As the morning rays had been poking through his window for nearly an hour and his room was illuminated by the summer sun, Marco just laid in his bed, looking at the wide poster of Boston’s hottest weather girl, Leticia Flores, Marco just laid there. His arms were folded loosely across his stomach, legs crossed in a way that didn’t cause his barely-recovered leg any discomfort. He laid there staring blankly into the image of the Mexican beauty, her dark hair enhanced by the light.

But he may as well be staring at a blank wall.

Marco wasn’t even feeling like himself right now nor had he since he and Jill departed-- and especially not since Danny dropped him off last night.

Since he got home, maybe save for a few hours spread across nine, Marco hadn’t been able to sleep. All he could do was think about how quiet he was during that drive home. All he could do was lament on what Jill said about Danny. He didn’t know if she was right and that Danny didn’t deserve him or if that was even a factor. He had buried all of those dark thoughts about Danny for so long that Marco thought he forgot about it.

But then when Jill opened up about Mei and poured her soul out to him, he just felt like he needed to tell someone. But after, he didn’t know if it helped. Even now, he still didn’t feel like he was any closer to feeling better about it. The pain was still there, but unlike before, he didn’t have anything else to push it down. Nothing to distract him. Unlike before, when Marco could use the excuse of the shooting and being shot and trying to recover from that, there was nothing that felt like a good excuse not to think of the hurt that came with his breakup with Danny. Even if nobody knew, he did and…

“I just don’t know!!--”

“Marcoooo!”

As a few tears fell down his face, Marco shook it as he heard Emil call for him. He immediately wiped away his brief visit with his feelings, burying them down behind a fortified smile that was depending on Marco’s ability to hide his sadness from his younger brother.

And as soon as a dressed Emil burst his way into Marco’s room, he didn’t make any fuss about it since his door was open. “I’m up! What’s up?” Marco said, greeting his brother as he stood up in a grunt.

“Mami needs us downstairs. Pop just got home and they want to go out for breakfast.”

“Really? I thought Pops wasn’t due home for another few hours?”

Emil shrugged. “You’re asking the wrong person. Now hurry up. I don’t think they want to wait in a line at Dolly’s.”

As his brother left, Marco decided that he wouldn’t think about Danny or what Jill said about Danny for the next couple of hours. Honestly, at the end of the day, maybe what he needed was this— a distraction with his family. Something that might make him forget about everything. Breakfast with his family always did that.

Marco spent a few minutes going through his dresser for a pair of shorts and a shirt. He knew that his Ma would probably expect him to wear something decent, so Marco made a habit of not going for a random pair of sweats. Even if they were just going out to the diner, there was a level of expectations to be had. Once he found something, though, he quickly slipped it on and headed downstairs.

But he did so at his own pace. His leg still felt like crap. Running around and standing for long periods of time did nothing to help his aching.

As he made it to the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him was everyone: his father, who was dressed in his usual work gear of the brown leather jacket he always wore, dark blue jeans, and a dark-colored shirt. Marco noticed the bags under his father’s eyes, which was to be expected. He was working all night and the fact he came home early and didn’t go straight to bed just showed how much he loved Ma.

“Hey there, Champ!” Colin greeted his oldest son with a dap hug, though it wasn’t as tight as he usually did. “Sleep well?”

Marco had to lie. “Yeah, it was okay!” He gave a smile, hoping they’d buy it. “Where’s Ma?” As he asked, he looked around for both Ma and Marcy.

“Marcy’s missing too,” Emil muttered. “Figures. The ones who wanted to go are the same ones making us wait.”

“Now now, don’t be like that, Emil. Just have a little patience, yeah?” Colin urged his son, teasing him with a slight tap against his son’s cheek.

And so they’d wait for a few minutes. They chatted during that time -- well, Emiliano and Colin did. Marco zoned out a few times and lost track of time. Honestly, he lost track of anything as he found himself sitting on the bottom stair, looking around and looking nowhere. Thoughts about what he had hoped to be distracted came back.

It was only when he saw his father and brother come at attention and hear the footsteps from behind him come in pairs of two. He stood up as quickly as his body would allow him to and took a few steps back.

His mother Marlena and his younger sister Marcy were making their way down the stairs, stylishly dressed to the nines and with impeccable hair and makeup. The females of the Brady family prided themselves in keeping up a flawless appearance no matter the occasion or time of day-- a diner breakfast would not be the exception. With her usual cheerful demeanor and blinding smile, Marlie waltzed around the room, planting kisses and hugs on her sons before wrapping her arms around her husband and pulling him into a kiss.

Emil looked at his mami and sister and shook his head, specifically at Marcy. “Don’t you think you’re a little overdressed? We’re just going to a diner.”

The brunette teen rolled her eyes. "How about you save your opinions for someone who actually cares?" she sassed back in perfect Spanish, flipping her hair over her shoulder and sauntering to the door. "Can we go now? I'm starving."

When Marcy's back was turned, he stuck his tongue out at her and felt the swift wrath of his mother's hand smacking the back of his head, sending the boy following his sister with the firm reminder that even a non-verbal habit doesn't go unnoticed by Big Momma.

"When will that boy ever learn?" Colin shook his head.

His wife merely rolled her eyes, making it evident from which parent Marcela had inherited the action from. "Apparently, never."

The air was filled with an immeasurable light, albeit at the expense of Emiliano, though everyone knew it was all in good fun. Even as Marco followed behind his parents, who were lovingly embracing with her arm behind his back and his gently slung over her neck. He smiled at that sight. He also smiled at the echoes of laughter as the door closed behind them, Marco locking it as his parents were halfway to the driveway, looking back at him, waiting.

The barely-mobile Marco had to take his time, but between the atmosphere among his family and the subtle breeze he felt from the morning, Marco took comfort in this being a better day than it was yesterday.

And when they got into the family SUV, a black one with spacious front and back seats, Marco and Marcy locked Emiliano in between them while their father drove. It wasn’t some guy thing where the dad drove the car, but Colin just liked to drive. And, normally, his ma was more than happy to let him do so.

The quick drive that took no more than ten minutes to Dolly’s Diner had been spent just chatting and enjoying each other’s company. Marco intentionally tried to bury himself into it, which most of it was spent talking about the weather. As mundane as it was, there was something refreshing about that particular topic. Maybe in all the darkness that yesterday brought, Marco welcomed it with an open mind. It served as the distraction he knew he needed.

buzzbuzzbuzz

Inside his shorts pocket, Marco felt his phone go off. Taking a moment to break away from the engaging conversation his family had, Marco saw he got a text from Roddy. He wanted to hang out later at Lyon Park. Something about wanting to take Rylie out.

Yeah sure man!
Just lemme know when.
Out with my family right now so maybe in a couple hours?

And when he sent that text, Marco looked up with a smile and saw that they had arrived.

And then they got out of the car and walked inside the diner. As they were met rather quickly, the Brady family were seated at a booth with a view, the sight of Lyon Park just down the way was what Marco immediately saw. He took the outer seat due to his limited mobility.

As they were handed menus, the waitress gave them a quick smile before saying, “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide. Can I start you off with some coffee in the meantime?”

“Yes. Please!” Colin said almost as if he was pleading with her for something a little stronger. “And make it as strong as possible.”

“I’ll take mine with four sugars.”

Emil shook his head at his older brother. “Well, I’ll take some OJ if you have it!” Emil chimed in, not quite ready to take the coffee route.

"I'll have a French vanilla latte with skim milk," Marcela piped up, while immediately shooting a defiant glare at Emiliano as if daring him to make one of his little comments about it.

"And I'll take a sunset mimosa," Marlie replied brightly, shooting their waitress a kind smile while lightly squeezing Marcy's thigh under the table-- a silent warning to her daughter and a request to behave.

Colin sighed as the waitress just replied with a “I’ll get your drinks for you now” before departing from the undoubtable awkward and tense air that had become the Brady Bunch’s booth. Not even five minutes in and the sibling bickering became so obvious that Colin could tell this wasn’t going to be easy.

“So, do we know what we want?” Colin asked his family, looking at each of them, though he’d center his gaze on his youngest two. The glares they exchanged was a telltale sign of what was to come and maybe — just maybe — if the patriarch of the family could restore some order while Marlie manned the close combat, he might be able to stop the storm before it became too large. “And don’t worry about skimping on anything you’re craving. We don’t do this as often as we should, so go ham!”

After a few long moments, Marco looked up from the menu. He took an additional one to look at Emil and Marcy. Whatever pops had said worked for now, but he could tell there was something brewing. “Think I might go for the Doll Express Plate.” Marco was looking at the photo of the three-pancake stack of buttermilk pancakes with three slabs of honey ham and three sausage links. There was a choice of hashbrowns or country potatoes, but Marco wasn’t sure which he wanted. He definitely wanted some fried eggs, though.

“Someone’s hungry!” Emil chimed in. “Maybe you want to make it a double, Marce? We all know how you like to eat!”

If they were out of sight from their parents, this would be the moment in which Marcela would flip off her brother and toss in a saucy remark or two. But because she was the bigger person (and because her mother would be quick to act if she didn't), the youngest Brady chose to purposely ignore Emiliano.

"I'll go for the salmon eggs benedict and a cinnamon roll," she told her family, closing the menu and pointedly looking away from her brother.

“Right…” Colin looked up at his two youngest. There was a partial groan that left his lips. PArt of him wanted to say something to them, but figured if they weren’t going to cause anymore problems, then it wasn’t worth it. So instead he’d try to detour the tense energy into a positive light. “Think I’ll have the midwestern omelet and some sourdough toast. Might even splurge in some turkey bacon.” He hummed as he looked over the menu. Breakfast was always hard to decide, but Colin knew he was hungry, though maybe not as hungry as Marco was. The thought of the spread that his eldest son was gonna feat upon made him crack a smile. It was at that same moment he turned to Marlena. “What about you, honey? Any idea what you might get?” He asked, looking at her lovingly (albeit with an obvious exhausted expression on his face).

"The mixed berry Belgian waffles with scrambled eggs and bacon," his wife replied, giving Colin a brief kiss before resting her head on his shoulder.

Not long after the whole family had stated what they wanted, their waitress came back with their drinks. And after some low murmurs from Emil and Marcy, who had once again bickered amongst themselves, the waitress left to take their orders to the kitchen. Everyone was mostly normal, or at least whatever normal passed for the Brady Bunch.

Everyone except Marco, who was, for the most part, lost in his own world.

Despite everything Marco told himself about wanting to have a distraction and wanting to just relax with his family. Despite him wanting to not think about what happened yesterday, he just couldn’t do it. And he wasn’t a master poker player like his father and couldn’t lie brilliantly like his siblings could, so he knew they’d see right through it. Brave faces only lasted so long.

How long did it last? Oh, right up until the waitress who had been checking up on them frequently dropped the check off, which of course his father picked up as he always did. It wasn’t even a man thing, but he always paid and nobody, not even his mother questioned it. Marco found a reason to smile because of this. He noticed that his father smiled when he opened the bill.

Knowing him he might just leave a tip larger than is ethnically required.

That’s just the kind of person Colin Brady was. Protects and serves in more ways than one might see on the side of the Edenridge PD cruisers.

As they got up, Marco remained quiet until his brother nudged him. It was their thing. When Marco shut down, which given recent events (not last night but generally speaking), Emil felt like he had to do it more often than he used to. They were at the door and as Marco walked through, his throat was dry, so he coughed. “So, Roddy texted me earlier.” He managed to get that out before he coughed again. His parents were halfway to the car and his siblings were the closest to him. “And he said he wanted to talk. I think, well I’m sure he’ll give me a ride back home if I asked him. So I think I’m gonna stick around. He’s told me to meet him at Lyon Park.” His gaze fell on the park just across the street.

Marlena stopped in her tracks and turned around to face her son. "Is everything okay?" she inquired, her voice worried as a concerned frown settled on her features. She could tell something had been weighing on her oldest from the moment she gave him his good morning kiss earlier that day. However, she had long since learned that the best approach to take with her blue-eyed boy was to inquire about things privately, and allow him the opportunity to return later if he didn't feel ready to disclose yet. Marlie knew asking in front of the others would earn her his usual "I'm fine" response, but she wanted to make sure her son knew his feelings were seen and validated.

Giving his mother a quick nod, Marco said, “Yeah…yeah! I’m alright! Everything’s okay!” His reply came out a bit more forced and rushed like he had to say it to save face with her or something. He knew that his ma was asking because she was concerned (obviously), and, of course, it wasn’t that he wanted to dismiss her effort to try and understand what he was feeling. Truth was he just didn’t feel like talking about it -- not here, at least. Something about others hearing what might be going through his head, especially about these new thoughts revolving around Danny. Marco just…didn’t want to deal with it right now. He just hoped that was enough for her, at least for now.

Marlie knew her son was lying, but she decided to not press on. Instead, she’d give Marco a soft smile and table the conversation for a later time. “Okay! And you’re sure you don’t want us to at least drop you off at the park, then? I know the doctors said walking is good for your recovery process, but Lyon Park is still some distance away. I wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself,” she confessed, worriedly eyeing his leg. Mother’s instinct, after all: to always protect, care and look after her children.

Marco shook his head, maintaining his ‘everything is fine’ expression on his face. In this case, about whether or not he could handle the walk from the diner to the park, Marco wasn’t covering up with that Brady stubbornness or anything. He really did believe he could handle it. “Thanks, Ma, but don’t worry! I can handle it. Doc said I’m at the point where I can push myself a little more each day.” Marco never lost his competitiveness. Even though he wasn’t the athlete he was a couple of years ago, there was no mistake he still had the spirit.

As Colin looked around and just smiled at Marlie and Marco, and came up from behind. “I’m sure he’ll be fine, honey.” Colin placed a supportive hand on Marlena’s slender shoulder. “And if all else fails, Marco can always call one of us to pick him up if he needs to. Right, Marco?”

“That’s right!” Marco said, flashing a more convincing grin.

Marlie assessed her son one last time. Although she knew he was fibbing about being alright, she could tell that he was being truthful about his confidence in being able to make it. If he felt comfortable enough in himself to make the trek, then who was she to stop him?

"Okay, honey," she finally gave in, taking a few steps towards Marco to give him a parting kiss and hug. "You call me if you need anything, okay? Say hi to Rod for me and give Princess Rylie extra cuddles on my behalf!"

Marco gave his usual thumbs up and watched as his family drove off. Somewhere in his gut he knew he was going regret not taking her offer, but he definitely just needed some time for himself to think. And maybe, jsut maybe, he wanted to prove to himself that he could make the journey to the park.

As Marco walked from the diner to Lyon Park, he had to remind himself to keep a steady pace. He knew if he took a step too big his legs would buckle under him. He wouldn’t fall down per se, but there was a good chance he’d be in immense pain. Maybe in hindsight, he should have asked for a lift to the park, but he insisted to his mother that he was fine and he just knew she would do that thing that only partially got on her nerves. Only because he truly felt like he could handle the trek.

He wanted to walk, but more importantly, he needed the time alone. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. He didn’t want to admit it to his family, especially because a lot of what happened last night felt like it’d be best not to divulge to his family. If his mother found out that he was even anywhere near a gun, or on a wild goose chase about Charlie Decker’s ghost, she’d go into helicopter mode. And hell be damned, he didn’t want to worry her. Because if she was worried, he’d only feel guilty for starting to feel like he couldn’t run away from the past. He knew if she knew he was hurting, that’d only make things worse.

And after last night, especially after some of the harsh truths Jill gave him about Danny, he had a lot to think about.

But he was done reflecting on things that were eventually going to be addressed in the future, because as he finally made it to the playground, sitting on a bench, watching his daughter proudly in the stroller that was in front of him, was Roddy Callahan. He smiled at his friend and instead of standing up to greet him, Marco shook his head as he took a seat next to him. “Sorry it took me forever, man,” Marco admitted, giving his friend an apologetic smile. “Made the mistake of walking here from the diner across the street. I thought taking the Happy Trail would be quicker, but with how slow I walk these days..” He nervously laughed. “But I’m just glad I made it.” Smiling, Marco looked at his goddaughter, making random, silly faces at her and he heard her laugh in the way that babies did.

“That’s ok, bro beans” Roddy handed Rylie one of her toys and leaned back against the bench, avoiding the plaque on the back dedicated to the memory of yet another fallen child of Eden. “You know I’m an early riser anyway and after last night, I barely slept a fucking wink”

Last night had been an extremely strange evening for Rod. He had gone in with a simple enough plan; convince Lanie to take him back. Then the shit with Charlie’s letter happened. As much and as desperately as he wanted it to just be about him and his ex-girlfriend, Roddy couldn’t ignore the chance to find some sort of closure. Too many people assumed that beyond his devastating injury, the butcher's boy was absolutely fine after the shooting. He wasn’t. The night terrors were horrible, the ptsd flashbacks were nauseating and the guilt weighed him down terribly. Rod left more than just a piece of his spine in the gym that day. He had left a part of his soul there. Now he regretted ever suggesting going back. Lanie was distraught, Mei, Jill, everyone seemed worse off than when they first started. Hell, even fucking ReyRey Gonzalez seemed messed up. Whoever was doing this must be getting a kick out of it all. Some kind of monster indeed.

“Beyond the obvious, you doing ok man?”

Marco breathed out a nervous chuckle. “I guess that depends on your definition of ‘ok’. I just had breakfast with my family. All of them. Pa got off earlier than he has been lately and wanted breakfast.” Thinking about his siblings’ bickerfest was the one thing that kept him smiling throughout the entirety of the past hour.

“That’s rough, dude,” Roddy took a sip from his coffee cup and placed it into a nearby bin. Attempting to avoid even more difficult subjects, Callahan pulled out his phone and opened up a news article, handing it to his friend. “You see this? DeShawn Marcus just signed with the Patriots. Our D this year is going to be fucking impenetrable. Guys a god damn brick wall.”

“It wasn’t too bad,” he muttered, seeing the news article on Rod’s phone and he had to do a double check. “You serious!?” A genuine feeling of excitement passed through Marco’s body that Rylie seemed to respond to it in her own, baby-like way. “Holy shit, man! DeShawn is gonna be the next Brady--” He had to laugh, considering present company (talking about himself) “--Tom Brady, that is. I can’t wait! I’ve been saving my money for that season pass! And maybe by then, my leg will be healed enough so we can actually attend all the home games we can.” The rush of some kind of normalcy was a refreshing adrenaline rush for Marco and he welcomed it with a wide grin.

In hindsight, Roddy realised that he’s led the conversation in a way he didn’t want; to yet another sad topic. “That may not happen like you want it to, Marco” He pushed his phone back into his pocket and sighed. “I’ve been mulling over something in my head, something big. I’m sort of thinking about…leaving town.” This was going to be difficult. Marco had been his best friend for a few years now and having not even discussed the idea with him was already a mark in the negative column. “Lanie isn’t here anymore and I barely get to see Rylie…” He grabbed his daughter's little hand and began to play with her fingers as she giggled. “There’s a lot of shit here bud and I don’t want her growing up around all these bad memories. You remember I told you that I got into college and deferred for rehab? Well they said I can go back as long as it’s in the next round of applicants and it’d be in Texas. I’d be close to Lanie and Rylie and I got to think of my family. If I go, it’d have to be soon, like real soon.”

There was a silence that filled the air that Rylie’s giggles couldn’t reach. A silence brought on by Marco’s shock by this sudden news. It was not that he was disappointed -- okay, maybe there was a little bit of that, but it is more for the fact that he didn’t think they’d be leaving so soon. Marco had often relied on both Rod and Lanie for support. He wouldn’t be as far into his recovery had it not been for the hours that he spent in recovery with Roddy, talking and bonding over their love for sports and getting into heated debates about the true football. He wouldn’t be able to walk if it wasn’t for Lanie’s repeated visits to his house and checking up on him every day that she could spare.

Looking down, Marco smiled at Rylie. And of course, every chance he got to spend with his goddaughter was a blessing. Her smile always lightened up any gloomy forecast that was predicted in his mind.

So, it just was a bit of a surprise. “Damn Rod, I don’t know what to say.” Marco found himself still looking at his goddaughter, smiling at her innocent face, that golden hair making it so obvious who she took after. Internally, he was digesting it slowly, but weirdly enough, he found quick peace with it. “I mean, I know she’s been thinking about it. And I know with everything going on with the letters and last night, it was too much for her to handle.” Reflecting on how he couldn’t find her when she ran out of that house, Marco completely understood why this had to happen. “D-do you guys have a set date when you might be leaving? Or even a general time frame?” Marco asked, finally looking up at Rod.

“Not yet. I don’t even know if we’re going. It’s pretty much up to Lanie.” Rod ran a hand through his trademark shaggy hair and looked up towards the sky. “I think about all the people we know who didn’t have dads or grew up on the Southside. I think of Charlie and how he looked at me when we were in that gym.” Roddy gripped the bench just a little bit tighter. “I didn’t know him like Poppy or Jade but we were always cordial, always friendly but he was so broken, what he was carrying was just too much.” He returned his gaze to his little girl. “I don’t want that for her. I want to be there as much as I possibly can be. To help her; to carry that weight. I don’t believe in ghosts Marco but this place has too many.”

Marco felt the pit in his stomach suddenly drop when Roddy started to talk about Charlie. In all the time, he hadn’t thought of him and in the past twelve hours alone, he was starting to learn more and more about the boy that caused so much harm. Before, he just thought of him as someone who took all of his dreams away -- the dreams of going pro, being a star, being the person he was in high school but on a grander scale. And then learning about what happened nearly five years ago and on top of all of that, Jill's words about Danny lingering, Roddy was right about there being so many ghosts in Edenridge.

As he listened, he thought about what it’d be like without them around. The few genuine moments he had when he could smile were right now: spending them with one of his best friends, seeing Rylie’s face light up any time they glanced her way, but he knew that Lanie could barely handle it last night. She loved Ally like a sister and he couldn’t blame her for wanting to leave and he sure as hell couldn’t fault Roddy for wanting to go so he could be closer to his daughter.

“If you guys do end up going,” Marco spoke, smiling, “it should be together.I don’t know how badly she took last night...I mean about Ally and the other things said, but maybe getting away might be good for you two--” He caught himself looking down at Rylie, smiling at his goddaughter, “--I mean the three of you to have a fresh start.” Marco let the thought linger for a few moments, quietly thinking about what it might be like and then another thought came to him and he couldn’t help but let a chuckle escape. “At the least, you won’t have to endure the arctic winter in the south.”

“I dunno,” Roddy shrugged. “I think I’d miss the cold” the shaggy haired man chuckled lightly. He was partial to the winter weather of Boston, anything close to summer heat killed Roddy…maybe it was all that hair? He hoped Rylie would never suffer the same fate and that she’d take after her mother as a golden goddess. “So what happened with Danny last night Marco? You guys admit your undying love or what?”

Suddenly Marco found himself tensing up somewhat. He didn’t expect Roddy to be so...forward, but that’s how he always was. Maybe it was his mind not prepared for it, but as he expelled out a small chuckle, he just looked at his friend. “Now what makes you think we did?” The nervous laughter persisted as Marco scratched the top of his left forearm, a nervous habit of his. “I...no, we didn’t get to see much of each other yesterday. At least, not after the bombshell of a story Rey Rey GOnzalez told us.” His admission came just moments before he found himself thinking about Jill again and how their conversation about Danny had been living rent free ever since.

“You two will get there.” Roddy put his arm over his friends back and gave him a soft but firm pat. “I got a feeling.” He stood up to his feet and strapped Rylie properly into her stroller. “You wanna go grab a bite before I take the munchkin back to her Mom?” He asks. “I’m thinking the Godmothers? I could murder a sandwich.”

Marco smiled at Ruddy and Rylie. He didn’t know exactly what the future held for him and Danny nor did he think he’d be lamenting on what Jill told him for so long, but that was a task for another day. Besides, Marco’s pensive expression changed into a bright smile as soon as Rod mentioned The Godmother. He ate a big breakfast not too long ago, but he could never say no to Godmother’s, especially when it might be one of the last times he and Rod might be able to hang out with each other. “Only if you let me pay. It’s the least I can do for you and my favorite little blonde person.” He smiled like the proud uncle-like figure he was to the little one.

”I mean, I’ll never turn down a free meal” Roddy walked behind the stroller and put both his hands on firmly ready to guide his baby girl to the Godmothers for the best meatball sub five dollars could buy. He glanced down at Marco before he too stood up and a small smile crossed his face. Had you asked him years ago that he would be as close to the former soccer player as they now were, he would’ve laughed. Yet for all intents and purposes, sans Kylee, he was his best friend. ”Hey Marco, can you do me a favour after I’m gone? Look out for my cousin Clay? He’s a bit of a tool but he’s a good guy with a good heart. With everything the way it is, he’s gonna need a friend”

Walking as steadily as he could, Marco turned his head to his friend when he stated a request. He knew Clay somewhat. Not well enough to say they were regular buddies, but Marco has seen him around town sometimes. His dad might have told him something about some new detective that the force had a while back, but he couldn’t be sure. Regardless, Roddy didn’t have to ask him a second time. “You got it man! He sounds like a nice guy. I mean, he’s your cousin, so he can’t be that bad, right?”

Marco grinned, walking at his own pace, Roddy not seeming to be in a rush (at least from where Marco could see). For better or worse, they would make it to Godmother’s, and Marco would enjoy a fully stacked Reuben.

Whenever Honey Badger had a lot on his mind and it weighed heavily on it and his shoulders, he needed a drink. Because he was technically underaged, he could always get a solid beer at the family-owned club and bar, Edge of Sin. He seldom came for the strippers, though some of the southside’s best lookers were here, but their best one, a certain blonde, seemed to be off tonight. No, he was here strictly for the cheap beer. He knew he would be able to stay for as long as he wanted or needed. He was essentially royalty. His brother was the leader of the serpents and his father the owner.

But Mika being here had more to do with his other brother returning to town and Big Rey changing family dinner from Sunday to Saturday. Yeah, that was on his mind alright. Hyde’s surprise return and demanding breakfast. It was all proving to be too much for Mika, especially considering how he spent yesterday. He didn’t know nor really care what became of the letters. The most he knew was some of his old graduating class went to their old stomping grounds, but he opted to follow his ex.

He smiled, though because he enjoyed doing that but because…well, he really didn’t know why he was smiling. Seeing her face again in person was nice, but that hardly justified any of all that he said.

Raising his nearly empty bottle of some serpent brand of beer, whoever was on bartender duty right now saw Mika and knew exactly what he wanted. As the sound of the cap being popped off was heard, Mika held a new bottle in his hand. When he was in the middle of the first sip, his phone buzzed on the countertop. He debated on letting it go to voicemail. He wasn’t in the mood to talk, but his natural curiosity won this battle and he saw who was calling him.

As he answered, he said in an excited tone, “Well if it isn’t my favorite sister-not-sister-in-law!” Mika took in another sip of his beer. “How’s our favorite boy doing? He’s not giving you any trouble is he? Need a surprise visit from Uncle Badger again--”

“Shut the hell up and tell me what the fuck you’re brother’s on, Badger, and I’m not talking about Mordechai.” Allegra cut in, tone just above a simmering rage.

“I’m sorry?” Mika blinked, his excitement dying down into confusion. “What are you talking about?” He asked, setting his beer down on the countertop.

“I’m talkin’ ‘bout whatever the hell’s goin’ on in your hometown. Some fuckin’ letters and the world’s worst treasure hunt? I know you’re back home, you tellin’ me none of this is ringin’ any bells?” She replied with a thinly held patience. “Sounds like Mordechai and some others ended up in the Serpent’s backyard?”

The minute he heard Allegra mention Boa, alarms went off in Mika’s head. “Just hold on a minute..” Overlooking the fact that she knew about the letters, which in itself was sending off so many red flags in his head, Mika had to fixate on the bigger little tidbit she just dropped on him. “What the fuck are you even on about with Boa? Since when was he back here?” Mika asked, a deep dread building in his stomach, almost like he wasn’t going to like what answer she gave to him.

Allegra took the phone from her ear and covered the receiver with her palm, leaning back as she took a deep breath before releasing it in a closed-mouth scream as she came back up. Closing her eyes, she spoke quietly, voice tight. “Of course he didn’t tell you he was comin’ home, I almost forgot how you boys were. Silly. Me.” She pinched the bridge of her nose as Chai giggled from his spot next to his mother. She took her hand from her face absentmindedly and rattled her bangles in front of the boy, who laughed more and grasped after the shiny bracelets. “Mordechai got in some time yesterday, early from the sounds of it. Got wrapped up in whatever is goin’ on there almost immediately. Surprise surprise.”

Having supplied that bit of information, Allegra let it sit with Mike before adding in, “Apparently, you can ask ReyRey how the rest of the night went, because between greetin’ Mordechai back and their interaction last night, it seems he had a change of heart about our favorite dumbass,” She sniffed sharply, irritated. “Pretty much erased all’a your hard work of having convinced him he wasn’t some prized dog.”

Somewhere in the middle of all of what Allegra told him, Mika had already paid for the one and a half beers he drank and was walking outside towards his truck, processing everything. “_{Goddamn it, Rey Rey…}” He cursed in a low town under his breath, leaning against his Toyota Tacoma. He didn’t know how to react to it. He was processing the shitstorm that must have been last night. While he was making moves to introduce himself back into Cece’s life, the business of the letters seemed to have ended in a bad way. To make matters worse, Boa didn’t even bother to let him know he was back in town.

“Fuck me!” Mika angrily kicked his foot back into his tire, which hurt him more than it did his beat of a machine, and he grunted. “Son of a snake’s tit! So what do we do now then? I got family dinner in a couple of hours, but I need to know everything.” Taking in a few breaths, HB got into his truck but didn’t start it up. This added to everything else, it might’ve been the last thing Mika needed on his plate, but whenever Boa was involved, he pushed everything to the side. “I’m guessing you and Boa talked recently about it. Do you remember where he might be? Did he say where he was? Do you remember anything about the background? Was he alone?” The panic in Mika’s voice was obvious and him spamming questions was just part of his process.

“Jesus, Mika, let me answer a fuckin’ question,” Allegra snapped, grip tightening on the phone. “They were on a bench at some park, but I don’t think either of them were plannin’ on stayin’ that long with how much emotional turmoil was spilling outta them. His friend Poppy was with him but you an’ I both know that when Mordechai gets like this he drifts off away from everyone an’ gets sobbin’ drunk.” She pulled her phone from her ear as it buzzed and checked the screen, doing a double take at the message before sending off a quick reply and getting back to her conversation. “That was him, apparently the kids an’ I’ll be stayin’ at Poppy’s house when I get in there.”

Park…Bench..

There was only one place Mika could think of that both Poppy and Boa would go. The town wasn’t big enough to have more than one regular park hangout.

“Lyon’s park. That must have been where they were.” In that small deduction he made, Mika almost overlooked one key detail that she dropped at the end and there was a smile on his face. For the first time in a while, a genuine smile. “You have no idea how excited I am that you’re gonna come to Edenridge. I don’t know what’s going on yet, but if it’s bad enough that our favorite snake decided to disappear on us, then I know he’s going to need you by his side and double goes for Viva and Chai.”

As he leaned his head back against the headrest, Mika thought about everything terrible that’s been happening and how he had even more of a feeling of dread for family dinner, but he couldn’t think about that right now. “Poppy’s good people. You will be safe there. That much I’m certain. As for Boa…” Mika kicked up his truck, the sound echoing into the call. “I’ll try to find our Boa. There’s a few places I know he goes to when he needs to be ‘away’.” HB was glad that it wasn’t a video call they were on because the worried expression on his face wouldn’t make anyone feel any better if they saw him.

“I trust you, Badger. Set his head straight in that emotionally constipated way that always seems to work for you two,” She took a deep breath, reading the flight confirmations and mentally packing everything they’d need while putting aside what she could get the diner girls to ship later. “I know I don’t get serious that often, but they both looked like shit, Mika. Wherever he is…you’re gonna have ta prove yourself again. I got plenty’a choice words about your big brother, and even more I wanna say right to ‘is stupid face. Almost two years of reassurances fuckin’ wasted ‘cause he thought it would be ‘propriate ta call Mordechai a tool in front’a everyone.”

What were you thinking, ReyRey? What was the point of that? Mika didn’t know the whole story, but his brother’s temper was always a problem. As much as he could sit around and think about how stupid his brother could be, Mika didn’t have time to spare. He didn’t know how bad Boa was. He wished he could check up on Poppy too, but hopefully she was going to be okay. For now, he had about three places in mind where Boa might be and less than two hours to do it.

“Don’t worry. You can leave him to me. I’ll get him straightened up by the time you and kids get here. And when you do, I’ll treat you all to the best sandwiches Edenridge has to offer.”

“I’ll hold you to that. And Badger? Keep any hard shit away from his veins for me, would ya?”

---

As Mika drove down Carlisle Ave, the only thing he could think about was Boa and how he didn’t tell him that he was back in town. Maybe that’s what was bothering him the most. After all they went through and how close they became in all of the time that Mika has been in Edenridge, all the laughs they had, all the friendly scraps they indulged in because that was just the southside way (for the guys, at least), and hell the times they even found comfort in each other’s arms some nights, he couldn’t at least shoot a text his way to say “hey Badger, I’m back in town”. Even that would have gone a long way.

But now? Now their first time speaking in almost three months wasn’t going to be over a couple of in-house-made beer or over some crappy nachos made at Edge. Or even dropping by Godmother’s for a couple of sandwiches. No it was on a scavenger hunt that only Mika knew of the thinly-stated clues, but it was difficult playing when you didn’t know everything that was in the game. The only place that he could think of that Boa might’ve gone was a known safe haven for lost souls and it wasn’t the apartment building he lived in. No, there was another place that he suspected Boa might go to.

“Gardenview Temple,” he said as he pulled up to the known safe place for anyone who needed shelter, or really just to get away from anyone and anything. Even Mika had stayed here a few times.

Parking across the street from it, Mika walked through the front doors. He always liked coming here. The serenity he was always consumed by whenever he heard the low hummings of whatever music or sounds Spiritual Leader Shale had playing. It just made him feel relaxed.

Well, it always did except for now. Right now, Mika was not only on a mission. Luckily for his mission, he found the person he was looking for in the front. “Spiritual Leader Shale, there you are!” Mika rushed to the front almost in a panic-like run. “I’m sorry if this is rude. I promise you I wouldn’t run into your temple if it wasn’t important, but you haven’t seen Mordechai around, have you?”

“You’re alway welcome Honey, at least you didn’t have dirty boots. And not for almost two years, no,” Shale answered, turning to Mika with a raised eyebrow as they assessed the state of the man in front of them. “He’s back in town? Duke and Dolce haven’t said anythin’ to me…” they eyed Mika. “I’m guessin’ it wasn’t an easy homecomin', huh? You comin’ here to check for him certainly never boded well before.”

Shale always was able to see through Mika. It was especially easy given the state of him. As he took a moment to catch his breath, he was looking in all directions he could, the sense of panic clear in how quickly he turned his head. “I just found out he’s in town and, well, someone very close to him and I told me he might not be doing too good. I know he comes here when he needs a place to lay low away from everything, but it seems like he’s not.” Mika could deduce that from how surprised Shale seemed when he asked about Boa, which only deepened the fear he was experiencing for his brother’s safety.

“Well, I guess that explains why you came here,” Shale spoke up, not moving their eyes from Mika’s barely contained franticness. “But Honey he came to me for shelter and a quick patch up, it was never the adults he came to for the emotional stuff, he never trusted us for that sort of thing.” Shale stated it as a matter of fact, no offense in their tone as they thought of one of the temple’s frequent flyers before the tragedy of 2019. “If I remember correctly, him and little Danny were extremely codependent on each other for those deep emotional chats. He’d only come to me for guidance if Danny pushed him to, or if Danny needed help himself. For someone who really needs other people, that boy has always had a stubborn loner streak.”

As Mika stood there, listening to every word that Spiritual Leader Shale had to say, they were absolutely right about Boa and Danny. Thinking back, they always were near each other right before that terrible day. Right before everything for this town went to shit. And Mika couldn’t recall a moment when they weren’t by each other’s side, at least whenever he saw them together. But he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle about what Shale said in regards to Boa’s nature. “You’re absolutely right. Even about his stubbornness.”

But that didn’t answer his question…or maybe it did? “You’re so right about him and Danny, but Danny’s not here anymore. He isn’t--” For a moment, pondering for close to a minute in silence, a lightbulb lit up in his head. Danny wasn’t here, but something of him was. “Of course! I know where he is!” In a typical impulsive Bager action, Mika gave Shale a hug, shocking a laugh from the temple owner. It was quick, but he owed everything to them. “I can’t explain it right now, but later on, I’ll come by and tell you everything! Thank you again, Shale!”

“I’m always here for a little guidance. And Honey,” Shale smiled at the young man in front of them and he stopped before he was about to walk out. “Give hugs more often, you’re actually pretty good at them.”

Mika walked out of the Temple and hopped into his truck and sped off as fast as he could. He U-turned and went as far east as he could. He wasn’t absolutely positive that Boa would be there, but with all of the clues that Shale gave him and everything they said, there was only one place his brother could be and only one place that he would go to be alone. Mika knew Boa more than anyone in his life and if there was one place he might be, it was the fucking cemetery.

When he pulled up to it, Mika didn’t care about where he would park. If he got it towed away, then he’d cross that bridge. It was still light out, so the cemetery didn’t seem as gloomy as it typically did in the nighttime (not that Mika would know anything about that because he didn’t come here in the dead of night that often). But even if it was pitch black, Mika knew exactly where to go. He was there when they buried Danny. So of course, he knew where in the cemetery his gravestone was. Dead center in the entire landscape.

And sure enough, sitting directly in front of it with what looked like a bottle of some kind of liquor, Mika found him at last. “You son of a bitch!” Mika announced himself, standing about five feet away from a seated Boa. “You seriously couldn’t at least tell me you were back in town.”

Mordechai didn’t even have it in him to flinch as he looked blearily up at the figure before him. The sun glowed behind his form, eclipsing Mika’s frame and making Mordechai squint even more than he already had. His hand went up to block out the light, and as the bottle was still gripped tight it came with as well, allowing Mordechai to see that there were only a couple sips left in the whole bottle.

“S-s’rry,” He mumbled out, looking away from the painful light. He could have sworn he’d only put his head down for a minute, but if Mika was here he must have lowkey passed out for at least half an hour. “D’you wanna sip?”

Like you wouldn’t believe.

But no, Mika made a promise. He never turned down free alcohol, but he made that promise to Allegra. People could say whatever they wanted, but HB always kept his word to those who truly mattered to him. “No thanks. I gotta drive, so I’m not trying to get buzzed up.” And yet he had one and a half beers in the last thirty minutes. Then again, cheap beers were nothing compared to cheap, hard liquor. “But I will take that seat next to you.”

As Mika sat next to his brother, he stared at Danny’s gravestone. He didn’t know what to really say, so he just remained quiet for a few minutes, looking at the headstone, thinking about the kid and how they first met. About how many stories he read to Danny and how much he learned from someone who was half his size almost. He thought about the day Charlie took him from this world. He thought of all the times that he made trips up to New York just to see Boa any chance he could get and then here they were. He was thinking about what was going through Boa’s mind. What demons was he entertaining in that head of his?

But more importantly, Mika was thinking about how relieved he was to find him. Period. That relief had faded when he saw the state of him. “So Allegra and the kids are coming to Eden, huh?” Mika asked, leaning forward a few inches, looking at Boa.

The other man huffed quietly, the sound barely a laugh. “Y’know Legs,” He slurred, dropping his arms across his knees and his forehead onto his arms. “She gets a thought ‘n’ follows through on it…no stoppin’ ‘er.” Mordechai tried to smile despite his state; face marked with tear tracks, eyes bloodshot and bleary, and hair completely disheveled, he was certainly a sight. “I never know what ta do when she gets goin’.”

Badger let out a chuckle as he kept his eyes on Boa. “That’s easy, Boa! You get the hell out of her way and let her cause whatever mayhem women like her do.” Again, he laughed, never moving his gaze away from Boa. “You’re lucky that she’ll do it in your honor. I’d hate to be the person who is on her badside.”

“My honor,” the next noise that passed his lips was twisted and disconnected, the self-deprecation heavy in the exhale. “What honor, Badger, I’ve failed anyone I ever set out ta support. I’m workin’ past plastered in a graveyard in the only other pair’a clothes I own. I was a tool for thinkin’ I was anythin’ but one.” the last part was grumbled as he pulled his head up to stared straight forward.

“Because I love you, I’m giving you a warning.” That was all Badger said before a crisp, open-palm slap from his left found its way across the back of Boa’s head. From his drunken stupor, Boa flew forward with the momentum and Mika stood up. He looked at his brother. He didn’t know if this was what he needed, but it was the only thing that he could think of that would knock some literal sense into Boa. “You seriously too drunk to fight back?” Mika taunted Boa for a few moments before grabbing him by the tanktop. With his higher stance and even greater strength, Badger pulled the snake out of the grass, making sure he was looking at the Badger who, contrary to popular belief, was giving so many fucks that what he was about to say hurt him more than Mordechai could ever know. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you are a tool just to be used by whoever has the greater willpower. Maybe all of those times I went out of my fucking way to drive for FOUR FUCKING HOURS to see you, to get to know your family, and to think of Viva and Chai as my own flesh and blood was for nothing. And maybe you being here in front of his grave, being in a worse state than when we first met is exactly what you deserve. I mean, you said it yourself, right? You’re a tool because you thought you weren’t.”

It hurt him, but Mika’s way wasn’t the way of a scalpel. He wasn’t some tactful wordsmith and he wasn’t raised to be one. Mary-Anne O’Hara-Zima was more tactful than he was, but she raised him to be someone who knew when to be understanding to how others were feeling and when you needed to get through to someone who more or less closed themselves off.

And that’s exactly what he was doing right now. When he was truly afraid not only for himself, but for someone he cared about more than his own damn life, he was often cruel for their sake. Whether it was Cece or Boa, he gave them the hard truth because it’s what they needed to hear. For Cece, of course, it was to protect her, but for his brother -- for the person he’d literally give his all for, Mika had to make sure he saw it in his eyes, saw the rarity that was his heart, that Boa was full of shit. “Look at me, Boa!” Mika wasn’t the type to show tears, but his eyes were watery. Mordechai flinched, turning his gaze back to the other man from where he’d tried to look away. “I don’t care what happened yesterday or what happened last week or why you didn’t tell me you were back. None of that matters. What matters is right now! I said it once and I’ll say it fucking again! You are not some tool or dog or whatever fucking object people have you believing. You are Mordechai Boaz! And you know what? He’s someone who doesn’t take crap from anyone!”

Mordechai’s legs were jelly, Mika was basically holding him up with sheer muscle and rage, and he was pretty sure his tanktop wasn’t surviving this encounter with Badger’s paws. The way he had the fabric bunched and twisted in his grip, it would probably be stretched beyond acceptability once released. The dark haired snake stared shakily into Mika’s deep blue eyes, stormy as the dangerous ocean they mimicked, and found himself getting swept up in the waves. The bottle tumbled from his limp fingers as he reached his hands up to grasp around Badger’s own and keep himself in place. Mika had found him again, he realized, the other man had tracked him down just to assault him and bash some logic into his skull.

Echoes of a happier time rang through his mind, the memory slowly building as it pushed away the negative thoughts that had clouded his mind so completely. He latched onto the memory as strongly as he was gripping Mika’s fists. He thought of absentmindedly crafting with his daughter, of Mika showing up and bulldozing through his bullshit, he thought of candles lighting up the faces of the people he loved.

“H-how the fuck do ya d-do that, Badger,” Mordechai sobbed roughly, begging for breath as he threw his arms around Mika’s shoulders, temporarily trapping the other man's arms between them as he dropped his forehead to the other man’s jacketed shoulder. “E’ry fuckin’ time. How?”

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Mika didn’t know what to say. In the back of his mind, he wasn’t expecting Boa to embrace him in this way. He didn’t know what to expect, but as he shifter to hold his brother close to him, supporting Mordechai with all of what he had to give, he thought about the last time they were here. Not in the cemetery, but using fists and then words to get to the root of it all and Mika still didn’t know how he always got this result with him. He just knew that when those he loved more than anything in this world were in a bad way, he had to do anything that he could think of to help. Boa just responded better to his no-bullshit approach.

After a few moments of letting him get it all out, Mika brought his brother’s gaze up to his, just smiling at him in a rare, gentle way that so few people ever got to see. “I don’t know, Boa. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can say that explains how or why this keeps happening, but know that I’ll keep doing it. As long as I am able and for as long as you’ll let me, I will keep pulling you out of the darkness again and again. You are my family. You. Are. My. Brother.”

Mordechai returned his face to Mika's shoulder and kept them locked in that position until his sobs had died down, as if hiding his face hid the full body breakdown he was having in the open cemetery. Slowly, as his chest stopped heaving and his breathing had leveled out, Mordechai let go of Mika and stumbled back to lean back against Danny’s headstone. He attempted to run a hand through his disheveled locks and push his hair from his face, but his fumbling fingers got tangled in knots and he gave up halfway through. He looked back up at Mika again, too embarrassed at the moment to meet his eye.

“'M sorry you’re always dealin’ with me an’ my dumb shit,” he mumbled, squinting against the light surrounding his brother once more. If Mika was willing, they’d go right back to pretending Mordechai hadn’t been incredibly vulnerable out in the open. It was always a subtle dance between the two men, allowing vulnerability without necessarily acknowledging it, or at least not dwelling on it after it’s been showed. “‘M sorry Legs probably attacked ya too…”

He chuckled. “I’ve accepted long ago that we are meant to deal with each other when we’re out of whack. But don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Boa. Besides…” Badger looked at Boa for a solid few seconds, smiling like he was earlier. “She was really worried. And I promised her I’d bring you back to us.” For that moment, Mika let the vulnerable state of him and Mordechai linger. “I’m just glad that both of us won’t have to face that potential wrath of hers if I broke my promise. She can be scarier than my own momma when she’s tired of my shit.” And Mika wasn’t talking about Momma G, either.

“That woman’ll put the fear’a god in ta an atheist,” Mordechai laughed “She’s act’lly gonna fit in real well ‘round ‘ere, scary as it is ta think.” He looked at his Serpent jacket that had fallen off his lap and to the ground when Mika had first smacked him, and he bent down to pick up the symbol that connected him to his crew and his brothers.

Only to fall face first into it instead, arms folded under him uselessly. “fuck,” Mordechai hissed, pushing himself over until he was laying on his back. He tasted copper on his tongue and reached a shaky had up to his lip. “I busted my lip…er…re-busted? I-it was already like tha’, but I jus’ bit it open again,” he rambled, running his tongue over the wound as his unfocused eyes searched for Mika. “Ya didn't do it this time, tho most'a my busted lips have come from ya in one way or the other…ReyRey was always that close second, though…"

As much as Mika tried to resist the urge, as soon as he saw Boa try to walk and fall right on his face against the moist grass. And, of course, Honey Badger couldn’t hold in a few moments of cackling that came from a very immature place. “Someone call life alert, because this old man fell and he can’t up!” That’s how you knew things were back to how they should be. Something happens to one of them and the first response is to poke fun at their unfortunate circumstances. Mika’s been in his position and Boa always laughed when he fell down a few times, so it was only fair that Mika did the same. Besides, that’s what family was for!

“Oh yeah, you’re right. I do always end giving your mouth a nice shiner, don’t I?” Honey Badger kept chuckling as he approached his fallen brother. “What can I say, eh? Us Gonzalez men know how to throw down!” Mika snickered as walked over to Boa’s side, draping his arm over his shoulder. With a series of grunts, he showed off his superior strength once again as HB lifted up the fallen snake up to his feet. He made sure to keep a constant hold on his wrist with his own so Boa could walk somewhat. “Now what do you say we get out of here?” Mika asked, showing one last bit of his soft side to his brother as his smile reflected that.

“Yeah, in a minute…firs’,” Mordechai looked his brother deep in the eyes before his gaze flittered off to the side again, his mind falling back to another brother as Mika began to drag him towards the gates. “…first’ d’ya know where Hard Times’ grave is? Danny’d be pissed if I didn’t visit ‘im too.”

Mika would admit that he and Charlie never did bond in ways that it seemed he and Boa did, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know where it was located.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s on the way out. About five or so rows this way--” Mika guided Boa into a steady rhythm and they walked seven rows of gravestones away and there it was. Given what Charlie did and everything, Mika was honestly shocked that it wasn’t too messed up. “Here we are,” Mika said, being gentle with Mordechai as he set him down in front of it.

The drunken man slowly dropped to his knees as the other set him down, gaze on the grass as he tried to gather the stones to look this other slab of stone dead on. He hobbled forward on his knees before reaching his hands out to grip the top of the headstone, fingers tensing and relaxing against it repeatedly. He dropped his feverish forehead to the cool stone and closed his eyes as his world spun.

“...Hey, Charlie,” He whispered, not daring to open his eyes as he got used to saying the name again. “Guess ‘m a bit of a hypocrite, I was so mad for ya not visitin’ me in juvie, but look at me now….” He scrunched his brow as he kept his eyes clenched. “Anyway…’m sorry for everythin’. I miss ya…”

Mika took a knee beside his brother, his hand on his back. HB didn’t say anything. He just made sure that Boa knew he wasn’t going anywhere until he was ready.

---

When they left the cemetery, in his mind Mika had a lot to think about. He got the full story about what happened last night, but that wasn’t why he had been uncharacteristically quiet (especially for him who always had something to say). It balanced out because Boa didn’t speak much, either. It was a quiet, thoughtful ride, but there was definitely something on Mika’s mind.

He knew Boa needed to sober up and needed a place where he could lay low until Allegra and the kids arrived in Eden, but there wasn’t a lot of places that certain people wouldn’t come knocking for him. Mika thought about driving him to the temple. Shale seemed to be worried in their own way about him, but that was too public. And with the state that he was in, Mika didn’t feel comfortable enough leaving him there (no disrespect to Shale).

There’s no other way.

Mika knew there was only one place in the entire southside that he felt the most comfortable leaving Mordechai for a few hours until he was done handling what he needed to do in the next hour.

As it was decided, Mika took a sharp left, though he tried not to make too sudden so he didn’t rock Boa too much. His fragile state and all was taken into great consideration about how Mika drove. It wouldn’t be long until they were outside the Lost Soul’s apartment complex. “Alright, we’re here, Boa.” He wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not, but he had to get him out of whatever daze he was in.

Mordechai had been zoned out most of the trip, head against the passenger side window as he watched the street signs change, his head feeling heavy and his thoughts distant and muted. He had mumbled his way through last night’s full story, telling Mika everything he knew before going tiredly silent. The turn the Badger took would have jammed his head to the glass if he had been driving in his usual manner, but as it was the force of the turn simply pushed him more fully against the smooth surface. He glanced at the building through the windshield and lolled his head lazily to the side.

"Los'souls He inquired, running his fingertips along his jacket's zipper in nervous habit. "We havin' a sleepover?"

With a laugh, Mika opened his door. “Very funny. But no. I told you I’d let you sober up with someone I trust more than anyone in this world and I meant it.” As he hopped out, Mika rounded to the passenger’s side, he aided and guided Boa out. He made sure to support him with his arm draped over his shoulder and using his free hand to prop him upward.

And then they were off, walking slowly through the center of the complex, giving the Angels’ who stood guard a nod. About five minutes walking, they were inside the main building that was dead center in the back. The elevator was a straight walk through the front doors. Unlike most times whenever someone used the elevator, they would only be able to go up three floors. The “mystery” floor was only accessible by those who had clearance to use it. Typically it was often reserved for high ranking members of the associated gangs (angels, Serpents, etc), but Mika had the knowledge of the secret passcode for a very important reason that Boa was about to find out.

As he entered the five numbers in a very specific order, the elevator went up one, two, three, four--

DING

“Fourth floor.” An uneasy tension built in Mika’s stomach and soon rose to his throat and it was hard for him to keep it under wraps. It wasn’t that he had a reason for being nervous, but something momentous was about to happen in under two minutes. Okay, maybe he was just a little more nervous than he cared to admit.

Alright, you got this, Mikhail! Third door on the left side.

Mika stepped out of the elevator with Boa and they walked past the first and second doors on the left. When they came to the third, it was just like every other door on the outside. “Hope you’re ready, Boa.” He might’ve said that to Boa, but it was more him projecting his own nerves about the person on the other end of the door onto Boa.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

How long has it been since he’s made a personal visit? A week? Maybe a month? “Yeah, it’s been close to a month…” He muttered, biting his lip as the door opened.

“Hello--” A woman who bore a striking resemblance to Mika answered the door. She was wearing an oversized, red coat, her dark locks falling in front of her face as she greeted the two young men with a wide smile (albeit one laced with a delighted shock). “--Oh! Mickey! And…sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you before.” She exchanged a long glance between the both of them. “Please, come in. I don’t think we should talk outside, anyway.” She closed the door behind them. “You boys thirsty? I have water and kool-aid. I always keep a special vase of cherry flavor because I know how much Mickey here loves his cherry-flavored drinks!” She laughed, also in a similar manner that Mika did.

Mordechai blinked slowly as he shifted his gaze between the woman in front of him and the man supporting all his weight. He once again experienced the unsure feeling of wondering if his stomach was rolling from emotions or alcohol, because he may be drunk but he wasn't stupid, and he'd heard plenty of stories and seen almost every picture that Mika had of the woman standing in front of them.

"I'ssa, uh, pleasure ta meet'cha ma'am," Mordechai slurred unsteadily, mentally cursing Mika for choosing now to introduce him to his mother. A mother who Mordechai had no idea lived at the Lost Souls complex in the first place. "'M sorry for intrudin', m' name's Mord'chai Boaz." He used the hand across his brother's shoulder to pinch Mika not-so-subtly, trying to express his displeasure to the other man for the situation. One of the few people he'd ever thought of trying to make a good first impression for, and Mika tosses his stumbling ass right under the nearest bus.

He'd never live this down.

Cursing at Boa’s pinching action, Mika glared at him for a few seconds and set his ungrateful ass on the couch as gently as he just pinched him.

“It’s no trouble at all, Mordechai! Mickey has told me so much about you!” She took a seat opposite of the two of them in a recliner that sat across a coffee table in the middle of the living space in the apartment. “And you’re not intruding at all! I rarely get any visitors, especially from friends of my son’s!” She flashed a smile to the two of them.

Mika tried to keep as straight of a face as he could. The guilt of not visiting his mother as often as he would’ve liked to was consuming a large part of his ability to even speak, but when she looked at him, in that same way she always did, that smile that broke through him every time, there was a certain reset button that went off in his head. “My boy here needs a place to rest up away from prying eyes. You know, just so he can not worry about anyone needing him for something, ya know?”

Mary nodded. “I understand.” That was all Mika needed to hear to not worry about Boa. “Well, you’re in luck, Mordechai! I just made some of my famous corn beef hash and fried potatoes. If you think you’re up to eat something. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in some time.” Ah, good ole Mary-Anne not able to filter her observation of the state of people.

She was right, however, as Mordechai hadn't done much more than push around Big Mama's breakfast at Beau's house this morning, the only thing he really had in his stomach right now was rum and butterflies. He'd sunken harshly into the couch where Mika dropped him, however, his eyelids already dropping as his chin tried to meet his chest. The warmth of the apartment, as well as the comfort he was feeling being back around Mika again was allowing for him to relax and once more give way to the liquor in his system.

"Sounds like a dream…" he mumbled, eyes closing completely. "I'll be…righ' there…'' The last part came out in barely an exhale, his chin dropping completely and body listing to the side, head hitting the arm rest with a teeth rattling thud that couldn't even startle him back awake.

“Amazing. He gave me hell and once his head hit the couch, he’s out like a light.” Mika shook his head and chuckled, smiling as he took a few moments to look at his sleeping brother before looking at his mother. “Thanks for doing this, mama. I know I don’t always say it, but I have missed you. I’m sorry I don’t visit enough. It’s just--”

Mary held her hand up, shaking her head. “You don’t have to say it.”

They always were in sync. Whenever Mika needed to confide in her or needed her advice, he knew his mother was here for him and he knew she was safe here. He didn’t know how long this would be their arrangements, but at the very least, he could find peace in that. After all, she was his rock.

Brushing off all the strong emotions he was feeling, Mika stood up. “I’ll check back with you in a few hours. If he wakes up, just stuff some food down his throat. I’m sure he’ll have quite the appetite.”

As he gave his mother a big, tight hug, wanting it to last longer than it did, he really did have to leave or Big Rey would have his head for being late for family dinner.

Danilo had been decompressing in his bedroom, away from his family. Decompressing from the busy day of family affairs while also processing the events of yesterday. Not only was he forced to revisit his past, a time when things were simpler, but he had to confront his present demons. The emotions he kept buried itched in his throat when Marco found his way to him at the Godmother. The emotions he chose to ignore ran through his veins when he saw so many of his classmates shattered at the truth of Allison Davies’ death. The emotions he knew he was ashamed of made a home in his chest and it ached. It ached so hard because all he did was hurt those he loved.

Laying in bed with his dress blouse slightly unbuttoned, his tie loose, and his pants still on, he stared at his ceiling wondering how he could make this better. How could he heal those he broke? Jillian, Natalia… Marco. He wasn’t a good person. He knew that, but couldn’t bad people redeem themselves? Certainly, he could try. Closing his eyes, he replayed the moments he shared with his ex in his car. Marco had made a major shift in emotion as the night went on. Was it something he said? As he continued to overthink, he heard screaming outside his hall and down the hallway.

After the successful therapy session with Creed and Jokes and becoming a godmother for the first time, Natalia had all but returned back to her usual self. The worries that had plagued her the night before were still present, of course, but had been successfully tucked back into their respective boxes of repression. This wasn’t the time to crumble! It was all just another test to prove how strong the Belmonte girl really was! So what if Niles was dating her nemesis? She could do so much better than him anyway. Poppy finding out about her and Charlie? She’d cross that bridge when she got there. As for the regrets with Danny and her mom? These were things she could start working on right away. Tonight, even. Yeah, tonight seemed like a good time to start her self-betterment journey.

But first: gym time.

Decked out in leggings, sports bra and sneakers, Natalia was in the midst of packing the final items into her gym bag when she heard a commotion begin in the hallway and the room across her. Frowning, the young woman opened the door, and was instantly flabbergasted at the events unfolding in front of her eyes. Apparently her cousin had slept with Father Joe and was denying it-- which for some reason had Cat acting like she’d spat on her pasta. In the blink of an eye, Cat had slapped Tiff, Tiff had stormed away crying, Vivia had come to her cousin’s defense and Cat decided it was the perfect moment to shout out from the rooftops that her third youngest sister was dating ReyRey.

Oh fuck…

“CATERINA AND VIVIA, SCENDI QUI. ADESSO.” Tiziano Belmonte called out to his daughters, hearing more than enough of the conversation from upstairs. The whole neighborhood could hear it!

Rushing out of his bedroom, Danny ran out the door to see a sobbing Tiffannie clutching her reddened cheek, rushing to the guest bedroom and slamming the door shut while Cat chased Viv downstairs with so much wrath. “Is… everything-- actually, no. Nevermind. Don’t even bother.” That would be a dumb question because cleary nothing was okay in the Belmonte household. Instead of getting any answers, a scene was stirring downstairs in the living room, where most of their other family members were.

“Is it true?” Taz sternly asked Vivia, not removing himself from his man chair as he smoked his cigar, in the calmest of manners he could do at the moment, which wasn’t calm at all. His fourth youngest daughter didn’t respond. “Vivia Primavera Belmonte. I do not repeat myself.”

Vivia’s eyes sparked with the utmost anger and disdain for her older sister. It was none of her business of who she dated. It was no one’s business but her own. She was twenty three and her family were still policing who she could and could not be with. “I am.” She simply answered.

Instead of responding, Taz took in enough smoke to fill his mouth before blowing it out. He did this four more times, without responding. Slow puffs and simply enjoying the fragrance while never taking his eyes away from his daughter with golden locks.

Cat decided to break the silence by asking her father, “Did you hear about your niece?”

“Caterina.” Taz warned, saying her name in a tone she knew all too well. “Silenzio and mind your business.” Bringing his dark gaze back to his daughter, keeping the cigar in his mouth, moving his hands with his words, he asked, “And when were you going to tell me? How long has this been going on?”

Shrugging and shortly after crossing her arms, Vivia lied, “I didn’t think it was that important.”

“While I have nothing against the Gonzalez’s, you do realize what Reynaldo Gonzalez Junior does, right? You do realize his business is not our business, and I do not want it to become our business.” His smoking was now on auto-pilot as he waited for his daughter to respond, as most of his other children sat and watched, in silence. When Taz commanded silence, it was given.

Vivia was pushed between a rock and a hard place and she didn’t feel like she did anything wrong. “Lui mi ama, daddy. He loves me and he has taken good care of me for years.”

Taz’s eyebrows rose, “Years?” Clenching his jaws and holding the cigar between his fingers on his right side, Taz sat there, seething. “You know, your righteous sister-- yes, you, Caterina-- got pregnant before she secured anything stable in her life. Nina did too, but at least she introduced her man before… the pregnancy. And Nina, she’s always taken good care of me and your mother. Tua madre che è malata. All I’ve ever asked from you is to do right by the family. Do you think lying and sleeping with the leader of the serpents is doing right by the family?”

The fifth-born daughter of Taz and Silvia grimaced at her dad’s words. As bad as she felt about Vivia’s relationship getting exposed this way and her dad choosing to bring up every dishonorable action her older sisters had done, Natalia couldn’t help but feel relieved she wasn’t a part of the conversation. No matter how kind, polite and well-mannered her ex-boyfriend Creed had been, it was no secret that he was a known runner, enforcer and occasional dealer for the very same man her father felt so strongly about. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to bring up this tidbit of family history to the forefront.

Rather than getting herself involved in the developing drama, Tal chose to take a seat on the top step of the stairs: the prime location for eavesdropping on the downstairs conversations without being seen. Noticing that Danny was still hanging around his bedroom door, she offered her brother a commiserating grimace, and jerked her head in the direction of the empty space on the step beside her. He’d know what she wanted to say without words-- thank the twinsense for that.

With no argument, the muscular Belmonte took a seat beside his twin and furrowed his eyebrows. Everything was blowing out of proportion and the one that was paying the price was none of the members involved. No, it was their mother hopefully soundlessly sleeping in her bedroom. He looked at Natalia, in exasperation, in a way that asked her when was this all going to end? Ever since the shooting, their family was on edge and talking to a good handful of them was like walking in a land mine field.

“That’s fucking rich coming from you.” Vivia hissed at her father.

Oh, shit… Natalia said in her head, turning to Danny with her blue eyes wide as saucers. She wouldn't dare…? This was dangerous territory that Vivia was trying to embark in, and it wouldn’t get anywhere good.

“Vivia, per favore.” Elisabetta cut in, knowing exactly where her younger sister was going. Elisa had been sitting on the couch, watching a Disney movie with the kids. Now, though? She was at her younger sister’s side, trying to calm her down. Glancing to her husband, Salvio, she begged, “Honey, can you take the kids outside? The men in the family, including her husband, who was the most loved by Taz, took charge to get the kids out of this family feud. It was late but they’d make it work. What were fathers for?

“Please you, Elisa.” Vivia protested. “Dad acts all high and mighty when he is a bastardo!”

“HEY!” Caterina yelled at her sister. “You have no fucking right to talk about our time in New York. You were only FOUR, Vivia. Don’t act like you know how it was to live in a time where--”

“Where, what? Mom was going to divorce dad?”

“ABBASTANZA!” Taz loudly shouted, off the top of his lungs, done with all the disrespect. “Voi.” He angrily pointed at his only blonde daughter. “I’m sending you to your aunt. Tonight. You understand how much I’ve given to you? You think your life is cheap? Who’s card do you swipe when you need something? Not your boyfriend’s. No. You use my money. Sei fuori. Your mother does not need this, especially not from you. My niece is a better daughter than you.”

While all this happened, Nina looked between her sisters, rested her eyes on her father and waited in silence. It looked like she wanted to cry. Nina was the type of woman that carried the weight of the world on her shoulder, but instead she stood there hopelessly waiting to see what her father wanted her to do. Obedient through and through.

At his limit, Danny turned his attention back to Natalia, with grief and sadness in his eyes, not only because their family was falling apart, but yesterday was awful, “Hey.. you want to leave?” Please, let’s go, Natalia. This one time, can we agree on something?

Even if it hadn’t been plastered all over his face, Natalia could feel her brother’s pain. She’d been able to sense the ache plaguing her brother since the day of their mother’s devastating diagnosis. Out of the seven Belmonte children, she knew he was the one taking the situation the hardest. The bond he shared with Silvia as the only son was incomparable, so for him to be so distraught was to be expected. The fighting between their sisters, the worry of it wilting away the little health Silvia had, the fear of hearing their father revert back into how he was in the dark days before they were even born… It was suffocating. No wonder Danny wanted to leave-- and she'd definitely go with him.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” she mumbled, getting up from her staircase seat and signaling to Danny that she’d be right back. The young woman returned to her bedroom just long enough to toss the last few items from before into her gym bag, swing the bag’s strap over her shoulder and walk right back out, locking her bedroom door in the process. With how extra nosy and on a warpath Caterina seemed to be, the wisest decision was to ensure her sister had no opportunities to enter the sanctity of her room in search for any dirt she could use now or at a later date.

Within five minutes the twins were back at the top of the stairs. Instead of going downstairs, a high percentage of getting noticed from any of their immediate family members, they went straight to the youngest Belmonte’s room.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

After Danny knocked, he whispered, “Mira, it’s Nat and me.”

They waited, there was no response. He reached for the knob and turned it. It was locked. Maybe she wasn’t home. He tried knocking again but this time a bit more forceful, hoping to God the screaming didn’t stop downstairs. After another long moment, it seemed like this was a lost cause, the twins looked at each other, coming to terms with they might as well just walk downstairs.

Just when they were about to give up, Mirabella unlocked her door and only opened it slightly, allowing them to peek at her face but that’s about it. “What?”

“Can we use your window? We’re trying to leave before we become targets.”

“I guess.” Closing the door, locking it once more, Danny listened carefully and heard a lot of motion going on in there. After another few minutes, Mira opened the door and beside her was… Marco’s sister, Marcela.

A knowing grin spread across Natalia’s face, growing wider as she looked between the two girls. The disheveled hair, the flushed cheeks, the messy sheets behind them... As someone who’d been in this same situation innumerable times before, she knew exactly what Mira and Marcy had been doing before their unceremonious interruption. In all honesty, she was more curious about what drew them to each other in the first place than anything else. Out of all the girls in school, Tal would’ve never guessed that Marcy would be her little sister’s type.

“Hey there, Marcy,” the Belmonte sister greeted their visitor, that smug smile still hanging on her lips.

“Hi, Natalia,” Marcela greeted her dryly from Mira’s side, rolling her eyes and letting out an annoyed huff. She couldn’t be less thrilled about the current interaction, and what it could possibly mean for her and her partner.

“Hanging out with my sister, I see,” Natalia continued, fighting back the urge to say more in typical big sister fashion and forcing herself to behave.

“Yeah, and? She’s my best friend. You know that better than anyone else.” Mira crossed her arms, really not in the mood to deal with her family. “You want the window? There it is.”

Danny looked between the three girls and honestly was confused at the hostility and teasing. Marcela was over all the time. This wasn’t an odd sight. “It’s good to see you Marcy! I’m actually…” Danny stopped himself from saying what he wanted to say. He didn’t want his sisters to know where he was going, even if Marcy knew about his relationship with her brother. “Nevermind. Um, say hi to your family for me.”

“Will do,” Marcy replied with a nod to Danny, her demeanor softening somewhat in a sort of silent understanding. Even if they had never confirmed it, the Brady girl knew that Marco and Danny had been friends in the same way she and Mirabella were. Whether his family knew about it or not was none of her business. What she could do was follow his lead, which meant acting as normal and unassuming as could be.



”Hey, please dad… she doesn’t mean it. I, uh. I’m going to check on mom.” Faintly, under all the other voices, the twins and the lovers could hear Ninetta try her best to defuse the fight, like she usually did. Danny could feel her voice cracking and knew how much this hurt her. She was the most like their mother. Incredibly soft hearted and loving. He could only imagine if his mother was awake how he was feeling.

Before Danny started registering his older sister walking up the stairs, Mira was quick to go to her window over her bed and lift it open. “Come on, before anyone sees you.” Swiftly, Danny was on his way out the window. Cautiously, he grabbed the vines and climbed down it. This was kind of hard when you were as swole as him. After he dropped to the floor, he waited at the bottom for Natalia.

Natalia wasted no time in doing the same, but not without saying a few parting words to her sister and her ‘best friend’. “Enjoy the rest of your night, lover girls,” she said with a smirk, shooting them a playful wink before grabbing the vines and gracefully climbing down after Danilo.

When Natalia reached the bottom, Danny helping her out a little, he found himself instinctively pulling her in a tight embrace. His body was tense, his eyes were heavy, and his heart hurt. All things Natalia could feel. “Our family is falling apart.” He whispered to his twin, desperate for some affirmation, some connection, some understanding. He was depressed not only because of his mother, his family, and his relationship with his twin. He was depressed because Jill still hated him. Lanie was likely leaving him. And Marco… his grip tightened on Natalia.

For a few seconds, Natalia remained motionless in her brother’s arms, trying to process what was currently happening. It had been years since the last time she and Danny had spoken more than two sentences to each other, and probably even longer since the last time they’d had any sort of physical, affectionate contact. The fact that it had been Danny the one to initiate it meant that he had reached his breaking point, and he was searching for comfort in the one person he’d never be able to trick or fool. He was hurting, he was depressed, and he was desperate… Just like she’d been the night before. It was all the confirmation Nat needed to put the thoughts from earlier into action.

Without wasting any more time, Natalia wrapped her arms around her twin, holding him as tightly as he was her. “You know I love you, right?” she heard herself whispering back to Danny, planting a soft kiss on his cheek while her eyes filled with emotional tears. “For better or worse, I’ve got you. No matter how hard or painful or heartbreaking things get, you know I’ve got you. I’ll always, always be here for you. Always.” She was quiet for a moment, still silently crying and holding her brother. Eventually, Nat took a few deep breaths before adding in choked words, “And I really am sorry for ever making you feel like you didn’t have anybody in your corner.”

Biting his tongue, feeling emotion building in his chest, Danny dropped the strong build and mask. Finally, he revealed to his twin how defeated he felt since he broke up with Marco, since the shooting, since he failed his family, his friends, his best friend, and his ex lover. Danny wasn’t a man, he would never be man enough, and he was completely and utterly useless.

He couldn’t save them then and he couldn’t save them now while all the letters revealed terrible secrets. “I’m not a good person…” He muttered, looking away from her, ashamed of himself and guilty of all his past deeds. His fear living rent free in his heart. His worst enemy was no one but himself and with all this noise, with his mother dying, with secrets unraveling, with his family stabbing each other like there weren't bigger problems, he deflated. He was the only son of Tiziano Belmonte and all he could offer was weakness. “All I do is hurt people.”

“I guess it runs in the family, then,” the girl observed with a bitter laugh, wiping away the tears on her face. "As much as we hate it and we wish we could, we can't change the past, Danny. We've all done our share of things we wish we could take back. You don't think I don't feel guilty about stuff I did in the past, and how it's messing things up for me in the future? I mean, you're the perfect example of that. I pushed you away for years because I felt like you were replacing me with Caitlin and Jill, cutting you off from my life and hurting you in the process-- and you see where that got us," she told him, cupping his face with her hands and gently forcing him to look at her.

The regret for her past actions was clear. "Showing weakness and making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person, Hoops: it makes you a human. All we can do is learn from them and use them to make things right: just like I'm doing with you right now. Making the same mistakes over and over again and not learning from them? That's a bad person to me-- which you're obviously not, because a bad person wouldn't admit they're a bad person, you know?"

Silence was all that could be heard for the next minute. Danilo processed what his twin said and could feel the pain in his heart, her heart, grow worse. He was relieved to know the truth, but it didn’t change his mistake of hurting her in the past. “I’m sorry.” In the end, that’s all he could think of. All he could think of was ‘sorry’.

Natalia shook her head. "I'm the one who's sorry, Danny. I was immature and an idiot, and I should've said something long before today."

“I’m sorry I didn’t go to you. I…” was going through a lot “I don’t know how to explain it but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you, Natalia.” He gave a warm, yet exhausted smile, “Thank you for opening up to me. I want to be better. Do better. For us.” He brought his finger to Natalia’s cheek and gently wiped a tear away. “You’ll always be my twin. No one can take that away from you.”

"I guess we're stuck with each other, aren't we? Natalia chuckled, giving her brother a watery, apologetic smile. "I promise I'll try to be better too. I don't know how far I'll make it, but I promise I'll try," she told him, bestowing a kiss on Danny's forehead. "I love you, baby brother. We'll get through everything together." she declared, letting her promise hang in the air for a moment before embracing her brother under the stars once again.