the next day.
early morning.
When Lake and Skye walked out of the elevator, Cassel had already driven out.
"Skye."
Alexis rolled down the backseat window and waved to Skye, opening the door: "Get in quickly, we're going to be late."
"Thanks."
After getting in the car, Skye thanked Alexis. She had heard about this girl from Alexis when they were shopping yesterday. She was also at Midtown High School, but she was a year older than her.
After Lake got in, Cassel started the car.
Alexis said from the back seat, "Normally, the school bus will stop at the entrance of our building around 7:30. We'll gather downstairs tomorrow."
Skye nodded and hummed.
Lake, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Skye through the rearview mirror and felt something was wrong.
Speaking of which...
Shouldn't Skye's character be fearless and carefree?
Is it the butterfly effect?
Lake murmured in his heart that if the big devil who could break the earth in the future was destroyed, Lake didn't know whether he should be praised or punished.
...etc.
That's right.
Did Skye ever serve as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
If Skye was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., then what am I, the adopted father of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Lake began to emanate thoughts.
Half an hour later.
Midtown School has arrived.
Lake hadn't gotten out of the car yet. Seeing the familiar face at the school gate, he looked at Cassel helplessly: "Did you tell George?"
Castle shook his head, "I swear to God I didn't, it's just Beckett who knows."
Lake: "…"
How is this different from telling George?
Lake shook his head speechlessly and pushed open the car door. George, who seemed to have been waiting there for a while, waved to him immediately after seeing Lake.
Gwen, who was next to George, looked at Skye who got out of the back seat with some curiosity.
Gwen had met Alexis before. After all, both of them were academic masters and beautiful girls. In addition, Cassell often hung out with the New York Police Department, so it was not surprising that they knew each other.
Skye, this is the first time Gwen has met me.
After all, her father had said several days ago that Uncle Lake had adopted a girl and was trying to transfer her to Midtown High School. Lake had also found George and asked him to talk to Gwen and help Skye get familiar with the environment.
Lake and George hugged each other. "No case at the police station?"
George looked at his watch: "Nothing happened this morning."
Lake said "oh" and kept an eye on the position of the three little lolis.
As a gifted student, Gwen is not only a scholarship recipient at Central City High School, but has also been selected as a ninth-grade student assistant. Naturally, she is a perfect match for Skye.
Only a moment later.
Gwen said to George and the others, "Dad, I'm going to take Skye to get the books and schedule first."
George nodded.
Alexis also waved goodbye to Cassel. She was a senior, but she still had time to accompany Skye to get her books and class schedule.
Lake turned to George and said, "How about Joe, how are you doing lately?"
When Joe was discharged from the hospital, Lake went to see him, but he hasn't had time to go since then. He has been busy signing some documents for Skye's adoption and changing schools these days.
George said, "It's okay. He has recovered. However, Montgomery still requires Joe to see a psychiatrist every week."
Lake nodded: "Some problems take time to heal."
Cassel calmly took out a small notebook from his pocket.
Lake's eyebrows twitched: "What are you doing?"
Without even looking up, Castle said, "Material, as a classic quote from the resident Homeland Security agent in the Nicky Hitt series."
Lake's mouth twitched.
He wished he could pull out a gun right now and shoot this sleazy crime novelist in the head who always portrayed him as a philandering detective in his books.
Time flies.
soon.
Christmas of 2002 is approaching.
In the past few months, Lake had nothing to do. There were no cases endangering national security every day, so Lake was happy and relaxed. After all, this year felt like he had done several years' worth of work.
Just talking about Langley, he was criticized twice.
This won't work.
If Langley is offended too much, there will be big problems.
He just confronted SHIELD, an illegal law enforcement organization that doesn't even deserve a name, and Riker didn't even back down.
Want to tell me something interesting?
There are also.
Lake gave Nick Fury's photo to the New York Police Department and asked George to tell the patrolmen to find trouble with him and give him a ticket when they have time. According to rumors, Nick Fury no longer drives himself.
This is New York.
Lake said he would treat Nick Fury slowly, and the patrolman was just the first course.
How many dishes are left?
I can't give it this year.
Lake bought him and Skye tickets to return to Washington this afternoon, preparing to go home for Christmas. Next year, Lake promised to set aside a month to have some fun with Nick Fury.
Star Building.
Skye walked to the corner of the spiral staircase, lay down on the stairs, and said to Lake who was pulling his small backpack on the sofa, "Are you sure I can't stay in New York alone?"
Lake said without turning his head: "No."
"Why?"
"It's illegal."
"I can even babysit for Jason's kids on the tenth floor."
"Because you only have three hours of care."
"…"
Lake pulled up his backpack and turned to Skye on the stairs and said, "You want to stay in New York alone for half a month? Wow, when I come back, I will be wanted by the Children's Department and the Family Court."
Skye shrugged and headed upstairs, "Okay."
Lake looked at Skye's back and said, "Hurry up, we're going to miss the plane."
"knew."
"…"
Lake listened to Sky's reply from upstairs and smiled. In the past few months, he and Sky's relationship had made great progress. At least, Sky was no longer so restrained and had returned to the mode of the scammer girl who dared to ask Lake for compensation the first time she ran into him.
Washington Airport.
This time it was Betty who came to pick up Lake.
"elder brother!"
Betty and Lake hugged each other, and then her eyes fell on Skye who was following Lake. Betty stretched out her hand towards Skye: "Hello, Skye, my name is Betty."
Skye and Betty shook hands.
Lake opened the trunk, put the suitcase in Skye's hand on it, closed the trunk, and walked directly towards the driver's door.
Skye took the back seat.
Betty was the co-pilot.
Lake looked at a sign on the right side of the windshield and said to Betty in the passenger seat, "So, you've finally accepted what fate has arranged for you?"
That sign is the entry and exit pass for the Quantico biological laboratory.
It's obvious.
Betty still went to work in the military biological laboratory.
"Well."
Betty made an uncomfortable expression and looked at Lake: "I prefer to think of this job as God's training for you. I won't stay in it for long. I still need to be in love. I still need love."
Lake was a little curious: "There are so many in Quantico, but nothing catches your eye?"
Betty tilted her head and said, "They are all soldiers."
"What happened to the soldier?"
"Oh."
Betty looked at Lake and said, "I already have a father and you at home. Forget it. I don't want to find myself a boyfriend like this."
Lake wanted to stop the car and hit Betty hard.
What happened to the soldier?
Without so many soldiers from the Federation, do you think you would get any preferential treatment overseas?
Even in a certain inn in Europe, it seems that federal tourists are the most popular.
Arlington County.
Karen did the same as every time Lake came back. After hearing the horn, she pushed the door open and looked at the car driving towards her not far away.
Lake, Skye and Betty got out of the car.
Karen looked at Skye, who got out of the car, with her unique mixed-race beauty and who had finally grown her hair long again, and gave Skye a big hug.
An adopted granddaughter is also a granddaughter.
Karen was content with that.
Lake pulled the luggage out of the trunk and put it in his own room on the second floor and Sky's cleaned-up room. When he went downstairs, he saw the three women sitting on the sofa looking at photo albums.
"What are you doing?"
"Show Skye a picture of you as a child."
"Very handsome, right?"
"…"
Betty was silent for a moment, then looked seriously at Lake, who was walking towards the wine cabinet, and said, "Brother, you're still the same as when you were little, with an overly high self-esteem."
Lake took out bourbon from the liquor cabinet and said, "Am I wrong? Who was it that couldn't find anyone to dance with at the elementary school graduation dance and insisted on dragging me to be their dance partner?"
Betty gritted her teeth and said, "I'll say it again. It's not that I can't find anyone. That damn Frank ate something bad and was sent to the hospital. If I had a choice, I would never let you help me."
Lake shrugged: "It's too late. This is already your black history. It can't be erased."
Betty laughed: "Oh, dark history, huh?"
Lake frowned and looked at Betty.
Betty said directly to Skye, "Skye, do you want to hear the embarrassing story of Lake's first love?"
Lake shouted quickly: "I request a truce."
Betty said triumphantly, "It's too late."
Lake had no choice but to ask for help: "Mom, Skye is only thirteen years old this year. I think we don't need to tell that story."
Karen chuckled and stood up. "This is your business. I refuse to get involved. At thirteen, I should be able to say something. It's a warning."
Lake was speechless.
Betty laughed and told Skye about Lake's embarrassing story about his first love.
Actually, it's not that embarrassing to talk about it.
It was just that Lake's first love was when he was thirteen years old. Then, the girl came to them and began to ask Karen and Ross with some confusion how they had educated Lake in certain areas, because his daughter, Lake's first love, was taught about that aspect by Lake.
…