Yes.
The church.
Today was Ben Hork Parker's baptism at the church.
Gwen woke up early, walked into the cloakroom, opened a cabinet full of clothes, complaining that she had nothing to wear, and after a long search among countless garments, found an outfit suitable for the day.
Hawk's attire was simpler.
A suit and tie.
After Gwen emerged from the cloakroom, she took Hawk's tie as he stood up, tied it for the upward-looking Hawk, and then they left.
Because the church was right next to Palm Street community, they chose to walk instead of drive.
As they walked towards the church, Gwen greeted the passing neighbors with warm smiles.
The neighbors responded enthusiastically.
Hawk, on the other hand, had a polite and quiet smile on his face, embodying the principle of being courteous but saying little.
He was naturally a man of few words.
This difference was evident when comparing the hundreds of phone numbers in Gwen's contact list to Hawk's less than ten.
However, the Phoenix family's popularity in the community consistently remained above average.
This was entirely thanks to Gwen.
Especially after people heard that the police chief of the 21st Precinct, where the Palm Street community was located, was Gwen's father, the Phoenix family became even more popular.
After all, having connections makes things easier.
Half a month ago, the man from the Smith family next door was caught by the 21st Precinct for drunk driving, and it was only because Gwen intervened that he was released.
Gwen didn't even need to contact George for this; she just contacted Detective Mahoney, a single phone call was all it took.
Hawk thought of Detective Mahoney, who had already been discharged from the hospital, and as he walked towards the church, he looked at Gwen, who was holding his arm.
"By the way, Detective Mahoney's injuries have improved, right?"
"He's been discharged for half a month; you're just remembering now?"
"I forgot."
These days, he had been busy embedding the Blood Dimension into his Underworld, and brainstorming ideas for his Underworld's exclusive race; he didn't have time to pay attention to other matters.
He hadn't even checked on George afterwards, let alone anyone else.
Thinking of this, Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"By the way, where's George?"
"Dad?"
Gwen looked at Hawk curiously: "What about Dad?"
Hawk shrugged.
"George knows about my power; didn't he say anything?"
"Uh..."
Gwen looked at Hawk, her eyes gradually narrowing, a beautiful curve forming at the corner of her lips.
"What do you want Dad to say?"
"Wow, Hawk is amazing?"
"God, Hawk is so great, I didn't expect Hawk to be so powerful?"
"..."
Hawk looked at Gwen's exaggerated expression, though her voice was suppressed, and his lips curved slightly upwards, also lowering his voice: "Your performance now is much more exaggerated than your performance in the plumber's uniform last night."
Gwen's smile froze, then she rolled her eyes at Hawk and released his arm, walking forward.
Seeing this, Hawk's smile also froze, and he jogged to catch up with Gwen: "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Gwen glanced at Hawk apologizing with his head down, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes.
"Too late, half a month off."
"No way!"
Hawk immediately shook his head, saying seriously: "The next batch of uniforms is already on its way. Two months means two months. One must be trustworthy, Gwen."
He hadn't forced Gwen to pay such a high price.
God knows.
At that time, George wasn't even in personal danger; in fact, he was about to enjoy some romantic bliss.
So, Hawk didn't manipulate George to coerce Gwen.
It was Gwen herself who didn't want George to enjoy the romantic bliss that was about to happen, and then paid him two months' compensation to intervene.
Although after his intervention, he also gained an unexpected harvest.
The Blood Dimension.
But again, God knows, when Hawk intervened at that time, he hadn't expected to obtain an ownerless dimensional space.
Moreover, after unexpectedly obtaining the current Blood Dimension, it even allowed him to create his own exclusive race.
But that's not important.
What's an unexpected harvest? It's a harvest you didn't anticipate at all.
In short.
He intervened because he saw Gwen pay two months' worth of uniform compensation, not because he expected to get the Blood Dimension after intervening.
However... after Hawk decisively refused Gwen's unreasonable request to withdraw the compensation, he rolled his eyes and looked at Gwen with a smile.
"Actually, deducting half a month isn't impossible."
"Really?"
"Look, when that female Vampire was almost about to... you paid me two months' worth of uniforms. Now you want to deduct half a month. If I had intervened after one and a half months, that female Vampire would have already... So, I can find a female Vampire and let her... then I'll agree to deduct half a month."
Hawk said this, then looked at Gwen with a smile.
Gwen's eyes initially lit up, but after hearing Hawk's suggestion, she instantly revealed a fierce glare, showing her two small fangs.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Actually, I think George has some thoughts."
"What?"
Hawk glanced at Gwen and said with a smile: "Otherwise, why haven't we seen George when we go back for dinner these past days, even though it's been almost twenty days since the incident? I'm guessing George might feel that I ruined his good thing back then, which is why he doesn't want to see me."
Gwen's expression froze, then she stopped, standing still.
Seeing this, Hawk also stopped, then retreated a few steps, standing beside Gwen.
Their eyes met.
For some reason, as Hawk met Gwen's gaze, he suddenly felt as if he had brought trouble upon himself.
Indeed.
Gwen looked at Hawk with a smile, her tone very cheerful.
"Hawk."
"Hmm."
"You said my father has this idea. What about you? Do you also have this idea? If it were you at that time, would you accept?"
"How could that be?"
Hawk decisively shook his head, full of righteousness, staring directly into Gwen's expressive emerald eyes without any guilt: "I, Hawk Phoenix, have never had eyes for another woman in my life."
Among the superpowers he gained after awakening his Sixth Sense, there was only one that he tried to use as little as possible.
"Sixth Sense — X-ray Vision!"
If his resolve wavered even slightly, this X-ray vision ability, which he almost kept hidden, would directly become an ability he constantly used in his daily life.
There was no other way.
But Hawk didn't.
One woman was enough.
Moreover... Gwen was someone he met in his humble beginnings, witnessed his development, accompanied his growth, and now shared his temporary peak, and in the future, would share everything he had.
And he was a warrior.
It was well known.
One only heard of scholars rising to power and abandoning their families.
When had one ever heard of a warrior rising to power and abandoning his wife and children?
Therefore!
Hawk looked at Gwen with a serious expression.
"You are the past, present, and future; the only one I care about."
"..."
Gwen looked at the familiar Hawk, meeting his bright eyes that sparkled like the stars of the Universe, and opened her mouth.
"...I'm sorry."
"Too late."
"What?"
"You actually doubted me. Add half a month."
"Dream on!"
Gwen looked at Hawk, whose lips now showed a hint of slyness.
"We agreed on two months. I won't deduct, and you're not allowed to add."
"Alright!"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, his serious expression returning to normal, and he said with a smile: "I agree to pay the original compensation."
Gwen heard this, looked at Hawk's expression, and reacted.
"Tha..."
"Language, Gwen, language."
Hawk looked at Gwen, who was about to curse, and interrupted with a smile, reminding her.
The next second.
He saw Gwen's eyebrows raise again, and with a whoosh, he took a step forward, causing Gwen's angry strike to miss.
"Stop right there."
"No."
Hawk shook his head.
He had no masochistic tendencies.
Gwen was furious. She looked at Hawk standing in front and started chasing him.
Hawk turned and ran.
Without stopping.
Soon.
Peter and Felicia, who were waiting at the entrance for their son's godfather, saw Hawk and Gwen chasing and playing, laughing, one after the other, from a short distance away.
Peter and Felicia exchanged glances, then blinked, looking at Hawk and Gwen with curiosity: "What are you two..."
Hawk and Gwen had already returned to normal, arm in arm, and laughed at Peter's curious gaze.
"Just getting some exercise. Where's my godson?"
"Aunt May is holding him; the priest is preparing."
"Let's go."
Hawk heard this and said to Gwen beside him: "I'll go in and prepare first."
Today was Ben's baptism.
But as the godfather, Hawk also had some preparations to make.
If it were anyone else, they might have had to come early to prepare.
But Hawk had lived in the church since he was a child, was very familiar with this series of procedures, and didn't even need training; he could handle it directly.
By the time Gwen, Peter, and Felicia entered the church, Hawk had already quickly and skillfully recited the prayer in front of the statue of Jesus, made the sign of the cross over his chest, and then took out the golden crucifix he had prepared, handing it to the priest beside him.
The priest also recited a prayer, then placed the golden crucifix around the neck of Ben, who was sleeping soundly in Aunt May's arms.
Ben was to wear this golden crucifix for the rest of his life.
Because it was a gift from the godfather to his godson.
Ben, in his sleep, seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, and just as he was about to cry loudly, his chubby little hand touched the golden crucifix. He pinched his small mouth, held the golden crucifix, and began to giggle.
If one were to look into Ben's bright blue eyes, just like Peter's, at this moment, they would find that in the depths of Ben's eyes...
Shone the light of the Northern Cross constellation!
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