I fidgeted in the doorway, feeling like a man on death row. I hated meeting new people.

"You look like you're about to walk the plank," Tiger said, nudging my shoulder as he passed by me into the living room, book in hand. "It's Lion's sister, her husband, and a kid. It's not an American Delta Force."

I sent him a look, rolling my shoulders. It was easier now that I'd finally gotten rid of that bloody sling. "I don't like new people. Sue me."

Tiger smirked. "You'll be fine. You speak six languages, I'm sure you'll come up with something to say."

I flipped him off, scowling. "Not the bloody point."

"You cannot start fighting before they even get here," Lion called resolutely from the kitchen, flitting around like a regular housewife. Apparently, he was one hell of a cook. "I'm excited, and if you ruin it, you're getting kicked out. End of discussion."

"Yes, boss," Tiger called, flipping to his last spot in his book.

Resigned to my fate, I wandered to the kitchen, watching Lion multitask like an octopus on steroids. "Can I help?"

Lion glanced at me, then at my arm. "Are you alright to? Are you tired?"

"I'm a little tired, but I think it will be good to move around," I assured, rolling my left shoulder. "It aches a little, but it doesn't really hurt."

"Then you could cut some vegetables, if you're bored," he said, indicating a clear sliver of counterspace with a cutting board and a bowl of vegetables. "Dicing would be good."

Well, I didn't have anything better to do, anyways. I set to it, and we worked in companionable silence. It was nice to hear the flat so quiet, only the sounds of sizzling meat and the soft flaps of Tiger turning pages, the rhythmic thunk of the knife against the board.

Then Bear got back.

"Where's my favorite nephew?" He shouted as he came in, and I peeked around into the hallway to see a couple bags on his arms. I assumed he'd gone shopping for something.

"Not here yet," Tiger said. "You're bloody loud."

"One of my best traits," he said, dumping the bags on the open armchair. "Lion, the runt still likes footie, right?"

"He's obsessed with it," Lion confirmed. "Come here and try this."

Eventually, Tiger found his way into the kitchen as well, pestering Lion for samples. I had to smile at the absurd normalcy of the environment. It was odd when you considered what we did for a living.

Lion went on a time crunch about thirty minutes later, becoming an utter drill sergeant as he ordered us around like slaves. I wasn't afraid to pull the sepsis card a little while later, earning a dirty look from Tiger, who took over my job drying dishes as I collapsed into the recliner.

"He's gonna murder you," Bear said as he came in, grabbing the bags from the chair to take to his room. "He hates dishes."

"He'll be fine," I said, feeling a little devious.

Bear raised an eyebrow, shaking his head and laughing under his breath. "You're a sneaky kid, I'll give you that."

I laughed, flipping on the tellie and setting it on a documentary. I figured I didn't need to be watching anything too violent when the kid and his parents got here.

The doorbell rang a few minutes later, and I forced myself to calm down. They weren't MI6 grunts, they weren't SCORPIA assassins, they weren't CIA spooks or ASIS spies. It was literally a small family with a small child. I was being bloody ridiculous.

That didn't make me feel any better when Lion asked me to get the door.

I thought about protesting, but I figured Lion was busy trying not to burn the roast, and I was already on Tiger's bad side. Best get it over with.

I opened the door to reveal Angelica, Jacob, and Jonah, who was holding his mother's hand and bouncing on his feet. As soon as I'd turned the door handle, I heard a young voice shout, "Uncle Danny!"

I blinked as expectant eyes settled on me, only to darken in confusion as Jonah stared. He was wearing an Arsenal jersey and denim trousers, colorful trainers on his shuffling feet. "You're not Uncle Danny."

"Um…no," I confirmed, glancing at the parents, who seemed amused. They didn't seem surprised by the stranger in their brother's flat, so I assumed Lion had told them about me. "I'm…a friend of your uncle. He's in the kitchen with Ti—uh, Sam."

I stepped aside to let them by, but they stopped inside the foyer. Angie had a smile that could light up a room, and when she fixed it on me, I blushed furiously. "Daniel's told me a lot about you, sweetie. It's great to finally meet you."

She surprised my by hugging me, and I didn't know what to do at first. I hadn't been hugged in a long time. Awkwardly, I returned it, letting myself relax a bit.

It felt like Jack's hugs.

"Um…it's nice to meet you too," I said as she pulled back, giving her an awkward smile. "And…and you, Jacob."

Jacob shook my hand, and I noticed Jonah was bouncing expectantly, staring at his parents for permission. "Nice to meet you, Matthew. Yes, Jonah, you can go see Uncle Daniel now." I distantly remembered Lion mentioning that Jacob was American, and he sounded it. He sounded a bit Southern, with wide vowels and muted consonants.

Jonah grinned, darting to the kitchen. I heard Lion yell in exaggerated surprise when he got there, and laughter followed. That was nice.

I was also immensely grateful when I realized that Lion hadn't revealed my real name. I followed them into the living room, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease.

"Did I hear my favorite nephew?" Bear shouted from the hallway, and I got there just in time to see Jonah wriggle down from his spot on Tiger's hip (which was utterly disconcerting) and run straight into Bear, who'd crouched down to meet him.

"Uncle Henry!" Jonah yelled as he all but tackled Bear, who exaggerated the force of Jonah's body-slam with an oomph, falling backwards.

"Man, kiddo, you're sprouting like a weed! You're not eating fertilizer, are you?" Bear asked, his face tight in mock seriousness, earning a giggle from the kid.

"No, that's bad for you," Jonah explained. "You shouldn't do that."

"You're right, you shouldn't," Bear confirmed, picking the kid up under his arms and rising, hefting him onto his shoulders with a bit of struggling. "Man, in a couple years, I won't be able to do this anymore. You're getting big!"

I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and at Jacob and Angelica greeting Lion, whose smile was absolutely beaming. After the conversation we'd had last week, I was glad to see him happy.

I tried to stay out of the way as they exchanged pleasantries and made small-talk, slipping through the crowded flat as quietly as I could. I was sitting on the couch drinking coffee and watching the muted news when Jonah bounced up to me, apparently having escaped the throng of adults in the kitchen, and shimmied up onto the couch beside me.

He stared up at me, and I shifted a little awkwardly at the child's honest, innocent gaze, which was surprising straightforward. "What's your name?"

"I'm Matthew," I said, smiling. "You're Jonah?"

"Mm-hm," he said, sitting cross-legged on the cushion beside me. "Are you a soldier with Uncle Danny?"

"Yeah, I am," I confirmed, setting my coffee down. I supposed I could talk to the kid for a while. It sounded like everyone else was talking about sports and financials, so I could understand his boredom.

"That's cool. Do you shoot people?"

I blinked, reminding myself that it was an innocent question from a kid who didn't know any better, and shifted. "Well…sometimes I need to, to keep us safe, but I don't like to."

Jonah nodded, looking oddly pensive for such a young kid. "That's good. I want you to keep Uncle Danny and Uncle Sam and Uncle Henry safe."

I had to laugh quietly. He seemed like a good kid. "I'll do my best, Jonah."

"Pinky promise!"

I had to admit, the kid was adorable. I didn't feel so tense, now. "Sure."

He surprised me by performing the familiar gesture, then saying, "I promise not to tell a lie, or I'll swallow a thousand needles!"

I blinked. "Uh…"

"It's a Japanese pinky promise! Uncle Sam taught it to me."

"Oh," I said, glad for the clarification. I spoke the language, but I wasn't familiar with all the customs. "Well, I definitely don't want to swallow any needles, so I'll do my best."

He looked at me for a second, then nodded to himself, as if in approval. "Okay. Come play with me."

He grabbed my hand, dragging me forward off the couch and onto the ground, rummaging around in his Pingu rucksack. "Okay. What do you want to play?" I figured I'd much rather spend my time with a little kid who didn't ask questions than the adults, though I had a feeling Jacob and Angelica weren't the type to pry.

"Go Fish," he said resolutely, putting a sealed deck of cards on the table. He wasn't anywhere near tall enough to see over the edge of the glass table sitting down, so he knelt, leaning over the table with his elbows and looking at me expectantly. "I can't shuffle."

"Not a problem," I assured, taking solace in the relative peace of the empty living room and the comforting chatter from the kitchen. As with the kitchen earlier, the normalcy was really, really nice after everything. I'd had a lot weighing on my mind—the imminent arrival of K-Unit, Lion's and my deal, my upcoming therapy sessions, and the heavy feeling of some impending doom…it was very, very nice to just settle down and play a card game with a little kid who was still innocent to the dangers of the world.

I wondered when I'd lost that innocence.

I wondered when he'd lose his.

"I figured I'd come rescue you, but it looks like you're doing fine," I heard Angelica's voice in the doorway, and she came and sat down beside us, holding a glass of wine. I supposed she was alright with drinking, unlike Lion. She smiled at me. "Thanks for hanging out with him."

"It's not a problem," I assured, feeling a little awkward, but not nervous, like before. "He's a good card player."

"I beat him twice!" Jonah said proudly. It was hard to let someone win at go fish, but by God, I'd tried my best, and it paid off.

"Did you really?" Angelica said, eyes wide in excitement and pride. "Good for you, little man! Who's winning now?"

"I am, but I have no doubt he'll beat me soon," I said seriously, gazing at Jonah's stacked books.

She chuckled lightly, sitting down beside her son. "Jonah, I think Daddy wants to talk to you with your uncles. Wanna run into the kitchen?"

Jonah looked concerned, glancing suspiciously at me. "Are you going to peek at my cards?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I assured him.

"I'll keep your cards safe," she whispered seriously, kissing his temple as he reluctantly released his cards, giving them to his mother.

"Daddy!" He shouted running into the kitchen. "I beat Matthew at Go Fish!"

I heard several exclamations of surprise and approval, and had to smile.

"He's a good kid," I said as Angelica picked up her son's cards, studying them. I didn't have anything else to say to start a conversation.

She smiled, eyes sparkling. "Thank you. He's a little terror, but he's precious."

I smiled down, unsure of how to respond. "Any twos?" I asked, half-joking.

"Go fish," she said, settling down with her hand. "I did want to talk to you."

I sat up a little straighter, my hand stilling over the pawn before I selected a card. A Queen. "What about?"

"Any Queens?" She asked first. Damn. I handed it over, and she smirked a little at my thin scowl. "Well, Daniel tells me a lot. We're…we're pretty close, you know. We had to be."

I nodded. I assumed she knew what Lion had told me. I wasn't sure how much she knew about me, though.

"I wanted to say thank you," she admitted, smiling slightly. "He told me about that…that first mission. A bit, anyways. He can't tell me much, obviously, because of the confidentiality, but…he told me enough. Thanks for protecting them."

I hesitated, caught off guard by her honesty and by her words, and nodded slightly. "Um…of course. I…I mean, I was just doing my job."

She smirked. "It's more than that, honey. And I'm indebted to you." She glanced at the kitchen, nebulas in her eyes as they shone under the sunlight streaming in. "All three of them are…are very important to me. We never had much of a family, Daniel and me. When he met them…well." She shrugged, eyes far away. "It was like we'd gained two brothers. Three, in Elliot."

My heart fell a little. I felt bad for them. Elliot's loss seemed to run a lot deeper in this little family than I first thought.

"I'm sorry," I said, putting my cards down. I had a feeling she wasn't much up for the game anymore.

She gave me a smile, but it was a little sad. "It's fine, sweetie. It was a while ago. Besides, you haven't had a good run of it either, I've heard."

I faltered, eyes widening in delayed panic, and she said quickly, "I don't know any specifics. Daniel just said that you'd…you'd been through a lot. That's all."

The panic receded like an ebbing tide, but it still left an uncomfortable buzz in my blood. "…oh."

She smiled again. She did that a lot, smiled. They were all different, though. She had Lion's eyes, even though the color was different. Their eyes were expressive enough to unsettle me sometimes. "I'm sorry. I should've led with that."

"No, it's fine," I said quickly. "Um…was…was there anything else?"

She nodded, glancing at the door before continuing over the chatter from the kitchen. "He told me about your deal." She reached across the table, taking my hand in hers, and looked at me with honest eyes tha reminded me of her son. "Thank you. It means very, very much to me that you're willing to help him, and…he didn't want to tell Sam or Henry just yet, so I'm glad someone knows."

She grinned, laughing a little, and said, "For as selfless and kind as he is, he's still a stupid man, sometimes, and he doesn't like accepting help, or asking for it. I think…I think he feels more comfortable with you, since you haven't known him as long, if that makes sense. You can't…you know, you don't know everything, so he can tell you a little more."

I nodded along as she spoke, completely understanding her reasoning. "That makes sense." I shrugged, glancing away. She was still holding my hand. "I…I suppose I feel the same. Lion's been…really awesome, even though I have to be…kind of secretive, and I'm glad to help."

Angelica smiled, squeezing my hand before letting go. "I'm glad you can help each other. Thank you, Matthew. Truly."

I smiled. I think, besides my little smile for Jonah, it was the first genuine one of the day. "I…I appreciate you telling me all that."

"Hey, what's with the whispering?" Jacob asked, ambling into the living room with an easy smile and Jonah on his hip, followed by Bear and Tiger. "You plotting against us?"

"Yes," Angelica said, winking at her husband. "We're going to Vegas to put our excellent go-fish skills to use."

"What's in Vegas?" Jonah asked, scooting over from his father to settle on Tiger's lap. My brain was still loading the image, because I never, ever thought I'd see Tiger so comfortable to be holding a child. Ever.

"I sincerely hope you never find out, little man," Angelica said, laughing. "Daniel, when's lunch?"

"Geez, you're vultures, all of you," Lion shouted from the kitchen. "Jag, come here and help me. You're the only one who hasn't scavenged for scraps yet."

I obliged with a laugh, giving Jonah a high-five as I passed. "What's up?"

"Could you stir this until it reduces?" He said, moving from in front of the stove to check on the roast, cooling on the counter. I glanced into the pot. It was some kind of roux, and it smelled bloody amazing.

"I didn't know you were Gordon Ramsey in your free time," I admitted, stirring idly as I watched him work.

He laughed a little, looking tired, but happy. "I've always had a knack for it, I guess. It was interesting to see what variations we could make with pasta and hot dogs. Kind of a staple in our house."

I smiled, remembering Jack's atrocious cooking skills and her inability to boil water without setting off the smoke alarm. "Ours was macaroni and cheese and hamburger meat. We got creative."

Lion laughed. "Your uncle couldn't cook either?"

I faltered, and the stirring slowed until I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. Vibrant red hair and flames filled my vision, and I blinked quickly. "My uncle could. He was good at it."

I didn't elaborate, and God bless Lion, he didn't ask me to.

Lunch was a hectic affair. The kitchen table was far too small for the seven of us, so we piled into the living room. Lion, Angelica, and Jacob sat squashed on the couch, Tiger and Bear in the armchairs, and Jonah sat on the floor, eating off the glass table. At his insistence, I joined him.

Lion was an awesome cook. The roast was rich and tender, and the potatoes were just the right golden brown, and the vegetables were tender and seasoned. I was secretly proud that I'd helped make them. Just a bit.

That was horribly childish, but nobody else had to know.

I was fine just listening to the banter and conversation weave around me. I listened and laughed, and I'd been doing so much talking recently that it felt very nice to just…slow down. To slow down and let the world move around me without racing to catch up with it for once. We spent a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon sitting in the living room talking, long after the plates were empty and the food was packaged in the fridge.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Bear said during a lull in the conversation, jumping up. "I got you something, Jonah."

Jonah's eyes burst with stars, and Angelica managed an expression both fond and exasperated. "You spoil him, Henry."

"I'm allowed to, he's my only nephew" Bear shot back, returning from his room with one of the shopping bags he'd brought in earlier. "That's for you."

Jonah hopped off the couch with a sharp "Thank you!" and put his arms around the large bag, toppling to his bum on the rug to open it. He fished around in the tissue paper and eventually emerged with a brand new football.

I had to smile at his excitement. I missed footie.

"Thank you, Uncle Henry!" He shouted, giving Bear a big hug before marveling at the gift. "Can we take it to the park? Please please please?"

"Ask your parents, not me," Bear said, nodding towards Angelica and Jacob.

"Mummy, Daddy, can I please go to the park with Uncle Henry?" He asked, eyes wide and pleading.

Angelica laughed, tousling her son's hair. "Of course, but only for a little while, alright?"

"Can Matthew come?"

I blinked, glancing at the kid in surprise. I didn't think I'd made that much of an impression.

"Why don't you ask Matthew?" Jacob suggested.

Jonah looked at me with wide, round eyes, and I was unfortunately hooked before the kid even said a word. "Matthew, will you come to the park to play football with me and Uncle Henry?"

Tiger nudged my shoulder with his socked foot, and I sent him a glare, sighing. "Sure, Jonah."

The kid beamed. Well, that was worth it, at least.

The little park was only a block down the road. Bear let Henry ride on his shoulders, holding his football on top of Bear's head. I was glad I'd grabbed a windbreaker before we'd gone; it was getting chillier as the sun set. There weren't many people around; there were a couple families picnicking in the shade on the other side of the park, and an old man bundled in a coat on a bench, but that was it.

Bear hefted Henry off of his shoulders and onto the grass, where he dropped the ball and clumsily kicked it to Bear, stumbling. He used the toe of his shoe.

Bear sent it to me next, and Jonah giggled as he stumbled, too, exaggerating. I smiled a little, kicking it back to Jonah with the inside of my foot, the familiar footie motions taking me back to a much happier, much simpler time. I forgot how much I loved football.

"Did you used to play?" Bear asked, catching the ball that Jonah kicked at him. "You're passing like a pro."

I smiled as Jonah gave the ball a mighty kick, sending Bear staggering backwards to catch it before it went into the road. "I played for a few years, yeah. I miss it."

"Well, it shows," he said with a grin. "Jonah! Let's play you and me against Matthew!"

I laughed as Jonah's eyes got wide, and he bounced up and down at the prospect. "Yeah, yeah!"

We managed to find some long sticks that we set up about a meter and a half, maybe ten meters away from each other, which would be our goals. Bear made a big deal about going over the rules and regulations, but Jonah was enraptured by every word. He really liked football.

We played for about ten minutes before I felt myself tiring, my limbs falling heavy with fatigue. I supposed while I was a lot better, and able to do everyday tasks and walk around with ease, exercise like this, even light, was still not a great idea.

I said as much to Bear. "Are you okay?" He asked quickly, stopping the ball with his foot.

"Yeah, I'm just going to sit on the bench," I said, sitting on the bench on the side of the field, still quite close to Bear and Jonah. "Carry on. I'll referee."

Jonah had that pensive look again. "Why're you tired?"

I smiled. "I got hurt a few weeks ago, and I'm still trying to get better. Sometimes I get tired. I'm okay."

Jonah narrowed his eyes with the sharpness of a suspicious schoolteacher, but eventually let the matter drop. "Okay."

It was nice to sit in the cool air and watch the tranquil scene. Bear was a great uncle. I figured he would be, with his bubbly personality and all the time he spent at the youth center, but it was interesting to see it in action.

Fifteen minutes later or so, Bear jogged over. "I'm gonna go grab him an ice cream from the truck down the street," he said, and I turned in the direction he was looking to see a white ice cream truck, a few kids gathered around it. I guessed not even the cold could deter the kids. "Watch him, okay? You want anything?"

"I'm good," I assured, glancing at him as he jogged to the truck, fishing some notes out of his pocket. I glanced back at Jonah. There wasn't anyone around, really; the picnicking families had since packed up and departed. Jonah was working on his dribbling with the concentration of a bomb technician, kicking the ball up and down the makeshift court.

I glanced back at Bear. He was a few kids deep, from what I could see. He'd be a couple minutes. I had to grin at the sight of Bear, with his tall, lanky frame, towering over the toddlers waiting in line with their parents.

I looked back at Jonah, and almost had a heart attack.

I'd always been somewhat skeptical when I saw a kidnapping on the news from a park, or a playground, and the parent claimed to have only been looking away for a second. It always seemed so unrealistic to me. How could ten seconds of inattention possibly lead to a missing child? There must have been something more going on.

I regretted that judgment now. I hadn't been looking away more than five or six seconds, but that was enough time for the man I'd seen earlier on the park bench to amble up to Jonah, and he was now reaching for his arm. Ten more seconds, he could have spirited him away, and I wouldn't have known.

Jonah's face was twisted in confused fear as he clutched his football. The man's face was old and haggard, but he was large enough, and he towered over the boy. His eyes were dark.

I leapt from my seat, fatigue forgotten, and practically flew to his side.

The man's hand had encircled Jonah's bicep, and Jonah had started to yell out when I skidded to a stop beside them. Self-defense techniques and tricks from my martial arts training filled my mind, and the man barely had time to blink before I'd grabbed his thumb and twisted his hand away from Jonah's arm, pushing the boy firmly behind me.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" I growled, feeling protective hackles rise as Jonah began sniffling behind me.

I still had the man's thumb in my hand, and I wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. He looked like a pathetic drunk you'd see on the street or in a shadowed alley.

"What the hell—le'me go," the man said, eyes narrowed in clumsy anger. I assumed he was buzzed, at least. "Bloody bugger. I'm tryin' ta meet ma grandson. Move, ya bloody prat. Who the hell're you?"

The words slammed into me, and I froze for a brief second, the man's thumb slipping from my lax grip. He cradled the injured hand to his chest, murder in his eyes.

The words finally made sense, and I felt my blood begin to simmer, and smoke, and boil.

I'd had plenty reasons to be angry. Angry with the world, with MI6, with Blunt, with Ian, with my parents. With myself. I'd won some awards for angry outbursts when no one was looking.

I didn't think I'd ever been quite this angry.

"Jonah," I said, realizing that my voice had dropped dangerously low, and my posture had become poised to strike, should the need arise. "Turn around. Do you see Bear? By the ice cream truck?"

I didn't turn around, instead holding the older man's eyes. He was perhaps in his fifties, with graying hair and a sloppy beard. He was wearing baggy, dirty clothes, and he was undoubtedly a little drunk. Despite that, he was almost as big as Lion was now. He wasn't nearly as muscled, but his girth was impressive, and I had no doubt without my training, I'd lose the fight quickly.

As it was, I was tired. But the rage in my blood more than made up for it.

I heard Jonah give a quiet affirmative.

"Go to him. Run and don't stop until you get there."

I heard him hesitate, his feet shuffling in the crimson leaves. "But—"

"Now."

I heard him whimper, and run. I didn't want to scare the poor kid, but I needed him out of here.

"Oi, wha'dya think you're doin?" The man asked, buzzed clumsiness slipping into tight anger as he tried to storm past me, but I put myself in his path, glowering up at him. If looks could kill, this man would be burning in hell.

"You're not going to touch him, you bastard," I growled. "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being, you know that?"

I risked a glance behind me, pleased to see that Jonah had reached Bear, football in hand, and Bear was crouched down, holding the boy's shoulders.

Good. He was safe.

I turned back around just in time to see the fist hit my nose.

It wasn't particularly hard, or damaging. It was sloppy and off-kilter, but it was enough to stun me. I reeled back, hands flying to my nose in surprise as reflexive tears flooded my eyes, blinking rapidly and cursing.

I saw, out of the corner of my eye, him trying to scurry past me, towards Jonah.

Oh, bloody hell. He'd struck first. All bets were off.

As he staggered past me, I let my training take over. I let my instincts take over. I let my rage take over.

First, I swung my fist around and hit him in the face, like he'd done me, but I was trained. It was a much better, much more damaging, hit. He staggered back, shouting, and I moved up beside him.

I grabbed his left arm, using his forward momentum to twist it up and kick his knee out, wrenching his shoulder up as he collapsed to his knees, yelling in pain. He grabbed for me with his free hand, but I shoved my knee into his back, and he toppled face-first into the leaves, spluttering in the dirt.

I pinned his free wrist to the ground with my foot, sitting on his back. Without the leverage of his arms of legs, and with his shoulder almost dislocated, he couldn't gather the momentum to flip me off even if he wanted.

"Get—get offa me," he yelled, his feet thunking uselessly against the grass. People were staring, now, the few that were around. "You—mother—"

"No, you shut up and listen to me, you bastard," I growled, twisting his arm harder as red bathed my vision, listening to him cry out in pain. "You don't have a single right to Jonah. You don't have a single right to Lio—to Daniel, or Angelica. You're a pathetic, pitiful son of a bitch who couldn't even appreciate the kids he was given, so you have absolutely no right to a relationship with Jonah.

"Daniel is ten times the man you are, and I hope one day you realize that, and then realize that you can take absolutely no credit for it. He dragged himself out from under your thumb and became a soldier with his own unit and his own family. And Angelica got married and had an amazing kid and is happy despite all the shit you put them through."

I paused, knowing that I was dangerously close to losing control. I was always very careful to keep my emotions in check, because I knew that if I snapped, I had the training and ability to do someone serious harm, but my blinders were off now. It seemed like years of repressed rage and anger and hurt that I couldn't avenge for myself was pouring out as I tried to avenge my friend and his sister and their stolen childhood. This was the man who—who made those awful marks on Lion's chest and back, and who offered Angelica, that bright, smiling woman with enough happiness to outshine the sun, to his poker buddies for fun.

I didn't even have the presence of mind to be scared of myself.

"If I wanted to, I could break your arm like this," I said quietly, putting just a bit more pressure on his shoulder to prove my point, listening to the pathetic whine that left his mouth. "Or I could dislocate your elbow, or your shoulder. Do you want that? Did you ever do that to your kids? How do you think it felt, huh?"

I secured my grip on his wrist and grabbed the back of his neck, my mind blazing with hellfire. "I could kill you in this position. If I wanted to. How many times did you hurt them like this? Did you pin them down and terrify them and hurt them, huh? Tell me why I shouldn't do the same to you."

The man was a sobbing mess, now, but I barely registered it. I was still raging and boiling and erupting with volcanic force, and I couldn't be stopped anymore. I couldn't—

"ALEX!"

I distantly realized, belatedly, that someone had been calling my name for a long time.

I looked up, startled, and saw Bear staring at me. His eyes were wide, and…and afraid.

And Jonah was in his arms, sobbing with his face pressed against Bear's shoulder, his new football forgotten at his feet.

I blinked, gasping a little as I came back to myself, looking at the man writhing beneath me, crying out in pain. Hesitantly, I let go of his arms and stumbled backwards, off of him, sitting on the ground as I caught my breath. He rolled over, yelling in pain as he clutched him arm to his chest.

I blinked again, my face throbbing, and wiped a sleeve under my nose. It came away bloody, and I registered the taste of pennies in my mouth. I spit to the side, shakily, and stood. I wobbled. I'd been playing football, and then this, and I was already tired this morning. The crashing adrenaline didn't help matters. I quickly sat back down.

"Al—Jag?" Bear asked carefully, and I looked at him with wide, blank eyes, realizing how close I'd come to seriously injuring the man. He deserved it. He absolutely deserved it.

But I didn't…I didn't want to be that person. The ruthless soldier that took out his anger on those who couldn't fight back, no matter their crimes. The person MI6 wanted me to be. The person SCORPIA had tried to turn me into.

"Take…take Jonah to his parents," I said, still breathing heavily. "And…and call the police."

For once in my life, though, fate was on my side. Apparently a bystander who'd seen the man approach Jonah and had seen me confront the man had called the police for us, and two constables jogged up quickly from the road opposite the park, where their car was parked.

"What's happened here?" One of them asked, crouching beside me as I shook under the weight of what I'd threatened to do and what I'd almost done and the fear in Jonah's body language and Bear's eyes.

I'd scared him. My friend, and my friend's nephew. I'd scared them.

"He—" I started, nodding at the man on the ground, who was being checked over by the other officer. "He, uh…he tried to grab Jonah," I said quietly, still in shock. I felt myself going cold. The adrenaline crash and the shock of what I'd done and threatened and the fatigue was all weighing on me, and my nose was still bleeding. "I…"

The constable could obviously see I was out of it, and her eyes were narrowed in concern. "Okay, alright. Just calm down, lad, everything's fine now."

But it wasn't, because I'd scared him. I'd scared Bear. I'd finally found people worth keeping around, worth compromising myself and my safety for, and now…now—

He'd tell Lion and Tiger. He'd tell them what I'd done. How I'd almost snapped and broken a defenseless man's arm. No matter what he'd done, I—that was—

"I'd like…I'd like to go," I said quickly. I looked up and saw Bear talking quickly on the phone, Jonah still secure in his arms. He wasn't looking at me, but I wasn't sure if it was deliberate or not. "Can I?"

"I'm afraid not, until we get a better picture of what happened," she said apologetically, putting a hand on my shoulder. I didn't see her move to do so, and I jerked violently under the touch, completely on edge. Her eyes darkened at the movement.

I didn't want to scare her, too. I didn't—I didn't want to scare anybody.

"I didn't…I didn't mean—" I started, watching as the old man was handcuffed and made to sit up by the other constable. His arms were in front of him, I supposed to keep from further straining his shoulder.

"I need you to calm down, love," she said gently, looking quite worried now. She turned to Bear. "Do you know him? Is this Jonah?"

Bear's eyes were blazing. He was angry with me. I was sure. He was angry because I'd gone and scared Jonah, and him, and I'd almost—I'd almost—

"Yeah, the bastard over there is a convicted child abuser," he spat, venom in his words as he cupped the back of Jonah's head. "Not of Jonah, but of his mother, and my friend. They're coming down now; they live in the apartment building down the street."

They're coming down now.

No, I—I didn't want them to—I didn't want them to know. Bear knew. That was bad enough. And Jonah knew, and he was terrified. I'd—I'd almost…

"Please, can I go?" I asked, swiping a trembling hand beneath my nose. It wasn't stopping. Why wasn't it stopping?

"No, love, I'm sorry," she said. "Listen, I need you to take deep breaths, alright?"

I heard Bear's quiet words to Jonah, who sat down and hugged his ball to his chest, and suddenly Bear was switching places with the female constable, crouching quietly and slowly, eyes worried. Or afraid. I couldn't tell. I didn't want to know.

"Alex," he said quietly. "Can I touch you?"

I shook my head, staring blankly at the man that I'd almost—

This was different. I'd killed before, of course I had, I'd had to. But it had been in self-defense, or in the heat of battle, or a complete accident. This…this reminded me of shooting Julius Grief as he lay in the street in a pool of his own blood. He'd had his gun raised at me, but I'd been waiting for it. Waiting for an excuse to justify the murder of the son of a bitch who'd stolen my best friend and guardian and—

And was I doing the same thing here? Using his crimes as an excuse to murder him, because he'd so badly hurt one of the only people I gave a damn about anymore?

"Alex."

I blinked and gasped again, realizing again where I was and what was happening. Bear's hand was hovering above my shoulder, and he looked very, very scared. I couldn't tell if it was of me or for me.

"I'm—I'm sorry," I stammered, blinking rapidly, absently swiping a hand under my nose. "I—"

"No, oi, no, do not be sorry," Bear said, eyes glinting like steel under the sun, and I flinched. He was mad. He was angry with me. I wasn't allowed to be sorry, because every movement had been intentional, and—

"If you hadn't done it, I might have," Bear said, finally, slowly, settling his hand on my shoulder. "I need you to breathe, Alex. You're panicking."

Of bloody course I was panicking. I knew that.

Still, I didn't want to do anything else wrong, so I listened, and tried to take a deep breath. My limbs were shuddering as I sat hunched and folded on the ground, my lungs constricting with lingering panic.

I heard a cry of alarm, and it sounded like Angelica. I looked up to see her sweeping Jonah into her arms, Jacob enveloping them both to his chest, face twisted in rage and hatred and worry.

Lion and Tiger were right behind them. Lion went to Jonah, sweeping a hand through the sobbing child's hair, face pinched in uncharacteristic terror until he was sure that Jonah was unhurt. His eyes scanned the park before landing on his father, who was being questioned by the constable.

I didn't ever want to see Lion look like that ever again.

Tiger had to physically restrain his friend from rushing his father, and eventually Bear had to leave me and go help. Lion was spitting insults from every culture he could get his mind around, and I was fairly sure I'd never even heard some of those words before.

I looked at the old man, who was sitting placidly on the ground, swaying back and forth. He kept his arm tucked tightly against his chest, as much as he could with the cuffs, and his face was bleeding. I thought it might have been from his mouth.

He looked at his son and scoffed. "Quit yer whinin', boy. Yer bloody guard dog almos' broke m'arm. M'suing."

At those words, Lion, though still enraged, glanced at me. It was as if he'd seen me there for the first time, understandably.

He shook off Tiger's and Bear's hands and jogged to me, crouching down. He looked worried.

I didn't want him to know. He'd be angry, like Bear, and I'd—

Oh, my God. Would I have to leave?

"Jag?" He said, worried and angry all at once. He reached for me, I suppose to take my chin and look at my face, but I flinched back, and he stilled.

"It's just me," he said quietly. "I won't hurt you. I'm sorry."

Why wasn't he yelling at me? I'd almost become the thing SCORPIA wanted. I'd almost—I'd thought about killing a man in cold blood.

It was a line I'd never crossed, and I couldn't—I couldn't—

"I think he's in shock," Bear said, and he was standing beside me now. "I don't know why, though. I think he was only hit once."

I was in shock. At myself. At what I'd almost done.

I thought I'd left that murderous, vengeful part of my behind when I'd left SCORPIA. I thought I'd gotten the lingering shreds out of my system when I'd murdered Julius Grief.

I was terrified, because I'd scared Bear, and Jonah, and most of all, myself.

"Finally," Bear muttered, taking the last tissue away from my nose. "Took its bloody time to clot."

I blinked, the painful buzz in my sinuses overshadowed by the lingering numbness. I was more in control of myself now, at least, enough to know that even after what I'd done, I'd still managed to make one hell of a scene. I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to go to sleep.

"Are you feeling better?" Tiger asked from the doorway of Elliot's room, eyes drawn together in unusually expressive worry.

I nodded, still embarrassed and scared. Of myself and of their anger. "Yes. Sorry."

I listened intently. I could hear Lion and Angelica and Jacob talking quietly in the living room. They'd put Jonah down in Lion's room to sleep while we figured everything out. The events had exhausted him.

He'd been scared of me. So had Bear.

"Quit apologizing," Bear said pointedly, putting the last tissue in the rubbish bin, where a decent collection of bloody tissues had piled up. "You were protecting Jonah."

No. No, I'd gone far beyond protecting Jonah. Protecting Jonah would have been hitting him once, enough to knock him down for a little while, and calling the police. I'd gone further.

I didn't say as much, but I was sure my silence was enough. I fidgeted, messing with the blanket in front of me with nervous hands. I didn't want to look at them.

"Jag." Bear's voice. Quiet and insistent. "Talk to me."

I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut. "I scared you."

There was a second of silence, and my heart was pounding, and like I'd told Lion, it felt like the words brought the earth to a screeching halt. Of course, it didn't, and I knew that. But the pressure of fear felt like it.

"What?"

I sighed, my nose throbbing at the action. I glanced at Bear, hating myself for how timid I felt right now. I felt like a child. I wasn't supposed to be a child anymore. "I scared you. And Jonah. I was—I almost broke his arm, Bear. I told him—"

I choked on the words, sliding my fingers up through my hair in an effort to maintain some semblance of control. I put my face down towards the comforter, shame and fear pushing down on my shoulders as I slumped. "I threatened to kill him. I scared you. I saw your eyes, Bear. When you—when I finally—woke up, I guess, you…you looked bloody terrified."

I took a breath, and it was shaky and broken. "I didn't mean to. To scare you. I really didn't. I never meant to go that far, I was just—just mad, and worried, and—and…"

"No, no, nononono," Bear said quickly, sounding flustered. He put a hand on my back as I grasped my hair, shaking in front of him. "Aw, Jag, no, mate. No, I wasn't afraid of you. Come on. I—the situation got to me, man. I never expected to meet Lion's father, and definitely not like that. And Jonah was crying, and you were bleeding, and—I was worried about you, Jaguar. You weren't responding to me. I wasn't afraid of you, kid."

"You should've been," I said quietly, unwilling to accept his words just yet. "I could've done it, and I'm—I'm so afraid that I might have, if you hadn't woken me up. I—I just…"

"Oi," Tiger said, and he'd come to stand at the end of the bed. His eyes were dark and intense, and I flinched as I met them. He seemed to realize it, and relaxed a little. "Seriously. You were protecting Jonah, and Bear, too. You got a little carried away, but you didn't do anything. Nothing happened that can't be fixed. You need to realize that."

But it could have, a small voice whispered in my head.

"What're you so afraid of?" Bear asked, his hand still solid on my back, keeping my grounded to the moment.

I took a shaky breath. "I—I…I was…" I stopped. This was big. This was a big thing to reveal. This would…it would set them off, maybe. It would make them angry if they weren't already. They wouldn't be able to put up with me after this. I wouldn't.

Maybe I deserved it.

"I was…with a group for a while," I started slowly. "And they were very, very horrible people, but I thought…I thought they could help me. I was told a lot of lies and a lot of half-truths, and…and I really thought they could help me. And they taught me how to…how to kill. How to hurt. They wanted to turn me into…into something I never wanted to be, and…I've avoided it. I've killed people, I have, but it's always…self-defense. I never try. I never wanted to. That's why I can't shoot human targets. It reminds me of them, of their…training. And…"

I shuddered, and I couldn't look at them, nearly buried by the shame and guilt surrounding me. "And I came really close today, to becoming what they wanted me to be, and it…it really scared me."

Bear's hand was very still against my back. But it was still there, at least.

My face was buried in my arms, turned resolutely towards the comforter, and I refused to look at them and see the accusation and the distrust and…and the fear. I waited. And I waited. And I tensed as something rustled and I waited.

"Good."

That…wasn't what I was waiting for.

"Huh?" That was Bear. Tiger had said that it was good. Bear had sounded as clueless as I felt.

I risked a glance up at Tiger through suspicious eyes, and his face wasn't…it wasn't angry, but it's not blank, either. It's…thoughtful. "I said, good. It's good that it scared you. It means that's not you, Jaguar, and the fact that you're conscious of that means that you can keep from becoming that."

Tiger came around towards me, and I tried very hard not to flinch. I needn't have worried. He just settled a hand on my head and gave me a half-smile, tousling my hair and squeezing the back of my neck in reassurance. "You couldn't be a killer if you tried, brat." He thunked my chest lightly with his knuckles. "It's not in you. I promise."

I could only stare up at him for a second, finally forcing myself to look down as my throat bobbed. I sniffed. It hurt.

"You sure?" I asked quietly.

"Positive." Immediate. No hesitation.

"See? No reason to be scared," Bear said, squeezing my shoulder before finally letting go. "I'm not scared, and Tiger's not scared. I don't even think Jonah was scared. Well, not of you."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't deserve them. I didn't deserve them at all. Not a bit. They were—they were so good, and so kind, and supportive, and I did not deserve them at all. They were far, far too good for me.

Luckily, I was saved from having to answer when Lion appeared in the doorway, looking exhausted. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Bear assured, grabbing the extra gauze from the counter. He'd had to bandage my knuckles. Well, I'd told him to leave it, but he'd insisted. "Finally got the bleeding to stop. Set some things straight." He thumped my shoulder, and I gave an acknowledging grunt.

Lion nodded. "Good. Can I have a minute?"

Oh, shit. Here it comes.

Bear and Tiger left, and Lion sat down on the edge of the bed. "You alright?"

I nodded. "Just bruised, nothing broken."

He nodded thoughtfully, eyes far away. I couldn't even imagine the toll this day must have taken for him. And he'd been so excited. I was pissed all over again. "Good."

I fidgeted. "Are you okay?"

Lion smiled at nothing, small and thin. "I think so. I will be, anyhow." He paused. "Angie talked to me earlier, in the kitchen. Apparently he's been following them around. She's been trying to get a restraining order, and…she never thought he'd follow them across the country, or approach him."

I nodded, eyes furrowed in both anger and concern. "I'm sorry. That sounds awful."

He shrugged. "I'm just glad everything's alright, really. I was…I was so worried about Jonah, and you, honestly, that…I don't think it's hit me yet."

I glanced at him, unsure of what to say. "Well…when it does…let me know if I can do anything."

Lion smiled genuinely, then, chuckling under his breath. "Well, I think you've done plenty, Jag. I've got quite the protector."

I forced a smile.

"I didn't mean to listen in, but…I heard what you told Bear and Tiger."

Ah. At least I didn't have to say it twice. "…oh."

"I'm a pretty good judge of character," he said resolutely. "And I don't just let anyone around my nephew or my sister. You've got nothing to worry about. You're a good kid."

I managed a smile, and it felt a little more real. "Thanks."

It would take a long time for me to believe it, but…well. They'd all reassured me so far. It was…it was better than having to convince myself alone.

"Knock knock," a voice said in the doorway, and I glanced up to see Angelica, Jacob, and a sleepy Jonah nodding off on Jacob's shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm okay. It's really nothing," I assured them. I assumed a comparison would just freak them out, but compared to some of my other injuries, I could run a marathon and be fine.

Jacob smiled. "I'm glad. We wanted to…to say thank you again, Matthew. We're absolutely indebted to you."

"It's really alright," I said, a little uncomfortable with the sincerity in their eyes.

"No, don't…don't mitigate what you did today. You kept our son safe. Thank you so much, honey," Angelica said from the doorway, tears in her eyes and a grateful smile on her face despite them. "Really."

I could only nod and give her half a smile, unable to tell her that I didn't deserve her thanks. Lion would get mad at me again, and I was far too tired to deal with that.

Jacob whispered something in Jonah's ear, and the sleepy kid perked up quickly, wriggling out of his dad's arms. "Jonah has a question for you," he clarified as Jonah ran up to my bed, clambering up onto the comforter as I scooted over to give him room.

Jonah knelt on the bed beside me, and I sat cross-legged to face him. I was stiff as a board, terrified he'd burst into tears or look scared again or—or something like that. His parents were standing like hawks in the doorway, and Lion was standing behind me. I wasn't sure if they were watching so closely because they didn't trust me or were just wrung out from the day's events.

Jonah fixed me with that stare of his, and I looked up and away after a second under the intense gaze. That's why I missed the little finger poking my nose.

"Ow," I said in surprise, holding it as my eyes watered again. I heard Angelica chastise him, and received a quick apology, but he sounded more thoughtful than anything.

I blinked at him, still cupping my nose. I didn't want to take any chances.

Jonah glanced at his parents, and back at me, and scooted forward. He leaned up and whispered into my ear, very quietly, "Are you a superhero?"

I faltered, totally unprepared for the question. "Um…I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

He narrowed his eyes, sitting back in front of me. "Mummy and Daddy and Uncle Danny said you saved me from a bad man."

I glanced at his parents, who were hovering expectantly. They looked tired, and wrung out, but there were smiling, like they knew something I didn't. I heard Lion chuckle.

"I guess so," I said cautiously, slowly lowering my hand. I didn't want him to poke it again, but I didn't want to hold it there all night, either.

He folded his arms across his chest, looking pensive as he pondered my response. "So you are a superhero."

He continued before I could deter him, eyes shining. "You went like—like whoosh, and whapa! And then he was just on the ground! And I was really scared because it hurt when he grabbed me, and you sounded scary, but then Uncle Henry said that it was a bad man, so you had to sound scary. And even though he hurt you, you were still awesome. And—and then Uncle Henry said you were Alex, even though you said you were Matthew. And all superheroes have secret names. So you have to be a superhero."

I could see very clearly that he was convinced of this fact, and nothing I could say could change his mind of it. Or if I did, it would disappoint him, and that was the last thing I wanted after today. At least he wasn't scared of me anymore.

I shrugged helplessly, smiling a little. "I guess. If you say so, it must be true, huh?"

Jonah grinned, wide and full, and said, "I knew it, I knew it! You were too awesome not to be!"

I had to laugh a bit, even though my nose hurt. "You've gotta keep it a secret, though. It's my secret identity. I can't have it getting out." Well, that wasn't a lie. "Can I count on you to do that?"

I held my pinky out expectantly, but he completely bypassed the gesture, instead hopping up onto his knees and wrapping his skinny arms around my neck.

Startled, it took me a second to hug him back, and I made sure to do so very, very carefully. I was still a little afraid of myself and my training after today, but Jonah didn't seem to mind.

A strong, little voice said by my ear, "I'll keep your secret, Uncle Matthew. Promise."

I…didn't know what to say to that.

I just closed my eyes and held the precious kid a little tighter, attributing the sudden rush of tears to my throbbing nose.

Lion sat down on the edge of my bed, and I sat with my hands in my lap. "Have they left?"

Lion nodded, rolling his shoulders. He looked tired. "Yeah, just now. They said to thank you again."

I shrugged. They'd said so plenty of times.

There were a few seconds of silence before he continued. "I met my goal today. Somehow. Didn't smoke more than five cigs."

I smiled, genuinely pleased with the news. "Good. I'm glad. Especially with how stressful today was."

He laughed a little. "Yeah, definitely."

I shifted, leaning back against my headboard, letting my arms dangle over my knees. "Want to ask something?"

He glanced at the door, ajar, but Tiger and Bear were in the kitchen. I heard the distant clanking of cookware as they finished the dishes. "It's kind of a big one. You can veto."

"Okay," I conceded, shifting a bit.

"Something really freaked you out today," he said quietly, looking worried again. Why the hell would he be worried about me? He was the one whose abusive father had almost taken his nephew. "And I think it's got more to it than what you said."

I shifted, condemning Lion's unusually perceptive nature. I could veto. I could. He'd respect my decision.

I sighed, glancing at the window. I still needed to clean it. "You're going to think it's stupid. I think it's stupid."

Lion smirked. "Kid, after the day we've had, I'm not about to judge anything you say."

I gave him an awkward smile. I supposed he was right.

"I just…I was worried…" I started, unsure of what words to use to accurately convey my fear. "I was worried that when you…found out, that I'd been…you know. Trained to…to hurt people. I was worried you'd ask me to leave."

I glanced away from him, tapping my knees nervously. "I know it's stupid. I haven't even given you rent yet. Which I totally plan to do, I promise. I just…it's not…it's not home, you know? But it's the…the closest thing I have. I really…like it here. And I was…I was worried that you'd think I was…you know. Dangerous. And that you'd ask me to leave."

I stared at the wallpaper, tracing hairline cracks in the display, still fidgeting nervously. It sounded childish and stupid and weak, and I didn't want to hear Lion's reaction. I knew, logically, that it wouldn't be bad. He'd laugh it off, or something. I knew he probably wouldn't ask me to leave. I just…the irrational fear was still there, and it was strong.

"Alex. Look at me." After a second of hesitation, I did. He eyes were narrowed in both disbelief and staunch determination, and I couldn't look away. "You put yourself between my abusive father and my nephew, after he hurt you, and you were willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe. You opened yourself up to me when I know you didn't want to, and I'm grateful for that every day. And you're helping me with one of the most challenging things I've ever done, and it's...it's really been helping.

"You put yourself in front of Bear against a terrorist, and you put his well-being above your own in a horrible situation. And you and Tiger have been getting to know each other, and—Tiger hates it when people know he has depression. It took him several months to admit it to us, even after Elliot died. And I know you trusted him with a lot of things in the hospital, and he's kept those things private. He didn't tell Bear or me specifics, just that you had some stuff work through."

Lion paused, leaning forward, his voice strong, and confident, and certain. "It's perfectly fine if this isn't your home yet. I know it's too soon for that. But I promise you, one day…when you're ready…it can be. You're not getting rid of us anytime soon, and I swear on my life, if anyone tries to take you, they're going to have one hell of a fight on their hands."

I folded my hands on top of my knees to keep them from fidgeting any more, and to keep them from shaking. I felt my eyes burn, and swallowed thickly, looking away. "You can't—you can't say that. You don't know everything. You don't—I've done some really bad things, Lion, and I still have secrets. Really big secrets. You haven't even known me for two months."

He nodded. "I know."

"Then…then how—"

"I told you," he said, still honest and earnest and kind. "Relationships aren't all about time. They're about what you entrust. And I know you're still opening up, but you've given us a lot, Jag. I'm sure a lot more than you ever planned to. We've given you a lot, too. That's enough."

I didn't cry. It was close, but I didn't. Instead I looked down, at the ceiling, the wall, anywhere, and finally back at him. And he was tired, and I was sure he wanted to go to bed and process the day he'd just had, but instead he was sitting here, comforting me.

"Thank you," I said, and it was small, and broken, but enough.

It wasn't home. Not yet.

But…one day. Maybe.

Maybe it would be.

A/N: Hey pals. Holy crap. I could've made this, like…three separate chapters. Happy birthday to all of you. Over 10k words!

Anyways! Heavy chapter, I know. I also know Alex may have been a little OOC, but you also have to understand that this kid has tons of repressed emotion and trauma, and a lot of that is explosive anger and fear that he keeps sealed pretty tight most of the time. If something like this happened, especially after Lion and Alex's conversation last chapter, and as a result of his SCORPIA training…well. I know if I was Alex, I'd be pretty damn messed up.

K-UNIT IS COMING! Not next chapter, but the one after that! That's the one! The one I've gotten so, so, so many questions about! IT'S COMING!

Also. Eh-heh. So I've just come to the realization that we're almost 100,000 words in and…four of the main characters haven't even shown up yet. This is…this is gonna be a long one, folks. Maybe 300-400k words. Like. LONG. I hope you'll stick around :)

Anyways! Reviews! FFnet is being super weird so I can't see them all or reply to them all, but I went through my emails to do the guest reviews and shoutouts, so I'll get back to the rest of you as soon as I'm able! You're all AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE!

Thanks so much: sbayless44, ClarenzaK, RiderKitty, Mae, ZigzagSyzergy, reginamare, otterpineapple06, Padfoot's Marauder, HeroofOlympus24, Dani9513, Charlie, ProcrastiationandCoffee, Em0Wolf, LoveRider, Guest, Band-007, Guest, brit299919, Fangirl all da way, Deeeecode, Guest, Ichigo1217, no-time-to-read, fa6imah.2000, and Beebotwriter!

Mae: Oh my goodness, you are so welcome! I'm glad you like it. I think we need more stories that accurately display mental health issues and the healing process, and I'm glad you approve :) and on goodness tell your parents that I say thank you so much for what they're doing, and I sincerely hope everyone stays safe.

Reginamare: I KNOW THE CUTENESS! Of course! And I know, the possibilities are endless! XD No worries! I'm a HUGE Supernatural / Avengers fan. What about you?

Charlie: Thanks so much! Yeah it's going to be…ridiculous. Seriously XD

Em0Wolf: Aw thanks so much! And I know I love them too XD

LoveRider: I'm so glad you liked it! I tried to make the therapy session realistic based on my limited experience, so I hope it worked. And hahaha me too dude

Guest (Brilliant): Thanks so much!

Guest (Yes yes yes!...): Hahahaha me too dude XD Aw thank you so so much!

Deeeecode: Thank you so much!

Guest (great chapter, thanks so much for updating!): Thanks so much! And I'm so glad, I love Lion :) Omg thank you because I've been trying to be super intentional about character building :D hehehe yeah I'm super diabolical when it comes to suspense XD thanks!

Thanks so, so much, and as always, please let me know what you thought! I love hearing from you!