Morning came just like every other day. Sunlight shone through the bedroom window and illuminated the room. Charlie opened his eyes and there were a few seconds where everything was the same until realization hit and everything had changed. The sun did rise today. All Rhodians were still gone. Souls of all the Rhodians from the Cabinet were gone too. Charlie shut his eyes. He knew Quill had saved his life but he couldn't understand why because prior to that she had hated him with every fiber of her being. Maybe motherhood had changed her. He didn't know if he should thank her or despise her for that.

He must have turned over in bed at night. He needed Matteusz's warmth right now. He felt lost without it. He was lost without him. He turned to find the other side of the bed empty. He didn't feel disappointed at Matteusz's absence, rather oddly felt hollow on the inside. His deepest fear had come true when he lost Matteusz the moment he decided to use the damned Cabinet against Matteusz's pleas. He knew Matteusz had come home with him yesterday only to make sure he was alright because that's the kind of a good person he was. He wouldn't be surprised if Matteusz wanted nothing to do with him from now on.

Charlie didn't regret the lack of restraint he'd had over the weapon but he hated it at the same time. That moment when Corakinus threatened to kill Matteusz was the scariest he'd ever felt in his life, and the angriest. He couldn't lose him to the same thing that he'd lost his whole world to before. He'd rather have Matteusz alive and lose him than have him murdered by the shadowkin. No one deserved death by those monsters. April didn't have a choice and that's why she had believed in him to do the right thing; to save everybody. He couldn't wallow anymore, not this early in the day anyway. He noticed Matteusz had plugged both their phones to the chargers. Charlie went to the bathroom. He heard the shower running and the curtain drawn. Matteusz hadn't left. He picked up his toothbrush to clean his teeth. He noticed Matteusz's toothbrush was not in the holder. So he was getting ready to leave. Charlie needed to shower and eat before he left the house. He was a creature of habit. These mundane actions were the only things he had to keep himself sane. He didn't know what would happen to him when Matteusz did leave him. He finished brushing his teeth, left the bathroom, picked some fresh clothes from the closet and went downstairs. He showered in the downstairs bathroom quickly, dried off and dressed up in a hurry. When he came to the kitchen Quill was pouring herself some tea. She must have read that coffee was bad for the baby. He was going to head upstairs but Quill spoke up.

"Why didn't you use your own bathroom, Charles?"

Charlie turned and looked at her. He wasn't going to appear weak to her. "Matteusz needed it for his morning stuff", he said.

Quill gave him a sharp look like she wasn't having it but took her eyes off him after a couple of seconds. Aren't you gonna have breakfast?" she offered.

"Since when do you care if I ate or not?" Charlie asked in annoyance.

"I don't. I thought maybe I'll be nice since you went through all that yesterday. Guess that war didn't knock you off your high horse, Prince!"

"Are you done?" Charlie asked without annoyance.

That was odd. He always rebuked when she taunted him. Guess that war did affect him. "Yeah, go about your day" she said in a voice lower than usual.

Charlie hoped Matteusz hadn't come out of the bathroom yet and he was right. He picked his bag and phone up and headed out of the house as soon as possible. He didn't want to be there when Matteusz left the house for good.

He called April and asked her if he could come over to her house. She'd said yes. They didn't have school for another couple of hours. He walked to her house. He was greeted by April's mother at the door. Neither of them smiled or said anything. He went inside and noticed how colorful April's house was. April was eating breakfast at the table. It looked so strange to see a shadowkin sitting at a table eating eggs in a civilized manner.

"Would you like to join us, Charlie? Mum didn't know how much my new body would need, so she made extra everything" April offered.

Charlie thought April must be very lucky that her mum didn't treated her any differently. He supposed they talked the night before.

"Yes. I rushed out of the house without eating anything."

He pulled up a chair and sat and he was served some scrambled eggs and some bacon. He made an uncomfortable face and April's mother noticed it. "What's the matter, dear?" she asked.

"Mum, Charlie is a vegetarian. He doesn't eat meat" April answered for him.

Charlie awkwardly sat there as April's mum took back the bacon she'd served on his plate. She poured him some milk in a glass and he ate up quickly. No one seemed to bring up what had happened. He supposed this was how British people coped with horrible things; ignoring the elephant in the room and just going about their day. He was fascinated when the shadowkin had attacked the school the first time and the next day nobody seemed to be fazed by it.

After finishing up, Charlie helped April to clean the table and put the dishes in the sink to be washed later. Both of them went to her bedroom and closed the door.

"I was so worried about you. How are you?" April asked.

Charlie just looked down and didn't answer.

"Oh dear!" April responded. Charlie looked like he was holding back a lot. If she didn't try anything he'd never open up.

"How's my new look by the way? Do I look cute?" April joked.

Charlie didn't seem to be in the mood for funny. April wondered how it must feel like to have lost all hope of getting one's people back.

"Where's Matteusz? He was with you last night", she said.

Charlie looked up. "He's probably packing up to leave the house right now", he said with a pained expression.

"What!" April couldn't believe what she just heard. "What are you saying?"

Charlie couldn't do it. He couldn't hold back. He let go and cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. April scooted closer on the bed where they were sitting and held him. "Hey, come on. He wouldn't leave you. He loves you more than anything", she tried consoling hm.

"No, he doesn't. He only came home last night to make sure I was alright" Charlie said in between tears.

"Did he say he was leaving? Was he packing when you left the house?" April asked.

"No. He was in the shower. His toothbrush wasn't in the holder. He wasn't there in the bed when I woke up. We always stay in bed before both of us wake up."

"Oh, Charlie, he probably just didn't want to disturb you", April said.

He didn't seem to stop weeping. He kept saying "I lost him. I lost him…"

April knew if he kept this going on he'd definitely start hyperventilating. She rubbed his back as she texted Matteusz with the other hand.

CHARLIE IS NOT OK. COME TO MY HOUSE. NOW!

Matteusz came out of the bathroom to see Charlie wasn't in the room. He'd heard him come in and brush his teeth. He thought he'd join him in the shower but he'd left. He must've gone down for breakfast, Matteusz thought. He was drying himself when he heard his phone's text ringtone go off. He checked it and he dropped the towel the second he read the text. He threw on what clothes he could find and rushed out of the bedroom and downstairs.

"Bloody teenagers", Quill seethed as she saw Matteusz rush out of the house. She sometimes felt like she could puke at all the drama that annoying Rhodian and the human had between themselves.

Matteusz rang the bell to April's house and he was worried about Charlie. He hoped he wasn't having a panic attack like last time. April's mum answered the door. She wasn't surprised to see him.

"I'm sorry Mrs. MacLean, but April asked me to come over. Where is Charlie?" he asked.

"They're in her bedroom…" was all she could say as he ran inside.

Matteusz knocked on April's bedroom door. April opened the door. Matteusz needed some getting used to her new body. He saw Charlie sobbing on her bed. He rushed to his side and held him. He looked at April and she understood. She closed the door behind her as she gave them privacy.

"Charlie, I am here. It's alright" Matteusz kept reassuring him as he held his face. Charlie wouldn't stop crying. The crying just got worse and he couldn't catch his breath. Matteusz hugged him and rubbed his back. It seemed to calm him a little. Charlie hugged him tightly like he didn't want to let him go. They stayed there like that.

April went to the living room where her mum was waiting. She sat down on the sofa.

"What's his name again?" April's mum asked.

"Matteusz Andrzejewski" April said. Her mum didn't seem to remember it.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Charlie's vulnerable right now. He thinks Matteusz is gonna leave him."

"From what I've seen, the way that boy looks at your friend, they're sweethearts for life."

"I know!"

After a few minutes Charlie let go of the hug and looked down. Matteusz took his face in his hands and said, "Charlie, look at me."

Charlie looked up to those beautiful blue green eyes that he loved so much.

"I did not lie when I made that promise yesterday. I will make that promise again today, and tomorrow, and the day after that" Matteusz said with determination.

"But you saw me use the Cabinet. You should hate me right now", Charlie said confused.

"I know I said I was worried that I could not be with you if you used the Cabinet. But I do not know what it is like to lose my whole species to death or what I would have done if I was in your shoes. I will not pretend to understand. I don't want to be the person you lose while you are still alive. I realized it when Corakinus held sword to my neck. Please forgive me for making you feel like you should abide by my conditions. I don't want you to feel guilty because of me."

Charlie wasn't sure if he'd ever stop feeling guilty but he was less sad because Matteusz was here with him. He promised. He loved him.

"So you are not afraid of me, you're not leaving me?" Charlie asked.

"I am afraid of you. I am afraid of you losing hope in us."

Charlie always felt dumb when he didn't understand what Matteusz was trying to convey.

"What made you think I was leaving you?"

"Your toothbrush wasn't in the holder. Doesn't it mean our relationship ended?"

"You are a fool, you know that. You watch too many relationship drama shows, Charlie", said Matteusz, chuckling.

Charlie felt embarrassed as he leaned his head on Matteusz's chest as Matteusz kissed his head.

Charlie's phone started buzzing. He took it out saw that Quill was calling. "Should I answer it?" he asked. Matteusz nodded. What he heard on the phone made him stand up quickly.

April's mum had had it with these kids. She could only handle so much alien drama this early in the morning because a minute later Charlie, Matteusz, and April were rushing out of her house.