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Claude stared after Mari in disbelief. Why was she acting so childish about such a small event? This is where his brotherly patience dried up. "Oh god Mari. Honestly. Grow up." He said, straightening to stand and call after the woman, "I apologized, more than once now. But I'm not going to beg for your forgiveness when it's only a misunderstanding. I haven't really done shit to you and you now it!" Claude yelled, his anger at his sister growing. "And what are you doing drinking? You're only a baby! You're in highschool, and it's still the middle of the day!" He added, walking over and yanking the bottle from her hand, thankfully it was still uncorked so he simply turned it over on its end and poured the contents down the sink.

Claude let the bottle clang into the sink, and let his hands come to rest on either side of the faucet. "Mari." He began but stopped himself so angry that he could barely think straight. "You're so spoiled. You can't expect me to grovel just because of a fabricated mistake." He muttered to himself, face contorting with anger. He inhaled deeply and stood up, looking at Mari before he did. "I really think that you're the one that owes me the apology." He said, before standing, and walking out of the room, only stopping to roll his eyes at Talon.

Claude then returned up the stairs to his room where Valerie was, carefully pretending to study, but he was certain that she had heard the whole thing. "Come on, I'm going to take you out. I don't really want to be here right now." He said, gathering up their things and preparing to leave.

Mari slammed a few plates down, felling them shatter than feeling a warm sticky substance on her hands. "A baby...I have been nice enough to allow you to stay in my house and eats my food out of my cabinets and this is what I get!" she said going up the stairs and going into his rom and picked up one of the game consoles. "This I bought you out of my money for christmas!" She yelled at him and threw it down, pieces of plastic broke off and you could tell it was trashed.

She went around his room, breaking everything she bought him and than turning to him, tears streaked cheeks. "I want you and her, OUT!" She said, her voice hoarse from screaming at them. "NOW!" She said and stomped out of the room, stopping by the door and turning back to Claude. "I hate you."she said and ran to her room and slamming the door so hard that the chandelieres shook and threatened to drop as well.

Talon was completely stunned by Claudes outburst, completely. He had absolutly no idea what was going on so he stayed quiet. When Mari left the kitchen Talon got up out of his chair and listened. Looking down he noticed blood on the plates Mari shattered. With that and hearing things being broken he raced up the stairs and heard Mari's door slam shut. Walking to Claudes room he popped his head inside and saw the damage, letting out a slow whistle. "Bloody hell she knows how to destroy stuff. Leave Claude, I'll take care of her. Take your girl somewhere else because it's not helping. Tomorrow were sitting down and fixing this got it? There's no way in hell I'm sitting in this house with so much tension. Night bro." Stepping out of Claudes room Talon walked down to Mari's room and knocked on the door. "Mar let me in, come on. Let me see your hand, you cut it when you shattered those plates. Please Mar?"

Claude could only watch in disgust while Mari destroyed so many presents and little gifts from over the years. His rage planted him in his spot, unable to move as she destroyed his personal possessions and terrorized his friend. He had been intending to leave, but now that Mari had ordered him to do so, he would do nothing of the sort. By the time he'd regained his composure Valerie was gone, probably too intimidated by the family in fighting to stick around. So long to that sweet ass. Completely frustrated Claude layed down on his bed, ignoring Talon's plea for him to leave.

His mind was stuck on the phrase that Mari had used. "Mine." She'd said this was her house, her food, her gifts. Hadn't Claude earned his place as part of this family long ago? He'd been bequeathed an equal share in the estate with Mari and Talon, and neither one of them could tell him wear to go and when. He heard Talon groveling at Mari's door and he couldn't stand it any longer. He strode out into the hallway next to Talon and jostled him out of the way.

"Mari. You are being very immature. This is the last time I will say this, come out and talk to me like a normal person. Apologize, and we can make this right. Or I'm gone, but if I'm gone, I'm not coming back. Understand that." He said in a forced even tone, standing a fair distance from the door. He waited in front of the door for her response.

Mari sat in the far corner and the darkest partt of her room where she had a piece of paper in her hands. She was too busy reading the piece of paper to answer either of them. When she finished wtih it she hugged her knees tightly to herself and cried, than getting up and opening the door, dropping the piece of paper to the ground and hugging both of her brothers.

"Mommy.... she's been.... murdered." she sobbed. "She was... gone for almost... a week... and I just read the stupid letter..." she said on the verge of another wave of hysterics.

Talon was pissed after Claude pushed him out of the way. He couldn't believe his brother just did that. No one pushed him but Talon decided to let it go. It would only make things worse if he said something. He was about to walk away when Mari came flying out of the door and hugged the both of them. "Mar what are you talking about?" The way she was acting was scaring the crap out of him and did she say murder? Looking at Claude he gave him wide eyes and mouthed what the hell..

When Mari leaped into his arms, sobbing and crying Claude's instant brotherly reaction was to hug her back tightly and begin smoothing her hair. "Mari," he whispered into her ear, "Mari, what's wrong?" All of the anger he had been feeling at their argument a minute ago was overcome by his love and concern for his sister. "Show us the letter," He added as he processed what his sister was saying, "we'd like to find out what happened to your momma too."

She sniffled and handed them a letter Adressed to her with a few notes from people sending their condolences and the letter read;

' Marianne Heights,

At 3:45 am friday, oct. 31st, Shaiya Heights was found dead
in an abandoned movie theater. The autopsy revealed that her
body had been there for over three hours, and that she was
shot six times in the heart.

The body has been witheld for investigation of murder.

Our condolences,
FBI office of NYC.'

Grabbing the letter from Mari's out stretched hand Talon read it. Shocked he held it out for Claude to take. Then he squeezed Mari tightly. "Mar I am so sorry.." Talon was completely stunned by what happened. Shot six times in the heart..how could this have happened? He thought to himself. Then shaking himself mentally he looked to his family. "Let's go downstairs to the dinning room. I think we all need to sit down." He hoped they listened to him, with all the emotions swirling around inside of them they needed to sit.

Claude was stunned at the contents of the letter. But he immediately began to question how Mari could have overlooked it for so long, and what Shaiya could have been doing to get herself killed. Claude followed Talon comment and lead the three of them down the stairs and into the dining room where he sat at the head of the table and waited for the other two to join them, they really needed to think.

Mari followed her brothers, arms wrapped around herself and she sat down, ignoring the pain in her cut hand that wouldn't go away and she sat down at the table and looked at Claude, feeling horrible for everything but at the same time she was too wracked by greif and sorrow, need for vengeance and all other emotions to really think about anything else.

Talon entered in after Mari and Claude but he didn't go sit down immediately. Walking into the kitchen he opened a cupboard and pulled out a medical supply bag. Talon had them all over the house for instances like this. Taking it over to the table with a towel, he sat down by Mari and grabbed her hand. He didn't ask for it because she probably wouldn't give it to him. Turning her hand over Talon looked at it closely. "Well you won't need stitches, I'm going to clean it now." Keeping a hold of her hand Talon used his other hand to spread out the towel on the table, then grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Pulling her hand over the towel he poured some on her cut and washed the blood off. Then grabbing gauze he dabbed at her cut. Putting a thick piece of gauze over the cut Talon wrapped medical tape around it to hold it in place. "Ok there you go Mar. I'll need to change it tomorrow." Cleaning everything up Talon placed the kit back in the cupboard and sat back down at the table. "So whats the first step? What are we going to do?" He asked calmly, cleaning Mari's wound had made him calm.

Claude watched Talon with intense interest. He had never had the knack for healing that his brother did, and so he was always absorbed in the man's work when he got a change to see it. Claude listened to Talon talk, and interjected before Mari could comment. "Obviously we have to go to the FBI, they're the ones that sent Mari the notice, they'll have the full story!" He said, very concerned about what this might be doing to his sister.

She screeched as Talon cleaned the wound. She was touch at times but she didn't exactly enjoy any pain at all. And Talon liking to fix her up whenever she was hurt was what made her scared of all doctors, the way they only think of how to fix things or heal things. It wasn't good in her book.
She looked at her brothers with tears in her eyes and said npothing as she began to cry again.

Talon looked to Claude and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah that's a good idea. We need to find out the real story and uh um..figure out when we can..you know.." Talon couldn't make himself finish his sentence but he was pretty sure that they both knew he was talking about getting Mari's moms body so they could bury her. When Mari burst into tears he wrapped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "It'll be ok Mar.." Well he hoped it would be.

Claude looked at his two siblings and sighed, he didn't know what to do to get Mari to snap back to the present, she seemed lost to everything. Only able to cry and look unfocused over Talon's shoulder. Claude attempted to make eye contact with her. "Mari." He said, leaning toward her. He knew that this was a tough time for her but he didn't want to upset her either. This was a very delicate situation. "Mari, please. Let's find out what happened." He said, reaching his hand out across the table to his sister. All of their recent quarreling forgotten.

Mari shook her head at them. She couldn't speak, and could hardly breathe through the harsh sobs that wracked through her and she was hyperventalating[[ or however you spell it]]. She looked up at Claude "I can't..." She hispered and snuggled into Talon's warm embrace and taking Claude's hand.

When Mari snuggled closer into Talon's embrace he wrapped his other arm around her waist and rested his head on the top of hers. "That's ok Mari. We don't have to right now." Talon didn't like that she hyperventilating, he started to rub her back in slow circles. It always calmed him down when he was upset, Talon hoped it would calm Mari to.

<-> Eek! So short..sorry BC. Not much to work with Xl <->

Claude didn't know what to do for his brother and sister. He was the leader, the one that took charge. He signed releases, wrote checks, balanced the books. He did the hard things like pick out the old man's casket, or tell Talon and Mari that their dog had died. Claude struggled for a few moments more, feeling the weight of all the things he needed to do bear down on his shoulders. He then stood and walked over to where Mari and Talon were sitting, cuddled together so. "I'm going to drive down to the FBI office in the city." He said, dropping a kiss on both of their heads, "I'll get the information together so that we can go over it here." I don't want Mari to have to go through this first hand. He added silently to himself. Claude began to walk toward the door.

Mari shook her head. "According... to law..They can't.. relaease any information... on the case until it's completely solved... and the suspect is arrested..." she whispered to Claude, her voice muffled by Talon's shirt. She and eventually passed out from crying. As she fell asleep her mind kept sending around thouts, questions, and then she ended up blaming herself for not having her mother with her for not calling her mother in weeks, all the basic self-hatred that then led to depression, but she forced her subconscious mind to go blank, just reveling in the peace of the black, lonely darkness.

Talon stayed silent and still as Claude talked. When Mari started to whisper back to Claude he shifted a bit. He never knew it was against the law to give out information on an open case. When Mari passed out Talon made sure she didn't fall over. Grabbing her up in his arms he stood up easily, working out had it's pluses. Walking over to Claude he paused. "I'm going to go put her in her room. It's good she passed out, it will give her mind time to heal a bit. Don't leave yet." He continued to walk past Claude and made his way to the stairs, walking up them easily. Talon hoped Mari's door had been left open, it was going to be awkward opening it while holding his fast asleep sister.

Claude mulled over what Mari had said, and waited for Talon to return to the room as his brother had asked. Legally, he was related to Mari, and therefore her Mother. The FBI would release some information to him, as part of a grieving family - he was sure of that. He waited for Talon to return, and though of Mari. He hoped that she would be okay.

Mari snuggled against Talon, the sleeve of her dress slipping down her flawless shoulder as he walked her to her room.

Walking to Mari's room Talon sighed in relief when the door was slightly open. Pushing it with his foot he walked into her room and carefully laid her on her bed. After smoothing her hair back Talon grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her. Walking quietly Talon left her room and shut the door. Jogging down the stairs Talon went over the Claude. "I want to go with you. She'll be asleep for awhile."

Claude knew that was what Talon was going to say, "Alright. You can come, but I do all the talking!" He said before he headed out the door towards his car.

Within the hour they were seated in the waiting room of the FBI branch office, hoping that the agent would see them soon.