It was a well-known fact that the Evolutions and the Hermits did not like each other. Going all the way back to Great Grandfather Xelcua Evolution. A man Grian was named after.

Which Grian finds mildly amusing.
Xelcua started this war, Grian Xelqua is ending it.

The rest of his siblings also find it quite amusing.
Apparently however XB did not.

Not to say he wasn't all for it. He seemed very happy that Mumbo and Grian were a couple. But...

"If this gets either of you hurt or worse-" XB hissed his blue eyes shining with worry.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, our Dad would love it but- I mean- your parents are awful are they not?" XB tried to reason.
As if reasoning could get Mumbo's lips out of his mind.
As if reasoning would get his smile off his thoughts.
As if reasoning would get the tingle of his touch off his hand.

It was a useless effort

••••

You are now texting VintageBeef

MJ: Beef

MJ: Beef

MJ: Beef

VB: yes?

MJ: how's Canada?

VB: its well?

VintageBeef sent an image

The image was of a rundown-looking place. Graffiti covering the walls and a beach in the background though it looks like at one point it was a well-loved and beautiful estate.

VB: im having... thoughts

MJ: well you were always the artist of the family

VB: lol not that kind of artist though

VB: still considering it though

VB: any recommendations on what I should do with it?

VB: I've got a few thoughts

MJ: im not much of a builder. Id judges going to someone like Gem or Bubbles

VB: touchè

MJ: speaking of builders....

VB: knew we were gonna get there eventually

MJ: we're offical!!!

MJ: 🥰😍

VB: awww Mumboooo!!

VB: treat him right you goofball

MJ: ☺ promise

••••

Shaky hands hit the call button.

It rang once, a long grueling thing.
Twice, it seemed to go on forever.
Thrice, it was cut short midway through.

"Hello, this is Doc Hermitcraft," Doc's voice answered immediately.
"Doc?" Grian repeated, his voice high strung and broken.
"Where are you?" Doc replied quickly.

••••

Aphrodite Hermitcraft had to come to pry Doc off of the Chief. Though the man didn't last long in his mother's arms, sprinting over to Grian to hold him and Mini close.

Charges were pressed but nothing stuck.
Guess it's great having a lawyer for a dad.

••••

"What were you thinking?!" Aphrodite yelled.
"He needed my help. Can I go home now?" Doc grumbled.
"Go- YOU NEARLY KILLED A MAN!" Aphrodite screamed.
"He f*cking deserved it, ok! Any man who hurts their child deserves it!" Doc snarled.

SLAP!

"MOM!" Tin yelled, shoving Aphrodite back, keeping his younger brother behind him.
The room was filled with a loud silence.
"Dite," Danis spoke up from the other side of the room.

Aphrodite left the room soon after, Danis hot on her heels an apologetic look in his eyes as he looked back at his sons.

Tin let out a breath Doc hadn't been aware he had been holding.
"Are you alright?" Tin asked.
Carefully Doc gave a stuttered nod. Tin sighed in relief and pulled his brother into a tight hug.

"Good, great. Now," he pulled away and frowned deeply, "why did you think beating the sh*t out of the chief was the best option when your priority should have been getting the kids out of the way?"
Of course.
Doc gave an awkward chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck with his human arm.

"You are a hazard to yourself and a hazard to society-" Tin scolded.
Suddenly Mumbo's voice cut in, fragile and small, "Is Grian ok?"
He sounded on the verge of tears, a voice they hadn't heard from their youngest brother since he was 8.

"Yes! Yes, Grian's alright. Don't worry, I protected him," Doc assured, rushing over to hold the youngest.
Mumbo seemed to melt in the second oldest's hold and the 2 stayed there for a while, content.

••••

You are now texting group chat "Is Tin Still Bby Now?"

D: I can't believe she b*tchslapped me!

Xis: language, please

D: not right now X

Bee: 0_0

K: exactly Beef just what I was thinging

BDu: Thinging? Lol

K: shut up

Tan: what happened exactly?

Isk: Doc saved Mumbos bf

Tan: awww

Tan: Grian finally asking for help

R: yep! I broke him out of his shell

Hyp: we all just gonna ignore the bf part?

Imp: so who b__slapped you Doc?

Tin: mom did

Xis: WHAT?!

Imp: excuse me?!

F: wtf did I just airdrop into

Cle: really?

Cle: that doesn't sound like mom

Jev: duuuude

Wel: it most certainly was mom. Their yelling was loud enough to get to my room

D: sh____ didn't realize you were home

R: what you don't care if anyone else was home?

D: I thought it was just Tin Mumbo and I

Wel: nope

Cub: I was also home

Tin: sorry

Tan: 🔥not your fault Tin🔥

Z: bro the exasperated sigh!!

Bee: no hypno, we aren't going to mention it

Hyp: darn

Imp: what are we not mentioning that involves Hypno?

EX: did she at least have a good reason for slapping you?

D: I attacked the chief?

Hel: so no

Sca: how is that nojkohdvkgcf if

Sca: sorry, Jellie

MJ: lol hi jelly

Isk: hi Jellie!

Xis: hi Jellie thank you for putting your input!

D: hi Jels

Scar sent an image

The image was a selfie of Jellie sprawled out over Scar's lap, the angle up high so you could see her properly as she stared into the camera's soul in curiosity

Sca: she says hi back

Tin: awww hi Jellie

Tan: aw baby jellie!

MJ: F L O O F

EX: Yes F l o o f

Z: hi Jellie

Hyp: so are they together?

Cle: she's so cute

Bee: yeah?

Bee: have they not told anyone else?

Wel: she's just the cutest

Imp: who's together?

Gem: more pictures please!!

Sca: hold on, let my model get into position first

Gem: yaaay

Scar sent an image

The image was of Jellie bent over the arm of Scar's wheelchair, her eyes demonic-looking but so cute.

Xis: why she look like that

D: how did this derail this quickly

Tin: at this point who cares

D: touchè

D: it IS a nice distraction

XBC: MJ and G?

XBC: Impulse, I'm talking to you

Imp: oh!

Imp: ok that makes a whole lot more sense

F: ok wtf is this second conversation going on mid-Jellie fangirling?

Bee: ●◇●

Bee: we've been discovered boys

Hyp: excuse you we were having Quadruplet quorner over here

Hyp: we just replaced Cleo with XB

Imp: she wasn't contributing anyways

Bee: Y e a h

Beef sent an image

Tan: B o i! 🔊🔥

Bee: call me

Tan: on it

••••

30 or so minutes later...

You are now texting VintageBeef

MJ: BEEF! THAT WAS A SECRET!

VB: why?

MJ: becuz Tin!

VB: you say that like he wouldn't be supportive

MJ: 😕

VB: betcha he already knows?

VB: arnt u supposed to be in school rn?

••••

"I just- how didn't I know?!" Impulse complained.
Marri, his lovely wife, laughed and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You talk like you still live with them, love," she joked.
Impulse sighed and eyed his daughter who played with her plush squirrel.

"I guess," Impulse sighed.

••••

"Sorry," A voice apologized after bumping into Impulse.
At first he didn't realize who it was but after a second he recognized Zee Evo shifting to get out of his way.

"It's alright, Zee," Impulse assured with a soft smile before leaving.
Huh... he wonders if they know.

••••

"What was I supposed to do?" Grian offered with a sigh.
Tom yelped as his hand slipped and he slammed face first into a pumpkin.
"Oh my g*d, are you ok?" B asked while the others let out startled laughs.

Tom stayed stock still in the pumpkin until worry flooded his siblings' brains.
"Wait seriously, Tomohawk, are you ok?!" B repeated, rushing over and pulling him up.

A bruise was forming on his temple and around his eye. Tears slipped from his eyes that he didn't bother wiping away.
"I'm sorry," Tom whimpered, "don't tell mama."

Salem ran off somewhere as Tom cried.
A minute later a girl, with shoulder-length brown hair rushed up. She, ever so gently, pressed an ice pack to Tom's head, her eyes held a softness that most of them had never seen before.

She wasn't much older than Tom but she sounded so much like a mother as she repeated over and over again, "it's alright, you're ok."

"Netty? Babe, What are you doing here?" Martyn asked.
Netty sighed. B took the ice pack and held it there for her as she got up and buried her face into Martyn's chest.

"You all worry me so much," Netty whispers.
"So, so much."