"KID, WHY are you hiding here?" Penelope moved the basket of chopped wood out of her face and turn to see the smallest bunny in the group, Michael. He stomped his feet while holding his nose up in the air. Penelope thought he's being cute. She bent down to poke him on the cheeks. "What's up? You can't shift? Is something amiss?"

The kid's little bones popped when he morphed into his human form. He pouted. "Broggy's trying to remove my tail. It hurts when he pulls. I hate him."


"Then…" Penelope hefted the large basket onto her waist and shrug. "Then don't play with him. What's the matter?"

"He chases after me!" he wailed, "Again and again whenever nobody's looking! The blind guy took me under his wing awhile ago saying he will protect me but no! That scowling guy shooed me away!"

'Is it Lance?' Penelope nodded. 'He sure fit the description. When did he ever stopped scowling?'


"Come here. I guess I have to take you with me. I'll protect you." Michael rolled his eyes. Penelope blinked. "What's with the attitude?"

"You said you're going to protect me but once you enter the house then the blind guy comes over, you will forget about me."


"Pft..." She bumped the little guy's shoulder lightly. "Stop calling him that or he might eat you alive."

"He won't. He's a good guy." Michael sighed. "But that Lance guy? Not even a nice smile."

Penelope frowned. There is a problem with Lance. No, it wasn't about his cold treatment to everyone but the faraway look in his eyes whenever he's alone. It seems like he is bothered by something but he doesn't want to talk about it.

Penelope would like to initiate a conversation but ever since the guy talked bad the other day, she became cautious in his presence. She feels like he's observing for anything wrong and he will convict her for it.

"Suit yourself! Hide under Uncle Sy's shirt then. Let's see if he could still save your picky butt."

Michael snarled but he followed Penelope inside the house. "I'm home!"

"Nice! It's going to be warm again tonight," said a teen by the age of twelve. Penelope had memorised all of their names. Even though she gets confused at times, it all boils down to their age. The oldest child would be the twelve year old Miracle and Ymar. "Thank you, Ms. Penelope!"

"That's okay." Penelope eyed the living room. Searching for the tallest man inside. Joaquin didn't disappoint and smiled in her direction. "Hey, darling."

"You should have ordered Lance to do that instead. The track's way too sloppy in this weather." Joaquin held her arms gingerly. They sat on the largest sofa. Michael stumbled on Pen's lap. The scent of their dinner cooked by Lance waffed the living room. "How was it?"

"It's fine though." Penelope stretched her legs. "It was a great warm up after the whole day of sleep."

"I told Lance to cook something delicious." Joaquin brought a face towel and wipe Penelope's forehead. The action was not deliberate considering his condition. Penelope's eyes was hurt. "W-Wait!"

"Oh God... I'm sorry, Pen." Joaquin stopped his hands and threw the towel to the floor. Penelope doubled over to cry her left eye out. It stings so much that tears started to flow rapidly. "Argh…"

"Let me do something— Pen, stop touching it. Let me!" Joaquin cupped her face but since he couldn't see, he could only grumble. "What should I do now to help you?"

Heavy footsteps getting nearer by every second. A moment later, a loud cry emerged.

"IN THE FACES OF THESE CHILDREN, REALLY, JOAQUIN?" Lance's voice boomed. The audience gathering to see the commotion between Joaquin and Penelope was all thrown back a step. "You can't get ahold of yourself and keep on doing something inappropriate even if there are innocent children watching? Joaquin de Villa, have you no shame?"

Waving a spatula clad in his dirtied apron, Lance padded in their direction with flaming eyes. He growled. "Mates! Mates! Mates! What do you do with those anyway? Can those be eaten, huh? Are they worth thousand gold bars? Mate! Hah!"

"Uh…" Joaquin blinked slowly. "But we're not doing anything, Lance."

"You refuse to acknowledge this as a mistake on your part? Just how thick did that face of yours had become, Joaquin! I—" Lance continued to ramble. Sparks of blue flame started to erupt from the tips of his hair. The kids were all watching avidly. Even Penelope's eyes had stopped itching.

"He accidentally hit my eyes with this, okay?" Penelope picked up the white towel on the floor and balled it up to shoot at Lance's chest. "We're not doing anything bad so hold your mouth shut, Lance."

"Oh…" Lance raised a brow. He maliciously said, "I heard somewhere that kids don't lie. Children, tell me. What—"

'As if they would! The kids practically hates you!'

"Not doing anything!" Michael jumped off the sofa and tugged at Miracle's wrist. "They're just playing and then… then the towel suddenly came in and hurts Ms. Pen's eye."

Penelope grinned at Michael. The kid gave her a proud smirk. Joaquin shook his head and held her hand. "Lance, can we talk? Just the three of us. You, me and pen."

"About what?" Lance removed his apron. "Don't stop me from trying to shoo you away from bad deeds, Joaquin. There are kids watching so I gotta intervene."

"It's not about that."

"Oh, shucks. Then fine. Let me finish this first and I'll join you on somewhere quiet."

Joaquin turned Penelope and signaled her to lead the way out. "Kids, don't go outside. And don't disturb the Old Sy sleeping, okay?"

"Yes, sir!"

"They're good kids." Joaquin complimented. Yet after five seconds from closing the door, they both heard a loud crash of something breaking followed by Broggy's loud voice saying, "Let's hide it so Ms. Pen won't see!"

"Yeah… still a good kid?" Penelope sniggered. Joaquin closed his eyes regretfully with a smile. She reached out for his hand. "So… what about Lance?"

"Hmn…"

Penelope waited. Joaquin went silent for a second before he finally admitted, "There's something wrong in him."

'It took you only now to finally notice he's not normal?' Penelope laughed but she obedeintly nodded. "What could it be?"

Joaquin pinched her cheeks. As if he sensed her mirth in Lance's situation. But with his next words, Penelope's happy face was wiped off with curiosity.

"I think he has found his own fated mate."