Evan walked up to the main house, his every move echoing anxiety. He wasn't sure if Hank wanted to talk to him, or if he wanted to yell at him. If it was the latter, he couldn't figure out if it was for the business with their father or the little scene with Divya earlier.

Dieter opened the door without Evan having to knock and allowed him entrance. How the man always seemed to know when the door needed to be opened without anyone ever knocking, Evan never really knew, but one day he would love to find out. Evan gave the butler a nod before he went up the stairs and down the hall to where Hank was currently being allowed to rest.

Through the door, Evan heard Hank's breaths coming in shallow and pained but he still made sure to open the door as casually as possibly, even managing to smile a little when he noticed what his stubborn brother was up to.

Henry was, very slowly, attempting to move from the middle of the bed to the edge of it, where – Evan could only assume – he could get off the bed.

"You know, if you move about seven inches to your left, you might actually be able to get off the bed," Evan teased, folding his arms over his chest and offering his brother a smirk. It wasn't that he enjoyed seeing his brother in pain; it was more that he found his brother's insistence to do things on his own when he obviously couldn't, funny. "Should you even be doing that?"

Hank answered via flicking a glare toward Evan's direction, not once stopping what he was doing. With his lower lip between his teeth, his jaw clenched, and every muscle in his body taut, he continued to try and move closer to the edge of the bed. He managed to move another inch, but had to stop to breathe through the pain he'd caused himself just to accomplish that.

When Hank looked about ready to start again, Evan stepped forward. "Dude, just stop, will you?" he asked, unable to take anymore. He placed a hand on his brother's left bicep, unable to hide his concern when he felt the fine tremors raking through the muscle.

For a moment, no one said anything and the only sound throughout the large guest room was that of Hank's breathing. His head sagged against the pillows behind him and his eyes closed seemingly of their own accord. Exhaustion rolled off him in waves, crashing into Evan with enough insistence that the younger Lawson felt the need to do something about it.

"You should take something for the pain. Where's your meds?" he asked, now starting to rifle through the bedside table drawers in hopes of finding the medication.

"Boris has them," Hank answered, sounding barely awake.

Well, this is going to be a very productive conversation, Evan thought as he stopped his search and watched his brother practically fall asleep where he lay. I guess I'll just pull up a chair and wait?

Although he knew he should go back down to the guesthouse to be with his father, Evan didn't have the energy to continue arguing over whether or not Boris was keeping Hank away from Eddie and he didn't want to make his brother expend more energy just get him back up to the room so he just sat down in the armchair opposite where his brother was lying and settled in to amuse himself until Henry woke up.

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Boris opened the door to Hank's room, surprise briefly flitting across his face at finding the younger Lawson brother asleep in one of the decadently decorated armchairs as well as the elder asleep in the bed. Since Boris was not only loathe to wake Hank but also not wanting a conversation with his brother, he slipped the bottle of pain medicine onto the bedside table and left, knowing that Evan would make sure Hank took it when they both woke up. Boris could wait until Hank was alone to check on him again.

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When Evan awoke, it was to his phone buzzing madly in his lap. Not having realized that he'd fallen asleep, Evan quickly jerked to attention, grabbed his phone and answered it without even bothering to see who it was that was calling.

"Hello," he answered as quietly as he could. He checked over his shoulder to see if Hank was still asleep and seeing that he was, Evan slipped out of the room and into the hall.

"Hey kiddo. Is everything okay?" his father's voice asked, sounding cheery but concerned as well.

"Yeah, Dad, everything's fine. Hank was asleep when I came in so I decided to sit and wait for him to wake up." The answer was succinct which was unlike Evan but it was all he was able to do while still trying to wake up. If it hadn't been that he was in Shadow Pond, he would have already invited his dad to come up and sit with him while Henry slept. But given how Eddie's first attempt at entering had gone, Evan had guessed that he wouldn't be any more successful four to five hours later.

Although.. Maybe if Evan was there to let him in, he'd be able to get past the front door?

"Did you want to join us?" Evan offered, deciding to test out his theory of him being able to just open the door for his father. Divya's voice rang in the back of his mind, lecturing him for bringing his father to Shadow Pond to see Hank in the first place, but he swiftly closed the door on that memory and ignored it. Somehow, he knew that if Henry and their dad could just talk through everything, things could go back to the way things were before their mom got sick.

"I'd love to," Eddie R answered, sounding thrilled at the idea. "Will they let me in this time?"

"I'm planning on answering the door and letting you in." Evan walked over to the banister that overlooked the front door and leaned on it, wanting to be as close to the door as possible when his father appeared.

"Alright, I'll be there in less than five." And with that, Eddie R hung up.

Evan hadn't had to wait that long, of course, before there was a knock on the door. Knowing that it would be incredibly rude to answer the door to Boris' home, he waited for Dieter to do that for him, but he was right there to guide his father into the house, arguing with the butler all the while about 'Mr. Lawson' being allowed inside the castle.

They quickly went up to Hank's room and closed the door as quietly as they could behind them. Through it all, Hank slept, which was not only beginning to worry Evan but beginning to annoy him as well.

"Oh my boy," Eddie R sighed as he stepped closer and sat on the bed next to Hank's left hip. Evan watched as his hand trailed from Hank's forehead, down the side of his face in a loving and gentle gesture.

Why couldn't Divya, Boris and Hank see that all Eddie R wanted to do was be back in and a part of their lives again? To Evan it was as plain as the nose on everyone's faces that was all his dad wanted, so why were the rest so reluctant – even unwilling – to let him try?

"What happened to him?" Eddie asked, bringing Evan out of his thoughts.

"Uh, I don't know, actually. No one's told me yet." And that, too, was beginning to annoy him.

"Don't you think they should have by now?" Eddie asked, essentially saying the same thing that Evan was thinking.

"Per Doctor Lawson's request, we have left if up to him to inform you or Mr. Lawson of the details of what has happened," Boris' slightly accented but professional voice informed them, surprising both Lawson men.

Going from what his father had described of Boris this morning, the German nobleman had changed into a darker suit than the one from the morning. It seemed to suit his mood, however, as he appeared to be growing steadily more annoyed with both Evan and his father.

"Now, I believe it is time we leave Doctor Lawson to rest," Boris stated, implying that he wanted the other to Lawsons out of the room and quite possibly out of the house.

"It's alright, Boris, I'm awake," Hank's groggy voice defended. All eyes turned towards him, which Evan knew his brother wouldn't have liked. His face wrinkled into a grimace as his limbs slowly started to move and his nerves sent pain signals to his brain but nothing truly showed until he opened his eyes and caught sight of his father in the room.

Evan watched as the expression within his brother's hazel eyes went from sleepy alertness to heart-wrenching betrayal and pain and his mouth fell open at sight of it. Though he wasn't sure why his brother felt that way towards his father – well, he supposed he could understand it a little – Evan knew that he wouldn't soon forget that look and had a slightly clearer view of why Divya was being so protective of his brother when it came to their father.

"Dad?" Hank asked, obviously wanting to make sure that his father was in fact in the room with him.

"Yeah, Hanky, I'm here," their father cooed, obviously misunderstanding the tone in Hank's voice for that of a child calling out to his father rather than said child being reproachful that his father was there. He reached out and gave Hank's left shoulder a squeeze and from where he stood, Evan could see Hank freeze at the small contact.

"Why are you here?" Hank asked, sounding more awake and now doing his best to sit up straighter without help. Though it had obviously cost him pain and energy to do it, Hank managed to get upright on his own and crossed his arms protectively over his chest. He couldn't seem to decide who to glare at more, however, as he kept switching his gaze between his father and Evan himself.

When he'd made the suggestion that his father once again come up to the castle to visit Hank, Evan hadn't expected Hank to be awake and therefore hadn't thought much about what would happen if his older brother had discovered their father in his room, but now he was and he knew he would pay for his decision once Boris and Eddie R were no longer in the room with them.

At his question, though, Eddie became affronted. He sat back, taking his hand off Hank's shoulder in such a way that spoke of indecision. What he couldn't decide between, Evan had no idea, but if he were to guess, he'd say it was between smacking Henry upside the head and shaking some sense into him because that's what Evan felt like doing, injured or not.

"Why is it so hard for you to understand that I care about and love you and that, as your father, I was worried about you?" Eddie countered, managing to sound more angry than pouting. It was obvious that the two emotions were fighting for dominance from his posture alone and Evan had the sudden desire to usher his father out of the room. But something held him back and so he, awkwardly, waited.

"Maybe because you left us when Mom got sick and you didn't bother looking back until we got out here and started doing well for ourselves," Hank answered, barely skipping a beat from the time their father's question had been asked. Though his tone almost sounded emotionless, Evan knew that there was turmoil roaring as loud as an unsettled ocean raging inside his brother's chest and for once, Evan felt for his brother.

Thinking back through to those years, Evan felt a little of the betrayal that Hank felt but it was dimmed mostly by the desire to have his father back and so when the older man had showed up, he'd jumped at the chance to keep him there as long as possible. And, selfish though it had been, Evan hadn't really taken the time to think of how their father's disappearance had affected Hank who was not only closer to their mother but who had also taken on the responsibility of the family once Eddie R had walked out the door. Even now, Evan didn't want to think on it for too long because the overall desire to have their father back and make their family as whole as it can be without their mother once again was too strong to resist.

But Hank wasn't done. He pointed at their father as he made continued to make his point.

"That was the moment that you stopped being my father and that was the moment that you forfeited any rights to knowledge of my well being without my permission. Now as much as I'd love to, I can't keep you away from Evan." At this Eddie R spluttered, indignant that Hank would even want such a thing. "But I can, and have the right to, request that you stay away from me until I reach out to you. And as a doctor I wouldn't advise you holding your breath for to happen any time soon as it will probably be a long time before that does."

Hank's words rang through the room, reverberating throughout the warm and inviting space to hit everyone from different angles in case their meaning was missed the first time around.

Evan felt disappointment welling up inside his chest but one look at the pain shining in his brother's eyes simmered it, telling it to wait until the appropriate time before he released it on the injured man. Despite his arms being tightly held across his chest, Evan could see the muscles within them shivering – though he couldn't tell if it was from anger or pain. One muscle in his left forearm kept jumping as though Hank were flexing that hand and now that Evan looked at his brother's braced right hand, he could see that one was being clenched as much as was physically possible for the doctor.

To his left, Eddie nodded, apparently just now absorbing this information. However, instead of taking Hank's declaration as the dismissal it was, Eddie R opened his mouth to argue.

"I believe that what Doctor Lawson is trying to say is that you are not welcome here at this time," Boris interjected before Eddie could get a word out.

Evan quirked his head to the right, a thought beginning to bloom in his mind in regards to Boris' constant care and attention towards Hank ever since their arrival at Shadow Pond the year previous. Was it possible that Boris had – for lack of a better term – a crush on Hank? For some reason, the possibility didn't even surprise Evan – at least on Boris' side of things – and now all he had to do was try and see if he could gleam how much his brother felt for the German.

But that was all for another time. Evan had enough self preservation to know that he needed to usher Eddie out of the room before someone ended up being strangled and, even injured like he was, Evan would put money down that it would be Hank with his hands around his father's neck.

"Come on, Dad," he said, grabbing his father by the shoulders, glaring over at Hank when he realized that his father was also slightly shaking with emotion. "Let's go."

"Evan, you stay," Hank commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "I wanted to talk to you."

Feeling like he was about to be told he was going to a military school, Evan did as he was told and stayed behind, offering his father an encouraging smile when the man suddenly found himself flanked by Boris' security team.

Once Eddie R left, Hank deflated. He sagged into the pillows behind him, no longer having the energy to hold himself upright. His face became awash with pain and grief, sweeping over his body until his entire posture seemed drenched in it.

"Hank, are you alright?" Boris asked, slightly tripping over Hank's name.

Interesting, Evan thought. There's definitely something there then.

"Yes, Boris, I'm fine, thanks," Hank dismissed, not even offering their landlord a smile. He slowly turned his head to look at the German and it was then – in following Hank's gaze – that Evan noticed how hunched Boris was standing. "You should go ice your rib and get some rest before your next meeting."

Boris smiled, appreciating Hank's ability to deduce pain in someone else while he was suffering from it as well. The German stepped forward and grabbed the bottle of medicine, pouring two pills into his palm and offering them to Hank with the glass of water that had mysteriously appeared on the bedside table next to the bottle.

"Take them," he insisted when Hank looked like he was about to refuse. At Hank's questioning glance, his tone softened as he added, "They'll help."

Well of course they'll help! Evan couldn't help but yell inside his own head. Outwardly he rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the statement but kept silent. He wasn't quite ready for Hank's – or Boris' for that matter – full attention to be on him yet. He liked not having a ringing in his ears for the moment.

Once Henry had downed the glass of water, Boris nodded, pleased that Hank had done what he'd been told. "If you need anything, call Dieter. Ms. Katdare has said that she will be late checking in on you tonight but she should be available around seven o'clock should you need her as well."

And with that, he left, leaving Evan to face his brother alone.

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"Why can't you forgive him?" Evan asked, apparently not wanting to wait for Hank to begin.

Hank looked over at his brother, a blank expression on his face that had nothing to do with the medication he just took. The meds hadn't fully kicked in yet and so he still felt every single bump, bruise and broken bone, making his whole body feel as though it were buzzing with pain.

Even still, Hank found himself confused as to how his brother could be so completely confused as to why Hank couldn't simply just forgive their father and move on. After all, they grew up in the same apartment. What Hank went through, Evan went through. Granted, Hank had tried to protect his brother from as much as he could, but still, Hank couldn't understand how Evan could forgive their father as easily as he had.

"He left us," Hank answered, hoping that that was enough for his brother to understand where Hank was coming from.

"Yeah, he made a mistake," Evan summarized, choosing to put a more positive spin on their past.

"Yes, he did," Hank granted, unable to deny that simply fact.

"Twenty years ago," Evan came back with, making sure to enunciate each word as though that helped to get his point across. "At some point, you're going to have to forgive him."

"And at some point, you're going to have to realize that I never will," Hank answered, making sure to keep his tone as even as he could.

The anger, betrayal and pain that he felt by his father's leaving was still coursing through his veins, the wound as fresh as though it had happened last week. If it wasn't for the fact that Hank physically couldn't get up and move, he would have simply chosen that moment to walk out, thus ending the conversation with his brother and making his point of view final. But as it was, he was confined to a bed for the next few days and wasn't able to do as he wished, leaving him to argue the point further with Evan.

"Dude, it's been twenty years," Evan reiterated as though that would magically make Hank change his mind. "Isn't there some sort of statue of limitations as to how long one person can hold a grudge?"

"This isn't just merely holding a grudge, Ev," Hank argued, steadily losing his calm and patience. He loved his little brother, he really did, but his blindness when it came to their father was always appalling for Hank.

Although he'd be mortified to admit this to anyone other than himself, Hank felt like Evan's constant insistence in finding their father and his persistent devotion to the man that abandoned them was a slap in the face to Hank himself who took over after their father had left. To him it felt like he had never and would never be enough family for his little brother and it hurt.

"This is never being able to understand any reason that Dad could possibly think to give for abandoning us – mom included – when we needed him. I will never be able to forgive him for that."

Which is not to say that I won't be able to get past it, his subconscious added.

It was true that, with time, Hank could see himself eventually being able to move past the past but he knew that, in his heart, he would never forgive. He wasn't going to tell his brother that, however, because then Evan would just push and push and push until Hank was closed entirely to the idea of his father being around.

Evan sat where he was, staring blankly at Hank, almost looking as though he hadn't heard nor comprehended a word Hank had said for the past two minutes.

Taking advantage of Evan's temporary silence, Hank changed the subject.

"What did you do to Divya?"

At this, his brother blinked and refocused on Hank.

"Nothing, it's nothing. It'll blow over," Evan dismissed, making Hank worry just a little more about what had happened.

"Evan," Hank warned, telling his brother to tell him the truth.

"Dude, it's nothing, okay? I may have implied that she wasn't part of the family, but I'll fix it, don't worry." At Hank's reproachful look, he added, "What? She was getting into the business with Dad and between his worrying that Boris was deliberately keeping you away from him and Divya – in no uncertain terms, by the way – telling him that he was not only not allowed to come within ten feet of you but that he was also not welcome on the property all, I just kinda snapped."

"Oh, Evan," Hank sighed, somewhat understanding the situation but still not happy with it. He concentrated on breathing for a few seconds, using the time to think, to come up with a plan. And then he decided. "Listen, leave Divya to me, okay? You just deal with Dad."

"'deal with Dad', what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, keep Dad out of Shadow Pond. I know that I can't stop you from having him in the guest house, but keep him away from Boris," Hank answered, ignoring the note of indignance in his brother's voice.

"What are you afraid he's going to do, scam him?" Evan joked but Hank saw nothing funny in it at all.

"That's exactly what I think he's going to do," Hank replied, perfectly serious.

"Oh come on. Even if Dad wanted to scam Boris – which he doesn't – there's now way he could. Boris is like impervious to scams or Dad's charm apparently."

"Or maybe Dad's just not as charming as he thinks he is," Hank rebutted, his eyes closing briefly in spite of his best efforts to keep them open.

He couldn't have been awake more than an hour or two but they were a couple of very stressful hours and his injuries, the medication he'd taken a bit ago as well as the stress from dealing with his father and brother were starting to weigh Hank down like a wet blanket. His body was beginning to let him know that it was time to get some more rest and, try as he might, Hank doubted that he'd be able to fight against the demand much longer.

"Whatever dude," Evan retorted, pulling out his phone and checking the screen as it lit up with a text message for him. Honestly, Hank was surprised that he'd managed to ignore the device for this long. Usually, Evan eyes were glued to the phone.

Evan quickly typed a reply and then sighed as he put the phone back in his pocket. "Why don't you get some rest? Dad and I are going to go get dinner with Ms. Newburg. Should we come and check on you when we get back?"

Hank rolled his eyes at his brother's insistence on ignoring every single thing that he said in regards to their father.

"No, Ev. I'll be fine for the night without my overprotective family dropping in on me."

"Does that include Divya too?" Hank glared at his brother at the sheer idiocy of the question, causing Evan to hold his hands out in confusion. "What? I'm just checking." He walked over and gave Hank a pat on the shoulder. "Get some rest, then. I'll see you in the morning."

"What for?" Hank asked, though his eyes were barely able to stay open now.

"To decide what to do about a BUD while you're out of commission," Evan replied, sounding as though that meeting had been on the books for weeks.

"Evan," Hank began before being cut off by his brother.

"Just sleep, dude. We can discuss everything else in the morning."

Distantly, Hank could hear his brother leaving but all his mind could reply with was, "Sleep sounds good." And so, he finally let himself drift off into a world where his father had never come back and Evan was content with the small family that he had.

TBC


Well, there it is - "the conversation". I hope you weren't too disappointed with how it all turned out. I can't decide if I like it or not but that's how it chose to write itself.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. More to come soon! Stay tuned!

M