"Jo!" The little voice cried out again as the small redhead ran down the stairs and launched herself into Jonas' arms. He was shocked at first but quickly caught her. He gently rubbed her back. "Hey, Princess."

Lucy had told her family about the kind boy who saved her and stayed with her. He calmed her down and called her Princess affectionately. He was the reason why she was brave enough to tell them what happened. So when he addressed her as 'Princess', Lily's glass fell from her hand and a small cry escaped her lips.

Suddenly Jonas felt another body hug him and he saw the other redhead crying on his arm. He looked over to Hugh, unsure what to do, but Hugh was in a daze just staring at Jonas with glassy eyes.

Hugh moved quickly and joined the hug. Jonas turned his desperate look at Alex. Alex shook his head with a smile. "Just bear with them for a moment, please."

Jonas nodded and let the three others hug him. Lily was the first to break away. "I am so sorry, dear. We always hoped to meet you."

Lucy lowered herself down and looked a little embarrassed and then Hugh detached with a smile plastered on his face. Alex clapped his hand on Jonas' back. "We're not normally an overly emotional group, but you have no idea how much you mean to this family."

He ushered Jonas to the sitting room and they all found a place to sit. They looked at Jonas with adoration. But Jonas only noticed Hugh who had a trace of sadness in his eyes.

Lucy pulled his attention away. "Why did you leave that day?"

He knew leaving like he did was abrupt but felt that it was for the best. "I made sure your family came and you were safe, but I didn't want to intrude. I never got your name so when my father let me out again, it was too late and you were out of the hospital."

Hugh raised an eyebrow. "Let you out?" Jonas was normally very quiet about his father. Hugh only knew that he hated him and wanted to break away from his mother and father. But the words 'let me out' echoed the pleading Hugh heard during Jonas' panic attack in the dark.

Jonas smiled, but it was forced. Hugh noticed and decided to drop it. "You saw us go in? Jo, we have known each other for months now but you never said anything." His voice was sounded a little miffed and disappointed.

Jonas shook his head. "I never saw your faces. As a St. Vincent's boy-"

"ex." Hugh inserted

Jonas nodded. "As an ex-St. Vincent's boy, I kept my head down and tried to maintain a low profile. I'm sure I was the last face you needed to see that day."

Jonas lifted a hand and ran it through Hugh's hair. "Also your hair was blue at the time."

Hugh leaned in slightly to the hand. "That's right. I dyed it silver a little after that."

"I like the silver." Jonas said with a small smile.

The sadness was dimming in Hugh's eyes and his smile was a little brighter. "I do too."

A small giggle sounded next to Jonas which broke him out of his trance. He pulled his hand back and turned his attention back to the Richards. He felt the heat rush to his face when all three of them were grinning at the two of them.

Lily was still grinning happily. "So what brought you to Hawkings? If I recall, you were actually pretty well known at St. Vincent's."

Hugh's eyes widened. "Mom!" He hissed.

Jonas chuckled. "St. Vincent's and I had a falling out. I liked fighting too much, and the students there liked to make me angry."

Lucy giggled. "No wonder you guys get along so well. You like starting fights."

Hugh and Jonas protested at the same time. "I don't start fights." They looked at each other and laughed.

"Well, maybe a couple." Jonas said with a smile. "My father wasn't too thrilled with my behavior, so I was forced to look for another place. Luckily my coach, Chuck, took me in. A few of his gym members attended Hawkings and he set everything up for me for my senior year. Even got shacked up with Hugh."

Hugh laughed a little and took his normal position of leaning on Jonas.

"What are you plans for the future?" Alex asked.

"I'm not too sure. My grades have been pretty decent so I do have several universities lined up. But honestly, fighting is my passion and Chuck has been training me to go the UFC route for years. Hugh has a lot of potential too and Chuck has been trying to trick him into it."

"I've attended your practices and it terrifies me. Chuck terrifies me. I'd rather go to law school." Hugh shuddered.

They continued pleasantries, while Alex and Lily would take breaks and check the food. But Hugh's demeanor started to sink the more he started to get trapped in his own thoughts. He was upset that Jonas had been there for his sister when she needed it the most, and he wasn't. He tried to shake off the thoughts and keep up with the changing conversation, but his mind always wandered to his failure.

Jonas glanced over to Hugh and was concerned but didn't draw attention to his demeanor in front of the others. "Actually, Hugh promised painfully embarrassing stories about his childhood." He said with a smile.

"What! No!"

Jonas ignored his protests. "But I have honestly be dying to see his childhood room and see if I can find something I can use to tease him."

Hugh gave him a playful glare. "So not happening."

"Of course it is, babe. This is payment for this morning." Jonas said with a smirk. He completely missed Lucy mouthing 'babe' to her mother and grinning silly.

Hugh groaned. "I wish I could say I regret my decisions, but I really don't. Still worth it. Follow me."

He grabbed Jonas' hand and took him upstairs to a room towards the back. Jonas walked into the unfamiliar place and closed the door behind him. He looked around and smiled seeing that the walls were covered with vinyl record covers and posters like the dorm. Everything was music related, except for some trophies and karate belts on a shelf.

On the opposite side of the room was a desk covered in records that was next to doors that led to a balcony.

Hugh sighed. "This is it."

Jonas bit his lip. "Hugh... I was there in the bathroom that day in the hospital."

Hugh gave him a confused look at first and then it dawned on him. The bathroom when he punched the mirror and cried. He never cried like that before. He felt truly broken.

Jonas grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"Jo, what are you doing." His voice was shaky and rapsy.

"That day, I wanted to hold you. I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner." He rubbed his back gently. "It's ok with me, Hugh. You can let it out."

"Jo..." But he couldn't continue because a sob took him and his body shuddered. Hugh could feel his shirt start to become damp and Hugh's body trembling.

"I should have been there. I shouldn't have let her go to that party alone." Hugh whispered.

"That party was at an David's house. He is and asshole and really good at keeping anyone unwanted out. You wouldn't have been able to get in."

"That shouldn't matter."

"Stop. What matters is that you were there for her afterwards. You told me you would help coax her out of her nightmares. You were there to help her rebuild. You did a good job, Hugh. She's an amazing little sister and she loves you so much."

"But if you weren't there..."

"I was. Just focus on that I was there... and I am here now."

Jonas placed his hands on Hugh's cheeks and lifted his face so they were eye to eye. He wiped the stray tears with his thumbs. He restrained himself from planting a kiss on Hugh's lips, but he didn't move his hands until Hugh's tears stopped. "Need some air?" Jonas asked.

Hugh chuckled. "Yeah. Come on." He grabbed Jonas' hand again and led him to the balcony. They leaned against the railing, but were still hand in hand.

Hugh let out a frustrated sigh. "I wish I could have done something to that bastard. I searched for him, despite my dad warning me not to. We ended up filing a suit against him and thought that he would fight, but he actually admitted to it and several other attacks. His parents couldn't save him and was sent to juvie. It just was rough that it took so long. We had to wait months for him to be able to show up to court because he had some sort of accident on the stairs."

Jonas coughed out of surprise. "Stairs? Is that what they said it was?"

"It's ridiculous. How bad could someone get injured for falling down the stairs?"

Jonas rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... In his case... orbital bone broken, crushed nose, jaw cracked, a broken hand, one arm broken in two places, the other dislocated, cracked collarbone, and quite a few broken ribs. He suffered from a concussion and internal bleeding. He was hospitalized for 72 days. At least that's what the cops said."

"Holy fuck! What stairs did he fall from?" Hugh let out a breath.

Jonas didn't answer and Hugh suddenly felt the unease radiating off of Jonas. He started to piece it together and thinking about the timeframe. Jonas told him that he caught someone doing something terrible, and then lost it and almost beat him to death. That is how he became the Wolf.

"Oh, Jonas. The fight that started it all..." It was Jonas' downfall. His betrayal and rage was all because of that incident.

Jonas squeezed his hand. "I never regretted my decision. If I had to change one thing, it would be my punches. I should have controlled my form a little more because that fucker's face broke a finger."

Hugh started laughing. "Which one?"

Jonas smirked and held up his middle finger, making Hugh snort. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his finger.

Jonas was surprised and felt his cheeks heat up. "Shit. I should have said something else broke."

Hugh grinned. "Oh? Shall we do a do over? What did you break, Jo?" He moved forward, leaning into Jonas.

Cough cough

Jonas and Hugh jumped back and turned to see Alex in the doorway. "Um, dinner is ready boys." Both of them were bright red and quickly shuffled out of the room.

However, Alex placed a hand on Jonas' shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "I normally don't condone violence as a lawyer, but as a father, thank you."