Sunshine greeted her with happy chirps and tweets the moment she opened the front door of the loft.

"I'm here, pretty baby," she said as she moved to the budgie's cage. "We'll get you a little bit of freedom before we get you into your carrier and over to Malcolm, how's that?"

More chirps and tweets came from the little bird who fluttered down from her perch to stand in front of her cage door.

"Kiddo, I still don't think it's wise to talk here," Hoyt Brannigan rumbled behind her. "Endicott has eyes and ears everywhere."

Sorcha smiled at her uncle from over her shoulder. "TARU did a sweep and found all the cameras and audio devices Endicott had installed in Malcolm's loft."

A frown darkened her uncle's brow as he closed the loft door behind him. "So, the place was bugged?"

"Yes." Her stomach knotted with the familiar bite of betrayal and invasion of privacy. "Endicott likely had the place bugged before Malcolm moved back to New York."

"Have you placed a call to Adam to ask him if Malcolm's firing from the bureau had any outside influence from this Endicott?"

Sorcha nodded as she opened the cage door and reached her hand in for Sunshine, who hoped onto her fingers, gladly. "Adam says he found multiple phone calls between Endicott's assistant, Mercy Sleeves, and Malcolm's boss the week he got fired."

"I'll kill the bastard if I get my hands on him," her uncle growled. "What the bastard deserves after everything he's put you and the kid through."

"Killing Endicott won't get Malcolm out of this mess he's in."

"But it'll damn sure put an end to the son of a bitch's empire."

"Maybe." Sorcha gently rubbed Sunshine's neck between her fingers. The little budgie leaned into her touch, clearly needing, and enjoying the attention. It hadn't been an easy night for her, either, she realized. Her nest broken into by strangers and her nest-mate taken out in cuffs in front of her. "But I don't think so."

"You don't think Endicott dead will put a stop to his power and control?"

"I think there are a number of people who are more than willing to take his place."

"You're likely right." Uncle Hoyt heaved a sigh as he walked over to take a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchen island. "The only way to fully stop this is by exposing Endicott and as many of his cronies as we can."

"We need to find the files Dad left me." Sorcha moved to the sink and turned it on. Sunshine tweeted happily and bounced down to play in the thin stream of water. "That's the only way to put a stop to this."

"You have no idea where Turner might have left them?"

"No." Sorcha moved to the drawer where Malcolm kept his prescriptions. "All he said was he left them in a place that has importance to Malcolm, myself, and Dad."

"You checked your folks place?"

"With Sean, yes."

"Harvard?"

"Has more significance to me and Malcolm than Dad."

"Good point." A frown knit Uncle Hoyt's bushy brow. "Turner said the files were in the place where it all began, though?"

"Yes." Sorcha set the prescription bottles on the counter and moved to the closet. "Why?"

"Because I have an idea about what he meant by the place where it all began."

"Okay?" She selected shirts and pants, choosing items of comfort and leisure over Malcolm's usual suits of armor. "Where?"

"The FBI."

Sorcha stopped and half-turned to look at her uncle. "You think Turner handed the files to Adam?"

"Adam is the only person your dad would trust with files like these."

"Wait..." she said as an idea dawned. "You said the only person he would trust. Not that Ian Turner would trust."

Uncle Hoyt turned his head to look at her, a questioning look in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"This whole time I have been looking at things from the perspective of Turner meaning me, Malcolm, and Dad." She carried the clothes over and set them next to the pill bottles. "What if Turner isn't referring to Dad when he says dad?"

"Who could he be referring too?"

"Gil Arroyo." She shut the water off. "He became Mal's dad after Martin Whitly's arrest and has filled that void left inside me after Dad's death."

He filled that position while Dad was still alive, she realized as she grabbed a handful of Dum-Dum's from the cookie jar on the back counter. When Dad wasn't there for a hug, advice or just to talk about things bothering me, Gil was.

And she never thanked him for it.

I will, though, she decided as Sunshine chirped and shook out her damp feathers. Soon as this is over, I am going to do something to show Gil how important he is to me.

"Arroyo would have given you the files."

"Not if he doesn't know he has them."

Surprise crisscrossed her uncle's craggy face. "You think Turner hid them somewhere in Arroyo's office?"

"Only one way to find out."

"After he rips your butt for disobeying his orders."

Sorcha harrumphed and moved to collect the rest of Malcolm's things. "His orders were to stay close to Malcolm."

"Without getting into trouble."

She sent her uncle a cheeky grin. "I must have missed that part."

"Yeah," he replied as he started packing the things she set on the counter into the travel bag she brought up with her. "Your dad tended to, too."

"I am just like him."

"No, kiddo." He took the armful of socks and underwear she carted over and set them in the bag with the rest of the clothes. "You're the best parts of Ian."

Sunshine chirped her agreement as she hopped into the bag and snuggled up in one of Malcolm's sweaters.

"Don't worry, baby," she told the little budgie as she got her travel carrier and set it on the counter. "We're taking you with us."

Sunshine flew up to land on the bag, tweeting and chirping as she waited for the carrier door to open. Her uncle grunted softly.

"Is that Here Comes The Sun?"

Sorcha smiled as she unzipped the carrier. "Yes."

"Kiddo, do me a favor when this is all over."

"What?"

"Marry that boy."

Sorcha's lips curved, warm with affection. "Only if you promise to walk me down the aisle."

Uncle Hoyt covered her hand with his larger one. "Deal."

...

"Gil!" Surprise was the only thing on the kid's face when he walked into Jessica's living room half an hour after leaving Sterling's office. "What's going on?"

Gil frowned at him to let him know he was onto him.

Bright, to his credit, merely stared curiously back at him.

Robin is channeling Batman here, I see, Gil thought as he came to a stop in front of the couch. Well, time to trim his tail feathers a bit.

"Did you go see Everett Sterling?"

"No, of course not." Cool as a cucumber. If Gil wasn't wise to the truth, he'd have been impressed. Especially since the kid was normally as easy to read as a book. "Why? Has something happened to him?"

"What's the meaning of this?" Jessica demanded as she rounded on Gil. "My son has been here all day."

Gil didn't have the heart to call her out on her lie. Not that he could blame her. She was trying to protect her son, after all.

"You promise you didn't leave?"

If Gil thought Bright would break and admit to Dani that he had been at Sterling's building?

He was sorely mistaken.

"Dani, I promise you." Sincerity coated every word. "I did not leave at any point whatsoever."

"Okay."

"Since you're here, update me on the case." Malcolm tossed aside the magazine he had been pretending he had been reading when they came in and sat forward. An eager puppy looking for treats and attention. "Have you made any headway with Eddie's killer? I have some thoughts..."

"Sorry, kid, you got to sit this one out." Frustrated dismay darkened Bright's face. "We're handling this."

Gil made to leave but Bright called out to him.

"W-Wait! I can help!" The kid waved to his ankle monitor. "Uh... but not if I'm stuck here." He looked pleadingly at Gil. "Please, take me with you. I-I have to help."

Gil wanted to give in. He wished he could. He didn't, however. He couldn't. Not when there was so much on the line.

"We can't."

"I-I went to see Sterling." Dani and JT both stared incredulously at him. "He, uh, got shot right in front of me."

Gil, on the other hand, wasn't surprised the kid confessed. Bright simply wasn't as good as his partner at maintaining his poker face.

"You are a real piece of work, I swear."

Not that Bright seemed to hear him. No, the restless energy he barely kept contained on a good day leaked out of him in electric streams.

"I used the extraction kit," he pointed to a blue bag peeking out from under the sofa, "in that bag over there to free myself."

"Malcolm," Jessica hissed. "What in the name of all things holy are you doing?"

"He's making them take him, Mom," Ainsley said, frowning at her brother. "That's what he's doing."

Gil just wiped a hand over his face as Dani reached for her cuffs.

"This family, I swear..."

One of them was going to give him a stroke and he wasn't rightly sure which one of them it'd be.

House odds were on Bright but Gil had a feeling Jessica would be giving her son a run for the money.

"Let's go," he told JT and Dani. "We still need to go and round up Batman from the Batcave."

"Gil, no!"

Gil quieted Bright with a look.

"C'mon." JT took the kid by the arm. "Let's go."

Bright went without another word. Gil made to follow but stopped to look at Jessica.

"Jessica..."

She turned away from him.

"Just go."

Gil nodded, understanding they'd talk once this was all over, and exited the room.

...

Sorcha walked out of the kitchen at the same time JT and Dani led Malcolm out of the living room.

Shit, was her first thought as she ducked back behind the kitchen door. That quickly changed as she realized what Malcolm being in cuffs meant: they either found out he slipped his ankle monitor or charges had officially been filed against him.

Either way, it was bad news.

And means I need to work harder at finding those files if I want to keep his danger prone ass from ending up with his father in prison.

To do that, though, she needed to disappear before Dani and JT had a chance to spot her. Sorcha made to slip back into the kitchen but a hand hooked the back of her shirt before she managed to take one step.

"Oh, no, you don't."

Sorcha schooled her features before she lifted her eyes to Gil's less than amused ones.

"What's going on?" Cool, calm. As if she had simply been in the kitchen. She glanced around him at Malcolm. "Why is Malcolm in handcuffs?"

"Because Bright is coming with us downtown." Gil kept one hand on her while taking Sunshine's carrier and handing it to Ainsley. "And so are you."

"Why?"

"Can it." Gil steered her towards the front door. "Bright told us everything."

"You did not." Sorcha shot an incredulous look at Malcolm, who had the good sense to at least look sheepish. "Tell me you didn't."

"Ah." He ducked his head. "I, uh, did."

"Did we not come up with a plan in the car?"

"A bad plan," Gil interjected. "One that could have gotten either of you killed."

"The shooter wasn't aiming at me," Bright offered, darting a look at Gil. "He was there to kill Sterling."

"Mal..." Sorcha frowned at him. "Have you ever heard of the right to remain silent?"

"Of course," he replied, indignant. "I have been there when suspects were read their rights."

"Try using it."

"That's like his skinny ass calling for backup," JT rumbled as he steered Bright to the door. "And actually waiting for it."

Sorcha hummed a laugh but was prevented from replying by Gil who said, "Let's go." He walked her down the steps. "You two take Robin back to the station. I'll bring Batman in the Batmobile." He steered her over to the car parked at the curb. "Keys."

Sorcha handed them over without a word.

She figured now wasn't the time to push her luck.

Not when searching Gil's office for those files was at the top of her to do list.

A/N: Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

I just want to send a special thank you to Rookblonkorules for their lovely reviews!