A Sixteenth to Remember

DJ had just gotten back from the main Inn. All the employees threw a party for the twins. It was their sixteenth. They had gotten them a lot of gag gifts. That was fine they really didn't need anything. He would have loved to have a car but he had to learn how to drive first. He had no idea who would teach him. His mom had never been in a car; maybe Ivan could teach them. Well at least him. He didn't know if Nat really wanted to drive.

He was putting up gifts when he came across pictures from the weekend. He smiled. For their birthday Ivan had taken the twins to earth to go see wrestling. Ivan had pulled some strings and they had a picture of them with John Cena. He was laughing in the picture because Nat was almost drooling. He had been a really nice guy. He really wished his mom had come but a mare had gone into labor early and she had to stay.

It was about an hour before dinner and he was getting hungry. Whatever mom was downstairs cooking it smelled wonderful. He got up and went to his sisters room and knocked on the door.

Natalie was laying in her bed. She was sleepy; it had been a long day. Or a long week and it was only half way done. She was laying in her bed looking at the small pile of presents was sitting on the small bench at the foot of her bed. DJ had been teasing her about meeting John Cena. She had been blushing and smiling. the whole time.

She was closing her eyes resting waiting for dinner with her mom and Ivan when someone knocked on the door. She groaned as she sat up.

"It's open."

DJ opened the door and came in.

"Hey sis."

Nat looked up at DJ.

"So much for a quick nap."

She moved to make room for him on the bed. DJ sat down next to her.

The twins could not have been more different in looks. DJ was actually shorter than Natalie with blond hair and green eyes. Natalie was almost as tall as her mother with red hair and blue eyes. She was blinking them at her brother now.

"You can sleep after dinner."

He looked at her and laughed.

"Oh wait I know why you want to take a nap; you want to dream about him...."

Nat turned red and punched DJ in the arm.

"That's not true."

"Naty and John sitten in a tree ki..."

Nat jumped on DJ laughing. They were hitting each other playfully when Cas called them from the dining room.

"Hey come on you two. dinner is almost ready come help me set the table."

They got up gave each other one last playful push and went to the down to the dining room

Cas was in the kitchen finishing up the garlic bread. DJ and Nat began setting the table. They didn't even ask they just set the table for four. Ivan was here more often then he was not. He was becoming a permanent fixture in their lives. Nat got the plates and DJ grabbed the silverware and cups.

"Hey mom dinner smells good."

Cas turned around and looked into the dinning room.

"Thanks DJ."

It was about that time that Ivan knocked and than walked in carrying a bowl of salad. It was ceaser salad and already had the dressing. He had a wrapped package for the twins and a single rose for Cas. He gave the package to Nat. "That is for both of you." He set the bowl on the table and wrapped his arms around Cas. "I love you baby girl." Than he kissed her soundly.

Cas hugged Ivan back and returned the kiss.

"I love you too."

She went to the kitchen to get dinner. She had a side table on wheels that she used to bring dishes to the table. While she was gone Ivan moved over to the twins. "Don't worry I love you guys to." He hugged Nat and DJ.

"I love you too Pappa Smurf."

Nat hugged Ivan back. DJ hugged him too.

"Come on Nat open the package."

Nat smiled and unwrapped the package. It had a copy of the Earth movie The Smurfs. Nat giggled. DJ took the video from her and laughed.

"Thanks...Ivan"

He almost called him dad. It was getting harder not to. Ivan was the male figure in the house. He took care of a lot.

Nat smiled.

"We can watch it tonight after dinner."

Cas came back out with the rolling side table. On it was a pan of lasagna and french bread. Also there were drinks. Soda for the kids. A picture of water for everyone and a bottle of wine for Ivan and herself.

"Ok you two. I have no idea what to get the two of you for your birthday so I want to hear from you what you want."

The twins had been expecting this. She had done the same thing last year. They had already discussed what they wanted. They made small talk until dinner was on the plates.

"We talked about.."

DJ stopped her. He had another idea.

"Hold on Nat I have something else first."

He looked at Ivan and at his mom.

"I think it is time for Ivan to move in. You guys have been sleeping together for more than two years and in the last year he has spent more time here than anywhere else. You two should just give in and make it official."

Cas choked on her bite of salad and turned red.

"I know you guys are sixteen now but...

She could not finish that chain of thought. There was no way that she could discuss her sex life with her children. She took a deep breath and looked at Ivan. She had to look away because while he was about as red as she was he was trying not to laugh.

He let it out. "I'm sorry baby girl but as embarrassing as it is, it is funny." He looked at DJ and then at Cas. "This is all you baby girl." He was not going to answer this one for her.

Cas nodded at Ivan and looked at the twins.

"I am not going to answer this yet; but I will promise to talk to Ivan about it soon."

DJ looked at his mom and Ivan and nodded.

"I can deal with promising to talk about it. I love you both."

He sat back in his chair after picking up a piece of french bread and took a bite.

Cas looked at Nat.

"And you what did you want for your birth day?"

Nat looked at her wondering if this was going to be the right time to ask. She had a feeling it was now or never.

"Mom I am sixteen now and I think I am old enough to know about my father."

She looked at DJ.

"Our father. We know you but we do not even know anything about him."

Cas looked at both the twins and went white as a sheet. She reached for the glass of wine in front of her and downed it. She placed it back down on the table and looked at Ivan. The look on her face was pain and confusion. She did not want to do this but they did deserve to know.

Ivan was looking at Cas and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "It's ok baby girl. Whatever you decide I am here."He kissed her forehead and then sat back but left his arm around Cas.

Cas looked at everyone.

"I will tell you some of it but I can't say all of it. Some of the story I have not even told Ivan."

She looked at Ivan pained. She told him every thing. She had always meant to tel him this last part of it but it never seamed to be the right time. What she had not told Ivan was what she could never tell the twins. She poured another glass of wine and took a sip setting it down.

"When I was nineteen I had taken over a lot of the horse training with the help of the stable master. I was out with a filly making sure that she would be ready for the new owner. One last ride so to say. Something spooked her and she took off. She would not respond to my commands. That was when he road into my life.

Deacon came up on a white horse and helped me stop the filly. He was handsome and charming and had all the right things to say.

She wiped a tear from her face.

"I was stupid and naive. I was also lonely. My mom had just passed away less than three months before."

As she was remembering her mother more tears fell.

"After six months Deacon and I were married. Kjay was a gift to me from your uncle Spyder. The name was supposed to be a joke on a friend. I gave Deacon the white filly I was riding the day I met him. After the way she ran off I had to give the man who was supposed to purchase her an older colt."

At the mention of his name Kjay came to stand by Cas and put his head in her lap. Cas scratched behind his ear and went on.

"About four months after I was married I was out just riding; I got lost in the bad side of town. Of course I had Kjay with me. He was still just a tiny little cub and was riding in a bag with me. It was getting dark and I went into a bar to try to ask for directions. I was holding Kjay and I went over to a couple of men who were not yet drunk to try to ask for directions one of them tried to touch me and Kjay bit him."

Cas scratched Kjay behind his ear again. He had always tried to protect her such a good boy.

"The man yelled at me and was about to slap me when Ivan stopped him. He was the bouncer. He sent me to wait down at the boarding house till he was done with work and then came to take me home. Ivan and I became great friends though he and Deacon never got along.

Ivan came to visit me every week and we spared together. I broke his nose once and he gave me some bumps and bruises. Deacon tried everything he could to keep Ivan away from me. He kept planing romantic trips further making me think he was just perfect."

Cas looked painfully at Ivan. There was more than one occasion where she had wondered what would have happened had she met Ivan first.

"On one of the trips that we took I got pregnant with the two of you. I was so happy. Deacon changed. He started becoming possessive and even more secretive. So much so that even Ivan finally spoke out about it. He told me he was worried for my safety that he was afraid that something might happen. I waved it off."

She started to cry again.

Ivan wiped the tears from her face. "It's ok baby girl. I ask what if too; but it doesn't mater now." He kissed her head again and hugged her close.

Cas smiled at him and took another sip from her wine glass. Her tears slowed but did not stop.

"I was about six months pregnant with you two when I came back from the stables early. He was on his phone talking to someone."

She was starring off into space now a blank expression on her face.

His voice was so cold when he spoke. He said. No I can't do it yet. I have to wait for the twins to be born. I don't know as much as she rides I will probably make her death look like a riding accident. I'll have the money in less than six months"

Of course I busted in on him. I was yelling. He was very calm as he hung up the phone. He told me that he hoped he would not have had to tell me anything. He yelled for a guy to come in the two of them tied me down, gagged me, and blindfolded me. They moved me to a warehouse and locked me in a room.

She looked at Ivan and touched his face.

"Everyone but one person believed that I was to sick to see anyone. Only Ivan came back day after day to ask to see me. They kept telling him I was to sick to even say hello. He never believed it and came before work and then after work. After about two months of that Venis found him. She offered him a job. He said he would accept on one condition.

Ivan explained to her my situation. She agreed. It took them about two weeks to find and rescue me. Ivan was the one that carried me out. They brought me to the Society of the Blood Rose. He would not leave my side. About a week later I went into labor. Ivan was there with me.DJ you were born first. The midwife handed him to Ivan while she delivered Natalie. Then DJ was handed to me and Ivan held Natalie. About three weeks after you guys were born Venis had Ivan working and I didn't get to see him as often but whenever he was in town he came to see us. When you two were about three years old Deacon found us. There were several attempts at accidents to kill me. The last one was a carriage that nearly killed Nat and me. That was it; Venis took the two of you somewhere safe. Or actually Ivan took you two. Venis just arranged it. It was the last time I saw you before Vanessa brought you two back at Christmas."

Cas was crying and got up and walked around the table. She hugged the twins close.

"I love you both so much. I finally learned not long ago that Deacon planed the entire meeting. He spooked the horse. He only wanted my title and money. The best way to get that was the two of you."

Natalie was crying and DJ looked pissed. Nat clung to her mother and DJ went over to Ivan.

"Ivan had you not been there it is possible that none of us would be here now. You saved us more than once. You were the one there when we were born. You are the closest thing to a dad I have ever had."

He hugged Ivan and wiped at his face. Ok so he was crying.

"Mom I don't know why you named me after him. I don't care but I will not stay that way. I want to change my name."

He thought a few moments he looked at Kjay and at Ivan.

"Djay Petrovski."

Ivan looked at DJ in shock then teared up. He didn't even bother to try to hide it. "I am honored that you would want my last name. I have always thought of you as mine; but this has to be your mothers decision." He did hug Djay to him though.

Natalie let go of her mother and went to go join the hug with Ivan and Djay.

"Me too. I want Ivan's last name too."

Cas also went to go join the group hug.

"Ivan and I will talk about it later with the list of things that you two have given us. Lets go watch the movie Ivan gave you. I think we all need a break."

They all got up and went to the living room to watch the movie. Djay and Nat sat in chairs. Cas who was completely emotionally drained curled up on the couch with Ivan.

Cas heard the knocks at the door; knowing the code she knew it was not an emergency. She stood from the couch and crossed the front room to the door and opened it.

At first she only saw the tall black woman standing at the door. She had no idea who she was but she knew the code so Cas smiled politely. Then as she saw Pepper the smile began to fade. Pepper was a bit strange and that was being polite. Eternal youth took on a whole new meaning to this small child. She would forever be trapped in the body of a little girl.

She was however afforded a seat on the same council as her best friend and was very powerful in her own right. She opened the door wider and stood to the side to let the child and her sitter enter the house.

"Hello Pepper; you are both welcome in my home."

The formality was of the invite was a necessity as Pepper had never been in her home and she did not know if the tall black woman was also a vampire. Pepper was probably here because it was the twins birthday.

"Nat, DJ."

She called out to the twins.

"Pepper is here."

She waited until they had both entered and closed the door behind her.