This is what y'all voted for. B won, so here's the unhappy.

-Laff POV-

"Herc, I have something to tell you."

"Ooh! I do too!"

He grins at me, rolling over in bed so we face each other.

"You can go first."

"My brother found me Laff! And he wants to meet us! Tomorrow! Isn't that amazing? I still have a real family!"

"That's awesome Herc!"

I place a smile on my face, picking at the underside of my nails as he giggles to himself. He looks so excited. I don't want to ruin his mood. But I need to tell him sooner rather than later.

"So, what did you want-"

"FRIENDS! HELP!"

The two of us hop out of bed and race down the hallway. Anne is sitting there crying in the bed as Usnavi holds her.

"Hey, honey, it's okay. What's wrong?"

"Dark."

I pull the child into my arms, motioning for Herc to do something. He flips on the hallway light, leaving the door askew.

"Is that better?"

She nods slightly, and I press my nose to hers. I head over to the bed, sitting down between the two children.

"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf."

I count out the numbers as I stroke the girls hair, smiling as she curls up beside me. Usnavi gives me a jealous look and I wrap an arm around him as he slides next to me. I sit there until both kids are sound asleep, smiling at my husband as he takes a photo.

I finally deem it appropriate to leave, and head into the hallway with Herc. I leave their door ajar as we go back to our room.

"So, what did you want to say?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just got some news."

"Yeah?"

He grins dorkily at me and I start to cry as I wrap my arms around his neck. My life has changed forever, again, and Herc is smiling. He's blissfully oblivious, excited over the aspect of the family.

But I just got the news this afternoon. And I'm scared.

"It's Alejandro, Herc. He's still wrecking me."

"It's okay, I've got you now. We can work you through this. Alejandro can't hurt you anymore."

"Yes he can. He tainted me Herc. Three months ago he hurt me, and he still is."

"You aren't tainted with anything Laff. You're the same person who left America four months ago. He doesn't deserve the power to make you feel that way."

"You don't understand. He infected me. I'm sick, Herc. Permanently. Because of him."

I feel myself being squished against his chest. I'm shaking as I cling to him, relying on his support so I don't just crumple to the floor.

"I'm HIV positive. I'm diseased. I could infect you. I could infect everyone. I'm sick, and there's no way to get better. Herc, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh, don't be Laff. This isn't your fault, what he did was terrible and he had no right, okay?"

I nod feebly, but I still can't believe him. 

There has to be something I did wrong. Some reason he chose me. Some reason he infected me. 

He stole something I was saving for Herc from me, and now he's left me with his sickness.

I'm dragged into our bed, and I feel Herc grab onto my waist and pull me towards him. I push him off and scoot as far away as I can without falling off the bed again.

"Please don't touch me."

I bring a pillow to my chest, crying as I hold onto it for dear life.

I'm disgusting.

I'm sick.

I'm diseased.

I'm going to hurt Herc.

I'll infect him too.

I can't be cured.

I'm a threat.

I'm a risk to his safety.

To everyone.

Why does he still want to touch me? Doesn't he realize I could die? He could die?

I've done my research. It's incurable, I'm sick for life. It's going to morph into AIDS. I'm going to get sicker and sicker until I can't fight it. Until I get cancer, contract more infections. My immune system is going to shut down until I'm finally killed by the common cold. 

And now, if I ever have a sexual relationship with my husband, Herc's at risk. Anyone who I bleed on is at risk. Anyone I come into specific types of contact with is at risk.

 I'm a contagious disease.

"Am I going to die?"

I didn't realize I was thinking out loud until I feel a hand on my back. I flinch away from my husbands touch.

"Laff, it's going to be okay. We'll get whatever it takes, we can slow it down, okay? We have the money. We can get whatever medicine we can. We never needed a sexual relationship before, and we can use protection if you still want one. We can do this together. I love you."

"I love you too Herc. But I'm scared."

"I know you are, I am too. But none of this is your fault. And we can get you treatment."

"Why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Laff. I'm sorry, but listen to yourself. Why would I ever be afraid of you?"

"I'm going to hurt you. I could spread it to you, to anyone I love. I'm disgusting Herc, I'm a disease."

His hands grab my waist, and I cry harder as I'm dragged against him.

"You aren't disgusting Laff. And you aren't a disease, you have one. There's a difference. You won't spread it to anyone if you're careful. And I know you'll be safe. You've never hurt me before, and a sickness from Alejandro isn't going to change that."

I let go of the pillow, debating between pushing my husband away and clinging onto him like a child.

"How can you stand to touch me?"

"Because I love you. Holding you won't hurt anyone. Hugging you won't hurt anyone. Kissing you won't hurt anyone. You won't hurt anyone."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

I give up on getting away and grab my husband. He's right, I know he is, touching him won't kill either of us. 

But I'm still scared. I don't want to be sick. I don't want him to get sick. 

What if Herc's wrong? What if I do infect him? Or someone else?

I feel my chin being tilted up, his lips gently pressing against mine. I pull away, wiping off my mouth.

I thought I'd be fine from now on. I thought now that Alejandro was gone, I was free. That I'd never feel this dirty, this gross again.

I was wrong.

-Herc POV-

I cry as Laff pushes me off, wiping away at his face.

He's hurting. Again. And I'm not sure how to help him.

I press my lips onto his forehead, kissing him gently. He turns away from me and I squeeze him against my chest.

"Laff, I've got you, okay? I'm not letting you go. I love you, no matter what."

"I love you too Herc."

"Then let me hold you. Let me tell you it'll all be okay. Let me take care of you."

"I don't want you getting sick."

"Listen! Please! I'm not getting sick. You aren't getting me sick. If I kiss you I won't get sick. I can touch you and be fine.  But even if something happens, there's an accident and it spreads, it'll be okay. I'd be happy to be sick if as long as I still have you. This isn't the end of the world, even if right now it feels like it is. We are both generally healthy people. Even if we both got sick, we'd have years to spend together. And there's no way I'd rather spend them than being with you."

He snuggles into my chest as I squish him again, tipping his chin to look back at me. His eyes are full of worry. We're both crying as we look at each other. I kiss his nose, and the corners of his mouth lift for a second. 

That's all the encouragement I need, I intertwine our legs below the sheets and once again press my mouth to his. He doesn't move, and I hesitantly pull back. But then his hands wrap around my neck. He finally kisses back, and I untangle our legs so I can turn him fully to face me. I grab his waist, closing my eyes as our lips part. I squeeze him, smiling as he sighs softly.

"FRIEND?"

"Again?"

Laff just shrugs, and I wipe the tears from our faces before carrying him down the hallway. The tiny boy is looking frantically around the room as Anne slowly sits up.

"What's wrong Usnavi?"

"You left me! I woke up and you two were gone and I didn't know where you went! I thought you weren't coming back again! Why did you leave me?"

"I had to sleep, son. It's late."

"We're just down the hallway, okay?"

"Please stay? I don't want to be alone again. You scared me. You're my friends and I don't want to lose you like I lost my mommy and my daddy. I thought you were leaving like they did and I was gonna have to go back with the mean kids who tease me. I thought that- that-"

"Sh, sh, sh. It's okay. We won't leave you, okay? We're right here."

He nods vigorously, standing and clinging onto my leg as I set my husband on the bed. Anne jumps onto his chest, looking spooked by the other boys rambling.

I pull Usnavi up into my arms. I sway slightly, bringing him to the hallway.

"We're right in here, okay? If you need us and we aren't here, knock on this door."

I tap lightly on the door to the bedroom, smiling softly as he does the same.

"I've got you. And so does Lafayette. We're going to keep you safe. I promise we won't send you back."

The boy in my arms is finally silent as he continues to cry, clutching my chest. I rub his back, bouncing him slightly as I head back to the kids room.

Anne has calmed down, and Laff looks slightly uncomfortable as he continues to hold her.

I pop onto the bed beside them, placing Usnavi between the two of us as he continues to cling onto me. His breathing begins to slow as I hum to him. Laff sings a soft song in French, and the kids look entranced as he speaks gibberish to them. Usnavi seems to perk up at certain words, nodding as though he knows what they mean. And maybe he does, I'm not sure at this point.

Usnavi begs for a story as the song finishes, and Anne seems very content to listen as well.

"Your turn Herc."

Aww, fuck. I don't do stories. And Laff knows that.

But the youngest two kids seem thrilled at the possibility that I could come up with something. 

So I do.

"There once was a, um, prince. The kingdom all loved him, because he was very nice and absolutely hilarious. But when the king found out he could do magic he got mad. You see, this kingdom believed magic was wrong. So the prince was forced to hide his magic.

 But it was hard because magic was a part of who he was. He eventually showed the rest of the kingdom his magic, and they kicked him out. This upset the prince because he did nothing wrong. He was just being himself.

But the kingdom was set in their ways because they all sucked and decided they weren't going to let him back. Not that the prince wanted to go back anyways, he just had nowhere else to go.

Thankfully, another beautiful prince found him outside the palace and took him home. There the prince was allowed to do his magic, and he was accepted. The prince remained ever grateful to the man who saved him, and after years of living together they got married. 

The two of them made each other happy. They loved each other and started a family. They had three adorable children, and they made sure their kids knew they would be loved and accepted for who they were. The end."

Usnavi grins at me before letting out a yawn.

"You tired buddy?"

"No, I'm never tired. I can stay up as long as I want. I don't need sleep. Ever."

Yup, definitely Alex.

"I'm tired. So goodnight."

"Promise you won't leave me again? I need my friends with me. I don't like being lonely."

"We'll stay with you for tonight, okay? But after that we need to go back to our room."

Usnavi nods his head, and I watch his eyelids droop. Anne is snoring softly on top of my husband, who looks at me as I shuffle over.

"Beautiful prince, aye?"

"The most."