Monsters? These are my children -Ben (o/o with lisapickle)

Miki let go of Cage and darted off the porch, escaping the confusion and Ben's wrath to come, and racing out toward the road where Dio and Lackey had disappeared.

Silver took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ben." she sniffed. "I started it. I stole your phone the other day and texted Dio."

Miki slowed as she reached the end of the driveway and saw Lackey and Dio in the grass. Lackey sat with his head in his hands and Dio stood in front of him, biting his lip and gripping his own arms with white knuckles. "Hey," Miki said as she approached. "Is he okay?"

Silver nodded, grimacing. "I know." she said in a small voice. "I knew it was wrong. I'm sorry. I just knew you wouldn't invite Dio back for forever and I wanted to see him again. I didn't mean for Miki and Cage to invite him over and I didn't realize he would bring a Kavi with him."

Dio glared at Miki as she approached.
The human, he thought. He looked back at Lackey, refusing to look at her as he spoke.
"No, he's not. That brat sent him into a panic attack and…" he sighed. "I can't help him when he's like this."
Miki nodded, standing a few feet away, watching Lackey. He sat still, eyes closed, sucking in deep, desperate breaths. "I'm sorry." she said. "Kissa is… she's awful."

Silver stood on the porch, waiting for Ben to come back. I can't be good. I try and I always mess up.

Dio didn't reply to Miki. When she didn't leave he finally glanced at her again. "You can't help him either. You better go back."
Miki snorted. "And get roasted by Ben? Nah, I'm good."
Dio closed his eyes and sighed. "Benjamin came out?"
"Mmmhmmmm." Miki nodded.

Dio watched Lackey, fist pressed against his lips. He needed to talk to Ben. He couldn't let the kids hang themselves on their own naivete when he had encouraged them, instead of informing Ben what was going on. With a sigh he turned to Miki.
"Will you stay with him? Don't touch him, and don't try to talk to him. Just watch him and let him know where I am if he asks."
Miki raised an eyebrow at him. "Where are you going?"
"To explain to Benjamin what happened."

Silver meekly followed Ben into the house and curled up in a corner of the couch, not looking at him and avoiding eye contact with the others.

Dio headed toward the house, bracing himself for whatever happened. He tried the door and found it still unlocked. Carefully he let himself in, letting the door click audibly behind him to warn them of his presence before he came and stood in the doorway.

Silver glanced up, feeling Dio's energy before he even stepped in the house. When he appeared in the doorway, she swallowed and glanced nervously toward Ben.

Dio nodded and went back outside, standing on the porch and waiting for Ben to join him. He kept his mouth shut, letting Ben begin first.

Silver wrapped her arms around herself, trying to curl up smaller, and blink hard.
I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry. Not this time.

Miki stood beside Lackey after Dio left, glancing between the house and the panicked Kavi before her. Lackey seemed much more self contained and calm than before, but he hadn't moved from his position of holding his head in his hands and breathing through his mouth. Slowly she lowered herself to the grass beside him.

Dio nodded, agreeing with everything he leveled at him. "I'm sorry. You are correct, and I am sorry. The only thing I can say in explanation is that I am honestly very concerned for you all–especially yourself, Benjamin–and I was deeply worried over the fact that Silver tried to contact me at all, since I knew there was no way you would have given her permission. I wasn't sure if something was wrong, or something had happened, and that's why she reached out. I do acknowledge that my reaction was not proper and they took it as encouragement, and I should have immediately told you what occurred. I am very sorry."

Dio watched him, holding his tongue while he thought through what Ben said and his own opinions. With a sigh, he braced himself and said, "With all due respect, Benjamin, I disagree."

Dio nodded again. "Alright. I understand." and he turned and left, heading back to where Lackey and Miki waited.

Silver grimaced, her face contorting as if she was going to cry, but her eyes stayed dry. "Two days ago I stole your phone and copied Dio's number into my phone and I texted him. I just wanted to ask if he was coming back because I wanted to meet him again but Cage and Miki found me and then Dio called me and they sort of hijacked the phone call and invited him over tonight after you and Vi went to bed." She glanced across at Cage. Sorry.

Lackey sat still, in the same position, staring at the ground in front of him. Miki hadn't moved either, sitting beside him and picking at the grass, humming to herself every once in a while. His panic attack had ended about ten minutes previously, but he didn't know what to do with Miki beside him instead of Dio.
What do I do.
Where did he go.
Who is this human.

Silver took in a deep breath through her nose, still vowing to not cry. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "It was stupid and I should have told you." She covered her face with her hands, willing her heart to stop pounding.

–

Dio found Lackey and Miki sitting silently on the grass. One glance told him that Lackey was fine now, but terrified of interacting with Miki. The girl looked up as he approached, a bright, easy smile coming to her face. "Hey. He didn't kill you." she said.
Dio shrugged. "No, he did not. I am afraid he might kill your sister though. I never imagined tonight could have gone to badly." he closed his eyes, as if willing the memory of the last half hour to disappear. "I thought the worst that could happen would be Benjamin waking up and finding us."
Miki nodded. "Yeah, me too. But, Kissa should never be underestimated. What was up with all that anyway? What did she do to him?" she pointed her thumb at Lackey.

"I told Violet!" Silver yelped, suddenly remembering. "That day! When Miki said I was on my period and I wasn't. Violet made me talk to her and I told her I had contacted Dio and she said it was–" She stopped midsentence, mouth hanging open, and stared at Violet. If she told Ben Violet knew about her texting Dio and hadn't told Ben, then Ben would get mad at Violet too.

–

Dio sighed and rubbed his forehead. "From what I can tell, Kissa and Lackey recognized each other from… before. I believe Kissa knows about Lackey and his relationship with my brother and used that to…" he shook his head.
Miki nodded. "She brought it up and sent him into a panic attack."
Dio opened his eyes, watching Lackey, fist pressed against his lips. "Yes."
Miki stood up and brushed the grass off her jeans. "Well. I hope he's okay now. But fair warning; Kissa will totally do that again since now she knows how easy it was. She's kind of evil." She cuffed Dio on the shoulder as she passed him. "And good job not getting killed by Ben."
Dio spun, grabbing her arm to stop her before she could leave completely. "About Benjamin; is he… alright?"

"No, no, Ben!" Silver gasped, leaping off the couch. "No, she didn't know! I promise! I told her I had texted Dio and she said it was okay and I forgot to tell her about him coming over part. She DID say that I shouldn't invite him over. I just… didn't hear that until she had left." She grimaced, all but falling on the floor at Ben's feet. "Don't be mad at her, Ben. She didn't know. Be mad at me."

–

Miki raised an eyebrow at Dio. "No. He's never been okay. Maybe when he was like–yeah, no, his childhood was crap too. Ben has never been okay in any sense of the word. Why?"
Dio released her arm, pressing his lips together. "I'm worried about him. I'm worried about all of you."
Miki glanced Dio up and down, studying him anew. Let's take a page out of Silver's book and do something stupid. "That's… nice. We could do with someone worrying about us. Someone who doesn't live in the same house." She rolled her eyes.
Dio paused, wanting to say more but not know what to say, or what was appropriate. Ben had already made it clear he was banished from their lives until Ben reached out again. Before he could decide anything, Miki pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Here." she said. "What's your number?"

Silver stood in the middle of the living room for a moment, watching him, teeth clenched in anxiety, but finally she deflated and turned toward the stairs, pulling herself up with the railing, her wings trailing on the floor behind her.

–

Miki repocketed her phone, now containing Dio's contact information, and gave him a final nod. "Well. I don't know what I'll contact you, but I'm sure I will. Goodnight." she waved and headed back toward the house.
The closer she got to the door, the more in dawned on her what had probably transpired while she was gone. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Well, here we go.
She opened the door and stepped inside.

Miki stood in the entry way, seeing the dark and almost-empty living room. Apparently he'd already roasted everyone else, and she was the finale. She took her shoes off and stepped into the living room, sliding her hands in her pockets and facing him. "Ben."