Defending the Mask

Seeing Red

Sorry Guys, I'm going to get you all caught up on chapters. So first...

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Kai, he loved this.

Loved how easily Jay fit in with them.

He'd known this would be a good fit.

Just knew it.

And after all Jay had been through, all the shit he'd dealt with?

All the anxiety.

Fear.

Concern.

He deserved so much.

So very, very, very much.

And he was looking forward to providing as much of it as he could.

He looks over to his wife, smiling brightly as she gives Jay pointers.

They both were.

It was crazy to him. Surreal even.

Never in his career would he have guessed he'd adopt one of his clients.

He and Nani had decided so long ago that they didn't want kids after they'd guided Lilo into adulthood-

Pretty well, in his opinion, but still, it had been a lot.

Like a lot.

But with Jay?

Wanting to adopt him had just clicked.

He'd never met a kid like Jay, and damn he'd met so many kids through the years.

Jay was just different.

His pack, and from the sound of it, the other kids still on the Isle were just different.

But Jay?

He knew they could help Jay.

And because they were counselors, he knew they could help the others, which was important to Jay.

All these damn kids deserved to find a place where they would be wanted and loved.

His smile tightens when he sees Jay look over Nani's shoulder, back towards the beach.

Back towards where his phone was waiting on his towel.

He knew it was a lot for him.

Being separated from his pack like this.

But, as much as he wished he could have adopted all of them- Keeping them together would've been unhealthy.

They were already so codependent with each other.

Not that it wasn't understandable with all they'd been through together.

He sighs.

The knowledge that he didn't even know the half of it only made it that much worse.

He'd be lying to himself if he and Nani weren't hoping that Cobra could get him to talk about it more.

He'd had so many small moments with Jay.

Moments where Jay opened up and talked about his past without fear of judgment.

But, he always did it to help others.

Like when he talked about being locked up.

He only did that to help him work through his theory on T and Faustina's situation.