A/N: First quick pic of Viktoriya. The hair needs work.

*****

"So, you two want to tell me what's going on?" Kennedy asked as we got back in the car.

"Alec called." Everett replied, starting the engine. "From Woodville General."

"Is he hurt?" I knew my younger sibling's worried tone was out of concern for our older brother and not for our nephew.

"We don't know yet," I answered.

"Guess we'll find out." Kenned stretched himself on the back seat.

"Rhys and I will drop you off at home before we head there."

"What?" Kennedy straightened up. "No way. I'm coming with you two. You might need help."

"You are thirteen, Kennedy," I reminded him, touched by his gesture. Of course he'd want to help; he loved us. But he was too young and Alec was too unpredictable.

"I can take care of myself." The boy protested. "Besides, I'll only be there for moral support."

I turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"You think you'll be able to hold any snarky remarks around Alec?"

"I'll try. Really." His eyes rounded in what was probably supposed to imitate an adorable puppy-dog expression, but he still looked like a demonic little cub. "Besides, if someone needs to chase after him..."

"Alec is faster than you." I cut him off and swirled forward again.

"I still have a better chance catching him than you or Everett."

"You don't have a chance catching up to Alec, especially not in your human form. And you are not shifting in the hospital."

"Of course I'm not shifting!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"You are not stupid, but you are reckless."

He uncrossed his arms and grabbed the back of my seat.

"I would never put our pack in danger like that."

I sighed and reached back, putting my hand over his.

"I know. I know you wouldn't do something like that on purpose. I trust you about this." I squeezed his hand. "But you are not coming with us. What if Alec is in a bad mood?"

"When is he ever in a good mood?" My baby brother snorted. "Besides, out of the three of us, I'm the only one he almost likes."

Kennedy had a point.

His bluntness, confidence, speed and perhaps his intolerance to Alec's nonsense appeared to amuse the older boy. My youngest sibling had tried to hit our nephew on several occasions and even succeeded once: he'd kicked a soccer ball Alec's way and smacked the blond over the side of the head. At that time Aleksei actually seemed impressed.

"I don't know..." I hesitated aloud and saw Kennedy's bright eyes sparkle in the rearview mirror. I let go of his hand and crossed my arm over my chest. "I said 'I don't know', not that you are coming with."

"Sure." My sibling's grin enlarged.

"So what do I do?" Everett asked nodding towards the street. We'd almost reached the crossroad where he had to turn either left or right, depending on whether we were going straight to the hospital or passing through our neighborhood first.

"Woodville General," Kennedy replied.

"He was asking me," I pointed out.

"But you want me to come with," he stated.

"No, I don't."

"You do, Rhys. You are just worried. But now you realize that if Alec is mad I might distract him enough for him to forget about that. Well, if he's angry," the boy corrected himself. "We all know he's mad."

"Kennedy..." I began.

"Well, he is kind of crazy."

"Not that." I protested.

"Then what is it?"

I sighed.

"Behave at the hospital."

He grinned in victory and leaned back, placing his hands on his nape.

"When have I ever misbehaved, bro?"

I really hoped I was not going to regret my decision later.

*****

Woodville General looked like any other state hospital with its white walls, boring grayish floor tiles and staff in green-blue coats buzzing about, passing by the patients who not-so-patiently awaited their turn to be admitted.

"He's still not picking his phone?" I asked Everett and he shook his head in reply. Irate with my nephew and by the fact that tonight of all night no one from our pack was on shift, I lead my brothers to the reception desk.

"Hello."

The scrawny male behind the plastic pale yellow desk kept scribbling on a chart without even glancing at me.

"Excuse me." I tried again, this time with a firmer tone. His eyes darted towards me for a second before returning to his writing and then he paused, looked up at me and took a step back.

"Hi." The human squeaked and that was when I recognized him as the guy I'd once reprimanded for talking back at Daisy, who, as a respected doctor and someone who outranked him, had given him a trivial task he'd too busy with his phone to fulfill. He'd been cocky and disrespectful at her, but once I'd stepped in on her behalf, he'd rushed to do her bidding, probably making a quick stop at the restrooms first for a fresh pair of underwear.

"I mean..." He cleared his throat, keeping his distance. "What can I do for you today, Sir?"

"We are looking for Aleksei Maksimoff," I answered, realizing I couldn't really give any more details.

"When and what was he admitted for?"

The old computer beeped after the man moved the mouse and began typing.

"We don't know," Everett replied and by his voice I could tell he felt just as silly as I did.

"Creepy looking guy." Kennedy butted in. "Teenage. Pale hair, pale skin, pale eyes. Probably consumed a considerable amount of sweets while being here."

"Oh. Him." The guy paused his typing and moved away from the machine. "He insisted he stayed with the girl and demanded they have the room for themselves, but it is difficult to place all of our patients as it is; we can't afford private rooms..."

"Hold up, hold up." I raised my hands. "A girl. What girl?"

"A..." Redness crept on his face, all the way to his ears. "A very attractive young girl."

"Is she sick?"

He shook his head.

"Is she injured?"

Oh, God, please tell me Alec didn't injure the girl!

"Yes."

I balled my fists and even though the desk was between us, the guy took a step back in fear.

"Which room?" My voice trembled.

"Two... Two-o-two. That's on the second..."

I darted towards the elevator before he could finish and my brothers followed in tow.

The ancient contraption took its time taking us two floors up and I sped out as soon as the doors opened, startling the humans who waited to get in.

Room two-o-two was the first to the right and I barged in ready to drag my nephew out by the hair if I had to, but I would be getting him away from the girl.

To harm a girl...

I froze when I saw the two of them on the bed, laughing, each holding a small ice cream container. Their mirth broke off when they saw me and, just a second later, Kennedy and Everett.

"Viktoriya?" The black haired girl grinned and gave me a little wave. "You..." I suddenly realized that we were the only people in the room. "Where is everybody?"

"I asked them to leave." Alec licked his spoon. "Nicely."

"Like Hell you did," I growled.

"What's going on, Aleksei?" Everett passed me, but stopped before he reached their bed. "You dash off into the night, I don't hear from you in almost a month and when I finally do, it's from a hospital so I panic and you are sitting here, eating ice cream and laughing with your cousin?"

"Not my fault you are so jittery, Everett." Alec scooped some of the cold treat. "I'm obviously fine."

"We both are," Viktoriya added.

"Really?" Kennedy raised an eyebrow. "We heard you got injured, Vika."

"Ooh!" The girl clapped a hand over her smiling mouth. "You called me 'Vika'. Most people outside my family go for 'Vicky'. Then again, we are family, right?"

She winked.

"So which is it?" I asked, annoyed with her changing the subject. The ice cream wasn't helping either. I should be the one eating ice cream right now; I should be the one sitting in some cozy café, listening to Riley's chatter while we ate ice cream together. "Are you injured or are you fine?"

"Both. I was injured, but now I'm fine." She dipped her spoon into the container, then brought it to her mouth, her pale eyes - the same silvery grey shade as Alec's - focused on her cousin's face. "You were right. This flavor is really, really good."

"Will you stop switching between topics?" I raised my voice and once more received the attention of the two teens who were in the hospital bed. "What happened? Where was Aleksei and how did you get injured?"

My nephew's smirk was demonic and I knew I would not enjoy the girl's answer even before she gave it to me:

"Oh, that." She patted her stomach where bandages were peeking underneath her grey tank top. "I got injured during the fight with the Nighter of course."

*****

A/N: What are Rhys, Kennedy and Everett to Viktoriya? Uncles or cousins? In my country, they would be her uncles, but I'm not sure how it is in America. She is the daughter of Alec's aunt.

Also, how do you think I should spell "Vika"? Vika, Vicca or Vicka?

Anyway, on to the chapter: what did you think?

Did you expect a Nighter?

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