Gamzee sat on the blue bed bouncing his knee and stroking the back of Striders head, his fingers undoing tangles in his untamed black hair.

"StRiDeR wHo HiT yOu?" Gamzee questioned the whimpering boy. He squeezed his son tighter and kissed his grey forehead. "DaDdY nEeDs tO kNoW."

"I-I-I just wan into a doow!" Strider lied as he attempted to escape his fathers grasp. Gamzee tightened his grip on Strider, preventing any ways of escaping.

"dOn'T yOu DaRe LiE tO mE..." Gamzee snapped pulling the boy away so he could see his face. "If YoU dOn'T tElL mE i HaVe No ChOiCe bUt To PuNiSh YoU fOr FiGhTiNg."

"MICHAEL!" Strider said just as explosion of tears came down his face. Gamzee solemnly set Strider on the bed.

"WhY dId MiChAeL hIt YoU?" Gamzee asked his son. Strider pointed to a picture of Candy that sat on a shelf.

"CaNdY!" Gamzee shouted. "CoMe HeRe NoW!"

Candy shyly poked her head in the room. Gamzee picked her up and set her on his knee.

"WhY wAs StRiDeR pUnChEd?" Gamzee was lightly bouncing the knee Candy was on causing her rear to sting slightly.

"I don't know..." Candy lied her eyes focusing on nothing in particular. Gamzee bounced his knee a little bit more. Candy winced every time it went down.

"WhY wAs StRiDeR pUnChEd?" Gamzee repeated bouncing his knee high enough for Candy to be lifted off for a few seconds.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Candy yelped her eyes watering more and more as she crashed back down on Gamzees knee.

Gamzee gave her a few light smacks on her now covered bottom. Candy looked down then at Gamzee, her face red from crying. Gamzee stopped bouncing his knee and sat her in a comfortable position.

"PlEaSe," Gamzee begged Candy. "WhY wAs StRiDeR pUnChEd?"

Candy threw her arms around Gamzees neck. "Michael was bullying me and Strider helped me so Michael p-p-punched him!"

Gamzee kissed her forehead then let her back into the hallway. Strider was attempting to bury himself under the blankets. Gamzee removed the covers and picked up his child.

"Candy c'mon..." Karkat ordered picking up the now napping child. Candies response was to grumble something and turn over. A knock at the door downstairs rang throughout the house.

"Can you put Candy down for a nap right quick?" Karkat asked Gamzee who nodded as he took his niece.

When Karkat opened the door he was surprised to see Kanya, her husband Equius, and their son Michael on the porch.

"Michael has an apology owed to the children of this household I believe, and if I do say so myself it has been needed for some time now!" Kanya explained as Strider walked down the stairs.

"Uncwe Karkat who's at the do-?" Strider froze in mid-sentence, screamed, and ran down the hallway into a closet.

"WHATS ALL THE RACKET ABOUT!?" Candy snapped running her left eye. "CAN'T I GET FIVE MINUTES OF SLEE-?" She froze in mid-sentence, screamed, and she too ran down the hallway into a closet to hide.

"Michael don't ya' have sometin's to say to mista' Karkats for bullyin' his daughta'?" Equius demanded shoving his son forward with his knee.

"Mista' Karkat," Michael started as both Candy and Strider poked there heads around the corner. "My humblest apologies fa' bullyin' ya' daughta' and punchin' ya' son..."

Gamzee stayed on the stairs watching Strider and Candy carefully. Candy was shaking rapidly and holding a stuffed bunny she had dubbed the name "Mophysy". Strider was sweating and his eyes were shifting more than a chameleon's at a fly house.

"We would have come sooner but we didn't know what all was going on until we got a call that Michael had punched Strider." Kanya informed the slightly confused Karkat.

"I don't have a son just a daughter," Karkat responded thrusting a thumb towards Candy who ducked behind the corner. "Striders dads on the stairwell."

Gamzee took a swig of his Faygo and nodded. Strider cautiously approached the ajar door and faced Michael.

"Hi Michael!" Strider chirped as Candy followed behind. "Now that this has been cleared up wanna be friends?"

"Sure!" Michael offered out his hand for a shake. Strider smirked and gave him a hard jab in the left eye.

"That's for Candy..." Strider said as he kneed Michael in the crotch. "And that's for my eye!"

Candies jaw dropped and she watched her friend walk to the basement.

"My Balls!" Michael squeaked as he fell to his knees. His hands covered his part and he lies their moaning for a bit.

Candy silently pulled on her fathers sleeve. Karkat looked down then picked up the young troll careful not to pull any of her now loose black hair.

"Daddy why does Michael have balls in his pantsh?" Candy asked.

"Uhhhhhhhh...Well...Uh...You'll find out when your older..." Karkat said blushing. Gamzee took it as a cue to take Candy to the basement with him and Strider.

Candy fell asleep in Gamzee's lap instantly making him immobilized. Strider was happily drinking a cream soda Faygo, a way of celebration for defeating Michael.

"Daddy?" Strider began after his father had finished moving Candy to the couch ,and covering her with a blanket. "Was what I just did fighting?"

"TeChNiCaLlY yEs." Gamzee answered with a nod as he brushed his hand against his belt buckle. Strider felt his blood freeze and his breathe being lost. "BuT sInCe YoU dId It To PrOtEcT cAnDy I cAn LeT iT sLiDe JuSt ThIs OnCe..."

Strider smiled at his father before he too drifted off into a sleep. Gamzee was still putting Strider I'm his bed when Karkat walked in.

"Thanks for taking Candy off my hands for a bit." Karkat said opening his laptop.

"No PrObLeM bRo, YoU wOuLD'vE dOnE tHe SaMe FoR mE." Gamzee replied as he turned off Striders light and went to his own room.

HI IT'S ME,

CLOVER BUNNY,

NUMBER44,

the kids are going on a night adventure next chapter! Enjoy! Review please!