"I can't believe this week flew by so quickly." Max lamented, leaning back in his chair at the bar. Isaac sat next to him with a smoothie in hand, pink straw in his mouth. The sun was rising on their final day in the rental house, and everybody was feeling the pain of going back to school- even Spender, who was making the most of what time he had left by doing everything he possibly could (skydiving, water gliding, etc…). Ed and Isabel followed Cindy back to her house earlier in the day, so it was only the two of them left until Spender got back. "I know. It almost seems like a waste of a break. We spent most of our time tracking down a bad guy. I mean, we got a few fun days in, but beside that we really wasted it."

Isaac rested his chin in his hand, bored lidded eyes running over the counter's design like he was trying to memorize it. Max knew he probably wasn't. There was something on his mind. He decided not to pry, though. Conversations were awkward enough after the…

Max willed the memory of their kiss away. It wasn't like it'd been a real kiss. It was called the kiss of life, but kisses weren't always anything more than platonic or familial. Sometimes he thought about asking Isaac what it was and if it was meant to get so personal, but the fear of Isaac reacting negatively was something he wasn't sure he could handle. Well, he could handle it he just wasn't sure he wanted to or was ready to.

"Hey, Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I uh, wanted to talk to you about what happened a few days ago."

And yet there the dreaded conversation was, smacking Max right in the face because fate never really did anything but screw him. "What about it?" Like any person would, he tried to sound nonchalant about, even going as far as to trace patterns in the counter with his finger. "I was just wondering, um, if I could tell you what I've been thinking about it." Though it was definitely a statement, Isaac's voice quivered like it was a question. Max's heart raced in his chest. He fought to keep his hand in his lap where it'd been the entire time and not grasp his chest to calm himself down. As far as tells went, that would have been pretty forward. "Shoot."

He didn't look at Isaac, but he could feel him shuffle in his seat uncomfortably.

"So um, I noticed that when I was trying to get you to wake up, things got a little" Isaac coughed "heated between us." Max said nothing, but every bone in his body was screaming. His brain was too fuzzy and too light to listen to anything the rest of his body had to say though, so he remained still. "I've never um, done anything like that before- kissing people I mean, not just guys I- oh god that sounded horrible."

Max shrugged his shoulders as a signal to get him to continue, but he still wouldn't look Isaac in the eye. There was a buildup inside of him, such a cluster of emotions flowing up from his stomach into his chest like the water he'd almost drowned in- yet somehow more intoxicating.

Isaac sighed and hung his head. "What I'm trying to say is, that was my first kiss and it was an accident."

That was game over. Max's heart dropped ten floors and crash-landed into the cement sidewalk below. People would send get-well cards and flowers but Max wasn't sure it would ever really snap back into action. Everything else felt numb, like he hadn't just heard that. He hadn't just hit the wall he'd been so scared of. Max's stomach felt like it was flying to stay above the acid bound to form and his shoulders almost felt the same way. His finger stopped tracing the counter, and in place his hand stilled and went flat, his palm pressed against the granite. "I just don't want things to be weird between us, you know? I don't know if you heard me back then but-!"

"I heard you. I'm your best friend and you don't wanna lose me. I get that."

His voice came remarkably calmly for what he was feeling. He was impressed by his own ability to keep his voice from cracking. "Yeah… yeah! That's exactly it!" Isaac's voice was cheery and bouncy, delighted at whatever he thought he caught in Max's tone. He didn't need to build a spectral barrier to keep his emotions and Isaac at a distance. "So you feel the same way, then? That was just an accident?"

There were lots of things Max could have said. He could have said yes, that was what it was. He could have placed too much emphasis on how much he agreed with Isaac. He could have said 'yep' and left it at that.

Max simply nodded.

Before he knew what happened, Isaac's arms encircled him entirely, his face digging right into Max's shoulder. "Oh thank god! I was really worried this conversation was going to be a lot more awkward than this! I nearly expected you to laugh in my face!"

The situation became too real. Reality finally started to hit him. All of the emotions he'd been blocking broke right through the wall, and Isaac's hug felt akin to somebody choking him. Everything was dreadful. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest- and not in the same way Isaac usually had it going. His throat was getting tight.

For the first time in a long while, Maxwell Puckett felt like crying.

When Isaac pulled away, there was a smile on Max's face a mile wide and it was unsettling and entirely weird for him- not for Ed, but for him. Isaac balked and cocked an eyebrow. "Clearly I'm not the only one who thought this was going to be more awkward. I don't wanna know what you thought was going to happen if you're that happy it went like this."

Max laughed and slapped Isaac on the back repeatedly. "Of course! I was almost expecting you to say 'Max, I like you' or something weird like that! Really glad you didn't! That would have been awkward! Hah hah hah!"

Isaac winced as each slap got progressively more violent. "Ow, Max! Take it down a notch!" He lightly gripped Max's wrist and pulled it out of his personal space. Max readily took it back, like Isaac's touch had burned him.

"Sure thing, buddy! Friend! Amigo! Pal!"

"Max you're acting really weird."

"What?!" Max took a step back like he'd been wounded. "Weird?! Wow, tell me what ya really think, Isaac!" He winked and nudged Isaac with his elbow, hard enough that Isaac recoiled at the contact. Max mentally slapped himself into another dimension. That forced laughing sounded fake to his own ears. He couldn't imagine Isaac didn't pick up the hint, either. "Anyway, I've still gotta toss my stuff in the trunk! Catch ya on the flip side!"

Flip side? Really? Wow, Max. Get it together.

"Hey, Max wait-!" Isaac reached a hand after Max, but he disappeared down the hallway before he got a word out. His eyes narrowed, but he shrugged it off and got off his stool to place his cup in the sink. Somewhere along the line, he'd finished the smoothie that'd been half-full when he started the conversation with Max.

He forgot to toss the pink straw in the trash.

Once Max was alone in the room he'd shared with Isaac, he leaned his back against the door.

The room was pretty much empty, save for his stuff which was thrown haphazardly around the room. There were a few shirts slung over a chair and some pants on the floor next to the bathroom. Any sign of Isaac had been cleared from their room hours ago.

Max slid down the door, took his cap in his hands, and sat in silence for a good half-hour.

- Baldon Residence -

"Are you sure you want me here for this?"

Isabel sighed and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Ed held Cindy's hand in one of his and Isabel's sleeve in the other. She could feel him shaking and it was kinda funny how something so normal could make him so scared. Cindy blinked at Ed and kissed his cheek. "He definitely wants you here, Isabel. Moral support and all that." She frowned and placed her free hand on her hip. "Even though I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about Eddy."

"You say that but they've managed to scare off all of your other boyfriends. What will they do to me?!"

Cindy and Isabel rolled their eyes together. "First of all, you're a spectral. You can handle yourself when someone threatens your life." Isabel still wasn't used to Cindy, but she was much more comfortable with her knowing she was a spectral. It was something even Ed hadn't known, surprisingly enough. She had to admit, she was curious about where she'd been training if she wasn't in the Activity Club or at the dojo. It was partly why she'd agreed to come along. Now, she was not regretting the decision. Cindy's house looked like a haunted mansion. Even though the day was bright and sunny, an eerie gloom shrouded the entire place in mystery and despair. If she wasn't going to get a kick out of seeing Ed pee his pants, she'd at least get to see how Cindy trained.

"Second of all, I've never had another boyfriend." Ed jumped and looked at her, eyes wide behind his glasses. "But I thought you said-?"

"You're the only boyfriend I've ever had, Eddy!" She cupped his face in both her hands and kissed his nose gently. "I promise!"

A blush began coating his face, but Ed was still very plainly confused. "But you said that you've run into the problem of them scaring boys away before?"

"Not just boys, Ed. It's girls, too. They've scared away all of my friends!" She giggled. "There's a difference!" She tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him past the front gates that loomed over them, marching past stone gargoyles and spider webs. Isabel watched after them, touching the place where Ed's been clinging before and smiled. "Well that's not much better, is it?" She trailed after them, careful not to step in a booby-trap or whatever it is her family called security.

- Dining Room -

Dinner was awkward to say the least.

Cindy's parents at on either end of a long table that reached either side of the room. The inside of the house wasn't much lighter than the outside. Everything in the house was black, save for the blood red tablecloth that ran along the table. Ed sat across from Cindy, who was batting her eyelashes at him and trying desperately to place footsies under the table. Usually he would have obliged, but he was sat right next to a friend of Cindy's father- Mister Bluett. While the man seemed friendly enough, making conversation and laughter where Cindy's parents (with stern, rock-hard looks on their face) would not, Ed was not going to take the chance that it was some set-up to catch him treating their daughter inappropriately. Get comfortable with Mister Bluett. Let his guard down. Play footsies with Cindy under the table. Mister Bluett tells Mister Baldon. He challenges Ed to a battle to the death.

That's what was going through his mind when he winced and shrugged his shoulders at her, folding his feet back under his seat.

Isabel sat next to Cindy, hiding her laughter as best as she could in her hand. She turned her head as far into her sleeve as she could without seeming suspicious, muffling her giggles.

"So, what is your name, child?"

Ed jumped when Cindy's mother called him from the other end of the room.

"Um, my name is Ed Ma'am- Miss! Miss Baldon!"

"Surname?"

"Burger."

She took a deep swig of her wine glass then shot a contemplative look at her husband on the other side of the room. "His Surname is Burger, darling."

"Burger, hm?"

Cindy's father leaned back in his seat, stroking his well-groomed beard. "I see…"

Ed gulped and looked at Cindy for guidance. She only tilted her head and smiled.

"What is your home-life like, Ed?"

Isabel shot Ed a defensive glance, communicating that he didn't have to answer if it made him uncomfortable. She'd take care of them if trouble arose. They had no idea if her parents were spectrals, but she would take them down regardless. Ed returned her look with a warning one.

Don't get out of your seat just yet, Izzy.

"I live in a dojo with Isabel."

"Where are your parents?"

Ed's eyes widened and Cindy's jaw dropped. "Papa-!"

"Let him speak, Cindy." Her mother waved for her to sit back down. Isabel had hardly noticed Cindy had stood. "If Ed doesn't want to answer, he doesn't have to."

"No, I need to answer." Ed shook his head and looked her father in the eyes. "I don't know where my parents are. They're gone and they left me in Isabel's family's care and I've grown up with them pretty much my whole life. I know Cindy will miss out on a lot of things if our relationship lasts us through high-school, like shopping for a wedding dress with her mother-in-law. Thanksgivings and holidays and stuff will be weird, but I promise you," Ed's hands clenched under the table "I want your daughter to shop for a wedding dress with my mom because I want her to be my bride. I want to give Cindy everything she deserves and I want to be everything she's ever needed. I don't know if 'Cindy Burger' has a nice ring to it, but I like it because that means she's mine- and I mean that in the least possessive way possible."

Isabel's jaw stayed dropped, but it wasn't in rage anymore. She knew Ed liked Cindy and she knew he liked her a lot, but she'd never seen him stand up to an adult like he just had. It was obvious he was nervous, and probably really scared, but he'd done it anyway. He'd faced the barking dog head-on and stood his ground. She could feel pleasured surprise coming off of Cindy in waves from her side. Mister Bluett dabbed his lips with his napkin, but she could still see his mischievous smile very clearly.

Cindy's parents stared at each-other; green eyes wide open for what seemed to be the longest time.

There was a cough from Ed's side of the room.

Bluett raised his glass and nudged Ed lightly with his elbow. "Well, what do we all say to dessert?"

- Living Room -

Ed didn't know what to do with himself. Cindy had been sent upstairs- not because she was in trouble, but because they wanted to speak with Ed alone. Not even Isabel remained in the room. Cindy dragged her upstairs with her, talking about 'showing her where she trained'.

He sat on one red couch and they sat on the other, both of them with their legs and arms crossed. Ed nearly crossed his own legs and arms, but decided it against it.

"Cindy is a great girl." He managed to say.

It was stupid. He'd already said everything he wanted to say before dessert, so why even bother repeating himself. They'd come to the same decision anyway.

"Yes, she really is." Cindy's father mumbled.

Then all was silent again.

The tension was driving Ed insane. He wanted the entire event to be over so badly.

Finally, Cindy's mother coughed into her hand and spoke. "Ed, I'm very sorry but we can't have you courting our daughter anymore."

His heart sunk into the deepest pits of his stomach. His body was starting to shake again, and he couldn't even hide it. "You- you can't be serious! Why?! I really like her!"

"We know you do, son" Cindy's father said "it's just…"

"It's just what?! Am I really that bad for her?!"

Cindy's mother frowned at him and raised her hand in the air flatly, only to lower it. "Sit down, boy."

Ed hadn't even noticed he'd stood. Quietly, he nodded and took his seat. He stayed bent over, though, leaning his forearms on his thighs and keeping his sight set on the floor.

"You aren't bad for Cindy, at least" she paused and said gently "not by any fault of your own."

"What's that mean?" He was too weak to deal with any of this. When Cindy was called back down stairs, he'd have to be the one to tell her they couldn't see each-other anymore. He certainly wasn't going to let her parents do it. There wasn't an answer for the longest time, but eventually Cindy's father broke the ice again.

"You don't remember us, do you Ed?"

The use of his name was enough to confuse him, but the sentence itself was mind-boggling. Ed turned his head up just enough to see their faces. "What do you mean?"

Cindy's mother glanced to the side and frowned deeply- and not sternly like she'd been doing all night. Whatever wall she'd had up fell and it was hard for her to keep her emotions under control. He could tell by the way the corners of her lips twitched just like…

That was a weird thought.

Just like who?

He was sitting up completely now, back pressed straight against the couch.

"We didn't mean to upset you at dinner, child. We just" she sighed "had to be sure."

"Sure of what?"

"Ed," Cindy's father leaned over in a similar way Ed had been, but faced him with an apologetic expression "this is probably going to come as a shock to you, but you need to hear it."

"Hear what?!"

He was getting scared. How was he supposed to know them? What was he supposed to remember?

Cindy's mother stood and walked over, taking a seat beside him on the couch and wrapping both of his hands in her own. They felt familiar in a way that was upsetting him, and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear anything she was about to say.

"Ed, I'm your mother's sister."

"You're my…?"

"I'm your aunt. Cindy is your cousin."

"You called, Papa? Mama?"

When Cindy saw her mother sitting next to a very pale, very horrified-looking Ed, she frowned and rushed over to him, hopping down the last three steps of the staircase just to get to him faster. Isabel was slower getting down the stairs, cautious of the spider webs that littered the railing. She didn't have anything against spiders; she just didn't much enjoy the idea of getting bitten by one.

She stopped two stairs before the floor, shocked to see Cindy bent in front of Ed, holding his hands.

Cindy was almost upset that he refused to tangle their fingers, but she wasn't going to force him.

"Eddy, what's wrong?"

"Cindy…" He was sweating like it was summer, and she turned to tell her father to turn on the fans. "No, don't. That's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is bothering you?" She leaned in closer, but Ed pulled back. "Cindy, I don't know how to say this."

"Say what?"

Ed took a deep breath and squeezed her hands. "Cindy, you're my cousin."

The room was silent, Cindy staring back at Ed with wonder in her eyes, like he was joking with her. That small, laughing smile even came across her lips and he had to smack himself for even thinking about kissing her again.

"That bothers you?"

"What?" He didn't just hear her say that. "Cindy… I mean it. You're my cousin- by blood."

"So?"

"So?!"

Cindy's mother- Matilda, he'd found out she was named- shook her head and sighed. "Cindy, a romantic relationship with your cousin is simply unnatural."

"But royal families do it all the time!"

He heard Cindy's father- Confucius (odd name, Ed thought) - mumbled under his breathe. "Should have never read her that one fairytale…"

"Cindy, that's what royals used to do! Used to! It was to keep the bloodline pure, but that doesn't work in the modern-day age. You heard him planning marriage earlier! It's not even legal to marry your cousin in Mayview!"

Isabel fell to sit on the stairs, watching the scene transpire with a worried stare.

She had no idea how Ed was going to walk out of this one.

(On the other hand, that explained where Cindy was being trained. Having older spectrals in the family certainly helped.)

"So um…" Isabel rubbed the back of her neck, glancing any direction but Ed as they walked home together. "I'm sorry about your girlfriend… uh, cousin."

"It's fine. Somebody would have told me eventually." Ed's laugh was hollow and sad, and she didn't know what to do to fix it. Isabel exhaled as quietly as she could before looking at him. His eyes were casted to the sidewalk as he kicked a pebble along the way home.

"I'm also really sorry for the way I acted back at the beach."

"What?"

Isabel laughed under her breathe and sped up a little so she was ahead of Ed. She was feeling at her weakest and she hated letting anybody, even him, see her like that. "It's just that, you and Cindy were getting really close really fast, you know? I was kind of…" she shrugged "I was kind of jealous. I've always relied a lot on you and Mister Spender, so the thought of being left alone was kind of scary." She thought back to standing in front of the ocean, wiping tears from her eyes with a phone in her hand that just kept ringing. Isabel reminded herself of the decision she made at that moment. She intended fully to take whatever steps she needed to ensure she was changing, if not for herself but for the people she placed all of her problems on (namely the boy walking behind her and slightly to her left). "But I need to stand on my own without a safety net. So I'm sorry for giving you grief. You shouldn't have had to deal with that. I was insecure and selfish and I was worrying way too much about myself. I should have been thinking about you and I can't apologize enough for that."

A soft hand wound around hers, silently pleading her to slow down.

"Izzy…"

Isabel didn't put up a fight. She turned around and looked at him. He was smiling at her. Even in the poor illumination of the light-post they stood under, he was shining like he always did. "You don't need to apologize. When I was looking for you, I realized I'd feel the exact same way if I was in your position." His smile faded as the thoughts returned to him. "I think I might be worse if you just up and left me for some guy I didn't even know existed. I'm surprised you didn't burn the dojo down the night I told you. I would've." He laughed and shook his head. "But no, Izzy. You don't need to apologize. Everybody needs someone there when things get tough." He squeezed her hand in support. Isabel stood there with her lips slightly parted, the cogs in her mind turning as fast as they could go to catch up with what she'd just heard. But Isabel just needed to know he was still right there and they were still a team. All other information could be tossed.

She smiled and lifted her other hand to wipe at tears she didn't know were falling. They'd come slowly at first, but started dropping in buckets before she'd even noticed. "Thanks, Ed. I really needed to hear that."

They stood together under the dim light, giggling at nothing for what seemed like ever.

All of the tension and pain just disappeared. While she was sure they hadn't seen the last of it, she was sure they were ready to tackle it next time. One day Ed would meet another girl or she'd find some guy and the course would start all over again, but tonight was not that night and she was going to face that problem when they came to it.

Gradually, their laughter faded until they were left just staring at each-other.

Ed's smile softened right before some lightbulb seemingly went off in his head. "Hey, Izzy?"

"Yeah?"

She watched his eyes go from motivated to uncertain to determined. He didn't say another word, only pulled her inches closer by the hand he still held so they were both directly under the lamp. Isabel knew what was coming before it even happened, and she was prepared for it.

Ed leaned up on his toes and pressed his lips to hers; kissing her so tenderly and softly she caught her breath. Isabel thought she'd known what to expect but her skin was tingling where they touched. She closed her eyes and responded, all-too happily. Isabel could feel him relax the moment he felt the pressure of her lips, like he was relieved and hadn't known she'd react in that way.

His other hand reached out to hold her empty one and she tangled their fingers together.

Ed pulled her even closer. She felt his lips thinning and recognized that he was being Ed and grinning. Just as always, his smile was contagious and she found she couldn't stop her own lips from twisting upward. He had that effect on her. His vibes never failed.

When they finally pulled away, just a few centimeters, they both cackled and shook their heads, laughing at each-other and at the situation.

"Let's never do that again. That was weird."

"Agreed."

- Se Llama Giancarlo -

Max was the last one to be dropped off, and he was kind of thankful for that. He wasn't sure he could have taken one more second near Isaac- not for the rest of the weekend. The effects of rejection would mainly ware off by the time the school week came around. At least, he hoped. There was no telling where their relationship would be heading. Either Max would keep up the façade of being perfectly fine for Isaac's sake, or he'd strain his emotional capacity and stop caring.

"Max… about Isaac's 'secret friend'."

From his place in the backseat, Max tore his head from the window to look at him, eyes wide in terror. That was right. They hadn't actually fixed that, had they?

"Um, Mister Spender? About that…"

"It's alright. I understand why you were acting so elusive this week."

"You do?" Oh god, oh god, oh god! If there was one thing neither he nor Isaac needed, it was Spender finding out about Doorman.

"Of course! I was a young, curious man once, myself."

Max's anxiety dropped to below zero, his expression going with it. "What?"

"I understand now that what he said was personal and by no means hinting at any secret. Well, yes a secret but not one the Consortium cares to know about. His relationships are his own and we will not get in the way of whatever road you two may or may not choose to take together."

Max stared at the back of Spender's seat vacantly, trying to piece together what he'd just heard. "Okay, color me confused."

The teacher readjusted his rearview mirror to get a better look at his student, an all-knowing eyebrow raised impishly. "I saw the way you were holding him on Beach Square, Max. I must say that referring to your first same-gendered 'companion' as a 'secret friend' is a bit strange, but I see why he did it."

Max's eyes widened as he realized what Spender meant. He was quickly reminded of the situation he'd trapped himself in, his eyes becoming half-lidded and dark. Max leaked his black spectral aura, but he didn't really notice. "Oh… yeah. I um, I think we're over anyway, if that helps." The words left him before he even knew they were coming. He berated himself for letting his disappointment through. It'd just been stuck on his mind all day long and it made repressing that feeling even harder.

"Really?" The teacher seemed shocked "But just three days ago-!"

"He's not interested."

"He's not…?" Max groaned at the disbelieving tone in Spender's voice and glared out the window. "I don't know why I even told you that. You're worse than my dad." Actually, his father and teacher were on equal levels of Max's nerves, but he wasn't about to tell anybody that.

The rearview mirror moved. He'd had about enough of digging into Max. His student was visibly upset by the ordeal so it was better to drop it. If Max wanted to talk to him about it, he would. He knew Max liked keeping things to himself, especially things that hurt him. Spender was guilty of it himself- that was how he recognized it. When the time came, he was sure Max would talk to somebody, even if it wasn't him.

Max's head fell against the glass next to his head. He watched the city fly past him, along with assortments of spirits so different he still had a hard time wrapping his head around all of it. He could still see the beach, but it was distant and felt even further than it was.

"Hey, how did Velda end up on Mayview Beach?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Man's Rise Cave is where she died, right? Well that's all the way on the other side of town. How did her ghost end up on the beach if her body's that far away?"

"Excellent question, Max. Actually, I wondered the same thing. Naturally, I looked into and, as it turns out, there was a pipeline running under Man's Rise Cave that lead directly to Mayview Beach." His eyes narrowed in thought. "Her body must have been sucked into the pipeline before she truly departed from it. She had to have woken up underwater and realized what had happened. Interesting stuff, isn't it, Max?" When Max didn't respond, he called again. "Max?"

As he pulled in front of the Corner Store, Spender twisted in his seat to see why he wasn't responding. Max's weight was put entirely on the door as his face slid down the window. The boy was fast asleep.

Spender smiled and got out of his car, waving to Max's father who stood at the counter with the register.

Zoey rushed down the stairs to see her brother the moment Spender walked through the doors carrying him. He bent down and she leaned up on her toes to get a look at her older brother. "Aww, he's so cute when he's sleeping!" She pulled away snickering and he could have sworn he heard her say something about 'ruining that face with marker while he slept'.

"Thank you so much for driving him home."

"It was no problem, really! Ed and Isabel left earlier in the day so I only had to drive two kids home!"

Max's dad opened his arms and Spender cautiously passed Max on, taking special care not to wake him up. He barely caught Max's cap as it fell off and placed it back on the sleeping batter's head. "Have a good night."

"You, too!"

The only thing that bothered Spender on his drive home was the fact that there were three of them. There were three traitors and so far, two of them had come back for revenge. Would the third? It wasn't exactly out of the question, but he wasn't entirely sure how to pinpoint when and where the third traitor would strike. Once he reached home, he collapsed into his bed face-down and didn't get up for hours.

If the third traitor did come, they would just have to be ready.