ANIMAL: Stands for self-recovery

Jason McCann had always had anger issues. It was clear from the day his mother had denied him a popsicle and he ended up chucking all of his toys against the wall simply to spite her. This was quite the impressive manoeuvre, especially since most five-year-olds stuck to weeping and carping out at the said parent. His parents, however, convinced themselves this was normal and he just had a little bit of temper.

The 'little bit' of temper developed once Jason entered middle school. A silly kid pilfered the soccer ball Jason and his friends were playing with and Jason nudged the kid hard enough for him to end up headfirst on the pavement with a chip of his tooth missing. He got in trouble, although Jason kept trying to explain to his teacher how the kid had tried to steal his ball. In the end all was well, but the kid was forced to go through life with a chipped tooth.

Then, in high school, the innocence was gone. Jason started drinking at the age of thirteen and smoked his first joint at thirteen and a half. His best friends weren't into it and they were the only ones keeping him grounded. They were good friends and they did anything they possibly could to keep Jason out of trouble. He got into loads of fights until the day his parents and his best friends were done covering for him. He may have been a tad aggressive, but Jason would've never deliberately harm someone. At least not if he didn't have a valid reason.

So, for his parents' and his best friends' sakes he slowed down on the hostile and forceful behaviour. He had no intention of upsetting them and stayed perfectly put. Jason's life really was simple enough; he loved his parents, loved his best friends and didn't mind making some effort for schoolwork. He played soccer outside of school, played with his siblings once they were born and had a secret stash of candy under his bed. The anger issue was the only thing that didn't add up, but it wasn't that big of a deal. As said before, he had absolute control over it if it were required.

Nonetheless, combativeness doesn't equal smooth kid. Jason was merry and boyish until girls entered the picture. He turned awkward and clumsy whenever a girl spoke to him. One of his best friends, Ryan, dealt with the same anxiety. Their other best friend Chaz didn't share their fear and knew exactly what to say, even if he wasn't much older than fourteen.

Jason was still part of the popular boys. No one dared to mess with him, after all. Girls weren't important. Even when he got a girlfriend named Marina at fifteen and then a girlfriend named Ivy, he wasn't too engrossed. He rather played soccer with his best friends than walk around the park with a girl, stressing about how his clammy hand must feel to the girl holding it.

Things changed at sixteen. There was a new girl in town—and she was absolutely gorgeous. Jason felt that he'd never seen anything as beautiful and exotic as she was. She was on his mind instantly, and for the first couple of weeks there'd been many occasions in which he attempted to ask her out. They all failed miserably. The girl may have been pretty, but she was closed off and not approachable.

Then he moved on. He was still with Ivy when he got paired up with the new girl for a project. They spent those weeks visiting each other's houses after school constantly. Jason learned that she—Alexia—turned out to be piquant and quite irritating. They fought more than they actually worked on the project. It wasn't good for Jason; he tried to keep himself and his anger on the low and having a girl pick on him every chance she got wasn't helping him much. Especially not when she knew exactly what to say to tick him off.

But it was different. Whenever they worked on the project without addressing the other, without giving the other much attention, he felt weird. Empty. Hollow. And then she'd pick on him again, and they'd be back to insulting each other every way possible, and he'd feel normal and fulfilled again. And one day, they kissed.

The rest is history. They pretty much turned into that annoying couple you always saw together in the hallways, wondering when they would break up. They did everything together, from homework to hanging out. They were many of each other's firsts and once they got the hang of sex, they started doing that often too. They loved each other immensely. Jason had even forgotten about the fact that he used to have a problem with anger, because once Alexia was in the picture, she wiped away that whole issue.

Alexia had Hispanic roots and was close to her culture. Her family was different from Jason's: she had a handful of siblings and a really big load of money. In the beginning he never wondered about where they got it from, but it was all cleared up when he visited for dinner one day. There had been a man with a gun, threatening the entire family. No one was scared, in fact, they all pulled out their own guns! Alexia explained to him afterwards about how her father was the Leader of the biggest mafia business in the USA.

Jason felt uncomfortable the weeks following. He'd loved her family and they'd all—their mother aside—treated him like he was part of them, but now it was strange. He didn't know what to feel, how to act, what to do. Fortunately he got over it pretty fast, realizing that he was Alexia's boyfriend, not her family's. Her family had grown on him too much for him to judge them on their profession. They weren't serial killers, Alexia had explained it all very clearly!

When they hit the age of eighteen something changed. Suddenly Alexia's father announced that they were moving to Los Angeles so Alexia could meet her future husband. Jason was an absolute mess, begging her to stay, wimping on the phone with her brothers to try to convince them to keep her here. It was all in vain. They'd arranged a marriage, and it was happening. The only person that was in the way was Jason, and her family had found a simple manner of getting rid of him. Moving.

Jason was a wreck when they moved. He had established that she was the love of his life and that he'd never find another woman good enough. For the years after he fell back into old habits. Drinking and smoking weed, mainly. The anger issues were back and they were worse than ever. He fought every day at least twice, got drunk once in the morning and once in the evening and had a couple of joints throughout the day, just enough to keep him stoned. His best friends didn't know what to do.

By now they'd left high school and entered college. The three were still best friends, but Jason was out of his mind. After seven run-ins with the police his best friends decided that this was enough, that he'd hurt himself and his parents too many times. They sat him down and forced him to get rid of all his liquor and greens. He wasn't an addict, they all knew that, but it was the first step.

Jason wasn't stupid. He knew they were right, which is why he agreed with them and stopped himself from getting too much out of control. The only times he proceeded to get drunk were during parties, and he only smoked weed occasionally. This is when he threw himself into the tattoos and the gym. He went to the gym at least twice a week and came back to the dorms with a new tattoo almost every day. Ryan and Chaz didn't mind, it was much better than when Jason was out of control.

The older he got, the more handsome. Girls were no longer a problem as they followed him around everywhere, trying to grab his attention. Jason was never interested in girls, all he did was hanging out with his best friends, but sometimes he'd have sex with a girl if he liked. If she offered, why would he say no? He always made his intentions clear from the beginning and if the girl still wanted to sleep with him then he wouldn't refuse. He was just a guy, after all.

His sex-drive in combination with his good looks and his evident anger caused the next image: guys fought to be friends with him, girls fought to have sex with him. In the end he was being viewed as a 'legend', though he never really cared.

But it all changed when Alexia came back.

xxx

Four years later

It was nine in the morning when Jason woke up to an acrid scent wafting through his nostrils, acute nausea prickling in his stomach. He was wide awake, his arm searchingly ruffling through the layers of sheets. His heart plummeted once he realized his hand was just grabbing air. There was no one in the bed beside him.

His eyes fluttered open in panic. The room was completely dark. He groaned softly, stretching out his other arm to flick the light switch. The room lit up and he groaned again, rapidly blinking. When he got used to the light he frowned and kicked the sheets away, looking for her.

The room was quite simple. He had a closet, a king-sized bed and an extra drawer for some extra stuff. There weren't many personal trinkets either—he had two photos on his nightstand, and that was that. One picture was of him kissing a girl's cheek, the other was of the girl alone. He averted his gaze, forcing himself to focus on looking for her.

Jason was about to call her name when she popped up from underneath the bed. He exhaled in relief, petting the mattress beside him. "You scared me." He mumbled as she crawled close to him, laying her head on his lap. She blew through her nose. Then, she sat up straight and cocked her head to the side. Jason caressed her back, giving her a loving pat on top of her head. "Go, girl."

She jumped off the bed in a blink.

Sola did this every morning. Whenever Jason woke up, she'd sweep through the entire house to make sure it was safe. He watched her sniff and run through his room. She was huge now, but not in the way that made you say that she was too big. No. Sola was... beautiful. She was silent whenever she ran but she ran fast and from past experience Jason established that she could keep up with average-driving cars. She was sleek and mysterious, with a coat of silky hair. Her posture was perfect; she had muscles on muscles and terrifying teeth.

Just like Jason she didn't like to let her guard down. She sat still whenever someone unknown was around, but she was braced. Ready to take down whoever Jason ordered her to take down. They were a perfect team.

When Sola came back from her routine without initiating anyone unwelcome was in the house, Jason got off the bed and got ready for the day.

After a quick shower and a new set of clothes he jaunted off the stairs with Sola hot on his heels.

The living room was as crowded as always. There was Dario slumped in front of the television, Max feverishly writing on the kitchen table, Sebastian cleaning his guns and Zach smoking three cigarettes at the same time.

Jason, Dario, Max, Sebastian and Zach all lived in the same house. They had to, otherwise it wouldn't have worked out.

"Hey girl! Hey Sola! C'mere, c'mere baby!" Dario cooed. Sola didn't hesitate as she smoothly made her way over to Dario, happily welcoming his kisses and hugs. The guys were basically the only people Sola tolerated aside from Jason.

Jason planted his ass in a random chair, glancing at Zach. "Give me a cigarette."

Zach fished the packet out of his pocket and threw it at Jason. Jason grabbed a cig, lit it up and stuck it into his mouth.

This was his life, and he loved it.

Jason may have been a tolerable guy years ago, but that had all changed. He was now part of one of the biggest gangs of New York City and God, did he love it. The power he had over people, the fact that people feared him... there was nothing more satisfying than that. He got a kick out of scaring people. He'd embraced his anger. Anger is good now.

"'Morning, McCann." Sebastian spoke, still focused on cleaning his guns. Jason puffed out the smoke, "Morning."

"How... are you?" Max attempted, putting his pen down.

These guys were Jason's brothers. They did everything together and there were no people Jason would rather live with. They told each other everything, always made sure everyone was safe and they had each other's backs. It was the perfect brotherhood.

Jason furrowed his brows. "Everything is fucking dandy."

This wasn't Jason's favourite day.

Max rolled his eyes, "Come on man, you can talk to us. You know that."

"What do you suppose I'd want to talk about?"

Max hesitated.

"Let it go, Max. If he wants to talk he'll talk. No use in bringing it up and upsetting him even more." Seb wisely predicated, putting the cloth he was scrubbing with down.

"I'm not upset." Jason snapped, "And if I hear any of you guys talking about this subject ever again I'll shoot you all in the throat." He glared at them before adding, "Yeah?"

Everyone mumbled a 'yeah'. Though they were very close best friends, Jason was still the one who had the least control over his anger and aggression and no one was keen on bringing that side of him out. So, Dario cleared his throat and let Sola go for a mere second. "You coming with us to the harbour today? The Montgomery's owe us some money."

Jason shook his head. "Can't. I have an appointment this noon and another one in the afternoon, and after that I'm going after Blake Saunders."

"Saunders? That fucker. It's about time someone taught him a lesson." Zach muttered.

"I know." Jason responded, "Hence why I'm going after him."

"What appointments do you have?" Dario questioned. Jason took a deep breath, clenching his teeth. "Just appointments."

"What kind?"

"The appointment kind."

"Ah, seriously Jase? Where are you going?"

Jason swallowed the lump that had formed itself in his throat. "Appointments, Dario." He pushed himself off the chair, slid his feet into a pair of shoes and grabbed his Givenchy leather jacket. He knew the boys wouldn't push his buttons too far today and he took advantage of it. "Well I'm out."

"Your first 'appointment' is at eleven. You're early." Seb narrowed his eyes. Jason put on the jacket. "I know something I can do during those two hours." Sola was by his side in a second, and Jason patted her head for being on her best behaviour.

Sebastian knew exactly what Jason meant. "Have fun."

"I sure will."

After he said goodbye to all the guys, Jason grabbed his car keys and left the house, Sola following his every movement. He never went anywhere without her.

Once he was settled in the car, he picked up his phone and dialled a number.

"Hey, Chels. I'm in my car. Should I pick you up?"

xxx

It was exactly eleven-thirty by the time Jason made it to his old best friend's house. He was in a better mood since the sex with Chelsea had gone smooth and fast, just the way he liked it.

The house was static but cosy, with a short-chipped lawn and street chalks spread around the grass. He felt nostalgic for a millisecond, but he quickly pushed the feeling away and got out of his car. Sola, of course, followed him to the porch and then sat upright quietly, waiting for Jason's orders.

He was a tad nervous, though Jason would never admit nor show it. He rang the bell and the door opened so fast, as if someone had been waiting.

The woman that had opened the door for him was short and blonde, a delighted smile gracing her lips. She squealed and widened her arms. Jason chuckled as warmth spread itself throughout his body, gladly embracing the woman. "Hey, Chlo."

"Jason." She sighed in relief, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I thought you wouldn't come. I'm so happy you did."

"I wouldn't dare to miss it. I feel like Alex would rip all of my hair out."

Chloe giggled. "Yeah she definitely would."

There was a short pause.

"I've missed you. We—we've missed you, Jase." She murmured, biting her lower lip. Jason nodded, comfortingly rubbing her back.

"Which one of our guests is groping my girl—oh."

Chaz Somers halted midst the hallway, his eyes firstly widening in surprise but then narrowing in mistrust. Jason clenched his jaw, pulling his arm away. Chaz' beard had grown and he was more built than Jason had ever seen him.

"I wasn't groping her." Jason hissed, "You know I would never do that."

"It was a joke." Chaz humourlessly countered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Didn't think you'd show."

"Well I did."

"I see. There's a first for everything, I guess." And with that, Chaz turned around and exited the hallway, going back to the festivities inside. Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm sorry about him."

"Don't be." Jason cracked a smile. Though Chaz' behaviour managed to get to him a bit—albeit he'd never admit it—he knew damn well how to push it away. Over the years he'd gotten used to it, anyway.

Chloe smiled too. "Let's go inside. Alex is extremely excited to see you."

Inside was the epitome of a picket-fence perfect family. The house was white and beige and had some children's toys sprawled around the living room. The kitchen table was filled with cakes, pies, pots of tea, cookies, sandwiches... everything a brunch usually consisted. There were many people Jason didn't know and approximately five children were running around the house, laughing.

Jason inwardly rolled his eyes. He had no interest in meeting these new people that apparently were Chloe's and Chaz' friends. He had no interest in being a part of their new life. They did their thing and he did his and this way no one got hurt.

Chloe hadn't left his side. She was overly excited to have Jason here, introducing him to everyone. "This is Sarah, Richard, Lana—

Jason stopped listening to her babbling altogether. He always made sure to stop by his old friends once in a while, just to keep contact. He didn't know whether he was doing it for them or himself, but either way, it was a good compromise. Chloe always got very happy whenever he showed up and her happiness was worth the miserable hours he'd have to go through. Besides, there was someone else here he was dying to see.

"Where's Alexia?" he cut her off.

Chloe promptly stopped talking. No one ever really called her Alexia; they usually stuck to Alex. Jason was the only person who sometimes dropped 'Alexia', though he didn't do it often either.

As if on cue, Alexia appeared in the door opening, holding a naked Barbie doll. Jason instantly grinned. She was mesmerizing. She had Chaz' brown hair, but she'd definitely gotten Chloe's blue eyes. Alex was truly the most beautiful three year old Jason had ever laid his eyes on, his own siblings counted out. He loved everything about Chloe's and Chaz' child, from the way she talked to the way she acted.

"Ucle Jay!" Alex exclaimed, dropping the Barbie doll and running over to where Jason was standing. She still said ucle instead of uncle, but Jason just thought it was cute.

"Ah, Alex!" Jason responded, easily picking her up and burying her into his chest. She wrapped her little arms around his neck tightly.

"You've grown so much already, princess!" he cooed, kissing the top of her head. Alex giggled, kissing his cheek. "I know." She proudly said, her smile from ear to ear.

Jason spotted Chaz looking at them, a sad expression crossing his face.

Jason clenched his teeth, shaking his head and focusing on Alex. There was no time for him to dwell on his old best friend, Alex was here.

Little Alex was practically attached to his hip the entire time. When she finally let go of him—an hour and a half later—Ryan Butler had just walked in, a boyish smile curling his lips. Jason's heart plummeted some more but he paid it no attention as he proceeded to stare at his other old best friend.

Ryan looked neat. He wore an expensive suit, had his hair combed backwards and his arm wrapped around a short girl's waist. She was absolutely stunning, dark skin, beautiful brown eyes and a killer body.

Chaz and Chloe greeted him warmly and it seemed that the others knew him too. Jason was the last person Ryan noticed, but the second he did, he froze. His smile turned from extremely happy to a firm, polite one. As if they were business partners.

"Jason." Ryan nodded, the smile never leaving his face. Jason didn't even feel like answering simply because of how polite Ryan was being, but then he decided he didn't want to ruin it for Chloe. And admittedly, Chaz.

"Ryan." Jason said.

"Jason," Ryan still had that phony smile on his face and it was starting to really irritate Jason, "This is my girlfriend, Kimberley. Kim, this is Jason. We used to go to the same schools."

Kimberley's smile was sincere. She shook Jason's hand, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Were you guys friends in college?"

Ryan looked uncomfortable. "Yeah."

"That's all I'm getting from you, Ry? Yeah?" Kimberly rolled her eyes.

"We're not having this discussion again, Kim."

"I just don't get it! Why won't you ever tell me anything about college? Every time I ask you, you say, 'I don't like to talk about it'." She sharply met Jason's eyes, "Anything about Ryan in college you think I should know?"

Jason narrowed his eyes at Ryan. He truly couldn't believe that after all those years Ryan had the nerves to act like they were never close. It didn't matter what Jason's profession was, it didn't matter that he wasn't the same as they were. What mattered was that they used to be best friends.

He was hurt.

"Nah," Jason hissed, "College was a fucking blast, wasn't it, Ryan?"

Then, he turned around and exited the house through the backdoor.

xxx

"Hey."

"Go inside, Chlo."

Chloe simpered, carefully sitting down on the sidewalk next to Jason. He lowly growled and extinguished his cigarette on the pavement, not wanting to bother her. "Go inside. You have guests."

"You are my guest."

"Chloe," he sighed, shaking his head. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" she raised her eyebrows.

"This. Inviting me to birthdays, brunches, outings, parties... you're always inviting me for something, even though you know I probably won't come anyway."

Chloe shrugged. "I always hope you do. Besides, you always visit once in a while. You're my best friend, Jason. It doesn't matter to me that you're not living the same way we are. I just..."

In that very second it almost looked like Chloe had aged backwards and she was in college again, with that pregnant belly and the innocent twinkle in her eyes. Jason frowned and glanced at her. "It doesn't matter to you? Do you know I have ki—"

"I don't want to hear it!" she cut him off, covering her ears with her hands. Jason stopped mid-sentence.

"I don't want to hear it." She repeated once she made sure he wasn't going to speak further. "Don't ruin it. I don't want to know. You're my best friend and to me the only thing that's different is that you're still dwelling on the past. You're just a bit troubled, is all."

Jason scoffed, "Dwelling on the past? No, Chlo. This is my life. I don't want to change it. This has nothing to do with the past, nor am I troubled."

"Believe what you want." She shrugged. "Either way, I don't care. We're not complete without you, Jase."

"Even if I was back to being friends with everyone, we'd never be complete."

It was comfortably silent. Jason and Chloe sat next to each other on the sidewalk for what felt like hours, though neither had any intention of breaking it. It was nice. He understood Chloe and what she felt, but he hadn't lied. Jason was done dwelling over the past a long time ago. He finally found something he was good at, something that made him fulfilled. If he wanted to change it he would've, but he doesn't. Those guys are his life now.

"Mind if we join?"

Jason and Chloe looked up, surprisingly meeting Chaz' and Ryan's faces. Jason clenched his jaw and turned back around, but Chloe's smile widened. "Of course not!"

Chaz and Ryan slowly sat down on the pavement. Chaz beside Chloe and Ryan next to Jason. Jason instantly felt pissed but kept it hidden. It was silent again, but this time it was nowhere near comfortable.

Ryan broke it. "Jason... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Jason emitted a bitter chuckle, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly. "Upset me? Sorry, Butler. Nothing you do could ever upset me."

"Right." Ryan mumbled, staring at the ground. Chaz cleared his throat awkwardly, "He's apologizing. No reason to be a dick about it."

"Sticking up for your best friend, I see. Cute."

Chaz narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I am sticking up for my best friend. You used to be my other best friend, so don't act all shitty because you're not anymore."

"I really don't care. You dumped me as soon as I did something you weren't proud of, that's not a person I'd regard as my best friend."

Chaz was clearly getting worked up. "You dumped us! You're the one who befriended those gang guys and dumped us! Don't put this on us, McCann!"

Jason snorted.

"I'm so done with your behaviour, Jason! For all these years I've been putting up with you showing up in my house, coddling my daughter, being close with my girlfriend—but you've never shown me any gratitude!"

Now Jason was getting ticked off. "Are you fucking kidding me? You're the one who talks shit about me the very second I step into your damned house! Look, I don't give a fuck. I'm here for Alex and Chloe. If you acted like a normal fucking person I would've done the same."

Chloe cleared her throat. "Guys, please—"

"Of course I act like that! You dumped us and then went and made money by dealing drugs and killing people! What the hell do you expect me to do? Be happy that you're around my daughter all the time? Be happy that you're still as close to my girlfriend? You're fucking dangerous, McCann. If I had a choice I would've kicked you to the curb a long time ago."

"Then why don't you do it, huh?"

"I may be Chloe's boyfriend and also the father to her child but she is perfectly fine of making her own decisions, and she's made it clear that she wants to continue seeing you." Chaz clenched his jaw.

Jason grit his teeth. "Well, the Boyfriend of The Year award definitely goes to you, Somers. I'm surprised you think I'd endanger Chloe and Alex. It turns out there's no smart bone in your body after all."

"Come on, stop this. Let's just—"

"Right!" Chaz snapped, "At least I have a girlfriend. I have a daughter. I have a college degree. What do you have, Jason? A couple of boys and a handful of guns?"

"Those 'boys' are my best friends, don't you dare fucking speak about them. They've helped me more than you ever have, you fucking piece of scum."

"Piece of scum? I'll sho—"

"Enough!" Chloe jumped off the sidewalk, her brows knitted together and her nostrils flaring. "I'm so freakin' done with your stupid bickering! Can't you guys see you just miss each other?"

Chaz and Jason both scoffed at the same time. Then, they glanced at each other shortly in surprise.

Of course Jason missed Chaz and Ryan. They were his best friends since diapers, and no one could really replace that. But, he didn't appreciate the fact that they thought they were better than him and definitely wouldn't ever admit that he sometimes wished things would get patched up between them. Sometimes.

"I just tolerate him for your sake." Chaz mumbled.

"Shut up." Chloe rolled her eyes, "What did you tell me last night in bed? Hm, let me think. 'I wish things would go back to the way they were between you, Ryan, me and Jason.' Right, Chaz?"

"So?" he knew he had no valid arguments anymore.

Jason suppressed a laugh, though he didn't do it very well. He laughed because he thought it was extremely funny that Chloe shut him up so quickly. He laughed because Chaz was hilarious whenever he didn't know what to do anymore. He laughed because... he liked hearing that.

"What are you laughing about, dick?" Chaz snapped, nudging Jason's shoulder playfully. He had an embarrassed smirk on his face. An honest one, at that.

Jason now barked out another laugh, clearly not bothering to hide it anymore. "She has you wrapped around her little finger, Chaz."

"Bro, I know."

They looked at each other with big eyes. It had been a long time since they got along, years even. Jason didn't want to get his hopes up... but was there a chance that they'd maybe make up?

"I'm sorry for the things I said." Chaz sighed, "You know me. I don't care that it's been years, you know me."

Jason nodded, his heart lurching in his throat. "I'm... I could've said some things differently."

Chaz and Chloe both laughed loudly. "I'll forgive you, I know apologizing isn't your forte." He roared.

Jason grinned.

"I feel like we should hug." Ryan bellowed. Everyone glanced at him incredulously. "What?" he exclaimed, "Shouldn't we? I mean, how many years has it been since we've had a normal conversation with Jason, huh? Three? Excuse me for feeling a hug coming up!"

"Aww!" Chloe dove in first. She wrapped her arms around Ryan tightly, motioning for the guys to come. Chaz was the first to cave, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and his best friend, and then the three stared at Jason with big eyes. "Come on!" Ryan laughed.

Jason rolled his eyes but then finally wrapped his arms around them too, immediately getting squished. He squeezed them all in disbelief.

The four of them kept hugging until Ryan breathed that he needed air.

Chloe's eyes were glossy when they pulled away. "It's like we're back in college. I love you, guys. Thanks for doing this."

"For you, anything. Right guys?" Jason smiled, riveting his best friends. They all nodded.

Then, Ryan murmured, "Almost like we're back in college."

xxx

"I'm sorry, can I have everyone's attention please?" Chaz yelled out. All the guests stopped talking, curiously looking at the man standing on top of the kitchen table. Chaz puffed out a breath, "Thank you."

His hands were slightly shaking and he had a nervous smile gracing his lips, and absolutely no one knew what this was about.

"Chloe, come here for a second."

Chloe frowned, clearly not knowing what this was about, but made her way over to Chaz, halting in front of him. He puffed out another breath, taking a hold of her hands.

"Chloe." He smiled, "I just want to thank you for being you. You're the most amazing mother. I doubt that I could've raised Alex without you. You're really the one who keeps us all running. We've been in a relationship for... almost five years. Even when I disappointed you and we had a small break, you still took me back. I didn't deserve that, but you did it. We've been through a lot," he glanced at Jason and Ryan, who were standing next to all the other guests. "But you've never given up on me. I'm happy our best friends are here to see this. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

He took another deep breath. "This isn't a happy day, which is exactly why you organized this brunch. I, however, only agreed to do it for one reason; to make you happy again. I agreed... so I could do this."

And then, he knelt down on one knee, fishing a little box out of his pocket.

Everyone gasped. Chloe covered her mouth with her hand, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Jason felt like his heart was about to explode. This made him happier than he could've ever imagined.

"Chloe Britto, do you want to marry me?"

Chloe didn't hesitate. "Yes, yes!" she squealed. Chaz let out a laugh of relief and threw his arms around her.

Alex was standing in front of Jason. She turned around and gazed at him, a frown on her face. "I don't get it."

Jason laughed in pure happiness. He lifted her up and kissed her forehead. "Mommy and daddy are getting married, princess. You're going to be a bridesmaid!"

"Really?"

"Yes, Alex." Ryan smiled earnestly, running a loving hand through her hair. Her mouth gaped, and then the most beautiful smile crept on her lips. "So mommy is going to wear a white princess dress? Mommy! Mommy, I want to help you!"

Jason put her on the ground and she ran over to her parents, who gladly joined her into the family hug.

Ryan and Kimberly were holding hands.

Jason smiled. His friends were happy, and that's all that mattered.

But there was a little part of him that felt slightly lonely.

xxx

The colossal Valdez home was as intimidating and gigantic as ever. It was grotesque, with the notorious fountain across the front door and a line-up of expensive cars. Jason always felt a tad queasy whenever he visited, though he hid it surprisingly well. The Valdez'es were like a second family to him and he wasn't about to abandon them simply because he sometimes felt uncomfortable in their home.

He parked his car and made his way over to the doors, making sure Sola was still following him. "You can come inside this time." He said to the dog, knowing she wouldn't reply anyway. "I bet you've missed them."

Sola barked.

The door was open and he easily slipped inside. There was loud commotion coming from the dinner area. Chattering, laughing, music... it seemed that Jason was just in time for the dinner party.

"Jason McCann... I haven't seen you in so long."

Teodoro Valdez was the first person to notice him. Teo had grown wider over the years. He had cultured a new amount of muscles and seemingly did his exercises quite often. He was, however, still the same, childish, pleasant Teo Jason had always known. He displayed the same boyish smile and never stopped treating Jason like his brother.

"You saw me two days ago." Jason snorted.

Teo rolled his eyes. They properly greeted each other afterwards and then marched into the dining room, a random conversation sparking up.

There weren't many others. Dominic was already seated, with Toby in the chair next to him and Carina in the chair next to Toby. Dominic had told Jason a while ago about how Carina and him weren't going to have more children. Jason had been astonished, because it was normal to have a dozen of kids in this family. Dominic had then proceeded to explain to Jason that they were satisfied and happy enough with Toby, who had turned four a couple of months ago.

"Jason! Thank God."

The voice was Maya's, who sat across the table. She hadn't aged much, albeit she'd definitely matured. To be fair, everyone had.

Maya and Teo were still together. They'd gotten married little over a year ago and then dove in headfirst by getting pregnant with triplets. All three babies were boys; Matthew, Xavier and Julian. Jason had cautiously recommended the name Julian and Teo and Maya were surprisingly happy with the name.

"What's up, Maya?" Jason gave Dominic, Carina and Toby warm hugs and then threw his arms around Maya. She gladly returned the embrace and pecked his cheeks. "I'm just glad you're here." She fluttered her eyelashes charmingly.

"You want me to watch the boys."

"No!" she smirked, "But it'd be nice if you could."

"Maya..."

"I know, I know. You have other shit to do—oops, sorry Toby—it's just for now. Teo and I have to pick something up and Dominic and Carina are coming with us. Please? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

Jason contemplated the idea and then immediately cursed himself for it. He had no time to watch the triplets and Maya knew it. His day was packed and he was lucky enough to find a hole in his schema so he could attend this dinner. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it, he sincerely did. He loved the boys and loved Maya and Teo enough to watch their children for a few hours.

"Babe, he's busy." Teo murmured, grabbing a chair to sit next to his wife. Maya groaned, "I don't trust the fucking nanny."

"Maya stop swearing in front of Toby." Dominic hissed.

"Sorry. I don't, though. She's a cunning little bi—woman. She's going to corrupt my sons. Last night Xavier wouldn't stop crying. I don't know what she did to him, but I hate her for it." Maya's brows downed on her eyes.

Jason laughed and sat down too, patiently waiting for the rest of the entourage to accompany them at the dinner table.

"You were the one who picked her out, Maya." Teo sighed, running a hand through his hair irritably. "She's fucking seventeen, I doubt she's corrupting our nine months old son."

"Language! God."

"Sorry."

"I don't like her anymore!"

"You hate all the nannies we hire, babe! It's getting ridiculous!"

The door opened again and revealed probably the tallest, most bulky man Jason had ever seen. Stefano Valdez was and had always been the strongest out of everyone in the family, if not the business. And obviously, he hadn't slacked these past years.

"Are they fucking fighting about that stupid ass nanny again?" Stefano growled, grabbing a chair. Another man followed him inside and sat down beside him, rolling his eyes but laughing.

"Stefano!" Dominic exclaimed in disbelief, covering Toby's ears. Toby giggled, his eyes darting from his daddy to his uncle.

"Shit—I'm sorry Dominic. I'm so not used to having this many kids in the house."

"You should get used to it." The man next to him snickered. His name was Cesar del Pozo and was slightly less built than Stefano, had some finer edges, sleeker hair, no stubble and a smile that could make every woman's heart throb in lust. Oh, and he was also extremely gay.

This time it was Stefano's turn to roll his eyes. "Cesar keeps hinting that he wants kids." He explained to everyone sitting at the table. "But I don't know."

"Why? In my opinion you should totally adopt some. Kids are awesome." Maya opted with a simple shrug. Teo chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't listen to my wife's advice. If I were you I wouldn't adopt 'some', they're a handful."

"I wouldn't listen to Maya's advice anyway."

Maya crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Stefano and Cesar have been dating for two years now. It had taken Stefano a lot of courage to admit to his family that he was gay, but it turned out that nobody cared about his sexuality. Cesar was quickly accepted into the family and it was difficult for Jason to imagine the family without Cesar.

Freddie and Emilio were the next to walk in. Emilio's hair now consisted a few grey strands but other than that he was still the strong and exhilarated man he always was. Freddie turned nine a few months ago, but Jason could already see how he'd be a heartbreaker once the kid entered his puberty.

After greeting everyone, they sat down too.

Jason looked around the table, his heart slightly swelling. He loved these people more than he could've ever imagined. They were always there for him and in return he'd forever help them whenever they desired. They weren't just acquaintances or his ex-girlfriend's family—they were his family.

Emilio, of course, sat at the head of the table and cleared his throat. "I guess that's everyone, huh?"

Everyone hummed in agreement.

"I'm so glad to have us all gathered here." He smiled, "These evenings are my favourite. When the whole family is together and we're drinking and eating and laughing..."

"We love being here, dad." Teo responded.

Emilio's smile widened. "Well, let's toast." He raised his wine glass, "Let's toast to thi—"

His speech got cut off by the door smacking open one last time and another person waltzing in. She was an absolute delight to look at, with her dark hair and her undoubtedly nice body. The woman sported a pink pair of heels, tight jeans and an expensive looking blouse. She hastily slid her vast sunglasses into her hair and dropped her bags to the floor. "I—" pant, "have—" pant, "been running—" pant, "as fuck." Pant.

"For the love of God!" Dominic slammed his fist on the table. The woman raised her eyebrows and then noticed the laughing kid next to her brother.

"Oops!" she put a hand over her mouth, "I'm sorry! Don't listen to aunty Cat, Toby. I'm saying bad words."

"Cat! I didn't think you'd make it. Didn't you have another appointment in Frankfurt later this evening?" Emilio queried whilst Cat gave everyone hugs and kisses. Cat nodded, hugging her way through. "I delayed it. I was in Paris yesterday anyway so I doubt I would've made it. Besides, I'd rather be in New York with my family than doing business in Germany."

Catalina had given up on her dream of finding the love of her life. Instead, she started her own clothing line and it sold pretty well, even though everyone knew she didn't need the money. Cat loved doing this and donated more than half of the earned money to a fund called the Tahirih Justice Center Forced Marriage Initiative.

And while doing that, she met a French man named Christian Micheaux and fell head over heels in love with him. The pair has been dating for a year and a half and Christian was planning on proposing to her, though she didn't know that. He'd already called the family to ask her hand and Emilio had staged a dinner everyone had to come to so they could discuss it. Nobody wanted Cat to have another failed marriage, especially considering her past in bad choice of men.

But everyone loved Christian. He visited as many times as he could and spent all of his days in the Valdez house whenever Cat and him were in New York. He'd grown on them.

After Cat was settled in her chair, she glanced at Emilio. "So, you were toasting?"

"Yes, yes." He raised his glass again. "I'm toasting to this evening, to having my family together. I love you all tremendously. This is a sad day, but having everyone together makes it a little better. I'm toasting... to everyone. I'm toasting because we're complete, and we have been for years now. I'm toasting because we haven't lost another family member in years, and I'm proud of us."

Everybody clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers!"

Jason felt his stomach flip at Emilio's words. Albeit he knew what Emilio had meant, he still couldn't help but think—we're not complete.

xxx

It was eerily silent at the harbour. The fishy scent quickly entered Jason's nostrils, causing him to grimace and cover his nose with his hand. Dario, Seb, Zach, Max and him were all knelt down behind an enormous litter bin, hands covering their noses but ears perked up in alarm.

Jason could easily handle two armed men, perhaps even three, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that there was no way he could survive a fight with six men while he was on his own. Hence why he'd called the others and made them come. Blake Saunders was member of a rival gang—a gang that was nowhere near Jason's, but it was still there. They had tried to bring down Jason and the guys for over a year, miserably failing. At last, Jason was done with it. Whether they succeeded in doing so or not, he'd rather just get rid of them altogether. Nevertheless, he didn't know Blake would bring all of his buddies.

"Sola." Jason whispered as quietly as he possibly could, "Go, girl. Go find them."

He didn't have to say it twice. Sola rapidly took off, her long, black legs gracefully leaving the spot behind the litter bin. Jason gazed at her, hoping the fuckers wouldn't hurt her, and then turned around to meet the boys' eyes.

"Plan?" Zach whispered.

"No plan." Jason replied, "We go there guns blazing. Nobody fucks with us."

"You sure that's the best thing to do?" Sebastian wondered. Jason nodded, his jaw clenched. "Kill them. They bore me."

"There's six of them and five of us. We have to remember that." Max commented. Jason pressed his lips into a thin line, "I'm done playing with them, it's time we show them what we're made of."

"Hear hear." Dario mumbled.

And just seconds later, there was loud, manly screaming and furious barking. Jason cocked his gun, pushed himself off the ground and paraded away from his hiding spot towards his targets.

xxx

"Burn the bodies." Jason ordered, panting. His chest heaved up and down, but a satisfied smirk graced his lips. He brushed his forehead with the palm of his hand, realizing it was coated with blood, and then shrugged. Murderous thoughts shadowed his mind and he absolutely loved it. His entire body reeled in exhilaration.

"Give me your lighter." Dario ran a hand through his blond hair, wiping some blood on his jeans. Jason chucked Dario his lighter and bent over, grabbing the hem of Blake Saunder's soaked shirt. He hauled his lifeless body over to the pile, annoyingly kicking him when his leg stuck out. Max dropped two other bodies on top of the pile.

"They stink. We really have to burn them fast." Seb muttered.

Jason hummed and then called Sola. She instantly made her way over to him, as elegant as she always appeared. "Good job, baby girl." Jason cooed, lovingly caressing her. He couldn't care less about blood on his clothes, skin or in his hair. Sola, however, was a whole different story. He hated it when she got dirty. "I'll wash you when we get home. I have one last stop. Do you want to go home with the guys so they can clean you up?"

Sola cocked her head.

"Yeah, stupid question."

"I'll get the gasoline." Zach spoke up. The guys worked hard together, listening to each other's orders and offering themselves up to do work. They had a strange dynamic that, regardless of the circumstances, worked out surprisingly well.

"You go, Jason. We know you have somewhere to be. We'll take care of this shit." Seb nudged Jason's shoulder.

Jason exhaled deeply. "Alright. Let's go, Sola."

xxx

Florencia Julieta Dulce Valdez

1961 – 2017

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest

It was dark. The sun had gone down a long time ago. Jason didn't like coming to the graveyard while the sun was up—it made him uncomfortable and angry. At night he was much more serene and it allowed himself to feel. Placidly, he put the bouquet of red roses by the tombstone. The roses were beautiful and majestic, just like Florencia had been. A royal.

He continued to stand there, looking at the tombstone. Sola sat still and quiet, not a single sound coming from her. She always turned into a statue whenever they visited the graveyard. It was like she knew. It was like she felt it too.

Jason's heart pounded against his ribcage as he kissed his fingers and pressed it against the cold marble of Florencia's tombstone. Then he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, braced himself and walked over to his next destination.

Alexia Graciela Valdez

1996 – 2017

Now, she dances with angels

His lungs felt jammed in his throat as he carefully sat down on the grass, right beside Alexia's tombstone. Cautiously, he put the white bouquet of mock oranges on her grave, sadly riveting the older, dead bouquets. He came here every once in a while with the same bouquet of mock oranges, simply because the scent reminded him of strawberries.

Today marked the fourth year since Alexia's death. Jason never permitted himself to think about her unless it was mandatory. It was in vain, but he wouldn't ever admit it. Alexia was in his mind at all times, whether he was aware of this or not. His nights consisted of nightmares reliving that cruel day, and his days were mostly distractions of the underlying issue. Alexia. His Alexia.

His stomach plummeted, prickles of sadness rushing through his veins. He still felt undeniable longing, desperate pining for the love of his life. She died and with her a part of him died, too. Jason tried to move on—but he never could. He wasn't complete without her. The world wasn't complete without her. He was alive, but he wasn't living.

It was his fault that she was gone. It had happened during that damned wedding, when Damian Albarran attempted to shoot Jason. Alexia had seen it coming from afar and shielded Jason just in time. She'd taken a bullet for him.

Jason will never forget the chaos that followed. The bloody mess, red stains on her princess gown, the screaming and crying... but worst of all, Alexia's pale, cold and lifeless body. Jason had clung to her, begging her to stay strong, begging her to keep her eyes open, but Alexia hadn't done such thing. She was instantly gone, the very second the bullet penetrated her skin. She hadn't even gotten the chance to say anything.

In that moment, it was like something clicked for Jason. Or something malfunctioned. Either way—Jason was angry. Angry at himself, angry at Damian, angry at everyone, angry at the world and angry at God. Weeks after the wedding he vowed to himself that he'd manually kill Damian Albarran and anyone with the same last name.

Damian had been the easiest, really. Though he had escaped and the Valdez'es were planning on assassinating him, Jason did it first. He'd brawled with him until all of his teeth were shattered and he missed a few fingers. Then, Jason stabbed him.

He'd do anything for Alexia. Dead, and alive.

God, he missed her. His entire body reacted to the memories of them together as if she was here again. As if she was touching him.

"I miss you." He softly whispered, staring at the tombstone.

Sola put her head in Jason's lap, looking up at him with big, sad eyes. Jason mindlessly grazed his fingers over the top of her head, not averting his gaze.

He loved Alexia. He would forever love her. He would love her until the day he died.

A bird chirped. Jason swore that he smelled a faint strawberry-like smell, one that wasn't coming from his flowers.

xxx

Timothy Pennington

1990 – 2017

A loyal man

Jason frowned, kneeling down again. Sombrely, he put the single flower on Bumper's grave. Hope you're good up there, bro, he thought, we all miss you.

After Bumper there was one last grave he had to visit. Jason got up again, motioning to Sola that they were leaving, and started walking. His sadness slowly dissipated and started making place for something else; satisfaction.

The next set of graves was on the other side of the graveyard. It was quite the walk, but Jason thought it was worth it.

He didn't sit down when he arrived, nor did he do a prayer. All he did was stare at the many graves, the many tombstones.

Damian Luz Salvador Albarran

1994 – 2017

And right next to that,

Katia Juanita Albarran

1997 – 2017

Lola Maria Jose Albarran

1995 – 2017

Berta Isaias Ana Paula Albarran

1963 – 2017

Felipe David Albarran

1970 – 2017

Hector Ignacio Albarran

1954 – 2017

Salome Rafaela Albarran

1959 – 2017

The entire Albarran line was laying here. Dead. A bitter chuckle emitted Jason's throat as he started to walk down the line and spit on every Albarran's grave. Damian, of course, got three spits.

Jason had made sure that no Albarran would live and that no one would get the chance to expand the Albarran name. Thanks to Jason, the Albarran's were now extinct.

He sniggered again, raising his eyebrows. "Who's the winner now?" he spat out loud, his voice echoing through the sky.

A tiny part of him said, not you, you lost Alexia, but he ignored it.

And this is the story of how Jason McCann, a perfectly normal guy, turned into Jason McCann, the most feared criminal in the US.

xxx

Andddddd CUT!!! That marks the end of Animal! I just want to say THANK YOU, to everyone who's supported me through this, no matter how lame some chapters are, no matter how little I updated at certain times. Animal is the first story ever I really finished and I'm extremely proud!! However, all of YOU guys are the ones who made Jason and Alexia and Damian come to life, you're the REAL creators of this story. Fanfiction or not, I truly, deeply hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I did. 

My next story is IN THE MAKING, and it's not a fanfiction. Regardless, I believe it's still a nice read. It'll be up sometime in the future, but not yet. First, I'll have to wallow about Animal :( 

So, for the last time... don't forget to vote and comment! Tell me what you think and certainly do not hesitate to ask me questions!!

I love you guys, you're the best!

THE END