John

This… this feels good.

No meetings… no missions… no threat hanging over our heads or a forest filled with a bunch of annoying animals… and wackos…

Just a few friends hanging out, dicking around, that kind of stuff.

"You really don't decorate much, do you?" Rachel comments with a teasing smirk as she glances around my apartment living room. And she's not wrong.

"Decorations will be things that really catch my attention." I reply with a chuckle as I glance over at her and Peter. "There's a reason I only had two posters in my room."

"And only about five hundred action figures." Peter jokes at my expense, earning a chuckle from me and a giggle from Rachel because, once again, he's right.

"Yeah, that might start up again." I assure as I shrug my flannel off, tossing on the back of the couch with a smile. "So, what do you guys want to do?" I ask as I turn to face them. "We got games, movies, or we could just head out into the city for a bit."

"I think I'd rather just sit here and relax." Rachel admits as she walks over to my couch, kicking her shoes off and happily plopping down on the sofa with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Oh, that feels good…"

"Yeah, it's something isn't it?" I joke with an amused shake of my head at her antics, before turning to Peter. "Don't just stand there, take a seat." I tell him, gesturing towards the couch as I pick up the controller I'd left on the couch, plopping down next to Rachel as I turn back to my game.

Right, Ghost Rider.

"You have a Playstation 2?" Rachel asks, her brow furrowed in confusion as she looks at the console that had been quickly set up in the media center. "When did you get that?"

"Right after you called." I answer with a small chuckle. "I was on my way to this game store, J&L Game, when you called." I elaborate further as I unpause the game and go back to playing right where I left off.

"And you got a PS2." Peter says with a chuckle as he finally takes a seat on the couch, kicking his own boots off as well as he relaxes into the comfy sofa. "Shit, this is nice…"

"You should feel the bed." I can't help but to joke as I keep my eyes focused on the game. One thing that's always good in this game is variety. Different varying combos, shit of that nature. Keep them up, you do more damage and get through the levels faster.

"So… what's it really been like here?" Rachel asks, folding her legs up onto the couch and sitting sideways as she rests her arm on the back of the couch, propping her head up in her hand. "You've told us different things that have happened… but what's it really like?"

"Well, I miss the countryside, I'll tell you that much." I joke with a chuckle, before leaning back on the couch so that I can easily glance at either of them while playing the game. "It's not too bad. Gotta do promos, and my first film is supposed to be that Dawn of the Seven movie coming out." I fill them in on that aspect of the job, before chuckling. "Just hope Bourke isn't there."

"Bourke?" Peter asks with a raised eyebrow, turning his head to face me. "Who the hell is Bourke?"

"Adam Bourke, one of Vought's best film directors." I clarify with an annoyed roll of my eyes. "I'm not a big fan of him. He's a nuisance and a pain in the ass." I elaborate further with a shake of my head.

I can almost feel Rachel's slowly forming grin before I actually see it.

"Oh, something interesting?" Rachel jokes, before giving my shoulder a playful slap. "Come on, don't keep us waiting! Spill!"

I can't help the chuckle of amusement that once again escapes me at her antics, but I once again nod, opting to appease her wishes. "Bastard was in charge of directing all the promo footage for my debut, right? And the whole damn time, Bourke is wanting to turn me into the actual Juggernaut."

"But… aren't you the Juggernaut?" Peter questions, an amused smile mixing with a confused brow as he looks away in bewilderment.

"Not to him, apparently." I reply with another annoyed eye roll. "If you don't look like the guy from the X-Men comics, you're not the Juggernaut, I guess. Fucker kept badgering me, trying to get me into some shitty cosplay piece."

"Oh, not good." Rachel says with a shake of her head, sucking in a little bit of air through her teeth when she hears that. "So what happened?"

"After about a week of it, I told him towards the end that if he didn't shut up about it, we'd see if the suit would protect him from a bad landing on the other side of the state." The casual way I say it is enough to get the effect I was going for, as both Peter and Rachel bust out laughing like idiots when the words leave my mouth. I can't help the proud smile on my face at their laughter.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Peter says, nodding his head as his laughter dies to a chuckle. "I take it he shut up after that?"

"Yep." I answer with a chuckle of my own. "Fucker stayed well away from me after that, and I'm fine with that."

"Maybe next time he won't irritate you." Rachel comments with a grin as she turns to watch me play Ghost Rider. "So, Ghost Rider, huh?"

"I miss playing this game." I admit with a small smile. "Seems like when you grow up, games you played as a kid aren't any fun anymore. But this one's fun every time."

"Is it two player?" Rachel asks, glancing towards me with a smile. "We could play together."

"I wish." I reply with a small chuckle. "PSP version has a multiplayer racing mode, but other than that, no. Single player only."

"Damn." Rachel swears, a little disappointed by the news, but she goes back to watching. "Well, watching you play is fun enough."

"I bought a bunch of games." I say, turning to her with a small smile. "In the bag on the kitchen table." I point towards the kitchen, where said bag sits in plain view, a few games having fallen out onto the marble. "You can find something if you'd like, or you can play this if you want." I offer her the controller as I say it, but she shakes her head with a smile and pushes it back to me.

"I'll go see what I can find." Rachel says as she stands to her feet, making her way towards the table as she does so.

Now… I like Maddie, I really do. I've known her since I was a kid and I fell hard for her without even realizing.

But that doesn't change the fact that Rachel is just as attractive, and even though she's my friend, there are still times I find myself admiring her.

See, Rachel's always been sexually confident. In fact, despite keeping to herself and Peter for a long time, she developed an unfortunate reputation as the school slut when we hit high school.

I still remember Levi's joke about me being her next victim when we caught her staring at me once.

But anyway, when she walks, it's almost always a strut. Something tells me its habitual at this point, but either way, it's definitely eye-catching.

Which is why find myself staring at her ass as she makes her way over to my kitchen table.

Unfortunately for me, Peter catches me in the act and smacks my arm with an amused smile, causing me to snap towards him while Rachel begins rooting through the games.

"First she was doing it to you, and now you're doing it to her." Peter jokes with a small chuckle, keeping his voice low. "If you're gonna stare, you may as well ask."

"Hey, I'd be more than happy to sleep with her." I admit shamelessly with a grin as I steal another glance to admire her. "But that doesn't mean a relationship has to come of it. Besides, I'm not gonna just ask her."

"Why?"

"She's my friend." I answer with a small smile as I turn back to him. "And if I'm being honest, I don't really want to. Don't want to make things weird."

Peter simply chuckles at that, shaking his head in amusement. "Which is another way of saying your saving yourself for Maddie."

I can't help the way my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when he says that, before my head falls into my hands as I let out an exhasperated sigh.

First Annie, and now fucking Peter?

"Does everyone know about that?" I ask aloud, my words poorly muffled by my hands as I let them drag down my face. "Fucking Annie figured it out the day she met Maddie."

"Are you kidding? You two may as well be wearing signs that say you love each other." Peter replies with a chuckle, running his hand through his hair as he lets his head fall on the back of the couch. "Everyone at school had it figured out on the first day back from… well…"

"The battle with Jason?" I guess, raising an eyebrow at him, and he nods with a chuckle, while I can only shake my head. "It cannot be that obvious."

"Says you." Rachel says as she turns around, catching my attention as she walks back over to us with a game in hand. "Oh, and by the way, I'd be more than happy to spend a night with you."

I can't help the way I blush at that, averting my gaze into my palm with an embarrassed sigh as Peter erupts into laughter next to me. Of course Rachel heard that.

"But I do understand." Rachel assures, patting my shoulder as she takes a seat, before holding up the game she'd picked.

"Mortal Kombat?" I can't help but to question, a small grin working its way onto my face as I shoot Rachel a cheeky grin. "You really think you have a chance?"

"You've never played with me." Rachel returns my grin with a smirk of her own, waving the game in her hand as she raises an eyebrow. "Think you can do it?"

"Game fucking on."

And so we fall down the rabbit hole. Luckily for me, I maintain my crown as King of Mortal Kombat. We go a few rounds for a while with no actual interruptions, before Peter speaks up.

"So uh… there's another reason Alex brought us with you." He says, catching my attention even as I maintain my focus on whipping Rachel's ass in the game.

"What's that?" I ask as I manage to successfully finish off yet another combo on Rachel, causing her to groan in frustration.

"Those guys? Butcher and… Milk? They uh… they didn't just go to the factory." He explains, and it takes a few moments for the words to register, before my brows furrow and I pause the game.

"Then where else did they go?" I ask, turning to Peter with a look of confusion. And admittedly, there's a little concern there too.

In the next moment, however… well, Mr. Billy Butcher quickly became someone I hate with a passion.

Maddie

It's been a few hours since I got that visit. My parents had come home, but of course, Dad took off immediately once I told them that the CIA had shown up.

It was definitely more than a little funny to watch him scurry like a rat trying to get out the door and back to the car. Not so funny when he wiped out our mailbox, however.

Anyway, I obviously called Rachel the moment they left. I'll be honest, Mr. Meyers didn't seem that bad. But Butcher?

I don't like him. Not one bit. I don't trust him, and I don't want him anywhere near John.

Being perfectly honest, I don't want either of them near John. Not considering they were searching for weaknesses, from what I gather. At least Butcher was, and like I told him, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him.

Not to mention his little threat towards me.

Luckily, there's not much to give. Even with the fact that he still needs to breathe, there's not much they can do to really hurt John either way. He could hold his breath, bust his way out of any trap, or just outright clap any smokescreen away. They aren't superhumans, they don't have any way to capitalize on that weakness. When John eventually passes out, god only knows how long it would take for it to actually become a problem considering his biology. It's not like Jack just creating water and flooding his lungs.

That's about the only reason I gave them that much. They'd be setting themselves up for failure.

So with Butcher's threat and his apparent inclination towards John being some kind of criminal, of course I ended up calling Rachel. She let me talk to Alex, and he said he appreciated it, and that he'd handle it.

He was also nice enough to inform me of the day's… revelations.

Revelations that I haven't quite wrapped my head around yet.

It's not the fact that those two had already been investigating John. I got that feeling the moment they said his name. No, it was… something else.

John would never talk about what happened when Jason had him. No one could get the truth out of him. He'd tell us a small bit, like where he was and that he was strapped to a steel table. But getting anything further… His stubborn nature basically meant it was an exercise in futility.

And no one had the heart to try and force him to, either. Honestly, I think most of us were just happy to have him back.

Those three weeks… they were dark times for me. Dark times that I don't want to relive. If it weren't for Levi, Debbie, and Bryan… I don't know if I'd have made it through.

And now I find out what really happened to John.

All I can think of is the scenario my head keeps creating.

I keep imagining John on the table he told me about. I keep imagining those three cutting him open, slicing his organs apart… I keep hearing John screaming in my head.

Even though I know it's in the past, even though I know that can't happen to him anymore… I can't stop thinking about it.

How am I supposed to feel? The guy I love has been tortured in ways no other person could live through. And he acts like it doesn't bother him.

But I know John better than that.

He doesn't want that knowledge on our minds, I know that much already. It's the way he is. He'd rather fight his battles alone for our sake. Even before he got his powers, he was like that.

And every day, this shit has to be killing him inside. There's no way something like that doesn't affect him. He's strong, but no one can go through that kind of trauma and walk away without a problem.

I haven't even been able to leave my fucking bed because I'm still so torn up over it.

I cried, of course… but eventually, the tears stopped. Now, my eyes are sore, and there's raw spots on my cheeks. All I've done for the past couple of hours is stare up at the wall. I don't have any more tears to give. Just an aching heart and worry that isn't going to go way for a while.

The cracked paint of the ceiling stares back at me, and that's been my view for a few hours now.

When my phone begins ringing on my nightstand, I almost ignore it. I don't want to talk to anyone right now.

But depending on who it is… I'll feel even worse later.

So with an exhausted sigh, I roll over on my bed, letting my hand simply flop over top of my phone, before I answer it and bring it up to my ear.

"Hello-"

"Butcher showed up there?"

Well, that definitely shocks me back into place. I spring upright on my bed, my eyes flying wide as I recognize John's familiar voice in my ear.

How does he even know?

"How did you-"

"Alex flew over with Peter and Rachel. For godsake Maddie, why didn't you tell me?" John both answers and asks another question before I even finish my own, and I can't help the sigh that escapes me.

"I thought you'd be busy." It's a poor excuse, but it's the truth too. After yesterday, I thought he'd have been busy trying to sort things out today. I mean, I'd planned on telling him… but I figured I would later, during our usual evening phone call.

I didn't expect him to call me this soon. And I honestly didn't think we'd be talking about the fact that two CIA agents showed up at my door. At least, not yet.

Silence rings through the phone for a moment as John processes my response, before I hear a heavy sigh on the other side of the phone.

"Alright, what's got you in a funk? You sound like you killed a puppy." Of course, leave it to John to notice that almost immediately. It's almost impossible to really slip anything by him. At least, impossible for me.

No point in trying to hide it, I guess.

"Alex told me what happened, John." I tell him as I fold my legs up against my chest, using one arm to hug them to myself since the other is occupied with my phone. "I know about…" I can't even really bring myself to say it. I mean, how am I supposed to word it? An autopsy? Dissection? Straight up torture?

I hear yet another heavy sigh from John, and I can almost visualize him pinching the bridge of his nose while he sits on his bed.

"I shouldn't be surprised." John comments, and I hear a mirthless chuckle escape him. "I'll be honest, I'm surprised you ain't crying. Rachel was."

"Who says I didn't?" Though I mean it as a joke, it's almost impossible to put any real amusement into my words. "I just don't have any tears left."

"Yeah, that sounds like you." Now John does sound amused, and I can't help the slight giggle that escapes me, though it's hoarse from the prior hours of crying.

"Fuck you, John." I joke back, finally managing a smile at least as I allow myself to lay back down on my bed. Though… my smile does fall away in no time. "I… I'm glad you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay. Are you?" John's voice is tinged with noticeable concern as he asks the question, and my smile comes right back. For a boy with a blunt tongue and no shame, he really is one of the kindest men I've ever met.

"I will be." I assure with a nod, even though I know he can't see it. "I just… I don't understand it. How do you go through each day like nothing's wrong?"

His reply is far from what I expect: genuine laughter erupts through the phone, causing me to pull my phone from my ear in surprise, and I can't help the bewildered smile on my face as I stare at the phone in surprise.

I can almost see Rachel and Peter looking at him like he's lost his mind.

Once the laughter begins to die down, only then do I bring my phone back to my ear, just in time for John to speak.

"Rachel asked me the same damn thing when she called a few hours ago." He informs me with a chuckle. "Almost word for word. And I'll tell you what I told her. I focus on the positives."

"Like your powers?" Because that's the only positive I can see out of the entire thing.

"Not just positive shit from… that, because let's be honest, there aren't many. But I focus on all of it. My friends, my family… you…"

I can't help the heartfelt smile that takes over my expression at his words. I really appreciate him… so much more than I knows.

"I… I appreciate you too, John."

"Oh for fuck's sake!"

"Would you two just fuck already?!"

There's a tinge of amusement amidst the frustration of both voices, but it doesn't change the fact both Rachel and Peter's voices are definitely unexpected.

The sad part is that even without their distinctive voices, I'd still know who said what either way.

None of that changes the fact that I'm now blushing up a storm while I listen to those three bicker over the phone.

"Hey, butt out!" John immediately replies, though there's an embarrassed tone in his voice as he says it.

"Fuck you!" Peter responds almost immediately, no hesitation in his tone. Only amusement. "Do you have any idea what it's been like to watch this crap for the past five months?"

Past… five… months?

Am I really that obvious?

"John, if you don't grow a pair, I swear to god-"

"Alright, alright! Jesus Christ, you've made your point!" John immediately interrupts Rachel, something I'm both thankful and slightly disappointed for.

It sounded almost like she was saying that… that John… likes me too.

But that can't be true, can it? No, we've always been best friends. He's never looked at me like that.

Has he?

No…

"John, what are they talking about?" I can't help but to ask, a curious tone in my voice. And slightly hopeful, too…

But I can't help it. The idea of John actually being interested in me… it's a prospect that's definitely one I've only dreamed of.

But… it's John. There's no way he could actually-

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I have to say, Peter doesn't normally have such a potty mouth. Actually, that's John forte. "I swear to god, if one of you doesn't open up in the next five seconds-"

"Shut the fuck up!" That outburst is followed by an audible smack upside the head. Against anyone other than Peter, I'd be concerned knowing just how strong John really is. But considering that A: It's Peter, and B: He's laughing his ass off, I'm pretty sure there's nothing to be worried about.

"Oh, that was a harsh one. Getting angry?" Of course, leave it to Rachel to tease him to death and back. And knowing John, he won't lay one hand on- "Mph!" Well, except covering her mouth.

"I'm fixing to throw both of you out the window, I swear to-"

"JOHN!" I can't help but to shout in order to gain their attention once more. After a few seconds of silence, I hear him let out a defeated sigh.

"I'm not getting outta this, am I?"

"Nope."

"Fuck no."

"Not a chance." I can't help but to jump in on the fun with a smile on my face. Of course I'm gonna tease my best friend, I'm not gonna pass up any chance I get.

And it has the intended effect, as I hear him let out a genuinely amused chuckle from the other side of the phone. Though, there's still silence after the chuckle dies down, and I can't help but to get anxious.

"John-"

"I love you."

He says it so fast that I almost get whiplash, pulling the phone from my ear and staring up at the ceiling in wide-eyed shock as I process his words. Because there's no way I actually heard that right… right?

"Maddie? You still there?" His voice is low, heavy, and he sounds so… I don't even know if embarrassment is the right word. He sounds defeated, exhausted, almost crushed… I waste no time in bringing the phone back to my ear in order to speak.

"I'm still here." I assure him, though anything else I may say fall off my tongue as I still struggle to process what he'd said. "I love you too." Of course, I mean it as a friend. Because that's what he means, right? As a friend?

"I don't mean as a friend, Maddie." John says to me with a sigh, and I find myself sitting upright as I listen to his words. "Maddie, I… I love you. Like, really love you. You know… in a romantic sense?"

Suddenly, things make so much more sense… and so much less.

He… he loves me?

I… I don't even know how to respond. I'm just sitting here with my jaw hanging open like an idiot, because I'm not sure what to say… what to even think…

He. Loves. Me.

How am I supposed to respond?

John

I swear to fucking God, I will kill these two after I'm off the phone. Lucky me, they aren't laughing. Actually, they got genuine smiles on their faces as they watch this whole thing play out.

Meanwhile, my heart's racing and I feel halfway like I'm about to fucking faint.

Maybe they're right… maybe we both are just lovestruck idiots. But there's no way that she actually likes me back, right? At least, not in that way. Hell, I've probably just created a whole new problem for myself thanks to these two.

And then Rachel speaks, what with Maddie's continued silence over the phone and all.

I knew I made a mistake putting the damn thing on speaker.

But what she says… it honestly surprises me.

"He said it, now it's your turn, Maddie." Rachel says, leaning over on my shoulder so she's closer to the phone as she speaks. "And if you don't, I will for you."

"I'm just… I'm still trying to comprehend it… why me?" Maddie asks, sounding so confused at the fact that I like her. Well, her specifically.

All I can do is smile.

"You want it short and sweet or do you want a whole essay?" I can't help but to joke, and I'm happy to say it earns me a giggle from Maddie.

"Let's go with short and sweet."

"I've known you all my life, you're my best friend, you're kind, thoughtful, caring, you got an adorable giggle and cutest little smile… you're beautiful… you're smart…" I can't help but to trail off as I think of every little thing that draws me into Maddie. I'm like a moth to a flame with her… in short? "What's not to like?"

"Um… wow… I… I don't know how to respond to that…"

"Jesus Christ, we weren't just talking to him!" Of course Peter decides to butt in at that moment, rolling his eyes in a playful manner as he too leans closer to the phone. Considering he's about the same size as me, I find myself leaning a bit more against Rachel as I move my phone closer to him out of habit. "Maddie, you both love each other. You know it, I know it, Rachel knows, the whole school knows it! We were making bets on how long it'd take for one of you to finally say something!"

There's silence over the phone for a moment as I stare. You know, they did keep saying both of us, but I honestly just thought it was either them trying to make me feel better or them misinterpreting Maddie. But…

… maybe there's a chance?

"I… I um…"

"Spit it out already, woman!" Rachel says with an exasperated eye roll, though both her tone and the rest of her face make her amusement clear at our squeamishness.

Finally, Maddie let's out another sigh, sounding utterly embarrassed as I hear a soft thump through the phone.

"I love you too, John." Maddie finally says, and it's a simultaneous reaction. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and at the same time, I can't help the way my jaw drops slightly as my eyes go wide in surprise.

Honestly, with Rachel and Peter sitting here practically slamming it into my face, it should not be this much of a shock.

And yet… it is. Maybe it's because I've told myself for so long that this isn't a scenario that would ever happen. Too much thinking of the bad, all the ways it could go wrong…

But when it finally slams through my skull and into my brain, and the shock is gone?

"John?"

"WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Absolute elation.

Rachel and Peter burst into laughter on each side of me as I'm suddenly my feet, somehow not crushing my phone on accident, as I scream my joy to the fucking heavens.

She likes me! She loves me! She loves me!

How can I not be happy? How can I not completely enjoy this?! My best friend and my crush all in one, and she really loves me! Me! Maddie loves me!

"Okay there, buddy, calm down." Peter says, getting out what he can between fits of laughter as he grabs me arm and tugs me back down onto the couch. Though, he only ends up laughing harder as I sit there celebrating like a five year old. Down the the point of shaking my arms and legs in the air.

Hell, I have Rachel holding her stomach as she nearly falls over armrest in her fits of giggles.

As I come down from my moment of peak joy, I refocus my ears on the phone. Now that I'm paying attention, I can hear Maddie giggling like a mad woman on the other side of the phone.

"Oh god! I can't breath!" Rachel huffs out what she can, turning to me in amusement as she manages to flip a shaky middle finger up at me. "Your fault!"

I find myself busting out into laughter right alongside them as we all fall into fits of giggles.

And yes. They're genuine.

I honestly cannot believe I actually did that. And imagining me acting like that is fucking hilarious no matter who you are.

"Oh my god, John!" I manage to hear Maddie say through the phone.

I'm not sure at all how long it takes for us to come down from our laughter, but when we do, we all act as if we're breathless. I know everyone else might be, but that's nowhere near enough laughing to wind me. I do it out of habit at this point.

"Jesus man, what is wrong with you?" Peter asks with a slight chuckle as he looks over at me. "I was not expecting that as your reaction."

"I don't think any of us were." Rachel says, her stomaching still twitching as she held the widest grin on her face.

"I was happy. Sorry." I respond with a shameless shrug as I look down at the phone in my hand. "I uh… I didn't blow out your ear, did I?"

"No, John." Maddie replies with a giggle, only causing my smile to widen. Making her laugh is always the best feeling on earth. "I mean it though. I do love you." Just hearing that… I always thought the whole fluttering heart thing was an expression.

But it isn't.

"I uh… I never thought I'd get to this part." I admit with a chuckle. It only serves to make Maddie let out a small chuckle.

"You think I did?" Maddie retorts with another giggle. "We really are lovestruck idiots."

"Yeah…" I can't help but to agree, nodding my head with a grin. "So uh… how do we go from here?"

"Back to the original conversation?" Peter suggests, sitting up as his smile slowly fades away. "Maddie, what do you know about Butcher?" He asks, leaning closer to the phone as he does so.

"He's a CIA agent, right?" Shit, Maddie really doesn't know anywhere near as much about this, does she?

"He was." I reply, my voice growing thick with annoyance as I remember the fucker. "He used to be a part of a government outfit meant to monitor superhumans."

"What, like the militia?" Maddie asks, sounding even more confused at the news.

"Not entirely." Rachel pipes up, leaning back towards the phone as well as she fills Maddie in. "It was literally called 'The Boys', and it was a made up entirely of normal humans."

"What?" Of course Maddie's confusion would only grow. "How are normal humans doing shit to a superhuman?"

"Not all of us are as powerful as you might think, Maddie." Rachel reminded her with a small sigh.

"Here's the kicker though: it didn't target all superhumans. It focused solely on Vought superheroes." I reveal to Maddie with an unamused shake of my head.

"What? But they're… superheroes."

"Difference between superheroes and superhumans is the fame." Peter commented with an amused chuckle. "Chances are, most of them showed their powers early, and parents prepared them for the superhero life."

"Which means they're just glorified celebrities." I simplify with a groan.

"How does all of this tie back to Butcher?"

"Because he's not part of the CIA anymore." I reveal, and I hear Maddie let out a shocked gasp a that revelation. "The group was dissolved, and it's members were all retired. No active CIA agents showed up at your house, Maddie."

"B-But… I saw the badge."

"Maddie, it was probably a fake." Peter responds with a slight shake of his head. "Be honest, do you know it's real? Or could you just not tell the difference?"

There's silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments, before Maddie let's a sigh escape her.

"I didn't think to question it." Maddie admitted with a sigh. "Considering how often police are at our doorstep, a badge in my face honestly isn't anything new."

At that not-so-subtle reminder of Maddie's home life along with all this shit with Butcher, I can't help but to lower my head with a guilty expression as I run a hand through my hair.

Of course she wouldn't question it. At this point, an FBI or CIA agent showing up looking for Floyd may as well be par for the course. But still…

"Well, I'm telling you now." I speak up with a shake of my head as I bring the phone closer to my face, my expression and tone turning stern. "If he shows up again, don't open the door. Call 911 or get a hold of us. If you got to, sneak out the window." I advise her, because I'm not looking for her to get hurt in the slightest. "He's a fucking psycho."

"What makes you say that? I thought he was just an angry asshole." Okay, I lose my stern tone a little when she says that, chuckling in slight amusement with a shake of my head. I suppose she isn't wrong. But still…

"Maddie, Butcher has a homicidal hatred for superhumans." Rachel informs Maddie as she too takes on a look of slight concern. "There's no telling what he'd do to you just for a chance at John."

Once more, silence falls on the other end of the phone as Maddie takes in that info, processing it, before she speaks once more. And her voice is soft, genuine fear in her tone as she speaks again.

"He did say I was lucky…" Maddie all but whispers, and I can't help but to immediately be put on edge by those words.

"Maddie, what do you mean?" I ask, hoping against god that nothing too bad happened.

"I got mad, stood up to him… pissed him off, and when he left, he said I was lucky he didn't smash my head in on the coffee table." Maddie reveals, and all of our eyes fly wide at that one. In my case, I feel a familiar sense of both worry and rage beginning to build, and I have to let out a heavy sigh so I don't take it out on Maddie.

"Alright, well, I'm not trusting Floyd or Alice with your safety." I say with a shake of my head as I sit up straight, looking at both Peter and Rachel as I speak again. "You think you two could pick her up and bring her this way tomorrow?"

"John, I still have school." Maddie reminded gently, but I shake my head.

"Something tells me we can get that handled." I respond almost immediately, making sure there's no room for argument against this. "You can take lessons with me through the week, but I sure as shit ain't leaving you in their care for the time-being. No offense to Alice- well, some offense, but you pretty much take care of yourself." I point out with a small chuckle and an amused shake of my head. "But I'd feel much better if you were here with me."

"Do you know for sure that you can handle everything with school?" Maddie asks, wanting to be completely sure. Considering Edgar was able to get me essentially transferred into homeschooling here with Papaw's permission, I think we'd be able to make it happen. Hell, knowing Alice, all we'd have to do is tell her that something's happened and Maddie is safer with me, and she'd be bitching me out and asking why I didn't do it sooner.

"Yeah." I act as if I am one hundred percent positive, because I honestly feel like it will happen. Plus, I don't want Maddie to think it's not okay for her to come up here. "And if we can put you where Butcher can't touch you, all the better."

"I guess." Maddie finally agrees, causing me to admittedly let out a sigh of relief. "I'll pack some things up tonight, if you really want me up there tomorrow." She assures me, causing me to smile. I'm happy she'll be safe, and I'm admittedly happy that she'll just be here with me.

"Alright." I nod my head even though she can't see, before letting out a chuckle. "And uh… I guess we'll talk later? About… everything else?" I can't help but to sound hopeful even though I already know the answer. Nonetheless, I grin like an idiot when I hear Maddie bust out giggling on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah… I'd like that." Maddie responds, and I wish I could actually see her smile at the moment… but I can settle with just knowing she's smiling for now. "So… anything else you'd like to talk about right now?"

I let a chuckle escape me, but shake my head despite the fact she obviously can't see it as I speak. "Plenty… but I think I'd rather wait till later. I don't think I want Ding Dong and Jackass here butting in." My words gets a couple small laughs from Peter and Rachel, while Maddie once again giggles in amusement.

"Alright…" Maddie responds in affirmation. "Then I'm gonna get off of here and start packing. But… one more thing?"

"Yeah?"

"There's… a lot more we need to talk about than just our relationship."

It takes me a moment to realize what she's talking about, and all I can do is let out a sigh. I'm… still not ready to talk about my abduction… but she's right. With what she now knows… I can't deny her that.

"I know." I assure her, before smiling anyway. "But for now… I'll let you get off here and pack up. Talk to you later?"

"Talk to you later, John. I love you."

Oh, this is definitely something I can get used too. "I love you too."

"Bye."

"Bye." I wait for her to hang up as usual, before ending the call on my end as I toss my phone onto my coffee table with a smile.

"Feel better?" Peter asks me with a smile, and all I can do is chuckle in response.

"Fuck you." I joke, giving his shoulder a playful push as I glance at both him and Rachel. "Today was stressful enough."

"And now it's a little less stressful." Rachel replies, bringing a hand to rest on my shoulder as she gives me a genuine smile. "And you already look happier."

"Well, I am." I assure with a nod and a smile of my own. "I uh… wow, we really were the only ones who didn't know, weren't we?"

"Like I said, most of the school made bets." Peter jokes back with a smile and a chuckle, before giving my arm a playful slap. "At least now you two will finally start doing something."

"I need to find a place to take her." I say, and it's both a joke and the truth. It makes the both of them laugh, while I simply lean back against the couch with a content smile as I look at the two of them.

Today had been… really stressful for a while. But it turned out great.

Sure, I still have plenty of questions… but those can be answered later on. For now, I just want to sit here and hang out with my friends.