Haha news travels fast, GG.

Midnight, and Rock still hadn't come home.

Of course, Rock didn't really need to come home. He was an adult after all, and oftentimes would sleep over at his best friend's place, either to study or play video games. Normally, he did Terry the courtesy of informing him when he was staying elsewhere any particular evening - just so Terry didn't inevitably worry about him.

Today however, he hadn't,

"Babe… calm down. He's an independent kid who's strong in his own right. You don't need to worry about where he is all the time..."

Mary sighed and knitted her fingers together to stretch her arms over her head. The two of them were lounging on Terry's living room couch having just finished eating their way through some tasty - but incredibly greasy - Chinese take out. The living room was dark, save for the TV that they both watched out of the corner of their eyes. As far as Terry could tell, it was playing commercials on repeat.

"...I know, I know. I just can't help it. Y'know, when I first took Rock in, I thought I was gonna be such a cool dad. Like, do whatever you want - and learn the hard way what's right and wrong… kinda like how me and Andy grew up. All scrappy and rough-and-tumble. But man, after watching that kid grow up… "

Terry shook his head and grinned. Mary chuckled as well. She patted Terry on the arm and responded teasingly.

"I wish you had half that concern for my well being. I don't see you calling me every half hour to see if I'm okay, hmm?"

"Aww… c'mon Mary. You don't mean that."

She laughed and swung her legs up to rest in Terry's lap. She smirked at him.

"Luckily for you, I don't. In fact, if you start calling me every half hour, I'll beat you up."

She posed with flexed biceps and made a scary face. Terry rolled his eyes as she continued.

"Anyways… I honestly don't think you need to worry about Rock. Anyone who could hurt him knows who you are, and you'd have to be off your rocker to attack the 'Legendary Wolf Cub', right? That's why Kain didn't dare hurt him… you know how violent that guy is. If Kain won't touch Rocky, then nobody else will. Relax, Babe."

Terry sighed. Kain Heinlein… What a mess. According to Rock, Kain had said he was here to fight against his old boss. But then again, Kain could've been lying to misdirect them. Perhaps he knew who Rock was, knew the boy had the integrity not to join his vigilante cause, and knew he was going home to parrot whatever he heard to Terry, Mary and by extension the entire police department? Was it possible that Kain had come back under Geese's orders and HCon was going on the offensive again? Mary posed some of these scenarios to him, citing the enstatement of their new-redneck sheriff as the possible trigger for these turn of events.

"I mean, Kain may have even killed a CIA agent. We're still not entirely sure who did it - or if anyone killed them at all - but we're going to run with it for now. If it turns out to be a trumped up charge, then Blackwell's gonna take the blame on his way out. He's pretty crafty - that one."

Terry frowned.

"Wait, Mary… you're not sure of the CIA guys were murdered… but the Department is saying they were anyways?"

She nodded. Terry's expression grew concerned.

"I get doing it to go after Geese… but what about their families? I mean - Kevin's your cousin, right? Do the families know?"

Mary's expression was strangely flat - as if Kevin Rian wasn't her cousin at all, but rather some anonymous John Doe. Terry silently noted this.

"I contacted the families personally and told them what the Sheriff signed off on. If Kevin and Marky turn up alive, then the families are in for a welcome surprise and a happy homecoming. If not, then… "

She shrugged. Terry frowned at her, but didn't voice his displeasure. Evidently, she had done this under orders - orders she wasn't at liberty to disobey… but if she was willing to so easily lie to her own relatives… then who's to say she wouldn't do the same to him if the Police Department gave the order?

After a long moment, Terry spoke.

"Mary… promise me, if something ever happens to somebody important to me, you tell me the truth - not what's on the police report… okay?"

Mary blinked at him, sensing the gravity of the situation.

"Terry… of course. When this whole Geese thing is finished, I'll go visit the families and tell them the whole truth. It's just that we can't have any leaks right now. You understand, right? Same with Adam and Rock..."

Terry grimaced. True… He had made the decision not to disclose to Rock what had happened to his best friend, in order to prevent the possibility he might grow enraged at the news and join Kain's forces. What Mary had done was no different. It was wrong for Terry to judge her so harshly, when he'd done the same thing - to his own son, no less.

"But honestly, this whole thing might fall through without anything getting done… we have a week - five days - before Sheriff gets sent away, and we still don't have a warrant. Apparently the judge won't sign until Kain - or Geese makes a move and blows something up… you know, that's what Kain was famous for. Part of me is hoping nothing happens, but the other side of me wants to start this thing - and arrest that Bastard."

She sighed and gazed at him. She looked tired. Terry patted her on the knee.

"If it's Kain - he probably wants to do something soon. I think if he's actually working under Geese, he'd start the violence over the next couple of days - although I can't imagine why Geese would want that..."

Mary nodded in agreement. Terry continued.

"But if Kain is here on his own, I reckon he needs a bit of time to get situated. I mean, last I heard, he's been living on some desert island for the past three years… maybe he still has influence, but guns and bombs… they're expensive - and Kain isn't a particularly good businessman. It's possible that stuff is gonna happen, but not until weeks - or maybe months from now."

Mary sighed and threaded her fingers behind her head. She half turned to watch the lights dancing from the television.

"True, true… and by that time, Blackwell will be gone… we'll have some" she mimicked a southern accent "'jellay-spi'ned talkin' head' back in the sheriff's office."

They both chuckled for a moment and watched a commercial about vacuums. After a moment of peace, Terry went back into 'dad mode'.

"Hey Mary… about Rock...he's still missing though. It's late."

She sighed and didn't respond.

"Sometimes he sleeps over at Adam's place, but… that's not really an option. Once he got really mad at me, and went to sleep in a motel… but I can't imagine what he'd be mad about right now… do you think he found out Adam died before he came home?"

"Babe… why would he be mad at you if he found out about Adam? He'd come straight home, right?"

"What if he got hit by a car, or something?"

At this point, Terry knew he was being annoying, but he also couldn't help himself. Mary fixed him in her gaze, and turned on her detective brain for him… if only to settle his thoughts. She spoke matter-o-factly.

"Terry, he's been actively declining your calls. They're not going to voicemail. His phone isn't off. He's either mad at you, or he's busy… and he's got nothing to be mad about, right?"

He nodded.

"Right… probably?"

"So he's probably either kissing a girl and doesn't have time to talk to you, or in a meeting with his crazy boss and doesn't have time to talk to you… or he's mad at you, and doesn't want to talk to you… in all three cases, he'll probably come home sometime tomorrow, okay? Calm down."

Terry narrowed his eyes.

"It's Yagami, that snake. I kno-"

"Terry, stop it. Iori absolutely adores him, and everyone except for you knows it. I know he did that wasabi thing, but even Rock admitted he'd been sleeping on the job for the past week. I would've been fired ten times over for that."

Terry still wasn't convinced. He had no arguments left, but his expression told it all. Eventually Mary rolled her eyes and encouraged him to just:

"Call the bastard. He always picks up. Here… I'll call him."

Terry quirked his eyebrow.

"You have his number?"

She shrugged but gave no explanation.

*Brrrr*

*Brr-*

*Click*

*Ryan.*

"Hey Yagami, is Rock there?"

*No, but he was here a while ago, and he took my fucking car again. Little shit almost broke my door down too. Thankfully he didn't fucking obliterate it, like the last time Bogard paid me a visit. Tell him to fuck himself.*

Terry spoke up.

"Hey Yagami."

*Go fuck yourself, Bogard.*

Iori had a strange way of greeting people.

"Rock didn't come home today. I'm a bit worried. Do you have any idea where he could've gone? Like… is he drag racing again?"

A pause over the phone. Iori's tone remained nonchalant.

*He said he was gonna join up with Kain Heinlein to kill Geese Howard. Apparently, Adam went and got himself murdered and Rock is certain Geese did it. He asked for indefinite vacation, fifty-thousand dollars and left.*

Terry gaped. He glanced at Mary, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. Immediately they both began yelling into the phone.

"What?! Yagami are you serious? Where is Kain hiding! I'm gonna go get Rock back right now. I can't believe you let him go, you idiot! You should have called me immediately. Tell me where he is right no-"

"Iori, you gave him the cash and your car? What were you thinking? You were pretty much encouraging him to go, weren't you! First you pull the warehouse thing, and then this! I'm beginning to think you're the one working for Geese. This is federal, you Idiot! you think Rock can go ahead and associate himself with somebody who killed a federal agent and get awa-"

To the cacophony over the phone, Iori's only response was a low mutter.

*Ugh...Fucking parents...*

*click*

O.o

Tehrheee bohgard.