Word count: 2021

That faithful day had come and mostly passed without incident. Azzo glanced up at the clock, he was curled up in the big cozy arm chair dressed in his sleep pants and a white sleeveless shirt and had on slippers that looked like dog feet with claws. He was reading on the psychology books he’d checked out and had a stack in front of him. Somewhere, in that stack was his grandfather’s book.

He’d finally found it. Grams and Azzo had earlier went out to buy a computer, with the help of the geek squad, Azzo also got head phones and an ipod. He sighed, it was probably near the end of the money he’d spend unless he ended up in the hospital again, the way things were going lately, that might not be something too far off. He tried not to think about it. The computer, was actually a laptop, something easy and portable. His grandmother was playing canasta on it currently, she’d learned how to play the game surprisingly quickly for her age. Then again she loved canasta, so maybe it wasn’t such a big surprise.

Azzo on the other hand, had loaded his ipod just recently with a bunch of random songs that he liked, after getting some help from the ‘geek squad’ before they left. Aka, they showed him how to do it. And with a preloaded card he’d managed to wangle up different songs from different artists. He had gotten the headphones that kind of clipped on the ear and one was on while the other hung down over his shoulder. The wire he’d thrown behind his back so it wouldn’t get in the way.

They were both sitting there, until the door bell rung. Azzo’s eyes widened, “Crap… they did come.” He muttered feeling the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

“I’ll get it!” Grams said looking up from her game to move to get the door.

She smiled when she discovered it was the rest of the Crowley clan. “CONWAY! GLENDA!” Grams cried, “Oh it’s so nice to see you two again!”

The man known as Conway Crowley smiled and gave his mother a hug, “Ma, how’ve you been?” He asked her.

Glenda on the other hand glanced past her mother-in-law. “Fiona… is that…” She stopped as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Yes Glenda.” The elder smiled and nodded, this caused Conway to look up and around his mother. He was staring directly at the pup.

Azzo could feel himself sinking into the chair. Trying to hide behind the book, his father always caused him to want to crawl into a hole. He tried to hook the other headphone into his ear, only to manage to fumble nervously with it at the expected outburst of rage. The only thing he could image his father to do at this point.

His mother was the first to reach him, once past her mother in law she nearly ran over to Azzo, “BABY!” She flung her arms around him and sunk to her knees.

“’Lo mother.” Azzo said barely audible. As his mother sobbed into his shoulder about how glad she was he was alive, and how she’d begged his father to try to get off sooner. However, Azzo was too busy watching his father. Waiting for whatever he had to say.

The older man brought the bags in and dropped them beside the stairs. He looked over the house and the newest addition, the computer. He looked back at his mother and Azzo. “Only one?” He asked curiously.

“Yes.” Said the older man’s mother, “Conway, we couldn’t afford two, and it’s Azzo’s birthday. Not mine. He was nice enough to let me use it to play canasta on though.” She made a point to reiterate her grandson’s birthday. “Now, why don’t you greet the pup like you’ve got some sense. I know you missed him. The military isn’t going to shoot you for showing some emotion sometime that isn’t anger.” Grams, was doing the one thing the woman was always good at, and that was scolding.

Conway looked at her, and let out a gruff chuckle. However, he wasn’t quite amused, “Iunno Ma, they might shoot me.” He said before looking over to Azzo. “It’s about time you show up.” He said his face serious and Azzo could feel himself trying to sink more, but his mother trapped him so all he could do was nod.

His father seemed to pause to think, “Well. Do you have some heroic story for us or not?” He asked. Azzo looked at him almost shocked. Blinking for a second he looked at his mother and then his grams, before back at his father.

Instead of looking like a scolded pup, he looked like he could die of embarrassment. “No sir.” He uttered softly.

“No Sir?” The older man blinked, looking at his son confused, “You come home with broken ribs survived an organ ring and you have no story to tell?”

Azzo nodded softly trying his best to hide himself in the chair. “I got amnesia.” He muttered still looking embarrassed but now flustered too.

Conway didn’t know what to say. He looked at his mother and when she nodded to confirm Azzo didn’t know anything he scuffed and turned, “I’m going to take our stuff up to our room.” He picked up the luggage and walked up the stairs.

Azzo could only whimper, “I can’t help it! I try damn it, I can’t remember s**t.”

His mother was snuggled up to him over the chair’s arm. “Shh, it’s okay pup. He’s not angry. He just doesn’t know what to say.”

Glenda looked over to Fiona, “Fi, what about some hot chocolate? I know the days are getting warmer, but I think it’d help calm everyone’s nerves.”

Grams nodded, “Of course Glenda. I’ll go make some.” She smiled, “Do you still like me to make it with milk?”

“Oh yes please!” Glenda said before finally letting Azzo go. She smiled, “I knew you were still alive.” She confided in him, “We just couldn’t come look for you, your father got shipped out and then he made me come over to Korea too. I’m sorry Pup, I’m so sorry.” The woman that was Azzo’s mother had a fair complexion, dark hair with lively green eyes and rosey cheeks.

Azzo watched as tears fell down her cheeks, “Mama, please.” He said softly setting the book down and softly brushed away a tear from her cheek, “It’s okay. No one knew.” He said softly looking up the stairs where his father had retreated.

“It’s my fault you were left behind! I didn’t fight…” Azzo shook his head to hush her.

“It’s not anyone’s fault. No one knew. I just wish I could remember what happened, but I hardly doubt it was anything as awesome as pa might want it to be.” He said softly, his voice quivering when he mentioned his father and lowering considerably still.

Grams in the kitchen sighed loudly. “I swear that man has no heart what so ever!” She complained coming back in with a tray of coco two had marshmallows and whipped cream, and there was a plate of cookies. “If I hadn’t known any better I’d say he gotten switched with my real son at birth. Sometimes I think he loves that stupid military than his family.” She scowled in his direction.

“Fiona, he’s trying to do better, he’s not as angry all the time now.” Glenda said glancing up the stairs. “He’s really calmed down a lot.”

Suddenly Conway appeared at the top of the stairs, “Speak of the devil.” Fiona muttered before looking up at her son and smiling, “What do you need honey?”

Conway didn’t answer her, instead he looked over at Azzo. “Pup, could you come up here?”

Azzo grew rigid when he was called, he nodded, “Yessir, do you want your hot coco?” He asked, Grams had fixed him a plain cup.

“If you want to bring it.” Conway’s voice sounded indifferent Azzo grabbed that and a few cookies, one he held in his mouth and went running upstairs, you don’t disobey your father. Not when he’s Major Conway Crowley.

Azzo handed the larger man his cup of coco and offered him a cookie. “Thanks pup, where’s your cup?” Azzo glanced back down the stairs. The older man sighed, “Go get it.” He instructed, and watched Azzo take off, Azzo seemed to be pouting by now. His mother chuckled, “Don’t worry pup, he won’t break your ribs again.” She assured him.

Azzo didn’t really want to see his father, he was still recovering from nightmares and all the other stress in his life. His mother he’d been begging to see, but why did his father have to come? When he reached up stairs he followed the older man without being told. Like an obedient little pup that he was suppose to be.

When the older man closed the door Azzo flinched slightly, honey brown eyes looked up at his father. They held a curiosity, but also a hint of fear. “Azzo…” Conway started out. He bit his lower lip, how do you apologize to your son when he’s been gone for a year and you had been dismissed ages ago because you struck fear into your own flesh and blood. He’d become an outcast in his own family because of his, yet his son was still here for him to give an explanation to.

Conway licked his lips before starting again, a nervous habit he had around Azzo. “Look, Pup, I’m sorry.” He said as he dug through luggage and threw him a book, “I should’ve… never been so rough on you.”

The man seemed to have a difficult time saying this, with the occasional trailing off and pausing to think, Azzo opened the book to find it was a picture book. It looked like it had a lot of Korea in it. “When Ma said you were alive, I didn’t want to believe her because I… I was ashamed.” He said pausing picking out something else.

Azzo looked up at him, honey brown eyes blinked slowly at his father saying he was ashamed. “Azzo. I treated you wrong, because I wanted you to be strong like me. I wanted you to be able to make a man out of you like those in the military.” His father paused, giving a deep sigh.

Azzo opened his mouth a few times and closed it. You don’t interrupt your elders, it was a rule Conway enforced with a heavy hand. Azzo swallowed before finally spitting it out, “Why?”

Conway looked at him, noticing his son flinch. He grimaced, he really had instilled the fear of god in the boy. “Because you hate me.” He said softly, tongue running over his pearly white teeth. The older of the two, was tan, with dark hair and his eyes were about a shade Darker than Azzo’s. He closed them, “I never wanted you to be afraid of me.”

“I was young and stupid for bringing my work home with me. Treating you like one of those grunts.” He was watching Azzo now for a reaction, Azzo had chosen to keep focus on the book.

“This Korea?” Azzo asked suddenly. It looked nice, but Destiny was his home, his… destiny? He didn’t want to leave his friends.

“Yes.” Conway replied, “Azzo… what do you remember?” He asked looking at his son. As if it was important he remember.

“Nothing.” Azzo said softly eyes still focused on the book, “I remember nothing at all. Others remembered… Remembered enough to know me.” He said with a sigh, clearly flustered.

“The ribs?”

Azzo shook his head, “There’s theories, but I don’t know.” He said softly.

“Theories?”

“Trying to help people escape and they broke my ribs trying to stop me, I fell down some stairs or something and broke them… they really don’t know. All they know is whatever broke it was apparently a very hard hit. They were about half healed when we were found.” He said softly pausing at a picture running his hand over it.

It was of his father and mother, with a dog. Azzo’d always loved the canines. He closed his eyes and sighed. Conway noticed the picture. “You could come live with us, grams too. You can take care of him anytime he’s not working with me.” The older man offered.

Azzo shook his head, “I can’t leave Destiny.” He said softly.

Conway looked at him, “Why not?”

Looking at his father he sighed, “Because I have friends? I have a life? I have school.”

Conway shook his head, “You can finish school over there. They have better schools. I can get you into the best, you can have whatever medical attention you need, if you need any at all…”

Azzo looked at his father; there was a small face twitch.

“Shell shock? Nightmares… terrors… whatever it is, they can help, they help fix it.” Conway said, he knew a thing or two about shell shock. In the military it wasn’t something you didn’t know, especially now.

Azzo sighed, “They’re never the same. I’m getting help here.”

Conway looked at his son, “As dangerous as it is, you want to stay here?” He looked at his son confused.

Azzo nodded, “Yessir.”

Conway looked at him, “Why?”

Azzo sighed, “Because no matter where we run there’s danger, I’m not going to feel safe anywhere for a while. I feel safest here. I can take care of Grams. I might not can stop the crime and whatever they’re saying it is on the news. But I don’t want to run away.” He said softly.

Conway smiled softly, “I see.” He pondered, “I’ll see if I can’t get some sort of help for you here then. They have to have someone that’ll be here.”

Azzo nodded, he couldn’t really protest, Mr. Nguyen said he needed a doctor. Besides, he wasn’t sure if his father was caught up in the moment of having his son drop back in his life or not. So he wasn’t about to push his luck. He took a sip of his hot coco, nibbling on the cookie he had in his hand.

“We’ll go out for your birthday.” Conway said suddenly. Azzo blinked, “Whatever restaurant you want to go to.”

Azzo saw his father was trying to start over... to go back and make things right.