Daniel watched as his daughter entered the kitchen, seeming entirely unawares of his presence. It made him smile, her innocence. Allison was the jewel of his eye, and the fact that she knew no fear, no danger, none of the concerns that he and Victoria had dealt with their entire lives pleased him to no end. Though Allison had come to the pair of them in unusual circumstances, her presence had balanced him in a way that he had never anticipated, given him something to live for beyond the day-to-day concerns. Whereas Victoria gave him the love of an equal, a true companion, Allison gave him someone to lavish with all of his heart.<br/><br/>Chuckling as she threw herself into his strong arms, Daniel murmured, “Ah, my sweet, I apologize for startling you so.” His odd, European accent sometimes came out at times like this, when his defenses were down, but he quickly switched it off as his wife and her assistant appeared within view.<br/><br/>“Ah, yes. A show of clothing. Excellent. I do so like to see where our investments go,” he looked down at Allison and gave her a private, fatherly wink. He had no problems spoiling his little girl, and even encouraged a certain degree of mischief in her behaviors. Breaking the rules had never been a problem, of course; Allison was a straight-A girl, with a morality that bespoke not religion, but sheer unimpeachable upbringing.<br/><br/>Glancing back to his lovely bride, Daniel’s smile narrowed slightly into something vaguely…predatory, perhaps. The hunt, ah, how he missed it. Daniel inwardly wished that their security concerns had not curtailed him to quite the degree that they had, but he could not argue with their efficacy. So far, the Partridge family had known no hunters, no fear, no challengers to their domain. Not for several decades, despite the events leading up to his and Victoria’s relocation to Lost Haven all those years ago. Still, it was not in his nature, not deep down, to allow security to trump the pleasure of the chase. Without his understanding wife, a woman who knew how to handle his moods and needs without flinching, there was no doubt in his mind that he’d have died – or worse – ages ago.<br/>“Good, Victoria. I know you’ll need help with all the preparations,” Daniel paused, clearing his throat and glancing down at his daughter. “You didn’t hear a word about preparations. Not a thing. Is that clear?” He relinquished his firm embrace and raised a single pale digit, touching Allison on the nose. It was is way to emphasize not-that-important points of discussion, a combination of exerting some level of authority, while also signaling that it wasn’t a big deal. He’d taught his daughter a million such signals over her short life; hand signs to make everyday tasks easier. That there was a subtle motive beneath the private language only the three of them shared was, so far, never discussed.<br/><br/>“As far as my day went,” Daniel said, “It involved lots of things I can only hint at, as a certain princess might overhear.” Winking at Allison, he gently patted her on the bottom and said, “Why don’t you run up and change into something scandalous, so your mother and I can discuss….clandestine business?” There was a bit of laughter in his rich voice, and a matching twinkle in his eyes as his wide, large palm flashed down in a familial pat.<br/><br/>Turning, then, he faced Victoria with a much less sedate twinkle in his dark, chocolaty eyes.<br/>-<br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad295/Dariusfallenstar/Male%20Rp%20Characters/128998165490_zpsf49b8d65.jpg)</div>Peter Niles glanced down at his watch from the back of the delivery van. He was perched amidst a cacophony of flowers, expensive party utensils, and various boxes of assorted stuff that had been included on the work order. It was almost nine, an hour past dark, and the delivery company “Flowers and More!” had received the call only five or six hours before. Odd that his girlfriend’s family were such late-bloomers. Sure, Daniel Partridge had a big night job, working with people overseas, and Misses Victoria had always kept a late schedule, but the way they lived was just a little…off.<br/><br/>As a young, newly entrenched, member of an espionage-centric branch of the Phoenix organization, Peter had come to rely on his instincts in a somewhat dubious manner. His early wrong calls had led him to having this assignment. Youthful features and an easy grin had been enough to fool people into thinking he was only seventeen while he was more like twenty-three. Repeating high school and pretending to have a crush on a vacant-headed, spoiled fifteen year old had only added salt to his injured pride, preventing Peter from acting on those self-same instincts.<br/><br/>So what if the Partridges had a silly last name, kept odd hours, and behaved a little too perfectly? Their daughter had been his assignment and, so far, though he hadn’t gotten very far with it, it had proven both boring and pointless. Had his management not insisted on his continued attempts to penetrate the Partridge family estate – including whatever methods he needed to employ involving Allison – Peter would have gladly moved on. Though, and he hated admitting this to himself, the chance to legally fuck someone just turning sixteen was quite appealing. The girl looked good enough, even if rich bitches weren’t Peter’s real type. Now, her mother, on the other hand…<br/><br/>“We’re here,” the driver said, interrupting his thoughts. Peter’s insertion into “Flowers and More!” had been very last minute and required Peter to use leverage he’d have rather not called upon. Telling Mr. Stover that his secret online affairs with other men would be made public if he didn’t accede to Peter’s simple demands had been embarrassing. Peter hated using such crude mechanisms for otherwise simple jobs.<br/><br/>Peter opened the door as the van pulled to a stop on the paved round-about driveway. Stepping lightly, the lithe young man with the rakish mustache and goatee began pulling out flowers and boxes. Dressed in a white button up shirt with the “Flowers and More!” slogan on the left breast, and black slacks with black, glossy dress shoes, he very much looked the part. Thankfully, he’d never mentioned his specific job title to Allison – only that he worked odd hour and went from job to job. His cover would work and, hopefully, give him a reason to gain access to more of the Partridge estate, which was his true and ultimate goal. If it netted him some trust from that oddball Daniel and his smoking hot wife, all the better.<br/><br/>Stepping up to the door about twenty or so minutes after Victoria arrived, Peter rang the bell and absently, impatiently, began tapping his foot on the flagstones outside the house. It was time to prove, once and for all, that the Partridges were precisely what they appeared. Odd, but entirely normal.<br/>