Longest Novel: Fall of The Republic

by morgan kingsley

In 2020, a middle-aged author, living too deeply in the past, decides to write the story of what really happened to him and his friends when he was younger, and as it unfolds, a giant conspiracy starts to show itself. An AU of seasons 1-4 that take place in the United States. Crossover with several other series for one overall universe.

27. The Broadcast Station

Chapter 2 Episode 9: The Broadcast Station

July 15, 2022

T.K. published the next episode of his story, hoping that it could at least temporarily appease the publisher. When he was done, and feeling more and more tired than ever before, he was then looking at his nephew.

"When do you think that you can let me read the story that you have been writing? It seems like it would be a lot of fun to read." He said, and then T.K. sighed, feeling like whatever he was going to say was going to be making Matt angry at him. So he felt like he would just go with the safest answer.

"I don't think that your father would want me to show this stuff to you. And for once, I am actually inclined to agree with him. Doing so would be really dangerous for everybody involved. And besides, I feel like you are much too young for this." T.K. said, and then he was closing the computer for a second, not too sure what he was going to say.

Once he was starting to put his computer in his bag, he was starting to head off, and when he was out of his room, that was when Matt was standing there. Looking slightly impressed with what T.K. had done. Not expecting him to actually do the right thing for once.

"I'm actually impressed that you were able to tell him off, and keep him from the truth. Every day that he goes without knowing the truth is something that makes me feel better. I think that is the main reason I didn't want to talk to you anymore. Because I was scared you would show him the story." Matt said, and then T.K. slowly nodded, feeling like the reason was fair enough.

"I know when to do what the right thing. It might be hard to do so a lot of the time, but in all honesty, I was feeling like there was no fucking choice. I mean, when he is much older, then I feel like that might be different. But for now, I feel like I just need to leave things oblivious." T.K. said, and when he had said that, he was starting to go down the stairs a bit.

"I agree. There are some people that are just better off not fucking knowing what happened, and I am so fucking glad that you are seeing that truth after all this time. Maybe you really have changed over the last several years, and maybe I need to give you a honest chance." After Matt said this, T.K. nodded, and he was glad to be seeing his brother starting to show a level of forgiveness to him after all this time.

"So T.K., do you ever feel like you will actually get this whole thing done in your lifetime?" After he asked T.K. this, he was smiling for a few seconds. Thinking that for once, despite how bad it might have been, T.K. did have a minor chance to make this whole thing work out at the end of the day.

"I mean, I have to try at least. That is what everybody had told me. And I am going to make sure that I do just that. Try. Nothing more, nothing less." T.K. said, and then after he had said that, he was kind of unsure of what he was going to get out of this now.

"Okay, I guess that nothing else I can say will get you to change your mind. I am smart enough to know when you are dead set on something, and that there is no reason to make any changes." After Matt said this, T.K. finally got himself to the front entrance.

T.K. sat down on the main chair in the living room. As he was trying to think, Matt was having a different plan on what was going on in his mind. Something that he had felt like he needed to ask T.K., even if it was not what he had wanted to hear.

"What are you planning on doing now? Are you planning on being the hero? You know, checking the monsters out?" Matt asked, and then T.K. looked at Matt, wondering what he was talking about this whole time.

"You mean, there are some here? And you somehow don't expect me to look at this right now?" After he was saying this, that was when Matt instantly looked like he was regretting what he was saying. Wishing that if it had meant keeping T.K. safe, he would have never said this.

"Please don't do this. I mean, I can't lose you. No matter how much you may royally piss me off at times, and you really do, you are still my brother, and I need you to remain safe." After he said that, T.K. shook his head, not in the mood to hear this.

"Matt, I'm forty eight years old. I'm not a child anymore. I need to do whatever I can. The people in Wayside deserve that. I am going to write this next episode, but when I am done, I will check the monsters out here. I can even leave the minute you are done if you want. But I need this." T.K. said, not letting down at all, and making his point clear.

With that, Matt accepted there was nothing to fucking do, and accepted the fact that he was going to do whatever he wanted. So with this, Matt seemed to just drop the subject, and let T.K. do what he was feeling was right. Knowing that he was at least planning on keeping his kid out of it, which had to count for something.

….

November 26, 1986, Start

Sheldon sat down once again, and then as he was looking at his therapist, he was wondering what in the world he was going to even use as his starting point against her. What she would even be willing to listen to.

Therapist: So Sheldon, last time you were looking at all the mile markers, and you were getting into some heated talks with Sam over it.

Sheldon: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I do sort of see where Sam was coming from, as much as I fucking hate to admit it. He knew that these were loose leads.

Therapist: Was this something that you saw right away, or just something that you picked up on much later, when you were able to look at things with a more objective eye?

Sheldon: Mostly the latter. I mean, I kind of saw what he was saying earlier. But I was not in the mood to fucking hear it, and I was feeling like he was just trying to take over my life at the time, so at the time, I didn't want to hear it.

Therapist: Do you think, that your biggest mistake, was that, like you said, at the time you didn't want to fucking hear it when you were talking with other people? I mean, I feel like that might have been a big mistake.

Sheldon: Obviously it was. I don't even know how it wouldn't have been. Being so fucking stubborn that I was feeling like there was nothing that I could fucking do any different, and that I was the one with all the answers. It was fucking ridiculous the way that I was before.

With that, Sheldon sighed, and shrugged, thinking nothing of it, as he kept telling his story, and not holding back on it at all.

Scene 2: Please Help Me

I went to Todd's house as soon as I was getting the call to come and talk to him. The entire time that I had been driving there, I was wondering what had happened, and I was telling myself that I just needed to fucking focus on the job that was ahead of me right now.

As soon as I was at the door, I was getting out of the car, and immediately ran to the door. I knocked, and before long, Todd answered the door, and he was seeming shocked to see me here in the first place. "Sheldon, I am so fucking glad that you are here right now."

After Todd told me this, I was so fucking happy to hear him starting to fucking smile for a bit. "I just felt like I needed to talk for a bit. About something that has been bothering me lately. And I felt like you would be the one that would be helping me the most." After he said that to me, I slowly nodded, trying to see what he had said.

"Is it the adoptions?" I asked, and then Todd was slowly nodding, and then he was closing the door, and as he was heading to the car. I should have known that this was exactly the thing that he had been bothered by right now.

"I just want to know the truth. I mean, I know that there is like a ninety eight percent chance that what Larry's dad said is true. But I would rather be one hundred percent sure than ninety eight percent sure." Todd was telling me, and I was slowly nodded for a moment.

"I mean, everybody is selfish with the way that they have been doing things. So I feel like perhaps I feel like I have the right to be selfish on some of the things that I have been doing." Todd was telling me, and he was clearly not in the mood to be having a fight with what I had told him.

"I guess that what you are saying is true to an extent. And I want to help you out. But do you feel like this might be taking a bit of time away from the mission." I said, and then Todd was starting to get in the car, and I was feeling like I just needed to get in the driver seat.

"Sheldon, here is the thing that I need to be real about. I don't think that I will be able to focus on the main goal right now when my mind keeps jumping right to this." Todd was telling me, and I was sort of seeing what he had been saying. As much as I was hating to admit everything that he had been saying, I was aware that what he had told me was true.

"I guess that I do know what you mean. I sometimes have a hard time thinking about something else, when my mind jumps to fucking Riley. I mean, fucking Riley has been just eating me away for the longest period of time." After I was telling Todd this, I was just rubbing my hands on the steering wheel.

"I don't hate my parents. I just want the confirmation. And once I know the answer, one way or another, I feel like I will start to be happy once again. That is all that I fucking want right now. So once I start to know what I am doing, then everything can work together for my own favor." Once he was telling me this, I had nothing that I could have said here.

"You're right. Thanks for telling me this. But how are you going to find out a true answer, either way. You are going to have to speak to your father and mother. But what you are going to do to get this?" I asked, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was wondering what to tell me here.

"I mean, you haven't been able to see your parents lately, and I feel like seeing them is going to be that fucking easy at all. So just at least try and be reasonable when you look into this." I said, and then I was seeing Todd hardly seeming to look like he was not caring all that much.

"I know that I haven't been able to see my parents lately. I am going to force that to change. One way or another, I am going to fucking force my parents to tell me the truth, and that is all that I can fucking do here." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and I wondered what I could have said to make things different.

"So you are going to be going on a witch hunt right now? Are you sure that something like this is the fucking best choice right now?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like he had hardly fucking cared what I was going to tell him at all.

"Sheldon, I get that it is really fucking hard to do. I don't fucking care what is going on. I just need to do what I can. And if you don't want to help me, then that is fine. But that is your choice then do whatever you fucking want." Todd was telling me, hardly seeming to care at all.

"Okay. I will do whatever I can to help you. That is the best that I can fucking say right now. Let's just fucking go right now." I said, and then I was starting to drive off, and then Todd was starting to remain silent for a bit, not really seeming to be all that interested in having much of a conversation with me.

"So why do you feel like this is so fucking important anyways? I mean, I feel like I deserve a explanation right now." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to say something to make me feel better.

"I don't fucking know. I just want to know if I am living a fucking lie right now. If I am living a fucking lie, then I feel like that is all that I can fucking think about. Wayside is a fucking lie, and that is the main thing that I fucking know." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent for a while longer.

"Sorry for brining it up that way. I just feel like I needed to ask you what you felt. I mean, I never wanted to make you feel like shit. Or anything. I just felt like there was no reason to be so fucking distant with me, especially when we can work together here." I said, hoping to make him feel better here.

"It's okay. It's all just bullshit anyways. I guess that there is no way to say it. I just that I just feel the need to know. It is really that simple. I want to know. I want to just finally have some closure. Please understand that I can't put it any other way." Todd was saying, and the longer that I was wondering what I could have said to him, the more that I was feeling like I was kind of a shitty fucking human being for what had been happening.

When he was talking about bullshit, I was sort of feeling like I could see what he had been saying. You know, the fact that maybe I was doing was fucking bullshit in the first place. I just wondered what I had done to get myself so fucking deep into the issue in the first place.

"I mean, you can't really lecture me about working on finding the truth here, when you are going around trying to get people to date you all the time. At least what I am doing is important, and really will matter in the long run." After Todd was telling me this, I was thinking of what he had said.

"You made your fucking point Todd." I said, and then I was sighing, not really in the mood to be hearing him throw me under the bus. I was doing whatever I could, and he was just being really fucking rude to me here. So with that, I was starting to drive towards the Lazarus Corporation building. "I feel like that is the best starting point to look into." I said, and I saw that Todd didn't enjoy this, but he was willing to hear what I said.

…

Scene 3: Unreliable Employees

When it had hit 8:30, when I was done with my shift, after I had realized how long I had been gone, that was when I was at the parking lot of Lazarus. I was seeing that Todd was still relatively annoyed at the fact that I left him high and dry when I was going to that shift.

I was looking at Todd, and I was feeling like I just needed to calm him down, and not be getting him too upset here. "Todd, I know you might be upset at the fact that I am doing this right now. But I think that talking to Shaun is going to be the best clue on finding out where to find your dad." I said, and I was seeing that Todd was still looking like he wanted to buy this for now.

"I know what you are saying. That does not really mean that I want to be doing this right now." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, since I was feeling like I just needed to let him have his moment.

Once I was out of the car, I was seeing Todd looking like he was going to hate the mere idea of coming here in the first place. When he was with me, I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to keep his calm and cool, but had no idea what to be saying at this rate.

We went up to the top floor, and I was not needing to go to the counter, considering the fact that I was able to meet up with Shaun and use my fucking job as a excuse. I had gathered all up the footage I gathered lately, after my shift, hoping this would give me a minor form of leverage.

Once the door opened, this was when I was seeing Shaun just turning around to see who went in, as he was smoking a giant cigar. I saw him looking clearly annoyed at the fact that I was here in the first place. "Hello, what are you doing here right now? Holding back from the promises that you had been making." He said, and I was looking down, feeling slightly bad for the way that he was acting, considering the fact that Todd might be thrown down the drain here.

"Shaun, I was here to give you all this information. And ask you another fucking question related to Todd's father." I said, holding my right hand forward, as my left hand was going down, and grabbing all the recordings that I had. Todd was following me with a couple of feet distance. Just probably wanting to make sure that nothing happened to here.

I placed the footage down on the table. "This man needs to know what his father is doing, and I am just trying to help my friend here. Please just give me what I fucking need." I said, and then after I was telling him this, he took a deep breath, slightly annoyed with the way that I had been acting.

"Edward Robinson." He said, and then he sat down, and then I saw that Todd was just kind of shocked when he heard this. He later told me that this was the first time that he had heard the name of his father, and just didn't really know what it was.

"Yeah, I have been working with him. Although he doesn't want to tell me anything at all. Your father is a piece of shit who has no fucking dedication to help people at all. But I guess that you probably don't really fucking care right now. One of the most unrealiable employees." After he was saying this, I was seeing Todd looking hurt with the way that he was hearing his father being described.

"My father is a strong and good man. I think you need to be giving him some fucking credit right now. What did he do to get you so fucking upset at him?" After Todd was asking him this, this was when I was seeing Shaun looking like he was kind of wanting to laugh at Todd here.

"All he does is go around to the casinos, and hardly works on his own projects. I gave him one of the main towers of the town, and told him to be working on his own job. But he is hardly taking the time to dedicate to the job that was set out to him. But I am wondering why you even care so much." Shaun said, sitting down, clearly seeming to lose some interest and patience in this conversation.

"I just need to see him soon. I haven't seen him since I moved to Wayside, and I feel like I need to see him soon. Something for my own personal interest. I just need him to clarify things for me." Todd was saying, clearly just trying to not show any of his anger to Shaun at all.

"You can always just come to him to his fucking work tower. That is probably the closest that you are going to be getting to seeing him soon. No real need to worry about what is happening here. I can't give you anything else here." After he was telling me this, I was seeing that Todd was at least trying to see what Shaun was saying.

"But I am worried that I will not be able to see him. That he will not give me permission to come here at all. That is what I am worried about. I love my fucking father It really is as simple as this." After Todd was telling Shaun this, I saw that Shaun was starting to kind of see him looking like there was a minor form of pity.

"Just try and give me a over ride, where I now will get permission to see him at the tower. If he knows that you are allowing this, then I feel like this can be for the best." After Todd was telling him this, I felt like maybe Shaun was starting to sort of see where Todd had been coming from.

"Okay. I can do that. I can see how much this is bothering you, and I remember what it was like with my family. So I will give you what you need. But that means that you need to take advantage of this. My job can't have people who isn't able to commit. And if you get in the way of your fathers work, then I am going to have to demand that you are going to need to get out of this." After he was telling Todd this, I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was willing to accept these loose conditions.

I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of willing to take it. "I just want to make things work with him. I appreciate the fact that you are willing to put your opinions on the matter aside. This is the most important thing that you can fucking do."

I saw that Shaun clearly did not want to be having this conversation, but decided that he would just sort of let things go for the time being. "I just hope that you know what you are doing. I need him to start to take his job seriously again." He then looked at me, and I was seeing him looking like he was wanting to say something else.

"Sheldon, I am still relying on you to get the job done. You were the one who was telling me what you needed to do, and I am trusting that you can do this. Do not misplace my trust. You need to give me more updates, if you want me to start trusting you fully." After Shaun was saying this, I was then feeling like him targeting me was really making things worse for us.

"I will not fail. I guess that I am just sort of willing to let things go for once." I said, and then I was starting to leave, relatively shocked that this had worked out as well as it had been. I was wondering if I had pushed things too much.

Once I was in the elevator, I was seeing Todd looking like he was clearly wanting to say more. But then he was sighing, and then he started to head to the elevator to me once again. Once Todd was inside the elevator, I saw him looking like he wanted to say more, but then remained silent.

"That was both better and worse than I thought that it was going to be. But I guess that there is no need to be saying this. You probably know what I mean." He was saying, and then after he was done saying this, the elevator was going down, and I started to feel just so much more liberated the entire time.

…

Scene 4: Night Out

Todd and I were spending the next night outside, sitting down at the well. As we were there, I was seeing that Todd was clearly thinking of something for a bit. "You know, I do see why Shari liked this place so much. Honestly, after all these months, I feel like I need to just give Stephen more."

"Do you feel like Shari is actually going to fucking die? I mean, I don't really want to think about it, but I feel like something like this might be fucking true. It god damn disgusts me right now, to even think about it." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd clearly did not sure what to think here.

"I don't know what I believe about Shari right now. I do know one thing though… I want to help him with his recovery. He deserves to be happy, and I feel like the fact that Shari is gone is probably going to ruin the idea of something like this ever happening." Todd said, seeming fucking upset at what he had said.

"I mean, I think that you should be the one talking to Stephen right now. He needs a man who knows what he is talking about before he loses his path right now. Simple as that. You are the guy who can do everything to help him feel better. Can you promise me to at least think about it?" After he was asking me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like I just needed to let him have this moment.

"I often times wonder if I was actually a good friend in the first place, or a piece of fucking shit. I mean, I do feel like I need to at least consider that before I say anything else." After Todd was telling me this, I saw him looking like he wanted to say more. But then just felt like there was no real point in going any further into this at all.

"You are a good friend. At least to Kevin you have been. Don't even fucking pretend like you are not. If you need some help with your sure assuredness, then I feel like you can go on and talk to me about what has been causing you some self doubts." I said, and I was taking out a cigarette. The entire time I was starting to smoke this cigarette, Todd looked at me.

"Can I have one?" After Todd asked me this, he clearly was scared of what I was going to say. I was shrugging, and I let him have one. I let him start to take the puff as he was sighing, and thought about what he was going to say.

"I guess that when you have somebody like you, then you are never going to get what I am doing. I mean, I always wanted to show Maurecia that she was right to like me. I want to believe she was. But now, I am not sure." Todd said, not wanting to say more, but then there was nothing else he could have said to change the subject.

"That is her fucking choice on what she believes if right for you. That is not something you should be deciding for her. If she believes that you are the best guy in the world for her, even if you do not agree at all, then that is something that you just need to see is her choice." I said, hoping to get him to see what I was trying to tell him in the first place.

"I hope that I am not going to regret believing what you are saying for now. I mean, I want to think that you are right. But who knows, I just need to fucking calm down, and see the much bigger picture." After he was telling me this, I was starting to slowly realize that this was his choice that he needed to make on his own, and not my fucking choice.

As Todd was getting off of the well, and he was starting to walk away, I was taking a cigarette out, and I wondered what in the world I was even going to be saying now. "Todd, do you need to have some time to yourself. I might not like it, but if you don't want me around, then I guess that I can leave you alone." I said, hoping to make him feel better with what I said.

"It is not that. I just feel like when I work on my job, and I work on helping you guys out, that I am starting to see that maybe me and Maurecia isn't all that horrible of a idea. After all, she is the only one that truly loved me ever since I moved here, and I feel like maybe I just need to give her a chance here." After Todd was telling me this, I wondered what I would even be able to say to her to make her feel any different.

"But just because she was the one that loved you doesn't mean that you need to throw yourself at her. You need to be making the choices that are for the best of yourself. But I guess that you fucking know that already, so I might be wasting my time telling you this." I told him, and I saw him looking relatively tired of what I had been saying here.

"I know Sheldon. Please don't fucking lecture me right now. This is something that I know on my own. But I guess that whatever I say, you will never fucking care to hear what I am saying at all." Todd said, clearly trying to hide his fucking annoyance at what I was saying.

"Sorry. I just thought that I needed to say that. But I guess that maybe I just need to give you the trust that you want." I said, hoping that by telling him this, I would be able to get him to fucking calm down, and not be screaming at me anymore. Before long, I was walking to his side, and then Todd was looking over at the well once again.

"I will admit, I sometimes do feel like I am a fucking liar, when I have been telling people that I will find Shari. That I am going to do whatever I can to help everybody out. But I mean, I feel like I need to remember what Stephen wants. He was the only one that truly loved her from the start." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, hearing what he had been telling me.

"You are not a liar because you didn't find her. I mean, I guess that I do see what you mean when you say that you failed. But lying would insinuate that you never even fucking tried to look for her. And I know more than anybody else that you were working your fucking ass off here." I said, and then I simply shrugged, and I was wondering if Todd would actually fucking listen to me here. I was wondering if it was a wasted effort to get Todd to hear me.

"Sheldon, I know that you are trying your best to make me feel better. And I want to see that you are right. I hate hating myself. But I feel like I just need to see what I can do to change things." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like at this rate, there was no point in even fighting him anymore, so I just decided to let it go.

"Do you think that Shari would have wanted this? Think about that when you want to continue hating what you are doing. If you feel like this is what Shari would have wanted, then I guess that there is nothing that I could do here. But just think about that before you do anything else." I shrugged, and I was almost feeling like everything I could say to him was just a desperate attempt to get him to not be like me at all.

"I wish that I could see what you are saying right now. You know, I just wish that I would be able to see Shari again, and see what she would truly know right now. But I guess that until then, I just need to find it in myself to forgive." Todd said, and I was feeling that there was no need to even bother with this anymore.

With that, Todd started to walk off, and I was sighing, feeling there was nothing that I would get from fighting him about this anymore. He made his point very clear, and that was something that I just needed to accept, as much as I hated it.

"It doesn't fucking matter. It's all bullshit. I need to get back to the investigation with my father. That is still the only real priority that I have right now." After Todd was telling me this, I was wondering what in the world I was even going to say.

"Did you find anything else out? Or are you still looking for something?" I asked, hoping that I would be able to get him to talk for a bit. He looked at me, and seemed to just simply not have that much interest in what I was saying.

"I only care about the truth. Nothing else fucking matters right now. I believe you know that I care about you guys too much for this to continue." Todd was telling me, and we were getting in the car, as I was wondering what in the world I was even going to tell him in the first place.

I was starting to drive towards the Robinson tower, and I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was clearly not wanting to have this discussion at all. "God damn it, I don't want to go there, because I am fucking scared out of my fucking mind what my father is planning to tell me here." After he was telling me this, I shrugged, simply not in the mood to have this discussion.

"I don't care if you don't want this, because if you want this super badly, and to get closure, then perhaps you need to fucking open up and take the rucking risk. At least consider what I am saying right now." I said, and then I saw that Todd was clearly looking kind of pissed at this whole idea.

"But my father is not going to be there. Did you hear what Shaun told you earlier? He made it clear that trying to talk to him will not be getting us anywhere. I just feel like something like this is not going to even get us anything at all." Todd said, and I was truly hearing what he was saying. I knew that he was right. But I didn't really plan to hear it at all.

Before long, this was when I parked the car at the parking lot of the gas station. I looked right at Todd, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and speak to him for a bit. To just get him to fucking listen to what I had said. "Todd, listen to me right now…" I said, hoping he would hear what I said.

"You keep telling me about how much you want to know the truth, and that you want to have a answer here. But you are not taking the time to go for the most obvious place. The one place that everybody with a mind would instantly look for. Don't you feel like this is a really big mistake." I said, and I was seeing him looking like he had a hard time understanding my anger.

"That is because I know that it is a terrible idea. I know that it is not going to fucking work if you go right into the main tower, and then demand that people give us everything that we want." Todd was telling me, and I was feeling like virtually nothing I could say would make anything any different.

"But I mean, surely we can figure something out. Something that can help both of us right now." I said, and then I was looking at him, hoping he would see what I was saying. Just trying to get him talk at all. That was all that I fucking wanted.

"Maybe we can try and talk to Jimmy White, and see what me might know. I mean, I feel like if we are not approaching him about the missing girls and instead just talking about your father, then everything will be turning out much more." After I was suggesting this to Todd, I was seeing him considering what I had said for a second, even though he clearly had not wanted to hear it.

"Fucking hell. I don't want to take the risk here. But I guess that you are probably right. Alright, I guess that talking to him might be something that is worth taking a chance on. But if this fails, then I feel like you need to take the time to make a new plan." He was telling me, and I wondered how much I was going to be pissing him off.

"That is the best idea that I can come up with. I was hoping that this would be able to be something you could appreciate." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd clearly was just trying to find something to say, that he was feeling he could work with.

"Well, it is more likely to work than trying to talk to my dad directly. Okay, I guess that I will see what I can do from this." After he was telling me this, I was then sighing, feeling glad as all hell to know that he was willing to fucking talk with me for a while.

"Thanks for at least considering what I am saying. That is all that I wanted. For you to just consider this." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was immensely regretting what he had said.

I got out of the car, and went to the cashier, where I bought a new pack of cigarettes. As I was walking off, I was hearing my boss calling out to me. I looked right at him, and I wondered what he was wanting to tell me. "It's really nice to have somebody like yourself who actually shows up to his job, and doesn't fucking slack off." He said, and then with that, I slowly nodding, appreciating the fact that he had told me this.

"I just do what I feel like is the best thing to do. I mean, you decided to give me a chance, and I feel like I needed to do what was important." I said, and then with that, I simply felt like I needed to not try and act all humble. I just felt like I needed to be honest with what I had said.

I then left the gas station, and I was taking out my first cigarette in the pack, and then I was feeling like I just needed to try and find something to make him know that no matter what was happening, I was not wanting to make him feel as bad as I had.

"Thanks for talking to me, and letting me say what has been on my mind. I know that you are upset with me right now, and I want to change that." After he was telling me this, I wanted to believe what he was telling me. I wanted to believe that he was wanting to make things right.

"I mean, you are a friend who is in need. I just have to do what I can." I said, and then shrugging, and then I was getting in the car, feeling like I needed to get ready to talk with Jimmy White, and see what the hell this man might fucking know. If he would know anything.

…

Scene 5: Friends Unite

As I was on clock the next day, I was seeing Todd coming into the gas station. I will admit at the moment I was slightly annoyed with the way that he was coming to me right now. I wanted him to leave me alone, since in all honesty, I was aware that he wasn't really caring for what everybody else had been doing here.

"Todd, I am going to be honest with you, it might be a really bad idea to come here right now. If my boss sees you right now, you are going to fucking be dead. He doesn't like it when people come in here for the purpose of looking into this case." I said, hoping to get him to leave me alone. As I was saying this, I saw that Todd was looking like he sincerely did not fucking care at all.

"I don't really fucking care what your boss says. I mean, let's not forget that he hardly even is here in the first place. What do you think you are going to be getting out of telling me no here?" After he was asking me this, I was sighing, not really wanting to fight him anymore.

"But I was thinking that maybe after all this time, I might need to go on and talk to Kevin again. After all, I know that I should be a better friend to him, and not treat him like he is getting in my way right now. As hard as that can be at times." Todd said, and I laughed at that, thinking that he was needing to see his mistakes before he judged anybody.

"Well, I think that Kevin would enjoy that. After all, he is as much of a need as you are right now." After I was telling him this, I was shrugging for a second, wondering what else I could say to make him feel slightly better about what to do here.

"After all, I know that Sam doesn't want him to get involved. I get that shit. He made that clear. I'm not stupid. But for gods sake, he is the one that has been making things worse for his brother. But I mean, I guess that he will not understand that, since he still thinks he is the one that is keeping Kevin safe at all times." Todd said, clearly annoyed with this statement.

"But I mean, you have been the one who has told me several times that people should be given a fucking choice on the matter? Shouldn't Kevin be allowed a choice? You know, I just feel like something like this might be what he needs. A choice to make a mistake, or whatever." Todd said, and then I was slowly nodding, glad that he was seeing the bigger picture here.

As we were going through the rest of my shift, Todd started to just simply get much more open about the way he was feeling. "I mean, after all, is it really my place to go along with a plan that I know will not work. Kevin will get all the information he needs to put it together. He's not stupid. But maybe I should help." After Todd said that, I simply shrugged, agreeing with him, but not having a way to really verbalize it.

When my shift was done, and Todd was getting in my car, I was seeing my boss show up to do his relieve duty, and I was just glad to see that he was still doing his own job. Which was to make sure that I was getting out of mine. And when I got in the car, Todd was looking like he was trying to have something witty to say.

"Your boss seems like he is fucking pissed right now? Do you think that maybe you should try and reach out to him?" After he was asking me this, I was shrugging, and I was not really feeling like that was something that I needed to do. After all, I was still his subordinate, and not his fucking therapist.

I was starting to drive off, not really in the mood to be having much debate over what my fucking boss if like. "Whatever his problem is, he will have to deal with it himself." I said, leaving it at that, not really in the mood to be saying much more.

After several minutes, I was at the front of Kevin's house. I was then looking at Todd, and I was wondering what I was even going to be saying to make the situation any different at all. "Sheldon, I feel like Kevin probably fucking hates me, and I feel like whatever he might want to do with me when he sees that I want to just talk. He will probably try and fucking beat me here." Todd said, and I was shaking my head, not in the mood.

"Kevin doesn't resort to fucking violence, and we both fucking know it. I think you are probably looking way too deeply into it." I said, and then I was shrugging, not really wanting to get much more into what I was doing than anything else. I was getting out of the car, not really in the mood to hear him argue with me at all over this.

Eventually, we were at Kevin's door, and then I knocked on it for a bit, and then when Kevin opened up, I was seeing that he was looking like he was just simply trying to hide his uneasiness at what was happening here. Clearly probably wondering why we were here to go around and talk to him in the first place.

"What are you guys planning on doing right now? I mean, I was wanting to go on a fucking date with Jenny, and you are here, probably going to be throwing me into a fucking run around investigation that is not going to be getting you what you need." After Kevin was saying this, I was slowly nodding, not even really able to fully argue with what he had been saying.

"We are not planning on anything right now. We want to see how you are. We haven't spoken with you in a while, and we feel like it is time to make up for that." Todd was saying, and I was seeing that Todd was clearly looking like he was regretting every second of this.

"All that I know is that Sam thinks I am a fucking liability. He thinks that working with you guys is only going to be making things much worse, and I would almost be inclined to agree. After all, what do you really think you can accomplish out of bringing me along? All that I ever did was get Jenny to laugh." Kevin said, smiling at that thought.

"I think that if Sam truly thought you were a liability, then he wouldn't work so hard to keep you safe. No, he just knows that you are going to be better at this job than any of us do." I said, and I wasn't sure if I fully believed in that. But I was feeling like I just needed to be giving him a chance to hear a possible outcome that he might enjoy.

"Look, the only person that I really worry about right now is Jenny. Maybe when you guys have a mom that dies really violently, and when you guys have a friend that went missing, then I can feel more dedicated to you guys." Kevin said, walking down the stairs, hands in pocket. I placed my hand on his shoulder, and Kevin looked at me.

Kevin instantly knew why I was doing this. He sighed, clearly just thinking about the best way to get out of this. "Sorry Sheldon. I know what you went through. I know that is the whole reason you moved here to begin with. But your mother wasn't fucking murdered brutally. You can't compare what happened to Jenny to yours. It's not my fault she didn't take care of herself enough." Kevin said, and then he was leaving, and I was trying really hard not to sock him in the face.

"Kevin, I am sorry for lying to you about everything. I didn't think you wanted to know. I shouldn't have done that. But I guess that maybe I can't fix my mistakes now." After Todd said this, Kevin stopped, and looked at him, trying to think of something to say.

It seemed that what he said to Kevin was kind of making a difference to Kevin. Something he needed to accomplish. "Thanks Todd. It means a lot to me. It does take a big person to admit when they made mistakes." After he said that, Todd felt so much better about this. Not feeling scared.

"I will admit, I would have never known it was a mistake until you made it very clear to me that it was one. So I will admit to this." Todd said, and then with this, Todd was holding his hand out. Hoping that would make Kevin start to open up once again.

Kevin sighed, probably thinking that it was just a cheesy way of making things up. He shook Todd's hand though, willing to admitting this, and then with that, things started to seem to be kind of more fine, and not nearly as hostile as it was before.

…

Scene 6: Confident

I was at Todd's house the next day, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and find something to say to him, to make him feel better about what was happening. Knowing that he was deeply broken, and he was deeply in pain over everything.

"Hey Todd, how have you been lately?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like he was kind of feeling a bit tired about what he was hearing. I wondered what in the world he was planning on taking care of this.

"I am doing alright. Honestly, I just feel like every time I think about what I want to tell Maurecia, and tell her why I feel the way that I do, I just feel like I am being a fucking idiot. I am not a very social person, no matter how much I fucking try to make it fucking work." After Todd was telling me this, he was sounding like he was disgusted with what he had done.

"Look, think of this. If Maurecia loves you as much as she says she does, then she will never fucking judge you for what you had been doing. Simple as fucking that." After I was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was trying to consider what I had said, but hardly fucking believing what I had said.

"I know that you are right. But I feel like in all honesty, I am just thinking that she might be in love with the concept with me, and not actually in love with me. If she knew what I was like, the real fucking me, then I feeling." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like there was no reason to be arguing about what was even going on.

"I mean, I appreciate everything that you have been doing. No matter what you might be fearing, I think you are one of the best guys that I fucking know. I think you just are not giving yourself enough fucking credit." I said, and I was getting firmer with what was happening, and I was hoping that Todd would finally just stop being upset with what I was doing.

"When was the last time you talked with her? How about we fucking start with fucking that." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of calming down, feeling like he was sort of seeing what I was saying.

"Last night. After I was done with seeing you guys, I went to her, and I was telling her that things between me and Kevin were good now. And I was seeing that she was clearly fucking proud of me. Proud of the work that I had been doing.

"That is good. You communicate with her, and I think that is what really fucking matters." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was starting to kind of feel like he was sort of seeing what I had been saying.

"I guess that I do sort of see what you say. I think that at the end of the day, I can see what one fucking date would be like." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like he was having a good attitude with what he had said here.

"I think when you go out with her, the best thing you need to do is truly be yourself. Don't fucking lie what you believe. Just show her the personality that you want to exhibit." I said to him, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was trying to think about what I had been telling him.

"Yeah, I will see what you fucking mean. Who knows, maybe I just need to stop being so fucking scared about what is going on. After all, Maurecia probably is not going to truly be taking no for an answer, no matter how much I wish she would." After Todd said that, I was shocked at the exact wording of what he had said.

"And besides, if she liked you so much already, that clearly means that you are doing something right. That you are making her feel like she is fucking safe. That is already enough to make you a good boyfriend." I said, and then I saw Todd looking like he was a bit overwhelmed at my query. Probably thinking that I was just trying to force things on him.

"I am not her fucking boyfriend. I never have been, and I don't think that I will ever be." Todd was saying, and then I looked at him, feeling like he was needing to give her more credit, and not be so fucking scared of what was going on.

"You say that you are not her fucking boyfriend, and you are trying so hard to make her love you. I think that the evidence shows that you might be." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd wanted to punch me in the face for what I was saying. Probably thinking that I was a asshole for forcing him into this discussion as much as I had been.

"Sheldon, why do you even fucking care what I believe right now? Why do you care if I am her boyfriend or not?" After Todd was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he was trying to hold his ground, but I was seeing him looking like he hardly had a idea what to say.

"I care because I want my friend to be happier. You know, when I see how much you are working for the safety of the town, on one hand, I am fucking proud of you. On the other hand, you need to sometimes put yourself first. And you can't reasonably fucking deny this." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd was kind of looking like he was beyond the patience of fighting with me.

"Thanks. You're right. The best thing to do to make things better for me is to just fucking be confident in what I am fucking doing. Just not fucking play around, and just do whatever I fucking can to turn things around." After he was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, getting more and more excited about how he was realizing that confidence was what I was meaning.

"Thank you for finally admitting this." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd looked like he was just trying to find something to say, to make this work. "But if there anything you need me to do, even if I don't get it, I will do it." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was shaking my head for a little bit.

"Yeah, if that is the case, then even if you don't like this, can you please be with me while I ask her out on a date. I think having you with me might be able to make it much easier. Just fucking be at my fucking side when it happens. That is all that I fucking need." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding at what was happening.

"I don't know if it is going to be for the best, but I am not going to fucking fight this. Just make sure that whatever you do, that you do not make things much worse for everybody." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was clearly not in the mood to be hearing trying to tell him that things were not fucking working.

"Thanks Sheldon. That is all that I ever fucking need. Knowing that no matter what happens, everything is going to be what I fucking want." After Todd was telling me this, I completely had no fucking idea why I was so fucking unsure what to even be saying at this.

"You are giving me too much credit." After I was telling him this, I was laughing, trying to be making the situation a bit funnier. He was clearly not really in the mood to be having much of this discussion. "But I will take it. Thanks for showing me some fucking hope that this can work."

"I am going to ask her fucking tomorrow. That is all that I need." After Todd was telling me this, I was super happy that this whole thing was going to come together. I was super happy to know that no matter what happened, he was becoming his own person no matter what.

"And I will be with you. And you will see that you can pull this off even without me." I said, and then with that, I was thinking there was no need to continue that discussion this way, showing him that I believed in him, and that there was no reason to be so scared of what he was doing now.

The next day, after I was done with my shift, I brought Todd over to Maurecia's house, and I was feeling like I just needed to say whatever I could to be able to make him feel like I was going to be there for him, no matter what was going to happen, and that I was going to never leave his fucking side, no matter what.

"Todd, no matter how it goes, fucking just do what you can. You will win her over no problem. She likes you, and I have no fucking doubt about that." After I was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was just sort of not really in the mood to be hearin me say this. Probably thinking that I was just simply trying to make him feel better.

"I will fucking believe it when I god damn see it. But thanks for trying. I just feel like when Maurecia really gets to know me, and sees that I am not the great man that she thinks that I am, then I think she will want nothing to do with me. But I feel like no matter what happens, I will feel better knowing that at least I am trying." Todd said, and then he was getting out of my car. I was still holding to my end of the promise, even if I wasn't too sure what I was going to be doing now.

"No matter what happens, at least you will have a fucking answer. Isn't that going to be enough to keep you fucking going?" I asked, and I was aware that he was not going to be finding it this way. But I was just wanting to get him to open up a bit. No matter what the cost of doing so would have been.

I got out of the car, as Todd went on over to Maurecia's door, and he knocked on it. Taking a long and deep breath, hoping that no matter what was going to come, I would be correct for once. Before long, Maurecia opened up the door, and I was seeing that no matter what else was going down, she was thrilled to be seeing him here.

"Hey Maurecia, I was feeling like I have needed to ask you something for quite a while now. Scared to finally do it. But I feel like there is really no fucking choice now." Todd said, and I was seeing him looking like he was starting to grow his courage a bit more, and with that, my level of proudness was growing as well.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to go on a date with me. You know, I have really felt like there has been something in this between the two of us. After all, you have always been there for me, and you have always supported my goals and my desires, no matter how fucking hard it has been to deal with." Todd said, hoping that this level of awareness would make her more attracted to him.

"Oh Todd, you never needed to apologize to me. I know that I might have been a bit of a hard approacher, and that I might have been kind of hard for you to really get around with. I feel like maybe I should have at least considered where you were coming from this whole time. But I didn't. So maybe some of what you were saying was right." Maurecia said, as Todd took a second to think about what she had admitted.

"Wow. I never expected you to admit to something like this. I mean, I thought that you had already made your mind up on the matter, and just didn't want to hear any of it. I guess that maybe I was wrong about that as well." After Tod was saying this, he was shrugging, feeling like the fact that she said yes was enough for him to be happy with.

"I mean, I have been thinking a lot this summer, and I have been thinking of what you always said. I am not sure if I agree with all you said. Or even really any of it. But I do feel like you did make some valid fucking points. Stuff that I really needed to think about going forward." Maurecia said, hoping Todd would be glad to hear this from her.

"So I guess that this is a fucking yes?" Todd asked, and he was sounding happier for once. Sounding like he was finally getting what he had fucking needed. And I was feeling proud of the fact that he had stood up for himself. That he didn't step down when he was scared of what would happen.

"Yes Todd, and you never needed to worry about what I was going to say. I was going to say yes regardless of everything else. I had been waiting this entire time for you to fucking ask." After she was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was feeling so much better.

"Where do you think we should be going first? I mean, I am sure you have a fucking plan." Todd said, and I was seeing Maurecia looking like she had consider what he was saying for a second. As if thinking about the fact that he was letting her make the fucking choices here, and that he wasn't even fucking fighting it.

"If you agree to take me that sushi resturant, then I promise you that I will get at least one C first quarter eight grade." Maurecia said, and then this was when Todd was looking shocked. Hearing her willing to take the responsibility that she had needed to take this whole time, but had refused to.

"Okay, that is fair enough. But you better be holding to that promise. And is no fucking backing out." Todd said, and then Maureica was sighing, aware of what she had just esentially forced herself into. Feeling like there was really no fucking way out of the fact that she would now have to at least pretend to take her studies seriously.

...

Scene 7: Asshole Friends

A couple of hours later, I was at Dakota's house, and I went up to him, and I was seeing that he was still smoking a lot of weed. I was seeing him looking like he was still relatively disgusted at the fact that this whole thing had been going on in the first place. "Dakota, do you feel like you want to go out and try searching?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like he was not in the mood to hear this at all.

"I know that I am not going to be getting her back without a lot of force. I know when I kind of need to fucking accept the fact that things are just happening the way that they are." Dakota said, and then he was looking at me, seeming really sad at what happened.

"So you are feeling like you just need to fucking give up now? Not even looking around anymore? I mean, do you seriously feel like something like this is for the best?" I asked, feeling like I was needing to just be real with him as I was saying this. I was seeing Dakota looking utterly furious here.

"I haven't given up Sheldon. Don't even fucking start that. But the thing is that I know that Ashley is not going to be fucking found. And I am so fucking tired of playing around, and acting like things are going to be coming together. But I guess that you are not wanting to hear that." Dakota said, and then he was looking like he was trying really hard to not fucking hit me.

"It is not my fault that she has not come back. Don't fucking make me the bad guy here. I wasn't the one that sold her off or something like that." I said, and then I was getting to my car, and then Dakota called out to me, as he was having another puff of his cigarettes.

"Yeah, but it may as well have been your fucking fault she went missing. She probably would have still been here if you didn't want to make a fucking deal out of every single thing. Trying to make a fucking story out of everything that had been going on. But I guess that you are just too fucking focus on your own fucking ego to make yourself feel better." After Dakota was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling like there was no point in even arguing with him.

"You never fucking know that. She might have gone missing anyways." I said, and then I was seeing Dakota coming up to me, and he was grabbing my shirt really tightly, as if planning on fighting me or something like that. And I was scared of what he was planning on doing now.

"Well, that might be true. But we could have planned around this a bit. We could have made some fucking ideas on what we could have done to change the issues." After Dakota was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he wanted to challenge me with this.

"Get out of my face." I said, in a very stern fashion. And as I was saying this, I was seeing Dakota looking like he wanted to fight me. Like he was needing to fucking fight me. But then with that, he was letting me go for a bit, but stll looking like he was ready for a fucking fight.

"Too scared to fucking fight, are we? Trying to sound like you are the bigger fucking guy?" Dakota asked, and I was wondering why in the world he was even saying this in the first place. I wondered why he was even fucking telling me this in the first place.

"It is nothing like that. In all honesty, I am thinking that you need to see that we are not fucking enemies right now." I said, and then I was getting to my car. "You can be a fucking asshole some times. I thought that you were going to be at my side, and actually help me with what fucking matters." I said, and then I was seeing Dakota looking like he was wanting to counter argue with me.

"Well, you're worse. You are obsessed with fucking delusions. I am not even fucking sure if this labyrinth is real. And yet here you are, insisting that it is." After he was telling me this, I was looking at him, wondering what the hell he was even going to tell me. How in the world he was even planning to make this seem not real at all.

"How can you not think labyrinth is real? Todd and I have been working our fucking asses off to see if this is real. We have found so many things that prove that we are not fucking crazy. If anything, you are making the biggest fucking mistake for accusing me of making up fucking lies." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Dakota looked like he was just finding my whole situation kind of ironic.

"If labyrinth was real, then everything would have been exposed so far. There is no way in hell that things would be fucking hidden this fucking long. And yet you sometimes act like you are not even seeing something real. I mean, the whole fucking thing seems like a urban legend. I mean, I know that if it is real, Ashley is there. I understand that. But I need to be sure that this is real in the first place." After Dakota was telling me this, I was feeling like he was just trying to challenge me to a fucking fight at this point, and wanted to see how I would react.

...

Scene 8: Family Disputes

Before I went to my shift the next day, I was getting to my car. My father was calling to me, and I looked at him, wondering what his plan was right now. "Sheldon, I feel like we just need to talk for a bit." After he was saying this, I looked at my father, and I was kind of annoyed with the way that he had acted right now.

"What do you want to fucking talk about? I mean, there is fucking nothing to talk about." I said, and I was seieng my fathe rlooking like he was just kind of annoyed with the way that I had been acting right now. "I mean, I am just trying to do my fucking job. I understand you are trying to do yours. But you clearly need help, and I don't fucking care if you fucking deny it." I said, and then I was seeing my father looking like he was annoyed as hell here.

"I want to make sure that you are not getting too deep into your work with those men in black. After all, you still have a year left of school. If you did that after you graduated, then be my guest. But you need to at least fucking graduate first." After my father said that to me, I was sighing, feeling like he wasn't really giving a shit here.

"And why do you have a bruise on your face." My father was saying, and then I looked at him, feeling like he was just pretending to give a shit, and that I needed to just not focus on the bullshit that he was giving me.

"Dakota and I had a bit of a dispute. Why the fucking hell do you fucking care anyways? After all, you told me that one of the natural processes of growing up is standing up for yourself in a fucking fight." I said, and then I was getting to my car, where my father was clearly looking like he wanted to say something else.

"If you are getting into physical altercations with him, then I do not want you around him anymore. I don't really feel like he is going to be a good influence on you." After my father was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he was really starting to get super firm with what he was saying.

"He does mention some valid points. You know, things that if it were any other context, I would be inclined to agree with him. But knowing what I know now, I feel like him saying these things is just down right being a fucking idiot." After I was telling my father this, he was sighing for a second, feeling like he was just needing to pretend to give him a chance.

"And what the fucking hell is that?" My father asked, clearly just trying to pretend like he was patient with what he was doing. I sighed, feeling like now that I was able to open up to him, I might as well take the chance, and see what in the world I might be able to get out of it now.

"I was talking to him about the hwole legend of labyrinth, and I was even admitting that I find the whole thing stupid. But I was telling him that I was convinced this was the best bet that I could have right now." I said, and then my father was clearly looking like he was getting too annoyed with this to talk about it anymore.

"Those are fucking stories to scare the kids. Why do you keep thinking that everything is coming back to this." After my father was telling me this, I was sighing, and felt like I just needed to stand my ground. Now that I was getting his attention, I knew there was no reason to be so fucking scared now.

"Because that is the best lead that I have. It is a bad lead. A bullshit lead. I never denied that. But it is the best lead that I have right now, and I am the first to fully admit this. Because it is at least A lead." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he wanted to pretend like he was seeing what I had said. Probably thinking that this was something that I was too dead set on to argue on.

"I think you just need to let the adults fucking do their job. You have a job of your own. The gas station. And you have done a great job with it so far. Going to virtually every shift so far. That is a level of responsibility most people your age don't have. But that is as far as it should ever fucking be going." After my father was telling me this, I was wondering what the hell to even say to him now.

"But I have a feeling most of the people here don't care to do their job. I see you gone all the time. It seems like you are the only person here who even fucking still cares to try. Where is everybody else when they should be fucking searching around." After I was telling him this, I opened up the car, feeling there was no reason to fucking fight this now.

"Now let me do what I can here. I am not going to be taking no for an answer. If you don't want me doing your guys job, then tell the other adults here to do their job too. You can't carry the entire world on your own." After I was telling him this, I was starting to drive off. I was not in the mood to be hearing him fight with me anymore. And I knew that if mom was alive, she would be on my side, and she would be talking sense to him. And I think he knew that as well.

...

Scene 9: Panic Attack

I had gone through my shift, not thinking too much about what was happening. Trying to pretend like nothing was even fucking happening. I was feeling like forcing Dakota or my dad into thinking or agreeing with me, I was feeling like it would be a massive mistake.

I mean, I was upset with the way that Dakota had talked to me, as if making me feel like i was worthless. And that I was the worst person in the world. I was feeling like I needed to just give him whatever I could. After all, he was just smoking blunts all the time, trying to get himself out of the job that he had known he needed to fucking do.

I was now in the forest once again, hoping to find the next mile markers, feeling like if nobody wanted to see me anymore. I was thinking that there was no fucking point in forcing my opinions on anybody at all, and I was feeling like no matter what I said, Todd was already going to do what he wanted, and that I was just going to be wasting my time.

And as I was doing this, as much as I was hating to admit it, I was feeling like I just needed to fucking fight Dakota. For reason. You know, make him come to his senses. I was his friend, and I was feeling like I just needed to fucking get him to open up his eyes on the mistakes he had been making.

But for the time being, once again, I was going to be alone. And I was hoping that Todd would be doing a great job on his date. I needed him to be doing things on his own, and not fucking forcing me to this insanity every single time he was starting to get uncomfortable. And when we met up again, maybe he would realize there was no fucking point in the investigation, and that he would be finally makiing things work.

The longer I had been looking around, the more that I was realizing that without Todd to help me out here, and giving me a fucking sign on where I need to fucking go, I was just kind of wasting my time. And I was thinking about the fact that ironically, despite the fact that I was trying to save my fucking friends, I was not really the person who would be able to do this for him.

I just sat down on the ground, and then I took a cigarette out, feeling that there was no point in even trying anymore. I was fucking upset at the way that I was doing this, because as much as I fucking hated to admit this, I was becoming fucking worthless, and I felt like I needed to just admit where I made all my mistakes.

Before I was able to hallow in myself too long, that was when I was hearing Todd's voice calling out to me. I looked at him, and I was kind of annoyed with the fact that he was trying to force this subject on me. I was seeing him looking like he was wearing a date suit. I was sighing, not really wanting to deal with this.

"What the fucking hell are you doing here? I thought that you were supposed to be going on a date right now?" I asked, clearly not in the mood to be dealing with this right now. I was seeing Todd looking like he was upset with the way that I was showing nearly no fucking interest in the fact that he was hearing.

"I was, but I feel like when I see Maurecia, and I just think about how much I want to talk to her, I just get scared. I feel like I need to just get myself up there. Gathering all my fucking courage to do this." After Todd said this, I was standing up, and I was kind of annoyed with the way that he had been acting. But I refused to fucking say anything, in order to not piss him off.

"You need to stop fucking coming to me for help. You need to come to her, and show her that you are not fucking scared anymore. She wants a strong man who knows what he is doing. She doesn't want a man who constantly questions every single thing that he is doing." I said to him, hoping that I could get him to just fucking stop with this insanity.

"I need to know what to say. You went on a date, and you made it work perfectly. And now you are suddenly acting like I can't fucking make it work. I mean, I know that I need to be independent eventually. But I am not sure if I can fucking do that." Todd was telling me, and in all honesty, I was mildly just trying to hide my annoyance. But I was choosing to not say anything, for his own sake.

"I will be in the car while you go on the date. But I am not going in there. If it gets too rough, come on in, and I will take you home. But for gods sake, please at least give it a fucking chance." After I was telling Todd this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was just kind of hoping that I would really make things better for him.

"Alright, I can fucking do that. Thanks Sheldon. I need to fucking give this a chance. And besides, we only have a hour or two before the date starts, and I feel like I need to be ready." After Todd was saying this, I held my hands up, and I was mildly annoyed with the way he had said that, but I choose to remain silent here. But I choose to not fucking say it, and that I just needed to let him have his moment.

...

Scene 10: Unclear Motives

Before we were heading on over to the tower, I was feeling like I finally needed to ask Todd a question he would clearly not want to hear, but I was hardly fucking giving a shit at all. "Todd, I feel like you need to be honest with me. Are you going to actually let this whole thing go once you find out what your father was doing? I feel like you are not really letting this go." I said, and then Todd was looking at me, and I saw him looking mildly unsure.

"Sheldon, why do you fucking care what I am going to do with my fucking father? That is for my business alone. I am not doing anything wrong by doing things this way." After Todd was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he was just simply trying to hide his annoyance.

"Because you are dragging everybody else into your fucking mess, and you are not giving them any sense of promise, or closure on what can happen. You are just saying that you plan to do something, and yet you are showing no signs of actually fucking doing it." I said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was sort of listening to what I had been saying, although not liking it.

"I mean, I feel like the adoption thing, yes, I will be fine with that one I learn the truth. But the truth is that beyond that, like if he is a person getting involved in the missing girls cases, and what is going on with them, then I feel like I will never get over it. I will need to know that he actually hasn't been doing what I have feared." Todd said, and then I was sighing, knowing he was valid enough in his fears.

"Okay, fair enough. I guess that I will have to take that for what it is. Even if I do not like it, I know better than when to fucking argue with you." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like saying this was enough to get him to calm down for a second.

"And besides, after everything that has been going on with Riley, and the fact that you spent the last seven years trying to find her, I feel like you need to fucking see that you are not really the right person to get on my fucking case about what I am doing." After Todd was saying this, I was sighing, aware that deep down, he was totally right about what he had been saying.

"I guess that is true. I mean, I feel like logically I know that what you are doing is rather reasonable. At least in theory. That doesn't mean that I fully support it. But I really have no fucking right to fight it either." I was saying, hoping that when I was telling him this, he would sort of calm down a bit, and not want to send daggers at me for no good reason.

"Besides, I mean, I feel like with everything we have done together, getting at each others throats will be doing nobody any favors at all. So let's just stop with this whole charade of getting us to fucking fight with each other. I mean, I have no desire to do this." After Todd said that to me, I was shrugging, and I was feeling like if this was truly the case, and he didn't want to fight me all the time, he was having a hard time showing it.

"Okay, if you fucking say so. I mean, I am not sure I fully buy it. But I am beyond the point of arguing with you." I said, and then I got out of the car. Todd got out as well, and I was sort of feeling like I needed to get to a point he could be more reasonable with. "So Todd, how are things with you and Maurecia going? I mean, you haven't mentioned that yet." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of worried about what I was doing here.

"It's been well enough. We have virtually made a silent agreement though. That we do not discuss the labyrinth or anything when we are together. Something that I feel like we both need to do for ourselves. You know, I feel like when I see her, and I see how much she is just happy without fucking investigating, it reminds me of what I want and need at times." Todd said, and I looked at him, wondering what to say now.

"I know it might be kind of obvious, but what exactly do you want and need right now? If you know, then you can fucking tell me." I I was telling Todd, and I was seeing him looking like he was really not fucking buying what I had been saying for a second. Probably thinking that I was just trying to be cheap on him.

"I mean, I feel like I might just need a break at times. You know, not be so fucking scared and looking over my shoulders every time something fucking happens. That is what I really fucking need right now. Just the idea that I can be safe, and that I don't need to be scared of what I am doing." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, since I should have figured that was where he was going with this. I took a cigarette out, and then started to smoke it. I threw one at Todd, not even waiting for him to ask.

"I am sorry if you ever felt like you were unable to ever get a fucking break with me. I never meant that to fucking happen." I said, and then after I was saying this, I was seeing another one of those black cars pulling up. I was really fucking pissed at this moment, not at all in the mood to deal with this shit.

...

Scene 11: A Win Either way

A couple of hours later, I was having a talk with the boss of those men in black, and he was smoking a cigar, clearly annoyed with what the conversation that I had been having. "You are out of your damn mind if you seriously think that I am going to be going down there, and fighting a shit ton of monsters at the light house area." I said, and then I was seeing him shrugging, seeming like he was hardly caring.

"You were given a job, and you know that you are the best person for these types of jobs. You have been doing a better job fighting monsters than everybody. People need you to be here." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was clearly not really in the mood to be hearing much of this.

"All that I would fucking want is maybe a god damn second person helping me out. That is all that I could use. If you can do that, then I would be feeling so much better." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that the man was clearly looking like he was not really in the mood to hear this.

"Yeah, those other people your age who have no idea what they are doing? I think you need to fucking calm down, and see that you are not going to be getting their fucking help on this matter." After my boss was telling me this, I took a cigarette out, and I was feeling like I just needed to step up for myself here.

"How about this? Can you promise me that when you fucking eventually get me killed because of your fucking job here, that you will be able to tell people what has been fucking happening? No fucking lies, and no fucking bullshit. I need them to know that I am not a fucking liar." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that he was upset at the fact that I was forcing him into something like this in the first place.

"I know that many people are worried about the hysteria. But I can at least tell the people closest to you what happened. How about that? Is that something that you can fucking live with?" He asked, and then I looked at him, and I was feeling like I just needed to take what he was telling me here.

"Fine. if you agree to that, then I will be doing this. I mean, I know that there is no saying no to this anyways. I am not fucking stupid." I said, and then I was standing up, and started to head off as my boss was calling out to me. Probably just trying to find something to say to make me feel better.

"Sheldon, I hope that you know that despite everything going on, and despite what you might believe, I am glad to have you with us at this point in time. You are a good guy, and I feel like your dedication to pull something off, against all odds, is something you can appreciate." After he was telling me this, I was smiling for a few seconds. I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to hear this at all. I mean, I knew he was trying to make me feel better. But that did not mean that I actually had to like the fact that he was lying to my fucking face.

Once I was in the car, I was seeing Todd still there, and I was seeing him looking like he was kind of having a hard time really believing what I had been doing. No matter how much he wanted to act like he wasn't worried, there was no way in hell that I could be able to look through the look.

"What the fucking hell does he even want? After all, he will probably be getting you fucking killed, and you are here, still agreeing to what he has been doing." After he was telling me this, I was shaking my fucking head, and I was not really in the mood to hear this.

"He wants me to go to the lighthouse, and destroy some monsters. If you want to continue to work on looking for your fathers information, then I do not blame you. But I feel like this is something that you should probably stay out of." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was just kind of fucking pissed off over what had been going down.

"I guess that I can do that. But I am also scared for your safety. So I will fucking help you this time. My whole adoption investigation can wait for a fucking day." Todd said, and then with that, I was slowly nodding, feeling like there was no point in fighting him at this point. So with that, I was starting to just drive off for a bit.

"Okay, if you say so. I am not going to bother fighting this. I fucking know better than to be doing something like this." I said, and then I was starting to feel like I could make some peace with him just trying to throw me down the drain at this rate. And I was wondering if anything even fucking mattered now.

The entire time that I had been driving there, that was when I was seeing the boss looking at us, and he was vaguely smiling as he was seeing this. Probably thinking that there was a good chance that either we both die, or he and his business have one less monster to care about. Either way, my death, or the monsters death, was a win in his eyes, and I was well aware of this.

...

Scene 12: New Monster Hunting

Once Todd and I were at the lighthouse, I was taking a cigarette out, not really in the mood to be dealing with much else. "So Todd, how did the date with Maurecia even fucking go anyways? I mean, you were telling me it went well, but you never told me the details."

"It did go well. But I mean, there are more important things to worry about than a fucking date. I mean, there is nothing that I can do about it now." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, and I felt like I just needed to try and say more. But that I also knew it wouldn't be worth it.

"Whatever you say. I know that I am not really going to fucking get you to open up, no matter how much I might want to." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was clearly just not really thinking that his love life even fucking mattered anymore. And as he was showing this very clearly, I decided to leave the subject alone for the time being.

"Besides, even if that was the main thing that I was focused on, we are both dealing with this fucking monster shit right now. Can't really focus on a date when we are both having our safety on the fucking line." After he was telling me this, I was shrugging, feeling like this was a valid enough point, and not one I wanted to really argue.

"Before we were thinking too much longer, that was when we were seeing something coming out of the water. I was holding my eyes forward, suddenly interested in this. I was seeing Todd looking like he was now wanting to know more as well.

I was getting out of the car, and Todd was getting out as well. Both of us now suddenly aware that we needed to get into fucking fighting mode. I was looking right towards Todd, and I was wondering what in the world I would even say now.

When we were seeing what in the world this monster was, it was something like one of those monsters that you would see in those HP Lovecraft books. I was then pulling the gun out, and then Todd was heading to my car, as if wanting to grab something.

"I don't have that fucking dynamite dude. You need to just find something else to do right now." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was not really in the mood to hear what I was saying. He was then looking just utterly pissed.

I aimed the gun right at the monster, feeling that there was no reason to fucking hold back at all. I shot both eyes, and then I shot the leg. Todd was grabbing a knife that was there, and then he was shrugging, aware that this was all that he could.

The monster started to lunge towards the two of us, and then Todd started to get on his knees again. It annoyed me, but I was feeling his reaction did make some sense. Knowing that he was probably just aware that he was way in over his fucking head.

I then fired the gun again, and then the monster was stopping pursuing Todd, and then looked right at me once again. "Son of a bitch." I said, and then they started to just charge at me once again. They started to grab me a bit with their hands, which I hadn't shot yet.

Then with that, this was when Todd was running right towards the monster, with his knife, suddenly growing a lot more courage. I was glad to know that at least he was still willing to actually do what was supposed to be done. That he wasn't just leaving me alone.

He stabbed the monster right on the neck, and then started to drag the knife down the fucking neck. The monster started to scratch me once more, and then I was bringing the gun right to the forehead of the monster, and fired another bullet at its head, and then fired another two at different spots at it.

When the monster was dead, I was then looking at the ammunition, and realized that it was all gone. I needed to pick up more. Which I felt like would require me to go back to the Wilson casino. I looked at Todd, and I was wondering what he was planning on saying now.

"You know, I think one of these days, it is going to be safe to assume that one of us is going to fucking die by these monsters. And when that happens, I guess that maybe it was just sort of inevitable." After Todd was saying this, I was rolling my eyes. Not really in the mood to be joking around, and not really in the mood to be all that light here.

"I don't fucking even know if I care anymore. I mean, we are all going to die one day, right? I mean, I feel like maybe something like this should have been expected. But I guess that you don't really care." After I was saying this to him, I was shrugging, not too sure if any of what I was saying would be making what Todd felt any different at all. Or if he fucking cared.

I grabbed the camera, and then started to take a couple of pictures. When I was done, I shook my head, and then threw my camera in the fucking car. "They better take this as proof that we did our fucking joke." After I said that to him, I was shrugging, not even fucking caring anymore.

…

Scene 13: Best Friends

When we were done that night, I was starting to drive Todd home, feeling like I just needed to get him what he needed. Which was a new level of safety. I hated the fact that this whole thing had happened in the first place. "Can you bring me to Kevin's house? I want to hang out with my friend." After he was saying this to me, I looked at him, and I was shocked to hear him ask me this. But with that, I was feeling there was no reason to argue.

"What about what Sam made you promise earlier? Not telling Kevin anything that you had seen. I thought that you were going to fulfill that promise." I said, and then I was feeling like telling Todd this was just going to be mildly annoying the absolute shit out of this.

"I don't fucking care right now. Just bring me over. I have no interest in telling Kevin anything anyways. I feel like doing that would only be a waste of fucking time." After Todd said that, I was shrugging, feeling like there was no need to argue with him at all anymore.

As I was driving in the direction, I was feeling like nothing else even fucking mattered. "Todd, can you just promise me one thing? When you see Kevin, just do your best to have fun. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a lot of fucking fun." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to do this. But had a hard time really buying it at all.

"I fucking will. Does that make you feel better? Promising that no matter what happens, I will be having a lot of fun?" Todd asked, and he was seeming to be kind of annoyed with what I was saying. As we were at Kevin's door, Todd was leaving the car.

"You were the one that fucking told me that I need to be standing up for myself, and I feel like I need to fucking do this right now. No need to be saying that I can fucking do this, when I am not doing it yet. So this is exactly what you fucking want." After he was saying this, he went to the door, and then knocked on it, while waiting for Kevin to answer.

Eventually, Kevin answered the door. When he was seeing both Todd and I there, I was seeing him looking like he was mildly annoyed with what we were fucking doing. But then he shrugged, feeling like there was no need to be arguing with this at all.

"Hey guys, are you having a easy time finding everything that you need?" Sorry that I haven't been able to fucking help you so far. I just feel like if I tried to do something like this, I would only be making things much worse." Kevin was saying, hoping the honesty can make Todd and I appreciate his thoughts.

"It isn't because I want to lie to you. It is because I fucking have to. I feel like your safety is more important than anything else. Just understand that I wouldn't do this if it weren't for the fact that I feel like keeping you safe is the most important priority." After Todd said this, I was seeing that Kevin did not buy that for a damn second.

"I guess that there is no point in fighting this. You already made up your mind, and fighting it isn't going to be making things any different." After Kevin was telling me this, there was a moment of pure silence between the two of us.

"Besides, I am just glad to know that you guys are both doing well. That is something that I am always scared of when you two go out and act like you are the only ones that can make a difference. I just feel like perhaps I just need to be like you guys. Courageous, and actually doing what is right, and not what everybody is telling me to do." Kevin said, and I was seeing that he was clearly feeling fucking terrible for this right now.

"Kevin, I think that you probably need to know that at the end of the day, I am actually on Sam's side here. I feel like you need to fucking just see that your brother loves you more than you are ever fucking giving him credit for." After Todd said this to Kevin, he seemed like he was hardly even sure what he wanted to say anymore.

"I know that. I am not stupid. If you weren't, then you would be telling me everything that you have found. But I guess that maybe I am just too much of a fucking hassle to handle. The one fucking person who had only made things worse for everybody here. No need to even say this." Kevin said, and then he left the stairs, and then he was building several feet between him and Todd.

"Truth be told Todd, I wish that we could go back to the fucking days where we were no longer fighting each other. When we both just said what was going on here. I trusted you more than anybody else here. And now I am starting to see that maybe Sam was right. There is nobody to ever trust." Kevin said, and then he shrugged, not sure what to say.

I was realizing that when he was saying this to Todd, this was exactly reminding me of what I was like with Dakota. The two of us getting into so many fucking fights that the two of us were never really friends anymore. And I felt like I needed to just see my faults, as well as his.

"And besides, you are seeming to be truly happy with Jenny right now. Your happiness is more important than anything else. I feel like my happiness is not even really going to matter that much." Todd was saying, and then with that, there was nothing he could say to make the matter any better for anybody.

"Happy. I guess that I am. I believe that my happiness with Jenny is too good to pass up on. You are fucking right." Todd said, starting to feel much more confidence with what he was saying. No longer feeling like there was a need to be lying about the thoughts and feelings he had now.

And at that moment, I was feeling like when things got better, I was going to have to do whatever I could to get Dakota back on good terms with me. Even if it was apologizing (even if I did not mean it) for calling him a asshole. Even if it meant admitting I was a fucking dick.

…

Scene 14: Date Night

I was parking Todd at the site that he was going to be going on a date with Maurecia, and I was feeling like I just needed to say something to make him feel a whole lot better. "Todd, you are going to be going in there, and you are going to look like you are the most handsome man ever, and you are going to show her that you are not scared of what people might say about you." I said, and then Todd was looking at me, and I was seeing him looking at the headphone.

"What is that supposed to be for?" After Todd asked me this, I sighed, feeling like he was going to hate what I had fucking done. But I was pulling a piece of the headphone, and then I handed it to him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That is a piece that I can listen to your date. In case if I ever need to come back, and you are losing your fucking touch." I said, and then I was shrugging, and then I was seeing that Todd was completely unsure of what to fucking believe here.

"Okay. I mean, I might not really like it at all. But I guess that I just need to fucking take it. And besides, I would have suggested something like this anyways. And besides, you can do your own thing now." He was saying, and then I was shrugging, as he was leaving the car, simply not wanting to say much more to me.

Once Todd left the car, I was feeling so fucking happy with the work that he had been doing. I was then feeling like I needed to leave Todd alone, and that at this rate, knowing he was no longer working with the investigation with his father, I would just need him to be at least relatively fucking happy.

As I had been driving off, I was feeling like maybe I was needing to try and see what Emily might be feeling when I was seeing her once again. After all, Emily was probably needing to know at this point in time, for better or for worse, I was virtually having no intention on making this whole thing work.

As I was driving towards Emily's house, I was hearing Todd sounding like he was relatively more confident with what he had been doing. "Hey Maurecia, sorry I was a couple of minutes late. I just had some shit that I had to take care of."

"Better late than not showing up at all. You always seemed to try and run away from these things." Maurecia said, and I was seeing Todd clearly looking upset at this whole thing. Eventually, I was just shaking my head, and told myself that I needed to let Todd be taking care of things, without me constantly being worried about him here.

I parked the car at Emily's house, and then I knocked on her door. After a moment, she answered the door, and when she was seeing me, I was seeing how fucking pissed she really was here. "What the heck are you doing here?" She asked, clearly sounding like she was trying to hide how much I had really fucking hurt her.

"Emily, I was just thinking about how much of a fucking asshole I have been lately, and I have been thinking about the things that I could have done to make things different." I said, and I was seeing that Emily was still not really looking like she was buying what I had said.

"I think we have both been thinking for a while. The issues of you and me dating each other. I mean, I still like you. But I feel like you are too focused on other things to go on and see me. I mean, I do understand why you are doing what you are." She was telling me, and I was feeling like she was telling me the truth, and that was what was hurting me here.

"Emily, I still want to see if I could be able to work something out with you. I know that deep down, there is truth to what you are saying. And I fucking hate that. But I want to be able to make things right. I just want to see if something like this is even possible." I said, and then Emily was placing her hands on my shoulder.

"Sheldon, you are working hard on making this town the best place that people can live in again. You are somebody that I can truly trust. And I feel like that is something you need to take." After she was telling me this, I was sighing, and I wondered if I could even make her feel better.

"Yeah, but if I don't really have something to work with, then I feel like something like this isn't even fucking worth it anymore. People are never going to be giving me the credit for this. Mainly because I feel like there is nothing that I have done to make things better." I was telling Emily this, I was hoping that she would see what I was saying.

"You told me everything that you have been doing with Jamie, and I feel like you do have that person that you are fucking fighting for. I mean, I heard the story that you told me about her, and I appreciate the fact that's he was in your life, because she made you see the way that you needed to work on." After she said that to me, I was wanting to find more to say to her, to make her feel better.

I was then looking at my car, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and fucking fight, in order to make her see that I wanted to make her like me once again. "Emily, I know that I am a asshole here. I hope that I could have made things different. But I guess that you will never see that." I said, and then Emily was then not wanting to say much more to me.

"You are not an asshole. If you were one, you would have never gotten as many people to like you. But I think that in all honesty, you are not really somebody who is ready to be going around and dating people. I know you probably do not want to hear that. But I just feel like you need to look at yourself here." After she was telling me this, I was then feeling like there was not much that I could have done to make things different.

"Maybe you are right." I said, and then I was shaking my head, hating what I had fucking said. I didn't want to make myself see my faults for what it was. But then with that, I was feeling like she would never have forgiven me for the way that I talked with her, and I was thinking that I just needed to make my peace with this.

…

Scene 15: It's Done

A few hours later, Todd and I were sitting at the trunk of my car, and I was seeing that Todd was looking like he was wanting to find something else to say, to make me feel better. "Todd, did the date go well enough?" I asked, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was both happy, while also looking conflicted at the same time. I wondered what to say to him.

"Yeah. It all went down well enough. I mean, I am no longer thinking about my conflicting feelings towards Joy. I mean, I know that Joy never really liked me, and I am only thinking differently because I got to fucking know her." Todd said, and then I was sighing, wondering what to tell him.

"Yeah, you had a better date than what I was doing with Emily. I went to her house, and I was trying to make things up. But she was telling me that despite the fact that she had actually liked me a bit as a friend, she was thinking that dating was no longer going to fucking work out." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was seeming to kind of regret what I was saying.

"I mean, I guess that something like this might have worked. I mean, I was thinking that at the end, a relationship between the two of you guys was probably not going to fucking work. I mean, I feel like maybe that is something I need to see with Maurecia. But I wanted to just give this a fucking chance." After Todd said that to me, I was sighing, not really sure what to tell him.

"I know that it was probably never going to be practical. But in all honesty, I was hoping that the two of us would be able to make something work. But I feel like maybe I was a fucking idiot for ever thinking this could have turned out well." After I was admitting this, I was feeling heart broken for admitting the fact that this could never work out.

"I still feel like every time I see Joy, there is a small part of me that feels like I just need to try and make things right with her. But I feel like she wouldn't want to hear any of it. I know that I might have been a dick. But I thought that I could make things work." Todd was saying, and then I was wondering what I would even be able to say to make things any different.

"I have no fucking idea what in the world I can tell her. I just feel like maybe I can tell her that maybe I wished things would have worked out in a better world. I mean, maybe she would be willing to hear something like this. It would at least show her my interest in making things work." After Todd said that to me, I was shaking my head, feeling like he wouldn't fucking get it.

"I mean, I am not going to fucking stop you from doing whatever you want. I think however that no matter what happens, you need to remember that you are already fucking committing with Maurecia." After I was telling him this, Todd looked at me, and I was seeing him annoyed at the fact that I had said this to him in such a matter of fact way.

"I know Sheldon. I do not need you to be telling me this. I need to just fucking say something to Joy though. You know, fucking closure or something like that. That is all that I want to do. Just give myself and her both some fucking closure. I mean, Joy and I was feeling like I was getting Joy to like me a bit more.

"And besides, I feel like you are not really the man who should be giving me advice on dating, when you were the one who was forced to break things off with your girlfriend. So I feel like maybe that is what you just need to remember." After Todd was telling me this, I then felt like he was being a asshole.

"Sheldon, do you feel like you are going to try and fucking get her back? I mean, I hope that at the end of the day, I would be there, and supporting you for your issues." After she was telling me this, I looked at her, and I was not really in the mood to hear this.

"I don't think so. It is done, and I am glad to hear her tell me that she respects me as a fucking friend. And I suppose that this is going to be fucking fine. I just think that there is no reason to be fighting something that we can't change." I said, and I was shrugging, hoping that saying this to Todd would get him to open up a little bit.

"Okay. Fine. I was just hoping that I would be able to at least offer to fucking help you out a bit. But it seems like you already made your fucking choice on the matter." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying to change the entire situation.

I was getting in my car, feeling like I was needing to start heading back home, feeling there was no need to be fighting anymore. "Sheldon, what are you fucking doing?" Todd asked, clearly not wanting to get off the trunk. I was trying to hide his annoyance at this.

"I am just thinking about how much I fucking mess up, and I feel like the stuff that Dakota was saying was true. What is labyrinth isn't really real, and what I am just getting delusional here. You know, I feel like I need to at least consider what he was saying. As much as I would hate it." I said, and then I was really having no idea what to tell him.

"You know that Dakota is just using this as an excuse to not fucking deal with the shit that is clearly right in front of us. He refuses to take things seriously, and I feel like that is his fucking fault." After he was telling me this, I was shrugging, and I was taking a cigarette out, holding onto my annoyance.

"I know that is true. But I want to fucking believe that Dakota might be telling the truth. You know, if he was right, and this was all not really there, then I guess that there is some fucking hope now." After I said that to him, I knew that what I was saying was bullshit.

"Just make sure the next girlfriend you have doesn't get involved in the investigation. Just keep her safe. But I feel like you probably already know that." Todd said, and I was not really in the mood to hear him lecturing me like this at all. Knowing that he was just trying to tell me off. And in all honesty, I was not really in the mood.

…

Scene 16: Running Out Of Ideas

Feeling that Todd deserved better than to deal with me constantly running around with no fucking plan, I was feeling like I just needed to see what Todd would fucking have. "I will admit, for once, I am completely fucking lost, and I was hoping that you would be able to fucking give me some fucking idea." I said, and then I was seeing Todd shocked to hear me just throwing the hat to him.

"I want to fucking talk to Jimmy White again. I know that it is a waste of time, so you do not need to be telling me this. But I feel like I need to just take the fucking chance." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking at him, and I was wondering what his point was here.

"Okay, if you want to fucking do this, then I will not stop you. I don't fucking agree though." I said, and then I looked right at him, hoping that he would actually take what I was saying into some form of consideration. Todd looked like he was just happy to hear me actually give him a chance here.

"Thank you Sheldon. I know that you clearly are not thinking that this whole thing will work. But I don't really fucking care. I feel like I just need to give it a chance." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, and I was feeling like there was no reason to be fighting this.

I was then starting to drive towards the mayors hall, knowing that Jimmy was planning on meeting up with my father that night, and I was hoping that I could find him there, and that he would actually be willing to fucking talk with me here.

"Damn it Sheldon, if he is talking to your father, then of course he is not going to be giving us any information. He will want to impress your father more than anything else." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking at him, and I was hardly fucking caring at all.

"I know that you do not like the fucking idea. But I hardly fucking care. I feel like I have no fucking choice on the matter. If you don't like it, then I feel like I can understand." I said, hoping that saying this would be making Todd feel better. But then he was shrugging, and seemed to not be in the mood to hear this.

"And I know that it is best to just not fucking argue with you on this. I just hope that you know what you are fucking doing." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, and I was feeling like virtually nothing we could do would make things any different.

Before long, we were parking the car in the front of the mayor hall, and I was walking out of the car. Todd left with me, and we were inside of the office. As we were looking, we saw that both Jimmy White and my father were talking. "So you guys are finally seeming to fucking make up? Is that something that is for the best?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to pester him a bit here.

"Is this your new friend that you have been hanging out with?" My father asked, and I was seeing him looking like he was kind of unsure of what the hell to say. Probably feeling like one of us was going to be a really bad influence on the other one, and had no idea what to say.

"Yeah, and he has been wanting to help me figure shit out much more than you or anybody else have been able to do. If you do not like it, then you should have thought about what you were getting ourselves into." I said, and I was seeing my father looking like he was fucking furious at the way that I was acting here.

"Sheldon, I am getting tired of this shit. You are aware that I need to fucking do my job, and you keep throwing my credit away. And I am really starting to lose my cool with this." My father was saying, and then he was looking at Todd, and I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to pretend like there was no fucking issue with what was going on.

"Sorry. We will have this discussion with you later. We do not need to be having this talk when I am in the middle of a job, and you are with your friend. But regardless, what are you doing here anyways?" He asked, clearly just trying to pretend like this was something that he was all cool with.

"Dad, I was wanting to get to know a bit more about Sherman Peabody. I was hoping that you would be able to give me some fucking clue on what I could do here." I said, and then I was seeing my father looking like he was kind of annoyed with the fact that I had asked him this.

"Sherman Peabody is a dying man. We expect that he has at most three months left. Not to be shocking when you are ninety nine years old." After my father said that to me, I was shocked over the fact that he was that old. But I decided to not say anything else.

"Okay, I was not really going for that. But I guess that I can be shocked at how old that guy fucking is." I said, feeling like there was no other way to fucking say it. But then with that, I was feeling like I just needed to get back on the fucking point.

"Did he have any children to take the business over for him? You know, the whole infertility clinic?" I asked, and then I was seeing that my father was looking like he was really fucking sad at this question. Probably not wanting to discuss this much further. But then he decided to just get to the point.

"Yeah, he had a son. A son named Dexter. He was one of my friends when I was growing up. But that is not really something that I like to talk about." After my father was telling me this, I was shocked to hear him say something like this. Thinking of something else, but decided to just not say much.

"Why did you never fucking tell me about Dexter? You know that I would have never fucking judged you for something like this." I said, and then my father was looking like he was kind of upset with the way that I was saying this right now.

"Dude, I don't want to talk about it. It was one of the worst things I ever had to deal with. Our falling out. That is why I am so fucking worried about what is going on with you and Dakota. I do not want to see you having a falling out with him." After he was saying this, I was looking at Jimmy White, and I was hoping he would vouch for, or deny, what my father was saying.

"Tell me what my father is saying is true or not. I feel like I need to fucking know." I said, and then I was seeing Jimmy looking like he was slightly upset with what I was saying. I was then seeing that my father was clearly looking like he was no longer in the mood for this.

"What do I have to do in order for you fucking finally trust me? You are getting too deep into this fucking war path for you to see that I am not fucking lying to you." My father was saying, and I was seeing him looking like he wanted to say more, but then just remained silent.

"I just feel like I need to be utterly certain. You were the one that told me that I should look at all the facts before I finally make a choice. So you don't get to be upset at the fact that I was saying this." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I saw that my father was regretting everything he had said.

"You really know how to ruin everything that I have ever said. But I guess that you have a good ability to do something like this. With your way of always making a case out of nothing." After my father was telling me this, I was then looking right at Todd, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to be telling him.

"Thank you for your time. I will try and reach out to you later Jimmy. I have something to ask you relating to Todd's father." I said, and then I was leaving, already making theories on Dexter, and wondering if they might have been true here.

But in order for me to be certain, I was feeling like I just needed to talk to Brad, and see what he might know. Since he was always somebody who would actually be willing to talk to us.

…

Scene 17: Harold's Love Life

I was at Harold's house again, feeling like as much as it might have been a bit of a terrible idea to speak to him, I was sincerely feeling like there was no fucking choice on the matter. I just had to fucking see what he had doing.

I was seeing from the look on Harold's face that he was clearly not in the mood to be having this discussion. "You are going around and causing a lot of trouble for my fucking father. I mean, I know that deep down a lot of the shit that you are doing is true. But that doesn't make it any less annoying." After Harold was telling me this, I was smiling, knowing that I was finally getting him to talk here.

"Your father has been giving himself some fucking trouble. I am just doing what I have to in order to fucking give Todd my full on support." I said, and I was seeing Harold just wanting to hate me. But having nothing else to argue with.

"Honestly, I just want to know what you are seriously doing here? I am having Jackie coming towards me all the fucking time, and harassing me to fucking tell her what you have been doing. There is only so many times I can fucking cover for you before I eventually have no choice but to just tell her the truth." Harold said, and I was feeling like I just needed to see where he was coming from.

"I am sorry that I am making things worse for your father. I just wanted to help you guys, and I was thinking that your father, even if you don't want to say so, was a perfect candidate for figuring out what the fucking hell is going on." I said, and I was seeing that Harold was wanting to fight more. But then he just simply felt like giving up on this fight.

"The thing is that deep down, I feel like I do sort of see what you are fucking saying. But that doesn't mean that I want anything to fucking do about it. I just feel like I still love my father, despite all the shit that is going on here." After he was telling me this, I sort of knew the fact that he was kind of fucking broken.

"I do see what you mean, I remember what it is like with my father. I mean, he has done a lot of shit that I fucking hate. But at the same time, I feel like I just need to trust him, and I need to fucking give him a chance here. And I am always finding some fucking excuses to justify the shit that he has been doing." I said, knowing that what I was making a shit show out of my way of trying to make things slightly less horrible for Harold and everybody else involved.

"Yeah, if that is the case, then I think you need to fucking see what your issues are. You are just making things much worse for everybody involved. I mean, I am not going around and publicly judging your father for shit that he has been doing." Harold said, and I was feeling like I just needed to let him have his fucking moment, as much as it was pissing me off.

"I mean, I am trying to give you a chance to be happy with Jackie. I mean, I see that you clearly like her a whole lot, and I feel like you deserve something better." I said, and then I was seeing that Dakota was clearly looking like he was wanting to find more to say to make me feel better.

"Jackie. I mean, I want to really settle down with her. I mean, I know that I am sounding silly when I fucking say this, but I really do love her so far. And I want to do whatever it takes to make sure that she is truly fucking happy. I want her to see that I fucking care about her so fucking deeply that there is no fucking way to go around it." After Dakota was telling me this, I was shrugging, feeling there was nothing else to say.

"How did you even get yourself with her in the first place?" I asked, and then Harold was sighing, feeling there was no need to be hiding what had been happening now. I saw him deeply considering what I was even fucking saying in the first place.

"I mean, I just saw her at the start of the school. And she was looking like she was just no longer the fucking preppy girl that people had seen her ass. And I wanted to see if I could help her get used to the school." He said, and then I was shrugging, thinking that he was probably thinking that I was being a asshole.

"I mean, you felt the same way with Jamie. I mean, I remember when you brought her over. You knew that she was something special. I remembered thinking that you were something special when I started to hang out with you all those years ago." He said, and I was wondering if he was saying that he no longer thought that I was.

"Did I do something wrong? I mean, if that is the case, then I guess that maybe I should have thought about what I was doing." I said, and then I was seeing that my friend was clearly looking slightly annoyed with what I had been saying.

"No, it's just that I never thought you would be as determined, strong, and assertive as you are. But that proves that my theories are fucking true." After Harold was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like I just needed to take the compliment, knowing this was as best as I could get.

…

Scene 18: Explaining to Jackie

As I left Harold that night, I was feeling that I just needed to try and see Jackie once again, feeling like I just needed to see what he was thinking here. I felt like whatever I could say to Jackie wouldn't make things any better. But I was feeling that maybe things could fucking work out.

I drove to the house that Harold told me she lived at, and then when I was seeing her leave the building, I saw her looking confused as all hell what I was even fucking doing here. "What the hell Sheldon? I never expect to see you here of all places." She said, clearly annoyed with what had been going on. I shook my head, feeling like I just needed to be much more safe here.

"I was wanting to just talk for a bit, and maybe just clear some fucking things up. I mean, I was also just wanting to apologize for everything. You know, for the fact that I was bringing Harold into all of this, and that I feel like you deserve to truly be happy with him. Something I am taking your chance away from." I said, and I was seeing Jackie was clearly just trying to see what my point was.

"I mean, I appreciate the sentiment. But the truth is that I feel like deep down, Harold would have probably agreed to get involved in this regardless. He always felt like he needed to help you anyways. And I always appreciated the fact that it seemed like you were always able to bring out the good will in him." Jackie said, and I was wanting to just remain silent and calm.

"And that is why I feel like I just made your time much worse. I mean, I understand what it is like to try and fucking be in love, and then something keeps coming along, and screwing this whole thing over. So I feel like I just needed to kind of open up with you." I said, feeling that everything that I could say would make the situation at least start to kind of calm him down.

"Well, I do appreciate the fact that you were feeling like you needed to fucking try and come out to me about the issue. I mean, I know that it must be rough to admit when you make some mistakes." After Jackie told me that, I suddenly started to feel so much better about everything that had been going on here.

"Besides, I mean, I know that Harold trusts you a lot, and I feel like that trust is well earned. So I wanted to just clear that up with you. Let you know that even if you do not see it, Harold really fucking likes you a lot, and wants to see you happy." I said, and then I was feeling like admitting this to her would just start to make things better for everybody.

"Thank you for saying that. I was always scared that he didn't really like me. I mean, I know that he wasn't dating for the popularity, as there are so many people he could have gone to if that was his intention. But in all honesty, I was scared of the fact that there was still personal gain." She said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like I was sort of seeing her point of view on the subject.

"I mean, I don't know what he could have wanted with you." I said, and despite this, I was already having a fear of what she might have mentally meaning with what she was saying, and I was feeling disgusted at what she was probably lightly meaning.

"Jackie, take it from me even if you do not believe anybody else, but Harold would never do anything that would hurt you. He loves you too much, and he has been working hard with me to destroy this fucking business. I think you just need to calm down, and remember that I would never even let something like this happen no matter what." I was telling Jackie, hoping to make he feel so much better about what was happening here.

"I guess that I do need to give you some fucking credit. After all, to a almost annoying degree, you have been very open about not letting anybody get involved in what is happening here. So I guess that I do need to just trust you." She was saying, and I was feeling like hearing her tell me all of this was just making things a million times better for everybody.

"I mean, I know that I have never been super popular with people here. You know, people always thinking that I am the looney guy. But you need to know that Harold was one of the first person to truly believe in me. He became friends with me when it was clear that I was not the guy who would give him fame." I said, thinking about how in all honestly, he was probably the only person there for me now.

"I heard a lot about you. I mean, I never really took you for the biggest guy who could be making things right. But when I hear you talking to Harold, and how every conversation turns into you trying to get the job done. Even if it can be wildly annoying to deal with, I know that I can trust you fully." After Jackie said that, I was happy to hear her trust me.

"Sorry if it annoys you. I just felt like there was no fucking choice if I wanted the job fucking done. You know, when you are desperate, you got to do whatever you fucking can to give you any leverage on the matter." I said, and then Jackie smiled, and I was seeing that at the end of the day, she was just too happy to finally know that no matter what was happening, Harold really did love her, and it was not a fucking ploy.

…

Scene 19: It'll Never Be Okay

I was at Joy's house again, by her request, and I was unsure of what she was wanting to discuss with me. But in all honesty, I was feeling like I needed to just hear what she was wanting to tell me. Especially since in all honesty, I felt like I needed to hear her perspective.

When she answered, she was clearly much happier to see that I was here once again. "Sheldon, I am so fucking glad to hear you here. I was feeling like I just needed to have somebody at my side. Just to fucking talk with me." After she was telling me this, she started to head to my car. "Mezmer's please." She said, and I was feeling there was no need to argue.

After all, she knew that she was either going to die, or go missing soon, so she can have all the fucking burgers that she wanted, and I was feeling there was no need to fucking argue with it. Once at the restaurant, we went inside, and she made her order. "Sheldon, I want to just know that people actually fucking care about me enough to see my well being work." She said, and then I was wondering what I could even say to her.

"And the thing is that I know that I am not going to be safe here. I think we both fucking know that no matter what you fucking do, I am gone. I feel like when I just try and put on the presentation that I am going to be fucking happy, there is no truth to that." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, seeing what she was meaning.

"Joy, I wished that I would be able to help you out. I mean, I feel like at the end of the day, when it all settles down, everything is going to be fine." I said, and I was aware that we both knew that was a load of shit. But I was feeling like I just needed to say something in order to make her feel better.

"We both know that things are not going to be okay. We both fucking know that I am going to be fucking scared, and that I am going to fucking die. I just wish that I had the courage to go on and ask my father, and ask him why he fucking did this. I just felt like if I could do that, then I would be happier." After Joy was telling me this, I saw her looking like she was just utterly fucking over this.

"How do you feel like you are going to fucking reach out to him? I mean, I can be there with you, and you can talk with him about what is going on?" After I was telling her this, she was shaking her head. She was aware that no matter what I was telling her, there was nothing to do to make things any different.

"I mean, I feel like if I have Todd or you with me, then I feel like I will have the courage to fucking tell him what is going on with me. I mean, I feel like sooner or later, when I have the conversation with him, then things are going to be better." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, and I was feeling like I just needed to hear her perspective here.

"Then I will tell Todd what is going on, and when you feel like you are ready to talk with him about what is happening, then come to us, and we will give you everything that we can. I believe that once we work something out, everything will be better." I said, and then I was seeing her looking like she was clearly not in the mood to hear what I was saying.

"Thank you at least hearing what I am saying. I mean, for fucks sake, when I hear what everybody is telling me, I am just scared as hell what everybody is even going to tell me. I mean, I feel like when you guys are with me, then everything is going to turn around, and become much better." Joy was telling me, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to be saying to her, to make her feel any better at all.

"I mean, I feel like no matter what happens, you need to have somebody at your side. Who can fucking help you guys out all the time." I said, and then I was shrugging, not really sure what in the world I even wanted to be saying now. "I mean, I just know that you are in pain, and that you need to have somebody who understands your fucking pain." I said, and then I was wondering if Joy would actually hear what I had been telling her.

"I don't even know what to think. I mean, if everybody wanted to fucking help me, then they would be more willing to discuss things with me. But I feel like you and I need to just talk certain things out." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, and I knew that nothing I could say would make things any different at all.

"I feel like I am starting to slowly fall in love." Joy said, and then she was starting to smile for a few seconds. "I mean, I know that it sounds silly to say. But I feel like I can finally start to be at peace with certain things going on around me." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding at this, feeling the need to let her have her moment.

…

Scene 20: The Confession

The next day, I was feeling like I just needed to try and find a way to make him feel a whole lot better about what was going on. Todd was just looking like he was clearly a bit annoyed with the way that I had been feeling. "Todd, I wanted to ask you something about Joy right now." I said, and then Todd was looking right at me, and he was kind of annoyed with this. Annoyed with the fact that I was considering him to be the one who could set things right.

"What the fucking hell am I even going to fucking do to help you out? I mean, I feel like you need to remember that Joy doesn't really like me all that much anymore." After Todd was asking me this, I was rubbing my eyes, not sure what I could tell him.

"I don't fucking know. She was telling me that she was going to grow the courage to fucking grow the need to talk to her dad. And I want to find a way for her to finally feel comfortable with something like this. But in all honesty, I feel like since she knows you far more, I feel like you need to just be the one for her right now." After I was telling him this, I shrugged for a second.

"I mean, I guess I can sort of see what in the world I might be able to fucking get out of this. But I feel like there is nothing that will even make this fucking worth it." After Todd was telling me this, I was placing my hands on his shoulder, and I was wanting him to grow the courage to be able to fix things up with her.

"I mean, I am scared that if I tried to talk to her, she might never want to speak to me anymore." Todd was telling me, he sat down. "I mean, I feel like her mother is going to fucking kick the bucket before she will. I mean, as terrible as that sounds, I feel like we just need to remember to keep things calm and collected with her for now." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking at him, unable to believe that he had said that.

"But what do you think Joy would fucking want in the first place? Do you feel like she would want to keep her fucking mother safe? I think you just need to fucking see that before you say anything." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was not even fucking giving the most minute level of a shit possible.

"I don't know what Joy would fucking want. I think that you probably know more about her desires than anything else." Todd was telling me this, and I was considering what he was saying, and I wondered why the general point was.

"Joy was telling me that she was starting to fall in love. I feel like something like this is a really fucking obvious sign that she wants you to fucking come along, and keep her safe. She trusts you more than anybody else here, and I feel like you need to just show her that even if you do not love her romantically, that you do care about you as a friend." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was kind of calming down on the issue a bit more.

"Oh shit. Oh my fucking god. I do not want her to fucking love me. I don't deserve something like that. I don't deserve the love of the woman who is going to fucking die in a few days. But I feel like if this is the case, the maybe I might be able to give her this." After Todd was telling me this, I wondered what in the world I could even fucking say now.

"Sheldon, if that is the case, then I guess that I might have to fucking just go to her. Tell her the fact that this is not what she deserves. But I guess that at this time, there is nothing that I can do to make things different." Todd just simply didn't understand what to fucking believe at this rate.

"Just tell her that at the end of the day, even if you do not fucking love her, tell her that you will be there at her parents house. You will help her confront her father, and you will be there at her side when things get much worse." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to step up for her own fucking sake.

"Can you at least be at my side if this actually does fucking go down? Just stay at my side, and we can perhaps make this whole thing work out." After Todd was saying this to me, I was sighing, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to tell him.

"I can do that. I mean, I might not be able to have all the answers here. But I can certainly at least fucking try. I mean, no matter how much things might be making it worse, you are the one friend who I am going to do everything in my power to fix the issues here." I said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was clearly trying to feel better about what I saying. But then he decided against saying anything at all.

"Thank you. I mean, I have no idea how to feel about that. But I guess that I can fucking deal with it for now." After Todd was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he was just relatively fucking tired about all the shit that was going." Todd said, and with that, I was glad to be seeing him feeling so like he would finally trust me for once.

…

Scene 21: The Property Purchases

Todd and I were at the Wilson house once again, wondering what remote chance there would be that we would be able to see Harold here, and if he was going to help us at all. I knew that he probably would not be, but I was feeling like at this point in time, I just needed to give everything a fucking try.

Once at the front parking lot, we were seeing Mr. Wilson there, and he was looking furious at us, and I was feeling like this was making some fucking sense. Considering the fact that he was still thinking that I was working with him, and the other people in black.

"Harold isn't here right now. And even if he was, why the fucking hell are you wasting your fucking time here right now? You need to be going around, and helping the fucking people at the monster hunting. That is what your job is supposed to be." After he was telling me this, I was shaking my head, since in all honesty, I was not in the mood.

"I want to see if you would be willing to help me out with some other things. After all, you are working with my father right now, and I feel like I need as much help as I can fucking get when it comes to figuring this shit out." I said, and then I was looking right at Harold's father, wondering if he would listen to me.

"Whatever fucking business I have with your father needs to be between him and me. You do not get to come here, and fucking demand that I do things different. Especially when I do not get in your business on what you do with my son. Despite me fucking vehemently disagreeing with every fucking aspect of what you are doing." After he was telling me this, I was looking at him, wondering why he was so insistence on driving a hard ass bargain.

"Well, maybe it is because I am having your son see the proper ways of how to be a good person, and eventually run a fucking company properly. After all, you don't really seem like you fucking care for anything besides your own fucking reputation." I said, and then I was seeing that he was looking extremely fucking pissed at the way that I had said that to him.

"Don't you fucking dare try and fucking say that shit about me. After all, I am the one who is doing everything that I can to make sure that all the property purchases that I have made will be going towards the homeless of the town. You might not like the fact that I care more about the issues than the fucking need to find random girls. But I know what I am fucking doing is the best road for everybody here." After he was telling me this, I was wondering why he was even saying this.

"I need to talk to your son, and I don't fucking care if you don't fucking like it at all." I said, and then Harold's father was very clearly holding his patience back, and I was seeing him wanting to say more. But having no idea what to do to make his fucking point.

"I don't know what you even think you are getting out of this. Acting like my fucking son is better off with you than the man who has been running the entire section of the town for several years. And regardless, you and I both have jobs that we need to do. And arguing over the details about it isn't going to help out. There are some things, the monsters, that you know your shit on better than me. And keep it just fucking that." He said, and then I was sighing, not really in the mood to hear it.

"I just feel like since we both know that Harold is taking the company over, that he needs to be with people who will care about his well being. People who actually have been fighting for everything he has been doing this whole time." I said, and then I was shrugging for a split second.

"If you are trying to indicate to me that I am not going to be there, helping my own kid out, then I feel like you are not understanding how important this business really fucking is." Harold's father said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was just trying to hide his clear discomfort about what is going on.

"See, you are bringing the business into this. You only fucking care about the money, and you don't seem to realize that doing this is going to get your son to hate you. And then beyond that, he will start doing things in an entirely different way as a way to oppose you." I said, and then I was simply shrugging for a moment.

I was seeing from the look of pure anger on his face, the look of feeling like I betrayed him in a degree, that he wanted nothing to do with this. I was wanting to fucking fight him, but I was feeling like I had already won. He cared about the business and inheritance more than his child, and his silence showed it.

I then got in the car, and then I was driving off. "Hopefully you see how much of a piece of shit you really are. Hopefully before your son follows in your footsteps." I said, and then I was driving off, and then I was seeing Todd get in the car, probably just desperate to pretend like he didn't see something really uncomfortable, and like he didn't see me basically try to throw this man down even more than I already had. As we drove off, I was feeling so much better about what was going on now.

…

Scene 22: Hating Us

Todd and I were at Jenny's house, and I was feeling like the fact that Todd was requesting something like this was bothering me a bit. In all honesty, I was convinced that whatever Todd was convinced we were going to get out of this, would be fucking nothing.

I was seeing that Jenny was fucking furious at the two of us being here, and I was feeling like whatever the fucking hell she was wanting to fucking tell me, I needed to be fucking more careful here. "What the fucking hell do you want to talk to me about? You know that I gave you a fucking request, and you guys are still not fulfilling it." Jenny said, and then Todd was feeling like he was just trying to find something to say now.

"Jenny, we are fucking here to make sure that nothing fucking happens to you. I mean, Kevin isn't here right now, so I feel like we just need to be much more careful." Todd was saying, and he was seeing that Jenny was still looking like she was not in the mood to be hearing this at all.

"I mean, I wish that he was here right now. I know that in all honesty, he is the only one that truly fucking cares about me anymore. When I see you guys, and you guys have never fucking have the answers, I just start to wonder if you guys are the worst fucking friends in the world." After Jenny was telling me this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to get defensive.

"I don't fucking want to hear this Jenny. You are the one going around and fucking telling us we suck when we have been working our fucking asses off every single day here, and the other friends have been the ones refusing to get any fucking answers. Hell even fucking Kevin isn't finding anything, and you are giving him a fucking pass." Todd was saying, clearly over hearing the bullshit here.

"You made a promise, and you haven't fucking fulfilled it. I thought that I would fucking trust you with the shit that you have told me. And now that I am seeing that you have given me nothing, then I just can't even fucking look at you guys anymore. At least Kevin didn't give me any fucking false promises." After Jenny was telling the two of us this, I was sort of seeing what her perspective on the issue was. As much as I fucking hated it.

"Jenny, I understand that you are upset here. But please don't fucking bring Todd into this. I mean, I was the one who started to work with those men in black. I feel like I should be the one you fucking hate if you want to target anybody." I said, hoping to give Todd at least a bit of a break from the issues that was going on.

"I mean, you have no idea how hard it is to focus, and try to do what the right thing is, when you are starting to get into various drugs. I mean, I tried that heroin one time. And as much as I fucking hate it, I can't get myself away from this." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Jenny looking like she was considering what I had been saying right now.

"Sheldon, why the fucking hell are you even doing something like this in the first place. You must have known that something like this was a bad fucking idea." After Jenny was telling me this, I was sort of slowly nodding, feeling like I could sort of see what she had been saying. I wanted to fight her. But I had no way to fucking do so.

"I fucking hate you guys! You gave me hope that you guys have not fucking fulfilled on. I wished that I could show how much you guys are fucking hurting me." Jenny was saying, and I was aware of the fact that what she was saying as genuinely fucking true. I knew that there was no way in the world I could fucking argue with her.

"Jenny, you must understand that I want to fucking find the truth right now. You need to see that when you get angry at us like this, you are basically accusing us of not even fucking caring about what you feel." Todd was telling Jenny, feeling like he needed to try so fucking hard to defend himself. But had no idea what to get to say as a way to get deeper into it all.

"Just leave me alone. I feel like when you finally learn everything, and learn why the fucking monster Mr. Wilson killed my fucking mother, than I want nothing to do with any of this. I am fucking tired of this shit." She was saying, and in the moment, there was nothing else to fucking say now. She made her fucking point, and there was no way to change it.

"Jenny, I don't want you to think that I am the worst friend in the entire world. I really am not, and I feel like you need to fucking understand that by saying this, you are making things much worse than you already are." Todd was telling her, trying so fucking hard to get her to see that this was hurting her too much.

"Just fucking stop. I am starting to think that my father was right about you guys. That I made a giant mistake opening up to you guys as much as I have. I have no other fucking way to tell you this." She said, and then with that, Todd was holding his fist back, and I was seeing he was one second away from snapping at her. But then he left, and I was just thinking that I needed to remain silent, and not get in her way of feeling this.

…

Scene 23: Mr. White

Early the next day, before my shift started, I was finally feeling like I needed to try and speak to Jimmy White again. This time, I was going to fucking force him to tell me what had been going down. I was feeling like whatever he was going to tell me now, I needed to take it for what it was.

I was at his office in Lazarus headquarters, and I was walking right inside. Once I was inside this time, I was seeing Jimmy looking like he was clearly annoyed with my mere presence here. Probably thinking that I was here to annoy the shit out of him, and make something out of literally nothing. I was smiling, thinking that there was a good chance that what he was thinking would be right.

"Sheldon, I think you know that your father does not want you here at all. So what are you planning on doing right now?" After he was asking me this, I was sighing, and I was sitting down, not really wanting to handle him speaking like this. He took a cigar out, cut the top off with the cigar cutter, and then started to smoke it a bit.

"I know that my father doesn't want this. And in all honesty, I don't fucking care what my father fucking wants. He will have to accept the fact that I am doing this, and if he doesn't like it, he should have come to me here." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure what else to say now.

"I want to know if my father knows anything about Todd's potential adoption." I said, and then Jimmy was laughing as I was telling him this, as if finding my statement to be utterly hilarious, and thinking I was being a idiot the whole time I looked at this.

"Oh my god, that guy does not know when to fucking let it go? I thought that he would have realized that this was just a part of life. But yeah, I might know a bit about that. What's it to you?" After he asked me this, I was sighing, feeling like I just needed to give him a truly honest answer for once.

"My friend hasn't been able to focus on our goals as much. You know, trying to find out what happened to the missing girls. He has been focused on this far more than anything else." I said, hoping that my bullshit attitude was going to be slightly getting him to budge on his way of speaking to me.

"Then maybe that is a sign that you shouldn't be looking too deeply into this. Maybe you should be going out there, and enjoying the summer, and seeing that people are trying their best to work this out without you needing to be so fucking scared of all that is happening." He said, and then he was smiling a fake ass smile.

"I want to help my friend out. Can you just fucking tell me if he was adopted or not, and if he was, who were his biological parents? I can tell him, and then I can fucking leave you alone forever. That is all that I fucking want." I said, and then I was seeing him looking tired at my approach here.

"Yeah, I can confirm that his parents that he lives with aren't exactly his. But I am assuming that even if you try to tell him, Todd wouldn't want to fucking hear it. He will want to hear it from his daddy." Jimmy said, and then I was standing up, and I was increasingly not in the mood to be hearing his bullshit. Knowing that he was just trying to get a reaction out of me.

"Who are his real parents? I think we both know he looks a lot like the guy who started this whole charade." I said, referring to Sherman, and I was seeing that Jimmy was looking slightly uncomfortable with the way that I had mentioned this. Probably thinking that I was much smarter than he was thinking that I really was.

And in all honesty, I was getting a immense level of joy for seeing him fucking freak out, and know that I was starting to fucking get on his case here. I was seeing that he wanted to fight with me. "Yeah, I mean, that is true. And what do you think would happen if I was willing to let your father know that you have been coming here, and you have been coming to me about your friends information." After he was telling me this, I sighed, and I was feeling like he was kind of giving me a lot to fucking think about.

"I think that if my father knew the truth, then he would be fucking furious. Is that what you want to fucking admit? That I am going against my fathers wishes by doing this? But I will let you know that I will do what I fucking must. You know, sometimes there is no real choice but to fucking do what I have been doing." I said, and then I was wondering if Jimmy White was actually going to be going through with his threat here.

"See, and that threat is why you need to think things out before you get yourself into fucking trouble. Because when you run around, and you just feel like you are taking on the entire world, you are not clearly thinking about what I can do in return." After Jimmy was telling me this, I rubbed my eyes, wondering what the hell I could even say.

"You got the information you fucking needed. You won. I think that at this rate, you don't really need to be fucking getting in my way anymore. You found out the truth of your friend. So you have one warning now, to fucking leave." He said, and then with that, I was sighing, knowing when to count my fucking losses.

"Fine. You're right. I got what I fucking needed. Just be happy that I am not wanting to fight with you right now." I said, and then with that, I left the room, and I was no longer in the mood to be dealing with any of the shit that he was putting me through. Especially when he had made his fucking point.

…

Scene 24: Affair

I was in the mayors office when the office was closed. I had managed to do this by stealing my fathers key when he was busy down stairs, and I was driving right towards there, before he would even be able to notice that I had left without at least consulting him first.

Once I was inside the office, I was going right to my fathers room, and I was just hoping that no matter what happened, my father wasn't going to fucking hate what I had been doing. I was hoping that he was going to know that I really had no fucking choice on the matter. And that I would have never done it if he had just simply told me.

I opened up the drawers, and I was seeing a picture of my father when he was much younger. He was with a man who was probably two or three years younger than him. Red head, with glasses on. They were both laughing their asses off, and clearly were having the time of their lives.

When I was looking down at a piece of paper, and when I was reading the paper, it was all referring to this Dexter guy. It was telling something about how he had two twin sons that were given to Sherman's adoption agency. And when I was reading this, I was at least starting to theorize that perhaps this might have been Brad's dad.

I was then feeling like if my father had known this all from the start, then perhaps I would just ask him if one of Dexter's children were sent to the Carbunkle family. That was becoming the main thing in my mind. But if I asked him, then he would probably instantly be aware that I was breaking his trust.

Then with that, I was seeing that there was a picture of my father with a blonde girl,who was kissing him in the cheeks. It clearly wasn't my mother, due to the fact that my mom had red hair, which was why Riley had red hair, and I had black hair.

But he was looking like he was getting ready for a job, and she had stopped him on his way out, and gave him that kiss. I was smiling as I was seeing this, although clearly aware that she was no longer with us, as this was clearly several years ago.

I looked down at the picture, and saw the year 1942, which was roughly four years after the whole infertility situation had started up. I was then looking at my father's part at the picture, and I was shocked to realize that my father was forty two years old at the time of this picture.

I was scared at what I was going to be seeing next, and then I turned the photo around, and I was seeing the "six" behind it. As I was reading this, I placed the picture in the cupboard, and then I started to cry, and took a cigarette out, wanting to just ask my father why he had done something like this in the first place.

I was then pulling another piece of paper out, and read that the woman in the picture was a girl named Deedee, and she was nineteen years old at the time that she had went missing. I was starting to wonder if my father was having an affair with my mother, and that Deedee had been sold off as a way to hide what happened. Because my mother was only nine years younger than my dad, not twenty three.

I was standing up, and I was feeling like I now finally had ammunition to throw at my father when I was going to be speaking to him, and that I would force him to tell me everything that he had known. He was behind what happened with Deedee, or at least well aware of it, and I was going to force him to explain why he sold her.

I walked out of the office, wondering if I needed to practice what I preached when I was telling Todd that sometimes the answer would be better to not have, and that it was something that you just always needed to be certain of before you got too deeply into something.

I got in the car, and before I drove off, I remembered to lock the door, and then I was wanting to scream at the top of my lungs, wondering why I had done anything that I had done. I was hating the fact that my father was now truly deep into something, and had been for years before I was born. And roughly a year before Riley was born.

I was now wondering if my father ever really loved my mom, or if maybe he was just having a minor affair. After all, this was probably around the time that my mother was pregnant with Riley, and he might have just wanted to remove Deedee from the picture, as a way to make sure he wasn't exposed for his part in what had happened.

I drove off, not really in the mood to be hearing any of this. Not really in the mood to even deal with shit anymore. I hated what had happened, but I was guessing that this was something that I just needed to accept, and that maybe it was all my fault for getting deep into this.

…

Scene 25: Returning To Carbunkle

Todd and I were at the Carbunkle residence again, a idea that Todd clearly hated, and wanted nothing to do with this. But I was very clear about the fact that I was feeling that Brad would either give us some information, or at least give us some certain contexts on what we were doing.

"Todd, I think that talking to Brad might be able to give us some fucking clues. I think that we just need to give this a fucking chance." After I was saying this to him, I was seeing that Todd was just clearly looking like he was wanting to get this over with, and not hear my fucking excuses.

We knocked on the door, and Brad immediately answered. As he was looking at us, I was seeing that there was something that he was wanting to say. To just use an excuse to not fucking deal with us at all. But I was clearly not in the mood to deal with this at all.

"For the last fucking time, I do not want to deal with this right now. What the fucking hell are you even going to be asking me?" After Brad was asking me this, I was looking at Todd, and I was shocked at the sudden way that Brad had started to talk here.

"We were just wondering if you knew who your biological father was. You know, I just feel like I need to know what you might fucking know." I said, and then I was seeing that Brad was clearly fucking pissed at the way that I was approaching him.

"So you want to turn this into a fucking case of getting in my business?" Brad asked, and then he was shrugging, feeling like he needed to find something. "But I mean, why do you think I would even know that? I am sure that peoples dads never get discussed." Brad said, feeling the need to talk correct me on everything.

"Well, I just feel like I need to fucking know Brad. Do you think you might have heard your mother ask something, that you might just not remember?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking utterly fucking pissed at the fact that I had asked him this.

"I mean, I think that I might have heard something. You know, I think I heard the mention of somebody like Sherman Peabody. Or his son Dexter." After Brad was saying this to us, I was sighing, sort of feeling like I should have expected this.

"Oh my god, that means that if this is true, you might turn out to be the most important person in the entire town. After all, Sherman Peabody was the person who set this whole thing up. Although the age would be kind of confusing." I said, and then I was seeing Brad confused as hell.

"After all, Todd and I saw Sherman once, and he was clearly in at least his seventies, or maybe eighties or nineties. And besides, I wonder why he would have you nearly twelve years after the crash." I said, and I was feeling like the whole thing was probably kind of hard to fully believe. I didn't think Brad was lying on purpose, though.

"Do you think that Dexter might be your fucking father?" Todd asked Brad, and then Brad looked at him, wondering why he was even fucking getting asked all of this in the first place. Probably thinking that Todd was just trying to get something that wasn't really there.

"I don't think. I just told you what I heard. I have no idea why there would even be a chance of something like this. My mother would fucking tell me." Brad said, and I was seeing him looking like he was wanting to fight me. But had a hard time saying anything.

"You don't even believe that bullshit anymore, don't you?" After Todd asked him this, I was seeing that Brad clearly wanted to say something. But then he was shaking his head. Probably feeling like there was no point in fighting this at all anymore.

"I mean, I want to believe it. But you are always making good points, and I am never able to be one hundred percent sure anymore." After Brad was telling me this, I looked at Todd, and I was wondering what in the world I would even say now.

"But thanks for giving us some answers. It might not be what you think helps, but it really fucking does." I said, and I was seeing Brad looking like was wanting to believe what I said. But clearly looked like he was not in the mood to have this discussion anymore.

"If he is indeed my dad, can you tell me the truth? I mean, I feel like that might be able to give me some fucking clues." After Brad was telling me this, I was sighing, and I felt like there was no point in arguing with him at all. He was requesting some fucking help, and that was what he needed.

Todd was already heading to my car, and I was seeing Brad looking like he wanted to see Todd more. But then he decided to just drop the subject, and not be making the subject any worse for us at all.

...

Scene 26: Acceptance

Todd and I were finally at the office, and I was looking right at him, and I was feeling like I needed to try and say something to him. Something that would make him see that no matter what was to come, I was never going to fully judge him for anything. "Todd, I hope that you do know that no matter what happens, I will be there for you." I said, hoping that by telling him this, I would get him to open up, and see that I was still a good guy

"Sheldon, I don't want to fucking hear it. I know that you probably don't really fucking think this way. But if you want to insist that you think this way, then I feel like I might as well let you have your fucking moment." He said, clearly sounding kind of annoyed with what had been happening.

"And remember at the end of the day, it is just a adoption, and nothing else. You are no different as a result of it." I said, hoping to get him to open up. As I was saying this, I was seeing that Todd was not buying what I had been saying for a god damn second.

I opened up the door, when I was seeing that Todd had no interest in hearing it. I walked inside, and I was seeing Todd's father, who clearly did not look a whole lot like him at all, and I was feeling like I just needed to be patient.

He sat down, and he was clearly just trying to hide the level of annoyance that he was having with the fact that we were both in here, while he was working on something. "What are you guys doing here? I am trying to have a important job to do, can you understand that?" After he asked this, I was looking down, and I was seeing Todd looking like he didn't have any fucking desire to hide anymore.

"I want for you to tell me if it is the truth." Todd said, and I was seeing that his father was looking like he was clearly not all that interested in hearing what Todd was saying. "Is it true that I am just adopted? That you are not my real father." Todd said, and then he was sighing in annoyance, clearly not wanting to hear this at all.

"Why do you fucking care so much? I mean, I still took care of you, and made sure you had a good life growing up. I think you need to give me some fucking credit." After he was saying this, I was seeing Todd looking like he wanted to fight what he was told.

"I care because I want to know if my entire life is a fucking lie. I want to know if you actually cared about me, or if I was just some fucking plan for you guys. Can you just tell me the truth. No fucking bullshit. Just was I fucking adopted?" He asked, and I was seeing that his father was clearly just trying to hide his patience the entire time Todd was going at him over this.

His father sat down, and then he snuffed out his cigar. He then looked at me. "Are you going around and being a bad influence on my son?" He asked, putting extra emphasis on the word "son" as if to make it clear that no matter what was happening, and no matter how much Todd hated him right then and there, that he was still Todd's dad.

"I have just been helping him with the work he has been wanting to do. If anything I think I am doing a good job being his friend." I said, defending myself for once. As I was saying this, I was seeing that his father was still looking like he was kind of annoyed with what happened. But that he would take the challenge.

"Well, I guess that there is no point in not talking about it now. But yes, you are adopted. You were originally supposed to go to a different mother, but we felt like it would be best if you went with us, since we did not know if she was going to exactly be ready for this." He said, and then Todd was looking super upset at the way that he reacted.

"Shit. I guess that I should have expected something like that. I mean, I was sort of seeing it coming at this point in time. I was just still hoping that maybe it would not be fucking true." As Todd was saying this, I saw that his father was looking like he was barely keeping his patience here.

"Todd, why do you fucking care if you are adopted or not? After all, I am the one who is still watching over you, and I am the one who made sure you had a living. I just feel like you can't even accuse me of making you life a lie. The only reason you think it is a lie is because you choose to make it one." After he said this, Todd was looking like he wanted to cry.

"Now I have no idea if anything that has been going on is real or not. That is the main issue that I have. Not knowing what to believe. But I guess that you hardly fucking care at all. You just want to find a way to make me seem like I am being a shitty son right now. But that is not how things are." Todd said, and then he was balling his fist.

"Do you even love me? Are you even proud of me at all? Or do you not even fucking care at all? I just think that once I know the truth, then everything will be better. At least I will have a fucking answer." After Todd was saying this, he was sort of taking a deep breath, hoping that his point was made well enough.

"You have done a great job handling the move. I have seen your report cards, and I have seen what the teachers say about you. I have seen the way that people act around you, and treat you. Let me tell you that you do not need my approval. When you already got the approval of the others." He said, at this point in time, clearly hiding his annoyance as well as he could.

"But I just need to know what I can do to make things between us? Do you feel like you can give me that much at least?" Todd asked, and then his father was finally standing up, and I was seeing that he was no longer wanting to hear this at all.

"Sheldon, you need to get my son out of here. He is clearly not able to have a discussion with me about the bigger picture, and I think that he just needs to understand how to process this truth well." He said, and then I was starting to get kind of angry at the way he said that.

"Do you promise that you will talk to him about it eventually at least? He needs your help, and I think you need to see that he is somebody who is in a lot of pain." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that his father was looking like he really was feeling bad for what he heard.

"Yes, I will. When my job is done, I will give him everything that he needs. I promise the two of us will make this work. But I need a chance to do my fucking job." His father was saying, and then I was leaving the office. Todd looked down on the ground, wanting to say more. But choose not to, as he was leaving the office as well.

Once Todd was gone, and the door was closed, I saw him looking like he was just tired as all hell, and didn't want to even say much more either. "Sheldon, what the fucking hell did I do to deserve this? A new knowledge that I am not the person I thought that I was?"

"You were the one that wanted to know this. I mean, I don't want to sound rude, but you did get literally exactly what you fucking wanted. You can't go around, and be upset at what is happening anymore." I said, and then Todd was grabbing something from his pocket.

He opened it up, and saw that it was a picture of him and his parents. Both of which had a proud look on their face, and Todd looked happier in this photo than he had ever looked. "The last day before seventh grade started. Every year we would get a photo together. A custom to signify the start of the school year." He said, and then with that, he shook his head, and then he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I don't need it anymore. If anything, what I need more right now is to put this shit behind me. Thanks for coming with me. You have been the only person willing to give me a chance so far." He said, and then he threw it on the ground, as he was starting to walk off, and I was staring at the photo once more.

I knew right then and there that this was probably the last time I would see Todd anywhere even remotely close to happy. Where he seemed like he could live to take on the world. "Sheldon, what are you doing?" Todd asked when he was numerous feet away from me. I stared down at the photo one more time, and made peace with the fact that it was really my fault.

I had hoped that one day, I would see Todd happy again. Todd be the person that he should have been. But that would never happen, and I wasn't fucking stupid. So with that, I headed off, hoping to make peace with my realization, and we could make pace about it later on.

...

Scene 27: Reconciled

Todd and I were sitting down at Mezmers, as I was trying to think of what I could be able to say to make himself feel better, and he was taking a long and deep breath. Todd looked at me, and I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent for the time being.

"Take your time." I said, feeling like that was the only thing that I could be able to say to make him feel better. Todd was shaking his head, and he was clearly sounding like there was not much to be saying, and that he was just fucking upset.

"I mean, I guess that I was holding out some hope that all the stories about the adoption wasn't true. I mean, I should have accepted the fact all that time ago. When Mr. Needlemeyer was telling me. But hearing it from my dad, just kind of hurts me." Todd said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to say something, to make him feel better.

"Todd, you do not need to worry about that. I am still proud of you, and I think don't need to worry about anything like that. After all, you are a fucking warrior, and you are doing everything that you can to help me out here." After I was telling Todd this, I saw him looking like he was trying his best to buy what I had been saying.

"But what if I am just a mistake? I mean, I know that you guys trust me as a friend, and that I don't need to be so fucking worried about what everybody is saying about me. But I guess that I am just being a bit of a fucking baby." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, wondering what I could have said to make things any different.

"Todd, you are not a mistake. Don't worry about what your father, or what anybody else, says about you. I believe in you, and all your friends believe in you. That should be enough for you to remain confident in your abilities." I said, and then Todd shrugged, staring out the window for a few seconds, not sure what to even say.

"I guess that I am just scared of what my friends would say when they know the truth. When they know that the one person who they were supposed to trust, is just a fucking disgrace to this world, and hasn't been helping anybody." Todd said, and then I was thinking that I needed to say something to make him feel better.

"Todd, your friends will not feel that way. Brad was adopted, and nobody seems to be having a issue with that at all." After I was telling Todd this, I saw that Todd just wanting to argue with me, but then seemed to not have much that he could say here.

"Yeah, but Brad's mother had no choice. And it is not like most people even fucking like Todd all that much anyways. So I feel like something like this might be a waste of time to bring up." Todd said, and I was wondering why he was throwing Todd under the bus like this right now.

"Well maybe your mother or your father had no choice. I mean, don't deny them a chance to explain. And they were telling you that they were proud of you. Shouldn't that be good enough to make you feel better?" After I was asking him this, I was seeing that Todd simply seemed to not be sure what to think here.

"Well, you never have to worry about your dad. You know that what you are seeing with him is what you get. That is something that I wish that I could have here." After Todd was telling me, I looked down on the table, wondering if I was actually believing this right now.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that my mom would not approve of what he is doing if she was still alive today." I said, feeling like even if I hated to admit this, I just needed to be fully honest with him. I looked at Todd, wondering what he would have said to this.

"That is something that I guess we need to see later on. But for now, I guess that nobody is going to really fucking care right now. I mean, I feel like over time, I will probably get over this. But for now, it just feels so fucking wrong, and I wish that I would have felt different now." As Todd was saying this, the waiter was coming up, and we placed in our order.

"I guess that I can't be upset with Brad anymore. Knowing that he feels the way he does, when I am starting to feel the way that I do right now. I guess that it makes some fucking sense right now. I mean, I guess that at the end of the day, I just feel like I need to stop judging people before I truly know what they are doing. And that I just need to give them credit." After Todd was telling me this, he was shrugging, and he was seeming to have no real interest in what he was saying.

"I guess that you are slowly learning what I was telling you. You know, that people need to know peoples context before you judge them. That is all that I was wanting you to see." I told Todd, and then he was slowly nodding, finally feeling like there was no need to fucking argue with me anymore. So I felt like I just needed to leave things alone for a while.

"You got what you wanted. I guess that going forward, after knowing that it is the truth, I will always give people the benefit of a doubt before I totally judge them right away. If this was the way that I needed to get that wake up call, then as much as I hate to admit it, then maybe this is something that I fucking deserve." After he was telling me this, I was wondering what to even say to him now.

"Sheldon, I am so fucking sorry for always being so fucking rough with everybody. I should have listened to you. I should have heard the stuff you were saying. But I guess that nobody will fucking care. I should have given Kevin trust. I should have given Dana the benefit of a doubt. But I guess that people just don't fucking care anymore. I need to show them that I mean what I say. You know, the idea of actions speaking louder than words." After Todd was saying this, he shrugged for a second, not wanting to go further than that.

Our order was placed down, and I took a cigarette out, and started to smoke it, and I was looking at him, feeling like I just need to say something to him to make him feel much better. "Now that you are seeing what I am saying, I think that we both need to just find a way to pull this fucking forward. Just do whatever you can, and I feel over time, when people finally see that you are fucking trying, that people will give you a bit of a break." I said, taking a puff, as I was grabbing the food that I ordered.

"I guess that maybe I can see if Brad would even willing to be able to talk to me. Honestly, I treated that guy like crap, and he deserves so much better than what I gave him. If I try and talk to him, I think that the main thing that I am so fucking scared of, is knowing that he will probably not want to give me a chance to explain myself." Todd said, and then he was placing his head in his hand, wanting to fucking scream.

"I don't even fucking know what Maurecia sees in me. I mean, I wish that I knew where she was coming from. If I did, then I guess that maybe things would be much better. But I guess that this is something that I am going to have to fucking find in myself." Todd said, and he was just seeming to have no fucking interest in continue having this discussion any further.

"She probably sees that even when you are a guy who makes mistakes, that you will be willing to change them. That you can turn around. That is what she sees in you." He said, and then after that, Todd looked at me for a second, and I saw him trying to smile for a second, but had no real response.

"You're a great friend, and I am so glad to know you." He said, just as he smiled for a second, seeming like he was willing to see what I said, there was the grinding noise that suddenly gone off again. Hearing it made me feel sick. But I was just giving Todd the look of 'I will help you out. I promise.' Although it killed me to see his smile instantly die as soon as he heard it, when he seemed truly happy for once.

…

Scene 28: The Next Starting Point

The next day, I was talking to Todd, just trying to see if I could be able to get him to feel any better about what was happening. Although in all honesty, I was wondering if Todd was even going to have any desire to be hunting down what happened with the grinder.

"So Todd, I know that you probably do not want to talk about it at all, but we just heard that grinding noise. Do you feel like you have any plans on what to do with that?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like the mere mention of this was already kind of pissing him off to a large degree.

"I mean, I want to know what caused that grinding noise. But I'm not fucking stupid. I know that there isn't jack shit that I am going to fucking be able to do to change it. I mean, what do you fucking suggest that I can fucking do to change this?" Todd asked, and I was shrugging, finally feeling that there was nothing I could tell him.

"I mean, I just feel like you would have been the person who would have wanted to fight this the most. I thought that there was a little bit of fire in you to make sure that nothing got any worse than it already had." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was kind of low key furious over the fact that I was suddenly trying to say this.

"Sheldon, it hurts to see the people that are in this town in pain. I will never deny that. But I am also smart enough to know that nothing I will do will change this shit. I am fucking tired of acting like we have a fucking fighting chance to make anything different." After Todd said that, I was aware that there was no point in fighting what he was saying at all.

"I just feel like maybe it is important to leave this to the fucking bosses. You know, the people who are old enough to actually do shit about it. Maybe just give it another year or two, when we both know what to do more. That is all that I am saying right now." After he said that to me, I was slowly nodding at what he had been saying, understanding what he meant deep down.

"And besides, as selfish as it sounds, nobody that we knew went missing this time, so in all honesty, there is not the fucking stakes that we usually have. Joy is still safe, for now, and I feel like that is the main thing that we need to remember." After Todd said that, I tried to keep my patience with this. But I was feeling like I just needed to just leave it alone.

"But I thought this was for more than the people in our friend group. And now all of a sudden, you are telling me that this is the main stake here?" After I was asking him this, Todd looked at me, and I was seeing that he was really not in the mood at all to hear my shit. Probably thinking that I was a hypocrite.

"I know it is for more than just them. But I also have to fucking be realistic when I look at the situation here. I mean, I feel like we do not know what we are doing. I just had the reveal of my father adopting me made official, which I know I should have expected, so leave me alone. But that doesn't mean that I fucking like it." After Todd said that to me, I was seeing him wanting to fight me more, but then he just decided to stop talking or now. Knowing that for both of us, this was going to just simply be a waste of breath.

"I mean, I feel like every time I bring this up around people, who want to hear my side, they suddenly think I am the one who has all the answers. That I am a perfect saint who has all the knowledge we need. I am not that fucking guy, and I think you fucking know this. But nobody wants to hear it." After Todd was telling me this, I was taking a deep breath, feeling no need to argue.

"And besides, if people thought you were the guy with all the answers, then they would have reached out to you much more. They would have listened to your shit weeks in advance. But the fact that they haven't just shows me one fucking thing. That they do not respect your thoughts on the matter. They probably feel like you are being impractical." After Todd was telling me this, I was then wanting to find more to fight with. To make it clear I didn't appreciate this. But I was feeling like I also just needed to fucking shut up to.

"I just wish that I was able to have all the fucking answers right here. Things would be so much easier if I just fucking knew what I needed to do. But I think we both knew that something like this is just a fucking joke. My father doesn't want to help me, and he probably thinks I am being a idiot here this whole time.

With that, I was starting to feel like Todd never fucking cared about what was happening here. Or he was just starting to think that his love with Joy or whatever is a million times more important than anything, without seeing what we could do in order to keep Joy safe in the fucking first place. It was all too much to bear.

I was then wondering what I even needed to do to get Todd to see my perspective. I really couldn't figure out what I was even wanting to do. I smoked a cigarette, just unsure of what my plan was going to be going forward.

…

Scene 29: Data So Far

I was heading back to Dakota's house, feeling like I needed to at least give him a fucking chance. I mean, for some reason, despite how rough these conversations can go, I was not wanting to fully give up on him. I was wanting him to see where I was coming from.

When I was at his door, I knocked and Dakota slowly answered, although I could tell from the look on his face that he was clearly not in the mood to have this discussion right now. Probably feeling like I was going to try and force him into something that he had no interest in.

"What you said to me really fucking sucked earlier. About how I was a total asshole and whatever. I feel like you need to understand that you can't just throw insults around at people and expect them to be cool with you later." After Dakota was saying this to me, I was sort of seeing where he was coming from, but in all honesty, I was hardly fucking caring at all.

"Well, you said worse things about my family and I. So I still say that we are not fully even. But that is not what I am here about. We are going to just have to drop the subject for the time being." I said, and I was seeing that Dakota was clearly not in the mood to hear this.

"You were telling me that you were going to fucking find Ashley, and you still have not done so yet. And yet you expect me to be calm and cool with everything that is going on. I mean, come the fucking hell on. You need to be aware that this is something really fucking big for me." After Dakota was saying this to me, I was seeing what he was trying to say, and I was feeling a minor twinge of guilt here.

"I thought that I was going to be able to find her easily enough. I didn't think it would be a massive fucking issue until it did become one. Laugh at me all you fucking want. But I was thinking that we can work this out." I said, and then I was seeing that Dakota was clearly not in the mood to be hearing any of it anymore.

"So maybe you should actually stop giving bullshit promises when you are relatively certain that they can't be met. You gave me hope, and then it is all fucking gone. That is messed up. I just thought that you would have had the answer that I fucking needed." Dakota said, and I was seeing him looking like he wanted to cry.

"And I know that you father made us both promises. But I feel like if he meant those promises, he would have reached out to both of us by now. At least give us some fucking clue on what his progress was. But no, that is not what is happening." Dakota said, and then he was heading to my car, as if feeling the need to debate things there instead of in the open.

Once we were in the car, that was when I was feeling like I needed to just give Dakota a general update on the general situation, to make him see what was going on here.

"So I was talking with Todd's dad, after we finally were able to track him down, and we did find out what Todd had started to sadly expect lately. That he was indeed adopted. But beyond that, there are some theories that we all have now." I said, and then Dakota seemed like he was now interested in what I had been saying.

"We found out that Brad Carbunkle, you know the adopted son, might be the biological grandson of Sherman Peabody." I said, and then I was seeing Dakota looking utterly shocked at what I was telling him. Probably thinking something like this could have been possible. But didn't want to think of it as true.

"Oh shit. How has Todd taken all that shit? I mean, I feel like that is a lot to take in. Even if you don't like the guy, you have to admit that this is all a lot to take in." After he was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like he did not need to tell me this, since I was well aware of what these implications were now.

"He has not been doing very well with it at all. He was basically ready to blow a fucking gasket when he had found out the truth. In all honesty, I do feel bad for the guy. But I was feeling like there was no fucking choice on the matter. And now he got the answers that he needed." I said, and then I was shrugging, and Dakota was remaining silent for several seconds longer. Probably thinking of what I had been saying so far.

"Do you feel like you need to talk to him for a bit? I mean, he is going to need some friends who will be able to help him out. And there is only so much I can do to make things actually work out." I said, and then I was seeing that Dakota was clearly at least considering what I said. Not liking it per se. But considering it.

"In all honesty, I am not sure if I can call him a friend after everything that I have said to him. But I feel like I do need to show him that I support him. After all, he probably is taking everything much more seriously than either one of us has. Therefore, we really have no right to be upset with him." Dakota said, feeling like it was time to take responsibility for this.

…

Scene 30: Rejection of the Past

A few hours later, I was bringing Dakota over to Todd's house, and I was feeling like I just needed to find something to him to make him feel much better. When Todd was seeing that Dakota was there, and was wanting to see what Dakota wanted to say, I just felt like I needed to find something to say.

"What are you wanting to talk to me about this time?" After Todd was asking him this, I was seeing that he was clearly fucking furious at this whole thing. "I really don't want to fucking hear it. Whatever you want to tell me, just fucking say it, and then get it over with."

"I was just wanting to say that I was sorry to hear about what you had to deal with. If you need somebody to talk to me or Sheldon about what is happening, then I feel like you can try and talk to me about what the issue is." After Dakota was telling Todd this, I was seeing Todd clearly looking like he was not in the mood.

"I wish that I knew if people were telling the truth when they tell me that they are sorry to hear what happened. I mean, I should have known that something like this was going to fucking happen. But I guess that I was still holding out hope that this was not really going to happen." After Todd was telling Dakota this, he looked at Dakota, feeling like he needed to find something else to say now.

"Why are you suddenly approaching me about this now? I mean, you fucking don't god damn care about me. Every time I even was in the same area as you, you always seemed to get fucking furious with me. I mean, I am going to be real with you, but I think that maybe Sheldon is right about you." Todd said, and I was seeing Dakota looking like he was upset at the way he was being told this over and over again.

"I know that I am kind of a asshole. I mean, the fact that I have had two people tell me this, and one of which is a person I really trust, I guess that maybe something like this is true. It also makes me wonder why in the world Ashley ever wanted to date me. But I do understand that it must have hurt to realize that a large part of your life has been a lie." Dakota was saying, and Todd shrugged for a second.

"People will probably look at me as the adopted freak when I go back to school next year. You know, acting like I am nothing like the person that I am. But I guess that something like this should have been expected." Todd said, feeling like he was growing a lot more humble with what he had been saying, just having no reason to fucking be too confident.

"You are not the adopted freak. I mean, if you were, then most people in Wayside would be. So I think you need to relax a bit. Nothing is really going to be making things worse." After Dakota was telling Todd this, I was feeling like I just needed to be much more careful with what is going on.

"I don't really want to fucking hear it at all." After Todd was saying this, I was feeling that there was nothing else to say to say on the matter. "Besides, I mean, I have nobody else that I know that is for sure adopted. The only person that I fucking know is Brad, and I have a feeling that Brad does not even fucking like me all that much anymore."

"Yeah, I feel like I need to try and work on my friendship with Brad for a bit. I mean, I think that he is starting to slowly trust me a bit, and I feel like that is something that I really need to capitalize on." I told them, and I was seeing that both Dakota and Todd were looking like this idea was a bit strange, and that I probably shouldn't bother getting into something like this in the first place.

"Are you seriously thinking that Brad is in the mood to hear something like this? I mean, he is somebody who always just defends his mother, and gives her a pass on every single thing that she had been doing." After Tod was telling me this, I was then looking at him, feeling like the way he was saying this was really fucking annoying.

"You were the one that kept going on and on about how you weren't adopted, and then found out you were. So I feel like you need to give Brad a bit of a chance here. And besides, I feel like it is only going to be fair if you do something like this." I said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to fight something right now, but then shook his head.

"Okay, that is one way to basically make me sound like I am the fucking bad guy. You don't need to be doing something like this right now." After he was telling me this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of upset with the way he was hearing me talk to him right now.

"I just feel like you need to be more fucking patient with him right now. That is all that I am fucking trying to tell you here." I said, and then after I was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was wanting to find more to say. But then he was just simply not sure what to do now.

Todd sat down, and then he was looking at Dakota and I, especially when Dakota was starting to get next to him, to make him feel better. "I am done with this. I don't fucking care what my parents say about me anymore. I am my own person, and that is all that fucking matters." Todd said, finally rejecting it all.

…

Scene 31: Up The Dangerous Mountain

The next day, I was giving Todd a call. About an idea that I was making. I didn't want to force it onto him, but I was feeling like I needed to at least give him a chance, and let him do what he needed to fucking do in order to make things work.

"Hey Todd, I was wanting to tell you about what my next goal was right now. And you can take it or leave it honestly." I said, and I was hoping that he would be willing to take the gamble right now. "I was planning on going up to the broadcast station, and see what in the world I might be able to see there. For real this time." I said, hoping that the idea would at least interest him.

"Sheldon, I am not even trying to argue with you when I said this, but I feel like you need to be more careful here. I think that when you go up there, you do need to prepare for anything bad to happen." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, well aware of the fact that he was right when he said this.

"I know that it is a shot in the dark. And that is why I do not blame you if you want nothing to do with this. Just fucking promise me that you will be willing to at least give the idea a fucking chance." I said, and I was feeling like saying this would just sort of be a waste of my fucking time. Trying to get him to open up.

"And besides, I mean, that is also a good place to put some secret files. You know, areas that no generic person would be willing to check out. As much as I hate to admit it, it all comes together. But I just wanted to let you know that this was the general idea that I had been coming up." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he had been happier to hear what I was saying.

"I mean, I would not really mind going with you in general, but I feel like I just want to be certain first. But go ahead, if you want to check everything out, I will certain not stop you at all." After he was saying this to me, I was so fucking glad to fucking know that he was still supporting my general outlook on things.

"Talk to you later. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I am going to have to gather some preparations to make the situation work." I said, and hung up the house phone, aware of the fact that if my father heard this, he would be fucking furious. But in all honesty, I was hardly finding myself care. I just needed to pull my stunt off.

When I was done with my call, I was seeing my father was listening to the conversation, and I was seeing him looking utterly furious about what I was discussing with Todd, and the thing is that I knew that this was going to fucking happen.

"Why do you keep going out of your way to dispute everything that we have discussed. It feels like you are just doing this to argue with me, and that you don't really even mean it." After my father was telling me this, I was looking at him, and I was wondering why we were having this discussion right now.

"I am doing what I need to do. If you don't agree with it, then that is your fucking choice. But I am not going to keep having this fucking argument with you." After I was telling him this, I was seeing him just wanting to strangle me for a bit, but kept it together.

"You better understand that when this shit gets you killed, and it will fucking kill you at the rate you are going, I am not going to fucking be able to do jack shit about it. And that you are going to have to take full responsibility for what you are doing." My father was saying, and I was seeing him finally looking like he was starting to grow some level of pure hostility at what I had been saying.

"Yeah, I do understand that dad. But if getting me killed will get people to take what is happening more seriously, and people will no longer be treating this like a fucking game, then maybe I need to fucking die." I said, and I was aware that saying this was excessively edgy. But I was hardly fucking caring.

"What did I do to make you hate me? I have you everything that you needed, and here you are, showing me that you have no respect for me anymore. I wished that things would be able to go back to normal." After my father was telling me this, I was hearing the level of sincere sadness in his voice. I was wondering why I was feeling regret over this now of all times, when I was set earlier that what I was doing was for the best.

"You never did anything to make me hate you. I don't hate you. But what you are not doing is what pisses me off. And that is why I am doing this." I said, and then I walked past him, and I was feeling like I just needed to leave him alone at this rate.

"So go ahead and hang out with Jimmy White, while I do my work." I said, and then I was leaving him, and I was heading towards my car, to go to shift, and just hope that when I get back, things between my father and I are not too fucking dangerous. I just hoped that I knew what I was doing with saying these things.

…

Scene 32: Picking Up Weapons

Well aware of the fact that in order to get to the broadcast station, I had to go up the forest, which would have made me a primary target for whatever monsters were there, I went down to the Wilson casino, deciding that I just needed to get as many weapons as possible. As much ammo as possible, and get everything together.

Once at the casino, I got out, and started to head right towards the under part, where I would just go along, and grab my stuff, and then leave, and if anybody asked me what I was doing, I would be able to tell them that I was just grabbing a few fucking things for myself.

Down in the bottom room, I was heading right over to the guns, feeling like I needed to pick up every kind that I could fucking get. I grabbed a couple of pistols, and I grabbed a shot gun as well, and I was placing them all in a duffel bag that I had found. Relatively like the one that I had seen in Joyful Burger, which made me start to think that maybe Larry had connections with these people as well.

I then went over to the more hands on weapons. I grabbed the largest knife that I could possibly find, and placed it in its holster, and placed it to the side of my chest. I was feeling that if I needed a pinch, then I could use that as leverage.

Then I went over to a different desk, grabbed as much ammo as I could for the three or four guns that I had picked up. Then with that, I went on over to the box that was labelled as grenades, and grabbed about a half dozen frag grenades. Getting increasingly aware of the fact that I would look like a mad man if I was showing these publicly.

Then I grabbed one more melee weapon, which was a machete, and then when everything was in the duffel bag to the point where I picked it up and felt like my veins were about to burst open, I was just thinking that maybe I was getting a bit over board with what I had done. But in all honesty, I was hardly even fucking caring at all what people would think of what I was doing.

When I was walking up the stairs, I was hearing the boss calling out to me. "What are you doing down here? I thought that you were supposed to do your shift at the gas station?" He asked, and I was feeling like I needed to think of something to say on the fly.

"Going monster hunting in the woods when I am done. Have a lot of fucking work that I need to do. Just figured I would do the stock up early." I said, and then I was starting to head up, not wanting to speak with this man any further at all, and knowing he was really fucking pushy.

Another reason I was so desperate to get out of that conversation was that in all honesty, I was scared that if I tried to talk to him for too long, my plan would start to leak, and my lies would really catch on quick. I didn't want to give them the fucking satisfaction of knowing that I was still not really in on this whole idea. I was feeling that no matter what I said, I was also going to make things worse for everybody. Especially when I steal all their shit like crazy.

When I was at the gas station, I made sure my trunk was locked, so I didn't have people randomly finding my shit and running away with it. Then with that, I went inside the station, where I was seeing that my boss was looking like he was kind of shocked to be seeing me so relatively early, in the grand scheme of things.

"You're nearly twenty minutes early. Did something happen?" He asked, as I was clocking in, and I wasn't really wanting to take much of a chance here. I was so fucking focused on not looking suspicious that I hardly fucking cared.

"I guess that you can say that I am eager to do my civ duty of the day." I said, smiling at him, trying to pretend like I was happier than ever here. "And besides, I feel like I need to stop working so hard on these fucking cases. You said so yourself, and I am finding myself agreeing." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I wondered if telling him this would be making me feel better.

"Alright, if that is the case, then I have twenty extra minutes to do what I need to do. So go ahead. I'm not going to fucking stop you from doing what you want." He said, clearly still not buying it, but seemed well aware of the fact that arguing with me wasn't going to be doing anybody any favors, so he probably just wanted this done with.

With that, he was gone, and I sat down, and took a cigarette out, still trying my hardest to hide how truly fucking nervous I really was. I was hoping that disguise wasn't going to be too obvious. If it was, then I was really making a big fucking mistake. But for now, I was just glad to be away from bullshit.

I was hoping Todd would come with me. But I was in no way going to fucking force him to. He needed to fucking focus on his own thing, and if that was Maurecia, then so be in. In fact, as hard as it was for me to admit, I was proud of him for doing what he needed to do.

…

Scene 33: Want To Help

I was at the base of the forest, and this time, I was feeling like I was having no fucking choice but to go up. Knowing that Todd and all of the other friends has no interest in helping me out was both a nice thing, a terrible thing. Because I hated what it was getting myself into this whole thing.

Before I was able to get too far up the mountain, that was when Todd was calling out to me. He was coming along with a bandana on his neck. Which was kind of strange to me, and I was wondering why in the world he was doing something like this in the first place.

"Sheldon, I know the two of us have had a hard time working together, and I know you probably hate me now. I even know that no matter what I might say or do, you might still be upset at me. But for now, I just want to help. What were you planning on doing now?" He asked me, and then I was looking up at the station, and I was feeling like no matter what else was happening, I just needed to keep my head up.

"I am going up to the broadcast station, and I am going to be seeing what I can fucking find there. I know that it is probably going to be a waste of time, and I hardly fucking care anymore. I just feel like I need to do this, and have some fucking idea what I need to do now." I was telling him, and I was feeling like I was already wasting my time.

"I think the main issue with going up there is dealing with the fact that people are going to fucking find you, and kill you before you even have a fucking chance to do anything here." Todd said, and I sort of saw what he was saying, and I had no reason to argue with him at all.

"I don't fucking care what they are going to threaten us with. I am just going to have to sneak around as well as I can, and then maybe see if I can find something that can give us any clues on what we need to do." I said, and then I saw that Todd clearly wanted to fight this still. Probably thinking that I was going to get us killed.

"Let's just get this over with. I might not agree with this. But I am not going to stop you." Todd said, and then with that, the two of us were walking up the mountain path, and I was seeing him clearly fucking furious with this whole thing. Probably thinking that this was going to have a good chance to kill us.

As we were walking up, that was when I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to say something else. "So Sheldon, if you do not mind me asking, what in the world is in that duffel bag? And why do you look like you are struggling to carry like a thousand pounds?" After Todd asked me this, I looked at him, and I was seeing him looking mildly annoyed with this question. I was looking at Todd, and I wondered why he was so upset here.

"A bunch of weapons that I brought in case if I had to fight monsters. Or even worse, people…" I said, and I was not even wanting to fucking think of that idea. I mean, I was thinking that Todd was not coming with me, so I did not think it was too horrible. But now knowing Todd was with me, I was scared that no amount of prep was going to keep us safe.

"That is going to get your arrested. People are going to find what you are doing, and then they are going to take them all away." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, since I was hardly even fucking caring anymore.

"Well, you were the one that told me that you didn't want to be putting yourself in danger. So I feel like you need to just stop your complaining because this is giving you a fucking chance to fucking have a increased safety measure. So just spare me the fucking crying." After I told him this, I saw that Todd was looking upset at the way that I was acting around him.

"Well, yeah, I just thought that maybe you were going to have like one fucking gun. You know, not a fucking war chest supply of them. That is all that I was trying to say. But I guess that at the end of the day, what you say is true. I was the one complaining the lack of a safety measure." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, since in all honesty, I was hardly even fucking caring at all.

"Yeah, I think one gun with limited ammunition was not going to fucking keep me safe. So don't even fucking start with that shit. I think if I was forced to fight a monster, it would take nearly eight or nine bullets to kill one. You were there with me before." I said, and then I was seeing Todd shrug, feeling no point in fighting that.

Eventually, we were at the main entrance. I smoked a cigarette for a moment, and then I was taking a deep breath, thinking of what I was going to be getting myself into. But before long, I went inside the station, where I was seeing Todd clearly wanting to just head back, and leave me alone again. But already got too deep into this to fucking stop.

…

Scene 34: The Station

Once inside, that was when Todd and I were just looking around, clearly unaware of what we were even going to fucking do now that we had been here. I was sighing, feeling like I was slowly just needing to accept reality, and not be crying about what was happening anymore.

"Well, I feel like now that we are here, and I can think a bit realistically, there is no fucking point in even fucking doing this anymore. People are going to see that we are here, and send people against us all the time." I said, and I was starting to let the realism of the entire situation come in.

I was walking around, just trying to pretend like everything was going to be all fine and dandy. "Why does this place look like it had been the spot of a fucking fallout situation?" Todd asked, and I was hearing him clearly get super uncomfortable with everything that is going on.

"I don't fucking know. I do remember that my father was planning on setting this place up again. Something about the budget that he was working with Mr. Wilson and Jimmy White. Kind of glad that the Needlemeyer family and all the others have no fucking involvement. I do not want them to get their hands on something that is already ruined." I said, and I was seeing Todd consider what I had been telling him.

"What do you think your father would even be using out of this place? I mean, this place is what everybody is accusing of creating those grinding noises. Surely he does not want to have any association with that." After he was saying that, I did consider what he was telling me.

"I don't fucking know what his plans are. I am just saying that he was thinking it was a good idea, and I feel like there is no point in arguing with him about this. I just feel like he already had gotten really fucking pissed at me enough as it is, and I do not want to risk the issue getting any fucking worse." I said, feeling that it would be wholly irresponsible to take any risks like that for no god damn reason.

I was going to look in every single room that I could possibly find. "I know it is not going to fucking work. But I feel like we need to find everything we can here." I said, and then I was feeling like there was no point in debating shit. Todd was going to have to help me out here if he was wanting to get this over with faster. "I just hope that my father knew what he was doing." I said, feeling like there was no need to say any more to the issue.

Once we were in the first room, I was seeing that there was a bunch of flyers for the missing girls in the area. Clearly showing that these people were at least acknowledging the situation. I looked around, and I was seeing a picture of Riley on one of them. When I was looking down at this picture, I was imagining her being here, aware of what I was fucking doing.

Todd was looking down at the picture of Riley, and I was seeing him looking like he was clearly rather sad at looking at her. He looked at me, and I was seeing him trying to find something to say. "Sheldon, I hope that you do know that no matter what happens, I am really fucking sorry for what happened to your sister. I know that we have had some major spats lately. But I never wanted something like this to happen." Todd said, and then I was looking right at him, wondering what to say.

"I don't want to fucking hear it. Nobody actually really fucking cares about what happened to my older sister. Everybody is acting like they are heart broken over something like this. But in all reality, they probably don't give a shit." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like no matter what I said, I was going to be saying something that would make Todd feel like I was just kind of pushing him down.

"Sheldon, I just happened to noy even fucking live there at the time. I am not like everybody else here. I am the one person who you need to see you can fucking trust." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking right at him, and I was feeling like nothing I could be telling him would make him feel any different at all.

"I know that you are different from the others. But honestly., you were only six at the time. It was like when I tried to talk to Kevin about it. He was willing to listen to me, and he felt bad for what happened, but at the end of the day, there was no way he would make a fucking difference. You would have been the exact same way. You would have felt terrible for me, but you would not have changed anything.

"But when I saw that you were still on this case while you were much older, and being my age now, not only would I have felt bad for you, but I would have been one of the first to suggest that I could fucking help you with this." Todd was telling me this, and I was sort of thinking about what he said.

"I guess that what you are saying is fucking true. I mean, the only person who even showed any remote signs of caring in our group is Sam, but he is more focused on Kevin, and hardly even seems wiling to look at me over this at all. Which I guess makes some sense." I said, and then I was shrugging, and I had no idea what in the world I was even wanting to tell him now.

As we left the room, I was wanting nothing to do with this place. I wanted nothing to do with looking at Riley's picture, since I was aware that nobody gave a single shit what I was feeling about the whole Riley situation. Nobody would fucking give a fuck and that was all that I had fucking known.

"Sheldon, what do you think we are going to do now?" Todd asked, and I was shrugging, and I was looking around, and when I was checking things around, I saw that there was a man inside one of the rooms, and he was speaking, and having some song on.

When he saw the two of us, he instantly stood up, and looked like he was insanely scared of what he was seeing. "Okay guys, you do not need to be here right now. I am going to get in a lot of trouble if you guys stay here." He said, clearly scared out of his fucking mind on what we were doing here.

"We are wanting to talk to you about the information with the missing girls. Do you get any information here when they happen?" I asked, and then he was standing up, and I was seeing him still holding up both of his hands. Probably aware that we were both armed.

"Look, I know your dad is the main man on campus. And I know that I need to respect his wishes. But I need you to understand that I have nothing to do with any of this. I am given some paper work every time, told to read it, and put music on twenty four seven. I practically have to live here. You have no idea how hard that is to do when you have people constantly working on renovation throughout the day." He said, and then he was looking at Todd.

"I honestly just am given so many papers to read all the time, and am told to throw them all out after one month, that I just sort of forget everything." He said, and opened up the drawer. Where there was thirty one files. One for each chronological day of the month.

"Once I put the paper in there, and the work is done for the day, I don't even so much as fucking think about it anymore. You know, I think that you are in the wrong place, if you want to seriously believe you can get a valid load of information here." He said, and then after he was telling me this, I was sighing, since I was aware there was a good chance that was true.

"But then there are the posters for all the missing girls. And I look around, and I see the audio files." I said, hoping to break his case. He sat down, took out a cigar, and started to smoke it, clearly annoyed with what I was doing to him, and probably felt like I was being a bitch for no reason.

After we left, that was when I was seeing a monster in the area already. I was scared out of my mind on what this monster was going to be doing with Todd. I was looking at Todd, and I was hoping he would get it in his head to not fucking fight with me on this one, and that if he wanted to help, the best way to do this would be just fucking run.

"Are you going to fucking fight that thing? It can probably take you on in a moment." Todd asked, and I was hearing from the tone on his voice that he was beyond concerned with what was going on. I just decided to remain silent, and not be saying too much.

"I have no fucking choice. I want you to run, and stay away from me." I said, and then I was handing him one of the hand guns. I was taking a deep breath, hoping that he would take that as a cue to just get the hell out of here.

"Use that only to defend yourself, and only when it is absolutely important. I need you to just stay away from everything going on, and give yourself time." I said to Todd, and then I was shrugging for a second, and I was hoping that at the end of the day, he would hear what I was saying for once in his life.

"Okay, I guess that I can do that." After Todd was telling me this, I was seeing him looking pissed at the fact that once again, I was pushing him off. But I wasn't fucking caring. I needed to do what was right, and I needed him to see that I was getting this taken care of. As he was starting to head off, I was then looking right at Todd, and I was feeling like I just needed to be the protector that he fucking needed.

As he was starting to leave, I was seeing him turning around, to look at me once again, and I was seeing him looking fucking furious over the fact that I was even suggesting something like this. I then looked at the monster, and I was feeling like I just needed to be calm and collected, and that I just needed to fucking remember my place in this whole shit show.

I was then taking out my shot gun, and the monster was turning towards Todd, since he was getting slightly louder with his running. As he was starting to leave, I fired the shot gun at the monsters back, and caused it to stop for a moment.

Then the monster turned at me, and started to get ready to pounce, and I was grabbing my knife, and stabbed it right in the neck, to damage it more. The monster was ready to claw me down for a bit, but because of how I kept pushing the knife down on it, and getting myself in a position to fight back, the monsters claws were loosening up.

I was slowly getting myself off of the grips of the monster, and then I was looking at the knife, which was starting to have some boiling ooze on it. And when I was seeing this, I was disgusted with this, because this meant that the monster probably could have just melted me if they wanted to.

I was seeing that Todd had only slightly left, and he was already coming back, and I was seeing him holding the grip tightly. He then fired at the monster several times, trying to get it to be weaker, and I was seeing that Todd clearly looked terrified at what he was doing.

The monster was looking like they were starting to fall down once again, and then that was when I was grabbing one of the grenades, and then I shoved it down its throat, and pulled out, and started to run away with the duffel bag as fast as I could, trying to reach Todd.

Then with that, the monster exploded, and a bunch of black ooze was all over the area, and then I looked at Todd, and I was looking at him, wondering what he was going to say. "Todd, I have no idea how these people can even expect me to fight these monsters. I mean, for fucks sake, people expect me to kill every monster when every single time, they almost kill me more."

"I don't fucking know. I think it might be your good will nature and the fact that you fucking refuse to stand up for yourself, and make people see that you don't want to be doing this." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing. Aware that deep down inside, I was sort of seeing that he was right.

"I don't fucking know. I mean, think about it. People never do jack shit, and I feel like I have to fucking do this if I want to have any chance of making things work out. But I guess that you are not going to want to fucking hear that at all." I said, and then I was sighing, and I was then feeling like I just needed to own up to the truth.

"Honestly, I am sorry about that. Didn't realize that it was going to almost turn out to be a complete fucking waste of time. I thought that maybe we could make something fucking work. But I guess that I was giving myself too much fucking credit." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like nothing that I could say would make things any different.

"Well, I figure that sooner or later, you were going to be checking things out. So I guess that at the end of the day, I can't even fucking get too upset with you." After Todd was telling me this, I had no intention of hearing what he was wanting to say. At the end, it was just kind of annoying to hear him trying to make me feel better.

As we were looking around, I was seeing a couple of cars starting to pull up. I was then pulling out one of the couple of sticks of dynamite that still remained with Todd from earlier. I was then setting it on fire, and then I was throwing it at the cars, to give me some time. As I did this, I was seeing it was one of the men in black cars, and then the stick went off, and part of the car blew up.

"What are you fucking doing Sheldon?" Todd asked, and then I was looking right at him, wondering why he was unable to see what I had been doing, and how what I did was going to be extremely helpful in the long run.

"To give us some fucking time. Especially since you need to get the hell out of here, since you are still a innocent fucking guy." I said, and then I was starting to run along, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of annoyed with what happened. But at the same time, I saw that he was clearly willing to just let the subject go for the time being.

As Todd and I were running down the mountain, there was a couple of the people who came out of the car. I looked over, and I was seeing that one of them was Jimmy White. Which shouldn't have surprised me, but was kind of pissing me off to a unbelievable extent that he was also involved with these people of all people. People who clearly had no interest in the good of Wayside, and were only in this for their own personal gain.

I was then pushing Todd along, since I had no desire to be throwing him along to this at all. After all, Todd was just trying to help me out. He wasn't the fucking hero of the day, and that was something that I knew that I needed to consider here.

"Sheldon, why were there monsters up here? Was it one of your jobs to track them down here?" After Jimmy asked me this, I was angry at the fact that he was suddenly becoming super duper confident in the fact that he was essentially fucking owning me here.

"I was just trying to see what I could be able to find here. The monsters were there already. I destroyed them, as per my fucking job." I said, and I wasn't really in the mood to have this discussion right now. As I was saying this, I was seeing Jimmy White looking like he was kind of considering what I had said. Probably thinking that I was only making matters worse for him and everybody else involved.

"Todd, I will try and fucking cover for you so you can fucking leave." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was just wanting to fight me with this issue. Clearly probably thinking that in all honesty, I couldn't fucking take care of myself.

But then with that, he was leaving, and I was sighing in relief, knowing that he was no longer fucking fighting me. "I just thought that I was doing what was best." I said, and I was aware that I was not going to be able to get away with what I said. Considering the fact that I destroyed that fucking car, and I was wondering how quickly I would get thrown down.

"Sheldon, you were not supposed to go there. Your father gave us clear fucking orders to keep you away from this place. Do you know how much trouble we are all going to be in because you can't fucking listen to orders?" He asked, and then I was shaking my head on the matter, annoyed at this whole thing. But I was just trying to give Todd as many seconds as I fucking could.

"And the worst part is that you keep throwing your fucking friends into this shit, and you do not seem like you fucking care. Do you know how easy it will be to be able to hunt them all down, and fucking take them down?" He asked, and I was aware that he was obviously telling the truth, and I was feeling like there was no need to fucking fight this.

"They are the ones who tell me that they want to help. I can't fucking do anything about what they are fucking doing." I said, and I was shrugging, hoping that I could give myself time on the matter. I was then sighing. I was then placing my duffel bag down.

"I am going to have to go though. I have shit that I need to fucking do. And I am not going to fucking stop you. I have no idea how in the world you even knew that I was here in the first place. In all honesty, I feel like you are just kind of pushing me too far into this." I said, and then I was seeing Jimmy looking like he was clearly keeping his patience at a limit.

"You better not fucking leave. Or else I am going to tell your father that you are deliberately going against the culture and expectations of this town. And is only so much even he can cover you." After he was telling me this, I sighed, aware that he was right.

But I didn't fucking care. I was going to meet up with Todd, and I would continue my work my own way, and not fucking give a single shit what he was planning on telling me at all.

…

Scene 35: The Next Reveal

After I was done with the fucking broadcast station, Todd and I were at Joy's house again, both having a general feeling that she needed some fucking help here. I was seeing that Todd was already just mumbling under his breath, just trying to pretend like he was not freaking out over what had happened. I was wondering if I needed to find something to say to make him feel better.

Once at her house, we were already seeing Joy looking like she was really let down by something. I looked right at Todd, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to tell him. "I think you need to be there with her. I will just stay behind, and see what I need to do." I said, and Todd looked at me, seeming kind of pissed at the way that I was doing this. But then he sighed, no longer in the mood to argue.

When he was in front of Joy, he was clearly uncomfortable with this entire discussion. "Hey Joy, do you need to fucking talk with us?" After Todd asked this, I was sighing, feeling like his way of going at this was a really fucking abrasive fucking approach. But I was feeling like getting in his business about this wasn't going to make things any different.

"I am going to be fucking next, and I fucking know it." After she said this, she went right up, and hugged Todd tightly. I was seeing Todd looking like he was rather uncomfortable with what he was dealing with this. I was then wondering if he had anything to convey his point here.

"What fucking happened?" Todd asked, trying to clearly hide his annoyance. As he was doing this, that was when Joy sighed, trying to calm down a bit. Feeling like she was starting to kind of get along a bit better. Feeling like there was no need to be so fucking upset with me.

"My mom was found dead, hanging, in the house today. This is the punishment for Mrs. Wakeman's death starting to fucking come in. I knew that this was going to happen at some point. But you guys kept fucking denying it, and kept fucking acting like nothing could potentially go down. You guys kept telling me bullshit about how it would all get fixed. But it fucking didn't." Joy said, and I was seeing Todd looking tired of the way that she was suddenly throwing him down like this.

Todd let go of the hug, and he was looking right at her. "Joy, I am sorry about that. I mean, I should have been there for you much more. I guess that maybe I just didn't ever fucking think that it was a big deal. But I guess that I made a bunch of fucking mistakes." After Todd was telling her this, I knew that there was literally nothing that would be able to get her to feel any different about what had been going down.

"Do you feel like you want to talk to your fucking father soon? I mean, I feel like if you still want to do this, then I will support you. But if you no longer want to, then I will respect your opinion." After Todd was telling her this, I was seeing her looking like she hardly fucking cared to hear him say this.

"I don't want to waste my time. I know that all his excuses would be sick, and something that I will never want to fucking hear. And I know that he will accuse me of looking too deeply into something here." After she was telling the two of us this, I was really having no idea why I was even suggesting something like this in the first place.

"You never know. I mean, he might have a real fucking reason to be doing what he has been doing. I mean, not a good reason, and nothing to fully justify what is going on, but it will still be a reason nonetheless." After I was telling Joy this, I saw her looking like she was not in the mood to hear this.

"Nothing can justify what he fucking did. Nothing can justify the fact that he fucking set up my mothers death on purpose. I think you need to fucking think about what you are saying before you say anything like that." Joy said, and I was feeling like she was probably right deep down. But I was feeling like I just needed to fucking try at the very least.

"I was just making a suggestion. I mean, after all, I just feel like nothing like this can all still be going down if there was no good fucking reason." After I was telling her this, I was feeling like I was just saying a bunch of random shit. I then looked at Todd, and I was wondering if he was wanting to say more.

"So Todd, what are you planning to do now? I mean, you basically are the running the fucking show." I said, and then I was shrugging, aware that what I was saying was placing him on the fucking spot light. I saw him looking rather uncomfortable with what I had been saying. I saw him looking like he was not wanting anything else to say here.

"I don't know. I mean, I feel like I need to try and talk to my dad again. You know, make things up with him. I mean, just because I found out the truth doesn't mean that he doesn't a chance." After Todd was saying this, Joy looked over at him, trying to figure out the point of this. But then she sighed, thinking that what Todd was dealing with was nothing compared to what she was doing.

…

Scene 36: Bitterness Subsides

The next day, Jenny and Joy were meeting up, and I just felt like no matter what else was happening, I just needed to make sure that they did not break out into a fucking war over some shit that I really had no power over, and I was hoping that they both realized was not even all that big of a deal.

"Sorry to hear about what happened." Jenny said, and she finally seemed like she was willing to kind of put that angry feeling aside. Knowing that no matter what else was happening now, they were both starting to suffer, and that being angry at Joy was not the thing to do tonight.

"I don't really know what to fucking think. I mean, I was starting to think that there was a small chance that she was going to be safe. That this was all something that wouldn't fucking actually happen. But I feel like something like this was just too fucking much to ask for." Joy said, and at this point in time, I was seeing that she wasn't even trying to fucking put a level of safety in mind.

"Joy, if you need to stay with somebody for the time being, to keep safe, then while I might not like it, maybe I can convince my father to let you have a sleep over for a while." She said, and she was clearly not wanting to suggest something like this at all.

"I don't know if that is going to help. I mean, at most that might give me a bit more time. But time is just that. Delaying the inevitable." She said, and I was wondering if I was going to have to leave them alone, and let them talk a while. Leaving them alone, to discuss the issues that have been bothering them all this time.

"But wouldn't you want more time? You know, to let Sheldon and Todd do what they promised?" She asked, and I was clearly hearing from the way she was talking that she was still not buying what she was saying. Probably feeling like she was just trying to make the situation at least slightly less bad for Joy, and that at the end of the day, she was just trying to make Joy feel slightly better.

"I mean, I like what they are doing. But I will admit that I do have some times where I wonder if they are actually going to have all the answers. I mean, I want to give them a fucking chance. I really do. But at this point, I feel like I just need to be realistic." After Joy was saying this, I felt like I was just losing my patience with her statements.

"Yeah, I fucking know right. Anyways, I guess that now that I know that there is nothing that you are doing in this, I feel like maybe it is time for both of us to bury the hatchet? Friends again?" Jenny asked, feeling like even if she wanted to hate her forever, it was going to be possibly.

"Yeah, I guess that we can do that. I mean, I know that you probably do not really like a lot of what I am doing now. But I hope that you know that I am not doing anything too terrible on purpose. I just feel like I need to know why you grew to think it was my fault. After all, I don't even know what is fucking going on half the time anymore." Joy said, and then I got in my car, feeling it was beyond time for them to just be alone, and not having me be right there with them.

"I know that I was being stupid. You do not need to fucking tell me that. I just thought that maybe you would have a fucking idea what we need to be doing. I just wish I suppose that things can go back to normal once again." Jenny said, and then she was looking at me. As if thinking of what she was wanting to say to me.

I was seeing that she was remembering what she was declaring to Todd and I earlier. And I had no idea what to say, but I was feeling like from the look on her face, that she was starting to regret what she was telling me. I had a feeling she did mean the general point of what she was saying, but that the way she said it might have made her feel better.

As I was starting the car up once again, I heard Joy calling out to me. I looked over at her, and I was not really in the mood. I just wanted them to talk and have a good time without me. I was feeling like no matter what I could say, I would only be making things much worse for her.

"Sheldon, I am sorry for anything that has gone on earlier. I mean, I hope that you know that even if we have a hard time trusting your father, that we really fucking trust you. You are the one person that I feel like we need to look for." After Joy was telling me this, I was sighing, and I really had no idea what I was going to accomplish.

"I know that you are just saying that to make me feel better. But I guess that I do appreciate it. Knowing that some people are willing to actually fucking listen to me about what my issues are. After all, I have been in this fight for seven years." I said, and then with that, I was starting to drive off, and I was feeling the need to let them go.

Despite how much he was annoying me this entire time, I was glad to be aware of the fact that they were willing to be friends with each other again. That was something that was making me feel a million times better than they could have ever imagined. I wanted them to be happy, even if it was impossible.

…

Scene 37: The Next Request

I was at Sam's house the next day, since he gave me a call to visit him the night before I went to bed, and I told him I would do so in a bit. Once I was at the house, I was feeling like I just needed to be careful as all hell what I was fucking doing here. I knew that no matter what I said, I was going to be putting myself at risk.

"So Sam, what were you wanting to discuss?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to get right to the fucking point. As I was saying this, he sighed, glad to be seeing that if for nothing else, I was still taking what he was saying seriously.

"I was wanting to tell you what I was going to be doing now." Sam said, and I was well aware of the fact that him saying this was basically a gate way to having me do ninety percent of the work for him, and that I would not be allowed to say now.

"I was going to be throwing in a full fucking case onto the man in the purple jacket. I am not going to be holding out any god damn stops. I want that man fucking gone, and I don't care if it puts my life at risk to do so. He has put my brother life at risk too many times for me to even fucking care anymore." After he was saying this to me, I was starting to feel like there was no way in the world I would get him to fucking calm down.

"How do you think that will work? I mean, I would want to do it. But I feel like if you open up a fucking gateway to have the people who work with him take you out, they will fucking take it. After all, they only fucking care about Kevin. Everybody else can be thrown to the side, without any fucking consideration." I said, desperately hoping he would see my perspective. As I was saying this, I saw that Sam was at least thinking a small bit about what I had been saying. Even though he clearly didn't like it.

"I don't care. I want this man dead. Or at the least in prison for the rest of his life. I am one hundred percent sure that there is enough information to incriminate him." After Sam said this, I was very aware of the fact that he was too set on revenge for anything else.

"I mean, even if he doesn't get arrested, I feel like we can at least shoot for him getting fired permanently. I feel like that can be enough." After he said that to me, I shrugged for a second, and while I never liked this, I was slowly accepting that he had already made his mind up on the matter.

"Okay. That is something that I feel like we can fucking actually do. Getting him fired will be a pain in the ass, but I feel like there has got to be something that can do this." I said, and then I was looking at Sam, wondering what he was thinking he could be able to do about it. But in all honesty, I just felt like it would be a waste of time.

"I just knew you would be the only person willing to fucking do it. I mean, it must fucking suck to do something like this. But I feel like we really have no fucking choice. And I want to make sure that before anything else happens, Kevin has a chance of safety. I care about my brother too much." After he said that, I slowly nodded. Thinking that he made his point enough.

"It does suck that this is what happened. I mean, as I always said, Kevin was probably the closest thing to a younger brother that I could have ever had, and I feel like I am making a mistake by not giving him the attention he deserves." I said, feeling like by telling him that, this could be able to temporarily make Sam feel slightly better.

"If he is the closest thing to a brother that you have, then why do you keep insisting on fighting me on this shit all the fucking time? I mean, I just feel like you are not seeing the bigger picture of what he will be going through if something happens to him. And I sure as hell know that I am not really sure what I can take as well." After Sam was telling me this, I was sighing, since I was not really in the mood to hear this fucking lecture anymore. He made his fucking point, and that was all that he needed.

"I just feel like I am not sure if directly pursuing this is safe. I mean, for all I know, eventually he will target Kevin to just get this over with. I mean, I feel like the only reason he hasn't yet is because of the fact that he's still thirteen. Once he's sixteen or seventeen, you know a slightly mature young adult, then I feel like he wouldn't give a single fuck anymore." I said, feeling that I needed to say this with utter confidence.

I was then feeling like this idea that I just suggested to him would finally be the thing that would get him to fucking see my perspective. I would even see from the look on his face that he was indeed thinking about what I had been saying.

I saw Sam just not really looking like he was wanting to hear it all that much anymore. I knew that he had made his mind up, and I was going to help him, and that was all that there was to the whole thing anymore.

…

November 26, 1986, End

When he was done, he looked at his therapist, wondering what he was even going to be doing now.

Therapist: So Sheldon, now that you know the truth about Todd's adoption, how did he push forward with it?

Sheldon: Over time, he started to actually take it in stride. But he was taking it way more seriously than he ever needed to. After all, it's just a fucking adoption.

Therapist: But with his whole idea that everything was a fucking lie, I just feel like I need to see what in the world was causing him to feel that way.

Sheldon: I don't fucking know. What I do know is that I was getting extremely worried that over time, it was getting in the way of the mission, and that he wasn't really looking at objective truth and more of just pure raw emotions.

Therapist: How did you help Joy out? I mean, from these sessions, it was very clear that your mothers death all those years ago was the first step to you becoming the person you were. Was Jenny and Joy the same way?

Sheldon: I think that the issue is that both of them would have eventually become the people that they would have over time. Especially fucking Jenny. I thought that our moms dying would have been a good way to unite us. And now Cody is without a mom as a result.

Therapist: I mean, I do sort of see the logic in what you say. Can't say I fully agree, but I can't say what you were doing was flawed, when in theory it made sense.

Sheldon: Thanks for that. Helps show me that I am not going completely fucking crazy. Even though many people like to assume that I have been, for their own gain.

Before too long, Sheldon felt like he was keeping her too long, and then he left the room, not really in the mood to have more discussion until the next session.