Jessica's Fate

Chapter 36

"Sounds like a great plan to me." He said as we shifted to allow room around us for the others to sit down as North brought a platter of grilled meat to the table.

I was proud of my family. They actually all managed to pass the food around the table in a civil manner and no one lost an eye.

Or a finger.

Or chicken or a hamburger or anything off their plates.

Let me tell you, that is a miracle in this family.

I didn't learn to eat hunched over my plate just from watching shows on the food network. No, it was a survival skill.

Needless to say, I didn't necessarily always exhibit the best of table manners to my mom's everlasting irritation.

But I thought I was doing rather well today, especially since I was sitting next to Zack and trying to pay attention to conversations going on around me as I popped in on whichever conversation he was having while we ate.

I hadn't spilled anything on myself.

"So Jess?" Sang caught my attention. "What's the plan today?"

I smiled. "Not much. Food now... dessert... we can all hang out unless you guys have plans." I caught a flurry of looks exchanged among the boys. "I mean, you and I can clean up after Mom goes to work and the guys can play a quick game of football or basketball while we do that." I suggested.

"We don't need to..." Gabriel received an elbow to the side from Kota.

"Sounds good." Kota said. "With Zack, we have two even sides of 5 so we can stay out of the way for a bit."

I frowned slightly at the challenge I saw in his eyes as he looked away from me and pinned his gaze on Zack.

"Sure." Zack said evenly, ignoring the way I glanced up at him.

I was a tad bit exasperated at what I was seeing but Owen made some comment about something that they did have to do tonight which meant they wouldn't be able to kill very much time. "Okay." I said, finally. "I guess boys have to do what boys have to do." I said as lightly as possible.

Zack leaned down and kissed my temple. "Thanks, beautiful." He murmured. "I just want to fit in with your family."

My eyes flicked up to meet his. "okay." I said softly before smiling and looking around the table, suddenly a bit uncomfortable at the way they were all looking at me. Mom, Sang, Luke and Gabriel were all beaming at us. Owen, Sean and Victor had appraising gazes locked on us and I sensed they were evaluating the way Zack handled himself under that sort of pressure. North and Nathan looked a little taken aback, as though they hadn't been aware that I'd grown up when they weren't looking or something. Silas merely was amused and I just knew that he was about to pull out some of his classic Laffy Taffy puns to lighten up his brothers and their mood.

And then there was Kota.

I swear. If he doesn't start seeing me as an almost adult and my own person soon, I was going to have to figure out how to take down my older brother.

His look was smoldering somewhere between thundercloud and full on wildfire. I mean, Victor was the one with 'fire eyes' but Kota's eyes gleamed with a green flame that I'd only seen in the special effects in a Harry Potter movie.

You know... the green flare that the wands emit when someone casts Avada Kedavra?

Yeah, that's the one.

Somehow, I felt like sacrificing myself in front of the one muggle at the table.

The cake had been cut and served to rave reviews and Mom had left for work which left Sang and I cleaning up in the kitchen. "I should have made Kota do this part." I said, rinsing dishes and handing them to her to put into the dishwasher.