***I was looking for some good girl's day out music, but this was the best I could come up with LOL***

***(Skylor's POV)***

~Music Cue~

"Thanks for the day out, PIX," I sigh, looking down at my freshly manicured nails.

I don't really long for the days when I had time for pampering – after all, I have a greater purpose now – but gosh, is it nice to feel like a girl for once. I swear I haven't had time to do even my eyeliner in the past two weeks.

"You are very much welcome," she pipes up from beside me. "After the earthquake scare last night, it seems you definitely needed a break."

"I still don't know what happened," I sigh. "I know Cole said tectonic plates rub against each other and all thatt, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something really bad about this."

"You worry too much," Seliel chides from beside me.

I turn my head toward her, not wanting to hear her lecture on worrying again. "How's school, Sel?"

She picks a piece of lint off her shirt one dark finger. "Terrible, as usual. I can't believe I'm twenty and just now finishing high school. Stupid dad." She allows her eyes to drift close. "I still plan on majoring in biology, though. At least something make sense to me."

"Good for you. I never went to college at all." I had Kai to deal with, then fourteen girls to save. Bigger priorities – at least, the second one was.

Seliel eyes me. "Don't get all mopey on me, girl. You're a queen for leaving him." She extends one silver-toenailed foot over her knee.

The weird thing about Seliel is that she's always been oddly empathetic. It's like she can look into your soul, figure out whatever's wrong, and tell you how to fix it. I'm not saying her advice is always the best, and it's certainly not sugarcoated, but it's kind of relieving not to have to explain myself all the time. She gets me.

I clear my throat, not wanting to continue a conversation about my ex. "So...you and Cole are eloping after graduation?"

Okay, seriously, why is everyone getting married? Nya was seventeen when she tied the knot, Seliel's twenty, and PIXAL's...well, technically she's only three in human years, but she was built as an eighteen-year-old.

So where do I belong? Am I just doomed to be single for life? Twenty-two really isn't so bad, is it? Plenty of people get married in their thirties and forties and...older-ish years, right? I've got time.

But the truth is, running a girls' home is a twenty-four-seven job. No guy wants to be stuck living in a home with fourteen teenage girls, plus one stressed-out wife and a host of housekeeping duties of his own.

I thought Kai was incredibly noble for raising his sister Nya, but this goes even beyond that.

"Skylor, are you even listening?" Seliel asks from beside me.

I resist the urge to blink. "Huh?"

She rolls her eyes. "You need to get out more instead of reminiscing about that messed-up man you used to take care of. He was a leech, Skylor – depending on you and your money to nurse his budding career and personal bitterness."

Leave it to Seliel to expose raw wounds to the open air.

I clear my throat. "That's not what I was thinking about." Mostly. "So...you and Cole? Eloping? I haven't heard much about that lately."

She releases a slow sigh. "With his dad right now...it's tough."

"Oh." I bite my lip, getting a taste of strawberry lip gloss.

Cole's dad was diagnosed with cancer six months ago. It wasn't advanced, so they were able to treat it and hopefully eradicate it from his body, but he's still weak from his treatments.

"Cole's stressed right now," Seliel says softly. "He works full-time in security at New Beginnings and worries full-time about his dad. Lou's getting better, but healing is a process. And until all's better, ya' girl will be rocking the ringless finger. PIXAL will be tying the knot soon enough, though."

PIXAL practically leaps out of her chair next to me, clapping her hands in delight. "Oh! That reminds me. Since Nya and Jay will be arriving back home tomorrow, I was wondering if I could take the three of you dress shopping next week. Of course, I still have to make arrangements with Nya, but I'm sure we could work out something."

I smile distantly. "Yeah. Sounds great."

The last time I went dress-shopping was when I was about to get married, and none of the other girls were even questioning it yet. I'd made some stupid bet with Kai about Nya and Jay getting together before our wedding. If they did, we would play my all-time favorite band, the Backstreet Boys, for our first dance. And if they didn't get together, Kai would play country music instead.

I guess they really did end up dating before our wedding. In fact, they got married so Nya didn't lose her elemental power to her crazy aunt. Long story.

Yeah. Kai really did lose his marbles for a while there. It was Nadakhan's fault – he gave Kai Insani-Tea, which made my fiancé go nuts. At least he was still a good person then, though.

But he never did come back the same. Kai had been hardheaded before he went nuts, but something happened to his memories when he was in that dark place. When he woke up, he thought Nya was some emotionally abusive girl who inadvertently killed her parents in a car accident.

The accident part was right. The night it all went down, the whole family got into a huge fight over Nya dating Kai's best friend. Their dad was distracted. It was rainy.

They ran off the road after drifting into the wrong lane and avoiding the path of an oncoming semi-truck. Their car was crumpled when it rolled, then hit a guard rail and was impaled.

Their mom died on impact. Their father passed away hours later. Kai was left with a broken leg and a concussion.

And Nya somehow came away without a scratch – just traumatic memories of a haunted night.

With a lot of love and some hard truth from Seliel, she eventually overcame those.

But Kai was a different story. He was so hardheaded, no one could convince him that Nya wasn't this totally irrational, emotionally abusive girl. I don't know what would've happened if she hadn't been married to Jay by then – I'm sure Kai would've still made sure she was cared for, but he held so much bitterness toward her. It would've been a horrible home to grow up in.

"I'm surprised you don't have worry lines the size of Texas's borders," Seliel muses, popping a chocolate-covered strawberry between her lips.

"Where is...Texas?" PIXAL frowns. "That location is not in my database."

"It's a figure of speech," I explain. "Texas isn't a real place, PIX."

"But if it were, it'd be huge," Seliel mutters. "And I bet it would be pro-cowboy and pro-country music."

Sounds exactly like someplace Kai would've loved.

Gosh, why have I thought about him so much lately? I know we have an elemental connection – after I took on his power of fire at fourteen, it was like he was always a part of me – but he's off exploring the world somewhere. That was the last I heard of him, at least. He's far, far away from me – which is better for both of us, I guess.

I wave Seliel off. "If it isn't real, what does it matter?"

***(Jay's POV)***

I laugh like a hormonal tween. "All right, Nya, so this is how we're going to pull this off." I turn toward her and, observing her appearance, tug her ballcap further down her forehead.

She raises an eyebrow, a lock of black hair falling over her shoulder. "I think the plan is simple – we walk in, surprise Skylor and her troop of females, and buy everyone pizza."

I sputter. "We can't just walk in, Nya. We haven't seen the team in, like, nine months. That's how long it takes to carry a baby!"

She closes her eyes and tries to hide her smile. "I seriously doubt anyone's had a kid while we were away doing self-defense workshops, Jay."

"I didn't say anyone had a kid," I argue. "Just that we've been away a long time. So here's what I'm thinking, Nya." I spot a twisted strap on her romper and reach toward her to fix it.

"We don't have time for this, Jay," she sighs. "Let's just go in there and greet everyone. I have to use the restroom."

"You can do that after we've surprised everyone," I pacify her. "You did say I could surprise the guys however I wanted to as long as we cleaned up the house first." I grin as charmingly as I can. "Pretty please?"

"Whatever, I guess." She places her hands on her hips. "What are we doing?"

I glance up at the huge girls' home. "Okay, so I'm thinking you're going to need to scale that wall."

"How is that supposed to work?" Nya frowns, looking at the side of the structure. "I don't exactly have a ladder."

"You're good at this stuff," I shrug. "You'll figure it out."

"Okay. And then?"

"You climb through the upstairs window and get the girls in on the surprise. They'll be excited to see us, so I'm sure they'll go along with it."

She nods. "And then?"

"Then I go up to the front door wearing some glorious disguise. I'm thinking I could dress up as a meterman."

Nya bites her lip on a smile. "A meterman?"

"I've always wanted to charade as a meterman," I confess.

"Jay, I hate to break it to you, but everyone's going to see right through that." She places a hand on my arm. "Let's just go through the front door so we don't give Cole a heart attack."

"Too late," his voice says from behind us.

I jump. "Wha- Cole!" I pull him into a bear hug.

"Did you seriously not realize he was there?" Nya asks, her tone amused.

"I did," I lie, my tone adamant. "I've just always really wanted to dress up as a meterman."

"Figures." Cole pulls back from the hug and beams, next wrapping Nya in his arms. "When did you two get back?"

"Last night," she replies. "We were going to head over then, but after that earthquake, we decided we'd just clean up the house."

I frown. "Um...Cole, how did you know we'd be here? Nya and I are usually pretty stealthy."

"Zane was already here when you called him to let him know you were surprising us at the girl's home. When I asked him who was on the phone, he spilled everything." He shrugs, stepping away from his embrace with Nya. "Nindroids can't lie."

"Darn," I sigh defeatedly.

Nya elbows me. "Can we come inside?"

Cole nods. "I have to warn you, Skylor's out at a charity event for the evening. But PIX, Sel, and the guys are here." He starts heading for the door, then tosses back over his shoulder, "There's also a group of teenage girls eager to see you."

I beam and sling an arm around Nya's shoulders, falling into step behind him. "How is everyone?"

"Good. I mean, we have three seniors and a stressed-out Skylor to deal with, but everyone's fine." He clears his throat. "And I told you about my dad. He's...doing better."

Nya smiles sympathetically. "We'll help out around here wherever we can, Cole. We know you want more time with him."

He nods solemnly. "Thanks. I've been wanting him to move in here so he won't be alone so much, and Skylor's cool with it, but he...he's not really interested. He wants to stay in the house where Mom passed away."

"Oh," I say softly. "I'm sorry, Cole. That must be really –,"

The ground rumbles beneath us. It's not a violent rumble, but I still stumble over my feet.

"Holy moley!" I exclaim. "Another earthquake? Gosh, how many of those have you guys been getting recently?"

Nya shakes her head. "Jay...I don't think this is an earthquake!"

"Then what is it?" I yell.

She points her finger to the main street up ahead. "What is that thing?"