I finished packing my small suitcase and large backpack, taking both of them out to the hallway.

I had fed Ambrose and Daviel last night, telling them that I'd be gone for a few days. They were both very disappointed, which surprised me because normally Ambrose wasn't as affectionate with me.

Everyone else was waiting by the front door with pouts and sad expressions as I approached them. "Geez, you guys look like I'm leaving forever."

Russet and Waltz flung themselves at me, but Angel caught Russet and Dian caught his lover. Both my bunny and my faerie pouted deeply until I kissed them. Russet had flushed a bright red because he had almost been pecked on the lips. He squirmed and moved around to hug Angel, who chuckled and stroked his head.

Over the last couple of days, I helped Russet get more used to everyone since I was going on a trip. I wanted to make sure he'd be okay without me. He took to Angel and Waltz more easily than the others, likely due to their non-predator status as Emerged. But that's odd because I'm two predatory creatures as both a dragon and a wolf.

Gavin and Zaire pecked my cheeks, holding me between them. I grinned and hugged them back.

"Stay safe, Anwyll. We'll be missing you." whispered Gavin.

"I will. And I'll be missing you both, too."

I went through the goodbyes with everyone, and I could feel my lips tingling from each kiss. Angel held himself back from kissing me too hard when he noticed, but gave me more smooches on my cheeks. That made me giggle.

Blaine was the most worried, but Damon kept him calm. Matteo was outside in the car my daddy provided us, so Blaine wouldn't have to look at him. I reassured my incubus and my angel that all would be well.

Daddy kissed me goodbye and hugged my body tightly, then carried me and my stuff out to the car. "I have your passport here, baby. And your plane tickets."

"Thank you, Daddy! I love you." I said, hugging his neck.

I pecked his lips as he opened the door and set me in the front passenger seat. He chuckled and rubbed between my ears while he looked directly into Matteo's eyes.

"Take care of him."

"I swear I will. I love him, too."

Daddy hummed, then kissed my forehead and buckled me into the car. "I'll have to trust you on this because my baby said he wanted to go with you."

Matteo nodded. "Thank you."

My daddy clenched his jaw, but smiled when I reached for another hug and a kiss. Once they were granted, Daddy shut the door and Matteo started up the car. I waved at everyone through the window, then settled into my seat. I looked at Matteo, who was really nervous as he drove away from our home.

"It'll be okay, Mattie." I said softly, placing my fingertips on his right hand.

Matteo relaxed, but took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. His navy blue eyes looked much less panicked. "Thank you so much for coming with me, Anwyll. I know for a fact that I would have turned this car back around and returned to my room had you not been here with me. I feel like such a coward."

"You're not a coward, Mattie. You're a man traumatized by your past. It's only natural for you to be scared of meeting your father again."

Matteo lightly dipped his head, but then sighed. "You're too nice to me, Anwyll. I always think about how much I traumatized Blaine. It's a huge regret for me."

"You need to give it time. You apologized to him through me. Someday you'll be able to apologize in person. Also, Blaine was worried about me being with you, but I reassured him things would go well. And they will, won't they?"

He nodded. "I will make sure you stay safe."

I smiled. "And I will do my best to make you happy!"

Matteo blushed. "I am quite happy being here with you, Anwyll."

My smile broadened. "It's the same for me with you, Mattie."

It took about a couple hours to get to the airport. I enjoyed talking with Matteo about meaningless things. He seemed to be able to calm down and was even laughing when I started dancing in my seat from the radio music he'd turned on.

I was starting to get a bit hungry, but kept that to myself while Matteo navigated the confusing mess of roads crisscrossing our main one. He turned down a road and it took us to a lot with what looked to be at least two hundred cars. Matteo pulled alongside a tall booth under a roof with someone standing inside it. There was a machine next to his side and a yellow bar keeping us from entering.

Matteo pulled out his wallet and pressed a button for the window to go down. The woman opened the window and eyed us.

"How many days?"

"Four, please."

"All right." she said, then typed something into her machine. She spoke the total aloud and Matteo handed her his card. She swiped it and handed it back. "Take the ticket from the machine. The number on it is your parking spot for the next four days. The bus will come 'round to pick you up relatively soon after you park. Be ready to go."

"Yes, thank you." replied Matteo, as he took the ticket. "Here, Anwyll. Read this for me."

The yellow bar lifted as Matteo rolled up the window. He pulled through and drove to the letter of the row and then down to the number. It was a flurry of activity as soon as we got parked. The bus came up just as I was putting on my backpack and grabbing my suitcase. Matteo had his suitcase and a small bag as well, which he grabbed and then shut the trunk, locking the car and stowing the keys away in his small carry-on bag.

We hurried to the bus and climbed on, the driver waiting with an impatient look on his face. I quirked my lips down, but Matteo paid no mind and stowed our suitcases onto the nearly full rack with our backpacks. I glanced around the bus. There were no two empty seats, only singles.

Matteo sighed and led me to one single seat and sat down, then plopped my butt onto his lap. He held me there, ignoring the stunned expressions of everyone else. I giggled and moved my left hand to cup his cheek, rubbing my head on his own. Matteo's chest rumbled with a pleased purr of sorts as the bus began to move forward and bounce us around.

I played with his knuckles with my free hand, since his hands were clasped at my tummy. Matteo felt so relaxed and goo-like while he held me. It felt really nice. His nose rested in the crook of my neck and left shoulder, subtly inhaling my scent while the bus took us towards the airport. I ignored everyone's blatant stares, gently kissing Matteo's head of short, dark brown waves. His tanned skin was warm to the touch, but he was always like that unlike me.

"Hey, doesn't that kid look like the one on the news?" whispered one woman to her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend shrugged. "Who knows."

"But why is he here? He should be preparing for the press conference."

"Maybe that kid isn't him and he's going on a trip with his big brother."

"But that guy is so old. There's no way he's that kid's big brother."

Matteo flinched, but calmed down when I kissed his temple and threaded my fingers in his hair.

I sighed loudly. "Can you whisper any louder? Geez, everyone can hear you."

The two blushed. "S-sorry," said the woman. "What is the nature of your trip together?"

"To visit family." I said, my tail wiggling between Matteo's legs. "And we're not related, but we are family."

The woman flushed and apologized again. "Are you the kid from the news?"

"You mean the adult perceived as a child? And the same adult whose family's name was slandered thanks to a jealous subordinate?"

The woman was clearly confused. "What?"

"I am an adult." I said calmly. "I have been eighteen for over a month and a half now."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "What?"

"I have my passport. It says my age if you don't believe me."

The boyfriend shook his head. "It's fine. I can tell you're not a kid from the way you talk."

"Yeah, so what's this thing about a family name and a jealous subordinate?" asked a young woman next to us.

"Angelique Michaels is another one of my family members. His driver was attracted to him, even though Angelique refused his advances on many occasions. When I came to work one day with Angelique, the driver's attraction turned to obsession and he tried to hurt me. I knocked him out and not long after he gave a false lead to the news media to pay Angelique and me back for hurting his feelings." I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. "What about my feelings? I was almost punched and strangled by that guy."

Everyone was quiet. Matteo lifted his head. "You never told me that."

I shrugged. "It's fine, Mattie. The past is in the past. If that guy wants to dredge it up, then the truth will come out."

Matteo kissed my neck ever so gently and dropped his head again. He squeezed my waist and grew quiet.

"I feel bad for judging Angelique Michaels now." muttered one older man. "If you are as old as you say you are, and as your passport says, then the whole thing is just a farce to make your family look bad."'

"Yeah, it is. I'll be back in time to do the press conference. Being here with Mattie is of the utmost importance right now, though." I beamed, tilting my head.

Matteo pushed his lips out to kiss my shoulder, then relaxed again. The bus ground to a halt and the ones closest to the door grabbed their things, hurrying down the steps. Matteo lifted his head and moved around a bit to grab his wallet. He pulled two dollars out and handed them to me as we stood up.

"Get your backpack, Anwyll, and then give the driver the money I gave you."

I nodded and did as told, smiling at the driver before I hopped out of the bus. Matteo chuckled and set my suitcase down with his own. He resettled his backpack and pulled up the handle of his suitcase, just as I did with mine.

"Okay, Anwyll. Here we go." he sighed, holding out his hand. "Stay close to me, all right? Also, we need to get out your passport and your first ticket, since we have a connecting flight later."

"Ooh, okay. Those are in my backpack. I can get them out in the line, right?"

Matteo nodded as I grabbed a few of his fingers. He blushed when it happened, then smiled brightly when I grinned up at him.

We walked quickly into the airport and up to a longish line of people. According to Daddy, the first ticket had allowed us to go through the faster line, which meant we didn't have to take off our shoes, belts, and or jackets. Matteo showed his license and ticket to the woman a bit later, then looked back at me as he put his suitcase on the conveyor belt.

I raised my arm with my passport and ticket, so the woman looked at them and frowned. "This is...odd."

"It's the truth, though."

"Then why don't you have a license?"

"Because I was never allowed to drive before my dad brought me home. Besides, I don't really want to drive anyway. It all works out." I grinned, but she didn't seem to be listening.

She called the number on my passport and waited impatiently for someone to pick up. I sighed and let my ears droop. I hate this so much. I listened the woman demand an explanation, then heard her breath hitch. She quickly signed my ticket and handed everything back, which I hurriedly stored away in my backpack.

The woman waved me through, so I lifted my suitcase onto the belt and put my backpack up there, too. A man guided me to a tall gray machine that looked like a standalone doorway, then had me step through. Nothing beeped, so I was free to grab my stuff and hurry over to Matteo. He hugged my shoulders and kissed my head, then grasped my hand again.

"Off to the gate, then."

I smiled. "Okay!"