No Longer Alone

Chapter Forty

***Nicole's POV***

    To be brutally honest, I found myself feeling completely out of place in the car as they drove me home.  From the way Alex was talking I could only assume it was a rental, based on the way Alex kept talking about wanting to get one for himself in the future, and I couldn't blame him, the touch screen controls, cameras, and all the bells and whistles in there made it a really seem like a sleek starship on wheels.  As he pulled in behind my old beaten up Buick, I felt a bit worse, but then shrugged it off, the Buick might not be pretty, but it got me where I needed to go, and it was mine.  

    Grabbing the bag with my clothing, which seemed a bit heavy but I shrugged it off hearing an excited little voice calling out 'mommy'.  Turning towards the house I saw Hannah, Marie, and Rose all charging towards the car.  I hurried out to give them hugs and hear all kinds of excited talk from the younger two about girls night and getting their nails done and facials...total girlie girls.  Hannah on the other hand was more reserved, she didn't go for the pampering the way they did, and the look in her eyes told me she was worried for me, but her quick flick of a look behind me told me she wouldn't say anything yet, as I saw the boys coming up to my sides.

    "Well you two seem excited about your night."  Alex said with a smile, and a glance at Damian showed him and Hannah to be giving looks at each other like they were trying to figure each other out, it was then I realized that they hadn't been introduced.  Marie and Rose started talking Alex's ear off about their night, I turned my attention to the other two, Hannah hugging my arm and leaning her head on my shoulder as she is prone to when she needs a little extra comfort, or thinks I do.

    "Hannah, you met Alex before but this is Damian, Damian, my oldest Hannah."  I waited to see what Hannah would do, she had great instincts mostly, and reminded me of a certain type of cat, aloof at first, but once she decided she liked someone, she was super affectionate, I hadn't figured out yet her criteria for liking someone.  Damian held out his hand for her to shake and she took it, still holding my arm with her other hand, but her head no longer on my shoulder.

    "Greetings.  I hope you took exceptional care of my birth giver last night."  Hannah says calmly, there are times I wonder where she gets it from to say things the way she does, but I've learned it's her way of gauging intellegence.

    "Pleasure to meet you, and I did what I could to ensure your birth giver was well taken care of and returned to you in the best condition possible."  Damian had a small smile, and Hannah nodded a little, smiling a touch in return, before hugging me again and sniffing.

    "Mom, you stink pretty today.  Not your normal stink good, this is different but nice." 

    "I would thank you for that but I used someone else's stink good stuff, which is why I smell different."

    "Makes sense.  So looks like you aren't working today, so what are you going to do with today?"  Hannah nodded and accepted it without question, though her eyes went to Damian again for a split second.

    "Well, I owe someone a favor.  Do you remember the couple you met last night that helped me with Rose?"  Hannah nodded and I continued, "They were nice enough to bring me some clothing and mentioned how they wanted to see Glacier Park and so I thought you girls might want to come play tour guide with me for the two of them."

    "Don't you mean the four of us?"  Damian asked making my head turn to him, lifting one eyebrow in question.  He just shrugs, "Though Alex has been there before, I have not, and I must admit I am a bit curious now."  Hannah's eyes light up and she starts getting a little more animate in the way she's moving, fully letting go of me and looking between us.

    "You mean it, day trip to the park?  That will be so awesome!  I love the park, so much undisturbed nature with out humans messing things up, not having to talk to teenagers, or deal with drama aside from the small beings!"

    "What about us!"  Rose and Marie chime in, knowing Hannah's name for them.

      "I was meaning all of us, the couple from last night had fun with you and was hoping you would want to go with too.  Means a lot of walking and you have to listen.  No running off or rough housing too much there, and that means you need to go get ready to be out in the woods walking."  Rose and Marie nodded and dashed off to change out of their frilly clothes to something better for Glacier Park, having been there before they knew what to wear, while Hannah was fine in the clothing she was in.  I look over to the two, men "I have to change my shoes and grab a light coat just in case, are you waiting here or going back now? I'll be taking my car at least part of the time either way, since that one won't fit all of us unless one of you gets shoved in the trunk."

    Alex laughs and Damian smirks lifting an eyebrow, mimicking my earlier look at him.  Alex finally stops laughing enough to talk. "Why wouldn't we put you or the kids in the trunk, you guys are all smaller than us."

    "Rose and Marie would probably decide to start to brawl in the trunk getting us pulled over and having to explain why they were there.  I'll kick you as we discussed earlier if you try and put me in a trunk...and Hannah.." I looked at my oldest who was like me in so many ways as she gave them an evil smile showing her teeth, "Hannah might bite you if you try, if she doesn't kick you as well, and her legs are almost as strong as mine."  Alex took a step away and behind Damian.

    "Point taken."

    "If you don't mind we shall wait here, and we can all head over to meet my parents together."  Damian said calmly, and Hannah just gave him a thoughtful look.  I nodded and headed inside to change into my hiking boots, and grab the backpack I always keep ready for when the mood strikes to go out hiking.  The girls all had similar ones, which I kept with mine.  Seems I'll need to grab some extra stuff just in case, since you never know what will happen when out in the woods, I try to always be prepared.