Calix Radcliff's POV

Both Scarlett's and Quinn's eyes narrowed at the group of people who had approached us a few minutes earlier. Their eyes were both burning with a fire I hadn't seen from either of them before.

"Hey bub, can you go wait with Gen and Si by the car? We'll be there in a few minutes." Quinn asks his son and looks to our other friends who nod in agreement. Silas easily scoops the child up and carries him away, keeping him engaged in a light-hearted conversation, but both him and Imogen were worried about the situation; they had no idea what was happening.

I think I knew.

With how they both reacted my thoughts automatically went back to a conversation I had with Scarlett months ago when we had first just met. How she had talked about her friends from highschool and Everett's mother.

I didn't get involved though, this wasn't my battle to fight and they were both more than capable of handling their own problems. But I was here if they needed me, and the hand I placed on Scarlett's lower back just let her know that.

One of the men's eyes zoomed in on the gesture and then his eyes landed on me, set in a harsh glare.

"You took him in?" A woman asked softly, her name was Selene. She had blonde hair, shades darker than Scarlett's and amber eyes that were so sad.

"Of course I took him in, Selene." Quinn crossed his arms defensively keeping his eyes on the woman who was looking down on the floor, ashamed.

"How did you..." She trailed off leaving the question in the air. How did you know about him?

"I got a call from social services, his DNA matched mine." Quinn answered but his tone hid any emotion from his voice. "You can't ask all the questions. All I want to know is why, why did you abandon a newborn at a hospital, why didn't you tell me, why did you hide the pregnancy?"

"Quinn..." Selene started, her voice trembling. "I wanted to tell you but I didn't think you would be happy about it. I didn't want to be the reason I ruined your future. You had all these plans to go to school and to take over the academy. And I wasn't ready to be a mother."

Scarlett breathed in a shaky breath that had me watching her in concern. Catching onto this, she looked over to me, sending me a reassuring smile but stepping back into my chest. She hoops our fingers together but that's all the weakness shows.

"That's no excuse." Scarlett tells her, but her voice was softer than Quinn's harsh tone. "Quinn's the father of that child and you neglected to tell him even though you were still dating for the first six months of your pregnancy."

"I know I regretted not telling you." She spoke to Quinn. "And I wanted to tell you but I didn't know you had taken him in. I had thought he ended up in a foster family or orphanage and I didn't know how to find him."

Scarlett Vanderburg's POV

I had enough of this, she was trying to justify one of the worst things and I wouldn't stand for it. "Quinn, go to your son."

Quinn was going to listen to me but Selene spoke up again. "Of course you listen to her, you always do. You always choose Scarlett, little miss perfect over me."

This angered Quinn and I could practically see smoke trailing out of his ears. "Yes, I'm going to choose Scarlett right now, because she was there when I needed help, she was there to babysit whenever I needed a break, she was there when I felt like the worst fucking father in the world, when I felt like I couldn't do this. She was the one who was looking out for me for the past three years. But three years ago? I would have chosen you without a second thought. Scarlett might be my sister but I thought you were the love of my life, the person I thought I would spend the rest of my life with."

"I think that's enough." Calix cut in for the first time seeing how much this had angered Quinn and how I was on the verge of losing my composure.

"Oh and the pretty boy speaks?" This time Ryan was the one who spoke, his eyes were trained on Calix. It hit me how different the two of them were. Ryan had light hair and almost translucent blue eyes whereas Calix had dark hair and dark eyes. Ryan was self-absorbed and cared about his image but Calix cared about those around him. He looked after his best friend throughout school because Silas was picked on. He looked after his dad after he was diagnosed with cancer. He looked after his mom and sisters after his dad passed even though he, himself was physically hurting. And now he looks after me, he messages me to make sure I ate and if I hadn't he orders food to my office to get it delivered to me, and if he's not busy he brings it himself. He listens to me rant about cases when I'm frustrated. He doesn't offer advice, just listens because that's what I need. And does so much more. "Having fun with my left overs?"

What I ever saw in Ryan I have no idea.

"You never touched me Ryan, not before we dated, not during and definitely no where in the future." I scan the group of who used to be my friends. "I wish I could say it was nice to see you but I have no tolerance for liars."

"I'll take you to court, I'm still his mother."

"And I'm the best lawyer in New York." I grit my teeth, extremely annoyed. "You can damn well try, all you will get out of it is a sky high child support payment each month. Now stay away from my brother and Godson."

I walked out, Quinn on one side and Calix on the other, our hands gripped together and my heart felt even lighter than before. I never realised how heavy I was feeling until I forgave Tristian fully and made amends, and now I truly feel a lot freer.

Seeing us Everett runs right towards his father, a truly content smile on his face as he talks his ear off about what happened at the playground as Quinn listens intently, truly paying attention to his son's words as he buckles him into the car seat. I lean back into Calix and just watch for a second. As I process what went down, his arm circles my waist and he holds me to his chest. A feeling of comfort floods over me, a feeling I've never felt from anyone other than my own parents.

I don't think I'm in love with him just yet but I can see me loving him, and spending the rest of my life with him,

We might not stay together forever, that might just be a fantasy but I'm willing to try and I know Calix is too. So as long as he's willing I'm going to be here for as long as I can.

My head scans the area and I catch Selene's eyes again. She had been watching Quinn and Rhett, her eyes were filling quickly with tears. That was meant to be her family, she was meant to be there, loving her son and spending Saturdays as a family like we had just done. But she left and they had created their own family, one that didn't include her.

Quinn closes Everett's door and says bye to Silas and Imogen like Calix and I had done minutes earlier. We know we owe them an explanation but neither of us have the energy at this moment. When it's only the three of us Quinn looked at me.

"Be honest with me, can she take him away from me?" He looked so broken at the thought of losing his son.

"Normally courts rule towards the mother but she abandoned him, and she hasn't shown up since the day he was born, so that's four years. I think it would be crazy to even grant her a visitation."

"Are you going to represent me?" He asks and I purse my lips and he knows the answer.

"I'm a corporate lawyer, Q. It would be unfair of me to do that to you when I don't have the expertise for it, but I do have a friend that works under Mer who does specialise in family affairs. I can call in a favour she owes me and get you a meeting with her. My advice would be to meet with her as soon as possible to get this noted down and I'll be there for you every step of the way, I promise."

Quinn signs and pulls me into a hug. "I love you, Lettie. I have no idea what I would have done without you."

"I have no idea what I could have done without you either, we help each other, Q."

He hugs me tighter and whispers in my ear before releasing me "Tell him."

He glances at Quinn and I sigh but agree, we need to have a long conversation and it won't be very fun.

Quinn talks to Cal for a second in a low voice so I can't hear what he was saying before he leaves.

"So..." I smile at him with an exhausted grin.

"So..." Calix mimics, a grin lifting onto his face.

"I guess we have to have a talk." My fingers fiddle with one another.

"You don't have to tell me anything, Angel." He truly meant it and it cemented my want to tell him everything.

"No, I want to." I tell him and he sees the honesty on my face.

"Let's go home first."

Home, I like the sound of that.

"Yeah, let's go home."

So, let me know what you think. I don't know where the motivation came to write this today but I'm glad I finished this chapter.

I honestly find Perception so much harder to write than Perilous Intelligence and I think it's because I've had Ella in my head for years, she's pretty much an extension of myself, it's the universe my head lives in. Perception though I'm writing as an outsider, I'm writing the story like it isn't my own, it's truly Scarlett and Calix's world I'm just documenting their story.

I don't know if that makes sense, but okay.

Please don't forget to vote and leave a couple comments with predications or things you would like to see in the future.

Ara <3