Welcome to the Masquerade

"Not Alone" By RED

AN: I am so sorry for the big gap in updates. But in the last three weeks I have had quite a bit going on  in my real life and writing this story sort of suffered for it. BUT! My daughter was at camp this week so I got some time to do some writing. Onward to the 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.  

"See! Totally fine. I made it to school and everything!" Lory announced as she waltzed into Owen and Sean's office.

"Uh huh," drawled Sean.

"Ugh, You have no faith in me," Lory pouted. Her eyes twinkled like Sean's letting them know she was in no way serious with her complaint.

"I see you got your tire fixed," Owen observed.

"Well..." Lory hedged lightly, "No. Not really. I ended up hitching a ride with the guy Pops sent to fix my flat."

"Why?" Sean asked.

"Who?" Owen questioned simultaneously.

Lory cringed slightly before sighing, clearing her throat, straightening her shoulders, and admitting, "My spare was flat."

"And you just decide to hop into a car with some random stranger who helped you with your flat?" Owen demanded in that cool, silky voice that required an acceptable answer.

"Of course not!" Lory snapped with no small amount of heat. "I know you think I'm stupid and don't think before I do things, but I'm not."

Owen and Sean blinked for a moment at the vehemence in her voice as she tossed the words out like a counter attack.

"I have never said, nor ever thought, you to be stupid," Owen declared into the silence following her statement. It was a soft, velvety voice that felt dangerously full of promise and strength.

Lory had hunched her shoulders in defensiveness, before replying quietly, "Either you think I'm stupid and careless or you just plain don't trust me. I'd rather it be the former. I don't think I could handle losing your trust."

"Imōto," Sean said gently, " It isn't about that,"

"Well, what is it then?" Lory shot back in hurt frustration. "I'm grounded for going home, I'm yelled at by everyone and his dog. You think I'm irresponsible for starting rumours and getting the info from Hendrick's office. I don't understand. I've trained to do this. Exactly this. Infiltration is my specialty! What do I have to do to make you trust me enough to let me do it?"

"It's not about trust, Lory." Owen answered. "It's fear. Plain, old-fashioned fear. The whole team has been running on fear driven adrenaline for months. Fear of failing at this job that could do so much to get us out of debt. Fear of Sang tearing our family apart. Fear of losing the woman we love."

"Then you come home and miraculously everyone on the team accepts you as a sister, too. Even Sang, who has a deep fear of females, likes and wants to be in your company," Sean chimed in taking over the gentle lecture. "Then you vanished in the middle of the night. We were terrified for you. You've vanished on us before and you didn't come back the same."

"We know," Owen picked the thread of the conversation back up, "that something happened while you were away. Something...terrible. We don't know what, but between whatever it was, the undercover assignments, and losing your mother; you are decidedly not fine. We are terrified of losing our sister. It's the reason Kota grounded you - and yes," he said holding up a hand to forestall her complaints, "he has been told you are listed as a recruit on our team, so he can enforce your grounding. Its why North will yell at you; Gabriel will curse at you; and Sean will annoy you worrying about your eating and sleeping habits. We worry about you."