The world was truly an amazing place, and each step Sadie took was something exciting and new. She was ascending the stairs with her brothers, Dash and Darien. They were hungry, and since Mommy refused to give them food, telling them to wait, they grew bored and decided to explore. They figured out how to open the gates that had kept them isolated from the stairs.
The adults were in the kitchen cooking, while the girls were focused on the babies and toddlers. The curious children, inquisitive as they were, had slipped away when no one was watching. This was because fewer people were upstairs at the moment, as a group had gone out shopping, visiting their shops and doing chores.
As the children went down, their little minds fluttered like butterflies in a summer meadow. They knew this wasn't permitted, but that was precisely what made it so much fun – doing something they weren't supposed to do. Their tiny feet were sure, and they grasped the railing as they descended step by step.
Sadie was wearing a denim dress, pantyhose, and socks. Her long, curly red hair hung down her back, as she had once again removed the hair ties and ponytails Mommy had put in. She wanted her hair to be free, without brushing, or else she would again get those "big feelings," and then Mommy would speak to her in that certain tone.
Dash wore a green shirt, yellow pants, and anti-slippery socks. His now darker hair was once again floppy and loose, but it was shiny and thick. Darien, on the other hand, wore a blue shirt with machine pictures, kids' jeans, and anti-slippery socks as well. His pants were always a bit scuffed at the knees, as he liked to climb everywhere. His thick hair was shorter, as Daddy had cut it when it had gotten quite long and messy. It was slightly curly too.
They had been blondes as babies, and then their hair color seemed to change, getting darker and lighter. This led the adults to suspect they might be "teeth vampires" and unconsciously making substances, though they hadn't yet addressed it. After all, there was much more to do.
As they finally got downstairs, they eagerly began to explore their new surroundings. It was an entirely new place, and with no adults in sight, their tummies began to growl. Hunger forced them to keep moving, their search for the kitchen becoming their immediate priority. They climbed on sofas, giggled on chairs, and reveled in the freedom of exploring a large house unnoticed.
However, as amazing as it was, they soon realized they had no idea how to find their mommy or daddies. Fear began to set in, making them restless. They were hungry, but now also distressed, as their little adventure had taken an unexpected turn, and they were lost.
They were merely toddlers, with the skills and abilities of a three-year-old. Utterly unaware of their escape, Damon and Mariella were in the kitchen. It was noon.
While the girls, Demon, and Lepard played with their trio, the smaller ones were outside with more men, receiving their first vaccinations. These were developed in Mimi's secret lab, where the Salvatores, along with Damon, had been working extensively.
Ever since the peculiar incident with that damn plant, Damon had been seeking a purpose. Mariella's transformation had made her a demanding spouse, forcing him, an old creature, to deeply examine his motives, his mind, and his perception of the world. This profound self-analysis was exhausting for him.
Consequently, he too retreated to the lab, allowing his medical mind to work. He had been studying Mimi's special cells and those nasty strains of bacteria, recalling vividly how weak he had once been. He kept this realization hidden, however, as his bond with Mariella blazed as always. Nowadays, she could feel his distress even more acutely, having somehow tapped into her savior side, compelling Damon to confront his inner demons.
As Damon was in the kitchen, preparing a simple stew, a subtle sensation brushed against his mind – something he hadn't perceived before. This piqued his curiosity, as his days had been filled with a dull awareness of his past failings. The arduous task of apologizing to Mimi and attempting to mend their relationship felt like an insurmountable mountain, a strain that weighed on him despite his inaction.
His mind repeatedly replayed arguments and his own outbursts, each loop deepening his self-loathing, disgust, and the sense of unworthiness he felt in Mimi's eyes. In short, he was in a bad place. Cooking, at least, offered a distraction, but it lacked any real spark.
He had been around the children; the toddlers were well-behaved, eating what they were given and playing together, while the babies had ample caretakers. Yet, life felt incomplete. Damon sighed, tasted his beef stew, and knew it would soon be ready – nothing special, just ordinary, bland food suitable for toddlers.
He slowly extended his telepathy and empathy, trying to pinpoint the feeling he'd sensed. Had it been one of the Salvatores, perhaps trapped by Mariella and experiencing a crisis or a memory? What he discovered surprised him: a profound sense of fear and being lost, coupled with the unsettling knowledge that the person experiencing this had done something forbidden.
Damon's telepathy probed gently, and to his astonishment, it was his own daughter with Mimi, Sadie, whose distress had called to him. Sadie had somehow made her way downstairs, not alone, but accompanied by her brothers, Darien and Dash, who were also scared. Damon sighed; it seemed he would have to face Mimi sooner than anticipated, but first, he needed Mariella.
"Darling, are you free? We have a bit of a situation here, and I could use your help. Come to the kitchen; we have guests from upstairs. Darien, Dash, and Sadie slipped away and ended up here. They're scared and hungry, so let's go," he called out via telepathy.
Mariella replied calmly, unperturbed. "Fine, I'm coming. I'll see if I can find them and bring them to you. If they're hungry, should we give them some food?"
Her voice was innocent, yet she understood the best way to reignite Damon's spark was to trigger his protective instincts. A trio of scared, hungry children seemed like just the catalyst he needed.
Upon finding the scared trio, Mariella smiled reassuringly. "Oh, hello, you guys," she said. "My goodness, you've grown. But what are you doing here?"
Sadie, now on the verge of tears, replied, "I want my mummy. Where is Mummy?"
Mariella soothed her, "I will help you. No need to panic. Come on now, how about we go see what Daddy is up to, and then we can go see Mummy?"
Darien interjected, "But Mommy is angry. Big feelings."
Mariella grunted. "Big feelings, eh? Fine. I'll tell you what, I will contact your Mommy right now, tell her you are fine, and we will bring you back."
Dash, also almost sobbing, added, "Mommy yells, and Daddies will be angry too. No treats."
Meanwhile, Damon walked towards Mariella, maintaining his calm. Hearing the panicked children, he gently used his telepathy to understand the situation. While adults might yell, it seemed Mimi and the others had truly lost their composure.
Damon was unaware that there was a reason for this and that the children's reaction was expected. He had, through his telepathy, empathy, and pheromones, unknowingly kept the toddlers calm and well-behaved.
Taking a breath, he reached out to Mimi, the one he decided to contact. "Mimi, baby," he began, "we have a bit of a situation here. Darien, Dash, and Sadie are downstairs panicking, but don't worry, we will bring them up soon. They seem to be scared of your yelling."
Mimi's calm response brought a measure of peace to Damon's mind, partly because he could feel the incredible bond, shut for months, and her presence felt so close.
"I will get someone to fetch them," Mimi replied. "They escaped when I refused to give snacks so close to mealtime. No need to worry. They are rather inventive with the gates nowadays; I might have to ask Wulfe to put spells on them or something."
Damon responded, "We need to talk, and I think it's time for me to try and make a few steps in the right direction. I am sorry I have been such a dickweed again, but Mariella made me talk and dig deep. I, hell, we are all coming. Our kids need meals too, and I guess you have extra. We will be there soon."
Mimi did not reply further. The bond remained open, yet Damon hesitated to delve too deeply, fearing he would feel her disappointment and anger towards him.
Damon, his mind made up, snappishly communicated telepathically to Mariella, "Darlin', bring the kids and the others. We'll go upstairs, and I want to move in there. Let's bring the babies in at some point as well."
He had learned the hard way, through Mariella's resistance, how beneficial talking could be, and a part of him knew that a conversation with Mimi would unravel a long-standing, nasty knot. Besides, he was still the pack leader and husband.
Even though he felt like a sorry excuse for a loser who had exploded at his wife for no reason, he was determined to talk to Mimi, hoping to prove he could change. Perhaps it was instinct, or some deeper part of him, but he also felt compelled to delve into what was really going on with the children.
Damon then walked into the living room, where Mariella had managed to calm the children somewhat. They seemed fearful at first upon seeing him, and Damon cursed inwardly at his foolishness, realizing how much they had grown.
Darien looked at him and asked, "Daddy is a hairyballed idiot with no brain in his head..."
Oh, great. Their telepathy was functional, and it appeared they had just picked up some less-than-flattering language from him.
Dash immediately hit Darien, saying, "Remember, Daddy said you must not do that. Daddy will get mad."
The number one sighed.
He crouched down and said, "Now, come here, you guys, and give Dad a really big hug. I haven't seen you all in ages because Dad was an idiot, but by God, I have missed you."
He allowed them to feel his love, and they responded by running to him, clinging to him, and nearly toppling him over. He kept his mind secure, realizing how simple his own trio was compared to these five active, telepathic, and empathic children. They were at an age where they were finding their own voices, wills, and ways to defy adults.
Despite how messy and complicated it seemed, Damon yearned to be a part of it, to share this experience, which at this point felt less like a burden and more like an opportunity, with Mimi. He wanted to help her raise these remarkable beings. Once again, he deeply regretted all the time he had already wasted.
As Damon settled the children, he noticed their clothing and Sadie's long, curly red hair, messy and partially knotted.
"Now, young lady, what's with the hair? We need to put it into pigtails or something," he suggested.
Sadie immediately defied him, exclaiming, "No! I like my hair, no pigtails!"
Her angry expression stirred something within Damon, a reaction he couldn't quite grasp at that moment.
Darien reminded his sister, "Remember big feelings…"
Damon sighed and said, "Come on, let's go. Mariella and I will take you back to Mommy, and then we'll see what Mommy does."
Dash announced, "I am hungry," and Sadie chimed in, "So am I."
Mariella smiled and said, "Well, let's go back to Mommy; she will surely give you something to eat."
Mariella heard her older girls bringing their three toddlers, with Lepard and Demon walking behind them in their feline forms, as the children loved to play with them. The boys resumed their human shapes as they saw the toddlers.
Sadie looked at Lepard a bit unsurely and asked, "Are you mad? We're not supposed to be here."
Lepard smiled and replied, "No, princess, I am not mad, but I bet Mommy might be. Well, let's go up."
Meanwhile, Demon was telepathically explaining to Mariella in curt, clinical terms how much more advantaged these toddlers were compared to human babies. He noted that raising them wouldn't be the same as raising human babies because they would grow and develop faster, regardless of the nature of this pocket universe.
Mariella understood that something was holding her trio back, though it was somewhat obvious once she started thinking about it. It had to be Damon, and he likely wasn't even aware of what he was doing. It would take some effort to help him understand.
Mariella had learned so much more about her betapower, as well as from books about different powers like telepathy and empathy. She realized it must be Damon's almost wishful thinking that he was projecting around him to keep the kids calm.
Surely, Wulfe might be able to help him stop doing it. Despite the challenges Mariella knew would lie ahead, she was confident that their trio would eventually find their own will.
As Damon led the children into the elevator, he attempted to remain calm, though his mind raced a mile a minute. He desperately sought an explanation or apology suitable for the situation, but first, he needed to ascertain what was happening upstairs.
Demon's previous explanation made him realize just how regressed their trio was and what could be done. He needed to discover why and how this was occurring. He questioned if all this talk of "big feelings" was merely a coping mechanism for tantrums.
However, Damon failed to grasp that these were not human babies, but supernatural, immortal creatures with a unique set of "rage genes." These children were simply learning to manage the intense emotions these genes might provoke.
Indeed, these were "big feelings," and it hadn't been easy for Mimi, especially in the beginning. Even at just over two years old, the toddlers experienced difficulties from time to time, and it was up to the adults to guide them.
These adults, with no clue what to do, could only learn as they went, trying and sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. The rage gene was such a rarity that it wasn't documented in any books, at least not in those concerning the raising of normal supernatural children. Therefore, most of what they did was simply experimentation: they improvised and hoped for the best.