"Sam!" Angie pushed Tom aside and rushed inside the room. "I can't believe it."

They weren't alone. Jessie and Lisa followed, all of them in school uniform. And Sam just realized he had no idea what time it was, what day of the week. It hadn't been relevant until right then, but he suddenly felt completely lost.

"I told you," Tom said, closing the door and hurrying by the bed. He took Sam in, analyzing him carefully.

Sam found it a little weird that he wasn't wearing sunglasses, especially since he'd come in off the streets, but he liked it.

"Shit, you need some food," Tom declared. "You don't look much like me anymore."

Sam suddenly wanted to punch him in the gut, but his twin's hug drove all murderous impulses out of him. With difficulty, he lifted his hands and placed them on Tom's back.

"You're such an asshole," Tom whispered in his ear. "What was that all about?"

"Move over and let someone else have a turn," Angie said, fortunately nudging him out of the way and unfortunately hugging Sam as well.

Sam shut his eyes, expecting something to happen, warmth to fill him, a foreign, unwelcomed feeling to take him over. Nothing happened and Angie let go, pulling away.

Jessie followed, giving him a short, tight hug, then he was left facing Lisa who was biting her lip, her eyes swimming in tears.

"Oh, Sam." She dropped on the bed next to him and hugged his head against her chest. Which was so weird, but strangely comforting because this was Lisa. The person who, out of all the people in this room, knew him the longest. "What did you do?"

"How's this all on me?" he asked.

"It kinda is," Jimmy said with a grin.

"Did you figure out something, genius?" Tom asked.

Lisa released Sam's head, but took his hand instead, squeezing it tightly, and sat on his bed. A knot of guilt formed in his chest, and for a minute he wanted to pull away, but he changed his mind. Because there was someone who was supposed to be there but wasn't, and her absence screamed loudly into the silence.

"Where's Christine?" he asked.

Lisa's grip on his hand loosened, but she didn't pull away. Angie heaved a sigh, but the others didn't seem to feel his question was loaded in any way. Even if it so obviously was. Because it brought things to the forefront that he'd almost forgotten. Almost.

His suspicions about her, her flaky attitude, how inside his hallucination she'd basically confessed that he was a target. Was he? Sure, he knew that wasn't Christine, that it was merely a projection of his own thoughts and feelings, but they had to stem from something.

God, you have no idea how to start, do you?

Yes, there was that. In a moment where he could be dying, when Christine had the chance for famous last words, she chose to belittle him. And it stung. Even after weeks of being in a coma, the words were stuck to him, setting his insides on fire.

He was insecure when it came to his romantic capabilities. Hell, Christine was his first everything. But this time, for some reason, he refused to believe her. So he refused to cater to her stupid wishes and let Lisa hold his hand. She was his friend and he needed the care and contact. If Christine wasn't there to provide, she should suck it up.

"Christine doesn't really wear the watch, so it might be a while before she gets here," Angie answered. "I can text her."

"No," Sam said before she could take out her phone. "She'll get here when she does. It's not like I don't have company."

Lisa squeezed his hand again and he smiled up at her. He kinda wanted Harry to be there too, but he'd take what he could get.

"So what's new with you guys? How's school?"

"Lonely without you," Lisa said. "Tom isn't nearly enough of a smartass."

"I beg your pardon," Tom said, putting his hand on his chest in fake offense. "I may not be as smart, but I make up for it in sarcastic quips."

Angie and Jessie both giggled, and Sam took the time to analyse Angie. She was just like he remembered her, maybe a little more guarded, but what he liked most was that there was no tug in his chest, no sense of longing. Just so much affection, but the kind he felt towards Lisa as well. And it was great to see her and Tom together, content.

He focused on Jessie next, and he frowned. She was looking up at Jimmy, leaning her back against his side. He looked down at her too, and everything about him seemed to change. All menace, all roughness was gone, replaced by something he'd only seen once before. Which meant he'd missed a lot.

"Did you guys do it?" he blurted out.

Jimmy and Jessie both turned to him, surprise on their faces, but not a hint of shame or denial.

"God, yes," Tom said with an eyeroll. "You have no idea how annoying it's been to constantly be forced to go out."

"Gee, thanks, Tom," Angie deadpanned. "Nice to know you like spending time with me."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I love spending time with you. But sometimes I just want to stay in and see a movie."

"You're kidding, right?" Sam asked. Tom never seemed to have one lazy bone in his body and now here he was, longing for movie marathons.

"Dude, Sam, you can't make out properly in public," Tom whispered in his direction, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Lisa and Jessie bit back their giggles again while Angie gave Tom a light shove.

"Come on, don't exaggerate," Jessie said. "We go out a lot."

Tom just watched her through half-dropped lids. "Seriously? You and Kay play rock, paper, scissors every evening."

"We need to get our own place," Jimmy mumbled.

Even if Sam was amused by the whole situation, it felt too real. He'd hardly spent a year at home with his brothers and already they were talking about moving out. Though if Jimmy's plans worked out, he'd be leaving for college soon. All of them would. Life was very hard to process at the moment.

"Hey," Lisa squeezed his hand tighter. "You're going to be okay, genius."

"How do you even..."

"I've known you for seven years, Sam. Trust me, I can read your mood better than you think."

Yes, she could. She'd always been there for him. A lot more than Harry who tended to trade them for his latest conquest. He'd ditched them so many times, it had become second nature for Sam to hang out with Lisa. And at this moment, he wasn't sure she knew how much she meant to him, how much he valued her friendship.

"Thank you," was all he could say, and it was pathetic.

"Oh, wait, I have something new." Tom fortunately broke the awkwardness with his flamboyance.

Then he brought it right back once he started undressing.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked as Tom was unbuttoning his shirt.

He was even more ripped than Sam remembered and he suddenly wandered what he looked like after four weeks of lying in bed like a vegetable. Lisa squeezed his hand and Sam was halfway between laughing and choking at the shocked expression on her face.

"I have to show you this!" And Tom turned around with a flourish.

Sam wanted to scream that he didn't want to see his twin's scars, but the words were stuck in his throat once he realized they were gone. They'd been replaced by an intricate tattoo that looked like thin vines with leaves darting out to cover anything more prominent.

"It's beautiful," Lisa breathed. "But didn't it hurt?"

"Not as much as I thought it would," Tom answered and Sam took it to understand that not as much as the torture which had caused the scars he was hiding in the first place.

"When did you get this?" Sam asked. He'd refused Mizrelle's offer, so this was a little odd.

"In Paris," Angie answered. "Mizrelle was nice enough to offer and he said yes. I was iffy at first, but it looks amazing."

"And I can finally go to the beach," Tom quipped. "Also got this as a bonus." He turned to show a fleur de lis tattooed on his shoulder. "In case you were wondering, I got shot, so I added the symbol to remind me where it happened," he added, finally putting his shirt back on.

Sam decided to focus on that little aspect later since it would imply Agency and Snitch Gravel talk, so he narrowed his eyes at Tom, reading well between the lines. "Mizrelle, huh?"

"Yes, she actually came over to visit you," Angie said. "She was really heartbroken over what happened. I think she had a little crush on someone." And she winked at him.

Actually winked. So unaware that he'd forced the guy next to her to kiss her just so they could escape the fraternity. Unaware Tom was the one Mizrelle had the unhealthy crush on.

"Did she want anything in return?" Sam asked, nodding towards Tom, knowing his twin would understand the underlying question. Did you have to kiss her again for this?

"Nope. It was free." And Tom gave him a glare that clearly stated it was time to drop it because he hadn't told Angie anything.

He was saved the effort of perusing the subject by the appearance of Kyle and Kay. They both wore their academy uniforms, helmets under their arms.

Kay let out a scream of delight and rushed to hug him. Kyle stayed by the bed, a smirk on his face, and Sam couldn't believe the relief he felt in seeing them. The old photograph lingered on the outskirts of his mind, but now that he was awake, he couldn't remember what the people in it really looked like. All he could remember was that it had something to do with Kyle and Kay and that as long as they were together, things would be fine.

Kay seemed her old, sweet self, happy to see him, shining like the sun when she smiled. Kyle was a different story. There was so much steel behind his eyes, as if he'd built a shield inside himself that somehow spread out and surrounded everyone.

Sam almost felt like crying. It wasn't like Kyle had been the personification of happiness since he'd seen him in person, but now it seemed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"Needed a nap, huh, kid?" Kyle asked, nudging Sam's shoulder with his fist. At least his voice was still the same. "Hey, Lisa."

"Hi," Lisa answered, with a grin and Sam couldn't help but notice the familiarity between her and his brothers. The awkwardness that had been there in the autumn was gone.

"Jerry's on his way," Kyle said. "He insisted that I let you know that."

Sam let out a laugh and choked on it. Lisa tightened her hold around his chest and it helped stabilize him. Damn, he needed to take it easy.

"I've heard a lot of fun stuff about train-- What you've been up." It was a bit too easy to forget Lisa had no idea about the Agency, about Snitch Gravel. And as much as Sam hated it, he knew he'd have to ask her to leave soon. Because there were other things to discuss.

"That story's not dying any time soon," Kyle mumbled.

"Shush, it was the most fun thing to happen since Sam... well, ya know," Jessie said, nudging him.

Kyle nudged her back, squinting at her, a smile on his face as if some secret joke was passing between them.

Sam watched a silent teasing war as they seem to be fighting over more than who told what story. He fleetingly wandered if they were silently calling dibs on the apartment. And the sudden desire to be a prick overcame it.

"Whose turn is it tonight?"

"Sam!"

The sound of Jerry's reproachful voice warmed Sam up more than anything. The stable presence in his life, the balance he needed more than he ever thought. And there he stood, in the doorway, his hands on his hips.

"Seriously, couldn't you all wait just a few minutes before filling his head with all the details he certainly didn't need to know?"

"He guessed on his own," Jimmy said with a shrug.

"Guessed on his own. I told you to wipe that look of your face," Jerry retorted, pointing an accusing finger at his twin. "It's enough that I have to look at him." He pointed at Kyle now.

"What did I do?"

"Oh, please. Where should I start?"

"Okay, Jerry, I get it," Sam said, so sorry he had to restrain himself from laughing. "I was just messing with them."

Jerry watched him fondly and moved over to give him a hug.

"Where's Tina?" Sam asked.

The sudden silence in the room reflected the tension in Jerry's body. He pulled away from Sam, his face devoid of all emotion.

"Oh, we broke up," he said casually, as if it were no big deal.

Sam just stared, backpedaling, trying to determine the last he remembered of Jerry and Tina. They kissed and were all over each other last he remembered. Then how did they break up?

"I think we should give them a bit of time," Jessie said, looking at Lisa as she said this.

Sam couldn't be more grateful. He really felt the need to talk to his brothers alone and hear all the ugly details presented in the bluntest of ways.

"Call Mom while you're at it," Kyle said. "She'll want to get here soon."

Lisa nodded, kissed the top of Sam's head and followed the other girls out.

"You don't really want to discuss Tina, do you?" Jerry asked, a slight panic to his voice. "Because there's really nothing to discuss."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Nothing really. It just wasn't working." Jerry shrugged, though Sam knew him well enough to tell he was lying his pants off, but if Jerry didn't want to share, Sam wasn't going to insist.

"But no, we don't want to discuss Tina," Kyle said, squeezing Jerry's shoulder. "We're just really glad you're up and functional. And we wouldn't be discussing this if we didn't think you should know as soon as possible."

"Snitch Gravel, the jewel?"

"The jewel is safe and sound. First thing Herrison did was take it. And Snitch Gravel  disappeared, but the thing is, he's been sending random goons our way ever since," Kyle said. "That's why there was someone with you twenty four seven."

"Nothing serious," Jimmy added. "I mean their attempts to off you were so pathetic even Jerry could handle them."

Sam shook his head, confused, but when Jerry nodded, it was even weirder. Jerry who was always worried was dismissing attempts on his life.

"Wha--"

"Then there's Dad," Kyle said, his tone filled with disgust. "He's been missing for almost two weeks now."

Sam blinked. He felt the need to rewire his brain. "Missing as in?"

"He's been leaving ever since you entered the coma," Tom said. "I think it's part of his master plan to bring Snitch Gravel down since we're apparently so incompetent at it."

A lot had changed apparently. Kyle's belligerence against their father was expected after everything that happened between them, but the roughness in Tom's voice, the flame in his eyes, was something new. Jimmy didn't seem impressed either, his mouth twisted into a snarl, his arms crossed over his chest. Even Jerry didn't seem pleased.

"What the hell happened?"

Jerry didn't call Sam out on his language. He instead said, "We have no idea. He's very stubborn about it and I've honestly had it with him and Mom up to here. If he wants to get murdered, it's his funeral."

"Where does he even go?"

"We have no idea," Tom said, the annoyance in his voice barely contained. "We've tried following him, but he leaves town and there was no way we were wasting our time with that. Especially because we've been under constant attack for the past weeks."

"What does under constant attack mean?"

"I wouldn't call it constant," Kyle said carefully, "but Snitch Gravel's men took up a nasty habit of trying to blow stuff up or cause wreckage or other sort of damage. The thing is, they let us know in advance, giving us just the right amount of time to stop them."

That made no sense. "Why?"

"Because we apparently weren't the town heroes before this," Jimmy growled. "Somehow someone always finds out. And then it's in the press. So look at us now. More fucking famous."

"It makes school a nightmare," Tom said, rolling his eyes.

"That's so stupid." Sam suddenly wished he was still sleeping.

Stupid thought. It was good to be awake. The others needed him more than ever and he was going to face this shitstorm with them.

"Do you think Snitch Gravel is sending those guys at us because Dad is hunting him down?"

"Dunno," Kyle said. "We can't ever get anything out of him. Obvious reasons, too." 

Sam frowned. "What obvious reasons?"

"I can't have a conversation with him. I tried once and he ended up kicking me out of the house."

"What?"

"Not that impressive," Jimmy said. "Especially since he can never back it up because of Mom."

"I don't care," Kyle mumbled. "I took it seriously. So I'm basically apartment hunting at the moment."

"No." Sam wasn't sure why he was so against this because Kyle would be turning twenty-two that year and he was more than grown up enough to live on his own. Though Sam was pretty sure he wouldn't be living on his own anyway.

"I'm sorry, kid, but I'm afraid I'll end up punching his face in or something."

"We're all considering moving out, to be honest," Tom mumbled. "It's been hell at home. Even Mom tries to ambush us and pull information out of us and when she's not, she's either crying or babying us."

Sam groaned. "So no one talked to Dad?"

"Nope," Jimmy said. "Tom and I yell too and Jerry's a wuss."

"I'm not a wuss," Jerry said, bristling. "I just recognize a lost cause when I see one. I tried talking some sense into him. He was at first excited, thinking I'll want to join him on the hunt,  but then he got so patronizing I just couldn't..."

"Jerry yelled at him, too," Tom said with a smirk.

Jerry just groaned and shook his head. Sam felt the need to do the same because he couldn't imagine Jerry yelling at his father. If he were completely honest, everything about Jerry surprised him. His breakup from Tina, the way he handled constant danger, the mild stiffness in his shoulders.

"I'll have to try then?" Sam asked. He knew he did, but the situation seemed difficult and he remembered too well what happened the last time they spoke about sensitive stuff.

His brothers all nodded at the same time and Sam just wanted to hug them all. He'd missed them so much, even if he hadn't really felt the passage of time.

"One more thing before Mom and doctors show up." The weariness in Kyle's voice was devastating. "Now that you're awake, they'll want to hold a memorial service for Billy."

"Kyle!" Jerry said, outraged.

"Ah, fuck, I forgot he didn't know." Kyle ran his hand over his face and at that moment Sam realized just how exhausted he was.

"No, it's okay. Jimmy mentioned it," Sam said, trying to ignore the pang in his chest that the subject brought.

And once he was reminded about it, everything suddenly made sense. Kyle's steel, Jerry's lack of patience towards small things, Jimmy's roughness and Tom's bitterness. They all added up to the aftermath of the worst thing that had ever hit them. Losing someone. Losing family.

Tears filled Sam's eyes and ran down his cheeks before he could even consider to stop them.

"Sam?" Christine stood in the doorway, like an angel of mercy, her lips trembling. "Oh, Sam!" She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.

And even if it hurt, he hugged her back, burying his face in her hair. Life was not fair, but he still held on to it with everything he had.

"I'm so sorry," Christine mumbled into his ear. "About everything. Not appreciating what I had and then you almost died. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he whispered back, because despite everything, he did.

He might have been an idiot when he'd first said it, but the passage of time showed him it was true. He couldn't explain his ability to forgive, the happiness he felt around her in any other way.

"I think we should go now," Tom mumbled.

"The girls are waiting outside," Christine said, obviously wanting to be left alone with Sam.

He nodded in agreement and his brothers filed out, leaving him emptier for it. He already missed them. Was that normal? He didn't get to ponder on it because a doctor entered his room, and soon after his mother.

There would be time for everything.