Hey all.

Yah, I know, I know, I've taken forever. So sue me.

Imve been on vacation and stuff. The next chapter is pretty much already written, though, so there. You'll get it either later tonight or tomorrow (afternoon most likely).

Eh, whatevs. It'll get here when it gets here.

Do I need to say anything else besides I've been extremely distracted from my fics recently and I'm sorry?

Nah, that should be good. Carry on (my wayward son...)

Neither of the boys slept that night, just sat together, occasionally telling a favorite memory of their fallen friend. As they heard others in the apartment begin to stir and the clock chimed 8:30, they turned bleary eyes to the kitchen.

"Let me get you some breakfast, ok?"

"I'll help."

They boys stumbled over, not bothering with anything more complicated than cold pizza. Once they had finished up, they wandered in the general direction of the door.

"I should get going."

"I have to pick up some stuff from the store, I'll walk with you for a while."

That wasn't true, Karkat was just searching for an excuse to walk the elder home. In truth, he was worried that Gamzee might not make it home. Ever.

As the two boys walked down the sidewalk and neared the crosswalk, the wind picked up slightly, and Karkat shoved his hands in his pockets. Just as they reached the pole on the corner, the walking man signal turned back to the orange hand, and he sighed, glancing over to where Gamzee stood, or had stood. Karkat's eyes flew open wide, and the world stowed down as the taller, head down, eyes trained on the ground, stepped off the curb and into the path of a speeding car. Karkat wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, Gamzee was on the ground under him, not under the car's wheels. The driver stood there, and placed a hand on Karkat's shoulder.

"You alright, hon?" Asked the brightly-garbed lady. She had a kindly face, bright with her youth. She had a mail cap with a nearly-white ponytail pulled through the opening in the back on her head and a bag slung over her shoulder, obvious tools of her profession.

"Yah," he replied.

"Is he awake? I better call someone..."

"No, he's my friend. We were just walking to his house, but he hasn't been himself. It's exactly this reason that I was walking him home." To Gamzee, he asked "Gamzee, you ok?"

The taller didn't move, so Karkat climbed off him.

"Gamzee, dude, this isn't funny."

Gamzee groaned, cracking an eye open.

"Motherfucking colors of your shirt are bitchtits wicked bright, lady."

Karkat sighed in relief, ruffling the dark curls.

"He's just fine."

She smiled and nodded. "Alright. You get him home now."

"Will do," he replied, standing and helping the taller to his feet. Gamzee staggered, but Karkat caught him.

"Nope, you're coming back to my house. No more crossing roads. We'll email your brother, explain things, keep your dad out of this. Ok?"

"Whateverthefuck."

Karkat rolled his eyes, feigning calm while inside he was a mess of worry.

"The fuck were you thinking?!" He questioned as he began hobbling back under the deadweight that was his friend.

Gamzee merely shrugged, which did nothing to calm the shorter's nerves.

"You could have died, fuckass! Is that what you want?"

"Hurts like a bitch," Gamzee replied, avoiding the question. The two "walked" in a strained silence, Karkat worrying all the way, back to his apartment. When they reached it, Karkat unloaded his friend onto the couch, heading to the kitchen for some water.

There, he ran into Kankri.

"Are you guys ok? I mean, I know you're not, but how are you holding up? Not actually holding anything up, but, I mean... How are you two?" Kankri stumbled over his words, worry creasing his forehead.

"Gamzee almost walked in front of a car just now," Karkat replied, snatching a glass off a shelf.

"What!? Is he ok? Well, physically, anyways. His mental state isn't exactly what you'd call stable-"

"Kankri! He just stepped off the curb, and luckily I grabbed him, but he wouldn't talk to me and avoids my questions. I'm worried about him, Kankri."

Karkat's older brother glanced at the clock.

"Hey, I gotta get to work, but if you need any help with him feel free to call. I'm sure my boss'll understand if I explain the situation."

Karkat nodded as Kankri stepped out, then proceeded to retrieve the water he had originally come in to get. When he returned to the couch, Gamzee was sitting up normally again.

"Gamzee, what's up with you?" Katkat asked, standing in front of him.

His friend simply shrugged.

"I'm really worried about you right now. I know you're taking this really hard, but that doesn't mean you go and step in front of a car!"

Gamzee turned sad eyes up to his friend, and blinked

"I just don't care."

It took a moment for that to sink in, but when it did Karkat's first reaction was immense worry, which quickly melted to a fiery anger. Out if frustration, he dumped the water on Gamzee's head, shouting

"WELL IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR YOURSELF FOR YOU, THE LEAST YOU COULD DO WAS CARE ABOUT YOURSELF FOR ME. FOR NEPETA TOO! WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AS YOU, DAMMIT! WE ALREADY LOST TAV, DON'T MAKE ME LIVE THROUGH LOSING YOU AS WELL!" By the end, Karkat stopped saying "we" and just said "I". He wasn't quiet sure why he switched, but it seemed do drive his point home, as Gamzee flinched and stared. "I can't lose you too," Karkat repeated quietly.

Gamzee's face fell, and he mumbled, droplets of water soaking his shirt, "I'll try," before adding "Let's email Kurloz now, please."

"Kurloz offered to bring you home," Karkat relayed to Gamzee, who was still on the couch.

"I don't think I can be alone right now," Gamzee answered, and Karkat nodded, typing up a reply.

Kurloz,

I think ive got him under control now. He wants to stay here for a bit, possibly over night again. At this point, im not quite sure. Ill email you the status again later if i get the chance.

Thanks

Karkat hit send, then sat down besides Gamzee.

"I told him you might stay over again, though I'm not sure." Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Hey, you think we should have Nepeta over?"

Gamzee nodded, seeming to like that idea. One quick phone call later, Nepeta was on the couch as well, an arm around each boy. After a while, she said

"The police are doing an investigation into Tav's supposed suicide. We'll all be questioned soon, you realize that, right?"

At that exact moment, there was a knock at the door. Karkat answered, and under his breath he muttered "Speak of the devil."

In front of him stood a short, dark man and a tall, pale woman. She was the mother of one of his classmates, and the best police officer around, and the little guy was her partner on the job.

"Hey Karkat, how are you holding up?" She asked kindly, red-tinted shades catching the light.

"I'm ok. You're here to talk about Tav, aren't you?"

"Yes, we have some questions about that we'd like to ask you and your friends."

"Well, we're all here, so you might as well ask us three together right now."

Karkat returned to his seat on the couch, gesturing to some dining chairs for the officers.

"Hey guys," The officer said. "You may know me, I'm Officer Pyrope. I'm here to ask you some things about your late friend Mr. Nitram."

Gamzee stiffened besides Nepeta, causing her arm to hug around his shoulders. Officer Pyrope gave an apologetic smile as she started her questions, the other guy whipping out a notebook and pen.

"Had you noticed any strange behaviors before Tavros's incident?"

"Well, I hadn't seen him in a few days, but the last time I talked to him, evfurrything seemed just fine. He was quiet, but he's always been that way and it wasn't abnormal," Nepeta said.

"Same," supplied Karkat. "In all honesty, I don't think he had enough guts to do anything like... that."

"He didn't do that height shit, not since his first accident," Gamzee nearly growled. Officer Pyrope's eyebrow raised slightly, though if it was from his language or tone it was hard to tell.

"Tell me about the first accident," she said softly.

"Well, we were on a field trip with school, and we were playing around by the cliffs somewhere outside the city, when-"

"That bitch pushed him off," Gamzee cut in. Karkat shot him a look as he finished.

"-one of our classmates tagged him. He was standing a little too close, and she forgot that his balance was bad. He fell and was paralyzed from the waist down."

"He was in a wheelchair, yes?"

"Yes, he was, though they were just working on getting him prosthetics. He was so happy about that, and that's what I don't get. Things were looking so up fur him," Nepeta supplied.

"Now he'll never know what it was like to run again," Gamzee grumbled darkly.

"So you're saying there is no cause that you could think of for his suicide?"

"It wasn't suicide, it was motherfucking murder!" Gamzee yelled, standing and leaving the room.

Karkat made an apologetic face and told the officer "He's been taking this really badly. The answer to your question is no." He stood "I have to make sure he doesn't hurt himself, he was almost hit by a car earlier, actually." Karkat turned to Nepeta as he left the room to, mouthing to her "I'll tell you later".

"Gamzee?"

"Go away."

"Fuck no," Karkat replied, standing in his doorway, watching his friend wrap his arms tighter around his body in the corner.

"Why?"

"I'm afraid for you, ok? You're not taking this well at all."

"Should I?!"

"No, but blowing up at a police officer like that?!"

"Look, man, Tav, he was a brother to me. Better than a brother, in fact, and a shitload better than MY brother."

Karkat didn't have a response to that. Finally, he said

"Look, I know you're hurting; we all are, but that's no excuse for acting the way you are. Dude, you have to pull yourself together a bit here. Tav, he was family to all of us. We all loved him as much as you, but if you want any sort of investigation into his death, you have to cooperate."

Gamzee nodded, staring blankly. Something welled up in Karkat's chest as he looked down upon the form of his friend. Gamzee was a broken toy; he could be mended but he'd never be the same. He was beaten, and as Karkat realized this, his resolve hardened. He WOULD fix Gamzee; he WOULD held him up from his misery and he would help shine light on the dark situation.

"Gamzee, take my hand," Karkat said, pulling the talker to his feet. He lead his friend over to his bed and directed him to sit down. "Sleep here, ok? At the very least just rest here, ok? I'm going to go finish this interview."

Gamzee allowed himself to be pushed down and the covers pulled up to his chin. He nodded and closed his eyes, squeezing them as if to shut out the terrible thoughts.

Karkat opened the door to his room after just sending the police officers away.

Gamzee still lay on his bed, only he was clearly awake.

"Gamzee, let's watch some TV or something; get your mind off things."

Gamzee followed him gratefully.