Hey Readers!

Yeah, I know that last chapter was interesting, and that I didn't add my usually post-chapter note like I usually do. I just figured that there's always the silence after a battle, and that was my way of showing that.

Anyway, here's the next chapter, which focuses on the aftermath of the battle, and sees two characters finally confronting their fears, and each other. Enjoy!

Also, there is one f-word, so be warned.

Apologies:

Sam POV:

"Memory Constructs," Hal was saying. "I know that some Lanterns are able to create realistic constructs of people, places and things that happened in the past, based purely on memory."

"The confusing part," John interjected, "is how he was able to create those constructs without knowing who they were. They were all dead, and Sam had never met an alien before coming to Oa. Even if he had somehow saw a picture of them..." The teen heard them turn towards his general direction, but he kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. "It should be impossible."

"Do you think he knows what happened," Guy asked. "We could ask him when he wakes up."

"Best not rush him," Stewart suggested. "That took a lot of energy from him; it's a miracle he didn't die."

"I think we all need some rest," Hal suggested. "I'll take the first watch tonight." There were murmurs of assent as the other Lanterns left the room, and the teen heard Hal settle in a nearby chair, waiting.

Sam had woken up hours ago, but he simply lay in bed, pretending to be asleep, for two reasons. One, he really was tired; he probably might drift back to sleep soon. Two, because he wasn't ready for what happens next. The only problem was… he didn't know what came next; was he going back to Oa, and if so, would he get into trouble for what he did? He was pretty sure blowing up a training field and running away, leading for a group of Lanterns and Rookies to leave their posts and come rescue him, nearly dying in the process. The teen had never met the Guardians, but heard that they could either be understanding or merciless; with his luck, he wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

So it was with these thoughts that he fell into a troubled sleep, but fortunately had no nightmares.

..

Apparently, Batman had a bunch of safe houses around the world in case of an emergency. Well, house probably wasn't the right word; it was about three stories tall, had eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, and was in a secluded area of woods in Ohio. Sam had no idea who Batman was in real life, but he must be rich; like, Bruce Wayne rich.

Apparently, even if he were able to stay on Earth, things wouldn't be the same. First, there was his mom; since most of the students at the high school knew that he was a Green Lantern, she had to relocate to another city in another state so she wouldn't be harassed. That meant that Texas would no longer be their home, but at least she didn't have to change her identity, and she would be able to get a better job with more manageable hours, a nicer house, and not have to deal with their crappy neighbors.

The second problem was Sam himself. Apparently, the State of Texas and the U.S. Government had a fit when they learned that a 15-year-old had effectively been drafted into an intergalactic army, and still had to go back for training and assignment. Hal and John Stewart had to go to Congress and basically explain that Earth laws didn't really hold up in the rest of the universe, and that Sam had little choice in the matter. Because of this, the government conceded, but insisted that the boy continue to be in contact with his mother and the Justice League at all times.

The only bright side of this period of transition were the Rookies; they had all survived their first battle, and, after everything Sam had told them of Earth, were excited to finally be on the planet. Unfortunately, they were having trouble keeping a low profile, so Guy volunteered to look after them, introducing them to television, which was either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. At least they stayed inside, and somehow managed to watch the first four seasons of The Office in three days. Pzanar, upon learning that there were other Harry Potter books besides the first one, read them all, determined to bring the copies back to his planet to share with his friends. The Twins both discovered a radio, and constantly sat by it, listening to every type of music imaginable. Uhjan, meanwhile, found out about the internet, and started searching for anything that came to his mind, memorizing whole texts of information. It was kind of funny, watching them act that way, but deep down, Sam knew that it wouldn't last; eventually, they would all have to leave Earth forever.

His mom could tell that it was tough on him, and he could tell that her life wasn't a walk in the park as well. Every night, they sat in his room, just… talking. Talking about their old life. Talking about their time apart this past summer. And talking about the future. His mom had, by this point, accepted that he would not be a major part of her life from now on; he could tell she was not thrilled by this, but, for his sake, was putting on a brave face. It only reminded him of how awesome his mom was, and how little he would see her after this. That's why, whenever they talked, he would simply hold her hand, reminding her that he loved her. She held it back, reminding him that he would always be her son, and that while this day had to happen eventually, she would still miss him. At least Sam knew that the Justice League would take care of her; they'd offered her a monthly stipend since he was technically a hero, and she said yes after he convinced her that she deserved to be happy. Diana would also be checking up on her, making sure she was okay.

But, most days, Sam sat in his room, either on his phone, sleeping, or staring at the ring on his finger; they'd stopped taking turns looking after him once he'd healed enough to be on his own. Again, he wondered why, out of the trillions of beings in the universe, the ring chose him; he even tried verbally asking it, hoping it might answer. However, it never did; it just sat there, ready to be used. So that was what he did during the day while everyone else was either fighting a different kind of battle over him, or downstairs enjoying Earth; he sat in his room, simply waiting for something to happen.

Kilowog POV:
It had now been four days since the attack on the school, and Kilowog realized it was the longest he'd ever been on Earth before. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he decided not to say anything about it, since his needs were the least of anyone's concern.

Of course, after what happened at the high school (that green vortex was visible from space), Hal had to go explain to the world governments why a teenager was selected to be a Green Lantern as everyone else made sure that the Red and Yellow Lanterns didn't come back. Whatever Sam did to them, it must've been enough to keep them from coming back anytime soon, and that was fine with everyone. In fact, it was harder to convince the Earth governments to allow Sam to go back to Oa, since they said he was a minor and therefore couldn't be drafted.

Funny, humans still think they're special and that their laws worked everywhere in the universe.

For their own safety, the McDormands were moved from their small Texas home to one of the many safe houses Batman had around the country. It was in someplace called Ohio, which was was far away from where the small family used to live, but it was only temporary until everything was settled. For instance, Mrs. McDormand needed a safe place to live where she wouldn't be harassed or targeted because of her son, and Sam needed a place to rest before going back to Oa.

The other Rookies survived their first battle, though the twins were in a 12-hour coma before waking up. When they were up, however, it was almost chaos keeping them and the others from going into the nearby town to explore Earth details; apparently Sam had told them all about the good stuff that the planet had to offer, and it took the trainer threatening them with permanent assignment on Oa if they wouldn't stay inside. They still watched TV, though, absorbing everything they came into contact with. The only Rookie not to participate was Sam, who'd woken up a few hours after passing out, but kept mainly to himself or spent time with his mother, who knew by now that all she could do was hope that her son would come back to her someday.

Kilowog could tell that Sam wasn't ready for what would come next; sure, he saved the day, showing that he could hold his own in a battle, but he was still a kid. And a smart one that knew that he would soon get assigned somewhere in the universe, probably not seeing home again for a long time. It was difficult for Hal and the other humans when they first started, but it would probably be worse for the kid.

The alien knew he still had to apologize to Sam, but had no idea where to start. It was just… awkward; they both were technically under the influence of Elantra, but she merely guided their actions, not controlled them, so they both knew they were still responsible. He'd never had to worry about apologizing before, but now that he did, he was almost afraid, but of what? The worst that happened was that the kid wouldn't forgive him, and what could he do but move on after that?

"The longer you put it off, the worse it's gonna get," Hal told him the afternoon of the fourth day.

"Put off what," the officer asked.

"Apologizing."

"Are you suggestin' I'm scared of apolagizin' ta Sam," the Bolovaxian asked a little too harshly.

"No," his friend told him calmly. "But I'm telling you that Sam probably is waiting for you to come to him."

"Even thought he technically started it?" Hal gave him a patronizing look, and Kilowog shook his head. "Fine! I… I'll apologize. Today."

"Good; it'll do you both good."

"Wait," the alien asked as the lantern made to leave the room, knowing that he needed some advice from someone of the same species as the kid. "What… what should I say? How do I start?"

The human shrugged. "Just… be honest with him, and know that he feels guilty too."

"Why would he have ta feel guilty?"

"You'd be amazed at how much a human can blame themselves; especially at his age," Hal replied, leaving the room, and leaving the alien deep in thought.

..

Later that night, while Guy was watching some sort of Hairy Putter movie with the Rookies, Kilowog finally walked to the room at the end of the hall, hesitated, and knocked on the door, careful not to break it (doors on Earth were pretty flimsy). There was no answer.

"Uh… Sam," Kilowog said, knocking again. "Look, I get that ya probably don't wanna talk ta me right now, but I gotta tell ya somethin'... Sam? Sam?" Was the kid even in the room? Careful not to destroy the door handle, he slowly opened the door, looking into the room.

The room looked like most of the rooms in the house; spacious, and without a bunch of extra furniture. A bed sat nearby, along with a desk and dresser. He found Sam sitting on one of those bench seats underneath the window, the setting sun through the window giving his sepia skin an almost unnatural glow.. The combat officer noticed that the teen was wearing civilian clothes, despite the power ring on his finger; probably enjoying them before having to wear a uniform for the rest of his life. He was huddled with his feet up on the seat, staring out the window with some sort of green construct covering his ears, which probably explained why the kid didn't hear him.

Ducking through the doorway, Kilowog approached the teen, wondering what the things over his ears were. Whatever it was, the kid was so focused on staring out the window, he didn't notice the training officer approach. Knowing that he'd probably be in for a punch in the jaw if he was too sudden, he created a shield construct before speaking up, hoping the kid could hear him. "Sam?"
The teen freaked out, whirling around and shooting a beam of green light at the Lantern, who blocked it with his shield. The boy's scared look was quickly replaced with an angry one upon seeing who it was.

"Do you make it a point to sneak up on people, Sir," he asked, the construct vanishing from his head.

"Not my fault you didn't hear me when I knocked," the pink alien replied, his shield construct vanishing..

Sam rolled his eyes a little at that. "That doesn't automatically mean you can just barge into someone's room. Especially for someone who's apparently powerful enough to take out two rival Corp groups at once." He picked up a small black device that was sitting next to him, the alien vaguely recalling that it was a human communication device, and the teen pressed something on the screen before turning back to him. "Now what do you want?"

"Elantra's been taken care of," the Bolovaxian told the boy. "We're keeping her under guard at the Justice League Tower, and she will be brought back to Oa to face trial for her crimes. Manhunter was able to isolate the part of her brain that allowed her to read and control others, and removed it."

"So she's just a regular alien now?"

"If regular means not bein' able ta mess with our heads, then yes."

"Good," Sam said firmly. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"No."

"Then what is it; I'm busy."

"Moping around your room every day is busy," Kilowog asked.

"I'm not moping," the teen said annoyedly.

"Well, for someone who's been home for nearly a week, ya think you'd be out there enjoyin' your time left here before ya leave," he replied, hesitating before continuing. "I get that you're scared-"

"I never said that!"

"Ya didn't have ta; I've been around for a while… I can tell."

"Really," Sam replied sarcastically. "Then, Sir, tell me what I'm so scared of? Hmm? Going back to Oa? Never seeing my mom again? Scared of fighting another battle again?"

"Take your pick," the Bolovaxian told him grimly. "Ya covered it pretty well."

"So I can't be scared now?"

"Ya can, but you're not supposed ta let it keep ya from doin' your job."

"That's right! I have a sworn duty to protect the entire universe now, literally unable to stop until I die! All because I got chosen by a fucking ring," he snapped, holding up his hand and displaying the green ring. "Thanks for reminding me that I've been robbed of the rest of my life, Sir! I didn't choose for this to happen to me; I didn't choose to-"

"None of us chose ta become a Green Lantern," the pink alien interrupted, trying his best not to let his temper get the better of him. "I certainly didn't! Did ya think I wanted ta leave my planet; my family and friends, barely seein' them again? On my planet, bein' chosen as a Green Lantern was the equivalent of bein' exiled; we lived with a communal mind, striving for peace and the good of everyone, and I couldn't be there to add my help or accept it from others! Ya can't even comprehend how hard it was for me, unable ta see my home for over a year at a time! Then, I failed ta save them all from dyin' and you have the nerve ta sit there and complain about your life?!"

He'd ended up yelling at the teen, who simply sat there in shock, silent as the words probably shut him up. The alien struggled to calm himself down, but he eventually did. "So," Kilowog continued, a lot calmer than he was seconds earlier, "don't sit there and think that you're special in that regard. And don't assume I don't know what I'm talkin' about, 'cause I do."

Silence followed this statement, and the two of them simply sat there for several moments, seemingly unsure of how to continue. Kilowog didn't know apologizing would be this hard, and wondered if he would even be able to do so, given the kid's stubbornness. He even wondered if the teen would even forgive him, or apologize himself. Then, Sam did something that surprised the Bolovaxian: he calmed down as well, his angry expression disappearing. "I… I'm sorry, Sir," he eventually said, looking humiliated and almost defeated, avoiding the alien's eyes. "I… I shouldn't have snapped at you."

The combat officer was so surprised by the sudden change in behavior, he nearly lost his train of thought, but fortunately found it again. "Uh… it's nothing. And you don't have to call me Sir right now; Kilowog'll be fine."

"Sorry," the teen replied, looking down at the power ring on his finger. "But… I do know why you're here."

"Really?"

The teen nodded. "You're gonna ask about how I did what I did during the battle; I heard Hal and the others talking about it the first couple nights, and I assume you discussed it with them."

"I did," the alien admitted. "But that's not-

"I… I don't know what I did," Sam interrupted, still preoccupied with the memory constructs. "I just… I don't know!"

"Even if ya don't know how ya did it, what ya did was take down two groups of highly-powered individuals all by yourself; they're not comin' after ya anytime soon after that ass-kickin' ya gave them!" He tried to add some humor to the conversation, but it didn't work as the teen didn't laugh or smile.

"But I didn't do it alone," Sam told him, a thoughtful look on his face. "Swet'llanga… all the other past Lanterns… they did all the work. I just-"

"-Somehow figured out how to bring them out of your ring without ever meeting them or knowing a thing about them," the alien told him. "They didn't come back from the dead just to help ya!"

"I know," he replied, still looking down at his feet. "I… I was just caught up in the moment of the battle; I didn't know if it would actually work!"

"But it did."

"What if it didn't," the teen snapped, looking up at him with an angry expression; it was starting to scare Kilowog how quickly the teen was able to change emotions at the drop of a hat. "What if I sat there, trying to do something, and nothing happened? We'd all be dead, probably! The only time I actually do something that's powerful enough to make a difference, and I don't even know what I did!" The boy hit the wall behind him, wincing at the pain as he started to use his ring to repair the damage to his hand.

Kilowog understood how he felt; when Elantra had revealed how she'd messed with his mind to turn him against Sam, he felt sick. Not just because of what she had done, but because of how easily he'd let himself be manipulated; he was stronger than that, and it was humiliating to be played in that manner. However, he knew that right now, this was about Sam, not him; the kid was clearly more scared of going back than he'd ever been.

Just be honest with him, Hal's voice rang in his head, helping the alien straighten out his thoughts. Keeping that in mind, he decided to heed his friend's advice. And, knowing he had to start somewhere, he started at the beginning.

"My planet, Bolovax Vik, was one of the most crowded in the universe," he said, preparing himself to tell his story again, which was something he'd only done to a few other individuals in his entire life. "Over sixteen billion lifes on it, and we all shared what ya might call a communal mind; we all shared the same goal of peace, and everyone did their part ta achieve said goal. It truly was paradise, for me." He sensed Sam freeze at the mention of his planet, but he continued to talk, knowing if he stopped now, he would never tell the whole story.

"I was a genetic scientist when my ring's previous owner, Branwilla, died; our planet had a history of giving Green Lanterns, the same ring passing on from one ta the next. I was chosen ta be the next Green Lantern, but it meant leaving my family and friends behind; on my planet, it was like being sent into exile, since I would be separated from them, unable to share with one another. I didn't want ta go, at first, but knew that I had a duty ta protect not just my world, but every world, whether I liked it or not. So I left, leaving my wife and kids behind, as well as the only life I ever knew… it was the hardest thing I've ever done. My… my old trainer used ta even make me create an occasional memory construct of my family since I missed them so much, but over time, I grew used ta the feeling.

"I was on my planet when it was destroyed; my ring protected me, but everyone else wasn't so lucky. Knowing that I had only seconds, I gathered all 16 billion of their life energies and put them in my ring." Sam looked up at that, shocked, to say the least. "I kept them there until I found a suitable planet for them before setting them free."

"Wait," the teen interrupted, looking surprised, "you just… stored 16 billion lives in your ring… just like that?"

"Yes."

"I-" The human shook his head, unable to process how or why that worked, and the alien could understand why; when Kilowog had told the other human lanterns, they'd said it sounded like something out of a comic book. Even the thought of a communal mind was foreign to them. "That must've been tough; but at least your people are alive somewhere, right?"

Kilowog looked down at that, knowing what was coming next. "Sinestro… destroyed that second planet… I couldn't save them that time."

Silence followed that statement, and the Bolovaxian tried again not to think about what it must've been like in those final moments for his family, friends, and his entire race before they were extinguished. Just blotted out of existence, as if they were never there. His two kids… never reaching adulthood… his wife… He could tell that the teen was trying to think of something to say, perhaps to offer his condolences, but failing miserably; he knew from experience that most people he told this story to had no words to express how they felt about his planet and people dying.

"When a ring chooses someone new," he continued, giving the boy time to think, "they chose someone who overcame or has the ability ta overcome fear; fear, as you remember, is the enemy of will, which is why the Yellow Lanterns are our greatest threat. My… my fear was never getting ta see my family or friends again if I ever had ta leave Bolovax Vik; I had a wife and kids… I would only get ta see them a few times a year if I left, and Bolovaxians stay together for life. But once I overcame that fear, I became the Lantern I am today. I still miss my family and species… more than I can evah say… but every day I'm out there making the universe a better place, the more I know that they're proud of me and what I'm doing. I am the last of my kind, but I will not let our memory die before I do."

Silence again, but this time, there was a sense of finality in the air, as if a great weight had been lifted off of the conversation. By now, the sun was setting over the valley outside, and was not as bright as it was earlier; the sky was starting to become that familiar black as a few stars appeared in the sky.

"I…" Sam finally spoke up, a lot quieter than he had been before the story, and still unable to look him in the eye. "I… I'm so sorry. I… I had no idea-"

"It's fine," the alien assured him. "You had no way of knowing, but you sure took me by surprise your first day on Oa."

"One of the other Rookies had mentioned… but I didn't… I'm sorry, Sir," the boy said, hugging his knees as he stared out at the view outside. "I… I really am." He sounded sorry, Kilowog could tell, and was probably about to start crying or something; he had no idea what he would do if he started crying, and gave an internal sigh of relief when the teen turned back to him, dry-eyed but somber. "I… You didn't come here to ask about how I did what I did."

"No," Kilowog agreed.

"You… you came to apologize."

"Yes."

Sam was silent for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression covering his face; Kilowog could tell that he was trying to figure out if this was a joke or another attack. Then, he swung his feet off the seat, turning around to face the Bolovaxian completely. "I… I need to say something too; before you apologize. I mean, if I got to hear your story…" He hesitated again, as if worried that the combat trainer wouldn't care to listen.

"I'll hear yours," the alien replied respectfully, figuring that this might be part of Sam's apology, and not wanting to go back to a shouting match; besides, it would give him time to figure out exactly how to apologize without making things worse. The teen gave him a quick look at the answer, but looked back down at the ring on his finger, nodding.

"I was a normal kid; I wasn't the best at sports or school, but I wasn't the worst. Just… average. But my dad… he told me that I was special… said that I could do anything that I put my mind to. And I believed him. He could always make you smile… just by being in the same room as you. It was his gift, you could say; making others feel as happy as he was, and he had a lot of happiness to go around. My mom and him and I… we were just one happy family. One that was quickly torn apart when someone got a little too drunk one night and hit him as he was on his way home from work. I was ten years old at the time.

"My dad… after he died… it was like… like the world stopped being a good place; now it was full of death and sadness and… it didn't have my dad in it. My mom was worse; she became distracted, lost her job, and was unable to find another one that could support both of us without him. We had his life insurance policy, but it only lasted a couple years, and most went to his funeral. It was as if the light in our lives had been snuffed out, leaving nothing but sorrow. It was during this time I listened to an old tape he'd given me for my birthday before he died, using his old music player. I'll never forget what he told me after I opened the present… He said that each song in the tad had a story; a reason for why he was so happy all the time. I asked for him to tell me plenty of times, and he said he would, when I was older… I never did find out why those songs made him happy…" This was the part where the pink alien expected him to start crying, but to his surprise, the boy managed to keep himself together, still not looking at anything in particular.

"After he died, I listened to that tape. Over and over again… searching for what it was about these eight songs that could make him so full of joy… so full of life. I wanted to be happy again, so I thought that, if I could find out why they made him happy… I would be, too. For over a year that I listened to it, finding nothing; I wanted to be happy again, and I wanted my dad's tape to help me. But then, one day… it hit me. In order for me to be happy again… I would have to move on. Move on from his death, move on from focusing on his absence, and move on from trying to solve a mystery I was never going to solve because he wouldn't be there to help. And I knew, in that moment, the longer I kept listening to that tape, remembering him and feeling sad that I couldn't be like him or that he wasn't here, the longer it would take for me to be happy again. If I wanted to be happy again… I had to let the music player, and his memories attached to it, go."

"And that was your fear," Kilowog spoke up in a soft voice. "Lettin' him go; movin' on… without him."

The teen nodded silently. "I put the tape and player in a safe place, only taking it out whenever I felt sad or needed to remember my dad. And… I moved on. I became normal and happy again, as did my mom, who found a couple jobs to support us, and over time, we adjusted to him no longer being there. But I still kept the player, knowing that while I would never figure out what the songs meant, it would always be there… a reminder of my silent promise to be happy like him… like he'd want me to be." He held up his hand with the ring, staring at the green power ring. "I happened to be listening to it the day the ring found me, and…" He looked back up at Kilowog, who could tell that the kid was close to cracking. "I wonder… I wonder if he'd still be happy for me… if he were alive to see how unhappy I've become."

Now Sam started crying, burying his head in his hands as he tried to muffle the sobs. The combat officer had seen many Lanterns break down crying, usually from exhaustion or stress, but this was different; this was the cry of someone who'd lost everything, and he remembered that feeling all too well. A long time ago, he was like Sam, knowing something that he cared about was gone forever, and he just wanted the sorrow and loneliness to stop. Now he knew why the music machine meant so much to him, and why the kid was so upset that it was gone; it was his Bolovax Vik. Well, he couldn't help his past self, but he would be damned if he didn't help the boy.

Kilowog didn't know why he did what he did, but he found himself getting up from his chair, kneel down on the ground next to the teen, still taller than him, and placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. Nothing bad or rough; just to let the boy know that he wasn't alone in his sorrow. He wasn't sure how Sam would react, but he only hoped that the teen didn't view it as a hostile act. The kid froze mid-cry at the sudden touch, but he didn't push it away or look up, but continued to grieve as the combat trainer sat there, waiting for him to calm down. Eventually, however, Sam's crying started to slow, and he wiped his eyes and sat up, and Kilowog removed his hand from his shoulder, waiting to see what he would say next.

"I… I'm sorry," the teen eventually said, not looking at the Bolovaxian, his eyes now red. "For everything. For the disrespect… and the snarky comments… and for attacking you earlier… and for flipping your tray… and your planet- I… I'm so sorry… I know Elantra messed with my mind, but that wasn't until later, and I hated you long before then, and I- … I'm just sorry." He hugged his arms, as if trying to physically keep himself from crying again.

"I know," the officer replied, trying to keep his voice even and gentle-sounding (which wasn't easy; loud and gruff was part of who he was). "And I forgive ya, but I… I need ta apolagize, too. I… lost my temper that first day, and held that hatred and anger at ya for months… even though I should've just let it go. I don't care if Elantra messed with my head; I shouldn't have been on your back like that since day one. I'm sorry for all that crap I put ya through, for messin' with your head and threatening ya and beatin' ya down, and… for not bein' the friend that Hal wanted me ta be for ya." After finally saying it out loud, Kilowog instantly felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now, they had both apologized, but now came the part that troubled him the most: seeing if Sam forgave him.

"You… you actually came to apologize," Sam asked, turning to face him, his eyes red and still teary. "This isn't some sort of trick or something?"

"Of course not," the alien replied. "I… No more tricks. I promise."

Sam didn't answer right away, but simply looked at him, no longer crying. Kilowog didn't know what to think; was he forgiven? Was the kid mad now? Did he even belive him? "So," Sam eventually said, interrupting the Bolovaxian's train of thought, "I guess… I guess we're both sorry for what we did."

" … Yeah," the alien agreed, nodding his head solemnly.

"And… I know that we both didn't mention Elantra… but I think that's good… we took responsibility for our actions without using her as an excuse." He looked up at Kilowog. "Thank you."

"Thank you," he replied, knowing that he was already forgiven before the boy said it out loud.

The kid nodded. "And I forgive you… for everything." They both fell silent for a few moments, thinking over what had just happened, knowing that their old feud had finally ended, and the unknown lay before them both. "Uh… Now what?"

"Now what," Kilowog repeated. It was a good question; they'd obviously apologized and forgiven one another. What came next? He'd been so focused on just making things right, he hadn't thought about what happened after that. "What do ya think happens next?"

"I mean, we're going back to Oa soon, finish training, and then… and…" He looked up at the Bolovaxian with a questioning look. "Are... are we friends now?"

Kilowog thought it over for a few moments, wondering the same question himself, but knowing that there was only one clear answer. "No," he finally said.

"Oh," the teen said, and the alien could sense the hurt in his voice. "I… Sorry… I thought-"

"We're not friends yet," he corrected the teen, cutting off the apology. "Friendships take time; I wasn't exactly the nicest guy to Hal when he first joined, so we had to get to know one another. Though I will say," he added, giving the boy a small smile, "I look forward ta bein' your friend."

Sam stared at him for a few seconds, as if wondering if it was some sort of trick or lie. Eventually, however, he smiled too, deciding that the compliment was genuine. "Okay, Sir."

"Kilowog," the alien corrected him, holding out his hand. "And you're Sam. Not Poozer."

"Now that's a welcome change I can live with," the teen replied, shaking his hand. "Uh… but may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"When do we have to go back to Oa?"

"Probably in the next day or so," the pink alien told him. "We need ta finish your training as well as the Rookies', and then ya need ta go before the Guardians for your final test."

"Okay."

The Bolovaxian held up his ring, making a simple clock construct. "It's 7:30 now. Are ya hungry?"

The teen nodded. "Kinda; I mean, it's dinnertime." He picked up the small communication device, checked it, then looked back at Kilowog. "According to a text, Hal left money for pizza."

"I've heard ya humans love that stuff. What is it?"

"It's really good; basically, it's a circular piece of flatbread with tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever other toppings you wanna add to it. They cut it into slices so you could share it with friends and stuff. Would you like-" He stopped talking, as if remembering that they weren't friends, and pizza was only reserved for friends. "I mean, you can eat something else if you want to-"

"I want ta try this pizza," Kilowog interrupted, smiling again. "Sounds good. Besides, if we're gonna become friends, we gotta start somewhere, don't we?"

Sam smiled; a real, happy smile that made him look completely different from the moping kid he'd seen earlier. "Fine. Then let's get some before Guy takes the money for himself."

Hal POV:

When Hal, Mrs. McDormand and the other Green Lanterns came home later that night, they weren't surprised by the scene in the living room.

The Rookies had fallen asleep on the couches and chairs, the TV still playing some movie as the aliens snored and, in Pznar's case, occasionally coughed. Guy, who'd stayed behind to look after them, was asleep as well, curled up by the coffee table and sleeping peacefully. They knew that the troublesome Lantern would keep the aliens occupied, and he had done his job well. However, this wasn't the strangest part of the scene (even though the twins apparently slept mid-air), as they walked towards the kitchen and froze, staring at the sight in front of them.

Kilowog and Sam were sitting at the kitchen table, talking. A pizza box lay nearby, its contents empty, but the two each had a glass of soda in front of them. However, a small green construct covered the middle of the table, seeming to be simulating a battlefield. The incoming group simply stared in shock, seeing the two of them sitting and having a civil conversation, and not upset with one another. They waited for one or both of them to notice them, but they seemed so engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice the group as they stood in the walkway, watching them.

"So this is where the Mexican Army was," Sam was saying, pointing to one side of the map, "and this is were the Texan Army came from and attacked them." He drew his finger along the map as tiny soldiers ran across it. "And that's how Texas won the war and claimed independence for itself."

"Impressive," Kilowog replied, the cup in front of him comically smaller than his hand. "And this… San Ja-sin-ta place is important?"

"San Jacinto," the teen corrected, the construct fading away. "And yes, it is pretty important; we even built a monument there." A small version of said monument appeared on the table. "It has an observation deck at the top where you can see for miles around."

"We had a similar tower back on Bolovak Vix," the alien told him, holding up his ring and creating a similar tower next to the boy's, minus the star at the top. "It was a science buildin'."

"How tall was it?"

"About… Ya measure height in stories, right?"

"Yeah… kinda."

"About 120 stories."

"Woah! That's more than… twice as tall as the monument!"

"Yeah, but your monument stands for somethin' important ta ya; ours was just one of hundreds of science buildings."

"That is true," the teen agreed, the two constructs fading away. "Now let's go back to the Alamo!" However, Hal cleared his throat at that moment, causing the two to look up in surprise at the group standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"How long have y'all been standing there," Sam asked.

"We just got in," Ch'p replied, floating next to the group. "So… I assume everything here went well?"

Sam and Kilowog exchanged a quick glance. "Yeah," the officer finally said. "Everything's bettah now."

"Yep," Sam agreed, smiling at the group, but it was a real smile, not a fake one.

"Sam," his mother said, probably noticing her son's change in behavior, "I need to talk to you for a second."

"Sure." He grabbed the pizza box, tossing it into the trash as he left the room. "See you all tomorrow!"

"Bye," Hal repeated as the teen followed his mom towards the upstairs. The Green Lantern turned back to Kilowog. "I believe he forgave you?"

"Yeah," Kilowog agreed, getting up from his chair. "And I forgave him."

"Glad to see you two are becoming good friends," John commented.

"Me too," the Bolovaxian replied. He walked over to Hal. "Thanks, by the way, for your advice and all that."

"No trouble," his friend replied. "Glad I could help. So… you two looked like best friends a minute ago."

"Yeah."

"Does this mean you're replacing me," the human joked.

Kilowog smile. "Ain't no one replacin' anyone," he replied. "Just… addin' a new friend is all."

And finally, they're friends! Don't worry, though; this isn't the last chapter.

I know, that this chapter was super long; one of the longest in this story, in fact, and didn't include a lot of action. But I knew that this apology deserved it's own time and place, and that it needed to be as long as it needed to be in order to be genuine. I hope it was worth it.

Feel free to follow or favorite this story or my profile to be updated on new chapters, and feel free to leave a review on this chapter or others if you want. And, as usual, have a safe and happy week/weekend!

-aggiefrogger

Note: I do NOT own The Office, Harry Potter, the Alamo, the San Jacinto Monument or Texas History in ANY way, shape or form!