I froze at the sight of him, unable to move and even holding my breath. His gaze zeroed on me, he smiled. Am I imagining things? Or is he real? I stared at him for awhile, still absorbing what I'm seeing.

There's Oxygen. Standing in front of the door in his faded gray David Lynch Rules sweatshirt, wrinkled cargo pants, high lace-up boots. He look so real. I must've missed him so much that I can't stop myself from wishing he was here.

"Oxygen!" Tita Moana called him out. My chest tightened, she's seeing him, too? So I wasn't the only one imagining things?

I watched Tita Moana stalked over him, that was when I realized that he wasn't just a figment of my imagination. He's real!

"Oh my God, Oxygen!" I shrieked in excitement.

"Hala siya," he grinned at me. "Delayed reaction, baby?"

Dad stopped me from standing up, when I turned to him he was looking at me, smiling. Then he whispered. "There's later for that, let him deal with his problems first."

I nodded. Okay, even though it's hard for me not to get near him when he's this close. Dad's right. I should let him deal with all these troubles first. Basta mamaya, sa akin siya.

"There goes your 'drug dealer', Vince, oh." Tita Chiara caught the attention of everyone, she pulled the swivel chair in front of her. The ones she'd been sitting at. "Come here, Oxygen. You're the missing piece in this puzzle. Sit here."

After embracing his mom, he went towards the seat readied for him. Tita Moana went back to her seat beside me. Both Chiara and Red Santa de Leones stood behind Oxygen.

"So, where did we stop?" Tita Chi broke the silence. "Oh, Zach's drug drama. In connection to that, we'll discuss Oxygen's drug drama. Friendship goals, aren't they?"

I don't know how she can still put humor in this kind of situation, but both Kurt and Roy De Salvo laughed.

"Okay, going back. This Pentagon and Cosa Nostra have been kept as our family's deepest and darkest secret. No outsiders knows about it. Makes me wonder, how it came out to public? Who betrayed who?" She continued and began walking around, circling everyone seated. "Drastic times calls for drastic measures. I don't accept defeat, Oxygen is a De Salvo making him a part of me. Letting him live in jail for days is hard for me, I couldn't fathom. I tried bailing him out, they wouldn't allow me. The one who tipped the police about my nephew distributing drugs was a mystery to everyone, but not for me."

She stopped behind Zach, squeezed his shoulders. And her eyes focused on the man sitting opposite to Zach's direction, Vince De Salvo.

"Must've been very influential, but I'm Chiara Santa de Leones." She smiled dangerously. "Family is not an important thing, it's everything. One thing I hate the most is betrayal. Blood makes us all related but loyalty makes us family. Do you understand that, Vince?"

I gasped and stared at Vince De Salvo with disbelief. If I'm guessing it right, he's the one who have Oxygen investigated. He's the one who put him in jail. He's the one who started the trouble. Oh my God! How could he do that? Oxygen is his family. Or is he including him in?

"Alright, given that you didn't know what's really going on. You didn't know about the fake drugs or the Cosa Nostra or the Pentagon thing. You should've let sleeping dogs lie!" Her tight-lipped smile shows contempt. "Hindi, e. You assumed you know everything. Just because you're certain he's having secret transactions with numbers of drug lords and have proved it to yourself that it's indeed about drugs, you've made a move. Without even thinking what will happen next. You've acted on impulse, kasi ano? Galit ka kay Exodus kaya dapat galit ka rin kay Oxygen? How stupid is that, Vince? I don't even know where these all started. It wasn't Exodus' fault that he's a De Salvo."

"Ikaw?" Napatayo doon si Tita Moana, direkta ang galit nitong mga mata kay Vince De Salvo. "Putangina naman, Vince. Pinaglihi ka ba sa teleserye? Hindi ko na maintindihan kung saan mo hinuhugot 'yang putanginang galit mong 'yan. Inano ka ba ni Exodus, ha? Ginusto ba niya na maging kabahagi siya ng pamilya niyo? Ano ka ba? Bobo ka ba? Tangina, ako ang tagal tagal ko ng timping-timpi 'dyan sa kademonyohan mo. Kriminal ako, Vince, e." Mula sa kaniyang likuran ay hinugot niya ang kaniyang baril. I felt dad's hand tightened over mine, he might've felt me tensed. "Matagal na sana kitang nagamitan nito, kung kasing bobo mo lang ako. Kaso hindi. Kinokonsidera ko pa rin 'yung katotohanan na kadugo ka ng asawa ko."

The throbbing veins in her neck and by the way how her chest rises were enough to let us know how mad she is. No one's moving, we're just watching her.

"Kinokonsidera ko 'yung mga tao na pumapagitna sa'tin. Nirerespeto ko sila, kahit pa ikaw, hindi ka marunong 'non. Itong mga kapatid mo na walang ibang ipinakita sa pamilya ko kundi kabutihan, alam ko na sila ang unang unang masasaktan kapag nagpatalo ako sa galit na nararamdaman ko sa'yo. Iyong galit na nabuo at naipon sa tuwing pararatangan mo ng insulto si Exodus o 'yung mga anak ko. Putangina ka, e. Inaano ka ba? Lalaitin mo si Exodus o si Oxygen. Bakit? Kilala mo ba sila? Bukod ba sa pangalan nila, ano pang alam mo?"

Vince De Salvo stayed still on his seat with wooden face, he seems to be hearing everything but refuses to react.

"You've left me with no choice, Vince." Tita Chi sighed. "The day after I tried bailing him out, I went to talk to you, I've asked you and you lied to me. I have doubts then, but I trusted you. I trust that you won't do this. You won't go this far. Because Vince, even if it's real drugs he's distributing, you wouldn't do that to family. We'll always have each other's back, we don't turn our back to each other. What happened to that? Why did you do this? What's the catch? Trying to prove everyone that Oxygen won't make a better leader for this generation and the next? Well, tell you what, Vince. This just proved me that he makes a better leader than you already are. He didn't chicken out and let all these undercovers unveiled. He choose to stay there and say nothing. He never let anyone down."

"Hoy, 'wag kang umiyak." Tinig iyon ni Oxygen, lahat ay napalingon sa kanya. Nagtama ang aming mga mata, kinunutan niya ako ng noo. "Ang iyakin mo."

Only then I realized I was crying. I pursed my lips and gave him a frown, wiping off the tears flooding my face. Dad pushed my hand away and he wiped it himself with his handkerchief. Whispering to my ears. "That guy has heart. I think I like him now."

"I told you, he's perfect." I smiled and winked at him before looking back at Oxygen who's now frowning.

"I didn't say he's perfect," dad snarled.

When Tita Chiara cleared his throat, I turned my attention back to what's happening. She's still standing behind Zach. Still on his shoulders. Si Tita Moana ay ganoon pa rin, nakatayo at direktang nakatingin kay Vince De Salvo hawak-hawak ang kaniyang baril.

"Hindi mo na dapat pang pagtakahan kung paano ko nalaman ang mga nalaman ko, Vince." Sabi niya. "This may serve as a lesson for you, that not everything you see is what it is. There's always a reason behind every action. Now that Oxygen is off the hook, sana naman wala ka ng susunod na pakikialaman pa. Leave this kids alone."

Kurt De Salvo patted his twin brother's shoulder and turned to Tito Exodus then up to Tita Moana. "I'm sorry, Moana Marie, Exodus and of course Oxygen."

"All's done," Vince De Salvo stood up. "I'm out."

When he started leaving, no one dared to stop him. No words have been spoken until the door hits close.

"We all make mistakes." Roy De Salvo shrugged his shoulders. "Let's not let that be the reason we give up on somebody. What he did is wrong and unjust but he's our brother."

"Who say's I'm gonna give up on that one? He's family." Tito Exodus stood up, with a smile on his face. He walked towards Oxygen, opening his arms. "What's up, my boy?"

Oxygen got into his feet and went into his dad's embrace. Bago niya ako muling lingunin. "Baka naman pwede ko nang lapitan baby ko? Tangina, miss na miss ko 'yan, e."

My entire face flushed hot when everyone turned at my direction. I heard them chuckle. Even Oxygen did. Dad shook his head and helped me up.

Mabilis niya akong pinuntahan at nilapitan. I stepped into his arms and embraced him tightly, I still couldn't believe it's over now. He's here again and we'll never be apart anymore. He kissed the side of my head and whispered. "Kapag umiyak ka kakagatin kita."

Kinurot ko siya sa braso dahilan para lalo siyang matawa.

"I love you, Gabgab."

"I miss you..."

"Lang?" Angal niya. "So, 'di mo ko love?"

"Ang arte mo, you know naman na 'yun, ah!" I buried my face on his shoulder. "Alright, I love you."

I stayed inside his arms, as we listened to them. Tinanong ni Tita Moana kung paanong napa-walang sala si Oxygen.

"I don't know," Tita Chi shrugged. "Red's a monster."

We all turned to where Red Santa de Leones is. Sitting on the other end of the long table, toying a pen in his hand, looking so bored and oblivious to what's going on.

Tito Tristan chuckled. "Don't worry, he didn't kill anyone to take Ox out of bars. Last night, we consulted it to a judge we've known for decades. All from the papers that you send, Exodus. The drug result was clear. Those pictures weren't enough to prove that he's guilty. You know, we can always deny, everything can be photoshopped these days. Well, Red pulled some connection to shorten the process."

"Salamat, Red." Si Tita Moana iyon. "Chi,"

"Sana lang hindi na ito masundan pa." Matalim na tingin ang ibinigay ni Tita Chi kay Tito Red. "You have to make this stop, Red. Enough with Pentagon, Cosa Nostra and all these shits!"

I agree. What they're doing doesn't cause any better. Pero ako lang ata ang agree kay Tita Chi, kasi parang umaalma ang lahat. Even the standing crew objected.

"Ma, we can't just stop." That's Reid, walking into the conversation. "They killed Uncle Dansen."

"They will kill everyone that comes their way, Reid." She faced her son, trying to make a point. "After him who'll be next? Lander? Blaster? Tristan? Exodus?" Kinuha niya ang baril na nakasuksok sa likuran ni Reid. "Kung ako nalang kaya ang pumatay isa-isa sa inyo?"

"I think, Chi make sense." Finally, another on our team.

"Chiara always make sense to you, Roy." Kurt De Salvo chuckled.

He ignored him and continued on what he's saying. "Violence is a disease and you don't cure a disease by spreading it to more people. Come on. Ilang buhay pa ang masasayang? Alright this team is big, influential, lethal and deathly but none of these were enough to beat the enemy you'd been haunting down all these years. Maybe it's a sign that you all have to stop this."

"People, I won't always be around to patch things up after trouble." Tita Chi sighed. "I can't always do this, I just have one life to live, I wish I have more."

Silence overpowered the room. What she said was right. What if she's not here? How's everyone gonna be? Will there be someone as strong as she is that will take her stand and control all these beast from doing things?

"We can't, Chi." Tito Tristan shook his head. "We can't declare it over. I live, died and have lived again for this mission."

"That you've passed through generation," she rolled her eyes. "You can't do this, Tristan Montezor. Ikaw nalang ang naiwan sa misyon mo, niyo. I think you should get over it, too."

Ibinalik niya kay Reid ang baril atsaka nilingon si Tito Red, ganoon din si daddy na nanatiling nakatayo sa aking tabi.

"Your mission is failing, Tristan. Accept it. You can't." Tita Chi added, wiping the tears that started falling from her eyes. "Dansen's lost might be the sign you've all been waiting for. You're not succeeding. Sa hinaba-haba ng panahon, nahanap mo ba? Hindi naman, Tres. Nag-aaksaya na lang kayo ng buhay. Dinadamay niyo pa 'tong mga bata na 'to. Tristan, there's nothing wrong if you'll accept defeat."

Oxygen's arms tightened around me, I held onto that. When I looked at dad, he's eyes were straight into Tito Red's direction. Who's focus is still on the pen in his hand.

"Sige nga, Tristan. Kung kaya mo, bakit kayo nalusutan? Bakit na-assassinate si Dansen? Anong nangyari?" Napapailing niyang sabi. "Tres, I cared about you. About everyone of you. You're all doing this to achieve peace without noticing that you're creating chaos."

"We're losing lives when we're not playing with a full deck." That was Tito Red, standing up. Glancing at his wife then to Tito Tristan. He pushed the pen and made it roll over the table. "I'm in."

Dad took that pen and shrugged at Tito Tristan. "Got you."

Tita Chi shook her head and rolled her eyes. Raising both of her hands. "Whatever."