Chapter 111– Peaceful Chaos
By the end of the first week of the semester—
Section E had discovered a terrifying truth.
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College was harder than fighting villains.
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At least villains announced themselves.
Assignments just appeared.
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JJ vs Education
The first victim was JJ.
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Naturally.
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Because during class—
she had somehow managed to:
Lose her pen.
Borrow Keifer's pen.
Lose Keifer's pen.
Borrow Aries' pen.
Lose Aries' pen.
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And the lecture wasn't even over yet.
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The professor finally stopped teaching.
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"Miss Mariano."
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JJ immediately sat straighter.
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"Yes, sir?"
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"How?"
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"...how what?"
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"How have you lost three pens in forty minutes?"
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The entire class burst out laughing.
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JJ looked offended.
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"Sir, that's a personal attack."
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Keifer physically put his face into his hands.
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Section E During Class
Percy was actually taking notes.
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A miracle.
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Honey looked proud.
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Aries was focused.
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Ella was focused too.
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Yuri was focused.
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Everyone was behaving.
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Except JJ.
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Who somehow managed to get her notebook stuck inside her desk.
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Nobody asked how.
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Nobody wanted to know.
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The Real Horror
Then came the email.
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The email.
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The assignment email.
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The email that destroyed happiness.
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The moment everyone opened it—
silence fell.
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Dead silence.
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Five group projects.
Three presentations.
Two reports.
One case study.
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Due within two weeks.
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Mansion Arrival
That evening—
the mansion doors opened.
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And Section E entered looking like survivors of a natural disaster.
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JJ dropped her bag dramatically.
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"I quit."
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Aries didn't even look up.
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"No."
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"I resign."
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"No."
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"I retire."
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"No."
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JJ looked at Keifer.
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"Help."
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Keifer immediately replied:
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"No."
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The Emergency Meeting
Half an hour later—
everyone gathered in the living room.
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Laptops everywhere.
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Books everywhere.
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Papers everywhere.
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Sanity nowhere.
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The Savior
Then Alex entered.
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And immediately understood the situation.
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The suffering.
The despair.
The academic collapse.
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Alex sighed.
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"...show me."
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Everyone practically lunged at him.
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Because unlike them—
Alex had actually completed business management.
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Successfully.
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And then built a multinational pharmaceutical company.
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Which made him terrifyingly qualified.
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The Teaching Session
For the next hour—
Alex became everyone's unofficial professor.
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Explaining concepts.
Breaking down reports.
Showing presentation structures.
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And somehow making everything look easy.
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Which annoyed everyone.
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Especially JJ.
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"Why does this make sense when you explain it?"
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Alex looked up from the laptop.
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"Because you're finally listening."
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JJ gasped.
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"That's rude."
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"It's accurate."
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Missing Watson
At one point—
the discussion paused.
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Because someone noticed something.
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Again.
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Cole.
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Missing.
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Still.
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No calls.
No visits.
No appearances.
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Just occasional messages.
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Short.
Simple.
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Usually:
> Working.
Alive.
Don't destroy the mansion.
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Which nobody listened to.
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Especially not JJ.
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Care
Care was sitting quietly near the edge of the room.
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Working on hospital reports.
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But every now and then—
her eyes drifted toward her phone.
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Just for a second.
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Then back to work.
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JJ noticed.
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Of course she noticed.
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JJ noticed everything.
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Eventually she smirked.
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Dangerously.
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"Missing someone?"
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Care immediately looked up.
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"No."
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Too fast.
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Far too fast.
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The room collectively froze.
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Because that was the most suspicious "no" in human history.
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The Attack
JJ pointed dramatically.
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"SUSPICIOUS."
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Care threw a cushion at her.
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Immediately.
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JJ caught it.
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Still laughing.
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The End of the Day
By midnight—
everyone was exhausted.
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Assignments half done.
Presentations started.
Notes prepared.
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And despite all the complaining—
they were doing okay.
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Together.
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The mansion was noisy.
Warm.
Alive.
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Just missing one person.
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And somewhere far away—
a certain Watson was working in the shadows again.
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Completely unaware that his absence had become very noticeable to one stubborn doctor. 🖤📚😂✨
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For once—
there was no crisis.
No villain.
No hospital.
No assignments due in six hours.
No one getting shot.
No one getting kidnapped.
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Just one evening.
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And Keifer had decided he was stealing it.
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The Escape
JJ was sitting in the living room.
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Surrounded by books.
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Looking personally offended by education.
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"...I hate business analytics."
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Keifer appeared.
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Closed her laptop.
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JJ gasped dramatically.
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"EXCUSE ME."
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"Get up."
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"No."
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"Get up."
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"No."
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Keifer simply picked her up.
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JJ immediately betrayed herself by laughing.
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"PUT ME DOWN."
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"No."
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"KEIFER."
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"No."
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And just like that—
he kidnapped his fiancée.
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Again.
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Legally this time.
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The Date
Twenty minutes later—
they were sitting beside a quiet lake on the outskirts of Bangalore.
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No crowd.
No music.
No fancy decorations.
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Just water.
Wind.
And peace.
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Exactly what both of them needed.
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JJ sat beside him on a wooden bench.
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For the first time in weeks—
she wasn't looking over her shoulder.
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Wasn't worried.
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Wasn't afraid.
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Just breathing.
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Silence
Neither spoke immediately.
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The silence wasn't awkward.
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It never was with them.
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It felt comfortable.
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Like home.
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JJ leaned slightly against his shoulder.
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And Keifer immediately adjusted himself so she'd be more comfortable.
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Neither acknowledged it.
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Both noticed it.
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The Question
JJ stared at the water.
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Then quietly asked:
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"Do you ever think about how crazy everything became?"
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Keifer laughed softly.
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"Which part?"
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"Fair."
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A pause.
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Then she smiled.
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"Remember when our biggest problem was exams?"
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Keifer immediately answered.
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"I miss those days."
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JJ nodded dramatically.
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"Same."
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"Back then nobody was getting kidnapped."
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"Exactly."
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The Truth
For a moment—
they watched the lake again.
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Then Keifer spoke.
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Quietly.
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"You scared me."
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JJ froze slightly.
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Because she knew exactly what he meant.
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The car crash.
The memories.
The running away.
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Everything.
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Her smile faded.
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"...I know."
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Keifer nodded.
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Not angry.
Never angry.
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Just honest.
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"When I saw that car..."
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His voice became softer.
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"I thought I lost you."
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The words hung there.
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Heavy.
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Real.
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JJ's fingers slowly found his hand.
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And held it.
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JJ
She looked down.
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"I don't remember everything from that day."
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A pause.
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"But I remember one thing."
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Keifer looked at her.
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"What?"
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JJ smiled slightly.
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"I wanted to come back."
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Silence.
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"I was scared."
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A pause.
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"But I wanted to come back."
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Then quieter:
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"To all of you."
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And softer still:
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"To you."
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Keifer
Something in his expression broke slightly.
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Not sadness.
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Relief.
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The kind that comes after carrying fear for too long.
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He lifted her hand.
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Pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
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Slow.
Gentle.
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And JJ immediately malfunctioned.
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System Error
Her face turned red.
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Instantly.
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Keifer noticed.
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Of course he noticed.
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And immediately became unbearable.
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"You're blushing."
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"No."
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"Yes."
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"No."
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"Yes."
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JJ pointed aggressively.
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"I will push you into the lake."
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Keifer smiled.
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"Worth it."
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Future
The sun was beginning to disappear.
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Painting the water gold.
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Beautiful.
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Quiet.
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Safe.
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JJ watched it.
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Then asked:
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"What do you think we'll be doing five years from now?"
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Keifer didn't even hesitate.
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"Looking for you."
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JJ blinked.
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"What?"
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Keifer smiled.
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"Because you'll definitely get lost somewhere."
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JJ smacked his arm.
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Immediately.
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The Real Answer
Then Keifer looked at her properly.
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And answered again.
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This time seriously.
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"I don't know."
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A pause.
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"But you'll be there."
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Silence.
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"And that's enough."
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JJ's heart betrayed her instantly.
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Because somehow—
after everything—
after all the chaos—
he could still say things like that.
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And make her feel sixteen again.
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Ending
The sky darkened.
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The lake became quieter.
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And neither of them rushed to leave.
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Because for the first time in a long time—
nothing was chasing them.
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No memories.
No enemies.
No fear.
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Just two people sitting together.
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Hand in hand.
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Watching the water.
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And enjoying something they almost lost.
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Normal.
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For one evening.
🖤🌅✨💕
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The sun was slowly sinking beyond the lake.
The sky had turned gold.
Then orange.
Then something softer in between.
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JJ and Keifer were still sitting on the bench.
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Neither in a hurry to leave.
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Because life had been moving too fast lately.
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And for once—
they could just exist.
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The Future
JJ was watching the water when Keifer suddenly spoke.
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"I named them already."
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JJ blinked.
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"...named who?"
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Keifer looked completely serious.
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"Our children."
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Silence.
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The silence lasted exactly three seconds.
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Then—
"WHAT."
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Keifer nodded.
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"Yes."
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JJ stared at him.
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Absolutely horrified.
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"You named children that don't exist?"
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"Correct."
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"Without asking me?"
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"Also correct."
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JJ looked offended.
Deeply offended.
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The Names
Keifer looked proud.
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"The first one."
A pause.
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"Caretaker."
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JJ froze.
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"...what?"
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"The second one."
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Keifer continued confidently.
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"Watcher."
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JJ looked at him.
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Then looked at the lake.
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Then looked back at him.
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"...have you lost your mind?"
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Keifer shrugged.
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"I think they're good names."
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JJ pointed dramatically.
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"Those sound like secret agents."
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Keifer considered it.
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"...that's even better."
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JJ smacked his arm.
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Immediately.
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"Absolutely not."
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Keifer laughed.
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"Caretaker Watson."
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"NO."
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"Watcher Watson."
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"NO."
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"Caretaker and Watcher Watson."
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JJ looked ready to commit a crime.
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"You are never naming children."
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Keifer grinned.
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"Too late."
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"It is literally not too late."
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Then Keifer leaned slightly closer.
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Still smiling.
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Still completely unrepentant.
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And quietly said:
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"You'd be a good mom."
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JJ froze.
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Completely.
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Because suddenly the joke wasn't a joke anymore.
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And her face turned red instantly.
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"...Keifer."
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His smile softened.
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"I mean it."
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JJ looked away immediately.
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Because her heart had apparently stopped functioning.
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Then Keifer gently turned her face back toward him.
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And kissed her.
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Soft.
Slow.
Warm.
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Like he had nowhere else he needed to be.
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Like he had all the time in the world.
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When they finally pulled apart—
JJ was still blushing.
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And Keifer looked extremely pleased with himself.
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The conversation eventually shifted.
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Naturally.
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Because there was one thing neither of them had fully talked about yet.
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Cole.
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JJ looked at the water again.
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"So."
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Keifer already knew.
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"Cole."
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She nodded.
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"Cole."
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A pause.
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"What was your first reaction?"
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Keifer laughed softly.
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A tired laugh.
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Because honestly—
where do you even begin?
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The Truth
"I thought I was hallucinating."
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JJ immediately laughed.
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"Valid."
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"I mean it."
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Keifer shook his head.
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"The man walks in."
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"Throws a knife."
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"Starts fighting half the hall."
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"Then says he's my brother."
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A pause.
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"I genuinely thought I hit my head somewhere."
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JJ burst out laughing.
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"Honestly?"
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"Same."
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The Part Nobody Saw
Then Keifer grew quieter.
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The sunset reflected in the lake.
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Orange light across the water.
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Across his face.
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"I was angry."
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JJ looked at him.
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That wasn't the answer she expected.
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"Angry?"
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Keifer nodded.
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"At first."
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A pause.
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"Not at him."
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Another pause.
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"At everything."
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The words came slowly.
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"Because all those years..."
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"He was alive."
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Silence.
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"And I didn't know."
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JJ squeezed his hand.
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Because she understood.
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More than most people ever would.
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The Brother
Keifer smiled faintly.
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"But then I realized something."
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"What?"
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JJ asked softly.
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Keifer looked toward the sky.
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"He's been protecting us for years."
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A pause.
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"Without asking for anything."
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The smile became softer.
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"And somehow that's the most annoying thing about him."
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JJ laughed.
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"Very Watson behavior."
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"Unfortunately."
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Dinner
Later—
they moved to a small lakeside restaurant.
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Nothing fancy.
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Just warm lights.
Good food.
Quiet music.
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And peace.
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Actual peace.
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The kind neither of them trusted anymore.
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But enjoyed anyway.
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Halfway through dinner—
JJ looked across the table.
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At the boy she had almost lost.
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The boy who had waited.
Stayed.
Fought.
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The boy who still wanted to name future children Caretaker and Watcher.
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A complete idiot.
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Her idiot.
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Keifer looked up.
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"What?"
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JJ smiled.
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"Nothing."
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Keifer narrowed his eyes.
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"That smile means something."
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"It doesn't."
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"It absolutely does."
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JJ laughed.
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And for the rest of the evening—
they talked.
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About college.
About Manila.
About Care.
About Section E.
About the future.
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About everything.
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And for once—
the future didn't feel scary.
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It felt possible.
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Even if Keifer still wasn't allowed to name children.
🖤🌅✨💕🍽️