"I don't think now is the right time to do this, not with Sean missing." Dylan announced the second he sat a foot inside the NCIS-building.
"I disagree." Chris stated before anybody else had the chance.
"Of course, you do."
"You and I don't get along Dylan, mending a few fences might be just what you brother needs to come back home."
"So you are blaming me for Sean running off?!"
"No! Of course not! Sean is a teenager; nobody knows what is going through his head. What I'm saying though is that it won't hurt if we get through this once and for all."
"Okay." Dylan sighed resigned. He and Evan had talked on the way home last night. Evan had kept quiet at first, letting Dylan start off the conversation…
-Flashback-
"Are you mad?"
"No, bud. I'm not."
"I did what I did because it seemed like the only way."
"I know."
"It felt good to slash Chris's tires, I knew it wasn't right, but it felt good. Him coming after us had caused Miles to lash out on us every way possible. I was angry and scared, so I did what they told me to do. As I said, I learned really fast that questioning them wasn't worth it."
"Chris's comment really bothered you if you've hold onto it this long."
"I blamed myself for getting separated from Donnie, I thought it was my fault. That our godfather Josh couldn't get custody of us haunted me as well for a long time."
"It wasn't anything you did or didn't do kiddo. I hope you know that now."
"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful every single day for having ended up with you and Nancy."
"We feel the same way Lion, you know we both love you and Sean as if you were our own flesh and blood." Dylan could only nod, trying to hold back tears. The emotional night had taken it's toll on him no matter how little he wanted to show it. "And if you ever want to, on your own terms, we don't expect it, but if you ever want to call us some form of Mom and Dad we'd be more than happy for you to do so."
"You really wouldn't mind?"
"Not the least buddy. In fact, we'd be honoured. It has to be because you want to though. I know you had biological parents that loved you very much and we'd never want you to feel like we are trying to take their place in your heart."
"I…I really think they are happy for us. They would have liked you. You and Dad are kind of similar."
"I take that as a compliment, from what I've heard he was a great person, both of your parents were."
"Thank you for taking us in. You changed our lives in so many ways."
"No thanks needed, the day after we had gotten you, we couldn't imagine life without you."
"Do you blame me for Sean taking off?" Dylan asked hesitantly a moment later.
"No! Don't even think that! Argument or not, Sean knows better than to take off. You are not responsible for his actions Dyl."
"Thankyou."
"Again, no need to thank me. I don't like what this situation has done to you buddy. You don't have to be scared or uncertain around me or Nanc. We are here for the long run. Trust us Lion."
"There are more times than Chris and King knows about."
"I had a feeling. Thanks for telling me though. I really appreciate you doing so." Evan's kind eyes met Dylan's and as the pair made it out of the car and up the walkway to the house Dylan grateful leaned into the arm that was thrown across his shoulders, thanking his lucky stars for the man walking next to him.
-Flashback ending-
"I'm sorry for slashing your tires, I'm not sure I ever apologized."
"Thank you for the apology." King leaned against his desk. "Something that has puzzled me for years is that Ryker ended up making a deal with us and you knew that, we even offered you a deal. Why didn't you take it?"
"I was scared that it was a trap at first. That if I plead guilty, I'd end up in Juvenile. When Ryker months later sent me a letter saying it had worked out for him, I was too proud and stubborn to reach out to you again. And before you think I was selfish I'd rather have had a bad deal with Miles than risk losing Sean forever."
"I wish you would have trusted us. It would have saved you a lot of pain."
"I didn't know it then. And I'm sorry…" Dylan blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry for misusing your trust."
"Why did you?"
"The same reason as everything else. When you told me all I had to do was give you one chance I was about to listen to you but I changed my mind in the last minute and chickened out. It wasn't meant to be a trap, I simply chickened out."
"So that's why there was such a lovely welcoming once we arrived?!" Chris asked sarcastically.
"Seth had seen me head that way and decided to come after me in case I would do something stupid. The others came looking for us once they realized we weren't were we were supposed to be so I panicked and told them I was setting up a trap for you guys."
"Didn't Seth know about your plan to tell us?"
"No. I told him I needed some space and once the rest of the gang showed up he bought the same excuse; that I had my own personal reasons for wanting to get back at Chris for making me wash his car. Somebody had left rotten fruit in the storage room, conveniently enough, which served as good enough proof of my plan."
"You are telling me they bought that crappy excuse?!" Chris stated unbelieving.
"I wasn't exactly singing your praises back then. Everybody knew the two of us hated each other, there wasn't a thought in anybody's mind that I would cooperate with you."
"I never hated you Dylan."
"I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing my real name coming from your lips."
"You could have used it to begin with and you might already have." Chris pointed out.
"There are still some things I don't understand Dylan; we were hard on you, but never mean, so why do you seem to remember it so differently?"
"I'm not sure what you want me to say."
"Why don't you start with my way of handling attitude?" Chris had steeled himself for whatever long forgotten memory of a badly handled situation the kid would bring out, so he felt like it was a good place to start.
-Flashback-
"You don't have any proof!"
"Sit your butt down."
"No!" Chris whirled the teen around to stare straight into his eyes.
"Excuse me?!" Dylan was angry, but not stupid so he turned his gaze down. "That's what I thought."
"You are a bully!" Dylan spat out as he was pushed non too gently into the chair in the middle of the squad room, His cuffed wrists getting cuffed to the chair.
"I'm nothing of that sort Black Eye"
"You picked me out of the street for no reason!"
"Don't pretend like you don't know why."
"I don't!"
"So this isn't your backpack then?!" Dylan blanched at the sight of his priced possession. His backpack that had been forgotten during their last job.
"Even if it is you can't prove it. Besides I threw mine away weeks ago, one of the shoulder straps was about to snap."
"Is that why we found it at our crime scene?!"
"I wasn't there!"
"Oh you weren't? Then where were you? Nobody at the group home saw you at the time."
"Mrs. Manning needs glasses. She wouldn't notice me if I stood in front of her."
"Enough with your excuses Black Eye."
"Why do you keep calling me that?!"
"Seems suitable enough for a criminal."
"You little…"
"Don't do anything you'll regret. And thankyou for the trap last week, you know I think the tomato juice has turned my hair red for good. Anyway, I'm through giving you chances. If I can pin this last break in on you, you'll end up in Juvie, mark my words."
"You can't!"
"Have you forgotten who the law is here? I can and I will."
"No!" Dylan trashed around on the chair trying to get to Chris but found himself stuck.
"You had a chance Black Eye but you blew it. And you should be happy I cuffed your handcuffs to the chair so you wouldn't try to punch me. Assault of an NCIS agent isn't something the judge would look too kindly at"
-Flashback-
"Was that your last altercation?" Evan wondered.
"Until a few days ago; yes."
"I'm trying hard not to judge you Agent Lasalle, but why did you feel the need to be so hard on my son?"
"Dylan had gotten about five chances at that point. Every single time he had given us attitude, refused to speak or otherwise tried to slow us down as much as possible. He had basically made it his mission to make our job as hard as he could. Bear in mind too that I had no idea who he was at the time or why he was part of the gang. All I saw was a scrawny teenager going down a path nobody should. It might seem like I was mean to him, but in truth, even though we batted heads, I had gotten too close to let him continue destroying his life." Chris paused to step closer to Dylan. "I was part of a gang in Alabama when I grew up. I know how fast it can escalate. I was lucky enough to get pulled out in time by our local sheriff. He took me home to my Pa who set me straight. Back then I didn't realize it and was far from happy about the whole situation. A few years later though I thanked the same sheriff for saving me after I watched my so-called friends from the gang get arrested and thrown in jail the same day as I graduated high-school."
"You're saying you did it out of concern?! But you hate me!"
"Once again, I don't hate you, I never have. I promised the Sheriff when I thanked him that I would pay it forward, you were me trying to do that. I tried talking to you calmly the first time, even the second time. When you still refused to talk or even listen, I knew I needed to be firmer to even have a chance at getting the gang out of your head."
"Chris saw himself in you." King explained. "He got frustrated because he saw who you could be if you wanted to. We had no idea why you continued going down that road."
"Really?"
"Really, kid."
"But why be so hard on me years later?"
"We had no idea what you were doing with your life. We couldn't risk Donnie."
"I'm sorry for all the harsh words. I wanted to tell you everything, but I was scared I'd lose Sean forever if I did."
"I get that now, and I'm sorry too, there were situations I could have handled differently. How about putting the past behind us and starting over?" Chris offered him his hand questioningly. Dylan looked shocked for a moment before shaking it with a relieved smile.
"Sounds good to me."
"Same goes for me Dylan. Now that we've talked through it, I'm comfortable letting the past stay in the past." Dylan and King shook hands as well. Dylan smiling big for the first time in days.
"You know Sean really likes you." Dylan told Chris.
"He is a great kid. So are you under that though façade."
"I really appreciate you looking for Sean."
"No worries, kid."
"No more Black Eye, huh?"
"I think we'd better find you a more suitable nickname" Chris reached out and ruffled the teens hair lightly. He had no idea how the teen would react, but he reminded him of Donnie in a way. Looking for attention in any way possible simply to be near them. "I can see why he calls you Lion with this mop of hair."
"It used to be longer."
"Don't tell me Sean cut it off while you were asleep."
"He wouldn't have dared." Dylan hesitated for a moment before continuing. "You know in a really weird way you and King were the only stable thing in my life those years."
"I had a feeling that was at least part of why you always acted up around us. We were your only outlet."
"I guess so."
"Your kid brother and my kid brother are best friends, you know, that means that you are stuck with me again."
"I don't think I'll mind it so much this time around."