Start the song! It's To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra and Patrick Watson. Be careful with this one. It's going to give details about Josh's past that I haven't touched on yet.

The agents watched patiently as Tyler climbed into bed beside his husband, helping him to sit up again. The two men waited for Josh to get situated before they sat down on the plastic chairs in the room.

"Joshua, my name is Agent Morrell. This is Agent Vasquez. We work for the FBI. Do you know what that is?" One of the men asked. They each flashed a badge, but Tyler already knew that Josh wouldn't understand what that was.

Josh shook his head. "No, sir."

Tyler kissed Josh's temple softly when he felt his husband's muscles begin to tighten with anxiety. He shrunk submissively against Tyler, trusting him to protect him in this situation. "You don't have to call him that, honey. He's not above you, okay?"

Josh nodded, looking back at the men. "I don't know what that is," he corrected.

"It means the Federal Bureau of Investigation," the other man explained. "We work for the government, but we're on your side. We just want you to be happy and healthy now that you're out of that place you used to live in."

The lack of reply from Josh was enough to tell the two agents that he wasn't buying it, but that he was going to let them speak anyways. They seemed to take that in stride, making Tyler wonder how often they dealt with kids who'd been in cults.

"We're just going to ask you a few questions about the place you grew up in. You can answer these questions with either 'saw', if you saw the thing we ask you about in your community; 'experienced', if you either had to do the thing we ask about or had that thing done to you; 'both', if both of the previous statements are true; or 'no' if it's not something you've seen or experienced. Okay?" Agent Morrell guided.

"What if I don't want to tell you about it?" Josh asked quietly.

"Then just shake your head when we ask for details. Remember that none of this is going to be held against you. These are all things the cult did, and you aren't being held accountable for any of them," Agent Vasquez explained.

"Okay," Josh replied quietly.

"We'll try to start off smaller, but as you already know, this is a heavy topic," Agent Vasquez told the boys, who both nodded. "Causing nonfatal bodily harm to an animal?"

"Both," Josh replied, looking a bit confused. It broke Tyler's heart that Josh still didn't understand that that wasn't something that children normally experienced.

Morrell wrote that down in a little book, allowing Vasquez to lead the investigation. "Killing an animal for purposes other than eating it?" The Agent continued.

"Both."

"Having marriages be arranged by officials of the church?"

"Both."

Tyler tried not to think about Josh telling him that their marriage had been dumped into his lap. He knew that Josh hadn't meant it, but his mind still wandered to those words. They disappeared from his mind when Josh's fingers tangled with his beneath the blankets, not seeming to have consciously done so. He was just looking for comfort.

"The marriage of children, which would be defined as people under eighteen years old?"

"Both," Josh told them. "I was sixteen. My mom was only thirteen."

The agents nodded. Morrell wrote that down as well. Vasquez continued. "Shunning or exiling people who displease the group?"

"You only get exiled if you try to leave," Josh told them. "Otherwise, you're either corrected or punished."

"That leads to my next question. Have you seen or experienced punishment for trying to leave or helping someone else leave?" Vasquez asked.

"Both," Josh replied, looking down at his lap.

Tyler wrapped his arm protectively around his husband, kissing his temple again softly. Even if he spent his whole life trying, he'd never be able to repay Josh for what he went through to get him and Ashley out of the community. Trying to exist in the community was hard enough on a normal day, but after helping two people escape? Tyler couldn't even imagine what that must have been like for the twenty-four hours leading up to the massacre.

"Do you feel comfortable telling us how you or other people were punished?" Agent Vasquez asked carefully.

Josh glanced nervously at Tyler before shaking his head. "No."

"That's alright. You're doing great," Agent Vasquez assured him. "How about kidnapping?"

"Seen," Josh informed him.

"Approximately how many times have you witnessed kidnapping or known that one occurred because of the cult?" Agent Vasquez continued.

Josh shook his head. "I have no idea. I've seen them my whole life. It happened all the time."

"Do you feel comfortable telling us why it was such a commonplace occurrence?" The man asked, and Tyler could see that he wasn't surprised by Josh's response. How could he be? People disappeared from this place all the time.

His husband hesitated for a moment before nodded. "Um, it was part of how marriage worked in the community. If you were, um, a guy born into the cult, they stole you a spouse from the outside. That's how they got more members."

"And that's how you met?" Agent Morrell chimed in, gesturing between the two boys.

Tyler shook his head. "We went to the same school. We knew each other before I was taken."

"I knew our wife before too," Josh told them.

The two men glanced at each other in surprise before wiping any trace of emotion off of their faces and continuing. "Okay. And what about child abuse?" Agent Vasquez asked.

"What's that?" Josh asked quietly, fiddling anxiously with the bandage around his left wrist.

"Have you ever witnessed or experienced an adult hurting a child physically or trying to make them feel worthless?" Agent Vasquez clarified.

Josh nodded slowly, and Tyler could tell the he was trying to understand why that was considered abnormal. "Both."

"Adults abusing a child sexually? That would mean a person over the age of eighteen engaging in any kind of sex with a child or touching them inappropriately, whether it is consented to or not," Agent Vasquez explained.

"Seen," Josh replied.

The agent nodded, turning the sheet in his hand over before scanning it quickly. He looked back up at Josh. "What about rape? That would be defined as-"

"Both," Josh interrupted, and this time even Tyler's touch couldn't soothe his tense muscles.

"Can you tell us about the person who abused you? Were they older than you or in a position of power over you or-"

"I did it. No one did it to me," Josh explained ashamedly.

Agent Vasquez sighed. "Joshua, what I need you to know is that this isn't your fault, okay? Even if it was you who hurt someone else, it's important that you understand that the responsibility of that falls back onto the cult. You were conditioned from a very young age to see that as a vital part of your culture."

Tyler nodded when Josh glanced at him uncertainly. "He's right, Josh. You did everything you could not to. If it wasn't for The Family, you'd never have hurt her like that. She knows that too."

Josh chewed anxiously at his bottom lip as he nodded back, looking back to the agents. "Next question?" He asked quietly.

"The questions are going to be more difficult now, so if it gets to be too much, feel free to just shake your head, and we won't ask you about it again. There are only three left though, so just bear with us. Okay?" Josh nodded. "Have you ever seen or experienced the torturing of a human being?" Vasquez asked, and Tyler could see that it really did take a lot out of the man to have to ask that question to a seventeen-year-old boy.

"Seen," Josh replied distantly, and Tyler could see his eyes starting to hollow out like they usually did when he was getting overwhelmed.

Focusing more on comforting Josh than how anxious the action would normally make him in a room full of strangers, Tyler pulled Josh into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Josh's waist, allowing his husband's already exhausted body to slump back against his chest. He kissed Josh's shoulder softly as he rocked him slightly. Josh had to know that he wasn't alone right now. Tyler still loved him, no matter what he'd seen or done.

"Have you ever seen or caused the death of another human being?" Agent Vasquez asked, and his eyes were sad now.

Josh was shaking slightly as he nodded. "Both," he whispered.

"That's not your fault either, Josh. None of this is your fault." Agent Morrell interjected once again. "We won't ask for any details on that today, okay? You're doing great."

The entirety of Josh's body was trembling, and it was taking everything within Tyler to keep his own body from having the same reaction. Night after night, his mind had reminded him of the sound Mathias's skull had made as the knife had forcefully smashed it in, splitting into his brain. He'd woken up from hundreds of nightmares with the scent of Mathias's burning flesh still stuck in his nose. The flames of that bonfire had been snuffed out over a year ago, but it was still smoldering every corner of Tyler's mind.

"This is the last question. Can you handle one more or do you need us to be done?" Vasquez asked gently.

It was probably in Josh's best interest to be done, but Tyler knew he wouldn't allow Tyler to make that decision for him. He wouldn't feel like it was over unless he'd answered all of them. They were going to have to see this thing through to the end.

"I'm okay," Josh lied, tangling his fingers with Tyler's atop his lap.

Tyler wrapped both of their arms around Josh, resting his chin on Josh's shoulder. "Are you sure?" Tyler asked him softly. "You don't have to push yourself if you're ready to be done."

"I'll be okay for one more," Josh assured him, but his voice shook. Tyler knew he was forcing himself to do this.

"Okay, Josh. Last question: have you ever seen or witnessed the practice of cannibalism, whether for a ritual or everyday life?"

Josh was quiet for a moment. "What's cannibalism?"

"That's what it's called when humans eat another human's flesh," Vasquez explained.

Tyler felt relieved that the last question was something that didn't actually occur within the family. Josh could end off on a relatively good note, and then he could relax again.

"Both," Josh replied quietly, and his eyes were completely empty now.

Tyler's eyes widened. "What?" He asked.

"Both," Josh repeated, and Tyler could see how ashamed the admission made him. "Only once, but yeah. I've had to do that."

"How old were you?" Agent Morrell asked, still writing all of this down.

"Ten, I think," Josh replied quietly. He was shaking even harder now. "It was, uh, it was during a human sacrifice. Everyone there had to eat part of...it. Our mom got mad at our dad for taking us though, so we never had to do that again."

The room was silent. Morrell cleared his throat before writing that down. "Wow. Um, you're our first yes."

Vasquez sent Morrell a warning look before looking back to Josh. "You're the first for the two of us personally, but the bureau has dealt with a lot of cases that include cannibalistic groups. You're not the only one," he assured Josh.

"No offense, but that doesn't really make me feel better," Josh whispered. "Maybe worse actually."

The agents looked at each other sadly before nodding. Agent Vasquez offered Josh a sympathetic smile before nodding. "I'm sorry. This will get better eventually, okay? It might take a while, but you'll get there."

"Okay," Josh replied quietly.

Tyler was in too much shock to say anything. He just continued to hold Josh, who was still shaking. The agents both thanked Tyler and Josh before leaving the room. Neither of the boys said anything in their absence. Josh stared numbly at his lap while Tyler buried his face against Josh's neck and pulled him in closer. They stayed like that until the door opened again.

It was clear from the moment he saw her that Josh had been hoping she'd show up since he woke up in this place. Abigail ran across the room as Josh hurried out of his bed. He didn't seem to care about the IV in his hand or the thick bandages that restricted what his hands were supposed to be doing as he picked up the eleven-year-old, hugging her tightly. Abigail hid her face against his shoulder as she held him back just as tightly.It was a testament to the nature of their upbringing that Abigail's eyes were completely dry.

"I'm sorry. Mama said I had to wait until you were doing better to come see you," Abigail told him.

"That's okay," Josh replied quietly, sitting back down on the bed without releasing her. She made no attempt to separate herself from him.

Abigail's hand smoothed his fading pink hair back gently as she held him, and it was becoming more and more apparent to Tyler in this moment that that was exactly what was happening. Josh wasn't holding her. She was ensuring that he didn't disappear or fall apart. This was exactly how Mrs. Dun had reacted. She hadn't shown any emotion when she'd first come into the hospital. It had taken days for her to even cry. That had all been programmed out of her by The Family.

Seeing the small girl comfort Josh only made the aching in Tyler's chest intensify. They were children. This shouldn't be their reality. Josh should be in high school, dyeing his hair for fun instead of as a means of overcoming an obsessive need to keep from angering his father. Abigail should be playing with friends, going to school, and being a happy little girl. They weren't though. Josh was suicidal, a teenage father, and carrying the weight of having seen everyone he'd ever known die right in front of him. Abigail was obsessed with dark things, taking responsibility over her older siblings, and technically a widow at eleven years old. This wasn't how normal people lived.

The worst part was, as hard as they tried to overcome all of this, their past would still be a part of them. Josh would always be JJ's father. He'd always carry the memory of killing Mathias. He'd always know the taste of human flesh. Abigail would always feel more protective than she should over Josh. She'd always remember being told that her blood had to be dark. She'd always carry Asag's initials on her freckled forearm. They could still go on to do great things, but this had all still happened, and most of their lives had been spent thinking that that was normal.

No matter how hard he tried, Tyler couldn't protect Josh from that. He couldn't make those memories go away, especially when some of them were linked to him. Josh wouldn't have ever had to kill Mathias if Tyler hadn't been taken. Josh's punishment probably wouldn't have been as severe if he'd only needed to set Ashley free. That wasn't the case though, and those terrible events would always be part of what bound them together.

"I love you, Bubba," Abigail told Josh quietly.

"I love you too," he replied, his voice breaking slightly at the end.

Tyler took a deep breath before climbing off of the hospital bed. He zipped his backpack up before pulling it up over his shoulder. There was no way he was going to school today, but Josh needed to be alone with his sister right now. He had Tyler's number. He could call Tyler when he wanted him to come back, but for now, Tyler just really wanted to go home and see his mom and be reminded that he was still a kid.

He needed a little bit of time to just be a teenager. Josh had only been back in his life for a few days and he'd already been enveloped into this role of husband again, forgetting about his responsibilities at school and home. His life was very different from when he'd been in the cult, but their relationship was somehow still the same. It was still about survival and how incapable they were of achieving that without each other.

"Are you leaving?" Josh asked nervously, catching Tyler's attention.

He looked up to meet Josh's eyes. His arms were still wrapped around Abigail, but they were both watching Tyler. He nodded.

"Just for a little while. Text me or call me if you need me, okay? I just think I should go see my parents and stuff," Tyler told him.

Josh smiled sadly, making Tyler's heart jerk painfully in his chest. "Okay. Drive safe. I love you."

"I love you too," Tyler replied easily, leaning down to kiss Josh softly. "Be good, okay? Don't put any pressure on your wrists, get some sleep, eat something, and drink lots of water. Remember that the doctors are here to help you. You can trust them."

"Okay," Josh agreed. He smiled a bit more genuinely when Tyler peppered kisses all over his face.

"And most important, remember that you're my favourite person and I love you so fucking much," Tyler insisted, making Josh smile fully.

"I love you too," Josh replied, seeming to find a bit more comfort in the words this time.

Tyler kissed Josh one more time before looking at Abigail. "I also love you, so you better be getting enough sleep and eating properly and drinking enough water," he told her.

She smiled. "I love you too, butthead."

Tyler smiled at her. "Okay. I'll see you guys later. Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay," Josh replied. Tyler nodded, but his feet remained rooted on the floor. Josh smiled slightly. "You forgot to move."

"Yeah, I'm working myself up to it," Tyler assured him, but he still didn't move.

The idea of leaving Josh was making bubbles of anxiety form in his stomach. How would he know Josh was safe if he wasn't here to see it for himself? What if Josh tried something again? What if Jordan did? What if Josh thought he was leaving because of what he'd told the agents? Tyler couldn't just leave him.

"Hey," Josh's voice was soft, and so was his hand as it took Tyler's. "I'll be okay. Go home. Your family probably misses you."

Tyler nodded, chewing his bottom lip as he tried to talk himself into moving. "I love you," he told him again.

"I love you too, but so does your family," Josh reminded him. He kissed the back of Tyler's hand before releasing it. "I'll be good. I promise."

Tyler hugged Josh, nearly crushing Abigail between them. He didn't say anything as he buried his face against Josh's neck, breathing him in. Even when diluted by the chemical stench of the hospital, the scent of patchouli and incense calmed Tyler. Josh was here. He was alive. Everything would be okay.

Taking a deep breath, Tyler released Josh. "Okay. I'm actually going to go this time. I love you."

Josh laughed, and that sound was enough for Tyler to feel like he would be okay to leave. "You've mentioned that a couple times, but I definitely love you too."

"Good," Tyler replied, smiling nervously before heading for the door. "Call me if you need anything."

"I already said I would," Josh told him with a grin.

"Right. Good. Okay. Sorry," Tyler told him as he opened the door. He looked over his shoulder at Josh, and added just for good measure, "I love you."

Josh laughed again, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. "I love you too."