Axky awoke in the wee hours of the morning. His eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light around him. He squinted to see that he had an oxygen mask over his nose. His back felt cold and bare and he realized that he was dressed in a hospital gown.
He felt restless and took off the mask, breathing in deeply as he enjoyed the early morning air. The painkillers seemed to have been working fine. His body was hurting only slightly. There was a small clock on the wall facing him. He squinted in the half light to see that it was half past four. It was likely his family was asleep, even if they were waiting outside for him. Axky sighed and settled back into the bed.
There was a lot of business to be looked into, especially now that he had enough proof. With a little cooperation from a certain teenager, Gavin Walters would be in jail for the rest of his miserable life.
There was a small creaking noise and Axky was surprised to see a familiar boy enter. Trying to control his grin, he replaced the oxygen mask and feigned sleep.
Levi tiptoed up to the sleeping Axky in his hospital gown, his backside freezing in the cold and hurriedly took a seat on the bedside chair.
"Hey old man." he said softly. "Why won't you wake up already?"
Axky didn't respond, his eyes remained closed, his breathing even and slow. Levi sighed and settled more comfortably on the chair. He closed his eyes as well and tried to keep his thoughts together.
"I'm sorry." he said sincerely. "I don't know if you'll ever forgive me, but please, when you wake up, let me help you. Together, I know we can nab Gavin. Just please, please wake up."
Axky didn't respond and Levi was overwhelmed with a pain he could not describe. Tears streamed down his face as he bent his head on the bed and sobbed. It took Axky a while to understand what was happening.
"Hey, hey, it's alright." said Axky ripping off the oxygen mask and sitting up. "I'm fine." he said gently.
Levi looked up in shock , his eyes still sparkling from the unshed tears, his face contorting into a frown as he realized he'd been played.
"You were faking it." he said disbelievingly. His eyelashes faltered, trying to hide the fact that he was crying, in vain.
"It was too good an opportunity to miss." said Axky with a grin. "Want to tell me why you're interested in sneaking in to see me?"
"I feel bad." said Levi looking at him guiltily. "It's all my fault---"
"Do you know your left eyebrow is missing." interjected Axky tilting Levi's face a little with his index finger so he could take a look at the scar beneath his cheekbone as well. "You are wearing a hospital gown." he noted.
"Yes, I got a little hurt in the fire---" started Levi dismissively.
"What fire?" asked Axky with a frown. He was having a hard time putting two and two together.
"After, after you were kidnapped, we were trying to find out where they took you. David discovered your location because of the microchip in your shoes. We told the police station about it, and we---" Levi broke off unsure of how to continue.
"Let me guess, you followed the GPS too?" said Axky with a lazy smile.
"Yeah. David, the twins and I drove to your location. There was fire everywhere and goddamn it the signal was beeping right in the middle of it." said Levi fervently. "There was a cellar of some kind, the roof was blown off, and the signal was coming from beneath. The firemen were taking a little too long, David went to get them. But by then, I'd spotted you down there and jumped---"
"You WHAT?" almost yelled Axky in shock. "You could have died. Are you insane?"
"It felt more insane not to bring you out." said Levi rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was so hot in there and full of smoke, for a while I thought you were..."
He couldn't bring himself to complete his own sentence. Axky's expression softened and he ruffled the boy's hair.
"You are an idiot." he said affectionately.
Levi gave him a lopsided smile. "Hey, that's no way to talk about the guy who rescued you." he teased.
"You're right." said Axky thoughtfully. "Maybe we should kiss---"
"WHAT?" spluttered poor Levi backing away instinctively. "Did you hit your head somewhere?"
Axky laughed. "Nah. I'm serious. Don't princesses who get rescued kiss the prince and marry into the sunset?"
"Dear Lord you did hit your head." groaned Levi burying his face in his hands. When he resurfaced a few seconds later, he saw Axky looking at him with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Levi?" he asked softly, a genuine roughness grazing his words. "You---my daughter really cares about you."
Levi almost fell off his chair. "Huh?" he managed. How on earth did the old man know something like that? In fact how long had he known he was dating his daughter?
"Oh come on." said Axky with an eye roll. "I wasn't born yesterday. I know you and Vicky have been together for a while. Naturally, I took the liberty to research on you. It was rather surprising that there was so little information available on your family. So I dug deeper."
Levi turned deathly pale. Everything would change now. Axky knows.
"Gavin Walters...you know who he is?" asked Levi tentatively. The tension in the air sprang up suddenly and left goosebumps on his skin.
Axky nodded slowly. "I found no details about his family life either. The worst way to be suspicious is to hide evidence, and in the cyber world nothing is truly hidden. I found a lot of files. Though, after meeting the both of you, I probably would have put two and two together. You both have the same eyes."
"Don't." bit out Levi. "Don't compare me with that scoundrel. He hurt my mother so much. He hurt Vicky. He almost killed you. He's the scum of the earth and I hate him so goddamn much. I hope he rots in hell. I swear I will kill him if it's the last---"
"Levi." said Axky sharply looking into the younger boy's angry eyes. "I understand you are upset. You have every right to be. But believe me, these feelings of revenge that you have now...they will eat at you like a parasite. In the end it will consume you and your life will have flown by."
The younger boy looked up in surprise. Axky's boyish face was pensive and his next words shook him to the core.
"Levi, do not base your life on delving out punishment to a man who is a criminal. You are not a law enforcement officer, it's not your job. You are a teenager, your job is to be a kid. So do it." said Axky firmly.
Levi loosened the tight fist he had on his knees and marveled at the red marks he's made with the pressure. It was the first time anyone had ever told him not to act like a grown up, not to take responsibility. Aside from his own mother, no one had cared enough to tell him he just needed to act his own age.
He nodded slowly, meeting Axky's eyes with a small smile. He was greeted by an approving look and a nod that filled his soul with reassurance. Perhaps this is how it felt to have a father who cared.
"Leave Gavin Walters to the police. Between them, me and the International Cyber Crime Squad we'll make sure we get him." said Axky reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair. This time he was met with no resistance.
"Please don't tell Vicky what you found ... if she knows Gavin is my father ... It's just that she deserves better." said Levi, looking down, his voice cracking slightly as he said Vicky's name.
Axky frowned. "You think she will hate you because you are his child?" he questioned. When Levi nodded, Axky tapped his chin and made him look at him.
"When Vicky was three years old, she was adopted by a vile young woman. She abused Vicky emotionally, scolding her, depriving her of everything a child should have. You can read it up, it was a messy affair about twelve years ago. But we got custody of Vicky and there has been no turning back since." said Axky gruffly. Levi struggled to process the information. He didn't know Vicky was adopted, she even looked similar to Axky. He fought down the instant urge to hunt down the woman who had done this to Vicky.
"I still get angry whenever I think about that woman. But I make sure Vicky doesn't. She stays calm, because she understands that the situation was not her fault. She was only a child. Just like you are. " said Axky patting Levi's bowed head and making him sit up straight. "Neither of you need to take on a burden of hate so great it takes control of your life. Its important sometimes, to just let go."
A tiny scream came from outside and Levi realized a nurse had probably found his bed empty.
"I should get back." said Levi standing up, consciously clutching the hospital gown around him. The damn thing had no cloth in the back and Levi had no intention of flashing Axky. He chuckled thinking of how they'd had a man-to-man discussion dressed in backless gowns. Yeah, very masculine if you asked them.
"You're a good father." said Levi as he reached the door. "Thanks Old Man."
Axky basked in his praise for a total of three seconds before he realized he'd been called old again. By the time he found the bedside notepad to throw at him, the cheeky teenager was gone.
"Ah well." he sighed before sinking back into the bed. At least now he could take a nice nap without worrying the brat was shagging his daughter.
A/N: Hi everyone! How has life been treating you?
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!
Thank you for reading! Sending you lots of love and sunshine,
Andy