We are Family

Loneliness

"Chase what are you doing with that stuffed animal?" Blades asked.

"Is this not what humans use to go to sleep?" Chase asked in his usual monotone voice.

"Yes, but CeCe is not going to sleep." Frankie answered.

Chase handed CeCe her stuffed frog anyway and she hugged it and immediately calmed down.

"Wow, Chase how did you know that would work?" Cody asked.

"I just remembered the time CeCe got a hold of Doc's minimizer, but it was turned to maximize, in the end High-Tide helped us." Chase shrugged.

"Yes I remember that too that was quite an adventure." Blades said looking down at his niece.

"Was quite an adventure, yes I remember, High-Tide come help us." CeCe piped up.

Cody chuckled.

"You remember that day too, huh, considering you were only three." Blades chuckled, padding CeCe on the head.

"Ok, it's time for bed, sweetie!" Cody held out his hand for CeCe to hold.

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The next morning Stevie woke up and got dressed and went upstairs for breakfast.

Kade was in the kitchen making toast which was blunt like always.

"Good morning, Kade." Stevie greeted walking into the kitchen.

"Mornin." Kade mumbled not looking at Stevie.

"What's wrong?" Stevie asked noticing that Kade seemed upset.

"Nothing, why do you ask, or don't you have anything better to do?" Kade snapped.

"I.. I just wanted to see how you were doing!" Stevie calmly said as he sat down across from Kade.

"You know, I might be moving back in, permanently this time!" Stevie announced after a long and awkward silence.

Kade just rolled his eyes, took his plate and went upstairs, leaving Stevie wondering what he had done wrong.

"I heard that you were moving back, I'm happy for you, oh, and don't mind Kade, he doesn't really like you!" Graham announced from the doorway.

"Thanks, Graham." Stevie said, as he got up.

"Aren't you gonna eat something?" Graham asked coming further into the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

"I ain't hungry!" Stevie shrugged and walked out of the kitchen and down to the bunker.

Arriving in the bunker Stevie sat down on a beanbag and let out a heavy sigh.

"Hey what's wrong, Stevie?" Heatwave asked.

"Kade doesn't like me." Stevie shrugged.

"You shouldn't worry about him he just thinks that you still owe him for betraying us, but we know it's not your fault." Chief said coming over.

"Thanks, Chief, but on the bright side I'm moving back in or I might be moving back in." Stevie announced.

"Fine, but you better stay out of trouble, we don't have time to watch you!" Heatwave mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that, I am not deaf, you know!" Stevie loudly announced.

Heatwave rolled his optics and walked away.

"Sorry about him, I don't think he trust you, but it's good to hear that you wanna move back!" Boulder went over to Stevie and sat down.

"Thanks, Boulder, at least somebody cares about me!" Stevie let out a heavy sigh, as he took off his sunglasses and looked in Boulder's direction.

"Stevie, are you ok?" Boulder asked concern written on his face plates.

"I'm clearly not ok, sometimes I think your family it's the only one who actually understands me, all my life I've been struggling to be excepted by the people who were supposed to love me!" Stevie lamented as he broke down in tears.

Cody, who had returned from the lab came over and sat down.

"You shouldn't be sad , Kade was only trying to get under your skin." Cody reassured putting a hand on Stevie's knee.

"Thanks, Cody but that ain't gonna help right now, I'm going to take a walk!" Stevie got up and walked out of the bunker.

Cody watched Stevie go with a sad look on his face then he also got up and left the bunker.