A/N: Sorry it's been a while. Between exams and the Nathan Drake Collection, I've been busy. I'll try and get back to a regular schedule. Thanks for reading!

"Dad!" Elizabeth shrieks.

I sigh as I hear a thunder of feet coming down the hallway. Not again...

The twelve year old girl flips her brown hair out of her face and shoots a nasty look at her younger brother. "Victor stole my hairbrush!"

"I didn't steal it! I borrowed it!"

"No you didn't! You snuck into my room and took it!"

"I was gonna give it back!"

Finally, I put a stop to their bickering. "Enough!" I don't yell, but they listen all the same. "Did you steal your sister's hairbrush, Vic?"

"No."

"Yes he did! I saw him-"

"Liz, let your brother talk. You'll get your turn soon enough." She rolls her eyes, but obediently shuts up. I turn back to Victor. "If you didn't steal it, why is your sister upset?"

"I don't know."

"But I think you do know," I counter. All Victor does is shrug. Stubborn... "Okay, so what did you do to it?"

"I was using it for a science experiment. I needed her hair."

"Why didn't you ask her?"

"I don't know."

"That would have been the right thing to do, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you're going to do what next time?"

"I'll ask."

"Good boy. You okay Lizzy?"

"Yeah, I guess," she sighs.

"Awesome." I get back to my work, thinking I successfully avoided another screaming match.

"Dad?" Elizabeth asks.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Who won?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Who won?" I repeat, trying to decipher the meaning of the statement. They both look at me expectantly. "Nobody won. You came to a conclusion."

"But there has to be a winner," Victor says.

"Uh, okay... It was a tie. Everybody wins."

My children look at each other, exchanging silent words. Victor shrugs. "Okay."

"Fair enough," Elizabeth says.

I rub my face after they walk out of the room as best friends again. I flinch at the sudden vibration in my pocket. "Elena?" I answer.

"Yeah?"

"We are never having another kid."

She laughs from half way across the world. "Okay, sweetheart. They giving you trouble?"

"Uh huh. They're such a handful."

"I thought Sully was staying with them while you were at work?"

"I gave him the day off. He was starting to look a little worn out."

"Nate... don't get all defensive or angry at what I'm about to tell you."

"Okay..."

"You promise?"

"Yes...? Should I be scared?"

"Not really. It's about Sully. I think he's... sick."

I give a short laugh. "What? I just said he was tired."

"Not the flu kind of sick, the elderly kind of sick."

I start to feel my face get flushed. "He's fine, Elena. He's not that old."

"Nate, you can't ignore the signs. He's slowing down. I think we should get him checked."

"What, for fleas?" I know she asked me to stay calm, but my heart rate has already started to climb.

"No, for cancer. He's done some crazy stuff throughout the years and he's an avid smoker. We've got to get him looked at."

"No, I said he's fine and that's the last I want to hear about it."

"It's for his own good, sweetie."

"Don't 'sweetie' me in the middle of an argument, especially when you know I'm right."

There's a deep sigh. "Alright, fine. Have it your way. When he drops dead next year don't give me any shit about it."

"Fine by me." I hang up and slam my phone on the table.

After taking a breather, I pick up the phone again and dial Sully's number. He doesn't answer so I leave a simple message. "Call me back when you get this."

Half an hour passes and I call again. Maybe he hasn't checked his phone. No answer. "Sully, call me back. Bye."

Fifteen minutes later, I call again. "Pick up, pick up, pick up... Oh, come on! Pick up your goddamn phone!"

Another fifteen minutes go by. "I'm starting to get worried about you. Please call me back."

Five minutes... "Sully, pick up."

Five minutes... "Sully, pick up!"

Three minutes... "Fucking pick up!"

"Vic, hands to yourself, please."

"Yes, Dad..." He takes his hands off Elizabeth's arm then sticks his fingers in his mouth. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"We're going to pay Uncle Sully a quick visit."

"Why? We saw him yesterday," Elizabeth points out.

"Yeah, but I need to check on something."

Sully moved closer to us about four years ago. He hated having to fly just to see us. I've teased him about being a lonely old man ever since then, but I was really happy he moved. I would never tell him this, but I sleep better with him close by. Now that he's only a few minutes away, I can see him whenever I need to. Like now. He's freaking me out by not answering after that conversation with Elena. She put stupid ideas in my head that are just too terrible to ignore. It's probably nothing, but just to be sure...

"Liz, did Uncle Sully call yet?" I had handed her my phone so she could alert me to any news.

"No."

"Okay, update me if anything changes."

"I am! There's just nothing to update you on."

"Don't be rude, Lizzy," Victor says.

"I'm not being rude!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Dad!" they both yell.

"Ugh..." I groan.