Always Growing

At the age of thirteen Joshua is growing. Not just physically, but mentally too. He has always been a bit philosophical and, even when he was young, and he had worried about becoming a man without a father figure to follow. Thankfully, Gabe came into his life and, as of late, he's been observing how his father acts. Ever since they reunited he's been striving to be like him: humorous, witty, clever, and a pure genius. Joshua will admit that his father isn't the nicest guy, but people seem to like him nevertheless and what better person to idolize than a father?

These very thoughts are clouding the boy's mind as he shoves his backpack against a mass of papers and forces it into his locker. As he struggles to close it, a girl two years younger than him but only a grade below walks up with a skip in her step.

"Hey, Joshua!" She chirps. Her emerald eyes are sparkling and a wide smile spreads across her pale face.

"Err, hey, Alyssa," he grunts and releases a relieved sigh once he finally manages to shut his locker door. Picking up a stack of folders and notebooks from the tiled floor, he asks casually, "What's up?"

"Not much," she replies but the excitement in her voice is too thick for it to be nothing. Unconvinced, Joshua straightens up and quirks an eyebrow at her.

"Really?" He insists with a knowing tone.

Giggling, Alyssa practically blurts out, "I think Little Guy might ask N'omi out on a date soon!"

Joshua smiles and holds back a chuckle when she mispronounces her adoptive mother's name. "That's great," he agrees with polite enthusiasm. "It's about time he made a move."

Alyssa nods eagerly and her russet hair flies around her shoulders as she does so. Clapping her hands together, she eagerly wonders aloud, "What if they get married?"

"Let's not rush anything," Joshua warns light heartedly but it doesn't seem to dull the girl's childish dreams. Before she can respond, however, somebody grabs Joshua's arm and yanks him backward. The green haired boy falls to the ground with a yelp as his folders fly away, effectively spilling papers across the floor.

"Yo, Alyssa!" A new voice yells and Joshua instantly recognizes it to belong to his rival, Cooper. He's about three inches shorter than Joshua but twenty times meaner and more cynical than his father. He has a square jaws and beady brown eyes that only ever express bitterness.

Cooper's almost the complete opposite of Joshua except for one detail. Neither of them had known their fathers through out their lives; that is, until Joshua reunited with Gabe. Up until that point Cooper had completely ignored him, though for the past three years he has been trying to make the innocent boy's life hell.

"Joshua, are you okay?" Alyssa frets and steps towards her friend, but she is stopped by Cooper's large arm holding her back.

With a wry grin, Cooper responds in his rarely shown excited tone, "He'll be fine. Hey, I heard you got blown up! That's awesome! Was it cool?"

Alyssa gasps and pain flashes in her emerald eyes. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she answers quietly, "Not at all."

"Bah, if I got blown up I totally could of handled it," he boasts and Alyssa can only glare at him as her hands ball into fists.

"It's could have," Joshua mumbles from behind the other boy, intending for the comment to be for himself but it's overheard. By now he has gathered his papers though, upon catching his words, Cooper spins around and nocks the folder out of his hands again.

"What did you say?" He snaps while Joshua feels heat rush through his face. His ochre eye burn with rage as they scan the field of papers as if it is a field of corpses.

Frustrated, he replies dryly, "You said 'could of' but the grammatically correct way is 'could have'."

"Nobody asked you, nerd!" Cooper retorts as he pushes Joshua's shoulders, making the green haired boy stumble back.

Turning around, Cooper grins at Alyssa, who is currently fuming and wondering the best way of attack. "So what was it like being blown up?" He questions with an evil smirk and she has to take a few deep breaths in order not to punch him there and then. Naomi always said controlling your emotions is the best way to succeed.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she mutters through gritted teeth but Cooper just laughs.

"Come on, tell me!" He urges forcefully.

As Joshua walks back towards the two, something inside him is beginning to snap. The blood rushes through his head and his heart pounds against his chest. He suddenly remembers his dad punching a drunken man who had tried flirting with his mom once. His mother had been incensed but Joshua found the whole ordeal impressive. The ease and power that his father had in that one punch was astounding yet, knowing better, Joshua keeps his hands by his side as he cuts into the conversation strongly, "She said she didn't want to talk about it."

Cooper spins around again and, with rage dancing in his eyes like fire, he shoves Joshua into a locker.

"I told you to shut up, nerd!" He orders with loathing.

"Stop it!" Alyssa protests, grabbing Cooper's arm but her frail body is shoved away like a fly and she falls to the ground.

By now the hallway is full of passing students who stop and stare at the action. They all know they should help in someway but their fascination with the exciting event has them dumbfounded.

"Don't touch her!" Joshua suddenly yells with newfound vigor as he shoves Cooper's hands off of him.

With nothing more than a grunt, Cooper pushes Joshua back into the locker. Pain stings the back of the green haired boy's head but it is nothing compared to the sudden rush of adrenaline and fury he feels coursing through him like electricity. Without another thought and in blind rage, Joshua's fist soars through the air and nails Cooper's cheek with so much force that it sends the bully stumbling backwards.

Tripping over his own feet, Cooper falls to the ground but he's up in seconds. Like a charging bull, he throws his body at Joshua's and throws a few punches at his stomach. Joshua manages to block his abdomen with his hands and kicks at his attacker. It lasts for only a second before a strident voice cuts through the air and shouts, "Stop this!"

Of course simple words won't restrain the boys from thrashing at each other. The woman, who just so happens to be the principal, easily slips Joshua away by gripping his hair and pulling him back. He shimmers down a bit as he watches Cooper get caught in the arms of three teachers, cursing all the while.

"You three!" The principal orders, exasperated, and passing her wild gaze over Joshua, Cooper, and Alyssa. "My office NOW!"

Strolling down one of the many hallways in Resurgam First Care, Gabe quickly lights a cigarette and pops it into his mouth. The drug calms his frustration towards his latest patient in seconds. He hasn't had somebody that annoying in a while and, to his bitter realization, the old fool got to him with his obnoxious idiocy.

He soon finds himself sitting in one of the many tables in the break room and relaxes with his cigarette. After a few minutes, he finds himself calmed down and has regained his composure. His respite is short lived, though, when RONI's robotic voice chimes in his earpiece,

"Dr. Cunningham, you have a phone call," the robot states simply and Gabe only groans.

"I don't answer those, RONI," he replies dryly. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"So far you have told me thirty two times," she responds instantly.

"For a robot made for diagnostics, you're pretty bad at picking up hints," he grumbles irritably.

"Doctor, the phone is ringing again. Lisa Cunningham is calling you."

"Damn it, RONI! Why didn't you say so before?" Gabe groans before pushing himself out of his seat and rapidly returns to his office. "Now she is going to be pissed at me for not answering!" He adds with growing frustration.

"Shall I tell her –,"

"No, RONI, just shut up," Gabe huffs as he marches into his office and picks up the phone on its last ring.

"Hello?" He greets, trying to use a nicer tone but his aggravation shows.

"Hey, Gabe," Lisa replies in a softer, tired voice. Getting straight to the point, she explains quickly, "I'm coming over to drop Joshua off at your office because I have to go back to work."

"What? But it's only nine in the morning…shouldn't he be in school?" Gabe muses.

With a sigh, Lisa continues in a strained voice, "Yes, but Joshua has to leave early because he…well, he got into a fight."

"WHAT?" Gabe gawks. He has tremendous difficulty imagining his son as anything but gentle.

"Yes, he has an in-school suspension for the next two days and – okay, I'm outside. Joshua is heading in now. Talk to you later," she finishes the call quickly in a defeated voice, leaving Gabe dumbfounded and more frustrated than before.

As Joshua walks towards the lounge where his dad is supposed to meet him, shame builds up inside of him. He knows what he did was wrong but is it really? He was only trying to defend his friend, and surely Gabe will be proud of that. Joshua hadn't regretted anything until he saw the disappointed gaze of his favorite teacher and the surprised, fearful look of his mother. He remembers the teacher's words so well that it's as if she is saying them right now, "I expected this from him, Joshua, but not from you…never from you."

And as he strolls into the lounge another pang of guilt hits him. He never wanted anybody to worry about him and he especially never wanted anybody to be ashamed of him. The only comforting thought he has is that his father will be sure to understand.

Oh how wrong he is.

All of his favorite doctors – Hank, Tomoe, Maria, and CR-S01 – are in the corner of the room casually chatting with each other. The best one to him, however, is sitting in a chair at one of the wobbly tables. His fingers drum against the plastic top anxiously and his piercing ochre eyes snap to Joshua as soon as he steps inside.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Gabe yells instantly and shoots up from his chair to his full height. The other doctors in the room fall silent and turn to stare at the furious man. Fuming, he goes on in a powerful tone, "You can't go running around punching people! That's idiotic!"

Joshua is utterly stunned by his father's fury, but a sense of betrayal and shame quickly destroys his shock. His eyes grow wide as he stutters in a desperate tone, "I-I was only defending Alyssa. Cooper's the one who –"

"I don't care what he did!" Gabe cuts in bitterly, his amber eyes flaring. "No matter what you do you never fight!"

"But, Dad!" Joshua protests. "You're always telling me to defend myself and others by any means possible! And now you're saying that I shouldn't?"

"Fighting won't solve anything!" Gabe retorts and now familiar emotion begins bubbling inside Joshua again. Guilt and remorse are nothing compared to the anger he feels against himself for failing everybody that believed in him, but now a bit of that fury is being directed towards his father for his hypocrisy.

"I thought you would understand!" Joshua blurts out and his breathing becomes heavy. "You're always fighting – always arguing – and now you are telling me not too? That's a contradiction!"

"You know very well that you shouldn't be fighting anybody," Gabe shoots back while stepping closer to his son. The crowd behind him is stunned to silence and cannot take their eyes off of the horrifying scene.

"I'm already being punished enough by the school, so just leave me alone, okay?" Joshua insists, running a hand through his bushy green hair and releasing a frustrated sigh.

"What kind of father would I be if I just let you off that easily?" Gabe retorts and his words are like bombs that break a dam in Joshua's mind. With his inner wall annihilated, bottled up fury and sorrow pours out uncontrollably.

Blood rushing through his head and eyes stinging with oncoming tears, Joshua shouts back in blind fury, "What kind of father! What kind of father abandons his family for ten years? What kind of father leaves his wife confused and betrayed, crying herself to sleep at night, and a son who doesn't have a clue as to what to do? Don't talk to me about morals when you have none of your own!"

His words are like fighter planes that pierce right through Gabe and leaves him in stunned silence. Hot tears spill down Joshua's reddening face as he spins around and dashes from the room.

Gabe is too shocked to moves. His mouth hangs open and his eyes are wide, but Maria is quick to react. "Joshua, wait!" She calls desperately and goes to run after him but his held back when Tomoe grabs her arm.

The green eyed EMT turns her furious gaze to Gabe and she scolds hotly, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Maria," Tomoe warns softly while gently tugging on the EMT's jacket.

"What?" Maria snaps and turns to see the calming purple gaze of the sweet woman.

"Are you okay, Gabriel?" Hank questions in his usual friendly tone and rests a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he replies a little too quickly. Then, with a sigh, he admits in a quiet voice, "I just had no idea he…felt that way. I thought we were fine…"

"I'm not entirely positive, but I believe it would be a good idea if you were to go after him," CR joins the conversation in his soft, lucid voice. Everybody turns to the timid surgeon and Gabe nods.

"You're probably right…oh damn it, I need to fix this!" He grumbles to himself before he bolts out of the room and sprints down the hallway.

"RONI!" Gabe shouts into his earpiece as he turns a corner and barely dodges Darnell. "Where is Joshua now?"

"Please specify which Joshua you want to locate," the robotic voice responds in his ear.

"My Joshua! My son! Who else?" Gabe snaps.

"There are currently eleven people in this hospital that go by the name Joshua and approximately 670,976 people in the world are named Joshua -,"

"So where is he?" Gabe cuts her off and his hands grow sweaty as he tries to push his son's painfully truthful words out of his mind.

"He is at the front entrance…and has just departed Resurgam."

"He left Resurgam?" Gabe gasps, turning around another corridor and he heads down a flight of stairs. "Where is he going now?"

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but my cameras do not branch outside of their designated area."

Gabe releases a shaky breath and sprints down the hallway. Where could Joshua be headed? Why hadn't he ever mentioned his feelings before now?

The troubled doctor soon finds himself running through the pouring rain, splashing through puddles as he cranes his head around for any sign of Joshua. On instinct he starts running away from the hospital and towards the city.

Resurgam is only somewhat secluded from the busy metropolis and, after only a minute of running, Gabe finds himself in one of the most hectic parts of town. The street is packed with immobile cars, all of which are honking (as if blasting an obnoxious noise will magically solve your problems), and people wander in clumps on the narrow sidewalk. The flustered doctor stops there and cranes his neck around in a futile attempt to spot his son in the throng.

After a few moments of frantic terror and guilt wracking his brain, Gabe snatches his cell phone and hits a speed dial number.

"Hank, it's me," Gabe greets the caller with a dismal tone.

"Did you find him?" The gentle man on the line asks.

"No," Gabe sighs. "He left the hospital and I have no idea where he could have gone. I'm going to keep looking for him. Call Naomi, Esha, and anybody else who might have a chance of seeing him."

"What about Lisa?"

"Yeah, call her too," he decides dreadfully. "No doubt she's going to be pissed when she finds out I lost our son."

"Don't worry, Gabriel, we'll find him," Hank comforts and Gabe can only sigh in response.

"Thanks. Call me if anything important happens."

Three hours later and Gabe is on his way back from scouring the streets for his son. His clothes hang heavily on his weary body and his shoes are flooded with water, sloshing with each step he takes. Water drips from his drenched hair and into his eyes but it doesn't bother him that much. All he feels is guilt and anger towards himself. Not only does he make his son run away from him, but now he can't even find him and doesn't have a clue as to where he can be.

He walks through the automatic doors of Resurgam, feeling a bit of warmth wrap around his numbing body. There are a few people in the lobby but he only recognizes one face. Her deep brown eyes are filled with worry and are a bit watery as she gazes at him. With a shake of his head her gaze falls back down to the floor and she buries her face in her hands.

"He'll be okay, Lisa," Gabe tries to soothe his wife while rubbing her shoulder. "He's a smart boy."

"Y-yes but like you," she stammers out, wiping her eyes. "Y-you two always lose sense when you're irritated."

"He'll be okay," Gabe repeats, ignoring the small insult she sent his way, and wipes a tear on her cheek with his thumb.

Lisa swallows a lump in her throat and takes out her cell phone for the thousandth time that day. She dials Joshua's cell phone number again and they listen to the continuous ring until it goes to machine and she snaps the phone shut.

"What's the point of getting him a phone if he never uses it," she mumbles touchily, shoving the item back into her pocket.

"Where is everybody else?" Gabe questions as he sits next to her.

With a deep breath, she explains in a shaky voice, "Hank said he's going to look all over the city – literally – and I told him that he could only do that if he were to fly but he heard nothing of it. Maria took a left out of here on her motorcycle and Tomoe and Hanzo took a right. Naomi and Little Guy are checking the upper part of town and they left Alyssa home in case Joshua decides to go there. A-and I've been waiting here for him but he hasn't come…and you're soaking wet."

She mentions the last part with a bit of guilt, noticing his drenched appearance for the first time; his green hair is plastered to his head and water drips down his cheeks and nose.

"Where's the kid?" Gabe questions and ignores her statement.

"You mean CR? Holden is taking him back to his cell now…" Lisa trails off. Her voice becomes more serious as she looks at Gabe with calculating eyes and asks, "Gabe…why did you yell at him?"

"Because he got into a fight, so I had to yell at him," Gabe explains instantly as if it is obvious.

"You yelled at him because you think that's what a typical father should do," Lisa clarifies and, under her powerful stare, Gabe sighs in agreement.

She shakes her head and rubs her temple as she responds in an exhausted tone, "Parents are supposed to punish their kid if they did something wrong, but only if the child doesn't feel guilty for his bad act. Joshua was punished enough at school, and when he comes home it's up to us to make him feel better and let him know that we love him no matter what. I know you were just trying to be a good dad, but sometimes being a good dad means saying nothing at all."

Gabe doesn't move for a moment and just lets the words sink in. After a few seconds, he takes a deep breath and sits down in one of the plastic chairs. He rubs his tired and soaked face, pulling at his skin with his large hands. Leaning forward, he rests his elbows against his knees and shoves his hands into his tangled hair. "Shit," he grumbles with exhaustion evident in his tone. "I messed it up big time."

The relentless rain drums against the window shield as Holden and CR sit in a traffic jam in one of the many city streets. As usual, the two are dead silent with Holden driving the car, his eyes never leaving the road, and CR sitting in the back seat with his hands chained together. For the first time ever, the doctor speaks to Holden inside of this sleek black car.

"Do you think Joshua is okay?" he asks in his soft, deep voice.

Holden is quiet for a moment. He glances at the passenger through his rear view mirror and sees the young doctor deep in thought. His wispy black hair covers his crimson eyes as he stares out the window. While shifting his weight in his seat, he responds in his gruff voice, "Probably. He's a smart kid."

CR just nods as he gazes at a small park to his right. A brick walkway cuts through the square of grass and lines of pine trees border the path like a fence. Nobody is in the tiny park except for a boy huddled up against the trunk of a tree. CR then stares intently through his fog filled window at the child. Bushy green hair. That's all he needs to see.

"I found Joshua," CR states simply as if it is no big deal and Holden turns around to look at the prisoner with a cocked eyebrow. Following his gaze, the agent sees Joshua as well and instantly begins pulling over to the side of the road, cutting off a driver in the process and earning himself the finger.

"We'll take him back," Holden decides once they have come to the edge and he begins unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Wait," CR suddenly commands quietly. Holden freezes and, though his eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses, the young doctor can feel his intense and puzzled stare on him. "I want to talk to him…can I?" CR adds tentatively.

Holden knows that CR isn't evil in anyway – he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time – but his job would forbid him to let a criminal talk to a child privately. Things have changed drastically since the two first met though. Not only do they have a better understanding of one another, but also Holden is starting to ease up his constant tension. Despite his better judgment, he finds himself agreeing and unlocks the back door. Still hand cuffed, CR exits the car and begins walking across the muddy ground, the grass making a slurping noise with every step he takes, as he heads towards the boy. The rain drenches his unruly black hair and wind tears at his lab coat.

The boy doesn't notice the approaching doctor until he sits down beside him. CR is completely silent as Joshua stares at him with frightened ochre eyes. His entire body is drenched and his soaked hair is plastered to his face. His clothes cling to his body and his thin arms are wrapped around his legs that are brought up to his chest. CR, on the other hand, just watches the rain fall around them and the cars slowly inch forward along the road. The water is seeps into his pants as he stretches his long legs out in front of him and leans back against the tree trunk, and then he becomes still. To Joshua he is a statute. His face is free of expression and bumps and he'd be inert if it weren't for the wind playing with his stringy black hair and the intensity in his crimson eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, the doctor says casually as he continues to stare straight ahead, "It's bad for your health to stay out here in the rain. You could catch pneumonia."

Joshua only frowns and places his chin on his knees. Watching the rain too, he replies glumly in a quiet voice, "I'm lost."

CR turns his red gaze to the boy but Joshua refuses to meet his gaze.

"Dr. Cunningham – I mean your father – is very worried about you," CR tells him in his soft tone but the mention of the green haired doctor causes Joshua to frown more.

"He never wanted me. He hates me," the boy sighs and watches as a squirrel rushes through the soaked grass and up a nearby tree to hide from the downpour.

"Not at all," CR shakes his head. "He's been searching for you ever since you left."

"He wouldn't have yelled at me if he didn't hate me," Joshua protests in a dejected and stubborn tone.

"You're right, he shouldn't have scolded you," CR agrees in a calm voice and Joshua sends him a surprised look; he wasn't expecting the doctor to agree. With his piercing crimson gaze fixed on the boy and water dripping from his black hair, CR explains, "As children we like to think our parents are perfect - that they cannot make mistakes - but they are flawed. You are probably already aware of this because your father made the mistake of leaving you and your mother, but you have forgiven him for that so you can forgive him of this."

Joshua shakes his head and rests his chin back on his knees. He takes a deep breath and confesses in a murmur, "I don't know if I do forgive him for leaving. I thought I did but I guess there…there is still a part of me that's hurt by his abandonment…"

CR nods in understanding and adds in his still lucid voice, "Nobody is perfect, Joshua, so you are bound to argue with even the people closest to you. You might never truly forgive him but at least you know he's trying to make up for the years he's missed. And that proves he loves you more than anything else."

It's now that an immense amount of gratitude and respect grows inside of Joshua. CR has always been the quiet doctor in the corner that most of his colleagues – mainly his dad and Maria – tease. CR doesn't seem to mind, but Joshua is sure that there must be days when he is tired of their playful remarks. It's one thing to hear the doctor talk more than a few words, but it's another to actually speak to a stranger on such heavy topics.

For the first time today, Joshua sends the doctor a tiny, u-shaped smile. CR has never seen such a sweet smile on his father and it almost shocks him to see somebody with such a resemblance appear that compassionate.

"Has your father ever made a mistake like this?" Joshua asks with less sorrow in his huge amber eyes.

"Not exactly…" CR admits. With a deep breath, he explains, "My father killed a lot of people and then framed me for it, so I got a 250-year sentence."

Joshua's mouth falls open as he stares at the doctor with wide eyes. "A-and you f-f-forgive him for that?" He gawks while blinking rapidly, as if the action will get the stunned look out of his face.

"He wasn't in his right mind when he did it and he's my father. I'm not angry with him," CR replies simply as if it's a universal feeling.

"Not even a little?"

"Maybe in the deep part of my brain, like you are with your father."

"Wow," Joshua marvels as he gazes at the doctor with awe. "My problem seems tiny compared to yours."

"No, yours is still important," CR responds as he wipes a strand of wet hair out of his eyes. "We should be getting back though."

Joshua nods and grins at the prisoner again. "Thanks, Doctor," he says kindly as they push themselves off the muddy ground and begin heading back to the car. "By the way," Joshua adds. "I think you just perfected smiling."

CR blinks twice in surprise at the boy's words. He had no idea he had been smiling until the subject was brought up and, as they enter the back of the car, he cannot help but smile more. Finally, his practice has paid off.

In the twenty minutes that it takes CR, Holden, and Joshua to return all the doctors come back empty handed and dismal. Lisa is about to call the police when the double doors slide open and three males walk in, two of who are drenched and their shoes squeak with each step they take.

"Joshua!" Lisa cries out instantly, rushing to her son and encasing him in a bone-crushing hug. Rubbing the back of his head, she whispers, "I was so worried about you."

Wrapping his arms around her, he replies back with guilt lacing his voice, "I'm really sorry. I never wanted you to worry."

A chuckle escapes his mother's lips as she wipes his wet bangs out of his eyes. Smiling, she tells him lovingly, "You sweet, sweet boy."

Heart still pounding as relief slowly fills his body, Gabe releases a shuddering breath. The other doctors around him are staring at the scene with the same amount of relaxation coming over them.

Looking past his mother's shoulder, Joshua and Gabe lock eyes. They don't see bitterness in each other and, needing to clear things up, the doctor claps his hands together and shouts, "Alright, nothing to see here people. Thanks for your help, it's much appreciated, but you can leave now."

Hank and Tomoe nod while Maria rolls her eyes but, understanding the need for privacy, they all leave the area. CR is about to leave with Holden but freezes when Gabe holds him back by his elbow.

"Thanks for finding him, kid," Gabe breathes sincerely. "I owe you one."

The surgeon only nods once before turning away and heading back out into the rain.

Gabe turns back around to find his wife still fussing over Joshua. "Where did you go? Were you hurt? Please tell me you weren't talking to any homeless people," she frets while struggling to fix his hair and he reassures her.

"It's fine, Mom, I can take care of myself," he says with a tiny smile and slyly unwinds himself from her hands.

"Well…alright, but promise me you will never run away again," she demands sternly while crossing her arms.

"I promise," Joshua agrees easily and a smile instantly spreads across her face. She then glances at Gabe and, with a secret message passed between them, she kisses her son's forehead. "I'll meet you at the car," she informs him before walking past Gabe and out into the rain.

Joshua turns around to face his father but he won't meet Gabe's gaze. His father, however, clears his throat and takes a few steps forward. He opens his mouth to speak but his son beats him to it.

"I'm so sorry," he blurts out with his ochre eyes still locked onto the floor. Guilt weighs down his voice as he continues, "I shouldn't have said those things. I was being stupid and senseless and…I'm sorry. I made a mistake."

Gabe shakes his head instantly and places his hands on Joshua's shoulders. The fact that he no longer has to kneel down to be at eye level makes him realize how much he's grown. Joshua's up to his chest now and it seems like he grows an inch everyday, but just because Gabe is a man doesn't mean he isn't still growing like his son. As he stares at Joshua, he realizes that he'll probably always be changing.

"You don't need to be sorry," Gabe tells him seriously. "Everything you said was true and I'm a dumb ass for leaving you and your mom. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you still hated me."

"I don't hate you," Joshua instantly interjects and snaps his gaze up to meet his dad's.

Gabe sends him a crooked grin with his burnt out and soaked cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He ruffles his son's hair and attempts to use a lighter tone but a bit of regret is still evident when he mentions, "I should probably be a better role model, huh?"

Joshua sends him his tiny smile and replies, "It's okay. Even role models make mistakes. Besides, if you didn't then I could never use that against you to get me any movie of my choice."

The boy can't hold back his triumphant smirk as Gabe gawks at him for a moment. He quickly recovers though and starts laughing with both amusement and relief.

"God, kid," he rolls his eyes playfully while shoving his hands in his pocket. "If this keeps up then I'm going to be broke soon."

"You could always do my English homework," Joshua jibes back.

Gabe chuckles at even the thought. "Sorry, but you can never make me read some book about Amish people….well, a book in general. And what if you make a mistake?"

Joshua taps his chin as he considers this. After a moment of deep pondering, he decides thoughtfully, "I can keep Maria off your back because she thinks I'm adorable, or I can keep Esha from harassing you about paper work by asking her awkward questions."

"Awkward questions?" Gabe echoes curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"Where do babies come from? What does "rape" mean? You know, that stuff," Joshua says carelessly and his father chuckles again.

They begin to walk towards the exit as Gabe ruffles up his son's hair once again. "This is gonna be fun," he decides as the doors slide open and they return to the pouring rain. The water runs down their already soaked bodies as they splash through the puddles and run for the car in the distance.

The drive home is quiet and the event that transpired isn't mentioned again, because sometimes the best thing to say is to say nothing at all. And if that fails, then at least blackmail will always be available.