The Lost Girl (Complete)

Chapter Seventeen - The Car Invasion

A week later, Celestia still wasn't sure if she'd given her uncles the right answer. They'd answered all her questions and everything had just come up with a 'too perfect to be true' but in the end she hadn't been able to deny that everything in her wanted what they were offering and it didn't hurt that Uncle himself had backed the boys and pulled her aside while working at the diner to reiterate that her new family were some of the most honest and reliable people around.

They probably didn't mind that she had opened up her home to the cousins; every day their was a collection of them around the property at all times with Elias, Dimitrius and Mikael bunking down in the spare bedrooms every night.

Standing at the kitchen window as the sun began to rise, she took in a deep breath and tried not to think too much about the coming day, especially when she was trying to cook up breakfast for the boys and Sofia, who had turned up after dinner the night before to hang out.

It was meant to be exciting when your new uncle announced that he was going to take you to look around a college campus, she tried to convince herself. But it fell flat. Gabriel wanted to interview her for an assistant's position at his gallery in the main centre of Charleston and he had probably thought using her orientation visit as a cover would help with the nerves and make it less formal.

Well, it wasn't working. She was barely able to restrain from faking sick or running off to hide in the woods.

If she got the job with him it meant that she would have to let them show her how to drive and also push her to ask them with help in finding a car.

She would also have to quit working at the diner.

It was a horrible thought but she knew that all of them would encourage her to move on - she loved working at the diner but college was her dream, an art degree of some sort with limitless opportunities. And the offer to work as at a gallery without references in the field or any experience just never happened. It may be only because Gabriel was relative but she would spend every moment proving her worth.

"Boo!" The voice came from close behind her, startling Celestia so badly that she let out a high-pitched scream and almost knocked the frying pan off of the stovetop before strong arms encompassed her to steady it on the hot plate. "Woah, little cousin. I didn't know you were off with the clouds."

He released her so that she could turn around and throw a floppy punch at his uncovered chest, "You! Whichever one you are! You scared the crap out of me."

Laughing, he avoided a few more hits before scooping her up into a hug, her arms pinned tightly to her sides as he lifted her feet from the floor. "You're so cute. And we need to show you how to beat a man properly before we'll even think of letting you out alone."

She huffed and barely held in the urge to kick his knee, "I don't know what to call you, Triplet One, but its mean and probably includes a swear word."

"Ooh, Dimi's in trouble with the little cousin," Another one announced from the direction of the doorway where she assumed Triplet Three and Sofia were also waiting, watching as their brother swayed her like a large ragdoll.

"Can you swear, Celestia?" Dimitrius hummed, hauling her towards the dining table while she turned her head to watch Elias and Mikael take over at the stove while Sofia began preparing a jug of juice and pot of coffee.

"Of course I can swear," She murmured, wondering how they had managed to make her feel so comfortable with them in less than a fortnight. "I say swear words all the time."

"Really?" He drawled. "Will you tell me to put you the fuck down?"

"Please put me down, Dimitrius."