Two months went by since Kaldur returned home. The League was treating Kaldur no different, but his team was giving him space. The Team knew that Kaldur was still processing what happened to him. He honestly opened himself up more to his team more than to his own mentor. The Team would talk to him in his room, only one or two of them. Sometimes they would talk for hours and it usually would ended in Kaldur crying with his friends crying with him. They honestly felt the pain Kaldur poured his heart out to them. M'gann felt the pain that he was in every time he was in her presence for more than ten seconds. Sometimes at the end of their talks, he would cry himself to sleep with tear stains drying on his cheeks.

He was still talking to Manta. No news on his mystery man. Kaldur tried talking to his mother about this but he just ended up hugging her tightly in tears. His mother understood his troubles about letting his emotions out. Kaldur was always fearful of letting Shalina in. He could never explain it. The idea of being emotionally open with his mother just put the fear of Neptune in him.

Shalina would just rub his back and hummed to him softly. When she came to his room, he would be crying from a nightmare or a flashback. She sat on his bed and allowed him to place his head in her lap. She would cradle his head in her lap as if he was a small child and calmly sooth her child. Shalina never asked why he was crying or asked him to talk about the nightmares. She knew that Kaldur would never answer the question anyway. Also that he was still processing what happened to him mentally. She ended up tucking Kaldur back in bed as if he was a again child and kissing his forehead and staying with him for the night. On that rare occasion or two, she would lie down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Kaldur felt better when she was in the protective embrace of his mother.

Kaldur honestly tried to avoid Tula, Garth, and even his Queen. He didn't want their pity. He had enough pity to go around from the League and his king. Tula tried to talk to him, but he would shut her out. Garth knew that Kaldur wouldn't say anything about what he was feeling. He learned that from when they were children at school. Tula and Garth could tell Kaldur a million and one times that they were here for him but he still wouldn't change his mind on the subject.

This leads to the present. Kaldur sitting by the pool, swinging his legs in the water, alone with his thoughts, when Garth and Tula came to him and sat on both sides of him, Tula on his left and Garth on his right.

"Kaldur, you know that you can talk to us about what happened," Tula said after a few minutes of silences.

"Tula, I know that," Kaldur said with a small sigh.

"Then why are you avoiding us and Queen Mera? Why are you simply refusing to talk to us?" Garth asked feeling slightly annoyed.

"I need time," Kaldur said, telling himself the age old lie.

"It has been two month! How much time could you need!" Garth said growing even more irritated.

"Garth, you are not helping," Tula scowled him.

"This is why I do not tell you about this. You have a short temper and you make it impossible to tell you anything," Kaldur said in an exhausted tone.

"I am allowed to be irritated. You tell those surface dwellers about your trauma instead of your own kind," Garth explained angrily while he stood up in anger.

"With your temper Garth, I am shock that I have not told you anything," Kaldur remarked.

"We only want to help you Kaldur. You are our brother and we love you very much," Tula explained as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I need time. I have to go," Kaldur said as he got up and walked to his room.

Kaldur sat on his bed mentally exhaustion from what happened earlier and called the one person who wouldn't and hasn't pitied him, Roy. He slowed leaned on the bed and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" Roy answered.

"Hello my friend," Kaldur said with a small smile.

"Hey Kal. It's good to hear from you," Roy said with a small smile starting to form.

"Can you do me a favor and come pick me up. If it is not too much trouble." Kaldur said hesitantly.

"I'm about to get off work. I can come get you in about twenty minute. That cool?" Roy explained while he picked up the pace to his locker.

"That is perfectly fine. Thank you my friend. I need this," Kaldur agreed with a small sigh of relief.

"No prob Kal. I gotta go but I'll be up there soon," Roy said.

"Thank you. See you soon," Kaldur said as he hung up the phone.

Roy came to the Watchtower twenty minutes later, on the dot, and he took Kaldur to his apartment. Kaldur always liked going to Roy's apartment. He felt so relaxed there. When they entered his apartment, Kaldur went to the couch instantly and literally sunk into the couch. Roy went to the fridge and grabbed two beers. He handed the second beer to Kaldur and waited for his usual 'No thank you my friend" but he was shocked that he took it.

"Since when did you start drinking?" Roy asked with a chuckle as he sat down in his usual old beaten up chair.

"Call it an exception," Kaldur said as he took the beer.

"What are we toasting to?" Roy asked.

"To coming home and to being alive," Kaldur said as he held up his bottle.

"I'll drink to that," Roy said as he clinked his bottle neck to Kaldur's.

"If my mother or Queen Mera found out I was drinking, they would kill me," Kaldur said softly. "What they do not know will not harm them," he adds as he took a long swig.

"Kal, you seem frustrated. Talk to me," Roy realized.

"It is Garth and Tula. Garth's temper is getting the better of him. Once again," Kaldur answered.

"You know he is worried about you," Roy said.

"I know he is," Kalur said while he used his thumb to circle the rim of the bottle.

"You know he doesn't like me or the kids right," Roy said with a small chuckle.

"That I also know. I am going to assume that you know of their engagement," Kaldur said.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't have noticed. I heard your Queen talking to Tula about a wedding. I assumed that it wasn't the Queen's own wedding. I'm sorry Kal," Roy apologize.

"I figured they would. It is about time they came public about their relationship," Kaldur said with a small depressed smile.

"Kal, you still love her don't you?" Roy asked, already knowing the answer.

"I will always love her, But that does not mean I will not learn how to fall out of love with her," Kaldur said as he took a long swig of the bottle.

"Has the League found any suspects in the case?" Roy asked trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, but I don't know who. They are keeping me 'out of the loop', as they say in my case," Kaldur said with a small chuckle.

"That sucks Kal. Is there anything I can do?" Roy asked feeling slightly guilty.

"You know if the League finds my kidnapper, I will never be able to live with myself," Kaldur explained, completely off topic. "He took everything from me. Everything. I told myself, when I came to the surface, that if I did everything right, and if I could go to sleep with my conscience clean, then I was going to be okay. I did everything tight and look where it has gotten me," He explained with a pitifully chuckle.

"Kal," Roy said but Kaldur's glare stopped him instantly.

"I wanted a life. I wanted to wake up in the morning and smile at what the day will bring. I was so tired of being tired. I was tired of the abuse I suffered at the Academy. I wanted a little piece of happiness. I had this ridiculous notion that I deserved happiness," Kaldur said angrily while keeping a calm tone. "I want him dead, Roy. He deserves to pay for ruining my life. I will be forced to return back to Atlantis anyway, I wish to call it Aqualad's Last Mission," Kaldur said as tears of anger and pain rolled down his slightly scared face.

Roy put his beer down and went to Kaldur's side. He pulled him into a tight hug. Kaldur released all of his emotions onto Roy's shoulder in the form of loud sobs. Kaldur clung to Roy tightly as if he was going to disappear if he let Roy go. Roy didn't say anything to Kaldur. He didn't try to quiet down his sobs. All he could do was hold Kaldur tightly and let him cry his heart out.

Hours went by until Kaldur simply cried himself to sleep. Roy picked Kaldur up bridal style and let him sleep in his bed. He believed that Kaldur deserved a good night sleep. He tucked Kaldur in bed, after taking off his hoodie and shoes and went to the door. He decided to leave the lights on increase Kaldur woke up.

If anyone asked Roy if he believed Kaldur was capable of murder a year ago he would have said hell no. Now, seeing Kaldur this emotional unstable and desperate, he would honestly hesitate on his answer. He doesn't hesitate, ever.