NOTE: I have updated chapter 7 (29.7), so please check it before reading this one!

Zero was walking towards the locker rooms when a Jude's secretary stopped him: "Mister Zero! There's a phone call for you." She led him to Jude's office.

"Zero." He answered cautiously.

"Zero! You're a though man to get in contact with." Zero froze when he heard Oscar's voice from the other end of the line. He closed his eyes and forced all the feelings that boiled inside him to settle down.

"Oscar! What can I do for you?" Zero smiled even though the man couldn't see him, but it helped him to focus. He often forgot that he had no phone anymore and to his surprise he didn't even miss it.

"I was wondering if you could do me a little favor." Oscar sounded to be on guard.

"Anything you need." Zero had to fight himself to keep the disgust out of his voice. He wanted to ask where Oscar was now, but he didn't want to raise the man's suspicions.

"Could you send a message to Terrence for me?" Zero frowned. The request wasn't something he had expected.

"Sure. Fire away." He leaned against the edge of Jude's desk, careful not to knock down his paperwork.

"Could you tell him that my patience is running out and I need him to make a choice?" Zero expected there to be something more but Oscar fell silent.

"That's all?" He couldn't help but ask.

"That's all. You think you can get that done?" Oscar sounded a little irritated now and Zero knew he shouldn't push it anymore.

"Sure, but can I ask why you aren't calling straight to him?" He asked and there was a short silence at the other end of the line.

"I think he's avoiding me." Oscar answered shortly before hanging up.

Zero saw Terrence at the locker rooms but he didn't want to confront him until they were somewhere where no one else could hear them. The opportunity revealed itself in the middle of their practice when Pete called the team to the side of the court. Terrence had been watching over the practice from the opposite side and Zero was just passing him by. He quickly ensured that all the others were heading towards Pete before walking to Terrence.

"Oscar send you a message." Zero said with a low voice.

Terrence turned towards Zero with alarmed expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Lower you voice or do you want everyone to hear what I have to say?" Zero hissed at him and Terrence crossed his arms around his chest to calm himself but he kept looking towards Zero like he could launch himself at him at any second. "He said he's patience is running out and he wants you to make a choice." Zero told the message and judging by Terrence's reaction, it seemed he was close to something bigger than he had originally thought.

Terrence swallowed and seemed to pounder the message for a while. "Why did he contact you?" He then asked and turned to look at Zero.

"Let's just say I'm retaking what's mine." Zero smirked at him and then ran to join the others.

Terrence stared after Zero for a while, chewing on his cheek. He knew what his choice was going to be but it didn't mean it was an easy one.

The next day at practice everyone seemed to concentrate on talking about Oscar. The police had informed that they wished to get any hints of his whereabouts. So it was natural for all of them to start gossiping.

"Okay guys, let's focus!" Pete walked in and clapped his hands together to get their attention. "The game tonight defines if we're on the finals or not, so be sharp!"

Zero couldn't even remember when was the last time he had concentrated on playing as much as he did that day. His mind was one hundred and ten percent focused on it. During the game he made most of the scores. Pete was overwhelmed with joy and he shouted encouraging words every time Zero touched the ball. They were already in clear advance after the first round and the challenger team had no change on gaining up to them.

When the game ended all their fans went crazy and not without a reason: they made it to the finals. Yet again.

Zero didn't stay to celebrate this time. He left quickly after changing clothes. Lionel had asked him to pick her up. She had seen a cockroach in the bathroom and now that everyone seemed to know Oscar was searched by the police, she wanted to go to a hotel. She had also added that she would rather take her changes with Oscar than stay there even for a minute longer than necessary. Zero thought she was being a little overdramatic, but since Jude always looked after her, Zero felt like it was now his responsibility to do so now.

He had just passed the reporters and was heading towards his car when he stopped to this tracks when someone called his name:

"Gideon?"

Zero quickly turned towards the voice and saw a young woman standing a few feet away from him. He frowned and looked her up and down, knowing who she was but too afraid to ask.

Eventually he swallowed and asked: "Laura?"

The woman smiled instantly and she took a step closer. "You recognized me." She almost shouted but quickly calmed down. "Long time no seen." She said then and Zero couldn't help but smile back at her.

"You've… you've become so… feminine." Zero didn't know what else to say.

"Thanks. You're as good with compliments as you were in the old days." Laura huffed and pretended to be offences but soon laughed. "It seems to me you've become bigger."

Zero just shook his head in disbelief. This was his year older sister who he hasn't seen in over ten years, standing in front of him and they were acting like little kids again.

"Look at you." Laura said then. "I always knew you were great at basketball, but this great? Not a change." She shook her head in disbelief.

"I think I showed them." Zero said with a playful tone but Laura's smile faded. They both knew who he was referring to and how serious he really was. "Look, let's catch up somewhere more private, okay?"

Zero drove her to his and Jude's house. She told in the way how she had tried to get in contact with him for years now, making Zero a little ashamed that he hadn't even thought about it until Jude had encouraged him to find her.

"I thought you would be living… I don't know, a little luxuriously by now." Laura said as she looked around the place.

"Well, this isn't actually my place." He said and felt his throat tighten. "But this is home to me." He forced the last words out of his mouth and went to fetch some water.

"What do you mean?" Laura asked. She had stopped in front of the fireplace, examining Zero's playing shirt above it. Zero was sure she thought he was some kind of self-centered egoist these days, or maybe he had always been, or at least had been before he met Jude.

Zero thought for a moment what to answer to her. He couldn't remember what she thought about gay people when she was younger but he decided to be honest with her. But just when he was about to tell her about Jude, he noticed she had picked a picture in her hands. It was quite a new photo of him and Jude in his out coming party.

"Is this your boyfriend?" She asked and grinned. "He looks even better in this picture than in TV."

"You recognize him?" He asked and Laura turned to look at him with a frown on her face.

"How do you think I found you in the first place? No one could possible escape a picture of a first ever out basketball player. I recognized you from the photos and news, or at least I thought I did at the time. So I did a little internet search and after finding out you only used the name 'Zero', I was pretty sure you were my brother." Laura carefully put the photo back where she had taken it. Zero thought about Jude's mother but didn't mention her.

"Then why find me only now? I came out months ago." Zero searched the cabinets for something to drink. Something little stronger than water.

"I…" Laura paused for a moment. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me." She confessed and looked a little embarrassed. "I mean you had built an amazing career and clearly moved on so I thought you didn't want me to mess it." Zero couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you laughing?" Laura asked a little offended.

"No, sorry, I just used to think the same thing when I heard about you." Zero found a bottle of red wine and poured it into two ordinary glasses.

"You knew where I was?" Laura walked to him and accepted the wine he offered.

"I paid someone to find you. It was Jude's idea." He confessed and took a first sip from the wine.

Laura smiled and nodded. "I like him already. So where is this Jude you're talking about? Is he at work?" She sat by the kitchen counter and looked curiously at her brother.

Zero looked down at his feet, his mood changing immediately. "He's gone" He answered simply and took a little longer swig from the glass. It seemed Laura hadn't checked up the latest news about him.

"What do you mean? Did you guys break up or something?" Laura stirred uncomfortably.

"It would be better if I just showed you." Zero answered and put the wineglass down.

The visiting hours were over before they reached the hospital but this time Zero was let through to the ward. They walked silently through the corridors and the nurses greeted them as they passed by. Outside Jude's room the police officer was sleeping like a log. They passed him quietly.

"Laura, this is Jude." Zero said as they entered the room. Laura walked cautiously towards the bed and looked sadly at the unconscious man lying there. "Jude, meet my older sister, Laura." He said then but got no response.

"Oh, Gideon, I'm so sorry. What happened to him?" Laura looked up to her brother who just shook his head.

"He was shot. The police arrested his dad." Zero wasn't looking at Laura but could feel her stunned gaze on him.

"He was shot by his father? And I thought our family was dysfunctional. Sorry." She quickly added when she realized her last statement wasn't suitable for the situation. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's okay." Zero said with a tired voice. "He has a severe lung damage and pneumonia and possible brain damage."

"Dear god." Laura whispered and sat on the chair by the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. I've been busy." Zero said a little too quickly to be convincing. He only then noticed a ring on Laura's left hand. "Are you engaged? Tell me about him… or her. I'm not narrow-minded, as you've probably noticed."

Laura laughed and unconsciously looked at her ring. "It is a man. Jeff. He's very kind and handsome. A lawyer, which means I don't have to worry about the money anymore" She winked at Zero.

"I guess we have a thing towards men in suits." Zero said lightly and they both laughed, but it died down soon. Zero gazed at Jude and felt his heart being squeezed. He quickly looked away. "We should go. The staff doesn't like if we hang out here through the whole night."

As they walked out, Zero kicked the leg of the officer's chair. The man starteled awake and fell fromt his seat. Zero wished he had learned his lesson. Next time he wasn't going to be responsible of his actions.

When they got back home, Zero notice the answering machine's light was blinking. The messages were usually for Jude and for a moment he considered just to let it pass, but eventually pressed the replay. An angry voice of Lionel's reached his ears and Zero made a face:

"If you don't buy that new phone this instant, I swear to god I will get my car from Oscar's garage and drive it up your ass! I've seen so far three cockroaches, couple thousand spiders and something big which I don't even want to find out what it is, so get your bony ass up here and get me out!"

"Who was she?" Laura asked a little shocked by the angry voicemail.

"A friend… sort of." Zero said and rubbed his neck. "I think I should go get her."

"Can I come with you?" Zero was half way through the door when she ran up to him.

Zero looked at her suspiciously. "Only if you promise me one thing." He said and Laura nodded eagerly. "Don't use my real name around anyone. Got it?"

"Got it!" Laura confirmed but soon frowned. "Doesn't even Jude know your real name?" She asked when they sat in the car.

"He's the only one, besides you." Zero answered and started the car.

Laura had a hard time to believe that Zero had actually bought the house they grew up in and she only stared at it solemnly. Zero glanced at her and sighed.

"You okay?" He asked when he noticed how pale she had become. Laura nodded but didn't say anything. "It was hard for me too to come here the first time." Zero confessed and looked towards the house, wishing Lionel would come out soon.

"Why did you buy it? If I lived in L.A., I would stay as far away as possible." Laura asked and fiddled with her ring.

Zero just shrugged. "I guess I wanted to make new, better memories here." It all felt bittersweet now when Zero sat in the car, looking at the house where he had planned to build their home and now Jude was in a hospital fighting for his life. "How long are you staying?" He changed the subject.

"I need to be home tomorrow." Laura seemed a little sad as she said that, but soon she smiled again. "I have my wedding dress fitting at noon." Zero smiled. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Laura started a little shyly.

"What?" Her voice got Zero worried.

Laura turned in her seat to face Zero properly. "Would you be the one to walk me down the aisle?"

At first Zero looked at her with dumbfound expression. Laura was sure he was going to turn her down, after all, they had only spent one evening together after ten years but then Zero smiled. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Thank you! You have no idea how worried I've been about that." Laura spontaneously hugged her brother. Zero awkwardly hugged her back and she quickly withdraw a little ashamed of the action. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. But that was actually the reason I came to see you."

Zero was just about to answer when the backdoor was opened and Lionel sat down with a loud sight. "I'm this close of getting your ass kicked." She huffed and brought her hand up to show the space between her index finger and thumb. Zero started to get a little worried of how interested Lionel was of his ass. "I swear to god I'll never be without a car when this is all over. Thankfully I found the sledgehammer. I managed to kill two of those cockroaches." Then she noticed Laura and Zero could see how horrified she was to see a strange woman in his car.

"It's not what you…" Zero started but Laura cut him off.

"Hi, I'm Laura, Gid… Zero's sister." She said and offered her hand to Lionel who shook it a little confused. Laura felt strange to call her brother Zero and had almost forgot her promise. Zero looked at her a little alarmed, like his real name was the world's biggest secret. She lifted her eyebrows at him to signal him to calm down.

Zero dropped Lionel in front of a five star hotel. Even though she had spent a whole night in that hellhole, she still managed to look as glamourous as ever. After that Zero drove Laura to the airport with a heavy heart.

"Next time you call me. I'll arrange you a private jet." Zero forced a grin to his lips and Laura looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really? Wow, you're rich! I should've looked you up sooner. You can rent a private jet but still you don't own a phone." Laura joked and patted Zero's knee. Then her smile faded. "Seriously, go buy that phone and call me if there's any change on Jude's condition."

"Okay." Zero agreed but it wasn't good enough for Laura.

"I mean it, Gideon. Promise me." She narrowed her eyes at him like she used to do when they were little as she scolded him.

"I promise." Zero raised his eyebrows and lifted up his hands in defeat. It was weird to hear her call him by his real name, but since Jude had used it, it didn't feel as strange as it probably would've felt half a year ago. "I'll see you at your wedding."

"You better." Laura climbed off the car and lifted her tiny backpack to her shoulders. "By, little bro!" She called and slammed the door shut. Zero stared after her a little longer before turning towards the arena.