."

"I got an 'A' on the first two sections but power flows stumped me for the greatest time and I'm still not good at mechanicals. We tried everything, even battle robots." She shrugged. "Next semester is planetary and celestial. More theory oriented. I won't have another math after Calc. that isn't business related but I will have one more science class. I averaged a 'B' and a half this semester, not bad for a first one. I made what goes for Honor Roll."

"Then I'm proud enough of you," her mother assured her. "I put your bags into your room. Your Aunt Jemma and her boys are coming in tomorrow and you'll want to be rested."

"I'm not babysitting."

"That's fine, Crystal's old enough," her father assured her. "She got you a holiday dress too."

"That's fine. If that doesn't work, I had a special occasion at the first of the year and I brought that home since it's scarlet." She led the way to her room, sneezing at the dust. "I'll deal with that tomorrow." She opened her closet, pulling out the dress. She looked at it, then at her mother, holding it against her. Her mother's eyes bugged at how short it was. "Let me guess, she made herself a cape from the rest?" Even her father laughed at that and he was usually sensitive about her sister's shopping habits. "Okay. Let me show you the one I brought home." She pulled it out, looking it over. "It's got a small stain but it shouldn't show," she admitted, showing off the one in her lap, but it looked like it was part of the fabric. "Good enough?"

"Quite nice, dear. Do you need shoes?"

"No, I got some to go with it when it showed up in my closet. They're good about that. The blue one showed up too." Someone knocked. "What?" Her sister walked in. "Did you try that dress on?"

"I know it's a bit short, but you can pull it off." She handed over the pictures from the ball. "You looked like an old painting in that."

"I enjoyed it. I felt like I was going to fall out of the top, but I did like it. I could sit down in it," she said cattily.

"Enough," her father sighed. "I like that one. You look good in some of the more ancient styles I guess." He shrugged, he didn't know fashion, only what his daughter told him. "Pictures are in two days. Then you kids can go to the mall or whatever."

"At Christmas? Are you insane?" Catherine asked. "Do you want me on drugs? The only thing worse than the mall four days before Christmas is taking kids to the mall four days before Christmas. Even the theater will be noisy."

"They put in a new bookstore," Crystal said.

"We might visit that then, but I refuse to go to the normal mall this time of year. I did all my shopping online and had it shipped back."

"They're in your other closet, dear," her mother said patiently. "I'm sure you'll figure out what to wrap them in and all that."

"Gift bags," she said slowly and clearly, then smiled. "No tape and reusable."

"Good enough. We'll let you get some sleep." He looked at her. "You are doing better next semester?"

"Considering I'm in the top two percent of the school right now?" she suggested. He grimaced. "The one 'C' I got and the one 'B' I got, interestingly enough in Orientation, were what dragged the rest down."

"You got a 'C'?" Crystal asked. "In what?"

"Multi-field physics," her mother said. "Her first term's grades were excellent. She's simply not a mechanical person and it lowered her grade."

"That and power flows. I kept getting capacitors and resistors mixed up," Catherine admitted. "That built onto mechanics though so I was pretty messed up for the first few weeks. Then we learned it through battle robots from anime. It worked much better."

"That was the teacher's idea?"

"No, his was power dams. The robots were Sasha's idea."

"Oh." He nodded. "See that you do better next year."

"Father, I'm over there on scholarship. I got the highest grades in my year and the next year. All the higher grades were the last two years. Besides, you're not paying for more than my travel and my allowance, and I can get that out of my trust if necessary. I thought I was but mother said I wasn't."

"No, we're paying for that."

"Which is less expensive than the local one is," she pointed out. "Like I said, I can and will pay for my allowance and travel out of my trust from my grandmother."

"That was for college," her mother reminded her.

"Mother, the beauty of this sort of preparatory academy is that I can get some of my college out of the way. My physics and my calculus classes both count toward that." She looked impressed. "That's why we get out sooner. Some kids even nearly graduate by the time we're done. They've got a lot of reciprocal agreements with colleges. Any *good* college will take most of my credits and put it toward their degree. I may have two years to go. Besides, I can do all that off the interest if I have to. I'll simply have to cut back on my allowance."

"No, it's fine, dear," she promised, smiling at her. "Top two percent?"

"Top in my year and the next year. All the top kids get the higher marks, most of their classes are research oriented. Writing papers instead of tests."

"That would be easier," she agreed.

"Give me a test any day," Crystal said sarcastically. "Essays?"

"No, honey, research papers. Fully annotated, footnoted, bibliographied research papers. Besides, our tests are mostly essay tests." Crystal shuddered and gripped her father's arm. "That's why the entrance for non-alumni is so stiff. I was told that the test I took to get in was harder than the GRE's, that test to take to get into graduate school. Plus, in my class are two Ladies, a Lord, a Countess, and a Princess if World War Two hadn't taken her title. Even if all I wanted to do was to run a bookstore, I could make it multi-national within three years of good profits from my contacts. And for this honor, I do homework, I share a suite with a higher year girl, I have cable, a decent enough bathroom, and have to survive gym class."

"Better you than me," Crystal said dryly. "I'd hate that." She left them there.

"No papers?"

"Next year, mom. This year is the beginnings and getting most everyone on the same level. There's a hint I might have one near the end of the year, but nothing's been officially set yet. I was thinking about pulling out some of dad's works and seeing if there's anything in there for a topic that I can build off of."

"They're still in storage," she offered. "Remember to quote him properly." She patted her on the cheek. "Now you rest. I'll make dinner a bit later than usual. It won't hurt your sister to eat after seven."

"Is she on a diet again?" Her mother nodded. "Then I'll spring for pizza some night after Aunt Gemma leaves," she promised. Her mother laughed as she walked her father out. Catherine pushed everything off her bed and laid down with a sigh of relief. Her cold cocoa could be warmed later.

***


Tyler looked over his shoulder as their chosen walked into the kitchen. "Taste this." He let her sip off the spoon. "I helped with dinner."

"Couldn't sleep? It's salty."

"Hmm." He found a potato and added it, then stirred it for a few minutes before pulling it out and letting her taste it again. "Better?" She nodded. "Good." He smiled. "I did nap. Sasha's still asleep, but I woke up when your sister squealed." He patted her on the back as he moved around her, putting the potato in the microwave to bake. "There, you could use it anyway." He smiled at Catherine's mother. "She pumped me for information about how naughty you've been. I told her all about how good and polite you've been and how all of your teachers like you so far." Catherine snorted. "Well, they like you enough because you're a good student and you try. That's more than most girls can say." He grinned. "Other than that, I told her that we've been watching out for each other since that security stuff came up. She seems pretty nice."

"She is. My father isn't bad, but he doesn't really ever seem to *get* me. Most of the time he lets mom do it." Her father walked in nodding, smirking at her. "Anything come in the mail?"

"Your grades." He handed them over, watching as she opened them. She gasped. "Worse than you thought?"

"No, next semester's schedule. They put me in equestrics."

"Which would be...?" he asked.

"Horsemanship," Tyler noted. "It's the most popular gym class because it gets people outside." He looked at her. "I'll call Nick for you," he offered.

"Please. I don't want to upset the poor beasts any more than I already do." He chuckled and patted her on the back again. "Otherwise, exactly as posted." She handed it over. "Plus I'll need to do a bit of shopping for new uniforms. Mine are for warmer weather and the castle's kind of drafty."

"That's fine. Your sister can help."

"For uniforms?" He gave her a look. "She can come if she wants, but I don't get much choice in what I wear. Scarlet jacket. Black pants or skirt. Black shirt. Shoes." He grimaced. "It's nice enough. I don't have a tie."

"I never understood that putting girls in ties thing," he said, shaking his head and heading out. "Anything nearly ready?"

"She made me swear to only make the soup," Tyler offered. "It's done and there's a potato in the microwave." The father smiled and grabbed it, taking it back to his office to eat before dinner. "He's pretty nice."

"Yeah, but he's used to people who want to be society wives," she said, shrugging at his look. "People like Marna are the ones he's used to. Or more usually people like Georgina. That blue in the third year." He nodded, he knew her. "That's who he grew up with. I got a different upbringing because of my father. Plus, he adores my older sister so I'm obligated to be the one he doesn't understand." He chuckled, giving her a short hug, which her mother and sister came in during. "Sorry, explaining why dad looked rather confused earlier. He's got my grades and schedule for next semester."

"That's fine, dear." She smiled at her. "Soup ready?" He nodded, getting out of her way. "Then the rest of it won't take more than ten minutes." She pulled out a clean spoon and tasted it, then smirked at him. "You do that very well."

"I learned that one on a family camping trip. Mother insisted so I learned how to make that over the campfire."

"That's primitive. Did you at least have toilet paper?" Crystal asked. He shook his head. "Eww. I'm so sorry for you."

"Mother considered it necessary in case something horrible happened and we had to survive an encounter with the people against us."

"Why are people against you?" Crystal asked. "She runs a school and she makes that many enemies?"

"The school has a lot of rich kids," Catherine reminded her.

"That and one of my sisters runs an intelligence firm out of England," Tyler added. "More research than anything but it's sometimes delicate information." Her sister looked impressed. "So we can't be too careful. Mother's in hiding right now from some psychotic mess of a human being. The rest of us are being very careful and our security arrangements naturally started to include your sister since people seem to think that her father imported information along with artifacts."

"He did?" Crystal asked. "Is that why those nasty men in suits came to the house, mom?" She nodded. "Wow. Was he?"

"No," Catherine told her. "That was my first stepfather." She grinned. "He was a minor diplomatic courier assigned to bring papers to be signed to the various embassies. He got blown up in one."

"I thought there was a car crash," Tyler said, looking down at her.

"The insurance company said it was a car crash," her mother admitted quietly. "The government said to." She looked at him. "I'm sure you can understand that?" He nodded. "So she's very well trained."

"Now if only I could drive."

"That's next year's courses," he promised. "You and Sascha both." He grinned at her mother. "Anything else I can do to help, other than waking Sasha up?"

"No, we're good," she promised with a smile. "I'm sure you're used to much better than we're fixing." He shook his head. "No?"

"No, the last few years have had some of the worst cooks in the history of the school. The current one's all right, but she makes everything spicy. She said it's to keep us warm."

"She's Peruvian," Catherine added. "A mountain clan. She's a good cook, but she puts this spicy sausage in nearly everything. Remind me to buy the *big* box of tums, all right?" Her mother smiled and chuckled, shaking her head. "Seriously. I thought I was going to breathe fire during my Calc. final."

Tyler nodded. "She had to excuse herself twice to belch in the hall. I had class down the way and heard it," he said with a serious expression. "My teacher wanted to know so we reminded him that lunch was her special sausage chili." Crystal moaned. "What's wrong?"

"I can't have that," she said bitterly.

"Of course you can," Catherine snapped. "You're not underweight. No matter what the little tiny people in the magazines say, you're at your correct weight and your body is filling out presently. You need the extra weight at the moment. If all they want are air-brushed little things with no life, then you should quit." Her sister gave her a dirty look. "Seriously. Real women aren't ashamed to look like real women. No woman is that thin without the aid of a computer to correct any flaws. Don't believe me, go to the fashion shows." She leveled a hard stare at her younger sister. "There is no reason to starve yourself."

"I'm not, I'm doing a vegan diet."

"Uh-huh, and the protein that you'll need to grow strong bones and muscles to support you the rest of your life?"

"Broccoli and tofu."

"It takes four cups of broccoli to equal one glass of milk," Tyler told her. "Do you actually eat sixteen cups of broccoli a day?" She frowned and shook her head.

"Plus, tofu is not a cure all, Crystal. It's pressed beans. People have serious allergies to it. One girl in my year came in with one. She has to eat like you do when you're on a diet, only without the chips." Crystal whimpered. "Only things that are all natural, things she can read the ingredients on the back of, and the cook has to make sure all her ingredients won't kill her. Tofu may be wonderful for you, but some of us would rather not even risk developing an allergy to it."

"Fine, I'll eat real food," Crystal said miserably. "I'll look like a cow at the upcoming County Fair, but I'll do it."

"Honey, you're fourteen. The judges expect your body to be changing and a bit odd right now," Tyler pointed out. "If they don't, they have no business judging beauty."

"Pageants are about more than being pretty," she defended. "We have to be talented, smart, and educated."

"Then why do they have bathing suit competitions?" Catherine asked. "With bikinis I might add. That doesn't prove brains, education, or your desire to serve the people. It proves that you're pretty."

"Yes, but the modern woman should be well-rounded," Crystal retorted.

"Yes, but beauty is something that many women aren't blessed with. Not that they're not beautiful but they're not model beautiful. We should be celebrating women's spirits and capabilities, not the way they fill in a bathing suit and sing. Beauty is for dating, not for education or work. If you're relying on your beauty to get ahead, then you're stuck at a certain level and after a certain age. My temporary business professor made that point quite well. Beauty may get you an 'in' but it won't prove that you know your stuff and ugly women only have to work a bit harder. All women are lower class in most businesses. Beauty makes it harder for the rest of us to get ahead."

"You're pretty," her mother assured her.

"Mother, I could care less how I look," she pointed out. "I care more about my skills and my knowledge. If my sole purpose in life is to be pretty, then I'm going to be suicidal when I'm in my late thirties and wrinkles start to appear."

"They make stuff for those nasty things," Crystal pointed out.

"Yes, but they only soften them, they can't keep you from aging," Tyler agreed. "Our whole school is about promoting strong women into business and other fields. Catherine is a lot like our best students. Eventually they'll be teaching her how to dress to her best effect for any situation, but otherwise we want them to be smart, strong, and capable. That's how you get ahead of the others, you're better than them and you play the office politics better."

Their mother nodded. "Definitely and it's no different in academics."

"No, Nick said it's worse in some ways," he shared. "You're fighting for recognition in a broad field, fighting for funds, and fighting your students at times. He had his Chair turn on him last year because he refused to pass a student whose parents gave a lot of money to the department. They wanted their son to be a historian and he wasn't cut out for it. Now he's in engineering where he belonged and he's happier."

"Did his department lose the funds?"

"Oh, yeah," Tyler agreed quickly. "All of it. They got a minor amount back but nothing like what they had gotten."

"He could have passed him," Crystal suggested.

"If he had, then he would have entered the field without a clue and been a liability, then his parents would have been upset anyway," their mother noted. "That's only part of the politics on campus, kids. They're just as bad as finding your path and place in an exclusive school, or moving into a new pageant field."

"Only without the mothers who are willing to kill over it," Catherine offered. "When that girl got expelled for pranking so bad, her mother's screaming was heard up and down the hall the full two hours."

"I was in the library so I heard it when she went to bribe Nick into readmitting her. He suggested that she finish this year at home then go to one of the more marriage oriented finishing schools since her strong suit was not academics. Her mother screamed again for a good long while," Tyler shared. "You were in physics then."

"Thankfully. All my business classes are on the main hallway. We didn't get anything done. The teacher said he couldn't talk above the screeching."

"Some parents can be like that," their mother agreed.

"One of my rival's mothers tried to bribe a judge," Crystal offered. "Then she tried to run him over with her SUV."

"Yeah, Marna and Estinia's mother is about that way," Catherine agreed, looking at Tyler. "Right?"

"Oh, definitely. There are worse but they work behind the scenes to get you expelled. Lady Hortense's mother is that way. She tried to get one of my sisters thrown out in her last year for being better than her daughter. Started a rumor campaign with another girl. She said some really nasty things too. Fortunately she's in jail right now for trying to subvert a judge. She actually ran over the person who wouldn't marry her daughter." Crystal looked horrified. "Think of the business world as a bigger pageant, with specialities and awards for each category instead of overall. Lady Hortense's mother was brilliant in public relations. She hyped her daughter all the way to the altar last year. It was a brilliant advertising campaign since she had a flat nose, no chin, and very weak and watery eyes."

"I feel so sorry for girls like that," Crystal said softly. "Didn't anyone help her? Get her contacts? Some plastic surgery?"

"Lady Hortense was quite happy with how she was. She didn't want plastic surgery and she didn't want to change herself. Now her husband and she share a house. She's got her suite and their heir is born and more than cute enough for the father's tastes. She gets to do whatever she wants, including playing with her baby and her cats. She breeds them. Abyssinians I think."

Crystal nodded, turning to look at her mother. "If I ever become that way, I want to be shot. Please make it painless and quick. Don't put me on life support." She walked away shuddering to comfort herself with her father and her catalog of dresses.

"Well, you may have gotten the point across that she needs to do more than pageants," her mother offered, "but now she's horrified."

"Then make her watch the Miss America thing this year," Catherine offered. "Have her see how many of those young women have real careers waiting on them. Last year's was full of pre-med people and communications majors."

Tyler shuddered. "Did she have to tie you down to make you watch it?"

"It's become a family thing to go see her compete," Catherine told him. "We're used to it by now." She patted him on the arm and grinned. "She's got a minor one at the mall this holiday. Want to attend?"

"She's backed out. The other girls aren't taking this one seriously and she doesn't need it for a third year in a row," their mother told them. "The new bookstore is pretty nice though. You might go up and check it out."

"I'm for a good book or six," Tyler agreed.

"Catherine, would you please set the table?" Her daughter nodded and went to do that. The dishes were already in there. "Are you two dating?"

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "No. I like her, but she's stated repeatedly that she's not ready to date. I think she's neat but I'd never date her while she's in the school. A few of my younger brothers and I think she's neat. She thinks of herself as our mascot." Catherine's mother pursed her lips. "I won't say it won't happen when she's graduated, I can't predict that far in the future, but I like her as a friend. She understands me and she takes books away from me at the table."

Her mother nodded. "Fine. I'm sure you'll treat her well enough. No books at our table either, Tyler."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed with a grin. "I'm working my way through hers since I'm bored with philosophy for now."

"You study philosophy?"

"Now and then. I mostly do it for fun reading." She looked impressed. "I'm not a scholar but I like to know what other people are thinking."

"That's fine," she said, smiling brighter now. He had apparently passed muster. "Go get your sister up, Tyler. It's nearly time for dinner."

"Sure." He walked out of the kitchen, heading up to wake Sasha. He stopped at Catherine's room, finding her sister in there putting up her clothes. "Couldn't stand it?"

"It'll wrinkle and mother will demand to iron, even though she hates it. This red dress is pretty, but the fabric's really weak." He walked in and she showed it to him. "She might want to find something more suitable tomorrow if she doesn't like my choice."

"I think she objected to not being able to sit in it," he shared. "She said it was a bit short."

"The cure to that is to add some lace to the bottom," she said cheerfully, taking the dress with her. "I'll check with her of course." She trotted out and he went to wake up his sister. It was only polite.

***


Catherine looked around the quiet of the bookstore and sighed in relief. They had crossed the mall to get here, and it was hard pushing through everyone in the town, but they had finally made it. She smiled at the salesboy showing them where the science fiction section was. "Thank you. I missed the library." She headed for her section while Tyler headed for his. Sascha was looking for clothes. They were all escaping her bratty nephews, and she had made sure that the library was firmly locked against them this time. Not that her library held any children's books but her nephews would destroy it anyway. You'd expect better from a five and a six-year-old, but not her nephews. She found a few books she had been wanting and sat down to read the back covers, no one else did more than smile for her sitting in the middle of the aisle. Apparently they knew what avid readers were like.

"We have chairs if you wanted one," a salesclerk offered quietly.

"I'm picking out my selections. I'll use one later," she said absently, holding up the one in her hand. "This one said it's the second book, do you have the first? I don't see it."

"Let me look," she offered, going to do that. She and the manager shared a look. "She's picking out her selections."

"She's an avid buyer. I remember her from the old bookstore. She got a gift card each holiday for three hundred dollars and spent it right afterwards." The salesclerk looked stunned, but she did check for the book in question. He walked over and patted her on the head. "Having difficulties?"

"I'm looking to complete the usual series," she said, smiling up at him. "Good, you know your stuff. No new series?"

"Not this week. Last week we had a few young adult series that are terrific. Very well written and not at all what you'd expect for that age range."

"I'll browse over there next. It's the rest of my allowance," she said happily. "I'll be back in another week or so." He laughed and pulled down three she probably hadn't seen yet, handing them over. "Thanks, I've been looking for this one too." She went back to her browsing, pulling down books to read the back or inside covers.

He walked away, smiling and still shaking his head. He found the person she had come in with, noticing he was doing the same thing. "Your friend is still in the science fiction but she'll be moving to young adults after this," he said quietly. Tyler looked up and smiled. "Do you need any help?"

"I'm looking for the complete Philosopher's collection. Do you have it?"

"We might." He scanned the shelves, then pulled out his palm pilot to check it. "We carry all but book nine, but we only carry one copy and they're in special collections." He led the young man over there, showing it to him. Tyler hugged the case. "Shall I get the keys?"

"Yes, please," he agreed happily. "I'll ship them home to wait on me." He noticed the occult and alternative religions area was behind him and turned to look, pulling down a few on religions he only knew a bit about. Then he pulled down about half of the philosophy section and a good portion of the other humanities.

Catherine came over to help him. "You want to read Himmel? Why?"

"Because I like to give each theory it's time and then figure out why I don't agree. It makes me smarter," he said happily. "You get everything?"

"I only came in with two hundred dollars." She pointed at the stack she had laid on the table. "Plus I got another DVD for Crystal. She was pouting that one of hers was destroyed by the nephews from Tartarus."

"I heard that," he agreed, finding two more books and pulling them down. The manager helped them carry it up to the register. "My credit card was free earlier," he said, handing it over. "And if it declines, I've got cash." He smiled at the stunned clerk. "I like to be prepared when I come to the bookstore."

"Are you bringing all that on the plane? We'll max out our weight allowance."

"No, I'll ship it after the holidays," he promised. He patted her on the back. "You're sure you only want that many?"

She leaned closer. "Mom always buys me a gift card to the bookstores," she shared with a grin. "Usually a big one."

"Good on her," the manager agreed, tearing off the credit card slip so he could sign it. Then he checked her out. "Do you have our special card to save extra?" She shook her head, eyes wide. "That saves you ten percent."

"Done," she agreed. "Now, please." He chuckled as he pulled one out for her, filing it out. She saved more than it cost so it was all good. "Hey, I have enough left for lunch," she said happily. "Can you please double-bag. Books and bags tend to not get along." He nodded, doing so, handing them their bags. "Thanks. See you after the holidays." She and Tyler walked back into the mall, heading for the food court. "If you want, we could head home now and pick up fast food."

"I'd rather have Chinese," he offered. "Are we going Dutch?"

"Doesn't matter. I've got ten bucks left."

"I'm proud," Sasha said as she joined them. She looked at the bags, then at Tyler. "Mother said if she caught another bill for a thousand dollars from a bookstore she was going to scream, Tyler."

"This is my private card and I didn't spend over six hundred," he defended. "Besides, that was first editions." They picked their seat and let Sasha save it for them while they went to grab food. Then she went to get her food while they dug into their books. It was a happy lunch.
Chapter 9 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER NINE



Catherine looked up as her mother finally came in so they could open presents. She handed out glasses of juice so they wouldn't need to get up, then sat down to look over the mass of presents. "We ready?" Catherine asked.

Her father nodded. "Go ahead, princess."

"Thanks." She picked up her stack of envelopes and one real present. She looked through them, recognizing most of the handwriting. One stopped her and she opened it first, looking at the gift certificate. "We have a specialist bookstore near the school?"

"It's coming in soon," Tyler admitted, looking over her shoulder. "I have no idea where that might have come from." He shrugged. "Save it, it might come in handy." She tucked it away and he slipped it into the pocket of her robe for her since he was sitting on it. He took his few presents and handed Sascha hers. He smiled at the parents. "Thank you for including us. You didn't have to."

"We like it when our baby girl has friends," her father said happily. "It was nothing."

"In other words, they did the smart thing and ordered them," Crystal said as she pulled her stack over. She looked at the flat boxes, then at her father. "New wardrobe?" she asked hopefully.

"Open them and see," her mother said firmly, accepting her few boxes. Her husband accepted his. "I hope that one is good enough for your new uniforms, Catherine."

She opened her mother's envelope, looking at the gift certificate. "More than," she agreed. "I can buy shoes too, real shoes." Her mother laughed. "It's pitiful but I only had my boots to go with my uniforms that first week. I looked like some vampire wannabe." She opened her father's and found her usual bookstore gift card. "Thanks, dad. I got their saver card the other day and it'll be put to good use."

He snorted. "I'm sure. How much did it save you?"

"Nearly thirty dollars overall, ten percent," she said, smiling at him. "I took the rest of my allowance with me." He laughed, shaking his head. "Open mine first. I had to bring it with me."

He opened it and smiled at the small model car. It was an ancient model he liked a lot. "This'll go well on my desk, thanks, precious."

"Welcome," she said, holding in the shudder at the pet names. She opened her next one from the Scruffy Ones together and smiled. "Another gift card," she said happily.

"We had to look up which stores were local," Sascha explained, holding up the pretty dress. "Thank you, I love this," she said happily, not having to fake it. The velvet would be warm and it was a style that she could wear a lot.

Tyler smiled and nudged her. "I dare you to wear that to the school dinner next month."

She punched him on the arm. "Do not start or I'm telling Nick. He said it had to be a formal event, no matter how much you hate wearing ties."

Catherine snickered. "I'm sure we'll be fine, guys." She looked at Crystal. "Is mine in there?" It was waved, a nice certificate to her favorite jewelry store. "I wasn't going to presume."

"No, it's nice," she agreed. "I need some new earrings." She smiled at her. "Get mine?" Catherine waved the gift certificate to the shoe store. "I figured you probably needed some with what I saw in your bags."

"I could use a new pair of boots," she agreed. She dug into her other cards, finding the other expected ones to the music store and to the store where they got their jackets. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome, dear. I had no idea what you'd need or want for a jacket."

"You know, for all the snow we get, it's not that cold," she admitted. "Unless you're cold blooded like our new headmaster. He can never get warm enough."

"Yeah, but he's got an excuse," Sascha pointed out with a grin. "What's the last one?"

"I have no idea," she admitted, looking at it. It didn't have a card or a name tag. It didn't have the same design as Aunt Jemma's wrapping paper and it definitely wasn't wrapped by her because it was professionally done. She carefully opened the gold paper, exposing the flat box. She opened it and then gaped. "Someone with very bad taste," she noted, holding up the nightie. "I don't think I need this yet." She blushed.

Her father grimaced. "That was a bit distasteful," he agreed.

"I got you one to the bookstore too," Tyler admitted. "I stuck it in your stocking."

"Me too," Sascha offered, "but I got Mall certificates so you could do whatever you needed."

"I certainly didn't," Crystal said. "That is the wrong color for you, dear. No card?"

"No." She looked in the box, there wasn't a card or anything. Nothing. She looked at her mother. "A gag gift?" she asked hopefully. Her mother frowned and shook her head. "Do we know where it came from?"

"It came in that shipment of your last presents," she said thoughtfully.

"I would never buy this," she pointed out. "I can't sleep in silk, I'd rip it. I barely manage it in stretchy cotton jammies." Tyler patted her on the back as she carefully bundled it back into the box and put it aside. "Maybe one of the interfering siblings?" she asked.

"Maybe, but most of my siblings wouldn't think to buy something that personal," Tyler told her, grimacing at the box. "We'll figure that out, I promise.

"That is just odd and creepy," Crystal agreed. She opened her first box and squealed at the gown inside. "Thanks, daddy!" She got up to hug him. She had been looking at that dress, it was more adult than she was doing presently and she had wanted to show off her new body. "This is so great!" She tore open the other packages, showing off her new gowns.

"Maybe you could sell some of your old ones to some of the younger girls," her mother suggested. "Or put them on consignment." Her daughter nodded, anything to have a grown-up pageant wardrobe.

"Gee, wouldn't that take care of her closet being so crowded she can't pull stuff out or put stuff in?" Catherine teased. Her sister spit at her. "You can't."

"I can so. I cleaned out some of it for my drawers again. I got a new, bigger, dresser."

"Yes, but now that you're growing again, a lot of that stuff won't fit you, dear," her father reminded her. "You can get rid of it."

"Sure, daddy. This should do me for the next two or three until we figure out how my body's going to fill out." She hugged the dresses again.

Catherine smiled at her. "Now you'll need new jewelry."

"Yup, sure will," she agreed happily. She grinned at Sascha handed her one from her and Tyler. "Thanks, you didn't have to."

"It's only polite and I figure you can use it for movies or something," he said with a smile.

She opened it and it was a smaller gift certificate to the bookstore. "I can get my updated magazines too," she said happily. She looked at Sascha. "You're about my old size, want to help me and see if there's anything you want to steal from my closet?"

"No thanks. I've got six trunks of clothes I never wear at home," she admitted with a slight blush. "My mother is a clothes person but I'm mostly happy in my t-shirts and jeans. I've got suits, formal wear, and a trunk of shoes at home."

Crystal nodded. "Then you should get along well with my sister, who seems to wear pajamas most of the time around the house."

Her mother chuckled. "Behave, Crystal."

"It's the truth," Catherine reminded her. "I see no reason to get dressed without a good reason."

"The guys on her floor don't even tease her about her Mickey Mouse pajama bottoms anymore," Sascha told her. "Or her other ones."

Her father shook her head. "Doing that around boys means that you don't get dates, little pop-up."

She shrugged. "I don't need a date, dad. I'm there to study right now and then I can worry about dates later." He sighed. "I know, but I'm only sixteen. I don't need a steady boyfriend yet. I'm in my first year and everyone knows I'm concentrating on the important things. Dating comes later, when I'm more solidified and ready to move on. Probably from someone like me as well since I'm in a school full of people like me."

"Mostly," Tyler agreed. "She'll have no trouble finding one. The guys see her as one of them, but pretty neat. She doesn't mince words when they ask for advice and she's a good friend to most of the guys on her floor. She even organized a puzzle party a few weeks before the end of term so everyone could have one night off."

"Wow," Crystal said. "You live with guys?"

"I'm one of two girls on my floor," Catherine told her. "It's an overflow room. Then again, it keeps me from some of the petty little creatures who hate me because I'm not simpering little being there to get married," she pointed out. "Me and my roommate, who's a fourth year in the higher program live across the hall from Tyler. The guys are kept out of our rooms and we've got a common room to ourselves or we can go joke and play with them if we want. I did a puzzle night down the hallway. We all brought pillows and drinks, then put together puzzles on the hallway floors so we could switch around. It was much needed rest before the tests."

"Before that, the guys had been pulling hair and walking around like zombies," Sascha told her. "Test anxiety runs pretty high around the school, but her floor looked like the walking dead."

"Good job, princess," her father praised. "Any cute guys on your floor?"

"Dad, there's not that many ugly ones in the school," she told him. "Really. I get on well with most of the guys. I'm some sort of mascot to them playing pranks on the other guys. They seem to think I inspire them." He chuckled. "I have no idea why. Then again, I'm also the source for fun reading material on my floor too." She looked at Tyler. "Will I have to move everything out next summer?" He shook his head. "Good. Then I can have my books shipped," she said happily. "I was going to pick up some of the graphic novels as well. I've missed a few of my comics." She gathered up everything, finding a card she hadn't opened. She popped the seal and winced, then handed it to her mother. "Maybe it fell off the box," she said, shrugging. She carried everything up to her room then got a long drink before coming back down. Her mother had made the envelope disappear. "I knew he didn't send it."

"I know that too, dear, but that was a mean prank to play."

Tyler grimaced. "He put my name on it?"

"You and someone named Robbie."

"That's one of my brothers and he adores her. He can talk business matters and foreign policy with her. I think he sees her as a future accountant and business partner." He curled up, letting her settle against his side again. "I know Robbie doesn't have that bad of taste and he's never even seemed to notice girls."

"He's dating Serena, the one on Three East," Catherine told him. "He asked my advice for a Christmas present."

"Really?" He frowned. "I didn't realize that."

"I'm not sure she does. He thinks of her as a study-buddy most of the time but he wanted to get her something *really* nice." She grinned and nudged him. "I know you didn't send the distasteful nighty. Relax."

"I am," he admitted, giving her a short hug, then giving one to Crystal since she was close enough. "I will find that pranker now."

"Could it have been that Marna girl?" Crystal asked.

"It about suits her taste," Catherine admitted. "She wouldn't have had access to the things I had shipped though."

"She might have bribed someone," Sascha told her. "I doubt it though, that's an expensive gift certificate. Maybe it was that old guy following you around town last time?" she suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe." She grimaced then shuddered. "No thanks."

"Old guy?" her father asked.

"Standard old guy wanting someone young and pretty to be theirs," she assured him. "All outings in town have at least one teacher with them. I had Tyler and his big brother, my floor monitor, so I leached onto Tyler's arm and got cute with him."

Tyler laughed. "It worked, he looked so hurt that a sixteen-year-old wouldn't want a sixty-something-year-old man. He did leave the girls alone after Mr. Rayne got him."

"You call him by his last name?"

"It's a brother by special adoption. My mother liked him enough to be a son."

"Ah." The adults nodded. "Understandable." He looked at Crystal. "Put those upstairs before they wrinkle, babydoll." She nodded, running upstairs. "She's safe?"

"More than, dad. We're never left alone and there's always someone we can run to. The town's not that big. Even if one of them wanted to corner me, it's probable that one of my classmates are nearby if not with me. The teacher's usually in a central location and there's only three streets of shops. There's no alleys, there's no dark spots that they can trap me."

"She's taking self defense this upcoming semester," Sascha promised. "We all take it in our first year's second term. It's mandatory."

He relaxed again. "Sounds like they do like you guys up there and that they take good care of you."

"The castle's dreary but the town's one of those picturesque places," Tyler told him. "Nothing bad ever happens there. The last time they had a murder was 1983." Her mother smiled at that. "The last assault was about six months before that and the same person did it. He's now in jail. The worst they get is some drunken revelry now and then for festivals."

"They have four cops and they're pitifully out of work and bored," Sascha agreed. "They always stalk the first years around during their first trip into town hoping to find something wrong. It makes their year."

"Good," her father agreed. "I like that." He looked at his wife. "Maybe we should pop around and check out this school. Maybe Crystal would like to go?"

"Um, dad, entrance exam," Catherine said delicately. "Very hard. You have to be at least in Trigonometry to pass the math part. The science part contains Chemistry and Physics. The English part is the easiest and it's pure grammar." He shuddered. "She might fit in, but I'm not sure she could pass that test without some help. I'll suggest her and that might make it easier. Would they consider me alumni, Tyler?"

"I'm not sure. Usually that's for daughters and sons of former students. It might, you'd have to ask Nick." He shrugged. "Who knows. She would fit in well with the red girls and she'd probably love all the rich boys gathering around to meet her."

"Then she'd have to give up her pageants," Sascha pointed out. "There's none over there."

"Why would I?" Crystal asked as she came down the stairs. "I love my pageants."

"Dad suggested you could try to get into my school."

She gave her father a very serious look. "Daddy, I'd have to hurt you if you ever threatened me with going there. I'd be miserable, surrounded by rich snobs, and a virtual hostage in the castle because there's *nothing* fun to do in her school's town. Not even a theater. I might want to see Europe some day, but not like that. Please, never try to do that to me if you love me."

"No wonder they give you cable," her father noted. "No movie theater?"

Catherine shook her head. "No, but we get Cinemax and Showtime. It makes up for it. Besides, you're only allowed in town one weekend a month except for special things. You learn to bribe the group going that weekend if you need something. I think the going rate is five or ten dollars, depending on what you need."

"Clothes is usually ten and food is usually five per hundred you want them to spend for you," Sascha agreed.

Tyler nodded. "Too true, unfortunately. I had to bribe one of the second years for chocolate last month and she drove a hard bargain, thirty bucks and a loan of a textbook from a lower class that she didn't have anymore."

"That's a bit much," Catherine told her.

"I was desperate, kitten. I had to have chocolate or I'd go nuts and I know better than to ask you for yours." She laughed and hugged him. "Thanks. I'm stocking up like I do each term but I'll probably run out right before tests."

"You can always order some," she pointed out.

"I hadn't thought of that. I'll remember that this time, it'd be cheaper to pay shipping." She nodded smugly. "When did you want to go to the mall?"

"Not tomorrow. Tomorrow's the second busiest day for shopping as everyone takes things back." She straightened up. "That store's where?"

"In town," her mother admitted. "You could take it in there and ask," she agreed. "Maybe turn it in for something more tasteful."

"From that store?"

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I've found some nice things in there. They do have bras and things as well."

"Then maybe that, I could use some more," she agreed. "I had one snap on me last month." She grimaced. "It won't hurt to go ask." Her mother handed back the gift certificate and she tucked it into her pocket with the other one. Three odd gifts. It was almost enough to bother her.

"It's time for the traditional breakfast," Crystal said happily. "Come on, let's get dressed. We always go out to the waffle house and I've been saving up on calories for this treat."

Catherine stood up and went to put on real clothes. That was a good enough reason. The odd gifts were piled together on her dresser, just in case something turned out like her shoes had.

***


Catherine came back from her trip to the lingerie store frowning. "They don't know," she told her mother. "It was ordered online and sent from the local shop supposedly. The present was sent to the school and the gift certificate was mailed locally." Her mother looked confused. "I'm guessing it did it somehow." She shrugged. "I don't know. That's what their records show, but it was put down as anonymous love." She grimaced. "I have *no* clue now." She looked around. "The house is quiet. Did you make Crystal go shopping?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "She's looking over her new magazines. She used the gift certificate to get her pageant and clothing ones. Plus a new DVD."

"That's good, I'm glad it made her happy. Did she do the jewelry store too?"

"Of course." Her mother put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the kitchen. "How is school really?"

"Good. I'm happy with it." Her mother made them cups of cocoa and set one down in front of her. It was going to be one of *those* conversations then. "No, mom, I'm not dating Tyler."

She smiled at her. "He does like you. I can tell." She took a sip of her cocoa. "He introduces you to his family. He brings you with him when he goes to do fun things. He asks your opinion. He gave you a very nice holiday present. He's very protective of you. He was as upset as I was about that nighty."

She rolled her eyes. "Mom, Tyler's years older than I am. We're buddies. I'm like a mascot for his family."

"Are you sure?" she probed. "He does like you, I can tell. You like him as well, quiet a lot if what I'm seeing is correct." Her daughter shook her head. "No?"

"No, we're friends. Really, mom. I like being friends with people. Tyler's a really nice guy, and if I was interested and he made a move, it might happen, but it won't. I'm their mascot. They needed more friends and I'm a good one. Plus, Tyler's going to be going out into the world in another year and a half. I'm going to be in the school for another three to five, depending on if I want to go for the advanced programs and teachings. Sascha and I are buddies and I like Tyler the same way. That's all there is to it. We're really close friends."

"If you say so." She looked her over. "If he offered, you'd take him up on it?" She nodded. "Then you do have feelings for him?"

"It could switch into that with some prodding. Close friendships are usually that way from what I've seen. Plus, he does seem to understand me most of the time."

Crystal joined them, looking a bit confused. "I just checked on Sascha and she looks like a guy," she said.

"She does in some lights," Catherine agreed. "It's her body-type. A few guys have even confused her."

"She didn't seem to be that boyish."

"She's trying to correct that some of the time," Catherine told her. "It's real obvious when we're at the school and in our uniforms and she's wearing pants." She looked at her mother. "Even if I wanted to, school rules forbid dating other students. They don't want those sorts of entanglements to interfere with your studies." She sipped her cocoa.

"Ooh, are we talking about Tyler's *obvious* desire for you, sis?"

"We're really close friends."

"I wish my boyfriend treated me half as good as he treats you," she snorted.

"Boyfriend?" her mother asked. Her daughter pinkened and backed out of the room. "We'll be talking soon, Crystal. I know nothing about this boy. Unlike your sister's friend." She looked at her daughter again, frowning at her. "If you would give him a nudge, he would fall for you, dear. I want you to be happy."

Catherine leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I am, I'm very happy not to have to worry about dating someone and merging my personality traits with theirs. I'm not ready yet, mom. Give me time. One day, I will bring home a guy and say 'okay, finally,' but it's not now. Sorry to burst the wedding bubble."

"I wasn't even dreaming of a wedding. You're right, you're too young." She gave her a long look. "Fine, he's your friend, a special friend but still a friend. I won't remark on it and I'll keep your father from picking on you and him."

"Please, and can you maybe do something about the pet name situation?" she asked quietly. "You know I hate it."

"He calls you kitten," she said with a smirk.

"That's because someone's hunting their mother and he doesn't want to put me in any more danger than I am already." Her mother looked stunned. "It's a weak subterfuge but the guy who's hunting her doesn't know my name we think. Kitten is their way of pointing out that I'm not to be bothered."

"Are we talking about that nice boy she's dating?" her father asked as he walked in.

"Not dating. We're only friends. Very good friends, but still just friends."

"Not dating him? You hug him, ask his opinions, and you hang out with him all the time, daughter." He gave her a long look, then sighed. "Fine, you're not dating. I don't know why, you're a pretty girl. You could have any boy in your school if you tried I bet."

"I don't want to try. I don't need the extra stress of dating. I'm sixteen and I have a long life ahead of me, dad, really. I don't need a guy."

"You know, sometimes I think that some man hurt you some horrible way," he said grimly.

"No, it's just reality intruding. A boyfriend takes away from my time studying and I've got to study to keep my place and to move on with my plans for my future. Catering to another person's schedule interferes with that. Tyler and I are really close friends. We live on the same hall, we share some classes, we study together and I study with the rest of his family for the things I share with them. I've been adopted into their clan you might say. Besides, school rules forbid dating. It's a closed system and it could cause a lot of problems if widespread dating occurred in such a small pool of people."

"Fine," he said sadly. "Some day you'll look back and regret not dating any boy who asked."

"None of the guys ask, dad. They know I'm goal oriented. I've got a lot of guy friends, I understand them pretty well I think. I'm not going to miss out on anything, I'm simply not doing it now. I'm only sixteen, I don't need a guy. Why do I need someone who wants to take my books?"

He snorted. "Maybe that's the problem. You're very bookish, dear."

"I like myself this way and I'm happy, father. I like my books, I enjoy my books. You have Crystal to be the pampered princess who's going to come running with all the guy problems. I'm more likely to be one of those who'd work it out and quietly dump them." Her mother nodded. "I'm a lot like her in that respect."

"I've noticed. That doesn't mean you can't try, daughter."

"I don't need to try. I'm only sixteen."

"Most girls have had at least one boyfriend by now."

"Most girls don't have a clue about their future. I do. You'll find that those of us who want to do something great with our lives are more than willing to hold off on the dating thing until we're ready and at a place where a boyfriend won't take away from our plans. Like after college. Not having to study every night and only having to work for a living means that I'll have more free time. No more papers to write." He sighed again. "Sorry, but I don't need one. I thought long and hard about this a few years ago, dad. I have no need to try and bend myself to the will of someone else or to make compromises in how I am at this time in my life. Even if Tyler and I are really good friends and he understands me, he understands that about me. He'd never even think about it right now. Not when he's leaving in a year and a half and I'm going to be at the school for another three-to-five years." She shifted on her seat and finished her cocoa. "Sorry. I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not ready for that responsibility yet. Like driving, it's one of those things I'll be doing soon enough."

"Fine," he agreed. "When you are, I'll explain to you how boyfriends and friends who are boys are different."

"One's trying to impress and get in my pants and one's not usually," she noted. "Got that. I live on a floor with sixty guys." He grimaced. "It's true."

"It is," he agreed. "You're sure you're not interested in him? Just a tiny bit?"

"We're really close friends, father. That's all. It's one of those that could warp some day, but not at this moment in time." She stood up and put her cup into the sink, running some water into it. "No luck on finding who sent me the nighty. There was no listing of a person and the online records didn't state anything."

"Online?"


"Yeah, he put it on a 'hide me' setting. They offer that for secret admirers," she said grimly. "The nighty was sent to the school and somehow got mixed in but they said the gift card came here from the local store." She looked at her mother. "Is it right for me to use that?"

She shrugged. "I don't see how it's not. Keep it for a bit and use it online if you want."

"I might," she agreed. "We're heading to the bookstore in two days. I called and the manager said they're getting in new books the night before so they'll be putting out new stock. Then Tyler and I are coming back here to ship most of our new collections back to the school. That way we don't have to worry about maxing our weight restrictions on the plane. The day after that, I'm doing uniforms and shoes, probably with Crystal to get her out of the house and away from boredom and her closet since she's pouting while going through it." Her father nodded. "That'll give you two some time alone too."

"Thank you, dear. You're a thoughtful daughter," her mother said, giving her a hug. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Actually there is." She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to her mother. "I checked on grandmother's trust fund. Did you add to it?" Her mother nodded. "I figured as much. Would you agree to me getting an allowance from there instead of stressing the household budget? It'd leave you one less bill to pay in case the dealership has another bad month. He said he can set up one of those check card accounts so I can access ten percent of it and leave me with a small allowance each month if you agree."

"That's for college," her mother said firmly.

"Mom, we all know I'm not going to be doing drugs with it. I'm going to be buying more books, and I can promise some will be for school. Our library's good, but not like the main branch in New York City. I've had to order two books so far for accessory studying for physics. Plus, next year I'm going to be getting more business oriented and I'll have to start writing papers. I can do a lot of it online but I'll still need some sources. This could pay for me to get the magazine subscriptions I want, any books I might need, and leave me a healthy snack and chocolate allowance. Plus, ten percent of that will still leave me more than enough for college and grad school if I decide to go for an MBA or other degree. That would also give me an extra fifty a month on my allowance," she noted. "Which could be used to take some of my travel budget off your shoulders too."

"We're good paying for that," her father noted. "The dealership had a good year except for two months."

"Yes, but I don't want to stress the household budget and with Crystal going through puberty, she'll be changing sizes at least three times in the next three years. I'm not going to change much in size and I don't need that many clothes. It'll let you focus solely on Crystal, since she's still here. Plus, then you two could take a nice, long vacation away from the kids."

Her mother snorted, shaking her head. "Good reasons, well thought out, I'll give you a B for presentation."

"Then how about this," she offered. "It'll allow you to hire someone to follow the thirty-year-old guy dating your other daughter." They looked stunned. "I saw her at the mall. If he's her pageant trainer, I'll eat my own cooking."

Her mother nodded. "That's a very good reason," she admitted, looking at her husband.

"It's your mother's money," he pointed out. "What would she have wanted?"

"For this one to be like Crystal," she said dryly. "She was against me studying too." She looked at her daughters. "I will be watching over your purchases."

"Hey, that gives you access if you need it for oversight. He said I'd have to since I was only sixteen. He made a joke about me needing it for presents for a boyfriend, but I reminded him I had a grand-a-year book habit and travel needs to go back and forth to school. He said it was reasonable too."

Her mother signed the paper, handing it back. "Here. You will behave with it, young lady."

"Mom, I'm not the one you need to worry about an influx of money. The most I'd do is crowd my dorm room with books and piss my roommie off. Then again, I might get her some books to make her happier and have something to do besides date." She shrugged and headed back out to hand over the paper. The lawyer went with her to make the arrangements with the bank immediately, giving her the account number and making sure the card would go to her school address so no one could fuss with it. By the time she got back home, Crystal was in tears, sobbing pitifully in the living room, and Tyler was hiding in her room. "Boyfriend?"

"Oh yeah," he agreed. "She came clean. Your mother is not a happy woman at the moment. Sascha and I were both hiding in your library but your mother came up to clean."

"She does that when she's upset." She sat on her bed. "I got a cocoa talk. They think we're dating."

He laughed, hugging her. "I like you as a friend, dear. A special friend."

She pinched him. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit."

"I know but it's useful." He ruffled her hair. "We still on for the bookstore?"

"Oh, yeah. He said he's getting in new stuff tonight. Even some in your area. He asked if you were coming in." He grinned. "The mall should be less crowded too, less noisy."

"Hopefully. Those screaming kids about drove me out of my mind during lunch." He shook his head. "I was never like that. None of us were."

"Yeah, but you guys don't have many shopping malls around the school. I bet your mother took you to small clothing shops and things."

"Admittedly true," he agreed with a grin. "I remember throwing a few fits over not getting candy but nothing else. Maybe it was so many of them. One or two I can handle, four is a bit much, but there had to be eighty in the mall the day we went." She nodded as her mother opened the door. "Planning our book shopping."

"That's not a problem," she said as she walked in and closed the door. "Is she in danger?"

"No. We're protecting her," Tyler said immediately. "Even if they picked up on her as our friend, it probably can't be used against our mother. We're just being cautious."

"Then I don't have a problem with it." She looked at her daughter. "How did you know?"

"I saw the papers in your office when I went to deliver the mail yesterday," she admitted. "You weren't hiding them very well, mom."

"I wasn't trying to. I'm the one filing."

"I figured that much. He's really happy." She hugged her mother. "It'll be fine. Divorce isn't that bad."

"No, it's not," she agreed lightly. She patted her on the back. "I'm keeping the house or putting it into your name."

"It's mine anyway. Dad's will left it to me." Her mother looked stunned. "I know you were grieving, but I had a look over it last night. You might want to include that. Your assets are basically those from the second marriage, which he shouldn't be able to touch, and from your own business interests. The stock and things."

"Those came during my second marriage as well," she admitted. "You're studying law?"

"Business law, it's a mandatory class in my track but I've only picked up a book so far. I'm not due for that one for another two years."

Her mother nodded. "Very well then. Do you want visitation?"

"I don't mind him, mom. I'm good with all that. Crystal and I have learned to get along. Not that I'm going to be here. I think I can leave it open to if he wants to see me on holidays, when I'm here." She nodded. "Should I ask about summer school?"

"No, I don't think it'll be necessary." She smiled at her. "Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome, mom. Remember, we've lived through two funerals, we can get through most anything." Her mother nodded and left them, leaving the door open. "She's still stuck on me dating you," she said dryly, looking at Tyler. "Sorry."

"That's okay. I've seen it before." He shrugged and patted her on the back. "We'll talk whenever you need it." She nodded, and they both looked around the room. "Celia will kill you if you bring all this back."

"I'd never do that to her. I don't have much I want to bring that I don't already have. I can't bring my whole library. I'll need some new bookcases."

"There's empty ones all over the floor. You could trade some boys for theirs with offers of homework help."

"Maybe," she agreed. She grinned at him. "They don't use theirs for their school books?"

"We all get two of them and most guys don't use more than one. You and I are the only ones on the floor that use both bookcases and then some." She sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "They use the library when they want books."

"Then you have to wait if it's not there," she pointed out. "I know I've forgotten to bring some back before."

He nodded. "Me too. One of them I kept for a year because I forgot it wasn't my book. I had gotten a lot from used book sales."

She snickered. "So have I."

"I noticed. You could always put them all in big boxes and stack them in a corner or six. I've had to resort to that in the past." He patted her on the back again. "Next year, you'll have a bigger room. We all will."

"Why?"

"Because you'll be with us. All of us."

"Won't that be awkward?"

"Not likely. We'll have a room of our own, a common room, and you'll have a hallway down to yours."

Crystal peeked in. "Why does it sound like she's going to be in the same room as boys?"

"It's a special room. The rest of us have decided to live together," Tyler told him. "We're offering her a spot down in it. There's an old suite downstairs and we're claiming it."

"Having your family run the school must give you good perks." She walked in and closed the door. "So, you'll be *living* with boys?"

"No, I'll have my own room. The only thing I'll be sharing is a tv room."

"There's a suite attached to it, a separate one that you can have. It'll give her about the same setup she has now. Besides, we don't like her like that. Even your mother would agree."

"I doubt that."

"So do I," she said, looking at him. "She didn't like the thought of me living on a guy's floor for about two months."

"It won't be much different, only you'll have a door that connects directly to our part of the suite. That way you can have your own library."

Crystal frowned. "She's shipping all her books back?"

"Maybe. I'm going to be over there most of the time for the next three to five years, Crystal."

"Oh. What about when you come home?"

"Summer vacation is nine weeks long and winter is four," she pointed out, waving a hand around. "That's three months each year I'll be here. You'd complain if I was sucked in a book the whole time."

"Good point. If I'm allowed to see you."

"Mom said she wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure, but dad might."

"Hey, then you can always move back," she pointed out gently and quietly. She had heard someone outside her door. "Besides, it'll give you more room for your clothes."

She snorted. "Maybe." She looked at the door, then at her sister. She shook her head. "Think I could get away with asking for a puppy? Someone to love that wasn't a boy?"

"Maybe. That depends on how far mom's gotten in her cleaning." Someone tapped on the closed door. "Yeah?" The door opened and her mother leaned in. "Was that you?" She nodded. "Can Crystal have a puppy so she doesn't latch onto another leach?"

"We'll see," she said firmly. "Come on, let's redecorate your room, Crystal. It needs it. I'll even help you with your closet." She nodded, following her mother. Her mother smiled at her. "Thanks."

"Welcome. Tyler just told me they're taking over a suite lower in the castle as a group and invited me to live in the attached suite. There'll be a door between my sitting room and theirs."

"Will it lock?"

"Definitely and my brothers think of her like the delicate little woman she's not. One of the boys in school glared at her a few weeks back and he nearly beat him senseless over it."

"Why was he glaring?"

"She wasn't falling at his feet in a swoon."

"Ah." Her mother nodded. "They're certainly very protective of you, dear."

"You have no idea," she said dryly. "There's how many now?"

"Six or seven including adopted clan members. She'd have her own suite with her own sitting room. She might have to share a tv with us, but nothing else. Then she could bring more of her books."

Her mother smirked. "You are so transparent. You want in her library, don't you, Tyler?" she teased.

"Definitely. Even though I don't do fiction much, I like having it around to read and the school's library is pretty pitiful in that area."

"Internet access?"

"Will have to be run," he admitted. "So will cable, they're doing it this summer." He patted her on the back of the head. "It'll be set up when we move in there this fall." She shrugged. "Would that be all right? It's far down in the castle. She won't have much of a view, but the rooms will have one good view. We'd be protecting her like one of our own. She'd be perfectly safe and our mother gave the ok before she disappeared, plus Nick said it was fine."

"I'd like to have pictures of it at least," she pointed out.

"We can do that," he agreed. "Or you could pop over for a visit." She smiled and left to talk with Crystal and help her weed out her closet of the non-fitting clothes. "She really could."

"She knows. That was her 'I may do that' smirk. I'd expect her around Easter, it always bums her out. That's when my dad died and her second husband died not two months later in the year."

"Hmm. I'll warn Nick that she might come over then." He looked at her closet. "You really do need clothes."

"I know I do. That's why I'm going uniform shopping the day after tomorrow. You're coming of course. We've got to find a way to make the skirt look less like an old lady's."

"As long as it's black, you can do that."

"Good! That crinkle pleat thing is not me. Maybe a longer skirt? Something gauzy?" He nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Definite. The handbook says so. It's coincidence that most of the girls wear those straight skirts with pockets. They think they go better."

"I'd rather have longer skirts with pockets. That way I don't have to worry about crossing my legs. Short skirts are fine, but I like a longer one now and then. It's probably against the fashion police attitude in the girls' dorms but what do I care as long as it's legal."

"The only definition of skirt in the handbook is that it be at least five inches long. Mom had to put that one in a few years back." She shuddered. "Most of the girls go to the same spot to shop so they all get the same outfit. Then again, most of them are in Europe and it's not a problem for them all to stop in Paris on the way to school or on the way home from school. You being you won't bother too many people and the girls will consider you less of a threat and competition."

"Good, I like that. Maybe then some of them will leave me alone."

"Hopefully. I wondered why you were wearing such old lady clothes."

"Because that's what the shop had," she said wisely. She stood up and went to Crystal's room, knocking before leaning in. "I just found out I can get other sorts of skirts, including those broomstick ones that are so fashionable. Can I borrow Crystal for school shopping?" Crystal smiled and nodded. "Thanks." She closed the door and turned, finding her father there. "I don't have to wear those pleated things, I can wear the longer, gauzy things and be really comfortable and warm," she said happily.

"The uniforms aren't that specific?"

"They said black skirt or pants, and I asked Tyler, he said as long as it was over five inches long it was considered a skirt." She shrugged. "He said it'd be okay." She went back to her room and closed her door. "She's not crying."

"Good. She shouldn't, it looks pitiful." He got up to look at her dresser, pointing at the pictures. "Who are these people?"

She came over, pointing at the first. "That's my dad. He was heading to Argentina in that one. He was helping a colleague down there with some native rites." She moved onto the next one. "That's him too. He's going to Brazil I think in this one. Either there or Panama. I'd check but the clasp is hard to get." She moved onto the next set. "They're my grandmothers. My dad's mom," she said, pointing at the one on the left, "and my mom's mom." She tapped the empty spot. "I had another one of Nana Richards, but I don't know where it went. It slipped out during a move and I haven't ever found it." She pointed at the next grouping. "These are my second father. He was only here for maybe two years. The wedding picture, please don't look at the dress I was in, and that first Christmas." She thought back. "A year and ten months before he died." He nodded, looking at the last set. "That's Crystal at her first pageant after they got married, with a dress mom picked out for her. A few Christmas pictures. Aunt Jemma and her boys."

"They did try to destroy the library," he said with a grin. "They insisted that you had books on chocolate chip cookies hidden and that the books were actually hiding the cookies."

"I do have a book with a hollow in it, the second father left it to me. He used it on some courier jobs. I also have a canister of shaving cream with a fake bottom." She found it in her bottom drawer and handed it over. "It's got a trick opening." He looked at it then popped it open. "Very good." She tucked the money inside into her pocket. "My former allowance savings." He grinned. "The safe book is on the third shelf from the mark."

"I saw that." He looked on the walls. There were more pictures of her father in exotic locations. "You don't want to follow him?"

"I like the humanities but you should only go into them if you feel an absolute passion for them. It's a hard field filled with people who love the studies and not much money available. I like them but not that much. I'd take it as my minor in college probably. I'd also probably take my major as business and law split. I don't love the law but I find it useful and somewhat exciting in some areas. Especially contracts."

"Good. Maybe you should go work with Greg. He works for White Knight."

"I never heard of them." She sat on her bed. "What do they do?"

He looked down at her. "They're the information brokers. They give out research and facts in all sorts of fields to every major country and some corporations. We've got a huge library and fields as diverse as occult research to business to law to the social sciences to protocol for diplomats. That's a field I can see you in actually." She perked up. "It'd be a good field for you to study and you'd get some use out of it in your business classes too." She nodded for him to go on, getting comfortable. "I can't see you being a pure diplomat or ever pulling a nine-to-eight job on Wall Street, but I can see you working there. It's pretty stiff competition. Most of our people have at least met the people we work with at Oxford."

"My dad did his Masters at Cambridge. I can probably get in as the daughter of an alumnus."

He grinned and came over to sit beside her. "See, it's a good thing. You won't be officially learning about them until your third year but think about it. Greg said he likes the sound of you from where we bragged. Nick said he'd support you since most of us will be working there eventually. One of our sisters started it a long time ago. We've managed to remain autonomous for years because of her hard work."

"Wow. That does sound like it's up my alley. I can see myself being happy there." She hugged him. "Thanks, Tyler."

"You're welcome, kitten. Robbie, Sascha, and I will all be going there. William probably will, he's got a talent for weapons and we don't want him to fall into the wrong hands. Alexi is already temping there during the summers, as is Robbie. You'll fit in. It's not so much corporate as sections. The business section is a lot of people like Robbie. The social sciences section are a bunch of goofballs. We all share a massive library. It's seven stories tall and about as long as a football field. Full floors, not balconies." She let out a small whimper and a bit of drool. He grinned. "Think you'd like?" She nodded. "Then we'll talk you up to Greg and see if he'd like to have you come to us when it's time." He patted her on the back as the door opened. "Telling her about a business interest that could use her unique skills and knowledge," he told the father. "We like people who can cross over."

"I heard." He looked at her. "What's wrong with my daughter?" he asked quietly.

"I think they're having a girl talk about men," she said with a small shrug. "Mom pulled her down there for a long talk while they worked on her closet. They were also talking about some redecorating to show she was more grown up now."

"Good. It's good to recognize that. She needs to grow up." He glanced down the hall. "I know you'd never do anything but try to keep the door open."

"Sorry, I closed it to keep some privacy," Tyler told him. "The family business is another security restricted place. We think she'd fit in with the madness around there and one of the brothers working in there thought she might too from another brother's explanation and ranting in pleasure." He looked at her. "I checked my email and found one from Robbie. He said he could have used your unique outlook on people a few days ago. He ran into a social problem that was influencing a business decision and he had no idea of the underlying motives or cultural constants. He had to go our head flake to get it explained and he said it took about four times, with diagrams, for him to understand." She smiled at that. "He wanted you to translate the theory person into business for him."

"I don't have a problem doing that." The doorbell rang and she looked down from her window next to the bed. She opened it and stuck her head out. " Hold on, we're all upstairs," she told the delivery driver. She closed it and looked at her father. "UPS."

"Thanks." He trudged that way, taking the package, signing for it. He looked at it then went back up, handing it to her. "Yours I believe."

"From who?" she asked, looking it over. No return address. "Another one? Mom!" She came running so she handed it over. "Unless it's a late present, I have no idea."

"Not from me, dear." She untied the string around it, then undid the brown paper wrapping the box. She opened the box and pulled out a crystal ball, holding it up. "Know someone?"

"Let me see," Tyler asked, holding out a hand. He looked in it, seeing the message. He nodded, looking at her. "I think it's from the same joker," he said grimly. "I wonder if Nick's back at Yale for the holidays." She handed over her cellphone. "Thanks." He dialed his brother's apartment, getting his housekeeper. "Is Nick back for the holidays or at the school?" She told him his full schedule. "Thanks. No, tell him it's Tyler, I'm at Kitten's and she's been getting bad prank gifts. Tell him it's from another idiot at the school." He grinned. "Thanks. Yeah, if he wants, he should have her number, I gave it to him. Thanks, Helen." He hung up. "This narrows down your joker and it's not Marna. It's the one who did your shoes." She gaped at him. "Seriously." He put it on the bed. "It'll be fine. We've been waiting for an excuse with that one," he assured them calmly.

"What did she do to come to their attention?"

"He tries all the new kids and Catherine was not the most guarded her first few weeks. She was sent a fake placement letter and things." Her mother grimaced. "Like I said, we've been waiting for an excuse. So if my big brother calls, or shows up, just yell for me." They nodded, leaving them alone and the door open again. He looked at her. "Has he approached you?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. "You haven't seen him in town?"

"No. Not since that illusion in my room."

"More like a hologram. I don't know how, but he knows who you are and it's not funny." He heard someone knocking and got up to look out the window. "Hold on, Tish." He walked down the stairs. "He sent a closer sister," he said grimly, intercepting her mother to let her in. "Morning."

"It's afternoon, Tyler, but I expect you probably didn't get out of bed for the last few months. What's happened?"

"He sent her a crystal ball with a message playing it. He sent her a naughty nighty. He sent her a gift certificate to a lingerie shop." She took off her cloak hood to show a veil and habit in dark blue. "I left it with her. Catherine's mother, this is my big sister Tish. She's a nun in the order that serves the school." He led her upstairs and into Catherine's room, letting her have the crystal ball and the nighty. Catherine handed over the card.

"That's not part of this," she noted, handing the gift card back. She checked the nighty. "Neither's this." She handed it back. "Have you had other problems?"

"A hologram in my room while I was working on my accounting stuff, he fouled a pair of my shoes on me."

"Annoyance and learning tactics. Nick said he thought he saw him in town." He grimaced. "Okay. Let me take this back. When are you two coming back?"

"The usual time. It'd look odd otherwise." He glanced at the door. "I promised she'd be safe."

"She is. He's sending little digs at you right now. He knows it irritates you and you'd usually complain to mom." She patted him on the arm. "Behave, brother, it'll be fine. Nice meeting you, Catherine. Hopefully I'll be seeing you soon. I'll be transferring back to the school's main convent." She nodded at the adults, taking it with her. "The person who's chasing my mother is using this to irritate Tyler so he complains to mother so she'll come out of hiding. Nothing overly seriously, and he knows better than to try physically. He'll give up soon or I'll kick his butt myself." Her mother looked stunned and she fingered the blue veil. "I did graduate the school as well. I graduated pre-law." Her mother smiled at that. "I'm doing the restraining order. The nighty and the gift certificate aren't from him though. They're not his style. He's a tech person. He put a hologram in her room one night. He put a message in here to play over and over," she said, hefting the crystal ball. "I'm going to break this." She grabbed her cloak and put it back on, then headed out into the wintery afternoon.

"Wow, she's efficient," her father noted.

"She is," her mother agreed. "I know of them." She smiled at her daughter's room. "I'm much less concerned now. They'll take good care of their students. Plus, they've got some other schools. Maybe she'll get to move closer."

Tyler stuck his head out of the room. "Maybe London. Heard of White Knight?" She beamed and nodded. "My sister runs it and we'd think she'd be good there. That good with you?"

"Wonderful!" she said excitedly, hugging him. "Oh, that is just so perfect for her!" she agreed. "I know my first husband worked for them now and then. She'd love that." He nodded. "You can get her an interview?"

"They come in during our third year. I'm going to be working there, some of my brothers are already working there. I don't think that'll be a problem." She kissed him on the forehead. "Thanks, mom." He pulled back in and flopped down beside her. "She likes that idea."

Catherine wiped the lipstick off his forehead. "I can tell." He chuckled and hugged her.

***


That night, another conference happened, with Tish leading it. They were in the meeting room at White Knight this time and everyone but Sascha and Tyler were actually around the table. She had put the crystal ball in the center of the table so they could see it and someone else had brought the reports from the earlier shoe and hologram incidents. Everyone had a chance to look it over. "All right, know we know who his target is. He obviously knows who she is," Tish pointed out. "What is our plan?"

Nick leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Lucky guess?"

"Tyler handed me the wrapping to show me. It had her *full* name, including middle," Tish informed him.

"That means he's getting information from another source," Robbie pointed out. "Who?"

"Another student probably," Alexi offered. "They'd know the most about her except for her mother. Who would know where she lives?"

"It's easy enough to find if you know her name," Nick said, flicking his hand in the air. "Anything else?"

"Someone sent her lingerie for the holidays and Tyler was nearly frantic that it was him too. It didn't feel like his work though."

"So she's got multiple hunters?"

"Or an admirer, she is an impressive young woman," Alexi told them. "She's stated repeatedly that she's not ready to date yet however."

"Could it be a hometown admirer?" one of the older women at the table asked.

"Probably not. She said she wasn't leaving anyone behind when she came to school," Robbie told him.

William stood up, slapping the table. "I bet I know who it was. It's some disgusting pervert who wants to corrupt her and take her from us." Everyone stared at him in shock. "She is *our* bonded."

"Granted," Nick said with a hint of a smile. "Sit, William. No one's touching your bonded." He looked at the sister running the business above them. "Tyler said he thinks she'd do good here."

"Good. I knew her father, he did some work for me," she said, flipping back some blonde hair. "What's her area?"

"Business with a touch of the humanities," Robbie told her. "She's good at explaining them to us when we get confused."

"Then I could definitely use her in the political department," she agreed. "How are things at her home?"

"Tyler said her mother's going to file for divorce soon," Alexi said calmly. "Nick, he said we're moving downstairs again." Nick nodded, stroking the start of his new beard. "Don't do that. Shave, you look dumb with a beard, brother."

"Hush," he ordered. He looked at the rest of the table. "Does she do magic?" The Scruffy Ones present all shook their heads. "At all?"

"She's into fantasy novels, I'd assume she would have tried it by now," Alexi offered.

"Either that or she doesn't believe strongly enough," William pointed out. "She's more than firmly rooted in the present, no matter what she's reading. That is why she took our true nature so well though."

Nick grinned. "I heard." He looked at the older siblings. "What's the prophecy say?"

"That the bonded will fight him and win somehow at the last second," Valerian, a sister with dark, straight hair and lightened coffee-colored skin noted. She pushed some hair back behind her ear, showing off the scales that she had to hide, she could never manage to get her ears to change fully. "It's not a bad fight from what it says, just a strength of wills. It has nothing to say about mother, just that the person shared her name." Everyone groaned. "That's all we know so far."

"Then how do we protect that whole group?" Tish asked.

"I have no idea. If he knows her name he can find her," Nick noted. "The school will protect her. If her parents are getting divorced it might be good if she could take summer classes."

"Hopefully this won't last that long," another brother noted from the other end of the table. "Why can't we go take back mom? We did before!"

"We did and we lost a few of us," Nick said calmly. "Even if we wanted to, it wouldn't be right. She ordered us not to for a reason. We know she's all right because some of us have been looking for her each day. We can feel her. We can't see her but we can feel her and other than a few bruises she's fine so far. The problem with this is that if this new chosen is the only one who can get her free, I'm wondering how. She's not a warrior."

"She's strong-willed but she's not a warrior," Benton agreed grimly. He was one of the Scruffy Ones, but not part of the main core that she hung with every day.

"The prophecy said a contest of wills," Valerian reported. "Not a physical fight. How strong willed is she?"

"Very. She's ignoring all the pouting boys on her floor who want to date her. She announced she wasn't dating and she's kept to it so far, no matter how much some of the boys beg and plead for her attention. Homework help, help moving furniture, but not dating," Alexi told her. "Then again, some of them believe that she and Tyler are dating. He said her mother did in his last email."

"Tyler, dating?" Tish asked, looking confused.

"They're either dating and she doesn't realize it or they're very good friends," Nick said with a small smirk. "Then again, they could be dating and neither one know it. Who knows. The girl is smart, somewhat funny, and more than able to stand up to the usual bullies. She didn't even ask for help when they started, just ignored them and moved on until someone else caught them at it."

"So she's strong enough to win a contest of wills," Tish decided. "Good. How do we protect her from his next attempt?"

"Should we?" the guy at the other end asked. "We don't need to if she's going to kick his butt!"

"Yes, but that's not yet," Nick cautioned. "Did the prophecy have a date or a time sequence?"

"Flowers blooming."

"So spring," the boy noted. Everyone nodded. "That's not that far off." He looked around. "We'll need to back her up."

"She's our chosen," Robbie said firmly. "The Scruffy Ones always back up their own."

"Calm down," Nick sighed. "Fighting with him won't help any." He sat up. "He's doing annoyances now to irritate her. All it's doing is irritating Tyler. He said she was upset about the lingerie, but the crystal ball hasn't really gotten to her. If this is the level of his annoyances, then we shouldn't have a problem."

"Unless he's going through a student and having them help," Robbie noted calmly. Everyone at the table stared at him. "Think about it. How did he find her *full* name? Or even that she was American? All we know he's done is to look over her shoulder while she was doing some accounting work and to taint a crystal and a pair of shoes of hers."
"Shoes?" Valerian asked dryly. "He tainted her shoes?"

Alexi grinned and nodded. "Definitely. So far he's tried to watch her via a hologram over her shoulder, that incident with the shoes and the crystal, then this crystal ball. So he couldn't know her name unless he'd gotten into her school records."

"Tyler said he addressed it using her full name, including middle and her biological father's name," Robbie said thoughtfully. "We've got a spy in the school."

"Or more."

"Or more," Nick agreed. "Who?"

"Someone who knows her. I can almost bet one of the pranksters among the reds is a student working for him but how would he get her records?"

"There's not that many allowed in the records," Nick said thoughtfully. He looked at one of his brothers. "Your wife Marilyn. My secretary Syvette. Me. The sisters on the grading board only have limited access to this term's grades." He thought about it but no one else came up. "I'd vouch for the secretary. The mayor made her cry the other day and we know he's in with Roschene. We know I'm not because she's keeping Tyler from bugging me for research materials. That leaves someone sneaking in or the wife."

"She was talking to the mayor," Alexi told him. "That's why we called you to come up. We were sure he was trying to take over the school. He was the one who had the official coming up to get us shut down again."

"Interesting." He looked at the woman's husband, who sighed and shook his head. "Do you know your chosen or not?"

"I don't know anymore. She asked for the separation. She took my daughter with her and she's changed, I'm not allowed to see her anymore. I swear, she caught my tail out and around my little girl and she threw a fit, Nick! I don't know what to do."

Nick nodded. "We'll figure that out. Feel free to sue her for custody." He looked at the others. "Any other ideas? I'm out."

"We could move her to the lower rooms," Tish offered. "It'd protect her."

"It's already in the works for next year," Nick assured her. "Tyler requested the big suite with that extra room that used to go to trainers for her use since she's the only girl."

"Sascha spends a lot of time in female form around her," William told him. "She's probably been female the whole holiday so far."

"Wonderful. She needed work on that side of her gifts," Tish agreed. "I didn't see her while I was there but then again she's at that age where she'll sleep forever if you let her. Tyler looked happy enough and she had books spread all around her room. Tyler's found a book nerd like himself." The others laughed, knowing very well about Tyler's reading habits. "Anyone watching his purchases?"

"He's spent five hundred and some at the local bookstore so far, plus some gift certificates. I called to check on the status of his order with them and they said he didn't have one," Brad informed them. He had come in to do the monetary fund lectures.

"It's a well-stocked chain store," Tish noted. "I've been in there before. When is he due back?"

"The people there didn't know, but they remembered the sale. They said it was mostly philosophy books." Most of the table groaned. "Some alternative religions. His companion spent the better part of three hundred dollars with a discount card and they're expecting her back in a few days time with her new gift card."

Nick broke out in loud laughs. "Yes, Tyler's found someone exactly like him," he agreed happily. "Celia is going to hate her books."

"I'm sure she'll get over it," William snorted. "She's usually only in her room anyway. She's got a few boyfriends, including Tyler."

"Did your chosen mind?"

"No," Robbie said dryly, smirking at them. "She's said quite firmly and often that she's not ready to date yet." Everyone gaped. "During the inspection she told Celia she didn't care who she slept with but that she might want to stop then since their room was being looked through."

"Gods, and Tyler's doing that to her roommate while his chosen is reading? That's going to be a relationship to watch," Nick said dryly, smirking at the others. "Looks like he's finally met his match." He cleared his throat. "How do we best protect her?"

"For right now, let's add a few more of us as temporary teachers."

"That's fine. We've had one of you come in for business lessons. Thank you for that, Brad. What did you think of her?"

"Smart with a smart mouth. Believes in women's lib. Thinks she can get by on her skills. Didn't take crap from the other students. I want her with us."

"Tyler's already mentioned it and she thought it was a great idea," Robbie told him.

William smirked at him. "Think you can handle her in your department?"

"She's going to political," the head over White Knight said firmly. "Tyler can go to the social sciences. You, Benton, and Alexi are going to business, Robbie. Alexi, you can temp in computers. William, you'll be in weapons for now. Want ancient or modern?"

"Modern please. I also do pretty well with her clothes."

"Then date her sister, she's a beauty pageant queen," Robbie told him. William looked stunned. "Seriously. Tyler said so. She's got many titles up to the state level in her old age group, now she's just passed into the new one."

"No, thanks, really," William said, shaking his head. "I could never be with someone like that. Just because I like helping Kitten with formal events, doesn't mean I want to help some vapor headed beauty queen."

"She's not really," Robbie told him. "Tyler said she does have some sense, she's just thin on using it on occasion. Then again, she's fourteen, it's normal." He looked at the others. "Are we done? I'm hungry."

Nick looked around and everyone shrugged. "Fine, we'll leave it in mine and Tyler's lap. We're done, go find something to eat, Robbie."

"Anyone else want fast food? I was going out for tacos," he offered. A few more people wrote down orders and handed it to him with money. "Be right back. Nick, I'm taking your car of course." He hurried off before Nick could say anything.

"I'll get him for that yet," Nick noted. The others laughed.

William sat up. "That's right, you get to teach me and kitten how to drive soon."

Nick's eyes went wide. "No. There's no way I'm teaching either of you to drive. Combustion engines are foul and not for people like you, William, use a horse."

"Kitten's one of those that all horses hate," Alexi said smugly. "All of them ran once one of them saw her. You'll have to change her schedule." Nick groaned, shaking his head. "Seriously. She won't let any horse near her and they all hate her and run when they smell her. You won't get her on a horse."

"What happens if Tyler has to change?" Tish asked. "She won't be able to ride him."

"Tyler will probably show her how," William said smugly. "Guys, she's got a birthday coming up in a month. We need to deal with that." Everyone nodded, marking it on their calendars. She was probably going to be one of the family soon enough, she could get to know them now and see how much trouble she'd be in later.
Chapter 10 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER TEN


Catherine walked into her dorm room and found her roommate tapping a foot on the floor. "I'm not giving up my bed so you can have a library, Catherine."

"Why would you have to?" she asked, sounding slightly confused. She had just gotten in from the airport. Her roommate pointed at the piles of boxes and she shrugged. "That's another two bookcases worth and I sent one home before break. I was going to ask if I could shove one out here if I talk one of the guys out of theirs, but I'm definitely not storing any in your room. One of your guys might give you funny looks if they saw a whole bookshelf of reading material in your room that wasn't a romance."

Celia tried hard not to laugh but she couldn't hold it in. "Fine. You're right, but fine. You still get to shove everything in there all by yourself."

"Tomorrow," she told her. "I just got off a plane and only caught a small nap in the shuttle. Tomorrow. Try not to keep me up tonight with squealing over presents." She trudged into her room and dropped her bags, then crawled into bed without changing clothes. She was asleep before her roommate could come check on her.

Celia looked around. There was indeed a bare bookshelf in there. There was room for another two more if she crowded all the walls. Fine, she'd leave it alone. She walked in and got her roommate's shoes off then snuck back to her own room and her friends. "She's out."

"Good. Does she actually read all those books and do her homework?" Liana asked.

Celia snorted. "I don't know how, but yes. The girl comes right up here, does her homework, then either watches tv for a few hours or reads then watches some tv, then goes back to reading. She never does anything fun."

"Reading is fun to some people," Cody pointed out. "I don't know why but they're like that. I guess she's one. That must be why she gets along so well with Tyler." The door was pushed open and the girls all squealed, making Tyler smirk. "Bastard!" She threw a pillow at him. "You're corrupting us by being over here. What would your brother say?"

"That my chosen got some dangerous gifts during the holiday and a few odd ones as well," he said bitterly. He walked in and shut the door. "Did she say anything?"

"No, I only got a chance to face her down about her stack of boxes. Are they all books?"

"No, a few have some clothes packed around some of the books and I think her jewelry box is in one. You might want to be on the listen for her. Her mother's divorcing her stepfather. Between that and the strange lingerie gifts this holiday she's not feeling very comfortable at times." He laid down on the free spot on the bed, grinning at them. "So, how is the party situation tonight?"

"Four East and One South," Cody said succinctly. "Is she okay?"

"No, the same person who did her shoes knows who she is and sent her a crystal ball with an embedded movie in it. She didn't get a long look at it and Tish took it." They all nodded, they remembered Tish, she had graduated recently. "So keep an ear out for her."

"Isn't that your job?" Celia asked cattily. "Being her chosen and all?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted sheepishly, "but everyone seems to think I want to date her. Her mother said it'd happen some day and her stepfather was *sure* we were going at it. Then again, his own daughter was dating a thirty-something pageant judge." He grimaced. "She's not as bad as I had expected. She had her airhead moments but not that many of them. She did help a lot by bullying the salesgirl into finding what she wanted. Catherine has a few new uniforms, including two new broomstick skirts and a longer straight skirt. Plus three new blazers in a different fabric with a slightly different cut to suit her better. Her mother thought she should get silk shirts but she decided it might not be worth it so she only got a few of them. I know one box has shoes and clothes."

"That leaves six more of books," Celia pointed out. "The girl needs a new hobby or a boyfriend," she hinted.

"Not you too," he groaned. "She doesn't want to date. She had to get pushy with her parents too. Her mother pulled her into the kitchen and made cocoa to talk with her." The girls laughed, their own mothers had similar rituals for important talks. "Anyway, I wanted to warn you to keep a good ear open to her. Don't nag and don't push but definitely make sure she's fine around Easter, when her mother might be coming up."

"Am I getting a new roommate next year?" Celia asked.

"Possibly. Mother said we could have the big suite downstairs and we'd give her that trainer's suite that's attached. We need to get it wired for cable and internet first. She'd die without her internet." The girls all looked stunned. "You thought she only read?" They nodded. "No, she's got a few different interests." He gave them a smug look. "Which party's looking better?"

"Tyler!" Mr. Rayne yelled from the hallway.

"In here!" His big brother came in. "Yes, dear," he said smugly.

"Out of the girls' rooms."

"What? It's not like we're having an orgy."

"I know that, get out anyway. You know better."

Tyler stood up. "Who got onto you now?" he asked quietly.

"Nick. Out." He pointed.

"Fine, let me check on Kitten."

"No, out."

"Fat chance, brother dear." He walked over to glance in her room, noticing she was laying on top of the bedspread. He looked back at the other room. "Celia, one of the boxes has a special afghan as well," he told her as he headed back to her room. "Watch out for it, her grandmother made it for her and she's dead." She nodded. "Thanks. I'm going to unpack my books too," he said fondly. "Let her know that she can come over anytime she wants and that bribing the guys on the floor will get her a few new bookcases tomorrow easily." He let his brother shove him. "What is with you?" he asked.

"They're not us," he said firmly.

"They know, Philip. They have known. Liana is a scarlet. Cody's the one who fixes problems that I don't want to deal with. Celia's trained more of them than not. Now, what's really the problem?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Did the ex give you another ultimatum or is it inspection time already?"

"Inspection's tomorrow," he said grimly. "Though you're right about the first. That's not why I'm upset. The other boys on the floor think they can waltz in there anytime they want because you do. You're setting a bad example."

Tyler whistled, making many boys stick their heads out of their rooms. "Anyone think that they can walk into Celia's room raise their hands?" One boy did. "You can't. She only allows close personal friends in there and Catherine only allows those she's studying with. By the way, Catherine is looking for people to bribe for bookcases. She needs another two or three. Leave the girls alone for a bit, it's been a long holiday." They nodded and a few boys disappeared to reappear with bookcases. The others pushed theirs out too so he took his pick of them, leaving her the rest. He needed them, he didn't have a library at home. "Anything else, Mr. Rayne?"

"Behave, Tyler, or at least try."


"Where's the fun in that?" Celia asked from her doorway. She smiled at the boys dragging in bookcases. "Thanks, boys. What did you want in return?"

"Another puzzle party this term," one told her.

"I need help with my accounting too," another admitted. The last just grinned at her so that one nudged him. "Behave. Only Tyler gets away with being so cute it's nauseating."

"Shoot," the third boy grumbled. "Why?"

"Because he's six-foot-four and he's handsome as sin, plus he's got muscles that you'd have to see him shirtless to believe," the first boy told him, pushing some of his hair off his forehead. "Tell her anytime this term is fine." Celia patted them all on the back and the bold third boy hugged her before disappearing down the halls.

Philip looked at his little brother. "When did they see you shirtless?"

"During the puzzle party. I managed to spill my tea on myself so I took off my t-shirt. The seventh years turned positively green for a few minutes," he said smugly. He headed into his room to unpack. "I've got new books if you want to borrow one. If you help me organize, I'll even let you borrow two."

"I should make sure you have a roommate next year."

"Do it, watch them have to sleep on the couch," Tyler said sweetly. "Besides, some of us are moving to the special quarters next year. Oh, her mother may be coming up around Easter." He looked at the boy walking up to them. "What's up, little guy?"

"Do you have anything on Middle Eastern thought pre-Mohammed?"

"I do actually," Tyler said. "It's presently in a box. Give me a few hours and come back? Or you could help me unpack." The boy grinned and followed him in to help him set up his bookshelves, then they unpacked and organized his shelves. He walked out with two books and Philip came in to take another one, leaving Tyler with nearly fifty new books all to himself. He patted a new bookcase fondly and grabbed a book for the night. It had looked interesting.

***


Celia looked over as Catherine filled the single bookcase she had allowed in the living room, frowning at the books. "What's that series about?"

"Big dragons. It's one I've had now for nearly seven years." She looked over her shoulder. "It's also got thinking dolphins and an insidious menace from the skies."

"Okay then," she said, shaking her head. "I think I'll stick with my romances." Catherine grinned and went back to arranging. "How are you doing that?"

"Alphabetical by author and in series order if there is one. It's how I've got my library at home set up." The door opened and they both looked at the older man standing there. "Who're you?" she asked cautiously.

Celia looked at her. "Don't worry about it. It's one of those people who come up to inspect the school now and then." She looked at the older man. "We're still in the middle of unpacking but go ahead." He snorted and went to her room first. "You didn't put a bookshelf below the window, right?" She shook her head. "Good. He'll probably complain about all the papers but who cares." He came out marking something on his pad. "Hey, I cleaned, feel privileged."

"I remember your underwear being strewn about last year," he said bitterly. "The other girl's room?"

"Is the same place it's always been," Catherine noted. "Go ahead. I'll know if you touch anything of mine because I can see everything but my closet from here." He snorted and went into her room, then backed out to look at her, looking horrified. "Yes, some of us are avid readers," she said firmly. "Fortunately there were some unused bookcases around." She stood up, stacking the others on the shelf for now. "Is there a problem?"

"You've brought dragon paraphernalia into the school?"

"Considering it sat on my dresser at home for the last ten years, yes," she said firmly. "Nothing but a few books in there are new. You can ask my mother if you don't believe me. Some of us prefer fantasy to some paltry, repetitious romantic drivel where a woman needs saved constantly from some dirty, smelly man whose only redeeming feature is the size of the bulge in his pants." He backed further away from her. "For that matter, I've also used my collection of fantasy and sci-fi novels to help me when I got stuck in physics this year. It's what allowed me to pass mechanicals and power flows. Did you need to have a closer look at any of the collections? I've got another four hundred books at home that I can name off the top of my head." He went pale and ran out. "Prat."

Celia burst out in giggles, getting up to hug her. "Way to go! They might complain but you're one of the first women that has stood up to him about being smart and liking to read." She patted her on the back. "I can even forgive the slight to my genre of choice." She went back to her seat, turning on the tv again. "Finish shelving before someone else decides to storm in here."

Catherine got back down to her shelving, making sure she had some room on her shelves for anything her mother might be sending her from home. She had missed her library. She got up when someone tapped politely on the door, letting in the hall monitor. "I brought my dragon collection back," she admitted before he could open his mouth. "Between that and the knowledge that some of us do read and enjoy reading something that's not a romance novel, I believe he's about to have a fit."

"Okay." Mr. Rayne nodded. "I had wondered which of you got to him this year." Celia pointed at her. "Dragon collection?"

"Figurines and a few posters. Come see?" He nodded, coming in and closing the door. He followed her into her room. "This looks more like my room at home now."

"Wonderful." He looked around. Each and every single item showed wear. Nothing was new except some of the books. He looked at some of the titles, smiling at her choices. Not classics but supposedly good. He walked out to look at the other bookshelf, then nodded. "That's fine. Usually he throws a fit about someone on this floor. I thought it might have been Tyler but he was laughing too hard for me to say anything to him." He patted her on the back. "You behave and he shouldn't be back."

"I don't care either way. I'm wearing clothes and I was nice to him. Sorry, I'm still a bit tired and I'm about to take a book to bed with me." She smiled when Tyler stuck his head in. "Did he get to see yours yet?"

"The inspector? No. I heard you going off on him though. Good job, kitten." He grinned at her. "What else did you bring?"

"About half of my dragon collection."

He walked in and glanced in there. "I remember most of those. Where was the velvet poster?"

"Inside my closet, I didn't have room for it. I thought it should come here so it'd have a good home." She grinned at him. "Look, all shelved."

"Good job," he agreed, patting her on the back. "I stayed up to do mine last night. Any problems with the clothes?" She shook her head. "Then get comfy and take a nap. You probably need one. The holidays were really exciting there for a bit." He grinned at Celia. "Come over later?"

"Sure. I'll carefully avoid your books but I can come chat if you're still not allowed over here." The inspector opened the door with the headmaster. "Sir."

"It's amazing, she only brought half of her dragon collection from home. Her room must look really bare," Tyler agreed. "Her library's still overflowing, but I guess that's normal."

"You have a personal library?" the inspector sneered.

She glared at him. "Have had since I was ten, dear. Some of us have been smart for a while now. That's why we're here, not so we can find a cute boy and make babies. Women are good for more than that you know. If you didn't, perhaps you should join the *current* century. I'm sure your spouse, if you've managed to find one, would appreciate that quite a lot." She looked at the headmaster. "I'm sorry, sir, I'm still a bit jet lagged and I'm a firm supporter of reading programs. I even volunteer with them." He nodded, looking at her bookshelves. "If you want, you can go in there and see for yourself. I only brought half my dragon collection." He walked that way, coming out with a smile he had been trying to hold in. "I know, some of them aren't the best but that velvet one was one of the first of those I ever did. I've always had a soft spot for it. Am I breaking rules?"

Nick shook his head. "Not in the least, my dear. You're allowed to decorate any way you choose as long as you don't constitute a fire hazard."

"What do you call all those books?"

"Something to keep me quiet and amused so I don't have to think up horrible fates for the boys who kept me up last night," she said smartly. He went pale and backed up. "Seriously. Running up and down the halls screaming obscenities. I nearly went out there to spank them myself." He backed out of the room and she nodded for Tyler to slam it for her. Once it was closed she looked at the headmaster. "A real problem?"


"No," he assured her, hugging her. He really did like Tyler's girlfriend. "Good job. Not many of the girls stand up to him. I did like the velvet one actually, it was rather cute. I've never seen that shade of blue before. Settling in all right up here?"

"Fine. I grounded the boys last night," Philip assured her. "They might be shocked if you had spanked them."

"Then they'd never do it again, huh?" she suggested dryly. She looked at the headmaster. "Was Tyler joking when he said I could wear longer skirts?"

Nick shook his head. "No, wear whatever sort of skirt suits you as long as it fits the general rules: black, longer than five inches, no lace to make it longer, and it isn't obscene in any way." She jogged into her room and came back with a gauzy broomstick skirt. "With hose do you show through it?" She shook her head. "Then it's not a problem." She held up a unitard and put the skirt in front of it. "With the blazer, it would work," he admitted. He smiled at her. "Feel free to do things like that, Catherine. You have to live in the uniform and showing some creativity is a good thing in my book." He looked at his brother. "Should you be in the girls' room?"

"We invited him in and like a lost kitten he comes back. We don't mind," Celia assured him.

"Yes, but we don't want to have a problem with inter-sex dating," Philip pointed out.

She coughed and grinned. "So you'd prefer same-sex dating? Catherine, want to go out this Saturday?"

"Sure. I got a gift certificate to the bookstore coming in and I wanted to check it out."

"How?" Philip demanded. Tyler shrugged. "Not your doing?" He shook his head. "Nick?"

"Nor mine," he said gently. He looked at her. "Do you still have it?" She put her clothes on her bed and grabbed the certificate, letting him see it. "Hmm, like the crystal ball."

"As opposed to the unwanted lingerie?"

"Yes," Tyler agreed, grinning at her. "Should we take care of that?"

"No, I believe I'll talk to the owner. When they open in March, we'll make sure you get it back if it's all right, good with you?"

"Just fine," she agreed happily. "Thank you, Headmaster."

He grinned. "It's Nick, dear. After all, you and Tyler seem to be dating." They both shook their heads. "No? Are you sure? You do act like it."

"Not you too," she groaned. "You and my mother both!"

Philip patted her on the back. "Don't worry, it's just a close friendship."

"In which case I can come back, right?" Tyler asked impishly.

"Fine," Nick agreed, taking the certificate with him. "I've got to soothe the old man's temper tantrum about the fact that women can and do read. Nice work, Catherine. No one's stood up to him in years." He headed back to his office at a slow stroll. Better to let the inspector get it out of his system first. He'd get his secretary a nice present in apology.

Tyler flopped down onto the couch. "So, Catherine, what are you doing this afternoon?"

"Napping. You?"

"I was thinking a stroll in the woods. Maybe after dinner?"

"Tyler, there's snow up to your knees in place, and up to my thighs. We'd never get past the stables and it would disturb the poor horses." He snickered. "Later, when it's warmer I will."

"Sure."

"Can you please quit calling me kitten now? He knows who I am and I hate pet names."

"Fine," he said with a grin. "Go nap." She nodded, going in to curl up on her bed with her new book. "Go ahead, Philip. My room's ready for inspection."

"Fine. Behave," he warned, heading out, closing the door behind him.

Tyler grinned at Celia. "I think they're worrying about the wrong one." Catherine's door closed and he laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."

"You're not but I don't need to hear it either," she called. "Have fun with my blessings and all that."

Celia shrugged. "Since she said so." She kissed him hungrily. "I had to deal with pains in the butt when I went home."

"I had to duck her stepfather and two hellish nephews." He kissed her again.

***


Catherine went down to breakfast that first day, not daring to wear the unitard but the long skirt was very comfortable with her tights under it. She was finally warm. She sat down at Celia's table, pushing her cup of coffee closer. "Drink, you look like you need it."

"I do," she admitted, but she was looking happy enough. "You have a good night?"

"Just fine." She stood up. "Do I look okay?"

"Wonderful, and you don't have to iron that. I'm impressed, Catherine." She sipped her coffee. "Go through the line, I'll be here." Catherine nodded and went to get her breakfast. Celia started to dose again until another set of books hit the table. She knew it wasn't her friends, they weren't up yet. They barely made it to their first classes. She looked at the girl who had sat beside her. "Morning," she said casually. Marna, wonderful. "Did you need something since I'm not your usual friend?"

"You might want to warn your little friend that her outfit will get her in trouble." She couldn't snark at the older girl too much, her sister wasn't around to defend her from the older students and she didn't have many minions in Celia's year yet.

"It's within the rules. We checked the book," Celia said tiredly. "When the headmaster had to come up last night over the inspector being shocked by a woman who reads, he agreed that it was more than acceptable." Marna glared at her. "Anything else you want to try? She's comfortable, which is more than I can say about my outfit. If not, head off, Marna. I don't need indigestion that badly."

Catherine came back with her tray, handing Celia a croissant. "If you don't eat with the coffee you'll be miserable later."

"Oh, is *that* why you don't want a boy to date?" Marna said smugly.

"No, as you'd know if you knew Celia," she said dryly. Then she laughed. "I have nothing against women who like other women, but I'm not one of them. I never have been. Some of us have plans beyond two children and a husband. Now, why don't you leave."

"I agree, scoot before Tyler makes it down here," William said firmly as he joined them. "Or else maybe you should ask him if they're seeing each other." She looked stunned. "Out, Marna. You'll make me too ill to eat breakfast." He sat down beside Catherine and grinned at her. "I *love* that skirt on you. It looks so much more comfortable than the straight one the other girls wear. Is it?"

"Immensely. I can move and shift in it and it's wonderful. I don't even have to cross my legs if I don't want to. No one can see up it and I'm so happy I decided to go with these for at least half the week."

"Hey, comfortable is the right way to go," Celia agreed. "I need to look into that. Can I try on one of yours later?" Catherine nodded. "Thanks." She smiled at Tyler came in. "Morning, Tyler." He grinned and blew a kiss, sitting across from her on Catherine's other side. "Are the rest of you still in bed?"

"Robbie's making a stock sale, he'll be right down. Alexi's headed for the library to return a few things, and Sascha is the only other one up. The other two are still napping."

"I don't know how you got in here, *boys*, but you should pay more attention to your history."

Tyler smirked at her. "Our ancestor started the school, Marna, and our mother was running it. How do you think we got in here? William was the only one who hasn't had to take his placement test yet and I got scarlet and advanced two years ahead of the usual. All because I read. You should try it, it's like doing your homework in English." She stomped off, leaving her books there. "Brat. Needs paddled a few times." He looked at Catherine. "No unitard?"

"Tomorrow morning. I might have to order more of these though, they're very comfortable. More tights too. I'm so glad that Crystal found these for me."

"You could try asking her, it might make her week," Tyler suggested.

"True, it would," she agreed happily. "Crystal could use it as an excuse to get out of the house too. Besides, I left some money back there in my shaving cream can. I'll write her later." She dug into her breakfast. "Celia, eat, I don't have any antacid, it's being sent." She dug into the croissant, she apparently didn't have any either. "So, William, you're up early."

"I didn't sleep well last night," he admitted. "I had some of those dumb growing pains." Tyler reached behind her to pat him on the back. "Yeah, there." Tyler looked at him and he nodded. "There," he agreed again, meaning it was wing growth pains.

"I'll look it over later, see if a good rubdown won't help," Tyler promised. He looked up as a girl walked up to their table and stared at him. "Yes?" he asked patiently.

"Are you gay?" she asked.

Tyler choked, shaking his head. "No," he gasped. He finally caught his breath. "This is my *brother* William."

"Oh." She pouted. "Marna said you were all gay."

"Not even close," Celia said, grinning at her. "How long have you known me to date boys?"

"I know, but I figured you were being nice by being friends with them."

"Then let me introduce you. This is my roommate Catherine, the guy from across the hall, Tyler, and his baby brother William." She gaped then whimpered.

Catherine licked off her fork. "Marna's jealous. She's here to have a husband and babies and some of us are making more of our education. So she's jealous that she's not allowed to do so. Her mother is a bit strict about such things you know. Even if she studied in secret she'd probably be found out, that's why she doesn't."

"Oh, that poor girl. I'll go help her right now," she said, scampering off.

"That was mean," Celia noted. "Good job." She saluted her with her coffee cup. "She'll be cosseted and given pitying looks for weeks." She whistled, pointing at the girl who looked, then pointed at Marna's books. "Her mother said she couldn't be seen carrying them so she left them here." The girl came over to get them, then brought them back to her friends to get their help to help poor Marna. A bit of self esteem boosting should help, plus an offer to help her catch up since she was weeks behind in most things. She'd get used to it after a while and then she'd be free to study, far away from the tyranny of her mother's grasp. Her mother would not turn that poor thing into a breeder for the next generation of the family name.

Catherine smiled. "Nice job as well," she said smoothly. "How many more should I ask for?"

"Get another three, that way you've got a full two weeks of uniforms," Tyler suggested.

William leaned closer. "Get something indecent, give the girls a thing to talk about. It'll make them see that your mother sent an order to entice a boy." She blushed. "Seriously. They'll think you were reluctant before but now you're having to hunt. If you only wear it once in a while, then it'll seem like you're complying without seeming to try."

"I can do that," she agreed. "Then again, my sister got me a nice dress for the holiday pictures and it's about as short as I've ever seen."

Tyler looked at Celia. "It's got about seven inches of skirt and it's in scarlet velvet."

She shuddered. "That's got to be horrible. Full dress?"

"With a plunging neckline and long sleeves," Catherine agreed. "It's in my closet as well. She usually has much better taste but I have the feeling her boyfriend picked it out for her."

"It is something a thirty-year-old guy would give his sixteen-year-old girlfriend," Tyler agreed.

"Now *that's* an age difference," Celia noted dryly. "Your mom let her get away with that?"

"No. As soon as she found out she went off. It was so loud Tyler and Sascha had a snowball fight while they yelled at her. Then he had to hide in my room to get away from the cleaning mom was doing in frustration. He's a former pageant judge and he was supposedly coaching her to become a better contestant in the higher levels. Dad was livid, he had paid the guy some money to do this."

"Ouch. My dad would have killed," Celia pointed out.

"Our mother nearly did. Both of them." Catherine ate another bite. She looked over as Marna stormed back. "We sent your books with Cyndy and her friends. They have a class with you next and none of us do." She ate another bite, looking at William. "Three, you're sure?" He nodded. "I can do that. She'll be able to check on my new jackets too. Mom's picking them up as soon as they're done and mailing them to me."

"Wonderful," he agreed. He felt the lapel of her jacket. "Fleece?" She grinned and nodded. "Wow, you'll be *warm*. Can I borrow that?"

"It wouldn't fit you but you can borrow it tomorrow."

"Cool. Thanks. I've got math tomorrow."

She patted him on the wrist. "I've got it today and physics."

"I'm so sorry," Celia said with a grin. "But you will be warm." Everyone but Marna listening nodded. She looked at Marna. "Still here?"

"My mother's putting up a challenge to the uniform rule. It's *obvious* you shopped off the rack for those."

"No, I went to the most exclusive clothiers in my region, in New York City. They were most happy to cater to my whims. It beats London any day, dear." She ate another bite, then looked at Tyler. "Eat," she ordered.

"Hmm?" He woke up and started to eat as well. "Thanks, didn't get much sleep last night."

"I heard. That's why you need to eat." He nodded, digging into his pile of eggs. "You as well, William."

"Yes, mommy," he said in a little kid's voice. She gave his head a shove and he giggled. "You do a mean impersonation at times."

"Happy to help. Now eat."

"Yes, ma'am." He dug in, eating quickly.

Celia looked at her. "You're very good. You have them civilized and everything. How do you train the men so well, Catherine?"

"I find positive reinforcement works best." Marna looked shocked. "Not like that, you cow. Did you bathe in the perfume this morning? Please stand up-wind again." She dropped her fork and grabbed her roll and her books. "I'm heading up to my first class. Have fun today, guys." She dropped her tray off and nibbled her roll on the way up to physics. The teacher looked at her, then smirked at her. "I'm warm."

"Good. It's a smart woman who knows and fixes her needs so she's comfortable. Tights as well?"

"Definitely. Dancer's tights in heavy woven cotton. They should survive for months if I'm good with them." She took her usual place. "What are we studying this term, sir?"

"We're going to go over chemical reactions first, slowly moving into the area that physics and chemistry share." She nodded, pulling out her notebook. "You're early, you know that right?"

"Marna made it quite hard to eat today. She came over and accused me of sleeping with my roommate, of William and Tyler being together, and then got mad when we proved her wrong. Then she challenged my skirt and had it sent back in her face, and for the last thing she was standing in the line of the breeze and had bathed in her perfume this morning. I was going to be ill."

"That's fine then. Just be quiet." She pulled out her book and opened it, making him smile. "So it was you." She grinned at him and nodded. "Good job. He used to go here and he never could get past the fact that the women wanted careers." He went back to writing on whatever he was doing while she read until the other students came in. "Sit, now," he ordered without looking up.

***


Nick passed Catherine in the halls and pulled her out of the line of the students. "What did you say to Marna?"

"That she had bathed in her perfume?"

"No, about her not being able to study?" He smirked at her. "I've only heard bits and pieces." She leaned up and whispered in his ear, making him giggle. "Nice one. Go to your next class."

"Do I have to? Someone still put me in horsemanship and horses hate me."

"Give it a try and if it doesn't work I'll switch you to swimming or something." She nodded, heading outside at a fast trudge. He shook his head, leaning against the wall to laugh. Tyler and William? The world would sooner explode!

Catherine walked out to where the other girls were, staying away from the horses. One or two looked at her and shifted away so she moved backwards by a few feet.

The teacher noticed this and cleared her throat. "All right, ladies. Who of you have had some training?" Half the hands went up. "Good. Those of you who have, take your horses and groom them for now. We'll make sure you're all up to sitting in the saddle by five classes from now. How many have wanted a horse or riding lessons?" Most of the other hands went up. "Good, go watch them and hold the horses still. It'll be good training. I'm assuming the rest of you are scared?" Catherine shook her head. "No?"

"No, horses hate me."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. I've never had a bad experience, but the first one I approached didn't like me and it's spread."

"Come closer."

"Only if you get off and hold her. I'm not going to be responsible for you being thrown." The teacher gave her a long look then got down and held the horse's reins near her chin. She slowly moved closer, doing it properly, and held out a hand. The horse sniffed her then tried to get away. "See, it always happens. I'm lucky to be this close." She backed off and the horse relaxed. "I love horses, they're beautiful creatures, but they loathe me."

"Try it again," the teacher said, watching her. Catherine walked closer. No aggressive or submissive body posture, perfectly neutral. She was looking the horse in the eye. She held out a hand for the horse to sniff before she came in contact and the horse nearly wrenched her shoulder to get away from her. "I agree, they don't like you." Catherine backed off while she got her mount calmed. "You quit. She won't hurt you. She thinks you're very pretty." The horse still tried to get away. "Dear, why don't you get switched. Just go to the headmaster's office and he'll do it."

"Sure. That's what he said when he told me to give it another shot." She jogged to the school and inside, going right to the office. "She nearly got trampled," she said in greeting. "Horses loathe me."

"Send her in," Nick called. She walked in and took off her cloak, jacket, and fanned herself. "Sorry, I hate the cold. You okay?"

"I'm fine but she'll probably want some liniment for her shoulder soon. She tried it twice." She shrugged. "Won't swimming be cold?"

"It's either that or track, unfortunately."

"Can I hold it off until there are more options?" He shook his head. "That's all there is?" He nodded. "Shoot. I suck at running. I guess I'll take swimming but my suits are at home."

"Call your mother," he offered.

She picked up the phone and dialed her home, smiling at her mother's cheerful voice. "Mom, it's me. My gym just got switched to swimming. No, horses. Yeah, the same thing happened. Poor teacher may need her shoulder put back in. She didn't understand why I wanted her to dismount first until her horse nearly bolted while she was holding her. Can you send me my suits? Yeah, just the ones I have are fine. Well, if you find something cute that I'll be able to swim in, you know, not a bikini, then I'll take it of course. Oh, tell Crystal to get into my shaving cream canister and take my old allowance to get me more broomstick skirts please. Please? They're comfy. I love them. The girls here look at me funny but I don't care, I'm warm. Plus she can check on those jackets for you. Thanks, mom. Talk to you soon. Love you. Laters." She hung up. "Should I go now?"

"Sure. Give this to the teacher," he said, writing out a note and handing it over. "Have a good time."

"I try. I'm a good swimmer. I hope I don't freeze though. Have fun with the heater and all. Have you thought about a chair with a warming function?" She hurried out, closing the door behind her so no cold air could leak in.

"They make those?" he asked, pushing the button for his secretary. "They make chairs with warming functions?"

"Yes, sir. There's a catalog somewhere on your desk under the admissions paperwork."

"Thank you, you're a peach, dear." He let the button go and searched until he found it. He'd even pay to have it shipped back to Yale with him.

Catherine found the swimming pool with a bit of help from a custodian. She hadn't known anything was down in this part of the basement. She walked in and handed over the note. "Horses hate me," she admitted.

"You're not the first. Got any suits?"

"Not here, my mother's sending mine."

"Good. I can wait. Can you swim, girl?" he asked gruffly.

"Well enough to save myself but I'm not good at putting my head under the water while I do so."

"So you're better at the back strokes and things?" She nodded. "Which ones?"

"That one that makes you look like a frog flapping its wings and the backstroke. I can do a modified crawl and a modified breaststroke as long as my face isn't in the water. I seem to breathe in the water."

"Hmm. Interesting." He looked at the class, all girls. "Go ahead and strip down to your unmentionables and hop in. It's an all girls class." She gave him an odd look. "I'm old enough to be your grandfather and none of us are going to look, girl. I'll let you go early to change." She nodded, heading back to the changing room, coming out in her plain cotton underwear. "Sensible. Hop in near the ladder." She dove in and came up, swimming across with only a pause. "Good. Now backstroke." She did the floating/flapping/frog kick stroke until she ran into the natural stone side, then turned and did the modified breast stroke forward, taking a breather over there before coming back. Then she got out. "Good enough for now. You can take this for daily exercise."

"Sure, I like swimming. Can I go change now?" He nodded, letting her run off. She took off the wet things and grabbed a towel to dry off before putting on most of her clothes again and heading up to her room to change. She found Celia on the couch. "You all right?"

"Headache," she said quietly. She looked at her. "Swimming class?" She nodded. "Go change before you freeze." She headed into her bedroom to change, coming out fully redressed, including tights, and handed over a bottle of water before disappearing. "Thanks," Celia called after her. She looked toward her bedroom where her other boyfriend was hiding. "She's gone." He came out and grinned at her. "She got transferred into swimming and the coach had her do the underwear thing."

"Poor thing. She obviously passed somewhat." He came out to rub that nasty headache away for her.

***


Catherine opened the door when it was knocked on, letting the mail room guy in with her two boxes. "What're those?"

"From home," he said with a smile. "No books this time, they're not that heavy." He let her sign the slip then nodded politely and left.

She sat on the couch, pulling the first one over. He was right, it wasn't that heavy so it couldn't be books. She opened it and smiled at her other uniforms and her swimsuits. A note taped to the inside flap got her attention and she pulled it out to read. "My shaving cream can was missing? Why?" She grimaced, she'd talk to her mother later. She heaved that box into her room, dumping it onto her bed so she could put things up.

"There's no more room for bookcases," Celia announced as she came in.

"It's mostly not books."

"Good." She hefted that one into her roommates room and looked at the new clothes. "Wow. Your sister seriously shops for warmth. Stretchy velvet, fleece, nylon?"

"It's a fabric we found earlier this year, it's a rayon/nylon mix and it never wrinkles." She balled it up and then let it go, showing it off. "It's great, it absorbs liquid so it doesn't stain, it's washable, and it's stretchy in a comfortable way." She let her roommate hold it. "It's a marvelous fabric and good for most of the year."

"Great." She handed it back, it had felt nice to the touch, like odd feeling silk. "What else was there?"

"My other new jackets, all in lambs wool. The skirts, a new dress," she said, holding it up. A formal gown in midnight blue with silver trim. "Hmm. Have to show that to William later." She put it aside. "My sister does the pageant stuff and I guess she forgot I didn't need that many of those." She opened her other box, pulling out her other sets of sheets and the rest of the books she had been waiting on. Those went onto her bedside bookcase and the sheets were tossed into her closet. "There, flannel." Celia laughed, shaking her head as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I like flannel, I sleep on them at home except in the really hot months. They're very comfortable."

"I know. I gave up on sheets a few years ago and made due because I never had enough room for clothes." She folded the bathing suits, looking at the older, kind of ratty ones. "Your mother wouldn't get you new ones?"

"I asked to have her send the old ones. They're broken in and we have the most trouble finding me swimwear. That's the one thing I can't order, I have to be physically fitted for. I can let mom pick out shoes for me but not swimwear. Otherwise she'll get me stuff I can't swim in." She pulled out the box at the bottom of the last one, opening it. "Tyler!" He came jogging over. "The nighty of questionable origin came back." He took it with a grimace. "Sorry, got stuff from mom. My shaving cream can disappeared too."

"How?"

"I have no idea. But I did get the rest of my clothes and I did get my flannel sheets finally." He smirked at that. "Hey, a girl's got to be comfortable in her own bed or she sleeps badly. I'm one of those, thank you." She shooed Celia out of her way, opening her closet to hang things up. "I'm guessing Crystal got me the ballgown."

He held it up, looking it over. "It's a pretty color and you'd look good in it," he offered, handing it over so she could hang it up. "Thankful you don't have to pack all this up during the summer?"

"Dear, who do you think moved my room down from the tower? It used to be my bedroom until the first leak. Then I had to move my room down, move all my books up there, and then rearrange the shelves. When Mom and Dad got back from their honeymoon they were really impressed that my aunt had slept through it all." He laughed, eyes closed as he shook his head. "Seriously." She grinned at Celia. "My library at home is about nine bookshelves reaching floor to ceiling."

"It's quite a collection," Tyler agreed. The phone rang and he answered it. "Yeah?" He smirked at Catherine. "Hi, Catherine's mom. Yup, it's me. She was just showing me the dress you found her. Sure, hold on." He handed the phone over and helped by hanging the rest of her things up for her.

"Hi, mom. What's up?" She listened to the quiet rant. "I didn't do that, mom. No, it was in my bottom drawer, where it's always been. Was anything else missing?" She frowned. "No, I brought my cheap jewelry box with me, the one with Grandma's things. I left the other one there because I didn't want to break it. I'll gladly pay you back for that, but what were you getting me?" Now she looked confused. "Mom, why would *I* ask for something like that?" It stopped the rant cold. "Yeah, it wasn't me. No, I haven't even emailed you this semester yet. I promise, it wasn't me. No, I'm only using my dragonmail account. I have my school one forwarded to it. Hold on, let me turn on my machine."

She turned on her monitor, she had left it on this morning before classes. Her email popped up. "Okay, I didn't send one," she said, refreshing her inbox. She had to log back in and it came up with three new messages. "I have one here from you about the Christmas lingerie?" She grimaced and opened it. "Said it was a present from you because you wanted me to have something pretty. No, it doesn't sound like how you write. No, the others were from Crystal and one from someone named Brad and Greg."

"My older brothers," Tyler noted.

"Tyler said they were his older brothers. I have not a clue, mom. No, I never asked for it and I surely didn't take my shaving cream can. I have no idea where that went, really. I know I had a few hundred saved in there, but that's new news to me. Are you okay? You sound really stressed. No, uh-huh. If you even thought about getting me a white silk ballgown I'd be really upset, mom. You might think it was a stand-in wedding dress and get really over-excited about that prospect." She laughed, her intention. "Thank you. No, ignore that one fully. That is *so* not my doing. Yeah. What else did it say?" She turned to Tyler and looked smug. "Really? Could you forward that to me and report it as a hacker attack, mom? Yeah, just write the administrator at your mail address. Thanks. No, don't worry about it. Oh, dirt, Great-Grandmother's ring was in my other jewelry box. That big, heavy thing in the grape cluster pattern? That one. Hey, it's pretty distinctive. If it was stolen no one could pawn that thing without it being remarked on. Sure, report it stolen, I'm all for that. My can should have had about three hundred and a few bills in it."

She grinned. "Thanks, mom. Have a better day. Anything more like that, reply to it including the original message and I'll gladly tell you if it was me or not. Love you too. What?" She paused. "Sure, I have a corner I can put the box in. Why?" She shuddered. "Even better. Yeah, go ahead or put it in with daddy's things. They can't get to anything in there. Thanks, mom. You be safe and protect Crystal from whatever this is. Love you. Laters." She hung up. "My window was cracked open this morning but not any other morning and it had been locked. My shaving cream can was missing when my mother went to find it, as was my second jewelry box, and six new dragon statues appeared on my dresser. Plus someone using a school account asked my mother to send me..." Her email blipped at her, then snored. "New mail," she muttered, opening it. She smirked as she opened it, reading the list. "Oh, come look at this tripe," she offered. She got out of the way, shelving the new books while they read. "Is that or is that not a stand-in wedding ensemble?"

"It is," Tyler agreed smugly. "I know that we can trace all outgoing messages. Let me talk to Alexi, dear." He walked out, heading down to the computer lab. His brother looked up when he leaned in, stopping his remedial tutoring. "Bro, a moment?" Alexi followed him into the hallway. "Someone hacked Catherine's mother's address and sent her mail requesting some specific items, plus she's come up with things missing and things added. Can you figure out the mail part?"

Alexi nodded, looking stern. "Easily. I'll look over the 'sent' folder the school keeps of all outgoing email tonight."

"Thanks, bro. Send William up as soon as you're done with him." He headed back up there, with a quick stop to tell Nick. He wouldn't care, he hardly ever used his own email and he had said often enough he didn't understand computers anyway.

***


Alexi handed the email to his brother, then looked at the girl he had drug in with a teacher's help. "This is her," he said, waving a hand and getting out of the way.

Nick looked at the older girl. One of the blues. "Cody, why were you emailing Catherine's mother asking her for white gowns?"

"I didn't, which is really odd. I hardly ever use my email account through the school, I prefer writing physical letters. Are we sure it came from my account?" Alexi nodded. "I didn't, not unless I'm suddenly having two personalities and the evil hand did it while I wasn't aware."

"Who has access to your computer?" Nick asked calmly.

"My roommate. She does email now and then, plus we've let a few girls come in to do some research online. No one this term though." She scowled at the paper, looking like a pissed off puppy. "This is just so wrong!" she said, stomping her foot. "I'd never write anyone I didn't know an email and I like Catherine. Celia speaks very highly of her."

The teacher, Ms. Pierson, shrugged. "I don't know, Nick. She's right, she's not an email sort. She's always got letters going out."

Alexi shrugged. "I can only find where it came from, not who did it. By the date stamp it had to be two days ago."

"I was in the infirmary being ill after that disastrous scallop stew," Cody told him. "You can ask."

"I remember meeting you up there," Ms. Pierson agreed. "Was anyone in your room?"

"Not that I'm aware of but my dresser was straightened out when I came back. I thought it was odd but the cleaning lady had done it. She's done it in the past and it was her day."

"I'll talk to her," Nick assured her. "Maybe she knows. Does your roommate know her?" She shook her head. "Marna?" She nodded. "Close friends?"

"Very close friends. She's one of her blackmail victims. Apparently Marna found out she was sleeping with someone on school grounds. I don't know who."

Nick blushed. "That girl is shameless."

"My roommate's actually pretty nice, she just has lousy taste in boyfriends."

"Not her, Marna."

"Oh, well, yeah." She shrugged. "Proving it is another matter. It could have been one of the others. She's got five or six blackmail victims from what I hear, possibly more. The girl is vicious in her desire to run the school. Could she be behind the lingerie incident as well?"

"We're not sure," Nick admitted. "She talked to her mother today and found some things missing in her room back there, plus some new dragonette statues on her dresser." Cody looked furious, like a puppy that was going to attack something that smelled wrong. "Okay. Can you get into your email account?" She nodded. "Have you checked your sent folder?"

"I did, but it wasn't automatically saved in there," Alexi noted. "There are very few people in this school who could fake her email address and not have it go through her account. I know all of them from class and none of them seem to be friends of Marna."

"It's not her friends, 'Lex, it's her blackmail victims. She's blackmailing a lot of people from the rumors, but we all know how wrong those can be. Most of them are started by her anyway."

"Is there anyone who might know for sure?" Ms. Pierson asked.

"Taylor," Cody said smugly. "Benbridge is a horrible gossip monger but she's always right about her sources. She finds things that no one else ever hears of, including certain truths about Tyler and his buddy." She stared Nick down. "Do they have *no* idea that they're dating?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so." Alexi snickered. "They are! He treats her like that!"

"He does," he agreed happily. "She treats him the same way. They're insisting that they're just friends and he's dating Celia."

"No, she's sleeping with him, that's different, dear." She patted him on the arm. "Don't worry about it though. You're much too pretty to worry about such matters." He blushed and looked down, making her grin. "So, Headmaster, am I in trouble for suggesting the girl have the equivalent of a wedding outfit, or the outfit for a virgin sacrifice?"

Nick blinked a few times, then suddenly smiled. "You're good." She beamed. "I hadn't even thought of that idea. Thank you. No, you're not in trouble. Alexi, show her how to password her computer and how to fix her email problems. Even if we have to assign her a new one." He nodded, taking her out. "My dear sister-in-law Elizabeth, what shall we do about this?"

"Philip said the naughty lingerie was sent with the latest shipment."

"I heard Tyler ranting. Do you think that's from the person who stole her money and bought her dragon statues?" She nodded. "Admirer?"

"I'd hope so. I'd be worried about her stepfather but I know he's not into children from her background check. Maybe he's got a friend whose kids likes her?" He shrugged. "Maybe we'll figure that part out."

"I'd hope so. Tyler's about to go insane about that lingerie thing. For all that they're not dating," he said dryly. She laughed and left him alone to think about this new idea. It could be either. He looked at the list. "Everything's in a natural fabric," he noted. "She doesn't seem like a silk person to me."

***


Catherine looked around the town as she walked up to the grocery store. Tyler had been busy, no one she knew was going this time and the monitor wasn't a teacher she had yet, she taught French. She walked into the grocery store and smiled at the clerk. "Morning," she said happily.

"Morning. Another Saturday finding munchies?"

"I hate studying without something to nibble on," she agreed, heading for the chips and snacks section. It didn't have much selection but she found a few things she liked, including the bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn she had been craving. She went back to pick up a basket and went back to her browsing. She picked up some more granola bars and some more fruit snacks, including some dried fruit to put into her morning oatmeal tomorrow. Then she headed for the sodas, getting a few two-liters this time. She browsed the rest of the store but nothing else caught her attention. She did stop when she found a cute little pocketknife keychain, tossing it into her basket. She headed to the checkout, finding another woman manning it. She didn't know this one. "Morning," she said happily. "Study supplies." The woman looked at the keychain, then her. "It's got a good nail file on it and I could use one." She checked her out, handing her the bags. "Thanks." She headed for the candy shop, it was someone new working and she hadn't made the mistake of telling her she was a scarlet girl. She loaded up in there on a sampler pack, then headed for the store she got hose and socks from, getting a few new pairs to replace the things that had runs and rips.

Then she decided to wander back to the park. She had her things. The monitor checked her bags then let her put them onto the bus, then she got out to take a wander around the park. She hadn't before and it looked pretty with the flowers just starting to come up. Her cellphone rang and she answered it. "Yeah?" She smiled. "Thanks for getting the plan switched, mom. No, it's a Saturday in town. I just picked up my studying nibbles. How are things going over there?" She listened to her mother's quiet confession that her soon-to-be-former husband had turned mean and cruel recently. "I'm sorry 'bout that, mom. Why don't you come over for a visit?" Her call waiting beep went off but she ignored it, she had voicemail. "Are you getting a restraining order against him?" She grimaced. "Really? Would he be the one that added the dragon statues?" She snorted. "Well, that solves that. Did he do the lingerie too?" She shuddered. "He's nasty, mother. Sickening and gross. I'd rather not if it's all right. Yes, I'm quite sure. No, we're still friends and I'm still not going to use that gift certificate. I'll send it back with the nighty if you want to hand them back to him for me. I'd never mind." She laughed. "Good. Yes, tell his mother about the tasteless gifts. Maybe she can stop him. I don't need the local fire chief's son and his TransAm on my case. I didn't like him when we shared a school and being here means I like him even less. How did you know?" She listened to the story of catching him, walking further into the park. "Cool!"

***

The monitor counted heads, coming up one short again. "Who's missing?" she called, gaining attention. Everyone looked clueless. She looked at them, counting again.

"There's some bags in one of the seats," one boy noted, pointing at them. "Maybe she ran off for another chocolate?"

"I didn't see any more children in the town," she said, walking back to check the bags again. "The red-haired girl, anyone seen her?" Everyone looked clueless. "Okay, let's get you back to the school, we can come back for her or the locals can make sure she gets back." She nodded at the driver and he pulled away. "Don't wander off from the group. There's no telling where she is."

"She's a brain," the boy who had spotted the bags said.

"Who?" the other boy on the bus asked.

"That red haired girl, the one who shows everyone up in accounting."

"Catherine? Tyler's buddy? She's on my floor. She's pretty nice and she's not a scatter brain like some girls. She wouldn't have wandered off." He looked at the monitor. "Even with her nose in a book she wouldn't have wandered off."

"I'll tell the headmaster, he'll call around and find her," she assured him. "She's probably in another store because she forgot something. It'll teach her to wear her watch." She sat down in her seat as the bus started back up the hill. As soon as they parked, one of the older students came her way. "Get your friends and take them upstairs," she ordered.

Benton, one of the more quiet Scruffy Ones, looked in the bus. "She's not here."

"No, if you're talking about that one girl, she's still wandering around and no one knew where. I'm going to report her now."

"Let me," he said, taking her bags from the helpful boy and heading to the office. "NICK!" he yelled as he walked. His brother came out of the library. "Kitten's missing. No one could find her. She came back early, dumped her bags, and disappeared." She handed them to Sascha.

"I called her phone but she was talking to someone," Tyler admitted. "I was going to ask her to get me some chocolates and I'd pay her back. I left a message on her phone." He looked at Nick. "We've got a real problem. She left her books unguarded."

Nick grimaced and pointed at his office so they headed that way with him following. Once he had retrieved a local phone book, he called down there to the police department. "Hello," he said in flawless French. "One of our students seem to have come up missing. Red hair, one long spot that she likes to play with. What was she wearing?"

"Jeans, t-shirt, sneakers. Uh, blue shirt with 'I Am The Goddess' on the front," Tyler told him.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. He nodded. "No, her things were on the bus so we know she checked in, then she left. Please. No, I'm the Headmaster. I'll be down within an hour to either retrieve her or to help you look. Thank you. No, she's had some security issues. Her parents are presently arguing during their divorce and things." He smirked, that was good enough, the cops would search for foul play now and they didn't need to know the real reason. "Of course. One hour. Thank you again." He hung up. "Let me get presentable and I'll drive down."

"With us," Sascha told him.

He looked at her. "No."

"Bite me, I'll jog if I have to," Tyler noted. "We all knew she'd be in trouble. Who was supposed to go with her?" Everyone looked clueless. "I had that paper to do today. William?"

"He's in training sessions today over his form," Nick said. "Guys, did we leave our wanted chosen alone?" They glared at him as a group. He grinned. "Thought so. Fine. Let's go check on it. Tyler, if you're going, put on something more decent. Anyone else as well. Tyler, take that to her room and tell Celia. Sascha, dear, please get Greg and Brad from downstairs. We might need someone who's more of a warrior than I am." She nodded, handing off the bags before running off. He went to his room, calming himself. It had to be innocent. It was barely spring. He tried her cellphone again, listening to it ring. Not a good thing. He hurried and met his brothers at the car, with one of his older sisters. "Wynn?"

"I can't find her," she admitted. "I'm hoping for a more local trace to work on it. Plus I've loaded weapons in the trunk." She got in the back in the middle, letting the boys sit wherever they wanted. Tyler was next to her so she took his hand to hold, squeezing it. "It's all right. She's got to be fine."

"I tried her phone while I changed, it just rang," he said quietly.

"So did I," Nick admitted. "Same result." He sped down the road, heading down to the local police department. This really wasn't like the girl. She may have forgotten to go to a class because she was reading, but not to come home. Not knowing she'd have to walk about two miles uphill to get back to the school and be in big trouble. She'd never worry Tyler that way; even if she wouldn't admit they were dating she hated to make him worry. He walked into the police department, looking around. "Any luck?"

One of the police officers walked over to the desk at the front of the office. "We found a cellphone on the ground in the park. Could anyone identify it?"

"I can," Tyler said as he walked in. He took the phone, opening it so he could get into the menu and look at the phone number. "It's hers. It's got three voicemails." He accessed it and listened to his, then moved on. "Her mother's worried, they were chatting when her signal cut off." He went to the next one, again her mother. He called her. "Hey, Mom, it's Tyler. We don't know. We think she was mugged or something. We're looking for her right now. Yeah, feel free to come over and browbeat us. Welcome. Bring Crystal if you want." He hung up and tucked it into his pocket. "Where in the park was it? She was mid-sentence with her mother when her phone was cut off."

The officer swallowed. "She is yours?"

"She's my best friend. I protect her. I would have been with her but I needed to write a paper for Lit class." He crossed his arms over his chest but his brother patted him on the back.

"She's one of my family's friends," Nick said calmly. "Would you please show us where in the park she disappeared?" The officer nodded, coming around to lead them back there. A few more people had joined the group, including a few nuns from the Order. He made sure to nod politely at them as he walked past them. "Sisters," Nick said in greeting as they followed the cop. "Catherine put her things on the bus then disappeared apparently. The monitor didn't even try to look for her?"

The sister walking on his other side shook her head. "She said she asked the other students but most of them were not aware who she was much less that there might be such a danger. Only one boy from Four West was on the bus and he identified her and pointed out that this wasn't usual behavior. She said they'd come back for her later." She glanced at Tyler. "Calm down, brother."

"You calm down," he said bitterly. "I'm going to kick someone's ass if they've hurt her." He walked past the officer when he stopped, looking at the perfectly normal looking bit of ground. "Here?" He nodded. "Is there anywhere nearby that they could have set a car?"

"No. Those bushes," he said, pointing at a group, "hide the other part of the jogging trail. The nearest parking lot is about a half-mile on the other side of the woods from here. Or behind us where the bus usually parks." He glanced around the pristine park. "We never have things happen like this."

"We know," Nick agreed. "I know it's not a resident. This girl's biological father used to do some great things in Archeology and she's been in danger from that before he died. It's either that or from the current divorce." The officer relaxed. "Will you let us look?"

"Of course. Would you like some help?"

"No, I think we can manage with just these ones. They're very determined and stubborn," he said with a touch of sarcasm. The cop smiled and nodded. "We'll come to you if we need more help." He nodded again and backed off, letting them search. Nick pointed at the spot. "Start from here, fan out, find the girl before something worse happens." They all knew something bad could be happening so they hurried off to find her, the more magically inclined trying to do a triangulation on her and the rest searching manually.

Tyler stomped through the bushes, seething at this happening. How could he have been so stupid? He stopped and looked around at the jogging trail. There weren't any hidden spots. It had been built during the last run of crime in the village so the planners had made sure it didn't have anywhere for someone to hide and jump out at people. He took a long sniff of the air, then headed off down the trail. He smelled her shampoo, he swore he did. Ahead there was a curve into the woods and he sped up, expecting her to be there. She wasn't, but she wasn't that far away. He could smell her better now. "NICK!" He searched a bit longer until the others got here. "I can smell her shampoo," he said quietly. They fanned out and his sister Valerian found her lying in a puddle of shadow beneath a tree. "Kitten." He knelt beside her, brushing her hair back. "Catherine?" She clutched his fingers when he placed them in her hand but she didn't respond otherwise. "Let's get her back to the castle."

"We'll need to be careful with her," Nick noted. "She could have been physically injured, Tyler." He relented and got out of the way. "How are we getting her home?"

"Take the car," Valerian ordered. Everyone nodded. "Then come back for the rest of us. Get her into the infirmary and set up so Tyler can come sit with her." They nodded, carrying her carefully. She walked to where the officer was staring in shock. "It looks like she was mugged. She woke up briefly so we're taking her to the infirmary," she said quietly. He nodded, closing his mouth. "She'll be fine. Come, I'll show you where she was in case it was something that wasn't from her past." He nodded, following her back to the patch of shadows. It probably wasn't something he could do anything about but it made him feel more useful. By the time she came back, the car had been up to the school and back, so the rest of them headed up there. She took the back tunnels to the convent, going to report. "Reverend Mother," she said respectfully when she ran into the older woman in the foyer. "We've found the girl. She was unconscious and heading for the infirmary. She didn't look physically injured but we believe she's trapped in her mind at the moment."

"Very well. I'll go up tonight to check on her myself," she agreed calmly. "How is her chosen?"

"She's the chosen of the Scruffy Ones, ma'am; the ones who were with us were frantic and the rest were waiting on them."

"Very well. You have done well. Go soothe your brother. You know how this incident must turn out." Valerian gave her a long look. "She must win, child, and we all know this."

"We know that, Most High, but we didn't want to put her into this sort of danger. Her mother is probably on her way over. Tyler said she had been talking to her when the phone was cut off."

"Very well. I will wait for her with Nicholas. Go with them." She nodded, hurrying off. "The Dark One will not win this battle," she vowed. Her scales shifted for a moment then went back. "I will not let the Princess suffer for that one's benefit." She went to call her contacts on that other realm to see if they could help any further.

***


Nick walked into the infirmary, heading back to the special section, nodding at the nurses from the Order. "How are they?" he asked quietly.

"Doing as expected," the nurse reported. She put her stethoscope around her neck. "Neither of them will wake. We were lucky enough that the young one wasn't injured, simply knocked out."

"We're lucky we found Mother's body before it was taken," he said grimly. "Are they in the same condition?" She nodded. "You're sure?"

"Positive. Those who have mental skills have examined them. They're somewhere very similar. Who do we let in?"

"Let any of the Scruffy Ones in, she's their chosen. Let me, let the ones you trust, and let her mother when she comes up." The nurse nodded, making that note on the paper in her hands. "I have no doubt you'll be seeing much more of Tyler than you ever have in the past."

She nodded. "He's already growled at us and breathed some smoke for one of us trying to get him out of the way so we could check her over. It'll probably be like that until she wakes." She smiled at him and patted him on the arm. "We'll help her all we can, Nicholas. Be easy."

"Thank you, sister." He walked into the specially warded and soundproofed room, looking at his brother. "If you get in their way, they'll send you out for an hour." He looked at them. "Is she okay?"

"As fine as she can be without being in her body."

"Tyler, I'm sorry."

"No, it's my own fault," he assured him bitterly. "I should have taken a break to go with her. Can you make my excuses for me?"

"For both of you," he agreed. He walked over to pat his brother's back. "Relax. We'll help her all we can. This one isn't a physical attack but we'll do what we can. We all like her and think you two are very sweet together." He grimaced and opened his mouth to protest. "If you weren't dating," he overrode the comment starting, "you wouldn't be so concerned. I wish you had gotten to fully bond with her, it might make this easier; but remember, Mother is tougher than all of us put together and she's probably there too." Tyler relaxed. "Now, when she wakes, are you going to tell her you're dating or not?"

"I probably will, but she'll glare at me. She doesn't want to be tied down."

"Then convince her you're not dating her, simply stalking her," he said fondly. "Did you tell her mother to come up?" His little brother nodded. "Since we found her?"

"No, not yet," he admitted, pulling the cellphone out of his pocket. He pushed the speed dial button for her mother and listened to the frantic greeting. "We've found her, she was mugged," he told her. A technical lie but the reality would drive her insane. "She's presently unconscious but we're expecting her to wake up anytime now. No, we've got a full hospital wing in the convent attached to the school. We have Sisters who work in war zones who sometimes bring in orphans, plus they use it to help train the ones who want to be doctors. They've said she's fine, just unconscious. No, I'm not moving from her bedside, not in the least." He grimaced. "My big brother just said the same thing," he admitted. "Thanks. See you in a few days. Yeah, it can wait that long. If she wakes up before then I'll have her call." He hung up and looked at him. "We've got three days. That's the first flight she could get that wasn't booked."

"Then we'll work on it," Nick agreed. "Make sure to keep in physical contact, she'll need an anchor to come back to." He patted him again and headed off to talk to the more gifted members of the family. He wasn't one, he was more of a warrior and a scholar than anything else. His brother Tyler was the same way. The ones who would fight this battle were the ones who were gifted in other arenas. Greg and Brad met him. "Have you found her mind?"

"No, we're looking now with William's help," Greg told him grimly. "She's in the same place as mom. I felt them connect."

"Good. At least it's something. Her mother will be here in three days. Tyler's staying there. What can we do to help?"

"Get us some food," William muttered, concentrating hard on his task. He finally slumped. "I can't get a picture. Maybe if I'm in the same room?"

"I tried that and I couldn't," Valerian noted. "Then again, I tried it with Mother."

"She's technically the Scruffy One's bonded," Greg offered. "Wouldn't that help some?" She nodded. "Run up there and try, William." He nodded, heading to do that.
"Did the big git ever bond with her?" Everyone shook their heads. "Why not?"

"Spring Equinox is this coming week," Nick pointed out. "There hasn't been time. Fortunately, Tyler did say he was going to tell her she was dating him." That got some laughter. "We'll work on it people. Let's get down to work. Which books should I start with?" The stack was pointed out. "Thanks." He headed over there with Robbie and Sascha. "You're not helping?"

"My skills are minimal so I'll be adding to the levels at the end."

"That's fine." He patted her on the hand. "We'll get through this and she'll be fine."
Chapter 11 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER ELEVEN



Catherine looked around the large cave she found herself in. "Well, this is certainly not where I expected to spend my afternoon," she said dryly. She heard a snore and hesitated but figured it would either be someone who was trapped or their guards and she might be able to goad them into telling her what was going on. She headed for the snoring, finding a large nose in the cave's tunnel. She looked at it, noticing the snoring had stopped. "Are you going to eat me or are you like Nick and you only eat farm animals?"

"I try very hard to only eat animals," the tired, yet cultured voice said before the large eyes opened. "I know you."

"You seem familiar somehow too and not from one of my books."

"Catherine," she said with a smirk, lifting her head. "Welcome to this mental prison. How did they get you?"

"I was chatting with my mother in the park in town and felt this incredible pain across the back of my head." She rubbed the spot even though it wasn't sore here. "You, Headmistress?"

"I was forced off the road and woke up here. I'm hoping someone recovered my body."

"I have no idea. Tyler doesn't tell me anything like that. He's still trying to protect me."

"Tyler?"

"Tyler. One of the Scruffy Ones? I'm their mascot and chosen." She shrugged. "The others didn't like me but he's one of my best friends."

"In other words you're dating?"

"I'm not looking for a relationship, I'm at the school to get an education and he knows that," she said firmly. "He's sleeping with my roommate."

"Celia does have very welcoming arms," she agreed, moving a bit closer to standing. "Do you have any idea why you were drawn here?"

"I was told about a prophecy. I was warned to be careful. I was doing my Saturday in town and got mugged to here. Or kidnaped or whatever." She waved a hand. "My mother's got to be having things your size by now. I was talking to her."

"I'm sure she'll be at the school soon. Who took my place?"

"Nick."

"Good." She smirked. "I didn't want to leave Marilyn in control."

"Yeah, well, Tyler had some doubts about her, she was talking to the village's mayor, who is in the employ of the guy who kept sending me unfunny presents."

"Roschene?" she guessed.

"Yeah, him. How'd you know?"

"He's a tiring little piss-ant of a dragon," she told her, standing up. "Okay, let's get out of here. I need to go for a fly and it'll help scout. The barrier keeping me tied to the floor is gone. Climb on like you would a horse."

"Horses hate me," she told her. "Is it like riding a motorbike? My father used to have this ancient one he took on digs. He fixed it back up from World War II. It was the noisiest thing but it did well when he was on his own."

"I thought archeology digs came with trucks or jeeps."

"It did, those were for his grad assistants and their equipment. The bike was for him and me when he brought me during the summers." She looked at the extremely large body. She must have been longer than a football field before you added in the length of her tail. She could see wings but they were folded back so she had no idea how big they were. She was also a silvery/gray color with hints of green, gold, and red flashing in the dim light. "Base of your neck or between your wings?"

"Back of my shoulders if you wouldn't mind."

"A saddle?"

"Not available." She held still while her student climbed up her leg then hopped up onto her back. "You do that well," she admitted. "When was the last time you rode?"

"He died when I was nine."

"I'm sorry. You must miss him."

"I do, he made me and Mom happy. They present one is in the middle of a divorce." She looked around. "What do I hold onto?"

"There should be ridges in front of you."

Catherine looked around then moved back until she found a nice butt-sized niche in the ridges, hanging onto the one in front of her. "Okay, got it. Is this comfy for you?"

"Good enough. Hold on." She walked out of the cave and took off with a massive sweep of her wings. She heard the breathed 'wow' and smirked. "Better than the books?"

"Oh yeah," she agreed. She took off her jacket and used it to pad her hands since the ridge was sharp edged. "There, much better." She brushed a hand over a scale. "You're dry. Should I worry about having to oil Tyler?"

The Headmistress looked back at her. "Only if you have plans for a shotgun wedding in your future, young lady."

"Just asking, ma'am."

"That's fine. Dating I don't mind. I should have seen you two would get together." She looked in front of her again, looking down at the unending woods. She did see a lake and headed that way, noticing there was a small dragon in the clearing. "He's not even a proper size."

"What does he want anyway?"

"He thinks he can control me by getting you and making you control my sons."

"I'm not turning on them for him."

"No, he's thinking something along the lines of a coercion spell on you would control them. Then he'd use it against me to make me take him as my consort, which would displace all my children from the hierarchy and put him in their place. The phrase 'not a chance' didn't seem to get through to him."

"I'd have started to swear by now, even my polite little sister would have."

"I want to, but I shouldn't in front of children." She flew past the dragon, ignoring him. She heard him lift off but she continued to ignore him in the finest princessly fashion. "What did the prophecy state?"

"About all this or the battle? The sister named Valerian said it was to be a battle of wills."

"Fair enough. Valerian is one of Tyler's clutchmates. She's a good girl but she's got a mean streak a few miles wide at times. I'm hoping this is one of them."

"Hopefully Tyler will have another fit of epic proportions over this before my mother gets there. She likes him. Everyone seems to think we're dating." The mother dragon looked back at her. "I don't know why. We're just really close friends, I promise, Headmistress. We've both had to state that a few times."

"I'm sure you two will be very happy together, dear. It'll work itself out." Silently, she was thinking about how big an idiot her son was if he didn't realize she liked him, and probably how much he liked her. She hoped Nick could tease him into admitting it, otherwise Tyler would probably throw fits at a great many people. The smaller dragon zipped in front of them, diving to stop her progress. She dodged and continued on, ignoring his pitiful attempt at trying to induce a mating frenzy. "Does he honestly think I'd ever fly with a runt like him?"

"Napoleon complex, ma'am?" Catherine suggested.

"That too. Apparently his versions of the Gods are dashboard sized and he fits among them. Seriously, he's as small as a yearling. My other dragon mates have been much larger and stronger. I should try to call up one or two of them," she said thoughtfully.

"Is there a difference between a flying-mate and a consort?"

"Flying mates are taken for a span of about fifty years. Basically long enough to get a fledgling out of the nest and into their own. A consort is a mate for life. He'd be the kids' stepfather and I don't like him that much."

"My stepfather sells cars, they might get along well."

The Headmistress snickered. "That's so mean, Catherine."

"I know, but he's been yelling insulting things at my mother since she wanted to divorce him. I don't know why he's bothering. He doesn't understand her at all. She's a lot like me and he certainly doesn't understand me. He had a stupid little jock break into my room, steal some things of mine, and buy me presents. All to woo me supposedly. I'm supposed to be flattered that this pervert sends me tasteless and tacky lingerie and a gift certificate to the same nasty store? Please! I have an IQ requirement for anyone I would even *think* about dating and he doesn't come close. I don't know why he's not going after my sister Crystal, she's more his sort anyway, but no, he has to try and *woo* me." She shuddered. "Nasty little simian proto-human. Looks like a genetic experiment to breed gorillas and humans together." The Headmistress laughed. "Seriously! When we get back, have me show you my last yearbook. He's in there in his football uniform, his hockey uniform, and disgustingly enough in his wrestling uniform. He used to pick on the math club kids because they were smart. And he wants to date me?" She snorted. "Fat chance. He should have made the same jump in logic everyone else did at the holidays when I brought home Sascha and Tyler and given up."

"I'm sure Tyler will have a word with him this summer if he's following you home again."

"Won't you want to spend time with him?"

"Well, yes, but I figured you'd want to bring him home for a while. It sounds like your mother likes him."

"Oh, she does. They're email pals at the moment, all about my birthday."

The headmistress laughed at that. "Watch out for William. I love my youngest son but he is so bad sometimes. Nearly wicked at others."

"He likes to help me with my clothes," she told her. "William and I get along pretty well actually. It seems staring at me gives him naughty ideas, which he then spreads to the rest of Four West." She heard a calling noise and looked over her shoulder. "He's back again, ma'am. I wish I had a shotgun."

"You can hunt?"

"My second father taught me. He was a diplomatic courier and thought I should know how to use a gun just in case someone came for him."

"Ah. Wise of him then. Ooh, those get on my nerves." She turned them around, glaring at the smaller dragon. "No flying mate of mine would ever think of calling me in such a rude manner. If you don't believe me, ask Malaki." She flew off in another direction, noticing that the woods were repeating. "I think we've run to the end of his world. It's repeating."

"Gee, it's almost as small as he is. Does he expect you to live in this limited place when you're obviously accustomed to larger skies and better hunting?"

"No, he wants me to vow to him, which can't be gotten rid of once we're out," she said bitterly. She landed beside the lake, letting the girl get down. "Let me check for monsters, it'd be like him to do that." She put a foot in the water and caught a fish but nothing else. She looked at it, then tossed it at the small dragon trying to land near them. He squawked angrily and hissed at them. "Good, you deserve it." She looked at the girl. "I wouldn't drink it, it's probably been spelled for attraction."

"How very Xanthian of him," she said dryly, glaring at the smaller dragon. "Go away. Her highness has no wish of repartee with you, witty or otherwise." The dragon glared at her so she got in the way. "Leave, cretin, before I have to actually use the vocabulary I've spent my entire life gathering." He hissed at her so she slapped him on the muzzle like she would a boy who had just tried to grab her rear. He reared back on his back legs, rubbing his nose. "That's what you earned. Do it again and see how mean I can be. Remember, women are like that."

"Pitiful human, I can trap you here and let your body die," he sneered.

"Try it," she offered dryly. "See what sort of hell I can raise here. I can make any man miserable for daring to come near me, you're no exception because you have tiny, blunt, dull looking scales." He drew in a deep breath so she hit him on the stomach, making him gasp and choke. His ribs were guarded but all stomachs hurt when you punched in them. The self defense instructor had said so. "Do not try to roast me, you overgrown gnat. I will make you suffer if you cause me any harm." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "She may be a princess, but I've grown up with queens. You have nothing on them. My half-sister and her fellow beauty queens could take you out and outsmart you, and that's saying something from the women who don't like to break a nail." He glared at her again and she kicked him this time on the side of the knee, making him bellow and hop around holding it.

"Go away. How much longer do I have to yell at you? Are you not getting the point that the male figure is not what either of us want and certainly not your male figure. Are you like a dwarf of a dragon? I mean, seriously here. You're not exactly the most shining example. Now the headmistress, she's impressive. I don't know how you'd expect to mate with her, you couldn't reach the correct opening." The male dragon hissed at her, sending out smoke. She waved a hand in front of her face to clear it off. "Second hand smoke has been proven to be bad for those who blow it at non-smokers. Learn the lesson before I have to find a big rock to hit you with. It would be my pleasure of course, but I'm certain you won't be saying the same when I shove it in a delicate, microscopic opening in your male anatomy." She looked him over. "If I could find it at all. It doesn't appear to exist on you unless it's very well hidden."

The headmistress had been trying, she really had, but she had to giggle at that one. "Nice one, Catherine. I'll be most grateful when you take my troublesome son off my hands."

"We're not dating!" she said miserably. "Why doesn't anyone believe us?" She rounded on the dragon trying to come at her and slapped him across the edge of the muzzle again, making him tear up and back away. "Did I give you permission to get within touching distance of my body? I know I'm delectable but even if I were to be food for a dragon, I'd be mortally embarrassed if it weren't a *real* one. From the looks of her children, she's got good taste in *real* dragons." He roared a challenge and lunged but she sidestepped and tripped him then grabbed his tail and tugged. Too heavy to do much but the Headmistress' claw came up and shoved him into the water with her. "I hope this isn't a love spring after all. That would be rather sickening." She got out, ringing out her shirt. She pulled a small fish from her bra and tossed it at the male dragon. "Here, that's more your speed." She looked at the headmistress. "May I please have my other shirt? I hate wet clothes." The overshirt she had been using as a light jacket was handed over and she turned her back to change, dropping the wet things onto the ground before pulling the overshirt over her bare skin. "There, much nicer." She turned to look at the dragon slogging his way out of the lake. "Feel better? Did the cool water cool your ardor?"

"I'll kill you and make her watch," he sneered. "That will destroy some of her children."

"You goofed, buddy boy. Spring Equinox isn't for another four days in the real world." He looked stunned. "Yeah, so it won't do anything to them except piss them off further. I know that they've been saving it all for when they met you." She looked him over. "You know, I've always adored dragons but I think you're one man who'd look better as a toad." She looked at her partner. "Can't you call one of them?"

"I've tried, I haven't heard him yet. I would have tried sooner but the sleep spell kept me down."

"If they come, you'll have to go back to the court," Roschene sneered. "Then you'll have others like me."

"Hopefully better looking," Catherine snorted. "And bigger. You really are tiny next to her. Aren't male dragons only supposed to be a *bit* smaller?"

The Headmistress nodded. "Definitely. Though I prefer my males larger. I miss Malaki," she sighed sadly. "He would have made an excellent consort but he only was in it for the fun." She looked at Catherine. "He's Valerian's father. He's a huge, shiny black stud of a dragon. Smart, wicked sense of humor, and flies like a God." She shivered. "I miss Mal."

"It sounds like he needed to grow up and then come back to you."

"It would have been nice but he likes pretty young dragons and I'm neither now." She fluffed her wings. "I'll introduce you sometime." They both looked at Roschene, whose scales had turned a sickly shade of green in the darkening light. "We'd better get back to the cave. It's defensible. This isn't."

Catherine looked at him, then nodded, climbing back up. "I agree. Or at least somewhere near there in case it tries to keep us." They took off, heading to the other spot. There was a clearing in front of the cave so she hopped off to gather firewood and the Headmistress blew on it to create the fire. It was nice after her dunking earlier.


***


Catherine woke up when a tree branch snapped, looking into the face of a different dragon. "Headmistress?" She looked him over. "Well, you're bigger, cuter, and better built than the runt that pulled us here. Are you friendly or not?"

The Headmistress raised her head. "Hey, Mal, did he get you too?" He nodded. She grimaced. "You know, I needed some help but I didn't want you to be taken away from her like this."

The dark head moved over to nuzzle her gently. "I don't mind. It's obvious you need help if this is your only protection."

"This is the chosen for the Scruffy Ones, especially Tyler," she said smugly.

"Tyler likes girls?"

"He's sleeping with my roommate so I'd hope so," Catherine admitted, sitting up. "How do we get home, do you have any clue?"

"No, he's keeping you suppressed in your head," Malaki said gently. "Someone will have to break that and then you can be woken with some help." He moved to lay beside the Headmistress, snuggling next to her. "How are you?"

"I'm well enough. My last flying mate died in that stupid contest," she sighed. "It won't be the first time I've had to deal with a hatchling alone though. Then this happened. I'm feeling too old to do this. It's not like it'd get Roschene much. I've only got one good nesting left in me probably."

"Yes, but the prestige is enough and that one nestling would be his way to guarantee that he wasn't going to be forgotten or shoved out of the court." He noticed the human lying back down. "You rest, I'll at least be here until the dawn, and if I awake, I'll head to the school to tell them."

"Thank you," the headmistress said, nuzzling him.

"Anything you like, kitten." She swatted him playfully. "You're worth it most of the time." He put his neck over hers, resting his head on her back. "You sleep for now. Let me guard you." She nodded, falling off again. "Do not worry, Catherine, I like Tyler. He's an amusing baby dragon. I wish he had been mine, then he would be a proper warrior instead of a scholar, but I understand your attraction, he is rather adorable."

"I'm a scholar too," she admitted, turning to look at him. "He's been reading my science fiction and fantasy collection."

"You mean you got him to read something other than history or other human areas of thought?" She nodded. "Then I welcome you to the clan of dragons, mate of Tyler." The dragon under him snickered. "No?"

"We're very close friends, not dating," Catherine told him. "No matter how many people seem to think so."

"Ah." He nodded. "He needs to be shown the ways of proper dragon mating rituals. By now he should have built you a nest, gotten you food offerings, and offered a flight."

"I'm human."

"I wasn't suggesting more than riding on his back. He is fairly spectacular in his natural form."

"I think he would offer me a flight if I seemed to want to," she admitted. "Other than that, we study together and he helps me in physics."

Malaki rolled his eyes. "That boy needs to find you a nest."

"We're in the school. Then again, he is making sure we're all moving together downstairs. I'll get a suite attached to his."

"A nest," Malaki assured her.

"Well, but...there won't be any jewels or anything, just books and bookshelves."

"Treasures are personal things," he said with a wink. "He understands yours." He looked at the woods. "The runt cometh."

"If I see him, I'm going to smack him again," Catherine called. "I was not in the mood for this activity!" She quieted her rant to under her breath, going on and on about his lack of everything resembling a real dragon, making Malaki laugh. "He is! He's a runt with dull scales, a nasty coloration, and when he was on his back feet I didn't see anything that resembled genitalia. Therefore, he must be a neuter."

Malaki snickered. "I like you, young one. Were you a dragon I would appreciate your fire and take you as a flying mate. Tyler is one lucky dragon." He saw her blush and smelled the one coming from underneath him, she always let off strong emotional smells. He nuzzled his buddy then grinned at the human. "If he ever dumps you, come see me, child."

"Not to offend or anything, but I'm not looking for an easy relationship. When I start dating, I want to be as goal oriented as I am in other parts of my life."

He nodded. "I can see that. When you're ready for a mate, I'm sure you'll find two or three trying to overthrow Tyler's claim on you. I hope he has fun taking them down for you."

"Rest, Catherine," the headmistress said. "We'll probably need it and he can nap tomorrow if he stays."

"Yes, ma'am." She curled up again, going back to sleep.

Malaki liked her, he smiled down at her while she slept. It was good to find that troublesome pup had found someone who would defend him since he didn't seem to want to defend himself most of the time.

***



Malaki woke in his own cave and stretched, getting up and heading out.

"Where are you going?" his nestmate called.

"I have to head to the human realm. I made a promise to help retrieve my former flying mate."

"You're going to pick her over me?" she said angrily. "You can go and not come back."

He turned to look at her, then loomed over her. "Do not make such statements. Catherine was more dragon than you'll ever be and I was foolish not to see that when I had her. For now, she needs me to help rescue her and I gave my word that I would. You stay here and rest. You're egg heavy and you need your rest so you become rational." He turned and headed off, taking a flying leap off the edge of their shared cave and heading to the palace. They had a gateway there. He walked in and everyone stared at him in shock. "The Princess has been mentally kidnaped by Roschene along with one of her children's mates. I'm going to help them retrieve her." He turned into his human form and activated the gateway, opening it on the only place he knew in the human realm, a small meeting room in London. He walked through and it shut behind him, so he looked around. "Ah, White Knight," he said fondly, heading down to find one of her children. There weren't many around, he could only smell a few, but they would send him to the school.

***


Nick looked up as his office was invaded by a babbling secretary. "Calm down, Syvette. Who was it?"

"A huge man, dark skinned, long dark hair, tall, handsome. Drool-worthy really, and he's walking around like he owns the place."

"That's Val's father," he said as he got up. "Thanks, you're a peach." He hurried out. "Malaki!" He stopped to look at him. "This way." He led him to the hospital wing. "Why did you come? You threw our mother over."

"I saw her," he said grimly. "Roschene has them suppressed. Tyler's mate is quite something for a human."

"She is," he agreed with a smirk. "They both insist they're not dating."

He snorted. "Then he's not creating a nest downstairs for her?"

"No, he is," he admitted. He walked him through the rest of the hospital, drawing a few females with him. "Tyler?" he called softly. Tyler woke up with a start and glared at the man behind him. "He saw them last night." He got out of Malaki's way.

Malaki leaned down to look at them. "Roschene has them in a world of his own making inside their heads. They are together. Your mate has been baiting him about his runt status, called him a neuter as well." Tyler let out a tired laugh at that. "Then you won't deny it?"

"I can't anymore."

"Good, make sure her nest downstairs is quite something. If you need help, ask. I may not be the most experienced with consort nestings but I am good at designing nests." He laid a hand on their heads. "We need one with gifts strong enough to break a block. It's strong but it's in a solid form, which leaves it open for cracks and I think I have one."

"The Reverend Mother is on her way up," one of the sisters told him. "Are you Valerian's father?" He looked at her and nodded. "Ah. I thought you looked familiar."

"Don't wake her up," Nick said quickly. "They'll have another fight."

"I didn't realize what I had when I had her. My current nestmate is whiny. Your mother never fought though and I didn't realize why."

"She knew she couldn't keep you," Tyler said bitterly. "She thought I was the reason."

"No, I've always liked you, Tyler. The fact that one of the withheld eggs hatched wasn't a problem for me." He got out of the way as the dragon he could smell came in. "The block is a wall, but it is not that large. There are cracks."

"Thank you." She took his place between the beds and laid a hand on each of their heads, concentrating on the magic wall in their heads holding them in that bubble world. "Ah, a fight. That girl has quite the mouth on her." She pushed and shoved at the crack, making it break more. She felt the Headmistress' break so she worked on the girl's head. Hers was thicker because she was human and more susceptible to such things. "I need help," she announced.

Tyler moved to take her hand. "Show me." She looked at him and he stared back. She finally drew him in and when others came in they helped too. The dam was finally broken and the world popped but they weren't waking up. Tyler stroked her forehead. "Come on, Catherine. You've got to get up now. You've got to realize you're free."

Nick came over to check on her. "She might not realize that she can." He patted Tyler's back. "Let me watch, go take a shower." He shook his head. "I don't think she'll want you to be smelling when she wakes up, brother." Tyler looked at him. "That's an order." Tyler nodded and left them alone. "There's another complication?" he asked the older dragons.

"One of you was forced into helping to regain his child," she said quietly. "He has no idea what has been making him weak and tired. The mate laid the spell."

There's only one of his siblings that fit that description. "I'll kill her myself," Nick vowed. "Can one of you get his daughter from her and bring her here?" She nodded, nodding at one of the nuns to do that for them. "Thank you. I'll deal with her on the way home if Valerian doesn't. Will he be all right?"

"He must have felt it snap. As did Roschene. He'll fight more now. He knows his attempt is nearly foiled. His next attack will have to be physical."

"That's fine, I'll deal with it," Nick agreed. "Can we go there?"

"I can do that," Malaki agreed. "It's not much different than merging minds in trance."

"Then I thank you, stepfather. Fly free."

"You as well. Shall I stay?"

"As you wish. Leave Philip alone though. His daughter was too precious to him." Malaki looked stunned, looking at the other dragon, who nodded.

"Then I'll help you before going up to check on him. A mate who does such should be harmed and have her wings ripped from her spine. Children are precious and to be protected."

"Thank you." He looked over as Tyler came back in clean clothes and with washed hair. "I said a real bath."

"Tough, you get what you get. Philip's wandering around in a daze."

Nick put a hand on his arm, staring into his eyes. "His exwife did it to him, he did not consent," he said quietly. Tyler's jaw clenched. "She laid a spell to power this one on him. He's free now and it wasn't his fault."

"If you say so," he said bitterly.

"I do. He never would have hurt mother, you know that. I doubt he realized it at all until he became depressed before the holidays." Tyler relaxed. "Now, we must go there. Coming?" Tyler nodded. "Thank you. Stepfather?"

"Of course." He pushed over chairs for them to sit on, putting hands on their heads and helping them focus. All dragons learned how to merge minds during battles, this wasn't much different. He linked them with the human's since hers was brighter at the moment. Then he stepped out of the way because Tyler had just pulled a mental sword out. "Well. He is a very protective mate," he said, blinking at his bookish stepson. "I had no idea."

"His passions run deeply, just not what you would expect them to be about," the Reverend Mother noted dryly. "Let's back away, let them work."

***

Catherine looked as she felt the air pressure ease, frowning at the dragon beside her. "Was that good?"

"It was. The thing holding us down is gone. We should be able to escape soon." They faced off with the tiny dragon and his creature minions again. "They're not real, remember that, Catherine."

"Of course not. If they were real, we'd be in big trouble." She patted the warm side. "We'll get out of this or I'm gonna kill someone trying. I am my father's daughter and he did defeat pirates and mercenaries a few times." She steeled herself when they yelled, sneering at them even though she was petrified. She heard a yell and ducked instinctively, like someone in her head had shouted 'duck'. Someone leapt over her and landed in front of her. "Tyler? Why do you have a sword?"

"Because I like it," he said with a small grin for her. "If you two could wake up, it'd be easier to do this."

"How do we do that?" She pinched herself but she was still there. "Worse pain?"

"You probably need a better stimulus," he offered. "How do you usually wake up?"

"With a very loud alarm or someone shouting in my ear," she told him. She saw another dragon enter and hissed at his size. "Is that Nick?" For some reason it seemed like Nick to her. He nodded smugly. "Damn, he's huge! I thought he was one of the nice guys!"

"He is," Tyler assured her. He turned and kissed her gently. "Shoot, didn't work." He shrugged and handed over the sword, then moved away and changed into dragon form, becoming a large blue to his brother's teal. She saw her gape and grinned. "Like it?"

"Definitely." She looked at the pitiful dragon across the way. "See, they're what male dragons are supposed to be like, not stumpy little runts like you!" she called. "And they're still young!"

The mother next to her laughed. "Yes, my children are quite impressive," she agreed, moving closer to the human. "Concentrate on your body, Catherine, feel how this one is subtly wrong and not you."

"It is me."

"No, it's a fake you," Tyler instructed. "The real you is on a hospital bed. This is an image of you, one that you can change a bit." She changed, her hair getting longer and princessly, plus her bust increased for a moment, then she changed back. "Very good, now concentrate on going out of this body and your mind going back to your real body."

"How do I do that?"

"It's like waking up, but like turning around in your head and being in the other spot," Nick told her. "Shall we, brother?"

"We should," Tyler agreed, growling at the creatures. They pounced on them, leaving the pitiful dragon for their mother. She waded in with a bellow and a growl of her own, batting the tiny dragon out of her way. Just like kicking a soccer ball. He got up and charged so she did it again, getting more distance this time.

Catherine concentrated and tried, then stopped for a moment and blinked suddenly, looking at a white ceiling. "Okay then." Tyler woke up and hugged her as hard as he could. "Hi," she said shyly.

"You're not getting out of my sight again," he vowed. "Nick, mom?" he called. They woke up and shook themselves. "You are not leaving my side even if I have to camp on your room's couch for a few weeks. Celia and I are through and you're mine, I don't care."

"Tyler, I...."

He let out a deep growl in her ear. "You're not abandoning me now or I'll never take you for a fly," he promised. "You're mine. My chosen, the others can deal with it." She shivered and he pulled her tighter against his body. "My chosen."

"You'll have to forgive him, he's feeling a bit possessive and protective. It should ease in another year or so," Malaki said dryly. "Tyler, let the girl breathe, son." He got a glare for his troubles. "She needs to breathe and can't with you crushing her ribs."

Tyler let her go a bit, looking down at her. "We're dating."

"Tyler, I'm not ready...."

"It hasn't stopped your studying yet and you know I'll be helping you with it," he pointed out. "Even if I have to switch to business classes to help you more."

"I'm not some possession!"

He grimaced. "I know that! You're not a book, or a piece of furniture, or anything like that, but I'm still not letting you out of my sight anytime in the near future. That sick thing might come back!" She shivered and he hugged her tighter again. "It's all right, I'll protect you. He can't get past me, I won't let him. If he even thinks about it, I'm going to kick his butt then take you for a long fly. Wanna go this weekend, after your mother leaves?" She let out a tired chuckle. "I know, I'm being a butt, but I don't care. You're mine and he dared to take what was mine and I don't appreciate that. I tend to get quite angry at the people who try to take what's mine and then I beat them up. I used to be a horrible bully magnet when I was younger so I learned how to beat them all up for it." She nestled in his arms, letting him comfort her. "There, there, love. Like any good fairytale princess, you've been rescued. Not that you needed it really but you're fully back here and you can start to manage my life for me. We'll even have a big library of our own if you want." She let out another tired chuckle. "See, not so bad. We can read and study together all the time if you want. It'll drive the others nuts."

"The others. Are they okay?"

"Just fine, Catherine. Well, William's found his anger source and is presently thinking up all sorts of nasty things to do to Roschene, but otherwise they've been worrying and pacing. Sascha lost total control of her form a few days ago. She's been hiding in my room since then." He stroked her back. "You're all right, that's all that matters. We can work on my overprotective issues later." She nodded against his chest. "That's fine, I'm sure I'll be less needy in a few centuries."

"Humans don't live that long."

"We'll have to fix that for you," Malaki said dryly. "Otherwise he might die with you." He looked at the older Catherine, smiling at her. "Feel better?"

"A bit dizzy, nothing further," she said from under Nick's weight. "Want one?"

"Sure, I never turn down hugs." He gave her a hug without displacing Nick any. "I'll stay for a few days. My current nestmate is already throwing fits, it'll do her good."

"Oh, just kiss her already," Catherine called. "If this girl gets the boy, then that one should as well." Everyone laughed and that was when her mother chose to storm in. "Hi, Mom, I'm awake."

"So I can see. How's your head?"

"Doesn't really ache," she admitted, touching the back of it. "Well, that does, but only when I touch it." She slid off Tyler's lap and back onto her bed. "Sorry, he was being frantic."

"Boyfriends usually are," her mother agreed dryly. "It's amusing how you and he mirror your father and I, dear." She kissed her on the forehead. "I brought you cookies, even though the Customs people didn't like it. I had to do a lot of fast talking."

"Then Nick had to call in and tell them that you were coming up here," Nick mumbled. He got off his mother's body, standing up and brushing his hair back. "I'll tell the others you're both okay," he said, walking out.

Malaki followed and gave him a hug. "I'd never steal your mother from you."

"No, but I just realized that I'd lose her for real some day," he said bitterly.

Malaki tipped his chin up. "It is the way of things. You'd rather have her lose you?" He shook his quickly. "Then pull yourself back together and check on your baby brother Philip." Nick nodded and headed off to do that with one of the nurses. He smiled at the young girl looking around. "A relative?"

"I'm Crystal, Catherine's sister," she said, shaking his hand.

"I'm Malaki, a former boyfriend of the Headmistress. I've just realized what an idiot I was." She giggled at that. "Hopefully like your sister you'll find a place here."

"Ick! Then I'd have to give up my beauty pageants." She shrugged. "She's got her plans and I've got mine." She headed inside to hug her sister. "So, finally admitting it?"

"He just declared we're dating actually," she said dryly.

"As did your father when he beat the jock trying to get into my pants," her mother sighed. She patted Tyler on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family I doubt we'll be rid of you for a very long time, son."

"Thanks, mom." He hugged her around the waist. "I'm sorry I wasn't with her."

"It's all right. Foresight isn't a gift all of us have," she assured him. "All I knew is that this place was going to be good for my daughter. Speaking of, homework?"

"She's gotten an excuse until she's better," Tyler said. "Oh, mom, this is Catherine's mom."

"Hi." She smiled and waved. "I'd come over but my daughter's presently still on my arm." Catherine let her go so she walked over to shake her hand. "Thank you for taking such good care of my baby girl."

"You're welcome. I do adore her. She has spunk and fire. Tells off bullies quite well." The mothers shared a look, then looked at the kids, shaking their heads. Kids! "So, you don't mind them dating? Even though he's a few years older?"

"Not in the least. Tyler's very polite and nice. Besides, he understands her book collection. It's a rare and special thing. Crystal?" She walked over. "This is my youngest, Crystal. This is the Headmistress here, Crys."

"Hi." She shook her hand. "This is a really big school." She beamed at the cute guy coming in. "Hi, I'm Crystal." She shook his hand. "Which friend of my sister's are you?"

He blinked a few times. "Robbie." He smiled at her. "Let me hug my mother and your sister then I'll take you on a tour?" She nodded so he hugged his mother as hard as he could. "Welcome back, mommy," he whispered. "We missed you." He smiled down at her, then at Catherine. "I'd try to hug you but Tyler might beat me for it," he said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Get better soon, the boys are all moping on Four West because they can't do a puzzle party without you." He nodded at her mother. "I'll take her on a tour of the school if that's all right with you?" She nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. Come on, Crystal, there's a ton to see." He led her away, showing her around the trophy room first. They were quite good in some sports. He wasn't but he didn't expect she was either.

"Oh, wow, you guys have horses! I've always wanted to learn but I never had the time! Maybe I will brave that nasty test to come here and give up the pageant cycle for a few years."

He smiled at her. "There's no rush, you can't gain admittance until you're sixteen anyway."

"I guess that's a good thing then. So, does he really like my sister or is it just shock?"

"I think he really likes her. He understands her. For that matter, she understands him, which is a minor miracle. We have some scholars in the family but Tyler never seems to pick an area to study, it's more like fun reading for him." He walked her on, showing her the main areas. By the time they got to the cafeteria she was yawning. "Would you like to rest in your sister's room? I doubt she's going to be using her bed soon."

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Not in the least." He got her a small snack and walked her up the stairs, letting her onto the floor. This door's lock had been broken for the last two days, ever since William had locked it and then kicked it until it had broken. He tapped on the open door, making Celia jump. "Sorry, this is Crystal, she's Catherine's sister. Can she hog her bed for a bit?"

"Sure, not a problem," she agreed. "How is she?"

"Awake. Tyler's clinging like a leach to her side. Mother's fine as well. She woke up around the same time." He led her into Catherine's room, letting her settle herself in. He put the snack on the desk then gently closed the door. "Where's Nick?"

"Still in Philip's room. I'm watching the floor. You might want to unlock William and let him down there."

"I'll do that," he promised. "Thank you, Celia." He walked out, using a touch of magic to open William's door for him. "They're awake. Her mother's down there." William took off at a dead run. So he smiled and walked over to his brother's room, tapping gently on the door before walking in. "Is he all right?"

"Just fine, close the door," Nick said quietly. The door was closed and the desk light turned on. "Thanks. He's got the shakes bad."

"I would too if the realization hit me." He knelt beside his brother. "Tyler's not mad at you." He laughed and hugged him. "Thanks. We missed you to, naughty big brother. I put Crystal into her sister's room for a rest. She took a tour and was really impressed with the horses." Nick chuckled at that. "Celia's got her door open and she's watching the floor. I sent William down there."

"Good enough," Nick agreed. "He'll understand soon enough. We don't blame you, Philip. She couldn't have done it with your knowledge. Now, let's get you downstairs so you and mother can have some time alone." He stood up and helped them both up, letting him walk between them. They ran into Ms. Pierson in the halls. "Catherine's awake and fine," he assured her. She relaxed, smiling in relief. "We're heading back to the infirmary now. Her sister's in her bed for a rest and Celia's got the floor."

"That's fine. Thank you, boys." She patted Philip on the back. "Are you all right?"

"Now," he admitted. "He used me to power the wall holding them in there," he said miserably. "My ex put it on me."

"Then I'll help you find a flame thrower for her battered body," she agreed. "Sometimes the witch burnings weren't the worst idea, even though they got a lot of innocent and good people." Philip smiled at that. "Now, head down there. You obviously need some attention yourself." He nodded, heading that way with his brothers. "That's such good news," she said happily, heading to the teacher's lounge to spread the good news. Those who knew the missing two would be quite happy, especially the physic's professor, her current might-as-well-be nestmate.

Philip walked into the infirmary and right to his mother's side, hugging her. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"It's all right," she promised, stroking his back. "She did it against your will, son. I understand."

"Buck up, Philip, not even I'm that angry with you," Tyler said dryly. He continued to pat his princess's hand. "You need to rest, dear."

"Tyler, go bathe," Nick ordered. "She's awake and I'm sure her mother would like some time alone with her," he once he felt the glare aimed at him. He knew his brother a bit too well. He'd be doing the same thing after all. Tyler sighed but got up and relinquished his seat to her mother, trudging out pitifully. He glanced at Catherine. "Find a long leash," he advised with a smirk. She pulled her pillow from behind her head and threw it at him. "Thanks. Mother, need another pillow?" he asked, offering it to her.

"No, give it back to Catherine, dear."

"Yes, mother." He pulled her up and put it back behind her head, then helped her gently back to the bed. "Stay there."

"Fine," she said with a grin. "Does this mean you're going back to New Haven?"

"Not this week. I doubt mother's going to be in any shape to take back her duties by then. Next week definitely," he agreed with a smile. "Then I'll get to veg for the rest of this semester!" Her mother laughed at that. "Sorry, I teach Classics at Yale."

"I understand, I was married to an Anthropology person who temped as an Archeology person now and then." They shared a look then grinned. "Did you know my first husband? You're probably old enough to have taken him as an undergrad."

"I did, I'm a bit older than I look. I did my Master's Thesis with his books, using them to interpret Syrian architecture."

"Okay, I'm feeling less than brilliant. Son, I thought you did your thesis on some odd form of Egyptian that no one understood."

"That was my second one, mother, for Classics. Remember, I did get a dual Masters, the other in Archeology."

"Oh, yes, I remember." She rolled her eyes. "And you thought Tyler studied," she told Catherine.

"My dad was an Anthro person and my mom a psychology student. It runs in my family." She looked at Nick. "I'm impressed. There's no coffee, no space heater, and no blankets around. Finally getting warm?"

"Actually, I am," he admitted. "I'm only really cold in her office. It's got a draft."

"That's from the secret passage down to the tunnels, son, no wonder you were getting cold feet."

"Try cold everything, mother. Don't worry, I'll move my space heater once you're back."

"Why didn't you block the draft and turn up the thermostat?"

He gave her a long look. "Where might that have been?" he asked dryly.

"On the wall behind the desk. Beside that painting. I had it covered because it was ugly." He rolled his eyes. "Never mind, I'll turn it up later." She groaned as she rolled onto her side, holding her stomach. "I believe I'm going to need two weeks, son. That fine with you?"

"Of course, mother. You know I live to serve your every whim." He nudged Robbie. "Let's leave them alone. Philip, coming?"

"Yeah, give me a mo," he said. He pulled back to look at her. "I couldn't break it, mom. She said it could really hurt you."

"I understand, Philip, it's all right. Now, I believe your Uncle Malaki had someone snatch your daughter from the evil thing you had been married to. Why don't you see if she's around yet?" He nodded, heading out with his brothers. "Such a delicate little one. Believe it or not he used to be like William."

"Was he the one that took the flying leap from the doorway?" Catherine's mother asked. The headmistress nodded. "Quite energetic."

"You have no idea," Catherine said dryly. "He moves more than Crystal does when she's vibrating because the new fashions have come out." Her mother pinched her. "Sorry. She okay?"

"She's fine. Her father got probation for the thing with the breaking and entering case. He's since decided he's going to disappear. They're still hunting for him and the judge didn't have a problem giving me sole custody since he had disappeared, and he gave all the assets to Crystal so she's taken care of. Including the dealership. She's had a very nice offer for it and the same lawyer who handles your trust does hers. He was most impressed that you didn't spend all of it on books so far."

"My roommate said that she wasn't giving up her room for my library."

Her mother laughed. "I would hope not." She hugged her again. "There is some other family news, dear. You know all those self-help books I got to critique?" She nodded. "Well, I've been asked to do one of my own. Which means moving I'm afraid."

"But that's Grandmother's house."

"Yes, but it's not been taken care of the way we should and there are a number of things that need work, as you know. Besides, my mother hated that house, it was her husband's and his family were all pushy people who hated her for having a mind and being able to read more than labels and recipes. In her will it said if I had a chance to sell the thing to take it and buy a real home."

"Where is the new home?"

"I went for somewhere a bit smaller," she admitted.

"So I don't have a library?" Her mother frowned at her. "Let's face it, mother, Crystal needs a room for her clothes and I need one for my books."

"Yes, well, she needs less room now. This growth spurt recently has made her get rid of most of her clothes. She's down to only using a single closet and it has breathing room between the outfits since she's done with pageants for this season. Would you mind moving more of your books up here?" Catherine slowly shook her head. "You're sure?"

"Positive. I don't know where I'd store them, but I wouldn't mind."

"If you're taking that suite downstairs, it sounded like you'd have room for them," she offered hesitantly. "If not, I can find somewhere bigger. I've been fixated on the old Morrison house recently."

"It's a beautiful house but the gardening would drive you insane, mother."

"Dear, you can hire people to do that for you," she said dryly. Her daughter chuckled. "That and cook because I'm going to be too busy to do so most of the time. It only has four bedrooms however. It does have a library but it's about as big as your present one and that would mean all our books together in that space." Her daughter shuddered. "Exactly. I've taken the liberty of moving your father's things to a bigger storehouse and adding your books as well. It was nearly flooded during the last one and I don't want to damage anything of his."

"Sure, mom, we can work it out. Wouldn't the Peterson house be easier to live in though? Less fussy wood and things?"

"I don't mind the high maintenance woods most of the time. I hadn't thought of the Peterson house. I'll call the realtor later, we're still looking over things and figure out how much work would be needed. I don't really want to go as large as our present one is. There's no reason to have seven bedrooms or six bathrooms."

"Definitely at least three though," Catherine noted.

"Oh, indeed. Your sister's getting her own to stop the fighting over how long she takes. She was all for the other house because she liked the gardens."

"Yeah, but the Peterson house is next to the park and just up the street from her school. Plus it's within walking distance to the mall if she wanted to run across the highway." Her mother grimaced. "Or not. Just think, we'll all be driving soon and the Peterson house has a better garage as well. As an added incentive, remember how I used to play over there? The nursery would have made a wonderful office. Good views but not too distracting, away from the sound of traffic, and all wood paneling that's scuff resistant." Her mother looked impressed. "Unless someone's painted and wallpapered it might need some work, but it should be quite liveable for now. Even though there are rumors it's haunted."

"I still think that's just the neighborhood children being scared by that tower at the top."

"No, I'm pretty sure there's something up there but it was probably the mother that went insane. Old lady Peterson drove her daughter-in-law to jump from up there because she was a supreme nag and more domineering than most abusive spouses. The girl was from a good family but had no backbone, as was popular in those days."

"I'll check into it, dear. That would give Crystal a suite and you a suite as well." Her daughter nodded. "You'd still probably get the smaller one since you wouldn't be home all the time."

"Which is fine. Then I could leave some of the collection there."

"True. Thank you for the suggestion." She kissed her on the forehead and stood up again. "I'll let you rest. Is there an inn down in that quaint village?"

"No, but we do have guest rooms," the headmistress said. "Sister?" One of her many daughters stuck her head in. "Can you please show Catherine's mother to one of the guest suites and send a note to Celia which one?" She nodded. "Thank you, Phoebe." She smiled as soon as the adult was out. "You're sure it's haunted?"

"I've talked with her," she admitted, rolling to face her. "My mother's got a touch of the sight but she never uses it. I've got a bit of that too and I used it more when I was a kid. That's what got me into fantasy novels."

"Good. No wonder you fit in so well. You don't mind my son's other form?" Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Never mind, I know you'll find him cute no matter what the form." She heard screaming and winced. "Drat! Can't you keep her quiet! Some of us are trying to sleep!" she yelled.

A nurse walked in. "We're sorry, ma'am, but there was apparently a fight between a first year and a third year over the first year trying to blackmail the older one. She's being cleaned up at the moment." She smiled and closed the door.

"Good, Marna got what's coming to her," Catherine said firmly. "Hopefully the others will stand up to her now."

The Headmistress nodded. "Hopefully. I loathe bullies." She smiled at her future daughter-in-law. "Has Tyler told you about White Knight yet?"

"He has and he suggested I'd do very well there in the political division helping the diplomats with both cultural things and business matters." The older woman looked impressed. "I still like my business stuff better though."

"We'll see what your education brings, young lady. Of course I won't have to warn you to treat him correctly. I know you better than that."

"I'd never hurt him. Are you going to make him cocoa and talk to him about me? My mother tried that with me."

"I tend to make cookies with them," the Headmistress said with a small laugh. "Yes, you'll fit right in," she decided. "Remember, no flying before homework, and absolutely no sleeping together inside the school."

"I'd never do that."

"Good. Never let us find you doing so. I doubt you'll be caught." She smirked at her. "I know my boys and they're all very passionate about many things. In your case, I can see Tyler putting down a book for you. It's something I never thought I'd see happen." She shifted again and rubbed her stomach. "I hate being gravid. Laying eggs hurts."

"I bet. My mother said childbirth was the worst pain she'd ever had and she had drugs with us." The headmistress nodded. "Should I pretend to be asleep since I saw Malaki come in?"

"No, that's fine. He can hold my hand for now." She smiled at the girl, watching as she curled up on her other side and drifted off to sleep a few moments later. She waved her ex inside. "You're staying?"

"For a bit," he agreed, smiling at her. He touched her stomach. "Hurt?"

"Yes, the eggs are shifting. I'll have to go down to the Grounds soon."

"That's fine, I'll go with you. I met your current boyfriend, he's quite happy that you're all right and back. He seems nice, for a human. Looked at me and said he knew how to send me back through the portal and blow me away."

"He's nice. He comforted me when my flying mate died."

"I understand. You need someone like that. Too bad I was dumb."

She nodded. "Too bad." She smiled at him. "How is your current young and pretty princess?"

"Cranky. She thinks I'm going to cleave only to her and she's wrong. She doesn't understand that whining doesn't do it for me." He stroked her cheek with the back of her hand. "I still adore you. Even though you didn't fight for me."

"I wouldn't have won and we both know that," she pointed out gently. "Your tastes were very clear and I let you go because I knew it would only make you bitter and restless, then I'd have to kill you if you cheated on me." He nodded, pulling a chair over to sit next to her. "I told you you could come back whenever you were ready to grow up and look for more than beauty."

"I am," he admitted. "May I come back?"

"If you want." She winced and grabbed his hands. "I'd rather be in the sand right now."

He stood up and picked her up, carrying her out. "We're heading to the Grounds."

"Fine," the nurse agreed, smirking at their backs. "He is quite a man," she noted as she cleaned Marna's face.

"He's black," she scoffed.

"So are some of us. The world is full of people who aren't pasty white, dear. You'll have to deal with them some day so you might as well learn now." She dabbed some more iodine on the girl's cheek, a nice cut from someone's ring that was still sluggishly bubbling blood. Marna hissed and swatted at her. "Do that again, be strapped down. You've been warned. Catherine is still needing her rest." She looked over when no one else came in. "I'm impressed. Someone must have drugged Tyler." She went back to cleaning the injuries with little, stinging dabs. Served the girl right.

***


Tyler showed his future mother-in-law around the suite they'd be sharing next year, making her smile. It was in the back of the castle and what few windows there were looked out onto the woods. Catherine's private suite had gotten many smiles and a check of the lock on the door. The others had been glanced at and approving noises made. "This is the secret way out," he said, showing her the passage to the woods. "Robbie and Alexi like to jog through the woods twice a week."

"Good. It's good that they're so fit. What are you really?" she asked. He glanced sideways at her. "I know you're not fully human, Tyler, now give. My daughter is not the only one who can talk to ghosts." He let a few scales come out down his arm and she arched an eyebrow up. "Then I suppose my daughter's collecting you as well?"

"Just me," he said with a wicked grin.

"Ah." She nodded. "I'd hope my daughter wasn't a man collector the way her roommate is. I know no one knows or we'd have heard about it in the press by now." He shook his head. "Then I won't complain. Will she have problems with children?"

"No, none of us have yet. Some of us have ones who are like us, some of us married our chosen. They're the ones who help us get acclimated to acting like an adult while we're here." He walked her out into the woods, handing her his jacket when she shivered. "Of course you know you can't tell."

"I realized that, yes," she agreed. "Does she like you for more than that?"

"We didn't meet until after she knew so I'm not sure," he admitted.

She squeezed his arm. "I am. You like her book habit, she likes you for that. The scales are just an added extra in her eyes I'm sure." She leaned on his arm, looking around the woods. "It is pretty here."

"It is," he agreed "We've been here for a very long time."

"I figured as much." She turned around. "Let's go inside before you freeze." He walked her back into the tunnel but the latch wasn't working. He groaned and banged his head against the door, then kicked it twice and tried the latch again. This time it opened. "Thank you, Tyler. You're a very nice young man." She let him have his jacket back and walk her back up to the guest suite. "We'll be talking soon. Don't you worry." She pinched his cheek and went to her room to lie down for a bit. It had been a long flight.

Tyler headed back to the infirmary, weathering the knowing looks from the sisters. He glanced at Marna, then snickered as he walked past her. He walked in and sat next to his girlfriend again, taking her hand to hold. She blinked up at him. "You like me because I'm more than a dragon, right?"

She nodded. "You'd never fit in with my statue collection," she assured him. "You wouldn't fit on my dresser at all." She closed her eyes again. "Mom grill you?"

"No. She liked our new quarters."

"If the danger's over, why are we moving down there?"

"Because I want you somewhere safer and this way you can have your own room for a library," he said with a grin. "Plus we have an exit out into the woods. Mom, the escape hatch needs fixed, it sticks when you're trying to come in." He looked up when she didn't answer, frowning. "Where did she go?" His girlfriend laughed and hugged him. "Thanks. Where is she?"

"Eggs."

"Ah." He nodded, he understood now. He stroked her forehead and she let him go, taking his hand to hold. "You rest. Your mother and sister are going to be here for a few days and we can help each other catch up." She kept her smile as she drifted off again.
Chapter 12 by CE Dalton
CHAPTER TWELVE


Tyler walked Catherine around the village during their last shopping trip of the year. No one was saying anything about them walking so close together or the fact that she was reading as she walked, or that he was doing the same. Or even that they were holding hands. The one person who had remarked on it a few weeks back had gotten thumped by William later that night in the dark, so no one really said anything about it. Even though it was so cute it was sickening. A large bang echoed down the street, drawing them both from their books. A backfiring car came around the corner, zooming at them as fast as it could go. He moved her out of the way and she squealed, hitting him on the chest for the pinch to her rear. The car turned and came back so she led him into one of the shops, leaning against the door. "Who's the demolition driver?"

"Roschene's second-in-command," he panted. The candy shop worker looked at them. "Someone's trying to run us over."

"Okay," she agreed, picking up the phone to call the local cops. They came running and one of them blew out the tires on the car as it roared for the front of the shop. She looked out as it crashed, then at them. "Why do they want you?"

"They hate me," Catherine told her, lying a bit. "I refused his son's advances. Tyler's mother doesn't want him, I don't want the kid, it's a horrible family of idiots." The salesgirl nodded, looking like she understood that. "Well, I was heading here anyway so this is a nice thing at least." She walked over and pointed at the largest box. "I need one of those for me and one to be shipped to my mother. She's babying her first book along." The woman smiled and pulled them down, filling them both with the things they picked out together. Catherine looked at the smaller boxes, then smirked at Tyler. "And the second smallest for my sister. Put in a good assortment for her. She's on a diet again." The woman snickered but loaded it full, even giving them a nice discount for not letting the store be destroyed. They walked out with the boxes in a special carry bag, walking past the cops. "Eww, toad man," she said, pointing at him. She glared at him and he whimpered. "Work for the runt?" He nodded. "Tell him I'm still not happy with him and his stuff. I'm going to hit him again." The cops all looked at her and one smiled. "His boss had me attacked and was hunting the Headmistress for no reason," she told him.

"That's fine, we'll be asking him about that as well," he assured her. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. No more headache. My mother's using her psychology degree to write a book, they think she's better than most of the quacks on the market who got their Ph. D. in gym teacher." Tyler looked confused. "Almost all those so-called doctors got their doctorates in physiology. That's a Ph. D. in gym teacher." She shrugged. "She's got her doctorate in psychology, she's qualified to give advice and she does pretty good." They continued on. "Speaking of which, she told me to tell you the whatever had been mailed."

"Good," he said happily. "We were conspiring about your gift for weathering this year." He put a hand in hers and they walked on, hitting all the shops they needed to hit. They were the most laden-down people on the bus on the way back, their packages got their own seat and no one complained. They shipped their candy as soon as they got back then headed down to the new suite. They found Nick lounging in front of the TV. "Haven't they rebuilt your house yet?" he asked dryly as he walked past him.

"No. What happened in town this time?"

"Roschene's person tried to run us over," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Have fun vegging." She went to her room to put things up and to change out books since she was done with hers.

Nick looked around. "He tried to run you over?" he called, and didn't get an answer. "Catherine? Doesn't this worry you?"

"The local cops have him," Robbie said as he walked in with his own bags. "He nearly rammed into the candy shop because they were hiding in there," he said with a smirk. "I think they got a discount of some sort. She bought enough to need a special bag from them." Nick drooled, he liked the candy as much as the kids did. Robbie handed over his share of the haul, making him happy. "The guy decided to jump in the river instead of answering questions. They think he drowned. She called him a toad." He looked around. "Children, it's very quiet in here," he called. Nick snickered and swatted at him, his mouth was full of chocolate and peanut butter.

Tyler came out of his room, giving him an odd look. "Then go find William. I was putting up my new shirts." He went to Catherine's room to search for his missing candles. She handed them over with a smile and he stole one of hers from the table, there had only been one left in the shop, and headed back to his room.

Catherine came out with her bag of popcorn and sat beside Nick on the couch, staring at the tv. "How can you watch sports without the sound?"

"The announcers annoy me," he mumbled, chewing harder. She hugged him and he patted her on the arm. "Behave."

"I'm always good." She watched the game go on. "I sent Mom a big box of chocolates and a smaller one to Crystal so she'd have to break her diet again." Robbie snickered. "Do you like her?"

"Only as a penpal," he assured her. "William was the one who thought she was cute and Benton blushed each time he saw her since she pinched him so nicely on the behind." He went to his room to put away his haul, making sure to hide things from William. They didn't feed him chocolate, it made him doubly annoying.

Out in the main lounge everyone else was coming in from their Saturday pursuits so they could clean up for dinner. William was handed a small box of chocolates by Tyler, accompanied by a wink. William took them into his room to nibble. "Hey, no toffees," he complained. But chocolate was chocolate and he wasn't giving it up.

The End.
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