2-28: All I Need

Mini AN: You remember the time jumpy thing from gen one? Well here is where it starts for gen two. You have been warned >_>

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"Icarus, stop poking the baby."

Ryan sighed, moving the car seat out of his oldest son's reach.

Rain leaned over the railing to their upstairs hallway, a smile on her lips.

"Maybe he's just curious. They're brand new. He's two."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, looking up at his wife.

"Yes, but, he still doesn't need to poke Artemis' eyes out. I have a feeling she might need those."

The news of Rain being pregnant came almost as soon as Icarus was born. Only eight months later. Her fears of something going wrong with her pregnancies had faded, and then flared up when she found out her second pregnancy was twins.

Ryan had been a twin, and so had her mom. She knew it was likely. But didn't think it would happen to her.

She took the stairs down to the level below, bending to move the blankets in her second son's carseat aside. Apollo was born different than the other two. His skin didn't do the weird thing that Artemis and Icarus' had. And he seemed different in temperament too.

Ryan was convinced that somehow he didn't carry as strong of a vampiric trait as the other two. For some reason, that didn't sit well with Rain.

He would be different than his siblings. Just as she had been.

The twins were six months old, and they were inseparable. When you tried to separate them, one would scream bloody murder. They had even ended up sharing a crib, despite what people had told her not to do.

They wouldn't sleep apart.

Apollo opened his eyes, purple orbs staring up at her that were so much like Ryan's, it was uncanny. He shifted his eyes around, looking for his sister. His mouth opened and before he could start to cry, Rain removed him from his carseat, sitting him upright next to Artemis'.

"These two are weird. Why are they so clingy to one another?"

Ryan said the words and Rain glanced at him, laughing under her breath.

"Like father, like son.

Or did you forget about you and Rae?"

Ryan shook his head, watching his daughter sleep soundly.

"This is different. This is like he thinks if she's too far from him, she will die or something."

Rain shrugged a shoulder, handing Icarus a teddy bear that he'd been trying with desperation to retrieve from the top of the couch.

"He's six months old. A baby. I think you might be reading too much into the actions of an infant."

Ryan watched Apollo poke his twin sister's face until she awoke, removing her from the confines of her own seat.

"I don't know. I feel like I can just tell.

This might last a while."

Rain watched the two babies crawl to each other on the floor, asleep, once together, in seconds. She pulled her oldest son into her arms, turning to her husband.

"I don't think it's a bad thing. Maybe they'll all be close. Maybe they'll get luckier than I did."

Ryan pulled her into his chest, tracing his fingers over the mop of light brown hair on top of Icarus' head.

"You have a point."

He kissed the tip of Rain's nose and smiled, his fangs glinting in the sunlight.

Icarus had a set of his own in his mouth, and Rain hadn't known how to react to that. She had reproduced with a vampire, so she should have known to expect it. But she didn't.

How many of her children would be just like Ryan?

And would they grow up safe?

Could a world like this accept it?

She didn't know. But she tried to have faith.

If the world could accept everything else it accepted, it could handle supernaturals, right?

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A soft knock sounded from the front door, and Rain shot a look over her shoulder at the twins. They were playing and babbling in some language only they seemed to understand. As they grew older, it became very obvious that Ryan had been right.

Apollo was protective of his twin sister to a extreme extent. Everywhere she went, he followed. They were only four, and Apollo was easily the most temperamental (and tallest) four year old in existence. And he didn't get the set of vampire teeth that Artemis and Icarus developed.

What he did develop was a kind of physical strength that scared Rain. 

He could pick Artemis up and carry her, and that was easy for him.

When the door opened, a woman a little taller than Rain stood on the other side. Next to her was a little girl with deep green eyes about Apollo and Artemis' age. The woman looked uneasy. As if she had to talk herself into whatever she was there for.

"Hi. I'm Sparrow O'Conner. We live next door. I know you guys have lived here for a few years now, and I've never introduced myself. But there's a neighborhood cookout tonight, down the block at the park. 

I came over to invite you and the little ones."

Rain hesitated, stepping back from the door and gesturing for Sparrow and the little girl to come inside. She had seen her neighbors in passing. And she was pretty sure that Sparrow's husband was a cop like her grandpa Carter had been.

"Can I go play with them?"

The little girl looked up at her mom, and Sparrow smiled down at her, her eyes lifting to meet Rain's. Rain nodded and the little girl rushed over to the twins, sitting down right next to Artemis.

"That's Harpia. I'm sorry, she's kind of a social butterfly. She's been asking to play with your kids for months. But I hadn't wanted to bother you guys."

Sparrow followed Rain into her living room and took a seat on her couch. 

"No, it's okay. I wouldn't have minded. I've thought about talking to you too. I just didn't want to do the same."

Rain watched the three little kids, gathered in a circle. Apollo was staring with wide eyes at Harpia. Like he'd never seen a little girl before, even though he had a twin sister. Harpia didn't seem to really notice, her attention fixated on the dolls she was sharing with Artemis.

Apollo pushed the car he had been so invested in moments before toward Harpia, his eyes on the floor. She looked at the car, and then at Apollo, a wide smile crossing her lips.

She took the car from him, and he returned her smile, picking a different one from the pile next to him.

Rain raised an eyebrow and looked over at Sparrow.

"He never shares that car. Not even with Artemis."

Sparrow's laugh was melodic and it reached her eyes.

"Maybe she's special then."

Rain directed her attention back to the kids. Apollo seemed to have a rapt fascination with Harpia. Similar to the one with Artemis, but with some kind of difference to it.

"Maybe so."

Rain whispered the words, watching her youngest son interact with the little girl in a way he had never done before. He hardly ever spoke to anyone but Artemis. But he did with Harpia.

He talked to her like she'd always been around. Like he hadn't just met her half an hour before.

She and Sparrow held a conversation for a while, and Rain promised to make an appearance at the cookout. Even though she wasn't very versed in the area of social interaction.

And as the two O'Conner's stood at the door to leave, Apollo had hidden behind Rain's leg, watching Harpia closely.

Right before the door shut, he pulled his head out from behind her leg and spoke clearly, with a voice steady and loud. He held the car Rain had spoken of out, his face serious.

"Bye, Harpia."

Harpia's face brightened and she reached out to take the car, her laugh matching the melody that had been in her mother's.

"Bye Apollo."

Rain shut the door and looked down at her son, confusion all over her features. No one got him to open up that way. To talk and interact and soften.

It was more than weird, it was almost iconic.

But before she could say anything, or question his interactions, he rushed over to Artemis and sat down. Their unknown language picked back up and Rain shook her head.

I don't know what that was. But I guess it's a good thing she lives next door.

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"I have no idea how you talked me into this, Rain. I just moved here. None of these people know me. You could have at least waited until Storm moved here next month. Chase would have someone he has grown up with."

Rain glanced at her best friend, opening the SUV door so that Icarus could jump out. He jumped straight into a puddle, covering Rain's dress in the muddy water. She grimaced at him and he smiled up at her, fangs bright against his pale lips.

"Go play, Icarus."

He nodded at her and raced off to some bouncy house that was sitting on the property. She pulled the buckle out of the holder on Artemis' seat and she waited patiently at her mother's side for her twin brother to join her. Once he did, the two made their way over to a small group of kids seated in a perfect semi-circle.

The oldest one smiled at Artemis, and Apollo surveyed him with cautious eyes as Artemis introduced both of them. A little blonde girl popped up from behind the jungle gym next to them, her hand firmly in Harpia's. They took a seat in the forming circle, and at once, Apollo sat down right next to them, completing it. 

Harpia moved aside so Artemis could fit too, smiling at Apollo with bright eyes.

"I think Apollo really likes that little girl."

Rain whispered the words to Nash as she pushed Chase toward the group of kids too. They made room for him when he approached, and Rain had never seen anything like it. The way they all began interacting like they'd been friends for years.

Apollo was openly staring at Harpia again, and Nash laughed.

"It appears so yes.

What's with this town? Why are all the kids so nice to each other already? Are there no such thing as bullies?"

Rain shrugged, looking around for Sparrow.

"I don't know, but I can't say I'm complaining. Maybe this is a good place to raise them."

When Sparrow saw the two of them, she waved, indicating that they should come over to her.

Rain introduced Nash to Sparrow and watched the two of them talk, wishing she had the capability to talk the way they could. Extroverted and open and full of enthusiasm. But that had never really been her.

Instead, she watched the small group of kids. 

Sparrow had told her their names.

Blake was the little blonde boy who looked at the blonde little girl much the same way that Apollo seemed to be looking at Harpia. Her name was Paige, and the boy about Variance's age was Hale. His little sister, Albany was stuck to his side the way Artemis always was with Apollo. They all had welcomed Apollo, Artemis, and Chase easily. 

Which apparently, wasn't as common as it seemed. The five of them tended to stick together, and only together from what Sparrow said. Even her oldest twins didn't really make their way into the close knit group.

"It's weird. This is weird."

Nash said the words with awe, and Rain couldn't help but agree. 

"I don't know. I like it. Maybe they'll all stick together as they grow up."

Sparrow's words struck home with Rain. They were much like the same thing she had said to Ryan about her own children.

"I'd be okay with that. I never had many friends. I was a loner, and I kind of thought Apollo would be too. Because he's different."

The wind blew Sparrow's sandy brown hair into her face, but Rain still caught her words.

"Well, doesn't look that way anymore. I don't think Harpia wants to leave him alone."

Rain followed her gaze, and she had a point. Harpia was sitting as close to Apollo as possible. They talked at a rapid pace and Apollo couldn't take his attention off of her.

"Four years old, and I think your son has a crush."

Rain glared at her best friend, shaking her head.

"Impossible. Four year old's don't crush."

Nash pointed at the two kids, a smirk on her lips. Apollo was hugging Harpia, his face lit up with curiosity.

"I think you're wrong, but what do I know?"

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Do you know what your fate is?
And are you trying to shake it?
You're doing your best dance, your best look
You're praying that you'll make it