The four horsemen and their young teammate sat around the coffee table, with Merritt, Danny, and Henley on the couch and Taylor and Jack on the floor. A game of Risk (Three hours running) was in progress, and it was down to Merritt and Jack. Jack had beaten Merritt out of one of his countries to applause when they heard a knock on their front door. Merritt was pushed from his spot by Henley, being told that since he'd just lost, he had to get up.

As the mentalist opened the door, he realized that the person on the porch was none other than Dylan, who walked in and sat at the table and set a folder of papers in front of him heavily on the wood. Hearing this, the other four came to the room, sitting at seats by the table, until Merritt realized that he was the only one without a chair. As he turned to get a chair from the deck, Dylan spoke for the first time.

"Don't grab a chair. I only need to talk to the other four, Merritt."

"No. we are all in this together. We need to hear something, he needs to hear it too." Atlas, having picked up that this was going to be important, intoned softly and yet forcefully. "Go grab a chair."

"Fine, but it doesn't affect you." the agent gave in easily, waiting until the older man had gotten a chair and sat down before continuing. "Taylor, have you heard from your parents lately?"

"Does last year count?" Dylan's head shook. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, if they haven't contacted you, then that means that they have gone entirely off the grid. Our best hackers and even our trained professionals can't find a trace." He stopped to study her face, mostly stoic, but with a slight hint of confusion.

"Why are you telling me this? Children in the eye are supposed to lose all personal contact with their parents at age fourteen. I haven't seen them in a year. How does all this affect me?"

"Because, another rule in the eye is that until you've proven yourself your status is equivalent to your parent's, soooooo….."

Taylor gasped in understanding as Jack asked Dylan "Again, how does that affect her?"

The teen answered for him "being off the grid on purpose is the same as quitting to the eye. And" at this she turned to Dylan "since you came here to tell me about this I assume they weren't on a mission, the only non-purposeful way to go off the grid," At this the man shook his head, "then they must have left on purpose. So them having left means I leave too. How does that affect the rest of them though?"

"I found a way around the rule. Legally, your parents being off the grid means that you are up for adoption. Adoption counts as legal parenting, so if two of the horsemen were to adopt you, then you'd be a magician for the eye again. Of course, you would have to make up some sob story about Jack's last parent dying, and the other two horsemen stepping in to help their friends, and Jack would be adopted too, but I'm sure you five can handle it."

Four out of five made noises of accent while Daniel sat still for a second before asking "so Who's adopting her?"

"Henley, obviously, because she's the only girl and you actually, because you are closest to her age and you two have some chemistry." Merritt bumped shoulders with danny, who stuck his tongue out childishly. Taylor was looking at the horsemen, waiting."Take as long as you three want to decide. This is a big commitment"

"I'll do it." henley spoke up, smiling at the blonde, who returned the favor shakily before staring down the illusionist.

"Henley, we've known her for less than a week and you want to adopt her?"

"Dylan trusts her, and I trust Dylan. If we don't do this, she won't be in the eye anymore. Could you imagine losing that? "

"I don't trust that kid. I don't want to adopt her just so she can stay in the eye, something she was born into and probably doesn't even deserve! She can live on the streets for all I care." If any of the five looked at Taylor at that moment, they would have seen grey eyes brimming with tears. They did not, however, so they also missed her quietly excuse herself in favor of watching the escape artist and illusionist scuffle.

An hour and a half later, Henley knocked softly before inviting herself in, finding Taylor curled up on top of the sheets on her side of the bed, face buried in the pillow. "I got ya some things, they were mine when I was little, and I want you to have them." The small girl lifted her head to take in the book and pair of handcuffs on Henley's side of the bed.

"For me?" Taylor asked the ginger, who nodded. The book, upon closer inspection, was a worn copy of a beginner's guide to escapology, and taylor smiled. "This is amazing!"

"Check the inside." Henley suggested, moving over the blonde's shoulder to re-read what she'd written.

Dear Taylor,

This book is for you so you can be just like

me when ysou grow up, not that you need to

Be any better than you already are.

Love, Mom.

At the last line, Taylor jumped up and hugged Henley, who squeaked a little in surprise. "You convinced him? "

"Read the next line, T." her eyes took on a heavy smile.

At least if I can help it.

AN- and there's our conflict. I have ideas for other oneshots and have also decided that oneshots will be given names and the overarching chapters will be called ch. Such and such.

Question of the day- how do you like this so far? I do love writing, but I love writing what yall love even more!

Hope yall have a good day, and remember, the closer you look, the less you see.

-rain