Winter Legacy -4.8-

Angel stood before her cake, the only guest willing to come to her house for her birthday was Teresa, the other kids were afraid of Angel, she had a reputation for beating people up and stealing lunch money. The kids could only imagine what super bully she would be on her own turf. 

"You're now a teen and I'm still imaginary." Puzzles complained.

"Disappear." Angel told him, she was thoroughly annoyed with his constant nagging.

When she stepped into the hall her father was giving Ice's son Justin serious look. "I-I...we're family..." The young man stuttered.

"I don't care, what do you think you were doing up here you little weasel?" He grabbed the boy by the ear and dragged him back downstairs. Angel was amused she knew she looked good.

But she would flaunt her goodies in the morning, for the time being she was exhausted.

With being a teenager came responsibility, hardly any compared to what other teenagers had, seeing as how Angel had a butler. Her responsibilities included making sure the bills were paid and to stop Comet from doing anymore of his experiments, that she would do gladly.

Soon it was time for another birthday, Cupid's youngest grew into a little cutie. 

Now that she was in her toddler years, Star's parents made time to teach her her skills. She was Hayley's little princess, completely different from her big sister and lacking the strange mental abilities that both of her older siblings possessed, she was much more reliant on her parents and Hayley was quite excited for the opportunity to actually have a child who needed to be taken care of.

The day after the youngest Winter's birthday, her big brother celebrated his teen birthday. Comet had more guests than his sisters. Those guests who weren't Comet's friends were curious about the the boy genius.

Comet took to his little sister right away, he even assisted his parents with teaching Star her life skills. Star adored her big brother, her older sister pretty much ignored her, but Comet would take time out to play with her and she liked that.

Glad to finally be getting some attention, Star did everything she could to please whoever was giving her some. When her mother talked to her about dancing, the tot would do a little jig which would make Hayley laugh.

The kids weren't the only ones who celebrated birthdays, a certain imaginary friend did as well, and he was not at all prepared for the rush of hormones that came along with his age. Suddenly he was obsessed with Angel, the once scary young woman was now a vision of beauty. Poor Giggles made the mistake of telling her how he felt.

"Really Giggles? Don't waste your time you freak of nature." She huffed then stormed out of the bedroom.

"Daddy!" She whined busting the bathroom door open.

Cupid sighed, "I need to pee."

"Tell Giggles to leave me alone!"

"He probably just likes you. Can't we do this when I'm done?"

"He just..." Angel threw her hands in the air, "You know, most father's will not encourage hormonal teenage boys around their possibly hormonal teenage daughters."

"That's because you're not most father's daughters, now get out."

"Fine." Angel pouted.

With teenagers came driving lessons, teaching his children to drive was not much of a chore but although he was pretty indestructible, Cupid feared for his life while driving with Giggles who, now that he was a teen preferred to be called Gio.

Hayley, while her husband was up to the dangerous task of teaching the teens how to drive, was spending time with her youngest daughter. "This is a plasma fruit, you'll eat this instead of biting people, it's rude to bite people who don't give you permission."

"Bite?" The tot asked and held out her hand for the red glowing fruit.

"So tell me about this...thing, you feel for my daughter." Cupid said as they were heading home.

"I uh..."

"Look kid, it's clear that Angel doesn't feel for you what you do for her. Don't waste your time, you should go find a girl who will love you for you."

Gio blushed. "Yes Sir."

Angel had put Puzzles away for a few days, he had gotten on her last nerve and she needed a break from him, but he was the only person she felt any affection for so she decided to put their arguments behind them and allow him to live again.

"Oh look, the Diva's back." He said coyly.

"Don't you start with me." She warned.

The Winter parents had another night of performances and fanfare, tonight though, they both wanted to be home. Hayley wanted to play with Star some more, and Cupid wanted to watch the drama with Angel and Gio, it had been a long time since he had any fun.

The next morning the teens gathered around the dining room table, Gio had tried to avoid eye contact with Angel but she plopped herself right in front of him. He was confused, when he paid attention to her she shot him down but when he ignored her...

"You're in love with me Angel, just admit it."

She looked up at him, a sour look on her face, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"There are three other chairs here, but you sit right in front of me."

"Don't flatter yourself dweeb." 

After breakfast Comet went to his work area, Angel stalked and tortured Gio, perhaps if she had Puzzles to occupy her time she would leave poor Gio alone.

"Here." He mumbled as he handed her the formula. He had never tested the physical concoction before, Puzzles would be a great lab rat.

Hayley had managed to talk her determined husband into staying in the following evening. Of course he was easily convinced when Star went up to him, said 'Dada' and raised her chubby arms to him.

He chatted with the toddler, trying to explain to her that he and Momma went out in the evening because the sun burnt their skin in the day and that eventually she would experience this herself. "Baba?" She asked, unconcerned with what he was saying.

Cupid gave the tot a bottle then put her on the potty, Star chatted with him while she did her business. "Concentrate kiddo." He laughed.

Cupid had put Star to bed and was heading downstairs when the bathroom door swung open. "Woah! You've been in there some time." Cupid grinned.

Comet gave his father a blank look, he'd completely missed what his father was implying. Cupid sighed, not at all what it was like growing up with Rudolph and Shayne. Perhaps he and Hayley should try again for another boy...

In another bathroom Angel was finally making Puzzles' wish come true.

The sour faced young man she ended up with was not what she had in mind though. "Well, that took forever." Puzzles growled. Angel returned the sour look and walked away.

Angel had given no thought to how she would explain Puzzles to her father, they had done a good job at avoiding Angel's parents the entire day, then on their way out of the kitchen she walked right into him. "Hi Dad, Comet gave me a formula that made Puzzles real." She said casually and never stopped walking. Puzzles though realized he had another problem, damn Comet, he gave them a botched formula!

Puzzles stood outside the master bedroom door eaves dropping on Cupid and his wife. 

"...Can't believe these damn children and those damn imaginary friends..."

"Cupid honey you're just saying words now." 

"...Damn house is too crowded, I otta put all of them out on the streets! Who's gonna feed all of them?"

"Cupid, breathe so we can talk about this."

To punish their children, Cupid and Hayley decided to send the former imaginary friends to boarding school with the promise that if there were any more experiments done in that house, the kids will join their friends.

But experiments soon became the least of their worries. 

"Bravo Hayley. Prepare to see a lot more of me. I've kept an eye on your children and they have grown up wonderfully. Comet and his genius will serve me well and your eldest, she is a born leader, just like her father."

It had been a while since Hayley had felt the icy kiss of draft but in that moment she felt a chill so cold her very soul trembled.

Hayley had been a wreck all of the next day.

"Nooo!" Star squealed as her mother fought to steady her on the toilet, she could sense Hayley's dark mood which was completely different from the usual bubbly mood she was used too.

"Don't worry Mom, I'll help you with Shawn."

"Comet..." Her mental barriers were nothing for her son to push past, she had seen the curious looks her family gave her. Cupid had asked but she had quickly knocked him down, saying that it was nothing he could help with, just one of her woman problems. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"It is Mom, it's bothering you, not to mention that Shawn is threatening me and my family. We'll talk more about this later." Comet stalked off, his parents had forbidden him to perform anymore experiments, but he figured this one would be for a good cause.

Cupid sent his wife to bed, whatever was on her mind had exhausted her. He picked up Star and threw her around enjoying her loud giggles. "Hey Mama, you know that's the last time I'll be able to do that to you. Do you know why?"

"Birthday!" Star squealed as her father took her downstairs to the kitchen. Cupid held his baby over the cake and nearly sighed. Neither he or Hayley was ready for the unexpected bundle, they weren't even sure if they wanted her, but she came anyway and captured their hearts, and now...now she was becoming a child and gaining some more independence, neither of her parents were ready for that.

Star poofed into a clone of her sister. "What's up twerp?" Angel strode into the kitchen. Hmm, what torture could she unleash upon her kid sister? "Welcome to childhood, where you'll be locked away in a torture chamber they call school for seven hours every day, you'll be given chores and possibly be teased by other children." She pulled one of the girl's ponytails and left the kitchen humming.