Lexine jumped with a yelp at the soft knock, Saffron sighed softly, before moving away from the bed. "You should just sic your shadows on him." Larkin said softly.

Saffron smirked faintly. "Tempted, but doubt it'd work." Saffron replied before opening the door. He blinked seeing Mike, then blushed. "Good morning..." He said softly

Mike smiled, not even having to try. "Mornin'. I just came t' make sure ye were alright... I hear ye had company." he said, then glanced towards the other two. "Mornin' ye two. Seein' as how yer all up, why don't ye get dressed an' come get somethin' t' eat.... Unless yer clothes are still wet. Suppose one of th' lads shoulda taken em down t' th' laundry fer ye last night..." he said. "Ah well... don’t suppose we'll stand on ceremony... yer welcome at th' table in yer jammies."

"Wet, very wet!" Lexine anounced from the side of the bed, examining the clothes they'd been wearing the night before. There was a soft giggle from Larkin.

Saffron raised an eyebrow, but was amused, and glanced down. "I wouldn't exactly consider these pjs... but... seems it's all we have at the moment...." He said softly."As long as you don't mind a show of legs, I guess we can join you." He added with a slight smirk, blushing more.

Mike grinned. "Always enjoy a nice pair o' legs... an' lad... ye got damn fine legs..." he said then blushed slightly. He glanced over his shoulder, glad he'd been speaking softly anyhow. "Oops...  wasnae supposed t' let on tha' I knew about tha'...." he said even quieter, his eyes sparkling. "Moody Blue in there... has no fuckin' clue... th' lot of us are enjoyin' him makin' an ass out of himself."

Saffron blinked then blushed even more, though he sighed. "I knew... Eire knew... but I didn't think he'd told the rest of you..." Saffron said softly looking at the floor. "For their sake," He nodded back towards Lexine and Larkin, who trying to figure out what to do with the clothes. "Don't tell any one else... Its not like we haven't lived our lives as girls..."

Mike smiled softly and brushed a lock of hair off SAffron's cheek. "Don't worry, lass... m' brothers an' I won't tell anyone. Eire only told Nate because... well... ther twins... an' twins just cannae keep shite from each other fer long, as I'm sure ye know. An' Natey was laughin' his arse off over it when I found him... so I HAD to drag it outta him. I suppose we'll eventually have t' tell HIM... might be th' only way t' get rid o' him, actually." he said simply. "Well... would ye ladies care t' freshen up before ye head int' th' kitchen? Ifn yer lucky ye might beat Big Blue int' th' bathroom... said he was headin' fer a shower but he hasnae come out of his room yet.... Maybe he just went back t' bed.."

Saffron wondered if he was going to stop blushing, but Mike seemed to keep him blushing perminately. Larkin heard the word shower and popped up on the bed on his knees. "Oh! Shower! Gods I could so use one!" He said, before scrambling off the bed, then paused and swore softly, giving his clothes a glare.

Saffron snorted softly. "As much as we'd probably all three like a shower... theres the little matter about clothes..." He said softly.

Mike smirked. "Bah... go ahead. I'll find ye somethin' t' wear while yer stuff's in th' wash. Bathrooms at th' end o' th' hall here... Actually... ye know what? Maybe it would be better ifn' we took ye back t' th' apartments an' let ye use those bathrooms... More privacy an' ye don't have t' worry about a certain Necromancer poppin' in t' visit."

Saffron shifted, leaning against the door and gave him an amused look. "Or do you just want to get us alone?" He asked softly.

"Saffron!" Larkin said shocked from his spot, blushing deepl. Lexine was looking up with a wide eyed look.

Mike had the grace to blush slightly. "Well... I'll admit, tha's a temptin' idea... but I was thinkin' th' three of ye stayin' together an' takin' turns... which means ye wouldnae be alone.." he said, smirking. "However... ye can certainly split up an' use different showers so there's no need t' wait..."

"Hmm, the offer's tempting but I think we'll stay together." Saffron replied, smirking a bit more. "Lexine hasn't been free very long... well, not one of us has really... not that you could say Larkin was over all a slave." He said softly with a sigh.

Larkin rolled his eyes. "Totally a lie..." He muttered.


~~

Eire laughed, giving Nate a look. "Obvious..." He shook his head. "Very obvious. Not that I blame ye..."

Nate snorted. "Maybe Mikey SHOULD go fer Saffron after all... make it three fer three..." he said lightly, shooting Eire a smirk out of the corner of his eye.

Eire felt his ears turn warm and scratched his nose. "Ne'er said it was like that..." He muttered, then snorted softly with a smirk. "Aye, maybe he should... an' who knows...maybe he's jus' wha' the lad needs..." Eire got up to take his cup to the sink. "Maybe YER jus' wha' Lexine needs..." He added with a wolfish grin.

Nate felt his ears burn even more. "Have t' see where this goes... if it,.. works out... I vote we let Mikey tell mum...."

Eire snickered. "Oh aye, definitely...though...they'll prob'bly charm mum...but yeah, Mikey can tell 'er. Well, lets go see iffin they need savin' from him."

Nate snorted, still smirking and blushing, but headed for the door with his brother. "Ye just want t' see if ye can catch Larkin in tha' tshirt again before they all get dressed..." he added softly.

"Should bloody well be me shirt...." Eire muttered, turning to follow Nate, "Bloody Graves... suppose one o' us should o' thought of gettin' them somethin' t' wear before him..."

Nate smirked. "Aye... must be loosin' our touch. Of course. Ye do realize tha' their clothes were pretty well soaked last night an' I didnae notice them gettin' hung up t' dry or anything... an' they cannae very well go around in oversized tshirts all day...." he said lightly. "An'... well... darn... looks like we're much closer t' their size than Graves..."

Eire snorted softly. "Check on 'em, make sure Mikey's not buggin' them, then get 'em somethin' else t' wear." He tacked off on his fingers. "Though I 'ave no complaints bout the shirts... fuck, did I jus' say that outloud?"

Nate laughed and slapped Eire on the back lightly. "Aye .. ye did. An' other then th' shirts not bein' ours... I agree. No complaints..."

~~


The brothers rounded the corner and saw Mike standing in the door way, Saffron on the other side. "Kay leaves us alone a few days an' look wha' happens...it's all 'er fault mate." Eire said reasonably, smirking.

Mike raised an eyebrow, about to comment on Larkin’s words, when he heard Eire and turned. "Damn ..." he said with an exagerated sigh. "Looks like I'll have t' be sharin' ye now. " he said. "Hey lads... how about we take th' lassies back t' th' apartments t' use th' shower an' find them somethin' t' wear?" he asked, seeing both faces light up with smirks at that.

"Actually... we were just discussin' tryin' t' find them somethin' t' wear..." Nate said helpfully, his eyes sparkling as they reached the door. He leaned around and spotted Lexine. "Mornin'." he called out lightly. "Hope this horses arse hasnae been botherin' ye"

~

Graves leaned against his door, his eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of the brothers and triplets chatting on the other side. Part of him wanted to go out and put a stop it... the sight of Mike MacDonnell holding Saffron still haunting him. The sound of their easy banter was turning his stomach to acid. Instead he forced himself to stay put, not wanting to alienate Saffron any more then he already had....

~

Lexine was still giving Saffron a shocked look, when he heard Nate and looked at him, blushing. "No..." Lexine muttered. "Not really..." Larkin wandered up behind Saffron and blushed, seeing Eire.

Saffron found himself glancing toward the door Graves had disappeared in and made himself look away. "So, a shower and breakfast makes a pretty good morning... coffee included or do we have pay for that?" He asked.

Eire winked at Larkin, before turning to Nate. "Yer apartment clean? Think mine is... don't really remember..."

Nate turned form Lexine at Eire comment and looked shocked. "YER place is clean!?!" he asked, ignoring Mike's smirk. "Who did ye hire?" he asked playfully, dodging to Lexine's far side so Eire couldn't punch him. "Aye... clean enough... well… th' bathroom is anyhow. We could just flip... or raid Kay or Charli's place... Ye know... more girlie shampoos an' shite like tha'... Fluffier towels... "

Mike just chuckled softly and held out his arm to Saffron. "Might I have th' honor of escortin' ye, Saffron?"

"Oh ha ha..." Eire replied sarcastically, then snorted. "Me place is only clean, `cause I didn't 'ave any one t' kill..."

Larkin raised an eyebrow, looking Eire over. "You do that a lot?" Larkin asked softly.

"Wha', clean or kill?" Eire asked in reply with a smirk. "Little o' both." He added in answer. Larkin smirked faintly.

Lexine rubbed his nose before sneezing, and glanced up at Nate innocently.

Saffron glanced at his younger siblings, before looking back at Mike, and hesitated a moment. He'd known charming before. "Thank you..." He said softly, stepping up to Mike, taking his arm.

Mike grinned and patted Saffron's hand where it lay on his arm. "M' pleasure, darlin'." he said, leading the way towards the apartments, trusting that the boys would decide which one to use by the time they got there.

"Bless ye, Lexi." Nate said softly, then saw Mike and Saffron. He snorted softly and nodded towards them. "Would ye mind ifn I did th' same? Mum did her best t' rest genltmen… didnae exactly work, but we do have our moments.." he offered with a grin as he held out his arm. "Don' worry ifn ye'd rather not, lass... I won’t be offended 'r upset..."

~

Graves squeezed his eyes tighter and cursed under his breath as he listened to Saffron and Mike, then heard their footsteps fade farther down the hall. He bit his lip, waiting for the rest to leave as well.

~

Lexine blinked, eyes widening. "I... I've never been escorted..." He replied softly, near a whisper.

Larkin snorted softly. "First time for everything, Lexi.." He said softly. Eire smirked and offered his own arm. Larkin eyed him a moment then smirked slightly, accepting. Saffron glanced back at them, sighing faintly, wondering if there wasn't a way he could turn this all around, at least for Lexine and Larkin.

"Penny fer yer thoughts, Saffron." Mike said softly at the sigh. "Ye look like ye'r carryin' th' weight of th' world on those pretty little shoulders of yers...."

Nate just waited, letting Larkin and Eire pass them, his arm still held out. "I won’t bite ye Lexi..." he said with a playful wink. "We' re just walkin' down a hall with ye holdin' m' arm... Yer th' one doin' th' touchin', sweeheart... not me... An' yer... sisters are right here with ye..."

Lexine blushed even more, chewing on his bottom lip for a long moment, before finally accepting Nate's arm.

Saffron turned back, glancing up at Mike, looking at him a moment, before smiling grimly. "I am... at least where Lexine and Larkin are concerned." He answered softly. He was quiet a long moment, before saying softly. "What ever happens... can you promise me they'll still be safe?" He asked.

Mike patted SAffron's hand gently. "Aye , Saffron, ye can be sure o' tha'... th' three of ye have th' Macdonnell's on yer side now… we'll look out fer ye. An' besides...." he said softly, glancing back to see both brothers with a red head on their arm. "I believe m' baby brothers are rather taken with yer… siblin's..." he said with a smirk. "Don' worry, darlin'... yer in good hands."

~

Graves waited until the footsteps vanished altogether then banged his head back against the door. "FUCK!" he cursed, then proceeded to trash his room as he struggled to control his jealousy and the desire to go after them.

~

Saffron shook his head, looking away. "I'm not worried about me. I'm the death elemental, doesn't matter if I'm heir to the Seal... I've been alone all my life. But then so have they, and they're far more innocent then me... and in need of protection." He said softly. He snorted softly. "Lexine's princess to the life stone... and Larkin bridges the life stone and seal. Then we get the dubious honor of being the door, lock and key to keeping Abadon in Hell... They're both in danger... I'm...not to be trusted."

Mike sighed softly. "Saffron... everyone needs someone t' look after them once in a while... no matter how strong they are. An' Lexi an' Lark... they got their protection right there... Look at them.. m' brothers cannae take their eyes offa them. Those two cute little red heads own those boys, " he said softly. "An' yer not alone either, Saffron... ye own Graves... make no mistake about tha'... but ye could very easily own me as well ifn ye had a mind to."

Lexine thought he heard something back the way they came and twisted slightly, looking back that way wide eyed.

Nate followed Lexine's gaze and heard something shatter back the way they came. He slipped his arm free of her hand and slid it around her waist, urging her forward. "It's alright, Lexi... it's just Graves..."

Lexine blinked wide eyed, before looking back up at Nate. "Just Graves..." He repeated. "Does he do that often?" He asked, the fear evident. "Just asking, because you know... he's after Saffron... and... and she doesn't need that again..."

Nate shook his head slightly, pulling Lexine a bit closer. "Don't worry, Lexi. He won't hurt Saffron. I've never seen him like this, but then... I've never known him t' care about anythin' before.... Maybe he really does care." he snorted softly. "Not tha' it matters... he doesnae know Saffron's a boy. Once he finds out... he'll leave him be."

"Then maybe you should tell him..." Lexine replied softly, glancing up at Nate. "Before it goes to far..." He added seriously.

Nate sighed, knowing he was right. "Aye.. `spose we should... I'll nab Eire an' we'll go break th' news while ye three are havin' yer showers an' gettin' dressed."

"Is that the best way to do it?" Lexine asked Nate softly, glancing back down the hall. "Don't you think he's going to be rather... mad...? But then I suppose there really isn't a best way to do it and you're on your own for making this right..."


~


"I don't want to own any one, Mike..." Saffron replied. "I've been owned... I still am, whether I'm a slave, or a mistress; which really turned out to be the same as a slave in the end. And let’s not forget being stuck with being daughter of the seal... a truly cruel master." He glanced back at Larkin and Lexine. It seemed Larkin and Eire were speaking softly, and the half shade was completely ignorant of anything other then Larkin.

Mike smirked softly. "Ahh, Saffron. Darlin'. Its not a matter of ye wantin'... its just a fact. Those boys are completely lost…. ye can see it plain as day.. an' they couldnae be happier fer it." he said softly. "I could be tha' way with ye easy enough... if I let it happen. Might even if I don't..." he added with a soft chuckle. "They know tha' th' gorgeous lass on their arm is really a lad...an' it doesnae matter a wit. An'... I've never known either of them t' notice boys before..." he smiled softly and laid his hand over Saffrons. "Ye can have m' heart ifn ye want it Saffron... it'll most likely be yers before too long anyhow."

"Maybe..." Saffron answered softly. "You've been... kind, and I've yet to really know kind. And maybe that's what I need. But I have a feeling you know Right, and LiVed, at least by reputation, and then you have some idea of the trouble that follows me... and them. Do you really want to deal with that?"

Mike  snorted, smirking softly. "Oh aye. I know of th' bastards. An' don' ye worry... we're lookin' forward t' them showin' up. We have some unfinished business with them." he said simply. "As fer ye bringin' trouble... darlin'... we're MacDonnells. Trouble either finds us or we find it.... rarely go a day with out it." he said with a grin.

Saffron gave a grim smirk. "Then you're in for a lot of trouble, and I don't know whether to pity you, or tell you to have fun."

"'Ey, Saffron," Eire spoke up, Saffron glanced back at him. "Ye know me, kid, an' ye know wha' I did t' help ye... now I get t' finish wha' I started an' ye don't have to worry yer pretty little head 'bout it."

Mike just chuckled softly as they entered the hallway the apartments branched off of. Part of him missed living here with the others. "Alright... have ye lads decided on which place or do we break in t' Kay's?"

Nate sighed. "There is no best way. Mike cannae be there... Graves already hates him... an' no way in hell am I facin' him alone. Either I tell him or I don' tell him..." he said with a shrug then turned to Mike. "Could split...  they could use both our places... Eire an' m’self have an errand t' run as soon as we find somethin' fer them t' wear..."

"Eh, me place is probably cleaner then his." Eire said, letting Larkin step away as he moved to open the door to his apartment, first enough to stick his head inside. "Aye, cleaner." He added, opening the door all the way then groaned at hearing Nate. "Fine, but I suggest ye stand closer t' the door when we tell 'im." He said, giving Nate a look.

"I ain't goin' any fuckin’ closer then I have t', Mate. Stayin' in th' hall in sprintin' distance of an escape route." Nate said simply. "Do ye want t' wait fer a turn or use my shower, Lexi? I'm just goin' t' dig out something fer ye t' wear an' then I'll leave ye be...."

Mike just smirked softly as he watched them. "One of ye will have t' find somethin' fer Saffron as well... I'm afraid I wasna plannin' on stickin' around so unless somethin' I've left here will fit..."

"Wha'..? Abandonin' us early t' deal with the trouble? Fer shame, Mikey." Eire replied with a smirk, before answering Nate. "Well, we could phone 'is room an' tell him that way..."

Lexine glanced at Larkin and Saffron, before looking at Nate, trying to decide. "You can go ahead, Lexi." Saffron said softly, watching him. Lexine blushed but nodded.

Mike rolled his eyes. "I said I WASNA plannin'... obviously I'm here now! But ye don' see me carryin' any bleedin' luggage with me, do ye, ye cheeky bastard?" he said, his eyes sparkling.

Nate snorted and looked at Eire. "Tha' will only work ifn he still HAS a phone in his room.... sounds like he was trashin' th' place as we were leavin'... probably heard Mikey an' Safron talkin'..." he said then turned to Lex. "I'm right next door, darlin'... ye can holler an' they'll come runnin' ifn ye feel ye need 'em." he said, moving to open his apartment door for him. "An' I'll check m' closet an' see if yer duffel is still here from last time, Mikey... but I'm sure I have something fer him. Those pajama's mum keeps giving us, at least... we never wear th' damned things anyhow..."

"Ah well, ye know she tries hard t' civilize us." Eire said with a smirk. "E'en iffin it'll ne'er work..." He added, then sighed, glancing back the way they came. He almost felt sorry for Graves...almost...

"I'll go with Lexi..." Larkin said softly, "If you don't mind..." He added to Eire.

"Yeah, sure...no prob...wha' e'er ye three feel comfortable with..." Eire said. Saffron was eyeing him. "Wha?" Eire asked, catching the look.

"Nothing, just trying to decide if you were like this before I tried to kill you or not..." Saffron replied simply. Eire smirked.

Mike laughed at that. "Lards... I don’t remember him bein' like this last week ! When did ye try t' kill him again?" he asked playfully and winked at Eires glare. "I'll show Saffron t' yer bathroom an' find a towel fer him... ye find some clothes or somethin' then go deal with Moody Blue. I'll be listening'... bet I'll be able to hear him from th' hall here."

"Well iffin ye hear us come runnin', be kind 'nough t' open the door fer yer little brothers." Eire replied, giving Larkin a smirk, before slipping into his apartment.

Saffron shook his head. "It was a long time ago." he said simply about trying to kill Eire. Larkin found he couldn't help the smirk, watching Eire go.

Mike laughed softly. "Ye bloody damned fools... just have one of ye be ready with a portal. Blue cannae open them!" he said then nodded to Nate. "Go on... get th' lads inside." he said and Nate snorted but lead the two red heads into his apartment. He smirked to himself as he flicked the light on, seeing that his place was probably no worse then Eires. A tad more cluttered maybe, but no messier.

Saffron watched Lexine and Larkin follow Nate inside his apartment and sighed faintly, lost in thought a moment.

~

Lexine had hesitated just inside Nate's apartment, glancing back, "It's not like Saffron's not going to be there when we're done..." Larkin said softly.

Lexine glanced at Larkin. "Oh? How do you know...? You know what Saffron's like..." Lexine answered.

"Mikey'll keep an eye on Saffron fer ye... an' Eire an' m`self will go deal with Graves... don' worry." Nate said as he got them out towels and set them on the bathroom counter. "I'll leave ye some clothes on th' bed fer ye... Eire will no doubt bring some fer ye too." he said, hesitating over leaving. "Lexi..." he said softly, then reached up to brush the backs of his fingers over his cheek lightly. "Everythin' will be alright, darlin'... ye don' have t' be so scared anymore..."

Larkin decided to pay attention to something else for a moment, deciding to pick up a bottle of shampoo. Lexine bit his lip, looking up at Nate, not really sure what to say in reply and simply nodded.


Nate glanced at Larkin then looked back at Lex. "Lexi..." he whispered softly. "Can I ask a favor of ye....? Ye can say no ifn ye don' want to... I swear I won't be upset or anything..."

Larkin found the shampoo immensely interesting and proceeded to read the ingredients. Lexine blinked, looking at Nate. "What kind of favor?" He asked softly.

Nate blushed a bit. "Well, it's just... ah Lards..." he muttered softly, blushing a bit more. "Never mind... I'm just bein' a fool. Enjoy yer shower... I'll better find ye somethin' t' wear…" he said, ducking his head as he turned to leave.

Lexine blinked and startedto stop him, when Larkin dropped the bottle of shampoo on accident. "Sorry..." Larkin muttered blushing, picking the bottle up and Lexine ended up blushing himself, not saying anything.

"I'm really sorry about that..." Larkin muttered to Lexine, sitting the shampoo bottle down. "I would have left you two alone and all, but... you know, blocking the door..." Larkin said. Lexine gave him a look, still blushing deeply. "You can have the shower first though..." Larkin added.

~

Nate went to his dresser and dug out a couple pairs of the pajamas that lay there, still folded neatly. One was a dark black and green and the other was green with a bit of gold. Both were draw string waist which is the only way they'd probably be able to come close to fitting any of the triplets. He hoped they wouldn't mind wearing pajamas around today until their own clothes were washed and dried... which could be a while since no one had collected them yet. He sighed and moved to the closet to see if Mike's bag was still stuck in there.

Nate gave a soft snort and tossed the duffle beside the couch. Mike had indeed left some clothes here, but nothing that would fit Saffron aside from a shirt or two. Perhaps when it was time for them to head off to bed again that would help. He  collected the pajamas from the bed, adding a couple pair of socks,  and knocked softly on the bathroom door.

Lexine jumped at the soft knock, but Larkin snorted softly giving Lexine a soft shove toward the shower, before moving over to open the door a bit.

Nate held out the pile of clothes. "Here ye go... hope they fit alright... help yer selves t' anythin ye need. Mike'll most likely either be in th' hall or in Eire's place when yer done ifn we're not back." he said, hoping he wasn't still blushing. "I hope I'll see ye both later. Ifn ye get hungry waitin'... raid th' kitchen."

"Thank you." Larkin said softly accepting the clothes. "And I don't see how you won’t see us later...so..."

"Well... was just takin' in th' fact tha' I'm about t' go confront a pissed off Necromancer with some news he really ain't gonna like hearin'... No' tha' he'll be able t' win or anythin' if it come t' a fight.. but ... ye know..." Nate said with a slight smirk then glanced towards the front door at the sound of a knock. "Well.. tha's m' cue. Like I said...  ye both make yerselves at home... " he said then headed off to the door.

"Try not to get yourself killed, hmm." Larkin said from the door way of the bathroom watching Nate go, before closing the door softly and turning to Lexine, who was still standing there. "Go on, get in the shower." Larkin said with a gesture.

~

Mike slipped his arm free of Saffron's and rested his hand on the small of his back, ushering him into Eire apartment. "They'll be fine, darlin'. Don' worry." he said simply, leading the way to the bathroom and digging out a couple towels for him. "I'll wait in th' hall ifn want. Eire can leave ye somethin' t' wear where ye can find it..." he said simply.

"Worrying about them is something I'll always do." Saffron answered Mike simply, casting a look around the decidely almost empty bathroom, but then he had a feeling that was simply Eire. "Though I'm not sure what I'm really worrying about anyway..." He admitted.

Mike snorted softly. "Yer th' oldest, aren't ye, luv?" he asked simply. "Then ye don' need a reason... th' eldest always looks out an' worries fer th' younger... just th' way it is." he said simply. "Enjoy yer shower, Saffron. Hell.. seein' as how ye don't have anyone waitin' fer a turn.. ye could probably have a bath.. although I doubt E' would have any bubbles or anythin.... I can raid Kay or Sylvie's fer ye though."

Saffron smirked faintly. "Shower's fine, thanks anyway." He replied simply. "And yus, I'm the oldest...its strange...I didn't even know about them all my life...not until a few months ago, but it doesn't matter...we've known nothing but hell, until now..."

Mike snorted. "Well... growin' up was a bit on th' interestin' side fer us... well me an' Natey anyhow. But it wasnae as bad as ye must have had it. But Eire just joined our family a short while ago... Well, officially anyhow. He's been a friend of ours fer years... Then a year ago we found out tha' his mum was our mum's cousin... Then just a few months ago... we found that his mum wasna his mum." Mike said with a laugh and waved his hand. "Long complicated story involvin' a psyhco bitch in th' family an' a kidnapped babe we all believed was dead..." he said simply. "Like I said… trouble an' MacDonnell's go hand in hand, luv." he finished and leaned in to kiss Saffron’s cheek softly, winking as he pulled back. "Enjoy yer shower." he said simply as a he headed for the bedroom to see if Eire had found any clothes yet.

Saffron leaned back against the counter, watching Mike a moment before saying softly. "Well if you're not to busy later, maybe you can tell me more about it...?" He said softly.

Mike paused just outside the door and looked back with a soft smile. "I'd like tha', Saffron. I'll see ye later than. I'll either be in th' hall... or Eire’s kitchen ifn ye need me... Not tha' th' bugger actually has anythin' remotely resemblin' food in there..."

~ ~

Eire was in the hall outside the bathroom, some clothes tucked under one arm and gave Mike a look. "How is it, ye manage t' charm 'em with out e'en bloody tryin'...ye prat." He handed the old pjs to Mike. "Set those in there will ye...I gotta go collect me suicidal twin an' go see how much damage has been done...iffin Graves is e'en still 'ere. Fer all we know, he might've left..."

Mike smirked as he took the pajamas. "It's a gift, E'... but yer a MacDonnell. So ye have th' gift as well... yers is just... rusty. Yer showin' promise today though, lad... Do we owe this nicer Eire visitin' us t' Saffron or Larkin..?" he asked lightly, his eyes sparkling. "As fer Graves... he's still here... He won't leave Saffron here alone with me." he added with a wicked smirk.

Eire snorted softly. "Bit o' both, I guess... ye know I can't resist a couple damsels in distress; in this case, a trio." He said, before heading down the hall, then paused near the front room. "Ye gonna be able t' handle Graves, iffin it gets bad? After all, Kay might kill us if we get blood all over the building..."

Mike snorted. "Then don' be gettin' blood all over th' place. An' it's not Kay ye have t' worry about... it's Sylvie." he said. "Go on... remember t' have a portal ready in case he's too much fer ye... Or at least consider goin' furry... he hates dogs." he added with a wink then turned to knock on the bathroom door.

Eire snorted and nodded. "Aye, yeah I kinda figured that. Well, if we're not back in twenty minutes or so, ye know somethin' happened." He said, heading for the door and leaving the apartment to head next door to Nate's.

Mike smirked softly and went back to tha bathroom. He waited a moment then leaned closer and heard the sound of water running. He opened the door a crack and reached around to set the pile of pajamas on the counter by feel, trying not to look in the room... despite the fact that he couldn't  see the shower from there anyhow. He was tempted to look, which is why he did his best not to. He heard something fall into the sink and winced as he pushed the clothes a bit further into the counter so they wouldn't fall off then closed the door. "Sometimes... chilvery sucks…" he muttered with a soft smirk as he sighed and headed out to see what Eire had in his fridge.

~ ~


Eire waited patiently, his thoughts divided between going to talk to Graves, and Larkin, with a bit of Saffron thrown in there as well, and he shook his head. What ever was going to happen, was going to happen, it was as simple as that.

Nate smirked at Larkin's suggestion as he opened the front door and sighed. "Well... " he said as he shut the door behind him and the two of them started back out towards the guestrooms. "This isnae somethin' I ever thought I'd be doin...." he said simply.

Eire snorted, glancing at Nate as they headed for the guestrooms. "Aye, but ye know... mum'd kill us, wouldn't she..." He added with a weary smirk. "Should we flip a coin on who's gonna knock...?" He asked.

Nate sighed heavily. "Nah... I'll knock. Better yet... I'll throw somethin' at th' door... from a distance. Ye can go furry an' be ready t' save m' arse..." he said lightly with a slight smirk. "Of all th' girls fer th' man t' fall fer... why did he have t' pick one th' one tha's not even a bloody girl?"

"Maybe we should be askin' ourselves the same question, mate..." Eire said softly as they rounded the corner toward the guest rooms. "And iffin he wasn't such an ass, maybe Saffron'd like him more..."

Nate snorted. "Bit of an oxy moron that.... Graves not bein' an ass... an' any body likin' him, period.." he muttered. "As fer us... do ye have a problem with Lark bein' a lad? I know I don't care... doesnae change a thing... but Graves..." he snorted again. "Mum'll sulk over it, but ye know as long as we're happy she'll be fine." he said then came to a stop half way down the hall. Grave’s door was still shut and the hall was quiet for the most part, just the odd shuffle or thump coming from the room to let them know he was still there.

"Do I care? Not really...jus’...odd. Bit o' strange history with Saffron other then him tryin' t' kill me, but that doesn't seem to be a problem or matter right now." Eire replied simply. "Go 'head. Go knock… or ye want me shoe t' throw?"

"Nah... I was jokin' about throwin' somethin'..." Nate muttered softly then drew a breath and headed for the door. "Cover me, bro... " he added, tossing a grin over his shoulder at Eire before reaching out and knocking lightly on the door.

A moment passed then the door was suddenly yanked open and Nate looked up at Graves, the blue hair a bit wild and tousled. "What?" he growled, then glanced up the hall at Eire. He leaned out, obviously checking to see if the others were around too.

Eire followed Nate, suddenly wondering if he did feel even more sorry for Graves, and considering the best way to break this news. "They're cleanin' up." He said, seeing Graves looking around. "We jus' figured ye should know the truth o' the matter before this went any further."

"Aye..." Nate added softly, wondering if it would be cowardly to take a step or two back... It was bad enough being close to him when he was pissed off, but having the man loom above him like this was unnerving as hell.

Graves narrowed his eyes as he looked at Eire then glanced down at Nate, noticing how uncomfortable the younger men both were. He snorted softly and crossed his arms over his chest leaning against the door frame. "Ah... let me guess. Your brother sent you?" he said simply.

Eire coughed, clearing his throat and scratched his eyebrow. "No. As a matter o' fact, he didn't... Lexine did..." He said honestly. "An' Larkin... an'...prob'bly Saffron..." He glanced at Nate then sighed, shaking his head. "The truth o' the matter is, the triplets are boys. Three very feminine boys. They've jus' lived their lives as girls... at least Saffron has..."

Graves looked at him then looked down to see Nate blushing like mad and easing slowly away from him. He smirked softly and rubbed at his nose. "The triplets are boys...." he repeated simply, watching Nate.

As if sensing the man’s attention on him he looked up. "Aye... ther boys..." he repeated.

Graves smirked a bit more. "Boys... Who look like girls.. Dress like girls... Act like girls.. And have girls names..." he said and watched Nate slide another half inch or so away, trying not to be obvious about it,

"Aye... tha' about sums it up..."

Eire eyed Graves, with one narrowed eye. "Ye freaked the shit outta Lexine with yer attention on Saffron... Cool it down, mate... an' iffin ye think we're jus tellin' ye this because... they're boys.... Right would've ne'er been able t' touch Saffron if he was a girl while LiVed had him."

Graves shifted his attention off of Nate and onto Eire, the amusement plain on his face. "Right... so the three girls that are really boys just pretending to be girls escaped the bad guys and came here for protection... right into the arms of the MacDonnell brothers... And I'm supposed to just believe this and back off...?" he asked lightly uncrossing his arms and standing up straight. The sudden move made Nate take a full step back and then blush furiously at having done so. "Go back to your brother and tell him if he wants me gone to come do it himself." he added in a more serious tone and turned his back on them, slamming the door behind him.

Nate raised an eyebrow lightly. "Well... tha' went a wee bit better then I antcipated... no holes in th' wall or anythin'...."

"That's `cause he didn't fuckin' believe us." Eire muttered, shaking his head. "Thick, that one..." Eire added, before suddenly laughing. He managed to restrain it to something of a snicker.

Nate smirked. "Aye well... we told him. Not our fault he didnae believe it." he said. "I mean... risk our necks t' be honest with th' fella so he won't go makin' a fool of himself over a lad.... an' stop scarin' Lexi ... An' what do ye get? Laughed at an' called liars..." he snorted, still smirking. "Oh well... I did m' part. Think I'll head back an' see ifn th' lads are hungry... Maybe Lexi will be out of th' shower an' dressed by now... "

"Aye, our part's done..." Eire shrugged, sparing the door another glance, before heading back down the hall toward the apartments, though he was lost in thinking about first meeting Saffron and how convincing the boy was... he couldn't blame Graves.