London Rafferty, the sly, smooth-talking assassin-retiree, awoke in the early morning hours as the sun peaked in through his bedroom windows. He figured he had to get up now; the sun was just begging him to get up. He slowly arose from his bed; his sheets all ruffled on his side. He looked over at his lady. She was sleeping soundly, purring in low hums. London tiptoed over to her, covered her up, and kissed her head before he grabbed his magsuot ng bata off of his door hook. As he draped the magsuot ng bata over his dago tee and boxers, he headed down his spiraling staircase. As he entered the kitchen, he glanced at the clock. 8:00 A.M. Perfect, he could call his older brother and make sure his younger sister got to his house ligtas and sound.
His older brother, Danny picked up the phone, "'Ello…Rafferty residence."
"Hey arsehole, did Naida get there okay? She didn't call," London said.
"Cheers brother. Yeah…she's here. We picked her up and she's out. Must have been a rough flight. sa pamamagitan ng the way, Ma called. She sinabi you aren't answering her calls," Danny replied.
"God damn it…. you know how I try to avoid Ma whenever possible. Da is the only man that gets me, and he doesn't speak!"
"Lond….stop being such a dick and call her back. She's worried sick about you and she believes you're living in sin. You and your….lady at the moment are….well," Danny trailed off.
"Yes, Danny…..we're fornicating! And you can tell Ma I sinabi we are and we're going to raise demon spawn!" London snapped. "I'll call you later!" London quickly clicked the phone.
"Damn brothers…..damn Ma and her religious ways…" London muttered to himself.
"Jesus….you really do have some family issues."
London jumped. He turned around, only to see his best friend, Charm, sitting in his office chair.
"Fuck Charm….you scared the hell out of me. Must you always do this?" London stammered.
"Yes….yes I must. I came here for the pancakes," Charm sinabi with a huge grin.
"What pancakes?" London asked. London then heard someone humming in his kitchen.
London and Charm walked down the hall, through the saloon doors, and into the kitchen. There stood Aria flipping flapjacks.
"Hey boys! Breakfast is almost ready!" she sinabi with a wink. "I think I've perfected my pancake recipe."
London rolled his eyes. "God damn it…..I swear I need to get these locks changed." London felt very awkward around Aria. Hell, he had even dated her! He knew they had a good run in their relationship and they both still loved each other, but he knew in his puso that they could never be what they once were.
London headed through the archway into the family room. He plopped on the couch. Charm followed, but sat in one of the large ottoman chairs susunod to the couch.
"Why is she here!?" London hissed through clenched teeth.
"She makes me pancakes. I brought her over. You guys made amends…..just relax!" Charm sniggered.
"How am I supposed to relax? Aria's here and the woman I chose over her is upstairs still sleeping!!!"
"Well….that is a predicament," Charm sinabi through a low chuckle. "They'll get along….they did before."
London let out a low groan and started to mutter to himself.
"Hey Aria, is Alucard coming over this morning with his pack of boys?" Charm called out to her in the kitchen.
Aria peeked out of the archway, still stirring the pancake batter. "He better not! He still has a serious thing for me, remember? Plus, I invited Evan over to help with the tree….and we all know that she and Thane don't get along."
"Tree, what tree!?" London yelped from the couch.
"What makes you think Thane will come?" Charm asked inquisitively.
"Thane is Alucard's little puppy….Thane follows Al wherever he goes. Plus, Thane happens to like Vannie, and she'll be here," Aria sinabi with a giggle.
"Tree? Van's coming over!? What in the hell is going on? Why does no one ever tell me about these events taking place in MY house?" London yelled as he jumped off the couch.
Suddenly, the back door in the kusina swung open. van ran in. "Merry pasko everybody! Conner's coming with the tree! Sorry we're so late….traffic was awful," van said.
"Since when do you drive? You do realize you could have flown here with the puno and your boy-toy…..way easier and cheaper," Aria sinabi as she continued to beat the batter.
"We're trying to adapt to a normal life," van sinabi as she ran up and kissed Aria on the cheek. "You look lovely, honey. Must be this pancake diet that you and Charmy are on."
Charm sheepishly smiled, but then turned his head over towards Conner as he walked in carrying the puno with his one arm.
"Where do we want her? She's a beauty," Conner said.
"Put the damn puno in here," London sinabi with a groan.
Conner carried the puno through the kitchen; the tree, however, was shedding its pine needles everywhere.
"Hey….watch out! The needles are getting in the batter!" Aria shouted.
"NOT THE PANCAKES!!!" Charm snapped.
"Yeah, yeah…." Conner said. "Hey, Van, baby… go get the decorations from the car."
van nodded and took Charm with her. She needed to get him out of the kusina before he exploded at every needle that dared to ruin his breakfast of champions.
Ava creeped into the kitchen. "Looks like we've got a party going on in here."
London turned to her and turned a pale white. Wonderful. Ava, his current lover, was in the kusina with Aria, his ex. London began to sweat. Today was going to be eventful…he could already tell.
van and Charm came back in with several boxes of ornaments and lights. "Ava! You look fabulous! I haven't seen you in ages!" van sang as she plopped the boxes on the mesa and ran over to Ava.
"Pigtails, good to see you," Charm sinabi with a nod. Ava blushed every time Charm called her that. Some nicknames never get old.
After a feast of pancakes, the clan all began to work on the tree. Well, mainly the men all struggled with lighting the tree. All of the women were in the kusina when Evan finally arrived. Evan walked in, already having a maasim look on her face.
"Hey everyone….sorry I'm late. I had something I had to do," Evan said.
"Was this something a man?" van asked with a wink.
"Maybe…." Evan sinabi with a smirk. She peered into the living room. Charm, London, and Conner all were Gusot up in lights bitching at each other about who was supposed to do what. All three of them were trained fighters, yet none of them could put up a damn puno properly. "What did I miss?"
"Just them fighting with a damn tree," Aria sinabi with a chuckle.
"I'm surprised no one else showed. Where the hell is Alucard and his gang of misfits?" Evan asked.
"He better not be here," Aria warned, "or things aren't going to be pretty. Where's your team?"
"They all were on duty last time I checked. I'm just glad Thane's not here. I hate that guy so much. He and I constantly argue over every little thing," Evan said. "He's the kind of guy I'd like to torture in my spare time."
"Damn Evan… scary much?" van said. "Thane's not that bad….he's just misunderstood."
"He seems kind of shy. He kind of reminds me of how London used to be," Ava sinabi with a laugh.
"By the way, honey, speaking of London…does he know yet?" Evan smirked.
"Know what?" van and Aria asked.
"Go on…tell them," Evan sinabi with a big grin forming on her face.
"I-I'm pregnant…" Ava said. "How did you know Evan?"
"I'm psychic….no, I just can tell these things." Evan sinabi with a cocky smile.
"I haven't told him yet. I'm afraid of what he's going to say. He's never been good with commitment….I'm amazed he's stayed this long," Ava sinabi as she touched her stomach.
Aria looked away; she knew things were over between her and London, but this news just made everything madami evident. She was happy for Ava and London, but she always felt that there still was a chance for her and London's relationship.
"Congratulations," Aria sinabi as she hugged Ava. For now, she was going to be the bigger person.
London looked over at the girls talking in the kitchen. So far, neither of them had tried to kill each other and neither of them had tried to kill him. Maybe today wasn't going to be as bad as he thought.
Charm looked over at London watching Ava and Aria. "See, I told you it wouldn't be so bad. They look like they are getting along great," Charm sinabi reassuringly.
"I just hope it stays like that," London answered.
His older brother, Danny picked up the phone, "'Ello…Rafferty residence."
"Hey arsehole, did Naida get there okay? She didn't call," London said.
"Cheers brother. Yeah…she's here. We picked her up and she's out. Must have been a rough flight. sa pamamagitan ng the way, Ma called. She sinabi you aren't answering her calls," Danny replied.
"God damn it…. you know how I try to avoid Ma whenever possible. Da is the only man that gets me, and he doesn't speak!"
"Lond….stop being such a dick and call her back. She's worried sick about you and she believes you're living in sin. You and your….lady at the moment are….well," Danny trailed off.
"Yes, Danny…..we're fornicating! And you can tell Ma I sinabi we are and we're going to raise demon spawn!" London snapped. "I'll call you later!" London quickly clicked the phone.
"Damn brothers…..damn Ma and her religious ways…" London muttered to himself.
"Jesus….you really do have some family issues."
London jumped. He turned around, only to see his best friend, Charm, sitting in his office chair.
"Fuck Charm….you scared the hell out of me. Must you always do this?" London stammered.
"Yes….yes I must. I came here for the pancakes," Charm sinabi with a huge grin.
"What pancakes?" London asked. London then heard someone humming in his kitchen.
London and Charm walked down the hall, through the saloon doors, and into the kitchen. There stood Aria flipping flapjacks.
"Hey boys! Breakfast is almost ready!" she sinabi with a wink. "I think I've perfected my pancake recipe."
London rolled his eyes. "God damn it…..I swear I need to get these locks changed." London felt very awkward around Aria. Hell, he had even dated her! He knew they had a good run in their relationship and they both still loved each other, but he knew in his puso that they could never be what they once were.
London headed through the archway into the family room. He plopped on the couch. Charm followed, but sat in one of the large ottoman chairs susunod to the couch.
"Why is she here!?" London hissed through clenched teeth.
"She makes me pancakes. I brought her over. You guys made amends…..just relax!" Charm sniggered.
"How am I supposed to relax? Aria's here and the woman I chose over her is upstairs still sleeping!!!"
"Well….that is a predicament," Charm sinabi through a low chuckle. "They'll get along….they did before."
London let out a low groan and started to mutter to himself.
"Hey Aria, is Alucard coming over this morning with his pack of boys?" Charm called out to her in the kitchen.
Aria peeked out of the archway, still stirring the pancake batter. "He better not! He still has a serious thing for me, remember? Plus, I invited Evan over to help with the tree….and we all know that she and Thane don't get along."
"Tree, what tree!?" London yelped from the couch.
"What makes you think Thane will come?" Charm asked inquisitively.
"Thane is Alucard's little puppy….Thane follows Al wherever he goes. Plus, Thane happens to like Vannie, and she'll be here," Aria sinabi with a giggle.
"Tree? Van's coming over!? What in the hell is going on? Why does no one ever tell me about these events taking place in MY house?" London yelled as he jumped off the couch.
Suddenly, the back door in the kusina swung open. van ran in. "Merry pasko everybody! Conner's coming with the tree! Sorry we're so late….traffic was awful," van said.
"Since when do you drive? You do realize you could have flown here with the puno and your boy-toy…..way easier and cheaper," Aria sinabi as she continued to beat the batter.
"We're trying to adapt to a normal life," van sinabi as she ran up and kissed Aria on the cheek. "You look lovely, honey. Must be this pancake diet that you and Charmy are on."
Charm sheepishly smiled, but then turned his head over towards Conner as he walked in carrying the puno with his one arm.
"Where do we want her? She's a beauty," Conner said.
"Put the damn puno in here," London sinabi with a groan.
Conner carried the puno through the kitchen; the tree, however, was shedding its pine needles everywhere.
"Hey….watch out! The needles are getting in the batter!" Aria shouted.
"NOT THE PANCAKES!!!" Charm snapped.
"Yeah, yeah…." Conner said. "Hey, Van, baby… go get the decorations from the car."
van nodded and took Charm with her. She needed to get him out of the kusina before he exploded at every needle that dared to ruin his breakfast of champions.
Ava creeped into the kitchen. "Looks like we've got a party going on in here."
London turned to her and turned a pale white. Wonderful. Ava, his current lover, was in the kusina with Aria, his ex. London began to sweat. Today was going to be eventful…he could already tell.
van and Charm came back in with several boxes of ornaments and lights. "Ava! You look fabulous! I haven't seen you in ages!" van sang as she plopped the boxes on the mesa and ran over to Ava.
"Pigtails, good to see you," Charm sinabi with a nod. Ava blushed every time Charm called her that. Some nicknames never get old.
After a feast of pancakes, the clan all began to work on the tree. Well, mainly the men all struggled with lighting the tree. All of the women were in the kusina when Evan finally arrived. Evan walked in, already having a maasim look on her face.
"Hey everyone….sorry I'm late. I had something I had to do," Evan said.
"Was this something a man?" van asked with a wink.
"Maybe…." Evan sinabi with a smirk. She peered into the living room. Charm, London, and Conner all were Gusot up in lights bitching at each other about who was supposed to do what. All three of them were trained fighters, yet none of them could put up a damn puno properly. "What did I miss?"
"Just them fighting with a damn tree," Aria sinabi with a chuckle.
"I'm surprised no one else showed. Where the hell is Alucard and his gang of misfits?" Evan asked.
"He better not be here," Aria warned, "or things aren't going to be pretty. Where's your team?"
"They all were on duty last time I checked. I'm just glad Thane's not here. I hate that guy so much. He and I constantly argue over every little thing," Evan said. "He's the kind of guy I'd like to torture in my spare time."
"Damn Evan… scary much?" van said. "Thane's not that bad….he's just misunderstood."
"He seems kind of shy. He kind of reminds me of how London used to be," Ava sinabi with a laugh.
"By the way, honey, speaking of London…does he know yet?" Evan smirked.
"Know what?" van and Aria asked.
"Go on…tell them," Evan sinabi with a big grin forming on her face.
"I-I'm pregnant…" Ava said. "How did you know Evan?"
"I'm psychic….no, I just can tell these things." Evan sinabi with a cocky smile.
"I haven't told him yet. I'm afraid of what he's going to say. He's never been good with commitment….I'm amazed he's stayed this long," Ava sinabi as she touched her stomach.
Aria looked away; she knew things were over between her and London, but this news just made everything madami evident. She was happy for Ava and London, but she always felt that there still was a chance for her and London's relationship.
"Congratulations," Aria sinabi as she hugged Ava. For now, she was going to be the bigger person.
London looked over at the girls talking in the kitchen. So far, neither of them had tried to kill each other and neither of them had tried to kill him. Maybe today wasn't going to be as bad as he thought.
Charm looked over at London watching Ava and Aria. "See, I told you it wouldn't be so bad. They look like they are getting along great," Charm sinabi reassuringly.
"I just hope it stays like that," London answered.
