Disclaimer: I do not own. Sadly enough...-sighs- What a pity.

The long black car pulled to a comfortable stop, parking conveniently close to the small building that was their destination. Turning his azure pools the male watched the smaller occupants with longing, knowing that their presence was short lived. Adjusting his eyes to the first he smiled at the violet orbs that blinked back at him revealing the child-like innocence. "Are you excited?" he pondered aloud willing to halt in actions if need-be.

The said girl shrugged while the male seated across the car nodded enthusiastically. "I suppose." the female answered, earning herself an amused look from the man in whose lap she sat.

"You suppose do you." he recoiled reaching forward with a raised eyebrow. Finding the rewarding sound enjoyable Tala went about tickling the younger into submission. "You suppose?" he quoted his hands wrenching giggles from the panther trying to wriggle free.

"Yes, yes it'll be fun!" the child managed batting away at the tormentors hands. Rolling away Kami let out an appreciative sigh of relief. "But-" pausing she bit her lip thoughtfully. "what if the others don't like me? Micah always makes friends faster than I do." mocking a pout the child watched the male hopefully. Trying once again at her latest attempt she sighed, "Do I really have to go?"

Casting her a sympathetic glance Bryan answered for the rest feeling guilt assault him moments after the words left his lips, "Yes love, you do. Don't worry my little papoose (1) I know you'll do fine, just try to be nice, how about that?"

"But what if they aren't nice to me?" she argued. If the truth be told the child was really trying to waste time, hurrying the moments by hoping to avoid another day.

"And why wouldn't they be nice to you? You are, with no doubt, the cutest, sweetest and nicest little girl there is." Tala tried smiling as he tried to usher her closer to the limo door, in hopes of persuading her faster.

Rolling her eyes dramatically the small child exhaled heavily, "But you have to say that, you are my papa. The other kids will be mean to me, it happens all the time!" she whimpered cuddling closer to her stronghold of a father. "When we go to the park, when we go to the movies, when we are in a play place. Everywhere! Remember that kid at the burger place?" she tried, throwing out an example to further convince the elder occupants of the vehicle.

"Well love maybe if you wouldn't have told him he was about to eat his own mother it wouldn't have happened. People don't like others relating them to livestock you know." Kai replied sitting Micah up in his lap and smoothing out his white dress shirt, checking to make sure the buttons were matched properly.

"Why not, it is better than what he was!" she argued turning to her sibling for a backer.

"It is true papa Kai, I would be happy if ushka said I was a cow." he smiled, his baby blue eye showing off his well hidden confusion. "Right Kam-kun!"

"Right cow!" she cheered, following her slightly elder sibling in his fit of giggles.

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Shifting her gaze anxiously the female towed behind her brother, the butterflies in her stomach never ceasing. Glancing at the clock she struggled with its meaning. Papa Tala had walked them to their classroom when the small stump-like hand was on the eight, and the long twig-like hand was on the six. He had told her that Bryan would pick them up at the same exact spot when the small stump was on the eleven and the long twig was on the six.

Twisting her mouth she tried to calculate how long that would be, her skills reading the clock still needed to be developed. So right now the small stump was on the ten and the long twig was in the middle of the ten and eleven. Shaking her head she sighed. "I don't understand!" she wailed fighting the urge to fall on the floor and cry. "When will papa Bryan be here?"

"Why would you want papa Bryan to be here!" Micah chirped slapping more glue on the crayon blue paper, followed by more cut-outs of tree ornaments. "Unless you wanted him here to paint your tree with you." he added thoughtfully.

Their set task today was to make a Christmas tree for their home, and then decorate it. Micah had picked to get a tree already formed on blank paper by dotted lines and then decorate it with sparkalies and puff-balls. That, of course, came after coloring the tree blue with rainbow lights.

Kami on the other hand was finger-painting her tree, the small easel set at a height where she would sit while she worked. So far she had a big, gigantic, white piece of paper. With her name written up in the corner by their new teacher, that way when they left it to dry they would remember whose was whose.

On the flip-side her light lilac shirt was elegantly embossed with all the colors she planned on using, she had smartly put them on her shirt so she wouldn't forget the order. Wrinkling her nose in thought she moved to dip her fingers into the red when a loud whiny voice snatched her attention away from her craft.

"Why did you color your tree blue?" the first voice questioned mockingly.

Averting her eyes she watched as her brother pondered on his answer before replying with a soft, "Because I like blue. So I think the tree would like it too."

"That's stupid! Trees are green not blue stupid!" The boy to the left of the first snapped, turning to her elder brother with a look of distaste.

"I'm not stupid." the panther responded in a quiet tone, his bright eyes full of sadness as he looked over his work.

"Yes you are, you are really stupid. And so if your dumb tree!" the cold retort struck a nerve and the female narrowed her eyes dangerously at the oblivious males harassing her udika.

Eyeing them up and down she took in their appearance. The first was heavy-set, with chocolate brown eyes and sandy hair. His nose kicked up at the end and his voice was the one that had interrupted her, along with finishing the last statement. He was her enemy. The second was shorter, and of a medium size. His bright locks were golden yellow and his eyes were large and green. Snorting to herself she made note that neither of the two were worth her time in the first place, she had a tree to decorate. And yet for some reason the words caused in itch she couldn't help but to scratch.

"You are the one who is stupid you pig!" she snarled, standing up to make herself clear.

"What did you say you freak?" the chubby boy snapped, his eyes clouding over with anger.

"Oh you can't understand? How about this, OINK OINK!" Moving her hand lower she fumbled about blindly, keeping her movements discreet as her innocence dispersed and anger took its place.

"We weren't talking to you! So how about you and your stupid brother get out of here and go home to your dumb mommy!" the first shot back clenching his fists, trying to make a voiceless threat.

Grinding her small teeth together Kami reached down into the paint before slapping a handful of green on the young boy. "There is your green you big jerk!" she shouted throwing herself at him in the next moment of hysteria. Closing her lids tight she started to kick and scratch, punch and slap as much as she could, screaming all the way.

The only other noticeable sound was Micah rooting her on as she finished off their first day of pre-school with a bang.

Xx1 Hour LaterxX

"She what?" Bryan bellowed, turning his shocked pools to meet with that of the teacher.

"She attacked another student." the woman replied fearfully. "And she covered him in green paint and glitter." Biting her lip she peeked over the rim of her glasses, her soft brown eyes surprised. Not but two moments before this man was completely calm and situated and now here he was pacing the room and muttering curses.

"Green paint and glitter? Why would she do that?" He interrogated stopping and shifting his position to face the young instructor. Her light brown hair curled out at the ends and her bangs were tousled after a long day of chasing small children around the room and forcing them into naps.

"I honestly couldn't tell you, Mr. Kuznetsov, she hasn't said a single word to me since Mr. Ivanov encouraged her greeting earlier this morning." smiling sheepishly the female sighed, "I couldn't get a peep from her after he left. She simply followed her brother around the room and copied him in everything he decided to do. The other students tried to include her but she would turn her back and drag Micah off with her to a far corner of the room." Thinking back on the days events the woman frowned, "At this age we try to encourage interaction and socialization with other children, but Kami just doesn't seem to want to take part in any of it."

"Why would that be?" he questioned, more to himself than her.

1. Papoose is Sioux for baby...Tawnie is half Sioux.

I just realized I had this done for awhile but never posted it….I thought it was shorter than it was and still needed work…. –sheepish smile- ….we'll just call that a big oops on my part. I'm terribly sorry about not updating...and I was going to say "but it couldn't be helped" but that would be a lie. In that time we've moved to town, and then moved back, took a trip to Texas so I could meet WolfLover7 my very dear friend and I've turned a year older. Also I've been orphaned by my "owner" and then collared by Lee-Chan (Brilliant authoress, one of my personal favorites, CC Queen of Death)!! –sits with Lambie- And she is better and nicer and not to mention older than our last owner. –sticks tongue out- And I know you are reading V-san.

V-san - owner who replaced us with somebody who was caught copying our stories. –wince- V-san hurt Tawnie and Lambie's feelings. –whimper-

Although I really shouldn't be using this for personal issues…but my stupid little heart got hurt so I think I deserved at least one little bragging moment. Anyway since I'm older I work Saturdays 12-9:30 and three weekdays 2-7…as well as Sundays 1-6:30…hopefully they will stop with the Sundays….then I can work more on my stories. –grins- Thank-you for reading. Please drop me an underserved review….I kinda feel like I've been abandoned by everybody….I really hope everybody hasn't given up on me...although it would be duely deserved. –flinches- Later days.

-Tawnie