Welcome to the Masquerade

"Sweet Home, [Charleston]"

AN: This one is kinda on the short side but it (finally) gets us to the end of Friday. A quick shout out to my constant readers including tafa_marie and BubblieZ0203. Also, because I made it to 600 views, I'm posing a little early this week. Here is your standard disclaimer! I only own Lory. Everything else is the property of C.L.Stone. Constructive criticism is welcome and even requested, but flames will be used to make s'mores. I love votes and views. Please let me know your favorite lines and moments. Happy Reading.  

"Sweet Home, Alabama" bu Josh Vietti

*~*~*Owen*~*~*

How could I have forgotten how Lory likes to cause reactions? I need to keep her away from Luke and Gabe and their pranks. It's bad enough Luke has roped Sang into them. The Three amigos. God knows we don't need Lory turning it into the Four Horsemen.

How am I going to fix this if Lory won't talk to me? She always was a little cagey with information. Mostly about her family. Although now, I think most of that had to do with her Family being "different" even by Academy standards. What the hell broke that wide-eyed, mischievous pixie so badly she doesn't know enough about herself to act like herself. I still see her there. I still see my sweet, stubborn, beautiful baby sister in flashes. The tightening of her jaw when she's about to be stubborn. The way she likes to push buttons and get people reacting and dancing to her tune. They way she walks into a room and captivates people. She and Sang have that in common. Sirens both of them just drawing people in.

I hate that she's sitting there looking at Sean and I like we could destroy her whole world in just a few words. She keeps herself braced like she's gearing up to be hurt or is expecting to be thrown out or cut off.

Idiot.

She does.

She expects us to be so frustrated dealing with her and what's happened when she's supposed to be here to help that we'll make her leave. She doesn't want to talk and she doesn't want to lie if I make her talk. I'm going to have to let this be a while. I can be patient. I can wait. I think I'm going to have to wait. Dammit.

I rub my hand across my mouth and jaw as I watch her eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm going to able to fix this," I muttered to Sean. He flicked his eyes to me before focusing on Lory again. She was beginning to relax between the Taylor brothers. She belongs here with us. She's gotten Sang to stand up to her and praised her for it. I'm going to fix this. But it won't be tonight.

"I think that we should probably shelve this for tonight. I think I was promised pie."

 *~*~*~*~*

"HEY!" cried Sean. "I do believe you were told no pie because you knew she was home and didn't tell me. Besides we already ate the pie. One little pie was not going to last with all of us in the kitchen. They decimated my pie, Imōto. I only got one piece!"

Lory shot Owen a grateful smile before laughing at Sean's antics. "You don't need more than one piece. Besides if you want more you can just go up the street to the diner I bought it from."

"So that's why you were asking at lunch," Luke laughed. "Did you meet Uncle?"

"No, just the gal behind the counter. Although there was one hottie I wish I'd gotten to meet.." She grinned with a sly look on her face.

North growled. Luke stiffened with a frown. Gabe made a face. Silas quirked and eyebrow and thought through who was supposed to be working today. Nate looked at Kota who must have been trying to read Lory's mind with the look he was giving her. Victor smirked at the look in her eye. Owen and Sean just gave deep put upon sighs. Sang, however, who had been watching the boys reactions, started giggling.