Joe
It was very strange to have Barney Ross in the same room as him. It was the next morning, and the breakfast table was almost chaos. Oscar had woken up to find a bunch of guests and a dog in his house, and he was beyond excited. Norah had let Lee stay with her in her room while Barney had taken the couch and fended off the dog and cat all night, so he'd been the first one awake when Joe got to the kitchen. Rose was trying to keep everyone in order while not losing her shit.
And through all of it, the twins stayed sleeping.
Joe marveled at their ability to sleep through a bomb going off. He figured they got that from Marcy since he always awoke to a pin dropping. He sipped his coffee and dodged the dog, who was chasing Sassy around the table again. Norah grabbed the cat and endured Rose's chastising as she went down the hall and away from it.
"So," Joe said once it was sort of quieter. He held Lee's gaze. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"Dad," Rose said, exasperated.
"What?" Joe asked. "I'm trying to keep a modern mind. I know babies don't mean marriage. I just want to make sure nothing funny goes on here."
"Yea, Lee," Barney chimed in. "What are your intentions with my niece?"
It looked like Lee wanted to disappear. Joe was enjoying this very much. He liked keeping people on their toes. Lee was working on a response when Norah called him to assist with the twins. He bolted like a gunshot, leaving Joe and Barney to chortle and cackle in his wake.
Lee
He wasn't sure what to make of the chaos. He definitely didn't know what to make of Joe's question. He felt like Norah needed to be involved in that conversation. Yes, they'd shared a bed last night to sleep (nothing else), but a piece of him still felt like she could change her mind about it all.
"Did I save you?" Norah asked, lifting Rosalee up first and smiling at her before kissing her cheek and handing her to Lee. He still felt a bit awkward holding an infant and worried about somehow hurting his child. He couldn't help but marvel at his daughter's eyes, though. They were her mother's.
"From what?" he countered, tearing his gaze away to look at Norah, who now had Joey in her arms.
"From my father's 'What are your intentions with my daughter?' question," she clarified. "Because he asked it, right?"
"Yea."
"Well," she said, moving closer to him while bouncing Joey slightly. "What shall we tell him?" She was smiling, which made Lee relax. Of course she wasn't changing her mind. Why would she? She'd told him she loved him and had clung to him so tight last night while falling asleep that he'd gone numb. His brain was being stupid, thinking so negatively like that.
"I think we should tell him that he won't be getting rid of me anytime soon," he answered. Norah smiled a bit wider, and he moved to kiss her softly before they rejoined the others. Lee saw Barney's face upon seeing the twins, and he could have sworn the man's eyes grew a bit wet.
"Wow," Barney said, clearing his throat. "Look at those little beauties." Norah went to hand him Joey, and Barney accepted him easily. He had a permanent smile on his face.
"He's Joseph Barney," Norah told him.
"Really? I...I'm honored," Barney said.
"I'm first, though," Joe reminded him, which made Barney roll his eyes.
"Second is the best," he pointed out.
"Not in this case," Joe started, commencing a bicker war that was very familiar to Lee. Was this how the others felt when they watched him and Barney go at it? It was strange. He felt Rosalee start to wriggle and fuss, and he suddenly felt very unsure of what to do.
It scared him.
"You first today, huh?" Norah commented, noticing and taking her from him. "All right then. Let's do this." She went to the other room to feed her, and Lee wasn't sure if he was supposed to go with her or what.
"Sit," Rose said, putting a hand on his shoulder and forcing him down into the chair at the table. She set a plate down in front of him next. "Eat."
"Um," Lee started.
"Nope," she interrupted without hearing what he was going to say.
"Hey, Norah, Joey's noticed he's been left out!" Joe called after his daughter as the infant started to wail.
"Just a minute!" she called back.
"Mom, can I get a dog?" Oscar asked.
"Oh, not right now," Rose answered, expertly whipping up another plate and setting it in front of Barney next.
"I forgot to tell you that Winston called," Joe said to Rose now as he went to get coffee. "He's swinging by around ten."
"We're gonna be leaving for work by then," Rose replied.
"Ah, shoot. You better call him then..."
"Norah!" Barney yelped as Joey's wails got louder. Rupert barked and ran to the door as Winston came through it. He was early apparently.
"Or maybe it was eight," Joe mused, noticing. Winston happily petted the dog, greeted Rose, and settled into the chaos like it was second nature. Lee, however, was suddenly feeling like he couldn't breathe. He got up, his food untouched.
"Excuse me," he said to nobody since no one was paying attention to him. He slipped outside and went to lean against the side of the house, his brain going a hundred miles a minute.
Gunner
His head pounded when he opened his eyes. He was on the living room floor; he couldn't remember how he got there. By the state of the room, he surmised he had tripped at some point and then just stayed down. Even his drunken state knew when to give up.
He groaned and sat up slowly, pressing a hand to his face. He needed a shower. He could still feel the grime from the mission on him. He got to his feet gingerly, walking to the bathroom. He started the shower and caught sight of the purple toothbrush in the cup next to his red one. His heart clenched, and he suddenly wanted to throw up, which he did. Violently.
At least the toilet seat had been up.
Tool
"You're where?" Tool asked, plugging his finger into his left ear to hear Barney properly. If he didn't know any better, he was sure he'd heard him say...
"Norah's," Barney replied, confirming it. "She's had twins, Tool. Lee's the father."
"Well smack me upside the head with a two-by-four," Tool said with a laugh. "Are you serious?!"
"Dead serious."
"Wow. Lee as a father." Tool whistled. "That's hard to believe."
"He's wiggin' out," Barney told him. "I can tell."
"He's not gonna bail on her, is he?" Tool asked. "I'll beat him straight if he does..."
"I don't think so. He's just really overwhelmed. It's like a barn over here," Barney said. Then: "Ow! Sorry, I'm to take that back. It's an organized barn apparently." Then another: "Ow!" Tool heard a female voice in the background then, and he felt curious.
"Who's that?" he asked. "Norah?"
"No, Rose. My other niece."
"How's that going?" Tool knew that Barney struggled with wanting a family and being afraid of hurting them. He wished he could be there to witness his friend being surrounded by nothing but family.
"Um, it's good," Barney answered. Tool could hear him moving now; he assumed to get away from Rose so he could talk about her. He heard some wailing briefly before it faded out. Then it was quiet.
"Barney?" he prompted, pulling the phone back to look at it as if that would tell him if his friend was still on the line or not.
"Yea, sorry. Just getting to a quieter place," Barney answered. "I don't really know what to say about all of this, Tool. It feels strange to have family or to belong to one."
"I think it's a good thing."
"Maybe," Barney agreed. "I just keep thinking about Marcy. Having her in my life is what caused her so much pain and then...you know. I'd hate to have that happen again."
"So quit," Tool advised. "Throw in the towel. Let someone else do the dirty work from here on out."
"I can't just quit..."
"Sure you can! Barns, you've done this for how many years? It's time to hang it up," Tool insisted. "Seriously." He heard Barney sigh heavily, and he waited. He knew he'd get an answer sooner than later. He wasn't disappointed, but the content was disappointing.
"Any jobs come in yet?"
"Barns..."
"Just tell me," Barney cut him off, and Tool sighed.
"Yea. Two walks in the park and one to hell and back," he replied. "I got a contact willing to meet with you about the hard one."
"When?"
"This afternoon."
"I'll be there."
"Barney, seriously..."
"Bye, Tool."
The line went dead, and Tool refrained from calling Barney every name in the book despite him not hearing it. He felt frustrated. How many signs did the man need to tell him he should stop killing people and start loving people?
Norah
She found Lee outside once the twins were fed and being snuggled by either Joe or Barney. It was amusing to see the two men fighting for her babies' affections. She loved it.
"Hey," she said to Lee after he saw her. "What's going on?"
"I just got overwhelmed," he said honestly. Her heart clenched in fear. Did he change his mind? Did he not want this after all?
"Oh," she said. He made no move to touch her; she didn't either.
"Is this what it's like every day?" he asked her, and she swallowed.
"Sometimes," she replied. "But if we're doing this, we're not living here. We'd get our own place and our own routine."
"Right." He nodded. He looked at the ground, and she felt very anxious suddenly.
"Lee, do you not want to do this?" she asked. He looked at her again, and she couldn't read his expression.
"I do," he said honestly. "I'm just scared I'm not going to be very good at it."
"What parent isn't scared?" she countered. She finally moved to take his hands in hers and stood in front of him. "But we have each other. We're not doing it alone." She watched him contemplate this, and he nodded slowly. Before either of them could say anything else, Barney came out.
"Hey," he said to Lee. "I got a job; I have to meet the contact this afternoon, so I'm taking off."
"Oh," Lee said back.
"You coming to get the rest of your stuff or what?"
"Um...I..." Lee trailed off, looking at Norah again. She felt the vulnerable part of herself that was desperate to not get hurt again flare up and decide to take action, whether she wanted it to or not.
"Why don't you go and figure out what you really want?" she suggested, her tone a little harder than she anticipated. His grip on her hands tightened involuntarily.
"Norah," he started.
"No, I mean it," she cut him off. "Clearly you don't know what you want 100% despite what you told me last night, so go and figure it out while I sit here and wait."
"Norah," Lee said again, grasping her shoulders with his hands. "I want to be with you...I want to do this. I'm just...I...I'm scared..."
"You're wavering," she corrected, pulling from his grasp. "I need you to not be wavering. I need to know you're in this all the way. I can't deal with wavering, Lee."
"Norah!" Rose called. "Clean up on bum two!"
"I gotta go," Norah said, pulling away from him and heading to the door. Barney stepped aside, looking a bit worried. Lee chased after her and caught her before she went in, leaving Barney to go in instead just to get away and give them privacy.
"Wait," Lee said strongly. "I'm not leaving you. I swear."
"I'm asking you to," Norah replied, pulling away again. "Figure out what you want, Lee. Then let me know. I'll be waiting."
"Norah..."
She went in without another word, and she felt like crying. She knew she was right, though. She needed him to be very sure. If he couldn't do that, then he shouldn't be here. It didn't stop her from feeling hurt all over again, though, and that's what she'd been trying to avoid.
Barney
He knew he was running away, but he couldn't stop thinking about how his family could get hurt if they were around him. That scared him and was something he wanted to avoid, and he was clearly unable to hang up his guns just yet. He didn't know why. It had been a quiet plane ride home aside from Rupert. He guessed Lee had taken the dog with the original thought that he'd be gone longer, but that's not how things went apparently. He still didn't quite understand what had happened.
"You okay?" he asked after they landed.
"I'm fine."
"She has a point, Lee," he started. He felt bad for overhearing it all, but he hadn't escaped fast enough to avoid it.
"I know," Lee cut him off. "I know. I'm mad at myself for panicking. How is it that I can face a hundred armed men yet I panic over two little babies?"
"Well, you're not killing them for starters..."
"Barney!"
"You know what I mean!" he exclaimed. "You have to raise these kids and teach them life lessons and keep them safe. It's completely different than stabbing and shooting faceless people before they kill you first. These kids are your responsibility, and that's huge." He looked to see that Lee was understanding what he was saying, finally. He shouldered his bag as he walked towards Lee's truck with Lee behind him. Thankfully, Rupert was put into the box this time, which Barney felt annoyed at and wondered why this couldn't have been done the night before. Lee dropped him off at Tool's where they both saw Gunner hanging out.
"Great," Barney muttered. "Guess I should let him go."
"Good idea," Lee replied.
"You need to figure your shit out," Barney retorted, pointing a finger at him. He refrained from telling him that he was contemplating quitting too. He wasn't sure why because he knew it would actually help Lee to feel better. He just didn't know what to do, so he left it alone. He squared up upon seeing Gunner and headed right for him as Lee drove away.
Toll
He came back from his run covered in sweat. He was going to grab a quick shower and then head to his appointment with Dr. Sanchez. He walked past all of his sister's things and dreaded the day his therapist was going to tell him to box it all up. He just wasn't ready yet. He didn't know if he ever would be.
Once he was in her office, he found himself in a staring contest with her. He knew she used silence as a way to get him to talk, and sometimes it irked him. Today, he was seeing how long they could go before she cracked first and said something. After 45 minutes, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Alright," he said. "You got me."
"Got you how?" she asked.
"I can't not talk about it," he answered. "Her death."
"Okay."
"It feels like that's all I talk about," he went on. "Aren't you sick of hearing it?"
"No, Nick," Sanchez said, giving him a small smile and a shake of her head. "I'm not. Talk about it as much as you need to. That's the point of this."
"I have her note," he said after a moment, taking in a shaky breath. "I read it a lot."
"That must bring up a lot of thoughts and emotions for you."
"It does. You wanna hear it?" He'd never read it to anyone. He was thinking that maybe if he did, it wouldn't have such a strong influence on him anymore, that sharing it with someone would help take a bit of that burden off.
"If you want to share it, I will listen," Sanchez promised. He drew in another breath, pulling out the paper with shaky hands. He smoothed out the creases; he'd lost count of how many times he'd folded and unfolded it.
"'Dear Nick,'" he started. "'I don't even know how to start this. How do I tell my brother that I'm going to hurt him in the worst possible way by doing what I'm about to do? I guess I just did. Nick, I need you to know...'" Toll's voice caught here, and he worked to clear it and stop from crying again before continuing. "'I need you to know that it's not your fault. I'm sorry for causing you pain, but I can't handle mine anymore. Please don't hate me for this. I don't know what else to do, and I don't think there is anything you or anyone can do to help me. I don't want to be a burden to anyone anymore. I love you so much...'" He broke down now, unable to help himself. He lowered his hand holding her note and pressed his hand against his eyes, sobbing.
"Nick," Sanchez said softly after a few minutes. "It's okay if you want to stop."
"No," he said. "I have to get this out." He took a tissue and mopped his face before blowing his nose. Then he tossed it in the trash and picked up the note again. After a few breaths, he started again. "'I love you so much, and I will never forget all the good times we had. I'll never forget how much you took care of me when I needed you, but I can't have you taking care of me for the rest of my life. That's not fair to you. My final request is that you don't let this sink you. You are not alone like you think you are. You've got the team, and, someday, you'll have someone to love with all your heart. I believe that will happen for you. Until we meet again, Victoria. XOXO.'"
Sanchez held his gaze after he finished, and he wiped at his face with his arm again a few times.
"Why wasn't I enough?" he asked after a moment, his voice thick. "Why wasn't I enough for her to stay for?"
"It sounds like she didn't want to be a burden on you," Sanchez advised. "Like in her own way, she was doing this to release you."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Toll said, feeling a bit angry because he knew Sanchez was right. It was exactly what his sister had done. She left him because she thought she was setting him free from caring for her.
"It's hard to understand someone's logic when they're in such pain like that," Sanchez said now.
"I just wish she'd talked to me," Toll lamented after a moment.
"I know. I wish she had too," Sanchez agreed, validating him.
"Thanks, Doc," Toll said, standing up now since his hour was up. "For listening."
"Anytime, Nick."
"Same time next week?" he asked.
"Sure."
When he left, Toll walked with his head held a bit higher. He'd shared his sister's last words, and it felt good. A few minutes later, he found himself at Gunner's doorstep. He knew he should have done this right after it happened, but he hadn't been thinking straight. He hoped Gunner wasn't going to be too angry with him. He lifted his hand and rang the buzzer, waiting for the big man to come out so he could give him Victoria's last letter to him.
The Next Morning
Lee
He didn't know what to think about anything as he and Barney flew to Vilena. He wasn't even sure why he was accompanying Barney on this trip. He'd spent every waking moment since he'd left Norah going back and forth about what he was going to do. He had barely slept with thinking about it. The same thoughts kept tripping over themselves in his head. Was he ready for this? Could he be a good father? Was he capable of doing this? Should he do this? Did he love Norah? Did he think they'd make it work?
He'd answered yes to most of them, but he kept doubting his abilities of being a good father. What did he know about raising children? What if he did too many wrong things? What if he messed it up? Broke them somehow? Failed to keep them safe?
"Good grief," Barney said now, waving his hand around. "I can't see for all this smoke in here."
"Shut up," Lee retorted snippily.
"Care to share what's got your head on fire in there?"
"No."
"I think you'll be a fine father," Barney said, figuring it out anyway. "And no one knows how to do it when they first have a child. You learn as you go."
"And you know this from all your children? Oh wait..." Lee trailed off, giving Barney a look. His friend just scoffed and shook his head.
"I'm just saying what basically everyone knows already," he insisted. "We don't know how to do something until we do it. We learn as we go. You're not gonna be perfect, but you've got the makings of a good father. I can tell."
"How do you know that if I don't?" Lee asked.
"I see it when you look at your damn dog," Barney replied. "And, I saw it when you were looking at your children. You take care of things, Lee, especially when they rely on you. That's always been in you."
"What if Norah and I don't make it?" Lee asked next.
"Then you co-parent. They're still your kids no matter what. If things work out with Norah, then you won a bonus."
"I think I might have chased her off again with my fear," Lee admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and looking rueful.
"No," Barney said with a shake of his head. "She didn't say it was over. She asked you to make very sure you want it. Big difference."
Lee didn't say anything for a bit as he tapped his fingers on his leg. He did want it. This fear he was feeling, he imagined she must feel it at times too. They were in this together. He looked at Barney and sensed there was something his friend was holding back, but he didn't ask. He knew if Barney wanted him to know, he'd tell him. He'd leave it be for now.
Gunner
The grief was powerful. The rage was intense. Gunner kept bouncing back and forth between the two emotions. He'd read Victoria's note to him over and over after Toll had given it to him. He hadn't known what to say when he found Toll on his doorstep apologizing for not giving it to him until now. He hadn't known what to think. Toll had insisted that he'd been so out of it that he'd forgotten about it, but Gunner felt like Toll just didn't want to admit that Gunner had been just as important to Victoria as he was.
I love you, Gunner. Please don't let this destroy you. I just can't take the pain anymore, and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I hope you understand.
That was just a piece of what she'd written that was stuck on replay in his head. He didn't understand. He knew pain, and he knew where pain could take you, but he couldn't understand why she'd let pain overtake her when so many people loved her and would have helped her. How could she not have thought this wouldn't have destroyed him? He danced with death every time he shot himself up with something he didn't entirely know it contained. He didn't care anymore.
Barney firing him from the team had been a blow. Killing was all he knew. How was he supposed to carry on with no job? No purpose? He suddenly felt hatred towards Barney and the others. They just didn't get it. Instead of trying to understand him and help him, they'd just cut him loose. Didn't that prove they weren't really his friends? He felt very betrayed, and his drunken mind wasn't thinking clearly to sort it out. As of this moment, he was very pissed off. It didn't help that he'd found out about the job in Vilena after overhearing Tool and Barney talking earlier. He'd gone to try and talk Barney out of his decision, but in the end, he'd left before anyone saw him.
He'd get his revenge soon enough. And he knew exactly how.
Rose
She found Norah standing and watching her babies sleeping that afternoon, so she tiptoed in and stood beside her. She had to admit, her niece and nephew were adorable.
"Is he coming back?" Rose asked, unable to wait any longer before talking about it. Norah had been quiet since Lee had left the day before.
"I don't know," she answered.
"He seemed like he wanted this..."
"Yea, well I guess we'll find out soon," Norah said with a sigh. She rested her elbow on the crib and her chin in her hand. Rose felt a flicker of irritation towards Lee. Why was he screwing around with this? She didn't understand.
"You didn't push him away, did you?" she asked, thinking about it suddenly.
"No," Norah replied hotly. "I just told him to very sure before he came back."
"I think he'll be back," Rose said confidently. "He loves you, Norah. It's very evident on his face whenever he looks at you. And who wouldn't love these adorable little ones?" She rested a hand on her sister's shoulder, and Norah just gave a small smile in return.
"Mom?" Oscar asked quietly behind them, and Rose turned to look at him. "Can I go with Grandpa for ice cream?"
"Yea," Rose answered. "Go ahead."
"Yes!" Oscar said, pumping his fist before disappearing. Rose left Norah after a moment and watched her son and father leave together, talking animatedly. She was glad they had a good relationship. She felt a twinge of guilt inside again at the thought of Oscar missing out on bonding with his biological father. Rose tapped her fingers on the counter and wondered what to do there. This whole thing with Norah and Lee was making her rethink her decision, but she didn't even know where to start to find him. Then she got to thinking that the man might be some psycho, and who would want that around their child?
In the end, she decided to let it go for now, convincing herself it was for the best.
Barney
Lee pulled himself out from under the nose of the plane, breathing hard and dropping into his seat while giving Barney an incredulous look.
"Well, you definitely made a statement," he commented.
Barney didn't respond and stuck a cigar into his mouth. He was feeling a bit rattled after narrowly missing his plane ride back home but also satisfied about blowing the dock to bits. He and Lee had scouted out Vilena and met their contact, Sandra. Then they'd gotten ambushed, and he'd tried to convince Sandra to come with them. He was disheartened to see that she had refused and disappeared by the time he got back to the plane. He mentally cursed his mysterious contact, Church. Who the hell in their right mind would do this job? It was a suicide mission.
"I'm done, Barns," Lee said after a moment, making Barney look at him. "I'm out."
"You got some perspective, did you?" Barney asked.
"Yea," Lee answered. They'd talked a bit more about his decision while they were waiting for Sandra earlier, and Barney had known it was coming. After that chaos and fight for their lives, he didn't blame him.
"That's a good call," Barney advised. "You're still young. You can have a life and be normal."
"What about you?" Lee asked. "How much longer are you gonna do this shit?"
"I don't know, Lee," Barney replied truthfully, taking a big puff of his cigar and exhaling. "I don't know." He didn't say anything else, and eventually, Lee was asleep with his head resting against his hand. Barney flew through the oncoming darkness and calculated his next moves.
But he just couldn't get Sandra off his mind.
Caesar
He looked at Toll sitting in between Sasha and Will as they watched cartoons, and he could tell that Toll was working hard to stay in the present moment. Caesar wished he could make it better, but he knew he couldn't. He could only be there for support.
Sasha burst into a big fit of giggles, and Will laughed heartily along with her. Caesar watched the corners of Toll's lips turn upwards for a moment, and he saw Sasha snuggle in closer to him, which made Toll appear almost emotional.
"Okay, kids," Char said, coming from upstairs and standing in front of the couch. "It's bedtime."
"Noooooo," Sasha replied.
"Aw, man," Will chimed in.
"Come on," Toll said, standing up and picking Sasha up under his arm. "If you get ready for bed, I'll tell you a story."
"Yes!" Sasha exclaimed excitedly. Caesar chuckled as they all trooped up the stairs and commenced their bedtime routine. He slipped up there after a bit to say goodnight when he paused outside of Sasha's door.
"Sleep well, kiddo," Toll was saying.
"I love you, Uncle Toll," Sasha said in return. Caesar could almost feel Toll's emotions in that moment as he held his breath.
"I love you too, Sasha. Don't grow up too fast, okay?"
"Okay."
Caesar stepped away and went into Will's room to say goodnight before going into Sasha's. He found Toll sitting and talking to Char at the kitchen table afterwards.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yea," Toll answered. "Thanks for letting me hang out here."
"No problem. You're welcome to stay in the guest room," Caesar offered.
"Thanks, but I have to get used to being alone," Toll replied, standing up. He gave Char a hug and Caesar a hearty clap on the shoulder and a handshake. Caesar followed him out to his car.
"Wonder what Barney is gonna do about Vilena," he said, and Toll gave a slight scoff.
"Probably go alone and face a huge army and try to pull off the impossible," he replied.
"Yea." Caesar hoped not, but he knew Barney well. He'd vocalized his thoughts about it earlier in their meeting after Lee and Barney had returned, but he knew Barney would still do his own thing. "Drive safe, man."
"Thanks. Good night."
"Night."
When Toll was gone, Caesar went inside after doing a perimeter check. Even though there was no more danger, he wasn't about to risk it. It made him think even more about whether or not he should retire. It was just such a hard spot to be in, and he hoped the answer would present itself to him soon.
Tool
He knew Barney couldn't sleep because he was rattled by this whole Sandra thing, so that's why he told the story about the girl who jumped off the bridge, the one he could have saved. It was to make Barney reflect on the choice he wanted to make. Telling it made him cry because not only did it still hurt him to think about, but it also made him think about Victoria. She was another one he could have saved if he'd paid better attention. Why hadn't he paid better attention? How had he missed it?
"I think you're right," Barney said after a moment. Tool looked at him carefully, his pipe in his hand now.
"About?"
"I need to stop killing and start loving," he answered.
"So you're gonna retire?"
"Yea," Barney answered. "After this job, I'm gonna retire."
"After this job? So you're doing it?"
"Yea. I'll figure shit out tomorrow and go from there."
"Good for you, Barns," Tool said. "Good for you. You deserve a life...a family."
Barney said nothing as he walked away to head to his room and get some snippets of sleep. Tool turned back to his work and did his best to not let the pain inside take over entirely.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Something? Anything?
