𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 - jj maybank

- 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨

Kaz clapped his hands together, watching his parents with complete and total admiration. He liked it like this. The softer moments between his family. The danger was gone, and it was just the three of them now. Forever.

However, those moments were only ever that. Moments.

Kaci furrowed her brows at the uncharacteristic spamming of cyber Pope Heyward. "Hey, look, it's Uncle Einstein," she said, handing Kaz the phone to give to his dad.

Kaz made a few noises into the speaker, which Pope spoke back to with a little humour, and then JJ was handed it, the boyʼs lips sitting into a straight line the second his ear hit the mobile.

"What's up?" Kaci questioned, playing with one of Kazʼs rattle toys that she found oddly satisfying.

JJ met her eyes with a serious look. "It's Heyward."

𖧷

𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 wrapped his arms around his honorary grandpa, seeing the pain in his eyes from the beating he had received. Kaz didn't like to see people sad, and only ever wanted to spread more love. He grinned widely when Heyward patted him on the back, sending the baby a short smile.

A few feet away, Mikel Flores could feel a small burning in his heart. He understood that everybody had considered him the enemy for a long time, and he understood that it was partly his fault for not telling the truth before it was too late, but he couldn't help but think of all the things he missed out on. Watching his children grow up on the sidelines hurt him enough, but he did it because he thought that was the right thing. He missed out on Kaciʼs childhood, on seeing Jordan grow before he died — he blamed himself for Luis. He didn't want the same for Kaz. He wanted to be a good grandparent, even if he could never take back all the years of being a bad father.

But Kaz didn't even know he existed.

JJ noticed the pain in the manʼs eyes as stood beside John B, hand on his shoulder as they listened to Heyward explain the jumping. He wanted to say something, but he knew it wasn't his place to get involved with Mikel and Kaciʼs relationship. He knew that the absence of a father figure really destroyed a lot of Kaciʼs childhood, and it screwed her up a lot more than she'd ever admit. And everybody knew by now that she was good at holding grudges for the littlest things.

The girl in question sat on the fence beside Kie, whilst Sarah helped patch up Heyward, smiling at her nephew as she did so. Kie really appreciated the apology that was sent to her earlier that day, even if it was a year too late, and even if it was only sent for Kaci to prove herself right to JJ. She knew Kaci meant the apology, she just wasn't good at saying things like that out loud. They were friends now anyway, so the past didn't really matter, but it was still nice to have the validation of it.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you," Sarah told Heyward softly as she pressed a band-aid over his head.

"You're doing fine. Thank you, darlin'," Heyward assured the girl kindly, though he still groaned in pain when she pressed it a little. To comfort himself, he squeezed the baby back, who sat on his lap and stared up at the man with so much love and admiration. The way a baby would stare at a grandfather. All the pouges meant the world to Heyward, and he loved them all like they were his own kids.

"Pop, what happened?" Pope asked, eyes wide as he leaned down to look at his dad.

The man shook his head. "Oh, I should've known better," he began, and they all shared a look of sympathy for him. Heyward didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess, he was too good for it. "He came in just as I was about to lock up. Caught me by surprise." He put his arms out, balancing Kaz on his knee, to show the others what the guy did. "Once he had me down, he put his knee in my chest, and he asked me about that...that...that key from that...that drawing you showed me." Heyward pointed at Pope, voice stuttering a little as he grew confused. "And, incase you're wondering, I ain't tell him nothing. Now did you track it down?"