Chapter 14: Spatial Rift Part 9 – Bittersweet
Three years have passed since Pidge and Coran's disappearance. Deep in the grief of his loss, Hunk lives day to day, doing his best to make sure Caitlin is happy and thriving, hoping no one can tell as he slowly comes apart.

May 1, 2335

Hunk had never been a fan of formal civilian suits. He always felt like he was being stuffed into them, like a sausage in his kitchen. They were fitted, and snug in uncomfortable places, and never felt like they had been designed to really flatter tall, broad forms.

Yet he was stuffed into a suit today, because today was a special day. Today, his five-year-old little girl was a flower girl.

Okay, so really it was Matt and Veronica's wedding day, and it was about them, but all Caitlin had talked about for the past six months since they had announced their engagement—much to everyone's delight, and Lance's fake consternation—was how excited she was that they had asked her to be their flower girl.

It didn't make Hunk any more comfortable that for a wedding venue they had chosen to have the ceremony at the McClain family farm. It had made perfect sense, given it was much less expensive than having the entire McClain clan travel. It was also beautiful. A large white canopy tent had been set up right at the edge of where the juniberry flower fields—already in full blossom—ended, on the swath of grass between there and the beach. So, everyone proceeded through the flowers to the site, and beyond were the beautiful views of the sparkling beach.

The heat, however, was not helping Hunk's comfort levels.

Not everyone was in stiff formal suits. Just the men in the wedding party. While Caitlin was the flower girl, Hunk was Matt's best man.

At least they were linen suits, or he'd probably be sweating like a racehorse. As it was, he was just sweating like a chef in a summer kitchen.

It was almost time for the ceremony, and Hunk and Matt's immediate family had gathered just outside the house to walk down since it was almost time to begin. Veronica and her bride's maids were inside the house—in that lovely air conditioning—finishing up last minute preparations.

"Nervous?" Hunk asked Matt, with a grin.

For his part, Matt grinned his usual broad smile, and shrugged. "A little. Fortunately, I'm not likely to forget my lines. As long as we both say yes at the right time, it's all good, right?"

"That's pretty much it," Hunk agreed.

"Daddy, look at me!"

Hunk turned and spotted Caitlin coming out of the house, followed by Mrs. McClain. The wedding colors being mostly in blues, the suits Matt and his groomsmen wore were all dark blue, while the ladies had a beautiful tropical ocean blue. Caitlin's dress was a pale blue almost the exact color of the sky above, edged in white ruffles. The basket had blue and white ribbons, and held a mix of white rose petals, and juniberry pink. Her long, dark, wavy hair was somehow tamed into a couple of braids that pulled most of it back off her face, and the rest left to fall free down her back in a cascading riot of curls—not too unlike how Allura had worn her hair, actually—without a single tangle. He was going to have to find out the secret from whoever had done it.

Mrs. McClain had opted for a deeper blue dress with small white dots.

"You look beautiful, Caitlin," Hunk smiled at his daughter. She twirled once, before settling down and assuming an expression with more decorum.

"They're ready," Mrs. McClain told them. "It's time for the rest of us to go."

"It's time, son." Sam Holt grinned, placing a hand briefly on Matt's shoulder.

As a group, they walked down to the pavilion, where all of the guests were already seated.

The family musicians Hunk recognized as "the rock group" looked nothing of the sort today. They, and the family guitarists, were playing a subdued but beautiful pre-wedding selection of local instrumentals, mixed with occasionally brighter pieces Hunk recognized as instrumental versions of some of Matt and Veronica's favorite songs, respectively. Modern rock with a Cuban acoustic flare.

The music changed, and the processing in of immediate family began. Matt and Veronica's parents were seated. The groomsmen and bridesmaids followed Matt up to the front, where Hunk took his place beside his brother-in-law.

After that came Caitlin herself, scattering flower petals with all the seriousness only a five-year-old could muster. To her credit, she moved in time to the music, had a nice smile, and scattered them evenly down the entire aisle. Beside her walked Rachel's son Orfeo, as the ring-bearer. Then she went to stand next to Veronica's sister Rachel, who was her matron of honor, and Orfeo came to stand on the other side, just in front of Hunk.

The music changed again, and Veronica—escorted by her father—appeared.

The white sheath top was covered in the shimmer of thousands of tiny white beads, it flared into a nice full skirt, that ombre-faded into ocean blues as it reached the hem, with more of the white beading that gave the impression of a sea goddess rising up out of the waves.

Hunk understood now why Veronica had insisted she and Matt not just get married in their uniforms. The effect was amazing.

It was also definitely having an effect on Matt, whose jaw had dropped. "Wow," he whispered.

Veronica reached the front, and smiled at Matt with a look that said she knew exactly what he was thinking. It probably helped that his emotions were almost always plastered right across his face.

It was not a long ceremony, which was a relief, given it was a warm and sunny afternoon, but it was heartfelt and sweet, and appropriately just a little sappy. Hunk felt a tear in his eye as the couple said their I Dos, were declared married, and kissed passionately in front of the cheering crowd.

Then there were photos to get through. Hunk plastered a smile on his face and was just grateful that he wasn't in all of them. Once they were down to just the couple shots, he was able to drift back over to the pavilion with the rest of the guests. The rows of chairs had been quickly swapped for tables, and a dance floor. The expedience of a really fantastic wedding buffet meant no one had to miss the fun to serve people, and they hadn't had to hire servers. Everything was made by family, and it all looked as phenomenal as Hunk remembered. He filled his plate, and joined Sam, Colleen, Chip, and Caitlin at the Holt family table.

Caitlin was holding forth excitedly about anything they would listen to. At the moment, she was babbling on about yesterday, when Lance had started teaching her to surf, and how amazing it had been to ride tandem with him on a surf board, and how she was going to learn to control it herself, and Lance was going to help her pick out her own board if she practiced hard enough.

Hunk had watched those lessons with a mixture of trepidation and pride. Caitlin loved the ocean, and she had continued to take swimming lessons eagerly for the past three years. She was a little dolphin in the water, totally at home in a pool, lake, or salt water. She tackled every new challenge fearlessly and with enthusiasm, but she wasn't afraid of failing, or hard work. If she didn't do it right, she just went after it again, and again with a tenacity that made him proud. He hoped she would always be that way.

He noticed that his daughter had chosen to pile her plate with fresh tropical fruit, grilled vegetables, and some steamed fish dish. While he knew she would be all about a slice of wedding cake, it was totally her way to go straight for the plant matter and seafood. A habit he whole-heartedly encouraged. When they cooked together, he often let her pick out the menu. Then they would shop for ingredients together, and cook together. She made a great sous chef already, and absorbed everything he taught her with ease.

It helped that she had gotten a double-dose of brains from both sides. She was graduating kindergarten at the end of the month, and her teachers through all of pre-school had commented on how quickly she picked up new skills. She was reading and knew vocabulary on a level four grades above the other kindergarteners, and her ability to reason and do basic math was just as advanced. On his off days, Matt had started showing her the very basics of computer coding, which Caitlin found fascinating nearly as much as she did surfing. Still, given the choice, she was more likely to pick an activity that took her outside, and usually something very active.

Something that typically had him panting to keep up, like a brisk hike in the woods, or rock climbing. Hunk was very glad for Juni. The dog could run around with Caitlin all day, and keep up with her energy. The two were generally inseparable.

Which was why Juni and her siblings were here, but currently up at the house, where they wouldn't interrupt wedding proceedings.

Caitlin continued to hold court over the table until the food was gone and the toasts and speeches started. Then the band struck up music for dancing, and Hunk watched Veronica and Matt take to the dance floor.

The fact that they had decided to take a few lessons beforehand was obvious. Or at least, it was most obvious with Matt. Having visited Lance's family several times over the past three years, Hunk knew Veronica could dance. The whole family danced as much as they sang, played instruments, and just enjoyed each other's company.

Matt was not a dancer, but he had obviously been practicing. They looked great together, and deliriously happy.

When the planned dances were done, the floor opened up and soon there were dozens of couples on the dance floor. The music picked up a lot then too, much more contemporary dance music, mixed in with class pieces for the older folks.

"Daddy?"

"What?" Hunk looked over at his daughter, who had hopped down out of her seat. She was looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.

"Will you dance with me?"

Dance? Hunk's immediate instinct was to beg off. For one thing, he was not a dancer. For another, he was vaguely afraid of busting a seam on this stupid rented suit. He didn't care so much that he looked like a hulk next to his little wild-faerie of a daughter.

But there was simply no way to turn down that hopeful, pleading look in those big brown eyes. It was the exact same begging expression Katie used to use on him.

"Of course, I will." He smiled at her, and stood up, letting her lead him out onto the dance floor. Fortunately, she had dragged him out there during a slow song, which made it much easier to lead, and to give her a few little spins.

When it was over, Orfeo bounced over to them. "Caitlin! Mom said it's okay if we go back up to the house and change and go play. You wanna come?"

Caitlin looked up at him. "May I?"

"Absolutely. Go have fun, sweetie."

Caitlin and Orfeo ran off, meeting up with three other McClain kids about their age at the end of the walkway, and they all hurried back up the path through the juniberries.

"You know she's going to break hearts someday."

"Thanks, Lance. I'd really rather not think about that until it's a real threat." Hunk turned to look at his friend. "Let me get her through grade school first."

"The way I hear it she's ready for college."

"Who told you that?" Hunk asked curiously.

"Are you kidding? Colleen talks about Caitlin all the time. She was telling me all about her academic record and what she can do, and she's a sponge when it comes to anything I explain to her. She's not even in first grade yet. You've got a genius on your hands. I mean, not that I expected any less, given her parents." Lance grinned. "When I was her age, I was just trying not to fail kindergarten."

"How do you fail kindergarten?"

"Behavioral concerns."

That comment came from Veronica. She and Matt had been making the rounds, talking to all of their guests.

Hunk looked at her, then at Lance. "Meaning?"

Veronica laughed. "He was an incurable goofball and rabble-rouser."

Lance shrugged. "Guilty as charged. I've always been a trendsetter."

Veronica giggled, and hugged him, then hugged Hunk. "Thank you for loaning me your daughter. She was perfect."

"Anytime." Hunk returned the hug. "Caitlin wouldn't talk about anything else for weeks. She was more excited about this than her own kindergarten graduation."

"Well, I'm not sure how much we compete with that," Veronica grinned, "But I'm flattered and I'm glad she's having a good time. I hope you both are."

"It's a beautiful wedding," Hunk assured her, "And I'm thrilled for both of you."

When the happy couple moved off, Hunk pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his face. The heat of the day was starting to get to him. "Ugh, it's hot. I think I'm going to go get something to drink. You want anything?" he offered Lance.

"No thanks. I've got some back at the table. Oh, it looks like Mom needs me. See you later." He headed back towards the table where his mother was waving.

Left alone, Hunk headed to the drinks table to see what was available. He was sure they had an appropriate beverage for stifling at the wedding of your favorite brother-in-law but missing your wife so much it hurts.

May 31, 2335

Caitlin's kindergarten graduation—as they called the party for the kids who were all being promoted to first grade—was not nearly as fancy, or as hot, as the wedding had been, though it was definitely louder and full of boisterous enthusiasm. It was set up outside the elementary school gymnasium, and they got to walk across the stage, and afterwards there was punch and cookies and cupcake, and a variety of other hand-sized sweets.

Several parents had made cookies for the event. Hunk had been unsurprised when Miss Ellison, Caitlin's teacher, had asked him if he would be willing to be one of the parents who brought baked goods for the kids. Sitting unobtrusively next to the chocolate chip cookies were the Altean confection he had originally perfected to win the trust of Honerva's Altean converts years before, as well as an Olkarion cookie, and then the family favorite peanut butter cookies, that he always made with just a hint of molasses. They were Caitlin's favorites. Which made total sense, because they had been Katie's favorites.

Caitlin had helped him make all of them.

None of the children really looked more grown up in the little blue caps and gowns they were wearing, no matter what the other parents said, but Hunk was proud anyway.

After the ceremony, it was just a crowd of mingling people, and he was able to edge off to the side with his punch and cookies, and stay out of the way. Caitlin was happily yammering away in a circle of her friends.

"Mr. Garrett."

Hunk turned and found that Miss Ellison was approaching him directly. "Please, Hunk is fine." Caitlin's teacher was probably at least a few years younger than he was, but not by much. She was a very friendly person, with a bright smile.

She flashed that easy smile now. "Fine, Hunk. I just wanted to thank you again for helping with the refreshments. Everyone loves them. Not that I didn't think they would, given your reputation," she added hastily, "But the kids certainly love them, and I've heard a lot of compliments from parents. I think you may have raised the stakes in kindergarten parent baking. Future parents are going to have a lot to compete against."

Hunk chuckled. "I had no idea it was a competition, Miss Ellison."

"Uh uh. If Caitlin is no longer my student, and I'm not supposed to call you Mr. Garrett, you don't get to be formal either. It's Marianne."

"All right then, Marianne. I wanted to thank you for being such a great teacher for Caitlin this year. I know she can be a challenge."

"Only in the best ways," Marianne chuckled, her dark eyes as cheerful as her expressions. "Caitlin's got a wonderful natural curiosity, and she works diligently, but she's got a lot of empathy too. I've seen gifted students before, some of whom didn't socialize well, but Caitlin works to get along with everyone in the class. I can't wait to see what she'll become. Of course, that's what I love about teaching preschoolers. They're all full of possibilities. You must be very proud."

"I am," Hunk nodded. "Very proud. Caitlin means everything to me. Sometimes I'm not sure what I did to deserve such an amazing daughter." He hadn't meant for the last to slip out.

Marianne's smile didn't falter, though her expression softened. "I think that should be evident. You're the one raising her. Don't sell yourself short. A supportive, positive homelife is a huge part of a child's success, at any age. You're a great parent, that's obvious." She paused there for a moment. "Well, I have a few other children to say goodbye to. It was nice to see you, Hunk."

It was only as she walked away that Hunk had a bizarre realization. Was she flirting with me? There had been something in her tone, and her eyes. Her stance.

Of course, it happened on occasion, but usually it wasn't someone he really knew. As far as the everyday general population was concerned, it had been three years since Katie disappeared, and she was—for all functional purposes—gone. She didn't enter their thoughts and he was certain the general population saw him as a widower.

Which made him, to some minds, available.

The very idea made him sick.

Not that it was Marianne Ellison's fault. Or anyone's really. But today, of all days, it hit him hard.

He made small talk with a few other parents, most of whom just wanted to thank him for the cookies, and finally it was the end of the party, and Hunk took Caitlin home, where they put away her school things, and then headed over to the Holts' for the little congratulatory party Colleen had planned. His parents flew in from Samoa as well, and they all had lunch together, then he took her over to Shiro and Curtis' for a celebratory sleep-over with the boys. As he dropped her off, Caitlin vanished into the house with Joshua, who was one of her best friends, and the others.

"Thanks for taking her tonight," he told Shiro as he watched her go.

"It's no problem at all," Shiro assured him. "We're happy to have her anytime. You too."

"I appreciate that. I'll be back to get her tomorrow afternoon."

After that he went home, and prepared to spend the evening alone. Which was his preference today. He loved his daughter, but there were times he just needed to be alone.

He was just getting ready to head out for his evening plans, when there was an unanticipated knock at the door.

"Lance? What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's a fine hello for a friend," Lance smiled. "I just, thought you might like some company."

Well, that was suspicious. Hunk knew Lance knew what day it was too. He'd remembered, even though he hadn't been there, and he had come seeking Hunk. Well, if anyone understood the broken feeling Hunk had, it was probably Lance. He suppressed a sigh. "Sure. I was just going out to grab dinner. You're welcome to come."

They headed out on foot, walking toward Hunk's destination in mostly companionable silence. When they arrived at Romero's Grill, they went inside and were seated.

"I'm not sure I've been here before," Lance admitted.

"It's pretty new," Hunk answered as he picked up the menu. "But the food's really good. Get whatever you want, my treat."

Lance shrugged, but he smiled. "If you insist."

When the water brought their drinks, Lance ordered a steak-and-rice dish.

"And for you, Sir?" the waiter turned to Hunk.

Hunk had not been lying about the fabulous menu. Romero's served great food, in generous portions. He had been in several times since they opened, but there always seemed to be something new on the menu. "Let's start off with the fried vegetable appetizer, then… the cjarsòns, the coda alla vaccinara, and the risotto al gorgonzola."

The waiter took down the order and left.

Lance grinned. "Hungry?" At Hunk's warning glare, he backed off. "Sorry, dumb question."

The food came, and as they ate, Hunk kept the conversation light, asking questions mostly about Lance's family, the farm, and whatnot, which meant Lance did the majority of the talking. It wasn't that he minded Lance coming, it was more that Hunk knew his friend was here with an agenda, and he didn't really want to deal with it today. He polished off all four plates, and paid the tab when they were done.

Time to ditch Lance. "Well, thanks for coming," Hunk said once they were back out on the street. "It was nice to have company tonight."

"Well sure." Lance hesitated a moment. "Ready to head back?"

He hadn't fooled Lance, damn it. That much was clear. Lance was watching him expectantly, with a look that said I know where you're going. But he was going to either wait until Hunk decided to go home, or follow him all night.

"Actually, I... no." Hunk tried to think of a plausible lie, or excuse, or something else, but nothing came to him. "You can go home if you want. I'm going to walk around a while."

"No one's expecting me home tonight," Lance admitted.

Hunk looked hard at his friend for a moment and decided to just stop trying to side-step the issue. "Did someone put you up to this?" Did his parents know? Or maybe it was Katie's parents.

Lance frowned just a little, the usual smile slipping. "Why would someone put me up to taking care of my best friend? I'm not here to judge you, buddy. I honestly just thought tonight might be easier if you had someone to talk to… or drag you home later, if necessary."

Yeah, he knew. Hunk managed a wry smile he didn't feel in the slightest. "You think you're strong enough to lift me?" Not that he expected to need it.

"Yeah, I do." Lance shrugged. "Farm life is almost as physically challenging as the Garrison, probably harder. Mom still likes to give me all the backbreaking work. I don't suppose I'm going to talk you out of this?"

"No."

"Then I won't try."

"All right. You can come." With that, Hunk led the way a bit further down the road and around the corner to his favorite pub. He knew Lance meant what he said about not judging when he said not a single word as Hunk ordered bar snacks, and a bottle of rum. "Get whatever you want," he offered again. It was the least he could do, and it wasn't like he couldn't afford it. After all, outside of Caitlin's needs he had very little reason to spend anything these days. The Garrison supplied a lot of their basic needs, as well as his generous officer pay. So, he could afford to get Lance whatever he might prefer. Hunk just wasn't planning on sharing his.

Lance had never really thought he had a realistic chance of talking Hunk out of his obvious plan to spend the evening getting wasted, but he had hoped that there might be at least a vague possibility, given it had been Caitlin's kindergarten graduation day.

Still, it was the third anniversary of Katie's disappearance, and he knew Hunk must feel her absence every day. This month worse than usual. Caitlin was growing up fast, without her mother, but there were so many ways in which she was like her. Katie should have been here for Matt's wedding. Lance's imagination had brought the little quips and jokes and things she would have said to Matt into being all day long. Hunk could not possibly have not spent a wedding thinking about his own. Lance knew, because he spent at least part of every wedding he was part of, thinking about the one he'd never had.

Lance couldn't say he hadn't been in the same boat—or down the same bottle—a few times, but he had forgotten—probably because Hunk was not normally a big drinker—how much his friend could consume if he chose.

He tried to keep the conversation convivial and away from darker topics, but he was well aware that while he nursed down a mellow, low-point beer, Hunk went through an entire bottle of rum one glass at a time. Then a second bottle. Lance almost objected when he ordered a third, but the look Hunk shot him when he had barely opened his mouth shut it again.

I just hope I can carry you home, buddy. Despite his bravado earlier, Lance was not at all convinced he could heft Hunk's bulk on his own.

But, inconceivably, his friend was still lucid, if flushed.

After the second bottle, before the third arrived, Hunk excused himself, and made his way to the bathroom.

Lance took the opportunity to call over the waiter, and get a refill on his water. "Does he do this often?" he asked quietly.

"Usually, he just has the one bottle," the server replied. "Except a couple of times a year, he comes in and gets like this. I've seen him drain four and still get up and walk out, though."

Four. Of course, with a full stomach, and Hunk's size, Lance supposed it would take a lot more alcohol to get to Hunk than it would someone like him. It wasn't like Hunk was drinking on an empty stomach. But still…

Lance decided to call it a win when Hunk finished his third, then leaned back and declared. "Okay. We can go."

The walk back was a decidedly slower pace, as Hunk was clearly not in a hurry, and a bit unsteady on his feet. Lance decided it was a good thing they had walked. The fresh air and exercise would do them both good, and help Hunk move everything through his system a little faster.

It was also clear that Hunk wasn't in the mood to talk about the feelings he was dealing with, but maybe they didn't need to. Lance knew what Hunk was feeling. He'd been there. Losing the woman he loved, knowing that he was never going to see her again. But even then, Lance figured he had it easier than Hunk did. He knew, without a doubt, that Allura was gone, and her going had been her own conscious choice, to save all of reality and everyone she loved.

Hunk had no such solace. There was no way to know what had really happened to Katie and Coran. Whether they were dead, or just lost somewhere across the universe, or in another reality all together. In which case, they might as well be dead. But not knowing, that had to be the worst.

They reached Hunk's door, miraculously, without incident. When they arrived, Lance stopped on the walkway.

Hunk unlocked the door, then paused. "You can stay," he offered. "No reason to travel all the way home tonight."

"Thanks, I think I will." Lance followed him in.

Inside, Hunk didn't bother with the lights. He went to a closet and pulled out a spare blanket and pillow. "Sorry I don't have any pajamas you can borrow."

"Don't worry about it. This is fine." Lance wouldn't fit in anything in Hunk's place anyway. Anything that had been Katie's was way too small, and Hunk's clothes would have fallen off him, or had to be tied on with ropes.

Hunk grunted. "G'night," and disappeared into his room, shutting the door.

At least he was a polite and considerate drunk.

Lance stripped down to his shorts, and curled up on the couch under the blanket. Maybe this was a good sign. Tomorrow, he could get Hunk to open up.

June 1st, 2335

Lance was awakened to the delectable smells of a gourmet cook's breakfast. He can't be too hung over, he's hungry. Or maybe Hunk just didn't get nauseated like most people. It would be just Lance's luck, and the ultimate irony given his friend's notoriously sensitive system.

He got up and pulled his shirt back on before joining Hunk in the kitchen. "So, what are we having?" he asked curiously.

"Strawberry hotcakes, rolled omelets, breakfast ham, and cinnamon rolls. Should be ready in just a few minutes."

Lance decided the first thing he needed was coffee. Straight black coffee. By the time he finished his first cup, breakfast was on the counter. He took a small omelet, a slice of ham, and a cinnamon roll. By the time he was done, Hunk had polished off most of the rest. Lance couldn't help himself. "You don't eat like that in front of Caitlin, do you?"

Hunk snorted, looking insulted. "Of course not. What kind of example would I be setting?"

Lance decided now was not the time to call out the sheer hypocrisy of this moment. "Point taken," he nodded.

Hunk sighed. "I don't want her to hate me later if she's got the wrong genes. She doesn't need to pick up bad habits, especially not early. Fortunately, she looks like she's taking more after Katie there but… can't be too careful. I don't keep drinks around her either," he added.

"I never suggested you did," Lance pointed out sympathetically. "Though don't you think lying to her is going to hurt you both in the long run?"

"What do you mean?" Hunk frowned.

This was either going to go well, or very badly. Lance couldn't see a middle ground. "Every time I see you two together, you look happy. I mean, Caitlin is happy, but you're not. You're just acting like you're fine, and maybe you can fool a lot of people, but you can't fool me. And I get it…there are still days I have to do the same thing. It's been longer for me, and I've had more time to adjust, and heal, but it still happens. And, I don't think you're fooling Caitlin as well as you think you are. Or even if you are right now eventually, she's going to figure it out."

"I'm a much better actor than I used to be," Hunk disagreed.

"That's not going to keep her from noticing food vanishing out of the refrigerator when she's not looking. It also assumes you can go on like this forever which, frankly, I don't think you can."

"I have to, for her."

He was not getting it, or he didn't want to. Lance refrained from tearing at his hair. "But what about you?"

"Caitlin is all I have left." Hunk set down his fork. The plate was empty. "Katie's dead, Lance. The baby's dead, if it ever even got to live. I'm so sick and tired of people trying to tell me to hold out hope. What hope? If there was a way home, and she was alive, Katie would have found it by now, even if all of us on this side of where-ever were too stupid to figure it out. You know that. Everyone knows that. She was the most tenacious and determined woman in the universe. But… she's not coming back. I can't move on, but I can give Caitlin everything we both wanted for her. She barely even remembers her mother at all. Maybe it's better that way."

"Hunk…" Hearing his friend say it, and believe it…that she was dead, that she was never coming back, it was heartbreaking to watch.

"No, really. It's the way it should be. She can grow up happy, and healthy, and whole."

"And what about you?" Lance asked again, a little more firmly.

"I'm alive. Right now, that's just going to have to be enough."

Lance frowned. "You keep on like this, and at some point, you won't be."

Hunk ignored the statement, or at least refused to respond. Instead, he stood up, taking his plate to the sink. "Please don't tell anyone about last night. I'm tired of people worrying about me."

Then maybe give them a little less reason to worry. You're not fooling anybody. But, he sighed and nodded. "I won't." It wasn't like it would really make anything better, and alienating Hunk would only make things worse.

Maybe this was a good time to break the tension with a little humor.

Lance stood up from the counter. "I should probably get going. Plenty to do on the farm, and my Great Aunt Muriel is already convinced you're my gay lover, so I'm sure to get a million questions when I get home."

That got the reaction he was expecting. Hunk spun around; eyes wide. "She thinks what?!"

Lance laughed. "Well, you know, she's ancient, and kind of senile. She gets crazy ideas and theories about everyone in the family. Don't take it personally."

"Does anyone else believe her?"

"Not any more than they believe her theory that her own sister turned into a mermaid and swam away."

"What happened to her sister?"

"Nothing. She still lives in Havana and runs a night club with her husband."

That got a crack of a smile out of Hunk, who shook his head, and snickered. "Well, the next time you see your great aunt, please tell her that you are not my type."

Lance grinned. "Then maybe she'll believe. I already told her you're not mine."