Jean laughed. "What, is she getting to you already?"

Devi looked at him, aghast that he even had to ask, and then replied, "One minute she's the sweetest thing in the world, the next she's telling me we've sinned against god--which reminds me...I have a bone to pick with you." Her eyes narrowed at him accusingly before they softened somewhat. Fidgeting somewhat awkwardly, Devi looked up at him sheepishly and added, "Besides....I....kinda missed you?" The last part came out more like a question than a statement. "I don't like being separated," she concluded, pouting.

"One minute she's the sweetest thing in the world, the next she's telling me we've sinned against god--which reminds me...I have a bone to pick with you."

Jean's guilty expression turned to one of mild annoyance. "Oh, damn... what did she tell you?" he asked, not entirely surprised that his mother had already managed to turn his girlfriend against him.
---

"Besides....I....kinda missed you?" The last part came out more like a question than a statement. "I don't like being separated," she concluded, pouting.

"Hey, just keep that in mind for the rest of the trip, and it might not turn out that bad," he said, grinning mischievously.

Jean's guilty expression turned to one of mild annoyance. "Oh, damn... what did she tell you?" he asked, not entirely surprised that his mother had already managed to turn his girlfriend against him.

"You didn't tell me that doing certain...things...before getting--" Married. She stopped before the words crossed her lips, a red tint misting her cheeks. "Nevermind. I'll tell you later," she added quickly, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Hey, just keep that in mind for the rest of the trip, and it might not turn out that bad," he said, grinning mischievously.

Devi arched a fine brow at his statement, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she inquired, "Just what are you implying?" She paused, blushed slightly, and added, "Did you forget, we'll be staying in separate rooms."

"Nevermind. I'll tell you later," she added quickly, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Wha-?" Jean arched a brow in confusion. "What didn't I tell you?"
---

"Just what are you implying?" She paused, blushed slightly, and added, "Did you forget, we'll be staying in separate rooms."

"Sure, that's what my parents think..." Well, Mom does, at least, he corrected inwardly. Reaching over, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Personally, I think it's kind of stupid. I mean, come on, we're both adults, right?"

"Wha-?" Jean arched a brow in confusion. "What didn't I tell you?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Devi replied as she tried to hide her face from him, embarrassed. Her face burned bright crimson as her mind raced back to Emilia's talk of marriage. "I said I'd tell you later!"

---

"Sure, that's what my parents think..." Well, Mom does, at least, he corrected inwardly. Reaching over, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Personally, I think it's kind of stupid. I mean, come on, we're both adults, right?"

Devi blushed and looked up at him questioningly, leaning into his hold. "What does that mean? What are you up to?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. Tilting her head to the side, she looked up at him expectantly.

"I said I'd tell you later!"

"..." Jean was torn as to whether to just drop the matter or to keep begging for a response. After all, whenever he didn't want to tell Devi something, she always kept at it until he did. Still... "Well, all right then. I guess if it's not that important..."
---

"What does that mean? What are you up to?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know later," he replied, a small, devious smile tugging at his lips.

"..." Jean was torn as to whether to just drop the matter or to keep begging for a response. After all, whenever he didn't want to tell Devi something, she always kept at it until he did. Still... "Well, all right then. I guess if it's not that important..."

Devi's head whipped up, her eyes locking with Jean's as she replied, "It's not that it's not important! It's important...or at least...I think it is. Maybe? But...I'll tell you later. Later."

"Don't worry, I'll let you know later," he replied, a small, devious smile tugging at his lips.

Devi pouted. Wrapping her arms around him so he couldn't escape, she persisted, "But I want to know now...please?"

Devi pouted. Wrapping her arms around him so he couldn't escape, she persisted, "But I want to know now...please?"

"I dunno, Dev... it's just doesn't seem right to tell you what I'm thinking when you won't do the same..." he said, looking relatively amused. He was rather enjoying toying with her.

"I dunno, Dev... it's just doesn't seem right to tell you what I'm thinking when you won't do the same..." he said, looking relatively amused. He was rather enjoying toying with her.

"But...but...I..." she sputtered, trying to find a good argument. But she couldn't. He had a point. She frowned and looked away, her cheeks heating up again. "Fine. You promise you'll tell me if I tell you? Promise?"

"Fine. You promise you'll tell me if I tell you? Promise?"

"... I promise..." Jean said slowly, hoping that he wasn't going to regret it.

"... I promise..." Jean said slowly, hoping that he wasn't going to regret it.

"Alright..." Devi began cautiously, hesitantly. She leaned in close, speaking in a low tone--a voice slightly above a whisper. "Your mom that two people weren't supposed to do certain..."things"...before they were...before they were married," she explained, her voice catching in her throat at the end as her face flushed bright red. "She said doing that was an act against god. Why didn't you tell me?"

"She said doing that was an act against god. Why didn't you tell me?"

Jean stared at her blankly for a few seconds as he wondered, with horror, what sort of things they must have been talking about in there. This was worse than baby pictures by far... The embarrassment, however, was overshadowed almost immediately by the hypocrisy of his mother's statement.

"My mother said that, huh?" Jean's voice wavered slightly, his jaw twitching as he tried to keep from laughing. "Devi, my parents were married when I was five years old."

"My mother said that, huh?" Jean's voice wavered slightly, his jaw twitching as he tried to keep from laughing. "Devi, my parents were married when I was five years old."

Devi looked up at him blankly for a moment, blinking cluelessly as she tried to comprehend just what Jean was trying to say. She furrowed her brow, pouting somewhat as she fell into thought. Doing the logistics in her head, Devi looked back up at him and replied, "But how can that be? That would mean you would have had to have been born before...oh...but! But she said!"

"But how can that be? That would mean you would have had to have been born before...oh...but! But she said!"

"My mother says a lot of things," Jean told her, chuckling softly now that she had finally realized what he had meant. "I mean, look at earlier. She seemed all happy because she thought you were gonna have a baby."

"My mother says a lot of things," Jean told her, chuckling softly now that she had finally realized what he had meant. "I mean, look at earlier. She seemed all happy because she thought you were gonna have a baby."

Devi's heart dropped at the topic of childbirth. It was an impossibility for her and she knew it. She tried to feign a laughed but failed as she replied, "Yeah. She did look happy. I guess...she'll be a bit disappointed..."

"Yeah. She did look happy. I guess...she'll be a bit disappointed..."

Jean noted Devi's failed attempt at laughter and, for one of the few moments of his life, found himself at a loss for words. He knew that Devi was upset by her inability to have children, and he hadn't meant to bring it up...

"C'mon, let's go inside," he suggested, pulling her closer, hoping to divert her attention from the depressing matter.

"C'mon, let's go inside," he suggested, pulling her closer, hoping to divert her attention from the depressing matter.

"Ah...ok..." Devi replied, leaning in close to him as she tried to clear thoughts of children from her head. She looked up at Jean and smiled appreciatively, realizing that he was attempting to console her without delving too far into the subject.

"Ah...ok..." Devi replied, leaning in close to him as she tried to clear thoughts of children from her head. She looked up at Jean and smiled appreciatively, realizing that he was attempting to console her without delving too far into the subject.

Jean returned her smile, stepping away from her and turning toward the door just as his mother burst outside, a brilliant grin upon her face.

"Oh, good, there you are!" she said happily, wringing her hands in the spazztic way she did when excited. "Your aunt and cousin are here!"

Jean's smile vanished as soon as it had disappeared. "Geez, Mom... you couldn't have given us a day to relax before inviting over the relatives, could ya?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Jean, you haven't seen them in forever..." Emilia scolded, rolling her eyes. "Well, come on then! They're just dying to meet you, Devi..."

Jean's smile vanished as soon as it had disappeared. "Geez, Mom... you couldn't have given us a day to relax before inviting over the relatives, could ya?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Jean, you haven't seen them in forever..." Emilia scolded, rolling her eyes. "Well, come on then! They're just dying to meet you, Devi..."

"Oh...right. Of course...." Devi looked from Jean to Emilia and then back to Jean before tilting her head to her side in confusion. "Um...Aunt? Cousin?" she questioned hesitantly. She wasn't expecting to meet more members of the family so soon.

"Um...Aunt? Cousin?" she questioned hesitantly. She wasn't expecting to meet more members of the family so soon.

"Yeah... They're not bad," Jean told her, although his tone was a miserable one. Following his mother into the house, they were led into the living room where an middle-aged woman and a small boy waited expectantly. Jean's Aunt Naomi was a curious case, not being much older than himself. He had always gotten along rather well with her, despite her anger issues.

Damien Havoc was his cousin in miniature, his dark blond hair flaring in the front much like Jean's did. He was seven years old, almost eight, and, with an adorable smile crossing his features, dashed up to his cousin as if they hadn't been separated at all, throwing his arms around his middle.

"Uncle Jean!" he yelled, beaming up at him.

"Hey, there, kid," Jean greeted him, patting him on the head. "You've grown."

Damien nodded fervently before turning toward Devi, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at her. "Hi," he said in a shy little tone, holding his arms up for a hug.

Damien nodded fervently before turning toward Devi, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at her. "Hi," he said in a shy little tone, holding his arms up for a hug.

Devi's anxiety fled immediately, her heart melting as she observed in the adorable young boy. Crouching down to get closer his level, she smiled sweetly and, tilting her head to the side, replied with a chuckle, "Well, hello to you too." She then held her arms open, excepting his invitation for a hug.

"Well, hello to you too." She then held her arms open, excepting his invitation for a hug.

Damien giggled as he hugged his cousin's girlfriend, backing away after a moment and glancing up at Jean, rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes as he said in a gleeful tone, "I can see what you like this lady, Uncle Jean! Her boobs are huge!!"

Damien giggled as he hugged his cousin's girlfriend, backing away after a moment and glancing up at Jean, rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes as he said in a gleeful tone, "I can see what you like this lady, Uncle Jean! Her boobs are huge!!"

"Eh?!" Devi gasped, unconsciously crossing her arms over her chest before gaping at the blunt child. She slowly turned back to look at Jean with an embarrassed, shocked expression. "J-Jean?"

"Eh?!" Devi gasped, unconsciously crossing her arms over her chest before gaping at the blunt child. She slowly turned back to look at Jean with an embarrassed, shocked expression. "J-Jean?"

Jean was wearing an equally shocked expression. He wasn't entirely sure how to react and was torn between chasing the little runt down and locking him in the closet or having the boy's mother deal with it... he decided that the latter would be wisest.

"Naomi..." he said, glancing over at her expectantly.

"Naomi..." he said, glancing over at her expectantly.

The hair on the back of Devi's neck prickled as she suddenly became aware of a particularly threatening presence. Her animal half would have gone into action, instincts screaming to defend, had she not realized that the dangerous aura was focused on another. Turning around, Devi noticed Jean's aunt slowly stepping behind the young boy.

Glaring daggers Naomi bent down and grasped the small child by his ear, tugging him away from both Jean and Devi. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?! Now you better get your act together and behave yourself, or so help me I'll---!!"