ELLA TUMBLED DOWN, BRANCHES of the apple trees beside her hooking itself in her sleeve and pulling it along as she fell on the grass. She groaned, her eyes closed as she shook her head, trying to get the stars bouncing in her head to dim. Once she opened them and pushed herself up, she looked around to see the damage they had caused. From behind her she could hear a low voice growl, one which assured her Levi was still alive.

"That fucking tree," he said," it almost took me out."

Surprisingly all the branches were still whole, nothing lost but a few leaves. She couldn't say the same for her and Levi. When she turned her head she almost laughed, before placing a hand in front of her lips to keep it in. He had propped himself up on his elbows, the bed of flowers he was lying on a sharp contrast against him. A scowl had made it's way on his face, blood dripping from the side of his eyebrow and blouse ripped, the fabric fluttering in the wind above them.

"It even got to second base with you before I could," Ella said as she glanced up, before turning around and flashing him a cheeky smile.

He seemed stunned by her words, taking just a second to react as he tilted his head to the right, a twinkle in his eyes.

"We can fix that," he said.

"Scandalous," Ella gasped, before pointing at his face," but we need to fix that wound on you first before you get some more."

"Don't tease me like that, Eleanora," he said quietly, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand.

"Or what?" she grinned.

She didn't have much time to say anything else though, Levi jumping to his feet and throwing her over his shoulder. A loud laugh left her lips, but she grabbed a branch and pulled her legs up at once, causing her to hang from it. Levi only noticed after a couple feet, turning around towards her.

"What did you try to carry me for?" she said.

Levi didn't reply, instead spreading out his arms in front of her and waiting. She stared him right in the eye, before letting go, his arms steady around her as she fell in them. It wasn't like she needed him to carry or catch her, but she couldn't deny that it was fun, especially with how alike he had become to a teddybear now he was getting close to drunk.

"Let's get out of my neighbour's garden now," she said as she looked up at him.

"Why?" he said, snuggling closer to her.

"Because it's my neighbour's garden," she deadpanned.

He just leaned his chin on her head, eyes widening in betrayal when she pulled back from him. His hand reached for her, but she just took it in hers and pulled him along. It was a lot easier to do whatever now he had gotten so soft, but she supposed he always had been easy-going, in that broody manner of his.

The picket fence had shattered in two places, the remains sharply white against the grass, and Ella wondered how she would tell her mother. That would be a problen for later though, so she jumped across, Levi following along. They were just two steps in her garden when Levi's gaze snapped up, a strange expression in his eyes.

"Alex is falling out of the sky," he said.

"What?" Ella frowned.

A loud yell interrupted her before she could say any more and when she looked up she saw Alex coming right at them, his laughter carrying along with the wind.

"Make a wish!" he shouted.

Levi didn't reply, instead quickly making his way forward and catching Alex in time, the two of them being pushed back several feet before tumbling down. Ella could hear Will's alarmed shouts above her, Elisabeth's voice just as concerned as she asked if he was alive.

Alex got to his feet, nodding happily at them. "I permanently scarred Levi, but outside of that, fine."

"You did," Levi nodded solemnly.

"The tree caused that wound," Ella said, Alex blinking in surprise at that.

"I meant mentally," Levi said without skipping a beat.

"Eleanora."

Ella froze, turning around slowly towards the source of the voice. She could only manage a sheepish smile on her face when she locked eyes with her mother, the woman standing tall amidst the ongoing mess.

"So I can explain -" she began.

"The fence?" her mother said.

"Ma'am!" Will yelled from above," it wasn't El's fault, Levi was just too muscular for the fence!"

Levi nodded in appreciation at Will and Ella just decided to accept her death.

"What about the suicide attempt this one here did?" her mother said, waving with a hand at Alex.

"No worries, Ella's mother," Alex said with a deep bow and a voice which clearly showed he was inebriated," that was no suicide attempt, because I can't die."

"Yes," Levi said.

"What do you mean yes, idiot?" Ella hissed at him.

"I mean," Levi said slowly, looking at Ella and then her mother," ...no?"

"Go to your room right now, Eleanora," her mother said," you'll fix that fence tomorrow after apologizing to the family Khan."

"Yes, of course," Ella said, words tumbling out in a rush," I'll fix it better than before. In fact, when I'm done with it, it'll be so beautiful the fact that it was broken was just a mere memory -"

Her mother just stared at her and she stopped talking, but instead of a sermon, the woman placed her hand on Ella's hair, eyes softer than usual.

"I'm not the devil, Eleanora," she said," I don't mind when you have fun, however -" A smile made it's way on her mother's lips, one which was an impressive mix of terrifying and beautiful at the same time. "-the next time you and your friends get drunk and break property in this garden, will be the last time."

Ella was tempted to ask if she was allowed to break property in other gardens, but she valued her life too much to do so. Instead she nodded, hand tight around Alex' and Levi's wrists so as to keep them from saying anymore stupid things. Thankfully her mother turned her attention away, frowning.

"Where's Sebastian?" she said.

"Did you say Sebastian?" Will yelled, seeming to have no clue what they were really talking about but happy to participate anyway," he's staying away for so long, I hope he comes back soon."

"Where did he go?" her mother said, confusion blending in her features," I swear, if he's causing trouble -"

"Did he go to a brothel?" Will shouted, looking shocked.

"No," Ella laughed, before her face immediately turned serious when she saw her mother," I mean no."

Her mother shook her head, waving her off and Ella immediately complied, pulling at Alex and Levi. Only when they were up did she realize she still didn't have her key, but she couldn't go back to search now with her mother there. So instead she stopped at her brother's room, which was right next to hers, and gestured at it.

"We can't get in," she said," so let's just chill here until Sebastian comes. I'll text him to look for it on his way here."

She opened the room and Alex let out an admiring noise as he looked at the punching bag in the air on the right, the posters on the white walls. All of them were famous boxers, except one, a muscular man with Sebastian's eyes and a reckless smile, who was leaning against the back of two other guys, one with wild honey hair and the other with silky raven locks. They both were good friends of her father's, her mother once had said when she had asked who they were, but her mother too choked in grief when she thought about it for too long.

"That sweater they're all wearing looks exactly like one our dads had," Alex said, interrupting her out of her thoughts as he tapped the wall. "I remember Will's father and mine showing it to yours, but only because it was such a neon yellow."

"Are you close with your father?" Ella said.

"Not at all," Alex beamed," the man has no heart. The three of us are close with Will's father though."

"He's like an exact replica of Will," Levi said," but minus the baseball."

"Two Wills," Ella said," who knew the world could handle that much innocence?"

"Speaking about innocence," Alex said, hanging his head out of the window after and shouting towards her balcony," Will! Hey Will, are you there?"

"Alex! Hey! How did you get there?"

"We lost the key," Alex said with an apologetic shrug," you have to sleep with the girls in that room for now, okay?"

"I - What? Alex! Come back, I can't just sleep in one room with two girls!"

Alex had closed the window though, pretending not to hear Will's cries as he let himself fall down on Sebastian's kingsize bed.

"To be honest, we'll probably have to sleep here for real," he said," so I claim the side by the wall."

Ella actually expected that as well. With the emotions Sebastian had been hiding from Faiza all these years she didn't think their conversation was going to be easy or short and with how little she had slept during all those days at the camp, she was desperate for a good night's sleep.

"Well," Alex said, a girl's voice giggling and Will letting out a scream shortly after," let's try to get to sleep, my lovely married couple."