A small yelp of surprise, and not a second later she was popping him on the arm, "What are you even doing here? I thought I left you at the wedding to flirt with the American girl." She huffed, slightly annoyed her brother had interrupted this moment.

~*Gilchrist*~
That charmed grin of his seemingly never leaving, he shrugged.
"Before you go, Let me get my sexy pen."
He stirred around his pockets for a brief moment, finally finding one in his back pocket.
It was just a plain, old cheap pen that he stole from some door-to-door salesperson. He quickly printed his name across the completed shopping list and dropped the slip of paper into her basket.
"Boop. There ya go." he said. "Seeya later, Collette."
~*Chance*~
Chance only punched him in te arm in slow motion with and exaggerated grunt.
"Eeehhhh!!" he squealed with an elderly man impression.
Pity. Everyone knew that it was hard to annoy Chance, especially knowing the fact that he would just simply stoop to one's level.

"Mmm.... I have to choose?" Dee asked softly, her voice smooth and gentle with a honey like sweetness. "All of them.... Porn star Drew is a top favourite though." She admitted teasingly, delicate hands resting on the smooth curving of his throat, fingertips gently caressing the soft skin there.
*•*•.
"Mamma got a cell phone! She has a cell phone now Colette! Seventeen text messages and twenty eight calls because she is angry that I let you go to the grocery store by yourself! And now look I come and you are with a strange American man!" He scolded.

"Bye Marcus." A little wave and large smile was launched to him, and she even winked playfully before groaning at her rather aggravating older brother. Twisting around, she aimed that glare up to him, reserved solely for when he annoyed her, "I am an adult huh? And look who is talking, Mr.Staring at the American woman's rump too."

Drew chuckled amiably, yet a little dark warmth in his tone. Leaning over her head faintly, making sure that his words would creep down her neck.
"Porn star Drew?" he asked. "I guess all I need is a thick, awful mustache and bad acting... Then we'll be perfect, won't we?"

"That,-" he paused to think and scrunched up his slightly freckled nose,"... Is not the same thing and I was not! You can stare at the American man's rear but I can't stare at the American woman's? It makes no sense Colette! And I saw that wink when I tell papa.." He narrowed his nearly identical blue eyes back at his small sister

"You do the same thing to me!" She shot back, small crease forming between her brow during their argument, "And you are allowed to have a date with the American woman and I cannot with the man?" She sucked in a sharp breath and stared hard at him, "Wait until I tell mamma about that date, and I will if you tell papa."

Dee laughed and slapped his chest lightly,"Down boy."
Her small hands returned to their resting place on his board like chest which had become her favourite pillow and resting place. "Now tell me which Dominique do you like best?" Her warm eyes found his again.

Chuckling at her sudden embarrassent, he smiled, his eyes tracking in hers now.
"There's only one Dee." he said his smile dulling down faintly into a cool stare. "You can go from serious to plain old bat shit retarded like me, but even after all this time, I still look at you and see the crazy woman I've always known."

"Crazy huh? I only went insane because I met you." Her smile grew, God he was a goof but everytime he had to get all saucy and romanticize she fell in love all over again. "Another baby is gonna have me in the insane asylum." She giggled as she watched Memphis scurry across the dance floor with two other toddlers.

"You do the same thing to me!" She shot back, small crease forming between her brow during their argument, "And you are allowed to have a date with the American woman and I cannot with the man?" She sucked in a sharp breath and stared hard at him, "Wait until I tell mamma about that date, and I will if you tell papa."

"You wouldn't!" He challenged and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I swear to god if you tell mamma, you will not live to see tomorrow."

"Then mind your own business away from me and the man!" She hissed, hands going to her skinny hips, guarded by heavy, and much too large, denim, "If you are allowed to flirt, so am I, so hush!"

"I get to meet him before you go on this.. Date then! I will ligitimently murder his sorry American ass if he pulls anything!" He assured her.

"You are not papa! And you have already met him, or...saw him, but that is enough. I am a grown woman yes? I am perfectly capable of finding fine men to see."

"Yes I am not papa. But I am taking care of you Colette and I love you little sister. I want to make sure you are always safe." He said bashfully,

His words struck a nerve, a hard one in fact. He had no clue..."I know brother...and I love you for it too. But I do not want him frightened away from me because I have an older brother who is such a hypocrite!" She squeaked/taunted.

"You said that five years ago when you married me." he said chuckling lightly. "We'll be fine with another kid. I'll make sure of it."

"What if I have to take a job now drew? Mom is gone all the time and we can't afford a sitter..." She huffed a small sigh, her bright mood falling to an upsetting seriousness. She was naturally that way but the side affects of that accident still plagued her and mood swings were inevitable with a pregnancy.
*•+•.
"You promise to he careful? No nieces or nephews for me yet? We should get you some pepper sparky just in case." The older brother fretted and nibbled on his Lower lip in worry.

There was a brief moment of silence from Drew, who was now generally concerned.
"I don't know if it's what you really want, but Fate and I were talking." he said. He really didn't think it was going to be necessary until Memphis turned three, but now she needed a job and it became crucial that his offer was needed. "The elementary school... They have this new daycare system running. I know, he's probably young and I don't know the exact expenses, but Fate was talking about putting Cookie in it so she could find a job. They're taking in a whole wave of new employees and teachers from all over the state, so I don't know if I'm familiar with them all. That's why I didn't think it was in the question. But I really don't know what else to do."

"I will not need any of that. I met this man last night actually, and saw him again today." She smiled warily, patting his arm, "And if I have to carry some, so do you. We don't know if this woman can be a secret serial killer off to auction your foreign skin."

"We can look into it baby, it's sounds good as long as its in a decent price range.... It'll work babe it'll work." She said gently and kissed the tip of his nose as she rose up on tip toes.

Grayson rubbed his arm and snickered. They could be such idiots sometimes, annoying each other and pissing off everyone around them.

~*Chance*~
"I call dibs on shower, Biyitch." Chance said, punching Grayson in the nipple roughly and taking off running.
~*Drew*~
His face warming, he gave her a soft stare with an equally soft, faint smile.
"We'll get by." he promised. He was the man of the house. He just felt like it was his job to make sure of that. If it was his choice, his wife wouldn't have to work at all, but they weren't at that point yet. He'd get there though, but for now, he was just the dub construction worker/song writer. But it was enough for him to keep his word. "I'll make sure we will."

((Andree is so sweet i'm gonna fucking die XD ❤❤❤❤❤))

"Your dad can't lend us any more money, okay? You have to tell him that Drew. No more." She sighed gently and pressed her ear against his chest, just to hear the reassuring beat that drummed rythmitically in hear ear now. The same rhythm that thrummed in her chest and belonged only to her husband who in her eyes out shone all the others.

((...meow...))

Grayson yelped as Chance punched his nipple. "Aw fuck! Fuck you!" he hollered, laughing like a madman and rubbing his chest.

~*Gilchrist*~
Driving home in his nerdy hybrid, his thoughts on Collette still dawning on him. It was nice to know that a woman enjoyed him for being himself rather than wanting to make him their bitch or get into his pants for a few extra bucks. Oh, no. No girlfriends for him. Just sympathetic hookers and strippers that Chance would force on him while at war. They were gross. And smelly. And they cried. A lot. Of course he was nice enough to give them a hug and advice. But no, no. No sex for him. He'd pass. He thought it'd be nice to settle down in this town and at least keep a close female friend if his luck wouldn't go that far. She seemed likeable though. Really bubbly, yet headstrong. And she had showed him a lot of mercy, considering his Whitney Houston stunt at the bar the day prior. His mother would probably like her too-
Oh dear god. His mother.
This was where he panicked.
His mother would probably emarrass all hell out of him. From age thirteen to now, she had treated him exactly like his twin sister. Since she had no one else to sing in the kitchen, cook, practice ballet, sing, watch Pretty Little Liars, or go bra shopping with, her only choice was Marcus. He could never say no to his mother, due to her losses and the fact that she was a pretty strong woman. He was just born a momma's boy. The last time he disagreed with his mother, she cried and cried and cried, telling him how he was the only part of his sister she had left and how she just wanted to spend time with her beautiful son. Not only her protective and sensitive nature were the issue, when she wasn't sensitive, she was a very pissed off woman. She would yell at him in Italian for not having his room clean. And the day prior was his first day not living with his mom, other than his days in the service. She was also pretty young for a mom. She was only thirty-nine, and evenso, she looked younger than that. She was hit on all the time. The worst part was that she'd turn on her roughest, Italian mobster accent and scare the guys away. Downright. Embarrassing.
But she was his mother.
And mother knew best.
~*Chance*~
((Timeshkip?))
~*Drew*~
The words dad and money struck him like sharp wave of wind. There was a brief moment of silence from him, until he pitched airy, nervous laughter.
"You know I love you, right?"
The very six words that led to his wife wanting to shoot him in the face.

"Of course sweetheart." She replied chirpily... Too chirpily.
" you know I'm willing to thumb tack your ball sack to the wall? Andrew Eli what did you do?!" Dee lowered her voice to a sinister tone that no man should ever want to hear from his wife or any woman for that matter.

"Well if you're gonna thumb sack my nuts to the wall, then I don't want to tell you!" he yell-whispered.

"Tell me right now!" She hissed trough clenched teeth and poked his chest."Drew I swear to god you nuts are in jeopardy either way!"

"Not if I run." he muttered under his breath, his jade-green eyes trailing off to the door nervously. But no. No matter how controlling and vicious his wife was, he still needed to man up.
"Okay, but if you have an aneurism, don't blame me. You asked for it." he warned. "Daniel has been offering us money ever since we had gotten married... so... I uh... Rejected every opportunity we've had to get a loan so I could earn our money instead." he sucked air in through his teeth, hoping that it didn't sound that awful. "-For the past five years." he added in, just to sound more honest and less killable.

"Drew! Oh my god what have we been buying groceries with? Clothes? The electric bill?" She suddenly found tears in her eyes and her fists shook at her sides.
"We are so far in debt already and now you tell me about the imaginary money I'm supposed to somehow purchase a car seat with? Formula? Doctors appointments? Pay the mortgage? We have nothing!"
Everything had come crumbling down in the mere seconds he'd spoken it.

((Demeter and Strawberry, want to add time skips for Colette, Tally and the rest of them?))

"No, no... Relax." he said. "I've been working more than what I agreed to when I was hired, alright? I'm really trying, and I've been in debt since that man first took me in. I have to pay him back, alright? The least I can do is let him keep his money. I told you, Dee. We've gotten this far. Please, just trust me on this."

((Yush please what would you like to do with Favin? Honeymoon?))

"Drew this is two kids we're talking about now! Two babies that need clothes and food and everything else in between but most of all they need they're father! I don't want them to be alone like I was our babies don't deserve that. You can't be working all the time sweetheart."
Her small hands went back to her stomach, immediately protecting the child inside.

((Yesh.))
Sighing and letting the stress go, he ran his hand through his bed of peach fuzz-hair. His eyes dulling down to a hurt stare empty of the magc they had before, he shook his head at her.
"I am being a father. Making sacrifices, working over time until I'm nearly falling asleep while standing during the day, alright? And how else are we going to put food on the table? One minute you're complaining about me not working and now you're complaining about me working. I mean... What should I do? Become a... a damned prostitute so I can just work whenever the hell I want?" he asked, turning away from her, still shaken by those words. He could ha sworn that he heard his mother saying them. "Well, while you make up your mind I'm gonna go for a walk. Do I have your permission to go for a walk?"

((Yeah that sounds great. You mind starting?))

"Go for a long fucking walk off a short pier." Dee snapped and scooped Memphis up from the floor, with some difficulty at that.
"C'mon baby time to go home, it's bedtime babe." She cooed softly to the nodding off toddler, who had already made himself comfortable in her arms.
"Daddy, mamma."
"daddy's not coming home with us." Dee whispered and planted a kiss between his eyebrows and strode past her husband and out the door into the parking lot. She'd apologize to Faye later about leaving but right now getting out of there was her priority.

*¥*¥*¥*
"Aaaaand here we are!" Gavin smiled widely and kneed open the front door to the private beach house, in his arms, his new wife, cradled by his strong arms and adored with hazel eyes. The plane ride had yes, been a long one but hadn't yet dampered hid extatic mood as he introduced his bride to their vacation get away.

Faye held him to her, craning her head up every niw and then while he carried her along. She was excited, how could she not be? She was finally married to the most amazing man, had a wonderful wedding, though she wondered what happened between two certain couples during it, and Marty had almost made tears come to her eyes again. Everything was turning out to be so perfect, and she hoped so much that nthing jinxed their honeymoon. "Baby its perfect!" She laughed, looking around their home for the next two weeks with awe. At frst she had been skeptical of the beach house thing, but now she took it all back. It was beautiful, quiet and simple. Perfect for their romantic retreat.

"Only the best for the bride." His sun kissed cheeks turning up in a smile as he set her down on to the white washer wood flooring, it truly was gorgeous and soothing, the sound of the waves lapping the shore would be their lullaby for the next two weeks in this private paradise.

"You are so wonderful." Reaching u and going to her tip-toes, having kicked off her heels hours upon hours ago, she nuzzled their noses befre capturing him in a heated yet soft kiss. "I am thinking a nice romantic meal, a soothing bath..." her voice became dreamy, she just couldn't help it. Just her and Gavin, and no interruptions.for once.

"A bit of heated playtime in the bedroom...." He teased, lowering his Texan drawl to seductive purr, his larger hands finding and cupping her hips.

His face broilng in anger, he could barely even hear himself think. His mind was just filled ways to get out. He couldn't even believe her! Of course everything always had to be made out to be his fault. Always. He couldn't be trusted being up and at 'em, but not being trusted as father and husband was one thing. What the point in getting married if everything he did seemed to be wrong? The many situations like this made him not want to own up to stuff like this. He sauntered out of the other door in silence, his hands jammed in his pockets.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What do you mean you cat go back home?" Fate asked, setting a late of fench fries down in front of her big brother.
He shrugged,his forest-gren eyes trained on the countertop.
"I mean, well this whole financial independence thing sounds great and all, but you know that Daniel isn't expecting you to pay him back. What's with this whole obsession with paying back dept?"
"He's taken care of us when we had nowhere else to go. You know very well that we all were pretty much homeless and in awful group homes before e took us in."
"Okay, well that doesn't matter. Drew, you're not some foster kid, okay? You're his son. Money isn't a condition tagged onto love, alright? It's okay to ask.
"Yeah, but have it though. We're alright. Maybe I'll accept his help when she has the bab-"
Fate gave him wide-eyed stare.
"What?"
He forgot to mention that part...
"Baby? You mean she's preggers again?" she squealed excitedly.
He raised his eyebrows in admittment and nodded. "Y-Yeah.. But now she's just pressuring me. Like Oh, Baby your family needs you. Then the next minute ANDREW ELI! I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU IN TH FACE FOR GIVING YOUR SON DAMNED PIECE OF CANDY."
Fate sighed.
"Agh. Calm down. You guys are just stressed out is all, okay? Maybe you need time apart is all."
Rolling his eyes frustrated, he leaned his head on the counter.
"That's our son. That's our house. And that is my car. Why should I have it taken away for trying to provide for my family like a man? Am I really a bad guy for it?"
Patting his shoulder and leaning on the diner counter she gave him a half-frown.
"No... Of course not. But we all make mistakes. You're a good dad, Drew bear. And you're agod husband, but there's just a lot pressure added onto your lives with a baby on the way. Now it's time to start accepting his offers, Drew. I know you guys still have a good life after five years of marriage, but now you have another mouth to feed, another butt to wipe, and another back to cloth, alright? You work too hard. You know you can go to Daniel if you need anything. Now's the time, Drew. It's not about pride anymore. It's about your family."
Drew lifted his head up rom the counter with a melancholy half-smile. Planting a kiss on his cheek, she took off her apronand patted his shoulder
"Well. Hurry up. My shift is over and Christian will be back with Cookie any minute. You already know she'll lose her marbles when she sees you."
He smiled at the thought of his bay sister's first kid. He had given her the nickname Cookie himself, after many failed attempts at saying no to her whenever she asked for a Chips Ahoy.
"Where'd they go anyways?" he asked picking at his fries, popping them into his mouth as he looked back down at the classic, sky-blue counter.
"To the park." she said, sitting down beside him and stealing oneof his fries.
"How's Memphis?" she asked, giving him an adoring grin.
"Probably bouncing off the walls right about now. Either that or knocked out. They ha a chocolate fountain at the weddng and we when ape shit." he said, laughing as his good recollections returned.
"Pffft. It figures. I remember you only showed up at Phil's little get together becasue they had a chocolate fountain." she retorted, bursting out into a small fit of laughter with him.

"Sssh.... Can you please sleep for mamma? Please baby?" Dee begged quietly as she leaned on the side of the bed with her elbows, balancing her chin on her fists. Momentarily Memphis was tugging on the masterpeice that had been her hair do but was now in shambles.
"Please sweetheart?" She sniffled and bit down on her lip as it trembled.
Her son's tiny hands reached out and touched her cheeks. Memphis then drew his hands away and blinked down at them in confusion as two of his mothers salted tears rested on his palms.
"'Mama?" His lower lip copied hers now as it poked out and trembled
"No babe don't cry... C'mon memphy we'll sleep in mammas room." She cooed gently and wiped the new fallen tears from hers and Memphis' cheeks.
Her feet padded quietly down the hall of the empty house, recollections of being alone as a child returning. Gently she pushed open the door and then proceeded to close it again after she'd set him down on the bed, tucked him and changed into a baggy tee shirt and a pair of Drew's boxers.
By the time she'd turned around to check on memphy he was out like a light.

~*Drew*~
It was probably around eleven o'clock at night by the time he got back to his place. He just needed a quick run-in to get his work gear and clothes. If he wasn't staying home, he could at least get a few hours in. His dad had gotten lazy when things go rough. He was just a self-pitying drunk bastard. No. He wasn't going to wind up like him. That was the thought that kept him going most of his life. He lifted the flower pot on the porch, a little silver, spare key gleaming under it. Sliding it out with his toes, he scooped it up in his finger ad set the flowerpot back down carefully. The house seemed quiet and dark, from outside at least, so it had to mean that his son was asleep. He wasn't sure if Dee was, but it better not waking of Memphis still. Once he was up... He was up. He stepped out of his dress shoes, deliberately, in order to not make a peep while walking through the house wih his heavy dinosaur-like self. His muscled arms sweating from the heat in his jacket he took off the jacket of his charcoal-black tuxedo and rolled up the sleeves of the button up under it. He pushed open the door as quiet and smoothly as he could, successful not making a sound He set his stuff by the door, his first instinct consisting of him going to the fridge and claiming the last of his half-eaten chocolate. Eating that, he slyly skirted over to the laundry room. Looking in the organized shelf of ironed clothes that his wife faithfully set out for him for the week, he went through the shelves, stacking the perfectly folded clothes up on the dryer. Casually eating his chocolate bar, he strode back to coat closet and grabbed his duffle bag from the top shelf of their closet and then went off to the bathroom. Gently dropping his toiletries into the bag with the staggering impression of a robber, he went back to the laundry room. He tucked in his work clothes and his normalstreet clothes and stirred around in the dryer a bit for his boxers and undershirts. Once that was finished, he exhaustedly propped himself up on the washing machine, his long legs dangling lazily. His niece wore poor Uncle Cookie out. Or Aki Cookie as she wold call. Endless tea parties that she puppy-dog-eyed him ad her father into taking part in. Running around the house with her on his shoulders making airplane noises with his lips. And oh, all of the cookies they ate. They were both hyper and on a roll. The two cookie bandits. It only made him miss his little chocolate bandit. He leaned back a little, his mouth full of chocolate and almonds as he sat and thought. His grassy eyes dulled down to nothingness, he bit his lip in deep pondering. He really wasn't sure how long he'd be gone, but at least he could still provide some way. With work and all. Maybe the next morning, he could give Daniel a call. See how he was doing. And hopefully his offer would still be up for grabs. But he knew that it wouldn't change the fact that he probably wasn't going to be back for a while.

"You are ridiculous." She teased back, her fingers winding up to find his tie and started to loosen it. First thing they needed was food though, and she really was starving from the long plane ride. Two weeks...two weeks, a return home, and a baby. When did life start moving so fast? She was just glad that they had this little time for themselves to slow down.

((I think I migt have to wait a bit for a time skip with Colette. Chance, Grayson, Lanie, and some more of Gilchrist's friends and family are kind of stuck now until Molly comes back.