You're Automatic.

I looked at the twins and smiled. Tom was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed and Bill clung to him like a lost puppy that had just found their master. It was adorable. I stood against the wall across from the twins and I looked at Tom, who hadn't really taken his eyes off me since we walked in, "So, what happened?"

Tom half smiled and Bill and shook his head as he looked at me. "I went to your house a little while after I woke you guys up. I left a note for your step-dad and told him to meet me in the park. He finally met me and I confronted him about beating you and Skye, but got defensive and acted like I was making shit up and that he would never lay a hand on either of you." He scoffed and rolled his eyes, balling his fists up.

Skye stood beside me and put his arm around me, looking at Tom. "Let's all pretend that was a shocker... What happened next?"

"I didn't let it go. It really pissed me off that he could do that to you guys and then just pretend be dad of the year. The fact that he could lie and act so innocent was disgusting. So I started to lose my temper. I got in his face, yelling and calling him every name in the book..." He looked up at me and Skye with a smirk, "Your dad has a really short temper."

"Step-dad," Skye and I corrected in unison. Neither of us even wanted to call him that, but it was better than knowing we were actually related to that sack of shit.

"Right. Anyway, he lost his temper faster than I did. One minute, I'm yelling at him and calling him liar, the next I'm on the ground with the wind knocked out of me." He chuckled and shook his head. "Long story short, I'm a little banged up... but he has a broken nose." He held up his bandaged right hand and smacked against against the palm of his other hand. He looked up as a police officer walked into the room, "And this is why I couldn't get back to the hotel. Apparently your mom called the cops on me and I haven't been allowed to leave since I got here." He winked at me then looked at the cop, "So, officer, what's the story?"

The cop smiled a little at Tom then at Skye and me. "Hey, Skye. Craig told me you'd be coming down here." He composed a serious face and looked at Tom. "Well, he doesn't want to press charges. He says you're just a kid and it's not that big a deal. So I'd say you got off lucky today, son. You're homefree." He smiled and put the pad of a paper and pen in his pocket. "I'd suggest you don't punch anyone else until you get back home, though." He chuckled then looked at Skye, shaking his hand, "See you around, Skye. Try to keep your friends in line." He winked with another chuckle.

Skye half smiled and nodded, "Alright, Manny, I will. See you around, man." He watched the officer walk out and shook his head. "Hard to believe I used to play in the sandbox with that guy in kindergarten."

I smiled and walked over to Tom, giving him a tight huge. "I'm glad you're alright. I wish you wouldn't have done that though; he could've really hurt you... Or pressed charges." I frowned at him. "We were all so worried something horrible had happened."

He pulled me closer and hugged me. "I didn't mean to worry anyone, especially not you, mein Engel. But I wasn't going to let him get away with what he did to you and Skye." He let go of me and grabbed my hands. "Besides, he knows that I know. If he presses charges, I spill the beans." He winked at me and grinned before kissing my cheek.

"So, where is the son of a bitch, anyway?" Skye crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, looking at me and Tom almost disapprovingly.

Tom shrugged, "A couple rooms up the hall. He was cursing me and screaming at me for about an hour. I don't know if they sedated him or if he lost his voice, but it's been pretty quiet the last couple hours." He looked at me with a cocky smirk, but it half vanished at my expression. "Amanda, I'm not scared of him."

I sighed and nodded, "You might not be, but I am. Can we leave? I don't like knowing he's only a couple rooms away..." I really didn't. Say he heard Skye's voice and came in to make sure we went home so he could deal with us later... It was the last thing I wanted to happen.

Tom nodded and stood up, holding my hand in his. "Of course, hon. Let's get out of here before the bull wakes up." He snickered and lead us out of the room. "Besides, we still have to get someone's homework." He winked at me with a smile.

I nodded and walked out with my small group before Gustav pulled Tom back, asking if he could have a moment. I nodded and walked away, the two quietly talking in German. I looked over at Bill, who had been silent since we had arrived at the hospital. "Are you okay? You seem sort of glum for us just finding Tom. And he's okay!" I smiled, glad that I had been able to keep my promise to him.

Bill shrugged, looking at his hands. "Fine." His voice betrayed the lie, and so did the look on his face. He definitely wasn't fine. "Just tired, I guess," he lied again. This was a lie I knew better than a lot of people. Why was he lying to me?

"Are you sure? You don't seem fine."

He only nodded and followed Skye out to the car. I looked back at Gustav and Tom before sighing and following behind my brother and Bill. Skye looked at me with a smirk, "You're gonna have to sit in someone's lap, Manda."

I made a face. "Why Aubrey's Prius? Why? Why not your car? Or Nathan's Jeep!?" I groaned and looked over as Tom and Gustav joined us again. "Sooo, who wouldn't mind having a hundred pound girl in their lap for the remained of the trip?" I smiled innocently. Gustav and Tom shared a look, smirking, and I scoffed. "Ugh, men!" I looked over at Bill and smiled, "Bill?"

He scoffed and shook his head, looking up at me from the seat in the car. "That hurts." He sighed and unbuckled his seat belt. "Well, come on then."

I sat on his lap and pouted, "You know what I meant." I kissed his cheek and pouted again. He avoided looking at me, but finally gave in and smiled. He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

"Yeah, Billa, you know what she meant," Gustav teased as he climbed into the back seat with us, forcing Tom to sit in the front with Skye.

Bill stuck his tongue out at Gustav then strapped the seatbelt around himself and I before he looked at me with exaggerated curiosity and innocence. "Actually, I don't know. Please explain." He looked between Gustav and I.

I thought quietly as Skye drove then looked at Gustav, but he just shook his head. I looked back at Bill. "Uhm. Well, I uh... I just meant that... Well, I just meant that you're safe. You know." I chuckled nervous and forced a smile.Bill raised a brow at me. "Oh. Safe, huh?" He nodded thoughtfully for a minute. "I'll show you 'safe'," he said quickly, grabbing my face and pressing his lips to mine fiercely. His tongue grazed my lips and he pressed a hand against my hip.

The other boys laughed and hollered; except for Tom, who just glared back at his brother. I couldn't do anything right; when I made one twin happy, the other was upset. This, however, was not my idea.

Finally Bill pulled his face away from mine, my bottom lip between his teeth for a second before he released. "Am I still safe?" he purred in my ear, sounding almost exactly like Tom.

I squirmed in his lap and caught my breath, my face going dark red. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just stared ahead out the windshield. I really hoped no one could hear just how hard my heart was pounding.

Bill laughed and was soon joined by Skye and Gustav. They teased him and made fun of him. They laughed and poked and proded, at both Bill and me. But Tom sat, arms crossed angrily.

"Yeah, sure, just laugh at the poor girl who was just madeout with in the back of a car! I'm outnumbered here!" I crossed my arms and pouted. "Tom, help a girl out?" He ignored me.

"That's why it's so fun, you're completely outnumbered here." Gustav snickered and poked my ribs. "And you can't pretend you didn't like it, you looked like you did." He snickered.

I glared at Gustav and snatched the hat from his head. I turned it inside out and put it on my head crookedly. "Dur, I'm Gustav the Great! I beat drums with two sticks and make fun of girls!" I pretended to play the drums stupidly.

That got Tom to look back at me. He smirked and chuckled. "'Dur'? What is 'dur'?" He made a face and waited for my answer, laughing at my stupid impersonation of his drummer.

I shrugged, "I dunno, I just thought it'd be funny. Isn't it? DUR!" Everyone laughed at me again, pretty much giving me the answer to my question. They all made the sound themselves which made everyone laugh even harder.

"I think it's a wunderbar impression," Bill said with a smile. He looked at Gustav, who just looked blankly at the two of us. His arms were crossed over his chest and I could tell Bill wanted to mess with him even more.

I looked at Bill and we stifled a laugh. "Of course it was! Because I'm amazing at imitating Gustav the Great!" I cleared my throat and crossed my eyes. "Hit. Drums! Make. Noise! Dur. Yeah!" I acted like I was hitting a drum with each word, switching arms.

Everyone laughed except Gustav. He glared icily and annoyance rolled off him in waves. It made the laughter turn into an awkward silence as everyone stifled their laughter and tried to keep straight faces.

I bit my lip and looked at Bill, trying not to laugh. He pursed his lips and closed his eyes, losing control. I looked at Gustav and opened my mouth like I was going to apologize, but just blurted, "DUR!" The laughter started again, louder and hard than before. That time, even Gustav couldn't help it and started to laugh with everyone else. I sat there, grinning and laughing like an idiot. I felt like this was just what everyone needed after the last couple days, as good laugh with good friends.

Skye's laughter stopped abruptly and he swore loudly, slamming his foot on the brakes. The car slid on a patch of ice, swerving hazardously, and Skye fought to regain control with no luck. Bill held onto me tightly and I screamed as the car bumped as it jumped a curb and hit a street light. Once again, my heart was trying to make a brutal escape from my chest.

"Skye, are you okay? What's wrong?" I looked at the others to make sure everyone was alright. Tom was rubbing his head and Skye had a fresh cut on his forehead from banging it on the steering wheel."Uh, Amanda... We're in some deep shit..."

I looked from Skye to where his eyes were glued and the blood drained from my face. I cringed back into Bill and he put his arms around me protectively. Tom was glaring viciously and everyone was silent as the grave.