After school Duncan ran by his house to pick up the usual lunch of coal. Duncan was surprised though to see Margret's car in the driveway. Recently she had started working as a secretary at the city's court;even though MEGTAF supplies Margret with most of her earnings. Gives her something to do during the day. Duncan walked up to the door to find it unlocked. Walking into the kitchen he found the bag of coal that he'd left by accident.

"I figured you'd drop by." Duncan turned around to find his mother prepping herself to leave again.

"Hey mom,what are you doing here?"

"Oh let's just say we had a little accident dealing with a baby."

"Ok,I probably don't want to know. Hey is there anything you might want or need recently?"

Margret gave him that 'I know what you mean' look."Duncan sweetie whatever you get me for my birthday I'll love it." She gave him a peak on the cheek and said,"I'd love to stay here and pep talk you but I've got to get back to work,bye!"

Then she left without another words. Yet still the thought of stealing from his father lurked in his mind. Then again the thought of ditching that thought was there. Duncan sat there for a moment and pondered. That is until he realized what time it was. On the clock showed twelve fifteen meaning Duncan had twenty minutes to get to the desert. With widened eyes Duncan bolted out of the house remembering Belloc's words last time he was late.

"Duncan,if you're ever late again there WILL be consequences."

According to Duncan the time he got to the desert was twelve thirty,five minutes before. Well unfortunately to his surprise he was wrong. Belloc knows how to tell the time by the location of the sun.

"What do you mean I'm late?!"

"Your mothers clock is five minutes late." Belloc said mischievously.

"Wait how did you know-" Duncan had been cut short by a crushing pain.

Belloc had wrapped his tail around Duncan's body. He squeezed ever tighter sending immense pain through Duncan's human sized body. Of course there wasn't enough strength to kill him but enough to were Duncan would definitely remember. The tighter his tail was the higher it coiled and threatened to cover Duncan's head. Around his neck it went beginning to choke him slightly. Even though he was in agony Duncan wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of seeing it on his face. Duncan braved it out with the straightest face he could. Duncan's eyes locked onto his dad's and before long he couldn't bare it any longer.

"Aahh," Duncan gasped for air,"alright...alright! Dad I promise I...won't be late again! Just let me breathe!"

With a sense satisfaction Belloc released his grip on Duncan who took in the deepest of breathes to regain strength. In Duncan's mind like anyone else's he was thinking,'He tried to kill me.' Yet there was that other part of him thinking,'He wouldn't kill me right?'

"Duncan..."

"Yes!" Even after losing so much oxygen he could still be attentive.

"Over your school break I want you to stay a few nights with me."

"Got it when-" Once again cut short.

"Tonight."

'Why does he always drop bombs like this on people?' Duncan thought.'Then again it would also give me the chance to sneak into dads hoard.' "As in come back tonight or I stay with till tomorrow tonight."

"Come back tonight. Your mother would have my head if she didn't see you after her daytime work."

'How does he know that?' Duncan thoughts."I guess that means you two have been talking recently?"

"We 'share custody' as humans say. Besides all of our talks are of you."

"Obviously not." Duncan thought he said under his breather.

"What was that?" Belloc coiled a small amount of his tail around Duncan's waist. "Nothing! I said nothing dad!" While it wasn't shown on his face there was a little part of Belloc that smirked.'He won't be late again.'