"Tell us what's going on with him," Ziro demanded after he stormed up to the woman loitering outside of the room Alex's was in, peering through the window.

Lev was half a second behind him, curiously glancing back and forth between Ziro and the mysterious woman. "What? Why would she know anything?" he said to Ziro.

"She's Alex's mother, aren't you?" His sharp gaze, intended to do harm like a butcher's cleaver slicing open a gut, bore into her making her flinch.

"Seriously?" Lev questioned. "Prior looks more like his dad — no offense lady. How the hell could you tell who she was?" he asked this of Ziro.

Ziro didn't take his eyes off the woman. "You know me, it's a feeling I get. Are you going to answer anytime soon?" he asked bullishly of the woman.

The woman drew her eyebrows, the skin between them crumpling into vexation. "Who do you brats think you are? What kind of person raises such nosey delinquents...What business is it of my son to you?"

"Who are you calling a delinquent, lady?" Lev shot back as he took a furious step towards her.

Ziro calmly gripped his shoulder, pulling Lev back a pace. "I'm a friend of Alex's, and he," he gave a brisk gesture of his head at Lev, "is Alex's boyfriend."

Though he managed in such a short and practically non-existent time frame to hide it well, it took Lev by immense surprise to hear Ziro say such a sentence about him. Neither he nor Alex had explicitly said the 'B word' out loud yet, it was a conversation still yet to be had between the two, but it actually felt good to at least hear someone else say it.

The woman gave Lev an abhorrent once-over. "His what?"

Recovering from his shock, Lev was able to accomplish a poised smirk. "You heard him, lady."

The woman stalked forward, only two steps that were each a hairsbreadth in distance, but threatening nonetheless. "Leave. Both of you. Do not come back, and stay far away from my son."

Lev tried advancing again, but Ziro held him in place by his shoulder. He had taken out his phone after receiving a text, and nodded serenely as he read it over on the screen.

"Do I need to call security," the woman said impatiently. "The police?"

After just a few mere seconds, Ziro put his phone away. "We'll see," he said to her unconcerned. "But don't misunderstand, we will see each other again. Come on," he said to Lev.

Though hesitant, and irate, Lev followed his best friend as they turned away and headed back down the hall.

The woman's breath trembled as she quietly slid the door open. Inside the room, atop a stale-tinged hospital bed bent upwards slightly, Alex laid in bed fast asleep. He donned a bland white hospital gown, his brown hair a frivolous, tossed mess. A narrow, clear tube tucked into the thin skin of the back of his hand.

The woman came close, pulling a stool over to the side of the bed and stationing herself next to her son. She reached out and gently shook Alex's arm till he woke. Alex came to, groggy and a bit hungry, and he recoiled slightly as his eyes met his mother's — the last person he expected to see.

The woman leaned closer and performed her own amateur inspection on her son for any injuries, patting down his upper body, checking for any signs of pain. Alex was still in shock at her unexpected presence; he let her go on without objection.

"Good Lord...you're not hurt," she stated with absolute certainty. Alex stayed quiet, nodding once to confirm her observation.

"Well, good. And what the police said you did...they must've made some kind of mistake." Alex shook his head only once to reject that claim, and then the woman's tone became exasperated. "So you're saying it's all true? You really did something so...inhumane?"

Alex stared at her, unsure of how the condemning look his mother was wearing made him feel. Instead of any words, he nodded again, one bow of his head to confirm yet again.

Her eyes flared, incensed brows drawing together. "I knew I shouldn't have let you stay with your father. I know I may not be the best judge of character, but I've known your father for nineteen years. He's hardly capable of taking care of himself, let alone you as well." Somewhere in Alex's chest, irritation stirred.

"Alex listen to me," the woman started, her words softer. "I'm sorry you found out about your uncle and I the way that you did, but I honestly think it's for the best that you came with me. You know I've heard things about that town, Moonhaven, unpleasant things, and I fear you're falling victim to it. You could ruin your future if you associate any further with those people. So please, just come stay with me."

Alex slowly parted his lips ready to speak, when the door to the room flew open, two women storming in one right after the other. He stared at them, both parts bewildered and delighted.

To the left, Ridley marched to Alex's side and embraced him tightly. To the right, all the around to the other side of the bed, Kaia went to Alex and did the same, leaving Alex squished between the two. Neither had noticed the woman glaring at them near the foot of the bed. She started to say something, when the door suddenly slammed open yet again.

"No-Nick!" yelled Jeremi.

"A.P., you alien freak!" yelled Tate.

"Oh, Blue!" yelled Evan.

"Alexy! Thank the white clouds above, you look well!" yelled Nyne, Alex guessed.

Carsyn darted over to Alex's bedside before any of the group, where Ridley obediently released him and scooted aside. To Alex's surprise, Carsyn hugged him, much tighter than Ridley or Kaia had. He wasted no time in hugging her back.

"Alex..." she whispered, so quietly that Alex was sure he was the only one that heard her.

Once more, the door was yanked open before anyone could say anything more.

"Good grief!" both Aoife and Emilio said at the same time.

"Damn, sheesh," Silas whispered.

Arthur didn't say anything, but his unsettled expression said enough.

Again, the door was thrown open, and in walked Ziro and Lev — side by side. Everyone turned to look at them, still stunned and bereft of speech. For a split second, even Alex thought he truly laying eyes on actual aliens.

"We all just found this out like five minutes ago," Carsyn explained. Alex just breathed a short, strained breath.

Lev went over to the bedside, determination charging his every step as everyone parted for him like a sea. He reached Alex and placed his thumb on the very center of his forehead, the sensation of his following slow rubs managing to alleviate his unease.

"You okay?" Lev asked him.

Alex's smile spanned the seven seas. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Carsyn looked between them both as if they were foreign creatures communicating in code. "Dude..." She pointed her stare at Ziro for any possible explanation.

Ziro appeared a calm turtle. "Did I not tell you yet? They're dating now."

Carsyn's gasp was an air-lock of silence, her gaze caught between her pen-pal and Lev. Meanwhile the rest of the group was no calmer about the revelation:

"Woah..." Jeremi breathed.

"What the frack?" Tate and Evan said at the same time.

"Oh la la..." Nyne mused.

"Goodness..." Emilio said together.

"My, my..." Silas started.

"오모...(omo)" Ridley whispered.

"Teenagers..." Arthur muttered. He looked a little less unsettled.

"Oh, to be young and filled with romance..." Martin began. He was still partially recovering from a hangover, so he had quietly slipped into the room, startling everyone there.

"Martin, you're here?" Ridley intoned.

Martin gave a feeble wave all around the room and nodded. "Gray called me a while ago. He told me trouble might be afoot, so I drove here as quickly and as slowly as possible."

"I think you mean as quickly and as carefully as possible," Tate interjected.

Martin amusedly shook his head. "I don't think so, Tate-er-tot." Tate was about to protest to the crummy nickname, when the door exploded yet again.

Grayson, and Iker beside him, appeared in the doorway, both out of breath.

"Dad?" Jeremi said.

"Jeremi," called Iker.

"Iker!" Kaia shouted in surprise.

"Kaia?" Iker said bemused. "Oh, and, Lev?"

"Alex," Grayson said, his gaze fixated on his bedridden son. Alex almost said something, but Ridley beat him to it.

"Gray..." She said loud enough for everyone to hear. Her eyes warbling passion.

"Ridley..." Grayson looked just as moved passionately.

"Grayson." The name left the woman's tongue in a disapproving tone.

"...Julia," Grayson returned, fury riding on his words.

"Julia?" both Ridley and Kaia said simultaneously. They finally realized there was a woman standing nearby Alex's bed.

Martin snuck back to the door, slid it closed with a loud slam, then dragged a chair over to barricade it. Everyone turned to him once again.

"I'd say, we have about seven minutes before the lot of us get escorted out of here. So, let's begin shall we?" Before anyone could ask, Martin continued, "The Great Trial of Alex Dean Prior!"