We do see some of the same messages from the previous chapter, but this time they are from Clint's perspective, as is this chapter. I didn't come outright and say which play it is that Rachel stars in. There is far too many and I couldn't pick just one. Onyx belongs to me and can't be used without my permission. Enjoy!

With his flight being close to four hours long, he found himself getting to his sister's house a little after 9 as it took him some time to get out of the airport. He quietly entered the house, seeing lights on in the living room. He smiled, seeing one of his parents watching the 9 O'Clock news.

"Good evening to you," Hiram greeted him, not looking away from the news. Clint repeated the sentiment, making sure the door is locked behind him. "Rachel's in bed, rehearsals are taking it out of her. Little Gracie Jo and Isaiah Frankie are asleep," Hiram informed him, not giving him the chance to ask where everyone happened to be at. He figured the kids would be in bed. "Was your flight okay? How is your life going in Texas? Are you and Sunshine still dating? You know it's been nearly six months since we last heard from you," Hiram guilt tripped him. "Dinner is in the fridge for you," he tacked on.

Clint nodded walking to the kitchen leaving his bag by the front door; he would take it up to his nephew's room; as that is the room he stays in when he visits. He didn't feel like going through his whole personal life at this time with his dad. Not when he would get the same spiel from his sister when he did see her for more than a minute.

"Where's Puck?" He asked heating the food up before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"He's got the night shift. Traded a few shifts around to get the next few days off of work. Now you going to answer my questions?" Hiram asked with a pointed look.

"I'm single; she broke up with me and is getting married to Unique. My flight was fine; I thought about moving elsewhere after everything came out," he sighed confessing. It is the first time he has voiced that part of what he planned on doing. Where he would move to he didn't make it that far into deciding before his world tipped on its axis.

"And why didn't you?" Hiram questioned, getting himself a cold glass of water.

"I met someone," he smiled, itching to take his phone out and turn it back on and send her a message that he had made it safely to his sister's house. As he had promised to do so before parting ways.

"And with that goofy look on your face, I can safely say this someone is very special," Hiram chuckled.

"She could be," he easily agreed. "It's a bit complicated right now. She got handed a bad and very raw deal with her ex," he sighed, explaining a bit more on why he wasn't with her yet.

"I guess I don't need to be telling you about broken hearts and all," Hiram chuckled, shaking his head. "I think you've moved on just fine from one heartbreak to something that could be more serious."

"I hope so," Clint nodded. "And for the record, it hasn't been six months since I last talked to you," he chuckled. He is good at calling home every few weeks. And they talked a little over two weeks ago, granted it was more to do with their divorce than about him. "It's just been so much going on with you and pops, that it was easy to breeze over anything going on with me. Is he here?" Clint asked, placing his fork down.

"He'll be coming in tomorrow morning. Everyone is to have breakfast with him before Rachel needs to be at the theater," Hiram let him know. Clint could feel the uneasy shift in the room speaking about Leroy, but that didn't stop him from asking more questions.

"How is the while divorce coming along?" Clint asked, while finishing off the last of his late-night dinner.

"It is very complicated," Hiram sighed. "It is nothing that you need to be worrying about. Whatever transpires between us, we will still be there for you. We can be civil towards each other," he assured his son.

"I'm not worried about that. I love you both, and I don't like seeing you guys go through something that is painful for the both of you."

"It is going to be painful, Clint. There is no way around that. It's just something that is best for us," Hiram stressed.

"Is it though?" Clint asked placing his dirty dishes in the sink. He would wash them in the morning; he just didn't have the energy to do so tonight. "Have you tried all your options? Have you really thought about it? How do you know that getting a divorce is the best option?" He asked at a rapid pace.

"We've done everything that we can. That is all you need to know, Clint. We tried and sometimes it just doesn't work out and there is nothing wrong with that," Hiram told him, rubbing his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"I wonder if it's something you both want, or if it is the easy way out of it all," Clint said making his departure to get his bag and head up to get ready for bed.

After going through his nightly routine, he crawled into the made up air mattress on the floor of his nephew's room. Making sure his phone was on silent as not to wake his nephew up from his deep slumber, he pulled up his message thread with Onyx.

'Can you say awkward?' He texted Onyx, knowing that with the hour time difference that she would still be as for her it was only a half hour past 8. And as tired as he may have been from the flying, he is pretty much wide awake after that little chat with his dad. He may have said more than he should, but he hated to see his parent's marriage fall apart so easily.

'Uh-oh. How far did you get that foot in your mouth?' He laughed softly as not to wake his nephew up.

'Further than it should be. It sure doesn't taste good.' He quickly replied, shaking his head. The thing about Onyx it seemed whatever she was doing she always sent him a message within seconds of the one he sent. 'If you're busy, you can finish that before replying back.' He sent her quickly not wanting her to think she needed to be putting him first.

'I've been left to defend for myself. Seb is on a date, and everyone else is either working or have work come morning, so I guess, for the time being, you are stuck with me ;P' Again he found himself laughing going to reply back to her when he noticed that she was writing something else. 'One would think that their foot tasted poorly. Want to talk about it?'

'Are you really stuck when I would gladly enjoy your company? I'll keep that in mind.' He had no plans of sharing the ordeal over texts. But there was something about Onyx that saw him not even a full second later typing out more. 'I pretty much said a few things that I'm starting to second guess to my dad.' He hit send before he could erase the message altogether.

'I am a pro at saying stupid shit to my folks. So you know it'll be fine, and it will work itself out after a few awkward, tense moments shared.'

'Not helping.'

'Was I supposed to be helping? And btw no I guess you wouldn't be stuck with me.'

'I am not really sure. You are just telling me the truth.' He composed and hit send. And before he could think better of it, he added a little more. 'So you know you will never be stuck with me. I enjoy spending time with you, Onyx.'

'For the record I enjoy spending time with you. If you didn't know that. And I've learned that truth may hurt like hell, but you need to know it over some lie to keep you safe.'

'I agree with you there. I would rather be told the truth than a lie.'

'Makes sense. Other than your foot in your mouth, how was your flight? Your sister?'

'Flight was good. My sister and her kids are sleeping and her husband is out doing the overnight shift, so I will get back to you on that one.'

'I am holding you to that.'

He spent the next few hours trading texts with Onyx, going deep into the night, where he should have been asleep, but talking to her he wasn't even remotely tired. He knew that he should be getting some sleep for he will have a busy day planned tomorrow as he already told his sister that he wanted to spend the day with his niece and nephew. A day where he would let them pick what they wanted to do before taking them to the best pizza place in the city.

'I hate to be the buzz kill, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I need some beauty sleep.'

'Go get your beauty sleep. Not that you need it ;)'

'Goodnight Clint'

'Goodnight Onyx'

With his phone close to being dead he put it on the charger, a smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep. His last thoughts were about how special Onyx is to him.

"Wake up Uncle Clint," his 6-year-old niece giggled, jumping next to him on the air mattress.

"Gracie quit it," Isaiah demanded. "You really need to grow up," he huffed out sittingon the edge of his bed.

"You need to be a kid," she retorted sticking her tongue out at her 8-year-old brother. Clint not able to hold his laughter in.

"Miss Gracie can jump all she wants," Clint said, sitting up. "There is plenty of room for you to jump as well Isaiah," Clint said giving his nephew a challenging look.

"If we pop it, you are the one getting in trouble," Isaiah told him, coming over to jump on the air mattress.

"I will take full responsibility," Clint laughed.

"Are you three coming down for breakfast?" Puck asked appearing in the doorway, his uniform still on; an amused smile on his face watching his kids be kids. Their laughter is contagious making Puck laugh as well.

"On our way, dude," Clint retorted, while Gracie jump from the air mattress to her dad's awaiting arms who moved closer to catch her. "Come on little dude," Clint said, grabbing his phone before following after his nephew. "Rach," he greeted his sister with a hug.

"Clint," Rachel smiled, hugging him tight. "How is everything going with you?"

"He's got himself a special woman back in Texas," Hiram remarked, sipping on his coffee.

"What about Sunshine?" Puck asked, helping his daughter fix her plate of food.

"She's getting married to someone else," he shrugged. "I don't mind these days," he smiled, going to get himself a cup of coffee that he would be needing today after his late night texting session with Onyx.

"Who is this woman who has such a powerful hold on my little brother?" Rachel asked, taking her seat after making sure her son didn't need any help fixing his plate.

"Puck knows her," he informed them. Giving them as little information as he could. He wasn't trying to keep her a secret, he would tell them after he had some fun first.

"How do I know her?" Puck questioned with a frown. "It's not someone I have a past with, is it?" If it was someone he had past sexual relations with, it would be beyond weird.

"You do have a past with her, but not in that way," Clint said, sitting down with his coffee and plate of food.

"Dude, you are making very little sense," Puck laughed shaking his head not able to recall who it could be. "Who is it?"

"Onyx Sterling," Clint finally caved, taking a bite of food, his taste buds enjoying the vegan food, he only eats when around his sister.

"No!" Puck laughed. "She still causing trouble?" He inquired.

"Not in that way. She's still a handful, though I don't think that's ever going to change, honestly. It's who she is."

"You know that name sounds kind of familiar," Rachel commented, trying to place the name to the face.

"She went to McKinley when you went and did mentors," Clint explained the best he could with what information he had.

"You remember her because Jesse talked highly of her," Puck commented."He broke her leg in that motorcycle accident. She has brown hair; she is taller than you," he teased.

Clint chuckled, pulling his phone out, as Puck went about trying to explain who Onyx is to his wife.

'Morning,' he quickly types out, replying to the morning text she sent him. 'Mind sending me a selfie?' He asked her.

'Uh why?' He laughed at her confusion that came through with those two little words.

'Need proof. I'll repay the favor, swear on my heart and everything.'

'Since you asked so nicely.' He chuckled waiting for the picture to come through. He smiled seeing her in a purple tank top, sitting on what he assumed is the kitchen counter with the cupboards behind her.

'Is it wrong of me to think you look even more stunning void of makeup?' He quickly sent to her.

'It's not. Just don't make me blush again.'

'I promise nothing!'

"Why are you smiling all goofy for Uncle Clint?" Gracie asked him.

"That is an excellent question, sweetie," Rachel commented. "Mind sharing it with the rest of us?"

"It's nothing. But this is her," he said, clicking on the imagine, making sure to save the picture, showing his family. Rachel finally recognizing her.

"She's pretty Uncle Clint," Gracie commented.

"Pretty indeed," Hiram commented. He quickly shoved his phone back in his pocket, noticing for the first time that not everyone was there. "He'll be here later. His flight got delayed or that is the excuse Leroy is going with," Hiram informed him.

"Okay, I'm going to grab a shower and get my day with these two started," Clint said, placing his plate in the sink. Avoiding any more uncomfortable talk about divorce and everything in-between that.

When he finished with his shower and dressed for the day, he joined his brother-in-law in the living room while the kids watched a yellow sponge on TV.

"Everyone is out, and I'm going to bed," Puck yawned, pushing himself off the couch. "My car is in the garage if you want to use it," he informed his brother-in-law. Clint nodded, that bit of information being useful for him.

Clint waited until a commercial break before asking them what they wanted to do for the day.

"Can we go to the museum?" Gracie asked. Before he could ask which museum, Isaiah was there to fill him in.

"She wants to go to the American Museum of Natural History," Isaiah clarified. "Dad read the book to us the other night and now she wants to go and she's been told maybe by mom and dad." They had also watched the movies, and she really wanted to see the things from the movie and from the book.

"Then we will make a day of it," Clint easily agreed. He is known to do what Puck or Rachel wouldn't take their kids to do because of the lack of time. And going to the museum would eat up most of the day if not all of it. It's not if they didn't want to do the stuff with their kids it was just a matter of finding the time to do it all as the kids wanted to experience it all.

The kids cheered, turning back to their show. He shook his head seeing they still had two hours before the museum is to open as it was only eight in the morning. With the kids occupied with the very annoying jellyfish loving yellow sponge, he made his way to the kitchen to get more coffee. He frowned feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, no one should be calling him as they all knew where he is at and he didn't think his parents or sister would be calling him. His frown turned into a bright smile seeing the number and picture on the screen.

"Miss me already?" He teased, using his shoulder to hold his phone while he poured coffee into his cup from earlier.

"Hardly," she retorted. "Again I've been left alone. And I still haven't received a selfie of you yet," she told him.

"It's coming," he laughed. "What are your plans for the day?" He questioned, mixing in sugar and Irish creamer into his coffee.

"Waiting for my friends to finish working then we are going out for a girl's night. And I'm going to be questioning Seb about protection seeing as he hasn't been home from his date last night yet." Clint chuckled.

"Maybe he wants to make you Auntie Onyx, before Jeff can," he retorted, blowing on his coffee, before taking a drink.

Onyx snorted at that comment. "I wouldn't doubt it." When they were younger, they were great at besting each other when it came to her. And she never understood why as she loved them the same. Jeff is her brother and she goes to him when she needs him. And Seb is very much like a brother to her, he will always remain her best friend, it is something that they both know, but yet it never stopped them from their silly little competitions."What are your plans for the day?"

"Museum with my niece and nephew, then we will come home and find something to do here after we get pizza of course and get ready for the opening night of the play. Why are you up so early?" He questioned. He has his niece mostly to thank for him being up so early, but she was an hour behind him so it was earlier for her.

"Ugh, if I knew I would tell you," she commented with a yawn.

"Here's a thought, go back to bed," he told her.

"I've tried, couldn't sleep," she told him. "Hey look my best friend is finally returning home, best I see about the protection situation," she told him.

Clint laughed knowing she said it loud enough for Sebastian to hear her. "I'll be sending the selfie through to you later," he informed her once again.

"Before the night is over with," she warned him, ending the call.

He laughed, placing his phone in his pocket, taking his coffee and going back to the living room. Knowing it would take them plenty of time to get ready to go and to get to the museum he turned the TV off.

"What are we visiting first?" He asked after spending 75 dollars on the tickets alone. The tickets were a bit more pricey as he got the ones where everything was included.

"Dinosaurs," Isaiah suggested. Like most 8 year old boys he had a huge fascination with dinosaurs. He could never get enough and Clint felt that if they did go there first they wouldn't be leaving that exhibit.

"I wanna see the space show," Gracie said, tugging on her uncle's arm to pull him in that direction.

Having a quick look at the map it seemed as the dinosaurs would be their first stop as they were on the fourth floor and they would work their way down and end their day at the museum when they got back to the first floor and after they saw the space show Gracie wanted to see.

The kids were in awe the whole time, talking about everything they saw, like they knew the history behind each exhibit. Clint listening with rapt attention, only explaining when they asked him. He often joined in with them making up a silly story. By the time they made it to the dinosaurs, they were competing to see who could make up the most ridiculous story. It ended in a tie when they kept adding more to the story told before their own.

By the time they left the museum, it was late afternoon. They decided on getting their pizza to go. Clint not wanting one or both of the kids falling asleep in their pizza at the restaurant.

After they got full on the pizza back at home, they sat down on the couch to watch a movie, they both settling on Minions. Within a half hour both kids were sound asleep using him as a pillow. He managed to get his phone out snapping a quick picture.

'Selfie as promised. It's rather adorable ;D' He hit send before he could think better of it. He felt himself dozing off when he heard and felt his phone in his hand indicating he has a new text.

'They look comfy; I mean you are comfy ;)
I don't know if adorable is there right word to use. A dorky, fun-loving uncle, comes to mind.' He snorted reading both of her replies.

"Your father caught me up on the ongoings in your life and what you said to him," Leroy said, sitting in a chair, getting Clint to put his phone down without replying back to Onyx.

"I'm not sorry for what I said," he retorted."Being a kid when I was brought into your home that feeling of love it's crazy to think that it had just gone away after all these years and after your kids moved out. To me that is insane," he said.

"And you're allowed to voice your opinion, we've never once silenced you or Rachel…"

"I can think of a few times that we should've silenced Rachel," Clint muttered, making Leroy chuckle.

"Be nice, look where your sister is at," Leroy chastised him. "Don't be afraid to say what your thinking when it comes to your feelings on any topic. If they can't handle it, then so be it. This whole thing isn't easy on any of us," Leroy told him.

"It's not easy. I know I live in a different state, but watching your parents who were madly in love with each other, turn into public enemy number one, it's not easy," he sighed. "I just want you to find what made you two fall in love with each other again. I know it won't be easy, but can it be that hard to find that special spark again?"

"We all change when we grow older and go through life. If can be a challenge to find that spark after kids and everything in-between that had changed us. It is something that we have tried. You can fall out of love just as quickly as falling in love," Leroy told him, wanting to make him understand that it isn't that easy to rekindle an old flame.

"Think we should wake these two and get them ready. Then all we'll have to worry about is their father?" Clint asked, seeing that it is getting late enough for them to get woken up so they could all get ready to go. As he had nothing else to say, and he didn't feel like getting into a fight with both of his parents, not when today is about Rachel.

Two nights in a row now saw him crawling into bed past midnight to get some sleep. The first night was his own fault refusing to call it a night when he was trading texts with Onyx. Last night it was for Rachel's play. Something he couldn't change the time on when he got to bed. As it was, he carried a sleeping boy to his bed as both Gracie and Isaiah were out cold by the time they left the theater and got back to the house.

He swore he had just fallen asleep when the sound of his phone woke him up. A glance at the screen told him that it was close to 5 in the morning and that Onyx was calling him.

"Get off me." He frowned hearing someone he knew but he couldn't place who with being half asleep.

"Damn you." He knew that was Onyx cursing her friends out.

"Onyx? Hello?" He asked groggily into the phone. Needing someone to fill him in on what was going on.

"Hello?" Again he couldn't place just who was on the phone talking to him.

"You're not Onyx, is she okay?" He asked, shaking the last remnants of sleep from his foggy mind, to worry about what was happening to Onyx. As that was the only reason he could think of for them to call him at such ungodly hour.

"If you count being drunk okay." Drunk? She did say something about going out with friends.

"Dude just hang up the phone, seriously," Onyx shouted. Since they called him he's had enough. He wanted to have a chat with Onyx, so he could get a few more hours of sleep.

"Can you put Onyx on the phone?" He questioned, not finding any of this to be funny. He really wanted to be sleeping as he needs to be up in a few short hours.

"He wants you." The girl giggles annoyed him more than they should have. He just didn't find anything funny about being woken up in the wee hours of the morning to sounds of drunks.

He was left waiting long enough that he woke up a bit more to understand what was going on. For a split second he thought she might have hung up on him, but he could hear her rustling around on the other end. He was about to ask if she was still there when she started to speak.

"I'm so sorry about them. I didn't think they would pull a stunt like that. You must be tired as it's what," she paused. At the most he could only assume that she pulled her phone back to look at the time. "Almost 5."

"It's fine," he told her, relaxing now that he knew she was fine. "I've got to be up by 7, so it's just an early wake-up call," he chuckled. "Why the call?"

"It's a long story, and I'm drunk," she told him shutting her eyes. "It started out with this scumbag hitting on me at the club, and it snowballed from there," she yawned. He won't lie, he felt jealous that someone had hit on her and a little annoyed he wasn't there to stop it.

"I see," he said, willing himself to relax after that news.

"You shouldn't worry as you are far better looking than he could ever dream to be. Did you know that you are like ridiculously hot?" She asked him. "And you smell delicious?"

"I didn't know that I smelt delicious," he chuckled. "The hot part I may have had a feeling," he smiled into the phone. "The hotness level goes both ways here, Onyx." He doubted that she would remember this conversation when she finally fell asleep and woke up.

"Damn straight it does," she snorted, making him laugh deeper.

"Why are you drunk?" He asked, promptly changing the topic. He had a feeling that she said more than she ever would admit to while being sober. Best to leave it at that.

"Marley got promoted to head chef, we had to celebrate," she easily commented. "Get some sleep Clint," she more so demanded. He held his chuckle in at her demand. He could easily use a few more hours of sleep.

"You should sleep, Onyx. Don't forget to drink water before falling asleep," he told her, wanting her to feel somewhat normal when she woke up in a few hours and not like she was dying.

"Got it, night or morning," she yawned into the phone. He chuckled, ending the call and putting his phone on silent looking to make sure that his nephew was still sleeping.

It took Clint very few seconds to fall back asleep.

He had one final breakfast with his family. Here shared plenty of hugs with his niece and nephew, made promises to visit them again soon. They promised unbeknownst to their parents that they would come visit him too.

Saying his byes was never easy, not when dealing with family. He, however, couldn't wait to return home. He had a day planned with his friends who were also business partners of his. Not to mention how anxious he is to see Onyx and see how it will be between them after what she said drunk. He would tell her what she said if she asked her wouldn't lie. He would say it in a way that wouldn't embarrass her further, if he could.

'I hope your feeling okay today.' He sent her the second he got home. Adding, 'You up to hanging out tmrw? I would see about today, but I'm sure you'll be sleeping most the day.' He would be sleeping the next few hours, now that he was home and no one is around to bother him.

'I'll see you tmrw. Madhatters tea house and cafe? I feel like shit. You've won a prize, as I've slept most of the day. Pick any prize. What the hell did I say to you?' He was watching TV when he saw his phone light up on the coffee table, making no noise as he had forgotten to turn the volume on.

'I'll get back to you about that prize. I'll be at your place at 9, and we'll go from there.' He commented. Thinking of the best way to put into words what she said. It was something he needed to do in person and not over a text message. Instead of telling the embarrassing things he stuck to the better option. 'You told me sorry, and a scumbag hit on you. And you proceeded to tell me to sleep. Did you drink the water like I told you?'

'Uh no.' He didn't think she would've drank the water. As she did sound pretty out of it when they talked. 'I think I should have though. I'll be here tmrw, hopefully awake and ready. If not wake me.'

'Shame on you. Deal.' He replied, hearing the knock at his door, seeing his friends on the other side didn't surprise him, as Mrs. McDevitt liked letting his friends in when she was in the lobby. 'I've suddenly got company. Talk later?'

'I need food anyway. Enjoy your company. I'll be around as I really don't want to leave.'

Reading her message he opened his door to let his friends in, while stuffing his phone into his pocket.

"You'll never believe what happened the other night." He had to admit he was curious as to what happened. Going as far as to ask what.

He laughed as his friends told him the story of the night from beginning to end. Made him wish he had been there to witness it in person. "Are you going to hit on a woman again?" Clint teasingly asked.

"I won't lie, it scarred me a little. It might be a few days before I put the moves on a chick."