a/n: no less than 3 separate people have added dot to reading lists titled stuff like 'bxb' or 'gay'... like come on, my queer self makes ONE book without gay romance and this is what it gets me :P ( where is the gay? have i accidentally written some into the book? i swear if anyone is shipping dot and felix i am going to die D': )

a/n #2: i don't really like this chapter it's not written well but eh

"Felix, what in the hell is that?" His dad gestured towards the skinny, sickly-looking appendage with apparent contempt as he tried to figure out what was attached to his son.

"It's not real." Felix lied through his teeth, wanting to avoid the 'tail' conversation for as long as was humanly possible.

"If it's not real, then why do you have it on?" Nsia joined the conversation now, and while it was good that she had immediately accepted Dot as he had expected (and in fact had just returned from the kitchen to bring back a damp cloth to try and rub the mudstains out of the hybrid's clothes), she looked horrified at the thing sticking out of her son's lower back.

"They gave it to me for Dot's benefit- but seriously, can we please just talk about what happened to me first? You'll understand everything once I'm done, I promise." Felix was desperate and pushed his tail down into his trousers to hide it so that hopefully his parents would stop commenting on the unwelcome addition.

"Okay love," said his mother, "now sit, sit down and explain." She ushered them all towards the worn-out sofa in the living room and they all sat down on it together, Nsia and James still holding back tears at discovering the news that Felix was alive, despite the weird 'fake' tail he had on.

Felix placed Dot down next to him. The sofa was old, and rather shabby: but still, comfortable and soft to sit on. Dot loved it, at least; but he was proving to be impressed by everything outside of the facility, so it wasn't high praise.

"Now tell us, Felix." Begged his mother as she clutched his hand and gently stroked over the skin of it.

...

"It's outrageous! Utterly outrageous! They can't get away with that!"

When the story had been told and the horrors had been shared, Felix's parents felt the need to demonstrate their disgust by standing up and loudly shouting about everything that was wrong with 'those fake doctor people'.

"You say they're the reason he can't walk? Oh, but he's so sweet- and he's only little- how could anyone even think of doing that I have no idea." Nsia, as per Felix's prediction, was absolutely doting on the bat hybrid and seemed greatly upset by what had happened to him all his life. "You'll stay here- and you can have all the things you want-" If it hadn't been for Felix's warning, she likely would have rushed over to hug the boy and gotten herself scratched.

"They're backed by a sponsor? Who? How rich are they?" James, on the other hand, wanted less to do with the half-bat, half-boy that now awkwardly sat on his worn-out sofa. This wasn't surprising, they had always known it would take a little time for his dad to come around, but still disappointing.

"So you broke out, along with the two doctors, then managed to find your way here? I'm proud." Nsia had passed the damp cloth over to her husband so he could take up the mantle of cleaning Dot's clothes in favour of hugging her son, who hugged her back as if he had just returned from the dead. "And to think we were still grieving, grieving for a man who was alive and well." She spoke with her face nuzzled in Felix's shoulder as her husband came over to join them in the second group hug of the night.

"What's going on here?" Asked another, younger, voice. "I'm trying to study."

"Oh my God, Leander-" Felix rushed over to his little brother and swept him up in an embrace, wrapping his arms around him as the boy he held hugged back like there was no tomorrow.

"But- you're dead-" Leander was as shaken as he was overjoyed, James taking him off to the side for a few minutes to try and explain all that had happened to his elder brother.

"Oh my God." Leander said once his father was finished. "You're half bat?" He looked over to Dot, his mouth a perfect 'o'.

The hybrid nodded, face turning a little red as Leander continued to stare at him like he was some sort of zoo animal.

Felix noticed Dot's discomfort and took Leander back off to the side again while his parents continued to question the hybrid, who was typing as fast as he possibly could to answer them.

"Don't look at him like that, okay? He doesn't like it. He's just as human as you or I, and he hates feeling like he's anything lesser."

Leander nodded, seemingly ashamed of making Dot uncomfortable. "I'm sorry- he's just really cool. I never thought a proper hybrid was possible."

"I know, right? When you first meet him it's all like 'aaaaa there's a bat boy aaaa', but then you get to know him and it's more like an 'oh cool, he's just a little guy' type of thing."

His little brother snorted and laughed. "Got it." He said, and only managed to walk a few paces back towards his parents before Felix dragged him back again.

"And what are you doing studying at 2am? Go to sleep!"

"Well I'm going to fall asleep now, am I?"

Felix snickered. "Touche. But don't make staying up this late a thing, ok?"

Leander rolled his eyes but grudgingly agreed.

Back over with Dot, James was still very wary of the creature. How could he be sure that he was telling the truth? It all seemed too wild, too much like something out of a science-fiction movie, too far-fetched. Nsia, at least, seemed to like him and so he wouldn't speak out about his concerns just yet- he knew she would just blow him off anywway. Since their two children had grown old enough that neither of them really craved her help much anymore, a small, helpless, scared thing that seemed to want comfort was just what she needed.

And it was what made Nsia happy that mattered to him, so he would have to accept the strange bat-boy that his son had invited into his home.