The first sign that something was wrong came on a Tuesday morning, when Julian's phone buzzed with an unknown number.
Unknown Caller: "We need to talk. I'm outside."
Julian frowned, pulling back the curtains to see a sleek black sedan parked in front of his house. The window rolled down just enough to reveal a pair of sharp, calculating eyes—eyes he hadn't seen in over a year.
His father's eyes.
The Return of Dr. Carter
Dr. Elias Carter didn't do emotions.
He stood in Julian's living room like a professor surveying a disappointing lab, his gaze flickering over the half-unpacked boxes, the chess set on the coffee table, the Dunphy family photo Julian had somehow acquired and left on the mantel.
"You've made yourself comfortable," his father observed, voice dry.
Julian crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my investment." Dr. Carter pulled a folder from his briefcase. "Your SAT scores are exceptional, as expected. But your extracurriculars are... lacking."
Julian's jaw tightened. "I've been busy."
"With what? Babysitting?" His father's lip curled as he glanced toward the Dunphys' house. "Or is it the girls next door that have you distracted?"
Julian went very still.
His father smiled—a cold, clinical thing. "Did you really think I wouldn't look into where you've been spending your time?"
The Dunphy Interrogation
Claire knew something was wrong the moment Julian walked into the kitchen.
His usual calm was gone, replaced by a tension that made her mom-senses tingle. Even Phil noticed, pausing mid-pancake flip.
"Everything okay, kiddo?"
Julian hesitated. "My father's in town."
Claire's spatula clattered against the stove.
Phil blinked. "Oh! That's great! We should invite him for dinner—"
"No." Julian's voice was sharper than Claire had ever heard it. "He's not... like that."
Alex, who had been silently observing from the table, set down her textbook. "What's he like?"
Julian exhaled. "Imagine if MIT built a robot to impersonate a parent."
Haley, who had just wandered in, snorted. "So, Alex in twenty years?"
Alex threw a grape at her.
Claire ignored them, studying Julian's face. "What does he want?"
Julian's fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against his leg. "To remind me I have 'priorities.'"
The way he said it made Claire's stomach twist.
The School Crisis
The whispers started by second period.
"Did you hear? Julian's some kind of genius prodigy."
"His dad's, like, a famous scientist or something."
"He's only here because his parents dumped him."
Haley cornered him at his locker. "Ignore them."
Julian didn't look up. "They're not wrong."
Alex appeared beside them, arms crossed. "So what? You're leaving?"
Julian's silence was answer enough.
Haley's chest ached.
The Midnight Escape
Julian's father had booked a hotel suite that looked more like a corporate office than a place to sleep.
"Sit," Dr. Carter ordered, gesturing to a chair. "We're reviewing your college applications."
Julian remained standing. "I'm not going to MIT early."
His father's expression darkened. "This childish rebellion ends now. You have a future—"
"I have a life," Julian snapped.
For the first time, Dr. Carter looked genuinely surprised.
Then—
A knock at the door.
Julian opened it to find Haley and Alex, both breathless, both furious.
Haley pointed at Dr. Carter. "We're here to negotiate."
Alex held up a spreadsheet. "We've crunched the numbers."
Dr. Carter stared. "...What are you?"
Haley grinned. "The unexpected variables."
The Showdown
What followed was two hours of:
Alex systematically dismantling Dr. Carter's "optimal path" with statistical analysis
Haley deploying a charm offensive so intense it bordered on psychological warfare
Julian realizing, with dawning awe, that he wasn't alone in this fight
Finally, Dr. Carter sat back. "You're emotionally compromised."
Julian met his gaze. "I'm happy."
The word hung in the air like a challenge.
Dr. Carter exhaled. "Six months. Then we reevaluate."
It wasn't a concession.
But it was a start.
The Aftermath
Jay summed it up best at Sunday dinner:
"Kid, your old man's a real piece of work."
Gloria smacked his arm. "Jay! Language!"
Lily, seated in Julian's lap, babbled happily.
Claire watched them all—the bickering, the laughter, the family—and made a decision.
She pulled Julian aside. "You have a home here. No matter what."
Julian's throat tightened.
For the first time, he believed it.