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It was too late. Everyone turned to look at Marne, and Shade, being immune to big dramatic climaxes, took the time to take a large bit of his sandwich, then offer it up to Callisto. Who, though starving, shook her head. It wasn't an eating time! At least if this was her drama it wouldn't be!

"Marne!!" Soho said, peeking out from behind Ice before rushing over to her friend. "Aleric said your bond called and I thought it was about the party and now we're standing in the kitchen with Shade. He's a killer! And I... don't know who she is." She stopped, looking at Callisto blankly.

"Her name is Callisto. And unfortunately she's bonded to Shade." Aleric provided. Silva turned to glower at his brother.

"We need to--"

"Talk, yes, I know." Aleric said, waving off the comment.

"Dee's going questing?" Soho repeated blankly, completely ignoring the hitting on Callisto. She had expected that. "She didn't--"

"She's not--" Silva stopped, thiking it through. "Dee's a little... preoccupied, darlin'. But why are you here?" HE ignored the sucking up comment.

And Callisto blinked as the song "Mrs. Robinson" flashed into her mind. "What does coo coo ka choo have to do with me being... old?" She asked Shade in a dramatic whisper.

Shade almost choked on his sandwich.

"Soho, baby, why don't you and Marne go play in my room?" Ice asked, not liking how close any of her babies were to Shade, especially Walter. (Although her heart tried to betray her by whispering about how right he looked with children...)

Silva went still. Then he bit back a curse. She had gotten herself killed, no doubt. Dammit all... "Get going, darlin. We'll talk about it after this is over."

"You think?" Shade asked, resituating Walter on his hip. "It's the tail, right? But hell, nobody can be perfect." He said, twitching the end of his long black lizard tail slightly as he bit back a laugh.

"You didn't answer my question, Shade..." Callisto said, getting irritated. "And I am not old. I was just reborn."

"Marne!" Ice almost shouted. "Go!"

"But I'm confused..." Soho said. "He DOESN'T look anything like Walter!"

And Shade started to laugh. Hard.

"That girl..." Silva started out, fingering his toothpick. "Has some serious issues."

"I don't know, I'm up for it!" Shade siad, earning a dark look from the rest of the family. "Ok, fine, let's talk seriously. Where are the pickles, Ice? How can you not have pickles in the fridge??"

"That's serious?" Callisto asked.

"It's very serious!"

"I hate pickles!" Ice replied. "And give me back my baby!"

"He's happy here, aren't you, kiddo?" Shade asked the drooling baby against his chest. "See?"

Soho blinked, looking over her shoulder at the kitchen to try and hear what was going on. Then she had an idea. "C'mon." She said, flitting at top speed out the window and around to the kitchen window, still holding Marne's hand. "We'll listen from here."

"Oikay, fine. Then tell me what the problem was. And why didn't you tell me to my face instead of leaving that stupid little note?" Shade asked, taking another bite of his sandwich. "You got any beer?"

"I don't drink." Ice said, almost flinching at the question. "And the note said everything I needed to say."

"Yeah, right." Shade scoffed. "So... what have you been doing for these last twentyfive years?"

Silva jerked, glancing over at His bond and noticing, to his irritation, that Aleric didn't look too surprised. Just how old WAS Ice, anyway?

"This and that." Ice said, her voice deceptively calm. She would get ber baby back. Even if he was faster than she was. "For the first ten... or so years I took up space piracy."

"You're kidding me." Shade said, choking on his food.

"You probably have to say 'Arrr' a lot and have a space ship." Soho whispered back.

Aleric moved slowly across the room, sidling up to his brother and moving so they blocked Shade from the window. They knew that the girls were there. But bringing attention to it wasn't the best idea.

Silva was eyeing the dramatic little diva sitting on Shade's shoulder. When she noticed she gave a little "Hmph!" and crossed her arms over her chest, sticking her nose in the air. It almost made him laugh, regardless of how dramatic the situation was.

"You wouldn't make a good space pirate." Shade said, shaking his head. "No wonder I never heard of you."

"I did good enough. Until I... tried to hijack a marine ship." She muttered the last, flushing slightly.

"You did... what?"

"No, marines are these really well built hot guys!" Soho replied, almost bouncing. "Ice has a calender that she hides behind the dresser that has pictures of them posing!"

"Shh!" Aleric said over his shoulder, trying not to laugh. Shade kept staring at Callisto, finally getting her to look back at him. She glared darkly, shoving her hair over her shoulder. She did not like that tall male one bit! And he kept staring at her!

"A marine ship." Ice repeated irritably. "They laughed at us. And some of them offered to teach us how to pilla--" She stopped and glared at him as if it was his fault she was letting this information be known. "Forget it. I don't need to tell you any of this."

"Man I've missed you..." He said, moving forward. Ice watched him, her eyes moving automatically to the happy baby in his arms.