Mia looked guilty sitting on the ground while Anti had all her brothers tied up a couple of yards away from her. They didn't look happy, either.

"I'm sorry!" she tried, "I don't . . . I don't know what I'm doing, okay!?"

Anti snorted, "Obviously but now's not the time for doubt, Mia. You can do this. I know you can"

Dark Chica rolled over in front of a tied up Chase as if asking for her belly to be rubbed. Chase just glared at her, "You know my hands are tied, right?"

Dark Chica didn't care. She just wanted attention, which Sean was all too eager to provide.

"We could try again, lass" Anti offered.

Mia just shook her head, "No offense, Anti but I don't think this idea is doing it. You're just not . .. scary anymore, Anti"

" . . . . . . . . . . ." Anti didn't looked too thrilled by that but carried on, "That's alright. I have another idea we could try later here"

"Oh really!?" Marvin snapped at him, "You could have just suggested BOTH, you asshole!"

Anti shrugged, "Eh, this was the more fun option for me"

"Anti!" Sean warned him like a strict parent but the glitch just stuck his tongue out at him.

Mia cracked a grin but hid it away before they could see.

"We don't have a lot of time, Anti" Marvin snapped his fingers and the rope fell apart off of all of them, "If Mia's power is the only way to stop Actor then we have to-"

Anti glanced at Mia and could see her struggle, "It's okay, Marv. . . . we'll figure this out. Let's go get some lunch for now, huh? We'll try again after"

They all huddled in the kitchen together . . some with scratches and a few small bruises thanks to Anti.

Mia suddenly flinched, though as Sean gave her a sandwich, "My phone's buzzing" she took it out and looked at it, "I gotta take this. I'll be right back"

Mia just ran upstairs with her sandwich and phone in hand.

Silence draped over the kitchen then for a little bit as they all enjoyed what COULD be their last meal. Anything could happen at any time with Actor any they had to be prepared. But let's face it . .. it made them sick to their stomachs.

Anti could barely swallow down his own sandwich, worried if HE would be able to match against Actor this next time around.

"I believe in you, Anti"

The glitch looked up to see Henrik staring at him, coffee in hand, " . . .what?"

"I said I believe in you . . . ." the doctor repeated, "You know . . . . what you told me weeks ago . . . it still goes through my head"

"What?" Chase squinted, "What you guys talking about?"

Henrik didn't answer him but kept his eyes on Anti until the glitch finally relented.

"You never blabbed to them, huh? . . . I'm surprised, really"

"About what?" Chase asked, "Come on, I can't be the only one wondering?"

"No, you're not" Marvin answered him.

Sean looked confused, too but Jameson . .. this had nothing to do with him and he figured that.

Dark Chica whimpered softly and Jameson gave her a piece of lunchmeat.

Anti gave in, "I told Hen . . . the time I spent in the tube . . . being . . . tested on . . . . rendered over and over . . . . I was awake. I could hear all of you. That was why I attacked."

Sean dropped his mug and it shattered on the floor.

But really, he wasn't the only one who was surprised by this and Chase cussed under his breathe, "So . . . that whole time . . dude . . ."

"That sucks" Marvin stated bluntly.

"I'm so sorry, bro" Chase continued, "We said a lot of messed up shit. Honestly if it had been me in your place, I might have done the same thing, I guess. Must have drove you insane"

"Not just that" Anti glanced to Sean, "Henrik told me you really were thinking of . . . killing me . . .so I would never 'live'. You had been regretting your decision to make me in the way you had"

"Anti . . ." Sean tried.

"I'm over it" he stopped him, "Water under the bridge. It doesn't matter anymore"

"Doesn't it?" Henrik wondered out loud.

"Hm? What do you mean? I don't have the desire to kill you all anymore-"

"Fantastic!" Marvin snorted.

"That is not vhat I mean" Henrik placed his coffee down, "I couldn't stop thinking about what you had told me. What you had asked. I should have said more to you that day. I probably should have told everyone myself. Maybe then we'd all have been better together. Talked things out"

"Ya THINK?!" Chase griped, "Dude, that's just messed up, keeping valuable info like that from us! What the hell, doc?!"

Jameson waved at Anti and signed, 'You don't hate ME, right?'

Anti shook his head, "No, James. . . .I don't hate you"

'oh good' he carried on petting Dark Chica.

"Anti . . ." Sean tried again, "I really am sorry . . . . I was stupid back then. Really, I'm STILL stupid . . . I just . . Look, I just want you to know now . . . I love you, Anti and I wouldn't change a thing about you."

Anti didn't know how to feel about that. Was Sean alright?

"It's just . . ." he carried on, "I was too in depth with all of my own emotions at the time, I never considered yours . . . or anyone else's. And I sincerely apologize for all the pain I've caused you"

Anti blinked, feeling his chest hurt. Jackie had said the same thing. But how had he known if Henrik hadn't said anything to them?

'He must have overheard the conversation, too, like Mia had'

Anti sighed, "It's okay, Sean . . . . I forgive you"

Obviously Sean couldn't take it anymore and bolted towards him, forcing him in a tight hug, crying on his shoulder.

Anti didn't know how to react but gently pat his back.

But he wasn't out of the woods with affection and Chase joined in the hug as well as Jameson. Marvin snickered but gave in, mostly wanting to make Anti uncomfortable for tying him up too tight with that rope earlier. Henrik was never a touchy person but he knew this was needed and he joined in, as well.

Anti didn't know how to feel.

Chase mumbled in his ear, "If Jackie was here, he'd be hugging you, too, you know"

Anti remembered Jackie's words to him before he died.

Flashback

Jackie sighed, drawing his last breathes, "I'm sorry to you, too, Anti . . . . I . . . . the Septics are all a big family . . .. we . . we should have welcomed you better . . . should have known that maybe you could have heard us . .. not that it . . mattered. We . . we were stupid and rude . . . . I'm sorry"

End of Flashback

Anti didn't realize how long he had been holding it in but he finally cracked and it go, hugging them all back with tears streaming down his face.

Henrik hugged him a little tighter, "You've come a long way, Anti . . . . We all have and that's thanks to you, too"

Sean was the last to let him go and ruffled his hair, "Hey . . . it's gonna be okay, Anti, alright?"

The glitch sniffled but nodded, wiping his tears away roughly, "Yeah yeah . . .whatever . . .. Goddammit, I'm not even hungry anymore. You fuckers" he snuffed but it was light. They all knew he was just trying to act tough. But they could see right through him now.

"Hey, I'm back!" Mia walked back in but she could tell something was off. The vibe was completely different from when she had left but she could see the redness in Anti's eyes . . . and everyone else's.

Anti smiled at her, "Hey . . . who called you?"

Mia smiled back, knowing something important for him had happened.

A little bit ago

Mia ran up the stairs and answered the phone when she was out of earshot of the others.

"Hey Stace . . . what's up?"

"Hey girl! I was just wondering how you were doing. Is Chase gonna be home for dinner tonight? But also how'd that ghost thing go?"

"The séance?" Mia corrected, "We met Celine and she gave us some information but I'm not sure if it's all good"

"What do you mean?"

Mia entered her room and shut the door behind her, "She said . . ." Mia told her everything . . . even the bit about Celine's advice for her.

"She sounds smart" Stacey laughed, "She's dead and even SHE can see the chemistry between you two!"

"Stace!" Mia groaned, "It's not that simple! Anti doesn't love me like that"

"Girl, you're blind as hell!"

"Huh?"

"Ugh, I just feel bad for you now."

"What!? What are you on about!?"

"Mia . . . I think the reason you're not able to use your power exactly to your will . . is because you're not in tune with your own emotions"

" . . . .huh?"

"Oh boy . . . what I mean is, you love Anti and DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T, YOU LIAR!"

Mia didn't reply.

"Anyway . . . you love him but you're not allowing yourself to admit it. It's causing you all sorts of turmoil and wack. I'm not saying you need to admit your love to him to his face. But just admit it to yourself, okay? I love you, Mia. You're like my sister and I like to think I know you even better than you know yourself. But man, you're dull sometimes!"

Mia ignored that last bit, "Stace . . . you don't get it. I can't just . . . let myself . .. like him like that. I know he doesn't feel the same"

"So what? All I'm saying is that you have to stop lying to yourself. Is it really that hard? I mean . . I get it, you know. It took me a long time to come to terms with how I felt about Chase but after I finally realized we were actually truly meant for each other outside of Sean's will . . . . I felt SO much better. Like a huge weight being shoved off of me. I know you'll feel the same when you stop repressing those emotions, too"

Mia sighed. It couldn't be that easy, right? No, Stacey was just wrong. Their experiences were nowhere NEAR the same.

"Well . . . I gotta go, Stace. Anti has another idea we're gonna try. I'll text you when Chase leaves for the night, okay?"

" . . . . .okay. Good luck, Mia. At least think about what I said, okay?"

Mia hung up and shook her head.

No. Her and Stacey's experiences weren't the same. It just wasn't.

She didn't understand.

Mia put her phone back in her pocket and went back downstairs. She walked on into the kitchen only to notice something was different. The air seemed so . . . relaxed now.

The redness in their eyes.

'Did they finally . . . talk?'

Anti nodded to her, "Hey . . . who called you?"

She smiled, 'It's about time'

But then she frowned again suddenly.

'Wait . . . they talked . . . . and the air does seem so much more . . . light. More comfortable than its ever been when they were all in the same room like this together . . . . Because they . .. because Anti finally . . . spoke about his . . emotions? But that's not the same, right? It's not. It's not. Right.'

She shook her head, "So . . . this other idea of yours?"

Anti nodded and stood up with a deep sigh, "Actually . . . . I think I've thought of something else. Come with me. Let me show you something"

He held out his hand and Marvin froze, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a sec! Not that I don't ship you two but you guys can't leave the property! We don't know where Actor might be lurking exactly and-"

"Easy here, magician" Anti stopped him, "We're not leaving the house."

'He didn't . . . correct Marvin' she blushed, 'But what does he want to show me?' she was curious and took his hand.

Anti smirked a little and nodded to the others, "We'll be back. Just making a quick trip into Marv's computer"

In an instant, they were gone and Marvin groaned, "Augh! Not MY computer! What the hell!? He better not fuck anything up on it!"

"Now that we're alone" Anti let go of her and she looked around. She realized they were in his realm, the static void. But she also remembered what happened the last time they were here.

"But . .can't Actor get us from here?"

He shook his head, "I don't think so. Dark Chica could but I don't think Actor can. That's why he had to use her to get to me."

"Oh . . okay"

"So . . . ." a living room glitched around them into view, "Have a seat. We're gonna talk"

"What? About what, Anti?"

"Well" he gently pushed her onto the couch and sat next to her, "About what Celine said . . . we both know what she was on about"

"We do?"

"Mia . . . . the other night . . . . Look . . . I"

"We can't, though!" she stopped him.

He blinked and waited for her to go on.

Mia didn't know how to but she didn't think she was ready for this. This wasn't right. Couldn't be happening!

"I . . . It's not fair! It just. . . wouldn't be fair. Then he would have been right and-"

"Jackie, you mean?"

She hugged herself but nodded.

Anti sighed, "Mia . . . You know what Jackie made me promise, right?"

"It doesn't matter. I can protect myself and-"

"That's not it. What I mean is . . . he knew . . . I think really everyone knows but us . . don't you think?"

Mia was silent but in deep thought. He couldn't be just saying this so bluntly, right?

Anti closed his eyes and in a second, the scene changed again and they were ack on the Ferris Wheel together and Mia was sitting across from him.

"A-anti?"

He looked out at the ocean, the fireworks snapping and thundering in the distance.

"I'll never forget this memory, you know?"

Mia didn't know what that meant. It was memorable but he couldn't be saying-

He turned to her, "It was the one day we were together that you didn't hide your feelings. I saw . . . everything of you and . .. and that's when I knew I could be myself around you, too" he smiled, "It was the best night of my life. Too bad how it ended, really"

" . . . . oh?"

He smirked and that . . . did something to her. She blushed but he continued, "Mia . . . what did you feel that night . . . when we leaned into each other so close?"

'I . . what do I say? I can't . . .I can't do it! This isn't right! He doesn't love me. He had the chance the other night and he . . .. but maybe . . no! I can't do it . . . . This feeling . . it can't be real, can it? Am I just feeling how Jackie felt for me?'

"It's okay, Mia" he stopped her whirling thoughts, "You don't have to say anything right now. I put you on the spot but I . . just think about this, hm? Your emotions . . . from the very day I moved in, I knew you were tangled. But I really do think . . maybe Celine is right. We were both made to support each other . . . I believe that. I just want you to .. believe in yourself now"

Suddenly the imagery changed again and they were back in that living room, "Just take some time to think on it, yeah? Untangle yourself a bit . . . and then we can take Actor down together"

Mia didn't know what to say but even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Anti glitched them out of the computer and in her room. Anti pat her shoulder but couldn't help but to lean in and peck her forehead like he had last night.

Mia just stood there. Thinking. Even as Anti left and shut the door behind him, she just stood there lost in thought.

'Untangle myself . . . . I . . .. I don't know . . I don't think I know how to'

She could feel herself redden as she lifted her hand to touch her forehead where he kissed.

'Anti . . . . do you KNOW how you really make me feel? Or are you just acting . . trying to make that power come out in any way you can? I don't . . .. I don't know what to feel . . . . .'

She let out a stuttering breathe, 'It should be easy, right? But . . how can I untangle what I don't even understand? Is this . . . really love?'

What she didn't know that was happening in Anti's room . . .

The glitch sat on his bed and leaned over with his head in his hands, 'I hope . . . .I hope it helped . . . but why do I feel like I might have made things even worse? Mia . . . if you only knew . . . how much I . . .'

Yes. Mia is just as clueless stubbornness from Sean and the Septic egos in this story :)