EVILCAKES: Alrighty, so this one's a bit short :/ but I like it, so here it is! As for the questions, here are my answers as best I can write them. I don't want to reveal too much, cause a big part of this story is speculation, but I also know you'll all never find most of this stuff out in the actual story sooo...

Vince was left at an orphanage by his mother, for reasons to be revealed in the third fic mwahaha; his father never even knew he existed, i.e. his mother never told him about Vince. Vince has no idea about his parents or anything, since he's been an orphan since infancy, the only thing he has is his last name, which was left on him, probably in a short letter or something. The orphanage gave him his first name, which is why it's so formal. Vincent XP

Anyway, He's been in a few different foster homes, but he's been with the Lamberts the longest; they consist of a husband and wife and three adopted kids. Two of which are girls. They don't make much money, as the wife is the only one who works, and so all of Vince's stuff is hand-me-downs, hence the pink jacket. His adoptive parents aren't abusive toward him but they certainly are never there, even when they are. The husband is basically attached to the couch by skin, and the wife is always fighting about something with either the husband or one of the girls. They basically just let the kids run wild and raise themselves, which is partly why Vince claims to have 'grown up in the jungle'.

There has been a lot of violence in Vince's life so far, observed, experienced and dealt out, though the details are another story for another time ;) Vince's aloofness is due largely to these incidents, as well as some actual mental problems, but we'll get into that later in the fic.

As for the fate of the pink jacket, why, it was ruined by 'Bumba' when he tried to kill Vince, once again for reasons I won't get into for...reasons.

Hope these answers were good and haven't left you too frustrated. On with the show!

Chapter 31

Howard awoke to the feeling of warmth plastered to his side, and turned his head slightly to see the top of the kid's head. They'd both fallen asleep on the couch, apparently; Howard flat out on his back with Vince pressed up against him, scrawny limbs thrown over the older man and face hidden against Howard's shoulder. It took him a moment to recall how exactly they had ended up that way, and yet another to behold the sight surrounding them.

Howard had been so exhausted yesterday he'd failed to take in the disaster that was once again his home. He really should've known better, what with Gideon telling him how Bollo was found wrecking the place, and Vince gone his entire stay at the hospital, no one had been in the Lodge to clean it.

The man ran a hand over his mouth, stubble catching his skin, as he took in the damage. It wasn't as horrific as the time Vince and his friends had went wild, but there were more broken things. Like his phone, and the small table it had lived on. Both were smashed to pieces. And nearly every dish he owned was shattered and lying scattered about the kitchen. Howard marveled at how out of it he must've been yesterday to not even notice the crockery as it crunched underfoot.

Vince's dresser as well as his tackle box was toppled over, contents creating a rainbow of colors where they lay across the floor. The sofa was completely untouched, but the television was lying before it smashed beyond repair. There were even a few dents in the walls from where the gorilla had punched them.

There was also blood. Howard's blood, of course; dried in spots all along the floor. Vince acted on as if he didn't even see them, once the boy was awake and helping him clean. It took Howard quite a while to scrub them completely off the floor.

But the greatest loss in Howard's eyes were that of his LPs. Thankfully most of them were just lying about unharmed across the Lodge, but a handful were completely ruined. And Howard's heart wept at seeing the titles, the decades old vinyl, forever lost.

He also tended to the boy's face, dabbing at it with disinfectant, even as Vince repeatedly tried to pull away and dismiss Howard's concern. Soon the two were once again sat on the sofa, in a freshly cleaned Lodge that appeared the same and yet was wholly different when you took in the details. Much like Howard felt.

Howard was in no rush, moving about sluggishly all morning as he cleaned. He knew that Joey and Gideon were almost certainly taking up his and Vinces' posts, and felt guilty about making them do extra work for one more day, but Howard just couldn't face the outside world yet. At least not until that lunch hour, when Vince quietly stated that he was going to visit with Naboo, and Howard found himself not liking being alone in the hut.

Howard was soon out the door and heading toward the centre of the zoo, where he and Joey used to hang around, knowing he'd find the man there.

There were a few other keepers lounging around, food and drink in hand as they chatted. Moose was sitting on a bench, looking lost in thought as Howard walked up to him. When he noticed Howard, Joey gave him a tight smile, gesturing for him to take a seat. Howard obliged and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes before looking over to his friend, and began speaking in a calm, quiet tone.

"Listen, I don't want to argue, Joey. I really just want to hear the truth. About what all you and Vince were fighting about. I'd ask the kid but...he'd probably just make something up. He does that."

Moose sighed through his nose, gaze drifting idly over the other staff around them, and Howard waited patiently for him to find the words.

"Alright, you can't blame me if I'm confusing, cause everything happened so fast I wasn't entirely sure which way was up for a while. S'pose I'll start at the beginning. Um..."

Moose cleared his throat, and Howard suspected it pained him more than Howard was aware to recount this tale. Surprisingly his first instinct was to wrap his arm around Joey, much like how he did whenever the kid got this way. But that would be incredibly awkward, so Howard settled for patting Joey on the shoulder.

"Um, I was headin' on to the Boudoir, when I heard screeching comin' from your place. I thought maybe you and the kid were havin' it out. Was gonna just leave it, y'know, your business is your own an' all that. But then I heard crashes, so I ran for the door, not knowing what to think. God Howard, it was...I first saw you lyin' there, in the middle of the room. I called your name but...you didn't move. That's when I saw Bollo. He was in the corner, holdin' Noir's jacket. He was still until he noticed me, and then he was up and chargin'. I slammed the door shut, and just went sprintin' for the office."

Moose cleared his throat again, swallowing and no longer looking at Howard but down at his hands where they grasped his thermos.

"Once I was in there I didn't even bother speaking to Fossil. He was right pissed off when I started shouting over the intercom. He got real sober once he heard what I was sayin', though. I told everyone that Bollo was loose and in the Keeper Lodge, and that you were hurt. I ordered everyone to move their asses to the Lodge or else I'd personally smash their heads in."

Moose laughed lowly, though it was possibly the saddest laugh Howard had ever heard, and Howard found his own throat going a bit tight as the story unfolded.

"I then grabbed up the phone and told Fossil to call the police, and went tearing back out toward the hut. Everyone was out there, standing in front of the Lodge and lookin' right pale as they heard Bollo crashin' about in there. A couple were peeking in through your kitchen window, and I shouted for everyone to gather together behind me...I opened up the door, and there was Bollo, almost as if he was waitin' for us. We all just scattered completely as he came barreling out into the open. People were screaming and a few just up and ran. He didn't make a go for anyone, though; just started running about in circles and jumping onto exhibits. Gideon and that other girl keeper, whats-her-name, started talking to Bollo, and he immediately went over to 'em. I made my go into the hut and started draggin' you out. I didn't even think to check for your pulse...I just started screamin'. I shouted all kinds of things at you, Howard, but you wouldn't move...Poor Mrs Gideon, she immediately just started cryin', and all the other keepers were shouting for someone to get the tranq gun. But no one moved; we were all petrified.

And that's when the sirens came, and before I knew what was happenin' cops were all jumping out of their cars and shouting between eachother. Bollo went absolutely mad! He just started runnin' at the police, no warnin' or anything! The cops, well they...they fired at him, and he fell a few yards away from the first o' them. Everyone was in such a shock. That's when you were hauled away into an ambulance, and Gideon told me to come with her. We were headin' for her car when we saw Noir coming in through the zoo gates. He asked what was happening and Gideon told him you was hurt badly. He tailed us to Gideon's car and got into the backseat. He didn't ask questions or anything, just sat there staring off the entire trip.

When we got to the hospital, Gideon immediately went for the phones. Said she was phonin' your girlfriend. Me and Noir found which room you'd been taken to. There were doctors and nurses shoutin' everywhere. I don't know, all that shouting, from Bollo and the keepers and the cops and doctors...I just...I lost it a bit. I started demanding to know if you were going to be alright, and a few nurses tried to get me and Noir to leave. That's when Ms Butler and Gideon came flyin' into the room.

You...there was blood all over, and Gideon and Ms Butler were crying, and doctors were shouting, and...and the kid was just standing there! Just standing there in the corner, not even looking scared or angry or...just blank. I grabbed him and began asking where he'd been. He should've been in the Lodge! And Noir just snapped suddenly. Y'know, one second he was like a zombie and the next he was scratchin' the hell outta my arms.

I let him go and he dove for the little medical tables the doctors had pulled out. There was all kinds of instruments on them, and he just started flinging them at us. Gideon and Ms Butler ran from the room, and doctors all began grabbing hold of him. I'd never seen anything like it. It's like it wasn't even Noir. He kept screamin'; no words, just noise, and he even started kicking and scratching the doctors. Eventually they managed to carry him out the room and toward the doors. I got pulled out as well...

And, um, Vince just...ran off. Soon as we were thrown out the front doors he didn't even look at me, he just began running. And the morning before you got out the hospital he comes walkin' back in through the gates. I went up to him and demanded he tell me where the hell he'd been, and he just shrugged and continued on! I grabbed him by his shirt and asked him where he'd been the mornin' you got attacked, and he said...He fuckin' said he'd gone out to get bananas for Bollo."

Moose let loose that laugh again, this one at a manically higher pitch. He looked at Howard once more.

"I punched 'im, square in the face. He fell to the ground, picked himself back up, and started walkin' off again; like nothin' had happened! Now Howard, tell me this, why the hell would Vince be out at dawn hours, buying bananas for a gorilla he'd just left alone in your house...I told you, I've told you again and again, mate, I don't like the feeling this kid gives me. Now, I'm not lookin' to start a fight with ya, Howard, but you've got to at least consider the possibility..."

"The possibility of what?"

Howard felt a pit developing in his stomach at Joey's words and the look he was currently giving him. No. No. Surely he couldn't be implying...

Howard vehemently shook his head, raising a hand to point at Joey.

"No, I know what you're thinking, and no. Vince...Fossil must've told him he was having Bollo put down that morning and so he decided to hide him in the Lodge again."

Moose let a sardonic smile come over his face.

"You left for your date that night...when, eight? And Noir wasn't in the zoo when Fossil first arrived the next day. Now tell me, how could he hear something from someone who leaves the zoo at seven. I saw that boy, as I went about my afternoon, and as I was closin' up for the night. That kid never once left Bollo's cage the entire time Fossil and I and everyone else was there. And Fossil didn't make any kind of announcement about Bollo over the intercom."

Howard had promised himself he wouldn't fight with his friend, but the strong urge to do just that was running along Howard's skin, from his head down to his hands, which twitched into loose fists. How dare he! He knew nothing of Vince; barely acknowledged the kid! And yet here he was acting on as if he knew exactly what was in the boy's head. Howard did, not him! Howard knew the boy. Yes he was odd; yes he was reckless and stupid for hiding Bollo in their hut. But sinister? Malevolent? Fuck that.

Howard found himself rising, Joey following suit, hands up in a calming manner.

"Now Moono, I told you I wasn't looking to upset you, but you've got to see-"

"Shut up about Vince! You've got no right, no right to be talking about him like that! You hear me? If I hear you bringing this up again, to me or anyone else, Joey, I'll..."

Howard let the unspoken threat hang in the air as he turned and walked away, toward the kiosk. He found the door to the tiny building open, and so silently peered in. In the dim fairy lights he could make out three figures, one of which raised a hand at him.

"Howard! Come in. It's alright if he comes in, yeah?"

"Yeah."

The first voice had been Vince's, and the answer was given by Naboo, who sat in between the kid and another man, who wordlessly nodded up at Howard. Howard had to stoop slightly to stand in the kiosk, and looked down on the three males scrunched together on the dusty loveseat. Thankfully he spotted no pills or hookahs of any kind; his tempter might not've been able to handle that. Vince gestured over to his right at the man blearily smiling up at Howard.

"This is Naboo's mate, Pete. He works at the local Dixons."

The man in question lifted a hand to wave at Howard, giving a low "Hi". Howard thought that the man had smoked one too many frogs. Mother hen mode kickstarting, Howard motioned for Vince to stand up and come with him. He really didn't want the kid alone with these people.

The boy frowned but seemed to sense Howard's foul mood, because he complied without a word. As the two were walking back toward the Lodge, Howard made sure to keep his tone as light as possible, and to keep his eyes ahead, and not plastered on the kid.

"So I heard you were out...that morning...buying Bollo some bananas?"

"Yeah."

"Vince...you really shouldn't have put Bollo in the hut again. I know you only wanted to protect him, Little Man, but Fossil was going to put him down no matter what. And, honestly, it would've been a much more peaceful way to go then by police bullets."

Howard clamped his mouth shut. Dammit. He hadn't meant to start guilt-tripping the kid, and looked over at the boy, who's gaze was mostly on the ground as they walked. Howard laid his hand on the boy's back.

"Hey, what matters now is that everyone's okay. No one else got hurt; I'm fine, and Bollo's in monkey heaven."

Vince looked up at Howard, head still hanging a bit, but a small smile gracing his face.

"Cheers, Howard."