Xavier's gaze never drifted from the road ahead of him.  The empty, cemented roads weren't comforting; they were as broken as his family.  One sister had scars all over her body and severe depression; the other hide their feelings.  Xavier didn't know what was worse: the depressed sister or the one burying her emotions? He sighed and gripped the steering wheel. He couldn't ponder it now he had to arrive at the new house without being in, or causing, an accident. The giggle from Rose made him turn his head nonetheless and then back to the road.  Random giggles from her like this were nice to hear, but he knew she was also acting half the time.

He wasn't sure how to handle either situations.  The loan from the bank for their new house was going to be hard to pay off. On top of that, he had all the bills and the girls' education to pay for.  Persephone was going into her senior year, and Rose her junior.  There was nobody in town he knew and much less, would trust.  How would he manage all this?  Just thinking about it caused his head to ache further.  This wasn't something he knew how to handle.  And then, back at the house, when their parents were being murdered - there was an incident.  He didn't know why or how it happened, but it had and he was afraid to speak up.  This had to be nothing.... There was no way it had occurred.. How could - 

A car nearly smashed into him, causing him to jerk the wheel and swerve. He honked the horn in frustration and nearly yelled out the window.  He reminded himself it would only startle the two, and Persephone might freak out at the unexpected shout. The drive left without a glance back.  "Sorry, girls," he told them s he glanced in the mirror.  Persephone looked over, acknowledging him, then away without a word.  If she was or wasn't, he wouldn't know; she did not speak often.  He sighed and looked over at Rose. "You alright?" He glanced away to intently stare at the road ahead of him.  He was not letting anything bad happen to these girls anymore.  He vowed on it.  If something happened, he was going to lose it.  Persephone and Rose were the only people he had left.  The rest of the family had isolated them in fear of being targeted.  The sympathy cards were written so fake that he couldn't fathom the 

Minutes later, they arrived at the new house.  Xavier sighed in relief and pulled in and parked.  He opened his door and then opened the others for the girls.  Then he glanced around the neighborhood and waited for the two to climb out.  Once they had, he beckoned them forward as he lead them into the house.  "Let me make sure it's empty first." He told them. "Wait here." He entered after unlocking the door with the key left in the mailbox.   Xavier strode inside to the colonial house.  To the left against the wall was a staircase leading upstairs with a white railing.  The living room was on the other side of the wall, and to his right, the two separate bedrooms.  Ahead was the kitchen, which he observed, was rather quaint.  It was modernized, but it had an older house appeal. The wallpaper was something out of the fifty's - the people who had lived here had not taken the time to redo it.  Xavier could care less how it looked, as long as it was functional.  At least the girls might like the cream wallpaper with the flowers painted on it.  The floor was carpeted with wood beneath it, he noticed, as it creaked when he walked forward. 

Fifteen minutes later, he beckoned the two inside. "It's safe," He told them as he glanced around.  A tall girl with big, curly brown hair was looking over at them curiously from down the street.  She wore a taupe blouse tucked into a plaid skirt and a pair of booties.  Her tie was flying aimlessly in the wind.  She smiled at them warmly then entered her home. He looked away and ushered the girls inside then shut the door.