For as long as Patrick could remember, Lee had a temper. Especially when he was drunk. The littlest things would set him off, and he'd go swearing in every direction. But he had never seen him get that pissed before. They had been arguing about Joe's body being stored in the freezer when the man came by.

"I swear to God, Patty, I'm gonna knock your fucking block off", Lee had said in frustration.

Patrick knew he didn't mean it and was about to give an even nastier retort when an older man approached them.

"Nice parenting. But you might want to beat him in private", he remarked.

In a second Lee had turned, and Patrick tried his best to hold him back.

"What did you say, you fucking asshole? Fuck you! How about you mind your own fucking business or I'll knock your fucking head off!"

"Uncle Lee, it's okay! Calm down."

The man didn't walk away.

"I'm not the one who threatened my kid. But don't worry, he looks tough enough to fight back", he said with a laugh.

To prove his point, the man grabbed Patrick by the neck and gave him a rough shake. Patrick flinched and his uncle immediately saw the uneasiness on his face. At this, Lee lost it and pushed the man against a nearby fence.

"Don't fucking touch my kid, you asshole!"

Lee took a hard swing, and the man ran away with a bloody nose. Lee was about to chase after him when Patrick stopped him. He was shocked. He didn't know the rage he had just witnessed in Lee's voice and eyes existed. And he couldn't believe what he'd heard his uncle say. Did Lee really just call him 'his kid'? Patrick did his best to repress a smile.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked him in that cool, quiet tone of his, which was the complete opposite of the way he yelled at that jerk a minute ago.

Patrick nodded.

"You didn't have to do that, Uncle Lee. He didn't hurt me."

"Doesn't matter. He didn't have the right to put his hands on you. Or to accuse me of doing the same."

There was a moment of silence as they both thought through what just happened. Patrick couldn't decide if he should ask what was on his mind, and Lee couldn't decide if he had an answer for it.

"Why'd you say that? Why'd you call me your kid?"

Lee sighed and looked down at his feet, thinking over the question he had known was coming.

"As long as I'm here with you, I'm responsible for you. That makes you my kid. And I don't want any asshole fucking with my kid."

Patrick struggled with finding the words to ask his next question.

"Would you ever really hit me, Uncle Lee?"

Those words were like a knife in Lee's side.

"Patty, no. I'm sorry I said that. I'd never hit you."

"No matter how much of a pain in the ass you are", he added, as he looked at his nephew warmly.

This time Patrick didn't try to hide his smile. Lee gave a small one in return and put his arm around his nephew, giving a silent assurance that everything would be okay, somehow.