Dinner is a silent affair that night. Jackson had filled Liam and Max in on what had happened today but made them swear not to say a word to Gabriel. He was not sure how his brother would react if he found out that he had been around me while I was in that state without someone there to monitor us.

     "I spoke to Asher today," Gabriel announces, passing a bowl of soup in my direction. My stomach turns and my appetite disappears. I spoon the hot broth into my mouth anyways, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to myself. I have been wracking my brain for hours on how exactly to get out of here without causing a scene and have managed to come up with zero plans.

     "What did he say?" Liam asks. He dips a piece of bread into his bowl before cramming it into his mouth.

     "Well he wasn't too happy to here that we had invited Omera into the house without knowing what she was, but I explained the situation and he was willing to let it slide. He and Petroff will be taking the first plane out of California tonight. They should be here sometime tomorrow. Apparently Asher thinks it would be a good idea if he comes out here to meet her. Run a few tests."

     "Tests?" Jackson beats me to the question, his voice thick with worry. I watch him out the corner of my eye, as he moves closer protectively. My heart sinks. He is the first person to care about me, despite all my flaws and strangeness. I know my leaving will hurt him but, if I stay, something far worse could happen.

     "Nothing too harsh," Gabriel answers and Jackson eases out of his tensed state. "Just wants to take a few blood samples. That's why he's bringing Petroff. The guys a genius at identifying supernatural cells. Plus, he is THE oldest living hunter and might be able to point us in the right direction to figure out what she is."

     I stare at my bowl, the once amazing smell now turned sickening. There's something wrong with Gabriel's tone. Something off about how careful he is not to say anything to set me off. Usually he is all insults and snarky comments but tonight he has made it a point to be nice to me. Not once had he yelled about the burned down gazebo or attempted to pry into the lie Jackson had given him as to how it happened. It had been a poorly told lie too, something about me freaking out when he tried to talk to me about the attack and the gazebo falling victim to my power. He had just shrugged it off, telling Jackson to keep a better eye on me.

     The answer seems to sit well with the boys and they continue to eat. I move my spoon around, hoping none of them will notice my lack of appetite.

     The doorbell rings and I all but jump out of my skin. Gabriel stands up, motioning for us to stay seated as he makes his way to the door. I lean back in my seat, watching him greet the visitor.

     "She's not here." I hear him say, trying to keep his voice low. The visitor at the door barks back a response and the unnaturally high pitch of the voice sends me running towards the door. That voice, that shrill sounding voice, can belong to only one person.

     "Do I look stupid to you?" Daphne's voice grows louder as I make my way down the hall. "Cause last time I checked I did not have 'moron' printed across my forehead. I know she's here and I am not leaving until I see her."

     I push my way past Gabriel, stepping out onto the porch to face the loud blonde standing there. She pulls me into her arms, embracing me in a tight hug.

     "I was so worried about you," she says as she releases me. "Where have you been? You never called me after work last night. Then you completely bailed on school today. Then I went by the shelter and that jerk at the front desk told me you never came home last night and took most of your stuff with you."

     I could kick myself right now. I had been so distracted by the everything that had been going on that I had forgotten to call Daphne. Of course she would think something bad happened to me. I had not missed a day of school since the time during freshman year when I had a breakdown after the Ian incident. Even then I had somehow managed to con Dr. Hughes into letting me call Daphne to tell her I was alright. She must have put the pieces together and deducted that I was here.

     "I know, I know," I apologize. "I completely forgot to call you last night. And this morning. Or at all. Sorry. I got mugged when I left work last night. Jackson tried to stop the guy but he got away, knocking me out in the process. He didn't know where I lived so he brought me here. By the time I woke up it was way past curfew and I knew they wouldn't believe me if I told them what happened. The guy got everything. My wallet, my phone and my purse. Jackson felt so bad about what happened that he offered to let me stay here until I got things figured out."

     Daphne accepts my story quickly, shooting an annoyed look at Gabriel, who is still standing at the door.

     "Well aren't you going to invite me in?" she asks. He moves over, waving the two of us into the house. I can't tell if his silence is due to anger, or because Daphne put him on the spot.

     The boys are standing in the living room when Daphne makes her way further into the house. Max's jaw drops at the sight of her. Jackson and Liam give her a quick greeting before heading back into the kitchen but Max just stands there looking dumbfounded.

     "Hey...hi...hello," he stutters, offering her his hand. "I'm...I'm Max." Daphne giggles and shakes his hand. I recognize that sound. Its the same giggle she gave Aaron when they first met. I bite back a smile. It has been awhile since I heard that sound.

      "Daphne Matthews," she greets. She releases his hand, angling her body towards me. "So, you have a lot of explaining to do. Care to show me to your room?"

      I guide her to the stairs, glad I remembered to change the sheets on my bed. There would be no easy way to explain to Daphne why I was sleeping on blood stained blankets. I catch a glimpse of Max as we make our way up. He is still standing in the same place, eyes locked on Daphne as Gabriel quietly lectures him about something.

      "Now I see why you didn't call me," Daphne says, plopping down onto my bed. "If I was in a house full of super hot guys I'd forget about you too. No offense."

      "None taken."

     "So whats's the deal? You've known this guy for all of a week and now, you're what, moving in with him? I'm the last one to judge Mer but this is odd, even for you." She gives me a worried look and I know she doesn't believe my story from earlier. She may be blonde, she may be boy crazy but Daphne Matthews is no fool.

     "Dr. Hughes wanted to put me back on meds. She called me while I was at work last night and told me she didn't think I was progressing as well as I should be. That maybe going back on the meds was the best thing for me. That if I was not willing to go back on them she would sent me back to Charity. I couldn't do it Daph. You know how those pills made me feel and there was no way I was going back to that place. I had no choice. I called Jackson, explained what was going on and he offered to let me crash here until I figured things out. I ditched my phone. I didn't want them to track me here. I know I should have called but I wasn't thinking clear." I give the fib my all, making it a point to sound as scared as I can. I need her to believe this, to not pry any further into what is really going on here.

      "Of course you weren't" she says, giving me yet another hug. "You should have called me. I would have come and gotten you. We could have worked it out together."

     "I know but I wasn't thinking. Besides, your mom isn't about to let me move in. You guys barely have enough room for the two of you. I didn't want to add onto that." I bring my nail to my mouth, chewing on it nervously.

     "So, are they all brothers?" Daphne leans back onto the pillow and I let out a relieved laugh. Thank goodness for her and her hormones.

      "No. Max and Liam, the blonde, are twins. Gabriel is Jacksons older brother. He's kind of their guardian. It's a long story but they all live here."

     "Max single?"

     "Daphne!" I swat playfully at her thigh. I've missed this, the easiness of talking to her. The normality of having a conversation about something that doesn't involve supernaturals or figuring out what I am. "What about Aaron?"

     "Aaron's a jerk," she huffs. "I caught him texting Rebecca. We're done. Now I know I say this all the time but this time we are really done. Besides, Aaron's hot and all but he's no Max. Phew, that boy is smokin. What I wouldn't give to get a piece of that. I'd sell my soul for a chance to-"

     Her phone goes off, interrupting what I am sure was going to be another lewd comment about what she's enjoy doing to Max. She answers it, the all too loud voice blaring through the speaker letting me know its her mother. I swear that woman will never learn that you don't have to scream into the phone for the other person to hear you. I sit quietly as she argues with her mother, giving her a lie about how she is on her way home but had to make a pitstop at the mall to grab some new outfits. She hangs up, sighing exhaustedly.

     "I have to go. Mom's bitching about how we won't make our flight if we leave any later than eight. She refuses to let me sit out this whole 'mother daughter' yearly bonding trip. All I want is to spend my Thanksgiving at home, in my pajamas, watching re-runs of Grey's Anatomy but she insists on dragging me to god-knows-where with her 'Feminists Elite Group' so that I can learn all about what it means to be a strong woman in the modern world."

     I walk Daphne to the door, letting her carry on about how boring the trip is bound to be. How she plans on faking an illness the day after Thanksgiving and convincing her mother to let them leave a week early.

     "Leaving?" Max asks, pretty much running to catch us I walk Daphne to her car. He tries to play it cool, leaning casually against the hood. Daphne snatches his phone from his hand, typing gently onto the keys.

     "Text me." She gives him a wink and gets into the car. I watch her pull out of the driveway, happy she will be gone for the next week. That's one less thing I have to worry about. Now, back to planning on how to sneak out of here before tomorrow.