~ ENOUGH TIME LATER ~ BACK TO FAMILY LAND ~

After Marcus informed them of the unpleasant developments, Stefan and the others went home while the rest of the family went to bed and Alexander and Logan waited for their mates. After all, in such terrible moments, the only person anyone needs is their own person. So, the two men sit on the porch steps and wait while they have a drink.

They get up when they see the car coming through the gate. When it pulls up in front of the house, Logan walks around and helps Jeanette get out. She clings to him.

He takes her in his arms and walks into the house. Alexander pokes his head in the window and smiles at Matt in understanding.

Alexander: Hi!

Matt: Hi!

Alexander: Are you getting out now or should I get in?

Matt: If you get in, will you drive?

Alexander: Sure.

Matt sits down in the other seat and Alexander takes his place behind the wheel.

Alexander: Where do you want us to go?

Matt: To the ocean.

Alexander drives off and half an hour later they drive through the gate of the secret place. Alexander parks the car and Matt reaches for the door handle.

Matt: Give me a minute, okay?

Alexander: Okay.

Alexander turns off the engine and Matt gets out of the car. He runs to the shore, undresses, and when he reaches the water, he dives in completely naked and starts swimming under the surface. A few meters further, when he runs out of air, he emerges screaming. A scream that's full of pain. Pain, despair, and loss. A scream that makes the birds in the trees fly up and Alexander get out of the car and start running. He runs as fast as he can, discards his clothes, and falls into the water. Matt sees him and swims toward him. The two men swim towards each other and when they reach their destination ...

Alexander: Hey! Hey! Calm down, baby. I'm right here.

Matt: I hated her, Alex. Most of my life I hated her, but she shouldn't have died. Not like this. Not in a fucking cell. Not now. Not now that I ... I had started to stop hating her. Why, Alex? Why did she have to die? Why?

Alexander: There's no why in death, baby.

Matt: It hurts, Alex. Help me! Please.

Alexander takes Matt in his arms, hugs him, and strokes the back of his head.

Alexander: Shh! Calm down, baby. It's going to be alright. The pain will get smaller. Little by little. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. Until you don't feel it anymore, and I'll be here loving you.

Matt: No matter what?

Alexander: No matter what!

Matt: I want you to make love to me.

Alexander: Hmmm ... We haven't done that in forever.

Matt: Yeah. Because you're a pervert and you want to fuck me all the time.

Alexander bursts out laughing.

Alexander: I just don't believe it!

Matt: What? It's a fact, isn't it?

Alexander: No. No. That's not what I'm talking about.

Matt: Then what're you talking about? You don't believe what?

Alexander: What you always do.

Matt: What I always do?

Alexander: You try to exorcize every evil with your humor.

Matt: That's my defense. That's how I survived all the shit that happened to me.

Alexander: Didn't I help at all?

Matt raises his head and, smiling, brushes the wet hair out of Alexander's eyes.

Matt: You, Mr. Alexander Grayson Firewood, did the most important thing of all. You put all my broken pieces back together. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now. I owe you a lot, but the most important thing is my life.

Alexander wraps his arms around his neck and kisses Matt's forehead, nose, and lips.

Alexander: You, Mr. Matthew Nicolae Jameson ...

Matt: Hey. My name is Firewood, not Jameson.

Alexander: Right. Sorry about that. My mistake. Mr. Matthew Nicolae Firewood, I mean. You don't owe me anything. You've repaid me by showing me your wonderful side all these years. But now it's time to stop blah-blah-blah. It's time for action, and so ... You're coming with me!

Matt: Where?

Alexander: Outside. To the beach. I've decided to put my kinky self aside for a while and make sweet and romantic love to you on the sand.

Matt: Oh! Okay. No problem for me.

Alexander offers his hand and Matt puts his own in it. Alexander holds him tight, leads him out of the water, kisses him and lays him on the white powdery sand. Matt spreads his legs and holds his hands above his head. Alexander stretches his body over him and takes his hands in his again. With smooth and slow movements, Alexander slides into Matt, who bends his neck back and sighs deeply.

Matt: Oh ... Alex.

~ MEANWHILE ~ STEFAN's HOUSE ~

The three couples, having just showered, sit in the living room, talking while staring at the TV.

Stefan hangs loosely on the couch, braiding Artemis' hair between his fingers as she lies on top of him, caressing his inner thigh through his shorts. Jason, sitting on the other couch, holds Cecilia in his arms and kisses her shoulders as she zips through the channels. And on the floor, Johnny has Lucida on his lap and stares at Prometheus, who's sleeping carefree and lying broadly on her breasts.

Johnny: Guys? I don't know if I told you, but I'm going to cook tomorrow.

Artemis: Really? What kind of deliciousness are you going to cook for us? Maybe something French?

Johnny: Parrot potato casserole. What's your preference? Red sauce or white sauce?

They burst out laughing.

Stefan: Laughter is nice, but I'm thinking of G-man. I'm sure he's a wreck. Maybe we shouldn't have gone.

Lucida: No. We'd have been useless. We wouldn't be able to help him. When Daddy Matty is in a state like that, all he needs is Daddy Alex. Not even Uncle Jace.

Artemis: You know, when I heard his story, I was shocked. Not so much because of what he went through, but the fact that he managed to get through it all unscathed. You don't come out of something like that psychologically healthy that easily. Especially when it happens at such a sensitive age as puberty. I used to admire him, but now that I know, I admire him even more.

Jason: Don't you feel sorry for him or something?

Artemis: Feel sorry for him? Are you kidding me? It would be an insult to him if I did. A man like him, a strong man like him, deserves only admiration, John-John, not pity.

Jason: Do you all believe that?

Cecilia: Yes, of course.

Lucida: Sure.

Johnny: Absolutely.

Jason looks at Stefan, who's already thought about what he's going to do, and nods. Then he finally makes the decision.

Stefan: G-man is not the only one in the family who deserves that kind of admiration, you know.

The others turn and look at him in wonder.

Lucida: What're you talking about, Pretty Boy? Who're you talking about?

Stefan: Let me tell you a story and you'll find out.

Jason leaves his seat and goes to the window as Stefan begins to tell the story. Jason's story. A few minutes later ...

Stefan: And after so many years, this boy is still keeping the hell he went through a secret.

Cecilia talks to Stefan and stares at Jason, who's still looking out the window.

Cecilia: And why does he do that?

Stefan: Because he's afraid his family will feel sorry for him if they find out.

Cecilia: That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Stefan: Don't tell me. I was the first one to say that.

At that moment, Lucida hands the sleeping Prometheus to Johnny and gets up. She approaches Jason at the window and puts her hand on his shoulder.

Lucida: You know something, John-John? Ever since I met you, back when we were kids, I've felt something for you besides sympathy, but I couldn't understand what it was. Now I finally know. Admiration.

Jason: Lucy ...

Lucida: No! Don't say anything now.

Jason: Thank you.

They both go back and sit down. Jason takes Cecilia in his arms and turns to Stefan.

Jason: And now that you've finally revealed my secret, what exactly do you get out of it?

Stefan: I proved to you how stupid you're.

Jason: Okay. You were right all along. I was stupid and thank you for helping me figure that out.

Stefan: That's what friends are for.

Cecilia: That's where you're wrong, brother. We're not just friends. We're family.

Cecilia holds out her hand and the others put their hands on it.

Cecilia: One for all ...

Johnny/Lucida/Artemis/Jason: And all for one!

Stefan: For a lifetime?

All together: For a lifetime!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The next few days were quite busy for all of our heroes. Jason went back to school where he was welcomed with open arms by the students and the other teachers. Eva and the Drops took care of it. They organized the students, who gathered in the schoolyard and burst into applause when Jason walked through the gate. Afterwards, they gathered around him and greeted him with hugs and kisses, thanking him for getting Sharon to leave the school. The principal, after getting his hands on the file with the blackmail evidence, fell at Jason's feet and apologized to him. Jason felt uncomfortable, but he confidently accepted the principal's apology at Jace's behest. After all that, Jason returned to class and things were put back in order.

Johnny visited the clinic where he'd be working and signed the employment contract, which, after the intervention of Alexander, who happened to know the manager, contained much better terms than Johnny had originally agreed to. The rest of the days he helped the girls making the new house ready.

Stefan had several meetings with Sebastian and Negro to work out a plan for Paul's arrival on the 27th of the month. Kyle managed to hack into the security camera system in the airport reception room. Keep that in mind, because as it'll turn out, this move will reveal something big. Something big and evil.

As I said before, the girls, Artemis, Cecilia, and Lucida, with a little help from Johnny, have taken care of the new house, which is almost ready. The only thing missing is the furniture for the bedrooms. A special order was placed for all three beds and therefore the delivery will be a little late. As for the rest ...

Thanks to Marcus' mediation, Abigail's autopsy took place in record time, and two days later Matt and Jeanette, along with the entire pack, accompanied their mother to her final resting place. Abigail Jameson, who'd died of a heart attack in her sleep, as "seen" by the coroner, was buried next to her husband, Noah.

Matt and Jeanette didn't want to keep her away from him, no matter how much they were pained by the fact that their mother was living hell next to this man. Immediately after his mother's funeral, Garth traveled to Canada. As he told Matt and Jeanette, nothing is keeping him there. He wants to open a store with the money Matt gave him, a mini-mart or something, somewhere where no one knows him. He wants to make a fresh start in his life, now that his father's negative influence has fallen off of him. Matt, Jeanette and Matty gave him their blessings and wished him "good luck" in his new life.

Zafira went on the date with Marcus and ...

Well! She came back home two days later! You get the idea! Their date went well ... Pretty good! Of course, Matt wanted to report her missing after the first twenty-four hours because she wasn't returning his calls, but the others wouldn't let him. They told him, and I quote ... "She's with a police lieutenant. There's no way she's in danger!"

And now for the children. Damon and Nicolae, who're hugely excited about the upcoming trip, and Margaret, who's constantly nagging because she hates the days when her Damon isn't with her. She argues with Jared almost every half hour and makes the others laugh. Let's see ...