Papa bear

For a few seconds, Gunner tries to fight off Hope, but it's as if all his strength has left him. Still hunched over, he rocks, trying to combat all of these strange and unwanted feelings. But it didn't seem to matter anymore. The floodgates had been opened, and there was no stopping it now.

Tears stream down his face as the loud sobs continue. It was his heart being ripped in two.

Feeling Hope's hands, it has a strange effect. She was soft, warm, accepting, forgiving... patient... not condemning. She was the only clear thing in the room.

Gunner finds himself leaning on her, trying to absorb the comfort she offered. He hadn't wanted it before... but in this moment, it was far better than the torment he was going through. He was desperate to seek shelter, whether it was in the form of Hope's offer to soothe or not, but right now, she was the only thing present. The meds were gone, the stars were out of sight, and there were no bridges... it was just him... and one of the few people that wasn't willing to give up on him.

"I... I spent all my life..." He chokes as more tears come, making speech difficult. "Looking." He gasps for breath, trembling. "And it was me... I was the one... I killed them... I'm... I'm the one that stole my own life."

Shaking with each sob, all of Gunner's torment comes out. For so long, he'd been looking for answers... looking for who had dealt him such a bad hand in life... looking for who was responsible for his life without a memory to the past. And it had been him all along.

"I don't know what... what to do," he whimpers. He felt like a child, just adding to the embarrassment, but he couldn't help it. He didn't remember what it was like to receive comfort... he didn't remember how to accept it.

All he can do is hide his face in Hope's shoulder as he cries, simply unable to control it. "It hurts."


Though Kyle returns Alice's kiss, his eyes are a little wide in surprise. They didn't normally kiss like that in front of others. But it seemed not to matter this time... for nothing else could have answered him like that. And he knew that she was on his side.

Twila bites her lip and grins, giving the other guys a sidelong glance as they grin too. Erik clears his throat.

Kyle chuckles and takes Alice's hand before looking back at the others, his face a little red. "I... guess that means we're gonna give it a shot."

"Woo!" Theo throws his arms in the air.

Erik smiles from ear to ear. "That sounds like a yes to me."

Kyle gives Alice's hand a squeeze. "It does to me too."

Ross holds up his glass. "This deserves a toast! To Kyle and his shadow... may this just be the start of our journey."

"Here here!"

And talk begins of plans, timing, and what would happen next. Everyone is so busy chatting, that it seems no one even notices Kip's return twenty minutes later. He rejoins the group just as they're explaining that the studio is about an hour away and that it would be just a couple weeks before they would go and show off their stuff.

Kip sinks back down to the floor by one of the chairs, almost hiding, his hype strangely gone. His eyes were just a bit red...

Kyle catches Alice's eye, his gaze asking if she'd noticed Kip as he had.

"...So yeah... you guys are welcome to stay here."

Kyle snaps back to attention to Erik's offer. His eyes were wide again. "Um..." He glances to Alice. "Sounds better than a hotel... what do you think?"


Mick is standing on the porch when the pickup arrives. His arms are crossed and he's leaning against the railing post, calmly watching.

Jason pulls up closer to the garage and lets out a sigh.
Papa bear doesn't look too happy.
"All ashore who's going ashore."

Jade scrunches her nose and gives his shoulder a little punch teasingly. "Thanks for the ride."

"Oh sure... you're welcome for the flat too." Jason slides out first, helping a couple of the girls out. Last is Katie, and he takes her hand to walk her to her bunk.

Clint slings an arm around Wendy's shoulder as they walk to their own little home, his strides deliberately slow. He'd had too much fun tonight to want it to end, even if he was exhausted. Getting back inside, he kicks off his boots and flops down on the bed, his jacket still on. "Mmm... I'm getting too old for this," he kids.

Jade is still at the truck looking towards her father and she swallows hard. Glancing at Dan, she shrugs. "It's been a long time since he's killed anyone. I'm pretty sure we're safe." Grinning, she heads to the porch. "Hey, Dad. Sorry we're late. Flat tire."

Mick quirks an eyebrow, his lips not turning up. "Sounds like a good reason to be late. Cell phones die too?"

Jade smirks at him. "Dead zone."

"Convenient."

"Dad!"

Mick gestures with his head to the door. "Quiet going in. I just put BJ back in bed for the third time."

Jade can sense now isn't the time for justifying the late time, and all she can do is look over her shoulder, throwing Dan a smile of thanks for helping make tonight a fun time.

Mick's eyes follow his daughter in until he looks back to Dan. "Have fun?"