^^^BLOSSOM'S OUTFIT ❤️

ELO SMURFLETTES!!!

So, I've edited S.I.X and I'm on the journey to getting it published. However, I'm going to need your help with that. I have uploaded it on Swoon Reads, and the website works with ratings and stuff.

So I would like you to please head over there and read and rate it on the site. Once you've reached a certain number of reviews and ratings, I will then upload FOUR chapters of Z.E.R.O on the same day, but you guys have to read S.I.X on this site first.

Link:

https://www.swoonreads.com/m/six/

Please help to make this possible. Thank you and I love you guys.

Katee (^^,)

***

*FLASHBACK*

I kicked the head off of the training dummy and it rolled all the way to the door, joining the four others close to the door. I headed over to my weapons case and grabbed my daggers just as the door to the room opened. Out of instinct, I flung the dagger towards the person who was coming in.

"You're getting too good at this," Silver said with a nervous laugh. The dagger had just missed her face.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"It's ok! We do need you to be on your toes, so I can't fault you for that. How are you holding up?" she asked.

Aziel and I had come back from our first mission and it was amazing. I still felt guilt over the guys we'd killed, especially since they hadn't expected to be killed by two nine year olds, but we were doing it for the greater good, so I was appeased.

"Considering I killed three men today, I guess I'm doing better than I expected," I admitted.

"It wasn't too much for you?" she asked, her maternal side shining through.

She'd been extremely worried from the moment Margaux had told her that Aziel and I were finally going on our first mission after training for just over a year. She almost didn't let me leave, and I had to remind her to trust that she'd trained me well.

"It was ok mom. I mean it was a bit hard getting in because we're kids and it was just the two of us, but having Aziel with me helped," I replied.

"That's what I want to talk to you about actually. We were talking about it, and we decided that it would be a good idea to groom you and Aziel, as well as four other people to be a group for as long as you work here. What do you think about that?" she asked.

There was something in her voice that gave her away. "You've already picked the other four people, haven't you?"

"Not four but three. We haven't found the fourth person who will fit with you and Aziel, but the three boys that we have found are compatible with your guys. We just want to see how it will work out," she explained.

I raised an eyebrow. "You plan to have six boys?"

"That's the plan, unless if a girl surprises us and proves to be a better fit in the end. Are you willing to give it a try?" she asked softly.

She was manipulating me.

I sighed. "You can stop using that voice. I'll do it."

"Great! You'll also get Aziel on board because we all know that he does what you do," she said with a bright smile.

She's so pretty.

"I will. I assume the boys are already here?" I questioned, to which she nodded.

"What are we dealing with here?" I asked.

We locked up and she let me in as we walked towards Aziel's room. "It's twins and a ten-year-old, making him the eldest of you all. The twins are super pissed off because they just found out that their parents went rogue. We found them in Prague just after they narrowly escaped the people their parents associate with. Their names are Malachi and Mordecai. Nigel, the other kid, doesn't want to open up to us for whatever reason, so we're hoping that he'll eventually open up once you're altogether and you've formed your bonds."

"We're not trained to be therapists," I pointed out.

"Thank you smartass, but we already know that. What we're banking on is you bonding. Bonding doesn't always have to have anything to do with being someone's therapist," she countered.

"Fine! I'll take your word for it," I said as we reached my best friend's room.

"What's going on?" he asked, clearly confused by our presence there.

"We have new recruits and we're forming a group," I told him.

"About time," he said excitedly. Unlike me, he still behaves his age.

My adoptive mother led us down the passage all the way to one of the training rooms. The twins were standing on the one side of the room, while Nigel was stood on the other. They weren't even looking at each other.

Building any sort of relationship with these people would prove to be a mission.

"Hello boys! As I mentioned to you, we already have two boys here who are the best in your age groups, and here they are. This is Aziel, and that is Xander. Boys, these are Nigel, Mordecai and Malachi," Silver introduced.

Nothing was said between us, and Silver knew then and there that Cypher's vision for this team would be close to impossible to reach.

***

I sat, thinking about how far Malachi and I had come. It took my bond with him for the rest of the guys to realize that it was doable. Since then, I've established different bonds with the guys, but my bond with Malachi has always been different.

And now he wasn't talking to me.

Warm hands touched my bare back, before arms wrapped themselves around my waist. I was surrounded by the unmistakable scent of blueberries, and the chaste kiss on my back only confirmed who was with me.

"You know, he will forgive you," she said softly.

"I highly doubt it," I mumbled.

She sighed and came to face me. "He will. You just need to be patient and let it happen whenever it is meant to."

"That's just it blossom. There are a million things that he could do to me, and he chooses to do the one thing I hate above all," I pointed out.

"He's hurt D, and not just by what you did to Bridge. He's hurt by the fact that you weren't the one to tell him. He probably feels like you didn't trust him enough to tell him," she argued.

Like I already didn't know all of this.

I froze when he asked me, and he gave me the chance to explain myself, but I had no idea what to say to him. He got up from the table and hasn't spoken to me since. I didn't know what to say to him then, and I sure as hell don't know what to say now.

"He's my best friend blossom. What if we never come back from this?" I asked lowly.

She hugged me, my head landing on her chest as she ran her hand through my hair soothingly. "You just need to give him time. He will forgive you, but only if you're genuine about your apology; just like you were when you apologized to Bridge."

"You think so?" I asked, looking up at her with a pout.

She smiled and giggled a little. "Who wouldn't forgive this adorable pout?"

"Blossom," I whined.

"Don't worry so much D. He's going to forgive you, but remember to apologize and be patient with him ok?" she said.

"You promise?" I asked.

She leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. "I promise. Now turn that frown upside down. I made breakfast."

"I thought you were turning my frown upside down," I said unsurely.

She folded her arms and glared at me. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean Xander?"

I pulled her in by her waist. "It means I love you very much."

"Don't even try it," she warned.

"Look blossom, I really do love you, but not enough to eat anything you've made," I admitted.

"That's just mean," she said with a scowl.

"You can't cook to save yourself, let alone to save me from my misery," I pointed out.

"You can stop rubbing it in now," she murmured.

I sighed, knowing full well that I would regret this. "What did you make?"

"I made a cheese omelette with bacon and toast," she said shyly, looking over at the plate. It didn't look too bad.

But then again, we thought that when too when she made Nick a 'Get Well Soon' chicken soup the last time he was sick.

I grabbed the plate and took a small bite to find that it really wasn't bad at all. "This is good."

"I've been taking lessons from Sunny's grandma," she admitted with a blush.

"Well colour me impressed blossom. This isn't bad at all," I said eating more.

"Well thank you, but I think I'll be mad at you just for doubting me," she said thoughtfully.

I groaned, making her laugh. "Oh come on! Like I need one more person to be mad at me."

"Calm down! I won't do that to you, no matter how badly you hurt my ego," she said.

I pulled her back in and gave her a long and slow, sweet kiss. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

"You are so forgiven," she said before pulling me back in for a second kiss.

It's safe to say that breakfast was forgotten.

"Do I need to take my passport with me?" she asked from the bathroom. She was doing her hair while I was putting on my shoes.

"We're not going to be encountering any officials, but you should take it in any case," I replied.

"And what else do I need to take with me?" she asked, coming out from the bathroom.

I was about to reply, except I was tongue tied. She'd recently confessed to me that while she appreciated Viola's help, the wardrobe choice wasn't particularly her, so I took her shopping and she filled her closet with clothes that she felt were more her.

And now I was regretting that decision.

While her style before was more on the conservative side, her current style was just downright sexy. As I looked her up and down, I took in the dress she was wearing with the black strappy heels. The dress has a leather top and an Aztec designed bottom. Her hair was in a side ponytail that she plaited. From the looks of things, she was letting her hair dry itself.

"Xander, you're staring at me like you don't want us to go anywhere," she commented.

"That's because I'm trying to decide which of the two is worst- staying here where you'll tempt me, or going out there where you'll tempt the world. You do know that we're going to be in the air right?" I asked unsurely.

"Which means I'll be seen by less people. I don't see the problem here," she said with a devious smirk as she shrugged.

"You just love torturing me," I grumbled.

"No D, you just love being impossible," she said, walking to stand in front of me.

"You just like being sexy," I murmured into her stomach, making her laugh.

She ran her hand through my already messy hair before leaning down to kiss my forehead. "You're adorable and you still haven't told me what else I need for this trip."

"We need to go shopping and get you enough clothes to make you look like a homeless woman. That way, you won't be tempting anybody but me," I said seriously.

Not that she took me seriously with the laughter that filled the whole room.

She sighed, wiping away her tears. "I'll just pack whatever."

We were leaving in ten minutes, and she hadn't packed anything. I have never seen anyone as lazy as blossom when it comes to having to pack for a trip. Every time we travel, I have to ask Nick to do it for her. The only reason why I didn't get to do it this time was because Nick was currently passed out.

Yep, he had one hell of a good time!

"I don't understand why you keep leaving your packing to the last minute," I told her as she threw stuff into one of my travel bags.

"Excuse you! You only told me about this trip last night," she countered.

I leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "Are you honestly trying to lie to my face right now?"

"Meaning?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Even if I'd told you three months before time, you still wouldn't have packed in time," I elaborated

"My, my, Xander! Aren't we skating on thin ice?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Firstly, you need to stop talking to Cee so much. Secondly, I'm only telling the truth. You just don't want to hear it," I replied.

"So what if I prefer to pack last minute?" she huffed.

"But you see, you're not even packing. You're just collecting your clothes into a bag," I corrected.

She shrugged. "Same dif."

"It's not even remotely the same!" I said in frustration as I set out her clothes so that I could repack them properly.

She was silent for a while, and when I looked up and found her smirking, I knew what she'd done. "You tricked me."

"It works with Nick every time. I didn't think you'd fall for it too, but I guess it turns out my boyfriend is a perfectionist at heart," she said, laughing.

"You're truly evil," I mumbled.

"I love you too Martha Stewart," she said, laughing harder.

Why do I put up with this girl?

Oh yeah, I remember!

I'm actually in love with her, pain in the ass and all.

I sighed, closing her bag and grabbing mine. "Can we just leave?"

"Not yet! You're forgetting something," she told me.

I scowled. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are," she said with an innocent smile.

"What am I forgetting?" I dared to ask.

"This," she said before pouting and tapping her lips.

I couldn't help but laugh before giving her the kiss she wanted. She can be super adorable when she's not being a pain in the ass, and those are the moments that make everything worth it. We've come so far together.

It took me a whole to realize it, but I'm not the only one who changed through this relationship. She learnt to open up more and be more like her old and lively self. She told me that I make it easy for her to remember what happiness is because I'm her source of it.

We left the house and headed for my Maserati. I'd be leaving it at the private airport we're heading to since I knew it would be taken care of. We were all leaving within the hour, and we'd all agreed to meet there. Blossom and Bridgette were pretty excited about the whole thing.

"So what exactly is the point of this trip again?" she asked as we headed to the airport.

"We need to get back online," I replied.

"Why are you offline to begin with? When did you go offline?" she asked.

"That would be on the day of our sixth month anniversary. I haven't been able to access my system since, and from what I've learnt from Margaux, she won't put me back online because she thinks that I'm going to do something stupid in the name of avenging you," I explained.

I caught sight of her scowl as we stopped at a red light. "And are you?"

"I have no reason to. We already know who had you and since we've agreed that I'm not going after the bastard, then I have no reason to do something stupid. Right now I just want to get Nadia and then at least start investigating what Black could possibly want," I said.

She was quiet for a while. "You really care about Nadia."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

"I thought you cared about Zuri a lot, but there's something different about the way you care for Nadia," she said, looking outside.

I reached out to hold her hand. "You're the only girl for me blossom, I hope you know that. It's never been like that with me and Nadia, or at least not from my end."

"What does that mean?" she questioned with that adorable lost look on her face.

"The guys have pointed out to me countless times before that while I see her as a sister, she's never seen me as a brother. I've always tried to make sure that we're never placed in a compromising position, and that she knows that I will never see her in that way, but that has never stopped her from being fiercely protective of me," I explained as we arrived at the airport.

"So in other words, she's going to hate me," she said lowly. Before I could answer, the door on her side was opened.

"You have to save me," Malachi told her.

She laughed, but I knew it wasn't a real laugh. "From what?"

"She won't stop talking," he said, pointing towards a bubbly and talkative Bridgette.

"She's freaking out," blossom and I said simultaneously. My best friend didn't even bother looking my way.

"Well, make it stop," he pleaded with my girlfriend.

"Alright you big baby! I'm coming," she said as she freed herself from her seatbelt. Malachi walked on, allowing me to stop her from leaving the car.

"Are we ok?" I asked.

She sighed before reaching out to cup my cheek. "We are. I just worry that I'm going to come between you guys and that's the last thing I want."

"The guys love you. You're not going to come between us," I said.

"It's not the guys I'm worried about," she said softly.

Before I could even defend anything, she was already out of the car, walking towards her best friend. I could only watch her in confusion and slight panic. The last thing I want is for her to feel like I hold Nadia above her, or that I would choose Nadia over her, because I won't.

I will always choose her over everyone else.

"What's wrong with Ellie?" Mordecai asked me when I joined them.

"What are you talking about?" I counter asked.

"Don't even try and bullshit us. We can all see that she's unsettled. Now spill," Nigel demanded.

I sighed. "I think she either feels threatened by Nadia, or she feels that she's going to be coming between us if Nadia hates her."

Malachi scoffed. "Well she's not wrong."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked angrily.

"What Alac means is that we all know that you'd choose Elle over Nadia any day, but we all know that Nadia isn't going to like Elle, and that will cause some tension. Elle's smart enough to know that, and you're just as smart to know that. The only difference between the two of you is that Elle's facing the truth, while you're probably choosing to listen to that stupid voice in your head that has you convinced that Nadia's obsession with you is normal," Aziel explained.

Perhaps a part of me wanted to believe that Nadia wouldn't hate my girlfriend, but the reality was that there's a big chance that she might. However, I'd like to believe that once they get to know each other, everything will be fine.

"She's good to go," blossom said as she and Bridgette joined us.

"Are you sure?" Malachi asked Bridgette.

She nodded with a blush. "I am. Sorry I freaked out."

"It's fine. It was cute, even though it was slightly insane," he teased, making her smack his arm as he laughed.

"I take it we're ready to take off?" Nigel asked.

We all nodded and headed out to the jet. Since it was a different jet to the one we've taken before, you could see the sheer fascination on blossom's face, let alone the look on Bridgette's face. We all got settled in before taking off.

"Blossom, can I talk to you?" I asked her once we were settled in the air. She'd been entertaining herself with Bridgette while the guys and I discussed our plan.

"Sure," she said before excusing herself. I led her to one of the empty rooms on the jet.

"I hate this," I told her as soon as she'd closed the door.

"I'm lost," she admitted.

"I don't want Nadia to come between us," I elaborated.

"And I can't promise you that she won't. When Aziel told me about how close she is to and how fiercely protective she is of you, I won't lie and say that I wasn't a little jealous. I know you want to look me in the eyes and tell me that you'll choose me every time, but you won't know until you're put into the situation. I won't force you to choose me, because if there's one thing Nadia has over me, it's time. She's known you the longest, and you've probably been through situations that have brought you closer. You would take a bullet for both of us, and I love you all the more for that, but I will not stand here and lie to you," she said honestly.

I was confused internally when I realized that her eyes were glossy. It hurt her to tell me everything that she was saying, and yet she was being selfless about the whole thing. I trapped her against the door and gave her the kind of kiss that wouldn't allow her to think twice about us.

"I love her like a sister blossom, but you're the one I'm in love with. You're the one who I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're the one who has my heart. You're the one I will always choose over everyone time and time again. I love you Noelle Solano, you and only you," I said before kissing her again.

"I believe you, and I love you too," she said as I reached out to wipe away the fallen tear.

"Look at you worrying about losing me," I teased.

"Oh shut up! I would survive," she said before sticking her tongue out at me.

"You wound me, especially since I'd probably die without you," I said dramatically.

She tapped her chin. "Hmm. Maybe I should leave you for some rich and handsome guy."

"I would probably kill him and any other person you chose over me," I said earnestly.

"The seriously twisted part about this is that I don't doubt you for a minute. I actually believe that you would," she said with a nervous laugh.

I frowned. "Gee! Go ahead and make me sound like a mass murderer."

"Love makes people do crazy things," she said, tapping my nose.

"You genuinely believe that I could be a murderer?" I asked.

She bit her lip, visibly looking like she was keeping from laughing. "You already are."

"You know what I mean," I said with a glare.

"I don't think that you'd become a murderer D. However, I do think that you would be a danger to the world. A love like ours can make people go crazy," she honestly replied.

"Huh! I guess I would probably lose my marbles. I mean, I almost did when you were kidnapped," I said in memory.

"See? The idea isn't so farfetched," she said.

I pouted as I wrapped my arms around her waist to pick her up. "Which is why it would be best that you never leave me."

"I don't know how fate feels about my dying, but I'm definitely going to leave you in any other way," she said with a smile.

"Oh don't worry about fate. I'll gladly battle the Grim Reaper for your soul," I joked, making her laugh.

You know the kind of laugh that comes from the deepest pit of your stomach? She laughed that hard, and all I could do was look at her, probably with a stupid smile on my face, and think about how much I love her and how lucky I am to have her.

"What?" she asked, still giggling.

"You're just really beautiful. I can't get over it," I unashamedly admitted.

She blushed. "You are so cheesy! I find myself not believing that you're the very same person who trapped me against a car and stared at me for ten minutes."

"I couldn't get over your beauty then, and I still haven't," I replied.

"You even watch me when I sleep. Now that I think about it, you're extremely creepy," she said amusedly.

"When it comes to you, any day," I said before I chuckled at thee priceless look on her face.

"I think I should give my dad a heads up on where to look first should you decide that you don't want to share me with the world anymore and lock me up in some dodgy basement in some small country," she said, a cute scowl on her face.

I could only laugh harder until I realized that she was looking at me with probably the same stupid smile that I looked at her with. "What?"

"I love it when you laugh. Just like with you, I can't get over your laugh. It's music to my ears; my favourite song," she said with an adorable smile as she caressed my cheek.

"I love you my gorgeous blossom," I told her.

"I love you too my creepy Bond," she said.

I was about to protest to the name, but she effectively shut me up. We spent the remainder of the flight together, and once the pilot announced that we were close to landing, I could see how nervous she suddenly got.

And I was wise enough to know that nothing I said to her would calm her down.

Sometimes people just need to realize for themselves that situations really aren't as bad as they think, and that is the very approach that I was going with in regards to her fear. She needed to see for herself that nothing bad would happen.

Or at least I hoped nothing would.

As we've established, nothing with us ever goes according to plan, so for all I know, she could be afraid for all the right reasons. We landed at the private airport before heading to the SUVs waiting for us. Within minutes, we were outside the third and last gate of Headquarters.

We're paranoid about security- with good reason.

"We're here blossom," I told her as she analysed the Cypher coat of arms on the gate.

"I think I figured that out at the second gate," she said nervously.

"Breathe! You'll be fine," I said, holding her hand.

She didn't say anything. Instead she sent me a stiff smile while squeezing the living daylights out of my hand. Unlike Bridgette, I knew why she was freaking out so much. By now, the whole of Cypher knows who she is, and specifically who she is to me. They've already had to do things in her name, so she knows that they're all eager to see her, let alone talk to her.

They probably want to know what she did to capture my attention.

We were finally in and the SUV parked close to the doors. I went around to let blossom out of the car before taking her hand in mine as we headed towards the entrance, where Ayah was waiting for us. However, the closer we got, the more confused blossom looked.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I know that girl," she said.

"That's impossible," I responded, except it didn't look like she cared.

"Ayah?" she called. How does she know who it is?

Ayah looked at her in confusion before her own eyes widened. "Ren?"

Who the fuck is Ren?