You forget I got this far without you
I'm not the person that you think I am
The life I want to lead needs no approval
From someone who will never understand

You're forgetting my broken bones
Forgetting I'm not alone
Hard to stand alone
When this feels like home
In this crowd

Just because you lived a little longer
Doesn't mean your will is any stronger
You forget that all these scars remember
Every time you say I need to change

You're forgetting my broken bones
Forgetting I'm not alone
Hard to stand alone
When this feels like home
In this crowd

The decisions that we make
To stand alone

Your forgetting my broken bones
Forgetting I'm not alone
Hard to stand alone
When this feels like home
In this crowd

Nonpoint- "Broken Bones"

--

Julian had just finished showing Dorian where everything was in the guest room and bathroom of Ken's home before he quietly shut the door behind him and was left alone in the hallway. Dorian hadn't said much of anything on the ride over here, or since they'd arrived. Julian could understand. This was enough to take in for himself, nevertheless for someone who it'd been sprung on just an hour ago. His fantasy of a tear-filled reunion had not occurred, and why would it have? Dorian hadn't had any idea of Julian's existence, he didn't even know who he himself was. And he was taking it all pretty well, making Julian wonder just what his son had been through. There'd be time for that, time for everything later.

"Julian?"

Julian turned at the sound of Eliza's voice from down the hall. He'd been really quiet knowing that Mel had probably already been put to bed. Julian smiled at his best friend's wife standing in an old t-shirt of Ken's and a pair of shorts looking like a million dollars.

"Hey, I didn't want to wake Mel, I was about to let Ken know I was back."

"Ken's not here. He's out looking for you. He got, uh, worried."

Julian instantly felt guilt for what he almost did. He couldn't imagine the results if Dorian hadn't come in that church. If Ken had in fact found him he would have been tripping out on LSD. No one he cared about had ever seen him that way, except for Cammy, but that was just once. It would never happen again. Especially not now.

"Could you call him and tell him not to worry? I uh…I…"

Eliza stepped forward, towards Julian.

"What is it?"

He hadn't said the words yet, it hadn't been made totally real.

"I found Dorian, he-he's here, resting."

"Oh…that's wonderful Julian! How'd it--"

Eliza stopped speaking and reached out for him. She must have noticed his face. Tears were beginning to stream down his cheeks and his lips were trembling. He fell to his knees at her feet, full on sobbing now. None of it had been real until he said it. Five long years he'd been looking for Dorian and now he'd found him and he could finally have a life with him. For his entire life he'd felt alone with few fleeting exceptions, and now it was over. The relief was overwhelming. He had a meaning, a purpose. His trembling form fell into Eliza's comforting embrace. This left him hugging her thighs while his face was pressed into her stomach. She just cradled his head, rubbing his hair and shoulders while she hushed him.

"Hey now, it's okay. It's all okay, Dorian's safe with us."

"I know…"

Julian felt like a fool crying on the floor like a little baby when everything was as perfect as it could possibly get. Eliza pulled his face away, wiping his cheeks with her thumbs.

"Be strong for him now, your work's not done. It'll never be done."

Julian nodded his head as he wiped the remaining moisture from his face. She was right. He was a father now more than ever. While, thank God, Dorian was fine physically…there was still a lot of things they had to sort through before things could even begin to approach normalcy. However, for now, Dorian was with him, and that meant everything in the world.

--

Cranky pushed Wagner's body away from his and ran to Cammy, nearly tripping in the process. She was standing perfectly still. Her face was cleaner now, Jane must have wiped the blood away, but her eyes were still crazed. He placed his hand on her arm gently.

"Cammy, what is it?"

"He's going to kill us. You, me,…the baby. He won't stop until we're dead."

"We won't let that happen."

She started laughing as she shook her head so quickly it looked as if she was trembling.

"We can't stop it, unless we kill him first. Yeah, that's what we've got to do. I won't let him hurt anyone I love ever again. I'll hunt him down like the dog he is."

Cammy was creeping Cranky out, she spoke of killing Vega like it was picking up the newspaper. Guile was at her other side, leading her away.

"We'll talk about all of that tomorrow, Cammy. For now you need to rest. You can't do anything if you don't rest."

Cammy nodded and let Guile lead her away. Cranky was aghast.

"You can't fight him…what if something happens to the baby!"

Cammy turned and looked him in the eyes, her face more cold and lifeless than he'd ever seen it in his entire life.

"I don't have to fight him to blow his fucking brains out."

Cranky was rendered silent. Two hours ago he and Cammy's lives were perfect, and now…now he'd realized the woman he loved could be a cold-blooded killer just like that. Not that he didn't understand. He wanted Vega dead just as much as Cammy did. Could he pull the trigger? Hell yes. But seeing Cammy like that made him realize just what Shadowlaw had done to her. They'd taken away her innocence in every sense of the word and he loved her all the more for it.

Guile came down the stairs more calmly than Cranky could have ever forced himself to be given the circumstances. He'd removed his dress uniform jacket and slung it over the rail of the stairs.

"So I take it all of this is Vega's fault?"

Wagner's voice came from behind Cranky.

"He's alive Guile, he's been alive all this time. Cranky knew about it and felt no need to tell any of us!"

"I know he's alive, son. I've known for a long time now too."

Simultaneously Wagner and Cranky exclaimed.

"What!"

"Colonel Wolfman's good, but not that good. And Chun-Li can't keep secrets from me if her life depended on it. I discovered his existence shortly after the tournament. And I commend Colonel Wolfman. He did the right thing."

Wagner spoke.

"How can you say that with what just happened?"

"For five years we've been living life free from Shadowlaw, that's how. Cammy's finally starting to live again. I want my children to be happy. This is what I've been dreading everyday."

Cranky interjected.

"Me too. I just wanted to pretend he wasn't looming in the shadows.

"Well, he's been waiting for something."

"I don't understand. What would he wait nearly five years for?"

Wagner spoke.

"The baby…he has to know."

"How could he know…I just found out for God's sake and I'm the father?"

"Well, Cammy obviously went and bought a pregnancy test, you both went to the maternity ward of the hospital today, and she's starting to show. That bastard has been waiting for Cammy to start a family, to have more than just herself to lose."

Cranky could feel his face getting red with anger as he clenched his fists. He knew the deal now, Vega wasn't just waiting for her to start a family, he was waiting for Cammy to be happy. No point in ruining the life of a depressed woman. If he had just wanted her dead, he'd have went after her at the tournament. Cranky shook his head slowly.

"He's not going to touch her again…and he sure as hell won't have the chance to hurt my kid."

Guile put his hand on Cranky's shoulder. It was perhaps the most intimate gesture he'd ever received from Guile.

"None of us are going to let that happen. Right now we've got to be the ones to stay calm and make sure everyone who could possibly be involved is informed and safe. I'll contact Colonel Wolfman and Chun-Li now. Yu two get a hold of any one else you can think of."

Guile hurried upstairs as Cranky nodded at Wagner, their fight and anger from moments ago forgotten in their joint need to protect their loved ones. Guile's rationality was damn sure claming.

"I'll call Masters and let him know the shit has hit the fan, then I'm pulling Kenny out of school for the rest of this semester. He'll catch up later."

Wagner added.

"And I've got to find Juli…if he's out there…"

A voice rose from behind them.

"We're right here."

Cranky turned to the door to find Kenny, a duffle bag flung casually over his shoulder and a pack of cigarettes poking out from his t-shirt pocket. Juli stood next to him, her puffy-red gaze downcast and arms crossed tightly across her chest. She spoke tightly.

"Okay, he's here, I'm leaving."

She turned on her heel and rushed out of the door. Wagner called out to her.

"Juli…wait!"

He darted after her, only pausing to acknowledge Kenny by a quick squeeze on his arm as he passed him. Cranky was still dumbfounded.

"What the hell are you doing out of school!"

"You were just now ready to pull me out for the remainder of the semester, like you could. Besides, it's Spring Break and no way I'm missing a visit from my big brother…who happens to be a father to be now."

Kenny smiled his eat shit grin and stepped forward to deliver a hearty slap on Cranky's shoulder. Too much was happening too fast for Cranky, but at least he now knew Kenny was safe. Cranky stuttered.

"H-how'd you know about the baby?"

"Cammy called me. She wanted to surprise you. But then no one meets me at the airport, and no one answers the phone but luckily Juli…kinda makes me feel unwanted."

"No. Shit Kenny, I'm sorry. It's just some serious shit just went down."

Kenny let his bag hit the floor as his face brightened with worry.

"What…what happened, where's Cammy anyway?"

Cranky paused for a long moment, trying to figure out just how to tell Kenny but before he could answer he saw Melissa come through the side doorway. She spoke quietly.

"Kenny?"

--

"Juli, wait for God's sake!"

Wagner nearly ran into Juli, who stopped suddenly, putting the lovers face to face. She yelled.

"Why! I don't like head games. I've had enough of those in my lifetime."

"I'm not playing games. This is all a big misunderstanding. If you'd just listen--"

"No, I'm done listening. I came here because Kenny needed me."

Juli turned to get into her car. She was infuriating. Whenever any emotion came up she would run for the hills like she had the plague. Wagner just wanted her to understand that he loved her and it was hard when she was pissing him off. He yelled, not caring about disturbing the peace of Guile's neighborhood.

"Why won't you fucking let me in?"

"Because I don't have to!"
"Well you should want to!"

"Why? Who says it has to be that way? What makes it right and what I'm doing wrong?"

"We're supposed to trust each other and you don't trust me."

"I trust you all I can. Maybe that's not good enough, but it's what it is. You know everything, God, you fucking knew it an hour after I met you. You counseled me for three years before we got together. There's nothing else, and you keep pushing me. Then trying to get me and Cranky together to forge some kind of fucked up, forced resolution…the pushing I could take, but that was too much."

"I didn't set it up. Just get out of the car and let me explain…if not for us, for you. There's more than just me and you going down. More dangerous stuff."

Juli searched his face for a moment before she pulled her keys from the ignition.

"This better not be bullshit to make me stay and meet the family."

"It's not. I'd never lie to you."

Juli sighed and stepped out of the car, not taking Wagner's outstretched hand. She crossed her arms over her chest and half smiled before speaking.

"Then tell me why your lip is bloody."

--

Kenny's initial happiness at seeing Melissa for the first time since Christmas break was overridden by his fear of Cranky's reluctance to answer his questions and the horrific bruise on the side of Melissa's face. She instantly darted into his arms, burying her bruised face into his chest. Kenny couldn't hold his surprise and he knew Cranky could see it. Melissa's wrists were rubbed raw, though recently cleaned. Cranky wasn't lying about some bad shit going down. He backed out of the room nodding his head at Kenny as if to say go ahead and comfort Melissa.

"What the fuck happened here! Melissa, tell me you're okay."

"I-I'm okay. I'm just so glad you're here."

He pulled Melissa's body a little away from his and gently ran his hand along her face.

"Who did this?"

"It was Vega."

"Who?"

"It's a long story, Cammy's better to tell it. But it's bad Kenny. He's bad news. I'm talking Shadowlaw bad."

Melissa wasn't stupid, she'd seen what Cammy and Wagner had been through growing up, she'd seen her father's best friend and Cammy's father's funeral. She herself had been kidnapped by Shadowlaw. And Kenny, well he had the fucking t-shirt. If this was Shadowlaw it was bad regardless of the fact that the Shadow Technology that his father invented was no longer within him. Only a half foot scar on his lower spine left to remind him of Shadowlaw's torture.

Once he'd come to live with Wagner after the tournament, he and Melissa had attended the same school. Of course a friendship developed, why wouldn't it, she was his guardian's sister. But Kenny hadn't expected the more intimate relationship that had grown between them. It amazed Kenny how Melissa was able to get over all the horrible things she'd experienced and seen and just be normal. It was what he wanted with all of his heart, to be normal.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm freaked out of course. But I'm more worried about Cammy."

"What'd he do to her, Cranky avoided me when I asked?"

"I think he was aiming for shock value tonight, she's only a little hurt, but…"

"But what?"

"You and Cranky. You never saw what she's like when it comes to him."

"Melissa, I've seen Cammy pissed. I've watched her beat the shit out of people."

"She doesn't get pissed…she basically goes insane."

Kenny looked at Melissa's face. She was as serious as ever. He couldn't imagine seeing Cammy unstable in the least. He'd seen heartbroken, at times Cranky seemed to make the people around him breathe it. But as strange as it sounded, the petite blonde who still wore pigtails at times was a rock for them, for the fucked up family they'd formed. If what Melissa was saying was true, they could either fall apart with her, or become her rock.

--

The cool night breeze felt good on Julian's skin. Especially so since he'd just basically hyperventilated on the floor of Ken's hallway, in front of Ken's wife. He didn't know why he was embarrassed, this was his family and now he had everything he needed, everything he'd ever wanted. It didn't matter how complicated things had just become. It didn't matter that Dorian didn't know the whole story yet. None of it mattered. He sat by the pool in Ken's back yard. No smoking in the house…hell, near the house. Julian wasn't one to argue, it was worth the walk. He needed a little relaxation right now. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

He heard Ken's voice before he saw him.

"I heard the news."

"Yeah, it doesn't feel real."

Ken sat behind him, dipping his bare feet into the pool.

"It's real Julian. And it's what you deserve."

"You said that like it's bad."

"Ha, now you can start getting old like me. No more partying."

"Since when have I ever partied?"

Ken narrowed his gaze.

"Okay, since when have I partied when I was in the right state of mind?"

"You've got to stay in the right state of mind now."

"I know…I know."

The was a long pause before Ken said what he had really intended to say.

"You bought drugs didn't you?"

"…Yeah, they're gone, I didn't take them."

"Julian, you can't do this--"

"It's not a problem because it's never going to happen again. I'm sorry I did it, it was stupid, and now it could interfere with Dorian. I won't let that happen."

"Every time something goes wrong you run to the drugs. Life isn't going to be peaches and cream now just because you got your son back. The shit could easily hit the fan. Are you going to run to drugs if you and Dorian don't exactly get along? If times get rough? They can't be your crutch anymore…just because you didn't this time doesn't mean you wouldn't ever."

"I'm not going to do that, I've got everything to lose. The drugs are over."

"And you're going to need professional help maintaining that outlook. Please trust me. I told you we would get things together, and we will."

"I don't need that kind of help. It's under control."

"What if you and Dorian wouldn't have happened upon each other? I would have found you fucked up beyond all reason is what. You could have done something stupid on the streets, like hurt yourself or someone else…or gotten arrested for fucks sake. You're dead Julian, dead men aren't supposed to reappear and start trouble."

Ken's cell phone rang forcing him to halt his attack on Julian. Ken didn't understand that Julian had just experienced his lowest low. If he wasn't such a coward he would have killed himself, drugs were the next best thing. It was impossible that he'd ever get that low again, drugs were out of the question. Ken's end of the conversation suddenly caught Julian's attention.

"Is Cammy alright? What about mentally? I can go pull Kenny out of school right now if I have to. He's there? Good. No, thanks for calling. I'll keep in touch."

Ken flipped his phone shut and sat for a moment in silence. Julian broke it.

"What the fuck was that?"

"That was Cranky. Uh, it's Cammy. She and Melissa Guile were attacked tonight."

"Attacked? What's the problem, Cammy is, well Cammy. She could overtake almost anyone, especially if Melissa was in danger."

"They were attacked…Julian, they were attacked by Vega."

Julian couldn't speak. Vega's words ran through his head. 'Is she happy?', 'I simply want peace.', 'Is Camilla happy with Crankurt?'. What had he done? He'd given Vega exactly what he wanted thinking it was perfectly harmless and Vega had used it has a playing card, as a catalyst for his revenge. He'd delivered Cammy on a golden platter.

Ken was right. He really could use a hit right now.