“Alexis!” Their mother’s strident call rang through the house, magically amplified by her anger. Alexis turned her head to look at her brother, her blue eyes flat and filled with irritation. *Here we go,* she thought to him, knowing that he’d heard her. Their “twin link” had increased with eruption; before becoming a nova, she’d know his moods and feelings, and vice versa. After the eruption, they had a closer link than ever, and through that link, Davian could sense his sister’s anxiety.

“Coming,” Alexis called, unhooking her long legs from the arm of the chair and standing up. Clad in a hundred-dollar sweat-suit, she met her mother at the door.

Beth still had all the dark beauty that had attracted their father to her two decades ago. Her complexion was a bit darker than her children’s and her eyes were a warm brown instead of Eric’s sky blue. “I want to talk to you, Alexis Veronica.”

“Of course,” the nineteen year old nova said, reaching up to tighten her ponytail. Her mother crooked a finger at her before turning and striding to her office. Alexis glanced back at her brother and gave him a glance of long-suffering irritation. *I’ll keep you updated,* she murmured to him as she followed Beth.

Eric was already in there, his long, slim body slouched in an overstuffed easy chair. Unlike his wife, he was smiling a little, looking more amused than angry. “Alexi,” he said softly, nodding at his daughter in greeting. “How was class?”

“Not now, Eric,” Beth snapped. She eased half her butt onto the desk in the room, leaning on it and crossing her arms as she glared at her daughter. “What did you say to Dr. White?”

Alexis sighed. “I don’t remember,” she said honestly. “I was talking to several people at once.”

Her father’s smirk became rueful; no doubt he was trying to calculate the potential PR nightmare his daughter might become again. Beth looked both more and less pensive, somehow; she clearly was relieved that her daughter hadn’t fought with just one colleague, but several people. Reaching back, she spun her laptop around on the desk. “Show us.”

There was no room for argument, and Alexis knelt before the desk, logging in. “You’re not supposed to see this,” she said. When she saw the new anger on her mother’s face, she quickly added, “So I’m just going to click over to the thread and just show you that.

She stepped back and her parents leaned in, reading for several long moments. When they were done, Eric was rubbing his temple. Beth just said, “Alexis, we’ve talked about this before. You have to monitor that tongue of yours.”

Alexis nodded dutifully, privately confused. What had she said that was so wrong? Everything she’d said had been true. Why were they upset? She’d have to ask Davian. He got people a lot better than she did.

“I’ve told him you’ll do the summer program,” Eric said.

Alexis felt her heart drop. She couldn’t handle a summer of sick kids. She gave money because she didn’t have the moral fortitude to do hands-on charity. Sick kids were sad and ill; doing that for a summer would destroy her soul. “I have an intership that I’m lining up.”

Her parents blinked in surprise; that was a drive that was more in keeping with their son than their daughter. “Doing what?” Beth asked, as Eric asked, “Where?”

“In London, working for Isabella del Capici,” Alexis replied, her blue eyes unwavering, despite the lie. Of course, it wouldn’t be a lie if Davian could actually get it for her. “It’s in my major, and it would advance my career.” Del Capici was the leading London interior designer and a nova; working under her would be a dream for an undergrad. Alexis had intended to get an internship with her sometime, just not her first summer off from college. She silently cursed that moral ass, Dr. White. “Besides, do you really think it would be a good idea for me to work around sick kids?”

Eric and Beth knew their daughter. Whatever else they knew about her, they knew that she was not the most responsible person in the world. “Fine, but give me your Gold card,” Beth said.

Alexis’ jaw clenched. That was her last credit card; the others had already been taken away. "For what?"

"Until you can control your tongue in public, around my colleagues, you can do without it," Beth replied. Eric was giving his daughter a sympathetic grimace, but she knew he would back his wife completely.

“I’ll get it,” she said, knowing that she had no choice. Spinning on her heel, she stomped back to her room, where her purse was.

Davian's room was in a quiet wing of the house, near his sister's room, but far enough away from his family to insure the privacy he so dearly valued. The door was ajar and his sister was sitting on his bed, pleading with him and interrupting his attempt at homework.

"Of course, Alexis. You do need to learn...political correctness, at least, though. You didn't say anything dishonest, but truth isn't always well received." Davian leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple and blocking that part of his mind that would allow her to feel his irritation.

He thought for a moment, working through how he would secure his sister an internship with a woman and nova he only knew from the brief look he had made into the interior design field when Lexi had mentioned her interest in it. "Del Capici..." He tapped his pen on his slacks and worked through the network in his mind.

A moment, maybe two, passed with only the tapping to mark it. "Three weeks. It will take at least three weeks, but I can get it. They took away the Gold card, I assume?"

The gratitude at his stated timeline faded with the last line. "Yes," Alexis said, scowling angrily. "I have to have Gerard fill up my car now. It's annoying. I hate having to rely on the help to meet my daily needs." Alexis had no idea just how much she relied on the help for her daily needs, and in truth, it was the loss of her freedom that grated on her.

"I need my card back," she muttered. "I can't have Tiffany or Geneva thinking that I can't pay for my food or clothing. It'll be mortifying." She hung her head off the bed she was slouched across. "You're going to help me, if I need something, right?"

Davian put on a face of solemn consideration, but couldn't hold it for more than a moment in the face of his sister's ridiculous pose and sincere pleading. He leaned forward in his chair, slipping a key from his slacks and unlocking the middle drawer of his desk. He deftly pulled out a small rectangle of plastic; it was a light blue card with "Orange Bank Prepaid Debit Card" printed in officious white letters across the front of it. There were no names or credit card numbers embossed in it, no way to know who actually owned it. Davian enjoyed the anonymity at times.

He turned in his chair and tapped the card on his sister's nose. "$500 and then it's out. Not even a penny more." He grinned as he saw the protest forming on her lips. "You'll just have to behave and earn your Gold Card back before it runs out, then. Getting a good word back from this Dr. White to Mother would probably be a good start. You don't have to go on his internship, but you could at least pretend to care the way he so desperately seems to think you need to."

Just $500? That's a pittance, Alexis almost said, but she realized that Davian was already going out on a limb. Nodding, she took the card from him and forced a smile on her face. "It's enough. Just so that I don't have to bum all the time," she said, rolling gracefully to her feet and giving him a strong hug. "Thanks, Davy."

She straightened up and tapped the card against her fingernails. Unfortunately, that reminded her that she needed to have them redone soon. No, time to tighten the belt, she told herself, nodding firmly. Ming was from China; Alexis assumed that the petite servent would know how to do nails. "Yeah, this is great. Mom will cool down soon, and things can go back to normal."

Moving back to the bed, she sat cross-legged on it and asked her brother, "Do you have any ideas for what I could do to make the 'rents happy again? I won't do anything, but I'm open to suggestions."

He shrugged. "You could volunteer somewhere. See if the school's holding a blood drive or canned food drive. Something to show them that you do care." He looked over at her, driving home his point with his gaze. "Something without money."

Alexis sighed. "I know... but I'm so bad at stuff like that," she replied, picking at some lint on her sweat suit. "Remember the cake walk?"

"You were three," Davian replied, clearly not accepting her argument.

"Still, it just shows that messing charities up is in my blood," Alexis whined. "I have to find something that I can do, and can't mess up... Auction off a date... Win a show on Bitty and donate the prize money," Alexis said, referring to her show horse. "Something like that."

"No money, Alexis. That kind of charity from you is too easy, and too common. It won't mean anything to Mother." He sighed and stretched in his chair, sparing his French homework a longing glance. "You have money, more than most people ever dream of. The only thing you have in the same amount as other people is time. If you want back in Mother's graces you're going to have to show that you're willing to give up something actually precious for someone else. If you can't handle sick kids or blood, then look for a soup kitchen or answer phones for a charity drive. On second thought, skip the kitchen. I'm not sure you, sharp knives, and anything involving an oven is a good mix." The slight tug at the corner of his lips might have meant he was just teasing her.

"Yeah," Alexis sighed, resting her head on her hand. Unlike him, she was serious as she said, "I shouldn't do anything where someone might get hurt. Or where I get a chance to be bitchy." She knew her limits and her weaknesses, and she was bad at anything that involved tact and caregiving. Unlike Davian, she thought, giving her brother a loving smile.

Suddenly, she grew contemplative. "What about that outreach program Mother's friend was mentioning? The one where inner city kids work with horses? They're not sick, just poor- oh, sorry, underprivledged, and I can give riding lessons. That would be something that I couldn't screw up."

Davian gave his sister a rare genuine smile. "You know, that's a really good idea. You should talk to Mother about it, get her friend's name and number." He turned back to his desk, putting his back fully to her for the first time since she'd burst into his room. "And I need to finish my homework. I have projects I need to see to later tonight. I'll see you in the morning, okay Lexy?"

"Ok," she said, standing up to clear out of his room. At the door, she paused just a moment. "You want me to lock the door?" she asked, knowing that sometimes he liked his privacy. But quietly, she added, *Thanks. I needed the chat.*

*I'm always here for you, you know that.* He didn't look up from the desk, reading as he responded. "Leave it open. I'll be going out later. Have a good night, sister."