I'm sorry for any spelling/punctuation mistakes I have probably made and failed to correct.

Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourite/reviewed so far. It really does mean a lot to me.

I'm struggling a little bit with what was originally going to be this chapter. I really want to keep the boys in character, and I'm just not satisfied with how it is at the moment. So to let you guys know I haven't forgotten/given up on this story, here is a flashback chapter. It takes place just before Conan is woken up on her birthday by her parents. I hope it's ok.

A tapping noise from beside her woke her from her dreams. But it wasn't unlike Shelly to sneak into her room in the dead of night and scare her into sleepless nights every so often. Instead of paying attention to the noise however, she merely mumbled in her half sleepy state, turned over and pulled the sheets over her head in the hope that the noise would disappear if she just ignored it. But when she realised that it was not coming from her bedroom, her eyes shot open under the darkness of her covers. It had come from her window. Or to be more precise, outside her window.

But there was nothing outside her window to cause a tapping. So what could it possibly be?

Shelly had once told her the history of the house they now lived in. A lonely man had owned the house before their Dad, he had been so lonely that one night he had given up on ever finding friends, someone to love, and life itself. He had gone to the cellar, taken the rope he had stored in his shed along with him, and used it to hang himself. But he had never truly left the house, he still walked around, moving things around if he felt they weren't in the right place, causing the floorboards to creak when no one was out of bed, sending chills down the spines of visitors when he got too close to them.

Of course, being only four when Conan had heard this story, she believed every word. Every creak and tap she had heard in the weeks following had scared her into slipping into her parents bedroom to feel the safety of their arms around her. It was only one night when her parents had left the half siblings in the care of a sitter, when she finally stopped believing in the spirit of the lonely man and she was finally able to sleep between her own sheets once again.

But now, as the tapping continued, she began to doubt herself. Had the lonely man been real? Was he still in their house and currently in her bedroom?

She took a deep breath and threw the covers back off herself, stood on her bed and opened the curtains.

It was not the face of the lonely man she was greeted with. Instead she was net with the dark gaze of Dwayne. She smiled brightly as she lifted the window.

"Did you bring more ice cream?" She asked. Dwayne chuckled to himself. Most people would ask how he had managed to find where they lived, or how they had climbed up to their window. But he hadn't expected that from Conan.

"No." Her smile fell slightly. "But, we found this." He bought his hand round from behind his back, and showed her the balloon he had caught for her.

"We?" She asked as her smile got brighter again. Dwayne simply nodded and indicated with his head for her to look down below. There, standing on the grass beside the dining room bay, were the three blondes she had been introduced to earlier. She waved down at the enthusiastically when they looked up at her. Marko and Paul waved back to her, their enthusiasm just as high, David merely nodded his head. "Do you wanna come in? My parents are still asleep so you'll have to be real quiet." She moved out of the way and sat back under her covers as Dwayne climbed through. It didn't take long for the others to follow. She flicked on her bedside lamp and hoped her parents didn't wake up just yet.

"Happy Birthday!" Paul whisper shouted to her as he climbed down from her bed. He spread his arms wide and Conan was instantly out from between her covers. She jumped into his arms, and tried to contain a squeal as he spun her around a few times before he collapsed on the bed with her still clinging to him, giggling wildly into his shoulder. Marko who had taken a seat on the edge of the bed, smiled as he watched the pair. Dwayne was busy tying the balloon to the post of her bed neatly and David had occupied the chair her Dad usually took when he was reading a story to her beside her bed.

Conan sat up now, using Pauls chest to push herself up and looked around at them all. "Isn't it a little late for you to be up?" She questioned them with a yawn as Marko patted his lap for her to climb on. She willingly obliged and let him wrap an arm around her waist to keep her from falling while the other hand lightly played with strands of her messy hair.

"Not really Princess. We're used to it." Paul replied as he sat crossed legged next to Marko.

"So, you sleep during the day?"

"Inquisitive aren't you?" David asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes." She nodded, unperturbed by his icy tone.

"Yeah, we sleep during the day." Marko answered.

"And you came here, just to see me?" Conan sounded in awe as she let herself lean back against Marko's chest.

"Well we thought about going to visit your sister." Paul pretended to think about this, tapping his chin in thought, "But we'd rather see you instead." Conan was so happy with this she forgot to admonish him for not calling Shelly her half sister.

"But we can't stay long." David added as Dwayne leant against the door. "In fact, we only have a few minutes before we should go. You need your sleep as well as we do." He looked out of the window at the sky, noticing how it was getting ever so slightly lighter.

It was clearly the wrong thing to say as the smile disappeared completely. "Can't you stay?" She turned her gaze to Marko and Paul.

"Not really Princess. We only came to wish you Happy Birthday and give you back your balloon." She turned back round to face Dwayne who gave her a sad shake of his head.

"Okay." Her hair fell into her face as she looked down at her lap. They had only just got here, and they were already planning on leaving.

"How about, we tuck you back into bed, and wait till you fall asleep?" Paul asked now, not noticing the annoyed sigh that David emitted. Yes, the child was growing him, but they needed to get back to the cave and fast.

"Okay." She repeated, but her tone did not lighten.

Marko lifted her and tucked her under his arm as if she was a parcel as Paul threw back the covers for her without caring how messy they became. With no warning, Paul climbed into her bed, shoes still on, and waited for her to climb out of Marko's arms and into his again. She did so, but with little enthusiasm.

"Cheer up Princess. We'll come back." He gave her a squeeze a she settled herself and pulled the covers back over her and Pauls legs.

"Okay." Her Aunt Barbara had said the same thing three years ago. She still had yet to return. She didn't bother to get her hopes back up that they might change their minds and stay a while longer, but she didn't want them to leave while she was still sad, just in case they really didn't come back. "Will you bring ice cream next time?" She mumbled as she shut her eyes and lay her head against Paul's chest, the other three boys observed as her eyes quickly filled with sleepiness. She must have been really tired if she was already drifting off again so soon.

"We'll buy the whole ice cream parlour for you." Marko informed her from his perch at the side of her bed. She was unsure if he was just messing around, but it was something to dream about while she waited for them to visit again.

Paul gave her another squeeze and lightly ruffled her hair as she greeted sleep once more, a small but visible smile etched on her face.

Carefully, Paul detached himself from the sleeping girls limbs, her disappointed sigh at the lack of contact made him smile as he launched himself out of the window.

Marko pulled her covers up to her chin, ensuring she would stay warm for the rest of the night before he followed his brother.

David, who was unsure of what do to, only watched the girl as she gently breathed in and out. He was careful not to tread on her as he exited her bedroom.

Dwayne, moved over towards the sleeping girl, crouched down beside her bed, tucking a few strands behind her ear and wishing that they really could visit her again with her knowledge. He felt that even with very little spoken to one another, they had formed a kind of friendship between them. He didn't dare think of the word bond, it was far too early for that.

He and the boys were danger, he knew that. They would not let her grow up around them. Through their mental connection, each one of them, even David, (he was rather surprised at that) promised they would look out for her.

"Happy Birthday Conan." He whispered in her ear, delicately kissed her cheek and left the room. He missed her already.

Review?

Love you!