It was already dark out by the time Daniel made his way home with Lucky beside him. He had spent the previous night and the entire second day of his spring break with Chris, and they'd had so much fun, he didn't want it to end. Claire called the house several times of course, begging for him to come home, but Charles insisted their time together was important for the two boys. After the fifth call that day, however, it was apparent Daniel could only avoid the Reynolds for so long. He hated leaving Chris behind for what felt like the second time. It reminded him of being on the road, constantly dodging cops with Sean. For better or worse, it was time to give himself up. Again. Man, I hate this.

As he plodded back toward the familiar red house—without a doubt the nicest-looking one on the block—he thought back on everything that had happened that day. Charles took them to see a rather odd movie called A Wrinkle In Time, which they both loved. Charles, not so much. During some of the more intense scenes, Daniel had felt Chris taking hold of his hand under the arm rest, and there were many moments like that scattered throughout the day. It was nice, but he'd gotten the sense there was more going on with his friend than just a brotherly vibe. Does he...like me? Do I like him like that? the boy wondered. Daniel wasn't so sure. They'd fallen asleep cuddling the previous night. It was something he missed with Sean, and they both seemed to need it. Yet with Chris acting as close as he did, he began to worry how things would go for them both in the next school year if his friend came out. Or if things between them escalated. Chris would be back to attend Beaver Creek Junior High in the fall, after all. Guess I'll have to protect us no matter what, Daniel thought with a sense of pride.

He walked on past the eerie, misshapen fence that separated the Reynolds' property from the Eriksen's. Looking toward the front porch, he noticed the light was on, but the doorway he'd since destroyed had been boarded over. His heart sunk at the sight. Damn. They probably have to use the back door now because of me. And they're old, Stephen probably can't do that much walking after the cabinet fell on him. How can I even face them after wrecking their house? He tried to think about where the situation might go. Would Claire call the feds and have him sent away? No. She didn't do that before. He'd be grounded, definitely. But from what? Living with them already felt like too much of prison, thanks mostly to federal restrictions. He still wasn't allowed to explore the town on his own. He didn't really have electronics. They could stop him from seeing his new friends, but he already didn't get to hang with them much anyway.

"What are we gonna do, Lucky?" he stopped, kneeling down to pet her. "I can't go in there after breaking their door." She gazed at him with those wide, sad, puppydog eyes. "Don't look at me like that," he sighed. "I know, you want your real food back. But think about what it's gonna do to me for a change." She whined and hopped up to lick his face, and he laughed. "No!" he giggled. "I'm not ready yet, girl. And what if they take you away from me, huh? I can't lose you. You're my best friend. Well...other than Chris. Wish you could've met Mushroom, too. You guys would've loved playing together."

Daniel hugged his dog and looked up at the night sky, with all its many stars hooked in their places. The countryside and mountain areas were always the best to see them. It reminded him of those nights out on the lake down in Humboldt, when he'd often sneak out of the tent alone. Back in Away where it was clearer than ever, he'd done it all the time. It made him feel at peace to think of his dad looking down on him with Mushroom, and helped in refocusing his anger a bit. Just then, a tiny white streak darted over the far horizon. Oh my god, shooting star! Make a wish, make a wish quick! He closed his eyes.

"Please let me Sean again, please, please, please!" he prayed, leaping up to his feet, "Awoooo! Awooo!" he howled. Lucky barked and howled too. "Awooo! Come back Sean!" he yelled. "Awooo! Ow, ow, owooooo!" Daniel laughed and pet his friend. "Good girl, Lucky! Wolf Brothers and Wolf Sister. Haha!" He smiled triumphantly as the magic of it all seemed to surround them. It felt electric, as if the winds of change were upon him. Superpowers or not, he felt in that moment that he could do anything. "Whew...I feel a little better now," he sighed, crossing over into the Reynolds' yard. But for whatever reason, hope dwindled fast, and the aura of dread remained over him like a dark cloud that only seemed to get bigger the closer they got to the house. "Ugh. I don't know, girl. Let's just stay in the shed for a little, okay? I just need to think about what I'm gonna say to Claire."

Daniel snuck through the shadows over to the tiny structure. Stephen kept it locked at all times, but there was a spare key attached at the back. At least I won't have to destroy anything else, he thought. He kept a close eye on the glass double doors at the back of the house before moving around to the front of the shed, staying alert for any sign of Claire in the living room or kitchen. It was around 9pm. Everything looked quiet. The only light came from their bedroom window on the second floor. A sudden flash of blue from the living made him stop in his tracks. Calm down, Daniel. They're probably just watching their Antiques Roadshow. After cautiously working his way around the front, he unlocked the doors and slipped inside with Lucky. Numerous old girls' toys his mother had owned were scattered about, along with an array of gardening tools, shovels, spades, and the lawn mower. It smelled like a mixture of fresh grass, pine, and a hint of gasoline. Lucky yapped and tried escaping out the door, but the boy held her tight in his arms.

"Sorry. Just give me a minute, okay?"

And so the young wolf sat hunched over, catching whatever breath he could from the spring's night air. He remembered one time when he and Sean had slept in a place like this. Strangers in a strange land—well, more like strangers in some stranger's back yard. He didn't miss that part of it. Their backs had hurt terribly the next morning from the hardwood flooring, and they'd had to dash across several back streets when the people who lived there almost caught them. The next town over, they'd slept in someone's garage, until Sean found them some crappy work in the afternoon. He still hated his brother for all of it—not that it was his fault. Daniel felt himself feeling tired, which was odd. He hadn't gone to sleep so early since his days on the road. Maybe it was the memories bringing that out.

All of a sudden, a sliver of white light broke through the slightly open door.

"Oh shit, shit!" Daniel gasped, snapping to attention. The door moved aside him. Lucky growled as a dark figure towered over them in the doorway.

"Quien eres!" A voice demanded in Spanish.

"What? What's going on?!" the boy panicked. He suddenly felt warmer, and the night air, colder. An extra piece of clothing was draped over his body that shouldn't have been there. He looked down, and his hand brushed over a scratchy piece of worn, blue and red screen print. I'm wearing Sean's hoodie. What the hell is happening? Without thinking, he raised his hand toward the malevolent force, catapulting the dark figure backward into the shadows from whence it came. The light in his eyes immediately disappeared, then came back.

"Daniel?" A voice called. "Daniel, wake up!"

"Huh?" He opened his eyes. Stephen was hovering over him with a flashlight.

"What the devil are you doing out here? Are you all right, young man?"

"Oh Grandpa, I'm so sorry!" the boy cowered. "I didn't mean to wreck your door! I know I was supposed to be back, but-"

"Now calm down, I'm not here to yell at you," the man assured him. "But it's already 10:30 and the Eriksens said you left. We were just getting worried. You okay?"

"I don't know," Daniel sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest. "I just...feel really bad for what happened. I was afraid to go back inside. That's all."

"You mind if I have a seat and we can talk?"

"Sure."

The boy scooted over as Stephen entered the shed and crouched down to sit beside him. His grandfather set the flashlight down, pointing upwards on a shelf so there was just enough light for them to see each other in the dark. Lucky stepped over their legs and lay down between them in the quiet.

"You know, Daniel...Claire and I, we had some really long talks before you came back into our lives. We knew that having you live with us came with certain...challenges. Not just because of what you can do, but because at our age, raising a kid is, well...tough," he cleared his throat. "As for me, I never admitted this to her, but. I always did want a son, you know? I think secretly, all fathers do. I suppose it seems silly to hear an old man like me say that, especially since you did have one hell of a good dad, God rest his soul. And maybe it's a little selfish of me too, but. I was excited when we got the news you were safe. I wanted you back with us."

"I don't think it's selfish at all," Daniel said. "You're really cool, Grandpa. I always did want to stay with you guys."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Still...your brother didn't, and we couldn't stop him. Not that it was safe at the time for you boys anyway. I know Sean had a lot of his own concerns. After you both left and I recovered, I spent a lot of days holed up in my office. Heh, I missed the hell out of you guys! It broke my heart to see you go. All I could do was hope to God you were safe. I prayed quite a bit, and even Claire could tell you, I'm not the praying sort," he chuckled as Daniel listened intently. "Then, after some time...I got a letter in the mail with no return address. I still keep it on me to read it from time to time." Stephen dug in his right pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, the edges worn from having been crumpled. "You deserve to see this."

Daniel unfolded it and sat across from him for more light to read it aloud.

"'February 12th, 2017. Hey Stephen.' It's from Sean!" He looked up excitedly, but his grandfather urged him to continue. "'Please don't let Claire read this, because we both know how she is. I just wanted to let you know that Daniel and I are doing fine. We found some work out in California. It's a steady gig for now, and we're able to save up on cash. That's all I can tell you. I can't thank you enough for what you and Claire did for us, even if we didn't leave on the best terms. I'm sorry for breaking the rules. But I know our time in Beaver Creek meant a lot to Daniel. That's why I'm writing you.

Visiting you guys made me realize something I can't stop thinking about. My brother deserves a good home, Stephen. Right now, that's not something I can give him. Maybe when we're older, but by then, it'll be too late. He's just a kid. He needs a house and a family. Not some shack, tent, back alley, or cave,'" Daniel choked up as he read. "'And going to Puerto Lobos is dangerous. If the cops find me, they'll put him in foster care, and that'd be worse for a lot of reasons, the biggest of which you probably already know. That's why it's so important he ends up with you if anything happens to me. So first, I want to set the record straight about Seattle.

I didn't admit it to you before, but I should have. You were right. He has these telekinetic powers I can't explain, and they grow stronger by the day. It all started after that cop shot our dad. Daniel screamed, and something just...happened. I blacked out and when I woke up, the whole street was a mess. That's why I ran. I was scared, and I get more scared with every day that this will catch up to me. But Daniel can't be blamed for my actions, or for the death of that officer. Ever. He just can't. It was a freak accident. We didn't realize he could do all these things back then, so his innocence MUST be protected. Always.

Deep down, I know he doesn't want to come with me to Puerto Lobos. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he left me at the border, if we make it that far. I can make a lot of choices in his best interests between now and then, but I can't force him to keep running if he decides otherwise. It's just not fair to him, and I've done enough damage already. So considering what he can do, if he ever does end up with you...I beg you to always be as patient with him as I have. His powers can be a force for good in so many ways, but they can also cause a lot of destruction if he's not careful. At the end of the day, no matter what happens...try to remember he's still just a kid. Not a monster. That label belongs to me. Love always, Sean Diaz."

"He knew," Daniel sniffed, crumpling the note in his hands. "He knew I'd leave him the whole time!"

"That's not really the point of why I showed you that," Stephen said, taking the letter back to refold it. "But I think he did get the sense that you'd be much happier here, and he was ready to accept that if you decided to part ways. He just wanted at least one of us to understand what we were getting ourselves into if we took you in. That way...we'd be prepared for these things."

"So you're not angry at me?"

"Never," his grandfather assured him. "But like any growing boy, you know, we just have to take it one day at a time. I know Claire can be tough, but she means well. I spoke with her when I got home and was able to calm her down. It's a learning process for us, too. Just don't forget how much we love you, and we're not going to treat you any different, okay?" Daniel leaned forward to hug him, and they embraced each other.

"I'm sorry. I love you, Grandpa."

"I love you too, kiddo," the man pat his back. "Don't you worry. Things are going to be just fine. Maybe you could help me out with some yard work and we'll call it even for that door and the TV, huh? Mowing this huge lawn is getting to be a little rough at my age."

"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "That sounds fair. Hey Grandpa?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Sean's really a monster, like he said?"

"No," the man shook his head. "I think he just did the best he could, given the situation. I know he felt bad for dragging you along, even if it was to protect you. He didn't want you to hate him for it. But he knew that you were growing up fast, and eventually, you'd have to make your own choice."

"I guess...do you think I made the right one?"

"Only you can answer that," Stephen replied.

"Hmm," Daniel thought for a moment, "I think I did. Just miss him a lot. I hope I get to see him again."

"I have no doubt you will," the man patted his knee.

"What about Sean? Did he make the right choice?"

"I think in the end, we all have to make the choices that are best for ourselves, Daniel. He made so many of his choices for you. You made a lot of yours for him. Now, you each have to decide what's right for yourselves. Come to think of it...that's probably the most valuable lesson your mother ever taught me when she left."

"Whoa," Daniel breathed. He didn't think they'd be finding such common ground, considering their age gap. In some ways, it made him feel much more confident with his decision than he'd ever been in the months since his return. "Do you ever miss Mom like I miss Sean?"

"Every single day," Stephen said without hesitation.

"Aw. I saw her looking at your pictures the night before we left. I know she misses you too."

"Th...Thank you, Daniel," the man nodded and sniffed. "Thank you. Hearing that means more to me than you know. Well," he sighed, rising to his feet, "we should probably get back inside before the Wicked Witch of the West comes down on us."

"Grandpa!" the boy laughed along with him as they exited the shed with Lucky trailing behind them.

For the first time in a long time, Daniel Diaz finally felt at home again with the Reynolds. As they gathered around the coffee table together to play board games and shared stories from their lives about their many travels and experiences, he continued wondering how his mother and Sean were doing. He hoped his wish would come true.

And he hoped that wherever 'El Lobo' was now, that he was okay too.