I was kidnapped, what's your excuse? [Jake]

[Levi Xu]

Levi couldn't decide if he didn't really want to see Jake today, or if he really didn't want to see Jake today. A year ago today, he'd given cupcakes to his best friend, cut class, and gone to see a movie. That had been a really excellent way to spend Evan's birthday. This year, he was going over to the Bracketts' farm on Saturday, and they were going to have cake then. That will be nice.

He was pretty sure this wasn't going to be.

He'd spent the night awake, trying to decide whether it was a good idea to go to the meeting or not. He missed Jake, yeah, and really missed Buccaneer. It had been over a year since the man had abandoned him at Hammel. Though things had gotten better since then (thanks mostly to Sammy and Evan), Levi was still angry about that. With M.S.A.D., Levi had a place to belong, and a group that was going to accept him as a Meta, no matter what. He didn't get that at home, and he didn't really get it at Hammel, either. Not when he was separated from the other students for half his classes and people thinking he was crazy. In a few hours, he'd lost a teacher, a home, and some semblance of community.

And though Jake hadn't taken Mr. Underwood away, he'd been the one who decided the rest.

But Levi went to the lake anyway, not sure what to expect. He did want answers, though, and he really wanted to see his dog. The freshman chose a bench near the entrance to the park and pulled out one of his Captain America comic books. He figured he'd see Jake come in, and if he decided he didn't want to talk, he could leave without being seen. He wasn't banking on actually getting pretty absorbed in the story, however.

[Jacob Lawrence]

Buccaneer was tugging at the lead as Jake approached the lake and Jake was somewhat glad he'd decided to leave the rest of the dogs at home. Ein would have had no trouble dragging him across the grass (he'd done so before, numerous times) and Buccaneer's excitement was hard enough to control. He shouldn't have said Levi's name.

Jake was feeling rather nervous as he got closer to lakeside. He'd asked Ella to pass the letter onto Levi because it was the only way he knew of to get in contact with the boy and while Ella said she'd delivered the message, Jake wasn't even sure if Levi would show. He was hoping that he would, at least, but Levi had looked so hurt when he had to leave. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but it was the right one. That was what Jake kept telling himself.

As he approached the park, he saw a kid sitting on a bench. Before he could even recognize the boy, Buccaneer barked and strained harder at the leash. After a moment's thought and a bit of squinting his eyes, Jake finally deemed it to be Levi and let Buccaneer free, the aussie running full blast up to his owner. Jake smiled.

He followed Buccaneer's path, though not as fast, and eventually came to stop just a few feet away from the boy and his dog. He didn't say anything just yet. He didn't want to interrupt. Buccaneer, however, was all tail wags and kisses. He certainly hadn't forgotten about Levi in the time they'd been apart.

[Levi Xu]

Levi hadn't intended to get so absorbed in the story about his second favorite superhero--Spider-Man was his favorite for obvious reasons, but Captain America was close to his heart because he'd also started out as a small, scrawny guy--but he was instantly jerked out of the trance when he heard the bark. He knew that bark.

Suddenly, his lap was full of wriggling, licking, fur, and the freshman was nearly crying. He cuddled the dog--too big to be called a puppy now, he'd definitely grown into his paws and ears--to his chest and kissed the top of his head, his ears, wherever he could manage and still keep running his hands over the dog's soft fur. He'd missed Buccaneer more than Jake, honestly. The dog had been his best friend for the time he'd spent at the compound, more than any of the humans. Seeing him healthy and happy and so obviously remembering him made Levi's attempt to not cry even harder. He wrapped his arms solidly around the squirming body and held him close, "Shh, Buccaneer, it's me! I've missed you so much, Bucky. Aww, yes I want all your kisses I love you so much."

He was too busy letting the dog attempt to lick his face off to pay attention to Jake's approach. Priorities, Levi has them.

Finally, he looked up and made eye contact with his former friend. "Hi Jake." His tone was flat, but he kept grinning, because he had his dog with him again.

[Jacob Lawrence]

Sticking his hands in his pockets, Jake stood there looking a little out of place, but smiling none-the-less. It was adorable, watching the two of them and how happy they both looked. He wasn't sure how Levi would react to him, but he knew that Buccaneer would certainly put a smile on the boy's face. He'd done nothing wrong, after all. Jake had been the one to abandon him.

He laughed softly to himself at the pair, shaking his head. Even if Levi didn't want to forgive him, it would be enough that he had seen the boy this excited.

"Hey Levi." He didn't exactly sound pleased, but Jake didn't detect any malice in his voice either. He figured he should have been grateful for that. "You seem well." And that was a relief in and of itself. He didn't doubt that things had been difficult for him, but it didn't look like it had taken too big of a toll on the young boy.

"How've you been?" Jake had spent a lot of time planning what he'd say to Levi, but standing there now it all seemed kind of pointless.

[Levi Xu]

Really, Levi wished he could have had a chance to reunite with his dog without seeing Jake. But he supposed having Buccaneer in his arms again was worth the inevitable awkward talk with the man. He gave the pooch another cuddle, murmuring praise for how big he'd grown and for being a good dog, then finally looked up at Jake again. Okay, now for the not-so-fun part.

"You seem well too." What did that even mean? Jake looked healthy, yeah, and a lot less freaked out than he had the last time they'd spoken. Granted, the last time they'd seen each other, it was under very different circumstances.

"I've been okay." Levi's voice remained flat, so different from how he'd been talking to his dog. "Except the man who was supposed to be teaching me how to use my power was murdered, and then you abandoned me at Hammel without really explaining why. And they don't understand my power either, so the other students think I'm kinda crazy, I'm lying to everyone about what classes I'm in, my boyfriend and I got outed when our asshole roommate took a picture of us together and showed it to everyone. And because of you and Mr. Underwood and my power and Evan, my dad's pretty much disowned me."

He nuzzled the Australian Shepherd in his lap again, "So what have you been doing?"

[Jacob Lawrence]

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Jake felt the guilt rise up in his stomach. Of course Levi hadn't forgiven him after all this time, he was foolish for having even the slightest amount of hope that he did. Of course he was bitter, because Jake had just left him in an unfamiliar person, in the care of an unfamiliar man, who Levi had been convinced was their enemy.

"I'm sorry, Levi. I really am." If things hadn't been so desperate and rushed, if he hadn't been scared for his life or worried for Levi's safety, it might have been different. He could have given Levi the explanation he deserved, he wouldn't have had to leave on such bad terms. But wishing things were different wouldn't actually change them. Jake knew this. He knew it all too well.

With the question posed to him, Jake simply sighed. That was... not a fun topic to breach. "Well... lived out of my car and cheap motel rooms for several months. Wasn't fun dealing with the fact that Gabe died hating me and Morgan thinks I'm a horrible human being while also worrying if the twins were coming after me. Plus, I had to leave my best friend behind." Because yes, Jake considered Levi his best friend slash little brother, especially during those last few months at the compound. Levi was practically the only one who would talk to him. "And I spent the last three months in jail. So that was fun." Jake shrugged.

"Guess we're both kinda fucked, huh?" Jake paused for a long while before coming to sit by Levi, giving him enough space. "I know there's a lot I didn't tell you, Levi, and I'm sorry it had to happen that way. There's still a lot I don't know myself. And I don't expect you to forgive me, I just... I made a promise and I intend to keep it. So whatever you wanna know, just ask, and I'll tell you everything I know."

[Levi Xu]

When Jake sat down, Levi shifted away. He'd been angry, but he hadn't realized just how bitter he'd been until he'd spilled everything. A good chunk of the bad stuff that had happened to him in the past two years had nothing to do with Jake, no matter how much he wanted to take it out on him. He hadn't outed him, or given him this shitty power, or ever teased him about being stupid or crazy. He'd just abandoned him with people who did.

"Where was Buccaneer when you were in jail?" He hugged his dog a bit closer and glared. The one thing he had completely believed Jake would do was take care of the puppy. "Who took care of him?"

But there actually were important things he had to talk about, in addition to Buccaneer's welfare. And after talking to no one about them for months, it was getting kind of lonely just to think about them. "How are you fucked? Is it hard finding a job when you're a terrorist?" Levi let Buccaneer lick his face some more, as it was very difficult to continue crying through puppy kisses, until he felt calm enough to continue. "G-d, Jake, was anything Mr. Underwood said true? I mean, I know my dad hates me, but I've met a lot of humans who like us just fine."

[Jacob Lawrence]

"Don't worry. He got a luxurious spa vacation while I was rotting in the hole." Jake snorted, looking at the dog who was making himself very much at home across Levi's lap. "It was this fancy dog hotel. They even had dog masseurs." No, Jake still wasn't over that yet. He found it both incredibly amusing and just a little bit out there.

"You know I wouldn't leave the dogs unless I knew they were being pampered, Levi." The dogs were always Jake's first priority. Always had been and likely always would be.

Sighing as Levi called him a terrorist, Jake shook his head but didn't say anything. He probably deserved that, no matter how much he wished that hadn't been a part of who he was. "Some things. He... liked to exaggerate." Gabriel had always been very skilled at manipulating people, that he was the puppeteer behind MSAD said this loud and clear. "He'd say anything to make you think what he wanted."

[Levi Xu]

He shrugged, but he was glad to hear Buccaneer had been properly cared for. "I didn't know they gave you time to set something up for them. Are courts really that nice?"

"How much, Jake? How much of it was true?" Levi scratched Buccaneer's ears, trying to keep the dog's face out of his own. It was difficult keeping everything serious when the dog seemed to sense that he needed comforting. "Jahel took me with him when he killed someone. And I didn't tell anyone because he said Mr. Underwood said he deserved it."

As far as the student was concerned, Jake was still a terrorist, just like Mr. Underwood. "Do you hate regular humans too?"

[Jacob Lawrence]

"I... uh... I made the arrangements before I turned myself in." It hadn't been a fluke. Jake had seriously thought about that decision for quite some time before it happened and he'd made sure he had all his affairs in order before he went to give his confession.

Jake looked down at the grass and sighed. Having lost his place in MSAD's inner circle, he hadn't been privy to their latest plans. But hearing that Jahel had brought Levi with him on a mission, one involving murder no less, made his stomach turn. "If Gabriel said he deserved it, it meant that he would gain something from killing him. Money, information, power. It didn't mean they were necessarily a bad person." No, innocent people had fallen underneath Gabriel Underwood just as well.

"No." Jake shook his head a bit more forcefully than he'd intended. "I..." He had never really shared Gabe's ideals or his goals. No, Jake's involvement with MSAD, with Gabriel in general, was based on self-destructive love and blind admiration. "I don't."

[Levi Xu]

Levi swallowed thickly and hugged his dog. This made him a criminal too, since he hadn't done anything to stop it. The one thing he really had learned from Mr. Underwood was how to shield his mind. He was excellent at that, and that meant he'd been able to hide the things he worried about. He probably should have been in therapy, but as soon as he'd found out that the school psychiatrist was a lion, he'd decided not to pursue that any further.

And while he was thankful that Jake was answering his questions--and that he'd cared so well for Buccaneer--Levi was still angry. It just didn't make sense. If Jake didn't believe in what Mr. Underwood did, why did it take him so long to leave? "Why did you stay, then? You only left when Mr. Underwood was killed. If you didn't believe in it, why didn't you go to the police sooner? Or to Hammel? Did he kidnap anyone else?"

[Jacob Lawrence]

There was a tightness that formed in his chest due to the next set of rapid-fire questions from the young boy. He should have expected those, after that admission. Still, it didn't make it any easier.

"No." He jumped to the last question, which also happened to be the easiest. "You were the only one. There was a list of others, but you were the first and the only one he got to." Gabe had been looking for more recruits, more people that he could use, and he was striking on young and impressionable minds. Jake was grateful that there hadn't been others. Dealing with Levi right now was hard enough.

He went quiet for a long time, looking at Levi out of the corner of his eye before finally heaving a sigh. "I stayed... because I loved him." It was the first time he'd ever admitted it out loud and the words felt heavy on his tongue. He couldn't even look at Levi as he said it.

[Levi Xu]

"Oh." Levi was quiet too, his storm of questions abated for a while. He was pretty sure he'd do just about anything Evan wanted him to, because he trusted his boyfriend. But if the phaser put him in the same kind of situations that Mr. Underwood had done with Jake.... The idea of loving someone so much that you'd be willing to do something terrible was frightening.

"But...what about Mr. Tonaya? Wasn't that why you left me at Hammel?" Morgan was his history teacher, so he saw him all the time. But they never talked about how Levi had ended up at the school, and honestly, he wasn't sure if the teacher hated him. (After how he'd acted when Jake had abandoned him, he'd hate him too.)

Finally, Buccaneer squirmed out of his lap, and Levi let him go. Though the dog wasn't a little puppy anymore, he was still as hyper and goofy as he'd been before. The teenager managed a weak smile at the dog's antics, but he still felt awful. "Jake... a few months ago, I walked back to the compound, and it's not there anymore. What happened?"

[Jacob Lawrence]

"Morgan was different. He was... is special." And while Jake may have been close to coming to terms with how his relationship with Gabriel, both in life and in death, had affected his life, he was nowhere near ready to accept what he had done to Morgan. Telling himself that he had lied to protect him didn't make it any better. He still lied and he still remembered that look on Morgan's face when he found out.

Watching as Buccaneer bounded in large circles around them, Jake almost didn't hear Levi's voice. And when he did he made a face. Levi had been bold enough to head back to the compound, but Jake had avoided the area like it was toxic. "I suppose they probably burned it. To get rid of the evidence and... to pay respect."

Turning back to Levi, Jake smiled faintly at him. "You know, I'm really glad you showed up, Levi. Even if it was just for Buccaneer." He rested his elbow on the back of the bench and propped his head against his arm. "If you ever wanna see him again, I've got a new house now, and you're always welcome to visit."

[Levi Xu]

"Were you in love with both of them?" Levi looked over, realizing that it probably wasn't one of the things he was entitled to know. There was a lot that he still didn't know, but he didn't want to ask about a lot of the rest of the stuff. "Don't answer that."

He nodded, because it made sense, in a twisted sort of way. Yes, getting rid of any evidence was a good idea, but that was also admitting they'd done something wrong. But burning down the compound sounded exactly like how the twins would memorialize Mr. Underwood. (He's pretty sure he was the only one who had prayed for him.)

The teenager whistled to his dog, getting him to stop running around them. Then he leaned over and picked up a stick, waiting until Buccaneer was paying attention before throwing it as far as he could. The dog went scrambling after it. "Why'd you come back? I thought you said it wasn't safe."