When Kat Dicker had appeared at his cell and told Buddy that he'd had a visitor, Buddy hadn't expected to soon have his arms wrapped up around his daughter.

Part of his was sure this was a dream and that Robin really didn't have her small face pressed into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, daddy," Robin whispered. "Didn't mean it, don't hate you." Her face was wet and Buddy rocked her gently.

"Shh, its okay. I know you didn't mean it, baby," Buddy assured her. "It's alright, don't cry."

Robin sniffed and lifted her head. "Violet's daddy said you're in jail, is this jail?"

Buddy winced slightly, he was sure Mr. Incredible was bad mouthing him to Robin every chance he got. "Yeah, this is jail. What else does Violet's daddy tell you?" he asked.

"He tells me and Jack-Jack stories 'bout supers sometimes, but he doesn't like talking about you. And if makes Vi and her mommy mad if he starts to." Robin hesitated a moment, regarding her father carefully like she was deciding something. "Are you bad?"

Buddy ran his left hand shakily over her back. "I was."

"Am I bad?" Robin asked softly.

"No," Buddy said firmly. "Who told you that you were?"

Robin hugged him again not answering him. "Vi misses you. She wanted to come too but they wouldn't let her."

Buddy wondered how much Violet really had wanted to come see him. Who could keep an invisible girl from going where she wanted to, after all? It had been a month since they'd seen each other and plenty of time for her parents to have swayed her. To have her believing that he'd been using her and that any feelings she thought she had were due to Stockholm syndrome.

And pity.

Buddy stroked Ro's hair with his left hand again, and looked at the metal of his right one. "Tell her I miss her too," he finally said softly. "Are you…happy staying with Violet?"

"I like Jack-Jack, he's fun to play with and Vi's mommy makes the best cookies -- almost better than Violet's," she whispered. "But-- when can we go home?"

Buddy squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a kiss to the top of his daughter's head.

"You both better freaking well appreciate this," Kat muttered half to herself, half to Buddy and half to the presence behind her as she took Robin's hand to lead her out of Buddy's 'room'. "Ten minutes."

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Buddy watched her lead Robin away confused at her words. But she was a rather confusing young lady from what he'd seen of her. She'd come asking him questioning in odd round about ways, never actually coming out and really asking what it was she was asking. He could appreciate her tactics though. He remembered vaguely something about her being a tech girl before taking over her father's position. And like her father she seemed have loyalties that sometimes went against those signing her pay checks, something he himself could understand.

How long had he pretended loyalty to Xerek while hating?

Suddenly the air in front of him shimmered and Violet Parr was standing there with a slight smile. "Hi."

He inhaled sharply. No, she couldn't really be there. She couldn't really be risking -- if they caught her here.

Violet threw her arms around him. "We've got ten minutes before Kat's jammer stops working. God, Buddy, I've missed you."

"Vi?" He said stupidly, touching her face with his real hand.

"Can't get anything passed you can I?" she teased.

"Why are you here? Damn it, if your caught in here --" Fury filled him. At her for risking this. At that named pink haired bitch for letting and helping her. At himself for getting her involved to start with.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Then I'll deal with it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now you tell me why you let them take you without a fight. You've got the zero point tech built into your arm, you could have taken them easy. We could have spent the last month on your island instead of me going out of my mind with worry…and why they hell did you let my father make that phone call?! Why didn't you tell me what you'd planned? Why did you have to play martyr and make me feel…" she hit her fist against his chest.

Buddy very carefully wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his chest. "Listen to me, Violet. Xerek cannot act against me while I'm in here. It attract to much attention to him, attention he doesn't want. You and Robin are safe."

"No we aren't." Violet hissed, pushing away from him. He let her go. "We haven't been safe. My parents think they were normal villain fights, protecting and serving and all that shit. And Kat thinks he has people in the agency. And even if we iwere/i safe…how could you do this to Robin? You were all she knew. You're her father and you abandoned her."

Buddy shook his head in denial. "No… I was trying to protect her -- both of you."

"I don't need to be protected but you can't protect anyone in while you're in here Buddy," Violet told him, her chin thrust out angrily.

He smile slightly, despite himself. "I've missed you."

Violet blinked rapidly. "Asshole."

"I know." He stood up and hugged her again. "I don't deserve you doing this for me."

"I know, but I'm doing it any way," Violet told him. She rose up on her tip toes and kissed him. "I should go. I'll try to come back soon. We'll get you out of here and deal with Xerek."

Buddy closed his eyes. "Violet."

"Don't argue with me about this, you aren't staying here."

He put a finger to her lips. "Do something for me?"

Violet eyes searched his face before she nodded.

"In New Jersey there's a nursing home. Oak Visions. Take Robin with you and visit Mrs. Elaine Summers. Robin knows her."

"Buddy…" Violet sounded unsure.

Buddy kissed her forehead. "Please."

After a few more moments, Violet nodded. "Alright. I-- I should go, times almost up." She stretched up again and kissed him fiercely. "I'm not going to change how I feel. I know my own mind, Buddy."

Buddy let her go, and wished he could believe her.

Violet walked to the door before disappearing out of view. "Do--do you remember killing a Simon Paladino?" Her voice was soft and shaky.

The name tickled something in his brain and it took him a moment to piece it together. "Gazerbeam… I…" he could deny it. Say he didn't remember it or that really it was the man's own stupidity… "Yes. I killed him. Was quite proud of myself too."

He heard Violet make a small sound.

"I'm a bad bad man, Violet." He turned away from the door.

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Violet held herself together. She had too.

She couldn't cry in front of Robin. The little girl wouldn't understand it and it would just upset her.

And Kat -- Kat had more reason to be upset then she did. Though Kat would be more upset on Henry's behalf -- Vi took a moment to wonder if she'd ever be able to think of Henry using his 'super' name ever again.

She didn't know why she'd asked. Or what response she thought she'd get.

She knew he had killed him. Had she wanted him to deny it? To not remember him at all?

She held herself together until she got home. Robin went off to play with Jack-Jack in the back yard, and Violet stood by the door watching them. And started crying.

"Violet, honey, what's wrong?" her mother's arms wrapped around her and Violet didn't know how long she'd been standing there crying.

Violet shook her head crying in her mother's arms. "He killed people," she sobbed. "I knew-- I knew he had -- how could I not -- I --he killed Supers and he was proud of it. Oh god, he was proud of it, mom."

Helen hugged tightly and thankfully didn't say a word.

"Even if his changed -- and he has --I know he has -- he killed people. He killed Gazerbeam and was proud of it --how can-- I don't know--" she dissolved into wordless sobs.

"Gazerbeam was one of the best out there, Violet," Helen said softly after a moment. "I'd call Syndrome a liar if he ever said he was proud of being able to take him down. "

Violet looked up. "Mom?"

Helen shook her head. "Violet, I know it can seem very romantic forgiving someone their past. It always seems so easy in movies doesn't it?" She kissed her daughter forehead. "Forgiveness -- it isn't an easy thing to give under the best of circumstances. And the person has to want to be forgiven. And some things --some things you can't forgive."

"Mom you don't…"

"Some things you can't forgive because you aren't the one that they need forgiveness from, Violet. I'm not telling you to forget what he did, or to accept it. But some of his past Violet --it isn't your place to even try to forgive him." Helen kissed Violet's forehead again. "You had a very intense four months with him, Violet, and I know you think you -- care very deeply for him. But he's not a good man. He might not be a 'bad man' anymore, but he's not a good one either."

Violet buried her face against her mother's shoulder. "I don't know what to do."

"Yes, you do," Helen whispered stroking her back. "Just remember something for me….your father hasn't always been a good man either."

Violet sniffed and stood in the circle of her mother's arms a while longer. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I need to visit someone in New Jersey -- will you come with me?"