Adrianâ€™s head snapped in Nathanâ€™s direction at his utter, and needless to say, he was shocked at the sound of the word. And when the young man made a dash for a shadowed alcove, and Adrianâ€™s eyes picked out his sisterâ€™s form there, the boyâ€™s feet seemed rooted to the pavement.<br/><br/>Rainie was equally shocked when Nathan suddenly grabbed her. She felt her muscles tense, but she didnâ€™t spring back. Instead she froze as his arms wrapped around her, surprise pouring through her, locking her joints into place. For one wild second, her police training almost had her hands jerking to incapacitate him. But the warmth of his embrace abruptly seeped into her consciousness. She blinked twice confusedly, taking a small breath as the shock wore off.<br/><br/>She was about eyelevel with his shoulder, and she could feel his cheek against her hair. The press of the cold steel of the gun still in his hand reminded her of the situation she was in. Letting out a breathy laugh that wasnâ€™t at all nervous, she brushed her hands over Nathanâ€™s arms which were currently pinning hers to her sides. â€œWell, donâ€™t I feel special,â€ she muttered dazedly. â€œIâ€™m okay. We should get going, donâ€™t you think?â€<br/><br/>Adrianâ€™s head tilted a fraction to the right as he eyed his sisterâ€™s face. He floundered at the happy expression she wore, the slight pink tint to her cheeks. Heâ€™d be damned if he hadnâ€™t seen that look in ages.<span style="font-style: italic">Aw, crap.</span><br/><br/>----<br/><br/>Kai sat in the apartment alone. It was dark inside, obscuring his ebony form in the shadows. His bright aqua eyes stared morosely at the door he sat before. He was hungry. And his girl hadnâ€™t returned yet. Usually the two humans were back before the sun rose. But they were taking ages.<br/><br/>And he was getting hungry.<br/><br/>The hybrid absently scratched at his ear, and then lay down on the splintery hardwood floor. His chin rested on his front paws, and his eyes never once strayed from the closed door. Back in the Old House, there were bags and boxes he could find. But everything that had food in it was hard and round now. Too hard to chew through. Kai usually missed the Old House. It didnâ€™t smell as bad there. But he didnâ€™t miss it much, because he had his boy and his girl here. And they mattered more than smell.<br/><br/>A pitiful whine escaped his throat as he longed for his boy and girl to return and feed him.