A/N: The TCC that Pete mentions here is Tarrant County College, which has a Fort Worth Campus.

Week 9 - UDC 8

41. Bright

When Nick returned to the kitchen, he found that Pete had switched chairs to be able to look out the window. "Ah. We're not as subtle as we think we are."

Pete smiled, shrugged. "It's not that. I saw you with the bags."

Nick snorted in laughter and sat down again, only to realize that Pete had corrected his math. "Pete, I'll have to redo this."

"But you'll do better when you do," Pete told him. "Fredrickson doesn't like sloppiness."

He paused. "Right." That was something he hadn't expected, really, that Pete would correct his homework and force him to do better. Maybe he should have.

"We'll have you doing Trig in no time," Pete added with a smirk and Nick stared at him. "What? I do summer sessions at TCC with special permission and have for two years now."

42. Star

When the adults finally did come inside, it was to Nick being coached through a problem by Pete, who kept taking the pencil away and erasing a line and then handing it back to him. Helen frowned at that, and then Nick looked up at her. "What?"

"I would be frustrated if he wasn't good explaining at where I went wrong in the problem, Ma," Nick told her, then shifted his gaze to Alan. "Summer sessions at TCC?"

Alan smiled. "Keeps him busy. You are doing your own homework, right?"

Pete nodded. "And I went over it a couple times, too."

"That's good, then." Alan turned his attention to Helen and Walt. "As I promised Sonia I'd be home on time, I'll be going."

Helen waited until he was out the door and getting into his car before turning to Pete, who had gone back to finding errors in problems and showing Nick where he'd gotten it wrong.

43. Mama

It was an early hour when he startled awake to find himself in an unfamiliar bedroom, and at first Pete just lay there, cataloging the unfamiliar furniture. Where was he? A soft snore drew his attention and Pete leaned over the side of the bed to look down, frowning at the older boy sleeping down there on the floor. Who was this?

He reached down and jostled an exposed arm, still frowning when the boy blinked awake and looked up at him tiredly. "Who are you?"

Nick froze, coming completely awake. "Pete?"

"Where's Mom?"

Now that wasn't something he was actually expecting this morning...

44. Please

He'd warned both his parents about this last night, he had been told by Jenkins that this did in fact happen, but to experience it was another matter entirely. "She's not here, Pete." Pete blinked down at him, not really comprehending that detail. Did he actually know, or was this a flashback to before? "She's not here. I'll be right back, all right? Don't go anywhere."

Slowly, he got up and went to wake one of his parents. His mother was easier to wake, and she frowned at him. "I'm not sure what to do, Ma."

Helen got out of bed and followed her son. In the guest room, she regarded Pete seriously before joining him on the bed. "What's wrong, Pete?" Nick sat down on his other side.

Pete stared at her owlishly for a minute before his eyes seemed to clear, and then he was sobbing into her side.

45. Shine

His mother met his gaze and Nick shrugged. "I woke up to him asking who I was and where his mother was."

Helen nodded. "Pete?"

"Hate when that happens," Pete told her, still glued to her side, tears making a wet spot on her nightgown. "It's been three years!"

"Doesn't matter how long it's been," Helen said carefully, voice tone as gentle as she could manage. "One day, two months, three years, or thirty."

"But I shouldn't be-"

"Says who?" That made him stop and look up at her, blinking in confusion. "Hmmm? Who says you shouldn't be crying? You're allowed, Pete. Grief is natural, it's a process." She met Nick's gaze again, eyebrows raised.

Nick nodded in agreement. "Exactly what Mom just said."

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what? I was warned, you know." Nick nudged his knee. "Not offended that you couldn't recognize me right off. Ma, is it too early for flapjacks?"

Helen smiled. "No. Go start on that." She watched Nick go, then looked down at Pete again. "When you're ready, get dressed and then come out to the kitchen for breakfast."

"Yes, Ma'am."