Alex was in a daze.

This was the first time that Rory had ever talked to him like that. No matter what he had ever said about their father, no matter what he had ever done to their father, Rory never stopped him nor refuted him.

He, too, never chastised her for being so close to their father and defending him. He never resented her for always making their father like he was some kind of hero.

It was like they had a silent agreement.

Neither bothered the other about their opinion of their father.

But now, Rory had not only scolded him, she called him a jerk?

Alex kicked a pebble that was on the ground, looking up as he watched everyone following Uncle Ali back towards the house.

It wasn't fair.

Alex and Aurora may have gained consciousness and awareness when young, and as such, highly intelligent children - but at the end of the day, they were still just that.

Children.

Unlike Kyle, who had been reborn.

Thus, Alex acted purely based on his own childish perceptions and feelings of righteousness … but Ali's words did strike a chord in him.

He didn't fully understand what Ali had said, but he got an idea.

Was he only seeing what he wanted to see?

That he would twist everything that his father did, based on his own twisted views?

The thought made him very uncomfortable.

For someone that had always thought he was in the right … to suddenly be struck with the idea that he may actually be wrong …

It was a horrible feeling.

Adults would already feel bad, what more, a child.

Alex turned and walked away, his thoughts and emotions in a turmoil.

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Sofiya found Alex huddled in-between some bushes, hugging his knees and crying. Her heart went out to him and he looked up as she approached.

He turned, sniffed, and wiped his eyes vigorously.

Sofiya sat down next to him, finding some way to squeeze in and gave him a hug. Alex stiffened, but did not push her away.

"Are you going to tell me I'm a bad boy too?" Alex sniffed.

This was a side of Alex that Sofiya had never seen.

Perhaps, no one had.

He was always trying to be an adult, and he held himself up as one. Whether he realised it or not, he was imitating Kyle, the father he seemed to have a grudge against.

"What do you want me to say?" Sofiya asked, "The words that would make you feel better, or the words that are the truth?"

"So even you think I'm a bad boy," Alex mumbled.

"No, you are not a bad boy, Alexander," Sofiya said, holding him tight, "But what you have been doing isn't good either."

"Then you are saying I'm a bad boy," Alex insisted.

"No, I am not," Sofiya replied, "Just because you did something that isn't right, does not make you bad. It just means that you did something bad."

Sofiya patted his chest, "What matters is here, your heart."

Then she rubbed his head, "And here, your mind."

"You, Alex, have a heart of gold," Sofiya said softly, "Anyone can see that. In the way you care for your mother, and your sister. The way you treat others like Ziad and Fleur. In fact, you even pamper Fleur, letting her have her way just so that she isn't hurt."

"But it doesn't mean I am blind to the wrongs that you do, either," Sofiya said.

"A good person can make mistakes and do bad things. A bad person can have a heart and do good things," Sofiya replied, "What truly makes a person bad, or good, lies in the heart and mind."

"So I say it again, Alex," Sofiya continued, "You are a good boy but you have done bad things. How you treat your father is not right."

She sighed softly, "Try and think back on all the things you have said and done to your father."

Sofiya was silent, letting him do so. She watched quietly as his facial expression showed his intense concentration.

"Then think, if some one did all of that to you, how would you react? How would you feel?"

She rubbed his back.

"Then think of how your father has been treating you," Sofiya continued.

"It is only because he loves you so deeply, that he would be that way," Sofiya said, "On the day you and Rory were born, was the best - and worst - day of your father's life."

"I have known him for a long time, Alex, but that was the first time I had seen him so devastated and so devoid of life. You blame your father for what happened to your mother and in a way, he probably was at fault."

Alex puffed up his chest, feeling vindicated.

See? He wasn't wrong.

"But that does not mean it was his fault," Sofiya said.

"Huh?" Alex couldn't help but stammer out in confusion..

Sofiya laughed softly.

"Do you know what happened that day?"

"No," Alex admitted.

"Do you want to know?"

Alex slowly nodded.

"But if I am to tell you, let me ask you," Sofiya said, "Is your mind open or closed?"

"Huh?" Alex stammered again.

Alex felt really stupid today.

Why are the adults not making sense today?

"Are you willing to listen to know what happend, or are you going to just hear the story with the intention of blaming your father?"

Alex still looked confused.

"In order to get to the bottom of things, you need to be able to be objective," Sofiya told him, "If you want to know the truth, then listen. Don't just hear the words, but truly listen. Only then can you understand."

"Are you willing to try?"

Alex nodded and Sofiya began.

By the time Sofiya finished, Alex's face was awash with tears again.

"Ho-h-how c-c-could a..any.." Alex sobbed, unable to continue.

Sofiya took Alex into her arms and hugged him tightly to her chest, letting him cry, "There are many types of people in this world, Alex. Your father blames himself for not seeing her true self, but it's not his fault. No one could have thought she could have been so jealous of your mother that she wanted to kill her, and both of you, just so that she could have your father."

"He also had all those people to protect your mother, but she still got hurt," Sofiya said softly, "Sometimes, no matter what you do, bad things can happen. Your father's world crashed when your mother was in a coma. It was not known if she would ever wake up."

"You, too. You and Rory were so tiny that no one knew if both of you would survive," Sofiya said softly, "Your father lived his life like a zombie the entire time."

Alex felt horrible.

Does his father hate him now?

He had been so mean.

Sofiya hugged him tighter, answering his unspoken question, "Your father loves you. Always have, always will."

"Now is the time to get to know your father."

Alex nodded.

It was.