Narrator's POV

"How are we feeling today?" Pepper asked, sitting on Stephen's couch as he mumbled things under his breath, walking back and forth in front of her, still dressed in his robe and sleeping wear.

He had a hand up to his lips, tapping his finger tips against his lips as he mumbled.

"Stephen." Pepper said.

Stephen held a finger up to her as he thought.

"If you'd like me to leave, I'll-"

"Wait, wait." He said, going over to the piano. "Wait! Wait, wait!" He thought harder. "Come on, come on, come on!" He slammed his head onto the keys, playing a disturbed tune. "Ah!" He quickly perked his head up, writing a note on a sheet of paper sitting up on the piano. He began to play a jolly tune.

Pepper smiled, listening.

Stephen used the soft pedal as he played.

"Whats got you so happy?" She asked.

Stephen cleared his throat. "It's Wednesday! It's Wednesday!" He sang along with the music.

"It's Thursday." Pepper said.

Stephen's music stopped, ending on a sour note. He looked back at her, then at his calendar. "Oh." He looked back at the keys on the piano. "It's Thursday! It's Thursday!" He sang.

Pepper was confused and terrified at the same time.

Stephen finished his song with a high happy note.

"What about today?" Pepper asked.

"I don't have to go to those fucking stupid sessions Christine signed me up for." He said.

"Can't you just leave?" Pepper asked.

"No, they'll notify her if I miss a single session. I've ready tried." He said.

"How did that go?"

"Well..." Stephen's voice escalated higher and rubbed the back of his neck, remembering what had happened. "Let's just say they had to close a whole strip of road so I wouldn't get hit by a car."

"Stephen, you're not really trying to kill your self are you?" Pepper asked.

"No. Of course not." Stephen said. "A little sad, yes; but take my life no." He said. "I know what happened was devastating, but I can't do anything about it." He sighed. "There are ways to bring him back, but come on. You know how much he struggled with himself."

Pepper nodded.

"I wouldn't want to break the peace he's in right now." Stephen said. "Life goes on. You have to learn to move on."

"Wow." Pepper looked at him. "That's the most uplifting thing I've heard you say in three months."

"Oh, fuck." Stephen tossed his head back. "I'm starting to sound like Dr. Mark."

"Dr. Mark?"

"My fucking therapist." Stephen said. "He's all sunshine and rainbows, but as soon as we start clay sculpting, he kicks me out."

"Why?"

-flashback-

"Alright everyone, the art of sculpting isn't just about making things and figures. It's to become one with the mold. To let everything you have inside come into the outside world. Become one with the clay, build your life upon it." Dr. Mark said, walking around the room. "Natalie, looking good. Love that vase. Oh, Fredrick." He smiled. "That's a wonderful car."

"Thank you."

He walked around to Stephen, who was building a miniature figure of himself.

"That's quite ni-"

"Oh, no. Aaaaaaaarrrrrggh! Heeeeeeeelp me. I'm so weeeeaaaaak." Stephen slowly started tearing and smashing the small figure he had made of himself. He suddenly noticed Dr. Mark by his side. He lifted his now pile of smooshed clay up to Dr. Mark with a proud smile. "Oh, wait." He took it back and drew a smile on the clay, then stuck two toothpicks for arms. "There." He said. "It's me."

Dr. Mark was terrified.

-Present-

"I see." Pepper said.

"Yup." Stephen nodded.

"And how's Captain?" Pepper asked.

"He's great." Stephen said. "Captain! Come on boy!" He called.

Captain came racing to him, a small bell from his collar ringing.

The cloak came floating after him.

"There you are." Stephen smiled. "You're such a good boy." He smiled at the small dog.

Captain barked, happily wagging his tail and looking up at Stephen.

"He's grown quiet a bit." Pepper said.

"Oh yes." Stephen said. "My Captain has grown some. Oh, I'm making some room in the back for a garden."

"Are you?" Pepper asked.

"Yes." Stephen said. "I thought I'd be a good hobby to keep myself busy."

"What about work?" Pepper asked.

"I'm still working." Stephen said. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Daniel had his last chemo last week."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. He is now officially cancer free." Stephen said.

"That's great!" Pepper smiled.

"I know. You should've seen how excited he was to tell me." Stephen said.

"Wish I would've been there." Pepper smiled. "I also wanted to talk to you about some neighbors complaints."

"Complaints?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah, they said that you're playing music too loud and having really loud parties?" Pepper said.

"Oh, they must be talking about when Captain and I do karaoke." Stephen said, as flashbacks of him and Captain singing into a microphone to "Hit Me One More Time" replayed in his mind, wearing all sorts of glowing neon sticks and with lights off. "Oh yeah, we get pretty wild when Britney Spears comes on. That's our thing, isn't it boy?" Stephen looked down at Captain.

Captain barked.

"Yup." He popped that p. "He loves Britney Spears."

"Well, could you keep on the low?" Pepper asked.

"What?" Stephen asked, standing up and picking Captain up, facing him toward Pepper. "Can you believe what Pepper just asked?"

Captain turned to her, stopping his panting for a slight second before panting again.

"You hear that?" Stephen asked. "He is outraged."

"Well, maybe just a little quieter next time."

"No can do. Britney must be played at high volume." Stephen said.

Pepper laughed, getting up from the couch. "Alright, you nut." She said. "I've got a meeting in twenty minutes." She walked up to him, and giving him a hug.

"Urgh. Meetings." Stephen groaned. "You couldn't pay me enough to attend a business meeting." He hugged her back and patted her back.

They pulled away.

"Take care Stephen." Pepper said.

"Can't make any promises." Stephen said.

"Whatever." Pepper smiled. "Bye."

"See ya later." Stephen said, closing the door to the Sanctum. "Hah..." He sighed.

Captain barked at him.

Stephen smiled down at him. "I know." Small pools of tears forming in his eyes. "It still hurts, but it's getting better." He looked up through the window in the kitchen, looking in the backyard. "What do you say we start our garden?"

Captain barked, wagging his tail happily. It made him happy to see Stephen happy.

"That's the spirit!" Stephen gave a little hop. "Come on! Cloak, you're coming with us too."

The cloak placed itself onto Stephen's shoulders.

"We've got a garden to build."