Caelen found her most recent "Gena moment", as Sirius like to call them, harder to come back from. It wasn't really that it was particularly awful, comparatively that is, mostly the girl was frustrated. She spent the next several days quiet and thoughtful.

Nuntis had watched closely until finally deciding intervening was warranted. Tonks had just tumbled through the fireplace and was talking with Remus, for what purpose the woman wasn't certain, when Nuts went in search of the little girl.

Caelen was curled, as usual for the little bookworm, in her window seat surrounded by a tower of books, the aura book Nuntis had given Remus for Christmas lay open in her lap.

Nuts smiled softly, "What is it Tesoro?" She wrote in their little notebook, passing it under the child's nose.

Caelen startled in surprise, "I didn't hear you come in," she gasped before focusing on the page before her. "I just, I dunno..." she trailed away before reaching for her own quill. "I just hate feeling so weak. I don't want to be a victim, I don't want what I went through with Gena to define who I am forever. She tried to break me and for a while she maybe succeeded but I don't want her to always win. I don't want to be afraid. Andromeda was really nice and we had a great day and then suddenly it was like I had no control and I was back in the basement and I kept telling myself I was safe and to calm down but it just didn't help! I HATE not being in control of my emotions, I hate feeling powerless."

Nuntis sighed and pulled Caelen into her side, kissing the girl's head before attempting to respond. " il mio piccolo guerriero, my little warrior, have you ever heard of fight or flight? You have dealt with things many little ones your age have not had to face and emerged strong, kind, understanding, loving, and wise despite it. You're not weak, and you will never be broken but, things we go through leave scars," the woman tugged the collar of her dress lower revealing many raised and angry marks marring her otherwise porcelain skin. "Some scars are visible, as you and I both know. While other scars are inside, they dictate how we react to certain things around us, certain situations. It does not make us weak or broken, we're warriors, we have survived nightmarish situations and emerged stronger. If anything I'd say that makes us the victor, never the victim. You reacted in such a way because you have learned to do so, your internal scars, muggles refer to it as a fight or flight response. It's involuntary and completely uncontrollable and nothing you should ever be ashamed of. When something unexpectedly brings up memories that hurt or frighten you it's completely normal to be afraid, to react strongly. One thing no one can ever truthfully call you is weak or broken Tesoro. You're indeed il mio piccolo guerriero, and always will be."

Caelen starred at the words tracing the ones that jumped out at her, warrior, wise, the victor, as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you Nuts," she whispered earnestly.

Nuntis pulled the girl into a tight hug, "lets grab your godfather and get out of here for a bit huh? How does a trip to diagon alley sound?"

Caelen cheered at the prospect and rushed off to locate Sirius.

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The trio wandered happily through diagon alley. "Can we go there?" Caelen asked pointing towards flourish and blots from her perch atop Sirius's shoulders. "And to the twins shop? Can we have ice cream?!"

Sirius glanced gratefully toward Nuntis, "I don't know what you did but thank you for doing it." He signed out of the girl's view.

Nuntis smiled softly and nodded, "ask her where she'd like to go first."

"Where to Pup?"

Caelen shifted her head side to side glancing up and down the street in excitement. Sirius was glad he'd opted to carry her on his shoulders, as excited as she was he was worried she'd get lost. "Books first!"

"Of course," Sirius laughed, "no one will ever doubt you're Moony's daughter. Just maybe try to not make it questionable that I'm in your life too huh?"

"We'll do the joke shop next uncle Sirius," Caelen giggled and patted the man's head.

"Ah that's my girl, ok books it is."

"You two go ahead, I have something to pick up. Won't be a minute," Nuntis signed to Sirius.

The man nodded, "ok, Nutty has super secret business to attend to, just you and me puppy."

Nuts shook her head fondly and disapperated. She appeared with a crack like the sound of a backfiring automobile in an alley next to a muggle bookstore. Smiling pleasantly, she approached the woman at the desk and passed her notebook over, "I'm here to pick up an order. Little Women."

"Ah yes your order came in earlier this week," the woman answered cheerfully. She passed over a parcel wrapped neatly in brown paper packaging with Nuntis's name scrawled across in neat looping cursive. "It's a classic story."

Nuntis smiled and pulled out her notepad, "a gift. My niece is turning 10 soon. A story about strong women will be good for her."

Having paid for her purchase Nuts chose a quiet corner in the little shop to pen a note for Caelen before hurrying to meet the other two. She needn't have hurried Sirius was nearly dozing in a corner of flourish and Blots while Caelen browsed excitedly. The black haired man was promising to buy all five of the books the little girl had stacked in her hands if they could just leave when Nuntis joined them.

"How would you like to see my bank vault Tesoro?" The woman offered.

Caelen glance mournfully towards the stacks of books she'd yet investigate before placing her hand in Nuts's and following her back into the street, much to Sirius's great relief. "Why're we going to Gringots?"

Nuntis smiled warmly and offered her notebook, the answer was already scrawled neatly across a page. "I wish to retrieve something from my vault and I have a matter to attend to."

Caelen wasn't really certain what they'd retrieved or what business had been dealt with by the time they emerged from the bank. What she had gleaned from the trip was A) she did not approve of the goblins treatment of dragons, B) Andromeda's tele-thing must have greatly glamorized the life of a bank robber if they could expect to be trapped in underground vaults, and C) uncle Sirius didn't seem to get along with goblins any better than he did house elves. She was just gearing up to question him about he glares and snide comments he'd exchanged with their guide when she was suddenly thrown from her perch atop Sirius's shoulders. The flash of spells being exchanged was he last thing she saw before she was engulfed in a blast of scarlet light and darkness overtook her.

When the young girl became conscious once more for one panic stricken moment she thought it had all been a wonderful dream and she was back in Gena's basement. She must have spoken aloud as no sooner had the thought occurred to her than Sirius's voice called soothingly from a few feet away.

"It's alright puppy, we're gonna get out of this," he continued softly as he struggled with his bindings. "Nuts you with us?"

Caelen snickered, "uncle Sirius I can practically feel her eyes rolling. You know she can't respond."

Sirius chuckled slightly, "well at least I know you've still got that sense of humor I've worked so hard on Pup."

Caelen didn't respond, she was busy peering into the darkness hoping to notice something that could be of use. "We must be in a basement, maybe a cellar." She mumbled to herself. "Smells earthy, and its easiest to get his level of darkness underground."

Sirius hummed in agreement as he focused all his strength and attention on pulling against the ropes around his wrists. "Your dad's going to kill me," he groaned when he stopped to breathe. "Every time, every bloody time I take you out we end up in a mess."

"There's literally no way he could blame you for us being kidnapped," Caelen argued absently.

Sirius was cut off from responding when a shaft of light cut through the darkness illuminating the stairs and at the bottom a livid and struggling Nuntis. His relief that they were all still alive was short lived as three figures in tattered robes began descending the stairs.

Caelen's eyes widened in fear and she glanced between Nuts and Sirius, desperately wishing they hadn't been separated.

"Well, well, well," the third figure began in a malicious tone, "the prodigal daughter has returned." He held his arms wide in front of Nuntis, "what no hello for your daddy?"

Nuts barred her teeth at the shabby, almost feral, looking man and jerked forward against her restraints.

The man tisked as if he were disappointed in her behavior, "awe now that's no way to behave towards your father, girl!" He taunted before moving on towards the child a few feet away. Long yellowed nails gripped the girl's cheek and chin just shy of painfully as he forced her to stare up into his face. He grinned a smile full of sharp canine like teeth, "and you, why I'm practically your granddaddy." He growled inches from her face.

Caelen whimpered and tried to jerk her chin out of his grasp.

"Leave her alone!" Sirius growled menacingly.

With the focus diverted to the, now cursing and threatening Black heir, no one noticed Nuntis's actions. With no other alternative the woman had always used non-verbal spells. As far as she was concerned the only improvement from there was wandless magic. While she was still working towards proficiency she could, with enough focus, perform some charms and hexes. Knowing the first attempt would bring their captors attention back to her she settled on what she deemed would be the most helpful, Accio.

Her hands had barely grasped her wand when chaos ensued in the stale, dank, basement. "You do not deserve the title of father Fenrir!" He magical, ghostly voice howled in rage, "and I shall never address you as such!!"

Nuntis attacked with hex after hex at their three attackers. Her hair flew out around her with the force of her movements and the light from the many spells exchanged lit her pail skin in a haunting glow until Caelen imagined she looked like a vengeful ghost, or banshee.

The woman spared barely a glance to release Sirius's confines, "Caelen!"was all she said but it was enough to send Sirius into action. Making quick work of the ropes tying the girl to the old wooden hair he lifted her safely into his arms and hurried to the top of the stairs, glancing backwards where he expected to see Nuntis close behind.

Caelen's horrified shout was the only warning he needed to know it was not to be.

Unable to best the very talented witch in a proper duel Fenrir had slowly worked his way out of her line of vision and snuck around behind. He stood holding her bleeding form against him where he'd thrust a knife deep into her abdomen, a psychotic, yellow smile turning his already frightening countenance into a nightmarish monster. Blood gurgled silently from the woman's open mouth and with the last of her strength she magicked Sirius's wand and her own bag to him, "go Siri, take her home!" Her ghostly voice howled. If the voice had seemed out of place when she was at her best it was even more so as the life drained away before their eyes, the artificial voice echoing behind them as Sirius disaperated, Caelen sobbing into his neck.

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Hey peeps! I know is been ages I'm sorry. I've been crazy busy. Apparently I have ADHD and depression who knew. I've also just bought a new house so I'm getting it rest to live in (used to belong to a nasty dirty old man so it's gross needs painted and cleaned) and then will be moving. I will try to work on this if I can but no promises could be a bit. I'm so thrilled you guys love my story though and can't tell you how much I appreciate the support.