The amount of times I had rewrite this chapter is unbelievable...

It took me two weeks to write this monster, and it was infuriating because it burned me out and I had to take a break from writing.

A massive kudos to my good friend, AlmostSanObsessions for helping me with this beast, I couldn't have done it without her 3

"I'm home."

And very, very, tired. So tired, she didn't think she would be able to reach her bed this time.

Hmm…what would Kazuto do if he saw her passed out on the couch? The woman blushed and giggled like a school girl when she pictured the man scooping her up in his arms and taking her to their bedroom. Who knows? Maybe things might…take passionate turn.

Sadly for Ayako, her fantasies won't be coming true tonight because one, Kazuto was most definitely working in his study, and two, he was most definitely too angry to indulge her.

She knew the moment the man had told her he would be picking up the kids from school that things weren't going to end well. He and Ryuto were incapable of having a civil conversation after all.

That meant she had to play the role of mediator between the two once again. 'Joy.' She mentally groaned.

She'll handle Kazuto tomorrow since he was in his study—there was no way to talk to him when he was preoccupied with work. It wasn't Ryuto's bedtime yet, so she'll talk to him first.

"Welcome home."

The woman paused when she heard her husband greet her from the kitchen. So Kazuto wasn't in his study? Is that…a good thing?

Well, judging by the icy, dark tone his words carried, the answer is most definitely no, meaning she was going to have t rack her brains for a good strategy to calm him down.

Nothing new, just another day for the peacekeeper of this house.

The man was sitting at the kitchen table, arms crossed and a dark glare adoring his hardened features. Ayako followed his gaze and saw that the recipient of that glare was none other than a simple tray that rested innocently on the counter.

"Kazuto?" She asked carefully as she took a seat before him. "What's wrong?"

The man met her gaze and it took every ounce of Ayako's willpower to not shudder at the overwhelming anger residing in those dark orbs. This was going to be a long night.

"What's wrong?" He asked coldly and stood up.

Ayako braced herself; from the barely restrained anger in his tone, it was clear an argument, she supposed with Ryuto, had occurred minutes prior, and it still lingered in Kazuto's mind. 'This isn't going to be easy.'

"Your son!" He stood up, eyes blazing. "Your son and his idiotic grandmother! That's what's wrong!"

'This really isn't going to be easy.' She thought, watching as the man started pacing around the kitchen.

"That ungrateful, irritating, good-for-nothing spoiled brat has done it this time!" The man shouted. "And all because I told him he can't keep sleeping over at his friends' houses lest he wanted people to start making assumptions about us!" He threw his hands up in the air. "But of course he doesn't care about that! Why would he?!"

"Kazuto," The woman said softly, hoping her calm voice would ease the man even if just a bit as it normally did. "Please, tell me what Ryuto did."

She would've been successful in that endeavor had she not uttered the name of their son, which only fueled the flames of his rage.

"Ryuto," He spat the name with an immeasurable amount of venom. "Ran away!"

Light brown eyes widened until they looked ready to burst out of their sockets. "W-What?!"

It was a good thing she was seated, as the shock was so great it would've knocked her down upon collision. Still, the gravity of those two simple words was so heavy that Ayako found herself hunching over slightly and looking down. Her heartbeat had now accelerated, seemingly deadest on breaking her rib cage. Breathing became a chore, and Ayako didn't doubt that her face had already lost all of its colors by now.

"He…" She tried to use her voice. "H-He…ran away?!"

"Yes!" The man barked, too blinded by anger to notice his wife's internal turmoil. "And that old, useless, and equally idiotic hag helped him!"

As if the shock and worry weren't enough torment for her heart, now anger was added to the mix. 'Of all the things, Megumi-san!'

Of all the things the elder had done to get under Kazuto's skin, this one was just a step too far!

"H-How?" She finally asked.

"She gave him a rope to sneak out of his room!" The man yelled, still pacing around. "I sent that boy to his room! But then he went to his grandmother's room to whine about how apparently, I'm the villain here because he can't have his way!"

He briefly stopped to look at his wife. "And she sides with that spoiled brat! She gives him a rope so he can sneak out of the house without bothering to even think of the consequences!" The man gritted his teeth and started pacing around again. "What if someone had seen Ryuto sneak out of his room?! How would that make us look?!" He sneered. "But why am I surprised?! This woman's never once cared about her family's reputation!"

Ayako now had her throbbing head in her hands as she continued listening to the man, but the more she listened, the more massive her headache became, and the by now, her heart was ready to burst out of her chest.

"I called that idiot and told him to come back immediately!" Kazuto slammed the kitchen counter. "But he hangs up! Just what you'd expect from that idiotic brat!"

Tears welled up in Ayako's eyes; this wasn't her son; he would never do such an irresponsible and dangerous thing. 'First he wouldn't tell me he wasn't coming home, now this?'

"And then there's Yukiko!" He pointed to the tray. "I told her she isn't allowed to see her grandmother! But then I come down to find her making dinner for her!"

'What?'

Slowly, the woman lifted her head up to stare at her husband in shock, who was still too enraged to notice her gaze or his words.

"I told her to stay away from that old woman! But does she listen?! No! No one is listening to me in this house! And if I hadn't caught her—"

"Kazuto."

The man paused in his spiel and turned to look at his wife. Instantly, all of his anger faded, now replaced by surprise and even a hint of fear.

Ayako was staring back at him in horror, but that wasn't all that dominated those light brown orbs. Shock, sadness, incredulity radiated in them so bright they would eventually morph into tears.

It was the look of pure disappointment.

"You…" She began meekly. "You forbid Yukiko from seeing her grandmother?" She slowly stood up, keeping her eyes trained on the man. "Even bringing up dinner for her?"

"Yes." The anger was back, but there was a slight trace of hesitance in his voice. "After what she did, I wasn't about to let Yukiko anywhere near her!"

That wasn't the right thing to say because the look he was receiving all but intensified. However, it only prompted him to think of a better justification rather than just shutting up completely.

"She's clearly a bad influence on the children!" He reasoned with noticeable desperation. "She encouraged Ryuto's irresponsible actions! Yukiko needs to learn there are repercussions! Or else she'll think what Ryuto did was acceptable!"

"She's sick," Ayako said. "And Yukiko's been tending to her." She shook her head in disbelief. "You can't just…you can't…"

She looked back at him. "At least tell me you brought her dinner."

The desperation in her voice was clear as day. While it was true Megumi's actions were severe and unacceptable, they were no justification to letting her starve. Worse, telling their tween daughter to not care for her ill grandmother? Had the man lost it?!

The silence she received from him, told her that yes, he had, much to the woman's shock.

"You…" Ayako breathed, eyes widening in terror. "You mean...Megumi-san hasn't had dinner?" She walked closer to him. "At all?!"

Once again, she was met with silence. Ayako shook her head again and quickly walked over to the fridge and pulled out some left overs, before walking to the stove to heat it up, all while her husband watched her.

"She's asleep now." He said after minutes of hesitating.

The woman halted her actions; her back remained turned to him. Then, after what felt like eternity, she slowly turned to meet his gaze.

Kazuto tensed when he found himself once again on the receiving end of his wife's notorious look, except this time, the sadness was too radiant it was almost blinding.

"Your sick mother went to bed without having dinner?"

The question was spoken with a quiet voice—barely a whisper, but the sadness and disappointment laced within it was very audible, his ears couldn't bear it. The man looked away, desperately racking his brains for something better to say, but all his efforts yielded no results.

One look, all it took was one disappointing look from his wife for the man to be rendered speechless. Add to that, the guilt building up in his chest was growing too heavy for him to bear. He wasn't irrational, hence why now, after finally listening to himself rage, he had come to the unfortunate and late realization that his actions did not come close to touching rationality.

"I…" He began as he cast a tentative glance at his wife.

The woman wasn't looking at him anymore, her eyes were closed, head cast down, hand still over her mouth—she was still upset.

The man finally decided to shut up once and for all. He observed Ayako, watching for the smallest movement. Part of him wanted to approach her, to place his arms around her in comfort, but he knew perfectly well that it wasn't the right thing to do now of all times, not when his wife was upset with him.

"Where's Yukiko?" Ayako finally asked, lowering her hand, but still not meeting her husband's gaze.

"In her room."

He watched her leave the kitchen and head upstairs, all without ever once meeting his gaze. And maybe it was for the better; after all, Kazuto could never handle that look.

The man sighed and sat back down on the table. He glanced once more at the tray, this time in sadness.

She had long since given up on drying her tears, letting them instead run freely down her cheeks and soak her bed sheets. She didn't care at this point; she didn't care about anything anymore.

It had never been her intention to anger her father, nor had she wanted to disobey him. Yukiko had only hoped her father would allow her to see her grandmother after calming down.

But as they silently ate dinner, it became clear that that wouldn't be the case. Throughout the course of their meal, Yukiko kept waiting and praying for that permission, for her father to simply say "Bring up a plate for your grandmother"

But that never happened. All she could do was sadly watch as he stood up and left without saying anything. She should've known better than to rely on wishful thinking.

That's why, after doing the dishes, she had quietly placed a tray on the table before grabbing a plate.

"What are you doing?"

Yukiko could still feel the fear that had suddenly latched on to her heart at that moment, squeezing the life out of it until breathing became difficult. Just one look at the tray was all her father needed to understand what she was doing.

"Didn't I say you weren't allowed to see your grandmother?!"

She had kept her head low, not wanting to see the intimidating glare that had greeted her in her nightmares. She had remained silent when the yelling commenced, not bothering to defend herself against the cold, cruel, and furious words that cut her deep, fearful that anything she said may worsen her predicament.

"Answer me, Yukiko!"

She complied and managed a simple pleading.

"Please, dad, she's sick."

"If she wants to eat, she can come down and eat!"

The right thing to do back then was to shut up and listen to him. However…

"But—"

Her love and worry for her grandmother prompted her to stand her ground and at the very least, try to convince the man to change his mind.

"Yukiko,"

Just remembering the dark tone used when addressing her was enough to make her shudder. 'I shouldn't have tried.' She whimpered.

Yukiko gasped when she heard someone knock on her door and quickly sat up, shuddering at the possibility that her father might be standing outside her room.

"Yukiko?"

The girl's eyes widened when she heard the familiar, soft, feminine voice of her mother. The fear was immediately dispersed, but its brief presence had still managed to immobilize her.

"May I come in?"

Yukiko nodded, and then remembered that her mother can't see her.

"Y-Yes."

Ayako walked in and immediately, her heart clenched at the sight of her daughter's puffy, red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

No movement occurred from mother or daughter, nor did they even dare to break eye contact, as if by doing so, the other would disappear.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ayako walked over, sat on the bed, and instantly pulled Yukiko into her arms. Yukiko let herself fall into the warm embrace, a place where she felt safe and shielded from everything horrendous—her father especially.

Now with so much comfort flowing around her in those long, slender arms, the little girl cried even more, pouring out all her sorrow and misery. Only I her mother's arms could she cleanse herself from such negativity.

"Yuki-chan," Ayako whispered softly, one hand reaching up to stroke her daughter's head. "It's alright, I'm here."

"D-Dad…Onii-san…" The girl tried to say.

Ayako hushed her. "I know, I know everything."

The girl sobbed and buried her face into her mother's chest. Instinctively, Ayako tightened her hold on Yukiko and rested her head on top of the girl's.

"Dad, he…he…."

Yukiko looked up at the woman through teary eyes. "H-He told me to stay away from grandma and…" She sobbed.

Ayako hushed her again. "I know." She said sadly.

"He said I should let her starve!" The girl wailed, burying her head into her mother's chest once more.

The woman bit her lower lip, feeling ready to cry from just hearing those words. 'Kazuto, why?'

"I wanted to…t-to bring her dinner, but…" The girl sobbed. "…but he saw me a-and…and he yelled and…"

More tears trailed down the girl's cheeks as more sobs escaped her lips.

"He said…" Yukiko wailed. "…He said…he said if she w-wants to eat…she…sh-she can come down by her…" She hiccuped. "…by h-herself!"

Ayako pressed her lips together, desperately trying to repress the fury she felt towards Kazuto. She'll deal with him later; right now, Yukiko was her main priority.

"Mom?"

The woman looked down to meet the teary eyes of her daughter.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

Yukiko hiccuped again before asking, "Did…did grandma eat?"

"Yes." Ayako lied because her daughter did not need to know otherwise. "She's asleep now."

It seemed to have slightly calmed Yukiko down, but the crying had only subsided, not ended. Ayako continued rocking her daughter back and forth, her fingers gently running through her hair.

While Yukiko cried, Ayako tried to quell the anger building up in her chest, an emotion she almost rarely crossed paths with. People had often referred to her as a saint for the infinite amount of patience she displayed, and Ayako took pride in that.

However, even saints were still humans, and right now, the anger she felt towards Kazuto, Megumi, and even Ryuto seared to a height that could not be ignored.

Add exhaustion and worry to the mix and Ayako wouldn't be surprised if her heart stopped permanently.

Actually…that wouldn't be a bad thing. In fact, it would be a blessing to be relieved from her duties as the peacekeeper of this family because frankly, Ayako couldn't remember the last time she didn't get a headache from her husband and mother-in-law's fights.

She wasn't a saint, nor was she an angel, but a human drenched in errors and riddled with emotions. There were instances Ayako grew frustrated with her husband when he kept demanding more of their children. She understood his reasoning and did agree with him on many things, but that didn't mean she liked his methods.

Alas, he was the head of this household, and as such, his word was law. Ayako could calm him down, but she couldn't change his stubborn mind.

Yukiko eventually cried herself to sleep. Ayako sighed in relief, pulled back the covers, and laid her daughter down on the bed to tuck her in.

"Hm?" The girl's eyes cracked open slightly at the movement. "Mom…?"

"Shhh," Ayako said as she carded her fingers through Yukiko's hair. "I'm here."

Ayako watched as those puffy eyes closed once more. She did not yet dare leave, fearful her daughter might awaken should she do so. It was best to wait a bit more, after Yukiko was in a deeper slumber.

It was such a comforting sight, just what her aching heart needed, but there was still something she wanted…no, needed to do. Otherwise, she will never be able to rest. Though truthfully, she doubted it will be any good for her.

Ayako carefully stood up and left the room. It was her turn to cry now.

Try as she might, Ayako could not get her hand to move, nor her whole body for that matter as though standing before her son's bedroom door rendered her immobile.

Why was she here when she knew he wasn't inside? Confirmation, but what purpose would that serve?

The woman inhaled and placed both hands over chest, but the pain residing in her heart did not subside one bit. Taking in another deep breath, Ayako finally grabbed the handle and spared no moment in opening the door.

Silence greeted her in place of her son, and that alone brought tears to her eyes. Ayako held back a sob as she forced herself to walk inside and glance around, as if Ryuto was hiding somewhere and might come out at any moment.

The thought took her back to 10 years ago, when she would play hide and seek with her son. For some reason, Ryuto would always hide in his room, sometimes in the closet, other times underneath the bed, sometimes, he'd just settle with draping a blanket over himself as if somehow, he'd turn invisible. He was really horrible at hiding, but Ayako always pretended to have a hard time.

"Oh, no!" She exclaimed and sat down on the bed, knowing Ryuto was hiding underneath it. "I can't find Ryu-chan!" She covered her face and pretended to cry. "I can't find him! He's too good at this game! Oh, what if I'll never find him?"

She smiled when she heard him crawl out of the bed. Ayako feigned surprise when she felt the small, precious arms wrap around her from the back.

"I'm here!" The six-year-old happily laughed.

But the cold, hard truth was that they weren't playing around, Ryuto was really gone, and Ayako really didn't know where he was this time, nor did she know if she will ever see him again.

The woman's breathing hitched when the pain in her heart tripled in size. Unable to handle it anymore, she gently sat down on Ryuto's bed and finally let the tears flow. It didn't take long for her to turn into a crying mess.

This time, he wasn't going to crawl from underneath the bed and assure her he was here. This time, Ayako wouldn't be able to hug or kiss him. This time, she truly wondered if she'll ever find him.

The miserable thoughts only made her cry harder. Her headache had grown to an agonizing level, so she lied down and cried into Ryuto's pillow. Everything: anger, stress, fatigue, pain, fear, worry, and disappointment; all of them were released in the form of tears and sobs, leaving her drained. Her eyes were screaming, begging her to let them rest already, but in all honesty, Ayako did not want to sleep next to her husband, or see him for that matter.

Maybe she can sleep here, how long has it been since this room had been in use?

Just as the woman pulled the covers back, she spotted something pink from the corner of her eye. She turned around and gasped.

Yukiko's phone…broken.

"What…?"

She was instantly on the ground, her hands carefully reaching out to touch the object, but fear paralyzed them last minute, as though a simple touch will cut her fingers.

Her mind was already running wild with possible scenarios of what had occurred that it had come to this.

'Wait a minute.'

Didn't Kazuto say he called Ryuto to tell him to come back? It'd make sense for him to do that using Yukiko's cell. After all, Ryuto would never have answered if he'd know the caller was his father.

And unfortunately, it also made sense that Kazuto would be livid when their son hung up on him, but to the point he'd break their daughter's phone?

Tears trailed down her cheeks once more. 'Please…' She sobbed. 'This is too much! This is all too much!'

Between his two children, Kazuto favored Yukiko.

It didn't matter to him if Ryuto was better academically, or if he was outstanding capable, what good did that bring when the brat had no respect whatsoever to his elders?

Yukiko was the only obedient child he had, though now, Kazuto feared if she would remain as such, especially after seeing how her supposed mature older brother behaved today. It's bad enough she had disobeyed him when he told her not to see her grandmother.

The man furrowed his brow. He may have overreacted, but…but Yukiko shouldn't have disobeyed him!

Kazuto observed his sleeping daughter, feeling his guilt grow the more he looked at her tear-stained cheeks. Perhaps he shouldn't have yelled at her, but…how could he let her near Megumi after what the woman had done? The last thing he needed was another child lead astray.

The man looked up when he heard the door quietly open behind him, and met the shocked, puffy red eyes of his wife.

"Ayako?" He whispered as to not disturb their daughter.

To say she looked worse for wear would be an understatement. An abundance of misery and fatigue was plastered on her face; so profound that Ayako looked ready to pass out, and Kazuto worried she might actually do at any moment.

Ayako overcame her shock and quickly tore her eyes away from the man, who grimaced.

After the look of disappointment came the silent treatment, and the worst part was that he didn't know for how long. Nevertheless, he still tried.

"Let's go to bed." He walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The woman quickly shrugged it off, still not meeting his gaze, and silently walked out of the room. Kazuto followed her, thinking she was heading to their bedroom.

However, she remained standing in the hallway, still not meeting his eyes.

"Ayako?" He asked worriedly.

As expected, he didn't get a verbal response. Instead, Ayako carefully reached out and took one hand into hers. The man winced when she not-so-gently placed something into it, and upon letting go, his eyes widened when he saw that it was Yukiko's broken phone.

Wordlessly, Ayako walked back inside their daughter's room, leaving her husband to realize the severity of his actions.

It was early when she woke up—5:53 AM to be exact.

A blanket had been draped over her, no doubt by Kazuto. It quelled down some of the anger she felt towards him, but not enough to disperse it.

The woman sighed and cast another worried glance at her daughter before getting up and walking outside the door.

She may hate her duty as a peacekeeper, but it was role she played with utmost excellence for the sake of her children. It was imperative given Kazuto's anger—especially now when that anger ascended to a new level of irrepressibility. And the thought of Yukiko witnessed such ascendance was aching to Ayako's heart.

Yes, it was imperative she discussed this with him, but not right now— when her anger had not yet faded, and not when they had to go to work in a few hours.

She had expected him to be in their bedroom, or his study, never in the kitchen….and cooking!

The woman blanched at the sight of her husband by the stove. He had his back turned to her, so she couldn't see what exactly he was…attempting to cook, but from the smell, she guessed it was omelets, which made sense given Kazuto's limited culinary skills.

"Kazuto?"

The man turned to her and nodded as a form of acknowledgement. He then fully turned around to show her the pan he was holding.

"I made breakfast." He said, not meeting her gaze.

Ayako examined him. 'Is he remorseful?'

"I'll take it from here." She said, walking over.

"I can—"

"No, no." She cut him off and took the pan. "Go set the table, I'll make breakfast."

"I already did." He said, watching her cook.

He wasn't surprised when he didn't receive a reply, but it did make him feel even guiltier. Rarely had he ever disappointed Ayako, and it was arguably the most horrendous thing he'd done…after destroying his daughter's phone, which he also regrets.

"I can help if you want?" He offered.

"No, thank you." She didn't even meet his gaze.

The man looked down, seemingly ready to give up. Then, an idea popped into his head. One last shot.

"I helped Yukiko with lunch yesterday." He said, carefully observing the woman to see her reaction.

Ayako immediately paused and turned him in surprise. "You did?"

"Yes." The man rubbed his neck. "I didn't exactly do anything…useful; you could say I was just her assistant." He said the last part with a small chuckle.

Despite her overall sour mood, Ayako still managed a small, genuine smile—the first one since arriving home.

"That's very nice of you."

Kazuto's own smile widened, glad he managed to disperse even a slight portion of the tension.

"If you want, I can be your assistant as well."

Ayako chuckled. "That'd be nice."

As with Yukiko, Kazuto found himself enjoying this silent, but pleasant bonding moment with his wife. Perhaps he should help out at the kitchen more often, when he doesn't have any work to attend to.

Enjoyable as it was however, Kazuto found himself concerned by the overwhelming fatigue masking Ayako's face.

"Ayako?"

"Hm?" She looked up from the stove.

Kazuto hesitated, not wanting to ruin this moment, but he wanted to address his concern.

"Why don't you stay home today?"

The woman frowned. "Why?"

"You're tired." He pointed out. "Stay here, get some rest."

She shook her head. "People will talk."

First, the director of Kanzaki Law Office leaves unexpectedly early, and then the office clerk, who incidentally, was his wife doesn't show up the next day. There were bound to be rumors, and they didn't need those.

Kazuto also knew that, but he doubted his wife could go through a whole day in this state.

"Stay home, Ayako." He insisted.

"Kazuto—"

The man held up his index finger, a sign that meant his word was final. Why did she bother arguing when she knew how stubborn he was anyway?

"Stay at home." His lips then curled into a smile. "I'm sure your boss would understand."

Ayako couldn't help but chuckle softly at that; rarely did her husband show his playful side.

"Alright."

Truthfully, she had planned on giving him the silent treatment far longer than this; his actions from yesterday were inexcusable. But seeing him now, remorseful and caring reminded her that while he wasn't perfect, he could've been worse, much, much worse.

Luckily, he wasn't; they can get through this.

"Yukiko."

The sweet, melodic calling brought her back from the land of dreams. Brown orbs cracked open slightly to meet those of her mother. The woman was sitting on the edge of the bed and letting her fingers run through her hair.

Ayako smiled kindly. "Good morning."

Yukiko didn't say anything, still drained from last night. She moved to lie on her back and get a better look at her mother, taking in the comfort those loving fingers offered her.

"Breakfast is ready." Ayako said softly. "Let's go down."

Yukiko didn't move. In fact, she was quite reluctant to do so.

The woman frowned. "Yukiko?"

Yukiko squeezed her hands together and regarded her mother with a fearful look.

"Is…dad downstairs?"

"Yes." Ayako responded after a brief moment of silence.

The girl shook her head, fear radiating in her eyes with greater brilliance.

"No."

"Yuki-chan."

"I don't want to see him." She said, draping a blanket over herself. "Please, mom, I'm still scared."

Ayako suppressed a sigh. She didn't blame Yukiko for this, but she had to do something about this fear.

"I know your father can be…" She gently removed the blanket to look at her daughter. "…terrifying when he's angry." She gave the girl a small smile. "But he's calmed down now."

Yukiko still looked nervous.

"Honey," Ayako sat her up and wrapped an arm around her. "Your father has a temper, yes, and oftentimes he acts irrational because of that."

'And he could've been worse.'

Of course, she'd never tell Yukiko about her father's past. The girl was still too young; she wasn't ready to learn why Kazuto was like this, and in all honesty, Ayako preferred she never knew.

"He's not happy about what he did yesterday," She continued. "He easily gets angry; that's the kind of person he is." She embraced her daughter. "But no matter how angry he gets, he still loves this family."

She will not let this family fall apart. Kazuto, for all his flaws, was a good man. However, last night had served as a warning that things may grow wry should those flaws, his temper in particular, be left alone.

Hence why she will talk to him after he gets back from work, but for now, she'll ensure the bond between father and daughter survived this raging storm.

Yukiko had very different thoughts circulating her mind, all of them coated with perplexity.

Her mother said she knew everything, then she certainly knew that her husband was willing to starve his own mother! Did she know that he didn't care if his children hated him? What about the fact that he berated, or rather, disrespected his own mother? There was another question, one so simple, yet it carried even greater puzzlement:

'Why is she defending him?'

Fun Fact: I wrote various versions for this one chapter, and even versions of these versions...yeah...

In the end, I combined two versions, cut out some things, and saved them for later...writing can be a pain at times.

Anyway, I'm glad it's finally done, but it's not over yet; just one more chapter and we'll move on to something else. (Assuming I stick to the original plan)