When she arrived home, she ran into the kitchen where everyone sat cleaned up and ready, having homework and such out, looking like normal kids, wearing their "rich" clothes, that Daniel only let them wear when Erica came. She quickly asked, while doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen,"All the room's ready?" 

"Yeah," everyone chorused from behind.

"The Room locked?" Everyone chorused yes again. She turned around to face them and thats when all hell broke loose. Danny and Rico both shot up, as Danny asked seething with fury,

"What happened to your cheek?" Selene didn't let her little brother intimidate her, brushed his concern off, and replied,

"I was a klutz, and hit myself on the shelf in the back storage room at work. Its nothing." She turned away, as she put the washed plates away in the cabinet, then turned back to him to pick up the bowls when he said,

"Don't bullshit me Selene. I use those excuses, you taught me them, what happened?" Selene put her hands on her hips, and gave him a stare,

"You did not just use that language with me did you?" Danny immediately turned into the a sheepish kid, then all flustered said using a nickname he had called her since when he was little,

"Selly!" A flashback hit Selene.

"I'm cold Selly," Danny whimpered clutching his thin jacket to him as much as he could though it offered no extra warmth. They had been on the streets for hours, and hadn't found a soup kitchen or anything. Selene took off her sweatshirt and placed it over her three-year old little brother, gritting her teeth against the cold of Chicago in the winter, as she hugged him close trying to keep him warm as much as she could, the snow falling freezing her already shivering shoulders clad in only jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes that were duct-taped at the bottom to cover the holes at the soles of her shoes.

"Its okay Danny, we'll find someplace warm soon." She didn't want to use there money unless they had to, which it was beginning to look like they would. It was almost dark, they had no food, no warmth, and no protection other than Selene was mascarading as a boy, since her 9 year old body hadn't developed any womanly curves yet, but even that wasn't much since they were two kids on the streets of Columbus. 

She decided to call it a night, and then went into an alley that had some boxes, she was small, so she went in one of the bigger ones and curled up in a fetal position, clutching a warm sleeping Danny to her chest. She had no warmth so she was freezing, she was exhausted from walking all day, starving from giving all her food up to Danny earlier, and terrified, hoping with all her being no one would find them here. Just then Danny mumbled sleepily,

"Night Selly, I wuv you." She felt a pang of warm love shoot through her heart at his words. She clutched her little brother closer to her and whispered, kissing  him on the top of his matted chestnut curls,

"I love you too, sweet dreams Danny."

"Danny I'm not in the mood to argue. Please," she pleaded exhaustedly, she hadn't slept last night, and the pain from her back was as intense as ever, not to mention something was up with her arm as well, and she hadn't eaten last night or this morning, having had only had an apple and some bread for lunch. He read her eyes' and nodded backing off. Rico stepped forward and asked,

"What do you need us to do?" Selene gave him a grateful smile, Rico was sweet in that way, although he was hardened from foster care, he was still sweet and caring. 

"First things first, check all the room, make sure they look lived in, books all over the place and dirty crumpled clothes strewn all over the room, next, make sure everyone looks neat and so on. Also, practice what your going to say when Erica asks how you are, what sports you play, and so on. Its," she strained to the clock,"5:31, lets go."

********************************

At 5:51 everyone was waiting at the kitchen table, when Daniel came home. The door banged shut, causing everyone to flinch at the sound. Selene had placed herself nearest to the door, with Danny and Rico right behind her, and Sariya and Jacob nearest to the wall. She immediately stood, as Daniel came into the kitchen, his dark eyes' unreadable, and surprisingly, there was no beer in his hands. He stormed in, grabbed Selene's hair, and smashed her into the wall, causing her to emit a shriek of pain, before she curbed her scream, as agony exploded across her back, causing her to spasm slightly. Danny got up, and started to run over, when Selene gritted her teeth and spit out,"Danny, stop." He looked at her with defiance, and rage that she knew was directed at Daniel, but he stopped. "Danny!" He sat, as Daniel turned still gripping her hair, and said to Danny,

"Lost your nerve boyo?" Danny looked down with clenched fists and fury radiating from his barely submissive figure. Sariya and Jacob were staring at Daniel in terror, as Rico sat on edge ready to protect Danny, Sariya, and Jacob, should Daniel make a move to them. Daniel smirked then turned back to Selene.

"Listen here girl, if Erica finds out, I will carry out my threat, and Danny will pay, are we clear?" Selene nodded, her face blank, as emptiness filled her inside, pushing away all emotion. Danny slammed her into the wall again, causing her to grate her teeth, her eyes' wide with agony briefly as she stifled a scream, then put her blank mask back on.

"Yes sir," she replied without the slightest quiver, she and to be strong, to be brave, for all the kids. He released her, causing her to fall to her knees, which she quickly recovered from. She got to her feet, and gave a small smile to everyone else to reassure them she was okay. The doorbell rang, everyone's terror and anger disappeared, as they all sat down and smiled as if a happy family. Daniel shot them one last terrifying glare, then left to go open the door.