The following is a complete work of fiction. Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is completely coincidental. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.
Disclaimer: The following story may contain erotic situations between consenting adults. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now. If you enjoy this story please check out my other stories, City Of Dreams and Center Stage can be found in the Adult Friends section on Nifty, The Fifth Power can be found in the SciFi/Fantasy section, Popular can be found in the college section or all my stories can be found at my Yahoo! Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MichaelPhilips or you can send me an email at Mikeyscribe@aol.com Please remember to include something about the story in the subject line. There is also a one shot (short story) available in the group called The Curse of the Romani, a story about a gypsy vampire hunter. Thank you so much!
This is the second part in the Trinity Series, it would be beneficial if you read the first part before reading this, Trinity - Isle Of Terror.
Trinity - Origins By: Michael Philips
Chapter Four
"Vanessa Romane." Vanessa quietly replied after a few minutes. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She mentally scolded herself for having such a reaction to Reyhen's adopted brother. "I'd say it was a pleasure to meet you, but this is kinda embarrassing."
"It's all your brother's fault." Remi grinned and gently lifted Vanessa back up to her feet. "He was the one that pushed me out of the way while we were watching you...uh...clean?"
"Our brother." Vanessa corrected him as she groaned in discomfort. "You saw that?"
Vanessa gave Reyhen a look that clearly said 'I'm going to kill you at the first opportunity that no one will catch me.' Remi was oblivious to the look, his mind was still wrapping around Vanessa's correcting him. He was feeling more at ease, seeing how true RJ's words from earlier were. Remi was still very nervous, but he knew that he immediately liked Vanessa. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he was more concerned about Alec.
RJ had never had a sister before, so Vanessa was a welcome addition. Remi had always been the older brother, and he couldn't stop the slight jealousy he felt towards Alec. He knew that he was being silly, and that RJ wouldn't even cast him aside, but emotions were a difficult thing to stop. Remi could only hope that over time his insecurities would go away.
"I'm going to go get changed." Vanessa shot another evil look at RJ. "Peanut, why don't you show Remi around the downstairs."
"Peanut?" RJ gasped. "You can't call me Peanut."
"Sure I can." Vanessa smiled sweetly at him. "I just did...Peanut."
Remi held back his laughter at the outraged looked on Reyhen's face. He wasn't sure what he enjoyed more, the fact that Vanessa could tease RJ so easily or the way she said his name. It just flowed from her mouth, like she was meant to say it. Remi quickly shook his head, clearing any such thoughts. He had other things to concentrate on, and the reddening face of his younger brother was one of them.
"She...I.... URGH." Reyhen wasn't able to complete a thought as he watched Vanessa laugh and run up the stairs. "She can not call me PEANUT!"
"I don't see how you're gonna stop her." Remi grinned and muttered quietly under his breath. "Peanut." "TRAITOR!" RJ yelled and lunged at him.
"Who's a traitor?" Alec's voice echoed down to them as he made his way down the stairs. He had changed into a pair of old blue jeans and a plain tight gray T-shirt.
"He is!" Reyhen glared at Remi. "Vanessa called me something, which I totally didn't appreciate, and then he had the nerve to mutter it!"
"Settle down, Peanut." Alec used the nickname since he overheard Vanessa saying it. He reached out a hand to Remi. "You must be Remi. I'm Alec."
"Good to meet you, Alec." Remi gave him a small smile, not wanting to be rude but not wanting to be completely open either.
"Since our dear brother hasn't done it already," Alec ignored RJ's curses and muttering. "Why don't I show you around the house?"
Remi nodded and pulled RJ with him as he followed Alec. He was just as impressed with the inside of the Manor as he was with the outside. Everything was tastefully decorated, but it had a comfortable homey feel to it. Remi couldn't stop himself from relaxing and enjoying Alec's company, not that he really wanted to at that point. He could see that RJ's comparison of the two was fairly accurate.
"Peanut, where are you, Peanut?" Vanessa's voice called from the foyer.
"She is MINE!" RJ snarled and took off, leaving Remi and Alec standing alone in the kitchen.
Alec nervously lit a cigarette as the sounds of scuffling could be heard from the front of the house. The two men glanced at each other from time to time. Neither one of them really knew how to start a conversation. Remi took a deep breath and figured that the truth would be a good way to begin.
"I didn't want to like you." His soft voice could barely be heard over Vanessa and Reyhen's fighting in the foyer.
"That's what I was afraid of." Alec replied just as softly. "I was worried that you would hate us for our sudden appearance and think we were taking RJ away from your family."
"Away from me." Remi looked at the pack of smokes on the table, his silent question obvious on his face. Alec nodded and pushed them towards him. "We're the only ones left of the family."
"I know that feeling." Alec gently tapped his cigarette into an ashtray. "It's that way with us too. It's only me and Vanessa now."
"I'm sorry." Remi's words were heartfelt and sincere. The pain of losing a family was one that he didn't wish on anyone. He looked at Alec curiously. "You're not going to ask how?"
"That's your place, and RJ's, to share when you're ready." Alec smiled softly. "I don't know you well enough to feel comfortable asking that question."
"You're making it really tough to dislike you." Remi laughed as he heard RJ yelling out 'Uncle!'. He smiled at Alec. "Not that I really wanted to."
"Even if you did, I'd understand." Alec laughed along with him. "I can't make you believe this, but, neither of us want to take RJ away from you. We just want to get to know him and you too. You're both welcome here. Please think of it as your home."
"Thanks, I'll try and do that." Remi finally allowed a full smile to grace his lips. Alec was amazed at how open the man's face became as his dimples showed.
"Ride'em cowgirl!" Vanessa whooped as she rode into the kitchen on Reyhen's back. "Whoa, boy!"
Alec clutched his stomach as he laughed at his brother and sister. Vanessa had changed into a pair of soft, faded black jeans and a green tank top. Her hair was pulled back in a simple braid. She was riding on Reyhen's back, her legs wrapped around his waist. RJ looked really pissed off as Vanessa slid off his back and patted his ass.
"Thatta boy." Vanessa grinned. She pinched RJ's cheeks as she kissed his forehead. "You're just so cute! Peanut, my little pony."
"Vanessa..." Alec tried to warn her.
RJ snarled and swung his foot behind Vanessa and gave her a light shove on the shoulders. Vanessa stepped back, her leg knocking against RJ's foot. She tilted backwards for a second time that night. She allowed her legs to bend at the knee, throwing her right hand back to catch herself. After catching her balance she pushed off the ground and back up into a standing position.
"Smooth move there, Sis." Alec laughed.
"Well, I have been dealing with you long enough to pick a few things up." She winked at the guys before turning towards RJ. "You fight the same way Alec does."
"That should make for some interesting sparring then." RJ grinned at Alec.
"We'll see." Alec chuckled and ground the butt of his cigarette out in the ashtray. He noticed that Remi was being quiet and was sneaking covert glances at Vanessa. "So, Remi, did you bring your luggage with you?"
"I, uh, no." Remi glanced up at Alec being caught a little off guard. "I just thought that I would be going back to the hotel tonight."
"No way, mister." Vanessa shook her finger at him. "You'll be staying here. There's another room right next to Reyhen's that you can stay in."
"We can get your clothes tomorrow." Alec smiled. "You look like you're about the same size as me, so my clothes should fit you."
"You have your own room?" Remi raised an eyebrow in question at RJ. "You didn't mention that."
"Correction, you both have your own rooms." Vanessa smiled brightly. "That is, if you'd like one. Our home is your home now." Alec nodded in agreement to his sister's statement.
"Wow. I don't know what to say." Remi stuttered. He had never felt so off balance before.
"You don't have to say anything." Alec grabbed a bottle of champagne out of the fridge. "The room is your is you want it, no pressure at all. How about we have a drink to celebrate?"
Vanessa moved over to a cabinet and was reaching up to grab some glasses. They were just barely out of her reach. Before she could say anything Remi was on his feet and taking the glasses down for her. She smiled gratefully at him before taking the glasses from him and sitting them on the table. Alec and RJ shared an amused look as Alec uncorked the bottle of champagne. Alec filled the glasses and handed one to everyone.
"A toast?" Alec asked as he raised his glass.
"To family, old and new." Reyhen said after a moment.
The rest of the group echoed his words before clinking their glasses together. They stayed up late into the evening talking and getting to know one another. All of them felt at ease and were looking forward to the days to come. If only they knew what strange things were looming on the horizon.
The sound of thunder woke RJ up as it echoed through the sky. He sat up quickly in bed covered in a cold sweat. It had been a long time since he had the nightmares, but for some reason they had returned that night with a vengeance. His body trembled as images and feelings lingered in his still sleepy mind. Reyhen swung his legs out of bed and stood shakily on his feet. He felt a chill in the air and pulled the t-shirt off of the floor he had discarded as he got ready for bed.
He retied the strings at the waist of his pajama pants before stumbling through the darkened bedroom and into the hallway. A flash of lightning illuminated the empty hallway, causing a chill to run down his spine. He moved quickly to the door of Remi's bedroom and quietly moved inside. RJ was barely able to make out where the bed was in the dark room. He quietly sat down on the edge of the bed, shaking the sleeping form that was lying in the center.
"Bro. Wake up." He whispered. "The nightmares are back."
"Nightmares?" A sleepy voice asked from the bed. "Reyhen, is that you?"
"Alec?" RJ wanted to smack himself. "I'm sorry. I thought Remi was in here. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"S'ok." Alec sat up in bed. "What's wrong?"
"It's...I..." RJ's voice trembled.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alec slid closer to the young man. He reached out and gently squeezed the back of RJ's neck.
"I don't know." RJ sighed as a sense of calm rushed through him from Alec's touch. "I used to have nightmares all the time, but they went away. They came back tonight though."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Alec gently asked, not wanting to push the subject.
"I...yeah." RJ nodded. "If you don't mind."
"Course I don't." Alec slid back towards the center of the bed and lifted the covers. "Wanna climb in? It's a bit chilly tonight."
RJ smiled softly and climbed under the covers. He lay down on his back as Alec lay on his side next to him. It was warm under the covers and RJ felt safe for the first time since waking up. He looked over and tried to make out Alec's face in the dark.
"I'm not sure where to start." His voice was quiet.
"Start wherever you feel most comfortable, bro." Alec's voice was soothing.
"Okay." RJ smiled to himself as he heard Alec call him bro. It sounded, and felt, right. "My parents died three years ago."
"I'm sorry." Alec whispered.
"Thanks. They had taken a vacation to Europe, a second honeymoon." RJ closed his eyes as memories rushed through his mind. "They were supposed to be gone for only two weeks, but they were having such a good time they decided to stay for a bit longer."
"What happened?" Alec reached over and grabbed RJ's hand, offering as much comfort as he could.
"It was their last day and they decided to exchange their money back into American dollars." RJ held back the tears that filled his eyes. "There was a holdup at the bank. One of the robbers had a bomb and threatened to blow the place apart if they didn't get all of the money in the safe."
Alec heard the tremble in RJ's voice and he shifted closer to his brother. Alec had a bad feeling where the story was going, but he didn't want to interrupt. He knew that it had to be difficult enough talking about it let alone having someone asking a bunch of questions.
"For whatever reason an argument broke out between the robbers." RJ let out a shaky sigh. "Before the police or anyone could do anything, the bomb somehow had been detonated. It had taken out the entire bank and parts of the building on either side of it. There...there weren't any survivors."
"Oh my God" Alec breathed out quietly.
"It was after we found out what happened that the nightmares started." Tears slid slowly over RJ's cheeks. "They are never the exact same thing, but the overall idea of it always is. Whatever the situation, I'm always alone and no one can hear me or see me. I'm always left alone..."
RJ had begun to quietly sob, and Alec wasn't sure what to do. Hearing RJ crying broke his heart and he finally reached out and pulled his brother to him. He wrapped his arms around the younger man and stroked the back of his head. Reyhen grabbed onto Alec and cried quietly against his chest. After a little while RJ's tears subsided and he became quiet.
"You'll never be alone." Alec's strong voice rumbled in his chest. "You have Remi, and you also have me and Nessa now. We'll make sure you're never alone."
"Thanks." RJ felt himself drifting off to sleep, his body feeling secure next to Alec. "Can I...stay here for the night?"
"Course." Alec simply replied. He pulled the covers tightly around them. Alec had expected RJ to move, but was surprised when the man snuggled closer to him. Alec smiled and kissed the top of his brother's head. "You get some sleep."
"G'night." RJ mumbled. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Alec whispered back as sleep overtook them both.
The next time RJ woke up the sun was streaming in through the windows. He had slept the rest of the night peacefully, none of his nightmares returning. As Reyhen stretched he realized there was a strong arm wrapped around his waist. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Alec's sleeping face. His brother was snoring gently in his sleep.
RJ relaxed for a moment, enjoying the peaceful feeling that filled his body. He had been initially embarrassed the night before when he realized he had stumbled into Alec's room and not Remi's. Before he knew it though, he was spilling some of his darkest problems to Alec without even a second thought. Reyhen thought he would have been more uncomfortable about it, but that wasn't the case at all. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and a bright smile appeared on his face.
RJ carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake Alec up. He padded softly back into his room and went into his private bathroom. After going through his morning routine he could smell the scent of cooking bacon. His stomach rumbled loudly and he chuckled. Reyhen quickly made his way down to kitchen where he found Vanessa standing in her pajamas at the stove.
"Morning." RJ said as he entered the kitchen.
"Hey there!" Vanessa turned and grinned at him. "I knew the smell of food would wake someone up! How'd you sleep last night?"
"Like a baby." RJ responded with a grin.
"Good." Vanessa removed some sizzling hot bacon from the pan, placing it on a plate before adding more to the hot grease. "That was a wicked storm last night."
"Yeah, it was." RJ poured himself a glass of orange juice. He sat down at the kitchen table and watched Vanessa as she cooked.
"You want anything special for breakfast?" She asked.
"Would some pancakes be okay?" RJ's belly rumbled loudly.
"Pancakes sound great!" She laughed as she heard his belly rumble. "Would you mind starting them while I finish frying up this bacon?"
"Don't mind at all." RJ stood and moved towards one of the lower cabinets. He reached inside, barely even looking, and grabbed the pancake mix. Vanessa had turned to tell him where the mix was and shrugged to herself as she saw RJ had already found it.
A few minutes later Remi was standing silently in the doorway. He watched as Vanessa and RJ worked side by side, occasionally teasing or joking with each other. He couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face as he saw how happy his brother was. Remi had to admit that the Romanes were a very easy family to get along with. He was already feeling very much at home.
"Something smells delicious." Remi announced his presence as he walked into the kitchen.
"Morning Remi." Vanessa and RJ said at the same time before turning to each other and laughing.
"Morning." Remi moved towards them and leaned over to grab a piece of bacon. Vanessa moved faster than he did and lightly smacked the back of his hand with the spatula. "Ow!"
"No eating until everyone is up!" She watched as Remi nursed his hurt hand. "I didn't hit you that hard." She grabbed his hand and gently kissed the spot she had hit, her thumb rubbing gentle circles over it. "There all better."
"I forgot to warn you that she hits hard." RJ chuckled, but went quiet as Vanessa turned to him, spatula in hand. "I was just warning him!"
Remi laughed as he watched the two of them continue their lighthearted bickering. His fingers trailing over the spot Vanessa had kissed absently. Remi shook his head and moved to pour himself some coffee. Vanessa told him where the sugar could be found before he even had a chance to fill his cup.
"Do the two of you need any help?" He asked.
"The bread is on top of the microwave." Vanessa pointed in that direction as she prepared the griddle for the pancakes. "You could start making some toast."
RJ was just finishing up the pancake batter as Vanessa grabbed something out of one of the cabinets. She handed the small bag to RJ, and he looked at her curiously. Vanessa grinned and motioned to the batter. He shrugged and poured the bag of chocolate chips into the thick batter.
"Who says you can't have chocolate with breakfast?" Vanessa laughed as she mixed the chips into the batter before pouring some onto the hot griddle.
"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Alec asked as he strolled into the kitchen. "Yummy! I'm starving!"
"Who are you and what did you do with Alec?" Vanessa glanced over at him.
"What?" Alec asked defensively.
"Don't what me." Vanessa laughed as she flipped the pancakes. "You've NEVER been a morning person. So what's so different about today?"
"I don't know." Alec glanced quickly at RJ and smiled. "I must have had a good night of sleep I guess."
Reyhen was thankful that his brother didn't bring up the previous night's events. He wasn't really sure he had the energy to talk about it again so soon, and he was having a great time so far that morning. He helped Vanessa finish up making the pancakes and started moving them over to the table. The four of them made quiet conversation as they enjoyed their breakfast.
"That was wonderful!" Remi leaned back in his chair when he was done eating. "I'm stuffed."
"I always knew you were full of it." RJ joked. Vanessa laughed heartily along with RJ.
"I'm glad that someone finally thinks your funny, Sport." Remi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I'm going to have to add in a few work outs to get rid of all this food."
"You look fine to me." Vanessa smiled as her eyes roamed over what she could see of Remi's body.
"Can someone take me back over to the hotel to get my stuff?" Remi asked, quickly changing the subject.
"I'll take you!" Vanessa said as she started clearing off the table. "I haven't driven Alec's baby in a while."
"You better be careful!" Alec warned his sister.
"Aren't I always dear brother?" Vanessa blew him a kiss.
"That poor old lady's mailbox wouldn't agree with you." Alec snickered.
"As long as she drives better than RJ, I'll be fine." Remi laughed at the glare RJ shot him.
"Did you have a good time driving last night?" Alec asked RJ. "That car practically begs to fly."
"That's what I said!" RJ grinned.
"Okay, I'm going to get dressed." Vanessa grinned. "Alec, RJ, you two can finish cleaning up. Remi, I'll met you outside in ten minutes!"
"Does she really drive crazy?" Remi asked after Vanessa had left the kitchen.
"Nah. I just like to tease her." Alec stood up and took his plates to the sink. He looked over his shoulder and caught RJ's eye and winked. He knew that poor Remi had no idea what was in store for him.
Trinity - Origins By: Michael Philips
Chapter Five
The radio blared loudly as Alec's car flew down the side streets. Vanessa's hair whipped in the wind of her open window as she flicked her cigarette ash out it. Her fingers tapped merrily on the steering wheel as she sang along to the music. She was completely oblivious to Remi's pale face as he tried to keep his breathing even. He berated himself for being so damn scared in the car, especially since he had been a part of high-speed chases before without even blinking an eye.
If Remi had been honest with himself, he would know that he wasn't scared of the high speeds of the car, but nervous around its beautiful driver. There was just something about Vanessa Romane that seemed to draw him to her. He had never been so effected by a woman before, and the woman being his adoptive brother's sister was very disconcerting.
"My driving isn't that bad." Vanessa's eyes twinkled merrily as she glanced over at Remi. A blush nearly appeared on his face as she winked at him, but he was able to just barely stop it.
"I'm probably just still feeling off from jet-lag." Remi forced himself to relax under her gaze. He noticed they had almost passed the entrance to the hotel's parking lot. "Here's the turn!"
"Roger!" Vanessa flipped on her turn signal and spun the wheel to the left. The car immediately slid sideways for a moment before the back tires caught the pavement again, sending the car screeching into the lot. "Man, this thing really does turn on a dime."
Remi stepped out of the car as soon as Vanessa had put it in park, resisting the urge to kiss the ground. Vanessa locked the car and moved around to the side Remi was on. She laughed at the relieved expression on his face. Her fingers reached out as she brushed some stray locks of hair off of his forehead.
"You ready to get your shit?" Vanessa grinned.
Remi simply nodded in response, not trusting his voice to function properly after feeling her touch against his skin. He took slow, deep breaths as they walked through the parking lot. His reaction to being around Vanessa was something he hoped would stop. Not only was he not looking for any type of romantic involvement, but also there was no way he could date his brother's sister. Just thinking about it in those terms was enough to give him a headache.
- "So you haven't heard anything at all since that night?" RJ asked as they finished stretching.
The two brothers were in the training area of the Dungeon, both of them wearing only black jogging pants. Their bare chests glistened slightly under the light. Alec was surprised to see that they had the same warm up routine. The two men flowing from pose to pose in perfect unison.
"Not a thing." Alec turned and smiled at his brother. "I can't even be sure that Joshua was the one to leave my pendant there."
"It had to be him." Reyhen ran a hand through his hair. "Who else could it have been?"
"Very true." Alec shook his head. "I can't even believe I told you about all of that. I haven't even talked to Nessa about it that much."
"Some things you can only share with your brother." RJ smiled at him. "Though it's still hard to believe that you're gay."
"Why?" Alec grinned at RJ's comment. "Not all gay guys are feminine."
"I know that." RJ stuck his tongue out. "I just think it's odd for two out of the three of us to be gay."
"Nessa's not gay, she may act pretty butch sometimes but..." Alec's voice trailed off for a moment as he looked at RJ's smirking face. "Okay, so I was a little slow on the uptake. How did your family react?"
"A little slow?" RJ laughed as he gently shoved Alec. "My adoptive parents were really cool about it, so is Remi. They all just want me to be happy."
"That's good." Alec stepped back falling into a defensive stance. "Let's see what ya got."
"Just remember you asked for it." RJ took a deep breath before attacking.
For the next hour the two brothers sparred, moving with incredible speed and accuracy. Frustration set into both of them as their practicing continued. Neither one of them had been able to secure a hit on each other. Just when they thought they had found an opening, the other would quickly block. Alec finally held his hand up, panting heavily.
"I can't believe I haven't been able to tag you at least once." He breathed.
"You and me both." RJ bent over, placing his hands on his knees. "You were throwing out some moves I've never seen before."
"Then how the hell were you blocking me, Bro?" Alec shook his head and wiped the sweat off of his brow.
"I have no fucking clue." RJ stretched. "It was like my brain just shut off and my body just moved on its own. Or maybe we just have the same gay fighting style?"
"That could be." Alec laughed and slung his arm over RJ's shoulders. "Let's grab some lunch. Nessa and Remi should be back soon. I hope he lived through her driving."
"Is she really that bad?" RJ walked with Alec out of the Dungeon, grabbing their previously discarded shirts.
"She always has control of the car, she just likes to drive really fast." Alec grinned.
"Oh, and just so you know, when we find Joshua, I'll kick his ass for not contacting you." Reyhen quietly said as they walked towards the kitchen.
"I appreciate that." Alec ruffled his brother's hair. "I think you'll have to beat Nessa to it, though. She wants to rip his head off."
"Why do I have a feeling it won't be the head on his shoulders she goes after?" RJ winked at his brother.
"You and me both." Alec smiled.
Vanessa looked around the nicely furnished hotel room. Remi was quickly moving around and grabbing all of his things. He was a bit embarrassed that Nessa had followed him up into the hotel. The previous night he nearly ripped apart his suitcase trying to find something appropriate to wear and because of that most of his clothes ended up strewn about the room.
"It looks like a tornado ripped through here." Vanessa chuckled as she flopped down on the bed. "You're as messy as Alec."
"I'm not messy, thank you very much." Remi huffed. "I was just in a rush to find something to wear to your house last night."
"Awww, were you trying to impress us?" Vanessa grinned and winked at him.
"No." Remi turned from her, hiding his blush.
"Someone's lying." Nessa's voice was light and teasing.
"Ok, well, maybe." Remi glared at her. "Definitely." She laughed and stood up, grabbing his suitcase. "Are you done yet? My gram could pack faster, and she hasn't been on this Earth for some time now."
"You've got a mouth on you." Remi laughed and grabbed his duffel bag.
"I know." Vanessa shrugged and headed towards the door. "It's a gift."
"Well that depends on how you look at it." Remi muttered under his breath, though he shrugged apologetically as he noticed Vanessa was looking at him. "Sorry?"
"Yeah, you look it." She shook her head and fixed a fake glare on her face. "Since I've given Peanut a nickname, maybe you need one too."
"No, really, that's ok, Nessa." Remi was quick to respond. "There isn't any need for that."
"Let's just finish getting you packed. I'm sure Alec and RJ are beating the hell out of each other by now." A jealous sigh slipped past her lips.
"Why would they be doing that?" Remi dropped the shirt he was about to put into his duffel bag.
"Training." Vanessa gave him an odd look. "Ya know, the thing we all do at least once a day."
"Right." Remi nervously laughed. "I guess my brain is just fried."
"That depends on how you look at it." She smirked as she threw his words back at him. "Ya know what you need?"
"I told you that I don't want a nickname." Remi grabbed his suitcase from her.
"You'll get one whether you want one or not." Vanessa grabbed his duffel bag and headed towards the door. "You move to slow. Now, as I was saying, you need a night out."
"I'm not big on going out." Remi followed behind Vanessa and almost walked into her as she stopped dead in her tracks.
"I didn't ask if you wanted to go out. I said you needed a night out. So grab your gun from under your pillow and let's go. You're really lucky housekeeping didn't find that." Vanessa looked over her shoulder and saw the incredulous look Remi was giving her. "What? Doesn't everyone keep a gun under their pillow?" She shrugged and walked out of the room.
"No." Remi's voice was quiet in the silent room. "Not everyone keeps a gun under their pillow."
"Left foot green." Vanessa called out after looking at the board in front of her.
"I swear to all that's holy you're not even spinning that thing!" Reyhen spat. His body tightened as he slid his leg under Alec to place his foot on the green circle. "You're just trying to get us into the most fucked up positions you can think of!"
"She's a kinky bitch." Alec grunted under his breath. His body was nearly bent in a pretzel as he tried to keep his body balanced.
"When you said a night of fun, this never entered my mind." Remi laughed.
"Well you were so damn adamant that you didn't want to go out, so I figured I'd bust out some old games." Vanessa smiled and flicked the spinner again. She glanced down and saw that it was pointing to 'right hand blue'. "Left hand yellow!"
"You're lying!" Alec growled at her. "You barely even glanced at that thing! It was probably something easy like right hand on blue!"
"What are you reading my mind?" Vanessa laughed. "This way is more difficult, besides, it will help you in the field."
"How is a kid's game gonna help out?" RJ sighed as he felt the muscles in his lower back tighten from holding the position so long.
"It's a game of balance and concentration." Remi nodded at him and Alec. "And dealing with outside influences."
"How very astute of you." Vanessa gave him a bright smile. "Intelligence is a very sexy quality for a man to have!"
Alec noticed the slight color on Remi's face and gently nudged RJ as he nodded in the man's direction. RJ looked over at his brother before winking back at Alec.
"Besides that," A bright twinkle appeared in Nessa's eyes. "This is helpful for Alec and RJ." She winked at Remi. "Cause you know those gays get into all kinds of fucked up, kinky sexual positions."
Her brothers were so shocked by her comment it caused them to fall down on top of each other. Remi's laughter rang out through the living room as he watched the evil looks the two men were shooting at Vanessa.
"Looks like I win." Remi brushed a lock of hair off of his face as he stood up.
"No way! She cheated!" RJ whined.
"Shut it, Peanut. Not my fault you're so easy to psyche out." Vanessa smirked.
"Bitch!" He snarled and lunged off the floor towards her. Vanessa yelped and took off into the kitchen.
"Those two are too much." Remi offered a hand to Alec to help him up.
"Tell me about it." Alec smiled. "I thought roughhousing was normally between brothers, not a brother and sister."
"Very true." Remi laughed and shoved Alec backward, causing him to fall onto the couch. "Catch me if you can."
Alec growled and raced after Remi. As he headed up the stairs in pursuit he saw Reyhen leapt through the air and tackle Vanessa to the ground. Though it was only a second later he was flying through the air as she tossed him off.
"Gotta do better than that, Peanut!" Vanessa laughed as RJ yelled a sting of curses at her. The night was turning out to be a fun evening after all.
Almost an hour later the four of them collapsed on the couches in the living room, exhausted from running all over the house.
"Vanessa, Alec, Remington, and Reyhen." Muse's voice got their attention. "Please report to the Dungeon immediately."
"What do you think is going on?" Remi asked as Vanessa and Alec led them down into the Dungeon.
"I don't know, but I don't think it's bad." Alec answered. "If it was something like a mission she would have requested us by our codenames."
"Speaking of codenames, what are your names?" Vanessa looked at Remi and Reyhen.
"Mine is Maelstrom." Reyhen rolled his eyes.
"How'd ya get a name like that, Bro?" Alec asked.
"Because of his temper." Remi laughed and threw an arm around RJ's shoulders. "It can get pretty violent."
"Shut up, Silverwolf." RJ smirked at Remi.
"And your name is Silverwolf because?" Vanessa grinned.
"Cause he's a total animal and shits in the woods." Reyhen responded before Remi had a chance. He ducked at the hand that flew towards the back of his head.
"Because of my courage and my loyalty." Remi explained. "I'm very protective of the people I care about, almost like a wolf caring for his pack."
"What about you two?" Reyhen questioned his siblings.
"I would be Trinity because of my strength in mind, body, and soul." Vanessa replied. "And Alec here is Phoenix because he tends to always rise from the ashes, so to speak."
"Wait a minute." Remi stopped and stared at them. "You're THE Trinity and Phoenix?"
"Huh?" Alec looked at Remi and Reyhen's look of shock in confusion.
"I've heard about the two of you before." Remi shook his head. "On my last couple of missions I heard some of the scum we were chasing talking about the two of you. You're like the best of the best of us."
"I wouldn't say that." Alec waved away the comments. "We do what we need to do, end of story."
"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" RJ looked back and forth at Vanessa and Alec.
"You didn't ask." Alec sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Besides, I didn't think that was important. We were more concerned with getting to know you, instead of talking about the family business."
"Look, we can talk this out more later, but for now we need to see what Muse wanted." Vanessa turned and continued walking into the Dungeon.
"Thank you for coming." Muse's voice echoed through the cavernous space. "You must all pack your bags right away."
"Oh, come on, Muse. We can't go on another mission now." Alec sighed. "We're still getting to know Reyhen and Remi."
"You are not going on a mission, Alec." They could almost hear laughter in his rich voice. "Reyhen's birthday is soon approaching. Your parents had requested a special gift for the occasion."
"Our parents?" Reyhen's voice was thick with emotion. His siblings moved closer to him, giving him strength.
"The reason of your adoption will soon be fully realized. Destinies will be fulfilled." Muse's message was cryptic enough that the four of them looked at each other questioningly. "You're presence is requested at Covenant Headquarters. You will leave first thing in the morning."
"What do you mean headquarters?" Reyhen asked. "No one knows where that is."
"The plane will be prepared for take off at eight o'clock in the morning." Muse continued, ignoring RJ's question. "Make sure to get plenty of rest tonight."
"Muse, could you tell us where we are going please?" Alec requested.
"To Stonehenge."
The moonlight permeated the room, illuminating the angular angles of the man's face that stared up at the night sky. A long, deep sigh slipped past his lips as he gazed out at the seemingly hundreds of stars that filled the night.
"I knew I would find you here." The man ignored the woman that appeared in the doorway. "Braeden, you can't keep doing this to yourself."
"Leave me alone, Riona." Braeden didn't even look in her direction. "You know damn well I don't want to be here."
"You know that we had no choice." Riona crossed the room and knelt down next to him. The moonlight made it look like her blonde hair was glowing, almost giving her an ethereal appearance. "You may not value your life, cousin, but we do."
"Dying doesn't scare me, Rio." The man's voice softened a fraction. "I'm scared about what's going on out there. I can't stay here forever."
"And you won't, Brae." She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "You have no patience whatsoever."
"That's not the point!" Brae finally turned and stared at Riona. "I can't just sit here while..."
"Shhh." She laid her fingers gently against his lips, quieting him. "I know, but something more important has come up, and we don't have time to go through this again."
"What the fuck could be more important?" Braeden jerked up into a standing position and leaned against the window.
"The Triad." Riona's voice was soft and breathless.
"Rio, I don't really feel like talking about fairytales and legends, okay?" Braeden rolled his eyes. "Please, just leave me alone."
"It's not a fairytale, cousin." Her Irish brogue was thick with fear. "The legend will soon be a reality."
"What?" Braeden turned to look at his cousin. He knew that she occasionally was gifted with a vision of things to come, which was one of the reasons why he was there. "What have you seen?"
"I saw lights dancing through the night sky." Her eyes almost glazed over as she remembered the things that she saw. "The air full of...something. Something so tangible I could feel it in my bones. It's begun, Brae."
"Are you shitting me?" Braeden's forced himself to take a few deep breaths. "The Trinity has been formed?"
"The pieces are all there, but they haven't been put together yet." Riona shrugged. "I can't really say much more than that. This vision wasn't all that detailed."
"That's impossible. Your sight has always been crystal clear." He shook his head.
"Unfortunately, it was pretty foggy this time." Riona sighed and sat down on his bed. "I don't think I'm meant to know what exactly is coming, Brae. The heavens just want me to know that it is almost here, nothing more. We both know that too much information about the Trinity is dangerous."
"Can you please ask the Elders again if I can leave?" Braeden refused to meet her gaze.
"I'll ask, but we both know the answer to that question already." She moved towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't believe this, but they are worried about you. And now with this new development..."
"I know." He rested his forehead against the cool glass. "It's probably too late anyway."
"What will be, will be, Brae." She squeezed the solid muscle that lay under her fingers. "There is much work to do. I'll need your help in the library tomorrow." Riona laughed as her cousin groaned. "Don't be like that, it will get you out of the house."
"Good point. I'll help." Braeden wished his cousin a good night as she left. As the door clicked closed behind her his eyes scanned the night sky again, his voice whispering into the darkness. "Forgive me."
Author's Note - For the must updated chapters and info about my stories, check out my yahoo group, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MichaelPhilips