I was sitting at the island flipping through the pages of my recipe book when I felt someone tugging on my headphones. I ignored it thinking it was just Max being annoying as usual if I ignore it it usually just goes away until I'm done but the person sitting next to me continued to pull on the cord until finally frustrated with my lack of attention they yanked it straight out of my ear. I looked up and came face to face with the honey eyes of the world's biggest pain in my ass.

"Whatcha doin Dani?"

"I'm going to cook dinner what do you want Charles?"I said letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Can I help?"

"no "

"Why not?" he pouted

"Because I don't want to be around you. The only reason you're even here is because you have to be you think you can just come in here after being gone for two years and make up for the things that you did to me by being moderately nice to me for five seconds? Well you're wrong. It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than an 'I'm sorry' and some puppy eyes to fix the damage between us." I slammed the book shut and walked around the island to open the fridge I could hear him finally leaving after a few minutes. I finished collecting ingredients and set to work making dinner.

"HEY DANI WE'RE HOME!!" I heard my brothers call out as they walked through the door

"IN THE KITCHEN!!" I called back putting the ziti in the oven.

"Whatcha makin?" Jarod asked dropping his football bag in the doorway.

"Baked ziti garlic bread and chicken cutlets." I answered chopping garlic. "go put your bags away and take a shower dinner will be ready when you come down."

"Okay...can we bake cookies tonight dan?" he asked picking at the plate of fried chicken cutlets on the counter.

"Yea sure sweetie now go get cleaned up" I hugged him and sent him up to his room.

I continued making the garlic bread but I could feel Keenon's eyes on me. I looked up and he was watching me from his seat at the island.

"Whats wrong?"

"You're more his mother than our actual mother is it's just really weird to watch. I don't know why I never noticed it before."

"Because you had your head shoved too far up your own ass to notice anything going on around you."

"Ouch...but I guess you may be right...I wasn't really here even when I was here back then." he sighed. "I was so angry at mom and dad for not being around that I hid away and ignored you two. I'm glad that you were able to be there for him I only wish I had been smart enough to get over myself and be there for you."

"It's fine what matters is that you're here now we are all gonna be fine with or without our parents."

"How long exactly is it gonna be this time? I know I'm only here a week but that doesn't mean they are only gone a week" he asked

"Two weeks but it will be fine I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Jared by myself." I replied putting dinner on the table.

I went into the living room to get Max and Charlie. I walked in to find Charlie passed out on the couch and Max curled up on the recliner in the corner reading a book. I walked up behind Max and leaned over the back of the chair.

"Hey sweetie dinner is ready come inside"

"Okay just gimme a sec to finish this page."

"Okay, i'm just gonna wake him up and go get Jared and we are gonna eat okay? so hurry up."

"Gotcha i'll be done soon don't worry."

I left him to finish what he was reading and went over to Charlie i looked down at him sleeping and seeing him laying there all innocent looking and peaceful almost made it hard for me to wake him. Key word here being almost. I reached out and pinched his nose cutting off the air entering his body and after a second he jumped up and screamed.

"WHAT THE HELL DANIELLA?!?!"

"Dinners ready you gonna come eat or just sit here and sleep all day" I asked as I turned around heading up the stairs to Jared's room.

I knocked on the door but got no response. I opened the door to find his room empty. I looked around and noticed the bathroom door closed I walked over and knocked.

"Hey munchkin you good? You've been up here a while dinners ready."

"Yea Im just trying to change my pod...any chance you wanna help me? Mom left these on my bed the other day but they aren't the usual ones I use it's weird." he said opening the door.

I walked in and looked at the pod he had sitting on the counter next to his PDM.

"It doesn't look right because it's not. That's mine which I guess means that the ones she gave me are yours" I said rolling my eyes of course she would get something like that wrong I mean honestly you would think that when handling the things keeping two of your children alive you would be a little more careful but clearly not.

"Stay here I'll go grab the others from my room" I said running out of the room and down the hall I threw open the door to my room and ran into my bathroom digging through the drawers for the pods my mother had left for me earlier I found them at the bottom still in the packaging from the pharmacy. Right on the front of the package in big letters was JARED BLACKWELL...yes mother because I'm totally your son I swear to god that woman is beyond incompetent. I grabbed the package and headed into his room.

"Here get everything set up and I'll put in your pod in for you" I said putting one on the counter. He picked up his PDM and entered all the necessary information.

"Ready?" I asked holding the pod in my hand

"Not even a little"

"Okay rephrase is your pdm ready?"

"Yea go for it" I pushed the pod into his back and I felt him tense as the needle pierced his skin.

"Okay let's go down and eat everyone's waiting on us" I said leading him out of the room I grabbed the t-shirt off his bed and threw it at him and headed down stairs.

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Hey guys I hope you're liking the new book  I know its a little different from what i usually write but still i hope you'll all enjoy reading it. I promise I'll have a new chapter on Alpha Babies up really soon I've been on my break from it a lot longer than i thought i would be but I've been struggling with really being able to push the story in the direction i want it to go. ✌🏻💙🍪