Xeik sighed when Alshaya kept bringing up the whole ‘marriage’ thing, but when she finally let him actually look her over, he found a small wound and healed it. As he moved on to deal with Rex, Simone and Lewis had their little conference together, with Simone truly feeling heartbreak over the whole situation.

Lewis crossed his arms, “It’s never been this bad. It might be best for them. Besides…they were going to need separate rooms anyway. This might be a good time.” Still, Simone looked worried.

“Sometimes siblings don’t always get along” Roma piped in from the side. “You two have done a very good job raising them so far…so much better than either I or my wife have, bless her departed soul. Sometimes…this is just the way things are. They spend almost every waking moment with each other, so perhaps a bit of privacy in their lives might help them settle better. They still live together, and perhaps this may temper their uh….tantrums, to say.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, but he’s probably right,” Lewis replied. “It’ll be okay, ‘mone. They’re just growing up, as much as we don’t want them to.”

Simone frowned once more and nodded to Roma with a small smile. “They’ve always been close. They are only a little less than six months apart. They are much closer than most children and more like twins. At least that what most of their teachers tell me.”

She took a deep breath and Everett ran over to her hugging her. “Mommy I don’t like that look on your face!” Everett looked up at her worried and she scooped him up.

“What look?”

“You look like someone broke your heart,” Everett hugged her and Mone kissed his nose.

“Mommy is just worried you are growing up way too fast for her,” she hugged him and her son looked sad and hugged her.

“Well… Can Uncle Xeik make it so I don’t ever grow up and then you can have me forever and ever?” Everett looked up at her with his big gray eyes and Simone laughed.

“I don’t want you to be little forever I just want you two to slow down… Even a little. Mommy is worried when you two fight like that,” she kissed his nose and put Everett down.

He ran over and hugged Alshaya, “I’m sorry I said your feet stink.”

“I’m sorry too!” Shaya kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly.

“You gonna make a good wife for Uncle Xeik,” Everett declared proudly.

Simone took a breath. “I love these kids so much…” They finally got their dinner done and Simone got them all changed for bed. What she saw when she went into Everett’s room made her smirk a bit. She left the castle and went to Lewis and Roma. “Come with me quick,” she took her father-in-law’s hand. “Just this once I’ll let you in our real home while it’s not safe.”

It was easy enough to tell it was a castle by the way it was built. She put her finger to her lips as she led Lewis and Roma to the door. They had separated the two and put Alshaya in her own room which she was happy about. Simone opened the door and in Everett’s bed was Shaya and Everett snuggled up and sleeping sound. “He must have gone and got her.”

Closing the door after a few minutes Simone smiled up at Roma. "The twins' nursery is across the hall if you want to spend more time with them. Though I understand if you can't today."

Lewis was a little hesitant when Simone let Roma into the castle, but he let it slide since there were very few tells on where the island was. It paid off, though, as they all took a gander into Everett’s now personal room. In it, Alshaya was cuddled up to her brother as the two of them wandered their dreams.

As they closed the door, Roma had a tear in his eye. When Simone mentioned the nursery for the twins, he immediately lit up and nodded. “Please, show me,” he whispered. Lewis lead the way, and opened the door. Roma looked upon the sleeping twins, and merely smiled.

“Lewis,” he said softly. “I missed every opportunity I had in life to help raise you and share a place in life with you.” He looked over to his son. “I was never a strong man, nor a smart one. I rarely stood up for myself, and the result cost you and Leto everything.” He smiled. “I’m happy that you’ve made something of yourself, and that you’ve thrived in the face of all of this.”

Lewis rolled his eyes, “Get to the point…”

“If possible…I would like to spend as much time with my grandchildren as I can. All of them…to make up for the time I missed with you,” Roma replied earnestly.

The assassin was taken aback a bit. “We…need more time than this,” Lewis shot back. “We barely know you…but…” He looked away and started out of the room. Roma followed, and as the door shut, Lewis finally found the words he was looking for. “If…everything blows over, and you are who you say you are…then maybe…”