…Fuck. I should've updated this sooner, I'm aware. And sorry about that. I basically forgot to write the next chapter. Plus I was busy.

Forgot to put this in the last chapter, but Kuzey is TRNC, though I'm guessing you know that…

…

"Baba, did you have to throw the Monopoly board across the room? I thought I was the child here."

Sadik shied away from his son's gaze, playing with his hands as his face flushed. "Told you I was competitive..."

Kuzey was now tucked up in bed, smiling sleepily whilst Sadik sat on the edge of the bed next to him. The child's face flickered in the glow of his nightlight and he snuggled up to an assortment of cuddly toys that Sadik had bought. The whole room was filled with presents from his new father.

"Just because I was winning…" he mumbled.

"Hey! No one won because we didn't finish the game!"

"…Because you threw the board across the room."

Sadik huffed, folding his arms whilst Kuzey laughed. That laugh always had a strange affect on him, and he soon found himself grinning despite his attempts to sulk.

"Whatever," he said, "just get a good night's rest."

"I will."

"Did you have a good day then?"

"Oh yes, Baba," Kuzey grinned, "it was so fun! And I can't wait to go to the funfair tomorrow."

"Good, but try not to overexcite yourself;" Sadik frowned, "those things can be rather noisy. And dangerous. Maybe we should go to somewhere quieter. Like a library."

"Oh but I never get to go to funfairs," Kuzey looked down, pouting slightly.

"Does going mean that much to you?"

"Well, yes."

He sighed. "Fine, we'll go. But the moment you feel ill or unhappy, you just tell me and we'll go straight home."

"Thank you, Baba. But I think I'll be fine."

Sadik kissed Kuzey's forehead and stood up.

"Goodnight, son."

"Night, night Baba."

…

Kuzey! Wait! Don't go with them!

Sadik ran as fast as he could, but he never seemed to move forward. He tried to speak, to get his son's attention, but no words came out.

He could only watch as a shadowy figure led his son away into a blinding light. Kuzey toddled along next to them, holding their hand and not once looking in his direction. He seemed scared. He glanced from side to side, whining for his Baba. He didn't want to hold this person's hand. Sadik wanted to run to him, to prize him away from the stranger but he still couldn't move.

They walked further away. Everything was blurry. The light almost seemed to hurt. Kuzey, come back! They could be dangerous! Please don't leave me! I don't want you to be hurt! I don't want to be alone…

A flash. They were gone. Sadik silently screamed.

He shot up in bed, giving the tiniest of cries. A dream. It was all a dream. A wave of relief washed through him, but he couldn't help feeling more than a little shaken by the whole thing. Surely the dream couldn't be a warning? Who would want to take Kuzey away from him? He had no family to speak of. The social workers wanted him to have a happy home. No one wanted to take him away.

Regardless, he wanted to make sure Kuzey was safe.

Sadik climbed out of bed, throwing on a dressing gown and slippers, and blindly fumbling for the door. He stumbled through the hall, still clammy and trembling from his dream. He feared the worst as he approached the child's door, even though he knew he was irrational.

But Kuzey was still there. Sadik peered into his room through the ajar door to find him sleeping soundly, breathing steady. He was curled up, clutching a cuddly elephant in one hand and a lion in the other. All was well.

Sadik chided himself for being so paranoid, closing the door silently and tiptoeing back to his own room.

He heard a thump.

Sadik froze. The noise had come from downstairs, and he strained to listen for any more odd noises. Another thump, and the sound of breaking glass.

They were being burgled.

Sadik grabbed an ornamental sword off the wall, too high for little Kuzey to reach, but perfect for a grown man. It was too fragile to give any fatal wounds, but cut a fearsome image. He clutched the sword as he slowly made his way downstairs. No, he wouldn't allow it. This house was Kuzey's safe space and this invading bastard was going to wish he was never born.

Also he better not touch Sadik's sweets stash or there would be blood.

Standing in the hallway, he raised the sword and listened. There was a scuffle coming from the sitting room, and he inched towards the open door, peering inside the room at the figure silhouetted against the moonlight.

A young man, wrapped up in a sleeveless jacket on top of a stained jumper. His jeans were ripped and muddy, and a beanie covered his uneven hair. The man didn't even have a balaclava, and his gloves were fingerless. And judging by that- plus the awful racket he was making- Sadik guessed he was a terrible burglar.

He crawled through the now open window, collapsing on the floor next to the sofa and coughing. He groaned, resting his head on the soft carpet, not even having the strength to pull himself up.

Well, there was no guessing about it: the man was a terrible burglar. This was probably his first time trying something like this; he was probably desperate.

But Sadik had very little sympathy for him. This man had broken into a house where Kuzey was asleep and helpless, and for that he would pay.

"Hey!" he barked, "what the hell are you doing here?"

The young man yelped, lifting his head up and staring at him. He seemed too frightened to speak, just looking up with wide eyes, mouth slightly open and lip quivering. From these close quarters, Sadik now knew he smelt awful, like rubbish and dirty water and other things he cared not think of. The young man just looked at him with those dull eyes, bordered by dark rings.

Then he spied the sword.

The man screamed, sitting up and crawling backwards towards the wall. He threw his arms over his face, as if to shield it. He just kept crying out.

"Please! I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"

Sadik felt a flash of anger. What a coward! To break into someone's house then start sobbing once they'd been caught out!

"You dare come into my home?" he growled, taking a step forward. "You dare break in and put my family in danger?"

"Please, it was a mistake…"

"Damn right it was! So what, you were planning to steal from us? Kill us in our sleep? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you right here?"

"I… I…" he was lost for words, and promptly burst into a fresh round of tears, composing himself long enough to shout a few words out. "Please! I just wanted to see if he's here! I want to see him!" The young man was backed against the wall now, shaking and blubbing, arms still in front of his face as he shook his head.

Sadik stopped. "Who?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer, "who do you want to see?"

"Kuzey. He's here, right?"

Sadik raised the sword higher. "How do you know that name?"

"Baba, what's happening? Why is there shouting?"

Sadik wheeled round to find Kuzey standing in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Oh, nothing. Just go back to sleep and I'll tuck you in again after dealing with this."

But Kuzey wasn't listening. He looked past his father at the young man on the floor, and the young man looked back, equally perplexed. Kuzey mouthed something as his eyes widened.

Then he screamed.

Kuzey let out a shriek and darted off with a chorus of 'no's. Sadik wanted to follow him, but he had some business to finish.

"Get out! Get out or I'll kill you! Who are you to come in here and upset my son?"

"Son?" the young man wrinkled his nose. "You are no relative of his!"

"Yes I am," a trickle of fear crept into Sadik's heart, "I adopted him and he's my son! Who are you to question that?"

"I'm his brother!"