Lee

He opened his eyes and found Norah still pressed against him. There was a kitten curled against his head and a dog over his legs. He was briefly disoriented before he remembered.

The nightmare.

He blinked, recalling it. It had been their mission all over again, except the woman he saw getting shot through his scope was not the woman they'd gone to rescue. It had been Norah.

He felt his heart rate pick up again just thinking about it. Norah had gotten shot. Norah had made the same face after the bullet went through her. Norah's lifeless eyes had looked at him.

"It's not my baby," she muttered now, making him turn his head to look at her, confused. What was she talking about? He wondered if he could get up without disturbing her. As he was thinking this, her eyes suddenly opened. For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then, Sassy did a flying tackle on Rupert, and there was barking and yowling, making Norah and Lee scramble to break them up. Norah got a hold of her writhing kitten and slid out of the bed while Lee held on to Rupert's collar tightly to prevent him from going after the cat.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, standing next to the bed in her black shorts and green tank top.

"It's fine," he said back.

"You were shouting...I just...I wanted to bring you some kind of comfort," she rambled on. "I...I didn't mean to make it weird."

"Norah, stop," Lee said firmly, and she closed her mouth. He just looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say until he knew he had to say something. "Thank you. I...I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," she said, looking relieved. "Um, I'm just gonna..." She trailed off, gesturing with her elbow towards the door.

"Yea, okay," he agreed. She gave him a bit of a nervous smile before turning away from him and walking out. He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. Rupert twisted to look at him, causing him to let go of the collar. Lee wished they had at least said something about what had happened. He figured things between them just became more awkward than they already were.

He got up and showered. He found Rupert standing by his food dish when he came into the kitchen. Norah wasn't there. He heard his phone indicate he had received a message, and he looked to see that Barney was giving him an update on Yang. All was well. He sighed in relief. He'd been worried about Yang. They'd all waited until he was out of surgery before dispersing for the night.

"Slow down, Dad," Norah said, coming up the stairs now on her phone. "What do you mean she's in pain?" Lee gave her a curious look as she started yanking her shoes on. "Well, get her to the hospital then!"

Lee suspected it was something to do with Rose. He felt worried. Norah had a nervous/scared expression on her face as she grabbed her hair and held it firmly for a moment before letting it go.

"Dad, I'm over here. I can't just..." she trailed off as a man's voice talked loudly over hers. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm coming. I'll get there as soon as I can. Tell her...tell her to just hang on." Norah hung up and started rushing around.

"What happened?" Lee asked.

"I...I don't even know. He didn't make any sense. He just said Rose was having severe pains and..." she stopped abruptly, a look of recognition dawning on her face.

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"Oh my God," Norah said. "She might be miscarrying her baby."

"Oh," Lee said, feeling surprised. He hadn't even known she was pregnant. "I'm sorry."

"This sounds so horrible, but I feel it might be for the best," Norah said.

"How so?"

"The baby was her ex's, the guy she was having an affair with, whose wife is also currently pregnant."

That sentence made Lee's head hurt, but he still felt sad for the baby. He knew he or she would have been loved by Rose. She had that nurturing look about her, even if she did appear awkward and talked fast when she was nervous.

"I gotta go," Norah said. "She wants me, and I need to get a flight. Oh, crap...Dino."

"I'll talk to him," Lee promised. "He'll understand."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a grateful look. "Um..." She was about to say something, and Lee braced himself, but her phone rang and cut her off. She looked at it and then at him. "It's Rose."

"Get it," he urged.

"Rose, hi," Norah said. There was sounds of panic and fear coming through the phone, not a woman's voice. "I know. I know. I'm coming as fast as I can. Hang in there, Oscar. I know it's scary, but your mom's gonna be okay. I promise. Yes, I can keep that promise. I can. I'll see you soon."

"I can drive you," he offered when she had hung up.

"Thanks."

They went out to his truck, and he didn't say anything as she tried to reorient herself next to him on the drive. When they reached the airport, he hoped she could get a flight out quickly. He parked, and she sat there for a moment, unmoving.

"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked after a moment, finally looking at him.

"Me? I'm fine," he answered quickly. He felt surprised again. Her sister was having a crisis, and she was worried about him still.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, Norah, I'm fine," he promised. "Just a bad night is all."

"Okay."

"Go be with your sister," he said. "Don't worry about me."

"Thank you," she told him, "for...everything." She was looking at him, and he looked back into her blue eyes and felt that swooping sensation in his stomach again.

"You're welcome," he replied. Without really thinking, he reached over and put his hand over hers, squeezing it firmly. Her eyes looked a bit wet as she glanced at their hands before clearing her throat and giving him a weak smile.

"I'll see you when I get back."

"Okay. Do you want me to wait with you?" he offered. The thought of her sitting in the airport alone waiting for a flight bothered him for some reason. He didn't want to leave her by herself when she was upset.

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "I couldn't ask that of you."

"I'm offering," he said with a smile. She hesitated, and that answered his question. He patted her hand and opened his truck door, turning the engine off. She got out as well, grabbing her bag, and they walked towards the airport entrance together. Lee held the door open for her, and she ducked inside. He tucked his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt as she went to purchase a ticket. He stood around looking at the books and maps on display until she came back.

"I got lucky," she said. "Last seat on a flight two hours from now."

"Very lucky," he agreed. They sat down on the plastic seats side by side, and Norah pulled out her ringing phone.

"Hi, Dad," she said. "I'm at the airport now. I have to wait two hours..." She grew quiet as her father talked over her. Lee watched her flex her fingers into a fist and relax them multiple times as she listened. "Okay. Tell her I love her. Bye."

Lee waited quietly as Norah shut her phone and twisted her lips, tapping her index finger on the edge of her phone. Then she turned her head to look at him, and he just knew.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's my fault," she said, a little teary.

"How is it your fault?"

"I dared to say it would be for the best if she...if she didn't have the baby," Norah said. "I shouldn't have said that. It was horrible. I...I made it happen."

"It doesn't work like that," Lee offered.

"How do you know? God is probably up there right now shaking His head at me," Norah retorted. Lee felt a bit of surprise at this. He hadn't thought about God in a long time.

"He's not like that," Lee said firmly. "From what little I know, I do know that. And you don't have that kind of power."

Norah puffed her cheeks and blew the air out afterwards, raking a hand through her hair and staring straight ahead of her. She didn't have anything else to say. Lee sat there with her, knowing that they didn't need to talk, that they were comfortable in silence together. When her flight was called two hours later, after some minor conversations about the guys or her sister, she got to her feet and turned to look at him.

"Thank you for staying," she said. "It...it meant a lot."

Lee gave a nod, not knowing what else to say. She shouldered her bag and started to walk away. Lee watched her go, and before she disappeared from view, she turned and waved. He waved back.

He realized how much he was going to miss her while she was gone.

Rose

She felt broken. She was laying on her right side in the hospital bed, curled up as tight as she could go. The pain was still there but fading with the painkillers, and her womb felt incredibly empty.

She cried.

Her father was keeping Oscar with him for now. Norah was on her way. Winston had no idea. Rose hadn't told him anything about it in the end, and now she didn't have to. She clenched the blankets tightly in her left fist, tears sliding down her cheeks. She'd failed her baby. She felt like a horrible mother.

"Rose?"

She lifted her head slightly, seeing Norah standing there. Her sister looked pale and worried. Rose gave her a very weak smile before resting her head back down. Norah came around to kneel next to her.

"I'm so sorry, Rose," she said softly, reaching to rest her hand on Rose's shoulder. It made Rose choke on a sob and reach for her sister. Norah moved in to hold her close, and Rose cried her heart out.

"I wanted her," Rose said tearily after a moment.

"I know," Norah said, her chin resting on Rose's shoulder still. Rose rested her cheek against Norah's head and held her tight.

"Thank you for coming."

"Of course. I'm your sister. I'm here for you."

"I'll be okay," Rose added.

"It's okay to not be okay for a bit," Norah advised. This made Rose gulp and sniffle a bit more. After a few more moments, Oscar and Joe appeared. Without a word, Oscar went to climb into the bed with Rose, who pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he said quietly, and the words hit Rose hard. She gripped him harder, her throat paining from the effort of trying to hold back the fresh batch of tears. Joe reached to put a hand on her head gently in that way he always did when he was trying to convey comfort or affection, and she could see he had wet eyes too.

She knew she would get through this, but the pain would linger for a while. It always did. She closed her eyes and held on to her son. She was very thankful in the moment for her family.

Tool

Out of all of them, Tool worried about Gunner the most. There was something in his eyes that revealed he was greatly haunted by something, and by the way he drank, Tool guessed it was something pretty big. Tool was stirring his coffee when the big man lumbered to the kitchen table and sat down without saying a word.

"Barney is having a debrief today," Tool told him after a moment. Gunner just gave a grunt in response, and Tool twisted his lips and then sucked his teeth. He knew he wasn't getting anything out of him today.

Lee walked in, and Tool could see that emotion had wreaked havoc on him for the last while. He sat down without a word across from Gunner. Eventually, all of the team arrived and made their way to the table with Barney being last. He didn't sit, preferring to stand.

"Well, that was a tough one," he started.

"That's an understatement," Toll snorted. Tool noticed his eyes were puffy and red, like he hadn't slept or had cried for hours...or both.

"How's Yang?" Caesar asked.

"He's recovering."

"Do we know what happened?" Lee asked. "I'm telling you, I searched those hills...there was no one there. I don't know where that guy came from..."

"No one is blaming you, Christmas," Barney interrupted. "Okay? Shit happens. We make mistakes."

"Yea, but these mistakes shouldn't cost someone their life," Toll pointed out.

"I didn't want to be on sniper duty, if you recall," Lee said testily.

"No one is blaming anyone of anything!" Barney said loudly, making them all be quiet again. Lee was working his jaw hard, though. Tool looked at all of them and could relate to how they were feeling.

"What happens now?" Caesar asked when Barney didn't say anything else.

"There's nothing we can do. It's done. It's over. I just wanted to talk with all of you and get a feel for where you're at," Barney said. "I know you're all carrying this, and even if I tell you not to, you're going to because you're all stubborn bastards, but I'm trying to let you know that you don't have to."

"Yea, okay," Toll snorted. He slapped a hand on the table and got to his feet, the chair scraping the floor loudly as he did so. "Thanks for the pep talk, Barns." He walked out.

"Anyone want to talk about it?" Barney asked. "I mean, you don't have to right now, but if you ever do, I'm here."

"Me too," Tool added.

"Yea, and Tool," Barney said, gesturing.

"I'd like to just forget about it," Lee commented, getting up and leaving as well. Caesar rubbed his face hard. Gunner sat there like a stone, still silent. Barney sighed and looked at Tool, who gave him a pained expression back. There wasn't much else he could do.

"Char wants me to quit," Caesar said quietly after a bit. Even Gunner had a surprised look on his face as he looked at him.

"I don't blame her," Barney replied. "It's your call, Caesar. None of us will think any different if you decide to quit."

"That's just it," Caesar said, shifting in his chair. "I don't want to quit. Even though we majorly screwed up, I want to get back out there. I want to get back on that horse. I don't want the horse to think he's won."

"You do whatever you feel is right for you," Barney encouraged. "There's no pressure here."

"Maybe you should quit," Gunner said hoarsely, taking Tool by surprise. He figured Gunner wasn't going to speak at all today.

"You think so?" Caesar asked, looking at him.

"Have some kind of life...be with your family...seems like a wise choice to me," Gunner said with a shrug. Then he got up and walked out without another word or a glance at anyone.

Tool met Barney's eyes, and he knew his friend was thinking the same thing. They were gonna have to keep an eye on Gunner.

The Next Day

Yang

He'd been released from the hospital. All he'd wanted to do was sleep. He didn't want to face anything. Barney had dropped him off and offered to stay, but Yang sent him away. He wanted to be alone.

Now, he couldn't sleep. He went out for a walk, thinking it would clear his head, but he was wrong. Without his permission, his mind flashed back to the night where he'd lost it all. They'd been walking together, hand in hand. The air had smelled fresh from a recent rain. He'd stopped to buy a single rose for her from the lady selling them when he'd turned to see her crossing the street ahead of him. Out of nowhere, a truck came, striking her. Yang had dropped everything and ran towards her. She'd looked up at him from the ground, her broken body bleeding everywhere. Her hand was on her eight month pregnant belly.

"Please," she had begged him, her voice a whimper. "Please."

Now, Yang dropped to his knees on the sidewalk, right at the stop sign in front of him. He felt like he couldn't breathe. That's when he heard the jeep coming; he recognized the rumble of it as being Gunner's. He looked to see Gunner swigging from his flask, going right through the stop sign.

That was enough for Yang. He pulled out the gun he always carried and fired at the back of Gunner's jeep. It smashed the back window, and Gunner slammed on the brakes. He parked and got out, waving his own gun in his hand now and looking ready for war. His face showed absolute confusion when he saw Yang standing there.

"Yang?" he asked. In a flash, Yang was on him, taking him by surprise. He fell easily to the ground.

"Asshole!" Yang was shouting while punching him. "Asshole!"

"What did I do?!" Gunner shouted back, trying to block the blows.

"You drink and drive!" Yang screeched at him. "That kills people!" Gunner got his bearings at this point and managed to get Yang off of him so he could get back to his feet. Yang was seething, fists clenched and jaw so tight he thought his teeth would start to break.

"It was just a few sips," Gunner tried.

"Shut up!" Yang yelled. "You don't drink and drive! Everybody knows that! You kill innocent people...people who trust that drivers are sober!"

"What are you going on about?" Gunner demanded. "What people?!"

"All people!"

"There's no one here!" Gunner exclaimed.

"I'M HERE!" Yang screamed, banging his fist on his chest. "I'M HERE! MY WIFE IS NOT! OKAY?! BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU, MY WIFE IS NO LONGER HERE! OR MY BABY!" Gunner blinked. Yang was breathing raggedly now, emotion threatening to spill over in the form of tears. The fact that those words just fell out of him like that both surprised him and didn't. They'd been held back for far too long. Of all people, he never expected Gunner to find out first.

"Yang, I...I didn't know..." Gunner tried.

"You have problems! Big problems!" Yang shouted now, pointing a finger at him. "You let beer hide who you are, make all decisions for you! Stop it!"

"Yang..."

Yang started to walk away from Gunner before he started beating on him again. He started to run and ran faster and faster as the sound of his wife's begging voice rang in his ears.

Please...please...

A Few Days Later

Toll

He was sitting in Dino's bar watching Norah work when Victoria came in. She'd been supportive the past few days, their fight long forgotten. That was a relief to Toll.

"Hey, Nick," she said, sitting down next to him. "Lucy wants to take me to a spa for a girl's weekend. I just wanted to let you know."

He surveyed her steadily, trying not to feel panic.

"Okay," he said, his voice level.

"How's Gunner?" she asked, changing the subject. "He hasn't answered me at all."

"I don't know," Toll answered. "He's not really talking to any of us."

"Hmm," she said, drumming her fingers on the bar top. Toll sipped his beer. He hadn't seen or heard from Yang either, and that worried him too. He'd tentatively talked about this in his therapy, and Nina had reassured him that he could say whatever he needed to say if it was benefiting his mental health. If she was surprised at all by what he told her, she never let on.

He noticed Norah seemed absent. She'd returned yesterday from being with her sister (Lee had told them), and Toll could tell she was emotionally drained.

"Refill?" she asked him when she noticed his empty beer bottle.

"Nah," he answered. She gave a nod and continued on with her work. Toll turned around to face the rest of the bar and scanned everyone's faces. It was a habit, really, like he felt better knowing who was there in case one of them turned out to be the culprit in a robbery, shootout, or an arson or something.

"I'm gonna go home and pack," Victoria said after a moment.

"Okay."

She gave a small smile and patted the bar top before pushing off and walking away. Toll hoped that she was safe wherever she was going. He noticed she hadn't told him where. He tried not to let that bother him.

Norah

It had been an exhausting past few days. Lee had kept his promise and had informed Dino where Norah had gone. Dino had been sympathetic and asked how Rose was when Norah returned. She appreciated that he cared.

Things with Lee had been...awkward. Norah had gotten back to find him quiet and avoiding eye contact. She guessed he had reverted back to the part of himself where he didn't like to be vulnerable and preferred to keep her shut out. She didn't know what to make of that.

She looked up when Gunner came in, and he did look terrible. She had put it together that all of them had witnessed this woman dying, and it confirmed that they did indeed work together. What they did was still a mystery, but she was leaning towards something military-like. She didn't know how to feel about that. She knew it was not the right time to press Lee for that information.

"Hi," she said to Gunner, and he gave a slight nod as he sat down at the bar. "We're going to be closing soon."

"I know," he replied. "I came to see if you wanted to hang out after."

Norah hesitated. A part of her wanted to go home and make Lee talk to her, and the other part of her wanted to be there for Gunner. She'd heard Toll telling Victoria that Gunner wasn't talking to anyone, and if he was talking to her, then there must be a reason for it.

"Sure," she agreed after a moment.

"I'll be outside," he said, getting up.

"Okay."

Norah finished off her shift easily enough, said goodnight to Dino, texted Lee that she was going to be coming home late, and met Gunner outside.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Anywhere."

"Lead the way," she said, gesturing. She got into her car as he climbed onto his bike. Then they were off.

Barney

He was looking at the photo again. He didn't know why he did this. It just made the hurt surface all over again, but at the same time, it made him feel close to the person who was smiling back at him. He sighed and let the picture he was holding drop to the table. It looked up at him, making him feel the need to turn it over.

"I still think you should tell her," Tool said from the doorway, making Barney jump in his chair. He glared at Tool, who was giving him that calm look back that made Barney want to punch him.

"It wouldn't change anything," he insisted. "What good could possibly come from telling her?"

"Oh, I don't know...giving her the chance to get to know you?" Tool suggested.

"Nothing to know."

Tool scoffed and shook his head. Then he pushed off the door frame and left Barney alone. Barney huffed in the silence and turned to look back at the photograph.

"Don't look at me like that," he said to it, reaching to pick it up and stuff it back into the drawer. He was convinced no good could come of telling Norah who he was, and he didn't want to get attached to another person only to lose them too. No, he'd keep this to himself.

It was better that way.

Gunner

He hadn't wanted to leave his room for days since Yang's verbal and physical attack on the street, but being with Norah now made him feel like he could be okay. They were sitting on the edge of a river, and he'd throw a stone every so often. He wanted to talk about what he was feeling, but it was hard. His thoughts had gone around and around everything so many times after Yang told him to stop let drinking hide who he was, and once he began to think that he could share this with someone, the idea of suffering in silence for a second longer was choking him. He had to tell someone, and he decided it would be Norah. He trusted her.

"What's on your mind, Gunner?" Norah asked after a while.

"Lots of things," he answered.

"What's the one pushing out the top?"

"How messed up I am."

"What makes you messed up?" she asked.

"Everything."

"Narrow it down," she suggested. He gave a slight chuckle. She knew what she was doing apparently. This wasn't her first mock therapy session. His heart pounded. This was it. This was his chance to get it out, to release the pain. It terrified him, but it was eating him alive by keeping it inside.

"Something happened to me a very long time ago," he told her.

"Okay," she said when he paused. "I'm listening."

"I've never told anyone this," he added.

"You don't have to do this," she said quickly. "Not if you don't want to."

"I want to," he confirmed. "It's time."

"Well," she said, reaching to rest her hand on top of his. "Then you can trust me." He nodded slowly and took in a shaky breath. The words were right there on the edge. Then they tumbled out.

"When I was 11 years old, my gym teacher sexually abused me," he blurted out. There. It was out. The words settled in the air, and he looked to see if Norah was freaked out, but she had compassion on her face instead.

"Oh, Gunner. I am so sorry," she whispered.

"I wasn't always this big. I was a small kid. He took advantage of that," Gunner went on. "He would always say it was my fault, that I brought it on by being so cute, for wearing shorter shorts." He breathed in very shakily now, picturing it happening again and again. "I didn't have a choice for wardrobe. When I asked for different shorts, I got a beating from my father, so I had to keep wearing them. It went on for two years. He made threats about what he'd do if I told anyone. Then I went to high school, and I still didn't tell a soul. I've always felt like a piece of shit, and when I got bigger, I reveled in the fact that I could scare people. I never wanted anyone to do that to me again."

Norah said nothing, just squeezed his hand.

"I've never known who I am. I always hear his voice in my head. I keep picturing it..." Gunner trailed off. "It's why I drink and do drugs. I just want to forget. I just want to numb out. When I'm sober, I hurt."

"I get it," she said softly.

"This woman dying has made me feel that same feeling of helplessness all over again, and I've spent the last few days trying to block it all out, but nothing works."

"Maybe you should try talking to a therapist," Norah suggested gently. "They might be able to help you get through this."

"Maybe."

"I really do appreciate that you told me," she went on. "That can't have been good, holding it in for so long. How do you feel now that it's out?"

"Like a ten ton weight has been lifted," Gunner admitted, finally looking at her. "I'm not alone anymore."

"Good," she said with a smile. He couldn't help himself. She was right there, and he felt really close to her. He also wanted to do something to distract from the fact he'd just told her his deepest, darkest secret.

He kissed her.

When she pulled back, he felt his heart sink. She bit her lip and looked apologetic.

"Gunner," she started.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"No, don't be. You've just been really vulnerable with me, and I cherish that, but I don't feel that way about you," she said slowly. "I just don't want you to get hurt anymore. I do care about you. You're my buddy, my friend. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," he said, shaking his head. "I get it. I don't even know why I did it. I just...you make me feel good, and I just ran with it."

"I'm flattered, but there's a different girl for you," Norah insisted. "I think you know that."

Victoria flashed through Gunner's mind, and he gave a slight nod. He did like her, and if anyone could understand his addiction, it would be her.

"What if...what if you also told her?" Norah suggested. He gave her an alarmed look.

"I couldn't," he said.

"Why not?"

"I don't want her to see me differently."

"Different how?"

"Like...like I'm not a man."

"Oh, Gunner," Norah said. "You told me, and I don't think you're not a man."

"You don't?"

"No! What happened to you was horrible! Someone betrayed their trust as an adult with you! That doesn't make you less of a man! And being a man doesn't mean being 'manly' anyway. Don't fall for society's B.S. on that. Just be you. And Gunner, what he did to you was his fault. He owns that, not you."

"But...the shame," Gunner whispered. Norah twisted to face him and took his hands in hers tightly.

"Gunner," she said firmly, "you don't own his shame. He does."

"Then why do I feel it?"

"Because he didn't," Norah answered. "I...I read this somewhere. We take on someone else's shame because they don't feel it. They don't have the capability to feel it, so we feel it for them."

"That sounds very messed up," Gunner admitted.

"It's because we don't have a sick mind," Norah said to him. "Our healthy minds feel the shame on their behalf because we know that's what people are supposed to feel when they do this terrible shit. It's weird, I know, but Gunner...you don't have to feel his shame anymore. You don't. He owns it, not you. You have nothing to be ashamed about. You did nothing wrong."

He felt his eyes well up. He'd been waiting for so long to get confirmation that he'd done nothing wrong to deserve what happened, and here it was. He started to nod, a few tears slipping out and down his cheeks.

"Repeat after me," Norah instructed. "I did nothing wrong."

"I did nothing wrong," he choked out.

"One more time."

"I did nothing wrong," he said, a bit more strong this time.

"Louder."

"I did nothing wrong!"

"Louder!"

"I DID NOTHING WRONG!" Gunner roared. He was shaking a bit now, but he felt empowered. Norah was smiling at him, and he felt the best he'd ever felt in years.

"I didn't ask for it!" Norah went on then.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR IT!"

"He's a sick son of a bitch!"

"HE'S A SICK SON OF A BITCH!"

"It's his fault!"

"IT'S HIS FAULT!"

"Woohooo!" Norah cheered, and Gunner started laughing. He hugged her tightly, and she squeezed him back hard. The voice in his head was finally quiet. Gunner felt victorious.

"Thank you," he said, pulling back from her. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure, Gunny," Norah said, smiling. She patted his shoulder. "Now, why don't you go get the girl, huh?"

"One step at a time," he told her.

"Okay, but just don't let her get away," Norah warned. Gunner just smiled. He thought about Victoria and how he'd go about asking her out properly. It gave him something positive to think about for a change.

"Thank you, Norah," he said.

"You're welcome."

He didn't feel quite as embarrassed about kissing her anymore. She'd handled it gracefully and hadn't made him feel bad for it. He had noticed that it hadn't felt right when he was doing it, not the way he felt when kissing Victoria.

"I am gonna go home, though," she said. "I'm beat."

"Yea, okay."

He helped her to her feet, and they headed for their prospective rides. He put his helmet on as she opened her car door.

"Good night, Gunner," she said with a smile.

"Good night, Norah."

He waited for her to leave first, still smiling. It actually felt like tonight could be a good night after all.

Lee

He didn't know why he waited up for her, but he did. It didn't feel right to go to bed knowing she could be out there hurt somewhere. With Gunner or not, Lee worried about her. Rupert kept going in and out of his bedroom, whining and huffing every time he tried to indicate Lee should be coming to bed and got ignored. When Norah's headlights flashed across the wall, Lee released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. It was almost two in the morning.

He sat in the dark as she came inside, humming to herself. Rupert went over to her happily.

"Hey, you," she said. "What're you still doing up, huh?"

Lee heard her walk towards the living room, and he clicked the lamp on.

"Sweet Mother of God!" she shrieked, leaping backwards and almost falling over Rupert, who jerked out of the way.

"Hey," he said simply.

"That was not cool," she said, collecting herself and looking embarrassed. "Geez, man! I thought you were an axe murderer!"

"Please," he scoffed. "You'd be dead if I was an axe murderer."

"That does not help me feel better," she pointed out.

"Welcome home," he commented, getting to his feet. Rupert rushed over to him, knowing this finally meant bedtime. He pranced around Lee as he walked towards his bedroom.

"This isn't over!" Norah called after him. "I'll get you back!"

"You can try," Lee said over his shoulder before closing his door behind him. He chuckled to himself. At least there was some sort of normalcy back in their relationship again.

Joe

He couldn't sleep. He knew Rose wasn't sleeping either. When she'd come home from the hospital, she'd walked around like a zombie. She still wasn't really eating. It scared him. He felt terrible about her losing the baby, and he had no idea what to do to help her feel better. He knew time would help, but he also knew she'd carry that grief forever. Losing someone you loved, whether you met them or not, had that affect on you. It was the price of love.

"Grandpa?" Oscar asked.

"Yea, kiddo? What're you doing up?"

"I can't sleep, and I didn't want to wake up Mom."

"C'mere," Joe said. He heard Oscar pad over to him and felt him climb into bed. Moments later, Oscar was curled against Joe's side.

"Where did my sister go?" he asked a moment later. Joe felt his heart clench.

"I imagine she'd be in heaven with God," he answered.

"I asked Him," Oscar said. "On the radio in the van. I asked if she was with Him."

"Did he answer?"

"No."

"It's okay. Sometimes His answers aren't ones we can hear," Joe said. Oscar seemed satisfied with this response as he got comfortable and his breathing started to get even.

"You're gonna be here for a long time, right?" Oscar asked sleepily after a while.

"If I have anything to do with it," Joe answered.

"Do you miss Grandma?"

"Every day."

"What was she like?"

"She was funny. She was beautiful. She was smart. She had a mean right cross. She was trustworthy...honest...brave. She was my best friend," Joe answered after taking a moment to breathe from the emotional impact of the question.

"I wish I couldn't have met her."

"Me too, Oscar. Me too," Joe said, reaching to pat his grandson's arm. "Now, go to sleep. You've got school tomorrow."

He lay there in the darkness for a long time after he felt Oscar fall asleep, thinking about Marcy.

Tool

Yang was sitting in the chair out back when Tool found him. It was very late at this point, but Yang was still struggling to sleep.

"What's on your mind, brother?" Tool asked, sitting down in the chair next to him. Yang didn't know if Gunner had told anyone about what had happened to his wife and child. He didn't think so. Gunner wasn't usually one to gossip. It also meant he'd have to actively admit he had been drinking and driving.

"Nothing," Yang answered. He didn't feel like talking about it. It was bad enough he'd blurted it out for Gunner to hear the other night. He was still pissed that Gunner drank and drove like it was nothing.

"The time on the clock says otherwise, my friend," Tool pointed out. "Nobody's up this late without a reason usually."

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Rather not say."

"Might help," Tool insisted.

"Not tonight."

"But some night?"

"Maybe."

"Okay," Tool agreed. "I'll hold you to that. Another night, you tell me what's going on with you." Yang turned his head to look at him, an amused expression on his face.

"No promises," he commented.

"Well, I figure it has something to do losing someone, and I'm guessing someone very close to you, but you can fill in the blanks another time," Tool reasoned. Yang shifted in his chair, not saying anything. Tool didn't need confirmation that he was right.

"It's hard," Yang finally said.

"I know, Yang," Tool replied. "I know."

They didn't say anything else until the sun started to come up; Yang got up and went inside, leaving Tool alone with the fire burning sky as the day began.