"Uncle Randy!"

Randall awoke to the call of his childhood nickname and a sudden weight knocking the wind out of his lungs. Caught in a startled daze, he found himself staring at a tiny replica of his and his brother's face, only with a single frond and scales dipped a vibrant orange. This was Rex Boggs: Currently, the youngest member of the Boggs family and a toddler that was as energetic as one could be.

His nephew...

Randall hardly spent time with his family, and that especially went for the child now sprawled on top of his chest. Nevertheless, despite this distance—or maybe because of it—Rex adored him. Why? Randall had no idea other than because of his celebrity status as a Scarer. It was the only thing they could really bond with, be it from the fanfare or from regularly crossing paths with the tyke at Monster's Inc. There were times when Rex escaped the daycare to look for either Randall or his father, incidents that brought them all kinds of trouble because Rex had the same chameleon abilities that they had. There was even one evening when the little lizard had nearly followed him all the way to the Scream Extractor before making noise and ultimately getting caught.

It practically took a sixth sense to raise young monsters like him; a sixth sense that, unfortunately, didn't activate in time for Randall to wake up and avoid the crushing blow. How someone so small could pack such a punch was beyond him.

"You're here! You're here!" Rex lightly bounced on his chest, defaulting into his still occasional baby speech, "It's time for beckfast! Come an' sit by me!"

The house was still somewhat dark from all the blinds being drawn. After watching the news the previous night, he'd gotten so lost in thought that he'd fallen asleep on the couch. For a moment, he was worried about Tani waking up alone in a strange place, forgetting where she was; however, when he met Roger in the kitchen, his brother informed him that Jennifer had taken Tani shopping. Nevertheless, it only worried him more, knowing that she was already dragged off into some crowd. That, and there was the possibility of her hearing the news of his actions before he got the chance to tell her himself.

Randall shook his head, giving the other young man a sour look, "I doubt she's ready. You two shouldn't have pushed it."

"We didn't," came the blunt rebuttal, "Jen wanted to get your girlfriend something new to wear and she went with her." Roger then tried to pacify him. "They'll be careful. There's a small strip small in the neighborhood and not many people are going to be out and about this early. Believe me, Jen wants to keep things quiet too."

The two brothers continued their chat as they finished preparing for breakfast. They had already gotten their stories straight for when Rex started rambling the anticipated questions about who Tani was and why she and Randall had suddenly decided to visit. They simply explained that she was an old friend of Randall's and that he now had more time on his hands since Monster Inc.'s closure, that he was using that time to reconnect with people he hadn't in a long while. Believing he was one of those people had Rex beaming, which Randall admittedly did feel some, suppressed guilt over.

He tried shaking off the feeling by focusing on the task at hand. There wasn't actually much for him to do other than grab some plates. Roger had made a batch of large, scabberry muffins to pair with some fruit, the two adults grabbing coffee for themselves and a cup of milk for Rex.

"You bake now?" Randall asked.

"Just the packaged stuff," he shrugged, "Nothing like what you used to do. Why'd you ever quit anyway?"

"I grew up. Life got busy."

Rex mumbled at his uncle through a mouthful of pastry, "Will 'ou play wif me later?"

"No, buddy, you and I've got errands and Randall's gotta run soon enough," his father answered, "Go eat at the table. We'll be right behind you."

They waited until the child had dipped behind the dividing wall before speaking further, making doubly sure that Rex hadn't simply camouflaged himself to try to listen in on their conversation.

Roger continued with a tired sigh, "Look, Randall... Jen and I talked some things out last night. You can't stay here, but maybe Tani can. We need a sitter anyway and—"

The latter cut him off with a shake of his head, "I know your wife wouldn't really want to leave Rex alone with Tani without knowing her. And to be honest, I don't know if Tani could handle it anyway right now."

Actually, the offer was very tempting, more than he could have asked for even. However, Randall refused it for the same reasons he didn't want Tani going out into the crowded city. Given how bright and animated she used to be, he believed she could've been great with kids. The situation being what it was though, she was just too fragile, too used to isolation, and too warry of the strangers that banished her for that to be an option.

"Alright... Then what are you going to do?"

Again, there was that million dollar question. Randall felt confident in his own chances of hiding out at Monsters Inc., but taking Tani there was another matter. It meant dragging her into the heart of all his problems. Using the sewers was still a possibility, if not the most ideal. In any case, he didn't intend to share any plans with his little brother anyway—for both of their sakes. All he said was, "We've got it figured out."

Roger snorted at him, disbelieving, and scratched his head. "Yeah, I hope you do... You need to tell her, before this drags on too far and you end up getting caught."

Randall didn't get a chance to argue with him on the matter even if he wanted to. Around the same instant, they heard the front door jingle open. The elder Boggs flinched at the sound, only to relax a second later when Roger's wife stepped inside, carrying a pressed shirt and shopping bag. Tani stepped in after her, helping with a slightly smaller load.

For a moment, just like when he'd first found her, Randall lost his place in time. Tani's new outfit wasn't strikingly different from what she used to wear: Her long, black turtleneck was sleeveless, now paired with an oversized, nylon jacket that couldn't quite fit on her shoulders. It hung midways down one arm like a shawl, kept on by its narrow cuffs. The fabric was split in bright purple and pastel blue blocks, with smaller sections of white to accent it. It was a spunky look that he thought suited her well, even if the demurer aura she currently carried did not.

Tani couldn't stop fiddling with the bottom hem of the jacket. No sooner was she through the door, she greeted him with a hug, leaning against Randall in a way that felt more like she was seeking support than acting on sentiment. He felt her sigh, forcing himself to hold his own show of relief back. He knew that the first run out would take its toll.

Randall felt eyes piercing his back and glanced over his shoulder to where Jennifer was standing, not even having set aside her own load yet. Her firm gaze was hard to read, and she only said, "You owe me fifty bucks for the clothes.

"Right..."

Thanks to Rex's innocence and Tani's typical, quirky charm, the morning meal with his family wasn't as awkward as Randall expected it to be. Even still, it passed quicker than he would've liked. Soon enough, the married duo got up from the table, dragging Rex along with them to finish getting ready for the day. Roger gave one last, pointed glance over his shoulder at his brother before vanishing down the nearby hallway.

Now that the worst of their worries had passed, now that he had no excuse for keeping things secret... Honestly, he didn't know where to start. The two reptilians sat directly across from each other. Randall continued to watch Tani in another moment's silence as she twirled a spoon around in her coffee. She still liked it the same way he remembered: Clotted and spiced.

He smiled at the flood of memories that came back to him. However, with the good ones came the bad: The times they fought, the pranks gone wrong, the accident. Even after all these years, Randall couldn't honestly say he fully regretted his behavior back then. He just never meant to hurt Tani or betray her trust.

Fear wasn't an emotion that scarers easily admitted to feeling themselves. It was something that Randall thought he'd shed off along with his younger self and so much else. Right now, what he feared most was history repeating itself. They hadn't technically patched things over from their past in the first place. Was he really as ready as he thought he was to face her ire and let their old friendship go if it came down to it?

The sound of his former collegemate clearing her throat made him look her in the eye. Tani brushed a few wild hairs out of her face, almost as if she felt as awkward and uncertain as he did. "You look like you've got something on your mind..." she murmured, staring at him expectantly.

Randall pushed himself up in his seat, straightening his back. He didn't know if it was thanks to her Delirian traits or her own, natural talent, but Tani had always had a habit for reading people. Whatever kind of front he could put on, however he tried to distance himself, she could see right through him. In turn he knew that, even if she said she'd wait for him to tell her the truth behind his banishment, even if he could keep it a secret forever, she wouldn't wait that long. Now was as good a time as there would ever be, while a clean cut was still possible and the CDA hadn't caught up to his trail.

His first set of hands embracing his own cup of coffee, staring into the brown goop, he gripped the edge of the table with the second. "Not that long ago, I kidnapped a kid. A human kid."

He told her about the time he first learned the truth about the humans' supposed 'toxicity.' About the energy crisis, his secret partnership with Waternoose, and the Scream Extractor. About how he spent countless nights sneaking through the factory to work on the machine and about how he intended to use one of his assigned children to test it out. About how the kid had escaped, sending all of Monstropolis into a panic, and that he'd been banished before he could catch it. He told her everything.

Well... almost everything. Randall made a point of never bringing up Sullivan and Wazowski. It was too much for him to admit at once, especially considering that Tani had never broken off her friendship with Mike like he had. Besides, based on the news, it seemed the two nimrods had also excluded the full details of what had happened—likely to limit the risk of being punished for their own involvement in the entire ordeal. Unless she happened to run into them, Tani would likely never know those intense tidbits.

He watched Tani's face carefully as she took in his explanation, seeing it change from playful to serious. He didn't pause for a second, worried that he wouldn't be able to get out everything he had to say if he did. His throat felt dry after he finished the story. He went quiet, impatiently waiting for her response. She took a few, long seconds more to process the news, then took an even longer swig of coffee.

The mug was almost empty when she pulled it away from her lips. A deep breath followed as she stared at the dregs. She paused again, then hopped onto her feet to get a refill.

Randall felt that he would've gone crazy if she delayed answering any longer than that. Instead, without looking his way, Tani told him over the clinking of glass, "That... is a lot more complicated than whatever I imagined."

He found he couldn't look at her either. He tapped on the table, a moment later mumbling under his breath, "...You don't sound as angry as I figured you'd be."

He heard her sigh. The kitchen counter creaked, likely from Tani supporting herself against it. "I don't even know how angry I'm supposed to be about any of this..."

Indeed, she didn't sound angry: More than anything, Tani sounded tired. That wasn't exactly a good sign in-itself, but it gave Randall enough hope to glance back in her direction. The bipedal reptile still wasn't looking at him, her thoughtful, almost sad gaze appearing distant. She seemed to be deeply contemplating over everything he'd told her, and it made Randall remember one more thing about his old friend that he'd barely taken into account back when they were close: Tani was never in a hurry to take sides.

"Not many monsters think about humans the same way like we do each other," she mused aloud, "To us, they're an energy source, and not really much more or less... If things have gotten as bad as you say... I can't condone it, but... I kind of get it."

Randall stayed silent, dread and hope clashing inside him to leave him bitterly numb as he listened to her. She was just like this when she stood up for Mike and rest of the Oozmas after his and the RORs prank. She was just like this when she stood up for him for sticking with the RORs, even if she never liked the fraternity.

Of course, Tani had her own complicated views of humans to hurdle over, as much time as she spent trapped with them. They had been a constant threat, but also the only kind of company she might've had during her time in their world. If Randall forced himself to admit it, based on what she'd told him, Tani might've even grown attached to the kids in more of the way Wazowski and Sullivan had.

The fact that she was still willing to give him this much of a benefit of a doubt was enough of a relief. That aside... they had other matters to settle. "Like I told you before, there's some dangerous monsters on my tail. The CDA is one problem, but Waternoose is no saint himself. If he gets cleared from prison and learns I'm still around, he'll either try to reach out or shove me under the bus. There are things I've got to take care of, but I'm not sure you want to be a part of it."

There was no immediate response. She didn't pressure him to tell her what he thought he had to do.

He'd thought it over before: Someone like Waternoose might have had the resources to hide Tani and get payback on whoever had banished her, but that was only if he was willing to so. And again, it would likely only make her an accomplice to their scheme. There were too many risks.

"Your brother's wife... She dropped me some bills in case I wanted to take a bus out of the city."

The chameleon-like monster was only half-surprised by that reveal. Jen might've hated him, but she wasn't a bad person. It was a solid, simple plan too—one that got Tani away from any overly curious eyes. It didn't keep him from wondering how she'd handle things after the ride ended though, or from feeling a subtle pang at the idea of such an unceremonious split.

Randall could only nod, "Depending on where you went, you could get fresh start without much of a fuss. I know a coach service on the way to where I'm headed. We can stop by there when we head out. You can wait underground before it's time to go." He wouldn't—nor could he—stop her if that's what she at last decided on. No more than he could keep himself from adding, "If not, it might still be a good place to sit for a while."