Kay had done a pretty good job of avoiding everything recently. It sucked, but until he could figure out how to spill the beans without destroying the bag, it was necessary. He'd pretty much kept to himself, not even making an effort to see his friends or family; which was odd for him, very strange. A couple of his friends seemed to find him anyway, and he did have some information to mull over while he thought. He knew there were two of them. Twins. Nameless ones thus far, but twins nonetheless. He knew Switch was out today, either doing the shop thing or something else...he was just banking on Quint not being home. Hoping for it, actually. His Mother never scared him, Kale never intimidated him in any way, but Quint? Quint was a scary ********. With Teeth. So, as quietly as he could, the Shaman entered his home, hoping to grab a change of clothes and hopefully something to eat. Going from girl's house to girl's house just wasn't cutting it anymore...he actually missed home; the smell of it, everything. In fact, he even took a deep breath, releasing it in a heavy sigh. Yes. He missed this place.

Luckily - or unluckily - Quint was home and he was in the living room when he heard the door open. Everyone had gone out. Tek had gone to do Tek things and Kale was also out and about doing Kale things having not quite yet gone off for his usual mystery trips just yet but it seemed to be coming closer each day. For now Quint didn't worry about that as he got up and took a peek at who had come into the household and saw that it was Kay. For a long, long moment he had nothing to say just yet just happy that Kay was still alive and in one piece and not dead. Though there was a bit of upset within him.

"It ... Isn't enough that Mom worries over Dad disappearing does she have to worry the same from you?" he asked quietly with a small frown. Quint and Tek were probably the only ones that remained around the house in the most consistent manner at least recently. Quint crossed his arms over his chest and waited for a response.

Kay flinched when he heard Quint; the tone wasn't loud or threatening, but it was more the lack of those things that made it uncomfortable. Well, s**t, Quint was home. He glanced over into the living room, giving his brother a very forced and very uncomfortable smile. "I left a note." He murmured in his own defense, shaking his head a bit. Granted, the note had been left at the shop, but still. A note was left. Kale often got away with just that, didn't he? "Besides, I don't think it'll be for much longer..." He added just as quietly, turning to try and escape Quint. There was a purpose for his visit, and as far as he knew Quint didn't know what was going on, so there was no need to sit and chat just yet. The idea of confronting his family with the news...scared him.

His frown deepened as he wandered after Kay not content to just leave him alone, "I hope not, just because you leave a note doesn't make things okay. She still worries," he pointed out quietly not willing to be manipulated this time around. He was going to let Kay in on everything at least on everything that HE currently knew. He was still trying to bring up the 'situation'. Either way he wasn't content on letting his brother off easy, "I know about Victoria, Kay. I...I know I'm going to be an uncle," he said in less angry a tone than he wanted it to be.

"You're a ******** idiot." He added afterward. Quint found himself surprised at how calm he was just laying this out on Kay as if they were talking about the weather. He wasn't doing this to scare his brother away but he also wasn't known to dance around the bush at least not for very long if he could help it.

"I know, I know. I'll expl---" He paused suddenly, his muscles tensing where he stood, his back to Quint. He knew he couldn't avoid it forever, hell, half of everyone he knew found out before he did. It shouldn't have surprised him that it'd gotten back to Quint, and yet...he was. His stomach sank, his heart seemed to tighten, and he was hit with an emotion he rarely experienced; Guilt. Shoulders slumping, he reached up with one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose after rubbing his face, still not turning to look at Quint. "I know, I am a ******** idiot...But I'm not the only one. It takes two to tango, you know." He grumbled out, sounding rather...resentful.

"I talked to your 'tango' partner. I know you and her had a talk about it together," he said in a measured tone going over the resentful tone not letting it make him back off, "I wouldn't think that you'd just give up responsibility like that," Quint said softly. While not surprised he was disappointed. He was hoping that some day Kay'd show him wrong somehow or at least know when to step up and at least want some form of rights. "I don't think Mom and Kale know yet..."

He had something to give to Kay something he promised to give to his Brother. Still he wasn't ready to just hand it over yet. He wanted to get this talk done first. Get everything out.

Kay paused. Wait. What? Give up responsibility? His eye widened in surprise at the choice, but the surprise soon turned to anger; the knowledge that neither parent knew yet was brushed off. He was focused, deadset on that one little point. "WHAT?!" He hissed out, a little louder than he intended. The teen spun around, fists clenched at his sides, his usual carefree expression matching his surprised and rather angry tone. "I didn't 'give up' responsibility! There was no ******** responsibility TO give up! What the ******** is she telling people?!" Growling low, a noise echoed by an equally angry hiss from Nahual, Kay turned around again, this time to punch the nearby door frame. "Christ. That's great, juuuust ******** great. That b***h..."

His head tilted back a bit at the sudden display as he stared at his brother for a long moment with a frown, "You have no god damn right to call her a b***h. From what she told me you didn't even want the babies! What the hell was she supposed to do?! Abort them? How do you think that would have made things better for anyone?" Quint riled back at Kay not willing to back down, "If anything you both ******** up I would think you'd both just go into this at least being parents. No one said you two had to be 'together' but at least still reach out and be a father longer than a ******** and a single second." His voice raised several octaves since Kay was doing the same.

There was no help for it still he tried to calm himself down at least a little, "I'm not saying you're a bad guy. I know you can be a good guy Kay...But..Why? Why are you hiding from us?"

"I have every right to call her a b***h. She's making me out to be the bad guy!" Kay was angry, that much was certain...but he was hurt, very hurt, by this whole situation. He didn't ask for this, and while he was sure she didn't ask for it, it still could have been avoided. "I would rather have them aborted than to live like this. This isn't right for them." He snarled through Nahual's loud hissing. The teen wanted to elaborate, really he did, but the next question threw him off. Why? Well, there was a good reason. His expression dropped again, plummeting from his anger into an unhappily knit brow, his gaze on the floor. "Because...What am I supposed to do? What else am I supposed to say? 'Hey, You're Grandparents and you're Uncles, but not really because she doesn't even want me involved with them'?"

Quint reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was it so much more difficult now that Kay was weighing in his two cents. The teen listened to his brother resisting the urge to just lash out or even grab the snake by the throat just to shut it up. He had always disliked Nahual for various reasons but at a moment like this? He loathed the creature. The hissing wasn't making anything better. "I don't even think she was in her right mind when she talked to me, not entirely. Then again I dunno what to make of any of this. I just know what she said and then you were like a ghost so I had no clue what to do with this information or even what your side of the god damned story was. It would have helped...me a lot if I could have at least talked to you too...Gotten it from you first at least..."

As much as he liked Victoria (at least now) he would rather have heard the words from his brother first.

He made fists with his hands and then stared down, "You know when Mom finds out she wouldn't allow for that sort of bullshit. Especially since she loves you so damn much, she'd...She'd love everything that came from you no matter how it happened. You don't give us enough credit, Kay. I'm not exactly dancing with joy at being an uncle right now but...Anything would be better than not having you here with us where you belong," he muttered softly.

He hated change. He hated the change that was apparently making Kay go away even more.

"I know! But really, what else could I do?" He repeated, digging his fingers into his hair to hold it tightly. "Quint, I had to ask her to let me see them once they're born. When I found out, I didn't get a chance to say anything. She told me, then went into this long, breathless spleal about how she didn't need me, that she was going to do it on her own, that she didn't expect or want my help." Kay knew where Quint was coming from; but from his point of view, it wasn't that easy. Not easy by a long shot. As far as he was concerned, he was akin to a sperm donor.

"I'm sorry, I really am. But if I had to ask to see the children I helped make, and I'm the Father, what luck would any of you have to see them, except by accident? They're here now, I know they are, it's been at least a couple months already. Where are they? I haven't seem them. The world seems to have known about and seen them before I have. They're mine, and I...I don't know what they look like." His mood wasn't helping Nahual's any, and while the snake had calmed down a little bit, it was still hissing constantly, it's downlike feathers ruffling in anger.

"I didn't want them, I don't want them now, we're both too young, and it's not fair to those kids. I was going to ask her to abort, and if I had a say in the first place, I would have manned up if she refused. You know me, Quint. You know I would. I make mistakes and I do live up to them...But this..."

Quint's bluster was calming down as he quietly started to listen and let Kay have his side of the story. He tilted his head down a bit and shifted his shoulders uncomfortably he didn't want to tell Kay that he could have the option to see the kids at least from time to time but he did offer, "When they are older it isn't like she could stop them but you have rights too if you want to see them. Just because she spits them out of her crotch doesn't mean you don't have the right to make demands. Besides I wouldn't see them until you saw them, Kay. I don't feel doing so otherwise." Yes the teen knew everything wasn't that easy but still the point remained he was just happy his brother wasn't as spineless as he seemed to be.

"I'm not one to be pro-life Kay but it's Victoria's body too and it is their right to live wanted or not. The abortion might have hurt and wrecked Victoria beyond all belief if she has a soul of some kind anyways. It probably would have wrecked you too. Just for knowing it." Quint shrugged as he lifted up his shirt and took out the envelope he tucked into the belt of his pants and then offered it to Kay, "This is from Victoria, she wanted you to have this. No I didn't read it so I don't have any clue what it says," he muttered softly as he waited for Kay to take the letter and read it. Inside would also be a photograph of the twins.

"I know, I know...but this is a little hard to digest, Quint." Kay growled a bit. "Being told you're a Dad, but that you're not needed, not even asked for your opinion on the matter...and then everyone, and I mean everyone who found out since then, comes to me, attacking me for being a horrible person. Evari was under the impression that some deadbeat knocked her up and skipped town, then you with your thinking I just gave up responsibility. I might have a piece in this, but I'm not the only one at fault, and I am not the bad guy!" He hissed, frowning and pointing hard at the ground, his lips pulled back to bear his teeth in anger.

"She could have told me that! If we'd've talked about it, like we should have, we could have figured out something, anything! None of this lets-not-talk-about-it-but-let-everyone-think-Kay-is-a-horrible-person bullshit. It put me in a harder situation than it should have." He didn't like the way this was held, but at the time what could he do? It was hard enough to swallow that she was pregnant...and since then, he hadn't seen her. Not once. Not even a phone call. Nothing. He'd never been so hurt in his entire life. "What's this?" He murmured, reaching out to snatch the envelope from Quint. He got his answer of course, and for a moment he considered not opening it.

But he had to.

Taking a breath, he opened the envelope. The letter was first of course, and he read it with a frown. He didn't care for the content for the most part - if she really did feel this way, she would have given him a choice, or at least a say. ********, just even talking to him would have been acceptable. His mood before reading the letter didn't help anyway, honestly. But, the letter was tucked behind, bringing the picture of sleeping twins to his view. And, there, he had to stop.

He stared at the picture for a moment, his expression dropping almost instantly. Twins. His Twins. His Children. A boy, and a girl. The teen squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill. A heavy lump formed in his throat, his stomach sank. Breathing in hard, he released it in a shuddering sigh. He had no words, none. He just shoved the letter - and the picture - at Quint's chest, and then shuffled into his room to sit on the edge of his bed, burying his face into his hands.

It was too much.


Quint just watched and stared at Kay letting him vent it all out before he would decide to talk his brow furrowed a bit. Okay so maybe attacking him wasn't the best idea Quint ever had but he didn't know what else to do. He'd been worried not just about the way it all looked but for his brother in general it had seemed as if he'd dropped off the face of the earth and it hurt him, in a way, that Kay was going through such lengths to avoid him or even telling him. He remained silent still as he let Kay take the letter and read it watching the reaction and blinking as he had the letter and picture shoved at him and suddenly Kay fled and was thankful that it was into the bedroom and not outside. Quint let the letter fall away but he kept a hold of the picture. Like hell he'd let the image of his niece and nephew hit the ground.

He wandered toward Kay and moved to sit next to him but at the moment not too close as he looked over at him his expression thoughtful and sympathetic. Tentatively he reached out to touch at Kay's shoulder, "Kay, I'm sorry. I just...I didn't know what to think especially since I had only one side of the story. I didn't want to believe you'd do that. I refused to believe it. I was...I was just so pissed off especially since you didn't at least come to talk to me; you know I'm always here for you, Kay. I'm your ******** brother, Kay, I'd do anything for you. I'd have had an easier time swallowing it if the news came from your mouth first but," he sighed a bit, "I ran into Victoria first..." Quint pointed out quietly.

"...I love you, Kay, you're my family too you know." Quint said sincerely.

Nahual had quieted down after Kay saw the letter, but when Quint sat down, he let out a warning, spitting hiss. The snake was silenced however, when Kay reached up just long enough to smack the beast, making it retreat back into his dreads. Just in time to, as he felt the hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first." He managed to get out, still trying to wrap his head around it, especially that image that he had seen. The first glimpse he had of the twins he fathered. His voice was heavy, that lump preventing him from speaking as clearly as he would have liked. "I know." The teen murmured under his breath, his little mantra for most of the arguments thus far. He knew what he had to do or should have done, but he couldn't ever bring himself to do it. It just...didn't seem like a good time. Ever.

"I love you too, Quint. I just...couldn't figure out how to...you know." He murmured, his voice hoarse. A quick glance over showed him that Quint still held the photo, and he looked down, tenting his fingers between his knees. "Th-they're somethin else, eh?" He rasped out, sniffling and looking back up, rubbing his eye.

Quint had shot Nahual a glare for the most part. Now was not the time to be pissy. He was trying to calm down and having some stupid little rat-snake hiss at him wasn't going to do it but between the time the hiss happened and the contact with the hand on his brother's shoulder happened there was a retreat and Quint managed to relax at least a little. He gave his brother's shoulder a small squeeze and nodded a bit, "If you want I'll be there when you decide to at least talk to everyone else that doesn't know if you want...I just...I don't want you to disappear because of this Kay, please don't disappear," he was sincere and earnest with his plea.

He nodded a bit quietly as he listened to Kay and then looked down at the picture along with his brother and attempted a half smile, "The boy looks like he has a lot of you in him, I don't even need to see him grin...I know he'll be a jackass like you are," he said affectionately, trying to lighten the mood at least a little bit. At least a smidgeon. It seemed like forever since he last actually bonded with Kay and it almost seemed a shame that it had to be over something so dramatic and life changing.

"I...I won't." Kay said honestly, reaching up to grab Quint's hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. Quint, despite all of his sharp teeth and blunt wits, was a good brother, a very good brother. "Thanks, man." Well, it wouldn't be so bad if Quint was there, but still, the subject was a little (okay, very) sore.

He heard the comment and he let out a single laugh, his inhale shaky after that. "Who knows," Kay said, his voice still on the urge of breaking. "He could end up a stoic a*****e, like his Uncle." Managing a grin, he looked back down at the picture, then rubbed his face. "Those poor kids." For more than one reason, clearly.

"Good," Quint said quietly as he watched Kay. He nodded a little bit when thanked for the assurance that he'd be there when or if needed, "No problem." He was feeling at least marginally better about the whole thing, but not by a whole lot. The fact that his brother was apparently getting attacked by people (himself included) didn't set right with him. It was done now and there was no changing the past.

Quint snorted a bit and laughed lightly, "Maybe," he smirked a little bit as he moved to offer Kay the picture once more, "poor kids, but lucky too. I'm not...Going to let them not know about us, I refuse to let Victoria hoard my niece and nephew," he said quietly. Sure it was unfortunate the way this all happened but he wasn't going to let the young woman keep them away from the Gear Family or the Father (if Kay willed it).

He'll be damned if anyone continued to trash talk Kay now, especially in front of the children.

Kay took the offered picture, holding it between his scarred hands as though it was the most precious thing in the world. To him, it was. He hadn't wanted kids yet, he still didn't want them, but it didn't change the fact that they were here now, or that they were his. Everything should have gone down a little differently.

"Yeah..." He gazed down at the image for a little longer, and then carefully he folded it into thirds horizontally, being very careful to not put a crease over the image of the infants. He stood up, sliding the picture into his pocket and rubbing his face once more.

"I'm going to go see her." He announced, his frown evident as he looked back at his Brother. "I'm going to confront her about all this bullshit. I'm going to see those kids, and...when I get back...I'm...I'm going to talk to Na, and Chit."

Quint watched Kay quietly feeling a certain amount of pride swelling in him for his brother, to know that he was the man that he knew him to be. He nodded slowly as Kay talked and moved to stand up he offered over his hand to clasp arms with his brother at least until the next time they meet again, "Good. I'll be here if you want me to be, when you get back to talk to them..."

He meant it, every word of it. He'd sit and wait forever just so long as Kay actually came back. Granted he wouldn't just sit around and wait - he had s**t to do - but he'd always come back to wait.

"Maybe after we can get a drink together," he offered, this time he wouldn't be a lightweight, he hoped.

Kay shifted a bit, reaching out to clasp arms, his grip as firm as ever. He could do this, yes he could. It'd taken a verbal smack to do it, but it was in motion now. Besides, he wouldn't be alone; this was the one time when he needed somebody to help him, and thank god he hadn't harassed Quint past the point of hatred.

"Oh trust me, you're the first person I'm going to hunt down when I get back." He promised Quint, leaning in to wrap his other arm around his Brother in a squeezed hug. "And trust me, I'm going to need that drink after." Releasing him, Kay walked around, bent to grab the envelope off the ground (he realized it had an address on it; the letter he didn't care for right now), and headed outside.

"Damn well better or I'll be hunting you down. You don't want me coming after you," he laughed a bit as he returned the hug after the arm clasp. He loved his brother despite all the aggravation and annoyances. It was thanks to Kay and various others that he got a bit out of his shell instead of hiding in it. He had so much to thank Kay for though he was too proud to do so all at once. Little by little, however, he would thank Kay with small things - starting with sticking stubbornly by his side.

He smiled slightly, "We probably all will," he laughed as they released from the embrace and let his brother walk away, he trailed a bit after him and then paused in the door way. "See you soon, Jackass," he said with a bit of a grin.