74 First Day Back Home

The Steel family were happy to go back home. Avery decided he needed some time off to spend with his girls so he left everything to Eli and Robin.

The first thing they wanted to do was clean out the house. Everything that belonged to Agni had to be removed and placed into storage. Avery let the staff have the remaining week off, ordered pizza and started to have fun running around the house with the kids.

When they made it to Laila's room a horrible truth was revealed. There was nothing in the room, it looked exactly like it did they day she moved in. Laila looked shamefully at her feet and turned red when Olivia opened her closet. "Laila what is this about." Olivia asked as she pointed into the closet. Laila clutched her arm, refusing to look up "We told you Olivia that monster controlled everything we did." Loreley said with a sigh.

Olivia looked at the twins with complete confusion while Avery hugged the twins from behind. "But how does that make sense! I mean you have three set of clothes in here and one of them is your uniform! How can she control..." Olivia started to say but Avery gave her a look that stopped her in her tracks.

Laila looked up from her feet and tears were flowing down her face "I only want to keep the dress! We can throw the other's out, I never want to look at them! Just let me keep the dress dad bought!" she cried. Avery's heart broke and he kissed the top of her head and squeezed the twins tighter into his embrace.

Loreley snuggled into the embrace and in a low, almost in audible voice she explained. "That demon never wanted to see us out of our rooms or have a way to see others, so other then our uniforms to go to school, we were never allowed out. So 'it' figured since we didn't need to leave we didn't need to have clothes."

Olivia's jaw dropped, she was shocked to the core and tried to make sense "No you had clothes when we went on vacation and... and you only wore pj's at home... and oh my god I never noticed." Olivia said as she stared at her sisters. "Rented and any clothing we did receive was immediately taken away, except what you and dad gave us." Loreley said wearily.

Olivia looked back and into the closet and dropped to her knees. She looked back at the twins "Loreley is that why you love designing fashion?" Loreley shrugged "Part of it. I could only dream of what I couldn't have but at them same time I love sketching new designs, the way the scissors cut into the fabric and the work you put into the assembly... it's just wonderful!" Loreley said as some of her spirit came back into her eyes.

Olivia looked at Laila and softly asked her "And you... why become an ECE teacher?" Laila started to blush as she wiped her tears away "I could never protect my younger sister when she needed it the most and she had her child like innocence and smile stolen from her. So I want to try and help as many kids as I can and teach them to speak up when something is not right."

Olivia nodded to their explanations and felt a little guilty that they were able to have so much passion for their future careers while she just picked one that would make her father proud and bring her closer to her mother. Olivia shook the stupid from her head and was determined to come up with a better career path, one that she would one day feel passionate about.

Avery grabbed the twins by the waist and brought them up into the air. Each girl screamed as the reached for his head for support. "Enough of this! We are starting over again but this time around we have more family members! So let's learn from the past and not dwell on it and strive for a brighter future." he said happily as he threw Laila and Loreley onto Laila's bed.

With a huge grin he looked at the twins "First thing is first, you had no real childhood... well lets make up for that lost time, so go ahead jump on your bed! I am going to get some cake from downstairs and a couple of glasses of milk. So when I come back I better hear some laughter!" Avery said before he ran out the door.

He quickly poked his head back in "Start jumping already! Olivia no jumping for you!" he said sternly before leaving for a moment then he poked his head back in "I mean it young lady I'm watching you!" he said as he brought his two fingers to his eyes the to her before running down stairs.

Olivia laughed and jumped onto the bed. Laila and Loreley were confused. Olivia smiled "We're kids! We are supposed to break the rules now come on before he comes back!" she shouted as she coaxed the girls to jump on the bed with her.

Avery stood outside of the room with the cake and milk for a while before he dramatically started stomping his feet "Ok who is ready for cake and WHAT THE F*CK!" he yelled in shock. Laila, Loreley and Olivia all looked at different spots of the room clearly avoid their father's gaze.

"I was gone for ten minutes and oh my god Laila who drew on you with markers? Loreley why is their feathers in your hair and everywhere on the floor? Olivia what the f*ck happened to the bed?!" Olivia made a guilty puppy face as she tried to look at her father "Well... the bed just broke on it's own." Avery almost dropped the tray he was carrying onto the floor. "What do you mean the bed broke on it's own?!"

It was Laila's turn to look guilty "See it just fell down and it was kinda funny then we played tattoo artist and I volunteered to get tattoos." Avery put the tray down on Laila's vanity and turned to Loreley, he raised one eyebrow and waited for her explanation. Loreley looked sheepishly as she took a peek towards her father and started to pout her lips "I always wanted to see what was inside a pillow but was told pillow fighting was more fun."

Avery facepalmed himself before he started laugh his head off. He doubled over and tears started to escape his eyes. "Oh my god your all too cute!" he roared as he tried to catch his breath. The girls watched Avery laughing on the floor and decided to join in. Once everyone calmed down Avery grabbed his girls in for a hug and a kiss.

"I'm sick of cleaning let's get a decorator in and redo everyone's rooms but for now how about we go down stairs and eat - ugh... plah plah plah OLIVIA!" Avery shouted as she tried to scurry away after she smooshed cake into her father's face. "Run!" she shouted happily. Lalila and Loreley looked at one another and got up to run away.

Avery wiped chunks of cake from his face and got off the ground. He armed himself with cake in his hands and shouted into the halls. "You have insulted my honor! Prepare for war!" he said as he ran after the girls.

.....

It was late and the Steel family decided to camp out in the living room for the night, after they washed up. The started up a movie and each girl found a spot to lean onto their father as he sat on the ground. "Dad." Olivia said as she looked up from her father's thigh. "Hmm." he said as he was starting to nod off. "I love you." Avery smiled and gave off a warm glow. "I love you too, I love all of you... so very much m-my little gi-girls." he said before he fell fast asleep.

The girls giggled as the moved off of him and gently placed a blanket over him. They continued to watch their movie and soon everyone was asleep while the TV played the next featured movie.

The next morning Olivia woke up suddenly and rushed to the nearest sink, which was unfortunately in the kitchen and started to throw up fiercely. The others woke up suddenly do to the noise and rushed into the kitchen just as Olivia slid from the sink towards the ground.

"Olivia are you alright!" Loreley shouted as Laila rushed to her side and checked her over. "I don't know I've been feeling so nauseous lately and I couldn't help it and threw up." Olivia said weakly. Avery walked over to the fridge and pulled out a ginger drink and passed it to Olivia.

Olivia saw the drink and licked her lips as she greedily took the bottle from her father's hand. The moment the golden liquid touched her tongue she ripped the bottle away and gave it back to her father. "No, I don't want it." she said sickly. Avery sighed and went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of carbonated sparkling water. "Maybe this." he said dryly.

Olivia look at him skeptically and took the drink. Her stomach sang it's praises as she chugged back the cherry flavored water. "Yes" she sighed as she finished the drink "That was fantastic!" she said happily and she pulled herself off the ground but quickly stumbled backwards. Loreley and Avery each grabbed her hands and Olivia gave her thanks before straightening herself out again.

"Woah there Livy your going to have to take things slowly till you become more stable." Avery said as he watched her gain her balance. Olivia looked confused but let his comment slip as she brought her hand to her head and felt another wave of dizziness wash over her.

"How about you girls head toward the dinning room and I will make some breakfast ok?" he said sweetly as he looked at his girls. They nodded and walked away together.

Breakfast was served and Olivia felt her stomach turn when she smelt the breakfast sausages, she pushed the plate as far away from her as she could and grabbed a bowl of strawberries instead. Avery laughed as he watched her polish off the bowl. "More?" he asked and Olivia couldn't help but nod her head. He walked over and gave her his share of strawberries.

Olivia almost threw up her meal right then and there, Avery chugged back his coffee and walked back to his seat humming to himself. The moment the coffee smell was gone she felt better. Olivia was perplexed about her situation while Laila and Loreley looked deep in thought.

Avery kept humming to himself a happy tune, not letting his smile leave his face. He knew the answer to her conundrum but wasn't going to let them know the answer just yet.