Carmen and Elena walked home together after a long day of school and- well, reuniting with an old friend. The two of them talked about their day as they strolled through the busy streets.

Once they reached the orphanage, Elena went to put away her things, and Carmen left to find her mother.

"Mom!" She called.

She first checked outside but only found the children playing on the playground. She then checked her mother's workroom.

Carmen let out a pleased sigh once she spotted her mother reading quietly to herself on her chaise.

Carlotta felt the presence of her daughter and glanced up from her book.

"Hey, where were you all day?" She asked.

Carmen walked over to her, "I dropped Elena at school, and I was going to come back, but..."

"But?" Carlotta raised a brow, studying the slight change in her daughter's expression.

"I bumped into an old friend."

"Those ACME agents?"

"No- Remember the friend I made while I was on VILE island? Gray?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, I ran into him on my way back, and I ended up spending the entire day with him."

"Oh?"

"I know I was supposed to come back and help you at the orphanage, but I hadn't seen Gray in over two years. And when I saw him again, I kind of lost track of time. I just wanted to be with him again."

"Isabel, I'm not mad that you spent the day with your friend. I was just worried something happened to you."

"I'm sorry, I'll call you next time something comes up."

"You better," Carlotta scolded, but she still had a slight grin on her face.

Carmen perked up, "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Gray's coming over for dinner tonight!"

"Wait, what?"

Carmen frowned, "Is something wrong?"

"No, honey, I just wasn't expecting that. But I can't wait to meet your... friend."

Carmen beamed, "He's a great person. You'll like him!"

"Based on those adventures you told me about, he already seems interesting enough," Carlotta smirked, playfully elbowing Carmen's arm.

"Yeah... he's alright."

Carlotta sighed, "Well, we'll talk about your friend later. Let's go take care of the kids for now."

"Okay," Carmen said as she followed her mom outside.

***

Later that night, Gray stood at the front of the orphanage.

He double-checked the address on the note Carmen had given him. This was the right place.

Gray walked up to the front door, clenching a bouquet of red roses in his arm. He raised his hand to the door, but he didn't knock. He hesitated.

Gray wasn't sure if having dinner with Carmen was the best idea. Sure, he wanted to see her again and spend more time with her. But Gray also didn't want to complicate her life even further.

During their time together earlier that day, Carmen had told him all about her mother and her adopted sister, Elena. She explained how life had been so much easier for her. It made him smile. In all the years he had known Carmen, he had never seen her happier. And Gray knew it was because he wasn't a part of her life. (At least that's what he told himself.)

If he were to go inside, wouldn't he invite trouble into Carmen's life once again?

"No, I shouldn't do this," He mumbled, backing away from the door.

He turned to leave. His heart was heavy in his chest.

As if the universe itself were beckoning him to stay, the front door swung open from behind him.

"Gray?"

Gray froze. He turned back to the door to see the same little girl he met earlier that day, Elena.

"It's Graham... and you're Elena?"

"Yeah, I am. But why were you leaving?"

Gray froze. "Uhh- I was going to use the back door?" Gray lied, though it came out as a question.

"Okay?" Elena raised a brow, not really buying Gray's excuse.

Her gaze then shifted to the roses in his hands, her mouth twisting into a devious smirk.

"Are those for Carmen?"

"Yeah... I was gonna give these to her."

"Cute."

"Cute?"

"It's cute that you brought her flowers."

"Oh."

"Why don't you come inside?"

"Okay," Gray mumbled. He didn't have a choice anymore. He had to attend the dinner now.

But as much as he hated to admit it, he was thankful that Elena had opened the door. At least, somewhere deep down inside him, that is.

Elena led Gray inside the orphanage. It was a pretty decent orphanage in Gray's eyes. Nothing too fancy. But there was something about the place that made it appear more... 'homey' than most orphanages he had been to.

As they walked through the halls, Elena gave Gray a quick tour of the place. Occasionally, they were stopped by some children, who stared at Gray as if he were some sort of alien from Mars.

Gray didn't mind, though. They were barely 8, after all.

Soon after, Gray followed Elena into a private lounge. Inside was a long, rectangular table situated in the middle of the room. It looked big enough to fit at least six people. The table was covered with some of Argentina's famous dishes like Asado and empanadas.

Towards the back of the room, were some cupboards, a small sink, and a medium-sized fridge.

"The children usually eat in the cafeteria down the hall," Elena explained, "Carmen, mom, and I usually eat in here. You know, for family meals and such."

"That's nice, and this orphanage looks like a great place! Thanks for giving me the tour."

"No problem!"

Elena paused, "Did you want to see Carmen?"

"Uhh, sure," Gray mumbled, trying to hide the uncertainty on his face.

"Okay, I'll go get her."

Elena turned to fetch her sister when she noticed a familiar face by the front of the room.

Carmen.

Gray turned around as well, his eyes widened once he saw her.

"Carmen?"

Carmen's eyes shot up, "Gray? I didn't know you had already arrived."

Gray grinned as he promptly took note of Carmen's current outfit.

She wore a red knit sweater with white pearls, black jeans, and red flats to complete the look. Too bad she didn't do anything with her hair, though. Carmen only put it up in her classic messy bun, but she still looked beautiful nevertheless.

"Elena led me inside," Gray said, gesturing towards her, "And by the way, it's Graham."

Carmen couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Well, Gray-ham, if you don't mind, I need to go help my mother tuck in the children. Wanna come?"

"Uh, sure!"

Carmen proceeded to head for the bedrooms when she noticed the roses in Gray's hand.

She smirked, "Those for me?"

Gray felt his cheeks warm up, "Yes. They are."

Carmen bit her lip as she took the roses from him.

"Thank you, they look beautiful. I'll put these in my room later."

Carmen placed the roses inside an empty vase she got from the cupboard. She then set the vase aside and walked back to Gray.

"Come on!"

Then, to Gray's shock, she took his hand in hers and pulled him alongside her as they strolled through the halls. Elena followed close behind.

They eventually arrived at a room where Carlotta was hastily tucking in the kids. (Which proved challenging since the kids were still restless as heck.)

Carlotta sighed with relief once she noticed Carmen and Elena by the door. She then switched her gaze to Gray. The smile on her face faded as she carefully studied the Australian.

"Uh... a friend of yours?"

Carmen looked over at Gray, "Yeah, this is Gray!"

"Graham!"

"Graham! His name is Graham."

Carlotta raised a brow at the two. She then noticed how Carmen's hand was entangled with his. Carmen caught up with her mother's gaze and instantly snatched her hand away from Gray's. A trace of deep red blush began to form on her cheeks.

Carlotta smirked.

What was it that Carmen called them?

Friends?

"It's nice to meet you, Graham," Carlotta finally said, "My daughter has told me a lot about you."

Gray's eyes widened, and he began fidgeting with the edges of his jacket, "Oh... she did?"

"Yeah! She used to talk about you for hours!"

"Mom!"

"I'm just kidding, honey. Graham, you may make yourself at home here. And Isabel, get these troublemakers into bed while I go set up dinner. Elena, come with me."

Carlotta and Elena both left the room, leaving Carmen and Gray alone.

Gray smirked, "Isabel?"

Carmen returned his smile, "Yeah, it's my real name."

"Well, Isabel. Would you mind if I helped you with the kiddos?"

Carmen leaned in, "That'll be Carmen to you. Only my family is allowed to call me Isabel."

"I'm fine with that. Carmen suits you better anyway."

The red blush returned to Carmen's cheeks, earning a tender smile from Gray. He liked seeing this flustered side of her, although he rarely did.

"Um, we should probably tuck in the kids," Carmen whispered, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.

She then ushered the kids into their beds. Gray watched as Carmen brought the warm blankets on top of their little bodies, her sweet voice whispering 'goodnight' as she did.

She was so tender- so considerate.

Gray felt his heart melt right then and there.

How in the world could this woman be so perfect?

"Mr.?"

Confused, Gray glanced down, his eyes resting on a little girl. She was tugging at his shirt while her other hand clutched a small teddy bear against her chest.

Gray got down on one knee, so his face was leveled with hers, "Whatcha need, kiddo?" He asked softly.

The girl didn't respond. She hid her face behind her strands of rich blonde hair, her grip on the teddy bear tightening.

She then pointed towards an empty bed, which earned a sudden 'oh' from the Australian.

He led the girl towards the bed and allowed her to climb on top.

Gray wasn't exactly sure what to do, considering he had never tucked in a child before. But he remembered what Carmen did and decided to give it a try.

Soft and tender. Gray pulled the covers over the girl's chilly form and made sure he was gentle with her.

"Night, little one." He whispered in her ear.

Gray stepped away from the girl. He was able to make out a small smile forming on her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

"I never expected you to be a natural with kids."

Gray looked over his shoulder, grinning as Carmen joined him.

"I think I should be the one complimenting you. You got those kids asleep faster than anything I've ever seen. You're a natural."

Even with the now dim light, Gray could see the passion in Carmen's eyes as they twinkled in the streams of moonlight that escaped through the window. Those same streams gleamed on Carmen's tan skin and her lush, red smile. It was at that moment that Gray remembered just how beautiful Carmen really was. Both inside and out.

What exactly did he do to deserve a girl like this? Gray will never know.

"Thank you, Gray. Graham- Graham. Sorry," Carmen stammered.

"You're fine. But we should probably go before we disturb the little ones."

"Ditto. Let's go have our dinner."

Fast forward to a few minutes later and Carmen, Gray, Elena and Carlotta are all sitting together and enjoying the food that had been prepared.

Carmen sat across from Gray and next to her mother. While Gray sat next to Elena.

They made small talk. Carlotta asked Gray about his job and other stuff, though she never brought up VILE. She was aware of all the things Gray did to her daughter while he was 'Crackle.' And she'll admit, she was skeptical about him at first. But after much reassurance from Carmen and getting to know the Australian, she began to see him in a different light.

(and could clearly see the chemistry between him and Carmen.)

"So, Graham, why aren't you taking part in capturing the remaining VILE operatives?" Elena asked.

"I didn't want to be involved with VILE again. I wanted to pursue something else for once."

"So you went back to stage lighting?"

"Yeah. But believe it or not, I've actually grown to like it, and I've even been promoted to master electrician." Gray said as he stared at his food, trying to appear more cheerful, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fool Carmen.

Carmen could read the grief on Gray's face. The way he slumped in his chair and picked on his food. She'd known Gray for years, and she could easily tell when he was feeling more down than usual. Carmen suspected it had something to do with their last encounter in Morocco and everything that occurred there.

They never had the chance to talk things out (since they wanted to avoid complications) but Carmen thought it would be best if they tied off loose ends for good.

***

After dinner, Carmen helped her mother with washing the dishes and cleaning up the area. Occasionally, she would steal a glance at Gray but would quickly look away whenever he turned to her.

Minutes later, Carlotta and Elena informed Carmen they were heading off to bed. She hugged them both goodnight before it was only her and Gray left in the room.

She turned towards him.

"Gray?"

"Hm?"

"We need to talk. Let's head outside and get some fresh air. We'll talk then."

All Gray did was nod. He pulled his jacket on and followed Carmen as she led him outside the orphanage.

The cold breeze instantly slapped against their skins as they strolled outside onto the front yard of the orphanage. They quietly walked outside the boundaries of the orphanage and onto the empty streets of Buenos Aires.

It wasn't entirely dark. The street lamps and the full moon provided Carmen and Gray enough light to find their way to a park nearby.

Carmen and Gray soon reached the park. They continued to walk along the cool, grey sidewalk that passed through the fields before finally sitting down on a small bench facing towards the playground.

At first, the two of them didn't say anything. They both stared at the landscape before them for a few minutes instead. They admired the lush green grass, the distant street lamps, the tiny playground, and the vague city lights.

If Carmen hadn't been so tense about Gray, she would've actually enjoyed the pleasant sights of her home town.

Heart beating wildly, she turned towards Gray. The street lamps cascaded a golden streak on Gray's face, which perfectly highlighted the distress in his eyes.

Even when he wasn't looking at her, Gray could feel Carmen's eyes watching him, refusing to look away.

"You wanted to talk about something?" He finally said.

Carmen took a deep breath, "Yeah..."

"About?"

"About everything. Morocco, VILE, and most importantly- why did you choose to leave me?"

Gray fell silent again. He still didn't turn to look at her, which only made Carmen more nervous.

"Gray, look at me," Carmen whispered, her voice brittle.

"I... I didn't want to complicate your life. So I chose to let you go."

Carmen's eyes widened in disbelief, "Complicate my life? Gray, you have never complicated my life."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. I mean it."

"But, Carmen. Look at all the things I've done. I chose a life of crime over you, twice! And while you were mind-wiped, I sat back and watched as you did horrible things to the world. For six months, I did nothing about it!"

"Yes, you did do all those things. But in the end, you fixed your mistakes."

Gray raised a brow, giving Carmen the 'please explain' look.

"Chief told me what you did. She told me about the sacrifice you made for me."

"It was nothing, Carmen."

"Are you kidding? Do you realize that if you had been caught, VILE could've retaliated against you! They could've wiped your memory again, or worse, hurt you! But you decided to ignore those consequences just to save me!"

"But I still hurt you- I still made all those mistakes."

"I know. But at the end of the day, you still chose the right side. You saved me before I could hurt the people I love. You helped me regain my life back and because of that, I was able to meet my mother and live the life I've always wanted."

Carmen then rested her hand on top of Gray's, running her thumb across his skin. This caught Gray's attention quickly as he finally turned to meet Carmen's gaze.

"But I don't want to go back to that life without you. I want you to be a part of my life again, Gray."

To Carmen's dismay, Gray only grimaced at her confession. The light in his eyes was gone, and he seemed disappointed in Carmen's statement.

Had she gone too far? Did Gray not want to be a part of her life?

Her uncertainties then vanished in an instant once Gray replaced his frown with one of the most heartwarming smiles he had given her.

"I want you to be a part of my life, too, Carmen."

Carmen's eyes lit up "S-So, we'll stay in contact this time?"

Gray nodded in response.

Carmen sank her teeth into her bottom lip before throwing her arms around Gray's neck. Gray's arms instantly tightened around Carmen's figure, pulling her into a big bear hug while he cradled her head on his shoulder.

Carmen tried not to cry at the thought of Gray back in her life once again. She could hardly believe it, but it was happening. After years of separation, Carmen and Gray were finally going to stay together.

After a minute or so, Carmen drew away from the hug so she could pull out her phone.

She handed it to Gray, "Number?"

Gray took the phone and typed in his number, his lips twisting into a playful smirk.

He handed the phone back to Carmen once he was done.

"I... I guess this is where we go our separate ways again?"

The smile on Carmen's face vanished in an instant.

Were they really saying goodbye again? It felt like they've just reunited. There was still so much they had to do together.

As if reading her mind, Gray leaned in and whispered, "Hey, we'll still be in contact. You have my number now. We can call anytime you'd like."

Carmen bit back tears, "I'm going to miss you, Gray."

Gray felt his own eyes stinging with tears, "I'll miss you too, Carmen."

The two of them hugged again. Gray rested his chin on top of Carmen's head, whispering the words.

"I promise we'll see each other again."

"I know," Carmen breathed.

They pulled away after what felt like forever, but they still kept that longing gaze on each other.

Gray stared into her deep grey orbs. Tears shimmered in her eyes. He could practically see himself in them.

He then stepped back. Gray knew that if he didn't leave now, he'd probably never leave.

"Goodbye, Carmen."

Carmen's eyes narrowed, her expression mixed with both confusion and suspicion.

His 'goodbye' didn't feel right. It almost seemed kind of... rushed. Like Gray wanted to leave Carmen as soon as possible.

But that didn't make any sense. Gray didn't have any work or anything urgent to take care of. And he surely didn't want to leave Carmen so he couldn't see her again.

...Right?