A/N: I've officially finished writing this story! Now it's just a matter of posting it all. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!
[March 2015]
Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…
It was like nothing existed except Roy's breathing. There was nothing to overwhelm him, no problems that needed to be solved. No constant stress, making him wonder if he was half as good at taking care of his kids as he was supposed to be. It was just breathing and sitting. The exercise brought a sense of calm that he usually felt he held a bowstring with his fingertips. 'Maybe I should just become a Buddhist like Connor,' Roy thought as he opened his eyes. 'It seems to work for him.' He looked at the time, then sighed and stretched a little before he stood. He got dressed, then left his bedroom. The first thing he did was check on Connor and Mia, both of whom were still asleep. 'Kind of surprised Connor isn't alt least awake,' he thought, silently shutting the bedroom door so he didn't wake them. 'But their spring break just started, so I guess it makes a little bit of sense.' And he'd let them stay out later the previous night because of this week being the spring break.
When he got the kitchen, Jade was already up and drinking coffee. "Morning," Roy said as he made a cup for himself.
"Morning," Jade mumbled. "Sleep well?"
"Well-enough." He joined her at the table with his coffee. "I've consistently only had one nightmare for the last week though so…progress…"
Jade frowned as she appeared to absent-mindedly stir her coffee. "What was your nightmare about?"
Roy didn't say anything for a few seconds. 'She's never asked about my nightmares before.' While Jade might remind him to take his medicine every night before bed to prevent them, she never asked about what happened when he closed his eyes. Roy took a long sip of his coffee before he answered. "I was in a street and… Kaldur and Ollie were there. Kaldur was on my left with Mia and Ollie was on my right with Connor. They said that- that I had to shoot them or they'd kill the kids but- but I only had one arrow." Roy swallowed and took another deep sip of coffee. "So… I just stood there and I- I wanted to move. Because I'd rather save one of the kids than save neither of them but…"
"But you couldn't choose between them."
Roy just stared at his coffee in response.
"Guess its a good thing it's just a dream then."
"I hope so."
"You hope so? News flash, you haven't heard from or seen Kaldur'ahm in over four months and Oliver Queen is imprisoned on another planet."
"I know but… But I can't help but feel like- like it could happen. Like I'm not doing enough to keep Connor and Mia safe."
"You can't watch them all the time, Roy. The world is a dangerous place."
"Hmmm…. I should spend more time on escape tactics. And hand to hand combat. Archery is our main thing, but they should be good enough to defend themselves."
"You can always improve when it comes to close-range combat."
"Would you- I mean, would you be interested in helping? You're a fantastic fighter in your own right, I'm sure you could teach them a few things."
"A few? Please, I could teach them lots of things."
"So?"
Jade shook her head. "I have no interest in helping with your vigilante crusade."
"But you've helped Mia with her hand-to-hand combat before she became Speedy."
"…That was before. I'd been stabbed and had nothing better to do."
"Uh-huh… Well, I'd really appreciate it. It'd be nice to have someone there to help them improve. A second way of looking at their fighting, especially a well-trained eye, can help find weaknesses and gaps in their skills that I might miss."
Jade rolled her eyes. "You're really something, you know that." She took a deep sip of her coffee. "Answer's still no."
"Please, Jade? The kids would love it."
"Mia might. Connor still looks at me like I'm going to attack him."
"He's a little difficult to get to know sometimes."
"Mhm…" And she was willing to bet it was even harder when you were a confirmed killer. 'Connor won't even eat meat. I'm sure the idea of an assassin isn't exactly in line with his values.' Which definitely wasn't her problem. She didn't care what these teenagers thought about her. Except maybe Mia. The girl had a lot of potential and attitude. It was kind of endearing.
"Come on, Jade. Its gotta be better than just sitting in here all day."
"…Fine. But not because I want to. Just because I'm bored."
"Whatever works." After he finished his coffee, Roy started some breakfast hoping the smell would wake-up Connor and Mia. Sure enough, his plan worked and within half an hour, the two teens were out of bed. "Nice to see you sleeping in, Connor," Roy said as he fried bacon and tofu.
"I was really tired," Connor said in his own defense. "We had to run like…20 blocks last night! Why did everyone have to run away?"
"Would you rather they give you another black eye?" Mia asked.
"Don't mention it…" Connor's pride was still hurt about the lucky punch a mugger had landed on him.
"Just be grateful you've got a week before you go back to school," Roy said as he placed their plates in front of them. "I'd hate to send you with a nasty bruise like that."
"Just tell people you got in a fight," Mia said. "Or you walked into a door."
"Walls work too," Jade added almost absent-mindedly.
"That's enough," Roy said quickly. "Connor doesn't need to worry about lying about his black eye. Eat up you tow, we're spending the day at the Cave."
"What's happening at the Quiver?" Mia asked.
"It's not- We're working on escape tactics and increasing your hand-to-hand combat."
"Does that mean I get to kick Connor's ass all day?"
"Language."
"And you're not kicking my…butt," Connor added. "You never do."
"I've beaten you before!"
"Name one time."
"…That proves nothing. I can still take you."
Roy shook his head with a small smile and focused on his breakfast knowing he had a long day ahead.
— —
When they got to the Cave, Jade basically pushed Roy aside and stepped in front of Connor and Mia. "Ok, kiddies," she said, crossing her arms. "We're going to work on evasive maneuvers. Grab your bows, Mia on my left, Connor, my right. When you're ready I want you two to attack me. Got it?"
Mia and Connor looked at each other, then at Roy. He gave them an encouraging nod, so they went to relieve their bows.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Roy asked.
"Nope. You said you wanted me to train them, so step back and let me work."
"Ok. I'll be over here working on trick arrows. Just don't…break them. Ok?" Roy went to his work station and pulled out his latest blueprints.
Meanwhile, Connor and Mia lined up on either side of Jade. They waited a second, then ran at her. Jade stepped back and grabbed Connor's arm. He kicked at her leg, but she twisted his arm behind his back at the same moment. It threw him off balance long enough for her to bodily move him. Connor grunted when Mia ran into him. Then he fell on her when Jade let go of his arm.
"What did you learn?" Jade asked.
"Don't attack you?" Mia offered.
"No. Evasive tactics are useful when you're outnumbered. It's not about strength or skill, its about stealth and speed. If you're sneaky and light on your feet, you can escape anyone. No matter how outnumbered you are. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Connor?"
"Got it," Connor replied.
"Good. Now, get up. We're going to work on your speed."
Every few minutes, Roy glanced up to make sure Connor and Mia were ok. They moved quickly to avoid Jade's blows as she came at them. Not quick enough though. The teens took turns, nursing their budding bruises when they were able to rest. Jade was a lot faster than either of them though. Every few seconds a blow landed on one of the teens. 'Please don't hurt them too much, Jade,' he thought as a punch landed on Mia's shoulder. She stumbled back to the floor, then jumped back to her feet and sidestepped her attacker.
"Stay on your toes, Mia," Jade said as she thew another punch. "Literally on your toes."
"It's- ah!" Mia landed on her back and sighed. "It's hard to balance on my toes."
"You'll learn. Connor, let's go."
Connor sighed quietly and Mia gave him a small side-five as they switched places. He held his bow tightly in his hand, then shifted his weight to his toes. He dodged from left to right, avoiding Jade's punches as quick as he could. Even though he wasn't supposed to block, he used his bow to redirect a couple of blows. Every once in a while, a punch or kick landed, and he grit his teeth. Connor lasted longer than Mia had, but eventually, he too was knocked flat on his back.
"Not bad," Jade admitted. "Rest for a few minutes, then you and Mia will work on avoidance with each other."
"Sore?" Mia asked with a smirk as Connor sat next to her on the floor.
"Yeah…. She's tough."
"Well, she's an assassin, so…."
Roy looked up from his work and smiled at the two teens. "You guys holding up ok?" he asked.
"Doing great."
"Don't tire them out too much, Jade. They need to be able to walk to go on patrol tonight."
"They'll be fine," Jade told him. "I'll make sure they have plenty of time to rest before you guys patrol." She turned to the teens. "Get up you two. Time to practice on each other."
They spent the rest of the morning practicing until lunch. Connor and Mia looked relieved when Roy finally said they needed to go home. The number of bruises on the teens concerned Roy, sending waves of discomfort through him. He knew it was just from training. That Jade wasn't purposefully trying to hurt the kids; that she was doing exactly what he'd asked. Pushing Connor and Mia so they'd get better and he didn't have to worry about them as much. But that didn't mean it wasn't difficult for him to see. It didn't stop his brain from bringing up images of his own body covered in bruises. The look on his face must've been obvious to Jade because she rolled her eyes at him.
"They're fine, Roy," she said as the four walked back to the Cave after lunch. "I wouldn't purposefully try to hurt them."
"I know it's- It's still hard."
"Just breathe and let me work. You wanted me to help them, right?"
"…Yeah."
"Then trust me."
Her words made him stop. Because it didn't matter how many years it had been, hearing those words made Roy freeze every time. Anyone who would demand loyalty to him was a threat as far as his subconscious was concerned. 'Except Jade didn't demand trust,' he thought. 'In fact…she's been doing the exact opposite for months. She's the one who didn't trust me originally. I had to let her get used to me.' And he did trust Jade. Even though she was an assassin and had been on the opposing side for years. So he nodded and started walking again. "Ok," he said quietly. "I trust you."
The admission seemed to take Jade by surprise for a moment, then she nodded.
'Please don't make me regret this.' Roy winced. 'I've already been hurt by too many people I trusted. Please don't make me regret this.'
— —
True to her word, Jade let Connor and Mia rest before patrol that night. They were well-rested and ready to go when it was time to suit up. Their night started off slow, with only a few teenagers that were easily spooked by the presence of vigilantes. Red Arrow was just about to suggest they go to a different neighborhood when they heard a gunshot. "I'll go check it out!" he said, shooting a zip-line down the block. "Stay here and keep watch in case something happens."
"But-" Speedy began, but he jumped off the building and slid down it on his bow before she could finish. "Great… We spend all day working on our skills to stay up here and play look-out."
"Being the look-out is important, Speedy," Green Arrow said as he knelt on the edge of the rooftop. They couldn't see where Red Arrow had run off to, so all he could do was watch the street and hope for the best.
"You've been doing this for a year. I know the only reason he left you here with me is because I've been doing it for two months."
"You'll get there, Speedy. It just takes time."
Speedy rolled her eyes and opened her mouth again, but movement on the street made her drop next to Green Arrow. Six men came running onto the street from a side-street, the same direction Red Arrow had disappeared in. "Wonder what they're doing?" The men didn't stick around because they took off down another side-street, right next to the building where the two archers were. "Let's follow them!"
"But Red said to stay here. We can tell him where they went when he gets back."
"They might be long gone by then! Come on, it's just six guys. We can take them easily."
"But-"
"Come on, GA! You know we can take them. Don't you want to be a great hero?"
Green Arrow hesitated. "I mean… Yeah…"
"Then come on! You'll never be a great hero if you sit here and play lookout all the time."
"…Ok. Let's get them." Green Arrow followed Speedy across the rooftop and down to the street. They ran in the direction they'd seen the men go. The side street led to another street. It was dark and silent. "Where did they go?"
Speedy nodded her head to their left. "Let's check out that parking lot." They ventured down the street and hid in a shadow on the edge of the parking lot. "Found them."
Green Arrow nodded and shushed her quietly. Three of the men were standing around a car, talking to each other. In the dim shades of the car lights, they could see guns on the men's hips. "Why are there only three?"
"Maybe the others took off?"
"Maybe-" The soft click of a gun behind him made Green Arrow freeze. He took a shallow breath, then grabbed Speedy's arm, and leaped forward.
"What the-" Speedy grunted as she hit the ground.
"Move!" Green Arrow rolled away just as a bullet hit the ground right where he'd been. He somersaulted backward to his feet, but as soon as he was standing, his back hit something solid. He looked up and saw it was one of the men. Fear shot through him, pushing him to step away and spin on his heel. He kicked the man in the stomach, but it barely seemed to wind him. The man grabbed at him, but Green Arrow sidestepped to avoid him. Another gunshot rang past his ear and he flinched away. Unfortunately, that distracted him just long enough for the other man to grab his wrist. Green Arrow tried to break the hold, but this guy was basically just a wall of muscle and had at least a foot of height on the teen. Green Arrow hit the man with his bow, but he barely seemed to care. His other hand grabbed the bow and twisted it roughly. "Ah!" Green Arrow gasped as pain shot through his wrist, forcing him to drop his bow.
The man wrenched Green Arrow's arm behind his back, pulling the teen off balance. Something hard hit his head and Green Arrow stumbled in pain. He was off-balance long enough for the man to hit him in the head again. Pain shot through his head and everything went back for two seconds. Two seconds was just long enough for one of the men pin him to the ground though. Through the headache, Green Arrow could see Speedy pinned to the ground in the same way ten feet away. Unfortunately, the pain was making it difficult for him to think, so he couldn't do more than blink blearily. One of the men went through his utility belt, judging by the sound of the movements, and next time he blinked, Green Arrow's hands were zip-tied behind him.
'…Well…' he thought as two strong hands grabbed his arms and dragged him. 'This isn't good…' He closed his eyes for a second and tried to meditate enough to forget about the pain. Just so he could think and get the out of there. 'Roy told me to watch Mia's back! I have to get her out of here!' Unfortunately, the hands disappeared and he dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Green Arrow was momentarily winded and rolled into his side coughing.
"What's this?" a voice asked.
"These two were hanging around in the shadows," another replied. As soon as Green Arrow rolled back onto his stomach, someone stomped on his back, making him yelp. "Think they're following us."
"Red Arrow with 'em?"
"Nah. We shook him off back at the warehouse. What'd we do with them?"
"I say shoot 'em and leave 'em for the archer to find," a third voice added.
"No," the first voice cut in. "Let's bring 'em back with us. I want to know what the archer does. Throw 'em in the back and let's get out of here."
The feet moved away from Green Arrow's line of vision and the next thing he knew, hands lifted him up. The pain had subsided, so he kicked out at the men, but they simply shoved him into the trunk of the car. He tried to sit up, but a second later Speedy was thrown on top of him. They both grunted and a second later the lid of the trunk closed.
Speedy rolled off Green Arrow and sighed. "G-GA…," she asked, voice shaking.
"I'm here…" Green Arrow whispered back. "Are you ok?"
"Roughed up…"
"Same." The car started and the archers felt their stomachs drop.
"R-Red can find us… Right…?"
The palpable fear in Speedy's voice was unnerving. "Of course… Of course, he will. Red…he's the best, right? No one can beat him…"
"Right…" Green Arrow closed his eyes for a moment trying to ignore the way the bumps in the road made his head hit the carpet beneath him. 'I can't undo the zip-ties. Maybe they'll take them off when we get wherever we're going.' Before they killed them. Cold dread gripped his stomach, but Green Arrow forced himself to breathe slowly and deeply. 'No. No, I can't panic. I told Roy I'd look out for Mia, and I will. We don't have our bows, but we still have our quivers. If I can get untied, I should be able to use the electroshock arrows as tasers. These guys are big, but we should be able to get away.' His comm was gone and was willing to bet Speedy's was too, but they could find Red Arrow. At the very least they could find their way back to the Quiver and contact him from there.'
"What's going to happen to us?"
"Nothing. Nothing, we'll be fine. We just have to stay calm and breathe. Ok. Just breathe."
"Ok…" That sounded like some zen-nonsense to her, but she didn't have a better plan, so she breathed.
— —
When the car eventually stopped, both archers tensed. They could hear the car doors opening, then closing. Muffled voices talked as they got closer to the trunk. A few seconds later, the lid opened. Two men grabbed Speedy and dragged her out; then did the same with Green Arrow. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he tried to get free, but the hands gripped him too tightly. Green Arrow looked around as they were dragged toward an ancient-looking elevator. It seemed like they were an underground parking garage. The walls were cement and the faint lines of parking spaces could still be made out. The elevator doors opened and the men dragged them inside. They kept Green Arrow and Speedy against opposite walls the whole ride up. Two men stood apart from the rest, talking quietly to each other and apparently unconcerned with the two teens.
When the doors opened, the two men exited, then the vigilantes were dragged out after them. The building looked abandoned. All the windows were boarded up and nothing but a couple of bare light bulbs light the space. There was no furniture, just crates lined against the walls.
"Tie them up," one of the two men said.
Green Arrow recognized him as the first voice from earlier. He tensed as a gun was pressed right against the back of his head, then a second later the zip tie was cut away. His relief didn't last long though, because they removed his quiver, then his hands were tied behind him. The gun moved to the side of his head and they forced him to sit not he ground. A second later, Speedy's back was forced against his. 'Looks like they took her quiver too,' he thought. The men tied them to each other, then stepped away.
"I take it you guys are professionals at kidnapping teenagers," Speedy said casually.
"Speedy…be quiet…" Green Arrow muttered. The last thing he wanted was for these guys to get angry with them. They were already in a precarious position.
"What? It's not a judgment. Just an observation."
"I doubt you kids have room to be judging us," the first man said. A hand settled on Green Arrow's head and he grimaced. "After all, you named yourselves after Star's most notorious killers. The first Green Arrow killed my father. Did you know that? Probably not, it was long before your kids were born. He killed my older brothers too. Both of them. Speedy helped. The police found arrows in their knees. Your mentor was an accomplice to murder."
"You- You don't know that!"
"I do. It's not like we have proof, but we've only known one red-haired archer who can shoot like that around here. Speedy disappeared off the streets one day— to be honest, I thought the kid was dead— and years later Red Arrow pops up. Now, I dropped out of school when I was 16, but even I know that isn't a coincidence." His phone rang, so he pet Green Arrow on the head, then moved away.
"Looks like Red has quite the reputation," Speedy whispered. None of the men were paying attention to them. One was listening in on the phone call and the other four were spread out around the room, looking through the crates.
"Not one he wants," Green Arrow replied quietly.
Speedy frowned as the other vigilante wiggled and bumped his head against hers. "Will you stop? You've been doing that since Bad Guy Alpha over there started monologuing."
"Not sure that…counts…as a monologue…"
"What are you doing?!"
"Shhh! I'm trying to untie the knots."
"You had a plan to get us out of here and didn't feel lie sharing with me?!"
"Speedy, hush!" Green Arrow focused on the knot dune this fingers. "I don't want the bad guys to notice. Do you see our quivers?"
"Yeah…"
"Good. When we're free, I'll draw their attention. Get your quiver and grab the electroshock arrows."
"There's a problem at Warehouse 3," Bad Guy Alpha said. "We'll be back. Keep an eye on them and don't let them escape. Break some legs if you have to."
"Bet he's a real hit with the ladies," Speedy whispered as two of the men left in the elevator.
"Shhh," Green Arrow hushed. "Let me work." He got one of the knots loose enough to undo it, then moved on to the next one. Thankfully, his Buddhist training allowed him to keep his entire body perfectly still while his fingers worked. 'Bet Master Jensen didn't have this in mind when he was teaching me how to meditate.' Every once in a while he had to move around to get a knot undone, but for the most part, he kept himself still. Thankfully, the men didn't seem too bothered with actually watching them. 'They're underestimating us. Good. That'll help.' Eventually, after way too long, he finally felt the ropes around his wrists loosen. "Speedy. Can you move your hands?" There was some movement behind him, then he felt Speedy's arms move away from his.
"We're good…"
"Ok. Wait for my signal." Green Arrow kept working, forcing himself to move slowly and methodically, despite the anticipation that was bubbling under his skin. They were still a long way from freedom, but getting untied was the first major hurdle. When the ropes finally fell off their wrists. Green Arrow took a deep breath, then somersaulted forward and shot to his feet. "Speedy now!" He jumped at one of the men and wrapped an arm around his neck when he landed on the man's back. The surprise of his attack let him pull the man to the ground, then he moved back. Another man came at him, but ducked under his arms and punched him twice in the stomach. Green Arrow landed a hard kick against the man's knee to bring him down. Something hit him in the back, but he rolled with the momentum, then kicked the man in the head.
"GA down!" Speedy yelled.
Green Arrow hit the ground just as his partner stabbed an arrow into the man behind him. The shock stunned him the man collapsed. "Good shot." Something hit the boards outside the window next to them and he frowned. A distant beeping reached him and he reacted without thinking. He grabbed Speedy and pulled her down next to him just as the boards exploded. Wood and glass rained down in the room. When Green Arrow and Speedy lifted their head, relief filled them when they saw their mentor.
Without saying anything, Red Arrow fired three electroshock arrows into the other men before they react. They all dropped like stones and he waited just long enough to make sure they were down before he moved to the teens. "Are you guys ok?" he asked, voice filled with worry.
"We're ok," Green Arrow said. "A little roughed up, but nothing too severe."
"Let's go back to the Cave. I have your bows and bike down in the alley." Without another word, he moved to the window.
"…He's mad, isn't he?" Speedy asked an undercurrent of fear in her voice.
"Oh for sure," Green Arrow replied. When he saw the look of uncertainty on Speedy's face, he reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "It'll be ok. Come on."
"Ok…"
— —
When they got back to the Cave, Roy made them change out of their suits before they did anything else. Once they did, he nodded hoo head at the cot in the med area. Connor looked at Mia, who swallowed and seemed to shrink back a little, so he gave her a small smile and held out his hand. There was a moment of hesitation before she silently took it. He led her to the cot and they sat on it together.
"What happened?" Roy asked as he started giving Connor a check-up. As he worked Connor relayed the events of the day. Every bruise and bump on the teen made him grimace. He moved on to Mia, who was also bruised from head to toe. Eventually, Connor stopped taking and Roy had to step back with a sigh. "Other than some bumps on the head, you're fine. So, with that in mind, what the hell were you two thinking?"
"That we…wanted to get the bad guys."
"I told you guys to say on that rooftop. I said to wait for me." Roy started pacing back and forth, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got back and you were gone?! How fried I was that something had happened to you?! I couldn't find you and I couldn't reach you on the comms! Then I find your bows and you guys are just gone! Do you have any idea what could've happened?!"
"Well… We got ourselves free…"
"Connor, they had you. If they hadn't wanted information from you they could've shot you dead and there wasn't a damn thing you guys could've done about it! And if I hadn't drawn them away then they would've- Oh God…" Roy kept pacing silently for a few seconds. "You guys have to listen to me. I don't give you these orders because I don't trust you, or because I don't think you're capable. I'm doing it to protect you. When we're out there, it's your necks on the line because of me. If anything thing happens… That's on me…" Roy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. "I need you guys to listen. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Connor and Mia said at the same time.
"Good. You guys are grounded for the rest of spring break. No tv, no going anywhere. You'll sit in your room and think about why you need to listen to me. And you're benched for two weeks. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Ok." Roy let out a sad sigh, then suddenly moved toward them. Mia flinched back as he pulled both of them into a hug. "I was so worried about you guys…" he whispered after a few seconds. "If anything happened to you…"
"We're ok," Connor muttered. "We're ok, Roy."
"I know. I know. You guys are here. You're here, you're safe." He took a deep breath then released them. "Let's go home. You guys should get to bed."
Despite it being several hours earlier than their normal bedtime, they didn't argue. Mia wrapped her arms around her body as they walked home. 'That's really it?' she thought. 'He just…grounds us and says we can't go out at night and it's just…it? That's all?' Logically, she knew Roy wouldn't get…physical with them. He literally suffered from PTSD because of abuse. But it was still hard to believe. 'No one- No one's never not gotten physical with me. My father…Richard…no one.' Looked like Roy would break that chain. 'I mean, I've never done anything as stupid as what we did tonight and he didn't even seem to think about hitting us.' It was…reassuring. Almost.
When they got home, Connor and Mia got ready for bed. They got a strange look from Jade at how early they were, but she didn't ask.
"That guy really knew a lot about Roy," Mia observed as she brushed her hair, sitting on Connor's bed. She was in her pajamas, watching Connor, who appeared to be meditating.
"He knew a lot about Speedy," Connor corrected as he opened his eyes.
"Do you think Roy thinks about it? You know…what happened when we worked with Oliver Queen."
"I think he thinks about it every time civilians run away from him. And every time someone thinks he's going to kill them. And every time the police shoot at him."
"Its…sad, don't you think. All the good he does, how dedicated he is to helping people, and those two years he spent as Speedy are…attached to him. They just follow him everywhere."
"Yeah…"
Mia looked at the floor, playing with her hairbrush. "Thanks for staying so calm today."
"Well…calm is kind of my thing."
"Sometimes I find it annoying, but today it was useful."
"Glad I could be useful."
Mia smiled as she put her hairbrush on her desk, then climbed onto the top bunk. "Night, partner."
"Night. Partner."
— —
Later that night, Jade found Roy outside Connor and Mia's bedroom. She sat next to him silently. "What happened?" she asked.
"They could've been killed," Roy whispered.
"Well, that tends to come with the territory."
"Yeah…"
"You going to sleep?"
"No…"
"Ok. Then don't go to work tomorrow."
"Deal."
Jade nodded, then placed a prescription bottle in Roy's hand. "Just in case." She left him alone in the hall, knowing he should sleep, but also knowing that she needed to let him deal with this in his own way. 'I don't know if he'd admit it but damn, does he love those kids.'