Kissa opens her mouth to snap, but Gabriel launches at her, and they both slid across the yard, Kissa on her back and Gabriel on top of her, hands at her throat.
She shrieks, kicking and smacking but not being able to get him off.
He glares down, “how could you.” He hisses.
Ben blinks his eyes open, staring sleepily at Violet. “Mmn?”
She rubs her eyes, yawning, and sits up. “Was that Kissa?”
He sits up. “Outside?”
"Gabriel!" Silver cried, frozen for a second and then racing after them. "What are you doing?! Stop!"
Miki closed her eyes. I need to go get Ben.
Better for him to kill us than for us all to kill each other.
Ben stands, rubbing his forehead, and heads to the window. His eyes widen and he quickly turns and grabs himself a shirt, slipping it on as he races down the hall and stairs. Violet stands, sighing and slipping in her robe, slowly following.
Gabriel loosens his grip on Kissa and sits back, his eyes full of hot tears. She shoves at him.
“Get off of me you monster! I didn’t do anything!”
He snarls, baring his teeth. “No?! Then why were they here?!”
She shrieks again, too angry to answer, and starts smacking his chest as hard at she can to get him off. He stays put.
Ben swings the door open. “What is going on?! Why are you killing each other!?”
Silver stood beside them, unsure what to do or why Gabriel had attacked Kissa. She jumped when Ben's voice rang through the yard. Miki sighed and raised an eyebrow at Ben. Silver ran back to the porch.
"Gabriel attacked Kissa and I don't know why but Kissa was being mean to Lackey and made him have a panic attack and they left and I just wanted to see Dio again and Kissa ruined it all and now Gabriel's killing her!" she wailed.
Even more confused now, Ben shakes his head, furrowing his brow. “What??” Cage grabs his arm.
“I THOUGHT THE TALL DARK ONE WAS GONNA KILL US.”
Ben shakes Cage off and takes a step back. “That doesn’t explain anything!”
Violet stands in the door way for a second before heading back inside, setting up some warm cookies on the coffee table and throwing a few blankets in the dryer so they’d be warm for when the kids came in.
Kissa catches sight of Ben. “HES TRYING TO KILL ME GET HIM OFF! BEN HELP!”
Gabriel hisses at her and covers her mouth, only to have her bite him.
Miki let go of Cage and darted off the porch, escaping the confusion and Ben's wrath to come, and racing out toward the road where Dio and Lackey had disappeared.
Silver took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ben." she sniffed. "I started it. I stole your phone the other day and texted Dio."
Miki slowed as she reached the end of the driveway and saw Lackey and Dio in the grass. Lackey sat with his head in his hands and Dio stood in front of him, biting his lip and gripping his own arms with white knuckles. "Hey," Miki said as she approached. "Is he okay?"
Ben blinks, his eyes wide. “You wha- you stole my phone?!”
Cage shrinks back, no longer wanting his comfort. He heads inside and Violet gives him a disappointed look. He stares at the ground.
Ben puts his hands in his hair and huffs. “This- this is not okay! You can’t just steal my phone and contact people! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What do i do with you kids!” He doesn’t sound particularly angry but he’s definitely exasperated.
Silver nodded, grimacing. "I know." she said in a small voice. "I knew it was wrong. I'm sorry. I just knew you wouldn't invite Dio back for forever and I wanted to see him again. I didn't mean for Miki and Cage to invite him over and I didn't realize he would bring a Kavi with him."
Dio glared at Miki as she approached.
The human, he thought. He looked back at Lackey, refusing to look at her as he spoke.
"No, he's not. That brat sent him into a panic attack and…" he sighed. "I can't help him when he's like this."
Miki nodded, standing a few feet away, watching Lackey. He sat still, eyes closed, sucking in deep, desperate breaths. "I'm sorry." she said. "Kissa is… she's awful."
Ben sighs, running a hand through his messy curls again. “Sil. I- I can’t- hold that thought, I’ve gotta get Gabriel off of his sister.” He walks past her, picking up pace as he reaches Gabriel and Kissa, and shoves Gabriel off. “She didn’t bring him here, back off!”
Gabriel looks up to him, now sitting on the ground. “How do you know?!”
“Silver brought him here.” He states, helping Kissa up.
She bares her teeth at Gabriel. “I tried to tell you I didn’t do it!”
Silver stood on the porch, waiting for Ben to come back. I can't be good. I try and I always mess up.
Dio didn't reply to Miki. When she didn't leave he finally glanced at her again. "You can't help him either. You better go back."
Miki snorted. "And get roasted by Ben? Nah, I'm good."
Dio closed his eyes and sighed. "Benjamin came out?"
"Mmmhmmmm." Miki nodded.
Kissa turns to press her dirty face into Ben’s shirt, growling.
He sighs then extends a hand to Gabriel. “Get up. We’re going inside and sorting this out right now.”
Gabriel takes his hand, pulling himself to his feet, but stays a few feet behind Ben as they walk back to the house.
Ben grabs Silvers hand on the way, pulling her inside along with them.
“Where is Miki? I feel like she was part of this too.”
Cage shrugs. “I dunno.”
Dio watched Lackey, fist pressed against his lips. He needed to talk to Ben. He couldn't let the kids hang themselves on their own naivete when he had encouraged them, instead of informing Ben what was going on. With a sigh he turned to Miki.
"Will you stay with him? Don't touch him, and don't try to talk to him. Just watch him and let him know where I am if he asks."
Miki raised an eyebrow at him. "Where are you going?"
"To explain to Benjamin what happened."
Silver meekly followed Ben into the house and curled up in a corner of the couch, not looking at him and avoiding eye contact with the others.
Ben sits down beside Sil, Kiss sitting in front of the couch and leaning on him. Cage sits on the other side of him and leans on him as Violet passes out cookies. She pulls the blankets out of the dryer and hands one to Sil, Cage and Kiss. Gabriel stands behind the couch, rubbing his arm.
Ben sighs, an arm around Cage and his other around Sil. “Cage, explain from the top.”
He gulps. “Um. I- me and Miki went upstairs to find Sil cause we noticed it was quiet. We found her in the attic and Dio was calling.” He pauses to swallow again, trying not to tear up. “She didn’t know what to say so me and Miki talked to him and invited him over… after you guys went to bed.” He turns his head away from Ben. “It was a bad idea. We all felt bad from the beginning.”
Dio headed toward the house, bracing himself for whatever happened. He tried the door and found it still unlocked. Carefully he let himself in, letting the door click audibly behind him to warn them of his presence before he came and stood in the doorway.
Silver glanced up, feeling Dio's energy before he even stepped in the house. When he appeared in the doorway, she swallowed and glanced nervously toward Ben.
Ben turns his head to see Dio and gives both Cage’s and Silver's shoulders a comforting squeeze, then stands, ruffling Kissa’s hair a little as he does. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He heads towards Dio, clenching his jaw, then opens the door and motions for Dio to follow him out.
Dio nodded and went back outside, standing on the porch and waiting for Ben to join him. He kept his mouth shut, letting Ben begin first.
Silver wrapped her arms around herself, trying to curl up smaller, and blink hard.
I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry. Not this time.
Miki stood beside Lackey after Dio left, glancing between the house and the panicked Kavi before her. Lackey seemed much more self contained and calm than before, but he hadn't moved from his position of holding his head in his hands and breathing through his mouth. Slowly she lowered herself to the grass beside him.
Ben closes the door behind him and takes a deep breath.
“Mr. Diablo De Angelo. I’m- I-“ he takes another breath, then makes eye contact. “This does not help you gain my trust. Or my wife’s. You went behind my back with children you knew were cooped up and desperate. Yes, it was wrong of them to call you, but I’m honestly surprised and disappointed you agreed and encouraged this? What does this help?” He clenches his jaw, staying surprisingly cool, and waits for his response.
Dio nodded, agreeing with everything he leveled at him. "I'm sorry. You are correct, and I am sorry. The only thing I can say in explanation is that I am honestly very concerned for you all–especially yourself, Benjamin–and I was deeply worried over the fact that Silver tried to contact me at all, since I knew there was no way you would have given her permission. I wasn't sure if something was wrong, or something had happened, and that's why she reached out. I do acknowledge that my reaction was not proper and they took it as encouragement, and I should have immediately told you what occurred. I am very sorry."
With a sigh to cool himself down and keep his voice from raising, he starts again. “I take care of them, Dio. If there’s something wrong I will take care of it. I do not appreciate your concern or you shoving yourself into this. We are strictly business. I need your help only to make sure we’re not found or can take down Etienne. I do not need your help to take care of my kids. No.” He clenches his jaw, trying his hardest not to glare.
Dio watched him, holding his tongue while he thought through what Ben said and his own opinions. With a sigh, he braced himself and said, "With all due respect, Benjamin, I disagree."
It takes everything in Ben not to shove Dio and shout at him, but he stands completely still.
“Then leave. I don’t want you here if you’re going to encourage such behavior in my household. I will speak with you later, but you will not be allowed to meddle in our personal lives.” He states firmly.
Dio nodded again. "Alright. I understand." and he turned and left, heading back to where Lackey and Miki waited.
Ben watches for a second before turning around and entering the house, taking his seat between Cage and Sil again. He sighs. “Alright. Sil it’s your turn. What’s the story.”
Silver grimaced, her face contorting as if she was going to cry, but her eyes stayed dry. "Two days ago I stole your phone and copied Dio's number into my phone and I texted him. I just wanted to ask if he was coming back because I wanted to meet him again but Cage and Miki found me and then Dio called me and they sort of hijacked the phone call and invited him over tonight after you and Vi went to bed." She glanced across at Cage. Sorry.
Lackey sat still, in the same position, staring at the ground in front of him. Miki hadn't moved either, sitting beside him and picking at the grass, humming to herself every once in a while. His panic attack had ended about ten minutes previously, but he didn't know what to do with Miki beside him instead of Dio.
What do I do.
Where did he go.
Who is this human.
Ben nods. The story’s didn't differ much at all. So Sil had stolen the phone, Miki and Cage had invited him over. Miki would probably give the same story.
“Kissa, were you in on this?”
She shakes her head. “I had no idea. I only came downstairs for a drink of water tonight and wanted to know what was going on.”
“Gabriel?”
Gabriel stares at the ground. “No. I was only following Kiss.”