Chapter 8:

"Nathan, honey, please. Come out." Nathan's mother said, half pleading-half ordering. It has been about an hour, and her son hasn't come out. Spy sighed next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to ruin your holiday." he said simply, sounding remorseful. "I'm sorry."

The woman turned to him as if he had been apologizing for nothing and cupped his cheek. "You have nothing to apologize," she whispered, "You're just trying to make things right, that's all."

Spy forced a smile and headed downstairs, and right when he disappeared, Nathan opened his door and groggily went out. He has just woken up from an uneasy sleep that he went into to escape the hellish living nightmare that was the situation.

"Nathan, I know it's not easy but..." his mom began, "he makes me happy...and I would really like to spend the holidays with my two boys. Your brothers couldn't make it; I only have you two."

For an instant, Nathan looked up and saw pure joy in his mother's eyes...and sadness. He didn't mean to stain her with this terrible emotion, and so with a sigh, Nathan faced her.

"What if he hurts ya, ma?" he asked quietly, trying to make one last stand. It was a crappy stand, a small one even, but he still tried.

As if knowing what to say, Scout's ma chuckled and held his hands and looked him deep in the eye with a pure, wide smile. "He'll never hurt me: not now, not ever." she assured confidently, "he loves me. Give him a chance."

He hates Spy in a way, but he loves his ma...and he didn't want to get in the way of anything that makes her happy. Even if it meant that Spy is that happiness.

"Alright ma," he sighed, "but I'm gonna tell ya-he can get into your nerves, and I mean every single one of them."

The woman gave out a laugh and the two headed downstairs.

"I bought your favorite for the holidays." she added with a smug look.

Scout raised his eyebrow and smiled. Could it be?

Scout's ma gave a slow nod. "You know it, honey.".

In the dining room, Scout entered with higher spirits than when he arrived, but as he laid eyes on Spy, those spirits refused to stay any longer and went back down into the chasms of his being. The mercenary cleared his throat and caused the other two to turn to him; even Scout.

"May I?" he asked, pointing to his mask.

Scout didn't understand him and turned to his mother, who surprisingly smiled warmly and nodded.

The next thing he knew was that the Frenchman started to peel his mask off, until it revealed the face of a new and different man. His sleek, black hair was combed neatly and there were wisps of grey forming on the sides and at the front of his head. His skin was slightly tanned and the area where the mask didn't cover him was darker than the rest of his face.

Nathan squinted his eyes; not because of anger, but of the fact that he knew he has seen that face before...if only he could remember.

"Why don't we sit," Spy suggested, turning to the young man, "Nathan, why don't you sit with me."

Scout made a face, and sat down on a chair across his. "No thanks."

"Suit yourself," the man replied, shrugging it off, smiling as Nathan's mom sat beside him. "Isn't this nice, the whole family, sharing a meal on the holidays."

"Yes," replied Nathan mockingly, "the whole family."

"Nathan!" his mother warned, but she softened when Spy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Throughout the night, the three of them ate dinner and shared stories. Well, Scout didn't. For the first time in years, the young man didn't open his mouth and talk. He was totally silent, and he didn't even bother to look at the two. He just stared at his plate and minded his own business.

When he finished his meal, Nathan didn't even bother to stay for dessert; he stood up and went out of the kitchen door, wearing a scarf around his neck.

Spy noticed this and looked at his cheri with a sorrowful expression. He has to talk to him...this has gone on for quite a while-and it was bothering all of them.

"Cheri," he sighed, "I have to do something...or I'll lose him."

The woman shared the same expression as him, but her face soon lit up with an idea.

"Don't worry," she smiled, "I know something Nathan couldn't resist."

Outside, Spy found his son sitting on a snow-covered bench, hugging his knees, eyes fixed onto the distance.

"Scout, I mean," Spy paused, "Nathan...can we talk?"

The young man didn't turn to him, but he gave a nod. The Frenchman went and sat next to him, and noticed that Nathan tried to distance himself from him as he moved closer and closer to one end of the bench.

"Here...I heard it's your favorite." the mercenary said as he handed Scout a cup of steaming beverage to keep him warm. When Scout looked over, his eyes lit up, and he reluctantly, yet eagerly tried to take the cup off Spy.

Looking at the brown liquid in his cup, Scout drew a faint smirk. It was his favorite. Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon on top.

"What do you want?" the lad asked, drawing his brows together, "are you really gonna follow me to the ends of the earth, pretend you care for me just so you could please my ma? Guess what, I ain't no spy, but I know those tricks when I see one...and it's a real doozy on your part."

"Nathan-"

"Scout." the young man said firmly. "It's Scout."

"Scout," Spy sighed as he continued, "I'm not pretending."

"Oh yeah?" Scout challenged, finally turning to him, "then why did you want me out so bad on the first day? Why didn't you want Helen to hire me? You hated me and I could see that, but now all you're doin' is followin' me, you even smile at me- you're actin' like you're my dad! You tell me that ain't pretendin'!"

"But I am your father..." Spy wanted to say. He wanted to say it so bad he was now fighting with a pestering little voice inside his head. He wanted to tell Nathan the whole truth, he wanted to tell him why he wasn't there, he wanted his son to understand- he wanted him back.

"Speechless now, are ya?" Scout sneered.

Spy looked at him. "I...I don't know why you detest me so much..." the Frenchman began, "I'm not trying to force myself into your life-"

"Guess what: you are." Scout interrupted.

"...but I love your mother," the man continued, "I don't know what I'd do without her, Nathan."

Scout drooped his head. Even though he didn't know much about shape shifting bastards like the guy next to him, he knew deep inside that he wasn't lying. Each word that came out wasn't of deceit, but of an emotion Nathan saw in his mother's eyes as well. Love.

"What do you want me to do?" Nathan asked quietly, "act like your son?"

Spy drew a faint smile. "That won't be a necessary." he replied and looked up as his eyes landed on the big, bright moon above them.

In the Blu Base, Spy spent his winter time alone in the comfort of his dimly-lit smoking room. The holidays for him was just another reminder of how family...just wasn't meant for him. He had a happy life, and all it took were seconds to rip all that away from him. In the wide expanse of white, slush snow, he could see his young boy play, giggle and grow up into the young man he last saw him to be. Blu Spy already lost his wife, but this boy gave him hope. He would have still been here, with him in the holidays, by the fireplace, talking about stuff if it hadn't been for Red Spy. Now he's gone...he's all alone now.

"Spy?" a voice came, "are ya gonna stay here in the base?"

It was Adam.

The man turned slowly to him. "Are the others gone for the holidays?"

The lad nodded. "Yeah...guess it's just you and me again. What a surprise."

Blu Scout prepared to make his way out when Spy stopped him. "Let's go out in the snow."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I am? 6?"

"There's no harm in being young again," the man chuckled, "come on, afraid of a little frostbite?"

"Hell no!" Adam fired back, "you want to see frostbite, I'd like to see winter frostbite this"

And so he left to get his winter clothing, eager to show Spy that was once again, according to him, wrong.

"Alright, get ready for the Scout man!" Adam hollered, bursting out of the base and into the white, wide world. "Yeeaaah-"

Scout felt a soft slush hit him on the face, stopping him short.

"Sorry boy," Blu Spy smirked, "but this is not amateur territory."

"Amateur?" Scout exclaimed, "now you've really done it!"

And for the next few hours, the two have done nothing but throw snowballs at each other, see who built the best snowman, slide on a frozen pond, cuz they can't really skate, and by the end of the day, they just laid down on top of the snow angels they made and looked at the big, bright moon.

"So it was you who dropped zhe intelligence zhe other day." Spy laughed, and felt rewarded when Adam chuckled with him. "That Sniper is really good, or maybe it's just that you're slow."

"Don't push it." Blu Scout said, punching the man on the shoulder with a smirk.

They became quiet afterwards, but the young man soon fixed his eyes onto the stars, and realization hit him.

"Spy...do you know who my parents are?" he finally asked, breaking the impending silence.

Blu Spy bit his lip and leaned up, not looking at him. "No," he lied, "I don't."

"I wonder why they gave me up so easily," the young man added quietly, "I...I don't belong in the orphanage."

That's right. Blu Scout spent his childhood in an orphanage. He has been there for as long as he could remember...and for as long as Spy could remember. He put Adam there at an early age to ensure his plan in motion. Then, during his adolescence, Spy took him back and taught him the ways of his profession just as he promised the Administrator.

"...he will be a utility..." he told the Administrator. He was a utility. To keep the rivalries of the team going on and to finally get his revenge on his nemesis. "He took my son," he'd keep saying, "I'll take his."

At first, he wanted to hurt Adam-kill him even, but once he gave the child away, he somehow felt a pang of emptiness that only the boy could fill. He couldn't believe he missed changing his diapers, feeding him, and cradling him to sleep. Sometimes, the mercenary would feel emotionally attached and even kiss the baby on its once downy head. He was a father, and when he cried, he wanted to calm him down...like he'd do to his son before whose name, coincidentally, was Adam as well. That was why Engineer regretted saying the name out loud before when Blu Spy kidnapped the child. He was there when the young mercenary passed away in front of Spy...they all were. And for countless days, he mourned and not a smile was planted on his face. He felt like Adam, his son, was taken on purpose, and his death was no mere accident. That's when his quest for vengeance began. One year later, he found his answer when he heard that Red Spy was going to have his own children as well.

Small world isn't it?

"Remember when we first saw each other?" Adam asked out of the blue.

"I do, Adam." Spy sighed with a smile as that fateful day came back to him.

"I was being roughed up again by the kids and they pushed me in the mud...then you scared them off with a gun. That was pretty awesome of you."

"Then we went to zhe head of the orphanage," Spy chuckled at the memory, continuing the story, "then you stood in front of her, mud everywhere...then you went home with me."

"Yeah...I was like your little apprentice or something." Adam added, "Well...it was fun though."

They both sighed happily and closed their eyes.

"Merry Smissmass, Scout."

"Yeah," replied the young man, "Merry Smissmass too, Spy."

Spy knew he'd be lying if he denied that Adam has softened his once, cold and sorrowful heart.