Sparkles & Tifa

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai suppressed a smile as Simone clumsily knocked her glass of the table. Despite their oddities this was a close family. Mai scooped up another mouthful of noodles and began quietly chewing.

[Sparkles]

After dinner, Simone got dressed in her small purple night gown and came into the lounge room. Leo and Micheal had been dismissed by John. Both of them had been hesitant to leave, but had anyway. Micheal was going to go visit his mum and dad.
"You're going to go see Uncle Bai? - Daddy? Can he take me with him?"
Micheal glared at her, "He can't hold both of us, kid"
Before Simone could argue, John walked into the room and sat down on one of the couches. "Simone, he can't take you anyway. You know that"
Simone looked like she was going to get upset.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai had already said her good nights and gone to bed, she was awake though, waiting for Kai.

Kai however, had lingered. She no longer wore her glasses, as she was in her night clothes. They were clutched in her hands and she let her eyes brush over Simone and John just once before she bit her lip and gestured goodnight. Disappearing into the room.

"Ready to sleep honey?" Mai said, getting up off the bed to give Kai a hug. While this may sound weird, Kai being a grown up and all... but Kai couldn't sleep, if Mai wasn't there to sing to her.
She climbed in to bed and Mai sat beside her, stroking her face gently.
"It'll all work out eventually Kai... i won't stop until i make it all better." She then broke into a soft lullaby, her voice was angellic and Kai was already beginning to doze off.
It was the same lullaby she'd once sung to her daughter Natalya... those peaceful sleep bringing words were the last thing she'd ever said to her little girl, and they were the only thing that brought her peace now.

[Sparkles]

After a short time, Simone went off to bed. Monica disappeared too. Either she was doing a futile cleanup of John's office, or she'd gone to bed.
John, however stayed sitting on the couch. The tv wasn't turned on, but he stared at the blank screen anyway.
'How could I have been so stupid. To let them... What am I.... Simone-" he rubbed his forehead and let his head rest in her hands.

It didn't take long for Leo to come back, yet he'd barely left. John didn't look up, yet he knew Leo was back.
"My Lord" Leo came in front of John and saluted. He then saw John's pained expression and his voice turned disapproving. "Three days until we leave?... One on the jet... four days until you see Kwan Yin?... My Lord, I think we need to go now"
John sighed and shook his head gently, "No." And that was it.
Leo stood up and saw the picture, just to the right of the tv, that John had been staring at. One of Simone, himself... and Michelle.
"She can't blame you My Lord"
John chuckled humourlessly, "I'd almost prefer she did actually"
"No. I had her" one of his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, "I could have, should have fought better"
"If you had tried, you would have been destroyed also"
"... We will get 122."
"Yes. But I will be the one to destroy him" e growled, low, a maroon shutter rolling partway over his eyes.
Leo, knowingly, took a step backward. "My Lord?"
John shook his head. His eyes returned to normal, he stood up and left the room.

[Morning now. No one will be up but Monica]

[Tifa Lockhart]

Kai would have woken, but she found herself trapped in a recollection of the night before when John had saved her from her frequent assailant. She was once again choking on her own blood, the flow of it so heavy it filled her mouth and ran down through her cupped hands to pool at her feet.
Again she silently called out for help, but this time i didn't come. She jerked awake just as her dream self flopped forward and died, the evil man emerging from the shadows, a dark grin on his face.

She sat up, breathing heavily as she wiped away the cold sweat that had formed. She looked beside her, Mai slept soundly, so she dared not wake her.
She got out of bed and went over to the desk, pulling her drawing out of its hiding place where she sat admiring it.

[Sparkles]

Suddenly there was a scream.
John was up and into Simone's room before anyone could even register it; but the screaming continued.

[Get... someone, to come in.. then i'll explain what they see (preferably only Kai)]

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai jerked awake to meet Kai's gaze. Kai had shaken her awake and was now pointing towards the door. There was a continual screaming.
Mai launched herself from the bed, gave Kai an encouraging shake and then raced out the door, following the sound till she reached its source.

[Sparkles]

Simone's door was wide open. John sat cross-legged on Simone's bed with his back facing it; clutching Simone to him and rocking back and forward. "It's alright"
Her screaming cut off when she heard his voice, then started again.
"Simone. Quiet now. You'll wake everyone up. He won't hurt you"
"Daddy!" she screamed, he face lighting up with fresh horror just before she buried her face into his chest.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai skidded to a halt at the open door. When she found that it was Simone, and she was already being comforted by her father she felt it may be wise to slip away unnoticed, rather then cause trouble.

[Sparkles]

[Don't you dare 'slip away unnoticed' >.> But I was hoping for Kai and Mai... or just Kai... anyway...]

"I'm sorry honey" a smooth voice said, just inside the door, and to the left; out of Mai's view. Simone's eyes peeked over John's shoulder at the voice. Then, she seemed to register. "U-Uncle Bai?"
"Yeah." the voice was relieved.
"Uncle Bai just so happens to be covered in goo" John pointed out. To Simone, he gave a small smile. To Bai Hu, it was slightly threatening.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Kai had exited the room now, and had come to take a quiet stance beside Mai.
What is going on here? Kai thought to herself and she'd figured nothing of it until Mai nearly jumped and hit her head on the roof.
"What did you just say?" She said, turning to gawp at Kai, who gave her a blank stare and blink.
"Ah... i must have imagined it..." She turned back around "Whats going on?"

[Sparkles]

[pretend they didn't see Bai Hu... Until now]

Bai gave a crooked cat smile and tilted his large head at the voice. "You have visitors, Ah Wu?" he shifted his position, so that he was standing in the door frame. Standing, on all fours. John's eyes went blank white and his chest gave a deep rumble of agitation. The girls, were now looking at a tiger.
Bai Hu's eyes blanked over as well, and then his head snapped around to John. He ducked his head, "Sorry" he grinned.

Picture of Bai Hu:

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai blinked and raised an eyebrow.
"You know... that had to be at the bottom of my list of things you could all possibly be." She gave a merry laugh, reaching over to close Kai's open mouth.
"Underneath radioactive waste victims and alien life forms from super man's planet." She chuckled.
"And do stop looking as if you've never seen a tiger before Kai." Mai scolded, planting her hands on her hips as Kai blushed in an apologetic fashion.

I think now might be a good time for you to explain... Kai thought to herself.
"Yeah what Kai said..." Mai said absently before it suddenly clicked. "I wasn't imagining it! What the hell is going on here? Explanations if you please?"

[Sparkles]

John practically hissed, glowering at Bai Hu.
Simone put her hands on her hips and stopped sobbing, and looked up at John, pulling his head down to meet her gaze. "Don't hiss daddy. It's impolite" she said in a very mature fashion.
John's glowering stopped, and he looked over at the girls and sighed. He gently took Simone off of him and placed her on her cushions, where he joined her, leaning back against the headboard.
"Busted" Bai Hu chuckled. Then, "Come on in ladies, I think we have something to explain to you... and don't be afraid," he looked up at them slyly, "I don't bite."
Simone opened up her arms. Bai Hu sprang forward onto the bed and lay down, his head resting in Simone's lap, where she gave it a huge hug. Then, "You smell Uncle Bai" she accused.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Mai folded her arms and tugged Kai further into the doorframe so she was included indefinitely.
"Well i don't feel quite so compelled to be secretive either anymore..." She looked at Kai who bit her lip and shook her head.
"Oh grow up Kai it's not gonna kill anyone." Mai looked over at Bai casually and held up a reprimanding finger.
"Just remember that cats and dogs are friends." She then seemed to morph and change before their eyes and soon a night black wolf with bright golden eyes sat before them, ensuring to remain close to Kai's leg, who soon knelt down to scratch Mai between the ears.
"Please, explain away. We have nowhere better to be." Mai said, her muzzle moving as she spoke, before giving Kai an affectionate lick.